BusinessMirror October 04, 2022

ISUZU GENCARS BREAKS GROUND IN SAN PABLO

ISUZU Gencars celebrated the groundbreaking of the new location of Isuzu San Pablo in a ceremony on Monday (October 3) at Km. 85 Maharlika Highway, Ba rangay San Ignacio, San Pablo City, Laguna.  Gencars Chairman and Chief Executive Officer D. Edgard A. Cabangon led Gencars execu tives in welcoming the delega tion from Isuzu Philippines Corporation, headed by its presi dent, Noboru Murakami.

I n his special remarks, Cabangon expressed the company’s optimism and ex citement over the transfer of

Isuzu San Pablo to a better location. “This development is a step towards the realiza tion of our promise to adapt the Isuzu Outlet Standard [IOS] throughout the Gencars network of dealerships,” he said, explaining that when it opens, the new Isuzu San Pablo “will feature a beautiful façade, an elegant showroom, and a cozy customer lounge, which are all in line with the IOS design philosophy.”

T he new Isuzu San Pablo will occupy 7,220.23 square meters of the 1-hectare prop erty purchased by Gencars. It will be constructed with the

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

CLOSING the country’s borders is one of the most immediate courses of action the government must take to prevent the latest Covid-19 variant, Omicron, from reaching Philippine shores, according to local economists.

help of RDB Tecson and As sociates, an ISO-Certified firm which was also responsible for the transformation of Isuzu Makati into an IOS dealership.

The new variant is a threat, especially with the holidays coming up and more foreigners being allowed to travel to the Philippines, De La Salle University economist Maria Ella Oplas told BusinessMirror.

for government to be proactive in

Previous instances when the country had the opportunity to impose travel restrictions did not prevent the spread of Covid-19. That was mainly because the decision was not made immediately, he said.

Kung papatay patay [If we’re slow] and we get caught flat-footed, [that’s risky] We were too reactive instead of proactive before. We should learn from that,” PeñaReyes said. “It’s a delicate balancing act. We need to push testing and tracing to be properly informed of our decisions. Blanket/shotgun

The holidays usually bring in Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who are eager to spend Christmas country in another strict lockdown, tions to be put in place swiftly and

S hown in photo are (from left) Arch. Rafael Tecson of RDB Tecson and Associates, Isuzu Philippines Corpora tion (IPC) Executive Vice President Shojiro Sakoda, Gencars Chairman and Chief Executive Officer D. Edgard A. Cabangon, IPC President Noboru Murakami, Gencars President Lerma O. Nacnac, and Special Assistant to the President Giannina Eunice A. Cabangon.

NEDA: POGO CLOSURES

DIP TO P2.75T

STALL RECOVERY

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE national government’s gross borrowings as of end-October shrank by almost 6 percent year-on-year to P2.75 trillion.

Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed that the government’s gross borrowings during the 10-month period fell by 5.99 percent from P2.92 trillion a year ago.

IF the government decides to ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country, the economy has enough strength to sustain its recovery in the coming years, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

With only two months left for this year, the latest figure is already equivalent to 89.6 percent of its P3.07-trillion borrowing program.

Omicron risk spurs revival of rulesquarantine in PHL

PBBM eyes ‘ambitious’ infra after Metro subway

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

INTERNATIONAL concerns over the possible spread of the more infectious Omicron Covid-19 variant prompted the government to reimpose mandatory facility-based quarantine for all arriving passengers in the country.

WITH the construction of two stations of the first ever subway line in the country set to begin soon, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. said his administration is now eyeing the construction of more “ambitious” infrastructure.

Broken down, gross domestic borrowings from January to October settled at P2.23 trillion, down by 5.08 percent from P2.35 trillion in 2020.

A t the sidelines of the joint National Statistics Month (NSM) and National Convention on Sta tistics (NCS) opening ceremonies on Monday, Neda Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon told reporters that while the exact contribution of POGOs to the economy still needs to be estimated, there are signs that the recovery in several sectors of the economy is expected to take up the slack.

Acting Presidential spokesperson Karlo B. Nograles announced on Sunday that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) suspended the implementation of its Resolution No. 150A (s.2021), effectively imposing stricter protocols for all inbound travelers.

Speaking at the groundbreaking for the said stations of the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) in Pasig City on Monday, Marcos said the project serves as a signal to the international community that his administration will continue the mass infrastructure projects of the previous administration.

The bulk of the amount was sourced from Fixed Rate Treasury Bonds (P1.19 trillion), followed by short-term borrowings from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or BSP (P540 billion), Retail Treasury Bonds/Premyo Bonds (P463.3 billion), Retail Onshore Dollar Bonds (P80.84 billion). In the same period, there was also a net redemption of Treasury Bills amounting to P43.94 billion.

T he Neda’s positive outlook of a POGO-less Philippines is in con trast to the dire projection of a leading property sector think tank, which warned senators of serious

Net debt redemption means there were more debts repaid compared to the amount borrowed during the period.

Meanwhile, gross foreign borrowings in the same period also contracted by 9.7 percent to P518.7 billion from last year’s P574.4 billion.

This was raised through global bonds (P146.17 billion), program loans (P139.98 billion), euro-denominated bonds (P121.97 billion), a project loan (P86.41 billion), and yen-denominated samurai bonds (P24.19 billion).

HIGH inflation and tight ening monetary policy will weigh down growth in Southeast Asian economies this year and next year, accord ing to the United Nations Confer ence on Trade and Development (Unctad).

B ased on the Trade and De velopment Report 2022, Unctad said growth in Southeast Asian countries is expected to average 4.1 percent this year.

T he growth forecast for South east Asia this year was raised by 0.7 percentage points from Unctad’s March estimate of 3.4 percent.

“Growing inflationary pres sures and a subsequent tighten ing of domestic monetary stanc

@jearcalas

dating its registry following the enactment of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund law.

M

ORE than 3 million coconut farmers and workers are now registered with the government’s registry, which serves as the basis for the number of people to be covered by the utilization of the P75-billion coconut levy fund.

es, along with more costly inter national financing conditions, is dampening activity,” Unctad, however, said in a statement.

Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Deputy Administrator Roel M. Rosales said about 3.11 million coconut farmers and farm workers have been registered with the government since it started up-

T he data also showed that av erage growth in Southeast Asia is expected to slow to 3.8 per cent next year. This is one of the slowest average growth rates in the region.

B etween 2015 and 2019, aver age growth in the region reached 4.9 percent; from 2009 to 2019, 5.1 percent; from 2000 to 2009, 5.4 percent; and from 1991 to 1999, 5.3 percent.

“ The region’s growth rate [is expected] to decelerate to 3.8 percent in the context of slug gish growth of global trade and

Rosales explained that about 500,000 coconut farmers and workers were added to the PCA’s 2018 list that had about 2.5 million coconut farmers and farm workers.

the anticipated effects of a tight ening in domestic monetary policy, as the region’s historic vulnerability to financial and exchange rate instability weighs on policymakers’ minds,” Unc tad said in a statement.

The PCA’s next step is to conduct an exclusion-inclusion procedure by making the updated farmers’ registry public, providing everyone the opportunity to check the veracity of the list, Rosales added.

G lobally, Unctad expects growth to average 2.5 percent in 2022 and further slow to 2.2 percent next year. Unctad said this will leave real GDP to remain below its pre-pandemic trend by the end of next year.

“The list will be posted in public spaces where people can easily see

them. This allows everyone to see who are listed in the registry and if farmer doesn’t see his name then he shall coordinate with the PCA immediately,” he explained at a recent dialogue with coconut farmers.

“On the other hand, if people would see names on the list and they think they are not coconut farmers or their details are incorrect, they can report it to the PCA for immediate action,” he added.

“synchronized slowdown” that is raising alarm bells for many de veloping countries where growth is expected to slow to below 3 per cent.

T his, Unctad said, is a concern as this growth rate is not enough for sustainable development and will further squeeze public and pri vate finances as well as damage the country’s employment prospects.

The PCA official noted that the completion of the initial list of coconut farmers registry would be just in time for the expected rollout of coconut levy-funded

programs as President Duterte is expected to sign the industry development plan in early 2022.

Rosales said the PCA will not stop updating its list of coconut farmers and enjoined them to register in order to reap the benefits of the decades-long idled coconut levy fund. “We will not stop at 3.1 million. We hope that more individuals will register in our coconut farmers registry,” he said.

The updating of the coconut farmers registry is mandated by Republic Act (RA) 11524 or the Coconut Industry Trust Fund Act.

U nctad estimated that this represented a cumulative short fall of more than $17 trillion or close to 20 percent of the world’s income.

T he UN agency said there is a

There’s still time to step back from the edge of reces sion,” Unctad Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan said, however.

We have the tools to calm in flation and support all vulnerable groups.

is a matter of policy choices

Let the breaking ground of this subway system signal our intention to the world to pursue even grander dreams and more ambitious en deavors that will bring comfort and progress to our people all over the country,” Marcos said.

To note, IATF Resolution 150A had allowed fully vaccinated non-visa travelers from Green List areas to enter the country without the need for facility-based quarantine as long as they secure negative Reverse TranscriptionPolymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR) test within 72 hours prior to their departure.

Be assured that this adminis tration will take the lead in identi fying, pursuing, and implementing projects as part of the Build Better

“Except for countries classified as ‘Red,’ the testing and quarantine protocols for all inbound international travelers in all ports of entry shall comply with the testing and quarantine protocols for ‘Yellow’ list countries,” Nograles said, citing the provision of IATF Resolution

He noted Hong Kong, which has confirmed a case of the Omicron variant, will also fall under the Yel-

The suspension of the rules for “Green List” countries will be in effect from November 28, 2021 to

PEOPLE walk past the mural of Gat Andres Bonifacio at Manila City Hall Underpass. The country will celebrate the 158th birth anniversary of Filipino revolutionary hero Gat Andres Bonifacio on Tuesday, November 30.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Ortigas

of the Metro Manila Subway Project, at the Metrowalk Commercial Compound in Pasig City

ERC majority junks joint bid of Meralco, SMC for rate hike

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

THREE of the five Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) commissioners denied the joint plea of San Miguel Corp.’s (SMC) power units and the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) for a rate increase in their previously approved power rates.

“The decision to deny the subject joint motion for price adjustment is in keeping with the Commission’s mandate to protect consumer inter est, as provided for under the EPIRA,” said the ERC, referring to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act.

ERC Chairperson Monalisa Di malanta, commissioners Catherine Maceda and Foresinda Digal are not in favor of the joint petition. Com missioners Alexis Lumbatan and Mark Romeo Fuentes issued their dissenting opinion.

T he petitions of South Premiere Power Corp. (SPPC) and San Miguel

Energy Corp. (SMEC) involved a tem porary and partial cost recovery re lief only for the losses incurred from January to May 2022, in the form of a rate increase on their contract capacities under the PSAs (power supply agreements) they entered into with Meralco, to be amortized over a period of six months. They initially pegged the temporary adjustment to only 30 centavos per kilowatt hour (kWh).

I n particular, SPPC asked the ERC to increase the rate from P4.3 to 8.3/ kW h for the 330 MW contracted baseload capacity by Meralco from

the Sual plant, which runs on coal.

S MEC, meanwhile, is seeking a rate increase from P4.3 to P5.1/ kwh for its 670 MW of contract ed baseload capacity by Meralco from the Ilijan plant, which runs on gas.

T he reasons for the rate hike in clude the surging prices of coal and of gas in the global market. The uni lateral supply restrictions from the Malampaya gas field that fuels the Ilijan plant was another concern.

T he power plants have already posted staggering losses of P15 billion and the companies have absorbed more than P10 billion of the losses that were incurred last year.

T he commission said it “is not blind to the woes and difficulties faced by consumers and businesses alike, but it needs to rule and decide on the basis of what is clearly laid down in the PSA awarded pursuant to the CSP [Competitive Selection Process] policy, and in law.”

ERC added, “Preserving the PSA under the approved terms requires nothing less, thus ensuring respect for transparency, fairness and ac countability.”

T he ERC pointed out that Meralco and the SMC firms entered into the PSAs on their own free will, without pressure or intervention from anyone.

Granting the price adjustment would render this Commission in contempt of the very PSA it approved which clearly provides no room for price adjustment, but which, to the contrary, guaranteed supply of en ergy to Meralco customers…at a fixed contract price provided under the PSA.

The decision to deny the price adjustment is consistent with prin ciples and mandate of the Com mission in the EPIRA to guard against market abuse and to ensure transparent and reasonable prices of electricity in a regime and fair competition and full public ac countability,” it said.

Peso closes at P59; analysts see further decline as $ gains

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE Philippine peso is ex pected to weaken further as the US dollar continues to strengthen, according to local analysts.

O n Monday, the peso closed at P59 to the greenback, another new low for the Philippine cur rency. The peso lost P0.375 centa vos from the close of P58.625 on the last trading day of September.

M anaging Director of eMan agement for Business and Mar keting Services, Jonathan Rave las said he expects the peso to reach the P59.85 to P59.25 levels by Tuesday.

That [peso to breach P60 this week] is probable as risk of sentiment continues,” Ravelas told BusinessMirror on Monday.

sponsibility is to ensure price stability—and accomplish its inflation target—it follows that the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipi nas) is not obligated to defend the value of the peso—the BSP does not pursue exchange rate target ing. It may, however, undertake occasional market interventions, usually unannounced, to support the peso,” Reside said.

Meanwhile, Ravelas said he expects inflation in September to settle at 6.7 percent but should commodity prices breach 7 per cent, which is part of the expec tations of the BSP, it’s possible that another interest rate hike is likely.

R avelas said the BSP may be prompted to raise interest rates to 5.75 percent from the expected 4.75 percent.

economic damage and possible so cial costs if government decides on an “abrupt” closure of the remaining POGOs in the Philippines. Story on A12, “Abrupt POGO exit spells seri ous economic damage.”

T he Philippine Senate is currently investigating the revenue viability and social costs of POGOs amid a mounting clamor to altogether ban the remaining operators in the coun try. Earlier Finance Secretary Ben

jamin Diokno said he supports the ban on POGOs, saying they open the Philippines to “reputational risks” because of the rising incidence of crime associated with them. (Full story: https:// businessmirror com.ph/2022/09/16/diokno-keep ing-pogos-gives-phl-reputation al-risks/)

It’s really about finding alterna tives, especially for the workers. So if we are able to find alternative work

for them, then it could be a win-win for us,” Edillon said on Monday. “We will have to work out the numbers of course but, like I said, for now, let’s let it go through the legislative pro cess first.”

I n her presentation, Edillon said the economy has yet to fully recover from the pandemic. Sectors such as manufacturing, accommodation, and real estate, entertainment have yet to recover from the pandemic.

However, sectors such as informa tion, communication and technology as well as banking and finance have already recovered. This, she said, is a

good sign that the economy will con tinue growing faster.

POGOs not in devt plan EDILLON added that given the state of the POGOs right now, it is safe to say the sector will not be included in the country’s forthcoming Philippine Development Plan (PDP) which the Neda is crafting. “It will not be there unless it will be part of the legisla tive agenda.”

I n a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Monday, AMLC Executive Director Matthew M. David clarified that while the AMLC issues certifi cates of registration to POGOs and casinos, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) is tasked to monitor their activities.

However, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara was surprised when David said there were only 22 POGOs reg istered under AMLC when Pagcor’s report listed 35 registered in Pagcor.

AMLC also reported there were over 145 offshore service providers in the country and have filed more than 500 covered transaction reports (CTRs) with AMLC.

C TRs are filed when the amount won by players at the casino or through POGOs exceeds P5 mil lion. Another report, the Suspicious Transaction Report (STR), is filed if these CTRs are possibly linked to identified red flags of the AMLC.

Economic recovery

IN his speech at the NSM and NCS opening ceremonies, Socioeconom ic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan highlighted the impor tance of statistics to the country’s recovery.

Statistics were crucial in the moni toring of Covid-19 cases and enabled the public sector, in consultation with experts and stakeholders, to formu late policies to mitigate the scarring impact of the pandemic.

He said if policymakers are armed with correct information and data, they can design and implement bet ter policies that will help in the re covery from the scarring inflicted by the pandemic.

“ The challenges are indeed daunting, given the domestic and external risks to growth. In par ticular, high inflation in food, transport, and energy, disruptions in global and local supply chains, coupled with foreseen recessions and slowdowns of major trading partners, our tight fiscal space and limited absorptive capacity, all re main challenges that require the decisive execution of solutions that are informed by careful analysis,” Balisacan said.

T he Neda Chief added that there is a need for a robust and responsive statistical system to execute the gov ernment’s plans and strategies mov ing forward.

T he reliable and timely production of relevant statistics help inform and shape governments policies espe cially in areas where interventions are most needed.

H e said, these will contribute to efforts that will realize the country’s socioeconomic targets particularly on poverty, GDP per capita and GDP growth, inflation, and employment.

“What could push the local cur rency to 60 is the further strength of the greenback.”

University of the Philippines School of Economics head of re search Renato E. Reside Jr. told this newspaper that further cur rency depreciation is expected given the latest developments.

Unfortunately, this will have an impact on inflation as the Philippines remains a net food and oil importer. This means the country relies heavily on imports of these commodities which will now be more expensive because of the peso depreciation.

Given that its primary re

Inflation...

“But the current course of action is hurting the most vulnerable, espe cially in developing countries and risks tipping the world into a global recession,” she added.

Tight monetary policy UNCTAD said that based on the re port, rapid interest rate increases and fiscal tightening in advanced economies combined with the cascading crises resulting from the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine have already turned a global slowdown into a downturn with the desired soft landing look ing unlikely.

In a decade of ultra-low interest rates, central banks consistently fell short of inflation targets and failed to generate healthier economic

I n September, the BSP hiked its rates for the third consecu tive month to anchor the rise of consumer prices and inflation expectations.

T he Monetary Board decided to raise its interest rates by 50 basis points to 4.25 percent. Ac cordingly, the interest rates on the overnight deposit and lend ing facilities were raised to 3.75 percent and 4.75 percent, respec tively.

T his was the third consecu tive month that the BSP hiked its benchmark rates: first in an off-cycle hike in July of 75 basis points, and another one in Au gust, 50 basis points.

More Infrastructure Agenda that we have laid out,” he added.

A mong those who witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony are Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Senators Grace Poe-Llamanzares, Joseph Victor “JV” G. Ejercito and Mark A. Villar, JICA Chief Repre sentative Takema Sakamoto, and Pasig City Mayor Victor Ma. Regis “Vico” N. Sotto.

O nce completed, the MMSP is expected to cut down the commute between Quezon City and the Ma nila Airport from one hour and 30 minutes to 35 minutes and to cre ate new jobs.

“ With the improved linkages of key areas and business districts in the metro as well as the availability of stalls and other stores in the sta tions and nearby markets, we can see more business opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors, and additional economic activity,” Marcos said.

He thanked the Japanese govern

growth. Any belief that they will be able to bring down prices by rely ing on higher interest rates without generating a recession is, the report suggests, an imprudent gamble.

A t a time of falling real wages, fiscal tightening, financial turbu lence and insufficient multilateral support and coordination, exces sive monetary tightening could usher in a period of stagnation and economic instability for many developing countries and some de veloped ones.

T his year’s interest rate hikes in the United States are set to cut an estimated $360 billion of future income for developing countries (excluding China) and signal even more trouble ahead, the report warned. Cai U. Ordinario

ment and private sector for helping in the construction of the MMSP and other similar public projects.

Indeed, we are quite honored to have them work with us to make our transport operations more ef ficient, more modern, and more at tuned to our daily life in 2022 and beyond,” Marcos said.

A ccording to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the con struction project will cover the Or tigas and Shaw Boulevard station of the MMSP.

T he P17.7-billion MMSP Contract Package 104, which is being funded through loans from the Japan In ternational Cooperation Agency (JICA), will cover 33 kilometers and have a total of 17 stations.

T he project is being built through a joint venture of the To kyu Construction Co., Ltd., Tobi shima Corporation, and Megawide Construction Corporation.

It is expected to become opera tional by 2028 and accommodate 519,000 passengers.

The

Saudi crown prince and PM sets visit to

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome @maloutalosig

PHL and US Marine forces hold drills to respond to possible regional crisis

SAUDI

Arabia’s Crown Prince and newly appointed Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman is slated to visit Manila next month, a senior Foreign Affairs of ficial said.

If the visit pushes through, the 37-year-old Saudi Crown Prince would be the first head of govern ment to visit the Philippines since President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. took office last June.

D FA Assistant Secretary for Middle East Affairs Alfonso Ver said this was discussed during the visit recently by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud during his courtesy call on President Marcos in Malacañang.

Prince Mohammed will attend the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, on November 15 and 16. The Saudi Prime Minister is targeting to have a five-nation swing in Asia, which includes the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei and Pakistan.

T he date of the visit is not yet known, but the DFA and Malacañang will prepare for the “deliverables” of the visit.

We want to rush everything. We want to do everything. Part of the meeting between the President and the Saudi foreign minister was to create the initial plans for the eventual visit by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman here,” Ver said in a news conference on Friday.

At least 17 memoranda of under standing are now being negotiated between the Philippines and Saudi Arabia on a wide range of topics, such as security and defense, trade and investments, culture coopera tion and labor reforms.

T he Saudi foreign minister has assured President Marcos that labor reforms are now “in place” to protect the rights of foreign workers, includ ing the 800,000-strong Filipino com munity, in the Kingdom, Ver quoted Prince Faisal as saying. Recently, the Department of Migrant Workers has lifted the ban on the deployment of Filipino construction workers to Saudi Arabia.

P rince Faisal said the Saudi Crown Prince’s vision is that by year 2030, it would have the highest GDP growth in the Gulf Cooperation Council region, and generate at least 50 percent of its GDP through non-oil revenue, spe cifically on tourism and entertain ment targeting 100 million annual tourist arrivals.

“ Saudi Arabia is opening up to tourism. Before, Saudi tourism is only for hajj. This will create more jobs not just for Saudis but expatriates. His Highness recognized our competencies in tourism and entertainment industries,” Ver said.

Prince Faisal also said Saudi has the capability to increase the produc tion of urea fertilizers—a byproduct of petroleum products.

M arcos, who is also the coun try’s agriculture secretary, gave the “marching orders” to DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo to forge agreements that would allow Sau di to export urea fertilizers to the Philippines.

MORE than 2,500 Philippines and US Marines joined combat exercises Monday to be able to respond to any sudden crisis in a region long on tenterhooks over South China Sea territorial disputes and increasing tensions over Taiwan.

T he annual military drills are some of the largest so far between the longtime treaty allies under newly elected Philippine President Ferdi nand Marcos Jr. His predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, had been an out spoken critic of US security policies and frowned on military exercises with American forces he said could offend China.

C alled Kamandag the Tagalog acronym for “Cooperation of the Warriors of the Sea”—the drills involve 1,900 US Marines and more than 600 mostly Philippine counterparts in mock amphibious assaults and special operations, US and Philippine military of ficials said. America’s HIMARS missile launchers and supersonic fighter jets will be in live-fire ma neuvers that will end on October 14, they said.

T he venues include the western island province of Palawan, which faces the South China Sea, and the northern Philippines, across the Lu zon Strait from Taiwan.

T he military maneuvers in the Philippines are being held simul

taneously with combat exercises between US Marines and Japanese army self-defense forces on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido that involve about 3,000 military per sonnel from both sides, US military officials said.

US Maj. Gen. Jay Bargeron of the Japan-based 3rd Marine Division said the simultaneous exercises were aimed at bolstering the defensive capabilities of the US alliances with the Philippines and Japan “through realistic combined training.”

These exercises will allow our forces to strengthen interoperabil ity and readiness to ensure we are prepared to rapidly respond to cri sis throughout the Indo-Pacific,” Bargeron said in a news statement.

Our strength, resolve and com mitment to our allies and partners in the region are our most effective deterrent,” US Marine Lt. Col. Kurt Stahl told The Associated Press. “To gether, we can deter potential adver saries from ever testing our capabili ties or our relationships.”

I n July, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on China to

comply with a 2016 arbitration rul ing that invalidated Beijing’s vast territorial claims in the South China Sea and warned that Washington is obligated to defend the Philippines under the 1951 US-Philippines Mu tual Defense Treaty if Filipino forces, vessels or aircraft come under attack in the disputed waters.

T he ruling was issued by an arbi tration tribunal set up in The Hague under the UN Convention on the Law

of the Sea after the Philippine gov ernment complained in 2013 about China’s seizure of a shoal off its north western coast. China did not partici pate, called the arbitration decision a sham and continues to defy it.

I n addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Tai wan and Brunei have had overlap ping claims in the busy waterway, where an estimated $5 trillion in goods passes each year and which

Govt aims to control STD spread in deporting illegal

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573 & Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

ASIDE from criminal activities involving Chinese nationals working in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (PO GOs), the government confirmed reports on Monday about the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among its workers.

Department of Justice (DOJ) As sistant Secretary and spokesman Jose Dominic Clavano said the agen cy has been receiving reports from various sources about the spread of STDs among POGO workers, which is now being validated by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“ We just hope that our operation to deport or cancel their visas would prevent the spread of STDs and this is really part of the report that we are asking from the NBI to determine the full extent of this,” Clavano said.

Based on reports, Clavano noted there were cases where around 15 to 20 workers in a POGO company who tested positive for sexually transmitted diseases.

T he government is hoping that its move to deport or cancel the vi sas of close to 50,000 POGO work ers would avert the further spread of STDs and prevent more criminal activities from happening.

“So, we will not wait, we will not wait until this also affects our fellow

Filipinos. We hope that our ongoing operation will put an end to all the crimes and all the ill-effects of hav ing these Chinese nationals in our country,” Clavano said.

“ We can no longer tolerate the behavior of these Chinese nationals. We gave them a place to stay, we ac commodated them and we gave them the authority to operate here in the country. However, they have violated our laws as we have been receiving reports about murders, kidnappings, prostitution, human trafficking and spread of STDs. So such behavior can not be allowed, that’s why we decided to crack down on their operations... and we hope we’re able to contain this as soon as possible to prevent this kind of criminal behavior in the future,” he added.

T he DOJ and its attached agency, the Bureau of Immigration on Sun day announced the government’s initiative to cancel the visa of 48,782 Chinese nationals working in POGO companies and service providers whose authority to operate have either been canceled or revoked by the Philippine Amusement and Gam ing Corporation (Pagcor).

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the cancellation of the visas of these POGO workers would be the most “cost-efficient” and “hu manitarian” approach.

T he rising incidents of kidnap ping, murder and other criminali ties in the country are being attrib uted to the deluge of Chinese nation

als working in POGO companies in the country.

T he BI said it has started crosschecking the employees of POGO companies whose authority to op erate have been revoked to deter mine who among them are still in the country.

B I Commissioner Norman Tansingco explained that as an ef fect of the visa cancellation, the aliens will be ordered to leave the country within 59 days instead of being deported.

However, if these POGO workers would not voluntarily leave the coun try, then deportation proceedings would be initiated against them.

T he BI expects the cancellation of visas to be finalized in batches, and warned those whose visas will be canceled to depart the country or face deportation.

T he agency assured foreign na tionals with valid visas and comply ing with Philippine laws would not be affected by the move.

A side from the more 48,000 POGO employees who are facing visa cancellation, there are also 372 Chinese and other foreign nationals who are already in custody after be ing arrested by either the NBI or the Philippine National Police (PNP).

T he DOJ said these 372 indi viduals are set to be deported in several batches.

W hile the government is working on the visa cancellation of POGO workers, Clavano assured that opera

tions against Chinese nationals in volved in various criminal activities in the country would continue.

“ We will catch them, we will pros ecute them and hopefully, put them in jail,” the DO spokesperson said.

Police issues clearance to 3,198 POGO workers

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said the docu mentation of POGO workers by the police and local government units (LGU) is already ongoing to ensure all foreign workers who work in the industry subscribe to existing laws and regulations.

P NP chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. disclosed the ongoing documentation process during a news briefing on Monday where he unveiled efforts by the government to curtail crimes and other illegal activities associated with the opera tion of POGOs in the country.

Elsewhere in other industrial zones hosting POGO and other gam ing operations run by foreign compa nies, I was informed that the docu mentation process of POGO workers by PNP units and LGUs is underway to establish a recording and monitor ing system that will keep track of ac tivities of these foreign workers and ensure their compliance with PNP clearance and LGU administrative requirements,” Azurin said.

He said as of September 28, an ad ditional 297 POGO workers availed of the National Police Clearance Sys

is believed to be rich in undersea gas and oil deposits.

Separately, President Joe Biden said last month that American forces would defend Taiwan if Beijing tries to invade the self-ruled island, spark ing protests from China.

T he long-simmering sea disputes and the increasingly tense relations between China and Taiwan have become key fronts of the US-China rivalry. AP

tem (NPCS), for a total of 3,198 police clearances issued to POGO workers as of October 3, 2022.

T he PNP is also sustaining its law enforcement campaign against ille gal activities in local POGO estab lishments, particularly kidnapping and trafficking in persons.

Just a couple of days ago, police men carried out series of operations around the country, which resulted in the rescue of dozens of foreign POGO workers illegally held under human trafficking conditions.

“As we speak, there are several undocumented POGO workers res cued by the PNP who are now in the Bureau of Immigration holding area while awaiting deportation and repatriation proceedings,” Azurin said.

“At the same time, there are also POGO employers and maintainers accused of violations of Philippine laws who are currently undergoing investigation and initial stages of prosecution,” he added.

Meanwhile, the PNP chief said the national crime environment leading to the forthcoming Holi day Season has improved as “con sistently shown” by the crime situ ation report for September, which reflected significant decrease in the total number of crimes, peace and order indicator. The indicator also includes index and non-index crimes, as well as improved ratings in crime clearance and crime solu tion efficiency.

Palace confirms ‘very productive’ PBBM weekend trip to Singapore

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

officially confirmed President Fer dinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s attendance at the Sin gapore Grand Prix over the week end to secure new investments for the country.

In her Facebook account posted on Monday morning, Press Secre

tary Beatrix “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles said Marcos met with a Singaporean government official during his sec ond visit to Singapore this month.

“ The visit of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. was very pro ductive. He strengthened the main focus of his talks in his last State Visit there and continued to attract investors to the Philippines,” Angeles said in Filipino.

Included in the said statement

was the separate post of Singapor ean Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng thanking Marcos, Palau Presi dent Suranggel Whipps Jr., Cambo dia's Minister attaché to the Prime Minister and Managing Director of Electricite Du Cambodge Keo Rot tanak, Cambodia’s Minister of Com merce Pan Sorasak, and Advisor to the Royal Court of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Fahad Bin Abdullah Toonsi for attending the Singapore Grand

Prix to “affirm bilateral economic partnerships” with Singapore.

“I hope everyone had a chance to soak in the Singapore Grand Prix activities, whether it is the race or lifestyle experiences happening in town and within our community,” the Singaporean official said.

The media has asked Malaca ñang about the said trip since last Thursday.

Unlike his State Visit to Singapore

last September 6 and 7, Marcos did not have departure and arrival cer emonies as well as media coverage of his latest trip in the said country.

However, it was reported during the weekend that Marcos was accom panied by his cousin, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and his son, Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos.

A lso joining the trip was Cavite 8th District Representative Aniela

D. Tolentino, who posted pictures of the Philippine delegates’ attendance in the Singapore Grand Prix.

Marcos drew criticisms from sev eral groups for the said trip for sup posedly spending for such a lavish trip, while hundreds of farmers are struggling to cope with the after math of Typhoon “Karding” (inter national code name Noru).

Marcos is the concurrent secretary of the Department of Agriculture.

MARINES from Philippines, Japan, South Korea and the United States carry their flag during opening ceremonies of an annual joint military exercise called Kamandag the Tagalog acronym for “Cooperation of the Warriors of the Sea” at Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, Philippines, on Monday, October 3, 2022. More than 2,500 Philippine and US Marines launched combat exercises Monday to be able to jointly respond to any sudden crisis in a region long on tenterhooks over the South China Sea territorial disputes and China’s increasingly hostile actions against Taiwan. AP

Economy

‘Karding’ agricultural damage climbs to ₧3 billion–DA report

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

THE Philippines’s agricultural damage and losses due to Typhoon “Karding” breached the P3-billion mark after the Department of Agriculture (DA) received and validated additional reports from the affected areas.

In its latest damage assessment report, the DA Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center (DA-DRRM OpCen) said the estimated agricultural losses across seven regions reached P3.12 billion.

T he DA-DRRM OpCen added that Karding damaged 170,762 hectares of farmlands with an estimated production volume loss of 158,117 metric tons in the regions of Cordillera Administrative Re gion (CAR), I locos R egion, C agayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol Region and Western V isayas.

T he DA-DRRM OpCen said 108,594 farm

ers and fisherfolk lost income due to the ty phoon’s devastation.

“Affected commodities include rice, corn, cassava, abaca, high value crops, livestock and poultry, and fisheries. Damage has also been incurred in agricultural infrastructures, machineries and equipment. These values are subject to validation,” it said in its report pub lished on Monday morning.

T he DA-DRRM OpCen report showed that the damage and losses in the rice sec tor amounted to P2.05 billion with an es timated affected area at 163,162 hectares. The report added that 134,205 metric tons (MT) of palay were damaged by Karding, which translated to 0.66 percent of the estimated total palay output this year of 20.25 million MT.

“ While for corn, damage and losses amounted to P65.4 million with affected area at 2,003 [hectares] and volume of production loss at 2,635 MT [volume of production loss for corn is 0.05 percent of the annual total

production target volume for corn, which is 5.11 million MT],” it said.

T he DA-DRRM OpCen has recorded P831.29 million worth of damage and losses in the high value crops sector after Karding damaged 5,587 hectares of assorted fruits, vegetables, legumes and spices with an esti mated production loss of 20,456 MT.

T he DA-DRRM OpCen added that the recorded damage and losses in the fisher ies sector has now reached P116.55 million, while damage to infrastructure reached P26.30 million. Livestock and poultry rais ers incurred P12.86 million in losses after 48,199 heads of various animals were af fected by the supertyphoon.

T he DA-DRRM OpCen said it has now re corded P1.47 million of damage and losses in the cassava sector after 3 hectares of farms were damaged with a volume loss of 147 MT. Abaca farmers incurred P118,350 worth of damage and losses with an estimated affected area of 7 hectares.

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

THE country’s more than 900,000 pub lic school teachers are set to receive their P1,000 World Teachers’ Day Incentive Benefit (WTDIB) on Wednesday, October 5, a member of the House Com mittee on Appropriations said on Monday.

Q uezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo said Republic Act No. 10743 also declared Oc tober 5 of every year as National Teachers’ Day to pay tribute to those engaged in the teaching profession.

“ We have an itemized sum of P925 mil lion that is meant to pay for the WTDIB of our teachers this year. The amount is speci fied in the 2022 General Appropriations Act,” Rillo said.

“A special provision in this year’s bud get law also stipulates that the money earmarked for the WTDIB will be released during the annual World Teachers’ Day cel ebration,” Rillo added.

R illo also said Congress is determined to sustain the annual funding for WTDIB.

T he United Nations Educational, Scien tific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) designated October 5 of every year as World Teachers’ Day to celebrate the vital role of teachers in guiding children and adolescents through the learning process.

T he observance marks the anniversary

of the October 5, 1966 global adoption of the Unesco-International Labor Organi zation Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers.

T he approved document proclaimed the international benchmarks on the rights and responsibilities of teachers.

It also laid down the universal stan dards for the initial preparation, recruit ment, employment and continuing educa tion of teachers.

Unesco’s theme for World Teachers’ Day 2022 is “The transformation of education begins with teachers.”

In commemoration of World Teachers’ Day on October 5, a lawmaker has filed a bill seeking to upgrade the minimum wage of public school teachers.

E arlier, Quezon City Fifth District Rep. P M Vargas f iled H ouse B ill 4 070 t o adjust the minimum salary grade level of public school teachers from Salary Grade (SG) 11 currently at P25,439 to SG 19 or P49,835. In t he bill, Vargas said t he salary g rade levels of those occupying higher positions shall then be adjusted accordingly.

With the rising costs of living, many teachers still struggle with the financial limitations of their profession while main taining the delivery of quality education to our s tudents a mid t he p andemic,” Var gas said.

Getting ready for the future

ity, it’s conceivable that more innova tion will happen in the next 10 years than in any previous decade in modern history. Life in the 2030s could vastly differ from today.

What do we have to do?

• Visualizing t he f uture

Many consumers now value personal ization over data privacy. The demand for natural and “clean” products is steadily growing. Digital and social channels are becoming significantly more influential. These are some of the trends revealed in latest global surveys on consumer atti tudes towards health and wellness.

The future of wellness

By Henry J. Schumacher

IT is amazing to see a number of companies, including Forrester and McKinsey, raising the need for all of us to get ready for the future. I trust you will be as excited as I am.

Life in 2023

KUDOS for paying attention to the les sons of the early days of the pandemic when those who boldly invested in digi tal innovation found success.

Slashing budgets with a blunt instru ment didn’t work in 2020, and it won’t work in 2023, either.

But don’t bury your head in the sand: 2023 budget pressure will be intense, and blindly planning for modest spending increases across the board will backfire.

To come out on top, you’ll need more discipline and precision to prioritize in vestments, trim waste intentionally, and place smart and bold investment bets.

Economic headwinds coupled with unexpected trends in employment will make planning and budgeting for 2023 trickier than normal. Leaders must temper their overly optimistic predictions for budget increases with discipline and precision.

T hose who come out on top in 2023 will prioritize investments that maxi mize revenue growth, profitability and resilience, while cutting spending in areas prone to waste. They also will maintain experiments with emerging technologies that show growing value.

Life in the 2030s

WHILE planning for 2023, it may make sense to look at life in the 2030s.

For many companies—and many industries—the Covid-19 pandemic set off a period of head-spinning change. They realized they were capable of moving faster than they ever thought possible. They went digital in a matter of days, not years. They offered new services almost overnight. If companies sustain this newfound speed and agil

THE wellness market is booming. Con sumers intend to keep spending more on products that improve their health, fitness, nutrition, appearance, sleep, and mindfulness. Are you getting ready?

The future of your digital strategy

IT’S critical to think about your digital strategy in a broad sense. From a chan nel perspective, are you well set up to succeed, especially in e-commerce. From a marketing perspective, are you leveraging the power of social media and influencers?

The future of data partnerships

DATA is going to be the key. Having a way to tie these different data systems togeth er is probably the best secret. Intercon nectedness of data and data partnerships are going to be the real opportunities.

The future of exciting shopping

BY 2030, we may see a completely differ ent store experience. It’s about captur ing that concept of discovery, whether through services, classes, or just a cu rated, exciting, and gamified experience that brings consumer in—for example, being able to see 3-D versions of your face and being able to apply color cosmetic products to it so that you then could simply hit the buy button and have the products sent to your home.

The future of integrity

THE future we are heading into—shortterm, mid-term, long-term—cannot be without Integrity. Integrity must be part of the learning process for young people, it must be part of the working process and business process of the private sector, and it must definitely be part of how government operates on the national and local level. Corruption must be eliminated!

L et’s all commit to contribute to the creation of a great future!

Iamawarethatthereareplentyotherideas regarding the future, but I have space limits; if you have ideas regarding today’s subject, send it to me at hjschumacher59@gmail.com

Oil firms roll back fuel pump prices

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

OIL

firms are going to implement another price rollback this week.

T hey announced Monday that gasoline prices will go down by P0.40 per liter, diesel by P0.45 per liter and kerosene P0.85 per liter.

Petron, Shell, Seaoil, Total, Unioil, Phoenix, PTT said they will implement the price adjustment at 6 a.m. of Tuesday, October 4. Cleanfuel, meanwhile, will reduce its pump prices at 12:01 a.m.

O il firms adjust their pump prices every week to reflect movements in the world oil market.

A ccording to the DOE, the week-on-week price of Dubai crude has decreased by around $1.80 per barrel. MOPS gasoline has decreased by almost $6.40 per barrel as well as MOPS diesel and kerosene by nearly $5.40 and $5.00 per barrel, respectively.

T he continuing interest rate hikes being implemented in other countries softened the demand for oil, the DOE cited.

T his is the fifth consecutive week of decline in the prices of diesel and kerosene, and the second straight for gasoline.

L ast September 27, oil firms implemented a per liter decrease in the price of gasoline by P1.65-P1.75, diesel by P1.25, and P1.35 for kerosene.

T hese resulted to the yearto-date total adjustments to stand at a net increase of P14.85/liter for gasoline, P29.40/liter for diesel, and P24.10/liter for kerosene.

Lawmakers task ‘small committee’ to accept amendments in ₧5.268-trillion ’23 budget bill

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz  @joveemarie

THE House of Representatives on Monday said it is set to con vene the “small committee” in a few days to accept the amend ments on the proposed 2023 General Appropriations Act.

I n an interview, House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Sec ond District Rep. Manuel Jose M. Dalipe said the small committee is expected to receive amendments to the budget of the Departments of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Health (DOH).

L ast week, the lower cham ber approved the P5.268-trillion 2023 national budget and created a small committee to receive and resolve all individual amendments on the 2023 national budget com posed of Dalipe, House Commit tee on Appropriations Chairman Elizaldy Co, House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairman Stella Luz Quimbo, and Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan.

“We will be convening the small committees for the amendments and I think in a few days we will be able to forward it already to the Senate,” he said.

“ We are still collating the other amendments. I see no changes ex cept to proposals that we are await ing from the different sponsors because if you can recall during plenary sponsorships, there are requests from lawmakers for a particular department or agency.

So there are some requests for the budget of a particular agency to be increased. There are requests for DSWD, DOLE, DOH and some amendments we have to consider,” he said.

Dalipe said Speaker Martin Ro

mualdez has instructed them “to see to it, or when we transmit it to the Senate, maayos na lahat.”

In a few weeks, we will pass it [to the Senate] because the schedule in the upper house is in November and not only November, even on a [congressional] break the Senate is already conducting the hearing. We’ll be on time as expected. We will have a bicameral conference committee for the 2023 budget this coming No vember,” he said.

Program for the poor

CAMARINES Sur Rep. Gabriel Bor dado voted in favor of House Bill (HB) No. 4488 or the budget bill, believing that it will help the marginalized sec tor. However, he requested that the budget allocated for programs aimed at assisting the poor be increased.

I am appealing to the con cerned agencies and entities to facilitate the additional budgetary allocation to all the departments identified in the period of inter pellation,” Bordado said.

D uring the Department of Edu cation’s (DepEd) budget delibera tions, Rep. Bordado discovered, through his interpellation with the bill sponsor, that there was no bud get allocated for Special Children and Children with Disabilities Edu cation, despite the DepEd’s budget increasing from P633.3 billion in 2022 to P710.6 billion in 2023.

B ordado believes that this program will alleviate the suffer ing of poor families with special children and children with dis abilities, which is why he proposed appropriating funds for Special Children’s Education through congressional initiatives.

He also called to restore the P10 billion budget cut in the proposed P93 billion budget for State Univer

sities and Colleges (SUCs) for 2023, claiming that this would affect 81 of the country’s 116 SUCs.

For Bordado, the budget cuts for SUCs will have a negative impact on their ability to safely reopen their campuses.

It will also result in a lower budget for maintenance and other operating expenses, as well as a lower budget for capital outlay and personnel. Due to such budget cuts, poor students studying in state universities will be greatly affected,” he said.

T he funds available to the DSWD for the coming year have been re duced by approximately P8 billion, he added.

A s a result, he said the Panta wid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, also known as the 4Ps, the agency’s poverty reduction strategy that provides grants to extremely poor households in order to improve their health, nutrition, and education, particularly for children aged 0-14, will be impacted.

B ordado said he would like to see additional budgetary support for this program because it will directly benefit the poorest of the poor in the country.

T he lawmaker also requested additional budgetary allocations in light of the disapproval of the P778 million budget for the pub lic utility vehicle modernization program (PUVMP) in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2023 of the Department of Trans portation (DOTr).

Other DOTr programs he would like to see budgetary support for in clude active transportation that would benefit the daily commuters and ser vice contracts for the drivers and work ers of public utility transport.

T he health sector will receive a 10.4 percent budget increase to

P296.3 billion in 2023, but Rep. Bordado believes this is insuffi cient. The DOH has been “failing to deliver” in providing Covid-19 benefits, such as the One Covid-19 Allowance (OCA), as well as having to increase the salary of nurses, so the lawmaker is calling for addition al salaries for health-care workers to recognize the importance of the job, particularly during pandemics.

Bordado also requested an in crease in the P476 million budget for the Department of Energy’s Renew able Energy Development Program, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program, and Alternative Fuels and Technologies Program.

I nvesting in the country’s re newable energy (RE) resources, developing technologies, and pro viding incentives for national and local RE planning will help identify the most viable and least-cost RE development and will soon benefit the entire country by lowering elec tricity costs, he said.

T he Agriculture department re ceived a 39.2 percent budget increase for 2023, totaling P163.75 billion. But Bordado said he wants to make sure that farmers and fishermen are prioritized in the agriculture budget and additional budgetary allocations should be made available to farmers and fishermen as needed.

T he legislator has high hopes for the agriculture sector as a result of the president’s appointment as Sec retary of Agriculture.

A lso, Bordado pushed for increased funding for the Philippine National Railway South Long Haul Project with a P1.1 billion budget for 2023.

T he lawmaker believes that once the Bicol Express is operational again, many communities in South Luzon will benefit greatly. It will benefit the economy because agri

cultural products from the south will be easier to transport to vari ous parts of Luzon.

‘Purge’

MEANWHILE, Albay Rep. Edcel Lag man said the 2023 national budget must be purged of unnecessary and excessive confidential and intelli

gence funds amounting to P9.29 bil lion, which are embedded in various offices, agencies, and departments.

This total amount is much bigger than the appropriations of many gov ernment offices and departments, including the constitutional com missions and offices,” said Lagman in a statement.

“No stretch of the imagination or flexibility of logic can justify the P500 million in the Office of the Vice President [OVP] and another P150 million in the Department of Educa tion, both under Vice President Sara Duterte,” he said.

According to Lagman, the OVP is not a surveillance agency and has no jurisdiction over matters of national security.

The novels of Agatha Christie and the exploits of Sherlock Holmes are not staple readings for basic education and the mandate of DepEd does not include detective activities,” he said.

“Since the utilization of confi dential and intelligence funds are shrouded in mystery and the sup posed audit by the Commission on Audit could not be disclosed to the Congress and the public, these funds breed corruption, and the more enor mous the funds are, the greater the magnitude is for the possibility of graft,” he added.

W ith this, Lagman asked the Congress to exercise judicious ness and frugality in the alloca tion of confidential and intelli gence funds.

Techno inputs to boost Zambales agri production

By Henry Empeño Correspondent

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

STATE-RUN Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) aims to insure at least 2.3 million farmers and fishermen, bulk of which being rice farmers, next year with its P4.5-billion pro posed budget.

PCIC President Jovy C. Bernabe told senators during the budget hearing of the Department of Fi nance (DOF) on Monday that the state-run insurance corporation’s budget next year would be able to cover P78.688 billion worth of ag ricultural produce.

B ased on PCIC’s presentation, the government-owned and -con trolled corporation (GOCC) would be able to cover 1.073 million rice farmers, 354,610 corn farmers, 530,318 livestock raisers, 270,000 high value crops farmers and 15,633 fishermen.

T he PCIC would also be able to insure 48,165 farmers in non-crop agricultural assets.

O ut of the PCIC’s total pro posed subsidy next year, about P2.2 billion would be used to in sure rice farmers, while P1 billion would be allotted for the corn farmers. PCIC data showed that

high value crops and livestock sec tors would each get P600 million coverage, while fishermen and farmers of non-crop agricultural assets would have an allocation of P50 million each.

B ernabe disclosed that the PCIC aims to cover an additional 2 million farmers in the next two years through the P4 billion fund of the GOCC sourced from the penalties paid by banks under the Agri-Agra law.

T he additional crop insurance coverage would be on top of the regu lar budget and insurance coverage of the PCIC.

“ We have an additional P4 bil lion from [Bangko Sentral ng Pili pinas] in our account. We will be using that in the next crop years to expand [our insurance coverage],” Bernabe said.

It is already with the PCIC. We would be using that money in 2023 and 2024 to cover other farmers who will not be covered by the [General Appropriations Act],” Bernabe added.

T he PCIC’s target insurance coverage this year is also at nearly 2.3 million farmers, 21.24 percent higher than the nearly 1.9 million farmers and fishermen that it cov ered in 2021.

By Andrea E. San Juan

IBA, Zambales—Technological inputs are the only hope for local agriculture to rise above margin al production and introduce a para digm shift that will attract younger generations to farming and fishing.

T his was stressed over the week end by Zambales Governor Hermo genes Ebdane Jr., as he urged local stakeholders in the agriculture sector to embrace new technology in order to increase productivity and improve sustainable farming in the province.

Ebdane issued this call after the Department of Agriculture (DA), in separate occasions, distributed farm machinery and equipment to local farmers and allotted a 62-footer fiberglass-reinforced plastic fish ing boat for local fishers through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

This is the long-term solution to the woes of local agriculture, to low farm yield,” Ebdane said. “The distri bution of farm machinery and com mercial-type fishing boats are the first concrete steps toward the direction we want to take,” the governor added.

Melardo Feliciano, head of the mechanization program at the Zambales Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO), said local farmers received from the DA 26 units of farm machinery, including two four-wheel drive tractors that went

to Biangue Agro Farm Association in Botolan town and Canaynayan Farm Association in Santa Cruz, and two rice combine harvest ers given to Dinumagat-Antipolo Farmers Association in San Anto nio and Reserva-Baculi Lowland/ Upland Farmers Association in Cabangan town.

T he DA also distributed two multi-cultivators for Batag Farmers Association in Palauig and Cande laria Organic Farmers Association in Candelaria; a hand tractor for Sa mahang Magsasaka ng Poonbato in Botolan; and 19 shallow tube wells for farmers groups in Cabangan, San Antonio, Candelaria, Santa Cruz, San Marcelino, Castillejos, and Pa lauig towns.

Feliciano added that registered farmers associations may also get warehouses with recirculating dryer or mobile flash dryer, solarpowered fertigation systems for fertilizer application, and other facilities upon endorsement by local government units and after evaluation by the PAO.

He said that farmers’ groups in Zambales received 37 units of vari ous farm machinery and equipment worth P35.6 million in 2020; 21 units in 2021, and 55 units this year.

Meanwhile, a 62-footer fiberglassreinforced plastic (FRP) boat for han dline fishing that was allocated to the Iba Federation of Fishermen is expected to jumpstart the modern ization of the local fishing fleet.

Zambales Provincial Fisheries Of ficer Neil Encinares said this will be one of the 33 vessels to be manufac tured by the Subic-based Pacificfortia Marine Tech. Inc. (PMTI) for fisher men groups in the country under a DA-BFAR program.

It can go as far as 200-300 nauti cal miles, well past the Scarborough Shoal, but it can also operate in municipal waters,” Encinares said, adding that the DA-BFAR previ ously built 38-footer boats but gave these up for the new design that can operate in international waters and compete with foreign vessels.

T he 62-footer prototype, which was launched by PMTI on Septem ber 21 at the Subic Fish Port, has a

storage capacity of three tons and thus can stay in the open sea to fish for a week. It also has six smaller FRP “catcher” boats riding astride its outriggers.

Encinares said the catcher boats will be deployed upon reaching the fishing ground, and fish for tuna and other big fish species to be stocked in the mother boat.

Gov. Ebdane, who witnessed the inauguration of the 62-footer FRP boat in Subic, lauded the project as a timely government initiative and “a huge first step towards the next level” for the local fishing industry, and urged the beneficiary groups to take care of the assets and put them to good productive use.

THE

Board of Investments (BOI), the country’s lead in vestments promotion agency (IPA), urged businessmen to invest in General Santos City and Iloilo City.  I n a bid to draw in investors and bring in more business opportuni ties to the Philippines, the BOI, an attached agency of the Department

of Trade and Industry (DTI), has picked up where it left off by hold ing a series of Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) Roadshows in Western Visayas and South-Central Mindanao regions.

T he agency welcomed the month of September with the SIPP Roadshow in General Santos City on September 1. Most commonly known as GenSan, the city is famous for hosting six of

the country’s seven major tuna firms and related companies that employ around 120,000 people with exports of about $58 million worth of fresh, chilled, and frozen tuna yearly to vari ous markets around the globe.

“

The roadshow was a resounding success, attracting over 140 partici pants and industry representatives from all over the Soccsksargen re gion—composed of South Cotabato,

Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City—as well as guests from the Bangsamoro Auton omous Region in Muslim Mindanao [BARMM],” the BOI said in a state ment on Monday.

T he BOI added that the event highlighted the city’s reputation as the regional hub for commerce and industry in South-Central Mindanao with an eye for more investments and

opportunities for building connec tions and creating more jobs.

Representing the host city, GenSan Head of City Economic Development Office Leonard Flores stressed, “The [Corporate Recovery and Tax Incen tives for Enterprises] CREATE law positions our region to be a source of a metropolitan development area. Early this year, we are happy to announce we have launched that mission.”

ZAMBALES Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. (second from left) inspects a prototype of the 62-footer fiberglass-reinforced plastic boat for handline fishing with Region 3 Department of Agriculture officials. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent n Chinese Mandarin is an advantage.

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills).

JUNGEUN

Sales Marketing Manager

Brief Job Description:

TELUS INTERNATIONAL PHILIPPINES, INC.

23/f, 31st/f -

MATANG FOMEKONG, AGNES MARIETTE

French Operations Csr Ii

145.

Brief Job Description:

French Speaking

Basic Qualification:

Basic Qualification:

Php 59,999

Center, San Antonio, City Of

Basic Qualification: Skilled in French Language

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

TIAN XIA TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. 6/f Filinvest Cyberzone Bldg. B, Superblock A Central Business Park 1 Bay City St., Barangay 76, Pasay City

CHIU, TING-YU Chinese Marketing Specialist

146.

Brief Job Description: Conduct market research; brainstorm and develop ideas for creative marketing campaign; assist in outbound and inbound marketing activities

VISA VALOR CONSULTANCY INCORPORATED Unit 922 9/f Cityland

Basic Qualification: - Atleast 19y/old - Ability to speak write and communicate in Vietnamese Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

130.

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

NGUYEN THANH THANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

131.

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

NGUYEN THI MINH TAM Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent n Chinese Mandarin is an advantage.

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

132.

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

NGUYEN THI THOAI LINH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent n Chinese Mandarin is an advantage.

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Brief

APRIANTO

Description:

JULIAN

133.

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

NGUYEN VIET LONG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent n Chinese Mandarin is an advantage.

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills).

Customer

Customer Service Officer

Job Description:

Basic

Basic Qualification:

language

30,000 -

59,999

Basic Qualification: Foreign language speaking

Range:

30,000 - Php 59,999

134.

135.

136.

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

PHAM THI VUOT Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

PHAM THI YEN

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in vietnamese (verbal and written skills).

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

Customer Service

Ukraine takes back key city; Russia uses suicide drones

By Jon Gambrell The Associated Press

Iran official warns protests could destabilize country

D

UBAI, United Arab Emir ates—Iran’s parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that protests over the death of a young woman in police custody could destabilize the country and urged security forces to deal harsh ly with those he claimed endanger public order, as countrywide un rest entered its third week.

Posts on social media showed there were scattered anti-govern ment protests in Tehran and run ning clashes with security forces in other towns Sunday, even as the government has moved to block, partly or entirely, internet connectivity in Iran.

Parliament Speaker Moham mad Bagher Qalibaf told law makers that unlike the current protests, which he said aim to topple the government, previ ous demonstrations by teach ers and retirees over pay were aimed at reforms, according to the legislative body’s web site.

“The important point of the [past] protests was that they were reform-seeking and not aimed at overthrowing” the system, said Qalibaf. “I ask all who have any [reasons to] protest not to allow their protest to turn into destabilizing and toppling” of institutions.

Thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets to protest the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, who had been detained by Iran’s mo rality police in the capital Tehran for allegedly not adhering to Iran’s strict Islamic dress code.

The protesters have vented their anger over the treatment of women and wider repression in the Islamic Republic. The nationwide demonstrations rapidly escalated into calls for the overthrow of the clerical establishment that has ruled Iran since its 1979 Islamic revolution.

Iranian state TV has reported that at least 41 protesters and police have been killed since the demonstrations began Sept. 17. An Associated Press count of official statements by authorities tallied at least 14 dead, with more than 1,500 demonstrators arrested.

Qalibaf, the parliamentary speaker, is a former influential commander in the paramilitary Is lamic Revolutionary Guard. Along with the president and the head of the judiciary, he is one of three ranking officials who deal with all-important issues of the nation.

The three meet regularly and sometimes meet with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters.

Qalibaf said he believes many of those taking part in recent pro tests had no intention of seeking to overthrow the government in the beginning and claimed foreignbased opposition groups were fo menting protests aimed at tearing down the system. Iranian authori ties have not presented evidence for their allegations of foreign in volvement in the protests.

“Creating chaos in the streets will weaken social integrity, jeop ardizing the economy while in creasing pressure and sanctions by the enemy,” he said, referring to longstanding crippling US sanc tions on Iran.

Qalibaf promised to “amend the structures and methods of the morality police” to prevent a recurrence of what happened

to Amini. She died in the cus tody of the morality police. Her family alleged she was beaten, while officials claim she died of a heart attack.

His remarks came after a closed meeting of Parliament and a brief rally by lawmakers to voice support for Khamenei and the police, chanting “death to hypocrites,” a reference to Iranian opposition groups.

The statement by Qalibaf is seen as an appeal to Iranians to stop their protests while sup porting police and the security apparatus.

Meanwhile, the hardline Kay han daily said Sunday that knifecarrying protesters attacked the newspaper building Saturday and shattered windows with rocks. It said they left when Guard members were deployed to the site.

On Saturday, protests contin ued on the Tehran University cam pus and in nearby neighborhoods and witnesses said they saw many girls waving their head scarves above their heads in a gesture of defiance. Social media carried vid eos purportedly showing similar protests at the Mashhad and Shi raz universities but The Associ ated Press could not independently verify their authenticity.

A protester near Tehran Uni versity, 19-year-old Fatemeh who only gave her first name for fear of repercussions, said she joined the demonstration “to stop this behavior by police against younger people especially girls.”

Abdolali, a 63-year-old teacher who also declined to give his last name, said he was shot twice in the foot by police. He said: “I am here to accompany and support my daughter. I once participated in the 1979 Islamic Revolution that promised justice and freedom; it is time to materialize them.”

Protests resumed on Sunday in several cities including Mashhad, according to social media reports, and Tehran’s Sharif Industrial University, according to the semi official Tasnim news agency. Wit nesses said security was tight in the areas nearby Tehran University and its neighborhoods downtown as hundreds of anti-riot police and plain clothes with their cars and motorbikes were stationed on junctions and squares. The AP could not immediately verify the authenticity of the reports.

Also on Sunday, media outlets reported the death of another Revolutionary Guard member in the southeastern city of Zahedan. That brought to five the number of IRG members killed in an attack on a police station by gunmen that, according to state media, left 19 people dead.

It wasn’t clear if the attack, which Iranian authorities said was carried out by separatists, was related to the anti-government protests.

Local media said a police of ficer also had died in the Kurd ish city of Marivan, following injuries during clashes with protesters. The protests have drawn supporters from vari ous ethnic groups, including Kurdish opposition movements in the northwest of Iran that operate along the border with neighboring Iraq.

Amini was an Iranian Kurd and the protests first erupted in Kurdish areas.

KYIV, Ukraine—Russia attacked the Ukrainian president’s hometown and other targets Sunday with suicide drones, and Ukraine took back full control of a strategic eastern city in a counteroffensive that has reshaped the war.

Russia’s loss of the eastern city of Lyman, which it had been us ing as a transport and logistics hub, is a new blow to the Kremlin as it seeks to escalate the war by illegally annexing four regions of Ukraine and heightening threats to use nuclear force.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s land grab has threatened to push the conflict to a danger ous new level. It also prompted Ukraine to formally apply for fasttrack Nato membership.

Ukrainian President Volody myr Zelenskyy announced Sunday that his forces now control Lyman: “As of 12:30 p.m. [0930 GMT] Ly man is cleared fully. Thank you to our militaries, our warriors,” he said in a video address.

Russia’s military didn’t com ment Sunday on Lyman, after announcing Saturday that it was withdrawing its forces there to more favorable positions.

The British military described the recapture of Lyman as a “sig nificant political setback” for Moscow, and Ukraine appeared to swiftly capitalize on its gains.

Hours after Zelenskyy’s an nouncement, Ukrainian media shared an image of Ukrainian troops carrying the country’s yellow-and-blue flag in front of a statue marking the village of Tor ske, 15 kilometers (9 miles) east of Lyman and within sight of the Russian-held Luhansk region.

Shortly later, a video posted online showed one Ukrainian soldier saying that Kyiv’s forces had begun to target the city of Kr eminna, just across the border in Luhansk. Outgoing artillery could be heard in the background. Rus sian military correspondents also acknowledged Ukrainian attacks targeting Kreminna.

In another online photo, a Ukrai nian soldier stood before giant watermelon landmark just south of the village of Novovorontsovka on the banks of the Dnieper River, along the Russian-controlled prov ince of Kherson’s northern edge. A Ukrainian flag flew above the statue as several apparently de activated landmines lay beside it.

While Ukrainian forces did not immediately acknowledge a breakthrough, writers close to the Russian military have described a new offensive by Kyiv in the Kher son region.

In southern Ukraine, Zelen skyy’s hometown of Krivyi Rih came under Russian attack by a suicide drone that destroyed two stories of a school early Sunday, the regional governor said. The Ukrainian air force said Sunday it shot down five Iranian-made drones overnight, while two oth ers made it through air defenses.

A car carrying four men seek ing to forage for mushrooms in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region struck a mine, killing all those inside, authorities said Sunday.

The reports of military activity couldn’t be immediately verified.

Ukrainian forces have retaken swaths of territory, notably in the northeast around Kharkiv, in a counteroffensive in recent weeks that has embarrassed the Kremlin and prompted rare domestic criti cism of Putin’s war.

Lyman, which Ukraine recap tured by encircling Russian troops, is in the Donetsk region near the border with Luhansk, two of the four regions that Russia illegally annexed Friday after forcing what was left of the population to vote in referendums at gunpoint.

In his nightly address, Zelen skyy said: “Over the past week,

there have been more Ukrainian flags in the Donbas. In a week there will be even more.”

In a daily intelligence briefing Sunday, the British Defense Min istry called Lyman crucial because it has “a key road crossing over the Siversky Donets River, behind which Russia has been attempting to consolidate its defenses.”

The Russian retreat from northeast Ukraine in recent weeks has revealed evidence of widespread, routine torture of both civilians and soldiers, nota bly in the strategic city of Izium, an Associated Press investigation has found.

AP journalists located 10 tor ture sites in the town, including a deep pit in a residential compound, a clammy underground jail that reeked of urine, a medical clinic and a kindergarten.

Recent developments have raised fears of all-out conflict be tween Russia and the West.

Putin frames the recent Ukrai nian gains—along with Nato’s post-Soviet expansion—as a USorchestrated effort to destroy Rus sia, and last week he heightened threats of nuclear force in some of his toughest, most anti-Western rhetoric to date.

Nine central and eastern Eu ropean Nato members fearful that Russia’s aggression could eventually target them, too, is sued a letter of support Sunday for Ukraine.

The leaders of Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, North Mace donia, Montenegro, Poland, Ro mania and Slovakia issued a joint statement Sunday backing a path to Nato membership for Ukraine, and calling on all 30 members of the US-led security bloc to ramp up military aid for Kyiv.

Germany’s defense minister on Sunday announced the delivery of

16-wheeled armored howitzers produced in Slovakia to Ukraine next year. The weapons will be financed jointly with Denmark, Norway and Germany.

Russia moved ahead Sunday with steps meant to make its land grab look like a legal process aimed at helping people allegedly perse cuted by Kyiv, with rubber-stamp approval by the Constitutional Court and draft laws being pushed through the Kremlin-friendly par liament.

Outside Russia, the Kremlin’s actions have been widely de nounced as violating international law, with multiple EU countries summoning Russian ambassadors since Putin on Friday signed an nexation treaties with Moscowbacked officials in southern and eastern Ukraine.

Meanwhile, international con cerns are mounting about the fate of Europe’s largest nuclear plant after Russian forces detained its director for alleged questioning.

The International Atomic En ergy Agency announced Sunday that its director-general, Rafael Grossi would visit Kyiv and Mos cow in the coming days to dis cuss the situation around the Za porizhzhia nuclear power plant. Grossi is continuing to push for “a nuclear safety and security zone” around the site.

The Zaporizhzhia plant is in one of the four regions that Mos cow illegally annexed on Friday, and repeatedly has been caught in the crossfire of the war. Ukrai nian technicians have continued running the power station after Russian troops seized it but its last reactor was shut down in Septem ber as a precautionary measure.

Pope Francis on Sunday decried Russia’s nuclear threats and ap pealed to Putin to stop “this spiral of violence and death.”

Yemen’s warring sides fail to extend UN-backed truce

By Ahmed Al-Haj The Associated Press

SANAA, Yemen—Yemen’s war ring sides have failed to reach an agreement to extend a na tionwide cease-fire, the UN said Sun day, endangering the longest lull in fighting since the country’s bloody civil war began.

In a statement, the UN’s envoy to Yemen called on all sides to re frain from acts of provocation as the talks continue, after the dead line of October 2 for extending the agreement was missed.

The UN-backed truce initially took effect in April, and raised hopes for a longer pause in fight ing as Yemen’s civil war entered in its eighth year. The devastating conflict began in 2014, when the Iranian-backed Houthis seized the capital of Sanaa and much of northern Yemen and forced the government into exile. A Saudiled coalition including the United

Arab Emirates intervened in 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognized government to power.

In a statement, UN envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said he “regrets that an agreement has not been reached today.” He did not call out the Houthis by name for failing to agree to his proposal but thanked the internationally recognized gov ernment for “engaging positively” in talks to extend the cease-fire. He called on leaders to continue to en deavor to reach an agreement.

“I urge them to fulfill their obliga tion to the Yemeni people to pursue every avenue for peace,” he said.

The foreign minister for Ye men’s internationally recognized government placed the blame for the truce ending on the Houthis. In comments made with the panArab Satellite channel Al-Hadath, Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak said that Houthis had obstructed the ceasefire and gone against the interest of the Yemeni people.

“The government made many concessions to extend the truce,” he said.

There was no immediate com ment released from the Houthi reb els following the UN statement. But on Saturday, the Houthis said that discussions around the truce had reached a “dead-end,” and said that they were continuing to advocate for a full opening of the Sanaa airport, and lifting of the blockade on the key port city of Hodeida.

The Iran-backed hosted a large mili tary parade last month, showcasing rockets and large weaponry, drawing condemnation from observers.

In the hours leading up to the deadline, a Houthi military spokes man threatened private oil compa nies still working in the country to leave or their facilities would be seized.

Yahia Sarea wrote on Twit ter that the fossil fuels belong to the people of Yemen and could be used to pay public servants’ salaries.

April’s truce had originally

established a partial opening of the Sanaa airport and the Red Sea port of Hodeida. The ensuing months have seen flights start again from the capital’s airport to Jordan and Egypt. It also called for lifting a Houthi blockade on Taiz, the country’s third largest city. But little progress has been made there, after talks aimed at reopening local roads stalled. Another sticking point is how salaries of public employees will be funded, many of whom have not been compensated for years.

Sunday’s statement came a few days after Grundberg met in Sanaa with the top leader of the Houthis, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, and other senior officials, who have been pushing for a full opening of the airport. The envoy warned last week that the risk of return to war was a real possibility.

UKRAINIAN servicemen drive a tank on the way to Siversk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Saturday, October 1, 2022. AP/INNA VARENYTSIA

Let’s get rid of all the rotten apples

Amid the recent spate of kidnappings and other illegal activities involving Chinese nationals working in the online gaming industry, various quarters urged authorities to close down all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations. Reports quoted a department of Justice official saying the government is set to stop the operations of 175 offshore gambling firms and deport about 40,000 Chinese workers. The POGOs targeted for closure had licenses that either expired or were revoked for violations like non-payment of government fees.

The chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, however, opposed the proposal to close down all POGOs, saying it will only create an entire underground sector. Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda said: “Of course, we should enforce against illegal gaming operations. That’s the function of law enforcement. But our policy cannot be to give an entire industry up just because there are bad actors. All industries have bad actors. My stand is for the government to wield the full weight of the law.”

Salceda said a blanket ban on a specific sector, when there are laws that exist to prevent abuses in any kind of business, will be seen as arbitrary. The resident economist of the House said this “will hurt our reputation with investors not just in the gaming sector. We will be known as a country that burns down houses just to kill the rat inside.”

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. earlier defended legitimate POGOs from the foreign nationals reportedly involved in illegal online gaming. “They are not POGOs,” said Pagcor chief Alejandro Tengco, as he clarified that illicit activities of these Chinese and other foreign nationals are not in any way related to legitimate offshore gaming entities.

At the Senate Committee on Ways and Means hearing on POGOs, Sen. Francis Joseph “Chiz” Escudero stressed a similar point. “We have to distinguish between legal and illegal POGO establishments,” he said, adding that a majority of the crimes involving so-called POGOs “apply to the illegal POGO operators.”

Pagcor currently has 34 approved POGO operators, 127 accredited service providers and five special class of business process outsourcing companies, which Tengco said underwent probity check.

PNP Chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said the PNP and local government units are working together to document the status of POGO workers. The plan is to establish a recording and monitoring system that will keep track of the activities of these foreign workers and ensure their compliance with PNP clearance and LGU administrative requirements.

A property analyst said the Philippine economy stands to lose almost P200 billion annually—from office and residential rentals, income taxes, electricity bills, employees’ wages and regulatory revenues, among others—if the remaining legal POGOs are shut down. Leechiu Property Consultants CEO David Leechiu said the complete exit of remaining firms, which currently occupy 1.05 million square meters of office space around the country, will result in P18.9 billion in lost annual office rentals. An additional P28.6 billion worth of rentals for residential space—with many POGO employees currently renting from local landlords—will also be lost. The government will forego P5.8 billion in taxes, while Pagcor stands to lose P5.25 billion in revenues.

Leechiu said P54.3 billion in income taxes will be lost due to the departure of foreign workers, while the local economy will suffer the loss of P52.5 billion in “fit-out” costs for furniture, fixtures and technology for these firms’ worksites. He said POGOs pay about P9.5 billion for electricity, and their workers consume an estimated P11.4 billion annually in meals, all of which will be lost if the industry is shut down. Finally, some 347,000 workers—Filipinos and foreigners—stand to lose their jobs if the remaining legal POGO firms are closed down.

“This is not the time to create a real estate crisis, on top of the other crises that we’re already facing,” Leechiu said, adding that while politicians are pointing to the reduced taxes that the industry has paid in recent years due to the slump in operations, they are ignoring potential losses in other sectors that depend on the industry as well as the thousands of Filipinos employed in online gaming that is just starting to recover.

The expression “a rotten apple spoils the barrel” comes from a 14th-century Latin proverb that says, “The rotten apple injures its neighbors.” There are bad Chinese nationals destroying the image of the POGOs in the country. It would do well for Philippine law enforcers to nab these foreign criminals and deport them. We see the wisdom in Salceda’s position that we should not throw away a billionpeso industry because it has a few bad actors. The challenge is to find these rotten apples and throw them away as fast as possible because it does not make sense to tear down a productive apple orchard because of a few spoiled fruits.

Growth amid a global recession

Manny B. Villar

THE EnTrEprEnEur

in the Philippines and this part of the world and the feared recession in the West are a clear case of juxtaposition. The pessimists will echo the dire warnings of market analysts that the world economy is about to enter a period of recession, while the optimists will look at the glass as half full.

GROWTH

The optimist in me tells me that the Philippines will sustain its economic growth this year and the next. Moping about the inevitable recession in the West will not get things going. For sure, the forthcoming recession in the US and Europe will make a dent on the local economy, but I believe we have plenty of room to grow.

I will not personally dismiss the predictions of noted world economists. I actually agree with them. The series of interest rate hikes being implemented by the Federal Reserve Board and the European central banks will dampen demand and consumer spending by way of higher cost of borrowing. But they are a necessary evil to combat surging inflation.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde last week was clear on her message about the next ECB

actions—it will keep increasing interest rates even if Europe’s economy slows down or enters a recession. In her own words, the ECB plans “to raise interest rates further over the next several meetings to dampen demand and guard against the risk of a persistent upward shift in inflation expectations.”

The head of the World Trade Organization, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is more straightforward on her assessment. To her, the world is now heading towards a global recession. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, soaring energy prices, supply chain disruptions and the Covid-19 aftermath led to the creation of a perfect storm in the form of global recession.

The brewing economic storm in Western economies, however, is in stark contrast to developments and the prognosis in the Asian front. In

Fear is not your friend

John Mangun

OuTSIDE THE BOX

The IMF now expects the Philippine economy to expand faster at 6.5 percent this year from the actual 5.7-percent growth in 2021. The economy grew by 7.8 percent in the first half, after expanding 8.2 percent and 7.4 percent in the first and second quarters, respectively.

the Philippines and most of Asia, regional economists are talking about economic growth.

Vietnam reported last week that its economy expanded by over 13 percent in the third quarter year-on-year, making it the fastest growing in the continent.

Vietnam was one of the economies hardest-hit by Covid-19, with strict lockdowns hampering industrial production. The economy of our Southeast Asian neighbor grew 8.83 percent in the first nine months of 2022 after weathering the pandemic.

The fate of the economies in Asia is certainly opposite to what is about to happen in Europe and the US. The inflation rate is also high in Asian economies but they are nowhere close to reaching the double-digit levels. And multilateral funding institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are painting a better economic picture of Asia.

The IMF last week provided a

bullish outlook on the Philippines, presumably premised on Manila’s strong economic fundamentals and the more business-friendly policies that the Marcos administration is adopting.

The IMF now expects the Philippine economy to expand faster at 6.5 percent this year from the actual 5.7-percent growth in 2021.

The economy grew by 7.8 percent in the first half, after expanding 8.2 percent and 7.4 percent in the first and second quarters, respectively.

The fund noted that the Philippines emerged successfully from one of the world’s strictest pandemic lockdowns, citing sustained reforms and disciplined macroeconomic policies that contained financial vulnerabilities and mitigated the hardships faced by the poor. The IMF report, to me, is an endorsement of what the Marcos administration is doing to bring back full economic recovery.

The IMF assessment comes on the heels of a similar favorable report from the Asian Development Bank.

The ADB also upgraded its 2022 growth forecast for the Philippines to 6.5 percent from an earlier estimate of 6 percent after that robust 7.8-percent expansion in the first half of the year.

The impending recession at the other side of the world could be a blessing in disguise for the Philippines. And I believe that foreign

“Villar,” A11

FeAR

is not to be trusted. But shouldn’t we be fearful of venomous spiders, earthquakes, and being kidnapped?

There are more than 43,000 species of spiders and 30 can kill humans. The most dangerous spider on the planet is the “Sydney—as in Sydney, Australia—Funnel-Web Spider” because its venom can kill within 15 minutes. However, there have been no deaths in Australia from a spider bite since 1979.

Since 1951, there have been 4,843 people killed in Philippine earthquakes. The Baguio earthquake happened in 1990, killing 2,412, and there are 47 recorded earthquake deaths since then. According to official government records, 6,300 people died during typhoon Yolanda.

As of September 2022, there were 27 kidnapping cases recorded in the Philippines, reflecting an increase

from 38 kidnapping cases registered in 2020. The number of kidnapping cases in the country peaked in 2019 with 85 cases.

We all want to avoid pain and suffering, but the examples above are usually thought of as being in the category of “Life and Death.”

Being afraid of something is useful as it gives us an opportunity to think about “Plan B” and prepare. However, the reality is that spiders,

Fear is too often irrational especially in the stock market. There is FOMO—Fear Of Missing Out— that gets you to buy at the price top usually about 30 seconds before the crash starts. When stocks suffer large losses for a sustained period like we are having now, investors can become fearful of further losses, so they start to sell. This, of course, has the selffulfilling effect of ensuring that prices fall further.

earthquakes, and kidnappings are far down on the list of “life in danger” events in the larger scheme of things. Between 2015 and 2019, the average yearly deaths from “Transport Accidents” in the Philippines was 11,612.

Yet it is unlikely most of us are fearful on a regular basis of being run over by a jeepney. We are careful, of course, but not “fearful.”

Nevertheless, fear is a fundamental emotion/reaction to an im-

mediate danger that forces us into the “fight or flight” mode. The fear of the tiger chasing us means to take immediate action. Fear can be good. But fear is not to be trusted or perhaps more accurately, we cannot be trusted with “fear.”

It is only in the movies where the hero jumps out of the building and lands safely on top of the streetvendor’s cart. In real life, the fear that makes you jump lands you with a bloody splat on the pavement.

Fear is a powerfully strong emotion, hard to control, and it easily messes with your brain.

It is said that stock markets move on “fear and greed.” I have no problems with “greed” because greed has never kept me awake at night whimpering into my pillow.

Fear is too often irrational especially in the stock market. There is FOMO—Fear Of Missing Out— that gets you to buy at the price top usually about 30 seconds before the crash starts. When stocks suffer large losses for a sustained period like we are having now, investors can

Opinion

Taxation made easier

Atty. Jomel n. Manaig

TAx LAw For BuSinESS

AnoTher

hurdle has been cleared in Congress on September 26, 2022 and it involves making taxpayers’ lives easier. house Bill 4125 was approved by the house of representatives and transmitted to the Senate. This bill introduces amendments to the Tax Code in the hopes of making it easier for taxpayers to comply with their obligations. But will it really? Let’s take a closer look.

One of the features of the bill is the recognition of the large and medium taxpayers. Classification of taxpayers is nothing new as the BIR already has a functioning Large Taxpayers unit. However, the bill seeks to likewise establish a Medium Taxpayers unit and such other classifications as necessary. The beauty in such classification is that simplified tax returns and processes shall be implemented for taxpayers not classified as medium or large.

Large or medium taxpayers normally have dedicated accountants to handle their tax requirements. On the other hand, smaller taxpayers may not have the luxury of employing an army of employees to see that their tax requirements are being met. The simplification of tax returns and processes for these smaller taxpayers opens the door to better tax compliance.

Another feature is the uniform documentation for the recognition of sales of goods and services for VAT purposes. Currently, in order to properly account for VAT, sale of goods must be evidenced by an invoice while sale of services must be evidenced by a receipt. With the proposed amendment, the distinction shall be removed and the invoice shall be used for either sale of goods or services.

The removal of the distinction hopefully will eliminate discrepancies in VAT reporting due to timing differences. Consistency and uniformity is a concept that taxpayers will readily embrace with open arms.

The bill also offers other features like a new threshold for the issuance of sales or commercial invoices and a reduced surcharge rate. While the measure is full of helpful amendments for taxpayers, I would like to steer your attention to more, dare I say, interesting provisions of the bill, namely: (i) the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights; (ii) the Taxpayer’s Advocate Office; and (iii) penalties for violations of the said bill of rights.

The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights lays down the fundamental rights that taxpayers are entitled to and what the BIR should not refuse to impart. This is all well and good as it codifies the taxpayer’s rights and gives notice to all revenue officials on what should and should not be done.

Nonetheless, it may be observed that the bill of rights are motherhood statements. By nature, motherhood statements are generalized and are devoid of particular details on how

Mangun.

become fearful of further losses, so they start to sell. This, of course, has the self-fulfilling effect of ensuring that prices fall further.

When the PSE index was 6,588, I said on ANC Market Edge (September 1) that we would see at least a 100-point decline. That turned into a 1,000-point drop. So, why is it only now that the fear kicks in and you are afraid of prices going down? Where was that wonderful life-saving fear on September 1st?

Already I am hearing jungle drums beating the “bargainhunting” rhythm that will probably turn into the “Catch a falling knife and stick in my heart” song. Fear can make you execute foolish trades like selling too soon.

While the measure is full of helpful amendments for taxpayers, I would like to steer your attention to more, dare I say, interesting provisions of the bill, namely: (i) the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights; (ii) the Taxpayer’s Advocate Office; and (iii) penalties for violations of the said bill of rights.

to achieve the goal. How effective will the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights be as an assurance of impartiality and objectivity in the absence of details and specifics? How effective will it be as a form of deterrence against abusive behavior? Should this bill come into fruition and become a law, will the DOF be able to issue regulations to effectively implement this?

On the other hand, the Taxpayer’s Advocate Office is a new office within the BIR whose task is mainly to ensure protection of taxpayer’s rights and to identify systemic problems within the Bureau. Think of the Taxpayer’s Advocate Office as a guardian angel that is looking out for the interests of taxpayers. In theory, this is an incredible win for taxpayers.

However, a closer look at the proposed provision would show that the office is under and will report to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. How effective will the Taxpayer’s Advocate Office if it is under the thumb of the head of the same government agency it is supposed to keep in check? There appears to be a misalignment, if not a direct conflict, of interest in this setup.

Lastly, a proposed provision is in the bill to impose penalties for violations of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. Should the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights be properly implemented, this provision may be vital component to protect taxpayers from scrupulous and bloated assessments.

With the passage of the bill, the House has done its part. The ball is now in the Senate’s court. Let’s see what their play will be.

The author is a junior partner of Du-Baladad and Associates Law Offices (BDB Law), a memberfirm of WTS Global.

The article is for general information only and is not intended, nor should be construed as a substitute for tax, legal or financial advice on any specific matter. Applicability of this article to any actual or particular tax or legal issue should be supported therefore by a professional study or advice. If you have any comments or questions concerning the article, you may e-mail the author at jomel.manaig@ bdblaw.com.ph or call 8403-2001 local 380.

But equally and more dangerous is the idea we have that we must overcome fear.

I do not care that Nelson Mandela said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” Right after he thought that idea, the last words uttered by General Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn were: “Oh, hell!!” We humans cannot be trusted to use “fear” properly.

The emotion of fear, like greed, is a tool to keep us out of trouble. Too little greed and you miss opportunities. Too much greed and you blow it all on one roll of the dice. Too little fear and you blow it all on one roll of the dice. Too much fear and you miss opportunities.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis provided by AAA Southeast Equities Inc.

The CJ as Executive Secretary TELLTALES

Manny F. Dooc

TheChief Justice of the Supreme Court heads a co-equal branch of our government. Under our system of separation of powers, the executive, Legislative and the Judicial branches of government enjoy separate and independent powers. This tripartite model prevents the concentration of power in one authority by providing for checks and balances among the three branches.

With the designation of former Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin as the Executive Secretary, it would be interesting how a person previously vested with equal power will conduct himself as the chief alter ego of the President. Of course, the new office that CJ Bersamin now occupies is the greatest repository of executive power. While he is just one of the cabinet members, the Executive Secretary is the “first among equals” because of the immense trust and responsibility that the President reposes in him. Thus, it’s no accident that the Executive Secretary is referred to as the “Little President.” Interestingly, the former Chief Magistrate is now the “Little President.” But that’s not odd. In the US, William Howard Taft, the country’s 27th President, became the 10th Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court after serving out his term as President. Taft gained prominence when he served as the first civilian Governor of the Philippine Islands in 1901. He was well loved by the Filipinos that a major thoroughfare in Manila, Taft Avenue, was named after him.

It is not uncommon for a former Chief Justice to be appointed to another public office after serving the judiciary. CJ Bersamin himself was earlier named Chairman of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2020 shortly after he retired as Chief Magistrate. The practice was started by Jose Yulo who served in the Senate after the war following his tenure as the Chief Justice dur-

ing the Japanese occupation. Later, he served as the Secretary of Justice under President Ferdinand E. Marcos. CJ Querube Makalintal served as the Speaker of the Interim Batasang Pambansa after he retired from the highest court. CJ Marcelo Fernan was elected Senator and later chosen by his peers as their Senate President. Others held prominent positions in the government like CJ Manuel Moran and CJ Hilario Davide who both held ambassadorial posts. CJ Roberto Concepcion resigned from his post a couple of months before reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70 to show his displeasure over the High Court’s decision affirming the validity of the ratification of the 1973 Constitution. After the EDSA revolution, CJ Concepcion joined the 1986 Constitutional Commission to help in drafting our new charter. The saga of CJ Fred Ruiz Castro was different. CJ Ruiz Castro was the first Executive Secretary of President Ramon Magsaysay until he was appointed to the judiciary in 1956 and eventually became the CJ in 1976.

CJ Bersamin hails from a prominent political family in his native province of Abra. His grandfather, Don Longino Bersamin served as mayor of Bangued for several terms before and after the 2nd World War. His father, Luis, served as Governor of Abra. Luis’s wife and CJ’s grandmother, Rosario Valera Purugganan, also belonged to a powerful political family. Rosario’s father, Eustaquio Purugganan was a former Governor of Abra. A half brother of

As our respected political analyst, former Dean of Ateneo School of government and an acknowledged environmental law expert, Tony La Viña, has said: CJ Bersamin enjoys the trust and confidence of the President and with his experience as a jurist and his political background, he is “a perfect choice for the job.”

Rosario was former Senate President and Speaker of the House Quintin Paredes, one of the brilliant lawyers produced by our country. His brother Eustaquio was elected Governor of Abra a couple of times, and his brother Luis, Jr. served as a Representative of Abra. Luis was assassinated outside Mt. Carmel Church in Quezon City while attending a wedding in 2006. Up to now the same clans who are related by blood or marriages— Valera, Bersamin, Bernos and Luna —are still lording it over politically across the province.

CJ Bersamin finished law at the University of the East and placed No. 9 in the 1973 Bar Examination. After a successful practice of law, he joined the judiciary. He was appointed as Regional Trial Court judge by President Cory Aquino in 1986. While a trial court judge, he won the Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos Award in 2002 for writing the best decisions in both civil law and criminal law in 2000. That was a rare feat that merited Judge Bersamin a promotion to the Court of Appeals in 2003, courtesy of President Gloria M. Arroyo. In 2009, shortly before she stepped down from the presidency, President Arroyo named Bersamin as Associate Justice of the SC. When CJ Teresita L. de Castro retired, President Rodrigo R. Duterte appointed him as our country’s 25th Chief Justice on November 26, 2018, bypassing Justices Antonio Carpio and Diosdado Peralta who were more senior than him.

The wealth of experience and breadth of erudition of a former CJ highly qualify him for any position in government. Some had expressed the view that the position of an Ex-

Most turbulent bond market since 2009 braces for fresh jobs jolt

By Liz Capo Mccormick & Michael Mackenzie Bloomberg Opinion

ecutive Secretary is a demotion to a former CJ, and occupying a highly politicized position subservient to the President has compromised the respect accorded to the office of the Chief Justice. We should distinguish the office from the officeholder. It is the former that brings honor to the position and not the other way around. From a lowly trial court judge to the lofty office of the Chief Justice, Bersamin has honored his position. You may disagree with some of his decisions but nobody can accuse Bersamin of abusing and debasing his position as a member of the bench. We have to respect and salute CJ Bersamin for accepting the post. Whatever position is given him, even if it were beneath his status, CJ Bersamin should be lauded for his daring and willingness to take up the challenge to serve his country.

John Quincy Adams, the 6th US President, after he lost his reelection bid, ran and served as a representative of his state of Massachusetts for 17 years until his death in 1848.

President Arroyo replicated that locally when she was elected as Representative of Pampanga after she ended her presidency. She was even elected as the Speaker of the House. A position is immaterial if you want to serve our people. The Office of the Executive Secretary is a highly sensitive and critical position in government. As the chief alter ego of President BBM, and one who comes from the same region and speaks the same language, CJ Bersamin can very well discharge the functions of his office.

In his new task, CJ Bersamin is not supposed to oppose or fiscalize the administration. He serves well in his office if he loyally serves his President to help him achieve the program of government designed to promote the interests and welfare of the Filipinos. No one doubts that he is equal to the task. As our respected political analyst, former Dean of Ateneo School of government and an acknowledged environmental law expert, Tony La Viña, has said: CJ Bersamin enjoys the trust and confidence of the President and with his experience as a jurist and his political background, he is “a perfect choice for the job.”

The

bond market is bracing for more turbulence as a crucial reading on the still-tight US labor market is set to give traders a chance to reassess the Federal reserve’s commitment to its aggressive path of interest-rate hikes.

Fed officials underscored their focus on the domestic economy in the past few days, even after chaos in UK markets forced the Bank of England to intervene to preserve financial stability. Against that backdrop, Friday’s release of US September job figures looms as a test of the Fed’s plan to rein in inflation by tightening policy further and unwinding its mammoth balance sheet.

Signs of a softening labor market may have some traders wagering that asset prices have baked in peak Fed hawkishness, while a strong report would risk driving yields even higher, deepening the worst losses in decades for bond investors. Either way, it’s a fair bet that more gyrations are ahead. That’s a daunting prospect at a time when one measure of rates volatility is already the highest since the global financial crisis, sapping liquidity in the world’s most important debt market.

“This kind of rate-market volatility is going to continue,” said Nancy

Villar.

investors are noticing our positive growth story.

For one, nine foreign companies,

Davis, founder of Quadratic Capital Management. “We are seeing stagflation in terms of asset prices now with both stocks and bonds selling off together. It’s a hell of a time for people.”

Yields on Treasuries, which help determine the value of more than $50 trillion in global assets, are near or beyond the highest in over a decade as more aggressive Fed rate increases are seen as a lock by investors. Stronger-than-forecast inflation data on Friday offered the latest evidence that the central bank will need to keep tightening, until a financial shock or a steep rise in unemployment challenges its primary policy focus.

The Treasury 10-year yield surged above 4 percent this week for the first time since 2010, before tumbling back to around 3.8 percent after the BoE resumed buying long-dated bonds. Treasury yields still rose for the 9th straight week—the longest streak since 1994.

Fed officials over the past week af-

per the business news I read last week, are interested in putting up textile or garment factories in the Philippines that will help increase the country’s exports by more than $500 million a year. These garment investors from Cambodia, India and

Yields on Treasuries, which help determine the value of more than $50 trillion in global assets, are near or beyond the highest in over a decade as more aggressive Fed rate increases are seen as a lock by investors. Stronger-thanforecast inflation data on Friday offered the latest evidence that the central bank will need to keep tightening, until a financial shock or a steep rise in unemployment challenges its primary policy focus.

firmed the need to tighten policy well beyond the current band of 3 percent to 3.25 percent, while acknowledging they’d monitor the impact on globalmarket stability. Swaps traders see a peak rate of about 4.5 percent around March. Fed officials’ latest median projections show the funds rate at 4.4 percent at year-end.

Job creation likely slowed in September, most economists polled by Bloomberg predict. That’s the sort of result Fed officials want, and it’s a scenario that could comfort markets by curbing the degree of rate hikes traders expect. Stock markets have been reeling as well, with the S&P 500 Index slumping to the lowest since 2020.

Vietnam obviously have seen the economic opportunities here.

I will not be surprised if more foreign investors place their bet on the Philippines soon, especially after the recent successful working visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“It’s a time when bad economic data is good for markets,” Quadratic’s Davis said.

Upside risk

OF course, an upside jobs surprise could catapult yields ever higher, and there’s reason to gird for that outcome given the steady drop in the four-week moving average of jobless claims from its August peak. The median forecast is for 250,000 new jobs in September, down from 315,000 in August. Wage growth is seen moderating to a still healthy annual pace of 5.1 percent, from 5.2 percent.

Evidence the job market remains robust is also likely to re-energize one of bond investors’ favorite trades this year: wagering on yield-curve flattening. That spread is inverted between many maturities already, a relationship that has a track record of preceding US recessions. Two-year Treasury yields are roughly 45 basis points above 10-year rates. In August, that gap inverted as far as 58 basis points, the most in decades.

“The bond market has migrated to a two-factor labor/inflation model,” said Steve Boothe, head of the investment-grade fixed income team at T. Rowe Price. “The curve inversion can deepen and persist. Flattening will likely be led by the 2/10’s part of the curve and persist until we price in a recession.”

to the US. Ours is not a recession story—it is still about economic expansion.

For comments, send e-mail to mbv_secretariat@vistaland.com.ph or visit www.mannyvillar. com.ph

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

THE Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said it is already coordinating with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for the long-awaited release of funds for the healthcare workers (HCWs).

T his was the response of DOH Officer-in-Charge Undersec retary Maria Rosario Vergeire to Sen. Raffy Tulfo during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance on the budget of the agency, when asked if and when the Covid-19 response benefits and allowances will be released.

Tulfo asked the DOH offi cial if the HCWs could already receive their benefits before Christmas, to which Vergeire responded, “Hopefully po, DBM has mentioned to us, they might release funds today (October 3).”

Vergeire said they submitted to DBM their request to release funds for HCWs amounting to P11 billion and P1 billion, respectively.

T he DOH official also assured the senators that they are doing everything to get the needed budget for HCWs.

Tulfo, meanwhile, said that he will continue to give his support to the sector after Vergeire asked the senators to allocate more funds for the health workers.

“ Meron kaming utang na P64 billion sa kanila dahil [We owe them P64 billion because] our RA (Republic Act) for emergency allowance has a retroactive pro vision,” she said.

AMLC hopes to exit grey list of laundering havens after review

‘Abrupt POGO exit spells serious economic damage’

for some time,” Leechiu said.

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

IT is not advisable to “abruptly” shut down all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country, as such will have a huge economic and social impact for a country already at risk from several “storms” swirling in the global environment, a leading property think tank told senators on Monday.

I n terms of jobs alone, as many as half a million people could be impacted both from direct POGO operations and from sectors re lated to or reliant on them for jobs or livelihood, according to David Leechiu of Leechiu Property Con sultants.

He was asked about the projec tion of 567,000 jobs at risk from a total POGO shutdown—in contrast to the 250,000 figure given by gov ernment agencies—and Leechiu explained that the latter number pertained to direct employment.

A ppearing as resource person at a Senate Ways and Means commit tee hearing chaired by Sen. Sher win Gatchalian to assess whether the social costs of keeping POGOs outweigh the benefits, Leechiu noted the macroeconomic impact of an abrupt shutdown by stating a fact: the “property sector is the single largest” bloc in the Philip pine Stock Exchange.

“Given that there are 15 [eco nomic] storms going around the world today, it will benefit the Phil ippines by keeping this sector going

T he Department of Finance (DOF) recently signalled an incli nation to allow the phaseout of the remaining POGOs in the country, or at least those that survived the pandemic, with Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno flagging the “reputational risk” of keeping them while grappling with the social ills they unleash like violent crime, prostitution, among others.

T he DOF in 2020, under Diokno’s predecessor, had led an interagency campaign to overhaul policies and rules governing POGOs, leading to the culling of illegal operators, initiatives for higher taxes, stricter regulations in labor and immigra tion, among others.

However, it did not advocate a shutdown of the sector, only a revving up of its revenue-generating potential.

R esponding to questions from Sen. Sonny Angara, Leechiu said at Monday’s hearing it is not right to simply isolate “what it [POGO sec tor] remits to the BIR and Pagcor.” It is important, in order “to get a full appreciation of the impact, to look at the other sectors of the economy affected by the POGO sector.”

T he impact in the property sec tor has been discernible, he told senators. Rents in the bay area [in Pasay and Parañaque cities] have

dropped from P1,700 to P700 per square meter and this could go further south “if we shut it down abruptly. He noted that govern ment benefits as well from a much larger VAT base if the high leasing data are kept.

T he economy is actually “going through right now a glut in office space,” a trend, he said, that the POGO sector has been delaying for the past several years.

R eplying to Sen. Grace Poe who noted that Filipinos face a 5-mil lion backlog in affordable hous ing, he asked aloud, “have Filipinos been priced out of housing?” and answered his own question, “no.” That is because, he explained, “more supply has been created” the past several years. For instance, more condos and dormitories were built in Pasay and Parañaque to cater to POGO workers, space which even Filipinos rent.

I n short, Leechiu, told sena tors, “we will become more vul nerable without the POGO than if it remained.” He added that “closing it down abruptly” will also unleash “a social impact that will also be quite damaging,” and recalled how such social damage was palpable in the economic tur moil during the 1983, 1997 and 2008 financial crises.

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has frozen a total of P8 billion worth of ac counts and real properties linked to various money laundering activities such as drugs, corruption and ter rorism over the past two decades.

I n a Senate Finance Commit tee Hearing on Monday, AMLC Executive Director Matthew M. David said the amount includes some P3 billion worth of forfeit ed accounts and properties while the remaining P5 billion are still pending litigation.

David said in the past 20 years, the AMLC forfeited and turned over to the national government P93 million from money-laundering ac tivities and some P95 million have also been forfeited but still pending execution.

T he AMLC official said some P16 million have also been forfeited but are waiting for the dates of execu tion; while P35 million that have been forfeited are currently facing appeals.

A total of P110 million of the ac counts and real properties linked to corruption have been turned over to the Office of the Ombudsman for execution. Based on the rules, David said, the Ombudsman is tasked to forfeit funds linked to corruption and turn these funds over to the

Bureau of the Treasury (BTr). E arlier, Philippine authorities disclosed that they are looking to completely resolve soon all the is sues flagged by the Financial Ac tion Task Force (FATF) on moneylaundering, officials said on Mon day, boosting hopes of having the country exiting a grey list.

T he Philippine action plan for resolving the rest of the issues— with about “84 percent” already responded to by Manila—has been submitted to FATF, which will re view it in its meeting later in Oc tober, senators were told.

I n June 2021, when the Philip pines was once again put on the FATF grey list, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Dio kno—now the Finance secretary— vowed that Philippine authorities will “work unceasingly” to satisfac torily respond to FATF recommen dations, in hopes of exiting the grey list on or before 2023.

Me anwhile, some P751.086 mil lion have been forfeited and turned over to victims or third-party claim ants. David said these accounts and real properties were derived from activities linked to pyramiding and other similar multi-level scams.

David also said P8.4 million of these accounts and real properties are still pending with the courts while P83 million were forfeited but could not be turned over to thirdparty claimants.

PRC ramps up jabs as Covid cases rise anew

THE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has intensified its Co vid-19 vaccination program after the Department of Health (DOH) reported an increase in the number of cases anew.

T his is the organization’s “offen sive” against the spread of Covid-19, the PRC said.

“Ang aming mga chapters ay may direktiba na pag-ibayuhin pa lalo ang kampanya laban sa Covid-19 sa pamamagitan ng bakuna. Meron pa rin kaming RT-PCR test at antigen test [We have directed our chapters to intensify the campaign against

Covid-19 through vaccination. We still have RT-PCR and antigen test,” said PRC Chairman and CEO Rich ard J. Gordon.

O ver the weekend, two PRC chap ters located in highly urbanized local government units—Quezon City and Davao City—reported their initial accomplishment under the intensified vaccination program. T he PRC Bakuna Center at Peo ple’s Park, Davao City adminis tered 202 Covid-19 vaccine doses to qualified children and adults on Saturday, October 1.  I n Luzon, the PRC Bakuna Bus

drove to The Redwoods, Barangay Pasong Putik, Quezon City on Oc tober 1 and administered 240 Co vid-19 vaccine doses to qualified children and adults.

A s of October 1, 2022, the PRC has administered more than 1.2 million Covid-19 vaccine doses and boosters across the country, fully vaccinating 376,693 persons, both children and adults.

PRC has been at the frontlines of the war against Covid-19, being the one that first introduced automated RT-PCR tests in the Philippines to detect Covid-19.

It also introduced innovations such as mobile vaccination buses, to reach more people with vaccines; medical tents, to augment govern ment hospitals’ bed capacity; and isolation facilities, in collaboration with schools and local governments.

PRC also distributed food items and hot meals and provided cash assistance to the most vulnerable families who suffered economic shocks at the height of the pan demic in 2020 and 2021.

PRC has been vaccinating people against Covid-19 since 2021.

Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

‘KAMANDAG’ US Navy Rear Adm. Derek Trinque, Commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 7 and Commander of Amphibious Force, 7th Fleet, speaks during opening ceremonies of

annual joint military exercise called Kamandag, the Tagalog acronym

"Cooperation of the Warriors of the Sea"

SEN. Sonny Angara presides at the Senate Finance committee hearing that tackled the budget and work

AMLC.

PHOTO

VERGEIRE

Sale of Malampaya operator to Prime Infra secures nod

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

TheDepartment of energy (DOe) announced Monday that it has approved Razon-led Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc.’s (Prime Infra) acquisition of Malampaya gas project operator Shell Philippines exploration B.V. (SPeX).

Prior the DOE approval, consents were given by the joint venture partners—UC38 llC , with 45 percent stake, and the PNOC Exploration Corp. (PNOC-EC), with a 10 percent stake—in the Malampaya Service Contract 38 consortium.

The approval meant that Prime Infra would assume full ownership and control of SPEX once the transition process for a safe and seamless handover of operations from SPEX is completed currently targeted for

November 1.

As a result of the transaction, SPEX will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prime Infra, which, according to the DOE, was found to be technically, financially and legally qualified as a transferee and as successor to SPEX as operator of the Malampaya natural gas project.

“We welcome DOE’s thorough review and subsequent approval of the SPEX sale given the urgency to sustain the operations of Malampa-

ya—a vital energy installation and symbol of national pride—and to plan for the further development of the existing reserves in light of the current power under supply,” said Enrique K. Razon Jr., chairman of Prime Infra.

“We will contribute by doing all that can be done to produce as much gas as possible to sustain production in support of the power demand in lu zon.”

The DOE’s approval is conditioned on SPEX remaining to be a subsidiary of Prime Infra, and on the continuing validity of Prime Infra’s commitments and undertakings to the DOE in respect of SPEX’s obligations as operator of Malampaya SC 38.

The DOE approval marks the initial foray of Razon’s infrastructure arm into the upstream energy market.

“Prime Infra is well-positioned to carry on the world renowned track record of the Malampaya asset and therefore, the next urgent step for

the company is to sustain and expand gas production while we promptly address the license extension for SC38,” said Prime Infra President and CEO Guillaume lucci.

Prime Infra had committed to deliver outstanding operational performance and further the potential of SC38 covering the Malampaya deep-water gas-to-power project to ensure continuity of production as long as the reserves support it.

The Malampaya project is one of the country’s most important power assets, as it produces natural gas to power plants in Batangas City that power up to 20 percent of the luzon’s total electricity requirements. It began operations in 2001, with the consortium’s license for the project set to expire in 2024.

Prime Infra’s energy portfolio, added lucci, has always been aligned with the national government’s objective towards attaining energy independence and security, while reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.

Kaspersky blocks RDP attacks in PHL

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

CYBERSECURITY firm Kaspersky said on Monday it has blocked roughly 1.6 million remote desktop protocol (RDP) attacks in the Philippines in the first six months of 2022.

The attacks were mostly targeting remote workers, as cybercriminals are now adjusting to the new normal of hybrid and remote work setups.

For the whole of Southeast Asia, Kaspersky foiled over 47 million RDP attacks, or roughly 265,567 bruteforce attacks in the region daily.

“Naturally, working from home or anywhere out of the office requires employees to log in to corporate resources remotely from their personal

devices. One of the most common tools used for this purpose is RDP. Microsoft 365 is still the preferred software used by enterprises and Southeast Asia boasts of more than 680 million people, half of which ar under 30 and are highly tech-savvy.

So we see the use of this protocol to continue as remote working remains the norm and expect that malicious actors will continue their chase to compromise companies and organizations here through brute-force attacks,” Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky said.

RDP is Microsoft’s proprietary protocol, providing a user with a graphical interface to connect to another computer through a network. RDP is widely used by both

system administrators and lesstechnical users to control servers and other PCs remotely.

RDP attacks attempt to find a valid login-password pair by systematically checking all possible passwords until the correct one is found.

A successful attack allows an attacker to gain remote access to the targeted host computer.

While RDP attacks are not conceptually new, Kaspersky noted that cybercriminals exploit the recent trends and the remote and hybrid environment to target enterprises.

The lack of awareness allows bad actors to successfully execute a brute-force attack, even with corporate and perimeter security in place.

Kaspersky recommended that companies conduct cyber hygiene training sessions to combat this.

“Moving forward, businesses have to rethink the way their corporate networks are organized. Since all machines are not located in the office and hence, not connected to the corporate network, adjustments need to be made to ensure endpoints stay secure and corporate resources are protected.

Cybercriminals will always be ready to take advantage of disruptive current events. Fortunately, staying protected against an evolving set of cyber risks does not require any high-tech or advanced programming skills. It just requires a little knowledge of basic cyber safety rules,” added Yeo.

Eternal Crematory celebrates blessing of

DOJ: File grave coercion raps vs Kazuo Okada

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the Philippine Trade Investment Center in Kuala lumpur will lead 16 manufacturers of coconut, coffee, and cacao products to the 8th Selangor International Expo on October 6 to 9 in Malaysia.

The DTI said Selangor International Expo 2022 is an “influential” food and beverage trade exhibition that focuses on the global food and beverage industry.

The agency added that this fourday event is hosted and completely supported by the Selangor State Government and powered by Invest Selangor Berhad.

According to the DTI, this is part of the department’s contributory initiative under the Research, Marketing, and Market Promotion component of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan. Under the plan, the agency noted that its Export Marketing Bureau is mandated to oversee the promotion of Philippine coconut exports, and formulate and execute export strategies among others, in coordination with the Foreign Trade

ETERNA l Crematory celebrated the blessing of the new San l o renzo Ruiz Columbarium in Eternal Gardens Baesa, Caloocan City and Eternal Gardens Biñan City, l a guna in ceremonies held at the respective branches on September 28, 2022. The events coincided with the Feast of San l o renzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, whose image can be found at the center of each columbarium.

Present during both events were the top executives of its sister company Eternal Plans, Inc., (EPI) headed by its Vice Chair and Chief Executive Officer D. Antoinette C. Cabangon-Jacinto, Board Director D. Adrian C. Cabangon, and President and Chief Operating Officer Elmer M. l orica, who is also the president of Eternal Crematory Corporation. EPI’s supportive salesforce members were also in attendance, along with executives and officers of member companies of the Eternal Group, including Eternal Gardens President and COO Numeriano B. Rodrin, Vice President for Finance Marvin C. Timbol, and Executive Officer Dannica Nicole A. Cabangon.

Designed to be an economical alternative to the more costly traditional interment, each crypt at the San l o renzo Columbarium can accommodate up to two urns.

The columbarium in Baesa offers more than 2,000 new crypts, while the one in Biñan has over 500 new crypts.

Eternal Crematory is one of the

first companies to offer cremation services in the country after its establishment in 1995 by the late Ambassador Antonio l Cabangon Chua. It is part of the A l C Group of Companies, along with its sister companies Eternal Gardens, Eternal Chapels, and Eternal Plans, Inc., under the leadership of its chairman, D. Edgard A. Cabangon.

T

HE Department of Justice (DOJ) has found probable cause for the filing of grave coercion charges in court against the group of Japanese casino mogul Kazuo Okada for their takeover of Okada Manila in May.

In a 25-page resolution dated August 25 for the five separate complaints filed against the Kazuo Group, the DOJ said probable cause has been established to file grave coercion charges against the defendants, mainly Kazuo Okada, Antonio O. Cojuangco, Dindo A. Espeleta and their lawyer Florentino Herrera III.

The other four charges such as direct assault, unjust vexation, kidnapping and serious illegal detention and slight physical injuries were all dismissed.

“We are grateful that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has started the ball rolling in advancing justice for the victims of the brutal takeover in May. We will continue to work with our lawyers and exhaust all legal means to win this case against the Kazuo Group,” said Hans Van der Sande, CFO of Tiger Resort l eisure and Entertainment Inc. (TR lEI).

The Kazuo Group stormed Okada Manila on May 31 to physically takeover the integrated casino hotel. They were armed with status quo ante order (SQAO) issued by the Supreme Court

The TR lEI group, which operates the facility, has retaken management control of the casino earlier last month.

“Ineluctably, respondents Kazuo, Cojuangco, Espeleta and Herrera are deemed to have taken the law into their hands,” according to the DOJ

resolution. “They precipitously went ahead of their unlawful plan to take control and possession of Okada Manila in the guise of implementing the SQAO, which contains no specifications on what respondents can only do by virtue thereof.”

The DOJ said that the Kazuo Group “illegally magnified the simple and general directive of the Supreme Court to maintain order in the business affairs and operations of Okada Manila.”

By preventing the officials of the casino from performing their duties as officers of TR lEI, the DOJ panel found probable cause for the filing of grave coercion charges against Kazuo Okada, Cojuangco, Espeleta and Herrera.

“Overdoing a given authority is tantamount to taking advantage of, if not deemed a licentious action, as a means to attain an end goal. Respondents should act within the confines of the law and not resort to the commission of a felony,” the DOJ said.

“Evidently, there is prima facie showing that respondents did not act under authority of law and/or went in excess of a lawful right. They have no right to take the law into their hands and deprive the complainants of their right as directors and officers of TR lEI.”

The Kazuo Group has yet to issue a statement on the matter.

“Being the sole petitioner before the Supreme Court and for whose favor the takeover was done in the guise of enforcing the SQAO, respondent Kazuo certainly cannot feign ignorance of the crime, these, he is liable for grave coercion,” the DOJ said. VG Cabuag

FOllOWING the release of the revised Rules for the Setting Transmission Wheeling Rates (RTWR), the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said Monday it would also review the distribution wheeling rates.

“There is also a reset process with the DUs [distribution utilities]. There will be adjustments, but I don’t know what to pre-empt the review process. Definitely, the next review is with the distribution,” said ERC Chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta.

The ERC has amended the RTWR. This move triggers the rate reset process of the transmission system concessionaire, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). The last transmission reset completed by the ERC was for the five-year Regulatory Period covering 2010-2015.

The amended RTWR sets the rules for the rate reset process for the Fifth Regulatory Period, which covers years 2023 to 2027, as well as the succeeding Regulatory Periods. More importantly, the amended RTWR prescribes the process of review for the Fourth Regulatory Period covering the years 2016 to 2022.

“We are trying very hard to complete the process within the year so that by January 2023 the rates can

already be adjusted,” said Dimalanta, referring to the adjusted 4th regulatory period.

The adjustment for the transmission wheeling rates for the fifth regulatory period, meanwhile, will commence 2023 to 2027.

“Over the weekend, NGCP was provided with the resolution. It involved two parallel process, one is the reset of the 4th regulatory period. Second is we need to conduct for 5th regulatory period.

Hopefully, these process will be regularized rather than have a mismatch. Regulatory period must contain forecast periods. The rates for 5th RP will be issued by the third quarter of 2023. Hopefully by 2023, we will get back on track,” the ERC said.

When sought for comment, the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said it is authorized to continue implementing the ERC-approved interim average rate of P1.3522 per kilowatt hour (kWh) until otherwise directed.

“It’s the reduced wheeling charges that ERC directed Meralco to implement beginning August 2022, on top of the four refunds Meralco was ordered to implement,” said Meralco utilities economics head l

Banking&Finance

No rush to set up CB digital money–Diokno

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

THERE is no immediate plan for the Philippines to follow a nascent trend in some countries to set up a central bank digital currency (CBDC), and the priority is to strengthen the existing digital payments systems in the Philippines, senators learned on Monday.

Replying to questions from Sen. Francis N. Tolentino, Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno—who was queried in his capacity as the immediate past Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor—pointed out that “we also have a digital pay-

ment system, Peso Net,” that is so far working well. Besides PesoNet, Diokno said there is also InstaPay, which allows an increasing number of people to carry out bank transactions and other cash transfers digitally.

Referring to the 2021 study that

the BSP initiated on possibly moving to a CBDC system, the ex-BSP chief said that, given the success of the current setup, “so we concluded that [we should first] strengthen PesoNet and InstaPay” before going to a CBDC.

Diokno explained that during his term as BSP governor, he knew that the concept of a CBDC was mulled

over by central banks to back up digital currencies, given increasing concern about the volatility of the latter.

Effectively aborted WHEN Tolentino asked if the study was effectively aborted, Diokno replied: “We decided it’s not the right time to pursue,” noting that the coun-

try anyway “has a parallel system.”

The Finance Secretary confirmed Tolentino’s information that, indeed, sometime in 2021, he made a statement that while BSP had once toyed with the idea of CBDC, “there are no immediate plans” to pursue such “because the country remains cashreliant.” While such cash reliance

has since been increasingly chipped away by a rapid shift to digitalization in the financial system, Diokno said the PesoNet-InstaPay setup as well as the growing popularity of private cash transfer systems like e-wallets PayMaya and GCash are filling in the breach.

Diokno also noted that the country was fast setting up digital banks, of which six have already secured permits from the BSP. During the hearing, it was learned that Ecuador, Finland and Singapore also shelved their initial plans to pursue a CBDC.

Diokno replied in the affirmative when Tolentino asked if the chief of the Department of Finance (DOF) was “saying that we should approach digital currencies with extreme caution?”

The former BSP Governor was at the Senate for a budget hearing on the outlay of the DOF and its attached agencies.

October 7.

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

How to create a shared financial vision with your spouse Moody’s forecast PHL Sept inflation to hit below 7%

BEING

married is fulfilling but it will require teamwork for you and your spouse. Are you starting to build your family or maybe you and your special someone is praying for the next steps that you will take as a couple?

Allow me to share with you some of the practical tips that you can apply as you build your finances. These are timeless principles that can help you and your family to navigate your journey with wisdom.

1. Family planning. The lifestyle of millennial parents is different from the lifestyle of Baby boomer parents. It is because of the rising cost of living and sophisticated lifestyle because of technology. Can you relate with me when I say that the lifestyle of our parents are simpler than today?

We are now living in a fast-paced environment and so, as a young couple, planning for your family will help you in preparing for expenses that will take place once you become a parent.

On the other hand, though we can plan, becoming a parent is also a blessing from our Lord and so we can trust His timing as well when we become parents or how many children will be entrusted to us.

2. Communicate goals to one another. Choose a time to discuss with your spouse your financial goals. This will include your short-term (1 year to 3 years) goals, medium-term (4 years to 10 years) goals or long-term (11 years and up) goals. This will also entail flexibility and understanding with one another in the event you and your spouse don’t reach it right away.

At the end of the day it’s about building up each other during the journey. It’s the experiences and adventure that will make both of you matured and to grow more as a couple.

3. Create a strategy. After creating your list, prioritize the goals and strategize so that your actions will be effective.

Start by listing your household income: how much is your monthly cash inflow and outflow and what are your priorities for the year? This will help both of you be firm on what to put first and what things should you park for the moment.

For example, if your goal is to buy a car, you may set aside overseas travel plans. But, of course if your budget permits, you can do both.

4. Set up accountability checks.

Karlo Biglang-awa

pErsonal financE

Keeping your spouse accountable will help both of you stay on track.

This is possible with simply being transparent with one another if there are things that need to be adjusted since there are uncertainties that may happen or there are breakthroughs that place.

For example, one of you got promoted and had a salary increase that can make your goals achievable faster.

Or maybe a blessing of having a second child came in that may adjust your goal of buying a house or condominium unit. Set up rewards to celebrate your small wins, too. This can help both of you motivated and joyful in the process.

5. Prioritize your health. Achieving financial goals are really rewarding in your marriage. But also make sure to keep your bodies in shape by getting adequate rest and investing in our physical well-being.

As the adage says “health is wealth.”

This is something that we have seen this pandemic. If our health is compromised, it can wipe out our savings or investments.

6. Prepare for your retirement

Aside from achieving your dream house, car or travels with family, we need to be reminded that retirement is something that we need to prioritize the moment we start earning money.

In the Philippines, only a few Filipinos are prepared for retirement; that is why we have this cycle of dependency. A couple that is building their own family needs to support their extended family for their retirement related expenses.

As a final advice, always trust God in the midst of your financial planning journey. Prioritize your marriage more than anything else since our goal is to live a balanced life that is meaningful and to make contributions in society even in small ways.

Karlo Biglang-Awa is a registered financial planner of RFP Philippines. To learn more about personal-financial planning, attend the 98th RFP program this October. To inquire, e-mail info@rfp. ph or text at 0917-6248110.

THE increase in commodity prices will not breach 7 percent in September and will remain within the expectations of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), according to Moody’s Analytics.

Based on the Moody’s Analytics Asia Pacific Economic Preview for the week of October 3 to October 7, the country’s inflation rate is

expected to average 6.9 percent, within the BSP’s 6.6 percent to 7.4 percent expectations, for September.

The expectations for inflation in the Philippines is the same rate forecasted for Thailand but faster than Indonesia, which is expected to post an increase of 4.8 percent; than South Korea at 5.8 percent; and, than Taiwan, 2.8 percent.

The forecasted inflation rate for the country is higher than the actual

High bid rates for T-bills ‘untenable’ for Treasury

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

below the total amount offered at P4.78 billion and P3.678 billion, respectively.

6.3 percent inflation rate recorded in August. The latest inflation print will be released on October 5.

Meanwhile, Moody’s Analytics also said the country’s manufacturing output is expected to grow 2.7 percent in August from the 2.5 percent posted in July.

The Production Index and Net Sales Index or the country’s Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries will be released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on

The country’s Volume of Production Index in July was driven by the growth of 14 industries led by manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment with 30.3 percent annual growth rate.

The PSA said eight industry divisions posted annual decreases with manufacture of electrical equipment exhibiting the deepest contraction of 52.7 percent.

China Banking retail arm turns over ₧6-M donation

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

gaps for the reopening of classes.

THE

Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) rejected all bids for the P15-billion Treasury Bills (T-Bills) it tendered yesterday as bid rates remain elevated making them “untenable,” the National Treasurer said.

Despite the lackluster results, National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon said the Treasury remains in a “good position” to reject offers given the government’s “revenue outperformance.”

“Full rejection for all tenors: rates offered are untenable even after considering aggressive statements from both Fed [US Federal Reserve and BSP [Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas],” De Leon told reporters after the October 3 auction. “BTr [is] still in [a] good position to make [a] rejection with revenue outperformance.”

The Treasury noted that Monday’s auction was undersubscribed as it only attracted P14.2 billion in total tenders against the P15-billion offering. The BTr offered P5 billion worth each of the 91-day, 182-day, and 364day T-bills.

BTr data showed that only the tender for the 91-day T-Bills exceeded the amount offered as total bids reached P5.78 billion, slightly higher than the P5 billion offered. Bids for the 182-day Tbills and the 364-day T-bills were

Rates were higher across the board for Monday’s auction, with 91-day bill rates hitting an average rate of 4.66 percent if fully awarded from the 4.397 percent in the previous week’s auction.

For the 182-day bills, rates hit 4.902 percent from the 3.958 percent in the previous week while the 364-day bill rates hit 4.937 percent if fully awarded from the 4.888 percent in the previous week.

The rates during the Monday auction were higher than the Bloomberg Valuation (BVAL) Service Reference Rates: 3.153 percent for 91-day, 3.842 percent for 182-day and 3.902 percent for 364-day tenor.

This month, the Philippine government aims to raise P200 billion from debt papers. The amount covers P60 billion worth of Treasury bills and P140 billionworth of Treasury bonds to be auctioned off next month.

Last week, De Leon said the program is calibrated to meet the funding requirements of the national government “against current market backdrop.”

This year, the government is set to borrow a total of P2.21 trillion, of which 75 percent will be sourced locally while the remaining 25 percent will come from foreign sources.

CHINA

Bank Savings (CBS) Inc., the retail lending arm of China Banking Corp., recently turned over a P6-million endowment for public education, double the amount the lender gave last year. Part of the endowment is the donation of 36 laptops to the Department of Education (DepEd).

DepEd Undersecretary Gerard L. Chan received the brand new laptops during a turnover ceremony in Pasig City. The devices will be distributed to DepEd Regional focal point persons tasked with leading the implementation of digital education programs and activities, a statement by CBS read.

“CBS is committed to help address the country’s education challenges by providing the resources and support needed by learners and our public educational institutions,” said Niel C. Jumawan, head of the CBS’s Lending Group.

Jumawan earlier said that CBS has provided over 450 public schools nationwide with digital equipment, school supplies, hygiene and sanitary kits, cleaning supplies, and materials for repair and construction, as part of its partnership with the DepEd.

Jumawan said CBS has been partnering with the DepEd in carrying out a yearly campaign since 2016 to provide clean, safe and comfortable facilities in public elementary and high schools, resources for blended learning, including the provision of emergency needs during calamities, and addressing resource

CBS also supports the creation and expansion of networks to get community commitment for collaborative programs and projects and other support and volunteer and/or community-based projects in line with the savings bank’s nationwide advocacy campaign.

The International Data Corp. (IDC) recently reported that the Philippine tablet market grew by 40.1 percent year-on-year (YoY) and 22.4 percent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) in 2022 as the new school year started.

The report said acquisitions from local government units and different division offices of the DepEd boosted the education segment, posting an increase of 92.0 percent YoY and 89.2 percent QoQ respectively with local brand Cherry Mobile accounting for more than 60 percent of this segment.

“With more vendors entering the tablet market, plus DepEd division offices and local government units [LGU] re-ordering and procuring tablets for their continuous learning plan, IDC anticipates the consumer and commercial segments to gain momentum through the end of the year,” said Angela Jenny V. Medez, senior market analyst at IDC Philippines,

“With Chromebooks now listed as approved devices for use in public schools and telecommunications companies investing in the infrastructure needed to support organizations in their cloud transformation journey, we may see vendors delivering ChromeOS-based devices in the near future,” Medez added.

US firm targets PHL fintech firms to sell messaging chatbots for better CX

SAN Bruno, California-headquartered software company Freshworks Inc. plans to position itself in the local financial technology (fintech) market via its customer experience (CX) technology.

Simon Ma, Freshworks Director and Regional Manager of Sales for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region, told the BusinessMirror the messaging chatbot of the softwareas-a-service provider (SaaS) provider allows fintechs to offer better CX.

Ma claims the technology “also in-

creases operational efficiency and saves costs.”

He said the company’s messaging chatbot—a software that simulates human-like conversations with users via text messages on chat—has helped an Indonesian fintech firm achieve a 98-percent customer satisfaction score (CSAT).

Ma said the Indonesian fintech is complemented by their customer relations manager (CRM) offerings, which allow financial services and customer data platforms (CDP) to monitor complex

customer records, such as banking history, credit scores, transaction activity, payment preferences and financial goals.

“The CRM also allows our clients to store and update this information based on their unique interests and needs,” Ma said. “In the fintech world, our offerings assist clients in predicting customer needs and creating personalized experiences through product recommendations and financial forecasting.”

He added that by leveraging these technologies, their clients “are sure to gain a competitive edge” in terms of

operations and revenue.

Ma said the firm’s CRM software “ensures that customer data and activity history will be available across multiple touch-points” within the client organization, “be it with sales, marketing, or support teams.”

Holistic view

ACCORDING to Ma, employees of a fintech firm using Freshworks’s technology “will be able to provide a better, more engaging and more relevant customer experience, which consolidates customer

loyalty and retention, to drive business growth.”

By partnering with support software, a company can gain context on a customer’s past interactions and help them address their issues more efficiently, he added.

“You can also track the customer journey and data across multiple stages of the transaction, whether it is a loan, deposit, or investment,” said Ma. “This way, your organization will gain a holistic view of where each customer is, across the pipeline, where there are

bottlenecks and what strategies need to be implemented to assist with initiating or closing transactions.”

Ma said their CRM technology also helps fintech firms facilitate engaging communication with customers by letting them set up personalized campaigns and emails, such as wishing them on their birthdays or anniversaries or promoting relevant products and services.

These campaigns and emails allow fintech firms to engage customers and build a rapport with them, he added.

Finance Secretary Benjamin e Diokno (left) speaks during the Senate Finance Subcommittee a’s deliberation on the Department of Finance and its attached agencies’ P30.6-billion proposed budget for 2023 on Monday, October 3, 2022. at right is Sen. Juan edgardo “Sonny” M. angara, chairman of the committee on Finance, presiding over the Subcommittee a hybrid hearing on the proposed DOF budget. Photo by Senate PRIb

Rudy Yu on plotting a city’s character

61-year-old artist, adding he’s not even striving for geographical accuracy in his process. Yu takes the liberty of repositioning iconic structures as he deems fit, so long as he captures the culture of the place.

An example is his depiction of California, where landmarks such as Lombard Street, Universal Studios, and Golden Gate take up reimagined locations.

ELABORATE and lived out his depictions of cities may seem, with landmarks standing tall and stories on the ground taking shape, Rudy Yu maintains his artworks are not maps.

The veteran artist insists he is no cartographer, saying the true intention of his pieces is to visualize the character and culture of a particular place. This explains why his reimagination of New York, for instance, glistens in midnight blue despite the presence of the high-noon sun—a city free from the constrictions of time. Meanwhile, Iloilo, his home for six years now, radiates dynamism in a delightful showcase of pastels, inspired by the province’s vibrant people.

The two pieces figure in Yu’s upcoming solo exhibition with Artes Orientes, titled Cityscapes The show forms part of the gallery’s series of exhibitions to be presented at ManilART 2022, which will run on the third week of October.

“[My work is] basically a collage,” said the

Intricacy extends beyond the composition of Yu’s paintings and encompasses his technique as well. There are six steps involved in his tedious process, including preparing the canvas to receive media and sketching the “skeleton” of the image. But despite the great amount of effort and attention to detail his art demands, each piece is more or less done in the head of the visionary artist before he even starts the first step.

“It’s faster that way,” he said.

Yu’s paintings come alive in a sophisticated network of colors and textures. Rivers run in shades of blues with white, running lines conveying gushing waves. Meanwhile, watercolor touches the trees, mountains and the sky with gradient depth.

And then there’s the detailed depiction of buildings and infrastructures. Drawing structures has always appealed to Yu, a proclivity that traces to his background as an architecture student at the University of Santo Tomas. It’s evident that Yu treats each structural drawing with an informed eye and a trained hand on the principles of architecture and art, having spent time as well and graduating at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in 1989 when he moved to the US.

Yu portrays in Cityscapes places he has an affinity

with. Aside from his hometowns of California and Iloilo, there’s China, the homeland of his father, and New York, where some of his friends reside and a place that remains on his travel bucket list. There are also paintings of Paris and Manila.

The exhibition will take guests beyond tours from city to city. There’s a stop as well to outer space, with Yu’s illustration of an advanced alien society. The artist also pulls the audience inside his head with a painting showing the inner workings of his mind, which, by extent, serves as the general intention of the exhibition.

“I’m trying to make them understand how my mind runs,” Yu said. “Hopefully, my pieces give them a snapshot of my brain.”

Yu’s Cityscapes serve as the long-time artist’s debut at ManilART. Aside from Yu’s solo, Artes Orientes will also present in the event four other one-man exhibitions featuring Edwin Ladrillo, Ted Peñaflor, Milmar Onal and Nikko Pelaez, respectively.

Anticipated as well is a showcase of revered names in Philippine art that will take up half of the gallery’s booth. The presentation, titled Master’s Corner, offers the works of National Artists Federico Alcuaz, J. Elizalde Navarro, H.R. Ocampo and Arturo Luz. Also to be featured are Raul Lebajo, Edwin Wilwayco, Hermes Alegre, and Marcel Antonio.

Yu’s exhibition as well as the other presentations of Artes Orientes will be on view at ManilART 2022. The 14th edition of the annual event, tagged as the “National Art Fair” and copresented with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, will run from October 19 to 23 at SMX Aura Convention Center. n

Filipino artist paints the cries of the Lumads in mural

A 70-METER vibrant mural of a barefoot Lumad child who carries her younger brother and their meager belongings as she wades through a river, Bakwit continues to call the attention of LRT commuters and passersby along the busy and narrow Dominga Street of Malate, Manila.

A twist on the English word “evacuate,” Bakwit sheds light on the plight of the indigenous people in the country. It depicts the story of the Lumad students who, due to militarization, are forced to abandon their schools and their communities to escape to the lowlands by foot.

The towering artwork was created by award-winning Filipino street artist and painter Archie Oclos, who utilized the wall of the 14-story Design and Arts Campus of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde as a canvas.

Oclos, a part of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2017 and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Thirteen Artist Awards in 2018, focuses on socio-political themes,

particularly on the struggles of farmers and locals, was inspired by his own immersion and promised the children that he will impart their story.

The street artist finished the scene-stealing mural in 24 days. Below the painting is a message written in Bisaya, which in English reads: “Why do we have to leave our homes and our ancestral domain for the cities? Can’t we have college education near our farms? Why take away our pet chickens and pigs? Why are our crops destroyed and taken? Why is there chaos? Where is father and mother? Why were they killed? Why? Why do we have to evacuate? We just want to finish school and live.”

Bakwit, produced by Benilde Center for Campus Art, was made as part of the initial wave of the 2018 CCP Thirteen Artist Awards at Benilde exhibition. This was co-curated by Benilde CCA Director Architect Gerry Torres and 2000 Thirteen Artist Awardee Karen Ocampo Flores.

places’

Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Ella Balinska, 26; Alicia Silverstone, 46; Liev Schreiber, 55; Susan Sarandon, 76.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Spread some joy. Kindness and consideration will help you charm your way into opportunities galore this year. Follow through with a disciplined attitude and some concrete ideas to share with the people you want to work alongside, and you’ll accomplish plenty. Your personal gain will buy you the freedom to make improvements at home and to the relationships that matter. Love is favored. Your numbers are 6, 11, 23, 28, 31, 34, 42.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Surround yourself with intelligent and helpful people. Team up and see how much you can accomplish. Don’t let anger set in if someone disagrees. Be a good listener, but in the end, do what works best for you. HHHH

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): If you don’t reveal your opinions, you’ll gather information that can help you decide what is best and who is best for you to work alongside. Put your energy into something that matters to you, and you’ll make a difference. HH

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Mingle with people who are excited about reaching similar goals. Put your heads together, and you’ll save time. Take an aggressive position in any group you join. Be a leader, not a follower. HHHHH

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Keep your life doable. Indulgence will hold you back. Focus on your dream, and use what you must work with to get where you want to go. Don’t borrow from others or agree to something you don’t want to pursue. HHH

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The suggestions made will be better for the person offering advice than for you. Do your due diligence and do what’s feasible. Know your audience, your goal and how to get what you want. HHH

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Get involved in something that can open doors. Make new connections, get involved in something that interests you and learn something new. A steady pace, lots of talks and partnering with someone as eager as you will pay off. HHHHH

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A simple change can make a difference in how you live and work. Look at the variables and consider what you can do to tweak your plans to ensure everything runs smoothly. Look for alternatives, and everything will fall into place. HHHHH

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Mix and mingle, discuss concerns, incorporate a schedule and don’t second-guess your next move. Embrace life, turn your living space into your castle and entertain people who make you think. HH

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Concentrate on financial gains. Do something nice for someone you want to impress. Share your longterm plans, and put a timeline in place to help get things moving in a direction that improves your life. HHHH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Keep your emotions out of matters concerning work or finances. Be reasonable regarding purchases and what you are willing to take on to get ahead. A change is necessary but must be worthwhile. HHH

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Invest time and money in yourself. Update your look and the way you do things. Incorporate better technology or the latest gadget geared toward giving you the edge you need to surpass any competition you encounter. Contracts are looking good. HHH

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself, and you’ll avoid an argument with someone who doesn’t share your sentiments. Put your energy into your home, family and romancing someone you deem special. A partnership and shared expenses will give you greater financial freedom. HHH

BIRTHDAY BABY: You are charismatic, engaging and wise. You are focused and ambitious.

: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. HH: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. HHH: Focus and you’ll reach your goals.

: Aim high; start new projects.

: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

BY MICHELE GOVIER

BAKWIT, the mural by award-winning Filipino street artist and painter Archie Oclos.

“Munting Bisig [Young Arms]” first aired on GMA last year. The documentary looked into the plight of children working amid the global pandemic. Atom followed the lives of children who put their lives at stake to help their families survive even if they were exposed to the Covid-19 virus.

Atom met 15-year-old “Pancho,” the youngest compressor diver in their barangay in Paracale, Camarines Norte. Pancho braves diving into 40 feet of mud to collect soil hoping to find gold.

In Cordillera, which reportedly has the lowest cases of child labor in the country, Atom discovered why the numbers in the province are so low. Yeseleen, one of only two child labor profilers in the entire province, was accompanied by Atom in the mountains of Kalinga to find other kids engaged in hard labor.

Meanwhile in Pasay, Atom also met Joshua, the breadwinner of his family at the age of 12. Joshua became part of the “lockdown generation” as he found himself “stranded” in Metro Manila while his ailing father was left behind in Cavite. In Manila, he rode his bike to sell snacks to his neighbors so that he could bring home earnings to his family.

The Asia Contents Awards recognize outstanding TV, OTT and online content from Asia. The awards ceremony presents 12 award categories, including Best Content, Best Asian Animation, Best Actor, New Comer, and Best Writer. This year’s ceremony will also include newly established award categories: Best Asian Documentary, Best Supporting, and Best Creator.

The Atom Araullo Specials joins the hit Korean series Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Squid Game, which are nominated for Best Content and Technical Achievement Award categories, respectively.

The 4th Asia Contents Awards will be held on-site for the first time in three years this October 8 at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) Theater in Busan Cinema Center in Busan, South Korea.

Earlier this year, the same episode gave the Philippines a Gold World Medal at the prestigious 2022 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, besting other countries in the Documentary: Social Issues category.

TEN years after her breakthrough stint in American Idol where she nearly won the top prize, AmericanMexican-Filipino singer Jessica Sanchez has unlocked yet another potential gift as a musical artist.

While it is true that Sanchez has been trying to write songs for many years now, it is only very recent that she decided to give this facet of her artistry a big push by recording and releasing a self-penned composition, titled “Baddie,” a first in her still young career.

Why the title? “‘Baddie’ means I know who I am, I know what I want. I know what I’m worth. Young people nowadays use the term ‘baddie’ a lot, but always in a good way. When you say ‘I’m a baddie,’ you remind yourself that you are free to do whatever it is you want to achieve,” she shared during a recent virtual chat.

“Baddie,” we learned from Sanchez, is a song about self-love. “I am a baddie and this song is for all the baddies out there. The edgy beat of the song, the sound, the words, everything is fierce. It is a reminder to everyone to constantly check out one’s self-worth in order to reassure oneself that whatever we need to be successful or happy is within us.”

Sanchez discovered more joy when she pursued songwriting. For her, the process is very personal, from the spark of the idea to the first few notes, to the

Show

Horror pic ‘Smile’ happy at No. 1; ‘Bros’ starts in 4th

By Lindsey Bahr | The Associated Press

MovIEGoING audiences chose the horror movie over the romantic comedy to kick off the month of october. Paramount’s Smile topped the North American charts with $22 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates on Sunday, leaving Billy Eichner’s rom-com Bros in the dust.

Universal’s Bros launched with an estimated $4.8 million to take fourth place behind Don’t Worry Darling ($7.3 million) and The Woman King ($7 million). But opening weekends likely aren’t the final word on either Bros or Smile. Horror movie audiences are generally front-loaded, dropping off steeply after the first weekend, while something like Bros, which got great reviews and an “A” CinemaScore, suggesting strong word-of-mouth potential, is a movie that could continue finding audiences through the fall. It is not unusual for R-rated comedies to open modestly and catch on later.

“Everyone who sees it absolutely loves it,” said Jim orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution.

“Billy Eichner, [director] Nick Stoller and Judd Apatow have created a movie that’s heartwarming and hysterically funny.”

Bros is significant for being the first gay rom-com given a wide theatrical release by a major studio, as well as the first studio movie starring and cowritten by an openly gay man.

Since premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival last month, the film has gotten stellar reviews from critics and also been the target of “review bombs” on IMDB. The site last week removed hundreds of one-star reviews for Bros that were logged before the film was released. It’s also hard to compete with a new horror movie in october. Smile, written and directed by Parker Finn in his directorial debut, stars Sosie Bacon as a therapist haunted by smiling faces after a traumatic event.

According to exit polls, 52 percent of the audience was male and 68 percent were ages 18 to 34 for the R-rated film. Playing in 3,645 locations, Smile started strong with $2 million from Thursday night previews,

too, and had a 4 percent uptick Saturday, which is almost unheard of for genre films that usually decline after the first night.

Smile also cost only $17 million to produce.

“It’s remarkable, particularly when you take the budget into account. It’s just a terrific result and validated our thoughts about the movie as a whole,” said Chris Aronson, Paramount’s president of domestic distribution. “That Saturday uptick bodes well for the long-term playability.”

The Smile marketing team last weekend planted smiling actors at baseball games around the country as a marketing stunt, which Aronson said helped push the movie over the top.

Smile just shows once again that the horror genre should be put on a pedestal by theater owners,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for comScore.

Second place went to Don’t Worry Darling in its second weekend in theaters, with $7.3 million, down 64 percent from its opening. The mid-century-styled psychological thriller starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles has earned $32.8 million domestically against a $35 million production budget.

And The Woman King was close behind in third place in its third weekend, with an estimated $7

The historical war epic directed by Gina PrinceBythewood stars viola Davis as an Agojie general and has made $46.7 million.

Rounding out the top five was the rerelease of Avatar, with $4.7 million from 1,860 locations.

Notably, the film with the highest per-theater average was the Indian epic Ponniyin Selvan: I, which earned $4.1 million from just 510 theaters. It’s one of several Indian blockbusters to perform well in North America recently, including RRR and Brahmastra Part 1: Shiva.

“It was a solid weekend,” Dergarabedian said.

“We’re not going to get into the $100 million-plus weekends until Black Adam, but audiences are getting a really diverse slate of movies to see on the big screen.”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to comScore.

1. Smile, $22 million

2. Don’t Worry Darling, $7.3 million

3. The Woman King, $7 million

4. Bros, $4.8 million

5. Avatar (rerelease), $4.7 million

6. Ponniyin Selvan: I, $4.1 million

Barbarian, $2.8 million

Bullet Train, $1.4 million

DC League of Super-Pets, $1.3 million

narrative flow and the many layers of messages the composer wants to put into words and music. “This is a huge step for me because I have never thought of myself as a songwriter. I had to overcome being intimidated by the many things that initially entered my mind, but I just listened to my heart, constantly affirming that I could do this, and I did whatever I had set my mind to.”

There are a lot of songs, some finished, some still in the polishing and fine-tuning phases that are stored in Sanchez’s music vault, mostly about her feelings, her observations on people and her take on life in general. She describes herself as often shy and reclusive, not as expressive as others especially on social media. But she is slowly coming out, turning around and expressing herself more.

She added, “I was only 16 when I joined Idol. I didn’t get a lot of time to digest what was going on then. I felt like I was in a boot camp, with so many things happening at the same time. I have to admit it was stressful for that age then but I also had a lot of fun, doing everything I did. I was so young, so eager, so fragile. It all happened so fast—I mean time passed so quickly and looking back, I am just so grateful for everything—the experiences, opportunities, big and small breaks that came my way.”

Some of her insecurities and doubts from years gone by have also served as springboard for Sanchez to become a more resilient woman and a more determined artist. “I have been discriminated against because of my race, because I am Asian. I’ve learned to never let anyone tell you you’re not good enough. Don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot do this or that because of your color or ethnicity, or because you are a woman. We all can be beautiful, brave, successful and happy if we believe so, and if we work hard for these priceless goals.”

She credits her longtime boyfriend Rickie Gallardo and her Filipino mother Editha for having her back

LUKE MACFARLANE (right) and Billy Eichner in a scene from Bros which may have not opened at the top of the North American box office but is predicted to show legs throughout the season.

Bisig [Young

program will go against other shows produced by Netflix, Asian Boss (YouTube), and TV Asahi Production (YouTube).

BBDO Guerrero wins Best in Market Performance award at the annual 4As Agency of the Year Awards

SCG’s Sharing the Dream: Helping PHL students realize their goals

THE Siam Cement Group (SCG) recently recognized their scholars during their annual turnover event for their “Sharing the Dream Scholarship Program.” After two years of holding the event online via Zoom, the eager scholars and SCG executives returned to the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) last September 15.

“I feel very excited and proud of SCG that we resumed this kind of event to congratulate our scholarship students,” said Country Director Jakkrit Suwansilp.

Through their “Sharing the Dream Scholarship Program,” SCG envisions teaching their students on how to become model citizens, who follow the company’s concept of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Good Governance) whenever applicable. Simply put, the company aspires that its scholarship program produces students and citizens who want to make a better community for themselves and others.

For years, the scholarship supported students from Bulacan, Taguig, Batangas, and Manila schools as they achieved their dreams through education. Although challenging, SCG hopes that its scholars maintain their perseverance in life.

“Continue and follow your dreams,” Suwansilp advised the scholars. “Poverty can’t stop you from your dream. Please continue to dream, but not only dream. Please make it happen. Once you make it happen, you’ll be proud of yourself and make your parents, community, teacher, and country proud.”

Besides the scholarship program, SCG supports education in the Philippines in several aspects to further develop quality learning within the country. Another is the Adopt-A-School program, which began five to six years ago in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd).

Poverty is one of the leading causes that keep many Filipinos from attending school. SCG’s scholarship program allowed thousands of students to surpass the struggle and pursue their desired careers.

“I was able to sustain my needs as a student. Aside from that, SCG helps me

grow holistically. Last 2019, I was able to go to Thailand and experience meeting other scholars. I realized na sobrang halaga pala maka-meet ng ibang tao, especially from diverse cultures,” said Ly-ann Ferolino, a SCG scholar who graduated from the Batangas State University, Malvar Campus.

Ferolino is now a teacher who helps mold students to become the next global leaders. She believes that her success is by and for SCG.

Meanwhile, Lara Jhane Arellano, a current scholar from Upper Bicutan National High School, is grateful to SCG for their financial support, proving to her and many others that poverty can’t stop dreamers from achieving their goals.

Arellano added that SCG empowered her as a scholar because their support, through the Sharing The Dream program, made her feel capable of achieving her aspirations.

Learning lessons within the classroom isn’t the only way SCG saw its scholars grow. The scholarship program exposed the students to scenarios that tested their mettle. Now that Ferolino works as a teacher, she constantly adjusts to her profession and community. Nonetheless,

she finds the time to enjoy herself because she’s close to living the life she envisioned. Her sense of balance between living and achieving pushes her to become an efficient mentor who prioritizes her well-being.

While some find student life challenging, Arellano found a way to cope with the responsibilities on her shoulders, especially as a student leader. She draws strength, courage, and inspiration from those who believe in her. Although the road to graduation is still some ways before completion, Arellano has laid out a vision of what she hopes to be after she crosses that bridge.

“Years from now, I think I am the person I always wanted to be. I believe in myself na kakayanin ko kung sino man ako tomorrow,” she said.

Arellano also plans to obtain a degree in psychology someday. She shared how SCG inspired her to dream big and pursue that goal. As a scholar, Arellano faces expectations from the company and the people around her. Despite that, she knows how SCG nurtures and believes in her talent, which is why they chose her among their numerous scholarship recipients.

SM, Fast Retailing Foundation Launch ‘Grow Trees Community’ in Nasugbu, Batangas

Assistant Vice President for Livelihood.

SM

Foundation, Inc. the social good arm of the SM group, and the Fast Retailing Foundation (FR Foundation), a general incorporated foundation in Japan, formally launched the “Grow Trees Community” project in Nasugbu, Batangas last September 27 as the first stop of three provinces for their “treescaping” and reforestation initiative.

The Grow Trees Community project aims to plant and grow trees across the Philippines while helping create livelihood opportunities by working closely with the people’s organizations in the communities. The project also joins hands with Costa del Hamilo, Inc., Manila Southcoast Development, Inc and the local government of Nasugbu.

“The core of our program is to go beyond planting trees. It also addresses the social and economic needs of communities by providing them with the means to engage in agroforestry. With this in mind, we want to build a strong foundation to keep growing communities by fostering collaboration and leadership in caring for the environment” said Cristie S. Angeles, SM Foundation

“Facilitating sustainable development is one of the core activities of FR Foundation and we support this program to further promote environmental stewardship, preservation and the economic development among communities. We are delighted to partner with SM Foundation who has an extensive experience in community development and tree planting programs in the Philippines,” Yoshio Ishida, SecretaryGeneral of FR Foundation said.

Some 8,400 Palawan Cherry blossom trees locally known as balayong and the bell-shaped Tabebuia pink flowering trees are being planted along the sevenkilometer Ternate-Nasugbu road leading to Hamilo Coast.

The project is also seen to enhance prospects for eco-tourism and in turn, job creation for the community.

“This endeavor will definitely boost the eco-tourism here in Nasugbu moving forward with the flowering trees creating a picturesque view of the property. This will promote not just Hamilo Coast, but also the local community with no other property

hosting this vast array of Palawan Cherry and other flowering trees,” Franklin M. Bolalin, Assistant Vice President for Hamilo Estate Management said.

Hamilo Coast looks after one of the largest mangrove forests in the province of Batangas in partnership with WWF Philippines since 2007. The 24-hectare mangrove belt is covered by lush 50,000 mangrove trees.

Three of Hamilo Coast’s coves, namely Pico de Loro, Etayo and Santelmo, have been declared as Marine Protected Areas by the (Organization) since 2009.

The site serves as a marine sanctuary to an exuberant diversity of marine animals and a resilient locale for migratory and unique species of birds, now totaling 96, which includes the vulnerable Philippine eagle-owl (Bubo philippensis).

The presence of more trees in these areas will act as natural protection against erosion, and absorption of planet-warming greenhouse gases.

Grow Trees Community is in support of the SM Green Movement that aims to improve the quality of life of communities through sustainable solutions to promote a green planet, green living and a green culture.

FR Foundation focuses on promoting research designed to help make the world a better place, spurring technological development, nurturing human resources, and supporting socially vulnerable individuals or groups.

It is part of Fast Retailing Co. Ltd., the leading Japanese retail company that owns well-loved casual wear brand, Uniqlo.

Guerrero won Best in Market Performance (Network Agency) at the recently concluded 24th Agency of the Year Awards by the 4A’s Philippines (Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies in the Philippines) held last September 16, 2022.

BBDO

The award recognizes the most effective campaigns, which showcase exceptional strategic and creative solutions that have delivered impactful results for brands.

David Guerrero, Creative Chairman, said: “We believe effectiveness is the ultimately goal of

creativity so it’s great to see our work recognized as the best performing in the market.”

Meanwhile, BBDO Guerrero was also recently ranked Top 10 in Asia in Campaign Brief’s The Work, based on its strong creative performance.

Francine Kahn-Gonzalez, Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We are proud to see the consistency in creative effectiveness. We are very pleased to share these recognitions with our clients, a result of great client-agency collaborations.”

FINEX conducts 54th annual conference with theme “Reshaping the Future with Transformational Change”

AS the world is on the road to recovery form the Covid-19 pandemic, major challenves that previously took the back seat are waiting for renewed focus. These are sustainability, innovation and economic inclusion. These areas pose both major risks and impactful opportunities for businesses.

All these and more will be discussed in detail during the five-day 2022 FINEX Annual Conference that runs until October 7 virtually with one day (hybrid) in-person event at Fairmont Hotel, Makati City.

On October 3, the conference opened with a virtual session titled “The Transformative Power of Finance in Life and Business.” The session was hosted by Mark Nicdao of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation and moderated by Paulo Azurin of CLSA Exchange Capital. The keynote speaker was Caylum Lee CEO of Caylum Trading Institute. Our panelists included Jeng Pascual, Mark Goriceta and Joann Hizon, Human Resource Expert.

On October 4, the virtual session is titled “Is Your Company Ready? Understand Global Investment Opportunities and Risks.” This session will be hosted and moderated by Ned Goseco a FINEX Director and a seasoned FINEX member. Our main

speakers are Graeme Riddell (VP, Climate and Sustainability Consulting Leader, Marsh Advisory) and Amit Dalmia (Senior Managing Director, Blackstone Group).

On October 5, there will be a conference at the Fairmont Hotel and a live session via Zoom. The keynote speaker for the event is Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno. Session 1 will touch on ESG as a Value Creation Tool. Session 2 will be on Boosting Financial Inclusion Digitally. Session 3 will be on Financing the Philippine Innovation Ecosystem.

No FINEX Conference is complete without a FINEX Night. Jet Pampolina has assured participants of great entertainment and delicacies that will the palate.

The conference, however, does not end with FINEX Night. There is still a virtual session on October 6 at 9am on “Financial Inclusion as Enabler for Transformational Change.” On October 7, there is a virtual session at 9am on” Emerging Giants in Asia Pacific: The Secret to Business Success.”

Sun Life Grepa addresses the needs of risk-averse clients

SUN Life Grepa Financial, Inc. (Sun Life Grepa), a major life insurance company in the country, has just launched a new product that allows its clients to build and strengthen their financial portfolio. Sun Grepa Wealth Prime is a single-pay life insurance plan that provides guaranteed annual payouts and a money-back guarantee after seven years on top of its guaranteed life insurance protection.

“We are excited to offer this new product to help more clients ease their financial worries and put certainty on their savings,” Sun Life Grepa President Richard S. Lim said. “We want to give them a chance to accelerate growth in their finances while protecting their family’s future and preserving their wealth,” he added.

For a limited-time offer, the Sun Grepa Wealth Prime is designed to help clients secure the future of their loved ones with a seven-year guaranteed life insurance protection.

Aside from that, clients can enjoy guaranteed annual earnings equal to four percent of the single premium paid, starting at the end of the first policy year until maturity. It also functions as a means of wealth preservation as clients can expect a 100 percent return of their single premium payment after the policy has matured.

Furthermore, the product also offers a hassle-free application and policy approval process through the guaranteed insurability offer, subject to the limits of Sun Life Grepa.

“This product is ideal for risk-averse clients who are seeking an alternative solution to traditional savings and looking for diversification and overall stability,” Lim said.

For more information, go to www. sunlifegrepa.com, contact your Sun Life Grepa advisor, visit any Sun Life Grepa branch or email wecare@sunlifegrepa.com.

SCG Sharing The Dream scholarship recipients Lara Jhane Arellano (left) and Ly-ann Ferolino hope to extend the company’s ESG concepts in their own ways

FROM left, BBDO Guerrero’s Creative Chairman, David Guerrero, CEO, Francince Kahn-Gonzalez and Chief Strategy Officer, Roshan Nandwani accept the award for the Best in Market Performance at the recently concluded 4A’s AOY Awards from award presenter, Mike Trillana.

Features

10 torture sites in Ukraine town: Russia sowed pain, fear in Izium

By Lori Hinnant, Evgeniy Maloletka & Vasilisa Stepanenko The Associated Press

Then they beat him, over and over: Legs, arms, a hammer to the knees, all accompanied by furious diatribes against Ukraine. Before they let him go, they took away his passport and Ukrainian military ID—all he had to prove his exis tence—and made sure he knew exactly how worthless his life was.

“No one needs you,” the com mander taunted. “We can shoot you any time, bury you a halfmeter underground and that’s it.”

The brutal encounter at the end of March was just the start. Andriy Kotsar would be captured and tortured twice more by Rus sian forces in Izium, and the pain would be even worse.

Russian torture in Izium was arbitrary, widespread and abso lutely routine for both civilians and soldiers throughout the city, an Associated Press investigation has found. While torture was also evident in Bucha, that devastated Kyiv suburb was only occupied for a month. Izium served as a hub for Russian soldiers for nearly seven months, during which they estab lished torture sites everywhere.

Based on accounts of survivors and police, AP journalists located 10 torture sites in the town and gained access to five of them. They included a deep sunless pit in a residential compound with dates carved in the brick wall, a clammy underground jail that reeked of urine and rotting food, a medical clinic, a police station and a kindergarten.

The AP spoke to 15 survivors of Russian torture in the Kharkiv re gion, as well as two families whose loved ones disappeared into Rus sian hands. Two of the men were taken repeatedly and abused. One battered, unconscious Ukrainian soldier was displayed to his wife to force her to provide information she simply didn’t have.

The AP also confirmed eight men were killed under torture in Russian custody, according to survivors and families. All but one were civilians.

At a mass grave site created by the Russians and discovered in the woods of Izium, at least 30 of the 447 bodies recently excavated bore visible marks of torture—bound hands, close gunshot wounds,

knife wounds and broken limbs, according to the Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office. Those injuries corresponded to the descriptions of the pain inflicted upon the survivors.

AP journalists also saw bod ies with bound wrists at the mass grave. Amid the trees were hun dreds of simple wooden crosses, most marked only with numbers. One said it contained the bodies of 17 Ukrainian soldiers. At least two more mass graves have been found in the town, all heavily mined, authorities said.

A physician who treated hun dreds of Izium’s injured during the Russian occupation said people regularly arrived at his emergency room with injuries consistent with torture, including gunshots to their hands and feet, broken bones and severe bruising, and burns. None would explain their wounds, he said.

“Even if people came to the hospital, silence was the norm,” chief Dr. Yuriy Kuznetsov said. He added that one soldier came in for treatment for hand injuries, clearly from being cuffed, but the man refused to say what happened.

Men with links to Ukrainian forces were singled out repeated ly for torture, but any adult man risked getting caught up. Matilda Bogner, the head of the UN hu man rights mission in Ukraine, told the AP they had documented “widespread practices of torture or ill treatment of civilian detain ees” by Russian forces and affili ates. Torture of soldiers was also systemic, she said.

Torture in any form during an armed conflict is a war crime under the Geneva Conventions, whether of prisoners of war or civilians.

“It serves three purposes,” said Rachel Denber of Human Rights Watch. “Torture came with ques tions to coerce information, but it is also to punish and to sow fear. It is to send a chilling message to everyone else.”

No safe haven

AP journalists found Kotsar, 26, hiding in a monastery in Izium, his blond hair tied back neatly in the Orthodox fashion and his beard curling beneath his chin. He had no way to safely contact his loved

Haiti reports cholera deaths for first time in 3 years

By Evens Sanon The Associated Press

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti— Haiti’s government on Sun day announced that at least eight people have died from chol era, raising concerns about a po tentially fast-spreading scenario and reviving memories of an epi demic that killed nearly 10,000 people a decade ago.

The cases—the first cholera deaths reported in three years— came in a community called Dekay et in southern Port-au-Prince and in the gang-controlled seaside slum of Cite de Soleil, where thou sands of people live in cramped, unsanitary conditions.

“Cholera is something that can spread very, very quickly,” warned Laure Adrien, director general of

Haiti’s health ministry. Food or water contaminated with the cholera bacteria can lead to severe diarrhea and dehydration that can be deadly.

The United Nations said in a statement that it is working with Haiti’s government to “mount an emergency response to this po tential outbreak,” stressing that health teams need to be guaran teed safe access to areas where cases have been reported.

The deaths come as a lack of fuel and ongoing protests shut down the availability of basic services across Haiti, including medical care and clean water, which is key to helping fight cholera and keep patients alive.

Haiti’s most powerful gang continues to control the entrance to a main fuel terminal in the

ones, who thought he was dead.

Back in March, after his first round of torture, Kotsar fled to the gold-domed Pishchanskyi church. Russian soldiers were everywhere, and nowhere in Izium was safe.

Hiding amid the icons, Kotsar listened to the rumble of Russian armored vehicles outside and con templated suicide. He had been a soldier for just under a month and had no idea if anyone in his little unit had survived the Rus sian onslaught.

When he emerged from the church a few days later, a Russian patrol caught him. They kept him a week. His captors’ idea of a joke was to shave his legs with a knife, and then debate aloud whether to slice off the limb entirely.

“They took, I don’t know what exactly, some iron, maybe glass rods, and burned the skin little by little,” he said.

He knew nothing that could help them. So they set him free again, and again he sought refuge with the monks. He had nowhere else to go.

By then, the church and mon astery compound had become a shelter for around 100 people, in cluding 40 children. Kotsar took up a version of the monastic life, living with the black-robed broth ers, helping them care for the refu gees and spending his free hours standing before the gilt icons in contemplation.

In the meantime, Izium was transforming into a Russian logis tical hub. The town was swarming with troops, and its electricity, gas, water and phone networks were severed.

Izium was effectively cut off from the rest of Ukraine.

Screams in the night

IT was also in the spring that the Russians first sought out Mykola Mosyakyn, driving down the rut ted dirt roads until they reached the Ukrainian soldier’s fenced cot tage. Mosyakyn, 38, had enlisted

capital of Port-au-Prince, lead ing to a lack of fuel amid soar ing prices that have unleashed widespread protests that have paralyzed the country for more than two weeks.

The absence of fuel and increas ing number of roadblocks have pre vented water trucks from visiting neighborhoods to provide potable water to those who can afford it. It also has prompted some com panies to temporarily shut down operations.

On Sunday, Caribbean Bot tling Company said it could no longer produce or distribute potable water because its diesel reserves were “completely deplet ed,” adding that the lack of such a vital resource would affect “all sectors of society.”

Adrien said health officials were trying to visit communities where cholera has been reported, but that his agency, too, has been affected by a lack of fuel as he called on people blocking the gas

after the war began, though not in the same unit as Kotsar.

They tossed him into a pit with standing water, handcuffed him and hung him by the restraints until his skin went numb. They waited in vain for him to talk, and tried again.

“They beat me with sticks. They hit me with their hands, they kicked me, they put out cigarettes on me, they pressed matches on me,” he recounted. “They said, ‘Dance,’ but I did not dance. So they shot my feet.”

After three days they dropped him near the hospital with the command: “Tell them you had an accident.”

At least two other men from Mo syakyn’s neighborhood, a father and son who are both civilians, were taken at the same time. The father speaks about his two weeks in the basement cell in a whisper, staring at the ground. His adult son refuses to speak about it at all.

That family, along with another man who was also tortured in the basement cell on Izium’s east bank, spoke on condition of anonymity. They are terrified the Russians will return.

Mosyakyn was captured again by a different Russian unit just a few days later. This time, he found himself in School No. 2, subject to routine beatings along with other Ukrainians. AP journalists found a discarded Ukrainian soldier’s jacket in the same blue cell he described in detail. The school also served as a base and field hospital for Russian soldiers, and at least two Ukrainian civilians held there died.

But the soldiers again freed Mosyakyn. To this day, he doesn’t know why.

Nor does he understand why they’d release him just to recap ture him a few days later and haul him to a crowded garage of a medical clinic near the railroad tracks. More than a dozen other Ukrainians were jailed with him,

soldiers and civilians. Two garages were for men, one for women and a bigger one—the only one with a window—for Russian soldiers.

Women were held in the garage closest to the soldiers’ quarters. Their screams came at night, ac cording to Mosyakyn and Kotsar, who were both held at the clinic at different times. Ukrainian intel ligence officials said the women were raped regularly.

For the men, Room 6 was for electrocution. Room 9 was for wa terboarding, Mosyakyn said. He described how they covered his face with a cloth bag and poured water from a kettle onto him to mimic the sensation of drowning. They also hooked up his toes to electricity and shocked him with electrodes on his ears.

It was here that Mosyakyn watched Russian soldiers drag out the lifeless bodies of two ci vilians they’d tortured to death, both from Izium’s Gonkharovka neighborhood.

Kotsar was taken to the clinic in July and received a slightly differ ent treatment, involving a Sovietera gas mask and electrodes on his legs. AP journalists also found gas masks at two schools.

By the time Kotsar arrived, people had already been there for 12 to 16 days. They told him arms and legs were broken, and people had been taken out to be shot. He vowed that if he survived, he would never allow himself to be captured again.

They released him after a couple of weeks. He craved familiar fac es and people who meant him no harm. He returned to the monks.

“When I came out, every thing was green. It was very, very strange, because there had been absolutely no color,” he said. “Ev erything was wonderful, so vivid.”

Shallow grave IN mid-August, the bodies of three men were found in a shallow for ested pit on the town’s outskirts.

Ivan Shabelnyk left home with a friend on March 23 to collect pine cones so the family could light the samovar and have tea. They never came back.

Another man taken with them reluctantly told Shabelnyk’s fam ily about the torture they’d all en dured together, first in the base ment of a nearby house and then in School No. 2. Then he left town.

Their bodies were found in mid-August, in the last days of the occupation, by a man scaveng ing for firewood. He followed the smell of death to a shallow grave in the forest.

Shabelnyk’s hands were shot, his ribs broken, his face unrecog nizable. They identified him by the jacket he wore, from the local

grain factory where he worked. His grieving mother showed the AP a photo.

“He kept this photo with him, of us together when he was a small boy,” said Ludmila Shabelnyk, in tears. “Why did they destroy peo ple like him? I don’t understand. Why has this happened to our country?”

His sister, Olha Zaparozh chenko, walked with journalists through the cemetery and looked at his grave.

“They tortured civilians at will, like bullies,” she said. “I have only one word: genocide.”

The Kharkiv region’s chief pros ecutor, Oleksandr Filchakov, told the AP it was too soon to determine how many people were tortured in Izium, but said it easily numbered into the dozens.

“Every day, many people call us with information, people who were in the occupied territories,” he said. “Every day, relatives come to us and say their friends, their family, were tortured by Russian soldiers.”

Missing no more

After his final escape, Kotsar hid in the monastery for more than a month. Without documents and a phone connection to prove his identity, he was too afraid to leave.

Kotsar’s family had no idea what h appened to him. They had simply reported him missing, like so many other Ukrainian soldiers caught on the wrong side of the frontline.

He spoke with effort to AP jour nalists, and at one point asked them to turn off the camera so he could compose himself. The AP contacted the Commissioner for Issues of Missing Persons Under Special Circumstances, which con firmed the missing person report and his identity through a photo on file. Then Kotsar’s own unit, which had left Izium in disarray, returned and tracked him down.

Kotsar doesn’t know what comes next. Ukrainian officials are still in the process of restoring his identity documents, and with out them he can’t go anywhere. He would like psychological treat ment to deal with the trauma from repeated torture, and for now he’s staying with the monks.

“If it weren’t for them, I prob ably wouldn’t have survived at all,” he said. “They saved me.”

Kotsar’s first call was to the sister of his best friend—the only person in his entire circle of loved ones he was certain was in a safe place. He grinned as the connec tion went through.

“Tell him I’m alive,” he said. “Tell him I’m alive and in one piece.”

he said, adding that cholera cases could spike again. “We ask people who can afford it to add a little chlorine to the water.”

Haiti’s last cholera epidemic sickened more than 850,000 peo ple in a country of more than 11 million, marking one of the world’s worst outbreaks of the preventable disease in recent history.

United Nations peacekeepers from Nepal were blamed for intro ducing cholera into Haiti’s largest river in October 2010 by sewage. The UN has since acknowledged it played a role in the epidemic and that is has not done enough to help fight it, but it has not specifically said it introduced the disease.

terminal and organizing protests to “have a conscience.”

“This is a real problem,” he said of how the country has virtually been paralyzed. “We’re hoping this will not spread.”

Adrien noted that all those who died were unable to reach a hospi tal in time.

Haiti Health Minister Alex Larsen said people have a right to protest but asked Haitians to allow potable water supplies into neighborhoods that have been cut off by roadblocks and protests.

“Water has not been in these areas for a long time, and people are not drinking treated water,”

Haiti would have been declared cholera-free by the World Health Organization only after reaching three consecutive years with no new cases.

contributed.

IZIUM, Ukraine—The first time the Russian soldiers caught him, they tossed him bound and blindfolded into a trench covered with wooden boards for days on end.

Sarah El Deeb contributed from Beirut.

MATTRESSES lie on the floor in a holding cell at the basement of a police station that was used by Russian forces in the recently liberated town of Izium, Ukraine, on September 22, 2022. Based on accounts of survivors and police, Associated Press journalists located 10 torture sites in the town and gained access to five of them including the police station. AP/EVGENIY MALOLETKA

BATTLE IN SILANG ON

JERWIN ANCAJAS tries to get back his International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight belt from Argentina’s Fernando Daniel Martinez on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Dignity Sports Park in Carson City, California.

And who’ll be at ringside? Jade Bornea.

R

IANNE MALIXI gets another chance to prove her worth against some of the country’s top lady pros and fellow amateurs she humbled the last time out as she clashes with Harmie Constantino and title-hungry Marvi Monsalve at the start of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Riviera Championship in Silang, Cavite, Tuesday.

M alixi skipped Monday’s proam to best prepare herself for an exhausting test of endurance at the rolling Langer layout while relying on her fond memories of the exacting course where she reigned as champion of the Philippine National Stroke Play in 2020 in record fashion.

But it’s her current form, honed by a series of competitions abroad, that should spur the rising star to shoot for a follow-up to her astounding 13-stroke triumph over Chihiro Ikeda in the last Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT) stop at Valley Golf Club last month.

Constantino and Monsalve, however, are both out to provide the early challenge and pressure for the two-time American Junior Golf Association champion in their 12:10 p.m. flight with Ikeda, who also opted to take a break yesterday, bracing for a demanding duel with Sunshine Baraquiel and Mafy Singson at 11:50 a.m., both on No. 1.

“ This is going to be a different battle. Langer is a long course and there are so many tests to consider and overcome,” said Ikeda, winner at Mount Malarayat and Eagle RidgeAoki but who is itching to atone for blowout loss to Malixi at Valley.

Singson, who swept the LPGT pro trophy and the low amateur honors at Splendido Taal last May, is also out to make up for her mediocre showing at Valley that saw her struggle with 77 and 81 rounds before rallying with a 74 to salvage joint third with Constantino and Gretchen Villacencio.

Emphasis is on the short game but every shot counts here,” said Sarah Ababa, still in search for a follow-up victory to her breakthrough triumph at Sherwood Hills way back in 2015.

S he launches her bid at 11:40 a.m. with Villacencio and Pamela Mariano.

L aurea Duque, meanwhile, also tries to put herself into early contention against Kristine Fleetwood and Apple Fudolin at 12 noon and crowd Malixi and Singson not just for the overall crown but also for the amateur honors.

K orean Kim Seoyun and fellow amateur Burberry Zhang, meanwhile, kick off their respective bids against Lucy Landicho and Eva Miñoza at 12:20 p.m. and versus Lovelynn Guioguio and Majorie Pulumbarit at 12:30 p.m., respectively.

B ut no one infuses so much fear than Malixi, who beat multi-titled Princess Superal at Luisita last March after closing out the 2021 season with an emphatic win at Midlands last December.

Men of tour kick off own war at Riviera

AN early jostle for position takes shape as the Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) resumes Tuesday with the ICTSI Riviera Championship in a four-day duel not just of power and shotmaking but also of will and character at one of the country’s tough championship courses.

Measuring up to more than 7,000 yards, Riviera’s Langer course has been a boon for a few but a bane for a lot of others. But it’s not just a question of length but of strategies, including course management since a slight miscue could lead to a big score given the limited options for recovery at the tight, hazard-laden layout.

If the wind blows, then it’s going to be real tough,” said Guido Van der Valk after Monday’s pro-am of the PGT held side by side with the Ladies PGT.

But the Manila-based Dutchman, who pulled off a stirring playoff win over Miguel Tabuena at Splendido Taal last May, faces a real challenge right in the first round of the P2 million championship put up by ICTSI as he drew Juvic Pagunsan and Angelo Que with Joenard Rates completing one of the featured flights at 9:40 a.m. on No. 1.

Pagunsan, who ruled this event in stormy conditions in 2019 to cap a record four-tournament run, and Que are both coming off the Japan Golf Tour, making them A-ready for the grueling battle with Rates also raring to upstage the troika with his

Zanieboy Gialon, Jhonnel Ababa, Jay Bayron, Jobim Carlos and young guns Ivan Monsalve and Sean Ramos.

Mondilla, who finished second in the first two legs at Luisita and Caliraya Springs and placed third at Splendido Taal before shifting his campaign abroad, slugs it out with Lascuña, Ababa and Mars Pucay at 9:50 a.m., also on the first hole, to be followed by the group of Monsalve, Ramos, Eric Superal and Albin Engino.

Focus will also be on Ira Alido, whose dominant nine-stroke victory in bubble setup here in 2020 put him in the elite circle of PGT winners with the former amateur hotshot sharpening his skills in the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour the last few months.

B ut Alido will be as much as tested as the rest of the field as he mixes it up with Jay Bayron, fellow ADT campaigner Fidel Concepcion and legend Frankie Miñoza at 10 a.m., also on No. 1.

Gialon, meanwhile, expressed high hopes for another crack at the championship with emphasis on short game and the ability to tame the terrors lurking on Langer’s unpredictable surface.

We all know that this course is tight, so it’s a question of who’s going to come up with solid short game, including putting,” said Gialon, confident of re-displaying the form he flaunted in besting the cream of the crop at Caliraya Springs.

There are two reasons why Bornea should be watching the rematch live—first, he’ll be rooting for his countryman get back at the Argentinian and, second, sad to say but he’ll be on a scouting mission.

Bornea happens to be the mandatory challenger and whoever wins Sunday, he’ll be fighting for the world title.

“I’ll be there to support Jerwin [Ancajas] and I believe he will get his belt back,” the 27-year-old unbeaten super flyweight from General Santos City told BusinessMirror on Monday.

Bornea has an 18-0 record with 12 knockouts.

He scored a seventhround technical knockout win against Mexican Ivan Meneses last August 19 in a nontitle bout at his victim’s hometown of Puebla in Mexico.

H e became the mandatory challenger for the 115-pound belt when he beat Mohammad Obaddi of Morocco via thirdround technical knockout also in Mexico last January 14.

Bornea’s promoter, JC Mananquil of Sanman Promotions, said that Ancajas is in the best of shape.

“I think he is in better condition today than the last time I saw him fight,” Mananquil said.

“I expect a great fight.”

Ancajas yielded his IBF title to Martinez last February via unanimous decision in Las Vegas because of weight issues.

“But his weight’s definitely no longer an issue,” international matchmaker Sean Gibbons assured.

Josef Ramos

SBP delegates get close feel of how to host FIBA W’Cup

MEMBERS of the delegation from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) are shown with officials from the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and members of the German organizers. The SBP delegates are John Lucas, head of Joint Management Committee Philippines; Dickie Bachmann, head of the Local Organizing Committee Operations; and Erika Dy, deputy event director. They joined FIBA officials led by Ingo Weiss, treasurer and David Crocker.

Stadium tragedy at Arema exposes Indonesia’s troubled soccer history

GAINING

the right to host next year’s Under-20 World Cup was a major milestone in Indonesia’s soccer development, raising hopes that a successful tournament would turn around long-standing problems that have blighted the sport in this country of 277 million people.

The death of at least 125 people at a league game between host Arema FC of East Java’s Malang city and Persebaya Surabaya on Saturday is a tragic reminder, however, that Indonesia is one of the most dangerous countries in which to attend a game.

Do remember that the FIFA U-20 World Cup will be the worldwide spotlight since the event will be joined by 24 countries from five continents,” Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo said last month as he pushed for thorough preparations for the tournament.

Since Saturday, the domestic league has been suspended. Widodo has ordered the sports minister, the national police chief and the soccer federation to conduct a thorough investigation into the deadly stadium crush.

I ndonesia was the first Asian team ever to play at a World Cup— participating in 1938 as Dutch East Indies—but despite an undoubted

national passion for the sport, it has never returned to the global stage because of years of corruption, violence and mismanagement.

Data from Indonesia’s soccer watchdog, Save Our Soccer, showed 78 people have died in game-related incidents over the past 28 years.

T hose accused are often associated with supporter groups that attach themselves to clubs, with the biggest boasting hundreds of thousands of members.

A rema intense rivalry with

Surabaya meant that no visiting fans were allowed in the stadium on the weekend.

Yet violence broke out when the home team lost 3-2 and some of the 42,000 Arema fans, known as “Aremania,” threw bottles and other objects at players and soccer officials.

Restrictions on visiting fans also have failed in the past. In 2016, despite Persib Bandung supporters being banned from a game with bitter rival Persija Jakarta, they were blamed for the death of a Jakarta supporter.

A m onth earlier, a Persib fan

had been beaten to death by Jakarta followers.

I n 2018, local media reported a seventh death in six years related to Indonesia’s biggest soccer rivalry.

Soccer fans have accused security officials of being heavy-handed in the past and on the weekend, with witnesses describing officers beating them with sticks and shields before shooting tear gas canisters directly into the crowds. In 2016, police were accused of killing 16-year-old supporter Muhammad Fahreza at a game between Persija and Persela Lamongan, resulting in mass demonstrations demanding an end to police brutality.

“

The police who were in charge of security violated FIFA stadium safety and security regulations,” soccer analyst Akmal Marhali told Indonesian media on Sunday, referring to the use of tear gas on Malang fans who entered the pitch after their team’s defeat. That sparked a rush for exits in an overcrowded stadium.

“ The Indonesia Football Association may have been negligent for not informing the police that security procedures at a football match are not the same as those at a demonstration.”

KEY officials from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) were invited as observers in the recent Eurobasket 2022 to get a closer feel of how the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup is being hosted.

The Philippines is the lead host for the 2023 FIBA World Cup with Japan and Indonesia. It will be the country’s second hosting of the championship since 1978, when there were only 14 squads coming from five federations.

A total of 32 countries will qualify for the 2023 World Cup—six for Asia, seven for Americas, five for Africa, 12 for Europe and two for the hosts (Philippines and Japan).

The Philippines will host 40 games, including the final phase or playoff matches.

The SBP delegation got a first-hand experience of how the Eurobasket 2022 was staged in Berlin with no less than the global leaders in the field.

T he delegates witnessed innovations in staging the event and were introduced for the first time in Germany.

The FIBA headquarters has been working on little tweaks, including more fan experience, making the game more exciting not just to the players and competing teams, but also to the spectators,” an SBP statement said.

The Philippines, being considered

as a basketball-crazy nation, deserves more fan interaction in the venue and now that the SBP had been able to experience it in Eurobasket 2022,” the statement added. “The group intends to top it next year, considering that the country is holding not just a regional or continental event, but a world tournament.”

We thanked the FIBA HQ and the DBB for inviting LOC representatives to the Eurobasket 2022,” SBP president Al Panlilio said.

“The SBP believes that there is no better way to show our gratitude than by applying what we have learned and delivering the best World Cup ever.”

I ncluded in the delegation were Erika Dy, deputy event director for the FIBA World Cup 2023, Philippines and Dickie Bachmann, current commissioner of the UAAP, who is also the head of LOC Operations for FBWC 2023, Philippines and John Lucas, head of Joint Management Committee Philippines.

A part from learning from the German LOC, which hosted Eurobasket 2022, the SBP was also able to strengthen ties with our co-hosts from Indonesia and Japan, as well as sit down in very engaging discussions with FIBA HQ and FIBA Media, the main stakeholders of the World Cup 2023.

RIANNE MALIXI and Harmie Constantino are marked in the women’s as Guido Van der Valk expects a tough competition in the men’s side.

DOMINGO and Bernard Testa

own brand of play. Pagunsan and Que actually marked their PGT return with a joint fourth place finish at Eagle RidgeAoki last July ruled by absentee Michael Bibat and both are eager to get going, along with the rest of the competing field that also includes former Philippine Open Clyde Mondilla, multi-titled Tony Lascuña, Caliraya Springs leg champion

INDONESIAN soccer fans light candles during a vigil for the victims of Saturday’s riots in Jakarta.