BusinessMirror October 15, 2021

House tweaks to ’22 budget total ₧65.5B T HE House of Representatives has introduced amendments involving a total of P65.5 billion in the P5.024trillion General Appropriations Bill for 2022, a leader of the lower chamber said on Thursday.

House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Eric Yap said these amendments to House Bill 10153 or the 2022 GAB include P20 billion for the vaccine booster shots and P4.5 billion for Special Risk Allowance (SRA) of the qualified public and private health workers.

Yap, also a member of the small committee tasked to consolidate all the amendments to the national budget, said P5 billion has been included for Medical

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Assistance to Indigent Patients (MAIP), which covers hospitalization and assistance to indigent and poor patients.

He said the funding for vaccine booster shots, SRA and MAIP will be included in the budget of the Department of Health.

However, Yap has yet to identify what items in the national budget they realigned to accommodate these amendments.

Moreover, the lawmaker said the House also provided additional P10 billion for Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Ating Disadvantaged or Displaced Workers Program (TUPAD).

He said the TUPAD program should prioritize indigent fami-

lies; informal sector families, and those under the next lower poverty level, as determined by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Also, Yap said P10 billion was given to DSWD for its assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), which includes food assistance, food packs, transportation, medical, burial assistance, assistance to students, cash/food for work and other assistance to individuals, sectors, communities in especially difficult circumstance.

Another P1 billion for DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) has been provided, Yap added.

According to Yap, this SLP will enable each qualified household beneficiary to enroll in two dif-

ferent tracks—Micro-Enterprise Development; and Employment Facilitation through technical and vocational skills training.

Transport, schools

For the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Yap said the House has provided P6 billion for the Service Contracting Program (SCP) under LTFRB. He said this funding will extend the assistance to transport drivers and operators tide over to their “decreased income” due to health measures enforced in public transportation and to provide free rides to the commuting public.

See “House,” A2

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ON TRACK, BUT Q3 LOWER

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PHL falls 3 rungs in Rule of Law global index

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM & Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

HE Department of Finance expects the country’s economic growth in the third quarter to be lower than that of the previous quarter due to the reimposition of lockdowns to curb the surge in Covid-19 cases.

Despite this, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III on Thursday expressed confidence that the government can meet its downscaled economic growth target of 4 to 5 percent this year as the Philippine economy is expected to start opening up this fourth quarter.

Economist-lawmaker Joey Salceda of Albay agreed that the target GDP growth rate for this year is still attainable, but only if aggressive catch-up efforts in lagging regions are undertaken.

Salceda, who co-chairs the House Committee on Economic

Stimulus and Recovery Cluster, said the benefits from high vaccination rates in Metro Manila, for instance, will be negated by the dismal coverage in some regions.

“Actually our second-quarter GDP, it grew by over 11 percent.

We expect, in the third quarter, to be lower than that because of the spike in the [Covid-19] Delta variant. However, we’ve seen our cases dropped, and we’re beginning to open up our economy,” Dominguez said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. See “DOF,” A2

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Newborn infant Zhia, a so-called “pandemic baby,” lies in a basin after being cleaned by a midwife and relatives somewhere in eastern Metro Manila on Wednesday (October 13). The government has recorded a decline in marriages and pregnancies among adults, but a spike among teenagers, during the Covid-19 lockdowns. However, experts predict a post-pandemic “baby boom,” as the economy recovers and more people get their jobs and savings back. BERNARD TESTA

Cash agents grow 242% to over 58,000, says BSP T

HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Thursday that the number of active cash agents grew strongly in 2020 amid the pandemic.

In a virtual briefing, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said cash agents in the Philippines grew by 242 percent from 17,000 in 2019 to more than 58,000 in 2020.

Cash agents are retail outlets like small shops, convenience stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, and pawnshops contracted by banks that offer basic banking services and perform realtime financial transactions for customers in far-flung areas.

They can accept and disburse cash on behalf of a bank, allowing customers to perform selfservice transactions, including

PESO exchange rates n US 50.6880

deposits and withdrawals, balance inquiries, fund transfers, and bills payments.

“Cash agents helped increase the percentage of cities and municipalities reached by banking services from 70 percent to 85 percent,” Diokno said.

“They play a significant role in financial inclusion by expanding the reach of financial services beyond bank branches

and transitioning the unbanked population from cash to digital transactions,” he added.

In line with this, the BSP chief said they plan to develop an Agent Registry which is a regulatory technology tool that will strengthen its supervision of cash agents.

The registry is expected to facilitate the standardized collection of agent data and create a

public database to help customers locate the nearest accredited agents and their allowed services.

In a memorandum issued last May, the BSP reminded banks with cash agent operations to observe prevailing standards on disclosure, transparency, and effective recourse to protect consumers when transacting with cash agents. Bianca Cuaresma

HE Philippines fell three notches in its global ranking in the newly released World Justice Project Rule of Law Index as it saw a deterioration in order and security amid the Covid-19 pandemic last year.

With a lower overall rule of law score in this year’s Index at 0.46, the country is now at 102nd place out of 139 countries and jurisdictions worldwide.

As defined by the World Justice Project, rule of law embodies a durable system of laws, institutions, norms, and community commitment that delivers: accountability, just laws, open government, and accessible justice.

“Philippines’ overall rule of law score decreased 2.9 percent in this year’s Index,” the WJP said in a statement. “Significant trends for Philippines included a deterioration in the factor measuring Order and Security.”

The Philippines also remained at 13th spot out of 15 countries in the East Asia and Pacific region, making it among the lowest in the region along with Myanmar and Cambodia.

The top performers in the region are New Zealand, which placed 7th out of 139 countries worldwide, followed by Australia and Japan.

Meanwhile, the country also placed 18th out of 35 lower-middle-income countries.

n japan 0.4476 n UK 69.2499 n HK 6.5154 n CHINA 7.8849 n singapore 37.5078 n australia 37.4027 n EU 58.8031 n SAUDI arabia 13.5146

See “PHL,” A2

Source: BSP (October 14, 2021)

News BusinessMirror

A2 Friday, October 15, 2021

PHL…

Continued from A1

To get the overall scores, countries are assessed based on eight factors: Constraints on Government Powers, Absence of Corruption, Open Government, Fundamental Rights, Order and Security, Regulatory Enforcement, Civil Justice and Criminal Justice.

Of these eight factors, the Philippines suffered declines in its scores in six categories: Order and Security (0.63 from 0.65), Open Government (0.5 from 0.52), Constraints on Government Powers (0.48 from 0.50), Civil Justice (0.45 from 0.46), Absence of Corruption (0.44 from 0.46), and Fundamental Rights (0.39 from 0.41 ).

On the other hand, the country kept its scores unchanged under Regulatory Enforcement and Criminal Justice categories at 0.48 and 0.31, respectively.

The Index relies on more than 138,000 household surveys and 4,200 legal practitioners and expert surveys to measure how the rule of law is experienced and perceived worldwide.

Bernadette D. Nicolas

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With AL 3, job conditions to improve in NCR–DOLE

By Samuel P. Medenilla

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@sam_medenilla

HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) sees better employment conditions in Metro Manila within the month after the lowering of the Alert Level in the region.

In a television interview on Thursday, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III welcomed the decision of the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to lower the Alert Level in the region from 4 to 3.

“This will revive our economy, it will slightly help improve businesses and once business improves, it will mean better employment opportunities,” Bello said.

Under Alert Level 3, the government will allow the following businesses and

DOF…

quarter of 1988 when the economy grew 12 percent. The Philippine Statistics Authority earlier said the country’s GDP growth averaged 3.7 percent in the first semester, using constant 2018 prices.

Besides sticking to the country’s growth target, Dominguez also believes there is no need to change their fullyear inflation target of 2 to 4 percent as

Continued from A1

The Philippine economy grew by 11.8 percent in the second quarter this year, the highest since the fourth

activities to resume: incentives, conferences and exhibitions [MICE]; social events; tourist attractions; amusement or theme parks; recreational venues; cinemas and movie houses; licensure or entrance exams; in-person religious gatherings; dine-in services; personal care establishments; and fitness studios, gyms, and non-contact exercises and sports.

Establishments, which will offer the activities and businesses indoors, will only be allowed to operate with 30-percent venue capacity and accommodate only the fully vaccinated.

If an establishment offers the said businesses and activities outdoors, it could accommodate both vaccinated and

fully vaccinated individuals with 50-percent venue capacity.

The said venue capacities could be increased by another 10 percent if the concerned establishment obtains a Safety Seal Certification.

Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique R. Tutay said the expanded list of businesses which could operate in NCR is “an encouraging development in the labor market.”

“We expect it will make an impact in the labor market within the month,” Tutay said in a Viber message.

DOLE earlier said establishments must be allowed to operate with 50 percent to 70 percent venue capacity so they will not be operating at a loss.

long as fuel prices stay below $90 per barrel.

In terms of financing, Dominguez said they are still eyeing another offshore bond offering this year. This comes after the government’s maiden issuance of $1.593-billion Retail Onshore Dollar Bonds.

So far this year, the government has already issued dollar bonds, euro bonds and yen-denominated samurai bonds, but has yet to issue renminbi-denominated Panda bonds.

Sought to clarify if they are planning to issue Panda Bonds, Dominguez told reporters: “All options are open as we evaluate the alternatives against longer tenors, lower cost and less exchange rate risk.”

While the country aims to borrow P3.1 trillion this year, the finance chief reiterated that its posting a 60-percent debt-toGDP ratio is “manageable,” as it is poised to bounce back once the mobility restrictions are lifted.

On top of this, Dominguez said foreign remittances from January to July have also increased 6 percent year-on-year to reach over $17 billion.

“So we’re very confident that we will emerge from this pandemic in a very good shape,” he said.

Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and Bicol.

“In Bicol, we are just still at 10-percent vaccination rate,” Salceda noted.

Salceda, also the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, said the differences in Covid-19 situations among region is causing the transport bottlenecks.

“The challenge really is twopronged. One is demand, and the other is inflation. Both can be solved by vaccinations in areas where supply and demand bottlenecks exist, like Bicol. So, you make the situation similar through vaccine equity,” Salceda explained.

“We are at a bit of a cliff here when it comes to inflation. You stimulate demand in NCR without fixing the interregional supply issues through vaccine equity, and you will see high inflation, especially in transport and food. So, while you might see high nominal growth, your real growth is in trouble. You have to do both demand stimulus and vaccine equity. There is no way around it,” Salceda added.

As what was done to solve the economic crises of 1997, 2004, and 2008, the senior lawmaker suggested to economic managers to keep the policy rates progrowth, increase food supply and food mobility so we can efficiently allocate, and vaccinate in the regions, which are aching for new arrivals.

“The simple fact of the matter is that we get our food from the provinces. If they’re still not out of the woods with Covid-19, you are going to have problems, no matter how high the vaccination rate is in NCR,” Salceda explained.

On his inflation projections for 2022, it is still possible to stay at 4 percent or below, but Salceda thinks “that depends on whether we see the usual super typhoon in October and November, and whether fuel costs in the world market continue to increase. Both are outside our control. But vaccine equity and food mobility is within our control.”

Earlier, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its growth forecast for the Philippines this year to below the government’s lower target.

In the latest issue of the World Economic Outlook (WEO), the IMF now forecasts the Philippines to grow by 3.2 percent for 2021—down from the 5.4-percent forecast of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth in July.

Regions must catch up–Salceda

“Manila is on the road to being okay. The regions are still not. We can’t do this without aggressive catchup efforts on the part of the national government, especially on vaccine arrivals,” said Salceda.

“It’s [meeting GDP goals] possible. But I disagree that only reopenings in key regions like NCR will be the necessary step,” he added.

According to Salceda, the government needs more vaccinations in lagging regions like the Bangsamoro Autonomous

House…

Continued from A1

Yap also said P504 million was added to the budget of State Universities and Colleges, particularly for the operational requirement of four State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Adiong Memorial Polytechnic State College in Lanao del Sur, Cotabato State University, Sulu State College, and Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College.

He said these SUCs were unfunded in the original proposed 2022 national budget.

The Department of Information and Communications (DICT) has been given an additional P3 billion for the national broadband program, which sets up a wellestablished network to provide faster, efficient, and equitable broadband connectivity to the country, especially for the geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).

Yap said P5.5 billion was added to Department of National Defense’s 2022 allocation for the downpayment for the acquisition of five Units of C-130 J for the Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) operations of the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

“The FY 2022 national budget is crucial for our full recovery from the pandemic as a nation.

After careful consideration and consultations, we have finalized the amendments for HB 10153. As illustrated, we have appropriated additional budget to the following agencies to further enable them to swiftly, efficiently, and effectively address the needs of the Filipino people,” said Yap. On September 30, 2021, the House concluded the deliberation for House Bill 10153 or the FY 2022 General Appropriations Bill. With a vote of 238-6-0, the measure was passed on third and final reading in the Lower House. The House then designated Yap, Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, Ways and Means Chairman Joey Salceda, Deputy Minority Leader Stella Quimbo, and Albay Representative Edcel Lagman to consolidate the amendments on HB 10153.

“Our commitment remains the same: to provide the enabling mechanisms for a responsive and dynamic governance and to strengthen the capabilities of the government in addressing the effects of the pandemic. Rest assured that the government’s battle strategy on health and nutrition, social protection, governance, and development, are carried out in this budget,” Yap said.

Meanwhile, Yap’s office said the House is still preparing the copies of the GAB, which it will officially transmit to the Senate on October 27.

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Lawmaker proposes ban on election substitution

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

A

LEADER of the House of Representatives has formally filed two bills seeking to ban candidate substitution and declaring an incumbent elective official as automatically resigned upon the filing of his certificate of candidacy (COC) for another position.

In a news statement, Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City said his twin measures, filed last Wednesday, aim to put an end to practices by politicians and political parties that tend to put in doubt the integrity of the country’s elections.

Under House Bill 10380, a political party would be prohibited from substituting any candidate unless the latter dies or is disqualified.

Currently, Rodriguez said the Omnibus Election Code allows the substitution of a candidate in case of death, disqualification or withdrawal of another aspirant.

“While there is nothing wrong with substitution in case of death or disqualification which is justifiable, substitution because of withdrawal, or what others call voluntary substitution, may pose serious questions and may lead to the manipulation and mockery of the election process,” he said.

“Withdrawals could lead the voting public to believe that the candidate who withdrew, or even the political party or substituting candidate, is not really serious,” he said.

He added that the election law empowers the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to disqualify an aspirant who filed his COC to put the election process in mockery or disrepute.

“As such, any person who has no real intention to run and only

filed for candidacy as a ‘placeholder’ [for another aspirant] should be declared as a nuisance candidate,” Rodriguez said.

He added that prohibiting voluntary substitution would also give the Comelec additional time to screen COC filers, prepare the final list of candidates and print the official ballots and related paraphernalia.

Ipso facto

RODRIGUEZ also said House Bill 10381 seeks to restore the old provision in the election law that declared an incumbent as resigned ipso facto (by that very fact or act) upon filing his COC for another position.

According to Rodriguez, the Fair Elections Act of 2001 or the Republic Act 9006 scrapped the resignation declaration.

“It is high time to reinstate the repealed provision on elective officials being deemed resigned once they file their certificates of candidacy, but only if they file for another position different from the ones they are currently holding,” Rodriguez said.

“This would force aspirants to take running for higher office seriously and to stop manipulating and mocking the electoral process.

It would also make more people believe in the integrity of our elections,” he said.

He said the old rule, if restored, would apply to all incumbent elective officials, whether running for higher or lower office.

“It would prevent incumbents from using their office, public funds and property, and influence to promote their candidacy. It would also put aspirants, whether bureaucrats who are forced to resign under the present law, and incumbent elective officials on a level playing field,” he added.

‘Why charge the poor in govt hospitals?’ continued from a10 Duque admitted being “dumbfounded” by the P448-billion figure, and promised to look into it.

“We’ll look into this, and have it reviewed right away,” he added.

Philippine Heart Center Executive Director Joel Abanilla said the amounts are “shockingly and ridiculously high.”

Off-Budget Accounts under the BESF reflect Retained Income/ Receipts for the DOH from all its ‘retained hospitals’ with the following sources/nature of revenues: hospital fees, drugs and medicines, rent/lease income, seminar/training fees, certification fees, income from hostels/dormitories and other like facilities, income from printing and publication, and other business income. The class/nature of its expenditures only indicated “Augmentation of MOOE and CO.” Duque later cited a clarification from his office indicating the offbudget account for 2021 amounted to P21.3 billion—and not P448 billion. He explained that the Eastern Visayas Medical Center submitted inaccurate figures that should have

read P448 million and not P448 billion. He said the DOH will coordinate with the Department of Budget and Management to have this corrected.

Nonetheless, Duque assured senators the DOH will review the hospital incomes due to the huge amounts involved.

According to Lacson, off-budget accounts amounted to P4.789 billion in 2016, P9.092 billion in 2017, P6.156 billion in 2018, P7.667 billion in 2019, and P8.035 billion in 2020.

“We are among the few countries without zero billing in government hospitals. In countries like Cuba, citizens need not pay for hospitalization if they are confined,” Lacson noted.

“It doesn’t make sense that the DOH does not spend its off-budget accounts, yet is still punishing our patients by billing them, especially during the time of Covid when so many have lost their livelihood. They have to run to senators, congressmen, mayors and governors for help.

It’s rather cruel for government hospitals to be charging patients when so much is left in their off-budget accounts,” he added. Butch Fernandez

Coalition: Pharmally ‘facts’ merit full probe continued from a10 The paper trail indicates inordiPPEs [Personal Protective Equipnate rush in processing the Pharmalment] worth P4.33 billion [or 39.87 ly deals, noted the coalition. “Within percent of the total amount Phara few days or weeks, the supply conmally got] and three types of test tracts awarded to Pharmally were kits at worth P5.95 billion [54.82 signed and sealed by the contracting percent combined].” officials, clear evidence that these The next big purchases from Pharwere rushed or negotiated on fastmally were surgical masks, MGIEasy track mode. Most of the 15 supply kits, face shields, and surgical gowns contracts that Pharmally got came altogether worth P574.8 million, or one after the other, their NOAs and 5.3 percent of the total contracts POs issued just a day or two apart.”

Pharmally secured.

The P10.85-billion contracts that Copies of the NOAs and POs show government awarded to Pharmally the contracts with Pharmally were covered the purchase of over 17.53 mostly signed by then acting execumillion units of pandemic supplies, tive director (DBM undersecretary said the coalition’s report. “By value Lloyd Christopher Lao) and the acand volume, the biggest purchases countant of PS-DBM, and represenincluded the 2.52 million units of tatives of Pharmally.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Friday, October 15, 2021 A3

Philippines, US seek to return to full military drills in 2022 T

HE US and the Philippines are planning to return to full-scale military drills in 2022 after two years and will invite Australia and the UK as observers, in another sign of the Biden administration’s push to deepen ties in the Indo-Pacific and counter China’s assertiveness.

America wants “to increase the complexity and scope” of its military exercises with the Philippines, and plans to invite new partners to join the drills, Admiral John Aquilino, the US Indo-Pacific Command chief, said at a briefing in Manila.

The UK, Australia and Japan are among the “like-minded” countries that could rejoin the drills as observers, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Jose Faustino said at the same briefing.

The ramp-up in military engagement comes after the US, UK and Australia unveiled a security partnership last month that allows Canberra to acquire nuclear-powered submarine technology.

While some nations in Southeast Asia were concerned that the pact would drive a regional arms race, the Philippines was broadly supportive of the move but said that Manila wanted good defense relations with all countries in the Indo-Pacific.

Earlier in his term, President Duterte wanted to end military exercises with the US, as he sought to build ties with China. The drills were canceled in 2020 and scaled down this year due to the pandemic.

In recent months, however, the Philippines has been moving back towards its long-time alliance with the US, amid tensions with Beijing over the South China Sea. Aquilino also repeated America’s commitment that it will stand with the Philippines against threats. The US has also allocated $12.5 million to implement a deal that allows American projects in Philippine military bases, he said.

Meanwhile, four ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

The UAS, worth P20 million, were transferred to PAF on Wednesday at

DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana pours champagne over one of the four ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Systems turned over to the Philippine Air Force from US at Clark Freeport in Pampanga.

Clark Air Base in Pampanga during a ceremony joined and witnessed by Filipino and American officials.

US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Heather Variava joined US Admiral John Aquilino and representatives from the Joint US Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG) during the ceremony with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and PAF chief Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes.

The embassy said the platforms would provide additional capabilities in unmanned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and in support of counterterrorism and humanitarian assistance and disaster response efforts.

It will also support the AFP’s domain awareness and border security capabilities.

“We remain committed to our promises on helping modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and we hope this will further strengthen our combined capabilities in working

together towards a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Variava said.

The embassy said that since 2015, the US has already delivered more that P50.6 billion worth of ships, planes, armored vehicles, small arms and other equipment to the Philippine military.

“With additional four long-endurance, low-altitude ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, our aerial reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities will be enhanced. With five more Black Hawks, the Philippine Air Force can now better provide prompt and sustained day and night tactical heli-lift and combat and non-combat search and rescue operations,” Lorenzana said.

While at Clark, Lorenzana also lead the acceptance and blessing of five Blackhawk helicopters and the decommissioning of 10 UH-1D helicopters.

Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Maynard Mariano said the UH-1Ds have

already “served” their purpose.

The unit is also already equipped with newer assets like the Bell 412 and Blackhawk helicopters, aside from planning to acquire medium and heavy lift helicopters.

Meanwhile, the military said it learned that a helicopter being flown by the Australian military crashed in Luzon although its three crewmen survived.

“The AFP was informed of the unfortunate crash involving an Australian MH60R Seahawk Helicopter Wednesday night while transiting East of Luzon. The aircraft is operating from HMAS Brisbane, which was reportedly on regional presence deployment with HMAS Warramunga,” said military spokesman Col. Ramon Zagala.

“The AFP is still coordinating with its Australian counterparts on the matter and has expressed readiness to provide assistance,” Zagala added.

Bloomberg News and Rene Acosta

Lenie at Rotary: No deal on SCS if...

But that being said, for China we will collaborate with them for the areas that we will have no conflict such as trade and investment much like Vietnam has been doing; but when it comes to the West Philippine Sea we cannot deal with them without their recognition of the arbitral ruling,” Robredo said.

Any agreement for joint exploration of the WPS, according to Robredo, would depend on China’s willingness to accept the arbitral ruling.

Robredo also said the country’s good relations with long-time ally, the United States, should be strengthened for the welfare of the Filipinos working and living there.

“We also need to strengthen our diplomatic relations with our other allies, the Asean [Association of South East Asian Nation] countries, the European Union, Great Britain, Australia and in countries where there a large concentration of OFWs [overseas Filipino workers],” Robredo said.

“We will do all we can to cement bilateral agreements with them to ensure the protection of Filipinos and ensure satisfactory labor conditions for them. We will be open to working with everyone so long as it is to the best interest of the Filipino people,” she stressed.

On the issue of food security, Robredo said agriculture will be one of the top priorities of her administration if she wins the election next year.

“Our goal now is to make sure

that this health crisis does not turn into a food crisis so we need to invest heavily in the agriculture sector, particularly on the technology and farm to market infrastructure,” Robredo said.

She said she would strengthen government support and subsidies to farmers in order to bring down the prices of basic commodities, particularly rice.

The Vice President stressed the need to institutionalize regular consultation and stakeholder representation and participation in planning, implementation and monitoring of programs intended to uplift the lives of farmers.

“According to the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act, there should be consultation with stakeholders but when you talk to them they would always say it has never happened,” Robredo noted.

“I will also help to empower and capacitate our farmers and fisherfolks. We can do this by building all the necessary infrastructure, farm to market roads, installing shared service facilities, they also must be given access to technology so they can modernize, skill up and speed up their operations,” she added.

When asked what she would do during the first six months of her presidency to provide jobs for the millions of Filipinos who lost their jobs during the pandemic, Robredo said what she could promise is that her administration would inspire

confidence for the business sector.

It is also important to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus in order for businesses to be able to fully open anew, she stressed.

“It is very difficult to overpromise but one thing that will bring jobs back is to make sure that the pandemic is under control,” Robredo said.

On the other hand, to address the graft and corruption problem in the government, Robredo said it is important to promote accountability, transparency and people empowerment.

She said there should be systems in place to ensure that officials are accountable.

Robredo said the concept of direct people’s participation in governance has been very successful in her hometown in Naga City.

“A people’s council was formed… a platform where they can directly participate in planning, evaluating projects, budgets are not passed before they are presented to the people’s council,” she explained.

Robredo also likened the current state of government to the situation in 1986, when the Marcoses fled the country during the Edsa People Power 1.

“As I have said, this is a very different time in the history of our country in a sense it’s like 1986, that there are a lot of institutions to be fixed. The last five and a half years we have seen the weakening of institutions, so a lot

continued from a10

of focus will be on governance, a lot of focus will be on fixing the kind of politics that we have,” she stressed.

Asked how she would be different from other past presidents, particularly the country’s two former women presidents, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the late Corazon Aquino, Robredo said being a decisive leader has nothing to do with gender.

“For an efficient government is a government that gets the job done and that’s exactly what we have shown at the OVP and what we are set to do,” Robredo said.

She noted that several women leaders—New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen and Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel—managed to show strong leadership amid the obstacles brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“All of them are being recognized for the speed and effectiveness of their leadership in the time of Covid. They are rising to the occasion, finding ways around obstacles, quickly adapting to the crisis, finding ways to implement policies and communicate vital information about the virus,” Robredo pointed out.

Her being collaborative also bears pointing out, “because it’s easy to equate being a strong and decisive leader with brashness and aggression, with a loud and domineering style of leadership, but for me that kind of leadership more often than not disempowers and frightens others into silence,” she added.

A4 Friday, October 15, 2021 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Economy BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Resumption of work for 300K with easing of NCR curbs–DTI

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

T

HE easing of the mobility restriction in the National Capital Region

(NCR) to Alert Level (AL) 3 would result in the resumption of work of at least 300,000 Filipinos, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said Thursday.

“With most of the remaining economic

sectors, particularly the service sectors to be reopened in [Metro Manila], and at higher operating capacities because also of the deescalation to Alert Level 3, we expect most of the balance [of] 300T [300,000] displaced

workers to be back to work,” Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez told reporters on Thursday.

Despite the anticipated increase in people at work, Lopez, however, said the total number of workers has not yet returned to its prepandemic level.

“Not yet pre-pandemic. More of similar to a GCQ [general community quarantine] of before. [Because] it’s not yet 100 percent of pre-pandemic. But a lot better than an ECQ [enhanced community quarantine] situation,” he said.

Lopez noted that the government needs a new survey to determine the rate of closed establishments given the additional establishments and activities now allowed in NCR. “But the best case under GCQ before was about 4 percent closed,” he added.

Lopez added that the number of workers in the remaining prohibited sectors/activities in the NCR is “minimal” or about less than 100,000.

“Remaining closed sectors would be the places with live entertainment/karaoke bars, kids amusement centers, playgrounds,” he said.

The government will place the NCR under Alert level 3, a notch lower than its previous classification, starting October 16 until October 31.

With the new classification, more businesses in NCR may resume operations, while others may expand their capacities.

Based on the new guidelines released by Malacañang, businesses and activities allowed in NCR can now have an indoor capacity of up to 30 percent for fully vaccinated individuals and a maximum of 50 percent for outdoor venue capacity.

Businesses and activities allowed in the NCR include religious gatherings, dine-in services, personal care establishments, fitness studios, gyms, film, music and TV production.

DA chief declares Abuyog town in Leyte as ‘ASF free’

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GRICULTURE Secretary William D. Dar has declared Abuyog, Leyte, as free from the African swine fever (ASF) after more than 200 days of eradicating the dreaded pig disease.

In a news statement, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Dar made the declaration on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, at the Abuyog Community College, about 211 days since the detection of the first ASF case in Barangay Canaporong, Abuyog, Leyte.

The DA said Abuyog has transitioned from a red zone to pink zone following the successful implementation of the Bantay sa Barangay (BaBay) ASF program, installation of Barangay Biosecurity Officers, and massive disinfection.

The DA said the town recorded a total of 92 hogs affected by ASF across 41 barangays in the first quarter. The last reported ASF case was on March 15, according to the DA. The DA said Dar lauded the efforts made by local government units (LGUs) in the whole province of Leyte in eradicating the ASF. “I believe that you have the biggest responsibility in our initiative to fight ASF. We at DA will always be here to support you,” he said.

For his part, Abuyog Mayor Lemuel Gin Traya thanked DA for its prompt assistance to the town.

“When the first ASF case was detected, key officials from DA regional office stayed in our town for a week to assist us in our fight against the animal disease. I am very grateful to DA,” he said.

The DA said the affected hog raisers were indemnified with a total amount of P16.92 million, with each farmer receiving financial assistance for a maximum of 20 heads of swine.

The DA urged local hog raisers to enroll in the indemnification program of the Philippine Crops Insurance Corp. (PCIC).

At a recent news briefing, DA said, as of October 7, 2021, the total number of barangays nationwide with active cases of ASF is currently at 71 across 31 cities and municipalities.

The DA noted that Ilocos Sur province accounted for the bulk of the active ASF cases at 43 followed by Ilocos Norte at 10.

Nonetheless, the DA said about 494 cities and municipalities in the country have not reported any ASF inspections in the past 90 days. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

Revival of fuel subsidy program for PUJ drivers, operators pushed

By Butch Fernandez

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@butchfBM

EN. Sherwin T. Gatchalian pressed the Duterte administration on Thursday to revive the government’s fuel subsidy under the Pantawid Pasada program in the wake of the latest rounds of oil price increases to “provide relief” to the public transport sector and cushion the impact of high fuel prices on commuters and consumers.

“Our appeal to the government is to protect both drivers and passengers,” the senator said, suggesting that this is where the program comes in with government absorbing the impact of adjustments on gasoline and diesel prices.

As chairman of the Senate’s energy committee, Gatchalian is banking on the Department of Energy (DOE) to closely monitor

compliance of oil companies on their inventory requirements to “ensure adequate supply and help mitigate further price increases in the coming months.”

Noting the latest global oil supply and price movements, the senator promptly raised an alert as the country’s oil companies jacked up pump prices for the seventh consecutive week, going up to as much as P1.50 per liter for diesel, P1.45 per liter for kerosene and P1.30 per liter for gasoline imposed by Chevron Philippines Inc., PTT Philippines, Seaoil Philippines, PetroGazz, Unioil Petroleum Philippines, and Cleanfuel effective last Tuesday, October 12, 2021.

The senator estimated a potential average increase of P1,422.50 in the monthly expense of jeepneys for gasoline and a potential average increase of P598.36 for diesel.

In order to cover for the three-month subsidy of at least 178,244 valid franchise holders of public utility jeepneys(PUJ)nationwide, the lawmaker estimates the Duterte administration will have to set aside at least P914,160,894 million.

Fo r i n s t a n c e , Gatchalian noted that the price of gasoline increased to P58.85 per liter this month compared to P51.25 in October last year, while diesel prices jacked up to P47.90 per liter this month compared to last year’s P35.46 per liter of diesel fuel.

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Staycations, socials, MICE now allowed under AL 3

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

H

OTELIERS and events organizers welcomed the lifting of restrictions as government decided to put the National Capital Region (NCR) under Alert Level (AL) 3 status starting October 16.

Under AL 3, staycations in NCR hotels are now allowed for vaccinated guests, as well as limited social gatherings and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) events.

In a news statement, Philippine Hotel Owners Association Executive Director Benito C. Bengzon Jr. said, “We are optimistic that the relaxed alert level in the NCR will result in greater demand among hotel guests and boost the es-

tablishment revenues in the last quarter of 2021.”

He added: “������������������� �������������������� PHOA hopes the government will continue implementing measures that will balance the health and economy in the country.

This will pave the way for a sustained economic recovery, not only in the hotel industry, but also in other business sectors.”

For his part, Joel Pascual, president of the Philippine Association of Convention/Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers Inc. (Paceos) told the BusinessMirror, “We have always to just reopen and prove that as event professionals, we can do MICE safely.”

He added, “This development allows us to finally move forward in our quest to rebuilding confidence in the industry and furthers our hope that a strong rebound is

just around the corner.”

Independent estimates by MICE organizers and event operators indicated revenue losses of at least 70 percent since 2019. Unlike other tourism sectors, MICE events and venue operators had not been able to operate since the start of March 2020, when government put the entire country under its first lockdown.

‘Unvaxxed staycation guests need Covid test’ IN a news statement, Tourism Secretar y Bernadette Romulo Puyat said, “The resumption of tourism-related activities in select areas will not only aid hotels and establishments in gradually earning revenue, but will also translate into the restoration of jobs for our displaced tourism workers, especially now that the holiday season

is fast approaching.”

Under new guidelines on the AL system of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), hotels certified by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to offer staycations and have been issued a Safety Seal by the government, are now allowed to book staycation guests of up to 100 percent of their capacity.

While staycations are allowed for vaccinated guests, other members of their household who may be unvaccinated will have to present a negative RT-PCR test result taken 48 hours before checking in the hotel. The DOT has certified 30 staycation hotels in Metro Manila, the list of which may be found at the agency’s web site and social-media pages.

“������������������������������� This is also very timely, knowing that the holiday season is fast approaching. Family gatherings are part of the Filipino culture, which makes this an important period for leisure travels and bookings,” underscored the DOT chief.

Additional dining capacities

THE IATF likewise allowed MICE venues; permitted venues for social events such as parties, wedding receptions, family reunions, etc.; tourist attractions such as museums, galleries, parks, plazas, and the like; as well as amusement parks or theme parks, “to operate or be undertaken at a maximum of 30-percent������������������� indoor venue capacity for fully vaccinated individuals only, and 50 percent outdoor venue capacity.”

However, the IATF required work-

ers in these venues to be “fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and MPHS [minimum public health and safety protocols] shall be strictly maintained.” But the local government, where these establishments are located, has a say on whether to allow these activities to take place.

Earlier, the IATF also allowed the operation of restaurants at limited capacities for indoor and outdoor dining. Starting October 16, these may now operate with an additional 20-percentage points capacity, and another 10-percentage points if they have been granted a Safety Seal by government. As such, restaurants are now allowed to serve guests up to 50 percent of their indoor dining capacity if they have a Safety Seal, and 60 percent of seating capacity if they have a Safety Seal, for al fresco dining.

‘Maring’ farm damage reaches ₧979.97M, affects 35K farmers

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

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VER 35,000 farmers in eight regions have lost nearly P1 billion in income due to the recent onslaught of Typhoon “Maring,” based on the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) latest assessment on Thursday.

DA reported that agricultural damage and losses in Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and Central Visayas has reached P979.97 million. The DA added that Maring affected 52,132 hectares of agricultural land with a production loss of 59,514 metric tons (MT).

“Affected commodities include rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock, and fisheries. These values are subject to validation,” DA said.

The DA said bulk or about 79.72 percent of the total agricultural losses were recorded in the rice industry. The DA added that rice farmers lost 45,491 MT of produce worth P781.3 million planted in 43,912 hectares of land.

Corn farmers, according to the DA, lost P121.4 million as Maring damaged 7,870 MT of produce planted in 6,750 hectares of farms.

The DA added that the high-value crops (HVC) sector has recorded P59.3 million worth of damage and losses after Maring affected 1,470 hectares of farms with an estimated volume loss of 6,153 MT. Furthermore, about 2,648 heads of livestock and poultry (chicken, cattle, carabao, horse, goat, duck and sheep) were affected by Maring with an estimated damage of P6.2 million, according to the DA. The DA added that the fisheries industry incurred P11.8 million worth of damage and losses after Maring affected ponds and fishing boats.

The DA has allotted a quick response fund (QRF) amounting to P172 million for the rehabilitation of affected areas, while a total of 168,998 bags of rice seeds, 16,601 bags of corn seeds, and 1,480 kilograms of assorted vegetables will be distributed to the affected farmers.

DA said farmers might also avail of a zerointerest, no collateral and payable in 10 years loan from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) of up to P20,000. The ACPC has

a budget of P500 million for the emergency loan assistance program.

Death toll climbs to 30; 14 missing

THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that Maring’s death toll has reached 30, while 14 others are still missing. Three were also injured.

At least P1.90 billion worth of crops, fishery and livestock have also been damaged aside from the initial worth of P66.4 million in infrastructure.

While flooding has already subsided in most parts of Northern Luzon, several areas in Region 1, especially in the provinces of Ilocos Sur and La Union are still under water.

At least 46 roads and 14 bridges in Regions 1, 2, 4B and in Cordillera Administrative Region have remained impassable.

The NDRRMC said Maring directly affected 50,040 families or 194,677 individuals in 673 barangays in the country.

Proactive measures

LABOR leader and presidential aspirant Leody de Guzman urged the government to implement proactive measures to temper the expected hike in food prices following the damage caused by Maring to Northern Luzon farms.

“Let us be proactive in preventing the increase in food and vegetable prices that usually happens after typhoons hit Northern Luzon. Monitor traders that buy cheap from calamity-stricken farmers and sell high to urban areas due to low supply. Nutrition is of the utmost concern during a pandemic,” said de Guzman of the Partido Lakas ng Masa and the Laban ng Masa Coalition in a news statement issued on Thursday.

De Guzman pointed out that most agricultural products in Metro Manila, such as rice, garlic, and selected vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, and lettuce are sourced from the typhoon-hit areas.

De Guzman noted that an increase in food prices will worsen the poverty of farmers and ordinary consumers as they fall “victims to unjust profiteering by unscrupulous traders.”

“A recent study by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas noted the critical role of the agriculture sector in North Luzon to our economic recovery from the pandemic.

Government should take the lead in ad-

Lawmaker Mercado assumes DPWH post in acting capacity

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HE newly appointed acting chief of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has formally assumed the agency’s leadership.

Former Secretary Mark A. Villar handed over the stewardship of DPWH to Acting Secretary Roger G. Mercado during a turnover ceremony on Thursday, October 14, 2021, at the DPWH Central Office, Bonifacio Drive in Port Area Manila.

Appointed by President Duterte on October 12, 2021, replacing Villar who stepped down to run in the 2022 elections, Mercado, prior to his new post, was the 18th House Public Works and Highways Committee vice chairman.

The 44th secretary of the DPWH is a lawyer by profession who hails from Maasin City, Southern Leyte and is known for his Tourism, Environmental Protection, and Agriculture (TEA) Programs in his province as then Southern Leyte lone district representative.

“It is an honor to work with the professional men and women of DPWH and to be able to continue oversee the completion of department’s flagship infrastructure programs and projects,” said Mercado.

“I vow to sustain the current momentum in the department so we can deliver more high-impact projects that will benefit the Filipino people, including those living in remote communities,” Mercado said.

dressing the plight of the badly-affected farmers,” he said.

“It could mobilize the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation [PCIC] to replace damaged agricultural assets and produce.

Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines should provide calamity loans at zero interest.

Farmers cooperatives should be enticed to venture into distribution not just in food production,” he added.

P2.7-M govt aid

THE government has already released P2.7 million worth of assistance to families affected by Maring according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Of the said amount, Social Welfare Assistant Secretary Glenda Relova said P1.8 million came from DSWD funds, while P934,000 came from the local government.

The funds were spent help typhoon-victims in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley Region and the CAR. As of Wednesday, Relova said DSWD still has P1.05 billion remaining funds, which can be tapped to help additional typhoon victims.

Citing data from the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center, she said there were 45,000 families or 175,501 individuals, who were affected by the strong rains and heavy flood caused

by Maring.

For its part, DA allocated P172 million of

its Quick Response Fund (QRF) to assist in the rehabilitation of the typhoon hit farmlands in Regions 1, 2 and CAR. It will also distribute 168,998 bags of certified rice seeds; 16,601 bags of certified corn seeds; and 1,489 kilograms of assorted vegetable seeds to the affected farmers.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it will be extend emergency employment to informal sector workers, who were displaced through its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.

Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said the government still has P2 billion remaining funds for TUPAD this year.

With Samuel P. Medenilla, Rene Acosta

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TheWorld

Editor: Angel R. Calso • www.businessmirror.com.ph

Friday, October 15, 2021

Japan PM dissolves lower house for October 31 national election

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OKYO—Japan’s new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida dissolved the lower house of parliament Thursday, paving the way for elections

on October 31 that will be Japan’s first of the pandemic.

At stake will be how Japan faces a potential coronavirus resurgence and

revives its battered economy, and if or how Kishida’s government can leave the shadow of the nearly nine years of Abe-Suga rule some describe as dominating to the point of muzzling diverse views.

Kishida said he is seeking a mandate for his policies after being elected prime minister by parliament only 10 days ago.

He replaced Yoshihide Suga, who lasted just a year as prime minister and whose support was battered by his perceived high-handed approach in dealing with the coronavirus and insistence on holding the Tokyo Olympics despite rising virus cases.

Kishida, tasked with rallying support for the ruling party, has promised to pursue politics of “trust and empathy.”

Four main opposition parties have agreed to cooperate on some policies, such as addressing gaps between the rich and the poor that they say widened during Shinzo Abe’s government and were worsened by the pandemic.

After Tadamori Oshima, the speaker of the house, announced the dissolution, the 465 lawmakers in the more powerful lower chamber stood up, shouted “banzai” three times and left. Official campaigning for all 465 newly vacant seats begins Tuesday.

The last lower house election was held in 2017 under Abe, a staunch conservative who pulled the long-ruling conservative Liberal Democratic Party further to the right while serving as Japan’s longest-serving prime minister.

In that vote, the LDP and its coalition partner New Komeito together won 310 seats, or two-thirds of the chamber.

Opposition parties have struggled to win enough votes to form a new government after the brief rule of the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan in 2009-2012. But with weaker LDP support under Suga, the party lost three parliamentar y byelections and a local vote this year to opposition contenders.

Yukio Edano, head of the largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, told NHK public television that he hopes to make the election “a first step toward changing the politics.”

In his first policy speech last week, Kishida promised to strengthen the country’s pandemic response, revive the economy and bolster defenses against threats from China and North Korea. He also sought to gradually expand social and economic activities by using vaccination certificates and more testing.

Yuichiro Tamaki, head of the Democratic Party for the People, said Kishida was selfish for dissolving the lower house so early in his tenure. “It is unclear on what policies he is seeking a mandate from the voters,” Tamaki said.

He said his party will propose economic policy that seeks higher pay for workers.

“We want to create a political situation where ruling and opposition blocs are in close competition,” Tamaki said. AP

Fire leaves 25 dead, dozens injured in southern Taiwan

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AIPEI, Taiwan—A fire in southern Taiwan that engulfed a building overnight has killed 25 people, according to local officials Thursday who said they expected the death toll to rise further.

The 13-story building caught fire around 3 a.m.

Thursday, fire officials in the city of Kaohsiung said. A fire department statement said the blaze was “extremely fierce” and destroyed many floors.

At least 11 bodies were sent straight to the morgue, Fire Chief Li Ching-hsiu told reporters at the scene. Another 14 people who showed no signs of life were among 55 taken to the hospital. In Taiwan, official confirmation of a death can only be made in the hospital.

Li said the death toll could surpass 40, as firefighters conducted search and rescue efforts into the afternoon.

Video shown on Taiwanese television showed orange flames and smoke billowing out of the lower floors of the building as firefighters sprayed water at it from the street. After daybreak, they could be seen spraying water into the middle floors of the still smoldering building from elevated platforms.

The cause of the fire was unclear, but firefighters noted the flames burned most intensely where a lot of clutter had been piled up, the fire department statement said.

Eyewitnesses told Taiwan media that they heard an explosion around 3 a.m.

The building is about 40 years old with shops on the lower levels and apartments above. The lower floors were completely blackened. AP

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Friday, October 15, 2021

A7

Once Covid-free, New Zealand prepares for 5,000 cases a week

O

nce the envy of the world for its handling of the pandemic, New Zealand is now preparing its health system for an inf lux of Covid-19 patients as it pivots away from its elimination strategy.

Hea lt h Ministr y model ing forecasts more than 5,000 cases per week in the Auckland and Northland regions next year,

even assuming 90 percent of the eligible population is vaccinated, Health Minister Andrew Little said on Thursday. The figure does not include the rest of the country, where modeling is still being conducted. “ That’s the worst-case scenario, but even at that level the vast bulk of people who would get infected would recover at

home, or somewhere else in the community, because the majority will be vaccinated and won’t suffer as badly as those who are unvaccinated,” Litt le sa id in an inter view with R adio New Zealand.

New Zealand’s health system has not yet been tested by surging Covid cases, but ministers now concede a lockdown in largest city

Auckland won’t beat the infectious Delta strain and are preparing to ease restrictions as vaccination rates rise. Daily new case numbers are worsening, with 71 infections reported Thursday, the most since early September.

For most of 2020 and much of this year, while many countries hunkered down as the virus tore through populations,

New Zealanders were able to enjoy life largely unencumbered by restrictions after community transmission was successfully eliminated. Concerts were held, rugby games continued, bars and restaurants were open, children attended school and apart from the border being closed, life was seemingly normal.

But the Delta variant put a

stop to all that. In August, a single positive case resulted in the entire country being put into the strictest level of lockdown. More than eight weeks later, Auckland is still locked down, but Delta continues to circulate. The virus has recently seeped out into the neighboring regions Northland and Waikato, resulting in further lockdowns. Bloomberg News

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Friday, October 15, 2021 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

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editorial

Millions of trees make a difference

S

evere Tropical Storm Maring, the latest weather disturbance that hit the country, destroyed about P692 million worth of agricultural products, according to the Department of Agriculture. Over 32,000 farmers from the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, and Western Visayas reported production losses, which reached 43,984 metric tons from 36,537 hectares of agricultural farms. Destroyed commodities include rice, corn, high value crops, livestock and fish.

Maring was not classified as a typhoon, but it brought unusually heavy rains, causing flash floods and landslides in northern Luzon and Palawan, leaving at least 13 people dead and 22 missing. Social-media posts described how residents of Cagayan, La Union, Ilocos Norte, Benguet, and nearby provinces spent a sleepless night on Monday as Severe Tropical Storm Maring battered Northern Luzon.

The adverse effects of climate change were observed in Baguio City when Maring dumped 625.5 millimeters of rain, more than a month’s worth, in a 24-hour period ending on Tuesday morning, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. It was more than the average rainfall of 454.3 mm that Baguio’s rainfall monitoring station gets for the whole month of October, based on Pagasa’s climate records over a 30-year period.

From npr.org: “Global warming is driving dangerous and disruptive flooding in underground rail systems around the world. Flooded tunnels and stations have disrupted service and stranded passengers in Boston, London, San Francisco, Taipei, Bangkok, Washington, D.C., and a host of other cities in recent years. But the problem has taken on added urgency this summer, with multiple, high-profile subway floods driven by summer rainstorms. Overnight, the remnants of Hurricane Ida flooded much of the New York City subway. Mayor Bill de Blasio issued a travel ban and warned residents to “stay off subways” as up to 10 inches of rain fell in some parts of the region in a matter of hours.”

Germany-based FloodList, a private group that monitors flood events from around the world, recorded 124 flood events across 385 locations in more than 20 countries in July. In an article the group published in August—Flood Risk Will Rise as Climate Heat Intensifies—FloodList said: “In a world of climate change, the flood risk will be more intense and more frequent, presenting higher danger to ever more people in a greater number of countries. In this century alone, the global population has increased by 18 percent. But the number of people exposed to damage and death by rising waters has increased by more than 34 percent.”

Developing countries, including the Philippines, were promised $100 billion a year in climate finance by rich countries more than a decade ago. However, data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development showed that climate finance reached only $80 billion in 2019. The COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference, hosted by the UK in partnership with Italy, which will take place from October 31 to November 12, 2021 in Glasgow, UK is the ideal forum where developing countries could remind the rich nations to fulfill their longstanding pledge to help poor countries cope with the effects of climate change.

Given our limited capacity to cope with climate extremes like severe flooding, we need the climate funding to help us address the adverse effects of climate change. As we wait for help to come, however, we should continue planting more trees that catch rainfall and help take water from the soil. But we need millions of them to make a real difference.

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Where the budgeting process has always been a balancing act among competing interests and goals, it’s only appropriate that in 2022, utmost priority is given to the pandemic response. After all, our very existence is under threat, and we should focus on facing this threat before pursuing any other goals we may have as a society.

Citing several interviews with experts and academics, the article argues that people should brace themselves for more of what they’ve already been through since the pandemic started—fresh outbreaks and surges of Covid-19 cases in classrooms, public transport and workplaces over the coming months. This is largely because billions of people around the world have yet to be vaccinated, and the virus will somehow find a way to reach these unvaccinated populations. One expert was even quoted as saying, “This is a coronavirus forest fire that will not stop until it finds all the human wood that it can burn.”

The article then says that when compared to the five well-documented, large-scale influenza outbreaks in the past 130 years, the current one is emerging to be among the most severe. Most global flu outbreaks ran from two to three years on average with two to four waves of infection,

inoculate their populations much faster than others, the pandemic will end at different times in different places as argued by one of the experts interviewed in the article. That also means the approach to “living with the virus” and adapting to the “new normal” will vary, with some countries holding firm on their goal of zero Covid-19 cases, and with others figuring out an infection threshold they’re comfortable with. As one of the experts emphasized, the end process is not going to be uniform, especially because the pandemic is not just a biological phenomenon, but “also a political and social” one.

What does this all mean for us in the Philippines? An obvious point is the importance of vaccination. Extra steps should be taken to ensure that the national Covid-19 inoculation drive is successful and finished in the shortest time possible.

But given that the vaccine rollout continues to be hounded by supply issues, all the more should extra re-

Sonny M. Angara

Better Days September 2021 Bloomberg article on what the next six months of the Covid-19 pandemic will bring provides a very sobering reminder that is especially critical now as the Philippines takes steps to gradually reopen the economy and relax the tight restrictions of the community quarantines. whereas the ongoing pandemic is running on its second year and in the middle of its third wave, with no clear end in sight. Its death toll of 4.6 million people is already more than double that of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.

Furthermore, there is the notion that Covid-19 will almost surely mutate (and potentially become more dangerous), with the gargantuan number of infections all over the world overriding the virus’ natural ability to “proof-read” or replicate itself more consistently when it is transmitted from person to person. This is among the main reasons there is a growing scientific consensus that the virus is becoming endemic such that regular vaccine boosters will be needed just as it is with the flu.

What’s clear is that vaccination remains a critical element to the pandemic’s end. But given that some countries have been able to

Securing the digital economy

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The pandemic response should be the highest priority

EAGLE WATCH

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oday’s so-called digital economy is fostered by the “newnormal” way of doing things, such as retail sales, meetings, events, education, entertainment, payments, and more. As the UNCTAD notes, amid slowing economic activity, Covid-19 has led to a surge in e-commerce and accelerated digital transformation.

Businesses and consumers have increasingly gone digital to provide and purchase more goods and services online. Such behavioral changes have raised the share of e-commerce in global retail trade from about 14 percent in 2019 to about 17 percent in 2020.

Not surprisingly, cybersecurity risks have been on the rise as well, with current defenses being challenged and weaknesses being exposed through the proliferation of work-from-home arrangements, as noted in a Forbes article. Cybercrime (also called computer crime), as defined by Britannica, is the use of a computer as an instrument to further illegal ends, such as committing

fraud, trafficking in child pornography and intellectual property, stealing identities, or violating privacy.

Cybercrime, especially through the Internet, has grown in importance, as the computer has become central to commerce, entertainment, and government.

For instance, as recently reported in the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong has experienced a boom in in-

The BSP strongly advises banks to ensure that consumer assistance helpdesks are always made available. There must also be increased surveillance on online banking systems and activities during holidays or long weekends. Accounts reported by clients as fraudulent or suspicious should be immediately blocked. Procedures to resolve disputes should have a quick turnaround time. vestment scams, with cases more than tripling and losses increasing 20-fold. Police investigators say there were 725 cases of investment scams in the first seven months of this year—accounting for some HK$2.5 billion in losses. This year also marks the first time that fraudsters have stolen non-fungible tokens.

Another recent example comes from Japan, where, as reported by Mainichi, a spate of fraud cases has been perpetrated by scammers using online dating applications to defraud people after convincing them to invest in virtual currencies that

sources and manpower be devoted to beefing up our health response.

This is a point that I’ve raised multiple times throughout the hearings in the Senate we’ve chaired so far on the 2022 budget.

Where the budgeting process has always been a balancing act among competing interests and goals, it’s only appropriate that in 2022, utmost priority is given to the pandemic response. After all, our very existence is under threat, and we should focus on facing this threat before pursuing any other goals we may have as a society.

This simply means that while funds are tight, items such as the hiring of contact tracers, the special risk allowances (SRA) for our health workers, an expansion of testing regimes, as well as the purchase of booster shots and extra doses for minors should take precedence over others. Hopefully, we in the Senate Committee on Finance will be able to come up with a version of the General Appropriations Act that will reflect this.

Of course, this isn’t to say that the steps that have already been initiated to restart and reopen the economy should be rolled back; only that the gradual relaxation of restrictions should coincide with even stronger support for our already embattled health system.

Sen. Sonny Angara has been in public service for 17 years. He has authored and sponsored more than 200 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.

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

are difficult to trace. It is believed that such cases have emerged amid an increase in online dating, as the spread of coronavirus infections has resulted in fewer face-to-face encounters.

Now, how is the Philippines doing in terms of cybersecurity? It is worth highlighting that the Philippines ranks 36th out of 160 countries featured in the National Cybersecurity Index (NCSI) held and developed by the e-Governance Academy Foundation. NCSI measures the cybersecurity capacities of a country, as implemented by its central government. The NCSI of the Philippines is 63.64, while its Digital Development Level (DDL), which combines ICT development and network readiness, is just 46.33.

Interestingly, the Philippines and Japan have the same NCSI of 63.64, although the DDL of Japan is 78.92. This means that cybersecurity in the Philippines is ahead of its digital development (i.e., NCSI > DDL), while cybersecurity in Japan appears to be lagging behind its digital development (i.e., NCSI < DDL).

See “Eagle Watch,” A9

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Wanted: A genuine opposition

Friday, October 15, 2021

A9

Coloring politics Tito Genova Valiente

annotations

Manny F. Dooc

TELLTALES

A

S of October 8, 2021, the deadline for the filing of the Certificates of Candidacy for all elective positions in the 2022 elections, a total of 97 candidates are vying for the presidency. We are used to getting a big number of “hopefuls” for the highest post in our government every presidential election and this year’s harvest is nothing spectacular. Of this number, more than 90 percent are “hopeless” and have thrown their hats in the political ring just for the heck of it.

In fact, many of them are perennial aspirants who had been repeatedly declared nuisance candidates in the past. If true democracy is determined by the number of presidential contenders, the Philippines would be a run-away winner. If only half of them were serious and qualified in their presidential quest, our country would be blessed to have a multitude of selfless and patriotic citizens who are ready and willing to serve their country. Unfortunately, they are merely ego-tripping and all they crave for is to be featured in the evening news and bask in the glow of the media who make a game of their antics. And, sadly, the law on substitution of candidates gives those who make a mockery of our electoral process some patina of legitimacy.

Certainly, they will have their brief shining moments although their numbers will be whittled down significantly after the Comelec has reviewed their qualifications. Eventually, only six bets will emerge as resolute candidates. Outside of them, some may qualify but they will hardly be considered as candidates of consequence. The half dozen serious contenders, in my own estimation, are: Senator Ping Lacson, Mayor Isko Moreno, Senator Manny Pacquiao, former Senator Bongbong Marcos and Vice President Leni Robredo. I’ll add to this list Senator Bato de la Rosa who beat the deadline shortly before the filing of COCs expired. After all, if the presidential daughter, Mayor Sarah Duterte-Carpio, does not join the presidential derby, Senator Bato has declared that he will pursue his candidacy provided his campaign is funded by the ruling party. The presidential cast will not be complete unless the ruling party who will be represented by the candidate anointed

by President Duterte takes part and contests the presidency. He or she may be Senator Bato or his substitute who may be legally certified by PDPLaban not later than November 15, 2021. Until then, the battle lines are not clear. We do not exactly know who will be the administration’s bet and who are the opposition candidates.

Everyone seems to become an oppositionist during the election period; otherwise, he or she will bear the brunt of defending the regime. Many of our politicians who have co-opted with the administration and identified with and supported its policies on drugs, terrorism, foreign policy, handling of the pandemic, and other issues that have become hugely unpopular now have opportunely changed their position in time for the election. However, it should also be pointed out that it is conventional wisdom to support the new leader during the early period of his administration. It’s the highest form of brinkmanship for a member of the minority party to collaborate with the ruling regime on policies and programs that redound to the benefit of the people, like the “Build, Build, Build” projects, social programs for the poor and funding to contain the pandemic. It’s a prudent strategy to support the administration when it is right and condemn it when it goes astray. But it’s crucial that one has been consistent in this regard. Another issue is the timing. When one’s honeymoon with the ruling regime abruptly ends as he or she decides to contend for the presidency, then the motive becomes suspect. It makes it understandable to remember that in politics, there are no permanent al-

Unseating the incumbent regime is a tall order. Ranged against a formidable opponent who is unforgiving in his words and unnerving in his acts, the task becomes harder. But a true opposition confronts power with unflinching courage and grit. Will the real opposition stand up? lies, only permanent interests.

Change or reform is always a popular political battle cry and one cannot adopt it unless the candidate disowns and opposes the administration. It is always easier to take the offensive than to defend the status quo. Any candidate who challenges the regime has a license to assail the performance of the incumbent and even present empty promises to the electorates. On the other hand, Senator Bato, or whoever will replace him, will carry a heavy burden to ward off all the political salvos that will come his or her way. That is the advantage of the opposition.

But who is the opposition among the current presidential contenders? Would it be correct to say that all five of them, namely, Lacson, Pacquiao, Moreno, Marcos and Robredo, are opposition candidates just because they are all running against Senator Bato, the anointed bet of President Duterte and the PDP-Laban? Is the true opposition one who is not only anti-Duterte but anti-Marcos as well, and everything they represent? In order to determine if a candidate is a true oppositionist, we need to know who and what he or she is opposed to, and, most importantly, why. In our current political context, a genuine opposition is one who expresses legitimate dissent against perceived abusive actions or practices and flawed policies of the government, which are against the best interests of the people such as EJK, abuse of human rights, corruption, curtailment of press freedom and others. He or she also strongly states his or her disagreement on the economic and social programs of the government, which failed to yield the desired results to benefit our people.

A true regime’s challenger denounces these failed programs and abuses, and undertakes legal and necessary measures to oppose them, together with the proposed solutions. His or her campaign planks should specify them among other important issues included in his or her platform and highlight its major differences with the present government. In other words, a true opposition offers an alternative for the people to choose but he or she must be able to explain why his or her program is better, if not the best.

A real danger exists when the government allows or creates false opposition parties to create multiparty competition and legitimize the electoral process. This gives more chances to the incumbent for his protégé to continue his flawed legacy. Wise voters should be able to identify a real oppositionist from a dummy candidate. Electing the same dog albeit with a different collar will only lead us to the same doghouse.

Unseating the incumbent regime is a tall order. Ranged against a formidable opponent who is unforgiving in his words and unnerving in his acts, the task becomes harder. But a true opposition confronts power with unflinching courage and grit. Will the real opposition stand up?

C

olors have histories; they also have politics and cultures.

These interesting positions are explained in a book edited by Sungshin Kim entitled The Use of Color in History, Politics, and Art. In the introduction to the book, the author, a historian of East Asia, talks of how the most accessible way to historicize color is to locate it in within the history of taste.

Tastes like politics change. And our sensing of colors undergoes similar shifts.

One of the most original points raised though in the book is mentioned in the said introduction: “The rise and fall of colors is also a history that has to be told in a material key, involving man’s relationship with nature as well as the transformation of economic forces.” The examples given to illustrate the statements are amazing. She mentions the color, “Imperial purple” which was important in the Ancient Mediterranean and how the production of the said color came from pigment extracted from sea snails, this fact part of one of the papers in the book was written by Michael Proulx. Another example, described in the book as bizarre, is the origin of a color named “mummy brown”, the origin of which was traced to Egyptian mummies. This, according to the book, led to “centuries-long trade in these embalmed corpses.” The color was supposed to be a deep brown and was commonly used by Western painters from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. There was one exception, the Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones who, once he heard of how the mummies were ground, “abandoned the color, ceremonially burying his last tube.”

Even in our simpler world of perception we know colors are not simply used for what they are because we know colors are not merely what they are. We have ingrained meanings in colors; we have imputed characters to their shading and tonalities.

These meanings and significa-

tions are, however, arbitrary. Cultures play a great part in the attribution of importance to a color and politics contributes its own power over a hue. This arbitrariness is only perceived by the observer. Within each human tribe, the meaningfulness assigned to colors and the manner by which it is accepted is natural, organic.

If we bring these ruminations on colors into our present-day politics, then everything makes a lot of sense.

We as a people have a past with colors. If we are to return to the time when there were just two political parties dominant, the Liberal and the Nacionalista, the default colors then were the blue and red of our flag. In 1969, Imelda, already manifesting her own brand of politics, rallied behind the color “Blue,” with her Blue Ladies. These were society ladies on her side, dressed in smart, blue dress, who campaigned in slums and factories. There was no opposing color though: Minnie Osmeña, the elegant and famous daughter of Sergio Osmeña, formed the Osmena Pearl or Pearls, younger women, also dynamically campaigning for the Liberal Party candidate. The pearl proved to be not the right rallying symbol in politics.

Colors and icons only work when they participate in binary relationship, where one of the oppositions either becomes the positive and the other the negative. Remember, the EDSA “Revolution” and the arrival of saints and other icons? What could be placed against the image of Our Lady of Fatima or the La Naval de

Manila? Not another set of icons.

What happened was we had these blessed images, on one side and, on the other, tanks and soldiers.

It was Aquino – the death of Ninoy and the ascendancy of Cory—that created a potent color. That was Yellow. It stood for everything that was free. Not even the tripartite colors of red, white, and blue, could stand up to that bright color. The confetti that were showering from the tall buildings in Makati when the weekly rallies began to be held after the assassination of Ninoy were all shredded from the Yellow Pages of the telephone directories.

When yellow ribbons tied around posts and tucked on anything became the sign of protest, the yellow color had already assumed a life of its own. Sui generis. No one cared about the origin of that symbol. Who cared then or who cares now that the yellow ribbons were all culled from that kitschy song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” sung by Tony Orlando and Dawn? Or that tying a yellow ribbon was an older practice, going back to the 18th century, when women or girls tied ribbons around their hair to signify that they were waiting for boyfriends or husbands out in the warfront, or in jail?

And something happened: the same color of power became the point of assault for those who rallied against the events and people behind it. Think of the present engagement when other factions call another Dilawan, turning the label into an accusatory voice and pushing the one being branded as such into a defensive mode.

No other time in our politics has color been a key concept to our understanding of power, democracy and the ability to choose a party and candidate. While some parties are quick to dismiss the issue of color, the bandwagon of support behind Leni Robredo has become dramatic because of the pink color.

In that book, The Use of Color in History, Politics, and Art, the editor, Sungshin Kim cites the paper of Amy Hagenrater-Gooding, when she writes of how “the color pink is almost completely intertwined with the apparatus of mass consumption that employs and reproduces its gendered connotation.” Indeed, for when Robredo released the pink motif, the men who support her posted their photos online in pink, with the caption: Real men wear pink.

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

US, Israel say they are exploring a ‘Plan B’ for Iran

By Matthew Lee AP Diplomatic Writer

W

ASHINGTON—The United States and Israel said Wednesday they are exploring a “Plan B” for dealing with Iran if the Islamic Republic does not return in good faith to negotiations to salvage the languishing landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said discussions between their two countries have begun on “other options” should Iran reject an offer to come back into compliance with the agreement if the US rejoins it.

They did not elaborate on what those options might be, but there are a wide range of non-diplomatic options that could be considered, ranging from stepped up sanctions to covert or military actions. A Biden administration priority has been to revive the deal and abandoning that

Eagle Watch. . . continued from A8

Exhibiting the same trend as Japan are the Republic of Korea (ranked 29th, NCSI = 68.83, DDL = 81.55) and Singapore (ranked 16th, NCSI = 80.52, DDL = 80.94).

On the relationship between digitization and cybersecurity, according to McKinsey & Company, fundamental tensions can arise between the need to digitize and the need to protect an organization. If cybersecurity teams are to avoid becoming barriers to digitization and, instead, become its enablers, they must transform their capabilities along three dimensions. One, they

goal would be a blow to its foreign policy objectives.

The remarks were a rare acknowledgment by the US that it is looking at what to do in the event diplomacy with Iran fails. Israel has never been a party to the nuclear deal, which former President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018, and its former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a vocal opponent of the agreement negotiated by the Obama administration.

Blinken and Lapid made the remarks at a joint news conference at the State Department with the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates at which all three agreed to try to expand on the so-called “Abraham Accords,” the Trump-era agreements that normalized relations between Israel and the UAE and other Arab states.

Their comments came as Iran has hinted it’s ready to return to indirect negotiations with the US in Vienna

but has not committed to a date. Iran has also continued to blow through limits on it nuclear activities that had been constrained by the deal.

Blinken reiterated that the window for Iran to return to the agreement is closing but again declined to give a date at which it would be too late. “Time is running short,” he said. “We are prepared to turn to other options if Iran doesn’t change course, and these consultations with our allies and partners are part of it.”

“We will look at every option to to deal with the challenge posed by Iran,” Blinken said. “And we continue to believe that diplomacy is the most effective way to do that. But, it takes two to engage in diplomacy, and we have not seen from Iran a willingness to do that at this point.”

Lapid was more blunt, raising anew Israel’s warnings that it will act, with military force if necessary, to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

“There are moments when nations must use force to protect the world from evil,” he said. “If a terror regime is going to acquire a nuclear weapon we must act. We must make clear that the civilized world won’t allow it. If the Iranians don’t believe the world is serious about stopping them, they will race to the bomb.”

Lapid met on Tuesday in Washington with Vice President Kamala Harris as well as Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan to convey Israel’s concerns about the US rejoining the nuclear deal and restoring sanctions relief.

Those concerns appear to have struck a chord within the administration, which is loathe to appear less than supportive of Israel. Before Blinken and Lapid spoke, the administration’s special envoy for Iran negotiations, Robert Malley, made similar comments about exploring paths beyond diplomacy with Iran.

must improve risk management by applying quantitative risk analytics.

Two, they must build cybersecurity directly into the value chains of their respective businesses. Three, they must support the next generation of enterprise-technology platforms, which include innovations such as agile development, robotics, and cloud-based operating models.

Here in the Philippines, a promising development is Senate Bill 2380 (The Bank Account, E-wallet, and Other Financial Accounts Regulation Act), which aims to protect the public from fraudsters who target bank accounts and e-wallets.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has expressed its support for this legislative measure, as it will

strengthen the legal framework for financial consumer welfare and foster greater public awareness of cybersecurity. Amid the rise in online transactions during the pandemic, the bill is also expected to strengthen confidence in the use of electronic payments and promote financial stability.

The BSP is particularly aware of phishing, where scammers pose as legitimate entities to obtain sensitive information by doing any of the following: 1) illegally accessing individuals’ online accounts; 2) opening bank e-wallet accounts under fictitious names; and 3) using other people’s identification documents to receive, transfer, or withdraw proceeds derived from suspicious

activities or cybercrimes.

Thus, the BSP strongly advises banks to ensure that consumer assistance helpdesks are always made available. There must also be increased surveillance on online banking systems and activities during holidays or long weekends. Accounts reported by clients as fraudulent or suspicious should be immediately blocked. Procedures to resolve disputes should have a quick turnaround time.

Indeed, securing the digital economy will mean ensuring economic survival.

Dr. Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes is the Associate Director of the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development.

A10 Friday, October 15, 2021

Coalition: Pharmally ‘facts’ merit full probe

Q

UESTIONS of “how and why” on the scandalous circumstances revolving around Pharmally’s hogging over P10-billion in pandemicrelated negotiated contracts will continue to fester, underscoring the need to allow a complete investigation by Senate probers.

The Right to Know, Right Now! Coalition made this obvious as it issued a comprehensive summary of the facts thus far unearthed in 11 hearings by the Senate Blue Ribbon committee—an inquiry that several former health secretaries and respected medical groups had said should be shielded from efforts to block the full truth, including an order by President Duterte banning Executive officials from attending hearings.

“Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation has hogged the limelight, and the ire of the members of the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon Committee) in 11 hearing days in the last eight weeks, or since August 16, 2021,” said the RTK-RNC in a summary released to media.

The “facts about Pharmally,” said

the coalition, were based on official data of the Philippine Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) and the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement Service (PhilGEPS).

In all, Pharmally bagged a total of P10.85 billion worth of contracts from three agencies: the Procurement Service-Department of Budgment and Management (PS-DBM), Department of Health (DOH), and Department of TransportationPhilippine National R ailways (DOTr-PNR), according to the coalition’s report.

Such contracts “are altogether worth P8.52 billion in 2020 and P2.33 billion more in 2021,” and account for “16.64 percent or a considerable portion of the P65.19- billion total Bayanihan procurement funds disbursed as of September 8, 2021.”

LENI AT ROTARY: NO DEAL ON SCS IF . . .

Although Pharmally registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission only in September 2019, with a paid-up capital of only P625,000, it “topped the GPPB list of suppliers with the highest total contract by May 2020,” or just seven months later.

Between April and June 2020, the total contract price awarded to Pharmally had reached P8.523 billion, “about 13 times its paid-up capital,” noted the coalition.

From May to July 2021, Pharmally secured P2.33 billion more in supply contracts from the government.

“Government online portals announce and post the procurement requirements and contracts awarded, including the Notice of Award or NOAs and Purchase Orders or POs, supposedly to promote transparency.” The major portals are: PhilGEPS—for procurement

By Joel R. San Juan from regular funds; and the GPPB @jrsanjuan1573 Online Portal—for procurement

from Bayanihan funds ICE President and 2022 presi Pharmally was awarded a total of dential candidate Leni Ro15 contracts amounting to P10.85 bredo said if she gets elected, billion, but the coalition noted the Philippine government will not “four more duly signed NOAs and enter into any deal with China involvPOs with combined value of P1.148 ing the West Philippine Sea (WPS) billion that have missing or gaps in without the latter’s recognition of records in both the PhilGEPS and the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling in GPPB portals.”

The Hague which upheld the counContinued on A3 try’s sovereign rights in areas within its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

Robredo made known her stance on the controversial issue as well on

V

other issues confronting her bid for the 2022 presidential elections during the 16thMembership Meeting of the Rotary Club of Manila for 2021 and 2022 where she was invited as guest speaker. It was the prestigious organization’s Inaugural Presidential Forum.

The vice president echoed President Duterte’s independent foreign policy, but insisted that relations with neighboring countries and allies should be strengthened at the same time.

“It has always been more beneficial to us to have an inclusive and independent foreign policy as opposed to one which favors specific countries.

BusinessMirror screenshot of Vice President Robredo fielding questions from the Rotary Club of Manila.

Continued on A3

‘Why charge the poor in govt hospitals?’

S

EN. Panfilo Lacson shifted focus at the Senate plenary deliberation on the Department of Health’s proposed 2022 budget to what he described as the government hospitals’ “humongous off-budget income” even as they still charge patients.

Lacson wondered aloud: “How could

government-run hospitals have billions of pesos in off-budget income in the past several years, yet still charge Filipinos who are confined there?”

Interpellating DOH officials, Lacson said the huge amounts could have been used to help defray the expenses of poor patients, es-

pecially those who lost their livelihood due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Why would we still charge patients hospitalization fees at a time of pandemic? Should it not be that the amount be used to cushion the suffering of our people who are confined in government hospitals?” he asked.

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III replied, “Yes, Sir.” “ Shou ld t here not be an issue of conscience here?

We’re not u si ng the [DOH] budget yet we’re charging patients,” Lacson added , spea k i ng partly in Filipino.

“I think a review of these off-budget accounts is in order so we can help those in need,” he stressed.

Also, Lacson noted, this may indicate that something is wrong with the management of government hospitals.

“They are earning income but why is that income not put to good use? That’s my point,” he said.

Lacson cited the Budget Ex pend iture and Sources of Financing (BESF), where the DOH’s off-budget accounts indicated governme nt ho s p it a l s ’ ret a i ned i ncome for 2021 hospital fees amounted to P448.439 billion.

Continued on A3

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

24/7 BUSINESS PROCESSING INC. 5th-6th-7th Flr., 81 Newport Bl Newport City, Brgy. 183, Pasay City

1.

SUI, RENHAN Customer Service Representative (Chinese Accounts) Brief Job Description: Assists clients will all their concerns.

Basic Qualification: *any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently. Preferably 6 months to 1 year customer service experience. Detailoriented and has the ability to multi-task.

12.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 ACCIONA CONSTRUCTION PHILIPPINES INC. 21/f Tower 2, The Enterprise Center, 6766 Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati EXPOSITO CORRAL, GONZALO Surveyor Manager

2.

Brief Job Description: Search legal records, survey records, and land titles to obtain information about property boundaries in areas to survey. Calculate heights, depths, relative positions, property lines, and other characteristics of terrain.

Prepare and maintain sketches, maps, reports, and legal descriptions of surveys to describe, certify, and assume liability for work performed as directed by QA/ QC requirements as a minimum. Perform topographical surveys and calculate quantities for earthworks and other type of project materials, for monthly payments to subcontractors. Maintain organized, clear and accessible records of this work. Compute geodetic measurements and interpret survey data to determine positions, shapes, and elevations of geomorphic and topographic features.

Determine longitudes and latitudes of important features and boundaries in survey areas using theodolites, transits, levels, electronic total stations, and satellite based global positioning systems (GPS).

Basic Qualification: Minimum of 15 years experience in civil construction in general, with focus on highways, bridges and special structures.

Excellent organizational skills with teams of 5 or more members. Proficient skills I software for Civil Infrastructures design Civil 3D of similar. Knowledge in Survey Network adjustment software. Fluency in English and/ or high level of Spanish is required.

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

KINGSTON KONG Payment Executive 13.

14.

DAHIWAL, SANTOSH It Asset Management Analyst 3.

Brief Job Description: Provide excellent employee experience and measurable business value by effectively managing the lifecycle of Amdocs IT assets

4.

5.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries ZHOU, FEI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

6.

Brief Job Description: To assist customers regarding their queries, complaints, and promotions KANG, BEOMJUN Customer Service Representative

7.

Brief Job Description: To assist customers regarding their queries, complaints, and promotions SEONG, WOOYEON Customer Service Representative

8.

Brief Job Description: To assist customers regarding their queries, complaints, and promotions SO, INSUN Customer Service Representative

9.

Brief Job Description: To assist customers regarding their queries, complaints, and promotions

GOETHEER, REMCO Project Controller 15.

10.

Brief Job Description: Deliver commercial objectives aligned with the country CEO and Director of Business Asia

Brief Job Description: Responsible for working within all stages of project management. The primary role is to work closely with project managers to ensure that all budgeting, scheduling and coordination processes run smoothly

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

VAN ELDIK, JOHANNES CORNELIS Project Controller 16.

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

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

Brief Job Description: Responsible for working within all stages of project management. The primary role is to work closely with project managers to ensure that all budgeting, scheduling and coordination processes run smoothly

FOKKEMA, ANNE JAN Project Director

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

Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above, fluent in Korean language

17.

Brief Job Description: Setting up the project organization, preparing the work and optimizing work processes, so that project activities are carried out in an efficient, timely and safe manner

YUAN, FENG Mandarin Operation Manager

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 18.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above, fluent in Korean language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: +5 years commercial business development experience, facility management, corporate real estate

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

LIN, JINFENG Mandarin Deputy Project Supervisor 19.

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

11.

Brief Job Description: Observes the quality of operations call

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

20.

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

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

XU, GUANGLEI Mandarin Mechanical Superintendent 22.

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

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

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

FAN, JUGUO Mandarin Quality Assurance / Control Analyst 23.

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

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

Basic Qualification: Higher professional education in Business Administration, Finance.

Preferably or obtaining Master’s degree in Financial Management. Skills in various ERP systems, preferably Infor LN and knowledge of IFRS and GAAP.

CRONYX INC. No. 4th-10th Flr. Yinhope Bldg., Dela Rama Cor. Zoili Hilario St., Seascape Village, Ccp Complex Subd. Zone 10, Barangay 076, District 1, Pasay City

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

24.

Basic Qualification: Higher professional education in Business Administration, Finance.

Preferably or obtaining Master’s degree in Financial Management. Skills in various ERP systems, preferably Infor LN and knowledge of IFRS and GAAP.

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

ZHANG, HAOTIAN Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

WANG, XUEGANG Chinese Speaking Graphic Designer 25.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience / Good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience / Good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

Basic Qualification: Extensive experience in the international dredging industry with focus on Project Management, Finance, and Contract Management

26.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

DEXIN 999, INC. Red Hotel No. 345, Edsa Cor. Don Carlos Revilla St., Barangay 147, Pasay City

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

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

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

ZHAO, CHANGLIANG Mandarin Electrical Supervisor

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

Basic Qualification: College degree in any filed; Must be native cambodian / Indonesian / Chinese fluent in English & native language; with at least 3 years experience in similar function.

CHINA HARBOUR ENGINEERING COMPANY 5/f Rm 501 Ramon Magsaysay Center, 1680 Roxas Blvd., 076, Bgy. 699, Malate, City Of Manila

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

NGUYEN DUONG YEN NHI Operations Senior Analyst

21.

ZHONG, QIANJIN Mandarin Speaking Marketing Specialist

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

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

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

LIM CHIN LIANG Malaysian Customer Support Representative 27.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

Basic Qualification: Expertise in marketing and fluent in mandarin speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MALAY and at least college level with related BPO experience.

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

DIGIDO FINANCE CORP. (UNAPAY, AND UNACASH) Unit 3&4 15th Floor Ibp Tower, Jade Drive, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

28.

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

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

Basic Qualification: Must be native Cambodian / Vietnamese/ Chinese/ Thai / Indonesian, fluent in English and respective native language, with at least a year experience in similar field

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

LIANG, ZHIXIONG Mandarin General Project Supervisor

Basic Qualification: Must be native Indonesian/ Vietnamese / Cambodian / fluent in English and respective native language ; Proficient in Microsoft application.

CH-MEILING INTERNATIONAL (PHILIPPINES) INC. Units A&b 20/f Rufino Pacific Tower, 6784 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above, fluent in Korean language

Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above, fluent in Korean language

No.

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

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

ATALIAN GLOBAL SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. 4th Floor Oac Bldg., #27 San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Ctr., San Antonio, City Of Pasig

GILLETT, STEPHEN MICHAEL Sales Director

Brief Job Description: Coordinate and lead risk management intiatives

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

ASIAN TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, INC. 11/f Tower 2, Double Dragon, Macapagal Blvd., Brgy. 076, Pasay City AN, JEUNGHYUK Customer Service Representative

HUANG, HSUAN-TING Risk Senior Associate

Basic Qualification: Must be native Indonesian / Vietnamese / Cambodian fluent in English and respective native language; Proficient in Microsoft applications.

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

ANOC99 CORPORATION 5/f To 10/f Ayala Malls Manila Bay Building D., Macapagal Blvd. Cor. Aseana Street, Tambo, City Of Parañaque NGUYEN THI BE NGA Chinese Customer Service

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

AMDOCS PHILIPPINES INC. 23rd, 25th, And 26th Floors Eco Tower, 32nd St. Cor. 9th Ave. Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree graduate with experience in managing control and protection of IT software, hardware and contract assets

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

A11

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

DEWI SUSANTI Payment Executive

Friday, October 15, 2021

KACHALINA, IULIIA Merchant Development Owner Brief Job Description: Set up merchant development and support team

Basic Qualification: Required C-level of Russian language, must be excellent in English Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

DYNA BINARY HOLDINGS INC. 18/f Tower 2, The Enterprise Center, 6766 Ayala Ave., Cor. Paseo De Roxas, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati KONG WEN KENT Chinese Speaking Customer Service Representative 29.

Brief Job Description: Assist / Help customers, Give customers information about products and services

Basic Qualification: Strong analytical, Diagnostic and problem-solving skills, excellent in Mandarin verbal communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

FRONTIER TOWER ASSOCIATES PHILIPPINES INC. Ug/f Somerset Olympia Bldg., 7912 Makati Ave., Urdaneta, City Of Makati

TANGNEY, PATRICK JOSEPH President, Chairman And Chief Executive Officer 30.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for leading the board and focusing it on strategic matters

Basic Qualification: Strong background in developing business plan and strategy in launching large cellular tower companies Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

FUWEALTH SERVICES INC. 18/f Techzone Bldg., 213 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati

HUANG, XINQIAO Customer Service Representative 31.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for managing various customer issues depending on account assignment

Basic Qualification: Have patience and ability to remain calm in stressful situation Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

A12 Friday, October 15, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION NI, YANKUN Customer Service Representative

32.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for managing various customer issues depending on account assignment

ZHAO, GAOMING Customer Service Representative 33.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for managing various customer issues depending on account assignment

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Have patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situation

34.

Brief Job Description: Assist / help customers, give customers information about product and services

JIMMY Chinese Speaking Customer Service Representative 35.

Brief Job Description: Assist / help customers, give customers information about product and services

JIMMY FANG Chinese Speaking Customer Service Representative 36.

Brief Job Description: Assist / help customers, give customers information about product and services

LUU BOI NHI Chinese Speaking Customer Service Representative 37.

Brief Job Description: Assist / help customers, give customers information about product and services

MY THI THUY Chinese Speaking Customer Service Representative 38.

Brief Job Description: Assist / help customers, give customers information about product and services

THONG NGOC HUONG Chinese Speaking Customer Service Representative 39.

Brief Job Description: Assist / help customers, give customers information about product and services

45.

Basic Qualification: Patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situation

PARK, JAEHONG Korean Customer Service Representative 46.

STAMPA, GABRIELE GIORGIO ORESTE Brand Manager 47.

40.

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

48.

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

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

49.

50.

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

41.

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

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

TONG, CHANG Mandarin Operating System Supervisor 42.

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 INFOVINE INC. 8th, 9th, 10th/f Aspire Corporate Plaza Bldg., Macapagal Blvd. St., Zone 10, Barangay 076, District 1, Pasay City

FOO CHOON MENG Chinese Speaking Program Designer 43.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

51.

YIN, MINGYUAN Mandarin Customer Support Representative 44.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with related BPO experience.

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

Brief Job Description: 5+ years of planning and reporting experience within a multi- national. FMCG environment is required.

Deadline management under strong time pressure and close contact with details and view of big picture simultaneously

TAN CHOON YAU National Trade And Wholesale Manager 52.

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

Basic Qualification: College graduate, speaks & write fluently (Korean & English)

58.

Basic Qualification: 5+ years of brand management experience in FMCG or large multinational companies. University degree is required, preferably in a Marketing / business- related course.

59.

60.

61.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, public relations or any other related field, 7+ years of relevant experience in CA&C or in a similar role (diverse experience in marketing/ GSC, Several locations, Regions or functions preferred) and should have leading & management or people/ team experience.

62.

63.

Brief Job Description: Strategy and execution/ Route to consumer / wholesale/ analysis and reporting/ finance and management / people management

64.

Basic Qualification: University degree / 8+ years experience in various marketing and sales function, demonstrated sound team leadership & coaching capabilities

CHIU, YU CHEUK Trade & Commercial Planning Director 53.

Brief Job Description: Understanding of Tabacco industry environment, Deep understanding of sales & marketing business process channel strategy. Advance negotiations skills, commercial, trade & financial planning skills external environment ( taxation, pricing, external/ corporate relations, legal)

65.

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

Basic Qualification: University degree. 5+ years of experience in various marketing & sales functions.

Demonstrated sound team leadership & coaching capabilities Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

Basic Qualification: Understanding of Tabacco industry environment/ Good knowledge of IFRS, USGAAP and local GAAP / Good knowledge on SAP4 functions, GPM and TMI system/ High learning agility and adaptability to evolving business environment

66.

67.

68.

69.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: MA/BA degree in business, marketing, management, economics, finance. 5 years of relevant management experience in MCG, General Management, Sales management, key accounts management is a must

Basic Qualification: MA/BA Degree in business, marketing management, economics, finance.

10+ years of relevant management experience in FMCG general management, sales management, key accounts management is a must. Proven distribution partner management.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION CHENG, XUE Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries FU, XIANGFENG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LAN, GUOXUN Chinese Customer Service

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

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

70.

71.

72.

73.

Brief Job Description: MANAGING INCOMING CALLS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE INQUIRIES LIANG, LONGFEI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LIANG, SHIHONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

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

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

MA, DANDAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

SUN, JINLIANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

ZHANG, CHUNXIAO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ZHANG, FUCUI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ZHANG, YUNPENG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ZHAO, JIANQIANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ZHAO, JIANSHUN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ZHAO, XINGCHENG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

54.

LI, YUGUANG Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

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

ZHANG, LINGXIAN Mandarin Marketing Specialist 55.

Brief Job Description: Conducting research and marketing strategies to develop areas of the business opportunities

LIU, ZHONGLIN Mandarin Technical Support 56.

Brief Job Description: To troubleshoot, maintain and monitor the computer system

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

74.

ZHENG, WANHUA Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

MINDSCAPE CREATIVES INC. Unit 19-o, Burgundy Corporate Tower, 252 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati

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

INVECH TREASURE PROCESSING CORPORATION Ground, 2nd, 3rd And 4th Floor, Eight West Campus Mckinley West, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Brief Job Description: Work in close collaboration with the respective managers and subordinates of the C&TA team. Brand marketing and Sales operation. Drive a winning team culture by prioritizing training and development of direct reports and subordinates to rack-up as best in class for c&TA team in the Philippines. Consult, identify and confirms with RMC/ RRP brand marketing team. Develop, define, review and refine channel segmentation and its role. Analyze marketing trends

CHOW SOON SENG Market Planning Manager

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proven experience as a Mandarin Operating System Supervisor, Familiarity, knowledge and awareness on Machinery and Heavy Equipment use by company, Demonstrable experience in developing strategic business plan.

Brief Job Description: Work in collaboration with the Heads of RMC/ RRP Brand Marketing and Sales Operations / Drive the change in the team culture to ensure high level team performance / Supervise and manage all the field Marketing activities/ Oversee and ensure coordination and cooperation of all - in field activities/ utilize market data , trends and dynamics to define the growth opportunity BRUN, LINDA Field Marketing Manager

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

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

Brief Job Description: Understanding of Tabacco industry environment.

Comprehensive knowledge and CA&C processes, strategies and corporate values, Strong communication / negotiation facilitation skills. Strong leadership and learn management skills. Solid analytical and problem solving skills. strong stakeholder management

CHOO JOON KONG Field Marketing Director

Basic Qualification: Proficiency in handling customer’s question about services or products/ excellent Mandarin communication skills

Basic Qualification: Proficiency in handling customer’s question about services or products/ excellent Mandarin communication skills

57.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

Basic Qualification: Proficiency in handling customer’s question about services or products/ excellent Mandarin communication skills

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

FU, XINGNAN Mandarin Information System Analyst

Brief Job Description: Understanding Tabacco industry environment / Experience i strategic brand management, new product development and introduction , market insight, project management and brand.

SMYTH, BRENDA MARGARET Corporate Communications And Public Affairs Lead

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

DENG, TUO Mandarin Information System Analyst

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls & Korean customer service inquiries

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficiency in handling customer’s question about services or products/ excellent Mandarin communication skills

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with related BPO experience.

No.

JT INTERNATIONAL (PHILIPPINES) INC. Penthouse, W Office Building, 28th St. Cor. 11th Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficiency in handling customer’s question about services or products/ excellent Mandarin communication skills

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

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

Basic Qualification: Proficiency in handling customer’s question about services or products/ excellent Mandarin communication skills

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION YOU, FANG Mandarin Customer Support Representative

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

GRAND EVEREST HOLDING INC. 16/f Tower 6789, 6789 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

FEBRIANI Chinese Speaking Customer Service Representative

No.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

75.

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

76.

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

77.

ZHU, XIUWEN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

BI, GUANGHUI Chinese Customer Specialist Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

LI, YINGJIE Chinese Customer Specialist Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

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

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

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

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

78.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION ZENG, LINGLI Chinese Customer Specialist Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

NEPC POWER CONSTRUCTION CORP. 15/f Cyber One Bldg., Eastwood Cyberpark City, Bagumbayan 3, Quezon City

ZHANG, YIFEI Mandarin Boiler Piping Maintenance Analyst 79.

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

No.

Basic Qualification: Proven experience as a mandarin boiler piping maintenance analyst, familiarity, knowledge and awareness on machinery and heavy equipment use by company, demonstrable experience in developing strategic business plan.

CHOI, JUNG SOO Business Manager For IT & Mobile Team 91.

HUANG, GANGFAN Chinese Customer Service 80.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

HUANG, LONGCHUN Chinese Customer Service 81.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

LI, WEI Chinese Customer Service 82.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

LIN, WEILING Chinese Customer Service 83.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

LU, HONGGANG Chinese Customer Service 84.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

LU, HUAN Chinese Customer Service 85.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

XIONG, GUANGQIN Chinese Customer Service 86.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents

YIN, BIPENG Chinese Customer Service 87.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents

UTARI DEFI Indonesian Customer Service 88.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

KO, JONG SOO General Manager 92.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

93.

LEE, SIWON Korean Customer Support Staff 94.

95.

Brief Job Description: Provide expert advise on global network tool for e-commerce and share programmatic media best practices and how they can applied in the local market to clients.

Brief Job Description: Field incoming help requests from end users via both telephone and works in a courteous manner

DINH THI TUYET LY Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 96.

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

WANG, ZHIXIANG Assistant Manager 97.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for implementing workflow procedures based on direction from the company’s General Manager

CAI, ZHONGTUO Procurement Supervisor 98.

Brief Job Description: Oversee and manage expenses related to all acquisitions of company supplies and products.

CAI, GUISHENG Mandarin Customer Support Representative 99.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions and responding to complaints.

GAN, PIN Mandarin Customer Support Representative

Basic Qualification: Master or bachelor’s degree holder in France. French speaking with high level of expertise for digital services and digital strategies.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions and responding to complaints.

TIAN, ZHIWEN Mandarin Customer Support Representative 101.

102.

Brief Job Description: Delivery Head of CMS - Managing the CMS delivery in India

Basic Qualification: Over 20 yrs. of experience in a BPO industry / Graduate or post graduate Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions and responding to complaints.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions and responding to complaints.

XIE, LINA Mandarin Customer Support Representative 103.

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS PHILIPPINES CORPORATION 7th-10th Floor Science Hub Tower, 4 Mckinley Hill, Pinagsama, City Of Taguig

YANG, JIAKE Regional Project Manager 106.

107.

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

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

108.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions and responding to complaints.

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in Mandarin/Fukien and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in Mandarin/Fukien and at least college level with related BPO experience.

FANG, CHENGGANG Smartcare Delivery Employee Brief Job Description: To provide consulting technical and advisory services

Brief Job Description: Maintains, delivered the acceptance of the delivered civil and mechanical platform; handle customer inquiries, provide advice and consultation on database

HUANG, SHIH-CHI Mandarin Customer Service Representative 109.

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

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

Basic Qualification: To provide consulting technical and advisory services Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: Maintains, delivered the acceptance of the delivered civil and mechanical platform; handle customer inquiries, provide advice and consultation on database

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

Brief Job Description: Responsible for acting as a liaison between customer & companies

Basic Qualification: Good communication skills with written & spoke in Mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

WHEELSTRIP CORP. 40/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a Rufino St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

NI, WEI Chinese Speaking Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about products and services.

Basic Qualification: Proficiency in handling customer question about services or products excellent mandarin communication sills / good organizational skills.

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

ZAPPORT SERVICES, INC. 36/f Burgundy Corporate Tower, 252 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati THE ANDRIANO LAKSONO Indonesian Speaking Customer Service Officer 111.

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties TOMMY Indonesian Speaking Customer Service Officer

112.

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operations of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties.

KHEMTHONG, NITTAYA Thai Speaking Customer Service Officer

113.

Brief Job Description: Thai written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties KUNTASUP, WORAWUT Thai Speaking Customer Service Officer

114.

Brief Job Description: Thai written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties PHADUNGUD, PONGCHANOK Thai Speaking Customer Service Officer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in Mandarin/Fukien and at least college level with related BPO experience.

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

W-TECH SOLUTIONS INC. 5/f Eco Plaza Bldg., 2305 Chino Roces Ave. Extn., Magallanes, City Of Makati

110.

Basic Qualification: Highly skilled and experienced in effectively analyzing & managing company logistics Can effectively communicate with customers, respond timely manner, and deliver customers’ satisfaction.

College level Highly proficient (written & verbal) in Chinese & other dialects With driving skills.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for project cost handle project implementation end to end; manage implementation resource join the communication with client manage project acceptance and quality ehs

TU, XIAOFENG Smartcare Delivery Employee

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

Basic Qualification: 1. With at least 3 years working experience in seafood industry in china. 2.

Highly proficient in Chinese language & other dialects 3. Can communicate with china counterparts & clients 4. Knowledgeable in MC excel , Msword

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

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can speak and write fluent Korean language

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions and responding to complaints.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

TRIVES TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION Tower 4 Bayport West, Naia Garden Residence, Naia Road, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

XIE, CHANG Mandarin Customer Support Representative

90.

Basic Qualification: Can speak and write fluent Korean language

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

RJ GLOBUS SOLUTIONS INC. Units 304, 305, & 306 3/f, Rockwell Business Tower, Tower 1, Meralco Ave., Ugong, City Of Pasig

CHADHA, PRAVEER INDER Senior Vice President - Customer Management Solutions

105.

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

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

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

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

THE QUALITY PRIME OCEAN PRODUCTS INC. 9507 Miguela Street, Airport Village, Vitalez, City Of Parañaque

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speaks and write fluently (native language & english)

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

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

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions and responding to complaints.

ZHU, LIN Mandarin Customer Support Representative

SOMI UNLIMITED SOLUTIONS, INC. 10/f Tower 2 Double Dragon Plaza Bldg., Edsa Corner Macapagal Ave. St., Zone 10. Barangay 076, District 1, Pasay City

100.

89.

Brief Job Description: Field incoming help requests from end users via both telephone and works in a courteous manner OH, JONGSEUK Korean Customer Support Staff

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

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

104.

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

Basic Qualification: With 2 years experience as a general manager; engineering degree or equivalent; with leadership skills; bilingual English and Korean

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION ZHONG, LIDAN Mandarin Customer Support Representative

SKYLUCK CORPORATION #360, Unit 243 Shaw Center Mall, Shaw Blvd., Penthouse Shaw It Center, City Of Mandaluyong

OPTIMEDIA COMMUNICATIONS INC. 21/f Tower 1 The Enterprise Center, 6766 Ayala Ave., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

TURPAULT, ISABELLE JEANNINE CHRISTINA Technical Advisor - Digital

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

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

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

Basic Qualification: University graduates with at least ten (10) years of relevant experience

No.

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

Brief Job Description: Calculating cost estimates, budgets and schedules, selecting appropriate construction methods for the job and budget, explaining contracts and technical information to employees, supervising construction personnel and activities onsite.

CHEN, XIJUN Mandarin Steelman Supervisor

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

SINOMA CBMIPH CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION 37b Rufino Pacific Tower, Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

Brief Job Description: Responsible to provide direction in the development of the overall business strategy that covers sales, sales operation marketing and general operations for it & mobile team.

A13

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

SB CONSTRUCTION CORP. U2702 27/f Pacific Star Bldg., Sen. Gil J. Puyat Cor. Makati Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th/f, Pearl Marina Building Pacific Drive, Don Galo, City Of Parañaque

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Friday, October 15, 2021

115.

Brief Job Description: Thai written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties PORNPIBUL, SUTTHAPORN Thai Speaking Customer Service Officer

116.

Brief Job Description: Thai written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Thai speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Thai speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Thai speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Thai speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 *Date Generated: Oct 14, 2021

Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE National Capital Region located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication.

Please inform DOLE National Capital Region if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in Mandarin/Fukien and at least college level with related BPO experience.

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

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

Companies BusinessMirror

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Friday, October 15, 2021

B1

Meralco bid to exempt deals from CSP rejected

By Lenie Lectura

T

@llectura

he Department of Energy (DOE) has denied the request of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to exempt its power supply agreements (PSAs) with Masinloc Power Partners Co. Ltd. (MPPCL) and Panay Electric Development Corp. (PEDC) from competitive biddings.

These PSAs were supposedly meant to address the potential shortage resulting from Malampaya outage and continuing gas restriction, and for Meralco to be able to secure adequate supply up to the national and local elections next year.

“They denied our request. They said there will be no shortage,” Meralco First Vice President and Head of Regulatory Management Jose Ronald Valles said in a text message Thursday.

Meralco earlier asked the DOE to

exempt its 120MW PSA with MPPCL and 50MW PSA with PEDC from the competitive selection process (CSP) and approve these as emergency PSAs instead.

Valles said Meralco has no other choice but to comply with DOE. “It will be their ultimate responsibility anyway,” he said, adding that if and when power supply becomes thin next year, “We just have to tell everyone that we saw it coming and did everything we could to address it.”

DOE officials have yet to respond to a request for comment as of press time.

The PSAs with PEDC and MPPCL are part of the 260MW power supply requirements that Meralco urgently needed to avert possible supply shortage. The remaining 90MW capacity requirement was sourced from the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM).

Meantime, Meralco will just have

to contend with what it has now.

“We will optimize existing supply sources, including the 90MW contract for the supply of electric energy with PSALM,” said utility economics head Lawrence Fernandez.

Last week, Meralco announced that power rates this month inched up by only P0.0283 per kWh to P9.1374 per kWh from last month’s P9.1091 on account of higher transmission charge. This is equivalent to an increase of only around P6 in the total bill of a residential customer consuming 200 kWh. Transmission charge for residential customers increased by P0.0282 per kWh to P0.7085 per kWh from P0.6803 due to higher ancillary service charges, which accounted for about 33 percent of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’s (NGCP) total transmission costs.

The increase in overall rates was partly tempered by Meralco’s

continued implementation of the Distribution Rate True-Up refund which began in March. The refund rate for residential customers is at P0.2761 per kWh and appears in customer bills as a line item called “Dist True-Up.” The October generation charge, meanwhile, registered a slight reduction of P0.0004 per kWh to P5.0435 from P5.0439 per kWh in the previous month.

Lower average capacity on outage and average demand in the Luzon grid in September pulled down charges from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) by P1.2061 per kWh. The share of WESM to Meralco’s total requirement was higher at 13.4 percent during the month.

Charges from Independent Power Producers (IPPs), which decreased by P0.0527 per kWh, also contributed to the generation charge reduction.

The cost of using alternative liquid fuel during the Malampaya gas supply restriction in September was not yet included in the charges and will be billed in subsequent months.

Charges from PSAs went up by P0.3156 per kWh to P4.9417 per kWh from the P4.6261 per kWh largely due to higher fuel prices and the peso’s depreciation.

IPPs and PSAs accounted for 37.1, and 49.5 percent, respectively, of Meralco’s energy requirement.

Meralco’s disconnection activities remained suspended in Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Lucena City in Quezon, which are still under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), from October 1 to 15.

Also covered by the suspension are areas in National Capital Region that were placed under granular lockdown by their respective local government units until October 15.

IKEA franchisee posts turnover of ₧42B Jollibee lists 12M

By VG Cabuag @villygc

I

kano Retail, one of the franchisees of IKEA, said it recorded a turnover of P42 billion in financial year (FY) 2021 ending August 31, up 3.3 percent from the previous year.

The Swedish home furnishings firm, which still has to open the world’s largest IKEA store in the Philippines, said the increase was already a feat in a year marred by store closures and turbulent times for the company’s shopping center business.

“We lost 17 percent of our trading days, faced the worst supply challenges in our history and contended with limits on food operations and

LRMC gets safety seal from Pasay local govt

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

L

ight Rail Manila Corp. ( L R MC ) h a s rece ived a safety certification from the local government of Pasay for its train stations and depot, buttressing its efforts to provide passengers with a safe transportation system amid the pandemic.

LRMC Head of Health Safety, Environment, and Quality Department Louernie De Sales said the Safety Seal Certification is an assurance that the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 complies with the public health standards to contain Covid-19.

“In LRMC, safety is part of our mission for our dear commuters and employees. We are not just their partners in efficient and comfortable journey, but for safety as well. The Safety Seal that we received from the City of Pasay is just a testament that we are one with the government’s effort in encouraging safety of the public as the country gradually opens the economy amid the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.

She added that this certification further challenges LRMC to innovate even amid the crisis.

“We treat this as a milestone putting on top of mind the safety of our commuters as we slowly increase the capacity of our trains in line with guidelines set by the government,” De Sales said.

further restrictions,’’ Ikano Retail CEO Christian Rojkjaer said.

“But, even amid Covid, we executed expansion plans, grew our e-commerce sales by 57 percent and safeguarded jobs. Most importantly, we continued to help our customers make life at home better.”

Much of the growth comes from Singapore and Mexico where the company opened new stores.

In Singapore, Ikano opened IKEA Jurong—Southeast Asia’s first small-format IKEA store, selling the full range through digital solutions and multi-skilled co-workers.

In Mexico City, Ikano opened the first IKEA in Latin America and almost had 15 million visits to its IKEA Oceania store and website combined.

Ikano also entered the home renovation and design business, with new IKEA Planning Studios in Thailand and Singapore. It also relaunched IKEA for Business in Southeast Asia to better serve small enterprises in setting up Swedish-inspired office solutions, shops and more.

Ikano invested to defend its offer to its tenants at Ikano Centres in Malaysia and Thailand, supporting its tenants through tough times and securing a healthy lease rate of 92 percent in a challenging retail landscape.

“We made sure that our centres continue to be meeting places for the many,’’ Rojkjaer said.

During a second pandemic year, many people turned to IKEA to set

up workspaces, playrooms and kitchens, the company said.

In the Philippines, Ikano recently started operating ecommerce, created its first IKEA pop-up at SM Mall of Asia and designed a reality TV set for a gaming program. All this before IKEA Pasay City opens.

The company still has to announce its formal opening date.

Ikano Retail is one of 12 IKEA franchisees around the world, operating in markets such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Mexico. It has plans to open more markets in the years ahead.

“We are the only franchisee owned by the family of Ingvar Kamprad, who founded IKEA in 1943,” the company said.

70% of SBMA workers now fully vaccinated

S

ubic Bay Freeport—After an intensified vaccine rollout in the last three months, about 70 percent of employees of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) are now fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said on Thursday that 1,561 employees, or nearly 70 percent of the agency’s workforce totaling 2,238, have completed a vaccination regimen.

Eisma also said a total of 513 employees, or nearly 23 percent, have already had their first vaccine shots, thus leaving only 164 personnel yet unvaccinated.

The SBMA chief, however, said more agency workers will be fully vaccinated in the next two months as more vaccine allocations come in from the Department of Health (DOH) and private sources.

“Right now, we’re looking forward to a full-vaccination rate of more

than 90 percent—which is the new target for herd immunity—for our employees by December,” Eisma said.

“We’re doing everything that we can to get all our employees inoculated because, like the rest of the workforce in the Subic Bay Freeport, we need to get back to our normal work schedules to get the local economy going again,” she added.

SBMA figures indicate that 11 of the 47 departments and offices in the agency already have 100 percent vaccination rate as of October 12.

These include Eisma’s office which has a staff of 16, and the Board Secretariat and Office of the Directors, Office of the Deputy Administrator (ODA) for Health and Safety, Public Health and Safety Department, Office of the Senior Deputy Administrator for Support Services, ODA for Administration, ODA for Finance, Management Information Systems Office, Legal Department, ODA for Port Operations, and the

Trade Facilitation and Compliance Department. Meanwhile, 12 other offices have a full-vaccination rate of 80 to 96 percent, while eight more recorded vaccination rates of 70 to 79 percent.

Some health experts had earlier increased the vaccination rate to achieve the so-called “herd immunity” from the initial 70 percent to 90 percent because new Covid-19 variants have reportedly lowered the efficacy of available vaccines.

The SBMA last month expanded the coverage of its vaccination drive to include more workers in locatorcompanies in the Subic Bay Freeport to sustain productivity in this special economic and free port zone.

Eisma said that under the SBMA-DOH vaccination program, the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department continues to vaccinate qualified recipients in the A1 to A4 categories of the government’s priority list. Henry Empeño

ENS bags Casecnan O&M contract

K

orean firm Soosan ENS Co. Ltd. was declared the winning bidder for the one-year operation and maintenance (O&M) contract for the 165-megawatt (MW) Casecnan Hydroelectric Power Plant (CHPP).

According to the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM), Soosan ENS submitted the lowest bid at P252,996,800.00, which is lower than the budget of P462,000,000 that the PSALM has set aside.

The other qualified bidders are SN Aboitiz Power-Magat Inc., which submitted a bid offer of P261,556,168.02, and KEPCO KPS Philippines, which offered P391,491,723.84.

PSALM will now conduct a postqualification process to ensure that Soosan ENS met all the financial and legal requirements.

If Soosan ENS passes the postqualification process, it will be given sufficient lead time to familiarize itself with the operations of the CHPP before the contract takes effect on November 26. “We are optimistic that with the successful public bidding for the Casecnan Plant’s operation and maintenance contract.

PSALM can now proceed to prepare for the ultimate plan of privatizing the Casecnan Plant consistent with the clear mandate in the Electric Power Industry Reform Act,” said PSALM President Irene B. Garcia.

The CHPP is a 165-megawatt

combined irrigation and power generation facility in Sitio Pauan Brgy.

Villarica Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija.

CHPP is covered by a build-operate-transfer agreement that will end in December.

The National Irrigation Administration will own 40 percent while PSALM will own 60 percent of CHPP. However, the National Irrigation Administration has allowed PSALM to handle the procurement of the O&M contract and to start the preparation of the privatization of CHPP. The CHPP is a “run-of-river” type of plant with very limited impounding area.

The water from the reservoir flows into the plant’s power house down to the Pantabangan Lake and into the irrigation channels. Lenie Lectura

preferred shares

Photo shows Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) COO Roel A. Refran and PSE President and CEO Ramon S. Monzon with the Jollibee mascot at the PSE Trading Floor in Taguig City. Contributed Photo

F

ast-food chain operator Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) on Thursday listed its first-ever preferred shares on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

“We are grateful to our investors in Jollibee. It humbles us to see that our offering of 8 million preferred shares has been oversubscribed by 3.11 times. Thank you especially to the retail investors who accounted for the vast majority of the investments in our preferred shares,” Jollibee President and CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong said.

The offering of 12 million preferred shares is the fifth security issued by Jollibee for investment by the public.

“To all our investors, we signify again our commitment to be excellent stewards of your investments in JFC, whether they are shares in JFC Common Stock, US Dollar Senior Perpetual Capital Securities issued in January 2020, US Dollar 5.5-Year and 10-Year Senior Debt Securities in June 2020, or these Peso Preferred Shares,” Tanmantiong said.

In his message, PSE Chairman Jose T. Pardo cited the pandemic’s impact on the company’s bottomline and noted the improvement in Jollibee’s second quarter revenues and its store openings in the first half.

“I am hopeful that uncertainties will be tempered as more and more get vaccinated, leading to a pick-up in consumption and eventually a recovery in store sales. Full recovery may take some time but this adversity provides an opportunity for the company to revisit and recalibrate its strategy,” Pardo said.

The issuance of preferred shares and the buyback of its US dollar perpetual securities are part of the overall plan to strengthen the Jollibee Group’s balance sheet, especially as the company aims to accelerate its worldwide store expansion in 2022 and beyond.

The company said the issuance of preferred shares will not change the current cash dividend policy on the company’s common shares, and that it will continue to declare cash dividends equivalent to 33 percent of net income attributable to common equity holders of the company.

“To all our employees, customers, partners, and stakeholders, thank you for being part of our journey, for believing in us, and moving forward with us. Together with you, we will continue to dream big—not only to be the best in the Philippines, not only to be the best in Asia, but to be one of the top five restaurant companies in the world,” Tanmantiong said. VG Cabuag

IPOs prove hardier than stake sales in Europe’s volatile market

I

nitial public offerings in Europe are outpacing stake sales for the first time since 2018, as new listings keep defying the recent market volatility that has deterred large holders from offering stock.

IPOs have raised more than $73 billion on European exchanges this year, compared with the $53 billion worth of stake sales, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Companies have rushed to go public throughout this year, but stake

sales have been more patchy. A rally in European equities drove several large holders to take profits in May and in early September, but now such offerings have paused amid increased market risks.

“Obviously, weeks like we had at the end of September and early October, where most trading screens were red, don’t give much comfort to launch a block,” said Fabian De Smet, head of Berenberg’s investment bank in continental Europe. Bloomberg News

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Friday, October 15, 2021

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

October 14, 2021

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

ASIA UNITED BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK COL FINANCIAL FIRST ABACUS FERRONOUX HLDG FILIPINO FUND MEDCO HLDG PHIL STOCK EXCH SUN LIFE VANTAGE

46 128 85.2 24.4 9.7 50.15 9.38 22.05 56.8 20 121.3 97.4 4.27 0.6 3.21 6.58 0.31 219 2,550 0.82

46.4 128.6 85.5 24.45 9.71 50.2 9.86 22.1 56.85 20.1 122.2 97.7 4.28 0.63 3.5 7.7 0.33 230 2,590 0.85

46 130.3 85 24.2 9.6 49.75 9.34 21.95 56.45 19.78 118.5 93 4.28 0.63 3.43 6.55 0.31 230 2,550 0.82

46.3 131.9 85.5 24.4 9.8 50.25 9.34 22.5 56.8 20 122.2 99 4.29 0.63 3.5 7 0.31 230 2,550 0.82

46 127 84.95 24 9.6 49.65 9.32 21.9 56.45 19.78 118.5 92.5 4.28 0.63 3.4 6.55 0.31 219 2,550 0.82

46 128 85.5 24.4 9.71 50.2 9.32 22.1 56.8 20 122.2 97.7 4.28 0.63 3.5 7 0.31 230 2,550 0.82

39,400 1,771,490 1,404,870 583,300 1,126,200 7,645,200 12,300 777,400 10,000 147,600 1,215,630 493,210 78,000 1,000 243,000 600 40,000 710 115 32,000

1,812,700 228,524,890 119,779,732 14,085,790 10,961,844 381,744,895 114,704 17,279,770 567,247.50 2,936,776 146,896,891 48,036,932.50 333,880 630 846,830 3,975 12,400 161,030 293,250 26,240

368,300 86,836,098 14,444,893.50 -481,000 -1,394,267 125,135,145 -12,116 -454,600 567,247.50 -24,000 34,863,215 -14,576,769 12,400 293,250 22,960

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 11.68 11.7 12.1 12.12 11.54 11.7 45,432,400 534,483,886 ALSONS CONS 1.12 1.14 1.13 1.13 1.12 1.12 208,000 233,830 ABOITIZ POWER 30.65 30.85 30 30.95 30 30.85 1,285,800 39,488,255 BASIC ENERGY 0.55 0.56 0.56 0.58 0.55 0.56 13,572,000 7,640,880 27.95 28 29 29.65 27.8 27.95 3,946,300 111,656,040 FIRST GEN 75.1 76.9 76 76.95 75.1 75.1 24,070 1,821,373 FIRST PHIL HLDG 293 295 290 295 290 295 105,330 30,858,968 MERALCO MANILA WATER 26.65 27 26.4 28 26 27 5,318,300 142,984,420 PETRON 3.66 3.68 3.59 3.68 3.58 3.68 4,903,000 17,861,360 PETROENERGY 4.1 4.12 3.99 4.14 3.99 4.1 149,000 610,360 11.3 11.58 11.5 11.58 11.4 11.58 173,100 1,987,078 PHX PETROLEUM 21.85 21.9 21.7 22 21.7 21.9 627,900 13,712,545 PILIPINAS SHELL 13.8 13.82 13.6 13.88 13.38 13.8 237,600 3,216,580 SPC POWER VIVANT 15 18.48 15 15 15 15 3,200 48,000 AGRINURTURE 4.8 4.9 4.95 4.95 4.8 4.9 23,000 111,530 AXELUM 2.79 2.81 2.82 2.82 2.79 2.81 193,000 541,470 13.84 13.9 13.9 13.92 13.9 13.9 4,100 56,998 CNTRL AZUCARERA CENTURY FOOD 24.8 24.85 25.15 25.9 24.8 24.8 956,500 24,109,140 14.7 14.86 14.7 15 14.4 14.86 160,600 2,364,006 DEL MONTE DNL INDUS 8.33 8.38 8.07 8.41 8.06 8.38 7,620,700 63,362,288 EMPERADOR 18.32 18.38 18.02 18.4 18.02 18.38 5,467,900 100,248,506 SMC FOODANDBEV 75.05 75.95 75.5 75.95 74.5 75.95 279,850 21,054,791.50 0.6 0.61 0.62 0.62 0.6 0.61 561,000 342,540 ALLIANCE SELECT 1.34 1.35 1.33 1.35 1.32 1.35 8,789,000 11,692,550 FRUITAS HLDG 116.4 117 116 117.9 116 116.5 27,970 3,258,889 GINEBRA JOLLIBEE 229.6 229.8 219 229.8 219 229.8 2,667,280 604,013,744 LIBERTY FLOUR 28.05 29.7 28 28 28 28 300 8,400 MAXS GROUP 7.11 7.12 6.91 7.18 6.91 7.12 559,700 3,990,366 0.179 0.183 0.183 0.183 0.183 0.183 120,000 21,960 MG HLDG MONDE NISSIN 16.52 16.54 17.02 17.34 16.4 16.54 43,906,900 731,700,044 8.37 8.5 8.2 8.5 8.2 8.5 731,500 6,113,724 SHAKEYS PIZZA ROXAS AND CO 0.78 0.79 0.78 0.8 0.77 0.78 539,000 421,140 ROXAS HLDG 1.27 1.33 1.33 1.33 1.33 1.33 4,000 5,320 SWIFT FOODS 0.121 0.122 0.114 0.121 0.114 0.121 3,860,000 456,420 132.2 132.4 132.3 133 131.5 132.2 1,324,580 175,063,620 UNIV ROBINA 0.76 0.77 0.77 0.77 0.76 0.77 335,000 256,780 VITARICH CEMEX HLDG 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.3 1.27 1.27 3,424,000 4,375,260 EAGLE CEMENT 14.26 14.44 14.3 14.46 14.22 14.44 68,000 971,682 EEI CORP 6.49 6.5 6.51 6.59 6.5 6.5 5,899,300 38,388,924 HOLCIM 6.15 6.16 6.2 6.25 6.15 6.16 291,600 1,798,453 6.82 6.83 6.5 6.85 6.5 6.83 3,461,100 23,468,692 MEGAWIDE 14.52 14.7 14.7 14.7 14.6 14.7 15,500 227,680 PHINMA 0.91 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.9 0.92 99,000 89,850 TKC METALS VULCAN INDL 1.12 1.13 1.12 1.14 1.12 1.12 1,729,000 1,948,110 CROWN ASIA 1.67 1.69 1.66 1.7 1.66 1.7 63,000 105,610 EUROMED 1.6 1.67 1.69 1.69 1.6 1.6 249,000 401,290 4 4.34 4.13 4.13 4.02 4.02 16,000 64,980 LMG CORP MABUHAY VINYL 4.51 4.9 5.35 5.35 4.9 4.9 14,600 71,595 PRYCE CORP 5.41 5.49 5.48 5.48 5.4 5.48 64,300 347,828 CONCEPCION 22.25 23 23 23 21.85 23 5,400 122,130 GREENERGY 2.24 2.25 2.29 2.29 2.22 2.25 4,559,000 10,284,450 INTEGRATED MICR 9.02 9.04 9 9.1 8.91 9.02 1,385,200 12,451,853 0.83 0.84 0.83 0.85 0.83 0.84 156,000 131,210 IONICS 5.9 6 6.01 6.01 6 6 17,600 105,720 PANASONIC SFA SEMICON 1.15 1.17 1.14 1.17 1.14 1.17 72,000 83,290 CIRTEK HLDG 4.34 4.36 4.32 4.36 4.29 4.35 2,415,000 10,424,050

6,919,108 -4,286,415 47,350.00 -23,603,495 387,273.50 12,564,582 -7,728,185 -1,577,450 -1,199,048 984,650 133,670 4,910 -2,835,515 -7,653,652 -1,322,368 -5,111,436 -87,660 105,350 -18,481 218,739,858 -50,030 -201,128,682 -1,330,561 -15,600 -54,367,536 516,350 -34,630,624.00 -929,203 7,752,541 88,192 36,470 16,800 -72,900 -82,800 -4,769,390.00 -98,327 8,300 64,350

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 1.08 1.09 1.08 1.09 1.07 1.09 5,640,000 6,054,930 ASIABEST GROUP 5.3 5.79 5.79 5.79 5.79 5.79 3,000 17,370 AYALA CORP 853 854.5 835 857 828 853 615,750 522,814,770 ABOITIZ EQUITY 47.35 47.9 47.85 48.1 47.2 47.35 4,697,700 222,556,115 10.3 10.38 10.36 10.62 10.28 10.3 19,012,200 196,693,540 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 5.8 5.82 5.75 6.03 5.75 5.8 4,836,500 28,381,043 AYALA LAND LOG 7.09 7.15 7.04 7.09 7 7.09 11,800 83,289 ANSCOR ANGLO PHIL HLDG 0.92 0.93 0.91 0.94 0.91 0.93 196,000 181,560 ATN HLDG A 0.485 0.51 0.53 0.55 0.42 0.485 12,308,000 5,276,050 COSCO CAPITAL 5.09 5.1 5.12 5.12 5.08 5.09 1,363,800 6,952,175 9 9.08 9.25 9.26 9 9 18,565,000 169,207,690 DMCI HLDG 7.7 7.85 7.85 7.85 7.85 7.85 11,600 91,060 FILINVEST DEV FORUM PACIFIC 0.3 0.305 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 260,000 78,000 GT CAPITAL 569.5 573 554 573 554 573 305,790 173,508,230 HOUSE OF INV 3.61 3.93 3.61 3.61 3.61 3.61 271,000 978,310 JG SUMMIT 63.2 63.3 62.6 63.2 62.2 63.2 990,680 62,487,863.50 5.4 5.45 5.45 5.45 5.45 5.45 1,400 7,630 JOLLIVILLE HLDG LODESTAR 0.65 0.67 0.65 0.67 0.64 0.65 328,000 213,180 LOPEZ HLDG 3.22 3.3 3.21 3.3 3.21 3.3 209,000 680,920 LT GROUP 9.95 9.96 9.75 10.02 9.75 9.96 11,386,900 113,487,945 MJC INVESTMENTS 1.25 1.31 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 34,000 42,500 METRO PAC INV 3.91 3.92 3.87 3.92 3.87 3.92 23,508,000 91,847,490 3.18 3.29 3.29 3.29 3.29 3.29 11,000 36,190 PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA 1.49 1.52 1.65 1.65 1.5 1.52 191,000 292,680 SOLID GROUP 1.16 1.19 1.19 1.2 1.19 1.2 39,000 46,780 SM INVESTMENTS 999 1,000 992 1,010 986 1,000 215,810 215,839,890 SAN MIGUEL CORP 114.7 114.9 115 115.8 114.7 114.9 113,430 13,055,122 SOC RESOURCES 0.67 0.72 0.67 0.67 0.67 0.67 11,000 7,370 130 133.9 130.1 130.1 130 130 2,620 340,603 TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS 0.25 0.26 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 450,000 112,500 ZEUS HLDG 0.18 0.189 0.184 0.192 0.17 0.18 17,540,000 3,058,660

1,135,540 161,755,570 19,771,690 -122,745,144 -142,743 2,169,995 49,155,175 91,687,940 11,005,458 -29,758,482 20,333,990 32,080,660 -668,108 -6,700 -17,010

PROPERTY

ARTHALAND CORP 0.64 0.67 0.68 0.68 0.64 0.64 100,000 65,200 ANCHOR LAND 7 7.12 7.12 7.12 7.12 7.12 1,000 7,120 AYALA LAND 36.7 36.8 36.6 37 36.6 36.8 10,817,700 397,818,660 AREIT RT 39.9 40 40 40.45 39.9 39.9 1,062,600 42,596,115 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.37 1.34 1.35 524,000 711,220 BELLE CORP 0.87 0.89 0.9 0.91 0.87 0.89 76,000 68,010 A BROWN CITYLAND DEVT 0.76 0.77 0.77 0.78 0.76 0.77 302,000 231,510 CROWN EQUITIES 0.117 0.118 0.117 0.12 0.116 0.118 15,470,000 1,794,850 CEBU HLDG 6.26 6.38 6.2 6.3 6.2 6.26 17,800 111,476 CEB LANDMASTERS 3.03 3.04 3.07 3.09 3.03 3.03 1,101,000 3,360,360 0.445 0.455 0.455 0.46 0.44 0.455 14,440,000 6,495,650 CENTURY PROP 10.26 10.38 10.22 10.38 10.2 10.38 221,100 2,271,334 DOUBLEDRAGON 1.81 1.82 1.84 1.84 1.81 1.81 12,971,000 23,617,290 DDMP RT DM WENCESLAO 6.8 6.84 6.8 6.85 6.8 6.82 24,300 165,920 EMPIRE EAST 0.27 0.28 0.28 0.28 0.28 0.28 150,000 42,000 EVER GOTESCO 0.315 0.32 0.325 0.335 0.31 0.32 12,270,000 3,931,150 7.36 7.37 7.39 7.4 7.36 7.37 3,813,400 28,181,598 FILINVEST RT 1.13 1.14 1.11 1.13 1.1 1.13 25,756,000 28,699,930 FILINVEST LAND 0.88 0.9 0.88 0.9 0.88 0.9 123,000 108,560 GLOBAL ESTATE 8990 HLDG 10.6 10.9 11.24 11.4 10.5 10.9 591,900 6,473,604 PHIL INFRADEV 1.17 1.18 1.18 1.18 1.15 1.18 298,000 343,990 CITY AND LAND 0.95 0.96 0.94 0.96 0.94 0.95 361,000 342,100 3.09 3.1 3.06 3.13 3.06 3.1 22,223,000 68,990,320 MEGAWORLD 0.285 0.29 0.285 0.29 0.28 0.285 5,990,000 1,701,650 MRC ALLIED 17.22 17.24 17.82 17.82 17.2 17.22 2,918,700 51,189,768 MREIT RT PHIL ESTATES 0.5 0.51 0.51 0.52 0.5 0.51 1,407,000 713,550 PRIMEX CORP 1.92 1.95 1.94 2.02 1.82 1.95 1,132,000 2,242,610 RL COMM RT 6.64 6.65 6.89 6.89 6.62 6.64 18,204,100 122,190,183 15.98 16 16.22 16.5 15.92 16 9,525,600 153,480,906 ROBINSONS LAND 0.24 0.248 0.25 0.25 0.237 0.239 1,870,000 451,680 PHIL REALTY 1.55 1.59 1.55 1.59 1.54 1.55 61,000 94,690 ROCKWELL SHANG PROP 2.65 2.71 2.66 2.71 2.66 2.71 13,000 34,830 STA LUCIA LAND 2.9 2.91 2.85 2.94 2.85 2.9 858,000 2,494,580 SM PRIME HLDG 36.4 36.5 35.95 36.6 35.9 36.5 7,031,300 255,585,505 3.69 3.92 3.96 3.96 3.95 3.95 6,000 23,710 VISTAMALLS SUNTRUST HOME 1.46 1.47 1.46 1.47 1.46 1.47 56,000 81,770 VISTA LAND 3.67 3.69 3.72 3.72 3.67 3.69 1,271,000 4,687,250

SERVICES ABS CBN 15 15.1 15.9 15.9 14.98 15 1,233,600 18,739,124 GMA NETWORK 15.66 15.7 15.8 15.94 15.52 15.66 1,664,000 26,137,720 MANILA BULLETIN 0.405 0.44 0.45 0.45 0.45 0.45 60,000 27,000 GLOBE TELECOM 3,348 3,350 3,202 3,350 3,202 3,350 248,480 821,311,990 1,627 1,650 1,631 1,668 1,620 1,627 104,000 171,117,495 PLDT 0.1 0.101 0.102 0.102 0.1 0.101 148,450,000 14,937,350 APOLLO GLOBAL 32.15 32.2 32.4 33.25 31.95 32.15 19,256,400 623,998,165 CONVERGE DFNN INC 3.06 3.13 3.09 3.16 3.03 3.13 371,000 1,149,200 DITO CME HLDG 7.36 7.37 7.41 7.44 7.34 7.36 3,361,700 24,762,316 IMPERIAL 1.42 1.5 1.42 1.42 1.42 1.42 1,000 1,420 2 2.14 2 2 2 2 5,000 10,000 JACKSTONES 1.91 1.92 1.91 1.94 1.88 1.91 1,076,000 2,047,970 NOW CORP 0.3 0.305 0.32 0.33 0.29 0.3 29,240,000 8,782,750 TRANSPACIFIC BR PHILWEB 2.2 2.28 2.16 2.29 2.16 2.2 419,000 939,140 2GO GROUP 8.1 8.12 8.12 8.12 8.12 8.12 6,300 51,156 ASIAN TERMINALS 14 14.4 14.48 14.48 14.48 14.48 1,500 21,720 2.1 2.12 2.1 2.12 2.1 2.12 687,000 1,451,590 CHELSEA 44.1 44.2 42.65 44.6 42.65 44.1 1,149,500 50,491,610 CEBU AIR 169.1 169.5 175 178.9 168.5 169.1 2,356,750 401,586,913 INTL CONTAINER LBC EXPRESS 18.02 19.18 18.86 19 18.02 18.02 23,800 451,756 MACROASIA 5.54 5.55 5.61 5.62 5.52 5.55 2,400,400 13,373,877 METROALLIANCE A 1.48 1.49 1.53 1.57 1.49 1.49 109,000 165,350 1.05 1.07 1.06 1.07 1.04 1.07 185,000 193,870 HARBOR STAR DISCOVERY WORLD 2.25 2.29 2.39 2.39 2.25 2.29 682,000 1,554,690 0.52 0.53 0.52 0.53 0.52 0.52 350,000 182,670 WATERFRONT FAR EASTERN U 555 580 580 580 580 580 10 5,800 IPEOPLE 6.82 7.06 6.82 7.15 6.82 7.15 3,900 26,631 STI HLDG 0.365 0.37 0.365 0.37 0.36 0.365 1,580,000 576,450 5.46 5.55 5.5 5.59 5.45 5.57 43,500 238,343 BERJAYA 6.48 6.5 6.2 6.64 6.13 6.5 13,445,800 87,442,329 BLOOMBERRY 2 2.04 2 2 2 2 33,000 66,000 PACIFIC ONLINE LEISURE AND RES 1.65 1.66 1.61 1.76 1.61 1.66 412,000 696,600 PH RESORTS GRP 1.08 1.09 1.11 1.11 1.07 1.09 1,367,000 1,475,490 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.425 0.43 0.42 0.44 0.42 0.43 10,720,000 4,617,750 10.94 10.98 10.5 11.08 10.5 10.98 2,443,300 26,674,264 ALLHOME 1.34 1.35 1.37 1.38 1.34 1.34 345,000 467,320 METRO RETAIL 42.85 42.9 42.1 42.9 42.05 42.9 1,055,500 44,821,050 PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL 62.8 63 59.5 63 59.5 63 2,459,260 152,092,848 PHIL SEVEN CORP 93.5 95.95 90.1 96 90.1 93.5 11,680 1,097,733.50 SSI GROUP 1.22 1.23 1.19 1.23 1.17 1.23 3,268,000 3,938,330 29 29.3 28.75 29.9 28.75 29 4,875,600 143,422,435 WILCON DEPOT 0.25 0.27 0.255 0.255 0.25 0.25 640,000 161,900 APC GROUP GOLDEN MV 525.5 538.5 540 540 525.5 538.5 270 144,180 IPM HLDG 6.9 7.1 7.1 7.1 7 7.1 6,500 45,650 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.84 0.85 0.88 0.88 0.83 0.84 9,870,000 8,363,530 SBS PHIL CORP 4.2 4.24 4.25 4.25 4.2 4.24 278,000 1,176,800

MINING & OIL ATOK 6.85 6.97 7 7.1 6.8 6.97 62,400 436,352 APEX MINING 1.49 1.5 1.43 1.52 1.43 1.49 2,965,000 4,367,450 ATLAS MINING 6.42 6.44 6.26 6.48 6.26 6.42 2,021,000 12,899,706 5.15 5.35 5.4 5.4 5.2 5.35 17,500 91,425 BENGUET A BENGUET B 4.86 4.87 5.1 5.1 5.1 5.1 100 510 COAL ASIA HLDG 0.295 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.295 0.295 260,000 76,750 CENTURY PEAK 2.7 2.78 2.7 2.78 2.7 2.78 5,000 13,820 DIZON MINES 5.5 5.51 5.53 5.53 5.51 5.51 27,700 152,673 FERRONICKEL 2.1 2.11 2.06 2.11 2.05 2.1 1,653,000 3,449,430 0.22 0.221 0.22 0.221 0.22 0.221 2,360,000 519,350 GEOGRACE LEPANTO A 0.132 0.134 0.132 0.134 0.131 0.133 6,760,000 896,000 LEPANTO B 0.133 0.135 0.132 0.133 0.13 0.133 950,000 124,980 MANILA MINING A 0.0093 0.0095 0.0094 0.0095 0.0092 0.0093 89,000,000 826,900 MANILA MINING B 0.0096 0.01 0.0097 0.0097 0.0096 0.0096 10,000,000 96,100 MARCVENTURES 0.89 0.9 0.86 0.9 0.86 0.9 193,000 171,930 1.01 1.04 1.04 1.04 1.01 1.03 282,000 289,500 NIHAO NICKEL ASIA 5.42 5.44 5.45 5.51 5.37 5.42 2,839,200 15,423,523 0.35 0.36 0.35 0.35 0.35 0.35 200,000 70,000 OMICO CORP ORNTL PENINSULA 0.82 0.83 0.84 0.84 0.81 0.81 420,000 342,210 PX MINING 5.46 5.5 5.35 5.65 5.35 5.5 1,613,800 8,874,826 SEMIRARA MINING 29.5 29.6 30.4 30.5 29.1 29.5 7,497,500 222,988,150 0.0066 0.0068 0.0067 0.0068 0.0066 0.0068 14,000,000 93,300 UNITED PARAGON ACE ENEXOR 17.3 17.38 16.6 17.5 16.6 17.38 36,400 629,708 0.011 0.012 0.012 0.012 0.011 0.011 18,000,000 202,100 ORNTL PETROL A PHILODRILL 0.0096 0.0097 0.0097 0.0097 0.0096 0.0096 52,000,000 501,600 PXP ENERGY 6.37 6.38 6.25 6.38 6.2 6.38 451,900 2,854,234

PREFFERED HOUSE PREF A 100.5 101 101 101 100.1 101 32,800 3,308,500 ALCO PREF C 103.8 104 103.8 103.8 103.8 103.8 2,000 207,600 AC PREF B2R 524.5 525 524.5 524.5 524.5 524.5 9,510 4,987,995 CEB PREF 43.1 43.55 41.5 44.8 41.5 43.1 267,200 11,533,200 101.5 102 101.5 101.5 101.5 101.5 1,140 115,710 DD PREF GTCAP PREF A 990 1,020 993 993 990 990 3,600 3,564,870 JFC PREF A 1,010 1,016 1,000 1,018 1,000 1,010 6,005 6,055,660 JFC PREF B 1,030 1,033 1,012 1,033 1,010 1,033 29,960 30,795,705 MWIDE PREF 2B 101.1 102.7 102.7 102.7 101 101 5,200 526,280 PNX PREF 3B 106.4 107 107.6 107.6 107 107 420 44,958 1,006 1,007 1,006 1,010 1,006 1,007 4,375 4,404,880 PNX PREF 4 1,123 1,135 1,135 1,135 1,135 1,135 2,050 2,326,750 PCOR PREF 3A SMC PREF 2F 79.05 79.25 79.2 79.25 79.2 79.25 27,430 2,172,492.50 SMC PREF 2H 76.25 76.35 76.2 76.2 76.2 76.2 2,500 190,500 SMC PREF 2I 79.15 79.3 79.3 79.3 79.3 79.3 620 49,166 SMC PREF 2J 77 77.1 76.9 77 76.9 77 22,590 1,739,419 76.15 76.5 76.5 76.5 76.5 76.5 1,870 143,055 SMC PREF 2K

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 14.5 14.7 14.9 15.44 14.7 14.7 90,600 1,346,502 GMA HLDG PDR 14.7 14.74 14.8 14.8 14.7 14.7 32,000 471,628

WARRANTS TECH WARRANT 1.3 1.31 1.36 1.36 1.28 1.3 6,048,000 7,917,780

-5,440 51,269,135 13,638,925 2,680 38,200 -821,890 88,500 309,742 23,980 800 10,499,917 7,614,750.00 71,414 69,510 -31,550 -8,365,220 -45,000 -3,899,028 -54,060 527,700.00 -37,106,562 -110,938,978 -116,790 -20,510 10,039,000 294,290 27,019,210 -63,699,740 1,161,370 -66,714,785 90,710 388,193 -10,000 382,690 102,600 91,200.00 105,000 -6,623,375 -12,740,340 -18,980 -988,830.00 13,530 -32,800 13,130 -13,319,245 32,200 6,941,156 10,880 -5,482,985 50,834,446.50 -105,060 347,110 5,969,450 -287,300 8,410 46,920 199,850 -640,728 13,820 454,300 -98,380 3,064,110 431,471 -32,830,635 -18,260 143,712 -1,722,250 -25,000 41,200 5,030 () 49,166 - -115,600

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

ALTUS PROP ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH MERRYMART

17.2 1.8 3.86 3.42

17.98 1.84 4 3.43

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF

108.4

108.6

16.86 1.82 4.03 3.52

18 1.84 4.03 3.53

16.86 1.8 4.03 3.42

17.98 1.8 4.03 3.42

94,300 708,000 1,000 7,999,000

1,674,376 1,280,540 4,030 27,739,200

26,250 -26,640 -65,040 49,070

107.5 108.5 107.5 108.5 32,900 3,561,047 -216,035

www.businessmirror.com.ph

‘More than half of SMBs lost money due to cyber attacks’

T

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

ech giant Cisco found that more than half of local small and medium businesses (SMBs) suffered from cyber incidents in the last 12 months and these incidents may have cost many of them as much as P50 million.

In its recent report titled Cybersecurity for SMBs: Asia Pacific Businesses Prepare for Digital Defense, Cisco said 57 percent of Philippine SMBs were attacked by cybercriminals over the past year.

Of the figure, 28 percent reported that they lost $500,000 or about P25 million due to the cyber attacks.

Some even lost as much as $1 million or P50 million.

The most common types of cyberattacks were malware and phishing, according to the report.

These facts, the report added, made SMBs more “apprehensive about cybersecurity risks,” with 89

percent believing that they are “exposed to cyber threats.”

“Over the past 18 months, SMBs have leveraged technology to continue to operate and serve their customers even as they tackled the implications of the pandemic. This has seen an acceleration in digitalization of SMBs across Philippines, Cisco Philippines OIC Managing Director Robin Llamas said.

“As SMBs become more digital, they also become a more attractive a target for malicious actors, not least because digitalized businesses have an expanded attach surface that hackers can target. In addition,

digitalized SMBs generate more data, which the malicious actors put a high price on. All of this is fueling a critical need for them to invest in solutions and capabilities to ensure they are safeguarding themselves on the cybersecurity front.”

Cyberattacks resulted in lost customer and employee data, as well as lost sensitive business information, internal emails, financial information, and even intellectual property.

Sixty-five percent of SMBs believe that these attacks also had a negative impact on their reputation.

Disruptions caused by cyber incidents can have serious implications for SMBs, according to Llamas, including service interruption due to downtime—some even had to close down shop.

He noted that the scale of the challenge is highlighted by the fact that only 9 percent of respondents in Philippines said they were able to detect a cyber incident within an hour. The number of those that were able to remediate a cyber incident within an hour was also the same.

“It is critical for SMBs to be able to detect, investigate, and block or

remediate any cyber incident in the shortest time possible. To be able to do that, they need solutions that are easy to deploy and use, integrate well with each other, and help them automate capabilities like detection, blocking, and remediation of cyber incidents,” Cisco Asean Director for Cybersecurity Juan Huat Koo added.

He noted that businesses may also leverage the cloud to beef up their cybersecurity systems.

Philippine businesses, however, are also preparing for cyberattacks.

The study found that 77 percent of SMBs “have completed scenario planning and/or simulations for potential cybersecurity incidents in the past 12 months.”

“Cybersecurity is evolving rapidly. This is being driven by trends like the expanding attack surface, move to multi-cloud, rise of hybrid work, as well as new security requirements and regulations. As they embark on their digitalization journeys, SMBs have a unique opportunity to lay the right foundation for their security posture and build their business on a strong foundation of trust,” Cisco Managing Director for Cybersecurity in Asia Pacific Kerry Singleton said.

MPTC launches mobility solutions unit M

etro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) introduced on Thursday its mobility solutions unit that will handle all its non-toll-related businesses that leverage digital technology.

Called MPT Mobility, the new unit has seven new businesses under its portfolio. All seven businesses offer “digitally-driven solutions.”

“We are very excited about the launch. Digitalization is inevitable.

We needed to be at the forefront of leveraging its adoption and transcend our core tollways business using the latest digital technology,” said MPT Mobility President and General Manager Raul Ignacio.

The seven subsidiaries are: Dibz, Spot On Advertising, Nlex Drive & Dine, Southbend Express Services, Business Development, Easytrip Services, and One Hub. Dibz is a smart parking service that offers pre-booked parking and valet services, while Spot On Advertising is an out-of-home advertising group that offers bridge and median

billboards in various locations.

Nlex Drive & Dine, meanwhile, is a toll service facility that hosts food chains in Nlex service areas.

Southbend Express Services offers outsourced manpower for general and maintenance services, roadway systems products and services, and traffic and auxiliary works on road network operations.

Business Development focuses on the development of fiber connectivity, smart cities, and intermodal terminals.

Easytrip manages the electronic toll collection system of the group, and One Hub is a “centralized customer response organization” that caters to the growing need for customer service via digital channels.

“What MPT Mobility has to offer addresses a variety of customer needs and provides them with operation and life conveniences via a digital interface. These digital solutions are all about improving mobility for the Filipino people,” Ignacio said. Lorenz S. Marasigan

Nippon Steel seeks injunction against Toyota in patent suit

N

ippon Steel Corp. is seeking an injunction against Toyota Motor Corp. to prevent the automaker from manufacturing and selling electric and hybrid vehicles that use a type of steel critical for the performance of motors.

The Japanese steelmaker is alleging an infringement of its patent relating to electrical steel sheets, seeking damages of around 20 billion yen ($177 million), according to a statement Thursday.

Electrical steel sheets are a type of high-grade steel with enhanced magnetic properties that help to limit energy loss. They’re widely used as “iron cores” for electric generators in power plants, electrical products, cars and even vibration motors in mobile phones.

Tatsuo Yoshida, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst, said it’s extremely unusual for a domestic steel supplier to sue an automaker. Electrical steel sheets are a critical part of motors that have a significant impact on performance and efficiency, he said. “I’ve

never heard of anything like this.”

Nippon Steel also Thursday said it’s taking similar action against China’s Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., seeking compensatory damages of around 20 billion yen.

“Nippon Steel conducted discussions with each of Baosteel and Toyota based on its belief that its patent relating to non-oriented electrical steel sheets, which are indispensable materials for automobile electrification, has been infringed,” the Tokyobased company said.

“However, Nippon Steel was unable to reach a resolution of the matter. Nippon Steel is taking these legal actions to protect its intellectual property rights on the alleged products.”

A spokesperson for Toyota said the automaker had confirmed in an earlier contract the patents weren’t infringed, adding it was “very regrettable that we are being sued.”

A representative from Baoshan Iron & Steel wasn’t immediately able to comment. Bloomberg News

mutual funds

October 14, 2021

NAV

One Year Three Year Five Year

per share

Return*

Y-T-D

Return

Stock Funds

ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a

225.83

15.99%

-1.31%

-2.47%

-0.6%

ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a

1.6248

50.49%

6.36%

3.91%

23.75%

ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 3.1303

18.83%

-5.03%

-5.24%

-0.09%

Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7486 11.97%

-3.99% n.a.

-7.9%

First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.7721 13.86%

-0.06% n.a.

4.11%

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

5.0735

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

21.41%

1.73%

-0.4%

2.68%

0.7585

16.48%

-0.51%

-4.34%

-3.23% n.a.

-1.28%

100.56

18.24%

PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a

46.4525

19.01%

0.62%

-1%

-0.83%

Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

485.35

15.78%

0.66%

-1.57%

-0.73%

Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d

1.1297

25.79% n.a. n.a.

2.95%

Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a

1.2688

27.26%

2.4%

0.54%

8.61%

Philequity Fund, Inc. -a

35.3989

21.26%

0.99%

-0.02%

1.81%

Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a

0.9147

18.92% n.a. n.a.

Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a

4.7838

19.99%

Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a

798.56

Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

0.7281

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.6565

19.22%

United Fund, Inc. -a

3.3788

0.19%

1.45%

-0.28%

-0.15%

19.81%

1.46%

-0.34%

-0.38%

19.85%

-2.91%

-3.5%

1.28%

-1.22%

-1.7%

0.9%

1.1%

-0.54%

-0.69%

1.15%

0.52%

1.81%

1.61%

0.16%

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.9114 19.39% 20.71%

-2.31%

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

107.374

20.09%

-0.17%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b

$1.1439

4.56%

6.85%

4.88%

-4.9%

Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.7668

12.11%

12.6%

11.33%

5.62%

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

1.6714

7.67%

1.83%

-0.88%

0.17%

ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a

2.217

9.13%

1.56%

-0.7%

-2.99%

First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.6589

11.62%

3.52%

0.99%

1.22%

First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.1984

9.86% n.a. n.a.

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

3.87%

1.37%

0.79% -2.08%

1.9827

8.43%

PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a

3.7111

7.88%

3.52%

0.08%

Philam Fund, Inc. -a

16.6057

7.95%

3.36%

0.06%

-1.97%

Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a

2.08

9.44%

1.62%

0.19%

-0.53%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.5841 10.82%

0.89%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.9803

-0.55%

0.3%

5.43% n.a. n.a.

-4.14%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.9203

11.99% n.a. n.a.

-3.04%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.9091

13.87% n.a. n.a.

-2.57%

Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a

15.73%

0.9154

1%

-0.64%

0.15%

3.12%

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

$0.03728

-4.68%

2.54%

0.82%

-4.65%

PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b

$1.0605

-0.74%

3.96%

2.71%

-6.15%

9.07%

9.31%

7.92%

3.25%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a $1.1985 3.33%

5.24%

4.06%

-0.31%

0.37%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.6596

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

372.49

1.07%

2.95%

2.42%

ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.9269

-1.3%

1.23%

0.18%

1.4%

Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a

3.2419

1.19%

3.3%

4.13%

0.82%

Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a

2.2485

-1.92%

2.04%

1.27%

-2.17%

-1%

3.11%

1.69%

-1.13%

First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4255 Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a

4.4264

-4.51%

5.35%

1.24%

-4.4%

Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a

1.3167

0.36%

4%

2.61%

-0.35%

Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

3.9664

0.25%

4.71%

2.35%

-0.87%

Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.0224

-1.48%

5.4%

1.59%

-2.02%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1871

0.13%

5.01%

2.71%

-0.59%

Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a

-0.7%

4.23%

2.02%

-1.28%

1.7326

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

$487.61

1.55%

3.04%

2.15%

0.74%

ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a

Є219.72

0.98%

1.02%

0.76%

0.23%

ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b

$1.1803

-5.07%

1.75%

0.97%

-7.77%

First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0258 -2.64%

1.33%

0.63%

-3.01%

PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b

$1.0103

-7.24%

-0.45%

-1.63%

-7.31%

Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a

$2.4529

-2.32%

4.77%

1.65%

-3.43%

Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a

$0.0625118

1.18%

3.21%

1.97%

0.34%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.1007 -3.33%

2.54%

0.47%

-3.81%

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

2.54%

0.76%

First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0558 0.97% n.a. n.a.

130.81

0.73%

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

1.11%

1.3113

1.21% 1.53%

2.95% 2.73%

2.55%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.059

0.85%

1.54% n.a.

0.51%

Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d 1.3121

24.48% n.a. n.a.

16.16%

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

$0.97

2.11% n.a. n.a.

-1.02%

a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU).

1 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last July 8, 2021 (formerly, Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc.).

"While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa.com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Banking&Finance

Leveraging the ‘3Ds’ in associations

3

D is the abbreviated form for three dimensional. In geometry, a three-dimensional shape is a solid figure or object that has width, height and depth.

The 3D I am writing about is not about geometry or about computers, but on the “3Ds” that associations have been living by all these years and yet somehow been neglected or forgotten. The pandemic, however, has brought back these “3Ds” into the consciousness of associations. I am referring to the following “3Ds”: 1. Dedication to purpose.

Purpose strikes at the very core of an association’s raison d’etre and answers these basic questions: “Why do you do what you do?”, “Why do you exist?” and “Why do you serve your cause?” So purpose is the beacon that guides your association and answers the “Why?” In a multi-year research entitled “7 Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don’t,” one of the attributes of success is the alignment of member services to purpose. According to the study done a decade ago by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), service offerings of successful associations have been consistent with their purpose and have remained central and unchanging even in the midst of changes in the external environment.

2. Delivery of value.

There are at least four value propositions an association provides its members: n Learning, i.e., education (training programs, conferences, etc.) and certification programs; n Knowledge, in the form of publications such as bulletins, newsletters, journals, books, and magazines, as well as other content from website, surveys and research studies; n Community, in terms of special interest groups, professional sections, online and offline networking, benchmarking and best practices, volunteering opportunities in committees, councils and task forces; and, n Advocacy, i.e., lobbying, formulating policy positions, providing testimonies and specialized information.

Association World Octavio Peralta Delivering these values with exceptional content and experiences provide impetus to the sustainability of the association.

3. Digital savviness.

Long before digital transformation in organizations became in vogue, leading associations have already embraced and embedded digital technology solutions into their operations and service delivery systems. Others that have put theirs in the back burner are now slowly accelerating digitalization because of the pandemic. Digita lization can be in: n Business models (transforming the way you sell, e.g., e-commerce); n Processes (using IT to improve productivity and efficiency, e.g., workflows, process integration); n Data (acquiring, integrating and using of data, e.g., data analytics); n Cost reduction (reducing costs with digital ways of doing things, e.g., automation, e-procurement); n Marketing (using digital tools to promote, sell and market, e.g.

CRM, social media marketing, digital advertising); n K n o w l e d g e (c a p t u r i n g knowledge through digital tools, e.g., content management, LMS); and, n Communication (using digital communication tools for internal and external communication, e.g., audio and video conferencing, virtual workplaces).

3D is a lifelike representation of a person or a thing while the “3Ds” above represent and embody the life of the association.

The column contributor, Octavio Peralta, is Founder and CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives. The PCAAE is holding the Associations Summit 9 (AS9) on November 24 and 25, 2021. The two-day virtual event is supported by the Tourism Promotions Board. E-mail inquiries@adfiap.org for more details on AS9.

BusinessMirror

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Friday, October 15, 2021

B3

Philippines top target of financial-system hackers

T

By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

HE Philippines is the top target of bank trojans in Asia-Pacific (APAC) from 2019 up to 2021, especially after the country ramped up the digitization of its financial system, data from an international cybersecurity and anti-virus provider showed.

Historical data from Kaspersky Security Network showed that, in terms of regional distribution, the Philippines logged the highest number of unique users attacked in the Asia-Pacific region at 22.26 percent of all banking Trojans discovered in the region.

The republic is followed by Bangladesh at 12.91 percent, Cambodia

at 7.16 percent, Vietnam at 7.0 percent and Afghanistan at 7.02 percent.

Bank trojans work by either trying to obtain access credentials or one-time passwords to online bank accounts or manipulate the user and hijack control for a live online banking session.

“Banking trojans are one of the most dangerous species in the mal-

ware [malicious software] world,” Kaspersky said. “To put it simply, they are used to steal money from users’ bank accounts.”

Kaspersky Director of Global Research and Analysis Team for Asia-Pacific Vitaly Kamluk said the pandemic extended the use of this technology significantly further, particularly in emerging economies in Southeast Asia and South Asia.

The surge in reliance on technology for almost every financial activity—from opening bank accounts to online payment—has contributed to the rise in malware attacks as well.

Just last week, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported that 20.1 percent of monthly payments volume were done digitally by the end of 2020, improving from the 17 percent digital transactions in the first six months of 2020.

The value of digital payments, likewise, substantially grew from 25 percent to 26.8 percent for the same period.

“We see that it will continue to

pose a significant threat to both financial organizations and individuals here as we continue to see more users and startups dipping their feet into the digital payments field,” Kamluk said.

The security expert said individuals must regularly update their software and must pay attention to security alerts. Financial consumers must also be suspicious in communications and use complex passwords.

In the early months of the pandemic, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported losses last year amounted to P60.6 million or 54.5 percent of all total bank losses in March to May alone.

Broken down, 80.5 percent of all cyber incidents reported were credit card and Internet banking-related, accounting for 79 percent of total losses.

The BSP said the majority of these threats were in the form of phishing emails and malicious websites, some even disguised as Covid-response campaigns.

Development banks told to ramp up green ambitions

T

HE world’s multilateral development banks must boost their green ambitions to stop carbon emissions from soaring in the most powerful economies, according to the Climate Transparency Report 2021.

Covid-19 lockdowns caused carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector to fall 6 percent in 2020, but a rebound of 4 percent is projected across the Group of 20 nations this year. Argentina, China, India and Indonesia are expected to exceed their 2019 emissions levels before next year.

Governments channel financing through multilateral development banks, or MDBs, by providing direct funding and encouraging private investments. Steering this money away from high-carbon assets is crucial for meeting the Paris

Agreement’s goals, according to the report.

Organizations such as the World Bank are under pressure from the United Nations to accelerate the green transition. They’ve been criticized for not doing enough to encourage more capital investments from the private sector to accelerate the transition to clean energy.

Earlier this year, the G-20 called on MDBs to align their activities and investments with the 2015 Paris accord before high-stakes global climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, kick off at the end of this month. They also were urged to provide new financial tools and funding instruments to boost green activities.

“The pace is falling short of the mission at hand,” Angela Picciariello, senior research officer at global affairs think tank Overseas Devel-

opment Institute, said at a press conference.

It’s not just about money. Access to technology is a major issue, said Erik Berglof, chief economist of Beijingbased Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. “MDBs must become a platform to help bring together technology providers and those who use them,” he said.

MDBs should work with financial institutions and companies to reduce their carbon footprints, Berglof said. While MDBs have made commitments to become Paris-aligned, meeting those obligations will be a “very difficult process” requiring drastic changes, he said.

There has been some progress.

In May, the Group of Seven nations pledged to stop using public financing for new coal power plants, while the US stepped away from gas proj-

ects through MDBs. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development vowed to stop investing in upstream oil and gas projects by the end of 2022 to align. China also committed to stop building coal plants overseas.

But G-20 nations are responsible for 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. With COP26 just over two weeks away in Scotland, the report urged countries whose targets don’t align with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels to submit stronger ones.

“G-20 countries are really late.

Late with 2030 climate targets, fossil fuel phase-out plans and climate finance packages,” European Climate Foundation CEO Laurence Tubiana said. “The G-20 needs to move mountains.” Bloomberg News

Demand moves BPI AIA to revive insurance plan

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

B

PI AIA Life Assurance Corp., formerly BPI-Philam Life Assurance Corp., announced last Thursday it has reintroduced to the local market a long-term insurance product that requires shorter payment terms.

According to BPI AIA CEO Surendra M. Menon, the product called “Build Life Plus,” is a savings and life insurance plan on 5-year and 7-year pay terms. It includes protection up to age 100, investment in chosen

fund, accident and health coverage, waiver of premium and optional critical-illness coverage and hospitalconfinement benefits.

“The pandemic has reminded people once again of the importance of being insured, being protected, hence the increase in inquiries about our products,” Menon said. “Notable though was the demand for products that had a shorter-pay period, some customers would much rather complete the payment within 5 years to 7 years versus spreading it out and paying longer.”

The executive said that was the

reason “we brought back the shorter pay variants of Build Life Plus.”

“It has been consistently one of our best-selling products over the years and this will provide more options for Filipinos looking for insurance coverage,” Menon was quoted in a statement as saying.

He further explained that the plans’ 5-pay or 7-pay “is well-suited for clients who are planning to invest and, at the same time, provide insurance coverage, such as those building a retirement fund, setting aside a contingency fund for their business or assets, or preparing for

their children’s education.”

According to documents provided by BPI AIA, the product’s component-investment funds are managed by BPI Asset Management and Trust Group (BPI AMTG) and BPI Investment Management Inc. (BIMI) and will be invested based on the policyholder’s needs and risk appetite.

Menon urges entrepreneurs, professionals and tenured overseas Filipinos, in addition to BPI’s preferred banking clients to avail of the plan to prepare for their future and their family’s needs.

Gold holds biggest gain on steady high inflation

G

OLD steadied after its biggest advance in seven months as investors weighed concerns around stubbornly high inflation and the looming reduction in stimulus.

The US consumer price index rose in September by more than forecast, resuming a faster pace of growth and underscoring the persistence of inflationary

pressures in the economy. The yield on 10-year Treasuries fell after an initial increase following the data released Wednesday, boosting demand for noninterest-bearing bullion. Data Thursday showed China’s factory-gate prices grew at the fastest pace in almost 26 years last month, adding to global inflation risks.

Meanwhile, minutes of last month’s

Federal Reserve meeting showed that officials broadly agreed they should start tapering bond purchases in mid-November or mid-December amid increasing concern over inflation. The pandemic-era stimulus measures were one of the key pillars in bullion’s rally to a record last year.

“Gold might actually start catching a strong bid if high inflation persists, which

is a big switch from earlier in the year where taper fears dominated inflation fears,” said John Feeney, business development manager at Sydney-based bullion dealer Guardian Gold Australia. “Historically, gold tends to perform very well in inflationary environments, so it makes sense for the market to turn bullish if inflation continues to beat.” Bloomberg News

NEW MEMBER Socorro N. Bartolome (seated, right), managing partner of the Ma. Socorro N. Bartolome CPA Accounting and Auditing Services and currently Dean of the Institute of Business and Accountancy at the Baliwag Polytechnic College, signed a Memorandum of Agreement as a new member of Alas Oplas Alliance Firms at their office in Bustos, Bulacan, last September 29, 2021. Alas Oplas Alliance Firms President Donnies T. Alas (seated left) graced the event together with members (standing, from right) Eden Santos and Gerry Orosco. Alas Oplas Alliance Firms has now nine members in Bulacan such as: SJS & Co., CPAs; DRTorres and Co., CPAs; Osmundo Salonga Jr. Accounting Services; LM Gonzales and Co., CPAs; Elsa Liwanag-Tinsay, CPAs Co.; Mirasol Patawaran Mercado Accounting Services; MLEC Accounting Services; and, Orosco Accounting Office. Alas Oplas Alliance Firms is an association of independent CPA practitioners and firms that delivers invaluable training and tools that help its members to be equipped with necessary skills to providing first-rate services to their own clients. To date, the alliance has more than 130 partners and 79 firms in 13 regions nationwide. Photo courtesy Alas Oplas Alliance Firms

PayMaya to sell micro-insurance products via deal with Singapore’s Bolttech

F

INANCIAL technology player PayMaya Philippines Inc. announced it has partnered with the Singapore-based Bolttech Group to sell micro-insurance to Filipinos through its mobile platform.

The company, which is a unit of a PLDT Inc. subsidiary, said it housed in-

surance products under a sub-portal in the PayMaya app.

The company said it will sell plans that will cover dengue and Covid-19 cases and permanent total disability as well as insurance for mobile devices.

“Our initial offers for health insurance and device protection are very rel-

evant now, especially among our younger customers,” PayMaya President Shailesh Baidwan was quoted in a statement as saying.

PayMaya’s announcement came a month after competitor Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (GFII) launched in September an online-shopping insurance

also with Singapore-headquartered regional insurtech Igloo-operator Axinan Pte Ltd. GFII, which owns and operates the e-wallet app “GCash,” said the insurance is underwritten by Singapore-based PGA Sompo Insurance Corp.

While GFII said the move is to insure its customer base, Paymaya’s Baidwan

said theirs is part of the firm’s goal of “strengthening the digital financial services industry in the Philippines.”

“Our goal is to bring more insurance and other protection products closer to the hands of every Filipino. Our deep understanding of our customers combined with Bolttech’s leading-edge ex-

pertise will enable us to achieve this,” Baidwan said.

Bolttech Philippines General Manager Moritz Gastl said he sees the “sachet-sized” insurance as tailored-fit for the country’s predominantly young and underserved market.

Lorenz S. Marasigan

B4

Friday, October 15, 2021 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

Relationships BusinessMirror

Tech-savvy, but still backward

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

z

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Dominic West, 52; Vanessa Marcil, 53; Emeril Lagasse, 62; Sarah Ferguson, 62.

PHOTO BY KELLY SIKKEMA ON UNSPLASH

Happy Birthday: Take care of what matters most, and you’ll set an example and build a routine that will help you achieve more than anticipated. Don’t settle for less when you deserve and are capable of so much more. Dig in, and enjoy climbing the ladder so everyone can see how capable you are. Express yourself, expand your interests and enjoy the ride. Your numbers are 8, 11, 22, 28, 31, 37, 43.

T

HE Philippines has acquired a reputation for having the most tech-savvy, digitallyforward citizens. Except for the fact that we have the slowest Internet connection in Asia (okay, maybe second to the slowest), we have been quick to shift to new technology especially when Covid-19 kept us mostly at home.

From online shopping to using new streaming sites for our TV and movie fixes, to entertaining followers via TikTok dances (and now for political campaigning purposes), Filipinos are, as my generation used to say, “with it.”

Unfortunately, when it is government that tries to adopt to new technology, we are total failures. It’s either too much tech or none at all. A case in point: On Monday, I went to Ayala TriNoma in Quezon City. To enter, I had to sign up for the Kyusi Pass by scanning a QR code, then get a temperature check. I was there for a haircut and at the salon I frequent, I had to scan their QR code prior to entering and get another temp check.

Done with my haircut, I went to Healthy Options to look for keto bread. Before entering, again another QR code to scan, and yet another temp check. Same thing happened at the other merchants I quickly visited.

I am told that this scene is replicated all throughout the National Capital Region, in most LGUs. Why? What’s the point in all these QR code scans? Should not the LGU pass, in this case the Kyusi Pass, have sufficed? In fact, since we now have this pass, all merchants have to do is actually scan our QR code so we show up in their records that we visited them.

There is also the StaySafe app, which is supposed to be the app to end all apps for contact-tracing purposes. With its promised interoperability with the LGUs’ own apps, we should no longer have to scan another QR code of merchants, or wherever destination we are headed as long as we remain in the Philippines. All we ought to do is show our individual QR code, and our destination’s authorities should be able to scan that code for their contact-tracing records.

I understand the urgency of government trying to contain the spread of Covid-19, and the desire to be able to quickly trace a person’s whereabouts and possible contacts in case the visitor or resident does fall ill. But if government is about serving the people, why is the burden of scanning these QR codes on us?

Our tourism stakeholders also keep complaining about the same issue. If we want to travel from, say, Quezon to Ilocos Norte, we must be prepared to go on the LGU site of our destination and fill out government forms online. Maybe the LGU would issue a QR code or not, and maybe it would require us to be RT-PCR tested, or antigen tested, or merely present our vaccination card, before entry. Again, how illogical given that government has been trying to encourage domestic tourism.

Since prior to the pandemic, many taxpayers have had issues with the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s online tax forms and registration system. One could only fill up forms like the income tax return using a Windows-based computer. If you’re a Mac user, good luck finding a Windows PC since Internet cafés are now a thing of the past. And yet a friend of mine, who is into web site development and all the tech stuff, said it’s quite easy to include Macs and iOS as platforms

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are heading down the right path. Don’t worry about a couple of hiccups along the way. Take a moment to adjust, then carry on with your plans. Your enthusiasm and competence will win favors and lead to an exciting proposal. HHHH

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take a moment to go through each step before you agree to something that can take up time and interfere with your plans. It’s better to be safe than sorry when dealing with money, contracts or your reputation. HH

c

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You’ve got all the right moves. Trust and believe in yourself, and good things will unfold. An opportunity to take on a project that excites you will lead to research and preparation that stimulates your mind and encourages self-improvement and personal growth. HHHHH

d

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You are on the right track, but if you are presumptuous or act in haste, you will make a mistake. Nurture what you are trying to achieve, and take nothing for granted.

Pay attention to detail, and make every move count.

HHHHH

on which these BIR forms should work, and be easily filled up online. He was even willing to do the job for free.

Again, if government is about public service, why make it difficult for us citizens to file our tax returns?

Another problem I encountered recently is the passport application system of the Department of Foreign Affairs. To be fair, DFA’s site is easy to navigate compared to the BIR’s. It doesn’t care what platform you use. And once I was able to secure my appointment date, paying was a breeze. You can pay online, or at select brick-and-mortar sites.

My only issue was, I could not type a period to abbreviate my “Maria” i.e., “MA.” which is the form I have used since I was in nursery school. I didn’t even think it was a problem as I completed my application for passport renewal, although I did notice in the other spaces, like for my home address, I could shorten “street” to “St.” I just chalked it up to being a new system. After all, even some of my credit cards do not bear the “MA.” even if on my original application this is how I wrote my abbreviated my first name.

Unfortunately, after queuing for two hours, the passport staff said I could not proceed because of the missing period in my first name. I tried to explain I would not deliberately miss out on typing in the period symbol on my form, except that the site would not accept it, for some strange reason. Later, one of the staff informed me that some applicants also missed a period in their abbreviated “junior” or JR, for the same reason. It sounds ridiculous, I know.I reported this to DFA officials who have promised to look into the matter. I suggested there should be a way to make these tiny corrections immediately onsite, especially for those renewing their passports. There are also people who forget to write their middle names, apparently.

But I was told that the “no correction” system has been able to cut down on scams perpetrated by unscrupulous individuals in cahoots with some passport insiders. So I suppose we should applaud that. And I know the passport staff was just following protocol, so I understand why they would not budge on my appeal for a common-sense solution despite

this predicament not being my fault.

Surely though, for those renewing their passports, it should be easy to correct such tiny mistakes at encoding, since we have our old passports—official identification issued by the DFA itself—as proof of our complete, certified names and identity. And I suppose that since the agency is computerized, its passport branches can just look up our old files using their central database. It would not even take 10 minutes for the correction to be made onsite.

For now, I will have to redo my application form— the passport staff assured I would be able to type in the bloody period this time—then return to the branch for processing.

Technology can make our lives easy. If only it is used correctly. n

The showbiz spotlight is bigger for Gigi de Lana Continued from B5 The song is a successful melange of Alanis angst, Courtney Love attitude (post Live Through This), and the Pinoy rock sensibilities of Aegis. It’s a weird formula but with the current music landscape leaning into hip-hop, R&B, and electronic influences, this song is a welcome respite hoping to fill the vacuum with pop melodies and a punk attitude. Gigi’s producers quickly land on this equation—clean, spiky but sparkling guitar riffs, punchy live drums— that may seem pretentious for others as it’s still bubblegum compared to authentic rock—but, hey, we should all welcome diversity, right?

Gigi will perform “Sakalam” and a number of her songs in upcoming gigs such as the Filipino music festival “1MX Dubai” and the staging of her very own “YouTube Music Night” digital concert, both in December.

“Sakalam” is out now on various digital music platforms, and you can watch its music video on ABSCBN Star Music’s YouTube channel.

e

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You’ll get your way if you are persistent, generous and entertaining.

Use your charm to dazzle everyone, and you will come out on top. A meaningful relationship will flourish if you are attentive. Plan something unique, and say what’s on your mind. HHH

f

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Don’t wait for someone else to make the first move. If you offer too much information, you’ll put yourself in a vulnerable position. Put pressure where it’s needed, and outmaneuver any competition you encounter. When in doubt, follow your intuition. HHH

g

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Listen to your inner voice, then proceed. It’s up to you to initiate your plans and to follow through. Don’t wait for someone to jump in and take over. Be demonstrative, set the pace and cross the finish line first. HHHHH

h

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Keep a low profile and finish what you start, but don’t present anything until you are satisfied with the results and details. Too much information will lead to confusion or interference. Exude confidence to eliminate competition. HH

i

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Call the shots, and you’ll outperform any competition you encounter. Make plans to kick back and spend time with someone who puts a smile on your face. Romance will lead to a commitment that will improve your life. HHHH

j

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Concentrate on gathering information, clarifying what your options are and making financial decisions that will buy you the freedom to enjoy the comforts and conveniences you desire. Setting up a budget and a plan will ease stress and uncertainty. HHH

k

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Let go of regrets and mistakes, and channel your energy into what matters to you. Dedicating your time and effort to something you feel passionate about will give you a sense of pride and hope for a better future. HHH

l

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Put more effort into the way you look and feel. Spending time updating your image or getting in tiptop shape will make you feel good and bolster confidence to pursue your goals. Trust your instincts, and avoid being taken for granted. HHH Birthday Baby: You are spontaneous, enthusiastic and persistent.

You are playful and charming.

‘it all works out’ by august miller The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Blanket that isn’t warm?

5 Prefix for “loyal” 8 High hairstyle 12 Give the slip 13 Home (in on) 14 “Grammar” is a common one 15 Substantially 18 “___ now or never” 19 B&B relative 20 Comes to light 21 1986 hit about a woman wearing a colorful dress 25 Pass with flying colors 26 (Not my error) 27 Tug 31 Dizzying MoMA works 34 “Butter” nut 36 Compete 37 Sport that may involve clearing gates 40 Magenta or mauve 41 Lights’ counterparts, on laundry night 42 Green spots in deserts 43 Basra’s country 45 Poor grade

46 Full Frontal airer 47 Where a mechanic often works 53 Seedy tropical fruit 56 Feminine pronoun 57 Body scan: Abbr.

58 Grimm fate?...and a hint to the last words of the starred clues’ answers 62 ___-checker 63 Paradise in Genesis 64 Hybrids, e.g.

65 Reproachful sounds 66 Kind of milk or sauce 67 You may like one on Instagram DOWN 1 DMV animal in Zootopia 2 Vaccine administrator, often 3 Auden’s ___ to the Medieval Poets 4 Rainy 5 1992 Cy Young Award winner and AL MVP 6 Nest egg letters 7 Vehicle that soaks up the sun 8 Waiting to be picked up?

9 Things for catching or cooking lobsters

0 Actor Hill of The West Wing 1 11 Lowest digits in Sudoku puzzles 12 Radiate 13 Like Monty Python 16 Take cover 17 Rage 22 ___ and the Real Girl (2007 film) 23 Played a role 24 Small cuts from shavers 28 Alamo alternative 29 Highest digit in Sudoku puzzles, typically 30 Taproom barrels 31 “Fancy seeing you here!”

32 Come down in buckets 33 Acreage, e.g.

34 “Gay” city in a Cole Porter tune 35 Mythical weeper 38 First and last meals together, maybe?

39 Tiny bit, in recipes 44 Gallon fractions 46 You, in the Bible 48 Bronx MLB team, on scoreboards 49 “And ___ what?”

0 Neglects to mention 5 51 “...but I could be mistaken” 52 Casual living space?

53 “As if!”

54 Small batteries 55 “Take your ___” 59 Hubbub 60 Preschooler’s downtime 61 Tegan and Sara, e.g.

Solution to today’s puzzle:

Show BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Friday, October 15, 2021

B5

Critics honor the actors of the decade SHE SAID BYE

WHAT is the reason behind the actress leaving her old network? Was it because she received a better offer? Was it because she had a fight with someone in her old network?

The answer is none of the above. The real reason is that the actress’ old network seemed to take a long time in renewing her contract and she wasn’t actually given any assurance that it would be renewed. So she chose to explore her other options, including a transfer. Her other option would have been freelancing but it doesn’t seem feasible at this time. So when she got feelers from another network, the actress took the plunge.

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T the end of each decade, the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino honors the achievement of the actors and actresses of that period. The award is called the Natatanging Aktor at Aktres ng Dekada.

While the nominations and the win are considered for this prize, the critics group look more to how the actors and actress have created their characters on-screen and developed a presence that participated in and served as witness to the sociopolitical realities of the society in which their cinema is located.

Consistency in the performance and an unerring eye for the good films mark the recipients of the Gawad Dekada. The following are the awardees for the years 2010-2020.

TROLLED BY FANS

FANS of a certain love team are quick to attack every female they see with the actor even if he and his ex seemed to have moved on from the relationship. Even the actor’s career path seems to be swerving as he tries to establish his own identity beyond being the other half of a popular love team. One of the girls being attacked by fans is the actor’s coworker. The fans don’t know that the girl is a lesbian and has no interest in the actor romantically or sexually. She is simply the actor’s co-worker and actually likes his ex. Fans have been harassing even the actor’s family members because they want the former couple to reconcile even when they’re obviously leading separate lives.

REAL PERSONA

THIS woman is a friend and business associate to many celebrities, and on Instagram she portrays a persona that is kind and soft-spoken. But those who have had encounters with this woman say that said persona is assumed and not real. For instance, a tech brand that worked with a famous actor swears that she treated their marketing staff badly and even issued threats like, “You don’t know who I am? I can have your business closed down!” One of the woman’s best friends in showbiz is an actress who can fake being kind and benevolent. So it appears that birds of the same feather flock together.

JOHN LLOYD CRUZ AS if telling us that actors move fluidly between personas given them through screenplays, this actor navigated the tricky arenas of commercial films vis-à-vis the so-called serious films. His power as an actor, though, was not in the commercial success of his works but in the fact that in those more accessible performances, he acquitted himself so well as to merit the attention of film critics. This actor tried his craft in more experimental pieces and imbued them with the same charm that allowed his admirers to discover both his art and the art of the other forms of cinema.

From films that raked in millions, this actor shifted seamlessly to films that the entertainment media would dub as “serious”.

ANGELI BAYANI IN many roles, she was the Everywoman, disappearing in the characters of the mothers, teachers and rebels, and presenting to us the psychologies—the turmoil in the mind, also the acceptance and resignation—in words and actions that appear to be born with this actress. Gritty but warm, brave and judicious, her portrayals are remarkable for their being extraordinary in ordinariness. Known primarily for her work in art-house films and indies, her characters, often marginalized, are always informed with agency and a sense of freedom that, however challenged, are oftentimes sites of learning for the audience. She would be recognized by the Manunuri many times but she would also have her share of international awards.

ALESSANDRA DE ROSSI ALTHOUGH the number of nominations has nothing to with this award, it must be said that this actress and her performances in the lead have been consistently

SOON TO WED

CLOCKWISE: John Lloyd Cruz, Angeli Bayani, Alessandra de Rossi and Nora Aunor

noted by the Manunuri and other critics, a condition that affirms her ascendancy among the actors of her generation. She is gifted with a range that allows her to be comic, tragic, or both; she chooses roles and films that display not only her aesthetics but also her notion of what a woman should be on-screen. Blessed by looks that she can make into images of pulchritude and passion, and possessing an acute sense of the good and the truthful, de Rossi is convincing in any milieu and setting.

NORA AUNOR AN enduring power and a personality on- and offscreen that remains compelling, Nora Aunor remains the Nora Aunor through these years. Her appearances still command attention. She has made comebacks only to those who do not know her but film after

film, new and old audiences are rediscovering her performances. It is a tribute to this actress that she has retained her love for and loyalty to an art form she excels in, and through which she can share her vision and politics. It is a tribute to her art and persona that, of the actors from the Second Golden Age of Philippine cinema, she is still with us, ultimately relevant in her vision. Along the way, during this decade, she has managed to win international awards for her films and recognitions from different institutions acknowledging her contribution to this county’s film industry.

John Lloyd Cruz, Angeli Bayani, Alessandra de Rossi and Nora Aunor will be honored during the Gawad Urian on October 21 to be held online. More details about the awards night will be released soon. ■

The showbiz spotlight is bigger for Gigi de Lana

PUTTING singer Gigi de Lana into a single song category would be difficult. She first gained the showbiz spotlight when she joined Tawag ng Tanghalan singing torch songs, but unfortunately she didn’t bag the grand title. And then she started a YouTube channel where she and her band (Gigi Vibes composed of Jon Cruz, Jake Manalo, LA Arquero and Romeo Marquez) would perform covers of pop songs. At the time, Gigi would be happy if there were around 30 viewers of her livestream.

Then the pandemic happened, and she and her band put out livestreams of their performances and little by little, their following increased. She became viral when she performed “Bakit Nga Ba Kita Mahal Kita?,” a sappy love song originally done in the 1990s by Roselle Nava, where she used harmonic modulation to sing the chorus at heys that went higher and higher. Because of that, her followers and

views now total the millions.

So when news came out that this breakthrough singer would release an album, it was safe to say that her debut single would probably be a love song. After all, with her powerful pipes, a soulful song a la Mariah or Whitney would’ve been apt.

But I was surprised when her first single, released

by Star Music and titled “Sakalam” (it is now in the Spotify Philippines’ Fresh Finds playlist), is a pop rock ballad. According to the press release, the song tackles a person’s struggle to let go of a broken relationship despite the detachment of her partner.

The term is an inverse of the Tagalog word malakas, adding more emphasis to the emotional grief caused by the separation as depicted in the song.

“Habang kinakanta ko ’yung ‘Sakalam’, nasasaktan ako. Nilalagay ko ’yung sarili ko sa song kasi gusto kong kantahin na punong-puno ng soul. Sobrang nakakarelate kasi sa mga pinagdaanan ko rin sa buhay,” shared Gigi.

Produced by ABS-CBN Music creative cirector Jonathan Manalo, “Sakalam” was written by Gigi Vibes members Romeo Marquez and Erwin Lacsa, and arranged by Jon Cruz.

Painful it is, as the song opens with heavy guitars like a B-side Aerosmith song, her vocals are soft and in despair describing how she is lost after a break-up.

GIGI DE LANA with the Gigi Vibes band

CONTINUED ON B4

SO the actress and her longtime boyfriend are said to be talking about marriage now that she is reportedly pregnant.

The actress’ pregnancy is said to be delicate. She also doesn’t want to give birth without being married to her boyfriend, also an actor, as she already has a child with her former boyfriend.

The pandemic is making it difficult for the couple to plan their wedding. The actor wants a grand wedding because his family is asking him to have one, but the actress is more reserved and wants a quiet ceremony with just family and a few friends. One thing is for sure: There will be a wedding and it will be soon.

MEDIA GIANT BOOSTS PRIZES FOR THE HOLIDAYS; NEW ROMANCE ON ‘REGAL STUDIO’

KATHLEEN ANN MORAL (Quezon City), Angeleo Dayag (Cagayan), Jaime Anislogon (Bohol) and Rosalie Capito (Cagayan de Oro) are still on a high from winning the weekly grand cash prize of P100,000 in the first run of this year’s GMA Network promo “Kapuso Bigay Premyo Panalo.” Grace Jean Buringgit (Rizal) is gearing up to change her address after winning the brand-new house-and-lot in the grand draw.

They are just five of the 1,602 winners of the promo, which was launched to bring hope amid the pandemic.

This Christmas season, the GMA promo is back to wrap up the year with extra holiday cheer for Filipinos with “Kapuso Bigay Premyo sa Pasko.” This 10-week promo now gives bigger, more exciting prizes to over 3,000 winners in the daily, weekly and grand draws. There will be 1,400 cash winners of P1,000, 70 winners of P10,000, 50 winners of P100,000, and a grand-prize winner of a brand-new house-and-lot from Lumina Homes. All participants who will include their sari-sari store partner in their raffle entries can win additional prizes for themselves and for their partner sari-sari store. Bigger prizes are also up for grabs for sari-sari store partners as they are set to win up to P25,000 worth of cash prizes.

All non-winning entries from weeks 1 to 10 will be qualified for the grand raffle draw for a chance to win a brand-new house-and-lot from Lumina Homes.

More information on the holiday treat from the media giant can be found at www. gmanetwork.com/GMAPromos. Entries can be submitted until December 17.

Meanwhile on October 17, another heartwarming tale of two childhood friends bound by a promise from the past unfolds in Regal Studio Presents: Promises to Keep on GMA. The episode features the much-awaited reunion of stars Mikee Quintos as Jenny and Kelvin Miranda as Eloy together with Angel Guardian and Tyrone Tan. Eloy (Kelvin) is extremely excited to finally reconnect with his childhood friend, Jenny (Mikee), who left the country to migrate to the US with her family. Eloy is the son of the caretaker of the provincial home owned by Jenny’s family. Eloy can never forget the day of Jenny’s departure. She told him to wait for her, assuring him that she will one day come back. He held on to this promise, and as they meet again, both are happy to relive their childhood memories.

But it appears that Jenny’s homecoming is a form of escape. Eloy must also come to terms with the fact that his best friend, his puppy love, will have to make a difficult choice and may not be able to fulfill her promise in the end.

Regal Studio Presents: Promises to Keep airs this Sunday after Dear Uge, 4:35 pm, on GMA. MIKEE QUINTOS and Kelvin Miranda in Regal Studio Presents: Promises to Keep on GMA.

B6 Friday, October 15, 2021

Cherry continues to expand as it recently opens its fourth concept store at SM Mall of Asia

Party, Play, Panalo with GCash

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IN over Php25M worth of deals and prizes this #GBirthday!.

GCash, the undisputed #1 financial app in the country with over 40 million users to date, will be celebrating their birthday this coming October 1822. With their biggest blowout yet, GCash is hosting over 25 million pesos worth of deals, promos and freebies.

‘Treats on us, every hour, every day’

USING GCash has never been more exciting with over Php25M worth of exclusive freebies, discounts, vouchers, treats, and even grand prizes every hour on the hour so there’s definitely something for everyone! You can even be THE lucky winner of PHP500K GCash credits!

Just tap, pay, and collect!

KEEP an eye out for those promo cards or pop-ups in the app and simply tap, follow the mechanics, purchase from the featured partner merchants through GCash, and collect your gift!

Freebie Day

STARTING October 18, start your day on a high note with FREE vouchers, load, a drink, pizza, shipping, and more whenever you use GCash. Shop at Cignal, HealthNow, The Rare Food Shop, Domino’s Pizza, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Shakey’s, Waltermart, or Bo’s Coffee and get your freebies starting 8am up until 4pm!

Discount Day

GET super saver deals for your groceries, deliveries, snacks, and more with instant discounts of up to 80% OFF for 8 full hours when you use GCash to pay for Borzo, Pickaroo, Bistro Group, Gong Cha, Primer Group, The Rare Food Shop, PureGo and Tinder!

Voucher Day

MAKE paying for essentials more rewarding with vouchers. Pay through GCash at Seaoil, TM and Globe Prepaid, Shell, Globe At Home, Robinsons Supermarket, and Watsons and get your vouchers.

Treats Day

FRIDAY comes early on GCash’s birthday week with all the A+ Rewards you can

enjoy. Tap your A+ Rewards icon on your GCash app to get your dose of feel good treats from Steam, Puregold, Lazada, Shopee, Google, Apple, Spotify and so much more! For sure there will be something new to look forward to, every hour with A+ Rewards!

USE Pay Bills, GSave, GInvest, GLife, Buy Load, or send money via QR on October 22 and get a chance to be one of winners of an iPhone 12, Php100K in GCash credits, or Php500K GCash credits!

To know more about GCash GBirthday, visit: h ttps://www.g ca sh.com/ gbirthday2021; https://www.g cash.com/ gbirthday2021/partners

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HE young and trend-conscious Filipino fans of global smartphone maker vivo have been getting excited for the Philippine release of yet another Y-series phone – the vivo Y33s, which excels at taking great photos and videos! Head on to https://www.vivoglobal.ph/ to know more about this latest smartphone.

There is just no easier way to share cool personal updates on social media, than with a vibrant picture or video. The vivo Y33s captures your best moments clearer.

Described in pilot reviews as a solid midend phone with uber strong photographic prowess, this vivo phone promises to have what it takes to be your all-day fun camera, to capture with a clearer shot your daily stories, in all its flattering details.

Just like its equally nifty predecessor the Y31, the vivo Y33s lives up to vivo Y-series’ chic reputation as being feature-packed yet affordable despite its serious hardware power for fun photography.

Among the phone’s biggest wow-factor

is its Super Night Selfie, which allows for taking great selfies even in poor lighting conditions. Its awesome 50MP rear camera is the main star in its triplecamera setup at the back. Equipped with lightning-fast f/1.8 aperture or opening, you never had to struggle just to take clearer shots, especially when capturing spur-of-the-moment fun times.

Definitely perfect for nighttime outdoor romps, in the garden, by the moonshine, the vivo Y33s’ powerful camera is also equipped with an EIS (electronic image stabilization) technology that provides stability to both photo and video footages.

Allowing ample space to run 25 apps in one go, the smartphone is powered with an 8GB + 4GB of Extended RAM that helps deliver a lag-free performance.

Paired with an octa-core MediaTek Helio G80 processor, this phone is also excellent for all-day gaming. It even has built-in modes which allows users to have more control over incoming calls, such as answering the simultaneously (and hands-free) while playing, plus preselectively accepting or rejecting specific calls, automatically.

The phone’s huge 5000mAh battery is equipped with an 18W Fast Charge, which comes in handy for longer than usual video shoots and selfie sessions, and even for power-hungry game sessions.

Now, you longer need to be tethered to the wall due to battery frailties just when your online phone sessions begin to get more exciting.

For the young and restless TikTokers, vivo Y33s’ gyro-EIS capability should be a huge come-on, as it allows them to broadcast their hilarious antics and cool dance moves with sustained clarity.

Combined with its built-in excellence at night selfies, nothing can stop their budding social media stardom now from shining even after dark.

Even leisurely mobile gamers get a thrill and performance upgrade with this phone, which is definitely a huge plusfactor. Who knows, this might even be the edge you need to beat your mobile game buddies at any day.

Get updated by visiting https://www. vivoglobal.ph/ and vivo’s official Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

CHERRY ensures to safeguard its customers and employees in the new normal by strictly implementing minimum health protocols within the store.

Jollibee welcomes PH’s first Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz as its newest endorser

All out day grand raffle

Experience clearer shots, powerful imaging qualities with vivo Y33s

THE Latest addition to vivo’s ever-growing Y Series boasts of higher image quality with its 50MP rear camera and EIS technology.

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HIS October, CHERRY opens its fourth concept store at SM Mall of Asia, following the successful launches of the SM Calamba, SM Southmall, and SM North EDSA branches.

All succeeding CHERRY concept stores feature a bright and sleek interior, in line with the brand’s goal to open one-stop shops to all its consumers.

Choose from a wide range of products which you can avail of at once—from the Internet of Things , health essentials, home appliances, and of course their phones, tablets, and mobile accessories.

CHERRY is also set to open other concept stores across the Philippines including SM Ecoland Davao, SM Fairview, and SM Bacolod within the year. Moreover,

THE Philippines' first Olympic gold medalist, Hidilyn Diaz, joins the Jollibee family as its newest endorser

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INNING an Olympic gold is no ordinary feat, but Hidilyn Diaz is no ordinary Filipino. The Zamboanga-born weightlifting champion brought honor to the Philippines by winning its first-ever Olympic gold last July. Her challenging but truly meaningful journey to bringing home that coveted gold for the country and how it gave joy and inspiration to the whole nation amidst the bleak new normal.

As a way of honoring Hidilyn’s amazing feat and inspiring the nation, Jollibee Food Group has signed her up to be part of the growing family. Moreover, they also came up with a special Kwentong Jollibee that is based on her inspiring true story.

According to JFC Philippines Country/ Regional Marketing Head and Jollibee Philippines Marketing Head, Francis Flores, Hidilyn’s story of triumph after all deserves to be told and shared to as many people and will surely resonate to millions of viewers across the globe.

“For Hidilyn, the road to gold at the Olympics has been full of ups and downs

but what’s incredibly powerful about her story is that it brings the message of not giving up and working hard for your dreams,” he said. “Aside from being proudly Pinoy, Hidilyn embodies positive values that we at Jollibee also stand for.

We are very proud to welcome her to the Jollibee family.”

Directed by award-winning filmmaker and resident Kwentong Jollibee director Pepe Diokno, the latest Kwentong Jollibee film entitled ‘Ginto’ is centered on how Hidilyn has become a champion and a Filipino icon who proved that hard work and grit pays off. “People can expect an inspiring story about dealing with defeat, and winning with perseverance,” he said.

When asked about her reaction on being part of the Jollibee family as well as being featured in a popular and well-loved series such as Kwentong Jollibee, Hidilyn has this to say: “Syempre I feel honored to be a part of the Jollibee family kasi nga Jollibee, Pinoy yan. Habang lumalaki ako, andyan na yung Jollibee tapos ngayon kasama ang buhay ko sa Kwentong Jollibee. Malaking bagay yun sa akin,” Hidilyn said. “Masaya ako na ang kwento ko ay makakapagbigay ng inspirasyon sa bawat Pilipino lalong-lalo na ngayong pandemya.”

Together with creative agency McCann Worldgroup Philippines, Jollibee hopes that this new Kwentong Jollibee would make a mark in the hearts of Filipinos, just as its previous works have.

“The Kwentong Jollibee films have always been about hugot feelings. It capitalizes on making the Filipinos cry, laugh, go ‘awww’ by using unexpected story narratives about romance, family, and relationships. In this new Kwentong Jollibee, we tried to capture a different kind of hugot - the feeling of pride for the accomplishment of a fellow Filipino,” said NJ Mijares, Creative Director, McCann Worldgroup Philippines.

Catch Hidilyn Diaz’s special Kwentong Jollibee film on Jollibee’s official Facebook page and Jollibee Studios YouTube channel beginning October 15.

Miners’ daughter rises to the top, advocates mental health

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NGINEERING as both a course and a profession is often perceived as a male dominated world. However, as more and more women enter these type of professions, the playing field has become more and more equal.

In Kezia Charity Escleto Rosero’s class in UP Diliman for example, it's 50-50 boys and girls, with Kezia being one of the Top 3 in the recent Metallurgical Engineering board exams held last October 2 to 4.

Born to Eng. Cynthia Escleto Rosero, the Philippine mining industry’s first and only woman Resident Mine Manager (RMM) and Engr. Elmo C. Rosero, a Mining Engineer at RTN, it was no surprise that Kezia developed a deep love for science at a young age. However, her compassionate nature also showed a different side of her when she was asked for advice for young aspiring engineers.

“Take care of your mental health,” she said, recalling all the times she took things too seriously that she felt at one point that studying was a burden instead of a privilege.

For Kezia, she feels that young adults these days face many undefined mental pressures because of how the world has opened up wide for them and whether consciously or otherwise, many are taken

off guard. However, she also believes that her generation is prepared for the future because, like her, they have access to all the information they need to be able to make a sound decision and choose a worthy path.

“Just like the debate about mining in Palawan – I understand the science.

As a young person, I am aware of my responsibilities to Climate Change and what’s at stake in the future and I will forever be a student of social science so I know what I am getting into and I am sure many young scientists like me, do,” Keiza declares.

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

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AGNOLIA and TNT Tropang Giga try again to finish off their semifinals opponents on Friday in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Don Honorio Ventura State University gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

But for veteran playmaker Mark Andy Barroca, Magnolia is facing a very dangerous Meralco side in their 6 p.m. encounter that even though they are ahead in the raceto-four series at 3-2, they cannot put their guards down.

“It’s very hard for us to allow Meralco to level the series by winning two straight games that will not only force a Game Seven, but give the Bolts the momentum,” said Barroca, who had 25 points, six rebounds and

Sports BusinessMirror

Magnolia, TNT try to finish off semis foes four assists in their Game Five defeat, 98-102, last Wednesday.

“We controlled the game all throughout, but Meralco got the breaks at crunch time, so we have to come out strong to close the series,” Barroca said.

Magnolia is eyeing a 17th Philippine Cup and 30th overall Finals appearance.

Barroca pinned his resurgence in the Philippine Cup—averages of 11.36 points, 3.45 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 11 games played—on the birth of his third child Noah on Monday at Medical City in Pasig City.

“They are my inspiration, my

family,” said Barroca, referring to wife Russel Alinea, nine-year-old daughter Natalie, two-year-old Nathan and their newly-born baby. “I am at the bubble for more than two months now. It’s a great sacrifice not to see my family.”

Meralco, on the other hand, is determined to send the series to a Game Seven after the return of big man Raymond Almazan from a sprained left ankle and Jammer Jamito and point guard Trevis Jackson (health and safety protocols).

“Same situation for us, we are fighting to stay alive versus Magnolia,” Meralco Coach Norman

Black said, adding that his son Aaron Black has recovered from a dislocated right hand. “Allein [Maliksi] fractured a bone under his eye socket but he will wear a protective mask and is probable for the game.”

Maliksi scored 29 points in Game Five on 7-of-8 shooting from the three-point zone.

TNT, after routing San Miguel Beer in Game 5, 110-90, for a 3-2 lead, is aiming for an eighth Philippine Cup and 21st overall Finals appearance.

“We need to be better in Game Six,” said TNT Coach Chot Reyes said. Josef Ramos

Friday, October 15, 2021 B7

MARK BARROCA is contributing significant numbers for the Hotshots.

By Josef Ramos

OR Hidilyn Diaz, the celebration and vacation are over. More so the non-sports commitments—TV appearances, photo shoots, product endorsements, etc.

Diaz, the country’s first Olympic gold medalist, busied herself the past three days packing what are essential for her recalibration as a champion weightlifter.

She and now head coach cum strength and conditioning Coach Julius Naranjo are headed back to Malacca in Malaysia on Saturday to train for the International Weightlifting Federation World

Championships set from December 7 to 17 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

And Diaz is as motivated as she was when she set her sight on that gold in Tokyo three months ago.

“I am still an athlete, still hungry to achieve my goals,” Diaz told BusinessMirror on Thursday.

“It’s still in my blood as an athlete, I feel that I still need to compete.”

Diaz now ranks as one of the greatest Filipino athletes ever, having ended a close to a century wait for that first Philippine Olympic gold medal. She did it in style in Tokyo as Team Hidilyn parlayed a battle of strength with the barbel into a brilliant chess match that caught a Chinese world champion dumbfounded and lost

the mint in the process.

“Like what I said in preview interviews, I am not stopping despite winning an Olympic gold or after achieving the goal,” said the 30-year-old Diaz, who was promoted to Staff Sergeant at the Philippine Air Force upon her arrival from Tokyo in July.

“It’s not just because I needed to, but I am doing this for the love of what I am doing and this is my lifestyle,” she said. “Goal setting again.”

The gold was worth a windfall of incentives for Diaz with financial experts saying the pride of Barangay Mampang in Zamboanga City could have raked in P100 million in cash and material

TOKYO Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz and now head coach Julius Naranjo return to their condominium unit in Eastwood after another hectic day.

bonuses and endorsements—not to mention brand-new houses and lots and a posh condominium unit.

Diaz will stick with the women’s 55-kg class in Tashkent, targeting to add the only gold medal missing in her collection after successful runs in the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games and Philippines 2019 Southeast Asian Games that preceded her successful Tokyo Olympics campaign.

“I would like to say that every competition is important, yes the world championships are very important,” she said. “That’s the only one missing.”

She stressed that once they step on Malaysia it will definitely be “pure and serious training.”

“It’s always going back to basics.

It’s a six- to eight-hour training session a day, mental preparation, diet and recovery,” Diaz said.

Diaz, however, will no longer have at her side Chinese coach Gao Kaiwen, who is back in his native Beijing with his family. Gao, like Diaz and Naranjo, were locked down for more than a year in Malacca.

And while her focus has shifted back to training, Diaz congratulated young weightlifters Rose Jean Ramos for winning two gold medals and a silver and Jeaneth Hipolito for bagging a bronze in the recent IWF Youth World Championships in Jeddah.

“It’s really a very big accomplishment for our weightlifters. I am very proud of them,” Diaz, who set herself up for Tokyo by clinching silver at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, said.

The young weightlifters are coached by her cousin Allen Diaz at the Hidilyn Diaz Weightlifting Gym in Mampang.

International big men rule NBA with all-around skills

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TLANTA Hawks coach Nate McMillan believes big men entering the league from other countries thrive because they were taught the fundamentals of the game at a young age.

That grasp of the all-around game has helped international big men dominate the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Last season’s MVP voting confirmed the return to prominence of big men in the NBA. The voting also highlighted the dominance of big men from other countries.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic of Serbia was the MVP winner, followed by Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid from Cameroon. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo from Greece finished fourth in the voting and was the NBA Finals MVP. Golden State’s Stephen Curry was third as the only guard in the top four.

Meanwhile, Utah’s Rudy Gobert from France won his third defensive player of the year award. Atlanta’s Clint Capela from Switzerland was the NBA’s top rebounder.

McMillan says some US players

are missing the lessons of the “triple threat” skills of shoot, pass and dribble toward the basket that were learned by the players in other nations.

“I just think they come in with the basic fundamentals, more so than our players do,” McMillan said Tuesday.

“It used to be a lot of that, but now our guys are not spending as much time in those types of programs.... You don’t spend four years in college anymore where coaches can develop those basic fundamentals of the triple threat.”

McMillan then paused before asking, “You know the triple threat? You say that to one of our guys and it’s like ‘Give me the ball and let me just...’”

McMillan didn’t have to finish the sentence. He could have said “Let me just dunk” or “let me just score.”

Jokic, who averaged 8.3 assists while also posting big scoring and rebounding numbers, flourished while also making his teammates better.

Jokic isn’t motivated to

dominate the spotlight on the court. That’s also the way he lives.

“I don’t want to raise my celebrity status,” Jokic said. “You can control that in some way. I don’t have social media.... I would rather nobody knows me than everybody knows me, you know. So, it’s much better if nobody knows me.”

Embiid couldn’t escape the spotlight while averaging 28.5 points last season. He added 2.8 assists per game and wants to be known for his play on the other end of the court.

“I have aspirations to be the defensive player of the year,” Embiid said at the 76ers preseason media day. “I think I have to be more active and it’s hard to do because offensively I’m also asked to do a lot. I don’t mind. I love it. I love carrying a team on both ends. I think that’s what probably makes me special, because I do it on both ends.”

Capela led the league with 14.3 rebounds while making almost 60 percent of his shots from the field and adding two blocks per game.

Capela’s rebounding and defense

were big reasons the Hawks beat Embiid’s 76ers to reach the Eastern Conference finals.

The wave of international big men also includes such players as Phoenix’s Deandre Ayton from the Bahamas, Chicago’s two-time All-Star Nikola Vucevic from Switzerland and Dallas center and power forward Kristaps Porzingis, who is from Latvia.

Capela said international big men “embrace our role.”

Capela said his role is, “Make sure that I do my work. Make sure I finish whenever I get the ball inside.... You rebound, you create extra possessions. You erase mistakes with blocks. I take pride in that.”

The international big men also support each other.

“I’ve known Jokic since I was in high school,” Capela said. “Joel for a long time.

Rudy since I was back in high school as well. We’ve known each other and support each other.” AP

U

NIFICATION WORLD title bout could become a reality sooner for reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight world champion Jerwin Ancajas as a potential December showdown with World Boxing Organization (WBO) Kazuto Ioka in Japan was already in the works.

International matchmaker and Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons confirmed on Thursday that the negotiation for a unification world title bout with the camp of the 32-year-old Japanese Ioka (27-2 win-loss record with 15 knockouts) has just started.

“We are working with a unification fight with Ioka,” Gibbons told Businessmirror through an overseas call, noting the bout in enemy’s territory in Japan is just fine. “It’s fine and no problem with Japan, but we just have to figure out the quarantine restrictions.”

Gibbons added that it was difficult to hold the fight in the US due to monetary concern.

“Nobody in the US will pay for the fight. We have to follow the money,” Gibbons explained, noting that if negotiation fails they will just get a regular fight in the US in December.

Ancajas (33-1-2 win-loss-draw record with 22 knockouts) has been dreaming of a unification world title fight after his latest unanimous decision victory over Jonathan Javier Rodriguez last April 10 in Connecticut.

The 29-year-old Panabo, Davao del Norte pride was elated when he was called out by Ioka last September 1 for a unification bout after his victory against Mexican challenger Francisco Rodriguez via unanimous decision in Japan. Josef Ramos

HIDILYN BACK TO WORK, FOCUSES ON WORLDS F

Ancajas faces Ioka in unification duel

Adiwang seeks to humble brash Brooks

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T’S a rare sight to see Team Lakay fighters seethe and seemingly lose their cool but brash new One signee Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks has apparently struck a chord with the Igorot warriors that Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang couldn’t help but fight fire with fire and respond to his trash talk.

“I think he’s just an unlucky guy who talks and acts like a monkey. I guess that’s why he calls himself ‘The Monkey God’ because he will try to bluff and get in his opponents’ head before the fight and that’s really all he could do,” Adiwang said.

That’s why Adiwang is just looking forward to his strawweight clash against Brooks, which takes place at One: NextGen III, a tapedelayed event from Singapore that airs on November 26.

Adiwang can’t wait to put the American in his place.

“I am ready to humble him and show him that the lions in this division eat monkeys like him for breakfast,”

the 28-year-old Baguio-based fighter said.

For Adiwang, this fight is all about earning respect.

From the moment Brooks came to the scene in One Championship, the American wasn’t shy in directing his verbal attacks at the reigning One strawweight world champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, telling the Filipino titlist that he would “rip him apart” and show that he’s the undisputed best strawweight in the world.

And how proverbial is it that it is Adiwang who Brooks has drawn for his promotional debut.

The fight between the One Super Series contract winner and the Fight Matrix strawweight lineal champion is actually one that is seven months in the making—that was until Adiwang tested positive for Covid-19 and forced the bout’s cancellation.

Since then, the Filipino rising star has come back stronger, besting Chinese foe Hexigetu at One: Revolution in September with a dominant unanimous decision triumph as he has won nine of his last 10 fights.

NIKOLA JOKIC, who averages 8.3 assists while also posting big scoring and rebounding numbers, flourishes while also making his teammates better. AP

Motoring BusinessMirror

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

B8

Editor: Tet Andolong

Friday, October 15, 2021

Parex pits good versus evil I

N his usual cool demeanor, Ramon Ang is taking things in stride amid mixed reactions to his newest venture, the Parex (Pasig River Expressway).

Never known to surrender that easily even when his detractors try to peddle lies if only to muddle issues, Ang has vowed to do things one at a

time in his assiduous mission to pursue the 19.3-kilometerlong Parex project. Already, he has energetically ordered the dredging of the country’s famed waterway relentlessly, initially earmarking P2 billion to revive the biologically dead river.

Some 54,000 metric tons of silts and wastes had been removed in just 3 months in preparation for the P95-billion Parex.

“We will continue to clean the Pasig River no matter what happens,” said Ang, the San Miguel Corp. president and

who is affectionately described as the nation’s “Father of Expressway” by Ed Pamintuan, the former Angeles City mayor and presently chair of the Clark Development Corp.

“We’ve been dredging the Tullahan River in Malabon since 2020 to help address flooding and to support the government’s Manila Bay rehabilitation program,” Ang said. “Since July this year, we’ve been doing the same to the Pasig River.”

Ang’s Parex, a road wonder when finally completed, will be an elevated highway connecting

Road 10 in Tondo, Manila, to the Circumferential Road 6 in Taytay, Rizal.

An SMC project in cooperation with government agencies like DENR, DPWH and DOTr, and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, the Parex will pass through the cities of Manila, Makati, Pasig and Taguig using the banks (not the river’s central nerve as critics wrongly assert) of the Pasig River.

The world-class Parex will include a Bus Rapid Transit, bicycle lanes, and pedestrian walkways, plus a green architecture and a nature’s view motif.

While the Pasig River cleanup will radically help mitigate flooding issues in both the metropolis and the floodprone provinces around Laguna Lake, the Parex will tremendously decongest traffic in Metro Manila’s east to west routes.

It bothers that some groups even label the Parex project as a Pasig River killer—an absolute lie as the Parex will actually be the long-awaited boon to breathe new life to the long-neglected waterway.

Instead of rallying around Ang’s unselfish efforts to sustain his road

groundwork strategies necessary for nation building, we sadly see instead counter-productive forces out to sabotage well-meaning thrusts for growth.

I can even smell a demolition job as some sectors seem to be drawing a wedge between SMC and Palafox Associates, Ang’s choice to shepherd the Parex.

They will fail as good will always triumph over evil.

PEE STOP Deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Dino Directo, the Manila Times motoring editor who succumbed to cardiac arrest last weekend following complications from abdomen surgery. Dino and I had this lifetime contest of who’d rise up and be first at the coffee shop ahead of the pack during motoring coverages.

A gourmand, Dino would always win.

During the rare times that I’d beaten him, he’d say, “Napasarap nang konti ang tulog ko, Sir.” And then, before we’d sip our coffee, he’d sidle up to me and say, “Sinadya kong magpahuli para manalo ka naman, Sir.” I will deeply miss him. Enjoy your vacation, Dino.

Honda introduces new PM2.5+ Cabin Air Filter

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onda Cars Philippines, Inc. is pleased to announce the availability of an upgraded PM2.5+ Cabin Air Filter. This is Honda’s latest offer to its customers to help win the battle versus covid and all its variants.

The new PM2.5+ cabin air filter costs only P950.00 + VAT and comes with a 19-percent discount until October 20.

Book now with the Honda dealer nearest you or visit www.hondaphil.com for more information.

Now more than ever, people have a renewed appreciation for health and clean air. To help with the nagging fight against the pandemic, as well as asthma, and other respiratory illnesses, responsible vehicle owners take it upon themselves to ensure that their cars are well maintained for these reasons as well. For Honda’s part, this latest PM2.5+ Cabin Air Filter provides 90-99-percent

protection from dreadful viruses and bacteria. The dustcollecting filter has a high collection efficiency for various kinds of particles such as dust, molds, volcanic ash, outside emissions, and cigarette smoke.

The new PM2.5+ improves the vehicle’s interior air quality by filtering out external and internal pollutants.

Furthermore, the new antimicrobial coating creates a fast, eliminating reaction on viruses and bacteria. It releases Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) that allows germicidal effect in the coating’s proximal area. This prevents microbial adhesion on the surface of the filter, making it clean from future contaminants.

Visit the Honda Dealer nearest you to know more about the Honda PM2.5+ Cabin Air Filter. Visit Honda Cars Philippines, Inc.’s VIRTUAL SHOWROOM at www. hondaphil.com for the latest news and promos.