BusinessMirror October 16, 2020

Special defense ecozone faces rough sailing A S the Senate continues its debate on the proposed Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, the Department of Finance (DOF) once again expressed its opposition to the proposed Special Defense Economic Zone (SpeDEZ) Act, saying the bill runs counter to their current tax reform proposal to rationalize incentives.

The measure seeks to establish a special defense economic zone inside the government arsenal defense industrial estate located in Camp Gen. Antonio Luna in Limay, Bataan.

Relaying the key points of DOF’s posi-

WITH Skyway Stage 3 now complete, the Edsa Decongestion Program is well underway, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar said on Thursday as he inspected a section of the 18-km link between the northern and southern portions of Metro Manila. Story on page A8. PHOTO COURTESY OF DPWH

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tion paper on the bill, Finance Director Rowena S. Sta Clara on Thursday told the Senate Committee on Finance, “The policy of creating economic zones as a tool to promote the development should be viewed not just in the context of investment and jobs generated but also in terms of to the government of establishing the same.”

The tax incentive provisions, Sta. Clara said, “are not aligned with the current tax reform proposal of the DOF under the CREATE, which aims to rationalize the country’s incentive system to make it performance-based, targeted, time-bound and transparent system.”

Apart from the proposed tax incen-

tives, the proposed creation of Special Defense Economic Zone Authority (SpeDEZA) also did not sit well with the DOF.

“The creation of SpeDEZA as another governmental body is no longer necessary. The Philippine Economic Zone Authority [Peza] was created to provide the legal framework for the creation, operation, administration and coordination of economic zones in the country,” Sta. Clara said. “Hence, the proposal would duplicate the functions of Peza and runs counter to government efforts in streamlining the bureaucracy and promoting fiscal prudence in the allocation of resources.”

The finance official also said they fa-

vored scrapping the proposed provision exempting SpeDEZA-registered manufacturers and suppliers of defense equipment and materials from the provisions of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

“We recommend the proposed exemption be removed as under Section 4 RA 9184, procurement activities of all government agencies and entities shall be governed by the provisions of the law. This is to promote good governance, transparency, accountability, equity efficiency and economy in the procurement process,” she said.

See “Defense,” A2

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business

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DATA CHAMPION

ERRING RICE IMPORTERS DELAY PAYING CHARGES www.businessmirror.com.ph

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n

Friday, October 16, 2020 Vol. 16 No. 8

Salceda to Senate: CREATE can’t wait

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) said some erring rice importers have availed themselves of legal remedies to avert paying charges for their “undervalued” shipments last year, as farmers pressed authorities to move more quickly against violators to plug the huge revenue drain of the government.

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

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HE chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means on Thursday urged the Senate to now approve the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, saying the lower chamber is always ready to adopt the Senate version of the proposal, if only to fast-track its approval.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda reiterated that CREATE is one of the “legislative imperatives” that economic managers identified for the country’s economic recovery amid the pandemic.

He stressed that the House is ready to accept a fiscally sustainable Senate version.

The Senate is currently deliberating its own version of CREATE, and many amendments to the bill are causing prolonged discussions.

The first plank of CREATE— immediately cutting by 5 percent the corporate income tax (CIT) of 30 percent—has universal support. The proposal further offers more flexible incentives, with an immediate 5-percent income tax slash, after which the CIT will be reduced by 1 percent every year from 2023 to 2027 until it reaches the 20-percent mark.

However, the bill’s second major plank, the rationalization of tax incentives, has drawn a lot of controversy, with business groups saying it’s untimely to deprive investors and economic zone locators of incentives while the economy gouged by the pandemic quarantines is struggling to survive.

On Thursday, Salceda sought to push the pace of Senate approval faster. He said, “We will adopt it

Customs Assistant Commissioner and spokesman Vincent Philip Maronilla told the BusinessMirror on Thursday they have yet to collect the total P1.4 billion charged to over 40 erring rice importers, majority of which are farmers’ cooperatives. However, Maronilla has yet to disclose exactly how many of the rice importers resorted to the legal remedies and how many of those who availed themselves of legal remedies are farmers’ cooperatives.

Continued on A2

PIRACY MAY BE COSTING SUBSCRIPTION VIDEO ON DEMAND IN PHL $120M

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By Rizal Raoul Reyes

HE Philippines ranks third among East and Southeast Asian countries in terms of subscription video on demand piracy, which restrains the growth of the creative industry and deprives the government of tax revenues, a trade association disclosed in a virtual briefing.

“While legal SVOD [subscription video on demand] monetization is growing, piracy remains pervasive in the Philippines,” Neil Gane, general manager of Asia Video Industry Association’s (AVIA) Coalition Against Piracy, said in a virtual roundtable on Thursday organized by Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute.

AVIA is an industry association composed of multichannel TV broadcast, digital multichannel television, content, platforms, advertising and video delivery service providers across Asia.

Although the Media Partners Asia report indicates that SVOD is projected to become a $250-million industry in the Philippines this year, Gane pointed out that the industry would lose about $120 million to piracy.

“Piracy is depriving SVOD of $120 million in revenue per annum, more than 90 percent of the current legal opportunity,” Gane said in his presentation titled “Digital Risk in the New Normal.”

He said legal SVOD has been growing in the country, led by current players such as Netflix, Viu, HBO Go and Prime

Continued on A2

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P25.00 nationwide | 3 sections 24 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK

A DOG and its owner are seen on Sumulong Highway in Antipolo City with the times’ new normal getup—face mask and face shield, quarantine pass and hand sanitizer—as public health orders remain in effect to stop the spread of Covid-19. BERNARD TESTA

Continued on A2

See “Salceda,” A2

n JAPAN 0.4626 n UK 63.2974 n HK 6.2740 n CHINA 7.2424 n SINGAPORE 35.8313 n AUSTRALIA 34.8384 n EU 57.1369 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.9627

Source: BSP (October 15, 2020)

News BusinessMirror

A2 Friday, October 16, 2020

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Erring rice importers delay paying charges Continued from A1

“Wala pa. Some exhausted their legal remedy to file for [Motion for] Reconsideration,” said Maronilla, who also heads the BOC Post-Clearance Audit Group.

The development comes a few days after Sen. Cynthia Villar, head of the agriculture committee, urged Agriculture Secretary William Dar to closely monitor the farmer cooperatives amid reports that many of them are being used by rice traders and importers to buy from abroad.

Besides paying the farmer groups a measly amount in exchange for using their permits, these unscrupulous businessmen also cheat the government by undervaluing their imports, an earlier investigative story by the BusinessMirror had showed.

In grilling DA officials, Villar recalled her own experience in helping post bail for small farmer groups who were manipulated by big traders, and were left holding the bag when investigations began.

While Maronilla earlier told the Busi-

nessMirror that audited importers found to have violations would need to “pay under protest” even if they appealed, he clarified on Thursday that “a motion for reconsideration is not yet technically an appeal.”

For those who did not appeal and whose obligation is due and demandable, Maronilla said they “will endorse the same to the legal service for institution of a collection suit and possible issuance of a levy and distraint order.”

He said authorities “can also hold subsequent shipment and make them an-

swer for any deficiency.”

Asked when they are targeting to endorse this to the legal service, Maronilla said: “We are just consolidating and will refer to legal service as soon as a consolidated report is done.”

Last month, Maronilla said 47 of the 55 auditees were “found to have committed violations of customs laws and regulations” for the audit period of March 5 to June 20 last year.

The deficiency assessment stemmed

from several issues, including customs value, tariff classification, insurance, freight and surcharge.

Maronilla said earlier they are also conducting an audit of rice shipments covering January to June this year, and expect to finish this by yearend.

The BusinessMirror had also previously reported that “a percentage” of the P1.4billion combined charges to be collected from the erring audited rice importers will go to the government’s rice competitive-

Salceda…

Continued from A1

immediately if it suits our country’s fiscal position. If the Senate version, however, contains provisions that are inimical to the country’s fiscal standing, and will merely exacerbate inequities and manipulations in the tax system, I am constrained to reject it.”

Special session?

“I HAVE the explicit and recently renewed direction of the House leadership and the President to fight for a fiscally sustainable version in the bicameral conference. The break should not be a concern. I am prepared to ask the President for a special session, as we have successfully done so in the past, with Bayanihan One,” he added.

According to Salceda, the two-year loss in foreign direct investment due to delays in passing CREATE was between $6 billion and $12 billion.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime reform that will help solve a once-in-a-lifetime crisis. Let us not waste this precious opportunity on winding arguments. The time for action is today,” he said.

“We have delayed long enough.

There are no new arguments. There are even no new facts. There are only conjectures, many echoing the same unfounded and unproven statements by the same vested interests that have benefited from our abuse-prone tax system for very long,” Salceda added.

He noted that the Duterte Cabinet approved CREATE in 2018.

“Every reasonable economist argues that if we ended uncertainty earlier, we could have inoculated the Philippine industry from some of the worst impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. The country could now be among the most preferred investment destinations in the region,” he said.

“President Duterte has already asked Congress for this reform for four straight SONAs in a row. Should we make him ask again, when he clearly has the overwhelming support of the people to push for meaningful reforms?” Salceda asked.

ness enhancement fund (RCEF).

The Rice Trade Liberalization law mandates that rice tariffs collected by the government since its enactment in March 2019 until 2024 should be earmarked for the government’s RCEF.

The Federation of Free Farmers has also urged the BOC to fast-track the resolution of the audit cases and “finally end the practice of undervaluation” so that farmers would receive the correct amount of benefits that they should get from rice tariff collections.

Defense…

Continued from A1

Veto possible

GIVEN the DOF’s opposition to the bill and on the creation of new economic zones, senators also expressed concern that the bill might get vetoed.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who previously chaired the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs that tackled the SpeDEZA bill in the 17th Congress, said this might be “an act of futility” if the bill would end up getting vetoed even after hurdling the Senate.

Thus, Sen. Imee Marcos, who now chairs the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs under the 18th Congress, reiterated Gatchalian’s previous request to the Department of National Defense (DND) to produce a comprehensive business plan which includes the cost and return of pushing through with the establishment of an economic zone.

Marcos also prodded DND to come up with a “compromise” on the bill to boost the chances of its passage.

Jobs, growth, AFP needs

IN justifying the need for passage of the bill, both DND Director David Cruz and Bataan Second District Rep. Jose Enrique Garcia III said the establishment of an economic zone would not only serve the requirements of the military, but it would also produce more jobs.

“We would like to increase the investments and the number of industries that will produce more jobs and infuse more technologies, and of course develop our high-tech entrepreneurs and capacitate the technical skills of our workers aside from addressing the requirements of the military,” Cruz said.

Garcia, who authored the House version of the bill, said the move would also reinvigorate the ongoing modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and hasten the government’s capability to develop a self-reliant and credible strategic armed force.

In fact, Garcia said, certain local and foreign consortiums have already expressed interest in helping the government set up the defense economic zone and bring in investors.

“We believe moreover that the establishment of this economic zone is expected to attract investments that will propel the creation of jobs for the people, especially those in the rural areas, increase productivity and improve the quality of living conditions,” he said. “With the severe economic disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, it has become even more compelling for the government to provide job opportunities that will help alleviate the economic dislocation that adversely affected the working class and the underprivileged. The special defense economic zone certainly has a huge potential for job generation.” Bernadette D. Nicolas

Piracy may be costing subscription video on demand in PHL $120M Continued from A1

Video. Disney+ Hotstar and homegrown Viva are set to launch their SVOD services in 2021, he added.

In a YouGov 2020 survey, Gane pointed out that among eight East and Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines ranked third among the percentage of consumers who admit having accessed piracy streaming sites.

About 49 percent of respondents in the Philippines admitted having accessed piracy streaming sites in September 2020, behind 53 percent in Thailand and 50 percent in Vietnam.

In comparison, Hong Kong only had 48 percent of respondents admitting having accessed piracy streaming sites; Taiwan, 33 percent; Indonesia, 28 percent; Malaysia, 22 percent; and Singapore, 17 percent.

Gane said that in the same survey, 47 percent of consumers in the Philippines who accessed piracy sites admitted having canceled their subscriptions to both local and international content services.

He said most respondents believe that online piracy has negative consequences for the Philippines.

About 50 percent of respondents in the YouGov study believe that online piracy results in rendering jobless workers in the creative industry; and 55 percent say that online piracy results in people making profits from content that is not theirs.

About 49 percent of the respondents believe that online piracy increases the risk of malware infections on people’s computers and devices; and 44 percent say online pirates do not pay taxes and therefore all of society is being defrauded.

About 29 percent of the respondents say online piracy has negative consequences for the Philippines in other ways, while only 9 percent believe that online piracy does not have negative consequences for the Philippines.

To combat piracy, 53 percent of online Filipino consumers agree that the most effective measure is

a “government order or law for ISPs to block pirated websites,” according to Gane. Senate Bill 497 was filed in January 2019 to institutionalize the Online Infringement Act.

Gane said site blocking is both an effective and a commonly used disruptive tool in the fight against online piracy and is used by 45 countries around the world. Among them are Indonesia and Malaysia, which saw a significant drop in video piracy over the past year.

Results of the YouGov Consumer Research particularly showed a 55-percent reduction in Indonesian consumers who access piracy streaming websites over a 10-month period from September 2019 to June 2020, following the government’s adoption of site blocking.

This blocked more than 2,800 streaming sites and app domains since July 2019 and resulted in 69-percent reduction in traffic to the piracy streaming websites and a 30-percent increase in traffic to legal services.

From 63 percent of consumers who admit having accessed piracy streaming sites in Indonesia in September 2019, the number went down to 28 percent in June 2020.

“Indonesia is now the market leader in IP protection in Southeast Asia, boosting growth of legitimate services,” Gane said.

Online infringement tracker White Bullet said that globally, 12 percent of the top pirate sites were found to have malware and fraud; and 29 percent have branded ads including premium brands, which gives the sites a sense of credibility. They are often well-funded with higher-priced ads. About 3 percent carry explicit pornographic ads.

White Bullet also reported that of the top 20 pirate sites in the Philippines, 17 percent have malware and fraud, which was higher than the global average. About 49 percent carry branded ads, while 11 percent carry explicit pornographic ads, both of which are much higher than the global average.

News BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

House assures quick passage of bill giving Duterte anti-red tape powers

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OUSE leaders filed a bill on Thursday that grants President Duterte “antired tape powers” in times of national emergencies.

On Wednesday, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Majority Leader Martin Romualdez led the filing of House Bill 7884, or “An Act Authorizing the President to Expedite the Processing and Issuance of National and Local Permits, Licenses, and Certifications,” to accelerate the country’s socioeconomic recovery and ensure an effective government response to the present health crisis.

Romualdez said as soon as the House receives the letter of certification from Malacañang, lawmakers will immediately approve the bill at the plenary.

The Senate version of the bill has already been certified as urgent by the President.

The bill gives President Duterte the authority to suspend the requirements for national and local permits, licenses and certifications, and to streamline and expedite the process of issuance.

The bill covers all agencies of the Executive branch, including departments, bureaus, offices, commissions, boards, councils; government instrumentalities, government-ow ned and -controlled corporations.

The President, under the measure, shall have the authority to accelerate and streamline regulatory processes and procedures for new and pending applications and renewals of permits, licenses, clearances, certifications or authorizations.

The proposed law also empowers the President to fix or shorten the periods for the processing and release of these documents. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Friday, October 16, 2020 A3

DOE lists 25 CREZ that could generate 808 GW of electricity

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

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HE Department of Energy (DOE) has identified 25 Compet it ive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) across the country that could probably deliver over 808 gigawatts (GW) of additional capacity.

“The 25 individual CREZ across the Philippines have an estimated gross capacity of 152 GW of new wind and solar photovoltaics [PV].

The zones also include an estimated 365 MW of geothermal, 375 MW of biomass, and over 650 GW of hydropower capacity distributed across the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao systems,” stated the

Grid Planning and CREZ in the Philippines report released by the DOE on Thursday.

Luzon, in particular, is capable of producing 360 GW of renewable energy (RE). Of which, solar capacity could reach 35 GW; wind, 54 GW; geothermal, 285 megawatts; hydro, 270 GW; and biomass, 210 MW. The potential RE capacity in Mindanao is expected at 408 GW. Hydro tops is most abundant at 382 GW; wind at 14 GW; solar at 11 GW; biomass at 93 MW; and geothermal at 40 MW. In the Visayas, the potential RE capacity in identified areas could reach 39 GW. These are 12 GW for solar, 25 GW for wind, 40 MW for

geothermal, 2 GW for hydro and 71 MW for biomass.

“I am pleased to present the outcomes of the CREZ process, performed in accordance with DOE Circular 2018-09-27, entitled Establishment and Development of CREZ in the country, issued on September 13, 2018,” said Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi. “This primer serves as a testament to the collective efforts of our partner agencies and stakeholders in improving our national RE landscape.”

A CREZ is a geographic area with high concentrations of cost-effective RE and strong developer interest.

While there is no requirement to site new RE projects in a CREZ, access

‘Ofel’ brings rains, floods, landslides in parts of Visayas, S. Tagalog, Bicol

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

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UNDREDS of families were evacuated as heavy rains spawned by Tropical Depression “Ofel” triggered flooding in some parts of the Visayas, Southern Tagalog and in the Bicol region, while landslides were also reported in some areas.

The storm, which weather specialists forecasted on Thursday to weaken into a low pressure area un-

til today, continue to veer out of the country through the West Philippine Sea, bringing rains in some parts of Northern Luzon.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokesman Mark Timbal said that based on their preliminary data, at least 134 families, or 263 persons, sought shelters in 13 evacuation centers in Lucena City, Quezon; Bauan, Batangas and Los Baños, Laguna.

He said a combination of flood-

ing, landslide and toppled tree also rendered impassable the spillway at Barangay 5 in Lucena City and Hondaqua port road in Lopez, Quezon, and the Tignoan-Mauban road, also in Quezon.

In Region 4B, at least 158 families, or 665 individuals, were also preemptively evacuated in Puerto Galera, Bulalacao, Calapan and Baco, all in Oriental Mindoro, where landslides are also reported in the Municipality of Mogpog, cutting two road sections

of the provincial road.

Timbal said they were collating data from all the storm-affected areas although a number of the evacuated families have begun to return to their homes as the weather began to improve.

In Bicol, almost 1, 000 families living in barangays located at the foot of Mayon Volcano, including in the town of Guinobatan, Albay, were preemptively evacuated due to threats of flooding and even mudflow.

to transmission is an advantage. A CREZ itself does not have specific borders. Instead, it is defined by proximity to transmission.

The capacity in these 25 identified CREZ exceeds the country’s RE road map goal of at least 20 GW of RE on the grid by 2040.

Cusi added that the CREZ process uses the availability of new and upgraded bulk transmission to direct RE development to the most economical project locations.

Attracting new projects in these zones will produce more energy per megawatt, given that these zones were selected based on both the quality of available resources and the ease of their development.

CLARIFICATION

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N October 7, 2020, BusinessMirror published a story, “TUCP backs Senate probe on Chinese workers’ influx,” where the National Transmission Corporation (Transco) was referred to

by TUCP as being partially owned by the Chinese government. Atty. Melvin A. Matibag, president and

CEO of Transco, clarified that Transco, a governmentowned and -controlled corporation operating under the Department of Energy (DOE), “is not, in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, connected with or much less owned, by the Chinese government.”

BusinessMirror apologizes for the error.

A4

Friday, October 16, 2020

The World BusinessMirror

G-20 suspends poor nations’ debt payments for six months W

A S H I N G T O N —T h e Group of 20 nations, representing the world’s biggest economies, agreed on Wednesday to extend the suspension of debt payments by an additional six months to support the most vulnerable countries in their fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The suspension of what the G-20 says could provide relief of $14 billion in debt payments had been due to expire at the end of the year. Wednesday’s decision gives developing nations until the end of June 2021 to focus spending on health care and emergency stimulus programs rather than debt repayments.

The G-20 announcement was made initially on Twitter during a meeting of the group’s finance ministers and central bank governors, and later confirmed at a news conference. The virtual discussions are being held at the start of this week’s meetings of the 189-nation International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which are also being conducted virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic.

International aid groups expressed disappointment that more debt relief isn’t being provided by extending the moratorium on debt payments for a full year or by forgiving part of the debt rather than

merely suspending payments.

“This pandemic has laid bare a glaring and unjust double standard: The world’s wealthiest countries play by one set of rules, and the world’s poorest by another,” said David McNair, executive director for global policy at ONE, an international aid group.

G-20 officials argued that the relief that is being provided is helping 46 of the 73 countries eligible with efforts under way to expand the help.

Some critics have also complained that China objected to portions of the debt relief plans that have been advanced.

“It is unfortunate that the pressing need for broader debt relief for poor countries is being stymied by the apparent recalcitrance of China, which has become a major creditor,” said Eswar Prasad, an economics professor at Cornell University and a former head of the IMF’s China division. “China has proven a reluctant participant in multilateral debt relief efforts, putting its narrow economic and geopolitical interests ahead of a collective approach to easing the burden on poor countries.”

“We still need to do more,” Mohammed al-Jadaan, the finance minister for Saudi Arabia, this year’s chair of the G-20, acknowledged at a news conference after Wednesday’s meeting. “We must

ensure these nations are fully supported in their efforts to tackle the Coovid-19 pandemic.... We have agreed to extend the debt service suspension initiative by six months.”

Al-Jadaan said there will be further discussions at April’s spring meetings to decide whether the suspension should be extended for an additional six months. He stressed that the pandemic has threatened the fiscal stability of many countries, particularly the poorest.

Al-Jadaan said that another finance ministers’ meeting will be held virtually next month, before the leaders’ summit on Nov. 21-22.

He said the goal will be to agree on a framework that goes beyond even the current debt suspension initiative. He did not elaborate. The United States is represented at the G-20 finance meetings by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

Transparency International, Amnesty International and a collective of groups called CIVICUS had written to the G-20 finance ministers ahead of their meeting to warn that the world is facing a crisis unlike any in the last century and that debt suspension is only a first step. Though the global economy has begun a gradual recovery with the reopening of businesses and borders, the recovery has been sharply uneven.

The groups said that many of the poorest countries are still spending more on debt payments than on lifesaving public services. They urged the G-20 nations to suspend debt payments at least through 2021.

Some countries, like Pakistan, have called for an outright cancellation of debt payments.

Oxfam International said it believes that the six-month extension was “the bare minimum the G-20 could do.”

“The failure to cancel debt payments will only delay the tsunami of debt that will engulf many of the world’s poorest countries, leaving them unable to afford the investment in healthcare and social safety nets so desperately needed,” said Jaime Atienza, an Oxfam official who manages debt policy.

Oxfam and other groups are also calling for private lenders and investment funds to make similar concessions for the poorest countries by suspending their debt repayments.

The G-20, in a final communiqué, also urged private lenders to join its initiative for debt suspension.

“We are disappointed by the absence of progress of private creditors’ participation” in the debt relief, “and strongly encourage them to participate on comparable terms when requested by eligible countries,” it said. AP

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

Russia approves second vaccine after early trials

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OSCOW—Russian authorities have given regulatory approval to a second coronavirus vaccine after early-stage studies, two months after a similar move prompted widespread criticism from scientists both at home and abroad.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made the announcement on Wednesday, during a televised meeting with government officials.

“We now need to increase production of the first vaccine and the second vaccine,” Putin said, adding that the priority was to supply the Russian market with the vaccines.

The peptide-based, two-shot vaccine, EpiVacCorona, was developed by the Vector Institute in Siberia and tested among 100 volunteers in early-stage, placebo-controlled human trials, which lasted more than two months and were completed two weeks ago. The volunteers were between 18 and 60 years old.

The scientists have yet to publish the results of the study. In comments to the media, scientists developing the vaccine said that it produced enough antibodies to protect the person who had it from the virus and that the immunity it creates could last for up to six months.

An advanced study involving tens of thousands of volunteers that is necessary to establish safety and effectiveness of the vaccine was scheduled to start in November or December.

Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, who said earlier this week she took part in the early trials as a volunteer, said Wednesday that 40,000 people will take part in the advance studies of EpiVacCorona. It remained unclear whether the vaccine would be offered for a wider use while the trials are still ongoing.

Russia’s first vaccine, Sputnik V, was developed by the Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute and approved by the government on Aug. 11, after early trials among 76 volunteers were completed. Just like on Wednesday, Putin personally broke the news on national television

and said one of his daughters had already been vaccinated, experienced slight side effects and developed antibodies.

As Russia boasted about being the first in the world to approve a vaccine, experts said that in line with established scientific protocol, much broader studies among tens of thousands of people were needed to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine before it is given widely.

Russian health authorities announced advanced trials of Sputnik V among 40,000 volunteers two weeks after it received government approval.

Officials also said that vaccination of risk groups, such as doctors and teachers, will be carried out in parallel to the studies.

Golikova said Wednesday that 13,000 volunteers have so far enrolled in the studies of the Sputnik V vaccine.

The international criticism didn’t stop Russia from promoting Sputnik V abroad. Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund that bankrolled the effort, said last month that the fund already has agreements with Mexico, India and Brazil, which ordered a total of 200 million doses, and dozens of other countries are interested in getting the vaccine.

Speaking at this year’s UN General Assembly, Putin offered to provide the Sputnik-V vaccine to UN staff for free. He described the offer as a response to popular demand: “Some colleagues from the UN have asked about this, and we will not remain indifferent to them.”

Russia has the world’s fourth largest coronavirus caseload with over 1.3 million infections. It has also reported over 23,000 deaths.

The outbreak in the country appeared to slow down in the summer, but the number of new infections started to grow rapidly last month.

Over the past 11 days, Russian health officials have been reporting over 10,000 new cases every day. They registered a record number of 14,231 new cases on Wednesday. AP

BusinessMirror

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NEW CISCO WEBEX INNOVATIONS HELP EMPLOYEES BE MORE PRODUCTIVE FROM ANYWHERE AND HELP COMPANIES PLAN FOR A SAFE RETURN TO THE OFFICE Global survey shows workers fear returning to the office and want better video meetings

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By Karrie Ilagan Managing Director, Cisco Philippines

HE pandemic has dramatically changed how we work—and how we feel about going back to our offices.

According to a new global survey, 95% of workers are uncomfortable about returning to the office given the current health crisis, 98% expect future meetings will have participants joining from home, 53% of companies are planning to optimize their office footprint, and 96% want intelligent technology to improve work environments.

With that as the backdrop, Cisco’s collaboration group today announced innovations for both the remote and the in-office experience—to help teams stay safe and get great work done as companies navigate 2020 and beyond. With the goal of creating a 10x better meeting experience, innovations announced today are as follows: Making remote work 10x better than in person experiences: Webex meetings According to the survey, 58% say they will continue to work remotely eight or more days per month even after the pandemic is over—so it’s critical that companies nail the video meeting experience. Webex is full of features to help users before, during and after meetings. Today we add even more:

- Show up the way you want.

Waiting in the lobby before you’re let into the meeting? Use that time to personalize how you’ll appear in the meeting. We’ve enlarged the view so you can clearly see how your background will appear—or select a virtual background. We’ve added more of those, too.

- Stop searching for how to ____ (fill in the blank). Our new, elegant design puts controls in the most logical place without covering shared content or your video —and even adapts to your screen size.

Want to chat with someone? Hover over them. Need to change your audio? Hover over yourself. Simple.

- Make it yours. Hate it when your screen fills with a big gray box because the person who is talking isn’t sharing video? Now you can tell Webex to hide nonvideo participants. This is just one of many new customizable options. Customize once, enjoy every meeting.

- End the background noise.

Distracting noise on Webex meetings is a thing of the past. By the end of this month, technology from our BabbleLabs acquisition will both quash the whirr of the vacuum and enhance the speaker’s voice so you can hear clearly. (Read related press release here.)

Technology to help workers safely return to the office— when it’s time Whether you think a return to the office is three, six or even 12 months away, companies know they must prepare now since far-reaching changes are needed. Companies need to optimize their space, address worker concerns about sanitation and social distancing and plan how to communicate policies and information clearly. Cisco is giving customers the data and tools to

make this journey back to the office. Specifically, we are adding:

- Even more environmental sensors in Webex devices.

Cisco has pioneered the use of sensors in collaboration gear provide important environmental datapoints to users, IT and employee experience experts to ensure and safe and comfortable workplace. Previously we announced sensors that detect ambient noise levels and count the number of people in a space. These existing sensors—and the data they collect—become even more important now as they can identify underutilized or overcrowded spaces. Additional sensors will now also collect data on room temperature, humidity, air quality and light. Plus, we've made our people counting capabilities smarter. Thanks to machine learning, Webex will help ensure compliance with room capacity limits, counting people whether they are wearing face masks or not —no matter where they are in the room. Quickly identifying workspaces with environmental roadblocks lets companies take action to improve productivity and the quality of the meeting experience, for both in-office and remote participants.

- Webex Room Navigator: New devices for inside and outside meeting rooms.

Companies need a new approach to the meeting space to ensure safety and optimize use. We’re announcing today two versions of the new Webex Room Navigator.

These are purpose-built devices that contain all the sensors mentioned above. They sit either inside or outside the meeting room to provide intelligent, safe room booking for users and deep data for IT and facilities managers. The out-of-room model makes it simple to find and book a space to meet; it clearly shows when the room is free and changes the status to booked when you enter. Activate it with touch or—to avoid touching a possibly contaminated surface— just use your voice. The in-room model provides alerts for social distancing, cleaning schedules, and more and allows you to book from inside the space, too. Both versions have a digital signage mode—so companies can use the screens to convey important information. Even better: built-in “no-show” technology automatically senses if no one shows up for a scheduled meeting and frees up the room for another team’s use.

- Webex Control Hub: Deep, actionable workplace analytics.

Our survey highlighted that fewer than half of all companies can measure room

utilization, which means they lack the visibility needed to set proper cleaning schedules—a top concern of employees as they contemplate returning to the office. Webex Control Hub provides this much-needed visibility. Now it will provide historical insights into both room utilization and room environment metrics such as rooms booked but not used, median occupancy across all spaces, and ambient noise levels.

These insights provide actionable information for workplace decision makers to optimize real estate utilization.

Partner Integrations: Targeted value to protect employees even further.

We are announcing three integrations:

- Digital signage and team communications with Appspace.

Integrated within Control Hub so it is super-simple to set up, Appspace gives companies dynamic and modern digital signage and team communications options both in the office and at home for workers with Webex Desk Pros.

- Collaboration insights with Vypota. Gain deeper, actionable insights across people, space, and technology for both in-office and remote collaboration. With Vyopta’s support of Cisco and third-party UC technologies, intelligently plan safe office returns and optimize collaboration experiences.

Wayfinding with MazeMap. If your meeting room hits its capacity for safe social distancing, our integration with MazeMap can help identify an additional nearby room that’s available and guide users to it, so your meeting can continue efficiently.

The Cisco Experience

Jeetu Patel, SVP and GM, Security & Applications Group, Cisco “The future of work will be hybrid: people will work in the home and corporate office to varying degrees depending on the nature of their jobs. Our mission is to make the Webex experience 10x better than in-person interactions.

And when people do have inperson interactions, we want Webex to make those experiences 10x better than before, with our deeply integrated collaboration devices and software stack.

The innovations we announced today are a great step forward in providing seamless collaboration to empower remote work in a secure way while also enabling a smart hybrid work experiences to enable safe returns to work.”

Ben Watt, Information Technology Services, The James Hutton Institute “Webex Room Navigator has a neat modern profile, which our colleagues will find intuitive and enjoy using - and can resist usage day in and day out. I can really see the value in the environmental metrics the Navigator provides, giving us new insights from its sensors that we didn't previously have.”

Friday, October 16, 2020

A5

A6

Friday, October 16, 2020 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Radical evolution

A

side from inventing the sewing needle and shoes, humans are really different from the rest of the animal kingdom by our having “created the Plan B.” Successful people usually also have a “Plan C,” “D” and “E.” We are hardwired to look into the future and have multiple options at our fingertips to adjust to changing situations. Other beasts of the field are hardwired to “fight” or “flee.” In the horse world, foals can stand, walk, and trot a very short time after birth.

Ideally, a foal should be standing up and nursing within two hours of birth. For us, we are still flat on our backs trying to figure which way is up.

We are constantly forced to adapt to our environment using our brainpower. However, we constantly run the risk of failure because we believe that incremental rather than any sort of radical evolutionary change is better.

There’s some validity to that idea, since incremental change works well in a stable environment. When times are good, modest reform is what is needed to maintain a beneficial status quo. By that we are talking about times of economic growth and prosperity; periods characterized by high levels of stability and predictability.

Since World War 2 and in spite of the Cold War, dramatic and steady increases in terrorism and near-constant serious regional armed conflicts have been normal for 75 years. As a result, institutions—both public and private—and conventional thinking have been optimized for incremental thinking.

That is, in fact, the attitude and thinking of the political and economic elite as long as they are making money and prospering.

The groupthink has become “why risk big changes when everything’s working fine?”

We know that in nature species are forced to change even genetically to a changing environment. Darwin’s finches are the embodiment of evolution. The scientist discovered that birds on various islands had different types of beaks depending on the seeds they ate. The birds with larger beaks were better at eating the large seeds than those with smaller beaks, so only the birds with larger beaks got enough food to survive, reproduce, and pass the trait of large beaks to the next generation.

Once the environment stabilizes in “the new normal,” the evolutionary pressure lets up. Therein lies the fatal problem: radical adaptation is never absolutely necessary in human organizations and conventional thinking, until it’s too late. Nobody gets fired or demoted for agreeing to do more of what has already failed.

The administration responded quickly with the “Covid-19 InterAgency Task Force” even with some missteps and confusion. But that was—as is human nature and usual—a reaction to a crisis.

Where is the Inter-Agency Task Force on Changing the Rules for Foreign Investment? Or the task force on nuclear power or mining?

We have been kicking these issues around for decades. Do we wait for action until crude oil runs out and we have to power our homes with coconut husks? Of course, that is a silly example. But then a pandemic that would destroy economies seemed silly a year ago.

Waiting for the mango to fall from the tree is not going work any longer. Building the first ladder to climb the tree was radical evolution, rather than waiting for the fruit to fall to the ground.

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Protect Filipino female seafarers and cadettes from sexual harassment and violence Dennis Gorecho

Pinoy Marino Rights

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mployers must have effective mechanisms and guidelines to promptly address sexual harassment and violence incidents committed against female seafarers and cadettes.

The Women in Maritime Philippines (WiMaPhil) raised said issue during the recent online public forum organized by the office of Senator Risa Hontiveros on the pending Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers.

Merle San Pedro, WiMaPhil trustee, called for the better protection for women seafarers as part of their campaign not only to promote women as seafarers but also as a part of the maritime industry as a whole—shipping, ports, maritime administration, maritime education and training, and logistics.

Female seafarers are exposed to various forms of discrimination, exploitation, sexual harassment and violence due to their vulnerability, which may partly be attributed to the confined space on board the vessel.

The isolated nature of the ship can increase the opportunities for sexual harassment and violence to occur and can also amplify its negative consequences.

Sexual harassment may take the form of a sexist remarks, sexual advances or sex-related behavior.

Sexual harassment is a reflection of the power relations between individuals involved where, in most instances, the harasser is an officer occupying a higher rank than the woman seafarer.

Women seafarers are susceptible to sexual harassment since they have limited chance of avoiding their harassers due to the rigid hierarchical environment.

They tend to be vulnerable to feelings of isolation as they are away

from family and friends during the period when the harassment occurs.

If women seafarers face sexual harassment in their early careers, it may discourage them to pursue their profession.

In most instances, the victims have to face hurdles in filing complaints, very few even reaching courts, leaving their aggressor mostly unpunished.

In recent decades, the word “seafarer” has replaced the word “seaman” in the male-dominated maritime industry. In the older times, the term “seaman” was widely used to describe anyone working at sea.

This is perhaps due to the actions of the United Nations in promoting gender equality, women have been taking part in industries that once belonged to men, the maritime industry included.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) noted that women represent only less than 2 percent of the world’s estimated 1.2 million seafarers while 94 percent of female seafarers are working in the cruise industry.

Within the historically male dominated industry, IMO stressed that it has been making a concerted effort to help the industry move forward

and support women to achieve a representation that is in keeping with 21st century expectations.

IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim earlier said that the maritime industry needs more women because of the quality work they provide.

He underscored that women are a very important source of human resources, which would make for safer sea travel.

In the Philippines, the Maritime Industry Authority has recorded 73,027 women seafarers or almost 10 percent of approximately 1 million Filipino seafarers issued with Seafarer’s Identification and Record Book as of December 2018. SIRB used to be known as Seaman’s Book.

Stakeholders have been campaigning for the passage of the Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers given the fact that the Philippines is considered as one of the major suppliers of maritime labor globally.

The estimated 519,031 deployed Filipino seafarers in 2019 per POEA data remitted $6.539 billion or around P326.95 billion.

The sea-based sector’s remittances comprise at least 22 percent of the total dollar remittances of overseas Filipino workers.

The first version of the proposed See “Gorecho,” A7

FAO: Renewed at 75, with a sense of purpose as relevant as ever

By Dr. QU Dongyu

T

he Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations’ food agency, was born in the wake of catastrophe.

Three-quarters of a century later, its mission has been made more relevant to the world at large by another global scourge.

I won’t deny it: when I took over as Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations last year, I could barely contain my emotion. FAO’s foundation, after all, had preceded—if only by a matter of days—that of the United Nations itself.

That I, born into a Chinese peasant family, would come to lead such a venerable institution was awe-inspiring enough.

What I did not expect was that a short while into my tenure, the world would be confronted with a challenge on a scale not seen since the end of World War II. The Covid-19 pandemic has not only taken a toll on human lives and health, it also threatens the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people across the world. Food security, until recently a rather foreign concept to many living in well-to-do countries, would suddenly grab news headlines around the globe and claim the agenda at many high-level events.

Let’s return to 1945, the year FAO was founded: a third of the victims of World War II had died of malnutrition and associated diseases. Famines had decimated populations over the previ-

ous decades. So nations came together, and FAO was established on October 16, 1945. Its founders invested in the new institution the world’s aspiration—to help the world rebuild and expand agriculture, and to end hunger forever.

Today’s crisis may be less tangibly apocalyptic. But the numbers are no less staggering. Even before Covid-19 hit, nearly 700 million people were undernourished. The economic disruption linked to the pandemic may add another 130 million or so to these. In the early days of the pandemic, when shelves went empty; when fruit-pickers went missing; when markets fell silent, we realized that we were taking these services, and the people that provide them, for granted. The moral imperative to feed the world—safely, durably, with dignity for all—is as urgent now as it was after the War. I am aware, as I write these lines, that the analogy with 1945 can only get us so far. Back then, the crisis was one of production. FAO’s first years were largely focused on expanding the output of farms, boosting yields, supporting mechanization and irrigation schemes. Over subsequent decades,

this vision became immensely more complex, enriched with environmental and sustainability concerns. A more holistic understanding of development set in. Until the mid- 2010s, the world was making impressive progress in reducing hunger. But it has since been rising again. Conflict and extreme weather patterns are to blame, at least in part.

What we now need is smart, systemic action to get the food to those who need it and improve it for those who have it. Action to prevent crops from rotting in the field, for lack of efficient supply chains. Action to enhance the use of digital tools and artificial intelligence, so as to predict threats to harvest, automatically trigger crop insurance and cut climate risk. Action to rescue biodiversity from relentless erosion. Action to turn cities into the farms of tomorrow. Action by governments to implement policies that make healthy diets more accessible. Action by agencies like mine to turn to thinktanks and action-tanks rolled into one, linking up with the research community and the private sector to unleash the power of innovation.

So at 75, FAO is far from thinking of riding off into the sunset. We are not daydreaming either. Covid-19 has made it abundantly clear that our mission is as relevant as when our founders created FAO in 1945. Cataclysms spur renewal. The pandemic has reminded everyone that food security and nutritious diets matter to all.

This is why FAO is today embark-

ing on the next chapter in its story with a renewed sense of purpose. On the structural side, a flatter leadership structure and a modular approach allow for a more rapid reaction when crises hit. A comprehensive and holistic Covid-19 Response and Recovery Program proactively and sustainably addresses the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic, mitigating the immediate pressures, while strengthening the long-term resilience of food systems and livelihoods. Our Handin-Hand matchmaking initiative accelerates agricultural transformation and sustainable rural development in countries that have the highest rates of poverty and hunger. It is supported by a geospatial platform designed as an open-source public good that is already aggregating vast amounts of food security data. The position of a Chief Scientist has been established to sharpen up knowledge generation and drive scientific partnerships geared to the Sustainable Development Goals.

The newly reformed FAO is more inclusive, efficient and dynamic, focusing on what we have designated as the “Four betters”: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, a better life. We strongly believe that the future is made of such gestures—by ourselves, by our partners, and by civil society. It takes vast numbers to achieve Zero Hunger. Indeed, it takes all of us.

Dr. QU Dongyu is the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Opinion

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

The first Philippine Assembly

Erasing histories

the heroes are generally male, their stories reeking of toxic masculinity.

No one talks of those women who helped wounded soldiers or carried intelligence reports to the guerillas. It is only now that the stories of women in the war are being told, with documentarians beating the historians to the storytelling.

In the so-called proletariat uprising, the women seem not be in existence. If and when the role of women in the peasant movement is

tied to archives that are pilgrimage sites in colonial capitals, written in the language of conquistadores, the original parchments and fragments consulted like mighty oracles, their citations designed to create awe in readers.

We thus have heroes—and the heroines—created in the likeness of the white male conquerors.

Look at how Lapu-Lapu has disappeared under the star presences of those who composed the expedition from the West in the 14th century.

The otherwise mythical imagination of the chieftain has been diminished by a “discovery” that he was an old man during that famous Battle in Mactan. These insights are developed from the field reports filed by the conquering forces. No benefit of the doubt is given (after a few months, posters came out and LapuLapu is once more a virile young man.

We are lost).

In other areas, the struggles for liberation against the wave of colonizers are still placed under “rebel-

articulated, it is through the image of victims of militarization. The human agency is missing and the women are there because of personal accidents or of more hapless situation—battery by husband, widowhood, etc.

In anniversary celebrations of historical milestones, nothing has really changed.

Our mainstream histories have remained Eurocentric, their data

lion,” with the Filipinos marked as “bad” for rising against the Spanish, first, and the Americans, later.

Look at how we treat the nativistic or millenarian movements as amusing. The bad academic would call the fight for freedom of the Pulajanes and even the Huk as “folk” in nature. As if any people’s movement is inferior because its leaders are “not educated.” The other side of that is

Tito Genova Valiente

Manny F. Dooc

TELLTALES

T

he first Philippine Assembly, the precursor of the present House of Representatives, was inaugurated on October 16, 1907, or exactly 113 years ago today. The historic event was held at the Grand Opera House in Manila, which still stands to this day. The convening of the Philippine Assembly was a landmark moment in our political development. This legislative body was composed entirely of Filipinos who were chosen by their compatriots in an election held on July 30, 1907. Having a Filipino lawmaking body to enact laws for themselves had rekindled our people’s dreams for self-rule and aspirations for complete and genuine autonomy. It marked the beginning of Filipino participation in self-governance, which eventually led to Philippine independence from the American colonizers.

Sergio Osmeña Sr. of Cebu was elected as its first Speaker while Manuel L. Quezon of Tayabas served as its first Majority Leader. Vicente Singson was chosen as its first Minority Leader. The Philippine Assembly was the lower chamber of our legislative body until the Jones Law took effect in 1916, which converted the Philippine Assembly into the House of Representatives. The Philippine Commission that acted as the Upper Chamber was also replaced by the Philippine Senate. This formalized the bicameral nature of our legislature. Eventually, Osmeña ran for the Senate in 1922 and after his election he served as the Senate Majority Leader under Quezon. At this point in our history, Quezon had become the highest serving and most powerful Filipino in the government, a position that Osmeña undisputedly held until Quezon headed the Senate. There was no term-sharing between the two political heavyweights in Philippine politics despite their fierce rivalry. As compleat statesmen, the two even partnered and ran for President and Vice President with Quezon as the standard bearer in the Commonwealth elections in 1935.

Osmeña was succeeded by Manuel A. Roxas of Capiz, who served as Speaker from 1922 to 1933.

The creation of the Philippine Assembly was the handiwork of then Governor General William Howard Taft, who believed that a lawmaking body made up of Filipinos would not only strengthen Philippine-American relations but would eventually prepare the Philippines for self-government. Although President Theodore Roosevelt, who had succeeded the assassinated President, William McKinley, had reservations about granting the Filipinos’ greater autonomy, he heeded Taft’s recommendation to form a lawmaking body composed entirely of Filipinos. Osmeña and Quezon were both 29 years old when they were elected to the Philippine Assembly, but the two and the other assemblymen proved equal to the delicate task and they gained the respect of the Americans. Before the Philippine Senate was established, just like any bicameral legislature, the Philippine Assembly made up entirely of Filipinos had conflicts with the Philippine Commission headed by the American Governor General and composed mostly of American officials appointed by the

Gorecho. . .

continued from A6

Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers was the by-product of the National Seafarers Conference in 2002 held at the Manila Hotel organized by the Apostleship of the Seas in coordination with the Office of Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr. Years later, several versions were filed by legislators that considered legal developments both locally and internationally. These include the Maritime Labor Convention of 2006 (MLC 2006) that sets out seafarers’ rights to decent conditions of work

US President. This was avoided when the Jones Act of 1916 abolished the Philippine Commission and installed the Senate made up entirely of Filipinos just like the Philippine Assembly, which constituted the Lower House.

The two chambers became the Philippine Legislature, our country’s legislative body, from 1916 until it was replaced by the National Assembly following the establishment of the Commonwealth Government in the Philippines in 1935.

Without fear of contradiction, the Philippine Assembly and the pre-war House of Representatives lived up to their promise and expectations of the people, which they ably represented. The leaders and members had maintained the dignity of the august assembly. It had delivered the much needed and relevant legislative measures, which laid down the foundations of an emerging nation. Two former Speakers before the war, Osmeña and Manuel A. Roxas, became President of our country. No Speaker elected after the war has achieved such an honor although some have tried. Pre-war Speakers who followed Osmeña and Roxas, Quintin Paredes of Abra and Jose Yulo of Negros Occidental, were honorable gentlemen and capable legislators who continued to serve our country with great distinction after the war. Paredes served as Senate President in 1952 while Yulo ran unsuccessfully for President of the Philippines in 1957.

Other illustrious members had served the pre-war Lower House and became distinguished officials of our country later. They were men of principles, conviction and integrity who deserved the title “Honorable” appended to their names, unlike the present crop, many of whom are unworthy of their role as lawmakers.

For instance, the current controversy hounding the House of Representatives involving the speakership row between Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Representative Lord Allan Velasco has further despoiled the once venerable institution of whatever glamour is left of it. We need the moral leadership and statesmanship of an Osmeña or Roxas to steer the Lower House clear of personal political interest and narrow partisanship. This is the only way we can bring back the glory days of the old House of Representatives and make its members worthy of our people’s trust. and embodies all up-to-date standards of existing international maritime labor conventions. MLC 2006 is also called Seafarers’ Bill of Rights and the fourth pillar of international maritime law.

Aside from Senator Hontiveros’s Senate Bill 357, other proponents of the Magna Carta in the Senate include Senators Joel Vilanueva (SB 1745), Nancy Binay (SB 1369), Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. (SB 300) and Sonny Angara (SB 135).

Atty. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com or call 0917-5025808 or 0908-8665786.

annotations

T

his has been written: The Filipinos walked out to protest and the Mexicans followed. It was called the Delano grape strike.

Filipinos—a big number of them illiterate—rose against the capitalists to fight for just wage and better labor practices.

The labor strike, which was organized by the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, a predominantly Filipino organization of farm workers, led to the creation of the United Farm Workers.

It is 1965. A number of Filipinos in a grape plantation in California are working under difficult situations and meager pay. They are part of the early Filipino diaspora. Theirs is a story always of success in the land of plenty. We know them as grandfathers and granduncles. They remained single because of anti-miscegenation law. With their savings they vacation as old men in their homes of ancient childhood. But we never think of them as heroes, as liberators of other wage laborers.

We cannot imagine them as old men whose memories are not found in the promised land of USA but in those distant towns to which they would forever send their dollars.

Histories have banished them. In the place of their stories are woven the tale of the vigilant Chicanos led

by Cesar Chavez. A film would be made about him by the Mexican actor Diego Luna in 2014.

On record, the Filipino American National Historical Society called out the producers of the film for inaccurate portrayal of that dramatic moment in labor history where Filipinos figured prominently.

This year, in Daang Dokyu, the first Philippine festival of documentaries recovered the lost histories of the laborers in The Delano Manongs: The Forgotten Heroes. Their achievements, however, are not the only victim of historical erasures.

Women are generally unseen in the many historical accounts of the country. When one goes through accounts of the Second World War,

Friday, October 16, 2020

A7

the over-articulation of the country’s intelligentsia in the 19th and 20th centuries, respectively. Look at museums and be impressed by local heroes who had gone to Spain to study or whose acumen as a leader is supported by his or her knowledge of the Spanish and American language.

For all the theories of deconstruction and our fancy for post-modernist perspective, we do not have the guts to call the Christianization of the country as colonization. We feel awkward to condemn friars, finding in archives (again) glorious examples of their benevolence. Never mind the forced labor to build houses for their gods, never mind their abuses, our capacity to forgive is equal to our ability to forget. The path to historical erasures is paved and gilded by missionaries and Catholic historians.

In Sorsogon, a Roman Catholic Church, in a town called Barcelona, underwent massive renovation. Let me ask this: will the National Historical Museum also raise funds to repair the sagging roofs and weakened walls of any church of Iglesia Independiente de Filipinas?

We honor Bishop Barlin but who remembers Obispo Vicente Ramirez who stood for the real Filipino Church against the Roman Catholic Church?

That dispute is found in that famous Barlin versus Ramirez case that has become part of Philippine jurisprudence?

Barlin would win the legal tussle, the lands that were by the Filipinos remaining in the hands of the colonial church.

The wise Americans knowing the church was a taming force in the land, found the day good, and the case rested.

Like any disenfranchised group, the Philippine Independent Church today remains poor while the Roman Catholic Church holds sway over most of the nation, a bastion of wealth and privilege.

Many, including some friends, will be laughing upon reading my position. They will call my faith in this small church exotic and odd. I will look at them, wondering at their age-old innocence, as I hail them Grand Erasers.

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

The Impact of Covid-19 and the ECQ on Low-income Households in Microenterprises[1] Geoffrey Ducanes, Leonardo Lanzona and Philip Tuaño

EAGLE WATCH

Part 1 of 2

I

N this commentary, we discuss the findings and policy recommendations arising from a survey of 97,000 low-income households in microenterprises conducted in May 2020, who are clients of the microfinance institution ASA Philippines. Our aim is to shed light on the conditions faced by these low-income households and how they are coping with the situation. To summarize the results briefly: the survey gives evidence that households in microenterprises, as represented by clients of ASA Philippines, especially those in the lowest income category, were severely affected by the enhance community quarantine (ECQ) and likely are still suffering from the economic fallout from Covid-19. Given the lack of state support, the pandemic has likely contributed to increased poverty and inequality in the country.

Methodology

The sample size of 97,000 corresponds to a little more than 5 percent of ASA Philippines’s total 1.9 million clients in the country.

Given the difficulties of conducting a survey during the ECQ, the sampling method was convenience sampling and was limited to those who were willing and available to respond to the survey during the lockdown. There was no probability sampling undertaken, so the percentages reported here pertain only to the survey respondents rather than as estimates for the

population of all microenterprises in the country.

Profile of household respondents

The survey respondents were spread across all the 17 regions of the country, and varied in size by region from 2,034 respondents in ARMM to 9,881 respondents in Region 4A. Majority of the households surveyed (54 percent) had a monthly income of P10,000 and below pre-ECQ. Another 32 percent had monthly income from P10,001 to P20,000 preECQ. All respondents were females, reflecting the target client base of

the microfinance institution. By age group, 57 percent were 31-50 years of age, 20 percent were 51-60 years of age, 19 percent were 18-30 years of age, and 7 percent were 61 years old or older.

Impact on households in microenterprises

Earnings level. The respondent households reported their monthly income pre-ECQ and during the ECQ only in terms of the income range where they belong, which is in increments of P10,000 (starting from P10,000 and below) up to P100,000, and a highest category of P100,000 and above. Of the total households, 35 percent reported moving to a lower income category during the ECQ and only 3 percent reported moving to a higher income category. But note that 54 percent of the households were in the lowest income category already pre-ECQ, so it is not possible for them to move to a lower income category. If the sample is limited to households who were at least in the second income level pre-ECQ, then 76 percent reported moving to a lower income category during the ECQ. Provision of basic needs. Close to half of all households (47 percent) reported they were not able to provide enough for their families’ basic needs (food, water, medicine, etc.) during the ECQ. Only 39 percent said they were able to provide the same as before, and 14 percent said they were able to provide more than enough.

Eating less and having no food.

Close to a third of all sample house-

holds (31 percent) reported at least one member experiencing eating less than they wanted during the ECQ because they lacked food. Among those who experienced eating less than they wanted because of lack of food during the ECQ, 26 percent experienced it twice, and another 26 percent experienced it at least three times.

About 12 percent of all sample households reported experiencing having absolutely no food to eat in the house during the ECQ. Among those who reported experiencing having absolutely no food to eat in the house during the ECQ, 43 percent experienced it at least twice.

[1] This is a condensed version of Ducanes, G., L. Lanzona, and P. Tuaño.

2020. The Impact of Covid-19 and the ECQ on Low-income Households in Microenterprises: Analysis of the ASA Philippines Client Survey. Ateneo de Manila University Department of Economics and Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development Policy Brief No. 2020-23. http://ateneo.edu/ sites/default/files/downloadable-files/ Policy%20Brief%202020-23.pdf [1] Associate Professor, Ateneo de Manila University Department of Economics. E-mail: gducanes@ateneo.edu [1] Professor, Ateneo de Manila University Department of Economics.

E-mail: llanzona@ateneo.edu [1] Associate Professor and Department Chair, Ateneo de Manila University Department of Economics. E-mail: ptuano@ateneo.edu To be concluded next week

A8 Friday, October 16, 2020

Citing legality, DOLE gives up on 13th-month deferment, exemption

C

By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

ITING legal restrictions, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) finally decided to rule out deferment and exemption of payment of 13thmonth pay this year, a controversial move that had sparked debates among workers, economists lawmakers and business groups.

In an interview with government-run PTV on Thursday, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III explained they are prohibited

by Presidential Decree (PD) 851, the law mandating the13th-month pay, from implementing the two options.

“Based from our interpretation [of PD 851] there should no exemption; that is why we are requiring all employers to pay their employees on or before December 24 the 13th-month pay,” Bello said.

Bello made the decision after his consultation with representatives from employers and labor groups last Wednesday.

Alternative options

PRIOR to the meeting, the labor chief said they are considering al-

lowing employers to defer payment of the said benefit or even exempt companies, which are “distressed” because of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, from implementing the benefit.

He based his recommendation on the two previous implementing rules and regulations (IRR) issued

by DOLE for PD 851.

However, Senate Minor it y Leader Franklin M. Drilon earlier pointed out that the exemptions provided by the IRR are of dubious legality, as an IRR cannot amend the provision of a law.

After scrapping both options of deferment or exemption, DOLE is now eyeing providing subsidies or bank loan access to distressed micro and small enterprises so they could afford the payment of the

13th-month pay of their employees.

Bello said he will decide which option to implement once he gets the feedback of the Department of Finance (DOF) on the two proposals.

“We are still preparing our proposal, which we will submit to [Finance] Secretary [Carlos] Dominguez,” Bello said.

DIGITALIZING SMEs COULD BRING P1.36T TO BUSINESSES HIT BY PANDEMIC–REPORT

Labor approval

THE recent development was lauded by labor groups, who called it a balanced consideration of the position of employers and labor groups. “ This positive development proves that social dialogue between labor, business and government particularly on important issues involving these key sectors really works,” Associated Labor Unions National Executive Vice President Gerard Seno said in a statement.

For its part, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) urged the government to allocate fund to implement the subsidy. “ T he nationa l gover nment through appropriate agencies must allot subsidies for micro, small and medium enterprises [MSMEs] who are struggling amid the pandemic and economic crisis,” KMU Chairperson Elmer Labog said in a separate statement.

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

T

@lorenzmarasigan

HE Philippines stands to benefit by as much as P1.36 tr il lion should small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country decide to implement digitalization initiatives that can help them harness the full potential of their businesses, a study commissioned by Cisco showed.

According to the 2020 Asia Pacific Small and Medium Business (SMB) Digital Maturity Study, Filipino SMEs could help the economy recover from the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic through digitalization. Those who decide to implement digitalization efforts are found to be “digitally mature to enjoy higher benefits in revenue and productivity,” the study showed.

The study found that the businesses of these sizes is “pivotal” to the post-Covid-19 economic recovery, as they account for 99.6 percent of all businesses, 62 percent of total employment, and contribute 36 percent to the GDP. These are positive and significant developments, given that SMBs account for 99.6 percent of all businesses, 62 percent of the country’s total employment and contribute 36 percent to overall GDP, making them a critical component to the Philippines’s trade and commercial landscape. The resilience, agility, and digital transformation capabilities of SMBs will play a pivotal role in the country’s post-Covid-19 economic recovery.

“The SMB sector has been among the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the country’s SMBs have shown great resilience, and have leveraged technology to continue to operate and serve their customers during the period. As the Philip-

pines continues to overcome the current situation, and consumer and business activity starts to pick up, digital transformation of SMBs will play a pivotal role in their recovery and contribute to the country’s overall economic growth,” Cisco Philippines Managing Director Karrie Ilagan said on Thursday.

Challenges

ACCORDING to the study, conducted by the International Data Corp., small and medium businesses prioritize analytics, cloud technologies, and infrastructure software for their digitalization efforts.

However, they also face challenges such as lack of budget, shortage of skills, and cultural resistance.

“While they are currently facing the biggest challenges to their operations, they also have an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate their digital transformation. Technology can not only help solve some of their key challenges and revitalize their operations, but also help them sustain t heir g row t h in t he long term,” Cisco Director Small Business and Commercial for Asean Raz Mohamad said.

He added that digitalization is a collaborative initiative, and encouraged the government to amp up efforts to push for such endeavors.

“At Cisco, we are proud to be playing our part. On the technology front, we have launched a series of curated products and solutions specifically for the SMB sector under the Cisco Designed portfolio and introduced zero-percent financing for SMB customers in the country. From a talent perspective, the Cisco Networking Academy has trained over 428,000 students in the Philippines in various ICT skills for over two decades,” Mohamad added.

PHL dressed chicken inventory rises 8.4%

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HE country’s dressed chicken inventory as of October 5 rose by 8.4 percent to 85,470.06 metric tons (MT) from the previous week’s 78,834.10 MT, National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) data showed.

Latest NMIS data showed that more than half of the current dressed chicken inventory in cold storages were imported at 46,901.45 MT. The remaining volume of 38,568.61 MT were locally produced chicken meat, based on NMIS data.

The total dressed chicken inventory during the reference period was 21.34 percent higher than the 70,436.9 MT recorded volume on September 7, NMIS data showed.

Likewise, the volume was triple the 27,942.55 MT dressed chicken inventory recorded on September 30, 2019, NMIS data also showed.

The NMIS said the data did not include fresh chilled chicken and mechanically deboned meat (MDM) of chicken.

Latest NMIS data also showed that the country’s frozen pork supply during the reference period fell by 8.52 percent to 44,230.1 MT from last week’s 48,354.09 MT. Industry players attribute the decline to the impact of African swine fever (ASF) to local production.

NMIS data showed that locally produced pork accounted for only 17 percent of the total volume at 7,584.35 MT. The volume was 20 percent lower than the previous week’s 9,349.58 MT. “The decreasing trend in pork supply is understandable considering the impact of ASF on the local hog raising industry. I have also received reports that the current retail price for pork is now close to P300 per kilogram,” Cold Chain Association of the Philippines President Anthony S. Dizon told the BusinessMirror.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday said retail pork prices are now ranging from P280 per kg to P300 per kg based on their market survey. The increase in retail prices has been attributed to reduced local pork output due to impact of ASF, the DA said.

“Consequent to this, the volumes of imported pork may be expected to increase in the coming weeks as the processors and integrators rush to replenish diminishing local pork inventory, particularly as we continue to hope for a holiday season market pickup,” Dizon said. NMIS data showed that imported pork during the reference period reached 36,645.75 MT, which is about 82.85 percent of the total inventory volume. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

Skyway Stage 3 helps decongest Edsa–Villar

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HE completion of the entire 18-kilometer stretch of the Sky way Stage 3 project, linking the northern and southern portion of Metro Manila, has been completed, will boost the master plan to decongest Edsa, and greatly reduce travel time within end points of the densely populated Metropolis, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said on Thursday “From the onset of his administration, President Rodrigo Duterte has worked to decongest Edsa. The completion of the girder construction of Skyway Stage 3 shows the President’s political will to connect every city in Metro Manila within a 30-minute frame,” Villar noted.

“Skyway Stage 3 is one of 23 projects aimed at decongesting Edsa—a 90-year-old 23.8 km circumferential highway,” he added.

Earlier this year, two big-ticket

projects under the EDSA Decongestion Masterplan was also completed: the Nlex Harbor Link Segment 10, a 5.58 km, 6-lane divided elevated expressway utilizing the existing PNR railroad tracks connecting MacArthur Highway, C-3 road in Caloocan and Malabon, and the Nlex Harbor Link R-10 Exit Ramp—a 2.6 km, 4-lane elevated ramp which connects Caloocan, Malabon, and Valenzuela to Manila.

On Tuesday, San Miguel Corp.

President and COO Ramon S. Ang announced the completion of the project ahead of the October 31 committed deadline.

The Skyway Stage 3 is an 18-km elevated expressway stretching from Buendia in Makati to Balintawak in Quezon City. It has five sections: ■ Buendia–Quirino AvenueNagtahan; ■ Nagtahan–Aurora Blvd/Ramon Magsaysay Avenue;

■ Ramon Magsaysay AvenueQuezon Avenue; ■ Quezon Avenue-Balintawak; and ■ Balintawak Quezon City-Nlex Footbridge.

Villar noted that when Skyway Stage 3 is opened, travel time from Slex to Nlex will be reduced from two hours to only 30 minutes.

Makati to Quezon City will only be 20 minutes away.

“Before 2022 ends, travel time from Naia to Balintawak will only be 20 minutes away. Valenzuela to Makati will only be 15 minutes away,” he added.

Other projects in the decongestion project include the BGC-Ortigas Link Bridge, the Nlex-SlexConnector, the Pantaleon-Estrella Bridge, the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge, the Lawton Avenue, the Katipunan Extension, the Laguna Lake Expressway, among others.

Companies BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PHL hastening LNG development

U

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

nited States-based New Fortress Energy LLC (NFE) and state firm Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) will jointly explore opportunities in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector.

They announced Thursday a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last October 14, in a virtual ceremony that featured PNOC President and CEO Reuben S. Lista and New Fortress Chairman and CEO Wes Edens. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who sits as ex-officio Chairman of the Board of PNOC, joined the virtual gathering to witness the signing ceremony.

“We welcome this recent development in light of our intensified efforts to ensure the country's energy security with the expected depletion of Malampaya, and as part of our initial steps towards attaining our vision of establishing the Philippines as a regional LNG hub in Southeast Asia.

We hope that this partnership would bear fruit that would redound to the advantage of our people,” Cusi said.

The Malampaya gas field is expected to be depleted by 2027.

Under the MOU, PNOC and NFE will work together to identify potential opportunities to accelerate the development of LNG and power infrastructure in the country. Their goal is to advance the development of infrastructure to supply reliable, cost-competitive power and natural gas into the Philippine market.

No other details were provided.

State-run PNOC was already in the process of competitive selection for a partner for the LNG Terminal Project when it was shelved in De-

FDC to public: Be wary of Filinvest Trust Bank

otianun-led Filinvest Development Corp.

(FDC) on Thursday said it is not connected with the web site that claims to represent Filinvest Trust Bank, which is using its trademark name without its consent.

G

cember 2018 in light of increased private sector interest to undertake, on its own, the entire project.

“We are confident that, with this cooperation with New Fortress Energy, PNOC will find meaningful ways to contribute to achieving energy security and stability in the country,” Lista said. “NFE can help us bridge the gaps in the value chain for a robust LNG industry and enable us take that giant leap towards the realization of the Philippines’s potential as a strategic LNG hub for the Asia-Pacific region.”

The MOU is nonbinding on the parties, and actual terms of any future definitive agreement may differ from the terms of the MOU. “The memorandum signed today will enable cleaner, more affordable and more reliable energy for the people of the Philippines. Increasing access to power across the islands at a rapid pace will create significant growth opportunities. We look forward to working closely with our partners at PNOC and the government to bring more reliable power and help accelerate the clean energy transition,” said Edens.

NFE is a NASDAQ-listed, USbased global energy infrastructure

company, founded in 2014. It specializes in the construction and operation of LNG import terminals and other related facilities on natural gas utilization.

The other day, Cusi told the LNG Producer-Consumer Conference 2020 that LNG imports remain the best way to address the country’s future power requirements.

“While the LNG industry is still in its infancy stage, imports of LNG remain the best option for the Philippines at the moment to assure the country’s future energy requirements will be sufficiently met,” said the energy chief.

“They say that the Malampaya supply can go as far as 2027 but it does not have enough gas for the further expansion needed to provide future natural gas requirements particularly with the plan to expand application of LNG in the industrial, commercial, residential, and transport sectors.”

Four LNG players secured their permits from the DOE. These are First Gen Corp. with Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd., US-based Excelerate Energy, Energy World Gas Operations Philippines Inc., and Batangas Clean Energy of the Lucio Tan Group.

In a statement, the listed holding firm, which is into banking, property development and power generation, said that a group has created the domain name FilinvestTrust.com, which represents Filinvest Trust Bank. The web

site is misusing the Filinvest name as well as the official business address of FDC’s affiliate, Filinvest Land Inc. at Filinvest Building, No. 79 Epifanio de los Santos Ave., 1550 Mandaluyong, Philippines, it said. VG Cabuag

Friday, October 16, 2020

B1

Nlex ramps up efforts to improve tollways

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

N

lex Corp. is gearing up for its transition to a fully digital expressway, implementing several physical and system improvements in its toll plazas to ensure that all transactions will be made digitally starting November 2.

Luigi L. Bautista, the company’s president, said his group is now installing 303 new canopy singles and 66 units of plaza lighting to provide guidance to motorists using the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (Sctex).

“As we fully transition to 100 percent cashless transactions, motorists can expect more improvements and we will continue to ensure safety while delivering unmatched public service,” he said.

Expressways are required to only accept cashless transactions for toll payments starting November 2, as part of the measures to reduce the transmission of Covid-19.

“We have ramped up our installation efforts and refinements in our systems and other innovations are being employed to provide efficient expressway travel experience to our customers,” Bautista said.

He added that to further provide an updated look on the toll plazas, the toll canopies will be also repainted and the lane status indicators that

show the open and closed status of toll lanes are being replaced with circular green and red cross signals.

“More than the aesthetics, these enhancements are necessary to keep our facilities in good condition and guide motorists as they head on to the expressways,” Bautista said.

He noted that the realignment of RFID sensors is under way in 32 toll lanes as part of the second phase of the project that aims to enhance read range and enable faster detection.

This system improvement covers the entry and exit lanes in Valenzuela, Marilao, Bocaue, Tambobong, Balagtas, San Fernando, Tarlac, and Tipo.

Last July, the tollway company completed the realignment of sensors in 100 toll lanes.

The company is also converting the Tambobong, Pulilan, Mexico, Karuhatan Interchange, Sta. Rita, San Miguel (Hacienda Luisita), Concepcion, Clark South A&B, and Tipo toll plazas into exclusive RFID lanes. It previously converted the Dau, Porac, Mabiga, Lawang Bato Northbound Entry, Philippine Arena toll plazas, and expansion lanes in Balintawak and Bocaue toll plazas.

Apart from the said improvements, Easytrip RFID installation sites have also been augmented to better accommodate the rising number of motorists availing the RFID. Around 31 sites have been opened for motorists to get their free RFID stickers.

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Friday, October 16, 2020

Companies BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

8990 raises funds via corporate notes issue

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By VG Cabuag

@villygc

ass housing builder 8990 Holdings Inc. on Thursday said it raised some P1.3 billion through the issuance of peso-denominated enrolled corporate notes.

The said notes are exempt from registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said.

The debt paper will be enrolled with Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp and traded through the PDEX Trading System starting on October 14.

The said debt shall have a fixed interest rate of 4.05 per annum and maturity date of two years from issue date or on October 14, 2022.

The proceeds from this transaction will be primarily used to partially finance the payment of existing indebtedness of 8990, it said.

“Despite the current environment, the company continues to deploy cash to operations and grow its business in key regions across the Philippines,” to 8990 treasurer and director Richard Haosen said.

The company’s business model is supported by faster construction, an

in-house financing scheme and a credit management system.

Its vast portfolio of projects include horizontal subdivisions, medium rise buildings, and high rise buildings under the brands Deca Homes, Urban Deca Homes and Urban Deca Tower brands.

One of its projects is the Urban Deca Homes Ortigas which consists of 22 buildings on a 13-hectare property along Ortigas Avenue Extension.

The project will have a total inventory of 19,046 two- and three-bedroom units in the company’s largest condominium project in Metro Manila. It is aimed at young professionals and those starting families.

Compared to 8990’s other condominium projects, Urban Deca Homes Ortigas provides larger units, more open spaces and wider roads at a prime location in a densely populated area in Metro Manila.

EU-funded program helps DOE craft policy on UCME subsidy

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

T

HE European Union-funded Access to Sustainable Energy Programme (EU-ASEP) will assist the Department of Energy (DOE) in the crafting of a policy that seeks to remove the universal charge for missionary electrification (UCME) subsidy.

UCME is a subsidy provided under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA). This collected from all on-grid electricity consumers by the National Power Corp. (NPC) to energize far-flung areas that are not connected to the transmission grid.

“The DOE is currently conducting the Subsidy Rationalization Study through the assistance of the EU-Access to Sustainable Energy Programme to provide an evidencebased analysis on the demand side aspects of the subsidy rationalization framework,” a DOE memorandum dated October 8 stated. The results of the study will be completed

by December this year.

The agency released last year a circular that seeks to

rationalize existing tariffs in off-grid areas, including the removal of the UCME subsidy. This move is meant “to ensure an efficient and well-targeted provision of subsidies and to reduce the social inequity in the implementation of the program.”

The agency will implement the UCME subsidy removal in phases. “There will be no abrupt removal of UCME subsidy without appropriate safety nets to mitigate the effect of the rationalization to the household consumers in offgrid areas.” As such, the policies and procedures on the provision of UCME subsidy to the electricity rates of the generation for both existing and upcoming New Power Providers (NPP) in off-grid areas shall continue until a new tariff and subsidy rationalization policy is issued by the DOE and implemented through a complementary regulation of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

The DOE would need to issue a supplementary circular that would detail strategies and initiatives to rationalize existing tariffs in off-grid areas, including the phase-out of the UCME subsidy in a socially acceptable manner at a certain transition period.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

The AI-powered Association

I

first wrote about artificial intelligence (AI) for associations and how it enhances member engagement in associations in my August 24, 2018, column. The use of AI for almost anything we do now—Google search, Facebook tags, a film suggestion from Netflix, or a book recommendation from Amazon—has suddenly increased due to the pandemic.

So when the Australasian Society of Association Executives recently ran a webinar on “The AI-Powered Associations,” I attended. The Brisbane-based AuSAE has given my organization, the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE), access to its regular online sessions for association leaders.

The webinar was conducted by Paul Ramsbottom, managing director of Advanced Solutions International. Among others, what caught my attention was the 5-stage AI maturity-level chart that Paul presented. I’m sharing this with you so you can determine the level where your association currently is in.

Level 1: Chaotic—This is characterized by ad hoc efforts, poorly defined processes, and unrecognized returns or outcomes. Simply put, this is the level which you shouldn’t be in.

Level 2: Defined—This is where goals and strategies are defined, processes are documented, and there is some degree of reaction to and success in the use of AI. Level 3: Optimized—This is when there are adopted processes, integrated systems thinking and guided behavior, auto-correction, and proactive responses.

Level 4: Agile—This is marked by a shared vision and flexible methodologies, the use of adaptable models and continuous improvement, and repeatable best practices and consistent success.

Level 5: Predictive—This is “best in class” with predictive results, complete with business intelligence and actionable analytics, early program recognition, and external benchmarks.

Association World Octavio Peralta Ideally, the association should start its AI transformation on Level 3, getting to Level 5 where business impact is most favorable.

Paul also cited three cultural shifts needed to increase the success of an organization’s AI transformation: 1. From siloed work in different business units to interdisciplinary collaboration; 2. From experience-based, leaderdriven decision making to data-driven decision making at the frontline; and 3. From rigid, risk-averse work culture to an agile, experimental and adaptable one.

Some examples that Paul mentioned on AI use are: (a) personalization in terms of AI-powered e-newsletters through content curation, including external sourcing; (b) use of chatbots serving as virtual assistants taking off workload from staff; and, (c) predictive analytics, the application of advanced statistical techniques to historical data to predict future events (e.g., forecasting who will attend your conference next year).

As in my column last year, I say again that AI isn’t a technology of the future; it’s here now and within your association’s reach!

The column contributor, Octavio “Bobby” Peralta, is concurrently the secretary-general of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific and the Founder & CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives. PCAAE is holding the Associations Summit 8 on November 25 and 26, 2020 with the theme, “Leading with Agility.” The two-day virtual event is supported by Adfiap, the Tourism Promotions Board and the PICC. E-mail inquiries@adfiap.org for more details on AS8.

Friday, October 16, 2020 B3

Moratorium for indebted DepEd employees sought

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By Claudeth S. Mocon-Ciriaco

@claudethmc3

he Department of Education is seeking a loan moratorium with its partner private lending institutions (PLIs) and government funding institutions (GFIs) to provide a flexible and manageable loan payment scheme for DepEd employees.

“What is the best possible term for our employees? The Secretary [Leonor Magtolis Briones] has written to all of the GFIs and PLIs, strongly urging them to go beyond the 60-day grace period,” said Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn M. Sevilla.

Sevilla is referring to the provision of Republic Act (RA) 11494 granting a 60-day grace period for loans due on or before December 31, 2020. Sevilla said the DepEd has been negotiating with PLIs and GFIs to extend the moratorium to an additional 60 days and waive the accrued interest on these loans.

According to Sevilla, of the 173 lending institutions offering services to DepEd personnel, just about half agreed to extend the payment period

to another two months. The lenders also agreed to completely waive the accrued interest for the 60-day grace period on payment of loans.

The guidelines and list of these institutions were issued through DepEd Memorandum OUF-2020-0552.

Sevilla expressed gratitude to the 89 PLIs and GFIs that completely waived the accrued interest for the 60-day grace period on payment of loans.

Meanwhile, 30 of these lending institutions, comprised mostly of banks, have agreed to adhere to the 60-day grace period set by RA 11494. The lenders also agreed to extend another 60 days to the payment deadline at the end of the term of the loan.

These institutions, though, are

A bank teller in Makati counts peso bills in this BusinessMirror file photo. NONNIE REYES

still requiring the accrued interest to be paid on or before December 31, 2020, or as agreed between the lender and the borrower.

“We all know that the implementation of loan moratorium has an economic impact for both the borrowers and the lenders,” Sevilla said. She added they also understand why the 30 PLIs didn’t give a waiver “because they also have their own borrowings and investments to fund, they have employees to compensate and they also have other clientele aside from DepEd.” Fifty lenders have not yet expressed their decision to waive ac-

crued interest on the loan moratorium. Sevilla said that for these institutions, the basic guidelines of RA 11494 will be applied.

The DepEd’s automatic payroll deduction system (Apds) mechanically subtracts and remits the loan amortizations of the employees to the PLIs and GFIs. The DepEd said it will include the policies and adjustments provided by RA 11494 in the Apds.

As of August, the DepEd has recorded that 70.21 percent, or roughly 655,582 personnel, of the total 933,697 filled positions are borrowers from PLIs and/or GFIs.

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Friday, October 16, 2020 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

Relationships BusinessMirror

A lesson in smart shopping

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Kellie Martin, 45; Kim Wayans, 59; Tim Robbins, 62; Angela Lansbury, 95.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Stay in control. Refuse to let anyone push you in an undesirable direction. Change has to be for the right reason and at the right time.

Preparation will make a difference between failure and success. Bide your time until the end of the year, and you’ll be ready to bring about the changes that will lead to a better future. Your numbers are 9, 15, 23, 32, 34, 37, 40.

A

FEW weeks ago, my 10-year-old ceiling fan gave up the ghost.

It had seen me through three apartments and been stuck on different ceilings for so long, I’d forgotten what brand it even was. (I am guessing “Westinghouse� since it’s lived so long; durability after all, is the hallmark of this brand—no celebrity endorsement intended since, well, I’m not a celebrity. Hahaha.) And I had no idea where its service center was located, or if there actually was one. After so many apartment moves, the fan’s manual and warranty card had gone missing.

Still, I’m not surprised the fan finally gave out.

Having been stuck for six months at home because of this blasted “veerus� that causes Covid-19, I have certainly worked the ceiling fan overtime. After all, I can’t very well run the airconditioner 24/7, otherwise my Meralco bill would shoot through the roof.

(Actually, mine almost did, although up to the ceiling only—with the estimates the utility company had to do during the enhanced community quarantine, being that meter readers couldn’t be deployed.)

So upon waking up, the electric fan is what I switch on. This enables the aircon to also recover its breath in time for the evening use. As many of you have felt, last summer gave us searing, claustrophobic heat even at night, making sleep truly uncomfortable. (Couple that with hot flushes running through my body every so often, which wakes me up every now and then, as my pillows become drenched with sweat, and you can understand why switching on the airconditioner has become a regular part of my nocturnal habit. Yes, even during this monsoon season.)

Thanks to an online sale of a popular and reliable home appliance brand, I was able to purchase a new fan, a desk type this time with what they call banana blades because of their shape, and in lime green no less, with a black body. Unfortunately, it now takes up more space in my bedroom. But I had no choice really, because I still cannot summon the courage to call my suki electrician/handyman who does minor repairs at my flat. (His barangay had recently undergone an extreme lockdown due to the surge in the number of Covid cases, so I’ve been wary about getting him to take a look at the ceiling fan, or have him install a new one.)

To be honest, this was my second electric fan purchase for the year. In the middle of the stupid pandemic and lockdown, my frigging Vornado also

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Step aside if it will help you keep the peace. Now is not the time to start an argument with someone who can influence your prospects. Be part of the solution, not the problem, and you will reach your objectives. ★★★

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Jump at the chance to make a change. Head in a direction that excites you. Don’t worry about pleasing someone else when it’s you who has to live with the outcome. Follow your heart, and explore the future with optimism. ★★★

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You can’t please everyone, so do what’s best for you. Keep your intentions to yourself until you have established the best way to proceed. Too much talk will give someone a chance to interfere with your plans. Channel your energy into personal gain. ★★★★★

went kaput. It’s actually the one that I had used the most since it sits in the middle of my living room and kitchen, where I normally hang out for daily meals, and where I veg out in front of the TV. But it has only been around for the past three years, and only got abused basically during the community quarantine.

At first I was so impressed with the Vornado, and despite its high tag price, it indeed was able to cool a large part of my home due to its patented technology.

But not long after, I already regretted having bought one. It’s such a bitch to clean. I had to go back to the seller to find out how to do it. I even consulted YouTube for tutorials.

Basically, you have to dig in deep with your screwdriver to unlock its front frame through the back, before you’re able to get to the blades and mechanism for cleaning. Then it’s another exhausting story to reassemble it.

In the case of regular electric fans, all you have to do is pop open the frame with a fairly manageable unlocking mechanism, remove the blades, wash and clean, then put everything back together again. So if you’re still considering to purchase a Vornado, I’m telling you right now: DON’T. Another lemon is Dowell’s highly-priced box fan with humidifier, which I had purchased two years ago. As I have asthma, I needed a fan which would constantly wet the atmosphere with aerified water.

Three months into use, the humidifier stopped working. I brought it back to the appliance store where I bought it, and they had it repaired.

Not even six months later, the fan blades quit turning. Since the appliance was already out of warranty, I didn’t want to bring it to the service center, which was quite a distance from my home. It’s quite heavy, mind you, and just the thought getting the blasted thing into the back of a taxi or GrabCar made me wince. So that’s another appliance brand I have X’ed out of my consciousness.

Meanwhile unsurprisingly, when I shouted out to Twitter to ask who else had bought one or more fans during the lockdown, a number of followers tweeted back. They all said the same thing, basically, overuse and abuse caused their fans’ untimely departure from this mortal world.

Some went upscale, bought a Dyson, which has humidifying and air purifying features—it’s something I’ve been lusting after as well. But most have stuck to the basic stand or desk fan. And as many have realized, basic is still the best. Cheaper, easier to operate, and less hassle to clean. I myself went back to an Asahi and have a small industrial fan in the living room-kitchen space, and recently purchased a Standard desk fan to replace my lovingly departed ceiling fan.

Both new fans are just in the P1,000-range and seem to be working well so far. My previous experiences with both brands had been satisfactory, and their life expectancy was quite acceptable, five years at the most. Yet as these experiences have shown, high-tech isn’t necessarily practical, and an expensive price tag doesn’t mean durability. â–

Notification fatigue? Streamline messages and reminders AS the world’s pace speeds up by the day and hectic schedules are made even more chaotic by pandemic-induced challenges, reminders and to-do lists become crucial in maintaining control over our lives. But with endless messages, birthday reminders, delivery updates, conference call schedules, and other notifications popping up from our devices, it has become incredibly easy to be distracted by the several applications calling for your attention.

This is why we should try to decrease the notifications we get especially during the work day, and limit our application usage to those that can really help us get more things done in our days.

One of the world’s leading apps for free and

easy communication, Rakuten Viber launches a feature in My Notes enabling users to set reminders for tasks and other important events.

The new capability enables users to keep track of all their messages with colleagues, family and friends, as well as all important reminders in a single easy-to-use app that emphasizes user privacy.

Users simply long-tap any message in My Notes and tap “Set Reminder.� They are prompted to select a time and date for the reminder and decide whether they want it to repeat, and the reminder will pop up on their phone at the selected time. This feature comes on top of other capabilities available in My Notes, allowing users

to: take down notes for tasks, events, or other purposes; mark their tasks as “done,� as well as hide finished notes; and forward messages from other chats to My Notes. Forwarded messages from other chats into My Notes will show from which chat they were forwarded, so the user always remembers the context. “We recognize our users’ need to maintain control over their lives and quickly adapt to a reality that changes, in many cases, by the minute.

As such, Viber is happy to introduce this feature to help users streamline all their messages and reminders into one single app that is easy to use and actually values their privacy,� said Anna Znamenskayal, CGO of Rakuten Viber.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): When in doubt, sit tight. Be observant, but don’t meddle. Keep the peace now, and you will be in a better position to get your way in the end. Make personal improvements and romance your priorities. Enjoy what life has to offer. ★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You’ll be caught between a rock and a hard place if you let someone drag you into their fight. Quiet support is the best way to handle a difficult situation. If you take over, you will wish you hadn’t. ★★★★

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Keep your money and possessions in a safe place. Don’t take a risk or get involved in joint ventures.

Make a change that will protect you from loss and encourage you to learn more about how best to handle your finances. ★★★

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A financial change is heading your way. Be careful not to act in haste when patience is required. How you handle partnerships, domestic situations and shared assets will determine how well you do. Keep an open mind, but don’t be emotionally impulsive. ★★★

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take care of responsibilities quickly, and move on to more enjoyable pastimes. Discuss your thoughts and feelings with someone you love, and you’ll get the help you need to make your wishes come true.

Romance is on the rise. ★★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take on a challenge that will energize and spark your enthusiasm. You’ll accomplish plenty if you don’t allow outside interference. An invitation to attend a reunion may tempt you, but consider your safety, health and well-being before you accept it. ★★★★

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t make a premature move. Bide your time, and pay attention to detail. Do things right the first time. A well-thought-out plan, discussed with those affected by the decision you make, will lead to a better future. ★★

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take care of unfinished business. Once you know where you stand, you will find it easier to tie up loose ends and relax. A joint venture may interest you, but do your own thing. ★★★★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t spend to impress. The best way to gain respect and popularity is to offer your services or experience, not your cash. A last-minute change of plans will favor you. Time spent with someone you love will bring you closer. ★★★ BIRTHDAY BABY: You are persistent, stubborn and innovative.

You are intelligent and perplexing.

‘hops to it’ BY JOE DEENEY The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Big name in gumdrops 5 Tourney stage before the finals 10 Preschool topic 14 Leave out 15 Home of Goya’s The Third of May 1808 16 Nothing more than 17 Very costly mistake (see letters 4 to 6) 19 Graceful bend 20 Gambol about 21 Kin’s partner 23 Trippy drug 24 Fragrant rings 26 Birth helpers 28 Requiring a step stool, perhaps (3 to 7) 32 Prefix for “favor�

33 “That smarts!�

34 Scale-y astrological sign?

35 Texter’s “I think...�

37 Garment whose name aptly ends with “t�

40 Eastern Europe’s Sea of ___ 41 Pickle piece

43 45 46 50 51 52 53 55 59 61

Light gas, in two ways Employ Upper-ear jewelry items (6 to 10) Took five The ___ of the party American currency: Abbr.

Type of electrical converter Without delay Solar panel spot Words before a stunt, and a hint to 17-, 28- and 46-Across 63 Overlook deliberately 64 Farm song refrain 65 W alternative 66 Sweet Italian bubbly 67 Works like a dog 68 They may be stacked in a kitchen cabinet DOWN 1 Remove, as a hat 2 Minnesota’s Ilhan 3 Mambo king Puente 4 Buys time 5 Plausible but wrong 6 “Umm...�

7 Write on

8 Enthusiastic response to “Who wants cake?�

9 In a way 10 Piece of band gear 11 “This woman’s place is in the House -- the House of Representatives!� campaigner, 1970 12 Pass back and forth over 13 Tournament position 18 Not be straight with 22 Throw with force 25 “No ___ luck!�

27 Princess played by Carrie Fisher 28 The Big Bang Theory star 29 Led to the exit 30 Any object 31 Dine on 32 Word with “golf� or “jockey�

36 Muesli tidbits 38 Stagger 39 “Cornflake Girl� singer 42 Actress Moreno 44 Pretty swell 47 Tres ___ cake 48 Salad recipe instruction 49 1980s jazz subgenre

52 54 56 57 58 60 62

___ Minor (Little Bear constellation) Nile queen, briefly He was found in a 2003 film Word on a penny Goddess of discord James Comey’s former org.

Really enjoy

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

Show BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

The journey to Miss Universe Philippines crown begins

TAKE a look beyond the beauty and glamour of beauty pageants as ABS-CBN TFC and Miss Universe Philippines partner to bring to the overseas Filipinos the journey to the first-ever Miss Universe Philippines crown in the reality series Miss Universe Philippines Ring Light. The series can already be rented per episode on TFC IPTV in countries outside the Philippines, except Hong Kong, with a new episode every week.

Miss Universe Philippines is the new official organization that handles the Miss Universe franchise in the Philippines, which leads the search for the country’s representative in the Miss Universe competition.

Miss Universe Philippines Ring Light is an eight-episode series that brings viewers beyond the preparations for the pageant by featuring the passion, hard work and advocacies that each candidate stands for, to spread hope and inspiration to Filipinos especially during these trying times. They used the term “ring light” in the title since the candidates were given their own ring light and the production team to shoot the needed footages for each episode.

“People would always say that maybe pageants are not essential at this time. We are here to rally initiatives and spread kindness. We are not just glitz and glamour, we are harbingers of hope,” said Miss Universe Philippines National Director Shamcey Supsup-Lee, who was also the third runner-up at the Miss Universe 2011 pageant.

One episode of Miss Universe Philippines Ring Light is made available every week. The first seven episodes let the viewers get to know the representatives of each provinces vying for the Miss Universe Philippines crown. The finale episode, which will be on October 25, will be the actual pageant and coronation night.

Who will be the Philippines’s next representative in the Miss Universe competition and maybe follow in the footsteps of former Miss Universe winners Gloria Diaz, Margie Moran, Pia Wurtzbach and Catriona Gray? Catch Miss Universe Philippines Ring Light which can be rented per episode on TFC IPTV. More information is available at www.mytfc.com.

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Friday, October 16, 2020

Korean boy band BTS faces uproar in China over war comments S

By Juwon Park The Associated Press

EOUL—Chinese nationalists erupted in anger at South Korean boy band BTS after its leader thanked Korean War veterans for their sacrifices.

The singer, who goes by RM, made the remark in a recorded acceptance speech for an award from the Korea Society for promoting US-Korean relations.

“We will always remember the history of pain that our two nations shared together and the sacrifices of countless men and women,” RM said in the speech, which included no mention of China.

“After 70 years, the world we are living in is much closer than before. Boundaries in many aspects are getting more blurred,” RM said. “As members of the global community, we should build a deeper understanding and solidarity to be happier together.”

Chinese internet users and state media took RM’s comments as a slap at China, whose soldiers fought alongside North Korean forces during their failed attempt to annex South Korea in the 1950-1953 war.

They accused RM of ignoring the role played by China in the war, which Chinese Communist Party propaganda blames on the United States, instead of North Korean leader Kim Il Sung’s attack on South Korea.

“Before, I thought some BTS songs were pretty good. Now, they seem to be covered in excrement,” said a commenter on the microblog service Sina Weibo. “Insulting China is absolutely not allowed.”

A hashtag “BTS Insults China” had been viewed more than 4.5 million times, according to Sina Weibo.

“Many Chinese netizens pointed out that the speech plays up to US netizens, but the country played the role of aggressor in the war,” said an article in the Global Times newspaper, controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

The attacks reflect Beijing’s assertiveness abroad and enduring Chinese sensitivity about the Korean Peninsula.

Asked about the controversy, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, said, “What I want to say is that it should be our common pursuit to take history as a mirror, face the future, cherish peace and promote friendship.”

The ruling party uses the entirely state-controlled media to whip up anger against foreign companies, celebrities or governments that take steps Beijing dislikes.

Last year, Chinese state TV suspended broadcasts of National Basketball Association games after the general manager of the Houston Rockets expressed support for anti-government protesters in Hong Kong.

Broadcasts resumed this week.

In 2017, Beijing destroyed South Korean retailer Lotte’s business in China after the company sold land to South Korea’s government to install an anti-missile system opposed by Chinese leaders.

Since the Korean War, Beijing has helped prop up isolated North Korea with gifts of oil and other aid to maintain a buffer between China and US-allied South Korea. Online Chinese fan groups demanded

an apology from BTS and called for boycotts of an upcoming album and promotional events.

BTS-related products were missing this week from the online stores of Samsung Electronics and sports brand FILA on Chinese e-commerce websites including Alibaba Group’s TMall and JD.com.

Global brands have tried to distance themselves from politically touchy issues, especially Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing as part of its territory, and Hong Kong, the scene of pro-democracy protests.

In 2016, Hong Kong singer Denise Ho said cosmetics giant Lancome canceled a concert to distance itself from her pro-democracy activism.

The same year, Taiwan-born Korean pop singer Chou Tzu-yu apologized for shaking a Taiwanese flag on South Korean TV after criticism by China.

BTS has yet to respond, but South Korean fans reacted angrily.

“BTS fans are from all over the world, so China’s bullying will be known to all countries that took part in the Korean War,” said Johnny Kim, a South Korean engineer. The row comes ahead of Thursday’s stock market debut of BTS’s management company, Big Hit Entertainment.

Hong Kong’s most prominent dissident, Joshua Wong, weighed in, criticizing Beijing for “provoking groundless rage and division.”

“There are still many Korean War veterans around the world, including those from the United States, so it’s not reasonable for China to pick a fight over this,” said Min-seong Lee, a student in Seoul. n

Sanya becomes ‘First Yaya;’ Khalil joins GMA GMA has announced that Sanya Lopez will play the title role in the much-awaited prime-time series First Yaya. The 24-yearold actress first rose to stardom after bagging the role of Sang’gre Danaya in the 2016 hit prime-time series Encantadia.

Sanya further cemented her name after showcasing her acting chops in various dramas, including Haplos, Cain at Abel and Dahil sa Pag-ibig.

Sanya expressed her gratitude to the network and her fans for their unending support for this new milestone in her career, “First time ko po na magkakaroon ng show sa prime time na ako ang title role, kaya sobra po akong nagpapasalamat sa GMA at sa fans na laging nakasuporta.

Kabado rin po na excited ako kasi alam ko malaki ang ineexpect ninyo sa akin bilang inyong First Yaya.”

During the announcement, it was also revealed that Sanya was especially handpicked by GMA for the role of Yaya Melody. “Simula pa lang ng Encantadia ay lagi na akong sinosorpresa ng GMA sa projects na binibigay po nila. Ang tiwala po ay laging karapat-dapat na suklian ng sipag, tiyaga at katapatan,” said Sanya.

The original drama is set to introduce the newest pairing of Sanya with versatile leading man Gabby Concepcion.

The actress added that she is elated to be working with the seasoned actor and vows to do justice to her role: “First time na malaman ko ’yon, napa-wow na lang ako sa sarili ko. Alam naman po natin na guwapo at magaling na aktor si Gabby Concepcion, kaya sa part ko dapat paghandaan ko rin ang mga eksena namin para hindi ako mapahiya sa kanya.”

Sanya shared that she is in the process of preparing for her character, drawing on her past experience of babysitting for her younger cousins.

“Sa tulong ng aming direktor na si LA Madridejos at ng buong production ay nasa proseso na po ako ng pagkilala kay Yaya Melody, para mabigyang buhay at hustisya ko po ang pagkatao niya. ’Yung buhay ko po noon sa Pulilan, Bulacan, ay mayamang source ng inspiration, lalo po at naranasan ko ring mag-alaga ng mga pinsan na mas bata sa akin,” shared Sanya.

First Yaya follows the story of a vice president (Gabby), who will later become the country’s president, and his first family. The endearing Yaya Melody (Sanya) serves as a nanny to his children. Soon romance blossoms between the two but is challenged by the PSG (Presidential Security Group) head, played by Pancho Magno.

Also joining the cast are Cassy Legaspi, Joaquin “JD” Domagoso and Pilar Pilapil.

Meanwhile, the network also recently welcomed Khalil Ramos, who officially starts his journey with the media giant after signing an exclusive management contract with GMA Artist Center. Present in the contract signing were GMA Senior Vice President for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, GMA Senior Assistant Vice President for Alternative Productions Gigi Santiago-Lara, GMA Artist Center Assistant Vice President and Head for Talent Imaging and Marketing Unit Simoun Ferrer, and GMA Artist Center Senior Talent Manager Joy Marcelo.

Expressing his joy and enthusiasm, Khalil said, “It feels quite overwhelming. Everyone that I’ve met so far has been very welcoming. I feel loved. The amount of support that I’ve been getting so far is very gratifying. I’m incredibly happy to be a Kapuso. I’m very much excited to be able to collaborate with such talented and skilled people. I can’t wait to meet everyone else.”

Khalil entered the entertainment industry in 2011 at the age of 15. He has since grown into a multihyphenate: a filmmaker, a content creator, a host, a performer and a highlyregarded actor.

To name a few of his notable films, Khalil starred as part of the lead cast in various films, such as in Erik Matti’s awardwinning film Honor Thy Father, and the first Filipino Netflix film Dead Kids directed by seasoned filmmaker Mikhail Red. And just last year, he showcased his acting prowess as the leading man in the multi-awarded film LSS, opposite Gabbi Garcia.

Khalil looks forward to portraying challenging roles GMA is known for highlighting onscreen.

“I’d definitely want to take on roles that are acting pieces.

SANYA LOPEZ

Some that I could think of are roles in a heavy drama series.

Thriller and suspense roles would be great, as well. Comedy is also something that I’d like to explore after doing Dead Kids.

I am really interested in roles that would challenge me as a storyteller,” he said.

Driven by passion and a creative eye, Khalil cofounded Limitless Production House with his friends. As its CEO, director and producer, he collaborates with the country’s top directors and cinematographers, onscreen and off, as an actor and mentee. Khalil revealed that his fans should look forward to more of his music and creative storytelling in his new home network.

He said, “They can expect a whole lot more stories from me as an actor. Sa mga fans ng music ko, I would also be going back to singing here in GMA. I hope to have a travel or documentary style show on GMA News TV.” He added that he hopes to work with various GMA stars,

KHALIL RAMOS

including Alden Richards, Dingdong Dantes, Michael V., Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Janine Gutierrez and Gabbi Garcia, among others.

At the contract-signing, Rasonable said she feels glad Khalil has joined the network: “We’re very happy that he’s now with GMA Artist Center. We’re looking forward to having projects with him. He’s a musical artist. He performs so makikita natin siya sa All-Out Sundays and other musical shows we’ll have in the future. He also acts really well. Bibigyan natin siya ng Magpakailanman and syempre, andyan ’yung drama series, ’yung soap operas next year.”

Meanwhile, Ferrer is also excited to work with the newest GMA star and reveals that different guestings across all GMA platforms have already been lined up for Khalil, “We know how talented and passionate he is in his craft, so we are excited to see what more he can offer. His fans have a lot to watch out for.”

B5

B6 Friday, October 16, 2020

Get must-have URC goodies via Zalora

Alaska Fortified IRONDKIDS Virtual Run is down to its last leg

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HE all-digital running program for kids, organized in liue of outdoor races halted by the pandemic, is part of the Alaska IRONKIDS Philippines Keep Fit at Home—a series of virtual races and activities that will run until October, mounted by IRONMAN organizers, Sunrise Events, Inc. “The response from the public has

been overhwelming and we are grateful for parents who continue to encourage their children to keep fit even during the pandemic,” says Harvey Uong, Managing Director of Alaska Milk Corporation.

“This motivates us to further strengthen our commitment to providing nutrition to kids with the support of an active lifestyle platform like IRONKIDS.”

To help participants prepare for their virtual runs, Alaska Fortified airs weekly Video On Demand webisodes featuring tips and techniques on how to keep fit at home.

“The purpose of these webisodes is to support kids with their strength and muscle development even while in quarantine,” explains Filipino Ironwoman and Alaska Fortified IRONKIDS Director Ani de Leon-Brown.

“With the help of regular exercise together with our Gatas for Breakfast, our IRONKIDS become equipped to take on the virtual run challenge and achieve their fitness goals.”

Apart from de Leon-Brown, these webisodes are hosted by renowned athletes including Pinoy pride triathlon champ, August Benedicto, and global triathlon Aussie champs, Dimity Lee Duke and Sam Betten.

“Running takes an immense amount of discipline,” says Betten.

“And I am excited to share some techniques with the Philippines’ future athletes. With focus, consistent exercise and, of course, proper nutrition, I am confident that our IRONKIDS will reach their goals.”

These webisodes are housed in the Alaska Fortified IRONKIDS Facebook and YouTube pages.

Meanwhile, the remaining legs of the Alaska Fortified IRONKIDS Virtual Run will take place on October 17-18.

Interested participants may register through www.ironkidsphil.com.

Unveil the ‘new you’ with NUA

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AVING clear, fresh-looking skin is the goal of everyone who cares about how they look.

And with the market full of skincare products, achieving this goal should be easy, right? Wrong! Unfortunately, as many of us have learned, having clear, beautiful skin isn’t that easy.

For most of us, the search for the right skincare product – the product that works for us – continues to be a seemingly endless and increasingly expensive quest. And, as a result, according to renowned dermatologist Dr. Sarah Barba-Cabodil, we tend to use more than what we need.

“When we minimize the skincare products that we apply, we allow more oxygen to get into our skin and that helps our skin regenerate elastin and collagen,” she points out. “Essentially, we want our skin to do its job on its own every now and then. In other words, we need to give our skin time to reset.”

The secret to effortless and effective natural skincare is simple, Dr. BarbaCabodil says. It starts with breaking bad skincare habits and learning how to simplify our routines by choosing the right product. And this is where NUA comes in.

NUA combines a centuries-old Brazilian beauty secret, cupuaçu, with an abundant Philippine natural resource, the versatile coconut oil.

Cupuaçu, pronounced as “ku.,pu.a.’su,” is a fruit rich in vitamins, fatty and amino acids, as well as antioxidants that is harvested from the heart of the Amazon rainforest. The cupuaçu fruit is a popular ingredient used in numerous South American delicacies; while the fruit’s pulp and seeds are where the skin-nourishing cupuaçu butter and oil are sourced. Because of cupuaçu’s extremely low melting point, the cupuaçu butter can easily melt into the skin. The addition of locally harvested premium-grade coconut oil into the mix allows the cupuaçu butter’s ultrahydrating and moisture-boosting properties to get sealed in, without the heavy, greasy feel that you usually get from most skincare products.

“NUA started as a dream. My father approached me about three years ago

to tell me that he had just learned about a remarkable Brazilian fruit called cupuacu.

He asked me if I wanted to join him in creating products made from it that we could bring to the Philippines. After researching what cupuacu was all about – and the wonders that it could do to the skin – I quickly accepted his offer.”

Martina is the daughter of Elton and Cathy Salimbangon, the dynamic duo behind Organique, the company that produces and markets the Organique Acai Premium Blend and the Organique Acai Freeze-Dried Capsules that are now helping countless Filipino families live a healthier and happier lifestyle.

Realizing that they have found yet another “wonder fruit” from the Amazon rainforest, they quickly worked with a team of experts to develop the products.

Their work has, so far, resulted in a soap and a body oil – the initial offerings of the NUA skincare product line that is now being marketed by Organique Skincare Inc.

“NUA translates to ‘naked’,” Martina explains. “That name was chosen because our brand is ‘naked,’ free of chemicals, toxins and unwanted preservatives. It is organic and all-natural because NUA believes in enhancing one’s own beauty, rather than changing it.”

“Dr. Barba-Cabodil is right,” Cathy says. “Skincare that works should be effortless and simple – but only if you have the right product. With the cupuacu fruit, that’s exactly what we found.”

And the right skincare products are precisely what NUA is bringing to you.

But don’t just take our word for it. Take NUA’s “New You Challenge” and see for yourself. Use the NUA soap and body oil and unveil the “New You” – the fresher looking, more beautiful you!

NUA is now available from the following retailers—all S&R branches nationwide, BeautyMNL, and Southstar Drug branches nationwide. For more information on NUA products, visit www.nua-organics.com

H

ERE’S another convenient way to shop for Universal Robina Corporation’s (URC) products. Great Taste, Nissin, Swiss Miss, Dewberry, and more URC goodies are now available on Zalora.

With just a few clicks, everyone can “add to cart” and have their snack-time companions like Piattos, C2, V-Cut, Vitasoy, and other URC snacks, candies, chocolates, and beverages

delivered straight to their home. They can even opt to pay cash on delivery or use debit or credit cards.

Start shopping for URC products by downloading the Zalora app or visiting Zalora’s website at www.zalora.com.ph.

To learn more about URC, you may visit its website (www.urc.com.ph) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/urcphilippines).

Urban farming opens economic opportunities for a KSK graduate

U

RBAN farming proved to be very helpful particularly now that we are facing a pandemic. This encourages urban dwellers to use their limited space at home to grow their own food. If they have a bountiful harvest, it may even serve as a source of income for them.

This has been the scenario for Hiyasmin Baling and her husband Gabriel Balsa, both graduates of SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) Farmers’ Training program in 2019.

After completing the program, Hiyasmin and Gabriel decided to convert the rooftop of their house in Antipolo City into a full-blown garden of vegetables, fruits, ornamental plants.

Among their produce are eggplant, tomatoes, lettuce, lemon grass, okra, Chinese kangkong, ampalaya, and pechay.

Before the pandemic hit the country, Hiyasmin runs a beauty parlor at their home that served as their main source of income. But her enterprise became unstable due to the community restrictions imposed by their LGU in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. To keep their finances afloat, Hiyasmin and her husband decided to focus more on planting.

With the skills and knowledge they learned from KSK, the couple were able to harvest quality produce which they are now selling on the ground floor of their house. “We have already earned P10,000 from selling strawberry plants alone. We also sell vegetable seeds, planting materials, including our own fermented loam soil which rich in organic materials,”Hiyasmin shared.

“I never imagined I could grow and propagate strawberries here in Antipolo. I just tried my luck and it brings me infinite pleasure knowing I succeeded in propagating and growing strawberries and even Blue Ternate—its flowers have numerous health benefits, which is why so many people want this plant in their backyards,”she added.

KSK farmer Hiyasmin’s mix organic soil product

“SM Foundation’s KSK program really helped our family especially during the pandemic. The farming technologies that we learned during the training gave us an alternative livelihood especially now that our primary source of income is not operational. May God bless SM and the SY family for their humble deeds that open opportunities to people in grassroot communities,”Hiyasmin concluded.

Kabalikat Sa Kabuhayan (KSK) program aims to bring modern and sustainable farming skills in both rural and urban communities to help farmers have food on their table and have potential economic opportunities. To date, the program has trained more than 26,700 farmers from almost 3,360 barangays in 880 cities/municipalities.

UKEAS Philippines offers online Study World 2020

UKEAS Philippines Team

U

KEAS Philippines is proud to welcome Filipino students of all levels to Study World Online 2020!

Available online for the very first time, students all across the Philippines now have free access to a wide range of webinars and one-to-one consultations with representatives from universities across the globe; offering advice, answering queries, and enlightening students who hope to fulfil their dreams of attaining their degrees abroad.

This year’s upcoming Study World Online will be the longest event to date, spanning two weeks over the course of October and November, 2020. On October 17, 20 and 24, webinars will be hosted by representatives from different universities in the United Kingdom, United States of America, and Australia, among other continents and countries. Then from November 3 to 7, students can schedule one-to-one online consultations with university representatives who are ready to accommodate Filipino students nationwide.

Webinars Schedules: On October 17--Study World: The British Embassy Opening Remarks; Chevening Scholarship

by The British Embassy; IELTS Orientation by British Council; Study MBA at the University of Leeds; Boost Your Employability with University of Northampton; Study in Singapore and Attain a UK Degree by Singapore Institute of Management; and Start Early with VET in Central Queensland University Australia.

On October 20 -- Your Getaway to Career Success, Study and Work in Ireland by National College of Ireland; PostTruth Public by Essex University; More than A Mathematics Degree: Actuarial Science, Data Analytics and Artificial; and Intelligence by University of Leicester.

On October 21 --Achieve Your UK Study Ambition by INTO; Psychology Conversion by Leeds Beckett University; and A Business School Ready for Anything by HULT. On October 22--Be Ready to Unleash Your Creativity

with UWE Bristol; Job Prospects for Lancaster University Graduates 2020 Onward; Introduction to Computer Science

by University of Chester; and Design, Your Future by University of Northumbria.

On October 23--10 Tips to Get into Top Universities

by ManderPortman Woodward; Launching a Successful Start Up Business by Nottingham Trent University; and Anthropomorphic Marketing - Do Corporations Act Like People? By University of South Wales.

On October 24--Alumni Panel by UKEAS; Post Study Work Visa by The British Embassy; Become a Doctor in US or UK by St. George’s University; Marine and Maritime Environment by University of Plymouth; Enhancing Talent Since 1935 by Istituto Marangoni; Introduction to Cybersecurity and Forensic IT by University of Portsmouth; and Study Law at Durham University.

One-To-One Consultations: November 3--Durham University; Hult International Business School; Leeds Beckett University; and University of Essex.

November 4--Nottingham Trent University; The University of Northampton; University of Chester; and University of Leeds.

November 5--Istituto Marangoni; Northumbria University, Newcastle; and University of Leicester.

November 6--INTO University Partnerships; ManderPortman Woodward Schools and Colleges; University of Plymouth; and University of Portsmouth.

November 7--Lancaster University; University of South Wales; University of West England – Bristol; and University College Dublin.

Register Today! Study World Online 2020’s webinars and online consultations are FREE of charge and open to Filipino students of all levels. Grab the opportunity this year and register to Study World Online 2020 (https://www. ukeas.com/study-world/?s=4451).

Sports BusinessMirror

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

GAB REINSTATES ABUEVA’S LICENSE T

GAMES and Amusements Board Chairman Abraham “Baham” Mitra reveals that Eumir Felix Marcial has yet to secure a professional boxer’s license.

G PHOENIX Super LPG Team Manager Paolo Bugia provides BusinessMirror a photograph showing Calvin “The Beast” Abueva joining the Fuel Masters’ practice at the Angeles University Foundation gym inside the Clark bubble on Thursday.

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Tolentino said he will keep lobbying for baseball/softball, soft tennis, duathlon, windsurfing and wakeboarding/water skiing, sports which the country also ruled in 2019.

Vietnam newspaper VNExpress International reported that the SEA Games Federation Executive Committee approved the four sports’ inclusion in a recent online meeting and will make a formal announcement in November.

Vietnam said triathlon is a developing sport with many international races being held in the region. The hosts plan to hold the sport in the northern Quang Ninh province.

The same media outlet said Dota 2, Arena of Valor and Pro Evolution Soccer will be three of the six eSports events to be played at the games.

The addition of the four sports increases

Agilas square off with Iranians

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HE Philippines faces a tough assignment in Iran hoping to snare another victory in the fourth round on Friday to keep its grip of the lead in the virtual Asian Nations Online Chess Cup 2020.

Expected to lead the campaign for the fourth-seeded Filipinos against the No. 3 Iranians are Grandmaster (GM) Rogelio Barcenilla and International Master (IM)

the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) proposed budget for 2021.

The PSC proposed for a traditional Department of Budget and Managementendorsed P207 million 2021 budget that is intended for the agency’s operations and salaries and wages of personnel.

On top of that, an additional P510 million was proposed as additional funding primarily intended for Filipino athletes training and preparation for the Tokyo Olympics itself and for the Games qualifiers.

“The PSC needs the full support of Congress—the House and Senate—because 2021 is the year when the Olympic gold medal beckons,” Tolentino said. “I am

PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez believe the country’s first Olympic gold medal could come in Tokyo next year.

ESports, triathlon, jiujitsu, bowling added to Vietnam SEAG program

HILIPPINE Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino hailed the addition of four more sports on the Vietnam 31st Southeast Asian Games program, three of which are beneficial to the country’s bid to remain as the biennial event’s overall champion.

Vietnam announced the inclusion of jiujitsu, eSports, triathlon and bowling, hiking to 40 sports that are calendared for the November 21 to December 2 games that will primarily be hosted by Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh for the second time after 2003.

“This is good news for us because we dominated three of these four sports when we hosted the games in December 2019,” Tolentino said.

Filipino athletes topped jiujitsu with five gold medals and eSports with three, while it swept all three events in triathlon in the 30th SEA Games.

AMES and Amusements Board (GAB) Chairman Abraham “Baham” Mitra gave Tokyo Olympics-bound boxer Eumir Felix Marcial a fatherly advice: Don’t burn bridges.

Marcial is in the news not only because he is already in Los Angeles to kick off his professional career, but because of his negative remarks in a

press statement that was circulated on Tuesday stating his frustration with the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (Abap) for not acting on his request to bring to the US his Abap coaches. His statements prompted a rebuttal from Abap President Ricky Vargas on Wednesday.

“May we advise Marcial not to burn bridges with Abap. Abap took good care of him and he will deal with them on his road to the Olympics on winning the Philippines’ first ever Olympic gold,” Mitra told BusinessMirror. “Abap has been helping him and treating him like a son.”

Mitra also reminded Marcial that he has yet to secure a professional boxer’s license from the GAB. “Technically, he remains under the amateur boxing association of [Abap] President Ricky Vargas because he hasn’t applied yet for a professional license despite signing a promotional contract with Manny Pacquiao’s promotion last July,” Mitra said.

SPORTS ’21 BUDGET MARKED ‘PRIORITY’ HILIPPINE Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino sought an additional P510 million budget for elite sports for 2021 as the country got a clear shot at finally winning not only its first Olympic gold medal but potentially multiple, at the rescheduled Tokyo Games.

“Tokyo could be that host city where the country could win not one, not two, but probably more Olympic gold medals in 2021. And along this line, the athletes need all the support in their bid to accomplish what has never been achieved before,” Tolentino said after his interpellation on

Paulo Bersamina.

The Agila ng Pilipinas, as the men’s team is called, blanked Palestine and Syria, 4-0, and downed Thailand, 3-1, behind the flawless games of Barcenilla and Bersamina.

GMs Mark Paragua and John Paul Gomez, toting 2.5 points apiece, are also expected to battle the Iranians, who are wielding a power-packed team of GMs Rinat Jumabaev,

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Mitra tells Marcial: Don’t burn bridges

By Josef Ramos

HE Games and Amusements Board (GAB) reinstated Calvin Abueva’s professional basketball player’s license but on a probationary status, GAB Chairman Abraham “Baham” Mitra said on Thursday.

In a post seminar report dated on Wednesday, a GAB evaluation showed Abueva completed three online Professional Athletes Code of Conduct and Ethics seminars on October 6, 8 and 14 as a prerequisite for the reinstatement of his license.

The evaluation report, handled and evaluated by Kara Mallonga of the GAB Chairman’s Office, recommended the reinstatement of Abueva’s license “subject to the conditions and approval of the [GAB] Board.”

The PBA indefinitely banned Abueva—with an accompanying P70,000 fine—in June 4, 2019, for unsportsmanlike play in 2019. He is now with his team, Phoenix Super LPG, in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup inside the Clark bubble and although he is allowed to practice with the Fuel Masters, he is barred from attending the games at the Angeles University Foundation gym.

“It’s probationary for six months. He is done with GAB now and he could comply now with the rules of the PBA next,” said Mitra, noting Abueva has been very remorseful and participative throughout the seminars.

“On GAB’s part, we’re okay now with Calvin,” Mitra reiterated.

Abueva also underwent, and passed, GAB’s medical requirements including drug test procedures.

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said GAB’s probationary reinstatement of Abueva’s license is a huge boost for the former San Sebastian College star, but stressed the league has its own set of rules covering erring players.

“Calvin [Abueva] needs to finish some requirements and if what’s going to be beneficial with him. I can’t reveal [it because of our privacy law],” Marcial told BusinessMirror from the Clark bubble.

Phoenix Team Manager Paolo Bugia said they are hoping Abueva will be allowed to play on Monday against TNT. TNT Tropang Giga meanwhile, shoots for a 3-0 start when it collides with defending champion San Miguel Beer on Friday at 6:45 p.m. at the Angeles University Foundation gym.

Roger Pogoy and Bobby “Ray” Parks Jr.— who registered 40-plus points performances in separate games—are again expected to power the Tropang Giga.

Pogoy had 45 points in TNT’s 100-95 win over Alaska last Sunday, while Parks posted a career-high 40 points and 11 rebounds in a 112101 victory over Terrafirma last Tuesday.

The Beermen (1-1 won-lost) are coming off an 83-87 setback to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters last Tuesday.

Rain or Shine (1-0) seeks back-to-back wins when it goes up against Terrafirma (0-1) in the first game at 4 p.m.

Editor: Jun Lomibao | Friday, October 16, 2020

the total number at next year’s games to 40, 16 less than last year, with Vietnam blaming this on the economic downturn due to the Covid pandemic.

The 31st SEA Games are scheduled to be held from November 21 to December 2, and the Para Games from December 14 to 21.

Vietnam once hosted the SEA Games before in 2003.

Last year it finished second in the medals tally with 288 medals, including 98 golds.

The sports in the November 21 to December 2 Vietnam 31st SEA Games are: aquatics (diving and swimming), archery, athletics, badminton, basketball (5x5 and 3x3), billiards, bodybuilding, bowling, boxing, canoeing, chess, cycling (road and mtb), dancesports, eSports, fencing and football (football, beach soccer and futsal).

Also in the program are golf, gymnastics (artistic, rhythmic and aerobic), handball, judo, jiujitsu, karate, kickboxing, kurash, muay thai, pencak silat, petanque, rowing, sepaktakraw, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball (beach and indoor), vivinam, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.

Rustam Khusnutdinov, Murtas Kazhagaleyev and Anuar Ismagambetov.

The Lady Agilas—Woman GM Janelle Mae Frayna, Woman IM Jan Jodilyn Fronda, Woman Fide Master Shania Mae Mendoza and WIM Bernadette Galas—face Kyrgyzstan also on Friday.

The Filipinas routed United Arab Emirates and Iraq on 4-0 scores before blowing a potential upset in a 1.5-2.5 loss to the second-seeded Indonesians last Sunday. Annie Abad

confident that elusive gold medal will be achieved in Tokyo.”

The PSC, according to Chairman William Ramirez, said that of the P510 million additional budget, P150 million will be for the Tokyo Olympics campaign, while P100 million will be for the preparation and participation in the

Southeast Asian Games where the country will be defending the overall championship when Vietnam hosts the biennial games from November 21 to December 2.

“The SEA Games are on top of the priorities as we defend the overall title which we achieved when we hosted the event in

BusinessMirror learned than an agent of Marcial promised several times to bring the boxer to the GAB’s Makati offices to work on his license, but it didn’t materialize. In one instance, the GAB even prepared a sumptuous meal for Marcial to welcome the then aspiring pro, but he was a no show.

Mitra, however, said Marcial could still fight as a pro in the US without a GAB license, although the agency could collaborate with its American counterparts.

MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons, meanwhile, said his main concern is for the 24-year-old Zamboanga City native to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics. The Games are set from July 24 to August 8, 2021.

“I’m looking forward to a great training camp in the US preparing Marcial for the Tokyo Olympics and I don’t know what is going on in the Philippines,” Gibbons said. “I am just giving him the best training for the Olympics.”Josef Ramos 2021,” Tolentino said.

The remaining P250 million will be allocated for the Asian Beach Games, Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games, Asian Youth Games, Asian Youth Para Games, SEA Para Games, Tokyo Paralympics and Asean Youth Games.

Tolentino is pinning high hopes on world champion gymnast Carlos Yulo and recently turned pro boxer Eumir Felix Marcial as the brightest chances for the gold medal, along with fast-progressing pole vaulter Earnest John “EJ” Obiena and woman boxer Irish Magno.

Waiting in the wings are women’s world boxing champion Nesthy Petecio and Rio 2016 weightlifting silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, whose respective Tokyo qualifiers were postponed for early 2021 by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mariano “Nonong” Araneta, the Philippine chef de mission to Tokyo, pegged his expectations to at least 18 Filipinos qualifying for the Games set from July 23 to August 8 next year.

Motoring BusinessMirror

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

B8 Friday, October 16, 2020

Editor: Tet Andolong

Toyota rolls out updated Hilux T

By Randy S. Peregrino

OYOTA Motor Philippines (TMP) has finally rolled out the updated version of one of the most popular models in its lineup— the Toyota Hilux. As the country’s best-selling pick-up truck, the new Hilux comes with improvements on its looks, performance, and features.

It is now available in 4x4 Conquest and 4x2 Conquest variants, G AT and MT, and E MT. “This 2020, the New Hilux and Hilux Conquest arrive with an impressive new look, that is more rugged and exciting than ever,” said TMP President Atsuhiro Okamoto. “The new Hilux is designed to meet the tough demands of Filipino drivers and the country’s varying roads. I am confident that the Hilux would once again prove why it is the Philippines’s pick-up of choice. ‘Tough on every road, every inch a Hilux,’” he added.

With a tougher, more rugged, and even more exciting look, the fascia highlights the main upgrade featuring the new hexagonal grille and bumper designs. Exclusive to Conquest variants are the bi-beam LED headlamps and LED rear combination lamps with line guides, along with a sports bar with LED lights. The tailgate received the signature Hilux branding, with an over fender garnish and Conquest decals on both sides of the cargo bed. The deck space offers plenty of

cargo room with tailgate assist and bedliner for Conquest variants.

Introducing as a new color is the Emotional Red (exclusive to Conquest variants).

With Smart Entry and Push Start System (Conquest variants) and keyless entry for G, and E grades, power adjust with auto fold side mirrors, and speed-sensing door locks are standard across the board. Highlighted inside are the 4.2” TFT multi-information display, accessible controls embedded in the steering wheel, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility touch-operated infotainment unit (Conquest, G, and E grades). Enjoy a more comfortable drive with Cruise Control for Conquest variants.

Retained for the 4x4 variants is the 2.8-liter 1GD-FTV turbodiesel engine with an improved output of 201hp and 500 N-m of maximum torque (AT variant), and 420 N-m of maximum torque (MT variant

From 3-hr travel time to 20 minutes; ‘Lexus Experience’

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NOTHER infrastructure wonder has been recently completed by Ramon S. Ang (RSA), the most active, most inventive and most daring businessman in crafting outof-the-box projects this country has ever known in recent memory.

Ahead of its October 31 target of completion, the Skyway 3 project linking Nlex and Slex is raring to go.

RSA, the tireless president and CEO of San Miguel Corp., announced this week only the final touches, like curing and asphalt drying, remain before the 17.93-km road is opened to the public.

“I’m happy to announce that the whole structure of Skyway 3 is now complete,” RSA said.

“With this, Skyway 2 in Buendia is now officially extended all the way to Nlex.”

Once opened, time and money will be enormously saved by travelers—definitely a boon in these dire times.

With Skyway 3, travel from Slex to Nlex will now only take 20 minutes from three hours.

Magallanes to Balintawak is by 15 or so minutes like Balintawak to Naia, and Valenzuela to Makati in just 10 minutes.

Since Covid-19 restrictions were eased in May, RSA said SMC had been doubling its efforts to deliver its major infrastructure projects with the least delays possible.

Only last July, RSA opened the last section of the TPLEx to Rosario, La Union, to complete the 87.3-km gateway to up North.

M o re a re co m i n g u p, i n c l u d i n g R S A’s magnificent P740-billion airpor t project in Bulacan, whose groundbreaking has been set in December.

I just can’t wait.

‘Lexus Experience’

I give way to Jade B. Sison, now the pride and joy of Lexus Manila top gun Raymond T. Rodriguez. Jade is fresh from a Singapore sojourn to further cut her teeth in modern motoring technology.

“There is a certain satisfaction that comes from taking the extended way to your destination.

This is especially true if you enjoy driving and can appreciate the machine that connects you to the road underneath. That feeling is further enhanced when you are behind the wheel of a Lexus.

“Lexus is taking the long route, too, so that you can bask in these delectable payment schemes. So sit back and relax with these offers when you purchase your dream Lexus this October. Take advantage of our 36-month plans on selected models.

“The Lexus RX 350 [SRP P4,378,000] boasts of a 3.5-liter V6 direct-injection engine that offers excellent fuel economy. Mated to this engine is an eight-speed automatic transmission that delivers an exciting drive and an efficient delivery of power.

“The Lexus RX 350 F Sport [SRP P4,938,000] is Lexus’s top-selling SUV that will take your driving experience to the next level. There’s no doubt that you will want to take the longest route—all the time.

“The Lexus NX 300 [SRP P3,208,000] compact luxury crossover is a model that you will surely enjoy during extended drives. Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder direct-injection engine which delivers 235hp and 350-Nm of torque to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

“The Lexus NX 300h [SRP P3,678,000] is another enticing hybrid model from the super-efficient fleet of eco-friendly Lexus variants. The Hybrid System

The robust look of the updated Hilux Conquest. Photos by Toyota Motor Philippines

Same layout but more refined.

with Intelligent Manual Transmission). The 4x2 Conquest, G, and E variants, on the other hand, are powered by the 2.4-liter 2GDFTV turbodiesel motor generating 148 hp and 400 N-m of maximum torque. Both engines now perform Indicator that displays real-time information about the hybrid system’s output and regeneration, encouraging you to adopt an eco-friendly drive.

“The Lexus NX 300 F Sport [SRP P3,708,000] is a sportier take on the NX and has a number of key features that elevate it from other SUVs in its segment. The renowned ‘F Sport’ badge brings more to the table and is a treat for driving enthusiasts who appreciate the open road.

“The Lexus ES 350 [SRP P4,478,000] midsize sedan is a work of art. The interior and exterior are showcases of detail and craftsmanship that set the bar for what a luxury sedan should be.

“The Lexus RX 350L [SRP P4,858,000] was engineered to cater to ever-growing families. The addition of third-row seating is a luxury in itself—a practical feature that you never knew was essential until you needed the added space for passengers and cargo.

“The Lexus RX 450h [SRP P5,178,000] is the hybrid version of one of the most popular SUVs in the entire Lexus lineup. Under its sculpted and aggressive exterior lines is a very sophisticated hybrid drive system, the heart of which is a 3.5-liter V6 direct-injection engine with front and rear electric motors.

“The Lexus UX 200 [SRP P2,538,000] is the ideal introduction to the world of Lexus if you have never experienced the brand before. If you are a demanding driver and your taste in vehicles has elevated, then it is time to slip behind the wheel of the UX. This model is fondly known as the gateway into the world of Lexus.

“The Lexus UX 200 F Sport [SRP P3,108,000] will bring out the driving enthusiast in you. Because of its dimensions, it is an ideal crossover for the city. You will be surprised by its impressive maneuverability.

“Promos available from October 1 to 31. Call [632] 8856 5050 for details.”

What are you waiting for?

PEE STOP Toyota will launch, via digital again,

the New Fortuner on Saturday, October 17. This will be the fifth model to be launched this year by the world’s No. 1 carmaker—a truly remarkable feat if taken in the context of a world reeling from a virus pandemic. Previously unveiled were the Wigo, Vios, Corolla Cross and Hilux. Will this flurry of launches never end?

an improved 4percent to 5 percent fuel efficiency compared to its predecessor.

Safety-wise, all three grades come with SRS air bags (seven for the 4x4 Conquest A/T varia nt), t h re e - p oi nt E L R s e at -

belts, Anti-Lock Brake System with Brake Assist and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Vehicle Stability Control, and Hill-Start Assist Control. Conquest 4x4 variants are equipped with Downhill Assist Control and Active Traction Control. Reverse camera and clearance sonars are available for Conquest variants while back sonars are fitted in the G grades.

As for the business and utility versions, TMP continues to offer the Hilux J in 4x4 and 4x2, Cab and Chassis, and FX for its fleet and business partners. Also, the Hilux Cargo was introduced—a rear seat-less, windowless, and more affordable variant powered by the same 2GD engine. The new Hilux Cargo is specifically designed for the more demanding needs of mobilizing goods and services.

Prices for the Conquest variants are as follow: 2.8 4x4 Conquest AT (P1.830 million), 2.8 4x4 Conquest MT (P1.755 million), 2.4 4x2 Conquest AT (P1.455 million), and 2.4

4x2 Conquest MT (P1.380 million).

Colors available are Emotional Red (+P20,000), Super White, Gray Metallic, Attitude Black Mica, and Nebula Blue Metallic. As for the G grades, prices are 2.4 4x2 G AT (P1,295 million) and 2.4 4x2 G MT (P1.220 million) with Super White, Silver Metallic, Gray Metallic, Attitude Black Mica, Crimson Spark Red Metallic, Nebula Blue Metallic, and Orange Metallic.

The 2.4 4x2 E MT version is valued at (P1.113 million) with Super White, Silver Metallic, Gray Metallic, Attitude Black Mica, and Crimson Spark Red Metallic available colors.

As for the fleet and business versions, prices are as follow in Super White color only: 2.4 4x4 J MT (P1.148 million), 2.4 4x2 J MT (P952,000), 2.4 4x2 FX w/ Rear Aircon MT (P952,000), 2.4 4x2 FX w/ Rear Aircon MT (P1.057 million), 2.4 4x2 FX w/o Rear Aircon MT (P1.029 million), 2.4 4x2 Cargo MT (P936,000), and 2.4 4x2 Cab & Chassis MT (P843,000).

The New Hilux is also available for safely-distanced viewing in our virtual showroom. Get the full dealership experience online, check out the Hilux product highlights, view the interior and exterior in 3D, calculate payments, and submit inquiries direct to any preferred dealer via https://toyota.com.ph/hilux.

Chevrolet introduces the Trax Premier

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HE Covenant Car Com., Inc. (TCCCI), the exclusive importer and distributor of Chevrolet automobiles and parts in the country, elevates your driving experience with a sporty and versatile compact SUV designed to take on every corner of the city.

Introducing the Chevrolet Trax Premier.

Featuring trendy design elements, functional upgrades, and additional safety and technology features, the Trax Premier is tailored to meet the demands of your daily drives.

The Chevrolet Trax Premier comes in two variants—the Trax Premier LS priced at P1,185,888 and the Trax Premier LT priced at P1,535,888 Easy ownership plans are immediately available on the upgraded compact SUV, with the Trax Premier LS offered at P58,000 all-in low down payment or zero percent interest up to 48 months at 30 percentdown payment. A P38,000 all-in low down payment or 0 percent interest up to 48 months at 30 percen tdown payment is available for the top-of-the-line Trax Premier LT trim.

The promo is available until October 31, 2020, only.

Exterior and interior upgrades

The Trax Premier features Chevrolet’s signature dual-port grille, chrome accents, and sculpted rear, enhanced further by a Premier decal and exclusive front and rear black Chevrolet bowtie emblem. Its side profile with a new trendy rear quarter decal accentuates the sporty demeanor of the Trax Premier.

The Premier LT variant sits on an aggressive 18-inch carbon gray rims, while the Premier LS is fitted with a bold 16-inch carbon gray rims—both adding to the confident stance of the compact SUV. Step inside the Trax Premier and be greeted by

added safety and convenience features including a Cabin Air Ionizer to keep the air inside the vehicle free from harmful contaminants, and an HD DVR Dashcam to record your daily drives for extra security. The dashcam comes with smartphone viewing and control app.

Tech and Space

The Trax Premier LT features Chevrolet’s intuitive MyLink Infotainment System, with a 7-inch color touchscreen display supported by seamless smartphone integration. It has available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity to give you easy access to your music, messages, calls, and even map directions.

The Premier LS variant gets an upgraded 7-inch Android color touchscreen that provides you with enter tainment and convenient navigation on the road.

The compact SUV offers flexible space for your essentials. With eight different seating configurations, the Trax Premier can carry items up to 8 feet long. With rear seats folded down, the vehicle can offer up to a maximum of 1,375 liters of luggage space.

Power and Safety

U nder the hood of the Trax Premier is a 1.4-liter turbocharged ECOTEC four-cylinder engine with 140 horspower at 4,900-6,000 rpm and 200-Nm of torque at 1,850-4,900 rpm. Matched with a six-speed automatic transmission, the compact SUV boosts your drive in the city and the open road.

The Trax Premier looks after your safety on your daily commute with its active and passive safety features, including six air bags, Anti-lock Braking System with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Cornering Brake Control, Traction Control System, Rear Wheel Boost, Roll Over Mitigation, Panic Brake Assist, Straight Line Stability, Engine Drag Control, Hill Start Assist, and Hill Descent Control.

The Trax Premier is backed by the Chevrolet Complete Care Program, offering you a coverage of five years or 100,000 km, whichever comes first, access to the 24/7 Customer Care Hotline, and automatic enrollment to the 24/7 Chevrolet Emergency Roadside Support for three years, with option to renew on the fourth year of ownership. ì www.chevrolet.com.ph

Suzuki Launches DEALightful Wheels and Skydrive 125 Fi Units

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UZUKI Philippines Inc. (SPH), the pioneer compact car distributor in the country, once again shakes things up to excite its customers both long time and new, introducing the DEALightful Wheels Promo! A double treat starting this 10.10 as SPH will be giving away 10 Suzuki Skydrive 125 Fi motorcycles to the lucky winners!

The DEALightful Wheels Promo is open to customers who purchase any variant of this popular seven-seater MPV- the Suzuki Ertiga, from October 10, 2020 to October 31, 2020.

The Ertiga, known to be a popular choice for families who are looking for style, comfort and practicality, is definitely a looker with a price tag that starts at P738,000.

On November 9, 2020, 10 winners will be chosen via electronic raffle draw which will be streamed via Facebook Live at Suzuki Philippines official Facebook page witnessed by DTI representatives. The DEALightful Wheels Promo is open to all Suzuki customers who purchase the Suzuki Ertiga of any variant nationwide—three winners from NCR Luzon, two winners from Visayas,

and two winners from Mindanao.

October just keeps on getting better for Suzuki customers! The excitement doesn’t stop there as The Dzire-able Deals, Big Hero Promo, and Back 4 More Deals are extended until October 31, 2020. What are you waiting for? Visit their web site and find out more about these exciting promos that will surely prepare you for new and exciting adventures on the road!

For more information about Suzuki Philippines and its automobiles, please visit www.suzuki. com.ph and like them on www.facebook.com/ SuzukiAutoPH.

A BusinessMirror Special Feature

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Friday, October 16, 2020

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GENCARS@42: DRIVING TOWARDS PROGRESS AMID THE PANDEMIC social media campaigns. This move has proved to be effective as the company’s sales performance remained encouraging despite the challenges of the pandemic.

History

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SUZU Gencars mark s its 42nd year under extraordinary circumstances, as the world is experiencing a health crisis that has changed the way we live.

Because of the pandemic, the country has been placed under various degrees of quarantine, which had adverse effect on many businesses, big and small, as well as on people’s employment and livelihood. The automotive sector, unfortunately, has also been affected and had to endure losses.

But in the face of these grave changes, Gencars has managed to continue its drive towards progress by adjusting to the new normal and adapting to the shifting world.

Now more than ever, Gencars reaffirms its commitment to excellence as envisioned by its founder, Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua: To be one of the best dealers in the motor vehicle industry, committed to market only the best products, and to provide quality service to achieve total customer satisfaction.

Foremost of the changes adapted by Gencars to adjust to the new way of life is the implementation of stricter health and sanitary protocols in its showrooms and offices.

Temperature checks are mandatory upon entering the showrooms and offices. There are also disinfecting foot mats at the entrances, and enough alcohol and hand sanitizers for use of employees and visitors. All areas are regularly disinfected.

Employees wear masks and face shields, and are encouraged to wash their hands with soap and water as often as possible.

Physical distancing is also observed at all times.

Known for its outstanding after-sales service, Gencars made sure that customers will still get the car care that they need even during the community quarantine when movement of people is restricted. They launched their pick-up-and-deliver service where they pick up the vehicle unit from the customer’s home and bring it to the shop for service and maintenance. The unit will also be delivered to the home of the owner after it has been serviced.

Throughout the whole process, the Gencars crew follows all health and safety protocols, such as thorough sanitation of the vehicle, for their own safety and the safety of the client, which is the company’s top priority.

Gencars has also boosted its outside service for its fleet clients, which is very important during this time since some of them use their vehicles to deliver essential goods to various parts of the country.

Still keeping the safety and convenience of its clientele in mind, Gencars has strengthened its online presence to make sure that their customers can reach them easily despite the restrictions of the community quarantine.

The company took advantage of various online channels, such as its official Facebook Page (www. facebook.com/isuzugencars), the Autodeal website (www.autodeal.

com.ph), the Isuzu Philippines Corp. website (www.isuzuphil. com), and its own website (www. isuzu-gencars.com.ph), to attend to online inquiries. Gencars also lets its customers book a service appointment through its Facebook

Page and website, and by calling the Gencars hotline.

To enhance its sales performance during the community quarantine, Gencars has heightened its digital marketing efforts, as well as its

THE story of Gencars started when Ambassador Cabangon Chua established Isuzu Gencars Makati in 1978 together with some friends from his military days. Several of his fellow investors were generals, which is why the dealership was named Gencars.

Built on a one-hectare property at the corner of Chino Roces Avenue (then named Pasong Tamo) and Dela Rosa Street in Makati City, the maiden branch of Isuzu Gencars features a spacious Isuzu vehicle showroom and a Five (5)-Star service shop. More recently, the company has acquired a 700-sqm lot in Bangkal, Makati City, where it now operates a stockyard that can accommodate more than 50 new vehicles.

The company’s first expansion happened in 1996 with the opening of Isuzu Gencars Batangas in Barangay San Roque, Sto. Tomas, Batangas.

This was followed by the opening of its third outlet in San Pablo City, Laguna on November 17, 2000. Located at Colago Avenue, Isuzu Gencars San Pablo supplies brand new vehicle and provides for the vehicle service needs of clients in the provinces of Laguna, Quezon, and even the Bicol Region.

Years later, Bicolandia would have its own Isuzu Gencars outlets to cater to the motoring needs of major establishments, and provide them with an improved mode of transport, complemented by modern facilities for after-sales service and parts. Isuzu Gencars Legazpi, the company’s fourth branch, opened on July 17, 2006 at J.P. Rizal Street, Legazpi City, Albay, while its fifth branch, Gencars Naga, started operations on August 8, 2008 at Maharlika Highway, Pili, Camarines Sur.

The sixth outlet of Isuzu Gencars is located at the Batangas City Grand Terminal Complex on Diversion Road, Barangay Alangilan, Batangas City. It opened in 2016 at a place known as Automotive Row in Batangas City because it is the home of several major automotive vehicle manufacturers.

A year later, or in 2017, the company opened Isuzu Gencars Santa Rosa, its seventh branch. It is located along the Santa RosaTagaytay Road in Barangay Pulong Sta. Cruz in the City of Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Isuzu Gencars, through its network of seven branches, continues to fulfill its commitment to be Isuzu Philippines Corporation’s reliable partner in bringing top-quality Isuzu vehicles to as many Filipinos as possible. Likewise, the seven dealerships prove the company’s stability and steady growth, and its consistent drive towards expansion and more success.

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Friday, October 16, 2020

Gencars@42 A BusinessMirror Special Feature

www.businessmirror.com.ph

STEADY SALES TURNOUT FOR GENCARS DESPITE THE PANDEMIC

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SUZU Philippines Corporation (IPC), one of the country’s leading vehicle manufacturers, recently announced its milestone 300,000-unit sales, which it accomplished in its August 2020 selling month.

The feat was achieved amidst the decline in sales volume since March this year when most parts of the country were placed in community quarantine. Of the total 300,133 units sold by IPC since it started operations 24 years ago, 241,389 were light commercial vehicles while 58,744 were commercial vehicles.

In a statement released by IPC, the company expressed its gratitude to its dealer network, stakeholders and local suppliers. “We take pride on our strong dealer network, especially with the support we are getting from our dealer principals, shareholders, and parts suppliers, this sales milestone will not be possible without them,” said Hajime Koso, IPC president.

Isuzu Gencars, a recipient of multiple Dealer of the Year awards from IPC, has contributed to this success through its steady sales turnout of trucks, pick-ups, and SUVs in the first half of the year, which it was able to attain despite the challenges brought by the pandemic.

As the community restrictions were gradually eased, the company has experienced a spike in sales of its Isuzu N-Series trucks and the Isuzu D-MAX, particularly the Boondock Edition, as well as the Isuzu mu-X 3.0 model.

The spike in the sale of these models is attributed to the increasing demand for heavy-duty vehicles, which are being used in the efficient transport of essential goods and merchandise.

With its new normal protocols in place, and its enhanced online marketing efforts, Gencars is confident that it will continue to be a productive partner of IPC in the distribution of best quality Isuzu vehicles across the country in the coming years.

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TRANSCEND YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE ISUZU TRAVIZ

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SUZU Philippines has launched this year a new model that’s made for carrying both people and cargo: the 2020 Isuzu Traviz.

Having the tagline, “Transcend your business,” the Traviz is a versatile lightweight truck that can be configured into several bodies depending on your personal or business requirements. It can be made into a utility van, a dropside truck, an aluminum van, or a refrigerated van--multiple functionalities that would let you transport big

groups of people or haul heavy loads.

The Traviz is guaranteed fuel efficient, with its Euro 4 compliant Direct Injection Common Rail diesel engine. Its rigid chassis makes it capable of running long mileage, and its lightweight body size allows it to maneuver easily on narrow streets, requiring only 4.5 meters for a complete U-turn, even

with a heavy load. The power steering function, on the other hand, makes driving quite comfortable, with the driver exerting only minimal effort for maximum control.

Speaking of comfort, the Traviz has a spacious cabin that can accommodate up to three people, with more than enough legroom and ergonomically designed interior. It is also equipped with an easy to read console for the driver’s convenience, a built-in radio system that is USB ready, and an air conditioning unit can be installed upon the request of the customer.

With its great features and flexibility, the Traviz is indeed a smart choice for people who are looking for a lightweight, yet heavy-duty, multifunctional truck.

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MESSAGES

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WOULD like to congratulate the officers and staff, parts, service and sales personnel and all hardworking men and women of Isuzu Gencars, Inc. on the occasion of your 42nd Foundation Anniversary!

Isuzu Philippines Corporation is proud to have a strong and reliable partner in Gencars through all these years. The company’s commitment to make sure that our dependable light commercial vehicles and trucks reach as many Filipinos as possible is truly unparalleled, as proven by its constant expansion to key locations in the Philippines.

As a provider of excellent after-sales services, Gencars has likewise earned the trust and confidence of our loyal Isuzu customers. For

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SUZU Gencars marks its 42nd Anniversary today under unprecedented circumstances, as the world is experiencing a health crisis like no other. But while the pandemic has made it more challenging for us to do our work and sustain our operations, it has not waned our determination to deliver excellent Isuzu products and services to our valued clients.

With inspiration from our founder, my late father Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, who taught us so many lessons on resilience, staying focused, and serving with compassion, the hardworking men and women of Gencars managed to keep the company afloat so that we can give our clients the best service despite the hindrances.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the officers, staff, and crew of Isuzu Gencars for their loyalty and dedication to the company, which shined through during this time of pandemic.

Right at the outset of the community quar-

this and for your dedication, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude.

Now that we are facing a global health crisis, Gencars has proven its resilience as a company, and its dependability as a member of the community by continuing to provide livelihood to its workers, and through all its efforts to sustain operations.

Happy anniversary from all of us at Isuzu Philippines Corporation, and we wish you more success in the years ahead.

HAJIME KOSO

President of Isuzu Philippines Corp.

antines we realized that if we allow this disease to scare us, we will also allow it to beat us. In such case, it would be our clients who will be gravely affected in the end. And so, our people soldiered on and did all necessary measures to ensure the continuous delivery of our services.

As we open a new chapter, Gencars will continue its drive towards progress, and navigate this new world cautiously but more determined than ever. With the continued support of Isuzu Philippines Corporation, for which we are truly grateful, we shall overcome all the hardships that may still come our way in the future.

Happy 42nd Anniversary, and may God bless us all!

D. EDGARD A. CABANGON Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Bayanihan spirit stro

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HE pandemic that we are experiencing now is a true test of strength for companies all around the world. Many have been caught off-guard and very few could say that they were prepared for a crisis of this scale.

Locally, the impact of the COVID-19 crisis was also felt by companies in various industries.

Some, unfortunately, did not survive and had to shut down, while others had to downsize and let go of a number of their employees.

Isuzu Gencars was not spared, as it also felt the adverse effect of the community quarantines that were implemented in most parts of the country to stem the spread of the virus. But despite the challenges of the pandemic, the employees of Isuzu Gencars saw an opportunity to strengthen their relationship with their colleagues, and help the company adjust to the new normal.

“Our employees, especially those in the Parts & Services Department, had the initiative to give suggestions on how we can adjust our operations and improve our services now that we are shifting to the new normal,” shared Lerma Nacnac, president of Isuzu Gencars. Their ranks did not hinder them from accomplishing tasks that needed to be done in order to continue the company’s operation.

“Some employees could not report for work because of the community quarantine. Fortunately, the employees who could still go to work were willing to do the pending jobs of those who

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onger than ever among Gencars employees couldn’t, regardless of their rank,” Nacnac said, sharing that some supervisors did not hesitate to do the work of the Parts & Services crew, or even the messenger’s job.

“This pandemic has strengthened the camaraderie among Gencars employees, and it has brought out the best in all of us despite the situation,” Nacnac said.

Another big factor that moti-

vated Gencars employees during this pandemic was the support of the management. When the community quarantine was first imposed, the first thing that company chairman and chief executive officer, D. Edgard A. Cabangon, ensured was that the employees will continue to get their salary. “Even though Gencars was also affected by the pandemic, Boss Edgard

made sure that the employees would still receive their salary.

The top management did all necessary adjustments to keep the business going and avoid layoffs,” Nacnac shared.

This global health crisis might be far from over, and the extent of its effect on businesses is yet to be seen. But with the genuine concern that its employees have shown for

one another and for the company, and with the way its management has handled the setbacks, Isuzu Gencars can definitely weather the challenges that may still come its way. “The bayanihan spirit is definitely alive in Gencars during these trying times, and I believe that our culture of malasakit will help us get through this crisis,” Nacnac finished.

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Friday, October 16, 2020

Gencars@42 A BusinessMirror Special Feature

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SUPERB SERVICE YOU CAN RELY ON

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SUZU Gencars, Inc. takes pride in its Service Division, which for many years has been recognized by Isuzu Philippines Corporation as one of the best in the country based on customer satisfaction and quality of service.

As a Five-Star repair shop, the Gencars Service Shop offers complete services, including re-powering conversions, general body repairs, painting and fabrication of special truck body configurations, and supply of genuine auto spare parts, not only for Isuzu vehicles but for other brands as well. It features state-of-the-art equipment that undergo routine maintenance to ensure that they are always in the best condition.

To guarantee that it renders only the best service to its discerning clientele, Gencars employs highly skilled mechanics and technicians who regularly undergo trainings to broaden their knowledge, enhance their skills, and be up-to-date with the latest technology and the most modern practices when it comes to automotive maintenance and care.

Taking the extra mile in the name of service

A true champion of service, Gencars made sure to continue to provide its clients with the car care that they need even in the face of a global health crisis.

When parts of the country were placed under enhanced community quarantine, the company further enhanced its outside service so that the clients don't have to worry about bringing their vehicles to the shop for repairs. The Gencars Service Shop personnel tasked to render outside service adhere to the strict health protocols being implemented by the company, within and outside its shops, for their own safety, and the safety of the client.

This move shows the company's commitment to be a reliable partner of responsible motorists in taking care of their vehicles under any situation.

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Gencars remains a reliable provider of trucks I

SUZU Gencars remains a dynamic contributor not only to the progress of the local trucking industry, but to the development of other industries as well. Proof of this is the company’s ever growing clientele that includes some of the biggest names in logistics, infrastructure, manufacturing and other trades, whose demands for truck parts and services are expertly fulfilled by Gencars.

San Miguel Corporation

BECAUSE of Gencars’ highly- recognized reputation in car dealership, it earned the trust of no less than the Philippines’s largest and most diversified conglomerate- San Miguel Corporation. (SMC)

For four years now, Gencars has been the supplier of various kinds of trucks for San Miguel for the different industries they are involved in including construction, energy, and food industry.

It started in 2016 when Gencars supplied the need of San Miguel Food and Beverage, Inc., specifically Magnolia foods, for refrigerated van.

Since then, Gencars has been the partner of SMC in maintaining their highquality operations of providing several kinds of services to the Filipino people.

Gencars vows to maintain its efficient delivery and service in answering SMC’s demand for trucks as the latter plays a huge role in the improvement and progress of Filipino lives, in general.

Partnering with SMC paves the way for Gencars to play, even just a small part, in the corporation’s significant task of providing essential daily needs of the Filipino people.

Firetruck builders

AMONG the big clients of Gencars today are some of the country’s top body builders of firetrucks, namely Palmer-Asia, F. Cura Industries, and Firewolf Motors.

Palmer-Asia is an ISO-certified total provider of high quality products for personal safety, family protection, and business and property security. Serving the Philippines and Asian and Middle Eastern countries,the fast-growing companyoffers fire systems, fire trucks, rescue vehicles, and fire extinguishers of superior quality.

Another ISO-certified company that has put its trust in Gencars is F. Cura Industries, a reliable supplier of fire safety equipment that caters to several companies across the country. It has tapped Gencars to be the provider of cab chassis for the international standard fire-fighting trucks that it builds.

Firewolf Motors Philippines, the largest fire-fighting vehicle and equipment manufacturer in the country, is also a valuable client of Gencars. It builds durable fire-fighting vehicles and ambulance

that are based on tried and tested West European, American, and Japanese designs, and offers reconditioned firetrucks of great quality and design.

J&T Express

ASIDE from the country’s top builders of firetrucks, Gencars is also the supplier of choice of Southeast Asia’s leading e-Commerce delivery company here in the Philippines, J&T Express.

Established in Indonesia in 2015, J&T Express provides fast, easy, and hassle-free delivery service for its partner merchants in various countries in Southeast Asia.

When several parts of the country were placed under community quarantine, delivery of goods became more in demand, as people turned to online purchase for their essential needs. As a result of this surge, the need for dependable delivery trucks has also increased significantly.

In order to keep up with the high volume of delivery, J&T Express has opted

to procure more trucks, and for this they found a reliable partner in Gencars.

Shifting from another brand of trucks, J&T Express recently repurchased additional units from Gencars, a testament to the latter’s reliability and excellence.

Despite the pandemic, Gencars’s other big clients also chose to purchase truck units from the company. Some of them use the trucks in their operations, while others utilize them in transporting essential goods to those in need.

Isuzu Philippines Corporation marks 2020 as the 20th consecutive year that it has maintained its status as the number 1 truck brand in the country. These big organizations in Gencars’ current roster of valued clients are just some of the companies that continue to trust the Isuzu brand when it comes to providing their own clientele with reliable business solutions, through its wide range of dependable light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty trucks.