BusinessMirror October 21, 2019

STANDING TALL Visiting Indian President Shri Ram Nath Kovind delivers his message at the unveiling ceremony of the bust of India’s beloved leader—and global icon for peaceful change—Mahatma Gandhi at the Miriam College in Quezon City at the weekend. NONOY LACZA

BEYOND DISSENT, NENE WAS A GREAT BUILDER

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HE Senate and the Constitutional Commission (Con-com), two institutions where he best left his mark in public service beyond his immortal image as defender of democracy, deeply mourned on Sunday is the passing of former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto recalled Pimentel’s “courage of conviction” in a statement hours after Pimentel succumbed to complications of lymphoma at age 85.

“While others sought comfort in numbers, Nene drew strength from his conviction,” Recto said, recalling Pimentel as “a maverick who could not resist a good fight, many of which by his lonesome, for he believed that one man with courage was enough to make a majority.”

Recto noted that Pimentel, who rose to fame as

Cagayan de Oro’s fighting mayor but held national office after the 1986 Edsa Revolt, “paid dearly for being true to his principles and to his people.

“He spent years in prison for fighting for the freedoms which were taken from the people he loved,” Recto said, adding that later, “his incurable independent streak lost him the chance to acquire greater power, for he refused to compromise the values he never sold.”

Beyond dissent: Great builder

Still, Recto said “it would be wrong to paint” Pimentel “solely as a great dissenter” because he was “also a great builder—of local autonomy, of just peace among a people fatigued of war, of grassroots democracy, of Mindanao development, of ethics in public service.”

Continued on A2

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Monday, October 21, 2019 Vol. 15 No. 11

P25.00 nationwide | 6 sections 36 pages | 7 days a week

‘Rice imports safeguard duty won’t spur inflation’

Seoul’s push on tariff cuts stalls FTA talks with PHL

By Elijah Felice E. Rosales

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@alyasjah

HE Philippines will no longer see its second bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA) materialize by November, as negotiators slow down talks after South Korea reportedly became more aggressive in pushing for tariff cuts.

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said FTA talks with South Korea are becoming difficult lately, as its negotiators are seeking too many concessions from the Philippines.

As such, it will be better to prolong the negotiations, passing on the November deadline in the process, than give in to the demands, he added.

“Negotiations there [FTA with South Korea] are becoming difficult. South Korea is demanding too many concessions in exchange of what we are asking. The bottom line is we’re still inching and inching closer [to a compromise],” Lopez told the BusinessMirror.

“That’s just how things are: we should not give in to everything their negotiators will be asking just to get our demands. It has to make sense,” he argued. A source privy to the matter said South Korea wants the Philippines to bring down its tariffs on automobile and car parts at a drastic rate and with a faster schedule.

“We want them to reduce their tariffs on banana and agricultural products and they are asking us to do the same for automobile parts and industrial items.

See “FTA,” A2

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By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

@jearcalas

HE imposition of a safeguard duty on rice imports to protect rice farmers from the detrimental effects of an import surge is not inflationary, a former ranking agriculture official said at the weekend, disputing the claim of economic managers.

Inflation won’t be an issue since the volume of domestic stocks is already high due to the influx of imported rice after the rice trade liberalization law took effect earlier

this year, former Agriculture Undersecretary Segfredo R. Serrano explained.

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) had

57.7% The expansion in the country’s total rice inventory as of September 1, 2019—to 1.842 million metric tons from 1.168 million metric tons recorded in the same period last year, per Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data

harped on the inflationary impact, which the DA cited as basis for scuttling the safeguard duty investigation. Related story in Agriculture page, A5.

“Considering the situation where you have a lot of stocks already, I

L

@caiordinario

IBERALIZING trade in services in Southeast Asia will increase the demand for semi-skilled Filipino workers, according to a trade expert.

In an Asian Development Blog published by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Kakali Muk-

PESO exchange rates n

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

don’t think so [that safeguard duties will be inflationary],” Serrano told the BusinessMirror in an interview.

“Kasi magse-safeguard ka if may excess [volume which is] prejudicial to your producers. How can it be inflationary if [a] lot of imported rice entered the market due to a deregulated industry?” Serrano argued.

Serrano said the economic managers should prove that it is inflationary given the current situation of the rice industry, wherein stocks are high while farm-gate prices are continuously declining.

The government, he added, could have opted to impose the safeguard duties and assess after wards if the consequences of the trade remedy are indeed inflationary.

HILE the alignment of the future subway system in Metro Manila has been finalized, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) remains open to studying new solutions to further improve the so-called project of the century.

Responding to an earlier statement made by Sen. Grace Poe, Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said a review of the alignment and the cost of the P365-billion railway facility in Metro Manila is already too late at this point, as the plan has already been approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

“The alignment will not be changed anymore because the

See “Safeguards,” A4

See “Subway,” A2

@lorenzmarasigan

W

‘RISKS TO BOP SURPLUS RISING, BEAR WATCHING’

By Bianca Cuaresma

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A farmer in Cordon, Isabela, mounts bags of rice after solar-drying the grains on a multipurpose pavement. The Isabela Provincial Government with support from the Department of Agriculture recently launched the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) program in partnership with the Nagkaisang Magsasaka ng Isabela Agricultural Cooperative (NMIAC) which aims to buy the rice harvest from Isabela farmers. CEASAR M. PERANTE

Asean trade in services lib to boost PHL semi-skilled labor

By Cai U. Ordinario

Alignment review for subway ‘too late now’

hopadhyay of the India-based Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics said this is one of the benefits of trade liberalization.

Mukhopadhyay said there is a strong argument to liberalize services in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) since members generate 37 percent to 74 percent of their GDP from services.

“Thailand and the Philippines

could experience the highest demand rise for semi-skilled laborers, including those engaged in agricultural activities. These economies will have structured gains based on the general orientation of these economies which could provide cost advantage in their trade relations,” Mukhopadhyay said.

She explained that Asean services exports grew 12.5 percent to

$291.9 billion in 2013, from $113.6 billion in 2005.

Over the same period, services imports increased 9.9 percent to $298.6 billion from $140.7 billion.

As such, Mukhopadhyay said service trade liberalization can be beneficial to economic growth and job generation. Estimates showed

@BcuaresmaBM

HE Philippines w il l continue to be a dollarearning economy in the remaining months of the year, but risks to this surplus are slowly creeping up on the country’s foreign currency inflows.

In a commentary about the country’s balance of payments (BoP), Security Bank economist Robert Dan Roces said the country’s BoP—the summary of all the Philippines’s transactions against the rest of the world— “will continue to see positive fundamental inflows” in the coming months.

Roces said the sustained BoP surplus toward the end of the year will likely be supported by higher receipts in cash remittances from overseas Filipino workers with the approach of the holiday season.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) just recently reported that the country’s BoP surplus continued to do well in the first nine months of the year. For January to September, the BoP surplus was at about $5.56 billion in total. This is a stark reversal of the $5.1-billion deficit seen in the same nine-month period in 2018.

$430M Net FDI inflow in June 2019, or 48.5 percent lower than the $836-million net inflows recorded in the same month last year. This is the fourth consecutive month that the monthly FDI inflows has been in decline.

However, a granular look at the data showed that the BoP surplus showed a big surplus drop on a monthly inflow basis—from $493 million in August down to $38 million in September.

Roces said the biggest downside risk to the BoP is the continued underperformance of the foreign direct investments (FDI) toward the country.

FDI—or the type of investment that is often more coveted, as it stays longer in the economy and creates job opportunities for locals—posted a net inflow of $430 million in June 2019, or 48.5 percent lower than the $836-million net inflows recorded in the same month last year.

See “BOP surplus,” A2

See “Semi-skilled labor,” A2

US 51.4860 n japan 0.4739 n UK 66.3758 n HK 6.5634 n CHINA 7.2749 n singapore 37.7353 n australia 35.1289 n EU 57.2833 n SAUDI arabia 13.7270 Source: BSP (18 October 2019 )

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Monday, October 21, 2019

Senators cool to divorce bill, eye dissolution of marriage

By Butch Fernandez

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@butchfBM

ENATE leaders foresee an uphill battle for the divorce bill in the Senate, even as an alternative option is being seriously mulled over by lawmakers.

“Most probably dissolution of marriage instead,” Senate President Tito Sotto III said in a text message to BusinessMirror when asked whether senators can muster a majority vote to swing approval of a divorce bill.

The Senate President signalled an emerging consensus favoring the alternative bill on dissolution of wedding vows, rather than divorce.

He added that the dissolution bill would provide “expanded and easier annulment procedures,” but

did not go into details.

Asked about the prospects of the divorce bill, Sen. Joel Villanueva confirmed he was “definitely against” the controversial measure that still had to be reported out for plenary consideration.

“The bill is still in the committee level,” Villanueva said, adding, “once it reaches the plenary we will be ready to defend the proposed measure.”

Sen. Richard Gordon projected an uphill battle to muster enough votes to swing passage of the bill in the Senate.

“Mahihirapan [It’ll be rough sailing],” Gordon said, indicating a tough task ahead for advocates, should the divorce bill be reported

for plenary consideration when sessions resume November 4.

Bot h t he Sen ate a nd t he House of Representatives earlier approved a congressional calendar for this year which mandates both chambers of Congress to conduct sessions from November 4 until December 20, 2019.

Congress will adjourn from December 21 to January 19, 2020. It will then reconvene regular sessions from January 20, 2020, to March 13, 2020, then go on recess anew from March 14, 2020, to May 3, 2020; reconvene sessions anew from May 4, 2020, to June 5, 2020, before going on sine die adjournment from June 6, 2020, to July 26, 2020.

BEYOND DISSENT, NENE WAS A GREAT BUILDER Continued from A1

Pimentel is best remembered as the father of the Local Government Code, Malacañang said in a statement, referring to the 1991 landmark legislation that Pimentel championed against all odds—a game-changing shift in governance that most people hail for empowering local governments, but occasionally drawing flak for providing the avenues for their occasional abuse.

Pimentel, Recto stressed, was “able to notch an impressive scorecard of laws because he had the courage to speak and the wisdom to listen. Nene was a sensei to many legislators in that bygone era when true grit was measured by hard work and not by likes, shares and followers. The republic is diminished by the death of this great patriot.”

Sen. Panfilo Lacson recalled it was Pimentel, then serving as minority leader, who prompted him to respond to “the massive vitriolic attacks on my honor and dignity as a newly elected senator in 2001.”

It was, Lacson said, “my first baptism of dirty politics as the newly installed administration under then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo unleashed Angelo ‘Ador’ Mawanay and several other peddlers of lies and black propaganda to portray me as the biggest narcopolitician, money launderer and criminal offender that ever set foot in the halls of Congress.”

Lacson recalled Nene’s advice: “Ping, sagutin mo yung mga akusasyon ng administrasyon.

Marami nang naniniwala [Answer the allegations, Ping, because many are starting to believe

FTA. . .

them].” Heeding Pimentel’s advice, Lacson delivered his first privilege speech, “In Defense of My Honor and Dignity” on August 7, 2001.

For his part, Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara saw Pimentel as “a Filipino who did not go gently into the night—whether it was during martial law or after he retired from the Senate.”

Angara said Pimentel Jr. “was as good in opposing abuses as he was in proposing solutions to the problems of the State,” recalling that the former Senate leader also “authored many laws which became disruptors for the greater good, like giving powers to the local government, land to the tiller and military bases to their rightful owner.” The last is in reference to Pimentel’s role as one of 12 senators who voted against extending the US military bases treaty in September 1991.

Senators Risa Hontiveros and Grace Poe, likewise, expressed grief over Pimentel’s passing.

“Today, our country lost a truly great man,” Hontiveros said. “Ka Nene Pimentel is not only one of our most experienced and accomplished civil servants, he is also one of the greatest defenders of freedom and democracy in the history of our country. And his greatness was only eclipsed by his love for this nation and its people. My sincerest condolences go out to the Pimentel family and to my college mate and colleague, Sen. Koko Pimentel.”

Poe, in a separate statement, recalled ex-Senate President Pimentel Jr. as “a principled leader, patriot, statesman. Senator Nene always kept watch and put himself on the line for the sake of the Fili-

Continued from A1

“Usually, when you say elimination [of tariffs], it takes a couple of years. There’s a reduction schedule.

However, they want more than what we can give,” the source said over the phone.

In forging a trade deal with Manila, Seoul hopes to get zero duty treatment for its vehicles—taxed 5 percent under the Asean-Korea FTA—to be on a par with units imported from Asean economies and Japan, which are applied zero rates at present.

Seoul also wants the Philippines to extend preferential duty treatment for South Korean car parts. Negotiators here, for their part, are considering this proposal for as long as South Korean vehicle assemblers invest in the Philippines to do manufacturing work.

On the other hand, Manila is seeking to trim to 5 percent, if not zero, the tariff (now at 30 percent) applied on its agricultural exports, mostly bananas and mangoes, to Seoul.

“We still want to have something concrete [by November], but if their negotiators don’t give in to our maximum position, so be it. We’ll try it for next year.

We won’t rush it for November. The intention is to rush it for November, but there are major reek offers

pino people. Our heartfelt prayers are with his family.”

Con-com mourns

The Consultative Committee to Review the 1987 Constitution, where Pimentel was counted among the most reliable members, also grieved over his passing. Con-com chairman, former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, said: “The best tribute we can give to Nene is to work harder for federalism ...his last advocacy for a better Philippines. It is not a coincidence that on October 26, we are going to Cagayan de Oro, his home province, to push for federalism. Nene will always be with us even if he is now in the embrace of the Lord.”

The members and staff of the Consultative Committee to Review the 1987 Constitution called him “a stalwart of federalism and one of the crafters of the Concom draft Bayanihan federalism constitution.”

It is no coincidence, added the Con-com, “that Senator Pimentel began his career in government and his service to the nation as one of the young delegates to the 1971 Constitutional Convention — and capped it with a memorable stint as a member and vice chairman of the Consultative Committee that drafted the Bayanihan Federalism Constitution.”

Sad day—Palace

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and Presidential Spokesman Salvador S. Panelo said: “Today is a sad day for the nation. The Palace joins the Filipino people in mourning the demise of former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and expressing con-

and requests that we cannot just give away,” Lopez explained.

However, all hope is not lost that the trade deal could be finished by November, that’s if South Korea grants the Philippines the timeline it wants to do its tariff cuts.

“We’re not saying [it’s] hopeless for a November agreement. There’s still a few more days. The negotiations are easier to do since they are done bilaterally.

As long as compromises are made, then we can say November’s possible,” the trade chief said.

The Philippines is pinning its hope on the FTA to balance its trade sheet with South Korea. Merchandise trade between the two economies rose nearly 9 percent to $13.92 billion last year, from $12.79 billion in 2017, according to Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data.

However, PSA data also showed this expansion was largely caused by a jump in imports from Seoul at 33.68 percent to $11.31 billion, from $8.46 billion.

On the other hand, Philippine exports declined nearly 40 percent to $2.6 billion, from $4.33 billion.

If signed, the FTA with South Korea will only be the country’s second-bilateral trade deal after the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, which entered into force in 2008.

dolences to his family, loved ones, colleagues and friends.”

Pimentel, principal author of the Local Government Code and advocate of federalism, was also thanked by the Palace for his participation in the Consultative Committee by President Duterte to review the 1987 Constitution and propose a federal substitute.

“As the acknowledged father of the Local Government Code, former Senator Pimentel gave his wisdom and lent his voice to the need to empower local governments. The Duterte administration is grateful for the elder Pimentel for joining the current government as one of the members of the Consultative Committee tasked by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to review the 1987 Constitution and draft a new charter that would pave the way for a federal form of government,” Panelo said.

Pimentel was one of the staunchest critics of the Marcos dictatorship, and was imprisoned for protesting martial law. In 1983 he founded the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, popularly known as PDP-Laban, to fight the late dictator’s rule.

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement, “Filipinos here and around the world join us in thanking the outstanding senator in his long-standing service to the country guided by his steadfast integrity and nationalism.... On a personal note, having personally worked with him in the Senate, I am witness to his professionalism and his commitment to duties. He is one of the inspiring examples to me and all our public servants.” Butch Fernandez, Elijah E. Felice Rosales, Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

BOP surplus. . .

Continued from A1

This is the fourth consecutive month that the monthly FDI inflows has been in decline.

While Roces said FDIs are declining on a global scale, several economists have blamed the uncertainty over government policies—particularly the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act—for dragging down these investments.

Among other risks to the BoP surplus, Roces said: “We also think that the late pickup in infrastructure spending should increase import demand for capital goods and raise the trade-ingoods deficit by the end of the year.”

However, the economist noted that the surplus position is positive for the peso amid the volatility brought by geopolitical concerns, and that the hefty foreign reserves in the BSP’s coffers will be more than enough to cover the current account deficit.

“This buildup in the reserves will prove beneficial for the BoP position on the back of probable declines in net inflow from FDI,” Roces said.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

India to help enhance liver transplants in PHL

By Roderick L. Abad @rodrik_28

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O help save the lives of more Filipino children suffering from biliary atresia (BA), health-care institutions from both the Philippines and India have agreed to strengthen their collaboration on pediatric liver transplant by making the procedure widely available here at a more affordable cost.

No less than Indian President Ram Nath Kovind lauded this initiative of hospitals between the two allied nations, wherein Indian doctors will train their Filipino counterparts so that liver transplant surgeries can be done here via the local liver centers at a cost similar to that of India.

Considered a rare disease, BA is characterized by a biliary obstruction of unknown origin that presents itself in the neonatal period. It is the most frequent surgical cause of cholestatic jaundice in this age group.

The current estimate for the incidence of BA relies on Asia data as a whole, as the Philippine has yet to start its own registry in cooperation with medical specialty societies. Recent scientific literature indicates that BA occurs in approximately 1 for every 18,000 live births in Western Europe.

In the world, the reported incidence varies from 5 to 32 of every 100,000 live births, and is highest in Asia and the Pacific region. Females are affected slightly more often than males.

It is estimated that the price of this procedure, if done domestically, is around P4 million to P6 million, or up to four times that of India at P1.5 million. About 90 percent of BA patients survive after liver transplantation with a normal quality of life.

“I am delighted that India’s engagement in this country has brought people’s causes and life-giving projects be the next expanding ambit,” Kovind said during the Philippine-India Pediatric Liver Transplant Program event held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati on Saturday.

Forty children and their families, who actually went to India and came back after a successful liver transplant, were presented to India’s top political

leader, who was in Manila last week for a state visit, together with First Lady Savita Kovind, and his public and private delagates.

In his speech, President Kovind said that with his meeting with President Duterte, they agreed “that our people must be placed at the center of our ties.”

“I’m glad that the Indian medical institutions involved in the project are working with their counterparts in the Philippines to see how the success rate, as well as the cost of similar transplant in the Philippines, could be brought down. I wish them success in their endeavor,” he said. Duterte’s partner, Honeylet Avanceña, for her part, expressed her gratitude to Indian medical institutions and practitioners for sharing the burden of Filipino children and their families.

Avanceña, a nurse by profession, also relayed the chief executive’s message of appreciation “to the generous and conscientious efforts”of Max Super Specialty Hospital and Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in India “for providing affordable medical services”to save the lives of local patients.

Duterte, according to her, also acknowledges the efforts of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (Phils.) Inc. (FICCI) in espousing the Philipine-India Pediatric Liver Transplant Program and valuable help in shouldering the cost of medicines and living expenses of Filipino children during their transplant procedure in India.

“On behalf of the parents and their children, please accept our most sincere and heartfelt gratitude, and may you carry on with your noble advocacies,” said Avanceña.

At present, there are hundreds of patients lined up to undergo a liver transplant surgery. However, only a handful of Filipino medical practitioners are available to perform the procedure.

Seeing that capacity building is highly needed here, Health Assistant Secretary Abdullah Dumama Jr. bared that the head liver surgeons of Apollo and Max hospitals expressed their willingness to train Filipino doctors and nurses so that they can perform such operations in the country at the same quality and price of that in India.

Semi-skilled labor. . . that it could increase GDP by $29.6 billion in the region.

This will be fueled mainly by a $14-billion surge in exports and $36.8-billion increase in imports across the region.

“The gains are not restricted to trade-related estimates but also brings possible welfare gains, particularly when seen in agreements of Asean with Japan and Republic of Korea,” Mukhopadhyay said.

She added that the Asean-India services and investment agreement also provides opportunities for Asean nations to access India’s markets in energy, transport and logistics.

India, meanwhile, will benefit from greater access to Asean markets in terms of consultancies, software, maintenance and installation, education, health and

Subway. . .

Continued from A1

study has already been approved.

At a certain point, if there are solutions that we can use, we will study them,” he said.

Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, indicated that she will seek for the delay of the construction of the subway system due to the apparent change in its cost—from P220 billion to P365 billion.

The cost of the project was earlier amended to reflect the changes in alignment.

Tugade seemed apprehensive of Poe’s public call for a deferment of the facility’s construction.

Continued from A1

social work.

“The agreement illustrates how liberalization in trade can bring about positive spillovers in employment, particularly in trade and transport industries across all the countries,” she added.

In September, the Department of Finance said improving numbers for trade in goods and trade in services bodes well for the country’s economic growth.

DOF said the surplus in trade in services and income grew 11.3 percent on the back of higher remittance inflows and business-process outsourcing earnings.

DOF said in GDP terms, this means trade in services surplus grew to 12.9 percent of GDP or $21.79 billion in 2019 from 12.3 percent of GDP or $19.58 billion in 2018.

“What’s important is we start it immediately,” Tugade said.

The subway system—dubbed by a Cabinet official as the “project of the century”—will span 36 kilometers, with 15 stations, crossing seven local governments, passing three of Metro Manila’s business districts and connecting all these to Manila’s main airport in almost 30 minutes or less.

Its first phase involves the designing and construction of the subway’s “partial operability section,” which pertains to the first three underground stations, namely: Quirino Highway, Tandang Sora and North Avenue. This portion should be opened by 2022. Its full operation is targeted for 2025.

The Nation BusinessMirror

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Joint House resolution to hike nurses’ base pay proposed

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

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HE Vice Chair man of the House Committee on Health called on lawmakers on Sunday to pass a joint Congress resolution to increase the base pay of nurses in the public sector. The call was issued by Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Michael T. Defensor a week after the Supreme Court ruled that a nurse’s salary should not be lower than Grade 15.

Defensor said the approval of a resolution by both houses of Congress is a viable option to immediately increase the minimum pay for public nurses.

“The House and the Senate have the option to pass a joint resolution putting into effect the higher starting pay of P30,531 for nurses employed by the national government,” Defensor said.

Defensor explained that relative to the overall cost, Congress could simply authorize the sourcing of the money from the lump sum miscellaneous personnel benefits fund (MPBF) in the budget.

“Congress did this in 2017, when it passed a joint resolution authorizing the increase in the base pay of military and uniformed personnel, and sourcing the cash from the MPBF,” he said.

“Our sense is, Congress is ready to implement the improved compensation for nurses, as provided for by law and upheld by the Supreme Court. It is just a question of how best to do it,” Defensor said.

The lawmaker also raised the possibility that Congress might just include the higher remuneration for nurses in the new salary standardization law (SSL) that President Duterte himself wants passed.

In his fourth State of the Nation Address, the President had urged Congress to pass a new version of the SSL meant “to increase the salaries of national government workers, including teachers and nurses.”

This month, the SC ruled that the minimum base pay of nurses

working in public-health institutions shall not be lower than Salary Grade 15 as stated in Section 32 of Republic Act 9173, or the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002.

Depend i ng on t he i ncome class of cities, municipalities and provinces, entry-level employees under Salary Grade 15 receive a monthly salary ranging from P19,845 to P30,531, according to the latest tranche of the salary standardization law that took effect this year.

Currently, entry-level government employees including nurses under Salary Grade 11 receive a monthly salary of P13,490 to P20,754. The SC ruling came after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) had already submitted its proposal for salary adjustment to the Office of the President (OP) for the President’s approval.

The BusinessMirror earlier reported that the DBM is now studying impact of government nurses’ higher basic pay on the planned salary hike for civilian government employees next year until 2022.

Acting Budget Secretary Wendel E. Avisado said the DBM will look into how the high court ruling could impact the pay hike on other government employees since there could be an “overall implication for all positions.”

“We are complying with the Supreme Court decision and are now studying its impact/effect in relation to the salary increase already considered for approval and adoption for next year up to 2022,” Avisado told the BusinessMirror.

Moreover, he said there is also a need to know the cost of implementing the SC ruling and up to what extent the salary adjustments will be.

The DBM earlier said it already allotted P31 billion to fund the salary increases for civilian government employees under the proposed 4.1-trillion 2020 national budget.

“We have to also study the implication of that ruling by the Supreme Court in relation to the other positions of senior rank,” he added.

MGB names 18 areas susceptible to landslide after Mindanao quake

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

G

OVERNMENT’S Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has alerted local government units (LGUs) against the possibility of landslide and other geological hazards following the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that hit Mindanao last Wednesday.

The MGB, a unit under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), identified 18 areas that are highly susceptible to landslide. Aside from communities in Mindanao hit by the recent earth-

quake, the MGB said these areas are: Benguet; Mountain Province; Abra; Nueva Vizcaya; Davao Oriental; Ifugao; Aurora; Apayao; Quirino; Kalinga; Camiguin; Southern Leyte; Sarangani; Siquijor; Quezon; Bukidnon; Romblon; and Negros Oriental.

Many of these provinces are part of the Cordillera Administrative Region, which hosts six of the 18 provinces tagged by the MGB. “Earthquakes can loosen the top layer of soil, causing landslides,” DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau Director Wilfredo G. Moncano said in a statement.

“It is more dangerous in high-

T

slope areas, but can still be caused by earthquakes, depending on the intensity,” Moncano said.

The list of areas that are highly susceptible to landslide was released by the DENR-MGB based on an assessment of a number of factors, including altitude and capacity for debris to flow, according to Moncano, who is also a lawyer.

The most recent quake in Mindanao caused at least six deaths— including three people killed in landslides—and injuries to at least 93 people.

The MGB also aired the warning following the devastating effects of

Typhoon Hagibis in Japan.

“The risks of any natural disaster are reduced by preparation and proper dissemination of information,” he emphasized.

“If Japan, a developed country that is already highly prepared in times of natural disasters, still suffered severely in the wake of Hagibis, then we must really double our efforts to prepare in case of a similar typhoon,” he added.

Moncano said the MGB is ready to assist local government units in assessing their communities and preparing for geohazards, such as landslides and mudslides.

Filipino workers face risks from forest fire–recruiter

By Recto Mercene @rectomercene

F

ILIPINA household service workers (HSW) in Lebanon were reportedly threatened by numerous forest wildfires that engulfed several towns in Beirut recently, according to a recruiter.

Lebanese firefighters aided by the army battled massive wildfires in several areas in the country. However, moderate rains in the evening brought them under control in the most affected areas.

With more than a hundred blazes erupting from north to south over the past two days, the Filipino HSWs are reportedly worried it may reach their living quarters, according to recruiter Emmanuel S. Geslani.

There are close to 100,000 Filipina HSWs in Lebanon, many of them undocumented.

Geslani said many of the Pinoy HSWs came via Dubai, “the transshipment point of illegally trafficked Filipinos in the Middle East and brought to Lebanon.”

“The trafficking of Filipina maids to Jordan, Lebanon and Syria continue to pour through Dubai,” Geslani said sans citing his sources. He added illegal recruiters continue to defy the deployment ban to Syria by using the backdoor exits in Mindanao or

airport in Northern Luzon.

Geslani said Dubai is being used by illegal and even legal recruiters as the transit point of Filipinos arriving from Manila, using either tourist visas or spurious Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) issued documents.

“From Dubai, the migrant workers are shipped by these foreign placements agencies to Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and even Afghanistan where there are existing bans imposed by the POEA,” Geslani said.

This year alone the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has repatriated over 5,000 u ndoc u mented HSWs who are victims of illegal recruiters.

Geslani said they were sold to unscrupulous employers who maltreated and abused them.

These HSWs paid hefty sums to illegal recruiters just to be able to leave the country, looking for jobs

DOH to set up regional mental-health council in Calabarzon

HE Department of Health in the Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon (Calabarzon) region has laid plans for the creation of a regional mentalhealth council (RMHC) that will provide sustainability to the mental-health program of the region.

Calabarzon Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo said this in his message during the second Mental Health Summit for Calabarzon held in Quezon City last October 17.

This program was unheard of before and only a small percentage was given to health care, Janairo said in Filipino. “Mental health is just as important to our physical health as it is interconnected. Mental health is very important at every stage of life: from childhood to adolescence and through adulthood.”

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Monday, October 21, 2019 A3

DOH-Calabarzon will be the third region to have a RMHC. The first was established in Region 5 even before the mental-health law was signed and the second was in Region 8.

When an area has an active mental-health program, it is able to provide enough attention and mental-health needs to its constituents, Janairo said. But he said that if you lose the program manager and the leader who implements it, the program loses.

Janairo said this is where the creation of a RMHC comes in and ensure the sustainability and continuity of the program.

He said the RMHC will set the standard so that we can refer patients, help, support and care not just for their daily, but their lifelong needs.

We often see there is no support in

the mental-health program, according to Janairo. Now we are putting it into our regional budget and this funding is temporary, he added.

Janairo said budget for mental-health needs to be increased so that all the support and needs of the patient can be provided.

“Like medicines, there is no sustainability in them. No one goes to the communities to care for the people who need help there. In schools, while children are often hit by vehicles on the highway, they are the ones we should focus on and give mental-health counseling.”

Janairo said the first step in creating the RMHC is to create a database “to find out how many people have mental-health problems in the region.”

“And once we evaluate them, we can plan and allocate funds so that we can implement the program throughout Calabarzon.”

Chapter 8 of the Republic Act 11036, or the Philippine mental health law, mandates for the establishment of a mental-health council that will be the policy-making, planning, coordinating and advisory body to oversee the implementation of the law.

Members of the mental health council will come from six government agencies, three from civil/society and three from the private organizations.

The council will also provide for the protection of rights and freedom of persons with psychiatric, neurologic and psychosocial needs, and the delivery of mental-health services in the community.

Mental health includes a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

It influences our actions, how we feel and think, and it also helps us control and handle stress, communicate to other persons and make choices.

abroad, he said.

Geslani added cruel employers eventually drove these abused HSWs to escape and run to the Philippine Embassy for shelter.

“The numbers of escaped HSW were so large that they were sleeping in the corridors in the crowded quarters of the Bahay Kalinga operated by the OWWA in Dubai,” Geslani said.

“In the first six months of 2019, the Bureau of Immigration has stopped more than 300 Filipino

‘tourists’ bound for Dubai,” he added.

“Despite stringent measures, scores of Filipino HSW are still able to pass through the watchful eyes of the immigration agents by leaving via other airports aside from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport,” Gelani said.

Meanwhile, amid growing street demonstrations and protests by Lebanese citizens, the Philippine Embassy has warned OFWs to stay home and avoid areas where there ongoing protests.

A4 Monday, October 21, 2019 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Economy BusinessMirror

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ERC tells 100 DUs, co-ops to show proof of CSP

By Lenie Lectura

T

@llectura

HE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) directed more than 100 distribution utilities (DUs) and electric cooperatives (ECs) to submit a certification from the Department of Energy (DOE) attesting to their compliance with the government’s competitive selection process (CSP) rules.

ERC Spokesman Rexie Digal said the commission’s directive was sent to a total of 117 DUs/ECs. One of ERC orders directed Pangasinan III Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Panelco) and SMC Consolidated Power Corp. “to comply with the pertinent rules and regulations of the DOE relative to the CSP requirements pursuant to the Supreme Court in the ABP [Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas Inc.] case, and to submit the necessary DOE Certification attesting the parties’ compliance thereto.”

“Such certification should be submitted within 90 days from receipt of Panelco III of this order,” the commission added.

Digal said all 117 DUs/ECs received letters with the same content.

ERC Chairman Agnes VST Devanadera said the DOE certification could be done several ways.

“It’s really up to the DOE. It may or may not be a certification. It will depend on the DOE. It’s just a way for us to have a reference that a CSP, based on the DOE rules, was indeed conducted,” said Devanadera.

Upon the conduct of the CSP, the DUs/ECs will sign a power-supply agreement with the power generation company (genco). The PSA must be reviewed and approved by the ERC. The DOE certification is one of the ERC requirements for the PSA approval.

The agency recently convened industry stakeholders to discuss how they should proceed after they have

concluded the CSP. “It was mainly an update on the status of the PSAs that were affected by the SC ruling. ERC said that they issued on September 11 orders to the DUs/ECs with affected PSAs, directing them to comply with the SC ruling.

“This meant going through CSP using DOE’s CSP guidelines. So, ERC walked through the DOE’s CSP guidelines with the audience [gencos and DUs/ECs],” said Lawrence Fernandez, Manila Electric Co. head of utility economics, in a text message. Meralco was one of the DUs that attended the meeting.

The ERC has so far received 57 motions for reconsideration of its September 11 order, and is awaiting

Palace thumbs down extension of probationary period for workers

Piñol bats for planting of sorghum in banana farms struck by disease

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

By Manuel T. Cayon

@jearcalas

@awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

M

ALACAÑANGonSundaymade an assurance that President Duterte will veto any bill that will run counter to his anti-contractualization stance, such as the bill extending the probationary period for workers to two years, from the current six months.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador S. Panelo said in a radio interview that the Palace agrees with the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) pronouncement that the extension of the probationary period is unnecessary.

“I agree with [Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello]. Because we are precisely against the circumvention that employers are doing with the current six-month probation period, and you want to extend it,” Panelo said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Sought for an assurance the Duterte will veto the proposed measure, Panelo said the President has maintained a clear-cut policy that he wants to end contractualization in the country.

“You don’t need an assurance. That’s the policy of the President. You don’t even need an assurance from me. He will veto whatever law that will go against his policy pronouncements,” he said.

Probinsyano Ako Party-list Rep. Jose Singson Jr. filed House Bill 4802 proposing that the current maximum six-month probationary period is not enough time for the employer to determine if the probationary employee is qualified for regular employment.

Singson said employers are left with no recourse but to end the pro-

D

WORKERS assemble vehicle metal parts at the assembly area of Roberts Automotive and Industrial Parts Manufacturing Corp. at Industrial Park in Canlubang, Laguna, in this file photo.

bationary employment even if they are still in the process of evaluating the employee to avoid automatic regularization of an unqualified employee in their work force.

Last Saturday, Bello opposed HB 4802 arguing that six months is enough to determine an employee’s qualification for a job position.

Worse, Bello pointed out that it is against the administration’s position and policy on security of tenure.

“I don’t think it is necessary for a worker to undergo a probationary period of two years for an employer to determine his qualification. Six months is enough,” he said in a statement.

“Delaying a worker’s assurance of

Safeguards. . . continued from a1 Besides, he explained, the safeguard duties could also be terminated if it is deemed to have served its purpose.

One can only say that it is inflationary “if your law enforcement agencies did not do their job, such as flushing out [rice] stocks,” he said.

Notice to WTO

MEANWHILE, despite the termination of the preliminary safeguard duty probe, Manila is not closing its doors on using safeguard duties as a trade remedy against rice imports surge.

Manila submitted a formal communication to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Safeguards (CoS) on October 17 to inform member-states countries that it had terminated its motu proprio initiation of a preliminary safeguard investigation on the importation of rice.

“The said termination is being carried out without prejudice to the future actions that the country will take in invoking any safeguard measures on rice,” the Philippines said in its communication, which was made

the responses of the other DUs/ECs/ gencos, added Fernandez.

Meralco has seven PSA applications affected by the SC ruling. However, it withdrew six PSAs. “We have one PSA affected, with Panay Energy. It was provisionally approved and already being implemented. But the other six PSAs that were the subject of the SC ruling were already withdrawn,” said Fernandez.

It can be recalled that the SC earlier required all PSAs forged after June 30, 2015, to undergo CSP. The CSP requires DUs to hold competitive bidding for their supply requirements as against securing power deals via bilateral contracts. This is meant to ensure transparency and fair competition.

public on October 18.

The Philippines notified the entire WTO membership pursuant to Article 12.1a of the Agreement on Safeguards which stipulates that member-states shall immediately notify the CoS when initiating an investigation relating to the possible imposition of safeguard measures.

In a public notice dated October 10, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar revealed that the DA has terminated its preliminary investigation on the application for general safeguard measure on rice imports.

A day after, Dar disclosed that they terminated the safeguard investigation on rice imports pending a dialogue with the government’s economic managers.

But on October 18, Dar, who vowed in September to capitalize the use of safeguard duties to protect rice farmers, explained that the government sidelined the imposition of the trade remedy measure due to inflationary impact.

End to safeguard probe rued

THE DA should have properly explained why it terminated its motu proprio safeguard investigation, according to former Undersecretary Serrano.

“What I find very irregular is that there should be a reason for the termination. It means that the action was whimsical,” he said in an interview with BusinessMirror.

permanent employment is no longer in keeping with the administration’s policy on security of tenure,” he added.

Under the Labor Code, probationary employment should not exceed six months from the date the employee started working, unless it is covered by an apprenticeship agreement stipulating a longer period.

“Why would you conduct an investigation, then just terminate it,” Serrano said. He hoped officials would explain to the public the reasons for terminating the inquiry, “especially to the interested parties who were waiting [for the results].”

Serrano, who was the country’s longestserving Agriculture undersecretary for policy and planning, said the DA should capitalize the use of trade remedy measures, such as safeguard duties, to protect rice farmers amid a deregulated industry.

“In a deregulated industry, safeguard measures should be strong. It shouldn’t be whimsical. We’re not exploiting the armaments provided by law. We should use these things to protect the industry,” he added.

Inventory up 57.7%

THE country’s total rice inventory as of September 1 expanded by 57.7 percent to 1.842 million metric tons from 1.168 MMT recorded in the same period last year, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data showed.

A total of 208 private entities, including big firms, imported more than 1.6 MMT of rice seven months after the government eased import restrictions on the staple, data from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) showed.

Figures from the BPI, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA), showed that cooperatives, traders and institutions imported 1.614 MMT of rice as of October 4, after the rice trade liberalization law took effect on March 5.

The BPI data indicated that importers

AVAO CITY—The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) urged banana farmers to consider planting sorghum in farms that were hit by the dreaded Fusarium wilt virus as there is increasing demand for the crop.

MinDA Chairman Emmanuel F. Piñol said a Thai company is looking for sorghum and is willing to buy it for P12 per kilogram.

He also said a private company in the United States will donate seedlings to farmers who would go into sorghum farming.

Piñol, a former agriculture chief, was the guest in the Banana Fusarium Wilt Management Forum in Tagum City, last week where he said sorghum was an ideal crop to grow while banana plantations recover from the effects of the Fusarium wilt.

Also known as Panama disease, Fusarium wilt is soil-borne and attacks the roots and the trunks. It lays dormant and is known to attack any new banana plants, or any other soft tissue plants.

The government has suggested the planting of replacement cash crops, such as cacao, coffee, oil palm and now sorghum, in affected areas.

“Planting sorghum does not require you to overhaul the terrain of your fields so it will be easier to grow, and these are guaranteed to grow in your fields with lesser maintenance,” he said.

Piñol also said sorghum is a high-yielding crop that can be used as animal feed. “A hectare planted with sorghum can feed at least twenty heads of livestock in a year.”

Citing Davao del Norte Gov. Edwin I. Jubahib, Piñol said the province looked into alternative crops that would allow farmers to earn a steady income while the government is stamping out Fusarium wilt.

“This is why we are working with the Department of Agriculture in developing tissue culture varieties which will counter Fusarium wilt in the long run so that our farmers can go back to growing bananas,” Jubahib said.

Jubahib said government would assist and support farmers if they will plant sorghum. “We will be channeling some of our calamity funds to purchase backhoes, to help you start planting sorghum.”

bought rice from India, Italy, Myanmar, Pakistan, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam.

Farm-gate price plunge

THE DA’s investigation was initiated last September 11 following the plunge in the farm-gate prices of local rice to determine whether it should apply safeguard measures.

In its formal communication to the WTOCoS last September 12, Manila explained that it initiated the investigation as the decline in the farm-gate prices of unhusked rice—which caused farmers to incur losses—coincided with the jump in imports.

Rice imports rose after the Philippines implemented the rice trade liberalization law, which removed the quantitative restriction on the staple and eased import rules. “[The] continued increase in rice imports coincides with the drop in farmgate prices of paddy resulting in income loss for farmers,” the Philippines said in its September notification.

“Skyrocketing rice imports significantly affect the Philippines’s ending stock, subsequently affecting the positioning of local rice in the market,” it added.

Since the passage of the rice trade liberalization law, Manila argued that “rice traders abruptly shifted from buying local paddy to importing rice as the latter is now more convenient to do.”

In a news statement on September 21, the DA said it initiated the preliminary investigation to “arrest” the influx of imports, “particularly this forthcoming main harvest season.”

The DA pointed out that the imposition of a safeguard duty on rice imports is one

of the measures it is banking on to stabilize the supply and price of rice. Dar argued that at least 2.4 MMT of rice have entered the country, which “has gone beyond what is needed by the country.”

“So, I have taken the necessary steps and the direction where we will enforce legal measures during these times when we have greatly exceeded the volume needed to fill up the slack in national rice supply, most particularly in Metro Manila and major urban rice consumption centers,” he was quoted as saying.

“We will protect our small farmers by not allowing additional imports especially this main harvest season. We want them to benefit from the respectable farm-gate prices of palay set by the government through the National Food Authority,” he added.

The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) earlier warned that the delay in the imposition of safeguard duties on rice imports could further hurt farmers, as the inflow of the staple is expected to continue amid the harvest season.

FFF pointed out that this “runs counter to President Duterte’s public instructions not to allow imports during harvest time.”

The imposition of safeguard duties, which could effectively double tariffs on rice imports, is a measure seen to deter further entry of imported rice.

Under the rules of the WTO and Republic Act 8800, general safeguard duties may be temporarily imposed on imports of rice, on top of regular tariffs, if there is evidence of a surge in rice imports and this surge has resulted in, or threatens to cause, serious injury to the rice farmers, FFF explained.

Agriculture/Commodities BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng • Monday, October 21, 2019 A5

Neda: Safeguard duty on rice to boost inflation

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By Cai U. Ordinario

Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

The set up of the RCEF is mandated by RA 11203, or the rice trade liberalization law, which converted the quantitative restriction on rice into tariffs. The law, which took effect on March 5, also made it easier for traders to import the staple.

Soc ioeconom ic Pl a n n i ng

@caiordinario

lapping safeguard duty on imported rice would increase the price of the staple and accelerate inflation, a senior official of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said over the weekend.

Neda Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Rosemarie G. Edillon told the BusinessMirror that inflation would rise by 20 basis points if traders will have to pay safeguard duty. This means that if inflation is at 1 percent, the additional tariff will hike the rate to 1.2 percent.

However, Edillon said this is just a “conservative” estimate and that the impact of the safeguard duty on inflation will depend on the time frame of its implementation and how the country’s trade partners will view the development.

Under the rules of the World Trade Organization and Republic Act (RA) 8800, general safeguard duties may be temporarily imposed on rice imports, on top of regular tariffs, if there is evidence of a surge in rice imports and this surge has resulted in, or threatens to cause, serious injury to the rice farmers, according to the Federation of Free Farmers.

“Hopefully, if the measure is put in place, it will be very temporary, just to account for the transition,” she said.

“While the measure may cause a

This file photo shows different varieties of rice being sold at a local market in Manila.

slight uptick in inflation, the perception of ‘policy walk back’ can compound the inflationary effect [which] may even linger,” she added.

Edillon warned that the policy walk back could result in second-round effects and create a perception of policy uncertainty.

Prior to the implementation of RA 11203, the Neda said domestic rice

prices have been persistently increasing over the years, pushing inflation up and ultimately hurting the poor the most, including many farmers who have to buy rice.

Nonetheless, she said the Neda recognizes the need to help rice planters. However, instead of imposing safeguard duty, the Neda prefers the full implementation of the Rice

Feeding program Infra projects spark abaca farmer’s hope in Leyte village to boost milk demand–PCC

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By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

L

ocal dairy farmers must hike their output and take advantage of the higher demand for milk due to the government’s implementation of a national feeding program, according to the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC).

PCC Executive Director Arnel del Barrio also said farmers now have a ready market for their product, particularly since funds have already been allocated for the feeding program.

“There is a ready local market for milk, as there is already a budget for that. What we lack is enough supply of milk. We are seeking for your [dairy farmers] help not just to double but to triple your milk production. Help us collect, process, and feed milk to Filipino children,” del Barrio said in a statement.

“The new law institutionalizing a national feeding program for undernourished Filipino children in public schools has created a higher demand for locally produced milk, thus, providing livelihood opportunities for dairy farmers and boosting the local dairy industry,” he added.

In June 2018, President Duterte signed Republic Act 11037, or the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act, that seeks to address undernutrition among Filipino children in day-care centers, kindergarten and elementary.

The law institutionalized a milk feeding program, wherein fresh milk is one of the components in the fortified meals and cycle menu for the children, according to the PCC, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture.

A provision of the law stipulated that 100 milliliter of locally produced fresh milk, in coordination with the PCC, National Dairy Authority (NDA) and Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), should be provided to undernourished children.

“According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development [DSWD] and the Department of Education, we will need at least 600,000 liters of milk daily to support the milk feeding program for undernourished children across the country. The DepEd has a budget of P1 billion for the feeding program this year,” said del Barrio.

“They [DSWD and DepEd] will even allocate a higher budget for the said program next year. Hence, dairy farmers are urged to gear up for this challenge and opportunity,” he added.

Del Barrio said the PCC, NDA and CDA would hold a “massive” campaign across all municipalities to convince farmers to increase milk production and encourage more people to engage in “dairying.”

The country’s dairy output in January to June rose by 1.55 percent to 12,410 metric tons, from 12,220 MT recorded last year, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.

“This was attributed to the increase in the inventory of dairy animals, presence of more animals in the milk line and higher farm-gate prices offered by traders and processors,” the PSA said.

URAUEN, Leyte— The development efforts of the provincial government in the upland village of Kagbana come as a big relief to abaca farmers who have been suffering the brunt of a decade-long disease infestation.

Resident Reyniel de Paz, 32, said the ongoing road project and the recently completed hanging bridge funded by the local government are very helpful in bringing the abaca farmers’ products to traders in San Vicente village, which is 8 kilometers (km) away from their community.

Carrying the abaca fiber to traders needs extra caution when farmers cross the chest-deep river to keep their products dry.

“Before, we had to cross the river to bring our prod- Photo of abaca tuxy from http://www.philfida.da.gov.ph/ ucts to San Vicente. Some suffered swollen legs due to long hikes while carby the provincial government that would assure rying the 40 kilogram to 60 kg of abaca like a huge safe passage for residents of remote Kagbana village backpack,” de Paz, a farmer for the past 15 years, during bad weather. told the Philippine News Agency on Friday.

During the rainy season, the village used to be A kilogram of abaca is traded at P52 in Kagbana completely isolated. village but is worth P57 in San Vicente village.

Marilyn Gloria, 28, a community store owner The income from abaca is way higher than coshared that since the hanging bridge was built and conut farming. The price of copra, a traditional bysome portion of the road has become accessible to product of coconut went down to P13 per kg in the motorcycles this year, the cost of hauling products past three years. has significantly decreased.

Abaca fibers are extensively used in producing From P350 to P400 pay for every hauler of goods ropes, woven fabrics, and tea bags, among others. It from Lanawan village, she now spends only P150. is also called biodegradable and sustainable fiber.

“The road and hanging bridge help my small It is considered the strongest of natural fibers, business a lot. I have higher income now because the being three times stronger than sisal fiber, and is transportation cost has been reduced,” Gloria said. far more resistant to saltwater decomposition than For her, the bridge and the road will not just benmost vegetable fibers. efit farmers and store owners, but also children who De Paz, a father of two, said only in the past two want to continue studying after completing their years have they seen the recovery of their abaca elementary education. The nearest secondary school plantations after a decade-long infestation of deis about 40 km away from the village. structive abaca mosaic and bunchy-top diseases.

“This means a lot to our children. What we “We are happy to see the ongoing road opening failed to obtain when we were young, these can be project. This motivates us to maintain and expand achieved by our children. We know how important our abaca plantations,” he said. Poverty and diseducation is,” she added. tance from his school had prompted him to quit secMary Jane Amat, a public-school teacher assigned ondary school after two years. to Kagbana, said children would be encouraged to pursue secondary and even college education because they don’t have to cross the chest-deep river.

Hauling cost “When I studied high school and tertiary eduKagbana is one of the remotest villages in Leyte cation, I just came home once a month because it province. It is 40 km away from the town center of was so inconvenient to get here. We had to walk for Burauen. To get there, one has to take a one-hour three to four hours across mountains and rivers,” motorcycle ride and a two-hour hike. The village Amat said. has nearly 300 residents, including 50 Mamanwa Kagbana village used to be a hotbed of the New tribe members. Leyte’s provincial government has People’s Army (NPA), considering its strategic locaalready spent P30 million to open the access road to tion near the mountains of Baybay City and Ormoc the village. Another P20 million is on the pipeline for the road opening and concreting this year.

City.

On top of this, multimillion funds have been set Amat’s father, Ponciano, who served as village aside for the road construction under the Payapa chief for decades until 2007, was killed by a group of at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program of eight NPA fighters in 2009, on suspicion of being a the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace part of the military intelligence network.

Process.

The NPA was last sighted in Kagbana, in 2017.

Even with the pending completion of the road The military established a detachment in the vilproject, residents seem satisfied knowing that lage in 2018. Since then, the improved peace and orthey don’t have to cross the chest-deep water of der situation has allowed national and local governMarabong River. This, after the September inaugument workers to implement development projects in ration of the P5.63-million hanging bridge funded the area. PNA

Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said the RCEF will fund the distribution of tools and equipment to farmers and for programs that will allow them to access cheap credit and hike their productivity.

Pernia said RCEF is one of the safeguard mechanisms to protect rice farmers from any possible adverse effects of the removal of the QR on rice.

The World

A6 Monday, October 21, 2019 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

BusinessMirror

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Finance officials to combat global slowdown

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ASHINGTON—Global finance officials wrapped up their fall meetings on Saturday with a pledge to “employ all appropriate tools” to combat the weakest global growth in a decade, but there was little evidence of progress in easing trade tensions, a major source of the slowdown.

The policy-setting committee for the 189-nation International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a closing statement that growth should accelerate next year. Officials acknowledged that a range of factors could undermine that forecast, including continued trade fights and increased geopolitical risks.

“We recognize the need to resolve trade tensions and support the necessary reform of the World Trade Organization,” the statement said. It did not detail ways to accomplish that.

There was also no sign that discussions on the sidelines of the meetings had produced any breakthrough in the trade disputes initiated by President Donald J. Trump as part of his get-tough approach to stronger enforcement of US trade laws to lower America’s huge trade deficits.

Treasur y Secretar y Steven Mnuchin, in remarks to the IMF committee, said the administration’s goal was to prepare “a foundation for future growth through fairer trade deals.”

Mnuchin said negotiations last week between the United States and China, the world’s two biggest economies, had achieved “substantial progress” on phase one of a trade deal to resolve the US claims that China is stealing intellectual property.

While Trump suspended a tariff increase on $250 billion of Chinese products that had been scheduled to take effect this past week, few specifics about that agreement have come out. US officials said negotiations to wrap up those details are under way.

International Monetary Fund Governors gather for a group photo during the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings in Washington on Saturday, October 19, 2019. AP

The IMF managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, said the threat from trade wars was a chief point of discussion for finance officials.

She said the IMF has estimated that the tariffs already imposed or threatened could shave 0.8 percent off global growth by the end of next year. Much of that stems from the fallout on business confidence.

In trade wars, “everybody loses,” she said. “Policy-makers ought to take very seriously their obligations to international cooperation in trade.”

The World Bank’s president, David Malpass, said this week’s finance discussions had focused on how to address multiple challenges.

“Growth is slowing, investment is sluggish, manufacturing activity is soft and trade is weakening,” he said. “Climate change and fragility are making poor countries more vulnerable.” He said the World Bank was committed to helping to address these challenges to provide a better life for the 700 million people in the world living in extreme poverty.

The IMF, in an updated economic

outlook, projected the global economy would expand by 3 percent this year, the weakest in a decade, and said 90 percent of the world was experiencing a downshift in growth. But the IMF forecast growth will accelerate slightly to 3.4 percent in 2020, still below the 3.6 percent rate in 2018.

Jubilee USA, a religious organization fighting global poverty, said in a statement that while the IMF outlined a number of serious threats, the recommendations for dealing with them fell short.

“Risky investing, trade tensions

and developing countries borrowing too much are serious concerns for financial stability,” said Eric LeCompte, the group’s executive director. While Trump’s trade policies were a prime topic of discussion at the meetings, finance officials for the most part avoided direct criticism of the American president.

Christine Lagarde, who dealt with the Trump administration during her last three years as head of the IMF, was a bit more direct in an interview to be broadcast Sunday on CBS’s 60 Minutes.

Asked about Trump’s trade war with China, she said it would give the world’s economy “a big haircut” and should be resolved by having all parties “sit down like big men, many men in those rooms and put everything on the table, and try to deal bit by bit, piece by piece, so that we have certainty.”

On Trump’s frequent Twitter attacks on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, Lagarde said central bankers need to be independent to do their jobs well.

“Market stability should not be the subject of a tweet here or a tweet there. It requires consideration, thinking, quiet and measured, and rational decisions,” she said.

Lagarde is scheduled to take over on November 1 as the head of the European Central Bank, which manages monetary policy for the 19 countries who use the euro currency. AP

Brexit’s impact on world economy to be minimal–former BOE chief

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rexit won’t have a big impact on the European or global economies, former Bank of England Governor Mervyn King said, offering a counterpoint to persistent concerns by global policy-makers that the move could further dent alreadyweakening growth.

“I don’t honestly believe that Brexit has any great significance even for the rest of Europe, let alone the rest of the world. I don’t think the long-run economic consequences of the UK leaving the EU are particularly large,” King said, responding to questions after a speech at the IMF’s annual meetings in Washington.

He didn’t explicitly address the potential impact of a Brexit without an EU agreement, an outcome most

analysts project would be far more damaging than one with a deal.

The effects of prolonged uncertainty over trade and Brexit have been an important topic of discussion at the IMF meetings. Back in London, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced Saturday to ask Brussels for a delay to the UK’s exit, though it’s not clear yet that it will be postponed.

“Britain is in the middle of the worst political and constitutional crisis for arguably several hundred years, but that is a matter of domestic concern,” King said.

The former BOE governor, who left office in 2013, has previously intervened in the Brexit debate. Last year he described Theresa May’s Brexit agreement as the “worst of all worlds.” He also criticized the

BOE for wading into political territory for publishing analysis on the possible economic consequences of the divorce.

In his speech Saturday, King described the industrialized world as being in secular stagnation and said officials need to reallocate resources to spur growth, looking beyond the use of only fiscal and monetary policy. Supply-side reforms and measures to correct unsustainable national saving rates would help, he said.

“We can see from the evidence that central banks can’t be the only game in town, because we haven’t got out of the low-growth trap,” said King, a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. “Everything now is put on fiscal policy, and I think this is again a mistake.” Bloomberg News

Trump drops plan to host G-7 at his Doral golf resort

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ASHINGTON—Responding to stinging criticism, President Donald J. Trump has abruptly reversed his plan to hold the next Group of Seven (G-7) world leaders’ meeting at his Doral, Florida, golf resort next year.

Trump announced a rare backtrack on Saturday night after facing accusations that he was using the presidency to enrich himself by hosting the international summit at a private resort owned by his family.

“Based on both Media and Democrat Crazed and Irrational Hostility, we will no longer consider Trump National Doral, Miami, as the host site for the G-7 in 2020,” Trump tweeted. He said his administration “will begin the search for another site, including the possibility of Camp David, immediately.”

The striking reversal raises further doubts about the position of the president’s acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, who held a press conference Thursday announcing the choice of Doral for the summit.

He insisted his staff had concluded it was “far and away the best physical facility.” Mulvaney said the White House reached that determination

after visiting 10 sites across the country.

In the same press conference, Mulvaney acknowledged a quid pro quo was at work when Trump held up US aid to Ukraine in exchange for Ukraine’s investigation of Democrats and the 2016 elections. Mulvaney later claimed his comments had been misconstrued, but not before drawing the ire of the president and frustration from other senior aides.

Trump had been the first administration official to publicly float the selection of his property to host the summit when in August he mentioned it was on the short list, and praised its facilities and proximity to Miami’s international airport. His comments, more than a month before the official announcement, drew instant criticism from good governance groups and Democrats, who said it raised concerns that Trump was using the White House to boost his personal finances.

The vociferous criticism did not die down, even as Trump insisted he would host the summit at cost, though he refused to disclose financial details. The annual heads-ofstate gathering would at minimum

have provided goodwill value to his property.

Noah Bookbinder, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said Trump’s reversal Saturday “is a bow to reality, but does not change how astonishing it was that a president ever thought this was appropriate, or that it was something he could get away with.”

An hour before Trump’s announcement, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden condemned the selection of Doral for the summit. “Hosting the G-7 at Trump’s hotel? A president should never be able to use the office for personal gain,” the former vice president said.

On Thursday, Mulvaney had discounted Camp David, the government-owned presidential retreat, as the site for the summit, claiming, “I understand the folks who participated in it hated it and thought it was a miserable place to have the G-7.” He added that it was too small and remote for the international summit.

Mulvaney said then that unspecified sites in Hawaii and Utah had also been on the short list. It was unclear if they were still under consideration. AP

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Hong Kong protesters defy police, set up roadblocks

China calls for tech collaboration

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SENIOR Chinese official called for governments around the world to work more closely together to regulate emerging technologies, while taking a veiled swipe at the US for undermining collaboration.

“The foundation for an open and shared-by-all Internet is unstable,” Huang Kunming, a member of the Politburo, which is comprised of China’s 25 most senior officials, said at a technology forum on Sunday. “Some PROTESTERS attack a man who was trying to stop them for vandalizing near the Tsim She Tsui police station during a rally in Hong Kong, on Sunday, October 20, 2019. Hong Kong protesters again flooded streets on Sunday, ignoring a police ban on the rally and demanding the government meet their demands for accountability and political rights. AP PHOTO/VINCENT YU

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ONG KONG—Hong Kong protesters again flooded streets on Sunday, ignoring a police ban on the rally and setting up barricades amid tear gas and firebombs.

Protest leaders carried a black banner at the front of the procession with a slogan, “Five main demands, not one less,” as they pressed their calls for accountability and political rights.

Black-clad and masked protesters barricaded streets at multiple locations in Kowloon, where the city’s subway operator restricted passenger access. A firebomb was tossed at one subway station.

The protesters tore up paving stones from the sidewalk and scattered them on the road, commandeered plastic safety barriers and unscrewed metal railings to form makeshift roadblocks.

Police fired tear gas after firebombs were thrown toward one station as tens of thousands of demonstrators marched down a main road with traffic at a standstill. They sang along to the protest movement’s anthem and held up placards depicting the Chinese flag as a Nazi swastika.

Matthew Lee, a university student, said he was determined to keep protesting even after five months.

“I can see some people want to give up but I don’t want to do this because Hong Kong is my home, we want to protect this place, protect

Hong Kong,” he said. “You can’t give up because Hong Kong is your home.”

Police had beefed up security measures for the unauthorized rally, the latest in the five-month-old unrest rocking the semiautonomous Chinese city.

Many of the supporters of the movement wore masks in defiance of a recently introduced ban on face coverings at public gatherings, and volunteers handed more out to the crowd.

Organizers said they wanted to use their right to protest, as guaranteed by the city’s constitution despite the risk of arrest.

“We’re using peaceful, rational, nonviolent way to voice our demands,” Figo Chan, vice convener of the Civil Human Rights Front, told reporters. “We’re not afraid of being arrested. What I’m most scared of is everyone giving up on our principles.”

The group has organized some of the movement’s biggest protest marches. One of its leaders, Jimmy Sham, was attacked on Wednesday by assailants wielding hammers.

Police on Saturday arrested a 22-year-old man on suspicion of stabbing a teenage activist distributing leaflets near a wall plastered with pro-democracy messages.

A witness told local broadcaster RTHK that the assailant shouted afterward that Hong Kong is “a part of China” and other pro-Beijing messages. AP

Qantas completes nonstop New York-Sydney flight

IN this August 20, 2015, file photo, two Qantas planes taxi on the runway at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia. Australia’s Qantas has completed the first nonstop commercial flight from New York to Sydney on Sunday, October 20, 2019, which was used to run a series of tests to assess the effects of ultra-long-haul flights on crew fatigue and passenger jetlag. AP PHOTO/RICK RYCROFT

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YDNEY—Australia’s Qantas on Sunday completed the first nonstop commercial flight from New York to Sydney, which was used to run a series of tests to assess the effects of ultra long-haul flights on crew fatigue and passenger jetlag.

T he Boeing 787 Dreamliner touched down in Sydney early Sunday morning after a flight of 19 hours and 16 minutes—the world’s longest.

Qantas said tests ranged from monitor ing pi lot bra in waves, melatonin levels and alertness to exercise classes for passengers. A total of 49 people were on board, in order to minimize weight and give the necessary fuel range.

“Overall, we’re really happy with how the flight went and it’s great to have some of the data we need to help

assess turning this into a regular service,” said Capt. Sean Golding, who led the four pilots.

The flight was part of Project Sunrise—Qantas’s goal to operate regular, nonstop commercial flights from Australia’s east coast cities of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to London and New York. Two more research flights are planned as part of the project evaluations—London to Sydney in November and another New York to Sydney in December.

“We know ultra long-haul flights pose some extra challenges but that’s been true every time technology has allowed us to fly farther. The research we’re doing should give us better strategies for improving comfort and well-being along the way,” said Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce. AP

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countries restrain and suppress companies from other countries using cyber security as an excuse. Such moves cast uncertainty and even antagonism over cyberspace,” he said, without naming the US.

Technology has come increasingly to the fore of a confrontation between the US and China that began with trade and has since spread to 5G mobile networks and artificial intelligence. Washington has lobbied countries to not use gear from Huawei Technologies Co. in their 5G plans, arguing it could facilitate spying by Beijing, and the US blacklisted some of China’s leading AI companies, citing their links to the detention of ethnic minorities.

“We need to respect each country’s approach to Internet development, governance, policy-making and their rights to participate in

international governance based on mutual trust,” said Huang, who’s also head of the Communist Party’s publicity department. “We need to pay attention to each others’ interests and concerns, effectively deal with disagreements and avoid strategic misjudgment.”

Huang spoke at the World Internet Conference held in the small town of Wuzhen in eastern China’s Zhejiang province. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Chief Executive Daniel Zhang, Baidu Inc. Chief Executive Robin Li, and Western Digital Corp.

Chief Executive Steve Milligan were among executives in attendance.

Bloomberg News

Esper: US troops leaving Syria to go to western Iraq

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BOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT—Defense Secretary Mark Esper says that under current plans all US troops leaving Syria will go to western Iraq, and the military will continue to conduct operations against the Islamic State group to prevent its resurgence.

Speaking to reporters traveling with him to the Middle East, Esper did not rule out the idea that US forces would conduct counterterrorism missions from Iraq into Syria. But he said those details will be worked out over time.

His comments were the first to specifically lay out where American troops will go as they leave Syria and what the counter-IS fight could look like. Esper said he has spoken to his Iraqi counterpart about the plan to shift the more than 700 troops leaving Syria into western Iraq.

The developments made clear that one of President Donald J. Trump’s rationales for withdrawing troops from Syria was not going to come to pass any time soon.

“It’s time to bring our soldiers back home,” he said Wednesday. But they are not coming home.

As Esper left Washington on Saturday, US troops were continuing to pull out of northern Syria after Turkey’s invasion into the border region. Reports of sporadic clashes continued between Turkish-backed fighters and the USallied Syria Kurdish forces despite a five-day cease-fire agreement hammered out on Friday between US and Turkish leaders.

Trump ordered the bulk of the approximately 1,000 US troops in Syria to withdraw after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made it clear in a phone call that his forces were about to invade Syria to push back Kurdish forces that Turkey considers terrorists.

The pullout largely abandons t he Kurd ish a l l ies who have fought the Islamic State group alongside US troops for several years. Between 200 and 300 US troops will remain at the southern Syrian outpost of Al-Tanf.

IN this Friday, October 18, 2019, photo, Turkish-backed Syrian opposition fighters ride atop their armored personnel carrier to cross the border into Syria, in Akcakale, Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants Syrian government forces to move out of areas near the Turkish border so it can resettle up to 2 million refugees there, his spokesman told The Associated Press on Saturday, adding that Erdogan will raise the issue in talks next week with Syria’s ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin. AP PHOTO/MEHMET GUZEL

Esper said the troops going into Iraq will have two missions.

“One is to help defend Iraq and two is to perform a counter-ISIS mission as we sort through the next steps,” he said. “Things could change between now and whenever we complete the withdrawal, but that’s the game plan right now.”

The US currently has more than 5,000 American forces in Iraq, under an agreement between the two countries. The US pulled its troops out of Iraq in 2011, when combat operations there ended, but they went back in after the Islamic State group began to take over large swaths of the country in 2014. The number of American forces in Iraq has remained small due to political sensitivities in the country, after years of what some Iraqis consider US occupation during the war that began in 2003.

Esper said he will talk with other

allies at a Nato meeting in the coming week to discuss the way ahead for the counter-IS mission.

Asked if US special operations forces will conduct unilateral military operations into Syria to go after IS, Esper said that is an option that will be discussed with allies over time.

He said one of his top concerns is what the next phase of the counter-IS missions looks like, “but we have to work through those details. He said that if US forces do go in, they would be protected by American aircraft.

While he acknowledged reports of intermittent fighting despite the cease-fire agreement, he said that overall it “generally seems to be holding. We see a stability of the lines, if you will, on the ground.”

He also said that, so far, the Syrian Democratic Forces that partnered with the US to fight IS have maintained control of the prisons

in Syria where they are still present.

The Turks, he said, have indicated they have control of the IS prisons in their areas.

“I can’t assess whether that’s true or not without having people on the ground,” said Esper.

He added that the US withdrawal will be deliberate and safe, and will take “weeks not days.”

According to a US official on Saturday, about a couple of hundred troops have left Syria so far. The US forces have been largely consolidated in one location in the west and a few locations in the east.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations, said the US military is not closely monitoring the effectiveness of the cease-fire, but is aware of sporadic fighting and violations of the agreement.

The official said it will still take a couple of weeks to get forces out of Syria. AP

38 people cited for violations in Clinton e-mail probe

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ASHINGTON—The State Department has completed its internal investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of private e-mail and found violations by 38 people, some of whom may face disciplinary action.

The investigation, launched more than three years ago, determined that those 38 people were “culpable” in 91 cases of sending classified information that ended up in Clinton’s personal e-mail, according to a letter sent to Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley this week and released Friday. The 38 are current and former State Department officials but were not identified.

Although the report identified violations, it said investigators had found “no persuasive evidence of systemic, deliberate mishan-

dling of classified information.”

However, it also made clear that Clinton’s use of the private e-mail had increased the vulnerability of classified information.

Clinton Spokesman Nick Merrill said in a tweet Saturday: “For the umpteenth time the e-mail story is put to bed with a clear recognition it was a pointless crusade that took away from so many other issues we should have been discussing in ’16.”

T he invest igat ion covered 33,000 e-mails that Clinton turned over for review after her use of the private e-mail account became public. The department said it found a total of 588 violations involving information then or now deemed to be classified but could not assign fault in 497 cases.

For current and former offi-

cials, culpability means the violations will be noted in their files and will be considered when they apply for or go to renew security clearances. For current officials, there could also be some kind of disciplinary action. But it was not immediately clear what that would be.

The report concluded “that the use of a private e-mail system to conduct official business added an increased degree of risk of compromise as a private system lacks the network monitoring and intrusion detection capabilities of State Department networks.”

The department began the review in 2016 after declaring 22 emails from Clinton’s private server to be “top secret.” Clinton was then running for president against President Donald J. Trump, and

Trump made the server a major focus of his campaign.

Then-FBI Director James Comey held a news conference that year in which he criticized Clinton as “extremely careless” in her use of the private e-mail server as secretary of state but said the FBI would not recommend charges.

The Justice Department’s inspector general said FBI specialists did not find evidence that the server had been hacked, with one forensics agent saying he felt “fairly confident that there wasn’t an intrusion.”

Grassley started investigating Clinton’s e-mail server in 2017, when he was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Iowa Republican has been critical of Clinton’s handling of classified information and urged administrative sanctions. AP

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World loses $400B of food before it reaches stores

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he world loses about $400 billion of food before it even gets delivered to stores, according to the United Nations.

Some 14 percent of all food produced is lost annually, with central and southern Asia, North America and Europe accounting for the biggest shares, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report, citing the latest data as of 2016.

Better cold storage and infrastructure would help reduce losses, but more detailed data on the supply chain is needed to tackle the problem, it said.

Food wastage is drawing increased scrutiny because of the contribution to greenhouse-gas emissions and as more than 820 million people are estimated to go hungry each day.

World leaders have pledged to try to halve global food waste at retail and consumer levels by 2030 and reduce food production losses. Companies are also trying to improve efficiency in the food industry.

“Losing food implies unnecessary pressure on the environment and the natural resources that have been used to produce it in the first place,” Qu Dongyu, director general of the Rome-based FAO, said in the report.

“It essentially means that land and water resources have been wasted, pollution created and greenhouse gases emitted to no purpose.”

Consumers also squander huge amounts. As much as 37 percent of animal products and potentially a fifth of fruit and vegetables may be wasted after being purchased,

according to the FAO. Rich nations have higher levels of waste due to limited shelf life or poor consumer planning, whi le poorer countr ies t y pica l ly grapple w ith climate and infrastr ucture issues.

Reducing the world’s food losses and waste is a challenge because more information is needed in order to take effective action, the FAO said.

Still, adequate cold storage in particular can be crucial, as well as good infrastructure and trade logistics. Boosting farm productivity through research and development has been found to be more cost-effective than curbing postharvest losses, it said.

Need for ‘solid understanding of the problem’

According to the State of Food and Agriculture 2019, globally around 14 percent of the world’s food is lost after harvesting and before reaching the retail level, including through on-farm activities, storage and transportation.

However, the food losses vary considerably from one region to another within the same commodity groups and supply chain stages.

The report highlighted the need, and offers a new methodology, to measure carefully losses at each stage in the food supply chain. Doing so will help to identify critical loss points across the supply chain.

These are points where food losses have the highest magnitude, the greatest impact on food security, and the largest economic dimensions, as well as to identify the appropriate measures for their reduction.

It also points to the importance of reducing food waste, which occurs at the retail and consumption level and is linked to limited shelf life and consumer behavior, such as demanding food products that meet aesthetic standards, and limited incentive to avoid food waste.

“As we strive to make progress toward reducing food loss and waste, we can only be truly effective if our efforts are informed by a solid understanding of the problem,” Qu said in the foreword to the report.

He questioned, “how we can allow food to be thrown away when more than 820 million people in the world continue to go hungry every day?”

Identifying critical loss points for targeted action

Evidence presented in the report shows a vast range in terms of loss and waste percentages within commodities, supply chain stages and regions, suggesting there is a considerable potential for reduction where percentages are higher.

Losses and waste are generally higher for fruits and vegetables than for cereals and pulses at all stages in the food supply chain, with the exception of on-farm losses and those during transportation in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia.

In lower-income countries, more fresh fruit and vegetable loss is attributed to poor infrastructure than in industrialized countries. In fact, many lower-income countries lose significant amounts of food during storage, often due to poor storage facilities, including refrigerated warehouses.

Despite the fact that in most high-income countries adequate storage facilities, including refrigerated warehouses, are available throughout the supply chain, losses do occur during storage, generally because of a technical breakdown, poor management of temperature, humidity or overstocking.

The report also reveals the results from a number of case studies conducted by FAO for identifying critical loss points.

Results indicate that harvesting is the most frequently identified critical loss point for all types of food. Inadequate storage facilities and poor handling practices were also named among the main causes of on-farm storage losses.

For fruits, roots and tubers, packaging and transportation also appear to be critical.

Such findings are valuable in providing guidance when identifying potential interventions for food loss reduction.

Getting the incentives right

The report urges countries to step up efforts to tackle the root causes of food loss and waste at all stages, and provides guidance on policy and interventions to reduce food loss and waste.

Reducing food loss and waste generally entails costs, and farmers, suppliers and consumers will only take necessary measures if their costs are outweighed by the benefits.

Thus, changing incentives for various stakeholders in the supply chain will involve identifying options that either increase the net benefits or provide better information on the existing net benefits, the report states.

Even when stakeholders are aware of the benefits of reducing food loss and waste, they may face constraints that prevent them from implementing actions.

For example, without financial help private actors in developing countries, especially smallholders, may not be able to bear the high upfront cost associated with implementing such actions. Improving credit access could be an option even in the absence of detailed information on losses.

The report will also help governments to analyze constraints and trade-offs for more efficient interventions. For example, they can raise awareness of the benefits of reducing food loss and waste among suppliers and consumers, and influence their decisionmaking through various types of actions or policies.

However, the report stresses that the policy measures aimed at reducing food loss and waste should be coherent and involve effective monitoring and evaluation of interventions to assure accountability of existing actions and efforts. Bloomberg News and FAO/IPS

First Gen holds tree planting in Masungi Georeserve area

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mployees of Lopez-led First Gen Corp. recently conducted a tree planting at the Masungi Georeserve in Baras, Rizal, as part of efforts to rehabilate the reservation area.

Over 50 employees from First Gen’s head office in Pasig City and from the site of the company’s natural gas-fired power plants in Batangas City joined a 2-kilometer (km) trek from the base to the summit of the Masungi Georeserve. They planted over 300 narra, bignay and banaba saplings.

In the past, the Masungi area suffered not only from the ravages of illegal logging and quarrying but also from an invading horde of illegal treasure hunters, lured by stories of buried World War II booties.

Howe ver, ef for t s a re now

under way to reforest and turn t he area into an ecotour ism destination.

Masungi is part of the Sierra Madre, the countr y’s longest mountain range that stretches for almost 700 km from Quezon province in the south to Cagayan province in the north.

First Gen is the country’s leading clean and renewable-energy company with total installed capacity of 3,492 megawatts.

Its portfolio of power plants runs on geothermal, hydro, wind, solar and natural gas, considered the cleanest form of fossil fuel.

First Gen is also undertaking Binhi, a forest restoration and biodiversity preservation program that aims to save endangered premium Philippine timber trees.

Ilocos Norte villagers help conserve marine turtles

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AOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte—Some villagers in Barangay Naglicuan, Pasuquin, are taking turns in monitoring and guarding the stretch of the shoreline which is becoming a favorite nesting place of sea turtles.

Naglicuan village chief Oliver Baclagan Valite confirmed this on Wednesday as a huge pawikan, or marine sea turtle, was found laying eggs, prompting villagers to report it to village officials.

In fact, a video and photo of the marine turtle covering her eggs with sand was posted on Facebook when this was spotted by a gradeschooler Emerson Menor of the same barangay.

When reached for comment, Ar thur Valente, Provincial Fishery Regulatory officer of Ilocos Norte, said they are thankful that villagers, particularly those living in coastal areas, are now doing their share in conserving and protecting endangered species such as marine turtles.

In previous years, Valente said there had been reports from concerned citizens that some locals are gathering sea turtle eggs despite the presence of a national law and the local

government units’ efforts to conserve and protect this endangered species.

With this, a massive information and education drive was launched in the province through social media and in various media outlets, discouraging residents to stop selling and consuming marine turtle eggs.

Anyone found possessing and consuming sea turtles and their eggs shall be fined P600 or imprisonment of not more than six months, or both, under MNR Administrative Order 12, Series of 1979.

“Marine sea turtles often lay their eggs from dusk till dawn and the peak season is from November to March. There had been reports from the ground that egg sales and consumption still continue and this must be stopped immediately,” Valente said as he enjoined all concerned authorities to help in the strict implementation of the law.

In Ilocos Norte, Valente reported there are at least three types of sea turtles often spotted in the Ilocos shoreline. These are the olive ridley, hawksbill and green sea turtles.

Leilanie Adriano/PNA

Flooded bullet trains show Japan’s risks from disasters

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OKYO—The typhoon that ravaged Japan last week hit with unusual speed and ferocity, leaving homes buried in mud and people stranded on rooftops.

But nothing spoke more of the powerlessness of modernization against natural disasters than rows of bullet trains deluged in floodwaters in Nagano, a mountainous region to the northwest of Tokyo.

Japan’s technological prowess and meticulous attention to detail are sometimes no match for rising risks in a precarious era of climate change.

Experts say they also instill a false sense of security in a country inured to danger by the constant threat of calamitous earthquakes, tsunami and volcanos.

“Weather conditions in Japan up to now have been relatively moderate,” said Toshitaka Katada, a disaster expert and professor at the University of Tokyo.

Those days are over, and Japan’s readiness for disasters, still based on data collected decades ago, hasn’t kept up with the times, he said.

“Damage gets multiplied when people are overly confident about their safety,” Katada said.

With increasingly extreme weather, the government, businesses and individuals need to rethink their preparedness.

Rescue efforts continued days after the typhoon made landfall near Tokyo and then swerved northward before moving over the Pacific as a tropical storm.

T he c a su a lt y cou nt s were climbing, with dozens dead, more missing and some 100 people injured in Nagano, Fukushima, Miyagi and other central and northern prefectures.

At least 10 Shinkansen trains, each consisting of 12 cars, were damaged by the flooding at a depot in Nagano, said East Japan Railway Co. Spokesman Yuji Ishikawa.

Evacuation orders were still in effect, so details were still unclear. But electronic equipment underneath the carriages was likely totally wrecked, he said.

The scientific community has been warning about the trend

toward more extreme weather for years, including intensifying cyclones.

Many of the casualties from natural disasters, especially landslides and flooding, reflect the vulnerability of Japanese communities, businesses and public infrastructure to torrential rains and other conditions that were not considered when homes and other facilities were built.

Despite increasingly accurate forecasts, it’s still difficult to predict the exact track of storms and the potential damage they may bring, said Chris Field, director at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University. “ The message for typhoonprone areas is that all should prepare for a future of stronger storms,” Field said.

“It is important to understand and respond to the evidence that storms are getting stronger as a result of climate change and that investments in disaster prevention need to rise, now more than ever,” he said.

Japan already is in crisis over its aging and inadequately maintained infrastructure. Governments lack the funding and manpower to refurbish and replace tunnels, bridges and other structures to meet improved standards for resistance to earthquakes and other disasters.

On top of that, there’s an urgent need to improve early warning systems, build bigger seawalls and help people relocate out of vulnerable areas, Field and other experts said.

In Nagano and other areas, homes and fields that normally would be protected were inundated when swollen rivers breached dikes and levees build for the less severe flooding of earlier times.

The authorities issued clear and early warnings about the perils of the approaching typhoon, holding an emergency news conference several days before the expected landfall.

“Please take measures to save your own life,” public broadcaster NHK announced, again and again.

In Miyagi, trucks circulated in neighborhoods urging people to

Rows of Japan’s bullet trains, parked in a facility, sit in a pool of water in Nagano, central Japan, after Typhoon Hagibis hit the city on October 13. Yohei Kanasashi/Kyodo News via AP

evacuate, sirens wailed and smartphones were bombarded with emails urging evacuations.

But while evacuation advisories were issued to areas affecting as many as several million people, far fewer, in the tens of thousands, heeded those warnings.

Japanese need to be more aware of disaster risks and do more to prepare on their own instead of counting on the government to take care of them, experts said.

Hiroaki Maruya, a disaster expert and professor at Tohoku University in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture,

said Japan built many dams and embankments after World War II to reduce disasters.

But fortifying such infrastructure is costly and will take time, maybe decades. That means it’s better to escape even if you find out later that you didn’t need to flee.

“These days, we are having one big typhoon after another, and places that haven’t flooded in decades are now at risk,” he said.

“This is a serious problem. And so, to stay alive, you just have to get out.” AP

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Monday, October 21, 2019

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

AdMU puts up arboretum under EDC’s Binhi program

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Biodiversity helps address food security challenge

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he Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) reiterated its call to mainstream biodiversity into the food production systems, underscoring the benefits of biodiversity-rich approaches to the food security agenda.

Ateneo de Manila University President Fr. Jett Villarin (third from left) and Ateneo Institute of Sustainability Director Dr. Achoot Cuyegkeng (right) sign an agreement with EDC CSR-PR Head Atty. Allan V. Barcena (second from left) and EDC CSR Head Maria Nancy Ibuna.

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hreatened Philippine native tree species have found a new home at the Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) with the establishment of a 101 Trees Arboretum in partnership with geothermal leader Energy Development Corp. (EDC).

The arboretum is being put up under EDC ’s Binhi greening legacy program, in honor of the late Juan R. Manlapaz and funded by his family headed by Dr. Edna Manlapaz.

AdMU President Fr. Jett Villarin, together with Manlapaz and Atty. Allan Barcena, EDC Corporate Social Responsibility Public Relations head, planted malakatmon, a threatened tree species that can only be found in Sibuyan, Romblon, and Puerto Princesa, Palawan, to inaugurate the arboretum.

EDC and AdMU planted 87 of the first set of 101 native Philippine tree species during the inauguration.

EDC has been bridging forest gaps and bringing back to abundance 96 threatened Philippine

native trees for over 10 years with the help of its partners through its Binhi greening legacy program.

AdMU is EDC’s 175th partner, while the university’s 101 Trees Arboretum is the 12th arboretum that the company has established all over the country.

“We are glad to have this arboretum or museum of threatened Philippine native tree species at the Ateneo de Manila University,” Barcena said. “It is through our committed partners that we are able to promote and save these native tree species from extinction.”

EDC ’s 1,475 M W c apac it y accounts for 37 percent of the country’s total generated renewable energy, making it the country’s leading renewable-energy company.

Its 1,181 MW of geothermal portfolio, which accounts for 61 percent of the country’s total installed geothermal capacity, has put the Philippines on the global energy map as the third-largest geothermal producer.

“It’s high time to rethink and innovate the way we produce our food. Diverse food production systems can better nourish and improve the health of both rural and urban population, not to mention biodiversity’s role in building resilience to climate change,” said ACB Executive Director Theresa Mundita Lim on the occasion of the World Food Day. World Food Day is celebrated on October 16 every year to honor the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. It is a day of action dedicated to tackling global hunger.

Lim said this year’s theme, “Our Actions are our Future,” highlights the need to transform food systems by mainstreaming biodiversity conservation into agriculture and fisheries.

Food security remains a challenge across the world as over 820 million people—or 1 in every 9 people globally—are suffering from hunger according to the latest United Nations report.

According to a 2017 report of the World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Bank Group, a

quarter of the children under five are stunted and 8.4 percent of them are wasting, or having low height for weight.

Both conditions are associated with food insecurity.

“We are facing an ever increasing demand for food, on one hand, and dwindling natural resources, on the other. The challenges of food security are even compounded by biodiversity loss caused by rapid urbanization and climate change,” Lim said.

Agrobiodiversity, a variety and variability of animals, plants, and microorganisms that are used directly or indirectly for food and agriculture, has been high on the global food security agenda with relentless efforts of countries and organizations to achieve a synergy between agriculture and biodiversity.

Past declarations under the Convention on Biological Diversity demonstrate the global commitment to undertake specific actions on the conservation and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity.

“Agriculture and biodiversity have always been inseparable.

T h rough t he biod iversit y of plants, animals, and microorganisms, and the ser vices that

ACB Executive Director Theresa Mundita Lim says some of the effective agrobiodiversity practices being done in Asean member-states are worthy of replication. ACB

ecosystems prov ide, humans’ daily s u s t e n a n c e b e c o me s p o s s i bl e ,” L i m s a id .

The ACB head, likewise, noted that some of the effective agrobiodiversity practices being done in Asean member-states are worthy of replication.

Citing the 2019 paper of Dr. Percy Sajise published by the ACB and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca), intercropping and multi-species farming, and aquaculture are among the effective biodiversityfriendly approaches in agriculture.

For example, corn-peanut intercropping effectively reduces corn borer infestation, as peanut is a good habitat for spiders, which are predators of the corn borer.

Urban farms, she added, are also becoming popular for their role in greening spaces and augmenting the cities’ and even national food supply. An example is the Urban

Asean environment chief calls for cooperation for biodiversity Killing one owl species to save another owl species

S

IEM REAP, Cambodia—A leader of Cambodia urged environment heads of Asean to intensify regional cooperation in preventing and responding to environmental challenges in the now disaster-prone Asean.

“Climate change and environment-related issues are not a responsibility of a single country. It is our problem. Our responsibility,” said Deputy Prime Minister Aun Pornmoniroth in his speech at 15th Asean Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (15th AMME) early this month in this Cambodia capital.

The meeting discussed the most pressing environmental issues in the region, including the alarming rate of biodiversity loss due to climate change, plastic pollution and transboundary haze.

The meeting kicked off with a tree-planting ceremony in front of the world-renowned Angkor Wat. It marked the soft launch of the Asean Green Initiative, a testament to the group’s commitment to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, and to ensure that its regional policies and strategies are supported by a broad base of stakeholders, including the youth, and traditional and local communities.

One Asean for biodiversity

The ministers recognized the efforts of the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) in facilitating regional coordination among the Asean member-states (AMS), dialogue and development par tners, and other relevant international organizations, for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the region.

The meeting also discussed the Third Asean Conference on Biodiversity (ACB2020) which will be held in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on March 16 to 19, 2020, to prepare for the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in China.

The ACB2020 will be organized by the ACB in cooperation with the government of Malaysia.

Malaysia lauded the efforts of the ACB

in supporting the Asean Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity, and encouraged all AMS to actively participate in the ACB2020 to consolidate Asean’s efforts in biodiversity conservation and to enhance its presence as a strong regional strong bloc in the upcoming COP15.

Declaration of new Asean Heritage Parks

One of the highlights of the 15th AMME was the declaration of five protected areas from Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam as new Asean Heritage Parks (AHPs).

They were: Hat Chao Mai National Park and Mu Ko Libong Non-hunting Area and Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park, both in Thailand; Lo Go-Xa Mat National Park and Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve in Vietnam; and Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary in Myanmar.

Asean Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi said Asean has listed 44 protected areas as AHPs through the ACB, the secretariat of the AHP Programme. Thus, the network has 49 declared AHPs to date.

“The AHP Programme is a flagship program of the Asean that was established to recognize national parks and nature reserves with outstanding wilderness and biodiversity values. It offers opportunities to strengthen regional connectivity and cooperation, as ecosystems and their services transcend national borders,” said Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim, executive director of the ACB. The five new AHPs will be part of the Sixth AHP Conference which be held in Pakse, Lao PDR, on October 21 to 24. This is also a celebration of the 35th year of the AHP Programme.

Three related meetings were held back-to-back with the 15th AMME. These included: the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution; the 16th Asean+3 (China, Japan and South Korea) Environment Ministers Meeting; and the Asean-Japan Ministerial Dialogue on the Environmental Cooperation.

Farm Urban Barn project in Thailand ’s central Bangkok, which transformed a former textile factory and abandoned farmland into agricultural production and outlet.

In recog nition of the cr ucial importance of biodiversity in the region’s goal of sustainable economic development, the Asean Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry adopted the Asean Guidelines for Agroforestry Development in Hanoi, Vietnam, on October 11, 2018.

Me a nw h i l e , t he AC B a nd Searca under a memorandum of understanding signed on July 1, 2016, has been enhancing capacities of the AMS in biodiversity conservation in relation to agriculture and food through a series of regional workshops.

“These are important steps toward a strengthened Asean multisectoral cooperation in line with our food security and biodiversity conservation goals,” Lim said.

Owl killings spur moral questions C

ORVALLIS, Oregon—As he stood amid the thick old-growth forests in the coastal range of Oregon, Dave Wiens was nervous.

Before he trained to shoot his first barred owl, he had never fired a gun.

He eyed the big female owl, her feathers streaked brown and white, perched on a branch at just the right distance. Then he squeezed the trigger and the owl fell to the forest floor, adding to a running tally of more than 2,400 barred owls killed so far in a controversial experiment by the US government to test whether the northern spotted owl’s rapid decline in the Pacific Northwest can be stopped by killing its aggressive East Coast cousin.

Wiens grew up fascinated by birds, and his graduate research in owl interactions helped lay the groundwork for this tense moment.

“It’s a little distasteful, I think, to go out killing owls to save another owl species,” said Wiens, a biologist who still views each shooting as “gut-wrenching” as the first. “Nonetheless, I also feel like from a conservation standpoint, our back was up against the wall. We knew that barred owls were outcompeting spotted owls and their populations were going haywire.”

The federal government has been trying for decades to save the northern spotted owl, a native bird that sparked an intense battle over logging across Washington, Oregon and California decades ago.

After the owl was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1990, earning it a cover on Time magazine, federal officials halted logging on millions of acres of old-growth forests on federal lands to protect the bird’s habitat. But the birds’ population continued to decline.

Meanwhile, researchers, including Wiens, began documenting another threat—larger, more aggressive barred owls competing with spotted owls for food, and space and displacing them in some areas.

In almost all ways, the barred owl is the

This combination of 2003 and 2006 photos shows a northern spotted owl (left) in the Deschutes National Forest near Camp Sherman, Oregon, and a barred owl in East Burke, Vermont. Barred owls are native to eastern North America but began moving West at the turn of the 20th century. AP/Don Ryan and Steve Legge

spotted owl’s worst enemy: They reproduce more often, have more babies per year and eat the same prey, like squirrels and wood rats. And they now outnumber spotted owls in many areas of the native bird’s historic range.

The US Fish and Wildlife Ser vice’s experiment, which began in 2015, has raised thorny questions: To what extent can we reverse declines that have unfolded over decades, often partially due to actions by humans? And as climate change continues to shake up the landscape, how should we intervene?

The experimental killing of barred owls raised such moral dilemmas when it first was proposed in 2012 that the Fish and Wildlife Service took the unusual step of hiring an ethicist to help work through whether it was acceptable and could be done humanely.

The owl experiment is unusual because it involves killing one species of owl to save another owl species. But federal and state officials already have intervened with other species.

They have broken the necks of thousands of cowbirds to save the warbler, a songbird once on the brink of extinction. To preserve salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest, and perch and other fish in the Midwest, agencies kill thousands of large

seabirds called double-crested cormorants.

And last year, Congress passed a law making it easier for Oregon, Washington, Idaho and American Indian tribes to kill sea lions that gobble imperiled salmon runs in the Columbia River.

In four small study areas in Washington, Oregon and northern California, Wiens and his trained team have been picking off invasive barred owls with 12-gauge shotguns to see whether the native birds return to their nesting habitat once their competitors are gone.

Small efforts to remove barred owls in British Columbia and northern California already showed promising results.

The Fish and Wildlife Service has a permit to kill up to 3,600 owls and, if the $5 million program works, could decide to expand its efforts.

Wiens, who works for the US Geological Survey, now views his gun as “a research tool” in humankind’s attempts to maintain biodiversity and rebalance the forest ecosystem.

Because the barred owl has few predators in Northwest forests, he sees his team’s role as apex predator, acting as a cap on a population that doesn’t have one.

“Humans, by stepping in and taking that

role in nature, we may be able to achieve more biodiversity in the environment, rather than just having barred owls take over and wipe out all the prey species,” he said.

Marc Bekoff, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado Boulder finds the practice abhorrent and said humans should find another way to help owl.

“There’s no way to couch it as a good thing if you’re killing one species to save another,” Bekoff said.

And Michael Harris, who directs the wildlife law program for Friends of Animals, thinks the government should focus on what humans are doing to the environment and protect habitats rather than scapegoating barred owls.

“We really have to let these things work themselves out,” Harris said. “It’s going to be very common with climate change. What are we going to do—pick and choose the winners?”

Some see a responsibility to intervene, however, noting that humans are partly to blame for the underlying conditions with activities like logging, which helped lead to the spotted owl’s decline. And others just see a no-win situation.

“A decision not to kill the barred owl is a decision to let the spotted owl go extinct,” said Bob Sallinger, conservation director with the Audubon Society of Portland. “That’s what we have to wrestle with.”

If the experimental removal of barred owls improves the spotted owl populations, the US Fish and Wildlife may consider killing more owls as part of a larger, long-term management strategy. Enough success has been noted that the experiment already has been extended to August 2021.

“I certainly don’t see northern spotted owls going extinct completely,” Wiens said, adding that “extinction in this case will be much longer process and from what we’ve seen from doing these removal experiments, we may be able to slow some of those declines.” AP

A10 Monday, October 21, 2019 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

‘WeWork’ didn’t work

A

lmost every organization has a face. That face can be more aggressive, such as Ramon S. Ang for San Miguel Corp., or more subtle as Teresita Sy-Coson at SM Investments Corp.

Ideas can also be embodied in a face. “Ronald McDonald” is not only the mascot of the hamburger chain but also of the concept of fast-food restaurants all over the world.

Yet, the power of the face has two sides. From the 14th century comes the German tale of the “Pied Piper of Hamelin” who plays his wondrous flute. His music leads the rats out of the town and ends the diseases transmitted by rodents. However, when he is not paid according to his contract, he then plays his wondrous flute and the town’s children are led away never to be seen again.

We have numerous examples of situations when a smooth talking con artist is able to take the money because people concentrated on the “face” and not on the “deal.” Health technology company, Theranos, was basically a fraud from its inception. But founder Elizabeth Holmes—with her signature black turtleneck sweater—was “recognized for forming the most illustrious board in the United States corporate history” with a $10 billion valuation.

Though not as staggering as Holmes, Elon Musk is in the same neighborhood. His company’s business model has never been the front and center of his fund-raising as much as his personality and claims. The average person identifies electric vehicles with Tesla, yet its business model depends on government consumer subsidies that are unsustainable.

Although not a local business news, the investment community has been following the story of “WeWork”—officially The We Co.—for some time. This is a “shared work spaces company” that founder Adam Neumann says, “We think there’s a new way of working in the world, and it’s just better.” He also wants to be the first trillionaire.

Except the shared space business model was first introduced in 1989 by Regus, now publicly listed IWG plc. WeWork in partnership with Megaworld Corp., has less than six Philippine locations.

Regus has 23 Philippine locations.

What both companies do is lease large amounts of office space and then rent to smaller users. WeWork has become the thirdlargest lessee of office space in the world and is near bankruptcy after a failed IPO. The company forgot to mention in its prospectus that without the IPO funds, the company would be insolvent.

From a valuation of more than $45 billion, that has dropped to less than $10 billion, which is sort of high for a company that has consistently seen annual losses grow almost one-for-one with revenue.

WeWork’s footprint of shared office spaces in Hong Kong jumped 700 percent since 2016. With the current political trouble damaging Hong Kong’s economy, a WeWork failure could devastate Hong Kong’s office building market. WeWork is also London’s biggest office building renter.

But Neumann and his investors were not really interested in a business model. As Neumann said in January 2018, “Our valuation and size today are much more based on our energy and spirituality than it is on a multiple of revenue.” Now, imagine one of our Filipino business leaders saying something like that. You can’t.

Take it from the expert Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II

RISING SUN

Conclusion

The responsibility of businesses

I

am continuing the topic I started writing about last week: Sustainability in business, communities, fashion and tourism. The insights come after the Sustainability Summit Manila that was held on October 5 at Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Intramuros.

Sonia Mendoza, the chairman and founder of Mother Earth Foundation, was there to talk about the waste management efforts of her organization.

One of the powerful things that she shared on that day had to do with the waste and brand audit that Mother Earth conducted with GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives) from 2017 to 2018. GAIA and Mother Earth are part of the worldwide movement #breakfreefromplastic which calls on corporations to reduce their

production of single-use plastic packaging. The study, conducted in five cities nationwide, revealed that multinational brands are the top plastic polluters. Their trash comprise almost 75 percent of all collected nonrecyclable and noncompostable waste.

Aside from choking our seas and killing marine life, plastic

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lain packaging, also known as generic, neutral, standardized or homogeneous packaging refers to packaging that requires the removal of all branding (colors, imagery, corporate logos and trademarks) permitting manufacturers to print only the brand name in a mandated size, font and place in the pack. There have been moves to ban or abolish branding for products that health practitioners identify as unhealthy and bad for the public. It started with tobacco products to deter smoking by removal of positive association of brands (including design and symbol) with the consumption of tobacco. Removal of branding on tobacco started on December 12, 2012, when Australia enacted its Plain Packaging Act and became the first country to require plain packaging, with all packets being sold in logo-free, drab dark brown packaging. Some tobacco companies opposed to plain packaging have sued the Australian government but lost these cases.

Since then, a few European countries followed and legislated their own plain packaging laws: France (May 2016); the United Kingdom (May 2017); Norway (July 2017); Ireland (October 2018); Belgium (January 2020 manufacturers/January 2021 retail level; the Netherlands, the Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Turkey, Israel (by 2020); Belgium (2021); Hungary (2022). In the Asia-Pacific region: New Zealand (March 2018); Thailand (September 2019); Singapore (July 2020); Malaysia (After WTO Challenge is resolved); South Korea (planning by 2020) and Canada (November 2019 manufacturers/

February 2020 retail level) (Source: “Economic Brand: Consumer Impact of Plain Packaging” by Bienvenido S. Oplas Jr.).

Health and social activists would want to extend plain packaging to the food and beverage industry, and to other sectors as part of “social engineering.” Target sectors include (1) High calorie foods to beat obesity; (2) Banks and financial institutions to fight debt addiction; (3) Junk foods, red meat; (4) Confectionary, crisps and high-sugar drinks; (5) Cars’ ads to fight traffic, climate change (Oplas, ibid).

The tobacco industry expressed

ends up in our bodies after we eat seafood that ingested plastic particles. Although coastal cleanups are a great display of cooperation and concern for the environment, Mendoza believes that it does not address the root cause of the problem. Millions of people buy and use single-use plastic every day and it will never stop as long as there are huge corporations producing them. This is the plastic packaging for our noodles, coffee, shampoo, ready-to-drink juice, and other similar products.

Businesses need to shift to new and environment-friendly ways to distribute their goods. Additionally, there needs to be a policy change implemented by the government as mandatory regulation for corporations. National plastic bans and plastic packaging reduction policies will help in the implementation of Republic Act 9003, or the Philippines’s Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

The government, for its part, should also promote zero-waste programs because this has been proven to address the problem. Mendoza

shared that Mother Earth’s model communities all over the Philippines have shown that zero-waste programs result in significant reduction of waste management costs, improved livelihood for waste workers, and of course, cleaner and greener environment.

After the brand audit, Mother Earth and GAIA wrote to the concerned businesses to encourage them to implement new solutions.

However, the response they received was less than satisfactory.

As ordinary citizens, we can petition for the creation of environmental policies like the EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility). According to Mendoza, this is a strategy wherein manufacturers become responsible for the packaging of their products up to the end of its life cycle.

It will encourage them to look for alternative delivery systems for their products. In other countries with EPR regulations, there have been significant reduction in the consumption of single-use plastic packaging.

Advocates believe that if we have that here, too, it will positively affect us and our environment in general.

concern that plain packaging would increase the sales of counterfeit cigarettes. A think tank supported

by British American Tobacco stated that it would be “disastrous if the government, by introducing plain packaging legislation, removed the simplest mechanism for the ordinary consumer to tell whether their cigarettes are counterfeit or not” (Huffington Post UK, 2012). Other arguments against plain packaging include its effect on smuggling, its effect to shops and retailers, and its possible illegality.

Anti-smoking group New Vois Association of the Philippines favored the introduction of plain cigarette packaging in the Philippines as part of their campaign on the 2016 “World No Tobacco Day.” The Department of Health (DOH), however, is not ready to implement plain cigarette packaging and would rather focus on enforcing graphic health warnings on cigarette packs under the Graphic Health Warning Act of 2014, that took effect in March 2016, (Sun Star, May 30, 2016). Various administrations keep raising tobacco excise taxes—such as the “sin” tax law of 2012, TRAIN law of 2017 and another sin tax hike law in 2019. This has shifted smokers to tobacco alternatives like vaping and e-cigarettes, which the government has announced will also be taxed as regular cigarettes. One immediate result is the downshift of smokers’ preference from branded legal tobacco to the cheaper, illicit smuggled products.

Director General of the Intellectual Property Office (IPOPHL) Josephine R. Santiago opines that

“for the Philippines, there is not enough study or evidence that evaluates effectivity of plain packaging policy. As consumer behavior may vary across these countrymarkets, it may not be advisable that we take on a one-size fits all approach, especially if doing so would mean trampling on private rights.” Furthermore, according to Santiago “plain packaging fails to see consumer protection aspect of trademarks. The Guidelines for implementation of Article 13 of WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco, among the basis for plain packaging policy, only focuses on promotional effects of logos, colors, images, stylized brand names, among other branding elements cited” (Speech, Fairmont Hotel, 16 October 2019).

The twofold purpose of trademark is to protect the public and the trademark owner. For the public, it is to be assured that they are procuring the genuine article; to be spared from confusion brought about by similar marks and to prevent fraud and imposition. For the trademark owner, the purpose of a trademark is to point out distinctly the origin or ownership of the goods to which it is affixed; to secure to him, who has been instrumental to bringing into the market a superior article of merchandise, the fruit of his industry and skill; and to protect against substitution and sale of an inferior and different articles of his product (see Murpuri v. Court of Appeals, GR 114500, November 19, 1999).

See “Kapunan,” A11

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Opinion

‘Looking in reaching out’

Transformational management

BusinessMirror

Joel L. Tan-Torres

Siegfred Bueno Mison, Esq.

DEBIT CREDIT

THE PATRIOT

oday, October 21, 2019, I assume the deanship of the University of the Philippines Virata School of Business.

After more than three months of search and subsequent selection by the Board of Regents, I start my first day in school after my oath taking administered by UP President Danilo Concepcion. I am honored to join the roster of the past 13 deans that all contributed to the many successes of UP VSB.

n any organizational transformation, a cohesive team under an able steward is indispensable to save on time and resources.

After all, more things get done, faster and cheaper, if everyone will work together. Thus, the greatest challenge for any leader of a transition team is how to motivate others to work well with the rest. Collaboration is a skill of which cooperation is a prerequisite.

T

I

One of the best ways to foster cooperation is to truly understand the needs of each and every team member. Think back as to how fathers and mothers look after the welfare of their children under their care. While some parents are equally concerned with the physical needs, as well as the psychological growth of their children, the better ones focus more on the internal progress rather than the cosmetic changes. Children who have confidence in their parents can easily be transformed, value-wise. Leaders in any transition team should do the same. Focus on people and earn their confidence by trusting them.

Change is an external event, wh ic h c a n h appen i nst a nt aneously. Change in the control or management of a company, or any other event that makes the current situation different from what it was before is always a constant.

Compared to change, transformation is an internal process that requires the reorientation of people’s mindset in response to the change.

Change can occur over night;

transformation takes time.

A transformation agenda is required following a change in circumstances. In his book, Onward: How Starbucks Fought For Its Life Without Losing Its Soul, Howard Schultz recounted his personal experiences together with his small team in turning things around at Starbucks.

When he returned as its chief executive officer (ceo, and not CEO, as per Starbucks standard), Schultz successfully planned and implemented a turnaround strategy by sticking to the company’s sources of pride —“respect and dignity, passion and laughter, compassion, community, and responsibility,” all of which are anchored on humanity. While he really did not have to take the reins of management after the company’s worst three-month performance in its history as a public company, he felt compelled to adjust the “growth” of the company. Instead of focusing on quantitative growth in terms of stock market performance, he looked at the qualitative growth of his people. As one of the more prominent servant

Monday, October 21, 2019 A11

leaders in recent history, Schultz believed “in the power of the brand, in its founding mission, and most important, in the people.”

In a business fable narrated in his best-selling book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, author Patrick Lencioni depicted how one leader can successfully manage the egos of his executives in his small team and communicate the corporate strategy to all of his employees. At the same time, Lencioni wrote how politics can destroy a business and depicted how a leader can overcome the many pitfalls that teams face during a critical transition period. Of the five pitfalls, the absence of trust and the unwillingness to be vulnerable within the team, is so common these days since leaders who show signs of weakness will always fear being devoured or overpowered by those around them.

Further, Filipino culture prefers peace by way of an artificial harmony instead of constructive passionate debate during meetings, which, at the same time, indirectly promotes low standards due to the leaders’ inability to promptly call the attention of their peers’ poor performance.

Filipinos, in general, are simply too kind to a fault. Some of them will even avoid conflict at all costs even at the expense of organizational growth.

In the Bible, Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Each team member watches each other’s back.

Just like in friendship, friends never fail to caution each other every time the other falters. We can always trust a good friend who does not agree with you all the time. Teamwork and friendship are similar; they are both anchored on trust.

The direction that I will bring to the UP VSB is anchored on the theme “Looking In Reaching Out.” I intend to look into and tap the various resources and goodwill of the UP VSB to perpetuate its many successes in the past. In the process, I also will be outward looking and reach out to address the many requirements of the various stakeholders of the school. UP VSB should be able to service the academic and other demands of both its internal stakeholders and the external community. As indicated in the vision and plans for the UP VSB that I submitted during the selection process, I hope to make an impact for the benefit of the various constituents of the UP VSB, including the students, faculty, staff, alumni, extended publics and the country as a whole.

As enshrined in the charter of the UP, Republic Act 9500, the mandate of the UP, including the UP VSB, is to: n Perform its unique and distinctive leadership in higher education and development. n Lead in setting academic standards and initiating innovations in teaching, research and faculty development in philosophy, the arts and humanities, the social sciences, engineering, natural sciences, mathematics, and technology; and maintain centers of excellence in these disciplines and professions. n Serve as a graduate university by providing advanced studies and specialization for scholars, scientists, writers, artists and professionals, especially those who serve on the faculty of state, and private colleges and universities. n Serve as a research university in various fields of expertise and specialization by conducting basic and applied research, promoting research and development, and contributing to the dissemination and application of knowledge. n Lead as a public service university by providing various forms of community, public and volunteer service, as well as scholarly and technical assistance to the government, the private sector and civil society, while maintaining its standards of excellence. n Protect and promote the professional and economic rights and welfare of its academic and nonacademic personnel. n Provide opportunities for training and learning in leadership, responsible citizenship and the development of democratic

values, institutions, and practice through academic and nonacademic programs, including sports, and enhancement of nationalism and national identity. n Serve as a regional and global university in cooperation with international and scientific unions, networks of universities, scholarly and professional associations in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world. n Provide democratic governance based on collegiality, representation, accountability, transparency and active participation of its constituents; and promote the holding of fora for students, faculty, research, extension and professional staff, administrative staff, and alumni to discuss nonacademic issues affecting the University.

I am ready to do my share in addressing these responsibilities of the UP and the school. In pursuing the tasks of the deanship, I will bring my passion and experiences derived from my 40 years of career work, both in government and private sector. I am confident that I will do well in my new role, similar to what I have been able to accomplish in my previous leadership duties as commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy and partner of two of the biggest accounting firms. My long prior and current engagements in the area of academia, and the broader realm of learning, will go a long way in implementing and attaining the plans and tasks that I have set forth. Of course, the people in the school, the UP, and my various network of friends and colleagues will play a major role in this quest to make UP VSB continue its mission of doing good for all, or to phrase this better, doing the best for all.

Kapunan. . .

Saudi Arabia’s best bet is to crash the price of oil

continued from A10

While the State should protect public health, it should do so without damaging intellectual-property rights. Banning brands through plain packaging, aimed at “social engineering,” may not have the intended results. On the contrary, the unintended beneficiaries would be the smugglers and producers of illicit products, criminal gangs, terrorists groups and corrupt government officials that allow illicit goods to be sold and circulated. The unintended victims will be the consumers who will be deprived of the freedom to choose the brand they prefer and the State which could suffer decline in tax revenues because of the shift to cheaper, illicit nonbranded products.

To be continued Joel L. Tan-Torres is a certified public accountant who placed No. 1 in the May 1979 CPA Board Examinations. He is the dean of the University of the Philippines Virata School of Business. He was the former commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue from 2009 to 2010, the chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy from 2014 to August 2018 and a partner of Reyes Tacandong and Co., CPA, from 2011 to 2019.

This column accepts contributions from accountants, especially articles that are of interest to the accountancy profession, in particular, and to the business community, in general. These can be e-mailed to boa.secretariat.@gmail.com

By Julian Lee Bloomberg Opinion

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audi Arabia should give up trying to manage the global crude market and return to the pump-at-will policy it briefly adopted in 2014 under its longest serving Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi.

In the mercantilist world in which we now live, where decisions are based on narrow national interest, it makes no sense for the world’s lowest-cost oil producer to subsidize shale and prop up other high-cost suppliers.

Of course, when it does, oil prices will crash just as they did in 1986 when the country finally abandoned fixed official selling prices. And then, in the aftermath, global investors

Trusting people is a must for leaders, such as those in the Philippine Military Academy and Philippine National Police who may be planning and implementing a turnaround strategy or in the middle of a transformation agenda. The strategy should not leverage on the personal ego and credentials of the leader, but should focus on the team’s collective effort in diversity. In the Bible, Philippians 2:3-4 tells us, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Servant leaders provide inspirational stability by way of humility.

Author and pastor Rick Warren says that the greatest stability is dependability. Leaders need to depend on the people around them and vice versa. Subordinates follow a leader whenever they have confidence in him. It takes a team to trust each other in the same way soldiers trust one another in a foxhole to make decisions as to whether they hold on to the old (defend your position) or jump into the new (attack or retreat).

Change in one’s situation inevitably happens; transformation does not necessarily follow as a consequence. Change happens to organizations all the time. Transition only happens whenever an able steward genuinely trusts his team and his team has confidence in him. As the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 4:9, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.” For leaders wanting to transform companies, please be a friend to your employees by creating an environment of trust and confidence.

A multidimensional approach to solving traffic Thomas M. Orbos

STREET TALK

I

was in a conversation with my son, Gio, the other night and he brought up the idea of having a multidimensional approach to traffic problem-solving in a highly stressed environment as what we have in Metro Manila.

Normally we view traffic solutions in a two-dimensional way, meaning our efforts to decongest traffic would be to attack it from where we stand and view it, such as widening the streets or reducing vehicular traffic. Hence, we have road expansion encroaching on sidewalks and the so-called road dieting or narrowing the lanes to accommodate more vehicles. All good and necessary ideas. But with these, we will be hitting the wall soon enough, not to mention sacrificing other areas, such as in this case, pedestrian space and ample vehicle-to-vehicle distance.

In a multidimensional approach, we go beyond the bounds of what we see as acceptable and play around with the “what ifs” dimension. Take the case of spatial dimension. In such an approach, we go beyond the roads

will get in a flap about all things Saudi: the IPO of the kingdom’s state oil company, the financing required to fund a young and underemployed population, Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitious Vision 2030 plan to transform the economy away from its dependence on oil.

Despite the risks, it’s time to admit that market management is failing, even though Saudi Arabia and it “allies” say that it isn’t.

The Opec+ agreement was meant to drain excess stockpiles in six months. But we are now approaching a fourth year of Saudi Arabia leading a global alliance of producers in trying—and failing—to push up oil prices in a sustainable way.

For a while, it appeared that the cuts were having the desired effect.

as we see it and consider the space beside, above and below the existing road space. Thus, “below” would refer to the subways, and the river ferries “beneath.” “Above” would refer to the planned Edsa skyway of Ramon Ang and the cable cars above ground.

But going multidimensional would also go beyond physical dimensions and also in other areas, such as stakeholder participation and funding. This is where it gets exciting. Case in point, let’s look at Edsa and the planned elevated walkways. We don’t need to wait for government to plan it entirely or have it funded solely.

In a multidimensional approach, adjacent buildings and establishments along Edsa can become the extension space to realize elevated pedestrian walkways or parking

Inventories came down and Brent prices rose from about $45 a barrel in June 2017 to reach a high of $86 in October 2018. But they swiftly fell back toward $50 and a second round of cuts that began in January has failed to keep them above $60.

Even the temporary loss of more than half of Saudi Arabia’s oil production—and most of the world’s spare capacity—in an attack on two of the kingdom’s biggest processing facilities failed to lift prices for more than a few days.

The latest data from Opec itself—along with the International Energy Agency and the US Energy Administration—show the failure of the policy.

All three see global oil inventories building in the first half of next

areas. All that is needed would be to connect building to building via connector passageways providing an unhampered walkable area above ground. And more important, would be to have open minded private business entities who own these buildings and see the benefit of providing a healthy walkable environment for their present and potential customers.

We have seen this in other countries and even in our very own Makati CBD with the Ayalas propagating such walkways connecting the various buildings in the area. And the same application can immediately happen in Greenhills, Cubao, Ortigas and BGC, all with that very important private sector participation.

I remember when I was with the MMDA, we already initiated talks with SM Megamall and the ShangriLa Mall operators to jointly build an elevated walkway connecting their malls to facilitate pedestrian traffic from the MRT Shaw station to both their malls. This would not have just provided a convenient train-mall pedestrian transfers, but it would have provided for a freer-flowing level ground vehicular traffic.

Pushing the idea even further.

Let’s ask the question: Who benefits from traffic? Surprisingly, there are industries that do, such as the billboard and the telecom industries.

year in the face of what is starting to look like America’s forever trade war.

The global gridlock has also prompted a reduction in forecasts for growth in oil demand this year and next. The average level of Saudi oil production in the first eight months of 2019 was the lowest since 2014 —even excluding the dip caused by the September 14 attacks on the kingdom’s oil processing infrastructure. And it will have to come down further next year if the kingdom wants to continue trying to manage the market.

It’s time to discover a true price of oil. Saudi Arabia will learn to work with this over time, just as it did after 1986. And it will probably find that that price isn’t as low as the kingdom fears. Eventually, shale producers will be forced to cut

The most expensive billboards are those on Edsa. And I would guess that telco demand on Edsa is as congested as that of the vehicle congestion. These businesses make great money off our traffic miseries. That they have to admit. Otherwise, try putting a billboard or a fiber-optic cable in the middle of nowhere, and nowhere will it come close to the money being made on Edsa.

So why not extract a special tax or fund from these businesses—like a congestion opportunity fund, then use the funds to build the elevated walkways and other traffic decongestion infrastructures that we need?

These are just some off-the-cuff examples of thinking multidimensional, both spatial and even on other areas, such as private sector participation and funding. But maybe thinking out-of-the-box or thinking multidimensional should be given more thought. Two-dimensional thinking is good and needed but it is finite and we are close to maxing it out. Thinking multidimensional will open us up to limitless solutions to fight this problem of ours called traffic.

Thomas Tim Orbos was former DOTr undersecretary for roads and general manager of the MMDA. He is currently undertaking further studies at the McCourt School of Public Policy of Georgetown University. He can be reached via e-mail at thomas_ orbos@sloan.mit.edu

back—or they won’t.

If they are forced to cut, then Saudi Arabia will get the price support it craves, without having to lower its own output. But if shale production can just keep going up and up, even in a lower-price environment, then it proves just as emphatically that the Saudi-led policy of market management is a busted flush anyway.

Will they do it? I doubt it.

Current Oil Minister Abdulaziz Bin Salman sees it as his job “to ensure that the oversupply doesn’t continue.” December’s Opec and Opec+ meetings will likely yield the promise of further output cuts and Saudi Arabia will pump even less next year in a vain attempt to prop up prices.

But it would be nice to believe that they are capable of change.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Companies BusinessMirror

Monday, October 21, 2019

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DMCI beefs up construction, property devt assets in Cebu

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By VG Cabuag

@villygc

ACTAN, Cebu—Consunjiled DMCI Holdings Inc. is beefing up its investments in Cebu, mainly on property development and construction activities as it banks on the improving wealth of cities outside of the country’s capital.

DMCI Chairman Isidro A. Consunji said the company’s property development arm DMCI Homes has acquired two properties in Cebu for the development of its mediumto high-rise residential condominium project.

DMCI Homes President Alfredo Austria said they have acquired a 9,695-square meter property, or about 1 hectare, in Lahug, Cebu City to boost its expansion plans.

The property is a few minutes’ drive from Cebu IT Park, Cebu Business Park, University of the Philippines Cebu and Metro Sports Center.

Last year, DMCI Homes ac-

quired its first Cebu property in Barangay Guadalupe, to serve as the future site of another residential community. With these two acquisitions, DMCI Homes now has a total Cebu land bank of 55,617 sq m.

“Cebu is one of the fastest-growing economies in the Philippines.

Expanding here is a natural step for us,” Austria said.

Consunji, meanwhile, said the scarcity of skilled labor in Metro Manila is limiting their growth, and the company has come to the second-tier cities outside of the capital for their labor needs.

Austria said they plan to launch two projects next year for the two properties, with the first being a 4-hectare high-rise project. He explained that, while the buildings will be high rise, these will be unique because of the large open spaces that will be set aside.

“Each hectare will have only one tower for a total of only four towers in 4 hectares,” Austria said.

The company has the option to expand this project by another 4 hectares.

“We are very excited to bring the DMCI Homes brand to Cebu. We believe the discerning local market will find our value-for-money proposition very attractive,” he said.

Meanwhile, DMCI is also part of the Cebu Link Joint Venture, the consortium of Spanish firm Acciona, First Balfour and DM Consunji Inc., the company’s construction arm. The consortium has so far invested 5.3 million man-hours and has completed some 47 percent of the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEx), a toll bridge that will connect mainland Cebu from Cebu City to Cordova town in Mactan Island.

“The design, scale and complex-

Pilipinas Autogroup concedes 10% sales goal, but upbeat on recovery with Dongfeng trucks

By Elijah Felice E. Rosales @alyasjah

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RUCK distributor Pilipinas Autogroup Inc. (PAI) has given up its target of growing sales by 10 percent this year, but is seeking to recover with the introduction of Dongfeng units to its lineup and possible participation in the PUV modernization program (PUVMP).

PAI Managing Director George F. Blaylock disclosed the firm will most likely fail to achieve the industry target of growing sales by 10 percent this year. He said PAI is setting its eyes on next year, when it will launch new models in the market and register a unit in the PUVMP. “The main launch will actually be in March next year. [What we have this year] are just like soft launches for the dealers that we have. More things to come for next year [because] our target launch dates are really for next year,” Blaylock told the BusinessMirror.

Based on industry records, PAI’s sales from January to September declined over 28 percent to 246 units, from 342 units in the same period last year. In 2018, its sales fell 28.16 percent to 403 units, from 561 units, mirroring the automotive industry’s dismal showing that was blamed on tax hikes, record-high inflation, unstable fuel prices and rising interest rates.

Blaylock said PAI is looking to recover with the addition of Dongfeng commercial vehicles in its roster of models, as the Chinese brand will make up roughly 80 percent of PAI’s business on an offering ranging from the smallest to the heaviest of trucks.

“Right now, we probably figured it [Dongfeng’s contribution] to be 80 percent of the business of Pilipinas Auto simply because they have more products from the smallest truck to the biggest truck. They also have light commercial [vehicles], which we are seriously looking at entering as far as the jeepney program,” Blaylock said.

The PAI executive projects higher demand for trucks next year in the face of worsening Metro Manila road traffic, as firms will be compelled to transport goods in huge volumes to reduce logistics cost and improve efficiency.

“We also have to be honest that business has to go on, goods have to be transported, so that’s what we’re looking at. We’re looking at helping and possible be of service in that segment of the industry,” Blaylock explained.

“I think we will be surprisingly doing very well [next year] considering the products that we have and their joint-venture companies, [as well as] the pricing strategy that we have. We have some in market testing and we are very confident with the quality of products that we are testing right

now. I think our customers will be very, very happy,” he added.

Last Thursday saw PAI becoming the Philippine distributor of Dongfeng commercial vehicles, as it opened in Cainta, Rizal, its first dealer store. Situated along Ortigas Avenue Extension, the dealership can service customers in need of light to heavy commercial vehicles.

The store offers a range of trucks from four-wheelers to six-wheelers to 10-wheeler cargo trucks, as well as mini buses, tractor heads, dump trucks and cement mixers.

The dealership’s initial lineup has 12 models. Its cheapest offering is the Captain E 4 Wheeler—load capacity of 4.45 tons—at P970,000, while its highest priced unit is the K37F 12 Wheeler Dump Truck, which can carry up to 70 tons, at P4.27 million.

In a statement, PAI Chairman David C. Coyukiat said the firm will put up more Dongfeng dealerships in the coming months to serve vehicle and after-sales needs of its customers.

Dongfeng Motor Corp. is a stateowned vehicle assembler based in Wuhan, China. It is one of China’s largest automobile groups with RMB 240.2 billion (roughly $33.91 billion) in total assets and employing about 176,000 workers, according to its web site. Prior to the partnership with Dongfeng, PAI was the Philippine distributor of Tata Motors imported from India.

With One Power, Mikee Romero wears new hat as energy player in both RE, coal

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

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AWMAKER and businessman Michael “Mikee” L. Romero plans to set up an energy holdings company to host different power generation firms that have a sum capacity of at least 300 megawatts (MW) in 2020.

On the sidelines of a Philippines AirAsia event recently, Romero said

his group is buying into three power generation companies in Luzon and Mindanao, and is eyeing to bid for the Malaya Power Plant.

“We want to be one of the players in the energy sector,” he said. “In terms of generation, I think we can consolidate next year around 300 MW to 350 MW.” Romero noted that the companies will be a mix of renewables and coal.

“The one in Luzon is hydro. We

have signed a memorandum of understanding for it and we’re about to take over,” he added. “Our acquisition of different power companies should be completed by the end of the year.”

Romero did not elaborate.

The energy holdings company will be called One Power, a nod to Romero’s party-list OnePacman. Romero is currently in the energy distribution business in Zamboanga, being the sole distributor in the peninsula.

ity of this project makes it an engineering and construction marvel.

We are proud to be part of this iconic project,” Consunji said.

The bridge is 8.25 kilometers long and will be the longest bridge in the Philippines connecting two islands.

It is set for completion in 2021, in time for the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Spaniards in the country.

The San Juanico Bridge, which connects the islands of Samar and Leyte, and was built during the Marcos era, has long been the country’s longest bridge.

The main bridge of the CCLEx will have a span of 390 meters, and a navigational clearance of 51 meters to allow large vessels to pass underneath.

It will also feature a lighted cross on top of two 145-meter high pylons.

Concrete piling for the two towers of the main bridge was completed in May, while the lower pylons are nearing completion. The piling works for the Cebu viaduct are almost complete while Cordova viaducts were finished last month.

Construction of the ramps that will connect CCLEx to the Cebu South Coastal Road is ongoing.

RECOGNITION FOR “RSA” Duterte shakes hands with San Miguel Corp. President and Vice Chairman Ramon S. Ang, who was feted at the closing rites of the 45th Philippine Business Conference last week, for his able chairmanship of last year’s edition of the conference. Looking on are Cabinet officials led by Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar (seated); and business leaders, George T. Barcelon (from left), chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and William S. Co, chairman of this year’s PBC.

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Companies BusinessMirror

Monday, October 21, 2019

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

October 18, 2019

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

ASIA UNITED BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK COL FINANCIAL FERRONOUX HLDG MEDCO HLDG MANULIFE NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH VANTAGE

55.15 145.6 95.1 24.95 12.24 70.9 12.8 43.85 58.15 26.2 198.9 59 18.52 4.72 0.4 750 0.89 176.6 1.09

57.4 145.9 95.15 25 12.26 71 12.98 44 58.25 26.4 199.5 59.95 18.6 4.81 0.42 770 0.91 178 1.14

57.4 149.5 95.1 25 12.14 69 12.8 43.55 58.2 26.05 199.9 59 18.52 4.7 0.405 760 0.88 176.5 1.09

57.4 149.5 95.2 25 12.5 71.1 12.84 44 58.2 26.85 199.9 59.1 18.6 4.87 0.405 760 0.91 176.6 1.09

57.4 145.6 94.6 24.95 12.14 68.95 12.8 43.55 58.2 26.05 197.1 59 18.52 4.7 0.4 760 0.88 176.5 1.09

57.4 145.6 95.1 24.95 12.24 70.9 12.8 43.85 58.2 26.8 199.5 59 18.6 4.72 0.4 760 0.91 176.6 1.09

10 639640 2048810 103200 2214700 8034670 36800 95600 380 34200 1122160 21510 1800 103000 80000 350 42000 50 3000

574 93674743 194760247 2578140 27268378 567291572 471108 4186495 22116 894125 223683207 1269677 33368 485600 32050 266000 36990 8827 3270

-29401871 102824698.5 -1179830 3170656 -47692453 469180 -843410 -7912479 -330089.5 -

INDUSTRIAL

ALSONS CONS ABOITIZ POWER BASIC ENERGY FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG MERALCO MANILA WATER PETRON PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL SPC POWER AGRINURTURE AXELUM CNTRL AZUCARERA CENTURY FOOD DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EMPERADOR SMC FOODANDBEV ALLIANCE SELECT GINEBRA JOLLIBEE LIBERTY FLOUR MACAY HLDG MAXS GROUP MG HLDG PEPSI COLA SHAKEYS PIZZA ROXAS AND CO ROXAS HLDG SWIFT FOODS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH CONCRETE A CONCRETE B CEMEX HLDG DAVINCI CAPITAL EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP HOLCIM MEGAWIDE PHINMA TKC METALS VULCAN INDL CROWN ASIA LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL PRYCE CORP CONCEPCION GREENERGY INTEGRATED MICR IONICS SFA SEMICON CIRTEK HLDG

1.29 38.85 0.26 25 79.15 360.6 20.2 5.04 2.84 11 33 7.3 15.66 4.4 17.26 15.54 5.49 8.3 6.99 90.5 0.69 46.4 229.4 41.1 10.8 13.4 0.188 1.84 11.24 2.01 2.17 0.122 156.3 1.29 67 73 2.6 5.8 15.16 10.44 14.72 17.88 9.4 1.05 1.14 2.05 5.2 3.21 5.4 31.8 2.46 8.07 1.48 1.01 8.95

1.3 39 0.265 25.05 79.2 361.2 20.25 5.05 2.85 11.18 33.1 7.35 15.9 4.43 18.22 16 5.67 8.51 7 91.5 0.7 48.2 230 51 10.9 13.48 0.198 1.85 11.54 2.02 2.22 0.127 157.9 1.3 70 74 2.61 5.99 15.46 10.48 14.86 17.9 9.42 1.1 1.15 2.06 5.25 3.51 5.41 32 2.47 8.1 1.49 1.03 8.97

1.3 39.2 0.247 25 79.2 366.2 20.2 5.08 2.81 11 34.1 7.37 15.9 4.47 18.24 15.2 5.51 8.54 7 90.25 0.7 47.5 235 52.5 9.9 13.3 0.187 1.84 11.18 1.98 2.22 0.127 160 1.29 65.25 71 2.51 5.8 15.3 10.32 14.88 18 9.41 1.09 1.16 2.06 5.2 3.25 5.4 31.8 2.46 8.05 1.5 1 8.98

1.3 39.4 0.27 25.5 79.2 369.2 20.25 5.1 2.87 11.18 34.1 7.37 15.94 4.49 18.24 16 5.67 8.57 7 91.5 0.7 48.45 235.2 75 12.18 13.76 0.187 1.86 11.2 2.04 2.22 0.127 160 1.3 70 74 2.6 5.8 15.56 10.5 14.88 18 9.41 1.1 1.17 2.06 5.25 3.51 5.43 31.8 2.47 8.2 1.54 1.03 9.23

1.3 38.45 0.247 24.9 78.9 360.2 20.1 5.04 2.78 10.86 33.1 7.3 15.6 4.4 18.24 15.2 5.49 8.3 6.99 90 0.68 46 227 50 9.6 13.3 0.187 1.83 11.18 1.98 2.22 0.127 156.3 1.26 65.25 71 2.51 5.8 15.14 10.3 14.7 17.88 9.41 1.04 1.14 2.06 5.2 3.21 5.4 31.8 2.42 8.04 1.46 1 8.85

1.3 39 0.265 25 79 360.6 20.2 5.05 2.84 11 33.1 7.35 15.9 4.4 18.24 16 5.49 8.3 7 91.5 0.69 48.3 230 50 10.8 13.48 0.187 1.85 11.2 2.02 2.22 0.127 156.3 1.29 70 73 2.6 5.8 15.14 10.44 14.86 17.9 9.41 1.1 1.15 2.06 5.25 3.51 5.4 31.8 2.47 8.1 1.49 1.03 8.96

7000 4844800 9090000 4976300 264020 533130 2176100 618000 37662000 26700 1804900 37900 51300 3318000 100 3185800 8700 12507100 313400 278060 464000 9700 398090 3790 806900 284700 20000 8046000 1420500 592000 3000 10000 213810 7265000 900 950 2583000 11700 28900 129300 210600 1299900 10000 754000 1213000 30000 2200 6000 170500 2100 4974000 149600 517000 23000 592400

ABACORE CAPITAL ASIABEST GROUP AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL AYALA LAND LOG ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA REPUBLIC GLASS SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP SOC RESOURCES TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.89 12.7 855 53.55 11.64 3.75 0.7 1.14 6.39 9 13.06 870 5.64 72.2 0.485 4.31 13.7 0.59 4.85 0.038 1.36 2.81 1002 167.6 0.85 217.4 0.22 0.225

0.9 12.74 855.5 53.6 11.66 3.77 0.71 1.15 6.58 9.1 13.38 873 5.67 72.6 0.5 4.36 13.72 0.61 4.86 0.039 1.41 2.98 1003 168 0.86 224.2 0.222 0.23

0.91 12.8 865 54.3 11.78 3.65 0.7 1.14 6.8 8.8 13.2 864.5 5.67 73.85 0.5 4.36 13.8 0.61 4.9 0.038 1.36 2.9 1019 167.7 0.85 218 0.222 0.225

0.93 13 871.5 54.3 11.8 3.77 0.72 1.15 6.8 9.1 13.4 874 5.67 73.85 0.51 4.36 13.88 0.61 4.94 0.038 1.41 2.98 1019 168.1 0.86 224.2 0.222 0.231

0.89 12.4 855 53.5 11.52 3.62 0.7 1.13 6.39 8.71 13.2 860.5 5.67 72.15 0.5 4.3 13.7 0.58 4.81 0.038 1.36 2.9 1001 167.6 0.84 218 0.22 0.225

0.9 12.7 855.5 53.6 11.64 3.77 0.71 1.15 6.39 9.1 13.4 873 5.67 72.6 0.51 4.36 13.72 0.59 4.85 0.038 1.4 2.98 1003 167.6 0.86 224.2 0.22 0.231

19052000 27500 264460 217420 10588600 2655000 357000 657000 5074000 26798300 10000 44320 25000 1200120 7000 330000 1180500 224000 37069000 800000 262000 39000 75390 195430 92000 530 450000 260000

HOLDING & FRIMS

9100 188647995 -32382835 2370320 -7800 124657975 40344265 20859167.5 -20128536.5 192587492 3321424 43,977,350( 4,931,385.0003) 3128186 164025 106595650 -14210420 293942 59782535 -57109540 277922 89802 813986 171212 14735970 22330 1824 50538568 43862026 48544 -47426 105,180,787( 15,403,087.0002) 2193042 -1386700 25315929 1968604 320410 458885 133185 91995800 494408 214615.5 9093196 3851660 -10168 3740 14841840 7924860 15909550 -4735364 1200390 6660 1270 33649541 -6128345 9350860 -1213090 61100.5 69315 -715 6670850 804520 67860 438428 296602 1336682 -659762 3128560 -56468 23268392 -13828068 94100 820770 1399810 -76250 61800 11445 19680 921000 66780 12180650 -1180060 1209461 285489 769330 23370 5358726 -127653 17358890 348016 226877600 11660271 123343154 9864530 250360 752980 33058213 241898467 132182 38467375 141750 87109152 3560 1426120 16214968 135050 180077370 30400 362350 114330 75651780 32775775 77500 116470 99490 59300

-3011910 25200 -134544770 220358.5 33301300 12100 -16069780 88597591.9998 -7920 -8444455 -141750 35902661.5 -1291910 6228544 -80709310 -25202060 -459958 -

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.86 0.87 0.86 0.88 0.85 0.86 691000 596150 12110 48.95 49 49.2 49.2 48.9 49 4277500 209548645 49929920 AYALA LAND 1.99 2 2.03 2.06 2 2 1023000 2062060 -690229.9998 BELLE CORP 0.83 0.85 0.83 0.85 0.82 0.85 433000 361670 A BROWN 0.203 0.205 0.203 0.205 0.203 0.205 1000000 204000 CROWN EQUITIES 4.65 4.7 4.68 4.68 4.59 4.65 1624000 7,488,760( 1,692,239.9998) CEB LANDMASTERS 0.58 0.59 0.57 0.59 0.57 0.59 32489000 18912720 -288140 CENTURY PROP 0.46 0.465 0.4 0.475 0.4 0.465 18250000 8221600 -23250 CYBER BAY 20.45 20.5 20.5 20.6 20.4 20.45 48000 983225 395305 DOUBLEDRAGON 9.81 9.82 9.79 9.81 9.75 9.81 68100 666939 80384 DM WENCESLAO 0.435 0.445 0.44 0.44 0.44 0.44 60000 26400 -26400 EMPIRE EAST 1.61 1.62 1.61 1.63 1.6 1.62 47832000 77456170 15429410 FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE 1.2 1.22 1.2 1.21 1.2 1.2 262000 314840 14.98 15 15.04 15.06 14.98 15 1298200 19478668 -2014474 8990 HLDG PHIL INFRADEV 1.38 1.39 1.38 1.38 1.36 1.38 761000 1045060 146590 MEGAWORLD 4.77 4.8 4.8 4.84 4.76 4.8 6537000 31281790 3839150 MRC ALLIED 0.295 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.295 0.3 5430000 1604750 2950 PHIL ESTATES 0.41 0.445 0.42 0.42 0.405 0.405 8250000 3415150 -1939400 PRIMEX CORP 2.02 2.04 2.01 2.04 2.01 2.04 76000 154180 25.05 25.5 24.9 25.5 24.9 25.5 1915900 48564925 -8555145 ROBINSONS LAND PHIL REALTY 0.38 0.385 0.38 0.38 0.38 0.38 190000 72200 2.28 2.3 2.26 2.32 2.26 2.3 15000 34400 ROCKWELL 3.25 3.27 3.25 3.27 3.25 3.27 30000 98000 39230 SHANG PROP STA LUCIA LAND 2.69 2.7 2.65 2.73 2.65 2.7 453000 1221880 38.6 38.75 38.25 38.8 38.25 38.75 3515300 135861295 -7081310 SM PRIME HLDG 5.6 5.65 5.67 5.67 5.55 5.65 95400 533615 VISTAMALLS 0.9 0.92 0.9 0.93 0.88 0.92 257000 230730 SUNTRUST HOME 7.7 7.73 7.65 7.75 7.65 7.73 3332200 25706932 -366366 VISTA LAND

SERVICES ABS CBN 19.3 19.4 19.1 19.4 19 19.4 199700 3846604 5.22 5.23 5.23 5.23 5.2 5.22 29500 153771 GMA NETWORK 1872 1875 1871 1878 1870 1875 85515 160358110 -2630130 GLOBE TELECOM 1109 1110 1107 1115 1107 1110 57960 64350695 -10491970 PLDT 0.042 0.043 0.042 0.042 0.042 0.042 6300000 264600 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.108 0.11 0.107 0.11 0.107 0.11 770000 84610 -19740 ISLAND INFO 4.85 4.86 4.84 4.9 4.79 4.86 1925000 9309080 -63530 ISM COMM 2.5 2.56 2.52 2.52 2.5 2.5 289000 723990 JACKSTONES 3.08 3.09 3 3.12 2.97 3.09 1954000 5979440 381170 NOW CORP 0.315 0.32 0.32 0.325 0.315 0.32 4050000 1293550 22400 TRANSPACIFIC BR 3.15 3.19 3.22 3.22 3.14 3.19 308000 978030 -145990 PHILWEB 10.04 10.1 10.3 10.3 10.04 10.1 10200 103962 10100 2GO GROUP ASIAN TERMINALS 16.28 17 17 17 17 17 1500 25500 6.9 6.91 6.9 6.94 6.87 6.9 214600 1481402 37930 CHELSEA CEBU AIR 92.7 94 97 97 92.7 92.7 664720 61782592.5 -47562468 INTL CONTAINER 121.7 121.8 122.9 122.9 121.5 121.7 1831600 223433343 -5594314 LBC EXPRESS 13.52 15.44 13.52 13.52 13.52 13.52 100 1352 0.9 0.94 0.9 0.94 0.9 0.94 120000 108240 -8100 LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA 18.82 18.84 18.8 18.98 18.8 18.84 385100 7260810 4256334 METROALLIANCE A 1.1 1.15 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1000 1100 8.23 8.29 8.29 8.29 8.1 8.23 3400 27807 PAL HLDG 1.66 1.67 1.57 1.67 1.56 1.66 2284000 3727850 65300 HARBOR STAR ACESITE HOTEL 1.64 1.67 1.66 1.66 1.66 1.66 11000 18260 0.67 0.68 0.69 0.69 0.67 0.69 441000 302200 WATERFRONT 8 8.1 8.15 8.15 8 8 1800 14430 IPEOPLE 0.67 0.68 0.68 0.68 0.67 0.67 2450000 1664410 -1452890 STI HLDG 10.64 10.66 10.58 10.76 10.58 10.64 487800 5208780 -1657124 BLOOMBERRY 2.86 2.88 2.86 2.86 2.86 2.86 1000 2860 PACIFIC ONLINE 2.98 2.99 2.98 3 2.96 2.99 178000 529640 62550 LEISURE AND RES 3.33 3.36 3.35 3.35 3.33 3.33 109000 364970 MANILA JOCKEY 4.88 5.17 5.19 5.19 4.8 5.17 39200 200302 -9338 PH RESORTS GRP 0.67 0.68 0.68 0.69 0.67 0.68 3401000 2312960 PREMIUM LEISURE 11.56 11.58 11.5 11.58 11.48 11.58 12976600 149807328 -82427408 ALLHOME 2.38 2.39 2.4 2.41 2.35 2.39 877000 2085510 -26190 METRO RETAIL 40.1 41.3 40.2 41.3 40.1 41.3 2433400 100329510 51065530 PUREGOLD 76.5 76.55 77.9 77.9 76.5 76.55 390060 29861153.5 -1361622.5 ROBINSONS RTL 139 140 134 139 134 139 2760 382746 342610 PHIL SEVEN CORP SSI GROUP 2.63 2.64 2.62 2.65 2.57 2.64 2299000 6039850 521710 WILCON DEPOT 16.4 16.48 16.34 16.5 16.34 16.4 1883400 30920878 9586523.9999 APC GROUP 0.57 0.58 0.57 0.59 0.57 0.57 6656000 3839870 -465850 EASYCALL 9.1 9.23 9.28 9.28 9.1 9.1 43400 395042 430.4 439 431 439 430 439 520 224834 GOLDEN BRIA 0.51 0.52 0.53 0.53 0.51 0.52 1378000 713030 17540 PRMIERE HORIZON SBS PHIL CORP 9 9.28 9.28 9.28 9 9 1200 11080

MINING & OIL ATOK 11.72 12.44 12.46 12.46 11.72 12.44 2300 27376 1.13 1.14 1.12 1.14 1.12 1.14 1071000 1209770 -475729.9999 APEX MINING 0.0017 0.0018 0.0017 0.0018 0.0016 0.0017 338000000 573900 ABRA MINING 1.12 1.3 1.13 1.13 1.12 1.12 18000 20240 BENGUET B 2.6 2.63 2.62 2.63 2.62 2.63 525000 1378000 CENTURY PEAK 1.68 1.69 1.66 1.68 1.66 1.68 1229000 2050380 115260 FERRONICKEL 0.203 0.21 0.211 0.211 0.2 0.21 1740000 358950 GEOGRACE 0.106 0.107 0.107 0.107 0.107 0.107 150000 16050 LEPANTO A 0.106 0.108 0.108 0.108 0.106 0.106 1010000 107100 -107100 LEPANTO B 1.12 1.15 1.1 1.17 1.1 1.15 82000 94160 2200 MARCVENTURES 1.01 1.04 1.06 1.06 1.02 1.06 55000 56220 NIHAO 3.85 3.88 3.86 3.95 3.84 3.85 7299000 28211440 -3755630 NICKEL ASIA OMICO CORP 0.475 0.495 0.5 0.5 0.475 0.475 70000 33900 0.85 0.88 0.85 0.87 0.85 0.85 166000 141800 ORNTL PENINSULA 3.64 3.65 3.59 3.65 3.59 3.64 145000 527000 433100 PX MINING SEMIRARA MINING 22.5 22.95 22.9 22.9 22.5 22.5 645400 14545680 -8634880 UNITED PARAGON 0.006 0.0062 0.0061 0.0061 0.006 0.006 5000000 30100 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 9600000 110700 ORNTL PETROL A 0.01 0.012 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 7000000 77000 PHILODRILL 10.28 10.3 11 11.14 10.26 10.3 1988000 20889272 1043892 PHINMA PETRO PXP ENERGY 12.32 12.36 12.22 12.38 12 12.36 426300 5224634 -269362

PREFFERED

HOUSE PREF A 97.05 98.15 99.6 99.9 99.6 99.8 49020 4886718 100.5 101 101 101 100.5 100.5 125390 12647445 DD PREF 995 997 997 997 997 997 30 29910 SMC FB PREF 2 0.99 1 1 1 0.99 0.99 3504000 3468990 495000 LR PREF 100.7 101 101 101 101 101 26650 2691650 MWIDE PREF 100.5 101.5 101.5 101.5 101.5 101.5 2050 208075 PNX PREF 3A 1065 1079 1078 1079 1065 1079 2570 2770060 PCOR PREF 3B 77.75 78.25 78.3 78.3 77.75 77.75 5300 412740.5 SMC PREF 2C 76 77.9 75.95 76 75.95 76 2580 196071 SMC PREF 2E 76.6 77 76.95 77 76.6 76.6 61000 4694945 SMC PREF 2F 76 76.2 75.8 76 75.8 76 6000 455600 SMC PREF 2G 75.7 76.75 76 76.5 75.7 75.7 70000 5348760 -245565 SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I 75.6 75.7 75.8 76.2 75.6 75.7 216020 16333197 PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS

ABS HLDG PDR GMA HLDG PDR

18.14 5.05

18.7 5.12

18.74 5.15

18.74 5.15

18.12 5.15

18.12 5.15

6000 200

109336 1030

WARRANTS LR WARRANT

1.54

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ITALPINAS 6.83 11.7 KEPWEALTH 2.5 MAKATI FINANCE 0.9 XURPAS

1.6

1.56

1.56

1.56

1.56

7000

10920

-

6.88 11.74 2.79 0.91

6.93 12.84 2.5 0.91

7.12 13.1 2.79 0.91

6.81 11.7 2.5 0.89

6.83 11.7 2.79 0.9

948700 5173300 11000 461000

6574621 63121802 28660 415100

-127956 166200 -

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF

117.6

-

118

118.1

118.8

117.6

118

5200

615004

-316497

www.businessmirror.com.ph

SUMEC tapped for ₧4.25-B PFBSI Bulacan solar project

P

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

OWERSOURCE First Bulacan Solar Inc. (PFBSI), which is partly owned by MGen Renewable Energy Inc. (MGreen), has tapped Sumec Complete Equipment & Engineering Co. Ltd. to construct a 50-megawatt (MW) solar power facility in San Miguel, Bulacan.

An engineering, procurement and construction contract for the solar power project was signed between the two firms last Friday.

MGreen holds a 40-percent interest in PFBSI. Other shareholders are PowerSource Global Holdings

Corp. (36 percent) and Singapore’s Sunseap International Pte. Ltd. (24 percent).

MGreen is the renewable-energy subsidiary of Meralco PowerGen Corp., the power generation arm of Meralco. It plans to develop large-

scale solar, wind and hydropower projects that will provide reliable, environment-friendly power at competitive prices without the need for subsidy.

The P4.25-billion Bulacan project is the company’s first solar investment, according to MGen President and CEO Rogelio L. Singson.

“We are committed to undertake 1,000 MW of renewable-energy projects in the next five to seven years.

This start is one of the lego pieces that will make a thousand,” Singson said during the contract signing last week.

The power to be produced from PFBSI will be sold to Meralco under an approved 20-year power-supply agreement (PSA) for P4.69 per kilowatt hour (kWh), subject to 2-percent annual escalation.

The rate, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has said, is

“reasonable” because the PSA underwent the competitive selection process. Even with the application of the 2-percent annual escalation, the rate of P4.69 per kWh is “still significantly lower than the prevailing feed-in-tariff [FiT] rate and most of the approved rates for solar power plants.”

From P4.69 per kWh, the rate will go up to P5.7516 per kWh on the 20th year. The ERC said this is still lower than the prevailing FiT rate of P8.69 per kWh for solar.

The ERC told Meralco it cannot pass on to consumers any additional charges due to interest rates or penalties imposed by PFBSI under the PSA. It, however, allowed Meralco to pass on to its consumers any benefit it availed of from excess energy of the PSA. The 20-year term of the PSA will not be extended, the ERC said.

Wyndham Destinations opens new corporate center in Clark

C

LARK FREEPORT—Wyndham Destinations (WYND), the world’s largest vacation ownership and exchange company, opened its new regional corporate office here on Friday.

The P150-million office building can accommodate up to 800 full-time employees with morning and evening schedules, and features expansive working areas, seven meeting pods, four training rooms, a café-style canteen and a game room.

WYND’s new corporate office will support its expanding Philippines-based team and its growth

across Asia-Pacific, according to Bianca Dakis, Wyndham Vacations Club and Asia-Pacific PR and communications officer.

WYND has more than 220 vacation ownership resorts and 4,300 vacation exchange properties in over 110 countries. The company is based in Orlando, Florida, and has two business lines: Wyndham Vacation Clubs and RCI Exchanges.

Dakis said WYND also has various green features and policies to further support the company’s other numerous sustainability initiatives in line with its WYND Green program.

STOCK-MARKET OUTLOOK Last week

SHARE prices inched higher last week as investors made their positions ahead of the third quarter financial reporting of corporates, but volume was thin.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) gained 35.29 points to close at 7,885.23 points.

The main index was up during the three of the five trading days, enough to post gains for the week.

Volume of trade, however, was thin, only valued at P4.76 billion, while foreign investors were net buyers at P1.39 billion.

Other subindices ended up mixed: the broader All Shares index gained 13.55 points to 4,755.04 points, the Financials index rose 20.09 to 1,841.26, the Industrial index fell 34.37 to 10,643.01, the Holding firms index was up 6.51 to 7,676.89, the Property index climbed 47.57 to 4,177.25, the Services index increased 3.93 to 1,530.25, and the Mining and Oil index declined 271.01 to 8,907.35.

Top gainers for the week were mainly second-liner stocks, such as Liberty Flour Mills Inc., Macay Holdings Inc., Phinma Energy Corp., Cyber Bay Corp., Philippine Bank of Communications and Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. Top losers, on the other hand, were Philippine Trust Co., LBC Express Holdings Inc., Jackstones Inc., Metro Alliance Holdings and Equities Corp. B, Makati Finance Corp., and Keppel Philippines Holdings Inc. A.

This week

Share prices may continue to fall next week as investors are not convinced the market can go higher. “The PSEi is at a crossroads, we are either going to see it test 8,000 and break above it, or, come all the way back down and test support at 7,750, the bottom of the congestion area. Considering the current market sentiment, we are going to see the latter scenario take place,” Christopher Mangun, research head at AAA Securities Inc. said.

Companies have started to report their third-quarter earnings as analysts are expecting better results as a result of lower inflation in previous months and the recent capital injections to the economy with the recent interest rate cuts.

“Despite this, investors continue to trade on the sentiment rather than fundamentals which has been the cause of this market trading sideways since the beginning of the year,” he said, adding that even if the index rallies above 8,000 points, it will be short-lived as selling pressure builds up every time it goes to that level.

Stock picks

Broker Regina Capital Development Corp. recommended trading the range on the stock of Security Bank Corp. (SBC) as it remains in the consolidation range since the beginning of the month.

“If anything, [last week’s] performance reinforced the strength of the upper limit at P200, coincidentally the highest level for the stock. But since the P199.10-support level has also proven itself resilient, expect recovery for the stock to come quick. However, an attempt to break the resistance might be gone soon as all indicators are showing flattened direction,” the broker said.

SBC’s shares closed last week at P199.50 apiece.

Meanwhile, the broker advised buying during breakout on the stock of East West Banking Corp. as its share price remains in a consolidation phase between P11.96 and P12.14.

“The reversal indicator might point to a breakout soon—especially given all indicators are bullish. Most conservative point is to enter the stock once it breaks out of the threemonth resistance” at P12.18 to P12.30 per share, it said.

Shares of EastWest Bank closed Friday at P12.24 apiece. VG Cabuag

Barry Robinson, president and managing director of Wyndham Vacation Clubs international operations expressed his excitement as WYND expands its business to the Philippines.

Robinson explained that the center is not a business-process outsourcing company but a captive center, where all manpower are considered Wyndham employees.

“This is an exciting milestone for our business as it gives this important regional support team a brandnew, permanent home,” he said.

“Our Philippines team has an important function, serving our

mutual funds

four other corporate offices across Asia-Pacific,” he added.

“With Wyndham Destinations’ evolving customer base around the world, our Clark office will continue to support the company’s growing global footprint,” Robinson said.

It was also learned that the regional office recently began supporting the global headquarters in the United States.

Wyndham Destinations AsiaPacific began its operations here in 2016, with five employees. In just three years, it has grown its local work force to more than 300 team members. Ashley Manabat October 18, 2019

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 254.61 5.28% -0.29% -0.05% 0.96% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.5033 8.78% 3.37% 0.71% 4.34% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 3.9109 4.03% -1.64% -1.55% 0.2% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.951 9.55% n.a. n.a.

5.55% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.8666 8.39% n.a. n.a.

5.59% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 5.4303 9.23% 1.59% 0.48% 2.98% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,6 0.8709 9.31% -2.69% n.a.

4.09% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 114.65 3.78% n.a. n.a.

-1.3% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 52.1408 11% 1.97% n.a.

5.93% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 541.2 10.66% 0.83% 0.35% 5.14% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.3097 8.14% 1.81% 1.66% 4.44% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 38.5638 9.46% 2.68% 1.52% 5.27% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,3 1.0375 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 5.3002 12.24% 2.79% 2.43% 6.88% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a

884.98 12.27% 2.7% 2.38% 6.83% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.8998 9.83% 0.96% n.a.

4.63% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 4.2844 10.03% 2.28% 1.67% 5.56% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 1.0165 11.8% 2.58% n.a.

6.52% United Fund, Inc. -a 3.7229 10.75% 4.1% 2.97% 6.34% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c,2 118.6496 12.54% 3.45% 3.42% 7.13% ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b

$0.9677 1.34% 2.65% -0.31% 4.15% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.2955 5.03% 7.81% n.a.

17.22% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.6029 -0.01% -2.87% -3.26% -2.93% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.2678 5.71% -0.48% -0.18% 2.65% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.6575 8.36% 1.74% -1.02% 4.5% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,8 0.2348 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Grepalife Balanced Fund Corporation -a 1.3479 5.72% n.a. n.a.

3.34% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.9648 9.81% 1.92% 1.4% 6.6% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.7985 12.23% 0.83% 0.64% 7.63% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 17.0182 11.71% 0.89% 0.57% 6.98% 6.88% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 2.1495 1.29% 1.51% 3.88% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.8906 9.68% 1.77% 1.26% 6.55% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d,4 1.0211 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d,4 1.0097 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d,4 1.0068 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.9863 9.43% 1.29% 0.91% 7.01% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03841 10.79% 2.42% 2.27% 8.81% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -a $0.9916 5.78% 2.33% 0.18% 8.53% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $3.7603 5.84% 5.73% 4% 13.65% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a $1.1069 5.19% 3.28% n.a.

9.59% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 355.07 4% 2.49% 2.27% 3.38% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a,1 1.9198 3.37% 0.21% -0.09% 3.26% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.0921 5.09% 5.28% 5.24% 3.9% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.2111 4.5% 1.63% 1.95% 3.85% 6.12% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.34 5.81% 1.68% 1.51% Grepalife Fixed Income Fund Corp. -a P 1.6088 2.31% -0.55% -0.03% 2.84% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.3198 14.55% 1.39% 1.71% 10.2% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.7456 8.36% 2.03% 1.51% 6.5% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 0.953 9.43% 0.36% n.a.

6.93% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.0361 10.43% 2.96% 2.42% 9.77% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.6817 9.92% 2.44% 2.02% 9.21% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $466.06 4.54% 2.09% 2.84% 3.94% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є220.07 3.2% 1.35% 1.47% 3.48% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.2028 7.33% 2.31% 2.5% 6.85% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0258 4.03% 1.19% 1.54% 4.03% Grepalife Dollar Bond Fund Corp. -a $1.7141 1.4% -1.4% 0.35% 1.41% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -a $1.0975 7.18% 0.05% -1.35% 5.91% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.4096 12.78% 2.27% 3.31% 11% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0602655 5.96% 2.06% 2.06% 5.73% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.1734 10.21% 1.63% 2.81% 10.49% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 124.97 4.23% 2.68% 2.11% 3.38% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a,5 1.0251 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a 1.2433 6.16% 2.44% 1.52% 5.2% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.2571 3.87% 2.81% 2.22% 3.11% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0339 2.17% n.a. n.a.

1.77% a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU).

1 - Adjusted due to cash dividend issuance last January 29, 2018. 2 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last June 5, 2018. 3 Launch date is January 3, 2019.

4 - Launch date is January 28, 2019. 5 - Launch date is February 1, 2019. 6 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last October 12, 2018 (formerly, One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.).

7 - Launch date is August 1, 2019. 8 - Launch date is September 28, 2019.

"While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa.

com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

Goldman Sachs banker arrested over insider trading allegations

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Goldman Sachs Group Inc. investment banker was arrested over allegations of insider trading, according to court records unsealed on Friday.

Bryan Cohen, a vice president, leaked nonpublic information for almost three years in exchange for cash as part of an international insider trading scheme that led to $2.6 million in illicit gains, according to a separate complaint from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that didn’t identify his employer.

Some information was tied to pending deals involving Syngenta AG and Buffalo Wild Wings Inc., the documents show.

A Goldman spokesman confirmed Cohen was an investment banker who worked in the consumer retail division. The bank was unaware of the allegations until Cohen was arrested on Friday.

He has since been placed on leave.

“We are cooperating with the authorities on the situation regarding Mr. Cohen,” Nicole Sharp, a representative for the firm, said in an emailed statement. “Protecting client confidential information is our highest internal priority and we condemn this alleged behavior.”

An attorney for Cohen didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The accusations are the third insider-trading allegations lodged by US prosecutors against a Goldman banker in the past 18 months.

Cohen, 33, shared the information with a trader who

hasn’t been identified, and who subsequently passed it on to George Nikas, who realized the gains, according to the SEC complaint. Nikas, a 54-yearold New York restaurateur who owns the chain GRK Fresh, was also charged by prosecutors.

Cohen expected and received an unspecified amount of cash in exchange for the tips he provided, the filings show.

Cohen has been with Goldman for almost 10 years, starting in the London office before being transferred to New York in 2017. The insider tips were shared between April 2015 and November 2017, according to the SEC complaint.

The complaint offers a detailed view of how the alleged scheme unfolded. For example, shortly after Cohen moved to New York, Buffalo Wild Wings contacted Goldman to help as the Minneapolis-based casual dining chain was approached by Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc. Cohen was made aware of the potential acquisition the same day, October 17, 2017. Nikas purchased 22,000 Buffalo Wild Wings shares between October 20 and October 27 for $2.5 million, selling 9,000 of them by November 1 for an initial profit of $79,074.

After the market close on November 13, news broke of a potential Buffalo Wild Wings acquisition. The next day, the restaurant chain’s stock price rose 24 percent, and Nikas sold his remaining shares for a profit of $343,298, according to the complaint. Bloomberg News

SSS not issuing checks, all payouts go through banks

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HE Social Security System (SSS) will no longer disburse benefit payouts to its members through checks and will release payouts through accredited banks.

In a statement, SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Aurora Ignacio said that lump-sum disability, death and retirement benefits, including Employees’ Compensation (EC) disability benefit, which were previously released through checks are now mandatorily released through banks.

“This improvement allows the SSS to efficiently and safely administer the payment of benefits to its members and their rightful beneficiaries,” Ignacio said.

The pension fund explained that under the program, lump-sum benefit payments are remitted by the SSS to the member or claimant’s account in their preferred SSS-accredited bank.

As of this post, there are at least 67 SSS-accredited paying banks, such as Asia United Bank Corp., Bank of the Philippine Islands, China Banking Corp., Development Bank of the Philippines, EastWest Bank, Land Bank of the Philippines, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., Philippine National Bank, Philippine Veterans Bank, RCBC Savings Bank, Security Bank and Trust Co., and Union Bank

Insular Life exec bags IDC PHL’s ‘DX Leader’ award

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NSULAR Life Assurance Co. Executive Vice President and Administrative Operations Group Head Maria Edita C. Elicaño was recognized as 2019 DX Leader for the Philippines in this year’s Digital Transformation Awards (DX Awards) of the Philippines office of International Digital Corp. (IDC).

According to the firm’s statement, Elicaño was selected among over a thousand entries received from various companies across Asia-Pacific.

“This win qualifies her to the regional awards, which will be held on October 24 in Singapore,” the insurer said. “She will compete against other winners in the same category to ultimately determine the region’s best of the best.”

According to the insurance firm, Elicaño led Insular Life’s efforts “to enhance the customers’ digital experience and increase the Filipinos’ access to insurance products.”

“Through her leadership, Insular Life has started to foster an agile mindset among its employees, espousing shared accountability and creativity, and stronger collaboration across various units of the company,” the company’s statement said. “This culture of innovation fast-tracked the development of key projects from six months to a maximum of six weeks, such as the automated underwriting system, the policy-servicing facility, and the Insular Life flagship store on e-commerce platform Lazada.”

Insular Life said “these digital transformation initiatives enabled the processing of more than a thousand insurance applications in a single day, facilitated online services for policyholders and amplified the online availability of insurance products for more Filipinos.”

“I would like to thank IDC for this recognition, showing us that ‘Yes, this Filipino company can compete

with the multinationals.’ ‘Yes, this Filipino company can be a leader in this field where most may waver or falter.’ And ‘Yes, this Filipino company has the innovative spirit and the focused commitment to pursue digital transformation,’” Elicaño said in her message.

IDC’s DX Awards follows a twophased approach to determine the country and regional winners, the 108-year-old Insular Life said. Each nomination is evaluated by a local and regional IDC analyst against a standard assessment framework based on IDC’s DX taxonomy. All country winners will qualify for the regional competition, which will be decided by a regional panel of judges comprised of IDC Worldwide analysts, industry thought leaders, and academia.

Insular Life is a mutual life insurance company. It claims to have an asset base of over P135 billion and net worth of P41 billion. It has 54 branches all over the country.

Perspectives

Institutionalizing agility

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NOTHER area in which high-performing organizations excel is in deploying agile operating delivery models to adapt to changing business models and taking advantage of new technologies. Their success in this area compared to others once again confirms that while execution is critical, it remains a challenge for most finance teams.

In the past, Finance has sought to balance the benefits of centralization—such as the ability to enforce a consistent strategy across the enterprise, reduce costs through economies of scale, and leverage scarce skill sets —with the flexibility and local responsiveness of decentralization. Centralization will still often prove to be an important element of future operating models. The impetus of these centralized models, however, are expected to increasingly shift away from cost reduction, with digital technologies and the availability of data making value creation the primary focus of operating model redesign.

High-performing companies have recognized the implications of the shifting

technological landscape for their operating models and have taken actions to match: they are more than twice as likely to be very active in overhauling their SDMs. What’s more, they view the desire to fully utilize Cloud, analytics, and automation technologies as by far the most important rationale behind their SDM redesign initiatives. Non high-performing organizations, on the other hand, tend to overemphasize improving talent capabilities when redesigning SDMs, indicating that they face greater skills issues than their high-performing peers.

Centers of Excellence (COEs) will also play an important role in the Finance delivery models of the future. As more sophisticated systems are able to extract key data for analysis, Finance will not need to embed as many staff in business units and geographies.

These COEs, equipped with intelligent automation (IA) and concentrated expertise in analytics, should help guide the business in such areas as forecasting and capital allocation decisions.

Monday, October 21, 2019 B3

As the function continues to evolve, finance organizations will likely grow smaller, with a primary focus on governance and exception management. As automation becomes more sophisticated, even exceptions should be rare as predictive analytics will increasingly be able to minimize them.

Reporting should be real time, self-service and flexible enough so that users can get to the level of detail they need to support decision-making. Global teams should be fully supported by a service catalogue, with standard KPIs focused on both financial and operational excellence.

The excerpt was taken from the KPMG article Future Ready Finance Survey 2019. © 2019 R.G. Manabat & Co., a Philippine partnership and a member-firm of the KPMG network of independent member-firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. Printed in the Philippines For more information on KPMG in the Philippines, you may visit www.kpmg.com.ph.

of the Philippines.

A qualified member or claimant for any of the benefit programs will now be required to present to the SSS a bank document with his or her name.

A single savings account passbook, an ATM card with name and account number, validated initial deposit slip or copy of bank certificate or statement may be presented as bank documents.

The bank certificate or statement shall be duly signed by the bank’s

authorized signatory and shall contain the complete name of the member or claimant, savings account number, and the bank’s branch name and complete address.

“Members or claimants may also use their Unified Multi-Purpose Identification card if it is enrolled as an ATM. These are Umid cards issued with EMV chips,” Ignacio instructed.

For members or claimants with no existing single savings account, the SSS will issue them a letter of introduction for them to present to their chosen SSSaccredited bank.

The pension fund said that some cases are exempted from the mandatory release of the said lumpsum benefits through banks. These include cases when the address of the member or claimant is beyond 30 kilometers to the nearest SSS-

accredited bank or in a high-risk area where peace and order is unstable due to the presence of armed conflict.

It added that when the amount of benefit is P1,000 and below, or when the member or claimant is confined in an applicable institution, such as penitentiary, correctional institution or rehabilitation center, the member is not qualified for the “checkless” transaction.

“The program has been really effective since its implementation. It is more convenient for our members since they do not have to wait for or get their checks and personally cash it on the assigned bank.

They’ll just have to wait for their benefits to be credited to their respective accounts and withdraw it whenever they need it,” Ignacio said. Jove Moya

B4 Monday, October 21, 2019

Get the party started with SM’s new Spotify playlist

Malaysian Prince: XLOG’s blockchain logistics platform opens global trade route like Magellan

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ALAYSIAN Prince Tunku Naquiyuddin described XLOG’s fully-integrated blockchainbased end-to-end shipping and logistics platform as an effective enabler that has opened new opportunities for businesses by providing new dynamism to global trade routes similar to what European explorer Ferdinand Magellan did 600 years ago.

“In history books about Magellan,

who came to the Philippines 600 years ago… the trade routes have developed tremendously,” Prince Tunku said during the signing of partnership deals with Future Greens Commercial Broker, a primary digital platforms solutions provider in the MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) region, and Quadd Solutions (Pvt) Ltd., a Sri-Lankabased pioneer in self-service solutions for sophisticated modern lifestyle. Antah HealthCare Group, where the prince is an executive chairman, also signed an agency with XLOG developer Shiptek Solutions during the event.

Magellan’s discovery of the Philippines in 1521 is credited in history as the first expedition to prove that the world is round and that the east could be reached by traveling west.

XLOG is an end-to-end shipping and logistics platform on the blockchain which leverages the latest technologies for a seamless experience. It creates complete documentation of door-to-door shipment from the country of origin to the country of destination. The platform also provides instant access to both historical and current shipments.

Prince Tunku went on, “For such a platform, it will enable customers to be more selective, more discerning, and also be able to track the delivery at any time. This product, which is delivering to the world

from the ASEAN – and of course, ASEAN has a population of over six hundred million people – bodes well for the region, which is already attracting a huge inflow and outflow of container traffic and general cargo.”

For his part, UBP Chairman of the Board Justo A. Ortiz, expressed excitement over the quadripartite deals saying that as an institution, UBP seeks to know the different verticals in the hope that the industry develops its own platforms.

The use of the blockchain platform in the shipping and logistics industries fits UBP’s thrust to make “banking invisible,” Ortiz said. “Nobody is excited about doing banking in real life. As individuals, we know we wake up in the morning; we are not excited to go to the bank and conduct transactions. As businesses, it’s also a pain in the neck – trying to get credit, trying to get guarantees, trying to get insurance.”

With the XLOG platform, it can move more and more to the blockchain, making transactions very quick and real-time while making it cost-effective.

“Because blockchain is governance by design, it provides transparency, provenance, and one version of the truth. It also provides accountability because it’s just a peer-to-peer transaction. There’s no intermediaries or inbetweens, no finger-pointing, and it’s fair because it is executed with self-executing smart contracts,” he said.

Goldilocks offers merianda time treats

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ILIPINOS love to eat, whether on the commute to work or while sitting at their office desks, it is not an unusual occurrence to see a hungry Filipino munching on their favorite food. That is why meals such as meriendaplay such a huge factor in the lives of everyday Filipinos as it is a reason for them to eat something light without spoiling their dinner appetite.

As merienda is such an important time for Filipinos, Go ldilocks’ the country’s number one bakeshop is happy to announce their lineup of Merianda Time Treats for 2019!

Satisfy your merienda craving with Merianda Time Treats for 2019! A collection of affordable merienda meals catered to help hungry Filipinos get

through their afternoon hunger pangs. The selection, which include all-time Favorites such as: Sotanghon, Spaghetti, Baked Lasagna, Palabok, and Pancit Malabon allcome with an ice cold 12oz Coke and come at prices as low as 75 pesos!

And with multiple branches nationwide, there will always be a Goldilocks store around the corner to cater to your merienda needs.

Grab these afternoon favorites at any Goldilocks store nationwide! For more information, you may also follow Goldilocks on Twitter or Instagram at @ GoldilocksPH, on the Goldilocks Facebook page, or at the official Goldilocks website at www.goldilocks. com.ph

InLife EVP Maria Edita C. Elicaño awarded 2019 DX Leader by IDC Philippines

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NSULAR Life (InLife) Executive Vice President and Administrative Operations Group Head Maria Edita C. Elicaño was recognized as 2019 DX Leader for the Philippines in this year’s IDC Digital Transformation Awards (DX Awards).

Elicaño was selected among over 1,000 high quality entries received from various companies across AsiaPacific. This win qualifies her to the regional awards which will be held on the 24th of October in Singapore.

She will compete against other winners in the same category to ultimately determine the region’s best of the best.

Ms. Elicaño led InLife’s efforts to enhance the customers’ digital experience and increase the Filipinos’ access to insurance products. Through her leadership, InLife has started to foster an Agile mindset among its employees, espousing shared accountability and creativity and stronger collaboration across various units of the Company. This culture of innovation fast tracked the development of key projects from six months to a maximum of six weeks, such as the Automated Underwriting System, the policy-servicing facility, I-Serve, and the InLife flagship store on e-commerce platform Lazada, These digital transformation initiatives enabled the processing of more than 1,000 insurance applications in a single day, facilitated online services for policyholders, and amplified the online availability of insurance products for more Filipinos.

In her message, Ms. Elicaño thanked IDC for the award. “I would like to thank IDC for this recognition, showing us that Yes, this Filipino company can compete with the multinationals. Yes, this Filipino company

can be a leader in this field where most may waver or falter. And Yes, this Filipino company has the innovative spirit and the focused commitment to pursue digital transformation.”

IDC’s DX Awards follows a two-phased approach to determine the country and regional winners. Each nomination is evaluated by a local and regional IDC analyst against a standard assessment framework based on IDC’s DX taxonomy. All country winners will qualify for the regional competition, which will be decided by a regional panel of judges comprised of IDC Worldwide analysts, industry thought leaders, and academia.

For more information about the award, visit www. idcdxawards.com.

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OOKING for the perfect playlist to match your mood? SM Supermalls teamed up with Spotify to launch its official profile and curated playlists fit for every occasion, from Christmas hits

to K-pop faves!

SM Supermalls is kicking off the holiday season with classic songs like Jose Mari Chan's "Christmas in Our Hearts," Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," and The Jackson 5's "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,". The playlist also features SM Supermalls’ new Christmas jingle, “Happy SM Mallidays.”

SM Supermalls has also created more playlists for every season. Set the mood for a laid-back afternoon with friends by listening to the Coffee & Chill and Autumn Hits playlists. Dance to your favorite K-Pop tunes by following the K-Pop Faves playlist, featuring tracks from TWICE, BLACKPINK, EXO, BTS, and more. Turn up the SuperKids Jam playlist to enjoy classic Disney hits and catchy pop songs.

Follow SM Supermalls on Spotify. For updates, visit www.smsupermalls.com.

Del Rosario is new Lions District 301-D2 Governor

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IONS Clubs International (LCI) District 301-D2 elected Generoso Del Rosario District Governor for Lion Year 20192020. He was installed by International President Dr. Jung -Yul Choi at the recently concluded international convention held in Milan, Italy together with all other District Governors from other countries.

Del Rosario is the 38th governor of the District and he comes from the Quezon City Kawilihan Lions Club. He is not new in the Lions service having grown into a family of Lions. He is the son of former Cabinet Secretary Bonifacio and Lion Carmen Del Rosario.

Before his election to the topmost position in the District, Del Rosario has served in various capacities in his own club and in the District.

He joined the world’s largest civic organization

in Nov 2007 As District Governor, he will be assisted by all the Past District Governors as advisers and by Past Council Chairman George Ong-Tan, who is now GAT Area Team Leader CA covering the areas of Guam and the Philippines.

He hails from Bulacan and is a Businessman by profession. He is the Pres/Gen Manager of his company engaged in Automotive Repair & Testing.

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OHA, Qatar—A lawyer with the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) recently detailed the limits on athletes promoting their sponsors within new guidelines for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

ANOC Legal Commission Chairman Michael Chambers told the 206-nation group members that only generic advertising is allowed.

Advertising by an athlete’s personal sponsor during the July 24 to August 9 games “can’t use Olympic symbols, the rings, your emblem, references to the Olympics,” Chambers told the ANOC annual meeting.

Athletes have long wanted the easing of Olympic Charter Rule 40, which restricts use of their names and images during the games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) resisted change to protect the value of the official sponsor deals that fund sports and the games.

After a German federal agency ruled in February that Rule 40 was “too far-reaching... abusive conduct,” the IOC said national Olympic bodies could oversee new athlete agreements.

The US Olympic Committee’s agreement this month includes now also letting athletes thank their sponsors.

“There cannot be anything in the advertising that makes that [Olympic] connection,” Chambers said, beyond the fact that the athlete featured in a commercial would be competing in Tokyo around the same time.

The two-day ANOC meeting in Qatar also addressed the charter’s Rule 50 that prohibits athletes from making political statements in Olympic venues.

In recent months, there were medal podium protests at the swimming world championships and the Pan American Games.

Swimmers from Britain and Australia drew attention to Chinese rival Sun Yang, who is involved in a doping case. Two US medalists in Lima, Peru, were put on probation for one year after their protests to highlight social issues at home.

The head of the IOC Athlete Commission, Olympic gold medalist swimmer Kirsty Coventry, told ANOC delegates it was drafting guidelines so that athletes understood the rules in Tokyo.

Coventry, an IOC executive board member, said its consultations with athletes showed they did not believe the field of play was a place for protest.

She asked national Olympic officials for their help in educating athletes away from making protests.

Tokyo 2020 organizers, meanwhile, claimed technology can be a driver for social change at next year’s Olympic Games, with a range of schemes set to offer unique spectator experiences in Japan.

In the buildup to the Games, organizers announced the Tokyo 2020 Robot Project.

Tokyo 2020 Communications Spokesman Masa Takaya said the innovative approach could showcase the best of Japanese technology.

“The Games are always playing a role as a catalyst for social change in many ways,” Takaya said. ”We have been able to observe social changes in many aspects in our society.

This applies to technology, as well.”

“The robot project, of course, will benefit the Games operations, but we must showcase the technology being used so that people will be able to observe how such technology can benefit society even after the 2020 Games,” Takaya added.

One of the more unusual approaches will see a robot meal service at the New National Stadium, while robots will also be used to show people to their seats.

“They [people] don’t have to come to the service counter at all,” Takaya said.

“They can stay out there and decide what they want to eat and drink. This robot will come to the service counter and pick up the drinks and meals, and come back to the user automatically.”

Takaya said facial recognition technology, to be used at pedestrian screening areas, would also speed up security checks, with the new system expected to be two to three times quicker than previous checks.

As it has been common in the past, mobile applications are also being developed for the Olympic Games which will provide fans with competition schedules, results and latest stories.

A second app will be used by stakeholders and accredited media with links to transport information and venue access planned for inclusion.

AP and Insidethegames

Sports

IOC meticulous on issues about athlete sponsorships

BusinessMirror

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| Monday, October 21, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

WHIRLWIND OF A CAREER

Gold medalists (from left) Christian Coleman, Justin Gatlin, Michael Rodgers and Noah Lyles of the US take part in the medal ceremony for the men’s 4x100 meter relay at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, recently. AP

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By Melissa Murphy The Associated Press

EW YORK—Megan Rapinoe is enjoying the whirlwind of a two-time World Cup winner.

She picked up the Fifa Player of the Year award in Milan rocking a deeper shade of lavender hair, sent off retiring US Coach Jill Ellis with an undefeated victory tour and kept up the fight for pay equity against the US Soccer Federation.

“It’s very surreal to say the least,” Rapinoe said.

“Downtime? When I sleep, that’s my only rest time. It’s mostly good stuff, so hard to complain.”

Julie Foudy, a World Cup champion with the US in 1991 and 1999, calls Rapinoe the “golden girl.” She won the Fifa Golden Boot and the Golden Ball for most goals and best player, respectively, after the US beat the Netherlands 2-0 in July at the World Cup in France.

Now she’s the winner of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Sportswoman of the Year award, presented at the 40th annual event hosted by Billie Jean King on Wednesday night.

“They’re such a force in women’s sports and beyond,” Rapinoe said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.

Rapinoe and her teammates were feted with a tickertape parade in New York after their World Cup victory. She shared the same float with US Soccer Federation President Carlos Cordeiro, basking in the chants of “USA” and “Equal Pay.” The US women’s team sued the federation in March for gender and pay discrimination.

At the post-parade celebration at City Hall, Cordeiro said, “We believe at US Soccer that all female athletes deserve fair and equitable pay.” However, so far the two sides haven’t reached an agreement, with a May 5 trial date set in federal court in Los Angeles.

Rapinoe says there’s a “major discrepancy” in pay for accomplishing the same success on the field compared to the US men’s team. The 34-year-old said she can’t understand why female athletes must fight their soccer federation so hard for pay and benefits.

“I guess other than just not believing that we deserve it or not willing to pay,” she said. “I think it’s really counterintuitive, you have two really amazing products in both the men’s and women’s teams that are both very successful by a lot of different metrics. It’s a huge growing business. Soccer in general is growing exponentially in the country, so why not be able to leverage your best assets instead of fighting them all the time?”

US Soccer has maintained that compensation for each team is the result of separate collective bargaining agreements and the pay structures are different as a result. The federation has also said the men generate more revenue than the women.

However, that argument has been debated by the women’s legal representatives, given the women’s two consecutive World Cup titles and the revenue generated from both victory tours.

The US capped its latest victory tour with a 1-1 tie against South Korea before a crowd of 33,027 at Soldier Field on October 6. Rapinoe lofted a perfect pass on a corner kick to Carli Lloyd, whose header tied the match.

Rapinoe said it’s 50-50 on a settlement before the trial date.

“I think it would probably be in everyone’s best interests not to drag this thing out or drag it through court, but that’s really up to them,” she said. “We deserve what is fair and right under the law.”

Rapinoe received the Fifa Player of the Year award in Milan last month but didn’t get a chance to talk with Fifa President Gianni Infantino about another pay gap—the US women’s team received $4 million for winning the World Cup while the French men’s team received $38 million in 2018.

TOYOTA’S human support robot delivers a basket to a woman in a wheelchair during a demonstration event for the Tokyo 2020 Robot Project. INSIDETHEGAMES

Infantino has said Fifa’s total prize money for the participating women’s teams will double from $30 million to $60 million at the 2023 World Cup. The men’s teams received $400 million in total prize money in 2018.

King knows something about a pay fight. She threatened a boycott of the 1973 US Open, reaching an agreement with a company to pay the difference before tennis leaders offered equal pay to the winners.

“They’d be heroes if they did it,” King said of the US Soccer leadership. “It’s the right thing to do, right side of history.”

On Sunday, Rapinoe will be aiming for another title when her club team, Reign FC, faces defending champion North Carolina in a National Women’s Soccer League semifinal. The final is October 27.

The next match for the US team is an exhibition against Sweden on November 7 in Columbus, Ohio.

New US General Manager Kate Markgraf, a former national player, wants to hire a replacement for Ellis by then. Rapinoe’s Reign Coach Vlatko Andonovski is among the candidates.

Rapinoe believes women’s sports are “in a different place” since Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers and Foudy fought similar pay issues 20 years ago.

The WNBA players’ union and the WNBA, where Rapinoe’s partner Sue Bird is a star for the Seattle Storm, are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement to improve wages.

The US women’s hockey team threatened a boycott of the 2017 World Championships to leverage better salaries and benefits.

“This is the age-old tale,” Rapinoe said. “The powerful have always kept a lot of the benefits of that power for themselves. With women in particular, you have the Me Too movement, Times Up. A lot of sports leagues—yeah, people are sick of it. I think women in general just feel really empowered in this moment.”

Megan Rapinoe picks up the Fifa Player of the Year award in Milan rocking a deeper shade of lavender hair. AP

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Business

Monday, October 21, 2019

EOUL—The South Korean soccer association said recently that it has requested that North Korea be punished for blocking rival fans and media from attending a World Cup qualifier between the countries at an empty stadium in Pyongyang.

The Seoul-based Korea Football Association (KFA) letter to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) argues that the North failed to uphold rules requiring host nations to grant visas and entries for traveling supporters and media without discrimination, KFA official Shin Junghoon said.

The KFA did not share the actual letter with journalists.

The game, which was cast into media darkness because the North refused a live broadcast from Kim Il Sung Stadium, ended in a 0-0 draw. South Korean players later said the North Korean players were unnecessarily physical and verbally abusive during the match.

North Korea in recent months has suspended virtually all cooperation with the South amid deadlocked nuclear negotiations with the United States, and ignored the South’s calls for discussions on media coverage and allowing South Korean fans to attend ahead of Tuesday’s game. “[The letter] expressed regret over North Korea’s failure to separate sports and politics and said its actions over the match should be reviewed for discipline,” Shin said. “We also called for AFC efforts to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again.”

South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, Seoul’s point man on North Korea, told lawmakers on Thursday that the way the North handled the game was “very disappointing” and reflected the standstill in inter-Korean relations.

During qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, North Korea chose to host games against South Korea in Shanghai, refusing to hoist the South Korean flag and play the South Korean anthem on its soil.

The fate of the game in Pyongyang was uncertain until last month when the AFC

S.KOREA TO FIFA: PUNISH N.KOREA

Murray makes first final since surgery in hip

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NTWERP, Belgium—Andy Murray is back in an Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour final for the first time since March 2017 after beating Ugo Humbert, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, in the European Open semifinals.

Murray will face fellow three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, who beat Italian 18-year-old Janik Sinner 6-3, 6-2.

For Murray, it’s his biggest success since having hip surgery in January, an injury that him contemplating retirement at one point. He sealed the win against Humbert after two hours and 22 minutes with an easy volley winner at the net.

“It’s been a long road to get back to this point,” Murray said. “I certainly didn’t expect it to come so soon since I started playing again. It’s been a big surprise to me and I’m happy to be through to the final.”

Wawrinka had an easier time once he recovered from a 2-0 deficit in the first set, needing just 65 minutes to beat Sinner.

The 34-year-old Wawrinka is looking for his first ATP title since the 2017 Geneva Open.

“Stan’s a brilliant player. We’ve played against each other in some big matches in the past in big tournaments,” Murray said. “It was actually my match with him at the French Open in 2017 when my hip problems really started.

It was a tough five-set match in the semis and my hip never really recovered from that, so it’s cool to be back playing against him in a final.”

Belinda Bencic, meanwhile, booked the last spot at the season-end Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals on Saturday after beating Kristina Mladenovic in the Kremlin Cup semifinals in Moscow. AP

informed the KFA that the North decided it would host its Group H match against the South as scheduled.

Group H also includes Lebanon, Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka.

There will be another Korean derby game in international soccer in qualifying for the 2020 Olympic women’s tournament.

The AFC said North Korea and South Korea will play in a qualifying match on February 9 in South Korea.

Two qualifying groups were drawn Friday, three days after a men’s World Cup qualifier was played in curious circumstances in Pyongyang.

The teams drew 0-0 in Kim Il Sung Stadium, where Fifa President Gianni Infantino was among a few spectators in a near-empty arena.

North Korean officials also imposed a media blackout.

In women’s Olympic qualifying, South Korea will host North Korea, Vietnam and Myanmar in a round robin from February 3 to 9.

The other group, hosted by China, involves Australia, Thailand and Taiwan.

The top 2 teams in each group advance to the playoffs from March 6 to 11, with two teams qualifying for the 12-nation Olympic tournament. AP

South Korea’s Son Heung-min (left) fights for the ball against North Korea’s Han Kwang Song during their Asian Zone Group H qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup at the Kim Il Sung Stadium in Pyongyang last Tuesday. AP

Cristiano Ronaldo’s trademark step-over move remains as effective as ever. AP

Ronaldo’s step-over move fools another defender in Rome game

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OME—After all these years—and all those goals—Cristiano Ronaldo’s trademark step-over move remains as effective as ever.

The latest victim was Bologna defender Mattia Bani, who was fooled by the five-time Ballon d’Or winner for Juventus’ opening goal in a 2-1 win Saturday.

After taking an unintended assist from another defender, Ronaldo quickly got by Bani with an abbreviated version of his most famous trick, then unleashed a long, bouncing shot into the near corner.

While Bani was left wondering what happened, Ronaldo was rushing toward the corner flag, dropping to his knees in a sliding celebration.

The celebrations didn’t last long, however, as Bologna quickly equalized with an almost-as-impressive goal from Danilo, who half-volleyed past Gianluigi Buffon to finish off a slick team effort.

Miralem Pjanic won it for Juventus after the break, taking advantage of several failed clearances to score from the edge of the area.

“We are playing very well with this new 4-3-1-2 formation, the team is enjoying its football,” Pjanic said. “We just need to kill games off earlier so that we’re not under pressure at the end.”

Ronaldo could have scored a couple more but for excellent saves from Lukasz Skorupski.

Buffon then preserved the advantage in stoppage time with a difficult stop on a bicycle-kick from Federico Santander, who had hit the crossbar with his first effort.

Juventus moved four points ahead of second-place Inter Milan, which visits Sassuolo on Sunday.

Before kickoff, Juventus President Andrea Agnelli presented Ronaldo with a shirt to commemorate his 700th goal as a professional, which was earned with Portugal during the international break. AP

Brazil’s Petrobras drops contract with McLaren

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IO DE JANEIRO—Brazil’s government says the state-controlled oil company has ended a nearly $200-million advertising agreement with Formula One team McLaren that had been criticized by President Jair Bolsonaro.

The Economy Ministry announced the cancellation recently, saying the five-year deal that took effect this year was “unjustifiable.”

Brazil suffered a devastating recession in 2015 and 2016 that sent unemployment surging. Since then, growth has averaged just over 1 percent annually and the International Monetary Fund expects growth below 1 percent this year.

Bolsonaro took office in January and announced in May that his government was seeking a way to cancel the contract.

“Such matters are commercially confidential and, therefore, we are not able to comment further at this time,” McLaren said in an e-mailed statement Friday.

The government said Petrobras has a new focus on expanding production.

Formula One, meanwhile, has reached preliminary agreement to race in Miami in 2021, giving the global series a second race in the US. Despite an earlier push for a street race in downtown Miami that would provide views of waterfront racing, the Miami Grand Prix would instead be on a course running through the parking lots at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. AP

FANS IN NEW YORK SUPPORT HK, TIBET N EW YORK—A group of fans held signs, wore shirts and chanted support for Hong Kong and Tibet in the Brooklyn Nets’ first National Basketball Association game since returning from China.

The fans sat behind the backboard near the Nets’ bench at Barclays Center in their 123-107 loss to Toronto on Friday night.

The Nets returned this week after playing exhibition games against the Los Angeles Lakers in Shanghai and Shenzhen. The games were not televised in China after relations

between the NBA and Chinese officials became strained following Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey’s tweet in support of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

One sign was aimed at LeBron James and Nets owner Joe Tsai, the cofounder of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, who were critical of Morey’s tweet. Tsai wrote a Facebook post explaining why the since-deleted tweet was upsetting to the Chinese.

Nets guard Kyrie Irving said he understood why the protesters came to the game.

“I think that when you think about communities across the world, I think that a lot of people would stand for world peace,” he said. “Government gets involved and impacts different communities in different ways. The reality is that as individuals, it’s our job to stand up for what we believe in. I understand Hong Kong and China is dealing with their issues respectively, but there’s enough oppression and stuff going on in America for me not to be involved in the community issues here, as well.” AP

People raise signs on Tibet and Hong Kong during the fourth quarter of the preseason game between the Toronto Raptors and the Brooklyn Nets in New York. AP

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Generals go back to war room

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HE Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Generals go back to the war room as they try to figure out their strategy so as not to repeat the dismal performance they found themselves in Season 95 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.

The Generals finished at the bottom of the standings with a 5-14 won-lost card. The team targeted eight victories but failed despite winning two of their last three assignments, including one against the Arellano University Chiefs.

It was a season long struggle as the Generals lacked the experience to close out games.

“The team’s inexperienced, but we learned a lot,” stressed Generals rookie Coach Oliver Bunyi, himself a rookie coach in the league.

Bunyi said that the priority is to rebuild and strengthen the system. And they would have to skip tournaments to achieve their goal.

“We’re taking a rest for about a month, and take our time to train. As much as possible we don’t want to join tournaments, we will reorient the players on the system,” he said.

Bunyi’s rebuilding task will be compounded by the graduation of rebounding leader JP Maguliano and Marvin Taiwan.

“We’ll take this as an opportunity to improve, believe that it is a ‘happy ending.’ It’s already a start of another buildup for the next season,” he said. “I could guarantee that the Generals will be better next season.”

Ryniel Berlanga

Filipino batters eye for nothing less than gold

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Cool Smashers stay unbeaten

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reamline overhauled a huge deficit in the second set then crushed BanKo-Perlas in the next to complete a 25-22, 27-25, 25-14 victory and move a win away from posting a rare sweep of the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan on Sunday.

The Perlas Spikers looked headed to squaring off the match after yielding the opening set by seizing control at 16-9 in the second frame. But Jema Galanza, Michele Gumabao, Pau Soriano, Rose Vargas and Kyle Negrito took care of business and steered the Cool Smashers to the big comeback before outlasting the Perlas Spikers in their extended duel to grab a 2-0 set lead.

Starting out strong in the third, the Cool Smashers raced to a 4-1 lead and sat on a 13-8 on a Negrito hit before cruising to victory and a repeat of their four-set triumph over the Perlas Spikers in their last August 21 clash in the first round of the elims of the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.

The victory was Creamline’s 15th straight and third without top spiker Alyssa Valdez and ace playmaker Jia Morado, who are with the national team in Japan as part of the latter’s buildup for next month’s SEA Games.

BanKo-Perlas remained at third but its final 10-6 record gave idle Motolite (10-5) a chance to grab No. 3 and avoid facing powerhouse Creamline in the Final Four starting Sunday.

Without Valdez and Morado, Gumabao, Galanza, Negrito and company proved up to task although the defending champions needed to rebound from a so-so start in the second frame that enabled the Perlas Spikers to storm ahead by seven.

But Creamline racked up six straight points on a couple of hits, back-to-back kill blocks by Galanza and Soriano and two more attack points to threaten at 1516. And though Dzi Gervacio broke Perlas’ silence with a hit, the Cool Smashers sustained their fightback with Galanza forcing a tie at 21 with an off-the-block hit and Soriano shoving the team on top on a quick attack off Negrito’s brilliant setup.

INVITATION TO SEAG Philippine

Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (right) exchanges pleasantries with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach in the sidelines of the Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly in Doha, Qatar, recently. Bach congratulates Tolentino on his election while the POC chief invited his IOC counterpart to grace the 30th Southeast Asian Games late this year.

TENEO escorted University of the East (UE) to the exit, 84-50, while moving two games shy of sweeping the elimination round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 82 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City.

The defending champion Blue Eagles raced to a 17-point lead at the half and were never seriously threatened down the stretch to extend their winning run to 12 games.

They are two victories short of nabbing an outright Finals berth.

The Red Warriors were denied of a semifinals spot which they missed since Season 72. The last time they did, they booked a championship

PHL junior players vying in WTA meet

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time,” Loyzaga said of his wards in the sport that is making a comeback to the SEA Games after three absences.

The team played in Asian Baseball Championship in Taichung, Taiwan, as part of its final preparations for the SEA Games.

“We are on schedule. When the men’s team returns from Taiwan, I think we’ll have a few practices here and sometime in the middle of November, they will train in Clark to familiarize with the venue,” Loyzaga said.

After stunning China in the Asian tournament on Wednesday, 1-0, the Philippines bowed to South Korea, 2-12. On the same day, the Chinese beat the Koreans, 4-3, forcing a three-way tie at 2-1 (win-loss) among the

Philippines, China and Korea. A better tie-break record, however, put South Korea and China in the super round, alongside Japan and host Chinese Taipei.

But for Loyzaga, son of Filipino basketball great Carlos Loyzaga, the message was loud and clear— the Philippines belongs in the big league.

Loyzaga assumed the sport’s presidency only in June last year but in such a short time, the team was able to focus on its immediate task—to prepare for the SEA Games by forming two tournaments before and after the University Athletic Association of the Philippines to give the players actual game-time experience.

The association also also formed its first-ever women’s baseball team.

ATENEO TWO WINS FROM ELIMS SWEEP

By Ramon Rafael Bonilla

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ASEBALL is coming back to the Southeast Asian Games in a big way thanks to a motley group of young athletes from the collegiate ranks, a new leadership and the all-out support of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Philippine Amateur Baseball Association President Chito Loyzaga is at the front and center of what he anticipates to be a baseball renaissance in the country, beginning with a looming gold medal in the coming 30th SEA Games, which the country is hosting.

“Our biggest competitor in baseball are Indonesia and Thailand because they have programs in the lower age levels. But I will bet my name, we are guaranteed with the gold this

NIFIED Tennis Philippines (UTP) Founder and President Jean Henri Lhuillier has high hopes for top-rank Filipino juniors Alexa Joy Milliam and Justine Hannah Maneja as they compete against some of the best under-14 and under-16 players in the Sixth Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Future Stars Finals at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center in Shenzhen, China, that started on Sunday.

“Our WTA Future Stars qualifier champions Alexa and Justine gave us a spectacular tournament last September and I have great hopes that these promising young talents have a good shot at capturing that elusive crown against their counterparts from the Asia Pacific region,” said Lhuillier, a longtime tennis patron, and president and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier.

Milliam and Maneja dominated the finals of JOHN “RAMBO” CHICANO tops the first the Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge last triathlon competition at the New Clark City.

September at the Makati Sports Club, which serves as the qualifying tournament of the WTA Futures Stars Finals sanctioned by UTP. Earlier this year, UTP rolled out its plans to stage a total of 104 tournaments including the Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge as part of its mission to produce world-class Filipino players and to popularize the sport at all levels in the country.

Top-seed Milliam will represent the country in the 14-under category.

Last year, Bacolod native Milliam ruled the singles and doubles division of the 13th Asian Tennis Federation tournament in Sarawak, UNIFIED Tennis Philippines Head Jean Henri Lhuillier has full trust in Malaysia. his junior players.

series but eventually lost to then five-peat winners Blue Eagles.

Graduating big man Isaac Go hit three triples to highlight his team-high 13 points Ateneo.

Center Ange Kouame added 11 points and eight boards, while Thirdy Ravena chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds.

“I’m very proud of the team. The first half was catchy but generally good—just general disappointments individually,” Ateneo Head Coach Tab Baldwin said “It was a great performance. Great to have players who work had for some meaningful minutes,” added Baldwin, whose wards could set a perfect record if they hurdle National University and University of the Philippines in their remaining matches.

The three-peat seeking Blue Eagles jumped

to a 17-8 lead then almost doubled the margin with an Adrian Wong triple that made it 40-23 with 15 seconds left in the first half.

Ateneo continued to impress in the final two quarters with a 13-0 rally for a 53-25 lead in the third period.

Go, who has been quiet in the season, led a blistering run that stretched their margin to 72-35 in the final period.

Not even the 15 points-15 rebounds effort of Alex Diakhite could save UE from elimination as the Red Warriors dropped to 3-9 and joined the National University Bulldogs (2-9) at the bottom.

Still fighting for the last three spots in the semifinals are University of Santo Tomas, University of the Philippines, Far Eastern University, De La Salle University and Adamson University.

Mar Prado, meanwhile, erupted with

a career-high 40 points to steer Adamson University to an 83-50 rout of UP also on Sunday in women’s basketball action.

The fourth-year super scorer Prado was in a league of her own, shooting 17-of-36 from the field in the contest to become only the fourth player to join the 40-point club.

Prado joined the likes of Raiza Palmera (44 points), Allana Lim (45) and Ria Nabalan (40) as the only players to reach the 40-point plateau.

“Prado hit our goal,” said Adamson University Coach Ewon Arayi of Prado’s superb scoring performance.

But Prado didn’t just score, she also hauled eight rebounds, dished out six assists, got four steals and blocked one shot in 33 minutes of play, all while dealing with a sprained ankle suffered before the game.

NEW CLARK CITY HOSTS SUCCESSFUL TRIATHLON J

ohn “Rambo” Chicano flashed the form that makes him a gold medal potential in the 30th Southeast Asian Games by winning the first triathlon competition that lured more than a thousand participants at the New Clark City in Capaz, Tarlac, on Sunday.

“These sports facilities are a big help for us athletes because we don’t need to go overseas that much to train hard,” said Chicano, who clinched silver medal in men’s triathlon at the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.

The event, organized by the GoClark Sports and Events, and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), welcomed participants from all ages with the hosting of the Kids’ Triathlon, fun run and the triathlon race.

It was also the first time that the new world-class sports complex was opened to the public.

“We’re fortunate that a lot of athletes and spectators supported the event.

Hopefully, these sports facilities will eventually help promote wellness and healthy living for many Filipinos,” BCDA President and CEO Vince Dizon said.

Dizon added that the race was another opportunity to test the facilities for the SEA Games which will run from November 30 to December 11. Official test events will start next week and will include international athletes.

Participants raced at the world-class Athletics Stadium, Aquatics Center, and passed through the new access road from New Clark

Duke out to reclaim 5150 Subic crown

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imity Lee Duke hopes to ride on the momentum of her recent victory but in a different course setup in search of redemption as she gears up for a fierce duel with Guam’s Manami Iijima and Laura Wood of New Zealand in the second Black Arrow Express (BAE) 5150 set on Sunday in Subic Bay. Duke failed to match Iijima’s strong performance in the opening swim leg and came up short in her rally in the bike and run stages, and settled for second in last year’s inaugurals of the event disputed over the Olympic distance of 1.5k swim-40K bike-10K run.

But her triumph in the first Penong’s 5150 reduced to a duathlon event last July should boost her confidence in regaining her old glory in the country’s

triathlon capital where she last reigned in 2017 and, at the same time, getting back at the rising Guamanian star, who is expected to flaunt her swim skills again for another crack at the BAE diadem.

But Wood is also going all out to fuel her own drive for the crown in the women’s pro division of the event, put up by one of the country’s leading cargo movers and organized by Sunrise Events Inc., now part of the Ironman Group, which offers $10,000 to the champion.

The battle for the men’s title is also tipped to go down-to-the-wire among defending champion Mitch Robins, and fellow Aussie and manytime Subic titlist Sam Betten, and Czech Jakub Langhammer, who shared top honors with Duke in Penong’s duathlon.

City to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway which will boost connectivity in Central Luzon.

There were also para-athletes who joined the race which shows that New Clark City promotes inclusivity.

“This event proves that you don’t have to be an elite athlete to do this sport,” GoClark Sports and Events Director Jumbo Tayag said.

“For Filipino athletes to do the SEA Games in front of the home crowd is one of our biggest opportunities to promote our sport, triathlon,” back-to-back SEA Games gold medalist Nikko Huelgas said.

Both the Athletics Stadium and Aquatics Center meet the standards of international governing bodies International Association of Athletics Federations and Federation Internationale de Natation.

Rick Olivares bleachersbrew@gmail.com

Bleachers’ Brew

FEU rounding out into form

Czech-born British playwright Tom Stoppard famously wrote “Age is a very high price for maturity.”

Does that apply to this current team of Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws?

This team, as coached by former Ateneo great Olsen Racela, has blown hot and cold all season long. Even during the summer leagues, they were the same.

One would think that they are severely depowered with the graduation of several of their stalwarts from the previous season. That may be so, but the team—even in the midst of its youth movement—remains talented.

They have played much better this second round taking down highly fancied University of the Philippines (UP), 82-79 in overtime to start the second round, University of Santo Tomas (UST), 72-58, and last Saturday, De La Salle, 81-60. They also defeated Adamson University, 83-71. All their victims are final four contenders; an indication of how good this Tamaraws team can be when they finally fire on all cylinders.

They hung tough against Ateneo for the first 23 minutes before the two-time defending champions shut down the Tamaraws who finished with only 15 points in the last half of the game.

With their win, they dislodge De La Salle at fourth place in the team standings with a 6-6 record. The Green Archers, with a game at hand, fell to fifth spot with a 5-6 slate.

It is no coincidence that since beating UP, one player who has made his presence felt is Ken Tuffin.

Against UP, he top scored for FEU with 18 points and five rebounds. He took a bit of a dip during the loss to NU with seven points, seven rebounds, and two steals (he played well late in the game and nearly got them the win with his tenacity). Against UST, he only scored three points. Against La Salle, he co-led the team with 14 points.

The Fil-Kiwi is on his fourth year on the team. He joined FEU after their last title team. There is a reason why he is with the Gilas Cadets. It isn’t only because he can shoot from the outside, but he is a leader and doesn’t mind all the banging. He is a tough kid.

With Tuffin finding his groove, it now incumbent on the other veterans—Hubert Cani, Wendell Comboy, and Barkley Ebona who are all in their final year to step up. Cani scored five points against De La Salle; his best output for the season. he is much better than that. If you ask me, he is more clutch than LJ Gonzales who has yet to develop his clutch gene.

You have to like Xyrus Torres who in his rookie season after coming up from their high-school program, has shown that he will become an important player for them. Of course, it isn’t all on a few people. They will need all hands on deck if they want to get to the semifinals.

You can actually say that regarding their late surge—better late than never.

Now that upcoming game against Adamson University on Wednesday will be one of the more important games of the season because they have to win that and hope that UST keeps its win streak going against a frustrated La Salle squad.

Their story is just one of the more exciting ones in such a dramatic season.

TARLAC CHAMP

Australian Tim Stewart (second from right) holds his trophy as he poses with International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Public Relations Manager Joop Kalambakal (from left), Luisita Golf and Country Club General Manager Jeric Hechanova and Professional Golfers’ Association of Taiwan Chairman Xie Jinsheng after edging Clyde Mondilla in sudden death to claim the ICTSI Central Azucarera de Tarlac Open crown over the weekend.

ALTUVE SENDS ASTROS TO WORLD SERIES H

By Kristie Rieken The Associated Press

OUSTON—Jose Altuve, the 5-foot-6 driving force of Houston, delivered a swing that will play in Astros’ highlights forever.

Altuve homered off Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the ninth inning and Houston outlasted the New York Yankees, 6-4, Saturday night to advance to the World Series for the second time in three years.

“That’s one of the best moments of postseason history,” Houston General Manager Jeff Luhnow said.

In a bullpen Game Six with a back-and-forth finish, DJ LeMahieu hit a tying, two-run shot off Astros closer Roberto Osuna in the top of the ninth. Altuve answered with a two-run drive to left-center, setting off a wild celebration at Minute Maid Park and earning himself American League Championship Series (ALCS) Most Valuable Player.

“Beautiful game,” Altuve said.

Astros ace Gerrit Cole was waiting to pitch a potential Game Seven on Sunday. Instead, the postseason star— undefeated since May 22—can be lined up for Game One at home against the NL champion Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Yuli Gurriel hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and flashy outfield defense helped Houston’s relievers defeat the Yankees and their vaunted bullpen.

It almost fell apart in the ninth. Gio Urshela singled off Osuna leading off for his third hit of the game, and LeMahieu put a ball into the first row of seats in right field—inches over the glove of leaping George Springer—to tie it at 4.

Altuve, a sparkplug touted as Houston’s heart and soul, didn’t let this one get away.

“I get asked to describe Jose Altuve all the time,” Manager AJ Hinch said. “I think MVP is what he is.”

The teams combined to use 14 pitchers in a drawn-out game that lasted four hours and nine minutes.

Houston’s Will Harris, who got four outs over the sixth and seventh innings, and has yet to allow a run this postseason, was glad Houston’s bullpen got to show its stuff.

“We have a lot of guys with a lot of pride that are really good at their jobs,” he said. “And I was excited for the opportunity for us to prove that today.”

THE Astros’ Jose Altuve hits a two-run walkoff that wins for his team Game Six of the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees on Saturday. AP

Sports BusinessMirror

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| Monday, October 21, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

The defense helped. Right fielder Josh Reddick dived for Brett Gardner’s liner for the second out of the sixth. An inning later, left fielder Michael Brantley laid out for Aaron Hicks’ shallow floater and doubled off Aaron Judge at first.

Gurriel, a holdover from Houston’s 2017 championship

team, was 1 for 20 to start the ALCS before his drive in the first inning. He jumped all over a high-and-tight fastball from opener Chad Green, and his shot into the Crawford Boxes was his first connection this postseason.

It’s the third time Houston has eliminated New York in

the past five postseasons. The Astros won the 2015 wildcard game in the Bronx and beat the Yankees in seven games in the 2017 ALCS before winning their first title.

“I feel like we are on equal footing with them,”Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said. “Unfortunately, sports can be a

little bit cruel for the team that goes home.”

Washington is seeking its first championship in the 51-season history of the Montreal Expos/Nationals franchise. The original Washington Senators won their only championship for the nation’s capital in 1924 and last reached the World Series in 1933 before becoming the Minnesota Twins for the 1961 season.

Gary Sánchez had an RBI single in the second and Urshela homered in the fourth for the Yankees.

Alex Bregman gave the Astros an insurance run with an RBI on a forceout in the sixth inning.

Brantley’s double play elicited one of the loudest ovations of the night—before Altuve’s blast—from the sellout crowd of 43,357 which included Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and Craig Biggio, and Rockets stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook, who watched from the front row in personalized orange Astros jerseys.

New York was 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position and 3 for 24 over the final five games of the series. The franchise lost its fourth straight ALCS after falling in 2010, 2012 and 2017. The Yankees will go without a World Series appearance in a calendar decade for the first time since the 1910s.

“The work never ends,” Boone said.

“And we’ll continue to try and I guess close that gap.”

Altuve doubled off Green with one out in the first inning and Bregman drew a walk with two outs. After a short visit to the mound, Gurriel knocked the next pitch into the seats in left field for a 3-0 lead.

The runs were Houston’s first with two outs in the series.

Houston had been 4 for 40 with runners in scoring position before that big swing.

Brad Peacock, who threw eight pitches in a scoreless eighth inning Friday night, became the fourth pitcher ever to finish a postseason game and then start the next day, and the first since 1924.

He needed seven pitches to retire the side in the first before running into trouble with two outs in the second. Josh James ended the inning by striking out Gardner.

NFL’s biggest star joins growing list of sidelined QBs

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Nationals get 6 days off before duel THE Washington Nationals do their workout for the World Series. AP

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ASHINGTON—Doing a little research ahead of the World Series, Washington Nationals second baseman Brian Dozier came across some numbers that made him feel OK about his team’s long layoff.

“I saw a stat today where there’s been 12 times where teams have had five or more days off going into the World Series. And you know what the record was? 6-6,” Dozier said. “So it’s not that big a deal.”

Baseball is a sport that is more of a daily grind than any other, with game followed by game followed by game for six months, so this stretch is rather unusual for the Nationals: They haven’t played since finishing off a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Championship Series at home last Tuesday—and they won’t play until Game One of the Fall Classic in Houston next Tuesday.

Washington’s next opponent gets much less of a respite: The Astros finished off and the New York Yankees in Game Six of their American League Championship Series on Saturday night.

The good news for the Nationals is their pitchers get to recharge and they can set up their rotation exactly how they want. The flip side is that their hitters might not be sharp when play resumes.

“Baseball season’s kind of uncomfortable. Your body’s

kind of under constant fire,” right fielder Adam Eaton said.

“And when you get a breath of fresh air, sometimes it has a tendency to relax a little bit.”

A year ago, Dozier went to the World Series with the Dodgers, who faced a Boston Red Sox club that had two more days of rest than Los Angeles did. And Boston wound up winning.

But the previous nine champs—nine!—were the teams that had less time off.

In that span, there were only two examples of World Series teams that had four more days away than the other club: The 2012 Detroit Tigers (who featured current Nationals pitchers Max Scherzer and Aníbal Sánchez) hit .159 and got swept by the San Francisco Giants; the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies batted .227 and lost to the Yankees in six games.

Dozier doesn’t find it daunting.

“We’re all professionals in here. We know what it takes.

We have live pitching every day. Some guys might hit, some not—whatever you think you need to do to get ready,” he said, then broke into a smile. “We’re not 16. We’ve got some 42-year-olds around here that’s been around.”

Washington held a 90-minute workout at Nationals Park on Friday afternoon, including batting practice,

baserunning drills and fielding work for the position players, and throwing for the pitchers.

“These guys have played unbelievably. I think they needed a break. Some guys really needed a break,” Manager Dave Martinez said. “Heal their bodies a little bit.”

Martinez said he planned to hold “another very, very, very light workout” on Saturday, then ramp up to more intense sessions Sunday and Monday, including an intrasquad game under the lights to prepare for playing at night.

His biggest worry?

“For me, it’s their legs. I want to make sure they keep their legs underneath them,” Martinez said Friday. “We ran them today. They had a full workout in the gym. They did a bunch of agility stuff. For the everyday guys, it’s their legs.

And for the pitchers, it’s getting everybody to throw. And we’ll continue to do that the next couple of days.”

Martinez took advantage of the break by sleeping most of the day Wednesday, waking up just to eat dinner, then going back to bed.

One of his relievers, Sean Doolittle, used the down time to catch up on laundry, finish reading a book he’d set aside for a while (Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler) and head to a bookstore to find a new one. AP

ENVER—With Patrick Mahomes sidelined, fans across the NFL may be longing for the days when the backup quarterback’s job was to carry a clipboard and not the hopes and dreams of an entire franchise.

Mahomes escaped significant ligament damage when he dislocated his right kneecap Thursday night in Kansas City’s 30-6 pummeling of the Denver Broncos and there is optimism the reigning NFL MVP could be back on the field in about a month.

Mahomes had an MRI exam Friday that showed the ligaments were intact, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team was still sorting through the results and putting together a timetable for his return.

“He’s a huge part of this team, huge part of the league.

You just hate to see that,” said journeyman Matt Moore, the latest No. 2 thrust into a leading role in this “Year of the Backup Quarterback.”

Starting with Andrew Luck, who retired at age 29 after dealing with a series of injuries, the league’s celebration of its 100th season has been marred by the loss of some of its biggest stars.

The club of QBs sidelined so far includes Drew Brees (thumb), Ben Roethlisberger (elbow), Cam Newton (foot), Nick Foles (collarbone), Josh Allen (concussion), Mitchell Trubisky (shoulder) and Sam Darnold (mononucleosis), whose backup, Trevor Siemian was lost for the season with a gruesome ankle injury.

Now, the league’s brightest young star is hurt, too.

Shortly after becoming the fastest player in NFL history to throw for 7,500 yards, in just his 25th game, Mahomes got hurt not on one of his improvisational masterpieces but on the most basic play, a quarterback sneak.

The stadium grew silent as one by one players peeled off the pile and Mahomes stayed down, his right leg stuck at an awkward angle before he rolled onto his back, ripped off his helmet and covered his face.

“I don’t even

want to think about that,” receiver Tyreek Hill said. “We are just trying to move on from it, and I will continue to pray for my dog.”

“It was out of whack,” tight end Travis Kelce said. “I couldn’t even describe it. You looked at it and were like, ‘Oh no, there is something wrong with him.’”

Denver defensive end Shelby Harris’s heart sank.

“I’ve never seen anything like that on the field before,” Harris said. “His knee was literally all the way to the side, his kneecap was. I wish him the best. We definitely need him in the league, he’s definitely a big attraction in the league.”

Mahomes shooed away a cart and trainers helped him off the field once his kneecap was popped back into place.

Then, he walked gingerly to the locker room.

“Obviously we need him to get wins,” Hill said. “But now we just have to move on.”

The Chiefs’ hopes of reaching their first Super Bowl since 1970—the year Mahomes’s father, former big leaguer Pat Mahomes, was born—will rest at least for a while not on their magnificent maestro but on Moore, a 35-year-old career backup who wasn’t even in the league last year as he sought to transition into either coaching or scouting.

Moore attended Kyler Murray’s pro day at Oklahoma this spring alongside Adam Engroff, the Miami Dolphins’ director of college scouting. But Moore found himself in demand again when Chad Henne broke an ankle in the preseason and he signed September 1 to back up Mahomes.

It was Kansas City’s dominant defense that really stepped up when Mahomes went out Thursday night, but Moore did throw a 57-yard TD pass to Hill with Chris Harris Jr. in coverage. Overall, he was 10 of 19 for 117 yards. AP

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes lies on the field after being injured against the Denver Broncos during the first half of their recent game. AP

D

Gracious God

EAR God, Your word is living and effective. In faith we pray: Inspire us to live Your wisdom, oh God. Animate Your Church to relieve the hardship of the poor and advocate justice for the vulnerable. Inspire Pope Francis, bishops and theologians in their efforts to engage dialogue and discussion about humanity’s interconnection with the Earth. Encourage and enlighten scientists in their reseacrh on environmental change (similar to the Summit going on which was initiated by the youth in New York City, disease, and technology. May God favor us with an increase in faith, hope, and love, in Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

GIVE US THIS DAY SHARED BY LUISA LACSON, HFL Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

Life

AND THEN SOME: LOCAL SKINCARE BRAND TAPS GABBY CONCEPCION D4

BusinessMirror

Monday, October 21, 2019

D1

One Queen to rule them malls AQUARIA looms larger than life in the new campaign of The SM Store.

ACTRESS Sophia Loren (left) and designer Valentino Garavani pose for photographers upon arrival at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards in Milan, Italy. AP

SOPHIA LOREN, VALENTINO RECEIVE STANDING OVATION IN MILAN MILAN—Sophia Loren and Valentino Garavanui received a standing ovation from a packed house of fashion and Hollywood A-listers during the third edition of the Green Carpet Awards honoring progress toward sustainability.

Loren, stunning in a black gown and glistening diamond necklace, presented Valentino with an award for legacy achievement at Milan’s famed La Scala Opera house. Loren said the 87-year-old designer was “a friend, a master, a legend, a man who revolutionized the world of fashion through his elegance, passion and style.”

The award capped an evening to mark progress in creating more ecological and social consciousness in the fashion industry—recognized as the second-most polluting after oil.

Honorees included women in India trained to transform discarded saris into contemporary, hand-embroidered attire through the “I was a Sari” initiative, and divers from the group Healthy Seas who recover lost fishing nets from the sea floor, some of which are upcycled into nylon for fashion houses like Prada.

Stella McCartney received the groundbreaker award for founding her brand 25 years ago on sustainable principles, when it was still considered a fringe notion. Wearing a black minidress made entirely of sustainable viscose that took three years to develop, McCartney told the fashion attendees that she was willing to share her knowledge with them to help accelerate the sustainability transition.

“Finally, I don’t feel like I’m the freak in the room anymore,” McCartney said.

The Stella McCartney brand uses no animal byproducts of any kind, including leather, fur and animal glues, and is committed to creating textiles that preserve the environment.

McCartney said that 17 percent of the Amazon rainforest over the past 50 years has been cut down for animal farming, and that 150 million trees are cut each year to make viscose and rayon.

Sustainability awards went to Max Mara for a program to upcycle camel fibers from its coats to make insulation called CameLux; and Zegna for creating a collection including 10 percent of looks made completely out of upcycled materials under a program promoted by the #usetheexisting hashtag.

Dutch model Doutzen Kroes, wearing a fully recycled look by Max Mara, was honored for using her social-media platform to raise money to help protect elephants from being killed for their ivory through the Knot on My Planet initiative.

Livia Firth, the founder of the Eco-Age consultancy that founded the awards with the Italian Fashion Chamber, credited the protest movement launched by Greta Thunberg with sharpening the commitment to sustainability in the past year.

T

HE LGBT community, while enduring oppression from major parts of the world, is generally well-loved in the Philippines.

This became more evident when a big retail company such as The SM Store enlisted a flaming drag queen like Aquaria to give good face to its chain of malls across the country.

The holiday campaign, anchored on the New York queen’s “turning looks, stunting pretty” catchphrase, is all about self-expression through fashion, regardless of who you are, whatever style you go for.

As SM’s larger-than-life ambassador, Aquaria follows fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker, British model David Gandy and street photographer Scott Schuman.

Aquaria won the 10th season of the Emmywinning RuPaul’s Drag Race. At 21, she was one of the show’s youngest winners, alongside Tyra Sanchez (Season 2) and Violet Chachki (Season 7.) For her “sick’ning” runway looks, RuPaul regarded her as one of the show’s fashion queens in the same breath as Raja, Detox, Violet and...Miss Vanjie?

“When we began planning for our fashion campaign and the conversation was [on who should be our spokesman], Aquaria was our first pick,” said Geo Custodio, the marketing manager. “She was always on top of our list. There is an audience within SM [for Drag Race and drag in general; reportedly a nextgeneration Sy is an avid fan].”

Fiona Araneta, The SM Store’s junior marketing manager, added: “We chose Aquaria because she won Season 10 and she’s achieved a lot in her young age, and she is known as the looks queen. She also collaborates with other foreign brands.”

Along with other media colleagues, some with more pronounced fanaticism than others, I had a chance to interview the drag royalty at the Prestige Lounge of SM Megamall.

How much did fashion school, your drag mother Sharon Needles, drag icon Amanda Lepore and club queen Susanne Bartsch influence your aesthetics?

Fashion school definitely informed a lot of my decisions when it comes to design and creation. I’ve always been inspired by the nightlife, the legends, the past, the current, the future. I think fashion in the club is always so on the edge of every trend and define the heart of a lot of styles of New Yorkers. People like Susanne and Amanda are bold, fearless women. No one can help but be inspired by them.

And Sharon Needles?

Sharon is evil. (Laughs) No, she’s really cool. She definitely has grown a speciality, more like a sleek, leathery, dark, perfect-silhouette kind of vibe. And that obviously constantly inspires me, as well.

For this campaign, what are your inputs?

For styles and trends that we’re focusing on the season or this year, there is a lot of animal prints, and some bold, red looks. But they are all categories and themes that I think are not only present in fashion today, but also often represented in the things that I wear. I love animal prints. I love to wear too much red.... Most of the trends were inspired by things that I already normally wear. So it just kind of matched.

EVER BILENA LAUNCHES ARA COLOURS

POPULAR local makeup brand Ever Bilena collaborates with celebrity and entrepreneur Ara Mina for the grand launch of her newest makeup line: Ara Colours.

Aside from the previously released seven shades of creamy matte lipsticks, the launch highlights five varieties of lip and cheek tints—the newest addition to the makeup line.

Currently available on Lazada and through Ever Bilena Direct Sales, Ara Colours has an affordable price range from P195 for the creamy matte lipsticks, and P175 for cheek and lip tints. In photo is Ever Bilena President and CEO Dioceldo Sy (right) and COO Siliman Sy (left) with Ara Mina.

Where do you get your inspirations?

All my inspiration comes from all sorts of things I love. I love being inspired by drag. The full circle aspect of being in drag, being inspired by drag is really interesting. I have a bit of a background in fashion history and art history in general. So, I love taking visual or creative cues from old works of art across all different types of mediums. Of course, as a drag queen, pop culture and the pop divas are always at the forefront of my inspiration and creative

thinking. Queens like Madonna and Cher, and stuff like that are always major influences to my style. I think you can’t go wrong if your drag look is inspired

by Cher. Where can you go wrong?

What’s your advice in terms of creating looks or accessorizing?

A lot of my love for drag and the fashion of drag comes from styling. Being on the road a lot, I don’t get to travel with a lot of stuff, my suitcases, but when I’m home and in my closet, looking at all the silly jewelry and accessories and outfits that I forget I had, that’s where I find the most enjoyment, getting to pick and choose and put things together—you know, hair, some crazy big yellow jacket from Italy with some easy-peasy vinyl body suit. I think for me, finding the perfect area where a look is in your budget but still showing your creativity is important.

So you can really make a lot of something out of little to nothing. And I think that’s what drag always has been. It’s always been that for me.... Try to have like a budget or something like that. So just like work within your means.

How do you integrate ready-to-wear into your look and elevate it?

I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing for me but I am notorious for rocking more casual fashion mixed with something cool like what I have now.

This is a really easy, affordable bodysuit I bought somewhere online…. You know, sometimes, everyone is living on a bit of a budget. I remember when I was first getting started in drag, you could only afford so much. But the one thing I always knew that I had was a creative eye and creative gifts with my hands and my makeup. So, as long as I have some elements to create, I can do really whatever I want. I can just wear something boring on the bottom. But if you use the ability and the creativity and the skill that you have as a human to kind of elevate a look that makes it look more expensive, I think that’s where the perfect balance is. It’s about...convincing other people that you’re doing with the design that’s $15 look like $1500.

What do you think will make you last?

What a lot of drag queens have imparted to me is to be really mindful of your mental health, your health out of drag. Be really respectful of your body. You know, I am in high heels right now, but I’m not in high heels all the time. That will kill your feet. You know, there’s so many things that you can do when you’re young and you can’t do as you get older, and I think being mindful of those things is important.

A lot of drags are being accepted by a lot of brands. What are your thoughts about that?

It’s really cool. This past year, I think we definitely saw a massive amount of drag queens being involved in makeup collaborations and things of that sort.

And just to see that is so cool. It’s nice for us to have jobs that aren’t always performing like at our clubs, and to be taken seriously and respected in a world that is not our immediate drag circle. It not only empowers us and our audience, but also shows that drag is very prevalent. It’s here to stay and it’s powerful. And everyone loves it. If you don’t love drag, you’re probably lying. It’s very much like Spongebob.

Squidward hated the Krappy Patties until he tried them and then he was like, hold on, wait a second, you’re onto something. I think this is the same way.

Just because you don’t think you love it or whatever doesn’t mean that you don’t actually.

How is it important that you have this platform now as a way to talk about issues?

I think it’s very important. Drag has always been a political statement. And I know for a lot of people— you, me, the next person—we all have things that we want to see in the world. And when you have a platform like I have or like the next drag queen, I feel like you have a bit of a duty to your fans and to your community to use your voice when you can.

Sometimes shouting your beliefs...(a part) kind of makes it all just sound like “Ahhh” to some people but choosing important times to talk about important topics can really help make a more progressive and accepting community. ■

D2

Style

BusinessMirror

Monday, October 21, 2019

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Today’s Horoscope

TAN ATTRACTION

Create a compelling contrast with natural shades in muted colors with Salvatore Mann’s belt bag and body bag, and Timberland boots.

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Blanca Suarez, 31; Glen Powell, 31; Matt Dallas, 37; Judge Judy Sheindlin, 77.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Patience, understanding and kindness will lead to positive change. Look inward, and you will discover what you have to offer. Personal growth will encourage you to put more energy into what matters most to you. The journey will result in encounters that will take you to places you never knew existed. Get ready for a taste of life. Your lucky numbers are 3, 11, 16, 20, 27, 36, 43.

WEEKEND WARRIOR Add

some color to your holidays with this red Travel Basic fanny bag and New Balance shoes with red and blue details.

THE CLASSIC

Oxford lace-up leather shoes from Salvatore Mann are never out of style.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Explore new avenues, plan an adventure or mentally or physically travel to places that will broaden your outlook and make you consider atypical options. A change will turn into something you least expect if you are open to trying something new. ★★★★★

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Live and learn.

The experience will make the difference moving forward. Indulge in events and activities that will give you higher perception, and help you understand what others need and want from you.

Set boundaries, and offer only what’s feasible. ★★

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Leap into action, and take care of anything you’ve left undone.

Refuse to let anyone distract or deter you from taking care of personal business. How you handle your responsibilities will determine how much respect and assistance you receive. ★★★★

Keeping it smart and stylish with every step C

THERE’S never been a better time for men’s shoes and bags. Plaid Travel Basic fanny bag and a Salvatore Mann fanny bag with multiple pockets will go well with bright Milanos sneakers.

HANGE is afoot at The SM Store’s Men’s Shoes and Bags section. With technology leading the way, footwear is more technical and comfortable at the same time. And there’s a stunning array of designs available today—as footwear lets men communicate style and individuality better than anything else in one’s wardrobe.

There are bright sneakers from Milanos that bring color and style to casual Fridays. Sneakers from New Balance and boots from Timberland for the active man. Special occasion leather

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Make a change for the right reason. If you follow what someone else is doing, it will end up costing you emotionally or financially. Let your heart be your guide, and you will make the best decision possible. ★★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A couple of adjustments you make at home or to the way you handle your personal finances will help cut your overhead and ease stress. ★★★

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Participate in events that are meaningful. Someone you meet will have an impact on your life. A change to the way you live or handle others will help weed out those inclined to stand in your way. ★★★★

shoes from Salvatore Mann that will make every leading man ready for prime time.

Likewise, there’s never been a better time for men’s bags. We’ve seen manbags and “murses,� and today the evolutionary flourishing of men’s bags continues at The SM Store. There are trendy fanny bags from Travel Basic and Salvatore Mann, belt and body bags from Salvatore Mann, and sporty duffle bags from Converse.

The exciting evolution of man continues—and he is looking more stylish than ever. â–

INTO THE GAME Sporty

white Sprint Sneakers and Converse duffle bag.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Share information, engage in debates, and search for knowledge and experts that can lead you where you want to go. It’s OK to take a path that isn’t for everyone. Take charge and don’t look back. ★★★★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your charm will capture attention, but don’t let this go to your head. It’s fun to elaborate, but don’t exaggerate, because someone will question you. Stick to the facts, and be prepared to stand behind your word. Physical activity is favored. ★★★

Diana Stalder 23rd anniversary sale LOOKING for a facial center to address stressed and aging skin problems?

As you get older, your skin is going to need your help to stay healthy. You will have to work with it to keep it hydrated and glowing.

As part of the 23rd anniversary of Diana Stalder (www.dianastalder. com), the brand is offering 50-percent off deals to clients on such services as Painless Warts Removal, a treatment that gets rid of unwanted skin growth with electro cauterization; and Silhouette Caviar Facial, a combination of cell regenerating and antiaging treatments using products with abundant trace element and loaded

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Don’t fight the inevitable. Size up situations so you can start a new adventure. Evaluate what’s transpired and the options you are left with, and you’ll recognize what you need to do to excel. ★★

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take pride in what you do. Use your skills, knowledge and physical attributes to excel. Refuse to let an emotional incident stop you in your tracks. What you do will make a difference and bring positive change to essential relationships. ★★★

with antioxidants that delivers smoothness, elasticity and tissue growth. Also used in this service is the Dermalift machine, a noninvasive, nonsurgical face lifting procedure that helps in toning, firming and preventing early signs of aging.

Also on the menu of anniversary services are Diamond Supreme Plus, a deep cleansing treatment with a combination of antiaging and whitening treatments that help in making the skin fairer through skin exfoliation to result in renewed and stress-free skin; and Underarm Whitening, touted as one of the safest whitening procedures that helps get rid of dark underarms, removing dark spots from dead skin cells.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be careful how you handle your peers, relatives and neighbors. An adjustment can lead to an emotional confrontation if you aren’t careful.

Concentrate more on personal gain, getting things done and physical fitness. ★★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Cut corners, and use what you have to offer to barter for the services you want. Make changes to the way you handle money, health and contractual matters. It’s time to implement positive change. ★★★ BIRTHDAY BABY: You are thoughtful, serious-minded and insightful.

You are ambitious and innovative.

‘monday to wednesday’ BY MARK MCCLAIN The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 “Cheerio!�

5 Lump of Devonshire cream 9 Like rarebit 14 Each 15 London’s ___ Park 16 State north of Utah 17 Notable person 18 Steel element 19 Watergate president 20 Talented bugler playing “Reveille?�

23 Rite places 24 Good cholesterol: Abbr.

25 Nocturnal bird 28 Sgt., e.g.

29 Innate skill 32 Silly mistake, jocularly 34 Routine matters for an estate lawyer?

36 Band formed by Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid 39 Negative connector 40 ___ for Tots 41 Records maintained by the complaint department?

46 Wreck-It Ralph setting 47 ___ Land (Emma Stone movie)

48 51 52 54 56

Discovery shout Affirmative answer “Angle� or “cycle� opening Glossy coat Roadblock for spending spree plans?

59 Store for future use 62 Sunday Night Baseball commentator, familiarly 63 Craft brewery choices 64 Standoffish 65 Shower love (on) 66 Math function related to tangent 67 ___ noir 68 Practice punches 69 Spiciness DOWN 1 Island north of the Philippines 2 HS class that covers integrals 3 Started liking 4 Sleep problem 5 Contributes financially 6 Vega’s constellation 7 Dumpster emission 8 First extra inning 9 Arizona city in “Take It Easy�

10 11 12 13 21 22 25 26 27 30 31 33 34 35 36 37 38 42 43 44 45 48 49 50 53 55

Make more concise, e.g.

Lenient Premium cable channel, briefly “Sweetie�

Sudden itch Fan mail recipient Northern European capital Cunning Subtraction preposition ___ shui Hairy fad doll Olive discards Fancy, festive function Tenor’s solo Word after “sock� or “slip�

Lacking cover Some pens Phishing objective Infamous emperor Slim and trim Orange juice quality Charlotte ___, US Virgin Islands Big Sky Country’s capital Ready to go Apple Store array Inundated

56 57 58 59 60 61

“Begone!�

Hold (up) Smallest Greek letter Mushroom top ___ Baba Kind of artist who might commit art fraud

Solution to Friday’s puzzle:

Show BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Monday, October 21, 2019

D3

Finding fulfillment outside their comfort zones Sunshine, Sheryl headline new GMA afternoon series

S

tereotyping is common practice in the entertainment industry, local and elsewhere.

Be it in on television or film, actors are not offered or assigned roles that will test their flexibility and versatility. For far longer than we can remember, there is no professional casting unit in most of movie and TV projects, unlike in the advertising industry where professional casters are revered and respected because they have mastered the art of getting the right actors for the right roles.

Even if our country has some very competent actors, this stereotypical way of casting being practiced persists, thus failing actors to maximize their skills that would allow them to achieve their personal satisfaction as artists.

How disappointing it is that we see the same faces repetitively on daily drama programs, playing the same roles over and over again. That is why those who are serious about improving their craft welcome the mushrooming of local independent film festivals and, more recently, the entry of video on demand (VOD) services like Netflix, iWant and Cignal TV because these platforms offer them roles they wont get on free TV or mainstream movies.

Just recently, we caught a new suspense thriller drama on iWant TV that featured Rio Locsin, one of the few iconic actors we admire. Titled Kargo, Locsin plays a foulmouthed grandmother who works as a taxi driver so she can raise her troubled teenage granddaughter.

It is a role that normally will not be offered to someone like Locsin but she gave a truly consistent, on-point performance throughout the episodes. “I am just happy to be given this opportunity to give life to a character that is so different from the roles that I’m often assigned or offered to do, and nowhere near who I am as a person. I welcome these kinds of roles not only for myself but for my colleagues as well, because we as actors grow by leaps and bounds when we go

RIO LOCSIN and Carlo Aquino

beyond our comfort zones,” she told us.

We were very happy to see the name of Julius Alfonso in the credits as the director of '. Alfonso impressed us in his festival feature film Dedma Walking a few years ago.

We were also glad to have experienced the new film of Carlo Aquino, Isa Pa With Feelings, which teams him up with the very popular accidental actress Maine Mendoza. Aquino plays a deaf and mute sign language teacher who falls in love with his student.

Roles with physical disabilities are often prized ones, as proven in a number of Oscar award-winning performances through the years. And Aquino admitted that this is one of his most difficult roles ever. “It’s definitely out of the box, and I have to allot many days to learn about sign language before we started shooting. The commitment level in playing a character like Gali is on a different level. But these roles are what continue to allow me to push further and work harder. The fulfillment is priceless!” n

Netflix releases Panama Papers movie despite lawsuit NEW HAVEN, Connecticut—Netflix has released a movie based on the so-called Panama Papers despite an attempt by two lawyers to stop the streaming premiere. The Laundromat, starring Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas and Meryl Streep, debuted Friday on Netflix after a limited release in theaters.

Lady Gaga falls off stage while dancing with fan NEW YORK—Lady Gaga is recovering after falling off the stage while dancing with a fan at a concert.

During her Las Vegas show on Thursday night, the pop star invited a fan onstage who picked her up and lost balance. Both plunged to the floor as a result.

Moments after the fall, Gaga was back onstage with the fan and told him: “You promise me you’re not gonna be sad about that, right?”

He responded: “I promise.”

Several fans posted video of the fall and Gaga’s return to the stage on social media.

After the show Gaga posted Instagram photos of herself in a bath, writing: “Post show routine: ice bath for five to 10 min, hot bath for 20, then compression suit packed with ice packs for 20.”

A representative for Gaga didn’t reply to an e-mail seeking comment. The singer has suffered from fibromyalgia, a condition marked by chronic and widespread musculoskeletal pain, and she has canceled several concerts as a result. AP

Two Panamanian lawyers, Jürgen Mossack and Ramón Fonseca, sued Netflix in federal court in Connecticut this week, saying the movie defamed them, and could prejudice criminal cases against them. Netflix called the suit a “frivolous legal stunt” aimed at censoring free speech.

The Panama Papers were more than 11 million documents leaked from the two lawyers’ firm that shed light on how the rich hide their money.

A judge ruled on Thursday that the case shouldn’t have been filed in Connecticut and transferred it to the Los Angeles-area federal court district. AP

Beginning today, October 21, two successful women will be caught in a web of infidelity leading to the pain of an innocent daughter in GMA’s newest afternoon drama series Magkaagaw. Former on-screen rivals in Bakekang, Sheryl Cruz (Veron) and Sunshine Dizon (Laura) reunite in a most intriguing drama fueled by vengeance.

“I’m happy because it’s been a while and maganda ’yung team up namin ni Sunshine all the time. I also have to thank GMA for this project because it’s a different character—it’s my first time portraying a role of a woman having an affair with a younger man,” Sheryl said.

“It’s a reunion project with Sheryl, so that’s very exciting.

We are also working with Direk Gil [Tejada Jr.], who was our director in Bakekang. What makes Magkaagaw unique is first time mata-tackle dito ’yung character ni Laura na hindi sinasadyang maging kabit. She was blindsided and put in a situation na wala siyang laban kasi hindi niya alam. She did not intentionally ruin a relationship,” Sunshine revealed.

The original drama introduces the team up of StarStruck 6 Ultimate Female Survivor Klea Pineda as Clarisse and Protégé Season 2 winner Jeric Gonzales as Jio in their most daring roles, yet.

Joining the cast of Magkaagaw are Polo Ravales as Oliver, Laura’s suitor who is actually a con artist; Dion Ignacio as Zander, Clarisse’s officemate who secretly fancies her; Dennis Padilla as Mark, Jio’s comical uncle who acts as his moral booster; Lovely Abella as Suzi, Laura’s kikay but supportive best friend; Isay Alvarez as Fely, Laura’s doting mother; Patricia Tumulak as Gilda, Veron’s cousin who conspires with her against those who have wronged her; and Jhoana Marie Tan as Sheila, Clarisse’s confidante who sticks up for her through ups and downs.

Magkaagaw also highlights the special participation of actor-politician Alfred Vargas as Mario, Veron’s unfaithful husband who pursued Laura, and unknowingly made her a mistress.

This original series is created by the GMA Drama group headed by SVP for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, VP for Drama Redgie A. Magno, AVP for Drama Cheryl Ching-Sy, Senior Program Manager Camille Hermoso-Hafezan, and Executive Producer Jojo Aleta.

Directed by Gil Tejada Jr., the world premiere of Magkaagaw begins today, October 21, and airs Mondays to Saturdays after Eat Bulaga on GMA. Viewers from across the globe can also catch their favorite shows via GMA international channels GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV and GMA News TV International. More information is available at www. gmapinoytv.com.

JERIC GONZALES (from left), Sheryl Cruz, Sunshine Dizon and Klea Pineda star in the new GMA series Magkaagaw.

D4

Style

Monday, October 21, 2019

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Beautéderm President and CEO Rhea AnicocheTan with Gabby Concepcion

Local skincare brand taps Gabby Concepcion

I

LOVE hearing the story of how Rhea Anicoche-Tan started her Beautéderm empire with P3,500 and two products.

Beautéderm is now almost 10 years old and from two products, the Pampangabased company now has over 80. Beautéderm recently opened its 92nd branch, its third in Cabanatuan City.

Some of the flagship products under Beautéderm include the famous Beautéderm Skin Care Sets for both the face and body; Reverie by Beautéderm Home, which consists of room and linen sprays, as well as scented soy candles; and Beautéderm’s perfume collection which includes Origin Senses perfumes for men, as well as a new set of products, such as Beauté Balm, Au Revoir Skin Soothing Oil and Cristaux Gold Elixir Serum.

The brand is known for products that are simple and straightforward but always work.

Tan sticks to her expertise, which is skin care.

She has already said she would not go into

makeup.

“So many people are doing makeup well already so I will leave it to them,” said Tan, who is Beautéderm’s president and CEO. She also wants products that people can actually use.

Jeune Face and Body Cleanser is a gentle cleanser that works for all skin types. It is one of Beautéderm’s best-sellers. Jeune contains panthenol, glycerin and chamomile.

My favorites are the soaps, which are nonirritating and nondrying.

Another best seller is Beauté Balm, which is a papaya ointment that works on everything from dry cuticles to small burns.

Beauté Balm is one of actor Gabby Concepcion’s favorite products under the brand.

Concepcion recently joined Beautéderm’s roster of celebrity endorsers that include Lorna Tolentino, Marian Rivera and Sylvia Sanchez, and young stars Ria and Arjo Atayde, Carlo Aquino, Ken Chan and many others.

“I really looked for Gabby via our common friends. He was my idol when I was young,” said Tan. “Thanks to Beautéderm’s skin set, I can look fresh and revitalized any time of the day. I eat right and I workout regularly and, of course, Beautéderm is now an irreplaceable part of my daily regimen. Now I can say that we, men, can glow, too!” said Concepcion.

The actor’s favorite products are Beauté Balm and Au Revoir Soothing Oil, an oil in roll-on form that is usually used to alleviate headache and nausea. He also likes the Day Cream. n

Korean derma-cosmetics brand now in PHL NOW in the Philippines is acclaimed South korean brand Bio Remedies Therapeutic Cosmetics (BRTC).

Already a familiar name to local skin-care enthusiasts, the brand has carefully curated its initial lineup with products that best address the needs of Filipino women.

“The positive responses we received from Filipino consumers who have tried BRTC products gave us a lot of insights, leading to this launch. We have reviewed their needs and product experiences before deciding what products to bring in. As we bring BRTC to the country, we will continue to deliver customized skincare solutions for [consumers],” said Jason Park, general manager of Global Sales and Strategy from AMI Cosmetics, the company behind BRTC. A product of in-depth skin science research and analysis by world-class skin specialists, BRTC (www.facebook.com/brtcph) offers a wide selection of face-care products which consumers can choose from based on their skin type, problem area and desired results.

All BRTC products contain Blue Phyto Complex, a patented vegetable ingredient from lavender, chamomile, and other blue plants known for their soothing and healing power. Aside from healing, BRTC’s active components extracted from plants will restore one’s skin, giving it that glowing, refreshed and rejuvenated look. Its natural ingredients also contribute to the products’ light texture, which makes skin

absorption easier.

Launching in the Philippines is the best-selling BRTC multi-vital 10 series containing Multi Vital Force2, which works to first reduce imperfections, then revitalizes skin to leave an even and bright complexion.

Each product in this series contains over 10 percent of vitamins A, B3, B5, C, E, F, and H that work together to hydrate, soothe, revitalize, and regenerate skin, as well as inhibit melanin synthesis, resulting in healthier, fairer skin.

Use all three, or start with just one that fits one’s specific skin-care need. Choose from the BRTC Vitalizer C10 Ampoule for skin smoothness and luminosity, BRTC Gel Vitalizer to improve wrinkles and revitalize stressed skin, or BRTC Vitalizer Whitening Sleeping Pack for antiaging and skin brightening.

Also included is the serum line, with BRTC Pore Tightening Serum that reduces the appearance of enlarged pores of normal/combination skin while restoring the skin’s moisture and balance; and the BRTC Blemish Serum for controlling sebum and balancing skin surface for oily skin.

Of course, Korean skin care would not be complete without their signature sheet masks, and the brand is bringing over three of their popular hypoallergenic velvet sheet masks: BRTC Vitamin H mask for skin relief, BRTC Vitamin F mask for oil and moisture balance, and BRTC Vitamin A mask for improvement of wrinkled and damaged skin.

BusinessMirror

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Monday, October 21, 2019 E1

Why skills training can’t replace higher education

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By George D. Kuh

Of course, short term, vocational, skills-based programs are critically important and well suited for many people. This has always been true and will continue to be so. But is this an acceptable policy choice for addressing the demands of the 21st-century workplace and fixing the shortcomings of A merican higher education?

No, and here’s why.

Intentionally shortening and fragmenting educational and personal development in the name of bolstering economic productivity now is shortsighted, and does a catastrophic disservice to individuals, our national prosperity and the long-term well-being of a civil, democratic society. What’s also troubling is the likelihood that learners from historically underserved groups—low income and ethnic minorities, for example—will be disproportionately represented among (or maybe even tracked

into) short-term training programs.

There is no way to know for sure, but I suspect that many of those vigorously proposing vocational education steer their own children toward baccalaureategranting colleges or universities. Attending such schools increases the odds that students will broaden their perspectives, read and write a fair amount, and devote significant effort over an extended period to pondering difficult questions and generating alternative solutions to complicated problems—the stuff of which the future will be made.

Abbreviating postsecondary preparation programs may well reduce short-term costs for students, institutions and employers. However, privileging short-term job training over demanding educational experiences associated with high levels of intellectual, personal and social development—a foundation for continuous lifelong

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uch of the current posturing by policy-makers and pundits about the failure of US colleges and universities to adequately prepare people for today’s workplace is either illinformed or misguided, in my opinion.

learning—is a bad idea for individuals, for the long-term vitality of the American economy and for our democracy.

George D. Kuh is the Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus of higher education at Indiana University.

Universities should be preparing students for the gig economy the basic skills of working independently.

1 Teach Universities are going

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By Diane Mulcahy

his year’s news that the majority of Google’s work force is made up of independent and temporary workers rather than full-time employees is just one example of the rapid transformation of the corporate work force. Despite these changes, universities have yet to integrate the study or practices of the gig economy into their curriculum or career services. Instead, they continue to educate and prepare students to become full-time employees in full-time jobs.

To better prepare their students for the work force they’ll enter when they graduate, universities can take three important steps:

Many of the skills required to be a successful independent worker can be taught: how to create a business entity, how to manage a small back office, how to negotiate prices and consulting contracts, and how to develop and execute a marketing and branding strategy.

2Expand career services.

University career services have ignored the rising incidence, and importance, of independent work. They must do a better job of helping students find work, not just jobs.

3

Teach what they practice.

Universities need only turn

© 2019 Harvard Business School Publishing Corp. (Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate)

the mirror on themselves to see the working world their students will enter. Their own business models and practices are a case study in how employers are changing work and the work force. For instance:

n Universities rely on independent contractors. If they

are part of the trend of hiring significant numbers of independent workers, they should prepare their students for that future, too.

n Most professors have side

gigs.

Universities expect and allow their full-time tenured professors to have side gigs, such as consulting and advisory work, paid research and speaking engagements, to elevate their

brand and augment their income.

n

online. Universities are separating

the need to be on campus from the ability to earn course credits and degrees. Higher education’s fastest-growing new product can be found in remote courses and programs that allow students to learn when and where they choose.

By teaching their students what they themselves already practice, universities can do a better job preparing their graduates for the increasingly independent work force of today, not the traditional jobs of yesterday.

Diane Mulcahy is an author and an adjunct lecturer at Babson College.

Why Companies Do ‘Innovation Theater’ Instead of actual Innovation

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By Steve Blank

isruption today is more than just changes in technology, or channel, or competitors—it’s all of them, all at once. And these forces are completely reshaping both commerce and defense. As large organizations face continuous disruption, they’ve recognized that existing strategy and organizational structures aren’t nimble enough to access and mobilize the innovative talent and technology they need.

Over time, as organizations grow, they become risk averse.

T he process people dominate management, and the product people end up reporting to them.

If the company is large enough it will look to the government and regulators as the first line of defense against innovative competition, and they’ll use regulations and lawsuits to keep out new entrants with more innovative business models.

The result of monopolist behavior is that innovation in that sector dies—until technology/ consumer behavior passes it by.

By then the company has lost the ability to compete.

Often the first plan for innovation is to hire management

consultants, who break out their 20th-century playbook. The result is organizational theater.

At the same time, companies and government agencies typically adopt innovation activities ( hackathons, design thinking classes, workshops and the like) that result in “innovation theater.” These activities shape and build culture, but they don’t win marketplace wars.

Finally, companies and government agencies realize that the processes and metrics they put in place are obstacles to innovation. Efforts to reform and recast these are well meaning, but without an overall innovation strategy it’s like building sand castles on the beach. The result is process theater.

Companies and government agencies are not able to access and mobilize the innovative talent and technology they need to meet these challenges. The very processes that made them successful impede them. We can build a mind-set, culture and process to fix this.

Steve Blank is an adjunct professor at Stanford University, a senior fellow at Columbia University and a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley.

Integrating the science of how we learn into education technology

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By Stephen M. Kosslyn

or well over 100 years, researchers have labored to understand how humans learn and remember. But it’s often not obvious how to use the findings of all of this research in educational settings.

Using the science of learning to improve education starts with identifying general principles, some of which grow out of a property of our brains: The more intensively we process information, the more likely we are to remember it. This implies that if we want people to learn something, we should induce them to focus on it, and consider its nature and its implications.

There are many ways to accomplish this. One is called the principle of desirable difficulty, which states that people learn best when challenged not so much that they get frustrated, and not so little that they are bored. But there’s a problem: What counts as a “just right” level of challenge differs for different people.

Applying this principle in a traditional classroom setting is difficult. This is where technology can come in, using the principle of desirable difficulty to enhance learning by large numbers of students at the same time.

First, you need a way to collect data on student performance. For example, students can take a short quiz after each

class session, and the questions could be coded according to exactly which skills are being tested. Second, small breakout groups can be designed to allow students to engage in active learning, such as group problem solving, role playing or debate, in part because these induce deep processing; critically, each breakout group activity can be classified according to which skills are being drawn upon. Third, each of the activities that students perform in breakout groups can be “multilayered;” that is, they can be approached with more, or less, intensity.

Interactions within the breakout group could be designed to lead students (who are selected to be at comparable levels for the activity) to adjust how deeply they process the relevant information.

This approach would scale very well and incorporates the social component that is so important in learning.

Technology opens up huge opportunities to use the science of learning in new ways. To take advantage of these opportunities, we need to have clear learning goals, measure each student’s progress very specifically and shift to a focus on more active learning.

Stephen M. Kosslyn is the president and chief executive of Foundry College, and a former professor and dean at Harvard University.

Education BusinessMirror

E2 Monday, October 21, 2019

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

DepEd holds education drive for arts, culture preservation

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ALOLOS CITY, Bulacan— Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones called on teachers to strike a balance between teaching technology, and the preservation of arts and culture.

Briones made the call during the holding of the first “Education Advocacy in Safeguarding Culture and Heritage” at the KB Gymnasium, Capitol Compound in this city.

She asked the teachers not to let digital technology contribute to the erosion of cultural values and practices among students.

“Culture cannot only be displayed through costumes, but also

through what is inside our hearts.

That is important, let us not forget it in these times,” she said in Filipino.

“We are not robots, not cyborgs and not machines, but we are humans. As humans, we have history, culture and we have our own mind,” the secretary added.

Briones also pointed out that arts and culture could be used to teach

Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones NONIE REYES

mathematics and other sciences.

“One of our Metrobank awardees who is an IP [indigenous person] was able to devise a way in teaching mathematical principles using songs and dance. In Region 7 [Central Visayas], we have this contest, where mathematics is being taught through poems and songs,” she said.

Briones also cited the importance of making learning fun and enjoyable for students through culture and arts.

“The style in education now is learning is fun, learning is enjoyable. Nowadays, we see children making robots, making computer games by themselves and we can see that they enjoy their studies. We can see that they are not afraid of trigonometry, chemistry or geometry,” she added in mixed English and Filipino.

New innovation hub opens in DLS-CSB T

he De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Hub of Innovation for Inclusion (HiFi) recently opened the Peter D. Garrucho Jr. Innovation Institute (PDGii), which is envisioned to provide an open environment for curious minds, understand systemic problems, and creatively find solutions and champion its implementation.

Designed by the Javier Design Studios Manila, the four-story building on Pablo Ocampo Street in Malate, Manila, serves as the new home and business incubator for Benildeans and others.

Each space aims to cater to the different phases of any revolutionary processes and improve the work life. With a façade made of glass louvres, the structure welcomes the fresh breeze and natural light, and reduces the need for powerhungry electrical air-conditioning.

It is also equipped with solar panels that provide for total lighting of the building.

The lobby, referred to as the Empathy Hall, is a common ground that can accommodate public talks, meetings and film screenings. The mezzanine provides additional areas for product exhibitions with further opportunities to engage the public.

The second floor, dubbed as The Bright Space, houses the main office of the Benilde HiFi. It was designed to encourage ideation and collaboration with a conference room, two huddle rooms and a number of comfortable seats.

The third floor, or the Maker Space, has three rooms ideal for discussions, a training room for prototype development and a workshop area with basic equipment, such as three-dimensional (3D) printers and hand tools.

These venues feature movable display walls that can be used for presentations.

Last, the Evergreen Roof Deck serves as the breathing space, garden and event hall, where fel-

lows can share relaxed conversations, synthesize ideas and pitch to ecosystem partners for possible scaling and social impact support.

The Benilde HiFi—which does not only offer services for the college, but also welcomes external partners for incubation management and community development— made their newest hub and its facilities available for creators who are looking for coworking spaces.

The building embodies the ideals and objectives of innovation, collaboration, community improvement and inclusion as it provides accessible assembly spaces to persons with disabilities.

DLS-CSB’s partnership with Peter D. Garrucho Jr., the vice chairman of Franklin Baker Co. of the Philippines, is a testimony of the college’s commitment to social impact as it recognizes and incubates ideas that address Sustainable Development Goals.

“Now that this building is up, I hope it will attract not just institutions, but also practitioners of innovation to spread their gospel. My last aspiration is that leadership remains steadfast and perseveres with its initiatives,” Garrucho said.

“I hope it continuously reinvents itself so it will have greater impact, not just for Benilde and the De La Salle system, but for the development in our country,” he added.

“To creatively solve systemic challenges, HiFi acknowledges that schools need to connect and collaborate with individuals and organizations from different sectors, locally and internationally,” noted HiFi Director Abigail Mapua-Cabanilla.

She added: “HiFi brings together under its roof a cross-pollination of various disciplinary fields, industries, public and private organizations to create rich conversations and open up opportunities to partner in championing innovative solutions.”

Façade of the four-story De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (Hub of Innovation for Inclusion Peter D. Garrucho Jr. Innovation Institute. DLS-CSB

PLDT, UPOU partner for technology development

L

eading telco and digital services provider PLDT recently partnered with the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) for the 2019 PLDT Infoteach Outreach Program.

In collaboration with the UPOU Foundation, this year’s PLDT Infoteach Outreach Program underscores the importance of lifelong learning, social transformation and sustainable development in education.

It is a 12-month-long program that has two components—training and the PLDT HomeFibr Broadband Quiz Contest.

As a flagship program of the company, the PLDT Infoteach Outreach Program aims to provide both school-based and community-based learning built on a strong foundation based on 21st-century competencies.

This includes critical thinking, digital literacy, progressive training and lifelong learning.

The program caters to various sectors—including teachers and students for the school-based training and out-of-school youth (OSY)— from 10 selected local government units (LGUs) for the barangay/community-based training.

Depending on the availability of these sectors, senior citizens, grassroots women and Alternative Learn-

Present during the signing for the PLDT and University of the Philippines Open University partnership are PLDT Community Relations Head Katherine Diaz de Rivera (from left), PLDT First Vice President and Public Affairs Head Ramon R. Isberto, UPOU Chancellor Dr. Melinda dP. Bandalaria, and PLDT Vice President and Public Affairs Deputy Head Carlo S. Ople.

ing System students may also participate in the program.

“PLDT recognizes the vital role of technology and development in education. The PLDT Infoteach Outreach Program enables students and teachers, and other participating sectors to adapt in the digital age,” said PLDT Community Relations Division Head Katherine P. Diaz de Rivera.

“It provides a variety of teaching modules and learning tools that range from digital literacy and social transformation, which lead to

lifelong learning,” she added.

The training covers four phases, including the Training of Master Trainers. This is conducted by the UPOU with participants from 10 Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division.

The second phase is the Training of Trainers, which is composed of two teachers from each of the participating schools from the DepEd Schools Division.

The third phase is the enrollment to a massive open online course offered by the UPOU. The last phase

is the Training Roll-out to the participating schools and barangays (the “Training Components”).

The program aims to have at least 15 participating schools in each of the 10 DepEd Schools Division. Each school aims to train at least 20 students and 20 teachers.

It also aims to include 20 OSYs from 10 selected LGUs from the barangay-based training. The training component aims to produce 30 master trainers and 300 trainers; at least 3,000 trained teachers and 3,000 trained students.

“The PLDT Infoteach Outreach Program is anchored on the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals, specifically SDG No.4 Quality Education,” said UPOU Chancellor Dr. Melinda Bandalaria.

“Distance and online learning,” Bandalaria explained, “is the future, and digital literacy ultimately empowers Filipino students and teachers to pursue quality education.”

The PLDT Home Fibr Broadband Quiz culminates the program. It has three levels which begins with the Division Level. This is followed by the Regional Level, which is done online. This ends with the National Level, which includes teachers, students and community-based participants.

She also highlighted the crucial role of arts and culture as a means of helping the youth, particularly those who are suffering from mental-health illnesses, to express themselves through the different forms of art.

“To children who have a hard time coping up in this world and those who cannot adjust, they turn to painting, to music, to sculpture.

This is where art also plays an important role. Not only for the learners, but also for the teachers, because I know that the life of a teacher is also very difficult,” Briones said.

Meanwhile, DepEd Officer in Charge-Regional Director Nicolas Capulong expressed belief that the identity of a town or a province can be seen through its history, arts and culture.

“The identity of our country

should be guarded, enriched and be our pride and, most of all, let us propagate it so that the next generation will understand more the identity of the Filipino race, the race of Central Luzon,” Capulong said in Filipino.

With the support of the provincial government of Bulacan and its DepEd Schools Division Office, the activity was held to promote nationalism and patriotism through the safeguarding of cultural heritage.

The event aimed to explore the role of municipalities and schools in developing the awareness of students on cultural heritage.

The one-day advocacy e ve nt i nc lude d le c t u re s on t he preser v at ion of c u lt u re and heritage, and the roles of local government units in its promotion and preser vation.

Manny Balbin/PNA

New schools for IPs in Davao will be better than Salugpungan

F

ollowing the permanent closure of 55 Salugpungan schools, a Palace official gave assurance last week that the schools will be replaced with institutions that will truly ensure that indigenous children will have a much better future.

Undersecretary Severo Catura of the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS) was reacting to Bishop Roberto Mallari of San Jose, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’s (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education, who lamented the closure of indigenous people’s (IPs) schools in the Davao region.

“We owe the hope of our country and of our indigenous communities no less than this,” Catura said in a statement sent to the Philippine News Agency.

The government, he said, will step up in its responsibility to protect indigenous children, which includes shielding them from the horrors of terrorism and from being trained as child warriors.

“Lest we forget, the use of children as child warriors is the worst form of child labor and modern-day slavery,” he said.

He said the good bishop need not worry that the students and teachers he speaks of who have been affected by the closure will not be attended to.

“The Department of Education [DepEd] and the local governments concerned are already addressing the issue,” Catura said in the statement.

Mallari, in a news article posted online on Vatican News on October 14, was quoted as saying, “I am saddened with the closure of the schools instead of making an effort to improve the education system.”

He added that the DepEd should have considered the fate of more than 3,500 affected learners and teachers and that it was better to have schools, even without fulfilling all the necessary conditions, than no school at all.

Catura said the government welcomes Mallari’s sentiment, not because he agrees with him, but because this will offer an opportunity to clarify his concerns, and, perhaps, meet with him if he so desires.

“We share in his concern for the education of children in our indigenous cultural communities, and fully agree with the need for the government to do more in uplifting its quality. And this is precisely the reason why the Salugpungan schools had to be closed,” he said.

He lamented that having “fallen into the hands of local communist terrorists,” the Salugpungan schools have ceased to be places for our indigenous children to learn upright living and nation-building.

“Instead, they have been used to teach violence, killing and nationdestruction,” he added.

Undersecretary Severo Catura of the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat PNA

The DepEd-11, on October 8 ordered the closure of 55 controversial Salugpungan Ta’Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center Inc. based on the findings of the fiveman fact-finding committee created

by DepEd-11 in August.

Jenelieto Atillo, DepEd-11 spokesman, said the decision did not rest solely on Salugpungan Centers alleged links with the New People’s Army, but that the findings showed various regulatory violations, deficiencies and compliance issues on the part of the school management.

Among the key findings, he said, are as follows: n The Salugpungan schools failed to comply with the curriculum standards set by DepEd-11; n It brought its students away from their homes without the consent of their parents and used them to generate funds by making them perform in various events, a violation of DepEd’s Child Protection Policy; n Teachers of Salugpungan lacked the professional license to teach, or are not passers of the Licensure Examination for Teachers.

Instead, classes of the core learning areas were conducted by learning facilitators, in violation of DepEd Order 21, Series of 2014; n The Salugpungan schools have been operating within the ancestral domain of tribal communities without obtaining the mandatory Free and Prior Informed Consent and the subsequent certification precondition from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples; n Some Salugpungan students do not have learner’s reference numbers, a violation of the requirement of DepEd Order 26, Series of 2015; and n Salugpungan has misrepresented its enrolled data, and that the data contained in the document submitted to the DepEd do not match with the records in the DepEd learners’ information system.

Atillo gave assurance that Salugpungan schools’ closure would not affect its learners, who will be accommodated by DepEd-run schools near their areas.

In the Davao region alone, at least 33 DepEd-run schools are located adjacent to Salugpungan schools.

Gigie Arcilla/PNA

Marketing BusinessMirror

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Monday, October 21, 2019 E3

Pitfalls to watch out for when dealing with clients

PR Matters

By Joy Lumawig-Buensalido

A

S a PR agency head who has worked with different clients for over three decades, I can rightfully say that I’ve had the pleasure of working with a slew of professionals that I have also come to love. These wonderful people have enriched my career journey with priceless lessons that I wouldn’t trade for anything else.

Yet, it does not cease to amaze me that for all the harmonious work relationship we’ve had through the years, it is the friendship and goodwill we have forged that make all the hard work worth it.

But as with any profession, there are inevitable pitfalls that PR practitioners need to deal with—tricky situations that need as much sensitive handling as any other issue. These, for the most part, are the exception rather than the rule.

And because I have been asked, from time to time, what PR professionals need to watch out for, I would like to share a few “cautionary tales” for the benefit of my industry colleagues and for aspiring PR professionals out there.

clients who take advantage of and use 1yourPotential ideas but “forget” to remunerate you. Even before

“fake news” came along, we in the PR profession have had encounters with “fake clients.”

Check out their modus: they send you an e-mail at first or call you under the pretext of being new at their business, then very “enthusiastically” pick on your brain, claiming that they need to see if engaging in PR services would be the right move for them. Before you notice it, you are being enticed to share your ideas and suggestions on what they can do initially. They’re such good actors that they even mention a target date and venue for the event or launch that they have in mind.

You know how this ends. I did mention fake clients, did I? When we were just starting out in PR, we would be overgenerous with our time and ideas, and would dish them out without first ensuring that the project would push through.

Over time, however, the wisdom we gained from years of experience taught us how to tell which clients were only out to get “free services.”

How to avoid them?

Choose your clients or potential partners well. Make sure they were referred by someone you know and trust.

You can also do your own online research to check out their company background and credentials. If agencies or suppliers are required to present their credentials to clients, we should, likewise, claim our right to ask potential partners for validation. They must show solid proof that they pay their agencies or suppliers the professional fees due them.

Clients who do not live up to agreements and pretend 2to know more about your

business than you. I once had a

client, a foreign-based Filipino woman who, through a common friend, persuaded me to help her with a personal cause that she started for her disabled son. I initially believed that she sincerely wanted to help build a community that would benefit a specific disadvantaged sector, so I agreed to assist her in publicizing their fund-raising event that would help this proposed community.

After we succeeded in generating considerable

came up?” when you are already at the venue. Clients who do this must be made to realize that they also need to respect our time and that we have other business matters in our agenda.

How to avoid:

Always keep your professionalism and confirm your meetings consistently. If they continue to disregard your concerns and act unprofessionally, you may need to call their attention in a formal letter. If this is a client worth keeping, they will take such matters at face value and resolve to adopt more professional behavior.

attention and support for her event (which was quite wellattended), she refused to pay the amount we had agreed on at the start of the project. She claimed that according to her “other friends who also know PR,” she should pay us only after we did a post-event publicity campaign, something that we had not included in our original agreement.

She changed the terms of our engagement midway, so I did what was best at that point— we resigned and quit while we still had the dignity to just let it go. We did not even demand payment for our services.

How to avoid them:

Make sure you have a signed and written agreement between yourself and clients with specific details, especially if they are based abroad or if you hardly know them.

It will also help if you doublecheck a potential new client’s reputation. I found out too late that this woman who cheated us out of our professional fees had earlier conned another PR colleague, who had exactly the same misfortune of trusting her.

And once something like this happens to you, you should warn other PR friends against working with the same.

who want to copy all the ideas that they like 3aboutClients other products that may

not necessarily apply to their own. There are potential clients

who like to monitor and check out everything that is written about their competitors and then expect you, their PR agency or consultant, to try to outwit, surpass or even preempt the success of their competition.

Now this is only possible if they provide you with considerable lead time and sufficient resources that will allow you to utilize all the tools needed to achieve their objective.

But if all they are willing to give you are words of motivation without the support of a proper budget, then you know their goal should be filed under “wishful thinking.”

How to avoid them?

If a client has this inclination and you expect to be working with them for a period of time, I suggest that you honestly and candidly advise them about what is achievable given their budget. Help them manage their expectations by giving them the reality of costs visà-vis objectives. (You may also refer to my previous column titled, “Dear Client: Here are some ways you can

get the best out of your creative team,” published in this paper on March 18, 2019. Here is the link: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2019/03/18/dear-client-hereare-some-ways-you-can-get-thebest-out-of-your-creative-team/)

who have no respect for your time.

4Clients

It is extremely unprofessional for clients to set meetings and then forget about it, or worse, tell you, “So sorry but can you come back this afternoon because something

PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier association for senior communications professionals around the world. Joy LumawigBuensalido is the President and CEO of Buensalido and Associates Public Relations.

PR Matters is devoting a special column each month to answer our readers’ questions about public relations. Please send your questions or comments to askipraphil@gmail.com.

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E4 Monday, October 21, 2019

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I study teen suicide and believe clinical science can predict who is at risk

By Adam Bryant Miller

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

P

THE CONVERSATION

EOPLE often ask me what I do for a living. In the past, I would start with something vague, saying things like “I’m a researcher; I work at the university.

I work with teenagers.” Inevitably, people wanted to know more. And then I told them, “Actually, I research why teenagers are dying by suicide.”

Reactions have included a shocked silence, stories of local suicide deaths, personal disclosures of struggles with suicidal thoughts and general unease. These days, I do not shy away from telling people what I study. And that is intentional. I try to raise awareness and reduce stigma around teen suicide by talking about it frequently.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth between ages 10 and 24 in the United States and across the globe. Rates of suicide death have increased since 1999, particularly among teen girls. In fact, teens in the US are more likely to die by suicide than by any other medical illness. Even more teens seriously consider suicide and make suicide attempts compared to those who die by suicide.

But, suicide is preventable.

We just have to get better at predicting which teenagers are at risk and when.

Why do I study teen suicide?

My interest in suicide began long before I knew I was going to be a researcher.

I grew up in the rural South in a highly conservative Christian church. As in many churches, suicide was not discussed. Yet, many people in the congregation were likely only a few degrees of separation away from someone struggling with suicidal thoughts. I can remember attending the funeral of a teenager who had died by suicide.

Even though I was a child, I felt different at that funeral than any other I would attend over the next several decades of my life.

As I progressed through my clinical and research training, I started seeing a common theme that was not addressed by research.

In the moments of a suicidal crisis, many adolescents whom I work with in clinical settings describe feeling like their body and emotions are out of control and that nothing but suicide seems like an option to deal with it.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth between ages 10 and 24 in the United States and across the globe. Rates of suicide death have increased since 1999, particularly among teen girls.

In fact, teens in the US are more likely to die by suicide than by any other medical illness. Even more teens seriously consider suicide and make suicide attempts compared to those who die by suicide.

Imagine how a teenager must be feeling in the hours, minutes and seconds leading to a suicide attempt. Humans have highly sophisticated biological systems designed to help us regulate our emotions and behavior when we are facing intense stress. My colleagues and I have begun to see that these biological systems that control stress response systems may not be working optimally in teens who are at risk for suicide.

Why I believe clinical science can help

WHEN humans experience acute interpersonal stress, like fighting with a spouse or the sudden loss of a close friend, our brain sends signals to various systems throughout our body to help us cope. This is our “fight-or-flight” response to stress.

As teens begin puberty, their stress response systems become more reactive to stress compared to children and adults. Further, my lab has demonstrated that if we tell teen girls

that a potential peer is not interested in meeting them, their amygdala and prefrontal cortex regions of their brain are more reactive to negative images. In other words, teens are more reactive to begin with, and stressful experiences make it even worse. This helps explain why adults frequently perceive teenagers as reactive and emotional. In part, they are correct.

But teens at risk for suicide may not respond to stress like their peers.

My lab is conducting a series of studies to investigate neural circuits that are linked with stress responses and that may increase risk for suicide. In one of our early studies, we found that teenagers who have a history of suicidal thoughts showed less activation in a key brain region that helps regulate emotions, called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, when they viewed negative images. In contrast, youth without a history of suicidal thoughts engaged this

region automatically.

Other scientists have also shown that teenagers with histories of suicide attempts have greater activation in a brain region called the anterior cingulate cortex, which helps resolve conflict, when they view angry faces.

This suggests that teens at risk for suicide may have a more difficult time making decisions in the context of negative social experiences.

However, so far, it is unclear what causes these brain differences in teens at risk for suicide.

How teens react to stress

ALTHOUGH we have more work to do, I believe these alterations in brain activity may emerge as a biomarker—that is, an objective measure—of abnormal stress responses that increase risk for suicide. If stress systems are not being efficiently engaged to help cope, a teen facing intense stress might perceive no other solution than suicide.

If my lab and others continue to replicate these findings, then we may be able to eventually predict with greater accuracy which teens are most at risk for future suicidal thoughts and behavior.

That will give physicians and behavioral health providers greater ability to target prevention and intervention efforts to address objective markers of suicide risk.

This may seem like a long shot, but continuing to investigate the same set of risk factors has not improved our prediction of suicidal thoughts and behaviors over the past several decades.

I believe that clinical science can help us better understand how a teen’s biology makes them more vulnerable to stress compared to their peers. I am excited about future research that combines biological tools, like neuroimaging, with daily monitoring of suicide risk through cellphones and wearable technology, like Fitbits. For example, a future study might first conduct laboratory assessments with adolescents in the lab to measure stress responses and then monitor their behavior in real time with wearable technology to establish person-specific risk patterns.

Adolescent suicide is complex, but clinical science research can sharpen our understanding of how real-world stress affects individual teens’ biology, leading to acute suicide risk.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: http://theconversation. com/i-study-teen-suicide-andbelieve-clinical-science-can-predictwho-is-at-risk-123742.

A BusinessMirror Special Report

PL STIC WASTE

Monday, October 21, 2019

Project Managers: Karinna Mauricio and Czarina Blancaflor

F1

COUNTDOWN TO UNITED NATIONS S.D.G. # 12

GOVERNMENTS, BUSINESSES, PEOPLE ARE RACING TO CLEAN UP THEIR ACT, WASTE-PROOF THE FUTURE

HE end of 2019 means another decade in the books. And with that, countries around the world are left with just 10 years to fulfill their commitment of providing a better future and life for everyone.

By 2030, at least 17 sustainable development goals (SDG), which are blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all, should be met.

All of these goals are tall order. And one of the gargantuan tasks for countries, especially like the Philippines, is by becoming a nation that is able to do “more and better with less.”

The SDG 12, known as Sustainable Consumption and Production, promotes “resource- and energy-efficient, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all.”

Among the targets of the goal is “to substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse,” by 2030.

And achieving such feat entails the cooperation of every global citizen up to multibillionaire firms.

“Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into

their reporting cycle,” SDG 12.6 reads.

In the Philippines, multinational firms have been stepping up their game to contribute to the achievement of this SDG.

sessments conducted in six cities and seven municipalities across the Philippines, according to Gaia.

In the study, Gaia pointed out that one of the biggest challenge in domestic waste reduction is the “the proliferation of plastic bags, sachets, and other disposable plastic packaging and products.”

As Gaia puts it: Single-use disposable plastic is the greatest obstacle to sound waste and resource management.

“Inadequate waste management systems and human negligence are often cited as the main contributors to plastic waste leakage into terrestrial and marine environments—but waste and brand audit data in many parts of the world are helping reveal that the unfettered production of disposable plastic is the actual problem,” the group said in the report released in March.

“As long as the mass production of throwaway plastics continues unabated, cities and countries will find it harder and harder to cope. Put simply, disposable plastic is a pollution problem, and the only way to prevent it is to stop it at source,” it added.

The ‘single-use’ problem

THE Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (Gaia) released a study this year that sought to provide a “snapshot of the plastic pollution problem” in the Philippines, “where a number of cities are trying to implement sustainable Zero Waste strategies.”

Gaia is a global network of more than 800 grassroots groups, nongovernment organizations that promotes “zero waste as a holistic solution and an economic shift toward justice and sustainability.”

In its study titled “Plastics Exposed How Waste Assessments and Brand Audits are Helping Philippine Cities Fight Plastic Pollution,” Gaia pointed to the “lack of extensive data” in the Philippines regarding the “regarding the production, consumption, and disposal of single-use plastics and plastic packaging.”

“For example, there is no data on the total sachet production of companies, which make up a significant portion of throwaway plastics in dumps, waterways, and beaches,” the group explained in the study released last March.

The research compiled data from 21 waste as-

DREAMSTIME.COM

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By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

164 million sachets a day

THE Gaia study yielded 48,080 pieces of plastic products from the 21 study sites. Of which are: 25,147 Continued on F4

A BusinessMirror Special Report

F2 Monday, October 21, 2019

PL STIC WASTE

THE TRUTH ABOUT PLASTIC P

By Leony Garcia

LASTIC per se is not the problem.

Mismanagement or improper disposal of plastic is the culprit of the world’s plastic waste problem.

Plastic is a unique material with many benefits: it’s cheap, versatile, lightweight, and resistant. This makes it a valuable material for many functions. It can also provide environmental benefits through certain supply chains as it plays a critical role in maintaining food quality, safety and preventing waste.

The trade-offs between plastics and substitutes (or complete bans) are therefore complex and could create negative knock-on environmental impacts.

That’s why members of the Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers, Inc. (PCFMI) were one in saying no to the total ban of plastics including the onetime-use materials.

For the group of local food manufacturers which uses plastic packages on their products, plastic per se is not the problem.

The mismanagement/improper disposal of plastic is the culprit of the world’s plastic waste problem according to them as validated by the studies presented during the group’s annual membership meeting in September this year.

But being an urgent environmental issue, PCFMI Chairman and President Elizabeth M. De Leon-Lim, called for collaborative actions toward the complex and urgent issue of plastic wastes.

“We believe that collaborative and collective actions toward the complex and urgent issue of plastic wastes are necessary, requiring the involvement of all stakeholders in the public and the private sectors,” she said.

Although the Philippines is ranked third highest source of ocean plastic pollution, next to China and Indonesia, the country has one of the best ordinances when it comes to abating plastic waste. Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 was crafted in response to the looming garbage problems in the country.

It was passed by the Philippine Congress on December 20, 2000, and was subsequently approved by the Office of the President on January 26, 2001.

RA 9003 declares the policy of the state in adopting

a systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid waste management program that ensures the protection of public health and the environment and the proper segregation, collection, transport, storage, treatment and disposal of solid waste through the formulation and adoption of best environmental practices. Moreover, it illustrates the potentials and benefits of recycling not only in addressing waste management problems but also in alleviating poverty.

In relation to ocean clean up drives and rehabilitation, the country also holds several successful projects including the Boracay Island rehab and the Manila Bay cleanup program. Private groups and individuals, together with government agencies tasked for these programs, mainly, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the local government units (LGUs) regularly conduct coastal cleanups.

One of the favorite venues for coastal cleanup is the Las PiñasParañaque Critical Habitat & EcoTourism Area (LPPCHEA). The Wetland Park is a 175-hectares mangrove forest and marine habitat that serves as a sanctuary for 84 bird species, including migratory birds from as far as Siberia. It is the breeding site of the vulnerable Philippine Duck and supports at least 1,000 of the remaining 100,000 remaining Black-Winged Stilts in the world.

Established in 2007,

LPPCHEA is a nature reserve of mangroves, ponds, lagoons, mudflats, salt marshes, and mixed beach forest which has been the site of many cleanup activities of various individuals and groups.

According to Joey Petras who works as farmworker for LPPCHEA under DENRParanaque, hundreds of sack of rubbish are collected almost every week by volunteers. He said the garbage in the area used to be taller than his 5-feet-8inch frame when he started as a farmworker in 2010. Today, the DENR has five farm workers and 17 bakawan warriors for the upkeep of the area.

A recent cleanup activity at LLPCHEA by key officers and employees of AllHome Corporation, numbering 150, in September this year, gathered a total of 155 sacks of rubbish which is equivalent to 1,421.7 kilos of trash composed mainly of plastic, rubber, styrofoam, glass and assorted items. The DENR Team headed the weighing of the rubbish which was turned over to Paranaque office. Recyclable items would be turned over to individuals and groups who are into producing new items from the waste products according to DENR.

F

OOD and plastic groups have called for cooperation among the government, business and consumers to solve the country’s perennial plastic waste problem in a holistic way.

During the 3rd General Membership Meeting of the Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers, Inc. (PCFMI) held in Pasay City on Wednesday, PCFMI Chairman and President Elizabeth M. De Leon-Lim emphasized that plastic wastes are an urgent environmental issue that concerns everybody.

“We believe that collaborative and collective actions toward the complex and urgent issue of plastic wastes are necessary, requiring the involvement of all stakeholders in the public and the private sectors,” she said.

Plastic materials have brought immense convenience to the peoples’ lives. Nevertheless, they have contibuted also to the crisis the world faces at present— the climate change.

Citing the Geyer, Jambeck, and Law study in 2017, Philippine Plastics Industry Association (PPIA) President Vicente Co Lee revealed that the world produces more than 400 million tons of plastics annually, and 36 percent of which are used in packaging.

In the Philippines, which is known as a “tingi” republic, he noted a recent report that showed Filipinos use 163 million sachets everyday.

This figure, according to him, is “very frightening” that everyone concerned needs to “come up with a plan” on how to address it.

For food manufacturers, Lim said that they recognize the importance of packaging that provides consumers “safe, high quality products that have reasonable shelf lives, and are

affordable,” especially in the kind of economy the Philippines has.

“Therefore, we must exercise due care in the search for packaging alternatives,” she said.

At present, the use of biodegradable plastic bag is widely enforced in the country, alongside the paper bag as an alternative, given the various environmental policies in place on both national and local scale.

Contrary to the rational of these policies, their ecological effects were disputed by a study of the De La Salle University in 2016.

Based on the research dubbed “Life Cycle Assessment of Carrying Bags Options For Metro Manila”, reusable (non-woven) bags have the least impact on the environment, followed by plastic.

Paper has the highest score per its effect and contributes a lot to flooding than plastic, it added.

Despite the results, however, Lee told the BusinessMirror that paper remains popular as a better alternative than biodgeradable bag and plastic.

“It’s not for the plastic industry to [dictate]. We’re just here to present reality,” he said of the DLSU study. “It’s just a conscious decision of the consumer. Again, the best solution, of course, is not to waste any packaging, whether it’s paper, reusable bag, plastic, or

BURGOS WIND FARM JOINS THE FIGHT AGAINST PLASTIC POLLUTION

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HE Energy Development Corporation, home to the largest wind power farm in Southeast Asia has joined groups of earth warriors in reducing single-use plastic materials.

Starting with their host communities particularly students of the Burgos Agro Industrial School, in the 4th District of Ilocos Norte, around 200 students here are being trained how to make ecobricks, a plastic bottle stuffed with clean plastic wrappers which can be used as a building block.

Deborah Melchor, head of the Corporate Social Responsibility program of the EDC, said Friday that a workshop on ecobrick-making was introduced to the students and teachers to manage plastic wastes in the community.

“This was a follow up of the first ecobrick workshop we introduced last February 2019 with invited trainers from the Global Ecobrick Alliance,” said Melchor. “This resulted to the launching of the Basura Exchange Store Tiangge (BEST), an initiative by the Barangay Poblacion, Burgos Central Elementary School and the Burgos wind farm”.

Study shows Filipinos throw out 163 million sachets and 93 million pieces of plastic bags every day.

These unmanaged plastic wastes almost always find its way to the ocean. Roughly around 5 trillion pieces of plastics are already floating in the ocean.

Alarmed with this scenario, Melchor said the Burgos wind farm is focusing its effort in combating plastic pollution through ecobrick making, a cost-efficient and innovative way of tackling plastic wastes and prevent it from harming the environment.

Ecobricks can be used as the material in building benches, fences, walkways, tables and chairs and even buildings. To date, the Burgos wind farm was able to collect 655 pieces of ecobricks equivalent to 475.719 kilograms of plastic wastes. These will be used as construction materials for the EDC’s planned projects for school.

Meanwhile, EBWPC hopes to reach out to more schools to educate more learners about the dangers of plastic pollution and how each one can contribute to managing it. (PNA)

Global efforts towards plastic pollution

IN September 2018, a group of the world’s most influential business leaders, policymakers, Continued on F7

Holistic approach among stakeholders urged to address solid waste problem in PHL

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

www.businessmirror.com.ph

even bottles.”

The PPIA president stressed that a ban or policy reforms are not the solutions to get rid of plastics.

“It’s not needed yet.

They have to be implemented thoroughly and more data should be gathered before we decide on what to change [in existing environment laws and ordinacnes],” Lee said.

He also sees no reason for amendments in legislations even if their industry attributed them to the 20 percent decrease on demand for plastic over the past recent years.

“That’s the reality. So we have just to adjust,” Lee said, conceding that while some plastic manufacturers had closed shop some now also produce paper bags.

Addressing the country’s solid waste problem is here to stay, but for Lim, the ways to deal with it are on hand and that should be taken by all the stakeholders.

“There is a need for various efforts: To innovate with regards to packaging materials; to level up solid waste management with a circular approach that includes collection, recovery, and recycling; and to embrace attitudes and behaviors that eventually will bring about a waste-free environment,” she said.

LOVE TANIM. Almost 50 volunteer employees of Resorts World Manila (RWM), together with friends from the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP), joined the tree-planting activity held at the La Mesa Pumping Station in Novaliches, Quezon City. The event was organized by the RWM CSR team as part of its LOVE Green program. Through such programs, RWM continues to strengthen its commitment as an organization that actively supports the country’s environmental management efforts.

TAWI-TAWI VENDORS ELIMINATE PLASTIC WASTE USING COCONUT LEAVES BASKET

By Atom L. Pornel

V

ENDORS from Tawi-Tawi in southern Philippines have come up with an alternative packaging to eliminate the use of plastics by using baskets made from coconut leaves.

The fruits and vegetable vendors of Bongao use baskets made entirely of coconut leaves locally called “Sulingkat” to transport and to display their farm produce in the market.

According to Jan Darren Guiwan, the travel blogger who took and shared the photos of Tawi-Tawi vendors in social media, the locals said it's way of reducing the use of single-use plastics.

Meanwhile, various Filipino organizations and

institutions have been advocating sustainability by using alternatives to plastics used in food preparation and packaging.

The Liberty Commercial Center in Albay also went “green” by using banana leaves in wrapping their vegetables instead of using plastics.

Quezon National High School in Lucena City has started to use banana leaves and Manila paper in serving hot meals to the students.

The Wala Usik school canteen of Bulata National High School in Negros Occidental has been using bamboo mugs, coconut shell bowls, and plates from banana leaves instead of those made from plastic materials.

(Good News Pilipinas)

A BusinessMirror Special Report

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PL STIC WASTE

Monday, October 21, 2019

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Nestlé Philippines: tackling the plastics challenge

A

By Leony Garcia

S the world’s largest food and beverage company with a significant presence in the Philippines, Nestlé has laid out its broader vision to achieve a waste-free future in which none of its packaging, particularly plastic, ends up in landfills, the oceans, or as litter.

In April 2018, Nestlé announced its global commitment to make 100 percent of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.

“Tackling the problem of plastic waste in the environment and arriving at sustainable solutions are of paramount importance to Nestlé,” said Nestlé Philippines Chairman and CEO Kais Marzouki.

“At Nestlé, we intend to achieve our vision through three focus areas: developing the packaging of the future; helping shape a waste-free future; and driving new behaviors and understanding,” he added.

“We are accelerating our efforts to find solutions to the plastics problem. It is imperative that while we look for innovative packaging solutions, we also take immediate action to avoid leakage into waterways and oceans, and find ways to recycle our packaging,” Marzouki elaborated, saying the company

continues to explore multiple plastic collection schemes and drive the right mindset toward proper solid waste management.

Innovating packaging solutions

NESTLÉ Philippines has progressively reduced the material used for its packaging, rolling out alternative materials and solutions while ensuring product quality and safety. For instance, the amount of plastic used per pack of Bear Brand and Nescafé has been reduced by optimizing pack thickness and size. Besides shifting to lighter-colored plastics, it also intends to replace laminated cartons for easier recycling.

At Nestlé, the quest for alternative materials and innovative solutions for litter-prone items, such as plastic straws, is in full swing. The company has also replaced stretch film with glue application for holding shipping cases together during transport, thus reducing the use of plastic.

KEEPING WASTE PLASTIC SACHETS AND USED BEVERAGE CARTONS AWAY FROM LANDFILL AND WATERWAYS. Nestlé Philippines recently formed a citywide partnership dubbed May Balik! Sa Plastik! with Valenzuela City for the incentivized collection of waste plastic sachets and used beverage cartons from its 33 barangays. The sachets are then co-processed in the cement kilns of Republic Cement and used beverage cartons are recycled through a paper mill. In photo are representatives from the Corporate Affairs office of Nestlé Philippines and Valenzuela City’s Public Sanitation and Cleanliness Group during a collection day at a public school.

GREEN ANTZ ECO-BRICKS. Nestlé has entered into a long-term collaboration with Green Antz Builders, an innovative social enterprise, to partner with local government units (LGUs) for the collection of waste sachets that are then used in the manufacture of valuable construction materials such as eco-bricks (in photo) and eco-pavers. Approximately 100 waste plastic sachets are used in the manufacture of each eco-brick.

BEAR BRAND TIBAY CHAIRS. Elementary school children using Tibay chairs made from used Bear Brand packs under a partnership of Bear Brand Fortified Powdered Milk Drink with the Department of Education (DepEd) and Philippine Business for Social Progress dubbed the Tibayanihan Upcycling Project.

BEFORE.

AFTER.

Nestlé has set timelines to remove hard-to-recycle or litterprone plastics and has eliminated five out of six materials that are not recyclable or are hard to recycle, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinyliden chloride (PVDC), and polystyrene (PS).

Initiatives are underway to redesign plastics for recycling.

Through its recently inaugurated Nestlé Institute of Packaging Sciences, the first of its kind in the food industry, and with guidance from its research centers across the globe, Nestlé is exploring plastics for packaging that are designed to be recycled, and at the same time looking for sustainable alternatives.

Given that packaging must deliver safe, high-quality products with reasonable shelf lives which are affordable to consumers, Nestlé is exercising great care in the search for alternatives.

Increasing collection, recovery and recycling

IN 2018, Nestlé Philippines launched an internal sachet collection initiative in its offices and factories to create awareness and promote participation to encourage segregation at source.

Nestlé has entered into a long-term collaboration with Green Antz Builders, an innovative social enterprise, to partner with local government units (LGUs) for the collection of waste sachets that are then used in the manufacture of valuable construction materials such as ecobricks and eco-pavers.

Nestlé has also forged programs with the LGUs of Cabuyao City in Laguna, Baliwag in Bulacan, Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental, and Cauayan City in Isabela to collect and recycle sachets, turning them into Green Antz eco-bricks.

Nestlé Philippines has replaced stretch film with glue application for holding shipping cases together during transport, thus reducing the use of plastic.

The company recently formed a citywide partnership dubbed May Balik! Sa Plastik! with Valenzuela City for the incentivized collection of waste plastic sachets and used beverage cartons from its 33 barangays. The sachets are then co-processed in the cement kilns of Republic Cement and used beverage cartons are recycled through a paper mill.

Nestlé's on-the-go beverages and other ready-to-drink (RTD) products now have a RTD Baon Subscription program powered by goodfood.ph. When a new batch of orders arrives, consumers are encouraged to turn over their used beverage cartons which are then taken to a partner recycling facility. Likewise, retail partners are encouraged to collect used beverage cartons for conversion into recycled paper.

Bear Brand Fortified Powdered Milk Drink, the Department of Education (DepEd), and Philippine Business for Social Progress have teamed up for the Tibayanihan Upcycling Project.

Used packs are converted into Tibay chairs which are donated to schools in need. Under the project which started in 2015, some 2,500 Tibay chairs have been turned over to 50 public schools nationwide. This year, with partners such as Mercury Drug Foundation, more than 1,500 Tibay chairs will be deployed.

Collection of wastes during Nestlé events is another area of effort. The recent Milo Marathon leg in Manila was a zero waste event at which sampling and runners’ drinking cups were collected and co-processed.

Nestlé has also initiated partnerships with fast-moving consumer goods companies, industry associations, government, non-government organizations, academe and recyclers through the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS). PARMS has launched a plastic waste recovery program in seven pilot schools and their communities, in cooperation with Parañaque City’s Community Environment and Natural Resources Office and DepEd. The organization has also established a plastics recycling facility which houses extrusion and eco-brick equipment that will recycle postconsumer laminates.

Still more initiatives

NESTLÉ also recognizes the need to extend responsible solid waste management beyond the confines of its operations.

Accordingly, the company provides training in solid waste management for Valenzuela City’s barangay officials, teachers, and volunteers.

Communication and education efforts likewise are conducted in communities where Green Antz eco-brick hubs supported

by Nestlé operate.

Today, single-use plastics are no longer used at Nestlé Philippines’ facilities. Early this year, its offices began to use metal cutlery and glasses, and employees are encouraged not to accept plastic forks and spoons with food deliveries.

“We want to look at the different options to solve the complex problem of plastic waste and employ various approaches that can contribute to its solution. As we accelerate our actions, we are aware that shaping a waste-free future is a long and challenging journey requiring much innovation, determination, learning, and effort. Being stakeholders, all of us need to make the journey together, to collaborate with optimism, in order to achieve successes along the way,” Marzouki said.

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Monday, October 21, 2019 | www.businessmirror.com.ph

COUNTDOWN TO UNITED NATIONS S.D.G. # 12

GOVERNMENTS, BUSINESSES, PEOPLE ARE RACING TO CLEAN Continued from F1 pieces of sachets, 15,581 pieces of multilayer, multimaterial sachets, 11,526 pieces of plastic labo bags, 7,246 pieces of plastic shopping bags and 4,161 other items.

From these the researchers extrapolated data to estimate the plastic residual use per capita per year and for the entire Philippines per day.

Based on the data, Gaia said an average Filipino uses 591 pieces of sachets per year or about 1.64 pieces a day, a “modest figure compared to urban consumption.”

“For example in Quezon City, which can reach as many as six pieces per person per day. Included in the sachet count are: shampoo, conditioner, detergent, fabric softener, condiments, coffee and other drinks, processed food, etc,” Gaia said.

The Gaia study’s findings revealed almost 164 million pieces of sachets are used daily, equivalent to about 59.7 billion pieces of sachets annually.

“These sachets represent billions of pesos in profits for manufacturing companies.

However, these companies are not mandated to manage sachet waste once they have sold these to Filipino consumers. All these sachets are unrecyclable and represent waste that has to be managed by cities and municipalities using taxpayers’ money,” it said.

“All these sachets are unrecyclable and represent waste that has to be managed by cities and municipalities using taxpayers’ money,” it added.

Furthermore, Gaia findings showed that the Philippines uses 48.125 million pieces of plastic shopping bags and 45.228 million pieces of plastic labo bags daily.

The country also uses a little over 3 million pieces of disposable diapers a day, which is equivalent to 76 pieces of diapers per Filipino per year.

“These figures show that that the sheer volume of residual waste generated daily is beyond the capacity of barangays, cities and municipali-

ties to manage: the problem is the huge amount of single use plastics being produced, not the way the waste is managed,” Gaia said.

Additional household income

THE Gaia study also looked at potential income of a household per study site if they would collect and sell recyclables. Based on their data gathering, 11 to 23.87 percent of total household waste in the sample sites are recyclables which could be diverted from landfills by bringing these to junkshops or waste markets.

“The old saying ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ holds true in the amount of recyclables that can be recovered from household waste,” the report read.

Based on the extrapolation of data, a Quezon City household could earn P11.68 a week from just selling recyclables to junk shop, according to the study.

“The amount might not be significant to a household of four people, but it could mean additional income for a waste collector assigned to 200 households. The figure could translate to P9,352 (USD178.81) a month for that waste collector,” the study said.

On a barangay level, for example, Gaia noted that Brgy. Paraiso, one of the sample sites, which has a population of 3,790 or 816 households, could collectively generate nearly P500,000 annually by selling recyclables.

Stepping up

IN the Philippines, multinationals have been stepping up their game to meet SDG 12 as the goal explicitly pointed out their responsibilities in turning the world to a better and more sustainable habitat.

In June of this year, Nestlé Philippines together with Valenzuela City, the Department of Education (DepEd) and Green Antz Builders Inc., launched a city-wide residual waste-recovery program in Valenzuela City, known as “plastic city” for hosting a number of plastic factories in Metro Manila.

Nestlé Philippines’s program called May Balik!

Sa Plastik! promotes proper waste segregation, recycling, and disposal—packaging materials that end up in sanitary engineered landfills or open dumps.

The program targets the recovery of waste laminates such as postconsumer sachets and used beverage cartons, considered residual wastes and comprise the bulk of ocean-plastic pollution. The Philippines is the third-largest source of ocean plastic pollution.

Under the program, using appropriate technologies, these so-called residual wastes may still be used for recycling, upcycling or coprocessing in cement kilns.

A first-class city, Valenzuela City is determined to challenge the perception that plastic is bad. Properly managed, plastic or even its so-called residual waste, have its positive impact to livelihood, and environment, Mayor Rexlon Gatchalian said during the launch at the city’s Amphitheater.

Speaking mostly in Filipino, Gatchalian said through the program, they hope to encourage proper use and disposal of plastics as it also has positive effect to the environment and through the program, to help improve the living condition in Valenzuela City by converting these residual wastes into cash.

Valenzuela City is among the very few cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) without an ordinance that bans the use of single-use plastic or Styrofoam.

“Tackling the problem of plastic waste in the environment and arriving at sustainable solutions are of paramount importance to Nestlé,” the company’s Chairman and CEO Kais Mazouki said.

Marzouki recalled that in April 2018, Nestle announced a global commitment that 100 percent of its packaging will be designed for recycling or reusable by 2025 as it envisions that none of its waste would end up in landfill or as litter.

He said this can be achieved through three focus areas, namely, developing packaging of the future; helping shape a waste-free future through collection and recycling and addressing consumer beliefs and behaviors.

“At Nestle Philippines, we are accelerating our efforts to find solutions to the plastic problem,” he said. He added that while the company looks for innovative packaging solutions, it is also imperative to take immediate action to stop leakage into waterways and oceans, and find ways to recycle its packaging.

Under the program and in partnership with Green Antz Builders Inc., the proponents of the program will encourage school children to turn over their sachets and used beverage cartons in designated outlets.

Green Antz Builders Inc., an innovative social enterprise which manufactures alternative construction materials, will use these residual waste as raw materials for eco-bricks.

The company will collect the plastic waste from the schools and barangays. The bulk of the collection will go to Republic Cement for co-processing in its cement kilns.

Billion-peso facility

ALMOST the same time as Nestlé's May Balik sa Plastic program, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI), the bottling arm of Coca-Cola in the country, unveiled its P1-billion investment in a pioneering foodgrade facility to help boost recycling in the country.

This was Coca-Cola’s first major investment in a recycling facility in South East Asia and is part of the its commitment to a World Without Waste.

CCBPI said it has engaged with potential partners to "ensure that the positive impact of the facility will be total and far-reaching."

These partners include: a reputable local company, as well as an internationally-recognized green technology partner in recycling.

CCBPI explained that facility will collect, sort, clean and wash post-consumer PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles and turn them into new bottles using advanced technology.

“Coca-Cola has called the Philippines its home

for 107 years and counting, and we want to do our part in ensuring sustainability within its shores,” said Gareth McGeown, President and CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc.

“Our Coca-Cola bottles and cans are 100-percent recyclable and have value as a recycled material.

Our aspiration with this facility is to close the loop on our packaging by helping turn old bottles into new ones. This facility is testament to our resolve in making our World Without Waste vision a reality across the country, with real positive impact not just across our value chain, but also in the communities where we belong,” McGeown added.

Once established, the facility is expected to help improve PET collection and recycling rates in the Philippines—and, with this, the generation of more Filipino jobs, according to the multinational.

“The project will also help uplift the livelihood of workers across the waste materials value chain, including that of waste-pickers and wastecollectors. Through job creation and the institutionalization of environmentally conscious practices, this recycling facility will help build stronger communities,” CCBPI said.

The project is an integral part of “World Without Waste” – Coca-Cola’s global commitment to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle and can that it sells by 2030, it said.

“The company also intends to use an average of 50-percent recycled content in its packaging including its PET bottles,” CCBPI said.

“World Without Waste is one of Coca-Cola’s most ambitious sustainability goals to date. Over the years, the company has made strong progress in the Philippines by integrating sustainability across the business and the value chain—from water resources (the company has already achieved over 100% water replenishment through an array of community water projects); to energy (50 percent of Coca-Cola’s operational energy requirements in

Manila Marriott Leads the Way with Sustainable Initiatives in the Hospitality Industry A

S one of the leading 5-star hotel properties in the country, with 570 rooms and 9 dining outlets, along with a Grand Ballroom that can accommodate up to 4,000 guests, the Manila Marriott has taken to heart its responsibility towards introducing sustainability practices that can help reduce environmental impact while offering guests that same level of luxury during their stay.

Red Cross. This initiative also contributes in the hotel’s food waste reduction. Not to be mistaken as “leftovers,” the donated food items are meticulously prepared by the hotel’s culinary team with the same care undertaken for the hotel’s F&B outlets. Since 2011, the Manila Marriott has donated excess food from Banquet Events and Staff Canteen to the Philippine Red Cross—Pasay Chapter every month, serving a total of 17, 534 beneficiaries, particularly children, pregnant women and the elderly.

Greener food choices

ITS Sustainable Seafood project, launched in 2015, introduced sustainably-caught seafood choices in the menus of the Marriott Café, CRU Steakhouse, and in their banquet dining. The hotel has been using and serving a total volume of 71% certified sustainable seafood in just a span of three years.

The Marriott culinary team, under Executive Chef Meik Brammer, is also conscious about sourcing other ingredients such as fresh local produce that have less carbon footprint.

Brammer, who leads the sustainable food sourcing initiatives of Manila Marriott, has been avidly supporting

Contributing to the circular economy

ANTHONY Raymond of Discovery Hospitality, Wouter van Ravenhorst of Control Union Philippines, Winchester Lemen of Envirotech Waste Recycling Inc., Seth Wang of Peterson Projects & Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd., Sebastian Troeng of Conservation International, Ephraim Patrick Batungbacal of Southeast Aisa – Philippines, Executive Chef Kiko Santiago of Sheraton Manila, Philip John Golding of Golding Hospitality Group and Center of Culinary Arts, Adam Josselsohn of Chefworks, Dhang Tecson of Balangay’s Best, Rose Mendez of Meliomar Inc., Christian Schmidradner of Pristine Solutions, Executive Chef of Marriott Hotel Manila Chef Meik Brammer, Eduardo Gogona of Bueau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Chit Juan of USAID, and Eyal Ben Ari of Aba Pardes Agritech Corp.

organic farming, it was few years ago when the hotel partnered with local farmers in Batangas where a variety

SHARA Mae Arceo of Philippine Red Cross, Chief Executive Officer of Envirotech Waste Recycling Inc. Winchester Lemen, Executive Chef Meik Brammer, Micot Juico, and Adelina Castillo of Philippine Red Cross.

of herbs and vegetables used in the hotel are grown and harvested.

Manila Marriott has likewise

committed to its monthly food donation to underprivileged communities identified by Philippine

WITH Marriott International taking more strides into creating a sustainability model for its hotels all over the world, Marriott Manila is introducing more environment-friendly practices into its operations. Marriott International President and CEO Arne Sorenson recently announced that the hotel chain, which is the largest in the world, aims to eliminate 500 million small toiletry bottles from the hotel chain’s current plastic amenity

the country utilize renewable energy); to sustainable packaging (50 percent of volume in returnable glass bottles),” it added.

Much work, little time

THE Philippines, the recognized center of world marine biodiversity, stressed at the high-level 4th UN Environment Assembly in March that countries must double time to achieve environmentalrelated SDGs including SDG 12.

The UN Environment Assembly is the multilateral’s highest-decision making body on environmental issues.

The Philippines challenged fellow UN member-states to detail what they have achieved after decades of negotiations toward a better and sustainable global environment.

The country’s statement during the fourday high-level March meeting in Nairobi, Kenya was delivered by Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Francis Maynard Maleon.

“After decades of negotiations resulting in multilateral environmental agreements of every kind, we should have at least made a dent in the gargantuan task of cleaning up the environment, halting and reversing biodiversity loss and drastically reducing our emissions.

But, are we succeeding?” Maleon said.

“Now, more than ever is the best time to seriously take stock of what we have accomplished, thus far, and, building on these efforts, to unequivocally, ambitiously, and innovatively move forward, and not backwards, with concrete actions towards building sustainable and resilient societies,” Maleon added.

Maleon said countries as “as one global community” must “strive for sustainable consumption and production patterns, using a complete full-life cycle approach, across our global economy, with the people and planet at the forefront, as spelled out in our SDGs.”

“For our part, as a mega-diverse country, the Philippines is ready to do its share - even as on a per capita, our consumption rate is lower than the global

usage. In line with this, Marriott hotels worldwide have joined the movement and are innovating ways to reduce plastic waste and further promote sustainability.

For its part, refillable glass bottles will soon replace the 65,000 single-use plastic bottles in the hotel rooms. A drop-off drive with employees has also yielded 12,000 plastic bottles during the Philippine Sustainability Month launch, which, through a partnership with the Envirotech Waste Recycling Inc., has converted thousands of plastic wastes into hundreds of school chairs that were donated to the Philippine School of the Deaf in Pasay.

Some benches made from recycled plastics are also displayed around the hotel vicinity to spread awareness about recycling among guests.

Collaborative efforts

“MARRIOTT Manila’s advocacy for the environment is not limited to the confines of our hotel alone. In a collaborative effort to help save the environment, we partnered with organizations, along with other top hotels, suppliers, government and educational institutions to find solutions towards responsible sourcing.” said Bruce Winton, Cluster General Manager of Marriott.

The annual Philippine Sustainability Month is a nationwide campaign spearheaded by Manila Marriott’s Executive Chef Meik Brammer that aims to raise awareness on sustainability while creating opportunities for livelihood.

For inquiries and updates about Manila Marriott, call (632) 9889999 or visit the hotel’s website www.manilamarriott.com, and social media accounts in FB, IG, and Twitter @ManilaMarriott.

RETAILERS that support small producers, craftsmen, and artisan showcased organic items and naturally RETAILERS that support small producers, craftsmen, and artisan showcased organic items and naturally processed seafood products such as adlai grits, coffee beans, chocolate tablea, and more. processed seafood products such as adlai grits, coffee beans, chocolate tablea, and more.

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www.businessmirror.com.ph | Monday, October 21, 2019

UP THEIR ACT, WASTE-PROOF THE FUTURE

Boracay, the agency’s centerpiece accomplishment, in 2018, and Manila Bay this year,” he said.

Maleon said the “Philippines remains committed to its roadmap and action plans for biodiversity conservation, climate change, food security, renewable and clean energy and the attainment of the SDGs.”

He continued: “Excellencies, we are running out of time. As we speak, the cost of our procrastination in addressing our abuses against our global commons and natural capital is already haunting us.

“Our unsustainable human consumption patterns must be curbed, so we can still leave behind a world where future generations can still pursue their own sustainable development aspirations, and not stolen from them.”

DREAMSTIME.COM

What lies ahead?

average - as we seriously pursue the formulation and eventual implementation of our Sustainable Consumption and Production Plan,” Maleon said.

The Filipino diplomat said this plan is in line with President Duterte’s directive to make environmental protection and ensuring sustainable development for all

“a top priority” of the current administration.

“Leading in this effort is our Department of Environment and Natural Resources which has vowed

to be more aggressive in enforcing environmental laws and regulations this year to sustain the momentum created by the six-month rehabilitation of

AS the world chases its goal of meeting a sustainable future for all, one cannot help but ask: Are plastics naturally good or bad?

Former United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) Head Erik Solheim makes a good case about this in his foreword to the program’s study titled “Single-use Plastics: A Roadmap for Sustainability.”

At the get-go, Solheim pointed out that there is no doubt that plastic is a “miracle material,” that saved “countless lives,” facilitated growth of energy sector, and “revolutionized” food storage.

But the characteristics of this “miracle material” such as convenience and affordability, made it one of the planet’s “greatest environmental challenges,” Solheim wrote.

“Our oceans have been used as a dumping ground, choking marine life and transforming some marine areas into a plastic soup,” he said.

“In cities around the world, plastic waste clogs drains, causing floods and breeding disease. Consumed by livestock, it also finds its way into the food chain,” he added.

And if that's the case, is there a way to solve this “one of the greatest environmental challenges” known to man? Solheim believes so.

“The good news,” Solheim pointed out, is that a growing number of governments are “taking actions and demonstrating that all nations, whether rich or poor, can become global environmental leaders.”

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Solheim cited the case of Rwanda, which he said “is now one of the cleanest nations on earth” since it became a pioneer in banning single-use plastic bags.

Kenya has followed the footsteps of its fellow African country to “help clear its iconic national parks and save its cows from an unhealthy diet,” Solheim said.

“Plastic isn’t the problem. It’s what we do with it. And that means the onus is on us to be far smarter in how we use this miracle material,” Solheim said in ending his foreword.

There is hope

DURING the 4th high-level UNEA in Nairobi, world leaders from more than 170 UN member-states issued a declaration saying the “world needed to speed up moves towards a new model of development in order to respect the vision laid out in the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.”

The declaration is grounded on the countries’ grave concern by the mounting evidence that the planet is “increasingly polluted, rapidly warming and dangerously depleted.”

The ministers “pledged to address environmental challenges through advancing innovative solutions and adopting sustainable consumption and production patterns,” according to Unep.

“We reaffirm that poverty eradication, changing unsustainable—and promoting sustainable —patterns of consumption and production, and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development are the overarching objectives of, and essential requirements for, sustainable development,” the ministers said in a final declaration.

“We will improve national resource management strategies with integrated full lifecycle approaches and analysis to achieve resource-efficient and low-carbon economies,” they said.

The world leaders also pledged to “significantly reduce single-use plastic products,” according to the declaration.

“We will address the damage to our ecosystems caused by the unsustainable use and disposal of plastic products, including by significantly reducing singleuse plastic products by 2030, and we will work with the private sector to find affordable and environmentally friendly products,” they said.

A BusinessMirror Special Report

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DV Boer Farm deploys ‘artificial habitat’ for a sustainable marine conservation

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INCE its establishment on October 2014, the DV Boer Farm popularly known as the “People’s Farm”, served as one of the founders of modern farming success in the Philippines.

Located in Balibago, Lian, Batangas, it has always been advocating to help and educate small

farmers in goat raising as well as getting the communities engage for the rapid development of the agriculture sector.

Being one of the fastest growing countries in the world, the Philippines faces environmental challenges mostly caused by human activities. Recently, a video went

viral in the internet showing a sea turtle feeding on a sewage in Boracay Island. The pipe was releasing what it seems to be human waste which is coming from a resort in the said island.

With this rising issue, as part of the corporation’s campaign, aside from providing livelihood

programs, DV Boer also helps to conserve the environment particularly in the province of Batangas.

Last August 16, 2019, in partnership with Philippine Air Force, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Municipality of Calatagan, and United States military, the DV Boer Farm led the installation of the 30 artificial habitat reefs in the shores of Calatagan, as part of the project dubbed as “Oplan Pamamalakaya” which aims to help the small fishermen in the coastal areas of the province as well as to preserve marine resources for the next generations.

To continually promote environmental awareness, on October 8, the DV Boer Farm conducted the installation of the second batch of artificial coral reefs in the coasts of Balayan, Batangas, which was participated by some candidates of Miss Earth 2019 and government agencies. Soliman “Dexter” Villamin Jr., founder of DV Boer Farms and National President of Magsasaka Inc., met members of the media, himself, in September to talk about this activity.

On October 9, the farm launched its dairy products and gave away sample products. About 200 kids each from Ranch Farm, La Granja de Ceres, and DV Boer Farm received milk which were distributed by the Miss Earth 2019 delegates.

Apart from the feeding program, the beauty candidates had a lot of activities with the local kids.

The night ended with a swimsuit competition where the candidates will have the chance to show off their fit and healthy physique in swimwear.

P20-M US grant boosts PH fight vs. plastic pollution

By Catherine Teves

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HE US government is helping the country battle marine debris. In July this year, the US government awarded local environment advocate, Mother Earth Foundation, and public interest network EcoWaste Coalition grants totaling some PHP20 million to support anti-marine debris projects the groups had committed to undertake in the country.

“We’re proud to work with the Philippines in finding and funding solutions to the plastic waste problem in our oceans,” US Deputy Chief of Mission John Law said at the grant-signing event in Quezon City.

He raised the urgency for action, noting that plastics’ invasion of marine waters is already harming ecosystems and biodiversity aside from threatening people’s health.

“Every year, eight million tons of plastic waste are dumped in the world’s oceans,” he said.

Such waste ends up inside the bodies of people who eat fish that ingest this debris, he noted.

The grants are part of the Municipal Waste Recycling Program (MWRP) of USAID, the lead US government agency for international development and disaster assistance.

MWRP “supports solid waste management and water recycling efforts by local and national governments, civil society organizations and academic institutions in the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam,” US Embassy in Manila said in its press release.

According to Mother Earth Foundation chairperson Sonia Mendoza, the group will use the said grant to transform the 30 barangay units in Batangas City into zero waste villages “We’ll do a house-to-house information and education campaign there to teach people how to achieve zero waste,” she said at the grant-signing’s side.

Achieving zero waste will help mitigate the flow of debris— particularly plastics— into marine waters, she noted.

Zero waste is the concept of generating little or no waste.

Mendoza said the foundation will undertake its project during the next 18 months.

EcoWaste national coordinator Aileen Lucero said this network’s share of the total grant will fund research on plastics pollution in Manila Bay and waste collection efficiency there.

“Data we’ll generate will serve as baseline for the national action plan on marine litter,” she said.

She also said such data will help the environment department assess its marine debris-relevant policies so this agency can either enhance or change these.

The research project will last for 18 months, she noted.

Earlier, the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB) called for in-

creased cooperation on mitigating plastics pollution in oceans to avert the further environmental degradation and biodiversity loss there.

“Saving our oceans is not the responsibility only of our governments and marine scientists -each one of us can do our share to protect our rich marine heritage,” said ACB Executive Director and the environment department’s former biodiversity chief Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim. Properly disposing of waste and using reusable materials and products are among ways people can do to help prevent more plastic waste from reaching and polluting oceans, she noted.

“By working together, we can protect our shared oceans,” she said.

Lim made the call noting that land-based activities and waste— particularly plastics—already account for over 80 percent of marine pollution. (PNA)

E. Samar town bans single-use plastic in LGU events

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By Roel Amazona

HE town of Arteche, Eastern Samar has banned single-use plastics within the premises of the municipal hall and during events of the local government unit (LGU) as part of its environmentfriendly initiatives.

Arteche Mayor Roland Boie Evardone signed on September 11, 2019, Executive Order No. 5 series of 2019 mandating all employees and personnel of the local government to refrain from using

single-use plastics, such as plastic bags, straw, disposable cups, plates, utensils, and styrofoam.

Employees are encouraged to bring their own utensils, food canister, and cups that are washable and reusable. The directive, Evardone said, also covers caterers that provide services during local government activities.

“We will start first with the municipal hall. We will test the ground first and if the implementation is successful in the LGU, we will expand the executive order

to the public market, rural health unit, and to the communities,” Evardone said in a phone interview.

Arteche has been known for ecofriendly initiatives such as its twoyear plastic recycling program that has already produced over 21,000 eco-bricks made out of plastics.

Evardone said collecting plastics has become a culture of every student in their town.

An ecobrick is a plastic bottle packed with plastic waste to a set density. It creates reusable building blocks to make modular furniture,

garden spaces and full-scale buildings such as schools and houses.

The total number of eco-bricks is equivalent to more than 5,000 kilograms of plastics collected and recycled into another product beneficial to the town’s residents.

The program, launched in 2018, is the local government's counterpart in the campaign for a clean and healthy environment.

The initiative has allowed children to participate through exchanging trash collected inside a plastic bottle with school supplies. (PNA)

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Coca-Cola Philippines and Siargao LGU share vision for a World Without Waste

In its continuos effort to help bring everyone closer to a world without waste and encourage sustainable tourism, Coca-Cola Philippines turned over 24 collection bins and nine benches, all made from recycled materials, as well as a surf rake to the local government unit of Siargao during the 25th Siargao International Surfing Cup. It also re-recognized Coke Barkada Awardee, The Sun Crew, with a P30,000 grant personally awarded to (L-R) The Sun Crew Co-founder and Manager Wemar Bonono by Coca-Cola Philippines Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Director Atty. Juan Lorenzo Tañada.

I

N recent years, Siargao has faced a major boom in tourism, dubbed as the country’s surfing capital and one of the most beautiful destinations in the Philippines because of its perfect waves and pristine beaches. However, along with the spike in visitor arrivals arises a need for the development of an improved waste management system for the island.

Hence, Coca-Cola Philippines collaborated with the nine municipalities on the island of Siargao,with the support of Cong. Bingo Matugas and the provincial government of Surigao del Norte headed by Gov. Francisco “Lalo” Matugas, to preserve a litter-free island and promote sustainable tourism.

“We are firm in our World Without Waste goal of collecting and recycling every single bottle or can we sell, because it is unacceptable for us that our packaging ends up littering placeslike the shores of Siargao. This is why we are working very closely with local government, and also hopefully with local NGOs, to assist with the environmental conservation and sustainability efforts and strengthen recyclable PET plastic bottle collection in the island,” shared Atty. Juan Lorenzo Tañada, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Director.

Coca-Cola aims to advocate responsible travel and proper packaging waste management among tourists and locals by helping strengthen the recyclable PET plastic bottle collection in the island. To start, CocaCola deployed recyclable PET plastic bottle collection bins in Cloud 9 area – Siargao’s prime surfing spot. With the help of the local government, recyclable PETplastic bottles deposited into the bins will be properly turned over to the LGU’s local recycling partner. In addition to this, tables and benches made from recycled PET plastic bottles will also be installed in the area— a visual representation of what the recyclable PET plastic bottles can be when they are properly disposed of, refreshed, and given new lives.

Tañada adds, “We are also launching the #betterbottlechallenge, we want to illustrate and emphasize that used recyclable PET plastic bottles should not end up littering the streets, the beaches, or in landfills, or polluting our

waterways. They have value beyond their initial use, as long as we properly dispose of them. In this case, place them into our collection bins so they become better bottles, as they are recycled.

a will also be providing the island with a state-of-the-art surf rake. Manufactured in the USA by H. Barber and Sons, the tractor-towed beach-cleaner is one of the best in the world, ensuring the safe, quick, and efficient clearing of Siargao’s beaches.

“These mark the beginning of Coca-Cola’s environmental partnership with the island of Siargao— and they are looking forward to working more closely with all stakeholders in the island— with our local government units in the island, and local organizations-- to come up with the best possible system that will work in the island to make sure that we properly divert our recyclables such as PET plastic bottles, and they do not end up polluting the island.” Congressman Bingo Matugas shared.

Tañada, Mayor Cecilia Rusillon of the Municipality of General Luna in Siargao, and Congressman Francisco “Bingo” Matugas of the 1st district of Surigao del Norte made their partnership official through a commitment wall signing at Cloud 9.

“We believe that sustainability, tourism, and business can go hand-in-hand when all parties from the private sector like Coca-Cola, us – your local public servants, and equallypassionate organizations and individuals work together toward a common vision. We all want to live in a World Without Waste, and I hope that that is a shared end goal that we can all help contribute towards reaching,” Mayor Cecilia Rusillon of General Luna Municipality added.

In the last couple of years, Coca-Cola has been partnering with different local government units, and NGOs on several pilot plastic collection and recycling programs. The company has reached 12 provinces so far—and they are looking for more partners to reach more communities.One good example is their collection program with sari-sari stores where the nanayscollect plastic packaging and use it as “credit points” for an eco-brick recycling facility.

The Company is hoping to do something similar in the island of Siargao.

A BusinessMirror Special Report

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PL STIC WASTE

Monday, October 21, 2019

F7

The truth about plastic Continued from F2

environmental experts and civil society advocates came together at the World Economic Forum’s 2018 Sustainable Development Impact summit for a frank discussion on plastic waste and pollution which had become a global crisis.

Accordingly, everyone in the forum recognized it was time to turn promises and platitudes into concrete and swift action – and to create a unified platform to drive and amplify this action at an unprecedented level. Thus, the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) was born forging powerful alliances.

Plastic production sky-rocketed in the early 2000s—including single-use plastic packaging— resulting in mismanaged plastic waste. The world currently generates 300 million tons of plastic waste each year, without the capacity, infrastructure and collective willpower needed to sustainably manage it. That's why 8 million tons of plastic waste flow into the ocean annually, while mismanaged waste remaining on land can trigger public health crises among vulnerable communities.

Recognizing the extent to which their products have contributed to the ballooning plastic pollution crisis, many of the world’s leading companies are pledging to do better. Four of GPAP’s founding partners – Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Dow, and Nestlé – are pivoting towards more sustainable ways of doing business. Coca-Cola has pledged to adopt 100 percent recyclable packaging by 2025, for instance, while Dow is financing waste management initiatives aiming to reduce total global plastic leakage by 45 percent.

Likewise, Marriott International, the world’s largest hotel chain, recently announced it would stop supplying plastic toiletries to guests by 2020. While Amazon committed to eliminating single-use plastic packaging across its operations in India.

In March this year, GPAP met a major milestone: Indonesia became the first country to officially sign on as a national partner. The world’s second-largest contributor to plastic pollution in oceans, the government of Indonesia committed to several ambitious

targets including reducing 70 percent of its marine debris by 2025.

This October, GPAP will formally launch its first engagement in Africa: a partnership with the government of Ghana. The country’s dizzying economic growth has come at the expense of unsustainable plastic pollution and mismanaged waste, but it has also shown exceptional leadership and resolve to catalyze a new era of plastic management across West Africa.

And in November 2019, GPAP will launch its third national partnership with the government of Viet Nam, which will assume chairmanship of ASEAN next year, through supporting its efforts to spark plastic action nationally and across the broader region.

Despite the ongoing global activities, GPAP provided a harrowing statistic: “that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.” But the group also promised on one thing: “We’re close to completing a blueprint to effectively tackle the plastic pollution crisis in our ocean and communities – and we’re piloting the approach in a few locations to test it and learn from it.”

A man picks his way through a mound of trash washed ashore by strong waves at Manila Bay on Roxas Boulevard aftr a typhoon. ROY DOMINGO

THE SUSTAINABLE TRANSFORMATION OF

COCA-COLA PACKAGING

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OCA-COLA Philippines is taking purposeful strides towards their World Without Waste vision. In 2018, The Coca-Cola Company announced its global commitment of collecting and recycling all of the Company’s packaging and to use at least 50% recycled content in their packaging by 2030.

fabrics, chairs, and other useful items. In its extended life, the packaging will undergo sorting, cutting, cleaning, and melting, to transform the PET bottles into an entirely new product.

A long-standing history of sustainability

The transformative vision of The Coca-Cola Company is anchored on the circular economy which aims to close the loop on packaging by exploring the infinite uses and possibilities of recyclable material.

200 plastic bottles were given a new life in the form of this bench.

THE Coca-Cola TuneCycle shreds plastic bottles into small pieces which are then recycled into new items.

Championing sustainable packaging in the Philippines

UNKNOWN to many, the Company’s local operations remain highly sustainable with a massive 50% of its production still comprised of glass bottles.

With a long-established bottle deposit scheme, the glass bottles have continuously been collected, washed, and reused.

As for their PET plastic bottles, Coca-Cola Philippines continues to lead the charge in sustainable packaging with the launch of the country’s first-ever food-grade PET bottle made of 100% recycled material – The Viva! Eco-bottle. The production of this totally recycled PET

INFINITELY recyclable glass bottles account for 50% of the Company’s production in the Philippines.

(RPET) bottle is one of the Company’s first steps towards creating a World Without Waste.

“We want to change the mindset of our consumers and help them discover the limitless possibilities when our PET

COCA-COLA closes the loop on its 100% recyclable PET bottles, advocating proper collection and segregation to ensure that its packaging will not end up in oceans and landfills.

bottles are properly collected and recycled. This Viva! RPET Bottle is just one of the examples of the things we can create if

we all start seeing the value of our packaging,” shared Winn Everhart, Coca-Cola Philippines General Manager and CEO.

“We look forward to carrying the RPET bottle across all our brands, to help give our bottles new life, reduce our consumption of the planet’s resources, and to bring us closer to a World Without Waste,” he added.

With plans of using its RPET bottles across all its brands, the Coca-Cola System in the Philippines has presented a roadmap that will support the collection and recycling of postconsumption PET bottles in the country. To produce the RPET bottles, Coca-Cola Philippines is investing in the Company’s first recycling facility in Asia Pacific.

While the perceived life cycle of PET bottle typically ends with disposal after product use, Coca-Cola aims to debunk this and give its packaging multiple lives in the form of RPET bottles,

THROUGHOUT history, Coca-Cola has constantly explored breakthrough solutions when it comes to its packaging and sustainability has become the common thread across the Company’s numerous packaging transformations.

In 1915, Coca-Cola made history as it introduced its iconic ‘Contour Bottle’. Since then, the Company has become a pioneer in packaging innovations.

Behind its diverse beverage and packaging portfolio, The CocaCola Company has continuously ensured that each innovation brings them closer to the most sustainable solutions.

As they ventured into plastics in 1975 with their ‘Easy-Goer Plastic Bottle’, they introduced a recyclable alternative with a life that could be extended to different uses. As proof of the recyclability of their packaging, Coca-Cola produced the first soft drink bottles with 25% recycled material in 1992.

F8 Monday, October 21, 2019

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month Miss Earth pageant creates waves in Calapan City

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ROMINENT personalities and residents of Oriental Mindoro flocked into Jolly Waves Waterpark & Resort to witness Calapan City’s biggest event of the year—the Miss Earth 2019 Talent Competition on October 10.

Calapan City is fast becoming the central hub of Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan (MIMAROPA) region.

For rendering an opera song, Miss Mongolia Azzaya Tsogt-Ochir earned her the gold award in the talent competition.

Silver went to Miss Denmark Sara Langtved while Miss South Korea Woo Hee-jun, who was also chosen as Jolly Waves ambassador as a special recognition,

got the bronze award.

The three winners were among the 29 contestants from all over the world under the Miss Earth Fire Group. The talent competition had a distinguished panel of judges, namely Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor, Calapan Councilor Marian Teresa Tagupa, Pola Mayor Jennifer Cruz, Jolliville Holdings Corporation Vice President Ortrud Yao and Jolliville Leisure & Resort Corporation Chairman Jolly Ting.

The Miss Earth beauties made a motorcade in the City and were welcomed at the Provincial Capitol by Oriental Mindoro Administrator Hubert A. Dolor.

Vice Mayor Gil Ramirez represented

City Mayor Arnan Panaligan when the candidates visited the Calapan City Hall.

Businessman Jolly Ting was present at both the Provincial Capitol and the City Hall events to welcome the Miss Earth delegates.

Conceptualized in 2001, Miss Earth is an international pageant and environmental event that promotes sustainability. It channels the beauty pageant industry into an effective tool to promote environmental awareness and eco-tourism spots.

The delegates stayed overnight at the Camping Pods of Jolly Waves, and had a fun time enjoying the world-class facilities, including the giant wave pool, raging river, zip line, sky bicycle and giant slides.

True to promoting environmental awareness and sustainability, the delegates led a tree-planting activity sponsored by Calapan Water and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources the following day.

Produced by Carousel Productions, the talent competition is a part of the 2019 Miss Earth Pageant that culminates on October 26, 2019 at Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum in Naga City, where Nguyễn Phương Khánh of Vietnam, the reigning Miss Earth 2018, will crown her successor.

Thousands join cleanup of Panglao beach

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HE community spirit is alive in Panglao, Bohol as some 2,651 volunteers from 43 local organizations, educational institutions, and private groups took part in the recent 34th International Coastal Cleanup.

Among the volunteers were 55 licensed scuba divers who conducted an underwater cleanup in the coasts off the village of Doljo, one of the popular beaches in Panglao island.

Volunteers collected 2,300 kgs of nonbiodegradable trash from the coastline and underwater, composed mostly of single use plastics.

The annual activity was spearheaded

by The Bellevue Resort, recipient of the Asean Green Hotel Standard for 2018-2020, in partnership with the Panglao Municipal Government, Ocean Conservancy, Plastic Free Bohol, and Scotty’s Action Sports Network.

The resort also hosted an

environmental awareness and waste segregation forum to educate community members on the importance of nurturing Mother Earth, and an eco fair which featured eco-friendly products from local entrepreneurs.

Its second hosting of the International

Coastal Cleanup, Bellevue Resort has pledged its continuing support to green initiatives in Panglao the whole-year round.

In March, it led the Plogging Event in support of the global Earth Hour campaign, which combined jogging with picking up litter along the way.

International speakers gather in Manila

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ANILA was recently host to a gathering of business leaders from Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Spain, USA and the Philippines.

In a leadership event entitled, "Speak in Manila 2," held at the Manila Room of Shangri-La Makati Hotel, the foreign business experts and professionals talked

WILCON DEPOT DONATED A TRUCK TO THE QUEZON CITY LOCAL GOVERNMENT. Wilcon Depot hands over a truck donation to the Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS) of Quezon City local government. The truck will be used for the department’s continuing efforts to improve their daily operations in providing public security and to help their projects in carrying out protective and disaster relief services.

The vehicle turnover was held on October 8, 2019 at the Quezon City Hall DPOS compound.

The City Government Department of Public Order and Safety Head Gen. Elmo San Diego received the service vehicle together with the whole DPOS division from Wilcon Depot represented by Marketing Manager Dheza Paras.

about how valuable public speaking is as a business leader. Several of the speakers were from Singapore including Amanda Yap, an international real estate expert; Ada Lim, business investor and LGBTQ rights advocate; Suria Sparks, Singapore’s top social media influencer; Siti Rohaya Bte Kamarmedin, Vanessa

Ang and Seeni Muhabbathnisha of Learning Discoveries Pte Ltd.; Nabila Binte Shahood din, Hisham Ahmad, Hock-Chong Oh of Millionaire Speakers Network; Patricia Neo of Elevation Singapore P/L; and Elizabeth Ho, wellness advocate, entrepreneur and author. Also present were Cheong Chen Wai from Malaysia and Alexander Hristov of Agora Speakers International.

There were also some Filipinos who were present to share their expertise including Celia Alamo Jacob, Venus Lazo, Myke Celis and top-rated motivational speaker Mr. Chinkee Tan. Organizer Mitch Carson of Impact Products Marketing is an American public speaking coach who has trained and mentored countless business leaders in their public speaking careers.

Carson, an experienced speaker and seminar promoter, has shared the stage with celebrities, influencers, and world leaders like Donald Trump, Sir Richard Branson, Lord Sugar, Jim Rohn, Dan Kennedy, Zig Ziglar, Bob Proctor, and Mark Victor Hansen.

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CANSERVE Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit foundation that advocates early breast cancer detection through high impact information campaigns and community-based screening programs.

Through the years, the foundation has continue its mission to arm women with breast cancer information and healthcare so they can make informed decisions about their health.

Coinciding with the start of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, ICanServe recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a tertiary healthcare provider, The Delos Santos Medical Center. Under the agreement, discount privileges shall be made available by the hospital to the members of the ICanServe Foundation, including discounts on cancer

panel examinations, Executive Checkup Packages (ECU), and diagnostic tests such as Unilateral Mammogram, Bilateral Mammogram and Breast Ultrasound.

The hospital will also be providing unlimited consultations, as well as accommodate conduction of laboratory procedures (Blood Extraction), at its Wellness Center for a convenient and hasslefree hospital experience for ICanServe members.

Signing the agreement are DLSMC and ICanServe officers from left: Carmen N. Soriano; Jake Christian T. Solomon; Raul C. Pagdanganan; ICanServe Foundation President Nikoy De Guzman; Crisann O. Celdran; and ICanServe Foundation Founding President Kara Magsanoc Alikpala.

Security Bank, Zonta bring together renowned artists and entrepreneurs at FORA by FilipinaZ Fair

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ENOWNED and up-and-coming creators gather for a cause at FORA by FilipinaZ, an art, design, and fashion fair organized by the Zonta Club of Makati and Environs in partnership with Security Bank.

FORA by FilipinaZ is the evolution of Zonta's annual bazaars and pop-ups and has become the group’s biggest and most important fundraising activity. It supports Zonta’s mission of advancing the status of women through advocacy and service.

Platinum sponsor Security Bank, which has been supporting FilipinaZ for several years also champions advocacies that reflect its mission to enrich lives, empower businesses, and build communities. Over the years, the Bank is known to support events that empower Filipino artisans and local entrepreneurs.

Held at The Fifth at Rockwell, Power Plant mall, from October 11 to 13, FORA by FilipinaZ

fair is a multi-sensory shopping experience.

Over 100 established artisans, as well as emerging talents, showcase their distinct styles and pieces in well-curated booths and zones throughout the fair.

FORA by FilipinaZ unites multiple markets that are bound by a commonality in art, design, and fashion. It highlights key collaborations from iconic Filipino artist Juvenal Sanso, legendary fashion designer Ben Farrales, and award-winning industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue who offered an exclusive pre-order piece at the event.

FORA by FilipinaZ puts women artists to the forefront by collaborating with White Walls Gallery, and featuring artists from FilipinaZ’s own efforts. Limited edition merchandise and artworks created by art scholars from Fundacion Sanso showcased at the ground floor of Power Plant mall.

Aristocrat opens 17th branch in Quezon City

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HE Aristocrat Restaurant, celebrating generations of Filipino tradition for the past 83 years, recently opened its branch at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.

This is the fourth in Quezon City and the 17th branch overall alongside historic Aristocrat branch in Roxas Boulevard in Malate, Manila.

Established in 1936, founded by the late Doña Engracia “Aling Asiang” Cruz-Reyes and her husband, Justice Alex A. Reyes, the Aristocrat has grown into a restaurant serving the same signature flavors and quality home-cooked Filipino dishes served

by Lola Asiang more than eight decades ago to her very own children.

Starting out as “Rolling Food Store, much like the food trucks of today, they converted an old Ford car into a mobile canteen. The rolling food store would go around Luneta Park and the nearby areas serving the same food her family would eat during their picnics especially the Adobong sandwich. By force of circumstance, the rolling store moved from Luneta to Dewey Boulevard, now known as Roxas Boulevard.

By twist of fate, Alex & Asiang decided to put

up a restaurant in that same spot where it still stands today.

Welcoming guests at the QC Memorial Circle branch were executives led by Priscila Reyes Pacheco, President of Aristocrat Restaurant.

Located at 1 Elliptical Road, Central Diliman, Quezon City, the QMC branch serves Monday to Friday from 8AM until 9PM. In photo are, from left: Arturo Reyes Jr., Treasurer, The Aristocrat Group of Companies Councilor Jorge Banal; Priscila Reyes Pacheco, President of The Aristocrat Group of Companies; and QC Councilor Irene Belmonte.

PPA beefs up port security, hires additional port police personnel

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HE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is beefing up its port police force nationwide in its bid to secure the country’s ports from all kinds of threat.

By the end of the year, the PPA will be deploying some 80 additional port police personnel to augment its existing port police force to man the 115 ports under PPA jurisdiction.

The new members of the PPA port police are now undergoing rigorous physical, emotional

and intellectual preparations at the PPA training facility located north of Manila.

“Our port police play an important role in ensuring safety and security of passenger transport and cargo hauling in PPA-managed ports around the country as threats remain imminent nationwide,” PPA General Manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago said The implementation of the Port Safety, Health, and Environmental Health System or PSHEMS, a pet project of the PPA, has likewise called for a well-capacitated port police force to fully implement its provisions.

In June 2019, the PPA port police force had also undergone training on law enforcement techniques under the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) to equip responding officers with necessary techniques in dealing with various law enforcement situations.