BusinessMirror September 05, 2019

NCR ECOZONE BAN HURTS I.T.-BPM FIRMS

By Elijah Felice E. Rosales @alyasjah

T

HE information-technology and business-process management (IT-BPM) industry will struggle to grow by 8 percent this year, as firms are having difficulty expanding their operations due to the ban on economic zone development in Metro Manila.

Rey E. Untal, president of the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (Ibpap), said ITBPM firms are scrambling for the remaining office spaces in Metro Manila. President Duterte in June issued Administrative Order 18, which

Rotary Club Of Manila Journalism Awards

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

mandated a moratorium on the processing of applications for economic zones in the nation’s capital.

As such, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) was directed to no longer accept, process or evaluate proposals to put up new economic zones in Metro Manila, resulting in an office space crunch for the IT-BPM industry.

“There is AO 18 that we need to account for. Our concern there is there is very little space to utilize for a substantial annual growth that we typically see,” Untal told reporters on Tuesday.

Citing data from consultancy firms, Untal disclosed available of-

fice space in Metro Manila is down to 115,000 to 120,000 square meters, as competition gets tighter due to the influx of online gaming operators.

The IT-BPM industry expanded 420,000 square meters last year, and requires 450,000 square meters this year to accommodate expansions and new operations. With a labor force of 1.23 million workers as of last year, the industry accounts for at least 32 percent of office spaces in the Philippines.

Under its road map, the industry is projected to create 100,000 jobs annually to employ a total of 1.8 million workers by 2022.

See “IT-BPM firms,” A2

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business

www.businessmirror.com.ph

n

Thursday, September 5, 2019 Vol. 14 No. 330

PHL improves ranking in WEF tourism index

B

By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

ETTER ground and port infrastructure allowed the Philippines to improve its performance in the 2019 edition of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index.

In the 2019 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR), WEF said the Philippines now ranks 75th out of 140 countries with a score of 3.8 in the index.

The overall scores range from 1 to 7, with 1 being the lowest and

7 being the highest.

The Philippines was considered the most improved when it comes to Ground and Port Infrastructure in Asia and the Pacific. WEF also regarded the Philippines as the most improved in terms of its overall

performance in the region.

“The Philippines had the fastest rate of improvement, moving up four places to rank 75th globally. The country showed impressive improvement on overall infrastructure [90th to 80th] and

The country showed impressive improvement on overall infrastructure [90th to 80th] and ICT [information and communications technology] readiness [86th to 82nd], but still faces challenges when it comes to safety and security [135th].”

—WEF 2019 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report

ICT [information and communications technology] readiness [86th to 82nd], but still faces challenges when it comes to safety and security [135th],” the report read.

@BNicolasBM

A

griculture Secretar y William D. Dar promised to disclose by Friday the confirmatory test results on whether African swine fever (ASF) has indeed infiltrated the country and caused the hog deaths in several backyard farms.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) earlier sent blood samples to three foreign laboratories in the United Kingdom, Spain and Australia. Government officials said the laboratories are World Organization for Animal Health reference laboratories, which were regarded as the most competent authorities in relation to specific diseases.

Dar said he will also be reporting to the Cabinet on Wednesday about the mystery hog disease but he declined to give further details.

“Wag muna natin pag-usapan yong swine kasi bukas, ngayong gabi ire-report ko sa gabinete and as I have said, Friday we will disclose what that disease is, kung positive o negative. Sa Friday idi-disclose na natin kasi, hoping na ’yung last component ng confirmatory lab test will be out, we will receive by tomorrow and by Friday, we

PESO exchange rates n

will make it public. [Let’s not talk yet about swine because tonight, I will be reporting to the Cabinet and as I have said, Friday, we will disclose what that disease is, if it is positive or negative. We will disclose it on Friday because [we are] hoping that the last component of the confirmatory lab test will be out, we will receive by tomorrow [Thursday] and by Friday, we will make it public],” he told Palace reporters in an interview.

Despite the pending public release of confirmatory test results, Dar said there is nothing to worry about even if the results turn out to be positive for the ASF, a disease with a nearly 100-percent mortality rate for swine.

Asked if there is a cause for public concern, the agriculture chief quickly replied there is “none.” Even if the result were positive, “but better if it’s negative, it’s okay,” he said, because “we have already put in place quarantine and food safety measures all over the country.”

Dar also confirmed there were five areas placed under quarantine by the department but did not identify them to discourage people, especially the media, from going there and possibly spreading the disease.

See “Hog killer,” A2

business news source of the year DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

2018 BANTOG MEDIA AWARDS PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY

DATA CHAMPION

P25.00 nationwide | 6 sections 44 pages | 7 days a week

All-out trade liberalization vs trade-production calibration?

Rene E. Ofreneo

laborem exercens

I

n the Senate hearing on the adverse impact of the rice tariffication law on domestic palay producers, Sen. Cynthia Villar kept explaining that the liberalization of rice trade is part of the Philippine commitment to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Meaning, the country cannot suspend or repeal the law, as demanded by virtually all the farmer leaders and rice farmers who are hurting from the low, low prices of palay. The message: for the Filipino rice producers to survive and win in the liberalized global rice trading order, they have no choice but to keep upgrading their productive capacity. Hence, the rice tariffication author continues to harp on the central role of the P10-billion twin productivity-enhancement programs the Senate appended to the tariffication law: The propagation of high-yielding rice varieties and the distribution of new agricultural machinery.

See “Tourism index,” A2

Continued on A7

Friday’s the day: Dar expects test results on mystery hog killer

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

2018 ejap journalism awards

DOLE sees AEP take above ₧200M

By Samuel P. Medenilla

T

vate corporation under the Marcos administration in 1977, Duty Free Philippines came under government control in 1986, and was overseen by the Philippine Tourism Authority, a unit of the DOT. It was reorganized into a government-owned and -controlled corporation when Republic Act 9353, or the Tourism Act of 2009, was signed into law.

HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said on Wednesday it expected to earn more than P200 million this year from its issuance of work permits for foreign nationals (FN).

During budget deliberations at the House of Representatives, labor officials said DOLE was able to generate P166 million from fees imposed on applicants for Alien Employment Permits (AEP) from January to July.

The process fee for AEP is P9,000.

“We expect it will be higher than last year because we got more applications. We noticed a spike in the AEP applications from those who previously have an SWP [Special Work Permit],” Labor Assistant Secretary Benjo Benavidez told the BusinessMirror in an ambush interview.

In August, the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) confirmed it already had 52,450 AEP applications for the first half of the year, a number nearly approximating the 54,251 AEP applications for 2018.

In 2017, DOLE revenues from AEP were only at P190 million. This

See “Duty Free,” A2

See “DOLE,” A8

RONALD’S FOR OLD FOLK McDonald’s President and CEO Kenneth Yang (left) joins Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Atty. Erwin Narag Aquino, assistant regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment-NCR (right) during the MOA signing between the Local Government of Manila and Golden Arches Development Corp. for the employment of PWDs and Senior Citizens in 40 McDonald’s stores in Manila. The signing was held at Manila City Hall’s Bulwagang Bayan. ROY DOMINGO

DOT chief: Duty Free firm’s privatization possible

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo

@akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror

T

HE Department of Tourism (DOT) is eyeing the privatization of the Duty Free Philippines Corp. (DFPC) despite the latter’s profits being a source of funds for government’s tourism promotion programs.

In an interview with the BusinessMirror, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said she has secured the Department of Finance’s backing in the plans to let go of DFPC. “We’re studying the possibility of privatizing Duty Free.

I’ve spoken with Finance Secretary [Carlos G.] Dominguez, and he told me to go ahead [and privatize it].”

Although initially set up as a pri-

@sam_medenilla

US 52.2580 n japan 0.4934 n UK 63.1695 n HK 6.6623 n CHINA 7.2795 n singapore 37.5903 n australia 35.3107 n EU 57.3584 n SAUDI arabia 13.9336

Source: BSP (4 September 2019 )

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Thursday, September 5, 2019

Bersamin watch: More court staff, erring judges penalized

W

By Joel R. San Juan

@jrsanjuan1573

ITH 44 days left as head of the judiciary, Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin on Wednesday listed some of his accomplishments which include the sanctioning of 21 erring lower court judges and more than 100 lower court personnel.

During his Meet the Press session, Bersamin said disciplining their ranks is part of the four-point agenda that he announced when he assumed as chief magistrate in November last year.

His other programs include the revision of the Rules of Court, enhancing the infrastructure of the judiciary and enhancing access to justice.

From January to June this year, Bersamin said 21 judges were either fined, suspended, reprimanded or admonished for various violations and 94 lower court employees were either dismissed from the service, admonished, fined, reprimanded, suspended and benefits forfeited.

Likewise, a Court of Appeals employee was dismissed from ser-

vice, while another one from the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan was reprimanded.

In the Supreme Court, eight personnel were either fined, suspended, reprimanded, and admonished, while one was dropped from the rolls for absence without leave (Awol).

“The court recognizes that having ethical and competent members of the Bench and the Bar is essential to the Rule of Law. Hence, it must instill discipline in the ranks of the judges, court personnel and the legal profession, and purge the judiciary of the corrupt, the misfits and the scalawags,” the Chief Justice said.

Meanwhile, for the same period, the Chief Justice cited statistics from the Office of the Bar Confi-

Hog killer. . .

Rice planters. . .

Continued from A1

“If you go there, you will now be carriers of pathogens,” he said. Pressed on why these areas are under quarantine, he said: “Alam ninyo, kung totoo ‘yung suspetsa [You know, if the suspicion is true], this will kill the whole industry. That’s why ingat muna tayo. Konting ingat. [We should be careful now].”

Nonetheless, he said measures are in place to prevent the spread of the mystery hog disease, including the depopulation or culling of hogs within the 1-kilometer radius of the infected farms.

Meanwhile, Dar also said the department’s investigation on erring officials found to be conniving with unscrupulous traders in importing banned meat products is still ongoing.

The DA launched an investigation on the over 20 metric tons of smuggled Chinese meat seized by authorities last week in Manila.

He said some of these banned meat products were even transported to some areas in Pampanga. China is currently struggling to contain the spread of ASF in its territory after the fatal pig disease killed over 1 million hogs to date.

The Philippines has suspended importation of pork and pork products from China, Hong Kong, North Korea, Lao PDR, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Zambia, South Africa, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Mongolia, Moldova and Belgium due to ASF. The ASF, which has no available vaccine today, can imperil the country’s P260-billion hog industry if it enters Philippine borders.

Tourism index. . .

Continued from A1

The TTCI is measured based on a country’s performance in enabling environment; travel and tourism policy and enabling conditions; infrastructure; and natural and cultural resources.

The Philippines ranked the highest in terms of natural and cultural resources at 46th with a score of 2.8, followed by travel and tourism policy and enabling conditions, 53rd with a score of 4.6.

The country ranked 80th in infrastructure with a score of 3.2 and ranked 93rd in enabling environment with a score of 4.4.

IT-BPM firms. . .

Further, it is estimated to generate $38.9 billion by 2022, from $22.9 billion in 2016. Last year, industry revenue improved to between $24 billion and $24.8 billion, from $23.4 billion in 2017, based on records from Ibpap.

As a stopgap, Untal and his group are talking

Continued from A8

“Although less demanding on the budget but shifting the costs to consumers, thus erasing the welfare gains of [RA 11203], the last resort is to ask Congress for special powers to impose QRs, which were repealed by RA 11203 and to allocate a special fund for cash transfers,” he added.

He noted that the grand strategy of liberalization reform was to shift the supply curve to the right and generate welfare gains, while providing state support to rice farmers.

Salceda noted that farm-gate prices of unhusked rice dropped “significantly” to P14 per kg in some areas and to P7 per kg, as reported in Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan and Ilocos Norte, from P17.78 per kg.

The lawmaker traced the sudden drop in the prices of unhusked rice to the increase in local harvest and the huge volume of imports that entered the country following the effectivity of the rice trade liberalization law.

“The law had the unintended consequence of farm-gate prices of palay dropping at record levels [which] put the whole agricultural sector at risk. With no offsetting measures, it [the law] has implications on the social, political and security dimensions of the country,” he said.

The lawmaker also said the palay market and rice market are “clearly disjointed,” with no possible integration opportunities for farmers given the high entry costs of the latter.

“With the wider availability of imported rice, traders are now in a position to negotiate for lower palay prices with farmers,” he said.

“In fear of having their harvest go to waste given the volume of imported rice in the market, WEF said the Philippines posted its highest ranking for Price Competitiveness at 24th overall, followed by natural resources at 36th and human resources and labor market, 37th out of 140 countries.

The report stated that the Philippines ranked the lowest in terms of safety and security at 135th; followed by health and hygiene, 94th; and ground and port infrastructure.

“With travel barriers and travel costs declining, many countries have been significantly increasing their competitive position in global tourism,” said WEF Head of Mobility Christoph Wolff.

“Countries can leverage this opportunity to generate economic and development returns,

Continued from A1

to LGU leaders in Metro Manila cities where there is little to no IT-BPM presence to possibly lobby for their exemption from AO 18.

At the height of the debate over the ban, the Peza requested the Office of the President to exempt nine cities in Metro Manila from the

“Having ethical and competent members of the Bench and the Bar is essential to the Rule of Law.”—Bersamin

dant showing that 83 lawyers were either disbarred, suspended from the practice of law or notarial practice or both, fined reprimanded, admonished, warned and censured.

Money claims

IN fulfilling his promise to revise the Rules of Court in order to make procedural laws responsive to the needs of the times, the Chief Justice cited the increase in the threshold amount for money claims cognizable by the Metropolitan Trial Courts (METCs) under the Revised Rules of Procedure for Small Claims (Revised Rule of Small Claims)—or from P300,000 to P400,000 beginning last April 1.

During its first implementation in 2010, the threshold was only P100,000. “The adoption was aimed at solving the congestion of the dockets of first-level courts brought about by the large number of such cases,” he explained.

During his term, Bersamin said the SC also came out with the Revised Law Student Practice Rule, an amendment to the existing provifarmers sell their palay at rock-bottom prices to traders for cash flow,” Salceda added.

He said the drop in palay prices has also disincentivized millers who are now venturing into trading as well, leaving feed millers in search of darak, or rice bran.

“Rice farmers are in a bind since even the option to shift to alternative land use is constrained by the moratorium on land conversion justified by food security goal and in part due to the nonenactment of the National Land Use, and the option to shift to other crops is constrained by the need for bigger initial capital for inputs and a more reliable irrigation system, higher insurance risk premium or risk of loss due to climate change,” he said.

While RA 11203 mandated the setting up of the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) for farmers, Salceda said policy and implementation lags, such as its appropriation from Congress, can worsen the plight of farmers.

sions of Rule 138-A of the Rules of Court.

The Revised Law Student Practice Rules is aimed at fast-tracking the shift to experiential legal education to be adopted by law schools.

Under the revised rule, a law student must now be certified to be able to engage in the limited practice of law.

Also under the revised rule, applicants to the 2023 Philippine Bar who have graduated from a foreign school may be admitted to take the examination upon submission to the SC of pertinent certifications.

More courthouses

BERSAMIN also reported that during his stint, several courthouses and support buildings were inaugurated aside from the acquisition of better equipment.

Furthermore, several family courts have been activated with the appointment of their presiding judges.

“The problem with that, however, is that we are not yet ready to give them the courthouses they badly need…in the meantime, they have to share the existing courthouses which are, as it is, admittedly inadequate, physically speaking,” the chief magistrate lamented.

Bersamin expressed optimism that the Court’s lobbying with Congress will bear fruit so that funds can be allocated to build courthouses.

MORE provincial governments have heeded the call of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to support local rice planters, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said on Wednesday.

Dar said 30 local government units (LGUs) have expressed interest to partner with the DA and allocated funds to help prop up the farm-gate price of unhusked rice.

He said 13 LGUs have committed to set aside a total of P3 billion for the procurement of palay from planters. “We are happy that we have [the LGUs] as equal partners of the Department of Agriculture,” Dar said in a statement.

The agriculture chief also said 17 more LGUs have expressed intent to partner with the DA in a recent meeting of the department with the

League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP).

These are the local governments of Camarines Sur, Apayao, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Biliran, Sarangani, Iloilo, Kalinga, Zamboanga Sibugay, Mountain Province, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Bohol, Capiz, Lanao del Sur, Albay and North Cotabato.

This is on top of the 13 rice-producing provinces that pledged financial support to rice farmers, to bankroll palay-buying, drying, milling, and rice marketing. Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cagayan and Bataan collectively allotted a total of P3 billion.

“The League of Provinces of the Philippines is fully behind you in your projects and programs. For sure we want to make our farmers and agricultural growers and producers financially stable,” LPP President and Marinduque Governor Presbitero J. Velasco Jr. said in the meeting.

On Monday, Representative Estrellita B. Suansing of the 1st District of Nueva Ecija disclosed during the hearing of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food that rice prices in her province had dropped to as low as P7 per kg.

Suansing feared that this could even go down to P5 per kg once farmers start harvesting wet season rice. The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said Nueva Ecija will remain as the most competitive in rice production even when the QR on rice is removed.

However, Neda Assistant Secretary Mercedita A. Sombilla said the figure cited by Suansing is inconsistent with official data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Based on the latest PSA data, Sombilla said the farm-gate price of dry rice averages P17 per kg to P18 per kg, while wet right is being bought an average of P13 per kg to P14 per kg.

but they must address gaps in infrastructure and environmental protection to make sure these returns can be achieved over the long term,”Wolff added. WEF said the travel and tourism sector remains resilient in the face of challenges. The sector recorded around 1.4 billion global tourist arrivals in 2018, beating expectations.

However, WEF warned that cheaper travel costs and fewer tourist barriers are placing the infrastructure of travel hot spots under pressure to meet demand.

The report also said emerging travel markets may already start to feel over-tourism pressures as their institutions keep up with rising demand.

“The top 25 percent of countries account for

over two-thirds of arrivals. This combination of concentration of tourist arrivals and rapid travel growth is putting a strain on travel hot spots, despite relatively high infrastructure and travel services scores,” WEF said.

In this year’s index, Spain held the top spot followed by France, Germany, and Japan, with the United States replacing the United Kingdom in the top 5.

Among the top 10 countries, the UK was the only country to fall in the rankings. It now sits under the increasingly competitive United States at spot 6, due to a decline in online searches for its natural and cultural resources, and a weaker business environment.

ban. These are Manila, San Juan, Marikina, Las Piñas, Malabon, Caloocan, Pateros, Valenzuela and Navotas.

“If you look at Metro Manila, there are just a few areas that are heavily dense in terms of IT-BPM [operations]. We are looking at Quezon City, we are looking at Makati, Taguig, Pasay, Alabang [and] maybe Ortigas. There are 17 cities in Metro Manila, and there are many

cities that do not host IT-BPM operations,” Untal added.

For the meantime, firms will make use of whatever little space is remaining in Metro Manila, according to the Ibpap chief. There are also IT parks, such as Eton Centris in Quezon City, that can still accommodate additional buildings that can be used to house IT-BPM operations.

Aid from LGUs

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Panelo admits seeing Sanchez family twice, insists no wrongdoing

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

A

FTER previously denying that he had any contact with Antonio Sanchez’s family since 1995 when he quit as their legal counsel, Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo is now admitting that he met with the family twice.

In a television interview on Wednesday, Panelo confirmed the two meetings with family of rape-slay convict Antonio Sanchez, who was also a former mayor of Calauan, Laguna.

“The first one, I remember meeting with the wife. Then, the second one, I came from the press briefing. After I went out from the press briefing room, I saw them there,” Panelo said in an interview with CNN Philippines’s The Source.

Records from the security log book at the New Executive Building in Malacanang showed Elvira Sanchez, the wife of Antonio, visited Panelo on February 7.

This was a day before her daughter Marie Antonelvie sent an e-mail to Panelo’s office requesting for a recommendation regarding her father’s application for executive clemency.

Elvira also met with Panelo on February 26 but this time she was accompanied by her daughter Marie Antonelvie.

In a separate statement on Wednesday, Panelo once again defended his role in the controversy amid allegations of a conflict of interest, arguing that a “simple referral” is “totally different” from a recommendation or endorsement.

Irked by the “unwittingly or erroneously, even maliciously” reports of Inquirer.net and Rappler that he “endorsed” or “recommended” the letter for pardon of Sanchez, Panelo said he is demanding a public apology and rectification of their reports or else he will file libel cases against their reporters.

Citing the definition from the Collins Dictionary, the Palace spokesman said referral means“the act of officially send-

Duty Free. . .

Continued from A1

As such, another law may also be needed to amend RA 9353 to allow DFPC’s privatization.

DFPC’s board of directors is chaired by the DOT secretary, although some of its board members come from private tourism enterprises.

Under the law, 75 percent of the 50 percent net income of the DFPC is remitted to the Tourism Promotions Fund that can be tapped by the Tourism Promotions Board for its marketing and promotions. The TPB is the marketing arm of the DFPC. Duty Free stores in most countries, except for those in the Middle East, are mostly operated by private companies, such as the DFS Group, World Duty Free, Dufry, Duty Free Americas, Lotte Duty Free, etc. According to RnR Market Research, “global Duty Free sales are forecast to reach $73.6 billion by 2019, growing at a CAGR [compounded annual growth rate] of 8.6 percent. Personal care and drinks will continue to be the categories with highest expenditure in the Duty Free market. The Asia-Pacific region will fuel growth in the global market with sales reaching to $37.6 billion in 2019. Growing low-cost tourism, the expansion of space and the number of Duty Free stores in various airports, and wider brand availability will enhance channel sales.”

In the meantime, the number of concessionaires at the DFPC retail stores will be expanded, said Romulo Puyat. “There’s no law that prevents us from increasing the number of concessionaires at Duty Free,” she stressed. At present, DFPC concessionaires include the Regent Travel Retail Group/Landmark Management Services (fashion and beauty brands), Eastern Duty Free (confectionery and food), and Colombo Management Hong Kong (wines and spirits).

She also noted the income of DFPC increased last year, attributing this

ing someone to a person or authority that is qualified to deal with them” while recommendation is defined as “suggestions or advice on what is the best thing to do.” As for endorsement, it refers to a “statement or action which shows that you support or approve of something or someone.”

“The former does not connote undue interference or intervention while the latter does. It is for this reason that I will be filing libel cases against the reporters of Inquirer.net and Rappler Inc. should they fail to comply with my demand for a public apology and rectification. It is clear that they have publicly and maliciously imputed to me an act, if not a crime, a vice or defect, which caused the dishonor, discredit or contempt of my person,” he said.

He also stood firm that he did not even write President Duterte or Senator Christopher Go for any recommendation in favor of Sanchez.

“What is inappropriate is if I advised the President as Chief Presidential Legal Counsel to grant an executive clemency to Sanchez, which I did not,” he said.

Moreover, he said his office considers the inaction on a complaint or request it received as a “nonfeasance” and a corrupt practice” as he cited Section 3 of Republic Act 3019. This states that neglecting or refusing, after due demand or request, without sufficient justification, to act within a reasonable time on any matter pending before him for the purpose of discriminating against any other interested party shall constitute a corrupt practice.

Thus, he said, they respond to all regardless of their background.

“We are merely fulfilling the commitment of the President to lend an ear to all those who require assistance.

And this is what the OCPLC [Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel] performed when it referred the letter of the daughter of Mr. Sanchez to the BPP [Board of Pardons and Parole]. Failing otherwise would mean that we have resorted to discrimination and inaction, which may then subject us to punitive sanction,” he said. partially to higher sales from Filipino consumer goods. “They [DFPC] also saw that Philippine-made goods are selling well, such that they will increase the spaces and offerings for these products,” she said. Last year, the DOT chief gave instructions for more Filipino products to be sold at the DFPC. “Tourists don’t go to Duty Free to buy imported items. They usually buy items produced in the destination they visit,” she said.

Still, some 30 percent of DFPC sales are accounted for by Filipinos returning from business trips and holidays abroad, balikbayans and overseas Filipino workers. In contrast, foreign tourists usually buy majority of the products sold in Duty Free stores abroad. The government firm is targeting sales to reach $220 million this year, just 1.4 percent higher from its sales last year.

DFPC earned a profit of P325.63 million in 2018, based on its unaudited financial statement posted on its web site.

This was up 80 percent from the P179.72 million (audited) earned at the end of the 2017.

The increase in profit was due to higher service business income at P11.49 billion versus the P11 billion in 2017. Financial expenses were also trimmed to P265,406 last year from P1.09 million in 2017.

DFPC is hoping the opening of its Luxe retail store at the Mall of Asia area in Pasay City will boost its sales. The store primarily targets Chinese tourists, the second top market for the Philippines.

In the first half of the year, tourists from China grew by 34.12 percent to 866,561, accounting for 21 percent of total 4.1 million arrivals for the period.

Also, one of the ways the firm is looking to reduce its expenses is by streamlining its staff. (See, “Duty Free Philippines seeks higher profits by trimming staff,” in the BusinessMirror, April 6, 2019.) In 2018, its personnel expenses amounted to P526 million.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

News BusinessMirror

Russia offers to modernize AFP R

USSIA is offering to help modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and boost its standing as a military force by supplying it with state-of-the-art military assets and equipment.

“We are ready to supply sophisticated arms and weapons in order [to] improve the capabilities of the Philippine armed forces. We are open for joint training sessions, for joint drills and military exercises,” said Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev.

The offer was made by the ambassador at the sidelines of the opening of the office of the Russian Defense Attaché in Manila on Tuesday, setting the course to a more strengthened military-to-military cooperation between Moscow and the Philippines.

Khovaevsaidthatunlikethecountry’sothersources of weapons in its ongoing modernization program, Russia does not give “poorly rated” and secondhand assets and equipment. Instead, he said, they sell the best availableproductsinthemarket,whichareunmatched.

“We, Russians, we never offer, we never supply second hand, outdated arms and weapons. We offer the advanced defense equipment. And if we say that we are ready and want to help your country, to improve your defense capabilities, it means in particular that we are readytosupplysophisticatedarmsandweapons,”hesaid.

“And I would like to stress that if your armed forces have advanced arms and weapons, it would help your servicemen and servicewomen to eliminate enemies on battlefield, and it would help to save the lives of many servicemen and servicewomen,” he added.

Khovaev and Russia’s foremost arms exporter Rosoboronexport recently went to Malacañang to explore ways on how Moscow could help in the equipage of the military, and overall, in improving the defense cooperation between the Russia and the Philippines.

The ambassador said that one of the issues that were discussed during the meeting with President Duterte was how Russia could help Manila in dealing with extremism and international terrorism.

“Russia suffered a lot from terrorism. So we know very well what it means. We have a lot of experience and we are ready to share our experience with our Philippine partners and friends,” he said.

Khovaev said Russia is willing to “use all ways and means” in order to strengthen its military and defense ties with Manila because it is in the best “strategic national interests” of both countries to cooperate and work together. “We are ready to discuss any form, any option of our defense cooperation,” he said.

The putting up of the Russian defense attaché office was viewed by Khovaev as a meaningful step in the bilateral relations between the two countries, especially that it covers the “most sensitive field” which is defense and national security.

“And the opening of the first-ever Office of Russian defense attaché in Manila means that Russia is extending the hand of help to our Philippine partners in mutual defense and security. So it really shows that we want, and we are ready to become a reliable partner and close friend for Filipinos,” he added.

In saying that it is in the best interest of Russia and the Philippines if they work together, the ambassador highlighted the fact that security is no longer confined to a single country, but it cuts through boundaries.

“We are now living in a world where all of us depend on each other. No country, big or small, is able to ensure its security and defense on its own.

Simply, because the current challenges and threats are transboundary. So there is only one way to efficiently cope with these challenges and threats.

We need to combine our efforts,” Khovaev said.

“And this will be the aim, the purpose, the main objectiveoftheOfficeoftheRussianDefenseAttachéhere, namely: to combine, to improve; to combine the efforts of Filipinos and the Russians, to improve; our defense cooperation in order to provide peace and stability to the Russian Federation, to the Republic of the Philippines, and to all other countries in the region,” he added.

The Russian ambassador said Moscow is also concerned with the tension between China and the United States over the South China Sea since it also affects the stability not only of the region, but the whole world.

“We are concerned about any tensions simply because all of us depend on each other. It’s not possible to provide just one or a few countries with security. Security must be for all,” he said. Rene Acosta

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Thursday, September 5, 2019 A3

Expect a ‘voluminous’ progress report on Marcos poll protest vs Robredo–CJ

By Joel R. San Juan

C

@jrsanjuan1573

HIEF Justice Lucas Bersamin on Wednesday said the Supreme Court, sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), is expecting a “voluminous report” from Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa on the result of the preliminary revision of ballots in three pilot provinces covering the election protest filed by former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos against Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo.

During Wednesday’s meet with the press, Bersamin said that Caguioa, who is handling Marcos’s election protest, is likely to submit his report before he steps down as head of the judiciary on October 18.

The preliminary revision covers three pilot provinces composed of Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental.

After the PET finishes its recount in the pilot provinces, it will decide whether to proceed in the vote revision on 39,221 clustered precincts covering 27 provinces and cities identified in Marcos election protest.

“His submission is a prelude to the action of the Court on whether to proceed to the other aspects of the case,” the Chief Justice said.

Marcos’s protest cites three causes of action—first, that the automated elections system was compromised, hence, the integrity of the AES cannot be relied upon to declare a legitimate winner; the second requires the revision, or manual

recount, of the actual ballots to determine the votes cast in all the 36,465 protested clustered precincts, while the third cause of action sought the annulment of election results for the VP position in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and Basilan, on the ground of terrorism, intimidation and harassment of voters, as well as pre-shading of ballots in all of the 2,756 protested clustered precincts in the areas.

The PET has dismissed Marcos’s first cause of action for being “meaningless and pointless.”

The Court held that even if Marcos succeeds in proving his first cause of action, it does not mean that he can claim victory for the VP post because it can only be determined by a manual recount of all votes in all precincts.

Thus, the Court said “allowing the first cause of action to continue would be an exercise in futility and would have no practical effect.”

The PET held that the first cause of action may be dispensed with for “judicial economy” and for the speedy resolution of the case.

“Very soon, we are expecting that the ponente, who is Justice Caguioa, will come up with his report and he has informed us that his report will be voluminous report and that is expected because when you have revised ballots coming from at least three provinces that were part of a protest, you would expect details of whether this ballot are

to be part of the counting, or not to be part of counting,” Bersamin said.

The chief magistrate also admitted that the PET is taking a long time to resolve the election protest but appealed for understanding from the public.

He said the tribunal has to be very “careful” in handling the case as it involves the stability of the government.

“I know the impatience of the public about this case of the VP being protested but we should also be careful of what we do here because the credibility of our processes, as well as the political system here is at stake so we are doing it gradually but with sufficient speed,” Bersamin added.

He also told reporters that he would not divulge the progress on the third cause of action as he is not authorized to make public any result on the said aspect.

Marcos filed an election protest on June 29, 2016, claiming that the camp of Robredo cheated in the automated polls in May also the same year.

Robredo filed her answer in August last year and also filed counterprotest and questioned the results in over 30,000 polling precincts in several provinces where Marcos won.

She also sought the dismissal of the protest for lack of merit and jurisdiction of PET. However, the PET refused to dismiss the election protest on the ground of sufficiency in form and substance.

TheBroa PHL confronts costs, effects

Business

Thursday, September 5, 2019

A4

By Samuel P. Medenilla & Cai U. Ordinario | Reporters & Roselin Manawis | Intern

I

N the 18th century, Karl Marx called it alienation of man; today this is described by the collective phrase of mental health issues.

And with the state issuing a policy addressing this social phenomenon, public and private initiatives are now converging to address the costs and effects of the issues on mental health.

For Cely D. Magpantay, a practicing clinical psychologist, the main problem is stigma. For labor unionists, the problem is related to stigma: treating mental health issue as the elephant in the room.

Magpantay, who is also a board member of the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP), said in certain situations, Filipino families tend to be secretive if a family member has a mental condition.

The same may be said of students and employees who do not disclose any psychological issues they may be experiencing in fear of judgement, she explained to the BusinessMirror.

Certain stereotypes are still prevalent today, and these hold many from seeking help and talking about their conditions, she added.

Such was the experience of Denise, who spoke about her condition only if her identity is not revealed.

Studying in one of the exclusive schools in the metropolis, Denise took a slide into her own world after failing to cope with the growing workload of her academic requirements.

From being one of the top performing in her class, she saw her grades plunge. “My stress level soared with every drop in my grades,” she told the BusinessMirror.

One of many

DENISE is one of the 3.3 million Filipinos suffering from depressive disorders, based on Department of Health (DOH) data.

Based on the DOH website, which was last updated in 2018, at least 19 million Filipinos suffer from schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and are considered bipolar. The largest group, accounting for 17 million, are composed of those who suffer from major depressive disorder.

On top of this, the DOH’s Disease Prevention And Control Bureau-Essential Non-Communicable Disease Division said 5 percent of Filipinos older than 65 years old suffer from dementia and 600,000 Filipinos are epileptic.

The data was based on the “Global Epidemiology on Kaplan and Sadock’s Synopsis of Psychiatry, 2015” and “Kaufman’s Clinical Neurology for Psychiatrists, 7th edition, 2013.”

Further, the DOH unit noted that studies by the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that 16 percent of students between 13 and 15 years old have seriously considered attempting suicide; while 13 percent have actually attempted suicide one or more times during the past year.

Also, a study conducted among government employees in Metro Manila revealed that 32 percent out of 327 respondents have experienced a mental health problem in their lifetime.

The DOH said studies showed the incidence of suicide in males increased from 0.23 to 3.59 per 100,000 between 1984 and 2005 while rates rose from 0.12 to 1.09 per 100,000 in females. Intentional self-harm, DOH said, was

also the 9th leading cause of death among the 20-year old to 24-year old range.

Workers’ woe

WHEN it comes to workplaces, mental health is still far from the mind of employees.

Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Spokesman Alan Tanjusay admitted the issue is still seldom being taken up by workers during their respective collective bargaining agreement (CBA), where issues like wage and allowances are still paramount.

“It is still not mainstreamed in CBA since they are still trying to learn about it,” Tanjusay told the BusinessMirror.

However, Tanjusay noted labor groups including TUCP are now including it among their agenda amid the increasing number of their members who are complaining about mental related-issues.

“These slowly rising incidents are being raised in our discussions and conversations from our members,” Tanjusay said.

He said these complaints include work-related stress and burnout, which was recently recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a legitimate “occupational phenomenon.”

This was supported by Federation of Free Workers (FFW) Vice President Julius Cainglet, who said they usually get such complaints from employees in the call-center industry.

“There are also countless tales of managers at the manufacturing assembly line, who breathe down the necks of their workers to meet orders and use foul language along the way,” Cainglet said in a previous statement.

The common causes of poor mental health in the workplace include stress, anxiety, mood and depression disorders, according to Magpantay.

Talent shortage

THE TUCP and FFW are now banking on the pending Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Philippine Mental Health Law or Republic Act (RA) 11036 to promote the importance of mental health in workplaces.

Under RA 11036, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) are required to develop “standards on appropriate and evidence-based mental health programs for the workplace.”

As of September 2, the Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) of the DOLE said the guidelines are still being finalized.

The said guidelines, however, may be not be sufficient to address the concerns of workers, especially since there is a shortage of professionals dealing with mental health.

Last week, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) expressed concern over the lack of the said professionals in relation to the implementation of the mental health provision of the Universal Healthcare Law. “Actually we do not have enough healthcare professionals.

We lack about 30,000 medical professionals. But the shortage is more

acute for psychiatrists and psychologists,” Philhealth President and CEO Ricardo C. Morales said.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) was able to register the first batch of 330 licensed psychologists only in 2013.

The following year another 571 got licensed for the practice of psychology. This rose to 894 and 1,010 for 2015 and 2016, respectively.

There is also a shortage in practicing psychologists and psychiatrists. Magpantay notes that there are fewer than 1,000 psychiatrists, and that there are also only quite a few practicing psychologists in clinics compared to the demand.

“There are some provinces that

have no psychiatrists and psychologists as well, and plus of course the facilities,” she points out.

Data disparity

HOWEVER, Magpantay said many cases related to mental health remain unreported.

“In reality, if you are in the field, there’s more than the number [reported to the DOH],” she said.

Magpantay surmises the cause would also be lack of access to services or awareness that mental health is part of what the government has addressed and is addressing.

For one, there’s the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), “dedicated to delivering preven-

tive, curative and rehabilitative mental health-care services,” in Mandaluyong City.

For 32 years now, the NCMH has performed as a Special Research Training Center and Hospital under the DOH. The NCMH has an authorized bed capacity of 4,200 inpatients and serves an average of 56,000 outpatients per year.

For 2019, the national government allocated P1.005 billion for the NCMH. This is composed of P779.515 million for personnel services and P225.442 million for maintenance and other operating expenses. There were no capital outlays for the hospital.

The amount allocated for the

hospital is only 1.03 percent of the total budget of the DOH worth P97.65 billion.

Another tertiary-care psychiatric hospital is the Mariveles Mental Hospital in Bataan with an authorized bed capacity (ABC) of 500 beds.

According to a study by John Lally, John Tully and Rene Samaniego titled “Mental Health Services in the Philippines,” a dozen smaller satellite hospitals affiliated with the NCMH are located throughout the country.

“Overcrowding, poorly functioning units, chronic staff shortages and funding constraints are ongoing problems, particularly in peripheral facilities,” the authors

aderLook

sMirror

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace | Thursday, September 5, 2019

A5

s of issues on mental health ‘K

nowing that a certain condition is treatable, and there’s life after that, I think it will also give more courage and lower that stigma.”

ry-level hospitals like the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) that offers the proper facilities for care.

Based on the current rates of the NCMH, a consultation costs P400. Some facilities like the PGH offer free consultation at times. On the other hand, for private institutions, consultation fees can start from an average of P2,000. A patient usually comes in for consultation once or twice a week or month, depending on the case.

Vanessa dela Cruz (not her real name) told the BusinessMirror her first therapy appointment four years ago was P2,400.

“The second was P1,800 and the succeeding ones were P800,” Dela Cruz said. “I had weekly therapy around two months to three months. Around the fourth month, it [consultations with my psychiatrist] became every other week.”

There’s also the matter of medicines.

Melissa San Juan (not her real name) said one of the drugs prescribed by her doctor had to be taken every day. San Juan said she only takes a half dosage since “malakas effect sa akin ng meds [The medicine’s effect is strong].”

She said at full dosage, the medicine she takes costs P60 a day or about P1,800 a month.

San Juan, who works at a call center, said there are other medicines she needs to take.

So to give a ballpark, if the cheapest drug that could be bought at a popular drugstore is P20 minimum per tablet of one medicine, that would be P600 per month, San Juan said.

“So if you have a combination of meds, it will add by a factor of P600 per medicine per month,” she told the BusinessMirror.

A box of antidepressants costs an average of P2,000 per month to P3,000 per month, Magpantay estimates.

SKYPIXEL | DREAMSTIME.COM

Government initiative

said. “There are no dedicated forensic hospitals, although forensic beds are located at the NCMH.”

Absorptive capacity

THE NCMH’s “Comparative Hospital Statistics” revealed its actual beds last year exceeded its implementing bed capacity (IBC) in 2017 by 112.16 percent. IBC is the actual beds use based on hospital and/ or facility management decision, which for NCMH was at an annual constant of 3,151 beds from 2015 to 2018.

The NCMH’s ABC, or the approved number of beds as per issued license to operate in the hospital and other health facilities, was at an annual constant of 4,200

beds from 2015 to 2018.

Total admission of the NCMH peaked in 2016 at 11,616 from 10,547 admissions in the previous year. However, total admissions tapered off to 7,654 in 2017 and to 7,317 last year.

The NCMH’s average daily inpatients steadily increased from 3,149 in 2015 to 3,534 last year.

The average length of stay was at its lowest in 2017 at 99 days when the net death rate was at its highest that year at 3.58 percent.

The highest average length of stay was in 2015 at 198 days. It went down to 128 in 2016, but increased from 2017 to 2018 at 107. The net death rate was at its highest at 3.11 percent in 2017, dipping slightly to

3.48 percent last year.

The NCMH’s total OPD patients attended steadily grew at a compounded annual growth rate of 4.95 percent from 64,055 in 2015 to 77,718 last year.

Cost issues

MAGPANTAY added there are also cost issues that shackle families from addressing mental health issues.

“The cost is also affected by the number of specialties, doctors, other health professionals, and then facility-wise,” she says. Most of the time, only private hospitals offer proper care for psychological and psychiatric needs. For public hospitals, it is usually only tertia-

MAGPANTAY believes that mental health and its care can also impact the country’s economy, but she is not sure to what extent. She uses the workplace as an example and how productivity is affected.

“If there are a greater number of employees suffering from depression, burnout and even unmanageable or chronic stress, they will be absent,” Magpantay said.

Labor Assistant Secretary Benjo Santos M. Benavidez agrees, adding that when workers are too stressed to work and are absent, there will be less services and products produced.

With less services and products offered and bought, it is possible that the country’s GDP may go down, which can affect the country’s growth as a whole, Benavidez explained.

He said the DOLE is currently working on a department order to incorporate mental health care in the workplace.

The order will be made in col-

—Cely D. Magpantay, Psychological Association of the Philippines board member

laboration with medical experts and the DOH, the DOLE official said, adding that it will set a list of standards and policies to be followed by both the private and public sectors, similar to the existing Occupational Safety and Health Law (RA 11058).

Different strokes

WHILE the pending order is applicable to several sectors, Benavidez acknowledges there may be some differences in execution based on the risks associated with a certain sector or job. It is also very difficult to exactly pinpoint the stressors that each job and position may have.

Benavidez explained that the risks to mental health in the field of manufacturing may be different from the field of interpersonal services, as one field deals with more people than the other. Some fields are more fast-paced than others as well, which can also contribute to a higher risk for mental health concerns, he explained.

While each sector has its own peculiarities and there may be no one standard to fit all of them, Benavidez gave assurances the standards to be set will be applicable to all, as they want to treat everyone equally.

“We need to ensure that everyone will be treated alike, whether if you’re of this mental condition or otherwise,” he told the BusinessMirror.

Removing the stigma

THE main goal of the department order is to remove the stigma in the workplace. Aside from the basic guarantees of the labor code such as minimum wage and overtime pay, all workers should have an equal chance when it comes to hiring, continued employment, promotion, access to training, training opportunities, and dismissal. No employee shall be dismissed without due process or denied a hiring opportunity only on the grounds of a mental health condition.

Factors outside the workplace are also considered in the department’s development of standards, according to Benavidez.

He said in the vernacular that it is difficult to apply the advice to workers not to bring family matters or problems in the workplace.

“But that cannot be avoided,” Benavidez said.

He says the lack of a proper work-life balance is also a factor they are considering.

Certain jobs call for more work hours than others, which can also cause a strain on workers, especially those who have travel times of multiple hours throughout the day.

Workplace environments wherein workers cannot air their concerns also deepen possible mental health strain.

NGO efforts

MANY nongovernment organizations (NGO) have also become

more vocal and hands on with their efforts in helping and spreading awareness. Other private-led institutions such as Mental Health PH, Silakbo PH, Youth for Mental Health Coalition Philippines and the like are active in their efforts online and offline as well to help educate Filipinos on mental health.

Silakbo PH Research Head Katha M. Estopace said their organization addresses issues on mental health through different forms of art. They collect submissions that reflect, center or act as catharsis for different mental health concerns in the forms of poetry, paintings, playlists and other forms of art.

“It [art] makes you think, it makes you feel, it conveys a lot of things,” Estopace said.

Silakbo PH also hopes that with art, they can start a conversation and can encourage discourse and openness among others. Estopace and her organization believe that the first step to better understanding mental health is to start a discussion about what it is and educate one another through these discussions. The idea is that with art and telling stories, it will be possible to destigmatize and give more importance to mental health.

Devil’s details

DIFFERENT groups alongside Silakbo PH hold informative talks and workshops around the country to better educate the masses on issues surrounding mental health.

These talks sometimes take place in schools, companies or any place accessible to the masses. Many of these groups, like Mental Health PH, utilize social media to start conversations about the matter.

Magpantay said today’s technologies indeed have made it easier to de-stigmatize the issue.

“Because of the awareness and the information that were available, people are more out, they are more courageous to tell and ask [for] help,” she told the BusinessMirror.

It will also help if more people come out with what Magpantay calls their “success stories.”

“Knowing that a certain condition is treatable, and there’s life after that, I think it will also give more courage and lower that stigma,” Magpantay added.

Estopace said the passage of the Mental Health Law is considered a win for those of them who support the cause.

However, she worries that there could be problems in its implementation.

While it’s a step forward for them to have a law to back them up, there is no assurance that it will be implemented well.

“There’s a lot to be desired. I mean it’s good that we have a foundation but [as] always, the devil’s in the details.”

A6 Thursday, September 5, 2019 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

‘Rising inequality risks fracturing societies’

A

RECENT Bloomberg article—The hard part of ending inequality is paying for it—said that buried among the storylines about global trade and political intrigue from the G-7 summit last month is perhaps the most noteworthy one of all. Business for Inclusive Growth, or B4IG, a coalition of 34 multinational companies with more than 3 million employees and revenues topping $1 trillion, unveiled an initiative to tackle inequality with help from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

In its “pledge against inequalities,” the B4IG said that “persistently high and rising inequality risks fracturing societies and undermining economic and business growth.” Its ambitious agenda calls for decent wages, expanding access to basic products and services, and supporting community development programs. This agenda fits the Philippine situation to a “T.” Earlier, the Business Roundtable, an association of CEOs of top American companies, abandoned its long-standing principle of putting shareholders first. Instead, it adopted a new “Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation” signed by 181 CEOs committing to “lead their companies for the benefit of all stakeholders,” including customers, employees, suppliers and communities.

(Paging Philippine CEOs).

Bloomberg said many of the ills cited by B4IG and the Business Roundtable can be traced to one culprit: Too many companies pay their workers less than a living wage, which means they must forgo basic necessities or fall deeper into debt. It’s nakedly unsustainable, and big corporations are beginning to realize that they can’t continue to neglect workers.

In the US, some lawmakers have started floating proposals to redistribute income to struggling workers through higher corporate tax rates, a wealth tax and near-confiscatory marginal tax rates for high earners. Bloomberg said the cost of those proposals to companies, executives and shareholders is likely to be considerably higher than simply paying workers a decent wage. The Business Roundtable and B4IG are no doubt trying to get ahead of lawmakers’ efforts.

Close to home, workers can only hope our lawmakers and concerned individuals in the private sector will also work together to start fixing the prevailing wage inequality. The country’s robust economic growth notwithstanding, income inequality remains an issue in the Philippines. Despite the Duterte administration’s emphasis on poverty reduction, poverty and income inequality remain persistent.

In April, President Duterte signed into law Republic Act 11291 known as the “Magna Carta of the Poor,” which will implement the declared policy of the State “to uplift the standard of living and quality of life of the poor, and provide them with sustained opportunities for growth and development.” It mandates the State “to adopt an area-based, sectoral and focused intervention to poverty alleviation where every poor Filipino must be empowered to meet the minimum basic need through the partnership of the government and the basic sectors,” including farmer-peasants, fisherfolk, workers in the informal sector, indigenous peoples and cultural communities, women, persons with disability, senior citizens and urban poor.

The law includes various programs meant to uplift more than 11 million poor Filipinos. We hope that public officials tasked to implement these programs won’t divert public funds allocated for poverty reduction and alleviation. However, as the B4IG and the Business Roundtable have found out, the best way to fight poverty is to pay workers more than a living wage. This requires some sacrifice for big companies. They must be willing to open up their coffers and equitably share profits with their workers. Compassion is the operative word because no amount of legislation can make big corporations and rich individuals have a heart if they have none.

Since 2005

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business

The Eagle, the Dragon and the Bear John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

Y

OU probably missed this news story. Luis Juárez Texis, the director of Campus 01 “El Sabinal” at the College of Bachelors in Mexico, has been accused of breaking the basic human rights of his students. His “crime against humanity” was that he made his high-school students wear cardboard boxes on their heads to block their peripheral vision and prevent them from copying on an exam.

Actually, “tunnel vision” or not being able to see anything except what you want to see that is right in front of you is the new standard of thought in the 21st century. Most commentators have a cardboard box over their heads and this is easily found with the conversation about the “Trade War.” It is hard to keep track of all the comments from the near unlimited number of geopolitical and geo-economic experts. I am old enough to remember when long months ago China was the most evil

manifestation of a nation with its moves for Asian if not global domination because of its actions in the region. Now, apparently China is the oppressed victim of a ruthless plan

by President Donald J. Trump to destroy not only China’s economy but the world’s economy, as well.

Of course, as I said before, as this is a “war” of sorts, there will be a winner and a loser when one side “surrenders” except that is not going to happen any time soon as both “armies” have the resources for a long war of attrition.

Founder

Editor in Chief Associate Editor News Editor

Lorenzo M. Lomibao Jr., Gerard S. Ramos Lyn B. Resurreccion, Dennis D. Estopace Angel R. Calso

Online Editor

Ruben M. Cruz Jr.

Chairman of the Board & Ombudsman President VP-Finance VP Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Manager Group Circulation Manager

Eduardo A. Davad Nonilon G. Reyes Judge Pedro T. Santiago (Ret.) Benjamin V. Ramos Adebelo D. Gasmin Marvin Nisperos Estigoy Aldwin Maralit Tolosa Rolando M. Manangan

BusinessMirror is published daily by the Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing, Inc., with offices on the 3rd floor of Dominga Building III 2113 Chino Roces Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Makati City, Philippines.

Tel. Nos. (Editorial) 817-9467; 813-0725. Fax line: 813-7025.

(Advertising Sales) 893-2019; 817-1351, 817-2807.

(Circulation) 893-1662; 814-0134 to 36. E-mail: news@businessmirror.com.ph.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Printed by BROWN MADONNA Press, Inc.–Sun Valley Drive KM-15, South Superhighway, Parañaque, Metro Manila MEMBER OF

BLOOMBERG

Lourdes M. Fernandez

Senior Editors

Creative Director Chief Photographer

Leonid Bershidsky

T. Anthony C. Cabangon

Jennifer A. Ng Vittorio V. Vitug

despite the wide trade imbalance, the US needs to sell agricultural products to China.

While the Russian economy is about the same size as South Korea and smaller than Canada and Brazil, it is one of, if not, the strongest economies on Earth. Russia’s foreign debt is almost nonexistent—lower than Denmark at $484 million. The Philippines’s foreign debt is small at $78 billion.

Russia’s government debt-toGDP ratio is 13, the same as the Cayman Islands. It has the eighth-highest trade surplus in the world. Even with its low GDP growth rate, it is higher than Singapore and Germany.

While the Dragon and Eagle battle it out, the Bear just keeps moving forward, selling oil to China and Europe, and building its domestic manufacturing industries so it does not have to depend on anyone else. You have to look outside the cardboard box to genuinely understand what is going on in the world.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Visit my web site at www.mangunonmarkets.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stockmarket information and technical analysis tools provided by the COL Financial Group Inc.

Why Germany is ignoring its own Russian spy scandal

✝ Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Publisher

The world was a better place—or at least easier to figure out—when the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union was in full swing and China was not on anyone’s radar. But now the Chinese Dragon has joined the American Eagle and the Russian Bear. While the Eagle and Dragon are going at it, the hidden winner of the trade war may be the Bear.

In order to put balance back to the geopolitical scene, it would be in the best interest of the US to take out one of the others. The Obama administration tried hard to knock Russia out of the picture after the Russian annexation of Crimea. Unfortunately, terrible foreign policy moves in the Middle East including trying to buy Iran out of the nuclear arms race and regime change in Syria made Russia a big winner.

Obama’s “pivot to Asia” after his Middle East disaster was only talk and allowed China to take over the South China Sea. And, then as now, Russia is the winner from the ChinaUS trade war.

Both the US and Chinese economies are fragile in many ways for many reasons. China still desperately needs the US consumer market, and

L

AST March, after the attempt to poison the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, United Kingdom, it took the British government only a week to accuse Russia of being responsible; by the 10th day after the crime, it was already expelling Russian diplomats. Now, the same length of time after a very similar event in Berlin, the German government is reacting very differently.

The victim of the August 23 attack, Zelimkhan Khangoshvili (or Changoschwili, as it’s spelled in German), was an ethnic Chechen from Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge region who had arrived in Germany via Ukraine in 2015. After several attempts on his life in the former Soviet Union, he was looking for a safer place to call home. He applied for asylum in Berlin, home to a large Chechen diaspora, and was going through an appeal process after being rejected.

Khangoshvili had been a field commander against the Russian army during the second Chechen war in the 2000s, and he’d attempted to assemble a force to fight the Russians again when they invaded Georgia in 2008. It’s unclear whether any formal criminal proceedings existed

against him in Russia. At any rate, he wasn’t in Interpol’s Red Notice database as someone whom Russia actively sought.

The person held by German police on charges of killing him had arrived from Russia under pretty mysterious circumstances. According to information jointly obtained by the German weekly Der Spiegel, the Russian investigative site the Insider, and the UK-based investigative outfit Bellingcat, the man going by the name Vadim Sokolov received a Russian passport on July 19, applied for a French visa 10 days later, received it within a day and traveled to France on July 31. The passport reportedly isn’t registered in any Russian database, which, under normal circumstances, would have made it

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, has denied any connection between the Russian government and the Berlin murder. But the suspect’s passport shenanigans are reminiscent of those Bellingcat and the Insider found in the case of Skripal’s ham-handed poisoners, identified by the investigative outfits as military intelligence officers Anatoly Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin.

impossible for Sokolov to leave the country. It’s also unclear how he got the French visa so quickly, especially after providing a nonexistent residence address in Saint Petersburg.

In any case, after flying from Moscow to Paris, he traveled to Berlin.

There, he allegedly rode up to Khangoshvili on an electric bicycle in a public park, shot him three times, twice in the head, then disposed of his Glock handgun, wig and bike in the Spree River. Two teenagers saw him at it and called the police, who detained him within minutes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, has denied any connection between the Russian government and the Berlin murder. But the suspect’s passport shenanigans are reminiscent

of those Bellingcat and the Insider found in the case of Skripal’s hamhanded poisoners, identified by the investigative outfits as military intelligence officers Anatoly Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin.

There is one detail that doesn’t feel quite right for a Russian intelligence operation: Sokolov has tattoos, which are taboo for intelligence officers in Russia. Still, Mark Galeotti, an expert on Russian security issues at the Royal United Services Institute in London, doesn’t think it would be impossible for a Russian spy service to use a freelancer on a job like the Khangoshvili hit. He noted on his blog that the FSB, Russia’s domestic intelligence, “has form hiring gangsters to kill Chechens.”

The Khangoshvili execution doesn’t come out of the blue. Russia has been suspected of ordering the killings of former Chechen fighters in Turkey, Austria, the United Arab Emirates and the UK. Two Russian intelligence officers were convicted of killing a prominent Chechen in Qatar and later extradited to Moscow.

Russia almost certainly has a covert program to eliminate the separatists Putin memorably promised in 1999 to “ice” under any circumstances, “even in the toilet if that’s where we catch them.” Though Khangoshvili was never a major warlord, he was influential in the strategic Pankisi See “Bershidsky,” A7

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Opinion

Miners cry injustice

The cost of discipleship

BusinessMirror

Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco Jr.

Val A. Villanueva

BUSINESSWISE

O

UR previous topic has virtually opened a Pandora’s box and generated feelings of frustration and hopelessness among the first batch of mining companies, which were cleared to operate based on their good scores on an audit done last year, but have not been allowed to operate for unknown reasons.

To recap my previous column: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shut down the operations of 27 mining companies in 2017 presumably because their mines sat on “functional” watersheds.

The audit was conducted by the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC), cochaired by the DENR and the Department of Finance (DOF). Its members are the Department of Justice, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines. From the first batch of miners audited, 24 were given the green light for following environmental and other government regulations. Only three failed the test, but were allowed to appeal the decision with the Office of the President.

According to DOF Undersecretary Bayani Agabin, the firms were assessed based on the criteria and the benchmarks on social, technical, legal and environmental aspects of their operations. Agabin said: “The system was such that ‘3’ is the highest score; ‘2’ [means] minor reforms [are] needed, [and] ‘1’ is for [undergoing] major reforms.

Zero is not acceptable…the passing score is ‘1.5.’”

BusinessWise got hold of the list and published it on August 29 (Mining industry in limbo).

In a phone interview, Agabin confirmed the authenticity of the list.

Asked why the result was not made public and the mining firms which passed the audit remained closed, he said that it is up to the DENR or the Office of the President to release the list and act on the MICC’s recommendation for the audit passers to be allowed to operate. “The audit is only recommendatory,” he replied.

“The DENR and the Office of the President have the last say.”

Agabin said that the second batch of miners ordered closed will undergo the same audit, which is scheduled for completion within this year. I guess, as things have been going, the second audit’s findings will likewise remain unpublished.

At this point, what is incomprehensible for me is how the government can spend P50 million in taxpayers’ money for the mining audit, and then shell out P20 million more in the next, only to consign the results to the dustbin and continue to leave the people dependent on the industry deprived of their means of livelihood. Such a deplorable waste of time, money and opportunity!

What I also find disconcerting is the fact that the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) of which these miners are members in good standing has not acted or lifted a finger to push government regulators to reopen the mines.

Former DENR secretary, the late Gina Lopez (may God bless her soul!) promised to abide by whatever the audit team decides. The current DENR chief has remained mum to date, two years after the first audit has been concluded.

I interviewed some of the affected miners who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal. This is what they have to say: “After the passage of two years, why have the MICC audit results not been made public or even provided to the affected closed mines despite earlier pronouncements of transparency?

“Without the audit results, how do we address the findings or vindicate ourselves from the closure charges

of DENR Secretary Gina Lopez [and prove] that [we] were wrongfully and arbitrarily closed? Has government deprived the industry of due process for the second time? Is government afraid to be sued for damages resulting from the audit, which will acquit the miners of wrongdoing? Is there an orchestrated gag order by DENR-MICC? “Over two years ago, the Commission on Appointments rejected the appointment of then DENR Secretary Gina Lopez, and repudiated her directives and orders for being outright unconstitutional, acting beyond her authority, acting with arbitrariness, issuing orders outside the law and without legal basis, issuing closure orders without the benefit of due process, among others. Despite the repudiation by the COA, why do these illegal orders remain in place even after the appointment of a replacement at the helm of the DENR? “Who is in charge of the development of the mining industry in this country? Why does it seem that the DENR-MGB is more concerned with regulating and penalizing the industry for violations and infractions but cannot seem to behave in partnership and consonance with the miners that have risked their capital, and brought employment and development and education and health services to the rural countryside where government is very much absent? Nowadays, it seems that government initiatives and pronouncements are directed toward more taxes and higher revenue-sharing from an industry that is already gasping for breath [although] there is no assistance initiative coming from government.

“The failure to release the audit results has caused delay in the lifting of Gina Lopez’s closure orders for those miners who have passed the audit. Isn’t it about time that these miners be allowed to finally operate? It is unfair to all the stakeholders, communities and employees involved who have been left hanging and whose futures remain uncertain. This unwarranted delay has resulted in the creation of a new industry of influence peddlers…Corruption 101.

“Why hasn’t the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines placed an official statement reacting to the findings and even questioning the MICC-DENR regarding the authenticity of the findings?

Does the COMP care at all about the results of the first Audit and its continuing adverse effects on its mining members, or is it each member for himself? If so, how pathetic is that? The Philippine Nickel Industry Association has been just as quiet, although a number of its members are as affected by Gina’s closure orders and the first audit. Where are our lawmakers and the DOF officials who courageously stood in defense of the mining industry two years ago against the impending shutdown of half of the industry and the dislocation of thousands of stakeholders?”

As the annual Mining Philippines International Conference and Exhibition comes closer—it will be held from September 10 to 12, 2019, at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila—it will be interesting to see how this issue will be tackled, or if it will be given any attention at all.

For comments and suggestions, e-mail me at mvala.v@gmail.com

ALÁLAONG BAGÁ

W

HILE on the road to Jerusalem, Jesus already spelled out to His followers traveling with Him what the cross means to anyone wanting to become His disciple (Luke 14:25-33). Not a demagogue seducing the crowds with promises and inciting them to blind obedience, Jesus confronts people plainly with the cost of following Him.

More than anything else TO follow Jesus is not easy, as the gate into the kingdom of God is narrow. “Many will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough” (Luke 13:24), we saw a couple of weeks back.

Everyone is invited because God’s love is inclusive and has no favorites; Jesus summons the multitudes and not only the apostles. To follow Him as His disciples is the vocation of all who believe in Him as the one sent.

But no one is promised a rose garden, as the shocking opening words of Jesus about discipleship make clear: “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother...and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

“Hate” here does not mean animosity or virulent dislike for

anyone, but detachment in the sense of readiness to separate oneself from whatever without further ado if needed. This severe-for-emphasis terminology stands for the willingness to forego the joys and security of family relationships in order to be totally bound to Jesus. It does not mean renouncing family responsibilities, but preferring Jesus as our source of security and love; it means to be attached to Jesus absolutely, deliberately and completely. In the Philippine context where the only institution found personally reliable in all situations by many people is the family, this cost of Christian discipleship understandably seems harsh and extreme. There is no going around it; Jesus is challenging

Thursday, September 5, 2019 A7

us that the kingdom of God must be our first priority and that we are to prefer nothing to Jesus, not our loved ones, nor our own selves.

Going about it intelligently

THE two short parables that follow the saying of Jesus underline the necessity of going about the whole process of discipleship with a clear head. A disciple is not just a volunteer who is in it at one’s convenience or only for a period of time or in one’s own terms. As a disciple one is totally, unconditionally, and for life committed to Jesus. So, one must realistically calculate the cost to be able to make the right moves. Like a man about to construct a tower, the disciple should determine what would be needed of him to pursue his project to the end. Calculating the outlay for the task, it becomes clear that needed on the part of the believer is his/her entire gift of self, and on the part of the Lord who calls the graces and charisms given by the Holy Spirit to anyone following Jesus. Following Jesus would cost no less than everything. That is why He said, “Anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be My disciple.”

Similarly for a king about to go to battle against a more powerful opponent, a true assessment of the risks involved would be critical.

Underestimating the enemy could mean the destruction of his whole army and even the loss of his own life. The prudent evaluation of the real situation can mean a lot for the success of an undertaking. The honesty and wisdom of the disciple could spell the difference between true discipleship and a following of Jesus that sputters out.

Alálaong bagá, loving Jesus first and foremost, above one’s self and one’s family and one’s material possessions, means taking up one’s cross and coming after Him. The cross is the ultimate symbol of Christian discipleship: carrying one’s cross daily (Luke 9:23) and following after Jesus (Luke 23:26) stresses the centrality to a disciple of the figure of Jesus on the way to Calvary. Devotion to His Father empowered Him already at the age of 12 to separate Himself from His parents (Luke 2:41-51). And because of His fidelity to His salvific mission, Jesus stripped Himself of everything including His grandeur as God’s Son, to be with us and to offer Himself on the cross for us and thus to share with us His inheritance and glory (Philippians 2:6-11). Jesus is our way, The way for His disciples.

Join me in meditating on the Word of God every Sunday, from 5 to 6 a.m. on DWIZ 882, or by audio streaming on www.dwiz882.com.

All-out trade liberalization vs trade-production calibration?

by the IMF-World Bank under a series of structural adjustment loans.

Information sharing and industry consultation were absent. The Philippine Tariff Commission began doing serious dialogues with industry only at the turn of the millennium, when many manufacturing firms were already devastated by the SAL-induced trade liberalization. In response to the industry crisis brought about by the trade liberalization program that was imposed unilaterally and in a one-sided manner, some of the survivors of Philippine manufacturing formed the Federation of Philippine Industry, to strengthen the voice of industry in policy circles and fight the unfair trade practices of some exporting countries, such as dumping and the undervaluation (technical smuggling) of exports to the country.

What happened to Philippine manufacturing under the SAL program of the 1980s-1990s also happened to the agricultural sector. The desolation of agriculture culminated in the tariffication of the sector in 1995-1996, again with hardly any consultation with the domestic producers and without any transition program.

Worse, the domestic industry and agricultural producers later found that the Philippine commitment to the WTO in 1995-1996 in terms of tariff rate reduction were much more generous (or much lower) compared to Thailand and other bigger exporting countries, no thanks to the earlier Philippine commitment to the IMF-WB SAL program.

But implementing any liberalization (or any modernization) program should not only be reduced in terms of incremental phases. Strategizing the overall development framework that must be observed is crucial. In line with this, the following quotation from Charlene Barshefsky, the US Trade Representative who negotiated the US role in the formation of the WTO, is worth citing here: “There are some who believe that simply opening markets on a global scale is the be-all and end-all, no matter how it is done or no matter who benefits. I subscribe to a different view. It is imperative that we open markets in a manner consistent with the rules of the WTO, but we must make sure…that the Americans drive the rules of the new global landscape and the opening of markets… to protect our jobs, our vital trading interests, or our global leadership.” (testimony of Charlene Barshefsky before the US House Committee on Trade, March 18, 1997).

Now that the WTO rules are not working well for America, President Donald J. Trump has decided to ignore WTO, by avoiding the nomination of new officers in the dispute settlement body of WTO. Trump has also set aside the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was originally broached by the United States itself. And today, Trump has launched a vicious trade war with China, to offset its huge trade deficits.

Despite the so-called rules of global economic liberalization, countries are

still mindful of the basic rule: their countries’ interests first.

Now, back to the Philippines. Do we drive the rules of global trade and market opening? The answer is no. Did we negotiate to make sure that our industry, agriculture and jobs are protected under a globalized and liberalized economic order? History’s answer is no. In fact, what our past technocrats did was a program of unilateral trade liberalization, in line with the original SAL program of the 1980s.

Now, with the rice tariffication, some kind of a déjà vu is playing out in the country. The difference: rice, a single commodity, has millions of stakeholders. There are 2.4 million reported rice farmers, who are restless and angry over the rice tariffication law. The social unrest that this situation can breed is worrisome indeed. It can create havoc on the economy and the social fabric of the entire country.

Hence, it is really incumbent on the executive and legislative branches of the government to take a fresh look at the rice tariffication law. This time, they should listen not only to the economists and technocrats who give them simplistic answers, such as the “market will sort out things,” “liberalize or perish,” “let the poor producers shift to high-value processes” (as if this can be done in an instant like magic), and so on.

This time they should heed the rice farmers themselves on what they have to say. They should listen to the farmer leaders and those who advocate programs that are the opposite of the SAL-induced trade liberalization programs. After all, four decades after, most of these programs have failed to deliver on their promises of more jobs and more prosperity for the country.

dangerous action on a European country’s soil. Skripal is a UK citizen and Khangoshvili wasn’t a German one—but that’s a bureaucratic difference when it comes to murder.

Still, even though Germany knows at least as much and likely more about Khangoshvili’s murder today than the UK knew about the attempted poisoning of Skripal a week after that crime, the government is curiously silent about the incident. Why? Possibly because Chancellor Angela Merkel doesn’t need a public spat with Russia right now, something former British Prime Minister Theresa May likely welcomed last spring. May was then in the midst of largely unsuccessful Brexit

negotiations, and used the Skripal case to appeal to the UK’s alliances with European countries and the US, and to unite Britons around something, namely outrage about the insolent Russian action on their soil.

Merkel was quick to back May then, and she’s no Putinversteher (a pejorative meaning roughly “Putin Understander”). But, as a mediator in Ukrainian-Russian talks on eastern Ukraine, she’s helping arrange a summit on the issue that could bring the first signs of progress since 2015. In addition, Russia is about three-quarters done building the NordStream 2 natural gas pipeline to northern Germany, which her government is trying to protect from possible US sanctions. A

diplomatic flare-up with Russia would put her in a hard-to-defend position if Washington steps up pressure on the controversial project.

Germany has admitted thousands of Chechens opposed to Russian control of their homeland. But they can hardly hope to get much public support from the government over Khangoshvili’s murder.

Anti-immigrant sentiment is still running high in Germany; if Merkel raised a stink about the killing, all she would get in response are questions about the wisdom of letting in this particular group of asylum seekers.

So, a standard police investigation is going on. A foreigner is accused of killing a foreigner. Things like that happen in Berlin from time to time.

Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS Continued from A1

T

HE problem is that those who advised Senator Villar did not address the more difficult transition and strategizing challenges, which are crucial in any program of liberalization or a shift from a regime of trade protection to one of open competition in a liberalized and globalized market.

The lack of a clear transition program was raised by William Dar, still a private citizen then in 2018, when he wrote on the need for a phase-byphase implementation of any rice trade liberalization program. As it turned out, the still anonymous big rice importers brought in, after the passage of the law, over 2 million tons of rice from Vietnam and Thailand, obviously at dirt-cheap prices, and began distributing them in small packages with some help from their distributors-retailers who are partners of taipans who run the chains of malls and supermarkets throughout the archipelago. This is one explanation why palay prices went down, and why the first to sound the alarm over the prospect of a dying domestic palay production came from the domestic small millers and traders, who are, obviously, not connected to the big rice importers.

The absence of a transition program for the rice trade liberalization is virtually a repeat of what happened in the 1980s and 1990s when the government lowered the tariffs for various industrial products based on the policy conditionality imposed

Bershidsky . . . continued from A6

area. And he’s said to have been close to Shamil Basaev, at one time Russia’s public enemy No. 1; this alone would likely put him on the list of the Kremlin’s most hated enemies.

(Basaev died in a mysterious explosion in 2006.)

If Khangoshvili was killed because either the Kremlin or Chechnya’s current strongman, Ramzan Kadyrov, wanted him gone, his assassination is no less outrageous than the attempt on Skripal’s life. Though the method was less exotic than using a chemical weapon, a shooting in a public park is also a violent,

2nd Front Page BusinessMirror

A8 Thursday, September 5, 2019

3 options pitched to aid rice planters as LGUs weigh in

T

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie & Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

HE national government can consider three options, including requesting Congress for special powers to impose quantitative restrictions (QRs), to prevent rice farmers from incurring more losses, according to the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Albay Rep. Joey S. Salceda recommended interventions that the national government can implement in his aide memoire for President Duterte and the leadership of the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar revealed that more provincial governments are heeding the Department of Agriculture (DA)’s call to support local rice planters, mainly by allocating

₧7-₧14

The range to which the per kilo farm-gate prices of unhusked rice have plunged in some areas in Central and Northern Luzon, from P17.78 per kg funds to boost the farm-gate price of palay.

Aside from imposing QRs, Salceda said the national government may invoke Republic Act (R A) 8800, or the safeguards law, so it can slap a tariff of much as 80 percent on imported rice outside of the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350,000 metric tons (MT).

“RA 8800 is well recognized under our commitments with the WTO [World Trade Organization] and the provisional measure has a maximum period of one year,” he said.

Salceda also said the government may provide cash transfers to marginal small-lot farmers and concessional loans to big rice farmers. He expects a total of 2.1 million rice farmers to benefit from these interventions.

‘Last resort’

HE said President Duterte should consider the request for special powers to impose QRs, which were repealed by RA 11203, as a “last resort.”

See “Rice planters,” A2

PHL more resilient, ready for disaster–DILG

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

@jonlmayuga

L

EARNING its lessons well every after every natural calamity, the Philippines is more resilient and better prepared for disasters, officials of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Wednesday.

Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya told the BusinessMirror at the sidelines of the

TYPHOON “LIWAYWAY” 420 KM NORTHEAST OF BASCO, BATANES LOW PRESSURE AREA 860 KM EAST NORTHEAST OF HINATUAN, SURIGAO DEL SUR SOUTHWEST MONSOON AFFECTING NORTHERN LUZON as of 4:00 pm - September 4, 2019

Media Forum on LGU Protocols and Disaster Risk Reduction-Climate Change Action at the Local Government Academy in Pasig City that the Philippines has gone a long way in putting in place a system that has resulted in a reduced number of casualties.

Malaya said various policies have been put in place, including pieces of legislation that enhanced the country’s capacity to reduce the risk of disasters

and strengthen resiliency to be able to survive and recover from the worst impacts of climate change.

According to Malaya, the DILG continues to strengthen the capacity of LGUs in disaster risk reduction and climatechange action to minimize the loss of lives and properties, especially because the Philippines is highly vulnerable to climate change.

Malaya said local officials should be

reminded of their duties and responsibilities in times of natural calamities to reduce the risk of disasters.

LGUs, he said, should continue to enhance the capacities of communities within their jurisdiction, as well as by working to raise people’s awareness of the risks and life-threatening hazards they may face in times of a strong typhoon, flood, flash flood, landslide or even earthquakes.

“Prevention is always better than cure, that is why we continue to enhance the capacity of our LGUs,” he said.

The DILG, he said, periodically assesses the capacity of LGUs and reminds them of what needs to be done to strengthen their resilience.

“Our DILG field officials conduct these assessments and regularly inform LGUs of what needs to be done. We also provide technical support to the LGUs as part of our mandate,” he added.

He said the DILG, through its Local Government Academy, developed Operation Listo, a national advocacy program for disaster preparedness and disaster risk management at the local level, in the aftermath of Supertyphoon Yolanda in 2013.

Operation Listo is the flagship program of the DILG for disaster preparedness and was first implemented in three components: Listong Pamahalaang Lokal, Listong Pamayanan and Listong Pamilya Pilipino.

He said in all these, LGUs and other key actors are given Listo Manual to guide them on the sets of minimum critical “things to do” during an impending weather disturbance or tropical cyclone.

Over the years, he said the manual was enhanced to make it more responsive to the challenges from climate change.

During the event, he reminded media of their important roles in informing the public.

“We want to orient the members of the media, particularly the DILG beat reporters, for them to have a better appreciation and understanding on the LGU protocols and the disaster preparedness and risk management initiatives at the local level,” he said.

“We know for a fact that the world is facing problems due to extreme changes in climate, and the usual onslaught of natural disasters brought by it. They are made complex because of environment abuse and degradation which have profound effects and impacts on our planet,” Malaya added.

DOLE. . .

Continued from A1

ballooned to P224 million last year.

An AEP is issued by DOLE to FNs who will be working in the country for more than six months, while an SWP is issued by the Bureau of Immigration to FNs who will be employed locally for less than six months.

Earlier this year, the government issued an interagency order, mandating FNs employed from Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo) to get AEPs instead of SWPs. DOLE said that of the currently over 80,000 Pogo workers, at least 70,000 are FNs.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

DUTERTE FIRES FAELDON, TELLS FREED CONVICTS TO SURRENDER IN 15 DAYS

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

& Butch Fernandez

P

@butchfBM

RESIDENT Duterte on Wednesday fired Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Nicanor Faeldon for disobeying him amid the controversy caused by the agency’s decision to grant early release to heinous crime convicts over good conduct.

“Faeldon has to go because [he] disobeyed my order. No releases,” Duterte told reporters in a news briefing.

The President also asked the 1,700 heinous crime convicts who have been released to surrender in 15 days.

“All 1,700 of you surrender and have yourself registered with the BuCor. I will give you 15 days [of ] liberty provided that you will make yourself available when you are called for an investigation to have a recomputation or if there’s an investigation of corruption,” he said.

If they do not surrender, Duterte said he will order their arrest even without a warrant.

He also said he is keen on offering a reward of P1 million per head for those will be able to provide information on heinous crime convicts.

“Surrender to the nearest police or military detachment because I do not need to have a warrant. I will just take them and I will take responsibility. I am ready to be investigated and I am ready for impeachment. I am ready to resign if warranted,” Duterte said.

BuCor data showed that nearly 2,000 heinous crime convicts were released early since 2014, a year after the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law was amended.

The President said corruption may have been behind the decision to grant early release to high-profile convicts.

Affluent prisoners could allegedly earn credits under good conduct time allowance as liberalized by Republic Act 10575 of 2013 in a bid to cut their jail time.

“I suspect that corruption was present there. Some of them may have bought their freedom,” Duterte said in a mix of English and Filipino.

For the meantime, the President said he will not suspend other BuCor officials who are involved in the early release of heinous crime convicts but he will have them investigated by the

Ombudsman.

The President also defended Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo, saying he does not see anything wrong in his execution of a “referral” letter for the request for pardon of former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez to the Board of Pardons and Parole.

Panelo was one of the lawyers of Sanchez, who was convicted for the rape and murder of University of the Philippines Los Baños student Eileen Sarmenta.

“It was not Panelo’s fault that he was the lawyer [of Sanchez],” Duterte said. “[Panelo] happened to be there because I appointed him when [the Sanchez family] arrived. He referred them to the proper entity. Panelo did not commit any infraction,” he added.

Review

LAWMAKERS in both houses of Congress sought a full review of the manner in which the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) implemented the law expanding GCTA after rape-murder convict ex-Mayor Antonio Sanchez almost went scot-free.

They said that while they work out ways to amend the laws to plug ambiguities that may be exploited to allow the illegal release of inmates like Sanchez, imposing sanctions on erring officials is up to the Executive.

Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara affirmed Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao’s observation that people were“scandalized”on hearing reports that Sanchez was almost released from prison earlier. “Kasi maraming nae-iskandalo roon sa nangyari na muntik nang pakawalan si Sanchez,” Angara said, noting that Sanchez was convicted to serve multiple life terms.

Angara also affirmed initial findings of “lapses”in prison management.“How could someone like him [Sanchez] get good-conduct credits—he was accused of possessing drugs; then the pictures show many clear violations of the prison handbook [issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Justice],”Angara said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“Isn’t having a TV set banned? Cellphones are banned? One must be in uniform? So many violations. It’s like, they were all blind to the wrongdoing and only saw good deeds,” Angara added.

DICT to probe ‘colorum’ courier services of aliens

F

OLLOWING the reported “colorum” courier services being operated by foreign companies, the House of Representatives and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) both agreed to regulate the couriers and freight forwarding services in the country.

During the 2020 budget briefing of the DICT last Tuesday, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gringo Honasan said there is need to regulate couriers and freight forwarding services to protect consumers from unscrupulous and unlicensed companies.

“We already noticed this complicated situation,” Honasan conceded, in reply to lawmakers.

Buhay Party-list Rep. Lito Atienza called the attention of DICT on the reported foreign colorum courier services that are doing business in the country.

According to Atienza, there is a growing problem in this industry particularly with the entry of illegal couriers which are mostly foreignowned. He said there’s really need to regulate it, considering that 67 percent of Filipinos are on the Internet.

Atienza added that government agencies should also look into these companies that are reportedly operating without proper license.

The lawmaker said since the e-commerce and courier industry is growing fast, there is a need to protect the consumers and users of these products that are ordered online and delivered to their houses and offices.

Atienza added that there are

instances when these couriers are used illegally.

He said some of these services are found to be violating the 6040 constitutional limits on foreign ownership.

The lawmaker said since they operate as a public service or convenience, logistics companies are supposed to be covered by the 6040 ownership rule.

Probe sought

MEANWHILE, Atienza said he is now preparing a resolution directing a House committee to look into the colorum operators, which he described as a syndicate, because of their effect on the legitimate courier and forwarding companies.

“If we start our investigation, will you cooperate? Ano na bang ginagawa ng DICT [What is DICT doing] to protect the consumers from these illegal couriers?” Atienza asked.

“We will start a Congressional hearing, to look into this deeper so that together we can formulate whatever effective laws,” he added.

For his part, Honasan said his agency is already conducting a study and its own invest igat ion to deter mine t hose behind the illegal operation.

“We will fully cooperate and participate in any congressional inquiry,” Honasan stressed.

Atienza said, “If we need to craft a law to regulate the courier services to protect the consumers and the small-time players in the industry, we will have to do it.”

Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

News BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Pay hike should benefit all civil servants, not only public-school teachers–solons

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

L

AWMAKERS on Wednesday said an across-the-board salary adjustment should be given to all government employees, rather than limiting such benefit exclusively to public-school teachers.

Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite also warned against possible wage distortion in government services if salary hikes are granted to school teachers only, instead of all civil-service workers.

“Adjustment in salaries of state workers should be applied to all,” he said.

Article 124 of the Labor Code refers to wage distortions as a situation where the intentional quantitative differences in wage, or salary rates, between or among salary groups in an organization, is effectively obliterated, eliminated, or severely contracted.

Moreover, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said an across-the-board salary adjustment is needed to help government employees against the effects of rising cost of living.

House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairman Joey Salceda said that when Congress approved the salary hike for military and uniformed personnel this year, they also anticipated that the demand for wage adjustments in the other professions, such as teachers, nurses, engineers and office staff would be inevitable.

“You do to one, you do to all, thus the increase should be simultaneous for all civil servants,” Salceda said.

Ea rl ier, President Duter te

vowed to increase the salary of public-school teachers this year.

The President has also directed members of the 18th Congress to take urgent action to pass the new Salary Standardization law.

Currently, there are six pending bills seeking to increase the salary of government workers, including teachers, nurses, physicians and other health-care providers.

Earlier, a survey result showed that 77 percent of Filipinos aged 18 years old and above agreed that salary standardization should include all government workers. The same survey also showed that only 17 percent of the respondents were of the opinion that it should cover only teachers, a negligible 3 percent disagreed with the salary increase, and another 3 percent answered they “don’t know.”

For her part, Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said that the survey only shows that while Department of Education is recognized as the biggest bureaucracy in the country with a vital function, it is still part of an entire government system with functions that are economically interdependent of each other.

“There are nurses, engineers, and other professionals who also play important roles in the delivery of quality, accessible, relevant and liberating basic education for the Filipino learners,” she said.

Briones, nevertheless, vowed to find ways to uplift the social and economic status of the teaching and nonteaching personnel, as well as improve their working conditions and terms of employment.

DPWH signs ease of doing biz pact with 35 other government agencies

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

T

HE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has signed with 35 other agencies a memorandum of agreement that will hasten government processes by cutting bureaucratic red tape to attract more investors.

In a news statement, the agency said Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar signed a newly enhanced investment promotions unit network agreement that increased the collaboration among government offices that are directly involved in investments. “[T]he strengthened cooperation among 36 offices will facilitate

resolution of issues and concerns of local and foreign investors, such as in the processing of business registrations, permits and licenses,” the statement read.

While the government signed a similar agreement in 2007, the new agreement is in support of Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Ser vice Deliver y Act. The new agreement requires all agencies to “act on investment issues and concerns within 72 hours from the receipt of the complaint or query, but not later than 15 days, as prescribed under the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.”

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Thursday, September 5, 2019 A9

Xi tells Duterte: China warships don’t need permission to sail in intl waters

PHILIPPINE President Duterte (second from left), speaks to Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) during their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, on Thursday, August 29, 2019. AP

P

By Rene Acosta

@reneacostaBM

RESIDENT Duterte had raised the issue of Chinese warships’ unauthorized passage in Philippine waters during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but the Philippine leader was told that China does not need to seek permission whenever it sails into international waters, Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana said on Wednesday.

President Duterte’s official visit to Beijing where he met with his Chinese counterpart was made ahead of the first Asean-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX), which began this week in Thailand, and was being participated by Filipino sailors and the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, one of the frigates of the Philippine Navy.

“Yes, it was raised by the President. The reply of President Xi is that international law does not require ships passing through territorial waters of another country.

He reassured President Rodrigo Roa Duterte that their naval ships

are not coercing, or targeting, the Philippines,” said Lorenzana.

Xi maintained that the Chinese Navy vessels were allowed to transit through the country’s waters, after apparently invoking the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea wherein innocent passage is allowed, although Philippine military officials said that in some cases, the voyage that were taken were not in any way in the direction of innocent passage.

Since February this year, Chinese warships have passed through the Sibutu and Balabac Straits in TawiTawi and Palawan, respectively, for

14 times, but the vessels have kept their identities by turning off their automatic identification system and refused to answer challenges made

by Philippine Navy vessels.

While the Chinese military vessels were supposed to sail in straight course while transiting in the country’s maritime waters, supposedly in exercise of their innocent passage, officials however said that the ships had sometimes deviated from their course, actions that Lorenzana called as “irritants” along with the unauthorized voyages.

President Duterte’s raising of the thorny security issue with China took place as the Asean memberstates launched their first-ever maritime exercise with the United States, which assembled ships, aircraft and more than a thousand American and regional troops.

The AUMX was the first direct military engagement by the US with the whole region as it increases, both its presence and activities in Southeast Asia amid the tension with China over the South China Sea where Beijing has reclaimed islands and turned them into military fortresses.

Ahead of the maritime exercise, which took off at the Sattahip Naval Base in Thailand, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz carried out a trilateral sail with Brunei Darussalam’s offshore patrol vessel KDB Darussalam and

Vietnam’s Pohang-Class HQ-18 vessel while on their way to participate in the war games.

The frigate met with KDB Darussalam at the Kingston Shoal in Brunei before they sailed together to meet HQ-18. The three vessels carried out a series of drills while they were steaming to Thailand, according to Lt. Ryan Luna, public affairs officer of the Philippine Navy’s Naval Task Group 80.5 The Alcaraz and the two vessels from Brunei and Vietnam combined into a naval task group wherein the Philippine Navy was designated as the task group commander. Capt.

Hilarion Cesista headed the Philippine contingent to the AUMX. Rear Adm. Murray Joe Tynch III, commander of the Logistics Group of the US Navy in Western Pacific said the ongoing Asean-US maritime exercise was a significant event and a positive step toward building a more interconnected region, which is a “key” in maintaining stability and security in the Asean.

“One of the unique characteristics of AUMX is that we’re exercising a combined task force structure, and this is exactly how navies structure themselves in real world scenarios to work together and best leverage their forces. We really value each other’s perspective and information capabilities,” he said.

“The challenges we face in the maritime domain extend beyond what any single nation can handle, and that’s where partners and allies are force multipliers for peace and interoperability. That’s an unparalleled advantage that no competitor or rival can match. I fully believe we are stronger when we sail together,” Tynch added.

W hen asked how the exercise would relate to the current problem in the South China Sea, Tynch said it should build the skills and capabilities of the participating navies in dealing with it, although he clarified that the AUMX was not poised against “anyone,” including China.

“What I’d like to make clear about AUMX is the focus of it, really, which is to enhance skills that are applicable to maritime security throughout international waters. So, the concept of AUMX this year is to enhance situational awareness and interoperability for all of Asean and for the US as well. So, that’s the focus of this, really, on skills that are applicable throughout the world for maritime security,” he said.

Nlex Corp. expands solar power DA chief says New Zealand keen exporting onions to PHL capacity among major toll plazas

By Cai U. Ordinario

T

HOROUGHFARE operator Nlex Corp. has started installing solar panels on major and newly expanded toll plazas along the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex) to buttress its sustainability initiatives.

Nlex Corp. Luigi L. Bautista said the initial facilities that will be equipped with grid-tied solar power panels are the Balintawak Barrier, Bocaue Barrier, Mexico Toll Plaza, Angeles Toll Plaza, San Fernando Southbound Toll Plaza, and Karuhatan Interchange Toll Plaza.

“We have since incorporated sustainable energy in our business operations as we already have solar-powered devices, such as closed-circuit television cameras, emergency call boxes and roadway lighting. This time, we’re implementing it in our toll plazas not

only to generate energy savings, but more important, to lessen our carbon footprint,” he said.

The solar panels should be fully deployed before the year ends. They are expected to improve energy efficiency, contribute to cleaner air, and reduce carbon emissions along the expressway.

“We are aware of the impact of infrastructure development on climate change. As an ISO 14001:2015—Environmental Management System—certified company, the Nlex Corp. strives to encourage green practices and comply with environmental responsibilities,” Bautista added. The whole initiative will give Nlex Corp. an additional capacity of 430 kilowatt hours of electricity. Lorenz S. Marasigan

T

@caiordinario

HE New Zealand government has expressed its keen interest in exporting onions to the Philippines, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

In a news statement, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said onion importation is currently suspended and has limited the entry of New Zealand onions into the country.

This was part of the discussion when New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines David Strachan paid a courtesy visit to Secretary Dar this week.

“According to Secretary Dar, there are measures that need to be considered in such a way that the local onion industry will not suffer,” the same DA statement read.

Last year, DA issued Department Or-

der 11, which temporarily disallowed the use of unused sanitary phytosanitary import clearances (SPS-IC).

The SPS-IC is issued by the Bureau of Plant Industry, an attached agency of the DA, that permits traders to bring in imported agricultural products.

Apart from this, the DA said Dar and Strachan also discussed programs that would help the Philippines on dairy, horticulture, cacao, and livestock specifically in conflict-affected areas like North Cotabato and Maguindanao.

One such program implemented by New Zealand is the development of a quality assurance system for fresh mangoes.

The project, DA said, hopes to address this issue through the establishment of spray programs that would meet international market standards, enhancing labo-

ratory testing capacities, and developing an export assurance system.

The DA said mangoes—particularly from Mindanao—fail to access high value markets, such as Japan due to strict minimum residue limit for pesticides.

“We want our farmers to be productive, competitive, and prosperous. Share your technologies that you have, to turn this vision into reality,” Dar said.

The DA chief said he fully recognized the initiatives, especially the focus given to Mindanao. He mentioned that DA will continue to invigorate its programs in the region since Mindanao remains as the “food basket of the Philippines.”

He also reiterated the so-called big brother-small brother approach, emphasizing New Zealand as the big brother and the Philippines, the small brother.

Baby in a bag: Woman’s attempt to smuggle infant in hand-carry luggage at airport foiled

A

DEPA RT I NG A mer ic a n woman apparently attempting to smuggle a week old baby out of the country by putting the infant in a luggage bag was stopped and arrested by airport authorities on Wednesday.

Immigration supervisor Allan Canonizado reported to Grifton Medina, head of Ninoy Aquino International Port Operation Division (POD), that Jennifer Erin Talbot, 42, arrived at the Terminal 3 before 6 a.m. for her 8:10 a.m. flight to Japan

onboard Delta Air flight 180.

According to Canonizado, Talbot presented her passport to the immigration officer while the baby boy, born August 29, 2019, was kept hidden inside her hand luggage.

But before reaching the final x-

ray machines, Talbot brought out the baby from the luggage and went through the body search while her luggage underwent x-ray scanning.

She then immediately proceeded to the predeparture area to wait for the announcement of

her flight’s departure.

Talbot may have thought that she had pulled off the caper until an airline staff approached her and asked for their passports and boarding passes. Apparently, the airline staff saw Talbot carrying a

baby, whom she covered with her sweater, but the baby’s exposed feet may have foiled the plan.

When airline staff asked Talbot the child’s passport she was unable to present any documents, leading to her apprehension. Recto Mercene

A10 Thursday, September 5, 2019

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Thursday, September 5, 2019 A11

A12 Thursday, September 5, 2019

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

In the ad material of Notice of filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on April 13, 2019, the Company name and address of Mr. Chen, Yu should have been read as ITECHNO SPECIALIST INC.Located at 7/F Aseana I Bldg., Bradco Avenue, Aseana Business Park, Tambo, Parañaque, Metro Manila and not as published.

If you have any information / objection to the above mentioned application/s, please communicate with the Regional Director thru Employment Promotion and Workers Welfare (EPWW) Division with Telephone No. 400-6011.

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, September 5, 2019

B1

MPIC’s hospital group files for IPO, hopes to raise ₧75B

T

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

HE hospital group of Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

(MPIC) filed on Wednesday a registration statement at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its initial public offering, hoping to raise as much as P75.1 billion.

In its filing, Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings Inc. will have primary offer of 35.82 million common shares and a secondary offer of 381.27 million common shares with an overallotment option of up to 40.77 million common shares to be listed on the main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

Cemex board approves $250-M stock rights offer

T

HE board of cement manufacturer Cemex Holdings Philippines Inc. has approved the $250-million stock rights offering which will come from the increase in its authorized capital stock.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), Cemex said it has called a special stockholders’ meeting in mid October for the approval of the increase of its capital stock to P18.31 billion from the current P5.19 billion.

The rights issue offering will give “eligible stockholders of record of the corporation” the “opportunity to participate and subscribe to the common shares.”

It needs the approval of regulators—the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and PSE—before it can raise the said amount.

The company said it “delegated to certain members of its senior management the power and authority to fix the terms and conditions of the rights offering, including, determining the final issue size which will be at about $250 million, equivalent in Philippine pesos, the entitlement ratio, the offer price, the payment terms, among others.”

For the six months of the year, the company said it had a profit of P802.31 million, a turnaround from last year’s losses of P584.72 million.

Revenues grew by a mere 4 percent to P12.35 billion from last year’s P11.87 billion. The company said its gray cement volume fell by 2 percent during the six-month period but average selling price rose 6 percent from last year.

Cost of sales for the period reached P7.3 billion. As a percentage of revenue, cost of revenue, it increased by just 1 percentage point from last year due to the scheduled kiln maintenance of its Solid Cement plant in the first quarter of the year, and higher raw material cost and purchased cement resulting from the Naga landslide incident in Cebu. VG Cabuag

MPIC is the lone selling shareholder. At a maximum price of P182 per share, Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings expects to raise as much as P75.1 billion.

The proceeds are meant for investments in additional hospitals, cancer centers, clinics and new health-care businesses; additional investments

in the group’s existing hospitals to support their growth; and general corporate purposes.

UBS AG, Singapore branch is the sole global coordinator, while Merrill Lynch (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., CLSA Ltd., JP Morgan Securities and UBS AG Singapore branch are the joint international book runners. First Metro Investment Corp. is the lead domestic coordinator.

FMIC, BDO Capital and Investments Corp. and BPI Capital Corp. are the local underwriters.

MPIC last month said it is spinning off its hospital group to ease some of the pressures brought about the rising cost of its debt to fund its expansion, which has been slowly eating up its income.

“The process to raise funding for MPIC, as well as for our hospitals group to support its continued expansion is proceeding well. Once

this is completed within the year, we should see a reduction in MPIC’s interest cost and a consequent improved translation of operating profit growth into the bottom line,” MPIC Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said earlier.

MPIC’s core income was flat during the first half of the year to P8.7 billion from last year’s P8.6 billion as its high cost of debt ate up its profitability. For the second quarter alone, its income was down by 10 percent to P5.1 billion from last year’s P4.6 billion.

“The rise in our borrowing costs has largely offset the increased operating contribution as we continue to make major investments in our new road, water, energy and logistics projects. These will take some time to complete and begin contributing to earnings,” Jose Ma. K. Lim, the company’s president and CEO, said.

‘5G services pose profit risks to telcos, but can spur better human conditions’

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

M

ACTA N, Cebu— Celebrated futurist and tech investor Niklas Bergman believes that 5G services may pose certain risks to telecommunication operators in terms of profitability, but sees this new wave of better connectivity as a catalyst creating a whole new suite of services that can potentially improve the daily lives of people.

Bergman, who was the keynote speaker at the Asian Carriers’ Conference, said 5G will prove to be a “huge challenge for the industry,” given that its current use cases are still limited to faster connectivity through lower latency.

“While hardware manufacturers and telcos want to push it, customers don’t really see the use cases and benefits yet—that is a challenge,” he said. “I think it’s a global challenge, 5G.” Given this perception, Bergman

NIKLAS BERGMAN

said monetizing 5G may be harder for telcos. However, he added that once more use cases of 5G emerge, then telcos can reap the benefits of the new technology for mobile connectivity.

“I can see that it can be used for robotics, Internet of Things, autonomous driving, cloud applications.

But my impression is that it’s still

hard to convince companies and private citizens to invest in this today,” Bergman said.

5G can enable a suite of industry applications such as massive connectivity for thousands of devices, ultra-low latency, ultra-high reliability, distributed cloud computing, unified security, and network slicing, among others.

Ultra-low latency is important for 5G use cases such as video analytics plus industrial robotics control for manufacturing, remote crane/ tractor operations in challenging/ hazardous environments like mines and ports, as well as for real-time gaming with tactile sensors.

Introducing 5G to the market, Bergman noted, will have to follow the same development in most technology initiatives: experiment, find use cases, then benefit. And given the potential use cases and benefits of 5G, it may become a necessity in the daily lives of people. “ Technology has become essential part of where we live and how we live,” he said.

PAL extends Ultimate Seat Sale 2019

PAL planes are seen parked on Naia Terminal 2 in this BusinessMirror file photo. NONIE REYES

F

OUR-STAR carrier Philippine Airlines is extending its PAL Ultimate Seat Sale 2019 up to September 15 due to insistent public demand.

The seat sale, which started last August 28, was initially slated to wind down on September 3.

PAL’s lowest round-trip economy base fare for the year for an international flight is only $69, while PAL’s

lowest one-way economy base fare domestic flight is only P69.

PAL’s Business Class round-trip base fare on international flights is available for as low as $299 while PAL’s one-way business class base fare on domestic flights is as low as P4,059.

One can also elevate the travel experience aboard PAL’s Premium Economy for as low as $289 round-

trip base fare on international flights, and as low as P1,559 one-way base fare on domestic flights.

Bargain hunters who wish to experience the best deals may log on to PAL’s web site to book their flights or visit any PAL ticketing office all over the country or any partner travelagent for their flights.

Travel period is from September 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020.

DOF backs PSALM’s bid to have ERC resolve ₧216-M unpaid DWSA

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

T

HE Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) has appealed to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to resolve the pending cases on the unpaid Default Wholesale Supplier Arrangement (DWSA) involving over P200 million.

In a statement, the Department of Finance (DOF) said this was contained in a letter sent by the PSALM to the ERC. The DOF chairs the PSALM board.

The unpaid DWSA charges of several distribution firms and industries reached P216 million.

“These cases delay PSALM’s collection efforts. The cases have been submitted for ERC’s decision several years ago. We hope that ERC can help us to finally collect the DWSAs due to PSALM, which we desperately need in order to be able to settle the remaining obligations we assumed from NPC,” PSALM President and CEO Irene Besido Garcia said.

DOF said these cases involve the Angeles Electric Corp. (AEC), San Fernando Light and Power Co. (Sfelapco) and Tarlac Electric Inc. (TEI), which jointly questioned PSALM’s collection of P75.001 million in DWSA charges.

PSALM also aims to collect P2.681 million from the Melters Steel Corp.

(MSC), which has also lodged a case against the state-owned firm and

the National Power Corp. (NPC) before the ERC. Another pending case before the ERC involves the unpaid DWSA charges and power bill adjustments filed by the Steel Corp. of the Philippines (Steelcorp) amounting to P138.321 million.

“PSALM is very confident of its legal position for collecting these DWSAs. PSALM is mandated to impose the NPC Grid Rate or the WESM [Wholesale Electricity Spot Market] Ex-Post Nodal Energy Price, whichever is higher, and a premium of 10 percent,” Garcia said.

Garcia also said PSALM’s position on this issue is fully supported by both the ERC and the Department of Energy (DOE), as reflected, respectively, in ERC Resolution 44, Series of 2006, and DOE Circular 2006-06-0009.

PSALM’s borrowing costs amount to about 8 percent per annum, Garcia said, adding this could be reduced if these pending cases are resolved soon enough and the debtors are directed to pay PSALM at once.

Earlier, PSALM also demanded payment from 14 firms with overdue obligations amounting to P1.931 billion.

Furthermore, PSALM is bent on collecting P238.3 million in unremitted Universal Charge from 11 electric cooperatives.

All these efforts of PSALM are intended to increase collections that will be used to pay for maturing obligations of NPC.

Porsche unveils its first-ever electric car

P

ORSCHE chose Niagara Falls, a Chinese wind farm and a solar site in Germany to unveil its first all-electric sports car, underscoring the new Taycan’s central role in turning parent Volkswagen AG into the world’s leading seller of battery-powered vehicles.

After a bumpy start for sister brand Audi’s e-Tron, the Taycan, expected to be priced at around $90,000, is for the time being the flag-carrier in VW’s massive drive to unseat e-car pioneer Tesla Inc. The wraps come off Wednesday at simultaneous events in its three biggest markets, where Porsche—which has churned out roaring sports cars for seven decades—will bathe the new car in a backdrop of sustainablepower imagery.

Despite all its engineering muscle as the world’s largest automaker, VW has struggled to slow Tesla’s march.

The debut of the e-Tron, a challenger to the Model X sport-utility vehicle, was marred by delays and a recall.

Tesla chief Elon Musk has meanwhile stretched downmarket with the lower-priced Model 3, which started selling in Europe this year and is about to begin production in China.

The Taycan and the mass-market VW ID.3 will be on display at next week’s Frankfurt auto show, and are slated to start production later this year, underscoring VW’s more than €30 billion ($33 billion) push to produce battery-powered cars across all price segments. It’s a plan the German manufacturer can ill-afford to see falter. The Taycan “is a turning point for Porsche and the industry as it raises the technical bar for electric vehicles beyond Tesla,” Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Michael Dean wrote in a report. The Taycan should “be profitable from launch given Porsche’s proven pricing power, albeit at vastly reduced margins as compared with gas-powered models.”

At last count the Taycan, a sleek, four-door sedan, had attracted about 30,000 deposits, a figure that’s set

to be updated later Wednesday. The car is partly financed by a €1-billion ($1.1 billion) green Schuldschein promissory note, the first for a carmaker. It may quickly outsell the iconic 911 that has led Porsche’s appeal among the world’s wealthy for decades. The technologically refined car will go head-to-head with Tesla’s aging Model S, after Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Audi opted for SUVs to kickstart their electric-car offerings. Tesla is facing concerns over whether it can deliver sustainable profits amid waning demand for its older models while sales rise for the cheaper Model 3.

“Model S and X volumes have plummeted in the last two quarters and have been a huge drag on Tesla’s recent financials,” Sanford Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi said in a note. He counted a number of potential factors, including cannibalization from the Model 3, aging product design and new competition.

Acceptable returns

THE jury is also out on whether Porsche can generate acceptable returns on cars designed to keep the manufacturer’s healthy margins ticking over in the shift to tighter emission rules. It enters the fray in rude health as VW’s most profitable brand.

Demand for the Cayenne SUV helped to lift sales by 2 percent in the first half despite a slowing market. Maintaining healthy operating returns— at 16.5 percent during the first six months—is key to funding VW’s unprecedented shift into the new era.

The Stuttgart, Germany-based manufacturer picked the three Taycan event locations to showcase sources of green energy: Niagara Falls in North America for hydro power, a solar farm outside of Berlin and a wind farm in China near the city of Fuzhou. While automakers gradually move toward battery-powered cars, the energy used to charge them often still comes from nonrenewable sources like coal plants. Bloomberg News

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, September 5, 2019

First Gen talking to suppliers as it fast-tracks LNG terminal

F

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

IRST GEN Corp. is in talks with various gas suppliers and buyers, following its announcement that it has chosen Japan’s JGC Corp. as its engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for its liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal project in Batangas City.

Jonathan C. Russell, First Gen executive vice president and chief commercial officer, said the Lopezled firm is discussing short-term supply contracts for the period 2021-2023.

“We’re in the process of having that discussion right now; we’re just trying to figure out which will be the most competitive supplier.

We’re talking to all of the main LNG supply companies, portfolio players, national oil companies and even traders. We’re just trying to find which of those entities can provide a supply which is most

fitting with the Philippines’s needs as a new buyer, especially maximizing flexibility,” he said at the Powertrends 2019 event held in Pasay City.

The plan is to modify First Gen’s existing jetty to enable LNG to be brought in via a Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) on an interim basis during the term of President Duterte.

An FSRU is an LNG storage ship that has an onboard regasification plant capable of returning LNG back into a gaseous state. This can then be supplied directly to some or

all of FGEN’s existing power plants that currently source gas from the Malampaya gas field.

First Gen already operates four gas-fed power plants with an aggregate capacity of about 2,000 megawatts. These are the 1,000MW Santa Rita, 500-MW San Lorenzo, 414-MW San Gabriel and 97-MW Avion.

The gas contracts inked between the Malampaya consortium and gas power plants will expire in 2021.

Thus, the gas plants must look for other sources before their contract expires. The gas from Malampaya is also expected to be depleted starting 2022.

Russell said that First Gen is also in talks with “entities involved in Ilijan” plant, another gas plant that feeds from the Malampaya gas facility.

“We have spoken with the entities involved in Ilijan and I think there’s an open mind because Ilijan will need a gas supply. Of course, they have their own options. We wouldn’t presume anything. They’re free to make their own choices. But once we bring in the means to bring in LNG to the Philippines, it is obviously an op-

tion for them and the nice thing is it is already connected via the existing pipeline so the supply would be easy to arrange,” said Russell.

Ilijan’s contract with the Malampaya consortium ends in 2022.

Russell also talked about the possibility of expanding its gas presence to other parts of the country, not just Luzon, via small-scale LNG projects.

“So we’re excited with the idea of small-scale LNG. We want to be able to bring it in other parts of Luzon, also other islands in Visayas and Mindanao. We think there should be quite a lot of options to expand in the future but we need to start somewhere. We have to start with bringing it in. The only other choice is coal, which I think is a bad choice for the Philippines,” he said.

First Gen, through its unit FGEN LNG Corp., recently broke ground on its LNG terminal at the First Gen Clean Energy Complex in barangays Santa Clara, Santa Rita Aplaya and Bolbok, Batangas City.

First Gen said this project is the most significant energy infrastructure project to be undertaken in the Philippines in more than two decades.

MUTUAL FUNDS

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Phinma energy firm says DOE has cleared its exit from SC 69

P

HINMA Petroleum and Geothermal Inc. (PPG) said on Wednesday the Department of Energy (DOE) has approved the company’s decision to abandon Service Contract (SC) 69 located in Central Visayas.

“The company received today a notice from the Department of Energy approving the relinquishment of SC 69 pending settlement of all remaining financial obligations, which the company has previously earmarked in its 2019 budget,” said PPG. SC 69 covers an offshore area in the Visayan and Camotes Sea. The company requested permission to relinquish SC 69 amid strong opposition to the conduct of petroleum exploration activities in the area by various local government units and environmental groups.

“In light of...opposition to the project from various stakeholders and the recent issuances of local ordinances and resolutions for

the protection, conservation and declaration of the Visayan Sea as a national protected area and marine reserve,” the company said it decided to relinquish the block.

Earlier, PPG also pulled out from SC 51 (East Visayas). It had said that it would also no longer pursue its entitlement to Otto Energy’s participating interest in SC 51 under the deed of undertaking dated March 2, 2017.

PPG has other interests in oil gas service contracts, namely: SC 55 in offshore West Palawan, SC 6 Block A and B in Northwest Palawan, and SC 50 in North Palawan.

These contracts, the company, said are in various stages of studies and drilling.

The company recently said geophysical studies in SC 55 will be conducted to review the prospects in the area. The company has a 37.5-percent participating interest in SC 55. Lenie Lectura

PayMaya’s digital wallet taps AI

P

AYMAYA Philippines Inc. has upgraded its digital wallet app with artificial intelligence (AI) to hasten customer verification processes for upgrading accounts, a senior company of-

September 4, 2019

NAV ONE YEAR THREE YEAR FIVE YEAR Y-T-D

PER SHARE RETURN* RETURN STOCK FUNDS ALFM GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 255.3 -3.6% -1.71% -0.17% 1.23% ATRAM ALPHA OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC. -A 1.55 3.63% 3.04% 1.62% 7.58% ATRAM PHILIPPINE EQUITY OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC. -A 3.9696 -4.79% -2.87% -1.42% 1.71% CLIMBS SHARE CAPITAL EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND CORP. -A 0.9555 3.2% N.A. N.A. 6.05% FIRST METRO CONSUMER FUND ON MSCI PHILS. IMI, INC. -A 0.8493 -2.36% N.A. N.A. 3.48% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN EQUITY FUND,INC. -A 5.3582 -2.88% -0.53% 0.12% 1.61% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN PHILIPPINE INDEX FUND, INC. -A,6 0.8608 -1.84% -4.66% N.A. 2.88% MBG EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND, INC. -A 116.96 -0.99% N.A. N.A. 0.68% PAMI EQUITY INDEX FUND, INC. -A 51.451 -0.61% -0.33% N.A. 4.53% PHILAM STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 536.41 0.01% -1.26% -0.27% 4.21% PHILEQUITY DIVIDEND YIELD FUND, INC. -A 1.2991 -0.7% 0.06% 1.04% 3.6% PHILEQUITY FUND, INC. -A 38.1865 -0.52% 0.84% 1.02% 4.24% PHILEQUITY MSCI PHILIPPINE INDEX FUND, INC. -A,3 1.0191 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. PHILEQUITY PSE INDEX FUND INC. -A 5.223 0.19% 0.56% 1.62% 5.33% PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND CORP. -A 871.95 0.21% 0.29% 1.55% 5.25% SOLDIVO STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 0.9089 2.14% -0.42% N.A. 5.69% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE EQUITY FUND, INC. -A 4.2497 -0.65% 0.35% 0.98% 4.7% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND, INC. -A 1.0021 - 0.17% 0.24% N.A. 5.01% UNITED FUND, INC. -A 3.6668 -0.43% 1.98% 2.19% 4.74% EXCHANGE TRADED FUND FIRST METRO PHIL. EQUITY EXCHANGE TRADED FUND, INC. -A,C,2 116.9356 0.66% 1.13% 2.61% 5.59% ATRAM ASIAPLUS EQUITY FUND, INC. -B

$0.9341 -9.41% 1.4% -2.07% 0.54% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY WORLD VOYAGER FUND, INC. -A $1.2823 -1.93% 7.11% N.A. 16.02% BALANCED FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ATRAM DYNAMIC ALLOCATION FUND, INC. -A 1.6691 -2.2% -2.89% -2.45% 1.08% ATRAM PHILIPPINE BALANCED FUND, INC. -A 2.2922 -0.64% -1.27% 0.12% 3.76% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN BALANCED FUND INC. -A 2.6374 0.13% -0.19% -1.37% 3.71% GREPALIFE BALANCED FUND CORPORATION -A 1.3415 -1.53% N.A. N.A. 2.85% NCM MUTUAL FUND OF THE PHILS., INC. -A 1.9519 3.52% 0.47% 1.05% 5.9% PAMI HORIZON FUND, INC. -A 3.7909 3.52% -0.57% 0.39% 7.41% PHILAM FUND, INC. -A 16.9761 3.88% -0.52% 0.3% 6.72% SOLIDARITAS FUND, INC. -A 2.1388 0.99% 0.31% 1.39% 3.36% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BALANCED FUND, INC. -A 3.8697 2.1% 0.17% 0.82% 5.98% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2028, INC. -A,D,4 1.0165 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2038, INC. -A,D,4 1.0027 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2048, INC. -A,D,4 0.9993 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DYNAMIC FUND, INC. -A 0.9878 1.71% 0.11% 0.32% 7.17% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES COCOLIFE DOLLAR FUND BUILDER, INC. -A $0.03871 9.82% 2.28% 2.52% 9.66% PAMI ASIA BALANCED FUND, INC. -A $0.9678 -2.66% 1.26% -1.66% 5.92% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ADVANTAGE FUND, INC. -A $3.7487 1.68% 5.33% 2.66% 13.3% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR WELLSPRING FUND, INC. -A $1.1174 4.17% 3.44% N.A. 10.63% BOND FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM PESO BOND FUND, INC. -A 353.72 3.76% 2.21% 2.33% 2.98% ATRAM CORPORATE BOND FUND, INC. -A,1 1.9132 2.92% 0.06% 0.24% 2.9% COCOLIFE FIXED INCOME FUND, INC. -A 3.0789 5.33% 5.36% 5.28% 3.45% EKKLESIA MUTUAL FUND INC. -A 2.2197 4.56% 1.34% 2.21% 4.25% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN FIXED INCOME FUND,INC. -A 2.3492 5.89% 1.47% 1.72% 6.53% GREPALIFE FIXED INCOME FUND CORP. -A P 1.6078 0.95% -1.62% 0.25% 2.77% PHILAM BOND FUND, INC. -A 4.3343 9.52% 0.76% 2.04% 10.57% PHILEQUITY PESO BOND FUND, INC. -A 3.7414 7.41% 1.15% 1.72% 6.38% SOLDIVO BOND FUND, INC. -A 0.954 5.71% -0.22% N.A. 7.05% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BOND FUND, INC. -A 3.0314 8.89% 1.83% 2.7% 9.6% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY GS FUND, INC. -A

1.6801 8.78% 1.32% 2.22% 9.1% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES ALFM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $464.36 4.43% 1.86% 2.79% 3.56% ALFM EURO BOND FUND, INC. -A Є220.47 3.32% 1.35% 1.58% 3.67% ATRAM TOTAL RETURN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -B $1.1971 6.9% 2.04% 2.44% 6.34% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $0.0259 4.44% 1.05% N.A. 4.44% GREPALIFE DOLLAR BOND FUND CORP. -A $1.7182 0.32% -2.07% 0.46% 1.66% PAMI GLOBAL BOND FUND, INC -A $1.1071 6.64% -0.2% -1.37% 6.83% PHILAM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $2.432 11.86% 1.92% 3.64% 12.03% PHILEQUITY DOLLAR INCOME FUND INC. -A $0.0601711 5.87% 1.9% 2.07% 5.56% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ABUNDANCE FUND, INC. -A $3.1976 9.56% 1.18% 3.15% 11.33% MONEY MARKET FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A 124.54 4.09% 2.63% 2.07% 3.03% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A,5 1.0214 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. PHILAM MANAGED INCOME FUND, INC. -A 1.2393 5.62% 2.39% 1.45% 4.86% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A 1.2528 3.92% 2.78% 2.16% 2.76% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR STARTER FUND, INC. -A $1.0318 2.23% N.A. N.A. 1.57%

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.).

"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."

ficial said on Wednesday.

Shailesh Baidwan, the company’s president, said customers of PayMaya may now upgrade their accounts by using “video selfies” for live know-your-customer (KYC) processes. They may also submit a photo of their valid IDs to quickly verify their accounts.

“By employing the power of artificial intelligence to our upgrade process, we are able to help verify the documents and identities of our customers in a faster and more efficient way. This makes the process of upgrading PayMaya accounts easier, allowing our customers to enjoy the best of what PayMaya has to offer,” he said.

Baidwan added that through this new and upgraded process for verification of identities, PayMaya account holders no longer have to go through the usual route employed by traditional financial institutions which entails having to go to a physical branch, or wait in a virtual queue for a video call as implemented by other emerging digital financial service providers today.

Customers of PayMaya who upgraded their accounts are afforded better benefits than those who only use regular accounts. The benefits include higher transaction limits, money remittance, access to a virtual card, and loyalty rewards, among others. Lorenz S. Marasigan

Instant money transfer now available at 42 banks and EMIs

I

NDIVIDUALS may now send money instantly through more institutions with instaPay. The real-time electronic fund transfer service is now being offered by 42 financial institutions, including banks and nonbank electronic money issuers or EMI’s.

Launched April of last year, instaPay is a fast, secure and easy way to send and receive money in the Philippines. It is part of the National Retail Payment System, a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas initiative that aims to fast-track the use of interconnected electronic payment channels in the country. Electronic payment consortium BancNet serves as the clearing switch operator.

As of August 31, 2019, participating banks and EMIs which have sending and receiving services through instaPay are AUB, Bank of Commerce, BDO, BPI, BPI Direct BanKO, Cebuana Lhuillier Rural Bank, China Bank, China Bank Savings, Dungganon Bank, EastWest Bank, Equicom Savings, GCash, LandBank, Malayan Bank, Maybank, Metrobank, PBCom, PNB, PNB Savings, PS Bank, RCBC, Robinsons Bank, Security Bank, Sterling Bank, Sun Savings, UnionBank and UCPB. Those with only receiving services are AllBank, Bangko Mabuhay, CTBC Bank, DBP, ING, ISLA Bank, OmniPay, Partner Rural Bank, PayMaya, Philippine Business Bank, Philtrust, Quezon Capital Rural Bank (QCRB), UCPB Savings, Veterans Bank and Wealth Bank.

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

The World BusinessMirror

Thursday, September 5, 2019

B3

US factories shrink for 1st time in three years amid trade war

W

ASHINGTON—The USChina trade war and slower global growth are weighing on the US economy, reducing factory output in August for the first time in three years.

broader US economy into recession.

A sharp drop in oil prices in 2015 and lower prices for many agricultural products caused oil drillers and farmers to cut back the following year on their investment in tractors, machinery and drilling rigs.

That, in turn, lowered output all along the manufacturing supply chain, from steelmakers to heavy equipment companies such as Caterpillar. Business spending plunged and economic growth fell to just 1.6 percent in 2016, barely half the 2.9-percent increase the year before.

Similar dynamics are at play now: The trade war is discouraging businesses from investing in new equipment and expanding. Business spending fell in the April-June quarter for the first time since 2016.

But so far manufacturers aren’t cutting back as much as they did then. Factory hiring is holding up better, so far. Back in May 2016, factories actually shed jobs over the preceding 12 months. But as of July, manufacturers had added more than 150,000 jobs in the previous year, though those gains are slowing.

began last Sunday. Those tariffs are targeted at consumer goods and will likely raise prices for American consumers. They also point to a trade war that shows little sign of stopping.

Timothy Fiore, chairman of the ISM’s Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, said the decline in new orders was driven by new export orders, which fell to their lowest since April 2009 when global trade was hit by the financial crisis.

“Tariffs are still weighing heavily on supply managers’ minds as they adjust their supply or manufacturing sources,” Fiore said. “Some industries can do it quickly while others need more time.”

A survey by the Institute for Supply Management, an association of purchasing managers, on Tuesday showed that factory production and new orders fell sharply last month, and are now shrinking. US manufacturers also cut jobs, the survey found. The data has fueled concerns that the broader US economy is weakening.

Other recent data has shown factory output is decreasing in Europe and much of Asia, in large part because of the US-China trade fight.

That has weakened global demand for US exports. Manufacturing activity is declining in 17 out of 30 countries surveyed by the consulting firm IHS Markit.

More than half of the public comments from companies surveyed by ISM pointed to the economic uncertainty as a drag on their businesses.

The ISM’s manufacturing index slid to 49.1 last month, from 51.2 in July. That’s the lowest reading issued since January 2016. Any reading below 50 signals a contraction in the sector.

While consumer spending in the US has remained strong, the

deterioration in US manufacturing could slow job growth and weaken the economy.

Investors were dismayed by the news. Stock prices, which had already fallen at the market’s open, dropped further after the report’s release. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slumped 372 points, or 1.4 percent, in afternoon trading.

INDONESIA SAYS THROW EGGS AWAY TO SUPPORT CHICKEN MEAT PRICES

Dreams of an Asia-Pacific trade pact by year-end fading again

I

N Indonesia, the chicken comes before the egg.

At least in the sense that the government is asking poultry breeders to throw away 10 million eggs or give them away for free in an attempt to support slumping chicken prices.

It’s hoping that a reduction in the number of eggs that may hatch will shrink chicken supplies and prop up retail prices that are near a three-year low.

While consumers may be happy with the lower cost of chicken—one of the cheapest sources of animal protein in a country where millions survive on less than $2 per day—it has been a struggle for breeders. The government wants to boost farm-gate prices to support the poultry industry.

The average retail price of chicken meat has plunged 25 percent this year to 30,050 rupiah ($2) per kilogram, according to the central bank-run Center for Information of Strategic Food Price. That’s the lowest since at least July 2016, when the center started compiling the data.

“The only way we can do something about it is by discarding 10 million 19-day-old hatchery eggs,” said I Ketut Diarmita, director general of Livestock and Animal Health.

It will have a psychological impact on the market, he said.

Supply cut

THE plan follows an order in June to cull parent-stock chickens that are older than 68 weeks to ensure breeders fetch good prices for their flocks.

At least 45 poultry-breeding companies, including PT Japfa Comfeed Indonesia and PT Malindo Feedmill, will join the program until September 20, according to the agriculture ministry. The program may have an impact on the supply-demand situation in October and can help breeders avoid further losses, Achmad Dawami, chairman of the Indonesia Poultry Breeding Association, said in text message.

Falling prices have hit the stocks of poultry producers. Shares of PT Charoen Pokphand Indonesia was down 1.5 percent at 10:52 a.m. local time on Wednesday, taking this year’s total losses to about 34 percent. Japfa Comfeed has dropped almost 29 percent this year, while Malindo Feedmill shares have slumped about 36 percent. Bloomberg News

Report’s implications

THE report suggested manufacturing will likely continue to struggle, raising concerns among some economists about a recession.

Along with the lower factory production figure, a measure of new orders also fell below 50, a sign that output will likely remain weak in the coming months.

“Another couple of months of declines on this scale would leave the US facing an entirely unnecessary and self-inflicted recession,” Ian Shepherdson, the chief economist at Pantheon Economics, wrote in a research note.

Yet, that is not a foregone conclusion. A similar downturn in manufacturing in 2016 didn’t pull the

H

OPES of finishing a monster A sia-Pacific trade pact by year’s end, and pushing back against a wave of protectionism, may be headed for disappointment again.

The 16 members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) have been eyeing November as a tentative deadline to close the deal after seven years of negotiations. Talks have been mired in disagreements around how to regulate e-commerce and labor migration, among other

Trade war’s role

PRESIDENT Trump’s fight with China, and his tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, are intended to help US manufacturers but are now having the opposite effect.

The ISM report was issued against the backdrop of a new round of tariffs on Chinese goods, which

issues.

Now, under the weight of tradewar pressures, regional trade spats and a global economic slowdown, that deadline is looking less realistic.

“If you’re not done in November, you don’t get an RCEP,” Deborah Elms, executive director of the Asian Trade Centre, a Singaporebased think tank, said in an interview on Wednesday. “It’s very hard to take on liberalization moves in a recession.”

Negotiators already had resigned

Global impact

SURVEYS of purchasing managers this week have suggested that the uncertainty generated by the trade war has had a global impact.

IHS Markit’s global manufacturing index rose from 49.3 to 49.5 in August, but remained in negative territory.

Its China survey showed mixed results, as domestic activity—bolstered by government spending in infrastructure—overshadowed the drop in an index measuring export orders. Meanwhile, manufacturing activity declined across Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.

In Europe, German manufacturing activity remained close to July’s seven-year low, as new orders fell, producers scaled back output, and job losses rose steeply. AP

t hem se lves to m a k i ng l it t le progress this year as a spate of elections—including in India, Indonesia and T hailand— interrupted progress. Elms sees fewer catalysts for a deal, and even more obstacles, in 2020.

Some economies in the region are already seeing early signs of recession. Next year, you’ll have “economies going south and supply chains getting ruptured,” said Elms, who has participated in almost all of the 27 rounds of RCEP negotiations. Bloomberg News

US hits Iran space agency with sanctions over missile work

W

ASHINGTO—The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Tuesday on Iran’s space agency for the first time, accusing it of developing ballistic missiles under the cover of a civilian program to launch satellites into orbit.

The sanctions announced by the State and Treasury departments targeting the agency and two of its affiliates follow the explosion on Thursday of a rocket at Iran’s Imam Khomeini Space Center in what an Iranian official said was a technical malfunction during a test.

Following the explosion, President Donald J. Trump tweeted a surveillance image depicting the apparent aftermath of the incident and declared that the US had nothing to do with what transpired at the launch site.

With the latest sanctions, the Trump administration can subject foreign companies and governments, including international space cooperation organizations, to penalties if they have any involvement with the Iranian space agency.

They would also freeze any of the agency’s assets in US jurisdictions, though there aren’t likely to be any given the state of relations between the two nations.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the “urgency of the threat” was underscored by Iran’s recent attempt to launch a space vehicle.

“The United States will not allow Iran to use its space launch program as cover to advance its ballistic missile programs,” he said in a statement announcing the sanctions.

In a tweet early Wednesday, Iranian Information and Communications Technology Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi appeared to dismiss the latest sanctions. He posted a picture of stars in space, writing: “I can’t even locate the US in this picture, let alone sanctions on Space!”

“The universe & #BrightFuture belong to everyone, not to a few!

Stop imitating #Thanos, Donald Trump!” Jahromi wrote, referring to the purple-skinned villain of the latest Avengers films.

Jahromi, the first Iranian government minister to be born after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, is considered a rising political star himself within Iran’s Shiite theocracy. He’s increasingly directly challenged Trump in comments in interviews and online, leading to speculation he may run in Iran’s 2021 presidential election.

US officials said the move was not directly related to last week’s explosion but that the surveillance image provided evidence of the US assertion that the Iranian space program is used to develop missiles, including ones capable of carrying nuclear warheads or other weapons of mass destruction over

long distances.

The sanctions are part of the Trump administration’s escalating campaign of economic and diplomatic measures against Iran since unilaterally withdrawing last year from an international accord that was intended to curb the Iranian nuclear program.

Iran insists it is developing rockets to launch satellites into space, which it has done twice since 2013.

The explosion marked the third failure involving a rocket at the Iranian center, which has raised suspicions of sabotage in Iran’s space program.

Iran government Spokesman Ali Rabiei said Monday the explosion was “a technical matter and a technical error.”

Commercially available satellite images by Planet Labs Inc. and Maxar Technologies showed a black plume of smoke rising above a launch pad Thursday, with what appeared to be the charred remains of a rocket and its launch stand. In previous days, satellite images had shown officials there had repainted the launch pad blue.

The blast followed failed launches of the Payam and Doosti satellites in January and February. A separate fire at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in February also killed three researchers, authorities said at the time. Iran is preparing to launch the Nahid-1, a communication satellite, into space. AP

IN this Monday, September 2, 2019, photo released by the US Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, boats litter the area around marina in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian tossed them around. The storm pounded away at the islands in a watery onslaught that devastated thousands of homes, trapped people in attics and chased others from one shelter to another. At least five deaths were reported. US COAST GUARD STATION CLEARWATER VIA AP

‘Total devastation’: Hurricane slams parts of the Bahamas

F

REEPORT, Bahamas—Relief officials reported scenes of utter ruin on Tuesday in parts of the Bahamas and rushed to deal with an unfolding humanitarian crisis in the wake of Hurricane Dorian, the most powerful storm on record ever to hit the islands. At least seven deaths were reported, with the full scope of the disaster still unknown.

The storm’s punishing winds and muddy brown floodwaters destroyed or severely damaged thousands of homes, crippled hospitals and trapped people in attics.

“It’s total devastation. It’s decimated.

Apocalyptic,” said Lia Head-Rigby, who helps run a local hurricane relief organization and flew over the Bahamas’s hard-hit Abaco Islands. “It’s not rebuilding something that was there; we have to start again.”

She said her representative on Abaco told her that there were “a lot more dead” and that the bodies were being gathered. The prime minister also expected more deaths and predicted that rebuilding would require “a massive, coordinated effort.”

“We are in the midst of one of the greatest national crises in our country’s history,” Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis told a news conference. “No effort or resources will be held back.”

Emergency authorities struggled to reach victims and urged people to hang on.

“We don’t want people thinking we’ve forgotten them....We know what your conditions are,” Tammy Mitchell of the Bahamas’s National Emergency Management Agency told ZNS Bahamas radio station.

With their heads bowed against heavy wind and rain, rescuers began evacuating people from the storm’s aftermath across Grand Bahama late Tuesday, using jet skis, boats and even a huge bulldozer that cradled children and adults in its digger as it cut through deep waters and carried them to safety.

One rescuer gently scooped up an elderly man in his arms and walked toward a pickup truck waiting to evacuate him and others to higher ground.

Practically parking over a portion of the Bahamas for a day and a half, Dorian pounded the northern Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama with winds up to 185 mph (295 kph) and torrential rain before finally moving into open waters Tuesday on a course for Florida. Its winds were down to a still-dangerous 110 mph (175 kph) late Tuesday, making it a Category 2 storm.

Over 2 million people along the coast in Florida, Georgia, and North and South Carolina were warned to evacuate. While the threat of a direct hit on Florida had all but evaporated, Dorian was expected to pass dangerously close to Georgia and South Carolina— and perhaps strike North Carolina—on Thursday or Friday.

Even if landfall does not occur, the system is likely to cause storm surge and severe flooding, the US National Hurricane Center said.

“Don’t tough it out. Get out,” said US Federal Emergency Management Agency official Carlos Castillo.

In the Bahamas, Red Cross Spokesman Matthew Cochrane said more than 13,000 houses, or about 45 percent of the homes on Grand Bahama and Abaco, were believed to be severely damaged or destroyed. UN officials said more than 60,000 people on the hard-hit islands will need food, and the Red Cross said some

62,000 will need clean drinking water.

“What we are hearing lends credence to the fact that this has been a catastrophic storm and a catastrophic impact,” Cochrane said.

Lawson Bates, a staffer for Arkansasbased MedicCorps, flew over Abaco and said: “It looks completely flattened. There’s boats way inland that are flipped over. It’s total devastation.”

The Red Cross authorized $500,000 for the first wave of disaster relief, Cochrane said. And UN humanitarian teams stood ready to go into the stricken areas to help assess damage and the country’s needs, UN Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said. The US government also sent a disaster response team.

Abaco and Grand Bahama islands, with a combined population of about 70,000, are known for their marinas, golf courses and allinclusive resorts. To the south, the Bahamas’s most populous island, New Providence, which includes the capital city of Nassau and has over a quarter-million people, had little damage.

The US Coast Guard airlifted at least 21 people injured on Abaco. Choppy, coffeecolored floodwaters reached roofs and the tops of palm trees.

“We will confirm what the real situation is on the ground,” Health Minister Duane Sands said. “We are hoping and praying that the loss of life is limited.”

Sands said Dorian rendered the main hospital on Grand Bahama unusable, while the hospital in Marsh Harbor in Abaco was in need of food, water, medicine and surgical supplies.

He said crews were trying to airlift five to seven kidney failure patients from Abaco who had not received dialysis since Friday.

The Grand Bahama airport was under 6 feet (2 meters) of water.

Late Tuesday, Dorian was centered about 95 miles (155 kilometers) east of Cape Canaveral, Florida, and it was moving northwest at 6 mph (9 kph). Hurricane-force winds extended up to 60 miles (95 kilometers) from its center, while tropical storm-force winds could be felt up to 175 miles (280 kilometers) from the core.

The coastline from north of West Palm Beach, Florida, through Georgia was expected to get 3 to 6 inches of rain, with 9 inches in places, while the Carolinas could get 5 to 10 inches and 15 inches in spots, the National Hurricane Center said. NASA satellite imagery through Monday night showed some places in the Bahamas had gotten as much as 35 inches (89 centimeters) of rain, said private meteorologist Ryan Maue. AP

B4 Thursday, September 5, 2019

A deeper level of driving pleasure awaits at Mazda Premium Experience

T

EST-DRIVE the all-new Mazda3 and feel a deeper level of driving fulfillment as Mazda Philippines introduces its latest models for 2020 at the Mazda Premium Experience to be held this coming weekend, from September 6 to 8, 2019 at 9th Avenue, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City.

The Mazda Premium Experience display and test drive event will allow the public to experience elevated levels of quality, craftsmanship and driving refinement that are normally associated with premium luxury brands, throughout the Mazda model

range. All five variants of the Mazda3 Sedan, Sportback and Speed along with the Mazda6 Turbo, Mazda6 Diesel, the CX-5 AWD Diesel, the CX-9 AWD and the MX-5 RF Club Edition will be available for test drive during the three-day display.

The event will likewise showcase the Mazda i-Activsense advanced safety features, new Skyactiv-Vehicle Architecture innovations and human-centric comfort features, which have all been introduced in the all-new Mazda3. Through an interactive display, the public will feel the premium difference of Mazda design and technology.

“The Mazda Premium Experience is a unique opportunity for everyone to see, touch, and feel the new generation of Mazda products,” shares Steven Tan, president and CEO of Mazda Philippines. “The all-new Mazda3 represents the bold new direction for the brand and will surely redefine the people’s perception of premium, quality and excellence across the various categories where Mazda has a presence. We invite everyone to testdrive a Mazda this weekend at BGC High Street.

Bermaz Auto Philippines, Inc. is the exclusive distributor of Mazda vehicles and parts in the Philippines. Its current product line-up now includes the Mazda2 sub-compact sedan and hatchback, the Mazda3 compact sedan and hatchback, the Mazda6 full-size executive sedan and sports wagon, the CX-3 freestyle crossover, the CX-5 five-seater and the CX-9 seven-seater premium crossovers, the MX-5 2-seater sports roadster and the BT-50 pickup truck. There are 21 Mazda 3S dealerships located across the Philippines and Metro Manila.

DOT, GRAB launch eco-friendly ride in Intramuros

L

EXPLORING historic Intramuros can now be more fun!

This, after the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Intramuros Administration (IA) and Grab Philippines forged a partnership to launch “GrabWheels”, a two-wheel, personal mobility device (PMD) that tourists can use to roam around the picturesque Walled City.

Grab committed the deployment of at least 30 units of GrabWheels, to be made available for the use of the public within Intramuros, free-of-charge for a period of three months.

“This is in keeping with the efforts of the DOT to inculcate a culture of sustainable tourism. This is what we envision to do to some, and ideally, to all of our destinations. We want visitors to have access to an eco-friendly but fun mode of transportation,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

She stressed, “Sustainability demands that our planning and resources management must be responsible.

Conversely, it should also maintain a high level of satisfaction and ensure meaningful experience of our tourists.

This partnership, hopefully, will raise their awareness about environmental issues and allow them to experience first-hand these sustainable tourism practices.”

Atty. Guiller Asido of the IA noted that these PMDs will provide less carbon footprint and likewise significantly reduce traffic congestion, a major problem in the area.

“This is just a pilot test. After a month, we will review its reception and determine the necessary mechanisms and setting of fees to make it sustainable,” said Asido.

Meanwhile, Grab also committed to promote Philippine tourism by

FORTUNE LIFE INSURES PRE-NEED PLANHOLDERS. Fortune Life Insurance Company, Inc. (FLIC) insures planholders of Kaagapay Mo Karamay Funeral Homes Company (KMKFHC) under its Credit Group Life Insurance Plan. Present at the recent signing of a memorandum of agreement were (from left) KMKFHC representatives, namely Admin. Head Emelita Hernandez, Consultant Pastora Lydia Serrano, co-owner Jocelyn A. Ramilo, owner/ general manager Ricardo Ramilo, and FLIC representatives First Vice President for Group Sales Virgilio Aquino, Tranquilino and Mary Lou Daigdigan, Branch and Agency Managers of Daigdigan branch-Pasig office; and Group Marketing Senior Manager Carlos Frederic Lago.

CEBUANA LHUILLIER GROWS A NATION OF IPONARYOS. MORE THAN 1.7 MILLION Filipinos are now a step closer to financial freedom after opening Cebuana Lhuillier Micro Savings accounts. Considered as Iponaryos, the micro savings account owners are encouraged to follow the Iponaryo philosophy of saving at least PhP50,000 a year using their KaCebuana Ipon Diary. To date, Cebuana Lhuillier, through its 8,000 employees, has cascaded the financial wellness philosophy to more than 10,000 individuals from far-flung barangays, schools, NGOs, LGUs, and cooperatives. By year-end, it aims to conduct at least 500 more cascades towards its thrust to convert at least three million Iponaryos nationwide.

disseminating tourism materials produced and developed by the DOT and its attached agencies through its massive fleet of operators.

In photo are, from left: DOT Assist.

Sec. for Branding Howie Uyking; Brian Matthew Cu, Grab Philippines President; Sec. Bernadette Puyat; Cong. Sol Aragones of the 3rd District of Laguna; and Leo Emmanuel Gonzales, Grab Philippines Public Affairs Head.

MERALCO ENERGIZES NEW CLARK CITY SUBSTATION – Meralco recently energized its new 69 kV-13.8kV Interim Substation in New Clark City (NCC), the country’s first smart, disaster-resilient, and sustainable city. The substation addresses the power demands of the NCC Phase 1A project covering 60 hectares and includes the New Clark City Sports Complex that houses the New Clark City Stadium and New Clark City Aquatic Center which will be the venue of the 30th South East Asian Games later this year. Meralco, along with its partners Marubeni Corporation, Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc., and Chubu Electric Power Co. Inc. received the notice of award to develop the Electric Power Distribution System in the NCC by the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) earlier this year. Inset Photo shows the Meralco working team who led the construction and energization of the NCC Substation represented by Substation Head, Alberto N. Castillo and Testing Head, Froilan Rofuli III. Joining the Meralco team during the energization were NCC Assistant General Manager Danilo Ancheta and BCDA Project Manager Miguel Marfil.

Philippines to host PIANC –COPEDEC X 2020

Epic Journey Against Diabetes stages Manila leg

T

HE Epic Journey Against Diabetes, an advocacy awareness program by Edwin A. Velarde (Past-President of Rotary Club of Westlake Village, California USA and Board Member of Rotarian Action Group on Diabetes), had it’s Manila leg on August 23-24.

Diabetes is a chronic disease and increasing in prevalence worldwide. In

the Philippines, local experts said “the prevalence of diabetes is expected to soar to 20 percent by the year 2045, and more than 100,000 Filipinos would be dying every year due to its complications.

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failures, lower limb amputations, loss of vision, severe periodontal disease, heart disease and stroke.

Diagnosed with diabetes at age 29, Velarde suffered the consequences of unstable blood glucose level for many years until he developed a new nutrition program and introduced cycling to his lifestyle. “With this, I found new energy which I am now using to advocate for those with diabetes and hope to inspire Rotarians and others to take on the Global Diabetes Epidemic.”

Supporting the ManilaBatangas-Laguna leg are fellow Rotarians in Rotary District 3820 Philippines to raise awareness on Diabetes.

Enchanted Kingdom hosted a breakfast on August 23 for the participants of the bike tour from Metro Manila along the shores of Lake Laguna to Batangas Provincial Capitol and around the province of Laguna.

It was followed by Diabetes Symposium in Calamba Medical Center on August 24 where Velarde shared his personal diabetes journey along with information about the Global Diabetes Epidemic.

Visit http://www.rag-diabetes.org. and https://epic-chalenge.org.

T

HE Philippine Ports Authority, is hosting the PIANC-COPEDEC X 2020 Conference on 16-20 November 2020.

The theme for this conference is “Enhancing Waterborne Transport and Sustaining Coast Development”.

The Conference, expected to gather decision-makers and experts from all around the globe, aims to provide an international forum where coastal and port engineers from developing countries can exchange theoretical and technical knowhow and experiences from industrialized countries as well as to enable the developing countries to have a sustainable human resource pool of coastal and port

development professionals.

The PIANC-COPEDEC (The Permanent International Association of Navigational Congresses – Coastal and Port Engineering in Developing Countries) is calling for the submission of Abstracts from local and foreign experts and interested stakeholders. The Abstract will be the basis which research papers will be presented during the Conference. The deadline is on 31 October 2019.

For concerns and inquiries, visit www. pianc-copedec2020.org or their official Facebook page /pianc.copedecx. Or email the Secretariat at secretariat@pianccopedec2020.org.

ROGER...AND OUT! Sports BusinessMirror

C1

| Thursday, September 5, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

ROGER FEDERER: I fought with what I had. AP

SERENA’S FOE GONE IN 44 MINUTES N EW YORK—The numbers associated with Serena Williams’s US Open quarterfinal victory over Wang Qiang were so stark, they bear reading more than once.

Winners: 25-0. Points: 50-15. Minutes: 44.

Score: 6-1, 6-0.

This is the portion of the tournament that is supposed to be where winning a Grand Slam title gets difficult, where the remaining players are among the very best opposition around. And yet, there was Williams in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday night, making one of the last eight women in the draw, someone ranked No. 18 in a world of billions, look and feel completely overwhelmed.

“Didn’t give her too many chances,” Williams said.

A reporter wanted to know what surprised Wang the most about being across the net from Williams for the first time.

“Power,” came the answer.

The way she hit groundstrokes from the baseline? The way she served?

“Everything,” Wang said with a smile.

Looking as dominant as can be as she moved closer to a 24th Grand Slam singles trophy and seventh US Open championship, Williams was not troubled one bit by the right ankle she rolled in her previous match.

“Physically, I’m feeling great,” Williams said, “and more than anything, I’m having fun every time I come out here.”

Roger Federer followed her into Ashe and did not have a good time, dealing with upper back and neck problems while giving away leads against a guy he’d never lost to, bowing out in the quarterfinals 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 against 78th-ranked Grigor Dimitrov.

“Just disappointed it’s over. Because I actually was feeling I was playing really well,” said Federer, who said he began having physical problems Tuesday afternoon and then took a rare-for-him medical timeout before the fifth set. “A missed opportunity, to some extent.”

Against Wang, who was making her debut in a major quarterfinal, Williams grabbed the first five games in about 15 minutes. Then, after dropping one game, Williams collected the next 11 points to start a seven-game run the rest of the way.

She controlled pretty much every point,

pretty much from the start, regardless of whether she was serving or returning. She hit the ball hard, well and true, pushing Wang around and rarely letting get into position for a proper reply. Williams was so dialed in, there weren’t all that many occasions to test her ankle, but on those rare instances when she did need to run, she appeared to be more than OK. That’s a big reason Wang could not manage even one winner.

“Yeah, that’s a good stat for me. It’s good because I want to be able to move around the court. I move when I want to move,” Williams said. “I guess I wanted to move tonight.”

This was her 100th match win at the US Open, dating to her debut in 1998 as a teen.

“From when I first started here...I never thought that I would get to 100. Didn’t even cross my mind I would still be out here,” said Williams, who turns 38 later this month. “But I love what I do.”

The American will face No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine for a berth in the final. Svitolina eliminated 16th-seeded Johanna Konta of Britain, 6-4, 6-4, earlier Tuesday.

“She gets a lot of balls back.

She doesn’t make a lot of mistakes,” Williams said about Svitolina, who beat her at the 2016 Rio Olympics. “She’s one of those players that does everything really well. So I have to do everything well, too.”

With her boyfriend, Gael Monfils, watching in the stands, Svitolina got to the semifinals at a second consecutive major tournament after never having been that far before. AP

By Howard Fendrich

N

Wednesday night.

Nadal, who has won three of his 18 major titles at Flushing Meadows, is playing in his 40th career Grand Slam quarterfinal. He is 7-0 against Schwartzman.

No. 13 Gael Monfils of France and No. 24 Matteo Berrettini meet in the other

N

EW YORK— Betrayed by his 38-yearold body, and his forehand, Roger Federer is done at the US Open.

Federer’s upper back and neck gave him trouble, he kept missing makeable shots and he kept giving away the lead against a guy he’d never lost to. It all added up to getting beaten 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 by 78th-ranked Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals before a stunned crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday night.

“Grigor was able to put me away,” Federer said. “I fought with what I had.”

Chasing a 21st Grand Slam title, and sixth at Flushing Meadows, Federer appeared to be flexing his upper back after some points and said afterward that he began feeling something in that area in the afternoon.

He took a rare-for-him medical timeout after the fourth set,

THERE’S Serena Williams at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday night, making one of the last eight women in the draw at the expense of Wang Qiang. AP

Nadal aims to put one of Big 3 in semifinals

EW YORK—Rafael Nadal will try to make sure the US Open has one member of the Big Three in the semifinals.

With Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic out of the tournament, Nadal is the only major champion left on the men’s side as he faces No. 20 Diego Schwartzman on

The Associated Press

quarterfinal.

The women’s quarterfinal matchups are No. 13 Belinda Bencic against No. 23 Donna Vekic, and 15th-seeded Bianca Andreescu against No. 25 Elise Mertens.

Mertens is the only one of the four who has been beyond this stage of a Grand Slam. AP

leaving the court with a trainer. When play resumed after a break of nearly 10 minutes, Federer’s form never picked up.

“He started slowing down a little bit,” Dimitrov said. “For sure, in the end, he was not 100 percent of himself.”

Federer kept contributing to Dimitrov’s cause, missing shots this way and that, long or wide or into the net.

The stats were staggering and showed exactly how off Federer was on this evening: 61 unforced errors, 33 on the forehand side. Compare that to his 40 total winners.

And so his two-sets-to-one lead vanished.

“Start of the fourth wasn’t ideal,” Federer said. “Start of the fifth wasn’t ideal.”

Federer had been 7-0 in their head-to-head series, taking 16 of the previous 18 sets against Dimitrov, who is a decade younger and long ago was dubbed “Baby Fed” because of his similar one-handed backhand and allcourt game.

And the No. 3-seeded Federer could have become the oldest man to reach a Grand Slam semifinal since Jimmy Connors was 39 in 1991 at the US Open.

He could have claimed a berth in his record 56th career major semifinal.

“Just disappointed it’s over, because I did feel like I was actually playing really well after a couple of rocky starts,” Federer said. “It’s just a missed opportunity, to some extent.”

He joins Novak Djokovic on the sideline less than two months after their epic five-set Wimbledon final.

Defending US Open champion and No. 1 seed Djokovic retired from his fourthround match in New York because of a painful left shoulder.

That leaves No. 2 Rafael Nadal as the only member of the Big Three still in the draw. He meets No. 20 Diego Schwartzman in the quarterfinals Wednesday, when No. 13 Gael Monfils plays No. 24 Matteo Berrettini.

Dimitrov will participate in a Slam fin al four for the third time, facing No. 5 seed Daniil Medvedev on Friday.

Medvedev has drawn plenty of attention at Flushing Meadows for the way he sarcastically thanked booing crowds, trolling them by suggesting their venom was why he kept winning.

Now maybe folks will pay more attention to the 23-year-old Russian’s unusual brand of shape-shifting tennis, which carried him past three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka, 7-6 (6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, on Tuesday despite 12 double-faults and a body that’s just short of breaking down.

Dimitrov has struggled for much of 2019, failing to even get to a quarterfinal anywhere since Week 1 of the season. And it’s been nearly oneand-a-half years since Dimitrov reached a semifinal at any tour-level event, let alone a major.

His Grand Slam results have been trending in the wrong direction, too: from a loss in the fourth round at the Australian Open to the third round at the French Open to the first round at Wimbledon.

So his ranking, as high as No. 3 a couple of years ago, is nowhere near that now. His coaches, Andre Agassi and Radek Stepanek, aren’t anywhere near Flushing Meadows, either.

They opted to stay away from the tournament. Asked why, Dimitrov hemmed and hawed.

It’s certainly working so far.

C2

Spo

Business

Thursday, September 5, 2019

ROGLIC DOMINANT IN I.T.T. P

AU, France—Primoz Roglic earned a dominant victory in the individual time trial Tuesday to take the overall lead of the Spanish Vuelta.

The Jumbo-Visma rider won the 36-kilometer 10th stage in the French city Pau with a time that was 25 seconds faster than second-place Patrick Bevin, a New Zealander from CCC Team. Frenchman Rémi Cavagna of team Deceuninck-Quick Step was third, 27 seconds off the lead.

“I’m happy with the performance, for sure,” said

the 29-year-old Roglic, a former ski jumper. “The goal was to try to go as fast as possible all the time and, yeah, it was enough in the end.”

Roglic, only the second Slovenian to take the Vuelta lead, opened a gap of nearly two minutes over secondplace Alejandro Valverde of Movistar Team.

“It was everything as expected,” Valverde said. “Roglic was the favorite for this

time trial and he showed why. I had a decent time trial. There is a long way to go and we are still in it.”

Third-place Miguel Ángel López fell more than 2 minutes behind Roglic.

“We will have a lot of opportunities,” the Colombian rider said.

“Hopefully we will still be in the fight in the end.”

Valverde’s teammate Nairo Quintana, who was wearing the leader’s red jersey entering

Paeng leads field chasing World Cup national crowns

Tuesday’s stage, dropped to fourth place, three minutes off the lead.

“Three minutes is a lot,” the veteran Colombian said. “In this situation we have lost races and we have won races. We have nothing to lose. We are at least going to try.”

Tuesday’s time trial came after the first rest day in the three-week Grand Tour race that this year is without many top riders, including defending champion Simon Yates.

On Wednesday, riders return to Spain in a mid-mountain 11th stage of 180 kilometers from Saint-Palais to Urdax. AP

E

PRIMOZ ROGLIC is 25 seconds faster than his closest pursuer.

THE US’s Myles Turner eyes the ball during their Group E match against Turkey on Tuesday. AP

TEAM U.S.A. 2ND RATE, OR LESS, IN WORLD CUP S

HANGHAI—The United States does not have the best team at this World Cup. This is not a new thing.

It’s just more evident now. The Americans’ edge in recent tournaments has been that they always had the best players on the court. That’s not the case in this World Cup. The best player in the tournament is National Basketball Association MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who plays for Greece, a team that is likely waiting for the US this weekend. AllNBA first-teamer Nikola Jokic plays for Serbia. The two-time reigning defensive player of the year, Rudy Gobert, plays for France.

That puts even more emphasis on teamwork.

From the early days of this team’s training camp in Las Vegas last month, Coach Gregg Popovich hasn’t been showing highlights of how exceptional talent on recent US teams— the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade—could put on the sort of dazzling shows typically reserved for All-Star games.

Instead, he’s been showing the games that the US had to grind out, as if he knew daunting

tests were coming.

But even those glitzy US teams, gold medalists from the last two World Cups and last three Olympics, weren’t great “teams.”

They just had the best talent in the world, got along, and made it work.

Teams—in an ideal scenario—are put together over time, forged through bonds that sometimes take years. Serbia has six players here who were on its Olympic team three years ago and six returnees from the last World Cup team in 2014. Spain has five players back from the Olympics. Turkey’s roster still has holdovers from the group that went to the World Cup final nine years ago.

“Execution-wise, we’re not there yet,” Popovich said.

That’s reality, though it’s certainly not an excuse for nearly losing to Turkey on Tuesday night. Ersan Ilyasova, Cedi Osman and Furkan Korkmaz—players with a combined zero NBA All-Star appearances, players with a combined NBA scoring average of 10 points per game— were pretty much doing whatever they wanted, but Turkey let the US off the hook in a 93-92 overtime final.

Put simply, Turkey choked.

And that’s what it took for the US, the world’s No. 1-ranked program, the three-time defending Olympic champions and two-time defending World Cup champions, to win a game over a squad that isn’t even ranked among the top 10 in Europe.

“Every game we learn something new about our group and what we have to do and how we have to play,” Popovich said. “We already know how good the other teams are, so our respect is there for that, and that goes without saying. But, we still have to use every game kind of like a practice in a sense to try to get better in so many ways.”

And while the US is anything but a lock—as everyone can now plainly see—there’s still time to get it right. But it is going to take a Herculean effort for this team to win gold in China.

Maybe, just maybe, Turkey provided the lesson or spark that the Americans needed.

Yes, the best US talent is back home but the Americans still have the most talented roster at the World Cup from top to bottom.

There’s no other team in China with 12 NBA players on the roster, not even close.

But they’re going to execute—as a team—every second of every game. This team has very little, if any, margin for error.

“We’re not going to win every game by 30 or 40,” said US forward Jayson Tatum, who turned an ankle on the pass he threw to set up Khris Middleton for what became the game-winning free throws with 2.1 seconds left. “Turkey is a great team, and they’ve been playing together for a while. This is good for us. It was a tough game, tough battle, a lot of guys gave second, third, fourth efforts. We learned a lot about ourselves.”

The rest of the world learned a lot as well.

The Americans can be beaten. The Australians proved that in an exhibition last month, and Turkey showed it again on Tuesday night. Any team the Americans face the rest of the way will go into that game seeing blood in the water, seeing an opportunity to beat the best basketballplaying country in the world.

“We can continue to build and get better,” US guard Donovan Mitchell said. They better.

Or else they’re not going home with gold. AP

Ingles goes 1 assist less of triple-double as Aussies advance

A

Hachimura proving himself on global stage

S

HANGHAI—Rui Hachimura believes his game has grown this summer. He knows his confidence has.

It has been a hectic and nonexistent offseason for the soon-to-be Washington Wizards rookie—he was drafted No. 9 overall in June, played NBA summer league in July and has been with the Japanese national team since. Japan’s 89-76 loss to the Czech Republic on Tuesday meant Hachimura and his team cannot advance to the second round and will finish no better than 17th at this 32-team World Cup, but he’s still seeing plenty of upside to his summer.

“It’s been crazy,” Hachimura said. “I got drafted, went to DC and we had like a minicamp, then summer league and now the World Cup. It’s been a crazy summer, but I’ve been having fun with this experience, this process. I’ve played a lot of games this summer, everywhere. I don’t know how much I grew, but I have more confidence.”

Japan might be winless in its two World Cup games—and has a matchup against the US looming Thursday—but the stage has not seemed too big for Hachimura. The 6-foot-9 forward has averaged 18 points so far on 50-percent shooting, while adding 6.5 rebounds,

three assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard made the trip to Asia to watch Hachimura in person, going to Japan first for the pre-tourney games and then following the team to China.

“He’s going to be a really nice player in the NBA,” Sheppard said. “He’s got a lot—a lot—of upside. He’s got a lot of learning to do, but he’s got excellent skill and excellent will.... It just takes time, and we have to develop that.”

Hachimura’s talent was on obvious display in Las Vegas at summer league, where he averaged 19.3 points on 50-percent shooting in three games. He scored 31 points in Japan’s pre-World Cup win over Germany—a game attended by nearly 20,000 at the Saitama Super Arena last month—and already has captured his homeland’s attention, as evidenced by the many Japanese fans who made the trip to China.

“Rui’s got a lot of talent,” said Nick Fazekas, Japan’s US-born center. “He works hard, but he has a lot of fun.”

Basketball is growing in Japan for many reasons. The Tokyo Olympics are less than a year away, and the NBA—in a move that should build Olympic buzz—is sending Toronto and

Houston to Japan for a pair of preseason games in October. Those will be the first NBA games in Japan since 2003.

And it won’t take much for Hachimura, the West Coast Conference’s player of the year last season at Gonzaga, to become the best Japan-born player in NBA history. He’s the first Japanese player to be a first-round pick and the only two players from the country to appear in an NBA game are Yuta Tabuse in 2004-05 and Hachimura’s World Cup teammate Yuta Watanabe last season.

Combined, Tabuse and Watanabe have 46 points in 19 NBA games, all off the bench.

“I’m just excited for the season,” Hachimura said. AP

RUI HACHIMURA’S confidence has grown. AP

Nets player charged with assault

N

EW YORK—Brooklyn Nets player Rodions Kurucs has been arrested for allegedly assaulting his former girlfriend inside his apartment.

The 21-year-old Latvian-born small forward turned himself in on Tuesday and

was arraigned on a misdemeanor assault charge. He’s due back in court October 21.

Police say the 32-year-old woman claims she had a verbal dispute with Kurucs in his Brooklyn apartment on June 27 and he choked her. She says he also struck her.

IGHTY men and 43 ladies—led by legendary Paeng Nepomuceno—begin the hunt for the Bowling World Cup (BWC) national title and the right to represent the Philippines in the international finals in Palembang, Indonesia, on Saturday and Sunday at the Coronado Lanes.

Nepomuceno, the only bowler who has won the BWC international crown four times, believes he is still capable of adding another crown to add to his long list of achievements.

Nepomuceno and 79 other finalists play 12 games to determine the top 34 who will advance to the second round.

On Sunday, 43 ladies led by 2017 BWC international champion Krizziah Tabora and veteran Liza del Rosario, will open their bids by playing 10 games, with the top 34 gaining second-round slots.

With their scores carried over, the 34 men will play 12 more games on September 10, while the 34 ladies roll 10 games on September 11 at Superbowl.

The top 8 bowlers in both divisions will then bowl another eight game to determine the top 4 who will compete in the semifinal and final rounds on September 13 at Paeng’s Eastwood Bowl.

The other favored entries are Kenneth Chua, Benshir Layoso, Raoul Miranda, Merwin Tan, Lara Posadas Wong, Mades Arles and Alexis Sy. The rest of the finalists are: Ladies—Rachelle Leon, Dyan Coronacion, Alyssa de la Rosa, Nancy Frianeza, Myls Creencia, Dhel Marquez, Leah Naorbe, Arlena Bucao, Aileen Roxas, Anne Ramirez, Jo Anne Bonifacio, Abby Lanuza, Cita Yumul, Nida Singson, Joanne Santos, Leanie Amparo, Mikee Creencia, Winifred Kilito, Norma Degawan, Gina Varilla, Farah Onasa, Rochelle Munsayac, Sherry Ann Cruz, Liza Pabico, Pure Anselmo, Abby Gan, Josefina Enriquez, Ivy Pagdanganan,Danielle Denise S. Lazo, Louie Santarin, Rjoy Daval Santos, Luzen Escoto, Yolly Floralde, Linda Afos, Corazon San Gil, Alice Cabazor, Lailani Galang and Cindy Edquilane.

The finalists in the men’s side are Nicco Olaivar, Benshir Layoso, Anton Alcazaren, Jayson Tubid, JP Macatula, Paulo Valdez, RJ Bautista, Cesar Marquez, Duke Gella, Joe Cabactulan, Kayle Abad, Joebert Buenafe, Jomin Wong, Ronnie Javier, Cesar Barranta Jr., Gener Autor, Mark Varona, Larry Tinio, Roy Nineza, Dan Enriquez, Rodel Tungala, Francis Jose, Ramel Francisco, Miguel Sto. Domingo, Melvin Manese, Rod Agustin, Cesar Perez Jr., Romer Sto. Domingo, Rodante Unay, Santos Walang, Caloy Guitones, Jerry Bugtong, Dumo Bejara, Eric Aranez, RJ San Diego, Wilson Sua, Rene Boy Aranico, Miko Cabazor, Boyet Delfino, Don Evangelista, Edwin de la Cruz, Fernan Santiago, Paul Eluna, Ted Convocar, Paul Sia, Don Tungala, Tosi Alcasid, Ding Malvar, Ryan Sonza, Kevin Atienza, Mel Fines, Carl Lim, Boy Roman, RJ Arquiza, Scott Uy, Allen Laigo, Edwin Rupido, Peter Lacanilao, July Vargas,King Limpo, Avel Villamin, Simple Villajin, Alex Santos, Erwin Cabaneros, Rolendo Somuelo, Ernie Jacinto, Bong Foronda, Evaristo Feliciano, Jaybee Vargas, Rico Luga, Lito Mondragon, June Seculles, Ramon Camba, RJ Magana, Raoul Creencia and Nino Pabalan.

The Daily News reports that Kurucs’s lawyer noted there are no photos of the alleged assault and the woman didn’t report the incident for nearly two months. He says the two then flew together to Las Vegas the day after the alleged assault.

The Nets released a statement saying they’re in “the process of gathering more information.” AP

USTRALIA showed it can do damage by ending the Americans’ 78-game winning streak in a warm-up game just over a week ago.

On Tuesday in Group H, the Boomers defeated Senegal, 81-68, in Dongguan in the far south of China to improve to 2-0 and qualify for the second round. Senegal is 0-2.

Patty Mills of the San Antonio Spurs led Australia with 22 points, but Joe Ingles of the Utah Jazz was the game’s top player with 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

Ingles was one assist away from a tripledouble, which a Fiba official told him would have been a first in the World Cup. “I didn’t know that, but even though I do know it now it still doesn’t bother me,” he said. “The only goal today was to win the game and that’s all our focus.”

It was not that easy despite Ingles’ big numbers.

Australia led 36-33 at the half and struggled with the tall African team. Senegal has nine players at least 2.02 meters (6-foot-8) or taller. And four at 2.08 (6-foot-10) or taller.

“That could be the tallest overall team that we’ve played against in my time as coach,” Australia Coach Andrej Lemanis said.

Added Ingles: “That first half, they kind of had us on our back foot a little bit. We had to come in at halftime and address a few things.”

Xane Dalmeida led Senegal with 14 points in a game the Africans kept surprisingly close.

Also Dongguan, Lithuania booked its place in the second round by beating Canada, 92-69. The victory also assured Australia of advancing from Group H. Lithuania, which is 2-0, had six players in double figures, topped by Edgaras Ulanovas and Jonas Valanciunas with 13 each. Kyle Wiltjer led Canada with 24. Canada fell to 0-2.

In Nanjing, New Zealand downed Montenegro, 93-83, to move to 1-1 in Group F. Montenegro is 0-2.

Corey Webster led the Kiwis with 25 points and teammate Isaac Fotu added 20. Nikola Ivanovic had 18 to lead Montenegro, and Nikola Vucevic added 15. AP

orts

sMirror

Thursday, September 5, 2019 C3

Phisgoc acknowledges Games TDs importance

ORGANIZING Committee President and COO Ramon Suzara (center) is flanked by technical delegates (from left) Katsumi Kuroda (water polo), Sebastian Lau (e-sports), Ibrahim Fadil Naddeh (swimming) Dato Low Beng Choo (softball), Abdul Halim Bin Abdul Kader (sepak takraw), Shanrit Wongprasert (volleyball), Agus Antares Mauro (basketball) and Valson Cuddikotta (athletics) during Wednesday’s press conference.

T

HE Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) on Wednesday underscored the significant role of the various technical delegates (TDs) for the 30th SEA Games by presenting them to the media on Wednesday at the Manila Hotel.

Phisgoc President and COO Ramon Suzara invited eight of 56 TDs who attended the Second TD Meeting for the conference where they minced nothing but encouraging words for the Games organizers.

“I always give importance to all our technical delegates. We give importance mostly to the coaches and athletes, but let us not forget the technical delegates because they will play a crucial role in the success of the 30th SEA Games,” Suzara said.

Suzara pointed out that organizing the 11-nation “The Games’ success could not be possible without the help and expertise of the technical delegates,” he stressed.

Athletics TD Valson Cuddikotta

commended Suzara for conducting the press conference.

“We have never been invited to a press conference like this. Phisgoc has put a lot of effort to come up with such fantastic venues. I believe that the Philippines can now conduct any event of the highest magnitude,” Cuddikotta said.

Cuddikotta expressed high hopes that the Games could be the best because of the passionate preparations being done by the Philippines.

He praised the Athletics Stadium at New Clark City in Capas (Tarlac) saying “it’s a worldclass facility that can readily host a globallevel tournament in the near future. “ Also present were swimming’s Ibrahim Fadil Naddeh, water polo’s Katsumi Kuroda, sepak takraw’s Abdul Halim Bin Abdul Kader, basketball’s Agus Antares Mauro, e-sport’s Sebastian Lau and softball’s Datu Low Beng Choo.

“I need guidance from the TDs to run the SEA Games. It is just fitting to give them importance,” Suzara said.

OBIENA BAGS OLYMPIC BERTH E

RNEST JOHN OBIENA pole vaulted to 5.81 meters in a meet in Italy on Tuesday to become the first Filipino athlete to secure a ticket to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Obiena, 23, passed the Olympic-qualifying standard by a centimeter during his campaign at the Salto Con L’asta meet in Chiara, Italy.

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association President Philip Ella Juico confirmed Obiena’s Olympic berth-clinching stint.

The national team mainstay eclipsed his own national record of 5.76 m he set at the World Universiade in Napoli

also in Italy last April.

“I would like to congratulate EJ for qualifying. May his qualification be a source of inspiration for our other athletes who are seeking a berth in 2020 Olympics,” Philippine Chief of Mission to Tokyo 2020 Nonong Araneta said.

Obiena copped the gold medal in the tournament, while Thibaut Collet (5.56 m) of France and Huang Bokay (5.56 m) of China took silver and bronze, respectively.

The Filipino tried to clear the 5.92 m Asian record of Igor Potapovich but failed after three attempts.

Obiena has been in a steady progress this year. He

also clinched gold at the Jump and Fly Baxter Meet in Germany early this year.

The reigning Asian champion also saw action in the International Alliance of Athletics Federations Diamond League in Zurich, Switzerland, and is scheduled to compete in the World Championships in Doha later this month.

He is a favorite to win the gold medal in the 30th Southeast Asian Games which the country is hosting at the world-class New Clark City Athletics Stadium in December. Ramon Rafael Bonilla

GILAS WINLESS IN GROUP STAGE T

HE Philippines showed heart and intensity but the effort still fell short as the Filipinos took an 81-84 overtime setback to Angola to end up winless in the Group D preliminaries of the Fiba World Cup at the Foshan International Sports and Cultural Arena on Wednesday.

The Filipinos were obviously desperate for a face-saving win after absorbing devastating losses to Italy and Serbia—results that are bitter pills to swallow for a basketball-loving country.

The Philippines’s No. 31 ranking was thrown out to the window by the Angolans, who are five

rungs lower in the world rankings.

But it turned out Angola had the same thing in mind—get one victory in the world’s biggest basketball stage. Rookie CJ Perez had another career game. He drilled a triple that tied the game at 73 with 33.1 seconds left in regulation.

Angola’s Jaques Conceicao heaved a potential game-winner from beyond the arc but missed his target, leaving only three seconds in the game clock.

Perez, a potential top rookie in the Philippine Basketball Association, received the inbounds but his inexperienced showed when

Fighting Maroons foil Tamaraws’ late attack

By Ramon Rafael Bonilla

U

NIVERSITY of the Philippines (UP) doused Far Eastern University’s (FEU) late charge to score a 61-55 victory in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 82 men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Javi Gomez de Liaño had his best game in a Fighting Maroons uniform, scoring 22 points that went with six rebounds and three assists to guide last year’s runners-up to the hard-earned victory over the scrappy Tamaraws.

UP lost its double-digit lead at halftime as FEU mounted a major rally. But the Tamaraws’ effort fell short in the end.

Despite the win, Coach Bo Perasol reminded his players to show composure when their opponents try to fight back.

“We have to work on a lot of things but we have to get our emotions in check all the time,” Perasol said. “We get too carried away, we forgot our defense, we overreacted on a lot of things.”

The bright side, however, was for de Liaño accomplishing his task as the veteran in the team.

“There were a lot of times that Javi bailed us out. I don’t think I am happy with the way we executed but Javi really bailed us out,” Perasol said.

After taking a 38-27 lead at the break, the Tamaraws sprung back to life to forge a 55-all count with four minutes left.

Bright Akhuetie stopped the bleeding

P

UNIVERSITY of the Philippines’s Bright Akhuetie and Pat Tchuente (35) force Far Eastern University’s Ken Tuffin to lose the ball. NONOY LACZA

and FEU couldn’t keep its momentum with Hubert Cani and Wendell Comboy missing their shots.

UP’s Jun Manzo hit all his four charities to seal the victory.

Manzo tallied nine points while Akhuetie and Ricci Rivero chipped in seven points apiece for UP. Kobe Paras missed his first game as a Maroon because of an ankle injury he sustained in practice last Monday.

University of Santo Tomas, meanwhile, was merciless from the outside to beat University of the East, 95-82.

Angels enhance PVL Open bid ETRO Gazz used its superb blocking in the decider to finally clip Choco Mucho, 25-22, 25-15, 19-25, 20-25, 15-3, and enhance its drive in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan on Wednesday.

The Angels took the first four points off kill blocks, including three on Choco Mucho top hitter Kat Tolentino, in the fifth set and went to dominate their young rivals to turn what had

he held the ball for some time and took a hasty shot that was too off mark as time expired.

Gilas’s demise was in full display in overtime and Roger Pogoy’s three-pointer with 25 seconds left proved to be the team’s last hurrah.

Naturalized player Andray Blatche missed a jumper, while Perez, despite his breakout performance, was whistled a dribbling violation and later called for an offensive foul during an inbounds play.

Blatche finally felt the urgency to get into the groove and finished with 23 points that

appeared to be a down-to-the-wire finish into an anticlimactic ending.

Jeanette Panaga, Cai Baloaloa, Cherry Nunag, Paneng Mercado and Jovielyn Prado—who manned the net in the decider with authority, foiling Tolentino’s hit one after the other to score next four points-the Angles rushed to 8-0 on a Jonah Sabete left-handed hit at the changeover.

The Flying Titans broke the spell not on their

went with 12 rebounds and four steals. But his best performance came too late as Gilas dropped to the classification stage.

Perez ended up with 17 points, while fellow rookie Robert Bolick finished with 10 points.

Gilas shot a measly 29-of-87 for 33.3 percent. Kiefer Ravena, in his return to action after serving an 18-month suspension for doping, had six points but on a 1-of-8 clip.

Paul Lee (1-of-6), Mark Barroca (2-of-5) and Troy Rosario (0-of-7) also failed to get their rhythm. Ramon Rafael Bonilla

DAY OF SURVIVAL IN WACK WACK

I

merit but on a Prado service error and the recentlycrowned Reinforced Conference champions took seven of the next nine points to wrap it all up.

The victory extended Petro Gazz’s streak to three for a 4-2 won-loss card and tie idle BanKo-Perlas while dealing Choco Mucho its third straight defeat after going 2-1 in its first three matches in its debut stint in the league organized by Sports Vision.

Five Angels finished in double figures with setter Djanel Cheng anchoring Petro Gazz’s balanced scoring that saw Sabete finish with 15 points with all but one coming off attacks.

IRA ALIDO and nine others share first round lead. NONOY LACZA

RA ALIDO came out a bit better and luckier than American Lexus Keoninh and Aussie Tim Stewart in a wild, stumbling finish in a virtual day of survival at the dreaded Wack Wack’s East, salvaging a 72 despite a double-bogey on the ninth and dropping to a crowded nineplayer leaderboard at the start of the Aboitiz Invitational 2019 ON Wednesday.

Alido dumped his approach shot on the long par-four No. 9, his closing hole, on the greenside bunker and struggled to get out off a bad lie, ending up with a six that spoiled what could’ve been a strong start for a player who had missed the cut in two of the first three of legs of the third Philippine Golf Tour Asia (PGTA).

“Overall, I’m satisfied with my game as I was able to play the way I planned it—hit the fairways and greens since the East is not a birdie course,” said Alido, who failed to advance at Luisita and Southwoods. “Just got a little bit unlucky on the ninth where I had a bad lie and I had to hit with my other foot outside of the bunker.”

Worst were Stewart and Keoninh, who had looked forward to grabbing the first day honors in the $100,000 event organized

by Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. with a pair of under-par cards heading to the last three holes on opposite nines. But Stewart, who spiked his fine start with three straight birdies from No. 1 coming home, bogeyed the last three and wound up with a 73 while Keoninh also bogeyed the last three at the back and limped with a 74.

Those late mishaps enabled Alido to emerge on top, along with eight others, including seven who bucked hot, windy conditions in morning play to get into the early mix in the 72-hole championship serving as the fourth leg of this year’s circuit organized by Piilpinas Golf Tournaments Inc. “Yeah, it was tough but just got to grind it out the whole week,” said Keoninh, who served notice of his title drive by topping the pro-am tournament Tuesday.

Keoninh carried a two-under card after

birdying the par-5 13th but bogeyed the next and after parring No. 15, he wavered and dropped strokes on the next three.

So did Stewart, runner-up in the last PGTA leg at Southwoods, who came out of a twobirdie, three-bogey round at the back smoking with three birdies in row at the turn, only to yield the strokes on the last three that typified the field’s struggle on one of the country’s toughest championship courses.

“The course is really difficult. It’s like you just have to finish it whatever the results,” said Stewart.

Others who survived the ordeal by saving even par rounds for a share of the lead were Tarik Can of the US, Englishman Matt Killen, Peter Stojanovski of Macedonia, Thais Pasavee Lertvilai, Kammalas Namuangruk and Nirun Sae Ueng, and other locals Rico Depilo and Reymon Jaraula.

Jay Bayron failed to back up his pretournament brag of a strong outing, bombing out with four bogeys right in the first nine holes at the back on poor putting and matched that disastrous start with another frontside 40 marred by a double-bogey on the ninth for an 80.

Three years after ruling this event with a two-stroke victory over Malaysian Gavin Green, here, Bayron is in danger of missing the top 50 plus ties cut in the $100,000 championship serving as the fourth leg of the third PGT Asia season and backed by PLDT Enterprise, Meralco, BDO and PGT Asia official apparel Pin High.

Former champion Tony Lascuña also bogeyed the 18th and missed joining the leaders, slipping to joint 10th with Stewart along with Michael Bibat and Japanese Keita Sudo while Keoninh fell to a big group of two-over par scorers that included defending champion Damien Jordan of Australia and compatriot Sam Gervinas, Thais Ratchapol Jantavara and Tawan Phongphun, Japanese Naoya Takahashi and Seiji Yanagisawa, and Filipinos Keanu Jahns, Art Arbole, Marvin Dumandan and James Ryan Lam.

TESSA JAZMINES tessa4347@gmail.com

PART OF THE GAME

UAAP feast

IT’S the beginning of a new University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season. And what a delicious feeling it is.

So delicious in fact that we’re thinking of food. The menu is appetizing. Eight UAAP teams going to give their all during this intense but abbreviated tournament.

All for the honor of being hailed as Best Dish at the end of the feeding frenzy.

Different ingredients. Different flavors. Different chefs to put the X’s and O’s together.

Come on a food trip with me as we explore the menu in this 82nd Season of the UAAP. What’s for dinner?

1. Young Shoots Salad (National University Bulldogs) Let’s start with this appetizer of young sprouts mixed with some steady staples that will give Chef Jamike Jarin enough zest and flavor to make us beg for more. The return of tenacious guard Chino Mosqueda along with Rev Diputado and Tsaddy Rangel gives this generally young team the maturity and steady play that they need to go on to the main course. Of course, Dave Ildefonso will be there to spice things up. It will all come together from there.

2. Chili Con Carne (University of the East Red Warriors) New coach, new season, new many things. But this time there’s enough chili powder to put some bite into this dish. There’s real beef in the addition of two-time Cesafi MVP and MPBL standout Rey Suerte. Sprinkle in some pepper from Jose Rizal University scorer Jed Mendoza, too. Overall, this is a young team that’s eager to go and show its heart and gumption. Ready to heat and reheat for more servings on demand.

3. Bicol Express (University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers) UST has lost a lot of ingredients from last year, but always trust Coach Aldin Ayo, a pure Bicolano like this dish, to make sure this Express is always hot and dangerous. Cansino is the dominant flavor here, and there’s a special variety of chili from rookie Rhenz Abando. The pork is young and tender but the cuts are nice to bite and deliver genuine satisfaction. When the going gets tough, this dish gets even more tough. Eat with piping hot rice.

4. Veal Scallopini (Adamson Falcons) Youth is always an asset, even if experience always provides the edge. Adamson lost lots of good pieces in Sean Manganti, Papi Sarr, Jerie Pingoy, Jonathan Espeleta and CJ Katapusan. But there’s a lot of promise in this reinvented dish with new crops straight out of high schools. Check out Aaron Fermin, Joshua Yerro and Joem Sabandal. The Doria brothers, Congolese Dimercia Douangga and Lorenz Capulong makes this a neo-fusion favorite. Chef Franz Pumaren provides the secret herbs and spices as usual.

5. Baby Back Ribs (Far Eastern University Tamaraws) Baby Tams galore make this dish sweet and juicy.

Smoky barbecue sauce is provided by old stalwarts Wendell Comboy, Kenneth Tuffin and Brandrey Bienes.

Soft and tender goodness is the beef—provided by homegrown Xyrus Torres, Daniel Celso, Royce Alforque and JR Dularte. The singular, consistent flavor is derived from the young green-and-gold guys bred in exclusive FEU graze lands. Chef Olsen Racela can sing while he’s cooking.

6. Super Size Me (De La Salle Green Archers) Fifty-pound burger, 12-inch hotdog, 54-inch pizza. This smorgasbord of big delights could best describe the De La Salle goodies this season. The Green is cooking without Kib Montalbo, Santi Santillan, Mark Dyke and Samuel Taane this year, but its prime finds straight from the “Green Grocer” are 6’7 Jamie Orme, 6’9 James Laput and 6-foot guard Keyshawn Evans. Don’t forget they have Tyrus Hill and Kurt Lolera from Adamson suiting up this year.

They’re fast food, too. They run like hell.

7. Fully Loaded Burger Bowl (University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons) The Fighting Maroons are a complete dish this season. In fact they’re a bowl of a nice, juicy burger complete with toppings and fixings. That’s why people often wonder if this temptation will gel together and all the flavors will blend into one tasty dish that’s going to be a big winner. With Kobe Paras, Ricci Rivero in the mix alongside Juan and Javi Gomez de Liaño, Jun Manzo, Noah Webb, James Spencer and Bright Akhuetie, and more to make 16 Strong, Chef Bo Perasol will have a fine time balancing the main ingredients with the toppings, trimmings and condiments. It’s all in creating one unified goodness.

8. USDA Prime Steak (Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles) Superior grade, with amazing juiciness, flavor and fine texture, the Ateneo Blue Eagles are expected to laugh all the way to the championship party again this year. He-Man Thirdy Ravena is at his prime and still getting better. Throw in the superb support given by the Nieto brothers, Tyler Tio, Isaac Go and the beefy Ange Kouame, and you have the classic UAAP Season 82 dish. Not to mention that they also have fine sidings in outstanding rookies to enjoy the meal better with.

Let’s feast!

Lloyd, US women shut out Portugal in friendly match

S

AINT PAUL, Minnesota—Carli Lloyd scored twice and the US national team extended its winning streak to 16 games with a 3-0 exhibition victory over Portugal on Tuesday night.

It was Jill Ellis’s 105th victory as the US coach, tying her with Tony DiCicco’s record from 19941999. Ellis, now 105-7-18, plans to step down in October following the team’s final two victory tour matches.

The match at Allianz Field was the third of a five-city tour celebrating the US team’s World Cup victory this summer in France.

It was the team’s second straight World Cup title and fourth overall.

The Americans also defeated Portugal 4-0 last Thursday at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field before 49,504 fans, the largest ever for a stand-alone friendly game for the US women.

The Americans have won all nine of their meetings with Portugal and have never allowed a goal.

Lloyd scored in the 22nd minute and converted a penalty kick some 10 minutes later. The 37-year-old has 117 career goals and leads the team with 12 this year alone.

Lloyd, a two-time Fifa World Player of the Year, grabbed headlines recently when she kicked a 55-yard field goal at the Philadelphia Eagles’ training camp.

Lindsey Horan scored in 93rd minute on a header off a corner kick from Christen Press, who has a team-best 11 assists this year.

Alex Morgan and Rose Lavelle were both out because of concussion protocol. Lloyd started up top for the United States for the second straight game while Jessica McDonald took the place of Megan Rapinoe, who has an Achilles injury. Kelley O’Hara was sidelined by an ankle injury.

Defender Ali Krieger and her fiancée, goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, were not with the team because of a family emergency.

North Carolina Courage forward Kristen Hamilton made her debut for the US in the 76th minute, coming in as a sub for McDonald.

A sellout crowd of 19,600 watched the team’s first match at Allianz Field, the home of Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United, which opened earlier this year.

The victory tour continues

next month with games against South Korea on October 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and October 6 in Chicago. AP

Sports BusinessMirror

C4

| Thursday, September 5, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

KOREAN DUEL IN THE OFFING

By John Duerden

S

C

The Associated Press

EOUL, South Korea—The “Korean Derby” may be the most eagerlyawaited game in the second stage of Asian 2022 World Cup qualifiers but before that October meeting, North Korea must first navigate a potentially tricky opening fixture against Lebanon in Pyongyang on Thursday.

Forty teams are still active on the road to Qatar but only the eight group winners and four best-placed teams progress to the next stage where Asia’s four automatic places in Qatar 2022 are up for grabs.

With South Korea, scheduled to visit Pyongyang on October 15 in a historic meeting between two countries technically at war, very much the favorite to finish first in Group H, every point is important for the other teams.

“We know that North Korea will be tough at home and have World Cup history but we want to get a good start,” said Lebanon’s Romanian Coach Liviu Ciobotariu. “In a group that also has South Korea, every game is vital.”

South Korea, looking for a tenth successive

PORTUGAL’S Ines Pereira makes a save against the United States during the first half of their friendly match on Tuesday in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The US won, 3-0. AP

Biles ‘aches’ for victims after brother charged LEVELAND—Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles says she’s struggling with the arrest of her brother who was charged in a shooting that left three dead.

She said in a tweet on Monday that her heart aches for everyone involved, especially the victims and their families.

Authorities in Ohio say 24-year-old Tevin Biles-Thomas was arrested in Georgia last week after being indicted on murder, manslaughter and other charges in a New Year’s Eve party shooting.

Police in Cleveland say the shooting happened just before the end of 2018 when a group of men arrived uninvited to a party.

Three men were killed when gunfire

PEOPLE walk past a screen displaying The Qatar 2022 World Cup logo at New Arbat Street in downtown Moscow on Tuesday. AP

broke out during a fight and two others were wounded.

Biles-Thomas is scheduled for arraignment in Cleveland on September 13. No attorney is listed for him in court records.

Michigan State University (MSU), meanwhile, asked a judge to dismiss a second wave of lawsuits related to former sports doctor Larry Nassar, even as the school says it’s working to reach a deal with additional assault victims.

MSU defended itself in a court filing Monday, declaring it’s immune from liability for Nassar’s crimes.

Nassar has been sentenced to decades in prison for sexually assaulting athletes, mostly female gymnasts, at MSU and a Lansing-area SIMONE BILES is struggling with the arrest of her brother who was charged in a shooting that left three dead. AP

gymnastics club. Former Olympians said he also molested them in Texas and overseas while he worked for USA Gymnastics.

“Although Nassar’s actions were repugnant and merit the heavy criminal penalties imposed upon him, the law does not support plaintiffs’ attempts to hold the MSU defendants liable for his wrongs,” lawyers for the school said, citing immunity and a statute of limitations, among other defenses.

MSU last year agreed to a $500 million deal with Nassar’s accusers. Most of the money, $425 million, was for 333 people, mostly women and girls, who had already sued. MSU so far has settled with 72 people in the second wave of litigation but dozens remain.

Spokesman Emily Guerrant told the Detroit Free Press that the school was under a court order to reply to the lawsuits. But she also said there were “active settlement negotiations.”

“This is simply a procedural step in the litigation process.... While the motion is pending before the court, we hope to reach settlements with as many plaintiffs as possible,” Guerrant added.

But an attorney for the victims, Donna MacKenzie, said the court filing was unfortunate.

“MSU should be ashamed by the way it continues to represent to the public that it cares about settlement and healing, while, at the same time, paying their lawyers thousands of dollars to aggressively defend and file motions to dismiss the survivors’ claims in court,” MacKenzie said. AP

World Cup appearance, sits out the first round of games this week, as do all eight topranked teams in Asia, and kicks off against Turkmenistan on Tuesday.

Also Thursday, Turkmenistan takes on Sri Lanka, the world’s 200th and lowest-ranked team. Unlike South Korea, the South Asians are unlikely to progress to the next stage but there is still much at stake.

After the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in Colombo that left over 250 dead, first round opponent Macau refused to travel to the island

for the return leg of their first-round qualifier in June and forfeited the tie. Sri Lanka is keen to show that life has returned to normal.

“Terrorists have attacked many developed countries in the past and this does not affect carrying out the affairs of any sport,” the country’s football federation declared in a statement. “Sri Lanka shall enjoy its right to host the home game in Sri Lanka and every country shall respect each other’s right to host similar games.”

Southeast Asia also has plenty to play for.

The biggest crowd this week will likely be in Jakarta as Indonesia takes on rival Malaysia in front of what is expected to be 80,000 fans.

Feelings between the two neighbors can run high. According to reports in Malaysia, Football Association of Malaysia President Hamidin Mohd Amin has requested that an armored personnel carrier be on standby.

“We are not worried about the situation at the stadium itself as there are a lot of security personnel from both Malaysia and Indonesia guarding the perimeter,” Hamidin told local media. “But there is a risk of provocation and chaos en route.”

Thailand hosts Vietnam in the same group while Mongolia plays its first-ever game in the second round of World Cup qualification and faces Myanmar.

Elsewhere, 2022 World Cup host Qatar is placed in Group E and kicks off against Afghanistan. Regardless of how the Asian champion performs, it will not progress to the next stage of World Cup qualification. Qatar is involved as the path to the 2022 World Cup has been combined with qualification for the 2023 Asian Cup which will take place in China.

QATAR REVEALS LOGO

FLASHED on big screens and projected onto landmarks worldwide, the 2022 Qatar World Cup logo was revealed Tuesday with a design that reflects both the tournament’s compact infrastructure and winter schedule.

Using the colors of the Qatari flag, the

white emblem is set against a maroon background and it finally provides an image for soccer’s most controversial tournament beyond construction sites.

It was inspired by the contours of the World Cup trophy with the unbroken loop depicting a figure of eight—the number of stadiums built for the Middle East’s first World Cup in the tiny Persian Gulf nation.

Fifa said the design also draws “inspiration from a traditional woolen shawl,” a winter garment reflecting the World Cup being played in November and December 2022 to avoid the fierce summer heat in June and July when the tournament is usually played.

The reveal came at 20:22 local time (8:22 p.m.) in Doha and the image was projected onto buildings in the Qatari capital, including the Al Zubarah Fort, and appeared at sites in Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.

Some other countries in the region played no role in the launch due to the ongoing political tensions.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have been boycotting Qatar economically and diplomatically since 2017, and its severing of travel links could prove problematic for fan travel in 2022.

Among the international sites where the logo was displayed on Tuesday were the Arch of Peace in Milan, train stations in Paris and Rio de Janeiro, and Times Square in New York.

Ten sites were used in Turkey, reflecting Qatar’s deepening alliance with a regional ally that has helped it circumvent the Gulf boycott impact on food and construction supplies.

Qatar won a Fifa vote in 2010 that has been dogged by controversy. A Fifa investigation found that some of Qatar’s conduct “may not have met the standards” required while concluding there was no “evidence of any improper activity by the bid team.”

Working conditions and rights for migrant laborers building the stadiums in Qatar were also criticized, forcing standards to be raised.

SOLO HOMER Colorado Rockies’ Daniel Murphy is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of their Major League Baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday in Los Angeles. AP

Nurturing God

D

EAR God, You fashion us in Your image and breathe Your spirit in us. In trust we pray: Holy God, come to our aid. Inspire us to labor for justice and peace. Prosper the work of the fair-trade enterprises. Help us to collaborate with one another in caring for the Earth and her resources. May God teach us to number our days aright so that we may gain wisdom of heart, through Jesus our brother. Amen.

GIVE US THIS DAY, SHARED BY LUISA LACSON, HFL Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

Life BusinessMirror

Why would anyone want to sit on a plane for over 18 hours?

REELING: THE EXCELLENT MONA LISA D4

Thursday, September 5, 2019

D1

SKYDIVING adventures let you enjoy a panoramic view of the city and the coastline before floating down back to Earth at speeds of up to 220kph.

An economist takes the world’s longest flight

R

By Jay L. ZaGorSKy Boston University

ECENTLY Qantas announced plans to conduct test flights from New York and London to Sydney and two other Australian cities.

If commercialized, these routes would become the longest in the world at about 19 hours. Qantas said it will conduct test flights with only employees on board to ensure the flights are safe and comfortable enough for paying customers.

I heard this news after finishing a round-trip on what is currently the world’s longest flight, the 18 hours and 45 minutes Singapore Airlines schedules to get from Newark, New Jersey, to Singapore, a route that began last October.

The return trip is slightly quicker. Fortunately for me, there were favorable winds so each way took about 30 minutes less than scheduled.

Being aloft twice for the better part of a day gave me plenty of time to ponder the origins and economics of long-distance flights—with plenty of time to spare for binge watching.

TALK ABOUT A LONG FLIGHT PILOTS and airlines have been pushing the boundaries of flight times since the earliest days of air travel. In fact, 19 hours is rather quick for the industry’s trailblazers.

The first plane to make it across the Pacific took off from Oakland, California, in 1928. It took the aircraft, dubbed the “Southern Cross,” three long flights to get to its final destination in Australia: 27-and-a-half hours to Hawaii, 34-and-a-half hours to Fiji and a final 21-and-a-half hours to Brisbane. In all, the pilot and his crew covered about 7,000 miles in 10 days—all without losing any luggage.

A few years later, in 1931, two daredevils in search of a $25,000 prize flew from Tokyo to the state of Washington in the first nonstop flight over the Pacific Ocean. To save weight and fuel, the pilots even threw out their landing gear after takeoff. When they reached the US, they crash landed—but survived to

claim the prize. The flight took 41 hours and covered more than 5,500 miles.

These superlong flights, of course, were taken by daredevil pilots with no passengers. And they were very dangerous. One of the most famous aviation failures involved Amelia Earhart, who disappeared in 1937 while attempting to cross part of the Pacific on a world circling flight.

SIX DAYS AND 60 HOURS THE first service to ferry paying customers across the Pacific was created by Pan Am in October 1936.

The trip started from San Francisco and ended in Manila, capital of the Philippines.

It took six days and about 60 hours of flying time. The plane flew during the day and made stops in Hawaii, Midway, Wake and Guam at night. The longest leg, from San Francisco to Hawaii, took 18-anda-half hours.

Pam Am’s planes, called the “Clippers,” didn’t need airports. They were especially designed to take off and land in the water. The planes were also quite luxurious and even had separate areas for eating and sleeping.

But all that luxury while spanning the globe was quite expensive.

The one-way fare from San Francisco to Manila was $950, or $17,400 in today’s dollars.

Fortunately, the cost of flying these long routes— in terms of both money and time—has come down dramatically. These days you can fly direct from San Francisco to Manila in business class for around $3,000, including the return flight. The trip to Manila takes just 14 hours.

Today’s flights are also a lot safer. The concern for many passengers is not crashing but instead health risks like deep vein thrombosis, a type of blood clot.

SAVING TIME, MONEY AND BAGS STILL, even if things have improved, I think most of us agree that flying is not fun. Airlines regularly rank near the bottom among industries in customer satisfaction surveys.

So why would we want to increase the amount of time spent 30,000 feet above the ground in a metal

tube with wings? For one thing, it means less total travel time. For example, my flight to Singapore would have taken three-and-a-half hours longer with a layover in Hong Kong.

But if you’re someone who might prefer a break during a long flight halfway around the world, a more practical benefit is that removing the connection also reduces the chance your luggage is lost, since bags are handled fewer times. Almost half of all bags delayed in 2017 were a result of baggage handlers missing connections.

Flying a full plane load of passengers directly also saves airlines money—which often translates into lower prices for consumers, too. An extra layover at a major airport can be expensive, with fees for landing, takeoff, parking, noise abatement and security.

Airports also charge extra for optional services like cleaning, towing and providing electricity to a plane while it is parked at the gate.

EXPECT MORE ULTRA-LONG FLIGHTS ONE thing that was interesting about the Qantas announcement is all the research it plans to do during its test flights—scheduled for October through December—on the passengers themselves.

Scientists and medical experts will monitor sleep patterns, food and beverage consumption, lighting, physical movement and in-flight entertainment to assess their impact on health and well-being—and prevent any blood clots in the legs.

Using this data, Qantas hopes to make ultra-long flying a more pleasant experience. After all, the main reason to take a single 19-hour flight is to arrive faster and feeling better than taking multiple flights to the same destination.

Whether you love or hate flying, expect longer flights in the future as more efficient planes allow airlines to go ever farther. Given we seem to be wired for binge-watching, I don’t think this trend is so bad.

I could have actually used a longer flight. My effort to binge the second season of Star Trek: Discovery was abruptly interrupted as we descended back into Newark, with just 10 minutes left in the final episode. n

Fueling the flight of every Juan CEBU Pacific CEO Lance Y. Gokongwei

BEHIND every takeoff and landing of a Cebu Pacific aircraft is an enduring partnership that has enabled the pioneering Philippine low-cost carrier to deliver on its well-known promise to “fly every Juan” when it first started in 1996.

Phoenix Petroleum, the country’s fastest-growing and homegrown independent oil company, has been providing the aviation fuel needs of Cebu Pacific for the past 15 years.

Phoenix President and CEO Dennis A. Uy started the company in 2002 from his hometown of Davao City, listing it on the Philippine Stock Exchange by 2007—the first oil firm to do so following the oil deregulation law of 1998—and growing it into the multibillion-peso enterprise that it is today.

Uy’s success story is that of an ordinary Juan as well who made it big in the local business scene through dint of hard work, perseverance and integrity. In more ways than one, these are the same values and entrepreneurial spirit that enabled Cebu Pacific to disrupt the local aviation industry when it first started, according to chief executive officer Lance Y. Gokongwei.

“He was starting out then, but Cebu

Pacific was also not a large company then. So we both took a chance on each other,” recalls Gokongwei of a fateful cold call that Uy made to Cebu Pacific’s procurement office to offer Phoenix’s services.

It was still known as Davao Oil Terminal Services Corp. then, and Gokongwei would not even meet Uy until a couple of years later.

Cebu Pacific would become Uy’s first big corporate account. Gokongwei further recounts: “He [Uy] is still a

young man now but he was even younger then. But he was full of energy and ideas, so we gave him a project to start off with, supplying us and handling our logistics out of Davao. And it did really well. We’ve continued to grow from there and our relationship has gotten stronger over the last 15 years.”

Gokongwei cites excellent customer service as a key advantage of Phoenix.

“The relationship has grown because Phoenix has been able to deliver on its

commitments to Cebu Pacific not only in terms of offering a very competitive price but more particularly in terms of investing ahead with us. They’ve invested substantial management and resources to serve Cebu Pacific’s growing needs, and in terms of service and execution, they’ve been very reliable,” he says. “They store, they transport, they do in-plane for us—the whole gamut of services. And they’ve also been willing to grow with us in our new stations. They are the ones who are willing to put up the tankerage facilities to support our growth,” Gokongwei adds.

Such commitment and support for its valued customers has distinctly defined Phoenix’s brand of partnership and customer service.

“I think both of us will continue to grow together and partner with each other. As Cebu Pacific continues to grow, I think Phoenix will have a role in that and vice versa,” concludes Gokongwei.

Just as Cebu Pacific takes to the skies and charters new territories to expand the way Filipinos fly, so will Phoenix be there to ensure that their dreams and aspirations to travel and explore the world will continue to be fueled with success.

ZIPLINE adventures such as The Flight of the Gibbon in Chiang Mai let you fly through the treetops of Thailand’s lush virgin forests.

Thailand on the spur of the moment WE are down to the last few months of the year and for those who have an insatiable spirit for adventure, this means it’s that time of the year for travel fairs. Whether you’re trying to score early bird deals for your next summer adventure or planning your end-of-year hurrah, it’s always a great idea to visit Thailand—the Best Country for People in the most recent Conde’ Nast Travelers’ Readers’ Choice Awards.

All year round, Thailand has something for travelers to discover and revisit. If you’re looking for a way to elevate your adventure, going on extreme adventures would create unforgettable memories set amid Thailand’s seascapes and landscapes.

When you go on extreme adventures around Thailand, getting started in Bangkok would get you warmed up for other adrenaline-pumping adventures. One of these mustvisit places is the SEA Life Bangkok Ocean World, where you can see up to 400 species of marine life in one of the world’s largest aquariums. Here’s where it gets thrilling: you can dive underwater and have face-to-face sessions with tiger sharks, reef sharks, leopard sharks and other breeds. Don’t worry, you’ll have seasoned trainers to guide you and make sure you don’t end up as shark chow.

Once you’ve had your fill of adrenaline in the capital city, one of the must-try activities await at Pattaya in the province of Chonburi. Thai Sky Adventures let you do skydiving in one of the most congested airspaces in the world. For a start, you can take a Tandem Jump, which lets you board an aircraft securely fastened to your instructor. After enjoying a scenic ride with the Gulf of Thailand, the city of Pattaya, and beautiful beaches in sight, you will activate your parachute and float down back to Earth at speeds of up to 220kph.

Heading to the city of Pattaya, soaring or flying gets to a whole new level at Flyboard Pattaya. Flyboarding lets you plunge down and fly over the waters like a dolphin, an act you can do with the help of a massive jet spray attached to your feet. Once you’ve mastered how the flyboard works, you can start exploring other moves like backflips and somersaults.

Pattaya’s other adventures let you have more dose of the sea. Sea walking, for one, lets you walk the ocean floor and interact with marine life around you. To do this, you will have to wear the Sea Walker, a special helmet connected to a tube with an oxygen compressor. This lets you walk underwater for up to 25 minutes without holding your breath or closing your eyes or mouth.

Elsewhere in Pattaya, you can also explore the Pattaya Bungy Jump that lets you do bungee jumping off a 60-meter high platform over the lake. The Human Slingshot, on the other hand, is like a real-life version of Angry Birds that releases you at the speed of a Formula One race car or 150 kilometers per hour.

Should you choose to get your adrenaline fix in Northern Thailand, a zipline destination in Chiang Mai lets fly through the treetops of a lush virgin forests: the Flight of the Gibbon.

A bonus to your experience here is the opportunity to see wild gibbons while you walk along sky-bridges, stand on viewing platforms, and abseil down ropes to the forest floor.

To ensure your safety, sky rangers will be guiding you every step of the way.

These are some of the extreme adventures you can visit for your dose of adrenaline in Thailand. Before you head out to your adventures, however, it is important to always take note of safety precautions. For one, it pays to ask whether the destination complies with international safety standards.

It also matters to know if there are experts guiding you throughout the activities. Last, it helps to relax after a long, exhausting day. A soothing Thai massage could be the perfect end to your day.

D2

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Entertaining BusinessMirror

How to marinate just about anything MARINATING is a terrific basic kitchen technique.

Essentially, you can take any kind of meat, fish or seafood, submerge it in a marinade, and you’ve turned a plain something into a great dinner. AP

M

z

Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Kat Graham, 30; Rose McGowan, 46; Michael Keaton, 68; Raquel Welch, 79.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Think big, but when it comes time to initiate your plans, take one small step at a time. Everything will eventually fall into place as the year progresses, allowing you to meet your mark in every way without setbacks, losses or regrets. Give yourself time to enjoy the ones you love, as well as each accomplishment you make. Your lucky numbers are 4, 12, 18, 23, 27, 36, 40.

By Katie Workman The Associated Press

ARINATING is a terrific basic kitchen technique. Essentially, you can take any kind of meat, fish or seafood, or even vegetables or soy products, submerge them in a marinade, and you’ve turned a plain something into a great dinner.

Marinades add flavor—what kind obviously depends on the ingredients and seasonings. You can make (or buy!) anything from a Mediterranean herb- and citrus-centered marinade to a ginger- and soy-based Asian marinade to an Indian, spice-infused yogurt marinade.

Marinades also can make foods more tender.

But how long do you marinate chicken? Pork chops? Vegetable kebabs? Tofu?

Here’s a primer on all things marinade.

Some general guidelines for marinating success: 1. The thinner the food, and the less dense it is, the less time it needs in the marinade.

2. The more acid (citrus juice, vinegars) there is in the marinade, the less time the food should marinate.

Acidic ingredients can start to “cook” the food and change its texture (for example, making it mushy).

3. Unless you are marinating food for 20 minutes or less, or the food you are marinating is a nonmeat item like vegetables, make sure you put it in the refrigerator, especially if your kitchen is warm.

USING A MARINADE AS A SAUCE 1. If you want to use some of the marinade as a sauce, separate it from the rest of the marinade before adding your raw protein.

2. For food safety, never reuse a leftover marinade or serve it as a sauce; it can contain harmful bacteria.

If you’re using the marinade to baste, stop basting with it well before the food is cooked, so any raw meat, fish or poultry juices in the marinade have time to cook away.

3. More info about safe marinating can be found on www.foodsafety.gov.

SAFETY TIPS FOR REUSING MARINADES 1. Don’t reuse them, unless the marinade was only used with vegetables (no meat or fish), and even then you should use it within a few days.

2. Some marinades can be boiled after the raw food is taken out, and then they are safe to use.

The marinade should come to a rolling boil and a

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Look over your personal finances and medical records, and check lottery tickets that you’ve stashed away somewhere safe. Make a to-do list, and flesh out ideas that you think have the potential to bring in extra cash.

HHHHH

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Have a good reason and a plan in place before you make a move. Confidence will be more prevalent if you have done the legwork and have left nothing to chance. Make plans for someone you love. HHH

c

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Pay attention, listen to what’s being said and make decisions based on what’s most practical. Refuse to let your emotions take over or temptation overpower you. The less you commit to, the better. HHH

d

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The changes you make personally or to your living arrangements or surroundings will lift your spirits. Keeping up with trends, technology and how you present who you are and what you do will end up being beneficial. HHH

temperature of at least 165°F. Marinades with a lot of sugar in them might burn though, and marinades with a lot of acidity might change in flavor.

MARINATING TIMES SOME guidelines (most recipes will give you specific instructions): n CHICKEN: Whole chicken: four to 12 hours; bonein pieces: two to six hours; boneless pieces: 30 minutes to two hours. n MEAT: Bigger roasts, such as a chuck roast, leg of lamb, pork shoulder: two to eight hours; tougher or larger steaks, like strip, T-bone, rib eye or London broil: one to two hours; more tender cuts of meat, like sirloin, skirt or flank steak, lamb or pork chops: 30 minutes to one hour. n FISH AND SEAFOOD: Fillets, scallops, shrimp: 15 to 20 minutes; whole fish, thick fish steaks: 30 minutes. n SOY PRODUCTS: Tofu: 30 minutes to one hour; seitan and tempeh: one to six hours. n VEGETABLES: Dense vegetables, such as carrots, squash, potatoes: one to three hours; softer vegetables, such as broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes: 30 minutes to one hour. n

More grilled chicken goodness on the way

MANG Inasal kick-starts their 600th store journey with the opening of their 591st branch in Quezon Boulevard, Manila. The ceremony was graced by Jollibee Food Corp.

Founder Tony Tan Caktiong (inside the jeepney, from left), Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, and Manila Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Cucina celebrates Marco Polo birthday TO mark the 765th birthday this September of the legendary traveler Marco Polo, Cucina, the all-day dining restaurant of Marco Polo Ortigas, is treating this month’s birthday celebrants with a special treat. From September 15 to 22, those who turn a year older in September can enjoy a complimentary lunch or dinner buffet at Cucina when dining with four paying guests.

Savor an interactive dining experience at Cucina, complemented by its well-curated spread of international cuisine paired with excellent service delivered by the restaurant’s experienced chefs. Featuring premium dishes cooked a la minute with its nine live action stations— Japanese, seafood, Asian noodles, grill, carving, Italian, Indian, Filipino and dessert—Cucina brings all the finest taste that diners’ palates are looking for, perfect for celebrating another year that has passed and better years to come. More information is available at bit.ly/ReserveCucina.

Cucina is open daily for lunch and dinner buffet. It is located at the Level 24 of the hotel. More details about this and the hotel’s other ongoing promotions can be found at www.marcopolohotels.com.

e

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Separate what is possible from what isn’t. It’s best to have a plan in place and to put your effort where it will bring the highest return. Be secretive about your long-term plans until you are confident you can make them happen. HHHHH

f

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Get together with people who make you think. Change happens when good ideas are shared and promises are made. What you accomplish now will make a difference in the way you move forward. HH

g

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Being friendly and doing too much for others will encourage someone to take advantage of you. Strive for equality in your relationships. Rethink friendships with people who make a fuss when you ask for something in return. HHHH

h

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Make a point to reconnect with old friends. The memories you share will encourage you to revisit a goal that used to excite you. With a little effort, you can reinvent your plans to suit trends and markets.

HHH

i

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Refuse to let your emotions take over. If you give in to someone who takes advantage of you, it will lower your self-esteem. Keep your life simple, your bank accounts healthy and your relationship with others evenly balanced. HHH

j

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A change at home will take you by surprise. Do your best to organize and plan your next move. Staying on top of whatever situation unfolds will lead to personal gains. Contracts and medical issues should be handled with moderation. HHH

ONE of Jollibee Food Corp.’s (JFC) fastest-growing brands, Mang Inasal celebrated the opening of the Mang Inasal Quezon Boulevard branch in Manila City on August 11.

This is at present the 591st store of the Pinoy foodie favorite chicken inasal.

JFC Founder and Chairman Tony Tan Caktiong led the ceremonial store opening together with Mang Inasal’s Metro Manila Regional Business Unit Head Tes Lacuna, joined by honorary guests Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna.

The opening of the Quezon Boulevard branch signifies the start of “The Journey” to Mang Inasal’s 600th store milestone. The event commenced with the unveiling of a customized Pinoy jeepney artwork designed by abstract artist, Paulina Luz Sotto. The jeepney symbolizes the journey of Mang Inasal toward becoming a national icon in the quickservice restaurant industry, with its truly Pinoy offerings and celebration of the Filipino dining culture.

The Mang Inasal jeepney will be seen in other new branch openings, as well, leading to the 600th.

k

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): If you don’t like the changes someone is making, let him or her know that you don’t plan to take part.

Being honest will put an end to manipulative tactics that play on your emotions. HHHH

l

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Stick close to home. Don’t trust anyone trying to talk you into overspending, participating in indulgent behavior or signing up for something you don’t want to do. Set your sights on personal growth, romance and helping a worthy cause. HH BIRTHDAY BABY: You are intuitive, meticulous and outspoken.

You are curious and observant.

‘stage a comeback’ BY PAM KLAWITTER The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 They might get punched in an election 6 Two-band radio type 10 Ready to serve 14 Fabled fable writer 15 “Born to Fly” singer Evans 16 Nights of anticipation 17 Like Galway gals 18 Stew recipe directive 19 Words of reservation 20 Spreadsheet fillers: Abbr.

21 Columnist’s pronoun 24 Buds 25 Maps of Alaska and Hawaii, often 26 Took no chances 31 Cousins’ parents 32 Othello nemesis 33 Bummed out 36 Past the deadline 37 Sermon source 39 Grain tower 40 Apt name for an attorney 41 Chief, in Chihuahua 42 Garment that preserves waves 43 Star Wars apprenticeship

6 Enters, as data 4 49 Is shown on TV 50 Reverse one’s fortunes, or a hint to what’s hidden in 21-, 26- and 43-Across 53 Carrier to Amsterdam 56 Not much 57 Broken-up couple 58 Summer camp transport 60 Peruvian home of the 2019 Pan American Games 61 Not the sharpest blade?

62 Trick alternative 63 Puppy plaints 64 Horseshoes play 65 Apple throwaways DOWN 1 Raise ___ (make trouble) 2 Any Avenger 3 Yard sale disclaimer 4 ___ and don’ts 5 Areas of expertise 6 Home of Saint Francis 7 The Martian star Damon 8 Opposite of caliente 9 It might be arranged

0 Bring down in status 1 11 Tiny egg 12 Cereal box meas.

13 Half of scissors?

22 Pentagon org.

23 The skinny 24 Eight bits 26 Buds 27 Beach party of a sort 28 Poker hand cost 29 Land where Lhasa apsos originated 30 Do the Right Thing pizzeria owner 33 Alexa analogue 34 Alda or Shepard 35 Snoop of hip-hop 37 Ghost costume 38 ___ Ran the Zoo 39 Tries to get a tan 41 Joan of punk 42 Runs the set 43 Power-seizing groups 44 Shows confidence at the poker table 45 Word after “financial” or “first” 46 Rome’s home 47 Site of an early Nile civilization 48 Make grooming adjustments

1 Convention center event 5 52 Golfer’s pocketful 53 Dummy’s perch 54 Garden store stock 55 Queens squad 59 Work on a wall

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

Parentlife BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Thursday, September 5, 2019

HUMAN BREAST MILK MAY HELP BABIES TELL TIME VIA CIRCADIAN SIGNALS FROM MOM

CLOCKWISE: HP Philippines Managing Director Pallasena V. Viswanath, celebrity parent Chesca Kramer and educator Edric Mendoza sharing their personal insights on kids in today’s digital world; Team Kramer girls ready to “artify” their HP-printed portraits; me at the HP kids play area during the event; and Kendra trying out this printed puzzle from HP’s “Fun with Tangrams” corner.

By DarBy SaXBe University of Southern CaliforniaDornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences HUMAN breast milk is more than a meal—it’s also a clock, providing time-of-day information to infants.

The composition of breast milk changes across the day, giving energizing morning milk a different cocktail of ingredients than soothing evening milk.

Researchers believe this “chrononutrition” may help program infants’ emerging circadian biology, the internal timekeeper that allows babies to distinguish day from night.

What happens, though, when babies drink milk that does not come directly from the breast, but is pumped at different times of day and stored in advance of feeding? Scientists have rarely considered the potential effects of “mistimed” milk on infants’ development, but the implications are potentially far-reaching.

As psychologists who study the biology of parenting, we teamed up with Laura Glynn, Caroline Steele and Caroline Bixby to investigate the evidence for breast milk as a timekeeper.

BODY CLOCKS OVER THE COURSE OF THE DAY SLEEP, eating and energy levels all show circadian rhythms, which means they follow a daily cycle.

As any parent who has sleepwalked through a 3 am feeding knows, infants are not born with these rhythms fully set. Instead, their sense of day and night develops over the first weeks and months of life, thanks to cues like sunlight and darkness.

Babies vary: Some show predictable circadian fluctuations in hormones linked with alertness, sleep and appetite, and can sleep for long stretches shortly after birth, whereas others seem to have their daily rhythms upside down for months. Delays in the development of circadian biology can increase the risk of colic, and lead to growth and feeding problems.

But scientists know very little about why circadian biology comes online on such different schedules for different infants. Breast milk may help program infant circadian rhythms, helping to explain why some parents of newborns enjoy long full nights of sleep, whereas others struggle to get their infants on a schedule.

MILK IN FLUX BREAST milk changes dramatically over the course of the day. For example, levels of cortisol—a hormone that promotes alertness—are three times higher in morning milk than in evening milk. Melatonin, which promotes sleep and digestion, can barely be detected in daytime milk, but rises in the evening and peaks around midnight.

Night milk also contains higher levels of certain DNA building blocks which help promote healthy sleep. Day milk, by contrast, has more activitypromoting amino acids than night milk. Iron in milk peaks at around noon; vitamin E peaks in the evening.

Minerals like magnesium, zinc, potassium and sodium are all highest in the morning.

Daytime milk may pack a special immune punch.

Among mothers who provided researchers with milk samples across the first month postpartum, immune components—including key antibodies and white blood cells—looked higher in day milk compared to night milk. Another study found higher levels of a component important for immune system communication in day milk compared to night milk.

While it’s clear that milk changes over the course of the day, scientists know little about what this means for infant health.

MISTIMED MESSAGES IN MILK? FOR most of human history, breast milk could only be consumed directly from the breast, meaning that milk was always ingested right when it was produced. Now, with the advent of breast pumps and refrigeration, that’s no longer the case. According to a 2005 to 2007 survey, over 85 percent of breastfeeding mothers in the United States have pumped their milk.

What happens when babies drink night milk in the morning, or morning milk in the late afternoon?

We don’t know for sure, because this question has been woefully understudied. Offering an infant a bottle of morning milk in the evening, with its high cortisol and low melatonin, might be the nutritional equivalent of flipping the lights on right before bedtime. If chronosignals in milk do indeed help to calibrate infant circadian biology, then infants who drink “mistimed” milk may struggle more with sleep, digestion and development.

There’s a fairly easy fix, of course. Mothers can label their milk with the time it was pumped and coordinate infant feedings to offer morning milk in the morning, afternoon milk in the afternoon and night milk at night.

There’s a simpler alternative to time-matching pumped milk: boosting women’s ability to breastfeed their infants right on the spot by offering reasonable paid parental leave policies. Mothers who can feed their infants directly don’t need to worry about organizing their milk by time of day, and milk that is offered straight from the breast may confer other health benefits, as well. AP

D3

Future-proofing the ‘phygital way’ MOMMY NO LIMITS

MAYE YAO CO SAY

mommynolimits@gmail.com

T

HE world our kids live in today is full of digital play. From videos, games to e-learning, it is no wonder that effects of screen time has become an ongoing worry for most parents. My stand has always been embodied by the word “phygital,” physical plus digital. I have always believed that technology is there to serve its purpose, not to be excessively consumed nor be detrimental to our kids’ lives. For our family, technology has always been utilized as a source for information. From finding images of species of plants and animals to print as flash cards when my kids were young, to Marcus googling images of his favorite superheroes he can print to trace, I have always valued this fun way to combine physical and digital play.

This, for me, is the healthy way to prepare our kids to be “future-ready.”

A few weeks ago, I was privileged to be invited to the HP New Asian Learning Experience Study in Makati Shangri-La. Some of the findings the survey shared were: n Ensuring their children are future-proof is a top priority for Filipino parents. n Seventy percent of Filipinos, the highest among markets surveyed, are willing to spend on extra

classes or activities for their children outside of regular school work. n Ninety-one percent say it is most important for their children to be happy when they grow up. n Parents believe that printed materials are essential to learning.

The study also explored how the personalities of the surveyed Filipino parents impact the ways in which they define learning for their children, in order to ensure they have the right skills for their future success.

HP Philippines Managing Director Pallasena V. Viswanath reveals the Philippines-specific insights from the HP New Asian Learning Experience study, and how the company continues to support Filipino parents in future-proofing their children.

The study revealed that most Filipino parents are realists. They are aware of the potential obstacles their children may face in the future, and are willing to do whatever they can to ensure they are prepared.

They want their kids to be exposed to the world and develop skills they can use beyond the classroom and in real life.

“The study gives us insights on how learning is evolving and where our innovation can ensure these young learners thrive,” said Viswanath. “At HP, we are aligned with the parental focus on reinventing learning to create a positive impact on their children.”

In all countries surveyed including China, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and India, future proofing children is the greatest concern for all parents. Amid accelerating inflation in the Philippines, 75 percent of Filipino parents surveyed say they worry about the rising cost of living, while 56 percent are worried about job security for their kids in the future market. This is why a major challenge Filipinos take on for their

children is finding ways for them to learn a wide range of skills. Seventy percent of these parents, the highest among all markets surveyed, are willing to use a part of their family’s income for extra classes or activities in order to give their children an advantage over their peers.

When asked about their top priority for their child’s future, the study revealed Filipino parents only want their children to be happy and feel fulfilled.

Ninety-three percent even say they like teaching their children because it’s the best time to bond, instead of controlling their learning.

Filipino parents want to take advantage of technology alongside traditional learning. The HP New Asian Learning Experience study also revealed that parents believe printed materials will impact their child’s learning more positively than purely digital learning.

Ultimately, they perceive a mix of both print and digital as most beneficial. Parents feel that printed materials are better used for activities related to art (61 percent), math (60 percent), and memorization (50 percent), whereas electronic materials better facilitate learning in music or auditory skills (60 percent) and art (57 percent).

HP, through its range of innovative printers and personal computers, such as the HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 3775 and the HP Pavilion x360, reinvents learning to ensure that students have the right tools to develop their skills and help in practical, creative, critical and inventive learning.

I personally am a proud owner of an HP Deskjet 3830 series, which I can practically print anywhere from with the HP Smart Application.

Discover your child’s gift with ‘Spot the Gift’ test THE singer, the artist, and the dancer.

At a young age, it is very common for children to show their interests or gifts without being conscious of what they are. And over time, these can bloom into something very special.

Nurturing your child’s talent or gift starts with discovering it. In order to help your child reach his full potential, it helps to first discover exactly what he is good at.

Now, it’s easy for parents to discover and nurture their child’s gift with Promil Four’s Spot the Gift tool (www.promilnurturethegift.com.ph/ stg-home). Promil Four’s Spot the Gift

tool is like a multiple choice personality/ behavior test that you can answer based on observations about your child.

After completing it, you can discover the possible gifts that your child might have: Musical Gift, Bodily-kinesthetic Gift, Spatial Relation Gift, Naturalist Gift, Interpersonal Gift, Intrapersonal Gift, Linguistic Gift, or Logicalmathematical Gift.

Once you know which gifts your child has, you can tailor-fit activities he engages in to further help nurture them and bring out the best in him.

Spot the Gift was inspired by Prof.

Thomas Armstrong PhD’s “Multiple

Intelligences” Theory. Prof Armstrong is a Multiple Intelligences expert and executive director of the American Institute for Learning and Human Development.

The Spot the Gift tool was then validated by Dr. Leticia Peñano-Ho, president of Philippine Center for Gifted Education.

Promil Four believes that every child is born with a gift, and they deserve nothing but the best care to help nurture and harness that potential for their success.

n For more information, please visit HP O��icial Store in Lazada.

Show BusinessMirror

Thursday, September 5, 2019

D4

www.businessmirror.com.ph

The excellent Mona Lisa THE great Mona Lisa in the classic Lino Brocka masterpiece Insiang, with the equally electrifying Hilda Koronel.

REELING

TITO GENOVA VALIENTE

titovaliente@yahoo.com

I

T was the mid-1970s. No one remembered her the way other fans and cineastes would remember actresses of her generation who, unlike her, had made themselves scarce already.

She carried a screen name that did not have a family name, that sounded odd because a painting of the same name existed and it was the immortal version of those two words.

She was Mona Lisa. She was Lino Brocka’s rediscovery. The film director was by then already noted for discovering unknowns and transforming them into excellent actors. In 1974, Brocka introduced a young male actor named Christopher de Leon.

The film was Tinimbang ka Ngunit Kulang. It was de Leon’s first film and it won him the Famas Best Actor, then the standard for what was great in film acting. The next year, 1975, Brocka would pluck from obscurity a young man whose bee-stung lips did not easily make him into a matinee idol but quickly branded him a character actor. He was Bembol Roco and his first film, Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag, would earn him a Famas.

Nineteen-seventy six was a vintage year. Local film historians would call this year and the years around it as the Second Golden Age of Philippine cinema.

Brocka would make Insiang, the Filipino film that was a critical success in Cannes. It stars Hilda Koronel, the loveliest of her generation and, at a young age, already a winner of Famas Best Actress for Maynila....

Although another actress not noted for acting excellence heretofore, Nora Aunor, would win the very first Gawad Urian for Best Actress in Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, there were two other actors indelibly etched in our minds that year. They were Hilda Koronel, supremely confident in her beauty and talent, and Mona Lisa. The two would be nominated for Best Actress in Gawad Urian. In the Famas, Mona Lisa would be classified as “Supporting Actress” and would get that important award.

Mona Lisa in the 1970s had lost already the sensual allure that we often ascribe to actresses belonging to the gilded age of the 1930s and 1940s.

In that decade, there were other mature actresses present who could still fulfil the modifiers “lovely” and “glamorous.” The Mona Lisa that the Philippine cinema saw again was gritty, tough and uncompromising. That much was left of the young actress who appeared in the 1938 film, Giliw Ko, who was urged by LVN to don a bathing suit while a heavily suited Ely Ramos serenaded her. But that much was all the critics and lovers of cinema needed.

Hilda Koronel graced the poster of Insiang. There is even a disturbing scene of the young actress walking with a basin of clothes balanced on her head, her face full of innocence but the body overripe to the malicious male eyes. But it cannot be denied that if sometimes our memory of the great Koronel diminishes through the years, it is because in this film is the phantom presence of an astounding Mona Lisa.

Acclaimed maybe for this wrong reason but Brocka at the time had developed a tradition where actresses of equal or similar legendary statures were pitted against each other. Think of Lolita Rodriguez and Charito Solis, of Lolita Rodriguez and Nora Aunor.

The film Insiang gifts us with many succulent scenes where we almost salivate as we watch Mona Lisa and Hilda Koronel practically eat each other.

Maltreated by her mother, Insiang plots revenge against her mother’s lover. She does the cruelest cut a daughter could inflict upon a mother: she seduces her mother’s lover. While the man is away, Mona Lisa as Tonya confronts her daughter and asks the latter if she is getting intimate with the former’s lover. Harsh words are exchanged.

Tonya slaps Insiang who slaps Tonya back. To stop her mother from further attacking her, Insiang raises the electric iron and threatens to hit Tonya with it. Mona Lisa as Tonya slinks back to her room, defeated, while the music of Minda Azarcon rises slowly, grandly and sadly. The camera dwells on Insiang for seconds but in those few seconds our mind is there in the room, with Tonya—Mona Lisa violently lonely.

The other scene is toward the end. Dado, the lover played by Ruel Vernal, comes home and looks for Tonya. He, however, is not interested in the older woman. He embraces Insiang. Dado tells Insiang that he has found a job and he plans to take her away

from that dreadful place. The camera goes inside the room where Tonya is alone. She hears about the plan and rummages insanely through her clothes. Tonya finds a pair of scissors. She looks out and the mirror frames Dado and Insiang while behind, Tonya looms and looks at the two new lovers. She runs out while screaming and plunges the scissor on Dado’s back. He turns around but is hit by Tonya plunging the sharp object into his chest. The hands of Tonya hack across the frame, pass over the face of Insiang repeatedly.

Hilda Koronel has no expression except for those lips curving into a grin. All this time, the voice of Mona Lisa lacerates the screen and wounds our mind. This is not the Mater Dolorosa we have been introduced through mediocre movies but the mother who has lost all moral compass. That voice is as unforgettable as the face, contorted beyond redemption and the scream edging toward directionless agony. If ever vengeance and a woman’s last, desperate attempt at love and sex are given a voice, it is the voice of Mona Lisa killing the man who has seduced her and her daughter. That voice scares us because it offers no resolution.

Several years have passed but Insiang has stood the test of time and with it, the force of the performances in it. When the film was shown in the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2014, here is what Mahnola Dargis, the respected film critic of The New York Times, had to say about the film: “By turns lyrical and crude, laidback and feverishly overheated,

‘Sweeney Todd’ announces full cast and creatives ATLANTIS Theatrical Entertainment Group has announced its full cast and creatives for Sweeney Todd, its final musical offering for its 20th anniversary season. It was previously announced that Tony and Olivier Award winner Lea Salonga and rock icon Jett Pangan would lead the cast as Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd, respectively. They will be joined by Ima Castro as the Beggar Woman, Andrew Fernando as Judge Turpin, Gerald Santos as Anthony Hope and Nyoy Volante as Adolfo Pirelli.

Also joining them are Mikkie BradshawVolante, fresh off her critically acclaimed performance as Cynthia Weil in Beautiful, as Johanna; Luigi Quesada (Dani Girl, Waitress) as Tobias; Arman Ferrer (Mabining Mandirigma, Beautiful) as Beadle; and Dean Rosen (Beautiful, Waitress) as Jonas Fogg. Completing the ensemble are Steven Conde, Sarah Facuri, Christine Flores, Jep Go, Kevin Guiman, and Emeline Celis Guinid.

Sweeney Todd will be directed by Bobby Garcia, with set design by Tony Award winner David Gallo, musical direction by Gerard Salonga along with the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra, costume design by Rajo Laurel, choreography by Cecile Martinez, lighting design by Aaron Porter, hair and makeup design

by Leslie Espinosa, vocal direction by Manman Angsico and sound design by Justin Stasiw.

Bobby Garcia says, “We have gathered quite the cast for this retelling of Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical thriller. I think

JETT PANGAN and Lea Salonga

we will be bringing to the stage a unique version of Sweeny Todd, as told by some of the best musical theater storytellers in the country, led by Lea Salonga and Jett Pangan.

I am also so excited to be collaborating with a creative team full of geniuses in their craft. I can’t wait to begin.”

Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s musical masterpiece Sweeney Todd has become a worldwide success since being awarded eight Tony Awards, (including Best Musical), as well as the Oliver Award for

Best New Musical. Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s thrilling theatrical treat has simultaneously shocked, awed and delighted audiences across the world. The Broadway revival went on to win two more Tony Awards taking its total up to 10 Tonys. This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the musical, having first opened on Broadway in 1979.

Sweeney Todd runs from October 11 to 27 at the Theatre at Solaire. Tickets information is available at www.ticketworld.com.ph or 891-9999.

Lino Brocka’s Insiang (1976) is at once original and yet so familiar that you may find yourself annotating it with cinematic footnotes as the story unfolds.”

Continuing, Dargis writes: “Tears flow like the river under the house in which the title character [Hilda Koronel], a serene beauty and Filipino Everywoman, lives, works, endures and finally fights...Here, Insiang lives with her harsh, bullying mother, Tonya [an excellent Mona Lisa].”

Contrary to the common impression, it was not Brocka who brought back Mona Lisa to the screen in the 1970s. With the last film, Blood of Bataan, done in 1953, Mona Lisa was back as early as 1970. This was in the Celso Ad. Castillo’s Romantika. It was, however, in 1976, that Filipino audiences took note of this woman who could play boldness and sensuality the way other mature thespians excelled in grandmother and aunt roles. Mona Lisa came back and never left us. Those cheekbones that could smite any erring man, and that gait—the two hands curved at the elbow as if ready to fight for her womanhood—assured all the older actors that meanness is never the monopoly of the millennials. There was a Mona Lisa, after all, who came from a different millennium and who baited us with performances that raged and ranged from Storm Signal No. 3 to No. 4 and quieted only when male chauvinism was wiped out at least from her neighborhood. For that catharsis, thank you, beloved and deathless Mona Lisa. n

Tokyo Olympics undecided on Placido Domingo appearance TOKYO—The Tokyo Olympics organizing committee has not decided what it plans to do about the appearance of Placido Domingo at a 2020 Games event and is looking into allegations the opera star sexually harassed several women.

The Associated Press reported earlier this month on extensive allegations against Domingo, spanning decades. Women accused Domingo of using his power to pressure them into sexual relationships, including at the Los Angeles Opera, where he is the longtime general director.

Domingo called the allegations “deeply troubling, and as presented, inaccurate,” adding that he believed “all of my interactions and relationships were always welcomed and consensual.” The organizing committee said Friday in a statement: “Tokyo 2020 is seeking to clarify the situation.”

Domingo is scheduled to appear next April in an Olympic-sponsored event that brings together opera and the traditional Japanese theater of Kabuki featuring Ebizo Ichikawa, as part of its Nippon Festival, which seeks to promote Japanese culture and diversity.

Global reaction has been mixed on Domingo’s scheduled appearances. Two US performances were canceled by the organizers, but his European engagements

have continued.

The #MeToo movement has not caught on in Japan with the intensity it has in some Western nations, partly because pressures remain high for victims to keep quiet amid widespread fears about a social backlash.

Several women told the AP that Domingo tried to pressure them into sexual relationships by dangling jobs, in some cases punishing them when they refused his advances. Several other women said suggestive overtures by Domingo made them uncomfortable. The allegations date as far back as the 1980s. AP

Envoys&Expats EXPAT EXECUTIVE

www.businessmirror.com.ph | Thursday, September 5, 2019 E1

Chief ‘cyber guardian’ leads in defending digital domains

T

HE ever-increasing adoption of digital technologies, while fostering quantum leaps in efficiencies, productivity and progress, has also engendered a host of risks and dangers to all kinds of users: from individuals, businesses of all sizes, to large enterprises.

These hazards are addressed and mitigated by the integration of antivirus solutions into the information, communications and technology (ICT) infrastructure of organizations. In fact, a major effort in monitoring, correlation, investigation and threat hunting happens not just in an industrialized setting abroad, such as in Silicon Valley, United States, but also in a modern hub in the heart of Metro Manila.

Investing in Filipino talent, global cyber-security solutions provider Trend Micro recently launched its managed detection and response service, or XDR, which enables faster detections and better insights against advanced cyber attacks.

According to the company’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) Max Cheng, cyber-attack threats number by the billions annually. Waging a cyber war against these malicious digital entities, the XDR is exclusively manned by the dedicated team of 1,000 Filipino engineers “with advanced security expertise and skills in investigating sophisticated threats… servicing customers in key regions [globally].”

“We invested our Philippine office to be among our headquarters for the Security Operations Center,” stated the CIO. Proof of this trust in local talent is the growth of Trend Micro’s work force from just 14 engineers when it opened shop in Manila in 1998, to more than 1,000 to date.

They now comprise 17 percent of the firm’s current total worldwide manpower complement of 6,000.

During the launch of the XDR, Cheng illustrated the state of cyber security in this side of the world, and the vast opportunities for many to make cyberspace a safer place for global commerce and businesses. And, despite his “digital” inclination, the expat executive recommends staying hinged to the “analog” world, where real human connections thrive.

ENVOYS&EXPATS: In non“techie” speak, describe your role in the organization.

CHENG: As executive vice president for core technology and chief information officer, I make sure that I stay a step ahead of cybercriminals and threat actors, not just for Trend Micro, but for the organizations and users who rely on our products and solutions.

One of my responsibilities is to constantly look for emerging technologies that we can use and develop to further streamline our processes, improve our clients’ protection from evolving threats, and help us be on top of all things cyber security. I have the privilege of working with different, highly skilled professionals from the Philippines and beyond

to make sure that we all work efficiently and optimally in addressing our clients’ needs.

I also serve as the site executive here in the Philippines, which means I oversee operations in this vital business unit. Our headquarters here is one of the largest in the whole company: We have more than a thousand employees—and counting—who support critical functions, such as technical support, research and analysis, sales, and a lot more.

How is your company elevating the state of cyber security in PHL? Tell us about its new campaign.

Because the Philippines is rapidly progressing, organizations here face several cyber-security challenges that the rest of the world also deals with.

One of the top threats still includes ransomware. Despite seeing fewer attacks, cybercriminals are seen employing a more refined, targeted approach with the goal of siphoning off large amounts of money from businesses and even government units.

We also see a lot of threats arriving via system vulnerabilities and Web/ drive-by downloads in the country.

Our telemetry also points to an increase in file-less threats; in fact, we detected a whopping 819-percent increase last year across the globe.

As threats evolve and become more evasive, it is vital that organizations have full visibility of their entire cyber-security architecture.

And to do that, organizations must have skilled cyber-security professionals within arm’s reach. But like the rest of the world, the Philippines also suffers from cyber-security skills gap. For Asia Pacific (AsPac) alone, there is a need for 2.14 million cyber-security professionals, which is quite a high number.

There is indeed a great need to fill up; yet, the country currently lacks training institutions that would equip talented Filipinos with the skills they need to fully protect organizations.

This is where our MDR solutions, or XDR, come in. With it, organizations can get real-time protection from Trend Micro’s products for their endpoints, systems, networks and cloud services. These products will work hand-in-hand and provide critical information to our cyber-security experts who can then give detailed threat remediation or prevention plans to organizations.

Our strong 20-year experience in the Philippines has proven fundamentally for us to establish one of our company’s MDR centers here.

Continued on E3

Envoys& BusinessMirror

E2 Thursday, September 5, 2019

PHL ICT IN FOCUS

Czech Republic connects with PHL ICT industry

PHL Consulate General-Hawaii holds ICT, BPO briefings

CLOCKWISE, from top left: Consul General to Honolulu Joselito A. Jimeno delivers the opening remarks at the briefing; participants listen intently to the discussions; and a group photo of the speakers. HONOLULU PCG

H

O

N the heels of worldwide technological innovation, an integrated and comprehensive response connecting global policy will increase positive transformation as the world enters the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

Responding to a growing demand for increased connectivity, the Czech Embassy in Manila will conduct its first information and communications technology (ICT) conference, “Czech Connect 2019: Bridging the Czech and Philippine ICT Sector” on September 11 at the Makati Diamond Residences.

The conference aims to link

the Czech Republic and the Philippines’s ICT industries. During the event, five Czech companies: Kentico Software, Y Soft, Avast by Kaizen Internetworking, Flowmon Networks and Adastra Business Consulting, will introduce Czechbased technologies.

There will also be an opportunity to meet with representatives

of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines, as well as members of the Philippine ICT sector, which will provide updates on the current local industry scene.

It also seeks to open an opportunity for deeper cooperation between the Czech Republic and the Philippines as the world enters greater demand for connectivity, especially with the onset of the 4IR, characterized by an increasing trend toward automation and data exchange.

According to its embassy in Manila, the Czech Republic is recognized as one of Europe’s top locations for ICT investments, as confirmed by the strong and growing influx of high value-added projects

from the world’s top ICT companies. Further, the Central European country also puts a premium on its ICT sector by allocating a significant amount of its gross domestic product to ICT expenditures.

With its well-developed infrastructure, advanced technologies and high regard to improve the ICT sector, international investors such as Skype, DHL, Tieto, Red Hat, SolarWinds, Oracle and IBM have found the Czech Republic as an attractive nation with much potential for investments.

The European republic is also home to globally renowned ICT companies GoodDAta, Y Soft, STRV and Seznam.cz. Apart from these, digital products such as antivirus software from Avast and AVG Technologies are recognized internationally.

ONOLULU—The Philippine Consulate General concluded two back-toback events to promote the Philippines’s information and communications technology (ICT), as well as business-process outsourcing (BPO) sectors.

The consulate general conducted the “Briefing on Philippines’s ICT and Health-care Management Industry” at the Sullivan Conference Center in Honolulu and the “Best Practices on ICT-Business Process Outsourcing” in Dillingham in May and June, respectively.

The first event was held in coordination with the Health Care Information Management Association of the Philippines, the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii (FCCH), PLDT-US and Pointwest Technologies.

Representatives from the latter two companies, as well as Adec Innovations, Advance World Solutions Inc., Connext Global Solutions, Edulynx Corp. and Visaya KPO were present during the briefing to provide information to participants regarding the country’s capabilities in terms of ICT, BPO, and health-care information management system.

Health care, medical tourism and ICT-BPO are some of the key priority sectors identified by the consulate general’s Economic Section. Currently, there is an inadequate supply

of qualified labor in Hawaii in the fields of ICT and health care, which contributes to the high cost of services in these industries.

There is a potential to outsource many of the back-end operations of ICT and health-care businesses, as well as introduce new ICT and health care-related services that will improve cost-effectiveness and efficiency of local businesses, which allow workers to focus on their core competencies and not be weighed down by routine processes that can be automated or outsourced.

With the two briefings, the consulate general and its partners hoped to provide relevant information and generate more interest among local businesses, consultants, as well as health care and ICT practitioners, to consider outsourcing some of their noncore operations in the Philippines. That way, they will relieve their company of the burden of having to find qualified labor to fulfill noncore functions and allow their staff members to focus on work that matters most to their clients.

Businesses are also encouraged to participate in the matching session in Manila during the 2019 Trade Mission to the Philippines from October 14 to 21, which will be co-organized by the consulate general, in coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry and FCCH. DFA

OWWA, ‘FB’ launch global digital-literacy program for OFWs

S

I NG A POR E —W it h more than 200 Filipinos in attendance, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), in collaboration with Facebook, successfully launched the Digital Tayo program for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) on August 4 at the Philippine Embassy in Singapore chancery.

A digital literacy and citizenship program, Digital Tayo is a collaboration between the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and Facebook Phils. It aims to reach a million Filipinos by the end of 2020.

Digital Tayo’s learning modules cover topics such as safeguarding online privacy, safety and security as one engages in respectful digital discourse, as well as being aware and responsible of an individual’s digital footprint.

OWWA and Facebook Phils. hope to expand the program later this year to other areas that host a huge population of OFWs, including Hong Kong and the Middle East.

“OFWs are among the most

STANDING, from left: Assistant Labor Attaché Macy Monique A. Maglanque, Welfare Officer Aniceta G. Cataran, Labor Attaché Saul T. de Vries, Philippine Embassy in Singapore Consul General Adrian Bernie C. Candolada, Ambassador to Singapore Joseph del Mar Yap, Facebook Phils. Head of Public Policy Clare Amador, Facebook Director of Public Policy for Southeast Asia Rahimah Abdulrahim and Facebook Community Affairs Manager for Asia Pacific Shanti Alexander; (seated, from left) volunteer trainers for Digital Tayo: Christopher John Sandro, Rex Holgado, and Jack Corpus, with Facebook Phils. Public Policy and Programs Manager Christopher Kuzhuppilly.

MORE than 200 Filipinos gather at the Philippine Embassy in Singapore’s Consular Section to witness the launch of the Digital Tayo program. FACEBOOK PHILIPPINES/DFA

FACEBOOK PHILIPPINES/DFA

engaged and active communities online. Together with OWWA and our partners, we want to help them develop digital skills, including the ability to think critically about what they see online, so they can become better informed digital citizens and continue to have a positive and authentic experience online,” said Facebook Director of

the trainings may get in touch with the Philippine Embassy and POLO or partner OFW organizations, including the Filipino Overseas Workers in Singapore, Pinoy Worldwide Initiative for Investment Savings and Entrepreneurship, Financially Literate Philippines, Center for Domestic Employees, Filipino Community, Leadership and So-

Public Policy-Southeast Asia Rahimah Abdulrahim.

“We are glad to work [alongside] Facebook in empowering OFWs with knowledge and tools to help them connect with their families back home, and contribute to their communities. Digital literacy is an invaluable asset to our modern-day Filipino heroes. We look forward

to supporting OFW organizations who will be conducting these trainings in the coming months in [the Lion City],” Ambassador to Singapore Joseph del Mar Yap said.

The training modules will be incorporated in partner OFW organizations’ regular trainings and community events in the city-state.

Those interested in participating in

cial Entrepreneurship, and Aidha.

More than 140,000 departing OFWs have already participated in digital-literacy workshops conducted in Manila since last year.

To take an interactive digital-literacy course, visit www.digitaltayo. fb.com or find out more about Facebook’s partnership with OWWA via www.owwa.gov.ph. DFA

&Expats Businesses must boost their cyber-security capabilities

BUSINESS ENVOY

Steven J. Robinson AO Ambassador of Australia to the Philippines

A

LL successful Filipino business people I’ve met share a common trait: They are always looking ahead at opportunities, and they marshal their resources to make the most out of them.

In the digital age, almost all business people tell me they see technology as a clear-cut opportunity to improve their bottom line.

Whether it’s connecting directly with customers or mining “big data” to boost performance, the Internet has opened up a marvelous landscape for business.

Here in the Philippines, people spend more time on the Internet than any other country, with an average of more than 10 hours of screen time each day.

Not surprisingly, the country’s e-commerce market is forecast to grow to almost $10 billion over the next five years.

But as more businesses and people come to depend on technology, the nature of risk is rising to unprecedented levels because of cyber-security threats.

This is a real challenge we face today. Several big companies here in the Philippines have already suffered from major breaches of their data.

Real threat

A DATA breach compromises a company’s commercial information and undermines confidence among the people and groups they do business with. Breaches in cyber security hurt the bottom line. And if not defended, cybersecurity losses could spill over to the wider economy.

According to a report commissioned by Microsoft, the potential economic loss in the Philippines from cyber-security breaches could reach $3.5 billion, or 1.1 percent of total gross domestic product.

Every company in the world faces a threat of cyber attack. Perpetrators range from individuals, rival businesses seeking information through subversive means, to sophisticated and targeted attacks conducted by nation-states, such as North Korea and others.

In Australia’s case, small busi-

nesses report they are subject to about 5,000 attacks per day, while large companies will face up to 500,000 daily.

With the emergence of 5G, the next generation of mobile telecommunications technology and artificial intelligence, the cybersecurity threat to companies and nation-states is serious.

At stake is the future of cyberspace. The Internet is delivering opportunities for economic and social development. It has enabled small and big business to thrive, while it created space for free speech and political choice.

Australia’s view is that cyberspace must continue to be secure, open and free. Only close partnerships between the private sector and government across borders can address these challenges, while they maintain security and prosperity online.

Reinforcing cyber security

I’M pleased to say there are several Australian companies here in the Philippines already providing high-quality security hardware and software, including encryption capability.

There are opportunities for more business. Australian firms offer niche technology solutions for companies to reinforce their cyber security. The country’s commercial offering reflects our strong, world-class research. Globally, we rank fourth in patent filings in cyber-security research and development. This capability makes Australia a popular test bed for new technology.

For example, CSIRO’s Data 61, Australia’s largest data-innovation group, has developed the “seL4 kernel,” which provides the basis for the strongest operating system security in the world.

Australia’s view is that a secure, free and open Internet is the best way for our citizens and the international community to continue to enjoy the benefits of technology.

We are eager to continue to work with business people to help reinforce their cyber security, so they can use innovative technology with trust and confidence.

envoys.expats.bm@gmail.com | Thursday, September 5, 2019 E3

LANGUAGE AND LEARNING

PHL Embassy-Ottawa opens ‘Buwan ng Wika’ with exhibit

O

TTAWA—The Philippine Embassy celebrated Buwan ng Wika, or National Language Month, with the launch of Alamat: An Art Exhibit of Philippine Mythical Creatures by renowned children’s book illustrator Frances Alcaraz.

The weeklong exhibit opened on August 1 to an audience of about 150 at the embassy’s Sentro Rizal Ottawa.

The guest’s curiosity was piqued with Alcaraz’s intricate interpretations of 10 well-known characters from Philippine mythology. Using pen, ink and acrylic on boards, the artist portrayed modern versions of creatures from Filipino folk stories, including the kapre (tree giant), tikbalang (half-man, half-horse), manananggal (flying blood-sucker), diwata (fairy) and nuno sa punso (old man of the mound). Each piece was accompanied by a story of the characters’ background and their role in society.

Alcaraz sent a video message as she thanked the guests at the reception for visiting the exhibit.

“We all know the stories,” she

acknowledged. “Every Filipino child will tell you about their [dreams and fears through the] mythical creatures and magic that we all grew up with. So I hope when you go through the exhibit, you will learn more about our culture, and more about my country.”

Ambassador of the Philippines to Canada Petronila Garcia welcomed the guests and thanked Alcaraz for sharing her art. The former noted that the illustrated mythical creatures in the exhibit have remained in the Filipino consciousness and psyche for hundreds of years, as they formed an integral part of Pinoy culture. She reminded the audience of the stories of their childhood and invited them to revisit the way early Filipinos perceived the world around them.

The guests, some of whom came

CLOCKWISE, from top left: Ambassador Petronila Garcia discusses the exhibit with Global Affairs Canada Assistant Deputy Minister Paul Thoppil; guests view details of each piece; members of Filipino Heritage Montreal pose with Garcia; visitors appreciate the works on display; and children’s book illustrator Frances Alcaraz’s video message is played before an audience. OTTAWA PE

all the way from Montreal and Toronto to attend the reception, admired the vibrant colors and intricate patterns of Alcaraz’s works, then expressed appreciation for the subject matter she tackled.

For guests of Filipino descent, it was an opportunity to reminisce about their childhood and the stories from their elders, while Canadian guests enjoyed seeing another aspect of the Philippines’s rich culture. DFA

PHL Embassy-Berlin caps off summer with ‘Buwan ng Wika’ talk

AMBASSADOR Maria Theresa Dizon-de Vega talks about the language of Filipinos, as well as their food and culture. BERLIN PE

THE Philippine Embassy’s Rowena Hernandez reads a Filipino children’s book on food to kids. BERLIN PE

ERLIN—Before 100 members of the Filipino community, with their German and foreign friends, the Philippine Embassy in Berlin hosted “Hallo, Halu-halo!” on August 22, in commemoration of the Buwan ng Wika and to bid farewell to the summer season.

With the Halo-Halo sa Jardin as the highlight of the event, guests enjoyed the classic Filipino dessert al fresco at the embassy’s amphitheater while they shared food tales

children’s book by Yvette Ferreol with illustrations

by Jill Arwen Posadas, and other children’s books about Filipino food.

Aside from the usual ingredients like kaong, nata de coco, macapuno, langka, ube ice cream, and leche flan, the kiddie halo-halo station allowed the kids to top up their desserts with special ingredients like gummy bears and wafer rolls.

Guests who brought their own reusable

B

and culinary memories.

More substantial fare was offered at the Pansit at Puto sa Patio as guests tried their hand in a game of “Hugot” and “Darna” created by start-up game companies in the Philippines, then checked out the Filipino food recipes at the Pinoy Cookbook Corner.

Younger guests had their own kiddie session at the consular area as they were treated to a story telling of HaluHalo Espesyal, a Filipino

containers were treated to their own halo-halo station, as biodegradable cups and cutlery were used to encourage sustainability. Another station featured healthier options, such as mais con hielo and mango slushie, with toppings like chia seeds, cacao nibs and pomegranate.

The event was also part of the embassy’s food diplomacy initiative, as well as its Kapihan/ Kainan at Kuwentuhan para sa Kababaihan series under its Gender and Development program. DFA

Chief ‘cyber guardian’ leads in defending digital domains Continued from E1

On top of that, we also aim to breed highly skilled cyber-security professionals. This goal explains why it is imperative for us to create a cyber security or an MDR growth engine in this country, and we plan on doing so via our Trend Micro Certified Professional Program. This is our commitment to help address the burgeoning skills gap not just in the country, but in the whole AsPac region, as well.

In your opinion, what is the state of ICT and cyber security in the Philippines?

They are very much on a par with Asean neighbors. There are some notable indicators of continuous progress in these fields. The growing ICT and business-process outsourcing presence and investments certainly

show that the country is a formidable force in the said sectors.

Meanwhile, the government has been making great strides in improving the country’s state of cybersecurity resilience, such as the (crafting of the) National Cyber Security Plan 2022.

On top of these, we’ve seen a growth in investments by different organizations in these areas.

In a nutshell, what is the Philippines’s march into the fourth Industrial Revolution like?

While most businesses in the country are still using traditional manufacturing methods or operational technology (OT), we do see an increase in the number of local businesses that are starting to integrate ICT into their processes.

As what we have been doing in different countries, we support busi-

TREND MICRO Chief Information Officer Max Cheng: Organizations in the Philippines face several cyber-security challenges that the rest of the world also deals with.

nesses in allowing both ICT and OT to work seamlessly with one another through our programs and partnerships with different manufacturers. This is just one of the ways we show the great value and importance we place in securing the connected world.

Your work entails shuttling back and forth to the Philippines every so often. But other than that, what makes you come back to this country?

The Filipinos’ warm and hospitable nature has made me feel like the Philippines is my second home.

They are also very dynamic and have a lot of energy, which makes them great to work with.

This country also allows me to indulge in two of my favorite things: halo-halo, which is my favorite dessert, and scuba diving.

While I enjoy a lot of the local food here, I believe halo-halo is the best dessert in the world.

I had my first diving experience here in the Philippines, and it was an eye-opening experience. The beauty of the local dive spots got me hooked into the hobby.

As an executive dealing with the digital domain, what elements would you consider still as “analog” in your everyday life?

With the Internet of Things, 5G and artificial intelligence in the horizon, things “digital” are going to occupy a big proportion of everyone’s life.

Personally, I pretty much live in a digital world—I can’t even remember the last time I picked up a pen to write a note on paper.

However, there are two things in my life I prefer to keep “analog:”

those are building relationships, and my personal reflection time.

I’m not a fan of social networking, and I think (it) isn’t the best way to build real human relationships. I’m still old school, in the sense that I still prefer to meet and engage with people face-to-face. It’s a better way to connect and foster bonds, compared to simply hitting the “Like” button, or commenting on a post.

Regardless of my busy itinerary, I still try to allocate a specific time every morning for reflection, which involves staying away from my digital devices. In this current landscape where everyone is racing to catch up on everything, either through their computers or phones, I recommend everyone to try it, as reflection will help them stay grounded and focused on the “here and now.”

Envoys&Expats BusinessMirror

E4 Thursday, September 5, 2019

www.businessmirror.com.ph

EMBASSIES, EVENTS, ETC.

Envoy enthusiastic on PHL-EU engagements

F

ORMER ambassador of the European Union to the Philippines Franz Jessen, who recently concluded his stint in Manila, expressed his optimism that the relations between the EU and the Philippines will further flourish.

“All relationships need to be maintained. This applies to personal, as well as to international relations. We have succeeded in this,” the Danish diplomat said during his farewell message.

Jessen, who served as the EU Delegation’s ambassador to the country for four years, left Manila on Friday.

“Relations also need to develop, and I am by nature quite ambitious and would have liked to see even greater growth in our bilateral cooperation,” he added.

On the progress of the EUPhilippines engagement, Jessen highlighted the high-level visits of EU Council President Donald Tusk and EU Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini in Manila.

He also talked about the ratification of the EU-Philippine Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which is now being implemented.

Describing his stay in the Philippines, the envoy said it has been fascinating to observe some global changes in Manila from “a front seat” vantage point.

“At times, it has been a challenge not to be absorbed [and] not

to be overly distracted by the new language used,” he said, while the focus remained on the underlying relations of Manila and the bloc— including the two partners’ shared interests.

“The Philippines and the EU remain free-market economies, democracies [and] value-driven societies, with vibrant press and very active civil societies,” he said.

Meanwhile, the diplomat believes that the Philippines “will do very well.”

“My optimism is based on your intrinsic strength. We see that it is here: in Europe, where overseas Filipino workers do an incredible job, and we see how easily they adjust and enjoy the European way of life while working and living in [the continent],” Jessen said.

The envoy also said he enjoyed interacting with the Filipino people, may they be students, business people, the diplomatic community, politicians, civil society, journalists, writers, as well as local and central government officials.

“The friendships that I have made have allowed me to have a different, richer, perspective on

AMBASSADOR Franz Jessen

JESSEN, with author F. Sionil Jose and wife Teresita

your country,” he averred.

expenditure on the part of the groups they finance.

“We asked them to review the expenditure and see if they could find anything that looked awkward. They couldn’t,” the envoy confirmed in his last press briefing.

“So I think in terms of spending, we are fine. In terms of objective, the government and us, we share completely the same objective: We don’t want to support an organization where we would be violating our own legal framework,” he added.

The envoy pointed out that the EU has several requirements before funding a nongovernment organization and, at the same time, conducts regular financing checks.

Irregular funding: Zero

IN a related story, Jessen confirmed before he left that no funding from the EU was spent on any communist activities, as he cited the existing terrorist tag on the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its military arm, the New People’s Army (NPA).

In April, the delegation commissioned a firm for a financial audit on some EU contracts being questioned by the government for links to the CPP-NPA and alleged organizations serving as “fronts.”

Updating the media, Jessen said the firm was not able to identify any irregular or “awkward”

E&E INDULGENCES

tralia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines has listed the CPPNPA as a terrorist organization.

In March, the Philippine government urged the EU to stop funding local organizations in the country allegedly linked to the CPP-NPA. Included in this group was the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines.

Documents obtained by the Armed Forces of the Philippines earlier revealed that the EU has reportedly released its first tranche of more than €621,000 (P36,663,840) to the said group and is expected to release €1.3 million (P76,752,000) this year, until the Philippine government flagged the delegation. Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA

Singapore showcases vibrant culture, exclusive lifestyle

A taste of Italy

L

A Vita Italia marches on as Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s restaurants and bars offer special treats this September.

Guests staying in the hotel are in for a flavorful delight, as Guest Chef Pasqualino Barbasso’s special gourmet pizzas are available exclusively from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Variants include Piemontese (beef, tuna, mozzarella, capers and anchovies), Mediterranea (eggplant, sun-dried tomato, mozzarella and basil powder), Arrotolata (artichokes, Parma ham, cherry tomatoes and arugula leaves), and Grand Fume (smoked salmon, burrata, arugula leaves and cherry tomatoes).

Premium Italian confections are also available for a post-meal dessert, an afternoon break, or “just because.” Café Pronto serves panforte and tiramisu to keep the day sweeter until September 18. A tiramisu smoothie is also available until the end of September for those who can’t get enough.

Bringing refreshing drinks inspired by the Italian countryside is Connect Lounge with Verde Chiaro Sour and Dolce Cassis, until September 15. Vu’s Sky Bar and Lounge Valso bring the feel of chic Italian nights with classic cocktails, such as a special house-blend limoncello and barrel-aged Negroni.

Both drinks can be enjoyed with the second round on the house for the whole month of September at Vu’s Sky Bar and Lounge.

Visit marcopolohotels.com for more details about the hotel’s ongoing promotions. Subscribe to updates via social media through facebook. com/MarcoPoloOrtigasManila and @MarcoPoloManila on Twitter and Instagram.

“If we were, in any way or form, seen as supporting the CPP, we will be violating the EU legislation on terrorists. Therefore, it should be very clear to everybody that we would never do that, because we would be going against our institution [and] legal framework,” he said.

Jessen said the bloc continues to engage with the Philippine government for further clarification, as he also cited past dialogues as “constructive.” “ They’re providing new information to us, which is always helpful. Whenever we do get new information, we look into it and verify,” he said.

Aside from the EU, the United States, the United Kingdom, Aus-

LIMONCELLO and Negroni at Vu’s Sky Bar and Lounge

T PANFORTE at Café Pronto

PIZZA Grand Fume at In-Room Dining

PIZZA acrobat: Chef Pasqualino Barbasso

TIRAMISU Smoothie at Café Pronto

HERE’s no better way to celebrate and strengthen the 50 years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Singapore than to feature elements the citizens of both countries love: food and shopping.

From September 6 to 15, Singaporium, an exclusive lifestyle and food pop-up, will offer Manila consumers a chance to experience the tastes, sights and spirit of the Lion City without leaving the Metro. Installed at The Podium Mall in Ortigas Center, the pop-up will showcase 17 Singaporean brands covering fashion, food and lifestyle. It is organized by Enterprise Singapore, a government agency helping the city-state’s companies grow and globalize.

Fashion and lifestyle: Dress in the latest trends at clothing brands Our Second Nature and Her Velvet Vase; taste the luxuriously smooth, melt in your mouth chocolate from premium bean-tobar chocolate maker Benns; indulge your inner child at toy-design studio Mighty Jaxx and Singapore’s premier entertainment café Play Nation.

Customize your own special paper and leather goods at artisanal crafts maker Bynd Artisan, then get Christmas inspirations at stationary-gift shop Klosh, before getting some pampering at the Lion City’s favorite health and wellness brand OSIM, as well as skin care and face-spa company Porcelain.

Finally, shop for premium products with a uniquely Singaporean flair, specially curated by Singapore

Airline’s flagship retailer KrisShop.

Food: Singapore’s favorite food and drinks will also be available at the pop-up to satiate the palates of Manila’s foodies.

Try the best customizable burgers at Wolf Burgers, or a succulent satay— traditional skewered meat grilled over slow-burning charcoal—at Jumain Sataysfaction. Don’t miss Singaporean noodles from heritage food house Ming Fa, Singapore’s take on iconic Western dishes at Collin’s, healthy and fresh halal-certified Mexican and Turkish food at Stuff’d, as well as mouthwatering wok-fried rice bowls at Wok Hey. To wash down all that great food, there are ready to drink teas, soy drinks and juices by Asian-drink purveyor Yeo’s.

Visitors can also expect daily raffle draws sponsored by participating brands at Singaporium. The grand prize is a three-day, twonight trip for two to Singapore. To qualify, just complete a list of simple tasks indicated on an activity card, then drop their raffle stubs at the designated drop-off location. The winner will be announced on the closing day of the pop-up on September 15.

On the evening of September 6, up-andcoming jazz, soul, funk band Extrapolation will provide good tunes to entertain.

Get ready to shop and savor all things Singaporean. Visit Singaporium from September 6 to 15 at The Podium Mall in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.