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A broader look at today’s business

Monday, September 24, 2018 Vol. 13 No. 345

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PHL banks can withstand It is now 100 external volatility–BSP

By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said local banks are now in the pink of health despite external financial volatility, and can withstand turmoil should another global crisis arise. BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi G. Fonacier, in an interview with the BusinessMirror, expressed confidence that they have put in enough

regulatory safeguards to make the Philippine banking system strong enough against international crises. “The Philippine banking system

[PBS] remained stable and resilient even during the past GFC [global financial crisis], and the outlook of the banking system continues

Alberto C. Agra

1.9% F Nonperforming loans ratio for 2018’s first semester of Philippine banks, which saw their total assets grow 10.3 percent to P15.7 trillion in the same period

ead

L AlbertoPPP C. Agra

OR those who believe in local autonomy, it is time to celebrate. Local government units (LGUs) have embraced public-private partnership (PPP) as a new and alternative development strategy, even more aggressively than other government agencies.

to be positive,” she said. Her positive remarks came on the heels of last week’s observance of the 10th anniversary of the global financial crisis that saw some of

Two weeks ahead of the 28th anniversary of the passage of the Local Government Code of 1991, provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays have displayed innovation in policy-making. Some 100 LGUs have enacted their own ordinances on PPPs. They referred to the template ordinance developed by yours truly. This template is now part of the official PPP for the People guide of the Department of the Interior and Local Government under Memorandum Circular No. 120, Series of 2016.

See “Banks,” A2

Continued on A11

‘With its focus on infra, PHL on track in journey to 4th industrial revolution’ By Elijah Felice E. Rosales @alyasjah

NERGY and automation giant Schneider Electric believes this administration is on track to walk the Philippines into the fourth industrial revolution, as the firm views“Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program as the first step toward digitization. In a recent interview with Filipino reporters in Singapore, Schneider Electric Executive Vice President Peter Herweck said the government made the right decision when it chose to prioritize infrastructure. Infrastructure, he pointed out, remains to be one of the major factors for attracting investments. He was referring to the multitrillionpeso BBB centerpiece program of the Duterte administration, which seeks to lay down the most critical pieces of infrastructure—roads and highways, airports and seaports and transportation systems, power and telecommunications—for sustained growth in the next decade, with some projects coming onstream after President Duterte’s term ends in 2022. Herweck, meanwhile, also hailed

”The Philippines is big in two dimensions. It is big because it is an important development potential country. We are growing fast in the Philippines and, of course, in the way we develop our business, we look at the development potential of a market. Clearly, the Philippines... [counts] among the countries where there is high speed of development and very high potential in development.” —Remont the administration’s financing policy of bankrolling the projects using public funds. He argued it is not sustainable to rely largely on the private sector to build all of the country’s infrastructure. “First of all, government investments on infrastructure are very necessary. We have seen countries where everything is privately financed. This is also probably not the ideal setup. From that perspective, any investment that is done by the government is highly appreciated,” Herweck said.

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 54.0160

See “Infra,” A2

Deployment of OFWs dips 9% after 10-year rise By Recto Mercene

THE GREAT COASTAL CLEANUP More than 7,000 volunteers supported this year’s International Coastal Cleanup spearheaded by SM by the Bay, in partnership with SM Mall of Asia, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Maynilad, Philippine Red Cross and SM Cares. The coastal cleanup—coming just after recent published photos of trash being “hurled back” to cities by Mother Nature during recent weather disturbances—was meant to engage the community in doing their share for the environment. ROY DOMINGO

@rectomercene

FTER 10 years of continued growth, the Philippines last year posted a 9-percent decline in overseas employment, falling from a high of more than 2 million in 2016 to less than 2 million in 2017. Records show that the country, which has been sending overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to 180 countries for decades, deployed 2,112,331 people two years ago, but this went down to 1,992,746 in 2017, according to recruitment consultant Manny Geslani. He said, “2017 was a banner year for OFW deployment, but last year’s drop of 9 percent was the first in 10 years.”

n JAPAN 0.4802 n UK 71.6738 n HK 6.8877 n CHINA 7.8902 n SINGAPORE 39.5896 n AUSTRALIA 39.3723 n EU 63.6200 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.4031

See “OFWs,” A2

Source: BSP (21 September 2018 )

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Monday, September 24, 2018

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DOJ finds Taguba, 8 others liable in ₧6.4-B shabu imports

By Joel R. San Juan

@jrsanjuan1573

HE Department of Justice (DOJ) has found probable cause to indict Customs broker Mark Ruben Taguba and several others for violation of the provisions of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) in connection with the P6.4-billion shabu shipment from China that slipped past port inspections in May 2017. In a 26-page resolution issued by Assistant Prosecutor Charlie Guhit and approved by Officer in Charge-Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon, the DOJ disregarded the claim of Taguba and his corespondents that they did not have knowledge that the shipment they were processing for entry into the country contained illegal drugs. Instead, the DOJ held that the actions of the respondents showed conspiracy in bringing the shipment into the country. “We find no merit [in] respondents’ claim that the importation documents they sig ned, processed and filed at the BOC

Banks. . .

show only an importation of ‘cutting boards, footwear, kitchenware and moulds.’ The dangerous drugs were concealed with legally imported merchandise on the chance that the former could escape detection,” the resolution read. “Respondents’ defense that they were not aware that the shipment they received contained dangerous drugs deserves scant consideration. What matters is that they committed act/s which has a vital connection to the chain of conspiracy, that without such act, the unlawful importation would be unsuccessful,” it added. Aside from Taguba, DOJ recommended the prosecution of Eirene

Continued from A1

the world’s biggest financial institutions collapse under the weight of debts incurred in a long, loan-drunk period of low interest rates, reckless lending practices and shoddy, if not deliberately deceptive, assessments by credit-rating agencies. There has been much discussion here and abroad about the possibility of another such crisis taking place, and what its shape could be. Officials and experts interviewed earlier by the BusinessMirror (“See, Global financial crisis 10 years after: Philippines learned its lessons well,” in the “Broader Look” section, September 20, 2018, pages A4-A5) said the country had not been so scarred by the 2008 GFC due to good regulatory systems and stable, compliant banks. For his part, in analyzing the possibility of a recurrence, noted financial advisor Peter Lundgreen had written in the BusinessMirror at the weekend (“See, This is how the next economic crisis will look like,” on page A1, Sunday BusinessMirror, September 23, 2018) that the “next” crisis “will happen when the trust disappears” in the ability of governments to repay debt. He noted how, since the GFC 10 years ago, “the trust in increased government spending has been universal.” However, the past decade has seen the risk being shifted from the heavily leveraged corporations and households to the governments around the globe.

Faster banking growth

MOODY’S Industrial Service earlier recognized the Philippine banking system’s potential to grow faster than its counterparts in neighboring countries due to the young population of the country. “Over the next decade, of the 17 banking systems in Asia Pacific, banks in Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan, in particular, will face challenges from the effects of shrinking prime-age populations and declining proportions of working people,” Moody’s Senior Vice President Chrisitne Kuo said. “By contrast, banks in India, Indonesia and the Philippines will see growth opportunities in the same period from the effects of rapidly growing prime-age populations and increasing proportions of working people,” Kuo added. Fonacier echoed this sentiment, saying banks are expected to sustain their growth momentum given the robust economic outlook. “The BSP is nonetheless confident that the industry will be able to effectively manage attendant risks. This is in view of the policy reforms earlier introduced aimed at improving the risk management systems and quality of governance in banks,” Fonacier said. In the first half of 2018, the local banking system’s assets was up 10.3 percent to P15.7 trillion. Its nonperforming loans ratio (NPL ratio), meanwhile, remained low at 1.9 percent in the first half of 2018, while capital adequacy ratios of lenders exceed both the 10-percent standard of the BSP and the 8-percent international standard. Fonacier also said banks displayed proper compliance with the recent Basel III reforms implemented by the BSP. The Basel III reform agenda is an internationally agreed set of measures developed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) in response to the GFC. The measures aim to strengthen the regulation, supervision and risk management of banks. “The BSP’s pace of implementation of Basel III reforms is generally on track with the international standards,” Fonacier said.

Mae Tatad; Teejay Marcellana; Chen Julong, alias Richard Tan or Richard Chen; Fidel Anoche Dee; Chen I-Min; Jhu Ming Jyun; Li Guang Feng a.k.a. “Manny Li”; and Dong Yi Shen a.k.a. “Kenneth Dong” for violation of Section 1400 (misdeclaration, misclassification, undervaluation in goods declaration), in relation to Section 1401 of the CMTA (unlawful importation). “There being conspiracy, all respondents may be held liable or responsible for violation of Section 1400, in relation to Section 1401 of the CMTA, notwithstanding that some of them did not prepare, sign, or fill out commercial or BOC entry forms, papers or documents in connection with the subject importation,” the resolution read. The DOJ also explained that the filing of the criminal case against respondents for importation of dangerous drugs under RA 9165 would not render the case moot

Go after mining, quarry firms for landslide deaths, green groups tell govt

and academic, considering that in this case they are charged with an offense punishable by the CMTA. It pointed out that smuggling may be committed ever after the importation. “When the prohibited articles entered the Philippine territory and respondents thereafter received and facilitated the transportation of said articles to its final destination, as in this case, to the ultimate consignee Dee at the warehouse located at No. 3050 F. Bautista St. Brgy Ugong, Valenzuela City, knowing the same to have been imported contrary to law, herein respondents undoubtedly committed another act of unlawful importation,” the DOJ said. Long is the chairman and general manager of Philippine Hongfei Logistics Group of Cos. Inc. which owns the warehouse in Valenzuela City, where the 604 kilograms of shabu was discovered last May 26.

We find no merit [in] respondents’ claim that the importation documents they signed, processed and filed at the BOC show only an importation of ‘cutting boards, footwear, kitchenware and moulds.’ The dangerous drugs were concealed with legally imported merchandise on the chance that the former could escape detection.”—DOJ Resolution

Infra. . .

Continued from A1

However, should the government need help from corporations, Herweck noted it must not hesitate to do so, especially if it intends to improve the quality of the projects. “Having corporations also involved in non-state owned [projects] will probably make the investment more efficient, meaning, money that is deployed can actually achieve the best possible outcome.” Herweck said efficient infrastructure will keep any country afloat in terms of investment inflows, particularly those still in the process of adapting to the digital economy. Under President Duterte, the government is keen on completing big-ticket public infrastructure under the BBB program. To do so, it plans to increase infrastructure-to-GDP ratio to 7.4 percent, which will amount to as much as P9 trillion by the end of Duterte’s term in 2022.

Growth prospects

MEANWHILE, Schneider Electric Executive Vice President for International Operations Luc Remont expressed the multinational’s confidence in the country’s growth prospects. He said the Philippines remains to be one of the firm’s strongest areas both for market and production. “The Philippines is big in two dimensions. It is big because it is an important development potential country. We are growing fast in the Philippines and, of course, in the way we develop our business, we look at the development potential of a market. Clearly, the Philippines, from my

OFWs. . .

Continued from A1

Tracing the record from 2008, when 1,236,613 OFWs were sent abroad, Geslani said the numbers had shown a yearly increase since then until 2015, when 1,841,205 OFWs were deployed; and in 2016, when 2,112,331 migrant workers left the country The recruitment consultant said the 9-percent decrease in deployment may be attributed to factors such as a decline in the hiring of new hires to Saudi Arabia, which dropped to 163,238 in 2017. “In 2016 Riyadh hired only 219,134 OFWs, a major decrease in the top 10 destinations which include Kuwait, Qatar, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates,” said Geslani.

standpoint, [counts] among the countries where there is high speed of development and very high potential in development,” Remont explained. “The second dimension is that the Philippines, for us, is also a very strong manufacturing country. We [are] a big manufacturing company. We [are] manufacturing many products in the region. We are in Cavite in the Philippines, one of our leading global factories, exporting globally some of our products,” he added. Remont also noted Schneider Electric’s determination to make its Cavite plant one of the most advanced manufacturing sites in the world, equipped with the state-of-the-art smart technologies. “We continue to invest in our Cavite infrastructure plant to transform this infrastructure plant into one of the most advanced smart manufacturing infrastructures. We deployed all the competences, all the digitization solutions that you can see here in Singapore so that we show that this plant can be one of the most advanced in the world across all sectors,” Remont said. “Already, two plants from Schneider Electric have been recognized in other countries as being [two] of the 10 most advanced manufacturers globally across sectors. We would like Cavite to be one of them shortly,” the Schneider Electric official added. The multinational recently concluded its annual regional summit in Singapore, where thousands of its customers and partners gathered to be introduced to the firm’s new innovations. The firm, known for its power and automation solutions, plans to assist the Philippines in its transition to the fourth industrial revolution. He listed as the second factor for the decline the increasing shift of Saudi Arabia to local labor. It has been employing more of its citizens to work in companies and malls, as part of its “Saudization” policy. He added that many major projects in the Kingdom have been shelved or delayed, causing the termination or exodus of more 30,000 Filipinos in 2016 to 2017. “These are mostly skilled workers in construction, maintenance services and oil industries.” He added that crude oil, the Middle East’s main export product, which has stayed in the $70 to $80 level, has prevented the Saudis from proceeding with their infrastructure projects. The sole exception to the stagnation or cutback in construction is Qatar, “which is preparing for the football World Cup in 2022,” he said.

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

@jonlmayuga

NVIRONMENTAL groups under the Kalikasan-People’s Network for Environment (Kalikasan-PNE) on Sunday called on the government to go after Benguet Corp. and Apo-Cemex Corp. for the killer landslides that killed dozens of people in Itogon, Benguet, and Naga City, Cebu. Kalikasan-PNE national coordinator Leon Dulce also chided President Duterte for what the group described as an attempt to divert the blood on the hands of big mining and quarrying firms to Typhoon Ompong. The strong typhoon hit Northern Luzon on September 15 and pulled the southwest monsoon into dumping more rains over huge parts of Luzon. As rains soaked the soil in parts of the mountain regions, a landslide occurred in Benguet’s abandoned mine site in Itogon, which small-scale miners had occupied. Benguet Corp. and local officials said the small miners were illegally operating and had neither the firm’s nor the local government units consent. The second deadly slide, in Naga City in Cebu, happened on Thursday at a quarry site of Apo Cement, prompting the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to suspend all quarry operations in Cebu and six other areas. According to Dulce, an investigation into operations of Benguet Corp. and Apo-Cemex is in order to determine their criminal and administrative liability. “We cannot accept the usual refrains that ‘small-scale miners are at fault’ or ‘this is a case of force majeure,” Dulce told the BusinessMirror through Messenger. Dulce said a congressional investigation should review the policy aspects in mining, particularly why the suspension order and its recommendation to immediately expedite the rehabilitation of Benguet Corp.’s mining area went unheeded. DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu earlier ordered a fact-finding mission to look into the tragic landslides and determine the culpability not only of the mining and quarrying companies, but national and local government officials, as well. Cimatu also relieved all DENRMines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) officials in connection with the Naga, Cebu incident. At a press conference on Thursday, Benguet Corp.’s Reynaldo P. Mendoza, senior vice president for Public Affairs, Legal Services and assistant corporate secretary of the company, welcomed the investigation but said the company has no partnership or no subcontracting arrangement with small-scale miners. In fact, he said, they had repeated ly wa r ned sm a l l- sc a le mining groups against digging gold in the Antamok area, which was shut down since 1997. The

Household workers GESLANI noted that the household service workers (HSW) sector also dropped by 8 percent in 2017 with only 231,251 Filipinos hired, compared to 275,073 in 2016. “This was due to internal controls implemented by the Philippine Labor Officers in the Middle East,” he said. Looking ahead, the recruitment expert said HSW deployment in 2018 is not expected to go beyond the 200,000 mark, with the deployment ban imposed by Kuwait from January to July in 2018. “This has resulted in the loss of 40,000 jobs for Filipinos.” Among the top skills listed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) are HSW, manufacturing, nurses, cleaners and helpers, waiters, home-based personal cares, civil engineering, laborers, welders and flame cutters.

As far as we are concerned, we welcome any investigation and we believe we are not liable for what happened.” —Benguet Corp’s Mendoza

mining area was under “care and maintenance” status. It was only in 2016, however, when the company filed its amended application for Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Plan after deciding to give up the plan to resume mining “because of the presence of small-scale miners.” “As far as we are concerned, we welcome any investigation and we believe we are not liable for what happened,” said Mendoza. Dulce said Benguet Corp. is trying to muddle the issue. “The landslide clearly came from the abandoned Antamok open-pit mine of Benguet Corp. It is revolting that they are still denying the contracting scheme with small-scale mining communities despite registration, which the MGB itself is boasting about as an innovative scheme,” Dulce lamented. Dulce added that it is also clear that Benguet Corp. and the DENR blocked attempts by small-scale miners to establish a Minahang Bayan in the area, which would have legally allowed small-scale miners to self-regulate. “Their latest offer to donate 80 hectares precisely for this purpose is damage control,” said Dulce. According to Dulce, as proof of his allegation, in the MGB directory of operating metallic mines in the Philippines, Benguet Corp.is listed with gold mine as its operation with Acupan Contract Mining Project with a patented mining claim denominated as PC-ACMP 002-CAR. The Cordillera People’s Alliance, its affiliate and network member in the Cordillera region, also attested to this claim, Dulce said.

Photos in Cebu

MEANWHILE, in Naga, Cebu, Dulce said aerial photos show that the debris came from the limestone deposits of Apo-Cemex quarry, where they were conducting earthmoving operations. “They are denying this but residents are testifying in the news of witnessing active quarry operations. This calls for an investigation,” he said. Dulce said the mining and quarrying firms and the government regulators are accountable if they have substandard risk mitigation programs. “They cannot claim ‘force majeure’ on this one because long-term climate projections are warning us of increased rainfall and stronger or extreme weather events in the coming decades,” he said. Also in demand are health-care assistants; plumbers and pipe fitters; building construction laborers; drivers of cars, taxis and vans; cooks, dancers and choreographers, and stall and market sales staff. “However, the outlook in Asia is quite good with the opening of the Japan market for more technical trainees and caregivers this month and expected to surge till the end of the year,” Geslani added. More than 120 local recruitment agencies have been accredited by Japanese authorities to be deployed in agricultural, construction, skilled workers and caregivers for the next five years to fill up the labor shortage in that country, according to him. “Other promising labor markets are Germany, which needs hundreds of nurses; Czechoslovakia, Russia and the United Kingdom, which recently lifted visa rules for more Filipino nurses.”

BusinessMirror

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Monday, September 24, 2018 A3

AIM STUDENTS, ALUMNA WIN PRIZES AT ADB-AIM HACKATHON

NEIL Fidelle Lomibao, MIB student at AIM

TEAM Del Mundo hard at work during Hackathon

THE Build Up Team, from right: Edelma Catalina Sy and Tim Dauz from AIM, and Veikko Eeva, CEO of Lumoin of Finland.

N the recently concluded ADB-AIM Hackathon 2018 held at the ADB Compound, three winning teams count AIM students and an alumna among their members. Neil Fidelle Lomibao (Master of Science in Innovation and Business student), Edelma Catalina Sy and Timothy Clark Dauz (MBA students), and Timyas Del Mundo (MBA alumna) were part of the teams that won awards in ceremonies held on September 3. AIM President and Dean Jikyeong Kang and ADB Vice President for Administration and Corporate Management Deborah Stokes handed out the awards. Over 500 participants from all over the world joined the hackathon. This number was later trimmed to fifteen teams composed of four or five members each to take one of the following challenges: (1) Hack the Health Solution for Rural Areas in Asia, (2) Digital ID Challenge, and (3) AI for Trust in Fintech Challenge. ADB has identified these as priority investment tracks in the immediate future. These teams worked together in one long 48-hour stretch on September 1 and 2.

Winners from AIM

NEIL Lomibao was part of a team composed of two Filipinos and two Brazilians. He was mentor, advisor, and subject expert for Health ID 2.0. An entry into the Hack the Health Solutions challenge, Health ID 2.0 was co-winner in the category. The solution was “a system for semi-automatically adapting the current, non-standardized health data formats from rural health centers to the standard formats of bigger health organizations.” Management consultant and AIM MBA program alumna, Timyas Del Mundo, was business advisor for her team which is composed of herself and her siblings, Marianne and Diwa, and Dangal. Team Del Mundo competed in the Digital ID Challenge and shared

first place in this category with Philippine ID Connect. Timyas was also an ADB-JSP scholar. Team Del Mundo believed that in today’s world, a digital ID system is long overdue. Diwa had long toyed with the idea, recognizing that a “digital identity is a critical part of the ecosystem and a foundational service for payments and other digital services.” Joining the ADB-AIM Hack was “a good avenue to deep dive and put ideas into something concrete.” An accountant by profession, Edelma Catalina Sy took on the role of business advisor for Build Up, a team that competed in the AI for Trust in Fintech challenge. She was joined by her MBA classmate, Timothy Dauz, an international business lawyer practicing corporate law and financial markets in Southeast Asia. Catalina explained how they got into the hackathon: “Tim and I joined the hackathon to immerse in the process of solving complex problems in a very limited time. Veikko Eeva, CEO of Lumoin (a Finish start-up), reached out to us to be part of the Build Up team.” Together, they came up with Diligencing App, a solution that “simplifies the internal due diligence process by integrating different data sources relevant to an IDD subject.” Apart from this, Diligencing App was described as being able to “automate the process of illustrating relationships of the points of interest, as well as, ownership structure of the subject companies.” Team Build Up took home second place honors in the fintech challenge.

AIM and Hackathons

NOT too long ago, hackathons mainly attracted the technologyinclined: software developers and

AIM President and Dean Dr. Jikyeong Kang (extreme left) awards Health ID 2.0 Team with ADB VP Deborah Stokes. Mr. Neil Lomibao, AIM MS Innovation and Business, (fourth from left) receives trophy for his team.

programmers, interface designers, and subject matter experts who come together to produce solutions and innovative applications. In recent years, they started getting the attention of anybody with the germ of an idea who was willing to work together with like-minded people in a passionate pursuit of ways to solve challenges and make things work better. The mix was made more exciting by the element of competition: hackathons typically end with awards. At the ADBAIM Hack, first place winners in each of the categories shared US$10,000.00 in cash prizes. Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, head of AIM’s Stephen Zuellig Graduate School of Development Management (ZSDM), had long been fascinated by the hackathon model: “There is a complex problem. You want out of the box thinkers to use technology to find a solution to these problems. Sometimes these people come to show that they can solve a problem. Within 24 hours you come up with a solution under pressure cooker conditions. You’ll be so inspired!” Last year, AIM hosted its own hackathon. The intent was to give the students a chance to lead the event. An extra-curricular activity that was also open to the public, AIM students broke out into different groups and were given assignments. After they chose their area of expertise, they came out with ten complex development problems. Through this experience students had to understand how to organize such an event – from inviting participants, soliciting sponsors, framing the agenda, and managing the 24-hour time pressure. This led to the partnership with ADB this year. The core of AIM’s mission since its inception in 1968 is to empower students to thrive in challenging, rapidly shifting environments. “That is why it always aims to provide a fertile ground where a more considerate, effective, and sustainable approach to business can flourish. Partnering with ADB in this hackathon is perfectly aligned with this foundation,” said Dr. Go. “We can look forward to more hackathons sponsored by AIM in the future.”

... And after their winning pitch

TIM Dauz presenting the Diligencing App

THE brains behind Health ID 2.0 with their prize, (from left) Joseph Tabilog, Neil Lomibao, and Alex Gonçalves

A4 Monday, September 24, 2018 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Economy BusinessMirror

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‘Senate’s TRAIN 2 to address concerns over job losses’

By Butch Fernandez

@butchfBM

HE Senate version of the second Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) is likely to be slightly different from the one submitted by Malacañang and that of the House of Representatives to address concerns over job losses and slow growth ensuing from rationalization of tax incentives, Senate sources indicated over the weekend.

But Sen. Juan Edgardo M. Angara, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee tasked to review the TRAIN 2 bill, declined to give details, saying panel members have yet to start hearings on the administration’s tax bill. Angara added senators expect to scrutinize details of the tax measure when Senate panel start hearings the TRAIN 2 bill onTuesday. “We needed to wait for the House to approve it first.” The senator said the committee is not inclined to fix a deadline for passing the latest tax bill endorsed for approval by Malacañang. He said the Ways and Means Committee has yet to open hearings on the money measure “so we can’t say how long

the hearings will take” for the committee to bring the bill to the plenary for Senate approval on second and third reading. Still, Angara did not rule out other complications as he expects “some challenges” given the nature of revenue raising measures additional impositions. Earlier, Danilo C. Lachica, president of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (Seipi) said TRAIN 2 could force the semiconductor industry to lay off 140,000 workers once fiscal incentives are rationalized. Lachica disclosed that several multinationals are now locating their expansions outside the country, largely due to the uncertainty

of keeping their tax incentives here. The Seipi chief said tax incentives are needed for the country to stay on a par with its Asian competitors. Apart from this, he said multinationals want the government to retain the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) as their point agency for investment needs. “Incentives are important to remain competitive with the other Asian countries for foreign direct investments. Being mostly exporters, multinationals would also like to see that Peza remains as their one-stop shop for business needs,” Lachica explained. TRAIN 2 seeks to reduce corporate income tax to 25 percent, from 30 percent and rationalize

fiscal perks given to locators in economic zones. Foreign chambers of commerce earlier noted that among the top locators in these eco zones are the electronics and semiconductors firms, as well as business-process outsourcing, adding that these are among the country’s biggest export revenue earners. In disputing the industry’s fears, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez earlier told the BusinessMirror, “It is not certain that it will lead to job losses, but we shall continue to attract potential investors even under the proposed set of incentives, which are enhanced, modernized, made more performance-based and time-bound.”

No middle ground on MDM tariffs for Ubra, Pampi PHL delegation seeks British

investments in ‘BBB,’ energy sector

By Cai U. Ordinario @cuo_bm & Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

By Rea Cu

@jearcalas

OULTRY growers and meat processors said they are not willing to make a compromise on the tariffs for mechanically deboned meat (MDM) and offal of chicken and turkey. The United Broiler Raisers Association (Ubra) said it stands pat on its call to revert the tariffs on MDM to its 2012 levels once the Philippines removes the quantitative restriction (QR) on rice. In an interview with the BusinessMirror, Ubra Chairman Gregorio F. San Diego Jr. said the current most favored nation (MFN) rates for some imported poultry products are already making life difficult for local poultry growers. Currently, the MFN rate for MDM for chicken and mechanically separated meat of turkey is at 5 percent, while frozen turkey offal and meat cuts are slapped a tariff of 20 percent. “They will kill the local poultry industry, which is what is happening now,” San Diego said in Filipino. He also said that even if farmgate prices are low, consumers do not benefit from this. San Diego noted at the height of the bird-flu outbreak, chicken prices fell to an average of P38 per kilogram, but retail prices remained at P100 per kg.

‘Retain current tariffs’

THE Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (Pampi) warned that the price of canned goods and processed meat products would go up if the tariffs on MDM and offal of chicken go back to 40 percent. Pampi reiterated its warning on the sidelines of the recent Tariff Commission (TC) public hearing on the group’s proposal to retain the current tariff rates on turkey/ chicken MDM and turkey offal. “We are looking for the retention of the tariffs. We will continue to

THIS file photo shows chickens from a backyard facility in Central Luzon. Local poultry growers belonging to the United Broiler Raisers Association urged the Tariff Commission in a public hearing to revert the tariffs on mechanically deboned meat and chicken and turkey offal to 40 percent.

push for the retention,” Pampi Executive Director Francisco Buencamino said when asked if his group is amenable to a possible compromise. In its position paper submitted to the TC, Pampi argued that reverting the current 5-percent tariff on chicken MDM to 40 percent would result in double-digit hikes in the prices of processed meat products, such as hot dogs and luncheon meat. MDM is one of the primary raw materials used by meat processors to produce canned meat and hot dogs. “The prices of hot dogs and canned meat products that contain MDM will go up by 12 percent to 17 percent,” according to Pampi’s position paper, a copy of which was obtained by the BusinessMirror. “But if the tariff on MDM stays

at 5 percent, this price increase can be avoided,” it added. Nonetheless, Buencamino said Pampi would accept and comply with the government’s final decision on their proposal. TC Chairman Marilou P. Mendoza said the commission will need a month to investigate and evaluate the position papers submitted by the industry groups. The tariffs on chicken and turkey MDM and turkey offal were slashed as part of the Philippines’s concessions to other member-countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) for securing a waiver on the special treatment on rice in 2012. The waiver extended the Philippines’s rights to impose QR on rice until June 30, 2017.

Solon urges Duterte to appoint anti-red tape czar

EARLY four months after the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) law was passed by Congress, Sen. Juan Miguel F. Zubiri called on President Duterte to start looking for a suitable anti-red tape authority (ARTA) czar. “We want business and livelihoods to move fast. Our citizens need government services for all their needs. That’s why we crafted a law to speed up transactions. I certainly hope it won’t be the government who’s violating its own laws,” Zubiri said in a statement. “We’re not asking for lightning speed, but we deserve better than business-as-usual. It’s almost four months since the passage of the law, yet, no one is wielding the whip. We needed an anti-red tape czar, yesterday,” he added. The senator said the anti-red tape czar and the anti-red tape authority would be the one Filipinos would approach for their complaints on red tape and extortionists.

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“The czar is mandated to immediately investigate these accusations of violation of this law. The czar is also mandated to file the necessary cases with the Ombudsman and the Civil Service Commission on the violators of the anti-red tape law,” Zubiri said. “As of now, despite our high-quality produce, hardworking labor and innovation masters, we continue to be laggards as no one cracks the whip on foot-dragging agencies. We need a man at the helm,” he added. Designed to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks and red tape that hamper transactions between businesses and the government, the EODB Act shall foster a “culture of trust among government agencies and businessmen—to give the businessmen applying for permits, licenses and certifications the presumption of regularity for their businesses. Under the law, prescribed processing times for transactions

were set as follows: three to five working days for simple transactions, and seven to 10 working days for complex ones, with a ceiling of 20 working days for highly technical applications, Zubiri explained. “We also provided the appointment of a director general for the authority, as czar, to oversee its implementation. The ARTA czar is to be appointed by the President, co-terminus with his tenure.” Zubiri said he received reports from small entrepreneurs writing him and through industry chambers of the continuing delays and obstacles to engage in business. “The latest came from farmers who want to process their crops, livestock, poultry and fisheries harvested from their organic farms. Organic agriculture is burdened by red tape and exorbitant fees. Organic farmers are charged by the governmentaccredited third-party certifier from P45,000 to P150,000 per farm per commodity, per year,” he said.

Under the waiver, the tariffs on MDM and turkey and chicken offal should revert to its 2012 levels once the waiver expires and the Philippines has successfully converted its rice QR into ordinary customs duties. The Philippines was not able to convert its rice QR into tariffs last year but President Duterte issued Executive Order 23 in May 2017, which extended for another three years the reduced rates of duty on agricultural goods, including MDM, covered by the country’s tariff commitments to the WTO. The lowered tariffs on MDM and turkey offal would remain until 2020 before reverting to its original rate of 40 percent in 2021, or when the government passes a rice tariffication law, whichever comes first.

OVERNMENT officials will brief British investors on business opportunities in the country’s infrastructure, energy and tourism sectors and to explore ways to expand economic cooperation between the Philippines and the United Kingdom. Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III will lead the Philippine delegation in its trip to London from September 24 to 26 to brief British investors, according to the Department of Finance (DOF). The finance chief earlier thanked British Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce and the UK-Asean Business Council for assisting in organizing the events in London. Aside from the Philippine Economic Briefing (PEB) that will showcase investment prospects in the country, the top-level delegation will also take part in a Business Roundtable in London organized by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center to discuss with leaders of British business organizations and other groups the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program, as well as the role in global trade, and opportunities in, the Philippines’s industry, manufacturing and services sectors. The DOF said the London-bound delegation will update the British business community during the PEB on the progress of the Duterte administration’s economic reform agenda, particularly on its Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, as well as the performance of the Philippine economy, which is among the best performers in Asia. Guinigundo and the other Cabinet officials will also brief investors on the reforms in the Philippines’s budget system and monetary and fiscal sector, along with the latest investment opportunities under the

Duterte administration’s BBB program, including the flagship New Clark City project that is envisioned to be the country’s next big metropolis and agro-industrial hub. The other members of the Philippine delegation to London are: Secretaries Ernesto M. Pernia of the National Economic and Development Authority, Benjamin E. Diokno of the Department of Budget and Management, Ramon M. Lopez of the Department of Trade and Industry, Arthur P. Tugade of the Department of Transportation, Mark A. Villar of the Department of Public Works and Highways, and Bernadette Fatima Romulo Puyat of the Department of Tourism; Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo; Vivencio B. Dizon, president-CEO of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority; House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Pilar Juliana S. Cayetano and Valenzuela First District Rep. Weslie T. Gatchalian. The delegation will also tour the first store in London of Philippine fast-food giant Jollibee, which is along Earl’s Court Road, Jollibee’s first London branch is slated to open in October. The DOF, citing data from the BSP, pointed out that net foreign direct investments from the UK were recorded at $36.37 million in the first half of 2018, representing a 624-percent increase, from the $5.02 million during the same period in the previous year. Total bilateral trade between the Philippines and the UK was $987.4 million in 2017. Philippine exports to the UK amounted to $480.6 million, while imports from that country reached $506.8 million in 2017. In 2017 the UK was the eighthlargest source of foreign tourist arrivals in the Philippines with over 180,000 British nationals visiting the country.

Neda to spend ₧155 million for 3 project feasibility studies

HE National Economic and Development Author it y (Neda) said it will spend P155 million to conduct feasibility studies for three new infrastructure projects. The Neda said the interagency Infrastructure Committee (Infracom) has allowed the use of the Neda’s Project Development and other Related Studies (PDRS) Fund for the feasibility studies of two water projects and a rail project. The three projects are the Water Supply Project in Selected LGUs for the Local Government Support Fund-Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig para sa Lahat (LGSF-Salintubig) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); the Ipo Dam No. 3 Project of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS); and the Pampanga Mass Transit System Project of the Depart-

ment of Transportation (DOTr). “The PDRS is a Special Purpose Fund with an allocation of P1.595 billion under the 2018 General Appropriations Act. The Neda administers the fund for the conduct of feasibility studies, master plan formulation, alternatives and/or value analyses, and other preinvestment activities of major infrastructure projects,” the Neda said in a statement. The Neda said the feasibility study for the Water Supply Project will identify reliable water sources for the construction of water systems. The Ipo Dam No. 3 Project will involve the construction of a dam downstream of the New Ipo Dam and upstream of the Bustos Dam. It will serve as a catchment for spillage from Angat Dam to mitigate flooding in the area. For the Pampanga Mass Tran-

sit System Project, the study will look at the establishment of masstransit routes along MacArthur Highway and within the Clark Freeport Zone. The DOTr project aims to promote sustainable land development along the transport corridor including Clark Green City. The Infracom advises the President and the Neda Board on matters concerning infrastructure development and coordinates the activities of agencies, including government-owned and -controlled corporations involved in infrastructure development. It recommends to the President necessary government policies, programs and projects concerning infrastructure development consistent with national development objectives and priorities. Cai U. Ordinario

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China summons US envoys over sanctions linked to Russia deal

EIJING—China summoned the American ambassador and the defense attaché and recalled its navy commander from a US trip to deliver a strong protest against economic sanctions Washington lodged over the purchase of Russian fighter jets and surface-toair missile equipment. The Defense Ministry said the US had no right to interfere in Chinese military cooperation with Russia. “We demand that the US immediately correct the mistake and revoke the so-called sanctions, otherwise the US must bear the consequences,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement. The Foreign Ministry said that it had summoned Ambassador Terry Branstad. The Central Military Commission, which commands the People’s Liberation Army, the world’s largest standing military, said that Huang Xueping, the commission’s deputy head for international military cooperation, had also summoned the acting US defense attaché on Saturday evening, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Huang said China would immediately recall Shen Jinlong, a Chinese navy commander currently in the US attending a symposium, and would postpone a meeting scheduled for September 25 to 27 in Beijing about a communication mechanism. “The Chinese military reserves the right to take further countermeasures,” Huang was quoted as saying. Washington says China’s purchase of the weapons from Rosoboronexport, Russia’s main arms exporter, violated a 2017 law intended to punish the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin for interfering in US elections and other activities. The action triggers a visa ban on China’s Equipment Development Department and Director Li Shangfu, forbids conducting transactions with the US financial system and blocks all property and interests in property involving the country within US jurisdiction. The US State Department said Li’s office made a “significant transaction” involving the purchase of Su-35 combat aircraft in 2017 and S-400 surface-to-air missile systemrelated equipment this year. The sanctions were enacted “to further impose costs on the Russian government in response to its malign activities,” it said. The US will continue to “urge all countries to curtail relationships with Russia’s defense and intelligence sectors, both of which are linked to malign activities worldwide,” it said. The Kremlin dismissed the sanctions as an “unfair” move to undercut Russia as a major arms exporter. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that Russia views the new set of sanctions as an attempt to undermine the competitiveness of Russian arms exports and vowed to reciprocate. AP

Editor: Angel R. Calso • Monday, September 24, 2018 A5

Tsunami of tariffs seen following breakdown in US-China trade talks

HE US and China are hours away from a new round of tariffs on each other’s goods, with no improvement in relations between the two rivals in sight. In a significant escalation, $200 billion of Chinese products will be subject to tariffs from 12 a.m. Washington time on Monday, on top of the $50 billion in goods already slapped with tariffs actions in the year. The combined $250 billion in products facing levies is almost half the value of imports from China last year. Meanwhile, $110 billion of goods from the US will become subject to Chinese tariffs around the same time, or about 70 percent of the value of goods it bought from America in 2017. China on Saturday called off trade talks with US officials that had been planned for next week amid the tariff threats. US State Department’s sanctions against China’s defense agency and its director on Thursday contributed to the decision, according to people

familiar with the situation. There’s a growing consensus in Beijing that substantive talks will only be possible with the Trump administration after US midterm elections in November, the people said. The next $267-billion question is, will President Donald J. Trump follow up with additional tariffs covering that amount of Chinese goods in the meantime, as he threatened to do if China retaliated to his $200-billion salvo. That would effectively cover all the products that the US imports from China, again ratcheting up a conflict that could undermine the global expansion and upend the supply chains of many multinational companies. “We don’t want to, but we probably will have no choice,” Trump said of the tariff escalation at the Oval Office last week. “We’re making a lot of headway with China.”

EU eyes ‘longshot’ talks with US, Japan to soften trade impasse

HE European Union’s trade chief heads to New York this week to continue negotiations with the United States and Japan, as the three parties seek a way to end what they see as China’s unfair commercial policies and dial down global tensions. Their plan is to create an agreement to try and force China to end “nonmarket-oriented policies” that lead to overcapacity, create unfair competitive conditions and hinder technological development. The stakes couldn’t be higher. The EU is engaged in a delicate balancing act, working with the US to address common complaints while also trying to convince President Donald J. Trump to roll back unilateral tariffs he imposed on the 28-country bloc this year and persuade him against instating other, more punitive measures. Cecilia Malmstrom, the EU’s trade negotiator, will also seek to stem the American assault on the multilateral system by shoring up the World Trade Organization. “It’s a longshot, and these talks are at a very early stage,” said Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics. “But this may be the best way both to resolve Trump’s escalating trade war with China and to address some of the WTO’s key shortcomings.”

Trade off-ramp

MALMSTROM will meet US Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer and Japanese Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko on September 25 while the UN General Assembly is in session. The three will seek to lay the groundwork to develop stronger rules for industrial subsidies, stateowned enterprises, forced technology transfers, WTO transparency and e-commerce. The meeting comes after Trump has already hit China with tariffs on $50 billion of its imports, announced duties on another $200 billion of goods coming from the nation that go into effect on September 24, and threatened levies on another $267 billion if China retaliates—which Beijing has already pledged to do. China canceled trade talks that had been planned between the two nations. Overall manufacturing in the euro area grew at the slowest pace in two years in September as the economy feels the pain from the global trade war. The auto industry—which has been targeted by Trump and is particularly sensitive to larger EU nations— is taking the brunt of the slowdown in demand, according to IHS Markit’s latest monthly survey. Bloomberg News

IN this May 11, 2018, file photo, released by Xinhua News Agency, two Su-35 fighter jets and a H-6K bomber from the People’s Liberation Army air force fly in formation during patrol that included the Luzon Straits also known as Bashi Straits near Taiwan. China has summoned the American ambassador and the defense attaché and recalled its navy commander from a US trip to deliver a strong protest against economic sanctions Washington lodged over the purchase of Russian fighter jets and surface-to-air missile equipment. The Defense Ministry says the US had no right to interfere in Chinese military cooperation with Russia. The US says the purchase of the weapons violates a law punishing Moscow for interfering in US elections. AP

Even with jitters about the escalating trade war, Trump has a record US stock market to point to in support of his policies. “New Economic Records being set on a daily basis and it is not by accident!” the president said on Saturday on Twitter.

Trump’s tariff plans

THE US products that China has targeted for retaliation have changed over time, shifting from cars and agricultural commodities to industrial goods. In the initial round, soybeans and most of China’s imports of US cars were hit. In the second round, the focus has widened and shifted more to capital goods and other imports, raising the cost for industrial companies. That’s partly because many of the goods traded in large volumes with the US were already covered by the first round, so it’s getting harder to find things to impose new tariffs on. That can be seen in the number of goods affected. In round one there were 659 US imports hit with the added 25-percent tariff, while this time there are 5,207 individual items on which China plans to impose a 5-percent or 10-percent levy. But there are still tens of billions of dollars of US goods that haven’t

been hit with extra import taxes yet—many in areas where China is unable to compete with western countries, such as planes, computer chips and pharmaceuticals. If there’s continued escalation, what happens with those goods, which China has to import from somewhere, will be closely watched. Even as companies like aircraft maker Boeing Co. bank on the growing Chinese market, tariffs, or the threat of them, could cause Chinese companies and consumers to spend less on US goods and more on substitutes from home, Japan, the European Union, or elsewhere.

Energy impact

THERE are already signs of that happening in energy markets. This round of tariffs will include levies on US liquefied natural gas, and that’s possibly caused one ship to change course from China to South Korea to avoid the penalty. In the United States companies complain that the time frame between the announcement of tariffs and their implementation of the tariffs on thousands of products is too short to arrange alternatives. And a protracted trade war will fuel inflation in the US, particularly as

tariffs are added to categories, such as furniture, apparel and technology, according to analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence.

Tidal wave

“RETAILERS are already facing a tidal wave of tariffs. This latest tranche is a tsunami,” said Hun Quach, vice president of international trade for the Retail Industry Leaders Association, a trade group based in Arlington, Virginia. “With thousands of consumer products included, little warning, and no time to prepare, businesses are left scrambling.” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told CNBC on September 18. that it was up to the Chinese whether or when the two sides will meet, and that the end goal was not to have tariffs in place but for China to “resolve fundamental issues.” “It’s a little disappointing that the earlier tariffs haven’t resulted in more constructive dialogue, but we hope these will,” Ross said. Asked about the potential for US consumers to face higher prices when tariffs kick in, Ross said the levies are spread over such a wide range of goods that “nobody is going to actually notice it at the end of the day.” Bloomberg News

A4 Monday, September 24, 2018 A6

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133 world leaders gather at UN under threat from unilateralism

IN this September 19, 2017, file photo, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the 72nd meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, at UN headquarters. This year 133 world leaders have signed up to attend the General Assembly session, a significant increase from the 114 leaders last year. Guterres called the expected large turnout “eloquent proof of the confidence of the international community in the United Nations,” though other UN officials and diplomats say it’s because of growing concerns about an increasingly turbulent world. AP PHOTO/RICHARD DREW

NITED NATIONS—With rising unilateralism challenging its very existence, the United Nations convenes its annual meeting of world leaders on Monday and will try once more to tackle problems together as a community of nations, addressing threats ranging from Mideast conflicts to the effects of global warming—and also encouraging the glimmer of hope over the nuclear standoff in North Korea. This year 133 world leaders have signed up to attend the General Assembly session, a significant increase from last year’s 114. Secretary-General António Guterres called the expected large turnout “eloquent proof of the confidence of the international community in the United Nations,” though other UN officials and diplomats said it’s in response to growing concerns about an increasingly turbulent world. The seven-year-old conflict in Syria and the three-year war in Yemen that has sparked the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and is now seriously threatening largescale famine will certainly be in the spotlight, along with meetings on other Mideast and African hot spots. So will Iran, which faces escalating hostile rhetoric from the Trump administration over its activities supporting international terrorism, which Tehran vehemently denies. Guterres said last week that one of his overriding concerns in an increasingly globalized world is the threat to having the UN’s 193-member nations work together, which is the

foundation of the United Nations. “Multilateralism is under attack from many different directions precisely when we need it most,” the UN chief told reporters on Thursday. “In different areas and for different reasons, the trust of people in their political establishments, the trust of states among each other, the trust of many people in international organizations has been eroded and...multilateralism has been in the fire.” Guterres challenged diplomats at last week’s opening of the 73rd session of the General Assembly by saying: “At a time of fragmentation and polarization, the world needs this assembly to show the value of international cooperation.” Whether it will be able to remains in question. At this year’s gathering of presidents, prime ministers, monarchs and ministers, populist leaders will include US President Donald J. Trump, President Andrzej Duda of Poland and Premier Giuseppe Conte of Italy along with the foreign ministers of Hungary and Austria. US Ambassador Nikki Haley told reporters that Trump, who champi-

ons an “America First” policy, wants to talk about “protecting US sovereignty,” and she reiterated Washington’s opposition to the 2015 Paris climate agreement on curbing global warming and a newly agreed international compact aimed at regulating migration. “We really value sovereignty of the country,” Haley said. “It is not saying multilateralism can’t work, but it’s saying sovereignty is a priority over all of that, and we always have to make sure we’re doing that— and there are many countries that agree with us.” Before stepping down as UN humanitarian chief August 31, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein expressed serious concern that populism, intolerance and oppression are “becoming fashionable again.” “It all builds, because once you start down the path of intolerance, it’s very difficult to stop it, unless at the end of the day you have conflict,” he said. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to be a key voice joining Guterres in the coming week in speaking out against this trend and supporting multilateralism as key to promoting peace. The week’s activities kick off with a peace summit on Monday morning honoring the 100th birthday this year of South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela. A statue of Mandela will be unveiled at UN headquarters and leaders are expected to adopt a declaration recognizing the years 2019-2028 as the Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace. Trump is hosting an event on Monday on “The World Drug Problem” and Haley said 124 countries have signed a global call to action. Activists on drug policy note it was never negotiated, and one group, the Harm Reduction Coalition, called it “an instance of heavy-handed US ‘with us or against us’ diplomacy.”

The increasingly strident US rhetoric against Iran is expected to be a feature in US speeches. Haley said that “every dangerous spot in the world—Iran seems to have its fingerprints in it,” which Tehran denies. Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement in May, and the foreign ministers of the five remaining powers who support the deal— Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany—are expected to meet privately on Monday evening with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. The General Assembly’s “General Debate,” as the ministerial session is called, officially opens on Tuesday with Guterres’s report on the state of the world, to be followed soon after by speeches from Trump, Macron and late in the morning by President Hassan Rouhani of Iran. The US holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council in September and has scheduled two ministerial meetings, the first on Wednesday presided over by Trump. It was initially to focus on Iran but has now been broadened to the topic of “nonproliferation” of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. “I’m sure that is going to be the most watched Security Council meeting ever,” Haley told reporters. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will preside over the second meeting on Thursday on North Korea, an issue the Security Council was united on in imposing increasingly tough sanctions. But that unity now appears to be at risk over enforcement of sanctions and the broader issues of how to achieve denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and when sanctions should be lifted against North Korea. Guterres welcomed the recent “positive meeting” in Pyongyang between the leaders of North and South Korea but warned that “there will not be success in intraKorean negotiations if simultaneously there is not success in the American and North Korean” negotiations to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons. UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the United Nations has received 342 requests for meetings during the high-level week. They includes sessions on conflicts in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Mali and Central African Republic, as well as the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, aid for Palestinians, education for girls, modern slavery, environmental threats, efforts to end poverty and the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. Asked what are the big issues, Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told The Associated Press: “All of them are big issues— nonproliferation, cooperation, the world peace architecture—it’s every year, but this year it’s maybe more topical than ever.” Uruguayan Ambassador Elbio Rosselli said the biggest issue for his country is multilateralism. “It’s a vow that all of us ought to keep reinforcing particularly at this conjuncture where so many undercurrents and contrary views are surfacing on different scenarios,” he told The Associated Press. “The validity of this institution is more than ever necessary, and for that we need the recommitment of all states.” AP

Japanese supply ship heads to space station after delays

OKYO—An unmanned Japanese space capsule is headed to the International Space Station filled with cargo, including food, experiments and new batteries. The craft was launched on Sunday at 2:52 a.m. from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. It will take four-and-a-half days to

reach the space station. The launch was delayed for about two weeks because of bad weather and a mechanical problem. The delay has led NASA to postpone two space walks to install the six lithium-ion batteries until new crew members arrive next month. They will replace aging nickel-hydrogen batter-

ies for the station’s electric power, enabling an extension of its operations. The supply ship is a 9-meter- (30foot-) long cylinder that will be retrieved by the space station’s robotic arm. It is named Kounotori, which means white stork. The 5,500 kilograms (12,000 pounds) of cargo includes racks and

equipment for experiments and an experimental reentry capsule to try to demonstrate a novel technology to bring back samples from the space station. Once it is unloaded, the supply craft will be filled with trash and sent Earth-ward. It will be destroyed when it reenters the atmosphere. AP

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Iran’s president blames America after attack on military parade

IN this photo provided by the Iranian Students’ News Agency, a Revolutionary Guard member carries a wounded boy after a shooting during a military parade marking the 38th anniversary of Iraq’s 1980 invasion of Iran, in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, Iran, on Saturday. Gunmen attacked the military parade, killing at least eight members of the elite Revolutionary Guard and wounding 20 others, state media said. BEHRAD GHASEMI/ISNA VIA AP

EHRAN, Iran—Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that an unnamed USallied country in the Persian Gulf was behind an attack on a military parade that killed 25 people and wounded around 70. Rouhani did not identify those behind Saturday’s attack, which was claimed by an Arab separatist group. He could have been referring to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or Bahrain— close US military allies that view Iran as a regional menace over its support for militant groups across the Middle East. “All of those small mercenary countries that we see in this region are backed by America. It is Americans who instigate them and provide them with necessary means to commit these crimes,” Rouhani said. Saturday’s attack, in which militants disguised as soldiers opened fire on an annual Iranian military parade in the oil-rich southwest, was the deadliest attack in the country in nearly a decade. Women and children scattered along with oncemarching Revolutionary Guard soldiers as heavy gunfire rang out in Ahvaz, the chaos captured live on state television. The region’s Arab separatists, once only known for nighttime attacks on unguarded oil pipelines, claimed responsibility for the assault, and Iranian officials appeared to believe the claim. Iran summoned diplomats from Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands early Sunday for allegedly harboring “members of the terrorist group” that launched the attack. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later said the UAE ambassador would be summoned over “partial statements” in support of the group behind the attack, without elaborating.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had earlier blamed regional countries and their “US masters” for funding and arming the separatists, issuing a stark warning as regional tensions remain high in the wake of the US withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal. “Iran will respond swiftly and decisively in defense of Iranian lives,” Zarif wrote on Twitter. The parade was one of many around the country marking the start of Iran’s long 1980s war with Iraq, commemorations known as the “Sacred Defense Week.” The attack killed at least 25 people and wounded around 70, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. It said gunmen wore military uniforms and targeted a riser where military and police commanders were sitting. At least eight of the dead served in the Revolutionary Guard, an elite paramilitary unit that answers only to Iran’s supreme leader, according to the semiofficial Tasnim news agency. State TV hours later reported that all four gunmen had been killed. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the attack as exposing “the atrocity and viciousness of the enemies of the Iranian nation.” “Their crime is a continuation of the conspiracies by the US-backed regimes in the region which have aimed at creating insecurity in our dear country,” Khamenei said in a statement. Tensions have been on the rise since the Trump administration pulled out of the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran earlier this year and began restoring sanctions that were eased under the deal. It also has steadily ramped up pressure on Iran to try to get it to stop what Washington calls its “malign activities” in the region. AP

Signs of hope on North Korea appear as Trump heads to UN

ASHINGTON—North Korea’s Kim Jong Un is “little rocket man” no more. President Donald J. Trump isn’t a “mentally deranged US dotard.” In the year since Trump’s searing, debut UN speech fueled fears of nuclear conflict with North Korea, the two leaders have turned from threats to flattery. And there’s fresh hope that the US president’s abrupt shift from coercion to negotiation can yield results in getting Kim to halt, if not abandon, his nuclear weapons program. Trump will address world leaders at the United Nations on Tuesday on the back of an upbeat summit between South and North Korea, where Kim promised to dismantle a major rocket launch site and the North’s main nuclear complex at Nyongbyon if it gets some incentive from Washington. North Korea remains a long, long way from relinquishing its nuclear arsenal, and the United States has been adding to, not easing, sanctions. Yet the past 12 months have seen a remark-

able change in atmosphere between the adversaries that has surprised even the former US envoy on North Korea. “If someone had told me last year that North Korea will stop nuclear tests, will stop missile tests and that they will release the remaining American prisoners and that they would be even considering dismantling Nyongbyon, I would have taken that in a heartbeat,” said Joseph Yun, who resigned in March and has since left the US foreign service. Since Trump and Kim held the first summit between US and North Korean leaders in Singapore in June, Trump has missed no chance to praise “Chairman Kim,” and Kim has expressed “trust and confidence” in the American president he once branded “senile.” But progress has been slow toward the vague goal they agreed upon—denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which has eluded US presidents for the past quarter-century. The US wants to achieve that by January 2021, when Trump completes his first term in office. AP

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Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

NG’s P47.2-B debt payments for July push 7-month total to P463.1 billion

By Rea Cu

@ReaCuBM

HE national government has reported a P47.211-billion payment for its debt during the month of July, pushing the seven-month total to P463.109 billion, data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) showed. Based on BTr data, the government released P47.211 billion in July in payment for some of its debt, a figure that was 52.6 percent lower than the P99.660 billion recorded in the same month last year. The latest data also showed that inter-

est payments, P44.841 billion of the total, outpaced amortization for the month, P2.370 billion. Interest payments showed a slight uptick of 0.4 percent compared to last year’s P44.628 billion, while amortization dipped 95.6

percent from the P55.034 billion made in July 2017. Under interest payments, the government made payments of P577 million for Treasury bills, P17.425 billion for fixed-rate Treasury bonds, P6.624 billion for retail Treasury bonds and P20.521 billion for foreign interest payments. In line with amortization, redemptions accounted for P273 million, which was made solely for payments to agrarian-reform beneficiaries (ARBs) for the month, while foreign amortization accounted for P2.097 billion of the total. From January to July this year, the government allocated P463.109 billion for its debt servicing activities, expanding by 3.1 percent compared to the P478.029 billion

made in the same period for 2017. Broken down, amortization of P252.758 billion for the first seven months of the year outpaced that of interest payments at P210.351 billion. The government borrows funds both from onshore and offshore lenders to support its various programs, including its infrastructure buildup projects and social programs, among others. During the first half of the year, the national government’s debt payments amounted to P415.898 billion, with amortization outpacing interest payments for the period. The first-half total was 9.9 percent higher than the P378.369 billion made in the same period for 2017.

SSS releases ₧50M in loans for elderly, more branches accepting applications T HE Social Security System (SSS) has released P49.78 million worth of pension loans to nearly 2,000 qualified member-pensioners in the first 12 days of pilot implementation of the Pension Loan Program (PLP), which was launched earlier in the month. SSS President and CEO Emmanuel F. Dooc said 1,976 qualified pensioners availed themselves of the PLP after the program was offered in 34 branches of the state-run pension fund. “We are very much overwhelmed with the influx of applicants in our SSS branches. We hope that the loan privileges under the PLP will help our dear pensioners to finance their emergency and short-term financial needs,” Dooc said. The PLP was launched in response to the clamor from senior citizens to put an end to the growing incidence of pensioners falling victims to lending firms that offer steep interest rates, and to help them with their short-term needs like emergency medical expenses. The top 6 SSS branches that received the highest number of loan applicants on the first two weeks of implementation were: Diliman with 406, Cebu with 221, Zamboanga with 157, Bacoor in Cavite with 119, Alabang with 114 and Davao with 114. “Still in line with our 61st anniversary celebration, we are glad to announce that more SSS branches will receive PLP applications. This is our special way of saying thank you to all pensioners for trusting SSS for providing them adequate social security protection for the past 61 years” he added. The state-run pension fund added that 50 more branches will soon receive PLP applications in order to serve more pensioners who want to access the PLP. Last September 19 an additional 14 SSS branches in National Capital Region (NCR) started accepting PLP applications, while another 36 branches in the Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao areas will start receiving PLP applications on September 24. The 14 SSS branch offices in NCR that are processing PLP are: Batasan Hills, Fairview, Cubao, Malabon, Antipolo, Marikina, Pasig-Rotonda, San Juan, Binondo, Legarda, Pasay Taft, Makati Ayala, Makati-JP Rizal and Taguig. Meanwhile, 20 SSS branches in Luzon area that will accommodate PLP applicants on Monday,

Monday, September 24, 2018

GSIS to offer new housing loan condonation until Dec. 31 S TARTING October, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) will offer a 100-percent waiver of unpaid penalties and surcharges to housing buyers and borrowers with past due accounts and are willing to settle their housing obligations in full. The deadline for the submission of application to the condonation program is on December 31. “The majority of our existing borrowers stand to benefit from this program as almost 55 percent of our remaining 29,000 housing accounts are for cancellation, foreclosure or have incurred several months of arrears,” GSIS President and General Manager Jesus Clint O. Aranas said. “The program will lighten the burden of our borrowers as it saves them from the heavy load of having to pay the accumulated penalties and surcharges that have been imposed from unpaid amortizations. More important, it will give them the opportunity to save their homes,” the pension fund chief added. Aranas said the program is open to active or inactive members, as well as nonmembers, with deeds of conditional sale or real-estate loan accounts that are in arrears or

in default. Only accounts that have not yet been canceled nor foreclosed are eligible for condonation. However, accounts that have been canceled but not yet uploaded as investment property, as well as those which have been foreclosed but the titles of which have not yet been consolidated in the name of GSIS, may still avail themselves of the condonation program. Buyers of rights and legal heirs of deceased borrowers may also apply for penalty condonation. “We would like to remind all interested applicants to avail [themselves] of the program before the set deadline to prevent the troubles caused by last-minute filing and avoid further penalty charges of at least 1 percent per month,” Aranas explained. He advised prospective applicants who will pay their overdue accounts in full to request a condonation statement of account from the nearest GSIS office. The application forms, requirements, and terms and conditions are available online at www.gsis.gov.ph. Interested applicants may also email HARD@gsis.gov.ph or call 4793361 to 64 for inquiries or clarifications.

Philam group invests ₧3B in infra, green-energy projects

P SOCIAL Security System clients transacting business at the main office in Quezon City. NONOY LACZA September 24, are: La Union, Laoag, Cauayan, Tuis payable within three, six or 12 months depending guegarao, Balanga, Cabanatuan, Camiling, Pamon the loan amount and shall be deducted from the panga, Malolos, Olongapo, Angeles, Carmona, borrower’s monthly pension. Lucena, Batangas, Lipa, Puerto Princesa, Legazpi, Qualified pensioners can borrow for as low as Daet, Masbate and Sorsogon. their basic monthly pension for two months plus the The SSS branches that will also accept PLP appliadditional P1,000 benefit or as high as their basic cations in the Visayas and Mindanao areas are: Lapumonthly pension for six months plus the additional Lapu, Tagbilaran, Talisay, Ormoc, Bacolod, DumaP1,000 benefit, not exceeding P32,000. guete, Kalibo, Roxas, Butuan, Iligan, Dacao Ilustre, “This is to remind our pensioners that they are Tagum, Toril, Koronadal, Dipolog and Pagadian. required to apply personally to the identified SSS branches and bring Social Security Card or Unified Qualified for PLP Multi-Purpose Identification Card, or any two valid RETIREE-PENSIONERS who are 80 years old and identification cards both with signature and at least below at the end of the month of loan term; have no one photo,” he said. outstanding loan balance and benefit overpayment During the soft launch of the PLP, the SSS said payable to SSS; have no advance pension under the that it has allotted an initial P10 billion as loan exSSS Calamity Package; and have been receiving their posure amount for the program, with the amount regular monthly pensions for at least six months are rising to P30 billion when it is fully implemented. eligible to apply for the PLP. The SSS targets to fully implement the PLP after The loan amount will gain an annual interest a month of doing its pilot implementation, pointing rate of 10 percent until fully paid computed on a out that the pilot stage would enable the state-run diminishing principal balance, which shall become pension fund to gauge which areas would have more part of the monthly amortization. The pension loan borrowers.

HILAM Life, the country’s premier life insurer, has listed recent investments it made, worth a total P3 billion, in fixed income securities that will fund infrastructure and greenenergy projects, all with the view to support nation-building and economic development. Philam Life and its assetmanagement arm, Philam Asset Management Inc. (Pami), recently extended a loan to Metro Pacific Investments Corp. is a leading infrastructure holding company in the Philippines, with diverse investments in power generation and distribution (Global Business Power Co. and Meralco), water distribution (May nilad Water Services Inc.), toll-road operations (Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. and Nlex Corp.), logistics and light rail operations, among others. Philam Life and Pami also participated in the bond issuance of MPIC’s subsidiary, Nlex Corp. Proceeds of the bonds will be

predominantly used to fund the construction of the R-10 Section Project, a 2.6-kilometer elevated toll road that will extend the C-3 road exit ramp of Segment 10 to R-10 road near the port area, providing an alternative route to motorists who have to go through the worsening traffic congestion in the port area. Philam Life has also ventured into green bond financing, initially by participating in the International Finance Corp.’s (IFC) Mabuhay Bonds, and Sindicatum Renewable Energy Co. Pte. Ltd.’s USD bond (credit-guaranteed by GuarantCo) led by ING. IFC, a sister organization of the World Bank and a member of the World Bank Group, is considered as the largest global development institution in the world with focus on developing countries to help end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity. The net proceeds from the issuance of its Mabuhay Bonds will be for on-lending to IFCeligible climate projects.

Perspectives

When it comes to blockchain, one size does not fit all

ANY companies have moved beyond simple experimentation into proof-of-concept and use-case development. A small but rapidly growing number have even started to move blockchain solutions into production. As more organizations look to achieve value from blockchain, it has become apparent that they need a consistent framework for assessing security and technology risk of blockchain solutions across their full life cycle, from design to production deployment. The reality is there is no onesize-fits-all approach for leveraging blockchain. While they might have the same general functions, different blockchain platforms

may also have different security and technology risks. To this end, companies should not make assumptions as to what a blockchain is capable of doing, or how safely and securely it can complete a specific task. Organizations need to evaluate the various solutions across their life cycle to make sure it fits their needs and risk appetite. Understanding the two types of blockchains n Public blockchain: In a public blockchain, access is wide open; anyone can become a node and participate in the blockchain. Bitcoin is a prime example of a public blockchain. n Private blockchain: In a private blockchain, access is limited

to specific users—such as a group of banks—through a permissions based private network. Anyone outside of the private blockchain cannot see or participate in blockchain transactions. Implementing blockchain? Get it right the first time Although every blockchain implementation is unique, they will typically incorporate the following characteristics or some combination thereof: Immutable digital ledger: An unmodifiable and persistent record of transactional activity using well-known, trusted and tested cryptographic principles. Consensu s mec h a n i sm : Mechanisms whereby independent participants have an agreed-

upon method as to how transactions are executed and added to the blockchain without relying on intermediaries. Identity and ownership: While identity may not always tie to a real-world identity, blockchain typically relies on these concepts via cryptographic principles to prove the ability to interact with the blockchain and demonstrate ownership. While these characteristics offer exciting possibilities, the challenge is that they also bring with them their own specific risks. For example, with blockchain’s immutability, data on a blockchain cannot be deleted. In a use case where customer information is included in a blockchain transaction,

blockchain participants may find themselves in breach of privacy regulations (e.g. as General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR] Article 17) if they cannot comply with a request of a customer enacting their “right to be forgotten.” KPMG’s blockchain assessment solution is designed to help organizations understand and assess the full scope of security and technology risks associated with blockchain initiatives they undertake or applications they are working to implement. The solution is designed to span the life cycle of security and technology risks pertaining to blockchain. The solution also allows you to evaluate the level of maturity of controls related to in-use block-

chain solutions. By evaluating the maturity level of existing risk controls, organizations can determine where they are well protected and where they need to establish stronger controls. The excerpt was taken from the publication, entitled “Realizing blockchain’s potential.” © 2018 R.G. Manabat & Co., a Philippine partnership and a member-firm of the KPMG network of independent member-firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. Printed in the Philippines For more information on KPMG in the Philippines, you may visit www. kpmg.com.ph.

Green Monday BusinessMirror

A8 Monday, September 24, 2018

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Mangoes, wind farm, beaches and more

A green island called Guimaras Story & photo by Jonathan L. Mayuga

there are hidden secrets in Guimaras, like the TINMR, which won last year’s Para El Mar (For the Seas) Awards as Best Marine Protected Area (MPA). Locally managed MPAs were also candidate ecotourism sites.

@jonlmayuga

here is more to Guimaras province than sweet mangoes. A biodiversity-rich island, Guimaras is home to a wide range of flora and fauna. It has a good number of endemic species, plus a diverse marine wildlife, including commercially viable fish, which has sustainably supported life not only on the island-province but in the entire Western Visayas.

Guimaras MPAs alliance

Self-sufficient in fish

Historically an agricultural province, Guimaras is a major producer of fish and other seafoods. Next to Capiz, the country’s seafood capital, Guimaras is one of the region’s top fish and seafood producers even as it doesn’t have its own commercial fishing industry to speak off. Its more than 7,000 small fishermen produce more than enough for the province and provide its neighboring provinces like Iloilo and Negros some of its excess wildcaught fish. With that, the province currently enjoys the status of being self-sufficient in fish. This small island province in southeast of Panay and northwest of Negros in Western Visayas, is blessed with pristine and crystalclear waters, white sand beaches, and a number of unique islands and islets teeming with wildlife. Comprised primarily of Guimaras Island and several minor islets—including Inampulugan, Guiwanon, Panobolon, Tangunga and Nadulao—the province has a total land area of 60,457 hectares, with a population of 174,163, according to the 2015 census by the former National Statistics Office, now known as the Philippine Statistics Authority. Guimaras has five municipalities—Buenavista, Jordan, Nueva Valencia, San Lorenzo and Sibunag, with a total of 98 barangays.

Showcase

The region, specifically the province’s coastal, marine environment and natural resources, will be showcased by the Philippines as it plays host to the 2018 East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress Exhibition from November 27 to 29 at the Iloilo Convention Center in Iloilo City. With the theme, “25 Years of Partnerships for Healthy Oceans, People and Economies: Moving as One with the Global Ocean Agenda,” the 2018 EAS Congress Exhibition aims to share information on various initiatives and tools contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 14, or Life Below Water, the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia and blue-economy development in the region.

Guimaras oil spill

Little is known about Guimaras until in August 2006, when

A welcome sign greets visitors entering Guimaras via the seaport in the municipality of Jordan, the gateway to the island province. Ricky los Bañez/DENR-SCID

the 998-ton MT Solar 1, an oil tanker chartered by Petron, the country’s largest oil refiner carrying 2.4 million liters of bunker fuel, sank 17 kilometers off the island’s southern coast. According to the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office-Guimaras, the oil spill affected about 69,152 individuals and 13,917 households, or about 47 percent of the total population. In Nueva Valencia, which was severely affected by oil spill, 223 families or 1,017 individuals, were evacuated. A total of 5,594 families, were directly or indirectly affected by the oil spill. The total amount of losses in Nueva Valencia alone is estimated at P237 million. Twelve years later, although still reeling from the impact of what could be considered as one of the country’s worst environmental disasters, Guimaras is back on its feet and learned a painful lesson, not of its own doing.

Disaster resiliency

Vicente A. Sardina, Guimaras’s Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer, said the province is resilient to natural and man-made calamities because of its thick mangrove forests surrounding its islands and islets like the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve (TINMR). The oil spill, he said, demonstrated the strength of Guimaras. He recalled that the most affected areas are in the southsouthwestern portion of Guimaras. Thus, he said the TINMR received a huge volume of bunker oil that affected the mangroves and seagrasses. “Many of the mangroves, experienced mortality. Dead invertebrates, such as shells, were

“What made us more resilient is that, for 13 years, we made sure that the people understand the role of environment in our survival, especially in our continued economic development in the province. With this, we need the support of the different sectors, especially the agricultural and fishery sectors. With their support, we made sure that we make policies that protect our environment, and adapt the and mitigate climate change for the future,” he said.

Gov. Samuel T. Gumarin

found everywhere on the shore,” he told the BusinessMirror in an interview last week. The affected fishing communities were provided alternative livelihood and financial assistance. Their resilience to disasters was observed as they were able to reciprocate. The DENR, on the other hand, provided direction in the rehabilitation of the oil spill-affected areas, such as in the cleanup of mangrove areas. The mangroves regenerated after several years. “Mangroves not only served as a buffer during the storms but as protection of other habitats. The presence of TINMR facilitated the rehabilitation of the destroyed coastal resources,” he said. Guimaras Gov. Samuel T. Gumarin, a medical doctor, said the province’s best natural resource is its human resource. He credited the support of t he people i n ac h ie v i ng t he province’s mission and vision for Guimaras’s local economic development that is anchored on environmental sustainability.

Green province

“A year ago we declared Guimaras as a green island because we do not like our electricity supply coming from coal and crude oil. So it is good that my predecessor saw this as part of our advocacy for a green island,” Gumarin added said. Last year, Guimaras officially declared the province “off limits” to coal, banning the entry of coalfired power plant and coal-mining projects in the province. Guimaras, which hosts the San Lorenzo Wind Farm, is a producer of clean, renewable energy. The 27 wind turbines at the San Lorenzo Wind Farm produce a total of 54 megawatts of power that is supplied to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP). He disclosed that Guimaras will soon host a big solar-energy farm that can generate electricity from the power of the sun. Also in the pipeline is to put up more wind turbines in the municipality of Sibunag to produce about 3.7 MW per turbine.

Food-secure region

Regional Director Jim O. Sampulna of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Western Visayas said

the region’s food security is anchored on the protection of the region’s environment and natural resources. “When you protect the forest and the ocean, you protect the food source. Compared to Metro Manila, the last time I gave rice to our staff here, it costs only P1,800 per sack of 50 kilos,” Sampulna said. This, he said, was due to the abundant supply of rice. “It is the law of supply and demand. We have plenty of rice, so we enjoy affordable rice,” he explained in Filipino. In protecting the Panay Mountain Range, the DENR official said they go for “from-ridge-to-reef ” protection policy that covers the terrestrial and marine environment—from forest ecosystems up in the mountain tops or ridges down to the reefs in the oceans. This results in the robust rice and corn harvests, plus other agricultural and fisheries and seafood products. “When you take care of your environment, it takes care of you,” Sampulna added.

Ecotourism

G uma r in s a i d b e s i d e s i t s st reng t h i n a g r ic u lt u re a nd f isher y, Guimaras aspires to achieve the province’s full potential as the ecotourism capital of Western Visayas. “Thirteen years ago, when we formulated our mission and vision, this was based on the capacity and potential of our environment. For more than 13 years now, we dream of becoming the ecotourism capital in [Western Visayas]. Our economic platform is based on our environmental capacities,” he said. Besides the white-sand beaches and many other areas where visitors can commune with nature,

Last year, with the DENR Western Visayas taking the lead, various stakeholders in Guimaras signed a memorandum of agreement that created the Guimaras Alliance for the Protected Areas and Sanctuaries (Gapas) with Gumarin as its chairman. Gapas is composed of Guimaras local government units, including the towns of Jordan, Nueva Valencia, San Lorenzo and Sibunag, the DENR, John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Guimaras, Philippine Coast Guards, and the management boards of the protected areas and sanctuaries in the province. They were Avila Marine Sanctuar y of the municipa lit y of Buenavista; Balcon Marine Protected Area in Jordan; Barangay Dolores Marine and Fish Haven in Nueva Valencia; Igang Bay Marine Sanctuary in Nueva Valencia; Jordan Marine Turtle Sanctuary in Jordan; Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary of Sibunag; TINMR in Nueva Valencia; Tan-Luc Marine Protected Area in Nueva Valencia; Toyo Reef Marine Sanctuary in Nueva Valencia; and Tumalintinan Point Marine Protected in San Lorenzo. Three other MPAs are on the tentative list or in the process of assessment for future legislation. They are Sinapsapan MPA, San Antonio MPA and Santa Ana Bay MPA. The alliance hopes to link arm and strengthen the island province’s network of MPAs to better protect its coastal marine environment and natural resources against various threats, mainly, illegal commercial fishing and use of destructive fishing methods and active gears. Gumarin said protecting and conserving the province’s coastal and marine environment through the establishment of MPAs is a must for the survival of the province’s fishery sector and the people dependent on the ocean’s bounty. Of the province’s 98 barangays, 56 are in the coastal area. While there are existing locally managed MPAs, he said there are other areas around Guimaras can be set aside for conservation. “A c t u a l ly, we need more MPAs. Because we want to make sure that our production areas will continue to produce fish. We do not allow fishing in core zones. Outside it, fishing is allowed but not in the core zones,” he said. Asked how important is establishing MPAs to Guimaras, he said: “For me, the future of MPAs is the future of the Guimaras.” Truly, there is more to Guimaras than sweet mangoes.

Trump rolls back pollution rules for drilling on U.S. lands B

ILLINGS, Montana—The Trump administration recently rolled back an Obama- era rule that forced energy companies to capture methane—a key contributor to climate change that’s released in huge amounts during drilling on US and tribal lands. A replacement rule from the Interior D epar tment rescinds mandates for companies to reduce gas pollution, which Trump administration officials say already is required by some states. Within hours of the announcement, attorneys general for California and New

Mexico filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to reinstate the 2016 rule. “We’ve sued the administration before over the illegal delay and suspension of this rule and will continue doing everything in our power to hold them accountable to our people and planet,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said. The change by Trump could save companies as much as $2 billion in compliance costs over the next decade. It comes a week after the US Environmental Protection Agency proposed weakening a separate methane emissions rule affecting

private land and some public lands. “We’re for clean air and water, but at the same time, we’re for reasonable regulations,” Deputy Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told reporters. Methane is a component of natural gas that’s frequently wasted through leaks or intentional releases during drilling operations. The gas is considered a more potent contributor to climate change than carbon dioxide, although it occurs in smaller volumes. Bernhardt and other Interior officials were unable to immediately say

how much the new rule would affect methane emissions. But a US Bureau of Land Management analysis provided to The Associated Press said all the reductions projected to occur under the original 2016 rule were lost with the change. The prior regulation would have cut methane emissions by as much as 180,000 tons a year. Emissions of potentially hazardous pollutants known as volatile organic compounds, which can cause health problems if inhaled, would have been reduced by up to 80,000 tons a year. The change could also result in the loss of

$734 million in natural gas that would have been recovered over the next decade under the old rule. Those savings would have offset some of the industry’s compliance costs. Democratic US Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico criticized the rollback as a “giveaway to irresponsible polluters.” An estimated $330 million a year in methane is wasted on federal lands, enough to power about 5 million homes. K at h l e e n S g a m m a , p re s i d e nt o f Western Energy Alliance, said the old rule improperly put the Bureau of Land Management in the role of regulating air

quality, which she said should instead be done by the EPA or state agencies. The Obama rule has been tied up in the courts since its adoption. It was put on hold in April by a federal judge in Wyoming. Energy companies said it was overly intrusive and that they already have an economic incentive to capture methane so they can sell it. However, that’s not always practical in fast-growing oil and gas fields, where large volumes of gas are burned off using flares. Flaring has been a common practice in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, New Mexico and other states. AP

Biodiversity Monday BusinessMirror

Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014

Monday, September 24, 2018

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion • www.businessmirror.com.ph

Closing the biodiversity conservation financing gap

APU-LAPU CIT Y, Cebu— Experts from 20 countries across Europe, Asia and the Pacific recently discussed effective solutions and share experiences and best practices in biodiversity conservation financing. In an effort to close the significant gap in resources needed to properly conserve nature and the resources it provides, governments across the region are implementing finance solutions that can fit a particular country’s economic and natural context. In the Philippines, a strong partnership between the government and the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Biodiversity Finance Initiative (Biofin) has formed with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, through the Biodiversity Management Bureau, several finance solutions to address the huge financing gap, estimated at P19 billion ($349 million) annually. Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Ramirez-Sato, Biofin legislative champion, said biodiversity protection is a shared problem that affects all people the world over and it’s crucial to bring about better policies for biodiversity conservation. “We are beginning to understand why we need to urgently win the fight for biodiversity conservation and preservation. We need decisive leadership across the government, private sector and in the communities. If we are to stand a chance in seeing our biodiversity flourish, we need to go beyond business as usual,” she said. Sato is a key proponent of the recently enacted Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (E-Nipas) Act and other Biofin bills, such as the Malampaya Fund Bill and the Philippine Genetic Resources Access and Benefit Sharing Bill. The E-Nipas Act, which ensured 94 new protected areas in the Philippines, now have secure sources of funding, allowing better conservation management of diverse natural capital and rich ecosystems found across the country. Globally, the annual financing need has been estimated to be between $150 billion and $440 billion.

This funding gap, evident in both developed and developing countries, is a major challenge, hampering the achievements of both the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Strategic Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals. However, it represents between just 0.2 percent and 0.6 percent of the estimated $73 trillion of global GDP. Biofin offers a new methodology to improve the integration of biodiversity into fiscal policy, financial planning and the financial system at both the national and subnational levels. It supports countries to implement a suite of appropriate finance solutions tailored to the country’s context and works directly with the governments, private sector and civil society to advocate for better finance for nature. “With significantly increased fiscal space and very high levels of domestic liquidity, financing for biodiversity should not be a challenge in middle-income countries like the Philippines,” said UNDP Country Director Titon Mitra. “R ather, the challenge is to create an appreciation of the fact that financing biodiversity conser vation is an investment that generates both a public good and a financial return. We perhaps more readily appreciate the aesthetic value of biodiversity and less well appreciate the wealth that can be created from the genetic resources and ecosystem values of well-managed biodiversity areas.” he said. Biof in Prog ram Manager O n no va n den Heuve l h ighlighted the importance of practitioners from countries with similar challenges and opportunities coming together to learn from each other. “This gathering aims to highlight the variety of experiences of each of the Biofin countries,” he said. “Learning from country exper iences and best pract ices in biodiversity financing helps countries improve how they mobilize new resources, realign existing resources, prevent future costs and improve delivery of existing finance for biodiversity conservation.”

PHL tops participation in intl coastal cleanups

he Philippines ranks first among the top 25 countries that participated in international coastal cleanup activities around the globe, according to the Ocean Conservancy 2018 Report. Over 200,000 volunteers from the country joined the International Coastal Cleanup in 2017, gathering more than 230,000 kilograms of trash from beaches and waterways or equivalent to over 1,200 kilometers. In 2017 environmental group Haribon Foundation has collected at least 83 sacks of Styrofoam waste and 85 sacks of rubber and cloth waste (shoes, slippers, bags) and 57 sacks of plastic waste (utensils, straws, plastic bags, wrappers, diapers, bottles).

Tiny trash, big impact

Almost 5 million pieces of tiny trash were collected from the world’s oceans in 2017. Globally, cigarette butts remain to top the world’s coastal trash, increasing in number from 1.8 million pieces in 2016 to over 2.4 million in 2017. On the average, cigarette butts take at least 10 years to rot while plastic products will need five centuries to a thousand years to decompose. In the Philippines nearly 1 million food wrappers were found in our shorelines last year, making it the most common coastal trash in the country today. Other items on the list are plastic grocery bags, straws, stirrers and takeaway containers. “Larger items tend to break into smaller pieces called microplastics until they become

small enough for many wildlife to mistake them for food,” said the Haribon Foundation. According to the foundation, bits of plastics are commonly mistaken for food, which kills turtles, birds and fish. “It is with great concern that many of the fish that we now eat also contain plastic and the toxins that accumulate with them.” Many of the smaller wastes are either thrown out to the shores or end up into the sewer drains on the streets, which lead to different bodies of water.

Cleanup month

T h i s National Cleanup Month, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) invited organizations and individuals to join thousands of volunteers in the International Coastal Cleanup weekend on September 22 from 6 to 9 a.m. Five congregation sites around Metro Manila include SM by the Bay in Pasay City, the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Eco-Tourism Area (LPPCHEA), Malabon, Navotas and Polytechnic University of the Philippines’s Santa Mesa campus. Other environmental groups, such as Haribon, also organize year-round coastal cleanup drives in LPPCHEA, which is also globally esteemed as an important resting and feeding stop for almost 5,000 migratory birds. “Through our cleanup activities, we hope to bring people closer to the waste problem at hand so that we can stem it from the source,” Haribon said.

Indigenous women save world’s biodiversity By Michael A. Bengwayan | Special to the BusinessMirror

AGUIO CITY—Rose Cunningham Kain of the Miskita and Tuapi tribe of Puerto Cabezas in Nicaragua personifies what wordsmiths call “forest dweller.”

She depends on the forest for food, water, med ic ine, c lot h ing , dwel l ing mater i a ls, tools a nd implements. The forest is her teacher and book. Her deities are in the forest. She takes care of the forest as it takes care of her. For centur ies, the ba lance between Kain’s people, culture and forest worked harmoniously. Today, however, the forests are dying and vanishing. And forest dwellers are finding it difficult to save these. “If the forests die, so will we,” Kain said. Kain, with 25 other indigenous women from Indonesia, Nepal, Kenya, Peru, Cameroon, Vietnam and the Philippines, are representing their nations to the “Global Conference on Indigenous Women, Climate Change and REDD Plus” here in Baguio City that was convened by the United Nations (UN)-affiliated Tebtebba Foundation.

Climate-change adaptation

The conference presented researches that bare impacts of climate change on biodiversity, on indigenous women and on the role of women in biodiversity, traditional forest ecosystem and resource management. Kain, representing the Center for Indigenous Peoples Autonomy and Development of Nicaragua, said the Miskita and Tuapi women are “living encyclopedia” in describing and interpreting the effects of climate change on forests and biodiversity ecosystems. Their understanding deals with their belief systems and enables them to practice coping mechanisms like establishing buffer zones that will not be touched by anyone in the forest . Ind igenous k nowledge has been helpful as the spirituality of the people manifested itself in conceptions, relations and conservation of trees and plants, as well as in practices employed in observing social festivities, such as tree planting for every birth of a new-born child, Kain described. These ref lect the indigenous Nicaraguan women’s rich knowledge and deep relationship with land and nature as they observe the climate changes through the years.

unpredictable climate-change impacts for present and future generation. Such worldview is shared by spiritual believers in the universe who consider ecology and spirituality, in God, as overlapping, and that there is a need to treat all creation as sacred because the living human spirit is interconnected to all creation as stewards, not destroyers. As such, the Nicaraguan women rely on Pana-pana Bahaknu, a traditional system of mutual help in carrying out protection and conservation activities of their forests and biodiversity like tree-planting, putting out forest fires, firewood gathering and collection of nonwood forest products like honey, rattan and wild foods.

Western form of conservation threatening forests

Conference participant Lele Wal from Cameroon lamented that industrial indiscriminate logging and exclusive conservation projects in her country have destroyed traditional way of life, particularly those of the Chaka pygmies’ sustainable hunting and gathering practices. She claimed these have exacerbated the impacts of climate change, explaining that Pygmies have been displaced from their forests by government and conservation authorities, who look at biod iversit y conser vat ion without the pygmies. From a hunting-gathering culture, the pygmies are pushed to live by the roadside to a semisedentary lifestyle. They have to learn to do crop domestication in order to survive as they are curtailed from doing their traditional hunting and gathering practices in the Congo forest, their traditional home territory. W hat is disgusting is that while the Pygmies were pushed out, the Congo forest was opened to loggers who cut anything they

Erosion of values result to forest destruction

Indigenous Nicaraguan women are rooted in the notion of Yamni Iwanka, a belief that the erosion of values and responsibility over nature and over ambition to extract from nature have resulted to climate change. T he c h a nge i n t he v a lues toward nature arises from the increasing monetization of the local economy, the Nicaraguan women believe, adding that traditional knowledge, values and practices should be restored and further built upon to restore the communities’ resilience against

Elderly Igorot women from Ifugao province in the Cordillera Administrative Region Wikimedia Commons

put a price on, ignorant that some plants and small creatures are dependent on these trees. It is resulting in species loss, aggravated by climate-change impact like less rains and increasing warm temperature for longer lengths and long dry seasons. A s a consequence of log g ing the Congo forest, Wa l said water supply to r ivers, streams and ponds of the forest have gone do w n , m a k i n g e x t i nc t the most common edible fish, ca l led N bwa k k ah, last seen in 1997. T he fish is a lso used in pyg my women’s r ite of passage to womanhood. When the hunter-gathering pygmies were present in the forest, the ecological balance in the Congo was sustained, Wal added. The Pygmies believe that the disappearance of the trees and fish is a sign of wrath of Komba (god) against the government and loggers. They believe Komba is telling them to plant trees and Raffia palm trees, which they have started doing.

Putting forests in the hands of the people

Nepali conference attendees bared success stories when forests were placed in the hands of the people. And that women are not only helpless victims of climate change but rather powerful agents of change. Tsering Sherpa, representing the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities, bared that Gurung and Bhujet indigenous women and their families are benefiting greatly from the Kassur and Kalleri forests because women are fighting for their rights and privileges. T he t wo forests, created u nder t he Com mu n it y Forest A c t of Ne pa l , pl aced most for ests u nder t he ma nagement of com mu n it ies. T hu s, t he for ests became centers of spir itua l it y a nd respec ted. Groves of t rees were con sidered s ac red a nd protec ted . Women plant trees, and spices, berries, nuts alongside and beneath the trees. They do bush clearing collect dirt, while men are in charge of cutting branches and selective tree felling. Women have positions in the tree committees and can influence decision-making on critical issues about the forest because they asserted their rights. Tsering disclosed, however, that despite the collective efforts of women to preserve their

forests, climate-change impact has lessened food production in the region because of erratic rainfall and the disappearance of snowcap in their mountains that feed rivers of the forests. This led the community people to plant crops that require less water, especially native seed varieties, collected and stored by women, that have long adapted to the region.

Return to traditional ways

Senjuti Kisa of the Women’s Resource Network of Bangladesh disclosed that in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), climate change is impacting adversely on their jum rice cultivation. Farmers are getting less rice yield. The forests have less tree species; there is dwindling water supply, longer dry spells, less time for farm work and rapid biodiversity loss. This has prompted CHT women to revert to common sense and traditional ways. For instance, they avoid harvesting all potato tubers during harvest so as to leave in the ground a tuber for a second or third cropping. They plant only native banana varieties to avoid diseases, they do not harvest multi-river products, harvesting only crabs or shrimps or fish or shells one at a time and never altogether. They strongly suggest to men not to cut trees less than 50 years old. W h at a re com mon a mong these experiences are the depletion, erosion and extinction of not only genetic material, and biod iversit y but a lso k nowledge, va lues and nor ms that govern natural resources management in the face of worsening climate-change impacts. It is aggravated by multiple interacting factors like state laws, profit-oriented economic development, exclusive forest conser vation schemes and creeping globalization. Some 1.6 billion people worldwide depend on varying degrees on forests for livelihood. The world ’s population of around 7 billion rely on biodiversity for existence, but only several thousand indigenous women are really on the ground protecting and conserving these. T hese women need help but m ay h ave to contend on the problem a lone for the moment. Most of t he world ’s hu m a n s a re bu s y dest roy i ng wh at i s lef t of biod iversit y. Help may never come.

A10 Monday, September 24, 2018 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

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editorial

Facts: Look them up

OTH the administration and particularly the “opposition” refuse to address the economic condition of the Philippines without pushing their respective political agendas. This situation is not helped by various pundits and commentators weighing in with their “expertise,” which is equally politically tainted. Caught in the middle are “We the People” who are not given a complete and accurate appraisal of our economy. Because there are so many factors that make up the big picture, it is easy to pick and choose data that supports a specific political bias and motive. The latest figures for July 2018 show that the unemployment rate is at 5.4 percent versus 5.6 percent in July 2017. “Look at what a great job the current administration is doing.” The underemployment rate has increased, from 16.3 percent in 2017 to 17.2 percent in 2018. “The current administration has failed with its labor policies.” Which one is an accurate assessment of the employment situation? Both or neither of them? Look deeper into the data and you find that year-on-year, we find the percentage of employed people working at least 40 hours per week—rather than less than 40 hours—has increased by 4.7 percent. That’s good. Basically, underemployment is defined as a person working at a job that does not make full use of her skills and abilities. The underemployment rate of college graduates has dropped by 11.7 percent in the past 12 months. That is potentially a strong “good” as more highly educated people are finding better jobs that they are qualified to do. We all follow our natural tendency to want problems simplified in the hope that we can find solutions more easily. But most of the time that is not possible. Conditions are more complicated than we would like them to be. As a result, we can make the wrong decision. Further, there is also the human tendency to stand firm on a conclusion even in the face of new evidence. During a United States House of Representatives committee meeting the chairman, George D. Aiken, interrupted a witness saying, “Don’t confuse me with the facts. My mind already is made up.” Congressman Aiken said that he was merely making a joke. Ordinary citizens seem to prefer to get their facts from the selfproclaimed experts rather than doing a little work to properly educate themselves. The Philippine government scored 67 out of 100 for transparency in 2017. Globally, the Philippines ranks 19th out of 115 countries. The government’s ranking is higher than South Korea, Japan and Thailand. In other words, the data and information we need is available through various government web sites. However, when it comes to the public taking advantage of this transparency and access to information, the people are not doing the job. As a result, “My mind already is made up because I am ignoring the facts.” American Founding Father Thomas Jefferson wrote, “Wherever the people are well-informed they can be trusted with their own government.” But it is our individual and collective responsibility to be informed. If we are fooled into accepting government policies that are not in our best interests, it may be our own fault. Get the best and correct information. Make your own analysis. Draw your own conclusions. Be an informed citizen about all matters that concern the future of the nation.

A matter of perspective? Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II

RISING SUN

HEN London-based research firm Capital Economics made the surprising forecast that the Philippine peso will further weaken at 58 to a dollar, Budget Secretary Ben Diokno was quick to say that this prediction is “unlikely and totally unfounded”. Capital Economics attributed its forecast to the local economy’s trade deficit, which was at 171.7 percent to $3.55 billion in July. Last year’s deficit in the same month was only $1.31 billion. The gap affects currency, and Capital Economics said that this was aggravated by Duterte’s “Build, Build, Build” infra program. Diokno admitted as much, but was positive that the helpful push from OFW remittances, BPOs and foreign direct investments would keep the economy steady.

In general, currencies in emerging markets have been under pressure all year because the US dollar has been gaining strength. But other problems outside of the region are an added pressure. Patrik Schowitz, a multi-asset strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management, wrote that the currency crisis in Turkey, Argentina and South Africa has negatively affected currencies in emerging markets. He believes, however, that a major factor is the investors’ fear (contagion) that is

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HILST in London, I came across an interesting story about a case pending in the High Court on a legal issue that had never been raised in a court in England and Wales before (reported in The Times, September 19, 2018, thetimes.co.uk). The complaint was filed by a transgender man who is attempting to be registered as a baby’s father after giving birth. At the time of the baby’s birth, the single parent was a woman but now lives as a man after undergoing surgery. The man had been biologically able to become pregnant and give birth but had legally become a man after the baby was born. He now wants to be identified as the baby’s “father” or “parent” on a birth certificate. However, a registrar told him that the law requires people who give birth to be registered as mothers. The transgender man took legal action after complaining of discrimination but it may be months before a full hearing on the merits. In the meantime, the transgender man cannot obtain child benefit because no birth certificate had been issued. The man claims that forcing him to register as the child’s “mother” breaches his human right to respect for privacy and family life. His identity was not revealed (by the media) for legal reasons.

Lawyers (in London) say that other transgender men have given birth but have been registered on birth certificates as mothers. The case has been the subject of several hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London. Lawyers representing the transgender man are lined up against counterparts representing the Registrar General for England and Wales and government ministers. Justice Holman, the presiding judge, was told that the baby had been given a passport because British citizenship had been established. However, Ben Jaffrey, who is representing ministers told the Judge that child benefit had not yet been granted. Mr. Jaffrey said that a birth certificate could not be issued until the judge had ruled on the complaint. Justice Holman said that the man was taking a stand and “mounting a head-on challenge to a wall of legislation.” He suggested

driving down emerging market economies, including the Philippines. He also pointed out that geopolitical issues—trade crisis between US and China, Brexit, “messy” US politics, to name a few—are causing problems in emerging market assets this year. In consideration of the impact of geopolitical risks on portfolios, Schowitz underlines these basic truths: (1) uncertainty can be more damaging than the event; (2) it is often in the currency or the government debt markets where geopolitical risks play out most strongly; and (3) equity markets can prove surprisingly resilient to political turbulence. Looking at Asia, the currencies of India, Indonesia and the Philippines are experiencing “comparatively mild” weakness. The risk that financial experts are looking at is for this weakness to lead to more selling of equities. Yet the silver lining is that, while the contagion may run for a longer time, growth remains solid in the rest of Asia and outside the region.

In the words of Schowitz, there is “little risk of a total meltdown in Asia...the storm will eventually blow over without sinking Asian markets.” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia looks at future growth, as he is positive that the country will be joining the uppermiddle-income countries like China, Thailand, and Malaysia by next year, despite of the economic troubles we are experiencing at the moment, namely, high inflation, a wide trade deficit and a weak peso. Presently, the Philippines is ranked together with Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Indonesia under the lower middle-income group. An increase in GDP by a mere 4.4 percent in 2019, he said, would qualify us to level up. “Appreciating the rainbow,” as Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III phrased it, is all good and helpful. There needs to be a balance, however, between positivity and genuine regard for the people as they face economic challenges; between enthusiasm and an acknowledgment of present realities.

that since the complaint involves a novel legal issue, the most senior family court judge in England and Wales (a certain Andrew McFarlane) should be the one to oversee the trial and make a decision. At the preliminary hearing sometime in June this year, the presiding judge stated that if the man won his fight, ministers might have to consider changing the law. This novel and complicated legal challenge could result in the baby becoming the first born in England and Wales to not legally have a mother, lawyers for the transgender man argued. Since there is no mother registered in the baby’s birth certificate, no birth certificate has been issued and consequently, no child benefits have been granted to the man. In the Philippines our Supreme Court has recently held that a transgender woman cannot have his birth certificate changed to reflect his gender as female since at the time of birth his gender was male. Reconstructive surgery is not a ground for correcting the birth certificate since there was no “error” in the entry in the birth certificate, which is merely a recordal of the facts at the time of birth of the child. The Supreme Court’s ruling is clear that the gender one is born as will remain his/her gender in the birth certificate forever. If a similar legal challenge like the London case were to be brought to our Supreme Court, it would be a more complicated legal issue. If the father of the child were to undergo reconstructive surgery after the child was born, would it result in the

child having two mothers instead of one. The Supreme Court ruling to the effect that you cannot alter the recorded facts at the time of birth (unless mere clerical or typographical error) would seem to indicate that the transgender man would always remain the father of the child in the child’s birth certificate even if he were to subsequently become a transgender woman. Our Constitution is clear when it states that there shall be no discrimination on account of gender. Our laws are, likewise, clear on the parental rights and duties of a father and mother over a child. The legal hiatus it seems would be a situation when a child has two mothers or two fathers on account of a subsequent sex transformation of the father or mother. Legislators should review our existing laws to take into account the rights of transgender parents. Our Anti-Discrimination laws should be revisited. Although our courts have been mandated by law to always rule “in the best interests of the child,” the transgender parent issue has not yet been challenged before the Supreme Court. My personal view is that a good mother or father would always be a good mother or father—transgender or not! And a child deserves the love of parents—whether that be a mother and father, or two mothers or two fathers! Bottom line, what is paramount is the best interest of the child and the parental love of the parents— transgender or otherwise!

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Opinion

Everybody rise for rice

It is now 100

BusinessMirror

By Alberto Agra

PPP LEAD

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza

ICE is not only a staple food in the Philippines. For most Filipinos, it is essential for survival. The source of over 70 percent of caloric intake in Asia, it packs life-sustaining carbohydrates at a price all Filipinos can afford, including the poor. And even if a significant number of Filipinos have changed their eating habits by eating less rice for health reasons, the country’s growing population, especially the destitute, still rely mostly on rice for survival. Thus, movements in the price of rice and its stock inventory threaten the social and economic fabric of the Filipino nation. Used as one of the measures in determining the state of the nation’s food security, the country’s old farming techniques that result in low rice production output per hectare, which is one of the lowest in Asia, is affecting the very lives of Filipinos. With the nation now facing another rice crisis, I would like to reiterate an earlier call for the Filipinos to rise for rice. Get involved and help the country’s poor farming communities improve their rice production output, if only to help beef up the country’s rice supply. The rice crisis is a concern not only for the government to address, but for every Filipino to help mitigate, as well. I am, therefore, suggesting for all cause oriented, religious, professional and business groups, including the other civic organizations in the country, regardless of the nature of their organization, roots and origins, to adopt poor farming communities to help them improve their harvest. We made this call before when the country faced an earlier rice crisis. We’re making this call again as the nation is faced with yet another rice crisis. Let us provide poor farming communities with needed farm inputs, such as certified hybrid seeds and fertilizers, including helping them modernize their farming techniques, among others. Under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture, let us select those with existing irrigation systems and palay drying facilities and yet, have low rice productivity per hectare. The DA can help in identifying these beneficiary communities. The country’s average rice-production output is now placed at 80 cavans per hectare. However, with the right certified hybrid seeds, fertilizers and farming technique, this production output can be doubled, if not tripled, as tested and proven during the time of Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap. Rice production per hectare then reached as much as 300 cavans per hectare. On a need basis, concerned individuals and cause-oriented groups can help poor farming communities to rise from hopelessness until they can be self-reliant and are able to

improve their harvest on their own. But to veer the mind-set of farmers away from the dole-out mentality, and to help instill in them the value of hard work and self-respect, they will have to pay their benefactors back the total amount used to help them on a staggered and liberal payment scheme. The country’s traditional farming method and spiraling cost of agricultural inputs hurt the country’s poor farmers the most. This vulnerable and marginalized sector is virtually helpless from the effects of the volatility of rice prices and supply. And while there may be some private corporations interested to help these farmers, the procedure may, however, be complicated and take some time to implement. Whereas, private individuals or groups of individuals can immediately send help to these poor farmers. With many poor families eating rice spiked with salt twice a day, the need for everybody to rise for rice to help improve the country’s riceproduction output is not only compelling, but immediate, as well. The current rice crisis brings to mind my advocacy against smuggling, when in one of the Senate hearings about rice smuggling, my testimony identifying Davidson Bangayan as the same person as David Tan, the suspected leader of a bigtime rice-smuggling syndicate, led to the prosecution of Tan. My testimony was even corroborated by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte himself, who was then the Mayor of Davao City. Duterte happened to be in that Senate hearing, as well. However, I’m still wondering what happened to the ricesmuggling case against Bangayan, a.k.a. David Tan. Indeed, the current rice crisis is a very sensitive and emotional issue, for it strikes into the very heart and stomach of poor Filipinos. As concerned Filipinos, let us, therefore, stand up and rise for rice, if only to help save a nation and countless Filipinos from hunger, by helping poor farming communities improve their harvest. In his January 20, 1961, inaugral address as the 35th US president, the late John F. Kennedy said about helping the poor: “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”

Continued from A1

ISDOM for own ordinance. Not to be misinterpreted, LGUs can enter into PPPs even without adopting their own PPP laws. The build-operate-transfer law and the nine modalities allowed thereat can be used by LGUs. What a PPP ordinance offers is an expansion of LGUs PPP options. Under the template, there are at least 24 possible arrangements. LGUs as frontliners. As the government agencies closest to the people, LGUs are in a better situation to know and address local concerns. Having an omnibus PPP local law sends a clear message to the communities—PPP is a pro-change and pro-people local strategy.

Local autonomy made true. Local autonomy means a more responsive and accountable local government structure instituted through a system of decentralization. PPPs are intended to respond to the needs of the people while being responsible for contracts and procedures.

‘Gratitude in10sified’ Siegfred Bueno Mison, Esq.

THE PATRIOT

OR the 10th year in a row, the country celebrates the National Teachers’ Month (NTM) from September 5 to October 5, 2018, with the theme of fostering a culture of gratitude. Teachers play a major role in the lives of their students; arguably in the same way parents influence the lives of their children. In our country, it has been a perennial challenge for every administration to address the lack of quality teachers in our public schools. Some of our teachers have raised the issue of being underpaid and overwhelmed. But is the issue merely a problem of supply and demand where a majority of Filipinos seem to engage in the more lucrative and glamorous professions, medical and legal for example, than join the exhausting and less financially rewarding teaching profession? In the Bible, Exodus 18:20 tells us, “Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave.” Such statement was made in the context when Moses got tired and overwhelmed by the volume of people who sought him to resolve their disputes. And interestingly, it was Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, who advised Moses to select capable, God-fearing and trustworthy people to help him resolve some disputes. It appears that the Biblical solution of identifying and developing good people to become teachers is just as applicable as today’s need for more teachers. More than 200 centuries ago, the criteria used were “capable, God-fearing and trustworthy” when it comes to identifying potential teachers.

Aside from these biblical criteria, I believe every aspiring teacher should have the SMILE to allow their students to be inspired and, perhaps, be teachers like them in the future. As I have been teaching for 20 years now, all of my students would attest to the fact that I rarely smile. But this is not the kind of smile I am referring to in this article. The SMILE, which I think all effective teachers must have, stands for sincerity, mastery, ingenuity, love and eternal perspective. Teachers, when sincere in what they do, understand that for any knowledge to be pure and ideal, they should be without bias and prejudice. Regardless of their personal affiliation or orientation, good teachers should stay sincere to the facts or to the truth. Opinions ought to be minimal, unless the situation or discussion calls for it. Teachers should not corrupt the minds of their students. It also goes without saying that knowledge of the subject is critical for the teachers to be effective. Teachers cannot effectively teach unless they have mastery of the topic, which mastery requires the cognitive skills to study, retain and transfer whatever knowledge necessary for the students to have that same mastery of the subject.

Monday, September 24, 2018 A11

Subordinate legislation. What the LGUs must be mindful of is the limitation of its ordinancemaking powers. Any PPP ordinance must not violate any law. The PPP code supplies details and supplements existing laws. They are presumed valid. List of 100. My hats off to the 90 LGUs (22 provinces, 42 cities and 26 municipalities) that have adopted the PPP code and the 10 LGUs that have passed their jointventure ordinances. The 22 provinces are Cavite, Camarines Sur, Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Bataan, Bohol, Agusan del Norte, Southern Leyte, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Davao del Norte, Quezon, Cebu, Aklan, La Union, Batangas, Negros Oriental, Oriental Mindoro, Lanao del Norte and Palawan. The 42 cities are Quezon, Parañaque, Pasay, Makati, Navotas, Malabon and San Juan, MetroManila, and Batangas, Olongapo,

Butuan, Imus, Cauayan, General Santos, Passi, Catbalogan, Legazpi, Davao, Antipolo, Bayawan, Puerto Princesa, Baguio, San Fernando (La Union), San Jose del Monte, Bacoor, Kabankalan, Naga (Cebu), Tabuk, Tayabas, Alaminos, Cabuyao, Santa Rosa, Panabo, Surigao, Zamboanga, Bais, Talisay (Negros Occidental), Talisay (Cebu), Calapan, San Carlos, Carcar, Munoz and Sorsogon. General Tinio, Nueva Ecija; Cordova and Consolacion, Cebu; Tiwi, Albay; Cainta and Binangonan, Rizal; Dinalupihan, Abucay and Samal, Bataan; La Trinidad, Benguet; Coron, Palawan; Kalibo, Aklan; Villasis and Bolinao, Pangasinan; Tayabas and Gumaca, Quezon; Lemery and Talisay, Batangas; Boac, Marinduque; Mabalacat and Magalang, Pampanga, and Sogod, Southern Leyte; Rosario, Cavite; Piddig, Ilocos Norte; Tapaz, Capiz; and Alangalang, Leyte, are the 26 municipalities. Looking forward to more.

And when it comes to mastery, I recall my favorite teacher in Ateneo Law School—Atty. Avelino Sebastian Jr. In my eyes, he knew the subject, Wills and Succession, inside and out, from left to right and from whichever angle you want to look at it. And he has mastered his style of teaching it. Years ago, I might have been intimidated by him a bit. But I learned a ton from him. To be effective, teachers must also find and develop creative ways to educate their students. One of the oldest methods of teaching— preaching in the pulpit or lecturing behind a desk—no longer works as effectively in this millennial generation. In my case, I use a visualization technique where I make use of drawings/pictures to help my law students remember legal doctrines. After all, I think images remain in their memory banks longer than words. I also require them to solve estate-distribution problems on the board and make them explain to their classmates how they arrived at the solution. Other innovative teaching methods include the use of role-playing games and digital presentations where I think students remember more what they do and see in class than what they just read at home. Teachers must love what they do. It is the best if not the only way they can surmount the daily challenges of teaching. My mother Ione and her parents Ramon and Maria Bueno were full-time and tenured teachers where they spent their entire careers inside a classroom. For them, teaching was not just a profession; it was a lifelong passion. Teaching for them is such an activity that produced a psychic income that no amount of financial compensation can match. And, finally, a good teacher should have an eternal perspective knowing that their influence over their students go beyond the four walls of

the classroom. Teaching is not making yourself look better than others but helping others to become better than you, for His greater glory. A teacher’s legacy can go beyond generations and will certainly be pleasing to His eyes. I have met up with former law students who have been successful professionally either as judges, prosecutors, congressmen and even a Cabinet secretary. Atty. Dominic Mendoza is one student whose success I attribute to my own mentor, Atty. Avelino Sebastian. He was one of my better students in the University of the East College of Law, joined me in Malcolm Law Offices as one of our dependable associates and passed the California Bar sometime in 2016. He currently leads an immigration law practitioner in the United States. If ever I managed to inspire Atty. Mendoza to be a good lawyer, it is because Atty. Sebastian inspired me to be one, not too many moons ago. NTM was conceptualized to pay tribute to the sacrifices of the Filipino teacher through simple acts of gratitude. In relation to this year’s celebration, I dedicate this article of appreciation and admiration to all of my teachers with a SMILE— sincerity, mastery, ingenuity, love and eternal perspective. Of course, special mention goes to Atty. Sebastian, Mrs. Lucila Aguila of the University of the East High School and my mother Ione Bueno, the current headmaster of the Mison Family School of Desiderata (Desired Things). They all serve as my inspiration to aspire and become a positive influencer in the lives of others. Since we cannot all be teachers, let’s be thankful to those who are. Our world can be better off with more teachers, especially those with a SMILE.

Reflections on learning taxonomies in accounting programs Fermin Antonio del Rosario Yabut

DEBIT CREDIT

MAGINE a Franciscan friar from the Renaissance period and an educational psychologist from the 20th century having a conversation at a local coffee shop. This could be the scenario that most accounting teachers currently face in light of the advancements in accounting education. As most Higher Education Institutions in the Philippines are transitioning to Outcomes-Based Teaching and Learning, faculty members in professional departments find it challenging to contextualize educational concepts in their respective fields. One particular model used by

most accountants in academe is the Bloom’s Taxonomy, formulated by Benjamin Bloom and revised by Lorin Anderson and David Krathwohl. This model ranks cognitive skills with rote learning at its base and creation at its apex. A working knowledge of the model is necessary for accounting teachers to develop

learning outcomes, whether at the program, course or unit levels. Examples of the model are fit for general education courses. However, the usage and context of these thinking skills must be appropriately tailored for professional courses to ensure the constructive alignment of outcomes, teaching and learning activities, and assessment. The verb “account” has a specific meaning in accounting courses. “Account” may also be a thinking skill of higher order, and a complex one at that. In financial accounting courses, “account” will be a combination of several thinking skills from Bloom’s Taxonomy. The newly issued Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting of the IASB offers a working concept of the verb “account.” Recognition is the act of incorporating an element in the financial records. Basically, when a learner “recognizes” an element, s/he deter-

mines what accounts are to be debited or credited as a result of capturing the transaction or event. An accounting teacher can also factor in the timing of recognition to make the exercise more complex for the learner. However, answering the question by how much is a different matter. Measurement captures the financial impact of a transaction. Measurement is a bit more complex than recognition, since specific elements will have different measurement bases. When a learner measures a financial element, s/he is expected to apply the principles for initial and subsequent measurement based on his/her analysis of the given information. Therefore, a learner is expected to apply the appropriate principles when s/he “measures” an element. Further, the learner needs to maintain and monitor valuationadjustment transactions for specific measurement bases as in the case of

elements at fair value. Presentation and disclosures dwell on determining the correct balance of the account, its placement in the financial statements, and the preparation of the related disclosures. “Presenting” an account involves a recall of the specific line item where it belongs. Also, learners are expected to prepare the necessary disclosures at this stage. Finally, derecognition is the stage where the learner removes the specific element in the financial records. Here, the learner analyzes the given data and applies the appropriate derecognition principle. So when a learning outcome reads “account for,” it means that students are expected to recognize, measure, present/disclose and derecognize certain elements. Based on the discussion above, it is evident that accounting teachers can synthesize accounting concepts with those of learning taxonomies.

For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.

However, it is clear that components of the verb “account” are not as linear and as simple as those presented in the Bloom’s taxonomy. Each component is an amalgamation of two or more verbs in the said taxonomy. I do not claim to be an expert in accounting or education. What I have presented above are my reflections with the hope of developing a learning taxonomy model specific to accounting, which is both rigorous and impactful. Fermin Antonio del Rosario Yabut is a CPA in academe and the deputy director of an academic publishing house. He used to be a Senior Associate and Quality Control Consultant for auditing firms in the Philippines. Yabut is a product of the University of Santo Tomas and Seton Hall University. This column accepts contributions from accountants, especially articles that are of interest to the accountancy profession, in particular, and to the business community, in general. These can be e-mailed to boa.secretariat.@gmail.com.

2nd Front Page BusinessMirror

A12 Monday, September 24, 2018

Maybe next year: Federal Charter frozen till after polls

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

VEN some members of the Consultative Committee (Concom) believe that their proposed federal Charter will be staying in the back burner at least until the end of the 2019 midterm elections. This, as the Senate and the House of Representatives are conducting budget deliberations and reelectionist lawmakers are preparing for their campaign for the May 30, 2019, midterm elections. Con-com member Arthur N. Aguilar told the BusinessMirror that he doesn’t see their draft federal Charter being talked about anymore in Congress until the new Senate and House takes shape after the elections. “Maybe if the new Senate is so inclined and the House is also so inclined, and the President still has his advocacy on federalism, maybe this time next year, it would be revived. But between now and then, I don’t see anything,” Aguilar said. He also said that based on the public pronouncements of the senators, he is almost sure that the Sen-

Maybe if the new Senate is so inclined and the House is also so inclined, and the President still has his advocacy on federalism, maybe this time next year, it would be revived. But between now and then, I don’t see anything.”—Aguilar ate won’t do anything to push their federalism proposal. Senators from both sides have also ruled out the possibility of front-loading the passage of an enabling law to pave the way for early ratification of Charter change

crafted by the Con-com. Aside from this, senators are lukewarm to the federalism shift as they raised concerns on the impact of the change in the form of government, including the proposal bringing in additional fiscal costs and taxes, among others. For Con-com member and former Supreme Court Associate Justice Eduardo B. Nachura, the proposed federal Charter will be “seriously considered” by Congress after the 2019 elections. “There is simply no time to deliberate on the proposed amendments while the members of Congress are busy as candidates in the coming election,” Nachura told the BusinessMirror in a message. Another Con-com member and political analyst Edmund S. Tayao said he still sees the Senate as a stumbling block in the administration’s push for federalism, noting that they don’t see any problem with the House. “In the case of the Senate… they did not even bother looking at the draft, and especially with the Constitutional Amendments [Committee] in the Senate, it was quite obvious that the resources of the Senate were used only to pillory the draft itself, including the members of the Consultative Committee that worked for the

draft. So in other words, it’s quite obvious that the Senate did not even bother reading the proposal because, for obvious reasons, the proposal includes the Senate being an entirely different body, being elected regionally instead of being elected in the same way that it is being elected now,” Tayao told the BusinessMirror. Con-com’s draft has the senators elected per region to ensure that each region will be equally represented in the Senate. Under the draft federal Charter, Con-com is proposing to have 18 federated regions, including the Negros Island region. In the meantime, the lone woman Con-com member and lawyer Susan Ubalde-Ordinario said the members are doubling their efforts to intensify the public information campaign on federalism. “[We are] reaching out to as many [people] and as [many] far-flung communities as we can,” UbaldeOrdinario said in a message sent to the BusinessMirror. The Duterte administration has been pushing for a federal form of government in a bid to spur economic growth across all regions, not just in Metro Manila. It also aims to decentralize the powers of the national government under the unitary form of government.

Senator opposes cut in subsidy for deserving SUC students By Butch Fernandez

@butchfBM

EN. Sherwin T. Gatchalian over the weekend vowed to fight for retention of the

P4-billion annual funding for state-run universities and colleges (SUCs) amid attempts in Congress to slash the allocation down to P1 billion in the proposed 2019 national budget.

INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE AFFECTING SOUTHERN LUZON, VISAYAS AND MINDANAO as of 5:00 am - September 23, 2018

Gatchalian, in a radio interview on Sunday, admitted his concern was triggered on reviewing the proposed funding for the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) next year.

“I saw two concerns [in the 2019 budget]. One, the reduction of the Tulong Dunong [State scholarship program] from almost P4 billion to about P1 billion and the capital outlay or funds for building new structures in the SUCs,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. T he sen ator poi nted out t h at , “ f i rst , Tu long D u nong is used for cash-strapped students, who a re now a ssu red under the law of free tuition i n SUCs, but who st i l l need some support in terms of buy i ng te x tbook s a nd doi ng school projects. “This fund is used to support them.... Many students benefit from this, and it’s the SUCs that supervise the handling of this program, and it’s very important,” Gatchalian added. Gatchalian traced the problem to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). “Because of the [DBM’s] adjustment to cash-based budgeting, we have this funding problem. The school year is normally from June to April, and the budget [is] from Januar y to December. “We can see that the school year and the budget year run differently and because of this, the Tulong Dunong program suffered a cut,” he explained. The senator said he discussed the matter with CHED Chairman Prospero E. de Vera III and one of the proposals is to provide exemption for Tulong Dunong and other scholarship programs due to their different calendar year.” Gatc h a l i a n sa id t here a re other scholarship programs that students depend on, citing for instance those for medical students and graduate students. “But the Tulong Dunong is one of the biggest because it supports nearly 400,000 state scholars,” he added. “I think there w il l not be much of a problem if we restore funding for state scholars,” the senator said.

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PALACE CLAIMS WIDE SUPPORT FOR DRUG WAR, CITES S.W.S POLL

ESPITE efforts to discredit the success of the Duterte administration’s drug war, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results showing the majority of Filipinos satisfied with the drug war is a “testament” that it continues to enjoy the broad support of people, Malacañang said. Almost 8 in 10 Filipinos are satisfied with the drug campaign, according to the SWS survey results released on Sunday. Among the 1,200 adults who answered the survey conducted from June 27 to 30, at least 78 percent said they were satisfied with the government’s crackdown on illegal drugs, while 13 percent were dissatisfied and 9 percent were undecided. This resulted in a net satisfaction rating of +65, or “very good,” which is also 1 point above the net satisfaction rating recorded by SWS in March 2018. “We welcome the latest Social Weather Stations survey showing 78 percent satisfaction with the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs,” Presidential Spokesman Harry L. Roque Jr. said in a statement. “Filipinos aspire for a crime-free society which can be realized by stopping the spread of criminality and fighting the scourge of drugs.” When SWS first did a survey on the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs, it resulted in an excellent +76 and reached its peak in December 2017 at an excellent +77. The lowest rating of +63 was recorded in September last year. Net satisfaction was also lowest in the Visayas, falling by 12 points from very good +69 in March 2018 to +57 this June. It also recorded the highest in Mindanao, increasing by 3 points from the excellent +81 in March to +84 in June. Net satisfaction also remained “very good” in Metro Manila and Balance Luzon, increasing by 2 and 5 points, respectively. The release of the survey results came days after the Inter n at ion a l Peoples’ Tribunal handed down a guilty verdict against Duterte for

human-rights violations. Malacanang has since dismissed the verdict, saying it was a “sham decision” and a “useless piece of propaganda” by the Philippine Left. Complaints have also been lodged against President Duterte for Crimes Against Humanity at the International Criminal Court.

Drive vs ‘tambay’ scored

MEANWHILE, 3 in 5 Filipinos, or 60 percent. agreed that the arrest of idlers (tambay) by the police is a violation of their human rights, data from the SWS survey results showed. Of the 1,200 adults surveyed from June 27 to 30, at least 26 percent said they disagree that the arrest was a human-rights violation, while 14 percent were undecided. Because of this, net satisfaction rating yielded +34, which was classified as strong by SWS. Fifty-eight percent also said the police do not discriminate by class when arresting tambay while 68 percent were worried about being arrested for loitering. Also, 9 out of 10 Filipinos, or 92 percent, also do not know anyone who has been arrested for loitering. The net agreement that Oplan Tambay was a violation of human rights was also the highest in Mindanao, at strong +48, followed by the Visayas at strong +32, Metro Manila at strong +30 and Balance Luzon at moderate +29. Reacting to the survey results, Malacañang said the matter has already been clarified when the President said he did not order the arrest of tambay for loitering. The clarification was necessary after the President drew flak with the arrest of several males in urban poor communities who were detained simply for being shirtless. “Authorities then issued guidelines that they would not bring to the police station those without violations,” Roque said. The violations pertain to local ordinances, such as drinking in public, public disorder, smoking in no-smoking zones and littering, among others. Bernadette D. Nicolas

‘Most peaceful ever’: Comelec holds Brgy, SK polls in Marawi By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

HE Commission on Elections (Comelec) recorded its most peaceful election in Marawi City on Saturday (September 22), when it conducted its barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) with zero casualties. “No untoward incident has been reported and the Comelec now considers #BSKE2018 in Marawi to have been the most peaceful one in the recent history of Marawi City,” Comelec Spokesman James B. Jimenez said in a statement. Moreover, he said there was no case of a failure of election during the activity, since all the 177 clustered precincts in the city opened and closed on time. As of Sunday, all the winning candidates in the 96 barangays in Marawi City have already been proclaimed. Candidates ran unopposed in 26 of these 96 barangays. The Comelec lauded its personnel and partner government agen-

cies and other organizations which helped in the successful conduct of the BSKE in Marawi City. Jimenez also thanked the voters in Marawi City for participating in the polls. “The Comelec congratulates the people of Marawi City, without whose participation and dedication - in unstinting cooperation with the members of the Electoral Boards and Comelec field officials and personnel—this successful electoral exercise, with zero failures, would not have been possible,” Jimenez said. Jimenez noted they are still collating the voter participation data for the said BSKE, but he said their initial report indicate a “healthy voter turnout.” The Comelec en banc decided to reset the BSKE in Marawi City from May to September of this year due to security concerns. T he once-progressive Islamic City was laid siege to by homegrown terrorists, the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group, for five months in 2017.

Editor: Efleda P. Campos

Companies BusinessMirror

Monday, September 24, 2018

Devt of Sangley Airport not a top govt priority

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

HE government is giving top priority to the “more advanced” unsolicited proposals for the development of the Bulacan Airport—submitted by San Miguel Corp. (SMC)—and the rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia)—offered by Naia Consortium—over the development of Sangley Airport. Nonetheless, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary Ruben S. Reinoso Jr. said the proposal of the provincial government of Cavite for the development of the former American air base for commercial use is “still on the table.” “We wanted to move forward with the very advance proposal for Bulacan and then, of course, the more advanced—the expansion and rehabilitation of Naia,” he said in an interview. He said the provincial government of Cavite may still submit the answers for the clarifications sought by the transport agency on the legal and financial framework for the implementation of the Sangley proposal. The Cavite government proposes

to develop Sangley Airport to have a total capacity of 130 million passengers per year and four runways through 2028. The P552.02-billion unsolicited offer, likewise, has a provision for the construction of masstransit systems and new roads. Although the transportation department is still not convinced of the Cavite government’s financial and technical capability to construct and operate an international airport, it is giving the proponent the time and chance to clarify its position in handling the multibillion-peso initiative. “We have not been informed what legal framework they will use to develop Sangley. They can opt to adopt several frameworks such as the local government code, BOT law, but up to now, we have not yet been advised,”

he said, referring to the build-operate-transfer law. Hence, the government has decided to put to the top of its priority list the unsolicited proposals for the development of an air hub in Bulacan and the rehabilitation of the existing main international gateway. Under its proposal, San Miguel wants to spend P735 billion to develop the Bulacan International Airport, envisioned as a 2,500-hectare airport complex that will have a total capacity of 100 million passengers annually. It also has a provision for the construction of an 8.4-kilometer airport toll road. The proposal also includes the construction of a sea port, an industrial zone and expressways. SMC’s proposed concession period is 50 years. The group has received the partial approval of the National Economic and Development Authority, but was flagged by the Department of Finance and the Neda for having broad provisions. The transport department has since received the amended proposal—provisions on adverse government action and determination of payment which have been revised— and is now reviewing the new offer. It will be evaluated further by the Neda Investment Coordination Committee. The proposal of the Naia Consortium—composed Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings

Corp., Alliance Global Group Inc., Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp., Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings Inc. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. — is now nearing its required Swiss challenge. It recently received the original proponent status from the government, a standing that gives the group the right to submit a counteroffer from any group interested in the same project. Under the proposal, the group aims to transform the Naia into a regional airport hub that will have the capacity and capability to handle and meet “the anticipated growth in passenger traffic from the strong economies of the Philippines and the region.” It initially submitted a P350billion proposal that involved the augmentation of the Naia’s capacity from 35 million passengers per annum to 47 million passengers per year for the first phase. The second phase, under the initial proposal, will bring the total capacity of the Naia to 65 million passengers annually by 2022. The first proposal also carried a 35-year concession period. After a period of negotiations, the government and the proponent agreed to lower down the concession period to 15 years. Reinoso noted the Swiss challenge for the two proposals—should they pass muster—will be “completed within the year.”

DICT rushing to finish 3rd telco initiative within 2018

HE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is racing to finish the third telco initiative within the year, with its chief vowing to avoid further delays, given the “deadliest deadline” set by President Duterte. Eliseo M. Rio Jr., chief of the ICT department, said his group is gunning to complete the selection process for the new major player in the telco industry in or before December, noting the official terms of reference have been released on Friday. “We will finish the process within the year. We call this the deadliest deadline set by President Duterte. There will be no more delays,” he said via phone. In selecting the new major player, the government will base its decision on the highest committed level of service for five years. It is a

points-based system that will take into account commitments on national population coverage, minimum average broadband speed, and capital and operational expenditures. The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has published in a national newspaper the official terms of reference for selection of the third telco player. The approved framework has been amended to suit the taste of investors, advocates and other stakeholders. The points-based system has been tweaked to sport a heavier weight on minimum broadband speed. It has been increased from 20 percent to 25 percent, while that of the capital and operational expenditures was reduced to 35 percent from 40 percent. The percentage of the national population coverage remained at 40 percent.

Participants receive points for any excess of the minimum requirements for the three areas. In terms of broadband speed—for both mobile and fixed line—bidders will be granted a point for every 2 Mbps above the 5 Mbps minimum requirement. The maximum is capped at 55 Mbps. For capital and operational expenditures, bidders will earn points for every P10 billion above the P40-billion minimum. This requirement is capped at P140 billion for the first four years, and at P240 billion for the fifth year. Last, for the national population coverage requirement, bidders will receive a point exceeding the 50-percent coverage requirement for the first year. Its maximum is set at 90-percent coverage. Bidders can receive as many as 500 points for their offers. Also included in the changes is a more lenient

term on performance security, which is at 10 percent of the participant’s capital and operational spending, only this time, the government has agreed to accept an irrevocable letter of credit from lenders. This replaced the 10-percent cash bond or 30-percent surety bond initially set for the performance security requirement. The new and official terms also included a provision that bars entities with uncontested liabilities with the government from joining the selection process. Based on a document from the NTC, there are 97 telcos with legal franchises for telco services. As of September, all of them have a combined total liability of P1.4 billion in supervision and regulation fess. To date, only P12.47 million had been paid of the said total. Lorenz S. Marasigan

First Gen exec: TRAIN 2 is a ‘misguided’ policy By Lenie Lectura @llectura

HE second package of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) program, which was renamed Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-Quality Opportunities (Trabaho), is a “misguided policy” because it will discourage potential investors, particularly those interested in renewable energy (RE). “From an energy and sustainability standpoint, I think it’s a misguided policy to remove the incentives from renewable energy just as we need to transition into clean energy. We’re headed in the wrong direction,” First Gen Corp. Director and Executive President Richard Tantoco said. Among others, Trabaho proposes to cut corporate income tax from 30 percent to 25 percent and take away fiscal incentives, including tax exemption, from businesses in exportprocessing zones. “If you remove the fiscal incentives, the impact on renewable energy is like taxing it 10 times of coal, which is what we need to begin to transition out of,” Tantoco said. “It’s an uncertainty on the entire industry. It’s a major uncertainty because people are looking at their numbers and they don’t know whether they’re going to have a 10-percent income tax or 30 percent. They don’t know if they’re going to be able to import without duties or with duties.” “Definitely today with the specter of the bill hanging over the industry’s head, we will see investments slow down,” Tantoco said. Early this month, the House of Representatives approved the bill amid concerns raised by business leaders that if fiscal incentives were taken away, investors would relocate

their businesses to other countries. Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua earlier said businesses that do not contribute to export growth and the economy would lose their fiscal incentives and that some call centers would be adversely affected. Tantoco said the Lopez group, through various industry associations, has voiced out its concerns and was told to submit a position paper. First Gen has interests in power generation, distribution, infrastructure, manufacturing and property development. Natural gas is the company’s largest platform. It has four gas plants, with an installed capacity of 3,470 megawatts located in the First Gen Clean Energy Complex in Batangas City. It is also engaged in hydro, geothermal and other RE sources via First Gen Hydro and Energy Development Corp. First Gen Chairman Federico Lopez noted the implementation of the tax-reform program “could change the landscape.” It’s happening. I can see it with some of our locators in the industrial park. Their expansion is on hold. They always get this opportunity to go, put it up in Vietnam and other places, which is what’s happening,” Lopez said. He also cited the possibility of job losses if investors would relocate their business somewhere else. “The Philippines, having a very good work force, a young work force, should be one of the main beneficiaries of that. If we do this, they won’t come in. They’ll just go to Vietnam.” Tantoco added, “You can’t have a shotgun approach. To me, it is a blessing that work force is just there. If we don’t take advantage of that demographic dividend, it could actually turn into a demographic time bomb.”

Companies

B2 Monday, September 24, 2018

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Century Properties secures half of sites for horizontal devt venture

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

ROPERTY developer Century Properties Group Inc. (CPG) said it still has to identify about half of the 15 sites for its horizontal economic housing development, which it will carry out in partnership with a Japanese investor. Ricky M. Celis, president and CEO of PHirst Park Homes, the unit of CPG that will carry out the project, said the company will launch all of those sites across the Philippines within the next five years. He said

the venture will cost the company P28 billion in capital expenditures, P11 billion of which will be spent through 2022. “The company is also eyeing expansion into the Visayas and Min-

danao regions once it has established technical and market scale,” Celis said. He said the plan was to roll out 33,000 units in key locations outside of Metro Manila with an estimated sales value of P57 billion. The jointventure company, PHirst Park, is 60 percent owned by CPG and 40 percent by Mitsubishi. “Mitsubishi Corp. has been instrumental in PHirst’s initial success in Tanza, Cavite. We thank Mitsubishi for its continued trust and confidence in CPG and we look forward to working with them on more projects in the future,” company Chairman and CEO Jose EB Antonio said. The company said Mitsubishi brings to the partnership its exper-

tise in development and technology. It is in businesses across virtually every industry, including industrial finance, energy, metals, machinery, chemicals and daily living essentials. PHirst Park Homes had a maiden launch in Tanza, Cavite, which has already sold out its first phase with 1,200 units valued at approximately P1.4 billion. Around 600 units of town homes and single-attached models are expected to be completed within 2018. In June this year, the company also launched PHirst Park Homes Lipa, a 20-hectare development in Lipa City, Batangas, with 1,867 units valued at P2.8 billion. The company needed at least 20 hectares to build its horizontal developments.

Epson sees 19% revenue hike for FY 2018

PSON Philippines is expecting to sustain its strong doubledigit revenue growth at 19 percent by end of fiscal year 2018, mainly driven by strong end-user demand for both its inkjet printer and projector business portfolios. While this is a modest increase from last year’s 17 percent, Epson Philippines Marketing Division Director Eduardo Bonoan said “it’s still looked at as phenomenal” as compared to the performance of other companies in the same field. “So it’s still a better year [for us]. I think the important thing to note is we have the largest market share

that no printer and projector manufacturers have seen here in the Philippines. So we’re really dominant,” he told reporters during the unveiling of the company’s latest innovations at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, last week. As proof the brand has been accepted as a market leader, 1 out of either 2 inkjet printers or projectors sold nationwide is from Epson. The brand accounted for 55 percent of the local inkjet printer market for the first half of this year, the IDC Hardcopy Peripherals Report said. “We somehow hit the sweet spot with regards an inkjet product in-

STOCK-MARKET OUTLOOK LAST WEEK

SHARE prices fell last week, with the main index down all week long. It went as low as the 7,100-point level, but a recovery by the end of the week pared its losses. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index fell 30.15 points to close at 7,383 points. The main index was down almost all week long, despite the rosy performance of Wall Street and its Asian counterparts. It ended flat on Monday and went downhill from there, even closing at 7,134.73 points on Thursday. Bargain hunting, however, set in on Friday with the main index gaining 248.27 points or 3 percent. “The index was up 3.5 percent on Friday which is the biggest one-day gain going all the way back to January 2016,” said Christopher Mangun, research head at Eagle Equities Inc. Average value of trade for the week was at P6.12 billion, but most of the trade happened on Friday at P11.24 billion, or more than the combined value of trade on Wednesday and Thursday. Foreign investors were net sellers at P1.69 billion. The late buying on Friday lifted some of the subindices including the Industrial index that gained 172.81 points to close at 11,121.75 points and the Property index that rose 13.59 to 3,707.99. All other subindices ended on the red, led by the broader All Shares index that fell 47.9 to 4,507.4; the Financials index gave up 17.99 to 1,649.3; the Holding Firms index shed 142.48 to 7,109.43; the Services index was down 12.27 to 1,505.24; and the Mining and Oil index plunged 677.99 or 7 percent to 9,039.25. For the week, losers edged gainers 163 to 70 and 17 shares were unchanged. Top gainers were Omico Corp., Centro Escolar University, Cirtek Holdings Philippines Corp., Roxas and Co. Inc., MRC Allied Inc. and The Philodrill Corp. Top losers were Asiabest Group International Inc., Metro Alliance Holdings and Equities Corp. B, Italpinas Development Corp., Benguet Corp. A, Atok-Big Wedge Co. Inc. and Wellex Industries Inc.

THIS WEEK

SHARE prices may continue its volatility this week as both the US Federal Reserve and the local central bank will hold their respective policy meeting this week, which could see a hike in interest rates. “A consensus point to a potential 50-basis-point rate adjustment,” broker 2TradeAsia said, referring to the move of the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. “It would take a while for the 10-point inflation buster program of the Finance bureau to take effect, specifically for staple commodity items,” it said. Mangun, meanwhile, said if policy-makers raised the rates, the market may go up as this will come as a positive to investors that something is being done to curb higher inflation. “Another positive effect of an interest hike is it may encourage foreign funds to flow back in to the peso as our currency has performed better than what is expected. If the index can hold support at 7,350, this may create higher lows and continue a positive momentum,” he said.

STOCK PICKS

BROKER Regina Capital and Development Corp. recommended to sell Globe Telecom Inc. during the rally after the stock surpassed both short- and long-term indicators last month and has kept its position above the moving averages since then. “All indicators are showing significant buying pressure,” it said. Globe shares closed on Friday at P2,170 apiece. Meanwhile, the broker recommended to buy the stock of SM Investments Corp. when its support price of P875 per share holds. The broker said its technical indicators show selling pressures on the stock. It placed a weekly target on the stock at P866.25 per share. The stock closed on Friday at P892 per share. VG Cabuag

stitutions could rely on,” the top executive said. Before, he said inkjet printers used in institutions were characterized by the high cost of inks, and speed and quality concerns. “But now, I think, we’ve already debunked that. Since then, our growth reversed its trend. Before, our growth was in homes. Now, institutions are the dominant users of inkjet. So that seems to be the trend, especially for high-volume users,” Bonoan said. “Based on what we measured sometime back, we believe that 80 [percent] to 90 percent of our users

MUTUAL FUNDS

are institutions and the remaining 10 percent will probably be homes,” he added. Per the same study, Epson CISS/ Ink Tank printers have achieved a global phenomenal sales of 30 million units for fiscal year 2018. Epson also partook of 55-percent share of the domestic market for the second quarter of this year as reflected in the latest FutureSource Projector Report. The significant preference for these products could be attributed to the Philippines’s continued economic expansion, which stood at 6 percent from April to June 2018. Roderick L. Abad

September 21, 2018

NAV ONE YEAR THREE YEAR FIVE YEAR Y-T-D PER SHARE RETURN* RETURN STOCK FUNDS ALFM GROWTH FUND, INC * 242.85 -14.28% -1.71% 0.23% -17.17% ATRAM ALPHA OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC.* 1.3966 -16.04% 3.49% 1.43% -12.54% ATRAM PHILIPPINE EQUITY OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC.* 3.7766 -15.02% -0.05% -0.88% -17.77% CLIMBS SHARE CAPITAL EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND CORP.* 0.868 -13.65% N.A. N.A. -14.65% FIRST METRO CONSUMER FUND ON MSCI PHILS. IMI, INC. * ********* 0.8008 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN EQUITY FUND,INC.* 5.0346 -12.25% -2.23% -0.39% -16.27% MBG EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND, INC. * ****** 114.14 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. ONE WEALTHY NATION FUND, INC.* 0.8055 -17.54% N.A. N.A. -18.86% PAMI EQUITY INDEX FUND, INC.* 47.2398 -13.17% -0.69% N.A. -16.23% PHILAM STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC.* 493.58 -13.65% -1.84% -0.93% -16.12% PHILEQUITY DIVIDEND YIELD FUND, INC.* 1.2124 -11.17% -0.04% N.A. -13.67% PHILEQUITY FUND, INC.* 35.3036 -10.52% 0.35% 2.14% -14.09% PHILEQUITY PSE INDEX FUND INC.* 4.7503 -12.93% 0.05% 2.06% -16.28% PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND CORP.* 792.69 -13.09% -0.24% 1.72% -16.18% SOLDIVO STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. * 0.8231 -12.4% -2.52% N.A. -14.89% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE EQUITY FUND, INC.* 3.9117 -11.43% -0.34% 0.65% -14.6% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND, INC.* 0.9145 -13.03% -0.12% N.A. -16.35% UNITED FUND, INC.* 3.3819 -8.87% 0.73% 0.41% -13.16% EXCHANGE TRADED FUND FIRST METRO PHIL. EQUITY EXCHANGE TRADED FUND, INC.* ***106.0009 -12.2% 0.98% N.A. -15.84% ATRAM ASIAPLUS EQUITY FUND, INC.** $1.014 -5.22% 4.75% 1.04% -8.51% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY WORLD VOYAGER FUND, INC.* $1.296 7.74% N.A. N.A. 2.43% BALANCED FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ATRAM DYNAMIC ALLOCATION FUND, INC.* 1.6217 -10.99% -3.54% -2.23% -12.98% ATRAM PHILIPPINE BALANCED FUND, INC.* 2.1696 -10.03% -0.31% -0.12% -11.7% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN BALANCED FUND INC.* 2.4629 -8.95% -3.59% -2.98% -11.08% GREPALIFE BALANCED FUND CORPORATION* **** 1.2863 -10.15% N.A. N.A. -11.59% NCM MUTUAL FUND OF THE PHILS., INC* 1.8077 -6.72% -0.36% -0.26% -9.27% PAMI HORIZON FUND, INC.* 3.4532 -10.23% -1.96% -1.29% -11.87% PHILAM FUND, INC.* 15.459 -10.64% -2.08% -1.35% -11.95% SOLIDARITAS FUND, INC.* ******** 2.0148 -8.32% -0.43% 1.35% -10.14% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BALANCED FUND, INC.* 3.5662 -8.44% -1.16% -0.23% -10.76% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DYNAMIC FUND, INC.* 0.9121 -8.29% -1.25% N.A. -10.6% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES COCOLIFE DOLLAR FUND BUILDER, INC.* $0.03502 -2.99% -0.32% 2.28% -2.99% PAMI ASIA BALANCED FUND, INC.* $0.9744 -4.96% 3.18% -0.63% -6.93% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ADVANTAGE FUND, INC.* $3.6704 4.12% 5.48% 3.53% 0.49% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR WELLSPRING FUND, INC.* $1.0923 - 0.36% N.A. N.A. -1.79% BOND FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM PESO BOND FUND, INC.* 341.42 1.65% 1.78% 1.66% 1.28% ATRAM CORPORATE BOND FUND, INC.* ******* 1.859 -2.22% -1.11% -0.32% -1.76% COCOLIFE FIXED INCOME FUND, INC.* 2.9305 5.44% 5.36% 5.29% 3.84% EKKLESIA MUTUAL FUND INC.* 2.1215 0.31% 1.08% 1.01% 0.92% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN FIXED INCOME FUND,INC.* 2.2159 - 0.09% -0.11% 0.18% -0.01% GREPALIFE FIXED INCOME FUND CORP.* P 1.5731 -2.11% -1.8% -1.66% -2.26% PHILAM BOND FUND, INC.* 3.9024 -4.49% -1.5% -0.7% -3.64% PHILEQUITY PESO BOND FUND, INC.* 3.4643 -1.04% -0.54% -0.14% -1.16% SOLDIVO BOND FUND, INC. * 0.8929 -4.2% -1.83% N.A. -3.28% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BOND FUND, INC.* 2.7569 -0.33% -0.07% 0.22% -0.72% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY GS FUND, INC.* 1.5292 -1.06% -0.53% -0.39% -1.32% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES ALFM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. * $445.07 0.14% 2.23% 3.18% -0.2% ALFM EURO BOND FUND, INC. * Є213 0.43% 1.33% 1.69% -0.34% ATRAM TOTAL RETURN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC.** $1.1202 -1.16% 1.1% 2.06% -1.23% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC.* $0.0248 -1.2% 0.54% N.A. -0.8% GREPALIFE DOLLAR BOND FUND CORP.* $1.6987 -4.82% -0.33% 1.57% -4.11% MAA PRIVILEGE DOLLAR FIXED INCOME FUND, INC. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. MAA PRIVILEGE EURO FIXED INCOME FUND, INC. ЄN.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. PAMI GLOBAL BOND FUND, INC* $1.0294 -4.85% -1.28% -2.38% -4.11% PHILAM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC.* $2.1652 -3.67% 0.72% 2.78% -3.81% PHILEQUITY DOLLAR INCOME FUND INC.* $0.0568523 - 0.99% 0.92% 2% -0.61% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ABUNDANCE FUND, INC.* $2.8935 -4.46% 0.67% 2.1% -3.96% MONEY MARKET FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM MONEY MARKET FUND, INC.* 119.74 2.23% 1.64% 1.43% 1.81% PHILAM MANAGED INCOME FUND, INC.* 1.1726 1.67% 0.34% 0.35% 1.31% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY MONEY MARKET FUND, INC.* 1.2074 2.37% 2.12% 1.35% 1.85% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR STARTER FUND, INC.* ***** $1.0103 N.A. N.A. N.A. 1.16% * - NAVPS AS OF THE PREVIOUS BANKING DAY ** - NAVPS AS OF TWO BANKING DAYS AGO *** - LISTED IN THE PSE. **** - RE-CLASSIFIED INTO A BALANCED FUND STARTING JANUARY 1, 2017 (FORMERLY GREPALIFE BOND FUND CORP.). ***** - LAUNCH DATE IS NOVEMBER 6, 2017 ****** - LAUNCH DATE IS JANUARY 08, 2018 ******** - RENAMING OF THE FUND WAS APPROVED BY THE SEC LAST APRIL 13, 2018. ********* - BECAME A MEMBER SINCE APRIL 20, 2018. ******* - ADJUSTED DUE TO CASH DIVIDEND ISSUANCE LAST JANUARY 29, 2018

Agriculture/Commodities BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng • Monday, September 24, 2018

Ompong seen slashing 2018 rice output by 2.5%

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

@jearcalas

HILIPPINE paddy output this year may decline by 2.5 percent to 18.8 million metric tons, from a record high of 19.28 MMT last year, after Typhoon Ompong (international code name Mangkhut) destroyed rice crops in Northern Luzon farms.

Prior to Ompong’s onslaught, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Andrew B. Villacorta said the Department of Agriculture (DA) had projected that unmilled rice production in the second semester would reach 10.8 MMT. However, based on the initial damage reports collated by the DA, around 600,000 metric tons (MT) of palay have been destroyed by the typhoon, according to Villacorta. “That means we are only expecting about 10.2 [million metric tons] this second semester if there won’t be another typhoon,” he said in an interview with DWIZ over the weekend. “So, it’s unlikely that we will hit

our target production of 19.4 million metric tons [for the year]. We are expecting about 18.8 million metric tons or even lower [this year],” Villacorta added. The DA official also said local corn production for 2018 may fall below the DA’s target of 7.7 MMT as Ompong wiped out some 260,000 MT of corn in Northern Luzon. Corn production last year reached an all-time high of 7.914 MMT, 9.64 percent higher than the 7.218 MMT recorded in 2016. “We expect corn production in the second semester to reach 3.5 million metric tons,” Villacorta said. He said the DA may allow more

imports to meet the demand of local feed millers and the livestock sector for corn. “In fact, [Agriculture] Secretary [Emmanuel F. Piñol] has approved the importation of about 200,000 metric tons requested [by feed millers] before Typhoon Ompong. There could be an additional request from feed millers, perhaps another 200,000 metric tons,” he said. Villacorta also said Piñol, who now chairs the National Food Authority Council (NFAC), wants the NFA to have a rice inventory of about 750,000 MT by the end of the year. Piñol earlier told the BusinessMirror that the Philippines’s rice

imports could exceed the 250,000 MT that the NFA has been allowed to ship into the country by November. “We can expect more imports [this year]. The instruction of the President is to fill the warehouses [of the NFA],” Piñol said. “The President has given me the leeway to make decisions, especially after the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong. We will have to make sure provinces affected by the typhoon would have enough rice for the next four months,” he added. Northern Luzon farmers have incurred production losses amounting to about P16.76 billion due to the typhoon.

Group may ask SC to compel BFAR to implement amended Fisheries Code

CEANA Philippines said it is planning to ask the Supreme Court (SC) to compel the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA), to implement the Amended Philippine Fisheries Code of 2015. Gloria Estenzo-Ramos, vice president of Oceana Philippines, said her group would file a petition for a writ of continuing mandamus before the SC to mandate the BFAR to fulfill its duty under Republic Act (RA) 10654, or the Amended Philippine Fisheries Code of 2015. Ramos said the BFAR is yet to implement various provisions of RA 10654, including the promulga-

tion of the rules on vessel monitoring system (VMS). “We have done our part. There was a technical working group created that formed the draft rules [on VMS] and a public consultation was conducted but then at the last minute [the BFAR] said [the start of its implementation] would be indefinite,” Ramos told reporters in a recent interview. “[We would seek a writ of] continuing mandamus compelling the agency to perform their mandate. This is not discretionary on the part of the fisheries bureau. There’s a mandate that the IRR [implementing rules and regulations] should have been done in October [2017],”

she added. Ramos noted that the SC and the law allow any citizen to sue the appropriate agencies when laws related to the environment are not implemented or are not being implemented properly. She said the BFAR has not implemented various provisions of the amended fisheries code, which seeks to curb illegal fishing country. “[For one], there are the rules on vessel monitoring. This is very important because this would track the behavior of commercial fishers,” Ramos said. “So that we may know if they are stationary or already fishing

in restricted areas. Another one is geo-fencing of municipal waters. Why can’t the BFAR implement these?” she added. Ramos said Oceana has been constantly reminding the BFAR to implement the provisions of the law since it was passed in 2015. She said Oceana Philippines has sent the BFAR a notice that the agency is required by law to craft the necessary rules on VMS on August 9. The BFAR responded that it would draft the rules, but Ramos said it has not yet materialized. “For us, if they would not listen to the civil society then the courts would have to be the one to tell them to [do] their job,” she said.

“The BFAR’s lawyer committed to give us an update but until now we are still waiting for their reply. We are giving them more than enough time; it’s more than a month already but we also have our own timeline,” Ramos added. Ramos did not disclose when they would file the case before the SC. “They are not implementing a lot of provisions and the most important one is that on the VMS. They should promulgate the rules to cover all commercial fishing vessels,” she said. Ramos said they have sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol to call his attention

to the matter. However, she said Piñol has not yet responded to the group’s missive. Sought for comment, Piñol told the BusinessMirror that he referred Oceana's concerns to the legal office of the Bfar. “It is nothing personal. It is against the agency. We have been telling them for three years already that we need these rules to deter illegal fishing,” she said. “The deadline for the VMS was October 2016. It’s been two years already so they cannot say we are rushing them. I hope [the petition for a writ of mandamus] pressures [the agency],” Ramos added. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

B4 Monday, September 24, 2018

LAS CASAS REVISITS PAST THROUGH BIOPIC FILM ‘GOYO: ANG BATANG HENERAL’

AS Casas Filipinas de Acuzar held a special media screening of the Filipino historical film Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral on September 19 at the movie theater of Victoria Sports Edsa. Some of the movie’s pivotal scenes were shot at Las Casas heritage resort featuring Hotel de Oriente, Casa Jaen, Casa Lubao, among others. This action-filled biopic headlined by Paulo Avelino is the second installment to the 2015 hit film Heneral Luna. Located at the heart of Bagac, Bataan, Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is the only Philippine destination that showcases

the best of Filipino heritage and culture through the colorful stories as retold by Jose Acuzar’s collection of restored SpanishFilipino houses. Masterfully crafted by local artisans from Bagac, Bataan; Paete, Laguna; and nearby provinces, Las Casas highlights the outstanding beauty of being a Filipino. From the majestic architectural design to heartwarming revival of traditions, Las Casas is a complete package to a one-of-a-kind travel to the past. All these unique initiatives of Jose Acuzar in line with his mission to bring Filipino heritage to greater heights has caught the attention of the international scene by being the only Philippine property to be a part of the Conde Nast Johansens Luxury global collection and Peninsula Hotel’s Pencities Luxe guide. This heritage resort is also the Asia Awards of Excellence winner for Asia’s most excellent destination for 2017 and is a project of the New San Jose Builders Inc. in consultancy with Asian Grand Legacy Hotels.

WORLD FINANCIAL MARKETING ALLIANCE NOW OFFERS ETERNAL PLANS’ LIFE PLAN The World Financial Marketing Alliance (WFMA), a renowned financial-service organization, now offers the life-plan products of leading pre-need company Eternal Plans Inc. (EPI) and insurance products of its sister company Fortune Life Insurance Co. Inc. Under its life plan program, Eternal Plans provides memorial services rendered by accredited mortuaries nationwide. At the signing of the memorandum of agreement also attended by Fortune Life executives were (from left) Shiela S. Roxas, WFMA chairman; Elmer M. Lorica, Eternal Plans president and chief operating officer; Marydoll L. Rapirap, WFMA president; and Rolando B. Bongalon, Eternal Plans senior assistant vice president for sales and marketing.

CITADINES BAY CITY MANILA IS YOUR NEW ADDRESS FOR CHIC BAYSIDE LIVING

HE Ascott Limited, a world-renowned brand in hospitality and a leading global owner-operator of serviced residences, will once again add a property to its prestigious portfolio with the scheduled opening of Citadines Bay City Manila in November. Located in one of the most happening places in Pasay City, on the corner of Diosdado Macapagal Avenue and Coral Way, Ascott’s first international serviced residence in the area is a stone’s throw from the sprawling SM Mall of Asia, minutes away from entertainment hubs, such as Dream Play and Mall of Asia Arena, and just a short drive from Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The property itself is located in a mixed-use complex, with office spaces and retail options at the W Mall, making shopping convenient for guests and residents. At the end of the day, residents and travelers can kick their feet back and relax in any of the Citadines Bay City Manila’s cozy 212 units. There are three types to choose from: Studio deluxe,

perfect for solo travelers or couples enjoying a fast-paced lifestyle; twin studio deluxe, designed for extended stays with its fully equipped kitchen and washer and dryer features; and spacious one-bedroom premier serviced apartments, which are great for families as they have separate living and dining areas. All apartments are equipped with modern amenities, including a smart TV, en suite bathroom, and split airconditioning system. Guests can rest peacefully knowing that the security is round the clock. For recreational needs, there is a fitness center with free weights, selectorized machines, cardio zone, curated jogging path and functional area that provides a space for group exercise classes. The fitness center is designed to create an exhilarating, fun and motivating workout environment. Right outside is a 25-meter swimming pool, wading pool for kids, pool bar, a running path and a relaxing sun deck. As one of the world’s leading serviced residence owner-operators, The Ascott Limited’s impeccable touch in caring for its residents and guests is truly one of Citadines Bay City Manila’s highlights. Expect for a 24-hour reception, complimentary parking, and daily breakfast and housekeeping service, as well as limousine service, a self-service launderette, and an in-room washing machine and dryer in selected apartments. The property is set to open in November.Formoreinformation,e-mail them at enquiry.manila@the-ascott.com. You may also visit their Web site www. citadines.com.

BRACE YOURSELVES FOR A TIGER VICTORY Sports BusinessMirror

C1 | M

onday, September 24, 2018 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

By Doug Ferguson

The Associated Press

TLANTA—Tiger Woods made it look and sound as if he had never been gone. More than turning back time, every hole seemed like the one before Saturday at the Tour Championship. A tee shot striped down the middle of the fairway. The clean strike of an iron as he held his pose. A sonic boom of the cheers from around the green. Another birdie. “I got off to an ideal start,” Woods said. “And the next thing you know, I was off and running.” With the most dynamic golf he has played all year, Woods built a five-shot lead in seven holes before he cooled from there, settled for a five-under 65 that gave him a three-shot lead over Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose and an ideal chance to end this comeback season with a moment that has defined his career. Winning. Woods has the 54-hole lead for the first time since his last victory in 2013 at the Bridgestone Invitational. He has never lost an official tournament when leading by more than two shots going into the final round, and his closing record with the lead is 42-2 on the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour. He has never been in better position to show he’s all the way back from four back surgeries that once made him fear he might never play again. “I’ve gone through a lot this year to get myself to this point, and understanding and fighting my way through it,” Woods said. “I’m certainly much more equipped than I was in March because of what I’ve gone through.” Wood was at 12-under 198 and will be paired for the first time in final group with McIlroy on the PGA Tour. McIlroy birdied two of his last three holes for a 66. “It’s obviously exciting for the golf tournament. It’s exciting for golf in general that he’s up there,” McIlroy said. “But for me, all I can do is concentrate on myself. The game is hard enough without looking at other people. Go out there, take care of my business, and hopefully that’s good enough.” Rose started the third round tied with Woods, but not for long. Rose opened with two straight bogeys before battling back, but the world’s No. 1 player already was four shots behind after four holes. He narrowed the gap with a birdie on the 16th as Woods had to scramble for bogey, a two-shot swing. “In some ways, it felt like a Sunday, just with the energy,” Rose said after a 68. “But I knew that it was halfway through a Saturday. Just wanted to sort of chisel a few back and give myself a chance going into tomorrow.” Rose forgot about Woods and tried to beat East Lake, a game of match play in his mind, in a bid to stay in the game. He wound up with a hard-earned 68. There used to be no chance against Woods when he was atop the leaderboard going into the final round. His only losses with the 54-hole lead were the Quad City Classic in 1996 when he was 20 and making third start as a pro, and the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine against YE Yang. He also lost a two-shot lead to Lee Westwood in Germany at a European Tour event in 2000. Now? Woods has gone more than five years without winning. He also has won enough times—90 tournaments around the world—to remember how. “It’s a little more unknown now,” Rose said. “Obviously, his history, his statistics from this point are impeccable. They’re incredible. But he’s human, and there’s a lot on it for him tomorrow, as well as the rest of us.” Woods has had four finishes in the top 5, a runner-up by one shot at Innisbrook and by two shots at the PGA Championship. Only once this year, however, has he started the final round within closer than four shots of the lead. Being up by three is a much better view. “Simple math says that if I play a clean card, the guys behind me have to shoot 67 to force it into extra holes,” Woods said. “That helps. I don’t have to shoot 63 or 64 and hope I get help. This is a spot I’d much rather be in than four or five back.” The Saturday start was simply mesmerizing. Woods poured in a 20-foot birdie putt on the first hole. His wedge settled 8 feet below the hole on No. 3. His 20-foot birdie putt on No. 4 tumbled into the center of the cup with perfect pace. Two short birdies followed. And when he finally missed a fairway at No. 7, Woods hit a 9-iron from the bunker that hopped out of the first cut to about 5 feet for a sixth birdie in seven holes. The cheers were endless, and there was no doubting what was going on. “I’ve heard the roars all day, and it’s been phenomenal,” Paul Casey said after his 66. “What an atmosphere it is out there this week.” Woods, however, made only one birdie over his last 11 holes, a wedge to 7 feet on No. 12. He missed badly on his tee shot at the par-3 ninth, and the shaggy rough to the right of the 16th fairway caused the face of his club to open, missing to the right. His flop shot didn’t get up the hill and rolled back toward him, and his next pitch was a bump-and-run played to perfection that kept him from another double bogey. McIlroy also started strong, and being in the group ahead of Woods, he knew exactly what was happening. On Sunday, he get a front-row seat. The only other time they were paired together in the fourth round was at the 2015 Masters, when both were 10 shots behind Jordan Spieth. Rose won’t be in the final group, but he has plenty on the line even if he doesn’t catch Woods. He likely needs to finish in the top 5 to be assured of winning the FedEx Cup and the $10-million bonus.

PLISKOVA DENIES OSAKA TRIUMPH ON HOME SOIL T

OKYO—Fourth-seeded Karolina Pliskova beat Naomi Osaka, 6-4, 6-4, on Sunday to win the Pan Pacific Open and deny the US Open champion a win in her home country. Osaka, who upset Serena Williams in the final in New York, hadn’t dropped a set previous to Sunday’s final and was frustrated from the outset by the bigserving Czech player. Pliskova broke Osaka for a second time to go up 5-4 in the second set and then hammered her sixth ace to secure her 11th career title. Pliskova needed three dramatic sets in each of her matches to reach her second final of the season. “I was just happy it didn’t go to a third set,” Pliskova said. “Naomi was playing so good all tournament, but I think she was a little bit tired today.” The frustration was evident when Osaka double faulted in the ninth game of the second set to set up Pliskova’s second break. The 20-year-old tossed her racket to the ground before collecting her composure, but it was too late. It was the second time Osaka came up short in the tournament. Two years ago, Osaka lost in the final to Caroline Wozniacki, this year’s top-seeded player who was eliminated by Camila Giorgi in the second round. In Chicago, John Isner, the tall American with the blistering serve, has added a new role in the last week. He’s a dad. His wife gave birth a week ago to their first child, a daughter, an experience Isner described as “the best moment of my life for sure.” Being separated this week while he competes in the

Laver Cup has been difficult. Isner said he received a picture on his phone of his daughter watching him play for the first time. “I don’t think she will remember it,” he joked. “My wife is changing her diaper, and I’m on the TV.” He’s going to skip upcoming tournaments in Asia to be a family man. “It’s been super tough being away right now,” he said. “I certainly miss my daughter incredibly much right now.” He’s also hoping that his family will be able to travel with him next year. “We’ll see how that goes,” he said. “It’s going to be an adjustment.” Isner’s career has been on the upswing at age 33. He won his first Masters 1000 title at Miami, beating Alexander Zverev in the finals. And later he reached the Wimbledon semifinals, losing a nearly seven-hour-long marathon to Kevin Anderson, who is his teammate this week on Team World. Isner had a difficult loss on Saturday in the Laver Cup, falling to Zverez, who rallied for a 3-6, 7-6, 10-7 victory. Roger Federer then beat Nick Kyrgios 6-3, 6-2 to give Team Europe a 7-1 lead in the team competition at the United Center. But in the night session, Anderson downed Wimbledon and US Open champion Novak Djokovic, 7-6, 5-7, (10-6), to cut the lead to 7-3. Anderson, who played at the University of Illinois, lost the Wimbledon final to Djokovic. The doubles team of Kyrgios and Jack Sock brought Team World to within 7-5 with a 6-3, 6-4 win over David Goffin and Grigor Dimitrov in the final match of the night. The finals are on Sunday with one doubles and three singles scheduled. AP NAOMI OSAKA’S (above) frustration is evident when she double faults in the ninth game of the second set to set up Karolina Pliskova’s second break. AP

TIGER WOODS has the 54-hole lead for the first time since his last victory in 2013 at the Bridgestone Invitational. AP

Spo

Business

C2 Monday, September 24, 2018

TAMS FOIL MAROONS F

AR Eastern University (FEU) clamped down University of the Philippines (UP) to score an 89-73 victory in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 81 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan CIty. Prince Orizu scored 15 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting as the Tamaraws held the Fighting Maroons to their lowest output in three games in the season. More important, the FEU is back on the winning track after a painful 74-76 loss to a young University of Santo Tomas (UST) team on September 12. The Tamaraws hiked their record to two wins against a single loss. “’Good bounce-back win. It was a bit hard to take a game like that,” FEU Head Coach Olsen Racela said. “It was a defensive game. I felt like our offense was just a bonus. We had good execution on the defensive end.” The Tamaraws mounted a strong firstquarter attack on Orizu’s nine points that gave them on a 25-13 advantage. The onslaught continued in the third quarter and the lead ballooned to 24 with Wendell Comboy’s triple in the 5:13 mark. But UP tried to flip the table with its 10-0 rally early in the final period, but FEU answered with its own 7-0 assault to keep the game for good. Arvin Tolentino scored 13 points and grabbed three rebounds, while Comboy added 12 points, five boards and five assists for FEU. Brothers Javier and Juan Gomez de Llano led the Fighting Maroons with 15 and 13 points, respectively. Bright Akhuetie shot a miserable 1-of-8 from the field in the first half and his production in the fourth quarter hardly mattered as he finished with nine points that

went with 11 rebounds. UP fell to its second loss in three games. National University (NU), meanwhile, goes for a fifth straight men’s championship while De La Salle eyes a second consecutive women’s crown in Season 81 badminton tournament that opens on Monday at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall. The Bulldogs and Lady Shuttlers drew opening day byes and will see action on Thursday. NU takes on Ateneo at 8 a.m. In the women’s session at 1 p.m., De La Salle tackles with Ateneo. Starring last season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Alvin Morada, the Bulldogs, undefeated in 35 ties, will parade an intact roster with former MVP Leeward Pedrosa returning, boosting the Bustillos-based squad’s bid for another crown. Reigning MVP Nicole Albo will banner the Lady Shuttlers’ quest to keep the throne. Hostilities will actually begin on Tuesday with the men’s ties at 8 a.m., with last year’s runner-up UP taking on Adamson University, Ateneo battling University of the East (UE) and UST playing De La Salle. Women’s ties at 1 p.m. will feature former champion UP facing UST, Ateneo crossing paths with UE, and NU pitting Adamson University. Determined to achieve a breakthrough championship, the Lady Bulldogs will unveil the country’s top player in Sarah Joy Barredo to challenge the Lady Shuttlers and the Lady Maroons. Ramon Rafael Bonilla

A BATTLE of big men ensures between Far Eastern University’s Kevin Ebona (8) and University of the Philippines’s Bright Akhuetie. NONOY LACZA

PAL LADIES INTERCLUB WINNERS Members of the Pradera Verde team—(from

left) Rianne Malixi, Asian Games champion Yuka Saso, Charlyne Chongshinling, Annyka Chanel Cayabyab, Eliza Mae Kho, Seoyun Shin, Vinisha Gunaseelan and Zulaikah Nasser—celebrate their second straight Philippine Airlines Ladies Interclub team championship over the weekend, scoring a tournament-best 59 points at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club.

CARLOS, BAULETE NIP NETFEST FOES

Altas’ Eze bags weekly award

NIVERSITY of Perpetual Help did the unthinkable last Friday as the Altas beat erstwhile unbeaten Lyceum of the Philippines University in dramatic fashion. With time winding down and needing a basket, Prince Eze muscled his way into the paint and knocked down the buzzerbeating putback that secured the Altas’ 83-81 come-from-behind victory. It was not only the first loss of the Pirates this season, but also their first taste of defeat in the elimination round in two years. By slaying the National Collegiate Athletic Association giant, Eze was hailed as the NCAA Press Corps Player of the Week. “I know it’s possible. I know it’s possible!” shouted Eze in jubilation as he entered the press room for the post-win interview.

The Nigerian churned out a monster performance of 25 points, 23 rebounds and two blocks—on top of his gamewinner. “Big game by Eze, of course. He has MVP stats again,” beamed Perpetual Help Head Coach Frankie Lim. For Lim and the Altas, the win boiled down to defense. They limited the high-octane offense of the Pirates to just 13 points in the fourth quarter and clawed their way back into the game. “They really delivered. I told the players before the game ‘I want to see u guys on attack mode,’ and that’s what exactly happened,” Lim said. “I saw something in our last game, the defense we played, I saw a lot of things,” said Eze about the Altas’ gutsy performance. “We have a lot of rookies in our team so we just have to follow the coaches which tell us what to do. We just keep on fighting.”

ACIE CARLOS and Rovie Baulete hacked out victories in contrasting fashions to lead the charge of the fancied bets in the opener of the Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge Under-14 and U-16 qualifying tournaments at the Makati Sports Club recently. Last year’s runner-up Carlos disposed of Corazon Lambonao, 6-2, 6-2, in the 14-U side, while Baulete recovered from a second-set defeat by dominating the super tiebreak, 6-4, 6-7(4), 10-2, in the 16-U play of the tournament sponsored by Malayan Insurance, Dunlop and Makati Sports Club. In other 14-U, Mica Emana overpowered Tennielle Madis in the tiebreak, 6-2. 3-6, 10-0, while third-ranked Tiffany Nocos upended No. 2 Julia Ignacio, 6-4, 6-1, in the Unified Tennis Philippines (UTP)-sanctioned event, which serves as a qualifier for the Women’s Tennis Association Future Stars Finals in Singapore next month. Justin Maneja, on the other hand, whipped Shedel Gica, 6-3, 6-0, while second seed Bliss Bayking blitzed past Ellaine Bahonsua, 6-0, 6-2, in the 16-U category. “Your worthy performance earned you a spot in this tournament and I believe the winners will make the country proud in the Women’s Tennis Association Future Stars,” said Cebuana Lhuillier President/CEO and UTP Founder Jean Henri Lhuillier. All participants received certificates of recognition from UTP officials for emerging the top-ranking players in their respective categories.

Musing on NU Bulldogs RICK OLIVARES | bleachersbrew@gmail.com

BLEACHERS’ BREW IT was a painful 72-46 loss to the Ateneo Blue Eagles, talking about the National University (NU) Bulldogs. At 1-2 (won-lost), they are lucky that they aren’t 0-3 because they faltered during the late stretch against University of Santo Tomas (UST) in their season opener. Had there been a few more minutes, the Growling Tigers could have possibly come away winners as they played much better in the fourth period but ran out of time as NU faltered. Why is this NU team struggling? Again...I will say my opinion on this based on what I know and see...they have a young team. But I said that last year and during the final year of Eric Altamirano? So technically, shouldn’t they be ripe? It didn’t help that during Jamike Jarin’s first season, JV Gallego and Meds Salim were taken out due to disciplinary action. Joshua Sinclair was injured. That hurt the team last season (not to mention starting point guard Chino Mosqueda was lost due to a knee injury). The change from a more half court team to a pressing one under Jarin was difficult because this team was young and maybe did not have the talent for that. It helps that now they have John Lloyd Clemente, John Galinato, Enzo Joson and Dave Ildefonso. They showed that hounding defense that Jarin likes—one he employed while at Ateneo High School, Talk ‘N Text and San Beda— during the summer. They were up and down, but I thought that they showed promise. Am I surprised that they have not really performed well? Not really, it is a young team.

Jarin told me that late addition Troy Rike had an up and down preseason with them. Not having enough meaningful games with the Bulldogs has affected their chemistry more so since the bulk of the preseason, NU played without Rike. I think any team will struggle when their big man or their bigs aren’t playing well. Issa Gaye, who I first got to know when he was pals with former Reedley and Ateneo Team B center KG Gueye, had a difficult game. The small ball will help but only if you can rebound and run and if the opposing team doesn’t have very good ball carriers. Having said all that, I hope team management will be patient. However, blowouts like these do not help at all. The last three times these Ateneo and NU squads played each other including the summer games, the Bulldogs got creamed. There is one other thing...after the match during the post-match presser, I was surprised that Ateneo Coach Tab Baldwin talked about wanting to send a message to Dave Ildefonso that he made the wrong choice. Coach Tab told me that about three hours before the game, and I was certainly surprised he mentioned it to the media. It is an unspoken word about sending messages of this sort. One school of thought is you just don’t say it because you don’t want to give the other guy motivation for next game. During the past summer league, Mapua totally did a number on former center Will Gozum who opted not to stay in Intramuros and instead returned to UP.

They went right at him on the offensive end and punished him physically on the defensive end. La Salle did the same to Nico Elorde when he moved to Ateneo. Ditto with Far Eastern University when Jerie Pingoy played in a charity game after he left the Baby Tamaraws for the Blue Eagles. The Tams really shut him down and put a hit on him. Conversely, it works the other way, too. Shaun Ildefonso played well in his summer games against Ateneo where he played in high school and up to first year college. Robert Bolick Jr. is 3-0 with San Beda against La Salle. So was Dave ever going to move up to the senior Blue Eagles? Based on what I know and my conversations with the Ildefonsos during Dave’s final year with the Blue Eaglets.... NO. That was sealed the moment older brother Shaun moved to NU to get more playing time when their father Danny Ildefonso was lured back. It was a career move because Dave is seen with a bigger chance to move up to the pros, but the father wanted to give Shaun a playing chance. Dave pointed out to former high-school teammate SJ Belangel bleeding for minutes. I think that is normal for many rookies unless they are wunderkinds like him. John Galinato isn’t exactly getting minutes on that NU team. Galinato, who won a bunch of titles with the Chiang Kai Shek Blue Dragons, is playing 20 minutes less than Dave. Miguel Oczon, who was a star with CKSC but moved to NU midway in his high-school career didn’t even make it to this UAAP lineup. I recall during the recent NBTC All-Star Game when I asked if anyone was recruiting him. Oczon, at that time, said no. So I pointed him in the direction of UST and someone helping out their program. They had openings, but he opted to stay with NU. Now for NU...they are in a tough place. I hope people aren’t too much in a hurry because they have a good young team. Eric Altamirano didn’t win it right away. Just trust the process and know that this is a young team with a lot of studs. But they do need to compile some wins. The ultimate barometer at the end of the day is the ones in the win column. Unfortunately, their next match is against streaking Adamson.

orts

sMirror

Monday, September 24, 2018

PARTY OPEN SET T

MIA PICCIO (right) and Princess Superal will bring their act to the first Ladies Philippine Golf Tour Taiwan event.

HE Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT) will co-stage a Taiwan Ladies Professional Golf Association (TLPGA) event next month in Taiwan, marking the first time that the local circuit will be holding a tournament abroad through the Party Golfer Ladies Open from October 3 to 5 at the National Golf Country Club in Miaoli County. The LPGT, through its sponsor International Container Terminal Services Inc., and its TLPGA counterpart Party Golfer will be splitting the $100,000 money purse for the 54-hole tournament that will also give the Filipina pros the rare chance to compete overseas against the best and rising players in the region. “This is in line with LPGT’s continuing effort

to raise the level of play among the local pros and advance the growth of ladies pro golf,” said Colo Ventosa, general manager of Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc., organizer of the country’s men’s and women’s pro circuits. “By exposing them abroad, we would be providing them the opportunity to compete on a different setup and environment, which we hope will be beneficial to their respective games.” Pauline del Rosario, the reigning LPGT Order of Merit champion, has actually won a TLPGA event when she rallied in the final round and snared the TLPGA and Royal Open crown last year with Ventosa, confident of producing more and more Filipina winners in one of the region’s leading circuits. “Our local pros have been competing with the TLPGA ladies through the TLPGAsanctioned LPGT tournaments that we’ve been holding twice each year the last three seasons. This time I am hoping our ladies will do well outside

the Philippines,” Ventosa said. “Pauline has already won a TLPGA tournament and we hope one of the ladies would be able to duplicate her feat soon,” she added. The Party Golfer Ladies Open will feature the leading TLPGA players and those from other regional circuits with Symetra Tour campaigners Mia Piccio and Princess Superal to spearhead the Filipinas’ bid in the event co-sanctioned by the TLPGA and LPGT. The two circuits will also share the prize money when they costage the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Masters in February. “Our goal is to grow the ladies tour and we need more of our talents to play abroad and join Dottie [Ardina], who is now doing so well on the Symetra Tour,” said Ventosa, referring to the ICTSIbacked pro who is now a cinch to gain full membership for next year’s LPGA Tour. “We want the LPGT to be as big as our PGT and PGT Asia tours.”

Del Monte, Tagaytay, Bacolod bag PAL Ladies Interclub division titles

EL MONTE, Tagaytay Highlands and Bacolod captured division titles on Saturday at the close of the 13th Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub golf team championships at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club in Davao City. Del Monte leaned on Martina Minoza’s 52 points and Rhea Langgamin’s 51 to win the Founders division with 554 points. Kiara Therese

Montebon was the third scorer with 45 points. Lady Eagles Australian 1 finished second with 541 points behind Kelsey Benett’s 55 points, while Negros Occidental settled for third with 507. In the Sportswriters division, Tagaytay Highlands drew 53 points from Sophia Blanco to beat Camp Aguinaldo by 15 points. Tagaytay closed out with 123 for 460 points

while Aguinaldo, anchored by Mabel Salivio’s 47, submitted 111 for 445. Pueblo de Oro drew 49 points from Alethea Paige Gaccion to settle for third place with 433. In the tight battle for the Friendship crown, Bacolod edged host Rancho Palos Verdes, 362361, behind a strong finish of 99 points. Jocel Pagunsan led Bacolod with 41 points, while Mi Sun Jo led the host club with 36 points.

Apo Golf settled for third place with 326 points. Pradera Verde captured the championship division, beating Manila Southwoods by 13 points. Major sponsors for the 13th PAL Ladies Interclub include Airbus, Bombardier, People Asia, UM Broadcasting Network and Primax Broadcasting Network.

Other sponsors are TFC, Mastercard, Resorts World, SEDA Hotel, SM Supermalls and Banco de Oro. Donors are Asia Brewery and Philippine National Bank. The final results: Founders—Del Monte 554 (136-138-132148), Lady Eagles Australian 1 541 (116-158121-146), Negros Occidental 507 (124-130126-127), Alabang 501 (121-136-116-128), Orchard 452 (117-117115-103), Wack Wack 445 (119-105-114-107) Sportswriters—Tagaytay Highlands 460 (106-120-111-123), Camp Aguinaldo 445

(109-118-107-111), Pueblo de Oro 433 (12199-98-115), Manila Golf 403 (89-111-95-108), Rancho Palos Verdes 1 400 (109-103-92-96), Lady Eagles Australian 2 399 (101-99-98-101), Camp John Hay 398 (89-96-104-109), Eagle Ridge 379 (95-88-106-90), Fairways and Bluewater 349 (89-88-86-86), Alta Vista 335 (84-8471-96), Iloilo 278 (72-68-63-75) Friendship—Bacolod 362 (82-84-97-99), Rancho Palos Verdes 2 361 (94-98-83-86), Apo 326 (81-87-81-77), Alabang 2 321 (77-84-8179), Orchard 258 (95-84-38-41), Victorias 251 (61-75-55-60).

By Steve Douglas

The Associated Press

ONDON—With blood streaming out of his busted nose, Anthony Joshua was in deep trouble once more in front of 80,000 stunned spectators at Wembley Stadium. Alexander Povetkin, a 39-year-old Russian with supposedly his best days behind him, was dominating heavyweight boxing’s new superstar with his powerful inside work and punching power. Like 17 months ago when he was knocked down by Wladimir Klitschko in the same venue, Joshua was looking vulnerable. And just like that career-defining night, he came through. Joshua slowly picked off a tiring Povetkin and delivered a brutal finish in the seventh round to retain his World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization belts on Saturday. “A few years ago,” Joshua said, “maybe I wouldn’t have won that fight.” The end was emphatic, and trademark Joshua. A left hook left Povetkin open and Joshua followed through with a straight right that sent the challenger to the canvas. Povetkin had his head through the ropes at one point but he managed to get to his feet, only for Joshua to pile in with a flurry of punches that caused the referee to step in and stop the fight with 1:01 left in the round. “There is a lot of pressure, the whole country is rooting for me,” said Joshua, whose phenomenal pulling power has seen him attract almost 400,000 spectators to his last five fights. “The energy in here spurs you on and you do feel that pressure, I’m not going to lie.” Joshua’s record moved to 22-0, with 21 wins coming inside the distance. He is booked to return to Wembley on April 13 for his next bout, and the plan is for the opponent to be either World Boxing Council titleholder Deontay Wilder or former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

IRONA, Spain—A feud has erupted in Spanish soccer over the league’s unprecedented plan to hold a regularseason match in the United States. The Spanish league and clubs are for it. The national soccer federation and players’ union are against it. And in the middle, fans who have grown up supporting their teams are divided over their future in a sport that is expanding its global profile. The Spanish league is intent on closing the money gap with the wealthier English Premier League and wants to become the first major European soccer country to play a regular-season match in the United States. In recent years, Spain, Italy and France have held season-

JOSHUA RETAINS ‘HEAVY’ CROWNS

They confirmed earlier on Saturday that they will be fighting on December 1, likely in Las Vegas. Asked in the ring who his preferred opponent would be, Joshua said: “My No. 1 would be Wilder, let’s not talk about a No. 2 or 3.” Selling the Povetkin fight was harder than usual for Joshua and his promoters, with the Russian boxer now at veteran status and conceding around 11 kilograms on the champion. Joshua was 1-10 to win with some British bookmakers. On a rainy night that forced spectators at ground level to wear plastic ponchos as protection from the wet conditions, Joshua struggled in the early rounds and was rocked by a three-punch combination from Povetkin in the first. Blood poured from Joshua’s right nostril and he might have lost rounds two and three, too, with Povetkin dangerous close in and with his fierce left hook. “It’s a nice way to wake up and knew you’re in a tough fight,” Joshua said. Using his long reach and fighting on the back foot, Joshua came back into the fight and Povetkin was looking for the big punch for the

knockout. Povetkin sustained a bad cut over his left eye in round four and was noticeably slowing up by the end of round five. He had no answer to Joshua’s barrage of punches in the seventh that set up the crowd-pleasing finish. The Russian, who was the WBA “regular” champion from 2011-2013, was getting a shot at a world title for the first time since testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs twice in a seven-month period in 2016. Coming in the same week as his native Russia was welcomed back into global sporting competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency after a notorious doping scandal, the timing of the fight seemed apt. And he put up a game fight, one which proved to be Joshua’s toughest test since Klitschko. It was the first time Povetkin was stopped inside the distance.

Sports BusinessMirror

| Monday, September 24, 2018 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

ALEXANDER POVETKIN goes down after taking a punch from Anthony Joshua. AP

SPANISH DIVIDE opening Super Cup matches abroad before the league competitions start. The Spanish league wants to kick off an ambitious plan to play matches in the United States with a game in suburban Miami on January 26, featuring Lionel Messi’s Barcelona against Girona, a small club eager to introduce itself to the wider world. The Spanish federation, however, has put the proposed match in doubt. The Spanish league, along with Barcelona

and Girona, formally requested the necessary approval to hold the match abroad from the federation, which sets the rules governing all soccer in Spain. The federation’s response came on Friday in the form of a letter that apparently listed several concerns over the plan, including whether it would be fair to the other 18 clubs, as well as the fans of Barcelona and Girona. Spain’s players’ union had already criticized the plan, saying that it should have been

consulted beforehand by the league. The players have gone as far as threatening to strike. For the match to go forward, the Spanish league would need permission from the national federation as well as US Soccer and continental bodies Union of European Football Associations and Confederation of North, Central American

and Caribbean Association Football. Spanish league President Javier Tebas has doubled down on his designs to play the match in Florida this season, saying that “the game is still on.” “We are going to respond to everything they say, and we will keep working,” Tebas told

reporters. “This match is very important in our strategic plan in the United States.” Tebas, who has led an effort to restore the financial health of Spanish clubs and collectivized the sale of the league’s TV rights, envisions following the path taken by professional American sports to expand abroad. AP

Just God

UST God, You are good to the upright and compassionate to all believers. In hope we pray: Oh God, continue Your blessing. Give wisdom, insight and understanding to those who are discerning a vocation. Sensitize us to those who are experiencing diminishment of mind, body or resources. Reward those who hope in You and shine Your light upon those who dwell in the shadow of death. May the spirit of God be our hope through the day and our guide through the night. 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

IVARLUSKI ASERON

DENNIS LUSTICO

Power of two TOTA PULCHRA MISS CHARLIZE

@misscharlize

HEY have disparate sensibilities in fashion design yet the two great friends—Ivarluski Aseron and Dennis Lustico—have a similar inclination toward the subversion of the contemporary ideals of dressing. Aseron is innovative; his reverse-pleating method is a technical marvel. Lustico is imaginative; his grounded rendition of a whimsical Wes Anderson character is a visual feast. For their recent collections, the two designers opted to show at Bench Fashion Week (BFW) Holiday 2018. “I have tremendous respect for Ben Chan as a person, a visionnaire and a businessman. I look up to him like a superhero, and the family of [Chan relative] Nenita Lim, who’s a client of mine, is extremely kind and so down to earth,” Lustico said. “I haven’t had a show for three years and when Bench approached me last year, I immediately got excited. When you’re given a platform by a prestigious global homegrown company, you say yes at once.” Aseron echoed the sentiment: “I got excited when Ben Chan invited me to be a part of BFW. I think it’s a very nice platform to show a collection.” The clothes of the elite Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines members offered a contrast in palette, persuasion and perspective. But both collections, in terms of Lustico’s scale and Aseron’s construction, offer women more avant-garde, radical alternatives for their boring wardrobe. “I’ve always been drawn to somber palettes because they show my details more,” Aseron explained of his “Off-Center” collection, a mix of close-to-the-body and oversize silhouettes. “I used wool, crinoline and cotton.” Aseron admitted that he had always been drawn to something a bit off or off-center even when he was young and not yet a fashion designer. “I would arrange things in my room off-centered and I noticed I liked asymmetry whenever I browsed magazines whether on fashion or interior design,” he said. Aseron showed woven labels of his name in several of his ensembles. It’s a stroke that’s both ingenious and unapologetic for the laconic designer, who lets his awesome work, which has a wide vocabulary, speak for itself. Lustico, meanwhile, titled his collection, “The Imagined Life of Madame D,” inspired by the geriatric character played by Tilda

Swinton in The Grand Budapest Hotel. “I was guided by the essence of how to be a real woman, that is with grace, glamour and refinement,” Lustico explained. “I played with a wide variety of palettes. There was actually no limit for as long as the shade is within the Wes Anderson kingdom of color. The silhouettes are mostly from the 1970s and 1980s but tweaked to become more current.” The film swept all the industry awards in costume design in 2015, with Milena Canonero winning the Oscar, Bafta, guild and critic trophies. The costume designer also worked in A Clockwork Orange, Out of Africa, Dick Tracy and Marie Antoinette. For Madame Celine Villeneuve Desgoffe und Taxis (a role originally offered to Angela Lansbury), Anderson envisioned an eccentric beauty and an art collector who belongs outside the fashion of her era (which was between the two world wars), so Canonero dressed her in retro style 1920s. But Lustico furthered the idea. “I intentionally designed my pieces sexier, even if they’re covered, to make them look modern but at the same time retaining that old-world essence of glamour. This is the same feel that the fabrics have. They look vintage but new at the same time.” Canonero enlisted Fendi to make the fur cape for Madame D while Prada provided her brown suitcases. “I didn’t think much of the brands that Madame D wore in the film. In fact, I didn’t know there was a Fendi or Prada,” Lustico bared. “What I did was to compare her character to real-life glamour women like Wallis Simpson or Babe Paley. I also imagined her to be real and I asked myself, ‘What would she wear if she lived today?’” Madame D is also an avid collector of Gustav Klimt, whose most famous work is Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, known more as A Woman in Gold.” Lustico, by kismet, created a tulip pantsuit with lilac combination in duchesse gold satin. “I was very conscious of the Wes Anderson aesthetics. I’m completely hooked on how he framed each Madame D scene, so elegant and rich with colors and always sprinkled with humor. And I wanted the collection to do the same, to evoke ease and luxury,” Lustico cooed. Among the standout pieces, which even the red-carpet rebel Tilda Swinton would wear in a heartbeat, are an electric-pleated Italian lamè goddess gown, a hot-pink silk organdy ball gown, a tiered doted tulle empire gown and a 1970s-inspired printed organdy pantsuit with hyper band. “My direction for pantsuits is to strike a balance between severity and wearability, hence the use of single not-your-usual color or printed fabric,” Lustico said. “While each of the gowns has a tulle support underneath to give it a floating effect, I got rid of unnecessary layers and lining as I wanted them to be literally light.” ■

ALL ACCESS: WHEN ART AND MUSIC SHARE THE SPOTLIGHT D3

Monday, September 24, 2018

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Monday, September 24, 2018

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Today’s Horoscope By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Spencer Treat Clark, 31; Erin Chambers, 39; Nia Vardalos, 56; Kevin Sorbo, 60. Happy Birthday: Focus on what you can do to make your life better. Don’t limit yourself because of what someone else is doing. Hone your skills and concentrate on making changes and moves that will help you release stress and replace it with positive thoughts. You fare much better mentally, emotionally and physically when you feel at peace. Your lucky numbers are 4, 9, 21, 23, 26, 34, 42.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Refuse to limit what you can do because someone makes you feel insecure or stands in your way. Where there’s a will, there’s a way to overcome any obstacle you encounter. Don’t give away your plans or your secrets. Listen and observe. HHH Agnes Gorospe glams it up for a wedding

Justine Lo works the debutante vibe

Karen Atendido channels bridal dreams

Raine Africa in debutante finery

Vanessa Raymundo-Uy dons bridal couture

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Change is heading your way, but it’s up to you to embrace it and to make the most of whatever unfolds. Use your tenacity to bring about what you want to see happen. Stand your ground and make your point heard. HHH

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Get out and mingle. Whether it’s a work event or socializing, the people you talk to will spark your imagination. The offer you least expect will turn out to be intriguing. It never hurts to take a look at something new. HHHH

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Listen carefully and do your own thing. As long as you take care of your responsibilities first, you will find it easier to serve your needs and accomplish your personal goals, regardless of what others want. HH

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Keep life simple. Think matters through. Don’t get caught up in someone else’s dilemma or poor choices. Overreacting, overspending and overdoing will lead to a dispute that can damage your reputation or a relationship that is important to you. HHH

Ana and Sanjay Sippy

RV Mitra and Jemma Echiverri

Angela and Alfa Ong in matching bridal couture

Nina Comsti and Faye Chongko

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Look at your options and follow through. Use your experience to make better choices. Partnerships are favored as long as you can work out the fine but important details that will ensure equality. Personal improvement is favored. HHH

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Don’t give in to demands. Use your intelligence to come up with a workable solution. Letting others push you around or missing out on something you want to do to appease someone will only add to your stress. HHH

A bridal fashion event showcasing h talent and giving back

By Dinna Chan Vasquez

andra Lim has been in the business of designing bridal gowns for the past 15 years. She is a testament to how pursuing one’s passions, no matter how different they are from where you thought your path would take you, can actually be something you will end up doing. Lim is a BS Pharmacy graduate from the University of Santo Tomas. She loved being a pharmacist, but her love for fashion and design couldn’t be denied. Her atelier Zandra Lim Designs was established in 2003 and since then, Lim has been considered one of the country’s top designers for bridal gowns. Lim studied at the Istituto di Moda Burgo in Milan, Italy, where she took Istilista di Abiti di Sposa (Fashion Design, specializing in Wedding Dress). She also studied Textile Effects at the University of the Arts, London-Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design. For her anniversary event, Lim wanted to hold a fashion show and have a silent auction of the pieces worn by the models. “Crystal Bridal Fair,” as the showcum-auction was dubbed, was held on September 15

and 16 at Discovery Primea. The event gathered over 40 of the top wedding suppliers in the Philippines, including photographers, makeup artists, giveaway suppliers and many others. “The initial plan was a fashion show and a silent auction of the pieces worn by the models. But as Discovery Primea Events Manager Jayjay Hega and I were conceptualizing it, Crystal just got bigger,” said Lim. The suppliers donated part of their sales to charity, and proceeds of ticket sales to the fashion show and the auction would also go to Lim’s chosen charity, the cancer patients in social service of the Cancer Institute at St. Luke’s Medical Center, Quezon City. Lim’s husband, Dr. Mars Imasa, is an oncologist and one of his frustrations is when cancer patients terminate their treatments due to financial constraints. Lim has been helping cancer patients in funding their treatments well before Crystal Bridal Fair. “The 15th anniversary of my presence in the wedding industry was a good opportunity to push a cause bigger than what we’ve been doing,” said Lim. That wasn’t all. The audience also saw a video of Vinagre, Tigaon, in Camarines Sur, where Lim commissions the women of Vinagre to do

the embroidery and beadwork for her gowns to supplement the incomes of families who rely mostly on farming. For her anniversary gala, Lim showed day suits for boys and men, tuxedos and flower girl gowns. There were bridesmaids dresses and gowns that can be worn for occasions other than weddings. All gowns showed Lim’s trademark elegant look. Lim also showcased a new trend—matching mother and daughter gowns. Another unique aspect of the Crystal Bridal Fair fashion show was that Lim didn’t go for professional models to walk down the ramp. Lim tapped some of her clients, cancer survivors and social-media influencers like blogger Nikki Tiu and transwoman Toni Aviles to wear her beautiful creations. “I wanted the audience to see the clothes worn by people who aren’t model thin so they could visualize how it would look on them and the clothes would be less intimidating,” said Lim. Crystal Bridal Fair was staged in partnership with Niceprint, Amantefleurs, Rhed Sarmiento Events and Discovery Primea, and was sponsored by Metrotech Projectors, LST Lights & Sounds and Pikulyar Photo. For more information about Zandra Lim, visit www.zandralimdesigns.com. n

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Interact with people you find creative and stimulating or who spark your imagination to help you make a change that will improve your life. Someone who owes you a favor will offer something in return. Love is on the rise. HHHHH

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Keep your emotions under control. If you let your feelings dictate what you say, you will speak out of turn and give someone the wrong impression. Truth should be put first. HH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t go to battle with someone over something you know little about. Put your effort into keeping the peace and getting things done. It’s what you accomplish that will bring you the response you are looking for. HHHH

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Follow through with your plans and don’t let anyone stand in your way. If someone tries to push you in a direction that doesn’t sit right, be brave and walk away. Trust your instincts and do what feels right. HHH

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Express how you feel and what you want to see happen. An open dialogue will bring you one step closer to getting what you want as long as you are willing to compromise. It takes two to tango. HHH Birthday Baby: You are energetic, smart and unpredictable. You are innovative and determined.

‘what all is’ by timothy e. parker The Universal Crossword/Edited by Timothy E. Parker

ACROSS 1 Word of the past 4 Specially made 10 Like feet in karate class 14 Pelvis 15 Big name in silverware 16 Imitated 17 High dudgeon 18 Dapper 20 Whiskey variety 21 Ceases 22 Hard-up for cash 23 Stand for roasts 25 Male possessive 26 Having distinct features 31 1950s dance event 34 Zinc ___ 35 Quality of strong cheeses 36 Denpasar’s locale 37 Hoarfrost kin 38 Bitter tasting 39 Colin Farrell’s home country 40 Make batter 41 Polite term of address

2 Whence tequila 4 43 Ending for the very best 44 Acting with wisdom 46 Wicked doing 47 Mind-boggling time spans 48 Hymn accompaniment 51 Hot dog spread 54 Insane 57 With a neat appearance 59 Actress Longoria 60 Rewrite clues, e.g. 61 Overly embellished 62 ___ of this earth 63 Expresses deep sadness 64 Swarmed 65 Defunct airline DOWN 1 Blender sound 2 Like a room with no ceiling 3 Road restriction 4 Baseball cover 5 Tension 6 Be a vendor 7 Pinball violation

8 Long things for underdogs 9 Damage 10 They get loaded at Fenway 11 One spot for the masses? 12 English horn insert 13 Water whirl 19 Geraint’s beloved 24 Birch relative 25 Rosemary or oregano 26 Not as good 27 Freeway-to-road links 28 ___ point (hub) 29 A perfect 10 30 Rae in a film 31 Persistent aggravation 32 Toothpicked garnish 33 Yearned in a forest? 36 Go first 38 “My God, yes!” 42 Shunned 44 Vestigial thing 45 Remove permanently 46 Bath and Epsom 48 Is in the red

9 Decorate anew 4 50 Slick with a reply 51 Apple section 52 Sharpen 53 Mosque official 55 Admit sternly 56 Common input 58 Languish Solution to Friday’s puzzle:

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Monday, September 24, 2018

‘MARRIAGE CONTRACT’ NOW ON GMA

JESSE LUCAS

RENATO LUCAS

When art and music share the spotlight ALL ACCESS RICKY GALLARDO

rickygallardoTFI@gmail.com

RAGEDY can sometimes lead to rebirth. In 2000 the then 28-year-old Maningning Miclat jumped to her death from the seventh floor of a building in Far Eastern University (FEU), where she worked as a professor. The year after, her parents Mario and Alma, decided to launch the Maningning Miclat Art Foundation to honor their departed daughter, and to encourage young artists to explore all facets of their talents and come forward to showcase and share their art. This Wednesday, September 26, the Maningning Miclat Art Awards will come home to the university where the late artist taught. Eighteen shortlisted entries from young artists around the Philippines have been on exhibit, The District Gallery and the FEU President’s Committee organizing the exhibit hall of the Nicanor Reyes Building of the university’s Manila campus. One winner will be announced on Wednesday, and the artist will receive a trophy designed by sculptor Julie Lluch, a cash prize, and a chance to have his or her solo exhibit at The District Gallery in Quezon City. Art and poetry competitions were launched in 2004. Among the early favorites to bag the grand prize

are Jessica Lopez’s Motion of Life, (where she used hundreds of fish bone on wood), Jheco Lorica’s The Modern Throne of Basic Needs (oil on canvas), John Nikko Pelaez’s Beg (acrylic on canvas) and Dominic Nelson Jinon’s Come He’s Here (oil on canvas). After the awarding ceremony, attendees will be treated to a full performance art show, billed as Ginugunita Kita, where Miclat’s poems that were turned into songs by Maestro Jesse Lucas will be showcased by A-list artists that include cellist Renato Lucas, actress-singer Banaue MiclatJansenn (Maningning’s sister), crossover classical performer and actor Al Gatmaitan, dancer Angela Castro and award-winning contemporary visual artist Nasser Lubay. The show will be directed by actor-singer Roeder Camañag, who is a dear friend of the Miclat family. “I was glued to her poems the moment I got hold her trilingual book of poetry, called Voice from the Underworld, and these inspired me to set her poetry into music. Her depth as a young artist is very evident in the words she chose to depict love— both unconditional and unrequited—life and pain. The process of creating music was meditative for me as a composer, perhaps even cleansing and empowering,” said Lucas. For Camañag, the show is all about the creation of emotive response. “We first presented the show at the Unviersity of the Philippines in Diliman a few years back, and I’m just so looking forward to directing it again because Maningning’s poetry combined with the music of Jesse Lucas, and the heartfelt performances of our guest artists, can have a lasting effect on the audience.” Maningning Miclat’s artistry was indeed ahead of her time. She wrote poetry, fiction and essays in English, Filipino and Mandarin, and she also dabbled in painting, especially during her stay in China. ■

‘THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE’ LAUNCHES OCTOBER 12 ON NETFLIX HOME is where the horror is.... The Haunting of Hill House will officially open its doors on October 12, launching globally on Netflix. A modern reimagining of Shirley Jackson’s iconic novel, The Haunting of Hill House explores a group of siblings who, as children, grew up in what would go on to become the most famous haunted house in the country. Now adults, and forced back together in the face of tragedy, the family must finally confront the ghosts of their past—some of which still lurk in their minds, while others may actually be stalking the shadows of Hill House. Created, directed and executive-produced by horror mastermind Mike Flanagan (Hush, Oculus, Gerald’s Game), The Haunting of Hill House is a complex family drama wrapped in a chilling horror

story. Trevor Macy serves as executive producer alongside Flanagan. Meredith Averill acts as coshowrunner and executive producer. Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank executive produce, as well. Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino, Timothy Hutton,

Elizabeth Reaser, Oliver JacksonCohen, Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel and Victoria Pedretti star, as well as Lulu Wilson, McKenna Grace, Paxton Singleton, Violet McGraw and Julian Hilliard. The Haunting of Hill House is produced for Netflix by Amblin TV and Paramount Television.

AS Koreanovelas return to the morning block, witness an inspiring story of family and love in GMA’s newest offering, Marriage Contract. The series tells the story of Abby (Uee), a single mother who struggles to raise her daughter while paying off her late husband’s debts; and, David (Lee Seo-jin), the son of a businessman. When Abby is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, she turns desperate in trying to secure her daughter’s future once she passes away. Meanwhile, David needs to find a liver donor for his ailing mother because he has been found incompatible as a donor, despite being her son. Since government policy indicates that only family members are allowed to become a live donor, and his only remaining uncle refuses to do so, David goes as far as thinking of getting married to, and paying off a possible donor. Upon meeting Abby and learning her circumstances, they agree to a fake marriage in order to solve each other’s problems. But will this setup work for them? How will this fake marriage turn as they get closer to each other? Marriage Contract is made more heartfelt with its theme song “Hanggang Magbalik,” sung by Marika Sasaki. Follow Abby and David’s love story weekdays, 9:20 am, after Love O2O on GMA.

Style

D4 Monday, September 24, 2018

DARA is a Korean singer-actress who started her career in the Philippines.

FROM DARA’S INSTAGRAM @DARAXXI

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PONY is a Korean makeup artist and content creator who has her own makeup line.

FROM PONY’S INSTAGRAM @PONYSMAKEUP

How Korean drama has changed the way we look at beauty AND THEN SOME DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

HE 10-step Korean skin-care routine is not something many women can do every day but there are some aspects of K beauty that we can learn from. As someone who has been watching Korean drama for over a decade, I confess that I look at the faces of the actresses before anything else. If the actress has a face that’s memorable and striking, and her skin looks poreless and luminous, I will pause the video or look at her for a few minutes. So here are some of the things that I have learned from watching Korean dramas: 1. LESS IS MORE. We’ve seen a lot of Instagram beauty—overdone brows, blinding highlights and unrealistic contouring—in the past two years and, frankly, I’m kind of tired of it. Korean drama leading ladies have gotten it right with neatly groomed brows, a complexion that’s been evened out by lightly patting cushion foundation on areas that need coverage and lightly tinted lips. I will never be an advocate of the natural look but I will espouse the it-looks-naturalbecause-I-worked-hard-on-it vibe like these Korean girls. 2. THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH SELFIMPROVEMENT. I honestly used to think women who had their faces done weren’t comfortable in their own skin. I have changed my opinion since then. These Korean actresses are more confident, in my opinion, because they aren’t scared to be judged or ridiculed. It’s their face and their money to do with as they please. I watch Korean stars admitting in variety shows what they had done on their faces and it’s kind of refreshing.

3. NOT ALL LIP TINTS ARE CREATED EQUAL. Lip tints work on Koreans because of the naturally rosy color of their lips. That is not the case for us, as our lips are pigmented. Some of my friends use concealer before applying the lip tint to erase their natural lip color. Or they apply regular lipstick and blot it for a more diffused look. Red and berry lipsticks work best for this look. 4. CUSHION FOUNDATION IS PATTED ON USING THE SPONGE THAT COMES WITH THE PRODUCT. I used to apply cushion foundation with a stippling brush and somehow it didn’t look right. From watching Korean dramas, I realized that you’re really meant to use the sponge that comes with the compact and you apply the product in a patting, not sweeping, motion. 5. REAL MEN WEAR MAKEUP. No self-respecting male Korean celebrity will go out in public without makeup and they somehow make it look pretty but still very masculine. I mean, who still says that wearing makeup is gay? It’s 2018 and men (and women) can do as they please. Their makeup is not confined to foundation, concealer and lip tint. Some male Korean celebrities even wear mascara and eyeliner. 6. SKIN CARE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MAKEUP. Korean girls prioritize skin care over makeup. They take time to do their skin care in the morning and evening so that their skin is soft and supple. That way, they don’t need to slather on a ton of makeup to look good. Essence or lotion is a product that’s found usually in Japanese and Korean skin-care routines. It is applied after toner and before your serum. 7. MAKEUP APPLICATION SHOULD BE QUICK. Who has 15 minutes in the morning to apply makeup? Not Korean girls, particularly our favorite actresses. Your brows need to be well groomed already so a sweep of brow mascara is enough, and you don’t need to apply contour and highlight because your skin should already be glowing from all that skin care. 8. IT’S ALL ABOUT VOLUME. When it comes to hair, Koreans know it best—volume on top and on the sides always makes you look good. While we like our hair to be straight and sleek, Korean stars don’t mind the tussled bedhead look when it is done right. ■

BusinessMirror

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Monday, September 24, 2018 E1

Is office politics a white man’s game?

By Michelle King, David Denyer & Emma Parry

anecdotal evidence suggests that women may even reject leadership roles because of their dislike of office politics. Future research needs to investigate whether this holds true for minority groups as well as white men, as we may find that office politics is really an outdated game that no one wants to play. Given the challenges that organizational politics creates for women and racial minorities, perhaps we should stop implementing programs aimed at improving political skill— since it doesn’t seem the problem is a lack of skill—and instead focus on creating environments that support individuals engaging in a diverse range of behaviors. One barrier to creating a more equitable system for everyone may be the leaders in charge today. These leaders not only set the political norms but also help create and maintain the political environment that favors them at the disadvantage of everyone else. Creating cooperative work environments is one way to fix this, but that can only be achieved if today’s existing leaders are willing to give up the game.

OVE it or hate it, office politics is an inevitable part of organizational life.

While the link between political skill and career success is firmly established, there is a problem: Office politics doesn’t work for everyone in the same way. Although current research investigating gender or ethnic differences in political skill is limited, researchers Pamela Perrewé and Debra Nelson argue that women often overlook the importance of office politics and rely on task accomplishment as the primary means of advancing their careers. Many women are reluctant to engage with it, or even see it as distasteful. Some people have called women and racial minorities “politically naïve” for avoiding politics, and have argued that training and mentoring initiatives are necessary to help women see the value in office politics and learn to play the game. This argument, however, is built on the assumption that women and minorities lack the political skills needed to navigate organizational life. Recent research does not sup-

port this idea. If the issue isn’t a lack of skill, then why are women and racial minorities less engaged in office politics? Unpacking this issue is critical given the established link between political skill and career advancement.

Same game, different benefits

DOMINANT groups in organizations generally set the standards for behavior within their workplaces, and as Caucasian men hold most leadership positions today, it can be argued that they set the norms for political behavior at work. It seems even if women and racial minorities engage in political behaviors, they may not benefit from them in the same way that white men do.

The political double bind

A KEY reason for this is that for women and minorities, engaging in political behaviors means engaging in behaviors that are not their own. For example, a key political skill is draw-

ing attention to your accomplishments, but women are expected to be

humble, communal and self-effacing. Research has found women who

Make sure everyone on your team sees learning as part of their job

By Kristi Hedges

O create a culture that encourages employee growth, managers need to make learning an expectation—not an option. Managers need to encourage continual learning with supportive behaviors that, in turn, will shape their company culture.

Be a vocal role model

MANAGERS should frame learning as a growth opportunity, not as a quid pro quo for promotion. If you talk about learning as being enjoyable, you set a playful tone that encourages people

to be adaptively authentic—and open to trying new behaviors.

Celebrate growth and lean into failure

IF you want your team to be excited about and find purpose in their work, encourage them to be curious and experiment. A successful learning environment celebrates growth for growth’s sake. You can also support learning by not hiding failures. One technology company I advise began instituting mandatory post-mortems for all of its product releases and major programs, no matter the results.

Make it easy for people

PEOPLE usually take on development opportunities on top of their regular workload, so the easier you can make it for them to find the right program, the better. When someone is attending a program, lighten their workload to reduce stress and allow them to be present. And make it easy for participants to apply the learning. It’s more valuable to let people apply what they’ve learned to their own projects first. This gives them the opportunity to determine what lessons are relevant before sharing them with the rest of the team.

Why Bcc-ing the boss is a bad practice By David de Cremer, Jack McGuire & Tessa Haesevoets

-MAIL continues to be one of the most common ways people communicate at work, and one of the most common ways people miscommunicate at work. The Cc and Bcc functions can corrode trust and cloud intentions. To explore how senders and recipients interpret the use of these tools, we conducted a series of five experimental studies in which a total of 694 working adults participated. In our first study, we wanted to explore how people perceive the use of Bcc relative to the use of Cc. Participants were presented with either one of two work-related situations that described a situ-

ation in which their coworker sent the participant an e-mail including their supervisor in either Bcc or Cc. Participants then had to evaluate the work situation presented on a number of measures. This study revealed that people consider Bcc-ing a supervisor to be less moral, more secretive and more intimidating than Cc-ing a supervisor. In a second study, we set out to uncover the reasons people choose to use Bcc in the first place. Most frequently cited were “administrative reasons,” or a desire not to share the contact information of the supervisor. In two subsequent studies, we tested whether these two administrative explanations would soften recipients’ negative perceptions of the sender. The results of these two studies showed

that the use of Bcc (compared to the use of the more-transparent Cc function) made recipients evaluate the sender as less moral—and less fit to be the team leader. Somewhat surprisingly, our results revealed that when the sender retroactively mentioned either of these two “administrative” reasons for using Bcc, recipients’ negative perceptions did notsoften. To be sure, situations do exist where, for the interest of the team or the organization, an e-mail has to be shared with someone higher up without the other recipients knowing. We conducted a final study to address situations like these. Our results found that people significantly prefer forwarding emails to Bcc-ing, and also perceive forwarding emails to be less harmful, even though recipients

Foster new experiences

RESEARCH shows that to be inspired, we need to transcend current thought and become aware of new or better possibilities. As the adage goes, if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten. Frontline managers have the largest and most immediate influence. If you’re a manager who wants to grow your team, demonstrate that you’re committed to growth yourself. Kristi Hedges is a senior leadership coach who specializes in executive communications.

continue to perceive the sender as having immoral intentions. An effective solution could be to rewrite an e-mail to personally address a team supervisor. Such an e-mail could be framed as an update and would achieve the administrative goals of Bcc-ing—to keep the supervisor up to date—without alienating the rest of the team. David de Cremer is a professor at the Judge Business School, Cambridge, and a visiting professor at Peking University HSBC Business School. Jack McGuire is the experimental lab manager at the Cambridge Experimental and Behavioral Economics Group and research assistant at Judge Business School. Tessa Haesevoets is a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University, Belgium.

engage in office politics often consider it emotionally draining, and

Michelle King leads UN Women’s Integrated Strategy for Innovation and Global Innovation Coalition for Change. David Denyer is Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change at Cranfield School of Management.

WHY SUPERVISORS ENVY THEIR EMPLOYEES By Lingtao Yu, Michelle K. Duffy & Bennett J. Tepper

ESPITE distinct advantages, supervisors are not immune to feeling downward envy— that is, envy of the employees they oversee. This is especially true when a subordinate has strong social skills, demonstrates leadership potential, develops close relationships with senior management or is seen as a source of innovative ideas. Little has been studied about this phenomenon, and specifically how that emotion is expressed in the workplace. Our research addresses this gap. We conducted two studies of supervisor-subordinate relationships involving employees of two companies in China; one is a management consulting company and the other a natural gas company. We found that when supervisory leaders experienced downward envy toward subordinates they saw as competent but cold—that is, capable workers with a more aloof attitude—the leaders were more likely to use abusive supervision to try and close the gap between themselves and their subordinates. But if a supervisor envied an employee they considered warm and competent, that supervisor was far more likely

to reduce the perceived gap by raising themselves up, not by pushing that employee down. These findings have several practical implications for organizations. Evidence suggests that people who feel envied often hide their positive qualities and avoid appearing too successful. But our research indicates that employees shouldn’t hide their talents: Rather, taking a warmer, more cooperative approach may have a far more protective effect. Second, they can help business leaders understand that while downward envy can be linked with abusive supervision, those negative responses are not an inevitable outcome. For leaders, putting assumptions about envied others to the test can transform a natural emotion from a source of injury to a source of personal improvement, and ultimately, organizational success. Lingtao Yu is an assistant professor at the UBC Sauder School of Business. Michelle K. Duffy is the Vernon Heath chairman at the Carlson School of Management. Bennett J. Tepper is the Abramowitz Memorial professor and chairman of the department of management and human resources at Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business.

E2 Monday, September 24, 2018 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

Education BusinessMirror

BASF PHL to hold programs to provide students better understanding of science By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

Contributor

N a bid to promote science education in the country and also as part of its corporate-citizenship program, BASF Philippines said it will conduct programs designed to give young students a more thorough understanding of science. Ronald Mercado, managing director of BASF Philippines, said the campaign was also to celebrate the company’s 55th anniversary in the Philippines. “To celebrate 55 years of growth

together with the Philippines, we will continue to strengthen our commitment to science education and sustainability in the country,” he said in a press statement. Mercado added this is the com-

Education experts talk about wired kids, global learning and homeschooling

S the world shifts toward technology, everything has started to move at a faster pace, even education. The digital world has had an impact on children’s learning and development, and not always on a positive note. With more distractions available for young learners, it has been increasingly difficult for educators to engage students in the traditional classroom setting. The good news is that parents can actually provide their children a curriculum designed richly and tailor fit to their learning styles, as they also put a premium on raising them anchored on the right values, not just filling their minds with knowledge. Intentional parenting is at the heart of homeschooling, the learning movement that has been fast gaining ground in the Philippines and in the world. Brad Huddleston, author of Digital Cocaine: A Journey Toward iBalance” and “The Dark Side of Technology: Restoring Balance in the Digital Age is an expert on the effects of technology in molding young minds. He talks about the dangers of digital addiction. “In its simplest form, when someone cannot do without their digital device, they are addicted. This not only applies to entertainment media accessed through digital devices but also includes technology required for work and school. When any activity, including interacting with digital devices, interferes with normal life, they are addicted,” he said. This poses a problem for both parents and educators, he added, and goes around the world to help them mitigate the effects of technology. He also explained that because the world is connected to the same “pipe” known as the Internet, the resulting problems created by this relatively new medium are generally the same around the world. “This means that the rise in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], cognitive breakdown,

SEMINAR ON BECOMING A CERTIFIED PPP ADVOCATE

depression and anxiety disorders, etc., are common regardless of country or economic status.” With homeschooling, however, there is a way to harness the powers of tech to truly build up kids in their studies and make gadgets a healthy part of a holistic learning experience. As Debra Bell, homeschool mom and author of the best-selling book The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling, explains, “Homeschoolers are early adopters of the technologies that are revolutionizing education and how we deliver learning around the globe. It continues to rise in the United States, as recent research has shown, and is on the rise dramatically around the world.” The 21st century is about learning anytime, anywhere, through any means and homeschooling gives families the flexibility they need to balance work, family, travel, hobbies and education. Bell expounds that parents can actually marry being high-touch and high-tech through homeschooling. How? “[By] learning right beside your children with an Ipad or smartphone in hand. Talking about what you are learning and they are learning online around the dinner table and throughout the day,” she advises. The intentional parenting core of homeschooling keeps technology usage in check, wielding its power only for good so children #LearnBetter. This and other topics on how to enrich learning in the digital age and how to make intentional parenting work for you will be discussed by Huddleston, Bell, University of the Philippines Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan and other expert educators at the much-awaited first Global Homeschool Conference (GHC 2018) on October 13 to be held at SMX Aura, SM Aura Premier BGC Taguig City. The event is organized by Homeschool Global, a learning enrichment services provider with the vision to help change the world one family at a time through education.

ITH the massive infrastructure projects envisioned by under the “Build, Build, Build” program of the current administration, there has been a growing demand for public-private partnership consultants and specialists who are needed by organizations— both by the private and public sectors—and investors to guide them and achieve success on their PPP initiatives. The Center for Global Best Practices, in partnership with Quantum Prisms Consulting Inc. and lawyer Alberto C. Agra, will launch a three-module program, entitled “PPP Certification Course,” to be held on Thursday and Friday, October 5 and 6, 2018 (Module I); Thursday and

pany’s share in helping Filipino children handle technologies, especially in the coming Fourth Industrial Revolution. “At BASF, we believe science is the tool that would aid them in solving these challenges.” BASF Philippine recently partnered with The Mind Museum in launching its Virtual Reactions Interactive Touch Table at the Atom Gallery. Claimed by the company as the only one of its kind in the country, the BASF table uses digital simulations, audio and colorful animations to help children explore the world of science so they can observe the chemical reactions between various chemical substances in a completely safe and interactive environment. A virtual tutor will also guide children to understand the element’s features and explain the chemistry theory behind it.

“The Mind Museum and BASF will work closely to create new opportunities for the public, especially young people, to nurture their natural curiosity and ignite an interest in science from,” said Maribel Garcia, curator of The Mind Museum. BASF will hold its Kids’ Lab at the science museum in October. Participants will get a chance to play with and learn about chemistry through the interactive touch table. Every year, the Mind Museum hosts educational field trips for an average of 250,000 school children in the Philippines. BASF employees donated bottle bricks that will be exchanged for science books about water conservation. The books will be donated to local public schools and nongovernment organizations, and bottle bricks will be used as alternative

fillers in building walls and benches. A bottle brick, also known as an ecobrick, is a reusable building block created by packing clean and dry used plastic into a plastic bottle to a set density. Bottle bricks can be used to build furniture, garden and other structures. “Bottle bricking has been gaining attention locally and across the globe, as it presents a practical solution to how people minimize their contribution to plastic pollution, particularly as it tends to end up in the ocean. Through our corporate citizenship activities, we aim to create sustainable impact on our society,” Mercado said. BASF’s nonprofit activities in Philippines are dedicated to supporting the United Nations Strategic Development Goal No. 4, “Quality Education.”

Makati Boyz represent PHL in Asean leg of AWS competition

TEAM Makati Boyz is composed of (from left) Joseph Nathaniel Segovia, Raphael Francis Quisumbing and Marco Valmores. Not in photo is Gonzalo Relova III.

EAM Makati Boyz composed of four tech whizzes represented the Philippines in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Hackathon’s Asean grand finale held in Jakarta, Indonesia on September 19 and 20, 2018, after defeating 17 teams during the 12-hour AWS Hackdays 2018 on July 19 in Manila. The team is composed of Raphael Francis Quisumbing, Gonzalo Relova III, Marco Valmores, and Joseph Nathaniel Segovia. Quisumbing, from Cebu, has been an AWS Community Hero since 2015, notably the only Filipino among AWS roster of heroes. Also the coleader of the AWS User Group Philippines, a role he has held since 2013, he regularly answers questions, gives advice and organizes events for the AWS community. Relova is a Data Scientist, an expert in guiding strategy and designing systems. A scholar of the Department of Science and Technology, he took up his data science specialization at John Hopkins University. He graduated cum laude for his degree in BA Anthropology from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2016. Valmores is the founder of MacAppsLab and Chief Executive Officer for CrowdNet Project. His career in the information-technology industry spans several years, previously serving as the lead developer for several projects under Ntek Communications and senior software developer for Smart Telecommunication Inc. from 2006 to 2011. Valmores earned his Bachelor of Science Major in Information Technology from De La Salle University in 2005 and his Masters in Business and Administration from Manila Business College in 2011. Segovia is the President of Segovia Development Corp., a privately owned firm in the real-estate industry, and the vice president and business development officer of WL Segovia & Associates, which specializes in construction and interior design.

Friday, November 8 and 9, 2018 (Module II); and Thursday and Friday, December 6 and 7, 2018 (Module III), at the Manila Marriott Hotel, Pasay City. Be one of the first batch of PPP Advocates! This program is addressed to fill in the capacity gaps of PPP in the Philippines and to increase the tribe of the “PPP Champions” who will be at the forefront of their respective organizations’ quest for PPP projects. This program is designed to skillfully train attending participants to become a Certified PPP Advocate through a ladderized approach to master the following: Policy and Legal Framework (Module I); Technical, Financial and Environmental

The solution developed by the Makati Boyz for the Philippine leg of the AWS Hackathon competition sought to leverage image and video recognition to improve business insights for customer retention. AWS Hackdays is an annual education and hackathon event held across six countries in Southeast Asia, which saw competing teams build artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)-based solutions around the themes of transportation; media and entertainment; e-commerce; and fintech. The Philippine leg of the competition gathered a total of 18 teams comprising 61 participants, who used AWS services including Amazon SageMaker, Amazon Polly, Amazon Rekognition, and Amazon Lex, to build their solutions within 12 hours. These solutions were then evaluated by a judging panel based on their innovation, business impact, implementation and user experience. Team Makati Boyz impressed the AWS judging panel with their intelligent customer-relations application. It aims to help the local e-commerce sector to improve their customer experience through inclusive instore technology. “We wanted to touch on certain aspects that not a lot of retailers are working on. We call it in-store analytics,” Segovia said. “Retailers ordinarily don’t know how many people are coming in their store. What they are sure of is how many people are buying and how much they are spending. That is all captured through their point-of-sale system. But you don’t really know if people coming in your store are interested or just looking. That actual event is an opportunity for the retailers.” “Retailers can study how to optimize interest then actually convert it to more sales. The solution that we proposed is an AI-driven camera. The moment people come in your store, there is a foot-traffic count. Every time people move from one section of your store

Aspects (Module II); and Contract, Drafting, Terms of Reference Preparation and Contract Management (Module III). Attendees completing this three-part module will simply have to take the final assessment to confer the title of a Certified PPP Advocate. This learning initiative will feature lawyer Agra, one of the only two in the world who are both a Certified PPP Specialist and Certified Regulation Specialist. He drafted a proposed PPP Code/Ordinance for local government units which to date has been adopted by 81 LGUs in the Philippines. He was also part of the team that developed the 2008 Neda Joint Venture Guidelines. He has conducted over 100 lec-

to another, we can generate heat maps. Essentially, we can determine which sections are being visited by people more,” he said. “With smart cameras in place, we can determine how many people are coming in 365 days a year. By giving the retailers these kinds of analytics, we can tell them if their store layout or flow is actually working well.” For now, the group’s focus is preparing for the upcoming competition in Indonesia since it is expected to be more challenging than the Philippine leg. “The level of competition in Jakarta is a bar higher because their science and engineering schools there is really top-notch,” Segovia said. The solution they built in under 12 hours using Amazon Artificial Intelligence and Amazon Machine Learning services impressed the judges the most. “AWS seeks to educate developers across the region on the opportunities to build innovative solutions with AI and ML. By harnessing AWS technologies, especially Amazon SageMaker to build, train, and deploy ML models; Amazon Polly to build speech-enabled applications; and Amazon Lex to build chatbots, these solutions can help contribute to ongoing advancement of Southeast Asia in the region, and inspire the next generation of talented developers,” said Nick Walton, AWS managing director for Asean. “When considering our project, we first had to identify the top issues and trends facing the e-commerce sector in the Philippines. We realized that while virtual stores are growing in popularity, in-store locations still provide valuable insights to customer experience. The idea banks on using the stores’ CCTV cameras that capture images and moods of walk-ins to enhance data on customer behavior through improved demographic and psychographic matching. With AWS technologies, such as the Amazon Rekognition, we were able to build our solution by adding image and video analysis to our application. We expect to develop it even further after this competition,” Quisumbing said. At the AWS Hackdays 2018 grand finale in Jakarta, Indonesia, Team Makati Boyz competed with the winners from Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand for the coveted grand prize—an all-expense paid trip to attend the world’s top cloud conference, AWS re:Invent 2018 in Las Vegas on November 26 to 30, 2018. When asked what their strongest asset is, Quisumbing said, “We have a data scientist,” then added. “We hope the five other teams competing in Jakarta will not be as prepared as we are.” Micah Hatulan

tures on PPPs and JVs. He is also the author of the Proposed PPP Ordinance; annotated and coauthor of the book Knowing PPP, BOTs and JV: A Legal Ordinance. Currently, he holds the position as chairman of the Philippine Reclamation Authority and is a PPP, local government professor and political law bar reviewer at Ateneo Law School. Master your PPPs and create billions of transaction value for your country. This program is open to the general public. Public officials and government employees attending training programs like this are exempted from the P2,000 limit set by the COA based on the DBM Circular 563 dated April 22, 2016. Interested

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Diwa kicks off nationwide traveling quiz show

EADING provider of Kto12 educational resources Diwa Learning Systems Inc. (Diwa) ushers in a new season of Diwa Pasiklaban sa Paaralan for school year 2018-2019. The country’s first and only information and communications technology-integrated traveling quiz show for grade-school and junior high-school students, Diwa Pasiklaban sa Paaralan pits the best schools against each other in science, math, language, literature and general information. As part of Diwa’s 35th anniversary, this school year’s participants will be in for a whirlwind of competitive learning and excitement with new features added to the game mechanics in the form of mystery questions for participants, as well as a special quiz for audience members. Another addition is the Selfie of the Week Contest where participants can take a selfie with the Diwa Pasiklaban van or tarp and post it on Facebook with a caption that answers the question “What is your most unforgettable experience in Diwa Pasiklaban sa Paaralan?” Winners will be chosen every week and will be given special prizes. This school year, the nationwide quiz show kicked off in August, with the first competition held at Saint Paul College Pasig. Isabelle Victoria Arnaez and Sophia Valenzuela took home the first-place medals in the grade-school and junior high-school categories, respectively. It was followed by a competition held at Trinity University of Asia in Quezon City. Here, Siena College of Quezon City students Bea Theressa Santos and Marielle Odosis took the top spots. In the Diwa Pasiklaban leg held at National College of Business and Arts (NCBA) Quezon City, NCBA Cubao student Raven Charles Castillo and NCBA Fairview student Marcus Zidian Briones brought home the top honors in the gradeschool and junior high-school categories, respectively. Another round of competition was held in Escuela de Santo Rosario in Pasig City, where Joriel Loise Recido of Calvary Christian School won the grade-school category and Julienne Mae Iguiron from ADT Montessori School topped the junior high-school category. At the Pateros Catholic School leg, students Arturo Miguel Saquilayan and Ashanti Paulin Roldan triumphed. The caravan also made a stop at Virgen del Pilar School in Rizal, with the champions being Ayla Angeles of Gain Christian Academy in the grade-school category and Ken Rainer Kabashima of Kids World Christian Academy in the junior high-school category. Diwa Pasiklaban will continue in Metro Manila for September before heading to North Luzon in October to start the regional legs. The caravan will be at South Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao consecutively from November to December. Students going head-to-head will be playing for a spot at the National Finals, which will be held in January 2019 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. participants are encouraged to avail themselves of the early registration saving until September 14 and group discounts. Seats are limited and preregistration is required. Please check www.cgbp.org for a complete list of best practices programs, including “How to Prepare Your Bidding Documents,” “Best Practices and Remedies to Avoid COA Disallowances,” “How to Joint Venture Effectively with the Government,” “How to Prepare Unsolicited Proposals for Government Projects” and many more. You may also call landlines in Manila (+632)842-7148/59 and (+632) 556-8968/69, in Baguio (+6374)423-2914, in Cebu (+6332)5123106 or 07, or Legazpi City (+63 52)736-0148.

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Marketing BusinessMirror

Editor: Efleda P. Campos • Monday, September 24, 2018 E3

Be authentic, communicate often and win awards ber 2010, taking with him more than 25 years of experience in broadcast, telecommunications and informationtechnology sectors. More than experience, he brought the aspiration to lead the company into a new era of customer service orientation and innovation. PR Matters engaged Panlilio with the following queries:

What are examples of PR communications programs or activities that you have championed over the years?

PR Matters By Bong R. Osorio

TILITY companies, by the nature of their business, unavoidably will have to muddle through issues like outages and aggravated publics repetitively. Some customers may feel that utilities are sluggish in reacting, and project a “we don’t care” attitude considering that the customers don’t always have a choice about who provides the public services they need. With concerns like these, utility companies may have a hard time being among the most appreciated or liked brands. That’s why there are communications leaders and teams that take care of connecting with various publics that impact on the business. What’s critical is that utilities should have people providing service and engagement to their customers. And truth to tell, a little customer engagement can go a long way in keeping customers delighted—or at least patient and uncomplaining. September is PR month. And PR Matters talked to another esteemed PR communications professional to generate key learnings from his practice. This time we have somebody from the utilities industry. He is a man of vision and a transformative leader. He is Meralco’s senior vice president and head of Customer Retail Services and Corporate Communications. He is Alfredo S. Panlilio, known to many as ASP. Meralco, a 115-year-old company has infused a new philosophy to deliver better customer experience. With this business thinking, Meralco, through the solid leadership of Pallia harnesses technological developments in the global energy space, and communicates relentlessly via multiple touch points including digital media. “Customer-centricity” was a business buzzword they “talk and walk.” Pallia as the communication leader of Meralco delivers communication programs that positively affect operational metrics, boost the corporate identity and add value to the lives of their customers. With these efforts, the company has reaped and continue to earn record recognition from communication award-giving bodies and brought the Meralco Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI)—a customer survey tool—to all-time highs, along with record revenue and profit numbers. Panlilio joined Meralco in Septem-

Panlilio: Based on our four stakeholders: customers and the public, shareholders, employees, and the regulator, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), Meralco, has implemented these communications programs primarily targeted at customers: A Christmas destination called “Liwanag Park” featured brilliant display of lights, innovation and tradition. It engaged Meralco customers by creating a delightful experience for every Filipino and is tied to Meralco’s Christmas social responsibility program that lights up far-flung schools. A tips and promotions campaign known as “Bright Ideas,” encouraged more efficient use of electricity. The program highlighted the cost efficiency, safety, and convenience of using induction heat cookers and 0.5HP air-cons, making consumers more conscious of electricity usage while enhancing their comfort. The “Power Up Forums” gathered Meralco’s top corporate customers in both the public and private sectors to update them on the latest power industry trends and relevant services that would enhance customer operations to grow their businesses. Panlilio established the forum to empower customers and to make the partnership with Meralco stronger. “Accredited Meralco Contractors [AMC],” an accreditation program allowed the selection of the best service providers, contractors, developers, and designers to handle the technical requirements for businesses, which later expanded into residential areas. A subscription-based service of Meralco that adjusts rates based on “On-Peak/Off-Peak or POP” usage instead of basing them on averages, paved the way for greater cost savings and operational efficiency, especially for enterprises running 24-hour operations like BPOs. An annual awards event dubbed as “Meralco Luminaries” acknowledged the innovation and excellence in strategy, thought leadership, collaboration, execution and use of technology by Meralco public and private-sector partners toward the nations journey to more energized future. Panlilio conceptualized this program to celebrate partnerships that other customers can emulate and benefit from. Online touch points—Facebook, Twitter and Meralco web site were established. These platforms opened the communication lines between the company and its customers on a more personal level. Over the years, the move has enabled Meralco to swiftly

act on customer reports on power interruptions, hasten processing of new accounts and manage expectations regarding power rates. The most recent innovation making waves with the public is the new “Meralco Mobile app and Meralco Online” features. The mobile app allowed customers to pay directly to Meralco, wherever, whenever, while the Meralco Online powered up our homes and processed application for Meralco service using a mobile device or computer. With it, you can also report outages and receive updates on resolution, on top of managing your electric service, bills and notifications. The rejuvenated Meralco web site contains all the information the public needs, which are easy to access. Exemplified by Meralco’s hashtag #morepowertoyou, it is easy to see how the distribution utility is truly paving the way for more empowered customers and a brighter future for all.

How do you demonstrate outstanding PR communications strategy, skills and leadership in your organization?

After several strategic planning sessions, internally and with brand planning experts externally, Meralco redefined its brand architecture, adding innovation and customer centricity to its mix. The addition of these two elements altered Meralco’s customer communications materials from “business as usual” to “proactive service” with the goal to offer new services. This new brand architecture permeates all customer communications. To implement these programs, we created the Marketing and Customer Solutions and Innovations office, bringing on board consumer goods and communications people, and partnered with two integrated communications agencies. In a bold, transformative move, customers were segmented into Corporate, Small and Medium Enterprise and Home and Microbusiness, to differentiate programs, tools, channels, activate previously unexplored touch points. We also organized around these customer segments to ensure end-to-end, seamless servicing. After Meralco’s experience and success with its award-winning Twitter account and the revamp of its corporate web site, the next digital gamble was Facebook. Started in March 2011 we moved ahead with a Meralco Facebook fan page where customers can freely comment, rant and engage Meralco for customer service. After some calibrated marketing efforts and the gradual buildup of trained customer service staff, Meralco’s Facebook fan page serves as a platform for our customer service staff to answer queries with equal fervor and dedication. Customer insights generated via market research and trends scanned from global trends have led to the exploration of innovations that will reshape the company’s 10-year horizon with new smart grid-based services: prepaid electricity that will lighten the burden among the masses, an online dashboard that will allow households

Communication pitfall: ‘Maraming hugot kasi walang closure’ By Leony R. Garcia

E are at this time a divided nation. The divisiveness is apparent in social-media sites where many groups and individuals sow animosities instead of unity. Filipinos nowadays hardly have one voice on issues affecting their everyday life. Some people simply dismiss it as democracy working. More and more hugoteras, aside from the perennial complainers, are on the rise. Do we blame it to so much freedom (of speech) we enjoy nowadays? Or it is just becoming the trend among the millennials and “feeling millennials”? Or do we blame it to our communicator experts who are supposed to handle things to make them “good and beautiful”? The Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) believes this is the best time to face the issue heads on. After all, PRSP has, for years, been on the lookout for solutions aimed at ensuring truth in the practice of communication. And with the advent of new platforms that provide quick access to information, the PRSP is taking con-

crete steps against false information and is calling for unity among communication professionals in support of truth. PRSP is the country’s premier organization for public relations professionals. Established on February 19, 1957, its roster is composed of practitioners who represent business and industry, the government, nonprofit organizations, foundations, entrepreneurs and the service sector. The organization will hold its 25th National PR Congress on September 27 and 28, 2018, partly themed “Truth or Trolls: PR in the Age of Disinformation,” in celebration of National PR Month which is based on Presidential Proclamation 1357 signed by thenPresident Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The country’s biggest gathering of PR and communication professionals, the 2018 Congress, reaffirms the role of PR and communication professionals in establishing harmonious relationships based on truth and authenticity. This year’s celebration of the National PR Month also intends to make content scrutiny the public’s responsibility and media literacy a government priority.

“By attending the Silver PR Congress, we aim not only for delegates of diverse generations and industries to reaffirm the role of PR in building strong, trustbased relationships but also to turn this time into an opportunity for us to be agents of positive change in service of society,” PRSP President Ritzi Villarico Ronquillo, APR, said. Ronquillo, whose practice spans over 35 years in the communication and public relations profession, also added that the hugoteras and hugoteros are now on the loose due to nonclosure of many issues: Maraming hugot kasi walang closure. “The new media has empowered democracies all over the world through its amplification of free speech. Unfortunately, some are abusing this communication innovation for interests that benefit them solely. The rise of propaganda machinations online such as trolls and lie peddlers is tearing societal fabric as we know it. This makes it even more crucial for communicators such as PR professionals to continue championing authenticity and accuracy. We must try to make truth everybody’s business,” Ronquillo said.

to monitor their power consumption hourly and hence manage their expense, automated network devices that will allow Meralco to provide estimated times of power restoration and minimize outages, and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations among many. We also hatched the idea of beyond-the-meter services like Meralco Managed Services (MMS) which is a turn-key solution for companies who maintain data warehouses and building management systems.

What are the clear and specific measurements or indicators that showed the long-term and sustainable results or impact of your communication programs for the company and the stakeholders? The biggest reward for the team and myself as a leader is the achievement of the highest customer satisfaction index for Meralco. “CSI” is Meralco’s survey of its customers across 12 metrics, which measures their satisfaction with Meralco’s services. It is a company-wide effort to delight customers, with communicating to them as the lead tool. The other big reward is the recognition by a jury of peers. To date, Meralco has garnered 194 Quill Awards (the highest in Meralco’s corporate history) from the International Association of Business Communicators Philippines and 61 Anvil Awards from the Public Relations Society of the Philippines. We also won Quill Company of the Year four times and Quill Company of the Year First runner-up twice. Anvil named us PR Team of the Year in 2017. Panlilio certainly has the experience and capability to lead the company to

greater heights in using communication as a tool to achieve this. His vision has transformed Meralco from a utility company to a customer-centric partner and enabler of growth. But always with a nod to shareholders, employees and the regulator.

What key learnings from your challenging, but filling job can you share with readers of PR Matters?

There are several things I can share with, and they are lessons learned that can very well work with other industries and businesses: Focus on our company’s reason for being. Our customers should always be our reason for being. Constantly make our customers well-informed about who we are, what we do, and why we do what we do. Embrace technological advancements, not only to revolutionize our organization, but the industry where we belong Look for ways to better respond to and satisfy the evolving customer demands and requirements. Create transparent messages, and utilize communication tools and platforms and be accountable for our numbers. Be an inspirational communicator. Bring out the best in every member of the communication team. Energize. Energize. Energize. It will make our work easier to handle. In communication, tell the truth, be honest and be transparent. Be proactive on issues. This way people can see what we are doing. If we commit a mistake, say that we made a mistake. Humanize the company through real talk on social-media posts and online

newsrooms. Authenticity is very important to maintaining customer relationships. Establish a friendly, approachable social-media voice and have a process in place to be especially responsive during problem situations. While we can’t always create miracles when attending to crisis, simply being responsive and authentic—telling customers we are working on issues and will be posting frequent updates—goes far in managing expectations. There are so many things to learn from the utilities industry and Meralco’s experiences when it comes to PR and communication under the helm of Panlilio. And to this writer, these principles resonate: Be transparent, be authentic and communicate often. Be aware, even with the best communication practices in place, there will always be negative feedback, as it’s the very nature of the service business since satisfaction is so subjective. PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier organization for PR professionals around the world. Bong R. Osorio is a communications consultant of ABS-CBN Corp., SkyCable, Dentsu-Aegis Network, government projects among others, after retiring as vice president and head of the Corporate Communications Division of ABS-CBN. We are devoting a special column each month to answer our readers’ questions about public relations. Please send your questions or comments to askipraphil@ gmail.com.

Perspective BusinessMirror

Monday, September 24, 2018

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RABIES-FREE

PHILIPPINES BY 2020 centers or clinics.”

Vision: Rabies-free Philippines

By Marane A. Plaza

HE pet industry in the Philippines is considerably growing, as more and more Filipinos today are into taking care of dogs and cats at home. According to Philippine Canine Club Inc., there were 1,169,659 registered with studbook in 2017, and that’s for pure-bred dog alone. While taking care of our dogs and cats like our own family members could give us positive benefits for our overall well-being, having a pet also comes with great responsibilities, especially in making sure that they are not contracted with rabies. Rabies encephalitis is one of the oldest communicable diseases known to man. It is a fatal disease. According to the American Journal of Neuroradiology, rabies encephalitis is an acute infection involving the central nervous system in humans and other mammals caused by ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus as its genetic material. The RNA virus of rabies is of the rhabdovirus family, and transmission of the disease is through the bite of dogs and other wild animals. Dr. Nicole Perreras, medical specialist 3, Head of Animal Bite Clinic at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Alabang, Muntinlupa, stated that the number of animal bite patients in the Philippines has become more alarming over the years, while rabies cases have always been “pretty stable”. “Since 2006, human rabies in the Philippines [has] about 200-250 cases nationwide per year, which is pretty stable. But what is increasing over time is the number of animal bite patients,” Dr. Nicole said. “At RITM, we see 100-130 cases of animal bite patients a day. That’s anywhere from scratch to a real dog or cat bite,“ Dr. Perreras added. “For every case of rabies, the likelihood of you getting cured is zero as it is 99.9-percent fatal. So even if there are a few human rabies cases, I would say it really is alarming, because there is no treatment option once the patient is showing neurological symptoms already.” She noted that, while most rabies cases can be transmitted through a bite, scratches from pets should not be overlooked. “Rabies can be transmitted even through a scratch. With scratch, we do not know if the dog has saliva on its claws also, or if the dog licks the pet owner’s wound after,” she said. According to Dr. Nicole, rabies-infected animal bites have two phases: the incubation phase and the neurological phase. Depending on the medical literature you’re reading, the ‘incubation period’ of rabies cases could roughly be from three weeks to even three years. It depends on several factors including the site of entry of the virus into the body. Generally, the clos-

er the bite is to the brain, the quicker the progress of the rabies disease. Once neurological signs appear, the disease progresses rapidly to death. “If you’re bitten by a rabid animal, usually symptoms are nonspecific on the early parts. It could be muscle pain, fever and body aches. Then eventually, once the virus has traveled to the brain, the animal bite patient can experience fear of air or aerophobia, fear of water or hydrophobia and hypersalivation. These symptoms are very specific to rabies. It signifies involvement of brain stems. The patient starts gasping for air because they lose control of their muscles,” she said. “You can experience the classic symptoms of active rabies anywhere from three months to three years and, sometimes, even longer. That’s why we really try to emphasize prevention and early treatment because the virus has a long incubation period. You really cannot predict when will the patient exhibit symptoms. And 99.9-percent of rabies cases are fatal. It would really lead to death without prevention and early treatment.” It is important to note that just as long as the rabies case of a patient is still on the incubation phase, meaning there’s no sign of any neurological symptoms yet, there can still be hope for prevention and prompt treatment.

First Aid rules

ALTHOUGH rabies can be fatal, nothing can beat the benefits of correct first aid measures. “Wash the wound with soap and running water thoroughly for ten to fifteen minutes. That simple measure can do wonders. How is rabies transmitted anyway? It is through the saliva of an infected animal. That’s why if you want to decrease the chance of getting the disease, you have to remove as many saliva as you can and as soon as possible. It decreases your risk of rabies by 40 percent. And that is also the reason we educate people that, before even running to an animal bite center or clinic, wash the wound first for 10 to 15 minutes with running water.” More than first aid, Dr. Nicole emphasized the importance of early and correct treatment. “Once bitten, the patient should receive accurate, correct treatment of that animal bite right away. For example, once the patient is bitten quite severely, we give vaccine and then immunoglobulin.” “There are two ways that we hope we

could prevent rabies, and those are the quick prevention of the immunoglobulin while you wait for your vaccine to kick in, because you really do not know if and when the patient will exhibit the neurological symptoms of rabies. And then the patient should have the postexposure vaccine, of course. Although there’s no 100 percent effective vaccine, at least your chances are considerably less. Once you have the vaccine, be it preexposure or postexposure vaccine, once given correctly, you have a significant chance of not contracting the disease.” The doctor stressed out though that once the patient is at the neurological phase of the disease already, there’s not much that can be done. “There’s the incubation phase, and there’s the neurologic phase wherein you can see the active rabies symptoms already such as foaming of the mouth, or hypersalivation. Some of them do not manifest that way. But those are the most common symptoms. Those are the neurologic symptoms of rabies. It depends on the animal bite if it has a lot of saliva, then the transmission of the disease could be a lot quicker.” Dr. Nicole said that if the patient is already showing symptoms of active rabies, such as hypersalivation, dysfunctional breathing and hydrophobia, those two prevention treatments the immunoglobulin and vaccine—cannot be effective anymore. “If the patient is still in the incubation phase of the rabies-infected animal bite, we can give immunoglobulin and postexposure vaccines. But if the patient comes in with full-blown active rabies symptoms, there’s nothing we can do. It would really lead to death.”

Prevention is still the key

Dr. Nicole noted that although there can still be hope for the cases, which are still on the incubation phase, prevention is still the key. And for most cases, rabies cases can be pre-

vented through responsible pet ownership. “If you look at it from a policy of the Department of Health’s standpoint, if you want to control rabies, you have to start with dogs as No.1 because there’s dog vaccination. That’s one area of targeting rabies, and that is generally under responsible pet ownership,” she said. A huge part of responsible pet ownership is making sure that your pets get regular vaccines against rabies, every year. “We need to emphasize responsible pet ownership. You really have to make sure that you have your pets vaccinated yearly for rabies shots, and take care of your animals well,” she said. “It is one of the best ways of decreasing the cases of rabies in the country.” On the other hand, humans should have the option of pre-exposure vaccination. It is composed of three shots of vaccines given at Day 0, Day 7 and Day 30 of time intervals. In this case, once you’re exposed to an animal bite, at least the pet owner is protected. If you are constantly exposed to animals, like if you are a veterinarian or a vet assistant or simply a pet owner, taking preexposure prophylaxis is advised. “For example, even before I was bitten by a dog, I have completed three doses of the pre-exposure vaccine; once I am bitten, I can go get boosters and I would not be needing immunoglobulin, no matter how severe my animal bite is.” Aside from responsible petownership, it is about educating people how to treat an animal bite. According to clinical studies, as simple as washing your wound right away for about 10 to 15 minutes with running water can remove 94.4 percent of the viral particles. “Correct treatment is still the key. Wrong beliefs such as rubbing garlic on the wound cannot treat rabies, so it is better to have your wounds assessed properly by medical professionals at animal bite

“I WOULD say that the knowledge of the Filipinos has improved through the years. Before, we did not see a lot of animal bite patients coming into the clinics, but now they’re more aware,” Dr. Nicole shared. This improved knowledge of the Filipinos is because of the multi-agencies under the government, which are very active in educating the mass about rabies and its prevention through the years. Although there’s an improvement, the Philippines though has a long way to go. “There are countries that are completely rabies-free but, unfortunately, the Philippines is not one of them. The US, Singapore and Hong Kong are some of these rabies-free countries. That’s why if you want to travel to those countries with your dogs, your pets have to spend some time in their rabies-free area, “she said. “But our goal as a country is that by 2020, we have a rabies-free Philippines.” Dr. Nicole stressed that the cause of rabies cases is multi-faceted because “we are dealing with the human population and then the animal population.” A huge percentage of rabies cases come from stray dogs. The city local government is responsible for stray dog cases. Some cases come from simply irresponsible pet ownership. “There are areas that are under the responsibility of DOH [Department of Health] and DepEd [Department of Education], and vets have a huge role to play also, since we have to target the animal population with proper vaccination. While on the human’s side, once exposed with animal bites, you have to come to the clinic for treatment right away. So, it is all about education, really.” Medical experts like Dr. Nicole work closely with the DepEd in terms of continuously educating the Filipinos. “We teach elementary teachers and the students how to recognize cases of human rabies. We have tieups with schools on how to teach children on first aid for animal bites, what to do once bitten by a dog or a cat.” Dr. Nicole also expressed her hopes for more accessible animal bite centers in the country. “So we are able to treat more patients who have experienced having scratch or bites from animals that can transmit rabies, we need more animal bite centers. When you put up an animal bite center though, you have to be accredited by the DOH. There’s the same registration for the accreditation process for both public and private practices. Sadly though, some areas in the country do not have access to animal bite centers.” The RITM, a reference laboratory for rabies in the country, is one of the best treatments for animal bite centers in the country. The institution offers free vaccines as long as there’s supply for it. “At RITM we have an animal bite center, and we cater to patients from different places, even as far as Batangas and other provinces.“ The RITM, as well as other animal bite centers and hospitals in the Philippines, conduct measures in educating its patients about animal bites and rabies in accordance with the active national programs of DOH. “Every year, we at RITM, observe World Rabies Day, wherein we educate people more about the dangers and prevention of rabies. We have poster-making contests about responsible pet ownership to educate people at RITM. We also have videos in our clinic on how to recognize rabies, “she said. “We also organize a three-day training for pet-owners every few months so they’d know how to make sure their pets are rabies-free.” Although the DOH does not include antirabies vaccines in its expanded program for immunization for children, preexposure and postexposure vaccines are available. You just have to go to an accredited animal bite centers in the country. Responsible pet ownership is still the answer more than any thing. Pet owners have to make sure that they are protected and vaccinated against rabies, and their pets are vaccinated. Make sure to take care of your pets, and learn the risks and benefits of the vaccine. At the end of the day, we have to prioritize prevention.”