Manila Standard - 2023 January 14 - Saturday

CAAP officials may face raps

Panel looks into criminal, civil, administrative liabilities in airport mess

By Julito G. Rada, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Darwin Amojelar

THE commission that oversees government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) is considering filing cases against officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) over the New Year’s Day air traffic management fiasco that grounded more than 300 flights and inconvenienced about 65,000 passengers.

The Governance Commission for GOCCs issued this statement as the Department of Transportation (DOTr) formed a five-member team independent of the CAAP that would look into the possible negligence in the closure of Philippine airspace on Jan. 1. CAAP, being a

Abalos: Cops to be purged will not be named publicly

THE names of police officials whose courtesy resignations would be accepted won't be made public, Department of the Interior Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said on Friday.

“There is no need. This is a radical move. Like I said before, extraordinary times call for radical and bold actions. This is out of the box. By the same token, let's say if

their resignation is accepted, let them retire silently,” Abalos told reporters in a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Abalos, however, said the monitoring and investigation efforts will continue so that authorities can file appropriate charges against those who would be found involved in illegal drugs.

Remulla says ‘breakthrough’ in 10 days on missing sabungeros case

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said he expects a “significant breakthrough” in the case of 34 missing “sabungero” in the next 10 days.

Remulla, who met with family members of the cockfight enthusiasts who have mysteriously disappeared yesterday, said testimony from a

possible witness could shed light on the case.

“As I said, evidence is very important. We have to build the cases properly for them to thrive in a court of law,” he said.

“I’m asking them [family members] to be patient because it’s not easy to

much,' she said.

GOCC attached to the Transportation department, is covered by the GCG.

In a statement Friday, the GCG vowed to evaluate the necessity of filing criminal, civil, or administrative cases against CAAP officials, depending on what several ongoing investiga-

tions find.

The commission’s chairman, Alex Quiroz, read the statement before testifying before the Senate committee on public services, which is looking into the fiasco.

Quiroz said the commission would

Gov’t studying China's proposal to tie up with PH fishing villages

“We

AT LEAST 51 percent or about 12.9 million Filipino families have rated themselves poor in the fourth quarter of 2022, slightly higher than the 49 percent recorded in the previous quarter, a survey by the Social Weather Stations showed.

The SWS Survey on Self-Rated

Poverty, which was conducted in December, showed that the number of families that rated themselves "borderline" at 31 percent -- slightly up as well from the 29 percent in October 2022.

The number of families that rated themselves as "not poor" went down

slightly to 19 percent from October's 21 percent.

Of the 12.9 million self-rated poor families, 8 percent said they were nonpoor one to four years ago (newly poor), 5.8 percent were non-poor five or more

Lisa Presley, Elvis’ only child, dead at 54

SINGER-SONGWRITER Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of rock and roll legend Elvis Presley, died Thursday hours after being hospitalized, her family said. She was 54.

Presley, who led a tumultuous life in the sprawling shadow of her world-

famous father, and who attended a high-profile awards ceremony just this week, had been rushed to a California hospital's intensive care unit for cardiac arrest.

"Priscilla Presley and the Presley

AWESM CEBU!

NATIONAL Security Adviser Clarita Carlos said on Friday that the government was looking into China's proposed partnership with Filipino fishing villages.

are strengthening people-to-people exchanges. China is proposing a partnership between fishing villages, and we are looking into it,” she said in Filipino in a televised briefing.

Carlos said the discussions between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing went well as the dialogue on West Philippine Sea issues continued.

The Philippines had filed multiple diplomatic protests over China's alleged harassment of Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea.

TECH TALK. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. discusses plans to strengthen the country's digital infrastructure during a meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) Thursday afternoon.

SM Seaside City Cebu transformed itself into a colorful and festive destination for this year’s Sinulog with larger-than-life art installations for an all-around TikTok and IGworthy festival celebration in the mall. The AweSM Cebu Artscape: Large Scale Art Installation features Anthony Fermin and Doro Barandino at the Mountain Wing Atrium.

LISA MARIE PRESLEY

A MOTHER'S PLEA. Maria Carmelita Lasco, 75, holds a portrait of her missing son Ricardo Lasco during a meeting with Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla at the Department of Justice on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. Lasco says she is not giving up hope of finding her son again. 'I am torn between thinking that either my son is gone, or God is there, and that nothing is impossible with the Lord. I am not giving up even if it hurts so

Norman Cruz

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Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian, for his part, said the South China Sea can become "a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation" as long as Beijing and the Philippines find a "common ground" in resolving disputes.

"So long as both countries stay wise and confident enough to seek common ground while resolving differences and set aside disputes, we all will be able to find a way of settling differences and solve problems and build [the] South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation," Huang said in his speech during yesterday's New Year reception of the Chinese embassy yesterday.

On Thursday, China reaffirmed its commitment to joint maritime exploration with the Philippines in the South China Sea despite a decision by the Supreme Court striking down as unconstitutional a 2005 deal among the Philippines, China and Vietnam.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), for its part, said it is setting the parameters to guide negotiations on oil and gas following the Supreme Court ruling.

“China remains committed to properly handle maritime disputes in the South China Sea with countries directly concerned, including the Philippines, through dialogue and consultation, and to actively explore ways for practical maritime cooperation including joint exploration,” China’s spokesman for its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Wenbin, said in a press conference in Beijing.

Wang also recalled President Marcos’ recent state visit to China, where he and Xi Jinping discussed joint exploration.

Wang said the Tripartite Agreement for Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking in the Agreement Area in the South China Sea in 2005 among the three Asian countries, which the high court declared unconstitutional, “was an important step by the three countries to implement” the Declaration of Conduct in the disputed waters.

Wang added the pact is “a useful experiment for maritime cooperation between parties to the South China Sea.”

“It played an important role in promoting stability, cooperation and development in the region,” he said.

SWS:...

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percent who never experienced being non-poor (always poor).

The increase in the nationwide figure was due to a hike in self-rated poor families in Balance Luzon, from 36 percent in October to 49 percent in December.

The survey also showed the estimated number of self-rated food poor families was at 8.7 million in both December 2022 and October 2022,.

At least 34 percent of families rated themselves as food-poor, 38 percent food borderline, and 28 percent not food-poor.

The survey had sampling error margins at ±2.5% for national percentages and ±5.7% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

Lisa...

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family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Lisa Marie," the family said in a statement.

"They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time."

Priscilla Presley—Lisa Marie's mother and the iconic crooner's wife for six years until their divorce in 1973 –said in a statement to People magazine: "It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us."

News of the death triggered an immediate outpouring of grief from fans and famous friends.

"Our hearts are broken with the sudden and shocking passing of Lisa Marie Presley tonight... It's too much," said Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks, who starred in the recent biopic movie "Elvis."

Remulla...

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gather the evidence here. But I was just telling them earlier, there will be breakthroughs and I think we have one breakthrough coming in the next 10 days and it is significant.”

“We will listen to a new testimony very soon. We have a meeting set for next week to discuss the potential witnesses. It will put [to rest] many of our doubts

2.5% of 1.4m kasambahay have employment contracts

THE Department of Labor and Employment on Friday expressed concern over the low number of househelps (kasambahay) in the country who have employment contracts.

"Out of 1.4 million kasambahay, only 2.5 percent have employment contracts. This is around 35,000 only while 1.36 million have no written employment contracts," said Director Ahmma Charisma Lobrin-Satumba, DOLE Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns.

She added there is also a low number of domestic workers that have contributions to the Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health In -

CAAP...

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look into the cause of the technical glitch and determine if there was negligence due to a lack of foresight or proper preventive maintenance.

The commission said it would coordinate and work closely with the Senate investigation by providing the necessary resources to determine the root cause of the incident and recommend corrective action for the agency.

Meanwhile, CAAP’s deputy director general for operations, Edgardo Diaz, said the DOTr has formed a body composed of people not connected with the CAAP, to look into the possibility of negligence.

“Our secretary has formed another body composed of non-CAAP personnel which will look into the accountability and possible negligence of our employees," Diaz said in Filipino on radio dzBB.

Diaz said this was separate from the internal investigation being conducted by the CAAP to identify the root cause of the incident.

“Our investigation within CAAP is focused on identifying the main cause of the incident and why it had happened. We are not that focused on who will be held accountable for this. This probe is to identify our shortcomings, the things that we need to improve and the measures that we should do to prevent another incident like this,” Diaz said.

Senator Grace Poe, who heads the panel investigating the Jan. 1 incident, called for the creation of an independent transportation safety board to investigate similar incidents.

She called into question the credibility of any investigation

"Lisa baby girl, I'm so sorry. I'll miss you but I know I'll see you again," wrote actor John Travolta on Instagram. "It's hard to take when someone so young and full of life passes on," wrote Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson on Twitter. "I feel so bad about Lisa Marie and I wish the best for her children and her family."

Billy Corgan, frontman of the rock band Smashing Pumpkins, wrote on Instagram: "There is heartbreak and then there is sorrow. This would be sorrow and on more levels than I can count. Please send your prayers out for her family and children at this difficult time."

"I truly cannot find the words to express how sad this truly is," he added. Presley was found "unresponsive" by her housekeeper at home Thursday morning in the celebrity-studded Los Angeles suburb of Calabasas, entertainment website TMZ reported.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department, which runs paramedic services, told media that crews attended

that we have,” Remulla added.

He, however, admitted that the evidence they have on hand is not yet enough to pinpoint the possible mastermind.

“The identification of a mastermind is not as easy as we want it to be because it has to be proven by the same iota of evidence needed especially to convict somebody,” he said.

In a report on ABS-CBN, Venancio Inonog, father of the missing sabungero John Claude Inonog, said on of the issues they raised during

surance Corporation (PhilHealth), and Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-Ibig).

"It is also a concern to us the low coverage among social protection agencies. We saw that only 8.3 percent of the 1.4 million are covered," she said.

The labor official said they are keen on intensifying the campaign for compliance with Republic Act 10361 or the Kasambahay Law.

conducted by the CAAP itself.

Also on Friday, Diaz clarified the CAAP has yet to buy the two new uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for the Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM), contrary to what CAAP acting director Manuel Antonio Tamayo told a House briefing earlier this week.

Diaz also said the CAAP was working to install CCTV in the air traffic equipment room.

Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the DOTr was in talks with maintenance providers of the CNS/ATM system to resolve a dispute involving their service contract agreement.

Bautista said that the DOTr has been in discussions with the Sumitomo Corp. - Thales Corp.since September 2022, and adding that it was expediting the resolution of the payment dispute.

Once the dispute has been resolved, Bautista said that they would conduct a feasibility study for the procurement of the CNS/ ATM backup and system upgrade to prevent the recurrence of the New Year’s Day incident.

Meanwhile, to address the workforce gap of the air traffic controllers, Bautista expressed support for legislation that would exempt CAAP’s employees from salary standardization to provide better benefits and salaries that are at par with those in the Middle East.

A day after she conducted the Senate hearings on the New Year’s fiasco at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Senator Grace Poe told CAAP officials not to be satisfied with band-aid solutions as the safety of all air passengers was at stake.

"We have heard substantially from the CAAP on how the fiasco

to a woman in her mid-50s suffering cardiac arrest just after 10:30 am (1830 GMT), without confirming her identity.

Presley's ex-husband, Danny Keough, who also lives at the property, performed CPR until paramedics arrived and transported her to hospital, where she was put in an induced coma on life support, before passing, TMZ said.

As recently as Tuesday, mother and daughter were seen together at the Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills, where Austin Butler was awarded Best Actor in a drama for his turn as The King in Baz Luhrmann's film "Elvis."

Butler, whose performance has earned wide praise, thanked the two women during his acceptance speech.

"Thank you, guys. Thank you for opening your hearts, your memories, your home to me. Lisa Marie and Priscilla, I love you forever," Butler said.

Two nights before that, at a Los Angeles event thrown by "Elvis" studio Warner Bros, Presley gave a brief speech in which she said she was "overwhelmed

the meeting was Remulla's earlier statement that the missing persons are already likely dead.

“They explained to us while that term had to be used, even as we are still hoping [they are alive]. At least that was clarified to us,” he said.

“We have to accept the truth and move on because we are now filing the case... You know, if we can get justice, then it is as if our loved ones have come to life again in the future,” Venancio added.

"We will be intensifying our advocacy so that both the employers and kasambahay will be aware of these," she said.

Section 11 of the law states that "an employment contract should be executed between the domestic worker and the employer before the commencement of the service."

The law also provides that a domestic worker, who has rendered at least one month of service, shall be covered by SSS, PhilHealth, and PagIbig with the premium contributions to be shouldered by the employer.

It was signed in July 2012 by former president Benigno Aquino III and took effect in June 2013.

came to be," Poe said.

Based on the hearing, Poe said, it was clear that while the CAAP believed it has the people and the equipment to do the job, it fell short in addressing an incident that started with equipment failure.

"But we are not passing judgment yet as we have yet to conclude the Senate probe," replied Poe in a message when asked about the possible filing of charges against CAAP officials.

She also said she believes a third party maintenance provider should be seriously considered. There also needed to be regular audits of the equipment by experts.

Bautista on Friday said his department is speeding up the privatization of NAIA by completing the terms of reference for the contract.

“We will work to fast-track the privatization of the NAIA, because [it]… remains the primary gateway to the Philippines,” Bautista said.

Privatization, he said, would speed up the modernization and expansion of NAIA.

If it is privatized, NAIA could expand its capacity from handling 40 to 44 aircraft an hour to 50 to 55 aircraft in the same time.

The NAIA rehabilitation and development project aims to alleviate the worsening air traffic congestion at the main gateway and resolve capacity constraints by reconfiguring and renovating facilities and enhancing operation and maintenance.

The rehabilitation project also aims to broaden NAIA’s role as a key economic and tourism driver for Metro Manila and the whole Philippines, deliver capital infrastructure investment to improve the airport’s efficiency and increase its capacity to meet the growing passenger demand from the Philippines and the Asia Pacific region.

by this film" and that her father would "be very proud."

Lisa Marie Presley was Elvis's only child. She previously controlled Elvis Presley Enterprises, but sold the bulk of shares in the company to a private equity firm in 2005.

She retained control of Graceland, the Memphis, Tennessee estate her father owned and where he was found unconscious in August 1977.

Elvis was taken to a hospital but pronounced dead from a heart attack. Toxicology reports found high levels of prescription drugs in his system.

Lisa Marie released three albums this century, and is the mother of actor Riley Keough, who appeared in "Mad Max: Fury Road."

In addition to Danny Keough, whom she divorced in 1994, she has also been married to Nicolas Cage, Michael Jackson and actor-composer Michael Lockwood.

She was left devastated following the death by suicide of her son Benjamin less than three years ago. AFP

Remulla told the family members that while the presumption of death under the Civil Code is after seven years of disappearance, the same cannot be applied in criminal cases, especially in this case involving the missing sabungeros.

For 75-year-old Maria Carmelita Lasco, mother of missing Ricardo Lasco who was allegedly abducted from their house in San Pablo, Laguna by men who claimed to be NBI personnel in August 2021, she is not yet giving up on her search.

Abalos:...

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He also said the National Police Commission (Napolcom) will also review the names of police officers whose resignations will be accepted.

“That’s important to me. They should be thoroughly screened. I'd rather have one man who is guilty get off the hook than one innocent person get dismissed,” he said.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, a retired police general, is part of the five-member committee that will assess the courtesy resignations and make a recommendation to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Abalos said he would soon announce the names of the other members of the body.

“I do not want this to be a fishing expedition. We just want to make sure that when we announce [something], it will really be accepted by the public,’’ Abalos added.

The DILG chief also thanked the police officials for heeding his appeal.

“I am thankful for the trust that they gave and we will make sure, of course, that our five-man committee (are composed of) persons of integrity,” Abalos said.

As of Friday, about 95 percent of the 954 PNP generals and full colonels have submitted their courtesy resignations.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo, said those who submitted their resignation included 774 colonels and 130 generals so far.

The PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management expects to receive the resignation of the remaining 49 senior officers within the week, she said.

She added that the total number of third-level officials went down from 956 to 953 following the retirement of three officials.

Fajardo said the PNP respects Abalos' decision not to publicize the names of police officials whose courtesy resignations will be accepted.

The PNP spokesperson said the findings of the committee will be forwarded to the Napolcom, and the officers who will be proven to have links to illegal drug activities will be charged with corresponding criminal cases.

Fajardo noted that the officers can still appeal the findings of the committee.

“If there is a need to release the names in the interest of transparency, then we need to wait for the process to be completed. We don't want to jump to conclusions and release them in haste. They might exercise their rights to question or in fact exhaust their legal remedies to somehow clear their names,” she said.

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said at least 10 police officials were included in the list of those allegedly involved in illegal drugs but there is no information yet if they have already submitted their courtesy resignation.

Earlier, some 43 Metro Manila cops were summoned by National Capital Region Police Office chief Maj. Gen. Jonnel Estomo over their inclusion in a watchlist of police personnel with possible links to illegal drugs.

In an exclusive report, ABS-CBN showed a video clip of the meeting with Estomo at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig where the cops also underwent a surprise drug test.

"This is painful. I never imagined this even in my wildest dreams," one policeman said.

Another said he already went through an adjudication process in 2018 and was surprised that his name was still on the watch list.

Yet another said he underwent a lie detector test but was not appraised of the decision on his case.

"We are just simple workers who went against some big fish," another cop lamented.

Estomo said the inclusion of the cops in the watchlist of the Philippine National Police does not automatically make them guilty of being involved in illegal drugs.

"There is perhaps doubt [on your record] so please help yourselves and undergo the adjudication process," he said.

"I cannot say they are involved. That has to be proven. Some of them were just doing their job, and sometimes when you do your job, you step on people's toes and they get mad."

"These have to be resolved by the adjudication board. If they are guilty, file a case. If they are not guilty, then clear them. It is that simple," Estomo added.

Relying on a wheelchair and armed with a photograph of her son, Lasco said she hopes the kidnappers would see her and be reminded that they are parents, too.

Last month, the Justice Department said it found sufficient basis to indict the three police officers for robbery and kidnapping following the disappearance of Lasco in Laguna.

The Philippine National Police said five officers were dismissed over the case, including the three being charged.

NDRRMC: Rains death toll increases to 17

THE death toll in the heavy rains and floods caused by a shear line and the northeast monsoon over the past week has risen to 17, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Friday.

The agency said five fatalities were reported in Bicol, four each in Zamboanga and Northern Mindanao, three in Eastern Visayas, and one in Davao Region.

Seven people were injured while two others remained missing, the NDR-

RMC said in its updated report.

Recurrent pressure areas, a shear line, and the rains have brought about floods and landslides across the country during the past week.

The NDRRMC also reported that to -

tal of 121,950 families or 523,991 people were affected in Cagayan, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen and the Bangsamoro autonomous region.

More than 13,400 families were forced to seek shelter in evacuation centers.

The NDRRMC estimated the cost of damage to infrastructure at P165.7 million, and to agriculture at P252.7 million.

The NDRRMC report showed that some 530 houses were damaged, while 31 roads and 13 bridges were rendered impassable for all types of vehicles.

At least five towns have declared a state of calamity. They were Tubod in Lanao del Norte, Dolores in Eastern Samar, San Miguel in Leyte, and Gandara and Basey in Samar.

The NDRRMC said the government has released P30.9 million to assist the affected residents.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it still accepts donations, in cash or in kind, for the flood victims.

DSWD spokesman Rommel Lopez said cash donors may call 09434648026 or 09957153926 for proper coordination.

The Philippines is ranked among the most vulnerable nations to the impacts of climate change, and scientists have warned that storms are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer.

eyes more Kadiwa stores to lower prices

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday proposed the establishment of more Kadiwa stores to bring agricultural products closer to the people and subsequently lower food prices to more affordable levels.

Meanwhile, AGRI party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to pursue efficient budget spending to address the continuing increase in prices of agricultural, particularly onions.

“To effectively address the problem on the high price and shortage of agricultural products like onions, there should be enough support to farmers through the establishment of more Kadiwa Centers,” Gatchalian said.

LTFRB suspends Victory Liner’s QC-Baguio fleet

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Friday issued a one-month preventive suspension on public utility buses (PUBs) of the Victory Liner for the involvement of one of its units in a road accident in La Union last Jan. 3.

A west-bound Victory bus traversing the Aspiras Highway in Barangay Cares, Pugo, La Union busted one of its tires. The driver lost control of the vehicle and it slammed onto an acacia tree.

The bus conductor, including two passengers reportedly died on the spot, while other passengers were injured and taken to the hospital.

The LTFRB banned all PUBs of Victory Liner plying the Cubao, Quezon City to Baguio City via Dau, Tarlac, and Urdaneta, from operating for one month upon receipt of the order.

During this period, the LTFRB enjoined the firm’s drivers assigned to the said affected units to undergo a road safety seminar conducted by the Land Transportation Office.

Victory was likewise directed to present the roadworthiness certificates of the PUB units, except the one involved in the accident.

BOC seizes P23-m smuggled sugar from HK

By Joel E. Zurbano

BUREAU of Customs (BOC) agents posted at the Manila North Harbor have seized more than P23 million worth of refined sugar reportedly smuggled from Hong Kong.

The saccharine shipment was discovered at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) amid the agency’s intensified crackdown against smuggled agricultural products.

The cargo was erroneously declared to contain insulators, surge arrester, slipper outsoles and Styrene Butadiene rubber consigned to Burias Jang Consumer Goods Trading.

However, upon examination, BOC examiners found the shipment to contain refined sugar valued at P23.8 million.

Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz lauded his men’s achievement in collaboration with other government agencies.

“Our targeted examinations and close work with the DA (Department of Agriculture) and their attached agencies yielded significant quantities of smuggled agricultural products these recent months and helped protect Philippines agriculture from the economic impact that smuggling carries,” the commissioner said.

The operation began last Dec. 2 after the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-MICP (CIISMICP) requested for the issuance of an alert order on the questioned shipment.

Creating more farm-to-market retail centers such as Kadiwa stores, Gatchalian noted, will empower the farmers because the scheme will significantly improve their productivity, thus motivated to improve their farming efficiency.

“Ultimately, this would increase farm output levels which in turn would mean higher income for farmers and lower food prices for consumers,” he added.

“Valenzuela City was one of the beneficiaries of Kadiwa. The beauty of this is that the number or middleman will be reduced,” he said.

Gatchalian also said the Kadiwa should be government-sponsored, meaning the location, electricity and water and water consumption should be shouldered by the government.

Customs incinerates P1.7-m smuggled items

THE Bureau of Customs has destroyed some P1.7 million worth of abandoned and expired goods smuggled into the country through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The contrabands, according to NAIA district collector Carmelita Talusan, were burnt in an incinerator operated by the Integrated Waste Management Inc. (IWMI) in Trece Martires City in Cavite.

She said the condemned items included medicines, shoes, food stuffs, mobile devices and personal paraphernalia.

“This procedure is a border protection initiative of the Bureau of Customs to protect the public from unsafe and

harmful consumer products and to decongest warehouses with overstaying shipments,” Talusan said.

She added that aside from preventing the entry of prohibited goods, the destruction of unsafe and expired goods was also vital to decongest Customs warehouses to provide ample space for arriving shipments.

In June last year, the bureau also destroyed in the Cavite I incinerator smuggled counterfeit cigarettes and other products.

Customs officials cited the importance of preventing the entry of prohibited goods especially medicines and food products that were illegally imported. Joel E. Zurbano

Belmonte opens Amoranto sports facilities

By Rio N. Araja

QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte has spearheaded the inauguration of four modern and first-class facilities at the Amoranto Sports Complex to accommodate local and international sporting events.

“I promised a modernized Amoranto Sports Complex. We are proud that this is not just a sports facility,” Belmonte said.

“Now, we want our city to level up not only known

for our advocacies we are fighting for, but to be known also as having the first-class facilities,” the mayor added.

Belmonte was joined by other city officials government and representatives from the Department of Public Works and Highways.

She said the Amoranto Sports Arena can accommodate 3,500 people.

The new facilities also included an Olympicsize swimming pool with 10 lanes that can be used also for local and international swimming meets.

IACAT: Mail order marriage a criminal act

By Rey E. Requejo

A

GOVERNMENT

watchdog on human trafficking served caution against committing a crime for engaging in mail-order marriage.

“Mail-order spouse or forced marriage is a crime,” The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) stated in a public advisory.

IACAT, an agency under the Department of Justice, stressed that Republic Act No. 10906 provides that it is “unlawful for any person to advertise, enlist, or engage in any business or scheme for money, profit, or economic or other consideration which has for its purpose of matching or offering of a Filipino to a foreign national for marriage or common-law partnership on a mail-order basis or through personal introduction, e-mail, social media, or websites on the internet.”

RA 10906, or the Anti-Mail Order Spouse Act, was meant to “prevent the exploitation of Filipinos, and protect them from unlawful practices, businesses and schemes which offer Filipinos for marriage to unscrupulous foreign nationals and expose them to abuse, exploitation, prostitution, and violent situations.

CYAN

Manila Standard TODAY

MYRA MARIE D. VILLARICA

Ampatuan guilty of graft, falsification raps

PBBM wants to fast-track issuance of PH national IDs IN BRIEF

FORMER Maguindanao governor Sajid Ampatuan was found guilty on eight counts of graft and eight counts of falsification of public documents charges involving P20 million worth of ghost projects.

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, led by Associate Justice Mary Ann Corpuz-Mañalac, subsequently ordered the arrest of Ampatuan since the convicted former public official failed to be physically present for the promulgation, GMA News reported.

“Considering he failed to appear in today’s promulgation, he already waived the remedies available to him. Let a warrant of arrest be issued for apprehension and serving of sentence of Datu Sajid Ampatuan,” Corpuz-Mañalac said, referring to the remedy of posting a cash bond double the amount of the existing cash bond for provisional liberty pending appeal and other related legal recourse.

The GMA News report said Ampatuan was sentenced to six to eight years of jail time for each count of his graft conviction, and another two to six years jail time for each count of his conviction for falsification of public documents.

The anti-graft court also ordered Ampatuan to pay the Maguindanao provincial government P22 million as indemnity due to his multiple graft conviction.

Ampatuan was also ordered to pay a P5,000 fine for each of his falsification of public documents conviction.

By Vince Lopez

Mr. Marcos gave the directive during his meeting with the members of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) on Digital Infrastructure at Malacañan Palace in Manila on Thursday, according to Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil in a statement.

“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued a directive Thursday to speed up the digitalization of the National Identification (ID) system that could be used for public and private transactions,” Garafil said.

The Philippine Statistics Authority’s

(PSA) proposed public-private partnership (PPP) for the launching of the digital PhilID application is one of the topics raised during Marcos’ meeting with the PSAC, Garafil said.

Mr. Marcos also asked private sector representatives to help get the National ID “out for issuance” noting that the private sector has the technology and capability.

“We’ve been left out of the technology, so we have to catch up.” Mr. Marcos said, stressing a digital ID system is easier to upgrade and implement.

Mr. Marcos, Garafil said, empha-

sized the importance of a digital PhilID system, considering that it would be “easier to upgrade and implement” the use of the national IDs. “The benefits of adopting a digital ID system include automated eKYC (Know Your Customer), identity theft protection, credit card and loan applications, and digital wallet,” Garafil added.

Under Republic Act (RA) 11055 or the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) Act, the PhilID should be accepted and recognized in government and private transactions, and shall be considered as an official and sufficient valid proof of identity for all Filipino citizens and resident aliens.

The PSA, the implementing agency responsible for the overall planning, management and administration of the PhilSys, is targeting the launch of the mobile PhilID app by the first quarter of 2023 with the assistance of the private sector.

AFP promotes three generals to new posts, new ranks

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday announced the promotion of three key officials to threestar ranks.

AFP chief Gen. Andres Centino led the donning of ranks ceremony at the AFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Thursday, military public affairs office chief Col. Jorry Baclor said in a statement.

Promoted to the rank of lieutenant general were Maj. Gen Arthur M. Cordura, AFP vice chief of staff, and Maj. Gen. Efren P. Baluyot, Southern Luzon Command chief.

“Further, Rear Admiral Toribio D. Adaci Jr., the flag officer-in-command of the Philippine Navy, received his third star, having been promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral,” Baclor added.

Centino cited the “excellent performance of their duties” for their promotion.

“It is incumbent upon them to continue serving our institution, our country, and our people, in the best possible ways they can. The three distinguished officers we have the pleasure of honoring today are exactly that—capable, competent, professional military leaders,” he added.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman meanwhile approved a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) amounting to P14,025,351,666 to the Department of National Defense – Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to cover the regular pension requirements of military retirees.

The SARO and its corresponding Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA) cover pension requirements from January to March 2023.

Pangandaman said the timely release of funds for the pension requirements of military retirees is one of the government’s initiatives to recognize their critical role in the security and stability of the country, which remains a priority of the Marcos administration.

‘No PH case of avian u in humans yet’

By Willie Casas

THE Philippines has not yet reported a case of a human being infected with avian influenza, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Friday. This after the disease was detected in several countries.

THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Friday raised grave concern over the takedown of the pages belonging to several progressive groups—the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and Anakbayan —on Facebook

KMU, in a statement, shared that its page was permanently shut down, while personal accounts of page administrators and editors were also locked citing alleged unauthorized access.

According to the observations of the abovementioned groups, Facebook’s recent action targeted pages that shared posts regarding the passing of Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the CHR said.

The social media platform allegedly flagged posts related to Sison as violations against its Community Guidelines on “dangerous individuals and organizations.”

“While CHR believes that keeping the platform safe is valid value to uphold, we similarly stress the importance of the delicate balance in upholding, instead of diminishing, enjoyment of rights, including rights to free speech, expression, and association as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1987 Philippine Constitution,” the commission said. Rio N. Araja

SENATOR Cynthia A. Villar has commended the Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (PMCC) 4th Watch on the occasion of its International Missionary Day.

On January 15, 2023, the PMCC 4th Watch will hold its International Missionary Day which will be attended by the brethren and ministers in the country and overseas.

Through this online event, Villar said PMCC 4th Watch affirms its missionary mandate notwithstanding the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19.

Under Resolution 407 which she introduced, Villar also congratulated the missionary group under the leadership of Apostle Arsenio Ferriol.

The resolution noted that despite these trying times, PMCC remains spreading the Word of God, uplifting and inspirational programs, intercessory prayers and humanitarian act.

The senator also stressed that during the pandemic affecting and crisis severely affecting the country, the PMCC 4th Watch continued to fulfill its evangelistic and humanitarian work. Macon Ramos-Araneta

BuCor charges Bantag with torture of inmates

THE Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) filed cases against suspended BuCor chief Gerald Bantag and former Deputy Security Officer Superintendent Ricardo Zulueta for allegedly torturing two persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).

BuCor lawyer Al Perreras, quoted by GMA News, said criminal and administrative cases have been filed against Bantag and Zulueta.

“We filed cases against Usec Bantag for violation RA 9745, this is the Anti-Torture Act of 2019, and serious physical injuries as against Superintendent Ricardo Zulueta is two counts of Presidential Decree No. 1829, this is obstruction of justice,” Perreras said. The official was further quoted by the

Perreras added that there were five witnesses to the alleged torture incident. He also said that the two PDLs were too afraid of Bantag to file a complaint soon after the incident.

“They were given P50,000 [each] by Zulueta just not to file cases against Bantag during the time that it happened. So that is why we filed cases against Zulueta for obstruction of justice,” Perreras also said.

“The reason why it is only now because they were no longer assigned with the Bu-

Ukraine envoy sorry for ‘misunderstanding’

By Rey E. Requejo

A UKRAINIAN diplomat on Friday apologized for “any misunderstanding” his recent statement might have caused that prompted an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to call him out for revealing that Malacañang has not responded yet to Ukraine’s dialogue request with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“My dear colleagues, I apologize for the any misunderstanding this might cause by not very correct, misunderstood speaking. Thank you for your understanding and I would like to assure you that there is all respect on my side,” Ukrainian Embassy in Malaysia Charge d’Affaires Denys Mykhailiuk said, in an interview with ANC.

Mykhailiuk issued the apology after

DFA Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and International Economic Relations Carlos Sorreta bewailed that what the former did was “not good diplomatic practice to be doing.”

“When matters like this are vented by a representative of another government through the press, it’s not something that we appreciate,” Sorreta also lamented.

In his previous press conference in Manila where he tackled various issues, including the Ukraine peace plan, Mykhailiuk said he did not complain of the standing proposal with the Philippines government but was just stating matters of fact.

Nonetheless, he regretted what happened as he also reiterated Ukraine’s appreciation for the Philippines in supporting Ukraine through a United Nations General Assembly resolution as well as through other venues.

As to whether they are also investigating other cases in the New Bilibid Prison, Perreras said “Yes meron pa.”

Atty. Rocky Balisong, Bantag’s lawyer, told GMA News Online that they could not comment on this latest development because they had not seen the complaint.

Zulueta’s lawyers, meanwhile, has yet to respond as of this posting.

The two PDLs said that they were stabbed on their arms and legs during the alleged torture incident, according to Oscar Oida’s report on “24 Oras” last December 19, 2022.

Dr. Alethea De Guzman, director of DOH’s epidemiology bureau, said the country is currently at Stage 2 of the 4-tier preparedness and response plan, which means the bird flu is currently detected in domestic fowls.

“We don’t have any confirmed human avian influenza case and we want to be able to retain that status,” she said in a virtual town hall forum.

Avian influenza is a viral disease that affects wild and domestic birds. Its most severe strains are called highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as high path, and includes H5N1 virus.

This strain is known to be lethal to poultry and is potentially fatal in humans, the DOH said. Human cases have occurred in people who had close contact with sick birds and contaminated materials, the agency added.

The World Health Organization said that there were 868 human cases with avian influenza A(H5N1) reported in 21 countries, latest data showed. Of the figure, some 455 patients died, bringing the case fatality rate to 53 percent.

The DOH meanwhile said it hopes that COVID-19 would no longer be a public health emergency in 2023.

The DOH made the statement after the World Health Organization said it saw the end of the emergency phase of the pandemic this year.

“We’re hopeful that totoo at mangyari ‘yung sinasabi ni WHO but it doesn’t fully depend on us, it depends on how this virus will change,” De Guzman, quoted by ABS-CBN News, said.

CHR concerned over activists’ FB closure

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday issued a directive to ramp up the digitalization and issuance of the National Identification (ID) system that could be used for public and private transactions.

GMA Neews saying “this is in connection with the stabbing incident involving the two PDLs, Jonathan Escopete and Ronald Usman. This happened last year February 1, 2022 inside the director’s office of then Director General Bantag.”

Cor kaya ayun malakas ang loob nila. And even the other inmates now or those PDLs wanted to file complaints against Bantag,” the official added.

FALSE INFO. Citizens flock in front of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) after receiving information that they will receive livelihood assistance. Some residents started to line up as early as 6pm yesterday but DSWD Officer-in-Charge Secretary Edu Punay denied that there is a scheduled release of assistance today. Norman Cruz

QUALITY CHECK.

Senator Mark Villar and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual check prices and quality of onions at the Guadalupe Market on Friday, during the rollout of the “Ikot Palengke, Tamang Timbang, Tamang Presyo para sa Mamimiling Pilipino” that aims to check and ensure the accuracy of weights and prices of essential goods.

Danny Pata

GRADUATION. Around 250 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) receive their certificate of completion in a tile-setting training course conducted by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) during the graduation rites at the Manila City Jail in Sta. Cruz Manila. Danny Pata

Villar commends church on Int’l Missionary Day

Protest, petition, passion and praise

THERE are four essential gestures to live meaningfully I would like to share with my readers, my version of four Ps: protest, petition, passion, and praise.

The first gesture is of protest: Resist! Fight! Laban!

There are many things that we must not accept in the world and for our country: Injustice. Inequality. Poverty. Human rights violations. Extrajudicial killings. Torture. Development aggression. Destruction of the environment. Sexual abuse of minors. Sexual harassment of the vulnerable. Disinformation. We must combat all forms of hatred, discrimination, racism, corruption, and chauvinism.

We must also fight our own selfishness, control our anger, reject despair.

The second gesture is prayer. To ask for mercy.

To petition the Lord.

Panginoon, maawa ka. Kristo, maawa ka.

To ask for the intervention of God in the challenges we face, for our suffering and illnesses, for when. our hearts are broken.

To ask Mary and Joseph and the communion of saints to pray for us.

Here is a good prayer for those who are searching:

“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

These days, it’s San Francesco’s praise for suffering, sickness, and death—lines he added to the canticle when he became sick and dying—that I have prayed most passionately

“But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.

“Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

The third gesture is that of passion. To love fully and unconditionally. Umibig! Magmahal!

Amping!

There are two people I would single out who lived loving lives: Monette Ledesma, my fellow Jesuit Volunteer and UP Law contemporary, and Bishop Ben Almoneda, a priest of the Notre Dame Di Vie Institute and spiritual director of the seminarians of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary.

They entered heaven these first days of the year and now they pray for us.

We must love always our country, our family, our significant others, our friends, and yes even our enemies.

As Ben and Ben sings in the song Leaves, we must learn to forgive and all will be alright in time.

Or to borrow, from Taylor Swift’s State of Grace, a brave and wild love can be a ruthless game, but it is a worthwhile fight.

Finally, the fourth gesture is that of Praise.

Thank you Lord! Salamat!

Some of you have asked why I am always posting pictures of myself with arms outstretched.

That is the Laudato Si gesture, in imitation of Saint Francis of Assisi who praised God for all creatures and even for his own suffering and impending death.

Here is the Canticle of Creatures which Saint Francis composed 800 years ago:

Most high, all powerful, good Lord. All praise be yours, all glory, all honor and all blessing. To you alone Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.

All praise be yours, my Lord, with all your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, who brings the day and light you give us through him. How beautiful is he, how radiant in his splendor! Of you Most High, he is the token.

All praise be yours, my Lord, for Sister Moon and the Stars; In the heavens you have made them, Bright and precious and fair.

All praise be yours, my Lord for Brother Wind and the Air, and fair and stormy, all the weather’s moods, by which you cherish all that you have made.

All praise be Yours, my Lord, for Brother Fire through whom you brighten the night. How beautiful is he, how gay, robust and strong!

All praise be Yours, my Lord, for Sister Earth, our mother, who feeds us, rules us and produces various fruits, flowers and herbs.

All praise be Yours, my Lord, for those who forgive for love of you and endure infirmity and tribulation.

Happy are those who endure them in peace for by You, Most High, they will be crowned.

All praise be Yours, my Lord, for Sister Physical Death from whose embrace no mortal can escape.

Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Happy are those she finds doing your most holy will! The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks, and serve Him with great humility.

I have been praying this prayer of Saint Francis every morning for 42 years. I credit my being an environmental justice lawyer and climate justice advocate to the Lord hearing me pray this and inviting me to share in the mission of protecting the planet, people, and the Philippines.

These days, it’s San Francesco’s praise for suffering, sickness, and death -- lines he added to the canticle when he became sick and dying -- that I have prayed most passionately.

Everything is grace. My heart is filled with gratitude for that.

Website: tonylavina.com. Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

Philippines-China relations:

Shifting to a higher gear under PBBM Jr.

By Rommel C. Banlaoi

ON JANUARY 3-5. 2023, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited China with the aim to shift China-Philippines relations to a higher gear.

The visit resulted in the signing of 14 agreements by two governments spanning various areas aiming to elevate the status of their comprehensive strategic cooperation to the next level of partnership.

In one of his statements during the visit, Marcos stressed, “It is very important that these partnerships continue to be strong, continue to be encouraged. And I think that will be the way forward to the mutual benefit of our countries.”

While meeting with Marcos in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China views the Philippines as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy and approaches its relations with the Philippines from a strategic and overall perspective.

He added he is ready “to stay in regular strategic communication with President Marcos and make comprehensive plans for the growth of bilateral ties so that the two countries will stay good neighbors helping each other, good relatives sharing affinity, and good partners pursuing win-win cooperation, delivering more benefits to the two peoples and contributing more positive energy to peace and stability in the region.”

Marcos, on one hand, expressed readiness “for close communication with President Xi and closer cooperation on all fronts to open a new chapter in the Philippines-China relationship of comprehensive strategic cooperation, better resolve (to address) common challenges and issues facing the two countries, deliver more benefits to the two peoples, and make new contributions to reestablishing the region as a major engine of the world economy.”

The two leaders agreed to work closely together in agriculture, infrastructure, energy, and people-to-people exchanges as their four priority areas of cooperation.

These “are the main pillars for the ChinaPhilippines relationship of comprehensive strategic cooperation, and more efforts must be made to nurture new growth areas and highlights in these fields.”

A new chapter

There is no doubt the Marcos visit to China has opened a new chapter in China-Philippines relations

To broaden their bilateral ties in the new fields, the Philippines is pursuing digital cooperation with China, particularly in the area of the digital economy.

There are increased opportunities for the two countries to promote cooperation in this domain by encouraging Chinese Internet companies to invest in the Philippines.

To bring their people closer together in a rapidly changing world, the Philippines is also enhancing tourism cooperation with China.

“As our doors open up in the new normal, I will invite our Chinese neighbors to once again return to the Philippines as tourists, as students, investors. Aside from sharing the wonders of our archipelago with our Chinese friends, strengthened people-to-people exchanges will allow us to bridge gaps in understanding between our two countries at every level,” Marcos said before his departure for China.

As part of sustaining their infrastructure development cooperation, the Philippines is committed to a framework agreement with China for the ongoing construction of three bridges as part of the Twelve Priority Bridges Under the Pasig-Marikina River and Manggahan Floodway Bridges Construction Project in Metro Manila.

EDITORIAL

Winning formula in SEA Games

SPORTS unity among countries in Southeast Asian countries began in 1958 when six countries banded together to form the South East Asian Peninsular Games or SEAP Games.

These founding countries agreed to hold multisports event competitions every two years with the aim of fostering cooperation, understanding, and relations in the region through sports.

The first SEAP Games were held in Bangkok in December 1959.

In 1975, three more countries were included in the Philippines. Two years after, nine countries began competing for honors and the group assumed the new name—Southeast Asian Games Federation.

Now it has 11 members, including the most recent addition in East Timor which was admitted in 2003.

While the SEA Games has established itself as among the premier sports cooperation in the region, it has become more competitive to the point where sportsmanship has to take the sideline as host countries are given more flexibility to the rules of the Games to favor its chances for the overall championship.

It has become a trend in recent years where the host country bags the overall championship and the rest grapple for 2nd place down the line. Consider: the host can add a number of

indigenous sports that could boost its medal chances.

The Philippines relied heavily on Filipino martial arts sports of arnis, almost sweeping all the medals at stake, on the way to winning the 2019 SEA Games overall championship.

It has become a trend in recent years where the host country bags the overall championship and the rest grapple for 2nd place down the line

Vietnam included Vovinam, a mixed martial arts sport founded in Vietnam, and nearly swept the golds.

In the coming SEA Games to be hosted by Cambodia in May, its local martial art Kun Bokator will be introduced and has been going rounds in the region to attract participation.

Of course, there’s no need to tell that Cambodia will dominate the sport and rake in gold medals.

“Frankly, kinakabahan ako because of the formula na ginawa ng host country,” said Philippine Olympic Committee honcho Bambol

Is it safe to travel by air?

THIS question is suddenly urgent and relevant, given three instances of aviation system failures in three major countries—the Philippines, the United States, and Canada—in the past 11 days.

The Philippines’ aviation system totally failed on Jan. 1, 2023 after Manila’s air traffic control system conked out for seven hours during one of the busiest travel days of the year.

More than 300 flights and 56,000 passengers were affected by the Manila shutdown that was blamed on, choose your answer: 1) a malfunctioning circuit breaker, 2) malfunctioning uninterruptible power supply backup minigenerators; 3) plain negligence; and 4) outdated equipment, technology and system.

Until now, nobody knows exactly what happened that day when the Philippines’ entire airport system failed for seven hours.

Eleven days later, on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, US Eastern Time, from 7:20 a.m. to 9:07 a.m., America’s NOTAM system failed, causing the delay in 7,800 flights and the cancellation of 1,200 flights. The failure was blamed on outage.

NOTAM, the Federal Aviation Administration’s Notice to Air Missions system, provides safety information to pilots.

A notice might inform pilots, for example, about operational issues that have cropped up at a specific airport, such as a runway closure, or activity in airspace that aviators should be aware of.

Also on Wednesday, Canada’s air traffic system suffered an outage similar to the US incident, but only for three hours, from 10:20 am to 13:15 pm Eastern Time, according to Nav Canada.

Unlike the system failure in the USA, the Canadian outage did not disrupt airline schedules.

According to the New York Times, an FAA backup redundant system kicked in Tuesday night, government officials said, but the data was corrupted and officials didn’t consider it reliable.

The Wall Street Journal quoted the FAA, saying late on Wednesday its preliminary investigation had traced the outage to a damaged database file.

The breakdown prompted airlines to delay

flights for hours Wednesday, and contributed to more than 1,000 cancellations.

It also marked another large-scale disruption for the US air travel industry, following crew scheduling system problems at Southwest Airlines Co. over the holidays.

The Journal said “the episode highlighted the fragility of the nation’s air-transportation system and reliance on aging technology. A government official said Wednesday’s ground stop appeared to be the first such flight-ban nationwide since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The Philippines has an antiquated aviation system. US aviation also has an aging technology for commercial flying

“The disruption came as airlines and regulators have butted heads in recent months over who is to blame for flight disruptions and what can be done to prevent them.”

Explained The New York Times: “The disruption was the latest example of serious problems in the aviation system and at the FAA, the agency responsible for safely managing all commercial air traffic that critics say has long been overworked and underfunded.”

“The pause on flights across the country highlighted what aviation experts say are glaring weaknesses at the agency, long considered the world’s premier aviation regulator.

“The FAA has struggled to quickly update systems and processes, many of which were put in

relations for more than a millennium.

It is through the comprehensive strategic partnership that China-Philippines relations can really shift to a higher gear

Infrastructure development is one of the core competencies of China the Philippines can benefit from.

Most importantly, the Philippines under Marcos is renewing its commitment to participating in the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China.

To this end, the Philippines is seeking grants from China amounting to 1.5 billion yuan ($218 million).

Longstanding friendship Marcos is laying all the building blocks to elevate the status of bilateral ties to a higher plane, especially in the context of its participation in Belt and Road cooperation. This is logical as the Philippines, since the ancient times, has always been an integral part of China’s maritime trade activities in Southeast Asia as a permanent neighbor and an ancient friend.

Before the Spanish colonial rule of the archipelago, the Chinese and inhabitants of the various kingdoms of pre-Hispanic Philippines enjoyed generally peaceful and friendly

The Chinese and pre-colonial Filipinos liked each other and had close, mutually beneficial and reciprocal ties.

Documented bilateral relations date back many centuries and were built through extensive commercial, social and cultural interactions.

Ancient inhabitants of the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao regions of the Philippines participated in Nanhai Trade recorded between the 9th and 16th centuries.

Nanhai Trade was the ancient commercial network between Chinese and Southeast Asian traders.

China’s Tang Dynasty (618-907) left behind valuable ancient records of Chinese trading activities with the people of Butuan, Manila and Mindoro, among others.

The Kingdom of Butuan was the archipelago’s main trading post with records of commercial activities beginning in the 9th century, while Ma-i (Mindoro) also served as a trading center with recorded activities in the 10th century.

Eventually, the Sultanate of Sulu, the Kingdom of Manila and a Kingdom in Pangasinan became active in trade activities in China’s Fujian and Guangdong provinces recorded between the 11th and 15th centuries.

Historical factors and geographic proximity deeply connect the Chinese and Filipinos.

This extensive shared ancient history has resulted in the formation of intricate social relations and cultural familiarities between the two peoples that can facilitate the development of shared future between the two countries despite their differences on the South China Sea issue.

These differences on the South China Sea are, in fact, are not irreconcilable and common ground on them can be found through friendly consultation and direct negotiation for purpose

Tolentino.

Tolentino is referring to Cambodia’s decision to include events that are practically alien to the other countries and exclude events where Cambodians have slim chances of winning.

Cambodia has also “re-introduced” a cap in some events where the host can participate in all events while putting limited participation to the rest of the member countries.

The same was done by Malaysia in the 2017 KL SEA Games.

For a country of fewer than 17 million people, Cambodia has lined up 608 events in 49 sports, far bigger than the 530 events in 56 sports in the Manila edition in 2019 and the 526 events in 40 sports in Hanoi last year.

Cambodia may be hard-pressed to win overall against powerhouse countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines, but it certainly aims to be among the leaderboard.

Cambodia is not to be blamed, however. It has long been a practice in the SEA Games where a host country is allowed to draw up policies that will help its bid for glory.

It’s difficult for the next host not to do the same because the government spends millions of dollars for hosting and putting up the infrastructure. The government and the people at least want to see their athletes up there on the podium as a return on investment.

There’s no end in sight to this cycle. As of now, it is an accepted practice and reality that member countries have to put up every two years of competition.

Meanwhile, the athletes are sent to battle to provide the drama in the sports arena--the joy of victory and agony in defeat.

place decades ago, to keep up with technological advancements and a sharp increase in the number of flights and passengers.

“Problems with the system used to notify pilots of hazards in the air and ground began on Tuesday night, forcing officials to reboot the system early Wednesday morning.

“To fix the problem, the FAA ordered airlines to delay all departing flights just before 7:30 a.m. That pause was lifted at about 9 a.m., but the disruption was far from over as airlines struggled to get back to normal throughout the day.

“Delays cascaded throughout the system and, by the afternoon, about 9,000 flights had been delayed and 1,300 had been canceled.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has initially ruled out a cyberattack. He said his priority was to make sure the air-traffic system was backed up and running, and then would determine the root cause to prevent a recurrence.

“There is no direct indication of any kind of external or nefarious activity, but we are not yet prepared to rule that out,” Buttigieg told MSNBC.

“While this issue was being worked out on the systems side, there was this ground stop of about an hour and a half nationwide to make absolutely sure, out of an abundance of caution, that no aircraft could take off without the necessary safety information,” Buttigieg said.

The Philippines has an antiquated aviation system. US aviation also has an aging technology for commercial flying.

Where do passengers place themselves?

The typical Pinoy repartee: Bahala na. Bahala comes from the old Tagalog word Bathala, which means the Lord, or God.

Conclusion: The Philippines and US aviation systems are run by BNG – bahala na gangs.

Happily, God is often more reliable than America’s NOTAM or Manila’s UPS.

Biznewsasaia@gmail.com

of cooperation.

South China Sea: Just one aspect of ties Both countries have recognized that the South China Sea is just one aspect of relations and should not set the tone of overall bilateral ties.

The Philippines and China can promote cooperation in the South China Sea as mandated by the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Areas of cooperation cover marine environmental research and protection, safety of navigation and communication at sea, search and rescue operations, and combating transnational crimes including but not limited to trafficking in illicit drugs, piracy and armed robbery at sea, illegal traffic in arms, and international terrorism.

The two countries can also pursue cooperation on joint development of natural gas and oil projects, as they agreed in 2018 during Xi’s state visit to the Philippines.

For the purposes of continuity and to sustain their countries’ efforts to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, President Marcos and President Xi need to reexamine the achievements and limitations of the Bilateral Consultative Mechanism pursued during the administration of then Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

Through the mechanism, the two parties were undoubtedly able to establish multiple channels of official communication to promote cooperation and avoid armed conflicts in the South China Sea.

As a confidence-building measure, the BCM allows both countries to discuss with each other their existing differences as well as their common interests in the South China Sea. (Full text at www.manilastandard.net)

Chin

Joyce Pangco Pañares

EAGLE EYES

Japan readies new security deals with eyes on China

SPACE defence, US troop deployments and a “hugely significant” deal with Britain: Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is collecting more than souvenirs on his whirlwind diplomatic tour.

Defence has dominated his agenda this week in meetings with Group of Seven allies in Europe and North America, as the Japanese leader seeks to draw friends closer in the face of growing pressure from China, analysts say.

Japan wants to normalise its “role as a great power,” Amy King, associate professor at the Australian National University’s Strategic and Defense Studies Center, told AFP.

It seeks “the kinds of strategic partnerships and defence relationships that are quite normal for other countries, but which have been largely off-limits to Japan” because of its pacifist post-war constitution.

Kishida’s conversations have also touched on everything else from trade to climate issues, showing that he is trying to broaden Tokyo’s relationships

with its allies.

Japan is “insuring itself against a decline in US capacity, and working to draw other major democratic states into Asia,” King said.

The government unveiled a major defence overhaul in December, including doubling spending to two percent of GDP by 2027 and designating China the “greatest strategic challenge ever” to Japan’s security.

Kishida’s diplomatic efforts “reflect that Japan’s national defence cannot be done by Japan alone,” said Mitsuru Fukuda, a professor at Nihon University who studies crisis management.

“In the past, Japan was able to separate economy and politics,” doing business with countries like China and Russia while enjoying the security protections of its alliance with the United States.

But deepening friction between democratic and authoritarian countries, including over Russia’s war in Ukraine, mean “we cannot do that anymore,” he said. AFP

Ukraine says it is ‘de facto’ part of NATO

UKRAINE has effectively become a NATO member, its defense minister has said, despite the military alliance’s reluctance to get embroiled in a wider conflict with Russia.

Oleksiy Reznikov said he was confident that Western allies would shed—their inhibitions about supplying Ukraine with heavier weapons such as tanks and fighter jets.

“This concern about the next level of escalation, for me, is some kind of protocol,” he told the BBC in an interview broadcast Friday, dismissing NATO fears about provoking Russia.

“Ukraine as a country, and the armed forces of Ukraine, became (a) member of NATO,” the defense minister added.

“De facto, not de jure (in law). Be-

cause we have weaponry, and the understanding of how to use it.”

Formal membership would require the rest of NATO to defend Ukraine—and Russia has already warned of the risks of a nuclear conflict erupting.

Short of that, Western countries including the United States have been supplying armoured fighting vehicles and rocketry to Ukraine, but balked so far at sending long-range missiles and heavier tanks.

Tobias Ellwood, who chairs the House

US west coast girds for more storms

WESTERN US states were bracing for yet more torrid weather Friday and into the weekend as so-called atmospheric rivers lined up to dump heavy rain and snow across the already soaked region.

California has been battered by weeks of downpours that have killed at least 19 people, flooding communities, toppling power lines and threatening deadly mudslides.

Forecasters now say the first of two cyclones churning in the Pacific Ocean and bearing down on the west coast will spread the rain further north, forming a band from northern California to the states of Oregon and Washington.

“The most impactful precipitation will remain focused along the coasts of northern California and the Pacific Northwest through Friday night, then precipitation will expand south on Saturday and east on Sunday,” the National Weather Service said in a Thursday statement.

“Northern California has been hammered with heavy precipitation events over the past couple weeks, and any additional rainfall

could pose a threat of flash flooding.”

Forecasters said they expect up to six inches (15 centimeters) of rain to fall over 48 hours near Seattle.

Avalanche warnings were in effect for a tranche of Washington state, with the storm bringing wetter, heavier snow into the mountains.

“Dangerous, large avalanches are expected to run naturally during this snowy, wet weather event,” the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) said.

So-called wet slab avalanches were a particular concern as the wetter snow piles up on top of fluffier, lighter snow, making the snowpack unstable.

“Wet slab avalanches are not something to tiptoe around, and this is a day where it’s a good idea to stay off steep slopes and runouts beneath avalanche paths,” the NWAC said.

In northern California, up to six feet (1.8 meters) of snow was forecast over the mountains between Friday and Tuesday, with winds gusting up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) an hour. AFP

of Commons defence committee in Britain, has urged London to supply Ukraine’s forces with heavy battle tanks.

“NATO essentially has been benched,” the former British army officer told the BBC on Tuesday.

“We should be doing far more to put this fire out and we’re not doing that.”

Reznikov said there should be no controversy to Ukraine fulfilling its long-held ambition of joining NATO.

“I’m sure that in the near future, we’ll become a member of NATO, de jure,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said Friday it was resisting a “high intensity” Russian offensive in Soledar, a nearly completely destroyed town in the eastern Donetsk region that is now the epicentre of the war. That assessment came hours ahead of a

United Nations Security Council meeting to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

“It was hot overnight in Soledar. Hostilities continued. The enemy relocated almost all of its main forces to the Donetsk front and is maintaining a high intensity offensive,” Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Malyar said.

“This is a difficult phase of the war,” she added.

The Kremlin has made capturing industrial Donetsk region its primary objective after nearly one year of fighting that has seen it abandon more ambitious goals like seizing the capital Kyiv and ousting Ukraine’s government.

The Russian mercenary group Wagner claims to have spearheaded the offensive for Soledar and already announced earlier this week that its forces were controlling it. AFP

IN BRIEF

Cuba takes reins of UN Group of 77

CUBA on Thursday took over the rotating presidency of the Group of 77 and China, which advocates for developing countries’ interests at the United Nations.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez took over leadership from last year’s chair Pakistan.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the handover ceremony that in many ways, the Group of 77 and China reflects the goal of the United Nations itself.

“Year in and year out, you stand together to discuss, debate and amplify global solutions to realize the better, fairer and more sustainable future every country deserves,” he said.

He also highlighted the challenges facing the world: growing poverty and inequalities, pandemics, recession, unemployment, climate change and the rights of women and girls being disrespected.

“While each challenge is different, they are all felt most keenly in the countries you represent,” he added.

The group now counts 134 countries as members, but has retained its initial name. AFP

Thai soldiers kill five drug runners

THE Thai military killed five suspected drug traffickers in a jungle shootout in Thailand’s north, officials said Friday –the third such deadly clash in two months.

The incident happened in the early hours of Thursday morning in Chiang Rai province which is near the infamous “Golden Triangle” border region between Thailand, Laos and Myanmar—long a lucrative hub for the illegal drug trade.

A patrol encountered a group of five suspected smugglers with backpacks who refused to be searched and then started shooting with an unknown weapon, the military said.

Sokor police blame deadly Halloween crush on negligence

SOUTH Korean police on Friday blamed negligence and planning failures for last year’s Halloween crowd crush in Seoul that killed more than 150 people.

Scores of young costumed partygoers, mostly women in their 20s, died in the disaster on October 29 in the capital’s popular Itaewon nightlife area.

A special team that spent months combing through evidence and interviewing officials, said at the end of its probe that there had been massive planning and response failures—but stopped short of blaming any top government or national policy agency officials.

“Organizations that are legally obligated to prevent and respond to disasters—police, district offices and

Seoul Metro—did not establish safety measures in advance or came up with poor plans,” Sohn Jae-han, the team’s head, told reporters.

“Appropriate measures were not taken even after receiving rescue requests” on the day of the disaster, he said.

Poor cooperation between agencies and delays in communications and relief efforts contributed to a higher death toll, he added.

Six people have been arrested due to the probe—including Lee Im-jae, the former head of the Yongsan Police Station, which oversees Itaewon, and Park Heeyoung, the head of the Yongsan district office.

Both Lee and Park are being held in detention on charges of professional negligence resulting in death.

In December, a teenager who had survived the crush was found dead in an apparent suicide, with officials ruling he should be considered a victim of the disaster, and raising the death toll to 159.

But the team did not blame any officials from the Seoul city government, the interior ministry, or the national policy agency, Sohn said, as it was “difficult to conclude that there was a concrete violation of duty.”

Interior Minister Lee Sang-min has faced mounting pressure to step down over the tragedy.

Shortly after the crush, he was widely criticised for claiming that having more fire department and police personnel in Itaewon would not have prevented the disaster. AFP

Abe murder suspect fit to stand trial—reports

JAPANESE

Tetsuya Yamagami was detained immediately after the former Japanese premier was gunned down last July while giving a campaign speech in the western city of Nara.

The 42-year-old spent months undergoing a psychiatric assessment, which ended earlier this week with his transfer to a police station in Nara.

Yamagami faces charges of murder and violation of gun control laws, according to local media outlets including the Yomiuri newspaper and Kyodo News, and he could face the death penalty if convicted.

Nara District Public Prosecutors Office declined to comment on the case when

contacted by AFP.

Yamagami has admitted killing Abe, according to local media, and images taken at the scene show him holding and firing an apparently homemade weapon. He reportedly targeted Abe over the former premier’s ties to the Unification Church.

Yamagami is believed to have resented the church over large donations his mother made to the sect that bankrupted his family.

Abe, who was given a rare state funeral, was not a member of the church but had addressed an affiliated group, as have other well-known speakers such as former US president Donald Trump.

Founded in Korea in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon, the sect—whose members are sometimes referred to as “Moonies” —rose to global prominence in the 1970s and 80s. AFP

“Narcotics have been very prevalent (at the border) but recently there has been an order from the commander to step up law enforcement efforts,” Premchai Premkamol, an officer with Pha Muang Task Force, told AFP.

The clash lasted five minutes and no soldiers were injured, the task force said in a statement.

Close to 500,000 methamphetamine pills and a gun were found in the group’s possession.

The shootout followed two similar incidents—the killing of six alleged drug smugglers earlier this week and an altercation in December involving 15 deaths.

Southeast Asia is awash with meth and authorities netted a record billion pills across the Asian region in 2021, according to a United Nations report. AFP

New record for Tintin artwork

KNOWN around the world for his blond quiff and daring adventures, Belgian comic book hero Tintin is setting the art world astir with an original illustration that could set a new record at auction.

The 1942 black-and-white ink drawing by creator Herge for the cover of the third volume in the series, “Tintin in America,” is set to go on sale in Paris next month.

The illustration, which shows a Native American chief pointing an accusatory finger at the tied-up Tintin, has been given an estimate of between 2.2 million to 3.2 million euros ($2.4-3.5 million) by auction firm Artcurial.

That top figure would see it match an original illustration for the 1936 cover of the Tintin adventure “Blue Lotus” – which became the most expensive comic book art when it sold in 2021.

But there are hopes that the upcoming sale for the cover of one of the most popular Tintin books could go higher and beat that record. AFP

prosecutors indicted the man accused of killing former prime minister Shinzo Abe on Friday, after a lengthy psychiatric review found him fit to stand trial, local media said.

VISIT. French National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet (center, left), accompanied by Armenian and French o cials, visits the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan on January 13, 2023. AFP

FROSTY WEATHER. Large waves crash behind two men on Rio Del Mar Beach, covered in storm debris, in Aptos, California on January 12, 2023. A ‘relentless parade of cyclones’ hitting California was expected to shift farther to the north, the US National Weather Service said, as the region continued to struggle with massive floods and landslides. AFP

TOASTY! Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (center) toasts marshmallows, during a visit to the Sea scouts community group in Muirtown near Inverness in Scotland on January 12, 2023. AFP

Stocks, peso advance; URC, BPI up

STOCKS advanced Friday, after data showing another slowdown in US inflation fueled bets the Federal Reserve will take a softer approach to its monetary tightening campaign.

The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark, climbed 118 points, or 1.73 percent, to close at 6,951.54, as all six subsectors posted gains.

The broader all-share index went up

IMF: Brunt of financial tightening yet to materialize

WASHINGTON—Countries have yet to see the full impact of tightening financial conditions, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said Thursday, warning that central banks have some way to go in their inflation battle.

Global growth is expected to slow further this year as central banks, including the US Federal Reserve has raised interest rates to cool surging prices.

While sectors like housing have been reeling in the United States, for example, the labor market remains strong with low joblessness.

“As long as people are employed, even if prices are high, consumers spend.... But we all know that the impact of tightening financial conditions is yet to bite in terms of unemployment,” Georgieva told reporters in a briefing on the world economy.

“Inflation remains stubborn, and in that sense, the job of central banks is not yet done,” she said.

This suggests central banks may need to continue hiking interest rates, walking a fine line between easing demand and avoiding tipping economies into recession.

Doing so comes with risks, and Georgieva stressed the need to watch how tightening conditions hit the labor market and possibly translate into “more tensions between employers and workers.”

Governments have been quick to provide policy support thus far, adding a buffer between consumers and surging food and energy costs, but this policy space is “shrinking,” she cautioned. AFP

by 49 points, or 1.38 percent, to settle at 3,637.62, on a value turnover of P9.24 billion. Gainers outnumbered losers, 126 to 64, while 46 issues were unchanged.

Nine of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by Universal Robina Corp. which jumped 6.77 percent to P149.80 and Bank of the Philippine Islands which climbed 6.69 percent to P110.00.

The peso also rebounded Friday to finish at 54.89 against the US dollar from 55.29 on Thursday. Analysts said the dollar remained under pressure in the wake of the inflation figures, with the Japanese unit at its strongest level since June, while the euro is at an eightmonth high.

Meanwhile, most Asian markets also rose again Friday. Investors put a painful 2022 behind them and focus on a recovery in the global economy, helped greatly by China’s reopening.

All three main indexes on Wall Street extended gains after the much-anticipated consumer price index came in at its lowest level since October 2021 as months of Fed interest rate hikes begin to kick in.

The report also showed the first month-on-month dip in the CPI for about two years.

The news boosted bets on the central bank lifting rates just 25 basis points next month, easing worries about a

possible recession in the world’s top economy.

Policymakers have been hiking borrowing costs since March, including four bumper 75-point increases, as they struggled to get a grip on inflation as it hit four-decade highs.

Most Asian markets tracked the New York rally. Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Mumbai, Singapore, Taipei and Wellington were all in the green.

Hong Kong extended its winning streak despite a report saying the Chinese government was considering taking “golden shares” in giants Alibaba and Tencent, giving it a tighter grip on the tech sector. With AFP

TOP GAINERS

6.67%

10 IMI 5.12 0.31 6.44%

TOP LOSERS

1 KPHB

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE

4.35 -1.81 -29.38%

2 PRC 5.56 -2.31 -29.35%

3 I 0.76 -0.16 -17.39%

4 ROX 0.78 -0.1 -11.36%

5 OPMB 0.01 -0.001 -9.09%

6 CHP 0.72 -0.06 -7.69%

7 CAT 9.7 -0.8 -7.62%

8 MFIN 2.1 -0.14 -6.25%

9 NOW 2.44 -0.16 -6.15%

10 X 0.255 -0.015 -5.56%

US inflation at slowest pace on hopes of less hawkish Fed

WASHINGTON—Consumer inflation in the United States slipped in December to the lowest level in more than a year, government data showed on Thursday, signaling the worst of red-hot price increases may be over.

As American households struggled with decades-high inflation in the past year, the Federal Reserve hiked its benchmark lending rate at a pace unheard of since the 1980s in hopes of cooling the world’s biggest economy.

Inflation has eased for a sixth consecutive month alongside the Fed’s aggressive campaign, fueling hope for reprieve from steeply rising interest rates.

The consumer price index last month rose 6.5 percent from a year ago, the

smallest increase since October 2021, said the Labor Department.

This figure is also down from November’s 7.1 percent spike.

“The index for gasoline was by far the largest contributor to the monthly all items decrease,” said the department.

This more than offset increases in the shelter component, with elevated rents still boosting consumer costs.

Between November and December, CPI dipped 0.1 percent.

‘Right direction’

While there is some way to go in curbing inflation, “we’re clearly moving in the right direction,” President Joe Biden told reporters Thursday.

“And there’s more breathing room in store for American workers and

families,” he said.

Moody’s Analytics economist Matt Colyar told AFP that “the trend is an encouraging one,” noting that figures have come down from a recent peak.

Rubeela Farooqi of High Frequency Economics added that this could “support another step down in the pace of rate hikes” at the Fed’s February policy meeting.

But she warned in a recent note that “rates of change remain well above levels Fed officials are comfortable with.”

US consumer inflation climbed rapidly to a blistering 9.1 percent last June, a 40-year high, as the war in Ukraine sent global food and energy costs rocketing. AFP

War, climate, de-globalization take center stage at WEF

By Adam Plowright

PARIS—Top politicians and world business leaders are set to meet for the annual Davos summit in the Swiss Alps next week under the shadow of war in Ukraine, a climate crisis, and global trade in disarray.

For half a century, the World Economic Forum has brought together executives and policymakers to sing the praises of globalization, but that process is seen as unwinding as new geopolitical fault lines harden around the world.

The Covid-19 pandemic, growing US-China hostility, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have led some politicians and experts to even speculate about “an end to the era of globalization,” which began in earnest in the decade after the first Davos meeting in 1971.

The agenda for this year’s meeting in the snow-deficient Alps, starting next Monday, reflects this gloomy reality.

“The theme of the meeting is cooperation in a fragmented world,” executive chairman and founder of the WEF, Klaus Schwab, told journalists this week.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and UN chief Antonio Guterres are among the most prominent figures attending the forum, alongside nearly 400 government ministers and policymakers, 600 CEOs and an array of media, NGO and academic figures.

One session will discuss whether we are living through “de-globalization or re-globalization,” while others will ponder the impact of trade wars, real wars, the cost-of-living crisis and the planet’s heating climate.

“There’s no doubt that our 53rd annual meeting in Davos will happen against the most complex geopolitical and geoeconomic backdrop in decades. So much is at stake,” said Borge Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister who is now president of the meeting.

Russia is not expected to be officially represented, underlining the sea change since 2021, when President Vladimir Putin addressed delegates via video link, or 2009 when he attended in person.

China has not yet announced its presence.

“There were a few years where there was a tone of hope that we would go back to the old normal, this sort of globalized world,” said Karen Harris, an economist at the consulting firm Bain & Company.

“I think there’s an acknowledgment now that that era is ending.”

Ukrainian lobbying

The conflict in Ukraine and its cascading effects on global energy and defense policies will be a prominent theme throughout the five-day meeting.

It is expected to dominate the opening day on Tuesday as well as Wednesday when NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg takes the stage with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who argues for a more forceful Western response to Moscow’s invasion.

It is unclear if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will give a video address as he did at last year’s meeting in May.

But several Ukrainian ministers, military leaders and soldiers will be among a large delegation that is expected to lobby for more weapons and financial support from the West.

Climate change has also been announced as a top issue, with organizers keen for discussion to help prepare the next round of global talks, COP28, that will take place in the oil-producing United Arab Emirates from November 30.

Activists are planning on using the meeting to remind rich countries and energy companies of the need to finance the energy transition of developing nations and pay for the damage caused by climate-induced natural disasters. AFP

China

MOST ACTIVE

VOLUME VALUE (PHP)

1 ALI 22,706,800 700,966,640

2 SM 686,140 622,484,685

3 BDO 5,248,510 614,987,965

4 ICT 2,754,850 575,700,870

5 JFC 1,754,470 429,877,872

6 BPI 3,752,330 402,251,589 7 TEL 245,745 350,370,555 8 URC 2,400,670 347,951,580 9 MONDE 24,613,800 337,021,242

AP 7,986,000 301,154,445

The world’s second-largest economy is still reeling from the effects of years of its zero-Covid

China began lifting most of the hardline measures at the beginning of last month, but the country has since seen a massive spike in Covid-19 infections.

Exports fell 9.9 percent year-on-year to $30.6 billion, China customs said, their second consecutive month of decline and the biggest fall since the early days of the pandemic in 2020. That followed a fall of 8.7 percent in November.

Exports had been the main driver of China’s economy since 2020 when the global shutdown led to strong demand for Chinese goods, such as medical products, and then as the rest of the world reopened.

The uncertainties linked to Covid and the economic slowdown in China are having an impact on the need for foreign products.

Imports were down again in December, sinking 7.5 percent, following a 10.6 percent drop the previous month. Both imports and exports dropped much more than forecast in a survey of economists by Bloomberg.

For all of 2022, the Asian giant’s exports rose 7.0 percent, compared with a 29.9 percent jump in the previous year.

Imports for 2022 were up 1.1 percent, against a 30.1 percent rise in 2021 when activity in China was recovering from the first wave of the pandemic.

China’s trade surplus in December nevertheless reached $78 billion, but still well below July’s record $101.2bn.

China will unveil its 2022 economic growth figure on Tuesday, along with a host of other indicators. The previous year gross domestic product grew more than eight percent.

Beijing had set itself a growth target of around 5.5 percent for 2022, but that has been undermined by the stifling zero-Covid health policy that was in place for most of the year.

Larry Hu, an analyst for the Macquarie investment bank, said: “For the whole year of 2023, the weak global economic environment could be a major downside risk to the Chinese economy.”

And Zhiwei Zhang of Pinpoint Asset Management wrote in a note: “Both the weakening global demand and the wave of Covid outbreak likely contributed to this decline.

“The weak export growth highlights the importance of boosting domestic demand as the key driver for the economy in 2023.” AFP

imports and exports fell in December on lower demand

BEIJING—China’s exports in December fell at their fastest pace since 2020, according to official data Friday, owing to a drop in global demand and after health restrictions hit economic activity at home.

policy, which hammered businesses and supply chains and dampened consumption.

FOREX TRADING. Electronic screens showing the Japanese yen trading below the 130-yen barrier against the US dollar are pictured at a foreign exchange brokerage in Tokyo on Jan. 13, 2023. AFP

John Kerry, Bill Gates, Brad Smith, Mikael Damberg, Marc Benioff and Ruth Porat joined the launch of an expansion of the First Movers Coalition at Davos 2022.

From WEF website

PAL announces additional direct flights to China

By Darwin G. Amojelar

PHILIPPINE Airlines said Friday it will reopen more direct flights to China as part of its gradual restoration of international services.

The country’s flag carrier said it would reopen direct flights between Manila and Guangzhou (Canton), the mega-port city and gateway to China’s Pearl River Delta Economic Zone in the industrial heartland of Guangdong province.

It said that from Jan. 14, 2023, it would operate an initial weekly flight every Saturday to Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport.

“We are gearing up for the resumption of regular passenger flights to Mainland China—helping pave the way for the full restoration of our prepandemic flight frequencies,” PAL vice president for network planning Christoph Gaertner said.

“By adding Guangzhou to our roster of operated flights, we are connecting to the world’s second largest economy and enhancing friendly ties between China and the Philippines,” he said.

PAL said for the Guangzhou route, it would deploy Airbus A330-300 (capacity: 309 to 363 seats) and Airbus A321ceo aircraft (capacity: 199 seats).

PAL said it resumed flying between Manila and Xiamen on Jan. 13, initially with one flight a week.

The airline said for its calibrated step-by-step resumption of flights to the Chinese mainland, it was working closely with Chinese and Philippine health and aviation authorities to ensure the highest level of health safety protections for travelers.

“We uphold the highest standards of safety in all our flights. Aircraft surfaces are disinfected before and after every journey and high efficiency particulate air filters cleanse the cabin air of bacteria and viruses with 99.99-percent efficacy,” said Gaertner.

“As always, our passengers will need to comply with any arrival testing protocols implemented by the Philippine and Chinese governments,” he said.

Prior to the pandemic, the flag carrier served the mainland Chinese cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Quanzhou (Jinjiang) and Xiamen for a total of 34 weekly flights.

MPIC weighs investors’ offers, possible delisting

By Jenniffer B. Austria

INFRASTRUCTURE

conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. said Friday it may consider delisting its shares from the Philippine Stock Exchange amid reports of the possible entry of a new investor.

MPIC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it was evaluating several options that would benefit its shareholders.

“MPIC discusses several options available to it for the benefit of the company and its stakeholders, and among the options considered is the delisting of MPIC’s shares,” the group said.

It clarified that while delisting as an option was being discussed, “no final decision has been made.”

MPIC issued the disclosure to clarify rumors the Japanese firm Mitsui had expressed interest in acquiring significant shares in the conglomerate.

MPIC confirmed that it received a lot of interest from investors, given its attractive portfolio of assets.

“We consider all offers for the benefit of the company and its shareholders. To date, however, MPIC has not entered into any definitive agreement for an acquisition by any party of a substantial interest in MPIC, and neither is MPIC aware of any definitive agreement entered into by its principal shareholders,” the conglomerate said.

Among the principal shareholders in the company is Indonesian billionaire Anthoni Salim who leads the Hong

Kong-based First Pacific Company, the parent company of Metro Pacific. GT Capital Holdings Inc. of the Ty family owns 15.52 percent of the group.

It has investments in power generation and distribution, water utility, tollroads, rail, healthcare, agriculture and real estate sectors. Its subsidiaries include Beacon Electric Asset Holdings Inc. which owns part of Manila Electric Company, Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., Maynilad Water Holding Company Inc. and Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp.

It also has investments and operations outside the Philippines including a 44.9-percent ownership in CII Bridges and Roads Investment Joint Stock Company, a toll road company in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and 76.3 percent in PT Nusantara Infrastructure Tbk, a listed Indonesian infrastructure company.

LALAMOVE’S ANNIVERSARY.

In celebration of its sixth anniversary of reliable same-day delivery service in the Philippines, Lalamove recognizes its hardworking partner drivers in its three key locations –Manila, Pampanga and Cebu during the caravan ‘6sik Saya Ka Dito, Bossing!’ Seven partner drivers receive brand-new motorcycles from Alpine Motors Corp., Tata Motors and GCash, while others also win appliances, smartphones, cash prizes, vouchers and more.

Prime Energy readies measures for 2-week Malampaya shutdown

By Alena Mae S. Flores

PRIME Energy Resources Development B.V. said Friday it is undertaking preparatory measures for the two-week scheduled maintenance shutdown of the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power project in northwest Palawan.

Prime Energy, a subsidiary of businessman Enrique Razon Jr.’s Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc., will conduct the SMS on Feb. 4 to Feb. 18 as part of a planned maintenance activity in Malampaya to ensure that the equipment and assets within the facility operate safely, reliably and efficiently to avert any untoward incidents that can affect the continuous gas supply to the power plants.

“The scheduled maintenance shutdown is a preventive maintenance activity that is executed at regular intervals to ensure

DOE issues rules on opt-in mechanism for participants in green energy auction

Fund requirement, which will eventually reduce the FIT-All rate charged to end-users,” the draft circular said.

that the Malampaya project continues to produce safe and reliable energy to supply the grid and meet the power requirements of the country,” Prime Energy general manager Sebastian Quiniones said.

Prime Energy said more than the usual number of activities is expected around the sites and host communities in Barangays Tabangao, Ambulong, Libjo, San Isidro and Malitam in Batangas in preparation for the SMS.

It said there would be more contractors and workforce in the area and more cargo movements at Batangas port.

The company said the gas supply would temporarily stop throughout the SMS, requiring the power plants that use Malampaya gas to switch to alternate fuel sources.

The fence-line communities will also experience flaring with loud noise at the

onshore gas plant.

Maintenance work on the flare system is necessary to depressurize the whole gas plant from hydrocarbons, it said.

Prime Energy said this year’s maintenance program is done in continuous coordination with the Department of Energy and was communicated in advance to relevant stakeholders.

Prime Energy sent notification letters to the DOE and its customers, including First Gen Corp. and other power plants, as early as May 2022 and attended briefings with the DOE in December 2022 and January 2023.

Prime Energy also scheduled engagement meetings with the local government units in Batangas province, including the governor, the mayor of Batangas City, the Bureau of Fire and the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office this month.

IN BRIEF

PH, Indo-Pacific peers eye strategic cooperation

FINANCE Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Friday the Philippines will establish strategic cooperation, resilient supply chains and solid digital infrastructure among its regional peers in the Indo-Pacific region.

“The Philippines strongly believes that deepening regional integration among our economies is the quickest path to shared prosperity and inclusive growth,” Diokno said in his keynote speech for the IndoPacific Business Forum on Jan. 12 at the Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati City.

The Indo-Pacific region represents 60 percent of the world’s population and twothirds of global economic growth over the last five years. It is the fastest-growing economic region and is projected to be the largest contributor to global growth over the next 30 years.

President Joe Biden in May 2022 launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity with Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam as initial partners. Julito G. Rada

NowTel signs grant agreement

with USTDA

NOW Telecom Co. Inc. said Friday it signed a grant agreement with the US Trade and Development Agency to support the former’s deployment of a nationwide standalone 5G mobile and fixed wireless network in the Philippines.

USTDA agreed to provide a grant on behalf of Now Telecom to fund a technical assistance and 5G pilot network launch to support the company’s 5G deployment.

USTDA director Enoh Ebong and Now Telecom chairman and chief executive Mel Velasco Velarde signed the letter of intent during a ceremony at the the Annual IPBF co-hosted by the governments of Japan and the United States, the US Chamber of Commerce and the US-ASEAN Business Council on Jan. 12. The IPBF is a business forum aimed to promote trade, investment and economic cooperation between the United States and Indo-Pacific nations including the Philippines.

“Our goal is to deliver a clean and secure 5G network that will help achieve social and financial mobility, reduce inequality, improve health and education, and spur economic growth for the Filipino people,” Velarde said. Darwin G. Amojelar

6 firms under SM Group garner governance awards

SIX companies under the SM Group of companies received recognition during the recent ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard Awards.

The group said in a statement SM Investments Corp., SM Prime Holdings Inc., BDO Unibank Inc., China Banking Corp., 2GO Group Inc. and Belle Corp. were recognized among the top-performing companies in the Philippines as part of the ASEAN Asset Class.

The ACGS, hosted by the Institute of Corporate Directors Philippines, is an initiative to recognize the valuable efforts of publicly-listed companies in the region to elevate the standards of corporate governance in their respective industries.

“We are humbled by this recognition that further affirms our holistic approach to raising the standards of good corporate governance across our businesses,” said SMIC president and chief executive Frederic DyBuncio.

China Bank, SMIC and SM Prime were named among the ASEAN Top 20 Awardees while China Bank was also named among the Top 3 publicly listed companies in the Philippines. Jenniffer B. Austria

The opt-in mechanism aims to decrease the applicable FIT-Allowance rate charged to end-users, meet any RPSmandated participant supply and RPS requirements and comply with and provide further guidelines in implementing Department Circular No. DC2021-11-0036 or the GEAP Guidelines.

RPS is a policy mechanism under Republic Act No. 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, which encourages electricity suppliers, particularly the distribution utilities, to source or produce a specified fraction of their power supply from eligible renewable energy resources.

The department increased the RE utilization percentage for on-grid areas to 2.5 percent from 1 percent.

The opt-mechanism means any distribution utility would have the option to procure from the GEAP pool of winning bidders under a particular auction round, “and thereby carve out such DU-procured volumes from the FIT-All [feed-in tariff allowance] compensation.

“The opting-in by RPS-mandated participants shall decrease the FIT-All

The agency said other RPS participants, such as the retail electricity suppliers and generating companies with directly connected customers, may also exercise the opt-in mechanism, subject to the approval of the DOE.

Under the circular, the DOE, through the GEA committee, will establish eligibility requirements for the opt-in participants in each auction round, including parameters such as, but not limited to, National Electrification Administration credit rating, financial ratio and form of security deposit.

An RPS participant that complies with eligibility requirements may exercise its option to opt-in by submitting a letter request to the DOE, specifying the opt-in capacity.

Upon compliance with eligibility requirements, the DOE will endorse the opt-in participant to National Transmission Corp. and the market operator.

The DOE said any DU that exercised the opt-in mechanism would be deemed compliant with the competitive selection process or bidding requirement considering the GEAP winning bids are below the Energy Regulatory Commission-set GEA Rate prices for the particular GEAP auction round.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Go Negosyo asks PCCI members to be entrepreneur mentors

ASPIRING entrepreneurs are set to benefit from the mentorship of successful businessmen and entrepreneurs of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

This follows a meeting between Go Negosyo and the PCCI NCR presidents and area heads on Jan. 9 where Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion invited the PCCI and its members to become mentors at the free mentoring sessions it conducts regularly for active and aspiring entrepreneurs.

“The fit is perfect,” said Concepcion. “PCCI members have already proven themselves in their respective businesses, and, having had first-hand experience of what it’s like to start a business and suc-

cessfully run it, they possess valuable insight into the real-world problems that await aspiring entrepreneurs.”

Concepcion said he expects an increase in the demand for mentors as entrepreneurship becomes more popular among Filipinos. “Judging from the findings of OCTA Research that 81 percent of Filipinos all over the country aspire to become entrepreneurs, we can only expect more Filipinos to flock to the entrepreneurship events we have lined up this year,” said Concepcion.

Go Negosyo, founded in 2005, has conducted free entrepreneurship mentoring sessions and formal training programs in

cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Agriculture and several government agencies and LGUs.

Its mall-based, free mentoring roadshow 3M on Wheels has attracted thousands of active and aspiring entrepreneurs who come to the events to receive one-onone mentoring from veteran entrepreneurs and respected businessmen.

Go Negosyo is set to hold more 3M on Wheels events in 2023, starting at SM City San Lazaro, and then expanding to the CAMANAVA area, Cavite, Baguio, Pampanga, Batangas, Bicol, Davao, Bulacan, Iloilo and Laguna.

THE Department of Energy said Friday it issued the draft guidelines for the optin mechanism of the Green Energy Auction Program, which aims to lessen the charges under the feed-in-tariff system by enabling direct contracting of the renewable energy portfolio standards.

Roderick

Go Negosyo meets with presidents and area heads of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss mentorship for aspiring entrepreneurs. Shown are (seated, from left) Alfred Carandang of PCCI Quezon City, Sarah Deloraya-Mateo of PCCI Central NCR, Teresita Ngan Tian of PCCI NCR, Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion, Elvie Sanchez-Quiazon of PCCI South NCR, Yolanda Dela Cruz of PCCI Valenzuela and Lolit Duria of PCCI Parañaque. Standing are (from left) Santi Morante of PCCI Manila, Marites Joan Quezon of PCCI Mandaluyong, Mitch Balleteros of PCCI Pasig, Myra Miranda of PCCI Las Piñas, Gene Sy of PCCI North NCR, Fe Zulueta of PCCI Muntinlupa, Oliver Uy of PCCI Caloocan, Philip Lirag of PCCI Malabon and Lito Solangon of PCCI Makati.

POC to Filipino athletes, chiefs of mission: Brace for busy year

FILIPINO athletes will be busy competing in over 57 days of action in five major international competitions—four regional and one world—this year.

And so are the chiefs of mission— baseball’s Chito Loyzaga, fencing and pentathlon’s Rep. Richard Gomez, surfing’s Dr. Jose Raul “George” Canlas, wrestling’s Alvin Aguilar and karate’s Ricky Lim.

“That’s how busy Filipino athletes will be as sports competitions return almost all at the same time as pandemic restrictions are dramatically eased worldwide,” Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Friday.

Loyzaga is chef de mission to the Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games set from May 5 to 17, Gomez to the Second World Beach Games in Bali from August 5 to 12, Canlas to the Hangzhou

19th Asian Games from September 23 to October 8, Aguilar to the World Combat Games in Riyadh from October 21 to 30 and Lim to the Sixth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in Bangkok and Chonburi from November 17 to 26.

Al Panlilio, meanwhile, begged off as chef de mission to the Paris 2024 Olympics, citing his leadership responsibilities and obligations at the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and PLDT and Smart.

“My current leadership roles and ongoing matters in the said organizations may not give me the full capacity for the CDM role,” Panlilio said in his letter to Tolentino. “In as much as I would be so delighted to accept this assignment, I had

to regretfully decline this most prestigious position.”

Panlilio added: “I will continue to provide support to the POC so that our athletes can replicate or even surpass our great showing at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, but I believe providing help outside of the CDM role should allow the POC a great opportunity to add another helping hand, which would only benefit our athletes further.”

Tolentino lamented Panlilio’s decision, saying his leadership and management acumen augur well as chef de mission for the Paris Olympics, where the POC set the bar higher following the success in the Tokyo 2021 Games.

The POC will announce a replacement for Panlilio next week, just in time for a team—led by Tolentino—flies to the French capital to seal contracts with a training camp facility for qualified Filipino athletes to the Olympics.

There are 49 sports in the Cambodia SEA Games program, 14 in the World

Speaker Romualdez congratulates cage star Brownlee

By Maricel V. Cruz

House Bill 6224, which became the basis for the law, was authored principally by

others.

“You are now a Filipino. We hope that you will be a good citizen and an excellent example for our people, especially the youth. Lead the Philippine Gilas team to victory in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers,” Romualdez told Brownlee.

Other authors of the bill are Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe, Gus S. Tambunting, Juliet Marie de Leon Ferrer, Roberto V. Puno, Margarita Ignacia B. Nograles, Jonathan Keith T. Flores, Ysabel Maria J. Zamora, Pablo John F. Garcia, Loreto B. Acharon, Ma. Rachel J. Arenas, Irwin C. Tieng, Ron P. Salo, Raul Angelo “Jil” D. Bongalon, Dante S. Garcia, Olga “Ara” T. Kho, Laarni Lavin Roque, Zaldy S. Villa, Divina

The

The American thanked the House leader, Romero and other House members

supporting the bill granting him citizenship.

The measure requires Brownlee to “take the Oath of Allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines before an officer duly authorized to administer the same.”

The oath would be registered with the Bureau of Immigration. Upon registration, the bureau “shall issue a certificate of naturalization to Justin Donta Brownlee, who shall thereupon enter into the full enjoyment of Philippine citizenship.”

In authoring HB 6224, Romero said, “Throughout Mr. Brownlee’s decorated and illustrious career in the PBA, he was able to attain five PBA championships and two Best Import awards with the career averages of 28.9 points, 12 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game.”

Clarkson’s focus is to help Jazz win more games

By Peter Atencio

For now, helping the Utah Jazz get out of a slump in the Western Conference of the 77th season of the National Basketball Association is one of his main goals.

Clarkson, who is set for an extension after his contract with franchise ends this year, said he is ready for more wins after scoring 32 points and leading the Jazz past the Cleveland Cavaliers, 116-114, at their homecourt in Salt Lake City on Tuesday night.

Clarkson looked like an All-Star player with his performance, but it certainly was not his primary goal.

“Right now, I’m not interested in that. I’m just focused getting wins. To try to keep this team to be on top of the West,” said Clarkson on Friday in a Zoom interview with scribes via NBA Philippines.

The Jazz were on a two-game slump before they took on the Cavaliers, losing to the Chicago Bulls, 118-126, and the Memphis Grizzlies, 118-123, over the weekend.

The Jazz now have a 21-23 record and sit at ninth place in the Western Conference and at no. 2 in the Northwest Division.

Utah seeks to become one of the top six teams in the conference advance to the playoffs.

For now, the Jazz, as one of the seventh- through 10th-placed teams, is in contention to qualify for the play-in tournaments.

The 30-year-old Clarkson said he is now pushing his game to a higher level.

“I have prepared for the season. And playing for Gilas in the FIBA window got me ready,” added Clarkson, referring to his stint with Gilas when they took on Saudi Arabia, in their final game in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers’ fourth window.

There are reports that Clarkson won’t stay long with the Jazz if negotiations for an extension do not work out.

But according to reports, a deal is expected to be worked out by Feb. 9, which is the deadline for extension agreements.

Jazz CEO Danny Ainge said in interviews that he is hopeful of securing a new long-term deal

Clarkson before he becomes a free agent this summer.

Tan not leaving Knights, for now

CHAMPION coach Bonnie Tan said he is still running the practice sessions of the Letran Knights and won’t be leaving any time soon.

Tan said this after he denied reports that he is leaving the Knights to become NorthPort Batang Pier’s head coach in the coming 2023 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup, which begins on January 22.

“Ako pa rin ang nagpa-practice sa Knights. Sa NorthPort, wala pa akong nire-ready,” said Tan.

Tan is expected to stay with the Knights after they captured their third straight title in the 98th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament last December.

He explained that he has been the team manager of the Batang Pier for the last 10 years.

Tan added that he has not named anyone to take over Pido Jarencio’s position as Batang Pier present coach.

No replacements have also been named to take over his position as Letran mentor.

“Wala pang appointment na interim coach. Pinapa-ready pero no appointment yet,” added Tan on the Batang Pier squad’s status. Peter Atencio

PBA 3x3 3rd conference gets going

PLAYER movements have added color and spice to the final conference of the PBA 3x3 Season 2 that comes off the wraps on Saturday at Robinsons Novaliches.

Meralco, Pioneer Elastoseal, and San Miguel are among the teams, which shuffled their respective rosters, even as grand slam-seeking TNT Tropang Giga won’t be having scoring king Almond Vosotros in their Leg 1 roster.

The Bolts let go of veteran 3x3 player Tonino Gonzaga and Leo De Vera, but acquired Jeff Manday and Bryan Santos, to go along with Alfred Batino and Reymar Caduyac.

Gonzaga meanwhile, ended up with San Miguel along with De Vera to team up with new acquisition Bryan Santos and old hand Ken Bono.

The Elastoseal for their part, tapped Kenneth Mocon from Meralco and Denice Villamor from Barangay Ginebra to complete the quartet that includes regulars Gian Abrigo and Reggie Morido.

This developed as the Tropang Giga began their campaign for a sweep of the entire Season 2 minus Vosotros, who was given a one week break by coach Mau Belen to fully recover from the grind of continuously playing without relief for five straight conferences.

The Tropang Giga, who will parade Samboy de Leon, Lervin Flores, Ping Exciminiano, and Gryann Mendoza, won a second straight grand finals last December by rallying back to frustrate Cavitex Braves in overtime, 19-17, and claim the P750,000 prize money.

The Braves retained the team of Jorey Napoles, Dominick Fajardo, Bong Galanza, and Chester Saldua, but now has a new coach in former player Kyles Lao.

TNT leads Pool A as grand finals champion, Cavitex banners Pool B for finishing runner up, while J&T and Platinum Karaoke, which disputed third place, show the way in Pool C and D, respectively.

Also in Pool A are Pioneer Elastoseal and Blackwater, in Pool B are San Miguel and NorthPort, Pool C Barangay Ginebra and Terrafirma, while Meralco and Purefoods complete Pool D.

It’s Pioneer and Blackwater opening hostilities in the pool play consisting of a total of 12 games starting at 11 a.m.

Top eight teams will advance in the knockout stage to be held on Sunday, with the winner going home with the top prize money of P100,000.

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

SPEAKER Martin G. Romualdez on Friday congratulated Barangay Ginebra’s resident import Justin Donta Brownlee on becoming a Filipino citizen. The Gilas import will receive Philippine citizenship with the signing by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of Republic Act No. 11937.

Speaker Romualdez, Cavite Rep. Elpidio “Pidi” Barzaga, Jr., sports patron and 1-Pacman Rep. Mikee Romero, and

THERE’S no signs that Jordan Clarkson is about to leave the Utah Jazz.

ALL-OUT PSC SUPPORT. Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann visits Olympian Kayla Sanchez and the national water polo team during their training in Philsports Complex. Bachmann assured the swimmers of the PSC’s all-out support as they prepare for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia in May.

with

Beach Games, 37 in the Hangzhou Asian Games, 15 in the World Combat Games and 32 regular and two demonstration sports in the AIMAG.

Grace C. Yu, Jaime R. Fresnedi, Francisco Paolo V P. Ortega, Romeo M. Acop, Roy M. Loyola, Joseph Stephen “Caraps” S. Paduano, Jose Gay G. Padiernos, Raul “Boboy” C. Tupas, Dan S. Fernandez, Celso G. Regencia, Yevgeny Vincente B. Emano, Arnie B. Fuentebella, Paolo Z. Duterte, and Jeffrey Soriano. Brownlee, 34, originally from Georgia in the United States, has been very forthcoming to lawmakers about his plans of suiting up for Gilas.

The President signed the law less than two months after the House of Representatives approved HB 6224 on third and final reading.

Senate supported the measure. Romualdez earlier commended Brownlee for his desire to become a Filipino citizen and “to contribute to the national team’s quest for glory in the FIBA World Cup.”

for

Speaker Martin G. RomualdezJustin Brownlee Jordan

POC president Rep. Abraham Tolentino

NLEX Drive & Dine

DEVELOPED and managed by MPT Mobility, NLEX Drive and Dine brings together a mix of retail, outlet, leisure, and convenience offers for families and friends to unwind, relax, and create fun memories.

It is strategically set in the last stop before heading to Skyway or Mindanao Avenue Smart Connect.

The Motorists Toll Service Facility along NLEX has an average daily foot traffic count of over 23,000, as well as an average daily vehicle count of over 7,000 on regular days and over 10,000 during peak seasons.

“More than being a rest stop, NLEX Drive and Dine has become

the go-to destination for comfort and convenience of NLEX motorists and the adjacent communities,” said Rodrigo E. Franco, MPT Mobility President and Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) CEO.

Planned expansion includes the construction of five new buildings and a multi-level parking. For leasing opportunities contact +63 919 081 3972 or email jsvelasquez@ mptmobility.com

CITY OF FIRSTS

Sta Lucia Land, Enderun Hotels tie-up

Catalina

STA. Lucia Land, a subsidiary of Sta. Lucia Group, with over 50 years of real estate development track record, recently tied up with Enderun Hotels for hotel management and consultancy services for SotoGrande properties in Baguio and Palawan.

Enderun Hotels, a division of Enderun Colleges, will undertake the pre-opening and full management of the daily operations of both properties. SotoGrande Baguio, an eight-storey property in Leonard Wood Road known as the “Millionaire’s Row” or the Forbes Park of Baguio, is situated at the city’s greenest and most

forested area outside of Camp John Hay. SotoGrande Palawan is a business hotel situated in Puerto Princesa City.

It is a six-storey development with a total of 147 units rising on a 1,020 sqm. lot area. The property is a part of

SHDA 2023 board officers, governors

THE Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA) recently announced its new board of officers, governors, and advisers for 2023.

Arlene Keh was elected as the Chairman of the Board, while Arch. Leonardo Dayao Jr. will serve as the National President. Other elected members of the board include Atty. Joy Manaog as 1st Vice President, Engr. Francis Richmond Villegas as 2nd Vice President, Gena Valerie Chua as Corporate Secretary, Maya Jazmin Colayco

as Assistant Corporate Secretary, Clarissa De Joya as Treasurer, Mariano Martinez Jr. as Auditor, and Steven Tambunting as Chief Marketing Officer.

SHDA has outlined several new thrusts for the year, including strengthening relationships with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), activating all SHDA committees to address the concerns and needs of members, a greater focus on regional chapters, and engagement with sponsors and partners.

INFRASTRUCTURE BUILDING

SM CUBAO —one of the first branches of retail giant SM in the metro—is now officially known as SM Araneta City. The historic city of firsts welcomed the change in the name of the iconic mall with the recent rebranding of Araneta Center to Araneta City. It was in 1980 when SM—known back then as Shoemart department store—opened its third branch in then Araneta Center. SM Cubao opened four years after nearby Ali Mall was inaugurated in 1976, and was the Center’s second land lease establishment (after Rustan’s Superstore in 1975). It has since become one of the original prominent shopping destinations in Quezon City. The mall rebranding comes as Araneta City fulfills its redevelopment plan to revamp and modernize the metro’s pioneer commercial district. Following the renovations of existing properties, the development is preparing to open soon the expansive Gateway Mall 2 and the country’s firsts ibis Styles hotel.

GROWING WITH THE BEST. Golden ABC, Inc. (GABC), owner of fashion brands Penshoppe, OXGN, ForMe, Regatta, Memo, and Bocu, was recently certified as a Great Place to Work (GPTW) for 2023. GPTW is the world’s largest study of workplace excellence and holds the gold standard benchmark surveying more than 100 million employees around the world. This recognition affirms GABC’s commitment to advocating for a positive workplace culture by fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and open communication within the organization. ‘We believe that our employees are GABC’s greatest asset, and so we strive to keep and attract promising individuals who seek to build their careers with a company that values them and grows with them,’ declared Ted Belza, Jr., VP for Human Capital Management. Shown in photo are GABC employees from all over the country who participated in a three-day retreat in Baguio City.

SETTING EYES ON

MEGAWIDE Construction Corporation, through its Precast Unit, recently opened its second precast plant in Taytay, Rizal. The plant will increase the company’s overall precast production capacity as it vies for more infrastructure projects, and will beef up the supply-and-build capabilities of the unit. The plant can produce over 35,000 cubic meters of precast annually, adding to Megawide’s current production capacity of 96,000 cubic meters, making it the leading Precast manufacturer in the country. “This new Precast facility is designed to produce half-slab products allowing our main plant to focus more on customized and new products,” said Megawide Executive Vice-President for Business Units Markus Hennig. Halfslabs are a basic precast component used for flooring as well as horizontal infrastructure, such as roads and railways (Inset photo). Megawide has participated in the bid for other rail packages and is also in different stages of discussion with several parties to expand its transport-centric developments, which include the country’s first landport, the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX).

Lake Residences, a master-planned project by Sta. Lucia Land located along the National Highway in Brgy. Tagburos. At the contract signing were (from left to right): Enderun Colleges’ Vice-President for Marketing, Tricia Tensuan; Enderun Hotels’ Director of Business Development, Carlo Librea; Enderun Hotels’ Managing Director, Thomas Wenger; Sta. Lucia Land’s President, Exequiel Robles; Sta. Lucia Land’s Chairman, Vicente Santos; and Sta. Lucia Land’s Project Development Head, Jayson Robles.

Arlene Keh

Leonardo Dayao Jr.

Motoring

Foton Big Show unveils industry-changing carriers, 1st electric light duty truck

IN CELEBRATION

of FOTON Motor Philippines Inc.’s 16th year in the Philippines, gates will open for the country’s biggest commercial vehicle show to date - The FOTON’s BIG SHOW 2023: Commerce and Mobility Synergized.

The giant fleet of the mobility solutions company will be on full-blast

display at the World Trade Center in Pasay City from February 10-12, 2023, with gates opening at 10AM.

FOTON’s most in-demand and all-new masterpieces will be showcased with 33 different units in the roundup, all made to serve and empower Filipino businesses.

Most importantly, at the 3-day show, FOTON Philippines will unveil for the first time: Tornado 3.6 EV - the first electric light duty truck to hit the Philippine market, the 16-seater Traveller 2.0, and Harabas 1.9 Miler.

With this innovative stance in the midst of the global, industry-wide electrification, the brand is moving to inspire the next generation of

Stress on the road… so unnecessary

ANOTHER major road accident happened last Jan. 10 where a total of 12 cars and motorcycles were damaged and 10 were injured after a Land Cruiser, with two men onboard, were seen plowing through them at the corner of Shaw Blvd. and San Miguel Avenue. The SUV driver and his passenger have a lot of explaining to do when they are scheduled to appear this Monday before the LTO office in Quezon City.

It can be recalled that another incident happened also last year when an SUV driver hit a traffic officer on duty. But the issue suddenly went *pffft* from the national scene as both parties quietly settled on the side.

It is interesting to know how the Jan. 10 accident would go through as there are several parties the defendants had to deal with this time.

Accidents such as these can be avoided if the screening process for those applying for driving licenses would be done very strictly. But that is definitely close to saying that there is a need to completely overhaul the whole process.

Offices of the LTO are always full of new and renewal applicants for driving licenses every day. But the process of getting one is so easy even those foreigners that are being assisted by some locals in getting their respective licenses can easily get one in just under an hour.

Driving needs no extraordinary skills, but one should have the necessary knowledge how to drive a vehicle. And not only that, they also need the extra cool head in order to deal with the never-ending stress created while on the road. Thus, the need to add psychological tests to those who are applying for a driver’s license.

The roads of Metro Manila are certainly full of stress to drive through. That’s why one needs a lot of tempering of their emotions. The mere sight of motorcycle riders criss crossing one’s path will surely bring your blood to a boil. There is not only one but too many of them you could meet while you are driving. If you are a new driver, don’t tell us you would not dare to hit your horn most of the time or even curse them out loud?

Persons who get easily stressed out would really find driving a very stressful activity and susceptible to do things that could be harmful to those around them.

If those exams for aspiring drivers would have additional questions to identify those persons that are easily susceptible to stress, then, maybe then they may have the clue what kind of driver he or she would be when they already have their licenses.

entrepreneurs.

“The dawn of the new generation of trucking and new leaders in businesses is here. FOTON Motor Philippines Inc. has always been the pioneer in providing mobility solutions and it only competes to change its own game. In the many successive years we are holding the Big Shows, we have spurred record-high sales and ushered in top caliber choices for entrepreneurs from large-scale to small-scale businesses,” FOTON Philippines General Manager Levy Santos said.

Santos also described the aim of FOTON Philippines in shifting Filipino businesses to having a zero-cost

strategy on gas, climate-consciousness, reduced daily mileage, accessible charging opportunities, and excellent after sales services.

“We hope FOTON’s Big Show 2023 opens to the patrons, business owners, and other guests, the choices they have in welcoming sustainability which do not have to break their backs. At FOTON, our goal is to provide these options especially for our core market – logistics, construction, and the hospitality industry.”

FOTON Motor Philippines Inc. hosts a fleet consisting of passenger vehicles, modern public transport, light - medium- heavy duty trucks,

and heavy equipment. It is a top 10, elite brand certified by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc.

Among the brands it successfully sold units and forged partnerships with are J&T Express, Shopee Philippines, YTO Express, Flash Express, CocaCola, Arrow Go Express, GoGo Xpress, San Jose Del Monte Transport Cooperative, the Province of Pampanga etc.

FOTON’s Big Show 2023 offers exclusive and exciting deals as soon as you register online or on FOTON PH app. Don’t miss the chance to be wowed and go home like a winner!

Drive with Home Credit—the Rapidé way!

SOME car owners treat their cars as their second home, their babies, or even their best friend. It accompanies them to go to places they want, be it a short or long trip. Buying a car could be expensive, but it will also save you time in the long run. However, owning one also means being ready to maintain it.

As the lifestyle partner of every Filipino, Home Credit Philippines partners with the leading and largest chain of car service centers, Rapidé Auto Service Experts, to provide car owners and enthusiasts with an easy and convenient way to book an auto repair and maintenance through Home Credit’s Qwarta and Home Credit Card.

With more than 100 branches nationwide, Rapidé offers customers a CASA-quality service at an affordable price. The brand guarantees its customer the highest quality assurance from skilled technicians coupled with state-of-the-art equipment – an experience they call the Rapidé way!

Now keep your seatbelts fastened as we go through the deals Home Credit and Rapidé have in store for you!

SERVICE NOW, PAY LATER WITH HOME CREDIT

As one of the country’s leading car service centers, Rapidé offers the bestin-class automobile maintenance and service, making them more affordable and accessible through Home Credit.

Customers can get the highest quality car maintenance without worrying about paying immediately using the Home Credit Qwarta or Home Credit Card. Both products offer customers a free last installment for consistent ontime payments. On top of that, Qwarta users are entitled to 5 percent off Rapidé’s maintenance package.

With a minimum financing amount of P3,000 to P40,000 to new Home Credit customers and a maximum financing amount of P60,000 to existing customers, Home Credit users who book for a car maintenance and service with Rapidé can also get exclusive service offers such as a free car safety inspection, tire rotation and balancing, along with brake cleaning and adjustment.

So, what are you waiting for? Head to any Rapidé Auto Service Experts near you and avail of any service of your choice by downloading the My Home Credit App to learn about Home Credit’s Qwarta, Home Credit Card, and other deals made especially for you!

Home Credit Philippines is a financing company duly licensed and supervised by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). To know more about Home Credit Philippines, visit their official website www.homecredit.ph. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok accounts for the latest news.

Customers can download the My Home Credit App on Google Play to catch the latest promos and see what’s new in the Marketplace.

Experience amazing with Lexus at Mitsukoshi BGC

Lexus further embodies the seamless combination of the two countries as it opens its latest space at Mitsukoshi BGC.

The new location will be the home of Lexus Electrified vehicles showcasing the brand’s heritage, sensibilities, and design inspirations that symbolize the new Lexus DNA of craftsmanship, and cutting-edge technology.

The space is as stylish as the brand, created in the easily recognizable “spindle grille” that has become a design icon for the Lexus brand. Intricately woven in Cebu, it has been crafted to transform into a Nest Box, using local materials such as Capiz shells, rattan, natural wood, which are also found in the furniture, lighting fixtures, and décor of the space. The columns wrapped with natural, local wood hold up the focal point of the space. With each Lexus vehicle crafted to always challenge expectations, Lexus at Mitsukoshi BGC follows suit. It defies what you would expect in a typical car showroom.

The space will hold special bespoke events exclusive to Lexus customers as well as offer Lexus merchandise, sportswear, Japanese traditional crafts and creations.

Customers can enjoy the Lexus experience in the beautiful lounge while taking in the view of the Lexus vehicles on display.

The Lexus Spirit of “Crafted” goes beyond being seen. The fusion of “Omotenashi,”-the Japanese term for the

utmost taking care of one’s guest, and the Philippines’ world-class warmth and hospitality is an experience to be enjoyed. Visit Lexus at Mitsukoshi BGC today.

To learn more, visit the Lexus website at lexus.com.ph or visit our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram @ lexusphilippines

You may also download the MyLEXUS App available on both Android and iOS users to receive live updates and access other premium services.

Toyota Mobility Solutions PH empowers enterprises through digital logistics platform

Mida Food can address the limitations in its delivery operations, such as the difficulty in route planning due to various client restrictions, challenges with truck capacity vis-à-vis demand and product load, and lack of visibility in delivery status.

This

TMSPH’s

Through

The Logistics Platform streamlines administration and generates the ideal route and loading plan that easily integrates the variable delivery conditions. This supports Mida Food’s

goal to achieve optimal truck utilization, which is one of the considerations in lowering the delivery costs. Drivers are also equipped with a mobile application for real-time sending of delivery status updates to Mida Food.

Prior to the platform introduction, TMSPH together with Mida Food conducted a series of ground operation studies to improve end-to-end processes— from order taking to warehouse operation, and dispatch. In this process, TMSPH

applied Toyota’s quality management principles and effective practices based on its solid experience in manufacturing, warehouse management, logistics and distribution in the Philippines.

This collaboration is just one of the many projects that TMSPH has to offer to help build successful businesses. TMSPH continues to innovate its products and services to further help Filipino business owners in the improvement of their operations.

AFTER THE soft opening of Mitsukoshi BGC last November 2022, Filipinos have marveled over the culture of the Philippines and Japan coming together through their store offerings, architecture, and hospitality.

TOYOTA Mobility Solutions Philippines, Inc. (TMSPH) introduces one of its flagship new mobility solutions, a logistics platform that aims to digitize logistics processes and support operating efficiency and growth of local enterprises.

specialized system is designed to automate daily planning, which covers delivery routing, loading optimization, vehicle assignment, and trip booking.

Logistics Platform also offers real-time delivery status tracking for

daily management of business. In this initial phase of launching the digital platform, TMPSH has started supporting the logistics operation of Mida Food Distributors Inc. (Mida Food), a leading seafood importer, distributor, and processor in the Philippines. Mida Food provides quality frozen seafood products for businesses in the food service industry, as well as individuals and households through its retail brand, Pacific Bay.

TMSPH’s Logistics Platform,

Tech & Gadgets

Miscommunications in IT security lead to cybersecurity incidents in 62% of firms

MORE than half of top-tier managers (62%) admit that a miscommunication with the IT department or IT security team has resulted in at least one cybersecurity incident in their organizations.

In terms of personal attitudes, the majority of non-IT executives cited a diminished sense of cooperation between different teams (34%) and said this situation makes them question their colleagues’ skills and abilities when communication with their IT-security employees was unclear (33%).

The recent Forrester analytics survey says that companies spend an average of 37 days and $2.4 million to detect and recover from a cybersecurity breach.

To determine how much mutual understanding between executives and information security teams affects a company’s cyber resilience, Kaspersky conducted a global survey of more than 1,300 business leaders.

According to the results of the study, 98% of non-IT respondents experienced miscommunications regarding IT security. With regards to consequences, most often a breakdown in communications leads to serious project delays (67%) and cybersecurity incidents (62%). Almost one-third of respondents (30% and 27% respectively) even said that they had even encountered these issues more than once. Among other negative effects are a wasted budget, the loss of a valued employee and deteriorating relationships between teams–situations that occurred to 61% of respondents.

In addition to worsening business indicators, unclear communication with IT-security employees also affects the

emotional state of the team and makes executives question IT-security employees’ skills and abilities. Also, 28% executives admit that misunderstandings make them lose confidence in the business’ safety and 26% of them find this situation makes them nervous, which affects their work performance.

“Clear communication between a company’s executives and IT security management is a prerequisite for corporate business security,” comments Alexey Vovk, Head of Information Security at Kaspersky.

“The challenge here is to put oneself in the others’ position, to anticipate and prevent serious misunderstandings. This means that, on the one hand, CISOs should know the basic business language to better explain the existing risks and need for safety measures. On the other hand, a business should also understand that information security in the 21st century is an integral part of business and budgeting for it is an investment in pro-

tecting company assets,” adds Vovk. To make the communication between IT security and business functions within the company more transparent, Kaspersky recommends the following:

• Understanding professionals from another sphere requires not only empathy but also additional knowledge. While IT security workers could get more information about basic business terms and concepts in various training courses, non-IT executives have an opportunity to walk in a CISO’s shoes to get insights on the most relevant IT security challenges.

• Both IT and non-IT managers should not lock themselves in a professional “information bubble”. Staying aware of the agenda in both the business and cybersecurity worlds is another key to successful communication and mutual understanding between them.

• Cybersecurity specialists should use reliable and understandable arguments when communicating their

needs to the board and justifying their cybersecurity budget. Use information about the threats and security measures most relevant to your particular industry and company size to prove the probability of risks and the protective measures needed. Resources such as IT Security Calculator and reports based on experts’ observations can significantly ease this task.

• Today when cyber threats are becoming more and more relevant and companies are forced to increase their information security budgets, it’s extremely important to allocate cybersecurity investments to tools with proven efficacy and ROI. This means tools that lower the level of false positives and reduce the time of attack detection, the time spent per case, and other metrics are important to any IT security team.

The full report and more insights on communications issues between C-level and IT security managers are available via the link.

LG TVs up the ante by providing expanded selection of gamer-centric service all in 1 place

ing titles from leading partners such as NVIDIA, Blacknut, Utomik and now Luna and Boosteroid, with no downloads or additional hardware needed.

LG’s award-winning OLED TVs supply players with the smoothest gameplay courtesy of superior image quality, an ultra-fast 0.1 millisecond response time and super-low input lag, as well as a more personalized gaming experience through various customization features including Game Optimizer and genre-specific picture settings.

Gamers can play their favorite PC titles already purchased from popular digital stores—including many of the most-played free-to-play games like Fortnite, Apex Legends and Destiny 2—with and against millions of other PC players.

GeForce Now Ultimate members will enjoy streaming at up to 4K resolution at 60 FPS on supported LG TVs, with ultra-low latency that rivals many local gaming experiences.

CISCO, a worldwide leader in technology, announced that it aims to train 6.7 million people in AsiaPacific in digital and cybersecurity skills over the next 10 years. The skills will be imparted through its Cisco Networking Academy.

The number of people to be trained in the Asia-Pacific region are part of Cisco’s aim to train 25 million students worldwide over the next 10 years through the Networking Academy, flagship program that is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

The speed of technology innovation, and its scale of its adoption, has accelerated immensely in recent years. Technology is deeply now ingrained in how we live, work, and interact with one another. This has enabled many digital-first experiences and opened new areas of growth. At the same time, it has also resulted in growing demand for digitally skilled talent at almost every level of organizations across Asia-Pacific, echoing a trend seen across the world.

According to a report by the World Economic Forum, advances in technology and automation will create 97 million new jobs globally by 2025. Cisco aspires to help millions of people around the world to access those jobs by empowering the workforce of the future with educational and career-oriented opportunities through Networking Academy.

“Digital transformation and technology adoption are transforming economies across the globe. For countries and businesses to fully harness the opportunities that are being created, they need a workforce with adequate skills. As such, building a local pool of next-generation talent is critical to long-term social inclusion and economic resilience,” said Guy Diedrich, SVP and Chief Innovation Officer, Cisco.

LG Electronics is demonstrating its strong commitment to delivering a premium TV gaming experience that offers enhanced convenience through the new webOS UI featuring a dedicated gaming hub, the addition of cloud gaming service Amazon Luna and buttery-smooth gameplay at 4K 60 FPS streaming via NVIDIA GeForce NOW on its latest TVs at CES 2023.

Popular cloud gaming services, which can now be conveniently accessed from LG Game Card on webOS 2023, including simply via voice command*, offer avid and casual gamers alike numerous gam-

Already available in FHD on 2021 and 2022 LG TVs running webOS 6.0 or above, GeForce NOW is now streaming on 2020 models, and will start streaming in 4K on select models later this year, LG TV owners being among the first to stream impressively smooth, highly immersive 4K gameplay at 60 FPS, on the big screen with just a compatible controller.

GeForce NOW is NVIDIA’s open cloud gaming service that taps into the thriving PC gaming ecosystem by streaming with world-class NVIDIA GeForce RTX performance.

Japan-a iliated Telco InfiniVAN partners with largest privately owned industrial estate LIMA

LIPA - MALVAR, BATANGAS—Japan-affiliated telco InfiniVAN, Inc. continued to expand its fiber optic network infrastructure footprint by formally teaming up with LIMA Estate in Malvar, Batangas in a strategic partnership ceremony held last December to provide the country’s biggest privately-owned industrial estate with its network infrastructures.

The Aboitiz-owned, 800-hectare PEZA-registered economic zone, whose locators currently employ more than 65,000, will rely on InfiniVAN to provide backbone connectivity and ensure safe and reliable internet services to the mixed-use development hub.

LIMA Estate currently hosts 140 locators, 167 retail stores and restaurants, a 4-star hotel, a transportation hub and over 4,000 households.

LIMA is part of the multi-awarded Aboitiz InfraCapital Economic Estates that also includes the 540- hectare West Cebu Estate in Balamban, Cebu, and the 63-hectare Mactan Economic Zone 2 Estate in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. Spanning over 1,400 hectares, and home to 200 companies — the multi-awarded Economic Es-

tates are supported by a complete ecosystem of infrastructure facilities and services, operated by Aboitiz affiliates including Aboitiz InfraCapital, Aboitiz Power, and Aboitiz Construction.

The partnership agreement was signed by LIMA Estate’s Vice President for Operations, Clifford Academia and InfiniVAN’s Chief Operating Officer, Engr. Edgardo A. Opulencia.

InfiniVAN executives Shigeki Nakahara and Takeshi Ohba, together with LIMA Estate’s Vice President for Operations Clifford Academia, and Estate Operations Manager, Nido Villaflores, Jr. attended the signing ceremony.

“LIMA Estate is a thriving industrial-anchored mixed-use estate hosting about 140 companies that are into export, warehousing, and logistics. Adding to that, our fast-growing LIMA Central Business District increases the demand for fast and seamless connectivity for our tenants and customers. With InfiniVAN coming into the Estate, we are assured of a quality network redundancy, increasing our capacity to serve highgrade, fast, and reliable internet connection for

Accessible from LG’s Game Card in the US, Amazon Luna is joining other cloud gaming services on the webOS Home Screen of LG’s latest TVs. A Luna subscription offers access to games for everyone, from AAA titles, retro-side scrollers, family games and more, and titles including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Everspace and Team Sonic Racing, while the Prime Gaming channel gives Amazon Prime subscribers access to various exclusive and free-to-play titles each month.

LG’s perfect-for-gaming OLED TVs will be on show at CES 2023 from January 5-8 in the company’s booth (#15501, Las Vegas Convention Center). To keep up with every LG CES announcement, follow #LGCES2023 on social media.

“To achieve this, it takes an entire ecosystem working together in lockstep. At Cisco, we are proud of the role that we have been playing with our unmatched network of partners. Through Cisco Networking Academy we have helped transform the lives of 17.5 million students over the past 25 years by leveraging the power of education and technology. Through our courses, learning paths, network of employers, and partnerships with government, academic, and industry leaders, we are not only helping train the workforce of the future, but also empowering the most disadvantaged and underrepresented to level the playing field,” he added.

Cisco to train 6.7M As-Pac people in cybersecurity, digital skills

Shown here are (from left) In niVAN Right of Way Specialist Love Dabash, In niVAN Sales Head

Takeshi Ohba, In niVAN Director Shigeki Nakahara, LIMA Estate Vice President for Operations

Cli ord Academia and Estate Operations Manager Nido Villa ores

The recent Forrester analytics survey says that companies spend an average of 37 days and $2.4 million to detect and recover from a cybersecurity breach.

Gamers can play their favorite PC titles already purchased from popular digital stores—including many of the mostplayed free-to-play games like Fortnite, Apex Legends and Destiny 2 – with and against millions of other PC players.

our stakeholders. Ultimately, as we transform LIMA Estate into a smart and next-generation city, we also aim to create a great LIMA experience for our locators and customers,” said LIMA Estate’s VP for Operations, Clifford Academia during an exclusive interview.

InfiniVAN, Inc. is in full support of LIMA

Estate’s objectives.

Engr. Opulencia for his part declared that the “partnership with LIMA Estate is more than just a collaboration; it is a bond towards supporting innovations, improving productivity and attaining the maximum potential for all businesses that locate within the Estate.”

Cisco Networking Academy