Manila Standard - 2023 March 1 - Wednesday

First of a six-part supplement to mark Women’s Month

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Feb. inflation may hit 9.3% high

BSP admits prices won’t ease as forecast, sets further interest rate hike

By Julito G. Rada and Maricel V. Cruz

DESPITE earlier predictions that prices would ease by February, inflation is likely to set another 14-year high for the month that just ended, the central bank said Tuesday.

In a statement, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said February inflation would likely settle between 8.5 percent and 9.3 percent, the high end of which would be more than the 8.7 percent recorded in January.

February inflation would be driven by higher prices for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and key food items such as pork, fish, eggs and sugar, the BSP said.

Lower prices for domestic petroleum, fruits and vegetables, chicken and beef, on the other hand, would ease inflation.

The BSP said it would continue to raise interest rates to keep inflation in check, and said it would continue to closely monitor price developments.

Over the weekend, BSP Governor Felipe Medalla said they were ready to act accordingly if inflation in February remained higher compared to a month ago.

In an interview at the sidelines of the 2023 annual reception for the banking community Friday night, Medalla said there would be no reason to raise the policy rate if inflation slowed down in February.

But he added: “We are still hawkish. If the February inflation is bad, we will

PNP to integrate water patrol unit with Navy, PCG

TO STRENGTHEN the government’s maritime law enforcement capability, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is planning to integrate its maritime units with the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard, with a focus on the country’s boundaries with Malaysia and Indonesia.

The country’s southern borders are considered porous and are usually the routes of smuggling and human trafficking activities.

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said their maritime units’ patrols will focus near the country’s shorelines and help in the ongoing campaign against smuggling, human trafficking, and other transnational crimes.

“We wanted to have a memorandum of understanding with (the PCG and Philippine Navy) to secure our waters against contrabands and including the campaign against human trafficking,” he told reporters after the presentation and blessing of newly procured police

Transport group rejects dialogue, stands ground on weeklong strike

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

test the government’s PUV Modernization Program.

The leader of the Manibela transport group, Mar Valbuena, rejected Transportation Secretary Jaime Bau-

tista’s call for a dialogue to head off the strike, contradicting the announcement that there would be talks.

“There will be no dialogue for now. I will stand my ground. We’ll push through

with the strike on Monday for a week,” he said in Filipino in a TV interview. The transport strike will start on March 6 at 7 a.m. and will last until

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PBBM orders steps to boost maritime trade

By Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday ordered a whole-of-government approach to bolster the new maritime industry program that is expected to bring substantial economic growth.

In a speech during the Philippine Maritime Industry Summit 2023, President Marcos said the new program, called the Maritime Industry Development Plan (MIDP) 2028, will cover the eight-point economic agenda of his administration.

President directs DA to improve local cropping system, fishery sector

By Vince Lopez and Maricel V. Cruz

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

on Tuesday asked the Department of

Agriculture to produce a detailed cropping schedule to ensure that agricultural imports will not harm local production. The President also said the government

is formulating a plan to improve the country’s fishery sector, as he has instructed different agencies to develop the necessary infrastructure and facilities.

Mr. Marcos, also the concurrent Agriculture Secretary, held a briefing with the DA and other concerned agencies to

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE House of Representatives on Tuesday took another step toward approving the bill that will review the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution. In a voice voting, the House on plenary session approved the Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 6, which calls for the creation of a hybrid constitutional convention (Con-con), setting the stage for the resolution’s plenary approval on third and final reading before Congress adjourns in March.

The second reading approval came after just three days worth of plenary

debates on the measure.

House approves Con-con bill on 2nd reading SC affirms COA rule disallowing P15m benefits to PhilHealth staff

On Tuesday morning, the House committee on appropriations chaired by Rep. Zaldy Co of Ako-Bicol, approved the funding provision of the RBH 6. The budget would be used for the election of delegates, as well as the operation of the Constitutional convention.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chair of the House constitutional amendments committee, maintained that the Constitutional convention itself would require a budget of about P6 billion while another P3 billion will be used for the conduct of a plebiscite on Next page

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court has affirmed a decision of the Commission on Audit (COA) disallowing the grant of P15 million in allowances and incentives to employees of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

In a 19-page decision, the SC en banc denied a petition filed by PhilHealth seeking to issue a tem -

porary restraining order against a COA decision.

The decision affirmed the notices of disallowance (NDs) on PhilHealth’s payment of transportation allowance, project completion incentive, and educational assistance worth P15 million to its regular and contractual employees.

Penned by Associate Justice Rodil

MARITIME TALKS. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. shares a light moment with Speaker Martin Romualdez and Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista during the Philippine Maritime Industry Summit 2023 at the Tent City in Manila Hotel on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. Ver Noveno

MORE than 100,000 jeepney and UV

Express drivers are expected to join the week-long transport strike to pro -

PNP, House eye more police recruits

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is looking at getting more recruits to better serve the country’s growing population, despite the force being authorized to get just 1,000 recruits this year -- much lower than the 4,000 recruits hired in 2022.

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez discussed this in their meeting late Monday, the PNP Public Information Office said in a news release on Tuesday.

Currently, the PNP has a strength of 227,000 officers and staff, securing the country’s 110 million population.

Aside from additional manpower, PNP spokesperson Col. Red Maranan said they are looking to recruit additional police officers next year and to

Oil tanker sinks, sparks diesel spill, says PCG

A FUEL tanker partially sank in the country’s waters on Tuesday, authorities said, as they tried to contain a diesel spill stretching several kilometers.

The MT Princess Empress was carrying 800,000 liters (211,340 gallons) of industrial fuel oil from Bataan to the central province of Iloilo when its engine overheated, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

An initial investigation showed the “distressed” vessel drifted towards waters off Balingawan Point on Mindoro island “due to rough sea conditions until it became half-submerged.”

The coast guard said it was monitoring a spill of diesel fuel, which had been powering the vessel, but had not found in the sea any industrial fuel oil from the ship’s cargo.

Another vessel rescued the 20 crew members on board. The coast guard said they were in “good physical condition.”

In a separate update, the coast guard said the spill detected near the stricken vessel was five kilometers (three miles) long and 500 meters (1,640 feet) wide.

An oil spill boom would be installed to control the spillage, it said. AFP

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address the crisis in fishery production after tackling the country’s rice and livestock supply.

Meanwhile, Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio has committed to help the House of Representatives in monitoring the entry of agricultural products into the Philippines.

Rubio appeared at the House Committee on Agriculture and Food’s ongoing investigation on the hoarding of the agricultural goods, and the consequent price manipulation that causes hefty price increases on such commodities.

The President asked agriculture officials to go into more detail on the cyclical nature of crops in the Philippines to avoid importing products during the harvest season.

The government, Mr. Marcos said, must consider the sensitivities of local cropping, particularly their cyclical nature when sourcing products abroad.

BSP, BAP mull removal of fees

beef up its technology and equipment.

Maranan said Romualdez expressed his support for these improvements.

The Speaker agreed on the necessity of an enhanced drive against criminality that includes a sustained crackdown on illegal firearms and increased police visibility across the country along with ongoing programs for improved intelligence-gathering capability and training of policemen.

Romualdez committed the solid support of the House of Representatives for

a genuine intensified campaign of law enforcement authorities against crime to ensure the safety of every citizen.

The House leader sought the meeting with Abalos and Azurin following recent incidents of gun-related violence against certain local officials and hapless civilians.

Despite the high-profile crimes that occurred recently, Abalos and Azurin told Romualdez the overall crime rate relatively went down.

“We gave Sec. Abalos and Gen. Azurin our assurance that the House of Representatives would be open to providing the PNP with adequate funding support and other resources -- as well as new legislation if necessary -- to buttress the campaign against crime, which is our shared concern,” Romualdez said.

Azurin said the country’s crime rate has dropped by 19.49 percent from January to Feb. 25 this year as compared to the same period in 2022, amid the spate of attacks against local officials this month.

On Monday, the PNP chief said there is a continuing decline in peace and order indicators, particularly index crimes, from 6,141 in January to Feb. 25 in 2022 down to 4,944 for the same period this year.

“I had been reporting every week as I said the crime environment in our country is going down. It was unfortunate that there have been shooting incidents against our elected local officials wherein the PNP is now working on the double to determine the identities of the suspects and bring them to justice,” Azurin told reporters at Camp Crame.

Petron to slash LPG price by P3.50/k today

By Alena Mae S. Flores

PETRON Corp. announced it will cut the price of liquefied petroleum gas or cooking gas by P3.50 per kilo or P38.50 for every 11-kilo tank starting March 1.

“Petron will implement a P3.50 per kilo rollback (VAT-inclusive) in LPG prices effective 0001H Mar. 1,” Petron said in its advisory.

“AutoLPG prices will likewise rollback by P1.95 per liter at the same time. These reflect the international contract price of LPG for the month of March,” it said.

act… but we are hawkish for a reason. It is the data,” Medalla said.

On Feb. 16, 2023, the BSP raised the benchmark policy interest rate by another 50 basis points to 6 percent to rein in inflation that blew past the target range last year and accelerated to a 14-year high of 8.7 percent in January 2023. Accordingly, the interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities were set to 5.5 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively.

BSP data showed the last time the policy rate hit 6 percent was in August 2008 during the global financial crisis when BSP hiked it by 25 basis points from 5.75 percent.

In deciding to raise the policy interest rate anew, the Monetary Board noted that the latest baseline inflation forecast path has shifted higher relative to the previous assessment. Average inflation is projected to breach the upper end of the 2-4 percent target range at 6.1 percent in 2023, before returning to within target at 3.1 percent in 2024.

The forecasts were adjusted upwards following the higher-than-expected inflation in January as well as the continued stronger rebound in domestic demand and gross domestic product

March 12, he said.

More than 100,000 jeepneys in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol Region, and Cagayan De Oro are expected to participate in the strike.

The group urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to drop its modernization program to save 200,000 commuters in Metro Manila from the inconvenience.

National Center for Commuter Safety

highly skilled and competitive maritime workforce; and adopting an effective and efficient maritime administration governance system,” the President said.

transfers

By Julito Rada

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is currently in talks with the 44-member strong Bankers Association of the Philippines for the possible removal of transaction fees for small money transfers of less than P500 to further spur the use of digital payments in the country.

BAP is the lead organization of universal and commercial banks in the country consisting of 20 local banks and 24 foreign bank branches. In his speech during the annual reception for the banking community Friday night, BSP Governor Felipe Medalla said this move would form part of efforts to prepare the financial system for the future.

LPG contract price, commonly called the “Saudi CP,” is the primary driver of LPG pricing. It is the international price benchmark set at the beginning of each month by Saudi Aramco. Industry sources previously estimated a possible $70 per MT reduction in the March LPG contract price to $720 per MT from $790 per MT in February. Prior to the LPG rollback, household LPG in Metro Manila is estimated to range from P934 to P1,118.00 per 11kilo cylinder, according to data from the Department of Energy.

growth in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Both headline and core inflation measures have also continued to increase, indicating a further broadening of price pressures, particularly in services, he said.

Meanwhile, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said that increasing minimum wages while commodity prices were high could be “very harmful” to the local economy.

At a congressional hearing Tuesday, he warned that raising minimum wages by legislation while inflation was high would do “more harm” in the long term.

“If we want to bring this country to the league of our neighbors, the safest thing to do to increase wages is by way of expanding economic activities,” he said. “And that means a lot of investments that need to be made to complement labor.”

With high food prices continuing to burden the population, Balisacan said the government is addressing the “very low productivity” in agriculture by investing in the “right places,” such as improving irrigation and access to markets, as well as technology.

Balisacan was responding to House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro, who called for an increase in the purchasing power of the public as prices continued to surge.

and Protection (NCCSP) Chairperson

Elvira Medina said the transport strike would be a major problem, particularly for workers trying to get to work.

She also warned that the strike might affect the public’s access to health care and students attending face-to-face classes.

Earlier, Bautista said he had met Valbuena, and said his group was ready to negotiate to avoid the transport strike— a claim Valbuena denied. Bautista said other transport groups supported the modernization program.

“Everything can be discussed, when we talk about an issue, we can address

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“Through this development plan— which was formulated by the Marina (Maritime Industry Authority) and the DOTr (Department of Transportation), in coordination with relevant government agencies and key stakeholders— we will achieve our two core objectives: First, to ensure the development and expansion of the Philippine merchant fleet and second, to ensure the advancement of a future-ready maritime human capital,” he said.

“Specifically, this plan covers eight priority programs ranging from enhancing maritime transport safety and security; promoting environmental sustainability; implementing digitalization; modernizing, upgrading and expanding domestic and overseas shipping industries— including the local shipbuilding and ship repair industry; promoting a

Marcos also noted that the MIDP will establish a system that will lessen the detrimental impacts of both natural and manmade calamities and prepare for future contingencies that may affect the sector.

In 2022 alone, the Philippines was the world’s primary source of maritime manpower— constituting 25 percent of the global seafarers and bringing in a total of $6.71 billion in remittances, the President said.

“With that being said, I laud the commitment of our Filipino seafarers to bring honor and pride once again to the country. They do this by providing quality service across the globe and contributing to our nation-building efforts,” President Marcos said as he thanked officials and members of the country’s domestic and overseas shipping, shipbuilding and the ship repair sectors.

equipment at the PNP Grandstand in Camp Crame on Monday.

It dovetails with the statement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Cebu on Monday, when he said in his talk to the Visayas Command troops that the mission of the Armed Forces of the Philippines has evolved amid the “most difficult and complicated” issue on the South China Sea in this part of

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the proposed amendments.

“This is of transcendental importance since this is about having a Con-con that will draft a new constitution that is more

On February 1, oil companies increased the price of LPG by P10 per kilo to P11.20 per kilo or about P110 to P123 per 11-kilo tank.

Auto LPG likewise increased by P6.25 per liter after the LPG contract price increased by $189.00 per MT to $790 per MT in February from $600.50 per MT in January.

This followed the oil price rollback implemented by the oil companies on Tuesday. Oil firms cut the price of kerosene by P1.80 per liter, diesel by P1.30 per liter, and gasoline by P0.70 per liter.

The current minimum wages range from ₱533 to ₱570 per day in the National Capital Region, while workers outside the capital get ₱306 to ₱470.

Also on Tuesday, Speaker Martin Romualdez said the House of Representatives is working with the administration’s economic team on measures aimed at controlling inflation.

He made the statement in the course of a briefing given by members of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on the impact of inflation on national government programs, activities and projects.

“Of course, one of the pressing issues (facing the economy and the nation) is the inflation rate. This is a global phenomenon. But again, hearing from you (today) would be a very, very good thing for us to prioritize. Again, I reiterate the Congress’ willingness to work hand-inhand, to be marching in lockstep with the executive in pursuing the solutions to the economic challenges that the country faces,” Romualdez said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has predicted that inflation would soon go down.

“That’s what I lose sleep over -- how to bring down inflation,” the President said.

Meanwhile, Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo called for the immediate distribution of cash assistance, saying skyrocketing food prices could result in 2.58 million more poor Filipinos.

it… we will listen to the grievances of every stakeholder,” he said.

“Trashing our mod program is probably not right. We need to modernize our PUVs (public utility vehicles),” he said. He added that the government was ready to mobilize to deal with the transport strike if the talks fail.

“Our contingency plan here, there are many here in Manila, there are many modernized jeepneys, there are many cooperatives that have complied with our requirements and they assure us they will continue their operations,” Bautista said

the world and the “intensification of the competition of superpowers.”

“If before, we had what we say to be clear boundaries of our country, now that is being questioned and several things are happening… We are facing a more complex foreign situation in the Philippines. As they say, in this part of the world, here in the Philippines, the South China Sea is the most complicated geopolitical situation in the world,” the President said.

The PNP’s procurement of sea vessels, which is part of its moderniza -

attuned to globalization and provide job opportunities to our people,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez also stressed the public hearings conducted by the House, which showed that majority of the stakeholders were in favor of the proposed amendments.

“The compelling reason is that this institution cannot turn its back from the

“The first is digitalization and we have done great work there. The share of digital transactions in total payments has been growing steadily. Both InstaPay and PESONet have been great successes [in promoting payments digitalization]. And now... more and more people are using QR to make payments,” Medalla said.

Medalla said the efforts should not end there and digitalization must be inclusive.

“And one way to make it more inclusive, and I’m sure we can work together to achieve it, is if small transactions...will be free of charge so that the poor can also use digital payments. Because if the transaction is small and the fee is P15—it’s quite large relative to the transaction,” he said.

As of Feb. 1, 2023, there is no uniform amount of bank transfer fees via InstaPay. For instance, Asia United Bank charges P8; Bank of Commerce, P15 to P25; Bank of the Philippine Islands, P25; BDO Unibank Inc., P25; China Banking Corp., P10 to P25; East West Bank, P10; Land Bank of the Philippines, P25; Metrobank, P25; PayMaya Philippines, P15; Philippine Bank of Communications, P20; Philippine National Bank, P20 to P150; Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., P8 to P25; Security Bank Corp., P20 to P25; Standard Chartered Bank, P25; and Union Bank of the Philippines, P10 to P30.

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Zalameda, the decision was promulgated on September 27, 2022, but released only recently.

“The COA correctly upheld the NDs in view of the lack of legal basis for the grant of transportation allowance, project completion incentive, and educational assistance allowance,” the Court said.

In a similar ruling, the Court found two officials of the Bacolod Southeast Asian Games Committee (BASOC) civilly liable for the P36.8-million disallowance issued by the COA involving negotiated contracts for the construction of venues and facilities needed for the Bacolod leg of the 23rd SEA Games in 2005.

In a 17-page en banc decision penned by Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao and only made public on Tuesday, the SC denied the petition with urgent prayer for a restraining order or writ of preliminary injunction filed by BASOC chairperson Monico Puentevella.

tion program, is currently focused on the western part of Mindanao. Two high-speed ships were among the equipment the PNP had blessed and presented on Monday.

PCG commandant Adm. Artemio Abu, who served as guest of honor and speaker of the event, vowed to work with the PNP in law enforcement activities.

“As the commandant of the PCG, it has been my advocacy to strengthen our partnership, coordination and collaboration with the stakeholders and other government agencies.”

truth and reality that the 1987 Constitution needs to be reviewed for it is the third most restrictive in the world and the most restrictive in ASEAN. Its inflexibility and restrictiveness hampers foreign direct investments to come in as much as they do in other countries,” Rodriguez told reporters.

for below P500 money

NCR, Region 1 and Region 2

Champions of Change: The Women of the 19th Congress

By Peter Paul Duran

FOR decades, women have been at the forefront in the fight for their rights and equality. From suffragettes to contemporary feminist leaders, women have inspired and paved the way for others to become leaders in their own right.

This is evident in the 19th Congress of the Philippines, where numerous women legislators are breaking barriers and blazing trails.

The presence of women in leadership positions brings a new dynamic to the lower house of the bicameral legislative branch. Research has shown that women bring unique perspectives, approaches, and solutions to the table. Their inclusion in leadership not only brings diversity but also increases the likelihood that the legislative branch will address the diverse needs of the community it represents.

Despite the progress made, the struggle for women’s rights and equality continues in countries like the Philippines where patriarchal values persist. Filipinas still face challenges pursuing careers in maledominated fields. However, there is a silver lining in the form of support from lawmakers.

Women legislators in Congress are leading the charge and using their respective platform to empower and uplift their communities. Throughout Philippine history, there have been strong, independent women who have risen to the challenge and made a lasting impact on society. The women legislators of the 19th Congress are no exception. They are using their mandates to create a more equal and just society and inspire the next generation of women leaders.

With “Empowering Voices: The Women Legislators of the 19th Congress,” Manila Standard is proud to shine a light on the incredible work of these trailblazing women. By telling their stories and highlighting their efforts, the

goal is to inspire and encourage other women to become leaders and make a difference in their communities.

The 19th Congress of the Philippines is making history with the inclusion and representation of women in the legislative branch. It is setting a new standard for representation and empowerment.

This project, “Empowering Voices:

The Women Legislators of the 19th Congress,” is focused on highlighting the success and advocacy of these trailblazing women.

However, it will not include firsttime women legislators as they will be featured in a separate project dedicated to the new members of the House.

From advocating for workplace equality to fighting for women’s rights, these House members are

using their platform to empower and uplift their communities. They are champions of change, and their stories deserve to be told. For fairness and brevity, we asked each of them a single question which revolves on their legislative role and the impact of their voices. We hoped to find out how they will use their voices and platform to advance women’s causes and be the perfect role model to future women leaders.

Manila Standard proudly presents a weekly special series throughout March, kicked off by the remarkable lady legislators of Regions 1, 2, and the National Capital Region. Join us in celebrating their trailblazing efforts to create a more equal and just society as we provide a platform for them to share their inspiring

HRep's Women of the North and NCR

By Patricia taculao

IN a modern society where women are making their voices heard, it’s vital to have representation in the government for their concerns and battles toward equality to become amplified nationally. It’s a significant step toward fostering inclusivity.

Fortunately for Filipinas, the 19th Congress of the Philippines isn’t short of giving women’s voices a chance to express themselves as strong, capable women to lead them toward change and innovation.

Mary Mitzi Cajayon-Uy (Caloocan City, Second District)

“Despite the key role of women in the development of our society, gender-based challenges still persist. As a woman legislator, I strive to create and advocate for measures that empower and transform women economically and socially so that we can become powerful agents of socioeconomic advancement and nation-building.”

Beauty and brains are what Congresswoman Cajayon-Uy has to offer. Before joining politics, she was crowned Miss Caloocan in 2000. Eventually, she entered politics as a city councilor of Caloocan from the Second District, serving one term from 2004 to 2007. She also became the district representative for the 14 and 15th Congress, where she focused on the welfare of women and children.

Her membership includes the Special Committee on the Welfare of Children and Special Persons, Youth and Sports Development, Special Committee on Millennium Development

Goals, Committee on Women and Gender

Equality, Committee on Higher Education, and the Special Committee on Globalization and World Trade Organization.

In the 19th Congress, Cajayon-Uy continues her bid to protect and empower women and children through bills that advocate their interests in a modern world.

Josephine Veronique Lacson-Noel (Malabon City, Lone District)

“We, women legislators all over the world, are further strengthening our voices, not only using our legislative platform but also our being a mother, a wife, a sister, to empower women. As a member of the 19th Congress, I am proud and excited to be working with my fellow lady legislators who focus light on women’s causes and who pave the path for more women leaders in the communities and government. I am particularly honored to represent the women of Malabon. My constituents are with me wherever I participate in worthy causes such as thismy voice is their voice.”

Lacson-Noel, who also goes by the name Jaye, is a staunch advocate of poverty and hunger mitigation, quality education, industrial innovations, health, gender equality, and women empowerment.

Alongside her infrastructure building and

rehabilitation programs, she launched “Subok at Tapat” Social Services to address the lack of access to education, poverty in highly depressed areas, absence of employment opportunities, and crime and violence.

She is most passionate about her work to empower, enable and capacitate women, mothers, wives, and girls in her district and areas nearby. In 2005, she founded KayangKaya ni Misis (KKM), an organization seeking to empower women and provide them with a safe space to adjust, improve, grow, and inspire others to do the same towards the ultimate goal of contributing towards community development and nation-building. From a coffee group with only 25 members, KKM grew to more than 11,300 members from Malabon, Navotas, and Warays from the same and nearby cities. She took inspiration from stories of hardships and triumphs of KKM members and their families to continue her legislative work.

In 2019, Lacson-Noel pledged to illegalize the practice of child marriage in the country and impose penalties on offenders. It was finally signed into law by former President Duterte in 2021. The congresswoman is a Deputy Majority Floor Leader for the 19th Congress. There is no stopping this veteran lady legislator from consistently pursuing timely and relevant bills towards the country’s swift maneuver from the negative backlash of the pandemic.

Stella Luz Quimbo

(Marikina City, Second District)

“To be a woman in arenas dominated by men such as the academe and now the Congress, it is not an easy job, but like all the women in the world, I continue to rise and thrive above every challenge. I have forged a path for women in the legislative by becoming the first-ever Congresswoman of District 2, Marikina. By dutifully doing my job and standing up through difficult times as a public servant, I hope to inspire more women, especially the younger ones to take the torch and become this nation’s next set of brilliant leaders.”

There’s more to Quimbo than being a politician— she’s also the 19th Congress’s resident economist. She has several significant research studies in the Philippines’ health economics. The lady legislator also has an extensive research portfolio in industrial organization, microeconomics, education, poverty, and public policy and regulation.

Quimbo doesn’t lower her voice in challenging times, especially in the Philippine economy. She often uses her educational background to advise her fellow solons and government officials, even though it sometimes goes against the majority’s vote or perspective. Her knowledge and bravery help Filipinos access quality healthcare, which she pushes through the legislative bills she principally authored. Quimbo also champions education and fights poverty to encourage the younger generations to pursue a brighter future.

Camille Villar (Las Piñas City, Lone District)

“I hope and am working that the society views women as an essential force in our country where diversity and inclusion are relevant. We must put policies to advance women’s welfare, protect their rights, and value their work to encourage them to help build a better society that we deserve.”

As the daughter of two known Filipino

politicians, Manny and Cynthia Villar, the lady solon didn’t let society’s expectations limit her from what he could do. Besides establishing herself as a successful entrepreneur, Villar answered the call for public service in 2019. Villar dedicated her platform as a congresswoman to improving education, especially for the youth and women, fostering entrepreneurship, and supporting small and medium enterprises as efficient tools against poverty. Since the pandemic, Villar also shifted her attention to providing her constituents in Las Piñas with accessible quality healthcare. Under her leadership, the city saw the construction of several infrastructures dedicated to supplying the public with much-needed vaccines through creative encouragement.

Villar is also a staunch supporter of modernization and women succeeding in their careers.

Ma. Rachel Arenas (Pangasinan, Third District)

“As a legislator, I can use my voice and my vote in Congress to consciously advocate for legislation that supports and empowers women by engaging women and women’s advocates; partner with organizations that work to advance women’s rights and opportunities, and use their position as a platform to bring attention to these issues, enable the representation of diverse perspectives and experiences of women and strive to create policies that benefit all women, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, or other factors.”

The Pangasinan representative takes her duty as a legislator seriously. The 19th Congress isn’t her first encounter with carrying significant responsibilities in the government.

Before 2022, she assumed the position in the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013.

During her tenure, Arenas increased the agricultural capacity of 6,000 hectares of farmland by installing irrigation systems. She also oversaw the rehabilitation of river banks, the construction of proper drainage systems, and the clearing of waterways to alleviate her district’s long-time flooding problem, thus providing her constituents the safety and security they desire.

In the House of Representatives, Arenas sponsored and authored national bills that foster social justice, empowerment of marginalized communities, and improving essential services like health, education, and livelihood.

Kristine Singson-Meehan (Ilocos Sur, Second District)

“As lawmakers, we advance women’s causes by crafting legislative measures that are genderresponsive and address issues facing the modernday Filipina (such as the Magna Carta of Women, Expanded Maternity Leave, and Safe Spaces Act), and by conducting investigations in aid of legislation, to further protect and promote such causes.”

Another female legislator who made her constituents’ voices heard in Congress is SingsonMeehan. As the district representative, her office’s motto is Tulong, Puso, Serbisyo (Aid, Heart, Service). However, she also has a soft spot for the younger generations and women.

She continues to empower women by establishing a districtwide organization, Puso Ti Kababaihan, that provides livelihood programs, training, opportunities, outreach services, and socialization for and by the women. As for the youth, she founded Puso Ti Agtutubo, a schoolbased youth organization to help form and mold young minds into servant-leaders, community entrepreneurs, and catalysts for change. Banking on the idea that the younger generations are the country’s hope, SingsonMeehan also offers scholarship programs to aid the youth, especially those from indigenous communities, to fulfill their dreams.

Luisa Lloren Cuaresma (Nueva Vizcaya, Lone District)

Despite being a public servant through the House of Representatives for several years, Cuaresma has to end her duty to the Filipinos. She has been the district representative for Nueva Vizcaya since 2016 and has demonstrated her dedication to her constituents through several projects meant to improve the lives of the public.

Her undertakings as Congresswoman include providing developments to the district’s agriculture, which helps empowers local farmers. Cuaresma also focuses on the aspects and industries that keep her community afloat, including health, education, local government, and more.

She embodies a woman who doesn’t limit herself to what she can offer to others. Before becoming a member of the House of Representatives, Cuaresma holds the distinction of being Nueva Vizcaya’s fourth female governor.

Baby Aline Vargas-Alfonso (Cagayan, Second District)

If there’s one word to describe Congresswoman Vargas-Alfonso, it would be active. Despite the strenuous schedule in the House of Representatives, she still makes time to visit her district and offer aid and services for security and welfare. She has been serving her community since 2022 but gained her constituents’ trust from her previous tenure in 2011 to 2019.

One of the many agendas Vargas-Alfonso offers is an educational assistance program that aims to encourage and empower Filipino youth to achieve their academic dreams and pursue their life goals since having an educational background is a relevant requirement in the country.

As a mother, the lady legislator is a model to her daughter, Samantha Louise Vargas Alfonso, a public servant, to lead with strength and grace.

OPINION

Israel’s transgender Jews struggle in Orthodox circles

By Delphine Matthieussent

YAEL Rashlin holds on to her Jewish practices, but as a transgender woman in Israel, she struggles to find acceptance in her Orthodox community -- a feeling exacerbated by the country’s new rightwing government.

Along with her partner, Rashlin is busy wrestling with piles of clothes and toys that have been scattered around by their children, ahead of the Shabbat day of rest.

“I can no longer pray to the same God as people who today are trying to destroy my community and destroy our lives,” she said, referring to the antiLGBTQ agenda espoused by some cabinet members.

Across Israel, 40 percent of the transgender community has attempted suicide, according to a 2020 health ministry report

She has undergone a social transition, which included changing her first name and clothing.

But unlike other Orthodox women, she recently decided to stop covering her hair as a way of distancing herself from the community.

“Religious (heterosexual) couples can walk in the street holding hands, but if I’m wearing my headscarf, I cannot hold another woman’s hand because it raises questions,” she said.

Rashlin, a 43-year-old computer engineer, stopped wearing her scarf a few months ago, because she was bothered by the looks and comments people from her community made.

Israel has the most progressive LGBTQ legislation in the Middle East and over the past decade there has been more openness about same-sex relationships, even among religious people.

But discussions around gender identities remain taboo in the Orthodox community, and disquiet has grown among LGBTQ people since the government took office in late December.

Rashlin and her wife Hadar had a wedding ceremony in Israel a few years ago which was not recognised by religious authorities and the state.

Suicide risk

Conducting same-sex marriages is banned in Israel, which instead legally recognizes such unions officiated abroad.

“The price to pay has become too heavy to manage this conflict between being an LGBTQ couple and part of the Orthodox community,” said Hadar Rashlin, 30.

Yael Rashlin has five children,

EvEryman

By Aurelio Solver Agcaoili

IN LATE July 2022, Dr. Eduardo Bagtang, President of Kalinga State University, asked to meet with me, first via Zoom and then eventually personally. The Zoom meeting was an initial rite of friendship. The face-to-face meeting in Tabuk City that followed two weeks later sealed my connection to the university, its vision and mission, and the larger community.

It was fate that made this possible.

President Bagtang was clear about what he wanted: an international conference. He wanted me to help in organizing it.

I agreed. I suggested a conference title that would serve as a brand: International Conference on Languages, Cultures, and Histories. That stuck.

I brought in the University of Hawaii Ilokano Program, NAKEM Conferences International, NAKEM Philippines, NAKEM California, NAKEM Canada, and NAKEM Without Borders.

I brought Dr. Alma Ouanesinouk Trinidad from Portland State University in Oregon and Rev. Dr. Shierwin Cabunilas from San Beda University Graduate School of Law and Saint Paul Seminary to help me untangle the conference theme, “Celebrating Diversity and Empowering Peoples and Communities.”

including three from a previous marriage before she transitioned.

“There’s a fear among rabbinical authorities saying that transgender (people) exist, that it’s not a sickness or a fad,” she said.

Many of her transgender friends have killed themselves in recent years.

Across Israel, 40 percent of the transgender community has attempted suicide, according to a 2020 health ministry report.

This figure is even higher among the Orthodox community, according to Rotem Sorek who heads the Maavarim association supporting transgender people.

“Their distress is even greater. They often have to face rejection not only from their loved ones, but also from their community. And so, they’re even more in danger,” she said.

The situation is particularly worrying for Benny Lau, an Orthodox rabbi who has for years supported gay Jews and has sometimes encountered transgender people.

“There is an obligation for every human to try and help another human to live,” said Lau.

“When you carry the role of a rabbi, of a leader, you must take care of the life of every individual,” he continued, stressing that the most important duty in Jewish law is to protect life.

“There are many men of religion and Torah pupils who react either with fear or with a deep objection to this whole phenomenon of transgenders.”

Lau recalled writing a letter for a transgender woman confirming her identity so that she would be accepted in the women’s section of her synagogue, as houses of worship are segregated in Orthodox communities.

The hostility of most rabbis towards transgender identities is part of their broader battle against modernity, said Lau, rather than upholding Jewish law which “is subject to interpretation and in which one can find many justifications” for different identities.

Hostility from top ministers

Lau’s liberal approach is antithetical to positions held by some newly elected Israeli lawmakers, notably those within the government which took office in December.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and fellow coalition member Avi Maoz, a deputy minister in the premier’s office, have both expressed vehemently anti-LGBTQ views.

Shani Armon, another Orthodox transgender woman, said: “I don’t think that there will immediately be anti-LGBTQ laws, but more than laws, I’m worried about the daily work of the government.”

A computer engineer, the 29-yearold feared “a reduction in the budgets for centers helping LGBTQ” people.

Reflecting on the new coalition, Yael Rashlin said she has considered “leaving Israel if the situation becomes really impossible.”

“Why is it really so difficult?” she asked of her community’s inability to accept her identity.

“Why are we considered a bone in the throat?” AFP

Changing tack in the WPS

its navy transport ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, grounded on Second Thomas Shoal, still manned by Filipino marines to enforce Manila’s claim to the area.

We are cheered up the government, through the Philippine Coast Guard, has taken a new tack by intensifying maritime patrols and making public acts of harassment and bullying.

This follows aggressive actions of China in the area, the latest when a China Coast Guard ship beamed a “military grade” laser at some crew of the Philippine Coast Guard in an area within the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The PCG claimed the Chinese Coast Guard also “made dangerous maneuvers” in approaching within 137 meters of its vessel on February 6 near Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal, in the Spratly Islands chain, known in China as the Nansha Islands.

Understandably, China’s Foreign Ministry said the Philippine vessel “trespassed into the waters of Renai Reef without the permission of the Chinese side.”

“The Chinese maritime police vessel defended China’s sovereignty and maritime order in accordance with China’s domestic law and international law,” spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, without specifying what action the Chinese side took.

China claims “indisputable sovereignty” over almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea, as well as most of the islands within

We welcome moves by the government to allow joint patrols with countries in accord with the rule of law in the WPS

it, which includes the Spratlys, an archipelago of 100 small islands and reefs also claimed in full or in part separately by the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

In 2012, China forcibly took control of Scarborough Shoal, which lies 229 kms or 124 nautical miles west of the Philippine island of Luzon.

The Philippines calls the area the West Philippine Sea where in 1999 the Philippines had

Making Maharlika future-proof

IF THE Maharlika Investment Fund is not a done deal but still considered a workin-progress, that’s because it is still being deliberated upon in the Senate up to now, with the target date of a final version for plenary voting set before it suspends sessions for the Holy Week in April.

What the Upper Chamber of Congress is doing at present is inviting resource persons, mainly economists, to give expert opinion on what should be the composition of the fund, how it should be managed, and how it should be insulated from politics, corruption, and money laundering.

Take the stand of the independent think tank Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF), headed by economist Calixo Chikiamco, who explained before senators what their group thinks of the Philippine version of a sovereign wealth fund (SWF) that’s been put up by a number of countries.

First, the think tank warned that if the House version of the Maharlika Investment Fund is passed into law, it could spread contagion in the Philippines’ financial system.

The current version of the sovereign wealth fund, as passed by House lawmakers, identifies the Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines as the main sources of its seed capital.

The LBP would contribute P50 billion as initial capital for the Maharlika, while the DBP would inject P25 billion.

The Marcos Jr. administration is also eyeing the sale of state-owned assets, such as casinos and power plants, to bankroll the fund’s initial capitalization.

The FEF cautions against financial ruin if the administration pushes through with the funding sources of the proposed fund.

Why? If the seed money that will be provided by state-run banks is not guaranteed by the national government, it increases the systemic risk on the country’s banking system.

The exposure of state-owned banks in a single investment could possibly breach prudential regulations for this kind of investment.

If the government removes guarantees on

investments from state-owned banks, this will spawn a host of systemic risks in the banking system, making it wobbly.

The market will perceive this and create contagion and financial panic, as what happened during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, when companies thought central banks would protect exchange rates, leading to excessive dollar borrowing.

The Foundation for Economic Freedom cautions against financial ruin if the administration pushes through with the funding sources of the proposed fund

The 2008 financial crisis took place as American banks began a pattern of predatory lending, unfounded risk-taking, and exploited derivatives that led to the eventual collapse and bailout of investment banks. The think-tank clarified they did not object to the wealth fund at all, but that the current Maharlika version needs to be reassessed.

Second, if the seed capital is guaranteed by the national government, risks still abound. What is guaranteed, the principal or the income?

In so far as securities are concerned, it is not clear if there’s such a thing as guaranteed equity.

Third, the think-tank believes that guaranteeing the seed funding creates a moral hazard of sorts, since parties who would be involved in the Maharlika Investment Fund

The first ICOLCH and the next one

Dr. Ouanesinouk Trinidad untangled the problems of empowering settlers, migrants, and indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest.

At the same time, Rev. Dr. Cabunilas explored the issue of race, multiplicity, and diversity in German and contemporary philosophy.

I approached the conference theme by problematizing the issue of “decolonization” and the “post-colonial,” two terms that academics and researchers throw around without looking into the real problems on the ground.

I argued decolonization alone is insufficient and that we must question how that project to decolonize had been implemented.

I have been worried about the act of the Philippines to decolonize since Commonwealth President Manuel Quezon signed an executive order that established the Institute of National Language that selected Quezon’s Tagalog as the national language.

Early on, I did a sleuthing of what happened to the 1934-1935 Constitutional Convention and following advocates of pluralism even as early as the 1960s like Atty. Manuel Lino Faelnar and Vicente Albano Pacis.

I found out the country’s other languages did not stand a chance of becoming the country’s national language.

The prevailing notion at that time, a

more minor languages is the cause of national unity, progress, and development

fossilized one, is that a national language even at the expense of the death of minority or more minor languages is the cause of national unity, progress, and development.

Until today, no one has questioned that assumption. My talk, “Endogenous Colonialism and the ‘Postdecolonialization’ Project: The Ethics of More Democracy in Languages, Cultures, and Histories,” argued the Philippines had normalized a colonizer taking residence in the bodies, minds, souls, and spirits of our people.

That colonizer is no longer an outsider imposing its will upon all of us but an insider occupying our consciousness, insisting that we all must think in one and in only one language to have unity.

I am beginning to think that we have been hoodwinked by our three colonizers imposing their will upon us: the Spaniards with their Spanish language, saints and miracles, rites and rituals resembling the flagellants of Pedro Cutud, abusive friars like Padre Damaso, and illiterate civil guards; the Americans with their English, democracy, benevolent assimilation, and apple; and the Japanese with their Nihongo, kumbawa, bayoneted babies, and comfort women including Rosa Henson.

I argued for a case: it is time to question these received aspects of decolonization most especially those that do not do justice to the Other, because systematically, othered cultures, languages, and histories of the country.

I gather words that form part of my father’s Ilokano language daily.

Each day, I try to learn the more essential terms of Tuwali, the language of an Ifugao community I have chosen to research multilingual education that the government’s leaders want to abrogate, with a bill to suspend the program premised on the government’s failure to provide instructional

Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman for WPS, has said “constant” patrolling will be carried out to safeguard the country’s EEZ and provide support to Filipino fishermen, especially those victims of “bullying” and “harassment” by the China Coast Guard. “Then and now, the Philippine Coast Guard has intensified our presence in the West Philippine Sea, with the guidance of our President (Ferdinand Marcos Jr.),” Tarriela said.

At the same time, we welcome moves by the government to allow joint patrols with countries in accord with the rule of law in the WPS.

China cites the “nine-dash line,” which first appeared in 1947 atlases, as the basis for its claim, a historical demarcation of its continental shelf, although the line itself has no fixed coordinates.

China claims “indisputable sovereignty” over all the waters, islands, reefs, rocks, seabed, minerals, and living and non-living resources falling within its 9-dash line claim in the South China Sea.

Under international law, China has zero claim on the West Philippine Sea, but Beijing continues to claim it by law and by force of arms.

are protected from any possible fallout from ill-timed and ill-advised financial decisions. That would “incentivize parties to be reckless…LBP and DBP will not need to do any more due diligence.”

Fourth, the Maharlika’s current version is also exempted from the government’s Procurement law and the Salary Standardization law. The latter would remove ceilings on how much an individual could earn in return for working at Maharlika.

The proposed sovereign wealth fund also has a raft of exemptions, including the payment of taxes on Maharlika’s funds, assets and properties, among others. The House version rationalized this by saying the government would have the discretion to hire experts, such as fund managers, to run the investment fund.

The fund’s gains from its investments would be exempt from taxes at both the local and national level.

The FEF is convinced exemption from payment of all taxes would create an uneven advantage over others.

The playing field should be level. It’s not so much where money will go but the playing field will be uneven.

Given all these arguments aimed at making the Maharlika Investment Fund an effective vehicle for sustained economic growth, the question that needs to be answered is whether the Senate can come up with its own version that will be acceptable not only to the majority of its members – which is almost sure, given its current composition – but also to experts.

We’ll have to wait and see.

Should we leave it to the discretion of the Senate – given that it is dominated by those unflinchingly allied with the administration – to decide on what will be in the best national interest?

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

materials for the schoolchildren.

Each day, I think of language, that abstraction that is also something concrete that serves as an identifier of a people.

I think of this systemic deprivation of our young, a deprivation imposed by the country’s educational system, itself lacking awareness that a child is best schooled in her first language, not her second, or third, or the imposed one by the state.

Now, I think of ICOLCH 2022 and what it has done to our schoolteachers, educationists, researchers, cultural workers, policymakers, administrators, and academics.

ICOLCH 2022 has challenged our understanding of education that matters, language that is the dwelling place of the human spirit, culture as the depository of a people’s memory, and history as the living narrative of a community.

I cannot wait for ICOLCH 2024. And still at KSU in Tabuk City.

(The author received the United States Fulbright Scholarship and taught at Saint Louis University School of Advanced Studies in the Summer of 2022. He taught at the University of the Philippines Diliman before migrating to the US where he works. He founded the NAKEM Conferences International, a language, culture, and education advocacy group).

WE ARE heartened to see the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. taking a new course of action with respect to sail position in the West Philippine Sea.

The prevailing notion at that time, a fossilized one, is that a national language even at the expense of the death of minority or

‘Health workers, seniors to get bivalent vax first’

By Willie Casas

THE Department of Health (DOH) has announced that the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the bivalent vaccines against COVID-19 has been released and the agency is set to administer it to the first batch of recipients, specifically healthcare workers and senior citizens.

“The EUA is out for the donated bivalent vaccines which are Pfizer (products) coming from COVAX,” said DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire during a media forum on Tuesday.

The bivalent vaccines come from the COVAX facility is a worldwide initiative aimed at providing equitable access to COVID vaccines.

More than one mission doses of bivalent jabs are expected to arrive within three to four weeks.

Based on an agreement with the facility and a recommendation of the Health Technology Assessment Council, the vulnerable sector consisting of healthcare workers), senior citizens) and persons with comorbidities would be given priority to the donated vaccines.

The bivalent vaccines can be received by individuals belonging to the priority sectors at least four months after their most recent vaccination.

Vergeire disclosed that the operational guidelines have been finalized.

“All that is needed if for the executive

Parts of Manila, Makati, Pasay, P’que to run dry Mar. 5 to Mar. 7

By Othel V. Campos

SOME parts of Manila, Makati City, Pasay City, and Parañaque City will experience water service interruptions starting 3 p.m. of March 5 until midnight of March 7 due to repair works on a main pipeline along Osmeña Highway and Zobel Roxas St., in Makati.

The MAYNILAD Water Services thus households that will be affected by the supply cutoff to store enough water that would last them for at least two and one-half days.

IN BRIEF

ment, according to Mayor Joy Belmonte.

Belmonte stressed that the online payment system for ordinance violation receipts (OVRs) is one of the city government’s efforts to automate all business transactions and processes to ease the burden of the transacting public.

“A violator has no reason to use as an excuse why one cannot pay the fine. One may not go to the city hall to pay,” she said.

She believes that the online payment process would even help encourage violators to settle their penalties.

One may click the “OVR Online Payment” icon in the QC E-Services and enter their OVR number, and that one has the option to settle online via GCash, PayMaya and PayGate or over the counter via Landbank fund transfer.

According to the city government, a violator may also pay directly to the city’s OVR redemption center or at any Land Bank of the Philippines branch. Rio N. Araja

MMDA installs water treatment plant in PC

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has inaugurated a sewage treatment plant in Pasay City as part of government efforts to mitigate pollution of the Manila Bay.

MMDA chairman Romando Artes said the Libertad Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) will treat wastewater from the Tripa de Gallina, which has been discharging wastewater into the Libertad Channel and draining into the Manila Bay.

Artes stressed the project was a result of the collaboration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Philippine Reclamation Authority.

According to him, the Libertad STP can treat 10 million liters of wastewater per day and has a catchment area of 779 hectares. The treated wastewater will be used for watering plants and for the water supply of firetrucks in Pasay City.

“The MMDA will be in-charge of the maintenance and operations of the treatment plant, which is similar to the first STP located in Manila, equipped with a solar panel system to reduce maintenance and electricity costs,” Artes said. Rey E. Requejo

Alien annual listup ends on Mar. 1—BI

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has announced that the deadline for the alien’s annual report registration ends March 1, 2023, adding that there would be no extension for the listup.

The annual report is in compliance with the Alien Registration Act of 1950, which requires all foreign nationals with immigrant and nonimmigrant visas to report to the bureau within the first 60 days of every calendar year.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco explained that under the law, aliens holding immigrant and non-immigrant visas, and were issued an alien certificate of registration identity card (ACR I-Card) are required to personally report to the bureau for the annual report. Also required to report are refugees and stateless aliens. The venue of the annual report has been transferred from the BI Main Office to two major malls, namely Robinsons Place Manila and SM Mall of Asia. Tansingco said that their aim is to bring the service closer to the people, to provide convenience and accessibility.

Apart from the two malls, BI offices nationwide may also cater to the reporting. Aliens must present their original ACR I-Card and valid passport as well as pay a P300-annual report fee and P10-legal research fee.Vito Barcelo

Maynilad officials said the repair works involved plugging a major leak that spills 20 million to 30 million liters per day (MLD) ng the loss of 20 to 30 million liters per day (MLD).

“There will be 30 withdrawal points from where customers may access water supply. We will deploy 30 mobile water tankers: three for the City of Manila and 27 for the cities of Makati, Parañaque and Pasay. There will be seven stationary water tanks that will be deployed, as well,” said Maynilad head of Manila Business Area Zmel Grabillo in

a briefing Tuesday. The 20-hour to 57-hour water service interruptions will affect around 114,000 points in Manila, Makati, Pasay, and Parañaque. To be affected in Manila are Barangays 719, 726-731, 732-734, 745-762, 769, 803, 807 in Malate and San Andres which will experience water interruption by 3 p.m. on March 5 until 11 a.m. of March 6.

In Makati, residents of Bangkal, Magallanes, Palanan, Pio del Pilar and San Isidro are advised to be ready for water interruption starting at 3 p.m. of March 5 up to 9 p.m. of March 7.

Affected areas in Parañaque consist of Don Bosco, BF Homes, Marcelo Green, San Antonio, San Martin De Porres and Sucat. In Pasay, the affected areas as Barangays 1, 3, 7, 9 ,14-15, 18, 20, 23, 33, 37, 41-49, 51-52, 56- 59, 64-68, 71-75, 8081,84-86, 89, 91, 93-99, 101, 104, 106110, 112-115, 118, 122-123, 125-126, 128, 130,131, 133, 135-137, and 142.

Maynilad said the defective pipeline was discovered during a pipe network inspection using various acoustic leak detection equipment.

committee members to sign the resolution for us to be able to issue out this department memorandum on the operational guidelines so our local governments can prepare already,” she said.

On the issue of safe disposal of wasted monovalent vaccines, Vergeire said the DOH has been in touch with thirdparty logistics in charge to do so whenever jabs are procured.

“Some of the vaccines in our warehouses are still quarantined so we’re not disposing the jabs yet. We’re waiting for the decision of) FDA [Food and Drug Administration] through the submission of our manufacturers if we can still extend the shelf lives of these vaccines,” she said.

Bivalent vaccines are modified jabs that target the omicron variant and the original form of the virus.

“They have committed that the shots will arrive in about 3-4 weeks.

Hopefully, this will happen.,” Vergeire said.

Around 73.8 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Risa eyes ban on 3 firms in 440k-mt sugar smuggling

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Risa Hontiveros has urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to permanently blacklist the three trading firms allegedly involved in the so-called “governmentsponsored” sugar smuggling scandal if the evidence warranted.

Hontiveros also renewed her call for a Senate investigation into the latest sugar import fiasco involving 440,000 metric tons of sugar from Thailand. The shipments reportedly entered the country through the Batangas port.

The opposition senator, who filed Resolution No. 497 seeking an investigation on the issue, said the All Asian Countertrade Inc., Sucden Philippines Inc. and Edison Lee Marketing Corp. should be scrutinized for any irregularity or criminal liability relating to their roles in the reportedly illegal importation of hundreds of thousands of metric tons of sugar in the country.

She said several questions need to be answered especially when it comes to the three government-sponsored firms which targeted to corner importation of the country’s sugar supply.

“If they were involved or there was negligence or anomaly, the DA should immediately place them on blacklist,” she said.

The opposition senator further stated that the DA should also file criminal and administrative charges against them.

NLEX: Candaba bridge to fully open in time for Holy Week

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE operator of North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) has assured the House of Representatives that the highway’s 6.8-kilometer Candaba viaduct will be fully open to traffic in time for the Holy Week on April 3-9. The NLEX officials made the assurance during an inter-agency consultative meeting presided over by Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr.

on Monday afternoon.

“We will finish retrofitting the southbound lane of the viaduct next month. All lanes of NLEX will be open for Holy Week,” NLEX vice president Jennifer Jane Go told the lawmakers.

“That’s good news to my constituents and my kabalen in Pampanga, and to thousands of motorists who traditionally go to tourism and vacation sites in northern Luzon throughout the Lenten period, and to those from the north who will drive

PH ferry with 15 passengers, six crewmen rescued at high seas off Malaysian city

By Bobby Lagsa

THE Naval Forces Western Mindanao and the Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi have rescued a Philippine-registered ferry boat with 15 passengers and six crew members that drifted into the Malaysia waters after suffering engine malfunction last Feb. 24.

“The civilian passengers and crew of the M/L Rihanna were successfully rescued by joint navy and marine soldiers off the coast of Tagupi Island, Sabah,” said Brig. Gen. Romeo Racadio, Commander of Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi.

It was unclear where the passenger ferry originated it drifted to Taganak Island, in Tawi-tawi Province.

The vessel’s skipper, Abdulmar Maik, radioed for help and the signal was picked up by the Naval Task The Philippine Navy ship BRP Florencio

Iñigo was immediately dispatched to conduct search and rescue operations.

The Navy worked in coordination with the Royal Malaysian Navy to locate the ferry in distress.

Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) commander, Rear Admiral Donn Anthony Miraflor said the stricken M/L Rihanna was secured by the Malaysian Navy in Tanjung Labian, Malaysia.

“In order to secure the safety of the passengers and crew as they waited for the Philippine Navy vessel, the Royal Malaysian Navy helped the M/L Rihanna’s passengers and pulled the stricken vessel to the closest anchorage location in Tanjung Labian, Malaysia,” Miraflor said The Rihanna was subsequently towed by the BRP Florencio Iñigo to the Lamion wharf in Bongao, TawiTawi.

to Metro Manila and southern Luzon,” Gonzales said.

As usual, he said the NLEX would see heavy traffic due to the Holy Week exodus even if all lanes are passable.

For months now, the expressway operator-concessionaire has been retrofitting the Candaba viaduct. To give way to the repairs, one southbound lane is closed, while one lane on the northbound side serves as a counterflow lane for southbound vehicles.

“I urge the three companies to cooperate with all investigations over this issue. They still have time to choose not to be fully embroiled in such a brazen and outrageous conspiracy,” she said.

“If they were just pushed to the wall, then they should immediately reveal to the public the individuals who may be truly responsible for this ‘Sugar Import Fiasco 2.0,’” she added.

Hontiveros also called on government officials in the relevant agencies “to reveal efforts to pressure you or others to enable, protect or cover up illegal act.”

EDNA RAMOS RIVERA

Peacefully joined her Creator on February 25, 2023 at the age of 52.

She is survived by her loving daughter Kristina Angela R. Sobrino; mother, Rosalina; sisters Madelyn, Roselyn; brothers Samson, Renante, Eddie, Rodel and Marlon.

Her remains lie in state at Gospel Christian Baptist Church, Manggahan, General Trias, Cavite.

Interment will be on Friday, March 03, 2023, at the Heavenly Garden, Memorial Park-Trece Martires City, Cavite

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” — 2 Timothy 4:7

COUNTERFEIT LUXURY ITEMS. Bureau of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service chief Alvin Enciso checks out the imitation signature products valued at P10 billion seized during a raid on the Sunprime Tower along Juan Luna St. in Binondo, Manila. Danny Pata

REVENUE SPOT INSPECTION. Bureau of Internal Revenue officials headed by Region 6 director Renato Molina conduct an on-site inspection of Hua Lian Supermarket on Ongpin St., Sta. Cruz, Manila to determine the store’s strict compliance with the rules. Norman Cruz

Gatchalian: Privatization ‘logical’ source for MIF

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Win Gatchalian on Tuesday said the privatization of key government assets is a more logical source of funds for the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) as this would shield key financial institutions from potential risks and unforeseen challenges.

“Privatization is actually a model used in some of the sovereign wealth funds. Proceeds from oil and gas and other resources are all from privatization,” Gatchalian said.

He added that annual proceeds from the privatization of government assets could become a regular source of additional capital for the MIF.

The government generated proceeds of P657 million in 2016; P832 million in 2017; P15.656 billion in 2018; P881 million in 2019; P474 million in 2020 and P320 million in 2021.

He also believes Privatization seems to be less controversial and more logical because the assets being sold now can be enjoyed by future generations by investing in infrastructure and other things.

“We must put that on the table for the body to study,” said Gatchalian. The senator’s comments came in the wake of the statement by Bankers Association of the Philippines president Antonio Moncupa, Jr. that generating MIF capital from fund sources that contribute to government coffers could become problematic. Moncupa said tapping government financial institutions like the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Development Bank of the Philippines, and even the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas could either result in a wider budget deficit or reduced social services that could hamper the country’s future economic growth.

Speaker assures Congress committed to help LGUs

By Maricel V. Cruz

SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday said the House of Representatives is committed to pass measures to empower local government units (LGUs) to make them effective participants in national development.

He made the assurance in remarks during the 31st national convention and election of officers of the Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines (PBMLP) at the Manila Hotel.

Pampanga 3rd District Provincial Board Member Ananias Canlas Jr. is the league’s national president.

“Be assured that your House of Representatives recognizes the indispensable role local governments play in national development, and is taking steps to ensure that these institutions are adequately enabled so that they can discharge their responsibilities more effectively,” Romualdez told PBMLP members.

He enumerated several LGU empowerment

proposals the House is considering, including Bill 2400, which aims to strengthen local autonomy through a more rationalized system of decentralization, and Bills 790 and 1089, which seek to increase LGUs’ share from national taxes.

The other measures are Bill 111, to promote village empowerment so that local governments can be more effective in pursuing inclusive growth through budget reforms that shall distribute funds between national and local governments equitably; Bill 426, to establish environment and natural resources management offices in all provinces, cities and municipalities; and Bill 493, to authorize local governments to establish adequate primary care networks in support of Republic Act 11223, or

the Universal Health Care Act.

“These are but some of the measures currently pending at your House of Representatives seeking to empower local governments,” the Speaker said.

He also stressed the importance of cooperation among LGUs such as provinces, and urged the PBMLP to continue serving as the venue for interprovincial collaboration.

“I encourage the incoming officers to build on the victories of the previous leadership and continue blazing the trail of inter-provincial cooperation towards development,” he said, before congratulating the incoming officers of the league.

“Believe me when I say that with unity of spirit, there is really much we can do. If there is one hard lesson we would do well to learn from the pandemic, it is this: cooperation is imperative,” he said.

“We have seen with increasing frequency how the problems we face today do not recognize arbitrary territorial boundaries. And the best way to address these problems is through collaborative action,” the House leader added.

Bill seeks to punish stores using fake receipts

ALBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, chair of the House ways and means committee, said he has committed to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to propose a measure the will punish the selling and issuance of fake receipts to pad gross expense and creditable input value added tax.

“Ghosting is non-bailable,” Salceda said, during a hearing of the House appropriations committee, stressing that such offense—according to global tax experts, is called “ghosting the tax authority.”

“In support of attaining the revenue goals of the Bureau, we will draft that measure today,” Salceda told BIR OIC- Deputy Commissioner Maridur Rosario, who represented the Bureau in the briefing by the Development Budget Coordinating Committee Tuesday.

“We will draft legislation so that selling and buying receipts to pad your deductible expenses or input VAT is non-bailable, using the lifeblood doctrine. Tax ghosting is non-bailable.” Maricel V. Cruz

to the respondent at his last known address also at the expense of the petitioner, and for petitioner to submit to this court proof of compliance herewith.

NP/trc OSG ACP PAO Marites Macasinag Quirona Richard S. Zaño

SARA’S VISIT. Vice President Inday Sara Duterte visited the Pikit Central Elementary School and Pikit National High School to share her “PagbaBAGo” campaign. One of the goals of the campaign is to advocate for responsible parenthood.

PBBM reappoints Teehankee as WTO trade rep

Villanueva bill seeks to establish ‘eCongress’

his Report of Birth.

WHEREFORE, finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, let this case be set for hearing on April 19, 2023 at 1:30 in the afternoon before this Court located at Room 703, 7 Floor, Hall of Justice, Diliman, Quezon City, at which place and on which date and time, any person who has objections to the petition may appear and file his opposition thereto.

Let a copy of this Order be published at the expense of the petitioner, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation throughout the Philippines.

the expense of the petitioner, let a copy of the Petition with its Annexes and this Order be furnished to the Office of the Solicitor General, Office of the City Prosecutor, Office of the Local Civil Registrar, Philippine Statistics Authority, and the Department of Foreign Affairs, and be posted in the Bulletin Board of the Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Quezon City. Lastly, at the expense of the petitioner, let a copy of the Petition with its Annexes and this Order be furnished to, Oliver Klaus Brodowski and Anna Maria Bagadiong Brodowski in accordance with the Guidelines laid down in SC A.O. No. 251-2020 (The Hague Service Convention Guidelines). SO ORDERED. December 27, 2022, Quezon City (Sgd.) DOLLY ROSE R. BOLANTE-PRADO Presiding Judge Cc: ATTY. CHARISSA TORRECAMPO-NOBLE Counsel for the Petitioner Crown Hotel Bldg., Ellas Angeles St., Naga City charissanobs@gmail.com OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL 134 Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village Makati City, Metro Manila OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL Quezon City PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY (PSA) PSA Complex East Avenue Diliman, Quezon City DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 2330 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City OLIVER KLAUS BRODOWSKI and ANNA MARIA BAGADIONG BRODOWSKI Maffatstrasse 13, 82031 Grunwald, Germany (MStandard - Mar. 1, 8 & 15, 2023) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region BRANCH 106, QUEZON CITY rtc2qzn106@judiciary.gov.ph / 8639-6019 MARITES MACASINAG QUIRONA, Petitioner, R-QZN-22-06725-CV For: Declaration of Nullity of Marriage (Bigamous) RICHARD S. ZAÑO, Respondent. ORDER OF SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION In a verified Petition for Declaration of Nullity of Marriage filed on June 21, 2022, petitioner prays that after due hearing her marriage to the respondent which was solemnized on November 29, 2007, by Rev. Franco G.C. Espiritu, Minister, be declared NULL AND VOID, AB INITIO for being a bigamous marriage. Summons was issued on September 2, 2022. The Officer’s Return of Service dated October 5, 2022 states that respondent is no longer residing in their barangay and that they do not know his whereabouts as per information of the their Barangay Captain On January 6, 2023, petitioner filed a Motion for Leave to Serve Summons by Publication praying that the service of summons be effected upon the respondent by publication which was granted, per Order dated January 17, 2023 of the court. NOW THEREFORE, respondent RICHARD S. ZAÑO, whose last known address is at Brgy. Palanas, Paracale, Camarines Norte, is hereby summoned and required to file with the Regional Trial Court, Branch 106, Quezon City, National Capital Judicial Region, Bulwagan ng Katarungan, Quezon City, his answer to the petition in the instant case within THIRTY (30) DAYS from the last date of publication of this summons. In the event of failure to do so, this court shall direct the Public Prosecutor to conduct an investigation to determine whether or not collusion exists between the parties in the filing of the instant petition; and if it is determined that there is no such collusion, the petitioner shall be allowed to present her evidence in support of the petition. Let this Order be published once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of national circulation, pursuant to P.D. No. 1079, at the expense of the petitioner. Likewise, let a copy of the summons as well as a copy of the petition be deposited in the Post Office, postage pre-paid and sent by registered mail

By Vince

Lopez PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has reappointed Manuel Antonio Teehankee Jr. as the Philippines’ representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland, Malacañang confirmed Tuesday afternoon.

The Palace also released the names during a press briefing held by Malacañan Press Briefer Ms. Daphne OseñaPaez, of the newly appointed officials for the Departments of Agriculture (DA), Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Trade and Industry (DTI), as well as the National Security Council (NSC).

Teehankee was first named to the post

by the Chief Executive in July last year. The Commission on Appointments (CA), however, deferred deliberations on his nomination last December pending his submission of the “Understanding on Agreed Procedures” that the Philippines and Thailand had signed to settle the trade dispute between the two countries.

The dispute was filed by the Philippines in 2008 on Thailand’s Custom valuation of Philippine cigarette exports. Teehankee noted that trade agencies of the Philippines and Thailand have “decided to establish the dialogue mechanism” that “resulted in some positive results” although the issue is “not yet fully resolved”. It was not disclosed if the offi cial had forwarded the document asked for by the CA.

Meanwhile, the other appointees are: Andrew Rodolfo Orais, Director IV and Jose Elumba, Director III of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Frederick Amores, Director IV, Department of Information And Communications Technology (DICT), Sitti Rama Alawi, Reynaldo Sy, and Jocelyn Tendenilla as Director III of the DICT.

Also, Mr. Kenneth Chua, Member, representing the employer sector of National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council, Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) and Milagros Ogalinda, Member, representing the labor sector of National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council, DoLE, Ms. Leonilla Baluyut as Assistant Secretary of Department of Trade and Industry.

MAJORITY Leader Joel Villanueva on Tuesday sponsored a resolution that seeks to establish and maintain an integrated and secure digital legislative management system for the Congress of the Philippines to be known as the “eCongress.” Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 7 was also filed by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, and Villanueva.

The resolution is in line with the current administration’s strong commitment to digitalize, harmonize, and standardize government services and data, Villanueva said.

Its ultimate goal is to ensure efficient and fast delivery of services to our people.

“The need to digitalize our government systems and services is made even more apparent during the height of the pandemic as demand for connectivity and online availability of various services increased,” Villanueva said.

Due to this, both the Senate and the House of Representatives agree and commit to pursue the development of an updated, digital, integrated, and secure legislative management system. Macon Ramos-Araneta

JV vows support for cancer programs

By Angelica Villanueva

SENATOR Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito

on Friday assured that National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA) and other cancer control programs would continue to be funded sufficiently.

Ejercito shared his commitment through his representative, former San Juan Councilor Allen Silvano, in a media forum conducted by Cancer Coalition Philippines at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, in celebration

The NICCA law aims to support cancer patients through cancer prevention programs. Enacted in February 2019, the NICCA also aims to boost cancer control efforts, improve survivorship, and reduce the burden of disease.

“The NICCA (National Integrated Cancer Control Act) law is crafted from

the people by the people for the people,” Ejercito said.

Ejercito expressed his gratitude who had contributed to getting the bill signed.

“The NICCA was brought out not only by necessity but mainly because of our love for life. From the moment we have filed the bill, to the conduct of many committee hearings, to the debates in the plenary until the bill was signed into law, and now receiving the necessary funds, you have been with me,” the senator said.

Ejercito, whose wife, Hyacinth, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 and is now a cancer survivor, shared his sentiments and sympathy with family members of cancer patients who were going through a lot of sacrifi ces and pain.

Villar fetes dignitaries in annual international bamboo festival

SENATOR Cynthia A. Villar acknowledged the presence of dignitaries from different countries who attended the International Bamboo Festival in Las Piñas City.

Villar thanked Israel Ambassador Ilan Fluss with Madame Gila Fluss, Austrian Ambassador Johann Brieger with Madame Roswitha Brieger, Swedish Ambassador Annika Thunborg with Aaron Tovish, French Am-

bassador Michèle Boccoz, Belgium Ambassador Michel Parys, Brazil Ambassador Antonio J.M. de Souza e Silva, German Cultural Attache Kai Tomzig and Japan Deputy Chief of Mission Kenichi Matsuda for witnessing the momentous event.’She also cited Msgr. Bobby Olaguer, the Parish Priest of Las Piñas’ St. Joseph Parish Church and the Bamboo Organ Foundation Inc. for his tireless efforts in

bringing the Bamboo Organ Festival.

She described as “captivating evening” the Gala Concert of the 48th International Bamboo Organ Festival with Baroque Music from Europe and Latin America rendered by featured brilliant performers to the accompaniment of the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ.

festival organizers, performers, patrons, sponsors and guests for the Gala Night of the 48th International Bamboo Organ Festival,” Villar said. She extolled that the world-renowned Las Piñas Bamboo Organ is a genuine source of pride for natives and residents of the city. It is composed of around 900 bamboo pipes that exude unique, soothing sounds and melody. Macon Ramos-Araneta

MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

NEW PUMPING STATION. Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acting chairman Atty. Don Artes led the inauguration of the Libertad Sewage Treatment Plant  (STP) and Wastewater Interceptor along Macapagal Boulevard near the MMDA Libertad Pumping Station in Pasay City. Danny Pata

HK scraps one of world’s last COVID mask mandates

HONGKONGERS will finally be able to leave home without a face mask from Wednesday, nearly 1,000 days after the pandemic mandate was imposed.

Face coverings will no longer be required indoors, outdoors or onpublic transportation, the government announced, ending a measure that has become a relic globally as the world adjusts to living alongside the coronavirus.

Hong Kong was one of the last places on Earth to enforce maskwearing outside, with violators

facing hefty fines.

“I’m ready to get rid of this,” Tiffany, a finance industry employee in her 20s, told AFP. “It costs money to buy masks, and I have had COVID myself.”

The mask move comes as the government tries to woo tourists and overseas talent back to revive the recession-hit economy.

US federal agencies given

30

days to set TikTok ban

THE White House on Monday gave federal agencies 30 days to purge Chinese-owned video-snippet sharing app TikTok from all government-issued devices, setting a deadline to comply with a ban ordered by the US Congress.

Office of Management and Budget director Shalanda Young in a memorandum called on government agencies within 30 days to “remove and disallow installations” of the application on agency-owned or operated IT devices, and to “prohibit internet traffic” from such devices to the app.

The ban does not apply to businesses in the United States not associated with the federal government, or to the millions of private citizens who use the hugely popular app.

However, a recently introduced bill in Congress would “effectively ban TikTok” in this country, according to the American Civil

Liberties Union (ACLU).

“Congress must not censor entire platforms and strip Americans of their constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression,” ACLU senior policy counsel Jenna Leventoff said in a release.

“We have a right to use TikTok and other platforms to exchange our thoughts, ideas, and opinions with people around the country and around the world.”

Owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, TikTok has become a political target due to concerns the globally popular app can be circumvented for spying or propaganda by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The company did not immediately respond to the White House guidance.

The law signed by US President Joe Biden last month bans the use of TikTok on government-issued devices. The law also bans TikTok use in the US House of Representatives and Senate. AFP

Extradition of El Chapo son sought

THE United States has asked Mexico to extradite a son of jailed drug lord

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman accused of following in his father’s footsteps, a Mexican government spokesman said Monday.

Ovidio Guzman, who was captured in January, has allegedly helped to run his father’s infamous Sinaloa cartel since El Chapo was handed over to the United States in 2017.

The US embassy in Mexico City presented the extradition request to the foreign ministry and attorney general’s office, according to the spokesman, who did not want to be named because he was not authorized to speak on the issue.

The United States had offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the capture of the 32-year-old, whose arrest in the northwestern city of Culiacan sparked a violent cartel backlash.

Ten soldiers and 19 suspected criminals were killed during the operation in the Sinaloa cartel stronghold, with a dramatic shootout sowing terror at an airport.

El Chapo is serving a life sentence in the United States for trafficking hundreds of tons of drugs into the country over the course of 25 years. AFP

Taliban kill top IS commander

TALIBAN forces killed a top Islamic State commander who allegedly planned attacks against diplomatic missions in Afghanistan’s capital, a government official said.

Violence in Afghanistan dramatically dipped after the Taliban seized power in August 2021.

But in the past year, security has worsened, with a spate of mass casualty attacks claimed by Islamic State’s regional chapter.

Taliban forces killed Qari Fateh, the regional IS “intelligence and operations chief,” during an operation on Sunday night, the Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement on Monday.

Fateh “directly masterminded recent operations in Kabul, including against diplomatic missions, mosques and other targets,” Mujahid said.

One other IS member was killed in the operation against the cell, which was based in Kabul’s Khair Khana area, according to the statement.

Residents in that neighborhood had reported loud gunfire on Sunday night.

Taliban officials posted footage on Twitter of two bodies lying in debris.

A United Nations Security Council report in July 2022 described Fateh as a key IS leader, charged with military operations in an area spanning India, Iran and Central Asia. AFP

“With the masking requirement removed, we are starting (to resume) normalcy comprehensively. And that will be very beneficial to economic development,” Chief Executive John Lee said at Tuesday morning’s press conference.

He added that hospitals and homes for the elderly can impose their own requirements if they decide masks are needed.

Public health experts had increasingly questioned the need for a mask mandate in a city where several waves of Covid infections have likely conferred a high level of immunity.

Lawmakers called it harmful to schoolchildren. And tourism experts and business groups warned it was undercutting the city’s global image.

“Making it illegal not to wear one is frankly anachronistic by now,” University of Hong Kong virologist Siddharth Sridhar tweeted on Sunday.

The masking policy also appeared to clash with the government’s eagerness to demonstrate the city was back to business as usual, with Lee promising to welcome visitors with “no isolation, no

quarantine and no restrictions” during the “Hello, Hong Kong” campaign launch earlier this month.

The maskless dancers in the campaign’s promotional video attracted criticism online for distorting the reality of a city where face coverings were ubiquitous and enforced with fines of up to HK$10,000 ($1,275).

Official data shows that by the end of 2022, Hong Kong had issued more than 22,000 tickets for mask violations and collected HK$111.56 million ($14.22 million).

Hong Kong was one of the world’s last masking holdouts.

By last year, most European countries that had imposed mask rules had scaled them back everywhere except on planes and some metros.

Hong Kong’s Asian rival Singapore scrapped indoor face coverings in August, while South Korea did the same in January this year.

In Taiwan, people could breathe unfiltered air again in most areas as of February 20, and Macau became the most recent addition after dropping its mandate on Monday. AFP

(MS-MAR. 1, 2023)

IG-WORTHY. This photo shows a family exploring an art display inside of a shopping mall in Bangkok. AFP

TNT begins EASL bid vs. Utsunomiya Brex squad

TNT displays its mettles right away as it goes up against Utsunomiya Brex in the opener of the East Asia Super League (EASL) Champions Week Wednesday night at the Brex Arena Utsunomiya.

The Tropang Giga arrived in the Japanese city known for its sumptuous gyoza dumplings late Tuesday afternoon following a four-hour flight from Manila and lost no time preparing themselves for their 6:3 p.m. encounter (Manila time) against the host team.

Coach Jojo Lastimosa said shooting guard Roger Pogoy will be suiting up for the PBA Philippine Cup runner up team, although backcourt partner Mike Williams is a game time decision.

Both Pogoy (bone bruise) and Williams (ankle) suffered injuries during the team’s current campaign in the Governors’ Cup.

High-scoring Jalen Hudson and Daniel Ochefu will reinforce TNT against the reigning Japan B. League champion.

Lastimosa is tempering expectations on the team’s campaign in the five-day tournament where the champion receives $250,000.

“We’ll just compete and see what happens,” said the PBA great.

Veteran guard Yuta Tabuse, regarded as the first Japanese player to suit up in the NBA, is at the forefront of Utsunomiya’s bid as he teams up with 6-foot-9 former Japan national player Kosuke Takeuchi, Asian import Isaac Fotu, and imports Josh Scott and Julian Mavunga.

Anyang KGC featuring former Gilas Pilipinas player Rhenz Abando takes on Taipei Fubon Braves in the opening game of the tournament set at 4 p.m.

Also arriving in Utsunomiya on Tuesday are the San Miguel Beermen led by six-time MVP June Mar Fajardo.

The Philippine Cup champions however, won’t see action until Thursday when they take on the Ryukyu Golden Kings featuring Philippine national pool player Carl Tamayo of University of the Philippines and three-time PBA Best Import Allen Durham.

DEVELOPING BADMINTON

PLAYERS. Allan de Leon (right) poses with (from left) Neel Ganesh, Bivab Chandra and Sai Ratan, whom the former Philippine Badminton Association and national coach has been handling since he moved to the US in September, 2019.

Now the Atlanta Badminton Club head coach, De Leon continues to develop and train future world-caliber players. Shankar and Liu, both 9 years old and ranked among the Top 10 in the US Badminton Association, won the mixed doubles U-11 title in the Arena SoCal Open Regional Championships in Pomona, California recently. Shankar also bagged the boys’ doubles trophy with Aditya Namboodiripad.

Chot: Brownlee willing to do whatever Gilas team requires

By Peter Atencio

FOR sure, Justine Brownlee will be playing more games for the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team.

Coach Chot Reyes said this after their final game with Jordan in the FIBA Basketball World Cup Window

6 qualifiers at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

“First of all, with Justin’s performance, there’s little to say. You all saw how effective Justin is and how well he played,” said Reyes, minutes after their 90-91 loss to Jordan.

In that game, he unloaded 41 points, aside from hauling 12 rebounds, three assists, and a block.

On Friday, Brownlee shot 17 points, to go with five assists, four rebounds,

and two steals during the Philippines’ 107-96 triumph over Lebanon.

“As regards to who the naturalized player is, Justin has always known that he makes himself possible for whatever is required by the team. If we need someone to play in specific tournaments, if we need someone to play as backup to Jordan Clarkson, he is willing to play that role,” added Reyes on the role that Brownlee will play for the team.

After the Window 6 games, Reyes hinted that there will be more adjustments in the roster, with the FIBA

Basketball World Cup just months away.

“There are no shoo-ins in the team. There’s no one with a lock and that goes for everyone. Right now, there are no shoo-ins. So, that goes for all locals and naturalized players,” added Reyes.

The tournament will feature 32 teams and will be hosted by multiple nations in Asia, namely by the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, from August 25 to September 10.

For now, Reyes said they will set aside their preparations for the coming 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia and more adjustments will be made along the way.

“We also have Ange Kouame and we are not ruling out the possibility of going out and looking for another 6’10”, 6’11” guy,” said Reyes.

Forest Hills starts defense of PAL golf Founders’ title

CEBU—Forest Hills begins defense of its Founders’ title when the 74th Philippine Airlines Interclub kicks off its regular competition Wednesday at the Cebu Country Club and Club Filipino de Cebu.

The Antipolo-based club escaped with a one-point victory over Tagaytay Highlands in the hotly-contested division in Bacolod in 2020, just before the pandemic shut down major golf tournaments.

Holdovers Dennis Nicomedes, Rodel Mangulabnan and Raymond Bunquin will be joined by Joshua Buenaventura, Rocky Co, JB Gosiaco, Gus Pacheco, Peter Young and Inigo Raymundo.

Raffy Garcia is the non playing captain.

“It is important for us to play well in the first two rounds to get into contention,” says Bunquin, also the general manager of Forest Hills.

Familiarity of terrain keys Montemayor’s win

TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD Emmanuel Dave Montemayor banked on his familiarity of the routes in the 2023 7-Eleven crosscountry mountain bike race at the trails of Timberland Heights in San Mateo, Rizal.

The 5’8” Montemayor reached the uphill climb to the Putol na Daan finish line of the 40-km ride in one hour, 46 minutes and 30 seconds on a windy Sunday morning.

It was a great finish for Montemayor, who was all alone after he and two other Go For Gold teammates broke away after going downhill for almost one kilometer and reaching the 10-km mark.

“Lagi akong nagba-bike dito. Wala na akong kasama nu’ng nasa baba na ako,” said Montemayor, who said the race prepared him and his teammates for their trip to Phichit, Thailand the following day. He was followed by Jericho Rivera and James Carl dela Cruz, who are also going with Montemayor to Phichit for the 2023 Thailand Mountain Bike Cup 1 with their manager Jeremy Go, who was around to watch his wards in action.

The Meycauayan, Bulacan native Mon-

temayor was 1/10th of a second ahead of Rivera, who caught up with his teammate in the final kilometer of the steep uphill route to check in at 1:47.20.

The 21-year-old Dela Cruz was almost a minute behind in 1:47.21.

Aside from the two, their teammates Gart Gaerlan, John Andre Aguja and Dhave Roa will also compete in Thailand.

The 7-Eleven Trail offered a long course following a three-year hiatus because of the pandemic. It had a distance of 30 kilometers back in 2019.

The first-place finish earned Montemayor the P20,000 top purse, while Rivera and Dela Cruz settled for the second and third-place prizes of P10,000 and P5,000, respectively.

7-Eleven Philippines president and CEO Victor Paterno, an avid mountain bike enthusiast himself, said he is glad with turnout of 2400 riders who took on the challenging routes offered by the 40km single loop track.

Participants traversed a challenging 40-km single-loop course, composed of a mix of road climbs, fire roads and

Argentina misses FIBA World Cup for 1st time since 1982

SAO PAULO—Basketball powerhouse Argentina will miss this year’s FIBA World Cup for the first time since 1982 after they lost 79-75 to the Dominican Republic in qualifying on Sunday.

The Dominican Republic won despite trailing by 17 points 12 minutes from the end in the Argentinian city of Mar del Plata.

Argentina, who were able to call on star players from the European leagues including Real Madrid forward Gabriel Deck, finished fourth in their group behind the Dominicans, Canada and Venezuela.

It is a huge setback for a country that finished runners-up to Spain in the last World Cup four years ago and has qualified for the last nine editions.

“We didn’t play well. We were off-target in attack, we had too many holes in defence and we didn’t shut down their key players. We really screwed up,” said Argentina captain Facundo Campazzo.

In African qualifying, tiny Cape Verde and their 7ft 3ins (2.20m) centre Walter Tavares of Real Madrid, booked their ticket to the finals by beating Ivory Coast 79-64.

In Europe, Georgia secured qualification for the first time despite losing 80-77 at home to Iceland.

Belgium and Serbia are battling for the 32nd and final qualifying place.

The finals will take place in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia from August 25 to September 10.

While the Philippines and Japan have automatically qualified as host nations, Indonesia will sit out the finals because they failed to reach FIBA’s criteria of reaching th e quarter-finals of the Asian Cup.

Countries qualified

Africa: Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Angola, South Sudan, Egypt

Asia: Philippines*, Japan*, Iran, New Zealand, Australia, Lebanon, Jordan, China

Americas: USA, Canada, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela

Europe: Finland, Lithuania, Germany, Greece, Slovenia, France, Lithuania, Spain, Italy, Georgia, Montenegro

*Qualified automatically as host nations

Justin Brownlee of Gilas Pilipinas is challenged by two Jordan defenders on his way to the basket. The Philippines dropped a close one, 90-91. Danny Pata

7-Eleven president and CEO Victor Paterno, who is also an avid mountain bike enthusiast, res o the start of the 7-Eleven Trail Run in Timberland Heights at San Mateo, Rizal. single tracks.

To cater to the pro and non-pro participants, selected portions of the trail were divided into two—A-Line and B-Line. The A-line is for skilled riders. It is

a fast lane with obstacles like jumps, drops, sharp turns, and gaps, while the B-Line is the less technical, slower lanes, but still with twists and curves for the thrill. Peter Atencio

BUSINESS

2022 BPO revenues climbed 10% to $32.5b

By Othel V. Campos

THE information technology-business process management sector’s revenues climbed 10.3 percent in 2022 to a record $32.5 billion from $29.47 billion in 2021, an industry group said Tuesday.

Data from the IT-Business Process Association of the Philippines also showed that employment in the sector increased 8.4 percent last year to 1.57 million from 1.42 million.

IBPAP president and chief executive Jack Madrid said the sector outperformed the aggressive targets under Roadmap 2028 in terms of headcount and revenue growth.

IN BRIEF

China Bank’s 2022 earnings

increased by 27% to P19.1b

CHINA Banking Corp., one of the largest lenders in terms of assets, said Tuesday net income grew 27 percent in 2022 to P19.1 billion from P15.1 billion in 2021 on sustained strength across its business segments.

China Bank president William Whang said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the bank’s strong performance amid macroeconomic headwinds “is a testament to our unwavering customer focus, effective management of assets, and good cost control.”

The 2022 net gains resulted in a higher return on equity of 15.1 percent and return on assets of 1.6 percent.

Revenues increased 14 percent to P55.7 billion on the back of a 17-percent jump in net interest income to P45.6 billion. Interest income grew 23 percent to P57.2 billion amid the continuous buildup in earning assets.

Despite the 57-percent growth in interest expenses, net interest margin remained healthy at 4.2 percent.

Julito G. Rada

MRC Allied acquiring P500-m stake in PT&T

MRC Allied Inc., a diversified holding company with interests in real estate development, mining and renewable energy, is acquiring a significant stake in Philippine Telegraph & Telephone Corp. for P500 million as it plans to venture into information and communication technology business.

MRC signed a memorandum of agreement with Menlo Capital Corp. for the acquisition of 500 million common shares of PT&T at P1 per share, or for a total of P500 million.

“This represents a significant stake in PT&T and will enable MRC to utilize PT&T’s facilities for its intended information and communication technology business ventures,” PT&T said.

MRC’s entry as a strategic investor to PT&T is expected to strengthen the latter’s ability to provide reliable, efficient and sustainable broadband and IT services in Calabarzon while it prepares to raise $200 million to $300 million (P11 billion to P17 billion) for a significant upgrade of its network infrastructure.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Semirara’s net income soared to P39.9b last year

SEMIRARA Mining and Power Corp. said Tuesday consolidated net income soared by 146 percent to a record P39.9 billion last year from P16.2 billion in 2021.

SMPC, led by the Consunji Group, said in a statement robust domestic coal shipments and higher spot electricity sales, along with elevated market prices, accounted for the record-breaking results.

Domestic coal sales jumped 33 percent to 7.7 million metric tons from 5.8 million MT, while exports slumped 24 percent to 7.1 million MT from 9.4 million MT.

“Last year, we focused on the Philippine, South Korean and other ASEAN markets to lessen our dependency on China, which had been importing heavily discounted Russian coal,” said SMPC president and chief operating officer Maria Cristina Gotianun.

“Diversifying our market focus allowed us to get the best price for our inventory,” she said. Alena Mae S. Flores

“We’re working on Roadmap 2028 with purpose and momentum. That’s the only way we can hope to achieve our goal of building the industry to a 2.5 million-strong workforce and generating $59 billion in revenues for the country,” he said.

“We still have a long way to go, but Philippine IT-BPM’s stellar performance in 2022 brings us closer to gener-

ating 1.1 million new jobs for Filipinos. It’s also a testament to the collective efforts that the private sector, government, and academe have exerted to retain the industry as an indispensable pillar of the economy,” Madrid said.

IBPAP attributed the increased headcount and revenue to the growth in banking, financial services and insurance, healthcare, retail, technology and telecommunications segments of the industry.

It said that aside from contributing new jobs and export gains, the sector was also the main driving force for movements in the office market.

Based on the latest data from Leechiu Property Consultants, IT-BPM accounted for 466,000 square meter of office

real estate take-up, which represented 48 percent of the total demand for office space nationwide. This marked an 81-percent growth from the 257,000 sq. m. take-up in 2021.

The group also noted significant expansions outside Metro Manila, particularly in Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, Pampanga and Laguna. It said more than 70,000 new jobs were generated in locations outside Metro Manila, which rose 17 percent from the previous year.

It said that by end-2022, about 31 percent of the sector’s total headcount or 486,000 full-time employees were drafted in the countryside.

Based on Roadmap 2028, the Philippine IT-BPM industry is expected to

SMIC’s profit jumps 53% to P61.7b as revenues top P500b

By Jenniffer B. Austria

CONGLOMERATE SM Investments

Corp. said Tuesday net income advanced by 53 percent in 2022 to P61.7 billion from P40.4 billion in 2021 on strong performance of core banking, property and retail businesses.

SMIC said in a stock exchange filing consolidated revenues went up 28 percent to P553.8 from P432.4 billion in the same period.

“All of our business units delivered strong results, reflecting the Philippines’ economic recovery last year and the actions we took during the pandemic. SM also innovated and improved efficiencies across the board, and today we are focused again on expanding our footprint across the regions to serve more

Filipinos,” SMIC president and chief executive Frederic DyBuncio said.

Banking remained as the biggest contributor to the group’s profit, accounting for 45 percent to net income. Property contributed for 23 percent, retail accounted for 21 percent and portfolio investments delivered the remaining 11 percent.

SM Retail group booked a net income of P17.9 billion in 2022, up 86 percent year-on-year as revenues climbed 24 percent to P378.2 billion.

SMIC said the robust performance of the retail group came following the return to face-to-face schooling and increased spending in the fourth quarter of 2022.

The retail group expanded its store network with the opening of four depart-

ment stores and 231 supermarket and convenience stores. As of end-2022, the group was operating 3,512 retail stores across the country.

SMIC’s property unit SM Prime Holdings Inc. reported a 38-percent year-on-year increase in net income to P30.1 billion, driven by the recovery of mall and residential businesses.

Banking arm BDO Unibank Inc. booked a net income P57.1 billion, up from P42.8 billion in 2021, led by robust growth across its core businesses.

SMIC said that aside from growing its core business, it expanded its portfolio investment with the acquisition of Philippine Geothermal Production Company Inc. which operates the Tiwi and Mak-Ban steam fields.

PSE INDEX CLOSING

have 1.7 million FTEs and $35.9 billion in revenue by 2023.

A separate survey by IBPAP showed that about 83 percent of IT-BPM companies were expecting to post growth this year despite a potential global recession, while 17 percent remained neutral with their forecasts.

Results also showed that organizations would continue to outsource and use global business services this year as a lever to drive some of their costoptimization initiatives.

Investments are projected to come from the following sectors: animation and game development, contact center, cybersecurity, financial technology, healthcare, internet service providers, IT solutions and shared services.

By Julito G. Rada

THE International Monetary Fund will revise upward its 2023 growth projection for the Philippines to 5.5 percent from the previous estimate of 5 percent, taking into account the strong numbers posted in the fourth quarter of 2022, a top official said Tuesday.

IMF resident representative to the Philippines Ragnar Gudmundsson said in an economic forum the Philippine economy was on the mend following a deep 9.6-percent contraction in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. The gross domestic product rebounded by 5.7 percent in 2021.

The economy grew by 7.6 percent in 2022 despite the global headwinds highlighted by higher interest rates and elevated inflation. It was the fastest since reaching 8.8 percent in 1976.

Gudmundsson said with COVID cases declining and the economy reopening its borders, private consumption and investments rebounded strongly, backed by the steady increase in private sector credit.

“We think that 2023 [growth] is currently at 5.5 percent. Our previous projection was 5 percent. But with the strong Q4 numbers, we are going to revise our projections upwards,” Gudmundsson said.

He said, however, the confluence of global shocks, coupled with the rising interest rates and elevated inflation, could weigh on the economy in the coming months.

Gudmundsson said over the medium term, the Philippines’ potential growth would rise to 6 percent, reflecting dividends from structural reforms. He said further progress on attracting foreign direct investments and promoting structural change and boosting productivity, including the agricultural sector, could raise potential growth about 6.5 percent and closer to the authorities’ growth objectives.

He warned of the impact of elevated inflation which blew past the target range last year and accelerated to a 14-year high of 8.7 percent in January 2023.

National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said pent-up demand triggered the economy to perform beyond expectations in 2023 despite the higher consumer prices.

Balisacan said despite the 2022 economic performance that surpassed expectations, the 6 percent to 7 percent target range for this year would likely be maintained.

World Bank country director for the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei Ndiame Diop said monetary policy tightening could impact the growth potential of the economy.

Meralco to renegotiate 2019 supply deal terms with SMC power unit

By Alena Mae S. Flores

POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. will start negotiating with South Premiere Power Corp., a company owned by San Miguel Corp., on the terms of their 2019 power supply agreement following the writ of preliminary injunction order issued by the Court of Appeals in January this year, an executive said Tuesday.

Meralco first vice president and head of regulatory management Jose Ronald Valles said they wrote a letter to SPPC in compliance with the CA’s WPI order.

The CA’s Thirteenth Division issued a WPI in favor of SPPC, enjoining Meralco from implementing the order of the

Energy Regulatory Commission directing the parties to honor their fixed-rate power supply agreement signed in 2019.

“To be clear, the grant of the WPI suspends the continued implementation of the PSA but does not terminate the same. This is to allow the parties to negotiate the terms of the PSA,” according to the CA ruling promulgated on Jan. 25.

Valles said the letter is “for us to enter into good faith negotiations to try to settle the active case.”

WPI is an ancillary remedy sought by SPPC in its petition for certiorari to assail the ERC order that denied its joint motion with Meralco for a price adjustment dated May 10, 2022.

SPPC and Meralco sought a tempo-

rary rate hike adjustment on their 670 MW PSA because of natural gas constraints, which the ERC rejected. SPPC owns the 1,200-megawatt Ilijan natural gas power plant in Batangas.

Meanwhile, Valles asked GNPower Dinginin Ltd. for an extension of their offer to supply Meralco with 300-MW capacity to partly cover the 670-MW supply from SPPC, which was subject to the injunction.

“We are trying to negotiate for lower tariff that’s equivalent to 300 MW,” Valles said.

Meralco’s emergency power supply agreement with GNPD ended on Feb. 25 at a rate of P8.5250 per kilowatthour.

A GROUP underscored the importance of palm oil on food price stability in the face of rising inflation in the Philippines.

The Philippines, with a population of 115 million, has an annual demand for 2 million metric tons of vegetable oil, but local coconut oil output is only about 1.6 million MT, with more than half or 950,000 MT diverted to the export market, data from the industry group showed. Given palm oil’s affordability and health benefits, it is a widely used vegetable oil in the households and most fastfood restaurants. Extracted from the fruit of the palm tree, the oil is used in a wide range of food products, personal care

items and biofuels because of its unique properties, the group said.

The group said that while the country imports 1.15 million MT of palm oil, there is still a supply deficit of about 186,000 MT of vegetable oil

The Philippines is a net importer of palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, as the 90,000 hectares of oil palm plantations in Mindanao are not enough to cover local demand.

Palm oil contains a high percentage of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, which are important for energy production and the absorption of essential nutrients.

CEBU BRT. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (seated, center) leads the groundbreaking ceremony of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit Project-Package 1 on Feb. 27, 2023 at Fuente Osmeña Circle in Cebu City. Cebu BRT consists of a 13.8-kilometer segregated lane with 17 bus stations, one depot and one trunk terminal. With the president are (seated, from left) Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama as well as (standing, from left) Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, Rep. Rachel Del Mar, Rep. Eduardo Rama Jr., Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil and Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.

REAL ESTATE FELLOW. National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. president Renato de Leon Tobias (second from left) receives recognition as a fellow in Real Estate Management for his committed service, support and significant contribution to the growth and development of the real estate industry during the FIABCI-Philippines Property and Real Estate Excellence Awards Night. With Tobias are (from left) FIABCIPhilippines vice chairman Eduardo Ong, FIABCI past world president, chairman emeritus Florentino Dulalia Jr. and Jexter Dulalia. Founded in 1951 in Paris, FIABCI is a worldwide business networking organization for all professionals associated with the real estate industry.

Fed worries erase 2023 market gains

STOCKS fell for a fourth trading day, erasing the market’s gains since the start of the year, over concerns the Federal Reserve will push interest rates higher than expected and for longer than feared as it battles stubborn inflation.

The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark of the Philippine Stock Exchange, lost 43 points, or 0.65 percent, to close at 6,556.20 Tuesday, as three of the six subsectors declined. It was also down 0.16 percent since the start of this year’s trading.

The broader index representing all shares shed 5 points, or 0.14 percent, to settle at 3,527.17, on a value turnover of P21.17 billion. Gainers outnumbered

PSEi February 28, 2023

TOP GAINERS

losers, 117 to 80, while 40 issues were unchanged.

Only two of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by Bank of the Philippine Islands which climbed 6.60 percent to P109.80 and Manila Electric Co. which rose 0.95 percent to P317.80.

The share price of 2GO jumped 18 percent to finish at P9.10 after SM Investments Corp. said its board of directors approved the conduct of a tender

offer to acquire 378.82 million shares, equivalent to a 15.39-percent stake, in the logistics firm. Based on the closing price of P9.10 per share, the tender offer could cost P3.4 billion.

Asian markets were mixed Tuesday.

Early gains in some bourses were erased as traders struggled to track advances on Wall Street while keeping a wary eye on several data releases this week that will provide a fresh snapshot of the US economy.

Recent figures showing a robust jobs market and inflation not coming down as quickly as hoped have spooked traders this month as they bet on more Fed rate hikes, wiping out most of January’s

equities rally.

“It’s becoming increasingly clear to the market that the Federal Reserve is not yet finished with rate hikes,” Seema Shah, at Principal Asset Management, said.

“Relentless monetary tightening will eventually weigh on both the economy and earnings—a headwind that will, inevitably, renew and extend the equity market drawdown.”

Tokyo, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore and Wellington were all in the green but Jakarta, Mumbai and Bangkok slipped.

Hong Kong was also down despite news that the government will drop a long-running mask requirement from Wednesday, removing the last of the

TOP LOSERS

MOST ACTIVE

BREXIT DEAL. A freight lorry (right) is checked after disembarking from the P&O ferry ‘European Highlander’ after arriving at Larne Port near Belfast, Northern Ireland on Feb. 27, 2023. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Monday agreed an overhaul of post-Brexit trade rules in Northern Ireland, UK media reported. The deal, sealed in a face-to-face meeting in Windsor, west of London, after more than a year of talks between London and Brussels, would allow the two sides to reset relations strained by Brexit. AFP

Nestlé announces closure of Myanmar office and factory

YANGON, Myanmar—Swiss food giant Nestle will halt all production in Myanmar, a spokesperson said Monday, the latest firm to draw back from the country after a military coup two years ago.

The Southeast Asian nation has been in turmoil since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government, sparking widespread unrest and tanking the economy.

A raft of foreign companies has since exited the market, including oil giants TotalEnergies and Chevron, and Norwegian telecoms operator Telenor.

Due to the “current economic situation” Nestle’s factory in the commercial hub Yangon, as well as its head office,

would “cease operations”, a spokesperson told AFP, without giving a timeframe.

Nestle sells Nescafe instant coffee, Maggi noodles, and Milo chocolate malt beverage in Myanmar.

A Myanmar firm would instead market and distribute Nestle products from Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines, the spokesperson said.

“We will do all we can to support everyone affected by this decision,” they added.

The spokesperson said there were 138 employees at Nestle’s Myanmar factory and head office.

Investors piled into Myanmar after the military relaxed its iron grip in 2011,

paving the way for democratic reforms and economic liberalization.

The economy has been battered by the fallout of the 2021 coup, with more than a million people losing their jobs, according to the International Labor Organization.

The putsch sparked renewed fighting with ethnic rebel groups as well as dozens of “People’s Defense Forces” that have sprung up to fight against the junta.

More than 3,000 people have been killed in the military’s crackdown on dissent since it seized power and more than 19,000 have been arrested, according to a local monitoring group.

Nestle generated sales of around $95 billion worldwide last year. AFP

Telcos promise ‘tsunami of innovation’ in Barcelona despite market slump

By Valentin Bontemps and Joseph Boyle

BARCELONA, Spain—The big beasts of the telecom industry kicked off their most important annual get-together in Barcelona on Monday, promising to lead a “tsunami of innovation” as they try to shrug off a major slump across the technology sector.

Some 80,000 delegates are expected at the four-day Mobile World Congress (MWC), which is back to near full strength following years of pandemic-related disruption.

Industrial titans like Huawei, Nokia, and Samsung are set to showcase their latest innovations, flanked by smartphone makers like Oppo and Xiaomi and network operators like Orange, Verizon, and China Mobile.

“We are at the doors of a new change of era driven by the intersection of Telco, Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Web3,” said Jose Maria AlvarezPallete, boss of Spanish operator Telefonica and current chairman of industry body GSMA, which organizes the Barcelona event.

He promised that the telecoms industry would be at the forefront of a “tsunami of innovation”, adding: “Without telcos, there is no digital future.”

But many of the firms are more concerned with finding a path back to profit as the global economy stutters and technology firms slash thousands of jobs.

In the first clear sign that the ills of the wider tech sector are reaching telecoms, equipment maker Ericsson announced 8,500 layoffs last week.

Overall sales of smartphones last year slumped by 11.3 percent compared with 2021, according to the IDC consultancy. Research firm Gartner reckons sales of smartphones, tablets and computers will fall again by four percent this year.

And network operators are still struggling to make 5G pay, years after they spent billions in government auctions for the right to use the bandwidth.

‘Unsustainable situation’

A hugely popular idea for many at the show is to get the owners of bandwidth-hungry platforms like YouTube, Netflix, and Facebook to pay network operators a “fair share”.

A man presents a robot on NTT Docomo’s stand at the Mobile World Congress, the telecom industry’s biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on Feb. 27, 2023. AFP

The issue dominated the first day of the MWC, with Christel Heydemann, boss of French operator Orange, making a direct plea for a “European framework” to fix the “unsustainable situation”.

She argued that the five largest users -- which she did not identify—accounted for 55 percent of daily traffic on European networks, costing telecoms firms 15 billion euros ($16 billion) a year.

Heydemann welcomed a public consultation launched by EU commissioner Thierry Breton last week, who appeared to give his support to the idea of compensation.

But Breton spent the day at MWC trying to calm the controversy, arguing in a speech that it was not a “binary choice” between telecoms and big tech, a point he later reiterated to the media. AFP

Covid rules that have dealt a severe blow to the city’s economy.

London, Paris and Frankfurt fell at the open.

Still, some commentators said that with more Fed hikes now priced into valuations, equities could see a period of gains.

“Investors are debating whether January’s inflation reflation was just another temporary bump in the road as the economy adjusts to a post-pandemic world,” SPI Asset Management’s Stephen Innes said.

“Indeed one look at Brent oil prices struggling to hold on to the $82 handle doesn’t precisely reignite worrisome inflationary fires.” With AFP

Twitter lays off more staff amid Musk controversy

SAN FRANCISCO, United States—

Reports of more layoffs at Twitter landed on Monday as owner Elon Musk waded into a racism controversy that risked pushing advertisers further away from the struggling platform.

Musk called US media “racist” on Sunday after multiple American newspapers announced they would stop publishing a popular comic strip whose creator called Black people a hate group.

Musk, chief of electric car company Tesla and Twitter, made his comment in regard to backlash to a rant by Scott Adams, creator of the long-running “Dilbert” comic strip—a satirical take on office life.

Adams, like Musk, has increasingly stoked controversy with his views on social issues.

“For a ‘very’ long time, US media was racist against non-white people, now they’re racist against whites & Asians,” Musk wrote in a post on Twitter, where he has reinstated thousands of users banned for hate speech.

“Same thing happened with elite colleges & high schools in America. Maybe they can try not being racist.”

Under Musk’s leadership, Tesla has been hit with multiple lawsuits alleging racism and researchers say hate speech has flourished at Twitter since his takeover.

“It’s as though Elon Musk is on a whirlwind tour to try to put Twitter out of business,” said independent tech analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group.

“All he has to do is keep quiet, but he has to constantly spout stuff that alienates advertisers.”

No ‘mistake’

The controversy came as the New York Times reported that Twitter had laid off at least 200 employees, or 10 percent of its already decimated workforce.

The fresh round of layoffs included product managers, big data experts and engineers working on machine learning and platform reliability.

Twitter did not immediately confirm the reports when contacted by AFP.

Esther Crawford, in charge of the social network’s product development, confirmed on Twitter that she was one of the employees let go. AFP

Meeting ID: 847 1741 4511 Meeting Password: 076736 The agenda of the meeting will be as follows:

1. Call to Order

2. Proof of Notice

3. Determination of Quorum

4. Approval of the Employee Stock Option Plan (“ESOP”)

5. Other Matters

6. Adjournment

For the purpose of the meeting, only stockholders of record at the close of business on February 27, 2023 will be entitled to notice and vote thereat.

In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Company will not be conducting a physical SSM. The conduct of the SSM will be via Zoom Teleconference, and stockholders may attend the meeting by registering on or before 1:00 p.m. on 27 March 2023. Due to the limitations of available technology, voting will not be possible during the Teleconference, but participants may send in questions or remarks via Zoom chat, and vote through the submission of their respective signed proxy forms with the specific votes per item in the agenda that is subject to the shareholders’ approval.

If you wish to cast your votes as a stockholder, you may vote remotely or in absentia, or through proxy. Voting by remote communication or in absentia, may be done by sending your respective votes by e-mail to investorrelations@LRWC.com.ph on or before 12:00 p.m. on March 20, 2023. The procedures for attendance and voting during the SSM will be posted in the Company’s website at https://lrwc.com.ph/ stockholders-meeting/.

Stockholders who cannot attend the meeting in person may designate their authorized representative by submitting a Proxy instrument in accordance with Sec. 57 of the Revised Corporation Code. Validation of the proxies shall be done on March 20, 2023 at the office of the Corporation’s transfer agent, Stock Transfer Services, Inc., Unit 34-D Rufino Pacific Tower, 6784 Ayala Avenue, Makati City. WE ARE NOT SOLICITING PROXIES

To facilitate your registration of attendance, please have available some form of government-issued identification such as passport or driver’s license. Thank you. Pasig City. 2 February 2023.

The ‘Hope’ in

Liza Soberano

people were surprised, some felt irked, and some still have their jaws still wide open (insert a thought bubble).

In hindsight, the campaign served its purpose – which is to make noise and get people’s attention.

On Monday, Liza, yes, she still wants to be called Liza, was launched as the new face of the country’s leading digital banking app. And while watching Liza talk onstage, in a very eloquent manner, albeit nervous, I thought she was doing a good job.

She said that she decided to take control of her career and take on new challengessuch as shooting her first Hollywood film alongside young Hollywood stars Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse Liza’s collaboration with Maya also opens a new door for her as she finally gets the chance to be on the other end of the lights and cameras, co-creating the brand’s latest campaign. At Maya, Liza wears two hats – brand ambassador and chief advocacy officer.

On Sunday, the former Star Magic artist, now managed by James Reid’s Careless Music, released a 14-minute vlog. In the video, Liza confessed that she struggled with all the restrictions she’d undergone while working as an actress.

“I am 25 years old now and I think people forget that I’ve been working for 13 years now, since I was 12 years old,” she began.

ARE you part of the 1.2 million viewers who have seen the video of Liza Soberano on YouTube where she talks about her life as an actress who had no choice but to follow orders from her management?

Kapuso Month celebration brings out the best in everyone

THIS Kapuso Month, GMA Network highlights its strong bond with the viewers founded upon love and commitment to being “Buong Puso Para sa Pilipino.”

Through the pandemic and now in the new normal, GMA assures Filipinos that the Kapuso Network will always be there for them no matter what. Just like a love letter or a classic song, its devotion and service to the public are timeless and forever.

Making the Kapuso Month celebration even more special is the “Love is Us Always and Forever” music video. The song was performed by Zephanie and Michael Sager, with lyrics by Emmanuel Rivera and Jann Fayel Lopez, and music by Roxanne Fabian

Adding more kilig in the February campaign are some of the well-loved tandems of the Kapuso Network: Dennis Trillo and Julie Anne San Jose; David Licauco and Barbie Forteza; Kelvin Miranda and Kate Valdez; Michael V. and Manilyn Reynes; Richard Yap and Carmina Villarroel; Allen Ansay and Sofia Pablo; John Lloyd Cruz and Arra San Agustin; Rob Gomez and Herlene Budol; Xian Lim and Ashley Ortega; Paul Salas and Mikee Quintos; Ruru Madrid and Bianca Umali; Andre Paras and Jillian Ward; Manolo Pedrosa and Gabbi Garcia; and Jeric Gonzales and

Zephanie and Michael Sager lend their voices to the song ‘Love is Us Always and Forever’

Kylie Padilla Completing the star-studded music video are Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera; TiktoClock hosts Pokwang, Rabiya Mateo, and Kuya Kim Atienza; The Clash panel, Lani Misalucha Christian Bautista, and Aiai Delas Alas; and The Clash Masters Rayver Cruz and Julie Anne San Jose

Inspired by the high-rating Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, Kapuso couples, and love teams are also encouraged to join the Kilig Talk with Boy Abunda on TikTok where they will answer questions about their relationships. To elevate the fun and excitement, netizens can also do a “duet” version of this trend.

‘Ant-Man’ stumbles but still tops box office

“I’ve been in six feature films, over 500 episodes of teleserye, and have only really dabbled into three main genres – romance, comedy, and drama. Since I was 16, I had only really worked side by side with one main co-star, with the same production company, rotating around the same three directors. During all those years, I was never really asked for my input, my thoughts, my ideas,” she went on

“I’ve sacrificed myself, I’ve sacrificed my freedom, I’ve sacrificed my happiness to present Liza Soberano to the world, and

I think I’ve earned the right to finally be me,” she said. “To finally be able to do things for myself as Hope Soberano.”

The confession trended on Twitter for several days, and launched a barrage of word wars among netizens. But little did they know, the video was part of a new campaign she’s doing for Maya. Some

As a brand ambassador, Liza cocreated Maya’s new marketing campaign, breaking the mold of traditional celebrity endorsements and changing the game for marketing financial services.

As chief advocacy officer, Liza will champion shared advocacies for financial inclusion with Maya and lead key initiatives. This starts with joint initiatives for Save The Children, the world’s leading independent organization for children, which Liza has been the ambassador of since 2021. At the same time, she will help drive the advocacy agenda within Maya from their product roadmap to company culture.

“The past year has given me an opportunity to reflect on what I want for my life and my career. And when it comes to brands, I’ve decided to be more intentional about my partnerships. I want to work with brands that resonate with me personally, with products I actually use, and with companies I believe in,” Liza ended.

David Foster to hold residency at Solaire

IN celebration of its 10th anniversary, Solaire Resort Entertainment City presents an unforgettable concert series featuring legendary musician David Foster in an eight-show residency. Entitled David Foster and Friends, Live at The Theatre at Solaire is happening on March 21 to 26.

David Foster’s career has spanned over four decades which has garnered him the title of “The Hitman,” having written and produced many chart-topping songs that have propelled several artists to star status and have gone down the music industry’s history as legends, such as Whitney Houston, Madonna, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, and Michael Bublé

He has created culture-defining soundtracks for blockbuster films including Joel Schumacher’s coming-of-age motion picture St. Elmo’s Fire James Bridges’ 1980 flick Urban Cowboy, and Mick Jackson’s The Bodyguard starring Whitney Houston for her acting debut. He’s also the genius behind timeless holiday tunes that have become the anthem of the season like Josh Groban’s “Noel,” Michael Bublé’s “Christmas,” Celine Dion’s “These Are Special Times,” Rod Stewart’s “Merry Christmas Baby,” and Andrea Bocelli’s “My Christmas”. His record-breaking work in the industry awarded him 16 Grammy Awards, an Emmy, and Golden Globe award, three Oscar nominations, and the famous star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame to state a few. He ventured into television as a judge for Asia’s Got Talent for three seasons and for the first season of Chinese station Hunan TV’s World’s Got Talent. Foster’s popularity in Asia proves to be unmatched with sold-out shows at every stop of his David Foster & Friends Asia Tour In recent years, the world-renowned entertainer has toured across the United States to stage various performances of his show An Intimate Evening with David Foster

A scene from Marvel’s ‘Ant-Man’

DISNEY’S Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania fell off a cliff but managed to top the North American box office with an estimated $32.2 million in ticket sales. Industry analyst Exhibitor Relations said the latest Marvel superhero film was down a sharp 70 percent from its strong opening weekend but still topped the field.

Paul Rudd plays the size-changing title ant and alter ego Scott Lang, while Evangeline Lilly is heiress Hope van Dyne and the Wasp.

In second, at $23.1 million, was a new horror comedy with a different sort of star: a drug-crazed bear. Universal’s Cocaine Bear is based, if loosely, on the true story of a black bear that finds a large cache of

lost cocaine in the Tennessee woods – and eats it.

Chaos, gore, and wackiness ensue in a movie that also stars Keri Russell of Felicity fame. Exhibitor Relations playfully calls the film “Jaws in the Woods on Crack.”

In third place was another new release, Lionsgate’s Jesus Revolution, at $15.5 million. Fourth spot went to 20th Century’s blockbuster Avatar: The Way of Water, adding a respectable $4.7 million in its 11th week to a global total now over $2.26 billion. And in fifth, also showing durability in its 10th week in theaters, was Universal’s family-oriented Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, at $4.1 million. AFP

Legendary musician David Foster has written and produced chart-topping songs that propelled several artists to stardom some of which have been broadcasted on television across the country. He returns to Manila for a special eight-show visit as part of Solaire’s 10thanniversary festivities where fans and the audience can expect to hear some of his greatest hits sung and interpreted by his guest artists.

Together with David, show-goers will also hear singer and actress Katharine McPhee who became a household name after her successful run on the 5th season of American Idol. Her first single, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny,” debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Hot Singles Sales chart, while her 2007 self-titled album debuted at #2 on

the Billboard Top 200 propelled by the goldcertified single, “Over It”. As an actress, she starred in the spy drama Scorpion (20142018) as Paige Dineen, and as one of the leads in the award-winning musical series Smash (2012-2013), executive produced by Steven Spielberg. Her latest starring role is in the Netflix comedy series, Country Comfort (2021). In Spring 2018, Katharine made her Broadway debut as ‘Jenna’ in the hit musical Waitress, featuring music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles.

Another artist joining Foster is Pia Toscano who was one of the frontrunners on American Idol’s Season 10 run for her powerhouse voice and head-turning looks. Toscano performed alongside Jennifer Lopez in her Vegas Residency, All I Have and regularly tours with David Foster and Andrea Bocelli. Pia released her first album, I’m Good with originally written music including a collaboration with Usher. She’s headlined her own show in Las Vegas which was filmed as a PBS special and has released a musical film entitled 1660 Vine

Also joining McPhee and Toscano is Daniel Emmet who appeared on America’s Got Talent with his spellbinding and commanding operatic voice. His wide range of expression spans musical genres from rock to pop, to opera, all the while singing in seven languages. Emmet released his acclaimed single “True Reflection” which debuted at #1 on the iTunes Classical Chart and has headlined shows in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace, T-Mobile Arena, Paris Las Vegas, and Westgate Las Vegas.

David Foster and Friends, Live at The Theatre at Solaire will also feature some of the most prolific Filipino voices showcasing the distinct and world-recognized Pinoy showmanship to an already incredible performance lineup including Martin Nievera who will join the hitmaker on stage every show, while Morissette enchants with her voice from March 21 to 22 and March 24 to 26.

‘The Voice Kids’ pilot episodes get 300,000 live views

WEEKENDS just got more exciting as the new season of The Voice Kids is on air again for another season and its pilot episodes accumulated more than 301,734 combined peak concurrent views and clinched the number one spot on Twitter’s trending topics for two consecutive nights (February 25 and 26).

Singer Roselle Nava made a surprise appearance on the show as she came out on stage to support her son Rafa Tan. The mother and son wowed viewers when they sang her iconic song “Bakit Nga Ba Mahal Kita,” which was also her son’s audition piece.

Rafa, 10, who is from Parañaque joined Martin Nievera’s “MarTeam,” along with Patricia Delos Santos, 12, from Bulacan, and Fabio Santos, 6, from Quezon City.

KZ Tandingan also started to fill up her “Team Supreme” as she warmly welcomed Summer Pulido, 8, from Pangasinan, Renzo Niez, 11, from Aurora, and Aera Castro, 11, from Laguna.

Meanwhile, John Matthew Bendoy,11, from Bulacan, Tin-Tin Marty, 12, from

Zambales, and Chloe Cañega, 8, from Nueva Ecija joined Bamboo’s “Kamp Kawayan.” Tin-Tin and Patricia impressed coaches with their blind auditions, who each got three-chair turns, as they sang their own renditions of “Isa Pang Araw” and “Isang Linggong Pag-ibig,” respectively.

The Voice Kids air every weekend on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z, and iWantTFC at 7:00 p.m. and on TV5 (Saturday at 7:00 p.m., Sunday at 9:00 p.m.).

Liza (second from right) holds two responsibilities with Maya—as brand ambassador and chief advocacy officer

Liza is one of the brains behind Maya's new marketing campaign, which breaks the mold of traditional celebrity endorsements

Liza Soberano, 25, aims to take control of her career and take on new challenges

‘The Voice Kids’ judges and hosts (from left) Martine Nievera, KZ Tandingan, Bamboo, Robi Domingo, and Bianca Gonzales

By Patricia Taculao

Highlighting the capital’s rich culture summer

THE breathtaking destination of Baguio

in the northern part of Luzon is a favorite tourist destination for local and foreign travelers. It’s widely known as the “Summer Capital of the Philippines,” preferred for its cold temperatures and vibrant cultures. After all, it’s home to the various tribes in the Cordillera Administrative Region

During the first Lakbay Norte for 2023, North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) invited members of the media and popular influencers to venture to Baguio and experience it during late February, when the chilly December wind has yet to dissipate.

People who traveled to Baguio before know that the journey can be long and sometimes tedious. It sometimes takes longer for people who travel via public transportation, like buses. But the Lakbay Norte campaign ensured that traveling North wouldn’t be a problem anymore thanks to the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, which cut the travel time by half.

If that doesn’t help travelers breathe easy, Victory Liner also offers a First Class Deluxe Bus with amenities. It has electric sockets, sweeping leg space, and a restroom to bring convenience to their passengers as they travel to their destinations.

The bus liner’s branch in Cubao, Quezon City, has several improvements, including a centralized booking system, allowing travelers to book their bus tickets more uncomplicated on-site or online.

Before we went to Baguio, we stopped by SM Clark in Pampanga to sample some of their local delicacies and indulge in fun activities like ice skating and bowling, available in select SM Supermalls nationwide. Afterward, our road leads further north to the City of Pines.

Upon our arrival, we had a hearty dinner at Amare, an Italian restaurant adjacent to Microtel Baguio. Their bestsellers include paella with orzo rice and freshly-made thin-crust pizza, which became more flavorful with spicy honey.

It signified the start of our gastronomic experience in Baguio.

On the second day, we immersed ourselves in the Baguio culture, starting with a tour of the Baguio Museum. From the outside, we could see how it drew inspiration from Ifugao architecture as it resembles a traditional house, with black and yellow as dominant colors throughout the establishment.

When we entered the museum, we saw artifacts and depictions of the rich culture of the various provinces in CAR, specifically Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Kalinga, Ifugao, and Mountain Province. Among the dioramas, bul-ols (carved wooden figures Ifugaos used and believed to guard their crops), we saw an awe-inspiring specimen: a wellpreserved mummy from thousands of years ago, embodying the complex lives of early settlers in the country.

The second floor of the Baguio Museum offers a more curated experience that allows guests to learn more about the province’s history, from its humble beginnings to a flourishing city.

After Baguio Museum, we had a short trek toward SM City Baguio to see how the modern world incorporates hints of their rich culture. The mall taps local

artists to paint murals on every floor to welcome mallgoers to vibrant sights that depict the locals’ strength, history, and values. Several parts of the mall also pay homage to homegrown businesses so tourists can sample the food or try out uniquely-crafted products.

Our last stop for the second day of Lakbay Norte in Baguio is Ili-Likha Artist Village, a ulti-level establishment built around overgrown trees and wooden structures. The structure offers more than just good food but also several local shops that sell bags, jewelry, clothing, and crystals, among others, made by local artisans. By the third day of Lakbay Norte, our group visited a popular tourist attraction in Baguio, the Baguio Botanical Garden. It was a sprawling location with various structures and abundant in numerous flora species. It was ideal for those who enjoy strolls, taking pictures, and getting closer to nature.

A First Class Deluxe Bus from Victory Liner serves as the official transport vehicle for the first Lakbay Norte this 2023

Lastly, we visited the BenCab Museum to get a glimpse of the works of National Artist for Visual Arts Benedicto Cabrera, popularly known as BenCab. Besides his contemporary pieces, guests can also see creations from other local artists and some preserved artifacts from early natives in Benguet. Thanks to Lakbay Norte, we experienced a more immersive tour of Baguio that gave us both knowledge and memories to treasure.

Whether summer or not, Baguio will

The Baguio Museum draws inspiration from the traditional Ifugao house

The facade of Ili-Likha Artist Village

remain a popular tourist destination because of its vibrant culture and passion for the arts, which never has a dull moment.

Debunking ‘Walang pera sa art’

When asked about the current Philippine art scene and the opportunities for talents during the last leg of the Shell National Student Art Competition (NSAC) Virtual Art Interact, artist Ana Montinola enthused that the industry has been “improving with so many platforms to showcase our talents and, with so many new kinds of arts, it’s very exciting for young artists nowadays.”

expertise because you will learn a lot from them,” shared Wee. Networking and visibility are keys to market yourself and your art. “As artists, we have the tendency to stay at home. But we need to show who we are. It’s part of the work: you can’t work alone, you need others,” said Ignacio, emphasizing showing one’s own style and voice in any work.

The J. Amado Araneta Foundation, Inc. (JAAF) is a grant–operating organization with development programs focusing on various sectors

Commemorating J. Amado Araneta’s living legacy

ON February 26, Araneta City celebrated the 116th birth anniversary of its visionary founder and builder, J. Amado “Amading” Araneta – a man who believed that every Filipino deserves an opportunity to have a better life.

Born in 1�0� in Bago, Negros OcOccidental, Amading was known to have founded the Araneta Group, which has grown into a diverse and progressive group of companies anchored on property development, food service, leisure, and hospitality. He was also behind the establishment of other successful enterprises in real estate, sugar, media, and entertainment.

Though recognized for his business acumen, Amading was a family man and well-respected by his employees and business partners. He raised his children (Jorge Judy, and Maria) to give back to the community and open doors for inclusive growth to make the “Araneta Dream” of a progressive nation take place. His dream of bringing the good life to the people continues through the foundation that bears his name: the J. Amado Araneta Foundation, Inc. (JAAF). Serving as the social development arm of the

Araneta Group, JAAF was incorporated in 2002 with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a non-stock, not-for-profit grant-making organization that extends assistance to disadvantaged individuals, non-profit organizations, religious institutions, and local government units.

Through the years, JAAF has transtransformed into a grant–operating organization with programs focusing on education, culture and the arts, sports development, community development, and religious/ spiritual development. It supports over 200 scholars nationwide; continues to nurture its art and history museum, Gateway Gallery; extends emergency relief assistance; provides housing, livelihood, and health initiatives for community development; and has made collaborations for the holistic development of Filipinos.

The same values that guided J. Amado as a family man, industrialist, and patriot -- generosity, excellence, pioneering, and commitment – influence the current work of JAAF. With Judy Araneta - Roxas as president and Jorge L. Araneta as chair of the Board of Trustees, JAAF continues to create a holistic impact that perpetuates the legacy of the great Araneta City founder.

I’M probably one of the lucky people who don’t have to defend their choice of degree to their parents or to the “marites” out there who just love to make “pakialam” and question things that they really don’t have business with. But whenever I would tell a stranger about my degree, someone would joke “Mass Comm? Mas kumportable sa bahay,” followed by a cheeky laugh. Sometimes, there was the occasional Bakit di ka na lang mag-doctor maglawyer, or (insert any degree in science and technology, business, or whatever they deem profitable). Sayang talino mo kung sa arts ka lang mapupunta.” Stigma and stereotypes on liberal arts, media, and other arts-related degrees still persist today. The most common is “walang pera sa arts” or “hobby lang yan.” And these stigmas are probably because artists are not paid their dues. In market lingo, binabarat ang mga artist. Their skills are often underestimated. Their talents are undervalued. Their crafts are unappreciated. With the misperception that art is just a hobby, most think artmaking is easy; thus, requires a minimal fee. But that’s far from reality. It takes time and energy to perfect a craft, to produce the best quality. When I was doing freelance work, some clients would say “Madali lang naman ‘yan sa’yo” and offer pittance. I would often retort: “That’s why you have to pay me more. If I make the work look easy, it is because I have years of practice and experience in writing. That is what you are paying for.”

FYI to those who belittle the arts as a career, the creative industry is a billiondollar enterprise. There are thousands (or should I say millions?) of career opportunities in the art field.

While the stereotypes may deter budding artists from pursuing arts fulltime, NSAC showed that young talents can realize their passion and make a profitable, successful career in art at the same time. As the longest-running student art competition in the country, Pilipinas Shell’s NSAC continues to be a platform to develop and nurture young Filipino visual artists.

For Wee, artists must focus on developing themselves and “continue on improving, not to prove [the naysayers] wrong, but to nourish your principles as an artist. It’s important that you’re happy with what you’re doing. As long as you’re sincere with the work that you’re doing, your clients or viewers will feel it.”

Through the Translating Your Design from Page to Product workshop, fashion and beauty illustrator Soleil Ignacio and UP College of Fine Arts ceramics workshop facilitator Jezzel Lorraine Wee shared business advice and reflected on the current realities of the creative industry. The artist facilitators emphasized the importance of knowing the target market, the people who they are communicating with. Multiple online platforms can also be a tool where artists can develop their portfolio or creative storefront that can help develop their brand and style. Create collaborations and engage in exchanges. “It was lucky for me that, in the pottery circle, there were people who knew about business that I could ask. So don’t be afraid to ask people who have

Pilipinas Shell VP for Corporate Relations Serge Bernal encouraged artists to use “power of art to charge forward by showing who you are, what you value, and what you envision through art” and “use your gift to power an entire generation of Filipino artists for the country.”

On the public perception of arts, Ignacio said: “With Shell, it’s great they’re commissioning artists to create big pieces for public display where everyone can see it because that’s what we need right now. Where people, the masses, can have more access to art so it can enter the public consciousness.”

To learn more about next year’s Shell NSAC and Virtual Art Interact, visit http://shell.com.ph/juanartnation.

An Ifugao Native House on display at SM City Baguio

Ili-Likha has several pieces from local creatives

Several bul-ols and other artifacts at the BenCab museum

Visitors can get a glimpse of the culture of the provinces in CAR when the visit the Baguio Museum

Attendees of the Shell National Student Art Competition (NSAC) Virtual Art Interact