Manila Standard - 2024 February 28 - Wednesday

Comelec shifts Cha-cha tack

Now favors plebiscite to go with 2025 polls, cites P13b in savings

By Vito Barcelo and Maricel Cruz

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday said it now favors holding a synchronized plebiscite to ratify proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution with the 2025 national and local elections.

Marcos tells mayors: Don’t

Comelec chairman George Garcia said holding simultaneous plebiscite and election will save the poll body P13 billion.

By

Charles Dantes and Maricel V. Cruz

PRESIDENT Marcos told members of the League of Municipalities (LMP) to not waste their mandates from their constituents on petty things, but rather use them for “grand things.”

In his message to LMP’s Gener-

al Assembly on Tuesday in Pasay City, he told public officials that they should innovate their problem-solving skills to align with the current challenges the local government sector is facing.

“That’s why I often say: Mandates should not be wasted on petty things. It should be used for grand things,” President Marcos said.

He made the statement a day after Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the President aired his desire to have the plebiscite on Charter amendments held simultaneously with the 2025 polls.

Garcia earlier said Comelec cannot plebiscite next year to amend the 1987 Constitution given that there are

PBBM to address Australia solons today,

Navotas court convicts lone cop of killing ‘Jemboy’

raise West PH Sea tensions

PRESIDENT Marcos is expected to raise the current tension in the West Philippine Sea during his two separate visits to Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday, citing Manila’s strategic partnership with Canberra.

“Yes, we have very strong defense and security relations with Australia, they have been partners with us for a long time, even before the official establishment of relations, because they were with us as partners during World War II and now the relations have actually seen an elevation from comprehensive to strategic partnership,” DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza confirmed during a Palace briefing.

“In terms of defense and security

that will actually be talked (about), will be discussed, but also in terms of what’s happening in the region and what is happening within our region –one issue will be the South China Sea. And it’s also worth mentioning that Australia and the Philippines are maritime nations, and it cannot be denied that it will be something that will have to be raised as well,” she added.

According to Daza, the President will undertake a Guest of Government visit to Australia on Feb. 28 to 29, upon the invitation of Governor General David Hurley. Mr. Marcos would return to Australia to participate in the

VISITING former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon re minded Filipinos that the target to achieve the UN Sustainable Develop ment Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Cli mate Change Agreement is getting closer, set in 2030 and 2050, respec tively.

“This is why there has never been a

By Rey Requejo and Jun David

THE Navotas City Regional Trial Court on Tuesday convicted a policeman for homicide and four others for illegal discharge of firearms in connection with the killing of a 17-yearold son of an overseas Filipino worker last year.

The Department of Justice earlier charged six policemen with murder for the death of Jerhode Jemboy Salazar, who was killed in an alleged case of mistaken identity during a police operation in Navotas City in August 2023.

In a 44-page decision, the Navotas City RTC found Police Staff Sergeant Gerry Sabate Maliban guilty for the

On the other hand, Police Executive Master Sergeant (PEMS) Roberto Dioso Balais Jr., Police

SORRY, MATE. A policeman hugs one of his comrades convicted on Tuesday by the Navotas City Regional Trial Court of involvement in the shooting death of Jerhode Jemboy Salazar last August. Norman Cruz

electronic

By Vince Lopez and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Philippine Navy (PN) has confirmed reports that Chinese vessels’ have heightened their electronic countermeasure capabilities in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said the proposed Philippine Maritime Zones Act is expected to strengthen the country’s claim over the disputed WPS.

In a press briefing held at Camp Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Philippine Navy spokesman for WPS Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said such acts of China have been going on and might have started much earlier.

“They have noted an increase in cyber interference, electronic interference, jamming, and stuff like that not only for equipment of the ship, but also for land-based communication equipment and this

of the Brave) rally held at the South Road Properties in Cebu City on Sunday, Feb. 25.

Abalos reminded all public officers that they “should set an example to our constituents as we represent our community, most especially the

A2 NEWS

WEDNESDAY,

‘Integrate tech-voc with SHS plan’

PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has ordered the integration of the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the curriculum of senior high school (SHS), Malacañang said Tuesday.

Mr. Marcos gave the directive in a sectoral meeting on Tuesday morning to make sure SHS graduates are “ready and employable for the workforce,” Malacañang Press Briefer Daphne Oseña-Paez said in a press briefing.

“President Marcos stresses the need to reskill and upskill our workers, in order to meet the demands of the current and future labor market here in the Philippines and of course globally,” Oseña-

JFC renews call to remove bars on Constitution

By Othel V. Campos

THE Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce (JFC) in the Philippines has reiterated its call to remove economic restrictions in the 1987 Constitution to facilitate more foreign direct investments (FDI) in the country.

“We recognize that the government’s mandate to protect vital national interests by placing some restrictions on FDI,” JFC said in a letter to Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez. “In this respect, we note that most national economies use legislation or executive regulations to respond to such an important consideration.”

The group maintained the advantage of putting the restrictions in legislation or executive regulations instead of the Constitution is the flexibility “to quickly adjust the regulatory environment for FDI in order to adapt to changes in technology, comply with requirements of international treaties, or take advantage of new opportunities to benefit in the global economy.”

While FDI flow in the region rose by 5.5 percent in 2022 to a record $224 billion, or around 17 percent of global FDI, the Philippines has not significantly gained from it, as its share declined to $9.2 billion from $12 billion in 2021.

The stock of FDI in ASEAN stood at $3.6 trillion in 2022, double the level in 2015.

PBBM...

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In September last year, the Philippines and Australia upgraded their relations to a strategic partnership to enhance cooperation in various areas.

“President Marcos is also expected to open new avenues of collaboration with Australia to further cement the strategic partnership between the two nations,” Daza said.

“The President’s visit and official activities in Canberra shall further strengthen existing bonds of cooperation and shall enable discussions for new avenues of collaboration, as both the Philippines and Australia look forward to celebrating the 78th anniversary of diplomatic relations later this year,” she added.

He will be the first Philippine President to speak before the Australian Parliament.

‘Wag magmura!’...

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“We should avoid using vulgar and abusive language. We can always communicate our opinions with civility. We must always keep in mind that the Code of Ethics of Public Officials requires that we carry ourselves with integrity, professionalism, and respect to all colleagues, and to all people at that,” the Interior chief said. In his speech during the rally, former President Rodrigo Duterte mouthed the “f” word, but did not say it out loud.

Paez said.

“The President expressed the importance of consulting industries and government agencies, so that skills training and education are aligned with the goal of future employability. This is of course in keeping with achieving the goals of Ang Bagong Pilipinas (the New Philippines),” she added. Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) direc-

Comelec...

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already two scheduled polls in 2025.

“You cannot squeeze in a plebiscite in the middle of an election. Even prior to 2025, you cannot do that... And we cannot divert any of the funds in the possession of Comelec. That is contained in the General Appropriation Act,” he said in an earlier interview.

Garcia previously cited a Supreme Court ruling which states that the Comelec “cannot include a plebiscite for the amendment of the constitution on a regular election.”

But the Comelec chief yesterday said simultaneous elections can be done as long as it is indicated in the Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 and No. 7 of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“As long as it’s stated in the Resolution of both Houses, if ever, [it can proceed]. The Resolution should also indicate the provisions to be amended in the Constitution,” Garcia said.

Navotas...

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Staff Sergeant Nikko Pines Corollo Esquillon, Police Corporal (PCpl) Edmark Jade Blanco and Patrolman Benedict Danao Mangada were found guilty of illegal discharge of firearms only.

Police Staff Sergeant Antonio Balcita Bugayong, one of the six accused, was exonerated by the trial court because the prosecution failed to prove that he fired his gun during the incident.

“This is a story of a hot pursuit operation that ended in tragedy. The death of Jerhode Jemboy Salazar, who is not the suspect, could have been avoided had a police officer applied self-restraint, for a police officer is not justified in shooting a person because that person did not heed his call to surren-

Navy:...

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usually happens during preparations for RORE (rotation and resupply) missions,” Trinidad said.

“It’s on the communications on the ships and communication land, so there are times that interference or the ability to communicate is affected that is not the normal shortcoming in our com-

Marcos...

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“We need to start thinking of new ways to address the problems we are facing here in the local and international economy, global economy, and with the advancement of technology. We need to prepare for it,” he added. Mr. Marcos further stated his vision

Good...

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Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, and Senators Ronald Dela Rosa, Jinggoy Estrada, Sherwin Gatchalian, Christopher Lawrence Go, Risa Hontiveros, Robin Padilla, Bong Revilla, Raffy Tulfo, and Cynthia Villar logged no absences during the past seven months.

“In the Senate, every day is a ‘buckling-down-to-work’ kind of day,”

tor general Suharto Mangudadatu said the SHS graduates would be given the “National Competency Skills” certification, on top of their diploma, to give them a higher chance to get employed.

Rosanna Urdaneta, TESDA deputy director general for Policies and Planning, said Marcos’ directive would be “more advantageous” for SHS students because it will improve their employability.

“For the students, they already have a diploma, they have a national certificate if they need it because there is a problem and they need to work, they can’t go to college right away, they have a national certificate. They can go to a company or an industry, and they will be able to tell that they have com-

The poll body is currently preparing for the May 2025 midterm elections and the December 2025 barangay elections.

Efforts to amend the Charter through a people’s initiative, constitutional convention, or a constituent assembly would culminate in a plebiscite.

Garcia said the poll body can hold the plebiscite together with the May midterm elections with no additional expenses.

It will, however, request additional allowances for teachers who will man the voting precincts.

“We have also designed a sample ballot with a plebiscite question. Our machines can handle a yes or no question on the ballot as well,” he said.

Zubiri on Monday disclosed the President also asked Senator Sonny Angara to look at the legal possibilities to convince the Comelec to add a rider question on the back page of the ballot for the plebiscite.

The House of Representatives said it would adopt the Senate’s Charter change measure – RBH No. 6 – in full and without any changes to dispel doubts on the push to amend restrictive economic pro-

der,” Navotas RTC Branch 286 Presiding Judge Pedro Dabu Jr. said.

Meanwhile, the Baltazar family expressed their grief over the outcome of the case at a press briefing held at the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“We’re expecting a conviction but what happened was the opposite. One policeman was convicted and meted only four years in prison. He will eventually regain his freedom as if my son was not killed,” Jemboy’s mother Rodaliza Baltazar said.

Jemboy’s father, Jessie Baltazar, said the court’s verdict was not commensurate with the crime committed.

“It’s very painful on our part, our family is not happy with the decision. I lost my son, who was helping me earn a living,” he said.

DOJ spokesman Jose Dominic Cla-

munication, but we know that there is a deliberate attempt to prevent them from communicating, ship to ship or on land not only for our communication aboard ship or on land but also cell phones,” he added. Trinidad said the electronic jamming being conducted by China does not cause significant impact in the PN operations, noting that their operations are still ready to be executed and can be done even without communication.

to make his administration a “transformational one” to keep up with the present changes and challenges.

“I am hoping that this administration… I am working very hard to make this administration a transformational one. That means we really need to make a lot of structural changes,” he said.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, who was at the same gath-

Zubiri said.

“In my long years as a public servant, I have learned this one important thing: true leadership starts by showing up for the important work for the people. And here in the Senate, we take that to heart,” he added. The twelve senators have attended a total of 54 session days.

“Public service is a reward in itself, but we go to work knowing that our presence and our voices represent the people’s interests,” Zubiri said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

petencies in this area,” she said.

Urdaneta said a technical working group (TWG) will be created to discuss the “nitty gritty” of the SHS’ curriculum development.

Urdaneta said the TWG will be composed of the TESDA, the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Department of Labor and Employment.

She said there will be a pilot testing of the planned integration of the TVET in the SHS curriculum.

The TWG will then select the regions where the pilot testing will be done, adding some of the factors considered include “poverty incidence and the largeness, mediumness, and smallness of a region.”

visions of the 1987 Constitution.

“To dispel doubts that the efforts of the House of Representatives in pushing for the amendment of the economic provisions of the Constitution are politically motivated, we are adopting all the three proposed amendments of the Senate version of Resolution of Both Houses 6, in toto,” Speaker Martin Romualdez said. The Lower Chamber’s RBH No. 7 is almost an exact reproduction of RBH No. 6, introduced by Zubiri and Senators Loren Legarda and Juan Edgardo Angara in the Senate. They are both entitled “A Resolution of Both Houses of Congress proposing amendments to certain economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, particularly on Articles 12, 14 and 16” which cover public services, education, and the advertising industry. RBH 6, however, is pushing for a separate vote of both chambers of Congress in approving the amendments while RBH 7 is seeking a joint vote.

vano IV said the agency would continue to support the Baltazar family in seeking justice.

Clavano said the prosecutors would be reviewing the decision of the Navotas RTC as instructed by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla for the purpose of filing an appeal.

“Our next step is to file an appeal before the Court of Appeals through the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG),” Clavano said.

The Philippine National Police said Baltazar’s case should serve as a reminder to cops to strictly follow operational procedures.

“We hope this serves as an eye-opener and reminder to the police to adhere to our existing police operational procedure,” PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said.

Trinidad also assured the public that they are imposing and practicing communication protocols to ensure that all information are safe while he cannot confirm if Chinese authorities are able to get vital information through the communication interference.

“There are protocols on how to address that so rest assured that we have been addressing these issues, but we have noted them for the past good number of years,” said Trinidad.

ering, assured local officials that the House of Representatives, carrying out a directive from the President, is supporting local government units (LGUs) with a bigger share of the annual budget.

“The order of our President: do everything that is appropriate and necessary to benefit your communities in the development of the entire country,” Romualdez told the LMP, headed by Mayor Joseph Bernos of La Paz, Abra,

Australian...

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by officers attached to North Shore Police Area Command.”

Australian police do not usually formally identify people accused or alleging crimes. But a law enforcement source and the alleged victim, veteran photographer Ben McDonald, both told AFP the man was Swift’s dad, Scott Swift. Police later said Scott Swift “has left

IN BRIEF

Make home financing easier, Pag-IBIG told

PRESIDENT Marcos asked the Pag-IBIG Fund on Tuesday to make home mortgage financing accessible to address the housing backlog and inspire the public to own a home.

“This is to inspire Filipinos today, and the generations to come, to work hard to reach their goal of a house that they can call their own,” the President said in his speech during the Pag-IBIG Fund Chairman’s Report for the Year 2023.

“With millions of our countrymen denied the right to decent shelter, the stakes could not be higher. So, our task is clear: To build the most number of housing units by any administration,” he added.

The President highlighted the need to translate these gains into tangible results. He pointed to the record-high P126.04 billion in housing loans issued in 2023, which helped over 96,000 members acquire new or improved homes. Charles Dantes

SC fines PAO chief Acosta, lawyer Erfe

THE Supreme Court has penalized lawyer Persida Rueda-Acosta, chief of the Public Attorney’s Office, for indirect contempt of court for violating the Rules of Court.

The court also penalized Acosta for grossly undignified conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice in violation of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA), for her opposition to the proposed new conflict of interest rule for the PAO, which eventually became Section 22, Canon III of the CPRA.

In an en banc decision promulgated on Tuesday, the Supreme Court unanimously voted to cite the PAO chief for indirect contempt of court under Section 3(d), Rule 71 of the Rules of Court and for grossly undignified conduct under Section 33, Canon VI of the CPRA. Rey Requejo

Ex-UN...

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more vital time in history to come together in cooperation, partnership, and solidarity to redouble our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and implement the Paris Climate Change Agreement,” Ban said in his speech before the Senate plenary Tuesday.

Ban served as the UN’s SecretaryGeneral from Jan. 1, 2007 to Dec. 31, 2016. Among his first major initiatives was the 2007 Climate Change Summit, which put the issue on the global agenda.

The Korean dignitary also paid a courtesy call to President Marcos earlier in the day at Malacanang.

Ban, who is in the country until today (Feb. 28), also thanked the government for Senate Resolution 929 and for being the first visiting foreign dignitary to speak before the body.

“This is indeed a profound and unforgettable honor for me personally as well,” Ban said.

On behalf of the Korean people, Ban reiterated the recognition of Filipino troops who were sent to help in the Korean war in the 1950s under the banner of the UN.

at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City. The conference focuses on the theme, “Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs’) Localization: Pathway to Sustainable Municipal Development.”

SDG is a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations member countries, which provide a roadmap on how to transform our planet where everyone can live in peace, prosperity, and dignity.

the country” but said inquiries were continuing.

McDonald said he had been photographing the US pop icon on a “super yacht” in Sydney Harbor, an apparent celebration after the last of her four sellout gigs in the city.

McDonald alleges Swift’s security detail put an umbrella in his face to prevent him from taking photographs as the singing star was walking down the jetty to a waiting vehicle.

After Swift departed, McDonald claimed a man confronted him and “took it further.”

DA chief creates panel to investigate ‘collusion’ between NFA, rice traders

By Othel V. Campos

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) will look into possible collusion between the National Food Authority (NFA) and some traders who sold thousands of metric tons of affordable rice at prices disadvantageous to the government.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) maintained that distributing cash grants is more practical and efficient that giving bags of rice worth P600 per month to Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco

By Rey E. Requejo

in 2015. The mall operator appealed its case in 2021 citing pandemic-induced business losses.

Citysuper offered to settle its tax obligations subject to the approval of the SC for P600 million. It also filed a motion to reconsider the 2021 decision and manifested its desire to enter into a compromise agreement with BIR that was accomplished in 2022.

The agreement noted that Citysuper, which “operates under the commercial name of Landmark Trinoma,” has paid the P600 million tax deficiencies including P10.2 million in documentary stamp tax. The company is engaged in selling various products through groceries and department stores.

DAR

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has recently distributed 12.5 hectares of agricultural lands to five agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Sultan Kudarat, Soccsksargen in Mindanao , plus free agrarian legal aid if need be.

The distributed lands covering properties from the town of Bagumbayan were implemented under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project involving the parcelization of lands and issuance of individual land titles to previously awarded lands through collective certificates of landownership award.

The legal support dubbed Agraryo Abogado Todo Serbisyo sa Benepisyaryo was a free legal assistance

GOOD GOVERNANCE ADVOCATES.

Officials of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, an organization seeking to promote good governance and transparency, flash the V-sign following their oath-taking in Imus, Cavite. In

PFP

Tiu Laurel has created a panel to conduct the investigation, particularly on charges that the NFA agreed to sell milled rice at P25 a kilo without prior bidding.

“We do not brush aside reports of impropriety against officials of the Department of Agriculture, regardless

of the source. We also welcome any government agency who may wish to conduct their own probe to ferret out the truth,” Laurel said.

The NFA reportedly purchased the palay from farmers at P23 per kilo.

“We are custodians of government funds—monies to be spent for the benefit of Filipinos, especially farmers and fisherfolk. Taxpayers’ money shouldn’t be squandered to line anybody’s pockets,” Laurel added.

The DA chief noted that farmers and fishermen have been a neglected sector, while some officials tasked to look after their welfare have been focusing instead on enriching themselves.

The DA stressed that the harshest measure should be inflicted on people, groups and organizations, who profit at

the expense of farmers and fisherfolk , as well as the Filipino consumers.

“After discussion with the Department of Agriculture, we made it clear to them that this is not feasible because of the logistical requirements which may not be convenient with the beneficiaries,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez told reporters during a news forum dubbed Traditional Media Service.

DA officials have proposed to President Marcos to actually give away rice to be supplied by the NFA instead of the P600-rice subsidy for 4Ps beneficiaries into rice to be supplied by the National Food Authority (NFA), saying the scheme would “ease the price pressures of the market in terms of buying high-price rice.”

board members Sebastian Ric Nagas, Joseph Joey Yuipco, Cacel Azarcon, Joshua Emilio Geli, Jose Expeditus Bayana, Joel Tinio ,and Allan Turtur.

Solons cite need to fully study implications of wage hikes

By Maricel V. Cruz and Rio N. Araja

LAWMAKERS have cited the need for thorough deliberations on the wage hike bills filed at the House of Representatives “to ensure fair and balanced regulations that consider the interests of all parties involved, including the country’s economic growth.”

In a related development, Commission on Human Rights (CHR) welcomed the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board’s (RT-

for DAR certifications, deed of conveyance and affidavits, land clearance and transfer action requirements, free consultation for the execution of leasehold contracts, and land tenure improvement, condonation response desk, orientation on the rights of ARB organizations, support services as well as their products.

The undertakings were DAR’s participation in Sultan Kudarat’s Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair as part of its commitment to advancing agrarian reform in the Philippines, in partnership with the provincial government of the province.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez spearheaded the event. Rio N. Araja

WPB) proposal to raise the minimum monthly wage for household workers in Central Visayas.

The legislators led by Rizal Rep. Juan Fidel Felipe Nograles, chair of the House Committee on Labor, said his panel has scheduled discussions of two important segments of the wage hike measures on Wednesday.

One bill proposes P150 to P350 wage increase, while the other bill seeks to institutionalize a P750across-the-board adjustment in the salary rates of workers in the private

sector. “We are also set to review measures seeking to amend Articles 121 to 127 of the Labor Code of the Philippines,” Nograles disclosed. He added that he feels no pressure in spite of the Senate’s call for the House to act on the wage hike proposals. He said they were instructed by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez to conduct a comprehensive study of the wage hike proposals, including the inflationary effects of each measure.

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE government has allocated a significant increase in funding for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) for the year 2024, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Under the 2024 General Appropriations Act, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will receive P106.335 billion to support the program, which aims to assist over 4.4 million lowincome families across the country.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the P106.335 billion earmarked for the 4Ps is larger compared to the P102.610 billion under the 2023 national budget.

This year’s appropriation covers health subsidies amounting to P750 per month and P600 per month as rice subsidies for 4.4 million households. It also covers educational subsidies ranging from P300P700 per month for over seven million students.

“This significant funding will greatly benefit millions of our kababayans who are in dire need. As directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., we will ensure that 4Ps under the Bagong Pilipinas will be provided with needed funding support as this program serves as a lifeline that bridges dreams to reality for many Filipinos,” Pangandaman said.

During his State of the Nation Address (SONA), the President directed the DSWD to ensure that only qualified families are included in the 4Ps program.

Additionally, the President enunciated various pro-people initiatives including strengthening assistance programs and ensuring sufficient budget for vulnerable sectors.

CHR scores PNP over ‘planting’ of gun on woman

THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Tuesday flagged the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies, saying the United Nations is constantly calling upon the Philippines to fulfil its human rights mandate.

In a statement, the CHR cited the United Nations’ subcommittee on the prevention of torture to be responsive to its obligations under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

“This Protocol stresses the primary responsibility of the State to continue the guarantee of one’s full respect for their human rights, including those of the persons deprived of liberty,” the statement read.

The CHR also responded to the call of Kapatid, a support organization of families and friends of political prisoners in the Philippines, to investigate the alleged planting of a gun on the wife of a political prisoner Pertinisa Jereula Charita during a jail visit in Negros province.

Charita was arrested on Feb. 13 for alleged possession of a .22 caliber pistol inside her bag during a search procedure by a jail guard.

Accompanied by her children and grandchildren, the woman was visiting her husband, Leon Charita, who was observing his birthday. Rio N. Araja

By Vito Barcelo

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed the construction of a P70-million slope protection project in Barangay Pit-ao, San Clemente, Tarlac, to protect residents in the area from floods during heavy rains.

DPWH Region III director Roseller Tolentino said the completed project was a 982-linear meter slope protection consisting of a steel sheet pile foundation capable of shielding the vast plantation of corn, palay, and other root crops in the area from severe flooding brought by the over-

flowing of Batacan River.

The project also involves a 9.10-meter-wide access road that provides residents a safer pathway to reach farms and nearby establishments in Barangay Pit-ao.

“As a result of the completion of dike road, widespread flooding will be prevented and will also facilitate better mobility for the locals,” Tolentino said. The P70.2 million slope protection in Barangay Pit-ao, San Clemente, Tarlac was implemented by DPWH Tarlac 1st Disrict Engineering Office under the Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Alleviating Gaps and was funded under the General Appropriations Act of 2023.

OATHTAKING. Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez administers the oath to Surigao provincial officials as new members of Lakas-CMD party during a call on him at the House of Representatives on Monday. The new Lakas members include councilors Juan Fernando Larong and Kent Yuipco, and town officials of the Malimono led by Mayor Wallace Sinaga,

FIREMEN ON A WALL. While seated on a wall, firemen battle a conflagration that razed some 100 homes along Cardiz St. in Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City. Manny Palmero

photo are (second from right)

Cavite chairman Tom Durias, Calabarzon chairman Eros San Juan, Imus Chapter chairperson Nancy Navia (second from left) and PFP-Imus Chapter president Mike Platon, Andrei Padilla, and Len Gregorio.

Senate issues subpoenas vs. two suspects in Camilon case

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Senate on Tuesday subpoenaed

P/Maj. Allan de Castro and his driverbodyguard Jeffrey Magpantay in connection with the disappearance of beauty queen Catherine Camilon.

Senator Ronald Bato Dela Rosa, chairperson of the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Committee rejected the alibi of de Castro for his failure to attend yesterday’s hearing.

In a letter sent to Dela Rosa’s committee and the Justice and Human Rights committee chaired by Senator Francis Tolentino, de Castro said he could not attend the hearing because his pregnant wife has been suffering from pains.

“You should come here. Your wife being pregnant is not a reason,” stressed Dela Rosa as he recalled that de Castro was not around when his wife gave birth to their three children.

The Senate committees are looking into the case of Camilon who has remained missing since Oct. 12, 2023.

De Castro, who was dismissed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) from service, was tagged as a lover of Camilon.

Magpantay meanwhile said his lawyer wasn’t feeling well, but he promised to appear in the next hearing.

Dela Rosa warned de Castro and Magpantay to just wait for a subpoena, warning that if they fail to attend the next hearing, warrants of arrest will be issued.

Senator Raffy Tulfo said the dismissal of de Castro from the PNP has been affecting the investigation of his case.

Without the dismissal, he said the PNP can hold de Castro while the investigation is ongoing and evidence is being gathered.

But P/BGen. Paul Kenneth Lucas clarified that de Castro was not dismissed for the criminal case involving the missing beauty queen which he denied, but for his extramarital affairs.

Coca-Cola eyes $1b investment to expand in PH

By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) said Tuesday it will invest $1 billion in the Philippines over the next five years as it sees opportunities in the domestic market to increase its operations.

TCCC, which was recently acquired by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Plc (CCEP) and Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV), in a statement said their top officials made in a courtesy call last Feb. 26 to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at Malacañang and made the announcement.

CCEP chairperson Sol Daurella Comadrán expressed confidence in the country’s business climate and also reported plans to build a new manufacturing plant in Tarlac.

Comadrán said the expansion plans will be well-supported by Coca Cola’s already substantial workforce that operates in the Philippines.

“We generate 100,000 plus (employees) throughout the distribution, through our supplies… And we’re very enthusiastic and we see, we need to invest in the Philippines, invest to grow the business. And in the next five years, we’re planning for US$1 billion investment, and in fact, we’ve even doing a new plant, which we are building in Tarlac,” Comadrán said during the meeting with President Marcos.

Quiboloy is still in the country, not in hiding, legal counsel says

PASTOR Apollo Quiboloy is still in the Philippines and not in hiding, his legal counsel Ferdinand Topacio said.

Topacio, in an interview, also said Quiboloy “is just taking precautions to ensure his safety.”

The controversial religious leader faces a Senate inquiry into his alleged sexual abuses against Kingdom of Jesus Christ members and a House probe into alleged franchise violations of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), a

media outlet associated with him.

When asked about the pastor’s unfounded claims of threats to his life and other allegations, Topacio said these were “borne out by recent events,” citing the suspension of SMNI’s license and the congressional hearings.

The Department of Justice (DOJ said Monday that there has been no request from the US government for Quiboloy’s extradition, which, in any case would need to pass through several layers of the bureaucracy.

Topacio did not provide or cite evidence to Quiboloy’s claims, saying “clandestine operations rarely have any evidence but it can be inferred from the pattern.”

Topacio also said in the interview that Quiboloy’s legal team will meet on Tuesday to consult the pastor about their next legal move. Senator Risa Hontiveros, who leads the Senate probe into Quiboloy, has warned that the religious leader risks arrest if he still does not physically attend the next hearing set on March 5

Topacio said that the law does not grant absolute power to any Senate committee to issue a subpoena Hontiverosearlierurged Quiboloytoface the Senate investigation and reminded him “that no one was above the law.”

Hontiveros, who leads the Senate investigation into the matter, told Qui-

boloy that the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality had the power to compel the attendance of witnesses “no matter how well-connected they are.”

“In the past, Cabinet officials, lawmakers, an incumbent Senate President, and even a former President have submitted to Senate subpoenas and appeared as witnesses. His constitutional rights, like all witnesses, are respected. Pero hindi siya mataas pa sa presidente, sa Senado, at sa batas (But he is not above the president, the Senate, and the law),” Hontiveros said in a statement.

The subpoena issued against Quiboloy was formally served last week.

Palace axes assistant solicitor over sexual harassment raps

MALACAÑANG has reportedly fired an assistant solicitor general (ASG) over sexual harassment charges. Sources also said that an officer-incharge (OIC) has already been appointed to the vacated post in the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).

ASG Derek Puertollano, who is a career official, was reportedly dismissed over administrative charges of sexual harassment prompted by his legal interns.

Puertollano is said to be appealing the decision, but Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra has already appointed an OIC to the vacated legal division.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, quoted by reports, said: “These harrowing

Binay hails students competing in world robotics tilt

By Joel E. Zurbano

MAYOR Abigail Binay congratulated the robotics team of Makati High School, Makatrix, for winning the 2024 VEX Robotics Competition Philippine National Championship held at Xavier School in San Juan City last Feb. 24.

As representatives of the Philippines, the Makati High School team will participate in the 2024 VEX Robotics World Championship at the Kay Bailey Hutc hinson Convention Center in Dallas, Texas from April 25 to May 3, 2024.

“Makati City is immensely proud of the Makati High School robotics team, Makatrix. You will be representing not only the Philippines, but also our city’s outstanding support for co-curricular and extracurricular activities in technology and innovation,” said Binay.

The Makatrix robotics team, consisting of four Grade 12 Makati High School students specializing in ICT (information and communications technology), will compete in the Over Under Division for students in Grades 6 to 12.

The students—John Ashley Alvarado,

Enriquito Yamzon, Brian Bernabe, and Fritz Rivera—will compete against 11,500 teams from 40 countries in over 750 tournaments. They will be accompanied by their Robotics coach, Zernie Pugao. The VEX Robotics World Championship aims to develop the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills of students from diverse backgrounds through innovative technologies that encourage technical abilities in programming, critical thinking, and soft skills such as teamwork, collaboration, communication, and time management.

Solon welcomes PBBM support on bike taxis

By Maricel V. Cruz

ONE of the proponents of the measure endorsing the use of motorcycle taxis welcomed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s instruction to Congress to prioritize its passage in a bid to ease the burden of commuters.

“With this prioritization by no less than our President, and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, we are hopeful, I think, sometime in the next few weeks, we’ll already be having our fourth technical working group meeting perhaps,” 1-Rider party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez told reporters in a briefing. Gutierrez is a co-author of his colleague, of 1-Rider party-list Rep. Bonficio Bosita, of House Bill (HB) 3412.

“Hopefully in the next few months the House version would be done. And we have good expectation on this that even the

DOTr-TWG will come up with results,” the Assistant Minority Leader said, noting that nothing fruitful was reached in their last three TWG meetings.

“Definitely, I think, if the priority is granted to this bill, hopefully before SONA (state of the nation address) this bill be done, at the very least I would say,” Gutierrez said. “That’s based on just our assumption—just to be clear this is our personal assumption.”

“Definitely, this has already been fasttracked given that prioritization by the President and the Speaker,” he added. Romualdez notified House members over the weekend about the directive of the President to expedite measures that will help mitigate the daily burden of commuters in public transport, like the proposal to utilize motorcycle taxis.

incidents left complainants traumatized, scarring them both for life.”

Bersamin said Puertollano is also “administratively liable for the grave offense of sexual harassment” through unwanted touching of the private part of the body, and the less grave offenses of sexual harassment through unwanted touching or brushing against a victim’s body, and through surreptitiously looking at a person’s private part.

Sources from OSG confirmed to the Standard that Puertollano was sacked by the Office of the President per a decision promulgated last Feb. 22.

The investigation was done by OSG, and subsequently submitted its report to OP, a source added.

Adiong: Marawi siege unlikely under Marcos

REP. Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur A said that a repeat of a Marawi Siege-like attack in Mindanao is highly unlikely under the present administration.

Adiong said stakeholders in the security of Mindanao—security forces, local governments and the community—are working hand-in-hand under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. against all remnants of violent extremism.

“With the support of the LGUs, we’ve seen how we were able to liberate Marawi City. And I don’t see any reason why the same problem again may pop up in the future,” Adiong, the chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Marawi Rehabilitation and Victims Compensation, told reporters during the regular press conference in the House of Representatives.

Adiong made the statement amid reports of a clash between elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and members of the Daulah IslamiyahMaute Group in Munai, Lanao del Norte last Feb. 16 that left six soldiers dead and four wounded.

Adiong said this may be an isolated incident, as everywhere else in Mindanao is relatively peaceful.

“(If) you go anywhere in Mindanao, all areas in Mindanao, okay naman (its good) … relatively peaceful,” Adiong said. Maricel V. Cruz

BACK IN BUSINESS. Water activities are now allowed at the shores of Pola, Mindoro. The local government has lifted the state of calamity in the area after a year of clean-up due to the 2023 oil spill. Norman Cruz

SENATE HEARING. Family members of missing beauty queen Catherine Camilon take an oath at the Senate public hearing conducted to investigate Camilon’s disappearance. Lino Santos

Pop Goes The World

Jenny Ortuoste

National Artists grace 41st MCC-NBDB National Book Awards

WARMEST congratulations to the winners and finalists of the 41st National Book Awards held Feb. 24 at the Areté, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City.

One multi-awarded writer present described it as a “star-studded” night.

Among those whose glittering attendance illumined the event were National Artist for Literature Gémino Abad, National Artist for Music Ramon Santos, and National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee.

Also present was Dr Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, who has been nominated for the NA distinction, and is considered the country’s pioneering writer of creative non-fiction.

The highlight of the evening was the lifetime achievement award given to Dr Isagani R. Cruz, a founding member of the Manila Critics Circle.

—“—

This year’s NBA is also a call for writers, publishers, and other stakeholders in the book sector and creative industries

Educator, writer, critic, and establisher of literary organizations that have stood over time, Cruz’s achievements resound throughout the industry and constitute a worthy legacy of an illustrious career.

Among the night’s winners were Glenn Diaz, whose ‘Yñiga: A Novel’ won the Best Novel in English prize, and RM Topacio-Aplaon, whose ‘El Arbol de Alegria: Southern Quartet I’ took the Best Novel in Filipino award.

The latter was published by Isang Balangay Media Productions of Ronald Verzo, an up-and-coming young press with quite a few finalists this year, while the former was released by the Ateneo de Manila University Press now under Dr Rica Bolipata-Santos, which took the Publisher of the Year award for the sixth year in a row for having the most finalists and winners.

This NBA cycle’s winning poets were Arlene J. Yandug for ‘Coming Home to the Island: Poems’ (Xavier University Press), Miguel Paolo Celestial for ‘Sa Ika-Ilang Sirkulo ng Impyerno’ (Isang Balangay), and Adonis Durado for ‘Ang Nakayatak kay Nayatakan: Who Steps On is Stepped Upon’ (University of the Philippines [UP] Press).

Stepping up more than once to the stage was Dr Chuckberry Pascual, an associate professor of the University of Santo Tomas. Pascual won for Best Translated Book in Filipino (Miguel Syjuco’s ‘Ilustrado’,

Citizen Barok

UST Publishing House), and for Best Anthology in Filipino as co-editor along with Dr Rolando Tolentino of Plus/+ at Iba Plus, Maramihan: New Philippine Non-Fiction on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identities, Ateneo de Manila University Press.

Another winner from UST was Dr Alexandra Iñigo-Chua, editor of the Best Book of Art (‘Julio Nakpil (1867-1960) Collected Works Vol. 1’, UST Publishing House, led by its Director Benedict Parfan and Deputy Director Paul A. Castillo).

Another Thomasian, Alice M. SunCua, MD, won in the Best Translated Book in Hiligaynon category for her translation from Spanish to Hiligaynon of Spanish author Carmen Laforet’s novel ‘Nada.’

Sun-Cua is considered among the country’s foremost translators of works in Spanish. She took her degree in medicine at UST.

Finalists from UST were Dr John Jack Wigley, for his translation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’ (Lampara Books); Dr Joyce Arriola, editor of ‘Himaya: Panitikan ng Pagbabanyuhay’ (National Commission for Culture and the Arts) in the Best Anthology in Filipino category; and Dr Joselito delos Reyes, co-editor along with Dr Rolando Tolentino and Ferdinand Pisigan Jarin of ‘The Lives of a Filipino High School Student’ (UST Press) in the Best Anthology in English category.

The NBA event, founded by the Manila Critics Circle (MCC) and administered and supported logistically and in many other ways by the National Book Development Board, annually “honors the best books written, designed, and published in the Philippines. This cycle highlights titles published in 2022,” according to the NBDB.

The MCC’s members are Dean Francis Alfar, Shirley O. Lua, Michael M. Coroza, Alma-Anonas-Carpio, Antonio Gabriel La Viña, and Jenny Ortuoste.

This year’s NBA is also a call for writers, publishers, and other stakeholders in the book sector and creative industries to cooperate with and participate in the NBDB’s ongoing preparations for the country’s 2025 Guest of Honor stint at the Frankfurt Buchmesse (Bookfair), the world’s largest.

NBDB Chair Dante Ang II said of this: “More than a local readership, all of our winning books should be given a platform to be read by readers around the world. [At the Buchmesse], we will elevate the task of redefining our aspirations as Filipinos beyond our waters.”

NBDB Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade spoke of the “complexity and diversity of our relatively young but fast-growing book publishing industry. This is what we bring to the Frankfurt Book Fair next year.”

Find the entire list of winners at the NBDB Facebook page.

* * * FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO / Email: writerjennyo@gmail.com

Louis ‘Barok’ Biraogo

Duterte’s u-turns throws Filipinos in limbo

IN THE deafening arena of Philippine politics, where alliances shift like sand in a storm, former President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent somersaults regarding President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have left the nation reeling.

From venomous accusations to saccharine praise, Duterte’s narrative spin during the recent prayer rally in Cebu City paints a vivid picture of political opportunism at its most brazen.

At the heart of this dizzying flip-flop lies Duterte’s mercurial stance on Charter Change (Cha Cha). His about-face from staunch opposition to a tepid acceptance, contingent upon Marcos Jr.’s commitment to a single term, epitomizes the precariousness of political promises.

Duterte’s call for unity under the auspices of Cha Cha is a siren song to a nation weary of division, yet his conditional support hangs by a thread, subject to the whims of power and personalities.

Duterte’s admonition for Marcos Jr. to tread cautiously, lest he follow in his father’s authoritarian footsteps, rings hollow against the backdrop of Duterte’s own flirtation with authoritarianism. His veiled threats against those who dare challenge his policies, particularly regarding the ICC probe into his drug war, paint a chilling portrait of a leader unwill-

ing to be held accountable for his actions. But perhaps most disconcerting is Duterte’s exhortation for Filipinos to place their faith in the Constitution, even as he wields it as a weapon of convenience.

—“—

It is time for Duterte to rise above the petty squabbles of the political arena and embrace the mantle of leadership with sincerity and conviction

His insistence on adherence to its provisions, while simultaneously advocating its manipulation to suit his political agenda, undermines the very foundation of democratic governance. In this precarious dance of power and

EDITORIAL

Frightening forecast

WE HEARD the Climate Change Commission loud and clear when it urged Filipinos to take proactive measures against an increased El Niño activity.

This chased the forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (PAGASA) of an increase in the number of provinces to be affected by the El Niño phenomenon.

From 41 provinces that experienced adverse effects in January, the number is projected to reach 51 by the end of February.

According to PAGASA, Metro Manila and 23 other provinces may experience drought by the end of the month. These provinces are Abra, Apayao, Aurora, Bataan, Benguet, Cagayan, Cavite, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Kalinga, La Union, Mountain Province, Negros Occidental, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Pangasinan, Quirino, Rizal and Zambales.

Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall leading to a shortage of water and is a slow-onset disaster characterized by the lack of precipitation, resulting in a water shortage.

About Town

Drought can have a serious impact on health, agriculture, economies, energy and the environment.

We have no immediate figures how many Filipinos in this land of 114 million people will be affected by El Niño but an estimated 55 million people globally are affected by droughts every year, and they are the most serious hazard to livestock and crops in nearly every part of the world.

—“—

The CCC, in cooperation with other national government agencies, has developed policies and strategies that will prepare the nation for climate change impacts and disasters

Drought threatens people’s livelihoods, increases the risk of disease and death, and fuels mass migration while water scarcity impacts 40 percent of the world’s population, and as many as 700 million people are at-risk of being displaced as a result of drought by 2030.

Ernesto M. Hilario

ECONOMIC development entails not just maintaining robust macroeconomic fundamentals and sound fiscal management to foster consumer and investor confidence.

As the Philippine Development Plan for 2023-2038 points out, it also means engaging meaningfully with various sectors to deliver the needed interventions, including efficient social protection programs.

Ample proof that the Marcos Jr. administration is addressing the urgent needs of various sectors is the signing into law of two key measures just this week.

One seeks to protect the interests of local entrepreneurs promoting Philippinemade products, while the other wants to uplift the welfare of the elderly.

Republic Act 11981, or the Tatak Pinoy Act, had been in the legislative pipeline for many years.

It seeks to boost the sales of Filipinomade products and services. While the new law is seen as a game changer for local products, particularly farm produce, it has yet to allocate funds for the incipient Tatak Pinoy Council that it created.

The council will work with the private sector in promoting local products and crafting policies and programs to diversify local products and services.

On the other hand, Republic Act 11983 grants cash gifts of P10,000 for Filipinos when they turn 80, 85, 90 and 95 years old. It also creates an Elderly Data Management System.

The measure will expand the coverage of RA 10868, or the Centenarians Act, which provides a cash gift of P100,000 for Filipinos who reach the age of 100.

Earlier, reports indicated the Chief Executive was also due to sign the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers last Monday.

But the approval of the bill has been deferred pending further study, according to the Presidential Communications Office headed by Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil.

The bill is expected to be signed soon after languishing in the legislative mill for

Such opportunism breeds cynicism and discord, sowing the seeds of division in an already fractured nation. Now, more than ever, the Filipino people yearn for sincerity and steadfastness from their leaders.

They crave a unifying vision that transcends petty politics and personal vendettas. They demand a commitment to the

Rising temperatures caused by climate change are making already dry regions drier and wet regions wetter.

In dry regions, as in some parts of the Philippines, this means that when temperatures rise, water evaporates more quickly, and thus increases the risk of drought or prolongs periods of drought.

Between 80-90 percent of all documented disasters from natural hazards during the past 10 years have resulted from floods, droughts, tropical cyclones, heat waves and severe storms.

The Philippines, in particular, is currently experiencing extreme drought, one of the slow-onset effects of climate change, along with other climate impact-drivers: rising sea levels, increasing precipitation, and intensifying wind patterns and tropical cyclones.

“The recurrence of the El Niño phenomenon calls for the implementation of both short and long-term solutions to ensure food, water and energy security, safeguard livelihoods, and improve the country’s disaster and climate resilience,” said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in signing the Executive Order 53 or the reactivation and reconstitution of Task Force El Niño.

The CCC, in cooperation with other national government agencies, has developed policies and strategies that will prepare the nation for climate change impacts and disasters. That should give us a buoyant feeling despite the heat.

Socio-economic reforms just as vital

more than a decade. This comes after the European Maritime Safety Agency flagged the country for not aligning maritime safety and education with international standards.

The proposed law seeks to resolve frequent disputes between shipping companies and seafarers seeking disability claims through the execution of bonds, which will only be required for disputed portions of an award.

The Marcos Jr. administration is also working to reform the health sector and make it more responsive to the country’s health needs and problems.

—“—

More than 300 nursing students have been hired under the program, which started late last year

One of the more pressing problems of the health sector at present is the shortage of nurses. The Department of Health reported last year that in 2022, the Philippines was short of more than 106,000 nurses.

The Private Sector Advisory Council has stepped in to help the government cope with the problem by hiring more nursing students as clinical care associates in hospitals through an upskilling program. This would help them qualify for a job even if they have yet to pass the nursing licensure exam.

More than 300 nursing students have

greater good, untainted by self-interest or ambition. It is time for Duterte to rise above the petty squabbles of the political arena and embrace the mantle of leadership with sincerity and conviction. He must heed the call for unity, setting aside his personal grievances in service of the nation. He must lead by example, demonstrating a steadfast dedication to the principles of democracy and the rule of law. As the phantom of Cha Cha looms large over the Philippine political landscape, Duterte must choose his path wisely. He must eschew the allure of expedi-

been hired under the program, which started late last year.

The nursing upskilling program will allow students to be certified by the Commission on Higher Education to work as clinical care associates. Under a joint administrative order signed in July 2023 by the Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Health, nursing students who have undergone upskilling will be employed under a one-year contract to perform important non-core functions.

The DOH also will provide coaching and mentoring to help the hired students pass the licensure exam.

These students are also entitled to attend review classes for free at CHEd-certified schools.

Those who fail the exams may still be rehired under a new contract.

This year, CHEd has allocated P20 million for the nursing board exam review of 1,000 clinical care associates.

The recruitment of potential clinical care associates who would take the November 2024 exams is ongoing to fill the 1,000 slots opened by CHEd.

Still another positive development in strengthening our health sector is the forging of bilateral labor agreements with other nations. Among them is the pilot memorandum of understanding with Austria forged through the Department of Migrant Workers and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Under the agreement, the Austrian government will provide our health sector with scholarships and faculty support as well as finance an adopt-a-school or hospital scheme. Addressing the needs of various sectors one step at a time will no doubt strengthen the fabric of Philippine society and enhance social cohesion vital to political stability and sustained economic growth in the years ahead.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

ency in favor of the enduring values of integrity and honor. He must stand firm in defense of Constitutionalism, not as a tool of manipulation, but as a beacon of hope for a nation in need of guidance.

In the twilight hours of his political career, Duterte has the opportunity to leave a legacy of unity and purpose. Let him seize this moment, not as a politician seeking to preserve his own power, but as a leader devoted to the welfare of the Filipino people and the future of their nation. The time for flip-flopping is over. The time for sincerity and firmness is now.

RCBC’s income hit all-time high of P12.2b in 2023

By Jenniffer B. Austria

RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) of the Yuchengo Group saw its net income hit an all-time high of P12.22 billion in 2023, fueled by double-

RCBC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Tuesday customer loans rose 15 percent year-on-year, faster than the industry average, while CASA (current account saving account) deposits increased by 19 percent, also outpacing the industry’s 3-percent growth.

RCBC said it solidified its position as the fifth largest private bank in the country with its total assets of over P1.2 trillion.

Customer loans reached P622 billion year-on-year, led by a solid 29-percent increase in consumer loans, primarily credit cards and housing.

The bank also saw significant success in data-driven acquisition campaigns, with credit cards consistently outperforming industry in both balances and billings with 48 percent and 45 percent growth, respectively.

Housing loans recorded the highest bookings to date, boosting the portfolio by 22 percent from previous year.

Total deposits reached P957 billion, boosted by the increase in CASA across all segments. The bank’s cash management and payroll solutions,

alongside extensive business relationships, provided the double-digit uplift in low-cost CASA deposits.

“RCBC saw another breakthrough year in our financial performance, complemented with more recognitions in digital banking and customer service,” RCBC president and chief executive Eugene Acevedo said.

“We will intensify the use of AI and data science across the bank to guide our product innovation and exceptional service delivery,” he said.

Capital rose 31 percent versus previous year on the back of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp.’s infusion in July 2023, with both capital adequacy ratio (CAR) and common equity tier 1 (CET1) ratios remaining above regulatory requirements at 17.37 percent and 14.69 percent, respectively.

The bank’s gross non-performing loans remained low at 3.34 percent, an improvement from last year’s 3.75 percent.

RCBC had a total consolidated network of 458 branches, 1,460 automated teller machines and 5,779 ATM Go terminals strategically located nationwide as of end-2023.

PH stocks down, take cue from Wall Street’s decline

LOCAL shares fell for the second day following the decline in US stocks.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index lost 30.82 points, or 0.45 percent, to close at 6,860.67, while the broader all-shares index declined 17.40 points, or 0.48 percent, to settle at 3,583.09. Philstocks Financial Inc. research head said Japhet Tantiangco said investors continued to take profits amid lack of fresh positive catalysts.

“The local bourse also took cues from Wall Street’s overnight decline wherein investors took a cautious stance while waiting for US economic data, including the January per-

sonal consumption expenditure price index,” Tantiangco said. Despite the market’s decline, foreign investors were net buyers by P77.08 million, and the market value turnover improved to P5.21 billion. Meanwhile, Asian markets were mostly muted Tuesday after recordsetting gains last week, with traders eyeing the release of US economic data this week that could offer a better sense of when the Federal Reserve may start cutting rates. Last week’s rallies—including an alltime record close for Tokyo’s benchmark index—were fueled by solid earnings from US chip titan Nvidia, a bellwether for artificial intelligence.

acted rates in the Alabang area.

“The new leases that we have in 2024 have been encouraging and we are optimistic that leasing activities will improve further in the second half of the year,” said FILRT president and chief executive Maricel Brion-Lirio.

“Despite some challenges in the market conditions, we remain committed to expanding our portfolio and steadfast in our goal to significantly increase dividends for our shareholders in the long term,” she said.

FILRT said that in terms of tenant retention, 31,835 sq, m. or 77 percent of 41,110 square meters of expiring leases in 2023 were renewed.

FILRT has been diversifying its tenant mix with the addition of traditional tenants and co-working locators as part of its strategies. Jenniffer B. Austria

By Darwin G. Amojelar

GLOBE Telecom Inc. teamed up with Meta to improve the quality of voice and video calls on applications like Messenger in the country.

Globe said that by ensuring that the app and its network are aligned to meet the expected quality of user experience, the collaboration improved real-time communication (RTC) on voice and video calls for its users.

Globe said messenger call quality saw a remarkable 22-percent improvement, with a 10-percent increase

in bitrate and a 23-percent reduction in round-trip time (RTT).

“This marks a milestone in enhancing mobile user experience in the Philippines. We’re happy with the remarkable improvement in our real-time communication services, reflecting our commitment to innovative customer solutions,” Globe head of consumer mobile business Darius Delgado said.

Globe Telecom senior vice president and head of network planning and engineering Joel Agustin said the collaboration allows the company to

deploy advanced solutions for an unparalleled real-time experience in the Philippines and showcases our dedication to elevating service quality and improving user experience.

Meanwhile, Globe, Singtel, AIS, HKT, Optus, Taiwan Mobile and Telkomse formed an alliance to launch a first-of-its-kind cross-border rewards program aimed at delivering greater value to eligible customers when they travel to Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia, Taiwan or Indonesia where the telcos are respectively based.

But US markets fell on Monday, and Asian equities started this week with a “more cautious demeanor”, Stephen Innes, managing partner of SPI Asset Management, said in a note. “This subdued tone suggests a moderation in investor sentiment following the recent tech-driven buying spree,” he said. Investors were looking ahead to the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation, the US Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) price index due Thursday, as well as comments from several Fed officials on Wednesday and Friday, which Innes said could supply insights into the central bank’s rate cut outlook. Jenniffer B. Austria with AFP

By Othel V. Campos

DUBAI-BASED DP World plans to expand its logistics footprint in the Philippines and mulls establishing an industrial park, after a meeting with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) at the sidelines of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) 13th Ministerial Conference in the United Arab Emirates.

“We see significant economic potential in collaborating with DP World to develop the Philippines’ logistics sector, including industrial parks, economic zones, and digital solutions. We are committed to fostering an environment that encour-

ages such partnerships by creating policies that promote sustainable development, foreign investment, and innovation in the logistics sector,” said Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual. DP World senior officials said the global logistics giant has standing logistics business in the Philippines that perfectly aligns with the country’s vision of becoming Asia’s next logistics hub.

The UAE company recently disclosed possible investments of P1.8 billion for a second barge terminal in Mindanao to facilitate the end-to-end logistics needs of exporters within the economic zones in the island.

By Alena Mae S. Flores

POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) asked the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to act on its joint pleading with First Gen Corp. to allow the recovery of imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) costs as it will have an impact on electricity rates and power supply.

Meralco senior vice president and head of regulatory management Jose Ronald Valles said they sought guidance from the ERC to approve First Gen’s LNG pass-on cost after it went through the validation process.

First Gen informed Meralco that if it could not commit payment of the full LNG costs, it could not place order for fuel from its supplier.

He said that as a consequence, First Gen would have to utilize liquid fuel or in the worst case, implement a plant shutdown, resulting to in a loss of 1,500 megawatts from the grid during the critical dry months.

“Shutdown has never been our option. It is always the last resort. Shutting down the First Gas plants, that’s not an option...We have proven time and again that it’s economically more expensive to the consumers if there is no electricity,” Valles said. Valles expressed hope the ERC would respond soon as it takes time for First Gen to order LNG.

RIGHT OF WAY. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) coordinates with the local government unit of Parañaque City to accelerate the completion of the P873billion North South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project from Clark to Calamba, Laguna. DOTr Undersecretary for railways Jeremy Regino (right) briefs Parañaque Mayor Eric Olivarez (center) and Rep. Edwin Olivarez (left) on the project’s progress, seeking their support for right-of-way acquisition and relocation of informal settlers to ensure the timely completion of the NSCR.

ChinaBank’s profit climbed 12% to record P22b in 2023

By Jenniffer B. Austria

CHINA Banking Corp. (Chinabank) said Tuesday its net income soared to a record P22 billion in 2023, up 12 percent from the 2022 level, led by higher core business revenues.

This translated into a return on equity of 15.5 percent and return on assets of 1.6 percent.

“Our strong growth in 2023 solidifies our position as one of the top four banks in the country,” Chinabank president and chief executive Romeo Uyan Jr. said.

“We remain focused on executing our business strategies while leveraging our investments in digitalization to deliver better services to our customers,” Uy said.

Net interest income rose 17 percent to P53.5 billion on the back of strong growth in loans, while investments offset the significantly higher interest expense.

Net interest margin was maintained at 4.2 percent.

Given the improving economic conditions, the bank reduced its loan loss provisions to P1.2 billion. Asset quality was stable with a 2.5 percent non-performing loan (NPL) ratio, while NPL coverage stood at 104 percent.

Operating expenses rose 11 percent to P27 billion, on bigger volume-related taxes and heavier investments in manpower and IT.

The bank also reported that substantial overhauls were underway within its IT architecture as an integral component of its ongoing digital transformation plans.

Chinabank remained the fourthlargest private domestic bank, with total assets of P1.5 trillion, up 11 percent year-on-year.

NEDA board streamlines priority infra projects, hikes cost to P9.14t

Worksite visit. Finance Secretary Ralph Recto begins a series of worksite visits on official development assistance (ODA)-funded infrastructure projects to ensure their efficient implementation, starting with the Metro Manila Subway’s East Valenzuela Depot on Feb. 26, 2024. The depot is a 30-hectare facility designed to cater to the maintenance requirements of the subway train sets. The DOF-International Finance Group (IFG) is in charge of securing foreign grants and loans to fund the government’s infrastructure projects and various development projects as well as programs to support the country’s rapid economic growth.

CREADOR, a prominent Malaysian private equity firm, invested P4 billion in Asialink Finance Corp., a leading lender to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The investment gives Creador an 18-percent stake in Asialink. Asialink said in a statement it would use the funds to expand its lending capacity and support the growth of SMEs, the backbone of the economy and a major

generator of jobs all over the country.

Aside from funding Asialink’s lending expansion, Creador will help improve the lender’s operational efficiency and offer its expertise in business innovation and automation.

“With Creador, Asialink is primed for further growth to help the largely the unbanked part of the business community. This partnership is envisioned to strengthen the SMEs

and make them a major contributor to economic growth just like in other developed economies,” said Robert Jordan Jr., CEO of Asialink.

The partnership underscores the commitment of both parties to drive Asialink towards sustained growth and market leadership, he said.

Paulton & Company acted as Asialink’s financial advisor for the transaction.

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday streamlined the list of infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) under the “Build-BetterMore” program.

The board in its 14th meeting approved the addition of 23 new projects and the delisting of 36 existing ones. This revision brings the total number of IFPs to 185, representing a value of P9.14 trillion from the earlier list of 198 projects worth P8.79 trillion.

NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, who also serves as the NEDA board vice chair, said the decision aims to prioritize crucial projects to ensure they receive the necessary support for efficient and accelerated implementation.

“Our list of IFPs under the ‘BuildBetter-More’ program serves as a prioritization tool to identify highimpact infrastructure projects that require immediate government support. By rationalizing the list, we ensure the implementation of as many important infrastructure projects of high significance as possible,” Balisacan said. Balisacan clarified that certain projects removed from the list would still proceed as planned as they were already part of the regular government programs.

Meanwhile, NEDA Undersecretary Joseph Capuno reported to the NEDA board the overall progress of the projects from the previous IFP list. He said that as of the fourth quarter of 2023, 74 IFPs were already being implemented, 30 were approved for implementation, 10 were awaiting government approval and 83 were undergoing project or preproject preparation.

2GO Getters are excited to learn how to efficiently sell their products online and how to make their products available to more people all over the Philippines. 2GO, the Philippines’ largest end-to-end transportation and logistics solutions provider and part of SM Group, is enabling a community of online entrepreneurs in Central Luzon in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

By Othel V. Campos

THE Philippines and the United States are in talks for a critical minerals agreement (CMA) ahead of the highly anticipated trade and investment mission to the Philippines led by US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on March 11 and 12, 2024.

Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said in a briefing Tuesday organized by the United States-Philippines Society (USPS) that the Philippines’ capacity to supply good-grade rare earth metals would provide a solid negotiating platform to push the proposal.

“That is one of the many things that we are coordinating with the United States because we would like to be able to export many of our critical minerals, specifically nickel, but we do not have processing plants here,” Romualdez said.

He noted that the US remains concerned about China’s dominance in the country’s nickel output. “Hopefully in the months ahead, we would be able to have some kind of clear indication of what kind of agreement we have [with them],” Romualdez said.

He also mentioned that the Philippines would benefit from the Critical Minerals Act of the US.

The USPS is holding its annual three-

day board meeting in the Philippines, led by former US ambassadors to the Philippines John Negroponte and Thomas Hubbard. Negroponte serves as the society’s co-chair alongside Philippine counterpart Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.

The board comprises private sector leaders from both countries with long-standing records of advocating for a strong, vibrant, broadly based, and mutually beneficial bilateral relationship.

The core two-day program on Feb. 26 to 27 will review key economic and business issues, as well as areas of security and foreign policy cooperation, reflecting the top priorities of the two governments.

The society acknowledges that renewed bilateral investment promotion initiatives and people-to-people exchanges are sustaining a vibrant Philippines-US relationship that benefits both countries.

The meeting will also serve as a preview of the upcoming Presidential Trade and Investment Mission and the May Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Manila in March.

Headquartered in Washington D.C., the society is entering its 12th year of service. Its mission is to enhance and strengthen the Philippines-US relationship through programs on business, governance, culture, shared history, education, among others.

2GO GETTERS. More than 50 people gather at the 2GO Getters BizExchange Workshop at Park-Inn Clark, Pampanga. The Kapampangan

WEDNESDAY,

New trainer, new direction for ex-world champ Ancajas

By Randy Calaug

JOVEN Jimenez, the seasoned manager and trainer who has guided Jerwin Ancajas throughout his career, has expressed his willingness to step aside and allow the former world champion to have a new mentor for his future fights.

In the aftermath of Ancajas’ ninthround loss to Takuma Inoue in a world bantamweight title bout, Jimenez not only consoled his fighter, but also encouraged him to pick himself up, going so far as to offer the option of hiring a new coach.

“Subukan natin iba mag-handle sayo. Pag usapan natin ‘yan. Kahit wala ako sayo, walang problem ‘yan. Basta nandiyan pa rin ako para sayo,” said Jimenez, a former national boxer who played a pivotal role in honing Ancajas to a long reign as IBF super flyweight champion

The duo successfully defended the title nine times together, facing both triumphs and setbacks, such as backto-back losses to Fernando Daniel Martinez in 2022. Jimenez made the decision for his ward to move up to a more comfortable weight, leading to the title fight against Inoue after a convincing victory over Wilner Soto of Colombia with a fifth-round knockout.

“Hindi na akma ‘yung turo ko sayo. Iba na, ilang laban na. Pero importante taas noo. Ayoko mababa ‘yung naramdaman mo,” Jimenez conveyed to Ancajas, emphasizing

the importance of maintaining his pride despite the challenges.

Ancajas even mentioned the possibility of enlisting the expertise of Freddie Roach, the long-time mentor of eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao, for his future training sessions. This defeat marked the first time

Ancajas was stopped in four losses out of 40 fights. His impressive record includes 34 victories, 23 of them by stoppage, and two draws. Despite being 32 years old, Ancajas is still considered to be at the peak of his form as he expressed his intention to take a brief rest before returning to training.

Jerwin Ancajas is shown after losing his world bantamweight title clash with Japanese champion Takuka Inoue.

Alinea

Wendell

Sotto gets boost playing with his former teammates

By Peter Atencio

PLAYING with former teammates with Batang Gilas gave Kai Sotto the confidence he needed to play a really good game when Gilas Pilipinas came off with a 106-53 demolition of Chinese Taipei on Sunday at the Philsports Arena.

The 7’3” Sotto’s great game allowed Gilas to move on top of the Group B standings with New Zealand with their second straight win. This put Gilas on top of the standings with the Kiwis after their Window 1 campaign in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.

“Confidence came from preparations to play really well,” said Sotto, before he went to back to Japan to be with his new squad, the Yokohama B.Corsairs. Sotto got to play with teammates Kevin Quiambao and Carl Tamayo, with AJ Edu giving him support from the sidelines.

Quiambao, Tamayo and Edu managed to adjust their inside game with Sotto during the training camp at the Inspire Academy in Laguna.

“We prepared at the Inspire training camp twice a day. It was tough, it was tiring. But what we did showed in the game,” added Sotto. Sotto will be back for the second window in November.

This weekend, Sotto and the Corsairs will meet at the Kawasaki Brave Runners, before they take on the Toyama Grouses on March 20.

“Pahinga lang muna. Spend time with my family,” Ancajas told Homer Sayson of Spin. PH. Sean Gibbons, representing Ancajas’ promotional outfit, MP Promotions, mentioned that they are contemplating a move to the 122-pound weight class, where Ancajas might find a more comfortable fit.

Go For Gold exec wants to develop more Filipino cyclists

Series on March 3.

The one-day criterium event is open to all cyclists from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, who will vie for honors and cash prizes in different age categories, male and female youth and male and female elite.

Jeremy Go, co-founder of the sponsoring Go For Gold, bared the details of the event during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

“This event started with the idea of developing more cyclists,” he said during the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Milo, PLDT/Smart and ArenaPlus, the leading sports entertainment gate-

way in the Philippines.

Go, whose Go For Gold also supports triathlon, basketball and other sports like wrestling and sepak takraw,

said they’ve lined up three events this year, including one in Cebu in June or July and a third leg in Mindanao with no definite date yet.

A HOMECOMING fight for Olympian boxer Eumir Felix Marcial in Manila.

Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions formally confirmed that the 28-year-old Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist will be fighting a tough super middleweight Thai fighter, Thoedsak Sinam on March 23 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Former Senator and eightdivision world champion Manny Pacquiao said he is very, very excited to make this fight a reality — spearheading Marcial’s bout in Manila before the Asian Games silver medalist fights again in the Summer Olympics.

“Just like the rest of many Filipinos around the country, I’m very excited to spearhead a fight for Eumir here in the Philippines, so everybody will get a chance to see him fight before the Paris Olympics,” Pacquiao announced.

“It’s going to be a great fight, a great treat for the Filipino fans as

Eumir Felix Marcial will be fighting for the hometown crowd,” MP Promotions’ president Sean Gibbons said, adding that the fight will set up the tone for Marcial heading to the Paris Olympics.

“Everybody wants to see their fellow Eumir, a big guy boxer fighting for them for free. This fight will serve as a good fitting sendoff heading to his Olympic campaign. Everybody will be there too,” he added. “This is for the people.”

Gibbons said that Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Dicky Bachmann, PSC Commissioners Walter Torres, Fritz Gaston, Olivia Bong Coo, Edward Hayco and Executive Director Paolo Tatad are invited to watch the fight. “We are so thankful to these people for making this fight a possibility and for helping not only Marcial but also the rest of the other Filipino athletes to

“We want this series to cover Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” added. While the main goal is the further development of junior cycling and discovering more talents, Go said the big names in local cycling are joining the race this weekend. They expect 400 to 500 participants, including ex-professionals.

“This is open to all. If you can come, you’re welcome,” said Go, adding the criterium race will cover 1.6 kilometers per lap. For the youth category, it will be 15 minutes plus two laps and the elite, 40 and 45 minutes plus three laps for the women and men.

The event offers a total of P200,000 in cash prizes with the elite champions getting P41,000 each. “I’m turning 41 years old on March 12 that’s why it’s P41,000,” said Go, who will accompany the members of his Go For Gold cycling team that will compete in the Tour of Taiwan on March 9 and 10.

achieve their dreams,” he added. “The POC and the PSC salute to them for helping the athletes like Eumir.”

Marcial is currently undergoing training, conditioning, and sparring sessions in Las Vegas, Nevada under coach Kay Koroma who trains and develops a lot of amateur boxers competing in the Olympics since the 2016 Rio games. Marcial’s fight against Sinam, who sports a 23-13 record with 19 knockouts, will showcase his boxing skills. After that fight, the undefeated Marcial (4-0 record with two knockouts) will return to the US to continue his training for the Paris Summer Olympic Games slated from July 26 to August 11. Marcial will be marching to his second Olympic stint after bagging a silver medal in the light heavyweight division at the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games, an Olympic qualifying tournament last October.

In Gilas’ game with Chinese-Taipei, Sotto also had a double-double outing of 18 points and 10 rebounds, to go with 5 assists and 3 blocks.

Southwoods up for great fight in quest for No. 9

CAGAYAN DE ORO—Manila Southwoods braces for its biggest fight in its dynastic reign in the Philippine Airlines (PAL) Regular Men’s Interclub championship, with Eastridge coming up as a force with a program that already beat the Carmona-based squad three months ago.

“Yes, definitely,” Southwoods official Jerome Delariarte said when asked if Eastridge is a contender in the event that starts Thursday at Pueblo de Oro here. “They’re continuously improving. They finished second to us last year and beat us in the Am division of the Fil-Am (another team tournament in Baguio last December).”

Southwoods will still be fielding a rock-solid team built around pro-bound Aidric Chan, Lanz Uy and Ryan Monsalve, annd Delariarte believes they have all the firepower they need.

“We have a pretty solid team, but championships are not won on paper,” Delariarte said as Southwoods shoots for its ninth straight title since 2014, a streak that had the squad parading such players as PGA Tour star Tom Kim and DP World Tour standout Yuto Katsuragawa.

Eastridge, meanwhile, will be coming into the event with all the confidence it needs, especially after having gained a year’s worth of experience since a runner-up finish last year in Cebu. And the most important thing for the Binangonan, Rizal club is that it already knows that taste of winning.

“For sure, we will be coming in better prepared this year,” Gimo Asuncion, the Eastridge GM who will be the nonplaying skipper here, said. “The boys are more experienced now and although we really have no expectations, will we be giving it our all this week.”

Jeremy Go, co-founder of Go For Gold

Kai Sotto

Eumir Felix Marcial (right), shown here holding his Asian Games’ silver medal, is with Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao (center) and Sean Gibbons.

Impressive start for Japan in Asian Age Group swimfest

CAPAS, Tarlac—Japan had an impressive start at the 11th Asian Age Group Championships on Monday, setting new meet records in nine of the 10 events it dominated at the New Clark City Aquatics Center here.

Yumeki Kojima won the boys’ 15-17 200m Individual Medley in 1:01.13, erasing the record of compatriot Hagino Kasuke (2:01.32) in 2009.

Vietnamese Quang Thuan Nguyen (2:04.79) and Japanese Raito Numata (2:05.98) finished second and third, respectively.

Kojima later led the 400m freestyle relay team to victory with a recordbreaking time of 3:25.32. Other members of the team are Iyu Matsuyama, Raito Numata and Hirata Ando, who had earlier bagged the 400m freestyle gold medal.

In the 12-14 category, Shin Ohashi, Toya Hirata, Minami Yui and Mana Ishikawa delivered two gold medals each, and Misaki Kasahara got one.

Ohashi won the 100m breaststroke in 1:02.69 to better the record of fellow Japanese Yamato Okadome (1:04.55), while Hirata topped the 50m backstroke in 26.31 to erase the record of compatriot Ryu Hiroki

Mapua crowned PUBL champ, to represent PH in ASEAN tilt

By Graham C. Lim

HOW sweet it was.

A no-nonsense Mapua University team exacted revenge with a masterful 95-74 win over De La Salle-Dasmariñas recently to annex the title in the 4th Philippine University Basketball League (PUBL) Championship held at the Philippine Lam-An MultiSports gym in Abad Santos Avenue, Manila.

record of 2:17.52.

The 400m freestyle relay team of Yui, Ishikawa, Rei Nakano and Haruno Tanimoto clocked 3:50.22 to break the 3:50.80 record also set by Japan in 2009.

Kasahara erased the record of Chinese Wang Xingyun (29.20) in the 50m backstroke with her 29.07 performance.

With the lopsided triumph, the Cardinals, who lost to DLS-D during the elimination round of the six-team competitions, will represent the Philippines in the 21st ASEAN University Games (AUG) in Surabaya, Indonesia from June 25 to July 6, 2024.

The two teams shadowboxed in the early goings before Mapua engineered a 7-0 run to move ahead, 21-19. From there, the 2023 NCAA runnerup Cardinals never trailed. They were up, 31-22, after the first quarter behind

Clint Escamis (two triples) and Yam Concepcion. With Mapua ahead, 42-26, John Edward Jabonete drilled in a three-point play, a twiner, and a triple as the Muralla-based school took a commanding 50-28 lead.

C. Delos Santos knocked in a triple for DLSU-D to slice the deficit to 19, 50-31, but baskets by Rey Ygot and Arjay Panteleon (a three-pointer) propelled Mapua to a 66-34 advantage. By halftime, and the score was 66-

36, the rout was complete. It was all over but the shouting by a sizeable crowd in attendance. The Cardinals kept their foot on the gas after the break, netting the first four points in the third frame, 70-36, to quickly take any life out of the Patriots. Mapua, very aggressive from the get-go with its precision pinball-like offense and suffocating defense, took no prisoners alive and was comfortably ahead, 87-54, heading into the anti-climatic final frame as DLSU-D came no closer than 31 (72-41).

Down 89-54, the Patriots outscored the Cardinals, 20-6, the rest of the way to make the final count more respectable.

The 4th PUBL is held in cooperation with corporate partners Philippine Airlines, PAGCOR, Bestank, Healthy Options, Seascape Village Seafoods, Omni Electrical and Lighting, KELME Sportswear, Paddock’s Casual Jeans, Fronte Motor Parts, and HENN Sports Club.

In the battle for third, the Asian Institute of Management Studies (AIMS)

Fuertes, Go sustain PPS tennis run in Digos City

STEPHEN Fuertes and Marcus Go continued their impressive performance, securing dual victories in the boys’ division, while Dhea Cua re-affirmed her dominance in the girls’ side in the Mayor Josef Fortich Cagas National Championships at the Digos City Tennis Club in Davao del Sur over the weekend.

Fuertes, fueled by the support of the home crowd, swept his way to the 16-and-under championship, conceding only eight games in four matches, He clinched the title with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Kurt Alcantara in the finals of the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.

He also triumphed in the 18-and-U division, essaying a 6-1, 6-1 rout of Maersk Labandero, mirroring his two-title feat in the Gov. Edwin Jubahig Cup in Davao del Norte last week.

Go also took the 12- and 14-and-U trophies for the second consecutive week of the country’s longest talent-search put up by Palawan Pawnshop, led by president/CEO Bobby Castro.

The top-seeded Quezon City player crushed No. 2 Kresthan Belacas, 6-1, 6-2, in the 12-andU finals then as No. 6 in the 14-and-U class, he stunned No. 1 Krelz Jan Gecosala, 6-2, 7-6(11).

The second-ranked Cua, on the other hand, toppled No. 1 Aika Salahuddin from Digos, 6-4, 6-0, to clinch the 16-and-U crown. The Kidapawan City

star then overcame doubles partner Sanschena Francisco, 3-6, 6-1, 10-5, to snare the 18-and-U diadem.

Other winners in the week-long tournament, sponsored by Mayor Josef Cagas and Rep, John Tracy Cagas, were Davao City siblings Cristine and Rhiana Mae Mesa, and Everett Niere from Bogo City, Cebu.

Cristine Mesa upended top seed Princess Placa in the semis, 6-3, 6-1, then drubbed Justine Gumbao, 6-1, 6-1, to pocket the girls’ 14-and-U crown; Rhiana Mesa grabbed the 12-and-U trophy with a tough 7-5, 6-4 win over Gumbao; while Niere trounced Francis Dimzon in the 10-and-U unisex finals, 4-2, 4-0.

Fuertes and Cua capped their stellar plays by winning the doubles titles in the 18-and-U category. Fuertes partnered with Gabriel Mayor to defeat Jan Deliva and Ian Placa, 8-2; while Cua and Francisco outplayed Lieryanne Bacaron and Princess Placa, 8-3.

Krelz Jan Gecosala and Niere held off Kresthan Belacas and Julius Otoc, 8-4, while the Mesa sisters thwarted Rhea Palac and Daneea Sinsuat, 8-4, for the 14-and-U crowns.

Enzo Niere and Daneea Sinsuat clinched the 10-and-U trophy with an 8-0 rout of Francis Dimzon and Arissa Macapendeg.

Meanwhile, registration for the next leg, the Gov. Yvonne Cagas Cup slated Feb. 29-March 4

Pacio raves on new training approach ahead of Brooks rematch

THERE’S no doubt in Joshua “The Passion” Pacio’s mind that he’s more than ready to reclaim his ONE Strawweight MMA World Title come ONE 166: Qatar at Lusail Sports Arena on March 1.

And a big reason for that is the training camp that he’s had, feeling that he has gotten a chance to work with the best of the best for his rematch against reigning champion Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks.

“I’m just focused right now. I’m so blessed that everything I need to prepare for this fight was provided by God,” he said. Aside from being guided by Eduard

“Landslide” Folayang and coaches Don Collas and Gibran Langbayan in the Lions Nation MMA camp, Pacio’s confidence is also hinged on the external support that he has gotten in this buildup.

Vince Loman, the brother of bantamweight contender Stephen “The Sniper” Loman, extended a helping hand in Pacio’s strength and conditioning, while decorated jiu jitsu fighter Godwin Langbayan also shared his knowledge on the mat.

But in Pacio’s mind, the biggest addition is Peter Miller, the nutritionist of ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai and Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty and ONE

Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9, who has helped him monitor everything that he’s taking in the leadup to the match.

“I need to be ready, so I have to go there with the right strength, right work, and right nutrition and we put our trust in them up until the fight day,” he said. Having these changes, to Pacio, are essential as he seeks to be at his best once he steps inside the ONE Circle in Qatar.

“I’m thinking of a lot of things last time, but now I’m just focused and I’m motivated to get this win in the rematch,” he said.

scored a come-from-behind 87-84 decision over New Era University (NEU).

The NEU Hunter was ahead in the early goings, grabbing a 25-16 advantage in the second quarter but a 10-0 run by AIMS put it on the driver’s seat, 28-26. Just as quickly, New Era got its second wind.

From a 30-all deadlock, the Hunter scored nine straight points to go ahead, 39-30. A top-of-the-key triple by Nablo sent New Era to a 42-31 lead at halftime.

Triples from Luanzon (his third) and Catome lifted the Hunter to a 19-point lead, 67-48, with 1:21 left in the third quarter, which concluded at 67-53.

Luanzon opened fourth-quarter fireworks with his fourth triple for a commanding 70-53 edge. A three-point play by Basabica pushed the Hunter’s lead to 16, 75-59.

Nablo had a putback and Angeles split his charities as New Era maintained control, 78-63, at the 5:26 mark. AIMS trimmed the deficit to seven, 7871, with 3.5 minutes left.

FOR the second straight year, Christian Standhardinger emerged as the top pick in the drafting of players for the PBA All-Star game set in Bacolod next month.

Standhardinger was selected no. 1 by Team Japeth Aguilar during the official All-Star drafting held Monday night at the TV 5 Media Center.

Not to be outdone, Team Marc Barroca countered by choosing seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo as the no. 2 overall pick.

Aguilar and Barroca emerged as the top 2 players who received the most number of fan votes and became outright captains of the two All-Star teams competing in the March 22-24 festivities.

Coaching Team Japeth is Barangay Ginebra’s Tim Cone, while Team Barroca will have San Miguel’s Jorge Gallent manning the sideline. Cone and Gallent were also the two coaches who received the most number of fan votes.

Aguilar earned the right to pick first over Barroca after winning the flipping of coin presided by Commissioner Willie Marcial.

Apart from Standhardinger, Team Japeth also has four other Ginebra players in its 14-man roster in Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Maverick Ahanmisi, and Stanley Pringle, while the rest is made up of Paul Lee (Magnolia), Calvin Oftana (TNT), Chris Newsome (Meralco), Don Trollano (San Miguel), Marcio Lassiter (San Miguel), Arvin Tolentino (Northport), Tyler Tio (Phoenix), and Terrence Romeo (San Miguel).

Members of the PUBL champion Mapua team display their trophy.

‘Swift effect’ hits Singapore

THE “Swift effect” is about to hit Southeast Asia but Singapore has left some of its neighbors seeing red while it profits from a Taylor-made tourism boom as the star’s only stop in the region.

More than 300,000 fans from the citystate and neighboring countries will attend the US superstar’s six sold-out Eras Tour shows at the National Stadium from March 2 to 9.

Ingrid Delgado, a fresh graduate in Manila who is traveling to Singapore for the March 4 show, said she bought a “new shimmering dress” for the occasion but had trouble finding an affordable hotel.

“A lot were booked already, so I had to book a more expensive hotel,” she said.

The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts, as well as the Fairmont Hotel, told AFP that demand for rooms during the concert period had risen.

Big spenders have taken up Marina Bay Sands’ luxury packages named after Swift’s hit songs, such as “Shake it Off” and “Stay Stay Stay”.

The hotel’s $37,230 “Wildest Dreams” package includes VIP tickets, fine dining, a hotel suite, limousine transfers, and passes to tourist attractions. The hotel told AFP all its packages were sold out.

Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines said there had been an increased demand for Singapore-bound flights but could not say whether it was solely due to the “Swift Effect”.

A large contingent of Malaysian Swifties will be crossing into neighboring Singapore.

“It’s a dream come true. I feel excited and nervous,” said Harith Arsat, a 20-year-old student who will be making his first overseas trip from Kuala Lumpur.

In the Philippines, budget carrier Cebu Pacific has changed its usual flight number for Singapore-bound planes to “1989” – the year Swift was born and the title of her fifth album – for the March 1-9 period.

However, not everyone was happy when Swift’s only Southeast Asia stop was announced, including fans and governments in some of Singapore’s neighbors.

Traveling to Singapore is expensive for

many

Gloc 9 shares how ‘Sirena’ becomes his gift to gay son

By Angelica Villanueva

FILIPINO hip-hop artist Gloc9 revealed in an interview with ABS-CBN that his hit song “Sirena” was intended as a gift to the LGBTQ community, including his son.

“When we released that song, I was really scared. I was so scared because I didn’t want to offend anyone. I knew that when I wrote that, I wasn’t wearing my own shoes. I wore someone else’s shoes,” said the seasoned rapper. “I am afraid because I don’t want to write something that might make people say, ‘This person is crazy,’ it’s not like that at all,” he added.

“Sirena” was part of his 2012 album Mga Kuwento Ng Makata and was born when Sandwich vocalist Raymund Marasigan asked him to write a song about gays. Since then, with its relatable lyrics, it became a smash hit among the members of the community.

Gloc 9 recalled the moments when some came to him to thank him for writing the song.

“One time, I think it was days after we released the music video, a group of production people came to the house to interview me about the song. And then we showed it to them, here’s the music video, maybe you’d like to watch it. And one of them was really sobbing at

By Angelica Villanueva

MANCHESTER punkrock band Pale Waves topped the bill on the first day of the 2024 Bobapalooza Arts and Music Festival, held at the Filinvest City Events Grounds over the weekend.

In an interview with the press before their performance, members of Pale Waves shared their excitement to meet their Filipino fans.

“But we’ve heard amazing things about the culture that you guys are so friendly and so nice, and we’re just excited to meet the people that actually like [our] music. So, I’m expecting a really good show,” said lead singer and guitarist Heather BaronGracie

the end of the song. And then she said, ‘I feel that [song] because that’s exactly the story of my best friend. Thank you very much,’” he shared.

“Another time, I was a guest in a show on [ABS-CBN], a bouncer said, ‘Idol, thank you.’ I asked, ‘Why?’ ‘Because my child is also a sirena when I heard your song, I was enlightened,’” the rapper continued.

He then shared that his song was not just a gift for the LGBTQ community but also became his way to express his love for his son who came out a few years ago.

“My son is gay. When I wrote that, he hadn’t told us yet. I don’t

know how to tell my child how much I love him. I am very proud of my child. I am excited for whatever he can achieve in his life,” said Gloc 9.

“Sometimes I think about how life gives you hints of magic here and there. When I finished ‘Sirena,’ I didn’t really know. And I don’t mind because he’s my child,” stated Gloc 9. “I am proud to have a son like Daniel. I love my children very much, and I will do everything for them. The song is my gift.”

Gloc 9 is celebrating his 27th anniversary in the industry and having a collaboration song with Gary Valenciano titled “Walang Pumapalakpak.”

are playing a song we haven’t played in years - ‘My Obsession’ from our first EP. We love the song but somehow haven’t played it in a long time. We’re excited to bring it back for the Philippines.”

Heather also emphasized the importance of representing the LGBTQ+ community through their music.

“Obviously, our sexuality is a major part of who we are,” she explained. “So whenever we can represent that, we feel it’s important. It’s a big part of Pale Waves, and it’s always amazing seeing the impact of playing songs like ‘She is My Religion.’ You can see on people’s faces how much it means to them, that they feel heard.”

Asked about their setlist for the festival, Heather from Pale Waves explained they’d be focusing on their

JULIE Anne San Jose and Erik Santos pair up for a special concert bound to make audiences fall in love. Dubbed Love Bound, the pop stars bring fun and music on stage through enchanting medleys and powerful performances.

The concert, happening on March 2 at 8:00 p.m. at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Newport World Resorts, marks the first time San Jose and Santos will share the stage.

Santos recently celebrated his 20-year music journey. Over the past two decades, the crooner

classic hits.

“There aren’t any new songs yet because we’re recording our album right now, so they wouldn’t be ready to play live,” she said. “However, we

“We create a strong community,” she continued, “one that fosters acceptance and safety for everyone. We try to do this wherever we go, and we’re excited to bring that energy to the Philippines at this festival. It’s a huge part of our band, and we hope to recreate that feeling here.”

The members of Pale Waves also expressed their desire to collaborate with rock band The Band

Camino and London-based Filipino artist No

Rome Photo by Aram Lascano

From left: Pale Waves members Charlie Wood, Heather BaronGracie, Ciara Doran, and Hugo Silvani

WEDNESDAY,

Customer data platforms critical foundation for AI-Driven customer insights

SAN FRANCISCO/MANILA— Businesses are integrating customer data platforms with AI and analytics to personalize customer experiences and drive business success, according to a new report from Twilio Segment.

The fifth annual Customer Data Platform Report, which reflects the findings of anonymized usage data from Twilio Segment’s 25,000+ customers, finds that businesses are prioritizing data quality to harness the power of AI and quickly act on nuanced customer insights.

Amidst the widespread adoption of AI, businesses are grappling with an exponential increase in data volume. Twilio Segment processed a record high 12.1 trillion API calls in 2023—increasing by hundreds of billions from 2022. This increase is indicative of a larger trend towards more sophisticated, datacentric operations, emphasizing the essential role of real-time data processing and seamless AI technology integration. The ability to quickly harness data insights through CDPs that are open and interoperable with data warehouses is a critical competitive edge, enabling businesses to efficiently collect, unify, and activate data across various platforms.

“In 2024, more and more brands will turn to AI to deliver better, more personalized experiences for their customers. Our report showcases the essential role customer data plays in maximizing AI’s effectiveness,” said Kathryn Murphy, SVP of Product and Design at Twilio. “With data

warehouses, and data lakehouses like Databricks becoming central to customers’ data strategies, it’s crucial for CDPs to support seamless integration with these data warehouses. At Twilio, we’re seeing a significant trend towards leveraging the interconnectedness of AI, data warehouses, and digital communication channels. The ability to interoperate with data warehouses is essential, ensuring that CDPs act as a pivotal technology for brands eager to leverage AI and data to forge even stronger relationships with their customers.”

“As businesses look to break down data silos and rely on a unified data platform to power their analytics and AI initiatives, the importance of data sharing and data quality has never been more apparent,” said Chris Hecht, SVP, Corporate Development and Product Partnerships, at Databricks.

“Our collaboration with Twilio Segment signals our dedication to ensuring that organizations leverage the full potential of their data – no matter where it lives – and can effectively bridge the gap from data to insights using cleaned and verified event profile data.”

Key findings of the 2024 Twilio Segment CDP Report include: Data quality is the bedrock of AI success: The effectiveness of AI hinges on the data it’s trained on,

highlighting the importance of quality data as organizations work to process explosive growth in data volume. With 60% of businesses recognizing high-quality, accurate data as a key ingredient for growth, emphasizing data integrity is essential for deriving meaningful customer insights and leveraging AI competitively.

The ascendance of data warehouses:

Data warehouses continued to spike in popularity as one of the most popular destination categories for customer data in 2023, as businesses pave the way for deeper analytics and AI-driven insights. This reflects a broader shift towards data centralization and quality as businesses outgrow the constraints of traditional CRMs. With data warehouses and lakehouses as the backbone for storing and analyzing vast data sets, CDPs facilitate real-time data integration, identity resolution, and activation of customer insights across different touchpoints. This interoperability is essential, allowing organizations to not only store and analyze data at scale, but also to activate these insights in real

time, ensuring a flexible and effective data strategy that leverages the strengths of both CDPs and data warehouses.

Predictive AI is now a core strategy:

Businesses are continuing to realize the potential for predictive AI to help them glean deeper customer insights and anticipate customer needs and behavior. Predictive AI is quickly growing in adoption on the Twilio Segment platform, with over 426 Predictive Traits created so far. With CustomerAI Predictions—Twilio Segment’s latest feature—companies are empowered to adopt a proactive customer engagement strategy where they can target users with an increased likelihood of performing an event based on their customer data. Brands like Box are using Predictions to optimize campaign performance, improve customer retention, and unlock revenue opportunities.

Enterprise solutions continue to show growth: The Twilio Segment platform helps customers activate their data by connecting to 450+ out-of-the-box integrations. Google

Universal Analytics was the most popular app (used by 55% of Twilio Segment customers), followed by Mixpanel (44%) and Facebook Pixel (37%). Companies that are tasked with collecting data from all digital touchpoints and preparing that data for analyses are turning to CDPs to help solve for fragmentation and with tools like Functions, enabling seamless integration with nearly any app available offers unmatched adaptability. This move towards greater flexibility and the ability to avoid vendor lock-in reflects a growing market preference for systems that are not only modular but also highly interoperable. With a CDP, businesses benefit from smarter, datadriven strategies that can enhance the customer journey.

CDP Report Methodology: The report is based on anonymized, aggregated usage behavior of Twilio Segment’s 25,000+ customers, during the period of 11/01/2022 to 11/01/2023. For more information, visit https:// segment.com.

The digitalization drive: Philippines’ growth and potential

By Jasper Valdez

OVER the past few years, the Philippines has embarked on an exciting journey toward embracing digitalization― using it as a catalyst for economic advancement, social progress, and innovation.

With its tech-inclined youth and burgeoning startup scene, the nation is harnessing digital tools to tackle the various dilemmas that continue to plague Philippine society and unlock fresh opportunities across different sectors to improve the lives of the Filipino people.

With that said, let’s delve into the progress of digitalization in the country and explore the potential it holds to uplift the Philippines, specifically the lives of its people.

DEVELOPING DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE

If it wasn’t already obvious, the Philippines has been funneling a lot of resources to bettering the foundations of its digital adoption. After all, digital infrastructure is vital in satisfying the growing demand for connectivity and competitive digital services.

There’s a huge focus on filling the gap in ‘connectedness’ across the country, specifically in remote and rural areas. This is being addressed through investments in broadband networks, mobile connectivity, and ICT infrastructure that will significantly expand access to the internet.

A great example of this is the National Broadband Plan (NBP). A project of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the NBP aims to overcome the digital divide

and enhance digital inclusion in the country.

The project aims to create an interconnected web of infrastructure across the three major islands of the country, particularly fiber optic cables and wireless technologies to boost internet access, speed, and affordability.

Another program under the banner of the NBP is the Broadband ng Masa (BBM) project. It endeavors to connect Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) to the internet by putting up free Wi-Fi infrastructures in key areas such as schools.

Launched in Davao City’s University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP)Obrero campus back in 2023, it expanded to Palawan in February of this year with 129 new hotspots activated in 37 different locations.

E-GOVERNMENT SERVICES

The government has been proactive in digitizing to improve its efficiency, transparency, and accessibility, specifically when it comes to public services. By setting up online platforms and mobile apps, the government brings itself closer to the people through a few clicks or the touch of a screen―allowing citizens easier access to government services, tax-paying, Turn to D2

Filipino elderly embrace digital, get spotlight at Globe’s

‘Senior Moment’ redefined: #SeniorDigizen launch

AFTER a four-hour learning session, 75-year-old Erlinda Menor was in high spirits, as energetic as the time she took to the floor of the SM North Edsa Sky Dome that Thursday morning to do some warm-up exercises for the long morning ahead.

“Sa edad ko na ito, very thankful ako! Ako ay 75 years old ngayon, still moving at masigla. At ayun nga, nadagdagan ang knowledge ko sa digital na mga impormasyon. Napakagandang bagay para sa amin ito. Ito ay malaking tulong sa amin. At hindi lang sa akin. Kung baga, maibabahagi ko ito sa aking mga ka-senior na hindi rin nakakaalam ng iba. Mabigyan ko rin sila ng knowledge na nalaman natin dito sa programang ito,” said Menor. Menor was among some 200 senior citizens from Metro Manila who took part in Globe’s inaugural “Teach Me How to Digi” Learning Session on January 25, 2024, the centerpiece of the company’s #SeniorDigizen campaign that aims to bring the Filipino elderly aboard the digitalization journey.

At the session, the seniors got their moment in the spotlight, receiving an especially curated set of tutorials on basic digital skills that includes Smartphone 101 and using tools such as Google’s email service GMail, fintech super app GCash, and telehealth service KonsultaMD. Napakaganda at napakalinaw ng mga sinabi. Nakaka -impress. At saka para sa mga seniors, napakalaking bagay itong programa na ito dahil alam niyo naman mga senior, may mga senior moments. Ngayon, napapadali natin mga bagay na mahirap gawin. Dahil digital na nga, mabilis na ngayon ‘yung pagbayad sa bills, pag -communicate sa mga doktor, di ba? Tapos makipag -communicate sa mga kaibigan. Napakalaking bagay para sa amin ngayon, dahil dito sa Senior Digizen [campaign] ng Globe,” said Menor.

diyan. Ang magpaturo ay mahirap din. Pero gusto namin ma-enjoy. Alam mo yung tipong sila nga marunong, tapos ako hindi. Nagsisikap akong mag-aral pagka ganon dahil alam kong need ng panahon,” said Jerez, 71. She said having enhanced digital skills will help her participate in more civic activities in the service of others: “Doon ako masaya, basta marami akong napaglilingkuran na ibang tao. Wala akong tinatago sa puso ko na kapalit, basta makapag-serve ako sa kanila. ‘Yan ang importante para sakin.”

At least 200 senior citizens turned up for the launch of Globe’s “Teach Me How To Digi” Learning Session for #SeniorDigizens at the SM North Sky Dome, January 25, 2024.

The #SeniorDigizen campaign is in line with Globe’s push for digital inclusion, aiming to help seniors overcome apprehensions and misconceptions about digital technology, and protect them from risks that lurk online.

“These days, digital skills are indispensable. And we believe that everyone should be included, especially our seniors who deserve to enjoy the benefits of technology as they advance in age. We want our seniors to be included in digitalization and to hold their hands through their journey towards becoming a #SeniorDigizen,” said Yoly Crisanto, Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer at the Globe Group. To learn more about Globe’s digital inclusion initiatives, please visit www.globe.com.ph

Erlinda Menor (right), 75, learns how to use GCash with the help of Cherry Lyn Lagdamen (left), GCash Training Specialist for NCR and Luzon, at Globe’s “Teach Me How to Digi” #SeniorDigizen event, January 25, 2024.

Navigating the impact of AI in our daily lives

tivity, and efficiency worldwide.

By Peter Paul Duran

IN AN era defined by technological breakthroughs, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been seamlessly woven into our everyday existence, reshaping our routines, interactions and perspectives.

We have AI virtual assistants guiding our tasks to tailored recommendations shaping our choices as AI’s influence reverberates globally, touching every aspect of modern living.

As AI evolves, its significance in daily life deepens. As we explore the multifaceted dimensions of AI’s impact, we see its unique applications, implications, and the delicate balance between convenience and concerns.

Many are unaware of the prevalence of AI in their daily interactions with technology. According to a 2021 HubSpot survey, 63% of respondents didn’t realize they were using AI.

Examples of common AI applications include Siri, Apple’s personal

assistant, which uses machine learning to improve speech recognition. Similarly, Gmail employs AI to filter spam and offer Smart Reply options. Companies like Tesla integrate AI into self-driving technology, while e-commerce giant Amazon uses AI to drive its recommendation system, accounting for a significant portion of sales. Other examples include Google Now, Netflix, Google Translate, Facebook, Google Maps, and Spotify, all leveraging AI to personalize user experiences and enhance functionality.

From bustling tech hubs like Silicon Valley to dynamic metropolises like Shanghai, AI’s reach transcends borders, fueling innovation, produc-

The digitalization... From D1

INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The Philippines is witnessing a burgeoning startup ecosystem encouraged by the innovations afforded by digitalization.

That’s why the government is offering support through programs like the Philippine Roadmap For Digital Startups and the Innovative Startup Act ―both of which create an environment for startups to thrive and contribute to economic development.

By doing this, the country will be able to bolster the economic growth of the local business scene and, at the same time, address the issue of growing unemployment in the country.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

While we’ve come a long way, there’s still work to be done to fully embrace the potential of digitalization in the Philippines. Challenges like bridging the digital divide, tackling cybersecurity risks, navigating regulatory hurdles, and filling infrastructure gaps need our attention to ensure that everyone benefits from the digital revolution.

Closer to home, the Philippines embraces AI with enthusiasm with Filipino startups up to established mega enterprises leveraging AI to revolutionize industries, from healthcare to agriculture, while fostering economic growth and innovation.

Notably, the country’s IT and Business Process Management industry spearheads AI integration, exemplified by the establishment of an AI Council aimed at enhancing generative AI skills among workers.

Aiming to boost productivity and efficiency by responsibly harnessing AI’s potential, the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) said the country’s BPO industry can maintain its competitiveness amidst the challenges and opportunities presented by an AI-driven world.

Recognizing the potential disruption of generative AI, the industry seeks to collaborate with learning academies and associations like the Analytics and Artificial Intelligence

Association of the Philippines (AAP) to upskill workers in programming, data science, analytics, and AI ethics.

Generative AI has the potential to increase productivity for contact center agents by 14 percent, while studies show a growing acceptance and integration of AI into daily tasks among Filipinos. AI has also become a national agenda.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s proactive stance during a November 2023 roundtable meeting with tech stakeholders in San Francisco further emphasized the Philippines’ readiness for AI adoption.

Highlighting the National AI Strategy’s objectives, President Marcos underscored AI’s potential to uplift lives, drive productivity, and bolster competitiveness. This forward-thinking approach underscores the Philippines’ dedication to leveraging AI’s benefits through collaborative partnerships and strategic initiatives.

“Currently, the Philippines is embracing this future of AI with the

crafting of the National AI Strategy that seeks to augment the existing skillset of Filipino talents with AI. This strategy also aims to position the Philippines as a Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence,” Marcos said.

“We believe AI can uplift the lives of Filipinos, increase the productivity of our enterprises, and enhance the competitiveness of our economy. And I’m certain our discussions here today will help the Philippines steer our roadmaps in a direction that maximizes the skills of Filipinos and help them achieve their aspirations,” he added.

As AI becomes ingrained in daily life, its transformative impact is undeniable. While offering unparalleled convenience and efficiency, it also poses ethical, privacy, and employment challenges.

Navigating this AI-driven landscape demands vigilance, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to harnessing its potential for the collective good.

Washington, DC.

In

to equip the workforce with the competencies needed for the digital age.

Some of the programs that the government has put in place through the DICT include Tech4Ed, the Digital Education Program, the Digital Transformation Centers, and the ICT Academy.

Upskilling will be vital in building a future-ready workforce capable of harnessing digital technologies for innovation and growth.

PARIS , France--US firm OpenAI

(Graphics by Karen Santos)

It’s clear that digitalization is making its mark in the Philippines. Initiatives are already in motion to harness digital technologies for economic and social progress. By fostering an environment of innovation, collaboration, and digital access for all, the Philippines is on track to lead the way in the digital era, driving forward progress and prosperity the nation.

Yet, we’re not without strengths. With our vibrant tech scene, talented workforce, and entrepreneurial spirit, the Philippines is well-positioned to seize the opportunities that digitalization offers. By tapping into these strengths, we can foster inclusive growth, boost our competitiveness, and enhance the well-being of all Filipinos.

debuted a tool last week that can generate highly realistic snippets of video from just a few lines of text, leading content creators to wonder if they are the latest professionals about to be replaced by algorithms. Reactions to the tool, called Sora, have ranged from head-over-heels enthusiasm to alarm over the future direction of the industry.

YouTuber Marques Brownlee called it “frightening” and “threatening” to see an AI doing his job.

On the other hand, Caleb Ward, one half of AI filmmaking duo Curious Refuge, told his YouTube followers he could not wait to get his hands on the tool.

Yet both Ward and Brownlee agreed that it was a massive moment for their industry.

“I can’t stress enough how big a deal this is for the filmmaking and creative world,” said Ward, who recently went viral with a trailer he created for a Wes Anderson-style Star Wars movie.

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, said in its announcement that Sora was not yet available to the public.

The announcement did not specify use cases but said “a number of visual artists, designers and filmmakers” had been chosen to help test it.

‘LIKE AN AMOEBA’

The firm accompanied its statement with sample videos including a stylish woman walking along a Tokyo street, a cat waking up its owner in bed, and a group of charging woolly mammoths.

The internet immediately lit up with awe and praise, as is common with OpenAI products.

“I was shocked by their quality,” Anis Ayari, an AI engineer and streamer known as Defend Intelligence, told AFP. He suggested the tool could one day be used to create entirely virtual presenters.

But there were also plenty of dissenters who felt the videos were still firmly stuck in the “uncanny valley”, where glitches in otherwise photo-realistic images can leave viewers feeling queasy. Commentator Ed Zitron wrote that in OpenAI’s cat video “the owner’s arm appears to be part of the cushion and the cat’s paw explodes out of its arm like an amoeba”. He wrote in his newsletter that

AI video tools were too expensive and resource-hungry to ever be genuinely useful.

And styles of clips could not be harmonised, making the tools useless for creating anything other than tiny snippets.

AI FATIGUE

Sora enters a marketplace that is heating up, with Google, Stability AI and several other smaller players already in the game.

YouTube itself announced last September it was developing a tool to let creators make AI-generated videos and background pictures.

However, the tools already available have hardly taken the world by storm.

French streamer FibreTigre said he had tried AI video tools but ended his experiment.

He said he was worried about the ethics of using tools trained on other artists’ work, and ultimately the programs did not do their job well enough.

‘Mindset shift’ central to bridge digital divide

FAST-TRACKING

the Philippines’ digital revolution requires not only the adoption of the latest technologies, innovation, and better network infrastructures but more importantly, a sea change in the mindset of enterprises and their people.

Industry experts gathered by PLDT Enterprise in a conference on digital transformation agreed that central to bridging the digital divide is finding the right people that will foster profitable, efficient, and responsible use of artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies to bolster growth of businesses and the broader economy.

“Vision drives transformation. Transformation needs innovation, which we believe continues to center around people, skills, and cul-

917Ventures

WHILE digitalization is valuable for businesses across various scales, it is a critical need for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). MSMEs, unlike bigger businesses, are less likely to introduce digital practices despite these tools allowing them to improve operational processes, foster innovation, and ability to rapidly respond to market changes to remain competitive amidst today’s rapidly evolving landscape.

“Embracing digital tools should be a strategic imperative for sustaining competitiveness and resilience in today’s dynamic landscape, but we understand that it is not always easy to make the shift,” said Carla Bianca Sy Su, Entrepreneur-at-Residence at 917Ventures.

Even with the persistence of digitalization, the World Economic Forum points out that only 25% of MSMEs globally have managed to truly shift and keep up with technology. Specific to the Philippines, only 6% of MSMEs use digital tools revealing a substantial technology gap in the country.

Sy Su said MSMEs, in particular, grapple with numerous manual and paper-based processes but find it difficult to fully adopt digital tools because of financial constraints or constantly adjusting processes.

MemoApp, a web-based solution, was introduced to the Philippine market in late 2023 as one of the newest startups from

ture,” said Jojo Gendrano, PLDT and Smart Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise Business Group.

“Technology is nothing without a person’s vision,” added Gendrano as he moderated the plenary session of the Philippine Digital Convention 2023, or PH Digicon 2023, VISION: Reimagine Tomorrow’s Enterprise.

Ragu Masilamany, General Manager and Head of Solutions Engineering at software and services provider Amdocs, said two things are needed in tandem for the success of its digital transformation journey in its business and workforce. “One, the mindset change has to come from a structural, organizational change, including retraining and re-skill,” he noted.

“Two, the tribal knowledge that you take from your very senior people in the organization may not be valid anymore. So, sometimes you have to make the call to leave them behind and go look for the new talent who may not know your business, but they have the right mindset to run the business, so to speak. If you combine them

917Ventures. Its goal is to support local Filipino businesses digitize their manual and paper-based processes. With features such as a swift workflow approval system, an integrated esignature capability, and effortless access to essential document templates, MemoApp stands as a practical tool for businesses seeking to streamline their operations and boost productivity and efficiency all at a fraction of the cost charged by other solutions. The solution is flexible enough to accommodate all types of business administrative needs, whether for filing contracts, routing for approvals, invoicing, and many others.

“When we talk about digitalization, we often see it as a tool that helps us with external-facing efforts, but before we get to that stage, we have to understand that it is a transformative journey that starts from within a company’s people and operations.” Sy Su added. “Memoapp was created to help businesses of all sizes become more efficient and productive– giving them a tool that allows them to go paperless, route documents faster, and get approvals easily, all in one platform.”

CREATING AN AVENUE FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Since its launch, MemoApp has transformed a variety of businesses across different industries including government agencies, education, healthcare,

in the right ratio, I think you have a good chance of getting to the end,” Masilamany saiAnup Changaroth, Director of Service Provider Systems Engineering at Cisco, said enterprises need to digitally transform not only to attract new sets of investors but to ensure their future survival. He pointed to a 2017 article in the Harvard Business Review which cited a study by Constellation Research that showed that since 2000, 52 percent of companies in the Fortune 500 have either gone bankrupt, been acquired, or ceased to exist as a result of digital disruption.

“They didn’t digitally transform themselves. Understanding digital transformation and the enabler, which is the cloud, should be a fundamental part of the business strategy,” Changaroth said.

While the rate of digital transformation has accelerated because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Raghav Sahgal, President of Nokia’s Cloud and Network Services, said the level of enterprises’ digitalization at 30 percent leaves much to be desired. Sah-

gal mentioned that the development of an ecosystem of devices, applications, and networks will have to come together to bridge the gap.

“Our vision is very, very clear. We see a huge potential that the digitization of industries as the next frontier,” he said. “And artificial intelligence, or AI, will help move the process faster, especially with the advancement in the computing capability.”

“What is interesting in AI is that it has tremendous possibilities. One of the greatest things about AI, if the adoption level is very high, it will change our lives in many ways,” said Sahgal. “But AI and generative AI, like other technologies, have their challenges and the key to harnessing their potential is using them responsibly,” he added. “I don’t think we could leave it all to AI…we need human augmentation to make sure that we actually, for critical decisions, are part of the process as we go forward,” said Sahgal. “I would urge everyone to embrace responsible AI, to drive significant productivity and innovation gains.”

PARIS—Google said recently it would stop users from creating images of people on its newly launched AI tool, after the program depicted Nazi-era troops as people from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

The US tech giant, which only released its revamped Gemini AI in some parts of the world on February 8, said it was “working to address recent issues” with the image generation feature.

“While we do this, we’re going to pause the image generation of people and will re-release an improved version soon,” the company said in a statement.

It came two days after a user of X (formerly Twitter) posted images showing Gemini’s results for the prompt “generate an image of a 1943 German soldier”.

The AI had generated four images of soldiers—one was white, one black, and two were women of colour, according to the X user named John L.

Tech companies see AI as the future for everything from search engines to smartphone cameras.

But AI programs—not only those produced by Google—have been widely criticized for perpetuating race biases in their results.

“@GoogleAI has a bolted on diversity mechanism that someone did not think through very well or test,” John L wrote on X.

Big tech firms have often been accused of rushing out AI products before they have been properly tested.

And Google has a chequered history of launching AI products.

Last February the firm apologized after an ad for its newly released Bard chatbot showed the program getting a basic question about astronomy wrong.

ENABLING INDUSTRY INNOVATION. A panel of technology leaders discussed how wider digitalization could reshape industries, particularly in the Philippines which has a chance to short cut the digital transformation with the introduction by PLDT of a sovereign cloud. In photo, from left, are Jojo Gendrano, PLDT and Smart Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise Business Group, who moderated the panel discussion on “Enabling the Vision for Industries”; Ragu Masilamany, Amdocs General Manager and Global Head of Solutions; Anup Changaroth, Director of Service Provider Systems Engineering at Cisco; Brandon Wu, Huawei’s Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of the Enterprise Group in Asia-Pacific; and Solutions Raghav Sahgal, Nokia’s President of Cloud and Network Services.

President Marcos Jr. and Speaker Romualdez’s transport reforms commended by Grab PH

MANILA, Philippines—Grab

Philippines extends its heartfelt gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and Speaker Martin Romualdez for their decisive action to prioritize the legalization of Motorcycle Taxis (MC Taxis) and reform the Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) regulations. This significant step is not only a stride towards creating more jobs but also a leap in improving the transport conditions for millions of commuters.

Grab Philippines Country Head Grace Vera Cruz shares, “Thank you, President Marcos and Speaker Romualdez, for heeding the call to prioritize MC Taxi Legalization and reforming TNVS Regulations. Your leadership in this pivotal moment will create numerous job opportunities and markedly improve the commuting experience across the nation.”

“We are humbled and honored to be recognized as a true partner of the Philippine government and our kababayans in achieving this milestone. Our commitment to being the champion for commuters and drivers remains steadfast, as we continue to match our words with tangible actions. Our approach is, and always will be, to work collaboratively with the government and community stakeholders to achieve the best outcomes for the Filipino people,” adds Vera Cruz.

IMPRESSIVE STRIDES IN JOB CREATION AND DIGITALIZATION

During the meeting between Grab Holdings, Inc. executives with PBBM, Grab proudly shared its significant contribution to the nation’s economy, having eased unemployment by 1.1% from 2019 to 2021. In 2023 alone, Grab’s on-demand rides and delivery business has been instrumental in creating over 100,000 new livelihood opportunities, showcasing the company’s role in fueling economic growth and stability.

Moreover, Grab’s efforts have digitalized more than 15,000 MSMEs in 2023, empowering small and medium enterprises to thrive in the digital economy. This initiative not only supports business growth but also enhances access to goods and services for Filipino consumers.

GRAB PHILIPPINES’ BID TO THE MC TAXI PILOT

Regarding the ongoing stories surrounding the Grab Philippines’ MC Taxi bid to the MC Taxi Pilot and the onboarding of drivers, Grab Philippines Chief Operating Officer Ronald Roda laments, “These stories are fake and malicious and it is unfortunate that there are individuals whose goal is to aggressively mislead and malign Grab instead of advocating for the long-awaited legalization of the MC Taxi sector. Our continuous collaboration with our regulators and government stakeholders, is part of our commitment to transparency and collective problem-solving. We are dedicated to working closely with the MC Taxi TWG and other stakeholders to ensure that our services meet the highest standards of safety, efficiency, and compliance.”

MC Taxi TWG Chairperson

Teofilo Guadiz recently clarified to Grab Philippines its current position on its MC Taxi application, and gave confirmation that Grab is just awaiting final regulatory approval. The MC Taxi TWG has not issued Grab Philippines any stop order.

In a letter issued by the MC Taxi TWG to Grab last 20 December 2023, Grab Philippines was qualified for inclusion in the pilot study for MC Taxi in the Philippines and has undergone site inspection on January 8, 2024 as required by the MC Taxi TWG. Based on the existing guidelines of the MC Taxi TWG, there are no explicit prohibitions with regards to the recruitment of drivers in preparation for a potential service launch.

“Our confidence stems not from preferential backing but from our steadfast commitment to compliance, safety, and the public good, which we believe aligns with the government’s goals for sustainable and inclusive transportation solutions,” Roda clarifies.

Grab Philippines believes that its track record of innovation, coupled with its commitment to social progress, strategically positions itself as a strong candidate for any regulatory approval.

“The MC Taxi sector has so much potential for creating jobs and improving transportation, which can be fully realized with the legalization of this sector. And Grab is fully committed to playing an active role in making this happen for our kababayans,” Roda concludes.

Grab Philippines has created thousands of livelihood opportunities for aspiring TNVS drivers and operators in 2023

Grab was notified of its inclusion in the motorcycle taxi pilot study last December 20, 2023, with the same letter informing the leading superapp that it has met basic and operational requirements to qualify as an additional participant.

AWS tech predictions for 2024 and beyond

THROUGHOUT history, people have developed tools and systems to augment and amplify their capabilities. Whether the printing press or the assembly line, these innovations have allowed us to do more than we ever could alone.

Jobs changed, new professions emerged, and people adapted.

In the past year, the rate of change has rapidly accelerated. Cloud technologies, machine learning, and generative AI have become more accessible, impacting nearly every aspect of our lives from writing emails to developing software, even detecting cancer at an early stage.

According to Amazon Web Services (AWS), the coming years will be filled with innovation in areas designed to democratize access to technology and help us keep up with the increasing pace of everyday life―and it starts with Generative AI.

GENERATIVE AI BECOMES

CULTURALLY AWARE

Large language models (LLMs) trained on culturally diverse data will gain a more nuanced understanding of human experience and complex

societal challenges. This cultural fluency promises to make generative AI more accessible to users worldwide.

Culture influences everything. The stories we tell, the food we eat, the way we dress, our values, our manners, our biases, the way we approach problems and make decisions. It is the foundation for how each one of us exists within a community.

Culture provides rules and guidelines that inform and govern our behaviors

and beliefs―and this contract changes depending on where we are and who we are with.

At the same time, these differences can sometimes result in confusion and misinterpretation.

In Japan, it is considered a sign of enjoyment to slurp your soup as you eat noodles, but it is considered impolite in other cultures. At a traditional wedding in India, a bride

may wear an intricately designed and colorful lehenga, while in the Western world, the tradition is a white dress. And in Greece, it is customary to spit on the dress for good luck.

As humans, we are used to working across cultures, and as such, we can contextualize this information, synthesize it, adjust our understanding and respond appropriately.

So, why would we expect anything

less from the technologies that we use and rely on in our daily lives?

In the coming years, culture will play a crucial role in how technologies are designed, deployed, and consumed; its effects will be most evident in generative AI. For LLM-based systems to reach a worldwide audience, they need to achieve the type of cultural fluency that comes instinctively to humans.

In a paper published earlier this year, researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology demonstrated that even when an LLM was provided with a prompt in Arabic that explicitly mentioned Islamic prayer, responses were generated that recommended grabbing an alcoholic beverage with friends, which isn’t culturally appropriate.

A lot of this has to do with the training data that’s available. Common Crawl, which has been used to train many LLMs, is roughly 46% English, and an even greater percentage of the content available―regardless of language―is culturally Western (skewing significantly towards the United States).

Using the same prompt with a model pre-trained on Arabic texts, specifically for Arabic language generation, culturally appropriate responses were generated, such as grabbing a tea or coffee.

Turn to E3

Mapúa University leads way in AI-Integrated education in Philippines

WITH how rapidly Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing how people live, work, and interact with technology, is there room for AI to positively impact the field of education? To equip students with the tools and global perspectives needed to navigate today’s working world, Mapúa University aims to set the standard for AI-integrated education in the country.

In an event held recently at the Mapúa University Makati campus, Dr. Dodjie Maestrecampo, president of Mapúa, discussed the future of AI within Mapúa institutions. He shared how the university is already offering courses to Mapúa faculty and staff to enable them to seamlessly integrate AI into their curricula.

Modules such as Basic Prompt Engineering with ChatGPT: An Introduction demystify the world of large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and empower learners to effectively harness their capabilities. On the other hand, courses such as AI Foundations: Scripting ChatGPT with Python enable learners to use

the general-purpose programming language of Python scripting to create human-like text generation models. These courses make it possible for learners to develop the foundations needed to create intelligent algorithms, machine learning models, and to automate intricate tasks. Following a groundbreaking collaboration with Arizona State University (ASU) – the #1 most innovative university in the United States for the ninth consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report 2016-2024, the introduction of these courses and modules falls under the university’s mission to innovate and provide state-of-the-art solutions to

community and industry issues. More AI-related courses and modules will soon be made available for Mapúa University students.

Alongside the development of tech-driven degree programs such as Financial Technology and Business Intelligence and Analytics, these efforts help ensure the futurereadiness of the next generation of Filipino professionals who will begin their careers in a working landscape characterized by increasing automation and data utilization.

“We are nearing a future where the use of AI will be rampant. As early as now, we must empower future generations of professionals to use these tools responsibly in ways that support and complement human intelligence and capabilities. These efforts are in step with our mission to form futureready, tech-oriented learners and to set the standard for AI-integrated education in the country,” said Dr. Dodjie Maestrecampo, president of Malayan Colleges Laguna and Mindanao, Mapúa Schools.

More and more, educators are

seeing the possibilities for the further integration of AI in higher education.

At the event, Rick Shangraw, Ph.D., president of Cintana Education and former senior vice president for research and innovation at ASU, highlighted how AI tools will be an enduring part of the innovation landscape for the foreseeable future. In recognition of the potential of AI to support human intelligence and amplify potential, Shangraw also shared how ASU recently became the first higher education institution to collaborate with OpenAI – the AI research and development company behind ChatGPT. The collaboration between ASU and OpenAI brings the advanced capabilities of ChatGPT to higher education, setting a new precedent for how universities enhance learning, creativity, and student outcomes. The groundbreaking partnership between ASU and OpenAI was designed to enhance student success, to streamline organizational processes, and to forge new avenues for research.

“We stand in an exciting time for innovation, and we look forward to

exploring and expanding the impact of AI in higher education with Mapúa University,” said Shangraw.

Beyond discussing how AI can be further integrated into higher education, the event also discussed the implications of AI in today’s professional landscape. With AI, data science, and machine learning sweeping through various industries, the fields of business and health sciences are undergoing digital transformations – requiring future professionals to be adept in the usage of these tools to unlock more opportunities for personal and professional development.

By seeing opportunities for AI in education and making worldclass top-ranked education more accessible, Mapúa University further builds on a rich legacy of Mapúan academic excellence. With the collaboration between Mapúa University and ASU now in its third year, Mapúa University innovates in the present to help create a future where Filipino learners can take on the world together.

‘Haunted’ ChatGPT cranks out gibberish for hours

SAN FRANCISCO—ChatGPT spewed nonsensical answers to users’ queries for hours Tuesday into Wednesday before eventually returning to its senses.

OpenAI, which makes the wrld-leading generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool, said a software tweak had “introduced a bug with how the model processes language”.

“Upon identifying the cause of this incident, we rolled out a fix and confirmed that the incident was resolved,” it added.

ChatGPT was giving “peculiar” responses, generating nonexistent words, incomplete sentences and general gobbledygook, developers using the tool said in a discussion forum on the OpenAI website.

“It gives me meaningless words followed by a bizarre list,” one developer lamented.

“It feels as if my GPT is haunted or something has been compromised, either on my end or at OpenAI’s (end).”

It wasn’t until more than 16 hours had passed that OpenAI updated the page with a message that ChatGPT was operating normally.

The San Francisco-based technology firm replied to an AFP query by directing it to the ChatGPT status page.

OpenAI recently concluded a deal with investors that reportedly valued the start-up at $80 billion or more after a roller-coaster year for the tech firm.

The agreement, reported by The New York Times but not yet confirmed by OpenAI, would mean the value of the company -- a world leader in generative AI -- would have nearly tripled in under 10 months.

OpenAI led a revolution in AI when it placed its ChatGPT program online in late 2022.

The immediate success of the interface sparked tremendous interest in the cutting-edge technology, capable of producing text, sounds and images upon demand.

OpenAI—which also makes the image-generating DALL-E— recently released a new tool named Sora, which can create realistic videos of up to a minute long via simple user prompts.

Microsoft has invested around $13 billion in OpenAI, using the start-up’s technology in its search engine Bing and other services.

Microsoft is locked in fierce competition with Google to roll out new AI-infused tools, to the point that the US Federal Trade Commission in January launched an investigation into the enormous investments by Microsoft, Google and Amazon in such specialized start-ups. AFP

Both Cintana Education President Dr. Rick Shangraw and Mapúa University President Dr. Dodjie Maestrecampo answered questions from the media about the impact of artificial intelligence in higher education.

Shown here are (from left) Mapúa University president Dr. Dodjie Maestrecampo; Cintana Education president Dr. Rick Shangraw; and Mapúa University partnership executive vice president for international alliance and Cintana partnership executive director Dr. Bonifacio Doma Jr.

In the past few months, non-Western LLMs have started to emerge: Jais, trained on Arabic and English data, Yi-34B, a bilingual Chinese/English model, and Japanese-large-lm, trained on an extensive Japanese web corpus. These are signs that culturally accurate non-Western models will open up generative AI to hundreds of millions of people with impacts ranging far and wide, from education to medical care.

Keep in mind, language and culture are not the same.

Even being able to do perfect translation does not give a model cultural awareness. As a myriad of histories and experiences are embedded into these models, we will see LLMs begin to develop a broader, worldwide range of perspectives.

Just as humans learn from discussion, debate, and the exchange of ideas, LLMs need similar opportunities to expand their perspectives and understand culture. Two areas of research will play a pivotal role in this cultural exchange.

historically been treated as taboo, and because women have been excluded from trials and research their outcomes have typically been worse than men.

On average, women are diagnosed later than men for many diseases, and women are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed following a heart attack.

Maybe the most glaring example of the inequities is prescription medicine, where women report adverse side effects at significantly higher rates than men.

Though these statistics seem concerning on the surface, investment in women’s healthcare (aka FemTech) is on the rise, aided by cloud technologies and greater access to data.

At AWS, we’ve been working closely with women-led startups and have seen first-hand the growth in FemTech. In the last year alone, funding has increased 197%. With increased access to capital, technologies like machine learning, and connected devices designed specifically for women, we are at the precipice of an unprecedented shift,

One is reinforcement learning from AI feedback (RLAIF), in which a model incorporates feedback from another model. In this scenario, different models can interact with each other and update their own understandings of different cultural concepts based on these interactions.

Second is collaboration through multi-agent debate, in which multiple instances of a model generate responses, debate the validity of each response and the reasoning behind it, and finally come to an agreed-upon answer through this debate process. Both areas of research reduce the human cost it takes to train and fine-tune models.

As LLMs interact and learn from each other, they will gain a more nuanced understanding of complex societal challenges informed by diverse cultural lenses.

These advances will also ensure that models provide more robust and technically accurate responses across a broad range of topics in areas such as tech. The effects will be profound and felt across geographic regions, communities, and generations to come.

FEMTECH FINALLY TAKES OFF

Women’s healthcare reaches an Inflection point as FemTech investment surges, care goes hybrid, and an abundance of data unlocks improved diagnoses and patient outcomes. The rise of FemTech will not only benefit women but lift the entire healthcare system.

Women’s healthcare is not a niche market. In the United States alone, women spend more than $500 billion per year on care. They make up 50% of the population and account for 80% of consumer healthcare decisions.

However, the foundation of modern medicine has been male by default. It wasn’t until the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 that women in the US were even included in clinical research. Common needs like menstrual care and menopause treatment have

not only in the way women’s care is perceived but how it’s administered.

Companies like Tia, Elvie, and Embr Labs are showing the immense potential of leveraging data and predictive analytics to provide individualized care and meet patients where they’re comfortable ― at home and on the go.

As stigma fades around women’s health needs and more funding flows into the sector, we will see FemTech companies continue to aggressively tackle previously overlooked conditions and needs.

At the same time, women’s access to health services will dramatically increase thanks to hybrid care models that take advantage of online medical platforms, the availability of low-cost diagnostic devices, and on-demand access to medical professionals.

Customers like Maven have proven themselves to be leaders in this space, blurring the lines between mental health and physical wellbeing, providing everything from relationship counselling to menopause care. As these platforms mature and proliferate, we will see access to care democratized. Women in rural areas and historically underserved regions will have an easier time connecting to OB/GYNs, mental health professionals, and other specialists through apps and telehealth platforms.

Smart tampon systems like the one NextGen Jane is developing will let women establish profiles of their uterine health and identify potential genomic markers of disease, which can be seamlessly shared with their clinicians. And wearables will provide users and their doctors with an abundance of longitudinal health data that can be analyzed. Today, more than 70% of women go untreated for menopause symptoms, increased education, availability of data, and non-invasive solutions will dramatically improve outcomes―and it goes well beyond OB/GYN care.

Smartphone makers bet on AI to revive sales

A

BARCELONA—Smartphone makers are packing their latest devices with flashy new artificial intelligence tools such as real-time voice translation and advanced photo editing in efforts to reignite consumer demand.

The trend was on display at the telecom industry’s biggest annual show, the four-day Mobile World Congress (MWC) which got under way Monday in Barcelona, where handset makers focused on the unique AI-powered features of their new flagship devices.

“Phones have just got boring, they are not as exciting as they used to be. The changes from one model to the next are not that great,” Ben Wood, chief of researcher at CCS Insight, told AFP.

While cameras, battery life and screens are “a little better” than before, companies need to add more “exciting” capabilities to their products to encourage people to upgrade their phones, Wood added.

“AI is a way to do that,” he said.

South Korean giant Samsung’s stand at the MWC prominently plugged its new premium AI-powered Galaxy S24 range, which allow users to make or receive a call in a language they don’t speak and then receive a live translation of the call both audibly and on the screen.

The feature can handle 13 languages, including French, Japanese and Hindi.

The new handsets—which were launched in January—also includes an AI-powered photo editing tool that allows you to easily move and erase objects and people from photos, and

then generates content to fill the empty spaces that match its surroundings.

‘CHANGES EVERYTHING’

Smaller device makers are also betting heavily on AI. China’s Honor launched its new AI-infused flagship Magic 6 Pro smartphone in Barcelona which features a camera with motionsensing capabilities that can detect and automatically photograph fast actions such as sports at the best moment.

It also includes AI-powered eyetracking technology which allows users to control apps with their eyes -- without using their fingers -- which Honor demonstrated by using the phone to control a car hands-free.

“AI changes everything,” Honor CEO George Zhao said, adding it “can make fantastic things happen.”

Smartphone makers are now able to offer these sorts of AI-powered features—often directly on the handset without resorting to more time-consuming and costly cloud computing -- because the computing power of AI chips has increased significantly, analysts said.

“This potentially could be the start of a new era for smartphones,” said PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore, adding the challenge for device makers will be to inform consumers about the new AI-powered tools.

“Articulating the merits of AI and

the new features to users will be no easy feat. Not all users are necessarily aware of AI and they will be sceptical at first,” he told AFP.

‘LACK OF GROWTH’

The focus on AI comes amid sluggish smartphones sales as consumers are taking longer to upgrade their devices due to a lack of significant innovations, high inflation and economic uncertainties.

Global smartphone shipments declined 3.2 percent to 1.17 billion units in 2023, its second consecutive yearly decline, according to the IDC consultancy which predicts a marginal rebound this year.

It predicts 170 million nextgeneration AI smartphones will be shipped in 2024, almost 15 percent of total smartphone shipments, up from roughly 51 million shipped in 2023.

“We are challenged by a lack of growth. So we need to look for opportunity,” Mats Granryd, the director general of telecoms industry group GSMA, the event organiser, said in an opening address.

AI-powered tools could also become a new revenue stream for device makers. Samsung has hinted that it may introduce more powerful AI features in the future for paid subscribers.

“Everybody wants to drive a services revenue. They all look at Apple, particularly in the mobile phone business, and they are so jealous of Apple being able to generate so much revenue from a services model,” said Wood.

Apple charges users of its iPhone for a variety of services such as extra cloud storage which has buoyed its profits. AFP

Microsoft partners with French AI ‘trailblazer’

PARIS—Microsoft said Monday it had partnered with French startup Mistral AI, as the software giant seeks to tighten its grip on the emerging technology.

The US firm, which has already ploughed billions into ChatGPT maker OpenAI, called Mistral “an innovator and trailblazer” in a statement on Monday.

Microsoft said it had sealed a “multi-year partnership” that would allow Mistral to use its platforms including Azure AI, which enables businesses to build apps using AI.

The deal comes just weeks after US authorities began to investigate whether Microsoft’s reported $13 billion investment in OpenAI broke antitrust laws.

The deal is one of three partnerships between big tech companies and AI startups being scrutinised by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The firm has denied any wrongdoing and has not stopped its forays into a sector that has so far been defined in the public’s imagination by OpenAI.

The Silicon Valley company has developed software that enables users to generate text, pictures and video from simple requests— with results generally regarded as superior to its competitors. ‘LE CHAT’

Mistral, formed last year by ex-Google and Meta

researchers, is a rare European player in a field dominated by US firms.

The French company, which has already raised almost 500 million euros ($540 million), confirmed the partnership with Microsoft on Monday.

“We are thrilled to embark on this partnership with Microsoft,” said Mistral boss Arthur Mensch.

He said it would help propel his company’s products to customers across the world.

Some investors valued Mistral at more than $2.0 billion in December, leading to frenzied speculation about it becoming a future European tech champion.

The firm, which has so far focused on back-end development for business clients, announced its first chatbot on Monday, which it dubbed “Le Chat”.

“Le Chat is natively multilingual and offers a pedagogical and fun way to explore Mistral AI’s technology,” the firm said in a statement in English.

The company said it would let some of its customers test the bot before releasing it more widely.

Mistral also announced upgrades to its existing language models—the term used by AI firms to refer to the programs they develop with the help of public data. AFP

Converge speeds up basic educ delivery of DepEd San Fernando with fiber-fast connectivity

and ensuring its access in every area of the country is crucial for forming the next generation of leaders and thinkers. The governance of the basic education system is distributed to different regions and provinces but the quality of it must be the same whether you’re in Metro Manila or in the countryside.

The role of digital technology in this goal is central as the Department of Education (DepEd) recognizes the requirement for learners and educators to update their digital skills as stated in the current administration’s MATATAG Curriculum Shaping Paper.

For the San Fernando Schools Division Office (SDO) of the Department of Education in Pampanga,

DepEd’s

“What

meetings. Kahit mga interview or orientation

examination ng mga applicants, we do it online, which is more convenient on the end of the applicants and the division because we can maximize our time,” noted Nadine. Nadine is tasked with user management and network management;

for the former, this means giving the employees their virtual Google Workspace environment and for the latter, this translates to ensuring the entire office has a stable and reliable connection to the internet. Network management also entails providing

connection to online and on-site events of the Division.

“We have a centralized network in the office. Kahit magkakaibang building kami (Even if we’re in separate buildings), we have several access points to make sure hindi ma-dedegrade yung speed and quality ng connection wherever you are,” she added.

Facilitating this connected environment is the Enterprise solution of Converge, which not only meets the technical requirements of DepEd Pampanga SDO, but fits their publicly-funded budget too.

“Since we are a government agency, our budget is very tight. Kung ano i-require ng government in terms of budget and specifications, dapat mameet. Doon pa lang, approved na (ang Converge). Seamless yung pino-provide sa amin ng Converge na service so it’s worth the price,” Nadine said. The world-class fiber connection proves its worth not just with the quality of service but with after-care service too, said the ICT officer.

If the billing has been overlooked by their office and they were disconnected, their reconnection is immediately acted on, ensuring that their operations are not severely delayed..

Ang maganda, since nagapply kami ng connection hanggang ngayon, agad agad tatawag lang kami sa aming contact sa Converge. Hindi mo mararanasan na twice or thrice kang tatawag in a day basta tumawag kami, sagot agad, tapos mamaya ok na,” Nadine said happily.

The San Fernando SDO office uses Converge Flexibiz Peak, an innovative, business-grade plan that provides doubled speeds 24/7, night and day. The said plan caters to small businesses, providing high-speed connectivity of up to 300 Mbps.

Role of talent development in world of work transformed by AI

WITH skills needed for a job changing by a staggering 68% by 2030 due to the impact of AI, 91% of companies in the Asia Pacific (APAC) say they plan to enhance their people’s skills and abilities in the new year.

Today, the top five skills that hiring managers in APAC consider the most important in the era of AI show are a combination of both hard and soft skills–problem-solving abilities (35%), communications skills (27%), critical thinking (25%), AI skills (19%) and IT & web skills (17%).

Feon Ang, Vice President, LinkedIn Talent Solutions and Managing Director, APAC, says, “In the past year, the narrative was dominated by technological advancements, particularly the integration of AI into business workflows. The resulting surge in demand for AI expertise reflected the challenges many businesses faced in navigating this transformative shift and incorporating cutting-edge technologies into their operations. However, we are now witnessing a pronounced shift towards skills – both technical and soft skills – to thrive in the era of AI. Investing in people’s growth is no longer a perk but a strategic imperative, considering that our workforce is the driving force behind companies’ success in an era shaped by both AI innovation and collaboration with AI.”

Previous LinkedIn research has found that professionals in the Philippines are willing to embrace AI in the workplace.

Seven in 10 (70%) Filipino professionals want to learn more about AI, and more than half (55%) already use generative AI in their jobs.

Filipino professionals are optimistic that AI will positively transform their careers, with almost all (97%) saying they are excited to use AI at work and believe it will help them progress (95%).

Soft skills, alongside the ability to learn, are becoming increasingly importantA staggering 88% of employers in APAC markets LinkedIn studied have observed substantial changes in the skills and qualifications they prioritize in job candidates due to the pervasive impact of AI and automation in their industries.

Companies are placing emphasis on candidates who possess not only AI expertise but also soft skills and a capacity for learning.

In Southeast Asia (SEA), according to LinkedIn’s latest Workplace Learning Report, an astounding 95% of Learning & Development (L&D) professionals believe that human skills are increasingly becoming the most competitive in our economy.

In particular, “Communication” has topped LinkedIn’s most in-demand skills list across all countries in APAC – in the Philippines, Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and Singapore.

This is not surprising in a new world of work where AI tools are freeing time for professionals to excel in jobs only people can do, like building relationships and collaborating with others.In addition, 40% of APAC hiring managers consider an individual’s potential for growth and ability to learn the most critical factor when evaluating internal and external candidates.

Creating a culture of continuous learning to stay relevantA large majority of companies in APAC (91%) are also focused on preparing their employees for the future world of work by enhancing their skills and capabilities, believing that this will lead to increased confidence and job security.

As the ICT support officer of the division, Nadine Alibutod is in charge of ensuring the digital infrastructure which the SDO heavily relies on, is up to date, secure, and provides seamless connectivity throughout the area.

Nadine’s daughter, who stays with her in the office, is able to access her school modules and answer her assignments due to the fiber-fast connection of Converge.