THE country ended 2023 with a wider net external liability position, according to the latest Balance Sheet Approach (BSA) report released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
The country’s net external liability position widened by 6.1 percent quarter-on-quarter to P2.6 trillion in the last quarter of 2023 from P2.4 trillion in the third quarter of 2023.
BSP said this was largely due to the higher net external liability positions of the general government and the non-financial corporations.
“However, these were tempered by the higher net external asset position of the central bank,” BSP said in a statement.
The data showed the central bank’s net financial asset position rose by 12.1 percent
quarter-on-quarter to P891.6 billion from P795.2 billion due to the decline in deposits from the general government.
“The central bank’s net external assets rose. On a year-onyear basis, the central bank’s net financial asset position widened as the country’s gross international reserves increased,” it added.
By sector, BSP said the general government’s net financial liability position expanded by 7.7 percent quarter-on-quarter to P9.7 trillion from P9 trillion.
This was due to the decline in the national government’s deposits with the central bank. The deposits were used for disbursements, allotments to local government units and interest payments.
The BSP also traced the increase in the net debt position
of the general government to higher government securities holdings of the rest of the world, other depository corporations, and other financial corporations.
“On an annual basis, the general government’s net financial liability position rose as the government security holdings of the other depository corporations, the rest of the world, and the other financial corporations increased. Similarly, the sector’s loans from non-residents grew,” the BSP also said.
The data also showed the non-financial corporations’ net financial liability position widened by 4.8 percent quarter-on-quarter to P9.1 trillion from P8.7 trillion ‚due to, BSP said, higher loans from banks and non-resident units. Nonresidents’ holdings of equity and
investment fund shares issued by non-financial corporations expanded, it said. On a year-on-year basis, BSP said liabilities of non-financial corporations’ net financials expanded due to the increase in the sector’s loans from the rest of the world.
The central bank also reported an increase in the nonfinancial corporations-issued equity and investment fund share holdings of the other financial corporations.
Households MEANWHILE, the households’ net financial asset position increased by 5.4 percent quarteron-quarter to P13.4 trillion from P12.7 trillion on the back of the increase in the sector’s deposits in banks.
‘TARIFF CUTS WON’T LEAD TO CHEAPER RICE SOON’
TSolutions company.
BMI also said the shortfall in rice production, forecasted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), will contribute to the high cost of rice in the domestic market.
Citing data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), BMI said the average retail prices for regular- and well-milled rice in the Philippines stood at P51.03 per kilogram and P56.06 per kilogram, respectively, both of which were around 25 percent higher than 12 months earlier.
“In the near term, we expect that the reduction in rice import tariffs could see domestic rice price pressures in the Philippines ease—notwithstanding the widening in the Philippine domestic rice production deficit between 2023/24 and 2024/25 that the USDA forecasts,” BMI said.
“In the immediate term, how-
ever, the reduction will not have a noticeable impact on domestic prices due to the feedthrough time lag,” it added.
The reduction in rice tariffs, however, will significantly benefit the country’s largest source of imported rice, Vietnam, particularly its rice traders.
Given the reduction in tariff, this could lead to larger rice import volumes from the Philippines leading to even higher rice prices in the international market.
The Philippines was considered the world’s second-largest rice importer in 2023. The country cornered 5 percent of the global import market in value terms.
“We note, however, that international rice prices remain elevated and that—with India’s rice export restrictions still in place and the negative impact of the recent
By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga
ASERIES of strong earthquakes was recorded by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) in Luzon and Visayas on Monday.
The first of such earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.6 was recorded around 6:53 a.m. in Western Occidental Mindoro. Intensity IV was recorded in Rizal and Intensity I in Maburao and Magsaysay, as well as in Occidental Mindoro. It had a depth of 13 kilometers.
Around 8:45 a.m., another earthquake struck, this time in Tuao, Cagayan Province. It had a depth of 12 kilometers.
At 10:02 a.m., a 3.2-magnitude earthquake struck Abuyog, Leyte Province, which was felt with an Intensity I strong movement on the earth’s surface in Abuyog. Around 1:22 p.m., a 4.9-magnitude earthquake also struck Abuyog, Leyte. While it had a shallow depth of 2 kilometers, Intensity III was felt in Hindundayan and Hinunganan, Southern Leyte; Dulag, Javier, and Abuyog in Leyte Province.
See “Quakes,”
By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie
THE Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) has approved a P35 hike in the daily minimum wage for workers in the National Capital Region (NCR), but this was quickly assailed by two party-list representatives, who described it as insufficient and failing to address the economic needs of Filipino workers.
The Gabriela Women’s Party and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), in separate statements, voiced strong objections to the recently approved P35
minimum wage hike, which would bring the daily rate in Metro Manila to P645, effective July 17.
Rep. Arlene Brosas of Gabriela said it falls significantly short of what Filipino families need for a dignified life.
“This P35 increase is an insult to Filipino workers. It’s barely different from the P25 wage hike implemented way back in 1989, and lower than the P40 hike granted last year. How can the government expect NCR workers to survive on P645 a day when the Family Living Wage stands at P1,200 and when prices continue to accelerate?” she said.
Factories shed jobs anew in June, PMI hits 3-month low
By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario
THE Philippine manufacturing sector posted its second consecutive month of job shedding in June, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.
The shedding in jobs accompanied the three-month low Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) score of 51.3 in June this year. S&P Global Market Intelligence said the PMI score was at 51.9 in May 2024. A comforting note, though, was provided: S&P Global Market Intelligence said while the latest PMI reading represented a softer rate of growth, it still marked the 10th consecutive month the country’s PMI score was above 50, the threshold.
“While strong improvements in demand trends earlier in the second quarter allowed manufacturing firms to raise their production volumes at a solid and sustained rate in
June, the recent cooling in demand conditions could mean weaker upticks in output as we move into the second half of the year,” Maryam Baluch, Economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said.
“While growth in output fed through to higher purchasing activity, it failed to translate into job creation. The second consecutive month of job shedding reflected the lack of pressure on operating capacity within the sector, as backlogs were depleted sharply,” she added. S&P Global Market Intelligence said demand for Philippine made products cooled. This depleted backlogs at a faster pace, regarded as the “most pronounced” in the
El Niño event on rice production in Southeast Asia via below-average rainfall in mind—the international rice market remains tight, which could, therefore, see an increase in Philippine import demand stimulate upward international price pressures,” BMI said. Citing government data, BMI said total
past three months.
With high spare capacity, firms were forced to trim their workforce numbers in June, marking the second consecutive month of job shedding in the manufacturing sector.
“There were also some reports of the non-replacement of voluntary leavers. The employment picture has now deteriorated for a second straight month,” S&P Global Market Intelligence said.
However, the country’s PMI score is expected to improve as production volumes and factory activity are expected to increase in the coming months.
Given this, Philippine manufacturers have continued to stockpile, albeit at a slower pace. Preproduction inventories accumulated for the fourth consecutive month.
“Future expectations also retreated, further alluding to softening sentiment in the outlook. However, inflationary pressures remained in check, despite a renewed rise in operating costs. Relatively soft and subdued upticks in costs and charges could help the sector generate demand in the coming months,” Baluch said.
grain imports, including rice as well as corn, wheat, and other grains, in the first quarter of 2024 amounted to $1.173 billion, equivalent to a 27.9-percent increase compared to the first quarter of 2023.
Overall, S&P Global Market Intelligence said manufacturers maintained a positive outlook on production in the next 12 months. Nonetheless, the optimism of factories dimmed compared to May 2024. Earlier, high commodity prices and lower incomes have turned the consumer sentiment in the Philippines negative for the first time in 13 quarters, according to the latest data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Based on the results of the Consumer Expectation Survey (CES), the BSP said the outlook of Filipino consumers for the next quarter was negative 0.4 percent, the lowest since the negative 2.2 percent posted in the first quarter of 2021. Consumer outlook for the next 12 months slightly improved to 13.5 percent from the 13.4 percent posted in the previous CES results. It can be noted that the 13.4-percent consumer sentiment was the lowest, at least in the past four years. (See: https:// businessmirror .com.ph/2024/06/29/ high-prices-lower-incomesbring-down-pinoys-consumerbusiness-sentiment/).
Of this amount, $489 million or 41.7 percent was sourced in Vietnam at $355 million and Thailand at $134 million.
In May 2024, BMI noted that FAO’s All Rice Price Index (FARPI) came in at 137.3, equivalent to a 7.4 percent increase on its level of May 2023.
In August 2023, the FARPI increased 10 percent month on month due to India’s introduction of an export ban on basmati rice and a 20- percent export duty on parboiled rice and has since oscillated around 140.
Interest rates
BMI said given recent developments and expectations that the impact of the lower rice tariffs will be delayed, it expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to only cut interest rates starting in September.
The BSP is expected to cut rates by 50 basis points, lower than its initial forecast of 75 basis points.
This means the BSP’s next policy meeting in August will see the Monetary Board retaining rates and holding off until the US Federal Reserve begins its loosening cycle.
This is despite BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. hinting at the possibility of a rate cut in August. “In our view, such an early cut remains out of the question even if price pressures ease substantially,” BMI said.
However, BMI said the largest barrier to the decision of the BSP to loosen monetary policy is currency stability.
The peso, BMI said, is among the “poorest performing currencies in the region,” second only to Japan.
“As such, the BSP will be extremely mindful of a pre-emptive return to monetary loosening, for fear of exacerbating weakness in the already weak peso,” BMI said.
“This feeds into our expectations for the BSP to embark on its first cut only in October at the earliest. The monetary cycles of both the Philippines and the Fed tend to track each other closely,” it added.
Moody’s Analytics
MOODY’S Analytics, meanwhile, shares this view. “The Philippine central bank left its policy rate at 6.5 percent. Like many peers in the region, it won’t be looking to cut until the US Federal Reserve makes the first move,” Moody’s Analytics said.
Earlier, the reduction in rice tariffs boosted the optimism of monetary officials that a rate cut could happen in August, according to the BSP.
On Thursday, Remolona said the Monetary Board decided to maintain the BSP’s Target Reverse Repurchase (RRP) rate at 6.5 percent. The interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities will remain 6 percent and 7 percent, respectively.
Remolona said the Monetary Board is now “less hawkish” or “more dovish” than before, as inflation is expected to slow to the midpoint of the 2 to 4 percent target range. (See: https:// BUSINESSMIRROR COM PH/2024/06/28/lowerrice-tariff-fuels-bsp-interest-rate-cutoptimism/).
BSP also noted an increase in their holdings of currency, other financial corporations-issued insurance, pension, standardized guarantee schemes, and other financial corporations-issued equity and investment fund shares.
On an annual basis, the households’ net financial asset position increased due to higher investments in other financial corporations-issued equity and investment fund shares and other financial corporations-issued insurance, pension, and standardized guarantee schemes. There was also an increase in other depository corporations.
BSP data showed the other depository corporations’ net financial asset position increased by
Intensity II earthquake was also felt in Alangalang, Leyte; while Albuera and Hilongos in Leyte; Basey, Samar; San Juan and Sogod in Southern Leyte felt Intensity Istrong shrudders. At 1:28 p.m., Balangiga town in Eastern Samar was shaken by a 4.7-magnitude earthquake. It had a depth of 10 kilometers, creating Intensity II movement in Tacloban
Gabriela said it is committed to pushing for House Bill 7568, which proposes a P750 across-the-board wage hike for all workers nationwide. This proposed legislation seeks to implement a substantial wage increase for all workers nationwide.
“The P750 ATB wage hike bill is a step towards ensuring that Filipino families can live decently and with dignity, but it’s clear that this is not the priority of the Marcos Jr. administration,” Brosas said.
At the upcoming State of the Nation Address, Brosas said, workers will hold a massive protest to demand a livable wage amid high inflation across food, transport and utilities, which gouge the pockets of the ordinary households.
Meanwhile, TUCP similarly condemned the NCR wage increase as an insufficient measure that humiliates Filipino workers. TUCP is advocating for the passage of House Bill 7871, the Wage Recovery Act, calling for a daily across-the-board P150 wage hike for all private sector workers.
“The NCR regional wage board proved once again to be so myopic. They opted to protect business profits rather than the bigger societal purpose of the wage increase. As TUCP has repeatedly pointed out, the need to elevate the daily wage above the poverty threshold to afford a family of five at least one nutritious meal a day is inextricably linked to addressing the growing problem of stunting Filipino children due to persistent poverty and inequality,” said TUCP Vice President Luis Corral.
House Bill No. 7871 is pending in the House Committee on Labor and Employment, while the Philippine Senate has already passed a P100.00 wage increase. However, the initiative for a legislated wage increase was dampened by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) during the Labor Day celebration, amid appeals by employers to avoid going back to the legislated wage system more than 20 years ago, before the regional wage boards were institutionalized.
“Despite working hard for an honest living, workers are condemned
The BIS Innovation Hub commenced the project in 2022, and its Singapore Centre has worked with the current partners over the past year to develop a comprehensive scheme and governance framework, commercial model and technology blueprint. Central banks, standard-setting bodies, IPS operators and commercial entities around the world were also consulted to validate that Nexus is scalable and interoperable beyond the current participants.
2.4 percent quarter-on-quarter to P1.8 trillion from P1.7 trillion due to higher loans extended to nonfinancial enterprises.
There was also an expansion of placements in reverse repurchase agreements with the BSP and its investments in government-issued securities.
Year-on-year, BSP said the sector’s net financial asset position declined, driven mainly by the higher deposits from the household sector. Further, the sector’s external assets declined while its external liabilities increased. Deposits also increased from the other financial corporations and other financial corporations’ holdings of other depository corporations-issued debt securities. Cai U. Ordinario
City and Palo, Leyte.
Lastly, at around 1:53, Balangiga, Eastern Samar was struck with a magnitude 5 earthquake. Intensity II was felt in Hinundayan and Hinunganan, Southern Leyte; Dulag and Abuyog, in Leyte Province. Phivolcs is not expecting aftershocks and there was no report of injury or damage to infrastructure as of this writing.
to a life of deprivation and poverty, which means the promised middleincome Philippines by 2025 excludes the workers and is a fatal error,” Corral said.
Human capital CITING the World Bank’s “Philippines Human Capital Review,” Corral said, if the country does not invest in human capital, the incoming labor force members will be unable to drive innovation and economic growth. The World Bank also said the Philippines has a window of only 20 to 25 years to invest in human capital development, which for the TUCP should start with having a decent daily wage to afford nutritious meals for workers’ children and pay for their education and health, Corral added.
“The P35 increase in the daily minimum wage could barely raise the needed amount for the family’s daily expenses,” said Corral. In 1989, Republic Act No. 6727, or the Wage Rationalization Act, created the regional wage boards. However, the real value of minimum wages has stagnated and failed to keep up with inflation. According to the IBON Foundation, the purchasing power of minimum wage earners today is much lower than nearly a decade ago. The Ateneo Policy Center, however, has estimated that the daily cost of the government-prescribed daily healthy food guide, “Pinggang Pinoy,” is P693.30 per day for a family of five. The National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) estimated the daily family living wage at P917 in 2008.
“As DOLE and the regional wage boards continue to turn a blind eye to and a deaf ear to the issue that is no longer whether there will be an increase but on how much and how soon, after more than three decades of stagnant starvation wages, we trust that the representatives
Nexus is one of many exploratory projects embarked upon by the BIS Innovation Hub. It is also contributing with the BIS Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures to the G20 Roadmap for Enhancing Cross-border Payments. The Roadmap highlights interlinking of IPS as a key aim, and Nexus as a priority action that could have a significant impact on the speed, cost, transparency of, and access to cross-border payments.
FMJr vows continued support for PAF capability development
By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla
THE Air Force is currently enhancing its cyber warfare communications systems as part of its ongoing modernization program, President Marcos Jr. said on Monday.
In a speech during the 77th founding anniversary of the service at Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga, Marcos said the Air Force is in the process of acquiring equipment to boost its cyber warfare capability along with other assets to boost its capabilities in securing the country from external and internal threats.
He said it is also engaged in base development programs.
The national government, he said, will continue to provide the necessary support to the Air Force for the said initiatives, which has led to the acquisition of additional aircraft and an advanced radar system.
“Over the past year, we have made significant steps that complement and boost this administration’s vision for a stronger [and] more capable Air Force,” Marcos said.
“Indeed, these assets contribute to an agile Air Force—capable of protecting our nation, our people, and our resources; and dedicated to ensuring that we are ready to face challenges with advanced precision, speed, and force,” he added.
The government said it is determined to defend its borders by increasing its maritime domain awareness through regular maritime patrol missions and activities in the Philippine Air Defense Identification Zone (Padiz).
Marcos said the government has monitored over four hundred unknown tracks within the Padiz.
He thanked the Air Force for its continuous protection of the country’s skies and in its contribution to disaster response.
“In all of these, the selfless women and men of the Air Force have been nothing short of exemplary, especially in your efforts to provide prompt assistance by regularly conducting humanitarian and disaster response operations,” Marcos said.
“As your Commander-in-Chief, I assure you of this administration’s support in prioritizing your welfare, ensuring that you are well attended to in terms of overall health and wellness so you may perform your duties effectively and safely,” he said.
“Let it be known that your unparalleled dedication and noble duty to our nation are hereby recognized,” he added.
The leadership of the House of Representatives meanwhile assured the Air Force and the Armed Forces that it would secure full funding for their modernization and welfare programs in the national budget.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez made this commitment during the PAF’s 77th anniversary celebration.
Romualdez emphasized the House’s firm support for the President’s vision for the Armed Forces, pledging the needed legislative backing to ensure the success of modernization and welfare initiatives.
“We are committed to providing the necessary legislative support to ensure that the modernization programs and welfare initiatives for our armed forces are fully funded and effectively implemented,” Romualdez said.
“We will continue to work on policies that enhance our defense capabilities, improve the conditions of service for our soldiers, and ensure that the Philippines remains safe and secure,” he said.
Highlighting the administration’s commitment, Romualdez noted that significant budget allocations are directed towards advanced aircraft, cutting-edge radar systems, and state-of-the-art equipment. These investments are crucial for the Air Force to execute its mandate efficiently and effectively.
“We recognize that in this ever-evolving world, our security apparatus must be dynamic, robust, and forward-looking.
The administration has thus embarked on a comprehensive modernization program aimed at upgrading our defense systems and ensuring that our armed forces are equipped with the latest technology and resources necessary to meet the challenges of the modern battlefield,” he stressed.
With Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz
Senator tells overseas Pinoys to show unity, love of country
FILIPINOS abroad must show to the world their unity and love for country to maintain the freedom the Philippines earned 126 years ago.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada made the call as he joined some 15,000 overseas Filipino workers who attended the weekend “Sandiwa Fiesta Sa Europa” to wrap up their one-month commemoration of the Philippines’s 126th Independence Day in Milan, Italy on Sunday.
“ Sa paggunita ng ating Kalayaan ngayon araw ipakita natin ang pagkakaisa nating mga Filipino Ipagmalaki natin ang ating lahi, at ipakita natin sa buong mundo ang tapang at pagmamahal natin sa ating inang bayan. [In commemorating our independence today, let us show the unity of Filipinos. Let’s be proud of our race, and let’s show the whole world our courage and love for our motherland],” he said in his message.
He said the Philippine government, under President Marcos, will continue to fight challenges, including the dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“Gaya ng paulit-ulit na pahayag ng ating Pangulo Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., tungkol dito, sinisiguro na hindi natin hahayaang mawalan ng saysay ang pinaglaban ng ating mga ninuno maging ang pagkapanalo natin sa Permanent Court of Arbitration na nagdeklara na walang batayan sa international law ang nine-dash line ng China na ginagamit na dahilan para kamkamin ng ating teritoryo. [Like what President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has been saying, we will not let the struggles of our ancestors lose their meaning, even our victory in the Permanent Court of Arbitration that declared that China’s nine-dash line has no basis in international law],” Estrada said.
‘Pain points’ in attracting pharma industries bared
By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan
SPECIAL Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic
Affairs Frederick Go unveiled investor “pain points” as government agencies aim to attract more investments in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries.
“We hope to attract more investors in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries,” Jose Edwiniel Guilas, undersecretary of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs (Osapiea) said as he read the speech of Go during the joint briefing of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (Arta), Department of Health (DOH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) on medical drug and device manufacturers initiatives held in Quezon City on Monday.
By encouraging investors to set up their businesses in the country, Go said “we will make medicine, medical devices more accessible and affordable to our countrymen.”
However, Go said in his speech that the country must work to eliminate or
reduce existing or potential “barriers” to investing in the country.
With these, he unveiled three investor “pain points,” which he said Arta, DOH, FDA and Peza could consider as inputs in their respective initiatives.
The first pain point that should be addressed, Go said, is the “bureaucratic nature of some of the existing processes of the regulatory agencies,” adding that these processes are “structured with complex rules and systems causing unnecessary delays.”
In streamlining bureaucracy, Go said the government through the said agencies should consider certificates of countries with “higher certified standards as compliance with ours.”
“Given that the FDA lacks the manpower and equipment, can we seriously implement this policy? Can
we review the tedious processes with the assistance of Arta and limit the number of required number of signatures,” the President’s economic czar said.
Meanwhile, another potential barrier in attracting investments in the pharmaceutical industry is the “difficulty” for pharmaceutical companies to import and export medicine.
“Industry stakeholders who have touched base with my office have often raised their concerns about importing and most especially exporting drugs and food products,” Go noted.
In addressing the said pain point, Go divulged that an Administrative Order is currently being drafted and “hopefully” will be finalized and signed by the DOH before President Marcos’s State of the Nation Address (Sona).
The said administrative order will streamline processes for the approval of certificates for pharmaceutical products for FDA evaluation, among others, he noted.
Another barrier that should be eliminated, the economic czar said, is the “difficulty” for big and international pharmaceutical companies to operate in the Philippines.
“Our office together with the Philippine Economic Zone authority or Peza and FDA has formed a technical working group to make it easier for pharmaceutical companies to set up their operations in ecozones,” Go said.
He explained that by having their
companies here, “we can create an ecosystem where research and development clinical trials in manufacturing are conducted in the country.”
This particular initiative aims to increase production and lower the costs of medicine and medical devices due to increased supply.
During the joint briefing on Monday, Arta, FDA, Peza and DOH signed a pledge of commitment to improve bureaucratic efficiency related to medical drug and device manufacturing.
“We as public servants, private stakeholders and citizens of the Philippines, in support of the President’s 8-point Economic Agenda to improve bureaucratic efficiency, have jointly, voluntarily, and whole-heartedly commit to do the following without mental reservation or purpose of evasion,” the pledge of commitment of the four agencies read.
These are the following: to streamline the regulatory processes to ensure swift and efficient service delivery without bureaucratic delays; promote reforms and innovations in the pharmaceutical industry; adopt effective and notable best practices aimed at an efficient turnaround of the delivery of services related to the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, they committed to “Hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity, taking full responsibility for our actions and their impact on the community and the environment.”
Mayor opens Makati’s new central police, fire stations
MAKATI Mayor Abby Binay on Monday led the ceremonial opening of the Makati Central Police Station on Malugay Street and the Makati Central Fire Station on Buendia Avenue.
He said the government will continue to use peaceful and diplomatic approaches to resolve the dispute in the WPS.
Ang West Philippine Sea ay atin at ipaglalaban natin ito Hindi lamang ito parte ng ating territory, bahagi rin ito ng pagkilalan at soberanya kaya’t patuloy ang ating gobyerno na lumalaban para sa ating karapatan. [The WPS is ours, and we will fight for it. It is not only part of our territory. It is also part of our identity and sovereignty, so our government continues to fight for our rights],” he said. Consul General Elmer Cato also commended the unity and solidarity among the Filipinos in Italy and other parts of Europe as shown in the month-long activities that celebrated the country’s independence.
Narito rin tayo para dinggin ang panawagan ng ating mahal na pangulo, si President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., para magka-isa at magtulungan ang sambayanang Pilipino para maitayo natin ang isang bagong Pilipinas. [We are also here to listen to the call of our President, President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., for Filipinos to unite and work together so that we can build a new Philippines],” Cato said in his message. Organized by the Kalayaan 2024 Organizing Committee of the Bayanihan Council of Northern Italy, the Sandiwa Fiesta sa Europa was highlighted by the performance of MassKara dancers of Bacolod City.
Other major Independence Day activities in Italy included the Kalayaan Ball held June 2, Kalayaan Run won by Michael Gonda (men’s division) and Evelyn Batongbakal (women’s division), and Mutya ng Kalayaan 2024 won by Nicole Lopez of Torino, Piemento, on June 29. PNA
“We are proud to provide our police and fire departments with the modern resources they need to serve our city effectively. This investment reflects our dedication to the well-being and safety of all residents and stakeholders of Makati,” Binay said.
“These new facilities symbolize our commitment to protecting our citizens and ensuring swift response in times of need,” she added.
The 3,249-square-meter, three-story police station made of steel and concrete contains a secure detention facility installed with closed-circuit television cameras and a fire detection and alarm system. Aside from separate offices for the chief of police and various divisions and sections, the station also has a women and children protection desk, complaint desk, operations
center, training and conference room, and a clinic.
The 1,778-square-meter, 3-story fire station, on the other hand, was built with steel, concrete mat foundation and lightweight wall materials. It can house up to four firetrucks in its parking bay and has a fire pole. It also houses the city fire marshall’s office, administration and district offices, and a
conference room, among others. Both buildings come with air conditioning, exhaust fans, CCTV system, fire detection and alarm system, fire extinguishers, voice and data system, and public address system, among others.
The mayor also said both structures are installed with solar panels to harness solar energy for their power needs. “We have made sure to include solar panels in the
Go supports Davao university graduates
ON Saturday, June 29, Sen. Christopher Go attended the commencement exercises of Davao Oriental State University (Dorsu) at the Main Campus in Mati City, Davao Oriental, as their guest of honor and speaker.
The event celebrated the achievements of 1,516 graduates from various faculties, including the Graduate School, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Faculty of Computing, Data Sciences, Engineering, and Technology, Faculty of Governance, Business, and Management, Faculty of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, and Faculty of
Teacher Education.
In his address, Go lauded the graduates for their dedication and hard work, emphasizing the significance of their academic journey. “You should all congratulate yourselves for reaching this far. Despite being from different courses, you have each faced and overcome your unique challenges,” he remarked.
The senator also extended his heartfelt gratitude to the parents and guardians, highlighting their crucial role in supporting the graduates. Go praised the faculty and the entire Dorsu community for their
commitment to education. He acknowledged the university as a second home for the students and the teachers as second parents.
The senator encouraged the graduates to continue learning even after graduation, sharing his own experiences. He emphasized that learning does not stop at graduation; even as a senator, he continues to learn.
He recounted that his journey to the Senate was unexpected, but his desire to serve and provide for the people guided him. Following the advice of former President Rodrigo Duterte, he always strives to do what
design of both buildings in line with Makati’s ongoing transition towards renewable energy,” she said.
Since 2017, the city government has been providing substantive logistical support to the Makati police and fire departments. From the city’s executive budget this year, P69.2 million and P15.8 million have been allocated for the police department and fire department, respectively. In 2023, the city allocated P114.9 million for the police department and P15.8 million for the fire department. Equipment provided by the city to the police department include brand new patrol vehicles—both four-wheel and two-wheel, high-powered firearms, body cameras, a mobile command vehicle, and rescue boats. For the fire department, the city has provided protective gear for firefighters, a mobile command vehicle, a chemical fire truck, rescue boats with fire pump, mobile fire suppression gear, and portable foam compressors, among others.
is right, trusting that everything else will follow.
He assured the graduates of his continued support for programs that enhance the education system. “As your senator, I will push for necessary programs to ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed,” he declared, instilling hope for a brighter future.
On the same day, Go also assisted vulnerable sectors of the city. He then attended the Liga ng mga Barangay-Davao Oriental Chapter Provincial Congress and oversaw an ambulance turnover ceremony. Additionally, Go participated in the opening of a Sports Cup in the province.
MAKATI Mayor Abby Binay leads the ceremonial opening of the new Makati City Central Police Station on Monday. The new facility is part of the local government’s initiative to provide enhanced safety and security services to its constituents. NONIE REYES
Institutions,
individuals pledge to plant 2.7 million trees in ’24
By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga
PLEDGES made by 31 institutions and individuals to plant trees through the Million Trees Foundation Inc. this year reached 2.7 million.
The pledges exceeded last year’s total pledge and commitment pegged at 1.2 million by more than 100 percent or by 1.5 million trees, MTFI President and Chairman Mel Velasco said.
Topping this year’s pledges is Maynilad Water Services Inc. with the commitment to plant 220,000 trees, the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) which pledged to plant 500,000 trees, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region IV-A, 400,000 trees.
Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System—Central Office (MWSS), 150,000 trees; Cesar Quiambao, 700,000 trees and Carbon Neutral Professionals, 50,000 trees; MTFI, 50,000 trees; CEDC Energy China, 10,000 trees and General Nakar, Quezon, 30,000.
The pledges were made during the Second Annual Million Trees Challenge Recognition and Awarding Ceremony at the MWSS Complex in Quezon City.
During the event, MWSS and MTFI honored individuals and partners during the 2023 Annual Million Trees Challenge for contributing to the effort to reforest some of the country’s critical watersheds, including the Angat, Umiray, Ipo, and Laguna de Bay.
The long-term goal of the MTFI is to plant 10 million more trees by 2030. The AMTC is on track with 7.8 million trees planted since its launch seven years ago.
The awardees were recognized for their commitment and participation in environmental protection through the-planting activities of the AMTC and in promoting awareness on issues affecting the environment.
Awarded the Champion of Trees Award, Million Trees Achiever which planted more than 1 million trees from 2017 to 2023 are San Miguel Corporation, Manila Water Maynilad, and Sta. Clara International Corporation.
Also awarded the Kampeon ng Tubig Kanlungan Special Award are Bantay Kalikasan, Cesar T. Quiambao, Butch Madarang, Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council executive director; and Jose Victor Luciano, the first Green Army Brigade commander. New partners QBE and Grundfos were also presented with Special Awards. Meanwhile, plaques of recognition were handed over to the Toraty Metro East—Taytay, Rotary Club Marikina Hilltop, RC Rizal Premier, Rotary International District 3800, RI District 37800, JCI Senate Philippines, Inc. NFWC-Ligao Women’s Club, Professional Regulation Commission-Board of Forester, the media and other organizations that have supported the AMTC in the past year.
Rice imports breach the 2.2 MMT mark
By Ada Pelonia @adapelonia
GW country’s imported rice ar-
Rrivals have reached over 2.28
million metric tons (MMT) as of June 20, latest data from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) show.
More than 1.68 MMT of rice imports from January to June came from Vietnam, which remains the country’s top source of imported rice. This was followed by Thailand at 348,171.74 MT.
Figures from the BPI indicate that the Philippines imported 151,318.86 of rice from Pakistan during the period, higher than the 99,280.71 MT Pakistan exported to the country for the entire 2023.
The country has also bought 21,586.60 MT of rice from India and 5,720 MT from China. Both of these were higher than the 13,924.63 MT (India) and 1,560 MT (China) they supplied to the Philippines for the
entire 2023.
BLY Agri Venture Trading led the 155 rice importers with a total volume of 145,628.99 MT. This was followed by Orison Free Enterprise Inc. and Macman Rice and Corn Trading at 137,609.35 MT and 115,410.80 MT, respectively. These were the only companies whose rice imports reached over 100,000 MT.
The data from the attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA) also showed that BPI approved and issued 4,287 sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) which covered the importation of 4.9 MMT of rice.
Under the existing rules, rice importers should secure an SPSIC from the BPI before bringing in foreign rice stocks in the country.
An SPSIC would certify that an inbound shipment is safe for human and animal consumption and would not bring in any pests that could be detri-
mental to the local agriculture sector.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) raised its rice import forecast for the Philippines to 4.7 MMT in 2025 on the back of rising consumption and a reduction in tariffs.
“Imports and global consumption are forecast higher primarily on increases for the Philippines and Kenya,” the latest monthly report on global grains trade read.
“Global stocks are forecast up driven by India and the Philippines more than offsetting decreases for Pakistan and Vietnam,” it added.
The USDA also increased its 2024 rice import projection for the country to 4.6 MMT, up by 500,000 MT following the reduction of import tariffs to 15 percent until 2028.
President Marcos recently issued Executive Order (EO) 62, which reduced tariffs on key agricultural commodities, including rice.
Livestock sector seeks ₧8.9B allocation next year
GRICULTURE Undersecre-
Atary Deogracias Victor Savellano on Monday said the livestock sector is seeking P8.9 billion for its proposed budget next year.
Broken down, Savellano told the BusinessMirror that the proposed budget would be allocated to the National Livestock Program (NLP) at P5.4 billion, Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) at P1 billion, National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) at P522 million, Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) at P926 million, and the National Dairy Authority (NDA) at P987 billion.
“ Humihingi kami ng consideration [ sa proposed NMIS budget] para makatulong tayo sa pagpapatayo ng mga slaughterhouse para sa food safety ng mga constituents natin. [We’re seeking consideration in the proposed NMIS budget to help in building slaughterhouse for the food safety of our constituents],” Savellano said.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) earlier said that in its 2024 budget, it allocated P5.03 billion for
high-value crops and P6.15 billion for livestock and poultry.
The DA also said it is finalizing a proposal that will “substantially” increase its budget for 2025 to pursue its goal of modernizing the farm and fisheries sectors to produce more food, ensure food security, and increase incomes of farmers and fishermen.
It added presenting a proposal that would “more than double” its expenditure plan for next year to P513.81 billion from the current P208.58 billion.
“The proposed combined budget for the eight DA attached corporations is P287.98 billion, more than triple their total budget of P94.30 billion for this year,” the DA said.
Meanwhile, Savellano noted that the government plans to help backyard raisers once the animal vaccines have been approved, adding mulling over providing the vaccines for free.
“Kung may pondo kami iyon ang gagawin namin para suporta sa mga backyard raisers. [We’ll provide the vaccines for free if we have the funds to serve as support for backyard raisers],” he said.
The DA and the Department of Health (DOH) earlier signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which allowed the BAI to evaluate animal vaccines and biologics that aim to stop the spread of viral diseases that threatened the local poultry and hog sectors.
Among the animal diseases that hound the livestock and poultry industry are highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and African swine fever (ASF), both of which are contagious viral diseases.
“This MOA will significantly strengthen our fight against transboundary animal diseases such as African swine fever and highly pathogenic avian influenza,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.
“By enhancing our regulatory framework and fostering greater cooperation among key agencies, we can better safeguard the animal industry, secure the livelihoods of our farmers, and mitigate the impact on our economy.” Ada Pelonia
Legarda reminds stakeholders, private sector to be more active in environmental protection
SEN. Loren Legarda on Monday renewed calls on the private sector and stakeholders to play a pivotal role in environment protection, as she stressed their significant impact on the ecosystem.
Legarda reminded Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) partnerstakeholders of their crucial role in environmental protection during the 2024 Philippine Environmental Month Culminating Activity on June
29 at the National Museum of Natural History in Manila.
“I call on the sector here with the greatest potential for both harm and positive change—the private sector,” Legarda said in her message.
She added: “You can be the guiding force in our economy, embracing natural capital accounting, and adopting business practices that enhance rather than exploit natural ecosystems.”
Moreover, Legarda suggested that “the academe will provide
the strategic insights needed for success, while the role of the government remains crucial.”
In her four-term as lawmaker, Legarda has long pushed for environmental laws since first being elected into office in 1998.
In Congress, Legarda had led the passage into law of many landmark pieces of legislation such as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, the Expanded NIPAS of 2018, and the Climate Change Act of 2009.
At the ongoing 19th Congress,
Legarda principally authored and sponsored the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (Pencas) Act, which is crucial for the inclusion of the value of finite natural resources into the national accounting system, contributing to more informed environmental management decisions.
“Partnerships among all these sectors are flexible and focused, amplifying impact, and increasing knowledge sharing and testing,” Legarda observed. Butch Fernandez
IN THE MIND!
By Henry J. Schumacher
WHEN Homo sapiens became the dominant creature, this outcome was anything but predictable. For hundreds of thousands of years, our direct ancestors shared the Earth with several other human species. Some of them were better adapted to their environments, and some even had larger brains.
Neanderthals, for example, were stronger and better suited to ice age conditions, while Homo sapiens retreated before the advancing glaciers. Our species came close to extinction multiple times. Special researchers have identified several such “bottleneck” moments. All eight billion people alive today are descendants of a few thousand survivors of these ancient crises.
Why did Homo sapiens prevail?
Researchers point to human behavior as the key. The ability of large groups of individuals to collectively develop and pass on knowledge and skills in the form of culture, and thereby solve problems through division of labor, was the decisive advantage. we became less aggressive and more trusting. This, they argue, was the secret of our success. We are not only rational beings but also kind. At least in principle. This sympathetic view of human nature contrasts sharply with the present.
Apocalyptic thinkers see an end to human history approaching, whether through unstoppable climate change or a large nuclear war. Democracy and globalization are measurably regressing. Even in established Western democracies, aggression and politically motivated violence are increasing. It is becoming more difficult to trust strangers and institutions: the outstanding human ability that allows us to live together in large, anonymous societies and maintain extensive, complex value chains through division of labor.
It seems humanity is regressing.
In many ways, the logic of limited resources is resurfacing: a zero-sum world where only those who selfishly pursue their interests win—because it is assumed that others must lose for one to gain. This mindset easily escalates trivial disputes into existential distribution conflicts. In international relations, the focus is again on shifting borders. The struggle for territories, the mother of all zero-sum games, is back on Europe’s agenda since Russia’s dictator Vladimir Putin (71) is attempting to expand his state by force. China’s ruler Xi Jinping (70) appears willing to risk a major war to force “reunification” with Taiwan. In the USA, Donald Trump (77) aims to become president again and flirts with the idea of leaving NATO. State borders, which had become increasingly porous and insignificant for decades, are once again sharp dividing lines that must be moved. In trade policy,
protectionist thinking is spreading in the West.
Meanwhile, populism exacerbates divisions within and between societies by portraying politics as a struggle: the people against the elites, natives against newcomers, East against West, and North against South. A miserable logic spreads, viewed through game theory: those who see the world as a stage where one fights for a fixed amount of wealth have little incentive to cooperate. They are more likely to confront. How did it come to this? We are experiencing the consequences of a combination of real scarcities and ideological shifts. Undeniably, the Earth is more crowded than ever. The eight billion people use the planet intensively: cultivating and building on all available land, extracting raw materials and clean water. Some resources may objectively become scarce. What is rare becomes expensive. However, a fundamentally altered price structure does not necessarily lead to stagnation. New spaces for innovation open up: economy and science explore new development paths, leading to progress. The prerequisite for such positive dynamic adaptation is, however, a fundamental confidence in the future. Progress begins in the mind. Unfortunately, we have lost our optimism. The expectation that the next generation will fare worse is now widespread. Such widespread defeatism fosters zero-sum thinking and behavior. It was once very different. The great Western ideologies, once optimistic and progress-affirming, have lost their interpretive power. Liberalism promised a better future through individual liberation. Socialism aimed to include everyone in this progress (“To the sun, to freedom... the future shines”).
Now, the future looms dark. Fearful-aggressive grand narratives dominate political spaces—national chauvinism, which fuels fears of foreign domination and fantasies of autarky, and neo-Malthusianism, which morally charges supposed natural growth limits. Both promote zero-sum logic: stagnation instead of dynamism, conflict instead of consensus. The nice Mr. Sapiens can also be different. Our nomadic ancestors avoided trouble by moving into the infinitely vast steppes and savannas when population and conflict density increased.
Today, we are so numerous that we are condemned to cooperate. This is precisely why the destructive spirit of decline narratives is so dangerous, especially when they sow distrust. We need to escape this trap we set for ourselves. Economy and politics must counteract the downward spiral by opening up realistic, understandable options for progress—a program for adapting to changing environmental conditions. After all, Homo sapiens is generally considered a specialist in this.
While you may feel that the story I am telling is terribly negative, let me tell you that I am an optimist and I truly hope that we can escape the trap we set for ourselves. We have to find the global desire to work together, understanding that progress begins in the mind. Let’s work together globally for a better future. Let’s do it now! I am certainly interested in your comments. Email me at hjschumacher59@gmail.com.
Guo faces more legal problems
By Samuel P. Medenilla
@sam_medenilla
BAMBAN, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo is facing even more legal woes for discrepancies in the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) she filed for the 2022 polls, according to the Commission on Election (Comelec).
Aside from misrepresentation, Comelec Chairman George M. Garcia said the embattled local official may also be held liable for perjury and falsification of public documents.
The COC is a sworn statement required by the Comelec before a candidate can be included in an election ballot.
“But it should be other people, who should file those [cases] because we are the ones who will decide on the misrepresentation case [against Guo],” Garcia said in a Viber message on Monday.
The Senate and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) revealed that Guo has the same fingerprint as Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese national, who entered the country on January 12, 2003.
This contradicted the details in her COC, where she claimed she is a Filipino citizen and not a permanent resident or immigrant from another country.
Comelec said the pieces of evidence on the said discrepancy can be used to hold Guo accountable for misrepresentation in her COC, which is an election offense and has the penalty of imprisonment, disqualification from holding public office, as well as deprivation of the right of suffrage.
“Today, we will talk with the law department to officially give the instructions to start the review of the [misrepresentation] case based from the released findings [from the Senate probe],” Garcia told reporters in an interview last Monday.
“We don’t want to file a case that will be dismissed. That will be embarrassing. The case should be strong,” he added.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) earlier announced Guo is also facing human trafficking charges for her alleged involvement in an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Bamban.
The Senate, meanwhile, awaits action from the Office of the Solicitor General, which is expected to file a quo warranto case against Guo to strip her of the mayorship on the ground she was never qualified to hold the position. Guo was suspended last month by the Office of the Ombudsman over graft charges filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), for her having allowed the illegal Pogo hub to be set up in her town.
The enclave, composed of over three dozen buildings complete with condominiums for Pogo executives and workers and amenities, however, also bore similar features as previously raided illegal Pogo hubs—there were socalled torture or disciplinary sites for illegally trafficked workers, among others.
The Anti-Money Laundering Council, which recently briefed senators in an executive session, is believed to be also working on a comprehensive report on the assets amassed by Guo, who claimed being the daughter of a Filipino housemaid and her Chinese employer, and being raised in a farm in Tarlac and homeschooled for most of her growing-up years. However, despite this background and the modest amounts supposedly given by her Chinese father for her to do business, Guo has acquired luxury cars and a helicopter, among others.
WB: To reach UMIC status, PHL incomes must be higher
By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario
IF the Philippines is bent on becoming an upper middle income country by the end of next year, Filipino incomes must be even higher than what was initially targeted.
Based on the latest income classification data of the World Bank, the Philippines needs a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of $4,516 to $14,005 to become an upper middle income country.
This was higher than the initially estimated level of $4,466 to $13,845 GNI per capita for upper middle income country.
The level of income needed to attain high-income status has also increased to a per capita GNI of $14,006 or more from the initial estimate of $13,845 or more.
Further, based on the latest classification, the Philippines remains a lower middle income country with an estimated GNI per capita of $1,146 to $4,515 annually.
By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan
THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) intensified its campaign against unregistered vehicles, apprehending a total of 10,461 motor vehicles throughout June.
Broken down, the agency apprehended 6,824 motorcycles, 1,787 tricycles, 954 private vans, 451 private sedans and 230 trucks.
“This is proof that the LTO will not stop until all vehicles are registered, as it is not only an obligation to the government in exchange for vehicle
ownership but also for the safety of everyone since registration includes roadworthiness inspection,” LTO Chief Vigor D. Mendoza II said in the vernacular.
Of the 10,461 motor vehicles apprehended, 9,212 were issued traffic violation tickets while 1,601 were impounded.
A significant portion of the impounded vehicles were being used for public transportation without the necessary permits, commonly referred to as “colorum” vehicles.
Mendoza has emphasized that a court order is required for the release of any motor vehicles ap-
NBI cybercrime unit nabs
By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573
OPERATIVES of the National Bureau of InvestigationCybercrime Division (NBICCD) have arrested seven alleged human traffickers in an entrapment and rescue operations in Quezon City and Paranaque City.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago said arrested were six Filipinos: Moises Bognot, Jermaine Villanueva, Glenn Paolo Solijon, Darwin Tagalog, Lance Clifford Ungriano and Nighjer Teriote. Arrested with them was Chinese national Zhang Wenyou. They were arrested for violation of Section 9 (qualified trafficking in person) of Republic Act 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act in relation to Section 6
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“Furthermore, respondents did not dispute any of the factual averments in their comment and therefore deemed to have admitted the same. Hence, direct resort to the Honorable Court is justified in this case considering that this petition involves pure questions of law,” they added. While previous Presidents issued certifications of urgency without the existence of any calamity or emergency, the petitioners pointed out that such practices should not mean that the constitutional requirements
of RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Rescued during the operation in Quezon City were seven Filipino minors, three Russian nationals and one Kazakhstan national.
Bognot, Villanueva, Solijon, Tagalog and Ungriano who were arrested during the operation disclosed to operatives that the masterminds behind the prostitution of minors and foreign nationals were Teriote and Zhang.
The two were eventually arrested in a follow-up operation in a hotel and casino in Paranaque City.
During interrogation, the masterminds disclosed that Chinese nationals based in the country sponsored the entry of Russian sex workers and provided housing and clients for them.
have already been amended.
“Further, the fact that respondents believe that previous Presidents have issued similar certifications despite the absence of any emergency or calamity, only makes it of utmost necessity that this petition be resolved on the merits in order to put a stop once and for all to the Executive’s propensity to dispense with constitutional requirements in order to short cut legislative processes and take out any opposition to an administration bill,” the petitioners argued. In their petition filed in September 2023, the petitioners cited three “serious grounds” in
prehended and impounded under the anti-colorum drive. The agency adopted in June a “no release” policy for vehicles impounded during anti-colorum operations. Impounded colorum vehicles will not be released, regardless of whether the registered owners pay fines.
“Your LTO commits to the Filipino people that we will be aggressive in the campaign against colorum vehicles and unregistered motor vehicles because this is part of our mandate, which is to ensure that all road users are safe,” said Mendoza.
The entrapment and rescue operation was hatched after the NBICCD received a letter from La Familia Rescue, a non-profit organization, informing the agency that certain individuals were engaged in human trafficking, offering the sexual services of minor female victims in exchange for P5,000; and foreign nationals in exchange of P45,000.
Santiago said the victims were under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday announced the arrest of nine Chinese nationals last June 29 for violation of the conditions of their stay.
The BI said the Chinese nationals were found to be illegally disembarking from three motorboats at the shoreline
seeking the unconstitutionality of MIF, namely: RA 11954 is void because it was passed in violation of Section 26 (2) Article VI of the 1987 Constitution; the test of economic viability as mandated under Section 16 of Article XII of the Constitution was not complied with prior to the creation of the Maharlika Investment Corporation; and that the said law violates the independence of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as provided under Section 20, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution. On the alleged violation of Section 26 (2), Article VI of the Constitution, the petition claimed that “the Presidential certification of
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“You need to be aligned, everybody has to be on the same page, and expectations need to be managed,” he said.
He projects the company’s revenue per available room and occupancy to revert to prepandemic levels this year. “We’re not 100-percent back, but definitely it’s trending up. So we figure by the end of this year, we will be fully back on track.” Roxaco Land Corp is a unit of Roxas and Company Inc.
Anya Resort in Tagaytay is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), and one of
of Parañaque Fishport, in Brgy. Dongalo, Parañaque City.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the Chinese men were arrested by agents of the BI’s intelligence division, in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The arrest was conducted along the shoreline of Manila Bay in Parañaque City, and was conducted pursuant to a mission order issued by Tansingco.
The arrest was made after months of surveillance and intelligence gathering following reports of Chinese nationals boarding and disembarking vessels along Manila Bay.
The apprehended individuals, aged between 33 and 54, were identified as Li Weilin, Liu Peng, Wang Yong, Huang Haibing, Gong Yuan Ju, Zhang Tao, Dai Guang Yuan,
the Maharlika Bill in the House of Representatives and Senate did not comply with the constitutional requirement” and since the bill was not enacted in accordance with the Constitution, it “therefore did not become a law.” It pointed out that “the Maharlika Investment Fund Act of 2023 therefore requires intense congressional scrutiny, genuine consultation with stakeholders, and a careful study by independent economic
over 500 luxury boutique hotels accepted into the exclusive organization. It is the third property in the Philippines designated as an SLH member, after Discovery Shores Boracay and BE Grand Resort in Bohol. The Philippine Statistics Authority recently reported investments in the tourism industry by government and the private sector reached P509 billion in 2023, with the accommodations sector accounting for 51 percent of total investments. (See, “PHL hotel investors drawn to Bohol, El Nido, Siargao,” in the BusinessMirror, June 24, 2024.)
Li Jiang Yu, and Kang Tian De. Four of the individuals were found to possess passports and hold 9G visas petitioned by an engineering company in the Philippines, while the remaining five were found to be undocumented.
“We have reason to suspect that these individuals are engaging in illegal work in vessels along Manila Bay,” Tansingco said.
“Their visas limit their work to a company in Pasay City and nowhere else. Foreign nationals with valid working visas, if found to be working in a different company, are violating the conditions of their stay,” he added. The Chinese nationals were turned over to the BI’s facility inside Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig pending deportation proceedings.
July 2, 2024
NOTICE OF FILING OF APPLICATION FOR ALIEN EMPLOYMENT PERMIT (AEP/S)
NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL, POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE
8 POLARIS MOLD FABRICATION CORPORATION
Lot 9-C, First Philippine Industrial Park II, Sez, Santa Anastacia, City of Sto. Tomas, Batangas
The World Israeli airstrike in northern West Bank kills Palestinian militant, wounds 5 other people
NBy Majdi Mohammed & Wafaa Shurafa The Associated Press
UR
SHAMS REFUGEE
CAMP, West Bank—Israeli troops carried out an airstrike in the northern West Bank on Sunday, killing a Palestinian militant and wounding five other people, Palestinian health officials said.
The strike took place in Nur Shams, an urban refugee camp that has been a frequent target of the Israeli military and is known as a stronghold of Palestinian militants. The state-run Palestinian news agency Wafa said an Israeli drone fired three missiles and struck a house.
Islamic Jihad identified the dead man as Saeed al-Jaber, one of its local commanders. Wafa said he had escaped a previous drone strike on June 20. There were no details on the identities of the wounded. Health officials said two were in critical condition.
The Israeli military confirmed
an attack on the home, saying that militants inside, including alJaber, were responsible for recent attacks on Israeli targets.
The occupied West Bank has experienced a surge in violence since the war in Gaza erupted in October. The Palestinian Health Ministry says over 500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since the start of the war. Most have been killed during Israeli raids and violent protests. The dead also include bystanders and Palestinians killed in attacks by Jewish settlers.
Israel launched an aerial and ground offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. More than 37,800 Palestinians have been killed in the offensive, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its toll.
Israeli forces have been battling Palestinian militants in an eastern part of Gaza City, Shijaiyah, in recent days. Israel returned to the neighborhood last week, months after saying it had completed operations in the area.
Hamas has repeatedly regrouped in hard-hit areas after Israeli troops pulled out, raising questions about Israel’s commitment to destroying the militant group’s military capabilities.
The latest operation has sent thousands of residents fleeing. The army said Sunday it has killed dozens of militants in “closequarters combat” and airstrikes, and confiscated weapons from a hideout it said Hamas had kept in a United Nations-supported school.
Palestinians also continued to flee the area in and around Rafah, the southern Gaza city where Israel says it is in the final stages of an offensive. More than 1.3 million Palestinians have fled Rafah since Israel’s incursion into the city in
early May.
But with few safe places to go, tens of thousands of people have stayed behind, mostly in outlying areas previously thought to be safe. Large groups of people fled with tents, mattresses and clothes piled on trucks or donkey-pulled carts. Many walked on foot as they searched for shelter. Even places thought to be safe suffer from overcrowding and poor health conditions.
For many Palestinians in the war-torn enclave, it was not their first displacement. They say the experience doesn’t get any easier.
“This is the fourth time going from place to place where they (the Israeli military) tells us is a safe area but turns out it isn’t,” Mohammad Hajjaj told The Associated Press. He was first displaced from Shijaiyah in the early weeks of the war.
Hajjaj said that two days ago, he and his family woke to the sound of Israeli tank fire nearby before leaving. “We slept on the streets,”
he said. The fleeing Palestinians found space on a plot of land in nearby Khan Younis and began setting up their tents alongside dozens of others on the sandy lot.
“We came to Khan Younis from Muwasi,” said Mervette Shamlakh, referring to the Israeli-designated coastal “humanitarian zone” that has little basic services. “It’s the same thing again and we had to flee…we have no idea where we are supposed to go.”
In Muwasi, scores of men, women and children stood in line for hours as they crowded around trucks and water tanks in the scorching heat to collect their share of drinking and potable water. People said water had always been scarce in the sandy area, even before the displaced Palestinians arrived.
“I’m filling a bottle just like this, to have a liter of drinking water for 16 people who live with me at home,” Issam Al Dayah told the AP as he waited his turn.
“We suffer from everything. Not just water,” said Mai Al Rae after struggling to get through the crowd to fill a bucket. “How long is life going to be like this?”
The fighting has threatened to spread to Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where Israeli forces have been trading fire with Hezbollah militants in daily clashes.
The Israeli military said an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah crashed into the Golan Heights on Sunday, severely wounding a soldier and lightly hurting 17 others. It said Israeli warplanes and artillery units responded by striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip.
Russian bombardment in eastern Ukraine leaves civilians dead, towns devastated
By Vasilisa Stepanenko & Evgeniy Maloletka The Associated Press
DONETSK REGION, Ukraine—Drone footage from Ukraine’s military released Sunday has shown what appears to be bodies in a civilian area in the embattled eastern town of Toretsk, which has come under heavy Russian bombardment in recent days.
The attacks in the war-torn Donetsk region have prompted a scaled-up evacuation effort by Ukrainian rescue services. Local officials said that powerful Russian glide bombs have also been used in the town, the latest eastern front flash point as Russian attacks continue to put stretched Ukrainian front-line units on the defensive.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Russia had dropped more than 800 glide bombs in Ukraine in the past week alone.
“Ukraine needs the necessary means to destroy the carriers of these bombs, including Russian combat aircraft, wherever they are. This step is essential,” he wrote in an online post.
Glide bombs are heavy Sovietera bombs fitted with precision guidance systems and launched from aircraft flying out of range of air defenses. The bombs weigh more than a ton and blast tar-
gets to smithereens, leaving a huge crater.
Police rescuers in Toretsk helped older residents out of their homes, carrying one woman out of her bed and onto a stretcher.
“It’s a terrible situation, because for three days we could not evacuate,” Oksana Zharko, 48, told The Associated Press while leaving the town in a police van with family members and a cat in a plastic carrier box.
“Yesterday there was an attack and our house was destroyed— very strong, there are no walls left. Everyone is stressed, emotional, in tears. It’s very scary.”
Russian attacks in recent weeks have focused on the town of Chasiv Yar farther north, as Ukrainian commanders in the area say their resources remain stretched, thanks largely to a monthslong gap in military assistance from the United States.
Ukraine is still struggling to stabilize parts of its front line after desperately needed military assistance was approved by the United States in April.
Zelenskyy called on countries assisting Ukraine to further relax restrictions on using Western weapons to strike military targets inside Russia.
“Clear decisions are needed to help protect our people,” he said.
“Long-range strikes and modern air defense are the foundation for stopping the daily Russian terror.
I thank all our partners who understand this.”
Hours after Zelenskyy spoke, Ukrainian officials said Russian glide bombs had struck near a postal warehouse in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city in the northeast, killing an employee and injuring nine people including an 8-month-old baby.
According to a statement by Nova Poshta, the private postal and courier company that operates the site, the strike set at least seven delivery trucks ablaze, while damaging at least three others and the warehouse itself. One driver died as a result.
As many as nine people remained trapped under burning wreckage, and rescue teams were combing the site on Sunday evening, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram.
Less than a day earlier, Russian missiles slammed into a town in southern Ukraine, killing seven civilians, including children, and wounding dozens, local authorities reported.
Ukrainian officials published photos of bodies stretched out under picnic blankets in a park in Vilniansk, and deep craters in the blackened earth next to the charred, twisted remains of a building.
The Associated Press writer Joanna Kozlowska in London contributed to this report.
Degree in Business Management. Excellent communication skills, verbal or written. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
30. CHIANG, YA-CHIN Operation Supervisor
Brief Job Description: To guide clients through all procedures required and responsible for furnishing clients with relevant information.
40.
41.
80.
81.
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Brief
82. SEIN AUNG Chinese Speaking Graphic Designer
Brief
83. SYAMSUDDIN Chinese Speaking Graphic Designer
Brief Job Description: Keeping up to date with design and software trends. Basic Qualification:
84. YIN, XIAOLE Chinese Speaking Graphic Designer
Brief Job Description: Keeping up to date with design and software trends.
85. QIU, SENYUAN Chinese Speaking HR Associate
Brief Job Description: Managing HR records including, resume, applicant logs, and employee forms. Basic Qualification:
86. REN, KAIXU Chinese Speaking Program Designer
Brief Job Description: Document all aspects of software, for ongoing maintenance and revisions.
Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
DYN EDGE PHILS. INC. Unit 508-a 5/f Itc Bldg., 337 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati
87. LAM QUANG HUY Bilingual IT Technician
Brief Job Description: Help customers troubleshoot IT related issues such as with computers, software mobile devices, printers etc.
Basic Qualification: Proficient in Indian language.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
DYNAMIC STUDIO TECHNOLOGY INC.
5 To 10/f Platinum Tower Building, Aseana Ave. Cor. Fuentes Street, Baclaran, City Of Parañaque 5/f, 6/f, 7/f, 8/f Aseana 3 Building D., Macapagal Boulevard Corner Asean Ave., Baclaran, City Of Parañaque
88. CHEN, JIAMIN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate
Brief Job Description: Responsible for providing overall administrative support to the team and he/she will be assigned to the Chinese team.
89. DONG, ZHIWEI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate
Brief Job Description: Responsible for providing overall administrative support to the team and he/she will be assigned to the Chinese team.
90. LI, SHUYOU Chinese Speaking Admin Associate
Brief Job Description: Provides administrative support to ensure efficient operation of Sales Training Department.
91. LIN, HUAJING Chinese
Brief
92.
Basic Qualification: Have excellent verbal and written communication skills and able to organize their work using tools.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification:
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification: Have
133.
134.
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135.
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136.
BusinessMirror
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138.
139.
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140. WANG, KUAN Chinese Speaking Program Designer
Brief Job Description: Document all aspects of software, for ongoing maintenance and revisions.
141. WANG, SHUN Chinese Speaking Program Designer
Brief Job Description: Document all aspects of software, for ongoing maintenance and revision.
142. YANG, BAOZHU Chinese Speaking Program Designer
Brief Job Description: Document all aspects of software, for ongoing maintenance and revisions.
143. YANG, JIAXING Chinese Speaking Program Designer
Brief Job Description: Document all aspects of software, for ongoing maintenance and revisions.
144. ZHAO, MING Chinese Speaking Program Designer
Brief Job Description: Document all aspects of software, for ongoing maintenance and revisions.
EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503, Nueva St., Barangay 289, Binondo, City Of Manila
145. BAI, CHENGHUA Marketing And Sales Agent
Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas.
Basic
Basic Qualification: Have excellent verbal and written communication skills and able to organize their work using tools.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification: Have excellent verbal and written communication skills and able to organize their work using tools.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification: Able to contributes information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies. Able
181.
BusinessMirror
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182.
Brief
183. NGUYEN HOANG LONG Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk
Brief
184. NGUYEN TIEN ANH Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk
Brief Job Description: Correcting errors and organizing the information in a manner that will optimize swift and accurate capturing.
185. SUSI SUSANTI Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk
Brief Job Description: Gathering invoices, statements, reports, personal details, documents and information from employees, other departments and clients.
186. WANG, ZHONGYU Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk
Brief Job Description: Correcting errors and organizing the information in a manner that will optimize swift and accurate capturing.
187. ZHANG, YI Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk
Brief Job Description: Gathering invoices, statements, reports, personal details, documents and information from employees, other departments and clients.
188. HE, WANG Chinese Speaking Program Designer
Brief Job Description: Communicate overall design and approach to a team of programmers. Create flowcharts, diagrams, other models, and programming instructions to guide programming team.
189. TO, THI LAN Chinese Speaking Program Designer
Brief Job Description: Communicate overall design and approach to a team of programmers. Create flowcharts, diagrams, other models, and programming instructions to guide programming team.
190. VAY MAN LONG Chinese Speaking Program Designer
Brief Job Description: Document all aspects of software, for ongoing maintenance and revisions.
Basic
Basic
Basic Qualification: Have excellent verbal and written communication skills and able to organize their work using tools.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification: Have excellent verbal and written communication skills and able to organize their work using tools.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification: Have excellent verbal and written communication skills and able to organize their work using tools.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification: Have excellent verbal and written communication skills and able to organize their work using tools.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
INNOCALL MARKETING INC. Unit 101 G/f Santillan Bldg., 7441 Santillan Street, Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati
191. TRUONG, THI KIM NGOC Event Organizer
Brief Job Description: Responsible for every aspect of an event, from choosing venues to evaluating success afterwards.
192. LUU, DINH HUU Marketing Coordinator
Brief Job Description: Prepares marketing reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing sales data.
INTELLIGENT OPTICAL SOLUTION INC.
47/f Pbcom
Basic Qualification: Must be able to communicate thoughts clearly and excellent listener, and at least a basic knowledge of how to manipulate various types of media.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification: Must be knowledgeable in marketing research, good in coordination with others and at least a prior experience in same job.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
212.
Brief
ZHANG, SHAOHUA Management Consultant
213.
214.
Brief Job Description: Conducting thorough analyses of client organizations, industries, and market trends to identify opportunities for improvement.
ZHU, HAO Marketing Executive
Brief Job Description: Providing administrative support to the marketing team, such as scheduling meetings, managing calendars, and coordinating logistics for marketing activities.
Brief
215.
30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in a similar field. Able to speak and write in Vietnamese and Chinese-Mandarin languages.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in a similar field. Able to speak and write in Vietnamese and Chinese-Mandarin languages.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in a similar field. Able to speak and write in Vietnamese and Chinese-Mandarin languages.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in a similar field. Able to speak and write in Vietnamese and Chinese-Mandarin languages.
Salary
BusinessMirror
224.
225.
Brief
226.
Brief
227. TRAN, THANH VY Chinese Speaking Program Designer
Brief Job Description: Document all aspects of software, for ongoing maintenance and revisions. Basic
228. ZANG, WENZHE Chinese Speaking Program Designer
Brief Job Description: Document all aspects of software, for ongoing maintenance and revisions.
229. ZHANG, HAO Chinese Speaking Program Designer
Basic
Brief Job Description: Document all aspects of software, for ongoing maintenance and revisions. Basic Qualification:
230. ZHANG, YAN Chinese Speaking Program Designer
Brief Job
of
and revisions.
231. ZHU, HUAWEI Chinese Speaking Program Designer
Brief
232. CHEN, SHUAI Chinese Customer Service
for
233.
BusinessMirror
281. TRUONG, THE NGUYEN Customer Service Representative
Brief Job Description: Process complaints and issues related to products or services, help customers complete purchases, upgrades, and returns, and frequently provide advice and technical assistance as well.
282. UNG, KIM THU Customer Service Representative
Brief Job Description: Process complaints and issues related to products or services, help customers complete purchases, upgrades, and returns, and frequently provide advice and technical assistance as well.
Basic Qualification: 18-50 years old. With good organizational skills. Proficient in relevant computer applications.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification: 18-50 years old. With good organizational skills. Proficient in relevant computer applications. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
283.
284. WU, YANQING Customer Service Representative
Brief
285.
Brief
BusinessMirror
THI HA DIEM Customer Support Specialist
Brief
Bilingual
Bilingual
332.
Brief
RENEWABLES CORP. Level 6 Ayala Triangle Gardens Tower 2, Makati Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas, Bel-air, City Of Makati
351. BAI, WENXUAN Chairman Of The Board & President
Basic Qualification: With extensive experience as a Manager and bilingual (English and Mandarin languages). Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 THE AREA PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS IN THE PHILIPPINES, INC. Temple Drive, Green Meadows Ave., Ugong Norte,
360.
361. KUMAR, SURINDER Marketing
Brief
362. PANKAJ KUMAR Marketing Consultant
Brief
363. PARDEEP SINGH Marketing Consultant
Brief Job Description: Study company profile and conduct market research.
364. SU, YONGSHAN Marketing Consultant
Brief Job Description: Study company profile and conduct market research. Basic
365. SUGIANTO Marketing Consultant
Brief Job Description: Study company profile and conduct market research. Basic
366. WAN, JIAXIN Marketing Consultant
Brief Job Description: Study company profile and conduct market research. Basic
Basic Qualification:
367. WAN, RAN Marketing Consultant
Brief Job Description: Study company profile and conduct market research.
Salary
Basic Qualification:
368. YANG, YU Marketing Consultant
Brief Job Description: Study company profile and conduct market research.
Salary
Basic
369. YENNY Marketing Consultant
Brief Job Description: Study company profile and conduct market research.
370. ZHANG, HENG Marketing Consultant
Brief
371. ZHANG, XIAOYU Marketing Consultant
Brief
BusinessMirror
412. YI,
Brief
413. YU, GUOHUI Mandarin
Brief
414. ZHI, ZHICHAO Mandarin Test Engineer Specialist
Brief Job Description: Establishes test procedures and coordinate testing of products.
Salary
415. ZHANG, KAI Mandarin Visual Designer
Brief Job Description: Creating design for variety of apps and platforms and helping create the work place branding.
416. RAHMAN, NAIMUR System Security Engineer
Brief Job Description: Ensure that the company’s systems are secure and running smoothly.
Basic Qualification: Knowledge of computer tech. and programming and fluent in Mandarin language.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
TRES CHICOS FOOD CONCEPT OPC Unit 3b Technical Floor Citibank Plaza, 34th Street Corner Lane D, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig
417. AMOROS APARICIO, DAVID Executive Chef
Brief Job Description: Plan and direct food preparation and culinary activities and maintain a positive and professional approach with coworkers and customers.
418. ROMERA FIGUEROLA, IVONE Head Trainer
Brief Job Description: Maintain records of payroll and attendance and comply with nutrition and sanitation regulations and safety standards.
Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999
Basic Qualification: Perform the duties and functions of a head trainer, as is customary in the food and beverage industry.
Salary Range: Php 90,000 -
UPL PHILIPPINES INC. Unit 1905-1906 19/f Ibp Tower, Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig
419. CHOUDHARY, MANISH KUMAR Chairman Of The Board & President
Brief Job Description: Run the business operations of UPL in Philippines, including sales, marketing, administrative functions, management initiatives and product management, Deliver the financial targets of UPL Philippines (e.g. Sales, EBITDA and Working Capital), Lead team in Philippines in the implementation of the business development plan.
VEHICLE MASTER SERVICE CORP.
#27, T. Santiago St., Canumay West, City Of Valenzuela
420. CHANG, JIANLI Chinese Mechanical Specialist
Brief Job Description: A Chinese Mechanical Specialist is who installs, maintains, repairs, and troubleshoots various types of mechanical equipment and systems.
LIN, LIWEI Chinese Mechanical Specialist
421.
Brief Job Description: A Chinese Mechanical Specialist is who installs, maintains, repairs, and troubleshoots various types of mechanical equipment and systems.
422. WANG, LONGBIN Chinese Mechanical Specialist
Brief Job Description: A
423. YIN, XIAOZHONG Chinese Mechanical Specialist
Brief
Basic Qualification: Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration - International Business. Appointed by the Board of the Directors.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification: Must have good problemsolving, analytical, and communication skills. Must be highly motivated and able to work with minimum supervision.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
Basic Qualification: Must have good problemsolving, analytical, and communication skills. Must be highly motivated and able to work with minimum supervision.
Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999
The World Macron loses grip on power as far-right National Rally surges in French elections
By John Leicester, Lori Hinnant & Sylvie Corbet
The Associated Press
PARIS—The far-right National Rally leaped into a strong lead Sunday in France’s first round of legislative elections, polling agencies projected, bringing the party closer to being able to form a government in round two and dealing a major slap to centrist President Emmanuel Macron and his risky decision to call the surprise ballot.
When he dissolved the National Assembly on June 9, after a stinging defeat at the hands of the National Rally in French voting for the European Parliament, Macron gambled that the anti-immigration party with historical links to antisemitism wouldn’t repeat that success when France’s own fate was in the balance. But it didn’t work out that way. With French polling agencies projecting that the National Rally and its allies got about one-third of the national vote on Sunday, Macron’s prime minister warned that France could end up with its first far-right government since World War II if voters don’t come together to thwart that scenario in round two next Sunday.
“The extreme right is at the doors of power,” Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said. He twice described National Rally policy pledges as “disastrous” and said that in the second-round ballot, “not one vote should go to the National Rally. France does not deserve that.”
French polling agencies’ projections put Macron’s grouping of centrist parties a distant third in the first-round ballot, behind both the National Rally and a new left-wing coalition of parties that joined forces to keep it from winning power.
Securing a parliamentary majority would enable National Rally leader Marine Le Pen to install her 28-year-old protege, Jordan Bardella, as prime minister and would crown her yearslong rebranding effort to make her party less repellent to mainstream voters. She inherited the party, and then called the National Front, from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who has multiple convictions for racist and antisemitic hate speech.
Still, the National Rally isn’t there yet. With another torrid week of campaigning to come before the decisive final voting next Sunday, the election’s ultimate outcome remains uncertain.
Addressing a jubilant crowd waving French tricolor flags of blue, white and red, Le Pen called on her supporters and voters who didn’t back her party in the first round to push it over the line and give it a commanding legislative majority. That scenario would force Bardella and Macron into an awkward power-sharing arrangement. Macron, first elected in 2017, has said he will not step down before his second term expires in 2027.
“The French have almost wiped out the ‘Macronist’ bloc,” Le Pen said. The results, she added, showed voters’ “willingness to
South Africa forms historic coalition government after election shakeup
By Gerald Imray The Associated Press
CAPE TOWN, South Africa—South African President Cyril Ramaphosa named a new Cabinet late Sunday night after his African National Congress, the former main opposition party, and nine other parties agreed on the makeup of a coalition government following weeks of haggling.
Ramaphosa’s party retained the largest share of ministerial positions as he appointed ANC officials to 20 of the 32 Cabinet minister roles in the new coalition. But there were six ministers from the Democratic Alliance, once the main opposition and the fiercest critic of the ANC, and Ramaphosa shared out the remaining ministerial posts among some of the smaller parties.
Ramaphosa’s announcement of his new, multi-party Cabinet came a month after the ANC lost its 30-year political dominance of Africa’s most industrialized country in a national election, forcing it to seek coalition partners. The ANC’s share of the vote slumped to 40 percent in the May 29
European
By Kelvin Chan Ap Business Writer
vote and it lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since it came to power at the end of the apartheid system of white minority rule in 1994.
The DA won the second largest share of the vote with 21 percent.
Others have also joined what the ANC called a government of national unity that is open to any of the 18 parties represented in Parliament. Some have refused to take part. The power-sharing coalition is unprecedented for South Africa. The country briefly had a coalition government at the end of apartheid, but that was under different circumstances. The ANC held a clear majority then after the first all-race election, but new President Nelson Mandela invited others into his government in an act of reconciliation. This time, the ANC needed the help of lawmakers from the DA and other parties to reelect Ramaphosa for a second term.
South Africans deserted the ANC in the landmark national election amid frustration over poverty and some of the highest rates of inequality and unemployment in the world, and Ramaphosa said Sunday that those
turn the page after 7 years of contemptuous and corrosive power.”
Early official results showed some remarkable far-right successes. Le Pen herself was one of six National Rally candidates that won their races outright in the Pasde-Calais, a once heavily industrialized region of northern France, securing more than 50 percent of the vote in their districts on Sunday, meaning they won’t face a second-round ballot. National Rally candidates were also ahead in all of the region’s six other districts heading into round two.
In Le Pen’s district, 54-year-old voter Magali Quere said she used to find the far right scary “but not anymore.”
Only the second round will make clear whether Le Pen’s party and its allies get the absolute majority they would need to comfortably form a government
issues would be priorities for the coalition government.
While there are 11 parties in the coalition, the ANC and the DA—which were ruling party and main opposition for years—are the two largest and the key players. Talks between them have been tense and drawn out and the DA was reportedly on the verge of walking away from a power-sharing agreement until a meeting between Ramaphosa and DA leader John Steenhuisen on Friday.
“We have shown that there are no problems that are too difficult or too intractable that they cannot be solved through dialogue,” Ramaphosa said, noting the negotiations had been complex.
In some of his most significant Cabinet decisions, Ramaphosa reappointed Paul Mashatile of the ANC to continue as his deputy president. Ramaphosa also appointed Parks Tau of the ANC as the minister of trade and industry, an important portfolio that the DA was seeking and was at the heart of some of the tensions between the two parties.
DA leader Steenhuisen was appointed minister of agriculture, while Ramaphosa also brought the leaders of four other political parties into his Cabinet as new ministers.
“We have had to ensure that all the parties are able to participate meaningfully in the national executive,” Ramaphosa said.
Commission, the
executive arm, said preliminary findings of its investigation show that Meta’s “pay or consent” advertising model was in breach
their personal data from its
and then start to implement their promises to dismantle many of Macron’s key policies and foreign policy platforms. That would include stopping French deliveries of long-range missiles to Ukraine in the war against Russia’s full-scale invasion. The National Rally has historical ties to Russia.
The far right’s more confrontational approach to the European Union, its plans to roll back Macron’s pension reforms and National Rally promises to boost voters’ spending power without clearly detailing how it would pay for the pledge could also spook European financial markets.
National Rally opponents fear for civil liberties if it takes power. Macron himself warned that the far right could set France on a path to civil war. Its plans to boost police powers and curb immigration also alarm many, including minorities.
The National Rally has long been hostile toward France’s Muslim community.
“People don’t understand that this will impact us for years and years. This is a France of hate that is growing, not a France of solidarity and union,” said Cynthia Fefoheio, a 19-year-old political science student who was among thousands of people who gathered Sunday night at Paris’ République plaza to protest the National Rally.
Some polling agency projections indicated that in a best-case scenario for the far right, the National Rally and its allies could collectively clear the bar of 289 seats needed for a secure majority in the 577-seat National Assembly.
But it might also fall short and no single bloc may end up with a clear majority, polling agencies projected. Predictions are difficult because of the two-round voting system.
Already on Sunday night, the far-right’s opponents were strategizing how to concentrate votes against the National Rally in round two, planning in some districts to pull their candidates out to increase the chances of another candidate beating a far-right rival. The high turnout—at least 66 percent, according to polling estimates—reversed nearly three decades of tumbling voter interest for the first round of legislative elections in France. That so many people voted, especially as many are preparing to start or have already started traditional summer vacations, showed how the quick campaign and its high stakes galvanized the electorate.
Many voters saw an opportunity to impose a government on Macron, to reprimand his presidency and force a change in course.
Many voters are frustrated with inflation and other economic concerns, as well as with Macron. The National Rally tapped that discontent, notably via online platforms such as TikTok. It campaigned heavily on the rising cost of living and immigration. The campaign was marred by rising hate speech.
“People don’t like what has been happening,” said Cynthia Justine, 44. “People feel they’ve lost a lot in recent years. People are angry. I am angry.”
“Because I am a Black woman, it’s even more important. A lot is at stake on this day,” she added. The National Rally has questioned the right to citizenship for people born in France, and it wants to curtail the rights of French citizens with dual nationality. Critics say that undermines human rights and is a threat to France’s democratic ideals.
At the election celebration in Le Pen’s stronghold of HeninBeaumont, 41-year-old Edouard Guillebot said the far right’s success had been a long time coming.
“This is a revenge of the people against the elites, in the media and politics,” he said. “I am of those who have voted for everyone. They lied to us by telling us immigration was a chance for the country.”
The Associated Press writers Barbara Surk in Nice, France, and Diane Jeantet in Henin-Beaumont, France, contributed to this report.
Former president Morales accuses Bolivian President Luis Arce of orchestrating ‘self-coup’ for political gain
LBy Megan Janetsky The Associated Press
A PAZ, Bolivia—Former President Evo Morales on Sunday accused his political ally-turned-rival President Luis Arce of deceiving Bolivians by staging a “self-coup” last week to earn political points among the electorate, marking a sharp downturn in an already fraught relationship.
Morales was initially among the country’s most powerful voices to say the approximately 200 members of the military who marched on Bolivia’s government palace alongside armored vehicles Wednesday had attempted a “coup d’état.” He called for “all those involved in this riot to be arrested and tried.”
But on Sunday, Morales joined others who contend Arce himself orchestrated the incident in an attempt to win the sympathy of Bolivians at a time when his popularity is extremely low.
Arce “disrespected the truth, deceived us, lied, not only to the Bolivian people but to the whole world,” Morales said in a local broadcast program Sunday. Morales also called for an independent investigation into the military action in a post on X.
Morales is throwing his support behind an accusation made by former Gen. Juan José Zuñiga, who allegedly led the coup attempt. Morales said Zuñiga had informed colleagues and family of his plan beforehand and while in custody had told authorities that
Arce had “betrayed” him.
“The president told me: ‘The situation is very screwed up, very critical. It is necessary to prepare something to raise my popularity’,” Zúñiga quoted Arce as saying.
That theory was quickly adopted by Arce’s political enemies, who dubbed it a “self-coup.”
“At some point the truth will be known,” a handcuffed Zúñiga told reporters while being transferred to prison Saturday.
Morales’ comments were echoed later in the night by neighboring Argentina. The government of right-wing Argentine President Javier Milei declared the coup attempt “fraudulent,” citing intelligence reports and saying the way in which Wednesday progressed was “not very credible.”
It’s a major turnaround since Wednesday, when leaders across the region lined up in solidarity with Arce.
Presidential Minister María Nela Prada fired back at Morales over state television Sunday, warning him to not “become a puppet, a marionette and an instrument of imperialism that intends to plunder our country.” She said the “fascist right” wanted to “distort history.”
“What I condemn even more is that from people like Evo Morales, who claim to be leftists, there is ideological fluctuation around what are coups d’état and failed coups d’état in our country,” she said.
Morales still wields a great deal of influence in Bolivia, especially among coca growers and unions,
while Arce has faced simmering discontent as the country reels from an economic crisis. Morales, once Arce’s friend, resigned as president in 2019 amid unrest after he ran for an unconstitutional third term and fled into exile, an incident he insists was a coup. The incident led to conservative Jeanine Áñez to briefly take over as interim president, a period plagued with controversy. Áñez is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence on accusations she illegally took over the presidency after Morales resigned.
In Bolivia’s 2020 election, Morales threw his support behind Arce to be the candidate for his Movement for Socialism, known by its Spanish acronym MAS. But their relationship soured when Morales returned from self-exile and later announced he planned to run against Arce to be MAS’s candidate in the 2025 elections. Their fights have grown increasingly bitter as Morales’ allies have blocked much of Arce’s legislative agenda in Congress.
“We’ve been politically attacked,” Arce told The Associated Press in an interview Friday. But “we haven’t attacked” back. The feud has angered many Bolivians, and Morales’ comments Sunday were not likely to help. Morales said on the local radio program “Kausachun Coca” that he felt the incident damaged the image of Bolivia and its military. He also apologized for expressing solidarity with Arce.
FRENCH far-right leader Marine Le Pen delivers her speech after the release of projections based on the actual vote count in select constituencies on Sunday, June 30, 2024, in HeninBeaumont, northern France. French
Millions in Nigeria have little to no electricity. It’s straining businesses and public services
By Taiwo Adebayo The Associated Press
IBADAN, Nigeria—Dimly lit and stuffy classrooms stir with life every morning as children file in. Rays of sunlight stream through wooden windows, the only source of light. Pupils squint at their books and intermittently the blackboard as teachers try to hold their attention.
It’s a reality for many schoolchildren across Nigeria, where many buildings don’t have access to the national electricity grid. In Excellent Moral School in Olodo Okin in Ibadan, “the entire community is not connected, including the school,” said school founder Muyideen Raji. It acutely affects pupils, he said, who can’t learn how to use computers or the Internet and can’t study in the evenings.
About half of Nigeria’s more than 200 million people are hooked up to a national electricity grid that can’t provide sufficient daily electricity to most of those connected. Many poor, rural communities like Olodo Okin are off the grid entirely.
In a country with abundant sunshine, many are looking to solar energy to help fill the gaps, but getting risk-averse investors to finance major solar projects that would give Nigeria enough reliable energy is an uphill struggle. It means that millions in the country are finding ways to live with little to no electricity.
Lots of sun, few funds STUDIES have shown that Nigeria
could generate much more electricity than it needs from solar energy thanks to its powerful sunshine. But 14 grid-scale solar projects in the northern and central parts of the country that could generate 1,125 megawatts of electricity have stalled since contracts were signed in 2016.
Those trying to develop solar projects in the country blame interest rates for borrowing which can be as high as 15 percent, two to three times higher than in advanced economies and China, according to the International Energy Agency. That means it’s more costly for solar companies to work in Nigeria or other developing nations than in rich countries. Africa only has one-fifth the solar power capacity of Germany, and just 2% of global clean energy investments go to the continent.
“The same project put up in Nigeria and Denmark; the Danish project will get funding for 2 to 3 percent” interest rate, said Najim Animashaun, director of Nova Power, one of the stalled solar projects. Meanwhile he struggles to get loans even with interest rates of
10 percent or higher, “even though my solar project can produce two and half times more power,” than a Danish one.
Nigeria also does not set so-called cost-reflective tariffs, meaning the price consumers pay for electricity doesn’t cover the costs to produce and distribute it. This means distribution companies can’t fully pay producers and the industry relies on government interventions to stay afloat, scaring off lenders from investing in the solar industry.
Currently, power producers say they are owed up to 3.7 trillion Naira ($2.7 billion) by the government, making it difficult to meet obligations to their lenders and contractors.
One option would be getting World Bank guarantees that would put investors at ease and make them more willing to put money into solar projects—but the government is wary of signing up to anything that would force them to pay large sums even if electricity from the projects does not get the consumers because of inadequate
transmission and distribution infrastructure.
But without World Bank guarantees “nobody will develop or finance a project with a government subsidy, because it can dry off,” said Edu Okeke, the managing director of Azura Power. Azura Power has a stake in the now-stalled 100 megawatt Nova solar project in Nigeria’s northern Katsina State. Stop-gap solutions
WITH less than 8,000 megawatts of capacity and an average supply of less than 4,000 megawatts— less than half of what Singapore supplies to just 5.6 million people—power outages are an everyday occurrence in Nigeria.
Communities like Excellent Moral School’s in Ibadan that have no access to electricity are often surrounded by more fortunate ones that are connected to the grid but experience frequent outages and have to use gasoline and diesel-run private generators.
With the long-running petroleum subsidies now removed,
many households, schools, hospitals and businesses struggle with the cost of the fuel for their backup generators.
“We have stopped using a diesel generator as an alternative due to costs,” said Abdulhakeem Adedoja, the head of Lorat Nursery and Primary School in Ibadan. He added that although the school is in an Ibadan area that is connected to the grid, they could go two weeks without a power supply.
The problem is not just the lack of electricity for computer-aided learning, proper lighting, and fans to make classes less stuffy for pupils and teachers, but also that students are unable to complete their school assignments at home, Adedoja said.
For more energy-hungry small businesses like restaurants, they either close shop or continue with alternative power generation, incurring high costs that hurt their capacity for expansion.
Ebunola Akinwale, the owner of Nature’s Treat Cafe in Ibadan, said she pays 2.5 million Naira ($1,700) monthly to power backup generators in her four branches.
“If nothing changes, I probably would have to close one or two branches,” she said, though she is planning to go solar which she enthuses will help us cut “pollution from the diesel (generators).” She’s in talks with her bank for a low-cost loan package specially designed for young women entrepreneurs to finance the solar alternative.
However, not every business and household has such access or can afford the upfront capital for a private solar system. School heads Raji and Adedoja said they find the costs prohibitive.
Finding a way forward
THE stalled solar projects aren’t happening as finances don’t add
up, but even for other sources of electricity generation, Nigeria struggles to attract desperately needed private financing.
The power minister, Adebayo Adelabu, said in May that in order to address the financial crisis affecting the electricity sector, prices must reflect the true costs of service because a broke “government cannot afford to pay 3 trillion Naira ($2.4 billion) in subsidy.”
The government also insists that Nigerians paying fully for the electricity they consume would encourage investments in the sector. There has been some pushback to that, as labor unions went on strike in early June in part to protest electricity tariff increases. But businesspeople like Akinwale understand the government’s position because regularly supplied grid electricity, even without a subsidy, is “still cheaper and cleaner” than diesel for generators, she said. If finances for grid-scale solar projects do not add up, the government should offer incentives such as tax relief and payment plans to encourage private solar adoption, Akinwale said. “Sunlight is there abundantly,” she said.
Former regulatory chief Sam Amadi doubts if consumers in Nigeria—where the minimum wage is 30,000 Naira ($20) a month— “can today pay for energy consumed without subsidy.” He also wants a policy that makes it more affordable to have smaller-scale solar projects dotted across communities, businesses and homes. Until then, there are consequences to the frequent blackouts, he said.
“I have the story of a person who died in hospital because the electricity went out during operation,” he said. “Every day, we see the real-world effects of the lack of electricity.”
Street medicine teams search for homeless people to deliver lifesaving IV hydration in extreme heat
By Anita Snow The Associated Press
PHOENIX—Alfred Handley leaned back in his wheelchair alongside a major Phoenix freeway as a street medicine team helped him get rehydrated with an intravenous saline solution dripping from a bag hanging on a pole.
Cars whooshed by under the blazing 96-degree morning sun as the 59-year-old homeless man with a nearly toothless smile got the help he needed through a new program run by the nonprofit Circle the City.
“It’s a lot better than going to the hospital,” Handley said of the team that provides health care to homeless people. He’s been treated poorly at traditional clinics and hospitals, he said, more than six years after being struck by a car while he sat on a wall, leaving him in a wheelchair.
Circle the City introduced its IV rehydration program as a way to protect homeless people from life threatening heat illness as temperatures regularly hit the triple-digits in America’s hottest metro. Homeless people accounted for nearly half of the record 645 heat-related deaths last year in Maricopa County, which encompasses metro Phoenix.
Dr. Liz Frye, vice chair of the Street Medicine Institute that provides training to hundreds of health care teams worldwide, said she didn’t know of groups other than Circle the City administering IVs on the street.
“But if that’s what needs to happen to keep somebody from dying, I’m all about it,” Frye said.
As summers grow warmer, health providers from San Diego to New York are being challenged to better protect homeless patients. Even the Boston Health Care for the
Homeless Program, featured in last year’s book, “Rough Sleepers,” now sees patients with mild heat exhaustion in the summer after decades of treating people with frostbite and hypothermia during the winter, said Dr. Dave Munson, the street team’s medical director.
“It’s certainly something to worry about,” said Munson, noting that temperatures in Boston hit 100 degrees with 70 percent humidity during June’s heat wave. Homeless people, he said, are vulnerable to very hot and very cold weather not only because they live outside, but also they often can’t regulate body temperature due to medication for mental illness or high blood pressure, or because of street substance use.
The Phoenix team searches for patients in homeless encampments in dry riverbeds, sweltering alleys and along the canals that bring water to the Phoenix area. About 15 percent are dehydrated enough for a saline drip.
“We go out every day and find them,” said nurse practitioner Perla Puebla. “We do their wound care, medication refills for diabetes, antibiotics, high blood pressure.”
Puebla’s street team ran across Handley and 36-year-old Phoenix native Phillip Enriquez near an overpass in an area frequented by homeless people because it’s near a facility offering free meals. Across the road was an encampment of tents and lean-tos along a chain-link fence. Enriquez sat on a patch of dirt as Puebla started a drip for him. She also gave him a prescription for antibiotics and a referral to a dentist for his dental infection.
Living outside in Arizona’s broiling sun is hard, especially for people who may be mentally ill or use sedating drugs like fentanyl that make them less aware of surroundings. Stimulants
like methamphetamine contribute to dehydration, which can be fatal.
Temperatures this year have reached 115 degrees (45 Celsius) in metro Phoenix, where six heat-related deaths have been confirmed through June 22. Another 111 are under investigation.
“The number of patients with heat illnesses is increasing every year,” said Dr. Aneesh Narang, assistant medical director of emergency medicine at Banner Medical Center-Phoenix, which treats many homeless people with heat stroke.
Narang’s staff works frequently with Circle the City, whose core mission is providing respite care, with 100 beds for homeless people not well enough to return to the streets after a hospital stay.
Extreme heat worldwide requires a dramatic response, said physician assistant Lindsay Fox, who cares for homeless people in Albuquerque, New Mexico, through an initiative run by the University of New
Mexico’s School of Medicine.
Three times weekly, Fox treats infections, cleans wounds and manages chronic conditions in consultation with hospital colleagues. She said the prospect of more heat illness worries her.
Highs in Albuquerque can hit the 90s and don’t fall enough for people living outside to cool off overnight, she said.
“If you’re in an urban area that’s primarily concrete, you’re retaining heat,” she said.
“We’re seeing heat exposure that very quickly could go to heat stroke.”
Serious heat stroke is far more common in metro Phoenix, where Circle the City is now among scores of health programs for the homeless in cities like New York, San Diego and Spokane, Washington.
Circle the City, founded in 2012 by Sister Adele O’Sullivan, a physician and member of the Sisters of St. Joseph Carondelet, now has 260 employees, including 15 doctors, 13 physician assistants and 11 nurse
practitioners. It annually sees 9,000 patients.
Grants, donations and other gifts account for about 20 percent of the funding. Most of the rest comes from insurance payments for services provided through Medicaid and Medicare.
Circle the City works with medical staff in seven Phoenix hospitals to help homeless patients get after-care when they no longer need hospitalization. It also staffs two outpatient clinics for follow-up.
“This partnership allows us to offer the best outcomes for our patients,” said Craig Orsini, social work manager at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix.
Often that’s a few weeks in respite care or, for less acute needs, a stay in one of a handful of medical beds at the downtown shelter for things like dressing changes for wounds. Someone who needs months to heal might go to a skilled nursing facility.
While patients recover, Circle the City works to find longer-term transitional shelter
such as those for people 55 and older, or in permanent housing. About 77 percent of respite patients are sent somewhere other than the street or an emergency shelter.
“We try to find the best fit for people,” said Wendy Adams, Circle the City’s community outreach supervisor.
Circle the City medical staff distributes tens of thousands of water bottles each summer and tries to educate people about hot weather dangers, said Dr. Matt Essary, who works at one of five mobile clinics that stop outside soup kitchens and other services for homeless people.
Essary said Circle the City is also considering a blood analysis tool to detect electrolyte imbalances caused by dehydration.
“You can see right away how dehydrated they have become because it’s so hard to draw their blood,” he said. Other possible symptoms include headache, extreme thirst, dizziness and dry mouth.
THE recent rise in inflation, driven by expensive food items such as rice and the depreciation of the peso, has raised concerns about the country’s economic stability. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has acknowledged these challenges and has maintained a vigilant stance to mitigate the impact of inflation on the economy. However, a comprehensive approach is required to address the root causes of inflation and restore consumer and business confidence.
Accord ing to t he BSP ’s latest mont h-a head inflation forecast, inflation is seen averag ing between 3.4 percent and 4.2 percent in June 2024, sur passing t he rev ised target range of 3 percent to 4 percent for t he year T he increase
in t he prices of ag ricu ltural commod ities, along w it h t he depreciation of t he peso and higher domestic oi l prices, has been identif ied as t he primar y drivers of upward price pressures. (Read the BusinessMirror report: “BSP: Inf lation in June ma y have hit 3.4- 4.2%,” June 29, 2024).
To counterbalance t hese challenges, t he BSP has high lighted t he potential positive impact of lower electricity rates and f ruit prices, which cou ld help allev iate t he rise in commod ity prices. Add itionally, t he recent reduction in rice tariffs has f ueled optimism among monetar y off icials, suggesting a possible interest rate cut in t he coming mont hs. T his adjustment, coupled w it h t he BSP ’s data-dependent approach to monetar y policy for mu lation, a ims to suppor t economic g rowt h and mitigate inflationar y pressures.
However addressing inflation goes beyond shor t-ter m measures. It requires a mu ltifaceted approach t hat includes bot h monetar y and f iscal policies, as well as structural refor ms. It is essential to promote ag ricu ltural productiv ity and enhance supply cha in eff iciency to ensure stable food prices. Strengt hening t he countr y’s expor t capabi lities and attracting foreign investments can help stabi lize t he peso and reduce reliance on impor ts, t hereby mitigating inflationar y pressures.
Moreover t he recent negative consumer sentiment, as ind icated by t he Consumer Expectation Sur vey, high lights t he urgency to restore conf idence among households. T he concer ns regard ing higher inflation, interest rates, unemployment rates, and a weaker peso reflect t he impact of rising prices on t he purchasing power and f inancial well-being of Fi lipinos. T he gover nment must add ress t hese concer ns t hrough targeted social protection prog rams and policies t hat promote inclusive economic g rowt h (Read the BusinessMirror report: “High prices, lower incomes bring down Pinoys’ consumer, business sentiment,” June 29, 2024).
Simi larly, t he decline in business conf idence ra ises f ur t her alar m. Concer ns among businesses regard ing weaker consumer demand, rising oi l prices, and reduced consumer spend ing suggest t he need for a suppor tive economic env ironment. T he current trends point to potential challenges facing t he business community, underscoring t he impor tance of creating cond itions t hat enable f ir ms to nav igate t hese headw inds effectively. A suppor tive business env ironment, characterized by policies and measures t hat address t hese pressures, cou ld help bolster t he resi lience and compet itiveness of companies during t his period of uncer ta inty.
T h e r ecent s ur ge i n i nflat i on demands a comp r e h ens i ve and coo rd inated r esponse f r om t h e gove r nment, t h e BS P and ot h e r r elevant stakeholde r s. W hi le t h e BS P ’s effo r ts to mon ito r i nflat i on and cons i de r necessa r y pol i cy ad ju stments a r e commendable, a hol i st i c app r oac h i s necessa r y to add r ess t h e u nde r ly i ng cau ses of i nflat i on and r esto r e econom i c conf i dence. It wo u ld do well fo r t h e gove r nment to i mplement ta r geted meas ur es to stab i l i ze food p ri ces, st r engt h en t h e peso, and s u ppo r t b u s inesses and cons u me r s.
T he road a head is undoubtedly challeng ing, but the countr y’s economic policymakers must rema in steadfast in t heir commitment to price stabi lity and inclusive g rowt h By tempering inflation expectations t hrough a jud icious mi x of monetar y, f iscal, and structural refor ms, t he Phi lippines can emerge f rom t his turbu lent period stronger and more resi lient. T he welfare of t he Fi lipino people must be t he paramount consideration as t he gover nment nav igates t hese complex economic headw inds.
Has China already won the ‘war’?
WAmbassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Founder
MADONNA
Inc.–Sun Valley Drive KM-15, South Superhighway, Parañaque, Metro Manila
John Mangun
OUTSIDE THE BOX
HILE not holding a formal executive position in the government, Chiang Kai-shek continued to issue orders to the army during the Chinese civil war, the opposition was led by Mao Zedong. In 1949, Chiang and his army retreated to the island of Taiwan, setting up a government-in-exile as did Charles de Gaulle in London during World War Two. As much as 200 tons of gold and silver dollars were stashed in Taiwan by Chiang starting as early as 1948.
C hi ang planned to make t h e r et r eat only tempo r a r y, h op i ng to r econqu e r t h e ma i nland. “Ta iwanese i ndependence” was neve r on t h e table. Inte r est i ngly, Mao Zedong was an ea r ly s u ppo r te r of Ta i wanese i ndependence, tell i ng Ame ri can j o ur nal i st Edga r Snow i n t h e 19 3 0s t h at t h e C hi nese
Commu n i st Pa r ty wo u ld lend “o ur ent hu s i ast i c h elp i n t h e ir st ru ggle fo r i ndependence.”
T here was never any talk of Ta iwan be i ng i ndependent, as t hi s wou ld have destroyed t he idea t hat Chiang was only t here to plan t he takeover of the Chinese government.
Fur t her, t he US put t he f inal na i l in t he independence coff in in 1979, w ith “T he US government recognizes t he gover nment of t he People’s Republic of China (PRC or China) as t he sole legal Gover nment of China” and “severs off icial d iplomatic relations w it h t he Ta iwan-based Republic of China (ROC).”
“Ta iwanese independence” is a domestic political issue for bot h Beijing and Ta ipei X i Jinping needs to sound and act tough now t hat t he US under Biden is saber rattling. It helps also to draw attention away f rom t he Chinese economy.
Newly elected ROC President La i Ching Te also needs to sound and act tough to keep t hose American dollars and war materials flow ing. However w it h more t han 60 percent of t he people identify ing as Ta iwanese (only 30 percent say ing “Bot h Ta iwanese and Chinese”) La i sa id before t he election t hat t here was no need to declare independence, as “Ta iwan is already a sovereign, independent countr y called t he Republic of China.”
X i Jinping may not li ke t hat sentiment, but he is bot h smar t and pragmat ic. T hat statement is not wor th going to war over regardless of what our local China exper ts t hink. Equally smar t and pragmatic, La i
China has already won the “war” if war means being a most dominant/influential nation on earth, a title once held by the US of A. The US achieved this predominantly by force and threat of force. It offered prosperity and protection at the price of being the boss, not unlike in all the mafia movies we’ve seen.
knows t hat Ta iwan ga ins not hing par ticu lar f rom independence and loses f rom a war T he US under Biden is neit her smar t nor pragmatic, but it is bad politics to star t a war during an election year Fur t her more, C hi na h as al ready won t he “wa r i f wa r means bei ng a most dom i nant /i nfluent i al nat ion on ea r t h, a t itle once held by t he US of A. T he US ac hieved t hi s predom inantly by force and t hreat of force. It offered prosperity and protect ion at t he price of bei ng t he boss, not u nl i ke i n all t he maf i a mov ies we’ve seen. China lear ned f rom seeing t he mistakes of ot hers. China has t he most diplomatic missions worldwide, keeps d iplomatic ties businessli ke, and unli ke t he US, t hese are staffed w it h tra ined professionals, not pol it ical appoi ntees. C hi na’s leaders lear ned t hat d iplomatic relations is not a reward to ot hers for good cooperative behav ior T he US has often acted li ke t he schoolyard brat who tries to control t he toys. Be f riends—and obey—t he US and it w i ll protect you f rom t he bad g uys. Note t h at t he US i s now for mally comm itted to defend i ng
more cou nt ries t h an at any t i me i n its hi stor y, and t r y i ng to meet all t hose comm itments helps expla i n why t he US defense budget i s muc h la rger t h an C hi na’s. Obv iou sly, C hi na h as avoided t he costly entanglements t h at h ave t rapped t he US. For example, Beiji ng h as never prom i sed to go to wa r to defend Iran, or to protect its va riou s econom ic pa r tners i n Af rica. T he US has always been extremely “proactive” in influencing ot her cou nt ries. One fore i gn relat ions scholar w rote, “China’s general approach to foreign policy emphasizes national sovereignty”. Ever y nation is f ree to gover
an air port. W hat we get from the United States is a lecture.’” We know from histor y that as a countr y develops economically, it tends to be more “civ ilized” w ith regard to the rights of its citizens.
T he exhibition
Biden party allies close ranks as poll signals voter concern
By Alicia Diaz
EY Democrats rallied behind Joe Biden’s reelection bid as a poll suggested his stumbling debate performance against Donald Trump last week made more Americans skeptical about the president’s ability to lead.
Representat ive Jim Clybur n, a critical ally who helped tur n around Biden’s floundering 2020 cand idacy, sa id t hat whi le “t here were some trepidations” among House members after t he debate, Biden “shou ld continue to run on his record” and t he contrast w it h Trump. “He shou ld stay i n t hi s race,” Clybur n, a Democrat f rom Sout h Carolina, sa id on CNN’s State of t he Union. “He shou ld demonstrate going for ward his capacity to lead t he countr y.” T h at qu est ion h as come i nto s h a r pe r foc u s s i nce T hur sday’s debate, p rompt i ng days of f uriou s pu bl ic pu shback f rom Biden’s cong ress ional s uppor te r s and hi s campa i gn.
In a def i ant se ries of memos to donors and surrogates over t he weekend, t he campa ign d ismissed alarm over Biden’s sputtering performance as a creation of pund its and operatives out of tune w it h ord inar y Americans.
Biden wou ld be t he 2024 Democratic nominee, t hey sa id unequivocally, and any drop in suppor t measured in upcoming polls was merely a temporar y reflection of “bed wetting” by t he chattering class. Sti ll, voters are expressing g rowing doubt about Biden’s healt h A CBS News poll of reg istered voters published Sunday showed 27 percent believe t he president has t he mental and cognitive healt h to ser ve, compared w it h 35 percent in early June.
Biden would be the 2024 Democratic nominee, they said unequivocally, and any drop in support measured in upcoming polls was merely a temporary reflection of “bed wetting” by the chattering class.
Biden’s debate per for mance was “a big problem” and “t here are ver y honest and seriou s and rigorou s conversations tak ing place at ever y level of our par ty” about what to do, Representative Jamie Rask in, a Mar yland Democrat, sa id in an MSNBC inter v iew. It’s up to Biden to decide “whether he’s t he cand idate or someone else is t he cand idate,” Rask in sa id. Biden was spend ing Sunday w it h fami ly members at Camp Dav id, t he reclusive presidential retreat near Washington where he prepared for t he debate, for a v isit t hat had been sc hedu led before his
“Joe
Rich nations must fill the Loss and Damage Fund
By Lidy Nacpil
Tresponsible for the climate crisis. To be a democratic institution that gives primacy to the welfare of people in developing countries, it must be independent from the World Bank. As interim host, the World Bank must not compromise the integrity of the decision-making and operations of the Loss and
Beyond the Philippines: International tax updates
27 in 2022, a breakt hrough dec ision was made to establ i sh t he Fu nd, but several i ssues rema i n as it slowly beg i ns operat ions. Today, bot h econom ic and noneconom ic loss and damage a re r apidly pi l i ng up as m it i gat ion and adaptat ion effor ts fall shor t and t he cl i mate c ri s i s cont i nues to escalate. T he cou nt ries t h at a re most v u lne r able to losses and damages
a re developi ng econom ies t h at h ave
hi storically cont ributed t he least to cl i mate c h ange and lack t he capacity to respond. T he re i s no ques-
t ion t h at t he cou nt ries t h at h ave
hi storically cont ributed t he most to t he cl i mate c ri s i s shou ld foot t he bi ll for loss and damage as a for m of repa r at ions to developi ng cou nt ries.
T he US and EU, the largest historical emitters, are responsible for 24 percent and 17 percent, respect ively, of all greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. Yet, t he countries most responsible for climate change are deny ing t heir obligation to pay up and f i ll t he Loss and Damage Fund. Since it was established, t he Fund has received only $661.39 mi llion in pledges, w it h t he US pledg ing a meager $17.5 mi llion.
T here i s a massive gap between t he amount pledged and t he amount needed. D ue to delayed and i nsu ff ic ient effor ts to c urb cl i mate i mpacts, econom ic and non-econom ic loss and damage h ave been substant i al; t he for mer i s est i mated to cost developi ng cou nt ries at least $447 bi ll ion to $894 bi ll ion a yea r by 2030.
T he 6t h IPCC Assessment Repor t on Impacts, Adaptat ion, and Vu lnerabi l ity says t h at a lack of f i nance to add ress t he i mpacts of cl i mate c h ange w i ll lead to f ur t her loss and damage. For decades now, developed nations have lacked t he pol itical w i ll to tackle cl i mate c h ange, ref u si ng to prov ide adequ ate f i nance at ever y oppor t u n ity despite h av i ng t he capac ity to do so. If gover nments h ad taken act ion a decade ago—by prov id i ng adequ ate cl i mate f i nance for m it igat ion and adaptat ion—t he world wou ld not be i n c ri si s today and t he cost of loss and damage wou ld not be i n t he hu nd reds of bi ll ions. Besides f i lling t he Loss and Damage Fund, the amount of money flowing to m it igat ion and adaptat ion needs to exponentially increase to reduce f uture loss and damage. T he enor mous costs w i ll continue to rise if mitigation and adaptation effor ts continue to be insuff icient. Drast ically c utt ing em issions towa rds global zero by 2050 and bui ld ing resi lience require tri llions, not bi llions, being delivered annually to UN climate f unds. Besides t he meager amou nt t h at
It is unreasonable to deliver loss and damage payments in the form of loans, which are contradictory to the concept of reparations and will only increase the burden of vulnerable countries struggling to get back on their feet in the aftermath of a disaster. The countries and communities that are most harmed by the consequences of climate change are also those who are least responsible for causing it.
h as been pledged, t here a re more problems a head. Last yea r it was ag reed t h at t he World Bank wou ld be t he i nteri m host of t he Fu nd for t he next four yea rs, and t he per manent host i f cer ta i n cond it ions a re f u lf i lled w it hi n t h at period. T he Wor ld Bank’s hi stor y of f i nanci ng fossi l f uel projects, supply i ng bi ll ions i n t rade f i nance to oi l and gas projects as recently as 2022, i s i ncompat i ble w it h t he Fu nd’s pri nc iples and act iv it ies. W hereas t he Fu nd’s act iv it ies a re mandated to be consi stent w it h t he object ive to l i m it global temperat ure rise to 1.5C, t he World Bank’s 2021-2025 Cl i mate C h ange Act ion Plan st i ll allows oi l and gas f i nanc i ng. Moreover, t he World Bank’s preference for loans w ith conditions is incompatible w it h t he need for g rants to be t he primar y f inancial instrument of t he Fund. At t he Fund’s f irst board meeting in Apri l, t he World Bank representative’s proposal for a risk f ramework and “f inancially innovative” solutions ind icated a preference for non-g rant instruments. Ultimately, t he World Bank is sti ll a bank, designed to ear n prof it f rom loans and prioritize t he interests of its largest shareholders, who happen to be t he countries most responsible for the climate crisis. T his makes the World Bank unf it to run the Loss and Damage Fund, which was created to prov ide v u lnerable cou nt ries and communities w it h t he reparations t hey are owed, not line t he pockets of World Bank executives and shareholders.
T he board members of t he Loss and Damage Fund must heed t he demands of civ i l society and ensure t hat loss and damage payments are g rant-based and non-debt-creating, so as not to cause f ur t her har m to cou nt ries t h at h ave al ready been economically devastated by t he climate crisis.
It is unreasonable to deliver loss and damage payments in t he for m of loans, which are contrad ictor y to t he concept of reparations and w i ll only increase t he burden of v u lnerable countries struggling to get back on t heir feet in t he after mat h of a d isaster T he countries and communities t hat are most har med by t he consequences of climate change are also t hose who are least responsible for causing it. For v u lnerable nations li ke ours, loss and damage payments are neit her a id nor assistance: it is what developing countries are owed for t he lives taken and livelihoods lost to a crisis t hat we have done little to cause.
Lidy Nacpil is the coordinator of the Asian Peoples’ Movement for Debt and Development.
Atty. Jomel N. Manaig
WTAX LAW FOR BUSINESS
E just zoomed past the halfway point of 2024 and the tax world is as vibrant and changing as it has ever been. During the first half of the year, we got a handful of local tax developments. New tax laws were passed, namely: the Ease of Paying Taxes Act and the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act (RPVARA). Tax regulations were also very dynamic with issuances tackling the tax obligation of e-marketplace operators and digital financial service providers, the tax implications of cross-border services, and the implementing rules of the EOPT, to name a few.
A lot of prog ress has been made but t here are sti ll more in t he pipeline: amendments on t he taxation of passive income and f inancial intermed iaries (PIFITA), changes to t he current tax incentive scheme (CREATE MORE), and t he introduction of t he d ig ital ser v ices tax. All of t hese are sti ll on t he horizon.
W hi le much has been done in t he local setting, we have to remember t h at taxat ion i s an i nter nat ional concer n. W hat happens beyond our borders may sti ll have an effect on us. T he Philippines is not (and shou ld never act as if it is) in a bubble of its own. Being mindf u l of inter national tax developments, anticipating its impact, and timely adapting to it is always a w inning for mu la. One t hat shou ld not be lost on our leg islators and tax aut horities.
Perhaps t he biggest tax shift we have in 2024 involves anti-Base Erosion and Prof it Shifting (BEPS) effor ts. For context, t he Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has been spearhead ing anti-BEPS measures w it h t he Two-Pi llar (Pi llar One and Pi llar Two) Solution. It a ims to address tax avoidance and tax transparency.
Pi llar One relates to t he reallocation of a por tion of t he taxable income of mu ltinationals to market jurisd ictions. On t he ot her hand, Pi llar Two
seeks to impose a minimum global tax rate to ensure t hat cor porations are pay ing t heir just share in taxes.
T he implementation of Pillar One is dependent on jurisd ictions ag reeing on the pillar’s technical complexities. However, d iffering impacts of its implementation are hindering a general consensus.
In add ition, Pi llar One intends to repeal d ig ital ser v ice taxes. Several countries have already enacted t heir respect ive versions of t he d ig ital ser v ice tax. T he Phi lippines is soon to join t his g row ing number of countries as t he Bicameral Conference Committee of bot h Houses of Cong ress recently approved t he bi ll tax ing d ig ital ser v ice prov iders. W hi le it may be too soon a topic to d iscuss (considering t hat t here is sti ll no law on d ig ital ser v ices tax as of t he w riting of t his ar ticle), is t he Phi lippines w i lling to shift f rom d ig ital ser v ices tax to Pi llar One?
Proponents of Pi llar One arg ue t hat d ig ital ser v ices tax is d iscriminator y and t hat it may be used as a retaliator y measure by countries. On t he ot her hand, d ig ital ser v ices tax is muc h simpler to implement t han t he consensus-plag ued Pi llar One. W hich way shou ld t he Phi lippines lean into?
Policymakers and tax aut horities shou ld also pay par ticu lar attention
While much has been done in the local setting, we have to remember that taxation is an international concern. What happens beyond our borders may still have an effect on us. The Philippines is not (and should never act as if it is) in a bubble of its own. Being mindful of international tax developments, anticipating its impact, and timely adapting to it is always a winning formula. One that should not be lost on our legislators and tax authorities.
to Pi llar Two since it is designed to ensure t hat taxes are pa id by mu ltinational g roups, regardless of t heir jurisdiction and regardless of whether a par ticu lar countr y is implementing Pi llar Two or not. Prof its of t hese mu ltinationals are bound to be taxed somewhere.
Prof its generated in t he Phi lippines (which do not yet implement Pi llar Two) may be taxed in anot her jurisd iction (which implements Pi llar Two). In effect, t he Phi lippines losses out on t he add itional tax it wou ld have ot her w ise had t he right to collect. In add it ion, Pi llar Two adve r sely i mpacts tax i ncent ives offered by countries. For countries rely ing heav i ly on tax incentives to attract foreign investments, li ke t he Phi lippines, Pi llar Two prov ides d iminished attractiveness for investments. Consequently, it may lessen t he intended impact of t he proposed CREATE MORE even before the measure becomes law.
Cer ta in aspects of Pi llar Two took effect this 2024 w ith additional ru les tak ing effect star ting 2025. Leg islation must be put in place to bot h adapt to Pi llar Two and work around its limiting effects. T he sooner t his is done, t he better As an offshoot of t he Two-Pi llar Solution, transfer pricing has li kew ise seen a surge in 2024. T he push for transparency in taxation of mu ltinational g roups is mak ing access to
IBP stands firm: Asserting Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea
THE Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the official organization of Philippine lawyers, is one with the Filipino people and the Philippine government in asserting our country’s sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.
T he Treaty of Paris of 1898, which concluded t he Span i sh -American War clearly delineated t he territori al bou nda ries of t he Phi l ippi ne archipelago. Accord ing to A r ticle III of t he Treaty of Paris, Spa in ceded to t he United States all rights of sovereignty over the Philippines, including t he waters surround ing t he islands.
F ur t h e r r e i nfo r c i ng t hi s, t h e Spanish-US Treaty of Washington in 1900 supplemented t he Treaty of Paris by clarify ing and aff ir ming t he cession of add itional islands to t he United States, as par t of Phi lippine territor y. T his Treaty of Washington documented Spa in’s cession to US of any and all islands of t he Phi lippine
A rchipelago ly ing outside of the lines described in A r ticle III of t he Treaty of Paris of December 10, 1898.
W hen t he Phi lippines ga ined independence, all these islands covered by t he Treaty of Paris and Treaty of Washington t hat for m par t of t he Phi lippine archipelago became par t of our countr y’s territor y. In 1982, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) to which both the Philippines and China are signatories granted coastal states sovereign rights over t he ir Exclu s i ve Econom i c Zones
(EEZ), extending up to 200 nautical miles from their baselines. In 2016, the Permanent Court of A rbitration issued a decision confirming that the Philippines has sovereign rights over its 200 miles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea. This decision clarified that the Philippines shall enjoy all economic rights w ithin its EEZ, including fishing, resource exploration, and marine conser vation.
T herefore, t he West Phi l ippine Sea is inside t he Phi lippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to t he extent of 200 mi les measured f rom our countr y’s archipelag ic baselines. Ret ired Supreme Cour t Sen ior Ju st ice Anton io Ca r pio, a lead i ng aut hority on t he West Phi l ippi ne Sea, h as been del iveri ng a series of lect ures t itled Phi l ippi ne Island Territories i n t he West Phi l ippi ne Sea.” In his lect ures, Ca r pio presents a compell i ng case for t he Phi l ippi nes’ cla i ms to t he Spratly Islands. He u ses maps, hi storical t reat ies, and even C hi na’s own doc u ments and publ icat ions to demonst r ate t he lack of fou ndat ion for C hi na’s cla i ms and t he st rengt h of t he Phi lippi nes’ posit ion. T he Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) is just about 120 mi les
f rom Zambales. T his is a trad itional f ishing g rou nd of Fi l ipino f ishermen. T he Ay ung in Shoal (2ndT homas Shoal) is just about 196 mi les to Palawan. Ay ung in Shoal is where the Philippine Ship BR P Sierra Madre is located. In t his regard, t he 1987 Phi l ippine Const it ut ion mandates t he protection of t he rights of subsistence f isher men, especially t hose f rom local communities, to preferential use of communal marine and f ishing resources, bot h inland and offshore. Accord ing to A r ticle XIII, Sect ion 7 of t he 1987 Phi l ippi ne Constitution, T he Stat
use of the communal marine and fishing resources, both inland and offshore. It shall provide suppor t to such fishermen through appropr iate technolog y and research adequate financial production, and marketing assistance, and other services T he State shall also protect, develop, and conserve su
we Fi lipinos shou ld beg in tak ing more seriously. The author is a junior partner of Du-Baladad and Associates Law Offices (BDB Law) (www. bdblaw.com.ph), a member-firm of WTS Global. The article is for general information only and is not intended, nor should be construed as a substitute for tax, legal or financial advice on any specific matter. Applicability of this article to any actual or particular tax or legal issue should be supported therefore by a professional study or advice. If you have any comments or questions concerning the article, you may e-mail the author at jomel.manaig@ bdblaw.com.ph or call 8403-2001 local 140.
2, 2024
MOST WOMEN ENTREPS NOW USE E-WALLETS–VISA STUDY
WOMEN-LED businesses have been quick in adapting to digital payments with majority of them using electronic wallets, according to the latest survey of Visa Philippines.
The data showed 61 percent of women-led businesses now use GCash or other electronic wallets in their transactions. Visa said digital payments provide instant transfers and enable cashless transactions for an enhanced commerce experience.
The study found that 72 percent of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) they surveyed reported that managing found it easier to conduct their businesses due to digital transactions.
“Small and medium-sized businesses are the driving force behind the thriving economy in the Philippines. Visa is proud to contribute to their growth by providing secure and convenient digital payment solutions,” said Jeff Navarro, Visa’s Country Manager for the Philippines.
Findings show that 51 percent of women-led SMEs and 56 percent of micro-businesses experienced revenue growth with digital payments adoption.
Given women constitute over half of Asia’s population and SMEs’ vital role in the economy, maximizing women’s economic potential could add $89 billion annually to the Asia Pacific economy including in the Philippines.
The data also showed that among businesses that have started accepting digital payments, majority or 83 percent of those accepting cards witnessed the most significant turnover increases.
Visa supports SMEs in the Philippines by offering widespread acceptance and robust protection for both merchants and customers, guarding
against fraudulent activities.
“Visa is committed to continuously supporting the Philippine government’s financial inclusion and digitization goals, including empowering SMEs, the cornerstone of the economy, by introducing innovative financial and payment solutions so they can build on this foundation to grow their business,” Navarro said. The Philippines’Department of Trade and Industry data show that 99.5 percent of businesses in the country are MSMEs with almost 50 percent of them in wholesale and retail trade, generating 65 percent of total employment.
Further, citing the Asian Development Bank, Visa said micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) contributed around 36 percent of the country’s GDP.
Visa recently launched a SME online toolkit to enable tourism merchants to maximize the benefits of contactless payments.
In 2023, Visa launched the SME Accelerator Program in the Philippines to support SMEs and partners through competitive pricing, faster onboarding, and comprehensive take-to-market support.
The expanded SME Accelerator initiatives will also focus on a wider set of partnerships with ecosystem participants to serve smaller sellers and fast-track solutions deployment for SMEs.
The Visa Foundation has also pledged $100 million over five years to accelerate access for underrepresented and women-led SMEs in APEC economies, including in the Philippines. Of the nearly 67 million SMEs reached by Visa globally, approximately 29.6 million are from APEC economies, with 10.9 million being women-led SMEs. Cai U. Ordinario
Lower rates seen for fund sending with Project Nexus
By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario
FILIPINOS sending funds from various parts of the globe may soon enjoy lower rates as Asian central banks, including the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) complete the comprehensive blueprint for phase three of Project Nexus.
Pr o j ect Nex u s seeks to standa rd i ze t he way domest ic Instant Payment Systems (I PS) connect to one anot her T hi s si ngle connec-
By Joel R. San
mentat ion of t he law w i ll resu lt i n g r ave and irrepa r able i njur y to t he pet it ioners and t he publ ic i n general consideri ng t he u se of bi ll ions of publ ic f u nds,” t he pet it ioners sa id. In its comment on the petition dated December 5, 2023, the OSG sought its dismissal, arg uing that the issues raised in the petition wou ld require the reception of ev idence.
L i kew i se, t he OSG sa id t he d irect f i l i ng of t he pet it ion before t he SC v iolates t he doct ri ne of t he hier a rc hy of t he cour ts. T h e OSG also co u nte r ed t h e pet it ioners’ cla i m t h at President Fe rd i nand R. Ma rcos Jr abu sed hi s d i sc ret ion when he cer t i f ied as urgent Hou se Bi ll 6608 and Senate Bi ll 1670. It a rg ued t h at t he President’s ce r t i f i cat i on was val i d as t h e r e were sever al i nstances where former Presidents i ssued a cer t i f icate of urgency despite t he
“We
By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo
as “muc h easier now t h an two yea rs ago becau se of t he new i nf r ast ruc ure. “Somebody who l ives i n Met ro Man i la can now go to Tagaytay; it’s a one-hour d rive. It’s ver y accessible,” he st ressed. Tr avelers can take t he four -k i lometer Si lang (Ag ui naldo) i nterc h ange of t he Cav ite-Lag u na Expressway (Calax), for example.
Possible destinations HE noted possible oppor t u n it ies for expansion i n Nor t her n Lu zon —“t here a re many beaut i f u l places t here”—suc h as Banaue, Sagada,
See “Rates,” A
SUNSET SPECTACLE As the sun dips below the horizon along Bacolod City Baywalk, the silhouette of a dragon installation against the serene beach backdrop heightens the enchanting atmosphere. BERNARD TESTA
Editor: Jennifer A. Ng
CBy VG Cabuag @villygc
ENTURY Pacific Food Inc., the canner of brands such as Century Tuna and 555 Sardines, announced last Monday it would increase its capital expenditure (capex) budget to P4 billion to P5 billion this year from last year’s P3 billion to P3.5 billion to support its ongoing expansion.
i on and, i f ma rket t rends cont i nue…i n f ive or seven yea r s f rom now, we expect to be dou ble of our c urrent capac ity, whic h i s pretty sign i f icant,” he sa
KBy Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan
HE Cav itex Inf r ast ru ct ur e
TCor p. (CIC) annou nced last Monday i t i s on t r ack to complete two c ru c i al connecto r r oads by A u g u st 2025. CIC Pr es i dent Ra u l L. Ignac i o i ss u ed t h e anno u ncement afte r r ece i v i ng t h e s u ppo r t of Pr es i dent Fe r d i nand R. Ma r cos J r fo r t h e const ru ct i on of t h e Cav i tex-C5
L i nk and t h e Cav i tex-Calax L i nk.
“T h e Pr es i dent i al decla r at i on of s u ppo r t fo r t h ese ma j o r i nf r ast ru ct ur e p r o j ects h as ene r g i zed u s all i n complet i ng t h e p r o j ects on t i me, leav i ng no stone u nt ur ned to f i n i s h t h e j ob,” Ignac i o sa i d. Ma r cos pledged hi s s u ppo r t i n see i ng t h e two m u lt i b i ll i on-peso exp r essway p r o j ects completed on t i me.
Unde r a P3 3 -b i ll i on cont r act, DM Cons uji Inc. (DMCI) h as comm i tted to complete Segment 3 B of t h e Cav i tex-C5 L i nk by A u g u st next yea r T hi s segment, a 2.0-k ilomete r s i x-lane exp r essway, w i ll connect Cav i tex i n P a r aña qu e i n t h e west to t h e C5 Road Tag ui g i n t h e east, allow i ng moto ri sts to bypass m u lt i ple se r v i ce r oads between Cav i te and Tag ui g C i ty. S i m i la r ly, EEI Co r p. i s wo r k i ng on t h e 1. 3 -k i lomete r d u al twolane Cav i tex-Calax L i nk Extens i on, also slated fo r complet i on i n A u g u st 2025. T hi s extens i on i s expected to boost comme r ce and i nd u st r y i n Cav i te, Lag u na, and Met r o Man i la. “T h e Pr es i dent i al i mp ri mat ur h as r esonated as t h e Pr es i dent’s ma r c hi ng o r de r s fo r o ur CIC p r o ject manage r s and our two cont r acto r s to speed u p t h e const ru ct i on so t h at t h e two segments w i ll be ready for f u ll ope r at ions i n A u g u st 2025,” Ignac i o sa i d. To ens ur e t i mely complet i on, Ignac i o sa i d CIC and i ts pa r tne r s h ave been act i vely r esolv i ng ri g h t-of-way
of capex w i ll cont i n u e to go to w h at we wo u ld cons i de r as ma i ntenance and cost i mp r ovement capex. T h e r e’s also some capac ity expans i on h appeni ng i n ot h e r pa r ts of o ur company t h at w i ll r e quir e capex b u t to a smalle r extent t h an t h e cocon u t b u s i ness. “And lastly, t h e r e a r e spec i al eff i c iency and t he env ironmentali st env ir onmental s u sta i nab i l i ty p r o j ects t h at we also b u dget some capex fo r,” h e sa
c i ency, ene r gy p r od u ct i on systems,” Po added. F u nd i ng fo r t h e capex w i ll be i nte r nally-gene r ated co u pled w i t h some s h o r t-te r m bo rr owi ngs f r om banks w h eneve r t h e r e a r e f u nd i ng gaps, acco r d i ng to t h e company.
By VG Cabuag @villygc
DOUBLEDRAGON Corp. announced it is pricing its 3.5-year, P10 billion bonds at 8.008 percent, which provides a premium versus the secondary market trading rates.
T he t hree-yea r and t he four -yea r paper s we re bot h t r ad i ng at 6. 3 pe rcent at t he seconda r y ma rket.
T h e bond sale ru ns u p to J u ly 10, w i t h t h e bond set fo r l i st i ng at t h e Phi l i pp i ne Deal i ng and Exc h ange Co r p. by J u ly 16. “We a r e glad to tap t h e peso r eta i l bond ma r ket aga i n afte r ove r f i ve yea r s. We bel i eve t h at t h e p ri c i ng of t hi s r eta i l bond offe ri ng at 8.008 pe rcent w i ll enable a w i de r ange of people to ava i l of t h e good co u pon r ate fo r a Tri ple
A r ated r eta i l bond and g i ven t h e m i n i m u m i nvestment s i ze of only
P 50,000. On top of t h at, 8 i s also
bel i eved by many to be an a u sp i -
c i o u s o r ‘swe r te’ [ l u cky] n u mbe r and h av i ng two 8’s i n t h e co u pon r ate co u ld be even mo r e a u sp ic i o u s,” Edga r J. S i a II, t h e company’s c h a ir man, sa i d. T h e company sa i d t hr o u g h a statement t h e offe r may be t h e last t i me r eta i l i nvesto r s co u ld pa r t i c i pate i n t h e company’s bond sale w i t h s u c h a r ate as i t app r oac h es t h e bl u e c hi p stat u s. “I pe r sonally bel i eve t h at 2024 co u ld be t h e ve r y last yea r i n my ent r ep r ene uri al j o ur ney t h at t h e r eta i l p u bl i c can pa r t i c i pate w it h a reta i l bond p ri ced at 8.008 pe rcent co u pon r ate g i ven
h ave an e qui ty val u e of $2. 3 b i ll i on ( P 1 3 0 b i ll i on pesos) follow i ng complet i on of t h e me r ge r t r ansact i on, w hi c h i s expected to close d uri ng t h e second h alf of 2024 s u b j ect to r eg u lato r y and s h a r e h olde r app r ovals and ot h e r c u stoma r y clos i ng cond i t i ons,” a statement by t h e company r ead. O u ts i de of t h e Phi l i pp i nes, Hotel101 h as b r oken g r o u nd i n Mad ri d, Spa i n to const ru ct a 680- r oom p r ope r ty located i n t h e Valdebebas a r ea bes i de t h e Ifema Convent i on Complex, t h e Real Mad ri d Complex and t h e u pcom i ng new F1 G r and Pri x Tr ack. Anot h e r 482- r oom p r ope r ty, Hotel101-N i seko, i s u nde r const ru ct i on i n Hokka i do, Japan w hi le t h
ABy Lenie Lectura @llectura
SUBSIDIARY of Greenl ig ht Renewables Hold i ngs, Inc. proposed to bui ld a t r ansm i ss ion fac i l ity ded icated to connect t he San Is id ro Sola r Powe r Project to t he V i sayas g rid w it h a cost of about P 2.5 bi ll ion. G reenl i g ht Renewables i s t he joi nt vent ure between Eme r g i ng Powe r Inc. and S hell Ove r seas Investments B.V. In a f i l i ng w it h t he Ene rgy Regu lato r y Comm i ss i on (ERC), San Is id ro Sola r Powe r Cor p. (SISPC) i s seek i ng approval for aut hority to develop, own and
gather for token listing
es i dent at Elect r on i c A r ts Japan St u d i o and wo r ked as sen i o r manage r at M i c r osoft Japan Game St u d i os, made t h e anno u ncement at a med i a confe r ence. “Oftent i mes, w h en yo u see people b ui ld ecosystems, i t’s p i ecemeal. W i t h C r eta, o ur team h as been r eally t h o u g h tf u l and st r ateg i c abo u t b ui ld i ng all t h e p i eces toget h e r h a r mon i o u sly,
Pastel artists present the medium’s versatility in ‘Pastelero III’
ALONG the historic street of Rue Rambuteau in Paris sits La Maison du Pastel. The boutique shop occupies a small space, its simple façade painted in white, which belies its prominent place in the art industry, as well as its vibrant offerings. The shop serves as the oldest pastel-maker in the world. Since opening in the 18th century, it has catered to generations of artists of all ranks—patrons of its artisanal pastels named after the establishment’s founder, “Henri Roché.” Today, the space opens only on Thursday afternoons as the owner, a distant cousin of Roché, spends the rest of the week creating around 1,800 shades of handmade pastels in her home 60km outside of the French capital.
The popularity of pastel, of course, transcends Paris. Prized for its immediacy and vibrancy, the material comes in various forms as a stick of pure color, making it the medium of choice of countless artists. In these parts, Filipino “pasteleros” converge and showcase the material’s versatility in a diverse group exhibition.
Titled Pastelero III, the show opened over the weekend and features a smorgasbord of pastel works by 28 artists. The show is presented by Art Elaan (www.artelaan.com) and is on view at Ides Contemporary Art in Alabang until July 11.
The exhibit serves as the latest and biggest edition of the group show series named after the collective of Filipino pastel artists. The show picks up from 2020’s Pastelero II, and the maiden run the year before. In this third iteration, the exhibit highlights the unique relationship of the featured artists with pastel, visualized in various styles that are as distinct as they are dynamic.
For one, pastel reflects life as we see it in a string of hyper-realistic pieces. Grandier Bella presents pastel paintings that pass as photographs, as does Alvin Montano, Glenn Perez, Joseph Balderas, Karlo Domingo, Romina Reventar-Dayanghirang, Tessa Punzalan-Brodeth, and Levy Moncera. Meanwhile, focusing on the emotions stirred by pastel shadings are Alex Sibug, Cee Cadid, Dennis Baquila, Lourdes Inosanto, and Sheila Quisuimbing-Bondoc. Their figurative artworks evoke a sense of affinity, even longing.
More intense feelings are drawn elsewhere, such as in the expressive portrait pieces of Brian Alegre, Fernando Sena, Mario Panis, Robert Deneiga, Nik Masangcay, Roberto Martin Sing, Tess Dimanlig-Torda, and Roland Castro. For Nell Belgado and Lupicinio Ng, it’s all about the textures that only pastels can create, with waves of pigment thick enough that it can almost be felt by the eyes. Then, flowers bloom in the works of Iris Babao-Uy, Luisa Bayot, Manny Vailoces, Marj Sula-Aquino, and Yolanda Batara.
While halfway across the world from the generations-old pastel shop in Paris, these Filipino talents prove that the medium’s mark remains speckled in the hands of many artists today. Pastelero III serves as a reflection of pastel’s vitality, as well as a celebration of the artists who keep the medium very much alive, thriving in full color.
Justice for Jonas: A relentless quest chronicled in Cinemalaya docu ‘Alipato at Muog’
MISSING but not forgotten. A desaparecido’s family holds this conviction as they live through their loved one’s sudden disappearance. When Jonas Burgos was forcibly taken in broad daylight in a Quezon City mall in 2007, it set in motion a continuing probe not only into his enforced disappearance, but also into the plight of other families with missing loved ones.
In Alipato at Muog (Flying Embers and a Fortress), Jonas Burgos’s youngest brother, independent filmmaker JL Burgos, gives light to the pursuit of truth led by
their mother, Edita Burgos. He compiles testimonials from a lawyer, reporter, former Justice Secretary and Human Rights Commission Chair, and anonymous witnesses to give deeper context to Jonas’ disappearance. JL f urther details the ordeal through animation and previously unseen footage of their family’s search, including the discovery of Jonas’s last known photo in captivity.
Since his brother’s abduction in 2007, JL has been helping spread awareness about enforced disappearance and other human
rights issues. His works include two other full-length documentaries – Portraits of Mosquito Press (2015) and Han-Ayan (2017). JL is also the proponent of Stop The Attacks, a campaign by artists for artists who have been victims of constant red-tagging and harassment by the state.
Alipato at Muog will be screened at the Cinemalaya XX Festival from August 4 to August 13 at the Ayala Mall, Manila Bay. The documentary, along with the other finalists of the Festival, will also be screened in select Ayala Malls.
ByEugeniaLast
i
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Share what are willing to take the road less traveled. A partnership can bring changes that help improve your lifestyle and personal decisions. Invest time and money in
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(Feb.
GRANDIERBELLA
Alden Richards prepares for a very busy second half of the year
Judge tells Prince Harry to explain how communications with ghostwriter were destroyed
LONDON—Prince Harry was hit with a hefty legal bill Thursday and ordered to explain how communications with the ghostwriter of his memoir were destroyed after an attorney for The Sun tabloid accused him of engaging in “shocking” obfuscation in his lawsuit claiming the newspaper violated his privacy by unlawfully snooping on him.
Judge Timothy Fancourt said it was troubling that all communications between the Duke of Sussex and writer J.R. Moehringer, along with all drafts of the bestselling Spare, were destroyed.
Attorney Anthony Hudson said at the High Court that Harry had created an “obstacle course” to providing documents that should be disclosed in litigation and that “we’ve had to drag those out of the claimant kicking and screaming.” News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, was awarded 132,000 pounds ($167,000) in legal costs for largely prevailing in a request to have more searches undertaken for data on Harry’s laptop and any text messages and chats on WhatsApp and Signal that could be helpf ul to the defense.
Harry’s lawyer said News Group was engaging in a “classic fishing expedition” for documents it should have sought sooner for a trial scheduled in January.
The hearing is the latest in Harry’s battles against Britain’s biggest tabloids over allegations they hacked his phone and hired private investigators who used unlawful measures to dig up dirt on him.
Harry is one of dozens of claimants, which had included actor Hugh Grant, alleging that between 1994 and 2016, News Group journalists and investigators they hired violated their privacy by intercepting voicemails, tapping phones, bugging cars and using deception to access confidential information.
NGN issued an unreserved apology to victims of voicemail interception by the News of the World. NGN said it has settled 1,300 claims for its newspapers, though The Sun has never accepted liability.
The Sun won a partial victory last year when Fancourt tossed out Harry’s phone hacking allegations because he waited too long to bring the case. He ruled that Harry should have been aware of the scandal that engulfed the News of the World and, therefore, could have brought the lawsuit within the six-year time limitation.
The newspaper wants to use the time limitation defense at trial and is seeking communications that could show Harry was aware of allegations newspapers employed other illegal methods of unearthing information before 2013—six years before he sued in 2019.
Fancourt said that older communications and even ones up to the 2023 publication of his memoir could provide evidence that he was aware of the unlawful information gathering years earlier.
He ordered Harry, who was not in court, to provide a witness statement explaining what happened to communications with Moehringer. Sherborne said Harry had not used text or messaging apps to discuss unlawful information gathering.
But Fancourt said that might be contradicted because Moehringer wrote in a New Yorker article that he and Harry were “texting around the clock.”
Fancourt recently ruled that Harry couldn’t expand his lawsuit to add allegations that Rupert Murdoch, who was chief executive of the company that controlled NGN, was part of an effort to conceal and destroy evidence of unlawful activity. AP
AND just like that, the first half of the year is over.
Hotshot multimedia star Alden
Richards finds himself in the fast lane once again as he takes on one project after the other. In less than a week’s time, Richards has just flown in and out of Hong Kong where the principal photography of Hello, Love, Again, his reunion movie with Kathryn Bernardo, has started to grind.
Richards reprises his famous Ethan character
of the box-office mega hit movie Hello, Love, Goodbye directed by Cathy Garcia. “It’s finally happening, and we are all excited,“ gushed Richards, adding,
“After so many years of careful and meticulous creative brainstorming sessions, the team has come up with a really interesting narrative that both our camps—Kathryn’s and mine—have approved, and we have officially started shooting. Hong Kong as a location will always remain special to me, and I’m sure Kathryn also feels the same way too!”
Aside from the movie, Richards is also in the thick of wrapping up work for his new series, Pulang Araw, which will stream on Netflix this July, way ahead of it’s local free TV airing.
“Projects that bring me back to the past always stir my interest and curiosity. Pulang Araw takes us back to the time of the Japanese occupation when normalcy was rare, and lives were interrupted because of things and situations beyond the control of people living during the time of war,” he shared.
Richards and Barbie Forteza play siblings in Pulang Araw, and he has only good words for Forteza. “Barbie and I have not only the highest respect for each other but we are also good friends, that is why work becomes much lighter and our dynamics come out very natural and spontaneous. I admire Barbie for her utmost dedication to her craft as an actor, and she deserves all the wonderful roles she is getting.”
Joining Richards and Forteza in the series are Sanya Lopez, Rhian Ramos and Dennis Trillo, and their mother studio is making sure that it will be the most-watched period series when Pulang Araw begins airing.
Richards is also looking forward to the Sparkle World Concert Tour that is set to take the major cities by storm in the coming months.
“I will be entertaining our kababayans and f riends
NEW YORK—The celebrated actor and honorary Academy Award recipient G ena Rowlands is suffering from A zheimer s disease her son the filmmaker Nick Cassavetes has revealed.
Cassavetes in an inter view with Entertainment Week ly published Tuesday said Rowlands has had Alzheimer ’s for five years. n the 200 4 film The Notebook, Cassavetes directed his mother who p ayed the o der version of the character played by Rachel McAdams as a woman with dementia.
in Anaheim and San Francisco in the United States, and Toronto and Calgary in Canada throughout the month of August. I am so looking forward to this because I love traveling, and even if it’s still work I get to have some f ree days to relax and visit places that I cannot normally do because of my very
“ We spent a lot of time ta king about A zheimer s and wanting to be authentic with it and now for the last five years she s had Alzheimer ’s,” Cassavetes said. “She’s
BRITAIN’S Prince Harry AP
ROMUALDEZ KEYNOTES VETERANS BANK STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING
Build Initiative Foundation Joins Climate Coalition to Tackle Global Climate Crisis
OVER 3,000 stockholders attended the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting (ASM) of medium-sized lender Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB) held last June 11, 2024 at the SMX Convention Center. Simultaneous with the meeting, the elections for the Bank’s Board of Directors and as well as for the members of the Board of Trustees of the Veterans of World War II (BTVWWII) were also held and winners were announced in the afternoon of the same day.
Chairman Roberto F. De Ocampo, OBE and President and CEO Renato Claravall updated and
apprised attending shareholders, many of whom came from the provinces, on the latest developments about the Bank. The Bank’s leadership also laid out PVB’s strategies and directions for the rest of the year to the attending shareholders. Both Chairman De Ocampo and President Claravall received fresh mandates to lead the Bank’s Board.
For the second consecutive year, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez graced the ASM and delivered a keynote signifying his belief in the continuing growth and progress of the Bank as well as lending his support to PVB. Romualdez was one of the key government officials who worked for the
passage of Republic Act 11597 or the Philippine Veterans Bank Act of 2021.
Aside from Speaker Romualdez, the ASM was also attended by Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Romeo S. Brawner, Jr. and Deputy Treasurer Eduardo Anthony G. Mariño III representing Department of Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto as Special Guests.
Aside from Chairman De Ocampo and President Claravall, re-elected to the PVB Board were Gerardo Manuel Luis B. Anonas, Josephine Diana K. Calatrava, Francisco S. Magsajo Jr., Jose A. Nuñez, Jr., Percianita G. Racho, Cesar A. Rubio, Ma. Cecilia G. Soriano, PLtGen. Reynaldo V. Velasco (Ret.). Also elected to the Board were the new directors Anthony M. Te, Alfredo S. Panlilio and Atty. Carlos Alfonso T. Ocampo who were first elected during the Bank’s Special Stockholders’ Meeting in March this year.
Also elected during the ASM were the members of the Board of Trustees of the Veterans of World War II (BTVWWII). Winning seats for a one-year term were Edwin J. San Miguel, Engr. Elisor M. Nierva, Dr. Ma. Melissa M. Poot, Dr. Marilyn Y. Esguerra, Myra A. Doncila, Gen. Reynaldo R. Alcasid (Ret.), Gen. Jaime S. Delos Santos (Ret.), Atty. Salacnib I. Tulingan, Eduardo P. Pilapil, Gen. William B. Esplana (Ret.) and Rosela H. De Ocampo. Through the BTVWWII, PVB is able to provide for the welfare and benefit of veterans and their families through grants-in-aid used for educational, social, charitable, and rehabilitation purposes.
2024 CSR Conference and Expo spotlights innovation, technology in new, inclusive future
TECHNOLOGIES such as artificial intelligence (AI) have emerged as transformative forces in the modern business landscape, and promise significant benefits for early adopters, but they are not without disruptive impacts—including the possibility of disproportionately affecting more vulnerable members of society.
The League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) is organizing the highly anticipated 2024 CSR EXPO to rally CSR practitioners to collaborate and harness the potential of technology and innovation while overcoming their risks. This year’s conference is on July 3 and 4, 2024 at Dusit Thani Manila, while the EXPO is on July 4 and 5 at the Glorietta Activity Center, both in Makati City.
Aptly themed “Reimagining a New and Inclusive Future”, this year’s Expo will bring together leaders, experts, and representatives of different industries to tackle significant topics ranging from how technology can enhance CSR practice and ESG reporting to AI’s role as a catalyst for innovation and as a source of disruption. It will also feature small-group breakout sessions where attendees can gather new insights and tactics about how AI and other revolutionary technologies can be leveraged across such crucial areas as enterprise development, health, environment, education, disaster resilience, arts and culture, and financial inclusion.
This gathering of CSR experts will showcase the application of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting can help mitigate the challenges posed by technology. The sector aims to ensure that these technologies are inclusive and contribute to true societal and national development that benefits the 51 percent of Filipinos living in poverty.
“Corporates should view these innovations as vital opportunities to take part in, if not lead an all-of-nation implementations of CSR and ESG that maximize these innovations’ potential and promise while offsetting and minimizing their potential ill effects,” said Shem Jose W. Garcia, LCF Vice-Chair and Executive Director, Vivant Foundation, Inc. “These
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approaches must work to ensure that the application of technology is aligned with the fundamental principles of CSR and ESG, and, by doing so, made inclusive and contributes to social sustainability and the common good.”
The 2024 CSR EXPO will connect an estimated 200 delegates with industry leaders in CSR, technology and innovation, and other areas, and serve as a venue for dynamic discussions and collaboration.
The speaker lineup includes Keynote Speaker, Dr. David R. Hardoon, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Aboitiz Data Innovation; Forum Speakers Leo de Velez, co-founder of Frontlearners, Inc.; Sherwin Yap, founder of Kaizen Robotics International; and Sherlo Reyes, Director for the Center for Partnership & Development, School of Deaf Education & Applied Studies at the De La SalleCollege of Saint Benilde.
For the thematic sessions, speakers include Ted Monroy, country representative, United Nations Industrial Development Organization; Dr. Alvin Marcelo, Philippine Digital Health Strategy Technical Working Group, Department of Health; Dr. Chelsea Elizabeth Samson, head of Strategy & Communications and head of Public Health and Policy, Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc.; James Elrond B. Lagare, Managing Director, Geodata Systems Technologies, Inc.; Prof. Erika Fille T. Legara, Aboitiz chair in Data Science and Associate Professor, Asian Institute of Management; Hon. Nolasco A. Mempin, Undersecretary for Administration, Department of Education; Ms. Aprille P. Tijam, Associate Director and Head of Exhibitions and Collections, Ayala Museum; Engr. Sergio Ramos III, president of PCI Innovations Tech Center; and Esteban Masagca, Executive Director, People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network.
In celebration of National CSR Week, LCF will award noteworthy examples of CSR excellence concurrently with the Expo.
LCF will announce the winners of the 2024 Guild Awards on the evening of July 3 at Dusit Thani Manila. The yearly awards program honors exemplary CSR initiatives undertaken by LCF members.
For the first time, the League will also be
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awarding the CSR Medal of Recognition to nonmembers to acknowledge the work and effort they provide in their respective communities. The Medal of Recognition celebrates the interventional activities of non-member corporates. This inaugural program will be held on July 5 at the Glorietta.
Meanwhile, the Expo at the Glorietta Activity Center, which will be held from July 4 to 5, will showcase technology-themed CSR initiatives undertaken by LCF members and non-members alike for the general public.
This year’s exhibitors are Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc.; Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, Inc.; BPI Foundation, Inc.; Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation, Inc.; Metrobank Foundation, Inc.; Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.; Metro Pacific Investment Foundation, Inc.; Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc.; Vivant Foundation, Inc.; Manila Water Foundation, Inc.; Power 4 All, Inc.; Lopez Group Foundation, Inc.; Energy Development Corporation; BDO Foundation, Inc.; San Miguel Foundation, Inc.; Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Philippines, Inc.; Ayala Foundation, Inc.; Don Antonio O. Floirendo Sr. Foundation, Inc.; East West Seed Foundation, Inc.; Joy~Nostalg Foundation, Inc.; SM Foundation, Inc.; PCI Innovations Tech Center, Inc.; Frontlearners, Inc.; Rise Against Hunger Philippines; and Animal Empathy Philippines.
The Expo will also serve as a venue for the launch of LIFE, the League of Corporate Foundations’ Initiative for Food Security, Nutrition and Empowerment. LIFE is a League-wide initiative working to halt stunting, wasting and malnutrition while collaborating with like-minded groups and government agencies.
The 2024 CSR Conference and Expo is coorganized with Metro Pacific Investments Foundation, Inc., and Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. It is also brought to you by Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.; Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, Inc.; Manila Water Foundation, Inc.; Metrobank Foundation, Inc.; SM Foundation, Inc., Henry Sy Foundation, Inc., and Felicidad T. Sy Foundation, Inc.; and Vivant Foundation, Inc.
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THE Build Initiative Foundation is proud to announce its membership in the Climate Coalition, the UK’s largest group of organizations dedicated to addressing the climate and nature crises. This alliance, comprising over 130 organizations with a combined supporter base of 20 million people, aims to mobilize collective action to advocate for a safer, greener future.
The Climate Coalition, along with sister organizations Stop Climate Chaos Cymru and Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, unites diverse members such as the National Trust, Women’s Institute, Oxfam, and RSPB. By joining forces, these organizations harness their collective power to influence policy and drive substantial change in combating the climate crisis.
Joining the Climate Coalition amplifies our commitment to building a sustainable future where inclusivity and environmental responsibility go hand in hand,” said Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo, Founder and Chief Future Officer of Build Initiative Foundation.
“Our participation will further our efforts in advocating for climate action while ensuring that all communities, regardless of their background or abilities, can thrive in a sustainable environment,” Lamentillo added.
“We are delighted to welcome the Build Initiative Foundation as a member of The Climate Coalition. Their focus oncreating inclusive, accessible, and sustainable communities in the face of global climate challenges will bring a valued perspective to the coalition’s work,” Helen Meech, Executive Director of Climate Coalition, noted.
As part of its commitment to climate action, the Build Initiative Foundation is proud to spotlight two of its flagship projects: GreenMatch and Carbon Compass. GreenMatch: This innovative web and mobile platform connects individuals and businesses with vetted environmental projects worldwide to offset their carbon footprints. Utilizing advanced AI technology, GreenMatch provides personalized
plans for impactful climate action, fostering a global community dedicated to ecological sustainability. By offering tailored recommendations, GreenMatch empowers users to make meaningful contributions to environmental preservation and carbon reduction.
Carbon Compass: Carbon Compass is a state-ofthe-art app designed to assist users in managing their carbon footprint effectively. Especially focused on the Philippines, the app tracks daily activities, travel, consumption, and energy usage. Through AI-driven insights, Carbon Compass offers personalized strategies for carbon offsetting via verified global projects. This tool enables users to make informed decisions, reducing their environmental impact and contributing to global sustainability efforts.
The Climate Coalition is the UK’s largest coalition of people committed to action on the climate and nature crises. The coalition brings together members and partners to become an unstoppable political force, advocating for a safer, greener future for current and future generations. The coalition calls on the UK Government and decision-makers to fulfill their promises and protect people and the planet from the escalating climate crisis.
The Build Initiative Foundation designs futures and build accessibility for everyone. It envisions a world where all individuals, regardless of their abilities or background, can thrive in environments that are inclusive and barrier-free. Through persistent advocacy, comprehensive education, and strategic collaborations, the foundation dismantles obstacles and enhance equal opportunities. The foundation’s mission extends to transforming physical and digital landscapes, advocating for fair practices, and expanding educational access, ensuring that inclusivity becomes a universal norm. For more information, please contact, Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo, Founder, Build Initiative Foundationat cfo@buildinitiative.foundation or a.lamentillo@lse.ac.uk.
IN today’s fast-paced digital retail landscape, staying ahead of consumer needs is a key driver of success. With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), the country’s largest cashless ecosystem, GCash, is enabling brands to maximize their business growth by utilizing the power of AI.
Through its fourth bi-annual GCash Insider event recently held at the BGC Immersive in Taguig, GCash showcased its latest AI-powered B2B solutions with the theme “Spending in the New Era of AI.” With GCash for Business Partner Solutions, the leading finance app highlighted how data-driven marketing solutions could help businesses implement hyperpersonalized marketing strategies by segmenting specific target customer groups while assisting businesses to understand customer needs on a deeper level through AI technology.
“GCash has evolved into a trusted companion and a symbol of convenience for millions. Fueled by innovation, customer-centricity, and datadriven insights, we’re redefining meaningful engagement for our customers and through GCash Insider, we explored the intersection of AI-driven marketing innovations, revolutionizing customer segmentation, and engagement,” said GCash Head of New Businesses Winsley Bangit.
GCash for Business Partner Solutions gives brands exclusive, timely, up-to-date insights on relevant consumer trends based on unique transaction signals, including spending consumer behaviors based on actual consumer data that only GCash can uncover. Key leaders led the discussion from GCash, alongside industry experts who shared their valuable insights on the importance of maximizing the
future-proof solutions of AI technology in business.
“AI has changed marketing in unprecedented ways—specifically in targeting, copy and visual development, and performance evaluation. With data as material, AI puts marketing on hyperdrive by taking full advantage of the wide plethora of digital channels available today,” said Claude Gomez, GCash Head for Marketing Strategy and Insights. Furthermore, GCash for Business Partner Solutions also provides businesses with effective marketing and data and data solutions, which include Ad Solutions, Promo Solutions, Identity Solutions, and Green Solutions, helping them thrive in today’s digital age.
“At GCash, we have over 94 million ever-tried users transacting with the app multiple times a day, using different services from payments, to investments, to insurance. All that data gives us a starting point to be able to do three things— enhance customer experience through hyper-personalization, improve operational efficiency and campaign performance, and gain access to data-powered solutions and real-time insights,” said GCash Chief Marketing Officer Neil Trinidad.
“The adoption of AI technology in our digital ecosystem is a testament to GCash’s commitment to innovation. Partners can leverage on these capabilities through our solutions, so they, too, may capitalize on the power of AI to future-proof their businesses in addressing the ever-changing market landscape,” said GCash Partner Investment and Marketing Head Kay
For more information, visit www.new.gcash. com/business/partner-solutions or email us at partnersolutions@gcash.com.
IN the photo are, from left, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr.; PVB Chairman Roberto F. De Ocampo, OBE; House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez; PVB President and CEO Renato Claravall; and Deputy Treasurer Eduardo Anthony G. Mariño III at the Veterans Bank Annual Stockholders’ Meeting
A lifetime fighting Putin’s aggression drives the EU’s next diplomatic chief
By Alberto Nardelli & Ott Tammik
WHEN Kaja Kallas became Estonia’s prime minister she thought foreign policy was her weak spot. So she got to work. With recommendations from other leaders, Kallas drew up a study program. And she’s still at it.
She’s currently reading a history of Iran and has plowed through works by Margaret Thatcher, Henry Kissinger and a biography of Ukraine’s Volodymr Zelenskyy this year—as well as books about the Middle East, IsraelPalestine and Taiwan. Graham Allison’s Destined for War, on the dangers of the US-China rivalry, was suggested by the NATO secretary general. Foreign policy, she told Adam Grant on his Re:Thinking podcast last year, “is not my weakness anymore.”
European Union leaders apparently agreed with that assessment when they nominated the 47-year-old former lawyer to become the bloc’s chief diplomat at a summit in Brussels Thursday. Provided she clears the hurdle of parliamentary hearings and begins her new role in November, Kallas will be dealing with a war in the Middle East, economic security threats from China and the struggle to engage a skeptical Global South that is being courted by Moscow and Beijing. But most of all she will be charged with shaping the EU response to Russia’s fullscale invasion of Ukraine. That, along with Vladimir Putin’s threat to the rest of Europe, is a subject she knows inside out.
Like most of her generation in the Baltics, Kallas was born and educated under Soviet occupation. Her nomination is a sign of how the EU’s priorities are changing as the war shifts the center of political gravity eastward.
“Kaja Kallas is the European politician who has proven that she knows best how to read Putin,” said Martin Selmayr, formerly the top civil servant in the European Commission, who currently teaches EU law at the University of Vienna. “She is thus ideally placed to lead the EU’s foreign policy at this critical juncture.”
This account of her political journey is based on conversations with numerous people who’ve worked with her, most of whom asked not to be named when discussing private conversations.
Kallas often tells the story of how her mother was deported to Siberia in a cattle wagon with her family as a baby.
She initially steered clear of politics, wanting to chart her own path. Her father, Siim Kallas, was a central banker who became Estonia’s prime minister from 2002 to 2003 and then a European commissioner for a decade.
By 27 Kaja was a partner at a
law firm in Tallinn and decided there had to be more to life than playing golf with 60-yearolds, she told Grant’s podcast. In 2011, she was elected to Estonia’s parliament and three years later became a lawmaker in Brussels. She has been prime minister since January 2021.
The Estonian prime minister’s office has a balcony overlooking Tallinn’s medieval old town, which was bombed by the Soviet air force in the 1940s. Now the cityscape mixes glass-and-steel skyscrapers with Soviet-era housing blocks, a reminder to successive leaders of how far the country has come since regaining independence in 1991.
The western Europeans who laid the foundations of the EU liked to describe it as a peace project built on the ashes of World War II. The eastern member states that joined from 2004 have a different perspective.
While the west of Europe was rebuilding postwar, beyond the Iron Curtain they just swapped one brutal occupier for another. Estonia lost about a fifth of its population under Soviet rule. More than 75,000 people were killed, imprisoned or deported.
So reports of Russian atrocities in Ukraine hit close to home. On a wall outside the government building in Tallinn, two stone plaques list dozens of ministers who died during the Communist terror, most in 1941 or 1942.
From that history, Kallas wants her colleagues, in the west especially, to understand one important lesson: all this can be lost.
“This is an enormous responsibility at this moment of geopolitical tensions,” Kallas said in a statement following her nomination.
“We must continue working together to ensure Europe is an effective global partner to keep our citizens safe, free and prosperous.”
For many in Western Europe, Russian aggression wasn’t a top priority when Kallas began to attend EU leaders meetings in 2021. Even after Putin occupied Crimea and shifted his forces toward Ukraine’s borders.
Angela Merkel was still arguing Russia could be bound into the rules-based world order through economic ties like the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, and at a meeting in June of that year was pushing for the EU to hold a summit with Putin.
Kallas argued against the proposal during the closeddoor session and the idea was rejected, to the annoyance of
the German chancellor. The two leaders spoke the following day to clear the air, one diplomat said, and Merkel came to like and respect her Estonian counterpart as a result.
A year later in Versailles, Kallas debated into the early hours to ensure the fine print on Ukraine’s EU accession didn’t give opponents any latitude to block the process.
Her legal training encourages her to attend to the precision of wordings others don’t give as much thought to, one diplomat remarked.
Around the negotiating table, EU leaders have widely contrasting styles. Some read from pre-prepared scripts, some don’t use smart phones, or take only minimal notes.
Kallas has trained herself to
Provided she clears the hurdle of parliamentary hearings and begins her new role in November, Kallas will be dealing with a war in the Middle East, economic security threats from China and the struggle to engage a skeptical Global South that is being courted by Moscow and Beijing. But most of all she will be charged with shaping the EU response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. That, along with Vladimir Putin’s threat to the rest of Europe, is a subject she knows inside out.
speed-read and plows through hundreds of pages of memos before time. She documents discussions as she goes along, sending notes to her team from her iPhone. Diplomats from several other countries said they are sometimes jealous of the detail their Estonian counterparts receive.
For her briefing packs, Kallas wants information about the domestic challenges facing the leaders she’ll meet—she tells advisers it’s a good way to break the ice.
In some ways, the EU foreign policy job finds Kallas in the right place at the right time.
Her international profile has skyrocketed since the Russian invasion. She was the first European leader to be put on a Kremlin wanted list and has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
But her popularity at home has tanked despite a landslide election victory last year. Several senior officials, including the president, have called for her to resign after it emerged that her husband was a shareholder in a company doing business in Russia. Meanwhile the EU’s longest recession has seen the Estonian economy contract for the past nine quarters.
Those who have worked with her say her biggest strength— her straight-talking style— can at times be her biggest weakness.
She sometimes says things other politicians would avoid, and that makes handling the back-room politics of shortlived promises and compromises more difficult. During a debate in parliament last December she was criticized for saying Santa Claus didn’t exist. She responded by saying she didn’t know whether to apologize to children or take solace in the fact that, once they grew up, they’d understand she was the only one who wouldn’t lie to them.
All the same, several diplomats said she was bound to be better than her predecessor, Josep Borrell, who is disliked in many capitals for off-thecuff remarks that don’t reflect an agreed line. One ally in Brussels will be Ursula von der
Leyen, who is set to continue as president of the European Commission—assuming she also gets through a confirmation vote, as expected, in the European Parliament next month.
Von der Leyen visited Estonia in 2022 and the prime minister took her to visit a textile factory near the border with Russia founded by the commission president’s great grandfather. Von der Leyen said the trip brought alive “these distant fairy tales” she’d been told of her family’s history as a child.
That relationship has given tiny Estonia an outsized influence over EU policy, as the bloc’s biggest countries slowly reassess their attitude to eastern member states and their relationship with Russia.
“We did not always hear the voices you brought,” French President Emmanuel Macron said as he apologized for underestimating warnings about Putin during a speech in Bratislava last year. “That time is over.”
Kallas has a core team of around half a dozen and often rolls up her sleeves to work with them fleshing out ideas into formal proposals. They have proposed sanctions on Russia, came up with the plan to source 1 million rounds of artillery that later became an EU initiative, and have been working with France to get the bloc to work on a plan to issue tens of billions of euros in bonds to ramp up the continent’s defense industry.
French support has been a key factor in securing Kallas’s new position. Finding common ground with Germany will be a crucial challenge when she gets to work. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is fiercely opposed to the idea of more joint European borrowing.
But Kallas has started working on him. They sat together during a long dinner in Scholz’s home city of Hamburg in February where the Estonian premier was the guest speaker. By the end of the evening, the two leaders had grown more familiar with each other, and Kallas had once more made her case about the dangers of Russia with an oblique jibe at Germany’s track record on Russia.
She recalled a speech that Estonia’s first president since regaining independence, Lennart Meri, had given in that same hall 30 years earlier. Putin, then the deputy mayor of St. Petersburg, was in attendance.
When Meri had told the audience that despite the collapse of the Soviet Union they shouldn’t be naive in thinking that Russia would give up its expansionist ambitions, Putin walked out.
Despite the warnings from the east, in the intervening years, the EU deepened its reliance on Putin’s Russia, before the rupture in 2022.
“Putin’s walk-out revealed his true colors very early on,” Kallas said. “Many just did not receive the message or did not want to pay attention.”
She has their attention now. With assistance from Natalia Drozdiak and Milda Seputyte/Bloomberg
ESTONIAN Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in her office in Tallinn. PETER KOLLANYI/BLOOMBERG
Pogacar grabs yellow jersey in second stage
BOLOGNA, Italy—Them two again. It took only two days into the Tour de France to show that Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are in a class of their own.
Pogacar attacked from the chasing peloton up the second ascent of the short but brutally steep San Luca climb in the second stage of the Tour on Sunday and only Vingegaard was able to follow him.
By the top of the climb, Pogacar and Vingegaard had opened up a 40-second gap ahead of the other contenders.
The move meant that Pogacar took the leader’s yellow jersey from Stage 1 winner Romain Bardet. Primoz Roglic, another expected overall contender, dropped 21 seconds behind.
Breakaway rider Kevin Vauquelin made it two French wins in two days by winning the hilly stage with an attack of his own up San Luca to follow up countryman Bardet’s success.
Pogacar won the Tour in 2020 and 2021 then finished second behind Vingegaard the last two years.
Pogacar is aiming for the rare Giro d’Italia-Tour double after dominating the Italian Grand Tour last month. Vingegaard hadn’t raced since a big crash in April left him with a broken collarbone and ribs, plus a collapsed lung.
“I can be very happy,” Vingegaard said, “that I was able to follow Tadej on the second time of San Luca, because this is probably one of the stages we feared the most. We actually expected me to lose time— because of the preparation.
“Honestly speaking, I didn’t have a good preparation for this race,” Vingegaard said. “I only had one-a-anda-half months to prepare properly,” adding that the race “went way better” than he “had ever expected.”
The opening four stages are being held in Italy for the first time.
The 199-kilometer route starting in Cesenatico featured six categorized climbs, including two ascents up San Luca before the finish in downtown Bologna.
The San Luca climb is only 1.9 kilometers long but it features an average gradient of 10.6 percent with sections at nearly 20 percent.
Pogacar had already shown his legs during the first ascent up San Luca when he accelerated to grab a water bottle from a team staffer lining the road. That must have given him belief for his decisive attack on his second trip up.
In the overall standings, secondplace Remco Evenepoel—the 2022 world champion and Spanish Vuelta winner—and third-place Vingegaard share the same time as Pogacar. Olympic gold medalist Richard Carapaz was fourth, also with the same time, while Bardet dropped to fifth, six seconds behind.
Evenepoel and Carapaz caught up to Pogacar and Vingegaard after the descent from San Luca.
Vauquelin clocked nearly five hours and finished a comfortable 36 seconds ahead of Jonas Abrahamsen and 49 seconds clear of Quentin Pacher. AP
‘Sen Tol’ putting emphasis on Paris Olympics campaign
SENATE Majority Leader Francis “Tol” Tolentino expressed elation over the impening inclusion of hurdlers John Cabang Tolentino and Lauren Hoffman to the national team that will compete in the Paris Olympics later this month.
Tolentino also called on Filipinos to support athletes still fighting for Olympic slots, including the men’s basketball team that’s in Latvia for the Qualifying Tournament.
“Our hurdlers, John Cabang Tolentino and Lauren Hoffman, are expected to officially qualify for the Olympics, while sprinters Kristina Knott and Eric Cray still have a chance to make it,” Tolentino said. “This is an encouraging development for athletics.”
“I’m sure many Filipinos will stay up late to follow the games of Gilas Pilipinas against Latvia [Thursday] and then Georgia in the FIBA OQT,” he said.
“We really need to continue to support our athletes,” added Tolentino during his interview with Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachman during the senator’s morning show “Usapang Tol” over radio station dwIZ. John Cabang Tolentino is an Asian indoor bronze medalist while Hoffman recently broke the 17year national record in the women’s 100-meter hurdles.
The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association considered both as shoo-ins for Paris because of their Olympic rankings.
World Athletics will officially announce qualifiers for the Paris Olympics on July 7.
The senator also commended Bachmann for the PSC’s support to the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Games which concluded its Mindanao leg in Zamboanga over the
“Just like Tolentino and Cabang, we see young local talents emerging in the regions in chess, kickboxing, sepak takraw, and other sports,” Tolentino said. “I thank the PSC for backing the ROTC Games.”
Bernardino pulls ahead by one shot in heated JPGT Negros 1st rd action
TIFFANY BERNARDINO clinched a one-stroke lead in a tightly contested four-way battle at the challenging Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club in Bacolod City with an 86 at the start of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. Junior Philippine Golf Tour (ICTSI JPGT) Visayas Series 3 on Monday. Starting at the back of the tricky par -70 layout, Bernardino edged Alexie Gabi, 44-45, and endured a shaky finish at the front to match Gabi’s closing 42 for a small cushion in one of the most competitive
Ironman
age categories of the four-division series organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.
Bernardino, who beat Gabi and Rane Chiu by one in last week’s Bacolod leg of the three-stage regional series in Murcia, now leads the race for the top two spots for the national finals.
But Gabi, who topped the first leg in Iloilo, stood just a stroke behind with 87, while Chiu and Louise Jalandoni posted 91 and 99, respectively.
The upcoming rounds of the 54hole tournament are critical for the
Coach Tim pleased with Gilas, but …
By Josef Ramos
ACRAMMED training camp and a hectic tuneup sortie and it all boils down to the final three days before the Latvia match in Riga in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT). And head coach Tim Cone likes what he’s seen with his team.
“I have been pleased with our progress in the games. We’re proving to ourselves that we can play with these guys,” Cone told BusinessMirror via internet chat on Monday from the Latvian capital where they just wrapped up training immediately after flying in from Poland.
“We proceeded immediately to practice in the evening—from 8 to 10 p.m.,” he said.
“It’s been very hectic for us.”
Call it hectic but a team that became a unit under a month ago has no room to dilly dally.
“We left Turkey [Turkiye] at 3:30 in the morning and we left Poland at 8:30 a.m. and arrived in Riga at 6:30 p.m., so it was another long day,” Cone said.
He added: “Hopefully, now that we’re here in Riga, things will
normalize for us the next couple of days and we can catch our breath and focus on the tournament.”
First up for Gilas Pilipinas are the hosts who are ranked No. 8 in the world to the Philippines’ No. 37—they face off at Philippine time midnight Thursday.
At 8:30 p.m., also Manila time, the Filipinos tangle with Georgia hoping to land in the top two of Group A to advane to the crossover semifinals— against either Brazil, Montenegro or Cameroon from Group B.
Gilas had two close
trio in their quest for the two coveted spots in the Match Play finals for the Visayas series.
Bernardino reflected on the challenges.
“The Marapara course was tough with very wet grass, which made it difficult to hit the ball properly,” she said. “Tomorrow [Tuesday] is crucial. I need to hit my target.”
Gabi downplayed the significance of the next round.
“It’s not crucial because I’m just a stroke behind. I can bounce back,” Gabi said. “Today [Monday] was tough with double pars due to poor chipping and tomorrow’s plan is to stay focused and improve my short game.”
Chiu, who is five strokes behind, stressed the importance of the second round.
70.3 Davao runs on new course
Asiad medalist leads Smart-MVPSF team to two Korean tournaments
VETERANS Patrick King Perez, Veronica Garces and Jubilee Briones lead the Smart/MVPSF taekwondo team that will see action in the Chuncheon Korea Open and Daegu World University Championships in South Korea from July 5 to 14. Joining the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games campaigners from the Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) are 32 of the finest Filipino jins who will vie in poomsae (form) and kyorugi (free sparring) events.
The PTA is confident the team will perform prominently especially Perez, who clinched the country’s first medal in Asian Games poomsae last year.
David Cea, another member of that squad who is fighting in the -74kg, lead the men’s team in free sparring along with Kent John Ilde Banzon (-54kg), Melbourne Johnroyce Jerome Lustado (-58kg) Dex Ian Chavez (-63kg), Legolas Penaredondo (-63kg), Study Jay
Gilbuena, Mythaious Angelous Francois Lustado (-55kg), Lhord Jared Patrick Pasaron (-65kg), Nusair Lao (-75kg), Justin Mark Agno (-80kg) and Israel Cantos (-87kg). Garces (-49kg) and Briones (-62kg) will be joined by Baby Jessica Canabal (-53kg), Clarence Sarza (-46kg), Rryshel Jasmine Ramirez (-46kg), Tachiana Keizha Mangin (-49), Merica Lillyn Chan (-57kg) and Rhiyanne Agatha Shay Cadilena (-46kg). The other members of the men’s poomsae squad are Rodolfo Reyes, Jr., Ian Matthew Corton, King Nash Alcairo, Darius Venerable, Justin Kobe Macario, Jeus Gabriel Derick Yape and Joaquin Dominic Tuzon. Jocel Lyn Ninobla, Aidaine Krishia Laxa, Maria Nicole Anne Labayne, Sofia Ysabelle Sarmiento, Juvenile Faye Crisostomo, Janna Dominique Oliva, Zyka Agelica Santiago, Stella Nicole Yape make up the women’s squad.
