BusinessMirror April 06-07, 2023

DESPITE headline in ation slowing in March, local economists warned that the rise in core in ation could signal that prices may stay elevated in the coming months and that more interest rate hikes may not be far behind.

On Wednesday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that headline in ation slowed to 7.6 percent in March

2023 from the 8.6 percent posted in February. However, it remained higher than the 4-percent in ation posted in March 2022. (Full story here: www. businessmirror.com.ph/2023/04/05/ march-inflation-slows-to-7-6-asfood-transport-prices-decline/)

Data showed the country’s GIR rose to $100.2 billion as of endMarch 2023 from the end-February 2023 level of $98.2 billion.

“ e latest GIR level represents a more than adequate external liquidity buffer equivalent to 7.5 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income,” BSP said.

Data showed this is about six times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 4.2 times based on residual maturity.

BSP said the GIR is viewed to be adequate if it can fi nance at least three-months’ worth of the country’s imports of goods and payments of services and primary income.

“ e level of GIR, as of a particular period, is considered adequate, if it provides at least 100 percent cover for the payment of the country’s foreign liabilities, public and private, falling due within the immediate 12-month period,” BSP added.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said the GIR in

PROPERTY developer Manuel B. Villar Jr. and port magnate Enrique K. Razon Jr. are now the richest Filipinos, according to Forbes magazine.

e Sy siblings, heirs to the shopping mall and banking empire built by their late father Henry Sy Sr., continue to see a drop in their fortunes but are all in the list. Villar, 73, the country’s richest

THE country’s gross international reserves (GIR) breached $100 billion as of the end of March 2023, according to preliminary data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

PRICES MAY STAY HIGH DESPITE ‘EASING’ INFLATION IN MARCH

March was among the highest in 9 months or since June 2022.

Ricafort said this was up from among the lowest in more than 2 years in recent months; higher by $1.999 billion month-on-month up for the 5th month in 6 months versus $98.216 billion in February 2023.

He said the country’s GIR picked up in recent months after the continued increase of the country’s structural US dollar/foreign currency inflows such as OFW remittances, BPO revenues, lower global crude oil, and other global commodity prices in recent months.

This may have also helped narrow the country’s trade deficit/net imports from record levels earlier in 2022, a notable continued recovery/increase in foreign tourism revenues that were almost not present 2-3 year ago.

“However, GIR still declined year-on-year by $7.093 billion or [a contraction of] 6.6 percent versus $107.309 billion a year ago or as of March 2022,” Ricafort said.

Meanwhile, the net international reserves also increased by $2 billion to $100.2 billion as of endMarch 2023 from the end-February 2023 level of $98.2 billion.

The BSP said net international reserves refers to the difference between its reserve assets (GIR) and reserve liabilities.

Reserve assets and liabilities are short-term foreign debt and credit as well as loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The BSP’s reserve assets consist of foreign investments, gold, foreign exchange, reserve position in the IMF, and special drawing rights.

Blinken, Austin to meet PHL officials in SCS alliance push

By Andreo Calonzo & Manolo Serapio Jr.

Bloomberg News

US State Secretary Antony Blinken and Defense chief Lloyd Austin will meet their Philippine counterparts next week, as Manila vowed to pursue efforts with Washington towards “collective defense” of the region around the disputed South China Sea.

The two nations’ top diplomats and defense chiefs will meet for the first time since 2016 in Washington to tackle key areas of cooperation, the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department said in a statement released Wednesday. “It will also be an important opportunity to substantively progress cooperation in

Prices...

Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy items which are part of headline inflation, continued to increase to 8 percent in March. The PSA said this is the highest in 24 years or since March 1999 when core inflation reached 8.1 percent.

“We think that there is the element of domestic demand driving core inflation. It’s not

key areas across the breadth of the relationship, including identifying concrete initiatives for promoting regional security” and countering terrorism and other transnational crimes, the statement said.

The Philippine side, which will be led by Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Defense chief

just from the re-opening narrative that we have been hearing for quite some time,” Unionbank Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion told BusinessMirror. He added these may include non-essential items in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Carlito Galvez, will also seek to discuss energy security and trade ties during the meeting. The talks will take place after the US gained greater military access in the Philippines as tensions with China heighten.

Galvez, in a separate statement, said the Philippines will continue to work with the US and other likeminded nations towards defending the region after the Southeast Asian country announced four more sites this week under the two nations’ Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement or EDCA. The sites include a naval base and an airport in Cagayan province and a military camp in Isabela province—all near Taiwan—and Balabac Island in Palawan province facing the South China Sea.

Galvez said an accelerated implementation of EDCA will protect the trade route in the disputed waters where the Spratly Islands lie—

nesses of future prices. So, inflation could still be somewhat persistent in the coming months, and policy interest rates could still be raised,” Reside told this newspaper.

a group of islands being claimed wholly or partly by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philip pines.

“Aside from enhancing our pos turing of forces to address both external and internal security threats and challenges, we expect the construction of facilities and infrastructure upgrades to further help us ensure the welfare of our people,” he said.

The new locations will bring the number of Philippine military sites the US can access to nine, includ ing five existing ones, under the defense agreement signed in 2014.

The pact allows the US to rotate its troops for prolonged stays as well as build and operate facilities on those bases in the Southeast Asian country.

The US won access to the additional sites in February amid continued tensions with Beijing over Taiwan and the South China Sea.

China warned on Tuesday the move would “lead to more tensions and less peace and stability in the region” with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning saying the US has been strengthening its military deployment in the region “in pursuit of selfish interests.”

much needed to be done to address elevated prices.

For his part, University of the Philippines Diliman School of Economics Head of Research Renato E. Reside Jr. said core inflation may have increased due to a “lagged feed” from “noncore and volatile food and oil price movements in the recent past.”

“Possibly [due to] expectations by busi-

The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) also said with core inflation rising, “second-round inflation is not over yet and inflationary pressure from demand remains significant.”

It also expects the rise in core inflation to justify another rate hike in the next Monetary Board meeting. BPI said additional monetary tightening will also hasten the process of bringing down inflation back to the target of the BSP.

BPI said other risks to inflation exist such as the decision of OPEC Plus to cut their oil production; the reopening of China; and African Swine Fever (ASF) cases recorded in certain parts of the country, particularly in the Visayas.

“The inflation story may become favorable in the second half of the year, barring any global commodity price shocks and provided that nonmonetary measures prove effective in normalizing the food supply situation in the country,” BPI said.

Ateneo de Manila University economist

Leonardo A. Lanzona Jr. told BusinessMirror that “core inflation is dependent on structural factors that prevent aggregate supply from shifting upwards.”

Though the government has reduced its spending in light of rising inflation and also raised interest rates to reduce public spending, Lanzona said the threat of inflation remained.

This only shows, Lanzona said, that the Philippine economy remains consumptiondriven, which is unsustainable in the long-run. He cited an urgent need for the country to shift to an investment-driven economy.

“This means we need to raise investments, expand markets, allow more competition and improve technology. A country that is anchored on holiday economics is only going to experience more inflation and will inevitably fail,” Lanzona told BusinessMirror

BSP’s take

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the latest inflation print is consistent with the overall assessment that inflation will remain elevated over the near term before gradually decelerating back to target range towards end2023.

BSP said risks to the inflation outlook for 2023 and 2024 continue to tilt significantly towards the upside. Factors that could keep infla-

Forbes:

tion elevated include supply shortages swelling domestic food prices. Based on the PSA data, food-alone inflation in the first quarter averaged 10.6 percent. In March, food alone posted an inflation rate of 9.5 percent. National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa said food alone contributed 3.3 percentage points to the country’s 7.6-percent inflation rate in March.

Of this 3.3-percentage point share in the inflation rate, vegetables contributed 0.6 percentage points; fish, 0.6 percentage points; sugar, confectionery and deserts, 0.4 percentage points; sugar alone, 0.3 percentage points; and 0.2 percentage points each were onions, rice, and bread.

Rice, PSA said, is a concern given that in March and in the first quarter, it has grown 2.6 percent. In February, rice inflation was only at 2.2 percent.

Mapa admitted in a briefing on Wednesday that rice prices have been steadily increasing in the National Capital Region (NCR) and in Areas Outside NCR (AONCR). The average price of well-milled rice increased to an average of P44.4 per kilo in March from P44.2 per kilo in February and P44.1 per kilo in January.

“[Prices are increasing] slowly, but [they are] increasing and we are obviously monitoring this on a regular basis,” Mapa said during the briefing.

Meanwhile, the BSP also said that factors that could also keep inflation elevated are higher transport fares; the increase in electricity rates; and above-average wage adjustments in 2023 point to the broader-based nature of price pressures. On the downside, BSP said the impact of a weaker-than-expected global economic recovery continues to be the primary factor that could dampen inflation.

“The BSP will continue to adjust its monetary policy stance as necessary to prevent the further broadening of price pressures as well as the emergence of additional second order effects,” BSP said.

“The BSP also continues to call for the timely and effective implementation of non-monetary government measures to mitigate the impact of persistent supply-side pressures on inflation,” it added.

Not enough—Neda

WHILE the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) recognized that the slowdown in headline inflation is good for the economy,

Neda Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said that while inflation is beginning to slow down, it remains the most pressing issue the government must monitor and urgently address.

“Protecting the purchasing power of Filipinos, especially the most vulnerable sectors of the economy, is one of the top priorities of the administration, which we have also laid out in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028. We are committed to provide policy advice and anticipatory recommendations that are supported by data to manage inflation and protect the Filipino families,” he said.

On March 7, 2023, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approved the creation of the InterAgency Committee on Inflation and Market Outlook. The committee is an advisory body on strategies to ease inflation and ensure food and energy security, while balancing the interests of domestic food producers, consumers, and the broader economy.

Balisacan said the inflation outlook remains vulnerable to upward risks due to global supply uncertainties, impending wage adjustments, and increases in service fees.

The Inter-Agency Committee on Inflation and Market Outlook promptly convened to establish coordination mechanisms for data gathering, assessment, and monitoring of supply and demand conditions that exert inflationary pressures.

“By streamlining data collection, the government can share a common understanding, particularly regarding data that can inform public policy and aid in the monitoring and management of inflation,” Balisacan said.

According to Balisacan, the committee’s objective is to offer proactive policy recommendations regarding emerging threats to food supply, such as the potential escalation of ASF and the weather disturbances linked with the El Niño phenomenon.

“We need a robust monitoring system and forecasting tools supported by reliable and timely information that will assist us in offering appropriate recommendations to the President and the Cabinet,” Balisacan said.

“These will help us in developing suitable policies and interventions to achieve food and energy security, while ensuring that our country stays on course to sustained economic transformation and inclusive growth,” he added.

Cai U. Ordinario

Villar, Razon, Ang now PHL’s richest persons

Continued from A1

Continued from A1 man, continued to defy the odds set by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, and added $800 million to his fortunes to $8.6 billion.

Razon, 63, became the country’s second richest man, with $7.3 billion, adding $1.7 billion as he expands his businesses to water utility, power and integrated resort and gambling.

The Sy siblings saw their fortunes recovered to a combined $13.6 billion, after its net worth fell by $4 billion to $12.6 billion last year, the biggest drop in dollar terms. All of the siblings’ net worth, however, were down.

Henry Sy Jr. was tagged fourth richest Filipino, with $2.5 billion, followed by Hans Sy and Herbert Sy, both with $2.4 billion.

Harley Sy and Teresita Sy-Coson both have $2.2 billion and Elizabeth Sy has $1.9 billion.

Ramon S. Ang, San Miguel Corp.’s president

and CEO, is the country’s third richest person with $3.4 billion, while property developer Andrew Tan came in at fourth, tied with Henry Jr., with $2.5 billion.

Tycoon Lucio Tan, now at 88, came back into the list with $2.4 billion, while Lance Gokongwei slid to the bottom part of the list with $1.4 billion, along with Jollibee Foods Corp. founder Tony Tan Caktiong at $1.2 billion and Iñigo Zobel with $1 billion.

During this year’s list Frenchman Bernard Arnault was at number one spot on Forbes billionaire’s list for the first time, with $211 billion.

“Record sales and profits have driven shares of his luxury goods leviathan LVMH—which owns brands such Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Tiffany—to new heights,” the magazine said.

Elon Musk, who held the top spot last year, has slipped to second as shares of his electric carmaker Tesla fell by nearly 50 percent follow-

ing the April 2022 announcement of his $44-billion takeover of Twitter.

Musk’s loss in wealth is second only to that of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who’s the world’s third-richest person, worth $114 billion. He’s $57 billion poorer than in 2022 thanks to a 38-percent decline in the e-commerce giant’s stock.

Larry Ellison, cofounder of software giant Oracle with net worth of $107 billion, takes the fourth spot, while investing legend Warren Buffet, with $106 billion, came in at fifth worldwide.

“More billionaires hail from the United States than any other country, with 735 American citizens on the ranking, worth a total of $4.5 trillion. China [including Hong Kong and Macau] remains second, with 562 billionaires, followed by India 169, Germany 126 and Russia 105,” the magazine said.

US State Secretary Antony Blinken

The Nation

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

DND, AFP: New EDCA sites to boost defense, disaster response

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

THE Department of National Defense (DND) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) welcomed the addition of four sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States, noting that the move would further boost the country’s capabilities to protect its national interests as well as contribute to collective defense in the region.

T he designation of Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Is-

Transport groups to file case vs implementation of LTO’s LTMS

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz  @joveemarie

ATRANSPORTATION co -

alition has informed the House of Representatives, Senate and the Office of the President about its plan to file a petition to stop the implementation of the Land Transportation Management System (LTMS), an online portal of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), because of the inconvenience it causes to stakeholders as well as the additional expenses incurred by operators and drivers.

A riel Lim, national convener of the National Public Transport Coalition (NPTC) said that they have already sent a demand letter to the LTO, copy furnished to the Office of the President, the Senate and the House of Representatives, for the suspension of the operation of the LTMS.

“ We will file a case against the LTO this month. We will ask for the issuance of an injunction against the LTMS,” said Lim.

A ccording to Lim, the implementation of the LTMS has only created more problems to public transport operators and drivers, majority of who don’t have the technical know-how or competence to use a computer.

“ Like me, I’m already old. I don’t know how to use the computer and the internet signal in our area is poor. The same is true for a great majority of the jeepney, trucks and tricycle drivers. They don’t have computers, they don’t know how to use computers and they don’t have Internet. So how can they use the LTMS portal,” added Lim.

To do that, he said, operators and drivers have to shell out additional expenses of P100 to P200 for LTO employees or “fixers” to create an account for them so they can register online.

L im also pointed out that under the LTMS, private and public vehicles could only be registered after passing the roadworthiness test from a private motor vehicle inspection center (PMVIC), which resulted in the phasing out of the PETC or private emission testing centers.

“ The LTMS is not a public service, it is business for the LTO,” Lim added, adding that using the LTO portal also means more expenses for the public because payment is also done online using PayMaya, which charges drivers and operators a P75 service fee.

T he PMVIC requirement, he pointed out, is also another problem to the transport sector because it is not accessible in many parts of the country, and in some instances one has to travel for hours just to have the vehicle tested.

The PMVIC has no basis in law. You cannot force a car owner to have his vehicle inspected at the PMVIC,” Lim pointed out.

abela and Balabac Island in Palawan as additional EDCA Agreed Locations followed the announcement by DND Officer-in-Charge Carlito Galvez Jr. and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III in February 2023 on the addition of four new locations for projects under EDCA.

“Aside from enhancing our posturing of forces to address both external and internal security threats and challenges, we expect the construction of facilities and infrastructure upgrades to further help us ensure the welfare of our people,” Galvez said.

“Our Armed Forces’ strengthened presence in the new locations, especially along our eastern and

western seaboards, will enable our troops to quickly respond to distress calls, and protect our fishermen’s rights and livelihood to fish in our waters,” he added.

According to the DND and the AFP, the implementation of projects under EDCA are aligned with the Philippine efforts to modernize its alliance with the US to respond effectively to future security challenges, including disasters, humanitarian assistance and climate change.

“ The new EDCA sites will not just strengthen the AFP’s capability to protect the people and the state but it will also boost the disaster response capability of the country,” said AFP

Chief of Staff General Andres Centino.

“ We shall be closely coordinating with our counterparts in the United States Armed Forces for the realization of these objectives,” he added. Galvez said that the country will continue to pursue efforts with the US and other like-minded countries towards “collective defense in order to maintain peace, freedom of movement, and prosperity.”

“Accelerated implementation of EDCA, including the addition of Agreed Locations, also aims to protect the busy sea lanes of commerce along the West Philippine Sea, and our national interests along the eastern side and the Philippine Rise,” Galvez said.

Additionally, EDCA projects are also seen to benefit the Philippines economically through the provision of jobs and other economic opportunities in the construction activities in the Agreed Locations and procurement of local goods and supplies by the US military and personnel.

Meanwhile, the DND has reaffirmed its commitment in advancing the Filipino veterans’ welfare and well-being during the wreath laying ceremony at the Libingan ng mga Bayani on Wednesday.

Galvez said that he is profoundly grateful to the veteran leaders and support institutions, partner organizations, as well as the youth sector

for their participation in honoring the memory of the Filipino patriots.

“Napakahalaga ng sama-sama nating pagbabalik-tanaw sa mga naiambag ng ating mga beterano sa ating natatanging kasaysayan, kasalukuyan at kinabukasan,” Galvez said. T he ceremony is one of the commemorative events for this year’s Philippine Veterans Week, headed by the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office. With the theme, “Kagitingan ng mga beterano, pundasyon ng nagkakaisang Pilipino,” the commemoration calls for unity and solidarity, as Filipinos are reminded of the value of working together and sharing in the burdens of our people.

Justice dept indicts one of alleged masterminds in Degamo slay case

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Department of Justice

(DOJ) on Wednesday ordered the indictment of one of the alleged masterminds in the gruesome killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and eight others last March 4. Ordered to be indicted was Marvin Miranda, a military reservist who was earlier tagged by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla as the “casting director” in the plot to assassinate Degamo. M iranda, according to Remulla, was the one who allegedly recruit -

ed people to carry out the plan to kill Degamo.

He was also identified as a longtime bodyguard of Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves, who has been tagged by Remulla as the “executive producer” in the Degamo slay case.

The state prosecutors found that Miranda conspired in the commission of the crimes and recommended his indictment…,” the justice department said.

T he DOJ said the state prosecutors would be amending the information previously filed in court against the other suspects in the Degamo killing to include Mi-

Rep. Villafuerte asks DBM and DOF anew to fund pension hike for indigent seniors

ASENIOR lawmaker is hoping the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) would allocate enough funds in the national budget to be able to carry out fully this year an amendatory law doubling to P1,000 the monthly social pension of the country’s estimated 4-million plus indigent senior citizens.

Camarines Sur Rep. and National Unity Party (NUP) president LRay Villafuerte said the doubling of the P500 monthly pension of our indigent elderly Filipinos to P1,000, as provided for in a new law, will spell added financial relief for seniors who have to contend with the endlessly spiraling cost of living.

Republic Act (RA) 11916 of 2022 doubled senior citizens’ monthly stipend for their subsistence and medical needs.

“RA 11916, which lapsed into law last July, need not end up being a great but unfunded program for the benefit of our indigent seniors who are in dire need of state subsidies to help them cope with incessantly soaring commodity prices and recover from the economic scarring caused by the nearly three-year pandemic,” Villafuerte said.

“ The DBM would be able to scour the 2023 GAA [General Appropriations Act] and other possible sources for enough funds to bankroll the 100 percent increase in the monthly pension of indigent seniors, in the same way that the Department had managed to ferret out a sufficient outlay to finance Malacañang Palace’s extended targeted cash transfer [TCT] project for the poorest families,” he said.

T he Palace’s economic managers earlier said the government is set to distribute this month P9.3 billion worth of cash assistance under this extended TCT project to 9.3 million households considered most vulnerable to the economic shock of the still elevated inflation, driven mainly by the rocketing prices of certain foodstuff and the high cost of fuel in the global market.   V illafuerte made this appeal

as Chairman-CEO Franklin Quijano of the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) recently dismissed a report that the NCSC is handing out the higher monthly stipend of P1,000 to all of the 12.2 million senior citizens in the country.

T he NCSC said in a February statement that only the indigent 4.1 million among the 12.2 million elderly Filipinos have been receiving and will continue to receive the monthly pension, and that the stipend is still at P500 per month and not P1,000.

“

The agency clarified that only select indigent senior citizens, 4.1 million out of 12.2 million, receive P500 social pension per month and will be doubled by virtue of RA 11916, as soon as it gets funding from the DBM,” said the commission in the statement.

Quijano explained that, “While it’s true that RA 11916 mandates the 100 percent increase in the indigent senior citizen’s monthly pension— from P500 to P1,000—it would still have to be funded by the DBM and it could only take effect after the National Treasury [has] allocated the needed fund but as of now it is still unfunded.”

F inance Secretary Benjamin Diokno earlier said that under this extended TCT of P1,000, the Marcos administration will give two-month cash payments to the 9.3 million most vulnerable households totaling P1,000 per beneficiary-family.

A ccording to DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, P7 billion was sourced from the “unreconciled” funds from last year’s TCT that was still with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank), while the remaining P2 billion was taken from the contingent fund of the Office of the President (OP).

R A 11916, which lapsed into law on July 30, 2022, amended RA 7432, which provided for a universal social pension for elderly Filipinos, and RA 9994, which granted additional benefits and privileges to these senior citizens. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

randa as one of the accused.

W ith Miranda’s indictment, all of the 11 suspects in custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have now   been charged and facing trial for nine counts of murder, 13 counts of frustrated murder for the victims who sustained serious injuries and three or four counts of attempted murder for the victims who sustained non-fatal injuries.

T he other suspect who were previously charged were Joric Labrador, Joven Javier, Banjie Rodriguez, Osmundo Rivero, Rogelio Antipolo, Eulogio Gonyon, John Louie Gonyon, Rommel Pattaguan, Winrich Isturis

and Dahniel Lora.

Following Miranda’s indictment, Remulla said: “The case is 99 percent finished. Following the arrest of Marvin Miranda, I can tell you that it is only a matter of time before we can put this to bed.”

D OJ spokesman Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano said the filing of charges against Teves would happen “very soon,” noting the existence of evidence that would link him to the crime.

“ Very soon, but I cannot say the exact date because the priority here is the quality of the case [that will be filed],” Clavano said.

Teves, who has denied any in-

volvement in the Degamo killing, went to the United States last February 28 to undergo stem cell treatment and was supposed to return to the country on March 9.

However, Teves expressed apprehensions to return to the country due to alleged threats to his life.

T his prompted the House of Representative to impose a 60-day suspension against him due to his failure to comply with the ultimatum for his return.

Teves was given two deadlines to report to the House, the first deadline was on March 15 and then a 24-hour ultimatum issued last March 20.

ERC and DUs ink data sharing agreement on implementation of ‘lifeline rate’ plan

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and distribution utilities (DUs) have signed a Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) to determine who among the latter’s customers are qualified to be included in the government’s “lifeline rate” program.

T he DSA is in relation to ERC’s release of the lists of their Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries in connection with the implementation of the said program.

P ursuant to the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 11552 (RA 11552), otherwise known as “An Act Extending and Enhancing the Implementation of the Lifeline Rate, Amending for the Purpose Section 73 of Republic Act No. 9136,” or the “Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, As Amended by Republic Act No. 10150,” the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shall issue a certified list of 4Ps beneficiaries and shall provide a copy thereof to the Department of Energy (DOE) and the ERC.

T he certified list shall then be the basis for determining qualifications of consumers who can avail of the lifeline rate.

T he ERC assured that there are safeguards put in place and controls  for data privacy and security as information is shared among the parties involved in the program.

The Commission is honored to usher the progression of Republic Act No. 11552 since its effectivity last year. Considering the current state of our electricity rates, particularly generation rates, we look forward to the immediate realization of the objectives of the law and achieve a more equitable implementation of the lifeline subsidy, particularly to those living below the poverty threshold level,” said ERC Chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta.

P

resent during the signing were senior management officers and  Data Privacy Officers (DPOs) from Angeles Electric Corp. (AEC), Bohol Light Co. Inc. (BLCI), Cabanatuan Electric Corp. (CELCOR), Cotabato Light and Power Company (CLPC), Dagupan Electric Corp. (DECORP), Davao Light and Power Co. (DLPC), Ibaan Electric Corporation (IEC), La Union Electric Company Inc. (LUECO), Manila Electric Co. (Meralco),  Olongapo Electricity Distribution Company Inc. (OEDC), San Fernando Electric Light & Power Company (SFELAPCO) and Visayan Electric Company (VECO).

T he other day, the ERC released the limit for this year’s installed generating capacity (IGC) that a power firm can own or acquire on a national and per grid basis to avoid monopoly in the power sector.

U nder Republic Act No. 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform  Act of 2001 (EPIRA), “No company or related group own, operate or control more than 30 percent of the IGC of a grid and/or 25 percent of the national IGC.”

T he ERC sets the IGC annually and may be adjusted as necessary based on the maximum capacity of generation facilities.

T he country’s IGC increased this year to 25,471,037 million kilowatts (kW), up from 24.65 million kW in 2022. The ERC then made the necessary cap adjustments to reflect the increase in power generating capacity.

O n a nationwide basis, the ERC raised the cap to 6.37 million kW this year from 6.16 million kW last year, equivalent to 25 percent of the installed capacity of the national grid.

On a per grid basis, Luzon’s IGC went up to 17.8 million kW from 17.08 million kW last year. As such, Luzon’s grid IGC cap also increased

NTC to PTEs: Boost Internet connectivity this Holy Week

servance of the Holy Week.

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

to 5.34 million kW from 4.79 million.  Visayas grid’s capacity increased to 3.46 million kW from 3.37 million kW. Consequently, the grid’s IGC limit was adjusted to 1.04 million kW from 1.01 million kW.

T he Mindanao grid’s IGC stood at 4.22 million kW, unchanged from the previous year. This led to 1.26 million kW IGC limit, same from last year’s figures.

T he installed generation capacity limits for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao represent 30 percent of the total installed capacity in each grid, or the market share limitations, as per ERC.

The ERC is mindful of its role in promoting market competition, encouraging market development, and in discouraging abuse of market power and any anti-competitive behavior in order to ensure a level playing field   particularly in the generation sector.

T he IGC serves as our baseline in determining the existence of a breach in the market share limit of any market participant,” Dimalanta said.

T he ERC sets the annual adjustment on the capacity limits for power generation companies in terms of output and market share until March 15 of every year.

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has ordered public telecommunications entities (PTEs) to boost broadband connectivity for the Holy Week.

In a memorandum circular, NTC

Commissioner Ella Blanca Lopez said ensuring the reliability and quality of Internet connection “with sufficient capacity” will “help ensure that user experience is maximized in places where the populace historically converges during the Holy Week break.”

T hus, the commission has ordered local telcos to “ensure that telecommunications services with increased and sufficient network capacity are available 24/7 in areas where people converge such as religious places.”

T he agency also ordered telcos to assign sufficient technical personnel to attend to any disruption of service, which shall not “exceed accumulated one hour” between April 6 and April 10.

L ikewise, the commission said telcos should also “swiftly” address complaints by “sufficiently manning their hotlines” and implement “other measures necessary” for a better user experience.

A side from this, Lopez ordered NTC regional offices to provide assistance to the local governments and organizations during the ob -

L opez said regional directors are “directed to coordinate with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council [NDRRMC], Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils [LDRRMCs], Civic Action Groups [CAGs] and Amateur Radio Groups [ARGs] that will render HOLY WEEK 2023 public assistance operations within their respective areas of jurisdiction and extend assistance to the LGUs and NDRRMC.”

She likewise ordered all regional directors to determine any assistance that the NTC may provide, “such as issuance of temporary permits and licenses necessary to lend assistance and ensure the safety of our kababayans who will be traveling to various parts of the country.”

R egional directors are also required to enlist the assistance of radio, television and cable TV stations/operators for the proper and timely dissemination of related information.

“

The Regional Offices are also directed to monitor the operations of the CAGs and ARGs in their areas of jurisdiction and submit an updated report to the undersigned.

Lastly, all Regional Directors are also directed to observe strict health protocols to avoid transmission of coronavirus disease [Covid-19],” Lopez said.

LTFRB to impose heavy fines vs ‘colorum’ PUVs, other penalties

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) issued on Wednesday a stern warning against public utility vehicles (PUVs), reminding them that they face heavy fines and penalties for overloading and overcharging during the Holy Week break.

According to LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III, passengers should be wary of transport companies, or even private vehicles that may operate as “for hire” vehicles, who might take advantage of the busy season. He said the practice of overloading endangers the lives of all those on board, the driver and conductor and more importantly, the passengers.

L ikewise, Guadiz said the LTFRB would run after entities

that are found to have been overcharging their passengers as well as illegal for-hireprivate-vehicles—colloquially called “colorum.”

A side from private vehicles, the law defines “colorum” vehicles as PUVs that operate outside of their approved route, those that operate differently from its authorized denomination, like a tourist bus operating as a PUB, or a PUV with a suspended, canceled, or expired Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC).

For those found to be overloading, a fine of P5,000 is handed out on the PUV operator for the first offense, P10,000 plus impoundment of the unit for 30 days for the second offense, while the third offense metes a P15,000

fine plus cancellation of the CPC.

For PUVs found to be overcharging or even undercharging of fares, a fine of P5,000 for the first offense is imposed, P10,000 fine and impounding of the unit for 30 days for the second offense, and a fine of P15,000 and cancellation of CPC for the third offense.

“Colorum” vehicles, on the other hand, whether bus, truck, jeepney, van, sedan or motorcycle, a fine of P1 million, P200,000, P50,000, P200,000, P120,000, and P6,000, respectively, will be imposed, plus impounding of the vehicle for three months, for the first offense. This includes revocation of the CPC and blacklisting of the apprehended vehicle, and revocation of the registration of the apprehended vehicle.

For the second offense, revocation of all CPCs or the entire fleet of the operator, disqualification of the operator, and stockholders and directors if the operator is a corporation, from operating any kind of public land transportation, plus blacklisting and revocation of registration of all authorized units of the operator, await those who will violate.

Let us take this opportunity to go home and reflect and assess ourselves physically, emotionally and spiritually. However, we also encourage our dear passengers to remain vigilant and observant of certain situations that they think may violate their rights as passengers. This is ensure that they will travel safe and right and arrive at their destinations safe and sound,” Guadiz said. Lorenz S.

Marasigan

Davao JHS students to meet prominent Filipino scientists in ScienTeach event

By Manuel T. Cayon   @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—Junior high school (JHS) students from different schools here would have the chance to meet prominent scientists in a series of activities organized by the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 11.

Students would have their time with the scientists through the ScienTeach: A Symposium for the Youth to be held on Monday, April 10. The event is co-organized with the Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao and would highlight a series of scientific talks from various speakers from different scientific fields.

T he speakers include National Scientist Lourdes J. Cruz, a biochemist, Dr. Benito M. Pacheco, the founding Director of the UP Institute of Civil Engineering, Dr. Fernando P. Siringan, a professor specializing in Marine Geology, Sedimentology and Seismic Stratigraphy, Dr. Arnel A. Salvador, a professor at the National Institute of Physics and UP-Diliman, Dr. Guillermo Q. Tabios III, a notable civil engineer who significantly contributed to the field of hydraulics engineering and water resources, and Dr. Maribel G. Nonato, a professor and the vice-rector for Research and Innovation of the University of Sto. Tomas.

T he NAST said the Scienteach “aims to

promote Science and Technology, bring our scientists closer to the youth, and inspire and encourage the students to pursue a career in Science.”

DOST 11 Regional Director Dr. Anthony C. Sales hoped that the event would spark interest in the young audiences to explore the many concepts and facets of Science.

“ We believe that programs like Scienteach are essential in promoting Science and Technology to the youth and we hope that this will inspire them to pursue careers in Science and make significant contributions to society,” he added.

T he Scienteach: Symposium for the Youth would be livestreamed at 9:00 a.m. via Zoom and through the social media accounts of NAST PHL and DOST 11.

T he Scienteach as well as other activities organized by the two agencies would form part of the first leg of Regional Scientific Meeting (RSM) in Davao City.

T he meeting is an annual activity to provide a venue “for the discussion of relevant and timely regional concerns with S&T-based recommendations,” the DOST said.

In the light of the developments in the local and global political space, this year’s RSM theme highlights the crucial role of science and technology in strengthening democratic institutions and processes. The scientific meeting will also promote inclusivity and wellbeing of the society through science and technology,” it added.

PBBM creates task force Degamo to preserve peace in Negros Island

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Mar-

cos Jr. has ordered the creation of a new special task force to address potential security threats besetting the entire Negros Island following the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel R. Degamo last month.

T he President signed on Monday Administrative Order (AO) No. 6, series of 2023, creating the special task force “DEGAMO” to “prevent the spread and escalation of violence elsewhere in the Philippines and to maintain peace and order in Negros Island.”

T he task force was given marching orders to intensify campaigns against loose firearms and private armies.

It will also coordinate or rationalize government efforts in the prevention, investigation, prosecution and punishment of violence in Negros Island, and submit to the President, through the Office of the Executive Secretary, reports on the peace and

BusinessMirror News

order situation in the said island.

T he Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will serve as chair of the task force, while its vice chairs will be Secretaries of Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of National Defense (DND).

T heir initiatives will be augmented by other government agencies to the victims of violence in the Negros Island, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to grant them with emergency relief aid and the Department of Health (DOH) to provide them with psychological rehabilitation.

T he President also instructed the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas to help the task force.

Task force Degamo will issue its operational guidelines 20 days after the effectivity of AO 6.  AO No. 6 was issued following the gruesome killing of Degamo at his residential compound in Pamplona, Negros Oriental, where eight others were slain and 17 were wounded on March 4, 2023.

MBC explores biz growth tie up with Thai executives, officials

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

THE Makati Business Club (MBC) has discussed points of collaborations with Thailand business officials and executives, including the possibility of arranging direct flights from Phuket to key Philippine destinations, such as Boracay and Palawan, to encourage wider tourism for both countries.

T he MBC, likewise, said they discussed with Thai officials the expansion of Thai businesses in local telecommunications and agriculture.

T hese were the points of collaboration discussed on March 29 with the Embassy of Thailand in Makati City, MBC said.

MBC said Ambassador Tull Traisorat hosted MBC’s board of trustees along with a Thai business delegation of high-level representatives

from companies such as Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) Philippines Corporation, SkyTowers Infra, Bangkok Bank, Italian-Thai Development, SCG Marketing, and Mariwasa and other embassy officials.

M BC Trustees present were Chairman Edgar O. Chua, Rizalina Mantaring, Jose Carlitos Cruz, Aris Alip, Manolito Tayag, and Executive Director Francisco Alcuaz Jr.

At a separate meeting with Thai officials, the business group said MBC Foreign Programs Manager

Trisha Teope met with Federation of Thai Industries’ Director-General Jumrud Sawangsamud at the Federation’s office in Bangkok, Thailand to discuss collaboration between the two organizations, including the areas of manufacturing, Industry 4.0, Agriculture, and Circular Economy, among others.

A t a roundtable conference with Thai business leaders and Philip -

pine economic managers and officials in Bangkok, Thailand last November 2022, Kriengkrai Thiennukul, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries said they are ready to support investing in food security, infrastructure, transportation, and promoting tourism with the Philippines to enhance the business sector for mutual expansion between the two countries in the future.

P hilippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President George T. Barcelon also noted then that Thai firms are keen on investing in energy and telecommunications, which he said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. mentioned during his meetings with Thai businesses.

Meanwhile, according to a BusinessMirror story, Thailand Week 2023 took place last March 30 to April

2,2023 in Manila to showcase various quality Thai products ranging from

food and beverage, health and beauty products, household products, fashion and lifestyle, gems and jewelry, and many more.  T he trade show aimed to promote Thai products to potential customers and enhance the competitiveness of Thai products in the Philippine market.

In return, Filipino businessmen can leverage the opportunities to explore marketable and competitive products from Thailand.

This year, Thailand Week 2023 will comprise 80 Thai and Philippine companies to exhibit high-quality and new products at reasonable prices. We also offer an even greater business platform where our Thai exporters and Philippine importers could engage and effectively interact with one another through our business matching activity,” Janthana Chotimunee, Director of Thai Trade Center Manila said.

By Henry Empeño Correspondent

IBA, Zambales—Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. has called on law enforcement agencies in Central Luzon to maintain heightened security in face of the deployment of foreign troops in the region for military exercises between the Philippines and the United States this month.

Ebdane sounded the call during the first quarter meeting of the reorganized Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) recently, urging both civilian and military units of the government to anticipate situations that may threaten peace in the region during the visit of foreign troops. A round 12,000 American soldiers will join “Salaknib” 2023 this month, which is touted to be the biggest training event between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the US military. The exercises will also involve live-fire training in the waters off Zambales.

Ebdane, who formerly served variously as chief of the Philippine Na-

tional Police, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Adviser, was appointed last month by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as RPOC chairman for Region 3, a post he previously held three times since 2010.

In the March 29 RPOC meeting at the Kingsborough International Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga, Ebdane said the council must have a forward assessment of the situation.

“Let us optimize utilization of government resources and let us think from the point of view of the enemy: What will they do to counter this deployment?” he said.

“Let us create a situation wherein criminals and security threats cannot exist,” Ebdane added.

Ebdane received a briefing on the peace and order program of the Department of the Interior and Local Government office in Region 3 during the RPOC meeting.

T he Philippine Army also reported on internal peace and security, while the Police Regional Office 3 cited measures against criminality, and the Philippine Drug Enforce -

ment Agency (PDEA) reported on illegal drugs.

A n officer from the 7th Infantry Division of the Army reported a “weakened” remnant of insurgent groups, and noted that the commu-

Job creation, security Peza head’s key focus

Moreover, the agency will leverage on the country’s leading export sectors such as the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), semiconductor and electronics, and health services, Panga said.

“ Peza will be aggressive in attracting investors that will bolster science-based industries linked to the Global Value Chain,” the Peza chief said, adding that this will ensure that the Philippines remains at the forefront of being a relevant

investment destination.

A ccording to Panga, Peza also aims to attract and target hightech industries that will provide for “ecozone product sophistication, export diversification, laborintensive and high-skilled jobs, knowledge transfer, enhanced local supply chain, and creation of industry clusters.”

Panga said the agency will closely work with Congress to address investor “pain-points” such as the cost of

continued from a16

high electricity and investors’ operating costs as compared to locating in other countries.

O ne pain point he cited is the restoration of the value-added tax (VAT) system, which Panga said has been partially addressed with ecozone logistics services enterprises (ELSEs). Existing ELSEs may now enjoy their incentives such as zero VAT rating on qualified local purchases, as it is now considered an “eligible activity” in the 2022

nist-led New People’s Army has not initiated violence in the last two years. Still, clearing operations by government forces had yielded stores of arms and supplies in some remote areas, the Army reported.

Strategic Investment Priorities Plan (SIPP).

T he Peza chief, meanwhile, said there is no letup in preventing smuggling in the ecozones by strengthening the agency’s monitoring and police functions through the Peza police. In line with this, Peza will upgrade its digital applications to fully account for tax- and and duty-free ecozone shipments to prevent their leakage in the domestic territory.

PHL could see unsustainable debt levels with climate risk

T hese should also consider whether such spending would boost economic productivity. Unescap said debt relief should be viewed as helping to support the fiscal outlook, rather than as a sign of an upcoming debt default.

It added that effective public debt management reduces fiscal risks and borrowing costs, and there are several examples of good public debt management practices in the AsiaPacific region.

At the same time, countries with high debt distress levels may need pre-emptive, swift and adequate sovereign debt restructuring, while efforts towards common international debt resolution mechanisms and restructuring frameworks also need to be accelerated.

Growth

THE growth prospects of economies in Asia ang the Pacific, including that

of the Philippines, have weakened, according to the Unescap.

Based on the report, the region is expected to only post a growth of 4.2 percent in 2023 and 4.7 percent in 2024.

T he Philippines is expected to grow faster at 5.5 percent in 2023 and 5.7 percent in 2024. This is below the government’s 6-7 percent GDP target this year and 6.5 to 8 percent target for 2024 onward.

This assessment is influenced by elevated price levels and expected further monetary tightening, which will hold back economic activities,” the report stated.

“ The projected slowdown in developed economies can translate into a slowdown in demand for exports, a major growth driver for the region,” it added.

Citing the World Trade Organization (WTO), the report added that global trade volume growth is pro -

jected to moderate to 1 percent in 2023 from 3.5 percent in 2022.

I nflation in Asia and the Pacific is projected to moderate slightly to 5.9 per cent in 2023 from 7.6 percent in 2022. It is projected to decline further to 4.4 percent in 2024.

I n the Philippines, inflation is seen to average 4.3 percent this year and 3 percent next year. These are within the government’s inflation targets for this year and next year.

The expected gradual decline in inflation in the next two years is on the back of moderating commodity prices, softening global demand and monetary tightening responses by central banks,” the report stated.

“Core inflation is still on the rise while growth is weakening, and central banks are expected to continue their course in raising interest rates,” the report, however, added.

continued from a16

Revised GDP forecast

MEANWHILE , the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) also revised GDP growth for the fourth quarter in 2022 to 7.1 percent from the initially reported 7.2 percent.

H owever, the PSA retained growth estimates for 2022 and 2021 at 7.6 percent and 5.7 percent, respectively.

“In the Philippines growth was driven by robust private consumption, investments and public infrastructure spending along with tourism recovery,” the Unescap report stated of the country’s 2022 growth performance.

T he PSA revises the GDP estimates based on an approved revision policy (PSA Board Resolution No. 1, Series of 2017-053), which is consistent with international standard practices on national accounts revisions.

Meanwhile, PDEA Regional Office 3 reported that it has uncovered large-scale drug operations in the region with shabu and marijuana as the drugs of choice.

Heightened alert in Central Luzon ahead of ‘Salaknib’ exercise–gov Pilgrims urged to keep ‘Alay Lakad’ penance rite litter free

It noted that mail and parcel methods are the primary mode of trafficking, while more and more drug dealers are using the “dark web” or online platforms for the illicit trade.

In reaction, Ebdane urged all concerned agencies to continue making reports on security and criminal situation so that the RPOC can estimate the volume or density of crimes in every district and undertake proactive policing.

Ebdane also mentioned as a special concern the cases of incestuous rape in the community, with current data placing a total of 137 cases in Zambales alone.

The incidence is quite alarming,” Ebdane pointed out. “This should not happen.”

He said law enforcers should also tap for assistance other government agencies who have police authority to help maintain public order and safety.

Poe issues reminders for Holy Week ‘exodus’

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

SEN. Grace Poe on Wednesday reminded vacationers hitting the road at the onset of the traditional Holy Week holiday to be sure “all systems should be in place,” as majority of travelers go out of town at the start of their mid-year vacation.

Citing the traditional surge of passengers in bus terminals, seaports and airports during this season has been a yearly occurrence, Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, stressed, adding, “there is no excuse for concerned transportation bodies and private providers not to be prepared.”

T he lawmaker lamented the hassles inflicted on paying travelers made to bear “overbooking, long queues for tickets, standing room only scenarios in buses, missing luggage and similar unfortunate incidents that should be timely remedied.”

R eminding concerned authorities, Poe reminded, “any violations on the rights of passengers will be dealt with by relevant laws and government regulations.”

At the same time, the senator advised “Lent gives the faithful a chance to reconnect, not only with God, but also with their families.”

A sserting that “many save money to travel to the province to spend the religious event with their loved ones,” Poe pointed out that transportation agencies should “ensure that our people’s journey will not bring suffering but comfort and safety.”

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

ALOCAL waste and pollution watchdog on Wednesday urged the public, especially the youth, who will join the penitential “AlayLakad” to avoid littering at all times.

T he EcoWaste Coalition issued the call, together with Antipolo City, dubbed as the “Pilgrimage Capital of the Philippines,” as devotees of the annual pilgrimage, in observance of Holy Week, begin their journey to various pilgrimage sites in the Philippines.

In a joint statement, the city government and EcoWaste Coalition expressed their optimism that the youth pilgrims will cooperate in making this year’s Alay Lakad litter-free.

“After a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Antipolo City government is ready to welcome Alay Lakad pilgrims from near and far,” said Mayor Casimiro Ynares III. “This year’s pilgrimage is made even more special with the declaration of the Antipolo Cathedral as the international shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage by the Holy See.” “

We invite all pilgrims to join hands in keeping the roads leading to the country’s first international shrine free from all forms of garbage as we, Antipolenyos, abide in the city’s 4M campaign, which promotes Mapayapa [peaceful], Mataimtim [solemn], Maingat [vigilant], and among all these, Malinis [clean] observance of the Semana Santa,” he added.

We will deploy an adequate number of street sweepers for sure, but please be responsible enough not to throw or leave trash on the streets and sidewalks.”

For his part, Jove Benosa, EcoWaste Coalition’s Zero Waste Campaigner, reminded the pilgrims to perform their penitential walk in a manner that will not sully the surroundings with common litter such as cigarette butts, food and beverage containers, snack wrappers, food leftovers, plastic bags, soiled papers, and used face masks.

As ‘cleanliness is next to godliness,’ we urge the faithful not to leave any trail of trash as they walk to Antipolo City to atone for past shortcomings, to say a prayer of petition or to thank the Almighty for an answered prayer,” he said.

He reminded that Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, strictly forbids littering in public places. This environmental offense is likewise prohibited under Antipolo City Ordinance 2008287, or the Basura Code.

GOV. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. presides over the first quarterly meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council. HENRY EMPEÑO

EU lashes out at China for support of Russia amid invasion of Ukraine

By Raf Casert & Samuel Petrequin The Associated Press

Trump charged with 34 felony counts in hush money scheme

By Michael R. Sisak, Eric Tucker, Jennifer Peltz & Will Weissert The Associated Press

“There cannot be siding with the aggressor,” Josep Borrell said ahead of a trip to Beijing by the EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron. “There is a clear expectation from a permanent member of the [UN] Security Council to stand up in defense of international rules-based order and China has a moral duty to contribute to a fair peace.”

Standing alongside visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Borrell was unusually blunt in his condemnation of a nation that has increasingly moved from being an EU partner to being a rival on the global stage.

The comments set the stage for two of Europe’s pre-eminent leaders to press the point that

EU-China relations will pivot on Beijing’s friendship with Russia.

Macron and von der Leyen are expected to warn China against sending weapons to Russia during talks with President Xi Jinping on Thursday. Just ahead of the visit, von der Leyen had a phone call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to coordinate strategy.

Even if Beijing says it is neutral in the war, Xi’s visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow two weeks ago had all the visuals and speeches of a meeting among trusted friends.

“They agreed on the need to not deploy nuclear arms abroad,” Borrell said of the Moscow meeting.

“Some days later, Russia deployed tactical weapons, nuclear tactical

weapons in Belarus,” he added, referring to an announcement by Putin of plans to deploy such weapons. “This comes, ironically, after Chinese President Xi visited Moscow and mentioned the need for peace.”

He called the prospect of deploying such weapons in Belarus Putin’s “newest nuclear gamble” and said it constituted “a direct threat to European security.”

Borrell said he was looking for a change of heart in Beijing if relations were not to deteriorate.

“We have been clear with China that its position on Russia’s atrocities and war crimes will determine the quality of our relations with Beijing,” he said.

Discussions between Macron, Xi and von der Leyen will mainly focus on trade, the war in Ukraine and climate change.

The European officials are expected to underscore the importance of China’s role in supporting peace, and to tell Xi that he should engage directly with Zelenskyy following his visit to Moscow last month. They will also urge him to put pressure on Putin to stop threatening nuclear weapons use in the war against Ukraine.

Von der Leyen will ask Xi to use his influence to make sure a grain export deal that has helped bring down global food prices can be extended beyond mid-May, when it’s expected to expire after Russia’s UN ambassador reiterated that Moscow is ready to extend the deal—but only for 60 days, just half the 120 days in the agreement.

The EU does not expect a significant change in China’s position but believes it’s crucial to keep engaging with the superpower, notably on trade issues.

In 2022, China was the EU’s third largest partner in exports of goods and the largest partner for EU imports. EU leaders want to rebalance their commercial relationship while also addressing the 27-nation bloc’s dependence to China in strategic sectors such as critical raw materials, computing-related technologies, semiconductors and clean technologies.

US provides Ukraine with $2.6 billion in military aid

By Lolita C. Baldor & Matthew Lee

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—The US will send Ukraine about $500 million in ammunition and equipment and spend more than $2 billion to buy an array of munitions, radar and new weapons to help Kyiv counter drones in the coming months, the Pentagon said Tuesday, as Ukrainian troops gear up for a spring offensive against Russian forces.

The aid to be taken from military stockpiles so it can be in the war zone quickly includes “ammunition for US-provided HIMARS, air defense interceptors, and artillery rounds that Ukraine is using to defend itself,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. HIMARS are multiple rocket launchers.

The package includes at least two new weapons systems that are designed to counter drones—specifically the Iranian-made Shahed, which Tehran has provided to Russia and has been heavily used in attacks on Ukrainian cities.

The US, for the first time, will send nine 30mm gun trucks and an undisclosed amount of ammunition for them, and 10 mobile laser-guided rocket systems, also developed to counter drones.

The wide array of ammunition being sent from Pentagon stocks includes 155 mm artillery rounds for howitzers as Ukraine burns through the rounds fighting back against Russia’s ground invasion.

The Pentagon does not provide the amounts of munitions in most cases.

The immediate assistance also includes anti-armor systems, small arms, heavy equipment transport vehicles, 61 fuel tankers and maintenance support, the Pentagon said in a statement.

A senior defense official said the focus is on helping Ukraine change the dynamic on the ground. Right now, the official said, the battle

lines are relatively static and neither side has gained much territory.

The official, who briefed Pentagon reporters on condition of anonymity to provide military details, said the US wants to help Ukraine advance and hold its positions in the expected counteroffensive.

“We very much appreciate everything that the United States has done specifically in the last month to help our army prepare itself for the counteroffensive,” said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels before a meeting with with Blinken. “The Biden administration has upheld its commitment to provide Ukraine with a lot of what we need and set an example to other allies.”

The $2.1 billion in longer-term aid, which is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, will buy missiles for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS, as well as radar, additional satellite terminals and fuel tanker trucks, anti-armor rockets and bridging systems. It also will fund additional training for Ukraine’s forces.

The defense official said weapons already bought using the security assistance funding in previous pack-

ages are beginning to make their way to the battlefield. That is key because in some cases—such as with the 155 mm rounds—the Pentagon had been sending its own stocks, which are also needed for American troop training, and there is a finite supply. Now, the official said, the deliveries of 155 rounds Ukraine is getting include ammunition that was bought a number of months ago through the USAI program.

The new weapons and money come as Russia has continued to bombard Ukraine with long-range missiles and the hotly contested battle for the eastern city of Bakhmut drags on. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview that unless his country wins that fight, Russia could begin building international support for a deal that could require Ukraine to make unacceptable compromises.

Zelenskyy said if Moscow’s forces take Bakhmut, Russian President Vladimir Putin would “sell this victory to the West, to his society, to China, to Iran.”

The latest US package, with its mix of short-term and long-term aid, involves a wide variety of ammunition from Pentagon stocks, 23 million rounds of small arms am-

NEW YORK—Donald Trump conspired to illegally influence the 2016 election through a series of hush money payments designed to silence claims that he feared would be harmful to his candidacy, New York prosecutors said Tuesday in unsealing a historic 34-count felony indictment.

The charges arose from a series of checks that Trump or his company wrote during the presidential campaign to his lawyer and fixer for his role in making a payment to a porn actor who alleged an extramarital sexual encounter with Trump years earlier.

The payments were part of “an unlawful plan to identify and suppress negative information that could have undermined his campaign for president,” Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy said in court. They were made to “protect his candidacy,” Conroy added.

The arraignment in Manhattan, though largely procedural in nature, was nonetheless the first time in US history that a former president has faced a judge in his own criminal prosecution. The indictment amounts to a remarkable reckoning for Trump after years of investigations into his personal, business and political dealings, unfolding against the backdrop not only of his third campaign for the White House but also against other investigations in Washington and Atlanta that might yet produce even more charges.

Trump, stone-faced and silent as he entered and exited the Manhattan courtroom, said “not guilty” in a firm voice while facing a judge who warned him to refrain from rhetoric that could inflame or cause civil unrest. All told, the ever-verbose Trump, who for weeks before Tuesday’s arraignment had assailed the case against him as political persecution, uttered only about 10 words—though he did appear to glare for a period at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The next court date is December 4, though it is not clear if Trump will be required to appear.

The broad contours of the case have long been known, but the indictment contains new details about a scheme that prosecutors say began months into his presidential candidacy in 2015, as his celebrity past collided with his presidential ambitions. It centers on payoffs to two women, including porn star Stormy Daniels, who said they had extramarital sexual encounters with him years earlier, as well as to a Trump Tower doorman who claimed to have a story about a child he alleged the former president had out of wedlock.

“It’s not just about one payment. It is 34 false statements and business records that were concealing criminal conduct,” Bragg told reporters, when asked how the three separate alleged payments were connected.

All 34 counts against Trump are linked to a series of checks that were written to Trump’s personal lawyer and problem-solver, Michael Cohen, to reimburse him for his role in paying off Daniels. Those payments, made over 12 months, were recorded in various internal company documents as being for a legal retainer that prosecutors say didn’t exist. Cohen testified before the grand jury and is expected to be a star prosecution witness. Nine of those monthly checks were paid out of Trump’s personal accounts, but records related to them were maintained in the Trump Organization’s data system.

Prosecutors allege that the first instance of Trump directing hush money payments came in the fall of 2015, when a former Trump Tower doorman was trying to sell information about an alleged out-of-wedlock child fathered by Trump.

munition and 200,000 grenades, mortars, rockets and an array of precision guided munitions.

It brings the total amount of US security assistance to Ukraine to more than $35.1 billion since Russia invaded in February 2022. Defense leaders testifying on Capitol Hill last week said the US is prepared to support Ukraine for as long as needed.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has echoed that sentiment, saying the alliance’s foreign ministers meeting in Brussels were discussing how to step up support for Ukraine’s armed forces. “Our support is for the long haul,” he said before the meeting Tuesday.

The White House said last week that it has new evidence that Russia is looking again to North Korea for weapons as it also prepares for a spring offensive. Russia would provide Pyongyang with needed food and other commodities in return.

US officials also are concerned that the president of Belarus has warned that Russian strategic nuclear weapons might be deployed in his country, along with part of Moscow’s tactical nuclear arsenal.

Putin has said he planned to place tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus. Those weapons are comparatively short-range and lowyield. Strategic nuclear weapons, such as missile-borne warheads, would be a greater threat.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, while talking up the possibility of nuclear weapons, has also called for a cease-fire in Ukraine. He said a truce must have no preconditions and all movement of troops and weapons must be halted.

Russia, however, has rejected a cease in fighting, claiming that Ukraine has refused to enter talks under pressure from its Western allies.

David Pecker, a Trump friend and the publisher of the National Enquirer, made a $30,000 payment to the doorman to acquire the exclusive rights to the story, pursuant to an agreement to protect Trump during his presidential campaign, according to the indictment. Pecker’s company later determined the doorman’s story was false, but at Cohen’s urging is alleged to have enforced the doorman’s confidentiality until after Election Day. The investigation also concerns six-figure payments made to Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Both say they had sexual encounters with the married Trump years before he got into politics. Trump denies having sexual liaisons with either woman and has denied any wrongdoing involving payments.

After his arraignment, Trump was returning to his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, for a primetime address to campaign supporters. At least 500 prominent supporters have been invited, with some of the most pro-Trump congressional Republicans expected to attend. A conviction would not prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024. The day’s schedule, with its striking blend of legal and political calendar items, represents the new split-screen reality for Trump as he submits to the dour demands of the American criminal justice system while projecting an aura of defiance and victimhood at celebratory campaign events.

Wearing his signature dark suit and red tie, Trump turned and waved to crowds outside the building before heading inside to be fingerprinted and processed. He arrived at court in an eight-car motorcade from Trump Tower, communicating in real time his anger at the process.

“Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse,” he posted on his Truth Social platform. “Seems so SURREAL—WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!”

Afterward, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told reporters that it was a “sad day for the country.”

“You don’t expect this to happen to somebody who was president of the United States,” he said.

Trump, who was impeached twice by the US House but was never convicted in the US Senate, is the first former president to face criminal charges. The nation’s 45th commander in chief was escorted from Trump Tower to the courthouse by the Secret Service.

“He is strong and ready to go,” Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina told The Associated Press. Earlier, Tacopina said in a TV interview that the former president wouldn’t plead guilty to lesser charges, even if it might resolve the case. He also said he didn’t think the case would make it to a jury.

New York police said they were ready for large protests by Trump supporters, who share the Republican former president’s belief that the New York grand jury indictment and three additional pending investigations are politically motivated and intended to weaken his bid to retake the White House in 2024. Journalists often outnumbered protesters, though. Trump, a former reality TV star, has been hyping that narrative to his political advantage, saying he raised more than $8 million in the days since the indictment on claims of a “witch hunt.” His campaign released a fundraising request titled “My last e-mail before arrest” and he has repeatedly assailed Bragg, egged on supporters to protest and claimed without evidence that the judge presiding over the case “hates me”—something his own lawyer has said is not true.

The arraignment unfolded against the backdrop of heavy security in New York, coming more than two years after Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in a failed bid to halt the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s win.

The scenes around Trump Tower and the courthouse did not feature any major unrest. Police tried to keep apart protesters supporting the former president and those opposing him by confining them to separate sides of a park near the courthouse using metal barricades.

Tucker and Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press journalists Jill Colvin, Bobby Caina Calvan, Larry Neumeister, Karen Matthews, Larry Fleisher, Deepti Hajela, Julie Walker, Ted Shaffrey, David R. Martin, Joe Frederick and Robert Bumsted in New York and Colleen Long and Michael Balsamo in Washington contributed to this report.

BRUSSELS—On the eve of a major European Union diplomatic foray into China, the bloc’s foreign policy chief on Tuesday lashed out at Beijing for its support of Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine, and called it “a blatant violation” of its United Nations commitments.

EUROPEAN Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell addresses the media prior to the EU-US Energy Council Ministerial meeting at the European Council building in Brussels on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. OLIVIER MATTHYS, POOL PHOTO VIA AP

Lee reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Tara Copp contributed to this story from Washington.

AIRMEN with the 436th Aerial Port Squadron use a forklift to move 155 mm shells ultimately bound for Ukraine, April 29, 2022, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Officials say the US will send Ukraine about $500 million in ammunition and equipment and will spend more than $2 billion to buy an array of munitions, radar and other weapons in the future. AP/ALEX BRANDON

The World

Taiwan defies China pressure before US House Speaker McCarthy meeting

By Huizhong Wu

The Associated Press

TAIPEI, Taiwan—Taiwan pushed back against threats of retaliation by China, ahead of an expected meeting between the island’s president and the US House speaker Wednesday that will underscore her government’s claim to sovereignty.

President Tsai Ing-wen is finishing a tour of Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic allies in

Latin America, Belize and Guatemala. The most politically sensitive part of her trip will be a meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles while she transits on her way back home.

China views Taiwan as its own territory and treats any dealings between US and Taiwanese officials as a challenge to its sovereignty.

Tsai’s tour is a bid to demonstrate that her government has international support.

Belize and Guatemala are two of just 13

countries that formally recognize Taiwan, a number that has dipped as China has put pressure on and funneled money into isolating the island. Tsai’s Latin American trip comes just a week after Honduras announced it was cutting ties with Taiwan in favor of China, potentially prompted by a $300 million hydroelectric dam project in central Honduras built by a Chinese company.

Last week, and again on Monday, China threatened with countermeasures if Tsai met with McCarthy. The Chinese Consulate in Los

Angeles issued a statement Monday saying it opposed any “any form of contact” between Taiwan authorities and the US.

“The reality and current situation that both sides of the [Taiwan] Strait belong to one China is very clear,” the statement said.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at a daily news briefing Tuesday that China “will closely follow the developments and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it has never been part of China, and that China’s recent criticism has become increasingly “absurd.”

“Taiwan, the Republic of China, is a sovereign country, and has the right to make its own determination in developing relations with other countries in the world,” it said in a statement. “It does not accept interference or suppression by any country for any reason, and will not limit itself because of intimidation

or interference.”

The United States’ longstanding “oneChina” policy acknowledges that the Chinese claim Taiwan as their territory. However, the US does not endorse that claim and remains Taiwan’s most important provider of military hardware and other defense assistance. China has repeatedly asserted its claim to Taiwan, though Taiwan maintains its own democratic system of government since the sides split after a civil war in 1949.

Agriculture/Commodities

Thursday-Friday, April 6-7, 2023

• Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Govt banks on science to tame food inflation

By Raadee S. Sausa @raadeeboy

THE Inter-Agency Committee

on Inflation and Market Outlook (IAC-IMO) said it will rely on science to enable the government to beef up domestic food supply and fight inflation.

Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, co-chair of the IAC-IMO, said the advisory body is in close coordination with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) and the Department of Science and Technology’s Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI).

“ We want to introduce science into decision making and that’s what we’re going to do,” Diokno said.

He noted that there are a number of frameworks and tools that use satellite imagery to analyze the demand and supply of key commodities.

T he first tool is the Philippine Rice Information System (PRiSM), which is an operational system for nationwide rice monitoring that identifies the scale and magnitude of production gaps in rice.

With the use of Earth observation technologies, crop growth sim-

ulation models, and information technology, PRiSM provides timely information on rice area; start of season maps or planting dates; yield estimates, mid-season forecast, and end of season yields; and extent of area affected by flood or drought.

T he project is already institutionalized and housed within the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).

T he second tool is the Project Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry (SARAI) in the Philippines—an action-research program that provides agricultural stakeholders with site-specific advisories to mitigate climate risks.

Project SARAI provides in-season crop forecasts and yield estimates; assessment of droughts and availability of rainfall; and crop advisories on how to maximize crop growth while addressing potential pest or disease problems,” Diokno said.

Finally, the Data Analytics Technologies and Operation Services for Space Data (DATOS) project developed by the DOST-ASTI uses remote sensing, space technology, and data science applications to support critical activities on disaster mitigation,

analysis, and advice.

PhilSA also uses satellites for disaster risk management, defense and security, and planning and econometrics.

We need to increase production domestically and we need to increase

productivity in agriculture because if we compare our agricultural output with other countries, we are way behind,” Diokno said. He said the IAC-IMO will continue to hold technical level meetings throughout April to assess the driv-

ers of food and non-food inflation and recommend policies to mitigate the impact of inflationary pressures.

T he principals-level IAC-IMO is scheduled to meet by end-April, while the first Economic Development Group (EDG) meeting will be

conducted on April 26.

T he creation of the IAC-IMO was approved in a sectoral meeting on March 7 by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as a proactive measure to fight inflation.

It serves as an advisory body to the EDG on measures that will keep inflation, particularly on food and energy, within the government’s target range.

T he committee is in charge of closely monitoring the main drivers of inflation, assessing the supply and demand of essential food commodities, monitoring external and internal shocks, facilitating data-sharing among concerned agencies, and providing timely recommendations to curb price spikes.

It also regularly monitors data such as farmgate, wholesale, and retail prices; volume of local production and area harvested/planted; stocks inventory; sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance issuances and actual import arrivals; geospatial, climate, and satellite data; and damage and losses due to calamities and disasters, which are necessary to assess food prices and the supplydemand situation.

Fish prices will remain stable despite spike in demand–BFAR Capiz cooperative credits growth to LandBank assistance

THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) again assured the public that fish prices for the rest of the Holy Week would remain stable despite the increase in demand.

Based on the latest monitoring report of the attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, BFAR Spokesperson Nazario Briguera said marine commodities, such as galunggong, bangus and tilapia, are “abundant” in retail and wholesale markets in Metro Manila.

Our countrymen who will abstain from eating meat this Holy Week have nothing to worry about because of sufficient fish supply in

our ports and markets,” he said, allaying fears of a supply shortage following the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro.

A predominantly Catholic nation, the Philippines will observe this year’s Holy Week from April 2 to 9, when most Filipinos abstain from eating meat and opt for seafood.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority has showed that fish production in Oriental Mindoro in 2022 was estimated at 3,119 metric tons (MT), which accounted for some 0.07 percent of the country’s overall fish production of 4.33 million MT that year.

W hile BFAR is not downplaying the impact of the unprecedented

oil spill in the country’s marine resources, the agency said it remains confident that other fishing grounds will continue to meet the public demand, the agency official said.

We neither expect a shortage nor a sudden jump in prices of fish on a national scale. Relief and livelihood assistance and various government interventions have been in place to contain the situation in Oriental Mindoro.

The DA-BFAR launched various programs to address the needs of fisherfolk affected by the oil spill,” Briguera said.

B ased on the latest price monitoring of the agency, fish

prices range from P120 to P240 per kilo.

Local fresh galunggong are priced at P140 and P240 per kilo in wholesale and retail markets, respectively. Imported-frozen galunggong costs around P130 per kilo.

Moreover, bangus prices range from P130 to P160 per kilo, while tilapia is priced at P120 to P150.

Price change might be influenced by the source area of the commodity, according to BFAR.

“ The DA-BFAR has been taking measures to ensure fish sufficiency in our country. We are hoping for a solemn and peaceful Holy Week this year,” Briguera said. Raadee S. Sausa

FAO trains spotlight on bioeconomy to meet extra demand for agri goods

THE global demand for food and non-food agricultural projects could increase by up to 56 percent as world population is predicted to grow close to 10 billion people by 2050, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

FA O said a circular and sustainable economy offers systemic solutions to address these challenges. Director-General Qu

Dongyu said bioeconomy is a current FAO strategic priority to reduce waste and pollution, as it values and promotes responsible production and consumption of renewable natural resources, contributing to climate action, biodiversity conservation and

ecosystems restoration.

“ To meet this extra demand for agricultural outputs, including food, fiber, fuel and fodder, in an equitable and sustainable way....

We must produce and consume in a more sustainable and healthier manner, with fewer inputs,” Qu said during a recent high-level event to commemorate the first-ever International Day of Zero Waste.

“ For example, waste and residues along agrifood systems can be turned into beneficial products such as biomaterials, biochemicals, biopharmaceuticals, and bioenergy. In the bioeconomy, there is no such thing as waste.”

FA O estimated that more than 13 percent of global food produc -

tion is lost between the production and wholesale stages of the supply chain. Furthermore, global data indicates that an additional 17 percent is wasted at the retail, food service, and consumer stages. Food quality is also compromised throughout the entire supply chain.

T hese losses occur while over 800 million people are undernourished and almost 3.1 billion cannot afford a healthy diet.

Moreover, food loss and waste contribute to 8 percent to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

T he FAO chief warned the 193 members of the UN General Assembly that wasting food and non-food agricultural products, as well as in-

puts like plastics, puts unnecessary pressure on the environment.

It essentially means that we have wasted land and water resources, we have created pollution and we have emitted greenhouse gases with no purpose.”

Q u urged world leaders to identify the hotspots where losses and waste occur and to urgently address the inefficiencies and inequalities in global agrifood systems to make them more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable.

“Reducing losses and waste will not only contribute to our environment, but increase the availability of fruits and vegetables, and improve access to healthy diets.”

AGRARIAN reform beneficiary (ARB) Evelyn F. Bardies, a mother of four, toils on her awarded land to meet the daily needs of her family. It did not help that she used to rely on local dealers and traders to finance her farm input requirements for corn production.

From the mountain barangay of Agsirab, she needed to travel back and forth to Roxas City to process her loan applications and deal with delayed transactions that unfavorably affected her farm’s overall productivity. Worse, her loans came with a hefty interest rate of 7 percent to 10 percent per month, leaving her with very little profit or sometimes even nothing at all despite all of her hard work.

Mahirap magpabalik-balik sa bayan para makipag-transact sa dealers at traders. ’Yung iba ay hindi ako pinagbibigyan dahil wala silang tiwala, natatakot sila na baka hindi ako makapagbayad. At dahil sa laki ng interes, maliit lang din yung kinikita ko,” Evelyn said.

T he story of Evelyn mirrors the struggles of other ARBs from Barangay Agsirab. This dire situation pushed them to form the Agsirab Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC) in 2009, to pool resources and provide affordable and accessible credit assistance for its members.

T hey initially chipped in P1,000 each and gathered a total of P25,000 in paid-up capital. They persevered to secure all the necessary permits to establish the co-op, and started gaining the trust of other ARBs, including those who previously had bad experiences in joining unsuccessful cooperatives.

Dr iven by persistence and a determined spirit, the Agsirab MPC has grown into a profitable cooperative

with assets reaching over P25 million today. It has likewise expanded its membership to more than 450 ARBs, small-scale farmers, and indigenous people, some from the nearby provinces of Iloilo, Antique and Aklan.

T he Agsirab MPC found a reliable partner in the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) in sustaining and growing its operations. The co-op availed from the bank an initial credit line of P993,000 in 2012, which eventually increased to P30 million at present due to the co-op’s satisfactory repayment record.

Apart from providing loans to its members, the Agsirab MPC has been successful in expanding its services and income-generating portfolio by venturing into farm machinery rental, calabasa pancit production, and bakery business.

“Malaking malaki ang naitulong sa amin ng LandBank. Dahil sa kanila, nakaahon kami sa hirap at nakapagsimula ng maginhawang buhay. Sana hindi sila magsawang magpaabot ng tulong sa aming kooperatiba,” said Evelyn, who now serves as Agsirab MPC chair.

With convenient access to affordable credit and modern equipment, members of the Agsirab MPC now enjoy improved farm productivity and income.

Evelyn shares that the co-op’s members are able to meet the basic needs of their families and regularly provide meals on the table. Most have been able to save for the construction of their own dream houses and purchase of vehicles.

Evelyn herself was able to send her four children to school and give them a comfortable life. She likewise acquired additional agricultural lands and provide employment opportunities for local farmworkers.

Bird flu is so bad that Japan’s running out of land to bury chickens

JAPAN’S worst-ever bird flu outbreak has decimated its poultry flocks and sent egg prices soaring. Now there’s a lack of space to bury dead chickens.

More than 17 million birds have been killed nationwide this season.

The disposal of carcasses must be done properly to prevent spreading the virus or contaminating water supplies. Local governments and farmers say there’s a shortage of suitable land to bury them, national broadcaster NHK reported.

Japan’s case highlights the need for countries to review how they deal with avian influenza, especially as record-breaking death tolls due to the virus are becoming a norm around the world. While outbreaks

have occurred mainly in Europe, the United States and Asia, the disease has spread further to South America in recent months, with Argentina, Uruguay and Bolivia reporting their first cases.

T his is roiling global meat and egg supplies at a time of heightened inflation fears. The outbreak in Japan has forced companies including McDonald’s and 7-Eleven to suspend the sale of egg-related items or increase their prices.

Farmers and authorities usually develop pre-incident plans to manage wastes generated during a bird flu outbreak, including carcasses, manure and personal protective equipment. But the number of chickens to be disposed of has increased beyond

their expectations, NHK said. Some regions are burning the dead chickens if they can get hold of incineration facilities.

Canadian wheat

A DRY spell is parching Canadian farmland when growers most need moisture to plant the wheat and canola crops that help feed the world.

Parts of the Canadian Prairies have experienced the second-driest start to a year in 45 years, said David Streit, senior meteorologist at Commodity Weather Group. Swaths of key spring wheat regions including Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have received less than 60 percent of average precipitation since September 1, according to Canada’s

agriculture ministry. “ It becomes a bit of an art to try and get those seeds at the right depth into the soil because you need to be seeding into moisture to get them to germinate,” said Bill Prybylski, a farmer and vice president at Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan. “If there isn’t good moisture, those tiny plants are quite susceptible to adverse conditions.”

Canada is the world’s top canola grower and a major wheat exporter. Drought fears in Canada come amid continued uncertainty about wheat exports from the Black Sea region and as dry conditions in parts of the US threaten to cut output.

SAMONTE

TIGER WOODS: HOW MUCH LONGER?

A

P

The telco group—through the MVP Sports Foundation (MVPSF)—also invested millions of pesos in developing women’s teams and athletes among them Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, World Cup-bound Filipinas football team, esports champion Smart Omega Empress, ace golfer Rianne Malixi, women badminton players under Smash Pilipinas and professional volleyball team PLDT

High Speed Hitters.

We are very proud of the women athletes in our roster. They have demonstrated their strength, resilience, and determination to win despite the many challenges that they face,” said Jude Turcuato, PLDT and Smart Head of Sports and MVPSF Executive Director.

We want to enable and develop them to reach their fullest potential and represent not only the Group, but the Philippines, in the sports that they compete in,” Turcuato added.

For Smart Omega Empress roamer and team captain Mary “Meraaay” Vivero, the struggle was real when she first entered the male-dominated esports industry.

“ The pressure was immense. While people praised us for being able to go head-to-head against male professional players, people expected a lot from us, especially since we were female players,” Vivero said. “That was why we really pursued to be the best, not only in the female leagues, but also in regular tournaments.”

The 19-year-old esports athlete said that at first, she had a hard time looking for gamers who would take her seriously.

It was hard to look for someone who would play with me outside of my squad. The game styles are different between males and females,” she said. “They also don’t trust me and what I can bring to the game. I was also shy to approach them before. Now, that has changed. We can now play with anybody.”

S he also observed that the industry is slowly accepting women players.

“It takes female players to empower and encourage each other,” she said. “We need to inspire each other, and ensure that we can create a safe and equal space for all, especially to those who want to show their potential as a woman esports athlete.”

P LDT High Speed Hitters open hitter Jules Samonte said that being able to play the sport gives her a great feeling. “ I am very grateful because not everyone gets to be in my position,” Samonte said. “Now that volleyball is so big in this country, there are many fans and supporters, it feels good to play for them.”

Samonte said that she looks up to tennis superstar Serena Williams.

She’s very hardworking, very competitive, and possesses all the traits of a great athlete,” said the 24-year-old Samonte. “Whatever men athletes can do, we can also showcase the same talents with our own strength.”

Supporting women athletes is part of PLDT and Smart’s commitment to help the country attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal # 5: Achieve gender equality and empower women and girls.

Earth Hour Virtual Run on

T

UGUSTA, Georgia— Tiger Woods is back at the Masters, along with his slight limp. It is not every step, every minute. But it is there. And as much hardware as he has in his mended right leg, the limp figures to be with him for as long as he plays the sport he once dominated. A s for how long he keeps playing Augusta National? That’s a little harder to foresee.Masters scouting report.

A nd yet now he gives this Masters a sense of normalcy.

G olf has been consumed with the great divide between the establishment and Saudi-funded LIV Golf, which has 18 players at the Masters who are suspended from playing regular Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour events. There is speculation how players on both sides will get along.

thinks he can find a little magic.

H e has said everywhere he has played over the last year—a total of 11 rounds in four tournaments, one of them a 36-hole exhibition in a cart with his son—that hitting shots isn’t the problem. It’s getting to the next one.

LDT Inc. (PLDT) and its wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) believe that sports contribute to nation-building and the values built by playing sports—sportsmanship, discipline and competitiveness—help Filipinos become better citizens.W oods conceded that each trip to the Masters—at his age (47) and with surgeries on both legs and his back over the last decade—makes him wonder if it’s going to be the last one.

I don’t know how many more I have in me,” Woods said Tuesday. Th is will be his 25th time playing the Masters, and Woods still is surprised there was a 24th. He was still recovering last year from crashing his car off a suburban Los Angeles road at over 85 mph, crushing bones in his right leg so badly he said doctors contemplated amputation.

“ I didn’t know if I was going to play again at that time,” Woods said. “For some reason, everything kind of came together and I pushed it a little bit and I was able to make the cut, which was nice.”

Woods has an enormous presence at Augusta National because of his impact on the game, not to mention the five green jackets he has won, the last one in 2019. A year ago, the internet lit up with aviation tracking sites that followed his flight plan to the club for a pre-

A nd then there is Woods at the Masters. Azaleas and dogwoods are in bloom. Thousands follow him in practice rounds. And Thursday will bring a familiar refrain from the first tee: “Fore please, Tiger Woods driving.”

From there, no one is sure what to expect, Woods included.

He looks good,” said Rory McIlroy, who played Monday with Woods, 63-year-old Fred Couples and 20-year-old Tom Kim. “You know, if he didn’t have to walk up these hills and have all of that, I’d say he’d be one of the favorites. He’s got all of the shots. It’s just that physical limitation of walking 72 holes, especially on a golf course as hilly as this.”

Woods has matured, through time and too many surgeries, from the relentless champion to a guardian willing to pass along some of the local knowledge he picked up as a younger man from Couples and Raymond Floyd, from Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal.

He still wants to compete. There would be no point in staying after the Masters Club dinner Tuesday night if that were not the case. And he still

Pogoy thrilled to get back at Ginebra

F

By Josef Ramos

Governors’ Cup Finals—a raceto-four—starting Easter Sunday.

I’m excited and thrilled to face

OR Roger Pogoy, it’s payback time when his TNT takes on Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the Philippine Basketball AssociationGinebra,” Pogoy, a former Far Eastern University standout, told BusinessMirror Wednesday. “We lost the last time we faced each other, so we’re hoping to get back at them.”

But Pogoy knows the Gin Kings are a tough opponent.

They are more competitive now,” he said.

Ginebra and TNT faced off for the Philippine Cup crown at the Clark bubble in 2020 with the Gin Kings prevailing, 4-1.

Pogoy said that the only way to beat Ginebra is to play solid defense in every possession and in every second.  That’s the only way to neutralize Ginebra and create our chances,” the 30-yearold said. “We have to disrupt their plays each time.

The 6-foot-2 Pogoy averaged 20 points and 4.6 rebounds ahead of the Finals this conference, numbers that complemented the contributions of Mikey Williams, Calvin Oftana, veteran Jayson Castro and allaround  import Rondae HollisJefferson.

Hollis-Jefferson went 40-plus points twice in the semifinals, the last was a 42-point explosion when TNT eliminated Meralco, 107-92, in Game 4 of their series.

T NT will be squaring off with a Ginebra side coming off a semifinals sweep of San Miguel Beer, one that Tropang Giga head coach Jojo Lastimosa said makes them the underdogs.

Yeah, mobility, it’s not where I would like it,” Woods said. “I’ve said to you guys before, I’m very lucky to have this leg—it’s mine. Yes, it has been altered and there’s some hardware in there, but it’s still mine. It has been tough and will always be tough. The ability and endurance of what my leg will do going forward will never be the same. I understand that.

That’s why I can’t prepare and play as many tournaments as I like, but that’s my future, and that’s OK. I’m OK with that.”

Woods found a small victory in just playing last year, and making the cut was a bonus. He has never missed the cut at the Masters as a pro, and that streak is on the line again. Then again, he showed up at Riviera in February for his first PGA Tour event in seven months and played all four rounds.

I think my game is better than it was last year at this particular time,” he said. “I think my endurance is better. But it aches a little bit more than it did last year just because at that particular time when I came back, I really had not pushed it that often. And I had a little window in which I did push it and was able to come back.

I just have to be cognizant of how much I can push it,” he said. “Like Rory was saying, I can hit a lot of

TIGER WOODS concedes that each trip to the Masters—at his age (47) and with surgeries on both legs and his back over the last decade—makes him wonder if it’s going to be the last one. AP

shots but the difficulty for me is going to be the walking going forward. I wish it could be easier.”

So why bother showing up?

Woods long has said there’s no point in showing up if he didn’t think he could win. He teased with a 67 in the third round at Riviera. The shots are still in there. And he knows Augusta National better than any championship course he plays.

H e pointed to Couples, who swings freely and walks casually, and still can hold his own. Couples shares the record with Gary Player for most consecutive cuts made at the Masters with 23. Woods can tie them if he makes it to the weekend.

Woods was asked if he felt the younger players to whom he passes along some of his knowledge perceive him as any kind of a threat. In his 13 PGA Tour events since he won his record-tying 82nd title on the PGA Tour, his best finish is a tie for ninth. That was before the car crash.

Whether I’m a threat to them or not, who knows?” he said. “People probably didn’t think I was a threat in 2019, either, but kind of turned out OK.” AP

HE World Wide Fund for NaturePhilippines (WWF-PH) launched the second phase of the Earth Hour Virtual Run (EHVR) through its continuing partnership with Pinoy Fitness. EHVR supports Earth Hour’s goal of making 2023 a year of change to reach the 2030 nature-positive goal. Earth Hour hopes to inspire and support people to do something positive for the planet, stressing that the commitment and solidarity “should not end in the hour itself but should continue even in their individual daily routines and shaping their actions.”It brings me great joy to witness the fitness community taking actual steps towards playing a more active part in promoting environmental conservation through their involvement in this year’s Earth Hour Virtual Run,” Pinoy Fitness CEO Jeff Lo said. “And as a platform, I am really proud of being the event’s partner.”

Joining a community of more than 3,000 fitness and environmental conservation enthusiasts are Booth and Partners, EPSON, QBE and Sun Life Foundation.

The run, which will support the organization’s environmental conservation efforts across the country, commenced virtually last March 25 and winds up on April 30. Registration ends on April 9. R unners who will complete the 5K, 10K, 20K, 40K or 60K cumulative distance will receive finishers’ kits that include commemorative medals, shirts and caps, plus a chance to win exciting prizes from EHVR raffle partners, including a hotel staycation from The Bellevue Manila, The Bellevue Resort Bohol, B Hotel Quezon City, Sheraton Manila Bay and Red Planet Hotels.

A lso to be raffled off are gift certificates and activewear from Rustan’s and Rustan’s Activewear, SM Cares, limited-edition reusable masks from the WWF x Jim Weaver Designs Wildlife Collection, Spinhawk eyewear from Rudy Project, reusable totes and shirts from WWF x Teetalk Change the Ending and healthy treats from SaladStop!

W WF-Philippines ambassadors Marc Nelson, Rovilson Fernandez, Enzo Pineda and Mikee CojuangcoJaworski have confirmed their participation in the event. More information could be obtained at bit.ly/EHVR2023 or contact donations@wwf.org.ph. Get the latest updates at WWFPhilippines’s official social media pages and wwf.org.ph

Nearly 400 ex-rugby, soccer players file concussion lawsuit

L

ROGER POGOY says its payback time in Governors’ Cup Finals.

But Lastimosa still like their chances. Going into the series, I like my chances, my players are playing well,” he said. “I have Hollis-Jefferson on my side and I’m okay with that.”

Game 1 Sunday starts at 6 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The London-based Rylands Garth firm said Tuesday it would formally start the lawsuit on behalf of 260 rugby union players, 100 rugby league players and 15 soccer players, who say authorities in their sports “were negligent in failing to take reasonable action in order to protect players from

ONDON—The number of former players from rugby union, rugby league and soccer who are taking legal action against sports governing bodies on claims they suffered brain injuries during their careers has grown to nearly 400, a British law firm said Tuesday.permanent injury caused by repetitive concussive and sub-concussive blows.”

The latest high-profile player to join the concussion lawsuit is Dafydd James, a former rugby winger for Wales and the British & Irish Lions who has been diagnosed with early onset dementia and probable CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy).

Former Manchester United defender Colin Gibson is also now among the group after being diagnosed with dementia.

Rugby stars to have previously joined the class action included former internationals Steve

Thompson (England) and Carl Hayman (New Zealand).

“

The players we represent love the games they played,” Rylands Garth said in a statement. “We aim to challenge the current perceptions of the sports governing bodies, to reach a point where they accept the connection between repetitive blows to the head and permanent neurological injury and to take steps to protect players and support those who are injured.”

The 47-year-old James told the BBC he has had mental health issues and is trying to help other people who are suffering.

editorial

Kudos to DOTr and MARINA

ExpERIENcE is the teacher of all things. Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista’s experience in crisis management as former pAL president came in handy when he assumed the post as DOTr chief in June 2022. Among the many challenges he has to face, the threat to the livelihood of more than 400,000 Filipino seafarers needed urgent action. An audit conducted by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) indicated that the philippines has not been complying with international maritime safety standards.

Bautista worked closely behind the scenes with the Maritime Industry Authority, a DOTr attached agency, to adequately address many of EMSA’s findings. The transport chief noted MARINA’s relentless efforts with other stakeholders to address the findings in the EMSA final inspection and the European Commission’s assessment report. These efforts to upgrade our seafarer training to comply with global regulations also served to accelerate reforms in the country’s maritime sector, which became the foundation for the country’s updated maritime blueprint.

The hard work paid a handsome dividend in the form of a positive decision by the European Commission. Bautista never expected to be the one to deliver the good news to the manning sector that the EC decided to continue accepting Philippine maritime training certificates, thus securing the jobs of all Filipino seafarers working in EU-flagged vessels.

“We are deeply elated by this decision, confirming we have adequately addressed many of the findings of the European Maritime Safety Agency. This milestone development in the Philippine maritime industry augurs well for the future of Filipino seafarers who comprise the world’s largest maritime labor,” Bautista said.

The transport chief also thanked EC’s offer of technical assistance to further improve the implementation and oversight of minimum education, training and certification requirements as well as the living and working conditions of Filipino seafarers.

Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople commended the DOTr secretary for his work towards accelerating reforms in the maritime sector. She said the decision of the European Union to continually recognize certificates issued by the Philippines to seamen averted a crisis that could lead to the loss of jobs of 50,000 Filipino seafarers. “With this decision, a crisis of monumental proportions has just been averted,” Ople said.

The EC Directorate for Mobility and Transport has listed the areas that the Philippines still need to improve on: Monitoring, supervision and evaluation of training and assessment; Examination and assessment of competence; Program and course design and approval; Availability and use of training facilities and simulators; On-board training; and Issue, revalidation and registration of certificates and endorsements. Of these six areas of deficiencies, the EC said monitoring, supervision and evaluation of training and assessment is the “most critical.”

In the global seafaring industry, Filipinos are the most preferred workers because of our innate character, good training, English proficiency, and ability to easily adapt and learn. Our seafarers contribute an average of P376.12 billion a year to the Philippine economy. But we can only preserve our position as manning capital of the world by steadily producing world-class and globally competitive seafarers. Let’s show the world that the Philippines can meet and comply with its international commitments. The best way to do this is to leave no doubt that we have completely and satisfactorily addressed all the hanging issues raised by the EC.

BusinessMirror

Death of the dollar?

John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

ThE excitement and jubilation about all the trade agreements being formed with china that signal the long awaited “Death of the Dollar” once again shows the need to see things in historical perspective to understand the “why.”

While I sincerely hope that world leaders are not lizard-people in human form, the world is being moved by commanding forces unknown and unseen by the average person.

From the Federal Reserve: “The Bretton Woods Agreement was negotiated in July 1944 by delegates from 44 countries at the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference held in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. Under the Bretton Woods System, gold was the basis for the US dollar and other currencies were pegged to the US dollar’s value.

The Bretton Woods System effectively came to an end in the 1971 when President Nixon announced that “the US would no longer exchange gold for US currency.”

Those 80 words explain everything that is happening today. Here is the “why.”

On June 6, 1944, D-Day, the allies landed on the beaches of Normandy. The Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 19–20, 1944) eliminated the Japanese Navy’s ability for car-

The renminbi is now used to settle 18 percent of China’s total trade, from 3 percent in 2010. But it is not only the RMB that is loosening the dollar’s grip on trade. March 31, 2023: “India uses rupees rather than US dollars for international trade—18 countries agree to trade in INR. The countries include Germany, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.”

rier actions. On June 22, the Soviets launched an offensive in Belarus almost completely destroying the German Army Group Centre that had invaded the USSR. By the time the Bretton Woods Conference began on July 1, 1944 with 730 delegates from all 44 allied nations, World War Two was effectively concluded.

Note this. The US, which controlled two-thirds of the world’s gold, insisted that the Bretton Woods system rest on both gold and the US dollar. “Without us, you would all be speaking German or Japanese. We won the war. We hold the gold. You will now use the American Dollar.”

Note also of incredible significance, the USSR attended the conference but declined to ratify the agreements, charging that the institutions created at Bretton Woods (the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank) were “branches of Wall Street.”

Eventually, those 44 nations— minus the USSR—had figured out how to take advantage of Bretton

Woods by ignoring and breaking their currencies’ exchange rate peg to the dollar and were draining the US gold supply. August 15, 1971: “President Nixon announced that the US would no longer convert dollars to gold at a fixed value, thus completely abandoning the gold standard”.

August 16, 1971: The World to the USA: “Well then, we don’t need your damned dollar anymore. Bite me.”

June 8, 1974: “The US and Saudi Arabia today signed a wide ‐ranging military and economic agreement. Saudi Arabia agreed to utilize US dollars for all oil purchases.” USA to The World: “Guess you need our dollars now, Bitches.” Is it a coincidence that three months earlier in March, the Saudi/Opec oil embargo placed in October 1972, quadrupling oil prices, had ended? The warmongering—militarily and economically—“Neocons” in Washington D.C. have never forgiven the Russkies for saying “Nyet” to Bretton Woods.

About 1980, China’s manufacturing started taking off, and eventually became the “drug dealer” to the US, the drugs being furniture, clothes, toys, computers, and genuine drugs like vitamin C and now fentanyl. But the one thing that a drug dealer hates is when its biggest buyer runs out of money and even has trouble “stealing” and borrowing to pay for the habit. Eventually, you have to cut the addict off and look for new customers.

China has now signed 41 currency-swap agreements including with the European Union and 22 members of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Offshore yuan markets are functioning in Singapore, London, Paris, and Luxembourg, among other cities.

The renminbi is now used to settle 18 percent of China’s total trade, from 3 percent in 2010. But it is not only the RMB that is loosening the dollar’s grip on trade. March 31, 2023: “India uses rupees rather than US dollars for international trade—18 countries agree to trade in INR. The countries include Germany, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.”

“The US dollar” might do well to remember this from Ernest Hemingway in his 1926 novel “The Sun Also Rises.” “How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked. “Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually, and then suddenly.”

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis provided by AAA Southeast Equities Inc.

Giving care and hope to people with cancer

Sonny M. angara

BETTEr DayS

cANcER continues to be among the leading causes of death in the philippines. Based on preliminary data provided by the philippine Statistics Authority, cancer was the third leading cause of death among Filipinos from January to May of 2022—representing a 9.8 percent share just behind ischaemic heart diseases (18.6%) and cerebrovascular diseases (10.4%). The philippine data is not far off from the global average. According to the World health Organization (WhO), noncommunicable diseases (NcDs) kill 41 million people every year. cardiovascular diseases account for most of the NcD deaths or 17.9 million people annually, followed by cancers at 9.3 million people, and chronic respiratory diseases at 4.1 million people.

In its 2020 cancer country profile on the Philippines, the WHO pegged the total number of cancer cases at 141,021, using 2018 data. A total of 86,337 cancer-related deaths were also registered in 2018. Based on 2016 data, the WHO noted that there

In its 2020 cancer country profile on the Philippines, the WHO pegged the total number of cancer cases at 141,021, using 2018 data. A total of 86,337 cancer-related deaths were also registered in 2018. Based on 2016 data, the WHO noted that there were 245,612 premature deaths from NCDs in the Philippines, of which 18.2 percent were caused by cancer.

were 245,612 premature deaths from NCDs in the Philippines, of which 18.2 percent were caused by cancer.

Dr. Jorge Ignacio, who chairs the Cancer Institute of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), said that the state-run facility is “bracing for

the worst” in the next two to three years for an influx of cancer patients seeking treatment. Dr. Ignacio explained that cancer patients who were sidelined during the pandemic have started to come out again to resume their treatments. He said these delays in their treatments have caused malignancies in some patients to worsen.

Dr. Ignacio said 75 percent of cancer cases at the PGH are already “advanced,” up from the pre-pandemic average of 60 percent. He said the

construction of the P6 billion cancer center would help a lot in accommodating more cancer patients and decongest the PGH as a whole. The existing Cancer Institute of PGH could no longer handle the large number of cases so the new cancer center would go a long way in providing better services to the public it serves.

The establishment of the new cancer center is provided for under Republic Act 11215 or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act, which we co-authored and co-sponsored during the 17th Congress. It will be under the control and supervision of the Department of Health and will provide a wide range of services including the treatment of patients with cancer; conducting research on cancer prevention and care; provide training for medical professionals, health officers and social workers; and assisting universities, hospitals and research institutions in their studies of cellular anomalies.

As the chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Finance, we have also ensured that there is funding for

Pag-IBIG and penitence for MSMEs The triumphant folk in Holy Week

Tito Genova Valiente

ANNOTATIONs

I know there is an Other in the shadows, Whose fate it is to wear out the long solitudes Which weave and unweave this Hades And to long for my blood and devour my death.

The Labyrinth by Jorge Luis Borges

Lenten Season, yes!  It’s the Holy Week now for the Christians in this world.  We might as well dwell on that in time and relate such “sacred” week to what we believed is related or relevant to the times for all intents and purposes.

I refer to the MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) that most of us, if not all, know comprise 99.5 percent of the country’s business enterprises. If anybody has a notion that it is the huge business empires of the Villars, Ayalas, Tans, Gokongweis, Razons and Sys, that is absolutely wrong. The taipan is a minute or a mere .5 percent of the entire commercial and trade organizations operating end-toend across the Philippine archipelago or shall we say from Mavulis Island (Batanes province) to Pagasa Islands in the South.

Perhaps, if we include the underground businesses that you see in your neighborhood or anywhere you go, the share of big business could be less than .5 percent as we stated herein above. Don’t get me wrong folks, it’s not because The Bridge doesn’t mean that the taipans’ empire has less relevance in terms of providing employment and the taxes contributed by them to the national coffers.

We hear from all, especially from our legislators, repeatedly, chronically, on the importance of MSMEs to our people and the economy. However it’s like simply stereotype statements coming from so many officials of the land, the senators (The Bridge will identify next time these legislators) who decide on how much funds go to this and that department, agency and some GOCCs.

Their statements appear to be mainly for propaganda mileage or self-interests to generate favor every election that comes. They say this but do the other thing. Grrr.

At the Senate, while the Lower House voted without opposition to the P10-billion budget for SB Corporation, the amount was slashed to P7.5 billion under the Committee chaired by neophyte Sen. Mark Villar. We don’t know why he allowed that. Either he is too compromising for some consideration/s, isn’t supportive of MSMEs or is weak.

Do our senators really support the MSMEs as they keep mouthing it? That’s the question now presented, which they must answer in concrete terms.

Angara . . .

continued from A14

programs and projects to help our people who are afflicted with cancer, particularly those who cannot afford the expensive treatments.

Under the 2020 General Appropriations Act (GAA), a total of P183.96 million was earmarked for NCDs as a whole. The following year, the amount was increased to P771.3 million—taking into account the passage of RA 11215, specifically the implementation of the National Integrated Cancer Control Program.

In 2022, the budget for cancer reached P1.7 billion in anticipation of the increase in the number of cancer patients who would seek treatment after the pandemic. For this year, the GAA contained a total of P1.56 billion. Close to P1.1 billion of this amount would go to cancer prevention, detection, treatment and care. In the special provision we introduced in the 2023 GAA, we specified that the said budget

We hear from all, especially from our legislators, repeatedly, chronically, on the importance of MSMEs to our people and the economy. However it’s like simply stereotype statements coming from so many officials of the land, the senators (The Bridge will identify next time these legislators) who decide on how much funds go to this and that department, agency and some GOCCs.

Meantime, we strongly demand penitence by our senators, who deprived the MSMEs of vital funds—which is a denial of the opportunity to survive, restart a business and grow to steadfastly contribute to the economic progress of our people.

We will continue to dwell on this subject later. It’s penitence time and we hope that our senators will do exactly what they mouth and be remorseful, for our micro, small and medium enterprises nationwide.

Now, PAGIBIG is an ideal topic this week because the housing agency is able to show love and care for our homeless people, for families whose dream is having a roof over their heads of their own.

I refer to Pag-IBIG Fund, the housing agency, which was able to assist no less than 105,212 families secure new homes from its housing loan program. In terms of funding, the amount released for the new houses reached P117.85 billion. That’s huge, although more should have been in place if the complaints regarding too tedious and bureaucratic processes aren’t valid.

Pag-IBIG Fund was able to aid some 2.6 million individuals who applied for short-term loans because as we all know, we have been hit with several typhoons in the previous years.

The Bridge commends Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Acuzar and his CEO Manang Malen Acosta for a good job done.

will be used exclusively for the procurement and delivery of cancer, supportive care and palliative care medicines covering the eight treatable cancer types. Another special provision that we put in the GAA was for the allocation of P500 million to shoulder the cost of cancer prevention, detection, treatment and its care-related components, including the diagnostics and laboratories needed by cancer patients. These are but just small initiatives that we in Congress have introduced over the years, working on limited resources, to help our kababayans who are afflicted with cancer. We have yet to see the day when a cure is found to end cancer, but until that day arrives, rest assured we will continue to look for ways to bring hope to cancer patients and their loved ones.

Senator Sonny Angara has been in public service for 18 years—9 years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and 9 as Senator. He has authored, co-authored, and sponsored more than 330 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.

In the Roman Catholic calendar, Jesus Christ enters Jerusalem on a Sunday, welcomed furiously by people, waving palms to greet him not only with promised hospitality but also admiration, respect, and belief. A week after that, Christ is crucified possibly by the same community that has obsessed over him for days. this tragic ending does not diminish the fact that something so egregiously enchanting takes place in this country to commemorate the entry of Christ into his destiny.

Outside churches and around the patios, men and women labor overnight to produce the daintiest and softest curves from the coconut palms, buri, century plant and even oliva, inserting ribbons to produce materials to wave at an unseen divinity, as this country enters a week of feasting, singing, wailing, believing. In between these, there could be humans appropriating the most important performance for the greatest drama sanctioned by the Christian church—the crucifixion and death of the Savior.

The Saturday before the Palm Sunday of this year, I was traveling with friends, on our way back to Bikol, our region from Manila. That journey brought us through two of our greatest Tagalog neighbors, Laguna and Quezon provinces. Time allowed us to visit some churches along the way. Looking relatively untouched, some of these structures, like the ones in Liliw, Majayjay and Tayabas, were gallant outposts of histories.

In their isolation, we wondered about the wisdom of putting up a center of conversion in what could have been sites surrounded by mountains and forests in the 16th century, as the case may be. How did these centers of faith accumulate the treasures of art most of which are still propped up there on

their main altars? What impositions of laws were summoned to urge the people to be the new faithful? How did the “heathens” survive the withering gaze of the white gods installed, and whose sacrality was backed by military might?

Colonization had the scent of

church authority but for this week, the folk and their ways have taken over.

Beginning with the palms and down to the sacred oils turned more potent because they have been placed near or around the Dead Christ, different, or alternative, notions of life and life over death are operative during the Holy Week.

Think of the physical changes effected by the churches as Christ and all His symbolic force are staged for us. In the same churches I mentioned and all the churches around the country, the saints and other divine figures, including the old paintings depicting scenes from the Bible, were all draped in purple pieces of cloth. Strangely enough, except for Liliw, which managed to enchant us with the splendor of its retablo, the pasos, as we call these statues, ensconced in their respective niches, towering over the living and the dead (every time we entered a church, a funeral was underway), teaching lessons in majesty and morality. Did the friars coming with the conquerors immediately perceive the physicality and sensuality of our ancestors?

The Holy Week is about the Pas-

surplus at the end of long labor in the field, the unpredictability of the weather, the poverty and struggles. Then came the patron saints who protected the land from pestilence and, when the conditions were good, even from the landowners. Then came the power of prayers and songs. There were rituals in the church but the priest was a grand monopolizer. The people were relegated to the short responses. There was the language—different and difficult. Incomprehensible. The old men and women sensed the secret of this language. Let us steal the language. Or, even just a line or a word. Let us have our own songs. Let us produce our own lament. Nowhere is the ownership of this new religion more apparent than in the Pasyon. Books and papers have already been written about the Pasyon and how this compendium of verses sung by the common people had propelled the revolution or inspired the subversion of the Filipinos. But let us not forget one thing: the Pasyon has a melody, a rhythm and emotions. In Tayabas, we entered the church as a man on the altar, like a priest, announced the singing of the Pasyon. A recorded accompaniment played and a plaintive, danzalike melody floated above the carrozas being decked for the procession. It was, however, unlike the Pasyon in Bikol, with singers trained to deliver wailings, the “naay-naay” after some lines more opportunities for soloists to exult in a tragic loss that has nothing to do anymore with the death of Jesus on the Cross, but both personal and collective memories of grief over what the family or community had undergone for years.

easy sweetness in those churches we visited; conquest appeared easy, like the summer whose heat was now bearing upon our backs that day before the official start of the holiest of weeks.

The priests have remained the

sion, Suffering, and Death of Christ.

Next to the myth of the Birth of a God, the Death of a God must have been a terrific tale for our ancestors. It was a wondrous cycle attuned to the harvest of rice, the tilling of the fields, the hit-or-miss bounty, the

PHL’s tough choice: AUKUS or BRICS?

LITO GAGNI

WItH the world’s banking system on edge with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and that of Credit Suisse, and the geopolitical crisis playing out in the taiwan Strait, the Philippines faces a tough choice. Should it join BRICS, the emerging economic powerhouse or that of AUKUS? Will it thump with Australia, UK and the US the drums of war or embrace the potential of a new economic bloc.

This tough choice that the Philippines faces arises from the rising rhetoric in the West Philippine Sea as well as so-called incursions in the Taiwan Strait that now occupies the broadsheets of the West and the upcoming metamorphosis in the global arena with the combined powerhouse that is Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, whose aggregate trade figures surpass that of the G-7 countries—namely, Canada, Italy, France UK, Germany, Japan and the US.

The BRICS group now has wouldbe entrants Argentina and Iran, both of which applied to join the organization on June 27, 2022 and more countries are seen adding muscle to the new economic bloc. The Philippines has not yet indicated its intention and it may miss the boat towards the economic “stimulus” engendered by being part of BRICS.

In a recent forum organized by Kamuning Bakery, Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian told me that China is ready to buy all the fruits that the Filipino farmers can produce and that now includes durian, not just mangoes and bananas. That will mean huge economic benefits for the farmers in Mindanao, for starters and that is just China of the BRICS grouping.

Online, vlogs made for the season are about Pasyon in homes and villages. Imagine how the composers of these relentless sorrows may have responded to what the church was introducing them to. Those chants must have sounded cold; thus, during the Holy Week, people resurrect their own hymn, select the heart needed to address redemption, a sign of how everything cannot be vanquished by colonization.

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

trillion versus $44 trillion. There is so much benefit for the country just by being a member of the new economic powerhouse. Actually, China alone can give the Philippines the kind of growth that it needs to be able to service its P12 trillion gargantuan debt following the Covid pandemic.

In the case of the AUKUS, there is now talk of having an AUKUS Plus with Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and the Philippines. Here, it is worth noting the pronouncement from the DFA on AUKUS where the agency cited the support for “deeper regional cooperation and sustained economic vitality and resilience, which are essential to our national development and to the security of the region.”

DFA’s take that AUKUS will mean economic vigor for the country, however, misses a key point: the huge nuclear submarine deal that Australia made with the US that even went so far as to rescind its previous contract with France. The submarines do not engender economic growth, but frown on the peace dividends that accrue with war materiel being converted into plowshares of agrigrowth.

With BRICS though, the country can immediately have low-priced energy, agriculture inputs and even increased trade and thus benefit from a lower inflation rate. After all, the reason for the rise in prices of commodities and services arose from the uptick in the price of oil.

Aside from this, increased tourist arrivals will come easy with the BRICS membership, especially with China telling its citizens to go explore the Philippines. This also goes true with that of Russia, which has economically grown after the Berlin Wall collapse.

The future for the Philippines lies in BRICS, the economic bloc seen surpassing that of the US and the European Community. The aggregate value of goods and services produced by the BRICS countries exceed that of the G-7. In 2021, the GDP of the BRICS countries at purchasing power parity surpassed the combined GDP of the G-7 at $46

In a recent forum organized by Kamuning Bakery, Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian told me that China is ready to buy all the fruits that the Filipino farmers can produce and that now includes durian, not just mangoes and bananas. That will mean huge economic benefits for the farmers in Mindanao, for starters and that is just China of the BRICS grouping.

In the case of Russia, it can sell lower-priced natural gas to the Philippines, especially with the looming depletion of the Malampaya gas field. Aside from this, Russian wheat will mean lower bread prices, and affordable fertilizers will mean increased agricultural productivity at less cost.

India can help us by bringing in lower-cost medicines while Brazil will be able to supply us with affordable beef. And with Iran coming in, that means low-priced gasoline that can be done on a government-togovernment accord.

With these economic realities, hopefully, the Philippines will embark on a journey of cooperation, a meaningful economic link-up with BRICS and jettisoning its bias towards AUKUS. Peace, after all, calms empty stomachs.

A16 Thursday-Friday, April 6-7, 2023

PHL could see unsustainable debt levels with climate risk

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE Philippines is among those that could see unsustainable debt levels due to climate change, according to the latest report released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Unescap).

B ased on the latest Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2023: Rethinking Public Debt for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UN agency said the average government debt level in the Asia-Pacific region is at an 18-year high.

T he report said climate risks are threatening the sustainability of public debt in many developing countries, especially those that are vulnerable to climate change, such as the Philippines.

A higher debt level does not necessarily mean a higher risk of debt distress,” said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Ex-

ecutive Secretary of Unescap, in a statement.

“

Nor is higher debt necessarily detrimental to economic growth.

Rather, deploying public debt as an investment in people and the planet offers sizable medium- and long-term economic, social and environmental returns,” she added.

C iting another study, Unescap said the exposure to climate risk has an impact on the borrowing costs of sovereigns.

T he study estimated that countries vulnerable to climate could see a climate-related premium of 275 basis points on their sovereign debts.

T he study defined that this high-risk group comprises India,

Indonesia, Japan, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam.

T he premium for high-risk countries is much higher than the 113 basis point premium for other emerging economies and 155 basis point premium for ASEAN countries in general.

These findings support the need for policy measures to increase the fiscal space of climate-vulnerable economies, enabling them to finance the most pressing adaptation expenditure through a mix of debt and non-debt financing flows,” the report stated.

Based on the Unescap data, using 2021 data, the Philippines’s gross public debt accounted for 59.95 percent of the country’s GDP.

T his is composed of external debt, which accounts for 15.04 percent of GDP, and domestic debt at 41.91 percent of the country’s GDP.

Unescap said the higher share in GDP of domestic debt in the Philippines is common for ASEAN countries, especially after the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

T he report said debt securities account for more than 90 percent of total domestic government debt in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philip -

JOB CREATION, SECURITY PEZA HEAD’S KEY FOCUS

By Andrea E. San Juan

pines and Thailand.

In order to address these debts and finance climate change as well as SDG needs, Unescap said countries like the Philippines must broaden the tax base and undertake improvements in tax administration.

Unescap also said opportunities to raise financing through the introduction of progressive direct taxes could help finance climate change adaptation and mitigation as well as the achievement of the SDGs.

The Survey proposes an innovative approach to public debt sustainability analysis that augments the conventional short- to medium-term methodologies of international financial institutions and credit rating agencies. This approach considers a country’s SDG financing needs and strategies along with the Governments’ structural development policies,” Unescap said in a statement.

Unescap also said it may also be time for international financial institutions and credit rating agencies to consider the positive long-term economic, social and environmental outcomes of investing in the SDGs in their assessments of public debt sustainability.

Continued on A5

JOB creation and job security will be the main focus under his watch in attracting foreign investments and locators, according to Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) Director General Tereso O. Panga.

A ccording to the investment promotion agency, the foreign investments and locators should have an “immediate impact” on Filipino lives in the areas where they are located.

Peza also noted that economic zones have been a hub for job creation in the regions.

“ The creation of jobs locally opens many opportunities for the [local government units]

LGUs and its communities like higher revenues for the LGUs and skills training for the youth and new graduates in the community,” Panga said in a speech on Monday, adding that Peza will be committed to “actively pursue” these as part of the agency’s efforts in nation building.

To carry this out, Panga said, Peza will enter into partnerships with its locators and industry associations such as the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IB -

PAP), which he said has focused on creating “secured” jobs that spur economic growth.

I n fact, he said, “We can achieve IBPAP’s admirable goal of hiring 1 million of our kababayans by 2028.”

F urther, the PEZA chief said, the investment promotion agency is working closely with the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (Seipi) in “preparing human capital readiness for advanced manufacturing and Industry 4.0 and with [Philippine Ecozones Association] Philea in developing world-class and environmentfriendly economic zones in rural and new growth areas to spur countryside development.”

A part from job creation, Panga said the agency is committed to pursue other top priorities like creating new types of special economic zones.

T he Peza chief said it will include “new modes incorporating townships, such as the Agro-Forestry Ecozone; Aquamarine Park; Defense Industrial Complex; Halal Hubs, Knowledge, Innovation Science and Technology (KIST), Renewable Energy Ecozone, and Pharma Park among others.”

Workers to stick with wage-hike bids despite ‘cooling’ of inflation

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

DESPITE the further “cooling” of inflation to 7.6 percent last month, workers are likely to keep the existing amounts of their minimum wage petitions, according to labor groups.

I n an SMS, Nagkaisa labor coalition chair and Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President Sonny Matula noted some of the petitions have already been filed and are now pending with the concerned regional wage boards.

A mong the pending wage petitions was the P100 wage hike filed by the Kapatiran ng mga Unyon at Samahang Manggagawa (Kapatiran) and the request of the Unity for Wage Increase Now! (U4WIN) to raise the existing minimum wage in Metro Manila to P1,141. Both were filed before the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards-National Capital Region (RTWPB-NCR).

Matula said he supports retaining the said amounts since “inflation already eroded the value of the wages of workers for several months.”

It was also echoed by Partido Manggagawa chair Renato Magtubo, who said the eased inflation

figure does not ease the “burden of high prices of basic goods and services.”

As such, there is an urgent need for the wage boards or Congress to address the demand for wage increase,” Magtubo said.

O n Wednesday, state statistician reported inflation slowed to 7.6 percent last month from 8.6 percent last month.

External factors

IBON Executive Director Jose Enrique “Sonny” A. Africa said the prices of basic goods remain high even with the recently reported slowdown in inflation rate.

“ While headline inflation slowed a little, core inflation excluding food and energy items still went up to 8.1 percent, which points to how many basic consumption items will likely still be expensive even after further moderation in more volatile food and energy prices,” Africa said.

He also said the persistence of “global uncertainty” will keep the country’s inflation elevated “for a few more months.”

The moderation in inflation is really most of all due to external factors and not from any real ef -

fort by the Marcos Jr. administration—global oil, food and fertilizer prices started falling in the second semester and we’re really just feeling the effects of these domestically,” Africa said.

Productivity

For his part, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) Secretary General Josua Mata pointed out the wage petitions are based not only on the existing inflation rates, but also the need for proper compensation of workers for their productivity.

C iting government data, the labor leader said from 2016 to 2018,  productivity was over 4 percent, while real wage growth dipped to a low of less than 2 percent during the said period.  R eal wage is the value of nominal wages adjusted for inflation or consumer price index.  “

Let’s not forget that the country’s wages have been lagging behind labor productivity for quite some time now. As such, wages would still have to be adjusted,” Mata said.

What we are asking for is not just wage recovery, we do need to have a real wage increase,” he added.

DOLE: Use flexible work setup to cut heat risks

AS temperatures rise to dangerous levels with the upcoming summer season, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) urged employers to consider flexible work arrangements (FWA) to reduce the risk of heat stroke among their employees.

L abor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma issued the advice after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned last week the soaring heat index nationwide can cause harmful effects to the body such as fatigue, cramps, exhaustion and stroke.

PAGASA noted it was able to register its most recent highest heat index in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, where temperatures reached

a blistering 47 degrees Celsius last March 25.

“

The employers and the workers may agree to adopt a flexible work arrangement to limit exposure to extreme heat and strenuous activities, by adjusting the work hours, while maintaining the total number of work hours within the day or the week until such time that the weather condition has improved,” Laguesma said in his Labor Advisory (LA) No.

8 series of 2023.

A side from FWA, the labor chief also recommended these measures to reduce extreme heat exposure for employees: implementation of effective ventilation and heat insulation in workplaces; adjustment rest breaks or work locations to allow recovery from heat exposure; allowing

the use of temperature-appropriate uniforms and personal protective equipment; and providing access to free drinking water in workplaces.  He said companies should also consider establishing procedures and information networks to address heat-related emergencies.

“In coordination with the Regional Extension Units of the Occupational Safety and Health Center, the DOLE Regional Offices shall provide employers and workers technical assistance in the review and development of appropriate safety and health measures to prevent and control heat stress at the workplace,” Laguesma said.   L A 8, which was signed by Laguesma last Wednesday, will only apply to private sector workers and employers only. S amuel P. Medenilla

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Companies

Thursday-Friday, April 6-7, 2023

Jollibee to acquire majority stake in HK franchise holder

By VG Cabuag @villygc

Golden Plate Pte. Ltd., a s i ngapore-based wholly owned subsidiary of Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd., will acquire shares from the shareholders of Meko for a total of 60 percent ownership equivalent to $16.08 million, subject to adjustments.

t he remaining 40 percent will continue to be owned by the cur-

rent shareholders of Meko, the company said.

t he share purchase agreement and shareholders’ agreement are expected to be signed by the parties on april 5, 2023, subject to fulfillment of agreed closing conditions,” Jollibee said in its disclosure.

“Hong Kong is an important market for Jollibee and an important part

of JFC China’s strategy to elevate the Jollibee brand in a general population or mainstream market. Hong Kong is renowned for its relationship with a vast variety of food and attracts both a strong base of local consumers and tourists.”

at the end of February, the company operated 6,506 stores worldwide, about half in the Philippines at 3,281 and the other half international at 3,225). it has 501 stores in China, 385 in North a merica, 640 with superFoods mainly in Vietnam, 1,079 with t he Coffee Bean & tea Leaf (CBt L) and 287 with Milksha. its largest brands by store outlets worldwide are Jollibee with 1,594; CBt L , 1,079; Chowking, 613; Mang inasal, 571; and Highlands Coffee, 610.

Jollibee said its net income last year hit P7.55 billion, a 26-percent rise from the previous year’s P5.5

billion, despite weaker fourth quarter profits.

For the fourth quarter of 2022 alone, however, its income plunged by 90 percent to P320 million from the previous year’s P3.28 billion due to due to provisions to curtail non-priority brands and increased spending.

Consolidated revenues grew by 36 percent for the quarter to P61.54 billion from P45 billion in the previous year and 38 percent for the entire 2022 to P211.9 billion from P153.57 billion in the previous year.

systemwide sales, a measure of all sales to consumers, both from company owned and franchised stores, grew by 38 percent in the fourth quarter to P85.94 billion from the previous P62.03 billion. For the entire 2022, its systemwide sales grew 40 percent to P296.82 billion from the previous P211.71 billion.

Vista Land secures note facility

Vista Land and Lifescapes inc., the listed property development arm of the Villar Group, has obtained a three-year corporate note facility of up to P10 billion. in its disclosure to the stock exchange, Vista Land said it has made an initial drawdown of P6 billion at a fixed rate of 7.6139 percent per annum.

BDO Capital and investment Corp., China Bank Capital Corp. and sB Capital investment Corp. were picked as lead arrangers and bookrunners, while China Banking Corp.’s trust and asset management group was tapped as facility agent.

Brittany Corp., Crown a sia Properties inc., Camella Homes inc., Communities Philippines inc., Vista Residences inc. and Vistamalls inc. were its subsidiary guarantors.

t h e proceeds of the corporate notes facility will be used to refinance existing or maturing obligations and for other general corporate purposes,” the company said.

in February, Vista Land raised an additional P2.9 billion in three-year debt, which is part of the P12 billion in three-year corporate note facility it earlier obtained. t he paper fetched an annual yield of 7.2595 percent, maturing in December 26, 2025.

Vista Land earlier said it had a net

income P6.68 billion in the nine months of 2022, a 12-percent increase from the previous year’s P5.98 billion.

For the period, the company has launched 12 projects with an estimated value of about P21.8 billion. included in the projects launched are one Crown asia project, five Camella projects and six Vista Estates projects namely, a spen in sa n Jose del Monte, Bulacan; Vidarte in a ntipolo, Rizal; st anza in ta nza, Cavite; Praverde in Dasmarinas, Cavite; a l legria in General tr ias, Cavite; and North Commons in Caloocan City. t he project value to date now doubles the full year 2021 level.

“Over the last two years we have revisited our reserved lands and we were able to initially identify over 60 potential Vista Estate projects across the country. We remain optimistic with the industry with the strong GDP growth recently announced coupled with sustained overseas Filipino remittance and revenge spending from consumers. Our aim is to maximize our existing land to its best use,” said Manuel B. Villar Jr., Vista Land chairman. VG Cabuag

Foodpanda ties up with co-op

FOODPa N Da said it has partnered with Online Food Vendors Marketing Cooperative (OFVMC) to boost the assistance provided to Filipino entrepreneurs so they can gain a wider audience in the online marketplace.

Foodpanda Philippines Finance Director Leopoldo De Castro Jr. said platforms like Foodpanda enable micro, small, and medium enterprises (M s M Es) to achieve sustainable growth by having a wider reach while making their operations more efficient.

“Even beyond the new normal, there are still plenty of benefits that M s M Es can enjoy by getting access to digital platforms, including increased productivity, improved profitability, and reduced operational costs,” De Castro said in a statement. However, he said transitioning to digital platforms might be challenging for these small merchants. De Castro said Foodpanda and

OFVMC will help the M s M Es navigate through the transition.

“For businesses which are just start-ups, joining the cooperative will encourage member contribution and shared responsibility, not to mention the opportunity to earn interest in their share capital and expand their network in the industry as businesses.”

Republic a c t 9520, also known as the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008, noted that the creation and formation of cooperatives will promote the attainment of economic development.

While different types of cooperatives exist in the country, Foodpanda said OFVMC focuses on online food vendors.

“ i t s goal is to assist micro and small entrepreneurs seeking to reach a wider market while offering educational seminars beneficial to running their business operations and other privileges given to official members.”

B1

Meralco biz centers closed until April 10

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

THE business centers of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will be closed from april 6 to 10, but the utility firm assured its 7.6 million customers of continuous and stable electricity service during the long Holy Week break.

Meralco said its personnel will be ready 24/7 to attend to electricityrelated customer concerns.

“We are one with the nation in observing a solemn and safe Holy Week and we would like to assure our customers that Meralco personnel will remain on standby to respond to concerns and emergencies,”

Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga said.

“We also continue to remind our customers and the public to practice electrical safety and energy efficiency.” Meralco said consumers must turn off appliances especially when going away for several days. For short two-day trips however, it’s best to keep refrigerators running instead of turning these off as it is 12 percent more cost-efficient.

t he company reminded those staying at home for the long holiday break to refrain from using “octopus

connections” or plugging in extension cords into a single power outlet as this could overheat and result in fire and other accidents. Electrical wires and cords should always be organized, tucked, or stored away. avoid placing and running electrical cords under rugs or carpets as constantly walking on these could damage the insulation of the wires.”

With the Holy Week break coinciding with the dry months, Meralco urged its customers to continue practicing energy efficiency to help manage their consumption, which historically increases by 10 to 40 percent during the hot dry season. Customers can better save on electricity consumption when energy efficiency practices are done right. For example, keeping the air conditioning unit (aCU) on when leaving the house for only an hour is 17 percent more cost-efficient than turning it off since the aCU compressor would need to work harder to cool the room again, leading to an increase in consumption.

Meralco also reminded its customers to better manage their electricity use with the help of the appliance Calculator available in the Meralco Mobile app, which provides information on the power consumption of gadgets and appliances.

FastFood giant Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) on Wednesday said it will purchase a majority stake in Meko Holdings Ltd., the Jollibee brand’s master franchisee in Hong Kong, in its bid to boost sales.

PhilHealth reiterates filing days

By Raadee S. Sausa

STATE health insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) reminded all its accredited health care providers that the filing of claims for reimbursements returns to the usual 60 calendar days from a patient’s discharge.

In a statement, the PhilHealth said that the return to the 60-day filing period will cover all claims for patients with admission date starting January 1, 2023.

The reminder was issued after the Declaration of State of Calamity due to Covid-19 ended in December 2022. Such consequently ended certain special privileges being granted to health care facilities during fortuitous events under PhilHealth Circular 2020-0007. One perk is the extended submission of claims from 60 calendar days to 120 calendar days.

With the said discontinuance of the “State of Calamity,” the 45-day limit and single period of confinement rule are also reinstated starting 2023 in accordance with PhilHealth Advisory 2023-0012.

“We urge all our partner hospitals to start submitting their claims within the usual 60 calendar days as provided for in Section 46, Rule II of Republic Act 7875, as amended by RA 9241 and RA 10606 as amended for their admitted patients starting January 1 of this year,” PhilHealth CEO Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr. was quoted in the statement as saying.

The state agency remains committed to process and pay the claims within the 60 day period as required under the law, Ledesma added.

The Philhealth chief also urged hospitals to coordinate with their respective PhilHealth Regional Offices to continue with reconciling claims data and for other assistance that they may need to best serve PhilHealth members and their families.

In 2022, PhilHealth recorded an average turn-around time of 29 days in paying claims. It also reported benefit payouts amounting to P129.6 billion as of December 31, 2022.

Solon eyes re-filing LBP, DBP merger bill

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

merger of the state-run lenders.

The agency noted President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s concern that should the two banks’ merger proceed, such must not result in the abandonment of any of the mandates of the two banks.

Moreover, Delos Santos added that he “will have to consider the various banking, financial and corporation laws that took effect in the eight years since 2015, when the House sent HB 5755 to the Senate.”

He said he will also review the annual reports, Commission on Audit reports and performance reports about the DBP and Land Bank since 2015.

Delos Santos added.

If there is a compelling need to merge LBP and DBP, the more efficient way would be to simply authorize by law the governing boards of the two banks to merge their two banks—the same way that private banks do mergers, said the lawmaker.

Meanwhile, Delos Santos said lawmakers are also awaiting the guidance of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on how best to approach the LBP-DBP merger.

functioning as separate banks.

The 19th Congress has one pending bill filed so far on the merger of the two state-run lenders, House Bill (HB) 7685, filed by Rep. Gustavo “Gus” S. Tambunting last March 23.

“Looking at the House records, the last time such a bill, HB 5755, made its way through the House of the Philippines was in the 16th Congress when the House approved it on third and final reading and sent it to the Senate on May 28, 2015,” said Delos Santos was quoted in a statement as saying. “That was

about eight years ago.”

“During the summer recess of Congress, I will study the possibility of either filing my own new bill merging the Land Bank and the Development Bank of the Philippines or I can simply re-file HB 5755,” he added.

The Governance Commission for Government-owned and -Controlled Corporations (GCG) has committed to promptly submit to the Office of the President its recommendation regarding the proposed

Proper to consult

ACCORDING to Delos Santos, he would “also note that the last time the DBP Charter was amended was in February 1998 by Republic Act 8523, while RA 10374 extended Land Bank’s corporate life by 50 years from the expiration of its original term of August 8, 2013, renewable for another 50 years,” he said.

“It is also proper to consult both [LBP] and DBP on the proposed HB 7685 that seeks to merge them,”

Building your ‘kitchen cabinet’

THE term “kitchen cabinet” originated in politics, referring to a group of unofficial or private advisers to a political leader. Nowadays, it’s used to describe a network of trusted friends and associates whom you reach out to anytime for advice, guidance and opportunities. This was the premise of the “Building your Kitchen Cabinet: Developing Your Network” webinar that the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE) organized recently. Jackie Price Osafo, executive director of the Society of American Archivists, shared these insights from her session:

1. The Why. There are three things why you need a network: as a relationship builder, a resource and a professional development support. If you are in a situation, have a question or a concern, or an opportunity to advance your career, your network certainly provides the much-needed impetus to stay ahead. However, Jackie advises that a network has to be reciprocal in nature, i.e., it is a give-and-take relationship.

2 . The Who. Those who should be in your network should include people: whom

you share the same experiences with or have the same job titles; whom you believe would help in your future position direction; or, whom you think can provide a “push or a pull.” Those in the “push” of your “kitchen cabinet drawer” are people who can give you a boost whenever you needed them while those in the “pull” are people who may unsettle you or make your job uneasy. Both “push and pull” people, however, are necessary for you to learn valuable lessons and gain further experience.

3. The How. In building your network, you need to have: an “elevator pitch;” a goal or a plan; an assessment of your current network and gaps; the ability to listen and respect other peoples’ experiences; an exchange information and expertise; and, a measurement of your growth and development. A good 30-second elevator

pitch should answer these three questions: “Who am I?,” “What do I do?” and “What is my ask?” This will enable a good conversation and connection to anyone you meet whom you think would be a good addition to your network.

4. The Where. These are places where you can build your network such as at work, in professional and social events and online, e.g., on LinkedIn.

Jackie sums up with the following tips: Always follow up. Stay connected. Have a mutually beneficial relationship. Manage your brand, i.e., your name and reputation. Be in the kitchen cabinet of someone else.

A kitchen cabinet is an openfront box outfitted with combination of doors, drawers, or shelves. What you place in those compartments determines the kind of network you wish to build and which must be longterm and of mutual interest and benefit all around.

Octavio Peralta is currently the executive director of the UN Global Compact Network Philippines and founder and volunteer CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives, the “association of associations.” E-mail: bobby@pcaae.org.

According to the Department of Finance, the consolidated bank will establish its position as the largest bank in the Philippines with an estimated asset size of about P4.18 trillion and a deposit base amounting to P3.59 trillion.

After the merger, the LBP will be the surviving entity given its higher authorized capital stock of P800 billion and stronger financial position.

Withstand shocks

THE consolidated books will allow the merged entity to better withstand economic shocks. The merger will also enhance retail and wholesale banking operations than when

To date, the LBP has a total of 752 branches while the DBP has 147. The combined branches of both banks will result in a wider network for banking operations. However, only 22 branches of the DBP will be retained as a result of the merger. But Senator Imee R. Marcos earlier said there is a need to “first clarify the procedure to be undertaken for the merger of the two state banks and be guaranteed that the surviving entity will adequately serve the functions of both LBP and DBP.”

LBP was formed under RA 3844 in 1963, while the DBP, originally called the Rehabilitation Finance Corp., was created under RA 85. These, Marcos noted, mean “two different laws with differing powers and functions.”

DBP has the primary purpose of providing banking services for SMEs in the agricultural and industrial sector while the LBP’s purpose is to finance the acquisition and distribution of agricultural estates for division and resale to small landholders as well as the purchase of landholdings by agricultural lessees.

Credit registry keeps ISO certification

THE Credit Information Corp.

(CIC), the country’s sole public credit registry and repository of credit information, announced it has maintained its ISO 9001:2015 certification after successfully completing the on-site third-party surveillance audit on February 1 and February 2.

The CIC said the audit was conducted by the BSI Group Philippines Inc., the local branch of the British Standards Institution (BSI) Group. It is one of the world’s most experienced standards bodies and a founding member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

“Maintaining the ISO certification is a testament to the corporation’s steadfast commitment to deliver high quality, innovative and continually improving services to our stakeholders, towards promoting the country’s credit information

system,” CIC President and CEO Ben Joshua A. Baltazar was quoted in a statement as saying.

The statement also quoted Baltazar as saying external audits, such as BSI’s, have been beneficial to CIC’s systems and process improvements, “which drive greater customer satisfaction.”

In its audit report for the CIC, the BSI PHL indicated commendations such as: having a streamlined strategic direction; maintaining a conducive and productive environment for continual improvement of the existing management system; fast retrieval of procurement-related documented information; and, possessing evident leadership and commitment from its top management.

The ISO certification covers the management and maintenance of the Credit Information System, which

includes the accreditation of Special Accessing Entities, Online Dispute Resolution Process, Capacity Building and Credit Data Management. The ISO is an independent, nongovernmental and international organization that develops standards to ensure the quality, safety and efficiency of products, services and systems.

Maintaining the ISO certification is pursuant to CIC’s performance commitments under its 2023 Performance Scorecard approved by the Governance Commission for GOCCs.

The CIC was conferred its first ISO certification amid the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, with the technical assistance of the Development Academy of the Philippines for the development of CIC’s quality management system and is set for reaccreditation in early 2024.

Lenders issue branch operation advisories

ALL branches of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) and Security Bank Corp. (SECB) would be closed during the long holiday beginning April 6 until April 10, the lenders announced last Wednesday. The Philippine National Bank (PNB), meanwhile, would maintain operations of select branches during these days.

In a statement, SECB said all its branches nationwide will be closed on April 6 (Thursday), April 7, (Friday) and April 10, 2023, (Monday) in observance of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Day of Valor, per Malacañang Proclamation 90. SECB

said assistance could be provided through its customer service hotline at (02) 8887-9188. SECB could also be reached via the following: customercontact@securitybank.com.ph (for credit cards) and customercare@securitybank.com.ph (other bank-related concerns).

BPI also advised that all its branches will be closed from April 6 to April 8 in observance of Holy Week and also on April 10 (Monday) in commemoration of the Day of Valor. BPI said its branch operations will resume on April 11 (Tuesday). The lender said its mobile and digital banking channels, automated teller

machines (ATMs) and Cash Accept Machines (CAMs) will remain available for banking needs.

Meanwhile, PNB said its branches at Terminals 1 to 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport would be open on April 6 (Maundy Thursday), April 8 (Black Saturday) and April 9 (Easter Sunday). All PNB branches would be closed on April 7 (Good Friday), the lender said.

However, most branches of the PNB would be open on April 10: around 50 or so in Metro Manila; 60 or so in Luzon; 30 or so in Visayas; and 24 or so in Mindanao, the lender revealed at its web site.

AXA PHL says aids MSMEs via products

PHILIPPINE AXA Life Insurance Corp. (AXA PHL) said that a financial setback can easily drive many Filipinos to poverty. And this “highlights the need for means to protect their finances and livelihood through accessible and affordable ways.”

The insurer said in a statement in March that it “understands the difficulty of living in uncertainty, which is why [we] made it part of its mission to make financial security more inclusive through its insurance products.”

According to the insurer, the local emerging market for insurance is composed of 50 percent to 70 percent of the working population.

“These are the people that are most at risk to feel the brunt of financial challenges and would

benefit from financial protection

the most,” said AXA PHL, a joint venture between the AXA Group, GT Capital Holdings Inc. and Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. “Majority come from the low-income to middle-income segment like retail workers and tricycle drivers, sarisari store owners, teachers, business process outsourcing (BPO) employees and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Our “vision is to protect what matters to Filipinos. We aspire to expand this protection to more Filipinos who remain unprotected from the slew of risks they face everyday as they make a living,” AXA Philippines President and CEO Bernardo S. Lopez was quoted in the statement as saying. “For this reason, we have

inclusive insurance products that cater to nuanced needs and budgets. We’ve also forged partnerships to make these easily accessible to those who need protection the most.”

AXA PHL said it partners with groups with similar objectives, such as an online financial literacy platform that supports women entrepreneurs and a group that seeks to assist micro-entrepreneurs in improving their processes though their app.

AXA PHL said it also made insurance more accessible through partnering with G-XChange Inc. and with a tech-enabled ordering platform for micro-entrepreneurs, to provide life insurance to sarisari store owners through a loyalty program.

ANG Probinsyano Rep. Alfred C. Delos Santos announced last Wednesday that lawmakers should be reminded of an 8-yearold bill on the merger of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).

ANTIPOLO COVERAGE This Friday, March 31, 2023, photo collage courtesy of the Social Security System (top photo) Department Manager III Carlo C. Villacorta discussing SSS programs to residents of Sitio Tubigan, Barangay Dalig, Antipolo City. Lower photos show SSS employees providing on-site and online services in the same village. Photo courtesy of the social security system

UK offers £8-B investmentpartnerships funding for PHL

This, as Minister for Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan led the launch of the BIP in the Philippines on March 30.

The BIP mobilizes funding from the British private sector, while also sharing technical expertise to support the country’s sustainable infrastructure development and its shift to clean energy.

“The Philippines is an economic and environmental powerhouse, which stands on the frontline of climate change and other global challenges,” Trevelyan said. “Through [BIP, we will support local development of high-quality, sustainable infrastructure to accelerate the transition to clean energy while securing] a prosperous and resilient future.”

According to Ambassador Laure Beaufils, the UK activated the BIP’s £8-billion fund in 2022, and was only launched in the Philippines last Thursday.

Although formally introduced in the country this year, Beaufils disclosed that the BIP has already backed a $25-million solar project

in Negros Island, by way of the UK’s “Mobilist” program.

The British envoy said the Philippines’s share in the billion-pound BIP fund will rely on the projects where UK companies will be keen in placing their monies.

“This is not [the] British government that will be choosing, and we have development-finance institutes that will be identifying [initiatives]…They will do their due diligence…” she told reporters. “So we’re really [interested on encouraging] people to put projects and ideas to us, because the more there is a robust pipeline, the more money will be invested in the Philippines.”

Full schedule

ASIDE from the above, the minister was scheduled to hold talks covering UK-Philippines cooperation on maritime security, trade and investment, as well as climate and environment. She is also to attend an event promoting women’s rights, while highlighting the launch of UK’s first “Women and

Girls Strategy” this month.

Based on a statement from the British Embassy, the minister was also to come to the headquarters of the Philippine Coast Guard to join a tour inside a coast-guard vessel and Manila Bay, then discuss enhanced UK-Philippines cooperation on maritime security and marine conservation.

While in Manila, Trevelyan met with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo, as well as defense, finance and environment ministers. Talks were expected to focus on defense, trade and climate links, plus the shared ambition to upgrade the UK-Phil-

French oil-spill expert aids response mission

FRANCE has financed a French expert’s visit to support the Philippines in its ongoing pollution-response efforts related to the sinking of MT Princess Empress.

Mikaël Laurent conducted a mission from March 16 to 29 on behalf of Cedre, or the Center for Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution based in Brest, France. He was supported by maritime security advisor Emeric Faure, who works for the Maritime Industry Authority or Marina on behalf of the French government.

tive collection to limit the quantity of waste generated in clean-up operations. He was involved as an observer and technical advisor during response operations at sea, particularly during the deployment of oil containment booms and the recovery of pollutants.

ippines Enhanced Partnership.

Finally, the minister was set to attend an event hosted by the British Embassy-Manila to mark International Women’s Month, where she will outline the UK’s commitment to place the rights of women and girls at the heart of its foreign policy. She will meet women-leaders from government, business and civil society who pioneer change in their sectors.

Her visit comes after the publication of the Integrated Review Refresh, which reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to enduring partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. With a report from Kris Crismundo/PNA

From EJKs to GSP+: EU keen on improving PHL’s status

SPECIAL representative for human rights Eamon Gilmore welcomed the willingness of the Philippine government to engage with the European Union and the global community, but emphasized that the country should ensure accountability, more so for incidents involving extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the war on drugs.

While in the country, Gilmore met with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo, Philippine National Police’s chief of the Human Rights Office Gen. Vincent Calanoga, Philippine representative to the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights Aileen Mendiola-Rau, as well as those from United Nations agencies, civil-society organizations and businesses.

The special representative also visited former senator Leila de Lima in Camp Crame, Quezon City and had a dialogue with victims of EJKs in his visit to an EU-supported project: “Paghilom Programme of Father Flaviano Villanueva.”

Gilmore noted the government’s

openness to engage with the EU, as reflected on various occasions such as the second meeting of the Subcommittee on Good Governance, Rule of Law and Human rights; the visit by members of the House of Representatives and the Senate to the European Parliament; as well as the visit of European parliamentarians of the Subcommittee on Human Rights to the country.

He mentioned however the slow progress of prosecution and conviction of people responsible for the victims of the said killings.

“Three convictions out of more than 6,000 cases [are] not enough,” he said, as he called for “more accountability to bring justice to the victims of the drug wars. It is crucial to ensure that the perpetrators of EJKs are brought to justice, in full observance of due process and the rule of law.”

The special representative also called for the quick release of De Lima: “I do not understand why somebody like her who has not been convicted of anything has spent six years in prison. She should be re-

leased without further delay.”

In his meeting with Manalo, the EU official expressed his gratitude for the Philippines’s consistent support in all UN General Assembly resolutions related to the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

On the country’s inclusion on the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), he explained that the European Council and the European Parliament will be involved in the decision of its renewal, indicating the importance of continuing bilateral dialogues and the need to meet each other.

The EU’s GSP+ gives developing

countries such as the Philippines a special incentive to pursue sustainable development and good governance. Countries eligible to benefit from this have to implement 27 international conventions on human rights, labor rights, the environment, and good governance.

For Gilmore, any agreement entered between the EU and other countries would always have considerations on the performance of the other party in related rights: “Doing business with the EU means addressing human-rights issues.”

While the Philippines has made progress in areas covered by the GSP+ conventions—including on the environment, governance and social-development agenda—the representative feels that more needs to be done to ensure effective implementation; in particular, of all human-rights conventions.

He said that the EU’s immediate priority in this regard remains ensuring the continued access of the Philippines to the said scheme, but this means “proper implementation of the relevant conventions.”

Laurent participated in planning meetings with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, local authorities, as well as private operators—including the French company Le Floch Depollution. He joined reconnaissance operations and observed coastal clean-up work areas as well as polluted sites, with a view to identify clean-up techniques adapted to the different substrates, and anticipate the parameters for the closure of affected locales.

The Frenchman advised on selec-

Specifically, the field cooperation enabled a significant improvement in the speed of pumping pollutants onboard the tug Titan 1, which was accompanied by Ladagat. It was also followed by exchanges at institutional level, in particular with the PCG’s Marine Environment Protection Training Institute.

The mission is part of France’s long-term support for the protection of the environment and biodiversity in the Philippines, particularly in the maritime field. It was made possible by funding from the French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement or AFD) and Expertise France, in the framework of technical cooperation on disaster-risk management.

The United States, Japan and South Korea have also extended similar technical assistance on the oil spill by fielding their set of experts.

Norway pitches-in to punctuate PHL’s plastic-pollution problem

THE Philippines owns the unenviable rank of being the world’s third-largest plastics polluter, with the City of Manila currently facing a growing plastic-waste problem.

With the Pasig River mostly affected by plastic pollution and a growing population using more single-use plastic products, the city is a major contributor to more than 11 million tons of plastic waste that flows into the ocean yearly.

Tackling the gargantuan plasticwaste dilemma, Norwegian organization TV-Aksjonen has launched the “Plastic Smart Cities TV-Aksjonen Project,” which calls for social entrepreneurs with scalable solutions across the plastic value chain to pilot in Manila. Supported by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, and World Wide Fund (WWF)-Norway, the project aims to achieve a 30-percent reduction in plastic-waste leakage into the environment by 2024.

In the program, social entrepreneurs will undergo a process of selection divided into three stages:

For the first, WWF aims to generate a database of entrepreneurial solutions that are looking to scale in Manila. They should aim to address plastic pollution and engage local stakeholders, which include businesses, communities and the waste sector, among others. Registration will close on April 10.

In the second phase, registered solutions will be categorized into the following:

(1) Closing the tap: Reduction in plastic waste generation; (2) Closing the loop: Segregation, redesign, reusing, recycling, and measures to lengthen the use of plastic items in the operations; and

(3) Stopping plastic leakage: Collection, disposal of plastic waste, and measures to prevent plastic waste from ending up in nature.

Last stage of the call is where the shortlisted entrepreneurs pitchin their solutions before a panel of judges for final selection.

The four-year project will fund the scaling of the solutions that will be selected for a maximum of one year starting in May 2023. For more details, interested parties may visit bit.ly/PSCManilaCall. Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

PEACE, STABILITY Ambassador Luc Véron of the

AND LYCEANS The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila and the Norwegian Training Center visited Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas, where 40 scholars had a “meet-and-greet”’ with Ambassador Christian Lyster (right).

MADE IN THAILAND Ambassador Tull Traisorat (right) and Senator Cynthia Villar (center)

products from

during the official opening of Thailand Week 2023 at the

THE United Kingdom (UK) is eyeing viable green-energy and infrastructure projects where the British Investment Partnerships’ (BIP) £8-billion fund can be placed.

MINISTER Anne-Marie Trevelyan and Secretary Enrique A. Manalo PNA

LAURENT (second from right) attends a briefing in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro. EMBASSY OF FRANCE

‘The Family’: The uses of Christ

out, lost. But quickly, the men gather around him, in a group hug that is either Christian brotherhood or homoerotic.

Where are the women in this society? In one party, they appear, segregated first until the silent command to mingle is issued. Whereupon, the men approach the women. They talk. They quietly dance. It is a frat party with the sorority members tamed, almost timid, created to serve the men. Here, our doubts double.

SINISTER is the word that comes to mind about this secret society in Washington D.C. that gathers men who appear to be impressionable enough in a proper mansion. But strategic seems to be the better word when we get to know this society that is able to involve senators and congressmen in a quest to live together under the guidance of Christ.

So, what is wrong with that? The answer is not facile. And as the limited-series documentary The Family unfolds, any institution that is able to blur the separation of Church and State, with the Church represented no less than by Christ, and the State mainly by the Republicans of the United States, has surely hit the wellspring of power. There are Democrats also in this brotherhood but the series does not really talk much about them. This becomes one of the weaknesses of this expose.

At the center of this narrative is a young man who joins the Fellowship. He is journalist Jeff Sharlet who goes on to write two books about his stay in the Virginia mansion. There, he meets young, healthy, mostly white men who use the name of Christ not in vain but as a valiant badge of their honorable membership in the group. Immediately, the viewer senses something “off” about this association of “good men.” Where are they heading? Who funds their stay in that huge house?

In a dramatization, Sharlet is presented as one who looks critically (he has always that questioning gaze in him in the re-enactment) at this male-ordained world around him. But always, he manages to take back that steely look and once more goes back to the touchyfeely world of perfect men whose only guide is Jesus. Indeed, how can one go wrong with Jesus! No one, we tell ourselves. And yet we are disturbed. In one scene where the young men are out on the ground, in a ballgame, Sharlet finds himself suddenly in a kind of initiation ritual, where all the men jump over him, leaving him almost out of breath. Released by the group, he stands up, his face muddied, and he stares

From the Virginia mansion, the series moves into the C-Street, a three-storey brick building in Washington. Here politicians from the Congress and the Senate enter for a protracted stay. Here, we are informed, there are Democrats also. In that setting, the politicians cross party lines or, better still, negate those lines. In an interview, one politician says they do not talk about politics but about Jesus. There is that word again.

In one scene, the politicians are huddled together, and the pep talk is about Jesus and how his guidance is all they need.

Now comes the great question: Do these members of the Fellowship or Family ever commit wrongdoings?

They do. The difference is in how they handle the mistakes, the sin. They negotiate and, in many ways, launder those bad acts. “We are family” is the principle. We do not talk about those things in the open but clear out the kinks from within.

Then one day, two controversies arise in the group. A morality issue. One politician whose scent exudes the presidency is involved with the wife of another politician. The solution is for the erring politician to come clean before his wife, his family and before Christ. And yet, after the resolution is arrived at, the politician is caught again with the woman in a Las Vegas hotel.

Another case involves a politician who is described as promising (all members of the Fellowship seem selected from the best). His is a more dramatic case: he disappears. The news is he walks the Appalachian trail! He has isolated himself from the madding crowd, from his family. Is he in search of himself? Is he like Christ in the wilderness? The Fellowship is fulfilling its own strategic prophecy.

Then the politician reappears. All this time, he is Argentina having or consummating an affair.

The Family is a disturbing exploration of the Christian right in the United States. The series does not go much into an ideological indictment of this movement; what it does is to gather facts and photos, and unscroll footage detailing a man named Doug

Coe. He is the most powerful yet most unknown man in United States politics and governance. While presidents have come and gone, he has stayed on for some 50 years. He is the founder of the Family or the Fellowship. He is there with US presidents and other countries’ dignitaries, including a Pope. His name is mentioned by Reagan, Clinton and Bush. At the beginning of the peace talks between Anwar Sadat and Menachem

Begin in Camp David, then President Jimmy Carter talks of one necessity, a prayer that the talk be successful. That prayer was conjured by Doug Coe, for the man is the same person behind the National Prayer Breakfast attended by presidents. The event is really one huge lobbying opportunity in much the same way that the C-street townhouse has been declared a church for tax purposes, according to the documentary.

There is something disturbing in Doug Coe being present in all the important political scenes and yet we do not know him. This fulfills his great organizational theory: for an organization to be effective, it must not be visible.

The Family, which is directed by Scott Trails, is produced by Alex Gibney, Stacey Offman, Richard Perello, and Jeff Sharlet. It streams on Netflix. n

What you can watch this Holy Week

UPDATING FILIPINOS WITH IMPORTANT NEWS DEVELOPMENTS

GMA Integrated News further strengthens its position as the “News Authority ng Filipino” as it continues to bring the latest news, breaking stories, and the biggest events here and abroad via GMA Integrated News Bulletin.

Airing in between TV shows on GMA and GTV, as well as on digital channels Heart of Asia, I Heart Movies, and Pinoy Hits, also on GMA News Online (www.gmanews.tv),

GMA Integrated News Bulletin informs the multi-platform audience with up-to-the-minute reports.

Helmed by GMA’s roster of credible news anchors and reporters, it also features the top stories from Super Radyo DZBB and GMA News Online, as well as the headlines to look forward to in prime-time newscast 24 Oras. Moreover, GMA Integrated News Bulletin offers viewers a more visually engaging reportage using state-of-the-art set and graphics. GMA Integrated News Bulletin complements the network’s formidable lineup of award-winning national newscasts and news magazines, including Unang Hirit ’s Unang Balita to 24 Oras and Saksi on GMA (www.gmanetwork.com).

With over 60 news teams, more than 60 stringers here and abroad, and a growing pool of online reporters, GMA Integrated News remains not just the biggest but also the news authority of Filipinos.

XVII and Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the future Pope Francis. Summoned to Castel Gandolfo, the Pope’s summer residence, they watch TV, trade stories on their reasons of entering the priesthood, discuss the role of the Church—all these under the shadow of the Vati-leaks, where allegations of corruption in the Vatican were exposed, and Benedict’s possible role in covering it up. During one of their talks, Benedict raises the possibility of resigning his papacy, which Bergoglio vehemently opposes. Well, we know what happened after.

FROM 1961 to 1965, Saint Michael the Archangel and the Blessed Virgin Mary, thought to be Our Lady of Mount Carmel, appeared to four young school girls, aged 11 and 12 years old, in San Sebastián de Garabandal in Catabria, Spain. As apparitions go, the Blessed Virgin Mary warned of the evil and corruption of the world, and that a reformation was needed to save mankind from “the great chastisement.”

The apparitions were featured in a 1971 TV documentary The Events at Garabandal, and in one unforgettable scene, a Holy Communion wafer miraculously appeared on visionary Conchita’s open mouth, which was supposedly placed there by an angel. That scene sent chills down my spine, and made me cold and clammy all over. It frightened me, as I started imagining all the fire and brimstone that would rain on our heads if we didn’t repent our sins and follow God’s path. At the same time, it fascinated me, in that strange, familiar way Captain Kirk and his crew would suddenly be able to materialize on some planet from the USS Enterprise, or that there are large carved stone images of human heads staring into the horizon on Easter Island.

Those occurrences at Garabandal were part and parcel of our Holy Week TV fare when I was a growing up in the 1970s to 1980s. Then, all TV networks went totally off the air (gasp!) on Good Friday, and would only show a limited amount of religious programming on the other days of the week. The other religious shows we ate up during the week included The Song of Bernadette (a film on the life of Marian visionary, the 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France, which won an Oscar Award for Best Actress for Jennifer Jones in the title role in 1944); The Miracle of

Our Lady of Fatima, (a docu-drama on another Marian apparition, this time in Portugal, and witnessed by young Lucia dos Santos and her two cousins); The Robe, starring the legendary Richard Burton as Marcellus Gallio, who wins Jesus Christ’s robe at a dice game after the latter’s crucifixion, and finds his way to the Lord because of his slave Demetrius (Victor Mature) who has stolen the robe; and of course, who can ever forget Fr. Patrick Peyton’s Family Theater series?

Peyton, an Irish-American priest from the Congregation of the Holy Cross, founded the Family Rosary Crusade, which promoted the daily praying of the Holy Rosary. His devotion to the rosary was due to having been supposedly cured of tuberculosis after seeking the help of the Bleessed Virgin Mary. Peyton was ahead of his time, being quite media savvy. He used films and television, and tapped Hollywood celebrities like Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, James Cagney, William Shatner, and even James Dean for drama anthologies inspired by stories from the Bible. After each episode, Peyton would intone the now

popular phrase: “The family that prays together, stays together.”

Now as an adult, I have become captivated by other religious or spiritual-themed feature films and documentaries. One of my favorites is the classic film Jesus Christ Superstar starring Ted Neeley as Jesus of Nazareth, Carl Anderson as Judas Iscariot, and Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene. I even bought a copy of the film on DVD, and on Apple TV.

I’ve seen other productions of this Andrew Lloyd Webber rock musical on TV, but one can beat Neeley’s soaring vocal range. Directed by Norman Jewison, the film continues to hold such power that it is considered to be the most iconic version of the musical, and was considered revolutionary (even blasphemous) when it was first released in 1973. Now 79, Neeley continues to portray the Nazarene in over a thousand iterations— mostly off-Broadway—of the rock opera.

Another excellent film is The Two Popes (Netflix) starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce, imagining the conversations between Pope Benedict

National Geographic has also produced an intriguing documentary, Secrets of Christ’s Tomb (Disney Plus), which chronicles of the restoration of the tomb, located at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian quarter of Jerusalem. What is interesting is that the church is shared by three Christian groups— Armenian Apostolic Christians, Greek Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics — who must agree how to make repairs to the tomb. The documentary shows almost undisputable proof that Christ’s tomb is where it is actually located.

The Passion of the Christ, directed by Mel Gibson, depicts the final 12 hours of Jesus, beginning with the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemene. James Caviezel stars in this epic film, which has never been a favorite of mine. It was an extremely traumatic experience for me, and I remember trying to stifle my sobs as I watched the Roman soldiers whipping Jesus’s back, with blood and bits of flesh flying everywhere. I saw it during Holy Week, when it was released in 2004, so the film took on a gripping and powerful experience for me. And yet, I don’t think I will ever come around to watching it again. HBO, on the other hand, has a similarly titled production, but this time, as a mini-series and featuring a cast of unknown actors. Curious, I’ve already added it to my playlist this week. By the way, there is also a feature film on the events at Garabandal, which was realeased in 2018.

Titled Garabandal, Only God Knows, the film not only dramatizes the events surrounding the apparitions, but it also depicts the village parish priest and a civil guard officer who find themselves embroiled in the issue, which to this day, has yet to receive any imprimatur from the Vatican as an approved Marian apparition. The film is available for free viewing on the web.

ANTHONY HOPKINS and Jonathan Pryce in The Two Popes.

MPIC to invest in SPNEC towards building the largest RE company in the country

Board of SPNEC.

MPIC’s investment into SPNEC is guided by the vision of the Department of Energy (“DOE”) that 35 percent of the country’s energy come from renewable energy by 2030. SPNEC and SPH are in the process of completing an asset-forshare swap where SPH’s pipeline of over 8 GW of projects will be consolidated under SPNEC. This would increase SPNEC’s outstanding shares from 10.0 billion to over 34.3 billion out of an authorized capital stock of 50.0 billion common shares, after which, the MPIC Group may acquire up to 43% of the total outstanding shares of SPNEC. This would position MPIC to be a leading contributor to the country’s renewable energy goals, and is also a corollary to MPIC’s investments in biodiversity protection to help mitigate the devastating impacts of climate change.

SPNEC creates value through solar project development. MPIC contributes capital and investment expertise to work collaboratively with management teams and key stakeholders to build profitably growing infrastructure leaders.

Hilton recognized as Top Hospitality Company to Work for in the PHL for 2nd consecutive year

METRO Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), the country’s leading infrastructure investments company, has entered into a definitive agreement to invest P2 Billion to acquire 1.6 billion common shares of SP New Energy Corporation (SPNEC) from SPNEC’s parent Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings, Inc. (“SPH”), with MPIC to be given the option to become the single largest shareholder of SPNEC. SPNEC is an integrated developer, owner, and operator of solar power projects listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange.

MPIC, represented by its Chairman and President Manuel V. Pangilinan, and SPH, represented by its President and CEO Leandro Leviste, signed the agreement for the purchase of secondary shares of SPNEC.

SPH will advance the proceeds to SPNEC to fund its land investments in Nueva Ecija, where the company is developing what could be Asia’s largest solar project.

This is the first of several agreements through which the MPIC Group may acquire up to a total of about 19 billion common shares of SPNEC, subject to relevant approvals, with the goal of making SPNEC the largest renewable energy company in the Philippines.

“Our thrust of pursuing renewable energy brings the MVP Group one step closer to fulfilling our mission of creating long-term value for our stakeholders through responsible and sustainable investments,” says Pangilinan.

Upon the closing of the transaction, Pangilinan will become Chairman of the

“We have long seen a partnership with MPIC to be the key to unlock the potential of our project pipeline. We are humbled and grateful for this opportunity, and believe that SPNEC now has the final ingredients to realize the value of our developments for the benefit of all stakeholders,” said Leviste.

This transaction affirms MPIC’s resolve to be the largest catalyst for a Sustainable Philippines. It is also aligned with the group’s efforts to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), particularly Goal 7 Affordable and Clean Energy, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. UBS acted as the financial advisor on the transaction.

HILTON (NYSE: HLT), Asia’s fastestgrowing hospitality company, has been honored once again for its outstanding workplace culture in the Philippines by global research and consulting firm Great Place to Work®. This is the second consecutive year that Hilton, with its Philippine properties Conrad Manila, Hilton Manila and Hilton Clark Sun Valley Resort, was listed as the topranked hospitality company to work for in the medium-sized business category, achieving an overall #4 position across all industries.

The list, which was a result of Great Place to Work®’s annual workforce study in the country, recognizes metrics such as trust as well as the provision of opportunities for all employees to reach their full potential.

“Our team members are at the heart of our business and always go above and beyond to deliver the most reliable and friendly stays to our guests. Cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace environment that empowers and enables our Team Members to thrive professionally and personally is a key focus for us at Hilton. Receiving this accolade for the second year running is testament to the faith and confidence our team members have in us and the exceptional culture we have built together,” said Alexandra Murray, Area Vice President and Head of South East Asia, Hilton.

To help team members realize the myriad of growth opportunities at Hilton and bring their best selves to work, Hilton’s initiatives include: Thrive@Hilton, Hilton’s employer value proposition that cultivates meaningful opportunities and a workplace culture where all Team Members can thrive regardless of

CAPITAL FORMATION FOR MSMES AND START-UPS.

Financial services company Investment & Capital Corporation of the Philippines (ICCP) highlighted the role and importance of investment banks as issue managers and underwriters during the SEC Roadshow on Capital Formation for MSMEs and Start-Ups, an initiative of the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) organized and designed to educate MSMEs and start-ups about legitimate capital raising avenues.

In photo is ICCP President & CEO Valentino S. Bagatsing during his presentation entitled “The Issue Manager and Underwriter: Your Partner in your IPO Journey” at the Cebu leg of the roadshow. The event also showcased reports from both the SEC and the Philippine Stock Exchange on the regulatory environment for capital raising.

background, role and location.

Hilton SEA Management Trainee program that sets the benchmark in producing a whole generation of young leaders in hospitality.

Lead@Hilton, an industry-leading learning platform that offers a suite of learning resources on management and leadership, including a Leadership Unscripted video series where senior leaders share career advice and virtual development programs created in partnership with Harvard.

Careers@Hilton, which provides guidance and highlights opportunities for young people in the hospitality industry through annual awareness campaigns.

Go Hilton, Hilton’s popular Team Member travel program which offers discounted travel benefits.

Care for All, a new industry-leading caregiving initiative designed to support Team Members on their caregiving journeys. The Care for All platform is an expansion of Hilton’s mental wellness hub, where it aims to support Team Members in caring not only for themselves, but also for those closest to them. To be certified as a Great Place to Work, companies must meet the minimum quantitative threshold on the Great Place to Work Trust Index™ Employee Survey, which gathers feedback from employees on how credibility, respect, fairness, camaraderie and pride are expressed in the workplace. With the requirements met, companies are certified as a Great Place to Work in the countries for one year. For more information about joining the Hilton team, visit jobs.hilton.com.

Great British Festival 2023 reinforces British brands, further strengthens British-Philippine relationship

LOOKING for the freshest fruits and vegetables? Maybe it’s time to go local! Buying local ensures you get freshly picked veggies and fruits while helping our farmers who worked hard to harvest and bring these nutritious food items on your table.

Landers Superstore, the country’s fastest-growing membership store, invites everyone to support local through its latest community project - the Farmer’s Market. Occupying a central space in all their stores’ Fresh section, the Farmer’s Market features an expansive selection of high-quality local produce sourced straight from farms across the country – from fresh strawberries and lettuce from the North to juicy pomelos and pineapples from the South.

Since its introduction in the stores, the initiative has helped countless of Landers’ partner farms gain new consumers for their harvests, resulting in a steady, sustainable income especially at the height of the pandemic. Landers believes that protecting the stability and success of these farms will greatly contribute in securing food stability for everyone in the years to come.

Of course, members also benefit from

this arrangement because they can enjoy their favorite fruits and vegetables at a more affordable price. Reducing the middlemen, traders, and retailers that these produce go through allows the store to price them reasonably and give fair compensation to the farmers at the same time.

Landers Superstore has long been on the forefront of creating community-based initiatives and disaster response efforts in the country. Together with the Philippine Army, Landers organized donation drives during natural calamities such as typhoons and earthquakes, serving as a drop-off center for donations which received overwhelming support from its members and volunteers.

During the pandemic, Landers also launched the “Share the Hope” campaign to help small business owners sustain their businesses by giving them a space where they can sell their products at Landers Superstore branches.

So the next time you go for your grocery run, head to Landers Superstore and fill your shopping carts with fruits, veggies, and more from their Farmer’s Market. They’re guaranteed to be fresh and of the

best quality – but best of all, you’ll also be championing the cause of local farmers. Meanwhile, if you’re a farmer looking to find a new market for your fresh produce, Landers Superstore is more than happy to partner with you. You can get in touch with their team when you visit any Landers Superstore branches nationwide. Landers’ Farmer’s Market will surely help you reach more premium consumers and business owners who are always on the look-out for fresh, high quality produce.

Here are Landers Superstore current branches: Landers Balintawak – 1240 EDSA Balintawak, Apolonio Samson, Quezon City; Landers Otis – 1890 Paz Guazon St., Paco, Manila; Landers Cebu – 23 Minore Park, Cardinal Rosales Ave. cor. Pope John Paul II Ave., Cebu; Landers Alabang West –Daang Hari Road, Almanza Dos, Las Piñas City; Landers ArcoVia City – 1604, 99 Eulogio Rodriguez Jr. Ave, Pasig or Landers Uptown Bonifacio – 1240 The Uptown Palazzo, 9th Ave. Cor. 36th St. Uptown Bonifacio, Taguig City. Stores are open from 9AM to 9PM. Shoppers can also buy fresh produce online at www.landers.ph.

THE Great British Festival 2023, organized by the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines and the British Embassy, in the Amphitheatre and C1 Park, BGC, Taguig, was successfully celebrated last March 25 and 26, 2023. Chris Nelson, Executive Director and Trustee of the British Chamber, and Ambassador Laure Beaufils launched the program with the ribbon cutting, opening remarks, and event walkthrough with host Carol Malasig. The walkthrough consisted of 38 UK companies and brands present on the first day and 35 on the second day. The festival aimed to strengthen UK-PHL relations further and liberalize the market in the different industries through these companies.

As the festival was centred on celebrating the rich British culture, arts, music, and entertainment, the British Council brought it to life with several performances for both days. Candy Gamos hosted the latter part of the first day with the band performances from Formerly Maryknoll, PinkMen, and Cheats. The local bands showcased how to present UK music in the country, with covers from The Beatles, Spice Girls, Oasis, and even Harry Styles.

On the second and final day of the festival, Jessica De Los Santos and Gallahan Ventura of the British Chamber opened the program with performances from students of British School Manila. The 26th gravitated towards the UK arts and entertainment, alongside a Fireside Chat on Studying in the UK with guests from HSBC, InterEd, Chevening, and British Council.

Ballet Manila presented spectacular performances of Modern Romeo and Juliet and Bite-Sized Shakespeare which drew a huge crowd throughout the festival. The festival came to a close after amazing performances by Kai Del Rio, followed by Clem Castro with their originals and covers of UK music. The film screening ended the whole event

Indeed, The Great British Festival has showcased how the UK and PH have maintained a strong relationship – in culture, entertainment, trade, and the overall economic sector over the years.

MPIC Chairman, President, & CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan (left) signs the definitive agreement to invest P2.0B to acquire 1.6 billion common shares of SP New Energy Corporation under its parents Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc., with President and CEO Leandro Leviste (right).

Enjoy high quality fresh produce and at the same time support local farmers at Landers Farmers‘ Market

Health& Fitness

Editor: Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

Covid-19 is still around as experts share lessons from the pandemic

By Candy P. Dalizon Contributor

Fifty-year-old Pe -

ter was feeling under the weather last week, prompting him to consult a doctor. t h e doctor prescribed colds and cough medicines and ordered a Covid-19 r t- PC r test as well. t h e result came back positive. “ i was surprised because i t hought it was just a common cold. l i ke many, i thought the pandemic was over. fo rtunately, my wife and kids were not infected,” shared Peter.

a lthough Covid-19 cases and deaths are on a downswing, many people are still testing positive. Health experts led by d r. Jose

Gerard Belimac, division chief of the doH d i sease Prevention and Control Bureau, and Philippine Medical a s sociation President d r

Maria Minerva Calimag, reminded the public not to let their guards down and to stay safe by still adhering to minimum health protocols. d r. Belimac and d r. Calimag were among the panelists during the recent media forum dubbed to gether for Health” which sought to help deepen journalists’ appreciation of relevant healthcare issues and the importance of making health topics more accessible to the broader public.

Peter agreed to this, adding, “ i f you are not feeling well, whether it’s Covid or not, please stay home. d o not go to work or to school or attend an event.”

t he Philippines reported 305 new Covid-19 cases last a p ril 2, 2023 and the highest active case total in 12 days, based on data released by the d e partment of Health ( d oH).

a f ter three years of living through a public health emergency characterized by high infectivity and high mortality rates, uncertainty and major disruptions to

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

tH i S a pril, Shinagawa Healthcare Solutions Corp. is opening a pioneering Japanese standard diagnostic and preventive care center in Bonifacio Global City, ta guig.

a modern health facility, it will be equipped with advanced and innovative technologies from Japan care of f u jifilm Philippines, a leading provider of digital imaging and health-care solutions. a c cording to Shinagawa President Masako Uemori, their partnership will enable them to provide the best possible care to patients.

“We believe that investing in preventive care is not only a wise decision but also a responsible one,” she said during their signing of a memorandum of agreement (Moa ) held recently in ta guig.

“By breaking the social stigma of reactive care and shifting our mindset towards proactive prevention, we can help f i lipinos achieve better health outcomes and ultimately lead more fulfilling lives,” she added. e x cited with their tie up, f u jifilm Philippines President Masahiro Uehara noted that they now create a significant impact on the country’s health-care industry.

“ o u r advanced technology and expertise in the health-care industry, combined with Shinagawa’s commitment to providing personalized care, will enable us to deliver innovative and high-quality health-care

daily lives, many people would like to believe that the pandemic is over.

But the reality is Covid-19 is still out there. Health experts said people should not lose their newfound appreciation of their health and at the same time leverage lessons from the pandemic to be able to move forward.

Health has emerged as a key focus for people at the height of the pandemic and when they were readjusting to their “new normal.” Covid-19 has brought the importance of overall health and wellbeing to the forefront of people’s consciousness.

Lessons from the pandemic

Healt H e xperts and multisectoral representatives agree that this is an opportune time to evaluate successes and continue to improve health-care delivery for f i lipinos. Sharing lessons learned from the pandemic and engaging media practitioners will help combat misinformation and disinformation.

d r. Belimac cited three significant lessons from the pandemic that will guide doH i n planning and in policy-making.

t h ree Ps—patient centeredness of all our actions, public communication, and partnerships with medical societies and the private sector,” said d r. Belimac.

o n e example of patient centeredness according to d r. Belimac is the creation of the o ne Hospital Command System in 2020 to address the health-care navigation and referral concerns of patients with Covid-19. Public communication strategy referred to the pronouncements and regular briefings held by doH doH officer-in-charge Maria r o sario Vergeire became the face of the government’s Covid-19 pandemic response. Being able to effectively communicate with the general public helps minimize damage

and prevent widespread illness and disease.

Partnerships with medical societies created several expert panels while the private sector was instrumental in a lot of ways during the pandemic.

“We saw how the private sector was able to cope with the demands at that time. t h ere was a massive expansion of testing laboratories immediately when test kits were available. Who else introduced the test kits in the country? it i s the private sector, also in collaboration with the fo od and d r ug a d ministration,” he added.

Together for Health

Partner S H i P S fo r health continue to be essential in managing ongoing challenges, anticipating and addressing health-related issues, and providing new opportunities to encourage healthseeking behaviors and contribute to the population. “ to gether for Health” underscored the importance of multisectoral collaboration in pushing for continuous progress in health care during and beyond the pandemic. t h e event was hosted by t h e Pharmaceutical and Healthcare a s sociation of the Philippines (PH a P), in partnership with MS d in the Philippines and a C H ealth.

t he event gathered renowned scientific experts, health leaders and decision-makers, and patient groups to provide insights and share their perspectives through an interactive panel discussion.

Hosted by broadcast journalist and health and family advocate Jing Castaneda, the session addressed current trends, the impact and lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare, and insights on the way forward.

a s w e navigate the post-pandemic era, we encourage the media to be our allies in promoting health literacy. to gether, we can complement the efforts of our partners at

Rise in rubbing alcohol poisoning cases noted during pandemic—expert

By Rory Visco | Contributor

solutions to patients in the Philippines,” he said.

Cutting edge equipment

Patient S at Shinagawa d i agnostic and Preventive Care Center will experience f u jifilm’s best in its class of medical devices that offer quick and comfortable procedures.

t h ese include the e l uxeo l i te 6000, an endoscopy machine that features Multi- l i ght te chnology to bring high-quality imaging and superior visibility for improved patient comfort via flexible scope options.

o n t he other hand, Supria 128 Slice C t Scan Machine has painless and low-dose scanning capabilities. it produces high-speed and top-notch quality images at lower electricity use.

Meanwhile, the a mulet i n novality is a mammogram machine with ergonomic armrests for convenience and secure positioning of a patient, producing quick image intervals of just 15 seconds.

f u jifilm’s fdr Smart X X-ray machine boasts advanced functionality and compatibility with any X-ray system, delivering high image quality for precise and accurate results. t h e a r ietta Series, on the other hand, is an ultrasound machine renowned for its broad diagnostic capabilities and top-notch imaging quality, producing reliable results that help with immediate critical surgical decisions.

“We

and also the women’s health, we can add more patients,” Uemori told reporters during the press conference, following the Moa signing. “We will use the Japanese system, so we can make the patient quickly moving in the facilities. t h at is the plan.”

Preventive solutions

a S a n adage says, “Prevention is better than cure.”

So besides the Japanese standard health-care technologies from f u jifilm, Shinagawa’s latest facility will also offer brain exams (M r i / M r a ), full body exams (C t scan), digestive exams (ultrasound/endoscopy), health exams for women (mammography/ultrasound), laboratory, and allergy tests.

Uemori said that they will collaborate with health maintenance organizations (HM o s) nationwide to provide accessible, affordable, and comprehensive medical services to f i lipinos.

Shinagawa’s new d i agnostic & Preventive Care Center will offer comprehensive and personalized health-care plans that help in early detection and prevention of disease.

Per the company’s president, their comprehensive medical examination process can identify potential health issues. With their proactive intervention and treatment, such concerns are prevented from becoming major problems.

t h e state-of-the-art facility is conducive for doctors and health professionals to perform procedures quickly, comfortably, and stress-free

the d e partment of Health in advancing medically verified health information which can empower patients and create healthier communities. We believe that we can achieve this through collaborations and by making health care a national agenda,” said te odoro Padilla, PH a P e x ecutive d i rector. t h e health forum also tackled the significance of health literacy, highlighting the need for patients to access, comprehend, and apply health information and services. Health literacy can aid in preventing health issues, safeguarding one’s health, and managing health problems effectively. e nc ouraging multi-stakeholder collaboration is vital in promoting health literacy to empower patients and establish healthier communities.

“We recognize and support the role of the media in informing, educating, and guiding f i lipinos, especially in times of crises. By providing accurate and comprehensive health information, we can inspire people to take charge of their health and demand better healthcare policies,” said a ndreas r ie del, President and Managing d i rector of MSd in the Philippines. e x perts suggest three major changes to learn from the pandemic and promote better public health: revisiting and strengthening public health systems, prioritizing universal health coverage, and implementing holistic policies that prioritize health as part of the national agenda.

“Collaboration across different sectors is key in ensuring that health-care services are accessible and affordable for all fi lipinos. t h rough partnerships, we can create innovative solutions and bring quality health care closer to communities in need. We look forward to working with our fellow healthcare advocates in achieving our shared goal of improving healthcare for all,” said Paolo Borromeo, aC Health C e o and President.

Poisoning encounters have changed significantly over the years. Before, if people wanted to harm themselves, they would simply ingest anti-tuberculosis medications. n o w, there are antibiotics abuse, alcohol, household disinfectants, the use of which was reported during the pandemic, snake bites, and now even the seemingly harmless household plants such as Dieffenbachia, which is commonly known as “Dumb Cane” or “Leopard Lily.”

The more serious ones include oil spills, red tide algae, arsenic in drinking water, and of course the chemical or biological radiation, including nuclear exposure.

Poisoning in the PHL DUR i ng the weekly st op Covid Deaths webinar organized by the University of the Philippines, the UP Manila ni H n at ional Telehealth Center, and the UP Philippine g e neral Hospital (UPP g H), Dr. n e lia Cortes-Maramba, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the UP College of Medicine, narrated that way back in 1975, they received pesticide poisoning cases at the UP-P g H emergency room almost on a daily basis.

The cases generally involved men while children were also admitted due to exposure to organophosphate pesticides, some with carbonate poisoning. The situation then became very alarming that Dr. Cortes-Maramba said they set up a treatment center and got all the departments involved in the endeavor. Even resident doctors in Family Medicine and the Department of Pediatrics were required to train on the treatment of poisoning.

The treatment center later grew to become an information service with assistance coming from the international program on chemical safety by the United n at ions, including the use of telephones to refer poisoning cases to the UP-P g H.

The UP-P g H Poison Control Center was then renamed to the n at ional Poison Control and i nformation s e rvice ( n PC i s ) i n 1991 and became a temporary unit in the UP College of Medicine, while the P g H-Poison Control and i nformation Unit was formed in 2003. s i nce the two organizations shared similar functions in a period where poisoning remains a major problem in the country, it was decided to merge the two which resulted in the creation of the n at ional Poison Management and Control Center ( n PMCC), the first poison center in the country.

the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the UP College of Medicine, former head and consultant at the n PMCC, in her talk at the same webinar, focused on toxicovigilance, which she defined as an active identification and assessment of the risk of toxicity from exposure of a community or population to various toxicants. i t ai ms to provide information for timely and appropriate action to prevent, treat, reduce harm and manage risks of toxic exposures.

During the pandemic, the center received a four-fold increase in the number of calls compared to previous years, mainly because of the lockdowns and people were hesitant to go to the hospitals.

“However, with proper guidance, there are poisoning cases that can be observed and managed effectively even at home,” Dr. Panganiban said.

During the course of Covid-19, Dr. Panganiban said they looked into a pattern of poisoning, and they noticed an increase in cases of isopropyl and ethyl alcohol as a disinfectant, landing third in the Top 10 list in 2020 and 2021. “The cases were accidental and intentional in nature and because of the accessibility and availability of this agent increased the exposure of the population to its harmful effects when improperly used.”

i n response, the n PMCC came up with several public advisories on the proper use of both alcohol agents, including bleaches and chlorine solutions and posted them through the center’s Facebook page. This was done to avoid confusion on how to prepare them as surface disinfectants, including tips to avoid poisoning.

Another challenge to the n PMCC in terms of treatment and prevention is poisoning through cyanide-containing silver jewelry cleaning agents that happened between 2 004-2006, with a 15.3-percent case fatality rate among pediatric patients, but largely accidental in nature. “These solutions were sold and stored in improper and unlabeled containers such as beverage bottles so we came up with a tri-media information and education campaign on the hazards of cyanide. This resulted in a decline in fatalities in 2009-2011, where case fatality rate went down to 3.7 percent, and cyanide was replaced with less toxic thiourea,” Dr. Panganiban stressed.

What have we learned?

for patients. t h eir partner Japanese doctors, who have extensive experience in preventive care, can double check diagnosis and analysis for better and precise prognosis.  t h e hub will also implement an efficient and streamlined operation using the Japanese Health Checkup i n formation System. With same-day results, patients can receive timely and accurate diagnoses and treatment plans sans the added stress of waiting.

Promote health, wellness

M o V i n G forward, Uemori bared their plan to promote health and wellness through events and seminars to increase public awareness on overall well-being.

“ o u r success in the field of eye care has enabled us to build a reputation as a leader in the industry. o u r commitment to the latest technologies and Japanese standards for medical services has helped us to earn the trust of our patients, and we are proud to continue to deliver exceptional care that exceeds their expectations,” she stressed.

Shinagawa Healthcare Solutions Corp. is a subsidiary of the country’s top l a sik provider, Shinagawa l a sik & a e sthetics Center Corp. fujifilm Philippines was founded in 2012 as a sales unit of f u jifilm’s regional headquarters in the a s ia Pacific, with focus on providing high-quality products and services, such as electronics, photo imaging, industrial products, graphic design, and medical systems.

o u r mission at the center is not only for poisoning as far as chemical and other harmful substances are concerned but also to be involved in all cases where there is danger or safety problems, and we hope to expand further by offering a Masteral program and produce more educators that can teach toxicology in other colleges of medicine,” Dr. Cortes-Maramba pointed out.

Poison Information and Toxicovigilance

D R Lynn Crisanta Panganiban, Professor at

TH ERE are three things that Dr. Panganiban shared when it comes to lessons learned. o n e is adherence to sound scientific principles, which she said is essential and the evidence gathered through the proper data collection whether they are acute poisoning or chronic exposures and through assessments that will serve as guide for subsequent actions. There is also teamwork and commitment because they cannot do this on their own so there is the need to link up and partner with other disciplines, and finally, there is effective communication. “These are all important tools to achieve our set goals of poisoning prevention and control,” Dr. Panganiban concluded.

Prevent drowning by enrolling in Red Cross swimming, water safety courses

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

THE W orld Health o r ganization said that more than 3,000 people in the Philippines die from drowning each year. Children, meanwhile, are at a significantly increased risk.

According to the Philippine s t atistics Authority (P s A ), the month of April has the highest average number of deaths caused by drowning and submersion from 2006 to 2013.

W ith this, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) reminds the public to be vigilant. As such, the PRC is intensifying its Red Cross 143 (RC143) campaign which includes swimming and water safety courses as summer brings a higher risk of drowning.

The PRC also cited a study by Jonathan P. g u evara et. al. (2021), published online in the open-access research portal MDP i , w hich found that in the Philippines, children are at a greater risk of accidental drowning compared to adults.

PRC Chairman and CE o Richard g o rdon reiterated the importance of water safety to people in all age groups, but particularly for children, “Children are at a higher

risk as drowning can happen quickly.”

“The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in the water is to learn how to swim,” g o rdon said, adding that the PRC offers swimming and water safety courses that are suitable for all ages.

g o rdon believes that water activities this summer can be safer if people are equipped with the knowledge and skills to become water competent.

“ Please do not swim alone and be knowledgeable of the water environment and potential hazards such as currents and depth changes. Following basic water safety tips can keep you and your family safe whenever you are in the water,” said PRC s e cretary g e neral Dr. g w endolyn Pang. g o rdon assured the public that the RC143 volunteers of each PRC chapter nationwide are also prepared to report and respond to drowning incidents in their coverage areas.

T o know more about the Philippine Red Cross Water s a fety Program, contact the nearest PRC Chapter or PRC s a fety s e rvices at (+63 2) 8790-2365 to 66, (+63 2) 87902300 loc. 933/934, or email them at safetytraining@redcross.org.ph.

HONDA PHILIPPINES WELCOMES NEW COUNTRY HEAD

S. Peregrino

MIAS 2023 IS SHAPING MOBILITY

MANILA International Auto Show, or MIAS, has become one of the events that car enthusiasts look forward to seeing every year. With different car displays, launches, and car competitions, MIAS offers many things to look forward to each year.

Miyake held management posts at Honda Motor Co. Ltd. Headquarters in Japan, including overseas assignments in North and South American markets. Through the years, she gained expertise in automobile sales, parts export, logistics, and business planning operations. She oversaw the Export Planning Department of Honda’s global automobile business most recently.

Moreover, the new HCPI president

will be the key to Honda’s business expansion, particularly in steering the company towards carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities. One of Honda’s long-term goals is to achieve 100 percent electrification of automobiles by 2040.

“As we embark on this fresh journey, I want to assure you - the times may have changed so much, but Honda’s commitment to the power of dreams has only grown through

the years. Please watch out for new technologies to be launched very soon, including e:HEV hybrid electric vehicle that doesn’t just have a hybrid emblem; it truly delivers. We will also continue to improve our sales and after-sales operations to give our customers more joy throughout their vehicle ownership,” said Miyake.

The ceremony also allowed the outgoing president to show his gratitude for the support he received. Nakamura also expressed his confidence that Miyake’s leadership will further drive the company to achieve higher growth and success.

For his part, Nakamura expressed his gratitude and continued support

to HCPI. “The past three years have been challenging, but we also learned so many things. What I will remember more is how we all worked together and came out better than before. I am thankful for the dedication of Honda Associates and our business partners. We will continue to improve, keeping in mind our purpose,” he said.

DOST partnership

MEANWHILE , HCPI also announced its partnership with the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) in an innovation competition for young Filipinos in Senior High School.

The program “imake. wemake:create.innovate.collaborate” fosters creative and innovative thinking among students by enabling them to solve problems of their respective communities or achieve a particular purpose using critical thinking, experimentation, risk analysis, engineering, and technical skills. This year’s contest gathered 89 project proposals from public and private high schools all over the Philippines, the most significant number of submissions received since the program started in 2017.

The recent MOA signing between DOST-SEI, HCPI, and fellow program partners C&E Publishing, Inc. and Gokongwei Brothers Foundation occurred at the Sequoia Hotel, Manila Bay, in Parañz aque. On the same day, finalists of 20 school teams also began their five-day Technical Training,

Necessary evil at Commonwealth

ABOUT time, indeed. I refer to the recent resurrection of the motorcycle lanes at Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City (QC). They are back after an “absence” of nearly four years or so, creating chaos triggered mostly by wild-driving motorcycle riders. It was organized confusion then, to say the least. With the return of said lanes for exclusive use of motorcycles, a semblance of an orderly flow of traffic has been restored somewhat at Commonwealth from Memorial Circle to Fairview and back. But if truth be told, the lanes have benefited our motorcycle riders more than the rest of our motorists as the twowheeled users now enjoy travel almost trouble-free. So “spoiled” our motorcycle riders are that

Workshop, and Mentoring. DOST-SEI

Director Dr. Josette T. Biyo expressed her gratitude to the partners investing in young Filipino innovators. “I believe that through our partnership, more doors of opportunities will be opened, and more young people will be primed to become scientists and innovators—creating and collaborating for a better future.”

Notably, the “imake.wemake” innovation competition empowers schools and universities to build communities of learners who also value resource and knowledge sharing and a dynamic and collaborative approach towards creating solutions. Through the partnership, three schools, to be selected by a distinguished Board of Judges, will each receive a Youth Innovation cash grant of PhP 200,000. After a 90-day build period, finalists would design, build, and complete their working prototype, including test deployment in their chosen community.

“Honda Cars is honored to be a part of the “imake.wemake” program. What you are doing here truly resonates with us. As the students use their creative energies and smart ideas to craft solutions to many of society’s problems, Honda, the Power of Dreams, is unwavering about greater value through superior safety and environmental performance. We appreciate how this program promotes the application of science and technology in creating solutions and pursuing big dreams,” said HCPI vice president Atty. Louie Soriano.

a motorist manning a vehicle four-wheelsand-up seen intruding into the motorcycle lanes can be stopped outright by traffic enforcers and fined a minimum of P1,200.

I am now part of the “suffering throng” of four-wheels-and-up motorists that agonizingly fall in line when traffic becomes snail-pace at Commonwealth due to the sheer volume of vehicles avoiding to trespass into said motorcycle lanes.

I can’t complain. I may not agree with the lanes—I call them necessary evil—but still, they are there as mandated by law. I have always prided myself in being a law-abiding citizen. Peks man.

Hooray to the winners

SUPER performing dealers were recently feted during the dealer conference summit held by Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP).

Shaina Mae Semana, TMP’s energetic drumbeater, said the event was also occasioned by Toyota recording its recordextending 21st straight feat as a Triple Crown champion for being Number One in passenger car sales, commercial vehicle sales and overall sales last year.

This was on top of Toyota’s magnificent accomplishment of capturing the 50-percent market share in 2022, another first for TMP since it resumed operations in 1989 under the aegis of the late, highly-admired George Ty.

When it mattered the most, we came together as one team with one aim: To stand

Aside fr om catering to consumers, MIAS is also a platform for different players in the industry. From helping launch new cars to introducing new auto brands to the market, MIAS has become a go-to event to create connections and explore possible business opportunities.

As a po werhouse in the auto industry and this year’s theme, “Shaping Mobility” shows the auto industry ecosystem working together to improve private transportation and increasing mobility not just in the metro but throughout the whole country. The automotive industry plays a huge part in improving efficiency and catering to the needs of a growing population in between urbanization in the country.

MIAS 2023 is pack ed with shows and event highlights that will leave your heart pumping with adrenaline. One of the main highlights of the event is the Mobility Marathon, a series of car launches from some of the biggest automotive brands in the country today. The event will also see the return of the Russ Swift Car Stunt Show and the return of Russ Swift himself performing his gravity-defying stunts that will leave you in shock and awe. MIAS will once again showcase the Petron Custom and Classic Car Competition, where car enthusiasts compete for this year’s grand winner vying for the title of best customized car of 2023. You may also drive and try your dream car at the Test Drive Avenue and check out the latest truck models ideal for your growing business at The Truck Zone located at the North Wing Tent. Upon registrations, you will be welcomed by glass showcase featuring The Die-Cast Collection while the Car Club Display from different organizations will be located at the foyer of World Trade Center Metro Manila. This year’s MIAS will continue to raise the bar for car events as it goes back bigger. With more car displays, car launches, and different aftermarket parts that visitors can buy, MIAS is once again staking its claim as the main car event in the country. MIAS will take place from April 13-16 at World Trade Center in Pasay. You can get your tickets here https://manilaautoshow.com/ MIAS 2023 is organized by Worldbex Services International and for the benefit of the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.

strong with each other so we could, most importantly, stand strong for our customers. As a result, we were awarded with their trust and by their smiles,” T MP Chairman Alfed V. Ty said in his congratulatory message to the dealers. “As we celebrate our 35th year in the Philippines armed with the time honored values of our shareholders, Toyota is more dedicated to doing what we do best—to continue producing happiness.”

Among the dealer-winners feted were Toyota dealerships in Pasig, Marilao, Tarlac City, Batangas City, Nueva Ecija, Mandaue North Cebu and Balintawak.

By emerging double-winners through their Marilao and Balintawak dealerships, the father-and-son tandem of Rey and Cosco Oben deserve our hearty applause.

F or his part, Toyota president Atsuhiro Okamoto said: “2023 pr omises to be an even more amazing year. W ith our strongest product line-up that are backed up by the strongest dealers, strongest team members and Toyota professionals, we will strive to be the best friend of every Filipino, whose trust is the strongest foundation for our future.”

Do I see Jing Atienza smiling from ear to ear?

PEE STOP Congrats to Petron Corporation for successfully staging the recent 15th Inside Racing Bike Festival and Trade Show at the World Trade Center in Pasay City... Happy Easter!

Story & photo by Randy

HONDA Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) recently held a leadership turnover ceremony to introduce its new president. In a ceremonial event held at the Crimson Hotel in Alabang, new company president Rie Miyake succeeded outgoing president Masahiko Nakamura, who will assume a new post in Honda Cars Korea.

New HCPI president Rie Miyake. HONDA PHILIPPINES

HCPI’s outgoing president Masahiko Nakamura and new president Rie Miyake during the ceremonial turnover