BusinessMirror April 12, 2023

THE country’s export earnings contracted for the third consecutive month in February, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Figures from the PSA showed the country’s export earnings declined 18.1 percent in February. In January and December 2022, export earnings contracted 13.1 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively.

Export revenues fell during the period mainly due to the 2.2-percent contraction in earnings from electronic products.

“The commodity group with the highest annual decline in the value of exports in February 2023 was electronic products, which dropped by $765.48 million,” PSA said.

PSA said this was followed by coconut oil and other mineral products, which fell by $156.54 million and $126.51 million, respectively.

Total export earnings in the first two months of the year amounted to $10.33 billion. This represented a decline of 15.6 percent from the year-to-date annual total export value of $12.25 billion in January to February 2022.

Meanwhile, the country’s total import bill contracted by 12.1 percent year-on-year to $8.95 billion in February.

In January, it recorded an annual increase of 4.1 percent, while in February 2022, it exhibited a double-digit annual increase of 26.3 percent.

With this, the country recorded a trade deficit amounting to $3.88 billion, which is narrower by 2.7 percent compared to the $3.98 billion in February 2022.

PSA data showed that in January 2023, the trade deficit recorded an annual growth of 27.1 percent and in February 2022, it posted an annual increase of 47.2 percent.

“The balance of trade in goods [BoT-G] is the difference between the value of export and import,” the PSA said.

In February, the country’s total external trade in goods amounted to $14.03 billion, which was 4.4 percent lower than the previous year’s level.

In January, total trade contracted 2.2 percent. It expanded

by 22.1 percent in February 2022.

Of the total external trade in February, the PSA said 63.8 percent were imported goods, while the rest were exported goods.

Markets

ACCORDING to the PSA, Japan was the country’s top export destination while the People’s Republic of China was the Philippines’s top source of imported products. In terms of exports, Japan accounted for the highest export value amounting to $822.65 million or a share of 16.2 percent to the country’s total exports in February.

Other top export markets are

See “Export,” A2

Jan FDI inflows fall to $448M

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE manufacturing sector shed over 300,000 jobs in February due to significant declines in employment in several subsectors, including tea production, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

CHED shutters 15 maritime programs following review

102,000 compared to January.

net investments in debt instruments and equity capital,” the BSP said.

“FDI net inflows declined during the month amid global economic uncertainties and high inflation,

In a briefing on Tuesday, National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa said 2.47 million Filipinos were without jobs during the period.

This represented a decline of 651,000 jobs from February 2022 but an increase of

Sectors that saw the largest decline in jobs on a month-on-month basis were manufacturing which lost 319,000 jobs. In February, only 3.36 million Filipinos were employed in manufacturing from 3.68 million in January.

“Jobs can’t just disappear in droves,” University of the Philippines School of Economics Head of Research Renator

See “Jobs,” A2

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

THE Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has shut down 15 maritime programs, which failed to meet international standards, as part of its review of seafarer schools nationwide.

In a press conference in Malacañang last Tuesday, CHED Chairperson Prospero E. De Vera III said the crackdown is part of the government’s initiatives to address the concerns raised by the European Maritime Safety Agency

(EMSA) on the quality of the training of Filipino seafarers.

“We’re very strict, the technical panel and our technical evaluators have gone through the programs and we have closed 15 over the past year and a half,” De Vera said.

Aside from CHED, the said technical panel also has representatives from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).

The number of shuttered maritime programs could still increase

See “CHED,” A2

MILITARY DRILLS Filipino and American troopers salute during opening ceremonies for the Balikatan joint military exercise at Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in Quezon City, as (right) demonstrators carry placards and shout slogans in front of the camp. The Philippines and the United States launch their largest combat exercises in decades that will involve live-fire drills, including a boat-sinking rocket assault in waters across the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait that will likely inflame China. (Story on A10) AP/AARON FAVILA & NONOY LACZA

PSA: Lackluster food sector dampens Feb factory output

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

The data from PSA showed that the Volume of Production Index (VoPI) for manufacturing recorded a year-on-year increase of 7.2 percent in February, slower than the annual growth rate of 11.2 percent in the previous month. In February 2022, VoPI recorded a faster annual increment of 69.8 percent.

PSA said the VoPI performance in February was mainly due to the slower annual rate in the index of manufacture of food products, which reached 6.4 percent. It was at 14 percent in January.

“The manufacture of food products contributed 29.7 percent to the downtrend of VoPI of the manufacturing sector in February 2023,” PSA said.

The manufacture of grain mill products, starches, and starch products expanded by 6.8 percent in February, slower than the previous month’s

30.9-percent increase.

Apart from food, the data also showed the slowdown in the VoPI was due to the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products which contracted 14.2 percent and the 2.7-percent decline in the manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products.

Data from the PSA indicated that 5 industry divisions recorded slowdowns in the annual growth rates of their indices.

Four industry divisions also exhibited negative year-on-year annual rates after recording annual upturns in the previous month.

However, 5 industry divisions posted higher annual growth rates in February. The highest annual rate was recorded in other manufacturing and repair and installation of machinery and equipment at 34 percent.

FDI. . .

The manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products index registered an annual increase of 2.4 percent during the period from a contraction of 11.7 percent in the previous month.

Meanwhile, based on responding establishments, the average capacity utilization rate for the manufacturing sector in February was reported at 72.6 percent from 72.8 percent in the previous month.

“Almost all of the industry divisions reported capacity utilization rates of more than 50 percent. The top three industry divisions in terms of reported capacity utilization rate were manufacture of machinery and equipment except electrical [81.6 percent], manufacture of transport equipment [78.9 percent], and manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products [77.8 percent],” PSA said.

It added that the proportion of establishments that operated at full capacity or 90 percent to 100 percent was 22.1 percent of the total number of responding establishments.

Meanwhile, some 35 percent of the companies operated at 70 to 89 percent capacity while 42.9 percent operated below 70 percent capacity.

The data is based on the Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries report which monitors the production, net sales, inventories, and capacity utilization of selected manufacturing establishments to provide flash indicators on the performance of the manufacturing sector.

Export. . .

Continued from A1

which continued to weigh on investor decisions.”

The data showed that debt instruments contracted 56.6 percent to $280 million in January 2023 from $645 million in January 2022.

BSP also said equity other than reinvestment of earnings declined 13.1 percent to only $93 million in January 2023 from $107 million in January 2022.

However, BSP said, non-residents’ reinvestment of earnings increased slightly. There was a 4.1 percent increase in reinvestment of earnings to $75 million in January from $72 million in January 2022.

“By country source, equity capital placements came mostly from Japan, Singapore, and the United States. These were invested largely in the manufacturing, financial and insurance, and real estate industries,” BSP said.

The BSP statistics on FDI are compiled based on the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, 6th Edition (BPM6).

FDI includes an investment by a non-resident direct investor in a resident enterprise, whose equity capital in the latter is at least 10 percent. This can also be an investment made by a non-resident subsidiary/associate in its resident direct investor. FDIs can be in the form of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, and borrowings.

The BSP FDI statistics are distinct from the investment data of other government sources. BSP FDI covers actual investment inflows.

By contrast, the approved foreign investments data that are published by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which are sourced from Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs), represent investment commitments, which may not necessarily be realized fully, in a given period.

Further, the said PSA data are not based on the 10 percent ownership criterion under BPM6. Moreover, the BSP’s FDI data are presented in net terms (i.e., equity capital placements less withdrawals), while the PSA’s foreign investment data do not account for equity withdrawals.

CHED. . .

Continued from A1

due to the ongoing nationwide review of the technical panel.

“We will wait for the evaluation. I don’t know we’ll have to wait after DOTr, MARINA, you know, we go through the schools again and we will find out whether all the schools are compliant,” De Vera said.

CHED implemented a 5-year moratorium on the creation of new maritime programs so the technical panel can finish its backlog.

“This is the first time that we declare a moratorium on maritime education and in the whole history of maritime education. That shows our seriousness, on the part of CHED and MARINA, that we want to really look at all the programs,” De Vera said.

“It will be hard for us if there will be no moratorium, while we evaluate the existing [maritime programs] as well as the new programs. It will be an endless [process],” he added.

De Vera said CHED, DOTr and the MARINA are looking for additional “allies” to help better monitor the compliance of maritime schools with international standards.

New test

TO ensure Filipino seafarers will be able to continue to meet international standards, the government will be coming out with a new test and course for maritime students.

De Vera said the Center for Educational Management is currently developing a new assessment test, which will measure the readiness of students who take maritime courses.

“We will make an assessment tool to guide the students to make sure they will fit [in the course] they will take,” he said. “We want to make sure the assessment abides with international standards.”

MARINA also announced it is eyeing the creation of a course for the “decarbonization” of ships.

“We have the upskilling and reskilling of our seafarers in preparation for the decarbonization and also those with greenhouse gas effects—those are matters that need to be upskilled and reskilled because sooner or later all ships must be decarbonized,” MARINA Administrator Hernani N. Fabia said.

Fabia said they may tap the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) to provide the said training.

“The facilities in NMP are really suited for upskilling and reskilling our seafarers for the training of our maritime trainers and educators,” the MARINA official said.

The said innovations are part of the government’s ongoing efforts to further improve the quality maritime training in the country and ensure Filipino seafarers will continue to be recognized by the European Commission (EC) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The country has just secured the recognition from the EC last month after undergoing a 15-month review process, which showed the government made a “serious effort” to ensure the country complies with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for seafarers.

“The recognition is good for 10 years, subject to reassessment and monitoring by the EMSA. So that’s why we also have to conduct regular training and capacity building for our stakeholders and our marine personnel,” Fabia said.

Continued from A1

the United States with $756 million or 14.9 percent of the total; People’s Republic of China, $611.59 million or 12 percent; Hong Kong, $526.86 million or 10.4 percent; and Singapore, $310.6 million or 6.1 percent of total exports.

Meanwhile, China was the country’s biggest supplier of imported goods valued at $1.93 billion or 21.6 percent of the country’s total imports in February.

Other top sources of imports were Indonesia which accounted for $917.76 million or 10.2 percent of the country’s import receipts; Japan, $788.35 million or 8.8 percent; US, $648.81 million or 7.2 percent; and Republic of Korea, $593.22 million or 6.6 percent. Cai U. Ordinario

Jobs. . .

Continued from A1

S. Recide told Business Mirror on Tuesday. “Malaki ‘yung month-on-month loss of jobs in manufacturing.”

During the briefing, Mapa said the jobs lost in the manufacturing sector were due to five subsectors with the blending and manufacture of tea which lost 85,000 jobs followed by the manufacture of chilled or frozen meat or poultry with a decline of 62,000.

Further, the manufacture of garments for women, girls, and babies lost 61,000 jobs; manufacture of rattan products, 57,000; and production of wood furniture, 54,000.

Recide said some of these workers may have shifted to other industries which recorded a high employment growth in February.

Under services, this would be wholesale and retail trade which saw an addition of 701,000 jobs in February year-on-year and the agriculture and forestry sector which recorded an increase of 997,000 jobs on a month-on-month basis.

Mapa said, employed persons in the services sector increased to 29.1 million yearon-year in February from the previous year’s 26.48 million. Industry saw a reduction in jobs to 7.94 million in February from last year’s 8.14 million.

“No information though whether there was movement from industry to services at the individual level,” Mapa told the BusinessMirror. “Of the total unemployed in February 2023, 62,000 were previously employed in wholesale and retail trade, 41,000 were from the manufacturing sector.”

For his part, Ateneo de Manila University economist Leonardo A. Lanzona Jr. told the Business Mirror , the lost jobs in the manufacturing sector may already be a sign that factories in the country are shifting to automation.

“Given that manufacturing output grew according to the latest data, it seems that the sector is undergoing some form of technological transformation, in the process shedding off routinary forms of jobs,” Lanzona said.

Another aspect that could be explored from the latest data is whether these jobs that were being created in other sectors show “gig work emerging from online labor platforms.”

Lanzona said these jobs are usually offer low pay and are considered irregular because most of the workers here compete with workers from other underdeveloped countries.

Based on the PSA’s data, underemployment was at 6.29 million. This was a decline of 95,000 from February 2022 and 368,000 from January.

“It remains unclear whether job quality has improved despite the decrease in underemployment. Before the pandemic, the sector which provided regular jobs with security and benefits for the relatively unskilled was manufacturing,” Lanzona said. “Last February, this sector was among those recorded as having the largest employment drop.”

Interventions

MEANWHILE the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) assured the public that the government remained committed to enhancing the country’s labor conditions and promoting the creation of high-quality jobs.

Neda Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said despite improvements in the employment data, challenges in improving the quality of employment across sectors still remain.

He said the government should continue its efforts to help create high-quality jobs on the demand side and ensure the upskilling and retooling of workers on the supply side.

“On the demand side, the strategy to create high-quality job opportunities begins with attracting more investments especially in infrastructure and in improving the regulatory environment. These interventions will improve the competitiveness of the entire economy and result in greater investor interest in other industries,” Balisacan said.

“Our participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the amendments to the Public Service Act pave the way for more high-paying job opportunities being made available to Filipinos,” he added.

Balisacan said the government will also boost its efforts to raise awareness among the workforce regarding the current opportunities for skill enhancement.

Currently, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) provides micro-credentialing, ladderized programs, and three-year diploma courses.

Meanwhile, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has partnered with several IT and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) companies to enhance the competencies of the workforce in accordance with industry needs.

“On the supply side, there is a need to improve the dissemination of information and awareness campaigns to encourage workers to utilize the existing resources for upskilling and retooling,” said Balisacan.

Balisacan noted that the unemployment rate among the youth, defined as individuals aged 15 to 24, decreased significantly from 14.2 percent in February 2022 to 9.1 percent this year.

The country’s labor force participation rate rose to 66.6 percent in February 2023, up from 63.8 percent during the same period in the previous year. This translates to an increase of 2.7 million Filipinos joining the labor force on a year-on-year basis, with 1.9 million of them being female.

Significant increases were observed among the prime working age group of 25 to 54 years old (+1.6 million) and among individuals who completed junior high school (+1.1 million).

Federation of Free Workers (FFW) Oresident Sonny Matula lauded the results of the Labor Force Survey (LFS), particularly the increase in the labor force participation rate. The latest LFS also showed the employment rate remained high at 95.2 percent, while underemployment rate slowed down to 12.9 percent.

Matula noted the said improvements in the labor force indicate the economy’s recovery from the pandemic.

However, the labor leader expressed concern over the high number of the unemployed last February.

“It seems we are bouncing back from the pandemic disruption but we need to do more in the agriculture and industry sectors,” Matula said. “Therefore, we urge the government to focus more attention and resources on these sectors to create even more job opportunities that provide stability and security for workers and their families.”

Aside from the private sector, Partido Manggagawa (PM) chair Renato Magtubo said the government should also generate more employment opportunities.

“Government should not rely fully on the private sector’s capacity to generate employment but should initiate on its own a robust public employment program that would address the perennial problem of unemployment and underemployment brought about by the country’s underdeveloped economy,” Magtubo said. Cai U. Ordinario and Samuel P. Medenilla

FACTORY output growth slowed in February due to the lackluster performance of food manufacturing, according to the latest data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The Nation

PBBM orders DOTr to defer LRT fare hike

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla & Lenie Lectura @llectura

CONC e R N e D a bout the economic impact of a new round of fare hikes on Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) and LRT-2, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to defer the planned increases.

Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said the suspension would remain in effect pending the completion of their impact study on repercussions of the fare hikes on the two rail lines as well as the Metro Rail Transit (MRT). he s aid they also opted to defer the fare hike for MRT due to its management’s “infirmities in complying with the requirements and procedure.”

“In compliance with the President’s instruction, we will thoroughly study how a fare hike today will impact on passengers of our three rail lines in Metro Manila,” Bautista said.

“The instruction of President is to re-assess the date of implementation for us to be able to determine the impact on inflation. Since inflation rate has also gone up in the last two months, we will have to review this and we’ll discuss this with Neda [National e c onomic and Development Authority],” the transport chief added.

“As far as the rate is concerned, it is already approved. The implementation will be announced after we have conferred with Neda and then we will refer this back to the board of LRTA [Light Rail Transit Authority],” Bautista said during the briefing.

“The consultations on the fare hike’s economic impact to commuters with N e DA will take a few months,” he said.

Once implemented, the boarding fare will be P13.29, while the distance

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday revealed that he had met with former Negros Oriental Gov. Pryde Henry Teves before the Holy Week break to debunk allegations he may be involved in the March 4 killing of Gov. Roel Degamo and eight others.

During their meeting witnessed by several of his staff members at the Department of Justice (DOJ), Remulla said the former governor merely repeated his public statements about his execution of a waiver to prove his innocence.

Teves’ waiver covers his bank accounts, phone records and emails.

“Actually, he’s in the process of trying to clear his name that he was not involved... He was not involved in this incident. He had no idea this was going to happen and that he just wants to live in peace,” Teves said.

Teves’ elder brother Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves has been tagged by Remulla as one of the masterminds in the Degamo slay case, even as investigators have yet to file a formal case against him.

Remulla earlier said the lawmaker served as the “executive producer” in the Degamo slay, as he was the one who allegedly financed the implementation of the plot to kill Degamo.

The younger Teves has been charged by the Philippine National Police with illegal possession of firearms and explosives before the DOJ in connection with the seizure of cache of firearms, ammunition and explosive materials found last month from his 5-hectare property used as a sugar mill in Santa Catalina, Negros Oriental.

The raid and the subsequent filing of criminal charges against him was an offshoot of the Degamo killing.

“ Well, actually, we discussed some of the matters at length but of course we try to avoid matters that would in any way compromise our position or his position because he was in the presence of his [legal] counsel. Attorney Raymond Fortun was with him…,” Remulla told reporters when asked if the younger Teves offered any information

fare will increase to P1.21 per km.

The planned fare increases were already endorsed by the DOTr’s Rail Regulatory Unit (RRU) to help improve the efficiency of both rail lines.

“The fare increase will enable the two rail lines [LRT-1 and LRT-2] to improve their services, facilities and technical capabilities,” Bautista said.

“The fare adjustment will help sustain the two commuter rail lines’ affordable mass transport services,” he added.  Bautista, who chairs the RRU, has the power to deny or approve proposed fare adjustments. The last approved fare hike for rail lines LRT-2 and MRT-3 was in 2015. For LRT 1, rate hike petitions were filed every two years since 2016 up to 2022, but all were deferred.

The concession agreement states that the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), which operates LRT-1, is allowed to apply for fare adjustments “of at least 10.25 percent every two years after the effectivity of the contract.”

“In compliance with the President’s instruction, we will thoroughly study how a fare hike today will impact on passengers of our three rail lines in Metro Manila,” Bautista said in a statement, adding that the fare increase “will enable the two rail lines’ [LRT-1 and LRT-2] to improve their services, facilities and technical capabilities.”

LRMC said, for its part, assured that it remains committed to provide a safe, reliable, and comfortable journey for LRT1 commuters. “We will continue to work with our government partners from DOTr and LRTA on the next steps.”

Meanwhile, the MRT-3 management was told to comply “with required notice and publication,” before the agency can act on a similar fare hike petition.

about the Degamo case.

W hen asked if there is evidence that would link the younger Teves in the Degamo killing, Remulla said, “I don’t think that I should comment on that because it is what it is. How the facts stand, how the testimonies stand will link everybody concerned to the crime.”

M eanwhile, Remulla said the elder Teves has remained in Cambodia despite appeals for him to return the country and face the accusations against him in connection with the Degamo case and several other killings in his home province.

“ I think he’s still in Cambodia. I think he’s still there,” Remulla said.

T he lawmaker, who has denied any involvement 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 apprehension to return to the country due to alleged threats to his life after being linked to the Degamo killing.

This 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.

The Teveses are known political rivals of Degamo.

The younger Teves lost his petition filed before the Supreme Court to reverse the September 1, 2022 ruling of the Commission on Elections, which declared a certain Grego Ruel Degamo as a nuisance candidate in the gubernatorial race in Negros Oriental in the last May 2022 elections.

As a result, the poll body ordered that the 49,953 votes obtained by Grego be credited in favor of Degamo, bringing the latter’s total votes to 331,727.

S ubsequently, the Comelec annulled Teves’ proclamation as provincial governor since his total votes of 301,000 was ower than Degamo’s votes.

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

The head of the Philippine National PoliceDrug e n forcement Group (PNP-PD e G ) and at least nine other police officials will go on leave to give way to an investigation surrounding the P6.7-billion anti-illegal drugs operations in Manila last year.

Police Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo said he and the nine other police officers will file their leave of absence following a news briefing on Tuesday in response to the order of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. and yield to the investigation of

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

The continued implemen -

tation of the mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) at college level was backed by “nearly eight of 10 Filipinos” in a recent survey.

Conducted by Pulse Asia, adult Filipino respondents were asked if they are in favor of implementing ROTC at the tertiary level in the survey conducted from March 15 to 19 this year.

The survey results recorded 78 percent of respondents nationwide support mandatory ROTC in college, 13 percent disagree, 8 percent cannot say whether they agree or disagree, while the rest say they do not have enough knowledge to give an opinion on the issue.

It also showed an overwhelming majority of respondents in the National Capital Region (77 percent), Balance Luzon (72 percent), Visayas (80 percent), and Mindanao (92 percent) in favor of the implementation of ROTC in college.

The survey likewise affirmed there is also “a broad support for ROTC in college across socioeconomic classes,” noting that results of the survey further showed that 81 percent of respondents from both Classes A, B, C and e and 78 percent from Class D say that they are in favor of mandatory ROTC in college.

It was noted that one of the top reasons for supporting mandatory ROTC is the belief that it would make young people learn discipline and responsibility (at 71 percent), while those who favor the proposal also believe that it will prepare students to defend the country (60 percent) and teach them leadership skills (59 percent).

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian viewed it as “a clear message” from our countrymen supporting the return of ROTC at college level.

“

Malinaw ang boses ng ating mga kababayan sa pagsuporta sa pagbabalik ng ROTC sa kolehiyo,” said Gatchalian, a co-author and co-sponsor of Senate Bill No. 2034 or the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Act.

he a dded: “Kaya naman patuloy nating isusulong ang ating panukalang muling magkaroon ng ROTC sa kolehiyo hanggang sa maisabatas ito. Sa pamamagitan ng ROTC, maituturo natin sa mga kabataan ang disiplina, pagmamahal sa bayan, at kahandaang tumulong lalo na sa panahon ng mga sakuna ,” the senator added.

It was noted, however, that those who are not in favor of mandatory ROTC believe it will only

the National Police Commission that is looking into the supposed involvement of other police officers in the activities of Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo Jr. Mayo, a former intelligence officer of PD e G , was arrested last year in Manila wherein at least 990 kilos of shabu was recovered. PNP chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. has since dropped him from the service.

On Monday, Abalos hinted a cover up or that other police officers with higher ranks could be involved in Mayo’s case, especially upon learning that no investigation has been initiated relative to the case.

The DILG chief, without naming names, ordered police officers seen in a video footage that was captured before or after the arrest of Mayo, to take a leave of absence.

“All those in the video should take a leave of absence pending the inves -

tigation of the task force which I created to look into this. If not, we will be constrained to issue appropriate orders for their preventive suspension pending investigation,” Abalos said during the briefing.

Domingo said they would comply with Abalos’ order as he denied any cover up in Mayo’s case.

“We assure you that there was no attempted cover-up here, if most people think that PD e G i s covering up for the faults of its personnel,” the PD e G chief said.

Aside from Domingo, those who would be filing their leave of absence include Col. Julian Olonan, chief of the PD e G -Special Operations Unit (SOU) in Region 4A; Lt. Col. Arnulfo Ibañez of the PD e G -SOU in Metro Manila; Lt. Col. h a rry Lorenzo III, assigned at the Manila Police District, Moriones Station; Maj. Michael Angelo Salmingo, deputy chief of the PDe G -SOU in Metro

Manila; Capt. Jonathan Sosongco, head of the arresting team from the SOU- 4A; Capt. Randolph Piñon, chief of the intelligence section of the PD e G SOU 4A; Lt. Glen Gonzales from the Quezon City Police District and Lt. Asgrap Amerol, intelligence officer of PD e G.

Another officer who holds the highest rank, Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos, formerly the chief of operations of the PNP, has already retired from the service last month.

Domingo admitted there were lapses committed during the arrest, including not cuffing Mayo, but this was done since the suspect was said to be willing to help in a supposed related operation in Pasig City where other suspects could be arrested. Mayo, who knew about the illegal drugs operations, was even willing to be used in the operation, but Azurin ordered them to cancel it, fearing Mayo would be killed.

PDEG chief Domingo, 9 other cops to go on leave over ₧6.7-B Manila shabu haul 8 of 10 Pinoys back ROTC at college level–survey

increase cases of abuse, harassment, and hazing (75 percent). They also believe that it will waste the time of youth which should be spent on studying (56 percent) and that it will only become an instrument of power for leaders and officers (44 percent).

Still, Gatchalian assured that the

proposed measure has safeguards, citing for one, a provision for Grievance Board that will be established in every ROTC unit to receive complaints or motu proprio conduct investigations on any complaint or allegation of abuse, violence, or corruption.

At the same time, the proposed

Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Act seeks to institutionalize the mandatory Basic ROTC Program in h i gher e d ucation Institutions ( h e I s) and Technical Vocational Institutions (TVIs) for all students enrolled in not less than twoyear undergraduate degree, diploma, or certificate programs.

Ex-NegOr gov Teves meets with DOJ chief, says ‘he just wants to live in peace’

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

DOLE to hold job fairs, extend aid on Labor Day

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the department disclosed the said activities for its Labor Day celebration this year, which carry the theme “Pabahay, Bilihing AbotPresyo, Benepisyo ng Matatag na Trabaho Para sa Manggagawang Pilipino,” will be conducted in 16 regional sites.

Various s M a nd Robinson’s malls nationwide would host the traditional simultaneous job fairs.

“This early, the Department is encouraging jobseekers to be ready with their application requirements, such as resume or curriculum vitae, certificate of employ -

Govt urged to prioritize purchase of anti-ASF vax

With the resurgent outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) reportedly spreading across 460 municipalities in 54 provinces, a senior lawmaker on tu esday proposed the declaration of a state of calamity in ASF-affected areas.

C amarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte said declaring a state of calamity is needed so the government can carry out emergency measures to stave off a feared scenario of dwindling pork supply, bigger imports and runaway retail prices in the months ahead.

ASF ‘scorecard’ clarification

t he D epartment of Agriculture (DA), meanwhile, clarified that there are only 137 barangays infected by ASF nationwide, an official said on tu esday.

“ i f y ou look at 137 barangays, over the total barangays nationwide that’s only .3 percent, if you’re looking into provinces that’s 25 percent, but we can not say the 21 provinces are all infected, only barangays,” DA Assistant Secretary Rex e s toperez said.

t hat ’s why we are discouraging the use of provinces, just barangays so it’s more realistic,” he added.

Meanwhile, Palawan has remained free from ASF, even as the DA describes the outbreak as “a national concern.”

Data BA i , t he DA said, showed that, 54 provinces and 460 municipalities are now affected by ASF.

e s toperez said they are constantly updating the President on the extent of the ASF outbreak in the country.

Contingency fund allotment

Vi L LAF u e R t e said a state of calamity will let the national government, for one, allocate a portion of its contingency funds for the Bureau of Animal i n dustry (BA ) to quickly acquire anti-ASF vaccines for a nationwide immunization drive for the hogs of those in the piggery business, especially the back -

yard raisers who are still reeling from the earlier ASF outbreaks.

t h e former h o use deputy speaker for finance added a state of calamity would enable the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to scour for contingency funds for such an emergency purchase of anti-ASF vaccines, which the BA i can administer to domestic pigs starting this year.

“Amid the proposed initial rollout of vaccines this year, the DBM and BA i can then work on a regular budget plan that can be incorporated into next year’s General Appropriations Act [GAA], so the Bureau can continue this year’s vaccination drive in 2024,” said Villafuerte, whose province of CamSur is one of the ASF-affected 54 provinces in all of the country’s regions, with the exception of Metro Manila.

t h e BA i needs to take emergency steps, topped by a nationwide vax drive against ASF, to prevent the current hog virus problem from taking a turn for the worse with the feared redux of supply shortages, bigger imports and another undue spike in pork prices like the one that happened in recent years—and that could further drive up the currently lingering elevated inflation,” he said.

“Preventing another upward spiral in pork prices in the retail market is the last thing we need at this time of continued elevated inflation, given how the runaway prices of such meat items after the ASF first resurfaced in the Philippines in 2019 had induced inflationary pressures that severely hurt Filipino consumers,” Villafuerte added.

h e said the country’s economic managers have for months now been struggling to contain the lingering food supply and price woes that are in large part responsible for the stubborn elevated inflation, which, in turn, has affected the country’s post-pandemic growth prospects. J ovee Marie

N. Dela Cruz and Raadee S. Sausa

ment for those formerly employed, diploma, and transcript of records,” D o L e said.

Kadiwa activities will also be held in the said sites to allow Labor Day participants to have access to affordable basic necessities.

The Kadiwa program is a joint initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) to allow agriculture suppliers to directly sell their products to consumers without trader intermediaries.

D o L e said it would also be conducting the simultaneous nationwide payout of assistance/salaries to beneficiaries of its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced Workers (T u PAD) program, s p ecial Program for e m ployment of s t udents (s Pe s ) and Government Internship Program (GIP)

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

during the Labor Day celebration.

The launch of the National Labor and e mpl oyment road map, which was initially expected to be among the highlights of D o L e ’ s Labor Day celebration, may now be deferred to a later date.

“The National Labor and e m ployment [road map] will still be subjected to further consultation and high level round table discussion this month. s o i t might not be completed by May 1 as the results of the LuzonVisayas and Mindanao consultation will have to be consolidated,” Labor s e cretary Bienvenido e . L aguesmsa told the BusinessMirror in a text message.

The road map will contain the targets and priority initiatives of D o L e in line with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-20238.

BJMP renews marketing contracts with 3 Albay ARBOs for supply of agri products

TH e B ureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Albay Province has extended its partnership with 3 agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARB o s) for the supply of agricultural products to provide the food and nutritional requirements to inmates housed in nine jail dormitories in the province. The renewal of the marketing contracts came following the successful partnerships last year under the e n hanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty ( e PAHP) program being implemented by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

The marketing contracts were signed between the Association of Women and Men of Gabawan (AWMG) in Daraga, s o uth Quinale Irrigators Association (s QIA) in Libon, Panganiran Irrigators Association (PIA) in Pio Duran, and the BJMP.  The said ARB o s w ill supply jail dormitories with their agricultural products, which include fresh vegetables and fruits, and poultry products. The jail dormitories include Tabaco City District Jail, st o. Domingo District Jail, Legazpi City Jail, Camalig District Jail, Guinobatan Municipal Jail, Ligao City Jail, o a s Municipal Jail, Pio Duran Municipal Jail, and Polangui District Jail.

Maria e u genia M. Alteza, Albay agrarian reform head, said this would be the third year of partnership between the three ARB o s a nd BJMP. The first MoA w as implemented last April 20, 2021, and was renewed on December 3, 2021. Through this partnership, the ARB o s gained a total of P32,992.50. Through the second MoA they were able to accumulate an income totaling P367,597.

Alteza said that as of February this year, the ARB o s h ave already generated an income

of P50,806.

DAR Bicol Regional Director Reuben Theodore C. s i ndac said the ARB o s h ave been successful in providing quality food products to the BJMP, ensuring that the inmates receive a balanced and nutritious diet.

“We are pleased to see the continued success of the ARB o s i n providing food and nutritional requirements to the BJMP. This partnership is a great example of how collaboration and cooperation can make a real difference in the lives of people who need it most,” said s i ndac.

s i ndac said this kind of partnership is beneficial to the ARB o s , as it provides them with a steady and reliable market for their products. By working with the BJMP, the farmers’ organizations can develop their farms and increase their income, which in turn helps to improve the standard of living of their families.

Ramil s . Vestra, assistant regional director of administration for BJMP Bicol, thanked DAR for continuing to provide programs that help persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).

“Because of this program, we are happy to inform you that there are no more PDLs who are hungry,” said Vestra.

With the steady increase in sales, e v angeline Casais of s Q IA noted that the agreement has been of great help to them, particularly the women farmers.

s h e said that most of the orders they received from BJMP were for vegetables grown mostly by women, thus empowering them in marketing and negotiations with other farmers.

The e PAHP program has been instrumental in facilitating partnerships between government entities and farmers’ organizations, allowing them to work together towards a common goal of reducing hunger and poverty in the region.

Jonathan L. Mayuga

AHouse deputy speaker has filed a resolution for a congressional inquiry into the proliferation of scammers offering dubious and non-existent jobs abroad victimizing young Filipinos.

In filing House Resolution 899, Deputy s p eaker and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar said a “full-blown investigation” is needed to unmask those behind the illegal recruitment ring and pursue a crackdown against scammers.

“There have been countless reports of Filipinos being victimized by local placement agencies for non-existent jobs abroad and syndicates offering high-paying jobs but the jobseeker ends up in a dubious cryptocurrency group,” said Villar.

Villar also issued a warning to young Filipinos seeking jobs against trafficking syndicates that lure people through social media into illegally working for dubious companies abroad, particularly groups that place purported job postings or commenting on trending posts on social media platforms to make it appear that they would get their dream job.

The Bureau of Immigration had recently rescued six victims of a cryptocurrency ring operating abroad, with some being offered a monthly salary of P40,000 while others were offered $800 to $1,000 but they will leave the Philippines as tourists.

Information reaching Villar’s office revealed some workers who have since returned to the country were not even given the promised salaries during the duration of their stay abroad.  s t ories of Filipinos being victimized into working abroad legitimately but end up working as scammers instead underscore the need for the government to aggressively pursue policies that would better protect them from illegal recruiters and international syndicates,” she added.

The Philippine government, Villar added, must ensure the protection of Filipinos and prevent these cases from happening as illegal recruitment “puts the lives of our fellow Filipinos at great risk.”

“While it is the duty of the government to provide decent jobs for its citizens to prevent them from leaving, it is also of equal importance that the government protect its citizens seeking employment abroad from scammers and syndicates,” Villar said.

With this, Villar urged the House Committees on Labor and e mployment and on o verseas Workers Affairs to look into the prevalence of bogus overseas job offerings victimizing Filipinos, with the objectives crafting new or strengthening existing policies to protect the public, intensifying information dissemination campaign against fraudulent employment schemes and job postings, and aggressively pursuing syndicates preying on hapless jobseekers.

N. Dela Cruz

Marie

Jovee

The Department of Labor and employment (DOLe) will hold nationwide job fairs and Kadiwa events for its May 1, Labor Day, celebration next month.

Resolution seeks inquiry into ‘spurious’ foreign employment offers posted online

‘Red tide’ warning hoisted in four coastal provinces

THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Tuesday said it found “red tide” toxin in the coastal waters of four provinces.

I n its latest Shellfish Bulletin, the attached agency of the Department of Agriculture also warned the public against consuming seafood from areas that are still positive for toxic red tide.

B FAR said shellfish collected from the coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol; San Pedro Bay in Samar; Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur; and Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur remain positive for paralytic shellfish poison.

All types of shellfish and Acetes sp. or alamang gathered from the areas shown above are not safe for human consumption,” the bureau added.

Fish, squids, shrimps, and crabs are safe for human consumption provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking,” BFAR said.

E ating shellfish products with red tide can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), which can cause death.

E arly symptoms of PSP include tingling of the lips and tongue, which may begin within minutes of eating poisonous shellfish or may take an hour or two to develop.

Depending on the amount of toxin a person has ingested, symptoms may progress to tingling of fingers and toes and then loss of control of arms and legs, followed by difficulty in breathing.

I f a person consumes enough poison, the muscles of the chest and abdomen become paralyzed. Death can result in as little as two hours, as muscles used for breathing become paralyzed. Raadee S. Sausa

TESDA sets alternative livelihood training for oil spill-hit Mindoro fishers, residents

A TOTAL of 2,900 residents and fishermen affected by the recent oil spill incident in Oriental Mindoro will undergo various skills training programs, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) announced.

I n coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), TESDA said residents, especially fishermen in the municipalities of Naujan, Pola, Pinamalayan, Gloria, Bansud, Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay, and Bulalacao in Oriental Mindoro will undergo various training programs to provide them with alternative livelihood opportunities.

T ESDA will provide training programs which include: Oil Spill Response Training; Meat and Fish Processing; Bread Making; Hog Raising; Dressmaking; Service Motorcycle Small Engine System; Small Engine Repair; Pastry Making; and Sugar Concentration, among others.

TESDA is here to provide relevant training programs as part of the collective action to support the upskilling and reskilling of displaced workers areas and ensure the well-being of all affected Filipinos,” TESDA Director General Danilo P. Cruz assured.

C ruz added the agency is ready to provide assistance in terms of skills training and livelihood programs to the residents of areas affected by the oil spill.

He also noted that these training programs would help the beneficiaries find permanent employment.

T he Competency-based Curriculum (CBC) on Oil Spill Response Training was developed by the Simeon Suan Vocational and Technical College (SSVTC) in Bansud, Oriental Mindoro.

It can be recalled that TESDA has been assisting residents of communities affected by various crises brought on by natural calamities, disasters, and any other untoward incidents.

PHL to US and China: Manage your rivalry; talk, be sincere, transparent

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and National Defense Officer-in-Chief Carlito Galvez flew to the US and were welcomed by US State Secretary Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III for the US-PHL 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

The meeting comes a day after the Philippine and US military kicked off the largest ever Balikatan exercises with 17,600 troops participating in various parts of the Philippines, including the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

China also conducted a three-day combat-ready military drill around Taiwan after the Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visited the US and held a meeting with the US House Speaker Kevin MacCarthy.

Manalo described the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue as “reforging” of the alliance

between the Philippines and the US that needs to “transform, to be more firm” and to “fit the 21st century alliances” different from the post-World War II context 75 years ago.

In his speech before a US think tank, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Manalo underscored the need for the Philippines to improve its defense posture with the help of the Americans even while it engages China diplomatically on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) maritime issue.

“

It is important that we continue working together, enhance our alliance, and modernize it so that it improves the security of the Philippines as well as the United States in the region,” Manalo said during the CSIS Asean Leadership Forum.

He said the Philippine-US alliance “stands proud in the nexus of relation-

ships and arrangements buttressing the regional security architecture.” He didn’t identify these regional security arrangements but he may be referring to those involving the US—AUKUS trilateral alliance with Australia, the United Kingdom, or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue involving Australia, India, and Japan.

This architecture must maintain trust and confidence among parties, amidst US-China rivalry and other geopolitical pressures,” Manalo said.

He did not say if the Philippines would join any of the US-initiated multilateral security alliances.

“The present and future relationship between the US and China is a defining

MIAA: Domestic travelers through Naia exceed pre-pandemic levels

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo @akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror

DOMESTIC tourism continues to remain strong, with most passengers traveling through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

D ata released by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) showed some 6.16 million passengers traveled on 42,331 domestic flights in the first quarter of the year, up 13 percent from the 5.45 million passengers who traveled on 36,206 flights in the same period in 2019. Most local carriers have said they already recovered their prepandemic domestic flight frequencies.

Because domestic borders opened earlier than international borders, airlines are deploying a lot of flights right now to serve our local destinations,” said MIAA general manager Cesar Chiong in a news statement. “Our domestic sector is thriving, and we are seeing the results of the government’s efforts to revive tourism,” he noted. The MIAA is a unit under the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

More than double arrivals in Manila

TAKEN with international flights, the total number of passengers that arrived at the Philippines’ primary gateway reached 10.86 million in the first three months of 2023, a staggering 158-percent increase over the 4.2 million passengers who arrived in the same period in 2022. The first quarter totals were also only 6 percent less

than the 11.6 million passengers in the same period in 2019, an indication that Filipinos are now more than eager to travel abroad and foreign tourists are starting to return to the country. Domestic passengers accounted for some 57 percent of the total who traveled through Naia.

A lso, the MIAA reported there was a 77-percent increase in flight movements from January to March 2023 to 67,781 through Naia’s terminals, versus 38,269 in 2022. The flight movements in the first quarter this year was also 4 percent more than the 65,161 pre-pandemic flights in the same period in 2019.

“ With the reopening of borders in countries such as Hong Kong and China, as well as the easing of travel restrictions, many travelers have regained confidence to fly in and out of the Philippines for both leisure and business purposes,” said Chiong.

He expressed optimism, that “as the aviation industry recovers from the effects of the pandemic, passenger numbers are likely to rise further in the coming months and years.”

O n a monthly basis, the largest number of passengers that arrived “since the Covid-19 pandemic” were 3.8 million in January this year, while March tallied the biggest number of flights at 23,399.

PHL-Turkey sign amended air pact

MEANWHILE , tourist arrivals from Turkey reached 2,842 from January to March 28 this year, already exceeding the pre-pandemic arrivals of 2,577 in the first quarter of 2019, data from the

Department of Tourism (DOT) show.

Th is developed as the DOT expected passenger traffic between the Philippines and Turkey to further rise with the recent addition of Cebu as a terminal for flights to and from Istanbul, and the doubling of the number of flights to 14 per week on each side. Both countries recently signed an air service agreement amending their initial pact inked in 2010 for flights between Manila and Istanbul, according to the DOTr.

I n a news statement, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said the amended agreement further positions the Philippines as an ideal destination for foreign tourists, especially this summer.

The Department of Tourism has identified the improvement of connectivity as one of its core objectives to strengthen the tourism industry,” she said. “Thus, we recognize and commend the efforts of our counterparts from the transportation sector led by the Department of Transportation for helping us improve our air services partnerships that would give our would-be visitors the improved tourist experience that they deserve.”

S he added, the decision to pick Cebu as a co-terminal recognizes the improvements made by the MactanCebu International Airport, which has led it to win Asia’s Best Airport Award in the under 5 Million Passenger Category of Routes Asia this year.  I stanbul also provides a vital connection point for Filipinos traveling to Europe.

OVP eyes to establish more satellite offices in the regions

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—The Office of the Vice President would establish more satellite offices in different parts of the country to increase its presence in the regions.

OVP spokesman Reynaldo Munsayac said, “There are plans to establish additional two satellite offices in places that accessible to the public,” and would likely be in the Bicol Region and Northern Luzon.

“ We will have one in Bicol Region this year, then in Isabela area,” Munsayac said. A side from satellite offices, the

OVP would also establish public assistance extension offices.

There will be many of these public extension offices. Our intention is to put an office in areas that are not reached by the government agencies…,” Munsayac said.

The offices will go a long way to provide medical assistance, guarantee for medicine, and burial assistance,” he added.

Currently the OVP has seven satellite offices located in Bacolod City, Tandag, Surigao del Sur, Davao City, Cebu, Tacloban, Dagupan and Zamboanga. Me anwhile, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

feature of this regional ecosystem. As responsible powers, each with a stake in the region’s long-term peace and security, Washington and Beijing need to manage their strategic rivalry, with dialogue and transparent and sincere engagement, where possible,” he added.

Like when China encircled Taiwan again for three days recently, Manila had been “concerned” as the conflict could “escalate into something more dangerous.”

Taiwan is literally next door to the Philippines. Just looking at any kind of escalation of tension, or even worse, some kind of military conflict [in Taiwan Strait] would have really adverse repercussions on the Philippines given our proximity,” he said.

C ompared to the tension in the Taiwan Strait brought by the visit of then US Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei last August, tension was “not that high.”

The Philippines and the United States, individually and through our enduring, modern and responsive alliance, must ensure that even if thisarchitectureheavestotheshiftsinthe dynamics and the multifaceted evolving interests of actors in the region, the rule of law is its fulcrum, and it brooks no challenge from any party engaging in any form of coercion, intimidation, the use and threat of use of force in violation of the UN Charter,” Manalo stressed.

T he foreign secretary also said that aside from military cooperation, he would also pitch for a “more robust” economic relationship between the two countries.

We recognize not only will greater economic cooperation lead to more prosperity for our peoples and our countries but would also provide a form of economic security and economic resiliency which is very important, especially in today’s world with so many issues taking place in geopolitical turmoil,” he added. A mong the economic interests of the Philippines are agriculture, food security, renewable energy, energy security, investment, infrastructure, critical and emerging technologies, strategic trade and investment cooperation, and supply chains.

‘SGS OFFERS TO MONITOR LEAKAGES IN AGRI TRADE’

Continued from A10

M eanwhile, Concepcion said eradicating smuggling and the “undervaluation” of agricultural goods complements efforts to help strengthen local agriculture.

It comes just in time as more companies have become interested in joining our KALAP initiative,” the Go Negosyo founder said.

T he Kapatid Angat Lahat Program (KALAP) was initiated by Go Nego -

syo to help the country’s small farmers integrate into the value chain of large companies.

U nder KALAP, large corporations will serve as “big brothers” to smallholder farmers by providing them access to mentorship, money and market.

Go Negosyo said KALAP program’s proponents have begun drafting its roadmap to implement “inclusive” business models for primary agricultural commodities in the country.

Lower generation fee pulls down Meralco’s April rate

Continued from A10

However, the final refund is set to be completed by May 2023. This means that rates are likely to go up in the succeeding month.

Meralco also said it has turned over to the ERC an official list of beneficiaries of the lifeline discount.

T his is in accordance with Republic Act 11552, also known as “An Act Extending and Enhancing the Implementation of the Lifeline Rate, Amending for the Purpose Section 73 of Republic Act 9136 [Electric Power Industry

said the health ministry has set up a satellite office in Zamboanga City for patients in the BaSulTa region, or Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi.

“ Transfer of medical equipment and supplies to the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi would now be easier as the Ministry of Health [MOH] opened its satellite office in Zamboanga City,” MOH Assistant Secretary Dr. Abdulhalik Kasim. The office was inaugurated on February 27 and it has since operated as the sub-office of the MOH to serve as a storehouse for medicines, vaccines, and other equipment needed by residents in the island provinces.

Reform Act of 2021].”

Under the amended law, beneficiaries of the lifeline discount should come from marginalized households, which are defined as those who are: beneficiaries of the Pantawid ng Pamilyang Pilipino Program or households who secured certification from the local Social Welfare Development Office.

Such households will be entitled to the lifeline discount if their consumption meets with lifeline consumption threshold set by the ERC. For the Meralco service area, this threshold is at 100 kWh.

PHL, US kick off military drills

Continued from A10

This year’s Balikatan will be the biggest ever, an indication of the growth of our alliance and how it continues to evolve to meet our shared goals,” Variava said.

B aclor said the participating forces will enhance their joint and combined capabilities in maritime security, amphibious operations, live-fire exercise, urban operations, aviation operations, counter-terrorism, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

The Philippines emphasized the importance of the Balikatan to both forces by building “interoperability, enhances capabilities, and demonstrates mutual defense of the Philippine sovereign territory,” Licudine said.

Austin declared: “Balikatan is an important opportunity to train shoulder-to-shoulder and build trust and confidence that enable our forces to respond to crises and contingencies as a team.”

I n Washington D.C., Department of National Defense Officer in Charge Carlito Galvez Jr. and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo held the 2+2 meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

T he US State Department said Blinken and Austin would reaffirm during the meeting Washington’s ironclad commitment to its alliance with the Philippines, which has “contributed to peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.”

PHILIPPINE Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo speaks before American think tank policy experts during the CSIS Asean Leadership Forum Monday (Tuesday PHL time), a day before the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington D.C. PHOTO SCREENSHOT FROM CSIS YOUTUBE

FOREIGN and defense ministers of the Philippines and the United States are meeting Tuesday (Wednesday PHL time) in Washington D.C. after a seven-year hiatus during the administration of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

India wants key supply-chain role as firms shift from China

By Eric Martin & Ruchi Bhatia

China tries to reassure Taiwan businesses as military drills end

towards bringing all countries together on substantive issues,” Sitharaman said.

“It is time that the members of the G-20 sit up and take these issues on board,” she said, singling out the need to provide debt relief for more than 70 low-income nations facing a collective $326 billion burden.

ATOP Chinese official tried to reassure Taiwanese business executives that they are welcome across the strait just as the People’s Liberation Army ended military drills around the island.

So-called production-linked incentive schemes covering 13 manufacturing sectors including for semiconductors “are bringing in global value chains into India,” Sitharaman said at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “By doing that, we hope to have production of many of these large, bulk-manufactured goods which can go from India” to meet both international and local demand, she said.

India last month laid out an ambitious target of hitting $2 trillion annually in overall exports by 2030 as the South Asian country makes a renewed push to become a top choice for companies shifting supply chains away from China.

On Monday, Sitharaman gave the example of mobile-phone manufacturing—the Asian nation in 2014 produced very few devices and the industry had grown to become one of the world’s biggest exporters.  She is on a weeklong trip to the US to attend the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s Spring Meetings.

India over the past year has been pursuing bilateral trade deals with a range of countries, including Australia, the UK and Canada, shifting from the usual go-slow approach on such agreements. On Monday, Sitharaman said the nation of 1.4 billion people also is pushing ahead with a pact with the European Union.

G-20, debt INDIA holds the presidency of the Group of 20 intergovernmental forums of influential nations and is under pressure to show it can forge an agreement after major meetings this year ended with Russia and China objecting to language around the war in Ukraine.

This “is a great opportunity for India to prove and to work

More than half of the world’s low-income countries are at high risk of debt distress or already in it, and several have defaulted. But despite the G-20 largest economies having agreed in 2020 to a plan called the Common Framework to smooth the process of restructuring loans that governments could no longer afford to service or repay, not a single nation has actually gotten relief under it so far.

“This issue will be taken forward, and I hope to have some positive movements,” Sitharaman said.

A close ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sitharaman is also India’s first female finance minister and has been credited with supporting social-welfare programs during the pandemic and narrowing the budget gap to 5.9 percent of gross domestic product in the fiscal year starting April from a record 9.2 percent in 2021. Bloomberg News

Wang Huning, the No. 4 official in China’s ruling Communist Party, pledged “efforts will be made to ensure that Taiwan compatriots and their businesses are willing to invest on the mainland, integrate into the development of the mainland and prosper on the mainland,” the official Xinhua News Agency reported late Monday.

China “is committed to safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” he said in his remarks to a group of businessmen led by Liu Chao-shiuan in Beijing, while adding that efforts to pursue independence wouldn’t be tolerated.

Liu briefly served as premier when Taiwan was led by Ma Yingjeou, who just wrapped up the first trip across the strait by a former leader of the democracy.

China responded to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during a stop in the US last week with large-scale military drills that included an aircraft carrier. Taiwan detected 91 PLA aircraft and 12 warships in its surroundings as of 6 p.m. Monday.

A record 54 of those flights crossed the median line in the

strait and entered Taiwan’s sensitive air-defense identification zone. China sent 49 warplanes across that line after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei last year, part of unprecedented drills that included sending missiles overhead.

The US Defense Department was closely monitoring Beijing’s actions around Taiwan, the Pentagon said.

China has vowed to someday bring Taiwan under its control, by force if necessary, though it also tries to attract business and students from the democracy. In 2021, it rolled out measures to entice Taiwanese agricultural firms, including allowing them to sell bonds on the mainland.

Still, Taiwan companies can face difficulties on the mainland for political reasons. Last summer, China announced it was suspending imports of some fish, fruit and sand used in construction after Pelosi became the first sitting House speaker to visit Taipei in 25 years. Some of those shipments were restarted earlier this year.  Taiwanese businesses have significantly reduced their new investments in China in recent years as they diversify manufacturing locations. Investments in China approved by the government in Taipei fell to just over $5 billion in 2022, less than half the amount a decade earlier.

Bloomberg News

Japan underscores concern about Chinese military activity in talks

By Isabel Reynolds

JAPAN expressed deep concern about increased Chinese military activity around its shores, including in coordination with Russia, at a bilateral meeting of senior officials from Beijing and Tokyo on oceanic matters.

The meeting held Monday in the Japanese capital came as China conducted exercises around Taiwan in response to President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong was spotted off Miyakojima, a Japanese island close to Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, Japan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement Monday.

11, 2023.

Fighter planes and helicopters were seen taking off and landing from the vessel dozens of

times, it added.  Japan’s officials have repeatedly said the stability of Taiwan

is key to its own security and the government has set up military bases on some of its southwestern islands close to Taiwan.  Tokyo’s officials also lodged a stern protest with their Chinese counterparts over Beijing’s comments about plans to release treated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant into the ocean. China last month reiterated its condemnation of the planned discharge, which Japan has said will not cause any safety issues.

“We strongly protested the fact that the Chinese side continuously makes comments that are not based on scientific proof,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that it sought a science-based dialogue. Bloomberg News

North Korean leader vows ‘offensive’ nuclear expansion

SEOUL, South Korea—Hun -

dreds of South Koreans were forced to flee a wildfire fueled by strong winds that burned parts of an eastern coastal city Tuesday, destroying dozens of homes.

More than 2,300 firefighters and 300 vehicles were dispatched to fight the blaze that started on a mountain in a central part of Gangneung, officials said.

Around 70 homes and other buildings were destroyed and more than 400 residents evacuated to facilities that included an ice-skating arena and a middle school gym. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.

The Korea Forest Service said firefighters put out about 65 percent of the fire as of 2:10 p.m. It wasn’t immediately clear how long it would take them to bring the flames fully under control as the high winds made it difficult to deploy water-dropping aircraft.

The Korea Meteorological Administration said winds in the

city

Hundreds flee from wildfire in South Korean seaside

Gangneung area were blowing as hard as 103 kilometers (64 miles) per hour as of Tuesday afternoon.

The strong winds also forced railroad operators to cancel at least a dozen passenger trains between Gangneung and other eastern coastal cities like Donghae and Samcheok.

The fire covered more than 370 hectares (914 acres) and firefighters were establishing barriers while focusing on preventing the flames from spreading to more populated areas of Gangneung, according to the Korea Forest Service and the Gangwon provincial government.

Photos showed firefighters spraying water toward burning homes and buildings and large, orange flames engulfing a pine forest near a seaside resort hotel.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed officials to deploy “all available equipment and personnel” to swiftly extinguish the wildfire and evacuate residents to prevent the loss of life. AP

By Kim Tong-Hyung The

Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea—North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to enhance his nuclear arsenal in more “practical and offensive” ways as he met with senior military officials to discuss the country’s war preparations in the face of his rivals’ “frantic” military exercises, state media said Tuesday.

The meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Military Commission on Monday came amid heightened tensions as the pace of both the North Korean weapons demonstrations and the US-South Korean joint military drills have intensified in recent weeks in a cycle of tit-for-tat.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said the commission’s members discussed unspecified issues related to strengthening defense capacities and perfecting war preparations to counter the threat posed by the allies’ drills, which the North portrays as invasion rehearsals.

Kim reviewed the country’s frontline attack plans and various combat documents and stressed the need to bolster his nuclear deterrent with “increasing speed on a more practical and offensive” manner, KCNA said.

The report did not specify the directions the North intended to take. KCNA also published photos of Kim talking to officials while pointing

to certain spots on a blurred map that appeared to be of South Korea.

KCNA said Kim and the military commission members analyzed the security situation on the Korean Peninsula “in which the US imperialists and the [South] Korean puppet traitors are getting ever more undisguised in their moves for a war of aggression” and discussed preparation for proposed military actions that their enemy has no way of counteracting.

The US and South Korean militaries conducted their biggest field exercises in years last month and separately held joint naval and air force drills involving a US aircraft carrier strike group and nuclear-capable US bombers. KCNA claimed the drills simulated an all-out war against North Korea and communicated threats to occupy Pyongyang and decapitate its leadership.

The United States and South Korea have described their exercises as defensive in nature and said that the expansion of those drills are necessary to cope with the North’s evolving threats. South Korea’s government did not immediately respond to Kim’s comments.

Tensions are likely to be prolonged as the allies continue their drills and North Korea uses them as a pretext to advance weapons development and intensify military training involving its nuclear-capable missiles.

The North Korean report came as South Korean officials said the North did not respond

to South Korean calls placed over inter-Korean liaison and military hotlines for the fifth consecutive day. South Korean officials say North Korea cut off communications after the South last week urged the North to stop using without permission South Korean assets left at a now-shuttered joint factory park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong.

The paused military hotlines are particularly concerning in a time of heightened tensions as they are intended to prevent accidental clashes along the rivals’ sea borders.

South Korean Unification Minister Kwon Youngse, Seoul’s point man on the North, in a news conference Tuesday expressed “strong regret” over North Korea’s “unilateral and irresponsible attitude “over the communication lines and also warned of unspecified legal action over its use of the Kaesong assets.

When asked about Kim’s comments during the military meeting, Kwon said it’s likely that North Korea currently sees the buildup of tensions as favorable to its interests and that Seoul is closely analyzing the North’s intent.

South Korea pulled its companies out of Kaesong in 2016 following a North Korean nuclear test, removing the last remaining major symbol of cooperation between the rivals.

North Korean state media recently showed what appeared to be South Korean commuter buses running in the streets of Kaesong and Pyongyang.

North Korea in 2023 so far has fired around 30 missiles in 11 different launch events, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that demonstrated potential range to reach the US mainland and several shorter-range weapons designed to deliver nuclear strikes on South Korean targets.

The North was already coming off a record year in weapons testing, after launching nearly 70 missiles in 2022.

Experts say Kim’s provocative run in weapons displays is aimed at forcing the United States to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and negotiating economic concessions from a position of strength.

Nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since 2019 over disagreements in exchanging crippling US-led sanctions against the North and the North’s steps to wind down its nuclear weapons program.

South Korean officials say North Korea may soon up the ante by staging more provocative displays of its military might, including its first nuclear test detonation since 2017.

North Korea last month unveiled what appeared to be a new nuclear warhead designed to fit on various delivery systems as Kim called for his nuclear scientists to increase production of weapons-grade material to make bombs to put on his growing range of weapons.

INDIA seeks to be more involved in world supply chains and serve as an alternative to China through output-incentive plans and the growth of its domestic consumer market, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

NIRMALA SITHARAMAN, India’s finance minister, speaks during a news conference at the Group of 20 (G-20) finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Bengaluru, India, on February 25, 2023. The world’s most powerful finance ministers and central bank chiefs are gathering this week, with the oneyear anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—and its impacts on the global economy—looming over an agenda focused on the risks of debt distress and fighting inflation. SAMYUKTA LAKSHMI/BLOOMBERG

THE Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong was spotted off Miyakojima, a Japanese island close to Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, Japan’s Defense Ministry said. BLOOMBERG

SMOKE from a wildfire covers near a lake in Gangneung, South Korea on Tuesday, April

Hundreds of South Koreans were forced to flee a wildfire fueled by strong winds that burned parts of an eastern coastal city Tuesday, destroying dozens of homes. YANG JI-WOONG/YONHAP VIA AP

Leaked US intel: Russia operatives claim ties with UAE strengthened

By Nomaan Merchant, Ellen Knickmeyer & Jon Gambrell The Associated Press

Macron takes pitch for EU power to the Netherlands amid backlash

By Ania Nussbaum

EMMANUEL MACRON’S lat -

est attempt to cast the European Union as a balancing power between the US and China will be tested this week as he seeks to enlist support from the Netherlands.

The 45-year-old president will arrive in Amsterdam on Tuesday for the first state visit of a French leader in 23 years and plans to make the case for more joint EU spending, closer control over European supplies of technology and industrial goods and, crucially, a degree of skepticism about relations with the US.

But his visit risks being overshadowed by the fallout from last week’s visit to Beijing, where he sought to build bridges with President Xi Jinping and mark his independence from Washington.

Macron will deliver a speech on economic sovereignty at the Nexus Institute in The Hague on Tuesday afternoon in which he will appeal to European leaders not to be naive about how far they can rely on the US, according to a French official.  Macron has been pushing for a more assertive European foreign policy with closer integration and more common spending since he took power six years ago, reflecting a long-standing French approach that began with Charles De Gaulle in the 1960s.

His supporters argue that the war in Ukraine has vindicated his longstanding call for European “strategic autonomy.” His critics say that the conflict has instead shown that the EU is still unable to police its own backyard without Washington’s help and it’s primarily US aid that helped Kyiv fight the Russian invasion.

In China, he suggested that the EU should avoid getting dragged into any potential confrontation between Beijing and Washington, provoking a furious response from some US lawmakers, including Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

An official in Macron’s office said Wednesday that Macron says France isn’t equidistant between the US, an ally with whom Paris shares common values, and China—a partner, a competitor and a systemic rival. The official added that the best way to avoid confrontation was to engage with Beijing.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has regularly opposed Macron’s European proposals, advocating instead strong cooperation with the US and a more conservative approach to fiscal policy. The Netherlands has, all the same,

provided more military aid to Ukraine, despite having a much smaller economy.

The relationship between France and the Netherlands hit trouble in 2019 when the Dutch government increased its stake in the Franco-Dutch carrier Air France-KLM without warning officials in Paris. Back then, Macron’s government accused Rutte’s of acting like a market raider.

Defense deal

IN 2020, Rutte forced Macron to scale back his plans for joint EU funding plan to help the continent recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. But officials from both countries say that relations have improved and the two countries are aiming to seal a defense agreement next year.

Nevertheless, the differences that underpinned the dispute over the recovery fund are likely to resurface as the leaders discuss their response to a massive US program to subsidize clean technology.

In response to the European Commission’s decision to repurpose some of that money as green subsidies to compete with the US, France is pushing for the EU to come up with more common funds, according to the official who asked not to be identified in line with French government rules.

Paris is arguing that without more common financing businesses could shift investment from the EU to the US to take advantage of Biden’s aid program and cheaper energy. Macron’s government plans to formulate its proposals around the summer, but wants to proceed slowly in order to bring along skeptics like the Netherlands and, perhaps most importantly, Germany, the official said.

How to deal with China and how to respond to US demands is also likely to come up repeatedly during Macron’s trip, which also includes a meeting with Peter Wennink, the chief executive officer of ASML Holding NV, a Dutch firm that makes cutting edge equipment for semiconductor companies. Rutte’s government is tightening restrictions on the sale of ASML machinery to China, following pressure from Washington.

During the visit, Macron aims to clinch a deal to boost FrancoDutch cooperation and homegrown tech solutions. He will attend a round table on technology and innovation along with representatives of French semiconductor company StMicroelectronics NV, which works with ASML, and technology provider Atos SE. With assistance from Cagan Koc/Bloomberg

US officials declined to comment on the document, which bore known top-secret markings and was viewed by The Associated Press. The Emirati government on Monday dismissed any accusation that the UAE had deepened ties with Russian intelligence as “categorically false.”

But the US has had growing concerns that the UAE was allowing Russia and Russians to thwart sanctions imposed over the invasion of Ukraine.

The document viewed by the AP includes an item citing research from March 9 with the title: “Russia/UAE: Intelligence Relationship Deepening.” US officials declined to confirm the document’s authenticity, which the AP could not independently do. However, it resembled other documents released as part of the recent leak.

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the possible release of Pentagon documents that were posted on several social media sites. They appear to detail US and Nato aid to Ukraine and US intelligence assessments regarding US allies that could strain ties with those nations.

Some of the documents may have been altered or used as part of a misinformation campaign, US officials said. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Monday urged caution, “since we know at least in some cases that information was doctored.”

Referring to the main successor agency of the Soviet-era KGB, the document seen by the AP says:

“In mid-January, FSB officials claimed UAE security service officials and Russia had agreed to work together against US and UK Intelligence agencies, according to newly acquired signals intelligence.” Signals intelligence refers to intercepted communications, whether telephone calls or electronic messages.

“The UAE probably views engagement with Russian intelligence as an opportunity to strengthen growing ties between

Abu Dhabi and Moscow and diversify intelligence partnerships amid concerns of US disengagement from the region,” the assessment concluded, referring to the UAE capital.

It’s not clear if there was any such agreement as described in the UAE-Russia document, or whether the alleged FSB claims were intentionally or unintentionally misleading.

But American officials are speaking out increasingly about a surge in dealings between the UAE and Russia.

A US Treasury official, Assistant Secretary Elizabeth Rosenberg, in March singled out the UAE as a “country of focus.” She said businesses there were helping Russia evade international sanctions to obtain more than $5 million in US semiconductors and other export-controlled parts, including components with battlefield uses.

US intelligence officials in recent years have pointed to possible links between the UAE and the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary group closely associated with the Kremlin and active in Ukraine and several African countries. In 2020, the US Defense Intelligence Agency assessed “that the United Arab Emirates may provide some financing for the group’s operations.”

Andreas Krieg, an associate professor at King’s College in London, on Monday called the UAE “the most important strategic partner for Russia in both the Middle East and Africa.” The head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergey Naryshkin, held extensive meetings with UAE leaders in Dubai in 2020.

Russia and the UAE share similar outlooks in some key conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, and the influx of Russians into the UAE since Russia launched its war in Ukraine also has strengthened ties between the two, said Kristian Ulrichsen, a Middle East expert at Rice University’s Baker

Institute. But the reference to teaming up against US and British intelligence agencies is surprising, said Ulrichsen.

Russian intelligence officials “probably have an interest in describing something in those terms,” he said. “If that was the way the UAE was describing it, I’d certainly take it...quite differently.”

A US official separately has told the AP that the United States also was worried about Russian money coming into Dubai’s red-hot real estate market.

And in October, federal prosecutors in New York announced charges against two Dubai-based Russian men and others accused of stealing military technology from US companies, smuggling millions of barrels of oil and laundering tens of millions of dollars for the oligarchs surrounding Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Prosecutors in that case quoted one of the Dubai-based Russians as assuring his partners “there were no worries” about using a UAE financial institution for the transactions. “This is the [worst] bank in the Emirates,” he was quoted as saying, using an expletive. “They pay to everything.”

In a statement Monday to the AP about the apparent intelligence document, the United Arab Emirates said UAE officials had not seen the document and claims regarding the FSB were “categorically false.”

“We refute any allegation regarding an agreement to deepen cooperation between the UAE and other countries’ security services against another country,” the statement said. “The UAE has deep and distinguished relations with all countries, reflecting its principles of openness, partnership, building bridges, and working to serve the common interests of countries and peoples to achieve international peace and security.”

The leak of the purported

document comes as Emirati officials have recalibrated their foreign policy in the Middle East after a series of attacks attributed to Iran. Attacks claimed by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels hit Abu Dhabi in 2022, killing three people and leading locally stationed American forces to respond with Patriot missile fire.

In the time since, and as Emiratis perceived America’s presence waning in the region after its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the UAE reached a détente with Iran. That’s even as the United States maintains multiple military bases and stations thousands of troops and weaponry in the region, including at Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra Air Base. Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port remains the busiest US Navy port of call outside of the continental US.

The UAE also remains one of the few places still running daily, direct flights to Moscow after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. That has seen money, megayachts and Russian citizens come into the UAE, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula. However, it hasn’t been a full embrace.

Relations between the US and the UAE have seesawed over the past decade, as Abu Dhabi ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan cemented his power. Under the Trump administration, the UAE diplomatically recognized Israel.

In the deal’s wake, the UAE sought but has yet to receive advanced American F-35 fighter jets under President Joe Biden. Meanwhile, the Emirates has criticized Israel over the escalating violence between Israel’s hard-right government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Palestinians.

G ambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.

England’s health service braces for ‘most disruptive’ strike yet

By Ellen Milligan & Emily Ashton

ENGLAND’S health service is girding for a fresh fourday strike by junior doctors, compounding Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s struggle to end months of labor unrest that has slowed the UK’s post-pandemic recovery. Tens of thousands of junior doctors, who are qualified medics in clinical training, will walk off the job across England for 96 hours starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday. Hospital leaders and politicians warn the British Medical Association’s

push for more pay will cause unprecedented disruption to the National Health Service, with many staff still on annual leave during the school holidays following the easter break.

The strike represents a setback for Sunak’s government, which just last month had appeared poised to halt a wave of industrial action that has hit schools, railways and hospitals. The doctor’s walkout threatens to bring labor unrest back to the fore less than a month before local elections, with a national poll widely expected next year.

“Not only will the walkouts risk patient safety, but they have also been timed to maximize disruption after the Easter break,” Health Secretary Steve Barclay said on Tuesday in a statement. He urged the BMA to “move significantly” on its pay demands and enter talks with the government.

For its part, the BMA argues it’s seeking “pay restoration” after junior doctors received belowinflation increases for around 15 years. That would mean a raise this year of 35 percent, although the union clarified last week that the number was intended as a

“starting point.”

Thinking twice BARCLAY called the BMA’s pay demand “unreasonable” and said it would result in some junior doctors receiving annual increases in excess of £20,000 ($24,750).

“If the BMA is willing to move significantly from this position and cancel strikes we can resume confidential talks and find a way forward,” he said.

During this week’s walkouts, the health service plans to prioritize emergency services, maternity care and critical care, Stephen Powis,

NHS England’s national medical director, told Times Radio on Sunday. He urged the public to “use services wisely” and to “think twice” before seeking emergency help.

“This is going to be the most disruptive strike that we’ve seen in NHS history,” Powis said. “I think services will be fragile this week. Because it’s a significant part of the workforce that are likely not to be there.”

More than 175,000 patient procedures and appointments had to be canceled in England when junior doctors went on strike for 72 hours in March.

NHS Providers said last week that health trusts had privately acknowledged that they weren’t confident they could maintain patient safety, even if they focused resources on emergency treatment, critical care and maternity and neonatal care. “The challenges here are unprecedented,” NHS Providers Chief Executive Julian Hartley said in a statement.  The doctor strikes will hit the health service just as Sunak prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement with US President Joe Biden this week in Belfast.  Bloomberg News

WASHINGTON—US spies caught Russian intelligence officers boasting that they had convinced the oil-rich United Arab Emirates “to work together against US and UK intelligence agencies,” according to a purported American document posted online as part of a major US intelligence breach.

CHINESE President Xi Jinping, second left, and French President Emmanuel Macron talk in the garden of the Guandong province governor’s residence, in Guangzhou, China, on Friday, April 7, 2023. JACQUES WITT, POOL VIA AP

LUXURY towers dominate the skyline in the Marina district, center, and the new Dubai Harbor development, right, are seen from the observation deck of “The View at The Palm Jumeirah” in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on April 6, 2021. The head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergey Naryshkin, held extensive, meetings with United Arab Emirates leaders in Dubai in 2020. A US official separately has told the AP that the United States also was worried about Russian money coming into Dubai’s red-hot real estate market. AP/KAMRAN JEBREILI

Right policies can help end poverty

The latest official poverty statistics for the basic sectors released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) last month held no surprises. According to the PSA, farmers and fishers remained as the poorest basic sectors in 2021. This has been the trend for the last 15 years, according to available data from the agency (See, “PSA: Farmers, fishermen remain poorest in PHL,” BusinessMirror, July 2, 2017).

In 2021, PSA data showed that poverty incidence among fishers reached 30.6 percent, slightly higher than the 30 percent recorded for farmers. Behind the food producers are children, individuals residing in rural areas. The poverty incidences of children and people residing in rural areas reached 26.4 percent and 25.7 percent, respectively.

The silver lining in the latest PSA data is that poverty incidence among farmers declined by 1.6 percentage points in 2021. However, the poverty incidences of fishers and children went up by 4.4 percentage points and 2.5 percentage points, respectively, in 2021 from the levels recorded in 2018. The PSA report did not provide an explanation why more fishers and children fell into poverty during the period.

What is clear from the report released by the government’s statistics agency is that the poverty incidence among farmers and fishers remain above the national average of 23.7 percent recorded in the first semester of 2021. Poverty incidence was defined by the PSA as the proportion of poor Filipinos whose per capita income is not sufficient to meet their basic food and non-food needs. Despite producing the food required by a growing population, almost a third of farmers and fishers are not earning enough to feed themselves and their families, according to government data.

Judging from the figures released by the official statistics agency, it may take a while to convince the youth that agriculture can be a profitable venture. This means that the current administration will have to work double time to find the right mix of policies and programs that will allow farmers to leapfrog to a higher income. It must also assess existing mechanisms that aim to assist the nation’s food producers, such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.

There are existing programs that have enabled farmers to come up with value-added products and these can be expanded and supported by concerned government agencies. The Linking Smallholder Farmers to Market with Microfinance project of the Department of Agrarian Reform, for one, has allowed planters from Camarines Sur to turn their dried taro leaves into bottled laing (See, “CamSur farmers turn dried taro leaves into bottled laing,” in the BusinessMirror, April 3, 2023). Another government project assisted a group of planters in producing cassava chips. A study published last year by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies said the poor are further marginalized in the economic and political realms of society because their interest is subordinated to those of the more powerful and influential sectors. “It is important for their voices to be heard in the course of determining the right policies that will emancipate them from their condition and make them key actors in policy decisionmaking,” the paper said.

It would do well for the government to involve the target beneficiaries in the course of crafting safety net strategies and policies. The right policies and timely rollout of interventions will not only help reverse the trend related to poverty incidence in the country that has persisted for the last two decades; it will also pave the way for micro, small and medium enterprises to produce products for the export markets and provide local planters with opportunities to earn more.

Bond market overplaying the risk of deep recession

By Katherine Greifeld & Liz McCormick | Bloomberg Opinion

when banks started going belly-up, the reaction in bonds was emphatic. Two-year Treasury yields slid a percentage point over three days in March, the most since 1982.

For traders accustomed to treating such signals as sacrosanct, the message was obvious. Gone were the days when inflation was their main menace. Rates showed stress in the financial system made a recession inevitable.

Or did they? Three weeks later, questions won’t stop swirling about what to make of fixed-income volatility that for all its ferociousness remains mostly absent in equities and credit.

Explaining the divide has become a Wall Street obsession—an urgent one, given the sway Treasuries hold in models designed to divine the future of inflation and Federal Reserve policy. One concern is whether things having nothing to do with the economy—bearish positioning among speculators, specifically— made the big drop in yields a recessionary false alarm.

“Each day that there isn’t a banking crisis is another day indicating that the current pricing doesn’t make sense, but it’s going to take a while,” said Bob Elliott, chief investment officer of Unlimited Funds, who worked for Bridgewater Associates for 13 years.

As usual in markets, the debate is far from settled, and the lurch in yields may end up being what it usually is: a grim signal for the future of the economy. While oases of calm at

present, stocks themselves are a long way from sounding an all clear. Their big declines last year, and the dominance of megacap technology shares atop the 2023 leader board, can be viewed as portents of trouble. Similar wrinkles exist in corporate credit.

Still, the gap in market reactions to March’s events continues to border on the historic. The stock market, usually an arena for shoot-first speculators whose grasp of big-picture meanings can be tenuous, absorbed Silicon Valley Bank’s downfall and the contagion fears that followed with relative ease. In credit, bluechip and high-yield spreads never got wider than levels seen last fall.

Meanwhile, daily fluctuations in two-year Treasury yields erupted last month into the widest in 40 years.

The ICE BofA MOVE Index, which tracks expected swings in Treasuries as measured by one-month options, climbed in mid-March to its highest since 2008, opening the biggest gap between stock and bond volatility in 15 years as well. Even after things calmed a bit, the gauge remains more than double its average over the past decade.

In normal times, so violent a repricing would be one of the strongest signals markets could send that a recession is at hand. Right now, the interpretation is less obvious, according to Bespoke Investment Group’s

By Low De Wei & Lisa Fleisher | Bloomberg Opinion

AweAlThy bidder has splashed out a world-record 55 million dirhams ($15 million) for a rare car license plate in Dubai, smashing a bar set in the United Arab emirates more than a decade ago.

Emirates Auction LLC sold plate number P 7—which, at first glance, looks like the number 7 alone, with the P off to the side—on Saturday during a charity auction, according to the company. Proceeds will go to Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s global food aid initiative, the 1 Billion Meals Endowment.

The UAE has made a habit of auctioning off vanity plates, used by the ultra-rich to show off their status and wealth, for charity. The latest auction broke a record set in 2008 by local businessman Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Khouri, who paid 52.2 million dirhams for a plate bearing the number 1 in Abu Dhabi.

Explaining the divide has become a Wall Street obsession—an urgent one, given the sway Treasuries hold in models designed to divine the future of inflation and Federal Reserve policy. One concern is whether things having nothing to do with the economy—bearish positioning among speculators, specifically—made the big drop in yields a recessionary false alarm.

George Pearkes.

“The Treasury market isn’t trading every moment in pure fear mode, but that doesn’t mean that what’s currently in the price is some sort of prescient, ‘This is how to think about it’ signal,” said Pearkes, the firm’s global macro strategist. “Rates are way too low. We haven’t seen signs of a broader metastasizing into credit markets, into the broader banking sector, of the deposit flight story, other than a few regional banks.”

Phrased differently: “The bond market has gone berserk,” says Dominique Dwor-Frecaut, a senior market strategist at the research firm Macro Hive Ltd., who previously worked in the New York Fed’s markets group.

“For once, I’m on the side of equity markets. I don’t see a recession coming.” Any suggestion stock jocks had a better handle on the events of the last month will rankle the fixed-income set, long viewed as the smarter money among asset classes. But positioning data supports the view. Equity

hedge funds spent nine weeks prior to the SVB blowup trimming bank shares and, on balance, long exposure among asset managers was near the lowest level in a decade after the drubbings of last year.

Meanwhile, the $24 trillion Treasury market’s setup in early March left bond traders vulnerable. Citigroup Inc. models and Commodity Futures Trading Commission data show that bets against two-year Treasuries had climbed to record levels ahead of the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, thrashing hedge funds and speculators as markets dramatically recalibrated Fed expectations.

Of course, less than a month out from the failure of three banks and the government-sponsored bailout of a fourth in Europe, it’s too early for optimism, even as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says the system is showing signs of stabilization. Harley Bassman, the former Merrill managing director who created the MOVE index in 1994, said it’s not unusual for the VIX — the equity volatility benchmark—and the MOVE to flash different signals, but history shows it doesn’t last.

“It’s just a matter of time until the VIX picks up,” said Bassman, who’s a managing partner at Simplify Asset Management Inc. “Over the past 30 years we’ve seen large correlation between the shape of the yield curve, credit spreads an implied volatility –and I mean all the volatility measures including the VIX and MOVE. The whole pack of the risk metrics are very correlated over the long term.”

See “Bond,” A9

The identity of this weekend’s auction winner was not disclosed.

Vanity plates have also fetched eye-watering prices outside the Middle East: Someone bought the singleletter “R” plate at auction in Hong Kong earlier this year for HK$25.5 million ($3.2 million).

For years, Dubai has been a safe space for the mega-wealthy to flash their wealth and live a tax-free lifestyle. While other parts of the world worry about an economic downturn, the emirate’s economy remains strong—with high oil prices benefitting its neighbors and most important customers. An influx of wealth has buoyed the

For years, Dubai has been a safe space for the mega-wealthy to flash their wealth and live a tax-free lifestyle. While other parts of the world worry about an economic downturn, the emirate’s economy remains strong—with high oil prices benefitting its neighbors and most important customers. An influx of wealth has buoyed the real-estate market.

real-estate market. Even moderately paid expats splash out on cars they can newly afford thanks to lower sales tax rates than back home. But the recent Covid-era boom has driven up rents and squeezed middle-class residents.

Businessman Balvinder Singh Sahni, known as Abu Sabah, purchased plate D 5 in 2016 for 33 mil-

lion dirhams. “Dubai is a city of gold,” he said in an interview Monday. “It’s a city of big people, secure people, nice people. So everybody wants to show their status.”

Sahni told of how when he first visited the luxury hotel Burj Al Arab in 2006, he was refused entry because his car license plate had too many numbers. He was told he needed either a two-digit number plate — or a reservation. “It was always my dream to have a single-digit number,” he said. “When I got the chance, and they told me this money all goes to charity, I went all in.” A self-described numbers guy, Sahni said the D 5 plate fit because his favorite number is nine, and if you add D (the fourth letter of the alphabet) with five, you get nine. The Guinness World Records did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The plate sold over the weekend can be transferred to any car registered in the emirate, supercar or not.

Leaked classified US documents may have origin in chatroom for gamers

By Nomaan Merchant | The Associated Press

WASHinGTOn A major leak of classified US documents that’s shaken Washington and exposed new details of its intelligence gathering may have started in a chatroom on a social media platform popular with gamers.

Held on the Discord platform, which hosts real-time voice, video and text chats, a discussion originally created to talk about a range of topics turned to the war in Ukraine.

As part of debates about Ukraine, according to one member of the chat, an unidentified poster shared documents that were allegedly classified, first typing them out with the poster’s own thoughts, then, as of a few months ago, beginning to post images of papers with folds in them.

The posts appear to have gone unnoticed outside of the chat until a few weeks ago, when they began to circulate more widely on social media and get picked up by major news outlets. The leaks have alarmed US officials and sparked a Justice Department investigation.

The records have provided startling and surprisingly timely details of US and Nato assistance to Ukraine. They also provided clues about efforts to assist Ukraine in its war with russia, including an anticipated spring offensive.

The scale of the exposure has yet to be determined. Also unclear is whether any government worked to share the documents or manipulate them.

Asked Monday if the US government was effectively waiting for more intelligence documents to show up online, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby replied: “The truth and the honest answer to your question is: We don’t know. And is that a matter of concern to us? You’re darn right it is.”

Chris Meagher, top spokesman for the Pentagon, urged caution in “promoting or amplifying any of these documents,” adding that “it does appear that slides have been doctored.”

But the breach underscores the difficulties the US and other governments face in securing classified information. Congressional reviews and experts have long warned of weaknesses in US counterintelligence, of the challenges of monitoring an estimated 3 million people with security clearances, and of agencies producing and over-classifying so much information that the US cannot reliably control it.

“I think that the intelligence agencies have adjusted and gotten better at preventing all sorts of mass electronic leaks,” said Kellen Dwyer, a former Justice Department prosecutor who was part of the team that brought a federal case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. “But clearly, they haven’t gotten good enough.”

The Associated Press interviewed a person who said he was a member of the Discord chat group in which documents appeared for several months. The person, who said he was 18 years old, refused to give his name, citing concerns for his personal safety.

The AP could not independently confirm many details shared by the person, and the original chatroom has been deleted.

The AP reviewed images of documents that appeared in recent weeks in the discussion forums. They include a top-secret analysis of deepening intelligence service ties between ru ssia’s FSB and agencies in the United Arab Emirates, the oil-rich Persian Gulf nation that hosts a US air base and cooperates on many security matters with Washington.

Citing signals intelligence, the March analysis says officers from the FSB were caught claiming that the UAE had agreed with russia “to work together against US and UK intelligence agencies.”

A spokesman for the Emirati government said the allegations “are

The AP also saw an analysis of what might happen in the RussiaUkraine war in certain “wild card” scenarios, including if Russian President Vladimir Putin or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were to die. The analysis is marked secret, a lower level of classification than top-secret.

categorically false.” US officials at several agencies declined to comment on the document.

The AP also saw an analysis of what might happen in the russiaUkraine war in certain “wild card” scenarios, including if russian President Vladimir Putin or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were to die. The analysis is marked secret, a lower level of classification than top-secret. Were Putin to fire his top military advisers and the war to escalate, the document speculates he might authorize the use of tactical nuclear weapons if “elites question Putin’s decision-making and russian forces are unable to overcome manning and equipment shortfalls.”

The death of Zelenskyy, in a worst-case scenario, might prompt Europe to restrict weapons shipments, the document says. But a “high-profile Ukrainian leader” might also retain domestic and foreign support as well, it says.

The investigative journalism organization Bellingcat, which specializes in digging through social media and open-source records, interviewed the same person and two others in the Discord chatroom, called “Thug Shaker Central.”

Bellingcat reported Saturday that documents from Thug Shaker Central appear to have been shared in another chatroom, “WowMao.” From WowMao, the documents appear to have spread more widely — and eventually became the subject of a story in The New York Times on Thursday, which first reported that the Pentagon was investigating a breach.

The Discord user who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity says he was on a call with others— including the person who for months had been posting documents he or she said were classified—when the Times story broke.

“We all just kind of lost it,” the Discord user said. “We couldn’t believe what was happening.”

The person said his primary motivation for speaking to the media was to clear the reputation of a third person, who uses the screenname “Lucca.” Posts from Lucca featuring many of the documents were widely shared on Twitter and other social media. Those documents were reported on by The New York Times, The Washington Post and other media outlets. Lucca “is just a kid,” said the poster who spoke to the AP. “He was just consistently posting it to mess with people.”

The poster declined to identify the person who originally uploaded the documents to Thug Shaker Central or confirm whether that person worked for the US government. He referred to the original uploader with a nickname, “the O.G.”

But the poster said the person who first posted the documents did not appear to be driven by ideology or to expose government secrets broadly, but rather to impress people in their group.

Were that person to be arrested, the poster said he had copies of “way past hundreds” of pages of files.

Government should consider mandatory drug testing in schools and the workplace

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza

MAKE SENSE

Given the myriad challenges he is currently facing, we are aware that DiLG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. has a lot on his plate at the moment. His most urgent challenge, we believe, is finding and punishing the mastermind of the biggest drug smuggling in the Philippines. Those responsible for sneaking into the country the P6.7 billion “shabu” that was seized in Manila last year should be put behind bars to show the government’s seriousness in its campaign against illegal drugs.

The DILG secretary believes many ranking police officials were involved in the case. “This is considered one of the biggest drug hauls. What is important is we pinpoint the mastermind but I am very disappointed. There are many police officers involved here and some are in high positions. I cannot just let this pass. I want them removed,” Abalos said.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier said he will sustain the war on illegal drugs, but his administration will focus on preventing the use of banned substances and on rehabilitating drug addicts. His plan is to address the “upstream” of the problem, or the prevention side while crafting policies on rehabilitation and law enforcement.

As chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI), we support the President’s campaign

against illegal drugs. It is every Filipino citizen’s duty to protect the youth from the ill effects of illegal drugs.

The community plays a big role in preventing drug addiction in our country. Substance abuse prevention programs work better when the community is actively involved. In a previous column I wrote—Public support needed to solve drug problem

I talked about a shabu laboratory inside the exclusive Greenhills Subdivision in San Juan City that was raided by authorities. The presence of a shabu laboratory in an exclusive subdivision showed that drug lords have become even more brazen with their illegal trade. The police raiding team seized P204 million worth of chemicals and equipment that could produce up to 30 kilos of shabu per week.

With the debilitating effect

By Mike Schneider & Sibi Arasu | The Associated Press

inDiA will surpass China’s population this month. Or maybe in July. Or, perhaps it’s happened already?

Demographers are unsure exactly when india will take the title as the most populous nation in the world because they’re relying on estimates to make their best guess. But they know it’s going to happen soon, if it hasn’t occurred by now.

China has had the most people in the world since at least 1950, the year United Nations population data began. Both China and India have more than 1.4 billion people, and combined they make up more than a third of the world’s 8 billion people.

“Actually, there is no way we can know exactly when India will surpass China,” said Bruno Schoumaker, a demographer at Université catholique de Louvain in Belgium. “There is some uncertainty, not only about India’s population, but also China’s population.”

Still, when is it happening?

M ATHEMATICAL calculations from a range of surveys, as well as birth and death records, project that India will overtake China sometime in the middle of April. But demographers warn that it should be taken with a grain of salt since the numbers are fuzzy and could be revised.

“It’s a crude approximation, a best guess,” said Patrick Gerland, chief of the population estimates and projections section at the UN in New York.

Not long ago, India wasn’t expected to become most populous until later this decade. But the timing has been sped up by a drop in China’s fertility rate, with families

continued from A8

Short-covering in bonds was made more painful by strained trading conditions. After deteriorating for months, already thin liquidity worsened in the bond market amid the chaos. The violence even prompted a rare trading halt in a key corner of the rates market as volatility surged, exacerbating the price swings.

“The market is extremely illiquid. What this reminds me of is the 2008-2009 illiquidity in the bond markets. It’s kind of similar. You

of every gram of shabu on users, imagine how many young Filipino lives would have been wasted if the shabu laboratory was not discovered. How long has the shabu laboratory been operating before it was raided? This was just one of the questions hounding us after the reported discovery of the shabu laboratory in Greenhills.

In my previous column, I also shared my thoughts on how to help save the country and the Filipino youth from the crippling effects of methamphetamine, and also how to help secure our streets and homes from drug-crazed criminals. My position has always been consistent: I agree with the idea of making drug testing a mandatory requirement at the workplace and schools. So long as the cost for testing will not be charged to the employees or the students, I see nothing wrong with the procedure.

Personally, I don’t see it as an intrusion on one’s privacy but a measure to ensure that the person sitting next to you at your workplace or in school is not a drug user or a drug dependent.

I recall my grade school years when we were all required to undergo a screening test for tuberculosis. TB at that time was a deadly disease that reached epidemic levels. And since the procedure was actually part of the measures to contain the spread of TB, all the parents consented to the procedure.

I am, therefore, surprised why critics of the government’s anti-drug

campaign are against the mandatory drug testing in schools and at the workplace. Most if not all of them claim anyway that drug users are sick people who need professional help.

On the same premise as the TB screening procedure, which is to contain the spread of the deadly bacteria that attack the lungs, I am bewildered why some critics of the government’s anti-drug campaign are against the mandatory drug testing at schools and at the workplace. We all want to live in a drug-free environment.

I have been urging barangay officials and homeowners associations, especially those in the exclusive enclaves, to closely monitor the activities of the residents in their jurisdiction, and to allow inspections whenever necessary, in accordance, of course, with the procedures allowed by law.

President Marcos has a new way to fight illegal drugs. And it would do well for authorities to consider mandatory drug testing in schools and at the workplace as a component of government’s campaign against illegal drugs. I know this is a sensitive and controversial issue. But we need to do what needs to be done to eradicate the plague of drug addiction in our communities.

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza is the chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries and Fight Illicit Trade; a broad-based, multisectoral movement intended to protect consumers, safeguard government revenues and shield legitimate industries from the ill effects of smuggling.

having fewer children.

How is it calculated?

DEMOGr APHEr S at the UN Population Division make estimates based on projections from a wide variety of data sources to get what they believe are the most up-to-date demographic numbers. The last update to the data used for these calculations for both India and China was July 2022, said Sara Hertog, a UN population affairs officer in New York.

The demographers then use a statistical technique to infer when India’s population has surpassed that of China, according to Stuart Gietel-Basten, a professor at Khalifa University of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi.

“The reality, of course, is that these estimates are just that,” Gietel-Basten said. “But at least they are based on a relatively solid and consistent methodology.”

Where do the numbers come from?

THE foundations of both nations’ numbers are censuses, or head counts, conducted every decade.

China’s last census was in 2020. Demographers used birth and death records, along with other administrative data, to calculate

cannot afford to get stuck with a bad position,” said Vineer Bhansali, founder of LongTail Alpha LLC and the former head of analytics for portfolio management at Pacific Investment Management Co. “The Treasury market is a roach motel right now. You can get in but you can’t get out. So be very careful.”

That rush for the exits has left a gaping mark in the charts even as volatility subsides. Though a semblance of normal price action has returned in recent days, two-year Treasury yields are more than a full percentage point lower than where they entered in March. Yields are

Mathematical calculations from a range of surveys, as well as birth and death records, project that India will overtake China sometime in the middle of April. But demographers warn that it should be taken with a grain of salt since the numbers are fuzzy and could be revised. “It’s a crude approximation, a best guess,” said Patrick Gerland, chief of the population estimates and projections section at the UN in New York.

how the population has grown since then.

India’s last census was in 2011. Its scheduled 2021 census was postponed by Covid-19. Without an actual door-to-door count for more than a decade, sample surveys have filled in the gaps to help demographers and India itself understand its population, said Alok Vajpeyi of the New Delhi-based non-government organization, Population Foundation of India.

Among the most important is the Sample registration System, India’s large-scale demographic survey that gathers data on such things as births, deaths, fertility and more.

Andrea Wojnar, the United Nations Population Fund’s representative for India, said the agency is confident in the survey’s numbers “because it uses a very robust methodology.”

Why is India moving ahead?

CHINA has an aging population with

still languishing near levels reached in the aftermath of SVB’s implosion, even as bond traders ease up on the most dramatic pricing for Fed rate cuts.

But after such a violent flush out, the question becomes which managers are willing to step in and short the bond market again. In fact, investors have flocked to the opposite side of that trade: data from Citi show that speculators have largely covered their shorts on front-end bonds, while positioning has flipped into bullish territory on some parts of the curve.

The large dislocations between Treasuries with stocks and credit

stagnant growth even after the government seven years ago retreated from a one-child policy, and just two years ago said couples could have three children.

India has a much younger population, a higher fertility rate and a decrease in infant mortality over the last three decades.

India has more babies born each year than in any other country, while China has joined many European countries in having more deaths each year than births, said Dudley Poston, Jr., an emeritus professor of sociology at Texas A&M University. Why does this matter?

T H E r E ’ S more than bragging rights at stake over which nation is the world’s most populous— there are social and economic consequences. In India, that means a growing labor force and growth that sparks economic activity. In China, that means fewer workingage adults able to support an aging population.

Once a country hits a low fertility level, it’s often hard to recover population growth, even with changes in government policy to encourage more births, said Toshiko Kaneda, technical director of demographic research at the Population reference Bureau in Washington.

“Psychologically, it will be tough for China, especially given the rivalry in other areas between the two countries,” Gietel-Basten said. “It is a big moment in human history as the baton is passed to India.” Arasu reported from Bengaluru, India. Schneider reported from Orlando, Florida.

could take months to heal as macro managers “lick their wounds,” according to Unlimited’s Elliott. But as concern over the health of the banking industry continues to ebb, it’ll become more and more tempting to step in.

“The macro funds that were positioned for higher-for-longer are unlikely to start leveraging back up, regardless of what the pricing is. They just got burned by it,” Elliott said. “The folks that were previously short the two-year, it’s going to take a series of data points to get confident enough to start selling those positions again.”

When exactly will India surpass China as most populous?

By Andrea E. San Juan

SGS, an international testing, inspection and certification company, has offered to inspect imported agricultural products entering the Philippines, according to Go Negosyo founder Jose Maria A. Concepcion III.

Concepcion said he met with SGS Vice President and Regional Operations Manager (Asia) George Bottomley last March 31 where the company made the offer to inspect farm imports at no cost to the government.

During the meeting, Concepcion said Bottomley discussed how the SGS system can help monitor “leakages” in trade and provide data analysis to increase trade revenues and opportunities for the Philippines.

Concepcion said the Swiss multinational firm plans on charging its fees to the exporters of agricultural products to the Philippines.

SGS’s offer is to inspect all agricultural products coming into the Philippines, and it will now be the exporters who will have to pay to send their agricultural products here,” Concepcion said in a statement.

T he Go Negosyo founder welcomed the offer of SGS, noting that any effort to help curb ag -

ricultural smuggling is “worth looking into.”

Concepcion also noted that SGS’s proposal will be referred to the relevant public and private sector bodies, such as the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) for Agriculture.

The Go Negosyo founder is also PSAC’s Jobs Sector lead.

For his part, SGS’s Bottomley said there is a need to ensure the safety and quality of agricultural products in the country. According to Go Negosyo, Bottomley said the company can assist farmers and agribusinesses by providing testing and certification services.

Moreover, the company executive affirmed the commitment of SGS to promote sustainable agriculture practices through its programs and initiatives, Go Negosyo said.

T he Swiss multinational firm operates locally as SGS Philippines, with its headquarters located in Makati. It has over 1,000 employees and a network of offices and laboratories located in Subic, Mariveles, Navotas, Batangas, Albay, Nueva Vizcaya, Masbate, Leyte, Surigao City, Davao City, and Cebu City.

Lower generation fee pulls down Meralco’s April rate

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

T he P0.1180 per kWh reduction in the electricity rate this April will result in a decrease of around P24 in the total electricity bill of residential customers consuming 200 kWh.

In a briefing, Meralco said a lower generation charge pulled down overall rates. The generation charge went down to P7.3295 per kWh this month from P7.3790 per kWh, even with the collection of the first installment of deferred generation costs equivalent to around P0.20 per kWh this April billing period.

T he P0.20 per kWh deferred collection is part of the P1.1-billion total generation cost in March that Meralco opted to stagger to cushion the impact of the rate increase to its customers.

Meralso said the effect of the collection of the first installment was more than offset by lower costs from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) and Meralco’s Power Supply Agreements (PSAs) for the April billing period.

W ESM charges were lower by P1.0462 per kWh due to improved supply situation in the Luzon grid, as average plant capacity on outage decreased to around 235 megawatts (MW). Meralco sourced 32 percent of its total requirement from the market compared to 22 percent the previous month.

C harges from PSAs likewise went down by P0.0741 per kWh. Peso appreciation, which affected 43 percent of PSA costs that were

dollar-denominated, pulled down the PSA rate.

A lso contributing to the reduction were higher share of excess energy deliveries of some PSAs, which are priced at a discount, and higher average plant dispatch, as First NatGas-San Gabriel returned to normal operations. PSAs accounted for 41 percent of Meralco’s energy requirement for the period.

C harges from Independent Power Producers (IPPs) rose by P0.6710 per kWh following the collection of the first installment of deferred generation costs.

D ispatch of the First Gas plants also declined as they underwent scheduled maintenance to ensure their availability during the dry season. In particular, Sta. Rita Modules 10 and 20 were on scheduled maintenance shutdown from March 17 to 25, while San Lorenzo Module 50 and San Lorenzo Module 60 were on maintenance shutdown from February 26 to March 16 and February 26 to March 17, respectively.

T he increase in the IPP rate was mitigated by the significant reduction in the use of more expensive alternative fuel by the First Gas

plants and the stronger peso, which affected 97 percent of IPP costs. IPPs covered 27 percent of Meralco’s total energy requirement. A ll other charges, including transmission charge, taxes and subsidies, registered a net reduction of P0.0685 per kWh.

Collection of the Feed-In Tariff Allowance (FIT-All) remains suspended until the August billing month following the issuance of the Energy Regulatory Commission resolution extending the deferral for another six months starting March. Pass-through charges for generation and transmission are paid to the power suppliers and the grid operator, respectively, while taxes, universal charges, and FIT-All are all remitted to the government.

Meralco’s distribution charge, meanwhile, has not moved since the P0.0360 per kWh reduction for a typical residential customer in August 2022.

T he company reminded customers that it is still implementing one distribution-related refund, equivalent to P0.8656 per kWh for residential customers, which continues to temper their monthly bills.

Solon: Fight El Niño via updated RAIN

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

AS the country braces for the return of El Niño, a leader of the House of Representatives on Tuesday urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to update the Roadmap to Address Impact of El Niño (RAIN).

House Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto, in a statement, recalled that RAIN was a comprehensive strategy paper drafted by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), which guided the whole-of-nation’s response during the 2015-2016 El Niño episode.

A ccording to Recto, Marcos should lead in the upgrading of RAIN so that the weather phenomenon will not seriously harm the country’s food, electricity and water supply.

“ There is a blueprint for this kind of emergency. We just need to dust it off and brush it up, so it will be attuned to the unique characteristics of the 2023 version of El Niño,” Recto said.

R ecto said “one big motivating factor” for the commission of an El Niño response strategy “is that (El Nino) will hit a sector which is under his jurisdiction – agriculture.”

Our agriculture has preexist -

ing comorbidity. On top of this is the recent combined fuel-fertilizer crisis. Foul weather should not be the third,” Recto said.

Scarcity in water leads to scarcity in food. This is not an alarmist statement. It is a fact, because without water, you cannot grow food,” he added.

B ecause water lack shrink planting areas, delay planting seasons and cut crop yields, a World Bankcited study found that a “one degree increase in sea surface temperatures” led to a “3.7 percent decline in irrigated dry season production and a 13.7 percent decline in rainfed dry season production in Luzon,” according to Recto.

E l Niño increases the likelihood of unusually low rainfall conditions that could cause the water hoard in dams to fall below functional levels.

It also negatively impacts livestock and poultry as high temperatures can cause heat stress on animals, Recto warned.

He said “assuring statements” coming from government agencies should not be limited to “dipstick readings on big water dams near Manila, because the country is big and sources are diverse.”

A ccording to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration,

there have been seven severe El Niño events since 1980, with the last one lasting from 2015 to 2016, inflicting $327 million in agricultural losses.

To address the 2015-2016 El Niño episode, the Aquino administration crafted RAIN, which focused on ensuring food security, health, energy security, safety in 67 affected provinces and Metro Manila.

R ecto said the Marcos government should have a whole-of-nation response of its own, and “I believe that the BBM version will be a superior one because it can draw from a wealth of previous experiences.”

I n the previous El Niño event that persisted from the last quarter of 2018 to the third quarter of 2019, up to 61 percent of the country endured a drought while the other 39 percent underwent a dry spell. A drought means three consecutive months of greater than 60 percent reduction from average rainfall, or five consecutive months of 21 to 60 percent reduction from average rainfall.

A dry spell means three consecutive months of 21 to 60 percent reduction from average rainfall, or two consecutive months of greater than 60 percent reduction from average rainfall.

PHL, US kick off military drills

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

THE Philippines and the United States formally opened the largest iteration in the history of Balikatan, the biggest annual military exercise involving troops from both countries, at Camp Aquinaldo in Quezon City.

T he exercise was opened on Tuesday by the Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Andres Centino. Defense and foreign affairs officials also met for the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington D.C.

“ For the Armed Forces of the Philippines, in particular, this year’s Balikatan Exercise is most timely as we fast-track the enhancement of our capabilities for maritime security and domain awareness, as well as our employment concept of newly

acquired equipment and weapon systems under our modernization program and application of newly developed doctrines – with the endin-view of projecting a credible defense posture,” Centino said.

T he ceremony was also attended by Heather Variava, US Chargé d’affaires who represented Ambassador Marykay Loss Carlson; Major General Eric Austin, US exercise director representative; and Major General Marvin Licudine, Philippine exercise director.

T he Balikatan is being joined by more than 17, 500 Filipino and American troops. Japan and Australia are also participating along with 12 other countries as observers.

M ilitary public affairs office chief Col. Jorry Baclor said the 38th iteration of the bilateral exercise highlights four major events—the command post exercise, cyber defense

exercise, field training exercise and humanitarian civic assistance.

Weeks before the exercise, the military has said that this year’s phase would be bigger and different as US armaments will be in full use, including the Patriot and Avenger missiles and HIMARS.

O n Thursday, US and Filipino troops will also conduct a live firing of the US anti-tank weapon Javelin, still as part of the recently concluded phase one of the US-PHL Salaknib exercise, which involved the Philippine Army and the US Army in the Indo-Pacific, according to Army spokesman Col. Xerxes Trinidad. On the eve of Balikatan’s opening, Filipino and American soldiers trained together in “bunker and room-clearing” operations as part of the opening salvo at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

ELECTRICITY rates within the franchise area of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will slightly go down this month to P11.3168 per kilowatt hour (kWh) from the previous month’s P11.4348 per kWh.

‘SGS OFFERS TO MONITOR LEAKAGES IN AGRI TRADE’

KAIWEN

Support Specialist Brief Job Description: Being the voice of our players within our fastgrowing online/offshore gaming platform, stay on track with the game updates, implementing procedures to support players, work creatively across multiple projects and platforms at the same time.

30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: A passion for delivering excellent customer service, excellent communication skills in Chinese, both spoken and written, previous experience in a similar role in the offshore/ online gaming industry or less experience but a good attitude and motivation to learn.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description:

Being the voice of our players within our fastgrowing online/offshore gaming platform, stay on track with the game updates, implementing procedures to support players, work creatively across multiple projects and platforms at the same time.

Basic Qualification: A passion for delivering excellent customer service, excellent communication skills in Chinese, both spoken and written, previous experience in a similar role in the offshore/ online gaming industry or less experience but a good attitude and motivation to learn.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Being the voice of our players within our fastgrowing online/offshore gaming platform, stay on track with the game updates, implementing procedures to support players, work creatively across multiple projects and platforms at the same time.

Basic Qualification: A passion for delivering excellent customer service, excellent communication skills in Chinese, both spoken and written, previous experience in a similar role in the offshore/ online gaming industry or less experience but a good attitude and motivation to learn.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror A6 www.businessmirror.com.ph A14 Wednesday, April 12, 2023

with a variety of customers and use your expert relationship-building skills to provide world-class service.

Superior customer service skills, nice to have experience working with online gaming/offshore gaming industry or less experience but a good attitude and motivation to learn and excellent communication skills in Chinese, both spoken and written.

Superior customer service skills,

gaming platform, stay on track with the game updates, implementing procedures to support players, work creatively across multiple projects and platforms at the same time.

Basic Qualification: A passion for delivering excellent customer service, excellent communication skills in Chinese, both spoken and written, and with previous experience in a similar role in the offshore/online gaming industry or less experience but a good attitude and motivation to learn.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification:

To work with a variety of customers and use your expert relationship-building skills to provide world-class service.

153.

LIU, XIANCHAO Gaming Support Specialist

Brief Job Description: Being the voice of our players within our fastgrowing online/offshore gaming platform, stay on track with the game updates, implementing procedures to support players, work creatively across multiple projects and platforms at the same time.

A passion for delivering excellent customer service, excellent communication skills in Chinese, both spoken and written, and with previous experience in a similar role in the offshore/online gaming industry or less experience but a good attitude and motivation to learn.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

A passion for delivering excellent customer service, excellent communication skills in Chinese, both spoken and written, and with previous experience in a similar role in the offshore/online gaming industry or less experience but a good attitude and motivation to learn. Basic Qualification: Foreign language speaking. Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 156.

WU, ZEHONG Gaming Support Specialist Brief Job Description: Being the voice of our players within our fastgrowing online/offshore gaming platform, stay on track with the game updates, implementing procedures to support players, work creatively across multiple projects and platforms at the same time. BENAYA STEVEN Indonesian Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Track main industry trends in Indonesia through blogs, micro blogs and forums.

Basic Qualification: Foreign language speaking. Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 157.

BOBY HANS Indonesian Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Track main industry trends in Indonesia through blogs, micro blogs and forums.

Basic Qualification: Foreign language speaking. Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 158.

FENDI Indonesian Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Track main industry trends in Indonesia through blogs, micro blogs and forums.

Basic Qualification: Foreign language speaking. Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 159.

RAHMAD HIDAYAT Indonesian Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Track main industry trends in Indonesia through blogs, micro blogs and forums.

Basic Qualification: Foreign language speaking. Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 160.

SRI WULANDARI Indonesian Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Track main industry trends in Indonesia through blogs, micro blogs and forums.

JUNG, SEONGMOON Korean Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Track main industry trends in Korean through blogs, micro blogs and forums.

Basic Qualification: Foreign language speaking. Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 JIU ZHOU TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. 25/f Robinsons Summit Jg Summit Center, Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati 31/f Tower 6789, 6789 Ayala Avenue, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati U-2801 28/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St., Bel-air, City Of Makati 161.

LIN, CHIH-YEN Chinese Technical Support Representative Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions and suggesting information about other products and services.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for. Fluent in Chinese Mandarin is an advantage. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 162.

WANG, KAI-FAN Chinese Technical Support Representative Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions and suggesting information about other products and services.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for. Fluent in Chinese Mandarin is an advantage. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 163.

DANG THI BAO NGOC Vietnamese Admin Support Specialist Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions and suggesting information about other products and services.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for. Fluent in Chinese Mandarin is an advantage. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

least 15 years combined experience in maintenance, repair, commissioning, and dismantling of tunnel boring machines, tunneling equipment, and overhauling of construction equipment, heavy earth movers, grouting plants, and water treatment plants.

experience in efficient allocation of the workforce in the plant to achieve proper maintenance of machinery. Must have experience delivering all plant management requirements and have been in a plant management and commissioning role. Strong leadership, interpersonal, selfmotivated, multi-tasking, good coordination, and communication skills, and able to work under tight schedules. Must have worked in an international company with multi-cultural environment.

323.

SAWAI, VRISHALI DEVIDAS Vice President Brief Job Description: Fostering a culture that promotes ethics and encourages individual integrity. Ensuring that the day-to-day business affairs of the company are appropriately managed by developing and implementing processes that will ensure the achievement of the company’s financial and operating goals and objectives. Developing an annual operating plan and meeting/ exceeding the financial budget of the division.

environment. College Degree holder.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: A leader and a problemsolver with the passion, drive, and creativity to work in a dynamic, team environment and administer all corporation-wide programs consistent with the organization’s mission, values, and policies. Experience in managing operations in different geographical locations around the world including the Americas, Asia, and

Companies

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Phinma says ₧3B 2023 capex to go mostly to core business

By VG Cabuag @villygc

Eduardo Sahagun, president and CEO of the company’s construction materials group, said the amount will go mostly to the company’s schoolsexpansion plans, and Phinma’s plan to set up an insulated panel plant in Pampanga, which will have a capacity to construct 1 million square meters annually. Sahagun said more than P1 billion will be allocated to its schools divi-

sion as they need to expand most of its facilities.

The executive said they “plan five years ahead to make sure” its schools would have the classrooms to meet their “ambitious enrollment.

“So everything all of our schools from all the way to Cagayan de Oro actually have construction projects as we speak,” Sahagun said.

This year’s capex is higher than

the P1 billion capex Phinma allocated last year.

The company will also have its first township project in western Visayas, the agreement for which its executives would sign this year. The firm aims to begin development of the township by next year.

“And at the same time, we are exploring other properties in the Davao region where we already have a strong presence and also in the Batangas area,” Raphael B. Felix, the company’s president and CEO of its property division, said.

Phinma, meanwhile, will spend some P500 million for the biggest factory of insulated panel manufacturing in the country.

Danielle R. Del Rosario, the company’s vice president for insulated panels division, said they hope to break ground by the end of the year and the plant will be operational by the end of 2024 or early 2025.

“It’s not just making profit but it’s actually being socially relevant in

our business. So we’re entering businesses that are basically, when you look [not only] at the profit number but actually the impact on societies,” Sahagun said.

The executive explained the factory will cater to cold chain industry, to residential owners, hospitals, operating rooms and data centers as computers need to be cooled down at certain temperatures.

“You need the insulated panel to save energy and [in the] food business because in the end, you know, we’re wasting 45 percent of our harvest in agriculture because we don’t have the proper storage facilities,” Sahagun said.

Phinma reported consolidated income fell 18 percent last year to P1.5 billion from P1.87 billion in the previous year due to several factors. The latter includes higher raw materials costs driven by global supply chain disruptions, a strong uS dollar and increased education costs due to a revision in school-opening schedules.

Govt lawyers pursue case vs Newsnet

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has asked the Court of Appeals (CA) to grant the plea of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) seeking the reversal of its August 16, 2022 decision that nullified the agency’s orders terminating the provisional authority of News and Entertainment Network Corp. Inc. (Newsnet) and lifted the cease and desist order (CDO) that it issued against the latter.

The plea was made by government lawyers in a 6-page “urgent manifestation” filed last April 4 before the CA’s Special Eleventh Division composed of Associate Justices Myra V. Garcia Fernandez, who wrote the decision, and Associate Justices Tita Marilyn B. Payoyo-Villordon and Emily R. Alino-Geluz.

A day before, the OSG also filed a motion before the CA’s Eighth Division seeking to set aside its decision issued in July 2020 that granted

Newsnet’s petition for the issuance of a mandamus to compel the NTC to immediately implement the order issued by the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) on February 12, 2020.

In the said order, ARTA directed the NTC to automatically approve Newsnet’s application to operate interactive pay TV and multimedia services in the country.

The July 20, 2022, decision was written by Associate Justice Perpetua Susana T. Atal-Paño and concurred in by Associate Justices Ruben Reynaldo G. Roxas and Maximo M. De Leon.

The OSG Solicitor told the CA’s Special Eight Division that ARTA’s order has already been recalled in another resolution dated June 17, 2022.

The OSG further noted that Newsnet filed a motion for reconsideration of Arta’s recall order, which was denied on August 22, 2022, prompting it to elevate the matter before the Office of the President.

On March 31, 2023, the Office of the President, through Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin dis-

missed Newsnet’s appeal. The two cases have not been consolidated by the CA. In its new manifestation before the CA’s Eleventh Division, the OSG pleaded to the justices to take judicial notice of the March 31, 2023 decision of the Office of the President (OP) in considering the plea of NTC.

The OSG said the OP decision, signed with authority from the President by Bersamin, the retired Chief Justice and now executive secretary, concluded that the expiration of Newsnet’s legislative franchise on August 9, 2021 rendered its appeal to enforce ARTA’s order dated February 12, 2020 moot and academic.

“In other words, [the OP] effectively ruled that a legislative franchise is necessary nay, a prerequisite to the commercial operation of radio transmitters and receivers, including LMDS [local multipoint distribution system] to deliver interactive pay television and multimedia services. Without a legislative franchise, petitioner (Newsnet) cannot be assigned a radio frequency,” the OSG said.

Altitude Games to sell assets to Aussie firm

ALTIT u D E Games, a company minority owned by listed firm Xurpas Inc., announced last Tuesday that its board has approved the sale of its assets, including intellectual property and licenses, to a company registered in Australia.

Xurpas currently owns 21.17 percent shares in Altitude Games Pte. Ltd. (the Singapore entity) and Altitude Games Inc., the Philippine company.

“With the sale of Altitude Games’ business, Altitude will be able to settle the convertible debt it has previously issued to Xurpas,” the company said in its disclosure.

Xurpas said it will receive approximately $900,982 in net proceeds, which include the payment for the convertible debt and the corresponding equity stake in Altitude’s business.

“The sale of the assets and business of Altitude Games will be made effective upon signing of the definitive agreements. Xurpas will receive the proceeds from

the sale and discharge of liabilities, upon completion of certain deliverables,” the company said.

Xurpas purchased Altitude Games in December 2014, and was the company’s first investment after its initial public offering in the same year.

In February, Xurpas board has approved to establish a presence in Australia, by creating a unit there.

“With this, the company will establish a sales presence for Xurpas in Australia, allowing the company to offer its products and services in a market that is at least 10 times larger than the Philippine market. This is an opportunity that Xurpas has not previously tapped,” it said.

It will offer a range of informa-

tion technology services through the new subsidiary, ranging from staff augmentation and managed services, to bespoke software development, among others.

In December, the company has registered Xurpas Software Inc. It has a primary purpose of designing, developing, testing, building, marketing, distributing, maintaining, supporting, customizing, selling and/or re-selling applications, games, software, cybersecurity software tools, digital solutions, whether internet, mobile, or other handheld applications, portals, hardware and other related products and services, except internet provider services, both for proprietary and custom development purposes. VG Cabuag

It pointed out that the OP’s decision is consistent with NTC’s position that the expiration of Newsnet legislative franchise disqualified it from operating any wireless service, including LMDS.

B1

Globe seeks more time for registration of SIMs

GLOBE Telecom Inc. (PSE:

GLO) wants the government to extend the SIM (subscriber identity module) card registration process as less than half of its total mobile users have done so.

As of April 11, GLO said it has registered 27.85 million subscribers in its network, representing about 32 percent of its total mobile customer base. With just two weeks to go before the April 26 deadline, GLO has yet to reach at least 50 percent of total registrations.

The Ayala-led firm said this is despite its digital posts, in-app notifications, use of traditional media, face-to-face communications and instructional videos to drive urgency to register their SIMs.

“Despite these efforts, we have seen a low registration count primarily due to the lack of valid government IDs and challenged digital literacy. Given these issues, we appeal to the government to extend the SIM registration process to give our customers more time to get their required government IDs and input the required information on our site,” a statement from the telecommunications company (telco) said.

Moreover, GLO appealed to the government to allow mobile phone users to allow alternative forms of identification company ID cards, school ID cards and barangay cer-

tificates for those who do not have a valid government-issued IDs.

Likewise, it appealed to allow conditional registration to allow individuals to continue using their telecommunication services while they work to obtain a valid ID within a reasonable period. They can either have a post-verification or update their details once they have the appropriate government ID, the telco said.

GLO also proposed that some government offices be utilized as hubs for SIM registration through volunteers and employees of local government units, complemented by ID issuance services.

“Failure to register SIMs would result in deactivation and will be very disruptive to our customers, as their basic right to communication will be curtailed. This will impact several aspects of their daily life including banking (ayuda is distributed via ewallets), e-commerce, transportation (ride-hailing apps, food delivery, etc.), healthcare, education (online learning), entertainment and more,” GLO said.

The cellualr firm said it is working closely with the National Telecommunications Commission, relevant government agencies and other stakeholders in ensuring that it register as many subscribers as possible before the deadline. Lenie Lectura

Conglomerate Phinma Corp. on tuesday said it will spend some P3 billion in capital expenditures (capex) this year, which will mostly go to its core business of education, property development and construction.

NextPay user transactions reach ₧3.2B

in 2022

FILIPINO-OWNED NextPay has achieved an impressive milestone of processing P3.2 billion in digital transactions in 2022, a recordhigh increase of over 200 percent compared to the previous year.

This homegrown financial technology start-up out of Y Combinator Winter 2021, likewise, has served 3,800 growing businesses in the platform with more than 32,000 employees and over 10,000 suppliers recorded since its launch in 2020.

“We take great pride in achieving this significant milestone, which not only showcases NextPay’s remarkable success but also underscores the success of SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in the Philippines. Our optimism regarding the continuous expansion of digital banking solutions in the Philippines remains unwavering,” said NextPay Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer Don Pansacola.

With 4,200 plus active users from fast-growing enterprises, this simple and straightforward platform offers them an end-toend process of financial operations, from collecting to sending and managing money, in a more accessible and cost-efficient way.

Early this year, customers started to enjoy the latest referral program product feature, allowing them to earn points, and reduce transaction fees. In addition, NextPay has also adjusted their payout period from one to three times weekly, making the processes much easier and better for merchants.

More services are underway, such as virtual debit cards for employee reimbursements and corporate online subscriptions, lending and advances with easy accessibility for qualified users and premium subscription tiers to unlock access to special advanced features.

“The past years have given us the opportunity to grow and provide basic financial services to more Filipinos, this year we aim to push the boundaries of the services we provide for small business owners,” said NextPay Cofounder and Chief Experience Officer Aldrich Tan.

“NextPay is glad to deliver and simplify banking services to keep up with the trend of digital banking and transactions, empowering businesses and entrepreneurs so they can focus on doing what’s next,” added NextPay Cofounder and Chief Operations Officer Artie Lopez.

The company is backed by Sy Family’s Gentree Fund, Ayala Group’s Kickstart Ventures, Silicon Valley-based start-up accelerator Y Combinator, Singapore-based VC firm Golden Gate Ventures, and other investors. Also, it’s a trusted partner of Empath, Hive Health, KinderCare Baby Worldwide, and Curiosity.

With its constant breaking records, NextPay is inviting more strategic partners to further its mission of giving accessible and innovative financing services to underserved markets.

“Our growth momentum has not only solidified our position in the market but has paved the way for a promising Series

A funding round in the second half of 2023, indicating a bright future ahead for NextPay,” Pansacola said. Roderick L. Abad

SMEs in food, water biz told: Strictly adhere to quality, safety benchmark

By Roderick L. Abad @rodrik_28 Contributor

This call was issued by Pinky Pe Tobiano, who is now part of the Board of Directors of Qualibet-BVAQ, the joint venture (JV) between homegrown lab company Qualibet and the merger of global leader Bureau Veritas (BV) and New Zealand’s premier food assurance business AsureQuality (AQ), given the rising complaints of consumers against various entities that offer questionable products and services that are detrimental to health and may even cost lives.

Proof of which are items under dispute or controversial ones with complaints for recall that undergo testing in their ISO-certified laboratory in Quezon City.

“We’re handling samples from Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Department of Health (DOH), and Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI),” she told reporters during a recent press tour of their facility.

‘Quality is Better’

GUIDED by this thrust, which is

short for Qualibet, the lab was established in 2006, providing reliable and truthful chemical and microbiology analysis of cosmetics, food, water and pharmaceutical and veterinary medicines. These products undergo testing for quality and safety compliance either for registry or dispute.

Without showing the brands to the media due to non-disclosure agreements, some of the confiscated products with issues that were handed to them by such regulatory bodies include beauty items like lead-laden lipsticks and a cheap underarm whitening cream reported to have caused so much deaths for heavy mercury content. She noted: “It is a very strong brand. It’s all over Tiktok now. So it’s a targeted market”

For food safety, there are peanut brittle, pastillas, coffee, malunggay tea, banana and camote chips, honey butter, herbal food supplement, salabat, and garlic powder—all unregistered with the FDA.

“These are the [offerings of small and medium enterprises or SMEs] that thrived during the pandemic. Unfortunately, a lot of them were submitted to the FDA, and we have found heavy pathogen contamination,” Tobiano said. Before they put their products out in the market, Qualibet-BVAQ can do shelf life analysis and help them make the needed nutrition facts used in packaging. The lab also counts the salmonella and ecoli, as well as gives advice on good business practices. The JV firm is, likewise, helpful for exporters. In fact, there are six local brands of dried mangoes being sold already abroad, according to her.

“Because now Qualibet is Qualibet-BVAQ, our certificate of analysis is already a global standard. That is the difference of Qualibet-BVAQ. We are no longer a signature. We’re now an autograph, helping a lot of SMEs,” she explained.

Mekeni Food Corp pushes innovation, empathy and gratitude through CSRs

ACCESS to basic health-care services and the shortage of hospitals and surgical equipment are among the perennial problems of the country’s health system. Indigent patients, especially those living in far-flung areas, struggle more to prioritize their health. These were even more highlighted during the pandemic.

This is the reason why Mekeni Food Corporation (MFC) President Prudencio Garcia did not hesitate to support the Pampanga leg of RP Healthcraft Carrier Foundation Inc.’s Hospital on Wheels (HOW).

HOW is a mobile health-care service providing free medical assistance to Filipino families living in areas all over the country. A brainchild of well-respected Filipino surgeon Dr. Jim Sanchez, HOW aims to reach indigent patients in remote areas by bringing a fleet of vehicles carrying medical practitioners and equipment to conduct various medical treatments.

Poraqueños wait in queue for the medical mission in Manibaug, Porac on February 25.

“We share Dr. Sanchez’s vision of uplifting people’s lives through innovation with empathy. This worthwhile project inspires us to do more for our kababayans and the country,” said Garcia. “It is a privilege to extend assistance to our Cabalens even in small ways, especially during this time.”

Through the assistance of the local government of Porac, PhilHealth Regional Office III, Barangay officials of Manibaug, and Mekeni, HOW was able to conduct over a hundred hernia, cleft lip, thyroid, and other operations; and provide dental, optical, and general checkups to hundreds of Cabalens.

Mekeni has always extended help in times of need for the community. Since the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, they have been providing livelihood to thousands of Filipinos within and beyond Pampanga.

They also formed their Emergency Preparedness and Response Team to be able to respond to emergencies in Porac and nearby towns. When the Taal Volcano erupted in 2020, Mekeni activated its team to conduct an outreach activity in Agoncillo, Batangas to pay forward the help Pampanga received in 1991.

“We lived a humble life growing up, yet our parents have always instilled in us that we are capable of effecting change in other people’s lives. This is the value we want to pass on to the younger generation,” said Garcia.

To ensure that this value lives on, Mekeni is intent on continuing and supporting community-centric

For veterinary, the facility tests the animals for contamination. It’s also strong in handling pet food, with some found to be substandard. What’s more, food safety applications of pharmaceutical, food and beverage (F&B), and hotel and restaurant industries are processed here.

“One of the biggest contaminations in a restaurant is in the knives they use,” Tobiano said, adding cooking utensils and unsterilized food containers are detected to be unsafe following their periodic random swabbing. “A lot of cold brew, unfortunately, are really high in pathogen.”

Controversial cases in the restaurant scene that Qualibet-BVAQ has handled include the latest e-coli outbreak in hamburgers and tacos, as well as the recent food poisoning concerning a famous Oyster bistro in Makati, per the top executive.

She also pointed out that a lot of

bottled sauces sold in bazaars have been positive with salmonella.

“These are the products that need help,” Tobiano said, while citing some other services they provide, such as developing good kitchen standards, sanitation and housekeeping procedures, and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point or HACCP accreditation.

Apart from these establishments, water refilling stations and ice manufacturing plants, a lot of real estate developers tap Qualibet-BVAQ to help them monitor the water safety in their projects like condominium, office and commercial buildings.

This is because highly dense areas like them are so prone to water pathogens or contaminants.

People living or working in these developments are very exposed since “the higher [floors] you go, the higher is your risk, unless the building administrator really test their water [that is also a] part of compliance,” she explained.

Low compliance awareness

TOBIANO observed the strong interest of businesses in the country to enlist their entities, but there’s still a “need to increase [their] awareness on where to go and how to get it done.”

“It’s good to have a product as long as it follows quality and safety standards in order to register it,” she said, while citing that the FDA, DOH, Department of Agriculture and its attached agency BAI are “doing a very good job” in pushing their conformity to regulatory requirements.

“It’s just like P5,000 to P10,000 [per testing], so you would know your [product’s] nutrition facts, and you can have the bacterial or the pathogen counted, which are parts of the compliance to the FDA. That’s just a small investment for a long-term business,” she stressed.

Start-ups fearful of returning to post-Covid Zero China

CHINA wants the world to know its economy is open for business again, but foreign start-ups and smaller companies have a growing list of reasons the giant consumer market is losing its allure.

A sense of caution reigns as firms face an unpredictable business environment. Beijing’s absolutist pandemic policy effectively blocked newcomers from entering the market, while those already there were mired in a cycle of lockdowns and reopenings that hurt profit and highlighted the complexity of doing business in a country where the government exerts ultimate control.

activities. Recently, it also inked a partnership with Abacan River and Angeles Watershed Advocacy Council. Inc. and the Angeles City local government for a year-long information and education campaign for the Angeles Watershed Rehabilitation and Development Project.

The campaign is dubbed SUBLI, a Kapampangan acronym that stands for Subli ing Upaya, Bie, at Lugud king Indung Gabun (Return the authority, life, and love to Mother Nature). It aims to create awareness about the importance of watershed conservation and reforestation; and increase awareness and public engagement in tree planting, climate change adaptation, and mitigation.

Garcia said that Mekeni is glad to be a beacon of hope to others and to share whatever they can with the community. He is hopeful that these initiatives will go a long way and allow them to listen more to the needs of the community.

While multinationals like Starbucks Corp. and Apple Inc. have invested too much in China to contemplate pulling back at this stage, smaller foreign brands and entrepreneur-led firms are rethinking what were once ambitious plans to tap the country of 1.4 billion people.

Inquiries from small and mediumsized companies wanting to enter China fell about 18 percent last year from a year earlier, according to the EU SME Centre, while interest from US companies has also dropped, says the American Chamber of Commerce in China.

Nutricare Holdings was one of the casualties. Three years ago, the Melbournebased health-sector startup earmarked $1 million to get its hypoallergenic bandaids into China. But the country’s Covid shutdown put those plans on pause, and for now the business is shifting focus to different markets.

“We’re reassessing a new road map,” said founder James Dutton. “We’re in discussions with groups in Japan and expanding into the Philippines and others in the region like Taiwan that are making market entry easier,” he said.

Small foreign firms make up a fraction of China’s vast business landscape, but their uncertainty underscores a

broader change in sentiment about operating in a market that, pre-Covid, few could afford to avoid.

The American Chamber of Commerce in China said in March that, for the first time in about 25 years, the Asian nation isn’t a top three investment priority for most of its members, while almost half of US firms already in the market plan no new investments.

“I used to get hundreds of requests from SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and startups every single month,” said Pieter Verstraete, consultant and managing director at One-stop China, which helps European businesses enter the country. He recorded 278 inquiries from European companies in 2019, but an average of only 54 per year between 2020 and 2022.

It’s not just start-ups and the smallest firms scaling back. US fashion retailers Urban Outfitters and Everlane began withdrawing from China in 2021, only a few years after entering the market.

Everlane blamed the impact of lockdowns and challenges of operating through the pandemic for shutting its store on e-commerce platform Tmall, though Chinese consumers can still buy from their global web site.

While the abrupt end of the Covid Zero regime in December has reinvigorated some interest—Verstraete says he’s received 19 inquiries since January from companies looking to enter China—caution remains. Though there’s anecdotally been a slow uptick in SME business registrations, the British Chamber of Commerce in China says firms remain apprehensive. Australian and New Zealand business groups say there’s no sign of a re-entry surge yet.

European firms in Shanghai—where last year’s two-month lockdown brought businesses including Tesla Inc. and Volkswagen AG to a standstill—have called on the government to do more to repair confidence. Bloomberg News

ENTERPRISES and establish-

ments that provide water, food, consumer and animal products must strictly adhere to quality and safety standards required in listing and operating their businesses with the reopening of the economy, and high risk of contamination at the onset of summer season, according to a top Filipino chemist.

CHEMIST Pinky Pe Tobiano, who is now part of the Board of Directors of Qualibet-BVAQ, shows to the media a sample of a lead-laden lipstick they tested in their ISO-certified laboratory in Quezon City.

IN photo (from left) Mr. Pruds Garcia, Mekeni President; Maryzon Garcia Cruz, AVP for Supply Chain Management Group and Finance; Dr. Eric Cruz, nuclear medicine specialist and a certified clinical densitometrist; Dr. Jim Sanchez, Head of Hospital on Wheels; John Simon, Organizer- Hospital on Wheels; and Adrian Garcia, President of Maxiserve Trading Inc. and VP for Supply Chain Management Group.

Rate cuts require multiple vistas–BSP chief

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

In an interview with Bloomberg on the sidelines of the World BankIMF Spring meetings in Washington, BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla said cutting key policy rates would require more than just “one observation point.”

Medalla said during the interview that if the April inflation print fol-

lows the decline in prices observed in March, there could be room for a pause in raising rates but not enough to consider reducing policy rates.

“For a pause, it’s one more observation point but, for a cut, maybe five more? We have to be more confident that the low month on month is really now the central tendency,”

Medalla said.

In terms of lowering the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by June, Medalla said this can only happen if the BSP introduces a pause in key policy rates to avoid market confusion.

Raising interest rates would lead to monetary tightening and limiting the money supply. However, lowering the RRR would encourage banks to extend more loans thereby increasing money supply.

“The only reason we are not cutting the reserve requirement is we don’t want to confuse the markets which is ‘why are you cutting the reserve requirement when you are raising rates?’ But that confusion will be gone if we pause. Therefore, that gives us time to cut the reserve requirement,” Medalla said.

Since May 2022, the BSP has

raised key policy rates by 425 basis points. Despite this, core inflation is still increasing and posted an 8 percent growth in March, a 24-year high. (Full story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/04/06/prices-may-stay-high-despite-easinginflation-in-march/)

Nonetheless, Medalla said inflation had cooled to 7.6 percent in March from 8.6 percent in February while the month on month data showed inflation contracted 0.2 percent.

Medalla said the target of the BSP is for inflation to be at 2 to 4 percent or three percent plus or minus one by next year. This means, the month on month decline in inflation places the country on track to meet its target for next year.

“If you look at inflation from one

month to the next, most products are now consistent with, our target is three plus or minus one, so month on month should be three divided by 12, so the current month on month is now consistent, except for a few products, with the three percent inflation (target) next year,” Medalla explained.

Meanwhile, Medalla said the Monetary Board’s decision to increase key policy rates will not lead to a banking crisis in the Philippines since local banks’ balance sheets are “very strong.”

Medalla added that the Philippine bond market has “relatively short tenors” of below 30 years, preventing any large losses stemming from the recent hike in interest rates, similar to the experience in the United States.

“That high policy will cause financial instability is not a concern for the Philippines,” Medalla stressed.

In March, the BSP said greater fiscal accountability has allowed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to withstand the shockwaves created by recent global developments.

In the Gala Seminar of the 2023 ASEAN Chairmanship of Indonesia, Medalla said fiscal discipline that sprung from the 1997-1998 Asian Financial Crisis (AFC) has made the region’s banking sector resilient.

This was Medalla’s response to a question on how Asian banks have shown resilience amid the banking turmoil experienced by advanced countries like the United States and Europe.

SEC warns Platinum Coin Pawnshop scheme ‘illegal’ Macasaet plans to install solar panels in SSS hubs

By VG Cabuag @villygc

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a cease and desist order against Platinum Coin Pawnshop, a company based in Dipolog City, for operating an illegal investment scheme in the guise of a lending company. In an order dated April 4, the agency directed Platinum Coin to immediately cease and desist from further engaging in the unlawful solicitation, offer and sale of securities in the form of investment contracts without the necessary license from the SEC.

The agency also prohibited the company from transacting any business involving funds in its depository banks, and from transferring, disposing, or conveying any related assets to ensure the preservation of the assets of its investors. The company was likewise ordered to cease

its internet presence relating to its investment scheme.

The order covers Platinum Coin’s operators, directors, officers, representatives, salesmen and agents.

Platinum Coin represents itself as an entity engaged in a legitimate lending business in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte. It supposedly offers and extends loans to the public with an interest rate of 20 percent based on a 60-day period, with payment collection made on a daily basis.

The order was issued after the SEC Enforcement and Investor Protection Department found the company to be enticing the public to invest anywhere from P1,000 to P650,000, with the promise of 15 percent to 50 percent guaranteed returns within 30 days. Platinum Coin then executes an agreement with its investors and issues post-dated checks.

Investors are also promised an annual bonus of 20 percent of their

Bitcoin rallies past $30K for 1st time since mid-’22

BITCoIN climbed above $30,000 for the first time since June 2022, bolstered by bets on easier monetary policies that have made cryptocurrencies standout performers this year.

Bitcoin is now up 82 percent since Dec. 31, handily beating the Nasdaq 100 tech index’s 19 percent gain. Gold, another investor favorite this year, has climbed 9.6 percent. Crypto’s rapid ascent has seen Bitcoin vault past where it stood when hedge fund Three Arrows Capital imploded last summer—yet it remains more than 50 percent below its all-time high in November 2021.

Underpinning Bitcoin’s partial comeback are expectations that the banking crisis that erupted in the US in March will force the Federal Reserve to hit pause on rate increases.

That’s boosted the view among Bitcoin bulls that the token stands to gain from lower real interest rates, and that it offers shelter from turmoil in traditional finance.

“This rally may, in part, be driven by the expectation that rate hikes are almost done, but some groups of investors are drawn to crypto because it’s an asset outside of traditional banking and finance,” said Bradley Duke, co-chief executive officer of crypto exchange-traded product provider ETC Group.

Digital assets broke out of weeks of rangebound trading over the past two sessions, with analysts also citing technical factors as having given the token a nudge. But hanging over the rally is persistently low liquidity, which bears say distorts pricing and could cause a rapid reversal should central banks stand firm on battling inflation.

“30k is very significant for both technical and fundamental reasons,” said Mati Greenspan, Quantum Economics chief executive officer. “The resistance has been building up for three weeks straight and has now finally broken.”

Bitcoin’s breakout above stiff resistance at $30,000 comes after a so-called squeeze of the Bollinger Band, which saw historical volatility fall to the lowest since January. The compression back then resulted in a

investment, plus a 5 percent commission for new recruits.

The scheme involves the sale and offer of securities to the public in the form of investment contracts, in which one invests his money in a common enterprise and is led to expect profits primarily from the efforts of others, according to the SEC.

The agency also noted that the post-dated checks issued by Platinum Coin fall within the definition of securities in the form of “evidence of indebtedness.”

“The commission thus finds and so holds that the post-dated checks were issued to its investors in lieu of shares or interest in Platinum Coin in an attempt to circumvent the law. The post-dated checks represent the investor’s ownership interest in the lending business of Platinum Coin with an expectation of profits to be derived therefrom,” according to the order.

Platinum Coin is not registered

sharp move upward that looks similar to Tuesday’s upside breakout. Traders following technical patterns may now be looking at the $30,800 area as a first potential objective, followed by $31,200.

Punching past those levels would take Bitcoin close to another psychologically important threshold: erasing all losses since the tumultuous unwinding of the TerraUSD stablecoin in early May last year. That event set the stage for a deep market swoon and the demise of some of crypto’s best-known names, from 3AC to lender Celsius Network and exchange FTX.

To be sure, the crypto industry as a whole faces immense scrutiny. Crypto exchange Coinbase Global Inc. said it has received a notice from the Securities and Exchange Commission declaring its intention to bring an enforcement action.

The SEC has sued crypto mogul Justin Sun for allegedly violating securities rules in a case Sun said lacks merit. And elsewhere, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has sued Binance founder Changpeng Zhao and his crypto exchange for alleged violations of derivatives regulations, though Binance has said it doesn’t agree with many of the agency’s characterizations.

But even with the setbacks, Bitcoin’s rally has gained strength over the past month following the collapse of three US banks, which revived the narrative among Bitcoin bulls that the token offers a more attractive alternative to traditional finance.

Furthermore, analysts say a drop in liquidity to a 10-month low—after market makers lost access to US banking rails provided by Silvergate Capital Corp. and Signature Bank—could also explain the rebound, at least in part. With lower trading volume, price swings can look more dramatic. order books are thin and trading activity is depressed,” said Strahinja Savic, head of data and analytics at FRNT Financial. “Under these circumstances, it is possible that we see price action that is difficult to pin to any one reason.” Bloomberg News

with the SEC, either as a corporation or partnership. An entity called Platinumcoin Consumer Goods trading under the name of Decenan is registered with the Department of Trade and Industry. However, it is only authorized to conduct business activities related to dishwashing liquids. Platinum Coin has also never secured a secondary license as issuer of securities or broker dealer nor registered any securities for public offering pursuant to the SRC.

The SEC has issued an advisory warning the public not to invest in Platinum Coin as early as February 10, 2023.

“[The] commission cannot overemphasize the fact borne by the records that Platinum Coin’s act of selling/offering unregistered securities in the form of investment contract constitutes fraud which should be promptly restrained for the protection of the investing public,” the SEC’s order said.

Green groups target Japan’s megabanks on climate action

INVESToR activist group Market Forces and other environmental nonprofits filed shareholder proposals with several Japanese megabanks and utilities, seeking to require them to disclose more specific plans on how they will work to meet climate targets set by the Paris Agreement.

The proposals target Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc., Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. and Mizuho Financial Group Inc. Power utilities Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Chubu Electric Power Co. also received resolutions, as well as trading giant Mitsubishi Corp.

The activists are calling on the megabanks to create and disclose transition plans that match lending and investment portfolios with Paris Agreement goals. They argue that the banks’ climate targets and policies aren’t aligned with 2050 net zero pathways set by the International Energy Agency and the Net Zero Banking Alliance.

The proposals were submitted by Market Forces, Kiko Network, Rainforest Action Network and Friends of the Earth Japan.

The move comes as Japan firms face increasing shareholder pressure over climate issues. The Asian country has a goal to become carbon neutral by 2050, and both the government and the private sector have called on using a variety of methods to reduce emissions. Power producers like Jera Co., a joint venture between Tepco and Chubu Electric, are betting on developing technologies like carbon capture and storage and co-firing fossil fuel generation with ammonia or hydrogen.

But that approach threatens to extend the operational lives of both new and planned coal-fired plants, the activist organizations said in a statement.

A spokesperson for MUFG acknowledged the proposal and said it would “respond appropriately” after internal discussions in preparation for its general shareholder meeting. Sumitomo Mitsui and Mizuho didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Tepco confirmed it received the shareholder proposal, while Chubu Electric said the proposals are “important suggestions” from the company’s stakeholders, and that it will consider how to respond. Mitsubishi Corp. said it will examine the matter and respond appropriately.

l a st year, investors including Man Group Plc filed shareholder proposals with Japanese power producer Electric Power Development Co., calling on the company to issue new short and mid-term emission reduction plans and goals. The proposals failed to win sufficient support in shareholder vote. Bloomberg News

SoCIAl Security System (SSS)

President and CEo Rolando l

Macasaet announced he wants to install solar panels in SSS offices to save on electricity expenses and promote the use of renewable energy.

Macasaet said through a statement his office issued last Tuesday that the SSS aims to have the pilot implementation of the project in its Main of fice in Quezon City where 445 solar panels with combined capacity of 200 kilowatt-peak (kWp) shall be installed.

“Upon the completion of this project, we estimate to generate an average of around 18,872 kilowatt-hours per month, equating to a monthly savings of P200,798.08; and to reduce our carbon footprint by 9.57 tons, equivalent to planting 57.4 trees,” he was quoted in the statement as saying.

The SSS is also contemplating to install solar panels in SSS-owned branches nationwide, especially in areas that experience frequent power outages and charge higher cost of electric power.

Macasaet said his plan is in response to Executive order 14 issued by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on January 27, 2023, which approves and adopts the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) for 2023-2028. Among the plans provided under

the PDP is the lowering of energy costs and promoting renewable energy sources.

“As we continue to pursue the provision of meaningful social security protection to the current and future generations of SSS members and their families and the improvement of our services, we will also adopt and implement measures to strengthen the SSS fund through prudent spending and operational efficiency, while advocating for the protection of the environment,” Macasaet said.

The SSS is committed to managing and minimizing the environmental impact of its operations. It has initiated several eco-friendly and cost-effective efforts in the past such as digitalizing its processes through its online portals, which not only provide members with simpler, faster, and more convenient modes of fulfilling their transactions but also reduce carbon footprint through paperless processing and strict compliance to green procurement.

From 2007 to 2009, the Department of Energy, under its National Energy Efficiency Program and Conservation Program in Government Buildings, recognized the SSS as one of the highest energy efficient government offices with a rating of 94 percent.

Security Bank, MarCoPay ink auto, home loans deal

SECURITY Bank Corp. (PSE: SECB) announced recently it has partnered with non-bank electronic money issuer MarCoPay Inc. (MCP) to offer seafarers and their families with preferential rates for Auto and Home l oan offerings. Users of MarCoPay’s eponymous app can avail of SECB’s auto loans for 5.27 percent add-on interest rate and home loans for a 6.25-percent interest rate per annum.

Established in 2019, MCP is owned by Japan’s largest shipping company NYK line through a joint venture (JV) with the Transnational Diversified Group of the Philippines. The JV hopes to provide seafarers with better financial services through the eWallet platform. MCP counts amongst its investors MUFG Bank ltd. (MUFG), a strategic partnership entered in March 2022 to leverage on the global bank’s network for value-added opportunities. MUFG is also the strategic partner to SECB since 2016.

“We are pleased to partner with MCP to be able to offer our Filipino seafarers with greater options and flexibility when it comes to getting a car or home for them and their loved ones in the Philippines. Through MCP’s strategic partnership with MUFG, we have been able to offer our products to their users through

the MUFG connection,” a statement quoted SECB Retail Product Group Head Rahul Rasal as saying.

MCP operates an eWallet app that is significantly invested in research and technology to innovate onboard money transactions using a secure digital solution. Prior to acquiring its most recent investor, MUFG, MCP had also welcomed a third investor, Marubeni Corporation, in 2021. This further strengthened MCP’s goal in continuously providing value-added services and contributing to the improvement of the seafarers and their families’ living environment.

“We at MarCoPay are very excited to offer these loan deals to our customers. Through the help of [SECB], we can greatly contribute to the dreams of Filipino seafarers to buy their dream house or get the car they want without all the hassle,” the statement quoted MCP President Toshiaki Fujioka as having said.

Since 2016, SECB and MUFG have been leveraging on their combined networks and capabilities to collaborate on various initiatives. In 2019, The Philippines’s tenth-largest bank in terms of assets said its consumer lending subsidiary, SB Finance Co., entered a strategic partnership with Bank of Ayudhya in Thailand, also a part of MUFG’s regional banking network.

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) may start reducing key policy rates if the negative month on month growth trend in inflation would be sustained longer.

VOICE DEEPfAkES ARE CALLINg—HERE’S wHAT THEY ARE AND HOw TO AVOID gETTINg SCAmmED

By Matthew Wright Rochester Institute of Technology

YOU have just returned home after a long day at work and are about to sit down for dinner when suddenly your phone starts buzzing. On the other end is a loved one, perhaps a parent, a child or a childhood friend, begging you to send them money immediately.

You ask them questions, attempting to understand. There is something off about their answers, which are either vague or out of character, and sometimes there is a peculiar delay, almost as though they were thinking a little too slowly. Yet, you are certain that it is definitely your loved one speaking: That is their voice you hear, and the caller ID is showing their number. Chalking up the strangeness to their panic, you dutifully send the money to the bank account they provide you.

The next day, you call them back to make sure everything is all right. Your loved one has no idea what you are talking about. That is because they never called you—you have been tricked by technology: a voice deepfake. Thousands of people were scammed this way in 2022.

As computer securityresearchers, we see that ongoing advancements in deep-learning algorithms, audio editing and engineering, and synthetic voice generation have meant that it is increasingly possible to convincingly simulate a person’s voice.

Even worse, chatbots like ChatGPT are starting to generate realistic scripts with adaptive realtime responses. By combining these technologies with voice generation, a deepfake goes from being a static recording to a live, lifelike avatar that can convincingly have a phone conversation.

n CLONING A VOICE. Crafting a compelling high-quality deepfake, whether video or audio, is not the easiest thing to do. It requires a wealth of artistic and technical skills, powerful hardware and a fairly hefty sample of the target voice.

There are a growing number of services offering to produce moderate- to high-quality voice clones for a fee, and some voice deepfake tools need a sample of only a minute long, or even just a few seconds, to produce a voice clone that could be convincing enough to fool someone. However, to convince a loved one— for example, to use in an impersonation scam—it would likely take a significantly larger sample.

n PROTECTING AGAINST SCAMS AND DISINFORMATION. With all that said, we at the DeFake Project of the Rochester Institute of Technology, the University of Mississippi and Michigan State University, and other researchers are working hard to be able to detect video and audio deepfakes and limit the harm they cause. There are also straightforward and everyday actions that you can take to protect yourself.

For starters, voice phishing, or “vishing,” scams like the one described above are the most likely voice deepfakes you might encounter in everyday life, both at work and at home. In 2019, an energy firm was scammed out of $243,000 when criminals simulated the voice of its parent company’s boss to order an employee to transfer funds to a supplier. In 2022, people were swindled out of an estimated $11 million by simulated voices, including of close, personal connections.

n WHAT CAN YOU DO? Be mindful of unexpected calls, even from people you know well. This is not to say you need to schedule every call, but it helps to at least email or text message ahead. Also, do not rely on caller ID, since that can be faked, too. For example, if you receive a call from someone claiming to represent your bank, hang up and call the bank directly to confirm the call’s legitimacy. Be sure to use the number you have written down, saved in your contacts list, or that you can find on Google.

Additionally, be careful with your personal identifying information, like your Social Security number, home address, birth date, phone number, middle name and even the names of your children and pets. Scammers can use this information to impersonate you to banks, realtors and others, enriching themselves while bankrupting you or destroying your credit.

Here is another piece of advice: know yourself. Specifically, know your intellectual and emotional biases and vulnerabilities. This is good life advice in general, but it is key to protect yourself from being manipulated. Scammers typically seek to suss out and then prey on your financial anxieties, your political attachments or other inclinations, whatever those may be.

This alertness is also a decent defense against disinformation using voice deepfakes. Deepfakes can be used to take advantage of your confirmation bias, or what you are inclined to believe about someone.

If you hear an important person, whether from your community or the government, saying something that either seems very uncharacteristic for them or confirms your worst suspicions of them, you would be wise to be wary. THE CONVERSATION

Managing unrealistic expectations at work

PEOPLE managers can find themselves in a precarious position of translating what top management wants into operational terms that their teams can understand.

And in the translation, it is common for managers to demand more from their team especially when new projects are critical for other business units within the organization. But when you are constantly being asked to do more work with no additional manpower, to work even when you are on vacation, or to not be given clear instructions about what to do in your work, it is time to discuss your workload with your manager.

The first thing you need to do before talking to your manager is to try to understand their motive for giving you unrealistic workloads. Your manager is in a good position to know what everyone else in the team is doing, and they can reallocate workload based on skills, availability, and their professional development plan for each team member. When you are given an unrealistic workload, it could mean they are upskilling you to develop the skills you need for the next level in your career, or they have forgotten your current workload—or they want you to resign.

If they want you to step up and take more responsibilities for promotion, you need to speak candidly with your manager and negotiate for a workload that satisfies their criteria for promotion. Depending on how much you want to be promoted, establish clear boundaries of what you are not willing to do. Your manager needs to understand what you can do and how much effort you are willing to exert to get the promotion.

With everything managers have to juggle, there will be times that they will not be aware of your current workload. In this instance, show them your list of deliverables and their timelines. If they insist that you take in more work, they might not know the entire process of your work. Create a process workflow of the steps you need to go through to complete what they have assigned so they can understand how much time and effort goes into the project. If they still insist, ask for a recommendation on which of the steps in the process can be taken out. Once they have chosen to take out a step, discuss the repercussions so they can make an informed decision on whether to push through or not.

There are also cases when you are working on a priority project and your manager will assign you to another one. In this case, ask your manager which one you need to prioritize and push back on the timeline of the ongoing project. As the people manager, they should make the decision which projects to prioritize, and which projects can be pushed back.

But if you are being given more workload because they want you to resign, you need to decide if you want to stay or go. If you do decide to stay, your reasons should be aligned to your personal and professional goals because you might need to let go of some of the things you are familiar with, and resolutely push yourself to succeed.

Now would also be a good time to ask your manager how they would manage the workload they have given you. Your manager is there to clear roadblocks and provide you the needed support to succeed. There are times when we are too caught up in what we do that we need a third person to give us a new perspective.

Your manager can be that third person and provide insights on how to improve your work processes and provide you the tools to manage your workload. Take the time to ask your manager because they might have a better way of doing things.

If your manager does not take “no” for an answer, suggest adding other members of the team to the assigned project. This way, you can have other people who can help in the project, as well as show to your manager your leadership skills in managing those

who are assigned to you. This will also give you the opportunity to get to know more members of the team and they can then develop new skills needed for the work.

This will remind your manager that an integral part of their role is workload management, so they should not neglect other members of the team. If some in the team are not equipped to do the work, your manager needs to equip them or send them to be trained so they will be up to par with the workload.

You also need to train your manager with respect to your personal time. As much as possible, do not respond to emails or direct messages when you are no longer in the office, during weekends, or when you are on vacation. Depending on how you want to establish your boundaries, how you interact with your manager during time away from work will determine how much they can interrupt your free time. If you absolutely need to email your manager because you do not want to forget, use scheduled email so that they are sent out only during office hours. In some countries, managers who communicate with their employees during their personal time can be legally penalized.

In all of these, communicate regularly with your manager on your workload so they know what is on your plate. If you do not have a regular team meeting where everyone is apprised of workloads, take the initiative to routinely provide updates. If you do not have it yet, create a tracker of your workload which includes the status of all your deliverables. Provide access to your manager so they can look at it once in a while. This will also help you during performance evaluation when you need to show documentation of what you have accomplished.

Looking at it from a different perspective, sometimes your manager has unrealistic expectations of you because they know you can do it and they believe in your capacity to deliver. There are countless stories of people persevering and succeeding even if their managers demanded more and more from them. In the end, it all boils down to the choices we make, and what we do with what we are given. In this case, you either whittle and give up, or rise to your personal and career goals. n

Benildeans among awardees of Italian Embassy in PHL’s Italian Design Day

EDucators and alumni from the De La salle-college of saint Benilde (DLs-csB) were recognized during the recent Italian Design Day (IDD) 2023, wherein the Embassy of Italy in Manila lauded the contributions of 23 Filipino architects and designers in championing local values, craftsmanship and sustainability on par with international standards.

the annual event was launched in 2017 by Italy’s Ministry of Foreign affairs and International cooperation in collaboration with the Ministry of culture. this year’s edition was conducted in collaboration with Italian luxury furniture brand Homestudio Inc. headed by its founder Grant Lim and the Philippine Italian association. ambassador of Italy to the Philippines H.E. Marco clemente led the awarding ceremony as he hailed industry experts as masters in their respective fields.

For the Education category, council of Interior Design Educators President and university of the Philippines Diliman college of Home Economics Interior Design Professor racquel Florendo and Philippine schools of architecture association Head and university of santo tomas college of architecture associate Professor chona Ponce were recognized for facilitating growth and upholding high standards for students as future design movers. the Filipino architecture awards were granted to royal

Pineda, principal architect of royal Pineda+ and Jason Buensalido, principal architect and chief design ambassador of Buensalido architects, for capturing Filipino culture and identity in modern architecture. the urban and Landscape Planning bracket was bestowed to PGa a creative Design principal Paulo alcazaren, W ta architecture and Design studio principal architect William ti Jr. and archion architects principal and managing partner Dan Lichauco. the trio were commended for planning spaces that improve people’s quality of life, their respect to the environment, and preserving heritage. Meanwhile, Lichauco is the man behind the atrium @ Benilde, a 10-story PWD-ready environmental forced air structure. these were among the creatives recognized at the annual event. the celebration likewise included masterclasses dedicated to interior and product design, architecture and fashion. It featured Milan-based multidisciplinary designer Ilaria Bianchi, plus Italian architect and Italpinas Development corp. executive chairman and cEo romolo Nati. It likewise headlined Filipino fashion design and merchandising expert, Department of science and technology consultant for the creative industry sector roadmap and DLs-csB FDM educator and former chairman christine cheryl Benet.

FroM left: Multidisciplinary designer Ilaria Bianchi; multi-awarded Italian architect and Italpinas Development corp. executive chairman and cEo romolo V. Nati; and Filipino fashion design and merchandising expert, and De La salle-college of saint Benilde Fashion Design and Merchandising educator and former chairman christine cheryl Benet.

FroM left: ambassador of Italy to the Philippines H.E. Marco clemente; cheryl Benet; and Homestudio Inc. founder Grant Lim.

SKYGO Marketing Corporation rides high with new scooter model SKYGO KPV150 at bike, trade show

World’s first Foundever hub opens in Cebu after global rebranding

to our growth and success,” she said.

Ravi Iyengar, Foundever Chief Operating Officer for APAC, revealed that the company plans to continue its expansion in the Philippines. “In addition to our presence in Cebu, we will also be launching in Davao within the year.”

Foundever is a global leader in the customer experience (CX) industry. It has 170,000 associates across the globe who help more than 750 of the world’s leading and digital-first brands.

SKYGO Marketing Corporation showcases SKYGO KPV150 in a bike fest and trade show at the World Trade Center. SKYGO KPV150 is the newest motorcycle scooter model to be launched by the company and was made available to riders late last year.

clearance which ensures it clears uneven roads with ease. Completing its robust features include LED tail light and hazard lamp with an emergency security system (ESS), adjustable windscreen protector, u-box with LED light, and front and rear disc brakes.

FOUNDEVER™ has hit the ground running in the Philippines following its global rebranding in March.

The leading outsourcing company formerly known as Sitel Group has opened the world’s very first hub bearing the new name Foundever in the Cybergate Galleria Cebu in Benedicto St., Cebu. With this development, the company will make available more than 2,400 jobs across its three locations in Cebu City for the first half of 2023.

“This will not only contribute to our growth strategy, but also provide exciting career opportunities for talented individuals here,” said Mae Blanco, Talent Acquisition Director for Foundever, at the recent launch event for the Cebu hub, which is the company’s

third overall in the city.

Dorothee Dalaine, Foundever Vice President for Global Associate Experience, disclosed that the company plans to fill a variety of roles across several industries, including customer service, technical and telecommunications support, health care services, financial and banking services and travel.

“As a company that supports omnichannel communication, we will be continuously seeking to hire voice, email, and chat associates to ensure our customers receive the best possible service. We believe these diverse roles will provide exciting opportunities for local professionals looking to join the Foundever family and contribute

The global rebranding to Foundever™ underscores the company’s relentless commitment to innovation, dynamism, and top-notch customer experience delivery. It celebrates the expertise on which the company was founded, while maintaining the same level of innovation and agility with a strong human-centric element to its solutions.

“We're thrilled that the launch of the first hub with the new brand is happening in one of the Philippines' largest growth areas,” said the General Manager for Foundever™ in Manila and Cebu, John Sneed, at the launch event.

“With our new Foundever hub, we’re looking forward to further tapping into the exceptional talents in the region so we can deliver even higher levels of productivity and customer experience for the clients we work with across the globe,” he shared.

“The SKYGO KPV150 is the much-awaited SKYGO scooter that showcases advanced and the most sought-after features in a scooter model,” said David Ian C. King, chief executive officer of SKYGO Marketing Corporation. He added, “the SKYGO KPV150 is starting to gain even greater popularity with riders for its styling that presents strength and flexibility.”

SKYGO KPV150 offers features that most riders look for in a scooter. It has an LCD digital dashboard, an LED headlamp with low beam lights, a built-in USB port, and a 12V power outlet, and it is EFI. All the rider-friendly features make the SKYGO KPV150 a true contender in the scooter market.

In addition to these styling advances, it has an industry-leading water-cooling technology on mid and small-displacement engines, providing sustained power for a long time and long-distance riding without overheating. And to ensure riders reach their destinations, the SKYGO KPV150 has an extra large front fuel tank at 11.1-liter capacity, which guarantees a 400km range. It also rides at 180mm ground

Sharing the spotlight for SKYGO are two other models, the SKYGO Pony and SKYGO Magnus. The SKYGO Pony appeals to the classic rider with its retro look and styling. It has a vertical 100cc engine with an electric start, front and rear hydraulic braking system, stylish retro headlight, full LCD panel, and classic seat design.

The SKYGO Magnus is positioned as an entry-level cruiser, with a retro and stylish appearance that makes it unique. Its 200cc engine is suitable for varied riding scenarios. For beginners, it’s simple controlling and comfortable riding experience will bring more confidence.

“The stylish appearance, retro design, and its American-style elements make the SKYGO Magnus distinct from conventional 200cc cruisers,” said Gino Rosales, chief marketing officer of SKYGO Marketing Corporation. He added, “This differentiated style has become one of the main reasons why we feel that many riders will enjoy riding the new SKYGO Magnus.»

FROM left to right, Gino Rosales, SKYGO Chief Marketing Officer; Charvy Caritero, James Biano, Yiwen Zhu, Xiaolin Zhou, Jake Flores, NIVI Vice President.

FOUNDEVER™ VP, Global Associate Experience, Dorothee Dalaine; Chief Operating Officer for APAC, Ravi Iyengar; General Manager for Manila and Cebu, John Sneed, and Talent Acquisition Director, Mae Blanco

Editor: Tet Andolong

Net Zero not an option but a necessity

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

if not triple time to achieve Net Zero in 2030 to ensure Planet Earth

have a sustainable future.

Sebastien Walker, head, business development for mixed use and r eal estate, ENGIE Southeast Asia recently underscored the importance of reaching net zero in seven y ears in response to the challenges posed by climate change, also called by some sectors as climate crisis. We need to accelerate the transition of the building sector towards N et Zero with affordable, reliable and sustainable solutions, Sebastian pointed out during the forum o n

“The E in ESG: Embracing WELL the LEEDing EDGE” held in Filinvest City in Muntinlupa City organized by Colliers Philippines and a nd Filinvest Land Inc.

“Net Zero is not an option but a necessity,” Walker added.

Net zero refers to “a target of completely negating the amount of greenhouse produced by human activity, to be achieved by reducing emissions and implementing methods of absorbing carbon dioxide f rom the atmosphere.” Further, the long-term goal is to cut global net emissions of carbon dioxide to net zero by 2050.

Nevertheless, Walker said the property sector and other business organizations as well must hurdle few challenges towards achieving net zero.

One obstacle is the dearth of experts. Although business organizations have experts who can r un day-to-day operations but may lack knowledge in implementing the latest energy solutions. “The remedy is to explore working with consultants or specialized service

practitioners to bridge the knowledge gap,” Walker said.

Walker said the financing constraint has also affected a lot of c ompanies especially during the pandemic where they were forced to prioritize the allocation of resources to the core business instead of i mplementing sustainability projects. He urged companies to seek green financing or partnering with energy services companies to take the project risk and financing. Moreover, Walker said companies can tap a pool of technical experts both local and foreign who have the financial capability to invest on capital expenditure (capex) projects regardless of the size.

Walker said experts can provide tailor-made solutions that can also be brand agnostic and can be integrated to maximize client benefits.

H e also urged companies to get trusted partners that are focused on quality delivery with guarantted availability and performance p rioritizing on health, safety, and ethics.

Walker urged companies to seek partners that are experts in finance, design and build, operate and maintain, digitalization and integrate solutions so they can focus on the core business of building t he capex, optimize the utility bills and reduce emissions.

As far as ENGIE is concerned, Walker said the La Défense, Francebased multinational utility company is offering its services in capex m anagement, risk transfer and upfront capital investment.

“Sustainability increases real estate valuation, lowers operational savings in energy cost and offset t he impact of carbon,” Walker said.

The Filinvest way

M A r k Mu L ING b Ay A N c hief sustainability officer of the Filinvest g roup, said sustainability has been in the DNA of the company founded by billionaire Andrew Gotianun in

Carousell Property Awards 2022 recognizes the country’s finest real-estate developers

CA rOu SELL Philippines, the leading online multi-category classifieds marketplace in the country, has recently brought together some of the country’s top real-estate developers to recognize their tireless efforts to meet the housing demands of Filipinos at the Carousell Property Awards 2022.

Now on its second year, the Carousell Property Awards 2022 aims to honor the notable and pioneering real-estate developers and bank for foreclosed properties in the Philippines and their noteworthy developments in the past year across 14 award categories.

“Carousell provides every kind of home for every kind of Filipino with the widest variety at the best prices. The previous year was an inspiring time for the real-estate industry as we’ve seen how developers were quick to adjust to the current housing trends and address new needs and demands of home buyers. That is why it is only fitting that we recognize their efforts in joining us to fulfill the dream homes of many Filipinos,” said Carousell Philippines’ country representative Shine r e surreccion.

This year, SM Development Corporation (SMDC) was a big winner as it bagged six awards, namely, b e st Developer in various categories: Philippines, Metro Manila, and b u ilding Sustainable Communities. SMDC’s Hill r e sidences was named

Carousell Philippines General Manager shine re surreccion (from left); sMDC President Jose Mari H. Banzon; sMDC VP for Project Development Marietta D. eb order; Carousell Philippines Corporate Client Partner

b e st Affordable Condominium, Charm r e sidences was awarded b e st Mid- r a nge Condominium while Sail r esidences took home b est High-End Condominium award. Likewise, in Luzon, Suntrust Properties was also named this year’s b e st Developer.

The second big winner of the awarding event was Pinevale by Crown Asia who took home two awards: b e st Development in Innovative Condominium Property and

b e st Development Value for Investment (Tagaytay–Pinevale).

Other awardees also include Laguna Technopark by Ayala Land Logistics who was recognized as b e st Leading Industrial Development; b u ena Mano was chosen as the Highly r e commended b a nk in Fore -

closed Property; Sales r a in was the Highly r ecommended Development in Serviced Offices in the Philippines; Eton Properties’ b l ake Tower is the b est Mixed used Development. And lastly, u Home was granted b e st Development Value for Investment.

Carousell Property offers over 120,000 sale and rental listings from both developers and direct home owners across almost 500 cities and suburbs across the country that you can search for in the comfort of your home. The platform also curates complementary categories such as furniture and moving services, so you can find all that you need in one app.

To know more about Carousell, visit https://www.carousell.ph/

1955. It started as a small-scale financier of second-hand cars, and t he rest is history.

In his presentation, Mulingbayan said the secret of the staying p ower of the Filinvest group is its adherence to sustainability efforts.

“Filinvest’s sustainability program is anchored on being green, inclusive and resilient,” he said.

F or instance, he said Filinvest’s

“We need a green planet but the world is on red alert. We are at the verge of the abyss. We must make sure the next step is in the right direction. leaders everywhere must take action. First by building a global coalition for net zero emissions by 2050 in every country, every region, every city, every company, and every industry.”

-António Guterres, UN Secretary-General

He said the joint venture with ENGIE for an air cooling system has done wonders for their energy efficiency campaign.

Northgate Cyberzone is an example of how the company is walking the talk in pursuing sustainability. He said the company adopted a two-pronged approach to make it a green area. Filinvest used renewable energy for its energy requirements and proper disposal of hazardous waste. “We pursue resilience n ot just for disruption but also for continuity,” Mulingbayan said.

In terms of ratings, Mulingbayan said Filinvest uses the Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design (LEED), Excellence i n Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) and WELL. He said the ultimate reward for Filinvest is the satisfaction expressed by the customers. M ulingbayan said sustainability has always been the business c ase of Filinvest. It is the right thing to do for us because it is for our children and the succeeding generations.

PHl hosts asian interior design experts, practitioners

By Roderick L. Abad

PuSH ING for sustainable and future-proof kind of space and structures, notable design experts and professionals in Asia converge in the Philippines for the ongoing first-ever Manila Interior Design Summit, themed #DESIGNINGTHEF u T ur E , organized by Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID).

r u nning from April 10 to 12 and 16, this four-day event gathers esteemed speakers and specialists in the field of interior design and allied professions from the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Singapore.

“We often consider the future in the way we live and the decisions that we make daily. As Interior Designers and shapers of the built environment, now more than ever, the call to action is to sculpt spaces that are future-proof, sustainable, and also preserving humanity and culture,” said Hannah Dumlao, communications head of PIID.

“ b y a sking questions and hearing the answers of different people from the various sectors of the design environment who have begun to explore the aspects of technology, culture, sustainability, and green design, we hope to contribute to the movement of Designing Consciously for the Future,” she added.

The PIID Exhibition is staged entirely at the Alveo Central Plaza,

b G C Arts Center, b o nifacio Global City ( b G C), Taguig. Main event

G r N META: Metamorphosis of Green Spaces Design Symposium runs from April 10 to 12 at the Globe Auditorium, Maybank Performing Arts Theater in b G C.

This seminar for interior designers, architects and allied professions focuses on strategies and best practices, while exploring key principles of sustainable design, such as minimizing waste, reducing energy consumption, and using environmentally friendly materials.

Their application in interior design and architectural projects is also discussed. The importance of partnerships of designers of the built environment, suppliers and stakeholders to create sustainable

of PIID;

and innovative design solutions is also delved on.

PIID has tied up with a few collectives to present, promote and help empower the creativity and vision of Filipinos. The activities include Digital PIID Art Walk by b G C Art Foundation on April 10 around b G C; The Philippine Arts & Crafts Exhibition by k i ndred Collective, April 11 and 12, Nutriasia Lobby, Maybank Performing Arts Theater; and The PIID GALA & APSDA Awards Launch, April 12, Marquis Events Place, u ptown. At The Theatre At Solaire, Solaire r e sort & Casino in Parañaque City on April 16, there will be the Grammar of Movement Lecture by Carlo Calma and Diyosa by b a llet Philippines.

Ev Erybody including the property sector must work double

will

Manager Melizza Hernandez

CONE BRACES FOR TNT FIGHTBACK IN GAME 2

By Josef Ramos

IF Game 1 turned out to be easy, Game 2 won’t potentially be another walk in the park for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

“ We are expecting TNT to surprise us with something and we have to prepare,” Ginebra head coach Tim Cone told BusinessMirror on Tuesday.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven Finals for the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup is set at 5:45 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Gin Kings beat the Tropang Giga with enough to spare, 102-90, in the opener on Easter Sunday night at the Big Dome.

But Cone, the most successful coach in the league, knows winning Game 1 gives a team a headstart, but not a guarantee.

Winning Game 1 never assures you of winning the series and it never assures you of losing the series, but it gives you a leg up,” he said.

We have to do the same things and we always talk about growing our game plan,” he said. “We’re going to go out and try a little bit better and improve on what we’re doing every game.”

T NT import Rondae HollisJefferson did the job expected of a certified National Basketball Association player with his 30 points, 20 rebounds and five assists.

I f he did well, only Mikey Williams and Calvin Oftana—23 and 16 points, respectively—were the only TNT locals who matched the import’s intensity.

A nd that’s what bothers Cone.

TNT didn’t have a great shooting night in Game 1,” Cone said.

R oger Pogoy was limited to only six points and went 1 of 5 shooting with his three-pointers for TNT.

Ginebra, on the other hand, had a feast with  Most Valuable Player Scottie Thompson finishing with a triple-double of 10 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, enough to compliment import Justin Brownlee’s 31 points—17 in the first

period— and 12 rebounds.

Ja mie Malonzo had 21 points, Christian Standhardinger 16 points and 11 rebounds and Stanley Pringle 11 points to be in the game for the Gin Kings.

T NT coach Jojo

Lastimosa admitted that they were outgunned by Ginebra but trusts his wards to be in their elements for Game 2.

“Roger Pogoy and even Jayson Castro know what needs to be done and I’m hoping they can pick it up offensively in the next game so it will be a better game for us,” Lastimosa said.

Lastimosa also wanted 6-foot-7 JP Erram to come to his senses in Game 2.

Erram, TNT’s only available big man with Kelly Williams and Justin Chua out with injuries—fouled out two minutes into the final quarter.

It didn’t help Eram any as he lost his cool and kept complaining to the referees.

Poy’s [Eram] got to do a better job of controlling his emotions. I was actually pissed at him and his teammates because he’s beginning to be a distraction by complaining too much,” Lastimosa said. “We need him in the game now.”

Blue Eagles recruit Celis, Asoro

ATENEO de Manila University

is reaping the rewards of having a sister school in Cebu after Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Grade 12 standouts Raffy Celis and Michael Asoro committed to play for the Blue Eagles.

C elis and Asoro announced their commitment in a press conference at the school’s campus in Mandaue City on Monday.

The duo led the Magis Eagles to back-to-back crowns in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation last year.

I really want to play for Ateneo, not only about basketball but also more on what I can learn in life,” Celis said. “And I’m looking forward to be under coach Tab Baldwin.

“ I also graduated from Ateneo. Blue planted blue,” he added.

A soro shared Celis thoughts about their move to Manila.

I always wanted to be in Ateneo and be a graduate there,” he said. “I know that on top of basketball, we’ll learn more about life and academics in Ateneo.”

B aldwin, who also made the trip to Cebu, welcomed the duo. One of the limitations that we face as the Ateneo coaching staff is our ability to recruit players, which is affected by the academic process,”

Baldwin said. “We can confidently say that both of these guys possess the academic ability to be part of Ateneo.”

B aldwin added: “I would like

Hubilla commits to UP Maroons

UNIVERSITY of the Philippines (UP) gained a promising young talent in Chris Hubilla—the 20-year-old forward from San Beda-Rizal and a top prospect in the class of 2024. Hubilla’s only in 11th grade but already committed to play for his dream team UP.

UP is my dream school,” said Hubilla, who said that his dream to be in a Fighting Maroons uniform started three

years ago in his hometown Naga City.

I remember when UP played in Naga three years ago, I got excited and inspired seeing Kobe [Paras], Ricci [Rivero] and the brothers [Juan and Javi Gomez de Liaño],” he said.

He said he was surprised that he got a call from the UP coaching staff.

I thought I was dreaming when coach Tom [Chua] told me that coach Gold [Goldwyn Monteverde] wanted me on the team,” he said.

Masters drama and trauma

THE drama—and trauma—was palpable again in the justended Masters in Augusta, Georgia.  That has always been the case in almost every golf major staged yearly, including the US Open, the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) and The Open in Great Britain. D ramatic was Jon Rahm’s victory on Sunday, coming

B8 Wednesday april 12, 2023 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

Editor: Jun Lomibao

Blu Girls need foreign exposure to sharpen for World Cup in Italy

THE Philippine women’s softball team— popularly known as the Blu Girls—will need all the exposure it could get as it prepares for the 2023 World Cup scheduled July 22 to 26 in Italy. The Blu Girls advanced to the World Cup for the first time since 2018 following its fourth-place finish in the recent Women’s Softball Asia Cup in Incheon, South Korea, where they had a 5-3 win-loss record. Somehow, it was mission accomplished for the Blu Girls, who are ranked No. 4 in Asia. But in Italy, they will be bracketed with tougher teams like Japan, Canada, Venezuela, New Zealand and the host country.

“That’s why we need more foreign exposure,” team captain and starting pitcher Ann Antolihao told Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

“We’re happy we’re back in the World Cup,” added Antolihao in the forum presented by San Miguel Corp., Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Milo and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

P itcher CJ Roa and catcher Celine Ojare joined Antolihao in the forum

and reiterated the need for foreign exposure heading to the World Cup, where the top two teams will be seeded to the 2024 edition.

Th e Blu Girls made it to the World Cup with an all-homegrown lineup and under coaches Ray Pagkaliwagan, Randy Dizer and Anthony Santos and the support of Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines president Jean Henri Lhuillier. If given a choice, Roa said they would prefer a training camp in Japan, where they can have a field day playing tune-up matches with top teams.

It’s high level training in Japan where tune-up games with university and school teams are already tough,” said Roa, a pitcher from University of Santo Tomas.

The Blu Girls also have players from Bacolod City, Bukidnon, Batanes and Makati City.

In terms of skills, we have them, it’s the exposure that we need,” Roa said.

The Blu Girls played eight games in Incheon, beating Hong Kong (7-0), South Korea (2-0), Singapore (8-1), Thailand (10-0) and India (10-0) and losing to Japan (9-1) despite taking a 4-0 lead in the first inning, China (6-2) and Chinese-Taipei (5-0). A ntolihao said there’s no final lineup yet for the World Cup, adding that it will be up to the coaches. The decision may come when the team resumes training on April 24.

Message from fortune cookie says Jon Rahm will be Masters champion

AUGUSTA, Georgia—

to thank Sacred Heart School for everything it has done to bring these two young men to this point.

We are very proud that they will be part of our program.”

C elis, a native of Bacolod City, is a 6-foot-3 versatile wing who made the Mythical Team of the recent Smart-National Basketball Training Center National Finals with averages of 17.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steal.

H is love for UP was strengthened when he got the chance to talk to UP Men’s Basketball Team (UPMBT) managers Atty. Agaton Uvero and Hyatt Basman, both of whom come from his home region of Bicol.

In his one-and-done stint with San Beda-Rizal, Hubilla turned heads with averages of 20.86 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.29 assists and 1.79 assists per game for a spot in the Mythical Team.

Chris Hubilla is a strong finisher on the break and has a nice touch around the basket,” Monteverde said. “He plays bigger than his size notably on the offensive glass.”

after being down by two shots with one round left and ending up the gallant winner by four strokes.

W ith a final-round, three-under-par 69, the 28-year-old Rahm overhauled Brooks Koepka, 32, who faltered at crunch time after showing the way in the first three rounds.

Cool, composed and courageous up to the end, Rahm was a class of his own, bundling pars and birdies with telling consistency.  He had but one bogey in difficult conditions of the last 18 holes.

It’s pretty incredible,” said Rahm, the fourth Spaniard to win the Masters after Jose Ma. Olazabal, Sergio Garcia and the late legendary Seve Ballesteros.

R ahm, he with the short back swing but with a massively powerful follow-through after a thunderous ball-impact, became a genuine warrior when he bucked a treacherous test of will on his 72nd hole.

A fter he drove into the trees on 18, Rahm played out gingerly into the fairway.  But he faced an uphill green guarded by a wide, snarling bunker.

O ne with a faint heart would have been intimidated.  Scared to death.

Jon Rahm is a Masters champion, and he can say he saw this coming based on the message in a fortune cookie from a Chinese fast-food chain nearly 10 years ago. R ahm was starting his sophomore year at Arizona State when he cracked open the fortune that read: “Your talents will be recognized and suitably rewarded.” He took to Twitter to share the message with his coach, Tim Mickelson, and wrote, “I am gonna win the masters!”

I f only it were that simple. Nothing about this Masters was until the 28-year-old Spaniard lofted a wedge over the bunker to three feet for a final par that gave him a fourshot victory over Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson, the older brother of his college coach.

From the time he began his second round on Friday, Rahm never had the lead until Koepka began to lose his swing and his putting touch. It took Rahm 42 holes before he got his name in front again, and then he seized control with more miscues from Koepka and the brawler mentality to do whatever is needed to win the fight.

It’s been that way as long as Rahm has been playing, and everyone knew it.

Phil Mickelson predicted greatness

Not Rahm, a father of two, whose broad frame is as solid as his confidence.

He lobbed his third shot sky-high, the ball landing gently well past the lip of the sand trap and stopping barely five feet before the pin.

Needing four putts to win, Rahm stroked his first putt right into the heart of the cup, raised his arms, punched the air with his fists before he cupped his face with his hands in a burst of emotion long bottled up during the five-hour or so grind in testy conditions.

When I hit that third shot onto the green…with a margin of four shots is hard to explain,” said Rahm.  “I’m really proud of myself and what I did.”

I n contrast, Koepka couldn’t hold it together, missing makeable putts all day after stringing up a 65-67 in the first two rounds and leading Rahm by two shots after he and Rahm fired similar third-round 73s in the rains.

It was super disappointing,” said Koepka in describing his last-round 75 as against Rahm’s 69.

But what could be more traumatic than Tiger Woods’ withdrawal in Round 3?

A fter making the cut at plus-3, Woods, the five-time

before Rahm turned pro in 2016 and said he felt Rahm was among the top 10 players in the world before the Spaniard had ever won his first tournament. Bill Haas lost to Rahm in the semifinals of Match Play in 2017 and said later: “He’s hungry. He wants more. You can just see it in him. He’s got that thing about him that’s going to make him a big-time winner out here.”

R ahm went back to No. 1 in the world with his Masters victory— adding to his US Open title he won at Torrey Pines two years ago—though even with seven wins worldwide in the last year, it remains a close race with Scottie Scheffler.

W hat gets so much attention with Rahm is everyone could see this coming, with or without a fortune cookie. Koepka won his first Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour title at the Phoenix Open in 2015, the year Rahm tied for fifth while in his junior year in college.

It took him four starts on the PGA Tour to secure his card. He has won every year since his first full year as a pro, and he now has 20 wins around the world.

Not to be overlooked is a communications degree from Arizona State that he earned in four years after arriving on campus without being able to speak English. AP

Masters champion, quit after shooting six-over in his first seven holes of the third round, complaining of plantar fasclitis—a tissue inflammation of the heel on his foot.

“

This might yet be my last Masters,” said Woods, who won the first of his 15 majors in the 1997 Masters by a record 12 strokes over Tom Kite.

He is 47 now, with a body battered by multiple back surgeries and with both his legs still unwell from a 2021 car crash that almost resulted in a leg amputation.

He was 43 when he won his 15th major in the 2019 Masters—three short of Jack Nicklaus’ all-time best of 18 majors.

Methinks Woods should retire now.  His niche in history is as secure as Manny Pacquiao’s place in the pantheon of boxing greats.

T HAT’S IT If Barangay Ginebra fails to make it 2-0 over TNT after tonight’s contest, Gin Kings coach Tim Cone will have to blame no one but himself.  Either he has missed a beat or overlooked a wayward move by one or two of his superstars.  Ginebra’s 102-90 Game One win told it all:  TNT lacked scoring spurts to support its tempestuous defense.

IF Scottie Thompson was a major asset for Ginebra in Game 1, TNT’s JP Eram wasn’t for TNT.

JON RAHM is as entertaining at the green jacket presentation as he was on the golf course, mixing in one fun tale about how this Masters started for him. AP