BusinessMirror April 13, 2023

In a briefi ng at the World BankInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings, BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla said having large reserves allowed the central bank to intervene in the foreign exchange market to prevent the peso from depreciating significantly against the US dollar.

Medalla said any actions of the US in terms of monetary policy, including quantitative easing which was implemented by the Federal Reserve in 2013, will affect the Philippines and the world because of its position as the center of the global fi nancial system.

“We wish that the US will be more caring about international conditions. When they change policy rates—by the way we had the opposite problem when it did QE— the peso was threatening to cross 40 and become 35 and we were told a lot of fi rms that engage in tradeables may go bankrupt or they have to layoff [workers], so we had to intervene heavily,” Medalla said.

“So, the lesson is accept that the international fi nancial system will be driven largely by US domestic concerns and be ready for it. And the lesson is to have large reserves,” he stressed.

During the briefi ng, Medalla was asked whether the BSP would take a different tack in terms of its response to the Federal Reserve’s recent policy actions if it knew infl ation would be as sticky as it is.

Sticky infl ation, Medalla said, is the economy being tag-teamed by different shocks one after the other. is leads to high headline infl ation which was at 7.6 percent, and core infl ation at 8 percent in March.

For the Philippines, Medalla said the shocks that affected the economy included the RussiaUkraine war which increased oil prices and was followed by supply

THE United States is coming back full throttle to the Philippine stage with an all-out commitment to help its oldest ally in the region meet its military, economic and environmental needs and achieve its ambitious goal of becoming a middle-income economy by year 2040.

e US announced a whole range of specific deliverables after the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington D.C. Tuesday (Wednesday PH time) with Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin III of the US, and Enrique Manalo and Carlito Galvez of the Philippines.

e four foreign and defense

THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) has received unsolicited proposals for the development of two different rail systems in Metro Manila, its chief said on Wednesday.

At the General Membership Meeting of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said the agency has received a proposal to build a Metro Rail Transit (MRT) line that runs between Monumento in Caloocan and San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, as well as an offer to build a railway along C5 Road between the cities of Pasay and Taguig.

“We are in the process of identifying other railway lines. ere are four operating lines now, the next operating line will be MRT-7. ere is an unsolicited proposal for MRT-11, which is from Monumento to San Jose del Monte. We are evaluating this unsolicited proposal... ere is also a proposal to have an MRT along C5,” he said.

Refusing to name the private group that submitted the proposal for MRT-11, Bautista explained that the offer is essentially a build-operate-transfer [BOT] proposal that the agency hopes to evaluate “within the year.”

“ ere is an additional submission, I think this week,” he said.

Bautista added that the MRT-11

may be connected to the MRT-7, a railway line that will run between Quezon City and Bulacan.

“If the documents are complete, we will review it. And since it’s an unsolicited proposal, it will be subject to a Swiss Challenge,” he explained.

Bautista said the department “hopes” to issue the original proponent status by “next year.”

e proposal for the C5 Railway, meanwhile, he said involves the construction of a railway system that will run between Pasay and Taguig, running along the C5 Road.

“ ere’s a proposal, but it’s still not complete yet,” he said.

Project costs are “moving” parts,

DOTr chief: Ports scheme will remain

HE Transportation chief on Wednesday assured senators the controversial system being pushed by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) that stakeholders say will further bloat already soaring logistics costs will remain deferred until all issues are resolved.

Testifying online at a Senate Public Services Committee hearing on the PPA’s Trusted Operator Program-Container Registry and Monitoring System (TOP-CRMS), Secretary Jaime B. Bautista an, Mam [Yes, mam],” in reply to committee chair Sen. Grace Poe, who asked him whether or not they can “assure stakeholders this program won’t just be im-

“Right now, the decision of the Board is to defer it while we’re attending to the [issues raised by the] opposition,” Bautista told Senators Poe and Risa Hontiveros, who had authored Resolution 484 seeking the inquiry on “increased logistics

Bautista informed senators the PPA Board decided in January 2023 to freeze implementation of the controversial program, after the

ministers followed up on each other’s commitments made in January 2023 to deepen their bilateral relationship on defense, climate and energy, food security, maritime affairs, civil space cooperation, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, as well as democracy and human rights.

“We have reached a number of key understandings that the Philippines believes will truly elevate our relationship and translate into direct, substantial, and tangible benefits for our peoples and countries,” Manalo said. e following are the highlights of their talks:

Defense

■ Over US$200 million (P11.2

billion) of US assistance to double the Philippines’s capacity on defense;

■ Additional $100 million (P5.5 billion) to buy medium-lift helicopters under Foreign Military Financing;

■ Fast-tracking discussions on an acquisition plan for a fleet of multirole fighter aircraft for the Philippine Air Force;

■ Prioritizing the modernization of “shared defense capabilities” especially in maritime domain;

■ Over $100 million (P5.5 billion) infrastructure investments at the existing five military sites where US soldiers can preposition

still, Bautista explained.

Other railway lines in the pipeline, he added, include another railway line in Cavite and an extension railway to Batangas, as well as train systems in Leyte, Panay Island, and Cebu.

“We are just completing the feasibility studies,” he said.

Meanwhile, the DOTr plans to privatize the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2 and MRT-3 in two years. “We plan to privatize the operations of LRT-2 and MRT-3 in 2025. We have already engaged the ADB [Asian Development Bank] to help us identify who will be a good operator for LRT-2 and MRT-3.

e MRT-3 is on an existing buildlease-transfer [BLT] with a private group and this will end in 2025 so when the BLT arrangement is fi nished, we can privatize the operations of LRT-2 and MRT-3. So that will be in 2025,” Bautista said.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) Chief Representative to the Philippines Sakamoto

Takema said Japan is eager to help the Philippines build more railways. “Jica is very happy to support in some sort of selection. Metro Manila is having the same rush area as that of Tokyo, and yet there are only four railway lines. In Tokyo, I cannot count how many lines we have. e size area is just the same and the population of Metro Manila is 1.5x bigger than that of Tokyo, but still there are only four lines. at’s why Jica is very supportive of DOTr because we need more,” he said.

Solon flags need to assess job skills that PHL needs

“But the loss of jobs in skilled professions is a clear and undeniable problem of hard skills,” he added. “Soft skills” itself as a class of skills requires certain hard skills,” the lawmaker said.

“In my conversations with the BPO sector, one key skill issue is that while Filipino BPO workers, particularly in the voice sector, are very courteous and respectful, some of them lack the technical competence to efficiently solve the customer’s problem,” he added.

House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda made the statement after the Commission on Human Rights reported that “new graduates tend to lack soft skills.”

“ e observation is consistent with global studies which indicate that learning did suffer as a result of being forced to isolate and study without the company of peers,” said Salceda.

“I wouldn’t immediately jump to the conclusion, however, that the lack of ‘soft skills’ is primarily the source of youth unemployment,” he added.

In its report, the CHR said new graduates experience culture shock upon entering the workplace because their expectations differ from what they were taught

at school and some fail to adjust to their work and decide to resign but have a hard time being hired again.

e CHR added that employer participants commented that their company is particular on the soft skills of fresh graduates during their recruitment process, making them undergo a behavioral exam.

“ ese issues are heightened and even augmented by the circumstances brought by the Covid-19 pandemic...,” it said. e CHR added that new graduates are highly vulnerable to scams and fake job postings and also lack job readiness.

Moreover, Salceda said the case for a soft skills deficit can be made for the loss of managers, despite economic conditions and fi rm structure.

Salceda cited other soft skills, “such as leadership, depend on technical proficiency and competence, too.”

“Certain soft skills are also essential, especially those relevant in entrepreneurship and innovation,” the economist-lawmaker added.

Citing Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) labor data on professions, Salceda said it appears that hard skills suffered just as much, if not more, during the pandemic.

“ e issue of fi nding it hard to land jobs exists in the context of elevated infl ation. Food, fuel, and power are expensive—so we need to keep their prices low to keep wages competitive. at is the best way to produce enough jobs to hire new entrants to our workforce,” he

said. “But the job figures seem to indicate a problem of hard skills, as well,” he added.

According to Salceda, almost all professions increased in number of employed persons year-on-year from February 2022 to February 2023, except the managers, skilled agriculture, forestry, and fi sheries and crafts, trades, and related workers.

“Now, there is no debate about whether we should prioritize soft skills over hard skills. What we should instead do is to figure out what kind of skills, in general, does our economy need to thrive and be resilient,” he said.

“Certain skills are obviously more relevant: language proficiency, particularly in English, engineering, the computer sciences, and increasingly, medical sciences—especially in an ageing world,” he added.

On the job hunt, Salceda said the country must accept that the world is moving from individuals looking for jobs to individuals creating those jobs themselves.

“India, which produces 15 million engineers every year, has the most tech startups in the world— a case of engineers creating their own jobs,” he added.

Board convened an interagency meeting, where, it turned out, the benefits it will bring “were not clear.”

Moreover, Bautista recalled that the Bureau of Customs thinks “it’s not important,” while the DTI and NEDA “are not in full support.” e program in late 2022 drew a massive outcry from stakeholders truckers and logistics players and other port users—and even words of caution from relevant government agencies like the NEDA and the DTI. Big business groups like the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Philippine Exporters Federation (Philexport) late backed up the objectors to the program.

Invited by Poe to share his views at Wednesday’s hearing, PCCI’s George Barcelon stressed that the 26 percent logistics cost in the Philippines is one of the highest in the world, and highest in the region, where average cost is 12-13 percent of total costs of handling goods.

Barcelon said that, as he had joined the private business delegation on several of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s overseas trips, potential foreign investors they are trying to lure to the Philippines have raised three key issues that dampen their choice to locate here: power cost and supply, logistics cost, and issues on ease of doing business (EODB).

At the start of the hearing, Poe echoed the concern of port users and other shipping industry stakeholders on the impending effects of increased port fees and charges to be imposed by the PPA. While recognizing the government body’s efforts in addressing port congestion and modernizing its monitoring systems, Poe raised port users’ complaints that the PPA’s administrative orders would supposedly drive up fees and charges, and in effect, domestic logistics costs.

‘RESERVES HELPED PHL DEAL WITH U.S. RATE HIKE’

shocks that sent sugar, vegetable and fruit prices soaring as well as diseases that kept meat prices elevated.

“Clearly, when you have high infl ation because of all the supply shocks, these eventually travel to the service sectors because if food is expensive, you have to pay higher wages; if fuel is expensive, you have to pay higher wages.”

So Medalla added, “with the sixmonth lag in the service sector infl ation went up. Now we decided to use all our possible weapons.”

Apart from raising policy rates by 425 basis points, Medalla said the BSP intervened in the foreign exchange market as well as bought a lot of government securities to prevent bond prices from declining significantly.

Medalla said these have worked, as the peso is back to the P55 to the dollar level from P58; and the two recent infl ation prints—February and March—were encouraging as the trend is now downward.

e BSP Governor also expressed confidence that the strong balance sheets of banks will allow the Philippines to ride out the banking crisis.

He added that the Philippines also had advantages such as lower bond tenors at 5 to 10 year bonds as opposed to the tenors in the US which could reach 30 years. Medalla said there were bank losses because of this, but these were smaller than those in the US.

“If you use all your weapons, your primary weapon for infl ation can be used to their full po-

tential and the primary weapon is still interest rates, but this must be supported by good prudential regulation. And buffers and buffers because foreign exchange markets go crazy,” Medalla said.

“And then the currency share of the world is driven by what happens to Iowa and in very domestic concerns, clearly the policy rates in the US, they don’t care what happens to the world in general and the very target rapidly, you have to be ready therefore having buffers is very important,” he added.

Earlier, Medalla said the BSP may start reducing key policy rates if the negative month-on-month growth trend in infl ation would be sustained longer.

In an interview with Bloomberg on the sidelines of the World Bank-IMF 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 infl ation print follows 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.

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.

“High shipping rates also worsen infl ation,” Poe pointed out as she presided over the Senate panel’s inquiry. “In creating reforms to our maritime trade, it’s time to regulate excessive charges, all while supporting the growth of our shipping industry,” she said in mixed English and Filipino.

For her part, Sen. Risa Hontiveros expressed concern over the implementation of several PPA administrative orders. She pointed out that any additional fees imposed on logistics companies will just be passed on to the consumers as it would lead to higher prices of goods and commodities. “What are these [administrative orders] for when it would just bring additional burden instead of helping the Filipino people recover? I believe, together with other stakeholders that this is not real progress,” Hontiveros said in Filipino.

Meanwhile, even as the controversial program stays frozen, however, Bautista assured the lawmakers and stakeholders that the DOTr and PPA will continue to study port congestion and how to ease this problem.

Also the same meeting, Dr. Henry Basilio of the Export Development Council informed senators there is a bill approved by the House of Representatives in the 18th Congress, but without a counterpart bill in the Senate, empowering MARINA to regulate the local charges imposed by shipping companies. Some of these local charges have been blamed for being whimsical, unnecessary and further bloating the logistics costs. Poe assured that senators will seriously consider introducing a counterpart bill for the measure, which was re-fi led in the House in this 19th Congress.

economist-lawmaker on Wednesday said the government should figure out now what kind of job skills does the Philippine economy need to thrive.

BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

THE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has put in place the necessary preparations and precautions to minimize the impact of tropical depression (TD) “Amang” on transmission operations and facilities.

T he grid operator said on Wednesday that preparations include ensuring the reliability of communications equipment, availability of hardware materials and supplies necessary for the repair of damage to facilities, as well as the positioning of line crews in strategic areas to facilitate immediate restoration work.

NGCP’s Integrated Disaster Action Plan (IDAP) prescribes these and other procedures to ensure the readiness of all power transmission facilities expected to be affected by the passage of the weather disturbance.

A s of 3 p.m. on Wednesday, NGCP’s transmission lines and facilities are under normal operations.

NGCP is committed to deliver reliable transmission services across the country by enhancing the safety and security of its transmission assets. This commitment was reinforced through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) last month.

Under the MOU, NICA will supply NGCP with intelligence information to support the protection of power transmission assets.

NGCP, for its part, will provide technical assistance to NICA’s cyber security program.

“NGCP has dealt with sabotage and bombing incidents in the past years, which affected not only the reliable delivery of power in the areas affected but other incidents also resulted in the injury of transmission line personnel and military escorts patrolling the areas to conduct line clearing and maintenance activities.

T he MOU will be a shared commitment to exchange intelligence and provide support to accomplish our respective mandates,” NGCP said in a statement.

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz  @joveemarie

ALAWMAKER on Wednesday

expressed concern over what he described as the possible breakdown of law and order if the government does not find a balanced solution to maintain the sustainability of the pension system and prevent a fiscal crisis.

Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon

D. Alvarez said retired military uniformed personnel (MUP) are highly sought after due to their expertise in various fields that lawless and violent opportunist may take advantage of.

A lvarez made a statement after Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno recently announced that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has approved decreasing the contributions of the government to the pool of funds for the pension of MUPs among other reforms to avoid fiscal collapse.

“ When a civilian retires, private entities or corporations hire them as consultants because of their expertise in economics, finance, etc. Similarly when an MUP retires, not only civilians, but also lawless and violent opportunists, gravitate towards the expertise of MUPs. Delikado saan yan

The Nation

Navy confirms delivery of two more FAIC-M gunboats in boost to PHL’s defense posture

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

THE Philippine Navy on Wednesday confirmed the delivery of two more brandnew Fast Attack Interdiction Craft-Missile (FAIC-M) gunboats from Israel.

T he gunboats arrived in the country aboard the cargo ship MV Mick and were unloaded with the assistance of BRP Mamanwa (LC 294), according to Navy spokesman Capt. Benjo Negranza.

T he two gunboats proceeded to the naval shipyard in Cavite where they will undergo a series of tests and crew training before they will be christened into service, Negranza added.

They are a welcome addition to the Navy’s capability to secure vital choke points, key sea lines of communication, and littoral areas of the country,” he said.

I n October last year, Israel delivered the first two of the

MALAYSIA has classified one of the self-styled descendants of the sultanate of Sulu as a terrorist, as part of measures to safeguard national sovereignty amid a territorial dispute between the two parties.

T he home ministry gazetted Muhammad Fuad Abdullah Kiram as a terrorist under the country’s anti-money laundering and terrorism laws, Khairul Dzaimee Daud, director-general in the law ministry, told reporters on Tuesday.

T he person is one of the Sulu group’s eight members claiming to be the heirs of the sultanate, Khairul said.

T he claimants secured a 62.59 billion ringgit ($14.2 billion) award against Malaysia in 2022 over their territorial claims to the Borneo state of Sabah. Last month, a court in Paris dismissed a bid by the Sulu group to enforce the award by upholding Malaysia’s stay on the enforcement of

the order.

“Of course Fuad Kiram is no terrorist,” said Paul Cohen, a co-lead counsel for the Sulu claimants and a lawyer at London-based 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square, in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday. The move is part of “a campaign to try and use political tools to pressure foreign courts,” he said.

M alaysia’s strategy now “is to go on the offensive” against the Sulu heirs’ claim, a change from the previous approach of “firefighting,” Khairul said. Malaysia’s home minister would also visit the four countries—France, Spain, Luxembourg and the Netherlands— involved in the arbitration of the case, he said.

T he Sulu Sultanate leased Sabah state to a British company in 1878 and the Borneo state was later absorbed into Malaysia. They ruled the islands in the Sulu Archipelago, which are parts of Mindanao in today’s Philippines. Bloomberg News

FILIPINO and American troops trained together in handling chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) as the “Balikatan” exercise officially marked its second day on Wednesday.

T he CBRN Company of the Army Support Command and a platoon from the 3rd Infantry Division (3rd ID), both of the Philippine Army, and the US Marines Corps, held the training at the 3rd ID headquarters in Capiz.

A rmy spokesman Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the units held discussions on mission-oriented protective posture (MOPP) and MOPP gear exchange. They later held practical exercises applying what they learned during the discussions.

“Exercise Balikatan’s CBRN training program is designed to enhance the capabilities of the Philippine military and its allied forces in responding to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats,” Trinidad said.

T he CBRN training under the bilateral exercise, whose iteration this year was the largest in its history as it is being participated by 17,600 American and Filipino soldiers, includes classroom lectures, hands-on exercises and simulations.

M eanwhile, General Charles Flynn, commander of the US Army Pacific (USARPAC), called on the Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Andres Centino on Wednesday at Camp Aguinaldo where the two discussed cooperation between the two armies.

T he two military officials also conferred on the Balikatan and the just concluded “Salaknib” military exercise.

General Flynn mentioned that these exercises are essential opportunities for operationalizing EDCA from the perspective of the military. He looks forward to the conduct of similar engagements in other areas that could uplift local communities. They also discussed high-level

FAIC-Ms, which have since entered the service as BRP Nestor Acero (PG 901) and BRP Lolinato To-ong (PG 902).

A total of nine FAIC-Ms with a contract price of P10 billion were ordered from Israel, three of which will be built at the Navy’s facility in Cavite that were refurbished also by the Israeli contractor. Four of the FAICs will be armed with non-line-of-sight (NLOS) missiles that have a range of 25 kilometers, while the other five will be armed with 30mm main cannons and .50 caliber machine guns. T he missile-capable or armed attack craft will replace all of the Navy’s gunboats, which the military already decommissioned, owing to their status as vintage or World War II-era warships.  Last month, the contractor turned over to the Navy the document and keys on the repaired naval shipyard in Cavite where three of the FAIC-Ms will be made.

engagements, such as the trilateral meeting with Japan and the IndoPacific Army Conference,” military public affairs office chief Col. Jorry Baclor said.

Flynn thanked Centino during his visit.

“Our history as armies and nations runs deep. The sacrifices should not be forgotten; we should talk about this every time we get together about this brotherhood. Thank you so much for your commitment, leadership, and your effort. And to all of you and your families for what you do for your country and in making this commitment deeper and lasting,” the USARPAC commander said.

On the other hand, Centino assured Flynn of the Philippine military’s continued partnership with the US Armed Forces in the Indo-Pacific.

“I hope you have a memorable time on your trip here; we thank you for taking the time to visit us,” the chief of staff told Flynn. Rene Acosta

papunta, possible breakdown ng law and order, resulting into uncontrollable chaos,” he warned.

D uring his term as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Congress passed a Joint Resolution increasing the salaries of MUPs, which was also endorsed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

I n proposing alternative solutions, Alvarez urged the elimination of “parasitic entities” in the government who do not contribute to the nation’s development and suggested the decriminalization of marijuana with safeguards to create additional revenues.

A lvarez said that the Department of Finance should find a way that does not breach the government’s “sacred contract” with its soldiers.

He also noted the importance of not turning our backs on retired military personnel who committed the best of their years to protect the institutions without which the government cannot exist.

“ The government should not turn its back on our soldiers who committed the best of their years providing the freedom we breathe and protecting the institutions without which government cannot exist. We owe this to them as our

debt of gratitude,” he said.

By way of balancing act, to remedy the financial crisis warned by the DOF, and at the same time honor the contract of the government with MUPs, Alvarez also proposed that the new future entrants have a different fund, akin to the GSIS, managed by financial experts, for their pension system, while those already in the existing MUP framework be retained as is, without diminution of any benefits.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno earlier warned of a fiscal collapse in the military’s pension system unless it is revised or changed, given that its funding is totally being shouldered by the government sans contribution from the retirees and pensioners.

F or this year alone, Diokno said the “government would spend more than P120 billion [roughly $2.21 billion at current exchange rates] to fund the pension of those serving under several state institutions. These are the Armed Forces of the Philippines; the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology; the Bureau of Fire Protection; the Philippine National Police; the Philippine Public Safety College; the Philippine Coast Guard; and, Bureau of Corrections.

SEVERAL members of the academe have expressed support for a House initiative to change the “restrictive” economic provisions of the Constitution, the chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments said on Wednesday.

Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said members of the academe backed the proposed Charter change so the country could attract more foreign investments.

Rodriguez said eight college/university professors favored amending the Charter, while three others and one student leader opposed it.

H e said the members of the academe gave their testimonies in recent hearings conducted by his committee.

We are heartened by their support for our push for an improved investment and economic climate in the country. As the Speaker has repeatedly declared, economic reform in the Charter would be the final piece in the puzzle for this push,” the lawmaker said.

He said several members of the Cabinet of President Marcos led by Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno also supported the House initiative.

Ateneo de Manila University in-

ternational economic law professor

Anthony Abad said the Philippines is the only country that wrote investment restrictions in its Constitution.

It is the legislature that should set the rules on investment restriction… because you need the dynamism of the 21st century,” he said.

He said there is “no science” in prescribing investment limitations in the Charter.

It doesn’t work. So you should abolish the 60/40 system, the 70/30 system and shift it to a system of proper government oversight,” he added.

Former National Security Adviser

Clarita Carlos said the moment the country’s basic law “is no longer producing the kinds of desired results, then you do something about it.”

“So, when to amend it? I say, let’s do it now,” she said.

U niversity of the Philippines

(UP) economics professor emeritus

Raul Fabella said a new Constitution “should satisfy a modicum of aesthetics…meaning, it has to be short and pithy, preferably noble written.”

It is there to inspire us to thoughtful patriotism, not just any kind of patriotism but a thoughtful one. To that effect, it should thus contain the vision and just the basic principles that must guide the pur-

suit of that vision,” he said.

Fabella suggested deleting some parts of the Charter.

A nother UP economics professor emeritus, former economic planning minister Gerardo Sicat, said foreign investment restrictions in the Constitution should be scrapped.

“My recommendation is basically that we do get to amend the restrictive provisions as a matter of primary attention. If we have other issues…perhaps those things can wait,” he said.

T he other supporters of constitutional reform were Philippine Institute for Development Studies senior research fellow Adoration Navarro, San Beda law professor Edmund Tayao, University of Sto. Tomas political science professor Froilan Calilung, and Vicente Homer Revil, who is Local Government Development Institute constitutional reform chairman. UP economics professor emeritus and former economic planning secretary Solita Monsod led those opposed to amending the Constitution.

She said rewriting the Charter “will not bring in FDI [foreign direct investment] unless factors affecting FDI are addressed…infrastructure, you know, everything, governance, corruption, ease of doing business.” Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

NGCP prepares for TD ‘Amang’

Malaysia lists Sulu heir as a terrorist in claim over Sabah

Pinoy and US troops train on CBRN on 2nd day of ‘Balikatan’ exercise

Govt urged to find ‘balanced solution’ to sustain pension system for MUPs

Known members of academe split over stand on Charter amendment

Thursday, April 13, 2023

• Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

DA readies measures vs El Niño in agriculture and fisheries sector

By Raadee S. Sausa @raadeeboy

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) will strengthen measures to address the effects of an expected drought and mitigate the effects to the agriculture and fisheries sector.

T he government will put up more water-related infrastructure such as hydroelectric power plants, flood-control projects and irrigation systems.

A n overall plan to change the way water supply is acquired will also be undertaken, the DA said.

Under the 2023 El Niño Mitigation and Adaptation Plan, the DA

will set in motion strategies that aims to lessen the impact of the El Niño phenomenon to the agriculture and fishery industries and restore productivity in affected areas.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), an attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), earlier, said the El Niño might persist until 2024. Based on the six-month rainfall forecast data of the DOST-Pagasa on March 22, at least 16 provinces in Central Visayas (Region 7), Eastern Visayas (Region 8), Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9), the Caraga Ad-

ministrative Region (Region 13) and Calabarzon (Region 4A), particularly the province of Quezon, will be affected by the prolonged dry season.

Part of the government’s masterplan to address El Niño is to save the vulnerable areas through appropriate water management, while irrecoverable areas will be rehabilitated.

T he DA will also maximize the production in non-threatened areas.

A massive information dissemination drive across locations will also be undertaken.

To ensure that water supply will be managed efficiently during the dry spell, the DA encourages the adaptation of the alternate wetting

DOTr allots ₧1.2-B subsidy for PUJ operators, drivers

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

Membership Meeting of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP).

and drying (AWD) method.

T hrough this technology, farmers may reduce the use of irrigation water without sacrificing the yield.

Under AWD, irrigation water is applied a few days after the ponded water has been used up.

Water systems, including irrigation canals, diversion dams and small scale irrigation projects will be developed and/or rehabilitated even before the start of the El Niño, which will be made available and accessible to farmers.

T he DA has already identified hybrid varieties of rice and other high value crops that can be planted during dry spells.

THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) has allotted P1.2 billion to subsidize the operations of public utility jeepneys (PUJ) in Metro Manila, as drivers and operators found some routes to be economically not viable.

We have almost P1.2 billion in subsidy for public utility jeepneys with unprofitable routes. That is not a big amount considering the number of routes, so we are evaluating each one to maximize the benefit of the subsidy,” Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said at the sidelines of the General

World rice price hike won’t affect PHL much

What we do know is that world prices also increased because of higher input costs. For sure it would have been much higher if we did not have the RTL,” Edillon

told this newspaper.

L ast year, Albay Representative Jose Sarte Salceda said the RTL Law helped boost productivity in the country, leading to higher

GDP growth.

He said the RTL, which increased rice supply in the country, led to a 0.3- percentage point increase in per capita GDP growth due to productiv-

ity gains. Studies have shown that every 500-calorie increase in diets, per capita GDP increases 2 percentage points. This indicates, Salceda said,

BSP: Informal sector keeps PHL stable, but wages low

In 2007, Medalla proposed that the country adopt a similar program to Brazil’s Bolsa Familia program which gives up to 95 reals a month to families who can keep their children in school and take them to clinics for health check-ups.

T his was a proposal made in order to help lift millions from poverty. At the time, Medalla lamented that economic growth only benefitted college

graduates who work in Business Process Outsourcing/Call Center firms and possess all the skills that global markets require.

I f the government decides to adopt a cash incentive program, Medalla projected that the government will only spend P20 billion to P30 billion a year for the program at that time in 2007. He also said this was still better

continued from a16

that more calories lead to higher GDP per capita.

T his, Salceda said, highlighted the importance of food in the country’s growth. Economic de -

continued from a16

than encouraging the poor to seek self-employment opportunities, which would still pose them financial risks that they no longer need.

Meanwhile, in 2017, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the unorganized or informal sector accounted for more than a third of the country’s total GDP of P14.48 trillion last year.

Using current prices, PSA Assistant

He did not disclose the routes that will receive subsidies, but noted that this is a “more viable” option to incentivize the transport stakeholders.  B autista explained that the DOTr is studying how it will disburse the subsidy and how the amount of subsidy will be given. It could be in the form of a peso or two per passenger per day or per operation.  We will subsidize drivers for them to continue their operations,” Bautista said, noting that the plan for the subsidy disbursement should be completed by end May or early June.

velopment relied on education while education relied on good nutrition which is supported by a strong agriculture sector. Cai U. Ordinario

National Statistician Vivian Illarina pegged the contribution of the informal sector to the country’s economy in 2016 at P5.013 trillion.

T he Department of Labor and Employment’s Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns also said in 2017 that around 35.1 percent of the total 40.83 million labor force were “own account workers,” or self-employed.

Single system for all transactions okayed

Officials also said they conducted stakeholder consultations involving all government agencies to look at their processes and requirements with the aim of encouraging them to use a unified application form, linking them to the network that sets up a “one-stop-shop.”

T he proposal, they said, is to extend the coverage to other types of business as what the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) did in creating a one-stop-shop for big-

Aid. . . continued from a1

troops and equipment under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and support the building of additional four new sites before the end of 2023; Finalizing the conduct of “joint sails” by the US and Philippine navies in the South China Sea; Adopting the Security Sector Assistance Roadmap in the coming months to identify defense modernization investments in the Philippines and timeline of priority areas for the next 5 to 10 years.

The priority defense platforms include: radars, unmanned aerial systems, military transport aircraft, and coastal and air defense systems; Conduct of highimpact and high-value joint exercises, trainings, and other activities; United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to complement war games with community projects such as increasing access to safe water supplies, education, and healthcare, sustainable fisheries management, biodiversity conservation, and energy security; Fast-tracking discussions under the new US-Philippines Bilateral Defense Guidelines; Expanding information-sharing through the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness initiative; Concluding bilateral General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) before yearend for real-time information-sharing and technology cooperation across domains; “Increase strategic convergence” on counterterrorism and address “gray zone” challenges such as

ticket investments.

Officials from those agencies are looking to integrate all the processes for migrant workers, maritime, as well as shipping industries, as they noted the improvement and the processes by integrating all government processes through data sharing.

T he best way to reduce requirements and processing time, they said, is for government agencies to adopt data sharing; this way, documents submitted in one agency

critical infrastructure attacks.

Strategic

THE US supported the Philippine objection to China’s “unlawful maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed features, threatening and provocative activities” in the South China Sea.

This includes China’s recent massing of maritime vessels within the Philippine’s exclusive economic zone and harassment of Filipino Navy, Coast Guard and fishermen going to the Ayungin Shoal where a vintage Philippine ship was grounded. The joint statement also “noted with concern” the covert land reclamation being conducted on unoccupied rocks and reefs in the Spratlys.

Austin reiterated that the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty applies to armed attacks on either of our armed forces, our aircraft, or public vessels anywhere in the South China Sea. He emphasized that the scope would include Coast Guard vessels as well.

Highlights: Expanding the scope of the Mutual Defense Treaty to include other domains such as space and cyberspace. Both countries highlighted their intent to “work toward building interoperability” on those aspects.

Plans to conduct “multilateral maritime activities with other like-minded partners” such as Australia and Japan in the South China Sea later this year Partnerships and arrangements in the Indo-Pacific should uphold ASEAN centrality; Consultations on Australia-

are no longer required in another.

To ensure the strengthened implementation of streamlining and digitalization initiatives,

ARTA is seeking approval of the proposed revisions on Executive Order No. 482, series of 2005, to make it responsive to the current situation and also the issuance of corresponding Administrative Orders and EOs.

To ensure the administration’s efforts in streamlining and improving the efficiency of

United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) trilateral security partnership; “Welcomed” the Quad’s commitment to support a peaceful and stable, rulesbased region with ASEAN at the center, through its efforts to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific; Joint training and capacity building, including for counterpart nations’ coast guards; and The Philippines can “observe and/or participate” in trilateral and multilateral exercises, and the Japan-PhilippinesUS Trilateral Defense Policy Dialogue can continue.

Economic and Environmental Security

HELPING the Philippines achieve its “ambitious goal” to reduce greenhouse gas emission by 75 percent by 2030; Partnering with private sector on offshore wind development; Development of nickel and cobalt facilities and increasing cooperation on “green mining” to sustainably process minerals for clean energy transition; Energy Policy Dialogue—high-level meeting to develop short- and long-term energy sources such as offshore wind, rooftop solar capabilities, nuclear energy for electricity generation, grid stability, power transmission; Pursuing negotiations for a potential nuclear cooperation agreement (“123 agreement”) to enable the US to share technical knowledge, nuclear material and equipment, as well as help the Philippines with small modular reactors; Providing technical

continued from a16

government services, the government, through the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) program, is carrying out TradeNet, Manual for the Reengineering of Business Permits and Licensing Systems in All Cities and Municipalities (BPLS Manual) and Streamlined Guidelines for the Issuance of Permits, Licenses, and Certificates for the Construction of Shared Passive Telecommunications Tower Infrastructure (PTTIs).  Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

assistance and regulatory guidance to support the growth of the Philippines’s civil nuclear energy program; Helping the Philippine private sector in infrastructure investments; Feasibility study on airport security screening at the Manila International Airport; Smart Grid Reverse Trade Mission to bring Philippine grid operators to the United States; Healthcare workshop on medical device regulatory frameworks; Future workshop on subsea cables; Building the Philippines’ capacities to strengthen Philippine investment screening and countering proliferation finance mechanisms to allow for transparent and accountable review of certain foreign investments and protect national security while maintaining an open and business-friendly investment climate; Developing and building resilient Philippine and US semiconductor industries; Improving the ability to prevent, detect, respond to outbreaks of infectious diseases; Before end of 2023, US and Philippine scientists to meet on virology and vaccines, combating noncommunicable diseases, and ridge-toreef cooperation.

Food security

EXCHANGING best practices for agricultural innovation, sustainability and transforming food systems with nutritious crops adaptive to climate change, improve soil health and strengthen value chains;US-Philippines Food Security Dialogue later this year.

Low vacancy may hinder job aspirations of some fresh college graduates–DOLE

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

FRESH graduates may have a hard time applying for jobs due to low vacancies, Labor and Employment Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma revealed on Wednesday.

Based on the latest survey released by the PSA [Philippine Statistics Authority], the number of unemployed Filipinos declined. However, the number of additional jobs available will not be enough to accommodate the demand of the new entrants,” Laguesma said in Filipino in a televised interview on Wednesday.

PSA data showed unemployed workers reached 2.47 million in February 2023, down by 651,000 from the 3.13 million recorded last February 2022.

In terms of magnitude, PSA said the number of employed persons in February 2023 was estimated at 48.8 million, higher by 3.32 million from the 45.48 million employed persons reported in February 2022.

P SA said the labor force participation rate in February 2023 was registered at 66.6 percent or 51.27 million individuals who were either employed or unemployed out of the 77 million Filipinos aged 15 years and over.

For his part, Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) President Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr. explained the “order of priority” in hiring job applicants.

Alam mo kasi iyong sa situation natin na marami ang naghahanap ng trabaho kaysa sa available na trabaho, it is only natural na iyong mga nagha -hire ay mamimili, pipiliin nila, ipalagay nila in the order of priorities ano,” Ortiz-Luis said in a televised interview on Wednesday.

So, kung hindi naman masyadong malak-

ing kakulangan iyong sa mga fresh graduate, even doon sa mga graduate na hindi face-toface. Pero hindi mo masisi, it’s only natural, common sense na kapag nagpipili iyong mga magha-hire, eh pipiliin nila siyempre iyong palagay nila mas qualified. Eh, sa order of priority, mahuhuli sila,” he added.

T he ECOP head divulged the industries with the highest demand from would-be employees. These, he said, are the Services, Manufacturing, and Construction industries.

A s for the construction industry, OrtizLuis said the high demand in this sector could be attributed to the new projects by the government.

He also revealed the sectors that could potentially draw demand includes Tourism since the sector is experiencing growth. He added that the mining industry could also draw demand from employees or workers if the requirements would be relaxed.

T he increase in the number of employed Filipinos in 2023 can be attributed to the continued reopening of the economy, OrtizLuis said.

A s to the steps that ECOP is willing to undertake, Ortiz-Luis revealed the skillsmatching efforts that the business group is doing.

“Mayroon kaming mga facility na nagmamatching, iyong mga kumpanya, mga miyembro namin ay tinitingnan namin kung ano iyong mga kailangan nilang mga trabahador at mina-match naman namin sa skills na nanggagaling sa TESDA [Technical Education and Skills Development Authority), sa schools na mayroon kaming mga ugnayan at iyon ay pinagma-match namin sila para mawala iyong mga mismatch na hanggang ngayon eh dinaranas pa natin,” he said.

MAP launches campaign vs children malnutrition

THE Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) has laid out initiatives that will complement the Philippine Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP) as the business group aims to contribute to the improvement of the overall nutritional status of Filipino children.

“As a business group, we can have greater impact acting collectively in the fight against malnutrition and child stunting,” MAP President Benedicta Du-Baladad said at a media briefing held in Taguig City on Wednesday.

Du-Baladad also noted that MAP hopes to expand its role beyond “fund generation and philanthropy to a shared responsibility in addressing malnutrition in the country, participating in the programming and governance of nutrition strategies and interventions.”

T he PMNP, which was crafted with the funding aid from the World Bank, is a “multisectoral community participatory approach,” which aims to address the “multi-faceted” problem of malnutrition.

T he P10-billion World Bank-funded malnutrition reduction program will be implemented by local government units (LGUs), the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), National Nutrition Council, and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

I n line with this, Du-Baladad unveiled the business group’s initiatives to back the multi-sectoral nutrition proj

ect, which are “captured in three main tracks”—Educate, Encourage and Engage.

Under the Educate initiative, the MAP head said the business group will work with the academe and health sector so they can contribute to providing advice, guidance and technical assistance to the “real target population”—the mothers, families, and the communities.

Under the Encourage initiative of MAP, DuBaladad said the business group aims to push for policy reforms and legislations that will “holistically” address malnutrition and child stunting, which she said will also help create longer-term solutions to “embed” nutrition as a continuing agenda for national development.

Under the Engage goal, the MAP head said the business group aims to “engage businesses and other sectors to help address the crisis through responsible practices and choices— from producing and providing nutritious choices, to the conduits that actually go on the ground to implement, to those that can track, evaluate and monitor progress of implementation, and to the national and local authorities who are mandated to undertake and oversee the implementation of these meaningful programs.”

Andrea E. San Juan

Agriculture/Commodities

NFA steps up rice purchases to beef up stocks

By @raadeeboy

T he NFA also said its branches nationwide are always open to accommodate farmers who want to sell their unmilled rice to the agency. The food agency is also offering its drying facilities to local planters.

W hile Republic Act (RA) 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law removed the marketing functions of the NFA, it is still mandated to maintain a buffer stock for emergencies.

According to the NFA, local government units have been assisting the agency in procuring rice supplies for its buffer stock.

I n Tanuan, Leyte, rice farmers who will sell their palay to the NFA will get an additional P2/kg on top of the agency’s current buy -

ing price of P19/kg.

T he local government has set aside P2 million for the implementation of the Palay Marketing Assistance Program for Legislators and Local Government Units (PALLGU).

T he local government and the NFA have signed a memorandum of agreement to raise the buying price of palay.

The program seeks to provide opportunities for our rice farmers to maximize their income. This is an opportunity for us to serve our local farmers,” an official said.

N FA Eastern Visayas Regional Manager Jasmin Lintag said in a statement that under the program, the local government enters into a marketing agreement

with NFA where they provide a premium amount to be added to the existing government-buying price of palay.

In the case of Tanauan town, the local government will be adding P2 to the existing palay buying price currently pegged at P19/kg.

LandBank releases ₧1.9B to co-ops, planters under ERCA-RCEF

THE Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) said it has provided P1.9 billion in funding support to 204 cooperatives and 12,086 farmers in 29 provinces under the Expanded Rice Credit Assistance under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ERCA-RCEF).

L andBank said the loans released to farmers and co-ops financed their production requirements and allowed them to continue planting the country’s staple.

In line with the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law, the RCEF was created, under which P10 billion is allocated annually for the next six years to provide fertilizer and irrigation support among other interventions- to boost local farmers’ productivity and income.

O f the P10 billion, 10 percent or P1billion has been allocated to ERCA which will be shared equally by LandBank and the Development Bank of the Philippines at P500 million each per year for lending to small palay farmers.

T he Department of Agriculture (DA) said the financing assistance comes with minimal interest rate and minimum collateral requirements.

T he state-owned bank joined the “Lakbay Palay” event organized by the DA and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, to promote the ERCA-RCEF.

D uring the event, LandBank’s RCEF beneficiary Nariza Tan of Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija shared her experiences as the RCEF reached its fourth year of implementation.

“ The loan I availed from RCEF was helpful because I was able to meet the needs of my rice fields. From the previous 120 cavans per hectare, my yield increased by 30 cavans per hectare. The interest is still cheap at 2 percent per year,” Tan said.

PhilRice also launched the “Bantay Palay” Mobile App, which can monitor the prices of rice in real time. Certified inbred rice seeds were also distributed to farmers during the event.

T hrough PhilRice and the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), the RCEF has also provided 12 million sacks of seedlings to about 1 million farmers, and distributed 22,306 farm machineries to 7,136 farmers’ cooperatives and associations in 57

provinces nationwide.

E arlier, the province of Cagayan, a top rice producer in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) received P503.17 million worth of farm machines from the DA-PHilMech under the RCEF.

DA Region II Executive Director Narciso Edillo said the amount covers the period from 2019 to 2022.

For this year, another set of farm machines worth P77.1 million was released during a recent event held at the DA-Southern Cagayan Research Center in Minanga Norte, Iguig town.

He said 46 farmers’ cooperatives and associations received 61 farm machine units, including a rice combine harvester, precision rice seeder, hand tractor and recirculating dryer.

Raadee S. Sausa

Sugar extends surge as refined contract hits highest since 2011

SUGAR extended its surge in New York and London on mounting worries about tight supplies.

W hite-sugar futures rose 2.7 percent in London to settle at its highest price since November 2011. That elevated the white premium, the price difference between refined and raw sugar, which touched record highs in Tuesday trading before trimming gains. Raw sugar settled 2.6 percent higher in New York, its highest since October 2016.

A lack of deliverable sugar ahead of Friday’s expiry of the white-sugar contract for May is driving prices higher. The number of contracts to be closed, known as open interest, points to a “massive” delivery above 880,000 tons, said John Stansfield, a senior sugar analyst at DNEXT Intelligence, adding that those with short positions “don’t have the physical sugar to tender.”

P rices of the sweetener have jumped on prospects for limited exports out of key shipper India and lackluster supplies from Thailand, Europe, China and Mexico.

I ndia is one of the largest exporters of white sugar, but shipments are controlled by quotas that are almost exhausted with no real expectation of an increase, said Soren Jensen, a longtime market observer. India’s refining industry might soon have to shift from domestically produced raw sugar to imports—most likely from Brazil.

The South American country just started its harvest, but transportation bottlenecks are an issue with sugar competing against a record soybean crop for space on railways and at ports. “ There is growing concern that

Brazil might not export as much as expected in the beginning of the season, however the market really needs the Brazilian sugar,” Jensen said.

UK poultry

THE United Kingdom is poised to lift rules keeping all chickens indoors as the threat of bird flu wanes, heralding the return of free-range eggs to store shelves.

Poultry and captive birds will be allowed outside as of April 18, according to a statement from the Department for Environment, Food

and Rural Affairs. From that date, eggs from outdoor hens can again be labeled as free-range.

T he lockdown was introduced in England in November as farmers battled the worst-ever outbreak of avian influenza, with cases also surging globally. The virus is often deadly and farmers typically cull flocks once a case is detected.

T he risk of infection has now been cut to “medium” for farms with poor biosecurity and “low” for premises with good biosecurity, the government said. It cautioned that rigorous

“ We are pleased with the support extended by the local government in NFA’s bid to beef up our buffer stocks to be sourced solely from local farm-

ers,” Lintag said.

T he initiative is expected to benefit 1,000 local rice farmers in Tanauan, a second class town in Leyte province with a population of 57,455 people in 54 barangays (villages).

T he Philippines imported a record high of 3.826 million metric tons (MMT) of rice last year, according to data from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).

B PI data showed the Philippines overshot the projected 3.8 MMT import volume cited by the United States Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service in Manila.

I nternational market watchers and local experts pointed out that the country imported a lot of rice this year to compensate for the reduction in domestic palay output due to reduced fertilizer application. High-ranking officials of the agriculture department have described the higher than usual import volume in 2022 as a “blessing in disguise” as this will ensure the country’s staple supply and avert an increase in the prices of the commodity.

AROUND 1.23 billion people were employed in the world’s agrifood systems in 2019, and more than three times that figure, or almost half the world’s population, live in households linked to agrifood systems.

O f these 1.23 billion people, 857 million worked in primary agricultural production, while 375 million worked in the off-farm segments of agrifood systems, according to new research by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

T he new figures, the first systematic and documented global estimate of its kind, derive from a range of sources and incorporate the widespread use of part-time or seasonal employment in the sector. The figures also refer to agrifood systems rather than agricultural sectors, reflecting the increasing importance of off-farm activities in feeding the world’s population, currently 8 billion and growing.

“ Policy and practical agendas on the national and global level must and are addressing the challenges facing agrifood systems in an integrated way, and to keep up, data must move beyond silo-based notions such as farm employment and include the whole process from food production through processing and transport to the consumer -everything that goes into what we eat,” said Ben Davis, Director of FAO’s Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division and lead author of the report.

Making sure that agrifood systems are sustainable requires factoring in nutrition, health and climate change.”

Key findings

THE largest number of people employed in agrifood systems, 793 million, is in Asia, followed by almost 290 million in Africa.

T he majority of the economically active population in low-income countries, particularly in Africa, had at least one job or activity in agrifood systems.

I ncluding relevant trade and transportation activities, 62 percent of employment in Africa is in agrifood systems, compared to 40 percent in Asia and 23 percent in the Americas.

T he share of agrifood system employment out of total employment that is not directly in the agricultural sectors ranges from 8 percent in Europe to 14 percent in Africa. In most of the countries for which data from RuLIS is available, youth, defined as people aged 15 to 35 years old, make up around half of all agrifood system workers, and their share is usually higher in food processing and services.

Of the 3.83 billion people reliant on agrifood systems for their livelihoods, 2.36 billion live in Asia and 940 million in Africa.

T he first year of the Covid-19 pandemic led to a 6.8 percent reduction in the number of employed in agrifood systems. The impact of Covid-19 was highest in Latin America, where employment dropped 18.8 percent.

O n April 13, FAO will publish a pioneering report on the status of women in agrifood systems, in which the data on employment in agrifood systems from the Working Paper is further disaggregated by sex.

practices will still be needed to keep poultry healthy.

It is thanks to the hard work of all bird keepers and vets who have played their part in keeping flocks safe this winter that we are in a position to take this action,” UK Chief Veterinarian Christine Middlemiss said. “However, the unprecedented nature of this outbreak has proven it’s more important than ever for bird keepers to remain vigilant for signs of disease and maintain stringent standards of biosecurity.” Bloomberg News

T he study titled “Estimating Global and Country Level Employment in Agrifood Systems” was published as a Working Paper by FAO’s Statistics Division. In addition to a team from FAO, other authors include Kate Schneider, from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Ramya Ambikapathi, from the Department of Global Development at Cornell University, and Paul Winters, from the Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame.

T he study adopts a harmonized approach using econometric modeling based on data from the International Labour Organization and validated with household surveys from FAO’s Rural Livelihoods Information System (RuLIS) database, as explained in the Working Paper.

A comprehensive measure of employment in agrifood systems offers precious information for decision makers, and FAO said it hopes to muster support for turning the latest research into an ongoing statistical data series.

A grifood systems encompass primary agricultural production of food and non-food products, the production of food of non-agricultural origin, the food supply chain from producer to consumer and the final consumer of food. Globally, these systems produce some 11 billion tons of food each year and form the backbone of many economies.

“ Robust data of this sort is essential to help assure that agrifood system transformation delivers new jobs, particularly in low-income countries with large young populations, and does so in an equitable manner.”

THE National Food Authority (NFA) said it continues to buy rice from planters at P19 per kilogram in its bid to beef up its buffer stocks.

FAO study: Agrifood systems directly employ 1.23 billion people

China says Taiwan encirclement drills serve as ‘serious warning’

territory to be brought under its control by force if necessary and regularly sends ships and warplanes into airspace and waters near the island.

Such missions have grown more frequent in recent years, accompanied by increasingly bellicose language from the administration of Communist Party leader Xi Jinping. Any conflict between the sides could draw in the US, Taiwan’s closest ally, which is required by law to consider all threats to the island as matters of “grave concern.”

China has kept up military pressure against Taiwan despite the formal conclusion of the drills. On Wednesday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it tracked 35 flights by People’s Liberation Army warplanes within the last 24 hours, and eight navy vessels in the waters surrounding the island.

The vast majority of Taiwanese favor maintaining their current de-facto independent status, while Tsai has said there is no need for a formal declaration since the island democracy is already an independent nation.

terms isn’t clear, although Beijing has long exploited political divisions within Taiwanese society, which boasts a robust democracy and strong civil liberties.

“Taiwanese compatriots should clearly recognize the serious harm that the provocation of Taiwan independence forces poses to crossstrait relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, recognize the interests, distinguish right from wrong, and stand on the correct side of history,” Zhu said.

The Chinese military issued a threat as it concluded the exercises, saying its troops “can fight at any time to resolutely smash any form of ‘Taiwan independence’ and foreign interference attempts.”

In August, after then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, China conducted missile strikes on targets in the seas around Taiwan and sent warships and warplanes over the median line of the Taiwan Strait. It also fired missiles over the island that landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone in a significant escalation.

Ukraine resumes electricity exports despite attacks on power stations

By Samya Kullab The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine—Ukraine began resuming electricity exports to European countries on Tuesday, its energy minister said, a dramatic turnaround from six months ago when fierce Russian bombardment of power stations plunged much of the country into darkness in a bid to demoralize the population.

The announcement by Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko that Ukraine was not only meeting domestic consumption demands but also ready to restart exports to its neighbors was a clear message that Moscow’s attempt to weaken Ukraine by targeting its infrastructure did not work.

IN this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a fighter takes off during the combat readiness patrol and military exercises around the Taiwan Island carried out by the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from Nanjing in eastern China on April 8, 2023. Recent Chinese air and sea drills simulating an encirclement of Taiwan were intended as a “serious warning” to pro-independence politicians on the self-governing island and their foreign supporters, a Chinese spokesperson said Wednesday, April 12, 2023. WANG

The three days of large-scale air and sea exercises named Joint Sword that ended Monday were a response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California last week during a transit visit to the US. China had warned of serious consequences if that meeting went ahead.

“The People’s Liberation Army recently organized and conducted a series of countermeasures in

ZIXIAO/XINHUA VIA AP

the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, which is a serious warning against the collusion and provocation of Taiwan independence separatist forces and external forces,” Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Cabinet’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a biweekly news conference.

“It is a necessary action to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she said.

China claims Taiwan as its own

Despite that, China, which does not recognize Taiwan’s government institutions and has cut off contact with Tsai’s administration, routinely accuses her of plotting formal independence with outside backing—generally seen as referring to the US.

“External forces are intensifying their endeavor of containing China with Taiwan as a tool,” Zhu said.

Zhu also repeated China’s assertion that its military threats are “targeted at Taiwan’s independence separatist activities and interference from external forces, and by no means at our compatriots in Taiwan.”

What that means in practical

The most recent exercises focused more on air strength, with Taiwan reporting more than 200 flights by Chinese warplanes. On Monday alone, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry tracked 91 flights by Chinese warplanes.

They also featured the use of China’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier, Shandong, which launched dozens of J-15 Flying Shark fighter missions during the exercises, according to Japanese officials.

That came as the USS Nimitz Carrier group is operating in the South China Sea south of Taiwan and as American and Filipino forces hold their largest combat exercises in decades in Philippine waters across the disputed South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

Xi hosts Lula in diplomatic push for Ukraine cease-fire

By Simone Iglesias & Tatiana Freitas

BRAZIL President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrives in China on Wednesday as President Xi Jinping seeks to build momentum for talks to halt fighting in Ukraine more than a year after Russia’s invasion.

Lula’s trip to Shanghai and Beijing comes as Xi embarks on a round of diplomacy in the weeks after visiting Moscow, where he strengthened political ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin even while touting Beijing’s vague blueprint for peace that included a call for a cease-fire in Ukraine.

The Chinese leader last week hosted French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss the effort.

Xi has sought to burnish his credentials as a peacemaker after helping to broker a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which agreed to normalize diplomatic relations

in March. He has managed to cultivate that image while still threatening Taiwan, including by holding extensive military drills over the weekend after President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

T he Brazilian leader has also sought a larger role in global efforts to end the war in Ukraine, a dynamic that will likely make it a key theme of his bilateral meeting with Xi on Friday. Lula supports most of China’s plan to end the conflict, including the ceasefire, Foreign Affairs Minister Mauro Vieira told a small group of reporters in Brasilia ahead of the trip.

“It is ur gent that we end deaths, destruction and activities that are encouraging inflationary pressure in all countries,” Vieira said.

Still, Brazil’s president has reservations about China’s proposal to allow Russia to keep control of occupied Ukrainian territories, even as he remains skeptical of Ukrainian leader

Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“Putin can’t keep Ukrainian territory,” Lula told journalists in Brasilia on April 6. “Perhaps we’re not discussing Crimea, but what he has recently invaded needs to be reconsidered. But Zelenskyy can’t have everything he wishes either.”

US stance

CHINA’S initiative has been dismissed outright by the US and some allies, who are wary of any process that would allow Russia to maintain its gains on the battlefield. Yet for Xi, the push for a cease-fire in Ukraine is also aimed at countering US attempts to portray China as a threat to the international order.

D uring Macron’s visit, the French leader charted a different approach to the US’s tougher stance on Beijing. And the visit of Lula similarly helps consolidate China’s efforts to serve as a representative of developing economies that can provide an

alternative to the US.

“It’s not just any visit—it’s Lula,” said Karin Vazquez, a non-resident fellow with think tank Center for China and Globalization, who is based in Shanghai. “He’s very respected as a global leader, and from the Chinese perspective indicates the relevance of Brazil and other emerging countries in the making of Xi’s ‘New Era.’” L ula, who was forced to delay the trip last month due to a mild case of pneumonia, last year said Zelenskyy was “as responsible as Putin for the war.” More recently, he told a local TV channel that Brazil was “ready to make any effort to guarantee peace in the world.”

Lula will start his visit in Shanghai, where he’s expected to visit an innovation center owned by Huawei Technologies Co., the technology company the US alleges poses a threat to its national security. With assistance from Jasmine Ng, Colum Murphy, Dan Murtaugh and Fran Wang/Bloomberg

Ukraine’s domestic energy demand is “100 percent” supplied, he told The Associated Press in an interview, and it has reserves to export due to the “titanic work” of its engineers and international partners.

Russia ramped up infrastructure attacks in September, when waves of missiles and exploding drones destroyed about half of Ukraine’s energy system. Power cuts were common across the country as temperatures dropped below freezing and tens of millions struggled to keep warm.

Moscow said the strikes were aimed at weakening Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, while Western officials said the blackouts that caused civilians to suffer amounted to war crimes. Ukrainians said the timing was designed to destroy their morale as the war marked its first anniversary.

Ukraine had to stop exporting electricity in October to meet domestic needs.

Engineers worked around the clock, often risking their lives to come into work at power plants and keep the electricity flowing. Kyiv’s allies also provided help. In December, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $53 million in bilateral aid to help the country acquire electricity grid equipment, on top of $55 million for energy sector support.

Much more work remains to be done, Halushchenko said. Ukraine needs funding to repair damaged generation and transmission lines, and revenue from electricity exports would be one way to do that.

The first country to receive Ukraine’s energy exports will be Moldova, he said.

Besides the heroic work by engineers and Western aid, warmer temperatures are enabling the resumption of exports by making domestic demand lower. Nationwide consumption was already down at least 30 percent due to the war, Halushchenko said, with many industries having to operate with less power.

Renewables like solar and wind power also come into play as temperatures rise, taking some pressure off nuclear and coal-fired power plants.

But it’s unclear if Ukraine can keep up exports amid the constant threat of Russian bombardment.

“Unfortunately now a lot of things depend on the war,” Halushchenko said. “I would say we feel quite confident now until the next winter.”

Exports to Poland, Slovakia and Romania are also on schedule to resume, he said.

“Today we are starting with Moldova, and we are talking about Poland, we are talking about Slovakia and Romania,” Halushchenko added, noting that how much will depend on their needs.

“For Poland, we have only one line that allows us to export 200 megawatts, but I think this month we will finish another line which will increase this to an additional 400 MW, so these figures could change,” he said.

Export revenue will depend on fluctuating electricity prices in Europe. In 2022, while Ukraine was still able to export energy, Ukrainian companies averaged 40 million to 70 million euros a month depending on prices, Halushchenko said.

“Even if it’s 20 [million euros] it’s still good money. We need financial resources now to restore generation and transmission lines,” he said.

Ukraine has the ability to export more than the 400-megawatt capacity limit imposed by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity, or ENTSO-E. “We are in negotiations to increase this cap because today we can export even more, we have the necessary reserves in the system,” the minister said.

The current capacity limit is in line with what Ukraine was exporting in September 2022 before Ukraine diverted resources to meet domestic needs amid the Russian onslaught.

The 400-megawatt capacity is “only a start” as Ukraine pursues a long-term goal of becoming “truly integrated” into Europe’s network, which would increase its security of supply and help its neighbors exchange electricity, according to Georg Zachmann, energy policy expert at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels.

At a price of 100 euros per megawatt hour, the monthly income stream for Ukraine would at most reach 30 million euros.

As capacity increases, however, concerns will move from supply to commerce and politics due to Ukraine’s coal-fired plants paying almost nothing for carbon emissions, while EU competitors pay 100 euros per ton.

Halushchenko wants to increase the maximum technical capacity to 2 gigawatts. At the very least, he would like exports to meet the country’s import restriction of 850 megawatts, he said. ENTSO-E represents 39 electricity transmission system operators from 35 countries across Europe.

Ukraine began trading electricity with European countries in June, in a bid to move away from Russia’s sphere of influence. Power lines were synchronized in March 2022, shortly after the war began.

Engineers sped up the process to link Ukraine to the continental grid, allowing it to decouple its power system from Russia. Moldova was added later. Before that, Ukraine and Moldova were part of a power sharing system that included Russia and Belarus.

The resumption of exports is an obvious win for Ukraine, but it also benefits Europe, according to energy analyst Olena Pavlenko of the Kyiv-based think tank Dixie Group. “European consumers need this, it increases competition in the [European] market, lowers prices and feels more energy secure,” she said.

“For Ukraine this is a solution to not just take money in grants and credit but to earn money. This is a good start for the future operation and partnership with the EU, as a business partner,” she added.

David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, contributed.

BEIJING—Recent Chinese air and sea drills simulating an encirclement of Taiwan were intended as a “serious warning” to pro-independence politicians on the self-governing island and their foreign supporters, a Chinese spokesperson said Wednesday.

HERMAN HALUSHCHENKO, Ukraine’s energy minister, talks during an interview with The Associated Press in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. Halushchenko says the country has begun resuming electricity exports to European countries, in a dramatic turnaround from just six months ago. That’s when fierce Russian bombardment of power stations plunged much of the country into darkness in a bid to demoralize the population. AP/EFREM LUKATSKY

Chinese diplomat says US must change attitude before any talks

Wednesday in Beijing.

Xu’s comments are the latest sign that it may be a while before China-US ties improve. Late last month, the Biden administration’s top Asia adviser, Kurt Campbell, said efforts to build guardrails to keep relations between the two countries from drastically worsening had so far been unsuccessful.

it would maintain pressure on Taipei to prevent any “separatist activities.”

Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing, also said that China would “take resolute measures to foil any external intervention,” a reference to the military backing that the US gives Taiwan.

“China-US relations are very much strained,” said Xu Bu, head of the China Institute of International Studies, a think tank affiliated with the country’s foreign ministry. “One of the most important causes is that the United States is worried that China may surpass it.”

Xu, a former envoy to Chile and the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations, said the US’s failure to understand China’s rise was the main obstacle to improving bilateral ties.

“If the overall misperceptions cannot be properly addressed, if the view that China needs to be contained is not going to be readjusted, any crisis communication or crisis management won’t help,” Xu said at a press briefing

“The Chinese have been reluctant to engage in discussions around confidence-building or crisis communications hot lines,” Campbell added.

US-China tensions spiked once again after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the US this month. China’s military held three days of drills around the self-governing island, and on Wednesday Beijing indicated

The latest drills have added to strains caused by an alleged spy balloon that transited US territory in February, and clashes over everything from human rights to technology and the South China Sea.

US officials had said last month that a phone call between President Joe Biden and China’s President Xi Jinping could take place after Tsai’s travel through the US. Now it’s not clear when that will occur. With assistance from Jing Li/Bloomberg

Biden to help mark decades of relative peace in N. Ireland

By Darlene Superville, Colleen Long & Jill Lawless

The Associated Press

BELFAST, Northern Ireland—President

Joe Biden is in Northern Ireland to participate in marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to this part of the United Kingdom after the US helped negotiate an end to decades of sectarian violence that killed thousands.

On his first presidential visit to Northern Ireland, Biden was set to deliver congratulations and encourage the country’s leaders to work on universally beneficial trade and economic policies when he speaks Wednesday at a business development event at Ulster University’s campus in Belfast.

But Biden was not expected to make any attempt to help resolve a new political crisis that has rattled the Good Friday peace deal and put Northern Ireland’s government on pause. Instead, the Democratic president will deliver at least two messages, said White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, who is traveling with Biden.

“Congratulations on 25 years of the

Good Friday Agreement, which has brought unprecedented peace and prosperity,” Kirby said. “And that kind of goes to the second goal, which is to talk about the importance of trying to work on trade and economic policies that benefit all communities, as well as the United States.”

Biden opens his brief public schedule in Northern Ireland on Wednesday over coffee with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Before speaking at Ulster, he will meet with each of the leaders of Northern Ireland’s five main political parties.

Northern Ireland is without a functioning government. Stormont, the seat of its assembly, has been suspended since the Democratic Unionist Party, which formed half of a power-sharing government, walked out a year ago over a post-Brexit trade dispute.

Britain’s departure from the European Union left Northern Ireland poised uneasily between the rest of the UK and EU member Ireland, and put the peace agreement under increased strain.

After much wrangling, Britain and the EU struck a deal in February to address the tensions over trade, an agreement welcomed by the US, which had urged London and Brussels to end their post-Brexit feud. The

Head of Mexican immigration agency charged after fatal fire

MEXICO CITY—The head of Mexico’s National Immigration Institute will face criminal charges for a fire that killed 40 migrants in a locked cell, the federal Attorney General’s Office said Tuesday night.

The office said in a statement that the head of the immigration agency, Francisco Garduño, was criminally remiss in not preventing the fire, despite earlier incidents showed the situation at the country’s migrant detention centers needed correcting.

Several other officers of the agency will also face charges for failing to carry out their duties, the statement said, but prosecutors did not explain what specific charges or identify the officials.

Prosecutors said the case showed a “pattern of irresponsibility,” their statement released just hours after Mexico’s president said two guards seen fleeing when the fire broke out did not have keys to the cell door.

The press office of the immigration agency that Garduño heads did immediately respond to messages and phone calls requesting comment.

Prosecutors said that after a fire at another detention center in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco killed one person and injured 14 in 2020, the immigration agency knew there were problems that needed to be corrected. But alleged they failed to act.

There have long been complaints about corruption and bad conditions at Mexico’s migrant detention facilities.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s

comments about the guards in last month’s fire in Ciudad Juarez came on the same day that the bodies of 17 Guatemala migrants and six Hondurans killed in the fire were flown back to their home countries.

It was unclear what effect López Obrador’s comments might have on the trial of the guards, who were detained previously over the fire, which shocked the country.

“The door was closed, because the person who had the keys wasn’t there,” López Obrador said.

A video from a security camera inside the facility shows guards walking away when the fire started in late March inside the cell holding migrants.

The guards are seen hurrying away as smoke fills the facility, and they did not appear to make any effort to release the migrants.

Three Mexican immigration officials, a guard and a Venezuelan migrant are being held for investigation in connection with the fire. They face homicide charges.

The migrant allegedly set fire to foam mattresses at the detention center to protest what he apparently thought were plans to move or deport the migrants.

In Guatemala City, relatives of the victims gathered at an air force base with flowers and photos of the deceased to mark their return.

“My son, my love,” a female voice could be heard calling out, amid sobs from those present as the coffins were unloaded and placed in a line, and relatives were allowed to approach them.

Democratic Unionist Party, though, says the Windsor Framework doesn’t go far enough and has refused to return to government.

As he set off for Belfast, Biden on Tuesday said a priority of his trip to Northern Ireland was to “keep the peace.”

After the speech at Ulster University, Biden will travel to the Republic of Ireland for a three-day visit, including an address to the Dublin parliament, attendance at a gala dinner and trips to two ancestral hometowns. He will fly to County Louth, on Ireland’s east coast, on Wednesday to visit a cemetery, tour a castle, walk around downtown Dundalk and attend a community gathering.

A few Belfast residents said Biden’s visit was important even though it will be short.

“I think it’s great that he’s coming because of the anniversary of ‘the Troubles,’” Julie McNeill said Monday as she waited in the rain for a bus. She was referring to more than three decades of sectarian violence that left more than 3,600 people dead. “I think it’s important that he does come.”

Still, McNeill said she was a little disappointed that the Irish American president would spend less than a day in Belfast. But

she said she understood.

“I mean, the man’s a busy man, and he’s 80 years old. I’m sure it’s hard for him,” she said.

Samuel Olufemia, who is studying for a degree in public health from Ulster University, said he was looking forward to meeting Biden on campus.

“Having him in Belfast here is a privilege,” said Olufemia, who is from Nigeria. “It’s going to be an historic visit and that’s one of the reasons I’m excited.”

He said he also understands that Biden is too busy to stay longer. “The president always have other things to do,” Olufemia said.

A massive security operation was in place for Biden’s stay in Belfast, with a heavy police presence on blocked off streets around the president’s hotel and the Ulster campus.

Last month, UK intelligence services raised the country’s terrorism threat level from “substantial” to “severe.” But Biden said then that not even the heightened risk of an attack would keep him from making the trip.

Biden last visited Ireland in 2016, when he was US vice president.

Lawless reported from London.

AVETERAN Chinese diplomat warned that unless the US fundamentally changes its attitude toward the nation, there’s no point in talks on ways to safeguard the relationship.

editorial

PHL becomes a hub of military cooperation

President rodrigo duterte shifted the Philippines’s foreign policy away from the United states in favor of China during his administration. On his first trip to Beijing, duterte tried to butter up his hosts by proclaiming that it was “time to say goodbye to Washington.” in exchange for siding with China in the escalating geopolitical competition with the Us, duterte sought Chinese investment in his pet project—the “Build! Build! Build!” infrastructure program—and moderation of China’s aggressive behavior in the West Philippine sea.

When Duterte’s presidency ended in June 2022, China had delivered less than five percent of the $24 billion it pledged to invest in the Philippines. Worse, its bullying in the West Philippine Sea continued unabated.

President Marcos adopted a more prudent strategic approach to China’s aggressive behavior. He admitted that the long-raging disputes in the South China Sea that involve China, the Philippines and other claimant-nations have kept him “up at night.” Marcos said there have been calls for the Philippine government to do more to defend its territorial waters, but he stressed that a military solution to the conflicts was not an option.

Recently, the President decided to strengthen the country’s partnership with the US by adding four sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, noting that the move would further boost the country’s capabilities to protect its national interests. Marcos, however, gave assurances the new EDCA sites in the country will not be used for “offensive actions.”

The Marcos administration also strengthened defense ties with Japan, giving Japanese troops greater access to Philippine territory for training and logistics. In addition, the Philippines has formalized a strategic defense engagement with Australia, which include joint patrols in the South China Sea.

If the Philippines is gradually becoming a key hub of military cooperation in Southeast Asia, that’s because it was backed into a corner. Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said it is a necessity to enhance defense capabilities amid repeated infringements on Philippine sovereignty and rights in the South China Sea. In 2022 alone, a total of 193 note verbales have been filed by the Philippines against China, 65 of which were filed by the Marcos administration.

China’s efforts to bully its neighbors in its desire to claim almost all territories in the South China Sea have not only failed; they have led to the emergence of a kind of anti-China coalition in the Asia-Pacific region.

From the Associated Press: “The United States and the Philippines on Tuesday 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. The annual drills by the longtime treaty allies called Balikatan—Filipino for shoulder-to-shoulder—will run up to April 28 and involve more than 17,600 military personnel. It will be the latest display of American firepower in Asia, where Washington has repeatedly warned China over its increasingly aggressive actions in the disputed sea channel and against Taiwan.”

Asked to comment on this year’s Balikatan exercises, which has a total of 17,680 Filipino, American, and Australian participants, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Wang Wenbin said: “Exchange and cooperation between relevant countries should not target any third party and should be conducive to regional peace and stability. The US-Philippines military cooperation must not interfere in South China Sea disputes.”

On July 12, 2016, the Arbitral Tribunal adjudicating the Philippines’s case against China in the South China Sea ruled in favor of the Philippines. The tribunal said that China has no lawful claim to the area determined by the Arbitral Tribunal to be part of the Philippines’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. Pursuant to their treaty obligations under the Law of the Sea Convention, China and the Philippines are legally bound to comply with this decision, the tribunal said. The US has since supported the tribunal’s decision invalidating the Chinese claim.

China’s rejection of the ruling is against the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, in particular the UNCLOS. When will China recognize the rule of law as a fundamental value of the international community?

China aims to position itself as a leader in 21st-century global governance. The Chinese don’t just want to be a superpower; they believe that it’s their destiny to lead the world. But how can China become a global leader if it refuses to be guided by the rule of law, which is the foundation of friendly and equitable relations between nations? China’s disdain for the UNCLOS ruling shows that international law matters to the Chinese only when it can serve their own interests.

Another turning point

John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

tWO weeks ago i said April 10 was a day to be marked. there was not any significant event even if the Philippines took a holiday for “Araw ng Kagitingan” and the Us celebrated “national Hug Your dog day.” However, it was a turning point on the “economic Confidence Model.”

One of the critical cycles of the ECM is the 8.6-year Global Business Cycle. Don’t ask me why “8.6 years” any more than why a solar year is 365.24 days.

A critical peak in this 8.6 cycle happened near the end of 1989 and leading to it was a global storm. The “Revolutions of 1989” ended communism in Eastern Europe and the Cold War. We witnessed the Tiananmen Square protests. The USSR ended its occupation of Afghanistan.

On to 1990: The Tokyo stock

market peaked in January, crashed, and 33 years later has never fully recovered. Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait. Nelson Mandela was released from prison.

These are not simply “events.” These are “one time and change the world forever” occurrences. The Berlin Wall falls only once. Mandela leaves prison once. Iraq invades Kuwait once.

I wrote in mid-2015 that 2016 would be a year of political turmoil. Search the significant political

events of 2016 and you find “Brexit,” “Duterte” and “Trump.” You do not find notice of the Portuguese or Bulgarian elections. The “BDT” were “one time and change the world.”

In September 2019, I wrote that the cycle said 2020 would be a year of economic chaos. No comment needed except to ask, what is the relation of the “cycles” to the “events” if the events are non-repeating unlike an eclipse?

Marin Armstrong created his proprietary “Economic Confidence Model” in December 1979, backtracking various ECM cycles to 1682 BC and forecasting ahead to 2084. The cycle predicted economic chaos in 2020 but not the cause. So, what is the connection? Armstrong himself only speculates without any conclusion as to the “why.”

bust, be it technological advancement or a pandemic.

Written in 1997 by William Strauss and Neil Howe, The Fourth Turning discusses generational cycles. “The rhythms of history do not reveal the outcome of the coming crisis; all they suggest is the timing and dimension.” The same can be said of the ECM. Strauss and Howe: “Sometime before the year 2025, America will pass through a great gate in history. The risk of catastrophe will be very high.”

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Arthur Burns said, “The Business Cycle always wins.” The approximate 8.6 years boom/bust Business Cycle—not unlike Pharaoh’s 7 years of feast/7 years of famine—will always come. But the cycle does not forecast what causes the boom or

By Tara Copp & Nomaan Merchant | The Associated Press

See “Mangun,” A15

What we know so far on the leaked Pentagon documents

This current ECM turning point is not a harbinger of the “doom” that is likely with the major turning point in 2024. Swiss Asset Manager Stouff Capital wrote, “This model (the ECM) has coincided with major market inflections in the last 20 years”. Writing in July 2020 of US stocks, “A major bottom in 1Q 2020 will move to Euphoria, in April 2024.” The Ukraine war looks to be “lost” to Russia presumably without US/European military “boots on the ground,” which the citizens will never accept. While I said two images of folded papers.

WAsHinGtOn

it’s been less than a week since news of highly classified military documents on the Ukraine war surfaced, sending the Pentagon into full-speed damage control to assure allies and assess the scope of the leak.

The information on scores of slides has publicized potential vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and exposed private assessments by allies on an array of intelligence matters, raising questions about whether the leak will erode allies’ trust in sharing information with the US or impact Ukraine’s plans to intensify the fight against Russia this spring.

Overall, the leaked documents present a “very serious risk to national security,” a top Pentagon spokesman told reporters Monday.

This is a look at what the documents are, what is known about how they surfaced, and their potential impact.

What are they?

THE classified documents—which have not been individually authenticated by US officials—range from briefing slides mapping out Ukrainian military positions to assessments of international support for Ukraine and other sensitive topics, including under what circumstances Russian President Vladimir Putin might use nuclear weapons.

There’s no clear answer on how many documents were leaked. The Associated Press has viewed approximately 50 documents; some

estimates put the total number in the hundreds.

Where did they come from?

NO one knows for sure, not even the Pentagon chief.

“They were somewhere in the web, and where exactly, and who had access at that point, we don’t know. We simply don’t know,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a press conference Tuesday. “We will continue to investigate and turn over every rock until we find the source of this and the extent of it.”

It’s possible the leak may have started on a site called Discord. Discord is a social media platform popular with people playing online games. The Discord site hosts realtime voice, video and text chats for groups and describes itself as a place “where you can belong to a school club, a gaming group, or a worldwide art community.”

In one of those forums, originally created to talk about a range of topics, members would debate the war in Ukraine. According to one member of the chat, an unidentified poster shared documents that the poster claimed were classified, first typing them out with the poster’s own thoughts, then, as of a few months ago, uploading

The person who said he was a member of the forum told The Associated Press that another person, identified online only as “Lucca,” shared the documents in a different Discord chat. From there, they appear to have been spread until they were picked up by the media.

Many details of the story can’t be immediately verified. And top US officials acknowledge publicly that they’re still trying to find answers.

What’s

been revealed?

T HE leaks have highlighted how closely the US monitors how its allies and friends interact with Russia and China. Officials in several countries have denied or rejected allegations from the leaked records.

The AP has reported on US intelligence picking up claims from Russian operatives that they were building a closer relationship with the United Arab Emirates, the oil-rich Middle Eastern nation that hosts important American military installations. The UAE rejected the allegations, calling them “categorically false.”

The Washington Post reported Monday that Egypt’s president ordered subordinates to secretly prepare to ship up to 40,000 rockets to Russia as it wages war in Ukraine. A spokesman for the Egyptian foreign ministry said Egypt was maintaining “noninvolvement in this crisis and committing to maintain equal distance with both sides.”

Other leaks have concerned allegations that South Korean leaders were hesitant to ship artillery shells

to Ukraine and that Israel’s Mossad spy service opposed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed overhaul of the judiciary.

Funded at $90 billion annually, the US intelligence agencies have sweeping powers to tap electronic communications, run spies and monitor with satellites. The results of those powers are rarely seen in public, even in limited form.

US response

THE Pentagon has begun an internal review to assess the leak’s impact on national security. The review is being led by Milancy D. Harris, the deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security, a defense official said in a statement to AP. The team includes representatives from the offices of legislative affairs, public affairs, policy, legal counsel and the joint staff, the official said.

The Pentagon was also quickly taking steps to reduce the number of people who have access to briefings, a second defense official said. Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Pentagon officials are also closely monitoring where the leaked slides are “being posted and amplified,” said Chris Meagher, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs. Separately, the Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into how the slides were obtained and leaked.

CIA Director William Burns on See “Pentagon” A15

Highway nightmareThe aggravation principle of work-relatedness  in seafarers’ disability benefits claims

Dennis Gorecho

Pinoy Marino Rights

TRAVELLING by land from Manila to the South beyond the South Luzon Expressway is not fun. It’s a nightmare. We Southerners suffer all the time when we move from our places of abode to the NCR, etc., and vice versa, weekly or more for sociocivic work, TV hosting and some business to do.

Now,

However, it is not just the perennial traffic as the reason why. There’s the poor road pavement quality attributed, perhaps, to the kotong officials, starting from the Legislative Districts’ representatives and DPWH engineers (Laguna, Batangas and Quezon provinces) who partake from the funds appropriated by government.

Well, kotong isn’t new at the DPWH. Secretary Manuel Bonoan may deny it, as everyone else in there will do. But it has been the rule, and we have to hear yet of an exception.

Sources tell us that the total take from every infra project reaches to as much as 35 percent. No one will ever confess and contractors, however much they don’t like it, have to go by the “rule,” otherwise, there ain’t got no road or any construction project to do. The contractors would have no business and therefore jobless.

Back to the nightmare, there’s traffic jam, starting at the Padre Pio in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, in San Pablo City, Sariaya and Pagbilao, Quezon. Aside from the road quality, motorists’ nightmares include pedicabs and tricycles that occupy the fast lane of highways at low speed.

Everyone knows that the tricycles pose traffic risks, and that explains why there are so many accidents involving them on the road.

And to reiterate, the Land Transportation and Traffic Code or RA 4136 enacted in February 2020, then DILG Secretary Eduardo Año, a no-nonsense military general of his time, thru DILG Circular 2020-036 ordered all LGU Chief Executives and Chief of Police stations across the land to enforce the ban on the three wheel motorized pedicabs and pedicabs on national highways.

In the said Memo, Año even warned that “non-compliance will warrant the filing of appropriate Administrative charges pursuant to Section 60 of the Local Govern-

Mangun

. . . continued from A14

days ago, “The China-US war has begun,” 2024 is a US presidential election year and while voters do not want to change horses in wartime, 77 percent are “Not sure” or “Oppose” (54 percent) providing US troops. Sixty-three percent though say the “US should help protect Taiwan with military force,” which is another reason why I do not think China will attack Taiwan but is ready to economically “attack” the US. I hope I am correct.

Individually we need to stay laserfocused on rebuilding the economic

Pentagon

continued from A14

Tuesday called the leak “deeply unfortunate.”

“It’s something that the US government takes extremely seriously,” he said in remarks at Rice University.

“The Pentagon and the Department of Justice have now launched a quite intense investigation to get to the bottom of this.”

What’s the impact?

SENIOR military leaders have been

ment Code.”

Then what happened folks? Nada or nothing up to the time when the retired General left office by virtue of the ascendancy of the new administration. It’s a shameful situation because no one listened or followed the DILG’s order banning the tricycles.

Chronic, the stubborn drivers on three-wheel cabs remain on the national highways, traverse the fast lane of the road at any given point in total disregard and in gross violation of the Order and or the law, RA 4136, which prohibits them on national highways.

As a result, there are numerous accidents here and there, resulting in injuries, disability and lives lost, and traffic flow is impeded, delays travel and disrupts transport of goods and services and of people movement from their destinations.

We ask if we have law and order under the situation? Absolutely nothing. No one bothers to enforce the law, the rules. And what’s the police force for, décor? Even with salary multiplied twice by Santa Claus Digong, not one police obeyed and arrested violators, which is a dereliction of duty. Inutile to the max?

Now, under DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos, do we hear, do we read any word or act that would point to the rule of law in our national highways? Can Abalos be the Superman who enforces the law, mandated by his Oath of Office?

Without concluding that he is weak like his predecessor, we’ll see and write about it, sooner or later.

damage from the lockdowns firstly by not fearing any of this external “gloom and doom.” I am not happy with the administration, as I said last week on ANC, not yet offering a dynamic vision and clear roadmap to achieve the vision.

As the second quarter progresses, I see both the local stock market and economy improving significantly. However, inflation will remain elevated as we too suffer the pain of the oil-price dagger that China/Russia has thrust into the US economy.

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

contacting allies to address the fallout. That includes calls “at a high level to reassure them of our commitment to safeguarding intelligence and fidelity to our security partnerships. Those conversations began over the weekend and are ongoing,” Meagher said. US officials are likely to face more questions when they travel to Germany next week for the next contact group meeting, where representatives of more than 50 nations gather to coordinate weapons and aid support for Ukraine. But the document leak is not expected to affect that

ASEAfARER S coronary arterial disease is work-related and compensable due to the “aggravation” principle in disability claims.

This was the ruling of the Supreme Court in the case of  Corcoro, Jr., v. Magsaysay MOL Marine Inc. (GR 226779, August 24, 2020) involving a seafarer who suffered from coronary artery disease.

The seafarer has been working for the company for five years. He was rehired and subjected to a Preemployment medical examination (PEME) where he was declared fit to work.

The PEME medical history shows that he has a pre-existing coronary hypertension among other illnesses, which was cleared by the companydesignated physicians.

Having been cleared and declared fit to work, the seafarer was deployed for his three-month contract, which was later extended for another six months.

It was on the seventh month of the contract and while on board the vessel, when the seafarer experienced chest pains and dizziness. The following day, he again experienced chest pains causing him to be admitted to a hospital in Africa. He was

confirmed to have suffered from a myocardial infarction (heart attack) and underwent bypass surgery.

The seafarer was medically repatriated. He appeared for medical checkups with the company-designated physicians extending to four months. When the seafarer then filed a claim for permanent and total disability benefits, the company denied liability as it argued that the illness of seafarer is not work-related because:

(1) he was already hypertensive prior to deployment; (2) his work does not involve or expose him to any risk of acquiring heart attack or coronary heart disease; (3) it is not possible for him to have contracted his disease in the short course of time; (4) he did not show proof that he complied with the prescribed maintenance medication and lifestyle; and (5) an assessment had been issued by a medical expert that his illness is not work-related.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the seafarer.

The Court noted the symptoms for coronary arterial disease, which

was even confirmed by the physicians in Africa. Considering that the symptoms of the disease manifested onboard the vessel, it logically follows that the seafarer’s working conditions contributed to or aggravated his illness.

The Supreme Court downplayed the company’s claim that the seafarer’s illness is not work-related based on the assessment of the company-designated physician and the fact that the seafarer suffers from a pre-existing coronary hypertension.

While the seafarer has a pree xisting illness, such does not prove that his working condition did not aggravate the illness. When it is shown that the seafarer’s work may have contributed to the establishment or, at the very least, aggravation of any pre-existing disease, the condition/illness suffered by the seafarer shall be compensable.

The Court noted the seafarer’s tasks as Messman required physical labor wherein he performed a wide variety of responsibilities from cleaning in the vessel to lifting heavy loads as a porter.

His work definitely produced stress and strain normally resulting in the wear and tear of the body.

As his coronary hypertension was declared by the company-designated physicians as “cleared” in the PEME, it is highly probable that the strain of seafarer’s work aggravated his pre-existing condition that caused his heart attack episodes on board the vessel.

The Court has held that “only reasonable proof of work-connection

and not direct causal relation is required to establish compensability.”

Aside from the fact that the seafarer’s condition is listed as an occupational disease, the undisputed fact that his pre-existing condition is controlled prior to deployment, but he later suffered episodes of heart attack on board the vessel, reasonably establish the work-relatedness of his illness.

Moreover, the Court did not uphold the “not work related assessment” issued by the company-designated physician because it is not a final assessment.

A final, conclusive and definite assessment must clearly state whether the seafarer is fit to work or the exact disability rating, or whether such illness is work-related, and without any further condition or treatment. It should no longer require any further action on the part of the company-designated physician and it is issued by the company-designated physician after he or she has exhausted all possible treatment options within the periods mandated by law.

The Court cannot consider as valid and final an assessment merely stating that the illness of a seafarer is not work-related. Even with said assessment, the company-designated physician is bound to timely issue a fit to work assessment or disability grading.

Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez. com, or call 0917-5025808 or 0908-8665786.

A just industrial strategy for a better future

By Mia Amor Mottley & Ngozi Okonjo Iweala

ThE Covid-19 pandemic derailed economies everywhere, and in most developing countries, incomes remain wellbelow prepandemic levels. Inflation, made worse by the war in Ukraine, is particularly painful for low-income and vulnerable countries, where essentials like food and energy dominate household budgets. higher interest rates are exacerbating debt distress across much of the developing world, squeezing public and private investment and paring back growth. To compound this, the climate crisis is hitting hardest the very countries that did contributed least to the problem, and which have the most limited means to cope.

Already, we are seeing the reversal of hard-won development gains. The World Bank estimates that the pandemic and the war in Ukraine have pushed 90 million more people into extreme poverty. The World Food Programme projects that almost 350 million people may be food insecure in 2023, almost double the number in 2020. In the wake of the pandemic, unemployment is higher, gender gaps are wider, and the share of young people with neither jobs nor sufficient education has risen, according to the International Labour Organization.

None of this is inevitable. If we take the global implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda as a barometer of progress, it is true we are on the verge of failing—particularly for countries with inherent vulnerabilities. But governments, the private sector, and civil society can make the decisions today that lay a foundation for sustainable development for generations to come.

We need a global transformation strategy that works for all. One that

meeting or allies’ willingness to continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine, a senior defense official told The Associated Press, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

“I think a lot of the allies will probably be more curious about why it happened,” said Chris Skaluba, director of the Atlantic Council’s transatlantic security initiative. Given the high-level security clearance needed to access the information in the first place, the leak raises questions as to who “would have that much of an agenda to put it out

A multitude of crises have placed the world on a path towards a profoundly unjust economic future. If we are going to protect the global commons and create a better existence for future generations, we need moral leadership coupled with just strategies that help the most vulnerable.

addresses energy transition, the climate crisis and development finance, while putting people at its core. A just industrial and growth strategy must be part of this, in developed, developing, and least developed countries, small and large: a strategy that decouples economic growth from environmental degradation.

Here, international trade has a critical role to play in creating the better jobs, value addition, and greater resilience that countries are seeking.

Over the past 40 years, the global economic integration underpinned by the multilateral trading system helped lift over one billion people out of poverty.

But even before the pandemic, it had become clear that many people in poor countries have not received a fair share of the gains from globalization. Neither have many poor people in richer countries.

The weaknesses exposed in global supply chains by the war in Ukraine and the pandemic should be treated as an opportunity to reimagine globalization, and assist countries and communities left behind during re-

there,” and whether the intent was to undermine support for Ukraine, Skaluba said.

Austin on Tuesday contacted his South Korean counterpart, Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, to discuss the leaked documents, several of which were particularly sensitive to Seoul because they described US surveillance of its ally and detailed South Korean reservations about providing munitions directly to Ukraine.

The two defense chiefs agreed that a “considerable number” of the leaked documents were fabricated,

cent decades to use trade as a means to meet their sustainable development aspirations.

At the crux of this reimagined globalization is bringing many more countries into what would become deeper deconcentrated networks for producing goods and services.

Companies have already been moving to add suppliers in places like Southeast Asia, India, and Mexico, whether to save on costs or to manage risks. Fast-growing demand for services delivered over the Internet is creating opportunities around the world. Extending these re-alignments to encompass smaller and more vulnerable countries would enable them to use international markets, ideas, and capital to create better, more productive jobs.

In addition, drawing more smalland women-owned businesses into these production networks would deliver manifold socioeconomic benefits. Beyond the gains of development and inclusion, more diversified supply chains would also be more resilient to localized shocks, like extreme weather events or disease outbreaks.

Open and predictable markets are a prerequisite for this re-globaliza-

Kim Tae-hyo, a deputy national security director, told reporters. He said the alliance between the two countries wouldn’t be affected by the leak and South Korea would seek to further strengthen cooperation with the United States.

And both Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken reached out to their counterparts in Ukraine. Austin suggested Tuesday the leaks would not have much of an impact on Ukraine’s plans for a spring offensive.

Ukraine’s strategy will “not be driven by a specific plan. They have

tion process. But they are not sufficient. Access to finance on prolonged and low-cost terms is an indispensable part of building a more sustainable, more inclusive global economy. The Bridgetown Initiative put forward by the government of Barbados calls for a reassessment of the current global financial architecture to drive multilateral and private sector financial resources towards climate mitigation and resilience. Following through on this initiative could play an important role in addressing the climate finance needs of developing countries and indeed the financing of the Sustainable Development Goals. A strong and effective trading system would amplify the impact of necessary action on debt reform and green investment: exports earn foreign exchange, and access to larger markets increases potential returns on investment.

Every part of this agenda is a tall order, all the more so at a time of rising geopolitical tensions. But as governments demonstrated by striking several multilateral agreements at the WTO ministerial conference last June, cooperation on trade is still possible. These efforts must continue so that the multilateral trading system helps all economies seize the opportunities available to them, and cope with the vulnerabilities and challenges. Working together, we can use trade to build a fairer, more just, and more resilient economic future.

The Honorable Mia Amor Mottley, SC, MP is Prime Minister of Barbados. Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala is Director-General of the World Trade Organization.

a great plan to start but only President Zelenskyy and his leadership really know the full details of that plan,” Austin said.

For other sensitive issues highlighted in the leaked slides, such as Ukraine’s shortage of air defense munitions, the shortage itself has been known and is one of the reasons US military leaders have been pressing allies to supply whatever systems they can, such as the IrisT systems pledged from Germany and the US-manufactured Hawk air defense systems provided by Spain.

under DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos, do we hear, do we read any word or act that would point to the rule of law in our national highways? Can Abalos be the Superman who enforces the law, mandated by his Oath of Office?

SINGLE SYSTEM FOR ALL TRANSACTIONS OKAYED

PRESIDENT

Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has approved the creation of a single operating system for all government transactions to ensure ease of doing business in the country, the Presidential Communications Office said on Wednesday.

In a statement following a sectoral meeting on improving bureaucratic efficiency held on Tuesday, the PCO said President Marcos directed different agencies working on a code or policy to consider the differences between the national bureaucracy and local government units (LGUs).

T here are technological reasons, as well as political and local considerations to comply with the law and the government has to deal with those issues, the President said.

“ I think it may help when you’re writing the code or when you’re putting the system together, you’re going to have to think about the differences between the national bureaucracy and the different LGUs,” the chief executive added.

Those are the things that we still work with. The questions we were trying to bring it down to that level, and the local governments are really part of that thing. You’ve seen how it can happen. That’s what we

need to address,” Marcos said.

G overnment officials who met the President said that’s the reason why the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), are now mapping the processes of different agencies so they can be able to collate them in a single system.

Even LGUs, they said, are covered by the ease of doing business law, particularly under Section 11, which requires them to set up and traditionalize electronic business one-stop-shop, which will standardize LGU requirements.

A mong those who met with the President were DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary David Almirol Jr., ARTA Director General Ernesto Perez and Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio.

Assist

BSP: Informal sector keeps PHL stable, but wages low

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

I n a briefing at the World BankInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings, BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla said the informal sector does not need much input from abroad.

T heir removal from the formal sector, Medalla said, causes decisions such as those on policy rates to “matter very little” to them. This helps, in a way, stabilize the economy by cushioning the impact of such decisions on these workers.

are higher. But at the same time, the economy is a lot more stable, because the informal sector doesn’t need much inputs from abroad,” Medalla said.

M edalla also said incomes in the informal sector account for less than half the average income in the formal sector. Workers in the informal sector also do not enjoy benefits such as medical insurance.

ment, Medalla noted.

T his, he noted, shows that there is a certain level of countercyclicality in terms of employment during hard times. Times of crisis would sometimes lead to an increase in employment, albeit in the informal sector.

When the father of a family who was in the formal sector gets laid off, his wife and his son may have to work to replace his income.

So sometimes, overall employment numbers are very hard to interpret. Sometimes the employment numbers go up when times are bad,” Medalla said.

T he low incomes that result from informal employment can lead to poorly nourished children. Medalla lamented the high levels of stunting in the country.

they are born but when they are still inside the womb of their mothers. There is a high chance that women who are poorly nourished produce stunted children. “ You can also see a very high level of stunting of children from poor families. So that the day they’re born, they’re already behind. In fact, nine months before they are born, they’re already behind because the mother is also not well fed. So these are the things that should keep us awake at night, but at the same time it is very hard to change,” Medalla said.

Medalla said programs such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) which translates to “Bridges for Families,” is a good program to ensure that children are in school and receive proper nutrition. Pregnant women, under the program, should go for regular check ups.

Continued on A4

It’s both sad and good because that means they’re so excluded from the system that what happens to the formal system hardly affects them and that’s negative because the incomes in a formal system

Stunting does not only cause children to be shorter than what is appropriate for their age but also prevents these children from maximizing their brain power.

THE President also directed the DICT and ARTA to assist LGUs in adopting the Business Permits and Licensing Systems in All Cities and Municipalities (BPLS) system. Continued

Despite this, the informal sector is able to provide jobs for Filipinos. During hard times when heads of families working in the formal sector lose their jobs, they are able to rely on other family members to pitch in and get informal employ -

T his causes them to lag behind in school. This diminishes their chances of getting higher incomes through their productive years.

Medalla notes that poorly nourished children do not start when

China warns as US, PHL stage combat drills

By Jim Gomez

Associated Press

The

MANILA—China warned on Wednesday that a deepening security alliance between the United States and the Philippines should not harm its security and territorial interests and interfere in long-simmering territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

W hen asked to comment on the combat exercises between American and Filipino forces that started on Tuesday in the Philippines, the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Wednesday issued a statement by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, who said that such drills “should not target any third party and should be conducive to regional peace and stability.”

Wang did not say how China would respond if it concludes that the US-Philippine security cooperation was hurting Beijing’s core interests.

I n Washington, the US and Philippine defense and foreign secretaries met on Tuesday to discuss the development of nine Philippine military camps, where American forces have been allowed to stay indefinitely under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

“ These sites will support combined training exercises and interoperability between our forces to ensure that we’re even better prepared for future crises,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. He added the US was allocating more than $100 million to build infrastructure at the sites, where Americans would be stationed.

C hina has strongly opposed that agreement, which would allow American forces to establish military staging grounds and surveillance outposts in the northern Philippines across the sea from the Taiwan Strait and in western Philippine provinces facing the disputed South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety on historical grounds. Washington disputes China’s claims.

A ustin said he also discussed with his Philippine counterpart, Carlito Galvez, the US delivery of much-needed defense equipment, including radars, unmanned aerial systems, military transport aircraft

and coastal and air defense systems to Philippines over the next five to 10 years under a security assistance roadmap.

T his year’s Balikatan exercises between the treaty allies are the largest since the two sides started joint military combat-readiness exercises in the early 1990s. They will run until April 28 and involve more than 17,600 American and Filipino personnel and a small Australian contingent. About a dozen countries including Japan and India but not China were sending observers, organizers said.

I n a live-fire drill the allies will stage for the first time, US and Filipino forces will sink a ship in Philippine territorial waters off western Zambales province on April 26 in a coordinated coastal artillery bombardment and airstrike, Col. Michael Logico, a Philippine spokesman for Balikatan, told reporters on Tuesday.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been briefed about the live-fire drill and plans to watch it, Logico said.

I n Palawan, which faces the South China Sea, the exercises will involve beach assaults and retaking an island seized by enemy forces, Logico said.

M arcos, who took office in June last year, has nurtured closer relations with Washington than his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, who often lashed out at US security policies while praising China and Russia. Duterte tried to abrogate a key defense pact that would have restrained American forces from entering the Philippines for largescale war drills but later backpedaled from the effort.

T he drills are the latest display of American firepower in Asia, as the Biden administration strengthens an arc of alliances to better counter China, including in a possible confrontation over Taiwan, an island democracy that Beijing claims as its own.

T hat dovetails with efforts by the Philippines under Marcos to defend its territorial interests in the South China Sea.

T he ongoing drills, which started in the early 1990s, will showcase US  warships, fighter jets, Patriot missiles, HIMARS rocket launchers and anti-tank Javelins, according to US and Philippine military officials.

T he BSP Governor said the program received support from multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, proof that the international community believes in the merits of the program.

World rice price hike won’t affect PHL much

THE national government remained confident that the slight elevation in world rice prices would not significantly affect domestic prices.

T he All Rice Price Index of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations showed the commodity’s prices slowed to 3.2 percent in February but remained 17.6 percent above its average last year.

A griculture Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and Regulations Mercedita A. Sombilla told BusinessMirror on Wednesday that buffer stock volumes are still pegged at 350,000 metric tons as prices remain stable.

“ Rice prices are stable (and) went up because of fuel/fertilizer cost. I don’t think there is an alarm. World prices are slightly elevated but Vietnam is harvesting soon,” Sombilla said.

I n March, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data showed rice prices increased 2.6 percent from 2.2 percent in March 2022. From February, there was also an increase of 0.5 percent.

S ombilla said the DA does not have plans to manage the country’s imports during harvest. This is ensured by the provisions of Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Trade Liberalization (RTL) law.

B ased on the provisions of the same law, Sombilla reiterated that the National Food Authority (NFA) is not allowed to import directly from foreign sources.

N ational Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Undersecretary for Planning and Policy Rosemarie G. Edillon also told BusinessMirror that the RTL helps keep local rice prices low.

W hile the PSA data showed an increase in local rice prices because world prices were elevated, the increase would have been higher if not for the RTL, Edillon said.

THE country’s informal sector, which accounts for a third of Philippine GDP, has helped stabilize the economy but kept Filipino’s incomes low, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Companies

B1

Thursday, April 13, 2023

Vehicle sales jump by 30% in Q1 on strong demand

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

A joint report released by Campi and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) showed that the automotive industry sold 97,284 units of vehicles in the first quarter, up 30.1 percent from last year’s 74,754 units. For March alone, Campi and TMA said sales reached 36,880 units, a 24.2 percent increase compared with the previous year’s 29,685 units. “Achieving the 36,880-unit sales in March is indeed good news as the auto industry continues to hinge on the thriving consumer demand for

new motor vehicles, which hopefully will further improve in the coming months,” Campi President Rommel Gutierrez said in a statement.

“Favorable economic conditions are also an important driving factor for sustained growth.”

The Campi chief noted that the auto industry’s performance in March was the second highest monthly performance the March 2023 sales performance is the second highest monthly performance “in a post-pandemic time,” after the

industry sold more than 37,000 units of motor vehicles in December 2022.

On a monthly basis, data indicated that car sales grew by 19.3 percent to 36,880 units from the 30,905 units sold in February.

Among all the vehicle segments, the Asian utility vehicle, passenger car, and commercial vehicle posted gains last month.

In contrast, sales of trucks and buses fell by 11.4 percent year-todate to 217 from the 245 units recorded last year.

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. led year-to-date sales with 45,205 units, followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. with 17,765 units, and Nissan Philippines, Inc. with 6,396 units.

Campi and TMA said last March that they remain optimistic that vehicle sales will further grow by 10 to 15 percent and hit the 395,000-mark this year from the actual sales of 352,596 units recorded in 2022.

According to Campi and TMA,

SEC to Upsys: Stop offering securities

their sales forecast for this year is higher than the pre-pandemic levels, second only to the industry’s performance in 2017 or a year prior to the implementation of excise tax under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.

In an interview with reporters last February, the Campi chief said the industry is banking on pent-up demand and the “many models” which would boost sales.

he said “the auto industry is optimistic of its continued expansion from the demand-side standpoint.”

Gutierrez, however, said the industry is “mindful” of supplyside challenges which may hamper growth. he noted that some car models, especially those sourced from Japan, are still affected by the shortage of microchips.

Campi-TMA’s total industry sales forecast for the year is 408,000 units, which includes exclusive members of the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors and MG Motors Phils. (Morris Garages).

Meralco weighs power supply options

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

The Manila e l ectric Co.

(Meralco) is evaluating its power requirements following the moratorium on the issuance of the Certificate of exemption (COe) f rom the conduct of a competitive selection process (CSP).

“even with the moratorium on COes, DUs [distribution utilities] still need to comply with their mandate to supply their captive markets in the least cost manner. Thus, Meralco will continue to evaluate and optimize all sources of supply to meet this mandate,” said Meralco utility economics head Lawrence Fernandez.

The Meralco official added that these may include sourcing more of its requirements from the Wholesale electricity Spot Market (W eSM) and increasing offtake from existing PSAs (power supply agreements), among others.

Meralco had recently sourced 32 percent of its total requirement from the W eSM for the March supply month compared to 22 percent

the previous month. The independent power producers covered 27 percent of Meralco’s total energy requirement. The PSAs, meanwhile, accounted for 41 percent of Meralco’s energy requirement for the period.

“Operationally, there is no target share of W eSM versus contracted energy. In general, after considering technical constraints (e.g., minimum load of a power plant, minimum offtake requirements, etc.), Meralco regularly compares W e SM prices against the variable costs of available PSAs and takes energy from whichever is cheaper,” Fernandez added.

The moratorium imposed by the Department of energy (DOe) will take effect until a new CSP policy is issued.

The DOe e n ergy Regulatory Commission and the National electrification Administration are currently drafting a new CSP policy that aims to rationalize and streamline the conduct of CSP, particularly the issuance of COe - CSP, and the review of the terms of reference (TOR) for unsolicited proposal (UP), among others. To ensure a smooth transition to the new circular, “the DOe hereby

suspends the issuance of the COeCSP on this ground upon effectivity of this advisory. In the alternative, the DU and the power supplier shall jointly file their emergency Power Supply Agreement ( ePSA) before the eRC for its approval,” the DOe advisory read.

however, COe - CSP applications with complete requirements filed with the DOe before the effectivity of the moratorium will be processed.

For COe - CSP applications with incomplete requirements and submitted to the DOe before the effctivity of the moratorium, the DOe shall also process these provided that the remaining requirements are completed during the period of the moratorium.

Just recently, Meralco secured a COe - CSP for a 300-megawatt (MW) ePSA for one year with South Premiere Power Corp. (SPPC). Meralco is now seeking a similar exemption for 180MW baseload capacity requirement.

Meralco had said the execution of the ePSA will help shield electricity consumers from volatile and potentially higher generation costs in the

PLDT asks for more time to register SIMs

The PLDT Group has joined the calls for the extension of the deadline for SIM Registration, citing the need to assist marginalized and subscribers that are in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA).

According to PLDT FVP Cathy Yang, wireless brands Smart and TNT are filing the extension request before the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) despite the “ballooning” of daily registrations.

“We are filing this request to help give ample time to all mobile users, particularly the marginalized sectors and those located in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas of the country, to register their SIMs,” she said.

Over the past few months, Smart has been setting up “hun-

dreds” of assisted SIM Registration booths in far-flung municipalities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, in close collaboration with organizer NTC, DICT, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the interagency committee on remote areas registration, and other public telecommunications entities.

“Over the past 10 days, our daily registration numbers have ballooned as more customers catch up before the deadline,” Yang added.

These booths offer information and guidance on how to register Smart or TNT SIMs using acceptable ID cards, as well as provide physical assistance to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and those using non-data phones.

“We are here to continuously support the government in its SIM Registration initiative. While we have led in the number of registra-

tions to date with about 46 percent of our total number of subscribers already registered, and which is higher than industry average, we see the need to give subscribers more time to secure the government IDs required to register their SIMs. We stand ready with government to support any undertaking to fast track completing the SIM Registration process as required by law,” Yang said.

The PLDT Group joins rival Globe Telecom Inc. in seeking for an extension. On Tuesday, Globe said less than half of its total mobile users have yet to register their SIMs.

As of April 11, Globe 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, Globe has yet to reach at least 50 percent of total registrations. Lorenz S. Marasigan

By VG Cabuag @villygc

The Securities and exchange Commission (SeC ) has ordered Upsys Daily Trading to stop offering and soliciting investments to the public.

In an order dated April 4, the agency directed the company, which also operates as Upsys Daily Trading Management OPC and UPSYS Daily Trading Management Consultancy, to immediately cease and desist from its operations.

The order covers its single stockholder, director, and president Mark Uy Contreras, registered owner and agent John Rey Baldenas Villarino, nominee Michael Reyes Puente, alternate nominee June Mendoza Samson, as well as all officers and among other operators.

The order was issued after the SeC enforcement and Investor Protection Department found the company to be offering investment packages worth P500 to P150,000, in exchange for daily returns ranging from 2 percent to 4 percent. After three months, investors stand to earn returns from P900 to P540,000, depending on the

package availed.

In addition to the guaranteed returns, an investor will also earn a 50 percent direct referral bonus for recruiting members, plus commissions on referrals made by their respective recruits. The scheme involves the sale and offer of securities to the public in the form of investment contracts, in which a person invests his money in a common enterprise and is led to expect profits primarily from the efforts of others, according to the SeC “[T]he Commission also finds that the unauthorized investment scheme of the Upsys Group is a Ponzi scheme which is likewise proscribed by law as the same constitutes fraud upon the investing public,” according to the order.

Upsys Group is registered with the SeC as a one-person corporation, but has never secured a secondary license as issuer of securities or broker dealer nor registered any securities for public offering pursuant to the Securities Regulation Code. The SeC has issued an advisory warning the public not to invest in Upsys Group, and to exercise caution in dealing with its founder and CeO John Villarino as early as January 26.

W eSM, which is historically recorded during the dry season when power demand spikes.

Vehicle sales surged in the first quarter due to the strong rebound in consumer demand, according to the chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines inc. (campi).

Trust fund for proposed water agency pushed

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

LAwMAkERS are pushing for the creation of a trust fund under the Department of water Resources (DwR) to finance water sustainability projects in the country.

Davao City Rep. Paolo Z. Duterte said the bill creating the Department of water Resources (Dw R), as the lead agency tasked to secure the country’s supply of water and effectively manage the delivery of this vital resource, should include the creation of a water Trust Fund ( w T F) in the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr).

House Bill (HB) 3727, which Duterte filed with Benguet Rep. Eric G. Yap, seeks to address concerns over a looming water and sanitation crises in the country by creating the Dw R a nd the water Regulatory Commission ( w RC).

Duterte said that under HB 3727, remittances from non-tax revenues related to water management, including raw water pricing, permit fees, registration fees, supervision and regulation enforcement fees, filing fees, testing fees and other service income from the use of water resources will form part of the w T F.

The w T F “shall be accounted separately from the government’s general revenues and shall be automatically appropriated to the [Dw R],” the bill states.

Duterte said proceeds from the w T F will be utilized for water development, water sanitation and waste water treatment and management, and water sustainability programs and projects authorized under the measure.

The bill provides that a maximum of 10 percent of the total income generated from raw water extraction shall be given as share of the concerned local government unit or indigenous people community that owns or has jurisdiction over the specific areas of land where the raw water was sourced.

“There are various government agencies battling this recurring water and sanitation [crises], and there is a need now more than ever to consolidate efforts to avoid duplication of functions, improve public service delivery, and prudently manage limited government resources to address this pressing concern,” Duterte said in filing HB 3727.

The lawmaker said that establishing the Dw R should not be dismissed as merely an added layer to the bu-

reaucracy “because its creation is not only crucial to averting a water and sanitation crises but is also essential in ensuring that all stakeholders are on the same page in ensuring the effective management of the country’s water resources.”

Improving the management of water resources covers not only its supply to consumers but also to the agriculture sector, which the government has committed to support to guarantee food security, Duterte said.

Duterte also pointed out that efficient water resources management is a critical factor in protecting the health of Filipinos by ensuring their access to safe, drinking water.

Citing studies done by the global nonprofit organization water.org, Duterte said more than three million people in the country relies on unsafe and unsustainable water sources, while seven million lacks access to improved sanitation.

Duterte and Yap said the creation of the Dw R ensures that a primary agency is on top to identify, plan, oversee and manage the efficient use of the country’s water resources.

The Dw R will also be the lead agency responsible for the planning and policy formulation towards the attainment of universal access to a safe, adequate, affordable and sustainable water supply, as well as improved sanitation services for all Filipinos, the two lawmakers said in their proposed bill.

HB 3727 also seeks to create the w RC and its regulatory units under the Dw R to oversee the functions and responsibilities of all water service providers.

As an independent, quasi-judicial body, the w RC is authorized, among other powers, to impose and collect annual levies, fees and surcharges on licensed water supply and sanitation services.

Under the bill, the Dw R shall exercise administrative supervision over the Metropolitan waterworks and Sewerage System, National Irrigation Administration and the Laguna Lake Development Authority. The Local water Utilities Administration shall be transferred from the Department of Public works and Highways to the Dw R

Moreover, the functions and personnel of the National water Resources Board and other boards, offices, divisions, bureaus and programs related to the management, planning, surveying, and monitoring of water resources shall be subsumed under the Dw R

No extension for April 17 tax payment deadline–BIR Chief

BUREAU of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. announced that the deadline for filing and payment of the 2022 Annual Income Tax Return (AITR) remains to be on April 17, 2023.

In a statement issued by the BIR, Lumagui’s statement follows the issuance of Revenue Memorandum Circular 32-2023 relative to the clarificatory guidelines in the filing of the 2022 AITR and payment of taxes due thereon.

“ we are all partners in nationbuilding. Timely payment of taxes results into immediate funding of priority government programs.

There will be no extension,” Lumagui was quoted in the statement as saying. “The deadline for filing and payment of our 2022 AITRs is on Monday. You can avail of our ‘File and Pay Anywhere’ set-up. BIR Tax Assistance Centers are also set-up nationwide. Banks have extended their hours until 5:00 p.m. webinars are already uploaded explaining how you can accomplish your tax returns. There is no reason for noncompliance because the processes have been made simpler and more convenient. There is also no reason for an extension because any delay in the filing and payment of taxes will result into inadequate funding of government programs. Let us aid our fellow Filipinos by honoring the April 17 deadline. Filing and payment beyond the set deadline will be

grounds for charging taxpayers with corresponding interests, surcharges, and compromise penalties.”

Transforming the BIR

THE BIR said Lumagui has implemented several programs that will make the lives of taxpayers during this tax filing season more convenient. This is in line with his mission of transforming the BIR into a service-oriented agency, not just a goal-oriented one. BIR Tax Assistance Centers are set-up nationwide since March 20, 2023, which are duly manned by competent and reliable revenue officers ready to assist the taxpaying public in electronically filing their AITRs.

Bank Bulletin 23-02 issued by Lumagui stated that all Authorized Agent Banks (AABs) will accept Tax Returns/Payments of Internal Revenue Taxes during the tax filing season. These AABs are open on the two consecutive Saturdays of the tax filing season (March 25 and April 1) and they are also instructed to have an extended banking hours up to 5:00 p.m. for the period April 1 to 17, 2023.

“To all our taxpayers having difficulties in filling-out their tax returns, don’t know how and where

to pay the corresponding taxes due, and confused on what are the required attachments and how to submit it, we are glad to inform you that you can check the BIR’s Official

Facebook Page and re-watch our series of webinars on the tax filings of employees, self-employed individuals, partnership and corporations,” Lumagui added.

DAR offers credit line to Maasin, Leyte ARBs

these loan windows.

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

SSS

kicks off ‘Run After Contribution Evaders’

THE Social Security System

(SSS) announced last April 12

it kicked off its first “Run After Contribution Evaders,” or “Race,” activity in Mandaluyong City last March 3 by issuing notices to a dozen employers for not remitting the contributions of their employees to SSS.

These employers incurred more than P57-million worth of unpaid contributions and penalties, computed as of February 28, 2023, affecting the SSS benefits of 451 employees, the SSS statement read.

SSS President and CEO Rolando L. Macasaet was quoted in the statement as saying that owners of these establishments who received the show cause orders were given 15 days to coordinate with SSS New Panaderos Branch and explain why SSS should not take any legal action against them.

The statement last we dnesday didn’t reveal these employers’ response to the order.

“The ‘Race’ activity in Mandaluyong City is part of our nationwide campaign to ensure the social security coverage of members and enhance SSS’ collection efficiency,” Macasaet said. Likewise, during a briefing, SSS Executive Vice President for Branch Operations Sector Voltaire P. Agas reminded employers of their legal obligation under Republic Act 11199 (Social Security Act of 2018) to report their employees to SSS and remit the corresponding monthly contributions of their workers.

“ we appeal to these employers to religiously remit the monthly SSS contributions of their employees. If they neglect their duties, their employees will not qualify for the benefits they are entitled to claim because of insufficient contributions or their contribution records are not updated,” Agas added.

Under the SS Law, employers who failed to register their employees or have not deducted and remitted their employees’ contributions will be penalized with a fine of P5,000 to P20,000 and face imprisonment ranging from six years and one day to 12 years.

Currently, SSS offers the “contribution penalty condonation, delinquency management and restructuring,” program for business employers and the “contribution penalty condonation and restructuring” program for household employers to help them settle their delinquencies in paying the contributions of their employees and household helpers or kasambahay

Under these programs, delinquent employers can pay the unremitted contributions of their employees and kasambahay, less the accrued penalties, through a one-time payment or installment term.

we encourage our employers to take this opportunity to settle their delinquencies and avoid the lengthy judicial processes for them to gain back their good standing with us,” Macasaet said through the statement.

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is encouraging farmers in Maasin City, Leyte, to tap the DAR’s lending facilities as fund sources to finance farm operations or livelihood.

During a meeting recently organized by the DAR in the provincial capital, key personnel cited that about 65 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) were able to borrow P3.6 million through one of the lending facility called “Accessible Fund for Delivery to ARBs,” or “Afford-ARBs,” program.

The ARBs applied for the loan DAR’s credit assistance program citing they need the money to fund

briefs

their farming of abaca and cacao, according to DAR-Leyte Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator Mark Obregon. Obregon was quoted in a statement as saying the “AffordARBs” program has been offering the lending window since 2021.

During the meeting, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Roderick B. Rances encouraged the ARBs to borrow through the “Afford-ARBs” and two other credit assistance programs offered by the DAR that, he said, applies “minimal” interest rates.

According to Rances, ARBs who are still struggling to recover their losses incurred when Typhoon Odette hit Southern Leyte in December 2021 could borrow money from

➜ Total complaints filed by BOC in Q1 at 65

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced last Wednesday it has filed a total of 65 criminal complaints in the first quarter of 2023. Majority of these complaints involved the alleged smuggling in agricultural products with 49. The other 16 complaints involved the alleged smuggling in fuel, food, cigarettes, general merchandise and used clothing. “The [BOC] remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguard our country’s borders and to protect our local industries from the harmful effects of smuggling, and we will not rest until we have put an end to this illegal activity,” Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio was quoted in the statement as saying. “We will remain vigilant in our efforts to combat smuggling.” Raadee S. Sausa

➜ Crypto trader targets churches

A TRAdER of nontradeable cryptocurrency “Ophir” announced having launched a campaign targeting donors to churches in the country. Jon Blaylock announced through a statement last Wednesday that He began an international cryptocurrency fundraising campaign to channel donations to the General Mariano Alvarez Fellowship of Christian Churches (GMAFEC), a non-profit based in Cavite. donors can send Tether, USd Coin, Ether, Smooth Love Potion, Hex or Texan to GMAFEC’s designated crypto wallet,” a statement read. “They will also

According to DAR Agri-Credit and Microfinance Coordinator Victoria Ligtas, aside from the “AffordARBs,” the agency also has the following credit lines: the “Expanded Assistance to Restore and Install Sustainable Enterprise,” or “e-Arise,” program and the “Accessible Loans for Empowered, Resilient, and Transform - Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations,” or “Alert-ARBOsm” program.

Ligtas said that the “Afford-ARBs” and the “e-Arise” credit lines can be availed individually while ARBO members could borrow from the “Alert-ARBOs” only through the organization they are affiliated with.

She explained the DAR files the

receive zero-value ‘Ophir’ tokens as donation premiums which the market may ascribe value to once ‘Ophir’ becomes tradeable.” According to Blaylock, the donations will be used by GMAFEC to educate “thousands of churches, which will also be receiving ‘Ophir’ tokens as a free gift.”

➜ BPI launches new app

THE Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) announced having launched a new mobile application. BPI

Head of Consumer Banking Maria Cristina L. Go was quoted in a statement as saying the app is key to the bank’s “phygital” approach. “Our customers have the option to bank with the app in tandem with BPI branches and ATMs—giving them a choice of their preferred channel with services like online booking of branch visits or cashless withdrawal.” BPI Consumer Bank Marketing, Platforms and digital Activation Head Mariana Beatriz E. Zobel de Ayala said that the new app has a mobile check deposit not found in the older version of the lender’s app.

➜ SECB arm bags Anvils SECURITY Bank Foundation Inc. (SBFI), the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of Security Bank Corp. (PSE: SECB), announced receiving two Silver Anvils from the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) for its CSR Initiatives. The

loan application it acquired and approved to the Landbank of the Philippines. Ligtas explained that the Landbank no longer ask for collateral if borrowers apply for a loan through “Afford-ARBs.”

However, the borrower must not have any other insurance application with the Philippine Crop Insurance Co. (PCIC), because the proceeds they will get from PCIC will serve as their collateral, she added.

A PCIC staff said the state insurer conducts inspections to determine if the applicant deserves appropriate indemnification.

According to Rosemarie Arreglo, coordinator of the DAR Regional Office ACMF, her office has no record of a delinquent payer among borrowers.

PRSP recognized SBFI’s education program and employee volunteerism and fundraising program, SECB said in a statement. The Anvil is conferred to outstanding public relations programs that meet the highest standards of excellence, as evaluated by a multinational jury of senior PR professionals.

SBFI Trustee and Corporate Secretary Melissa Aquino said the recognition “is a testament that we have been making a positive impact in addressing the gaps in the country’s education system through our holistic approach.”

➜ PNB Capital bags awards PNB Capital and Investment Corp. (PNB Capital), the investment banking arm of Philippine National Bank (PSE: PNB), was given three awards by the Asset Publishing and Research Ltd. last February 23 in Hong Kong. PNB Capital said it brought home the “Best IPO” award for Citicore Energy REIT Corp.’s (CREIT) P6.4-billion IPO, where the bank acted as joint bookrunner and lead local underwriter for the transaction. The firm was also recognized for “Best Transition Bond” for the P40.0-billion fixed rate bond of SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. where it was the lead underwriter and bookrunner. PNB Capital said it also won the award for “Best New Bond” for the P5-billion fixed rate bond Cebu Landmasters Inc. where the bank acted as co-lead underwriter.

This undated photo shows Bureau of internal Revenue Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. Lumagui said the BiR will not extend the deadline for the filing of tax payments.

Health& Fitness BusinessMirror

Bring back ‘Let’s DOH it’ campaign to entice more people to vaccinate—expert

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes Contributor

“The DOH needs to revive the ‘Flavier era’ to bring back the excitement and trust in its various programs such as the vaccination campaign,” said Professor Nina Castillo-Carandang, Ph.D from the Department of Clinical Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines in a recent in a recent forum titled “Stronger Together: Vaccination for All Ages”  organized by the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP), in partnership with MSD in the Philippines, at the EDSA Shangri-La Manila.

“How do we build this trust?  We need leaders that we can trust.  Until now, we don’t have a Secretary of Agriculture. Not all Filipinos are healthy and we still don’t have a Secretary of Health. Where are we headed but to the dung heap unless we also change tactics and be brave to face all this,” Castillo-Carandang pointed out.

Appointed as Health Secretary by the late President Fidel V. Ramos in 1992, Dr. Juan Flavier easily garnered

Stop smoking now to fight its adverse effects–NGO

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Lent may be over but if you promise to make the sacrifice to quit smoking, then do so.

Quitting smoking, according to the Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC), is one of the most important actions people can take to improve their health.

He alth Justice Philippines, a non-government organization, said that quitting smoking will protect non-smokers from the ill-effects of secondhand smoke.

t h e group added that smokers who totally abstain from smoking and vaping can help save the health of their loved ones, friends and neighbors.

Abstinence

“AbstA in ing from tobacco products ensures everyone is save from tobacco related diseases,”

HealthJustice stressed.

Likewise, the group urged authorities to implement the smoking prohibition of the Clean Air Act (Republic Act 8749) noting that exposure to secondhand smoke can cause coronary heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and other diseases.

i t c an also result in premature death.

“ RA 8749 prohibits smoking inside a public building or an enclosed public place including public vehicles and other means of transport or in any enclosed area outside of one’s private residence, private place of work or any duly designated smoking area,” HealthJustice said.

Benefits of quitting smoking

tH e C DC said that it is true that regardless of their age or how long they have been smoking, quitting smoking will:

n i mprove health status and enhance qual -

i ty of life;

n Reduce the risk of premature death and can add as much as 10 years to life expectancy;

n Reduce the risk for many adverse health effects, including poor reproductive health outcomes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancer;

n b e nefits people already diagnosed with coronary heart disease or COPD;

n b e nefits the health of pregnant women and their fetuses and babies;

n Reduces the financial burden that smoking places on people who smoke, health care systems, and society.

ment. She added that the country’s health care system needs to be “reimagined as a public sector program and private sector partnership to deliver an equitable impact and vaccination is a good venue to deliver an equitable setup.”

She added the government needs to get equity in all of its public health programs and partnership with the private sector.

and households. Vaccines are costeffective and are one of the core components of preventive health services packages,” Bunoan said.

Editor: Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

Concepcion appeals anew for CPR of Covid-19 vaccines

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

GO

Negosyo Founder Joey Concepcion

tion anymore,” he explained.

Boosters bolster protection

many followers by integrating wit and humor in promoting and implementing the various programs and advocacies of the DOH.

Under his leadership, the former Doctor to the Barrio successfully implemented Oplan Alis Disease (massive immunization campaign against polio); Yosi Kadiri (antitobacco campaign), and Doctors to the Barrio (DTTB), which deployed graduates of medical schools to poor remote barangays.

Important tool

M AN Y b elieved that the “Let’s DOH It” slogan was an important tool to get Flavier elected as Senator twice, in 1995 and 2001.

Castillo-Carandang urged Filipinos to exercise all the options to get vaccinated. “Whatever vaccination we get is added protection for us,” she said.

She said equity should be the center of public health and universal health care of the govern -

By Rory Visco Contributor

THE middle of March or beginning of April is essentially the time when Filipinos start to go ga-ga over two things: vacation, which almost always is marked by sun, sand and exciting summer parties, and lots of food.

No matter the temperature and boiling heat outdoors, Filipinos love to sashay in the beach as long as they are armed with a killer beach body and their trusty sunblock and spend countless nights partying and indulging in sumptuous food in the company of family, friends or significant others.

The two-year ban in going outdoors is practically gone at this stage so expect Filipinos to really binge on travel and gastronomic delights with a vengeance. But before indulging in those memorable getaways and fantastic foodie treats, people also need to be reminded to take care of their health before going on a food trip. This may be a bit challenging especially for those who are beach-body conscious or who love to enjoy a breezy picnic day with the family.

But as a memorable character in an iconic 80’s movie about an aging karate instructor and impulsive teener said, “it’s all about balance.”

Diet or Eating Smart?

FOR Dianne Dupa, a registered Nutritionist-Dietitian, she recommends that instead of choosing between diet and eating smart, go for a combination of both, which results in a “balanced diet.” “When we say balanced diet, the food or meal that an individual consumes should be able to provide all and adequate amounts of essential nutrients needed by the body to function properly,” says Dupa.

Dupa admits that there are

Vaccine literacy

C A STILLO - C A RANDANG s aid vaccine literacy must also be promoted aggressively to the public because the so-called “Maritesses” continue to spread false news and facts on vaccination. She also urged future mothers to get vaccinated to ensure they can deliver healthy babies.

“Vaccination is a learned behavior and vaccine literacy is a key to creating public trust,” she said.

She said the Philippines needs to step up from its laggard status in 2020 as it was one of the countries that had low vaccination rates.

Dr. Janis Bunoan-Macazo from the Department of Health (DOH) urged all Filipinos to vaccinate because it will benefit the family and eventually the community as well.

“Vaccines may help save lives by preventing certain diseases, reducing direct and indirect health costs on national health systems

Lessons learned DR Rose Capeding from the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination said people don’t need to wait for World Immunization Week to start raising awareness about the importance of vaccines in safeguarding the health of millions worldwide. She said Filipinos should have learned from the lessons in recent years that health and safety are interconnected, and no one is truly immune or protected from a disease until everyone is protected from said disease.

Other speakers in the forum were Dr. Paul Van Buynder from the Australia Immunization Coalition (AIC), and Prof. Tikki Pangestu from the Asia-Pacific Immunization Coalition (APIC).

The media forum, hosted by journalist and health advocate Jing Castañeda, kickstarted the countdown to World Immunization Week, a global observance celebrated every last week of April to promote the importance of vaccines for all ages. The theme for this year’s World Immunization Week is “The Big Catch Up,” which highlights the need to prioritize vaccinations that were halted due to the pandemic.

has renewed his call for the Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) application of pharmaceutical companies for Covid-19 bivalent vaccines as the looming resurgence of high infection poses a threat to the productivity of the labor force.

The entrepreneurial czar made this appeal, following infectious disease specialist Dr. Rontgene Solante’s warning of the dangers of long Covid, which presents long-lasting effects after an individual has been infected with it.

“You can just imagine an individual who is in the frontline of your workplace and will have brain fog and memory loss. That’s something that will be a disadvantage to the company,” Dr. Solante said during the Covid-19 Town Hall, “Minimizing Business Disruptions Through Covid-19 Booster Vaccination,” organized recently by Go Negosyo in partnership with AstraZeneca.

The medical expert added that it’s unique for the SARS-CoV2 virus, which causes Covid-19, to have lingering effects subsequent to its affliction.

Booster doses can be of big help to avert other complications of the virus, especially long Covid, which has impacted a significant percentage of people who have had coronavirus.

Since sourcing antidotes outside of the country is not that easy anymore with the easing pandemic situation, Concepcion appealed to vaccine makers to already apply for the CPRs.

“We must remember that the country is no longer under a state of public health emergency, so we cannot import Covid-19 vaccines through Emergency Use Authoriza -

tons of diet regimens going around on TV or to be more specific, social media that draw in lots of people, like Low-Carb Intermittent Fasting, the popular “LCIF,” which combines consumption of low-carbohydrate food and fasting, or the earlier “Keto” or “ketogenic” diet, which is focused on the consumption of low-carb but high fat food choices consisting of animal protein, dairy, vegetables and other plant-based food items, plus fats and oils.

For someone whose health status is normal, a person still requires a balanced diet, adds Dupa. She said that an individualized diet may be introduced as a therapeutic diet as well, especially for people with health conditions. “For example, Ketogenic diets are prescribed to select patients with related neurological disorders like epilepsy, while a low carbohydrate and low-fat diet is recommended for people who are undergoing weight management activities,” says Dupa.

Healthy cooking for healthy food consumption

FOR those who strive to achieve that whistle-bait figure worthy of attention in any beach, Dupa provides this necessary reminder: remember that every type of body is a swimsuit-ready body.

“If you want to feel good and not just look good, you should always eat healthy. Eating healthy means it should be for the benefit of your health and not for anything else.”

Dupa also emphasized that good eating habits do not necessarily mean living off salads or worse, starving oneself, which can also be dangerous. She stressed that it’s all about being smart and establishing balance on what one eats, and in connection, about how food is prepared.

One particular cooking method she suggested is air frying.

Why is air frying beneficial to people watching what they eat?

It’s a method of cooking that’s good for those with restrictions on fat since air frying requires less oil to cook food.

This means saying goodbye to deep-fried food for those who are big fans of it. Studies have shown that a diet that is focused on deep-fried, oily food equates to more risks for chronic diseases such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes and other heart diseases. Air frying, Dupa said, allows people to enjoy their favorite food but at the same time cuts down on caloric consumption by as much as 70 to 80 percent while also lessening fat content. Through air frying, it pushes out hot air and circulates it to cook the food. This way, it minimizes or sometimes even entirely removes the use of oil when cooking to reduce health risks.

And most air fryers, Dupa said, are so smart that it enables any newbie home maker to become the best cook he or she can be. “You don’t need to be an experienced chef to be able to whip out those delicious and healthy meals for family and friends this summer season. With smart air fryers like the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer, it takes the guesswork out of cooking food, whether fried, baked or grilled, either at home or at any favorite summer getaway destination.”

For Dupa, who is also the Wellness Business Unit Manager of Breville Philippines, she believes that a holistic approach is still needed to maintain a healthy body: balanced diet, proper and enough sleep, adequate water intake, good amount of sunshine, and stress management. But these are just mere tips or suggestions, she said. “Overall, despite these suggestions, it will always boil down to two key words such as ‘discipline’ and ‘determination,’” she concluded.

GETTING boosters is highly crucial for workers as it will shield them from a severe variant of the virus while allowing them to help keep the economy afloat, Dr. Solante emphasized.

“It’s very difficult to build a population wall of immunity in the community,” he said. “At least in your workplace, if all of you are vaccinated, if all people are boostered, then you have a lower risk of higher absenteeism and loss of productivity.”

According to him, a single person infected with the coronavirus—albeit moderate or not—still has the tendency to have his other health problems become more worse, thus, affecting his efficiency.

“Imagine in a company where you have an individual who developed a mild infection but long Covid was there. The comorbidities are amplified, uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes. That’s something that really will be a burden of the infection in terms of productivity,” he said.

Still hopeful

AKIN to pneumonia, flu and shingles vaccines, Concepcion hopes that the Covid-19 jab will become commercially available.

“The way forward for the country to obtain needed bivalent vaccines for booster shots is for pharmaceutical firms to apply for CPR. They cannot permanently rely on the government for indemnification from adverse reactions,” he said.

Following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to not extend the state of emergency, which expired last December 31, 2022, Covid-19 vaccines may only be obtained and made available to the public through CPR.

SM City Roxas became the latest SM Supermall to host SM Foundation’s medical and dental mission. Last March 28, 2023, 537 individuals availed of medical, diagnostic, dental services, free medicines, and vitamins in the medical and dental mission conducted at the mall’s Event Center. Of these numbers, 438 were medical, ECGs and X-Rays services, and 99 dental services.

SM Foundation partnered with the Provincial Government of Capiz, City Government of Roxas, Office of Capiz 1st District Board Member Thea Faith Reyes, Philippine Red Cross, Watsons, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko, and MX3 - DMIRIE Foundation Inc. Opened to the public in April 2022, SM City Roxas is the 79th SM Supermall and the third in the Western Visayas region. The others are SM City Iloilo and SM City Bacolod.

Two days after the medical mission in Capiz, the SM Foundation health and wellness team together with its volunteers went to Barotac Viejo, a coastal municipality in

the province of Iloilo for a medical mission. It was initiated by BDO Network Bank. A total of 887 medical, dental and laboratory services were extended to beneficiaries: 608, medical; 100, dental; 101, X-ray; and 78, ECG.

The team proceeded to Ajuy the following day, March 31, for another medical mission. Ajuy is another municipality of Iloilo which is 31 kilometers from Barotac Viejo and 99 kilometers from Capiz City. It has 34 barangays.

The medical mission was conducted in partnership with the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) Foundation, the LGU of Ajuy and MX3-DMIRIE Foundation. Held at the San Antonio Gymnasium of Ajuy, 863 beneficiaries availed of medical (279), xray (91), ECG (26), blood sugar test (46), uric acid test (38) and cholesterol test (38), among others.

During the three medical missions in Capiz and Iloilo, the MX3DMIRIE Foundation provided unlimited free coffee, giveaway packs to all patients containing snacks, MX3 coffee mix, t-shirts, and bibles.

There is an urgent need to bring back the “Let’s DOh It” era to the Department of health (DOh) to entice more people to vaccinate.

A balanced diet is the key to a healthy you

SM Foundation, partners mount medical mission in Visayas

Gen Z Pinoys more mindful of mental health than the rest of the world’s youth

MANY of the information I share in my column are mostly for younger children. However, this recent information I came across is really alarming to me, especially because my children now are in their teens. According to a study by leading insurance provider AXA, the Filipino respondents in the 18- to 24-year-old bracket that admitted going through bouts of depression and anxiety were higher than global numbers.

In the Philippines, responses for depression kick in at 35 percent (versus 27 percent globally) while anxiety is at 16 percent (12 percent globally). While the Covid-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on mind health across society, the latest findings from the annual AXA Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing 2023 reveal that Gen Z (aged 18-24) appears to be taking the brunt of the impact, with more than half of Gen Z globally (54 percent) and in Asia (51 percent) experiencing poor mental health. The survey identifies specific challenges they face in today’s workplace, while also highlighting the need for employers to explore tailored support to address a potential surge in turnover in young talent.

The research found that Gen Z have the highest proportion of those struggling (associated with emotional stress and psychosocial impairment) at 18 percent globally and 14 percent in Asia, more than any other age group. Globally, only 13 percent of young people aged 18-24 are flourishing at the pinnacle of mind health, with the proportion being 15 percent in Asia, both the lowest across all age groups. This makes 18-24 the only age group globally that has more people struggling than flourishing.

In Asia’s workplaces, the survey reveals that Gen Z talent are affected by several key challenges that pose a potential threat to their mind health. These include uncertainty about the future (69 percent vs 59 percent globally), struggling to separate work life and non-work life (49 percent vs 39 percent globally), finding it hard to keep up with the pace of change at work (47 percent vs 38 percent globally), and a lack of job-skill fit (14 percent vs 9 percent globally). This last factor has a very strong correlation with mental wellbeing, as those that have the right job skill fit are 2.5 times more likely to perform their best according to the research.

The results also show that the 18-24 age group in Asia has the highest percentage of people who intend to resign in the next 12 months (21 percent).

However, the survey also found a clear indication that those in the age group who are flourishing are less likely to resign, with the rate being only 16 percent,

mind health support are 2.5 times more likely to have employees that are flourishing. In particular, while one in four Gen Z employees who feel they are getting good mind health support at work are flourishing, the rate is only 1 in 100 among those that do not see such support, which is the biggest difference among all age groups. This indicates mind health support in the workplace also has the greatest impact on the mental wellbeing of Gen Z, making this group a priority target for such solutions.

Despite this concern, the research found that the proportion of people flourishing in Asia climbed from 19 percent to 22 percent, with the region seeing a bigger rise than the global average. By contrast, the proportion of those struggling in Asia fell to 12 percent, a year-on-year decrease of 2 percent.

How to protect parents from financial scams

By Kimberly Palmer NerdWallet

WHEN a scam artist called Cameron Huddleston’s mom to tell her to wire money in order to claim a prize, Huddleston had to intercept the calls. Her mom, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, was convinced she had to wire the money as soon as possible.

“That was a wake-up call for me. If you have any cognitive decline, you don’t see those red flags anymore,” says Huddleston, who lives in Kentucky and is the director of education at Carefull, a service built to protect aging adults’ daily finances. She also wrote the book Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk, on how to have important conversations about money with your parents.

Scam artists often target older adults, partly because they have amassed greater wealth. “If you are thinking from a criminal’s perspective, which target will give you the greatest returns: a broke 20-something who is struggling with student loans, or a baby boomer with a couple million dollars of retirement assets?” asks Marti DeLiema, assistant professor of social work at University of Minnesota’s School of Social Work.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers age 60 and older filed 467,340 fraud reports in 2021, reporting total losses of more than $1 billion. Overall, consumers age 60 and older are less likely to report losing money to fraud than those age 18-59. But when they do report a monetary loss, it tends to be for more money—especially among those 80 and older. They had the highest median loss of all

groups, at $1,500. The FTC reports that older adults are more likely than younger adults to lose money on scams involving tech support, prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries, and family and friend impersonation.

Here are some steps fraud experts suggest taking to protect your parents and other older adults you care about from falling victim.

Raise the topic. “Talking about scams can be one of the easier conversations because we’re all targeted,” Huddleston says. And you can use your own experiences or trending news to put it out there in a way that isn’t condescending. DeLiema says explaining specific scams—such as a stranger reaching out over social media saying they want to be friends then asking for money, or fake text messages claiming to be a grandchild who needs immediate help—can greatly reduce the chances that someone will fall for them. “If you know about the scam first, you’re 80 percent less likely to respond,” she says.

Lean on anti-fraud tools. A few simple steps can help avert fraud, such as setting phones to send unknown numbers to voicemail, using a credit freeze, and setting stricter privacy controls on social media, says Amy Nofziger, director of fraud victim support for AARP. “These are things we should all be doing,” she says, adding that you can set this up for yourself at the same time. It’s also relatively easy to sign up for financial account monitoring or to receive alerts for every transaction, Huddleston says. In some cases, it could make sense to allow adult children to also monitor those accounts, depending on the parents’ comfort level and support needs.

Legal tools such as a durable power of attorney, a guardianship or a revocable trust can be among the

a new entrant this year, topping the list and Italy (18 percent) showing the lowest level. A closer look at Asian countries and territories in the survey finds that the Philippines had the largest proportion globally of people getting by, at 39 percent, followed by Hong Kong at 37 percent. Across the region, the largest proportion of languishing and struggling were both in Japan, at 31 percent and 14 percent, respectively.

You can access the AXA Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing 2023 at www.axafittoflourish.com. This annual AXA Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing 2023 was conducted across 16 countries and territories in Europe, Asia and the Americas in September, October and November 2022, involving a total of 30,000 respondents. n

most effective ways to keep an older adult’s money safe from scammers, says James Ferraro, a vice president and trust counsel at Argent Trust Company, a wealth management firm headquartered in Ruston, Louisiana.

“If you have funded a revocable trust, then you have a vehicle in place where you can quickly step in if you suspect someone is taking advantage of your parents, be it a fake charity or ‘your grandson is in jail in Mexico’ scam,’” he says.

Know the warning signs. If an older adult is suddenly reluctant to talk about finances, has trouble paying for everyday expenses, or has a high number of incoming phone calls or text messages, those are all potential signs of fraud, says John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud at the National Consumers League, a nonprofit advocacy group. Scammers are adept at creating a false sense of urgency, Breyault says, telling their targets that they must send funds immediately or the IRS or other authority will come.

If fraud does occur, help the authorities track and prosecute it by reporting it, Nofziger says. Start by reporting to your local police department and pertinent government agencies. Avoid Shaming. The shame and embarrassment people feel when victimized can make a stressful situation worse. “Lead the conversation with kindness and empathy, not anger or belittlement,” says Nofzigar. “You can say, ‘I’m sorry this happened to you. Together we’ll figure out next steps. There is no problem that we can’t solve or recover from.’” Reassuring words that can keep older adults, and their money, safer from scam artists in the future. AP

FAST-GROWING SG MOTHERHOOD BRAND NAMES FILIPINA CELEBRITY AS

‘CHIEF MAMA OFFICER’

SOUTHEAST Asia’s fast-growing and award-winning mother and baby brand from Singapore, Mama’s Choice has named celebrity and influencer Andi Manzano-Reyes as the brand’s first Chief Mama Officer in the Philippines.

Present in five SEA countries, including the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, Mama’s Choice (www.mamaschoice.ph) manufactures and retails safe, natural, and Halal-certified pregnancy, nursing, baby care and household products that are designed and tested in Singapore for families in Asia. In the Philippines, Mama’s Choice is available via Shopee and Lazada.

As a mother of two and currently pregnant with her third child, the brand sees Andi as the perfect fit for the role to drive awareness of the brand’s remarkably safe and natural pregnancy, motherhood, and baby products that have passed the highest standard of testing and certification.

“Partnering with Mama’s Choice made me feel like the brand understood me as a mother and all mothers, knowing our needs and giving us one less thing to worry about,” shares Andi when asked why she chose to partner with the brand. “As mothers or soon-to-be moms, we worry about a lot of things—from experiencing hormonal and physical changes, running a household, to making sure your kids are growing up healthy.

Mama’s Choice is dedicated to providing high-quality and safe products for mothers and babies, and Andi’s appointment as Chief Mama Officer will further strengthen the brand’s commitment. With her knowledge of the parenting landscape and passion for advocating for mothers and babies, Mama’s Choice is confident that Andi will bring a fresh perspective and valuable insights to the brand.

“We’re very excited to have Andi on board as our first Chief Mama Officer,” says Andrei Salta, country head of Mama’s Choice Philippines. “We believe Andi is the right choice because of her experience and the positive impact she makes on Pinoy parents. As Chief Mama Officer, Andi will not only help to bring our brand forward in the market, but her passion and active involvement with the parenting community will also provide us with actionable insights that we can use to improve our products and better serve our customers. We look forward to the positive impact she will bring to the brand and the community.”

PHOTO BY ANTHONY TRAN ON UNSPLASH

Green Hotel Awardee Bellevue Resort celebrates 10 years of sustainability while observing Earth Hour

A personalized approach to women’s health and wellness is the way to go

ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL solutions for health and wellness are a thing of the past now. Filipinas have come a long way to realizing and embracing the unique builds of their minds, bodies, even their aspirations and priorities in life.

Challenges related to women’s health and fitness are to each her own. Current health care systems and common wellness practices ought to develop in more ways possible to service and help women meet their evolving and exclusive health demands. Here are practices to consider and digital tools that can be customized and convenient for you, to better and sustain your health this season and beyond.

Personalize your diet and fitness goals

YOU might have heard of trendy fitspiration workout and diet plans to stay healthy and fit. But how sure are you that it suits your unique physique’s needs and capacity? What works for one individual may not for another, more so for women.

Oprah Daily said hormones influence feelings of hunger and fullness, metabolism and body fat levels that overall affect women's lifestyle. Hormone levels differ by age and reproductive or menstrual condition. Filipinas can pursue the latest intermittent fasting, ketogenic diet and calorie-counting trends to achieve their body goals, however, these should be done along with a consultation from your nutritionist or personal health providers. Approaches to your diet have to be an efficient and targeted program to achieve better and healthier results.

There are also high-tech fitness gadgets that can personalize and support your health and fitness journey, especially for female-body types. These gizmos can monitor one’s activity levels and notify workout, eating and water drinking schedules, overall helping users sustain personal diet and fitness programs.

Maximize women-focused tools and services

THANKS to technological advancements in modern society, gone are the days when women manually tracked and tested themselves for health issues. Female-focused virtual tools, in the form of mobile applications, have innovated primarily women’s reproductive, menstrual and sexual health monitoring for awareness and disease prevention. FemTech Analytics forecasted that by 2026, the Asia-Pacific

region will see the world’s fastest growth in women’s health apps.

These can be period and pregnancy tracking apps available in android and iOS, which also houses teleconsultations to help women be more knowledgeable about their bodies and conscious of their hormonal status, equipping them to make informed decisions in these aspects of their wellbeing.

Meanwhile, women-centered hightech facilities are also gaining momentum in the market and are becoming safe spaces for Filipinas to get treatment.

These establishments started from serving women and assisting them through common reproductive, sexual or pregnancy issues, and has now developed to holistically address mental health and even dermatological or aesthetic needs of women. You may find a number of facilities, whether government-funded or privately listed, in many regions nationwide, especially accessible within metros in greater Manila areas.

Trust in customized medicines tailored to your specific needs

FORBES magazine revealed that Personalized Healthcare is one of the top trends in the industry this 2023, with emphasis on precision medicines that are tailored to patients based on age, genetics and other risk factors, rather than a generic approach.

For Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy (AIP), pioneer specialty compounding pharmacy in the Philippines, women may require customized dosages or delivery methods for medications related to their reproductive and hormonal health. Better and more targeted management of these can lead to stronger immunity and preventive health. Through compounding, the science

of customizing medications to a patient’s specific needs, medications can be tailored to meet their individual requirements. This process removes problem-causing excipients, adjusts dosage strengths to suit certain patients, such as infants or the elderly, adds flavors for better taste and even creates alternative form factors to make medicines easily ingestible such as lozenges, candies, gels, creams, capsules and liquid.

AIP encourages Filipinas to explore Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) and Weight Loss Management solutions, two of their top categories in service of female patients.

Women who suffer from hormonal imbalances caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or menopause, common conditions of Filipinas young and old, can turn to hormone replacement therapy to treat their symptoms. BHRT is the process of replicating hormones using natural resources to supplement the body with the hormones it lacks.

These can be: Thyroid Hormones Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxine (T4) that stimulate body oxygen and energy consumption, increasing basal metabolic rates; Progesterone that increases core temperature during ovulation, relaxes smooth muscle, reduces gall bladder activity, normalizes blood clotting and vascular tone, and assists in thyroid function; Melatonin that improves the circadian rhythm and induces drowsiness for better sleep; Dehydroepiandrosterone or DHEA that strengthens the immune system, slows the natural changes in the body that come with age and provides more energy, improving mood and memory, and building up bone and muscle strength; Pregnenolone that improves energy, vision, memory, clarity of thinking, wellbeing, and libido, and many others.

New Moto Marketing brings in Monard motorcycle to the Philippines, seeks larger share of motorcycle market

MONARCH Motorcycle is the newest motorcycle brand to hit Philippine roads from New Moto Marketing Corporation. Unveiled at a bike festival and trade show in the World Trade Center, Monarch Motorcycle showcases three motorcycle modelsMonarch Tempest, Monarch Spectre, and Monarch Axis.

“We are happy to give our motorcycle riders a sample of what is yet to come,” said David Ian C. King, chief executive officer of New Moto Marketing Corporation. He added, “Monarch Motorcycle is set to introduce more model options for

riders looking for power, performance, and styling that matches their unique lifestyle and riding preference. Monarch Motorcycle is perfect for riders looking for fantastic features at the right price.”

Each model from Monarch’s Tempest, Spectre, and Axis showcases features that appeal to a broad range of riders. The Monarch Tempest comes in a classic vintage race design with a 250cc engine. Monarch Tempest can drive up the adrenaline, especially for those with a “passion to ride.” It features an LED headlamp, classic round lighting, and a modern LED filament. The power is a

four-stroke single-cylinder engine at 250cc.

The Monarch Spectre with its 175cc water-cooled engine will give any rider a spirited ride with its maximum speed of 120km/h. Dubbed “the new generation of sport”, it features falcon eye headlights, sport combination wheels, a five-inch TFT meter, sport deflector grille, and diamondtype taillights.

Monarch Axis is a unique cub with a 125cc engine and is meant to ride through light off-road experiences.

“Monarch Motorcycle is designed with the Filipino rider in mind with our partnership with RATO Holdings Ltd.,” said Ramon B. Santos, president of New Moto Marketing Corporation. “Our team worked with RATO Holdings Ltd. to design and deliver motorcycles that match Filipino riders better. We intend to provide riders with Monarch motorcycles that will give them the experience of reigning the road,” he added.

Monarch motorcycles will be available through popular dealers across the country and at retail prices that Filipino riders will surely welcome.  Monarch Motorcycle will roll out more models in the future, as it aims to reign the Philippine roads.

For inquiries, call Eusebio Antonio at 0917-843-9740.

SINCE its opening on November 2012, The Bellevue Resort has played a significant role in raising awareness for environmental protection and conservation in Bohol. This time, the two-time ASEAN Green Hotel awardee maintains its commitment to sustainability by joining Earth Hour for its 10th consecutive year.

To kick off the celebration, The Bellevue Resort partnered with Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Tourism, Bohol Provincial Tourism Office, Bohol NVR Land Tourist Transport, and JCI Chocolate Hills for the “One Thousand Trees for Our Earth” project in Bilar, Bohol, Philippines.

One thousand native tree seedlings found their new home in Riverside, Bilar, Bohol, and are now under the care of the resort’s tree growing project as part of its sustainable tourism advocacy.

The Bellevue Resort also successfully staged its #BiggestHourForEarth Lights Off Concert with world-class performances from proudly Boholano talents Dimiao Children’s Rondalla and Loboc Children’s Choir. In addition to these festivities, the resort also teamed up with World Wildlife Fund as a partner for its Virtual Run.

To cap off its celebration for a decade of sustainability, The Bellevue Resort collaborated with the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) for “The Future of Green Living: Understanding the Importance of Sustainable Retrofitting” forum and consultation headed ECCP Cebu branch head Jillian Sitchon. The event tackled the importance of adopting sustainable practices in creating urban environments, targeting

stakeholders looking to invest in a future with healthier communities, a more effective economy, and a more sustainable environment.

Speakers gracing the forum were Fabrice Cools and Marc Cools of Hitech Lighting World Corporation; Robert Malayao of Bottega 8290 Architectural Design Studio; Silverio Navarro of the Bank of the Philippine Islands; Maria Fe "Ynday" Dominise, head of Bohol Economic Development and Investment Promotion Office; and Angelica Delos Santos, senior science research specialist of the National Renewable Energy Board-Technical Services Management Division, Renewable Energy Management Bureau. It was hosted and moderated by Mr. Al Anthony Ladaga, senior marketing and sustainability officer of The Bellevue Resort.

For more information on The Bellevue Resort’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, contact (+6338) 422 2222 or email info@thebellevuebohol.com. To know more about the resort, visit www.thebellevuebohol.com.

Spanish Chamber of Commerce brings in 11 food companies from the Spanish region of Andalusia

Spanish region. Azzayt, Rafael Salgado, Grupo Ybarra, Angel Camacho and Echinac are dedicated to the production of oils; Tartessos and Brotherhood Quality are into Iberian products; while Luxeapers, Espadafor, La Abuela Carmen and Montealbor export sauces, olives, and garlic, among others.

FROM March 21 to 24, 2023 11 companies from the Spanish region of Andalusia were in the Philippines on a trade mission organized by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines and Extenda, the trade promotion agency of Andalusia. During the week, the Andalusian companies held fruitful meetings with local importers with the aim of exporting their products to the Philippines. In addition, they attended various events such as a cocktail at the residence of the Ambassador of Spain in the Philippines and a show cooking at Terry's Bistro in Makati.

The 11 Andalusian companies belong to the food sector, which is characteristic of this

In addition to meeting with Philippine importers and distributors, the Andalusian companies participated in a cocktail party on March 22 at the residence of the Spanish Ambassador Paola Castro.

The trade mission of the Andalusian companies ended on March 23 with a magnificent dinner at Terry's Bistro, an event attended by nearly 60 importers and the Spanish Ambassador himself. Chef Juan Carlos Terry, a renowned chef of Andalusian origin, was in charge of preparing a dinner where attendees tasted dishes and wines from the Andalusian region. In addition, importers and distributors were able to taste the products brought by Andalusian companies in a showroom held before dinner.

Juan Carlos Terry is a famous chef from El Puerto de Santa Maria (Andalusia). He was a speaker in Madrid Fusion Manila, among others, and has a chain of restaurants and delis.

Manila International Auto Show 2023 is all about shaping mobility, looking into biz opportunities

MANILA International Auto Show, or MIAS, has become one of the events that car enthusiasts look forward to seeing every year. With different car displays, launches, and car competitions, MIAS offers many things to look forward to each year.

Aside from catering to consumers, MIAS is also a platform for different players in the industry. From helping launch new cars to introducing new auto brands to the market, MIAS has become a go-to event to create connections and explore possible business opportunities.

As a powerhouse in the auto industry, this year’s theme “Shaping Mobility” shows the auto industry ecosystem working together to improve private transportation and increasing mobility not just in the metro but throughout the whole country. The automotive industry plays a huge part in improving efficiency and catering to the needs of a growing population in between urbanization in the country.  MIAS 2023 is packed with shows and event highlights that will leave your heart pumping with adrenaline. One of the main highlights of the event is the Mobility Marathon, a series of car launches from some of the biggest automotive brands in the country today. The event will also see the return of the Russ Swift

Car Stunt Show and the return of Russ Swift himself performing his gravity-defying stunts that will leave you in shock and awe.

MIAS will once again showcase the Petron Custom and Classic Car Competition, where car enthusiasts compete for this year’s grand winner vying for the title of best customized car of 2023. You may also drive and try your dream car at the Test Drive Avenue and check out the latest truck models ideal for your growing business at The Truck Zone located at the North Wing Tent.

Upon registration, you will be welcomed by a glass showcase featuring the Die-Cast Collection while the Car Club Display from different organizations will be located at the foyer of World Trade Center Metro Manila. This year’s MIAS will continue to raise the bar for car events as it comes back bigger. With more car displays, car launches, and different aftermarket parts that visitors can buy, MIAS is once again staking its claim as the main car event in the country.  MIAS will take place from April 13-16 at World Trade Center in Pasay. You can get your tickets here https://manilaautoshow.com/ MIAS 2023 is organized by Worldbex Services International and for the benefit of the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.

FROM Left to Right, Charvy Carter, Max Lei, Zhonglin Luo, Leon Zhou, Odjie Antonio, Yong Zhou (RATO COO), Jake Flores, Ramon Santos (NMMC President) and Gino Rosales

PURSUE a healthy lifestyle this month and beyond through new and personalized solutions for women.

Japanese ambassador pays homage to Fil. war vets on 81st Day of Valor

THE envoy of Japan offered his utmost respects to World War 2 veterans who, for him, greatly contributed to the peace and security enjoyed by Filipinos today.

On Monday, Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa attended and delivered a speech at the 81st commemoration of the “Araw ng Kagitingan” at the Mount Samat National Shrine in Pilar, Bataan in the presence of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., cabinet secretaries, senators, Governor Jose Garcia, Philippine government officials, United States Embassy representatives, and war veterans, among others.

There, Koshikawa conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the victims of the fierce battle that occurred in Bataan during the Second World War.

He expressed the deep remorse felt by the Japanese people due to his country’s past actions, and con-

currently affirmed their best wishes for everlasting peace and determination in upholding a law-based global order.

The ambassador mentioned that Japan, the Philippines, and the United States are now “mutually trusting partners working closely to preserve peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”

He also said: “Japan seeks to prevent a repeat of the tragedies of war for the sake of future generations, amid [an increasingly severe global] security environment.”

Regarding the bilateral relationship between Japan and the Philippines, the Japanese diplomat said that both countries’ strategic part-

Koica, CAMP Asia, MinDa to support durian industry

THE Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica), led by country director Kim Eun-sub, witnessed the memorandum of understanding signing of the Center for Asian Mission for the Poor (CAMP) Asia and Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) for the collaboration on the development of the agribusiness industry of Mindanao, particularly on assistance to durian producers in Davao.

nership continues to deepen, as he referred to the fact that both Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen the bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas during the Chief Executive’s state visit to Japan in February.

Furthermore, citing Marcos’s remarks that Japan is “a most reliable partner in times of both crises and of prosperity,” Koshikawa conveyed his sincere hope to elevate both Japan-Philippines and Japan-Philippines-US ties to greater heights.

Makati Biz Club explores commercial growth opportunities with Thailand

THE Makati Business Club

(MBC) recently engaged with Thai officials and executives, as they discussed various points of collaboration.

The sectors the MBC and the Embassy of Thailand focused on included infrastructure, tourism, agriculture and trade.

Ambassador Tull Traisorat hosted MBC’s board of trustees along with a Thai business delegation of highlevel representatives from Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) Phils. Corp., SkyTowers Infra, Bangkok Bank, Italian-Thai Development, Siam Cement Group (SCG) Marketing, Mariwasa, and embassy officials.

Some points of collaboration discussed were the expansion of Thai business in telecommunications and agriculture, as well as the possibility of Thai-Philippine tourism partnership, where di-

rect flights will be arranged from Phuket to key destinations such as Boracay and Palawan to encourage brisk traveling for both countries’ peoples.

Shaping biz opportunities

ON March 27 MBC’s foreign programs manager Trisha Teope met Federation of Thai Industries’ director-general Jumrud Sawa-

ngsamud at the latter’s office in Bangkok and discussed collaboration between the two organizations, including manufacturing, Industry 4.0, agriculture, and circular economy.

On April 1 Minister Counsellor Janthana Chotimunee of the Royal Thai Embassy introduced MBC trustee Dr. Aris Alip to CPF, SCG Marketing), and other Thai companies during their four-day trade show at the SMX Convention Center.

Thailand Week 2023 which ran from March 30 to April 2 featured around 80 Thai and Philippine companies following the theme: “Discover Excellence, Trade with Thailand.”

The Department of International Trade Promotion and the Ministry of Commerce in Thailand via the Thai Trade Center-Manila organized the trade show.

Norway to boost cooperation on combating OSEC in PHL

The event on March 30 in Davao City was participated in by MinDA headed by Secretary Maria Belen Acosta, CAMP Asia president Rev. Lee Chul-yong and country director Cho Bu-young, University of the Philippines-Visayas chancellor Lyre Anni Murao, and partners from Davao City’s local government led by Councilor Marissa Abella, University of Southern Mindanao, Nagsasariling Lokal na Organisasyon sa KanayunanMindanao, and durian producers from Davao City.

Supporting Mindanao development, Koica has granted 1.037 billion won to CAMP Asia under the “Sustainable Agricultural Environment Establishment through Durian Producer Cooperative Organization in Mindanao, Philippines” project. Implementers will provide technical assistance, empower cooperative organizations and assist in marketing, among others. Initial beneficiaries

are durian producers in Barangays Manuel Guianga, Sirib, Tamayong and Wangan in Davao City.

According to Cho, the vision of the project includes the increase of farmers’ income, promotion of organic plantation adapted to climate change, and enhancement of community solidarity and collaborative governance.

Meanwhile, Acosta noted the strategic importance of durian industry and placing Davao and Mindanao as crucial durian exporters to the world: “The industry will provide economic benefits, and contribute to food security.”

In response, Kim remarked that “Koica will continue to support the development of agriculture in Mindanao through international organizations and public-private partnership [associates].”

Ukraine to source Filipino pros in restoring war-ravaged cities

THE Ukrainian government is tapping the help of Filipino professionals to rebuild its war-ravaged cities.

Chargé d’Affaires (CDA) Denys Mykhailiuk of the Ukraine Embassy in Malaysia, which holds jurisdiction over the Philippines, said Kiev would raise a new possible labor cooperation with local government officials.

“[W]e will begin talks about the Filipino labor to come, because this reconstruction effort will need a significant increase in labor,” Mykhailiuk said in a press conference during his four-day trip to Manila.

“Hardworking Filipinos will be very welcome there to benefit our growth, [as with] Filipino investors…,” he said. “I see enormous room to improve [ties].”

The CDA said discussions on labor had been initiated before the 2022 Russian aggression against Ukraine, but no agreement has been reached yet.

His country, the envoy shared, continued its offense against Russian troops as it sought to speed-up victory and liberate more occupied territories: “[N]ow we have stabilized the battle line, and only 15 percent of the territories under occupation are directly impacted by the active battle….”

Once Kiev liberates more land, the envoy hopes Filipino businesses, especially those in the construction

sector, would also invest and turn to Ukraine, as he confirmed: “[W] e are here…relatively safe for business now.”

The Ukrainian envoy revealed that his country is also seeking to increase trade with the Philippines, describing the country as a “priority nation” in Asean: “Unfortunately, since the war started, we…had a drop of 94 percent in bilateral trade. We want to remedy [this].”

He said Kiev—a major exporter of wheat—is ready to help Manila build a “grain bank” and export more crops through the grain corridor, which allows Ukraine to safely ship commercial food from its key ports in the Black Sea.

“We have proposed to the government of the Philippines, so the ball is on your side,” Mykhailiuk explained. “We can deliver immediately. Our silos are full of grain.” Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA

Switzerland reiterates call for press freedom

THE Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines recently held a film screening of the documentary Radio Silence by Swiss-based director Juliana Fanjul.

formed about those in power and the activities of governing institutions.

THE Nordic Liaison Office (NLO) in Manila welcomed the National Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS) delegation headed by director general Kristin Ottesen Kvigne and the director of Prosecution and Legal Affairs Erik Marthinussen for its first country visit and inspection of its local office in Manila last March.

The delegation also met with the ambassadors of Sweden, Finland and Denmark in the Philippines for a presentation of the work

that NLO-Manila is doing to fight online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) in the country.

According to the Department of Justice, OSEC is a significant issue in the Philippines, which has seen an upward trend of 264.6 percent.

NLO takes part in coordinating investigations of local cases, specifically on cross-border organized crimes such as OSEC, organized crime groups, human trafficking, kidnapping, financial fraud and various forms of cyber crime. The delegation also met with

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief PGen. Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr., National Bureau of Investigation director Atty. Medardo G. de Lemos and members of the foreign law-enforcement community such as the Australian Federal Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the United Kingdom National Crime Agency, and nongovernment cooperating agencies International Justice Mission and United Nations-Office on

Drugs and Crime to strengthen the cooperation between Philippine and Nordic law enforcement, judicial and civic authorities.

NLO coordinates international police cooperation in the Philippines to combat transnational criminal cases such as OSEC. The first cooperation of the Nordic police in addressing the online concern started in 2018 with the PNP.

Established in March 2020, the NLO headquarters is currently housed at the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

A panel discussion on free media being vital to democracies followed, as Switzerland was cited as being a prime example of democratic values.

The event was part of the Human Rights Film Tour organized by the Geneva-based International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights, as well as the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

In his speech, Ambassador Alain Gaschen noted transparency and accountability as core principles of democracy: “With democracies, it is important that the general public is not just aware, but also well-in-

The media is in the perfect position to achieve this…It is important that they are not threatened for merely executing their duty and responsibilities.”

Gaschen added that there still is more work that needs to be done:

“We are confident that multisector collaboration is essential for us to create an environment where press freedom can thrive.”

Radio Silence tells the story of Carmen Aristegui, a Mexican journalist who faced censorship, threats and other forms of intimidation following her continued criticism of state institutions and leadership. She was abruptly fired from the radio station where she hosted a daily program.

KOSHIKAWA: “Japan seeks to prevent a repeat of the tragedies of war for the sake of future generations.” JAPANESE EMBASSY

MBC Trustees Jose Carlitos Cruz (from left), Manolito Tayag and Dr. Aris Alip discuss tie-ups for Thai and Philippine businesses with Ambassador Tull Traisorat. MBC

EMBASSY of Sweden’s second secretary Tobias Settergren (from left), Ambassador Juha Pyykkö, Embassy of Finland’s deputy head of mission Laura Hassinen, Ambassador Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin, NCIS director Erik Marthinussen, Ambassador Christian Halaas Lyster, NCIS director general Kristin Ottesen Kvigne, Ambassador Annika Thunborg, Embassy of Denmark deputy head of mission Peter Dalberg, NLO-Manila special envoy Bente Manger, and Royal Norwegian Embassy-Manila deputy head of mission Geir Michalsen.

CHARGÉ D’AFFAIRES Denys Mykhailiuk PNA/ JOYCE ROCAMORA

COUNTRY Director Kim Eun-sub

FANCY A DIP AT RIVER SEINE?

PARIS—Even before he has dipped his toes into the murky waters of Paris’s famous but forbidden River Seine, French triathlete Thibaut Rigaudeau is already fielding questions from disbelieving friends.

Are you scared of swimming in the Seine?” he says they ask him. “It looks disgusting.’”

For decades, it was. Though immortalized in art, literature and song, and cherished by lovers who whisper sweet nothings or tearfully part on the privacy of its banks, the river was ecologically dying.

It was too toxic for most fish and for swimmers, largely useful only as a waterway for goods and people or as a watery grave for discarded bicycles and other trash. Swimming in the Seine has, with some exceptions, been off-limits since 1923.

Now, however, its admittedly unappetizing green-brown waters hide a tale of rebirth.

A costly and complex cleanup is resuscitating the Seine just in time for it to play a starring role in the 2024

Paris Olympics and, after that, for it to genuinely live up to its billing as the world›s most romantic river, one that›s actually fit again for people.

A nd in a warming world, a renewed ability to take cooling dips in the river should help France’s capital remain liveable during increasingly frequent heat waves. It possibly might also inspire other cities to invest in reclaiming their waterways.

“ It will create waves, so to speak, across the world because a lot of cities are watching Paris,” says Dan Angelescu, a scientist who is tracking the Seine’s water quality for City Hall, with regular sampling.

It’s the beginning of a movement,” he says. “We hope so, at least.”

The Olympic deadline has supercharged a cleanup that has been decades in the making. Without the imperative of having to be ready for 10,500 Olympians in July and August next year, followed by 4,400 Paralympians, City Hall officials say it would have taken many more years to fund the multi-pronged, 1.4 billioneuro ($1.5 billion) effort.

Because as well as hosting outdoor swim races, the Seine is going to be the centerpiece of Paris’s unprecedented Olympic opening ceremony. For the first time, it will take place not in a stadium setting but along the river and its banks.

So it needs to be ready. Officials have been going after homes upstream of Paris and houseboats on the Seine that were emptying their sewage and wastewater directly into the river.

A n Olympic law adopted in 2018 gave moored boats two years to hook up to Paris’s sewage network. Sewage treatment plants on the Seine and its tributary, the Marne, are also being improved.

A nd more than half a billion euros is going into huge storage basins and other public works that will reduce the need to spill bacteria-laden wastewater into the Seine untreated when it rains.

O ne storage facility is being dug next to Paris’s Austerlitz train station. The giant hole will hold the equivalent of 20 Olympic swimming pools of dirty water that will now be treated rather than being spat raw

Gialon eyes title repeat at Caliraya Springs

ZANIEBOY GIALON heads back to Cavinti in Laguna next week with a winning mindset for the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Caliraya Springs

Championship.

H is goal is to refine his short game that hampered his campaign in Bacolod City and Iloilo City last month.

I’ve been practicing the last few weeks, focusing more on my short game after struggling in Bacolod and Iloilo,” said Gialon on his preparations for the P2.5 million event set April 18 to 21.

W hile he contended for the championship at Marapara, eventually finishing at fifth, the 32-year-old Davaoeño floundered in the final round at Sta. Barbara, limping with a 76 and ending up 13th.

But back at Caliraya Springs, Gialon will be doubly motivated for having emerged winner at the Arnold Palmer-designed layout which hosted its first Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) event last year. He banked on his superb putting in beating Clyde Mondilla by four shots.

Filipinas shut out Hong Kong gals, advance to 2nd rd of Paris qualifier

THE Philippine women’s football team blanked Hong Kong, 4-0, to windup unscathed after three matches in the first round at the close on Tuesday of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament at the Hisor Central Stadium in Tajikistan.

“I thought we played well, we controlled the game well, probably our best control we have had this week here against a good opposition, an opposition 15 months ago we beat only

2-1 in the last minute,” the Filipinas’ Australian coach Alen Stajcic said.

The FIFA Women’s World Cupbound Filipinas topped Group E with nine points and a +16 goal difference.

They advanced to the second round in October where the winners in the other six groups of the first round of the qualifier will join Japan, Australia, China, South Korea and North Korea.

The 12 teams will be bracketed into three in the second round for another single-round robin competition with the four best teams proceeding to the third and final

round that will determine the top two placers which will advance to the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Th e Philippines beat Pakistan, 4-0, and Tajikistan, 8-0, earlier in the qualifier.

It just shows how much we’ve improved. A large part of the game was pretty good, but our finishing has to be better if we want to compete with the big nations in Asia,” Stajcic said. “We’ve improved a lot but there’s still a lot of hard work to do.”

Striker Sarina Bolden scored the Filipinas’ first goal only in the fifth minute when she beat Hong Kong defenders Chung See and Ng Cheuk Wai.

S he made a the brace in the 41st minute before Meryl Serrano made it 3-0 in the 44th on a free kick.

Q uickly Quezada’s long kick gave the Philippines a 4-0 advantage at the 53rd minute.

The Philippines wasn’t threatened the rest of the way with goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel protecting the goal all the way.

Hong Kong had six points in Group E. Josef Ramos

through storm drains in the river.

C ity Hall says the water quality is already improving and that there are many more types of fish than the two or three species that were the only ones hardy enough to survive in the filth a few decades ago.

It says samples taken daily last July and August in the stretch of the river where Olympians and Paralympians will compete showed the water quality was overwhelmingly “good.”

By their sports’ standards, that means acceptable.

Setting off from the Seine’s ornate Alexandre III bridge, triathletes will race first in 2024, with men on July 30, followed by women the next day. Then come marathon swimmers, on August 8 and 9, and para-triathletes on September 1 and 2.

R igaudeau, who competed in para-triathlon at the 2021 Tokyo games, is thrilled by the prospect. He’s hoping for an early taste of the experience when Paris hosts warmup swims in the Seine this summer to hone its readiness for 2024. It will be Rigaudeau’s first-ever dip in his home river. AP

“THE

Putting really worked for me at Caliraya Springs last year,” said Gialon, who anchored his firstround 67 on a 24-putt performance on his way to a wire-to-wire victory that snapped a five-year title spell in the country’s premier circuit put up by ICTSI.

But with the rest of the stellar field, including Bacolod leg winner Ira Alido and Iloilo champion Rupert Zaragosa, all geared up for the 72hole championship, a spirited battle looms at the challenging par-72, 6,788-yard lush green undulating layout with an elevation of 1,200 feet above sea level.

Everybody has a chance and the guy who’s in top shape will win,” Gialon said. “But I will try my very best to win again.”

Multi-titled Tony Lascuña, for one, is keen on having a swing at it after back-to-back runnerup finishes in Bacolod and Iloilo, so do Mondilla, Jhonnel Ababa, Michael Bibat, Joenard Rates, Reymon Jaraula, Jay Bayron, Jerson Balasabas and The Country Club Invitational back-to-back winner Guido van der Valk.

T he UAAP volleyball season is nearly two-thirds done. It and the larger league’s season both end in May. Today is just another lamp post to pass and mark on the remaining calendar.

But the return to work is a bit harsh, coming as it does right after the Easter holiday. Minds and bodies still remember the sun and sand and the lapping waves. Or the pious activities done in churches and Lenten processions.

B ut back to business it really is. And the regulars snap back to work like the young professionals that they are.

Rappler’s JR Isaga, Philstar.com’s Lui Morales, Inquirer.

A day in the life of sports press

IT’S Easter Wednesday.

A fter a 10-day Holy Week break, the boys (and girls) are back in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Press Room to resume the beat of their lives.

Their everyday rhythm syncs perfectly with the thumpthump-thump and clobber of the volleyball as it hits the padded floors of the FilOil Eco Oil Centre. Sports is what makes these sportswriters’ hearts beat fast.

Malacañang leads meeting for FIBA World Cup hosting

Donaire fights again at 40

By Josef Ramos

NONITO “THE FILIPINO

FLASH” DONAIRE fights

Mexico’s Alejandro Santiago Barrios with two goals—the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight crown and keep the record—as the oldest 118-lb champion at 40 years old.

The fight will either be in Las Vegas or Los Angeles sometime in July.

The native of Talibon in Bohol last fought in July last year and lost his WBC bantamweight belt to undefeated Japanese world champion Naoya Inoue via fourth round knockout in Japan.  For every setback, it always propels me to become better so I feel so much stronger, so much better and so much disciplined,” Donaire

told BusinessMirror via internet call on Wednesday. “I’m very excited for the next one against Alejandro Santiago Barrios.”

Donaire’s wife, trainer and manager Rachelle said Donaire remained in competitive form since his loss to Inoue, who also defeated the Filipino in their 2019 fight by unanimous decision.

“ That’s the energy and it’s the joy of what I can bring inside the ring. I’m always disciplined,” said Donaire, who previously trained at the Omega Gym in Cebu City before returning to the US.

Donaire has a 42-7 win-loss record with 28 knockouts and has previously held world titles in the flyweight, bantamweight, super bantamweight and featherweight divisions.

He was in town to receive an Award of Distinction during the 23rd Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Boxing Awards Banquet of Champions.

Donaire faces a 27-year-old Barrios who packs a 27-3-5 win-lossdraw record with 14 knockouts but still without a world title.

I n between keeping tabs of the on-court action, the sports journos track down the accumulating stats and scores. They concoct scenarios in their minds based on who wins or loses, getting ahead of what’s happening on court and projecting match-up possibilities.

Part of their thought process includes predicting ultimate winners and losers. A large part of their job is based on analyzing the key players and factors that contribute to the resulting performances and outcomes. They formulate questions—both tough and easy—to ask athletes and coaches in the post-game interviews. They do wordsmithing using sports jargon, a special talent indeed.

net’s Lance Agcaoili, Daily Tribune s Mark Escarlote, abs-cbn news’ Cedrick Basco, One Sports’s Rainier Mira, Philippine Daily Inquirer’s June Navarro, Tiebreaker Times’s Justin Valencia and Nicks Hernandez and the collegiate league’s longtime chronicler, Theodore (TJ) Jurado, dutifully concentrate on their laptops, coaxing their trusty tools to churn out stories.

The games start mercilessly early at 9 a.m. But the sporty bunch is there much earlier. Game coverages can go on just as mercilessly till 9, or sometimes 10 p.m., depending on the number of sets it takes volleyball teams to win. The best job in the world (sportswriters get paid for watching games that they love) can sometimes bite. But it’s all part of the game.

But it’s not all keeping their noses to the grindstone. In between games there are light moments and time to chill. This particular day they follow the action in the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) play-in tournament.

The Play-In Tournament, introduced in 2020-21 season, is an interesting teaser to the NBA Playoffs. Seeds Nos. 7 to 10 in the Eastern and Western conferences play a mini-tournament over four days to determine which two teams will be the seventh and eighth seeds in their conference’s playoff bracket.

T he boys and girls follow the ebb and flow of the scores in the Los Angeles Lakers-Minnesotta Timberwolves play-in battle. As is to be expected, most if not all in the bunch are Lakers fans. This side attraction

THE Philippine Sports Commission-led InterAgency Task Force for the country’s hosting of the FIBA World Cup convened in Malacañang on Wednesday with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. reiterating his support to the event set from August 25 to September 10.

This Administration is committed to providing the InterAgency Task Force with all the necessary support and assistance it needs in order to fully achieve its objectives and to secure the safe, orderly, and successful conduct of the tournament,” said Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Hubert Guevara on behalf of President Marcos.

Let us all take this endeavor both as an opportunity and as a challenge—an opportunity to showcase what the Philippines has to offer and a challenge to make the FIBA Basketball World Cup a great experience for athletes and fans alike,” Guevara added during the meeting at the Malacañang Conference Room.  PSC and Inter-Agency Task Force Chairman Richard Bachmann arranged the meeting that was also attended by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin (center) and Guevara (second from left) along with PSC Commissioners Walter Torres, Edward Hayco, Olivia “Bong” Coo and Matthew “Fritz” Gaston.

Today, we move one step closer to fulfilling our goal of bringing the best World Cup hosting in the history of FIBA Basketball,” Bachmann said.

I also thank our national government for Administrative Order No. 5 issued by Malacañang last March 27th directing all government agencies and instrumentalities to extend their support for this hosting.”

adds life and variety to their waiting game. The press room comes alive with shrieks and “endearing invectives.

But wait. Today, something unexpected happens. The previously winless University of the Philippines Men’s Volleyball Team (UPMVT) upsets the more “winful” Ateneo men’s team. The sports group springs to action in the postgame press conference to milk this story for its novelty.

A nd the beat goes on. The UP-Ateneo women’s game that follows is as expected. Ateneo beats UP in three sets.

T he big event they are waiting for, however, is the game between the defending champions National University Lady Bulldogs and the streaking Adamson University Lady Falcons. The Bulldogs mauled the Falcons in the first round. But the soaring birds, now lifted up by powerful wings, are hoping to send the Bulldogs home with their (stubby) tail between their legs.

The MVTs of these same schools take on the last time slot of the volleyball game day after the WVTs finish. Whether the happy, hardworking bunch of sports scribes get home decently early or stay behind and go home late like kids in detention class will all depend on how tough and hard-fought the ladies’ game will be.

But early or not, easy or not, this band of bards is ready to roll with the odds whatever they may be. Their ultimate goal is to give you gold. A riveting, captivating sports story.

PHILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Richard Bachmann (third from left) with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin (center) and Deputy Senior Executive Secretary Hubert Guevara (second from left) along with PSC Commissioners Walter Torres, Edward Hayco, Olivia “Bong” Coo and Matthew “Fritz” Gaston.

NONITO

FILIPINO FLASH” DONAIRE tries to be the oldest world bantamweight champion anew.

ZANIEBOY GIALON is refining his short game.

SWANS stand in the River Seine in Paris. AP