BusinessMirror April 14, 2023

BSP: RATE CUT

ON 6-MO LOW

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

Neda: Fight vs inflation vital in cutting poverty incidence

THE fight against rising prices is a crucial ingredient in the country's efforts to see poverty incidence slow to single-digit levels by the time the President steps down from office in 2028, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

In the Philippine Economic Briefing (PEB) in Washington on the sidelines of the World BankInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring meetings, Neda Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said the recent spike in inflation is “anti-poor” since it is driven by food prices.

Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the weight of food in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all households is 34.72 percent while for

“ the high inflation...that we have seen in the last couple of months, that’s very antipoor, especially that it’s coming from food.” –neda chief ar senio balisacan the Bottom 30 percent, the weight is heavier at 51.38 percent, making the poorest Filipinos more vulnerable to expensive food prices.

In the Philippine Economic Briefing (PEB) in Washington on the sidelines of the World Bank-International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring meetings, BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla also said the Monetary Board may find good reason to pause if April continues the March inflation trend.

Based on his presentation, Medalla said, inflation month-on-month has been encouraging, especially in February when there was a slowdown by 0.3 percent as opposed to January, which saw a 1-percent increase in month-on-month inflation.

“You need more good data points for cuts. For a pause you need one more because we already have two good data points,” Medalla said in a press briefing. “[Cutting rate?] if we get six straight month-on-month below 0.2, why not?”

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

THE European Maritime Group lauded the decision of the European Commission to continue recognizing Filipino Seafarers’ Certificates, which the group said will ensure the stability of employment for Filipino seafarers.

“The decision of the European Commission to continue recognizing Filipino seafarer certificates presents a very positive development in the Philippine Maritime Industry,” Tore Henriksen, Chairperson of the Joint Maritime Committee said

in a statement on Thursday.

It is “commendable,” added Henriksen, that Philippine authorities have taken necessary steps toward complying with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), and demonstrated their commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of Filipino seafarers who, he said, contribute “significantly” to the global shipping industry.

The Joint Maritime Committee is represented by the Dutch Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce,

the Nordic Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines and the Philippines-Norway Business Council.

The Joint Maritime Committee together represents the interests of a “large segment” of the maritime private sector community of Europe.

Last March 31, after a 15-month review, the European Commission decided to continue recognizing certificates for seafarers issued by the Philippines, which it said is one of the world’s largest maritime labor supply countries.

See “Industry,” A2

HETBangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) may reduce interest rates after six consecutive months of low inflation, similar to the recent month-onmonth decline recorded in March.

DUcKIng ‘aMang’ Fishermen dock their boats in las Piñas city as they cancel their daily chores due to the rains brought about by typhoon amang on thursday. amang has weakened into a low pressure area and may dissipate in the next 24 hours. NONIE REYES

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Medalla said since inflation in March was at the low end of BSP’s inflation expectations for the month, there is a need to revise inflation targets.

“The price index in March is actually slightly lower than the price index in January. Of course, January is a busier month than March so if you adjust for seasonality, practically there’s zero inflation between January and March,” Medalla said.

Upside risks

NONETHE l E SS , t he BSP is cognizant of the upside risks to inflation. The global environment is one since prices around the world are on the rise.

For the Philippines, domestic risks include weather which can always make agriculture products more expensive. This is one of the reasons the government aims to be more prepared in issuing import permits to prevent shortages.

Medalla said other unforeseen events on the horizon could cause inflation to rise. Despite these risks, the government remains confident that inflation will be within the 3-plus or minus-one range, he said.

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

BSP’s target, he said, is for inflation to be at 2 to 4 percent or 3 percent plus or minus one by next year. This means, the month on month decline in inflation places the country on track to meet its target for next year.

Since May 2022, the BSP has raised key policy rates by 425 basis points. Despite this, core inflation is still increasing and posted an 8-percent growth in March, a 24-year high. (Full story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/04/06/prices-may-stay-high-despite-easing-inflation-in-march/)

PHL eyes tie-up with Temasek Fdn on climate, food security

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos

“We’re looking at some of the prospective projects that are directed towards climate change, towards agriculture, and sustainability,” Marcos said during his meeting with Temasek Foundation officials on Thursday.

Aside from the pending part -

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According to an earlier report by BusinessMirror , the Philippines is the largest maritime labor supplier in the world, with

nerships, Temasek is also considering coming up with more accords with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of l a bor and Employment (DOl E), and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

The Singapore-based nonprof -

345,000 deployed in 2022. They remitted around US$ 6.7 billion or around P341 billion in 2022. Of these seafarers, around 50,000 are masters, officers and crew on board cargo ships, cruise ships, yachts and other vessels of Greece, Norway, Germany and Malta. Moreover, industry es -

it philanthropic organization met earlier this week with the respective secretaries of the said departments for exploratory talks.

Currently, the country has signed agreements with Temasek to enhance competencies across industries, through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) (Digitalization and Industry 4.0) Program, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with Design Thinking Programme, and Health Care Management Program. The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the government is pushing for the renewal of a 2019 memorandum of understanding between the Philippines’s Department of

timates that one in every five foreign seafarers on EU-flagged vessels is a Filipino.

The EC Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport said the Philippine government showed “serious efforts to comply with the requirements” of the international standards on basic safety training courses.

In December 2021, following a detailed assessment of the training and certification system in place, the Commission informed the Philippines that recognition of their seafarer certificates would be withdrawn unless serious measures were taken, including the compliance with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for seafarers.

This, after the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) carried out an inspection of the maritime education, training and certification system of the Philippines for its

Education and Nanyang Polytechnic International Temasek Foundation.

Marcos together with First l a dy l o uise Araneta Marcos hosted the delegates from Temasek Foundation, led by its chair, Jennie Chua Kheng Yeng, in Malacañang.

Other participants of the meeting were Singaporean Ambassador to the Philippines Gerard Ho Wei Hong, Temasek board members Tony Tan Caktiong, Goh Yong Siang, Arich Rachmat, and Senior Directors Gerald Yeo Teng Han, and James Chan Yong Kiat.

After the courtesy call, Marcos and the First l a dy received a c.1963 painting of the Singapore Waterfront by Georgette Chen from the Temasek Foundation.

seafarers between February 24 and March 12,2020.

According to its December 20,2021 audit report, EMSA found “deficiencies” in the compliance of the Philippines with the STCW. These deficiencies include monitoring, supervision and evaluation of training and assessment, among others.

This threatened the employment of the Filipino seafarers of EU-flagged shipping firms.

Following the Commission’s decision to continue to recognize the certificates of Filipino seafarers, the Philippine government through Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista committed to address the “remaining areas identified that require further improvement.”

“Rest assured we will not waver in our efforts to raise the level of expertise of our seamen to international standards,” Bautista said.

PHL, US troops fire Javelins in biggest ‘Balikatan’ joint exercise in Nueva Ecija

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

UNITED States and Philippine troops sustained their joint training by firing the Javelin weapon system in Central l u zon as defense leaders from both countries met for a second day in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.

Troops, including from the Philippine Army, Philippine Marines and US Army Pacific, held a live-firing exercise for the Javelin anti-tank system in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija under the ongoing Balikatan war games.

This year’s bilateral exercise, which is also being joined by at least 13 countries, nearly all of them as observers, is the largest in the history of the annual Balikatan, which will run up to April 28.

The use of Javelin, the first for the bilateral exercise, was preceded by

Continued from A1

“The high inflation, just to be frank, the high inflation that we have seen in the last couple of months, that’s very anti-poor, especially that it’s coming from food. But our below 10 estimate is for the end of 2028 so we have a lot of time to do good, especially in agriculture,” Balisacan said. “Yes, we are on track because 2028 is so far away.”

The government aims to reduce poverty to 9 percent by 2028 from the 18.1 percent recorded in the 2021 poverty data released by the PSA. This meant that in 2021, some 19.99 million Filipinos lived below the poverty line. In order to reduce this, Balisacan said the government will focus on job creation, particularly quality employment, in the medium term. This means, there is a need to entice “a lot of investments” from abroad. Balisacan said this means it’s not just the number of jobless Filipinos that needs to be cut, but also the number of those who are underemployed—people looking for higher incomes or more stable sources of income. There are two kinds of underemployment—visible and invisible. Filipinos who are visibly underemployed are those working less than 40 hours in a week and expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional jobs.

Those deemed in invisible underemployment work at least 40 hours in a week but still desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have an additional job, or to have a new job with longer working hours.

“Getting the quality of jobs available is so crucial to achieving our poverty target. To make that happen, we need to get investments. A lot of investment is coming in because that’s what will increase productivity at the end of the day,” Balisacan said.

Meanwhile, in his presentation at the PEB, Balisacan urged American businesses to invest in infrastructure projects in the Philippines.

He underscored several factors which make the Philippines a more attractive investment destination, including, among others, rapid and sustained economic growth, the country’s young, vibrant, and growing working-age population, and recent structural and regulatory reforms aimed at improving the business climate for international investors.

another live-firing exercise by Army forces from both countries. Various operations, including artillery preparatory fires, helicopter air assault, aerial gunnery, obstacle breaching, knockout bunker and room clearing, were carried out, according to Army spokesman Col. Xerxes Trinidad.

On Tuesday, 52 parachutists from the Special Operations Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and United States Special Operations Command Pacific also staged a military freefall friendship jump.

Using two V-22 Osprey aircraft of the US Air Force, the freefall- and airborne-qualified soldiers jumped at an altitude of 9,000 feet above ground level and parachuted towards the Drop Zone Royce, Brgy l iw ayway, Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija, according to military public affairs office chief Col. Jorry Baclor.

“Given the country’s numerous development and infrastructure needs, there are vast opportunities in sectors such as energy, water, logistics, transportation, agribusiness, manufacturing, tourism, health, education, and digital connectivity,” he explained.

Balisacan also assured investors of the country’s commitment to infrastructure development. He said the government has a total of 3,770 infrastructure priority programs and projects (PAPs) with an indicative total investment requirement of P17.3 trillion or $317.49 billion in the medium term.

This includes 194 Infrastructure Flagship Projects (IFPs) recently approved by the President, worth a total of approximately $165 billion. Of this number, 95 are ongoing or have been approved for implementation; 47 are currently being prepared; 44 are in preproject preparation; and eight are up for approval by the government.

“IFPs shall be prioritized in the government’s annual budget preparation and shall enjoy the benefits of expedited approval processes consistent with current legal frameworks. Notably, the majority of these infrastructure flagship projects focus on physical connectivity and water resources. We are committed to creating a more competitive investment environment,” he said.

Jr. said the government is now eyeing to forge new partnerships with Temasek Foundation to mitigate the effects of climate change and boost food security.

The Nation

Court issues arrest warrant vs ex-BuCor officials Bantag, Zulueta

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Muntinlupa City has issued an arrest warrant against former Bureau of Corrections director general Gerald Bantag and his deputy, Ricardo Zulueta, for the murder charges filed against them in connection with the death of inmate Cristito Palana Villamor alias Jun Villamor, the alleged middleman in the killing last year of radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa.

T he arrest warrant was issued on April 12, 2023 by Muntinlupa RTC by Branch 206 Presiding Judge Gener Gito but was made public on Thursday.

The bail for the release of the accused in this case is fixed at not bailable for murder under Article

THE Supreme Court (SC) is set to announce today, Friday, April 14, 2023, the fate of the 9,183 law graduates who took the 2022 Bar Examination held last November.

Prior to the release of the results, the SC will hold a special en banc session to determine the 30 Bar topnotchers as well as the law schools, which obtained the five highest Bar passers’ percentages.

T he SC said Bar candidates who

248 of the Revised Penal Code,” the court order read.

Remulla to Bantag: Face the music

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, reacting to the RTC judge’s order, said the issuance of an arrest warrant against Bantag and Zulueta is a welcome development considering that it is part of due process provided by law.

Remulla said he is leaving it up to law enforcement agencies to implement the arrest warrant.

Hopefully, we can arrest him or he will surrender. Hopefully,” Remulla said.

R emulla urged Bantag to surrender and face the charges lodged against him before the court.

“

Well, it is better if he will just face the music. If you think you are

SC

were conditionally admitted to take the examinations and have passed the same will be allowed to join the oath-taking provided that they have submitted the required documents within the prescribed period.

T he 2022 Bar Examination was conducted under a regionalized and digitalized set up that was held on November 9, November 13, November 16 and November 20.

In the 2022/2021 Bar Exam, a total

innocent just come in to face the music. The judges will be able to know if the truth is there,” Remulla said.

Separate case

BANTAG and Zulueta are also facing separate murder charges before the Las Piñas RTC for the ambush-slay of Mabasa.

T he two former BuCor officials have denied any involvement in the two killings.  Bantag earlier said he would not surrender even if an arrest warrant would be issued against him if justice chief Remulla will not heed his call to step down from his post. He also accused Remulla of manipulating the case against him.    He even turned the table on Remulla and his successor at BuCor, Retired Army General Gregorio Catapang Jr. when he accused them of having the motive to order the

killing of Mabasa and Villamor.

B antag also filed administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against Remulla and Catapang.

T he issuance of the arrest warrant against Bantag and Zulueta came after a five-man panel of prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DOJ) found probable cause to indict them as principal by inducement in Villamor’s death.

A lso indicted for the murder of Villamor were New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) inmates identified as Alvin Labra, Aldrin Galicia, Mario Alvarez, Joseph Georfo, Christian Ramac, Ricky Salgado, Ronnie dela Cruz, and Joel Reyes.

T he panel said it was established during the preliminary investigation of the case that the murders of Mabasa and Villamor were at -

tended by an alleged conspiracy among the respondents.

For Mabasa’s killing, aside from Bantag and Zulueta, the panel also indicted self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial and his accomplices—brothers Israel and Edmund Dimaculangan—as principal by direct participation.

A lso indicted as principal by indispensable cooperation were Christopher Bacoto, another alleged middleman in Mabasa’s killing and NBP as Denver Mayores, Alfie Penaredonda, Labra and Galicia.

T he National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) earlier said Bantag had a clear motive to effect the murders.

In the case of Mabasa, the two agencies pointed to the radio commentator’s continued exposé of the

issues against Bantag on his radio show “Lapid Fire” as the motive.  For Villamor’s death, authorities said the motive was to cover up the murder of Mabasa.

A side from the murder charges, Bantag is also facing plunder and graft charges before the DOJ over allegations that he and several other BuCor officials rigged the bidding for the construction of three prison facilities in Davao, Palawan and Leyte in a reported P1 billion deal.

He is also facing criminal charges for allegedly torturing several inmates at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) as well as BuCor employees.

Bantag’s lawyer Rocky Balisong has yet to issue a statement on the issuance of the warrant against his client, while Lauro Gacayan, lawyer of Zulueta, said they have yet to receive a copy of the warrant.

release November 2022 Bar Examination results today

of 8,241 or 72.28 percent of the 11,402 Bar takers passed the first-ever regionalized and digitalized examinations.

On the other hand 14 or 0.17 percent of the Bar passers earned recognition for excellent performance after they obtained grades higher than 90 percent.

T he University of the Philippines was the law school that produced the most number of excellent passers. Sought for advice for those who

may flunk the Bar Exam, Chief Justice (CJ) Alexander Gesmundo said: “New give up. Everything is according to God’s plan.”

The SC also officially launched the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA), which was unanimously approved by the en banc during the magistrates’ summer session in Baguio City last April 12.

T he CPRA, which will govern the conduct of lawyers in the court, is

part of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027, the five-year blueprint of the judiciary that is expected to hasten court proceedings, processes and resolution of cases.

C J Gesmundo said the 2022 Bar passers are the first batch of lawyers who will take the oath under the newly revised Code of Conduct (COC) of lawyers.

Also incidentally, the first batch of lawyers who will take this new

lawyers’ oath would be decided tomorrow by the en banc,” he said.

“How many will have the first privilege to take this new lawyers’ oath, I cannot answer until [Associate] Justice [Benjamin] Caguioa submits his recommendation to the Court en banc tomorrow [Friday]. So for those who have sons or daughters who took the Bar, tell them to memorize it today,” the Chief Magistrate said. Joel R. San Juan

‘The day of reckoning’:

to

Friday, April 14, 2023

Vittorio V. Vitug

Experts convene for Southern Philippines logistics hub project

by Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox

Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—A group of technical experts has convened here for the first time to work on the proposal to make the Southern Philippines an ideal location for storing, moving, and managing cargo, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said. Customs District Collector Erastus Sandino B. Austria, who also bared plans for the creation a worldclass logistics hub in Mindanao, heads the technical team.

T he Southern Philippines Logistics Hub project aims to transform the region into a preferred international destination for the storage, transportation, and management of cargo.

T he technical working group would develop recommendations for infrastructure, facilities, and policies to achieve this vision, he said. The recommendations would be presented to Region 11’s Economic Development Committee and the Regional Economic Development Council for adoption.

Austria said the project is part of the BOC’s long-term strategy to en-

courage trade, as directed by Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio.

Through initiatives with our partner agencies, the Bureau of Customs vows to contribute to nation-building by staying true to its core mandate of trade facilitation,” Austria said, quoting Customs chief Rubio.

T he team working on the proposal includes representatives from various government agencies, port operators, and shipping lines.

Austria said the BOC here has been receiving envoys and diplomats from countries and regions such as those in the Middle East and Europe

DA-BFAR retains fishing ban in Oriental Mindoro

By Raadee Sausa @raadeeboy

for ocular evaluation of the possibility of direct sea routes to their respective countries.

Many of these visitors were interested in direct trade with Davao City and the Davao Region for banana and mineral exports. The region is the biggest source of Cavendish bananas and the provinces like Davao Oriental and Davao de Oro are also producers of copper, gold and nickel.

Austria added these countries were also keen on skipping the congestion in the ports of Manila.  Austria said negotiations were continuing for the direct cargo sea routes.

DBM releases ₧1-billion rice aid for state workers

THE Department of Budget and Management has released a total of P1-billion rice assistance to all qualified government workers through the National Food Authority (NFA).

DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman has approved the Special Al -

lotment Release Order (SARO) and corresponding Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA) on April 12 for the one-time rice assistance program.

“As directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we shall ensure the welfare of our government work-

ers by giving them assistance for their household needs and, at the same time, boosting the production of our rice farmers,” she said.

“ The rice assistance will benefit 1.8 million government workers, including job order [JO] and contract of service

(COS) personnel,” Pangandaman added. Administrative Order No. 2, signed by the President, authorizes the grant of a one-time assistance at a uniform quantity of 25 kilograms of rice to all qualified government workers/employees. Raadee S. Sausa

THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has recommended keeping the fishing ban in oil spill-hit municipalities in Oriental Mindoro.

T he Department of Agriculture (DA-BFAR) has been monitoring the situation in fishing areas affected by the recent oil spill.

Fish samples collected and analyzed from select sites in Oriental Mindoro on March 10 showed lowlevel contaminants or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).

A lso, seaweeds collected and analyzed from select sites in Caluya, Antique on March 9 showed low-level contaminants or PAH.

PAH contaminants are harmful to humans and other living organisms, and may accumulate in the flesh of marine organisms over time.

Seaweeds and other sessile organisms have greater chances of accumulating PAHs because of their immobility.

Moreover, the DA-BFAR recommends retaining harvesting ban on seaweeds in Caluya, Antique until further evaluation shows it is safe for public consumption.

T hese samples were collected during the early days of March, making the current situation unknown due to the possibility that the spill had spread further because of ocean currents and wind direction, and more PAHs may have accumulated in marine organisms.

T he bureau continuously analyzes and monitors the area to establish time-series results on the impact of the oil spill with regard to food safety.

Succeeding analysis of fish and seaweed samples will be conducted to ensure seafood is safe for public consumption.

T he bureau said it is fast-tracking the laboratory analyses without compromising the accuracy of data, which serves as the basis for its recommendations.

To date, the bureau has already allocated P4.4 million worth of livelihood assistance in the form of postharvest technology packages, which will benefit 10 fisherfolk associations and cooperatives or 689 families. A bout P1.5 million was also earmarked for the provision of food assistance to 5,000 affected fisherfolk in Mimaropa, while P580,500 was spent to help displaced fishing groups in Western Visayas.

DOLE issues TAV guidelines for small business compliance with labor standards

By Samuel P. Medenilla    @sam_medenilla

TO help boost the compliance of micro establishments to labor standards, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has released the guidelines for its technical and advisory visit (TAV).

Under DOLE’s Department Order (DO) No. 238, series of 2023,

Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma said the TAV would cover establishments, which employ less than 10 workers.

He tasked the Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) to submit the list of micro establishments to DOLE’s regional offices, which will conduct the TAV.

T he regional offices will then update the list by coordinating with

local government units (LGU) and business groups.

Based on its latest data, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said there were 978,612 micro establishments in 2021.

T he TAV would be conducted by labor inspectors (LI) or assistant labor inspectors (ALI) of DOLE’s regional offices by sending invitation letters to concerned micro

establishments.

T he LIs and ALIs can implement the TAV through online, onsite, or hybrid sessions and will cover the following: general labor standards, occupational safety and health standards; productivity toolbox; child and family welfare program; and other DOLE policies and programs.

Micro establishments, with the

assistance of the LI or ALI, shall accomplish and submit the Visit Checklist at the end of the session,” Laguesma said.

He pointed out the said firms may be required by the LI and or ALI to submit their employment records which may be subjected to random validation.

T he LI and ALI will then come out with an action plan for the inspected

establishments to address their noncompliance to labor standards.

T he inspected firms will have three months from the date of receipt of their action plan before the LIs will visit their premises. “ The LI shall issue a Notice of Visit Results indicating the micro establishments noted violations with applicable labor standards,” Laguesma said.

DAR distributes 1,048 e-titles to Masbate ARBs covering 2,130 hectares of farm lands

T

HE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) announced on Thursday the distribution of

electronic land titles to a total of 1,048 farmers in the province of Masbate.

T he e-titles cover a total of 2,130 hectares of agricultural lands and were distributed as part of the implementation of the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling or SPLIT Project of the DAR.  DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III led other gov-

ernment officials in distributing the e-titles in Magallanes Coliseum, Masbate City.

I n a statement, the DAR chief said the activity is in compliance with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to speed up land distribution, agrarian justice delivery, and provision of support services to the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) as he vowed to give his best to ensure that the welfare of the farmers is taken care of un -

der the Marcos administration. Hang in there. We will provide you with more lands and necessary support to help you improve your economic lives,” the DAR chief vowed.

DAR Bicol Regional Director Reuben Theodore C. Sindac said that the e-titles would provide the ARBs complete control of the land they are tilling.

“ Under the SPLIT project, the DAR subdivides the awarded lands

covered by a collective certificate of land ownership award [CCLOA] to provide the ARBs with individual e-titles,” he said.

H erald Tambal, Masbate Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II, said the collaboration and strong partnership between the DAR, the Registry of Deeds, and the Provincial Assessor in Masbate led to the success of the distribution.

Land titles distributed to

ARBs have opened promising opportunities and brighter hopes to improve the quality of their lives,” he said.

During the event, the DAR also turned over farm machinery and equipment worth P5.7 million and signed a memorandum of agreement with representatives from the Cattle Raisers Association of Masbate Inc. for a cattle dispersal project under the Support Livelihood Program.

Jonathan L. Mayuga

House Speaker vows passage of bills to sustain Philippine growth

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz  @joveemarie

THE leadership of the House of Representatives assured foreign investors and multilateral lenders that the Philippine Congress will continue to pass measures to sustain the country’s robust economic performance.

Speaker Martin Romualdez made a statement following the presentation of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s economic team on the state of the Philippine economy before foreign investors and multilateral lenders in the US.  Romualdez also urged foreign investors to stay the course with the Philippines and share the benefits of progress and development.

T he Speaker welcomed as good news the “encouraging remarks” made by Standard Chartered Bank Global Head of Public Sector and Development Organizations Karby Leggett; World Bank Country Director for Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Brunei Ndiamé Diop; and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Deputy Director, Asia, and Pacific Department Sanjaya Panth during the Philippine economic team’s presentation, led by Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno.

“ We are committed to passing more measures that the Marcos administration may need to further enhance investment in the Philippines aimed at improving the lives of Filipinos,” Romualdez said.

During the briefing at Fairmont in Washington, D.C. Wednesday (Unit-

ed States time), Standard Chartered Bank, WB, and IMF officials cited the continued strong and resilient Philippine economy despite global challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic and inflation.

R omualdez said the event was part of the Marcos administration’s whole-of-government approach to attracting more foreign investments that create more income and job opportunities for Filipinos.

“I commend members of the economic team for this briefing. The United States is a major source of investments and funding assistance. The World Bank and IMF are, likewise, principal development funders,” he said.

He lauded the World Bank and IMF and several big multinational banks for helping organize the conference, the second held in Washington, D.C. and the third in the US.

Other Philippine officials led by Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez attended the event.

Members of the economic team who briefed the multilateral agencies, banks and prospective investors were Diokno, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Gov. Felipe M. Medalla, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, and National Economic and Development Authority Director General Arsenio Balisacan.

Diokno said the 2022-2028 Medium Term Fiscal Framework, which Congress passed shortly after it convened in July last year, “serves as a compass to steer the economy closely along the path of fiscal sustainability

and economic growth.”

The targets and measures under this framework are firmly supported not only by the President but also by both houses of Congress,” he said.

He also cited economic liberalization measures Congress recently approved to attract more foreign investments: the amended Public Service Act, Foreign Investments Act, and Retail Trade Liberalization Act.

Last year, Diokno said, the economy posted “a 46-year record-high growth rate of 7.6 percent.”

“ This was higher than our full-year target of 6.5 percent to 7.5  percent, and exceeded forecasts of local private sector analysts and international financial institutions, placing the Philippines among the best-performing economies in the Asia-Pacific region,” he said.

He said the growth target this year is 6 percent to 7 percent.

And while slightly lower in recognition of the expected global slowdown, this target remains high but doable,” he added.

T he government’s fiscal performance remains strong, with 2022 revenue collections reaching P3.5 trillion or about US65 billion, 18 percent higher than the 2021 level, Diokno pointed out.

Pangandaman stressed that the government’s priorities and expenditures are aligned with the medium-term development plan and the 8-point socioeconomic agenda of President Marcos Jr.

She said the bulk of the budget— roughly 38.1 percent—has been allotted

to the social services sector “to ensure revitalized education, quality health care, and strengthened social protection.”

A sizable part was also allocated for physical, social, and digital infrastructure.

Here’s the good news: as of last month, the national government has identified 194 high-impact and urgently-needed infrastructure flagship projects. These will be given top priority during the annual preparation of our government’s budget,” she said.

She added that physical infrastructure spending is “aimed at improving physical connectivity throughout the country through the construction of accessible road networks, railways, buildings, and flood control infrastructure, among others.”

Pangandaman cited school buildings, hospitals, health centers, water supply systems, and housing facilities among the social infrastructure projects.

For social infrastructure, P24.13 billion or US434.3 million has been set aside “to accelerate the country’s digital transformation.”

B alisacan said the government aims to sustain its annual infrastructure spending at 5 percent to 6 percent of gross domestic product from 2023 through 2028, or between $20 billion and $40 billion a year.

He said a total of 3,770 infrastructure projects with a funding requirement of US317.5 billion had been identified, to be financed through both local resources and investments and assistance from the private sector and development partners.

PBEd calls for ‘bigger’ private sector role in training of future employees

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

THE Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) is calling for “greater” private sector participation in training not only their own people but also potential employees to minimize the job-skills gap in the country.

T his, PBEd said, after the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) released a situational report underscoring the “worsening” learning crisis, with students graduating lacking the basic skills, soft skills included, noting these are “vital” in joining the workforce in the country.

We call on greater collaboration among all education stakeholders in the government, industry, and academe, to make intentional and concerted efforts to equip graduates with competencies needed to succeed in the global economy,” the advocacy group said in a statement issued on Thursday. At the same time, PBEd said the ongoing review of the education system by the Second Congressional Commission on Education is expected to play

a huge role in improving the quality of learning the students are getting prior to entering the workplace.

T he industry-led advocacy group also emphasized that the government must work closely with the private sector in order to come up with “scalable policies and programs geared towards building a generation of Filipinos with higher learning outcomes that shall increase their chances towards gainful employment.”

PBEd earlier said it would continue to push for the strengthening and making skills training more “accessible” to boost youth employment in the country.

“ Work-based training is an important intervention to ensure job readiness among the youth as it paves the way for the youth to acquire relevant skills needed in the workplace,” PBEd said.

In a statement issued last March, the industry-led advocacy group divulged that it is pushing for “institutionalization” of the work-based training model through YouthWorks PH, a private sector driven skills training program for unemployed and out-ofschool youth.

T he program provides access to free online mentoring, technicalvocational learning and work-based training provided by industry partners, PBEd said. With this model, it said, 57 percent of youth graduates were immediately hired after training, and 83 percent were no longer considered youth not in education, employment, or training.

I n 2020,PBEd announced that around 5,000 unemployed and out-ofschool youth would benefit from skills training courtesy of YouthWorks PH employment project implemented by PBEd in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

T he two parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Golden Arches Development Corp. (McDonald’s Philippines).

U nder the agreement with McDonald’s Philippines, youth aged 18 to 24 who are not having education, employment, or training will undergo skills training in YouthWorks PH partner institutions and at branches of McDonald’s Philippines, the project’s single largest private-sector partner.

‘Pandemic generation’ graduates

AT the House, the chairman of the House Committee on Labor and Employment on Thursday vowed to conduct an inquiry into the jobs situation faced by fresh college graduates.

R izal Fourth District Rep. Fidel Nograles in a statement expressed concern over the results of a report concerning graduates of the “pandemic generation.”

“ The results of the report, while expected, are troubling, and we in government should actively work to address the gaps that have been identified,” he said.

A recent situational report by the CHR, he said, found that fresh graduates are finding it more difficult to find employment due to the lack of “soft skills” and practical job skills that could have been honed in faceto-face classes.

T he CHR’s findings were taken from various focus group discussions with officials of the national government, prospective employers, schoolteachers, administrators and principals, and the youth.

Mass transport can cut road deaths in PHL, says UN study

Wearing seat belts and reducing speed are also key challenges in the country. Only 52 percent of drivers wear seat belts in the Philippines. Compared to 2013 (79.7 percent), the rate has dramatically dropped by 28 percent.

Speed management was recently addressed in a project in the Philippines funded by the UN Road Safety Fund.

The project realized significant impact with more than 170 speed enforcers trained in best-practice speed enforcement, high-level officials supported in developing speed enforcement plans, and more than 75,000 people engaged through social media on the importance of appropriate speeds.

Other solutions are about build-

ing an ecosystem of safe vehicles, safe roads, strong laws and effective post-crash care. The Special Envoy also recommends that the country adhere to the international instruments and conventions on road safety to guide national policies. Putting road safety as a priority on the political agenda could also have a transformative im-

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

continued from a20

pact on saving lives on the road. In that perspective, the country has taken new initiatives to strengthen safety on the roads. For example, the Philippines issued the National Road Safety Action Plan 2023-2028 with the target to decrease by 20 percent, remind of global goal of 50 percent reduction by 2030.

PHL to reverse infra underinvestment–DOF

T he 2022 SIPP serves as the primary basis for determining priority industries, projects, and activities that can be granted fiscal incentives under the CREATE Act.

C ategorized into three tiers, priority projects and activities listed under Tier III are directed toward emerging technologies that are consistent with the fourth industrial revolution, such as: artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, biotechnology, advanced digital production technologies, and innovation

support facilities including spacerelated infrastructures.

Moreover, these activities represent those that are qualified for longer income tax holidays.

The Philippines’ impressive economic performance is the result of years of interconnected structural reforms,” Diokno said.

For his part, Ndiamé Diop (WB Country Director for the Philippines) agreed that opening up key sectors to investment is a significant move for the Philippines.

“ It has been recognized that in the context of Philippines, the speed, the scale, and the impact of the infrastructure push would be limited if you don’t open up very key sectors, infrastructure sectors, to all investment, all type of investment including foreign direct investment,” he said.

“In fact, the investment regime of the Philippines has for a long time been one of the most restrictive in the region,” Diop added. T he overall business outlook in

continued from a20

the Philippines is more upbeat despite high inflation and external headwinds. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)’s recently released Business Expectations Survey (BES) revealed entrepreneurs to be optimistic toward a sustained positive outlook until the next quarter and over the next 12 months.

“Now, we are unfurling our sails to journey towards shared and sustainable economic prosperity, and your investments will be the wind driving this forward,” Diokno said.

Outrage grows over video showing beheading of a Ukrainian soldier

By Samya Kullab & Hanna Arhirova The Associated Press

Peskov said the video was “horrible” but must be verified.

“In the world of fakes we live in, the authenticity of the footage must be checked,” he said in a conference call with reporters.

Ukraine’s state security service opened an investigation, according to a statement from Vasyl Maliuk, the head of the agency, known as the SBU. Officials are studying the video to identify those responsible, as well as the victim, according to Hanna Maliar, the deputy head of the Defense Ministry.

investigated and the perpetrators must be held accountable.”

Guterres “had also seen the video and was horrified by it and supports the call for the perpetrators to be held to account,” said UN spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.

The video provoked an outcry among Ukrainians.

“This is horrifying,” said Mykola Drobot, 44, of Kyiv. “Such things cannot happen without the consent—silent or not—of the military and political leadership.”

The video spread quickly online and drew outrage from officials in Kyiv, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as international organizations. The Kremlin called the footage “horrible” but said it needed to be verified.

The Associated Press was not able to independently verify the authenticity of the video or the circumstances of where and when it was shot. The AP is not distributing the video or using frame grabs due to its extremely graphic nature.

Meanwhile, a Russian defense official claimed that fighters from Russia’s paramilitary Wagner group have seized three districts of Bakhmut, the embattled city that for months has been the focus of Moscow’s grinding campaign in the east.

The video circulating online appears to show a man in green fatigues wearing a yellow armband, typically donned by Ukrainian fighters. His screams are heard before another man in camouflage uses a knife to decapitate him.

A third man holds up a flak jacket apparently belonging to the man being beheaded. All three men speak in Russian.

Since Russia’s forces invaded on February 24, 2022, they have committed widespread abuses and alleged war crimes, according to the United Nations, rights groups and reporting by The Associated Press. Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of targeting apartment buildings

and other civilian structures and equipment in its strikes, and images of hundreds of dead civilians in the streets and in mass graves in Bucha after Russian forces withdrew from the city have horrified the world.

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

The Kremlin denies it has committed war crimes or that it has targeted civilians.

Ukrainian troops have also been accused of abuses, and last year Kyiv said it would investigate video circulating online that Moscow alleged showed Ukrainian forces killing Russian troops who may have been trying to surrender.

Zelenksyy said the violence in the latest video would not be forgotten, and that Russian forces would be held responsible.

“Everyone must react, every leader. Do not expect that it will be forgotten, that time will pass,” he said in a video.

In it, he used strong language to describe Russian soldiers, calling them “beasts.”

Later Wednesday, at a roundtable of IMF and World Bank meetings, Zelenskyy called in a video for a moment of silence for the Ukrainian soldier killed in the apparent beheading.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry

Posters on pro-Kremlin Russian Telegram channels, while not confirming the video’s authenticity, did not dispute it. Some sought to justify it by saying combat has hardened Russian troops.

Andrei Medvedev, a Russian state TV journalist and a member of the Moscow city legislature, speculated that the video’s release was “fairly opportune” for the Ukrainian army, saying it could help “fire up personnel ideologically” ahead of a planned major counteroffensive.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskyy, also linked the video’s release to the expected offensive but said it was meant to “demoralize the public mood or at least change the psychological perception of the war right now.”

Ukraine’s human rights chief said he will request that the UN Human Rights Committee investigate. Dmytro Lubinets said he has also written to the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

He wrote on Telegram that “a public execution of a captive is yet another indication of a breach of Geneva Convention norms, international humanitarian law, a breach of the fundamental right to life.”

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said it had previously documented “serious violations of international humanitarian law, including those committed against prisoners of war,” adding that “the latest incidents must also be properly

Another Kyiv resident, Yuliia Sievierina, 40, speculated the video was meant as “moral pressure on us to consider ourselves even more oppressed and emotionally torn.”

“It doesn’t work,” she told the AP. “It only creates more anger and thirst for resistance.”

The war’s front lines have been largely frozen for months, with much of the fighting focused around the city of Bakhmut.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Wagner forces had made progress there. Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment, but Zelenskyy has said before that his troops could pull out if they face a threat of encirclement.

Konashenkov did not specify which neighborhoods of Bakhmut are under Russian control, or how much of the city remains in Ukrainian hands.

Elsewhere, at least four civilians were wounded as Russian forces shelled a Ukrainian-held town near the shut-down Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, said regional Gov. Serhii Lysak.

He said in a Telegram post that “people are being pulled out from under the rubble” after Russian shelling destroyed 13 houses and cars in Nikopol, across the Dnieper River from the plant.

Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko alleged Russian forces attacked a town in the eastern Donetsk province with cluster munitions—banned by an international treaty—wounding one person. An AP and Frontline database called War Crimes Watch Ukraine has cataloged how Russia has used cluster bombs.

T he Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed.

North Korea fires ICBM that may have been new type of weapon

By Hyung-Jin Kim, Kim Tong-Hyung & Mari Yamaguchi

The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea—North Korea on Thursday conducted its first intercontinental ballistic missile launch in a month, possibly testing a new type of more mobile, harder-to-detect weapons system, its neighbors said, in an extension of the North’s provocative run of missile tests.

The launch prompted Japan to issue an evacuation order on a northern island, and though it was later retracted, it shows the vigilance of North Korea’s neighbors over its evolving missile threats.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staffs said the missile launched on a high angle from near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang and fell in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan following a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) flight.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff described the missile as having a medium or longer range. The United States National Security Council called it a long-range missile and Japan’s defense minister an ICBM-class weapon.

South Korea’s military believes North Korea launched a new type of ballistic missile, possibly using solid fuel, a defense official said under anonymity because of office rules.

If the launch involved a solid-fuel ICBM, it would be the North’s first test of such a weapon. North Korea’s known ICBMs all use liquid propellant systems that require them to be fueled before launches. But the fuel in a solid propellant weapon is already loaded inside, allowing them to be moved more easily and fired more quickly.

A solid-propellant ICBM is one of the key high-tech weapons that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to build to better cope with what he calls US military threats. Other weapons he wants to acquire are a multiwarhead missile, a nuclearpowered submarine, a hypersonic missile and a spy satellite.

Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the launch may have involved a new intermediate- or long-range missile powered by solid propellants, or be linked to North Korean preparation to launch a spy satellite.

US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the latest launch “needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region.” Watson said the United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and South Korean and Japanese allies.

During an emergency National Security Council meeting in Seoul, officials condemned the launch and stressed

the need to tighten three-way security cooperation with Washington and Tokyo.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a Japanese NSC meeting to analyze the missile as well as Japan’s response to it.

The top nuclear envoys of Seoul, Washington and Tokyo held a telephone conversation where they called for a “decisive and united international response” to North Korean provocations and stronger efforts to stem illicit North Korean activities that allegedly fund its weapons program.

North Korea commonly test-launches missiles toward the international waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

All its past ICBM launches were made in the area, but on elevated trajectories to avoid neighboring countries. South Korea and Japan typically don’t issue evacuation orders for North Korean launches unless they determine weapons fly in the direction of their territories.

Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters the North Korean missile launched Thursday did not reach Japan’s exclusive economic zone. But Japanese authorities still urged people on the northernmost island of Hokkaido to seek shelter and temporarily suspended train, bus and subway services there. Local communities also activated alert sirens through community speakers, urging people to evacuate.

The government then corrected and

retracted its missile alert, saying its analysis showed there was no possibility of a missile landing near Hokkaido.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that the government issued the alert based on an early missile path assessment by Japan’s Defense Ministry. Matsuno said the missile later disappeared from radar but authorities still issued an alert to prioritize the people’s safety. He said the government’s step was “appropriate.”

The alert suggested Japan was being cautious about North Korea’s evolving missile threats. Asked about the accuracy of Japan’s information dissemination in future North Korean launches, Kishida, the prime minister, said the government is checking related information including alerts.

Japanese authorities issued a similar evacuation order in October when a North Korean intermediate-range missile flew over Japan in a launch that demonstrated the potential to reach the US Pacific territory of Guam.

Thursday’s launch was the North’s first long-range missile test since the country tested its longest-range, liquid-fueled Hwasong-17 ICBM on March 16. Kim Jong Un reviewed his country’s attack plans Tuesday and vowed to enhance his nuclear arsenal in more “practical and offensive” ways.

Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.

KYIV, Ukraine—Ukraine launched an investigation Wednesday into a gruesome video that purportedly shows the beheading of a Ukrainian soldier, in the latest accusation of atrocities said to have been committed by Russia since it invaded in February 2022.

China exports rise in March in positive sign for economy

points, set for the first increase in five sessions, while the yuan was little changed.

Slowing global outlook

THE World Trade Organization said last week that global trade will slump below historical growth trends this year, expanding 1.7 percent amid geopolitical tensions and economic pressures including inflation, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, monetary policy tightening and financial market uncertainty. Trade weakness is also being seen in factory sentiment data.

Exports jumped 14.8 percent in US dollar terms last month from a year earlier, partly driven by an uptick in shipments to Southeast Asian nations and resilient demand from South Korea and Europe. Economists had forecast a more than 7 percent fall, and the surprisingly strong result was the biggest divergence from expectations since at least 2018.

Imports declined 1.4 percent, the customs administration said Thursday in Beijing, leaving a trade surplus of $88.2 billion for the month.

Over the past three years, booming export demand was a strong support for the world’s second-largest economy, and helped compensate for weak domestic spending caused by the country’s housing market slump and Covid Zero restrictions. Exports began to contract from late 2022 as demand from the US, the European Union and other countries all lost momentum. The rise in March was the first in six months.

Economists said the surprisingly upbeat data suggests Covid

disruptions to factories in late 2022 and early 2023 were more serious than previously estimated, while external demand is holding up better than expected for now.

“It was very surprising indeed,” said Michelle Lam, economist for Greater China at Societe Generale SA. “Much of the rebound was likely driven by easing supply disruptions. Its impact on exports and production was likely far more serious than previously envisaged. Therefore, today’s data seem to suggest the slowdown in external demand is not as concerning as previously thought.”

Stocks in China extended losses in afternoon trading, with the CSI 300 Index falling 0.7 percent as of 1:30 p.m. local time to underperform Asian peers. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index of Chinese shares traded in Hong Kong was also down 0.7 percent, although that was an improvement from a 2.3 percent decline earlier in the day. The yield on 10-year government bonds rose 2 basis

“The export data were a reflection of a rather good phase of the economic cycle,” said Ding Shuang, chief economist for Greater China and North Asia at Standard Chartered Plc. “The challenge will grow in the second half of the year” when the US economy is likely to stagnate and the effects of monetary policy tightening in the US on China’s foreign trade likely increasing, according to Ding.

The rebound in exports was a surprise since indicators earlier this month seemed to suggest the weakness had continued.

South Korean exports, a bellwether for global trade, plunged further in March, although that nation’s trade is much more reliant on the electronics industry than China.

A breakdown of exports shows that car sales expanded the fastest in the first quarter, surging 82 percent in dollar value terms from a year ago. China is poised to become the world’s second-larg -

Asian stocks follow Wall Street down after US recession warning

By Joe Mcdonald AP Business Writer

BEIJING—Asian stock markets declined Thursday after the Federal Reserve said its economists expect a “mild recession” this year.

Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney retreated. Tokyo advanced. Oil prices fell.

Wall Street closed lower Wednesday after notes from the central bank’s latest meeting said its economists expect lower bank lending to cause a “mild recession.”Traders already saw an increasing likelihood of at least a brief US recession this year following interest rate hikes to cool inflation. Government data showed consumer prices rose 5 percent in March, well above the Fed’s 2 percent target.

“It seems to be brewing recession fears that shook risk sentiments,” said Yeap Jun Rong of IG in a report. The Fed report “erodes chatters of a soft landing scenario.”

The Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.4 percent to 3,312.79 while the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo added 0.2 percent to 28,140.27. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong retreated 0.7 percent to 20,160.84.

The Kospi in Seoul gave up 0.1 percent to 2,548.61 while Sydney’s S&P ASX fell 0.4 percent to 7,313.90.

India’s Sensex opened down 0.4 percent at 60,149.89. New Zealand and Singapore advanced while Jakarta declined.

Traders have been worried the Fed and other central banks in Europe and Asia might tip the global economy into recession as they try to extinguish inflation that is near multidecade highs.

That anxiety was briefly drowned out by fears about the health of global banks following two high-profile failures in the United States and one in Switzerland. But regulators appear to have quelled those

concerns by promising more lending and other steps if needed to stabilize banks.

On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 index fell 16.99, or 0.4 percent, to 4,091.95. About 65 percent of stocks within the index fell.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 38.29, or 0.1 percent, to 33,646.50. The Nasdaq composite lost 102.54, or 0.9 percent, to 11,929.34.

Traders are still largely betting the Fed will raise short-term interest rates by another quarter of a percentage point at its next meeting, according to data from CME Group. They shaded some bets toward the possibility that the Fed will merely hold rates steady in May, something it has not done for more than a year.

Traders have built bets the Fed will have to cut interest rates later this year in order to prop up the economy.

The bond market shows nervousness about a potential recession. The 10-year Treasury yield slipped to 3.41 percent from 3.43 percent

est exporter passenger vehicles, thanks in part to the government’s push to develop electric vehicles in recent years.

In addition, exports of oil products, steel products as well as suitcases and bags also soared in the first three months of this year.

“What explains the surprise?

The strong March reading could reflect some monthly volatility caused by shifts in demand and capacity to get goods out the door during the Lunar New Year holiday, which fell in January this year. The March performance could reflect catch up—which won’t last. Looking ahead, we see weakening global demand weighing exports, even if companies no longer need to worry about pandemic-related disruptions to production and logistics,” said Bloomberg economist Eric Zhu.

“China’s foreign trade in the first quarter showed relatively strong resilience and came off a stable start to the year with signs of improvement,” Lyu Daliang, a spokesman for the customs office, told reporters in Beijing. However, difficulties and challenges remain due to high global inflation, slowing growth in major economies, rising protectionism and geopolitical risks, he added.

In yuan terms, China’s exports rose about 23 percent in March from a year ago, up from 5.2 percent in February, according to Bloomberg calculations based on official data. Imports increased about 6.3 percent in March after rising 11.1 percent in February. With assistance from Fran Wang, Wenjin Lv and Shikhar Balwani/Bloomberg

India-born World Bank chief: Real change or rebranding?

By Sibi Arasu

The Associated Press

BENGALURU, India—The incoming president of the World Bank was born in India and forged his early business success there, a fact supporters say gives Ajay Banga valuable insight into the challenges faced by the developing countries the bank is supposed to help.

But not everyone is sure that Banga, who has spent most of the last two decades in the US corporate world, can be counted on to shake up the bank in the way some think it should be.

late Tuesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which moves more on expectations for the Fed, fell to 3.96 percent from 4.03 percent.

Investors are looking ahead to the latest quarterly profit reports US companies are due to start releasing this week.

Expectations are low. Analysts forecast the worst drop in S&P 500 earnings per share since the pandemic was crushing the economy in 2020. But many also expect this to mark the bottom and call for a return to growth later this year.

In energy markets, benchmark US crude lost 32 cents to $82.94 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The contract rose $1.73 on Wednesday to $83.26. Brent crude, the price basis for international oil trading, shed 40 cents to $86.93 per barrel in London. It advanced $1.72 the previous session to $87.33.

The dollar gained to 133.35 yen from Wednesday’s 133.19 yen. The dollar declined to $1.0986 from $1.0995.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen talked up Banga’s credentials this week on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s spring meetings in Washington. Banga, currently vice chairman at private equity firm General Atlantic, has more than 30 years of business experience, including as CEO of Mastercard and on the boards of the American Red Cross, Kraft Foods and Dow Inc.

“He has the right leadership and management skills, background, and financial expertise to lead the World Bank at a critical moment in its history,” Yellen said.

That came after President Joe Biden, in nominating Banga in February, heralded his “critical experience” dealing with urgent world challenges like climate change, even though his resume shows little to do with climate credentials.

The World Bank—the world’s largest and oldest development bank—includes 189 member countries with a mission to reduce poverty and build prosperity in the developing world. The threat of climate change is a major focus, with the bank billing itself as the largest financier of climate action in

CHINA’S exports unexpectedly rose in March as demand from most Asian countries and Europe improved and the nation’s factories resumed production, boosting the economy’s outlook and indicating global growth may be better than expected.

NOTICE OF FILING OF APPLICATION/S FOR ALIEN EMPLOYMENT PERMIT/S (AEP/S)

Notice is hereby given that the following companies/employers have filed with this Regional Office application/s for

1 Building, Cove

landia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

13 ANOC99 CORPORA

TION

POGO 1 Building, Cove

landia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

14 ARKRAY INDUSTRY WEST, INC.

Main Avenue Corner 3rd Street, Cavite Economic Zone, Tejeros Convention, Rosario, Cavite

15 BEST GARDEN RESORT INC.

4055 A, Purok 7, Sitio Palaisdaan, Balite I, Silang, Cavite

16 BNK TECHNOLOGY INC.

Unit H, 2nd Floor, Bea Alieson Building, Buhay Na Tubig, City of Imus, Cavite

17 CANON BUSINESS MACHINES (PHILIPPINES), INC.

Lot 4, Phase 1B, First Philippine Industrial Park, Ulango, City of Tanauan, Batangas

18 COMPASS OFFSHORE INC.

Sitio Pulong Bunga, Paligawan, Silang, Cavite

incoming calls and customer service inquiries

SHIMADA, KAZUYA Engineering Adviser

Brief Job Description: Support the Engineering team on the transfer of new products

JUNG, HEETAE Manager

Brief Job Description:

Responsible for collaborating and developing improvement plans, monitoring progress and delegating employee assignments

AN, SEHOON Computer Programmer

Brief Job Description:

Review operating systems and software frequently

OZAWA, KENGO

Corporate Planning Department Manager

Brief Job Description: Ensure that manufacturing processes run reliably and efficiently

ETEMADI, HADIS

Business Development Officer

Brief Job Description:

Establishing strategic frameworks for capitalizing on identified opportunities across the business and all its business segments and approaching new prospects to increase company revenue.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

At least 10 years of experience as an Engineering adviser in manufacturing company

Salary Range: Php500,000 and above

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in business, management or related field

Salary Range: Php30,000Php59,999

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With at least 1-3 years of any job experience

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Basic Qualification: With the ability in planning production schedules

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Basic Qualification: Experience in aspects of developing and maintaining business strategies, strong business acumen, strong understanding of customer and market dynamic requirements and able to work in a constantly changing environment

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19 HTS CORPORATION Lot 2, Block 1, Calamba Premiere International Park, Batino, City of Calamba, Laguna

KIM, JUNSIK Mold Design Manager

Brief Job Description: Prepare mold component drawing and assembly drawings

MOHAMMAD RIZAL SIDDIK

20 JANOSCHKA PHILIPPINES, INC. 8001, Purok 2, Santo Tomas, City of Biñan, Laguna

Plant Manager

Brief Job Description: Lead the overall business of the company

Basic Qualification: Experience in injection molding company is a must and graduate in mechanical design

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Basic Qualification: 20 years of lean manufacturing exposure in FMCG industry particularly rotogravure printing

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Destructive cyclone forecast to hit northwest Australia

By Rod Mcguirk The Associated Press

CANBERRA,

Cyclones are common along the sparsely populated Pilbara coast of Western Australia state and fatalities are rare, but authorities fear that Cyclone Ilsa’s extraordinary wind speeds could take some in its path by surprise.

Ilsa reached Category 4 intensity Thursday over the Indian Ocean and is expected to strengthen to the maximum destructive category on a fivetier scale before it crosses the Pilbara coast by early Friday, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said.

Category 5 cyclones have a maximum mean wind speed exceeding 200 kph (124 mph) with gusts exceeding 280 kph (174 mph). They typically cause widespread destruction, the bureau said.

The last Category 5 storm to cross the Australian coast was Cyclone Yasi in 2011. Yasi caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage in the east coast state of Queensland. The only death blamed on the disaster was a man killed by exhaust fumes from a electricity generator he had used in a confined space.

In 2019, Cyclone Veronica

did not cross the Pilbara coast, but damaged infrastructure and disrupted the region’s mining and offshore gas industries.

Ilsa is expected to cross the coast somewhere in a 220-km (137-mile) span between the iron ore export town of Port Hedland and Wallal Downs Station, a 200,000-hectare (500,000-acre) cattle ranch to the east.

Those close to where Ilsa makes landfall would experience gusts of up to 285 kph (177 mph), the bureau said.

On Thursday, police closed the highway along the Pilbara coast between Port Hedland and the tourist town of Broome, 610 km (380 miles) to the northeast, to prevent motorists from risking the worsening conditions. Authorities expect the North West Coastal Highway will be impassable due to flooding before Ilsa passes.

Port Hedland and Broome are the largest population centers in the Pilbara region with 16,000 and 15,000 people.

Bidyadanga, home to around 700 people midway between Wallal Downs Station and Broome, stocked enough food

and fuel by Thursday to last a week in case the community is isolated by floodwater. Bidyadanga CEO Tania Baxter said maintaining the community’s electricity would be critical to how they weathered the storm.

“Without power, we haven’t got water and possibly even communications,” Baxter said. “So if we can maintain power supply, then we’ll be fine. We’ll manage everything else that comes with it and any damage that comes.”

Many in the cyclone’s path have evacuated in recent days.

In Port Hedland, from which the world’s largest bulk export port sends Australian iron ore around the globe, evacuation centers had opened to people whose homes might not withstand the storm, said mayor Peter Carter.

“Everyone is on edge,” Carter said. “They understand that cyclones are what they are. They’re very, very unpredictable.”

Long-term Port Hedland resident Julie Arif, who has experienced several cyclones, said she was concerned for those in Ilsa’s path.

“They’ll be prepared and riding it out. But it is still terrifying, absolutely terrifying,” Arif said. “When you’re inside in a house and there’s just the roar of the wind outside and thumping and banging and crashing. And cyclones happen at nighttime. You don’t know what it is and it’s frightening.”

The bureau warned of damaging winds, flooding rain and abnormally high tides along the Pilbara coast as Ilsa passes. Many people in the Pilbara region are involved in the mining and cattle industry or are tourists taking advantage of the school vacation period that began this week.

INDIA-BORN WORLD BANK CHIEF: REAL CHANGE OR REBRANDING?

Continued

developing countries.

But leaders and activists from poorer nations, especially those vulnerable to the extreme weather made worse by climate change, have called for massive reforms in the entire multinational development bank system. Led by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and embraced by French President Emmanuel Macron, they have pushed something called the Bridgetown Initiative, which would make it easier and faster for developing countries hit by weather disasters to get money with lower interest rates for both recovery and for building to be more resilient.

Banga will replace David Malpass, a Donald Trump appointee who announced he would step down this June, a year early, after coming under pressure for declining to say whether he agreed with scientific consensus on climate change.

Climate finance analysts are relieved that Banga at least believes climate change is caused by fossil fuels. But many are skeptical that his experience—which includes stints at Nestle, Pizza Hut and Mastercard—is a natural fit for climate finance. And while he comes from a climate-stressed state in India, a nation that’s simultaneously battling growing energy demands and climate change effects, his long career in America adds to their wait-and-see attitude.

Anit Mukherjee, a senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a think tank devoted to India’s global development, called Banga’s ascension “a proud moment for India.”

“Growing up in India, Banga will likely understand the issues developing countries face. It is also clear he understands markets around the world,” said Mukherjee, who has worked closely

on reforming multilateral development banks. “Whether he will understand the challenges of climate financing and development is still unclear.”

Harjeet Singh, head of global political strategy at Climate Action Network International, called Malpass’s departure a historic opportunity to “change the system.” But Banga is just old wine in a new bottle, Singh said.

“He has worked in corporations whose prime motive is profit. When it comes to development, especially climate change, it is about justice and equity,” said Singh. Banga’s background “doesn’t inspire confidence,” he said.

“We are facing multiple crises including climate change, the debt crisis, and the banking crisis. We cannot continue with the same systems that are responsible for these crises,” said Singh.

Luiz Vieria, coordinator of the Bretton Woods Project, which watchdogs the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, lamented as unfair the tradition by which the US typically appoints the World Bank head and Europe appoints the IMF head. Banga “doesn’t even meet the bare bones criteria,” he said.

The son of an Indian army officer, Banga was born in 1959 and educated in some of India’s premier institutions. When India’s economy liberalized in the

early ‘90s, Banga was able to work and rise through the ranks of multinational corporations breaking into India.

Since moving to the US in the early 2000s, Banga has held prestigious positions in the corporate world, including heading Mastercard and serving as director of Exor and Temasek, large holding companies whose portfolios are diverse and include media companies such as Mediacorp and the Economist as well as automobile companies like Ferrari.

“Appointing someone like Banga is a great way to open the conversation with developing countries,” said Suranjali Tandon, an assistant professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, a research institute affiliated to the Indian government.

But Tandon wondered whether Banga will be able or willing to drastically change how the World Bank works.

“His private sector experience makes him well versed with taking high risks and getting high returns,” she said.

“Development finance, especially climate finance though, is about high risk and low return investments. Given this, I don’t see the World Bank radically transforming under his leadership.”

Fatima Hussein and Seth Borenstein in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.

Australia—A tropical cyclone is expected to intensify to the most destructive category before it crosses the northwest Australian coast with winds gusting at more than 280 kph (170 mph), meteorologists said Thursday.

An association Leader’s Traits ‘To a T’

THE expression “to a T” means something exactly right or perfect. So when someone describes you “to a T,” it means it’s the best representation of yourself.

I’ve been trying to make an account of what traits an association leader must possess that fit “to a T.” Based on my interaction with fellow association executives over the years and from my own experience, I would say these “5 Ts” matter:

1. Tact. A discerning sense of what to do or say in order to build good relations with others or not to offend anyone. A tactful person knows how to say the right thing at the right time, is proper and sensitive, and is never rude or careless. Having the responsibility of engaging with members with diverse orientation and needs demand that an association executive has to possess tact skills.

2. Thorough. A complete regard for every detail and on taking pains to do something carefully and completely. It is the attention to detail that separates an average person from the outstanding. Thoroughness is also a crucial component of a successful leader. Planning, leading, and organizing programs for members require that an association executive has to be thorough in all aspects and activities of the organization.

3. Tenacity. An intense mix of determination, persistence and grit. A tenacious person never gives up and never stops trying, someone who does whatever is required to accomplish a goal. For association leaders and their organizations, tenacity is the trait that spells the difference between failure and success.

4. Tenderheartedness. A tenderhearted person is sensitive to the needs of others, is compassionate, and easily moved by another’s distress. The pandemic provided many lessons to association leaders such as understanding and feeling what members were going through within their frame of reference, i.e., the capacity to place themselves in the position of their members.

5. Tasteful. A consideration of a thing, action or personality that is attractive, elegant, and in good taste. A tasteful person has good manners and an eye for wearing appropriate clothing and for appreciating decent décor, for example. Making a good first impression is an essential quality for an association executive as others, including members, will form an quick opinion on how you dress, speak and manage your body language. I can attest that these five traits are acquired and developed over time. Associations are communities of various types of people who do not necessarily share the same culture, beliefs, practices, and tradition, but are willing to come together for a purpose or a cause. Adapting to this diverse and dynamic group requires that an association leader demonstrates the discipline and the decorum such as the “5 Ts” above to handle different audiences, situations and circumstances.

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

Credit investors expect defaults rising, 84% see chance of recession in the US

CREDIT portfolio managers are forecasting a rise in corporate defaults in the coming year while more than four-outof-five participants see a chance of a US recession in 2023, according to a survey by the International Association of Credit Portfolio Managers.

The poll found that 81 percent of fund managers see defaults picking up in the next 12 months, compared with 80 percent in the survey last December, as reduced bank liquidity and credit risk concerns land on top of macroeconomic issues. For North American corporates, 86 percent of respondents see defaults rising, while 91 percent see defaults rising in Europe.

“Our members have expected to see the impact of rising interest rates for some time and we’re beginning to see more credit stress and defaults in corporate borrowers now,” Som-lok Leung, IACPM’s executive director,

wrote in a statement. “Unfortunately, this could take some time to work its way through the system.”

Survey respondents are also predicting a recession in the US, with 84 percent expecting one to occur sometime this year. That’s higher than the 61 percent of participants who see a recession this year in Europe and the UK.

Credit spreads are expected to move higher, with almost 60 percent of participants seeing North American credit spreads widening over the next three months and 80 percent of participants forecasting high-yield spreads rising.

KPMG fined £1.25M for Luceco audit by UK watchdog

KPMG LLP was fined £1.25 million ($1.56 million) by the UK audit watchdog over errors it made in its work on Luceco Plc’s books in 2016.

An-ex KMPG employee, Stuart Smith, who was audit engagement partner for the Luceco audit, was also fined £50,000, the Financial Reporting Council said in a statement on Thursday. KPMG’s sanction was discounted to £875,000 after admis-

Zamboanga BOC awards Seaoil PHL

sions of the failure while Smith’s was reduced to £35,000.

At the time of the audit failures, Luceco was the parent of a group of companies producing lighting products and wiring accessories, including a production and manufacturing company in China and two distribution companies in the UK.

The audit errors were compounded by the fact that KPMG and Smith had been aware of failures in previ-

ous years concerning the accuracy of the cost of inventory—one of the eight breaches they admitted, the FRC said.

The world’s top auditors have come under fire from regulators over some of the most high profile finance scandals in recent years from Greensill to Carillion Plc. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP was fined £5.6 million ($7 million) last month over its 2017 and 2018 audit of Babcock

IACPM survey participants see certain industries like health care, medium-sized tech companies and defense manufacturers facing tough times in the current environment. Commercial real estate was also cited, given work-from-home trends lowering office occupancy rates and property owners having to refinance in a higher interest rate environment. The IACPM is composed of more than 130 financial institutions across 30 countries and its members include portfolio managers at commercial banks, investment banks and asset managers, the organization said on its website. Bloomberg News

International Group Plc.

“We are committed to dealing with, and learning from, our historical cases and regret that aspects of our 2016 audit of Luceco fell short of required standards,” Cath Burnet, head of audit at KPMG UK said in a emailed statement. “We continue to invest significantly in training, controls and technology to improve quality and resilience in our audit practice.” Bloomberg News

Crypto phishing rising–Kaspersky

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

ANEW report by Kaspersky Lab JSC revealed

a decrease in the detection of traditional financial threats, such as banking and mobile financial malware.

LandBank lends ₧67M for Quirino Wi-Fi link

By Raadee S. Sausa

THE province of Quirino borrowed P67 million to finance the digital infrastructure project of the Quirino local government, the provincial governor said.

FUEL provider Seaoil Philippines Inc. announced it continues to top the list of importers in the Zamboanga Peninsula, citing the 2022 Top Importers report of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in Zamboanga. For three consecutive years, Seaoilhas been a top importer in the port of Zamboanga, the company’s statement read. The company added that last year it brought an import revenue of almost P10 billion, which is nearly double its import revenue from 2021 that totaled more than P5 billion.

“Integrity is at the core of what we do in Seaoil,” said Seaoil President and CEO Glenn Yu was quoted in a statement as saying. “We are committed to supporting the needs of our stakeholders, which includes paying the right dues and taxes to the government.”

Seaoil has over 25 stations operating in the Zamboanga Peninsula alone, with more to open this year. The fuel provider is also slated to open a depot in the Zamboanga Economic Zone in Zamboanga City in the early part of 2024. The new depot, which broke ground last year, is a partnership with the Zamboanga Economic Zone and Freeport Authority and gears to serve its customers not only in the Zamboanga Peninsula, but also the nearby islands of Tawi-Tawi, Jolo and Sulu. It is expected to have 18 million liters of fuel storage capacity and can receive direct imports.

“The opening of our Zamboanga terminal will enable us to make Seaoil’s quality products more accessible to our customers and commercial industries in Southern Mindanao,” Yu said.

“The financial threat landscape saw significant changes in 2022,” the company said in a statement issued recently. “While attacks using traditional financial threats such as banking PC and mobile malware have become less common, cybercriminals have shifted their attention to new areas, including the crypto industry.”

The Moscow, Russia-headquartered firm said that last year, cryptocurrency phishing rose significantly and was included as a separate category, demonstrating 40 percent year-on-year growth. The firm said that it detected roughly 5.04 million of crypto phishing in 2022 compared to nearly 3.6 million in 2021.

“This increase in crypto phishing could be partially explained by the havoc on the crypto market that occurred last year,” Kaspersky Lab said. “However, it is still unclear whether the trend will continue, which will depend on the trust that users place in cryptocurrency.” According to the Russian firm, its data correlates with users’ experiences with cryptocurrency threats explored by Kaspersky earlier this year: every seventh person surveyed was affected by cryptocurrency phishing.

“Although most crypto scams are traditional tricks such as giveaway scams or fake wallet phishing pages, a recent active fraudulent scheme discovered by Kaspersky shows that scammers are constantly coming up with new techniques to ensure their success,” the company said.

Kaspersky Lab explained that in this campaign, the user receives a PDF file in English by mail, stating that they allegedly registered on a cryptocurrency cloud mining platform a long time ago and

need to urgently withdraw a lot of crypts since their account is inactive.

The file contains a link to a fake mining platform. To withdraw the crypt, the user must fill out a form with personal information, including the card or account number, and pay a commission, in this case, through a crypto wallet or directly to the specified wallet address.

An example of active crypto fraudulent scheme occurred in February 2023.

“Despite some troubles that have occurred in the cryptocurrency market over the past six months, in the minds of many people, crypto still remains a symbol of getting rich quick with minimal effort. Therefore, the flow of scammers who parasitize on this topic does not dry out. In order to lure victims into their networks, these scammers continue to come up with new and more interesting stories,” Olga Svistunova, a security expert at Kaspersky Lab, was quoted in the statement as saying.

In Southeast Asia, Kaspersky has monitored a slight dip in 2022 overall. The cybersecurity company observed 64,080 crypto phishing in the region last year, 15-percent lower than 2021’s number.

The drop in crypto phishing is mainly detected in Singapore (-74 percent), Thailand (-51) and Vietnam (-15 percent). This type of threat, however, continues to grow in the Philippines (170 percent), Indonesia (+26 percent) and Malaysia (4 percent).

“Southeast Asia is home to diverse countries and continue to lead globally in terms of cryptocurrency adoption. With the highly active playto-earn gamers plus the remittance usage of cryptocurrency in countries with high overseas workers, we expect to see more adopters in the region. This makes it essential to develop that protection-first mind set against attacks related to this useful technology,” Chris Connell, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky, was quoted in the statement as saying.

Pagcor recertified to ISO 9001:2015 for third time

THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) announced it was recertified to International Standardization Organization (ISO) 9001:2015 for the third consecutive time, after the agency has satisfactorily completed the three-day audit conducted by the DQS Certification Phil’s Inc. from December 19 to 22, 2022.

Pagcor said its recertification will be valid until March 21, 2026, subject to satisfactory surveillance audits.

Pagcor Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco received the reaccreditation certificate along with the members of the Board during the awarding ceremony held in Manila last April 12.

According to the DQS audit report, “Pagcor effectively fulfilled

the requirements for quality management system and risk-based thinking in its business operations.

It also implemented and maintained a management system in accordance with the applied standards.”

In his speech, Tengco acknowledged every employee’s hard work and cooperation in achieving the recertification.

Ito ay pagpapatunay na nailalagay na sa ayos ang iba’t ibang sistema at uri ng pamamalakad sa isang organisasyon.

Pagkakataon ito para magpasalamat sa bawat isang ‘Pagcorian,’ kung hindi dahil sa inyo ay hindi natin makakamtam o matatanggap ang ISO certification natin,” he said. [This is proof that the various systems and types of management in an organization have been put in order. This is an opportunity to

thank each and every Pagcorian, if not for you we would not have achieved or received our ISO certification.]

Tengco also said he will do his best as head of the agency to make sure that Pagcor, including all its gaming venues, will be certified to ISO 9001:2015 before his term ends.

“That is our goal and I commit as your Chairman and CEO that we will make sure that this will happen,” the Pagcor chief said. “Pagtrabahuhan natin, pagkaisahan at siguraduhin natin na makakamtan natin ang ISO certification para sa buong organisasyon.” [Let’s work, unite and make sure we get ISO certification for the whole organization.]

DQS Certification Philippines Inc. Managing Director Romeo V. Zamora, likewise, expressed his grat-

itude to the state-run gaming firm for the chance to evaluate Pagcor’s gaming operations, casino licensing and regulation and corporate social responsibility.

“Thank you for choosing DQS for entrusting this certification to us. Hopefully, we can still continue to give you added value assessments when it comes to your management system,” Zamora was quoted in a statement as saying.

Pagcor said it has acquired ISO 9001:2015 recertification for its corporate offices in Ermita, Malate, and Pasay. Likewise, Casino Filipino (CF) branches in Tagaytay, Angeles, Citystate and New Coast were recertified. Meanwhile, CF branches in Ilocos Norte and Cebu were among the newly-certified Pagcor sites.

According to Quirino Gov. Dakila Carlo “Dax” E. Cua, the free Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi) project is expected to boost education, healthcare, tourism and public services in the province by enabling and enhancing access to convenient online platforms.

“LandBank’s financing facility is a big boost to the initiatives of LGUs [local government units]. It provides relief to struggling LGUs [local government units] while we ramp-up our efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic,” Cua said.

The official said the province’s loan from the LandBank covers the procurement of an Internet service provider; Wi-Fi equipment (routers, modems and cables); and, the installation of towers, among other provisions.

The installation of the Wi-Fi equipment is already underway, with the Quirino local government prioritizing schools, public markets, rural health units, municipal and barangay halls and other public spaces to maximize the benefits of the improved internet infrastructure.

Once completed this year, the project will provide students and residents with free internet access with speed of up to two gigabytes per second.

LandBank has approved loans totaling P113 billion for 408 LGUs as of February, a statement from the state-run lender read. Provincial, city and municipal governments may borrow from the bank to finance their development and innovative projects geared towards rebuilding their communities and local economies.

“LandBank continues to support local government partners toward full recovery from the pandemic, while also strengthening their capacity to withstand future crises,” LandBank President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo was quoted in a statement as saying.

“We aim to help develop resilient communities as part of our expanded mandate of serving the nation,” she said.

LandBank has increased the fund allocation for the program to P150 billion—15 times higher from the initial P10-billion in 2020—to accommodate more LGUs nationwide.

Meanwhile, the program will be available until July 2025.

Octavio Peralta Association World

Happy 75th birthday, Philippine Red Cross

AS the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) celebrates its 75th founding anniversary, it is important to look back at history to understand the roots of the foremost humanitarian organization in the country. Apolinario Mabini, the conscience and brains of the Philippine revolution, encouraged the framers of the Malolos Constitution to form a national Red Cross organization. On February 17, 1899, the National Association of the Red Cross was established. The government appointed Hilaria del Rosario de Aguinaldo—the consort of President Emilio Aguinaldo—as the first head of the association.

During his term, President Manuel L. Quezon took the initiative to establish an independent Philippine Red Cross. This did not materialize because the Commonwealth of the Philippines cannot sign the Geneva Conventions.

In 1947, the Philippines proclaimed its commitment to adhere to the Geneva Red Cross Convention, which necessitated the creation of a Philippine Red Cross. This was fulfilled on March 22, 1947 when President Manuel Roxas signed Republic Act 95 into law.

The Philippine Red Cross charter has undergone several changes since its creation. The original charter and amending laws were eventually repealed in 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed into law Republic Act 10072, otherwise known as the Philippine Red Cross Act of 2009.

From its humble beginnings with only 13 chapters in 1947, the Philippine Red Cross has grown to an impressive 102 chapters today, serving millions of Filipinos across the nation.

Over the years, the Philippine Red Cross has evolved from its primary role as a blood collection agency to a full-service humanitarian organization. It has expanded its services to provide aid in all kinds of disasters, including typhoons, earthquakes, armed conflicts, and disease outbreaks. The organization has built thousands of homes for those affected by disasters and has developed an extensive network of trained emergency medical services personnel.

The election of Sen. Richard J. Gordon in 2004 as Chairman and CEO saw the transformation of the PRC into a modern and well-equipped organization. The modernization and expansion program strengthened the logistics side of the PRC, allowing for more timely delivery of services. Coupled with the growing number of volunteers inspired by Gordon’s vision and supported by information technology, the PRC fulfilled the equation: “Volunteers + Logistics + Information Technology = A Red Cross that is always first, always ready, and always there.”

To deliver the services it is noted for, the Philippine Red Cross invested heavily in rolling assets to enhance its response capabilities. The organization now boasts a fleet of 178 ambulances, food trucks, rescue trucks, fire trucks, humvees, amphibians, rescue boats, wing vans, water tankers with water bladders, and payloaders to clear debris in case of disasters. The MV Amazing Grace, a humanitarian ship, is another vital asset that provides rescue and relief items to various islands in the Philippines.

One reason for the prompt response capability of the Philippine Red Cross is the establishment of its Operations Center, a state-of-the-art command center connected to all the chapters across the country. The center enables the organization to respond swiftly to any emergency, providing a coordinated response that maximizes the impact of the organization’s volunteers and logistics.

Under Gordon’s leadership, the Philippine Red Cross has expanded its volunteer base and strengthened its logistics capabilities. The organization now boasts over 1.5 million registered volunteers across the country, making it the largest humanitarian organization in the Philippines. This network of volunteers is crucial in responding to emergencies, as they are often the first to arrive on the scene and provide initial assistance before emergency responders can arrive.

The PRC has become a highly efficient and effective organization that is always ready to respond to emergencies and disasters. Its focus on volunteers, logistics, and information technology has enabled it to provide critical assistance to millions of Filipinos affected by natural disasters, pandemics, and other emergencies. Chairman Gordon’s legacy will undoubtedly be felt for years to come, as the Philippine Red Cross continues to be a beacon of hope and assistance for those in need.

A nation for our youth, by our youth

Empowering Youth Initiative, Inc.

sonny M. angara

Better Days

ACCORdiNg to a 2017 study by the World Economic Forum (WEF), 40 percent of the youth consider social impact as a factor in choosing their careers. This conviction has led to the creation of several youth-led social enterprises and organizations that largely aim to tackle societal problems such as gender inequality, poverty, mental health, gaps in education, climate change, among others. The Filipino youth of today—defined by our laws as those belonging to the 15 to 30 years old age group—is no different. Having been more exposed to our country’s challenges and the many opportunities to address these, they have become more enthused in harnessing their energy, vigor, and talent into programs, projects, and practices that deliver immediate positive impacts to their communities.

For instance, the recent 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia recognized two Filipinas for their contributions to social impact – 29-year-old Billie Dumaliang who co-founded the Masungi Georeserve Foundation; and 26-year-old Shawntel Nicole Nieto who helped create the One Cainta Food Program.

Undoubtedly, there are many others who have taken a leadership role in enacting positive change, which is why the Senate deemed it vital to adopt Senate Resolution No. 548 that recognized the awardees of the 20th Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO). Since its launch in 2002, the TAYO Awards through the initiative of Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, have already recognized close to 400 youth organizations

that have contributed to nationbuilding in the fields of culture, arts, and heritage; education and technology; environment, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation; health, well-being and human development; and livelihood and entrepreneurship.

For its 20th iteration, which we were fortunate enough to be invited as part of the screening panel, the TAYO Awards selected youth organizations from around the country, namely: Albay Young Farmers Organization; the BAKA; Iligan Safe Space; Leaders’ Council; Open Arms Organization; PINTAKASI; Project TALA Organization; Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) of Barangay Talomo River, Davao City; Shafaat Agriculture Cooperative; and the Youth

The Albay Young Farmers Organization introduced edible landscaping in the hopes of encouraging the active participation of their community in innovative farming approaches. Similarly, the BAKA from Cagayan de Oro City have made notable efforts to capacitate young people on the whole value-chain approach to agriculture through workshops and activities. Meanwhile, the Shafaat Agriculture Cooperative in Lanao del Sur also saw the potential of agriculture, particularly mushroom production, to create an alternative source of income not only for farmers but also for women internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Marawi and the out of school youth.

The TAYO Awards also recognized the works of the Iligan Safe Space organization in creating a nurturing environment for members of the LGBTQIA+ in their city; the PINTAKASI of Quezon province which provided an inclusive venue for local artists of all cultures, beliefs, and genders; the Project TALA Organization of Isabela for its use of theater arts in advocating for better understanding of HIV and AIDS; and the Open Arms Organization in Batangas City and their efforts to help, not only the youth in marginalized sectors, but also their families through accessible rehabilitation services and social programs. The Leaders’ Council in Cebu was also commended for its community program aimed at assisting with the holistic reformation and development of children in conflict with the law. Meanwhile, the SK of Barangay

Talomo River in Davao City was also awarded for its free and comprehensive online enrichment program offered to senior high school and freshmen college students. Finally, the Youth Empowering Youth Initiative, Inc. from Bacolod City also paved the way for food waste mitigation efforts in their community through their social enterprise Sagup Negros. The awardees demonstrated that if the youth are provided the opportunity, they can make huge contributions towards the betterment of their respective communities and shape Philippine society according to their values and aspirations. Furthermore, these organizations are a testament to the fact that there is no minimum age requirement to being a good citizen. Hence, it is only fitting that the government extends its arm towards these organizations that have embodied the desire to deliver this country to progress and bring an end to the cycle of poverty, inequality, and divisiveness. As we celebrate the TAYO Awardees, it is our fervent hope that these organizations and their efforts serve as a call to action to other young individuals and youth-serving groups to pursue active citizenry and be agents for a better future.

Senator Sonny Angara has been in public service for 18 years—9 years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and 9 as Senator. He has authored, co-authored, and sponsored more than 330 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.  E-mail: sensonnyangara@yahoo.com Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara

Solar power and the future of energy in the Philippines

Clarissa ruth s. racho-sabugo

THE use of solar power plants in the country took a significant step forward in 2014 with the operation of the 22-megawatt photovoltaic power plant in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental. SaCaSol (San Carlos Solar Energy) in San Carlos Ecozone was the first and largest grid-connected solar power plant in the country then. Before, solar-powered energy systems were off-grid; a few installations were targeted towards remote communities. Since then, there has been continuous growth in the total solar energy capacity in the country.

Key to enabling the industry players in the solar energy market is the policy environment promoting solar energy in the Philippines. The main legislation towards this end was the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (RA 9513). This provided the necessary legal and institutional framework for the development and use of renew-

able energy in the country. Furthermore, it provided investors with fiscal incentives (tax exemptions) and non-fiscal incentives (e.g., Feed-inTariff and Net Metering program).

The Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) policy was designed to guarantee a fixed price to renewable energy investors for their generated power purchased

by distribution utilities. The mandated duration was typically 20 years. With this policy, RE projects are somehow de-risked and assured of their financial viability for the period covered. The FiT price approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) during the first phase of the policy in 2012 was P9.68/kWh for the installation target of 50 megawatts.

While the FiT policy was designed for larger-scale PV installations, the non-fiscal incentive targeted towards smaller-scale installations of less than 100kWh was the Net Metering scheme. This policy took effect in July 2013 upon the release of the net metering rules by the ERC. In this scheme, excess electricity after their own consumption can be exported back to the grid and deducted from the household’s succeeding monthly electricity bill.

Additional policy support for renewable energy has been initiated, including the Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) that forces distribution utilities to source part of their electricity supply from renewable

energy sources. The minimum RPS has been increased from 1 percent to 2.52 percent from 2023 onwards as indicated in the National Renewable Energy Plan (NREP) 2020-2040. The Green Energy Options Program (GEOP), which was promulgated in 2021, gives electricity end-users the option to get their electricity supply from retail RE suppliers. Other policies and programs in support of solar energy and renewable energy, in general, include the Renewable Energy Market, the Green Energy Auction Program, and the Preferential Dispatch of RE Generating Units.

However, the country continues to rely heavily on fossil fuels for power generation. Data from the Department of Energy (DOE) show that coal and oil account for more than 60 percent of aggregate power generation output in 2021. With the nation’s commitment to the goals of the Paris Agreement and its 1.5°C target, continuously growing energy demand, and the impending depletion of our Malampaya gas field, more See “Eagle Watch,” A19

Hybrid war against Russia acquires new forms

American fighters in the airspace. In this case, we are talking about the airspace over the Black Sea, and not near the borders of the United States.

Reporting crucifixions and resurrections

Tito Genova Valiente annoTaTions

RUSSIAN Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov recently reported that hybrid warfare by the United States and other countries against Russia is taking new forms. At the same time, facts about the actions of the US and the West confirm the words of the Russian diplomat.

On March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. What is behind this organization’s decision? The majority of sensible politicians were bewildered by the ICC’s decision. So, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen called what is happening “a shocking political event,” which could lead to very serious consequences. The minister wrote about this on his TG-channel. According to the head of the government of Cambodia, the ICC charges against the Russian leader, first of all, will have a very negative impact on the course of the Ukrainian conflict.

In fact, the actions of the international body, as the politician puts it, only adds oil to the fire and makes it difficult for China to mediate in this conflict, as well as making it difficult to hold peace talks.

We would like to recall that the ICC’s last proudest act was in 2020, when it tried to investigate the US military. After US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, the ICC authorized an investigation into Taliban and US war crimes in Afghanistan. In response, US President Donald Trump authorized sanctions against the ICC.

What is this but a provocation by Russia to retaliate? In the spring, Nato will present an updated regional defense plan; in the coming months, the alliance plans to strengthen the grouping near Russia’s borders, the US publication Politico reported. Officials cited by the publication say the plan involves 300,000 Nato troops. In June 2022, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced plans to bring 300,000 troops to high readiness in the near future.

On March 17, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak announced that Warsaw intended to deploy the first HIMARS multiple rocket launchers supplied by the United States near the border with the Kaliningrad Region of Russia. Meanwhile, Poland is stepping up its anti-Russian slogans and open provocations. For example, on March 19, Polish Ambassador to France Jan Rossiszewski said on LCI TV channel that a direct conflict with Russia was possible.

Last week, online, I witnessed the most violent crucifixions and ultimately the infinitely gloriously colorful resurrections of Christ. For an avid admirer of folk rituals and a self-appointed defender of how we have appropriated the rites of the Roman Catholic Church, I surprised myself: I was shocked. this could be generational as I find myself at the cusp of a massive change that my growth as a member of a society and my education had not fully prepared myself for.

Let it be said that for years we have grown to accept the fact that there is not one but multiple forms that religiosity assumes for Filipinos. Each community, and each ethnolinguistic group, has a way of approaching this religion introduced to us, changing its elements to suit the ecology of the kinship system or altering its substance by letting the forms within the faith pass through the languages and symbols of the group.

pull the cross around. The test was for the “Christ” to be able to stay with his cross even as it was being shifted from all directions. The tendency, however, was for the man to be pushed down to the ground, the cross hitting his back, and his head hitting the pavement. As if this was not enough, the whipping and battering continued, with his “sunod” (the term given to those assisting the penitent) making sure he was beaten badly. There were scenes where a man who was tasked with beating to death his Christ moved to another Christ after his own was slumped, almost breathless.

Without fear of exaggeration, the sufferings of these penitents were almost equal to that of the historical Jesus. They only needed to really die there and then to match their

The calendrical relief comes by Sunday when we all troop to our respective churches to view the same Christ being punished relentlessly on Fridays rising in fantastic splendor. The days leading to the Resurrection had been, as proven by online documentation and with my own eyes, traumatic to many children. Being hoisted down from Heaven with your family and community in attendance is nothing to trivialize about. There is a risk involved with the enterprise, not to mention a child being subjected to such a pressure. We have seen them all, boys and girls crying during rehearsals without the wings and becoming more hysterical at dawn because they know their wings are fake and will not aid them in flying if the rope breaks.

But we are incorrigible.

And the most frightening latest provocation. On March 20, British Under Secretary of Defense Annabelle Goldie announced that London would transfer depleted uranium projectiles to Ukraine. “In addition to providing Ukraine with Challenger-2 battle tanks, we will supply ammunition, including armor-piercing shells containing depleted uranium,” Goldie said in response to a question from House of Lords member Raymond Jolliffe, who asked if any of the ammunition currently being supplied to Ukraine contained depleted uranium. By doing so, the UK publicly voiced its desire to take the confrontation in Ukraine to a new level. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, this blatant, cynical behavior of the British side once again clearly demonstrates who the true aggressor and instigator of the conflict in Ukraine is. In violating the fundamental norms of international law, London must not forget that it will have to bear the full weight of responsibility for this.

Religion has given us an ethos. Think of religion as a shelf where thoughts and ideas are stacked up and we are the consumers inspecting them as we assess what products agree with our beliefs and identifications. It is a case of indigeneity trying to find its match with the influences coming from outside and making some of these elements surging in to become part of what is inside.

The indigenous therefore is not a stasis but a dinamica, one that allows infusion. The indigenous was undergoing massive shifts and challenges last week.

In a week, the country was overhauling some rituals, adding more violence that bordered on the grotesquely celebratory and comic. They are all captured online: a procession of Christs whose accoutrement had gone beyond the red velvet long dress, a copy of the statue or guided by the many cinemas made about the passion and death of Jesus Christ. The

penitent had a choice of black or red clothes, which made the scene altogether new. This Christ was made to run fast, the speed of which was a sign for his punishers to hit his body with a big stick or whip him with a lash. No more was the slow walk that inspired devotees to look, tear up a bit, or even cry, and pray. There was no moment left for prayers; there was only this surge of energy and vitality, which demanded punishment and not penance. Outside of the bearing of the Cross to symbolize the Christ, there is a more obscure form called “tinggulong.” This practice calls for the penitent to drop on the ground and to roll, after which an assistant whips him on the back. The “tinggulong” this year as shared online had doubled the violence of the act, with the penitent being pulled by four young men (boys in some) in different directions. The so-called assistants were so rough with the penitents that you could hear the screams of the onlookers as they watched the gore. The most life-threatening was with the group of cross-bearing men. These Christs were surrounded by men whose duty it seemed was to

Redeemer. This is not unexpected because in the Bikol ritual of Perdon, a penitential procession done in Bikol, there are lines, which confronts the Lord, telling him if he could shed his blood on the cross, the penitent can also do the same. In that phantasmic ritual space, one could indeed feel equal to the Divine.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has already issued its edict: they will not stop these practices. This is admirable. The ball, or, rather, prudence, is now with the people. There is no one to blame anymore. Not the bishops. Not the priests, even if your priests allow you to dress your son as a blue or red teletubby or as an Archangel doubling as a Roman centurion.

Fr. Frank Lynch, SJ, the Jesuit anthropologist, has an old paper titled “Folk Catholicism in the Philippines.” He has in that paper a “suggested continuum of concrete religious behavior,” dividing religious beliefs, norms and practices according to “official” and “nonofficial.” Under the official are “prescribed and recommended” beliefs, rituals, etc; under nonofficial are those “tolerated,” “disapproved,” and “condemned.” “Folk” falls under the nonofficial, with some being tolerated, and others disapproved or condemned. Do these classifications still hold true today?

At the same time, US Attorney General Barr personally told ICC judges about US sanctions against anyone who takes part in this investigation or, God forbid, a trial. This is what they call an independent judiciary, so you understand.

As a result, the International Criminal Court refused to investigate American war crimes against humanity.

What is this but the double standard policy of the ICC? This institution in practice has long been a political tool used to manipulate the United States, even though Washington is not a party to the Rome Statute.

Recently, senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham said in an interview to the Fox News TV channel that he suggested shooting down Russian fighters approaching

Eagle Watch . . .

continued from A18

According to the DOE Power Statistics, as of 2021, the share of renewable energy to total gross power generation stands at 22 percent. The government, in its NREP 2020-2040, has set a target of a minimum 35 percent share of Renewable Energy in the total power generation mix by 2030 and increasing it to at least 50 percent by 2040. To meet this, the DOE projects a necessary increase in total installed capacity for renewable energy to 102,231 megawatts in 2040, of which 27,162 megawatts would come from solar.There is huge potential for solar power in the country. This is a clean energy source that is relatively cost-effective vis-à-vis fossil fuels, especially given the significant drop in the average global cost of electricity from solar projects in the past decade. Investments in this market carry with them employment opportunities from installation and

Apparently, London has already forgotten the well-known dire consequences of the use of such toxic and radioactive munitions during the conflicts unleashed by the West in Yugoslavia and Iraq. This desire to increase civilian suffering and cause irreparable environmental damage shows that the British are willing to disregard the people of Ukraine. I would like to recall that Russia is the largest nuclear power, so such provocations and practical steps by the West can lead to the most negative consequences, including provoking a nuclear war.

Gary Bauzon

operation to maintenance. Recent projects geared towards solar power generation alongside local food security include agro-solar farms and floating solar projects by industry players such as Citicore Power, AC Energy, and Aboitiz Power, among others. And although its potential remains to be maximized, the Net Metering program allows a more distributed power generation with solar photovoltaic systems adopted by households.

Meanwhile, for remote communities that are off-grid, solar power systems are especially beneficial as they can provide these areas with energy independence at a relatively lower cost.

Indeed, the Philippines has tremendous solar energy potential. And as we seek to transition to renewable energy according to the targets set in our NREP, solar energy has a critical role to play in this path. The future of energy rests on renewable sources and solar power is key to this transition.

Ms. Clarissa Ruth S. Racho-Sabugo is a graduate student at the Department of Economics of Ateneo de Manila University.

US intelligence leak complicates summit with South Korea

By Hyung-Jin Kim & Kim Tong-Hyung

The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea—Leaked US intelligence documents suggesting Washington spied on South Korea have put the country’s president in a delicate situation ahead of a state visit to the US, the first such trip by a South Korean leader in 12 years.

The documents contain purportedly private conversations between senior South Korean officials about Ukraine, indicating that Washington may have conducted surveillance on a key Asian ally even as the two nations publicly vowed to reinforce their alliance.

Since taking office last year, conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol has put a bolstered military partnership with the United States at the heart of his foreign policy to address intensifying North Korean nuclear threats and other challenges. The April 26 summit with President Joe Biden is seen as crucial to winning a stronger US security commitment and resolving grievances over the Biden administration’s economic and technology policies.

The leaked documents were posted online as part of a major US intelligence breach. The papers viewed by The Associated Press indicate that South Korea’s National Security Council “grappled” with the US in early March over an American request to provide artillery ammunition to Ukraine.

The documents, which cited a signals intelligence report, said then-NSC Director Kim Sung-han suggested the possibility of selling the 330,000 rounds of 155 mm munitions to Poland, since getting the ammunition to Ukraine quickly was the United States’ ultimate goal.

South Korea, a growing arms exporter, has a policy of not supplying weapons to countries at war. It has not provided arms directly to Ukraine, although it has shipped humanitarian aid and joined US-led economic sanctions against Russia.

Yoon’s government said it discussed the leaked papers with the United States, and they agreed that “a considerable number” of the documents were fabricated. The South Korean government avoided any public complaints about the US and did not specify which documents were faked.

“There’s no indication that the US, which is our ally, conducted (eavesdropping) on us with malicious intent,” Kim Tae-hyo, Seoul’s deputy national security director, told reporters Tuesday at Dulles Airport near Washington at the start of a trip aimed at preparing for the summit.

Senior Biden administration officials have discussed the leaks with allies at high levels and sought to reassure them of the US government’s commitment to safeguarding intelligence. The administration also sought to downplay the impact the leak would have on Yoon’s upcoming visit.

“Our commitment to the Republic of Korea remains ironclad, and President Biden looks forward to welcoming President Yoon to the White House for the upcoming state visit to discuss their shared commitment for a strong and deeply integrated US-ROK Alliance that maintains peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond,” the White House National Security Council said in a statement, using South Korea’s official name.

The Yoon government’s stance invited criticism from liberal rivals, who called on the government to lodge strong protests with the US. They also suspected what they call Yoon’s hasty relocation of his presi-

dential office to a Defense Ministry compound in central Seoul may have left the office vulnerable to wiretapping.

“As a sovereign nation, we must sternly respond to the spying of state secrets, even if it was committed by an ally with whom (South Korea) has bonded over blood,” said Park Honggeun, floor leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party.

In an official statement, Yoon’s office said it maintains tight security, including anti-eavesdropping systems. It called the opposition party’s attempts to link the office relocation to the spying allegation “diplomatic suicidal acts” that shake South Korea’s national interests and its alliance with the US.

The situation is unlikely to threaten the country’s alliance with the US that was forged during the 19501953 Korean War, many experts say.

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com investments in renewable energy development, including solar energy, must be done.

“No big damage is expected on the Korea-US alliance as it seems both governments share the view that they would focus on the alliance, more concretely on a successful state visit by Yoon,” said Bong Young-shik, an expert at Seoul’s Yonsei Institute for North Korean Studies.

If Yoon returns with some achievements, Koreans will conclude that he put up with the spying allegations “because bigger matters were at stake,” Bong said. But if the visit amounts to “a pomp-only trip,” people could question whether South Korea “made lots of concessions.”

One possible achievement for Yoon would be if South Korea takes on a role in the management of US nuclear weapons in the face of North Korea’s advancing nuclear arsenal.

Other wins would be securing US benefits for major South Korean businesses involved in the making of electric vehicles and easing US restrictions on technology exports

to China, which has been a major manufacturing base for South Korean chipmakers.

If the US intends to help Yoon, “the latest incident on the documents could end up strengthening the Korea-US alliance and helping South Korea win something from the US,” said Kim Yeol Soo, an expert at South Korea’s Korea Institute for Military Affairs.

Kim Tae-hyung, a professor at Seoul’s Soongsil University, said the exposure of possible US spying could help Seoul maintain its existing policy of not supplying weapons to Ukraine. But it’s also possible that the Yoon government reconsiders that policy now that the US demands are public, Kim said.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, South Korea has agreed to provide billions of dollars’ worth of tanks, howitzers, fighter jets and other weapons to Poland, a Nato member.

An American official said in November that the United States had agreed to buy 100,000 artillery rounds from South Korean manufacturers to provide to Ukraine, although South Korean officials have maintained that the munitions were meant to refill depleted US stocks.

Choi Jin, director of the Seoulbased Institute of Presidential Leadership, said it’s also no secret that allies spy on each other, as well as their adversaries.

The US wiretapping activities “are something that everyone already knows,” although it becomes a more sensitive matter when the practice is made public, Choi said.

“I think South Koreans also try to wiretap (US officials) as well,” Choi said. “People feel animosity toward the word ‘wiretapping.’ But in other words, it’s called intelligence gathering.” Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

PHL TO REVERSE INFRA

UNDERINVESTMENT–DOF

By Raadee S. Sausa

THE Philippine government is committed to reverse the decades-long underinvestment in infrastructure, Finance Secretary Benjamin Dio2kno said on Thursday.

“ Infrastructure spending is front and center of our growth strategy. From 2001 to 2015, average infrastructure spending was only at 2 percent of GDP [gross domestic product],” he said at the Philippine Economic Briefing (PEB) held on the sidelines of the World Bank-International Monetary Fund (WB-IMF) Spring Meetings.

D iokno, moreover, said the government is determined to sustain high infrastructure investment for the next six years through the public-private partnership (PPP) mechanism, which will enhance energy, logistics, transportation, telecommunications, and water infrastructure in the country.

Now, the spectrum of industries that foreign investors can participate in has grown wider than ever before. The economic liberalization measures that the Philippine government has enacted in recent years have opened up key high-growth sectors to international participa -

tion,” the Finance chief added.

T he amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act (RTLA), Foreign Investments Act (FIA), and the Public Service Act (PSA) relaxed foreign restrictions on investments in the country.

Companies engaged in solar, wind, hydro, and tidal energy are also welcome to invest in the Philippines’s renewable energy (RE) sector now that it has been opened up to full foreign ownership, Diokno said.

T he Philippines, he added, also offers a simpler and more effective fiscal incentives system that is performance-based, time-bound, targeted, and transparent through the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) law.

From August 2021 to December 2022, total investment capital from approved priority activities with incentives under CREATE has already reached P414.3 billion. This covers priority activities above P1 billion.

“[W]e invite you to take a look at our Strategic Investment Priority Plan [SIPP], which identifies priority industries, projects, and activities that can be granted fiscal incentives under the CREATE Act,” Diokno said.

Continued on A5

Mass transport can cut road deaths in PHL, says UN study

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

BUILDING and promoting mass transportation and reducing human error can make roads more safe and prevent the deaths of thousands of Filipinos, according to the United Nations.

I n a briefing on Thursday, UN representatives said that they do not have an estimate of how much mass transport can reduce transportation deaths —only that it can, as it reduces the number of people on roads and human error.

U ltimately, according to UN Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt, a former top executive of Ferrari, educating drivers is one way to prevent transportation-related accidents that lead to injuries and deaths.

Human behavior (is the main cause of most accidents). The influence of the driver makes (transportation) more dangerous that’s why behavior is essential,” Todt said. “(This also includes) the behavior of the pedestrian. They can (also) provoke an incident with a car. Everybody needs to be respectful (while) on the road.”

D epartment of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista agreed and said transportation deaths are usually caused by drivers who are drunk, are driving beyond speed limits, and texting while driving.

Based on his discussions with Todt, Bautista said some drivers are complacent that because they live only a few kilometers away from a watering hole, they can drink to their hearts’ content leading to accidents.

Some countries say their target is to reduce fatalities by 50 percent. I think that’s also a good target for us, although in the first document I got from the road sector, the target is 20 percent. That might be more realistic,” Bautista said, partly in Filipino.

“

It’s not a bad thing to have a good target, right? If 50 percent is better than 20 percent. I think 20 percent, I think that was 20 percent, but if we’re talking long term, maybe it’s 50 percent,” he added.

B ased on DOTr data, road accidents cause about 11,000 fatalities annually. This number has risen since during the pandemic,

transportation-related deaths reached 8,000 to 10,000.

T he latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data showed 9,693 deaths caused by transportation accidents between January and November 2022. This made transportation accidents the top 13th cause of death of Filipinos during the period.

T his means that there are about 881 transportation-related deaths per month; 29 per day; and at least one death per hour caused by road accidents nationwide.

Todt, made a four-day stopover in the Philippines, from April 11 to 14, to advocate for the effective implementation of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 with the aim of halving the number of victims on the road by 2030.

S outh-East Asia is one of the regions of the world most affected by road crashes. Fifty-eight percent of the world’s 1.3-million road deaths occur in the Asia-Pacific region. According to the World Health Organization, South-East Asia has the second highest road traffic fatality rate of 20.7 per 100,000 population after Africa, which is 26.6 per 100,000 population.

T he Philippines ranks 10th out of 21 ASEAN countries on the list while Singapore, Maldives and Japan are in the top 3. The road traffic fatalities rate in the Philippines is 12.3 per 100,000 population. By comparison, the fatality rate is 9.3 per 100,000 population in Europe. More than 32 people die a day in

the Philippines on the roads and hundreds more are severely injured.

T he UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) contain two global targets on road safety. SDG target 3.6 seeks to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes. SDG target 11.2, on a 2030 timeframe, calls for improving road safety in the provision of access to transport systems and expanding public transport to all.

Reporting about his meeting with the families of road traffic victims on Thursday morning, the Special Envoy expressed his concern about the impact of the crashes on the community: “Families of those injured and lost through crashes, have to carry more than a heavy emotional and physical burden, they also have to face an economic one.”

A ccording to the World Bank, the cost of road crashes represents 4.1 percent of GDP in the Philippines. It is also the leading cause of death for ages 5-29, injuring and killing not only the economic force but also the hope of the nation.

“

Road fatalities and injuries are a development challenge”, said UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines, Gustavo González, emphasizing that investing in road safety means investing in health, cleaner planet, social inclusion, human rights, access to education, sustainable transport, resilient cities, gender equity and more.  It is therefore crucial to achieve road safety goals.”

Companies

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Friday,

Vitarich 2022 profit surges as revenues exceed ₧10B

By VG Cabuag @villygc

Revenues reached P12 billion, an increase of 23 percent from the previous P9.7 billion. This was the first time in the company’s 60-year history that annual revenues exceeded P10 billion.

“2022 brought many challenges to families and businesses particularly as inflation intensified and food prices rose by double digits. Despite this difficult environment, our team worked tirelessly and delivered solid revenue growth and improved

net income,” Rocco Sarmiento, the company’s president and CEO, said. Cost of goods accelerated 23 percent to P10.9 billion following higher sales volumes and input costs. Key raw materials including wheat, soybean and corn, which comprised about 70 percent of feed costs, soared an average of 25 percent. In addition, price increases in fuel, energy and labor exerted further pressure on handling costs and the return of some post-pandemic operating costs,

such as travel costs.

Gross profit grew 24 percent to P1.1 billion and operating profit went up by 21 percent to P223.2 million. The impact of cost inflation was partially offset by volume growth, pricing changes and efficiencies, the company said.

“Looking ahead, the company expects another year of strong revenue growth as well as better margins in 2023, encouraged by an expansion in its sales channels and the positive reception of the recently launched value-added products. At the same time, it remains alert in assessing the risks of persistent higher input costs and supply chain disruptions.”

Revenues from the foods segment grew 48 percent to P6.2 billion, an all-time high, as the more robust recovery in food services and restaurants lifted demand. The company’s value-added products that were unveiled in November also provided additional support.

Volume was up 22 percent led

CLI sets 2023 capex at ₧13.5B

LOCAL developer Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) on Thursday said it will raise its capital expenditure (capex) this year to P13.5 billion from P10.5 billion in 2022.

CLI Senior Executive President and COO Jose Franco Soberano told reporters that 83 percent of the capex would be allocated to the development of several ongoing projects while 11 percent would be earmarked for land acquisition.

“We’ve raised it (capex) by almost 30 percent in response to the opening of the economy,” Soberano said.

“We also want to support the goal of the government in providing more shelter to the Fiilipinos. They want to build more houses and in the Philippines it is the private sector that is building the houses and we have to contribute. Meanwhile, 20 percent of

the housing projects in the VisayasMindanao area is the contribution of CLI to the program.”

Soberano said the company intends to gain a foothold in the Luzon market.

“Our goal is to immediately establish a presence in Luzon as it offers excellent growth prospects,” he said.

“I think the Camarines Sur area in the Bicol region has very good potential.”

In his presentation, Soberano said CLI will launch 19 pipeline projects worth P29.75 billion to drive reservation sales for this year.

He also said CLI would lease 4,000 square meters of additional gross lease area (GLA) and new leases will join the company’s roster of leasable tenants.

Soberano said CLI expects P10 billion worth of collections of poten-

GSIS invests ₧1.46B in Nickel Asia–exec

THE Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has invested P1.46 billion in Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC).

NAC, a diversified natural resources development company, is the country’s largest producer of lateritic nickel ore and one of the largest in the world with a growing interest in renewable energy development.

It currently operates 4 nickel mines, including the Rio Tuba operation in Bataraza, Palawan, the Taganito operation in Claver, Surigao del Norte, Hinatuan Mining in Taganaan, Surigao del Norte, and Cagdianao Mining in Valencia, Dinagat Islands.

NAC reported a net income of P7.93 billion net income last year, up 1.5 percent from the P7.81 billion in 2021.

The GSIS investment in NAC involved a purchase of a total of 233,558,653 common shares, done through a block sale approved by the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on April 12.

“GSIS’ investment in NAC shows that it is possible for a company to grow responsibly.

Our commitment to sustainable development is something we take seriously, and we are happy to attract like-minded entities that believe in the value of responsible mining and renewable energy,” NAC CEO and President Martin Antonio Zamora said in a statement. “GSIS continues to look for ways to lengthen its fund life through viable investment opportunities such as the successful vertically integrated mining ore production and processing businesses of NAC. Our decision to invest in NAC supports the goal of safely growing our funds for our members’ benefit, while positioning strategically to aid both the Electric Vehicle industry and nation-building,” GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso said.

By 2025, NAC aims to achieve its twin goal of becoming a premier ESG investment in the country and becoming one of the top 25 companies in the PSE in terms of market capitalization. Jonathan L. Mayuga

tial takeouts from newly completed projects during the year.

CLI launched close to 5,000 units across 16 projects, worth P19.36 billion collectively, which was 74 percent sold by the end of 2022. Sales velocity of these launches hit peak levels with most developments fully taken up within days. CLI’s first project in a new area, Puerto Princesa, for instance, was 85 percent sold out in less than a week.

The listed firm also posted a 71 percent growth in hotel revenues to P83 million in 2022, while revenues from rental units also improved by 7 percent to P79.28 million from P74.27 million in 2021 on increased lease contracts and new tenants from the recently-completed Latitude Corporate Center. Rizal Raoul Reyes

by demand in Luzon and Mindanao while average prices rose by 19 percent, reflecting significant cost inflation.

The foods segment comprised 52 percent of overall revenues.

Revenues of the feeds segment, which cornered 44 percent of total revenues, grew 11 percent to P5.2 billion driven by pricing which went up by 18 percent compared to the year-ago period versus input costs of 23 percent. As expected, price actions had an unfavorable impact on volume which declined 6 percent.

Revenues from the farms segment were down 32 percent to P529 million due to the shortage of day-old chicks. A fair value adjustment on biological assets amounting to P12.1 million was recognized as part of revenues and P1.1 million as part of cost of goods.

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

LIGHT Rail Manila Corp.

(LRMC) said on Thursday it has now achieved a project completion rate of 82.7 percent for the first phase of the Cavite Extension of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1.

In a roundtable discussion on Thursday, LRMC President Juan F. Alfonso said the completion rate covers both civil works and rail system works for the first phase of the project, which runs from Redemptorist Station to Dr. Santos Station.

“We remain optimistic that we can start commercial operations of Phase 1 by the fourth quarter of 2024 highlighting the continuous milestones being achieved by our team,” he said.

“The target this year is to complete all civil and equipment installation works so we can focus on commissioning the entire line by next year. Despite the challenges we have encountered, we remain fo-

cused and committed to deliver on our promise of upgrading the commuter experience.”

The construction of five new stations is in various stages of development with Redemptorist Station registering 56 percent completion, MIA Station at 61 percent, Asia World at 51 percent, Ninoy Aquino Station at 55 percent, and Dr. Santos Station at 60 percent.

The company started the construction of the Cavite Extension in September 2019.

So far, LRMC has spent “over P29 billion” for the construction of the first five stations and their integration into the existing LRT 1 System. It still has to build three more stations, which will run between Las Pinas and Niog, Cavite.

In 2015, the company bagged the project for P34 billion.

“We’re halfway through the capital improvement projects,” Alfonso said, explaining that the pandemic-induced delays forced the company to implement “escalations” in capital.

Poultry and feeds producer

Vitarich Corp. said its net income last year rose 44 percent to P128.98 million from the previous year’s P89.44 million as its revenues hit an all-time high.

‘First phase of LRT-1 Cavite extension is 82.7% complete’

Motoring

Friday, April 14, 2023

Editor: Tet Andolong • www.businessmirror.com.ph

GREAT WALL MOTOR RE-ENTERS THE PHILIPPINE MARKET

GLOBAL brand Great Wall Motor (GWM) is back and recently launched three models, including its hybrid lineup for the Philippines market. GWM Group is an international automotive OEM that aims to provide consumers with more intelligent mobility choices. Luxuriant Automotive Group, Inc. has become the country’s official distributor of GWM vehicles since October 2022.

GWM is set t o take on the country’s competitive segments as the brand offers two crossover SUV hybrid models—the Haval H6 and Haval Jolion. The Chinese automaker also brought in its pickup model GWM Cannon series.

Haval H6 HEV

THE H6 HEV compact crossover SUV will be GWM’s flagship model in the Philippines and comes in two variants—the Supreme (top spec) and Max. Notable is the vehicle’s unique front grill with Geometric Pattern boasting a 3D-like look. It is complemented by slim, intelligent LED headlamps with ultra-high glow brightness, while the back has a taillight strip. The panoramic sunroof comes standard, while the 19-inch rims are exclusive to the top-spec Supreme. The cabin’s main highlights are the unique and tablet-like 10.25-inch HD MultiInformation Display cluster and 12.3-inch

HD Touchscreen Infotainment System. The two-tone theme offers two modern hues options. Together with that nice-looking Electronic Shifter is the Wireless Charger.

Motivation comes from a hybrid system of a 1.5-liter turbocharged internal combustion engine paired with a 130-kW Dedicated

Hybrid Transmission (DHT) capable of producing a combined output of 240 HP and 530 N-m maximum torque. Apart from the GWM High Intelligence Modular

Architecture, innovative safety features are Secondary Collision Mitigation (SCM), Vehicle Stability System (VSS), Traction Control System (TCS), Anti-Rollover System (ARS), Brake Override Systems (BOS), Front/ Side/Curtain Airbags, Driver Fatigue

Monitoring System (DFMS), Tire Pressure

Monitoring System (TPMS), Cornering

Brake Control (CBC), and Door Opening

Warning (DOW).

D river-assist functions include Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Forward Collision

Warning (FCW), Intelligent Dodge System (IDS), Rear Collision Warning (RCW), Rear Cross Traffic Alert + Brake (RCTA+ B), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Lane Change Assistant (LCA), Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK), and Lane Center Keeping Assist (LCK). For convenience, there is FullyAutomatic Parking Assist with three types of automatic parking assistance (Straight, inclined, and parallel parking position),

Auto Reversing Assistance (ARA), Full-speed

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Traffic Jam Assist (TJA), Hill-Start Assist (HAS), Hill Descent Control (HDC), and a 360-Degree View Camera.

The top-spec H6 HEV Supreme retails at P1.883 million, while the lower H6 HEV Max variant is at P1.788 million. Colors available are Pittsburgh Silver, Atlantis Blue, Crystal

Black, All Black, Brilliant White, Scarlet Red, and Black-Gray.

Haval Jolion HEV

THE Jolion is the company’s newest and most intelligent premium B-SUV. Aside from the top-spec HEV DHT Supreme variant, this smaller crossover SUV also offers three non-hybrid variants. Upfront is a pronounced Star Matrix Front Grille conveying the HAVAL DNA complemented with Intelligent LED headlamps and Signature LED tail lamps. The panoramic sunroof and 18-inch alloy wheels are standard to the Supreme variants. The stylish cabin also offers a two-tone hue highlighted by the 12.3-inch Touchscreen Display infotainment, Electronic Shifter, and Wireless Charger, among others.

Motivation comes from a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine mated to a 115 kW Dedicated Hybrid Transmission capable of producing a combined output of 186 hp and 375 N-m of torque. Interestingly, the nonhybrid variants are powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine producing 141 hp and 220 N-m of torque. Apart from the long list of safety features, there are driver-assist functions such as Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Front Collision Warning (FCW), Rear Collision Warning (RCW), Rear Cross Traffic Braking (RCTA+B), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK), Lane Center Keeping (LCK), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), and Lane Change Assistance (LCA). As for convenience, there

is a Full-speed Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Traffic Jam Assistance (TJA), and a 360-degree Camera, among others.

The Haval Jolion HEV DHT Supreme topspec variant retails at P1.588 million, while the non-hybrid DCT Supreme is at P1.248 million. The lower DCT Max variant retails at P1.128 million, while the base variant DCT Plus is at P998,000. Colors available are Atlantis Blue, Brilliant White, Crystal Black, Scarlet Red, and Pittsburgh Silver.

Leading hybrid technology

GWM’S Haval H6 HEV and Haval Jolion HEV are legitimate hybrid models capable of producing exceptional power while enhancing fuel efficiency. Both models share a highly-advanced platform independently developed by GWM from a global perspective. It is a lightweight platform with a high safety rating and perfect integration with new energy powertrains.

GWM aims to provide a solution for urban and long-distance driving through a high-efficiency hybrid engine and dualmotor hybrid connection. The technology also allows four driving modes–EV, series, parallel, and regeneration–each with fuel consumption and driving profiles or capabilities. The system results in smoother power delivery, better acceleration, reduced carbon dioxide emissions, and 35 to 50 percent of fuel savings.

Cannon Pickup

GWM’S entry to the pickup segment is the Cannon series offered in six variants (SLux, Lux, and Pilot trims), including the options for 4x4 or 4x2. The pickup is designed from the ground up with a commanding front grille and panther-eye-inspired headlamps. The wide wheel arches and prominent side character lines add robustness to the vehicle’s

look. Standard to all variants are the 18-inch alloy wheels.

Inside is a differ ent story. GEM claims the ride remains smooth and controlled, even on rough terrain. All thanks to its independent front suspension paired with a sturdy leaf-sprung rear suspension system for outstanding load-carrying ability.

Inside is an HD 360-degree view camera, a seven-inch full-color instrument cluster, a multi-function steering wheel, and a wireless charger. The nine-inch infotainment system supports both Apple Carplay and Android Auto.

Under the hood is a 2.0-liter, turbocharged diesel engine producing 161 hp and 400 N-m of torque paired with a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. The All-Wheel-Drive capability is provided through the Borg-Warner Torqueon-Demand transfer case. Add to that the electronic rear differential lock and a lowrange 4WD.

A side from standard safety features, there is Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Hill-Start Assist (HAS), Hill Descent Control (HDC), Rear Movement Intervention (RMI), and Traction Control System (TCS), among others. As for driver-assist functions, there is Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Front Collision Warning (FCW), Cross Traffic Alert (CTA), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Lane Center Keeping (LCK), Lane Change Assistance (LCA), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR), and a 360-degree Camera. The Cannon SLux 4x4 retails at P1.498 million, while the 4x2 version is at P1.198 million. The Cannon Lux 4x4 retails at P1.318 million, while the 4x2 version is at P1.198 million. The base Cannon Pilot 4x4 retails at P1.118 million, while the 4x2 version is at P998,000. Colors available are Atlantis Blue, Brilliant White, Crystal Black, Scarlet Red, and Pittsburgh Silver.

Quezon’s diversion roads; Volvo Ironmark

endeavor. Called the Volvo Ironmark Award, it symbolizes strength and vitality present to anyone receiving the trophy.

Listen to Paolo Ella, Attorney Albert Arcilla’s key cog at Volvo:

“Volvo Philippines lauds the amazing achievements of premier social media influencer S mall Laude, by bestowing her with the prestigious Volvo Ironmark Award.

Laude contributes to society not only through responsible and wholesome videos but also through her outreach programs.

IWAS glad to discover three diversion roads as we motored to Calauag, Quezon (some 230 km from Manila), during the Holy Week break. Because of them, our trip was made more comfortable and rendered less tiresome as precious minutes—if not hours—had been immensely slashed.

From Lucena City going to Bicol are the by-pass routes in Quezon Province found in the towns of Tiaong, Candelaria and Gumaca. They are a boon to motorists due for the long haul to Bicol.

Who said the government is perennially incapable of doing something good for the people?

Swedish Steel

THERE is a unique award being given by Volvo Philippines to people who have made a name in their chosen fields of

“Presented at this year’s People of the Year Awards organized by People Asia magazine, this token of recognition recognizes Laude’s meteoric rise to Internet fame.

“The Volvo Ironmark Award is a befitting accolade given on International Women’s Month to a spectacular woman such as Laude. An alchemy symbol for iron, the Ironmark symbolizes the strength and quality of Swedish steel—the same values epitomized by Small Laude.

Already an accomplished woman in business and family life, Laude pushed forward and realized her dream to provide entertainment and positive vibes to her viewers.

“Her authenticity and buoyant spirit serve as an inspiration and beacon of hope for everyone. Her vlogs and social media reach also become a vehicle for her altruistic deeds.

“The Volvo Ironmark is given only to a select few. Since 2012, this honor has been accorded to individuals whose contributions spell a difference in their industry in particular and in society in general. It is a stamp of appreciation acknowledging the awardees’ significant efforts to make the world become more vibrant, meaningful and strong.

“According to Christopher Lee Yu, Volvo PH’s Marketing Director: ‘Volvo Cars has been a brand for people who care about our world and the people around us. Our mission is to make life easier, better and safer for everyone. We believe these core qualities are mirrored by Small Laude’s effervescent personality, generous heart, and genuine care for her family, friends and followers.’” Let’s have more of Small Laude’s kind, please?

PEE STOP The longest vacation (April 5-10) of the year has more than re-charged our batteries. Let’s then report to work with new vigor and a renewed resolve to resume our job of making this country great again.

Story & photos by Randy S. Peregrino

THE Haval Jolion HEV DHT Supreme variant

Motoring

Have fun in the sun this summer with hot deals from Toyota

TOYOTA Motor Philippines is bringing in the heat this April with deals coming in hot! From April 7 to 30, customers can enjoy low monthly plans, trade-in rebates, and more when they purchase a brand-new Toyota from any authorized dealer nationwide. With a new vehicle for the summer, each trip is sure to be a memorable one.

Find the payment option for your budget

EXPLORE nearby towns with friends or family with the reliable Vios. The 1.3 XE CVT variant is available at P115,350 downpayment under the Pay Low option. This option offers customers downpayments as low as 15 percent with free insurance on the first year, free LTO registration for three years and no chattel mortgage at 60 months to pay via all-in cash out.

The same variant is available for a monthly payment of P8,259 under the Pay Light option, which offers customers low monthly plans with 50 percent downpayment at 60 months to pay.

Those looking to bring a bigger group of people will find the Avanza fit for their trip. Discover new vacations spots together with the 1.3 E CVT variant for a downpayment of P150,600 under the Pay Low option or the 1.3 J M/T variant for a monthly payment of P9,147 under the Pay Light option. For those who are big on adventure, power through rough roads with the Fortuner! Get the 4x2 G A/T variant with a

CHANGE OF PACE?

THE CHANGAN ALSVIN KEEPS UP WITH YOU

downpayment of only P274,200 under the Pay Low option or the 4x2 G M/T variant for a monthly payment of P18,736 under the Pay Light option.

Big savings also await those who will pay in cash! Get 55,000 savings for the Fortuner 4x2 G Dsl A/T, P30,000 for the Vios XLE CVT, or P20,000 for the Innova E A/T and E M/T.

Ensure safe trips with a vehicle ready for the road

WITH more Filipinos excited to finally hit the road again, it’s important to consider the safety of one another. Prevent accidents by driving safely and keeping vehicles in tip-top condition for travel!

This April, all brand-new Corolla Altis, Raize, Veloz, Rush, Fortuner, and selected variants of the Vios, Avanza, Innova and Hilux purchased during the promo period are entitled to a free periodic maintenance service (PMS). Bringing in a car regularly for PMS makes sure that the vehicle is in excellent running condition and helps ensure better fuel economy.

New Toyota owners can bring in their vehicle for the free PMS up to the 20,000 KM check-up.

The hustle never stops for the Lite Ace, which is why Toyota is offering a fixed PMS package for every Lite Ace variant sold and released during the promo period. Lite Ace owners will only have to pay PHP 1,999 for every PMS until the 40,000 KM check-up.

LIFE’S transitions can be exciting and stressful all at once—graduating from college, bagging your first job or starting a new one, getting married, moving house, or having your first baby. Any change calls for adjustment in your routine. Let the Changan Alsvin get you up and going in this new life phase. For a car of its class, it exceeds expectations for the daily drive.

Style on the go

MAKE an impression with the streamlined body that also affords impressive space and leg room. Add to this the eye-catching Butterfly Wing radiator grille, Projector Headlamps and LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL)* and stunning color choices. The power sunroof* makes this entry level sedan a rare breed in its class.

Creature comforts

THE Alsvin has the makings of your personal cocoon on the road with its powerful A/C with modern digital

Friday, April 14, 2023

60-minute service guarantee with free PMS Labor for the 1st year or first 20,000KM (whichever comes first); Changan Veloservice where you can conveniently book your service appointment online; and quick and efficient assistance from CAIA, Changan’s AI Chatbot.

Navigate challenges with a car that’s gone through the toughest endurance tests to make sure that it can take care of you. Every vehicle that Changan rolls out is subjected to over 12,400 tests in 16 areas, including parts verification, system matching, and complete vehicle level, totaling 4,000,000 km of punishing driving conditions.

display and plush leather seats. And, if gets too lonely, the 7-inch Touchscreen Multimedia System will keep you connected with your besties, along with hours of your fave music blasting through four speakers, two in front and two at the back! The stable and reliable engine effectively reduces exhaust emission and fuel consumption. The 1.4L MT variant delivers maximum power of 135ps and maximum torque of 5 MT. While the 1.5L DCT and Platinum variants deliver maximum power of

145ps and maximum torque of 5 DCT. In addition, the Platinum variant

Hassle-free

Exercise your power to choose. The Changan Alsvin is available in three variants--1.4L MT, 1.5L 5-speed DCT, and 1.5L 5-speed DCT Platinum in Snow White, Silver Gray, Pearl Black, Glory Red, and Deep Blue. Catch the Changan Alsvin and its power siblings, the New CS35 Plus, the New CS55 Plus, and the Uni-T and Uni-K crossovers in full force at the Beyond the Vision display at the Manila International Auto Show from April 13 to 16, 2023 at the World Trade Center.

PERSONAL Collection executives received the company’s Anvil Award for Advocacy Campaign #GreenLifeGreatLife at the 58th Anvil Awards.

The oddly satisfying ‘Beef’

PEOPLE are angry. They’re angry at their government, which almost always fails to render them basic services for which their taxes pay. They’re angry at their boss, who keeps them working beyond the required eight hours for years, without giving them the raise or promotion they deserve. They’re angry at their siblings back home for hassling them for handouts, or at their parents for not making them feel they’re good enough. They’re even angry at their neighbors for singing out of tune so early in the morning on the videoke machine. You read it all the time on Twitter, which has turned into some sort of pressure valve for its users (myself, included). There, or on other social media platforms, we reveal our deepest, darkest, and sometimes desperate desires to just slap the bejeezus of all these people who annoy us or make us so mad. (Incompetence, whether by the government or the private sector, has always been my personal prompt for the “I can’t take that sh*t” attitude.) But the anonymity of most of these social media accounts, of course, keeps everyone physically safe. You can rant at the world, or at your videoke mic-brandishing idiot neighbor in a tweet—releasing the pressure—without doing any serious damage.

That’s not what happens in Beef, though. Netflix’s latest series stars comedian Ali Wong (in her first dramatic role as Amy Lau) and Steven Yeun (Danny Cho), who we last saw in the immigrant drama Minari and tackles how some people can sit and seethe with anger, harbor the feelings of resentment for so long, which builds up over time, one furious incident after another, leading them to lash out intensely. In this case, a serious road rage incident.

Amy is a successful entrepreneur with a designer plant business married to George Nakai (yummy Joseph Lee), the woo-woo stay-at-home sculptorhusband and son of a successful artist. They have a daughter June (the adorable Remy Holt), who has anxiety issues and acts out by picking at her skin.

Danny has a construction business, but can’t seem to make enough money to build a house for his parents who have gone back to South Korea after their hotel business closes because of his cousin Isaac’s (David Choe) criminal schemes. (It’s hilarious how the ex-con mentions that Filipinos took care of him in prison, then in his next stint in jail, says the Filipinos

are a passive-aggressive lot!) Danny takes care of his younger, good-for-nothing brother Paul (Young Mazino), who spends his days playing video games and making crypto investments. The series starts off rather innocently enough; Danny just wants to return some items to a store, a perfectly normal ritual many American consumers go through, when they don’t like the items they’ve bought. But it isn’t so easy, he finds out immediately, because he doesn’t have the receipt for the items. He is exasperated and as he soon as he gets to his truck, he tries to back out of his parking space and nearly hits a white SUV. The driver of the SUV, who we later find out is Amy, honks furiously at him, and what’s more, before she drives off, she gives him a contemptuous middle finger through her open window. That is just too much for Danny, and soon he gives chase.

From that incident, the story unfolds into a fullblown exchange of vengeful acts. It starts out with Danny pissing all over the floor of Amy’s bathroom, climaxing at Isaac and a cohort shooting it out with the police, while trying to steal an expensive collection of crowns from the manse of Amy’s new boss, Jordana Forster (Maria Bello). Amy and Danny’s obsessive feud with each other eventually affects their respective families, friends and businesses. (That bit of, uhm, “slicing” involving Jordana felt weirdly comic and satisfying at the same time, considering it was at her superstore that this “beef” started.)

What makes this brilliant series created by Lee Sung Jin (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) work, is it never gets too serious for laughs. After we ride on the outrageously mad train of each character, we are held back and saved by the comic and ironic twists. And who can’t help but empathize with both these

characters? We all understand where their rage comes from. Perhaps, some of us have even acted on similar impulses, instead of taking the proverbial high road. But we learn that at their hearts, Amy and Danny are not so different from each other—both are children of immigrant parents who want to do well enough to just take care of their respective families. Yet, they harbor some resentment not just at themselves but at the world. In Amy’s case, it’s probably a touch of impostor syndrome and having a genial but mom-coddled husband who bores her with “vanilla” sex. As for Danny, he has lost the possible perfect girl for him because he wanted to get his business going first but still lives from paycheck to paycheck. He also lives with a touch of guilt because he spoiled his brother’s chance to get into college. Nothing ever goes smoothly; “it’s always f%@king something,” they both say.

As the series nears its end, with George demanding sole custody of June and Paul’s whereabouts unknown, possibly shot by the cops, Amy and Danny are back in their vehicles again and meet each other on the road. Another chase ensues and both fall off a cliff. They literally and figuratively have reached the rock bottom of their lives. As they both come to, they find each other (Amy hears Danny’s fart echoing through the valley, ewww...hahaha), scream invectives, shoot and try to maim each other, then eat some poisonous berries along the way. But both eventually start to rely on each other as they try get back on the road to back to civilization and save themselves.

What happens in the finale was not unexpected at all; we just didn’t exactly know how it would play out. No spoiler alert here. Suffice to say, it was oddly satisfying—and best savored like a rare cut of beef. ■

Direct-selling company bags award for #GreenLifeGreatLife Movement

ONE of the biggest direct-selling companies in the Philippines, Personal Collection was honored with an Anvil Award for its #GreenLifeGreatLife Movement.

The company received a Silver Award for Advocacy Campaign under the Specialized Public Relations Programs Category at the 58th Anvil Awards held on March 8. This category is for issue-based PR programs implemented from October 1, 2021 onwards.

Personal Collection pioneered consumer goods with biodegradable

TODAY’S HOROSCOPE

Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS

Abigail Breslin, 27; Sarah Michelle Gellar, 46; Adrien Brody, 50; Brad Garrett, 63.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: A positive attitude will help set the stage for a prosperous year. Being a good Samaritan will offer emotional rewards and opportunities. Channel your energy into home improvement projects, and take care of loose ends. Love and romance are favored and will motivate you to sport a trendy new look. Your numbers are 3, 12, 24, 29, 32, 36, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Stick to your plan, regardless of what others do or say. Do your own thing and you’ll be happy with the results. An opportunity will require you to adjust your lifestyle to meet the demands needed to be successful. Romance ★★★★

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The changes happening around you will result in an emotional trade-off. Have a backup plan to ensure you can live up to your promises, regardless of how things unfold. Put your energy where it counts, and positive results will grow. ★★

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Pay attention to criticism, but change only what you feel is necessary. The hands-on help you offer others will stifle contradictory or negative comments. Speak from the heart and you’ll gain access to information that can improve your cash flow.

★★★★★

CANCER (June 21-July 22): High energy put to good use will pay off. Use what you learn to help those less fortunate or lagging for one reason or another. Your kindness will encourage others to pitch in and help. Make your needs known and success will follow. ★★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Check out possibilities, set up an interview or expand your interests. Don’t let the changes others make slow you down or upset you. Be true to yourself and say no to anyone who takes you for granted. Progress will require commitment. ★★★

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Enforce rules and change that will lead to greater security. A unique approach may not suit everyone, but it will weed out people who are wasting your time. Choose to be proactive and you’ll maintain control and get what you want. ★★★

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Push yourself to finish what you start. Learn from whatever experience you encounter and apply what you discover to improve health, relationships and the environment in which you live. Make romance a priority and kindness your calling card. ★★★★★

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): What you do counts more than what you say. A steady pace and a plan will ensure you get satisfaction from the process and the result. Set high standards, and don’t make allowances for anyone using emotional manipulation to thwart your plans. ★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t trust someone else to have your best interest at heart. Take responsibility for prospects by discovering what’s meaningful to you and how you can make your dreams come true. Take better care of yourself. ★★★★

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Adjustments at home will make your life easier. Don’t let an outsider convince you to buy something you don’t need. Set a budget and do the labor yourself to save and to ensure you get what you want. ★★★

packaging and formula in the Philippines in 2021 as part of its commitment to protecting the environment for future generations.

In line with this thrust, the company launched the #GreenLifeGreatLife Movement, an environment-centric initiative focused on making the world a better place. The company’s employees and dealers also took part in a series of coastal cleanups, tree and mangrove planting activities. These activities focus on mitigating plastic pollution and promoting responsibility and love for the planet.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Refuse to let the changes or decisions someone makes disrupt your plans. Choose to do the work yourself; you’ll be much happier with the results. Home improvements, lifestyle changes or a joint endeavor is favored. ★★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Put everything in order before you proceed. Knowing what you want and convincing others to accept your plans will ensure you get the help you need to be successful. Don’t take a physical risk that can cause injury or illness. Handle finances carefully. ★★★

BIRTHDAY BABY:

You are intelligent, persevering and helpful. You are ambitious and thorough.

‘break the bank’ BY PRASANNA KESHAVA

The

Show BusinessMirror

Certainly not ‘The Last of Us’

SHE LOVES HER BOYFRIEND

THE actress refuses to be pressured into “hiding” her boyfriend despite her successful onscreen partnership with a hunk. The truth is that the actress is madly in love with her longtime beau and she doesn’t really like the hunk, even as a friend. There was actually a time when the actress couldn’t stand him because she thought him to be arrogant and rude. She and her boyfriend, meanwhile, really get along and she likes his easygoing and calm nature. Their relationship is also solid and there is no doubt that they love each other.

MEDIA PLAY

A FEW month ago, this showbiz couple was in the news because the guy allegedly cheated on his partner with another woman. A few days after that rumor surfaced, it appeared that it was just a gimmick to drum up interest for their careers. Today, the guy’s partner has a TV show and it looks like she’s had her face “refreshed.” The girl has had some work done and her face is one of the loveliest among her age group in showbiz. With her new face, it seems that the work of her first doctor has been negated because she doesn’t look as lovely or as fresh.

ADDICTED TO ‘SELF-IMPROVEMENT’

SPEAKING of getting work done, this semi-retired actress, who is quite talented, gave up her career to raise a family. Already a beautiful woman, she had some work done on her face (eyes, chin and nose) and she became even more attractive. But she became addicted to surgeries and procedures and now, the semi-retired actress looks like she is in her late 30s or even early 40s when she is, in fact, only in her 20s. Her partner has actually tried to stop her and told her so many times that she is already stunning but the actress cannot be content with the beauty she sees in the mirror every day.

THE STORY OF TWO QUEENS

IT is said that the beauty title has been promised not once but twice and not to one beauty queen but to two of them. The pageant organizers want Beauty Queen 1 to win the coveted title but public opinion favors Beauty Queen 2. The latter is everyone’s darling because she is conventionally pretty and she is nice. However, Beauty Queen 2 is not in fighting form to compete internationally. Beauty Queen 1 is not well-liked in the pageant scene because she is a diva but there is no doubt that she is a queen and she has a good chance of winning an international title.

ETERNALLY human—that is what we are. The good and the bad in us persist even if we are threatened with extinction. That is the solitary truth in the series The Last of Us

There are, of course, many other compelling lessons we can learn from this post-dystopian fairy tale or myth. However, as the literature of myths and their structure is concerned, the elements of the myth may change but not their form.

It is 2003 and a new pandemic has affected the world. It comes from a fungus called “cordyceps.” It is a type of fungus that has been around, used even for good purposes like medicine. Cordyceps, according to Wikipedia, are also considered “entomopathogenic,” meaning they can seriously disable or kill insects.

Imagine therefore that fungus mutating.

That happened in 2003, when humans suddenly turned into violent cannibals, eating and killing other humans. Fungal infection never had this representation before!

Years before this, we listen to scientists talk of fungus turning against us and becoming the new source of a pandemic. For every expert who issues a caution, however, there is one who does not believe in that theory.

In The Last of Us, that theory of a fungus overtaking the benign elements of nature becomes a reality.

After some two decades, a new ugly world is before us. The world has been infected big time but there are survivors. Zones have been created, each zone a protection. They are called QZ, or Quarantine Zones. They are run by FEDRA (Federal Disaster Response Agency). That label shows how government units in all their bureaucracy and officiousness can survive amidst a pandemic.

If there are governments, then there must be subversions of peace. In this series, there are the smugglers and other subversives. In the first episode, we meet an original hero, Joel, a smuggler. He, as the narrative goes, has a sweet and gracious human past. All that is gone now. He is as helpless as everyone; the only difference is his bravado and daring—a trait that seemingly comes naturally to the lead, Pedro Pascal (remember him in Game of Thrones?)—to fix what has ruined his world. Bringing back a personal equilibrium to his life, Joel must find his brother. How does one locate a kin when the world has already been subdivided into QZs, where outside is always open season for all kinds of hunting and killing, where the “infected” are always waiting to break into barriers.

In order to escape the QZ, Joel enters into a negotiation with the rebels in the area. He is asked to escort out of that place Ellie, a young girl who, it seems, manifests an immunity to the fungus. She has the keloid-like scars, the beginning of the infection, but nothing has developed in her. She has remained “normal,” a fun- and pun-loving young girl. Why endure all the dangers of bringing Ellie to a kind of finish line? Apparently, there are scientists waiting on the other side, hoping to examine the girl. She represents a hope in the pandemic, a breakthrough in a world gone hopeless.

Ellie is Bella Ramsey (remember her also in Game of Thrones?).

The two undertake a journey. Call it a mythical

Singer transitions from ballad to pop-R&B

And during his stint in The Voice Teens, Sharon indeed molded him and Jeremy barged into the Grand Finals, where he eventually finished as the first runner-up in the singing contest.

After his stint on the reality singing show, Jeremy did the usual balladeer route and last 2018 released “Too Good at Goodbyes” and “Sa ’Yo.” The following year, he dropped his biggest hit to date, “Sinayang Mo,” as well as the last six letters of his last name and rechristened himself as Jeremy G.

epic journey. Outside the walls is a terra incognita created by the pandemic. This is the most thrillingly dangerous aspect of the series—and also the most terrifying. Monsters of various mutated forms are out there, including the “clickers”. These are the creatures who are blind but can hear any of the smallest sounds a person causes, whereupon it flies to attack you, to eat you. The Homeric adventure brings Ellie and Joel in contact with the vestigial remains of humanity. One of their stops is a town which is a veritable Americana, where Bill and Frank live. Frank is from Baltimore and he finds the place guarded by Bill. Their meeting is not exactly friendly but love takes over any anxiety the pandemic has wrought upon kinship (see my review of this episode in BusinessMirror dated March 30, 2023, titled “True love in a post-apocalyptic world”). And love, as they say, comes from the most unexpected places.

As Joel and Ellie continue with what is turning out to be a quest, we realize that there is something in our world that a pandemic cannot alter—the seasons. All throughout the journey of these two beings therefore, we go through seasons. These scenes are not only the breathtaking breaks in the otherwise dismal landscape; they are also indicators of human memory, those storage of bright and sad thoughts we summon during moments of bleakness and despair. But if there are the seasons, then there are also the cliches. The only difference with the cliche in The Last of Us is that they are deathly real. In Episode 5, Joel and Ellie are with brothers Henry and Sam. They are about to be annihilated by the militia but from the deep earth burst forth the Infected. These are the monsters driven by the FEDRA deep into the ground (think Greek mythology and other allusions!). Here also is that cliche about men as the real monsters in any tale, and not the many-headed aberrations made immortal by epics.

If Linda Ronstadt provided us in Episode 3 her song “Long, Long Time,” in Episode 4, titled “Please Hold My Hand,” Hank Williams offers a country song, “Alone and Forsaken,” leaving us bereft yet musical.

head Rox Santos, also shared that his new single was inspired by a personal experience.

The Last of Us is considered to be the first HBO series based on a video game. Neil Druckman, the writer and co-director of the original game, worked with Craig Mazin with the screenplay of the first nine episodes. It is a joint production by Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Naughty Dog, the Mighty Mint, and Word Games. n

BARBIE FORTEz A BANNERS INFORMATIVE gLOBAL VIDEO CAMPAIgN VERSUS PIRACY

StREngtHEning its campaign against piracy, leading broadcasting company gMA network (www.gmanetwork. com) launches its first anti-piracy video featuring Sparkle star and prime-time draw Barbie Forteza. the one-minute video, now streaming on the network’s various social media platforms, features Barbie in a fun interaction with her fans in a livestream. While reciting good reviews of her recent hit series Maria Clara at Ibarra, one netizen comments that she watched the series on a non-legitimate web site.

Barbie immediately calls out the netizen, encouraging her and other viewers only to watch shows on official and legitimate sites to avoid the dangers of malware from unsafe websites and services.

Mas masayang ulit-ulitin ang Maria Clara at Ibarra sa ating official web site. Malinaw na, kumpleto pa ang episodes. Manood po tayo sa official sites kasi with your continued support, mas marami pa kaming magagawang original at exclusive content para sa inyo. Kaya stream responsibly, and together let’s fight piracy,” shares Barbie in the video campaign. in another anti-piracy campaign video, Barbie also reminds global Pinoys to watch gMA programs overseas through official streaming platforms and channels such as gMA Pinoy t V “Makakaasa po kayo sa mas marami pang quality shows dahil sa patuloy na suporta ninyo. Doon po tayo sa legit. Bukod sa mapapanuod nang malinaw at buo ang episodes, may English subtitles pa,” says Barbie. gMA network is consistently taking the necessary steps to combat the illegal distribution of content globally through its various initiatives on different platforms. through its partnership with the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment and intellectual Property of the Philippines, these initiatives are further strengthened throughout the country and even abroad.

gMA’s anti-piracy campaign can be seen at bit. ly/43pUSdw.

JEREMY GLINOGA had a rough start in his singing career. His debut was via a blind audition in The Voice Teens where he sang “Ikaw” in front of the original singer, Sharon Cuneta. The first parts of the song were uneven, he even did some adlibs which Coach Bamboo said he didn’t need to, and Lea Salonga was unimpressed with his delivery that lacked the passion of the lyrics.

While Sharon agreed with coaches Lea and Bamboo, she declared that she will still take him under her wing as she was impressed with his voice and she would know how to guide him.

And now, with his new name, Jeremy G is back with a new sound and a new single, “Bini,” which sees him evolving from balladeer into a more pop-R&B artist.

“Coming from the break-up anthem ‘Sinayang Mo,’ I think that ‘Bini’ will give listeners a new feel and different side of me, since this song is basically about falling for a girl but being too shy to tell her face to face,” he said in a media press conference held to launch his new single. “I feel like listeners would vibe to this song along with feeling like they’re falling in love while listening.”

Jeremy, who wrote the song with ABS-CBN Music creative director Jonathan Manalo and Star Pop label

“Before we started writing this song, we had to draw from an experience that was rather specific so it wouldn’t become too generalized. So to some extent, ‘Bini’ was based on a personal experience of mine,” he admitted. With the release of “Bini,” Jeremy hopes that the listeners would feel a boost of confidence to express their true feelings to their loved ones. He shared, “I feel like my advice would just be to follow your heart. It may sound cliche but you never know when’s the next time that you’ll have that feeling again. Be genuine and show them that you have genuine intentions.”

Last year, Jeremy ventured into both music and acting. He released 13 singles including his debut EP maybe forever, wrote several compositions for series soundtracks and the song “My Time” for the Philippines Season 2 champion. He also starred as Stevie in the IWantTFC series Lyric and Beat, for which he composed the theme song with Jonathan Manalo.

Jeremy’s new single “Bini” is available on various digital music platforms.

ArenaPlus sign deal with PBA

ARENAPLUS—the newest online entertainment offering of Total Gamezone Xtreme Incorporated (TGXI)—is now the Official Sports Entertainment Gateway of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

W ith the sponsorship, the PBA and ArenaPlus aim to level up league fans’ entertainment experience with more fun, thrill and excitement.

Multiple-year sponsor ArenaPlus will have brand presence in playing venues of regular PBA 5x5, PBA3x3 and special events like the PBA Draft, All-Star Week, Media Day and the PBA On Tour.

It will also be on the league’s social media accounts and digital platforms.

B arangay Ginebra San Miguel star Scottie Thompson was also announced as the first ArenaPlus athlete endorser.

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial and Marketing Director Jo Francisco, DigiPlus President Andy Tsui and TGXI President Jasper Vicencio signed the partnership early this month at the league’s offices in Libis, Quezon City. The brand will surely add hype and level up the fun and entertainment of the PBA,” Vicencio said.

Tsui thanked the PBA for allowing DigiPlus to introduce its new brand. “Your support is indeed a part of our success and we will continue to support this source of great entertainment for Filipinos,” Tsui said.

A renaPlus is an affiliate of BingoPlus and a subsidiary of DigiPlus Interactive Corporation. The ArenaPlus App can be downloaded in Google Play and the App Store.

GINEBRA-TNT DUEL: ANYBODY’S GAME Sports

Editor: Jun Lomibao

By Josef Ramos

WITH the pendulum making its way to the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup Finals, the race-to-seven duel is back to square one and neither TNT nor defending champion Barangay Ginebra San Miguel could claim a realistic edge.

TNT leveled the series, 95-82, on Wednesday night in Game 2 where Tropang Giga import Rondae HollisJefferson did a good job handcuffing the Gin Kings’ Justin Brownlee while going on a shooting spree of his own.

Hollis-Jefferson had a near triple-double of 23 points, 19 rebounds and nine assists to Brownlee’s 12 points on 3 of 16 shooting and zero from three-point territory—a rarity for the six-time Best Import who managed to stay in the fight with 10 rebounds and eight assists.

But Hollis-Jefferson deflected praises to his teammates.

It’s the will to win and you have to give credit to everybody. Everybody did an excellent job and played their role,” said the 6-foot-5 Hollis-Jefferson as he, game-after-game, underscored his certified National Basketball Association skill set.

Everybody played a significant role in today’s game,” he said. “It was a collective effort.”

Ginebra head coach Tim Cone gave the TNT import a tap on the back.

“ We were surprised with his [Hollis-Jefferson] defense and he did a great job,” he said.

But Cone stressed a Brownlee scoring less on a difficult night is the least of his worries. “ I never worry about him [Brownlee] having a tough night because he always responds,” Cone said. “He is the least of our worries.”

I n the first two games of the Finals—Ginebra won the first, 102-90—Brownlee averaged 21.5 points, 11 rebounds and six assists and Hollis-Jefferson 26.5 points, 19.5 rebounds and seven assists.

Cone said “it’s time to play with a little more discipline and come out with a little more fire” in Game 3 set at 5:45 p.m. Friday again at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Tropang Giga? They’re back with their sniping ways from a lethargic Game 1 performance.

R oger Pogoy and Mikey Williams scoring 17 and 21 points, respectively, with Calvin Oftana adding 14 points and 13 rebounds.

The bad news though is head coach Jojo Lastimosa will be without 6-foot-7 Justin Chua who’s nursing an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

But the good news is that 6-foot-7 veteran Kelly Williams is cleared to play from a knee injury.

The good news is Kelly Williams will be cleared for Friday but we don’t know how much we’re going to get from him,” Lastimosa said. “So if he can give us valuable minutes, that will be a welcome sight.”

But we’re ready to play with a small line up,” added Lastimosa referring to more minutes for Oftana at the 4 and Glenn Khabunting at the 3 positions.

Pogoy was firing from all cylinders in Game 2 after being held to only six points in the series opener.

They refused to lose that night and they knew that we can’t go down 0-2,” Lastimosa said. “The players knew that this was a must win for us.”

Christian Standhardinger led Ginebra with 29 points and 11 rebounds in the Game 1 loss.

PBBM supports PNVF hosting of VNL, World Beach Pro Tour

MALACA ÑANG has thrown its full support behind two major international tournaments that the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) is hosting later this year.

NHA downs PNP, nears UNTV Cup semifinal round

THE National Housing Authority (NHA) Home Masters inched closer to earning a semifinals berth with a 7264 win over the Philippine National Police (PNP) Responders at the start of the quarterfinal round of the 9th UNTV Cup Basketball tournament on Tuesday at the Novadeci Convention Center in Quezon City.

FORMER world champion Rene Mark Cuarto goes after the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) interim minimumweight title against Japanese Ginjiro Shigeoka on Sunday at the Yoyogi Gymnasium in Tokyo.

“Rene Mark Cuarto has an amazing preparation in Tokyo, along with coach Nonoy Neri,” international matchmaker Sean Gibbons told BusinessMirror on Thursday. “He is very, very determined to win his title back.”

Cuarto, 26, lost to Daniel Valladares last July 1 in Mexico via split decision, but the Mexican suffered an undisclosed injury that sidelined him since January and prompted the IBF to hold an interim

PHOENIX—Thanks to the pitch clock, the action is moving much faster at Major League Baseball games. It also means a little less time for fans to enjoy a frosty adult beverage.

To combat that time crunch, at least four teams—the Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers—have extended alcohol sales through the eighth inning this season.

O thers, like the Miami Marlins and New York Mets, still have seventh-inning cutoffs, but haven’t

These are the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) set July 4 to 9 at the Mall of Asia Arena and the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge from November 30 to December 3 in Taguig City.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin signed on behalf of President Ferdinand

The Home Masters of former University of Santo Tomas (UST) star Bennett Palad outscored the Responders in the second quarter, 25-13, to gain the upper hand, 3929, a lead they protected to improve to 7-3 won-lost.

NHA only needs to beat the OP-PMS on Sunday to advance to the semifinals of the event offering

Memorandum Circular No. 17 that “directs all government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations, and encouraging local government units” to support both International Volleyball Federation, or FIVB, tournaments.

“ I would like to thank President Fer d inand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. for supporting the PNVF and the FIVB in promoting volleyball in the country,” PNVF President Ramon “Tats” Suzara said. “We guarantee the success of both tournaments that not only help

a tax-free P3 million top prize to the chosen charity of the champion team.

The Trailblazers, meanwhile, hiked their record to 6-4 after an 86-79 win over the GSIS Furies— thanks to Jhon Kenneth Aljard and Roverick Abalos who combined for 50 points and 31 rebounds.

I n the Executive Face-Off, the AFP Cavaliers downed the

Cuarto takes on Shigeoka in Japan

fight for the vacant title.  Valladares also fought Shigeoka last January 6 in Osaka, but the fight ended in a “no contest” after an accidental clash of heads.

Gi bbons, who heads boxing icon Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions, said that Cuarto (21-3-2 win-lossdraw record with 12 knockouts) has the edge in terms of style over the 23-year-old southpaw from Japan.

Who’s unbeaten in eight fights with six knockouts.

“ Mark has the style to win and he

promote the sport in world level, but also showcase the country’s tourism.”

The PNVF already hosted a men and women leg of the VNL in July last year in Quezon City and the successful hosting prompted the FIVB to ask the national federation to again host the event.

Tickets to the VNL are now on sale via www.smtickets.com. Ticket prices are P11,000 for VIP on Court and Patron Front Row, P3,000 for Patron Premium, P2,000 for Patron Regular, P1,300 for Lower Box, P800 for Upper Box and P300 for General Admission.

Ombudsman Graftbusters, 67-60, A lvin Vitug and Antonio Lustestica formed a deadly 1-2 punch for the Home Masters, scoring 19 and 14 points, respectively, most of which came in the second quarter.

The duo also collared eight rebounds each.

B oth PNP and GSIS suffered

Just like last year, this July’s VNL features the cream of the crop of men’s volleyball led by world No. 1 Poland and No. 2 Italy, No. 4 Brazil, No. 7 Japan, No. 9 Slovenia, No. 13 The Netherlands, No. 15 Canada and No. 26 China.

The Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge is also returning to the country this year.

S isi Rondina and Jovelyn Gonzaga won the gold medal in an all-Filipino final against Genesa Jane “Jen” Eslapor and Floremel Rodriguez in the tournament played last December in Subic.

their fifth defeat in 10 games in the event organized by Breakthrough and Milestones Productions International CEO and President Daniel Razon for the country’s public servants.

The top two teams after the single round will join early semifinalists Judiciary Magis and AFP Cavaliers.

Lady Blazers eye crown unblemished

UNDEFEATED College of Saint Benilde hopes to complete a second consecutive perfect season in Game 2 of the Finals of the National Collegiate Athletic Association women’s volleyball tournament against Lyceum of the Philippines University Friday at the Filoil EcoOil Center.

“

We really wanted the championship. As what coach [Jerry Yee] says, we’ve been in the finals many times so we can go back-to-back,” said Gayle Pascual after the Lady Blazers’ 25-17, 25-19, 25-19 Game 1 conquest of the Lady Pirates Tuesday.

Game 2 is set at 12 noon.

Despite having a huge psychological advantage, Saint Benilde is not taking Lyceum for granted.

is a very aggressive fighter, a non-stop punching machine,” Gibbons said.  “ I’m 100 percent in good condition now,” Cuarto told BusinessMirror via chat.

Cuarto tries to be in the company of unified IBF and World Boxing Association super bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales, World Boxing Organization minimum weight king Melvin Jerusalem and International Boxing Organization flyweight titlist Dave Apolinar.

Josef Ramos

MLB squads extend beer sales after pitch clock shortens games

ruled out changes.

Totally makes sense to me,” said Tom Lienhardt, who was sipping on a beer Tuesday night before the Brewers-Diamondbacks game at Chase Field. “Since the games are shorter, you’ve got to adjust.”

Teams historically have stopped selling alcohol after the seventh. At least one team, the Baltimore Orioles, already sold alcohol through

the eighth inning, or until threeand-a-half hours after first pitch, whichever came first.

M ajor League Baseball (MLB) games have been considerably shorter this season, largely thanks to a series of rule changes, particularly the new pitch clock. Through the first oneand-a-half weeks of the season, the average game time was down 31 minutes, on track to be the sport’s

lowest since 1984.

T he minor leagues played with the pitch clock last season. At least one minor league general manager—Kevin Mahoney of the Class A Brooklyn Cyclones— said there was no dropoff in concession sales  even with shorter games.

Still, some big league teams have felt the need to make adjustments.

The Rangers allowed some alcohol

sales in the eighth inning last season, but have made that option more widely available in 2023.

The team said the move to offer in-seat service to everyone—fans can order on their phones—was done partly in reaction to the pitch clock and the potential of shorter game times so fans would not have to miss extended action waiting in lines at concession stands. AP

It’s not over yet until it’s over,” said Pascual, who is poised for a back-toback Finals MVP award after logging 15 points, including three blocks.

It’s not only Pascual who is delivering the goods but also team captain Cloanne Mondoñedo, who hopes to secure the Best Setter honors in the 10 a.m. awarding ceremony for the league’s top individual performers.

W ith Mondoñedo orchestrating the plays, and sometimes even goes on attack mode if she has the opportunity, the Lady Blazers have a balanced offense with Michelle Gamit, Jade Gentapa, Zam Nolasco and Jessa Dorog contributing.

The Lady Pirates hope to brush off all the jitters by learning all the Game 1 lessons and bring their A-game to extend the series.

University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, meanwhile, seeks to complete a “three-peat” in the men’s Finals against San Beda in Game 2 at 12 noon.

L ouie Ramirez had 17 points and 13 receptions in the Altas’ 25-20, 2516, 25-22 romp over the Red Spikers in the Finals opener, extending the Las Piñas-based squad’s winning run to 31 matches since 2018.

TNT’S Roger Pogoy soars almost unmolested for the basket in Game 1.

SCOTTIE THOMPSON is the online entertainment gateway’s endorser.

“Bongbong” Marcos Jr.