BusinessMirror April 24, 2023

Local trade volume shrinks 20.1% in ’22–PSA

THE volume of domestic trade contracted 20.1 percent in 2022, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

T he data showed the quantity of domestic trade declined to 18.63 million tons in 2022 from 23.31 million tons recorded in 2021.

T he total value of domestic trade in 2022, meanwhile, amounted to P845.5 billion. This indicated an increase of 13.3 percent from the P746.36 billion value of domestic trade in 2021.

Domestic trade value refers to the outflow value of commodities transported from the region/province of origin to another region/ province of destination,” the PSA said.

B y commodity, the PSA said

food and live animals led in terms of quantity of domestic trade in 2022 with 4.16 million tons, or a share of 22.3 percent to the total domestic trade.

T his was followed by mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials with 3.6 million tons or 19.3 percent and manufactured goods classified chiefly by material with 3.14 million tons or 16.9 percent. By region, Central Visayas registered the highest quantity of traded commodities with 3.93 million tons or 21.1 percent share to the total domestic trade in 2022.

T his was followed by Central Luzon with a quantity of 3.69 million tons or 19.8 percent and the National Capital Region (NCR)

with 3.3 million tons or 17.7 percent.

I n terms of value, PSA data showed machinery and transport equipment topped in terms of value of traded commodities with P265.06 billion or 31.3 percent share to the total domestic trade value in 2022.

T his was followed by food and live animals valued at P188.97 billion or 22.4 percent of the total and manufactured goods classified chiefly by material, which amounted to P149.23 billion value of traded commodities or 17.7 percent.

A mong the regions, NCR topped with P215.96 billion value of traded commodities or 25.5 percent of the total value of traded commodities in 2022.

T his was followed by Central Visayas with traded commodities amounting to P156.35 billion or 18.5 percent of the total, followed by Western Visayas with P136.46 billion or 16.1 percent.

M eanwhile, PSA said that by region, Central Visayas posted the highest inflow value of domestic trade at P193.16 billion or 22.8 percent share to the total inflow of domestic trade in 2022.

T his was followed by Caraga with an inflow value of P137.8 billion or 16.3 percent and Western Visayas with P135.63 billion, or 16 percent of the total.

T he data also showed Cagayan Valley recorded the lowest inflow value, which amounted to P0.01 billion in 2022.

By Cai U. Ordinari @caiordinario

I n its latest Market Call report, the First Metro Investment Corporation-University of Asia and the Pacific (FMIC-UA&P) Capital Market Research said GDP growth may reach 7.1 percent in the first three months of the year.

T his, the local think tank said, will be driven by recent employment gains; robust consumption fueled by tax cuts and slower inflation; manufacturing growth; and the increase in national government spending.

We expect a more robust economy in Q1-2023 than most analysts

with a GDP growth of 7.1 percent YoY, albeit with a little downside risk. The income tax cut and the downward trend in inflation should provide support although the recent crude oil price surge—due to huge OPEC production cut—would clip that partially,” FMIC-UA&P Capital Market Research said.

T he OPEC decision to reduce production caused the recent spike in oil prices. The think tank said because of this, it expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to raise interest rates by 25 basis points in May 2023.

MISS U ‘22 AT PHL INDEPENDENCE PARADE

Houston, Texas, to a Filipino father, Remigio Bonzon “R. Bon” Gabriel, and American mother, Dana Walker, she competed in and won both Miss Texas USA and Miss USA in 2022.

Offshore miners laud approval of tariff pledges under RCEP

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga & Andrea E. San Juan

OFFSHORE mining stakeholders on Sunday welcomed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s decision to affirm the country’s commitments under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) of ASEAN Plus nations.

A free trade agreement (FTA) between the 10-member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its five FTA partners: Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea, RCEP is expected to benefit the Philippines because of the increased trade it would bring to different member economies.

T he Offshore Mining Chamber of the Philippines, Inc. (OMCPI) and its member companies seek to mine the country’s crucial mineral resources found in the deep seabed in various locations.

win the Miss Universe title. Born in

A s part of her Miss Universe platform, Gabriel advocates for environmental sustainability and fighting pollution in the fashion industry. “Fashion can be a force for good,” said Gabriel, “and my Filipino heritage has taught me that it’s very important for us all to come together and play our part in creating change.”

T he group said these minerals like palladium, manganese, iron, nickel, platinum, copper, silver, gold, lithium, and the elusive rare earth elements (REE) are waiting to be tapped.

“

The clean and green mining industry and the various companies under our new blue economy sector (beyond just fishing) may benefit from preferential tariff reductions for our imported industrial goods and equipment from abroad,” OMCPI Chairman Dr. Michael Raymond Aragon said in a statement.

Continued on A2

WHAT ARE CHINA’S ALLEGED ‘SECRET OVERSEAS POLICE STATIONS’?

»B4

THE country’s GDP growth may exceed 7 percent in the first quarter if the global economy does not weaken further and inflation is kept at bay, according to a local think tank.

Offshore miners laud approval of tariff pledges under RCEP

OMCPI is pushing for offshore mining, relatively a new and developing industry in the Philippines.

A ragon pointed out that start-up industries, like the new and clean offshore mining sector, need all the support it can get from the government in order to flourish.

Since the country’s economy is adversely affected by the more than two years of extreme Covid-19 lockdowns complicated by the ongoing geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine, doing business in the Philippines (after the nationwide health emergency has been lifted) is not business as usual. From our budding sector, we need all the support we can get from the government in order for our new blue economy (beyond just fishing) to flourish or prosper. We commend the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for this initiative so Malacañang can act decisively on the matter, “ Aragon said.

He added that offshore mining is a new high technology, but also a very expensive way to cleanly mine for raw minerals in the deep seabed of the country.  He said the Philippines does not possess this high technology, as well as the huge capital needed, and must seek foreign resources to do business in offshore mining.

O ffshore mining is entirely different and is a very much cleaner and greener mining process, compared to the usual land-based mining industry currently popular in

the Philippines.

OMCPI and its green mining companies that are pioneers in offshore mining of untapped resources—crucially needed in the electronic and renewable energy sector—will boost the green or clean energy transitions from the old and dirty carbon-based energy sources, eventually helping combat or mitigate climate change    IEC campaigns are key MEANWHILE , a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) official has asserted that intensifying information and education campaigns among local stakeholders is crucial in increasing the utilization rate of RCEP. “

That’s the most important thing that we should address. Because after the effectivity of the RCEP agreement, we really have to launch and intensify information and education campaign,” Allan B. Gepty, DTI Assistant Secretary for Industry Development and Trade Policy and the Philippines’s top negotiator for RCEP, told reporters on the sidelines of the event “Breaking Economic Barriers” organized by the British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

G epty added, “That’s why we have to really come up with a lot of publications basically informing stakeholders how to utilize the RCEP agreement and other ASEAN+1 free trade agreements (FTAs) and Philippine bilateral FTAs including our

preferential arrangement like the [EU Generalized System of Preference Plus] EU GSP+.” He also underscored the importance of educating stakeholders how to export to these foreign markets.

To complement the launching of workshops, seminars and information campaigns, Gepty said DTI intends to establish international trade assistance centers that can serve as “FTA clinics in strategic regions and provinces” so that the country’s stakeholders and businesses could collaborate with these centers and help them utilize these free trade agreements.

W hile he did not divulge a “utilization rate” for the mega trade deal which the Philippine Senate recently concurred in, Gepty said DTI aims to onboard stakeholders and exporters who deem the RCEP agreement fit and “advantageous” to their product.

“It could be possible that other FTAs are more advantageous to their product. So it would really depend on the FTA that would fit the comparative advantage or the competitiveness of a certain business. But what is important is that we just have to ensure that our exporters, the stakeholders...are using the proper FTA.”

O n Thursday, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., approved an executive order (EO) implementing the Philippines’s commitments

Hollywood execs told: More fun to film in PHL!

under the RCEP.

A ccording to Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual, the EO is proposed to be effective on June 2,2023 to coincide with the end of the 60day period “after the deposit of the instrument of ratification.”

G epty noted that the EO is a “legal issuance” to implement the country’s tariff commitments under the mega trade deal. “If you will note under the RCEP agreement, we have the schedule of tariff commitments so we have to of course comply with that commitment and to do that, we have to issue the necessary EO.”

Meanwhile, according to a study published by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) in 2021, the country’s FTA utilization rate under the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (PJEPA) is “alarmingly low” at 16.6 percent.

C iting various studies, the authors said the low FTA utilization rate can be attributed to factors such as “lack of information or knowledge about FTAs, procedural delays, administrative and compliance costs, and availability of other incentives schemes.”

To address this, the study called on the government to “ensure that importers have all the available information related to importation under PJEPA and all the other FTAs,” especially the micro, small, and medium-sized importers and those in rural areas.

T he authors said this might be a challenge for the government due to limited resources; thus, it should “partner with business groups and organize information sessions and workshops to specifically increase the capacity of importers to utilize FTAs.”

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“Since we do not see a decline in actual CPI (Consumer Price Index) in April and May, BSP will likely proceed with raising its policy rates by 25 bps in its May meeting. However, we expect a pause thereafter,” FMIC-UA&P Capital Market Research said.

N onetheless, the local think tank still expects inflation to slow to around 6.2 percent by June, despite the recent spike in oil prices. The slowdown in the increase in food prices will offset the increase in fuel prices.

T his, along with employment gains, manufacturing growth and higher government spending, will lead to faster economic growth.

FMIC-UA&P Capital Market Research said the 8.6 percent increase in employment as of February 2023 was driven by the recovery of the Services sector.

(This) becomes more instructive when we consider that huge temporary employment for the May 2022 elections bloated year ago figures. The huge vault in business expectations should provide further backing to this,” the think

Under her fashion label brand, “R’BONNEY NOLA,” R’Bonney employs sustainable design methods and uses repurposed/natural fabrics. She will be joined by parade Grand Marshal Dr. Dely Po Go, DNP, RN, LNHA, who will also write history as the 125th Philippine Independence Day Parade Grand Marshal on two continents. New York City and Milan, Italy. In addition to marking a day of national pride, the celebration recalls the history and dedication to freedom of our beloved country, according to Dr. Go.

TOURISM Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco meets with representatives of US film and TV production companies, multimedia firms, and PR/advertising companies on April 21 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Among them are: JP Mallo, VP Marketing of HBO Max; Pearl Davenport, Marketing Production Director for Disney Branded Productions; Rosanna Canonigo, TV Sales and

Creatives, Capitol Music. Also part of the DOT delegation are: TPB COO Marga Nograles, DOT Undersecretaries Elaine Bathan and Shahlimar Tamano, OIC-Undersecretary Verna Buensuceso, Assistant Secretary Rica Bueno, Tourism Attache for Los Angeles Richmond Jimenez, to name a few. DOT PHOTO

“Obviously, we have 150, 250 people we are employing; they pay taxes, they buy food, they employ other people, they pay taxes. So it’s a net positive for the economy, and the government ultimately, who pays out these incentives ends up getting the money back.” (See ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ author ‘wants to shoot in Palawan,’” in the BusinessMirror , April 28, 2022.)

T he FDCP usually handles negotiations with foreign film and TV producers regarding the tax breaks that may be extended to them. Under one program, for example,  the agency offers a 20-percent cash rebate on foreign producers’ local expenses as long as they work with

tank said.

W hile the growth of the country’s manufacturing sector slowed according to Standard & Poor’s Global Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) report, FMIC-UA&P Capital Market Research said the sector continued to expand.

T he think tank noted that the manufacturing sector expanded for the 14th consecutive month based on the PMI, while the Volume of Production Index “showed spritely growth in the first two months of 2023.”

T he reopening of hotels and restaurants as well as tax cuts that took effect in January 2023 are also contributing to the growth of the manufacturing sector.

Household, govt spending

MEANWHILE , household and government spending have been robust on the back of employment gains and Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) remittances as well as various public infrastructure projects.

T he think tank said government spending, in particular, is expected to be robust as various projects continue or have hurdled key obstacles.

It noted that these projects include the Metro Manila Subway, North-South Commuter Line gaining traction, and major Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects.

T he 125th Philippine Independence Day Commemoration in New York City is the biggest celebration outside the Philippines. Community-based organizations will parade alongside floats and representatives of the regions/provinces from Bacolod City (Masskara Festival), Cordillera Administrative Region (Panagbenga Festival), Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental Province (Kaliga Festival), Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) (Sharif Kabunsuan Festival), and the delegation from Aurora Province.

Let us all come together in solidarity knowing that what we can do together can help shape our country

a Filipino line producer, post-production company, or an animation studio.

A mong Hollywood films that have been shot in the Philippines include Fritz Lang’s American Guerrilla in the Philippines (1950), Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979), Peter Weir’s The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), Oliver Stone’s Platoon (1986) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Tony Gilroy’s The Bourne Legacy (2012), to name a few. The Survivor series’ various European iterations also frequently shoot in the Caramoan Islands. History Channel has also filmed two seasons of  Lost Gold of WW2 in the country.

T hese PPP projects are NLEXSLEX second connector elevated tollway, MRT-7, Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX), and the extension of LRT-1 to Cavite.

Government (NG) spending on operating and capital costs also had YTD (year to date) growth of 12.2 percent, not readily visible from the weak total NG spending due to a beneficial sharp reduction in interest payments (-13.4 percent) and allotments to local government units (-14.8 percent),” the think tank said.

ADB outlook

EARLIER , the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said high inflation, tight monetary policy and global headwinds are expected to slow the country’s economic performance this year and next year.

T he Manila-based multilateral development bank forecasts GDP growth to slow to 6 percent this year before growing to 6.2 percent next year. The country’s growth last year was 7.6 percent while the government’s GDP growth target is 6 percent this year.

However, the country’s inflation rate this year is expected to outpace GDP growth. Inflation is forecast to average 6.2 percent in 2023 before slowing to 4 percent in 2024.

and our destiny as a nation,” said PIDCI President, Nora Galleros.

T he parade will be graced by Filipino celebrities featured in Neocolors Productions’ “Fabulous Philippines 2” in New York. Neocolors CEO Dr. Christine May Daguno-Canoy said “We believe in the Filipino talent and we support whatever it is that will promote the best of the Philippines to the world.” The Filipino community in New York City is a vibrant and essential part of the city’s multicultural landscape. P hilippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI), is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization established in 2002 in New York, NY. (www.pidci.org)

Distribution Head for Relativity Media; Lucia Gervino, Head of Productions, A+E Studios; Mallory’s Ortega, VP Cinema Sala; Host Janelle So; Bernie Sarabia of Inspire Studios; Francis Dela Torre, Cinematographer / Producer for Electric Entertainment; Lea W. Dizon, Producer, Writer, and Media Consultant; Jeremiah Abraham of Tremendous Communications, Lisa Lew, CEO of P&L Media; Lyle Del Mundo, Founder and Executive Director of Filipinos Advancing Creative Education; and Byron Atienza, former VP for Global

BI warns vs ‘love scam’ targeting foreigners

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Bureau of Immigration (Bi) warned the public anew against unscrupulous individuals who are using the name of the agency to perpetrate the so-called “love scam.”

T he warning was made by BI Commissioner Norman G. Tansingco after receiving a report that an Australian national was seeking the assistance of the agency for the release of his Filipina friend called “Victoria” who was allegedly detained at the Clark International Airport (CIA) prior to her supposed departure to the land Down Under.

According to documents provided by the BI, the swindler claimed she was being detained for smuggling 18

BusinessMirror Economy

kilograms of “alluvial gold bars” and sent a photo to the Australian national showing a fake letter allegedly signed by Tansingco.

T he BI chief said the letter with his forged signature stated that “Victoria” was being held for lacking documents to travel with gold minerals and, in order for her to be released, the Australian should pay US$4,000 (around P223,482 at current exchange rates) to secure an “ownership certificate” for her.

Tansingco reminded the public that the BI is not authorized to inspect the luggage of travelling passengers. There is a separate government agency for that. BI agents are also not authorized to receive money through wire transfers for immigration processes,” he added.

DOE starts steps in implementing offshore wind resource devt plan

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

THE Department of Energy (DOE) said it would work together with other government agencies, local government units (LGUs) and the transmission concessionaire to implement Executive Order (EO) 21.

T he newly issued directive by President Ferdinand Maros Jr. has tasked the DOE to put together the development and issuance of a policy and administrative framework for the optimal development of offshore wind (OSW) resources in the country. This includes the integration to the

Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop (EVOSS) system various permitting processes by the permitting agencies.

T he DOE has 60 days from the issuance of the EO to issue the framework.

DOE Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla said the issuance of EO 21 would hasten the rollout of OSW projects in the country.

With heightened investor interest in energy projects, especially in renewable energy, it is crucial to have a clear framework that would speed up the development of OSW and speed up approvals of necessary permits,” he said.

T he landmark order, added Lotilla, would provide clarity, as it will likewise harmonize and streamline permitting processes and leasing fees for OSW projects under a whole-of-government approach and fully implement the EVOSS system to cover all relevant government agencies and bureaus.

T he Philippines Offshore Wind Roadmap launched last year showcases the Philippines potential OSW resources estimated at 178 gigawatts. As of this date, the DOE has awarded 63 OSW contracts with a total potential capacity of 49.928 GW, enough to supply

the country’s future electricity demand.

A side from accelerating the development of the country’s OSW resources, the EO will contribute to the attainment of the country’s aspirational target of 35-percent and 50-percent renewable-energy contribution to the energy generation mix by 2030 and 2040, respectively.

T he EO also states that the Department of the Interior and Local Government must submit to the DOE a lost of permits required by LGUs. The permits would be integrated into the EVOSS platform.

Solon proposes engineering solutions to address El Niño

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

THE chairman of the House Committee on Public Works and Highways on Sunday said the role of “comprehensive engineering solutions” is important to address the impact of El Niño.

Surigao del Sur First-District Rep. Romeo S. Momo Sr. issued his statement in support of the creation of an El Niño team to address the looming water shortage and improve public infrastructure as drought looms. A n engineer by profession, Momo

said he believes government’s plan to upgrade the country’s flood control and water management by building impounding dams, small-river impounding projects and high dams is the “right move forward.”

It is commendable that the President has put forth clear instructions and plans on how we will deal with the impact of El Niño because this team would be able to give our problems with depleting water resources the attention it needs,” Momo, a former undersecretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), was quoted in the state-

ment as saying.

It is high time that an administration prioritizes the construction of critical infrastructure that would provide solutions to not only the effects of El Niño but to other weather disturbances and to climate change as well,” the lawmaker added.

Noting that a well-constructed plan on dealing with El Niño would also benefit the future, the lawmaker stressed the role of “comprehensive engineering solutions” that would last across generations.

This includes the creation of dams, catch basins, warning systems, levees

and seawalls, among others.

Last week, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the creation of a government team that would focus on mitigating the impact of the looming El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to hit from July to September this year and to last until 2024.

T he President said he wanted “whole-of-government approach” so the country would have “protocolbased and scientific” long-term processes. He said he also wants an awareness campaign to instill conservation of water in the public consciousness.

Momo agreed that such directives

are necessary in order to prepare the government and the public on the impact of El Niño on the marine environment as well as the agriculture and tourism sectors.

“ It is the right move forward. This is not new to the Philippines. Time and again, we have seen how our communities have suffered because we were never prepared enough when the dry and wet seasons come. Today, we have an administration willing to face that painful truth. We should give it our full support,” the lawmaker said.

El Niño increases the likelihood

of unusually low rainfall conditions that could cause the water hoard in dams to fall below functional levels.

A ccording to the government’s weather-monitoring agency, there have been seven severe El Niño events since 1980, with the last one lasting from 2015 to 2016 that inflicted $327-million losses in agricultural alone.

In the previous El Niño event that persisted from the last quarter of 2018 to the third quarter of 2019, up to 61 percent of the country endured a drought while the other 39 percent underwent a dry spell.

The Nation

Monday, April 24, 2023

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Lawmakers step in on Occ. Mindoro daily outages seen to occur in other provinces

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

R omblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus F. Madrona’s written chastisement of the ERC is directed at what he said was “the agency’s failure to act” on the request by the National Power Corp. (Napocor) to adjust power rates to reflect the true cost of electricity.

M adrona said last Sunday the daily outages not only inconvenience people but also adversely affect businesses and tourism.

According to the lawmaker, the Occidental Mindoro Consolidated Power Corp. (Omeco) hasn’t been able to supply enough power due to Napocor’s unpaid subsidies.

To date, [the] ERC has not approved Napocor’s request, so that the national government could stop coughing money,” Madrona was quoted in the statement as saying.

A ccording to him, power costs have been rising since last year,

particularly due to the increase in fuel costs from P30 ($0.54 at current exchange rates) per liter to P60 ($1.07) per liter.

K nown for its Apo Reef, Occidental Mindoro has been grappling with 20-hour brownouts for more than a month now after the supply of electricity from Omeco remained insufficient.

‘Man-made disaster’

EARLIER, the National Government, through the Development Budget Coordinating Council (DBCC), approved a P5-billion loan to pay for Napocor-owned power plants or those that are not connected to the grid.

Madrona also warned that ERC’s failure to address issues that led to daily power outages could spill over to other small islands being serviced by small island power utilities;. These

include Palawan, Mindoro, Masbate, Romblon and Catanduanes.

“

This man-made disaster is not only a source of inconvenience and irritation but will also adversely affect businesses, especially tourism, which is one of the main sources of livelihood in these island-provinces,” he said.

In a hearing at the House of Representatives last month, Omeco President Eleanor S. Costibolo said the brownouts were caused by red tape inside the ERC and which hobbled the firm’s ability to pay suppliers.

The subsidy is the root of all problems. That’s why if you’ll ask me now what can be done, we can enter [into] an emergency-power procurement,” Costibolo said during the hearing. She emphasized mismanagement is far from the crux of the matter.

House Resolution 34, authored by Occidental Mindoro Rep. Leody F. Tarriela, called for an investigation into the power problems in the island of 530,000 people.

Talks with NEA

AT the Upper Chamber, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy Sen. Raffy T. Tulfo confirmed he talked to National Electrification Administrator (NEA) Antonio Mariano C. Almeda last Sunday to discuss the current energy crisis in Occidental Mindoro.

“It can be recalled that as early as

April 5, in the middle of Holy Week, [the] Senate Committee on Energy conducted an emergency consultative meeting involving various government agencies to discuss the widespread brownout in Occidental Mindoro,” a statement issued by Tulfo’s office read.

T he statement revealed that Omeco will make a board resolution so that the NEA will loan the cooperative P50 million to buy bunker fuel as a temporary immediate solution to the power outage.

Tulfo said he asked Almeda about NEA’s current action to address the power crisis. The lawmaker said the NEA chief asked to be given three weeks to provide a concrete solution to the problem.

“Sa ibinigay na briefing ni Almeda sa akin, hiniling niya na bigyan siya ng hanggang tatlong linggo mula ngayon para makapagbigay sila ng konkretong solusyon sa problemang ito,” Tulfo was quoted in the statement as saying.

Tulfo quoted Almeda as saying that the NEA already requested a Certificate of Exemption (COE) from the Department of Energy (DOE) to allow Omeco to enter into an Emergency Power Supply Agreement (EPSA).

When this happens, they will be able to secure modular gensets [generator sets] from Singapore that can generate up to 17 megawatts (MW),” the statement read.

Manila, Beijing start ‘ironing things out’

Napocor loans

TULFO said he was told that NEA already asked for transfer of four modular gensets with 2MW each from Mindanao. These are the same type of modular gensets that were used in 2013 to 2014 when there was an emergency power crisis in Mindanao.

T he lawmaker further said that the NEA already asked DMCI Power Corp. to provide approximately 5MW of electricity from Oriental Mindoro to Occidental Mindoro. This 5MW will immediately provide an extra four hours of electricity per day in the latter island, Tulfo said.

He added he was also informed that the NEA and the DOE have requested the Department of Finance to remove the restriction on the next loan secured by Napocor so that it can be used in the entire missionary electrification areas.

In the current policy, the Napocor cannot use the loan they get in areas already covered by private power providers that supply electricity, like with Omeco, which is no longer included in the Spug areas of Napocor; areas where Napocor remains the power provider.

Tulfo said that the NEA has asked Napocor to be the one to operate the old and unused Napocor plant they will renovate so that it becomes an operational plant that can generate up to 10MW.

No buts: Cigarette butts destroy beaches’ beauty

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

HITTING the beach this sum-

mer? Don’t throw your butt around.

Cigarette butts, that is.

This is the appeal by HealthJustice Inc. Legal Consultant Karl Marx Carumba days after the world celebrated Earth Day on April 22.

“Smoking should be prohibited in beaches as smokers tend to discard cigarette butts that are harmful to the environment,” Carumba, a lawyer, said as he emphasized the importance of reducing the environmental impact of cigarette butt, a solid waste.

According to the 2020 International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) report, cigarette butts compose the secondtop item collected along beaches and waterways worldwide.

WITH its concerns on the killings of trade unionists leaders still left unaddressed, a labor group called on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to replicate the creation of a task force by United States President Joe Biden to initiate much-needed labor reforms to address the said issue.

T he Federation of Free Workers (FFW) said the Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment cre -

Not only that, the plastic part of cigarette butts is also one of the most prevalent forms of litter worldwide.

An estimated 766,571 metric tons of cigarette butts make their way into the environment every year, the report added. It will take up to a decade for a butt to completely degrade, it emphasized.

Meanwhile, tobacco claims eight million lives globally and trashes the environment in the process. Over 6.25 trillion cigarettes are smoked worldwide every year; 531 billion sticks in the Association of Southeast Asian region alone. And most of these are discarded into the environment.

This is in addition to the tobacco smoke that contaminates our air with various toxicants, carcinogens, and pollutants, the toxic fertilizers and pesticides that poison our land

ated by Biden and led by Vice President Kamala Harris came out with 70 recommendations last Feb. in favor of American workers. It noted the said recommendations resulted in significant achievements, including a 20 percent increase in union membership in Federal agencies.

“By learning from the successes of the Biden-Harris Presidential Task Force, the Philippines can address the alarming number of trade union and human

and water and the massive cutting of trees to produce cigarettes, according to HealthJustice. The damage tobacco inflicts on the environment is phenomenal, the nonprofit group added.

Toxic chemicals

ACCORDING to the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (Seatca), nearly all cigarettes have singleuse plastic filters, which provide no health benefit but mislead smokers into thinking such filters reduce health harm.

Seatca added that when discarded after use, cigarette filters leach toxic chemicals into the land and marine ecosystems and harm marine life and biodiversity.

Meanwhile, the Truth Initiative organization reported that when ecigarette and cigarette waste aren’t

rights violations and create a safer, more equitable environment for workers across the nation,” FFW said in a statement the organization issued last Sunday.

T he FFW statement comes as Malacañang and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) have yet to issue its position on the recommendation of the International Labor Organization-High Level Tripartite Mission (ILO-HLTM) for the creation of a presidential body to look into labor-

disposed of properly, it makes its way into the environment where it ends up polluting water, air and land with toxic chemicals, heavy metals and residual nicotine.

Over a third of cigarette buttlitter ends up in the ocean. Every year, 340 million to 680 million kilograms of cigarette butt-litter are collected, topping the list of most common types of rubbish during coastal cleanups, according to the organization.

Hence, Carumba said HealthJustice is urging the government to provide its citizens with a clean and healthy community and protect the environment against the impact of cigarette butt-waste to fully achieve the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

The WHO FCTC aims to “pro -

related killings.

L abor leaders were hoping they could personally raise the matter with Marcos in a Labor Day dialogue, which previous administrations used to hold.

However, Marcos will be flying to the US on May 1 to conduct a bilateral meeting with Biden at the White House in Washington, D.C.

No opposition

THE FFW said their members are “per-

tect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke by providing a framework for tobacco control measures to be implemented by its Parties at the national, regional and international levels.”

“The responsible disposal of cigarette butts to mitigate the impact of cigarette litter should be strictly implemented,” Carumba said. He also lamented that smoking has a pernicious effects.

“A clean environment and a smoke-free environment translates to better health. Imagine the great benefits it will give us if people stop smoking: no cigarette butts littered around us and no illness brought about by tobacco use,” he added.

plexed” by the still pending position of the government on the ILO-HLTM recommendation.

The proposed commission was already discussed by workers and employers, who expressed no opposition to the body, with the Office of the Secretary of Labor, but no definitive action has been taken by the government on this recommendation, yet,” FFW said.

T his view was echoed by Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said the country has started ironing out its recent “conflicts” with China during his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang during the weekend.

So today it was really useful that we were able to speak with Minister Qin Gang, the Foreign Minister of China, so we can talk directly to one another and iron things out,” Marcos said in a statement.

The meeting between Marcos and Qin was held in Malacañang last Saturday, a few days after Marcos said he wants clarification on Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian’s controversial remark about the safety of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Taiwan.

Huang was reported to have said that the safety of the OFWs in Taiwan may be compromised if the country will continue to grant forces of the United States (US) access to local military bases through the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

The Chinese ambassador was among those who accompanied Qin at the Palace for the meeting.

“As to the conflicts, we agreed to establish more lines of communications so that any event that occurs in the West Philippine Sea that involves China and the Philippines can immediately be resolved,” Marcos said.

“So we are currently working on that and are awaiting the Chinese response and we are confident that these issues would be worked out that would be mutually beneficial for both our nations,” he added.

During his trip in Beijing last January, Marcos already announced the country is working on improving its communication lines with China to possible issues, particularly those stemming from territorial issues in the West Philippine Sea.

The President and Qin also discussed other areas for possible Philippines-China cooperation in business, culture and education.

“It’s very, very useful and very, very productive that Minister Qin came here and that we were able to talk things a little bit through, make plans for the future, continue to work on growing the relationship between the Philippines and China, not only in the economic field but in the cultural and educational and other exchanges,” he said.

(ECOP) Director General Jose Roland A. Moya who stressed they are “neither in favor nor against the creation of the said commission.”

“ECOP believes that there are already existing mechanisms, including the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council, which could handle these matters. However, we agree with labor that the NTIPC needs to be strengthened,” Moya told the BusinessMirror in a message via Viber. Samuel P. Medenilla

4 solons push bid to revive moribund PHL salt industry

T he solons also traced the salt industry’s continuous decline to rapid urbanization, which led to the conversion of more and more salt-producing places into residential and industrial areas; and erratic weather patterns caused by climate change, which have been  adversely affecting salt producers dependent on weather conditions.

A n initial amount of P100 million,  to be sourced from the contingency fund of the Office of the President (OP), shall be used to fund the first year of the proposed law.

A dditionally, an amount of P100 million shall be sourced from

the revenues of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) for the effective implementation of this Act, also for its first year of implementation.

A fter that, the bill states that the amount necessary for the effective implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA).

L ocal government units (LGUs) are directed by the bill  to work with the DA, BFAR, DTI, DOST- Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) and National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) to identify appro -

priate areas for local salt production in their respective localities.

HB 7357 provides for the establishment of provincial, city and municipal Salt Industry Development Councils (SIDCs) that shall regularly conduct a survey of existing salt farms and salt enterprises in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

T he bill directs the BFAR to be the Secretariat of the PSIDC, and to  organize the necessary technical working group (TWG) for the Council.

It mandates the  Council to “provide the overall policy and program directions and coordinate the activities of the various agencies and

instrumentalities to ensure the implementation, accomplishment, periodic review and enhancement of the Road map.”

T he bill has drawn up the following incentives for investors involved in salt production and development:

T he Board of Investments (BOI) shall classify salt farms as preferred areas of investment under its Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) subject to pertinent rules and regulations; Salt farm owners, and processors and other related businesses shall be exempt from the payment of import duties for imported machines and equipment subject to pertinent

rules and regulations;

Salt farm owners in public lands shall be exempt from the payment of forest charges that may be imposed by the national government and other fees or taxes imposed by LGUs; Salt farmers and processors shall be given priority in accessing credit assistance and guarantee schemes being granted by government financial institutions (GFIs); and Salt farm development and their equipment shall be covered by the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC).

During the year’s first meeting of the Legislative-Executive Devel-

continued from a10

opment Advisory Council (LEDAC) last February 13, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and other Cabinet officials  drew up with congressional officials  led by Speaker Martin Romualdez and Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri a list of 10 bills, including this salt industry development bill, for the 19th Congress’ priority passage before it adjourns sine die on June 2.

L ast year, Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo also filed his House Bill 1976 or the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act, which employs a whole-ofnation, whole-of-society, and wholeof-government approach as it seeks to revitalize the salt industry.

ASENIOR lawmaker scored the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for the daily 20-hour brownouts in Occidental Mindoro, warning that “this man-made disaster” could spill over to other islands.

Labor group urges PHL version of Biden’s task force to address killings of trade unionists

Agriculture/Commodities

Govt aims to cut food prices via new project

By Raadee S. Sausa @raadeeboy

MANILA is targeting to ease rising food prices via a technical cooperation project it is underaking with Tokyo which will enable the Philippines to craft food value chain models.

Under the project which kicked off recently, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) will develop vegetable value chain models “to revolutionize” the Philippine agriculture sector.

Jica noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had called rising food prices as an “emergency situation,” stressing the importance of a robust agriculture sector among his various priorities.

“ To provide a holistic solution, our project envisions to cooperate not only with farmers, relevant government institutions and LGUs [local government units], but also with private sector and consum-

ers. Jica recognizes the importance in addressing development needs in every node of the value chain, especially in the post-harvest and marketing sides,” said Sakamoto Takema, Chief Representative of Jica Philippines Office.

T he Jica-DA Project for MarketDriven Enhancement of Vegetable Value Chain in the Philippines (MV2C) is aligned with the Philippine Vegetable Industry Roadmap 2021-2025. The Japanese agency said the latter involves more stakeholders in the agriculture value chain and tackles approaches to level up the vegetable sector and achieve food security.

The MV2C is expected to serve as an input to realize the strategies of the said roadmap by piloting activities in Benguet, Quezon, and Metro Manila. These activities include capacity building of farmers to diversify harvest time and stabilize vegetable supply. The others include improving the distribution, process-

Political will key to easing inflation and preventing food crisis–group

DESPITE the easing of inflation, a group of farmers said the government must show “an ounce of genuine political will” to curb rising food prices.

T he Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said that the Department of Agriculture (DA) should act on the continuous increase of the prices of major food products — such as rice, vegetables, pork, chicken and fish.

We see further worsening of the food crisis and food inflation in the coming months and not even the

NEDA [National Economic Development Authority] can cover up this reality,” the group said.

It’s the DA [Department of Agriculture] that has the authority over the production of rice and other food and it also has the primary responsibility to make sure that there would be an affordable of rice and other food in the country. But what is the DA and its secretary doing?”

K MP said the president and the government must show “an ounce of genuine political will” in resolv-

ing the rice and food crisis. “After all, he was the one who promised to achieve the P20 per kilo of rice.”

M oreover, the KMP also gave its support for the proposed Rice Industry Development Act (RIDA) or House Bill 405 as this would solve the shortage of the staple in the country.

“It’s the goal of RIDA to achieve food security that is based on selfsufficiency and self-reliance. This will be through supporting farmers, developing infrastructure, and implementing rules that will give

protection to farms, farmers, and the whole industry,” it said.

“Along with these are the goals of developing the livelihood of the farmers and helping those submerged in poverty, providing them support in grain price, including them in making decisions, and eventually allowing them to lead in the facilities vital in production.”

T he bill was filed in 2018 by the Makabayan bloc under the leadership of the Anakpawis party-list and was refiled by the Gabriela party-list in 2022. Raadee S. Sausa

ing, and consumption of vegetables in the Philippines.”

Japanese experts are being dispatched in the Philippines to provide technical guidance and share their experiences and knowhow in developing Food Value Chain models. The project expects that farmers and other agriculture stakeholders will learn from the innovations and best practices of Japan in the sector. C iting the latest surveys from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Jica noted that poverty incidence among the Philippine population rose to 18.1 percent in 2021. Moreover, the subsistence incidence, which is defined as the “proportion of Filipinos whose income is not enough to meet even just the basic food needs” also increased to 5.9 percent in the same year. Thus, a sharp increase in food prices have serious impact, while also affecting 30 percent of the country’s agriculture workers in the poverty line.”

DAR turns over irrigation project to Cebu irrigators

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) recently turned over a communal irrigation system (CIS) to a group of farmers in Balamban, Cebu.

T he P2-million CIS was a result of a collaboration between the DAR and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to boost farmers’ productivity in Cebu.

Dubbed the Bayong Small Irrigation Project, the CIS was entrusted to the care of the Bayong Lamesa Irrigators Association Inc.

O fficials and members of Bay -

ong Lamesa Irrigators Association Inc. received the CIS during a simple ceremony.

A ccordign to Grace B. Fua, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II, the Bayong Small Irrigation Project would serve over 50 hectares of land and will benefit more than 124 agrarian reform beneficiary (ARB) households in Barangays Lamesa, Vito, and Cansomoroy. “ With the construction of the irrigation project, the ARBs will now be able to increase their agricultural production due to sufficient water supply for their crops,” she said.

LOCAL virgin coconut oil and coconut flour producers will undergo export marketing and marketing linkages training until December under a project funded by the European Union.

Under ARISE Plus Philippines, 30 selected Philippine micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will receive technical support to build an export brand, prepare for business deals and develop an export marketing plan.

Philippine coconut exporters of virgin coconut oil and coconut flour will benefit from the export marketing and market linkages training to be implemented from April to December 2023,” according to a statement from ARISE Plus Philippines.

T he announcement was made at the virtual launching ceremony of the training program attended by a total of 55 selected exporters, national trainers, and government representatives.

T he event benefitted from the participation of public and private partner institutions and industry associations, including the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL), the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Virgin Coconut Oil Producers and Traders Association of the Philippines (VCOP) as well as the Women’s Business Council Philippines (WBCP).

Based on the Export Potential Assessment on the Philippines undertaken by the ITC, coconut products have one of the highest export potential among the agro-based products being exported by the Philippines.

T hrough training and coaching, Philippine micro, small and medium

enterprises (MSMEs) will be guided by local and international experts in drafting their export marketing plans with the view to strengthen and expand their export position and support their international business development. They will also be trained on effective participation in trade fairs, sales negotiations and other relevant skills that will be crucial to their export expansion initiatives.

With the shared aspiration and commitment of participating MSMEs, government and project partners to position the Philippines as a reliable exporter of high-value coconut products, we are confident that this training will be instrumental in achieving exporting breakthroughs for the coconut sector, and in unlocking the country’s unrealized export potential, especially in the EU,” DTI Assistant Secretary for Trade Promotions Glenn Peñaranda said in a statement.

Congratulations to all the selected companies who will benefit from the support offered by ITC and EMB on Export Marketing and Market Linkages. This activity aims to support them to improve their export positioning, promotion and market access overseas, including to the EU,” Camille Roy, ITC Associate Project Officer, said.

Maureen Pasciolco of Pasciolco

SURGING corn prices in the Democratic Republic of Congo have created a lucrative trade for people to smuggle the staple food out of neighboring Zambia, and a clampdown is causing creative concealment strategies—with some even using coffins.

S mugglers have been hiding corn meal among crushed stones, sand and caskets, according to a report by Zambia’s state broadcaster. They’ve even hidden corn in bags of sugar. While the lean season that usually runs into May often comes with high demand from neighboring nations, this year it’s been particularly severe.

Zambia is one of southern Africa’s biggest food producers and managed a corn surplus last year despite the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on the supply of fertilizers that hobbled others in the region.

milk, and soft fruits.

T he agriculture ministers of Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria will meet on Monday to discuss further steps, Poland’s Robert Telus said in interview with radio RMF FM. They already sent letter to European Commission asking for more action to protect local markets, days after European Union gave its initial nod for local bans for grain, he said.

Pressured by protests by its farmers, Poland unilaterally banned the import of grains from Ukraine this month. The move triggered discussions on how to maintain the transit of Ukrainian products without the risk of flooding Eastern Europe’s markets with those goods. Import of Ukrainian grains to Poland rose eight-fold to about 3 million tons last year, Eurostat data show.

“Our decisions started talks with the European Union, as before the problem was not recognized widely,” Telus said. “Together with coalition of countries, we are now seeking further mechanisms that would help us to better control transit corridors.”

Two bags

Agri Ventures, a company that produces organic coconut products and exports 50 percent of its produce to international markets, also attended the launch ceremony and shared her journey with the participants. Through the assistance of the DTI, the company was able to understand, revamp its production processes, and fulfill the requirements for obtaining the needed EU certifications. It also received export management coaching from the

P rices for the crop that’s mixed with water to make a porridge called nshima has surged in the region—in Malawi, it was more than double in February compared with a year earlier, according to data from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, known as FEWS Net. The cost of a 25-kilogram bag most commonly bought by families jumped as much as 80 percent in recent days to 90,000 francs ($44) in Lubumbashi in Congo, United Nations-backed Radio Okapi reported this week.

T hat’s created a lucrative arbitrage opportunity for illicit traders in Zambia, where the same bag costs about $10. It’s also created a problem for Zambia’s government, which has deployed security personnel to curb the smuggling that’s created localized shortages. The air force was considering aerial patrols.

Philippines project.

Shoprite Zambia, the nation’s biggest supermarket chain, is among retailers that have limited the amount of corn meal customers can buy.

“IN the current shortage crisis, we have been entrusted with subsidized Food Reserve Agency maize meal by government so that our customers can benefit from the price,” Charles Bota, the general manager at the local unit of Shoprite Holdings Ltd., said in an emailed response to questions on Thursday. “We therefore cannot allow that a person buys more than one or two bags for this reason in the time of this temporary shortage.”

W hile Zambia produced surpluses for the past three seasons, the nation

only has enough corn remaining to meet its own demand until the next harvest becomes available in the coming weeks, Agriculture Minister Reuben Phiri said in comments broadcast on ZNBC. The government has stopped issuing export licenses.

Poland ban EASTERN Europe countries are looking to widen recently-imposed bans on the domestic sale of Ukraine’s grains to other agricultural products from their war-torn neighbor, including sunflower oil, meat, eggs,

E astern EU members asked Brussels to consider a common purchase mechanism for grains, subsidies for local farmers in case imports from Ukraine exceeds certain levels, and incentives for the transit of agricultural goods, according to Polish ministry. Polish media has reported that in addition to grain, the market is being flooded by Ukrainian poultry.

Poland is now rushing to sell about 4 million tons of grain abroad before its harvest season, and its cabinet offered subsidies to make purchases from local farmers more appealing. Telus said that apart from maritime transport he’s counting on counts on road and railway logistics. Poland’s government is also considering investment in a new grain terminal on the Baltic Sea. Bloomberg News

VEGETABLES are on display at Las Piñas Market in this BusinessMirror file photo.

Deeply divided Israel limps toward its 75th anniversary

By Josef Federman The Associated Press

Pinhasov’s husband sits on the opposite side of Israel’s political divide, and joining the protests will only deepen what she says already are palpable tensions in her household.

“I don’t go to the demonstrations not because I don’t believe in them,” she said. “I don’t go in order to protect my home. I feel like I’m fighting for my home.”

As Israel turns 75 on Wednesday, it has much to celebrate. But instead of feting its accomplishments as a regional military and economic powerhouse, the nation that arose on the ashes of the ho locaust faces perhaps its gravest existential threat yet—not from foreign enemies but from divisions within.

For over three months, tens of thousands of people have rallied in the streets against what they see as an assault by an ultranationalist, religious government threatening a national identity rooted in liberal traditions.

Fighter pilots have threatened to stop reporting for duty. The nation’s leaders have openly warned of civil war, and families of fallen soldiers have called on politicians to stay away from the ceremonies. Many Israelis wonder if the deep split can ever heal.

Miri Regev, the government minister in charge of the main

By Alberto Nardelli & Ewa Krukowska

The e uropean Union is set to propose a ban on many goods transiting through Russia as the bloc attempts to tighten the screws on the enforcement of sanctions imposed over the past year.

The transit ban would extend to numerous technologies and other goods, including several types of vehicles, but not all items would be barred from traveling via Russia en route to third countries, according to people familiar with the proposals.

The ban would be part of a new package of sanctions that’s being prepared by the e u ropean Commission.

Moscow has been able to get around restrictions on several sanctioned technologies. Trade data previously reported by Bloomberg suggests that advanced chips and integrated circuits made in the e U a nd other allied nations are being shipped to Russia through third countries, including Turkey, the United Arab e m irates and Kazakhstan.

celebration on Tuesday night, has threatened to throw out anyone who disrupts it. The event takes place at a plaza next to Israel’s national cemetery in Jerusalem, where the country abruptly shifts from solemn Memorial Day observances for fallen soldiers to the joy of Independence Day, complete with a symbolic torch-lighting ceremony, military marches and musical and dance performances.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid is boycotting the ceremony. “You have torn Israeli society apart, and no phony fireworks performance can cover that up,” he said.

The rift is so wide that Israel’s longest running and perhaps most pressing problem—its open-ended military rule over the Palestinians—barely gets mentioned despite a recent surge in violence. e v en before the protests erupted, public discourse was mostly limited to the military’s dealing with the conflict, rather than the future of the territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war, which Palestinians seek for their state.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a polarizing leader revered by supporters and reviled by opponents, has played a key role in the crisis. The divisions gained steam as he was indicted on corruption charges in 2019. Israel barreled

through five cycles of elections in under four years—all of them focused on Netanyahu’s fitness to rule.

Late last year, Netanyahu finally eked out a victory—cobbling together the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. Within days, it set out to overhaul the judicial system and give Netanyahu’s allies the power to overturn court decisions and appoint judges.

The plan, which critics see as a transparent power grab, has triggered unprecedented protests that ultimately forced Netanyahu to freeze it. In a reflection of the deep mistrust, the protests have only grown larger, exposing deeper fault lines in Israeli society that go back decades.

On Netanyahu’s side is a religious and socially conservative coalition that includes the politically powerful ultra-Orthodox minority, the religious-nationalist community, including West Bank settlers, and Jews of Middle e a stern descent

that live in outlying working-class towns.

Those protesting against him are largely secular, middle-class professionals behind Israel’s modern economy. They include hightech workers, teachers, lawyers and current and former commanders in Israel’s security forces.

Israel’s Palestinian minority, meanwhile, has largely sat out the protests, saying it never felt part of the country to begin with.

These divisions have filtered down to workplaces, friendships and families.

Despite political differences, Pinhasov, 49, said she and her husband have “lived in peace” for 30 years. She said there were disagreements at election time every few years, but these were short-lived and minor.

That began to change during the coronavirus pandemic, when Pinhasov said the tone of public debate over issues like lockdowns and vaccines became more strident.

Then, as Israel ricocheted from election to election, the tensions began to be felt at home.

h e r husband would tell her she’s been “brainwashed” and complained about “leftist” media, Pinhasov said. When she disagreed, he would say, “you don’t understand.” They could no longer watch the news together or “Wonderful Country,” a popular political satire show.

Their four children, including a 21-year-old son who shares his father’s views, all love and respect each other and their parents, she says. But it’s complicated, like “walking on eggshells.”

While Israel typically unites in times of war, seeds of distrust were planted decades ago.

From the country’s earliest days, the Jewish majority was plagued by disagreements over issues such as whether to accept reparations from postwar West Germany, to violent protests by poorer Middle e a stern Jews in the early 1970s, and bitter internal divisions over military fiascos during the 1973 Mideast war and later in Lebanon.

Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish ultranationalist in 1995 opposed to his peace efforts with

the Palestinians. Large protests erupted when Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

“Israel was always a deeply divided society, but somehow it held together,” said Tom Segev, an Israeli author, historian and journalist. “The difference now is that we are really discussing the basic values of this society.”

The protests against Netanyahu’s government show that many are “genuinely frightened” for the country’s future, he said.

Tel Aviv University econom ist Dan Ben-David, president of the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research, points to two seminal events in Israel’s history—the 1967 and 1973 Mideast wars.

The 1967 war, in which Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, spawned the Jewish settler movement, which has turned into a powerful political force representing some 700,000 people.

The 1973 war, meanwhile, set off a process that would bring the right-wing Likud party to power four years later. The Likud has ruled for most of the time since then, usually in partnership with ultra-Orthodox parties.

CIUDAD JUAR e Z , Mexico—

A judge on Saturday ordered the immigration director of Mexico’s northern border state of Chihuahua to stand trial Saturday on charges of homicide, injuries and failure to perform his duties, for last month’s deadly fire at a migrant detention center.

The judge ordered the director, Salvador González, held in prison pending trial.

Judge Juan José Chávez said there was evidence that González

Other reports have revealed that some e U nations bordering Russia, including Finland and e st onia, have seen a surge in trade with countries in central Asia and that those goods have often transited through Russia. Some of the items stay in Russia or get re-exported from the third countries to Russia, the reports say.

Poland, e s tonia and Lithuania had been pushing the e U t o introduce a ban on transit via Russia for

goods and technologies that could be used by Russia’s military, aviation and space industries, as well as on items that could contribute to enhancing Moscow’s industrial capacity, according to a document seen by Bloomberg.

The new package of proposed sanctions, which would be the e U ’s 11th since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, could also target tankers and vessels that don’t turn on navigation systems

allowing their movements to be tracked, the people said.

The main focus of the package that the e U ’s executive arm is putting together will be to close loopholes and deal with the circumvention of existing restrictions, including by companies in third countries.

The package is unlikely to target Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear power company, the people said, despite numerous member states calling to sanction the firm over its role in taking over Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant and alleged complicity in abducting personnel who worked there. Too many member states remain opposed to sanctioning Russia’s nuclear sector, said the people.

The suite of measures is also expected to include about 30 new listings as well as further restrictions on several firms and entities, one of the people said.

The proposals need the backing of all member states to be adopted and could change before they’re formally presented to diplomatic envoys or during discussions to agree the package. With assistance from Ott Tammik / Bloomberg

failed to do his duty to protect the migrants. Forty migrants died in the March 27 fire in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, after a migrant allegedly set fire to foam mattresses to protest a supposed transfer.

“In the end, everything depends on the head” official, Chávez said. “Not complying with standards does have its results.”

Five other officials of the country’s National Immigration Institute, a guard at the center and the Venezuelan migrant accused of

starting the blaze are already in custody facing homicide charges.

The step is significant, in part because González is a retired Mexican navy rear admiral. h e is the highest-ranking official to be held over for trial in the case, though prosecutors have said they will press charges against the immigration agency’s top national official, Francisco Garduño, who is scheduled to make a court appearance April 21. Federal prosecutors have said

Garduño was remiss in not preventing the disaster in Ciudad Juarez despite earlier indications of problems at his agency’s detention centers. Prosecutors said government audits had found “a pattern of irresponsibility and repeated omissions” in the immigration institute.

The fire in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from e l P aso, Texas, quickly filled the facility with smoke. No one let the migrants out. AP

JERUSALEM—Orit Pinhasov strongly opposes the Israeli government’s proposed judicial overhaul, but you won’t find her anywhere near the mass protests against the plan. She says her marriage depends on it.

Tens of thousands of Israelis protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin netanyahu’s government to overhaul the judicial system in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 15, 2023. As Israel turns 75, it has much to celebrate. But instead of feting its accomplishments as a regional and economic powerhouse, the nation founded as a home for the world’s Jews in the wake of the Holocaust finds itself under threat—not by foreign enemies but by bitter internal divisions. AP Photo/o d ed B A l ilty, File

The World

Special forces rescue US embassy staffers as Sudan conflict intensifies

By Matthew Lee, Tara Copp & Aamer Madhani The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—US special operations forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the American embassy in violencetorn Sudan, US officials said late Saturday, sweeping in and out of the capital, Khartoum, with helicopters on the ground for less than an hour. No shots were fired and no major casualties were reported.

With the last u S employee of the embassy out, Washington shuttered the u S m ission in Khartoum indefinitely. Left behind are thousands of a me ricans remaining in Sudan, with officials saying it would be too dangerous to carry out a broader evacuation mission.

In a statement thanking the troops, p r esident Joe Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist those remaining a m ericans in Sudan “to the extent possible.”

He also called for the end to “unconscionable” violence there as two rival commanders battle for power in the a f rican country. a b out 100 u S t roops in three MH-47 helicopters carried out the operation as fighting between two armed Sudanese commanders —which has killed more than 400, put the nation at risk of collapse and could have consequences far beyond its borders—moved into a second week.

Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist those remaining a m ericans in Sudan “to the

extent possible.”

The roughly 70 a me rican staffers were airlifted from a landing zone at the embassy to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia, according to two u S officials familiar with the mission.

“I am proud of the extraordinary commitment of our Embassy staff, who performed their duties with courage and professionalism and embodied a m erica’s friendship and connection with the people of Sudan,” Biden said in a statement. “I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety.”

Biden also thanked Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi a r abia for their help with the mission.

Biden ordered a me rican troops to evacuate embassy pers onnel after receiving a recommendation earlier Saturday from his national security team with no end in sight to the fighting.

“This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. It’s unconscionable and it must stop,” Biden said. “The belligerent parties must implement an

immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan.”

The State Department has suspended operations at the embassy due to the dire security situation. It was not clear when the embassy might resume functioning.

The fighting erupted a pr il 15 between two factions whose leaders are vying for control over the country. The violence has included an unprovoked attack on an a m erican diplomatic convoy and numerous incidents in which foreign diplomats and aid workers were killed, injured or assaulted.

a n e stimated 16,000 private u S c itizens are registered with the embassy as being in Sudan. The figure is rough because not all a m ericans register with embassy or say when they depart.

Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist those remaining a mericans in Sudan “to the extent possible.”

The embassy issued an alert earlier Saturday cautioning that “due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport, it is not currently safe to undertake a u S g overnment-coordinated evacuation of private u S c itizens.”

Fighting in Sudan between forces loyal to two top generals has put that nation at risk of collapse and could have consequences far beyond its borders.

The fighting, which began as Sudan attempted to transition to democracy, already has left millions trapped in urban areas, sheltering from gunfire, explosions and looters.

a r my chief Gen. a b del Fattah Burhan said Saturday he

would facilitate the evacuation of a merican, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan after speaking with the leaders of several countries that had requested help. The rival r ap id Support Forces, or r S F, in a Twitter posting said it cooperated with u S f orces.

The u S e vacuation planning got underway in earnest on Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum. The pe ntagon confirmed on Friday that u S troops were being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti ahead of a possible evacuation. Saudi a r abia announced the successful repatriation of some of its citizens on Saturday, sharing footage of Saudi nationals and other foreigners welcomed with chocolate and flowers as they stepped off an apparent evacuation ship at the Saudi port of Jeddah.

Embassy evacuations conducted by the uS m ilitary are relatively rare and usually take place only under extreme conditions.

When it orders an embassy to draw down staff or suspend operations, the State Department prefers to have its personnel leave on commercial transportation if that is an option. When the embassy in Kyiv temporarily closed just before r u ssia’s invasion of u k raine in February 2022, staffers used commercial transport to leave.

However, in several other recent cases, notably in a f ghanistan in 2021, conditions made commercial departures impossible or extremely hazardous. u S troops accompanied personnel from the uS Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, in an overland convoy to Tunisia when they evacuated in 2014.

Heat wave in Thailand prompts warning for people to stay indoors

By Jintamas Saksornchai

The Associated Press

Ban G K o K —Extreme heat has sent temperatures soaring in Thailand as authorities warned people to stay indoors.

T he Meteorological Department’s forecast on Saturday said t he highest temperature in the next 24 hours could reach 43 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit) in country’s north and could hit 40 C (104 F) in the capital, Bangkok. The highest temperature on Saturday was in the northern province o f p he tchabun at 42.5 C (109 F).

“Even if I turn the air conditioning to 20 degrees, I still sweat,” said 3 7-year-old Supichaya Jittaleela, who attended an outdoor political rally despite the heat.

pe ople should be wary of extremely high temperatures as well a s sudden summer storms until at least next week, the weather de -

By Low De Wei

EuropE a n states reacted with fury to remarks by China’s top envoy to France questioning the independence of ex-Soviet states, tainting the nation’s push to court leaders in the region and burnish its credentials to broker peace after r u ssia’s invasion of u k raine.

a m bassador Lu Shaye said in an interview aired Friday on French network LCI that some “ex-Soviet u n ion countries” don’t have effective status under international law. “There is no international agreement to realize their status as a sovereign nation,” he said, after being questioned on whether he considers Crimea, a peninsula annexed by r u ssia in 2014, part of u k raine.

But the comments quickly backfired, with Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia announcing plans to summon the top Chinese diplomats in their nations to explain the comments. a l l three are former members of the Soviet bloc, which collapsed in 1991.

Latvia’s foreign minister Edgars r i nkēvičs said in a Saturday post on Twitter that the coordinated move was in response to the “unacceptable statements” by Lu. Margus Tsahkna, his counterpart in Estonia, called the comments “false and a misinterpretation of history.”

The diplomatic firestorm threatens to overshadow China’s attempts to portray itself as a peacemaker in r u ssia’s war in u k raine—and to improve trade and diplomatic relations with the European u n ion. French p r esident Emmanuel Macron, president of the European commission ur sula von der Leyen and German foreign minister a n nalena Baerbock have visited Beijing in recent weeks.

It also puts a question mark over Macron’s initiative to work with China to establish a framework for

negotiations between r u ssia and u k raine, which Bloomberg n e ws previously reported, citing people familiar with the plans.

France’s foreign ministry said it took note of Lu’s comments “with consternation” and reiterated the illegality of the Crimea annexation under international law, according to a report from Dow Jones, citing a ministry spokesperson. “We stress our full solidarity with all of our allies and partners concerned, who have gained their long-awaited independence after decades of oppression,” the report quoted the ministry as saying.

The Chinese embassy in France and China’s Ministry of Foreign a ff airs did not immediately respond to queries from Bloomberg n e ws sent outside normal operating hours.

Lithuania’s foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis cited Lu’s comments in a tweet Saturday to explain “why the Baltic States don’t trust China to broker peace in u k raine.”

Taiwan, which is seeking European support as Beijing seeks to peel off its remaining diplomatic allies, voiced support for Lithuania’s position. Its foreign minister Joseph Wu responded to Landsbergis’s tweet Sunday, voicing solidarity with the Baltic states.

It’s not the first time Lu has stirred controversy with his remarks. The outspoken ambassador has in the past embraced his role as a “wolf warrior,” referring to a more assertive, confrontational form of diplomacy, which the nation appeared to have been shifting away from. Last year, he called for Taiwanese to be “re-educated” and blamed “foreign forces” for fueling mass protests that erupted in n o vember over China’s strict Covid policies. With assistance from Adam Majendie, Colum Murphy and Debby Wu / Bloomberg

partment said. a police officer directing traffic in Samut p r akarn, a province just south of Bangkok, collapsed and died of heart stroke, media reported this week.

Saturday’s highest heat index —which measures what the temperature feels like due to humidity—was forecast to be 53.8 C (129 F) in the eastern province of Chonburi. o n Su nday, the southern resort island of p h uket could feel hotter than 54 C.

The heat was a problem for the 2,000 or so people at the political rally in Bangkok. Even though the shade from a shopping mall shielded them from the direct glare of the s un, many could be seen trying to cool down, with battery-driven and old-fashioned hand fans.

“It’s hot, much hotter. That’s why I have my fan with me,” said 63-year-old r u ngtip Sangvittayothai. Thailand holds a general election next month.

SE v E n T EE n apartment buildings were evacuated Saturday in a r u ssian city near the u k rainian border after an explosive device was found at the site where a bomb accidentally dropped by a r u ssian warplane caused a powerful blast this week, authorities said.

The bomb blast late Thursday rocked part of Belgorod, leaving a large crater and three people injured. The r u ssian Defense Ministry quickly acknowledged that a weapon accidentally released by one of its own Su-34 bombers caused the explosion.

The ministry said an investigation was underway but did not elaborate on the details of the weapon, which military experts said likely was a powerful 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) bomb.

The governor of Belgorod province, vy acheslav Gladkov, reported Saturday that sappers examining the site of Thursday’s blast found and decided to detonate what he called an “explosive object” that was “in the immediate vicinity of residential buildings.”

The precautionary evacuations ended later in the day, according to Belgorod Mayor va lentin Demidov.

“The bomb was removed from the residential area. r e sidents are being delivered back to their homes,” Demidov wrote on Telegram.

r u ssian authorities did not say if the detonated device was dropped by accident on Thursday and if so, if it was a remnant of or separate from the bomb that exploded in the city.

Belgorod, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the r ussia- u k raine border, has faced regular drone attacks since r u ssia sent troops into u k raine last year.

r u ssian authorities have blamed those strikes on the u k rainian mili -

tary, which refrained from directly claiming responsibility for the attacks.

Late Saturday, the governor of the Kharkiv region, o l eh Syniehubov, said five missiles fired from the Belgorod area hit the region, including one that struck unspecified “civilian infrastructure” in the capital city Kharkiv.

Moscow’s invasion of u k raine has sent relations with the West into deep freeze, with frequent expulsions of diplomats on both sides. o n S aturday, the r u ssian Foreign Ministry said that German authorities had “decided on another mass expulsion of employees of r u ssian diplomatic missions in Germany.” a ministry statement said that “as a reaction to the hostile actions of Berlin,” r u ssia decided to “mirror” the expulsions by Germany and “significantly limit” the maximum number of staff at German diplomatic missions in r u ssia.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said r u ssia is expelling more than 20 German diplomats, r u ssian state media reported, but didn’t give a precise number.

Germany’s Foreign Ministry said it took note of the comments. It said that the German government and r u ssia had been in contact in recent weeks on “questions regarding the staffing of the respective diplomatic missions” and that a flight on Saturday took place in that context. It didn’t elaborate.

The German air force said earlier that a r u ssian plane flew to Berlin with diplomatic clearance on Saturday, but didn’t specify who or what was on board. Special clearance is required because the European un ion closed its airspace to r u ssian aircraft shortly after the war in u k raine started. AP

In this photo provided by Maheen S, smoke fills the sky in Khartoum, Sudan near Doha International Hospital on Friday, April 21, 2023. The Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, typically filled with prayer, celebration and feasting—was a somber one in Sudan, as gunshots rang out across the capital of Khartoum and heavy smoke billowed over the skyline. Maheen S via a P

anger in europe after Chinese diplomat says former Soviet states not sovereign

After Russia bombs own city, explosive found at same site

Editor: Angel R. Calso

China and Puerto Rico editorial

The name “Formosa” came in 1542 when Portuguese sailors sighted an uncharted island and noted it on maps as Ilha Formosa (beautiful island).

After “sovereignty” had been passed around several European nations —and Japan from 1895 to 1945—the island of Taiwan was returned to Chinese control under the 1943 Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Declaration, both of which recognized the Republic of China (ROC), founded in 1912, as having territorial sovereignty over the island.

Following Japan’s surrender in World War II, ROC forces assisted by the Americans, accepted the surrender of the Japanese military, taking over administration of Taiwan. However, in the interim period, the Chinese Civil War resulted in the loss of the Chinese mainland to Communist forces, which established the People’s Republic of China and the flight of the ROC central government to Taiwan in 1949.

Currently, no major nation recognizes the ROC as either the government of China or the sovereignty of Taiwan as the Republic of China. One of the required steps for a territory to be promoted to full UN member status is to be approved by the UN Security Council. United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 in 1971 recognized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as “the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations.”

While surveys on political issues are “political,” a poll conducted by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (a cabinet-level agency) in 2020 found that 71 percent of respondents preferred the status quo, while 12 percent supported unification with China and 5 percent supported full independence.

Puerto Rico became a US territory in 1898 from the Treaty of Paris, ending the Spanish-American War. Prior, Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony for over 400 years. In the 2012 Puerto Rican status referendum, voters were asked whether they agreed to continue with Puerto Rico’s territorial status, and to indicate the political status they preferred not to. They voted “No” on the first question with 54 percent against maintaining the current political status. Of these votes, 94.5 percent chose statehood/free-association and 5.5 percent chose independence. However, in 2019 according to a Pew Research Center poll, 22 percent of Puerto Ricans supported full independence, while 60 percent preferred either statehood or the current territorial status.

The Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional was a clandestine paramilitary organization that advocated independence, carrying out more than 130 bomb attacks in the US between 1974 and 1983. The Ejército Popular Boricua (“Boricua Popular/People’s Army”), also known as Los Macheteros (“The Machete Wielders”), is a clandestine militant and insurgent organization supporting full Puerto Rican independence. This is not in any way a justification for any actions by the governments of the People’s Republic of China or the United States regarding Taiwan. Neither is it meant to be in any way a valid “apples-to-apples” comparison. However, it is something to think about.

The US is supporting through military aid, training, and arms sales to a “government” that currently has no legal standing as a government of a sovereign state. At best it functions “de facto” but not “de jure.” In legal contexts, de facto describes what is “in reality,” in contrast with de jure, which explains what the law says the situation should be.

What would be the reaction from Washington D.C. to a foreign government actively and directly supporting any change in the legal status of Puerto Rico from an “unincorporated territory of the United States with official Commonwealth status?”

Real feel

RISING SUN

IT s still April, earth Month, and we just celebrated earth Day last weekend. In the midst of it all, people all over the world are drenched in sweat, lamenting about the unbelievable heat index and real feel numbers. Meantime, in several provinces in the Philippines, people, including schoolchildren, have been literally fainting from the heat and humidity. As a matter of fact, the human threshold for survival is around 50 degrees Celsius. Lately, we’ve been experiencing dangerous levels in terms of heat index in many places across the nation.

As dire as it may seem, many people still believe that it’s easy to dismiss this problem because they can stay in their air-conditioned rooms and cars all day and avoid going out when the sun is at its hottest. We must remember, however, that it does not really stop when summer ends. For example, experts say that El Niño is right around the corner and will bring with it extreme heat,

dangerous tropical cyclones, and a great threat to our coral reefs. Scientists venture to predict that 2024 will most likely be the warmest year on record, globally. This record is currently being held by the year 2016, which followed a very strong El Niño phenomenon. Past experiences point to the same thing happening again. We must, indeed, be ready for El Niño and the year 2024.

As dire as it may seem, many people still believe that it’s easy to dismiss this problem because they can stay in their air-conditioned rooms and cars all day and avoid going out when the sun is at its hottest. We must remember, however, that it does not really stop when summer ends. For example, experts say that El Niño is right around the corner and will bring with it extreme heat, dangerous tropical cyclones, and a great threat to our coral reefs. Scientists venture to predict that 2024 will most likely be the warmest year on record, globally.

Despite these natural climate occurrences, humans continue to burn fossil fuels and produce pollution that continuously warms up the planet. We continue to come up with themes to celebrate Earth Month/ Earth Day (it’s “Invest in Our Planet” this year), but the efforts or actions

Chief Justice Gesmundo’s legacy: Supreme Court judicial innovations

LITO GAGNI

suPR eMe Court Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo is essaying a “ponencia” that will have ripple effects on the bench and the bar with judicial innovations that is aimed at taking out the sting from the oft-repeated “justice- delayed-justice-denied” complaints from those who sought redress from the courts.

That ponencia is contained in a roadmap that the Gesmundo Court has come up with, Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) that sets the tone for responsive and real-time justice. The six-year plan that will end in 2027 or a year after his tenure, tackled the problems that have been identified and made recommendations that were contained in the 30-page document. CJ Gesmundo discussed the highlights of the roadmap in a

In the works is a revision of the Rules of Court that CJ Gesmundo said sometimes lead to longer court cases. He has promised to have the changes in the Rules next year, a deadline he has set and which highlights his kinship with journalists who are accustomed to submitting their stories on time.

are hugely lacking. It is probably high time we realize that the usual Earth Month activities (concerts, clean-up, planting, etc.) are not enough anymore. Sure, they are noble actions but it really shouldn’t end there. Every resident of this planet and every nation must do more than what is usually (and easily) done because the climate situation is an emergency situation.

In light of the many meetings that are being carried out in the name of climate change, the many projects that have been/are being launched, and the speeches and press releases written, how much of these are really making an impact and how much are just empty talk?

Just locally, looking at the events this month, as well as the government budget for climate-related projects and the actual action being done by both public and private sectors, can we really say we are doing the best we can to protect our environment and mitigate the effects of climate change? It’s a burning question that we may want to think about as we agonize through this unbearable summer.

At the start of his tenure, CJ Gesmundo immediately got to work, having a 24-month deadline within which cases at the High Court were to be decided. The first is a 24-month deadline for the Supreme Court to decide on cases brought to it and the second is a “tech-driven judiciary” that has been incorporated in the SPJI.

speech last week at the 35th meeting of the Rotary Club of Manila and gamely officiated the New Code of Conduct that lawyers who just passed the Bar as well as the older ones have to adhere to that contained ethical standards for the cases that they will represent.

The SPJI arose from the challenges that the High Court had to address following the Covid-19 pandemic where traditional solutions were off-tangent and along came the

realization for the need to “establish new frameworks and adopt new approaches, but at the same time, build on and repurpose existing ones, to achieve the longtime aspiration of delivering responsive and real-time justice.”

In the works is a revision of the Rules of Court that CJ Gesmundo said sometimes lead to longer court cases. He has promised to have the changes in the Rules next year, a deadline he has set and which highlights his kinship with journalists who are accustomed to submitting their stories on time.

The decongestion of cases at the highest court of the land has been addressed by other Chief Justices before him, but what he is introducing is a deadline of sorts, something he is very familiar with as a financial journalist then. So the High Court set 24 months. In setting this parameter for the decision of the cases, CJ Gesmundo relied on his experience as a journalist at a business paper where the concept of deadlines in submitting stories is the rule of thumb.

The CJ told me in an interview: “Pag sinabi ng editor na dapat tapos ng alas 10 ng gabi ang istorya, you are duty bound to finish the said See “Gagni,”

Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II

Joel L. Tan-Torres

DEBIT CREDIT

Part six

in my previous articles, i have introduced some of the characters of this tele-tax-novela in the story “of ficial receipts (or) for Sale.” the Masterminds, Partners, and bit Players have all made their appearances.

Now come the Main Stars of the tele-tax-novela. These are the government enforcers, which include the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). The NBI started this.

The turn of the BIR had also started. After the NBI raids, the BIR is tasked to pursue the tax crimerelated investigation of this OR for sale scam. I heard that there were initial difficulties in securing and sharing of information between the NBI and the BIR. The NBI, which was able to confiscate various paper and electronic records in the Eastwood raid, took some time in sharing some (maybe not all) of this evidence with the BIR. I am sure that the NBI has started its investigation of this syndicated crime perpetuated by the Masterminds printers and sellers of these fake ORs. The BIR is conducting its own investigation of the Masterminds, the Partners, and the Bit Players, with the end view of filing criminal cases of tax evasion and related crimes against these evil-doers.

I anticipate the challenges that both the NBI and BIR encountered in the course of their investigations. Gathering and strengthening the pieces of evidence is the main task. The evidence to be gathered should stand the strict test of scrutiny and judgment by the heads of the two offices, the government prosecutors at the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the judges and justices of the judicial branch that may reach the Supreme Court. With the best lawyers that the Masterminds will hire to defend them, the NBI and BIR will be hard-pressed in their work and mission. I quickly add that this Mastermind most probably has connections and influence on some high-echelon government officials for his ability to avoid prosecution for his many criminal accusations of drug trafficking, securities fraud, and other crimes. Would the law enforces be able to successfully confront these challenges?

I also recall the many cases that the BIR filed in its Run After Tax Evasion cases which had been dismissed at the prosecution and judicial levels due to the maneuverings of these lawyers and the deficiencies in the evidence and legal submissions of the BIR and the DOJ prosecutors. I hope that for this OR for sale scam, these occurrences will be minimized if not eradicated, to result in the successful prosecution of these criminals.

BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui must be on top of these cases so as to ensure the best performance of his BIR team.

continued from A8

story.” That stint with the Business Day, the first business paper to reach readers that dutifully explained concepts and the impact of, say, big corporate pronouncements and government projects, had a big impact on the young CJ, then just out of college with a degree in Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University.

One notable aspect of the changes that are to be incorporated involves exhausting the arbitration procedures before complainants can file their cases. This is intended to decongest the courts and a way for litigants to arrive at a consensus to resolve their problems.

For CJ Gesmundo, the SPJI that he would leave behind will be due to

The BIR should not stop after filing this administrative case against the CPA with the PRC. The full extent of the law should be pursued to include filing of criminal cases against this erring CPA for being an accessory to this massive syndicated fraud that resulted in billions of pesos of uncollected taxes.

It is to the credit of Commissioner Lumagui that he initiated the Run

After Fake Transactions (RAFT) in March 2023. RAFT, as provided for in Revenue Memorandum Circular 38-23, mandates the war against ghost or fake receipts as a priority program of the BIR. To show that he was serious in his RAFT campaign, Commissioner Lumangui personally filed with the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) an administrative case against the accountant of the Mastermind in the Eastwood raid. This accountant presumably is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). The charge against this CPA was for unethical and unprofessional conduct and various malpractices in the conduct of his engagement with the Mastermind. I presume that this CPA was the external auditor who was accused by the BIR of being negligent in not having verified this massive fraud of the company that he was auditing. If it is established that this CPA was indeed negligent in his work, his license to practice can be withdrawn by the PRC. The BIR should not stop after filing this administrative case against the CPA with the PRC. The full extent of the law should be pursued to include filing of criminal cases against this erring CPA for being an accessory to this massive syndicated fraud that resulted in billions of pesos of uncollected taxes.

This element of irregularities bordering on fraud by a CPA is a side story of this tele-tax-novela that I will discuss in the continuation of my article next week.

To be continued.

Joel L. Tan-Torres was the former Dean of the University of the Philippines Virata School of Business. Previously, he was the Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy, and partner of Reyes Tacandong & Co. and the SyCip Gorres and Velayo & Co. He is a Certified Public Accountant who garnered No. 1 in the CPA Board Examination of May 1979. He is now back to his tax practice with his firm JL2T Consulting. He can be contacted at joeltantorress@yahoo.com

the “collective efforts of the Court en banc, the Office of the Court Administrator, the Philippine Judicial Academy, Judicial Integrity Board, and other offices under the Supreme Court and other court officials and employees.”

Having devoted his entire legal career to public service, he mused that he would want to be thought of as “someone whose initiatives made a difference in the lives of everyday people seeking justice.”

The CJ told me: “By the nature of our system, there will typically be a prevailing party and a dissatisfied litigant. So bearing in mind that not everyone will leave a court proceeding happy, it’s my earnest desire that all sides can walk away feeling that they were heard by the court, and that their cases were adjudicated fairly and within a reasonable time.”

‘Mankind is My Business’

Siegfred Bueno Mison, Esq.

THE PATRIOT

Alberto D. linA recently hosted his 30th ADl Golf tournament in Canlubang Golf and Country Club in celebration of his 75th birthday. ADl is more known as a very successful entrepreneur who was appointed twice as bureau of Customs Commissioner, first by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2005) and then by former President benigno Aquino (2015).

A s he and I worked together as part of border management and security during PNoy’s administration, I knew ADL as very practical, efficient, and exceptionally hardworking. At a ripe age of 75, he continues to lead his conglomerate of logistics companies, with the flagship brand of Air21. But what I recently learned and witnessed was that ADL’s favorite song, apparently, is a classic piece from a musical “Scrooge and the Ghostly Spirits,” which was also based on a television special entitled “The Stingiest Man in Town,” a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

The piece, “Mankind is My Business,” has powerful lyrics: “I realize it is my business to give my fellow man my aid.” As ADL belted out these lyrics during the awarding ceremony of his fellowship golf event, I wondered how businesses like the Lina Group of Companies have withstood the challenges in the supply chain during the pandemic. Those who know ADL well enough shared several anecdotal experiences that showed how ADL has continued to help “mankind” in his own little way, before, during and even after the pandemic. The song continues: “Man’s happiness should be my profit; His suffering should be my loss.” Some companies have imbibed such heartwarming lyrics in the conduct of their business under “corporate social responsibility”—

giving by helping mankind!

Other companies have gone beyond CSR projects and opted for sustainability, given that the latter have greater impact not only on society but also on the environment. Franklin Baker Company of the Philippines is one of those companies under the leadership of its CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) Ferdinand M. Dela Cruz (Ferdz). FBCOP recently reiterated its ongoing efforts on sustainable practices by first promoting employee awareness that sustainability is vital for the success of the company. And when it comes to success, while profitability remains as the obvious metric, FBCOP also looks at how its operations affect the environment and the people whose lives they affect. Part of its Sustainability Policy said, “Paramount among these business partners are the coconut farmers, who continuously sustain the economic viability of Franklin Baker. We continuously cooperate with these farmers with fairness and integrity towards empowering them to effectively represent themselves in the supply chain where we both operate.” Some businessmen are perceived to make profits for themselves, but for the leadership of FBCOP, running a profitable business is and never should be about the money alone. Aligned with the song “Mankind is My Business,” the FBCOP Sustainability effort aims not

to just “give my fellow man my aid,” but also to “make things better for my fellow man.”

Under Ferdz’s stewardship, FBCOP maintained its focus on the individual farmer, realizing that eventual success depends not on the products but on the source of its products. FBCOP has engaged some non-governmental organizations to develop programs for the smallholder farmers who need good agricultural knowledge to earn a profitable livelihood. For instance, SDGCoco together with FBCOP and other stakeholders plan to increase crop productivity by employing Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for a more sustainable business for coconut farmers in the province of Quezon. Among the “mankind” goals of the project are to introduce a business mindset in farming, enhance coconut farms to achieve international sustainability standards, and develop a premium scheme in selling smallholder farmer products.

Another sustainability project of FBCOP is in collaboration with The Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming (L3F) whose mission, among others, is to “secure the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and the sustainable sourcing of pioneering brands” through the empowerment of a new generation of farmers.

The fact that CSO Ferdz took the lead in spearheading sustainability, not just as a motto, but as a corporate culture, if not a lifestyle in FBCOP, is a testament to his leadership focus that “Man’s happiness should be my profit,” unwittingly in keeping with what Charles Dickens said, “The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, benevolence, were all my business.” To CSO Ferdz, he advocates for the triple bottomline of People, Planet and Profit as pillars of Sustainability integrated into FBCOP’s corporate values of Fairness, Honesty, and Professionalism. To me, any food business should be about the farmer foremost; after all, the Bible tells us,

“The farmer who labors to produce a crop should be the first one to be fed from its harvest.” (2 Timothy 2:6). Under the law of the land, companies are established for profit. Yet, leaders in some companies have understood the value of wealth generation for a higher purpose. Under the law of the Lord, Mark 8:35-36 tells us that, “Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” Such verse reminds owners of profitable businesses that financial wealth pales in comparison with spiritual health. Profits can be deceitful unless they are earned in a stewardship system of fairness and honesty. When nobody is exploited or abused in the process of earning a profit, mankind becomes the business!

The song ends by saying: “Mankind should be my business. That was the Lord’s plan. My work in life should be the service I can give, I can give, I can give my fellow man!”

The lyricist simply presented another wonderful way of saying what Jesus told us as a new commandment —“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” That’s how ADL and Ferdz of FBCOP are leading their respective businesses. Let’s all make mankind our business by ensuring, even through our small efforts, that life can be better for the next person. That way, we can become living testimonies of God’s grace—the best “return of investment” in any business and in life in general!

A former infantry and intelligence officer in the Army, Siegfred Mison showcased his servant leadership philosophy in organizations such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Malcolm Law Offices, Infogix Inc., University of the East, Bureau of Immigration, and Philippine Airlines. He is a graduate of West Point in New York, Ateneo Law School, and University of Southern California. A corporate lawyer by profession, he is an inspirational teacher and a Spirit-filled writer with a mission.

School violence in Brazil mirrors US; its reaction doesn’t

By Laís Martins & Collin Binkley Sao Paulo

About two weeks after a man killed four children in a brazilian daycare center, authorities already have rounded up some 300 adults and minors nationwide accused of spreading hate speech or stoking school violence.

Little has been revealed about the unprecedented crackdown, which risks judicial overreach, but it underlines the determination of the country’s response across federal, state and municipal levels. Brazil’s all-hands effort to stamp out its emerging trend of school attacks stands in contrast to the US, where such attacks have been more frequent and more deadly for a longer period, yet where measures nowadays are incremental.

Actions adopted in the US—and some of its perceived shortcomings –are informing the Brazilian response, said Renan Theodoro, a researcher with Center for the Study of Violence at the University of Sao Paulo.

“We have learned from the successes and the mistakes of other countries, especially the United States,” Theodoro told The Associated Press.

Brazil has seen almost two-dozen attacks or violent episodes in schools since 2000, half of them in the last 12 months, including the daycare center attack April 5.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the notion of schools as safe havens has been “ruined.” His government has sought input from independent researchers and this week convened a meeting of ministers, mayors and Supreme Court justices to discuss possible solutions.

Some measures already adopted are in line with those implemented over time in the US, like the creation of hotlines, safety training for school administrators and teachers, federal funding for mental health, plus security equipment and infrastructure. Other measures—like the nation-

wide sweep for supposedly threatening suspects involving over 3,400 police officers, or the newly invigorated push to regulate social media platforms—have not been enacted there.

The arrests aim to assuage fear among Brazilians, said Luis Flávio Sapori, a senior associate researcher with the Brazilian Forum for Public Security. “The priority is diminishing panic,” he said.

In the weeks since the day care massacre, unconfirmed threats and rumors have circulated on social media, and stirred dread among students, educators and parents— including Vanusia Silva Lima, 42, the mother of a 5-year-old son in central Sao Paulo.

“I am afraid of sending my son to school. Not only myself, my friends are too, women I met at the salon, too,” Lima said.

Many Brazilian states didn’t wait for the federal response. Sao Paulo, for example, temporarily hired 550 psychologists to attend to its public schools, and hired 1,000 private security guards. While shootings in the US often ignite debate, at the federal level it usually ends in stalemate.

Democrats focus on gun control while Republicans push for stronger security measures.

Brazil’s push has garnered broad support in part because proposals haven’t included restricting firearm access, increasingly a hot-button political issue here, as in the US. Anyway, Brazil’s school attacks more often are carried out with other weapons, especially knives.

In the US, legislation rarely passes. There have been notable exceptions, however, including a biparti-

san compromise approved last year after a massacre at a Texas elementary school and other mass shootings. The bill toughened background checks and kept firearms from more domestic violence offenders, and allocated $1 billion for student mental health and school security.

Other change has come more gradually since the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. In almost every state, schools are now required to have safety plans that often include shooter drills. Many individual school districts have their own safety hotlines, and some use software to monitor social media for threats, with mixed results. And many US states have given schools money to “harden” buildings with metal detectors, security officers, bulletproof doors and other measures—which has stirred its own debate over the policing of America’s schools.

Lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of Lula’s far-right predecessor, was one of a few prominent voices calling for detectors and armed guards, citing some US states as examples, and put forward a bill to make them obligatory at all schools.

Lula has said his government will consider neither detectors nor backpack inspections.

Sapori said that Brazil has adopted a mixed approach, which stresses mental health care, preventive monitoring of threats and training for teachers, in addition to policing.

“In Brazil, we have a clear understanding, based on the US experience, that merely investing in armed security in schools does not work, that police presence in schools doesn’t hinder attacks,” Sapori said. “It only works to transform schools into prisons.”

For Brazil, the Western hemisphere’s second-most populous country, scrambling for quick solutions risks introducing abuses of power.

As for the suspects arrested over a two-week period through Thursday, Theodoro noted that authorities haven’t detailed the criteria for detentions, and investigations are under seal. Asked by the AP, the Justice Ministry declined to clarify how many of the 302 people taken into custody were minors.

The ministry also has empowered a national consumer agency to fine tech companies for not removing content perceived as glorifying school massacres, incentivizing violence or making threats.

And there appears to be broad support for holding social media platforms accountable. At this week’s meeting in the capital, Lula, his justice minister, two Supreme Court justices, and the Senate’s president voiced support for regulation of the platforms, arguing that speech that is illegal in real life cannot be permitted online.

“Either we have the courage to discuss the difference between freedom of expression and stupidity, or we won’t get very far,” Lula said.

The Rights in Network Coalition, an umbrella group of 50 organizations focused on basic digital rights, has expressed concern over giving the government the power to decide what can be said on social media.

Some social media platforms that initially resisted compliance with takedown requests have come around and, in the prior 10 days, had removed or suspended more than 750 profiles, Justice Minister Flávio Dino said.

When a man hopped over the wall of a day care center in Santa Catarina state and killed four children with a hatchet April 5, state prosecutors called on news media to refrain from sharing images or identifying the killer, citing research that this can encourage other attackers. Binkley reported from Washington, D.C. AP journalists Eléonore Hughes, Maurcio Savarese and Carla Bridi contributed from Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Brasilia.

A10 Monday, April 24, 2023

4 solons push bid to revive moribund PHL salt industry

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

Hollywood execs told: More fun to film in PHL!

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

THERE is a possibil-

ity that additional sites for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) will be identified and developed because the country needs a full-blown security umbrella, according to a military official.

C

ol. Medel Aguilar, spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said the country needs a full security cover from the military in order to protect its sovereignty and its maritime resources, and it could do this with the EDCA.

T he EDCA, a security agreement with the United States, allows the prepositioning of American troops and their equipment in identified and developed sites located inside military camps in the country.

At least nine sites, three of them located in Cagayan and Isabela, have been identified for the EDCA. However, Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba and other local officials have expressed reservations over his province’s hosting of US forces.

O ver the weekend, the Department of National Defense said additional Cagayan officials have already thrown their support behind EDCA, a development that it welcomed as it cited earlier the importance of the security agreement.

“As of now, 21 mayors have expressed their support and we expect this number to increase, with one municipality even intimating the possibility of donating a tract of land for the use of the Armed Forces of the Philippines [AFP],” it said in a statement issued through its spokesman Arsenio Andolong.

“ Truly, the overwhelming majority of local chief executives in the province supporting our endeavor proves the Filipino people’s appreciation of the merits of EDCA, not only for enhancing our national security but for providing opportunities to further develop our local communities as well,” the DND said.

A guilar said the expansion or allotment of additional sites for the EDCA assures the military that it could fully and readily protect any parts of the country.

If we are to protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity, including the protection of maritime resources that should be enjoyed by our people, we need 360-degree protection capability for the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Aguilar said.

He said the classification of the country as an archipelagic also adds up to the possibility of additional EDCA sites.

LAWMAKERS want Congress to help President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  rejuvenate the now moribund salt industry in the Philippines by approving a bill creating an interagency Philippine Salt Industry Development Council (PSIDC).

I n filing House Bill (HB) 7357, Camarines Sur Reps LRay Villafuerte, Miguel Luis Villafuerte and Tsuyoshi Anthony Horibata, and Bicol Saro Rep. Brian Yamsuan  said that despite its expansive coastlines, the country is now saddled with importing yearly about 550,000 metric tons (MT) or 93 percent of the national requirement for this essential food seasoning.

T he solons have proposed the creation of an interagency PSIDC

to craft a five-year masterplan to expand areas devoted to salt-making,  boost domestic salt output, promote investments in this sector and market Philippine products made from this essential nutrient, among others.

HB 7357 seeks to make the Philippine salt industry competitive in the domestic and international markets,” said Rep. LRay Villafuerte.

It addresses the revitalization of the local industry by providing

the right government support services for its protection and direction, specifically those that involve production and development,” he added.

V illafuerte traced the local saltmaking industry to the 18th century, saying there was a time when Las Piñas and Malabon were the top salt producers before Pangasinan eventually became the country’s leading area for salt production.

Considering the expansive coastlines of the Philippines, it has become a surprise why our archipelago was reported in 2021 to be producing only 7 percent of the national  salt requirement and importing the other 93 percent equivalent to  around 550,000 MT,” he said.

A s proposed by the bill, the PSIDC shall craft a Philippine Salt Industry Development Roadmap (Roadmap) comprising programs and projects for the development and management, processing, utilization, business development, and commercialization of Philippine salt.

T he PSIDC shall provide the

overall policy and program directions and coordinate the activities of the various agencies and instrumentalities to ensure the implementation, accomplishment, periodic review and enhancement of the Roadmap, according to the bill.

T he authors  traced the salt industry’s continuous decline to four factors, including the ratification of the Philippines of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1994,  which was seen as the reason for the influx of cheap salt imports;   and the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 8172 or the Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide  (ASIN) Law in 1995, which required the addition of iodine to salt to address the country’s micronutrient malnutrition.

“ The capital requirement for the machinery and technology for salt  iodization was a heavy burden for local salt makers, leading many of  them to drop one by one and shift to other   livelihood  sources,” said  the authors in their bill.

Continued on A4

Mandanas hails Eternal Gardens as ‘champions’

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

TOURISM officials met with film executives and members of the creative industry in Los Angeles over the weekend to encourage them to shoot more productions in the Philippines.

D uring the meeting at the historic luxury Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco underscored the  ease of doing business in the country, the Filipinos’s English proficiency, local pre- and post-production talent, as well as  tax incentives, making  the country an ideal site for media productions. “We are determined to push for the country and for the Filipino story to be told, and also to pitch for the Philippines as a viable destination to tell stories from around the world,” she told participants in the meeting.

A mong them were representatives of streaming companies, multimedia production companies, and creative studios such as HBO Max, Disney Branded Productions, Relativity Media, A+E Studios, Cinema Sala, Inspire Studios, Electric Entertainment, P&L Media, along with public relations and marketing agencies like Tremendous Communications, and media consultants advancing Filipino-American creatives. For her part, Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Chief Operating Officer (COO) Maria Margarita M. Nograles also expressed the agency’s full support to the filmmakers and producers: “We have to fight to keep our stories alive. As the Secretary  mentioned, we have 7,641 islands in the Philippines. Each one has a community, and a unique story to tell. I leave that up to you to tell that story. We would love to take you into the Philippines [and] take you around our communities. Anytime you are ready we are ready.” The TPB is the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT).

Rich People Problems

TO their credit, local partners of foreign film and TV crews managed to help push forward productions even during the pandemic.

Among them was the criticallyacclaimed Nocebo, which was partially shot in Cebu and starred Cebuana actress Chai Fonacier, along with Discovery Channel’s reality series Naked and Afraid, which filmed in Palawan amid tight bubble conditions.

ETERNAL Gardens, one of the leading memorial park developers in the country, held its Grand Annual Awards Night with the theme Champions of Excellence, on April 20, 2023, at the Citystate Tower Hotel in Ermita, Manila.

T he event was graced by Governor Hermilando I. Mandanas of the Province of Batangas, as the guest of honor. In his keynote speech, he began by reminiscing about the time he was working with Eternal Gardens’ founder, Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua. “We’ve been together. We were physically in the same building when we were starting. We’ve gone a long way. We’ve worked on a lot of projects, especially during the time of former president Ferdinand E. Marcos.”

He emphasized the importance of Eternal Gardens’ services and commended the company for its

outstanding contributions to the community. “Eternal Gardens plays a very important part in the whole sphere of service to God and our people,” he said.

M andanas praised the company and its sales agents for their unwavering commitment to helping Filipino families prepare for the uncertainties. “It is not only the performance that you have rendered, but you have created a very strong hope for a better tomorrow. You have underscored the need for inspiring and motivating others. You are leaders. You are champions.  Mabuhay kayo at maraming maraming salamat!,” he shared.

Meanwhile, Chairman and CEO D. Edgard A. Cabangon expressed his gratitude to Governor Mandanas for gracing the event and for his continued support to Eternal Gardens. “Sir Governor, we are very honored that you joined us in this very special

event. Maraming salamat po.”

He also extended his heartfelt congratulations to the awardees for their dedication and loyalty to the company. “Without you, we will never have this party, we can never have expansions for the Eternal Group.”

C abangon also shared that the company is eyeing to open a park in the Visayas region. “We are doing this ng dahil sa inyo, dahil sa pagmamahal ninyo sa ating kumpanya. Let us pray for it para kumpleto na tayo in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao regions.” He also assured that the Cabangon family, in ways they can, will reciprocate the love, loyalty and dedication of the Eternalite Salesforce to the company. Other Eternal Gardens executives were also present to welcome the awardees: Vice Chairman Benjamin V. Ramos, Director T. Anthony C. Cabangon, President and Chief Operating Officer Numeriano B.

Rodrin, Vice President for Sales & Marketing Jose Antonio V. Rivera, Vice President for Finance Marvin

C. Timbol and Executive Officer Dannica Nicole A. Cabangon.

T he 2022 Awardees were led by Saturnina G. Alcantara, first place, General Agency Manager category; Miguela A. De Ocampo, first place, Regular Unit Manager category; Ruby B. Olaso, first place, Regular Sales Counselor category; Rhodora

H. Remigio, first place, League Manager category, and Rachelle

Anne M. Aguilar, first place, Sales Counselor category.

A s part of their incentives, the qualified sales associates were treated to an all-expenses paid trip to Boracay.

W ith over 250 attendees from the 11 branches of Eternal Gardens, the event was a resounding success, and the company looks forward to continuing its tradition of excellence in the years to come.

Even prior to the pandemic, the DOT has assisted the Film Development Center of the Philippines (FDCP) in identifying ideal locations for international productions, as well as coordinates with local government units for required permits. (See, “Foreign film crews love shooting in the PHL—DOT,” in the BusinessMirror , June 7, 2021.)

Meanwhile, award-wining film producer Lawrence Bender (Kill Bill) and popular author Kevin Kwan (Crazy Rich Asians) are reportedly finalizing details to shoot in the Philippines, after scouting for  possible locations in Amanpulo and El Nido last year. The film will likely be based on the third installment (Rich People Problems) of Kwan’s wildly popular series of novels, where many scenes were located on the island.

Tax incentives

DURING a global tourism summit in the Philippines in April last year, Bender underscored the need for destinations like the Philippines to offer “either a tax rebate and film incentive” to encourage filmmakers to come here.

BATANGAS Governor Hermilando I. Mandanas receives the glass-encased image of The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ from Eternal Gardens Chairman and CEO D. Edgard A. Cabangon (third from left) as a token of gratitude for gracing the Grand Annual Awards Night of Eternal Gardens. With them are (from left) T. Anthony C. Cabangon, Director; Numeriano B. Rodrin, President and COO; Jose Antonio V. Rivera, VP for Sales & Marketing; Benjamin V. Ramos, Vice Chairman; and Marvin C. Timbol, VP for Finance.

More EDCA sites likely, ‘for full protection’

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Companies

B1

Monday, April 24, 2023

San Miguel unit to ramp up clean energy investments

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

For renewable energy (RE), SMC Global Light and Power Corp. (SGLPC)--a subsidiary of San Miguel Global Power--is developing a portfolio of solar power projects with an initial aggregate capacity of 800 megawatt peak (MWp) across various sites in Luzon. These will be located in the provinces of Bataan and Isabela.

“The proposed solar projects will be situated in areas with moderate to high photovoltaic potential,” San Miguel Global Power said in a regulatory filing.

The lease agreements for the property in Bataan and in Isabela where the solar projects will be located have also been executed, added the power firm.

SGLPC obtained in February 2022 a Certificate of Registration from the department of Energy (dOE) as an RE developer for a solar proj-

ect in Bataan and has entered into a Solar Energy Operating Contract (130MWp) with the dOE for the development and operation of RE projects using solar energy as a renewable source. The Bataan Solar Project is in the pre-development stage.

“The generation output of the proposed solar power projects is intended to be offered to various contestable customers,” the company added.

a s part of the company’s diversification of its power portfolio away from traditional coal technologies, another subsidiary of SMC Global Power, Excellent Energy Resources Inc. (EERI), is constructing a 1,313.1 MW combined cycle power plant in Barangays Ilijan and dela Paz Proper, Batangas City. dubbed as the Batangas combined cycle power plant, the power facility will utilize regassified liquefied natural gas (LnG).

The expected output of the Batangas combined cycle power plant will be offered to the Manila Electric Co. through a competitive selection process expected to be conducted within the year. The previous power supply agreement for the supply of 1,200 MW contract capacity for 20 years effective november 26, 2024, awarded in favor of EERI was terminated on april 1.

“The company has executed a terminal use agreement for the use of the Batangas LnG Terminal for its LnG power plants in Batangas and is also exploring possible improvements to, or the retrofitting of, the Ilijan Power Plant,” it said.

The construction period is expected to be shorter than that of the coal-fired power plants, with substantial completion of the first blocks expected in one and a half to two years, compared to 3 to 4r years for coal-fired power plants historically. The company has tapped Black & Veatch BVI (Philippines) Corp. and First Balfour Inc. as the EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) contractors.

SMC Global Power also intends to construct and develop LnG power plants in other areas. These LnG plants will have mini regassification facilities of up to 150 million standard cubic feet per day and small

Tanduay’s 2022 income up 18%

Tanduay d i stillers Inc., the liquor maker of tycoon Lucio Tan, said its income last year reached P1.42 billion, 18 percent higher than the previous year’s P1.24 billion.

Consolidated revenues, meanwhile, rose 26 percent to P31.6 billion.

“We can say that we have overcome the challenges of the past years and are now focused on growing the business further here in the Philippines and other countries,” company president and COO Lucio Tan III said.

Tanduay’s liquor volumes went up by 16 percent last year to 27.49 million cases from 23.69 million cases in the previous year.

The company said it continued its dominance in the Visayas and Mindanao, where every three out of four li-

STOCK-MARKET OUTLOOK

Last week Share prices went up slightly last week ahead of the first quarter reporting season, with the main index closing at the 6,500-point level.

The benchmark Philippine Stock exchange index gained 38.53 points to close at 6,520.44 points.

It was a 4-day trading week as april 21 was declared a public holiday.

Volume of trade was still thin, averaging only at P3.41 billion, as investors remained on the sidelines.

Foreign investors, which accounted for 47 percent of the trades, were net buyers at P275.3 million. all other sub-indices ended in the green, with the exception of the Mining and Oil index that plunged 470.62 points to close at 10,641.30 points and the Property index that lost 20.90 to 2,695.38.

The broader all Shares index gained 7.49 to 3,488.26, the Financials index rose 35.01 to 1,845.26, the Industrial index increased 85.13 to 9,337.84, the holding Firms index added 18.06 to 6,318.53 and the Services index added 7.06 to 1,611.48.

For the week, losers edged out gainers 139 to 77 and 29 shares were unchanged.

Top gainers were Keppel Philippines Properties Inc., SSI Group Inc., eeI Corp., Lodestar Investment holdings Corp., MerryMart Consumer Corp., house of Investments Inc. and Now Corp.

Top losers, meanwhile, were Coal asia holdings Inc., Concrete aggregates Corp.

DMCI sets sights on leisure market

inland storage of up to 50,000 m3 capability.

In addition to this, EERI is looking at two more liquefied combined cycle natural gas plants in Tabango, Leyte and San Carlos City, negros Occidental, with capacities of 600 MW and 300 MW at estimated costs of P41.5 billion and P18.5 billion, respectively.

The planned facilities will also be contracted with distribution utilities and selected key industrial customers embedded in the local utility distribution network.

“San Miguel Global Power is evaluating the timing on progressing these projects depending on market conditions, the general state of the Philippine economy and demand, among others.”

DMCI Homes, the property development arm of the Consunji Group, said it is expanding into the leisure market with a new sub-brand called d M CI Homes Leisure Residences.

The company said it is planning to launch its new brand with a tropical beach park condotel in San Juan, Batangas, one of the sought-after vacation destinations in southern Luzon, by the middle of the year.

d M CI Homes President a l fredo a u stria said the variety of tourist attractions in San Juan, Batangas including pristine beaches, ancestral houses, old churches and local delicacies, make it ideal to host the first project of d M CI Homes Leisure Residences.

“The aim of d M CI Homes Leisure Residences is to offer holistic holiday experiences that exude

comfort, wellness, and refined indulgence, setting it apart from other properties in its category,” a u stria said.

“With d M CI Homes Leisure Residences, we aspire to replicate d M CI Homes’ brand of superior value in each leisure property by offering quality products and premier services fully experienced in upscale resort hotels and leisure communities, at price points that will delight value-discerning clientele.” a s ide from San Juan, Batangas, d M CI Homes also has plans to offer to customers its future projects featuring the hot springs in Laguna and the mountain views in Tuba, Benguet Province. This is the second sub-brand created by dMCI Homes after dMCI Homes Exclusive, which caters to the luxury market. VG Cabuag

quor drinker chose Tanduay products. The company also grew its share in the overall domestic market.

Consolidated cost of sales was up by 28 percent at P28 billion due to higher excise taxes and manufacturing costs.

Tanduay still ended 2022 with a 12 percent growth in its gross profit at P3.6 billion.

Ethanol volumes were flat, but had higher selling prices last year due to the increased costs of molasses and sugar.

Tanduay’s international business, meanwhile, was up by 16 percent in 2022, with its a sia-Pacific and Middle East markets recording a 293 percent growth.

The brand has entered the markets of 16 states in the united States, with plans to enter three more this year.

B shares, Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co. a and B shares, Medco holdings Inc., LMG Corp., Transpacific Broadband Group Int’l. Inc. and GMa Network Inc. this week

Share prices may remain range-bound this week as investors will remain cautious on their investments.

Juan Paolo Colet, managing director of China Bank Capital Corp., the cautiousness largely mirrors the United States markets, so any critical movement there could affect local trading. ahead of macroeconomic data releases and US Fed and BSP policy meeting results, market participants will focus on first quarter earnings announcements to drive selective price action. We would be very keen to see the earnings of consumer and real estate names to assess the impact of inflation and elevated interest rates on economic activity,” Colet said.

Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco, senior research analyst at Philstocks Financials Inc., said the Philippine peso’s depreciation against the US Dollar, if it continues, is expected to weigh on the market.

“Chartwise, the local market was able to close above its 10-day and 20-day exponential moving averages last week. These lines could be retested moving forward. If the market manages to maintain position above these lines, its next resistance is seen at its 50-day exponential moving average. The market’s support is seen at 6,400,” he said.

In a sia, it is available in China, Singapore, the united a rab Emirates and Qatar in the Middle East. under Tan III, the brand began its expansion in Europe. It is now present in Belgium, the netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Poland, the united Kingdom, austria, Czech Republic, Georgia and a r menia.

While the Philippine liquor industry expanded by 6 percent in 2022, inflation may affect its growth this year as demand for non-basic commodities like liquor might slow down.

“What the past three years have taught us is to never lose our focus. While a more restrained approach in spending may be called for, we will remain aggressive in our product research and development and marketing efforts.” VG Cabuag

stock picks MayBaNK Investment Banking Group kept its positive view on the country’s property sector due to sustained earnings growth amid bargain valuations.

Selling by foreign investors year-to-date has created buying opportunities in undervalued property stocks.

“We are seeing signs of improvement in developers and expect healthy revenue growth for malls in the first half this year, and sequential improvement in residential pre-sales over the coming quarters,” it said.

It forecast this year’s earnings to grow by 15 percent, with its top pick SM Prime holdings Inc. as momentum carried over from the reopening in 2022 should benefit its malls portfolio. SM Prime has been the most resilient to foreign selling. Its shares closed last week at P33.50 apiece. It said it sees net foreign selling may persist until macro headwinds from higher US interest rates, fully dissipate.

“We are encouraged as large shareholders started to accumulate property names in the first quarter, intensified buyback programs by ayala Land Inc., robinsons Land Corp. [rLC] and Megaworld Corp. We see sequential rises in mall revenues in the first half of the year and we expect residential sales reservations to pick up in second half both of which are potential catalysts.”

Shares of ayala Land closed at P26.20 apiece, rLC at P14 apiece and Megaworld at P1.98 apiece. VG Cabuag

San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp. is ramping up investments in the power sector to boost its portfolio and augment the country’s power supply requirements.

Mesa owner to open more stores as dine-in returns

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

FooDee global Concepts Co o

Eric t homas Dee said the company’s flagship brand mesa is opening more stores next year as consumers now prefer to dine in at their favorite restaurants after relying on food delivery for three years.

t h e consumer behavior has changed, during the pandemic and ang tinamaan talaga is Filipino

food because we were all at home and making our own Filipino food,” Dee said at a recent forum organized by gr abfood.

“So for our certain brands, and for us me sa being our kind of like flagship brand, we have about 75 stores nationwide. We should be 100 by next year.”

i n 2019, Dee said the company

had planned to put up its first uS s tore but the pandemic got in the way.

“Rest assured that we are opening an international branch by next year, possibly in Los a n geles.”

Despite the increased demand for dining out, FooDee said it is keen on the “hybrid approach,” noting that the group is experimenting on the dine-in concept where one can “scan and just do everything” through food delivery apps.

“Currently your deliveries are now down to maybe about 10 percent but we can see potential to grow that aspect and that becomes more icing on the cake for the dining experience,” Dee said.

He recounted an event in m a rch 2020 when the onslaught of the Co-

biz process not

Automating business processes have other uses other than generating revenue, according to a Hong Kongbased executive who is betting on the Philippine Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software market.

“Some objectives may not be purely for revenue. Some customers may use the [ERP] system for collecting [data on their] carbon footprint,” ZhenHub te chnologies Ltd. CE o Vince Poon told the Business m i rror.

vid-19 pandemic forced businesses to close physical stores including FooDee’s restaurants. He said at the height of the pandemic, FooDee had to partner with food delivery apps to reach their customers.

“What we’re seeing now is that deliveries are now going to branded products like your favorites that you want to reach, for example me sa for Filipino food.”

Even with the dine-in rebound, he expects consumers to continue using delivery apps especially when they are at home.

FooDee global Concepts owns, operates and franchises over 180 restaurants nationwide. t h eir brands include me sa, Pound x Flatterie, among others. t he group also co-created Bench/Cafe and Sunnies Cafe, according to its website.

about money’

Poon added that some firms use ERP to automate business operations, lower risks or wastage.

o b viously, that should relate to profitability; but it may not be as immediate” as the business owner wants it to be, the executive added.

Poon believes the ERP software being sold by ZhenHub, called “a r atum,” can still capture the burgeoning market in the country.

Several analysts forecast the ERP market in the country to post a compounded annual growth rate of 12 percent from 2022 to 2028. Statista, in particular, forecasts the enterprise software market in the Philippines would to grow by 9.71 percent beginning this year, resulting in a market volume of $552.30 million in 2028.

Poon considers the market potential to have been born from demand as several businesses coped with supply-chain issues especially during the mobility restrictions against Covid-19.

He is also banking on the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 as it promises government’s mainstreaming of the use of technologies to predict supply-chain disruptions; again, as a lesson during the battle against Covid-19.

o n e strategy adopted by the PDP is to support “entrepreneurs leveraging technologyenabled business models.” t h e PDP also recognizes that a i - based cloud analytics and ERP “will continue to expand” in the next decade.

Oscar M. Lopez dies at age 93

Fi R S t Philippine Holdings group announced the passing on Saturday, april 22, 2023, of its former Chairman Emeritus oscar m Lopez. He was 93.

omL, as he was known to those he worked with, led FPH through its entry into the power generation business and its expansion into industrial estates. “But his conviction that business must look beyond just the bottom line and consider its impact on society and the environment was years ahead of his time and will be his enduring legacy,” said the FPH statement.

“He served as the north Star, the inspiration, and guide for succeeding generations of Lopez group executives and employees who learned to treasure and practice with him the group’s distinct core values: a pioneering entrepreneurial spirit, business excellence, unity, nationalism, and social justice,” it added.

omL was FPH chairman emeritus from may 2010 to october 2020 and was also the chief strategic officer of FPH. He was also the chairman emeritus of various companies such as Lopez Holdings Corporation, First gen Corporation, Energy Development Corporation, First Balfour, First Philippine industrial Park, inc., First Philippine Electric Corporation, and Rockwell Land. He also held

other positions in other Lopez group Companies. He had been part of the Lopez group in a directorship and/ or executive capacity for over 20 years. omL studied at Harvard College and graduated cum laude (Bachelor of a r ts) in 1951. He was conferred the degrees of Doctor of Humanities honoris causa by the De La Salle university and ateneo de ma nila university in 2010, and Doctor of Laws honoris causa by the Philippine Women’s university (2009), as well as the university of the Philippines (2012). He finished his masters of Public administration at the Littauer School of Public administration, also at Harvard in 1955.

Poon added that as the Philippine economy grows vis-àvis enterprises, an ERP software is becoming a must-have for companies wanting to scale up. to note, an ERP software connects and automates business processes: planning; purchasing inventory; sales; marketing; finance; and, human resources.

What ZhenHub offers is micro-customization, so that business owners could choose among several modules to manage their supply chain.

a c cording to a n thony i s on, ZhenHub’s Philippines country manager, they offer an “a la carte” type of menu to customers.

i s on explained that a business owner may opt to automate first the warehouse management system and later the other business processes like inventory management, order management, transport management, finance and up to merchants.

i s on said they could install the transport management system to a business relied upon for such service by ZhenHub’s customer.

Realization of return on investment is time to market, i s on told the Business m i rror.

“We don’t leave until our customer is satisfied,” Poon said adding that ZhenHub’s solution is made to adapt to the business and not the other way around.

i s on added that a r atum also offers inter-operability, meaning it can work with the ERP software of other companies.

However, some processes couldn’t be addressed by ERP, especially if these are bound by traditional values particularly held by family businesses.

“ te chnology enables the process, the policy,” Poon told the Business m i rror. “What we can do is build exemptions in the system that would enable [the business owner’s decision.”

Still, Poon said there are some things that goes beyond technology.

But, at least, there’s an ERP software for most of the business processes. Dennis D. Estopace

RestauRant operator FooDee Global Concepts said it is targeting to put up more Mesa stores, including one in the united states, in 2024.

‘Automating

only

Perspectives

Retail’s delicate balance

RETAILERS have proven their resilience time and again and they are poised to do the same in 2023. However, understanding the interplay between a growing set of tensions shaping the industry can help retailers do more than merely survive strong headwinds.

Economic and geopolitical challenges that began in 2022 have spilled over into the new year. Spreading global inflation means households have less buying power and business margins are under pressure. Tighter monetary policies from central banks have increased the cost of capital. And recession—albeit softer than anticipated—is on the horizon in many economies.

To claim that the world needs retail to prevail against these latest headwinds is not hyperbole. In every country, the industry is among the largest private sector employers, the primary source of food and other necessary goods and a major influence on natural and other resources all along the value chain. Nowhere was the size and breadth of the industry more visible than at the gathering of more than 35,000 professionals from 75-plus countries in January for National Retail Federation (NRF) 2023, the NRF’s “Big Show” conference and largest global retail event.

Despite the obvious challenges, retailers are just as excited as ever about the future of the industry. With ongoing margin compression and decreased access to affordable capital a topic often referenced during NRF 2023, retailers are considering how to afford—and target—investing for the future.

For retailers to continue their growth trajectory, they must recognize the high-level forces at play in the industry and the tensions between them. These tensions—and harmonies— include protecting margins and growing under harsh economic realities; the rising importance of people, from consumers to employees; and the new reality that sustainability can’t be set aside when market conditions take a turn for the worse.

In the Philippines, retail also remains as a key sector that affects the country’s economy. However, the drastic changes brought about by the social realities of the last two years immensely challenged the industry to cope and adapt. Moreover, the transition to more sustainable retail practices, with ESG becoming one of the top priorities for most organizations, can be challenging unless they are embedded in the whole value creation model.

KPMG in the Philippines Advisory Principal and Head of Retail Jerome Andrew H. Garcia shares that “in order to grow and be responsive to changing customer needs and behaviors, retailers will need to continuously adapt, implementing new business models and strategies that are relevant, innovative and sustainable.”

Garcia further explains: “Given the current challenge of recruiting and retaining talents in the retail sector, technology investments have shown positive results in easing business pressure by enhancing productivity and efficiency. Such innovations free employees of clerical and repetitive labor so they can concentrate on what really matters: improving the customer experience.”

People take precedence in 2023

WHILE the “three Ps”—people, planet and profit—were all widely addressed at NRF 2023, there was one clear theme at the top of the retailer executive agenda: people.

True, the effort to win the consumer’s attention and loyalty continues to dominate conversations, especially as retailers try to grow market share in a more challenging market environment in 2023.

But the spotlight that has shone on retail employees since the Covid-19

pandemic is still bright. What many thought were temporary conditions at the height of the pandemic now appear to be more structural, as labor shortages and the accompanying wage inflation continue, the expectations of the role of retailers in communities have increased.

Retail leaders are having to adapt their thinking around talent management, recruitment and corporate culture. To help combat attrition, more retailers have introduced policies and benefits to support employee health and well-being. They’re also launching new training and upskilling programs that can both engage employees and help fill new roles with existing employees. New technologies in the hands of employees and direct automation, on the retail floor or within the supply chain, allow retailers to do more with less. Kiosks, self-checkout and returns, automated distributions centers and many more efficiencies will become commonplace.

The divide remains between corporate and front-of-store employees which was exacerbated when the pandemic created a stark contrast between those who could and could not work from home. However, the unique value of the in-store employee continues to rise, with front-line workers becoming authentic key opinion leaders (KOLs) with ability to influence consumer buying behaviors.

Retailers can find equilibrium through a fourth “P:” Purpose

THE original “four Ps” of retail’s mix—product, price, place and promotion—were introduced in the 1950s. Their relevance remains and may even gather increased attention in today’s market. While still critical, we believe it’s more effective to see the interaction between them when rolled up to people, planet and profit.

The ability to identify and manage the tensions between these areas while embracing harmonies defines a business that is set up for future success. Finding the right equilibrium across these tensions and ensuring the integrity of retail business is not distorted by these forces, will vary by organization. This effort to reconcile tensions and harmonies translates into the “purpose” of organizations. Corporate purpose—the wellworn construct to prioritize goals by first defining a company’s “reason to exist”—once focused primarily on maximizing shareholder returns. Now that management’s ability to drive long-term value increasingly involves addressing all stakeholder needs, people and planet have joined profit as considerations in establishing purpose.

Likewise, a company’s purpose helps it reconcile the tensions between the “three Ps.” Purpose gives retail companies permission to implement a business model that pulls in one direction or another. It allows retailers to make choices relevant to their unique cultures, markets and industries and to be evaluated on their consistency and adherence to the direction chosen. With the framework in hand and purpose as a guiding light, retail leaders can better determine the strategies, activities, technologies and talent that will sustain profitability and lead to long-term success.

The excerpt was taken from the KPMG Thought Leadership publication: https://kpmg. com/xx/en/home/insights/2023/01/retails-delicate-balance.html.

© 2023 KPMG Intl Ltd., a private English company limited by guarantee, has Philippine partnership R.G. Manabat & Co. as a member-firm. All rights reserved. For more information, email ph-kpmgmla@ kpmg.com or visit www.home.kpmg/ph.

This article is for general information purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice to a specific issue or entity. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the BusinessMirror, KPMG International or KPMG in the Philippines.

Bill adding 2 yrs on estate-tax amnesty for House OK on Tue

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

The House Committee on Ways and Means chaired by Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda will approve the substitute bill on Tuesday, April 25.

The bill extends the period of availment of estate tax amnesty by two years as it postponed the deadline of application from June 14, 2023, and reset it to June 14, 2025, amending Section 6 of Republic Act (RA) 11213 (as amended).

Speaker Martin G. Romualdez led chamber leaders in filing House Bill (HB) 7409, which seeks

to extend by another two years the deadline for applying for estate tax amnesty.

HB 7409’s spirit is to provide taxpayers economic relief and opportunity to settle estate tax obligations as government lockdowns scarred the economy and people’s livelihood. The bill also seeks to amend the following: RA 8424 (National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended by RA 10963 (Train Law); RA 11213 (Tax Amnesty Act); and, RA 11569, (An Act

Extending the Estate Tax Amnesty and for Other Purposes, Amending Section 6 of RA 11213).

Under the current ecosystem, people seeking to avail the amnesty are expected to pay tax at a rate of 6 percent based on the decedent’s total net estate (or net undeclared estate if there’s a previously filed estate tax return) at the time of death. On the other hand, if the allowable deductions applicable at the time of death exceed the value of gross estate, a minimum payment of P5,000, as the case may be, is expected.

It was Deputy Speaker Ralph G. Recto who urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent the estate tax amnesty bill: so “people can save billions and the government to earn billions,” the lawmaker added, “by simply moving the June 14, 2023 deadline to June 14, 2025.”

“A one-sentence letter from the President supporting a one-line bill

will make this a reality,” Recto said.

The lawmaker said the extension is an “act of kindness” to seniors whose vulnerability during the 30 months the pandemic raged prevented them from availing of the amnesty.

While in the Senate, Recto was among the authors of RA 11213, a 2019 law that threw out penalties and significantly cut rates for estatetax obligations.

But the period to avail of the onetime tax relief coincided with the pandemic, prompting Congress to pass what would become RA 11569, which extended the amnesty period by two years, to June 14, 2023.

Recto said another justification for the proposed extension is the lower-than-projected government collections from the program. When RA 11213 came into force in 2019, “the forecast revenue was in the P6-billion to P8-billion range; but [the] actual take as of end of 2021 was P5.5 billion,” Recto added.

BDOI

offers dog,

cat protection package

By Roderick Abad @rodrik_28 Contributor

BDO Insurance Brokers Inc.

(BDOI) recently launched its pet dog and pet cat insurance plans based on its executives’ view of an uptick in animal ownership in the country.

BDOI General Manager Maria Theresa L. Tan told reporters at the insurer’s event in Mandaluyong City that after searching for products “that address customers’ evolving needs,” they were brought to pet insurance.

Tan said their pet insurance is an acknowledgement that pets have become “important members of the family that their owners regularly spend time and resources to keep them groomed, healthy and happy.”

BDOI Senior Assistant Vice President Edmundante Ramirez cited a survey by a Japanese technology firm shows that 67 percent of Filipinos polled own dogs while 43 percent said they own cats. These figures mean Filipinos are the top and second caretakers of dogs and cats, respectively, in Asia.

Hence, the BDO Unibank Inc. subsidiary went into the pet insurance venture.

According to Tan, the plan protects a pet dog or pet cat against accidental injuries, including bone fractures, poisoning or burns. Added to this basic coverage are add-on benefits, such as pet medical reim-

briefs

bursement for covered illnesses, like arthritis, renal disease, hip dysplasia, pet acute dental conditions, pet accidental death or essential euthanasia, insured pet owner’s liability to other persons due to pet’s actions, pet international travel emergency medical treatment and Petnap.

To qualify, pets must be three months to six years of age. They should be owned for companionship and not for commercial use like racing, breeding and law enforcement.

Owners must provide the pet’s immunization/vaccination record book and/or pet book, veterinary clinic and the name, license number and photos of the veterinarian. Applications can be completed online, the firm said in a document.

For as low as P560 ($10.02 at current exchange rates), dogs and cats can now be insured from P15,000 (about $268.48) to P30,000 (nearly $537) per accident (up to five incidents) under Plans A to D. Pet owners can “pet-sonalize” the insurance coverage based on their budget.

“Our competitor offers it for P500 for only one month. But ours is P560 for a coverage of one full year. So it’s that cheap,” Ramirez said. He added that achieving the target number of policy holders for this kind of insurance will serve as the firm’s underwriting basis to come up with a coverage for other types of pet. Ramirez neither cited figures nor the other types of pet.

➜ G-XChange launches ‘int’l buy load’ G-XCHANGE Inc. announced it tapped the services of Singaporean firm Fixed & Mobile Pte Ltd to enable users of its GCash application to buy load from 21 countries. The firm’s statement issued last week read that the feature will be under beta mode for a limited time. The firm said the international load feature allows users to buy load for an international number. Users of the app can access 48 international telecommunications providers and buy prepaid load for somebody else, the company said. G-XChange didn’t disclose how much was involved in its use of Fixed & Mobile’s services.

➜ Bangko Kabayan awarded BANGKO Kabayan Inc. announced having won the “Best MSMEs Development Bank” at the 2023 International Finance Awards organized by the United Kingdom-headquartered International Finance Publications Ltd. “We are honored to receive this award and recognized for our work in supporting MSMEs [micro-sized, small-scale and medium-sized enterprises],” Bangko Kabayan CEO/President Beatriz B. Romulo was quoted in a statement as saying.

Bonds in trouble as $1 trillion central bank liquidity drains

ADD central banks to the wall of worry for global credit markets.

This year’s rally in risk assets is more to do with a $1 trillion central bank liquidity injection than any improvement in the economic outlook, according to Citigroup Inc. That massive tailwind—enough to lop 50 basis points off the investment-grade risk premium—may soon become a huge drag as policymakers get back to quashing inflation, having extinguished the banking-sector fire.

“With peak liquidity past, we would not be at all surprised if markets were now to experience a sudden pressure loss,” Matt King, Citi’s global markets strategist, wrote in a note. “Keep watching the liquidity data—and buckle up.”

Corporate debt markets had the best first quarter since 2019, despite proliferating concerns about the economy as central banks kept raising interest rates. Credit extended the rally in recent weeks, erasing losses caused by banks collapsing.

“We now expect almost all of them to stall or go into outright reverse,” King wrote in the note published April 18, referring to central banks shifting back to a tighter policy stance after the bankspurred turmoil subsided. “This could subtract $600 billion-$800 billion in global liquidity in coming weeks, undermining risk in the process.”

“We believe that MSMEs are the backbone of many economies and we are committed to providing them with the resources they need to thrive and grow.” According to Romulo, the private development bank offers financing, technical assistance and training tailored to the needs of MSMEs. “The bank’s continued focus on MSMEs will help drive economic growth and development in the succeeding years,” she added. Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

➜ LandBank grants loan to T’bolis

THE Land Bank of the Philippines announced last week it loaned the T’Boli Farm Growers Multi-Purpose Co-operative P224 million to expand the cooperative’s production of pineapples and pineapple fibers. The state lender said the bulk of the loan (P180 million) is expected to augment the co-op’s working capital requirements. About P34 million would go to buying farm tractors, service vehicles, trucks and a backhoe loader and post-harvest facilities for hauling and land preparation, the LBP said in a statement. It added the remaining P10 million will be used to increase the volume of pineapple fibers that the co-op is exporting to the United Kingdom. Raadee S. Sausa

The return to tighter policy may already be underway, according to King, who adds that “markets, with the partial exception of US real yields, haven’t noticed yet.” The only thing that might halt the cash exodus is another run on financial institutions, which looks highly unlikely. Junk bonds are most likely to suffer from this reversal after swiftly recouping losses caused by the recent banking crisis. Despite robust demand for the debt, aided by relatively easy financial conditions, rates ratcheting higher and major economies like the US teetering on the brink of recession—or even stagflation—don’t bode well for highly-indebted borrowers. Average global high-yield spreads have tightened to about 485 basis points, significantly less than the 543 basis points they struck during the height of the banking crisis.

That’s less than the one-year average of about 500 basis points, and much lower than where risk premiums typically balloon to during a US economic contraction.

Stubbornly high inflation will force central banks to keep the tightening pressure on, which would cool demand while also boosting debt-service costs, thereby hurting the weakest companies most. An economic slowdown also means earnings will suffer, and that hasten credit downgrades, defaults and distress. Bloomberg News

AN alleged effort by Sotheby’s to help wealthy art collectors avoid paying sales tax on purchases for their homes was “far more extensive and serious than previously known,” New York’s attorney general said. The state’s 2020 lawsuit against Sotheby’s for allegedly helping a wealthy shipping executive use a false resale certificate to dodge taxes has expanded to include seven additional collectors and numerous Sotheby’s employees from across the organization, including its tax department, New York Attorney General Letitia James said Friday in a filing in Manhattan. Documents that were recently handed over to state investigators during the litigation revealed that the alleged tax dodge by the shipping executive was “only the tip of the iceberg,” James said in the filing. James is seeking court permission to conduct almost two dozen more depositions of people involved in the alleged practice, including a Missouri art gallery owner who allegedly used resale certificates improperly to buy untaxed jewelry from Sotheby’s for his wife, and a New York-based interior designer who deployed the practice to avoid taxes on jewelry and a handbag he bought from Sotheby’s for Mother’s Day gifts. James is also seeking to depose Sotheby’s employees who signed off on the paperwork.

None of the clients are identified in the court filing and none are named as defendants in the suit. According to the filing, James’s team is still trying to identify the Sotheby’s employee who filled in the business description line on a resale certificate to falsely state: “I am in the business of art dealer and principally sell art work.” Bloomberg News

TO provide taxpayers the economic relief, the House Committee on Ways and Means is set to approve the proposal extending the availment of estate tax amnesty.

‘Sotheby’s helped more rich clients dodge sales tax’

Monday, April 24, 2023

What are China’s alleged ‘seCret overseas poliCe stations’?

Such offices have been reported across North America, Europe and in other countries where Chinese communities include critics of the Communist Party who have family or business contacts in China. China denies that they are police stations, saying that they exist mainly to provide citizen services such as renewing driver's licenses.

Party leader and head of state Xi Jinping has waged a campaign against corruption that has also targeted criticism of his regime at home and abroad, while seeking to chase down those accused of financial crimes.

The arrests Monday in New York

came alongside charges against 34 officers with China’s national police force in China for using social media to harass party critics in the United States, authorities said Monday.

Below is a look at the allegations that China is running secret overseas police stations and the backlash they have encountered.

What is the latest in the new York case?

T HE t wo men who were arrested were acting under the direction and control of a Chinese government official, the Justice Department said in a statement Monday.

The arrests of the men, identified as “Harry” Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx, and Chen Jinping, 59, of Manhattan, both US citizens, are the first of their kind anywhere in the world.

The two did not register with the Justice Department as agents of a foreign government, US law enforcement officials said. And though the office did perform some services such as helping Chinese citizens renew their Chinese driver’s licenses, it also served a more “sinister” function, including helping the Chinese government locate a pro-democracy activist of Chinese descent living in California and threatening a fugitive whom police wanted to return to China, officials said.

What is the purpose of the offices?

O N Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said there was “no such thing as an overseas police station,” and accused the US of “smears and political manipulation.” China’s

Foreign Ministry says it operates the centers abroad to help citizens with bureaucratic tasks, such as renewing drivers’ licenses, that typically are done at police stations in China.

But the Spain-based nongovernment group Safeguard Defenders accused Chinese police of using the offices to spy on critics abroad and to harass or threaten both citizens and non-citizens in a report published last year. A Chinese official claimed last year that 210,000 suspects of fraud were “persuaded to return” to China in 2021 as part of a crackdown on telephone scams, although the researchers wrote that not all were charged with crimes. Countries including Canada and Ireland asked China to close such stations or opened investigations of their own following the Safeguard Defenders report.

According to prosecutors in New York, the station in New York was operated by the Fuzhou branch of the Ministry of Public Security; they wrote that it had no author -

ity to operate there and infringed US law and national sovereignty.

how will the investigation affect Us-China relations?

C H INA-US political relations are at a historic low. In February, the US canceled a visit by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to Beijing amid a furor over a Chinese spy balloon that overflew the US Suspicion of China is one of the few areas where the Democratic and Republican parties find common ground, and the accusations of illegal Chinese police stations will likely galvanize sentiment for banning of Chinese brands such as Huawei and TikTok. Countries are required by international treaty to inform each other of when and where they operate their diplomatic missions.

It's not clear if China will seek the release of the two men arrested in the US, who are both US citizens. China has in the past been accused of hostage diplomacy, including imprisoning two Canadian nationals over the detention of a

top executive of the electronics giant Huawei.

Where else does China operate similar offices?

I N a February 2002 news release, the government of Fujian province said it had established a first batch of 30 “Fuzhou Police Overseas Service Stations” on five continents. The province has traditionally sent waves of migrants to Southeast Asia, North America, Australia and Europe. Scores of service offices—Safeguard Defenders estimates more than 100—have been reported around the world, from Canada to New Zealand. Some are based in embassies, while others have operated out of commercial centers frequented by members of the Chinese diaspora.

In Italy, Chinese police made an agreement with the government in 2016 to conduct joint patrols with local police to assist Chinesespeaking tourists. Italy ended the program last year following the Safeguard Defenders report. AP

China calls accusations of police stations ‘groundless’

TAIPEI, Taiwan—China denied all accusations of an overseas police presence, saying Tuesday that the United States was making “groundless accusations” after US law enforcement arrested two men in New York for establishing a secret police station.

“The relevant claims have no factual basis, and there is no such thing as an overseas police station,” spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wang Wenbin said Tuesday. US authorities arrested two men, identified as “Harry” Lu Jianwang,

61, and Chen Jinping, 59, both US citizens, on Monday morning. Under the direction of an official in China, the two men allegedly set up a station where they offered some basic services, such as helping Chinese citizens renew their Chinese driver’s licenses.

The station, however, also took on roles beyond ordinary bureaucracy, including locating Chinese dissidents living in the US, officials said.

The US Justice Department also charged 34 officers in the Ministry of Public Security on Monday with creating and using thousands of fake social

media accounts on Twitter and other platforms to harass dissidents abroad.

Wang said China does not interfere in other countries' sovereignty.

China has shown that it is willing to target its own citizens even after they have left China for various reasons, whether political or economic.

The Associated Press has previously reported that a Chinese woman was detained in Dubai at a Chinese-run detention facility.

In recent years, Beijing has been running two separate campaigns to bring suspects wanted mostly for

economic crimes back to China as part of an anti-corruption drive. It has begun flexing its muscles abroad to bring people back home, whether through the use of extradition treaties or unofficial methods, such as putting coercive pressure on relatives back home in China.

“China firmly opposes the smear and political manipulation by the US, who maliciously fabricated the narrative of so-called cross-border suppression and blatantly prosecuted Chinese law enforcement officials,” Wang said. AP

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reacts during the daily presser at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, on May 27, 2022. China denied all accusations of an overseas police presence, saying the United st ates was making “groundless accusations” after Us law enforcement arrested two men in n e w York for establishing a secret police station. AP/Liu Zheng, Fi L e

BEIJING—Police in New York have arrested two men for allegedly setting up a secret police station for a Chinese provincial police agency to collect information on opponents of the ruling Communist Party.

Karina Afandi: Indon teen model in Manila

LUXURY HOUSE INTRODUCES NEW COLLECTION THAT ADDS ENDLESS CUSTOMIZATION POSSIBILITIES

AS Montblanc continues reimagining its leather goods collections, the luxury house adds a new dimension to its signature business collection. The redesigned Montblanc Sartorial Collection features bags and smaller accessories in softer leather with a deep two-tone effect, new colors, and the introduction of a modularity system that allows small pieces to be attached to larger bags—creating new functionalities, styling options and many customization possibilities.

Inspired by the beauty and experience of handwriting, the design codes for Montblanc Sartorial are rooted in the house’s writing culture heritage. Recognizable ink bottles from the Montblanc archive have inspired the triangular design of the handles, while the construction of the sides of the bags evoke the opening of an envelope with two overlapping pieces of leather.

“While this collection has a timeless and classic quality with modern shapes that can be used every day, there is no reason why the pieces shouldn’t be fun and creative. That’s where the idea for the modular feature came from—a way to express individual style while finding new functionality for each piece. We’ve given personality and life to a more modern all-black bag, so that it can be changed every season or to create a different look,” says Marco Tomasetta, Montblanc artistic director. More information can be found at www.montblanc.

com.

T‘HE willingness to listen, the patience to understand, the strength to support, the heart to care and just to be there. That is the beauty of a lady.”

Words of wisdom you might think are coming from a mature woman. But they are the life philosophy of a 13-year-old on the cusp of breaking into the big time in the world of modeling and pageantry.

That Karina Aliya Afandi, a first-grader in junior high school at Elyon School Surabaya, Indonesia, chooses to hone her catwalk and projection skills in Manila (by the iconic beauty Patty Betita) is an inspiring story.

THE SPARK

“OUT of nowhere, last year I decided to join a beauty contest in my city Surabaya. It turned out that this kind of contest needed me to prepare well in order to win. Everything started from there, I enrolled in classes for modeling and public speaking, and private tutorials. I also studied about the fashion world, as well as getting close to the media.

“All these preparations led me to winning the title of Putri Anak Indonesia Budaya 2022 [Princess Kid Indonesia Heritage 2022 for below 14 years old category].”

THE PORTFOLIO

“SINCE I won the pageant, I have been given lots of opportunities to do some commercials, become an actress and be a fashion model for some brands. Some of them are:

“Taking part as an actress in a famous film, Lara Ati Series 2, which the first series got a record of 35 million viewers at Vidio, a streaming site. I also have done some online advertising, mainly on Instagram.

“Being a fashion model in fashion shows across Indonesia for Indonesian brands including Eko Rudianto, Danny Dwa, Zriel, and Verraly. I also modeled [for] an international brand, Diana Putri Couture, which was named best designer at Couture New York Fashion Week and whose clothing designs have been worn by BlackPink.

“I love Ivan Gunawan, a fashion icon in Indonesia. He is a designer, model, producer, coach, and other stuff that relate to pageantry. If possible, I want to follow his career path and do even better.”

THE OTHER PASSIONS

“AS for my interests and hobbies, I currently play roller blades and do some shooting sports during the weekend. I do play some music instruments such as piano and violin.

“My passion is always and has been fashion and its world. Honestly, I haven’t thought about joining other pageants competitions since I am still holding my current title until October 2023.

“I also go from school to school [junior high schools] to educate students my age to not forget our traditional games, since new technology such as mobile phone has almost replaced our traditional games these days.

“I am also an appointed ambassador of the Bureau

A skin foundation that goes the distance

According to Shiseido, Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation SPF 30 PA ++++ has Light-Adjusting Technology, which visibly lifts, refines and smooths for a luminous-looking finish; Radiant Microcrystals, which correct the look of shadows created by fine lines and wrinkles so that skin appears smoother and firmer; and Transparent, Luminous Pearl, which visually counteracts hyperpigmentation by creating an even canvas to optimally reflect light.

of Indonesian Customs for my generation my age to educate ‘Not and Never to Use Drugs.’”

THE PHILIPPINE CONNECTION

“I AM the kind of person who really likes to experience new things, positive things. I have modeled in some big cities across Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Jogjakarta and other major cities. I do have wishes to model overseas as well.

“Since I was 8 years old, I have admired Catriona Gray when I watched her win Miss Universe 2018.

“I dream and wish to have some opportunities to be a model of famous Philippine designers and become a commercial model for Philippine products. I will definitely work hard to achieve that.”

“I have been a fan of supermodel-beauty queen Patty Betita and Renee Salud, a great fashion designer known as the ‘Ambassador of Philippine Fashion,’ since I entered the fashion world. My Dad has a business in Manila and he has some friends to hook us up with them. “Thanks to God, I am given the opportunity by Renee Salud to join his fashion show in Tagaytay [on April 22].”

THE SUPPORT SYSTEM

DAD Leo says: “As parents, we are always supportive of our kids, my daughter in this case. We always have this parenting rule, which is, ‘If you want to pursue something, we will support you 100 percent and we will put all the effort in to make you succeed.

CEO and President Rhea Anicoche-Tan to the group YEP (Young Entrepreneurs of Pampanga) during their general membership meeting recently at the Beautéderm Headquarters in Angeles City.

Anicoche-Tan encouraged the young entrepreneurs to dream big and reminded them to treat people well, including their employees and customers. Another piece of advice the Beautéderm owner gave YEP members is to always give back.

However, you can not quit in the middle of the process before you reach your goal.’ That also applies to other passions.

“As parents, we will see her final results in class and also ask for her teachers’ opinions about her, not to mention her friends also. Most importantly, we always put her happiness above all else, so we always give her time to mingle with her friends during weekends or some holidays. “Since Karina is still 13 years old, she can not really do anything by herself. So her mom must always be with her on any modeling occasions. Her mom serves as her ‘manager’ to manage her time, events, limitations, going places, studying time, music tutorials, etc.

“Karina even has a special name for her mom: ‘Mamager,’ as in ‘Mama Manager.’”

THE PERFECT PLAN

“SINCE I am still at school, I need to be able to find time to manage my activities in fashion. I have my own checklist for my wishes in modeling.

Some on the list have been checked and done such as modeling in major cities in Indonesia, becoming an Ambassador for the Indonesia Bureau of Customs for Anti-Drug Campaign, and being an actress in respectable movies. “Next on the list would be modeling overseas and knowing and working with some international models. I also have to be able to balance my studies. Currently, I am also the class president at my school.” ■

FOR the past year, I have mostly just worn one foundation and that’s the Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation SPF 30 PA ++++ mediumto-full buildable coverage formula that looks better on the skin the longer you have it on.

I am amazed at how this foundation doesn’t cling to the dry patches on my face. The finish is superb and there’s no white cast or photo flashback despite the SPF 30. My shade in this foundation is Oak (golden with a slight olive tone for medium skin). I can wear Maple (balanced tone for medium-tan skin) sometimes, too.

I still wear a mask most of the time and while there is some transfer with this foundation, it’s very minimal. The finish, by the way, is natural and not dewy.

The main ingredients of this foundation are Octinoxate 6.9 percent, Titanium Dioxide 1.0 percent, Water, Dimethicone, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone Glycerin, Trifluoropropyldimethyl/ Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Butylene Glycol, and Hydrogenated Polydecene.

At around P3,000 a bottle, the Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation SPF 30 PA ++++ is not inexpensive but you will only need a drop or two for daily wear. It really is worth it.

I have worn Shiseido Synchro Skin to concerts where I had to stand in line outdoors and I can attest to its staying power without making my face look like I applied cement on it.

It’s a long-lasting foundation that wears well and looks very natural and not cakey at all.

‘DREAM BIG AND EXTEND A HAND’

“If you made it, extend a hand,” said Beautéderm

“Stay grounded and have an attitude of gratitude. Even if you achieve great success, always remember who you are and where you came from.”

“Women’s Month may have ended but we don’t stop celebrating women and the work they do. We are interested in knowing in Rhea’s story and how she successfully built her brand. She is an inspiration to everyone,” said YEP when asked why they chose Anicoche-Tan to be their event speaker.

Aside from thousands of distributors and resellers in the Philippines, Beautéderm has already gone international with a branch in neighboring Southeast Asian country Singapore. It is also endorsed by some of the country’s showbiz A-listers like Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera, Bea Alonzo and Piolo Pascual.

Beautéderm also gives back to the community by granting scholarships to students who seek financial assistance. The company also works with local government units to help the elderly.

MONTBLANC Bowling Bag with Envelope Pouch

Xperto‘s CEO bags PFPA award for providing digital solutions

XPERTO, a Philippine-based tech startup company that develops digital solutions for lifelong learning and professional organizations, has announced that its CEO, Engr. Emmanuel Caguimbal, has received the prestigious Philippine Federation of Professional Associations (PFPA) Award for his outstanding contributions to his field. PFPA Award recognizes Filipino professionals who have made significant contributions to their respective fields and aims to leverage the expertise of professionals in both the government and private sectors to enhance the quality of life of Filipinos.

Caguimbal's vision of developing digital solutions blossomed after he experienced frustrating issues attending conferences, such as delayed starts, registration issues, technical glitches, and inadequate staffing caused by limited manpower and a lack of technology for planning and managing professional development events.

Xperto’s team of developers innovated a web-based platform that hosts virtual events for professionals and students, which includes end-to-end services such as registration, payment collection,

virtual event platform setup, and certification.

Through his sense of urgency and innovation, Caguimbal‘s vision led Xperto to be at the forefront of the digital transformation of professional organizations in the Philippines. Their three core services, namely, Xperto Event Management System (XEMS) are used for events through automated registration and benefits higher attendee engagement, fast and secure payments as well as networking opportunities. Second is the Xperto Association Management System (XAMS) which simplifies member registration and management. Third is the Xperto Credentialing Management System (XCMS) which streamlines the process of applying for and issuing credentials while leveraging blockchain technology to enhance security.

Currently, Xperto is expanding its services to further professional societies in the health, business, natural, and built environments. Its plan is to service other professional communities, sororities, fraternities, and alumni associations. In fact, Xperto achieved a significant milestone by being

selected as one of the Top 14 startups among the ninth cohort of IdeaSpace‘s Flagship Accelerator Program and received recognition as one of the beneficiaries of the DOST-PCIEERD Startup Grant Fund Program. These noteworthy accomplishments in the past demonstrates Xperto's potential to make a more remarkable impact in the industry. Xperto’s success story is a testament to the growing trend of digital solution platforms in the Philippines that allow professional organizations to thrive in the modern world. Engr. Caguimbal believes that behind their success, one good entrepreneur should have a solid understanding of technology, business mathematics, and good people skills. What started as Caguimbal’s vision turned into a fruitful passion and is now recognized by the PFPA as a notable contribution to Filipino advancement and innovation.

With this award, Xperto continues to drive innovation, develop digital solutions, and provide unparalleled services to its customers, making a significant contribution to the advancement of the Philippines.

Countdown begins to the much-awaited event of the year—PSMex 2023 back-to-back with I-MTAP 2023

THE countdown begins to the much-awaited event of the year!

Well supported by the icons of the metal and its allied industries, the 2nd Philippine Subcon and Manufacturers Exhibition 2023 or PSMex 2023 themed as "Make it in the Philippines" back-to-back with International Machinery Tools & Accessories Philippines or I-MTAP 2023, will be held from April 26 to 29, 2023, Hall B & C of World Trade Center Metro Manila. Entrance is free to the public.

PSMEX 2023 caters to the needs of the Aerospace, Automotive, Electronics and Motorcycle manufacturing industries, while I-MTAP will showcase state-of-theart products from the metal and its allied industries from leading manufacturers, subcontracting companies, services, local distributors as well as foreign suppliers.

Take advantage of over 20 free technical

AirAsia PHL, Operations Smile join forces for 2nd Swing for Smiles golf tournament

FOR the second time in a row, AirAsia Philippines partnered with Operation Smile Philippines for “Swing for Smiles” Golf Tournament last 14 April 2023 – a fundraising activity under the "alwaysREADY to go the extra mile for a smile" campaign, for the benefit of children with cleft lip and palate and aspiring indigent athletes.

Happened at the Eagle Ridge Golf & Country Club in General Trias, Cavite, the charity event was supported and attended by 100 golfers from all over the country, generating a total of Php500,000

which will be used for the beneficiaries’ palatoplasty procedures.

AirAsia Philippines Communications and Public Affairs Country Head Steve Dailisan said, “Our partnership with Operation Smile has grown over the years and it is our honor to be able to support this kind of fundraising initiative for children with cleft lip and cleft palate. Our goal is more than just awareness, but a continuous movement for the benefit of our patients. We want to thank all the participants of this year’s Swing For Smiles for helping us raise the necessary funds

for their operations. This partnership is a testament to the commitment of both organizations to give back to the community and make a positive impact on the lives of those in need.”

During the awarding ceremony, three winners from a raffle draw were given two round-trip tickets, covering all of the airline’s domestic destinations. Golf aficionados and guests were also treated with giveaways from airasia Super App.

In the past years, AirAsia Philippines, through alwaysREADY to go the extra mile for a smile campaign, has continuously supported Operation Smile Philippines by inflight donation drive on all of its domestic flights. Currently, the Best Low-Cost Airline supported 189 surgeries by sponsoring a number of volunteers’ flights to OSP surgical program sites and raised over PHP600,000 inflight donations from March-November 2022.

Last year, the Swing for Smiles golf tournament generated 1 million pesos which funded surgeries and medical missions of the organization.

This year, AirAsia Philippines and Operation Smile Philippines target to increase the number of beneficiaries to 1,200. Guests flying to domestic and international destinations can donate any amount on board.

seminars to enhance your knowledge and awareness about the latest technology and the industry. For more information, email mai_mgt@ compass.com.ph or contact them at 0969477-5259. See you there!

Enchanted Kingdom Presents “The Four Kings and Queen” Concert Featuring 4 Certified Hitmakers and Pops Fernandez

ENCHANTED Kingdom is proud to present a concert that will bring back the golden era of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) “The Four Kings and Queen” on May 7, 2023, at the Enchanting Events Place at 7pm.

Under the musical direction of Gerry Matias, the Four Kings and a Queen concert is all set to wow the audience with a repertoire of OPM classics from the quartet of certified Hitmakers Nonoy Zuñiga, Hajji Alejandro, Rey Valera and Marco Sison, plus a good dose of captivating performances from the undisputed Concert Queen Pops Fernandez with her renditions of top favorites and modern pop hits. Gerry Matias is a highly respected musician, composer, and arranger known for his exceptional talent in the music industry.

The concert promises to be a winning live entertainment phenomenon as the artists will perform their classic hits that have become part of the Filipino music culture. Fans can expect to hear Nonoy Zuñiga‘s “Kumusta Ka,” Hajji Alejandro‘s

“Nakapagtataka,” Rey Valera's “Maging Sino Ka Man,” Marco Sison‘s “Si Aida, Si Lorna, o Si Fe,” and Pops Fernandez‘s “Don‘t Say Goodbye” and many more.

Ticket prices are VVIP at P5,000, VIP at P3,750, and General Admission at P2,000. For Concert & Admission to the park, ticket prices are VVIP at P5,700, VIP at P4,450, and General Admission at P2,700. Tickets are now available at Enchanted Kingdom Makati Sales Office, Front Gate ticket booths and online soon https://bit. ly/4Kings1QueenatEK. Fans can also check www.enchantedkingdom.ph and Facebook: enchantedkingdom.ph for more details.

This May 7, 2023, Enchanted Kingdom and the Four Kings and Queen of OPM invite everyone to join them as they celebrate the beauty and richness of Filipino music. It's a night not to be missed, so grab your tickets now!

For more information, feel free to get in touch with our Magical Guest Relations Office at 09088861271 (+632) 85843535 or (+632) 85844326 to 29 or email at mgrd@ enchantedkingdom.ph

TURUMBA FESTIVAL OPENING. Pakil, Laguna Mayor Vince Soriano (4th from left) and his wife Myrna, (3rd from left) and the members of the Sangguniang Bayan join the ribbon cutting ceremony to start the Turumba Festival, the longest religious festival in the province as well as in the country. The Turumba Festival commemorates the seven sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Bernard Testa/BM

Choose your tribe

THE people you are most frequently with—your friends, your officemates, your significant other—all have an effect on you. They can influence your speech, your mannerisms, your behavior, and can even dictate your thoughts and emotions.

So imagine how you will end up when you are with the wrong people all the time.

I am not a psychologist, but I have experienced firsthand how strongly people can affect each other, especially when they are together for most of their waking hours. For example, I have seen how I adversely affect my child’s mood when I’m particularly sad or cranky.

At work, I remember my feelings of dread and foreboding every time I hear a former colleague’s voice or even just that person’s heels clicking as she walked in the office.

While you may not always be able to choose your teammates or the people you will have to regularly work with, there are ways to help shield yourself from the ill effects of the people who are not exactly right for you.

Get the right people on the bus

W H EN h iring team members, make sure to not just look at technical competencies and credentials. Be more keen on “character hires”—they may not always be the best of the best when it comes to skills and competencies, but if they are of good character, it will be easier to work with them in the long run. You can train for skills, but you cannot teach character.

Also, make sure that your hires are a good fit for the cul -

n GiGil and TnT display The perils of noT reGisTerinG your siM c ard in Their laTe sT viral videos

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—

There’s nothing scarier in the digital age than losing access to the one thing that connects you with all of your loved ones and other important contacts at the touch of a button— your personal phone number.

Ahead of the SIM registration deadline on April 26,

independent creative agency

GIGIL and mobile brand TNT demonstrate the consequences of not registering your SIM in a new series of videos blasted on social media.

The first video released on April 15, Hu u po? starts off with a chilling atmosphere, enough to make one think it’s a teaser for the next best

thriller. In the pouring rain, a woman knocks at the gate of a house where a father and son are residing. The woman shouts, claiming she’s the son’s mom and that she has a new, albeit unregistered, mobile number. Unable to confirm if it’s his son’s mom, the father steps in to confront his supposed wife and accuses her of being a scammer for having an unregistered SIM.

The father and son hold each other in a tight embrace, afraid of what the woman might say next to try and fool them. The story ends with the woman being shunned by her own “family,” then claims to know the other people passing by in the neighborhood in an attempt to seek shelter from the rain and be let in to their homes.

In the clever story, the mother’s lines imitate that of the well-known scripts citizens know all too well and have been receiving from scammers since the dawn of texting.

The subtitles are formatted to mimic how people text,

ture that you have established or are trying to establish for your team. People who do not fit into your team culture will either leave after a short while or cause one too many headaches for you and your teammates. You do not need that kind of stress in your life.

Trust people, but not too much

W H EN y ou feel that you have the right people on your team, it is easy to give your full trust to them. Should you do that though? Yes and no. Trust them to do the job that they are supposed to do. Trust that they can help you achieve your goals and your vision for your organization.

But do not trust that they will always be by your side. Not to be a pessimist, but most people are only after their own self-interest. And why not? People need to survive and thrive.

strengthening the idea that the exchange happening in the video happens digitally as well. The viral video has garnered a total of 37 million views across YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok at the time of writing and an overwhelming amount of positive responses from the public since its release on April 15.

Following in the footsteps of Hu u po? is comedic clip, OTP Please, released on April 19. A more candid take on the failure to adhere to SIM registration, the short video depicts a man at a remittance stall to claim cash transferred to his account. The teller asks for an OTP (a one-time password sent via text) to confirm the man’s identity. The man says he doesn’t have an OTP since he hasn’t registered his SIM, to which the teller says she’ll be unable to verify his identity without it.

This prompts the man to show off his important documents tattooed on his body to prove his identity: his

Backed into a corner, even teammates you trust will choose to protect themselves. The same is most likely true for you, too. This is the reality.

Work life, personal life

W H EN y ou spend a lot of time together, it is inevitable for some work relationships to evolve into friendships. I have my fair share of workmatesturned-friends, too, and I am still friends with many of them until now. On the flip side though, there are work relationships that also paved the way for some of the most horrific episodes in my life. Gaslighting, betrayal—I wish I were exaggerating.

The lesson I learned: it is okay to make friends, but make sure to choose wisely and to not wear your heart on your sleeve. The workplace is exactly that - a place to work. Friendship is not

graduation photo (a nudge and wink to a recent public issue), driver’s license, and SSS ID. But without his signature on them, the woman instead asks for his birth certificate, which he has inked on his derriere. She inspects the tattoo and has him make photocopies of it. The video ends with the man obliging the request and sitting on a photocopy machine to print his birth certificate.

Our phones are always with us which makes it easier to verify our identity through OTPs. Without having a registered SIM, the man instead chooses to permanently have his other important documents with him through tattoos. The cunning comparison of the convenience of having your phone versus IDs with you shows the importance of registering your SIM to avoid hassle and embarrassing moments like what he experienced. The video has been viewed over 11.6 million times across YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok at the

your primary objective there. Learn where to draw the line between the professional and the personal.

prioritize yourself

W H EN h iring team members, choose those who can and will help you meet your vision and goals for your organization. If you do not have a say on the people you will be working with, keep the relationship entirely professional. Do not take things personally and do not take the relationship to the personal level—unless it naturally evolves that way and you really think that friendship is worth it. For your wellbeing, both physical and mental, always choose to surround yourself with people who can add value to your life. This goes for both professional and personal relationships. Give the best version of yourself to the people who

time of writing and received positive responses from people.

The agency behind the ingenious shorts, GIGIL, shared its inspiration behind the stories it created to convey the important message of SIM registration. Adobo Magazine spoke with GIGIL Senior Strategic Planner Nanais Hernandez on the insight the campaign hinged on.

“We found the irony of this project’s context quite interesting—D-day for SIM registration is fast approaching, yet people have no sense of urgency to register their SIM,” Nanais began. “And we found out that what causes this complacency is that they don’t really know what will happen if they don’t register.”

“We jumped off from a fairly simple insight, ‘walang connection, walang buhay.’” Nanais explained how Filipinos rely heavily on their network connections as it is a means to build relationships and even be entertained. “Not registering your SIM is like cutting off

truly love you: your family, your loved ones, your true friends. Do not allow toxic work relationships to get the best of you. In the end, the most important person to you is you.

PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier organization for PR professionals around the world. Abigail L. Ho-Torres is AVP and Head of Customer Experience of Maynilad Water Services, Inc. She spent more than a decade as a business journalist before making the leap to the corporate world.

We are devoting a special column each month to answer our readers’ questions about public relations. Please send your questions or comments to askipraphil@ gmail.com.

one’s lifeline,” she added. Nanais shared that while the insight was true, it did come off quite dark. However, they still wanted TNT’s signature quirkiness and witty personality to shine through. “We infused that in our materials to still reflect how bleak life would be without a SIM connection, but done so in a humorous way that only TNT could pull off. This will make people want to watch our films, and ultimately register their SIM.”

“The entire process was actually like TNT — it was fun, light, and full of LOLs! Our client Sir Francis Flores, along with his team, was very much supportive of our ideas, and he’d be the first to encourage us to push them even further. There was close collaboration between TNT and GIGIL all throughout. Kitang-kita naman sa finished product!” Nanais exclaimed.

So far, GIGIL’s viral videos has helped drive the number of Smart and TNT SIM registrations to 2.3 million.

Coach Bonnie leaves Knights, shifts focus on GlobalPort in PBA

BONNIE TAN bid Letran goodbye to end a fruitful four-year run for the Muralla school in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

I’m grateful for the opportunities that Letran has afforded me,” Tan said on Sunday.

“I’m deeply appreciative of how the community has welcomed me since I came on board and being considered as an honorary Letranite will always be one of the biggest achievements I could ever receive.”

Tan will focus on NorthPort where he was officially named head coach after serving in an interim capacity in the recent Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup.

Tan replaced Jeff Napa at Letran in 2019, the same year when Petron threw its full sponsorship of the school’s men’s basketball program.

H e immediately steered the Knights past the San Beda Red Lions in the NCAA Season 95 Finals and went 12-0 in Season 97 to complete a “three-peat.”

Tan went 44-13 won-lost at Letran, an impressive 77 percent winning rate that netted him three NCAA Coach of the Year awards.

H e also nurtured the collegiate careers of now PBA players Jerrick Balanza, Larry Muyang, Bonbon Batiller, Jeo Ambohot, Ato Ular and Allen Mina and Season 97 Rookie MVP Rhenz Abando who’s doing well South in Korea.

“As I close this chapter, I cherish all of those who believed in what we could do for the Knights, from boss Ramon S. Ang and sports director Alfrancis Chua of San Miguel Corp. to Letran Rector Fr. Clarence Victor C. Marquez, OP, Vice President for Academic Affairs Assoc. Prof. Cristina

M. Castro-Cabral, Ph.D and athletic director Fr. Victor Calvo, OP,” he said.

L etran is excpected to announce the appointment of Tan’s Rensy Bajar as head coach on Monday.

Coach Rensy has been with us during the ‘three-peat’ era and I’m confident that he can sustain the winning culture that we have built with the Knights,” he said.

L etran will still have a formidable team in Season 99, with Kurt Reyson, Paolo Javillonar and Kobe Monje all.

B8 Monday, april 24, 2023

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

Editor: Jun Lomibao

VARGAS ON JOLAS: JOB WELL DONE!

A DIVE AND A SMILE Libero Bernadett Pepito tallies 21 digs and 19 excellent receptions as University of Santo Tomas beats Far Eastern University, 26-24, 22-25, 25-16, 25-23, to complete the Final Four cast of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

By Josef Ramos

JOJO LASTIMOSA steering

TNT Tropang Giga to its first Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)

Governors’ Cup crown as interim head coach definitely augurs well for the organization. A nd the team’s brass are talking. “ We’re going to rethink his role,” TNT’s representative to the PBA board Ricky Vargas told BusinessMirror on Sunday. “He will continue to serve as a senior member

of the Talk ‘N Text team.”

A promotion perhaps to full-time head coach in lieu of Chot Reyes who has more than a plateful at Gilas Pilipinas preparing for the FIBA 2023 World Cup the country is co-hosting later this year?

We’re on a four-month break so let’s wait for what’s next,” Vargas said. T NT beat Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 97-93, in Game 6 Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to win the Governors’ Cup for the first time—its ninth crown since it joined the league in 2001.

Vargas said that Reyes’s contributions as active consultant was one of the main ingredients of the championship run.

We cannot set aside what coach Chot Reyes did in this conference despite him being busy as national coach preparing for the World Cup,” Vargas said. “He’s always there sitting on the bench and serving as an inspiration to the players.”

For now, Vargas said they would savor the championship moment.

“ It feels good, it feels that at one point in time I thought I felt better

Australians rule SuBIT 30th anniversary race

AUSTRALIA’S seasoned bets

finished 1-2 in the men’s elite and 1-3 in the women’s race in the Subic International Triathlon (SuBIT) that celebrated its 30th year anniversary at the freeport on Sunday. Oscar Dart clocked 52 minutes and five seconds to rule the men’s race—an improvement for the world No. 112’s third-place finish last year.

J oshua Ferris, winner of the Asia Triathlon Cup Ipoh last year, made it a 1-2 Aussie finish after he crossed only seven seconds behind Dart to also better his sixth-place performance last year in the 750-meter swim, 20-km bike and 10-km run competition.

Japan’s Ren Sato failed to defend his NTT Asia Triathlon Cup Subic Bay title as he finished 37 seconds after the top Aussie crossed to save

MOTHER-DAUGHTER tandems will share the limelight in the Highlands Ladies Cup this Saturday at the Tagaytay Midlands and Lucky 9 courses not as competitors but as part of the workforce that will help guarantee the success of the posh club’s flagship tournament.

a podium finish. Second seed Charlotte McShane closked 58:43 and Ellie Hoitink timed 58:58 for the 1-3 Aussie finish in the women’s elite category. They sandwiched China’s Yifan Yang (58:54) in the podium.

R ounding out the top five in the men’s elite race of the event organized by Triathlon Association of the Philippines and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority were Japan’s

than the first championship we got,” he said. “So it feels good.”

The Manuel V. Pangilinan franchise won its first PBA crown in the 2003 All-Filipino conference with Asi Taulava at his prime.

T he 59-year-old Lastimosa, one of Alaska’s top players during its reign in the league, said he would heed whatever TNT management decides.

As far as I know, this is a oneoff. But I don’t know what MVP [Pangilinan] will do, Mr. Ricky Vargas and Mr. Al Panlilio will do,” Lastimosa said. “But I’ll be ready just in case.”

H e added: “I can be a manager and a coach at the same time … I’m still doing my managerial job. I haven’t lost that one yet.”

L astimosa reiterated his gratitude to the coaching staff— Josh Reyes, Sandy Arespacochaga and Yuri Escueta—for their successful campaign.

We are running the same system as coach Coach Chot Reyes’s. I just have different substitution patterns and timeouts,” he said. “But generally, it was an incredible job by the coaches.”

O ne remarkable move under Lastimosa’s watch was replacing Jared Hudson after six games with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who didn’t disappoint as a legitimate National Basketball Association player.

The Best Import of the conference didn’t only provided the big numbers for the Tropang Giga, but the basketball smarts and court leadership and management that was a puzzle the Gin Kings couldn’t solve in the entire series.

Genta Uchida (52:38) and Jumpei Furuya (552:38).

C hinese, Meiyi Lu (59:07) and Anqi Huang (59:20) completed the top five in the elite female category.

P hilippine bet Fernando Jose Casares, gold medalist in the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games last year, finished 25th position in 66-men fleld in 54:46, while three-time SEA Games gold medalist Kim Mangrobang clocked 1:01:07 for 24th place out of 48 entries in the women’s contest.

Mother-daughter pairs to draw spotlight in Highlands Ladies golf

SAN FRANCISCO—Draymond

Green is certain this is far from his last suspension, and he had some strong words for the National Basketball Association (NBA) trying to make him an example of suspensions based on past behavior.

The Golden State forward is set to return for the Warriors in Sunday’s Game 4 against the Sacramento Kings with his team trailing 2-1 in the best-of-seven series after serving a one-game suspension during the defending champions’ 114-97 Game 3 victory Thursday night.

“Them (s___) don’t work,” Green said Saturday of any special rules for him. “Here I am, still sitting here, still winning. They created those rules before, they didn’t work, they still don’t work. Maybe they did but Draymond won’t be moved by no Draymond rules. I will continue to play the game how I play the game, operate how I operate, be exactly who I am, because that leads to winning.”

I n the fourth quarter of the Kings’ 114-106 Game 2 win Monday night, Green stepped on the chest of Sacramento center Domantas Sabonis after Stephen Curry grabbed a defensive rebound.

W ith the Warriors pushing the ball up court and Sabonis on the ground, Green took a hard step on Sabonis, who stayed down for several minutes as officials reviewed the play.

Sabonis was called for a technical foul for grabbing Green’s leg, and Green was given a flagrant 2 foul that led to an automatic ejection.

Golden State shined in Green’s absence the next game, though Curry made clear his disappointment with the NBA’s position and noted how it took everyone responding—saying “how bad of a decision I think they made on suspending him first and foremost and you’re frustrated with that but you also have to understand, I know Bob (Myers) said it up here yesterday, we have a job to do and there’s nothing we could do about it.” AP

CYCLE PH IN IMUS Sun Life brand ambassadors (from left) Piolo Pascual, Donny Pangilinan and Matteo Guidicelli share a light moment before the start of Sun Life Cycle PH at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub in the City of Imus Sunday. The organizing Sunrise Events Inc. donated 26 bikes and 30 helmets to the City of Imus after the bike ride which drew over a thousand participants of all genders and skill set.

Promise of Asia 7s

WHEN the BPI AIA Asia 7s Football Championships kicked off last Friday at the McKinley Hill Stadium, you could feel the electricity in the venue.

The pairs make up the Tagaytay Ladies team, which has produced winning twosomes since the squad was formed 18 years ago—including Marixi Prieto and Sandy PrietoRomualdez, dermatologist Lilibeth de Villa’s daughters Linnel, Debbie and Angela anchoring Highlands’ title runs in the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines (WGAP) Circuit and Cup and Ladies Federation Games.

De Villa’s eldest daughter Lilet, businesswoman and artist Mathilda Sun and Jessalynn Tan’s daughters Kathleen and Patricia, who

Some 150 fans trooped to the former home of the defunct United Football League and an international football competition began in earnest.

There was a smattering of Japanese, Indian and Bruneians, and a larger Filipino contingent to cheer on their respective squads. And it was noisy. Just the sort of atmosphere you want for a competition. How much more if Guam and Vietnam, two other nations that were supposed to participate but pulled out at the last moment, were there.

B y the time this column comes out on print, either Japan or India will be the inaugural winner of this tournament. The ultimate winner here is the sport of seven-a-side football.

T his tournament—a brainchild of former football national team player Anton del Rosario—has the makings of a massive sporting event that will propel the sport to dizzying heights.

W ith the incredible support of AIA and BPI AIA for sevens football and its related event, the Kampeon Cup, this will only grow. I’d say within the next three years;

recently graduated from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, are all set to join one of the country’s winningest ladies golf squads.

Sisters Chesca and Tara Imperial mirrored their mother Farah’s golfing prowess, while cousin Kyla Laurel, who is also into college softball, is in the same league of this new breed of young women golfers ready to take center stage when the WGAP circuit and other club tournaments resume.

Belle Corp.’s Willy Ocier, Rosalind Wee of W Group of Companies and Sandy Romualdez will hit the ceremonial drive on Saturday, kicking off the

all events will really take off.

milestone 15th staging of the 18-hole fun but competitive tournament backed by Diamond sponsors W Group Inc., CWC Int’l. Corp., Agrikulture and Ocier.

The Platinum patrons are CLC Marketing Ventures Corp., Parola Maritime Corp., Powerball Gaming, Miniso PH and SM Dept. Store, while the hole-in-one sponsors are Club Car, GAOC Dental, Cobra LTDx Golf (iron set), Regent Travel (barkadahan package for 4 in Dumaguete at Blue Ternate Dive and Wellness Resort, with round-trip tickets via PAL, and Lucerne, with Regent Travel and Moringa-02 as Gold backers.

I s aw that with the grassroots National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) when I first got involved with them in 2011. It was transitioning from a regional tournament to one that included National Capital Region squads and the eventual high school All-Star Game. A few years, we had international guest squads. We went from regional gyms to the Ynares Center and the Meralco Gym to the MOA Arena. We went from me—the only media person—covering the event to dozens of others writing and featuring the games, the players and Filipinos born overseas.

Now, it’s a massive event (even if I have not been involved with the NBTC since 2018), and it’s a delight to see.

T he BPI AIA Asia 7s Football Championship also gives all the four participating teams a chance to see where their respective programs stand; the level of their play, and where they need to go.

T he technical nous, discipline, speed and power of Japan I expected. Nevertheless, it was a sight to see. That they have crushed all the opposition is once more no

Jackie Kawsek, on the other hand, said her long game has been complementing well with mom Mabek’s short game, making them a tough pair to handle, while Regent Travel’s Connie Mamaril had played with daughter Kristel before the latter left for Florida as a sports therapist. A f ew years before golfer-turnedscuba diver Hedy See suffered back injuries, daughter Hannah also suited up for the team in various club tournaments.

T he team will soon parade a grand mom-granddaughter pair as Dionne Cu and 15-year-old Katie Cu Yaw while Cathy Borja and Gabby, also 15, have been hoisting trophies in several tournaments.

surprise. Hence, the Japanese will be the barometer for the style of play.

I ndia was a pleasant surprise considering that cricket and field hockey are upper stratosphere sports there. Kabaddi, 11-a-side football, tennis and badminton are the next most popular sports.

Seven-a-side football is also growing in their country.

O ver at Brunei, they play different variants of the football—seven-a-side, eight-a-side and so on. Traditional football is by far the top sport. Silat, martial arts, badminton and polo are also massive.

Their seven-a-side game is starting to grow as well.

A s for the Philippines, this is Year Five with the program taking a quantum leap this season. There are a lot of learnings that will surely provide the blueprint for success to come.

A nd for all the nations involved in the inaugural event, they will look back at this as something special. And the start of some really great promise individually and collectively.

Green on ‘special’ rules on him: Them (s___) don’t work

THE TNT Tropang Giga finally get their first Governors’ Cup crown.