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MOVING ON MAV n
VLADIMIR GRIGOREV | DREAMSTIME.COM
What scuttling the controversial importation system could mean: it requires legislative action, could invite a response from trade partners, and means foregoing certain funds earmarked for agriculture.
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By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas
BOLITION of the minimum access volume (MAV) system, a policy direction initiated by the Economic Development Cluster (EDC), would streamline import processes and curb possible corruption in bureaucracy. It may mean, however, foregoing funds earmarked for the agriculture sector.
Getting rid of the MAV system would also require legislative action since the measure was created by Republic Act 8178 or the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996, experts told the BusinessMirror. Based on the Philippines’s notification to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the country’s MAV system “cannot be abolished without legislative approval” since it was created by legislation. Former Agriculture Secretary Segfredo R. Serrano confirmed to the BusinessMirror that an amendment of RA 8178 is needed in order to abolish the MAV system. Serrano pointed out that if the country pursues abolition of the
MAV system, it will not entail a notification to the WTO since it is a “unilateral move that would not prejudice” any trade partners. However, Serrano noted that nothing will stop WTO trade partners from raising concerns at the multilateral body if the Philippines removes its MAV system, especially if they think they can leverage it. Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III earlier revealed that the EDC, which he chairs, has instructed the DA and the Department of Trade and Industry to “work towards” the “removal of the MAV system,” replacing it with appropriate tariff rates to regulate agricultural imports.
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 48.4020
(Related story: https://businessmirror. com.ph/2021/04/21/dominguez-tariff-mavoptions-were-suggested-by-edc/)
The instruction came as EDC identified that “government tariffs, low MAV quotas and non-tariff barriers to trade” were factors in the spike in prices of key food commodities, which contributed to higher inflation rate.
Reforms under way
AGRICULTURE Secretary William D. Dar said on Wednesday they are mulling over reforms in the country’s MAV system and are seeking a unitary tariff rate for in-quota and out-quota imports of concerned agricultural products. Dar confirmed to the BusinessMirror that reforms concerning the country’s MAV system are on the way to “streamline import procedures.” Dar said they are looking to remove the current MAV licensing requirements and implement a “first come, first served” policy on availing the existing quotas for certain agricultural imports. Dar also disclosed that the Department of Agriculture (DA) will request the assistance of the Cabinet-level interagency Committee on Tariff and Related Matters (CTRM) in coming up with a unitary rate for agricultural commodi-
ties that have existing MAVs. “The removal of MAV licensing requirements will streamline processes and ensure actual availment by MAV importers based on a ‘first to arrive’ principle,” he said via SMS. “We will request CTRM to assist in the unification of in-quota and out-quota tariffs inasmuch as there are now a few products that have unified rates,” he added. MAV is a commitment made by countries like the Philippines to the WTO to facilitate trade between countries by ensuring a guaranteed minimum volume of imports to enter their respective domestic markets at a lower tariff. The MAV is implemented in the form of tariff rate quotas, wherein imports within the quota (in-quota) are slapped with lower tariffs compared to out-quota volume. At present the MAVs for agricultural products are allocated among eligible importers, firms and companies based on their past MAV performances. Quota holders are also required to secure a MAV license. Certain agricultural products with existing MAVs have two-tier tariffs such as pork; here, in-quota imports are levied with 30-percent tariff, while out-quota volume has
a 40-percent tariff. However, certain agricultural products that have MAVs have achieved unified in-quota and outquota tariff rates today due to commitments made by the Philippines to the WTO. The products with MAV that already have uniform in-quota and
out-quota tariffs are: chicken, frozen or chilled (40 percent); turkey livers, frozen or chilled (40 percent); potatoes, fresh and chilled (40 percent); and roasted coffee beans (40 percent). The United States’ International Trade Administration noted Continued on A2
n JAPAN 0.4484 n UK 66.9932 n HK 6.2376 n CHINA 7.4566 n SINGAPORE 36.4226 n AUSTRALIA 37.3228 n EU 58.1695 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.9076
Source: BSP (April 23, 2021)
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A2 Saturday, April 24, 2021
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Global virus resurgence threatens vigorous growth momentum
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By Enda Curran & Eric Martin Bloomberg News
HE renewed surge in Covid-19 infections is threatening to further divide the world economy between the rich and poor, potentially damaging overall global growth if the fresh outbreaks spread or if key sources of demand falter.
More people were diagnosed with Covid-19 last week than any other since the pandemic began. The World Health Organization (WHO) this week warned that new infections are increasing everywhere except Europe, led by rocketing numbers in India with cases also rising in Argentina, Turkey and Brazil. That’s casting a shadow over a previously vigorous global economic rebound given that failure to control the virus or get vaccines distributed evenly risks driving new mutations, first in emerging markets and then on to developed nations that had been beating the pandemic back. Even if that doesn’t happen, a two-speed recovery will restrain even inoculated countries by limiting foreign demand for their goods and destabilizing supply chains. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said last month that the recovery would miss out on a $9-trillion bump by 2025 unless faster progress is made in ending the health crisis. Emerging and developing economies accounted for twothirds of global growth before the pandemic and around 86 percent of the world’s population. The World Bank told them just this week that they must prepare for the possibility of their recoveries losing steam. India—where a new wave of infections is undermining a nascent economic revival—alone is the world’s sixth largest economy. “The new case spikes represent a reality check for the world economy as it is clear that the pandemic is nowhere close to being over,” said Tuuli
McCully, head of Asia Pacific economics at Scotiabank. “Many lowerincome economies continue to face severe Covid-19 related challenges and have a long road ahead before they are back to ‘normalcy.’” More than 944 million vaccinations have been administered across 170 countries, according to data collected by Bloomberg— enough doses for 6.2 percent of the global population. But the distribution is lopsided with the highest income countries getting vaccinated about 25 times faster than those with the lowest. “I see it as a race between virus mutations and vaccine rollout,” said Rob Subbaraman, head of global markets research at Nomura Holdings Inc. “Many people are not aware that while the 1918 Spanish flu is believed to have started in the US and then spread to Europe, in the end the countries that suffered most were in emerging markets. It’s an ominous sign of history repeating itself.” Markets are showing signs of jitters. A gauge of stocks in Asia has lagged global peers this month, while the Indian rupee is this week’s worst-performing currency in the region. Investors have sought out traditional havens like the Japanese yen, and rewarded those with better track records of managing the outbreak such as the Israeli shekel, Taiwanese dollar and the British pound. Companies most reliant on a reopening of the global economy are especially vulnerable and the latest infection surge is overshadowing a “priced to perfection reopen trade,” Stephen Innes, chief
HEALTH-CARE workers prepare to administer Covid-19 vaccines to residents at a vaccination site in Richmond, California, on April 15. BLOOMBERG
‘T
he new case spikes represent a reality check for the world economy as it is clear that the pandemic is nowhere close to being over. Many lower-income economies continue to face severe Covid-19 related challenges and have a long road ahead before they are back to ‘normalcy.’”
—Tuuli McCully, head of Asia Pacific economics at Scotiabank global market strategist at Axicorp Financial Services Pty Ltd. in Sydney, wrote in a note to clients. “The glaring problem is that despite strenuous efforts by the medical community around the globe, we are not even close to calling it a day so that people can start again or continue with things more productively,” according to Innes. The spread of cases threatens
MOVING ON MAV Continued from A1
that the Philippines’s in-quota and out-quota tariff rates for agricultural products “averaged 36.5 percent and 41.2 percent, respectively, and have not changed since 2005.”
Elimination of Acef
SERRANO explained that abolishing the MAV system would also eliminate the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (Acef), as it would be depleted and would no longer be replenished since its funds come from the tariff revenues collected from imports within the MAV. Due to this, Serrano, who was the country’s longest-serving agriculture undersecretary in the 21st century and former trade negotiator, disclosed that the DA has taken the position to retain the MAV quotas. “Legally, there are no specific expiry provisions for the MAV and the Acef in RA 8178. Since changing and amending the law cannot be through Executive action, eliminating the MAV will require legislation by Congress,” he said in an interview.
United Broiler Raisers Association President Elias Jose Inciong is batting for abolishing the MAV system, saying it has been rendered “useless” after tariff rates for the in-quota and out-quota rates of certain agricultural products have reached parity since 2005. As part of the country’s Philippine schedule of commitments to the WTO, the country must phase down its out-quota tariffs over a period of 10 years from 100 percent to 40 to 50 percent by 2005. Due to this, it has “roughly equalized,” meaning, the differential tariffs between the in-quota and out-quota imports have “slimmed down,” Serrano said. Inciong concurred with Serrano that the DA only retained the MAV for purposes of the Acef.
Elimination of corruption
BUT on the other side of the coin, Serrano said abolition of the MAV would have advantages as well. First, Serrano pointed out that the MAV, a quota administered by the DA, is “most susceptible to corruption,” thus, removing the mechanism would eliminate “this susceptibility of a cumbersome
quota allocation function.” “It is a simplification of trade policies. The management of MAV is a regulatory nightmare that is highly susceptible to corruption,” he said. Earlier, Senator Panfilo M. Lacson claimed there is a “tongpats” (kickback) in the management of the country’s MAV system. Serrano also explained that eliminating the MAV “increases” the government’s “chances and frequency” to apply special safeguard (SSG) actions on concerned agricultural imports. At present, agricultural imports that enter within MAV are exempted from any calculation to determine import surges for purposes of SSG. “Revenues from the imposition of additional SSG duties on top of regular tariffs during SSG action accrue to a separate special fund that can be used to enable local industries to compete and the government to more effectively detect and counter unfair trade practices of trading partners,” he added.
‘Appropriate tariff’
INCIONG said the MAV should be
what’s forecast to be a V-shaped recovery for global growth, led by the US and China. The IMF currently expects the world economy to grow 6 percent this year, the most in four decades of data. But it knows the longer the pandemic runs the harder it will be to meet that forecast. “The window of opportunity is closing fast,” Managing Direc-
tor Kristalina Georgieva said. “The longer it takes to speed up vaccine production and rollout, the harder it will be to achieve these gains.” The IMF modeled a downside scenario in which supply bottlenecks in vaccine supply and other logistical problems allow existing virus variants to become entrenched and new mutations to occur, leading to delays for reach-
abolished but the tariff rates must not be reduced below the existing out-quota tariff rates. “Exporters have enjoyed this privilege for such a long time. It is like an income-tax holiday, it is an incentive to them. So why would you forego tariff revenues?” Inciong added. Inciong argued that abolishing the MAV and applying a uniform tariff would encourage “more competition” between importers and traders. “It levels the playing field and in effect increases the velocity of goods,” he said. Meat Importers and Traders Association (Mita) President Jesus C. Cham supports the abolition of the MAV, but pointed out that a reduction of the uniform tariff must be implemented as well so that consumers would benefit and domestic industries would improve. “There should be a commitment towards reducing the import duty so our local industries become globally competitive without tariff protection,” Cham told the BusinessMirror. Cham noted that the agri-
cultural products that still have MAVs, such as pork, chicken, rice, corn and sugar, have the highest tariff rates. “The average tariff across agricultural products is at 9.8 percent. They should bring down the tariffs [on pork and chicken, others] to that average level,” he said. Serrano said if the government opts for a uniform tariff then they should find a middle ground between the present in-quota and out-quota tariff rates of the concerned agricultural import. “You can actually calculate the monetary equivalent of that. And that should be the gambit for the stakeholders to demand for that tariff level. It could be lower than the out-quota but higher than the in-quota,” he said, adding that the stakeholders may also ask that the tariff revenues be earmarked to their respective sector’s development.
Tolentino: Efficient use of tariff revenue
HOWEVER, Monetary Board Member V. Bruce J. Tolentino, who is also a former agriculture undersecretary, said tariff reve-
ing herd immunity of six months in advanced economies and nine months in emerging markets. Under such a scenario—with persistently high infection rates and deaths slowing the normalization of mobility—global growth could be 1.5 percentage points less than in the base case scenario in 2021 and a further 1 percentage point below the baseline in 2022. The pace of vaccinations over coming months and their ability to withstand new variants will dictate the recovery from here, according to Ben Emons, managing director of global macro strategy at Medley Global Advisors in New York. “It will take most of the second quarter to get visibility if the global roll out is truly succeeding against the variants,” Emons said.
nues are better invested in “public goods that support all commodities,” such as capacity building and shared infrastructure. “It will be inefficient and would constrict budgeting if tariff revenues would be tied to specific commodities,” Tolentino told the BusinessMirror. “More appropriate to ensure that basic public goods that support all commodities are funded from the public purse—science and technology, capacity building, shared infrastructure,” Tolentino added. Tolentino also supports the abolition of the MAV system, pointing out that it is already “obsolete” and “no longer a significant aspect of WTO agreements.” “It is up to each country to set tariffs according to its best interest,” he said. “The quotas are part of the MAV system and should also be abolished. In general, tariffs should be relatively low and uniform. Competitiveness is a matter of productivity, not tariff barriers,” he added.
www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug
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Saturday, April 24, 2021
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DTI chief says MECQ losses may reach ₧120 billion By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad
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he Philippine economy is estimated to lose around P120 billion during the three-week mo d i f ie d e n h a nce d com mu n it y quarantine (MECQ ), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Friday. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez told reporters that MECQ allowed 30 percent average improvement in jobs and firms operating compared during the more restrictive ECQ. The forecast is lower than the estimated loss of P180 billion—or 1 percent of the country’s gross domestic products—during the two-week ECQ by the DTI chief. Lopez said that, at the time, some 1.5 million workers were displaced but 500,000 of them are likely to have returned during MECQ. T he Nat ion a l C apit a l R eg ion (NCR) and nearby provinces, in-
cluding Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal—or NCR plus—were placed under ECQ on March 29 to April 11 amid the recent surge in Covid-19 cases. Currently, the NCR plus is under MECQ until April 30. Recently, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said that two-week ECQ in NCR plus dented the economy by P39.2 billion in income and wages. The MECQ period, meanwhile, may spell additional losses of P14.7 billion, Neda estimated. L opez e x pl a i ned ea rl ier t h at MECQ guidelines strictly prohibit high-risk activities to avoid further spread of infection, banning nonessential travels and the likes. At the same time, it allows low-risk and essential industries to still operate. For example, indoor dine-in restaurants are not permitted under MECQ. Outdoor dine-in, meanwhile, is allowed at 50 percent capacity with
diagonal seating or acrylic dividers. Theaters, cinemas, Internet cafes, amusement parks, casinos, libraries, museums and beauty salons, among others, are banned from operating under MECQ.
Relief to business sector
On the other hand, the trade chief said that the agency is looking to secure a P10 billion worth of livelihood subsidy for both formal and informal microentrepreneurs under the Bayanihan 3. House Committee on Economic Recovery Cluster co-chairman Joey Salceda earlier this month said the lower chamber is eyeing to pass the P370-billion Bayanihan 3 on May 17. The DTI is also offering microlending for the business sector in partnership with Small Business Cor poration under the Cov id-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises
(CARES) program. The lending facility has approved P3.38 billion worth of loans for 25,920 borrowers so far. Of the approved loan amount, P2.78 billion was released already to 23,141 borrowers.
Vaccine
Lopez said that the DTI is still discussing the memoranda of understanding with potential vaccine manufacturers. In addition, he said that the agency met with Anti-Red Tape Authority (Arta) and Food and Drug Administration, among others, to tackle the green lane provision for the processing of the entry of the vaccine manufacturers. This is to assure that the approval process will not be hampered. United Laboratories Inc. confirmed its commitment to produce Covid-19 doses last April 7. It is
R&I affirms PHL’s BBB+ investment grade rating BOI okays P2.8-B
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By Bianca Cuaresma
apan e s e c re d i t w a t c h e r R a t i n g a n d Investment Information Inc. (R&I) announced that it is keeping its investment grade rating of the Philippines on the back of expected recover y from the economic effects of the pandemic. R&I affirmed the Philippines’s BBB+ with a “stable” outlook. The affirmed rating largely backed by the country’s fiscal and monetary actions which provided a “favorable outlook for the Philippines in the post-Covid period.” “The Philippines’s economy suffered a severe contraction due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 but is expected to recover primarily through aggressive public investment, which had driven the economy in the past several years. Fiscal and monetary policies will boost growth for some time,” R&I said. “ Wi t h t h e g o v e r n m e n t c o m m i t t e d t o maintaining fiscal discipline, the debt ratio will be back on a downward trajectory in the near future, in R&I’s view. In parallel with
crisis responses, the government has steadily accomplished comprehensive tax reforms and various regulatory reforms,” it added. The credit watcher also said the strength of the country’s external accounts serve as buffers against external shocks. “The overall balance of payments is positive and foreign reserves are greater than external debt,” it said. “R&I therefore considers the risk associated with the external position to be limited,” it added. The Japan-based ratings agency, however, said: “Attention should be given to downside risk to the economy, however, as new coronavirus cases resurged in the first quarter.” Economic managers said the recent affirmation of the Philippines rating from another credit watcher serves as a “vote of confidence” to the country’s path towards recovery. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said that in keeping its “BBB+” credit rating with a “stable” outlook for the Philippines, R&I has “apparently taken notice that although the global fight against the pandemic has proven to be a
costly one, the country’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals ahead of the pandemic have enabled the government to accelerate spending on urgent and necessary programs to save lives and keep the economy afloat. “With a manageable debt profile, a steady revenue stream brought about by tax reform, and the continued practice of fiscal prudence, the government is confident it will not run out of resources in waging the protracted battle against the Covid-19 crisis.” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno also welcomed the rating decision by R&I, saying, “The Philippines once again earned an important vote of confidence on its ability to bounce back from the Covid-19 crisis, with R&I’s affirmation of the country’s BBB+ rating with a ‘stable’ outlook.” “With the recent surge in Covid-19 cases, the tail end of the crisis is proving to be extra challenging. Never theless, we do not see a permanent dent on our macroeconomic fundamentals, and we can head back to our growth path post-Covid.
JobStreet study shows remote working boosts job applications in the regions W ith the shift to remote working, more applicants are eyeing jobs in the provinces, particularly Cebu, Iloilo and Davao, according to a study by JobStreet.com Philippines Inc. JobStreet Philippines Countr y Manager Philip Gioca said during a virtual event on Friday that location used to be one of the primary considerations of the job applicants—even more important than other work benefits—but this has changed since the pandemic. “But because we are all subjected to working from home [WFH], many of us are actually looking at flexible working arrangements,” he said, noting that 96 percent of the Filipino respondents want to continue working remotely. The survey revealed that Filipinos want to have a combination of fixed and flexible work hours. Nearly half said they prefer five days of remote working per week.
The work-from-home setups have sparked more interest in job applications in Cebu, Iloilo and Davao, Gioca said. “A lot of companies are now offering work-from-home setups or flexible working arrangements and therefore, job openings are starting to pick up in these key cities,” he revealed. JobStreet noted that candidate activities in Cebu increased by 20 percent to 383,000 last year from 319,000 in 2019. This further increased by 13 percent to 433,600 this year. In Iloilo, candidate activities jumped by 50 percent to 22,700 in 2020 from 15,100 yearon-year; a surge of 44 percent to 32,700 was recorded for 2021. While candidate activities in Davao dipped by 5 percent to 104,300 in 2020, this was followed by a 56-percent increase this year to 162,800. WFH setups, on the other hand, also allow individuals to work in the provinces while they
are still connected to their business in Metro Manila, Gioca added. On Friday, JobStreet launched its microsites for Cebu, Iloilo and Davao, making thousands of jobs available for browsing. “We’ve also observed that candidates from major provinces have increased their activities in terms of platform web site visits, which is why we really targeted to promote local employment and provide them valuable support in their career through their own dialect,” Gioca said. The job opportunities available in said microsites come from several industries, including information technology-enabled services, business-process outsourcing, health care/medical, food and beverage, construction and education. JobStreet is also teaming up with selected regional offices of the Labor department in launching virtual career fair from May 1-3.
Tyrone Jasper C. Piad
projects in agri and biomass
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he Board of Investments (BOI) reported on Friday that it has greenlighted P2.8 billion worth of investments in agriculture and renewable energy. The Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) attached agency said that the recent approvals include Axelum Resources Corp.’s P270-million agglomerated coconut milk powder and other plant-based infused coconut milk powder p ro d u c t s p ro j e c t w i t h a n n u a l p ro d u c t i o n capacity of 1.65 million kilograms. The new manufacturing line of Axelum in Misamis Oriental is expected to generate around 400 jobs. It aims to export all of its products, bulk or 80 percent of which will go to the Americas. The BOI also approved Mindoro Har vest Energy Co. Inc.’s 8-megawatt (MW) biomass power plant amounting to P1.22 billion. The biomass projec t is expec ted to be finished by end-2022, with a commissioning date of January 2023. BOI said the plant, once operational, would contribute to the 26.8 million uncontrac ted demand of Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative Inc. Lastly, Biotech Farms Inc.’s P1.33-billion expansion for its live hog production, adding 54,600 hogs, secured nod from BOI. The firm is looking to expand its swine division with the addition of a 2,500 sow-level pigger y farm. Currently, its South Cotabato facility has a capacity of 114,400 hogs. The investment promotion agenc y said that projects from agriculture sector went up by 132 percent to P364.8 billion in the first quarter from P157.4 million year-on-year. As of end-March, power or electricity investments soared exponentially to P122 billion from just P4.2 billion in the previous year for the same comparable period. Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo said that agriculture and power industries, which are both resource-based industries, have been the most resilient amid the pandemic. “ Th e u p t re n d o f p ro j e c t re g i s t rat i o n s par ticularly in the agriculture/agribusiness sector will go a long way towards boosting the sector’s output this year,” he said.
Tyrone Jasper C. Piad
St. Mary Euphrasia: A woman of courage and compassion
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n the Philippines, the Good Shepherd Sisters, or the Religious of the Good Shepherd (RGS), are known for their delicious ube jam, which is a favorite pasalubong of those who visit Baguio City for vacation. But unknown to many, the congregation behind the famous jam was established in the Philippines in Batangas City in 1912. On October 12, 1912, the first Irish RGS missionaries arrived in Batangas City from Burma (now Myanmar) to continue the mission of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd. Today the Philippines is already a province of the RGS, but upon its formation in the country, the congregation was under the Motherhouse in Angers, France where it was originally founded by St. Mary Euphrasia in 1835.
Who is St. Mary Euphrasia?
Born on July 31, 1796 in Noirmoutier, France, Rose Virginie Pelletier spent her childhood years in the aftermath of the French Revolution. She was called to religious life at age 18 when she joined the Sisters of Charity of the Refuge in Tours, an order devoted to caring for girls and women in difficulty. She took the name Sr. Mary Euphrasia, and later on became superior of the convent at age 29. While she was superior, Sr. Mary Euphrasia formed a contemplative group of penitent women who wished to live a cloistered life. The Sisters, who established their monastery at Angers, France, earned their living through intricate embroidery of priest vestments and production of altar bread. This group is known today as the Contemplatives of the Good Shepherd. Determined to extend the reach of their mission
The Court of St. Mary Euphrasia at Eternal Gardens Balagtas
St. Mary Euphrasia, founder of the Religious of the Good Shepherd to help distressed girls and women, Sr. Mary Euphrasia established the Generalate, which made it possible for the congregation to send Sisters to other parts of the world where they were needed. The international congregation of the Good Shepherd Sisters received approval from Pope Gregory XVI on January 16, 1835. Since then, the mission of the congregation spread across the world rapidly, bringing hope and help to numerous girls and women. Upon Sr. Mary Euphrasia’s death on April 24, 1868, the number of sisters in the congregation has grown to more than 2,000, and 110 foundations have been established all around the world. Her example of zeal, compassion, and courage continues to inspire her sisters today as they continue her work and carry out the
mission of the congregation. St. Mary Euphrasia was canonized on May 2, 1940 by Pope Pius XII. We celebrate her Feast Day today, April 24.
St. Mary Euphrasia honored in Batangas City
Back in Batangas City, St. Mary Euphrasia is being honored in various ways. There is a St. Mary Euphrasia Parish located at De Joya Capitol Village in Barangay Kumintang Ilaya, Batangas City. In Barangay Balagtas, Eternal Gardens, one of the trusted memorial park developers in the Philippines, pays homage to St. Mary Euphrasia by naming its new area after her. “We chose to name our new area The Court of St. Mary Euphrasia as a tribute to the founder of the
Good Shepherd Sisters, whose missionaries found their way to Batangas City more than 100 years ago,” Eternal Gardens President and Chief Operating Officer Numeriano B. Rodrin said. The Court of St. Mary Euphrasia at Eternal Gardens Balagtas is a 4-hectare expansion area located at the rightmost section of the park. It was opened in response to the clamor of Batangueños for more memorial properties since the branch, which opened in 1986, has already sold all its original inventory. The Court of St. Mary Euphrasia will offer various types of properties, including Lawn, Garden, and Family Estate. Soon a plaza with a beautiful statue of St. Mary Euphrasia will rise at the center of the new section in honor of the founder of the Religious of the Good Shepherd.
eyeing to operate its form, fill and finish plant by 2023. Glovax Biotech earlier announced its partnership with Korean vaccine manufacturer Eubiologics to produce EuCorVac-19 in the country. It has
an annual capacity of 100 million doses and can allocate 40 million to the Philippines. In addition, DTI is also in talks with IP Biotech and IG Biotech; and Dr. Zen Biotech iNc.
BusinessMirror
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ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS NO.
FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY
ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION
ANGELYN FASHION INTERNATIONAL INC. 1h-9 G/f Two Shopping Center Bldg. Taft Ave. Ext. St., Zone 10 Barangay 079 District 1 Pasay City 1.
TOSCANO, ROXY HEART Bangladeshi
INVENTORY SPECIALIST
APPTECHURE CORP. Units A&b 20/f Rufino Pacific Tower 6784 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St. San Lorenzo Makati City 2.
WANG, ZHIQIANG Chinese
MANDARIN GRAPHIC AND WEB DEVELOPER
BIG EMPEROR TECHNOLOGY CORP. 5f-13f, Jiaxing Tower Building Aseana Avenue, Aseana Business Park Tambo Parañaque City Eastfield Center Cbp1, Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City
NO.
FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY
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DYNA BINARY HOLDINGS INC. 18/f Tower 2 The Enterprise Center, 6766 Ayala Ave., Cor. Paseo De Roxas San Lorenzo Makati City
DONG, LINNA Chinese
41.
SHI, GAO Chinese
CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
84.
GAO, XILONG Chinese
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ZHANG, NAN Chinese
CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
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HUANG, ZOUMIN Chinese
CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
86.
JIANG, CHAOHUI Chinese
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87.
JIANG, HUAHUA Chinese
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LUO, PENG Chinese
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MEI, FANGCHENG Chinese
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95.
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96.
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CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
98.
YUAN, YUE Chinese
CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
99.
ZHANG, YANBIN Chinese
CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
100.
ZHANG, YUAN Chinese
CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
42.
5.
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE
43.
CHOW, KAI CHEONG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
6.
WU, PEIMING Chinese
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE
44.
HOU, KUN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
7.
CHEN, XIAOWEI Chinese
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
45.
JING, QIAN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
8.
DENG, GUANGMEI Chinese
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
46.
LI, JIA Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
9.
HOU, PENG Chinese
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
47.
LIAO, RUN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
10.
HUANG, SHAN Chinese
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
48.
LUO, WEI Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
11.
HUANG, JUNHAO Chinese
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
49.
PENG, DONGDONG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
12.
LEI, DEFENG Chinese
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
50.
PHOO PWINT AUNG Myanmari
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
13.
LI, SHUOWEN Chinese
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
51.
QI, SHENGJIE Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
14.
LIU, MEIRONG Chinese
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
52.
WANG, ZHIXU Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
15.
TANG, LEI Chinese
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
53.
WANG, RONGLING Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
16.
WU, JING Chinese
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
54.
WANG, YAN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
17.
YAO, QIXIAN Chinese
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503 Nueva St Binondo Manila
18.
ZHAN, ZEXIN Chinese
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
19.
ZHANG, TAO Chinese
20.
ZHOU, NAIJUN Chinese
55.
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
56.
CHEN, ZHONGYIN Chinese
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
57.
DENG, JUNHONG Chinese
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
58.
HUANG, WENJIE Chinese
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
59.
LIN, JIAPING Chinese
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
60.
SHENG, CHANGWEI Chinese
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
61.
SHI, QICHANG Chinese
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
62.
WANG, RONGJU Chinese
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
63.
WANG, YANGMAO Chinese
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
64.
WEI, RUNLAN Chinese
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
65.
XIE, XUE Chinese
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
66.
ZHAI, KAIQIANG Chinese
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
67.
SUN, LUJUN Chinese
SENIOR MARKETING SPECIALIST
68.
WANG, LICHAO Chinese
SENIOR MARKETING SPECIALIST
69.
WANG, SHUNDONG Chinese
SENIOR MARKETING SPECIALIST
70.
WANG, ZHANBIAO Chinese
SENIOR MARKETING SPECIALIST
BOSKALIS PHILIPPINES INC. R-5008-b12/f A-place Bldg. Cbp Coral Way Drive Brgy. 076 Pasay City 23.
KOK, RONALD Dutch
SURVEY MANAGER
CHINA HARBOUR ENGINEERING COMPANY 5/f Rm 501 Ramon Magsaysay Center 1680 Roxas Blvd. 076, Bgy. 699 Malate Manila 24.
MAO, DONG Chinese
PROJECT MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR
CIPEC CONSTRUCTION INC. U-1202 Global Tower Condo Gen. Mascardo Cor. Capt. M. Reyes Sts. Bangkal Makati City 25.
HUANG, SHAU-HAU a.k.a. HOWARD HUANG Taiwanese
FIELD EQUIPMENT SPECIALIST
CROWNTECH CORPORATION Unit 1203-1204 Techzone Bldg. Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. San Antonio Makati City 26.
DESI SUSANTI Indonesian
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT OFFICER
27.
INDAH Indonesian
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT OFFICER
28.
TAN SUAN SUAN Malaysian
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT OFFICER
CXLOYALTY PHILIPPINES, INC. 10f W Fifth Building 32nd St. Cor. 5th Avenue Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 29.
ALVARADO CASTANEDA, CARLOS ALFREDO Salvadoran
SPANISH CUSTOMER CARE SPECIALIST
DA PROSPERITAS HOLDING INC. 16/f Tower 6789 6789 Ayala Ave. Bel-air Makati City 30.
CHANG, CHEN-CHUN Taiwanese
CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
31.
LUO, JIAN Chinese
CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
DAELIM MANILA BRANCH Unit 2204a West Tower Psec Exchange Road, Ortigas Center San Antonio Pasig City 32. 33. 34.
CHA, SUNGJIN South Korean
FINANCE AND ADMIN MANAGER
AN, KWANGHYUN South Korean
KOREAN CIVIL COST MANAGER
LEE, DAE CHAN South Korean
KOREAN CIVIL MANAGER
DALETH CORPORATION Units A & B 20/f Rufino Pacific Tower 6784 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St. San Lorenzo Makati City 35.
ZHANG, TIANCHENG Chinese
MANDARIN ACCOUNT MANAGER
DAXIFA CORPORATION Mpire Center 93 West Avenue Project 7 Bungad 1 Quezon City 36. 37. 38.
DYNAMIC STUDIO TECHNOLOGY INC. 5th To 10th/f Platinum Tower Building Aseana Ave. Cor. Fuentes Street Baclaran Parañaque City
CHEN, PEIQIAN Chinese
MARKETING MANAGER MANDARIN SPEAKING
HUANG, DONGHAI Chinese
MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE
LU, YOUCHENG Chinese
MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
LY THO ME Vietnamese
MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
83.
LAI, WEIXIU Chinese
XIE, CHUN Chinese
DAI, JIN Chinese
LI, YUANYUAN Chinese
4.
22.
CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
40.
COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST
BON JIN LENDING INC. Units A&b 20/f Rufino Pacific Tower 6784 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St. San Lorenzo Makati City
CHEN, YONGWEN Chinese
CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
WU, WENQIANG Chinese
THAI LANGUAGE- OFFICER CUSTOMER SERVICE
POSITION
CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
3.
CHUASUWAN, KEMMANITJAREE Thai
81.
FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY
CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST
21.
NO.
ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS
CHANG FU CHING Malaysian
39.
AUNG MIN TUN Myanmari
BIGCAT SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS, INC. 18/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Avenue Cor. Rufino Street Salcedo Vill. Bel-air Makati City
www.businessmirror.com.ph
ENCORE AMUSEMENT AND GAMING SUPPORT SERVICES CORP. 3f Metlive Metro Park Edsa Ext. Cor. Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City
82.
INVECH TREASURE PROCESSING CORPORATION 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Floor Six West Campus Mckinley West Fort Bonifacio Taguig City
KILJUNEN, REBEKKA MARIANNE Finnish
75.
FLY ASIAN INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION Eighty One Newport Blvd. Newport City Va, Brgy. 183 Pasay City 76.
CHEN, KAI-CHIH Taiwanese
TECHNICAL CONSULTANT
MARKETING CONSULTANT (MANDARIN SPEAKING CLIENTS)
GLOBAL B2B CONSULTANCY, INC. 50/f Pbcom Tower 6795 Ayala Avenue Bel-air Makati City 77.
NGUYEN HOAI BAO THU Vietnamese
CUSTOMER SERVICE VIETNAMESE SPEAKING
GM PHILIPPINES, INC. A.t. Yuchengco Centre 26th And 25th Streets, Floor 20 Bonifacio Global City Taguig City 78.
KOZIOLEK, PAWEL HENRYK, Polish
SUPERVISOR (BILINGUAL)
HECTECHURE CORP. Units A&b 20/f Rufino Pacific Tower 6784 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St. San Lorenzo Makati City 79.
ZHOU, YUXIAO Chinese
SALES MARKETING MANAGER
HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES PHILS. INC. U-5302, 53/f Pbcom Tower 6795 Ayala Ave., Cor., V.a. Rufino St. Bel-air Makati City 80.
TANG, YOUHONG Chinese
HUAWEI PHILIPPINES DEVICE MARKETING HEAD PROJECT
INFOVINE INC. 9/f Y Tower, Moa Complex Coral Way Drive Cor. Macapagal Brgy. 076 Pasay City
127.
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
128.
LIU, LIAN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
129.
LIU, SONG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
130.
LIU, ZHIYU Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
131.
LIU, XIAOWEN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
132.
LU, FENG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
133.
LU, SHANLIN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
134.
LYU, WENWEN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
135.
MO, JUNFENG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
136.
PHAM HUY THOAN Vietnamese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
137.
QIN, BAOWEI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
138.
SHE, YINGDE Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
139.
SU, DONGSHENG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
140.
TAN, JIANQIANG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
141.
TANG, TIAN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
142.
TIAN, ZIFAN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
143.
WANG, YUKE Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
144.
WANG, ZHONGWEI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
145.
WU, GEZI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
146.
XIE, YIRONG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
147.
YAN, XIANGYANG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
148.
YANG, YAN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
149.
YANG, JIANBO Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
150.
YE, SHUSHUO Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
151.
YU, KAI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
152.
ZHAI, GUOJIAN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
153.
ZHANG, LIANG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
154.
ZHANG, YANG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
102.
156.
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
103.
YUE, FENGYU Chinese
INFORMATION SECURITY ANALYST
ZHOU, XIAOBO Chinese
157.
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
104.
DING, LI Chinese
ZOU, LEI Chinese
IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN
158.
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
105.
ZHAO, JIWEI Chinese
BU, YUBO Chinese
IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN
159.
QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
106.
QIN, JIAHUA Chinese
FENG, YONG Chinese
160.
QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
107.
SHEN, YANG Chinese
FENG, CHENGCHENG Chinese
161.
QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
108.
YAN, WENZHENG Chinese
HOU, ANJIE Chinese
162.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
109.
LU, YANFENG Chinese
HU, MINGJIAO Chinese
163.
HUANG, LONGYI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
164.
HUANG, ZHENREN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
165.
LI, JINGTING Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
166.
LIANG, AN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
167.
LIANG, ZHICONG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
168.
LIANG, ZHITAO Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
169.
LIANG, HAIFENG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
170.
LIANG, ZHAOXIONG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
171.
LUO, DINGTING Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
172.
MO, YECONG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
173.
QIN, GANG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
174.
QIN, ZEJI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
175.
QIN, XIAOXIAO Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
176.
SU, RONGYU Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
177.
WANG, SHIPING Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
178.
WANG, QINGLIN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
179.
WANG, XIAOCUI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
180.
WEI, KUANKUANG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
181.
WEI, SHIZHONG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
182.
WU, HANGDAN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
183.
WU, GUOJIANG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
184.
WU, HAIRONG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
110.
FIVE LAKES CONSULTING SERVICES INC. U-203 Pacific Center Bldg. No. 33 San Miguel Ave. San Antonio Pasig City
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
LIN, ZIHAO Chinese
INFORMATION SECURITY ANALYST
CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
126.
LIU, XINBIAO Chinese
NGUYEN TUAN ANH Vietnamese
JIANG, LU Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
LI, MENGFAN Chinese
ZHANG, ZHIWEI Chinese
72.
74.
LI, SHUAI Chinese
155.
JIDA COMMUNICATION (PHILIPPINES) INC. 99 Comclark Reliance Center E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave. Ugong Pasig City
IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN
125.
COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
WANG, SHUXIN Chinese
POSITION
ZHENG, JIANBO Chinese
PHAM THI KIM KHOA Vietnamese
73.
FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY
101.
71.
FIRST GREAT COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES INC. Lot 5 Sta. Agueda Cor. Queensway Pagcor Drive Sto. Niño Parañaque City
NO.
WANG, JIAHAO Chinese
DESIGN MANAGER
KMC MAG SOLUTIONS, INC. 20/f, Picadilly Star Building 4th Avenue Corner 27th Street Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 111.
KLINT, MICHAEL WINTHER Danish
CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
MACH 86 TECHNOLOGIES CORP. 5th-13th Flr. Workspace Bldg. 1419 Industry St. Corner Finance St. Mbp Ayala Alabang Ayala-alabang Muntinlupa City 112.
YANG, ANLIN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
MINDSCAPE CREATIVES INC. Unit 19-o, Burgundy Corporate Tower 252 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Pio Del Pilar Makati City 113.
GOU, HAILONG Chinese
MANDARIN TECHNICAL SUPPORT
MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower C4 Rd. Edsa Ext. Brgy. 076 Pasay City 114.
DAO VAN NHAT Vietnamese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
115.
FU, XIANQIANG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
116.
GONG, XIAONAN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
117.
HO LOC PHU Vietnamese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
118.
HOKYANTO Indonesian
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
119.
HUANG, JIE Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
120.
JI, YU Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
121.
KYAR ZU Myanmari
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
122.
LEE BOON HAN Malaysian
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
123.
LI, HUIJUAN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
124.
LI, NING, Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
The World
www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Angel R. Calso
Saturday, April 24, 2021
A5
Cracks emerge in US-led intel alliance over China approach
A
polite disagreement between Pacific Ocean neighbors on Thursday showed a fissure among US allies over China, underscoring the difficulties Joe Biden faces in forging a common front against Beijing. New Zealand distanced itself from Australia, a partner in the Five Eyes along with the US, UK and Canada, over whether the intelligence-sharing pact should admonish China on its humanrights record. The organization dates back to an alliance forged in World War II. “The Five Eyes arrangement is about a security and intelligence framework,” Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said at a news conference with her Australian counterpart Marise Payne in Wellington. “It’s not necessary, all the time on every issue, to invoke Five Eyes as your first port of call in terms of creating
a coalition of support around particular issues in the humanrights space.” While Payne acknowledged that New Zealand had the right to determine its own response to human-rights issues, she made the case for speaking out: “We also have to acknowledge that China’s outlook—the nature of China’s external engagement both in our region and globally—has changed in recent years.” The exchange reflects how New Zealand is becoming uncomfortable with the Five Eyes expressing increasingly critical views on China-related issues, including Beijing’s treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and suppression of democracy activists in Hong Kong. New Zealand has on occasion opted not to co-sign those statements and instead issued one separately, such as in January following mass arrests
Video: California deputy shoots Black man within a minute
S
AN FRANCISCO—A white sheriff ’s deputy in the San Francisco Bay Area shot and killed a Black man in the middle of a busy intersection about a minute after trying to stop him on suspicion of throwing rocks at cars last month, newly released video showed. Graphic body camera footage showing Deputy Andrew Hall shooting Tyrell Wilson, 33, within seconds of asking him to drop a knife was released Wednesday, the same day prosecutors charged Hall with manslaughter and assault in the fatal shooting of an unarmed Filipino man more than two years ago. The charges came a day after former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of killing George Floyd, a Black man whose death last May helped spark a national reckoning over racial injustice and police brutality. The new video in California shows Hall calling out to Wilson and walking toward him March 11 as Wilson walked away. Wilson eventually turns to face the deputy, holding a knife, and says, “Touch me and see what’s up.” As they stand in the intersection, Hall asks him three times to drop the knife as Wilson motions toward his face, saying, “Kill me.” Hall shoots once, and Wilson drops to the ground as drivers watch and record video. The entire confrontation lasted about a minute. An attorney for Wilson’s family released another video Thursday taken by someone stopped at the intersection. “It doesn’t seem like he was doing anything,” someone says. After Hall shoots Wilson, which can be clearly seen in the video, another person says, “Oh,
my God.... This dude just got shot and killed, bro.” Attorney John Burris said Hall was unnecessarily aggressive toward Wilson, who was not causing any problems and was backing away from the deputy before he was shot without warning. “This is a homeless man, he’s walking away, minding his own business. He’s basically saying go away, leave me alone,” Burris said. “You felt compelled to kill him.” Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston said the videos show Wilson was threatening Hall and was possibly throwing rocks at drivers. “He did threaten Officer Hall,” Livingston said. “And he did start advancing toward Officer Hall in the middle of a major intersection. Officers are forced to make split-second decisions to protect themselves and the public, and that’s what happened here.” Hall worked for the Contra Costa County Sheriff ’s Office, which was contracted by the city of Danville to provide policing services. Prosecutors have faced intensifying outcry after Wilson’s death, with critics saying they took too long to make a decision in the 2018 killing that Hall carried out. The deputy shot 33-year-old Laudemar Arboleda nine times during a slow-moving car chase. Burris, who also is representing Arboleda’s family, said that if prosecutors had acted more quickly in the Arboleda case, Wilson might still be alive. Burris said both men were mentally ill. The Contra Costa County district attorney’s office said it charged Hall with felony voluntary manslaughter and felony assault with a semi-automatic firearm in Arboleda’s death. AP
in Hong Kong. The other countries in the Five Eyes have dismissed any notion of a deep divide. A senior Biden administration official, who asked not to be identified, played down any differences of opinion and said there’s no concern of New Zealand becoming a stumbling block to cooperation in the group. A UK official similarly said any tension hasn’t seeped down to a working level, and there’s no push to kick out New Zealand. Still, some observers say New Zealand’s reluctance to speak out with the Five Eyes is a sign Beijing is gaining influence in Wellington’s affairs. China remains the nation’s top trading partner, responsible for 29 percent of its total export revenue, and the countries in February signed an upgraded free-trade deal expected to bolster New Zealand exporters.
Myanmar’s fired UN envoy pushes Asean to get tough on Army coup
I
t’s been more than two months since Myanmar’s military staged a coup, but the country’s pro-democracy envoy to the United Nations continues to arrive daily to his office, where he lobbies ambassadors and UN officials to help reverse the takeover. There’s only one problem: Since giving a dramatic speech in February at the UN in defense of his country’s demonstrators, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun has been fired by the Myanmar junta, and many of the people he claims to represent have been thrown in jail. The plight of Myanmar’s nascent democracy will dominate this weekend’s special summit of the Asean meeting in Indonesia. Even with more than 700 protesters killed by the military since February, expectations are low that the bloc— which has a long history of “non-interference” in other members’ internal affairs—will act decisively. Myanmar’s seat at the meeting will be filled by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the nation’s new military government, who is making his first overseas trip since the coup. That’s sparked criticism from protesters and observers who say the region has been too cautious in addressing the crisis. For diplomats like Kyaw Moe Tun, whose threefinger “Hunger Games” salute at the UN podium made him a hero among activists in Myanmar and others around the world, there’s still a chance. “They need to take stronger action against the military,” he said in an interview. “We appreciate the support they’ve extended to the people in Myanmar but without more aggressive action, more people are going to die.” Asean leaders haven’t formally invited members of Myanmar’s pro-democracy alliance known as the National Unity Government to the Saturday gathering in Jakarta. And some leaders such Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte have said they’ll stay home and send a subordinate, a relatively strong sign of disapproval for a bloc that historically shuns such overt statements. In a letter dated Tuesday to Brunei, which holds the rotating chair of Asean, the top diplomat of Myanmar’s parallel National Unity Government said it hadn’t yet received an invitation to the meeting. “It would be remiss if Asean fails to listen to the voices of Myanmar people,” Zin Mar Aung, the group’s minister of foreign affairs, wrote in the letter seen by Bloomberg. “It is of the paramount importance that Asean stands with the people of Myanmar, not with the oppressive and illegitimate coup leaders.” Since the coup, Asian nations have condemned the violence to various degrees, while stopping short of supporting sanctions or any other measures that would hit the militar y’s finances. The leaders of many Western nations and international organizations want to see more. “I have repeatedly called on the international community to work, collectively and through bilateral channels, to help bring an end to the violence and the repression by the military,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday. Bloomberg News
A6 Saturday, April 24, 2021
ExportUnlimited BusinessMirror
BOC-10 to restore CDO port status as intl shipment facility
C
AGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The Bureau of Customs in Northern Mindanao (BOC-10) said Wednesday it plans to restore the previous status of the port here as an international containerized shipment facility.
The port in Barangay Macabalan ceased to receive international cargoes 15 years ago when the facilitation of imported shipment was transferred to the Mindanao Container
Terminal sub-port in Tagoloan town, Misamis Oriental. BOC-10 pointed out that the Macabalan port was “once a haven of international cargo and heavily
contributed to trade facilitation and revenue generation.” The decision to bring back Macabalan port’s previous status came up in response to the clamor of various shipping lines led by American President Lines, which estimated the arrival of 300 to 400 containers per week at the facility. John Simon, BOC-10 district collector, said plans are already under way to put the ports restoration plan into action after the agency has met with Mayor Oscar Moreno and Engr. Isidro Butaslac Jr., of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), which manages the Macabalan port.
“This development is expected to boost the business and economic climate in the city as well as in Northern Mindanao. But with this development, the rise of the volume of cargoes will somehow cause inconvenience if not planned well as it will cause heavy traffic,” Simon said in a news statement. He said BOC-10 sought the help of the local government unit to plan the traffic management and route of cargoes from the port. Simon said Moreno has also expressed support to the proposed restoration plan but suggests expanding the operation of the Mindanao
Container Terminal as a long-term plan for the “metropolization” of Cagayan de Oro. He said the restoration would be advantageous to the city government once the “Mandanas” doctrine is fully implemented in 2022. The Supreme Court granted in 2018 and reaffirmed in 2019 the petitions of Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas and former Bataan Gov. Enrique Garcia Jr., under which local government’s Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) would come from 40 percent of collections of all national taxes from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), plus the
PHL remains an ideal investment destination despite pandemic, BOI tells Chinese entreps
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HE Philippines remains an ideal investment destination as investors and businesses continue to look at the country to grow their businesses, even with the pandemic. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary and Board of Investments (BOI) Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo made this statement before the members and officers of the Chinese Enterprises Philippines Association (CEPA) during a briefing with the group recently (15 April 2021) on the latest business environment policies in the country, including the recently enacted Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act. Conducted via Zoom, the BOI organized the briefing in cooperation with the Philippine Trade and Investment Centers (PTICs) in China as part of its various investment promotion initiatives to encourage the companies that are already in the Philippines to further expand and diversify their investments in the country. CEPA was established in the Philippines 20 years ago. The association currently has around 90 members, composed mostly of state-owned companies that are into agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and technology and have a partnership with Globe and PLDT such as Huawei, FiberHome, ZTE, Dito Telecommunity Corp., among others. “Our country remains competitive not only in terms of attracting foreign investments but also in cementing its business-friendly positions,” Undersecretary Rodolfo said, as he emphasized that the government is strongly optimistic of a post-pandemic recovery as the fun-
damental structure and strength of our economy remains intact. “Our economy positively responds to the easing of restrictions,” he said. He cited the latest employment data from October 2020 to January 2021, which showed that around 1.4 million jobs were already restored following the lockdowns. Also, the Production Manufacturers’ Index (PMI) remained steady at over 50 percent as of March since the start of the year even as inflation slowed down in March to 4.5 percent as the country stabilizes and expects an inflationary downtrend in the coming months. “We even reached the secondhighest level of approved investments in 2020 [in the agency’s history] despite the pandemic with over P1 trillion. For 2021, we hit P138 billion as of March, a 66-percent improvement from P83 billion in the same period last year,” he said. “This year, we got off to a strong start as Central Bank figures show a 41.5-percent jump in foreign direct investments [FDI] inflows with $961 million in January compared
to just $679 million in the same month in 2020,” Rodolfo said. Undersecretary Rodolfo said that the CREATE Act can help Chinese investors as it “provides the government with the flexibility to grant fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for high-value strategic investments including the longer period for enjoying income tax holiday [ITH] and tax subsidies for key cost items.” Rodolfo cited the case of Shenzhen Grandsun Electronics Co. Ltd., a subcontractor of a European company with plans to expand its operation in the country in one of the economic zones in Batangas City. “Under CREATE, the firm can get four years of ITH and even up to six to seven years because of the level of technology/location. It will be followed by 10 years of either Enhanced Deduction [ED] or special Corporate Income Tax [CIT] of 5 percent on gross income earned. Its component suppliers that will establish operations here are also entitled to the same incentives. It will be the choice of companies to
go for either ED or the special CIT,” he further added. Rodolfo also revealed that the BOI now allows the use of secondhand equipment as long as it is modern and up to date in terms of technology. “It can be registered for qualified projects. This is specially targeted for companies that are exploring relocation of production facilities, to secure a more efficient, more resilient, and more stable supply chain,” he said. He noted that companies that are engaged in research and development, high-tech manufacturing, and the generation of new knowledge could even avail of longer incentives under CREATE as “the new law addresses the impact of the trade war between the US and China. This is attractive for companies that are looking to diversify their location or for complementary business locations as the CIT will be reduced from 30-25 percent for large firms. This will open up cash flows to support the efforts of businesses to rebuild during this pandemic and allows the country’s recovery and boost our
long-term growth.” Complement i ng Undersecretary Rodolfo in the CREATE briefing are BOI Directors Elyjean Porteza and Sandra Marie Recolizado, who briefly discussed the new law’s key features and the approach for the drafting of the Strategic Investment Priority Plan, a list of preferred investment activities that may qualify for investment incentives under the CREATE Law. Rodolfo urged CEPA member enterprises, especially in innovation-driven fields of infrastructure, equipment manufacturing/ construction, and information and technology (IT), to expand and diversify their businesses in the country. “ Through continued strong partnership and collaboration w ith Chinese representatives in the Philippines such as the Chinese Embassy, the Bank of China, and CEPA, we are not far from realizing our goal of being among the region’s top investment destinations,” Undersecretary Rodolfo concluded.
BOC’s collections of import duties and other taxes. With the Mandanas ruling, the DBM estimates that income of firstclass provinces would have about P814-million increase in their IRA to P4.4 billion next year; highly urbanized cities, up by P394 million to P2.13 billion, and first-class municipalities, up by P187.62 million to P1.01 billion. The PPA has also started to upgrade its stacking capacity in Macabalan Port to cater the international cargo shipment and already allotted 23,000 square meters for its designated port area. PNA
Korea’s exports jump in early data as global trade recovers
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OUTH Korea’s early trade report showed exports surging in April, buoyed by a recovery of global commerce and a low year-earlier base when the pandemic forced lockdowns across the world. Exports rose 45.4 percent in the first 20 days of the month from a year earlier, the customs office reported on Wednesday. Average daily shipments gained 36 percent in the period, which had one more business day compared with 2020. Gains were broad-based across regions and products, with exports of cars, mobile communication devices and petroleum products all gaining by more than 50 percent. Semiconductor shipments rose 38.2 percent. “ W hile the growth numbers have been boosted by low base effects, underly ing momentum remains solid, with exports adjusted for working days up 11 percent relative to the same period in 2019,” said Krystal Tan, an economist for Australia & New Zealand Banking Group. The report bolsters the view that a pickup in vaccinations across the world are paving the way for a bounce back in demand. Korean exports serve as a proxy for the health of global commerce as its manufacturers are positioned widely across supply chains. Korea has seen overseas demand improve beyond chips, with the full-month report for March showing sales growth for 14 out of 15 key export items. Central bank Governor Lee Ju-yeol said last week that Korea’s export performance will help the economy expand in the mid-3 percent range this year, above the 3 percent growth forecast in February. Bloomberg News
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Editor: Angel R. Calso • Saturday, April 24, 2021 A7
93,000 senior citizens register for Covid shots in Davao City
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By Manuel T. Cayon | Mindanao Bureau Chief
AVAOCITY—Localhealthofficials said some 93,468 senior citizens are now included in the master list of those seeking the next priority vaccine shots after the city completes giving the jab to medical frontline workers.
Dr. Josephine Villafuerte, head of the city’s vaccination cluster, said she expected the number to increase as the registration for the elderly continues. The city targets to vaccinate
120,000 Dabawenyos under Priority Group A2 or the senior citizens. The registration is being done by the City Health Office, through the district health offices and the Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs
under the City Social Welfare and Development Office. Villafuerte said the city may tap district health offices as venue for the vaccination of senior citizens aged up to 65, although it is still discussing the strategy and venue where to vaccinate those who are 70 years old and above. “We are set to meet with the different hospitals in Davao City on the other vaccination hubs for the senior citizens who are 70 and above, considering their comorbidities,” she said. The City Health Office allows manual listing of those in the scheduled priority round of vaccination by requesting residents to go to their respective district health office and fill out the registration
form. Residents may also use the Covid-19 vaccination hot lines, 0961-073-4965 for Smart users and 0927-022-9087 for Globe users. She said registration will soon become faster and easier when it pilots the integration of the vaccination registration with the Safe Davao QR. Meanwhile, Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio said protocols remain for all offices and business establishments despite the decreasing infection rate here and the rest of the Davao region. In a radio program on the city government’s 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio, she said business establishments should strictly comply with the city’s Covid-19 regulations and not to relax minimum public health and safety protocols. “We don’t have any changes be-
Valenzuela inoculates 5,909 elderly against coronavirus By Roderick L. Abad Contributor
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HE city government of Valenzuela recently commenced its immunization program for senior citizens by administering the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to the first batch of 5,909 registered senior citizens in various inoculation sites. The initial batch of the city’s elderly, or those belonging to the A2 Priority Group, was inoculated during the one-week vaccination drive from April 17 to 22. The vaccination campaign was held simultaneously in Pio Valenzuela Elementary School, Polo National High School, Canumay West Elementary School, and Valenzuela Polytechnic College. The administration of Covid-19 jabs for the second batch is scheduled on April 23 to 30. Per appropriation, Valenzuela City gave AstraZeneca vaccines to the first 850 registered senior citizens and Sinovac for the remaining recipients. The local government unit (LGU) of Valenzuela recently finished vaccinating the A1 Priority Group or the medical frontliners. Vaccination for the A3 Priority Group or persons with comorbidity is still ongoing alongside the inoculation of senior citizens to speed up the local government’s VCVax Covid-19 Vaccines Rollout Plan. On April 15, the LGU launched t h e VC Va x H e l p C e nt e r t o strengthen its immunization
Correspondent
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THE local government of Valenzuela starts administering the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to the first batch of 5,909 registered senior citizens in the city.
campaign and to assist Valenzuelanos on their vaccination appointments and help them understand the protection afforded by the Covid-19 vaccine, including its possible side effects. Mayor Rexlon Gatchalian clarified that the city now has two call centers that can address citizens’ vaccination concerns. “In order to lessen the callers in our City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit [CESU] about vaccination concerns, we are open-
By Nick Tayag
MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH ISMAYING, dispiriting, heartbreaking. Those are the feelings I get when I scan the news and the latest socialmedia buzz nowadays. In a span of one week, hundreds have succumbed to the treacherous pandemic. In one tweet, someone revealed that Covid-19 has wiped out his entire close-in family. Many who have been active on the Internet have recently become suddenly silent. People are dying because the health system is overwhelmed and cannot help them anymore. On social media, I encounter this: “Times like these, I really wish I had a partner to help bear the burden of bad news. But I will try to face this alone. But some days
are harder than others.” It’s not a lone voice. Similar cries of anguish from the depths are growing louder every day. Superficial and trope expressions of condolences and empathy won’t cut it anymore. To respond fully and meaningfully to the increasing volume of emotional anguish and mental torture, we need to dig deeper into ourselves. While the Internet has given us the ability to be connected instantly with one another, I am beginning to realize that what the world needs now is an inner connection, inner communion of hearts, an inner network of sharing and exchange that is beneath the toxic trashy surface of the
ing the VCVax Help Center so the CESU Mega Contact Tracing Center will only be for Covid-19 response and concerns, while the VCVax Help Center is for vaccination [concerns],” he said. The local chief executive reminded his constituents not to worry because the local government force continues to deliver vaccination appointment letters as the city strictly implements an appointment system in all inoculation sites. For information on how to avail
cacophony and discordancy on the Internet. As I see it, there is the need to tap the stream flowing within each of us. Our spirits need to drink deeply from this stream. We thirst for a reason or a meaning to all this. Otherwise, we would tip over, in danger of losing our sanity or the wavering of our fragile faith. Our core being must hold.
But there is hope yet
IN the maelstrom of the sweeping pandemic when many Filipinos don’t have the means to feed themselves and their families, a powerful idea of a community pantry has emerged. The guiding message on the carton board is simple enough: The idea has caught on and similar community pantries have sprouted all over the Metro and even in other provinces. The intriguing thing about it is that stocks of supplies keep being replenished. Donors come from all walks of life. Rich people, poor people. Farmers are donating root crops, tricycle drivers are providing sacks of rice. Fishermen are bringing in their catch. The small bamboo cart has become the giving tree, or the miracle of five loaves and fish.
themselves of the local vaccination program, Valenzuelanos may contact VCVax Help Center’s hot line (02)88222463 or 8-VACCINE. The hot line operates from Mondays to Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Mega Contact Tracing Center of the CESU can be reached through hot line 137-160 for Covid19-related queries, reports or notification of coronavirus exposure, requests for swab tests for medical reasons, isolation procedures, and for other emergencies.
While there are doubts that it will be sustainable for the long term (in fact some are vigorously opposing it), this initiative has at least brought out the fact that people in communities are uniting to help each other. Something deep inside has been stirred. Our instinct to help people, to offer what we have to those who are hungry and who lack the bare necessities of life, the desire to contribute to this pantry, they all make our inner values as human beings come to the fore. Our underground spring of human goodness is flowing. As the poet says: “Oh, we are connected, we forget this, yet we always knew.” But beyond the physical hunger that we must address, there is also a need to offer the bread of comfort and compassion and minister to those who are grieving or have been emotionally wrecked by this pandemic. Perhaps now is the time to build an inner connectivity, an inner network.
How do we start?
LET us bring our discussions and exchanges on a deeper level. Let us tone down the noise that serves to divide us. Let us use social media to be the channel of conveying genu-
Davao City has been placed under GCQ until April 30, 2021. After figuring out the list of places with very high infection rates in January and February, the city went back to stricter protocols, including curfew and a ban on the sale of liquor and alcoholic beverages. Although the daily average number of cases still hovers at less than 30 cases, there are days when the region would not have a single new case, although there would also be some days when the number may shot up to as high as 67. On April 19, the regional Department of Health here recorded 17 new Covid-19 cases in the region, bringing the total number to 22,772 since the pandemic hit the country last year.
DOH-Calabarzon calls on elderly to register for Covid-19 By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco
The inner net
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cause there is still a pandemic. All guidelines and protocols are still the same. We don’t have changes in guidelines for all establishments,” Duterte said. Duterte directed the Davao City Task Force Covid-19 Response Cluster to intensify their inspection after being informed that business establishments have relaxed their health protocols for clients and visitors. Under the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines, offices and establishments under general community quarantine (GCQ) will be allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity, provided that the minimum health standards and precautions are observed.
HE Department of Health (DOH)—Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) recently called on all senior citizens in the region to register for their free Covid-19 vaccine to protect themselves from infection. DOH Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo said that a total of 7,313 senior citizens have already been inoculated in Calabarzon as of April 15, 2021. “We urge all senior citizens and persons with comorbidities to participate and register in our government’s Covid-19 vaccination program to ensure added protection against the coronavirus. The registration is voluntar y and the vaccine is free,” Janairo said. Once registered, an individual will undergo “careful evaluation” of his/her health status and exposure risk, Janairo said. “Only after due assessment can a person be vaccinated at their respective local government units [LGUs],” he emphasized. He stressed that the online
ine compassion and inspiring hope. Let us reach out. Sometimes connection is a heart-to-heart, spill-itall-out talk. But sometimes it’s just a laugh-out-loud e-mail. Talk with others who share similar interests or spiritual beliefs and learn from each other. Share inspiring stories or essays that can be life enriching. If there is now a Bayanihan EKonsulta where one can talk to a doctor about medical matters related to Covid-19, as well as other ailments, why not a similar e-consultation for needs related to the health of the mind and the spirit. Right now, people crave feeling supported, valued and connected. This envisioned facility would be like a support group where you have people who can empathize with how you are feeling, a reminder that you’re not alone, inspiration from seeing others coping with the situation like you, or simply hearing someone’s voice and seeing the look on a person’s face can really deepen connection. Someone should start a virtual wall remembrance containing the names of those who have died from this pandemic. This will ensure that they will not just remain as
registration of priority groups A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (persons with comorbidities) is essential to ensure a smooth rollout of Covid-19 vaccines among the target population. “Considering the limited supply of available vaccines, we also need to provide protection to our elderly due to the rising cases of Covid in the country,” Janairo added. He said that all target groups are advised to register online through the Facebook page of their respective LGUs. “After registering, wait for text message or call from health workers for the next instruction. For other priority groups, wait for the announcement of the date of registration and vaccination,” he added. Earlier, Dr. John Wong, a member of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) technical working group on data analytics, said that 15 percent of the elderly people are less likely “to be infected.” “But, when infected, they are five times likely to have a severe disease and 10 times more likely to die from Covid,” Dr. Wong said.
numbers but names of people we have walked with, talked with, ate with, laughed with. It will serve as a space for remembering, pouring out our grief, memorializing parents, friends, relatives, workmates and others dear to us. A place of inner connectivity to others. If we have a community pantry for food supplies for our hungry neighbors, why can’t we have a hundred virtual community pantries on the Internet for those who hunger for mental and spiritual nourishment? It would be like a source of a flowing stream of spiritual nourishment that is freely and openly available to those who want to tap it. Or like a bank filled with deposited nuggets of wisdom, excerpts from books, musical pieces, quotations, images and other enriching tidbits, with people giving freely and people freely taking. Indeed, the time calls us to build an “inner net” that is vastly different from the shallow channel for vain and empty chatter thatPIEDAD we know. From one single candle, thousands of candles can be lit, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. As one great master once said: Compassion, like happiness, never decreases by being shared.
Education BusinessMirror
A8 Saturday, April 24, 2021
DepEd: Info gathering on ACT, TDC ‘standard requirement’
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HE Education Department on Monday defended its recent directive to identify the membership details of two teachers’ organizations, saying it is a standard and legitimate requirement.
In a Palace briefing, Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said groups that deal with the agency must comply with customary necessities— including the submission of names of their officers and members. “[These organizations are…] legitimate and therefore, they are perfectly required by law to submit what is usefully required of legitimate organizations which deal with the government,” Briones explained. The secretary was reacting to criticisms from the two teachers’ groups—the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC)—which condemned the profiling directive for
local Department of Education (DepEd) officials to identify members of their groups. They said the department had violated their constitutional rights when it disseminated an online survey meant to profile teachers who belong to ACT and TDC. The Google form, reportedly titled “Data on the Number of Teachers’ Dignity Coalition and Alliance of Concerned Teachers,” required users to input full names as well as e-mail addresses, and state whether they were affiliated with either, or both. Briones said the department collects certain fees from members of teachers’ groups, as she said, “We
Benilde SHS to offer strand for aspiring entrepreneurs, biz owners, managers
GBP, GT Foundation donate school buildings
EDUCATION Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones
have to know the names of the members in order for us to deduct membership fees.” As there is nothing irregular about the directive, she allayed concerns that such action may lead to the harassment of teachers. “We don’t harass. Everything, any action that we have undertaken, is always covered by the law, because that is my training,” she assured. “We are a government of laws. Organizations which deal with the DepEd, of course, have to comply
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E L a S a l le - Col le ge of Saint Benilde Senior High School (DLS-CSB SHS) is ready to welcome new students as it opens for Academic Year 2021 to 2022, with the Accountancy and Business Management strand ready to provide a successful head start to those who dream of building a business or pursuing a managerial career. The Christian Brothers elevate their mission to offer innovative educational programs, with tracks structured to hone skills under the mentorship of licensed, experienced, educators, industry movers and business leaders. Designed for learners who are natural problem solvers with the goal to establish and manage their own enterprises, it is likewise ideal for those who wish to venture in export management, human resources management, computer applications, or business intelligence and analytics. “We aim to bridge the gap between industry and education, making learning more practical for real-world situations,” noted DLSCSB SHS Accounting and Business Management Strand Head Veronica Gamboa. “Students can be certain on the field or area of specialization in business they want to be in, and this will give them more opportunities both here and abroad.” Enrollees will have access to DLS-CSB’s campuses, facilities and the wide array of online academic resources available at the Br. Fidelis Leddy Learning Resource Center multimedia library. All Benilde SHS tracks are directly related to a particular degree program in the college. Graduates who maintain a minimum grade requirement will have seamless entry in the institution. To ensure safety of the Benildean community amid the pandemic, classes will initially be delivered on full-online modality through BigSky Benilde—the college’s official integrated learning platform. The SHS follows DLS-CSB’s trimestral schedule, with classes slated to begin in August or September. For inquiries, send an email to the Benilde Center for Admissions at admissions@benilde.edu. ph or visit https://www.benilde.edu. ph/shs.html.
OFFICIALS unveil the commemorative plaque marking the inauguration of the GT Foundation Inc.-Cebu Energy Development Corp. building.
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By Roderick L. Abad
ELENTLESS in its pursuit of helping improve the country’s education system, Global Business Power Corp. (GBP) has partnered with the GT Foundation Inc. (GTFI) to donate school buildings in the provinces of Iloilo and Cebu, despite classes currently being held online all over the country. Through subsidiaries Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC) and Cebu Energy Development Corp. (CEDC), the independent power producer built a two-classroom building inside NJ Ingore Elementary School (NJIES) in La Paz, Iloilo City, and a similar structure
at the North City Central School (NCCS) in Toledo City, Cebu. The donations were aimed at addressing the foreseen enrollment growth and, at the same time, improving the learning conditions of the said public schools once faceto-face classes resume. Each donated classroom can accommodate up to 40 people and comes completely furnished with desks, student chairs, teacher’s tables, cabinets, electric fans, and even a “smart” television. The buildings also have comfort rooms for pupils and teachers. With the current health crisis, classrooms are currently being used by the assigned teachers as their workstations to prepare
with the requirements.” Meanwhile, Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno A. Malaluan said the agency would safeguard the teachers’ personal information: “We have a data protection officer in the [DepEd], and so any disclosure or sharing of this information complies with data protection.” He confirmed: “There is no individual profiling that the department is doing outside of the required submission of information.” Filane Mikee Cervantes/PNA
modules and other materials for students learning from home. “[At GT foundation, we believe that the manner] we respond to a crisis defines who we are, and showcases what we are made of,” said Aniceto Sobrepeña, executive director of GTFI. “In more ways than one, these school buildings are a testament of our resolve to follow-through with our commitment, despite the difficulties we faced in the previous year.” For President Jaime Azurin of GBP, his company believes that similar projects will contribute to community development and improvement of the educational system in the country. “We recognize that education is vital in creating an enlightened nation,” Azurin noted. “These projects—including our [scholarship and those supporting] school teachers—all contribute to the pursuit of our vision of enlightening lives and empowering progress.” At present, PEDC supports 43 scholars in NJIES, while CEDC sponsors 42 scholars in NCCS as part of GBP’s scholarship program. The latter has been supporting more than 800 students from Iloilo, Cebu, Aklan and Mindoro as of 2020.
Editor: Mike Policarpio
Mapúa releases trends in occupations for 2021
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HE pandemic has brought about changes in the employ ment space, which points to an urgent demand for more digital-focused skills—a cue for students to zero-in on digitalrelated programs. According to Mapúa University’s Office of Admissions, enrollees are taking stock of the rapid shift of business processes, as well as the digital delivery of products and services. This was supported by the large volume of inquiries on, as well as applications and reservations, for digital-related programs since last year. Some programs that are digital in nature and have digital-related applications include computer science, computer engineering, information technology, mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, data science, technical communication, educational technology, multimedia arts, and business administration, among others. Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea, Mapúa’s president and CEO, suggested that in assessing academic programs to pursue, learners consider important criteria. He explained that these should answer the following questions: Is the program aligned to the way industries are evolving, and what will its demand be for skills now and in the near future? Now that digital skills are seen to be continuously rising and in demand, will the program provide the right outcomes in terms of skills and career options? Also, does the program have a strong reputation locally and on international grounds for digital and technology-based education? Is the program capable of providing opportunities to learn from global institutions and experience global practices through student exchange and international programs and onthe-job training, making a graduate ready for the local and global talent marketplace? “Mapúa’s outcomes-based education ensures the academic curriculum is designed to provide a promising future and successful careers for its graduates,” Dr. Vea said. “Students who have digitalrelated skills have an edge in terms of finding work after they graduate, especially now, since the pandemic has pushed the majority of the popu-
lation and businesses to go digital.” According to a report from professional/career social-media network LinkedIn, trends across work in Southeast Asia include a significant uptick in digital-services adoption as a result of the pandemic. Electronic commerce, or e-commerce, boomed in 2020; traditional roles have evolved; and companies have found ways to connect with their target audiences in the online realm. These resulted in the rise in demand for digital marketers and content creators. Its “Jobs on the Rise in 2021” report named prominent industry workers of the era. Among them are data analysts, engineers specializing in mechanics and manufacturing, digital-content and marketing specialists, cyber-security specialists and consultants, as well as public relations officers, apart from health-care and medical-support professions. Also noted was the emergence of two new fields in the region: Health Technology or HealthTech, and Educational Technology or EdTech. HealthTech champions healthcare services delivered to patients that primarily use technological platforms and are enabled beyond hospital or physician office premises. EdTech, on the other hand, facilitates learning using technology software and tools to improve students’ education outcomes. The report noted that a common and overarching trend in its occupation list is that almost all courses may be conducted remotely, and that workers who are equipped with even the basic digital skills will have an edge. With the increase in digital adoption, demand for workers with digital and tech skills will remain strong. Some examples of which are specialized engineers, cybersecurity talent, and data analysts. “The emergence of these jobs is due to the need for digital services,” Dr. Vea concluded. “There is a need for these professionals to help businesses and organizations understand customers, create new products and services, establish processes for manufacturing and other operations, to continue reaching out and communicating to target markets, and to protect themselves from emerging threats.”
Filipino kids quiz Japanese envoy
Lenovo Phils. takes e-learning to the next level with EdVision
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HE Philippine government and the private sector must work together to achieve educational digital transformation on a national scale. In an e-mail interview with the BusinessMirror, Lenovo Phils.’ President and General Manager Michael Ngan said the company is ready to help and support the national government in improving the digital infrastructure of the education sector by creating tools available and accessible to schools, teachers and students. For Ngan, one major challenge that needs urgent action during this time is the education sector’s transition to online learning: “This unexpected shift has exposed schools to vulnerabilities, which left teachers and students at some disadvantage, and could have longterm impacts on the future of our children and the future leaders of our country.”
Furthermore, he pointed out that the education sector needs more support at this time to ensure students receive the same quality of education, as they have shifted to online learning. Through its EdVision program, in collaboration with Microsoft, Lenovo will offer schools the tech tools and solutions that help students and teachers quickly and smoothly adapt to online learning. According to Ngan, the program aims to equip the new generation of teachers and students with the tools to harness their potential in teaching and learning online, which will enhance the country’s educational system in the long run. “EdVision also helps schools accelerate digital transformation and uplift the overall global competence of students for the more digitized future,” he said. “Lenovo can provide the necessary technical training to both teachers and
students, apprenticeship opportunities, as well as platforms to open discourse in the education sector, such as [the EdVision Summit we organized].” Lenovo recently held its EdVision Summit to facilitate a platform for educators to share their experiences and best practices in education transformation under the new normal, still delivered in close collaboration with Microsoft and powered by Intel vPro. The summit allowed educators to exchange ideas and learn ways to better prepare students to excel in the digital world with the latest teaching technology solutions and services, enabling flexibility and agility. Lenovo first launched the EdVision program in 2020 to empower educators with smarter technology, deliver innovative education solutions, and provide best-in-class devices and services for e-learning. Rizal Raoul S. Reyes
KOSHIKAWA takes on questions from Pinoy kids
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HE Embassy of Japan in the Philippines announces the premiere of its “Hello! Japan Special: Kids Ask Ambassador Kaz!” three-part series, where Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa, answers questions from inquisitive Filipino kids. “Hello! Japan…” is a special edition of the embassy’s program, which features Pinoy children asking questions about Japan, its culture, and anything about Ambassador “Kaz.” The program runs on Sundays of this month. Episode 1 premiered on April 11, while the second one was scheduled on April 18. The third episode will be online on the 25th. All episodes will be posted in
the Facebook page: Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, and featured in Koshikawa’s Twitter account: @ AmbJPNinPH. Those featured in the show were selected among the roster of children who sent their questions to the embassy. In February 2021 it invited Filipino kids four to 16 years old to send video questions about anything and everything related to Japan that they want the envoy to answer. “Hello! Japan…” is the longrunning cultural program of the Japan Information and Culture Center, which aims to introduce the East Asian country and its culture to Filipinos.
Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror
Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua
Saturday, April 24, 2021 A9
The Peak that Must be Climbed in Tawi-Tawi
The blue waters of Celebes Sea as seen from the trail of Bud Bongao.
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At the peak of Bud Bongao, the Tawi-Tawi airport is visible in the background.
Story & photos by Marky Ramone Go
remember being envious of my then-girlfriend years ago, when she went on a solo backpacking to Tawi-Tawi and hiked the Bud Bongao. Not only is the mountain located in the southernmost province of the Philippines, it is also considered as a sacred peak.
Two preachers mentored by Karim ul-Makhdum—the Arab missionary who brought Islam to the Philippines in 1380—are said to be buried in Mount Bud Bongao in a location called the Tampat Rocks. Since I love a hike to the mountains, especially sacred and historic ones such as Mount Sinai in Egypt, imagine my delight upon learning that our party of travel writers who covered the Agal-Agal festival, will have a side-trip to Bud Bongao.
A bud wiser
The name of the mountain was derived from the Tausug word Bud, meaning mountain and Bongao– the name of the island where it is
located. A pilgrimage site for both Muslims and Christians, Bud Bongao towers 1,030 feet above sea level overlooking the 250-hectare tropical forest inside the Bongao Peak Eco-Tourism Park—a protected biodiversity site. “This nature park was one of the chosen model sites of the New Conservation Areas in the Philippines Project or NEWCAPP—which was a 5-year project implemented by the Biodiversity Management Bureau in 2012,” says Ayesha Dilangalen, the former ARMM DOT secretary. Characterized by six limestone pillars that make up Bud Bongao’s ragged six crests, the summit summons a breathtaking scenery of several islands and small towns
Long-tailed macaques look out for trekkers who offer them treats.
of Tawi-Tawi. As someone who loves the great outdoors, the relaxed hike to the top of Bud Bongao afforded me a front-row seat of viewing one of the few remaining moist forest in the country. Cap it off by learning additional tidbits about the mountain—its connection to the history of Islam in the Philippines—the afternoon hike we had made us me a little bit wiser.
The long-tailed guardians
On the way to the top, you will get amused or frightened by countless playful long-tailed macaques. Fortunately for us, we all had a blast being entertained by these ador-
The author in his signature jump over Bud Bongao peak.
able creatures moonlighting as the guardians of the sacred Bud Bongao. Similarly, mischievous as the ones I encountered during my hike in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, the macaques on this mountain seem to study us with deadpanned stares, as if judging our characters if we are worthy of hiking the mountain. Fortuitously, none of our party were barred for rambling and they let us on our way, albeit after an inducement in the form of bananas. Their presence made the hike under the torrid sheen of the sun a lot more bearable. Along the trail, I would sit under the shade of a
tree for a brief rest and as if on cue, dozens of them would show off gymnastics skills on the vines.
A hallowed highland
Our guide told us that a couple of years ago, tying plastic strips on tree branches are widely practiced by both Muslim and Christian pilgrims as an offering to the sacred Bud Bongao. This tradition has now been prohibited in order to safeguard the natural appeal of the mountain. As we approach the final assault to the peak, we passed by the two sacred tombs of Muslim Imams who were the disciples of Karim ul-Makhdum. Even as a
non-Muslim and a non-practicing Catholic, I stopped by and paid my respect by offering a short prayer. I expressed my gratitude to God for showering me another burst of good karma that made it possible for me to finally set foot in Tawi-Tawi. As I alight out of the forest and my vision revealed the blue waters of Celebes Sea and the green ridges of its neighboring peaks, I was elated at the culmination of an hour and a half trek. After years of having this wanderlust desire, I finally understand why my then girlfriend waxed romantically and poetically about her encounter with Bud Bongao, the blessed mountain.
New Clark Airport Terminal opens in July with ‘Contactless Passenger Solutions’
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igger a nd b et te r a re what comes to mind when it comes to building new structures integrating new technologies. For Clark International Airport’s New Terminal, which is set to be operational by July of 2021, to be better is to focus on something that sounds radical when talking about airports—quietude. And in this time of global health concerns, to be better is to have more “contactless” solutions. Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corp. (LIPAD) is at the helm of the operations and management of CRK and has promised the public that the new terminal, while being a mega project with four levels, 110,000 square meters, and 8 million passenger capacity, is a terminal of safety, ease and quiet. LIPAD CEO Bi Yong Chungunco reveals that peace of mind of travelers is high in the airport’s priority. Design and processes in the terminal have this as guid-
CRK new terminal building security check
ing principle. She says, “We will operate a ‘silent airport policy,’ meaning it will be the quietest and most relaxing airport in the Philippines.” No longer will there be a cacophony of voices such as calls for boarding and departures, save for emergencies. Travelers will rely on posted updates for quick reference. Passengers will be more at ease with the options that have no face-
CRK new terminal building departure hall
to-face interaction. Among these are the common-use self-service kiosks (CUSS) and the self-service bag drops. Travelers can check-in at these kiosks, shared by other airlines and that are without the need for ground staff. Deeply intuitive design is also what the terminal’s interiors strive for. It focuses on giving the travelers a sense of familiarity and rids itself of complexities.
For travelers to be fully relaxed and at ease, the processes must not be confusing. Travelers of all kinds have varying backgrounds and such a design allows for each traveler to have that feeling of being guided through the process through the interplay of finer details, even with the protocols for safe distancing and all necessary measures to ensure passenger safety in a pandemic.
Part of this is the use of color as consistent distinctions for certain uses. In the terminal, the use of green points to international flights, while blue points to domestic flights. The new terminal’s look takes inspiration from nearby natural formations and landscape, including the vast mountain ranges of Zambales and Mt. Arayat in Pampanga. The airport’s color pal-
ette, therefore, integrated muted greens and blues with soft grays and browns, mimicking riverbeds, caves, and bodies of water such as the crater lake of Mount Pinatubo. The layout of halls allows for the passenger experience to be without much fuss. The processes are streamlined. A passenger enters the terminal and goes to the check-in counters. After checking in, one goes straight to screening. After screening, one turns right for domestic flights or goes the other direction for immigration and international boarding. The intention is clear—to make the airport experience as seamless and as comfortable as possible. Passengers of all flights, whether domestic or international, inbound or outbound, are treated with the highest level of service sans the blaring sounds. Clark is determined to make passage through its terminal a refreshing breeze for travelers.
BusinessMirror
A10 Saturday, April 24, 2021 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos
www.businessmirror.com.ph
The challenges of transitioning from trad media to digital
THE most difficult thing for Anthony Taberna, more popularly known as Ka Tunying, about transitioning from mainstream media to YouTube was not only the technical aspects of vlogging. The difficulty was not being in front of the camera but the reason for it: He needed to do it because he had to make up for the lost compensation after ABS-CBN lost its franchise. It was Taberna’s wife Rossel who prevailed upon him to start vlogging. “It was like starting all over again,” said Taberna, who grew up in San Antonio, Nueva Ecija. His YouTube channel (m.youtube.com/c/ TuneInKayTunying) now has 145,000 subscribers. On Facebook, he has 1 million followers and 259,000 on Instagram. By his own admission, Taberna is not really a techie but he’s not unfamiliar with technology either. He’s on Facebook and Instagram, of course, and he uses Binance (a cryptocurrency exchange), Waze and Google Maps. As an entrepreneur, he’s seen the shift in the family’s eatery business, Ka Tunying’s Cafe, from onsite to online. “We had to close 50 percent of our stores and lay off 30 percent of our employees. We are trying to get back on our feet by encouraging people to resell our products online. It hasn’t been difficult because consumers are now used to transacting online.” During the online announcement of his being named the endorser of P.A. Alvarez Properties & Development Corp., Taberna talked about how it has always been his dream to be a homeowner. He recalled the years when he and his siblings had to squeeze into rented spaces because it was all they could afford. In 2007, he finally purchased his own home, an old house in Novaliches. After Taberna married Rossel and their finances started to improve, the family finally moved into where they live now. “Ka Tunying is the best brand ambassador for the company,” said Romarico “Bing” Alvarez, chairman of P. A. Properties, which has developed 40 communities and constructed over 20,000 housing units since it started 26 years ago. The company’s projects are in Laguna, Batangas, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga and Metro Manila. Taberna said he, with the help of Outbox Media, has been trying hard to level-up in terms of content. “Of course we want to have more young viewers but honestly, I think we still have much to do before that happens.” Taberna, the fourth among seven children, was a Mass Communications scholar at New Era College. While studying, he worked at a radio station as a translator. He eventually became a field reporter for ABSCBN and stayed with the network until a month before its closure.
ANTHONY TABERNA
THE new range of iMac computers.
Apple unveils new products, schedules privacy crackdown
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BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE The Associated Press
AN RAMON, California—Apple spruced up its product line at an event Tuesday while slipping in quiet notice of a software update, now due next week, designed to enhance the privacy of iPhone users at the expense of digital advertisers such as Facebook. Timing for the software upgrade trickled out during a series of announcements for new iPads, iMac computers and more during a pre-recorded event that sometimes seemed like a one-hour infomercial for Apple. Apple also unveiled a new subscription option for podcasts and a gadget called AirTags—coin-sized devices that can be attached to keys, backpacks, purses and other items to help people track them down via iPhone if they’re misplaced. The AirTags, due in stores April 30, will require the iPhone software update called iOS 14.5. That update will also include a new feature requiring apps to obtain explicit permission from users before tracking
their activity and whereabouts. Apple said in a footnote to its AirTags announcement that the update will be released at some point next week. Apple had previously only said that the update would be available in the spring. A similar software update is coming out for iPads as well. The new privacy tool could drain billions of dollars of revenue from apps such as Facebook, which rely on following people around on iPhones to collect personal information that helps them sell targeted ads. That feature, called App Tracking Transparency, will force apps to obtain permission before collecting such surveillance data, even those that are already installed on the device. To date, such apps have been free to track iPhone users automatically unless people take the time and trouble to prevent the snooping. Apple originally planned to released the antitracking feature last September, but delayed it to give ad-dependent “free” apps time to adjust to the changes. Facebook spent part of the delay blasting Apple for a change that it says could make it difficult for smaller apps to survive without charging consumers. At the same time, Facebook has
acknowledged to investors that its own ad revenue could also be hurt. On the product front, Apple is rolling out new iMacs with better cameras and speakers for improved video meetings and sound and new iMac keyboards with the same fingerprint ID sensor that unlocks iPhones and iPads. The latest iPad Pros will work on ultrafast 5G wireless networks that are still being built out. Apple’s new paid podcast option will join an increasingly crowded field of digital antertainment and information subscription services. Those already include several from Apple, including music and video streaming options that feed off the nearly 1.6 billion devices currently in use by the company’s mostly affluent customers. The popularity of those products and services have turned Apple into one of the world’s most profitable companies with a market value of $2.2 trillion, twice where it stood when the pandemic began. ■ AP Technology Writers Tali Arbel and Barbara Ortutay contributed to this report.
PayMaya partners with The SM Store BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES PAYMAYA recently expanded its Add Money program by partnering with The SM Store, enabling PayMaya customers to easily transact and add funds to their accounts at close to 600 additional top-up locations nationwide. “With cashless now being the default and preferred mode of payment for many Filipinos, giving them access to safe and accessible ways to add money to their accounts is very important. We are glad to expand on our partnership with SM Supermalls so that our customers can enjoy the cashless convenience,” said Shailesh Baidwan, PayMaya president. Aside from the service being available at The SM Store branches nationwide, Baidwan said PayMaya users can now add money to their PayMaya account at the Mall Information Booth, Servicio, and bills payment counters located in SM Supermarket, SM Savemore, SM Hypermarket, and Waltermart touchpoints across the country. The new Add Money channels are the latest addition to PayMaya’s extensive network of over 200,000 touchpoints nationwide. This will enable customers to add, transact, and send money for their daily needs. Adding money at the SM branch near you is easy— all you have to do is follow these simple steps: ■ On the PayMaya app’s home screen, select Add
Money ■ Tap the SM icon ■ Enter the amount you want to add to your account (minimum P100 and maximum of P20,000) and select Continue ■ You will get a seven-digit code. Go to the customer service counter at The SM Store or the Bills Payment counter at SM Supermarket, SM Savemore, or SM Hypermarket, and present this code along with your payment to the cashier ■ Wait for an SMS confirmation, and that’s it. You can now pay for your purchases using your PayMaya account. After adding money to your PayMaya account, you can now enjoy safe, convenient and rewarding contactless transactions at The SM Store or your favorite restaurants at SM Supermalls via PayMaya’s #BetterQR. You can also pay cashless for your groceries at SM Hypermarket and SM Supermarket using your PayMaya card. PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines with platforms and services
that cut across consumers, merchants, communities and government. The brand’s enterprise business has the largest digital payments processor for key industries in the country including “everyday” merchants such as the largest retail, food, gas, and eCommerce merchants as well as government agencies and units. Through its app and wallet, PayMaya provides over 28 million Filipinos with access to financial services. Its Smart Padala by PayMaya network of over 33,000 partner agent touchpoints nationwide serves as last-mile digital financial hubs in communities, providing the unbanked and underserved with access to digital services. PAYMAYA beefs up
its fintech services by partnering with The SM Store.
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BusinessMirror
Editor: Gerard S. Ramos
• Saturday, April 24, 2021 A11
Toshiba brushes off renewed push from CVC on acquisition bid TOKYO—Toshiba Corp. on Tuesday brushed off a fresh missive from CVC Capital Partners about the global fund’s proposal to acquire the Japanese manufacturer, though it stopped short of outright rejecting it. Toshiba said that a letter from CVC that it received Monday was “not possible to evaluate.” Tokyo-based Toshiba said the letter did not provide necessary details such as CVC’s capital structure or post-acquisition management policies and an assurance of compliance with local and
foreign laws and regulations. But the Japanese technology and energy giant did not rule out the offer, estimated to be worth ¥2 trillion ($18 billion). Toshiba earlier said the CVC’s initial proposal to take the company private was not viable, though it promised to review it. The latest letter “contained no specific and detailed information capable of detailed evaluation: it merely stated that CVC would step aside to await our guidance as to whether a privatization of
Toshiba would suit management’s and the Board of Directors’ strategic objectives,” the Toshiba statement said. The company has been struggling for years, saddled with its problem-laden nuclear power operations. It has sold its lucrative flash memory business to raise cash. Nobuaki Kurumatani resigned as Toshiba president last week, citing personal reasons he did not detail. He worked at CVC in Japan before taking his post as Toshiba’s chief executive in 2018.
Some questions had been raised, both within and outside Toshiba, about the propriety of Kurumatani leading the board discussions on the proposed acquisition. CVC, a European private equity firm based in Luxembourg, has committed nearly $162 billion in funds, managing more than 300 investors. The Toshiba statement said it was starting a new review of measures to increase its value and planned to appoint advisers to improve the transparency of its decision making. AP
Setting a higher standard for value
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EN weeks—that’s the lifespan of the average iPhone before it gets damaged, according to a poll conducted by a United Kingdom-based research company. I’m not sure if Android phones enjoy a longer pristine lifespan before it gets maculated, but the most common phone mishaps surveyed are accidental drops (from your hand, pockets, or bags) water damage catastrophes (spills/ submerged) and toddlers. Yes, those cute adorable little humans are secretly smartphone assassins. Which is why durability should always be one of our concerns when buying a new smartphone. After all, it’s probably the object we touch and hold most everyday. Unlike design, however, we often associate durability to brands that have been in the market for quite a while. That’s why we often think first of Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda or Ford when it comes to cars, Sony and Samsung for TVs, and other longstanding brands when choosing our appliances. So how does a two-year-old company like realme Philippines prove that its smartphones are just as durable as the “older” or more established brands? Just a few weeks following the release of its narzo 30A smartphone, the brand announced its newest entry-level phone: the realme C25. But besides the usual upgrades, better camera, bigger battery and improved processor, it also comes with a certificate of its own: as the first smartphone to receive the TÜV Rheinland Smartphone High-Reliability Certification. As today’s youth use smartphones a lot differently from older age groups, realme has been working with TÜV Rheinland to improve the quality of its smartphones by designing the next generation of quality standards. The partnership aims to improve the standards currently used in the industry and raise the quality of entry-level models to flagship standards and improve the smartphone experience during its initial threeyear life cycle. The TÜV Rheinland Smartphone High-Reliability Certification process encompasses 23 major tests, including 10 daily use test scenarios, such as drop, wear, and tear; seven extreme environment test scenarios, including super extreme temperature, extreme humidity, voltage fluctuation, button life, static electricity, air pressure; and six component reliability test scenarios. Aside from setting a good benchmark for creating
high-quality products, realme is also trying to understand how digital natives are using their smartphones. The brand has been reaching out to customers and fans to conduct product experience surveys and getting feedback during the mid-product life cycle and deep-diving into the results. Based on younger users’ usual scenarios, such as travel and outdoor extreme outdoor sports, the brand has done more vigorous tests set in environmental settings. To withstand accident drops in popular outdoor sports such as skateboarding and parkour, the products go through more aggressive drop tests at a height up to 1.8 meters at multiple sides on different surface materials. It also simulates extreme temperature from negative 40 degrees Celsius to 75 degrees Celsius in an outdoor environmental setting to make sure all products will remain functioning. I’ve been using the realme C25 for the past couple of weeks and while it’s impossible to say if it lives up to its promised durability, there are subtle nuances that confirm that it does follow the new standards. Unlike other realme smartphones, for example, realme says the C25’s back cover is processed using the industry-leading German five axis precise radium engraving machine and undergoes 300 minutes of polishing. The 450+ curves are engraved to create a special reflective light effect. Don’t expect much of a drastic change in looks though, as it still retains the polycarbonate plastic unibody chassis and the design is still the same as its predecessors except for a less shiny finish. Available in two colors (Water Blue and Water Grey), the new design and texture does make it less susceptible to fingerprints and the grooves do protect it from scratching easily. It also gives it a better grip and prevents it from sliding off the table, which is more likely to happen given that a lot of us are still working from home (and using the dining table as our work desk). Now, what good is durability if a phone isn’t enjoyable to use? The good news is that the realme C25, priced at P7,490, remains a fun phone. Its cameras, for me, is the best among the C-series lineup. The main 48MP primary camera has a f/1.8 large aperture that secures enough light to make pictures clearer and brighter. In addition, the camera also supports Phase Detection Auto-Focus (PDAF) to make focusing more rapid and precise. Photos taken outdoors are nicely detailed with vibrant colors. It also does an acceptable job taking indoor shots as long as there is ample lighting. The macro lens, on the other hand, allows you to shoot close-up photos of smaller objects with
sharper details—just make sure to have enough light. For those who love taking portrait photos, the realme C25 adds a B&W Lens that provides higher exposure and enhances contrast between the light and dark of images. Exposure, color temperature, hue and other parameters can be repeatedly fine-adjusted in portrait mode. Edge detection on portraits is good enough to give you that blurry background and make your subject stand out. I would have preferred a wide angle lens instead of the B&W though. For those who love taking selfies, the 8MP selfie camera provides you with all the beauty options to make you look as flawless as you’d like. Video quality, however, isn’t as good as there is no sort of stabilization. Still, the camera quality is an improvement, and it’s more than what you would expect from an entry-level device. The C25 has a large 6.5-inch display with a 20:9 ratio providing a worthwhile gaming, audio and video experience. The IPS LCD display produces accurate colors and good viewing angles. Unfortunately, it only has a 1600 x 720 resolution with a pixel density of 270ppi unlike other similar priced phones which already have Full HD displays. For audio, the single firing speaker does a decent job but again, do not expect too much and you are better off using an earphone or headset. Performance-wise, the realme C25 gets an upgraded Helio G70 Processor paired with 4GB RAM. Its clocks at 2GHz and adopts a Cortex A75 structure, and is supposed to be one of the fastest in its category. This makes it ideal for mainstream smartphone users and casual gamers. I’ve used it for the usual gaming tests like the Asphalt series and Mobile Legends, and both play
smoothly on default but with a bit of slowdown on higher settings. Same goes when there are a lot of apps open and you need to switch between applications. It’s an expected limitation but nothing that will annoy or frustrate you. It does have a massive 128GB storage so you will never run out of storage, and if you do, you could simply pop in a 256GB microSD card. Gen Z users love to customize their phones and the C25 now has realme UI 2.0 allowing them to combine and create their realme UI as they like. There’s the newly upgraded icon customization feature that supports third-party icon packs. In addition to the ART+ redraw icon, realme UI 2.0 allows users to resize icons and adjust the size of application names using the font size adjustment function. There’s also the new theme color feature and customizable Dark Mode. Lastly, realme UI 2.0 has a built-in realme Link app to help the phone connect to its ecosystem allowing users better manage their AIoT devices. For security, the realme C25 (still) has a rear fingerprint sensor and facial recognition. The rear positioning is a bit outdated, but the good thing is that both work quite accurately and really fast. Finally, powering the C25 is a 6000mAh battery that could easily last two days of moderate usage. It comes with an 18W charger and fully charging the device takes around two hours. Final word: The realme C25 is a good, albeit small step forward for its C-series lineup. The new processor, upgraded camera and the implementation of realme UI 2.0 give you an overall improved performance, and you also get a bonus in terms of peace of mind with the TÜV Rheinland Reliability Certification if you want a phone that’s built to last. ■
Beware of malicious video tags on social media AS the world continues to struggle in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, social media has become an even busier hive of activity—not all of them benign, prompting global cybersecurity expert Kaspersky (www.kaspersky.com) to urgently sound the alarm again. Yeo Siang Tiong, general manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky, has released the following guidance regarding the increasing prevalence of malicious video tags on social media. “Yesterday, some social-media users reported to have been tagged in malicious videos without their permission and by people they do not know. This is
not the first time this has happened. But it appears to be an example of social engineering that cyber attackers use to get victims to respond by clicking on an infected attachment,” the statement reads. “Social engineering is a manipulation technique that uses human psychology that cyber attackers use to trick someone or to lure unsuspecting users to expose data, spread malware infection, or give them network or computer access. “Scams based on social engineering are built around how people think and act. Attackers may use emotional manipulation to convince you to take an
irrational or risky action that you otherwise wouldn’t. Fear, excitement, curiosity, anger, guilt, and sadness are emotions normally used to convince an unaware, clueless person.” Kaspersky’s Yeo Siang Tiong continues: “On social media, trust is important among users, and it is also essential in a social engineering attack. Users are usually tricked by accounts they follow, usually under the names of people they know and trust.” Yeo Siang Tiong concludes the advisory with this guidance: “As social engineering is an attack against a human being, not machine, we advise Internet users
to take basic measures to protect themselves. We recommend the following: ■ It’s cliché but the rule of thumb in Internet security is always think before clicking. ■ Set a strong password. ■ On social media, take advantage of the security and privacy features of your favorite platform. You can control who can tag you or who can see your posts. Because Facebook regularly makes changes to their settings, it’s worth your attention and time to check your own saved settings from time to time to update it for maximum privacy.”
Sports
Didal trains at customized park in Cebu
BusinessMirror
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OKYO Olympics hopeful Margielyn Didal continues to hone her skills in a custom-built training facility in Soul Sierra, Cebu. Didal specifically designed the skatepark, inspired by her experiences training at Red Bull’s facilities in the
A12
| Saturday, April 24, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao
D
OUGLAS, Wyoming—The stakes were clear to the two dozen police officers who gathered for a workshop with an ambitious and increasingly urgent mission— recalibrating the way police interact with the public in America. The class took place the same week as jury selection for the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis officer who was convicted Tuesday of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and seconddegree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. No one attending the conference would deny that the profession failed the day Floyd died with Chauvin’s knee on his neck. They came to the classes with the idea that judo, the martial art with a deep global history and an imprint at the Olympics, but still shallow roots in the United States, might be able to help fix it. “The social contract between police officers and the public is degrading a bit,” said Joe Yungwirth, a trainer at the workshop who built his career doing counterterrorism work for the FBI and now runs a judo academy in North Carolina. “All law-enforcement officers I know, we feel we need to bring that back in line somehow.” That’s been a common refrain over a year’s worth of police shootings and protests, all of which have been underscored by calls for police reform. The judo project is, by any account, an outside-the-box idea. Because the sport, known by insiders as “the gentle way” of martial arts, has little emphasis on striking and is considered less violent than some of its brethren, some leaders in judo, and in policing, saw an opportunity to use the discipline to rethink officer training. Last summer’s headlines pushed these courses, which had been in development since 2018, to the top of the priority list. The main concept over the week of classes held at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy centered on teaching
WHY NOT JUDO? cops how to engage suspects verbally, then employ physical judo techniques if needed, to deescalate confrontations without using deadly force. The goal is to avoid situations the likes of which led to Floyd’s death and, just last week, to the death of Daunte Wright, whose funeral was Thursday. Wright was shot and killed by an officer who thought she was reaching for her taser when it was, in fact, her gun. Jim Bacon, a former athlete on the US judo team who now serves as a police officer in Lafayette, Colorado, says the most damning police-on-suspect encounters—many now caught on police body cameras or by onlookers holding iPhones—have this in common: “The cop resorts to higher levels of force than
should’ve been used. If they have more skills, they might not have to rely on the gadgets on the belt,” he said. The workshop also offered a window into the different role an Olympic organization, and maybe the Olympics themselves, can play in society at large. The USA Judo P3 Program is sponsored by USA Judo, the six-person operation in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that has helped Kayla Harrison and Ronda Rousey, now of Ultimate Fighting Championship fame, bring Olympic medals back home, but that also must constantly nourish its own grassroots system. The national governing body has been losing ground on both fronts, most recently because of the pandemic, and over the years because
Eve Steffans of the Martial Arts Academy in Billings, Montana, practices judo techniques on Ed Thompson, a retired police officer, during a training session recently in Douglas, Wyoming. AP
of the growing popularity of other martial arts, such as jujitsu and taekwondo, that have kept judo in the shadows in America. With an emphasis not on hitting, but rather on using leverage and body position to execute holds and takedowns, judo has long been easy to overlook, both in the days when Bruce Lee kicked and nunchucked martial arts into the American conscience, then more recently, when UFC octagons overshadowed boxing rings among a wide, big-spending cross-section of 21st-century sports fans. AP
Margielyn Didal has the luxury of time to train at her personallydesigned park.
Donaire fights French champion
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By Josef Ramos
ORMER world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. returns to the ring next month against undefeated World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali. The fight is set May 29 at a still to be determined venue. Donaire has been training rigidly for his fight against the Frenchman with his fathertrainer Nonito “Dodong” Sr. stressing his son is back harness after losing a world title unification bout with unified bantamweight champion Japanese Naoya Inoue via unanimous decision in November 2019. “Ring rust is only for lazy fighters, those who do not train regularly. Nonito is training and sparring everyday in Las Vegas with different fighters, so I don’t think he will experience a ring rust,” Nonito Sr. told BusinessMirror on Friday. “If you do not train, you will lose your stamina. But in the case of Nonito, he hasn’t stopped training,” the elder Donaire added. The Donaire-Oubaali fight was originally rescheduled twice last year—summer and December—because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Donaire was given an opportunity to fight Puerto Rican Emmanuel Rodriguez for the
vacant WBC interim bantamweight belt last December 19 but that fight was also canceled after the Filipino yielded a “false positive” test for the virus. Oubaali was also supposed to fight Thailand’s Nawaphon Por Chokchai last March 13 in France but that was also called off. Despite the postponements, the 38-yearold Donaire (40-6 win-loss record with 26 knockouts) train regularly at the Givans Taekwondo Academy in Las Vegas. The southpaw Oubaali, 34, is unbeaten in 17 fights with 12 knockouts.
Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. returns to the ring next month.
Cadets return to training
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EMBERS of the national cadet team training for two major international tournaments later this year will return to the Inspire Sports Academy bubble in Calamba after a more than three-week break because of strict health protocols. Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) program director Tab Baldwin told BusinessMirror on Friday that the players will again undergo tests for the virus before resuming training, which was halted last March 30 because of the enhanced community quarantine in the National Capital Region Plus area. “We have to go to our testing protocols. As soon as everybody is cleared, we will start training,” said Baldwin, who expects more than
20 players to attend the camp although the SBP has yet to announce the final list. The team will see action against South Korea and Indonesia in the third and last window of the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers in the Clark bubble in June as well as in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament set from June 29 to July 4 in Belgrade, Serbia. SBP President Al Panlilio, according to Baldwin, is also expecting 7-foot-3 center Kai Sotto to join the bubble a month before the Clark tournament. Among those expected at the bubble are William Navarro, Jaydee Tungcab, Matt and Mike Nieto, Isaac Go and Justin Baltazar and naturalization candidate Ange Kouame. Josef Ramos
Talisay stresses might anew
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HERE seems to be no stopping MJAS ZenithTalisay City as the Aquastars snatched their seventh straight win—a 104-75 rout of Tabogon—in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup on Friday at the Alcantara Civic Center in Cebu. And this time around, the Aquastars found a cure to their lousy start as they asserted themselves right in the second quarter where they outscored the Voyagers, 27-12, to build a 19-point lead at halftime, 47-28. Lord Casajeros and homegrown Joshua
United States. The skatepark, funded by Red Bull and supported by the National Skateboarding Association (NSA), which provided additional input on the park’s structure, was completed early this year. Since then, the facility has provided Didal and other national skateboarders the opportunity to continue training in a safe and enclosed environment. “It’s such an honor to be one of the skateboarders to represent the Philippines. I’m really hyped!” Didal said. “I still can’t believe I have my very own skatepark. It’s a dream come true.” Didal and other members of the national team will compete in the US and Europe to earn qualification for the Tokyo Olympics. “These new things that Red Bull brings such as the sport science department, physical therapy and evaluation of elite athletes is a new thing that the sport of skateboarding has never had before,” NSA President Carl Sambrano said.
Dela Cerna were lethal during that stretch and combined for the team’s last nine points. From there, it was all Talisay City with the reserves taking full advantage of extra playing time. Talisay City remained perfect at 7-0 wonlost, while Tabogon fell to 3-4. The Voyagers were coming off a moraleboosting 76-73 win over the heavily favored ARQ Builders Lapu-Lapu City Heroes on Thursday night, but failed to bring the energy against Talisay City. With none of the Aquastars’ starters
MACROHON BAGS 2 BRONZE MEDALS
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RISTEL MACROHON settled for two bronze medals at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent on Thursday, a performance that validated her potential to shine in the continental level. Macrohon won gold in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games but competing in the Uzbek capital in the highly competitive women’s 76-kg category, the bronze medals she claimed in clean and jerk (126 kgs) and total lift (225 kgs) were enough for her to send a strong message about her capability. And she has her late grandmother as inspiration in her Asian championships journey. “I dedicate this achievement to my late grandmother, Domelita,” Macrohon said. “She took care of me during my younger years.” Macrohon’s grandmother passed away last April 6 in Zamboanga City. She was 74. She missed the podium in the snatch with 99 kgs, only 1 kilo lighter than South Korea’s Kang Yeounhee’s effort. China’s Zhang Wangli swept all three gold medals—115 kgs in snatch, 148 kgs in clean and jerk and 263 kgs total lift. South Korea’s Kim Suhyeon settled for silver medals in the snatch (106 kgs), clean and jerk (138 kgs) and total lift 244 kgs. Seven Filipinos, including Tokyo Olympicsbound Hidilyn Diaz, vied in the Tashkent tournament with four of them—Vanessa Sarno, Mary Flor Diaz, Erleen Ando and Macrohon— going home with medals. Sarno won two gold medals and a silver in the 71-kg class, Hidilyn Diaz’s cousin Mary Flor Diaz snatched three silvers in the 45-kg category and Ando bagged two silvers and a bronze in the 64-kg division. Diaz was fourth in the 55-kg class but her goal was merely to compete to officially claim her ticket to Tokyo for her fourth consecutive Olympics. Also unable to snatch any medal in the team coached by Nick Jaluag and Gary Hortelano were Margaret Colonia (59 kgs) and Ellen Rose Perez (49 kgs). Hidilyn and her team flew back to Malaysia on Friday while the others could only return to Manila on Wednesday because of limited flights. Josef Ramos
playing more than 14 minutes, five reserves scored in double-figures with Dela Cerna and Gimpayan topscoring with 14 points each. Dela Cerna, a former Cebu Institute of Technology-University standout, added four rebounds, four assists and a steal in 20 minutes of action. Jan Jamon added 12 points, six rebounds, and two assists, while Patrick Cabahug, Dave Moralde and Egie Boy Mojica tallied 11 points apiece. Talisay City’s reserves tallied a whopping 84 points while their counterparts managed just 32. “We were able to manage the minutes of our players and no one played more than 20 minutes,” Aquastars Head Coach Aldrin Morante said. Arvie Bringas and Joemari Lacastesantos led Tabogon with 14 points each while Christian Diaz had a double-double performance of 13 points and 11 rebounds.