BusinessMirror August 01, 2023

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

THE Philippines is now set to receive millions of euros worth of economic packages and relaunch its negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) as the regional bloc continues to “derisk” its supply chains.

O n Monday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen witnessed the ceremonial signing of the Joint Declaration on Green Economy Program following their successful bilateral meeting in Malacañang.

Under the agreement, Marcos said the EU has committed to provide a 60-million-euro grant to the

government for its green economy program, which includes promoting a circular economy, renewable energy, and climate change mitigation measures.

O n top of the grant, EU will also provide technical support to the country through its “Eyes in the Sky” initiative, wherein the data from its Copernicus satellites will be shared with the Philippine Space Agency through a “mirror site.”

“ This is very important for early warning, for example, for extreme weather phenomena and to improve climate resilience. This is the first in-space cooperation in Asia,” Von der Leyen said in her joint statement with the President.

Digital, mining packages

THE EC official said they will also

launch a digital economy package for the Philippines later this year, to provide the country access to fast and reliable internet connectivity and cybersecurity training.

S he also disclosed their plans to extend the submarine cable that the EU plans to build via the Arctic to Japan to reach Southeast Asia through the Philippines, which will make it a digital hub in the region.

A s part of its efforts to develop new sources of “critical raw materials,” the EU is also currently eyeing projects that aim to develop the local mining industry.

Our existing partnerships on critical raw materials do not only invest in extraction, but across the whole value chain. We share technology and knowledge. We train the

local workforce and we empower local communities and of course, we abide by the highest and environmental standards,” Von der Leyen said.

Relaunched FTA talks

BOTH Marcos and Von der Leyen also formally announced the relaunching of the negotiations for a Philippine-EU FTA. I welcome the conduct this year of scoping exercises between the European Commission and the Philippines towards negotiations for a Philippines-EU free trade agreement,” Marcos said. (See related story in Second Front Page, PHL-EU FTA nego resume in ’24 after Sept ’23 scoping talks-DTI)

BusinessMirror

‘CHEAPER FOOD, POWER COOLED JULY

T he BSP projects July 2023 inflation to have settled within the range of 4.1 to 4.9 percent. This is the lowest inflation rate since April 2022 when inflation was at 4.9 percent or March 2022 when inflation was at 4 percent.

I nflation has been trending downward since it peaked at 8.7 percent in January 2023. The in -

TRAVEL EXPO TO PUSH ‘HIDDEN GEMS, EMERGING DESTINATIONS’

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo @akosistellaBM

the BusinessMirror

to

Special

crease in commodity prices slowed to 5.4 percent in June 2023.

Lower electricity rates, declines in the prices of meat, fruits, and fish items, the rollback in LPG prices, and the peso appreciation could contribute to downward price pressures during the month,” BSP said.

EMERGING destinations in Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, and Northern Luzon will be among those promoted by the Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa) at its travel expo this September.

I n a recent news conference, Philtoa president Fe Abling-Yu said, apart from continuing to promote less-known destinations in Mindanao, the 34th Philippine Travel Mart is “going

Mindanao bizmen, chambers upbeat after Marcos lifts ‘state of lawlessness’ proclamation

to promote Borongan, Samar… as Philippine Airlines will now be flying there via Cebu. So we can sell Borongan and we can sell also the outlying destinations in Cebu, not necessarily Cebu City, as well as other parts of Samar.”

W hile there are no available flights there yet, Marinduque is also on Philtoa’s list of emerging destinations, she said, as well as Romblon, Quirino province, Isabela in Basilan province, Masbate, and Samal Island in Davao.

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—Leaders of business organizations

in Mindanao and foreign chambers described as timely and significant the lifting last week of a “national state of lawless violence” in Mindanao.

T hey said the lifting of the Presidential proclamation issued in 2016 would downgrade many international advisories against travel to Mindanao.

T he Mindanao Development

Authority (MinDA) announced on Monday that Malacañang has lifted Proclamation No. 55, which former President Rodrigo R. Duterte issued on September 3, 2016, to declare a “National Emergency on Account of Lawless Violence in Mindanao.”

Secretary Maria Belen S. Acosta, chief of MinDA, said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Proclamation 298 lifting Proclamation No. 55 on July 25.

A ntonio Peralta, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines-Southern Mindanao, said the move should

CHEAPER food items, electricity prices, and the appreciation of the peso may have helped cool down inflation to below 5 percent in July, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Domestic claims of OFCs up 12.2% in January-March

and the nonfinancial corporations,” it added.

B SP data showed the claims on Other Sectors accounted for 51 percent of the OFCs followed by net claims on central government at 24.9 percent and depository corporations at 24.1 percent of the total.

Von der Leyen said they are ready to work with the government to set the right conditions for the resumption of the negotiations, which was deferred in 2017.

ties with the EU.

T he data showed the claims of OFCs grew 12.2 percent to P8.221 trillion in January to March, from P7.327 trillion in the same period a year ago.

B SP said OFCs refers to institutional units providing financial services other than banks, nonbanks with quasi-banking functions, nonstock savings and loan associations, and the central bank. This was due to higher claims on the depository corporations [DCs], the central government and the

“The highlight really of the Philippine Travel Mart is [not just] to enhance the existing destinations, but to help the emerging destinations to be developed. Philtoa will always be there to support the local governments in any of their [tourism promotion] projects,” she added.

other sectors. In particular, the OFCs’ claims on DCs expanded significantly, owing mainly to the growth in the sector’s deposits in banks and holdings of bank-issued equity shares,” the BSP said in a statement. Similarly, claims on the central government rose, following OFCs’ increased holdings of government securities. Likewise, the OFCs’ claims on other sectors, particularly the private sector, grew slightly, primarily on account of increased loans extended to the households

Sales last year

IN the group’s visits around the country, Abling-Yu said they noticed the change in perspective of many local politicians and government officials—“from the congressman to the governor to the provincial tourism officer to the mayors—become more cooperative because they’ve seen the importance of tourism to their destination.”

Meanwhile, in her keynote speech, Tourism Promotions Board (TPB)

Domestic claims on other sectors amounted to P4.194 trillion in the first quarter of 2023, a 2.24-percent growth from P4.102 trillion in the same period last year.

Net claims on central government reached P2.046 trillion in the January to March period this year, a 30.75 percent growth from the P1.565 trillion posted in January to March 2022.

T he data also showed claims on depository corporations amounted to P1.981 trillion in the first quarter of 2023 or a 19.36 percent growth from the P1.66 trillion in the same period of 2022.

Chief Operating Officer Margarita Nograles said noted the Philtoa’s role in boosting tourism traffic in the country. “Last year’s Philippine Travel Mart presented up to 50 percent discounts on airfare, accommodations, and local and international travel packages. With approximately 53,000 foot traffic and total sales of P60 million, this event played a vital role in economic growth, helping our tourism sectors bounce back stronger in the new normal. PTM has unlocked the potential of our glob -

Meanwhile, the net foreign assets of the OFCs grew by 20.8 percent to P304.3 billion in the first quarter from last year’s P252 billion.

“ The claims on nonresidents expanded mainly due to the OFCs’ increased investments in debt securities issued by nonresidents. The sector’s liabilities to nonresidents grew slightly due to higher reinsurance payables to nonresidents,” BSP said. “The expansion in the OFCs’ gross assets was funded mainly by its issuances of shares and other equity to other sectors.”

O FCs institutional units are comprised of non-money market funds of trust institutions, trust corporations, and investment companies, private and public insurance corporations, holding companies, government-owned or -controlled corporations engaged in financial intermediation, and other financial intermediaries and auxiliaries.

ally acclaimed and emerging destinations, providing greater investment and business opportunities for our tourism stakeholders.”

Strong domestic tourism

TPB is the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), which is targeting to reach 4.8 million international travelers this year. As of July 26, there were 3.1 million inbound travelers, almost 65 percent of this year’s target. The DOT is pinning its hope on Chinese tourists to be able to reach its arrivals goal this year, but the Department of Foreign Affairs noted the economic slowdown in China that has resulted in most of its nationals staying home instead. (See, “DOT lauds e-visa for Chinese tourists; but will they come?” in the BusinessMirror , July 31, 2023.)

It’s still the domestic market that is driving tourism in the country,” according to Philtoa 1st Vice President Mary Ann Ong. “We see this because of the strong demand for packaged tours in popular destinations like Baguio, Boracay, Cebu, Palawan. What Philtoa is trying to achieve through this fair is to entice Filipinos to discover the hidden gems such as the Zamboanga Peninsula, Quirino, and Soccsksargen region comprised of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos. These are just some of the places that are under-the-radar but deserve to be explored, appreciated, and enjoyed.”

T he 34th PTM, to be held on September 1-3, 2023, at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, will feature nearly 300 exhibitors from all 17 regions of the Philippines, and bring together hotels, resorts, travel agencies, tour operators, and tourism offices under one roof.

“rectify” the impression of foreigners and foreign investors of what Mindanao is all about.

N ilo Claudio, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Mindanao, said that while it seemed Proclamation No. 55 has already disappeared from the consciousness of many in Mindanao, “the fact the proclamation has been always considered by other nations in considering to travel or invest in the Philippines, always create an impression that there is war in Mindanao and should be avoided.”

“ This creates a problem for business and tourism,” he pointed out.

A rturo Milan, vice president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Mindanao, said there have been many instances between 2016, when the proclamation was issued, and until this time, when the state of lawless violence continued to be factored by other nations in issuing advisories against travel to Mindanao.

“ This lifting is welcome,” he said. He added it would also be timely to start inviting again foreign airlines to restart the operation of direct flights to Davao, like Xiamen Air of China.

A costa said another airline, Royal

T he EU is seeking to accelerate such cooperation with the Philippines to “derisk its trade relations” with other countries such as China and Russia.

“ We have all learned the hard way the cost of economic dependencies. We need to diversify our supply lines and make them resilient,” Von der Leyen said.

Other cooperation areas

MARCOS also lauded the continued assistance of the EU to the country, which includes the successful Bangsamoro Peace Process and the EC’s decision to extend its recognition of the country’s compliance with the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).

He said the country is open to “strengthening and deepening” its

B SP said, however, that inflation has continued on the back of higher prices of rice and vegetables as well as higher domestic oil prices, which are the primary sources of upward price pressures in July.

“ Going forward, the BSP will continue to monitor developments affecting the outlook for inflation and growth in line with its data-dependent approach to monetary policy formulation,” BSP said.

B SP Deputy Governor Francisco Dakila Jr. earlier said the BSP expects inflation to continue to slow to 2.9 percent next year, which is within the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.

I n a reception for the banking

“You are the GOCC sector’s management consultant. As such, I will support any effort from your office to establish a service that aims to improve the performance of GOCCs through management support and innovation,” he said.

T hird, the solon said the GOCC sector is bound to become more expansive as Congress enacts the Public-Private Partnership Act, which will make the formation of joint venture (JV) agreements between government and the private sector easier.

T he Revised JV Guidelines issued by the Commission on Audit require projects that involve the creation of a JV company to secure GCG’s approval. RA 10149 is also expansive enough that a JV where the government controls half the stake could be construed as a GOCC.

Fourth, Salceda said the government needs clarity on whether the

Continued from A1

Air Philippines, a Philippine-based budget airline, would be signing an agreement on Friday to start the Davao City-Hongkong flights.

S he hoped the lifting of the proclamation would also start a “vigorous activity” in energy exploration and investment and water. “Iligan City, for example has a lot of water, and waterfalls but it needs investment to tap it and make it affordable for those in the locality.”

Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol, commander of the Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command, said there would be no deployment or recalling of troops for now, adding that the current disposition of soldiers would be intended to prevent a resurgence of the communist-led insurgency.

“ The troops would remain as is,” he said. “We have a lesson in the past, in 1992, that there was a resurgence of insurgency when the internal security operation was given to the police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines was positioned for external defense.”

He told the BusinessMirror that some changes might be done, like the conduct of checkpoints. “For cities and other areas that are now cleared of the insurgency, we may dismantle

For her part, Von der Leyen said the EU continues to recognize the 2016 award of the arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea as legally binding.

T he arbitral award invalidated the nine-dash-line claims of China in the West Philippines Sea. Beijing refuses to recognize the ruling.

“ We believe in the international rules-based order and we believe in the need to promote and to defend it,” Von der Leyen said.

We are ready to strengthen the cooperation with the Philippines on maritime security in the region by sharing information, conducting threat assessment and building the capacity of your national CoastWatch center and your Coast Guard,” she added.

S he also reiterated the EU’s condemnation of Russia’s “war of aggression” against Ukraine.

Von der Leyen is scheduled to conclude her historic visit to the country—the first done by an EC President—on Tuesday.

community to mark the BSP’s 30th anniversary, BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. said it’s still too early to declare victory against inflation. R emolona said core inflation— which measures the “underlying trend or movement in the average consumer prices”—remained high. Core inflation was at 7.4 percent in June and averaged 7.7 percent in the first six months of the year. R emolona said inflation data that will be released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in the first week of August would be included in the analysis of the Monetary Board that will determine its decision on policy rates.

GCG covers municipal enterprises. If it doesn’t, then we need a set of codified governing standards for municipal enterprises. With the Mandanas-Garcia ruling increasing the share of LGUs in the national budget from 3.5 percent of GDP to 4.8 percent of GDP, that universe of government corporations will become even bigger and more important,” he said. L astly, Salceda emphasized the need for GCG to complete its existing and potentially expanding mandates. “ I believe that the national discourse gets rightsizing completely wrong. Rightsizing must not always be downsizing. Agencies that take in more for the government than they spend should be expanded. As a fund manager back then, our simplest rule in portfolio management was to invest more in your winners—and GCG is a resource-winner for the government,” he said.

the checkpoints like what we did in Tagum City.”

E x-President Duterte issued Proclamation No. 55 on September 3, 2016, the day after the Roxas Night Market was bombed by suspected armed followers of the breakaway faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

T he explosion killed 14 persons and wounded 70 others. In declaring the national emergency, Duterte immediately called on “the Armed Forces and the police to run this country in accordance with my specifications.”

He then said the country should expect the presence of more soldiers and police, but explained their objective is to identify the suspects. He, however, brushed aside fears that his declaration might be a precursor to the declaration of martial law that was being floated around due to his strong policies against crime.

This is not martial law, but there will be security searches, you stop at the checkpoints and if you see soldiers flashing their flashlights, turn off your headlights, turn on the lights inside because I am authorizing them to conduct searches,” Duterte then said. Include the drugs. There is a crises in this country, in drugs, crime, there is lawless violence,” he added.

THEdomestic claims of Other Financial Corporations (OFCs) posted doubledigit growth in the first quarter of 2023, according to the latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

• Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

‘Egay’ death toll climbs to 25; infra and farm damage reach ₧5 billion

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Monday reported that more than P5 billion worth of infrastructure projects and agricultural products have been damaged,

while 25 people perished due to the combined effects of typhoon “Egay” and the prevailing southwest monsoon. NDRRMC said heavy rains, floods and landslides damaged at least P3,510,282,156.58 worth of government projects. These included roads, bridges, flood control projects, government

Erwin T. Tulfo takes seat as ACT-CIS party-list rep

THE House of Representatives on Monday welcomed former broadcast journalist and Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Erwin T. Tulfo after the new representative of the ACT-CIS party list formally took his oath before Speaker Martin G. Romualdez during the second regular session.

Tulfo took his oath after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced last July 20 that it had issued a certificate of proclamation to Tulfo as ACT-CIS’s third nominee.

Tulfo, who is the fourth nominee of the said party-list, replaced former Rep. Jeffrey Soriano (third nominee) who vacated his post last February 2023.

Tulfo, automatically replaced Soriano as provided under Section 16 of the Republic Act 7491.

It can be recalled that ACT-CIS won three House seats after gathering over 2.1 million votes during the May 2022 elections.

D espite the motion to disqualify Tulfo, the Comelec earlier ruled to allow Tulfo to become a replacement nominee for the ACT-CIS partylist in Congress.

The ruling by all of the Comelec affirmed an

earlier decision by its Second Division.

The Comelec said it found “no compelling reason to reverse or to modify” the Second Division’s verdict.

Tulfo vowed that his representation would place a strong emphasis in advocating for the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable through empowering education and accessible health care.

facilities, schools, private buildings and utility services.

On the other hand, crops, livestock, poultry and fisheries products also incurred an estimated loss of P1,965,320,443.03, while an additional P9, 977, 216.22 worth of vehicles, hospital equipment and medicines were damaged.

As a result, at least 106 cities

and municipalities have already declared a state of calamity in order to grapple with the devastation of Egay and the torrential monsoon rain.

While the number of fatalities has swelled to 25, this is still being validated by the NDRRMC, which also said that about 52 people were injured and another 20 are still missing.

The NDRRMC said that at least 654,837 families or 2, 397,336 individuals in 4,111 barangays in 13 regions were affected by Egay, which forced the evacuation of 312,995 people, aside from 17,349 persons that were preemptively evacuated.

As of Monday, 321 cities and municipalities were still without power

or water supply and with toppled communication lines.

At least 399 road sections and 32 bridges also remained flooded, while at least 35,855 houses were either damaged or totally destroyed.

The NDRRMC said the government has already provided P146,687,925.51 worth of assistance to affected communities

Senate resolution seeks probe into Binangonan boat tragedy

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

SENATOR Grace Poe has filed a resolution to investigate the capsizing of MB Aya

Express off the waters of Binangonan, Rizal that resulted in 27 deaths.

Senate Resolution No. 704 seeks to determine accountability for the July 27 tragedy and to find out whether maritime regulations have been followed. Those responsible for the death of the 27 individuals and the trauma of the 43 rescued victims should be held accountable for this incident,” Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services said in her resolution.

has been pushing for years.

As proposed, the board will independently investigate land, air and sea accidents and incidents; determine probable causes, and issue safety recommendations and studies to prevent their recurrence.

Poe said the probe would look into all relevant information to verify reports of overloading for which the operator, shipowner, and boat captain could be held liable if proven true.

T he same liability rests on the said individuals over statements by the surviving passengers that they were not provided life vests.

with adequate life-saving, communication, safety and other equipment operated and maintained in accordance with the standards set by Marina, and manned by duly licensed and competent vessel crew.”

“We will find out if Marina did its job of inspecting the vessels and equipment on board to ensure compliance with safety standards,” said Poe.

The MB Aya Express incident is the second maritime disaster this year after 33 people died in an 8-hour ferry fire in Basilan in March 2023.

capacity is only 30 passengers but it was allegedly allowed to sail with about 70 passengers on board without enough life vests, in addition to bad weather conditions.

Tulfo said the relevant government authorities, including the PCG and Marina, that allowed this tragedy to happen should not get off the hook.

Poe indicated the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) could also face liability for its failure to monitor the number of passengers boarding the boat, validate the truthfulness of the manifest, and consider the harsh weather conditions despite the absence of a storm signal.

“Despite being an archipelago, the Philippines has a poor maritime safety record with people dying in sea mishaps yearly, usually on board aging, wooden motor boats used for fishing or to move people from one small island to another,” Poe said.

“27 people died when Princess Aya capsized. This happened because of the neglect of authorities like the PCG and Marina,” the lawmaker said, reminding that “like previous accidents, they allowed boats to sail, allowed overloading, and did not ensure enough life vests available,” he said, mostly in Filipino.

“Besides the banca owner and workers, someone in PCG and Marina must be liable because incidents like this keep happening,” he added.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Tulfo also vowed to prioritize his support on inclusive policies, equal opportunities and social safety nets that can address the socioeconomic disparities to create a more equitable nation.

“This tragedy revealed serious maritime safety compliance lapses that need to be revisited to determine whether the regulations are insufficient to provide and ensure safe voyage of individuals at sea or whether there is simply complacency in the implementation,” she added.

Moreover, Poe pointed out the need for a National Transport Safety Board, which she

The senator stressed that the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) must abide by its mandate under Section 9 of Republic Act No. 9295, which states that: “All vessels operated by domestic ship operators shall at all times be in seaworthy condition properly equipped

Other senators who sought accountability from Marina, PCG and relevant authorities over the Binangonan tragedy are Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Raffy Tulfo.

Sen. Tulfo also demanded accountability for the death of 27 passengers of MB Princess Aya.

Reports said Princess Aya’s maximum

Tulfo lamented that the boat’s crew members are often the ones punished and sent to jail, and in most cases, the boat owners get away with their lapses. “Ang masaklap pa, puro imbestigasyon na lamang hinggil sa kapabayaan ng PCG at Marina at wala pa talagangnasasampolansakanila.”

DTI tells MSMEs to join Asean online sale from Aug. 8 to 22

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the upcoming Asean Online Sale Day (AOSD) 2023, an e-commerce initiative which will bring together businesses, marketplaces, and platforms selling goods and services online from across Southeast Asia (SEA), presents a “unique” opportunity for Filipino businesses, including small merchants.

In a statement released on Monday, DTI said the Asean Online Sale Day will run from August 8 to 22, 2023, adding this regional e-commerce initiative will gather platforms selling goods and services online from across SEA to promote “crossborder” trade and economic collaboration.

“This event presents a unique opportunity for Filipino businesses, including MSMEs [micro, small, and medium enterprises], to tap into the vast Asean market for consumers to access exciting deals from across the region,” DTI said.

According to the trade department, the AOSD is an annual Asean-wide event that started in 2020, participated by all the Asean member states, which are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines that aims to strengthen economic ties among Asean countries, boost consumer trust in e-commerce, and provide valuable sales opportunities for MSMEs.

In its fourth year, DTI said the e-commerce initiative aims to connect the Asean community and “overcome” barriers in implementing cross-border e-commerce by providing consumers a safe space to shop online and provide opportunities for Asean businesses to expand their markets through cross-border e-commerce.

As of July 27, 2023, DTI said 54 Filipino businesses will be joining the AOSD and will receive “extensive” promotional support from regional marketing campaigns, reaching over 600 million Asean consumers.

DTI said its official publicity channels will “further enhance” the visibility of participating

Hefty fuel pump price hike today

MOTORISTS should brace for a hefty price increase in petroleum products today.

Oil firms announced Monday an increase of P3.50 per liter in diesel, P3.25 per liter in kerosene, and P2.10 per liter in gasoline.

P rices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)

will also increase starting today, Tuesday.

Petron Corporation said it will implement a P4.55/kilogram (kg) increase in LPG prices effective August 1. Auto LPG prices will likewise increase by P2.54 per liter.

These reflect the international contract price of LPG for the month of August,

Let’s join BBM in fighting corruption!

businesses in the Philippine market.

“All authorized participants can proudly display the official AOSD logo in their marketing materials, signaling their commitment to regional cooperation and offering trustworthy deals to consumers,” DTI said.

Moreover, the agency noted that Filipino businesses taking part in the AOSD are “relieved” from the requirement of securing a sales promotion permit with DTI streamlining their participation process.

Since 2020, DTI said the Philippines has fielded the most number of participating businesses in the AOSD. In 2022 alone, there were 120 e-commerce businesses that participated from the Philippines.

The participating companies represent a wide range of sectors including food and beverage, travel and tourism, fashion, e-marketplaces, consumer goods, handicrafts, and home and living.

DTI also noted that MSMEs joined with their products ranging from snacks, fresh produce, chocolates, coffee, condiments, cosmetics, woven items, and home decor.

Petron said.

This is the fourth consecutive week of price increase for gasoline and the fifth price hike for diesel and kerosene.

Movements in the world oil prices affect local pump prices.

T he Department of Energy (DOE) said this week’s price increase could have been the result of oil output cuts of Saudi Arabia and hike in US and European Central Bank interest rates. Lenie Lectura

By Henry J. Schumacher

IT should be our clear understanding that every loud proclamation that Corruption—as we know it—is “dead” is followed by something new. Let’s agree that there is plenty of resourcefulness out there to redefine and reinvent corruption. Resourcefulness generates options—through creative and curious problem “creation,” especially in an environment of lacking accountability and supervision. I have my doubts that digitalization is going to be an anti-corruption tool.

The obvious question is: Why does corruption survive? Its survival depends upon four conditions:

The first condition necessary for the emergence and re-emergence of corruption is that there be rents associated with government’s regulatory powers.

The second condition requires that corrupt bureaucracies be somewhat independent within the remaining (if honest) administrative

structure of the government. External controls of the bureaucracy— whether imposed by the remainder of the administrative system or by society at large—must be weak. I still would love to see that digitalization in government will make a difference.

The third condition requires the public institutions controlling corruption be weak and ineffective.

These institutions include civic groups that exert moral pressures, political parties and the media that could expose the wrongdoing, and the legal system that would have the authority to prosecute and punish the guilty (in the Philippines, the poor have to go to jail but the rich can easily get away or delay processes). Impunity and corruption are going hand-in-hand. Unfortunately, that’s the truth. Powerful perpetrators involved in corruption can too often stymie enforcement against them by interfering with the justice system.

Furthermore, investigations are complex, take “ages,” and are expensive. Unfortunately, this country is Number One in the world when it comes to impunity. In corruption, the Philippines is Number? You tell me your estimate.

The fourth condition is a lack of whistleblower protection. It is obvious that strange deals between government and the private sector and private sector to private sector (price fixing, collusion in biddings, bribing technical and purchasing staff, etc.) will only become known if people inside those organizations become whistleblowers.

The pain, corruption creates can be divided into four categories:

political, economic, social and environmental.

Allow me to focus on one “pain” only:

Socially, corruption is exploitive.

Inequality breeds corruption by:

n Leading ordinary citizens to see a system as stacked against them;

n Creating a sense of dependency among ordinary citizens and a sense of pessimism for the future, which in turn undermines the moral dictates of treating everybody honestly; and

n Distorting the key institutions of fairness in society, the courts, which ordinary citizens see as their protectors against evildoers, especially those with more influence than they have.

And remember, Integrity starts with I—meaning YOU.

Let me close by saying: You are the final authority. Not the government. Not the president. Not Mom or Dad. You. The anticorruption ball is clearly in your court.

Let’s agree to kill corruption jointly with the new administration that promises to make digitalization an effective anticorruption tool! As I have said many times before, corruption hurts the poor and the vulnerable. President Ferdinand Marcos, in the SONA last week, clearly said that his policy is “to continue social programs for the poor and the vulnerable” ! Let’s kill corruption jointly. Feedback is highly welcome— contact me at hjschumacher59@ gmail.com

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed the authority of the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Inc. (FILSCAP) to protect the owners and holders of copyrighted musical works.

In a 32-page ruling penned by Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, the Court en banc junked the petition filed by Cosac Inc., seeking to set aside the May 28, 2015 decision and January 14, 2016 resolution of the Court of Appeals (CA) that upheld the October 2012 and July 22, 2013 orders issued by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Quezon City ordering the petitioner to pay FILSCAP damages for unpaid license fees and royalties.

The SC, however, modified the CA ruling when it lowered the damages awarded to FILSCAP from P317,050 for unpaid license fee and royalties to P300,000.

The Court, however, imposed a 12 percent interest per year from February 13, 2006 until June 30, 2013, and at the rate of 6 percent per year from July 1, 2013 until the date of finality of the judgment on the amount.

“As a final note, the Court acknowledges that FILSCAP, by authority of the deeds/agreements, represents the owners or holders of copyrighted musical works under its catalogue. As the assignee, FILSCAP is tasked to monitor and issue licenses to persons, businesses, establishments, and the like, which are interested to play or perform these musical compositions,” the SC said.

Although it seems trivial or outrageous to collect fees for this purpose, especially when almost everything is readily accessible to the listening public, the copyright owners are still entitled to be compensated for their creative work. There is no question that they invested time, creativity, talent, and effort in the creation and development of their compositions,” it added.

FILSCAP is a non-stock, non-profit corporation comprised of composers, authors, and music publishers authorized to issue licenses and collect license fees for the public performance of copyrighted musical works under its repertoire, whether for profit or not.

It is tasked to enforce and protect the performing rights of copyright owners of musical works.

On February 3, 2005 and January 13, 2006, a representative from FILSCAP who monitored Off the Grill Bar and Restaurant in Quezon City, which is  (owned and operated by Cosac Inc.), discovered that the restaurant played copyrighted music without obtaining from FILSCAP a license or paying the corresponding fees.

T hus, FILSCAP advised Cosac to secure the required licenses and sent letters demanding the same on September 20, 20049 and October 14, 2004.

Due to the failure of Cosac to respond and comply with the demand, FILSCAP filed a complaint for infringement of copyright and damages against COSAC on February 13, 2006.

It claimed that Cosac’s refusal to secure

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

A LAWMAKER has proposed the integration of the government’s corrections, jail, and probation management systems through the creation of Department of Corrections to finally address the longstanding problems of congestion, abuse, and corruption in the country’s penal facilities.

I n a news statement, Bicol Saro Party list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan said he is now drafting a bill that aims to create the proposed department, which he broached during a recent House Committee on Justice briefing on the state of the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) and other jails in the country.

Dr. Raymund Narag, a recognized international criminology expert and himself a former detainee, conducted the briefing, which showed the appalling conditions inside the NBP and other jails.

These conditions are the result of the overly high congestion rate in these prisons, the lack of personnel and financial resources, and other structural deficits that breed corruption and irregular practices often tolerated by corrections officials to enable them and their detainees to survive in poorlymaintained facilities, Narag said.

Dr. Narag’s comprehensive briefing is a wake-up call for us in Congress to address once and for all the perennial problems that have long plagued our penal facilities. The

the license and its continued use of copyrighted music without the requisite performing rights constitute acts of infringement.

T hus, FILSCAP said, Cosac should be compelled to secure a license and to pay royalty fees, damages, and attorney’s fees.

After failing to get a favorable ruling from the trial court and the appellate court, Cosac elevated the issue before the SC, questioning its authority to collect royalty fees.

Cosac insisted that the publication of the deeds of assignment or FILSCAP’s authority in the IPO Gazette is necessary under Section 182 of the Intellectual Property Code (IPC) as it serves to inform the general public of its authority to collect royalty fees.

I t further contended that FILSCAP’s authority as assignee is vague and not supported by evidence.

I t also questioned the damages and attorney’s fees awarded in favor of FILSCAP for being baseless and excessive, noting that Cosac has no control over what the bands will sing in its establishment.

H owever, the SC held that the trial court and the CA were correct when it ruled that Cosac committed infringing activities in two ways: performance by a live band and playing of sounds of recordings.

In any case, the playing of music in Off the Grill was not done privately, and the establishment is not a charitable or religious institution or society. Additionally, the playing of the creative copyrighted music in Off the Grill was commercial in nature, and will work against the copyright owners’ interests,” the SC ruled.

Thus, Cosac’s acts did not fall under the said limitations and the fair use doctrine,” it added.

It can be recalled that in 2022, the SC declared that the act of playing radio broadcast with copyrighted music through the use of loudspeakers (radio-over-loudspeakers) without a license from the copyright owner is considered a performance and an infringement of copyright.

The Court also ordered that a copy of the decision be furnished to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines for their guidance and information, as well as the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines as reference for possible statutory amendments on the Intellectual Property Code without violating the State’s commitments under the Berne Convention and the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.

The Berne Convention provides that authors of musical works shall enjoy the exclusive right of authorizing the public performance of their works, including the “public performance by any means or process” and  “any communication to the public of the performance of the works.”

O n the other hand, TRIPS Agreement incorporates by reference the provisions on copyright from the Berne Convention.

The Court held that “radio reception transmitted through loudspeakers to enhance profit does not constitute, and is not analogous to fair use.”

problems enumerated by Dr. Narag are also the same problems that we in the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have encountered in district, city, and municipal jails nationwide and tried to find solutions to more than 10 years ago under then Secretary Ronnie Puno,” said Yamsuan, a former DILG assistant secretary.

“ Based on Dr. Narag’s extensive analyses, there appear to be no significant improvements at all in our penal facilities despite the passage of a law in 2013 that aims to strengthen and professionalize the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor),” the lawmaker added.

C reating a line agency like the Department of Corrections will enable the government to introduce long-due reforms in its fragmented corrections and jail management systems and work on improving the living conditions and rehabilitation programs of persons deprived of liberty (PDL), Yamsuan said.

The department will also be able to focus on safeguarding the rights of PDLs, from the time of their detention up to their rehabilitation and reintegration into society, he added.

Yamsuan made the proposal as the House Committee on Public Order and Safety, of which he is also a member, is set to conduct this week a motu proprio inquiry in aid of legislation into the reported disappearance of a PDL and the discovery of mass graves inside the NBP’s maximum security compound. H e said he would closely

Higher LRT 1 and 2 fare charge starts Wednesday

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

Beginning Wednesday, riders of the LRT Line 1 will pay a boarding fare of P13.29 and a distance fare of P1.21 per kilometer, an increase from the P11 boarding rate and P1 per kilometer rate.

Th is means that a minimum fare of P14 and a maximum fare of P35 for stored value cards (SVCs) will be collected by LRT 1 operator Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC). Single journey tickets (SJTs), on the other hand, will range from P15 to P35 from between P12 and P30.

“ Through the years, LRMC has remained committed to its mission of providing a safe, reliable, efficient, and comfortable journey for LRT 1 commuters. Despite the absence of fare adjustments in previous years, we have established major improvements in the 38-year-old railway line with the increase in trains deployed to service more commuters; improved headway or waiting time; station rehabilitation and expansion; and the construction of LRT 1 Cavite Extension Project. We are determined to give people back their time through efficient transport and put more value to every single peso that our passengers spend for every LRT-1 ride,” LRMC COO Rolando J. Paulino III said.

Meanwhile, Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), which operates LRT 2, will start charging a minimum fare of P13 and a maximum of P33 for SVCs, while fares for SJT shall range from P15 to P35.

The Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Rail Regulatory Unit earlier approved the upward adjustment for fares for both train lines, employing an “inflation rebasing formula” based on the 2018 rates.

The unit has said the approval for LRT 2 was based on the LRTA’s deficit for 2023, projected to be less than P8.5 billion. The government-owned corporation is operating at a loss and is relying on government subsidies for its operations and maintenance, as reflected in its financial performance in 2022 when it incurred a deficit of about P7 billion.

“

The additional fare will be used to fix and improve the facilities and services of the LRT 2. The last fare adjustment for the line was implemented in 2015,” the DOTr said in a news statement released on Monday.

On the part of LRMC, its fare deficit vis-à-vis the notional fare prescribed in its concession agreement with the government is P1.46 billion. As of January 2023, LRMC’s actual fare is 50 percent behind the notional fares, a gap that “will exponentially increase.”

LRT 1 last implemented a fare increase in 2015. Since 2016, LRMC has filed four petitions for a rate increase. But these were all deferred.

For the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3, Transportation Undersecretary Cesar Chavez said the petition for fare increase is still with the Office of the Secretary.

H istorically, once approved, a fare hike will be implemented within “three months.”

“ We will await the referral of the Office of the Secretary to my office, the rail regulatory unit,” he said.

The petition calls for “almost the same” increase in fares for the two overhead lines.

C havez explained that the increase would help cushion the equity rental payments that the government shells out to lease the MRT 3 from MRT Holdings Inc.

The government pays between P600 million and P900 million

per month—depending on the inflation—to MRT Holdings to rent the facility under the buildlease-transfer (BLT) agreement that it signed with the company in the 90s.

The concession agreement for the BLT agreement will lapse in 2025.

Much like LRT 1, the government aims to privatize the other two lines by auctioning off their operations and maintenance (O&M) contracts as a “bundle.”

Th is exercise is expected to be started next year, Chavez said.

coordinate with Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. to get their input on his proposed Department of Corrections.

The Philippines’ jail management system is disjointed. Its prison and penal facilities are under the BuCor of the DOJ, while its district, city, and municipal jails are under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) of the DILG. The provincial jails are under the supervision of the provincial governments.

A ccording to data from BuCor, the NBP and other penal facilities it manages currently house around 51,500 inmates nationwide. But the total capacity of all these jails is estimated at only 12,250 inmates, which leads to a congestion rate of 321 percent.

T he congestion rate alone of the NBP, the largest mega-prison in the world, is 377 percent, as its current population of 30,701 is only enough for 6,500 inmates.

M eanwhile, the ideal custodial officer-to-inmate ratio is 1 is to 7, but in BuCor’s penal facilities, the ratio is at 1 is to 30, according to the bureau’s data.

Narag, in response to Yamsuan’s proposal, agreed that it would be best to create a single authority to manage the government’s jail, corrections, and probation systems.

Looking at the Filipino culture, I do believe that if we get the BJMP out of the DILG, we get the BuCor out of the DOJ, we get the [Board of

Pardons and Parole] out of the DOJ, and we get the provincial jails out of the provincial government, and we put them all together into one agency, that would be a more systematic way to address the problems,” Narag said.

T he chief of the BJMP, Jail Director Ruel Rivera, also backed Yamsuan’s proposal to integrate the country’s fragmented jail management systems.

B ukidnon 2nd District Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores, chairperson of the House Committee on Government Reorganization and who was also present at the briefing, said he was looking forward to Yamsuan’s bill on creating this new line agency.

Narag himself is a prime example of the injustices suffered by PDLs as a result of the country’s fragmented and grossly inefficient criminal justice system. Narag spent seven years of his life in pre-trial detention after he was suspected of involvement in the death of another student from a rival fraternity. Narag was eventually found innocent of the allegations against him.

D uring the briefing, lawyer Antonio Pido of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) narrated how the organization had assisted a PDL who had already completed serving his sentence but endured several years more in jail because of the incomplete paperwork for his release and another who was already in detention but was still known to be “at large” by law enforcement agencies.

COMMUTERS will be paying more for their train rides starting tomorrow, Wednesday, as the operators of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Lines 1 and 2 implement the approved fare adjustments for their rail systems.

Court upholds FILSCAP’s authority to protect copyrighted musical works

Rep. Yamsuan pushes creation of Department of Corrections

West African nations threaten to use force if Niger president isn’t reinstated within a week

By Sam Mednick The Associated Press

The announcement came at the end of an emergency meeting of West African countries Sunday in Nigeria, where the regional bloc, known as ECOWAS, convened to respond to last week’s military takeover. President Mohamed Bazoum remains under house arrest and has yet to resign.

“In the event the authority’s demands are not met within one week, (the bloc will) take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. Such measures may include the use of force,” said the statement.

The bloc also imposted strict sanctions, including suspending

all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger and freezing of assets in regional central banks. Economic sanctions could have a deep impact on Nigeriens, who live in the third-poorest country in the world, according to the latest U.N. data. The country relies on imports from Nigeria for up to 90% of its power, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

The sanctions could be disastrous and Niger needs to find a solution to avoid them, Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou told French media outlet Radio France Internationale on Sunday.

“When people say there’s an embargo, land borders are closed, air borders are closed, it’s extremely difficult for people ... Niger is a country that relies heavily on the international community,” he said.

The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has unsuccessfully tried to restore democracies in nations where the military took power in recent years. Four nations are run by military governments in West and

appointment was that of the Vatican’s new doctrinal czar, Argentine Cardinal-elect Victor Manuel Fernandez, 61. Francis’ theological ghostwriter ran into Vatican problems in the past over questions about his doctrinal orthodoxy, and his appointment sent shockwaves through the conservative and traditionalist wings of the church.

Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020.

In the 1990s, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia during its civil war. In 2017, it intervened in Gambia to prevent the new president’s predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of power. Around 7,000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal entered, according to the Global Observatory,

which provides analysis on peace and security issues.

If the regional bloc uses force, it could trigger violence not only between Niger and ECOWAS forces but also civilians supporting the coup and those against it, Niger analysts say.

“While this remains to be a threat and unlikely action, the consequences on civilians of such an approach if putschists chose confrontation would be catastrophic,” said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Moroccobased think tank.

“I believe economic sanctions are the ones to be imposed, but don’t see a military intervention happening because of the violence that could trigger,” he said.

The military junta, which seized power on Wednesday when members of the presidential guard surrounded Bazoum’s house and detained him, is already cracking down on the government and civil liberties.

On Sunday, junta spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane said on state television that all government cars need to be returned by midday Monday and banned the

use of social media to diffuse messages against state security. He also claimed that Bazoum’s government had authorized the French to carry out strikes to free Bazoum. The Associated Press can’t verify his allegations.

In anticipation of the ECOWAS decision Sunday, thousands of pro-junta supporters took to the streets in the capital, Niamey, denouncing its former colonial ruler, France, waving Russian flags and telling the international community to stay away.

Demonstrators in Niger are openly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a powerful alternative. The nature of Moscow’s involvement in the rallies, if any, isn’t clear, but some protesters have carried Russian flags, along with signs reading “Down with France” and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The situation of this country is not good ... It’s time for change, and change has arrived,” said Moussa Seydou, a protester. “What we want from the putschists—all they have to do is improve social conditions so that Nigeriens can live better in this country and bring peace,” he said.

Phoenix hits another 110-degree as wildfires spread in California

By Walter Berry

Associated Press

The

POPE Francis waves to people from his popemobile along the Copacabana beachfront as he arrives for the Stations of the Cross procession in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Friday, July 26, 2013. When Pope Francis made the first foreign trip of his papacy, to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day in 2013, he urged young people to make a “mess” in their local churches, to shake things up even if it ruffled the feathers of their bishops.

As Pope Francis heads to Portugal, he’s laying groundwork for church’s future

By Nicole Winfield The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY—When Pope Francis made the first foreign trip of his papacy, to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day in 2013, he urged young people to make a “mess” in their local churches, to shake things up even if it ruffled the feathers of their bishops.

As he embarks this week on another edition of World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, Francis in many ways has taken his own advice to heart. After 10 years as pope, Francis is accelerating his reform agenda and making revolutionary changes in personnel and policy that are definitely shaking things up.

Unencumbered by the shadow of Pope Benedict XVI, who died seven months ago, and despite recovering from a second intestinal surgery in as many years, the 86-year-old Francis is opening a frenetic second half of the year with his Portugal visit. He seems aware that he has a limited sweet spot of time to solidify the changes he believes are necessary for the 21st century church, and is looking to the next generation of faithful and leaders to execute them.

“The sense I get is that this is the consolidation phase of the pontificate,” said papal biographer Austen Ivereigh. “He’s laying the basis now, laying the ground, for the future.”

And no better place to put it on display than at a World Youth Day. The international rally, which St. John Paul II launched in 1986 to galvanize young Catholics in their faith, is expected to draw up to 1 million people for the first post-pandemic event of its kind.

Francis’ perennial social justice concerns about climate change, social inequality and fraternity, as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine, are expected to be major themes.

Beyond Portugal, though, Francis’

multifold strategy for laying the groundwork for the future is coming together and will hit significant marks in the coming months.

His global canvassing of rank-and-file Catholics about their vision for the future comes to fruition this October with a big synod at the Vatican. The meeting is intended to give direction on such hot-button issues as the place of LGBTQ+ Catholics and women in the church, and for the first time will feature women and young people voting on proposals alongside bishops.

“I really think that for Pope Francis, he felt that ‘OK, now it’s mature’ and it would be good really to involve all the members, all the people in the synod as members” with the right to vote, said Sister Nathalie Becquart, who is one of the key synod organizers.

To then implement the vision that emerges from the synod, Francis has been naming a slew of unusually young bishops for key archdioceses—in his native Buenos Aires, Madrid and Brussels, among others. At the same time, he’s elevated several cardinals in their 50s—and in some cases their 40s—including the auxiliary bishop of Lisbon who is organizing World Youth Day.

Putting such young clerics in such important positions ensures a generation’s worth of likeminded leadership in the Vatican and archdioceses around the world. While not all are cookie-cutter protégés of Francis, many are seen as similarly pastorally minded and thus more game to implement his reforms, especially as the older generation of bishops and cardinals dies out.

After Francis is gone, the youngest of these new cardinals will have some three decades’ worth of local leadership and conclave votes to select future popes, suggesting a generational and ideological shift in the church leadership is very much underway. Francis’ most important young “legacy”

Fernandez sees his appointment as part of Francis’ longer-term agenda. “He is proposing a more inclusive church, more respectful of different ways of living, even of thinking,” Fernandez said in an interview.

Portuguese Cardinal-elect Americo Aguiar, who is in charge of World Youth Day, is another young churchman who also understands his appointment as part of a generational turning point for the Catholic hierarchy.

At age 49, he will become the secondyoungest member of the College of Cardinals when he is installed Sept. 30. He is just six months older than the current youngest cardinal, whom Francis elevated this time last year: Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, head of the church in Mongolia where Francis will travel at the end of August.

“My reading of it is that this has to do with young people, it has to do with youth, it has to do with Portugal, it has to do with World Youth Day, it has to do with all of that,” Aguiar said in an interview. “I think that his objective and his underlining was exactly to send a signal to the young people, to every young person who is preparing the day, whether in Portugal or in the world, to feel identified with this decision.”

Francis said as much in his monthly prayer intentions for August, this time dedicated to the Lisbon event.

“In Lisbon, I would like to see a seed for the world’s future,” Francis said. “A world where love is at the center, where we can sense that we are sisters and brothers.”

His wish in many ways echoed his words at the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio, which now seem prescient in outlining many of the key pastoral messages Francis has emphasized over the past decade. Delivering a spontaneous, off-the-cuff exhortation to a gathering of Argentine pilgrims that was organized at the last minute, Francis urged the young to get out into the streets, spread their faith and “make a mess.”

“I want to see the church get closer to the people,” Francis said then, speaking in his native Spanish. “I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures.”

PHOENIX—Phoenix sizzled through its 31st consecutive day of at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) and other parts of the country grappled Sunday with record temperatures after a week that saw significant portions of the US population subject to extreme heat.

The National Weather Service said Phoenix climbed to a high of 111°F (43.8 Celsius) before the day was through.

July has been so steamy thus far that scientists calculate it will be the hottest month ever recorded and likely the warmest human civilization has seen. The World Meteorological Organization and the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service on Thursday proclaimed July beyond record smashing.

The historic heat began blasting the lower Southwest US in late June, stretching from Texas across New Mexico and Arizona and into California’s desert.

On Sunday, a massive wildfire burning out of control in California’s Mojave National Preserve spread rapidly amid erratic winds, while firefighters reported progress against another major blaze to the south that prompted evacuations.

The York Fire that erupted Friday near the remote Caruthers Canyon area of the preserve sent up a huge plume of smoke visible nearly 100 miles (160 kilometers) away across the state line in Nevada.

Flames 20 feet (6 meters) high in some spots have charred more than 110 square miles (284 square kilometers) of desert scrub, juniper and Joshua tree woodland, according to a Sunday update.

“The dry fuel acts as a ready ignition source, and when paired with those weather conditions it resulted in long-distance fire run and high flames, leading to

PEOPLE stand atop a rock formation to watch the sunset on Sunday, July 30, 2023, in Phoenix. Phoenix hit its 31st consecutive day of at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius). The National Weather Service said the temperature climbed to a high of 111 degrees Fahrenheit before the day was through. AP/MATT YORK

extreme fire behavior,” authorities said. No structures were threatened, but there was also no containment.

To the southwest, the Bonny Fire was holding steady at about 3.4 square miles (8.8 square kilometers) in rugged hills of Riverside County. More than 1,300 people were ordered to evacuate their homes Saturday near the remote community of Aguanga, California.

Triple-digit heat was expected in parts of the central San Joaquin Valley through Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

And in Burbank, California, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Los Angeles, the summer heat may have been responsible for some unusual behavior in the animal kingdom: Police in the city responded to a report of a bear sighting in a residential neighborhood and found the animal sitting in a Jacuzzi behind one of the homes.

As climate change brings hotter and longer heat waves, record temperatures across the US have killed dozens of people, and the poorest Americans suffer the most. Air conditioning, once a luxury, is now a matter of survival.

Last year, all 86 heat-related deaths indoors were in uncooled environments.

“To explain it fairly simply: Heat kills,” said Kristie Ebi, a University of Washington professor who researches heat and health. “Once the heat wave starts, mortality starts in about 24 hours.”

It’s the poorest and people of color, from Kansas City to Detroit to New York City and beyond, who are far more likely to face grueling heat without air conditioning, according to a Boston University analysis of 115 US metro areas.

Back in Phoenix, slight relief may be on the way as expected seasonal thunderstorms could drop temperatures Monday and Tuesday.

“It should be around 108 degrees, so we break that 110 streak,” meteorologist Tom Frieders said. “Increasing cloud cover will put temperatures in a downward trend.”

The relief could be short-lived, however. Highs are expected to creep back to 110°F (43.3°C) Wednesday with temperatures reaching 115°F (46.1°C) by the end of the week.

Phoenix has also sweated through a record 16 consecutive nights when the lows temperature didn’t dip below 90°F (32.2°C), making it hard for people to cool off after sunset.

Meanwhile, Las Vegas continues to flirt with its hottest July ever. The city is closing in on its 2010 record for the average of the high and low each day for July, which stands at 96.2°F (35.5°C).

The extreme heat is also hitting the eastern US, as soaring temperatures moved from the Midwest into the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, where some places recorded their warmest days so far this year.

NIAMEY, Niger—West African nations have given Niger’s coup leaders one week to reinstate the country’s democratically elected president and have threatened to use force if the demands aren’t met.

NIGERIA President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, second from left, poses, for a group photograph with other West Africa leaders after a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria on Sunday, July 30, 2023. At an emergency meeting Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria, the West African bloc known as ECOWAS said that it was suspending relations with Niger, and authorized the use of force if President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week. The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the democratically elected government. AP/CHINEDU ASADU

AP reporters Helena Alvez in Lisbon, Portugal, and Almudena Calatrava in Buenos Aires contributed.

The World

Pakistan suicide bombing death toll rises to 54 as families hold funerals, police say

By Anwarullah Khan & Riaz Khan

The Associated Press

KHAR, Pakistan—The death toll from a massive suicide bombing that targeted an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric rose to 54 on Monday, as Pakistan held funerals and the government vowed to hunt down those behind the attack.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday’s bombing, which also wounded nearly 200 people. Police said their initial investigation suggested that the Islamic State group’s regional affiliate could be responsible.

The victims were attending a rally organized by the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, headed by hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman. He did not attend the rally, held under a large tent close to a market in Bajur, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan.

Rehman, who has long supported Afghanistan’s Taliban government, escaped at least two known bomb attacks in 2011 and 2014, when bombings damaged his car at rallies.

Victims of the bombing were buried in Bajur on Monday.

As condolences continued to pour in from across the country, dozens of people who received minor injuries were discharged from hospital while the critically wounded were taken to the provincial capital of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll continued to rise as critically wounded people died in hospital, physician Gul Naseeb said.

On Monday, police recorded statements from some of the wounded at a hospital in Khar, Bajur’s largest town. Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, said police were “investigating

this attack in all aspects.”

At least 1,000 people were gathered under a large tent Sunday as their party prepared for parliamentary elections, expected in October or November.

“People were chanting God is Great on the arrival of senior leaders, when I heard the deafening sound of the bomb,” said Khan Mohammad, a local resident who said he was standing outside the tent.

Mohammad said he heard people crying for help, and minutes later ambulances started arriving and taking the wounded away.

Abdul Rasheed, a senior leader in Rehman’s party said the bombing was aimed at weakening the party but that “such attacks cannot deter our resolve.”

Islamist groups have long had a presence in Bajur. The district was formerly a base for Al-Qaeda and a stronghold of the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreeke-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. The army declared the district clear of the group in 2016 following a series of offensives.

The IS regional affiliate, known

as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, is based in neighboring Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province and is a rival of the Afghan Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

Shaukat Abbas, a senior police officer, said that police have made progress in their investigation, but did not provide details.

Pakistani security analyst Mahmood Shah told The Associated Press that breakaway factions of the TTP could also be behind the attack. He said some TTP members have been known to disobey their top leadership to carry out attacks, as have breakaway factions of the group.

Shah said such factions could have perpetrated the attack to cause “confusion, instability and unrest ahead of the elections.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to dissolve Pakistan’s parliament in August.

Rehman’s party is part of Sharif’s coalition government, which came to power in April 2022 by ousting former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in the legislature.

Sharif called Rehman to express

Ukraine: Russian missiles hit another apartment building and likely trapped people under rubble

By Felipe Dana

The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine—Russian

missiles slammed into the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, killing two people, wounding at least 20 others and trapping up to seven beneath rubble, Ukraine’s interior minister said Monday.

The two missiles struck an apartment building, destroying a section of it between the fourth and ninth floors, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. Part of a fourstory university building also was destroyed, he said.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian artillery strike on partially occupied Donetsk province killed two people and wounded six in the regional capital, according to Denis Pushilin, the Moscowinstalled leader of the llegally annexed province.

A bus was also hit as Ukrainian forces shelled the city of Donetsk multiple times Monday, Pushilin said.

Neither side’s claims could be independently verified.

In Kryvyi Rih, video showed rescue crews working through the wreckage from the part of the university building that was demolished.

Black smoke billowed from corner apartments in the apartment building. Outside, debris was strewn across the tree-lined street. Parked cars were burned out or damaged.

The governor of Dnipropetrovsk province, Serhii Lysak, said the morning attack wounded 31 people, including four children. It was not possible to reconcile different casualty figures.

Kryvyi Rih is the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Kremlin’s forces have occasionally targeted the city since they invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Bombarding populated areas with missiles, artillery and drones has been a hallmark of Moscow’s tactics during the war, with some aerial attacks hitting civilian areas. The strategy has continued during a Ukrainian counteroffensive that is trying to drive Russian forces out of occupied areas.

Russian officials insist they only take aim at legitimate military targets. Commenting on Monday’s attack, Ukraine’s

his condolences and assure the cleric that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. The bombing has also drawn nationwide condemnation, with ruling and opposition parties offering condolences to the families of the victims. The U.S. and Russian embassies in Islamabad also condemned the attack.

Khan condemned the bombing Sunday.

The Pakistani Taliban also distanced themselves from the attack, saying that the attack aimed to set Islamists against each other. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, wrote in a tweet that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”

The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where on Monday he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.

In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. Some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.

Sunday’s bombing was one of the four worst attacks in northwestern Pakistan since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.

In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.

The Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this story from Islamabad.

Dispute over Persian Gulf gas field poses challenge to SaudiIranian rapprochement

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—An escalating dispute over a gas field in the Persian Gulf poses an early challenge to a Chinese-brokered agreement to reconcile regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Saudi Arabia and neighboring Kuwait jointly claim the offshore Al-Durra gas field. Iran says it has rights to the field, which it refers to as Arash. The two sides held talks in Iran in March but were unable to agree on a border demarcation.

president said that “in recent days, the enemy has been stubbornly attacking cities, city centers, shelling civilian objects and housing.”

“But this terror will not frighten us or break us,” Zelenskyy said in a social media statement.

In the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, Russian shelling killed another civilian Monday, local authorities said. Several others were reported to be wounded.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has sought to take the war deep into Russia, reportedly using drones to hit targets as far away as Moscow. The latest strike, on Sunday, damaged two office buildings a few miles (kilometers) from the Kremlin.

Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia and Moscow-annexed territory, especially Crimea, have become more frequent recently.

Nasser Kanaani, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said on Monday that it would not tolerate any infringement on its rights, echoing remarks by the country’s oil minister the previous day. Last week, Kuwait’s oil minister told Sky News Arabia that his country would commence drilling and production without waiting for a deal.

Saudi Arabia has sided with Kuwait, saying the two countries have exclusive ownership of the field, and has called on Iran to return to negotiations.

Saudi Arabia and Iran, which have backed opposite sides in conflicts across the Middle East and accused each other of destabilizing the region, agreed in March to restore diplomatic relations following a seven-year freeze. They have since reopened embassies and welcomed senior officials on visits.

But they continue to back opposite sides in Yemen’s civil war, which is ongoing despite a 15-month cease-fire. Saudi Arabia is also in negotiations with the United States over potentially normalizing relations with Israel, which Iran’s leaders have said should be wiped off the map.

It’s unclear whether the dispute over the gas field, which goes back to the 1960s, will escalate beyond rhetoric. But tensions are already high in the Persian Gulf, where the US is building up military forces in response to what it says is Iran’s unlawful

RELATIVES and mourners gather around the caskets of victims who were killed in Sunday’s suicide bomber attack in the Bajur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Monday, July 31, 2023. Pakistan held funerals on Monday for victims of a massive suicide bombing that targeted a rally of a pro-Taliban cleric the previous day. AP/MOHAMMAD SAJJAD

IN this photo provided by the Ukrainian Interior Ministry Press Office, emergency services work at a scene after a missile hits a multi-story apartment building in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine on Monday, July 31, 2023.

Hepatitis: Many Pinoys don’t know they have it

World Hepatitis day, observed on July 28 every year, aims to raise global awareness of hepatitis—a group of infectious diseases known as hepatitis A, B, C, d, and E—and encourage prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

To mark World Hepatitis Day this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling all member states to scale up testing and treatment for viral hepatitis, warning that the disease could kill more people than malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV combined by 2040 if current infection trends continue.

Under the theme of “One life, one liver,” WHO’s World Hepatitis Day campaign highlights the importance of protecting the liver against hepatitis for a long, healthy life. Good liver health also benefits other vital organs—including the heart, brain and kidneys—that rely on the liver to function.

Hepatitis causes liver damage and cancer. It kills over a million people annually. Of the five types of hepatitis infections, hepatitis B and C cause most of the disease and deaths. Hepatitis C can be cured. However, only 21 percent of people living with hepatitis C infection are diagnosed, and only 13 percent have received curative treatment. Just 10 percent of people living with chronic hepatitis B are diagnosed, and only 2 percent of those infected are receiving the lifesaving medicine.

“Millions of people are living with undiagnosed and untreated hepatitis worldwide, even though we have better tools than ever to prevent, diagnose and treat it,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “WHO remains committed to supporting countries to expand the use of those tools, including increasingly cost-effective curative medication, to save lives and end hepatitis.”

WHO will share new guidance to track countries’ progress on the path to the elimination of hepatitis by 2030. To reduce new infections and deaths from hepatitis B and C, countries must: ensure access to treatment for all pregnant women living with hepatitis B, provide hepatitis B vaccines for their babies at birth, diagnose 90 percent of people living with hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C, and provide treatment to 80 percent of all people diagnosed with hepatitis. They must also act to ensure optimal blood transfusion, safe injections and harm reduction.

WHO said the reduction of hepatitis B infections in children through vaccination is a key intervention to limit viral hepatitis infections overall. The target for hepatitis B incidence is the only Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDG) health target that was met in 2020 and is on track for 2030.

For people who want to maintain liver health, WHO recommends hepatitis testing, treatment if diagnosed, and vaccination against hepatitis B. Reducing alcohol consumption, achieving a healthy weight, and managing diabetes or hypertension also benefit liver health.

In the Philippines, WHO said one in 10 people have chronic hepatitis B, and six in 1,000 have chronic hepatitis C. Hepatitis is a huge public health concern in the country, but due to lack of awareness, many of those who have this viral disease may not even know they have it until it’s too late.

WHO said hepatitis is a silent killer. Caused by a virus that has no symptoms, it quietly damages the liver for decades before ending in liver cancer and cirrhosis (scarring of the liver that reduces its ability to detoxify blood). Deaths due to hepatitis in the Philippines have increased over the past two decades, with 1.4 million lives lost every year. Sadly, Filipinos are still not well informed about the disease.

Without proper care, the two most common types of hepatitis—B and C— cause about 60 percent of liver cancer. This is why liver cancer is one of the top causes of cancer deaths in the Philippines.

Deaths from preventable diseases are unacceptable, and hepatitis is no exception. Nowadays, we can prevent and treat the disease. Hepatitis B vaccine is highly effective when the first dose is given to babies within 24 hours of birth and followed up with two further doses. People living with chronic hepatitis B can be treated with highly effective medicines to stop the disease from progressing and reduce the risk of it developing into liver cancer. People with hepatitis C can now be cured within three months by taking new oral medicines.

It would do well for the government to intensify its information campaign, and scale up hepatitis testing and treatment nationwide because many Filipinos with hepatitis do not know they are infected and thus do not seek treatment.

THE EnTrEprEnEur

IT was a comprehensive accounting of the state of the nation, delivered in exactly 120 minutes and full of optimism for the future.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address on July 24, 2023 accurately summed up the current situation of the Philippines and its people, and relayed our aspirations and dreams to have a better quality of life by sustaining our economic momentum, building infrastructures and protecting our environment.

“Sound and improving” is how the President described the Philippine economic condition. This means we have a stable government and economy, yet we are looking forward to an even brighter future.

The numbers the President cited are solid—our gross domestic product expanded 7.6 percent in 2022, the highest growth rate in 46 years. This was followed by a 6.4-percent growth in the first quarter of 2023, one of the fastest in the region.

The Philippines, he said, is considered to be among the fastest-growing economies in the Asian region and in the world—a testament to our strong macroeconomic fundamentals.

Banks are strong and stable, while brick-and-mortar retail and e-commerce businesses are flourishing, with the digital economy contributing P2 trillion.

While consumer prices remain a challenge, the inflation rate has been on a downtrend from 8.7 percent in January 2023 to 5.4 percent in June,

and is on track to ease further by the fourth quarter.

The President said the government is focusing on investing in infrastructure and in the Filipino people. About 70 percent of the 2023 government budget goes to economic and social services. This is why it is crucial to improve revenue and tax collection, and the President wants Congress to enact more fiscal reforms.

To make economic growth more inclusive and lift the income of the rural population, President Marcos underscored the need to boost local farm production through consolidation, modernization, mechanization and improvement of value chains. He also proposed revisions in the Fisheries Code to incorporate and strengthen science-based analysis and determination of fishing areas.

The President vowed to keep infrastructure spending at 5 percent to 6 percent of our GDP, which means it will remain a priority until 2028. Ma-

jor infrastructure projects are ongoing—and many are expected to be completed under his term.

Along with transport infrastructure development, the President aims to ensure we have enough power to meet future demand. He noted the addition of 17 power plants in 2022 and 2023, increasing our energy production by 1,174 megawatts.

He promotes renewable energy in line with the goal to have a 35-percent share in the power mix by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040. Per the Department of Energy, the government awarded 126 renewable energy contracts with a potential capacity of 31,000 megawatts.

The President is committed to “decarbonization” and addressing the impact of climate change—a recognition that despite our little contribution to global warming, we are doing our part to mitigate its impact.

More importantly, the President stressed the improvement in employment rate to 95.7 percent in May 2023 from just 82.4 percent at the height of the pandemic. He said we should do more, so that the remaining 4.3 percent of our workforce and the 11.7 percent underemployed Filipinos could contribute to the economy.

The government is adopting an investment-friendly approach, evident in the several economic briefings and business missions held by the President and his Cabinet overseas. “Our independent foreign policy—a friend to all and enemy of none—has proven effective. We have formed strategic alliances with our traditional and newfound partners in the international community,” the President said.

The US: Neither loved nor feared?

John Mangun

OuTSIDE THE BOX

THE opposite side of “love” is not “hate.” Niccolò Machiavelli in his treatise, The Prince, clearly describes it this way: “It is better to be feared than to be loved, if one cannot be both.”

The Sahel extends over 5,900 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east; in a belt between the Sahara Desert to the north and the savannas and forests to the south.

A dozen countries find at least some of their territory in the Sahel, boundaries drawn by the 18th century European colonial masters.

Parts of Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Sudan, and the northern areas of South Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia

lie within the Sahel.

More interestingly, since 2008 US-trained officers have attempted at least nine coups and succeeded in at least eight in five West African countries alone: Three times in Burkina Faso; three times in Mali; and once each in Guinea, Mauritania, and the Gambia.

While it is still a developing story, last Wednesday, Niger’s presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum and presidential guard commander General Abdourahamane Tchiani proclaimed himself leader

of the military junta. As of now, Bazoum has refused to resign and as the US Department of State puts it, “The attempted military coup in Niger has been marked by ‘confusion, shifting alliances and fluidity,’ and that uncertainty is one reason the US government has not declared it a coup.”

I seem to be using the phrase “running around like a headless chicken” often recently.

Here’s the point. When he visited Niger in March—the first US secretary of state to do so—Antony Blinken hailed the West African country as “a model of resilience, a model of democracy, a model of cooperation.”

So much for that analysis. Further, Niger was one of the last viable US allies in the Sahel.

From the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies: “The US was heaping money and attention and praise and encouragement and investment and assistance on Niger, more so than any other country in the region. This is a major setback for Washington.”

US foreign and military policy

The President looks at nurturing the growth of the services sector, particularly the information technology-business process management sector and the tourism industry. He said the Philippines welcomed nearly 3 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2023, representing 62 percent of the 4.8-million target for the whole year.

The President’s second SONA mostly focused on the economy— which is what a State of the Nation Address is all about. The end goal is to have a more prosperous nation where everyone has enough food on the table.

The Philippines continues to grow at a rapid pace, and more Filipinos will benefit if the growth becomes more inclusive. No less than the International Monetary Fund upgraded its 2023 growth forecast for the Philippines to 6.2 percent from 6 percent despite several global challenges.

President Marcos acknowledged that inflation remains a major challenge, along with the need to build more water infrastructures and power projects, making our agriculture sector more competitive to attain food security, boosting our exports and narrowing the trade deficit, preparing for the El Niño dry spell and handling the security issues in the West Philippine Sea.

Overall, I find the President’s SONA reassuring and inspiring at the same time. I do share his candid assessment that “the state of the nation is sound and improving.”

For comments, send e-mail to mbv_secretariat@vistaland.com.ph or visit www.mannyvillar.com.ph

has been illustrated in the words of President Lyndon Johnson who “lost” the Vietnam War, May 1965: “The ultimate victory will depend upon the hearts and the minds of the people who actually live out there. By helping to bring them hope and electricity, you are also striking a very important blow for the cause of freedom throughout the world.”

Unfortunately, “hope and electricity” do not win wars, and as Machiavelli argued, fear is a better motivator than love. If the coup in Niger carries on and the US (plus France and EU) stops financial aid to Niger, the “hearts and minds” could become exceedingly hungry.

The last time the US waged a successful military campaign was the six-month Gulf War (1990-1991) in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The eight-year (2003-2011) “Iraq War” and subsequent occupation was a “success” if you keep that definition very flexible.

Since then, it has been a string of failures from the Arab Spring to

Manny B. Villar

Everything China is doing to juice its flagging economy

By Bloomberg News

The statements from the government and Communist Party over the past month are largely broad assurances to lift spending on things like consumer goods and cars, encourage private companies to expand investment, and to make it easier for businesses to access funding.

However, Beijing has stopped short of announcing major monetary or fiscal stimulus, like cash subsidies to consumers to spend more, or a ramping up of construction spending like it did in previous downturns.

Here’s a snapshot of the recent measures announced:

Consumer goods

T H IRT e e N government departments outlined a plan on July 18 to boost household spending on everything from electric appliances to furniture. Local authorities are encouraged to help residents refurbish their homes, and people should get better access to credit to buy household products, according to the measures announced.

On July 28, three government agencies outlined a plan to increase manufacturing of small consumer goods—or the so-called light industry sector, which makes up more than a quarter of China’s exports. Steps will be taken to increase sales of green and smart home goods in rural areas, and expand the use of battery products in electric cars, power stage and telecommunications. An exchange dedicated to helping small firms get access to funds will also be expanded.

The National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planning agency, released a comprehensive document on July 31 repeating many of the pledges so far. The document focuses on removing government restrictions on consumption, such as car purchase limits, improving infrastructure and holding promotional events like food festivals.

Property

THe Communist Party’s Politburo, its top decision-making body, signaled an easing of property policies at its July meeting. The official readout omitted President Xi Jinping’s signature slogan that “houses are for living, not for speculation,” fueling speculation that some of the tough restrictions imposed in recent years to rein in the property market would be reversed.

On July 27, China’s housing minister urged financial regulators and lenders to strengthen efforts to revive the sector. He called for homebuyers who had paid off previous mortgages to be considered as first-time purchasers. Up to now, many buyers in big cities who have a mortgage history but don’t currently own a property are subject to higher down-payment rules.

Financial regulators on July 10 extended loan relief for developers to ensure the delivery of homes under construction. The PBOC has

also hinted that lenders will be able to renegotiate mortgage contracts or extend new loans to lower the financing costs on home loans.

Cars

THe NDRC released a 10-step plan on July 21 to increase car purchases, particularly for new-energy vehicles, including lower costs for electricvehicle charging and extending tax breaks. In June, the Ministry of Commerce launched a six-month campaign to boost car purchases and drive electric vehicle adoption in rural areas.

Technology

THe Communist Party and government issued a rare joint pledge on July 19 to improve conditions for private businesses after wrapping up an almost two-year regulatory crackdown of the technology sector.

Beijing outlined 31 measures that included promises to treat private companies the same as state-owned enterprises, consult more with entrepreneurs on drafting policies, and cut market entry barriers for firms.

On July 13, the top Internet regulator released 24 guidelines for ChatGPT-style services, loosening some restrictions it proposed several months previously. On July 27, the central bank asked lenders and financial markets to provide more support for innovation and techrelated acquisitions, and to boost investment in startups.

Construction projects

T H e National Development and Reform Commission released a plan on July 24 encouraging private firms to invest in key industries like transportation, water conservation, clean energy, new infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and modern agricultural facilities. Local governments have submitted more than 2,900 projects, worth a total of 3.2 trillion yuan ($445 billion), that businesses can invest in. The NDRC will also seek to finance the projects through bank loans and real estate investment trust products.

The government is also planning to boost the renovation of so-called urban villages. It will seek more private capital in the projects to expand domestic demand and push forward development of cities, the State Council, chaired by Premier Li Qiang, said on July 21.

Interest rates and currency

THe PBOC on June 13 cut its main policy interest rates in a surprise move, providing monetary stimulus to the economy. The move came ahead of data showing a slump in real estate, a worrying decline in private sector investment and record joblessness among young people.

The People’s Bank of China on July 20 adjusted some rules to allow companies to borrow more from overseas, opening the door for more foreign capital inflows. It also set a stronger daily fixing for the currency.

the “B” in BRICS is Brazil. Perhaps on the same page number, but two different books.

Beneficial ownership of shares

atty. Mabel L. Buted

Tax Law for Business

The owners of a corporation are called stockholders. They are called stockholders because, in the literal sense, they should hold and own at least one share of stock to become owners. as owners, the power to control over the conduct of the business and affairs of the corporation are lodged in their hands. They vote through their shares to exercise control. as owners, they are the ones who also realize the profits earned by the corporate entity.

Sometimes, however, those who appear as stockholders and owners in the books are not the ones actually in control. One may own a share of stock but only to hold it in trust or for the benefit of another person. One may hold a stock but exercises no right accompanying that share ownership, such as the right to vote and the right to receive dividends. The legal ownership and the beneficial ownership of shares may, thus, be held by not the same person. In a similar manner, it may appear that a company is held by different owners, but is, in the most real sense, owned only by one and the same person, because the stockholders hold the legal title over the shares only in favor of that same person.

To other stakeholders, especially the public, who put their trust in the people who actually run the business of the entity, it is very important for them to know who the owners are.

By Kate Brumback The Associated Press

ATLANTA—A

Georgia prosecutor is expected to seek a grand jury indictment in the coming weeks in her investigation into efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the former president’s 2020 election loss.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis began investigating more than two years ago, shortly after a recording was released of a January 2021 phone call Trump made to Georgia’s secretary of state.

Willis has strongly hinted that any indictment would come between July 31 and August 18. One of two grand juries seated July 11 is expected to hear the case.

If Trump is indicted by a Georgia grand jury, it would add to a growing list of legal troubles as he campaigns for president. Trump is set to go to trial in New York in March to face state charges related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. And he has another trial scheduled for May on federal charges related to his handling of classified documents. He has pleaded not guilty in those cases.

The Justice Department is also investigating Trump’s role in trying to halt the certification of 2020 election results in the run-up to the January 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol. Trump said he’s been told he’s a target of that investigation, which likely has some overlap with the one in Georgia.

Our government also acknowledges the risk of abuse and misuse of corporations in money laundering, terrorist financing and other illegal activities that may arise from lack of transparency of information relating to the beneficial owners. Thus, our government has implemented reforms to promote transparency in the beneficial ownership of corporations—an initiative that I fully support.

The Securities and e x change Commission (SeC) requires all registered corporations, domestic and foreign stock and non-stock corporations to disclose in their Annual General Information Sheet (GIS) information about their beneficial owners.

A beneficial owner is the natural person who (a) ultimately owns or controls the corporation or (b) exercises ultimate effective control over the corporation, even if on paper,

he does not have any legal title or does not appear as the legal owner. He or she can be identified through the percentage of ownership or interest in the corporation. One who owns, either directly or indirectly or through a chain of ownership, of at least 25 percent of the voting capital, may be considered a beneficial owner. Anyone who exercises control over the corporate entity through other means (such as through a contract; or through having the ability to elect or instruct or direct the Board of Directors, or to exert dominant influence in the management or policies of the company) is also a beneficial owner. A beneficial owner can also be a natural person who acts as steward of the properties of the corporation. Those who are responsible for the strategic decisions that fundamentally affect the business practices or general direction of the corporation, such as the members of the Board of Directors or those exercising executive control over the daily or regular affairs of the corporation, may be considered the beneficial owners. The following information on the beneficial owner are required to be disclosed in the Annual GIS:

(a) complete name; (b) specific residential address; (c) date of birth; (d) nationality; (e) Tax Identification Number (TIN) or passport number for foreign individuals who do not have a TIN; and (f) percentage of ownership, if applicable. The Annual GIS, containing these information, must be submitted not later than 30 days from the date of actual regular stockholders’ or members’ meeting.

Any changes in the information relating to the beneficial owners must also be reported to the SeC within 30 days after such change occurred.

Corporations who fail to disclose may be fined with penalties ranging from P25,000 to P2,000,000, depending on the number of violations and in the amount of retained earnings or fund balance in a given year.

The SeC also requires all nominee shareholders as well as nominee directors/trustees of registered corporations to disclose their nominators and principals or persons on whose behalf they act as such shareholders/directors/trustees. They must disclose these information within 30 days from the time they assume the role. Otherwise, for failure to comply, the SeC may impose fines (from P5,000 to P2,000,000) or suspend or revoke the registration of the corporation.

The SeC has the power to verify the beneficial ownership information disclosed through on-site inspection of the books and records of corporations and through the use of third-party information.

The author is a junior partner of Du-Baladad and Associates Law Offices (BDB Law), a member firm of WTS Global.

The article is for general information only and is not intended, nor should be construed as a substitute for tax, legal or financial advice on any specific matter. Applicability of this article to any actual or particular tax or legal issue should be supported therefore by a professional study or advice. If you have any comments or questions concerning the article, you may e-mail the author at mabel.buted@ bdblaw.com.ph or call 8403-2001 local 160.

“All I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump is heard saying on a recording of the call, which was leaked to news outlets. “Because we won the state.”

Trump has insisted he did nothing wrong and has repeatedly said the call was “perfect.”

Trump also called other top state officials in his quest to overturn his 2020 election loss, including Gov. Brian Kemp, then-House Speaker David Ralston, Attorney General Chris Carr and the top investigator in the secretary of state’s office.

US Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, also called Raffensperger shortly after the November election. Raffensperger said at the time that Graham asked whether he had the power to reject certain absentee ballots, which Raffensperger has said he interpreted as a suggestion to toss out legally cast votes.

Graham has denied wrongdoing, saying he just wanted to learn about the signature verification process.

Fake electors

BIDeN won Georgia by a margin of fewer than 12,000 votes. Just over a month after the election, on December 14, 2020, a group 16 Georgia Democratic electors met in the Senate chamber at the state Capitol to cast the state’s electoral College votes for him. They each marked paper ballots that were counted and confirmed by a voice roll call.

have said in court filings that they believe Trump associates worked with state Republicans to coordinate and execute the plan.

The multi-state effort was ultimately unsuccessful. Despite public pressure from Trump and his supporters, then-Vice President Mike Pence refused on January 6, 2021, to introduce the unofficial pro-Trump electors. After the attack on the US Capitol put a violent halt to the certification process, lawmakers certified Biden’s win in the early hours of January 7, 2021.

At least eight of the fake electors have since reached immunity deals with Willis’ team. And a judge last summer barred Willis from prosecuting another one, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, because of a conflict of interest.

False claims of election fraud

RePUBLICAN state lawmakers held several hearings at the Georgia Capitol in December 2020 to examine alleged problems with the November election. During those meetings, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and other Trump allies made unproven claims of widespread election fraud.

Giuliani last week conceded that statements he made about the two election workers were false. In a bizarre episode detailed by prosecutors in court filings, a woman traveled from Chicago to Georgia and met with Freeman on January 4, 2021. The woman initially said she wanted to help Freeman but then warned that Freeman could go to prison and tried to pressure her into falsely confessing to committing election fraud, prosecutors wrote in court filings last year.

Election equipment accessed

T R UMP - A LLI e D lawyer Sidney Powell and others hired a computer forensics team to copy data and software on election equipment in Coffee County, some 200 miles southeast of Atlanta, according to invoices, emails, security video and deposition testimony produced in response to subpoenas in a long-running lawsuit.

Afghanistan. Further, while some Filipinos stay awake at night worrying about a coup by the US, remember the following leaders still in power contrary to US desires: Nicolás Maduro, Bashar al-Assad, Ali Khamenei, and, of course, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un.

“Biden, Brazil’s Lula vow relationship reboot at White House meet” while Biden said the leaders’ shared values put us on the same page, particularly, especially, when it comes to the climate crisis.” Meanwhile “Brazil to remain neutral in Russia-Ukraine war, says Lula” and

It is safe to say that only a few countries outside of europe “love” the US. even as the Biden administration sends billions of dollars of love to Ukraine’s Zelenskyy, Putin does not seem fearful. Xi Jinping had nothing to fear as China colonized the South China Sea. And it is unlikely that Niger’s Tchiani is watching the skies for the US 82nd Airborne Division to drop in to rescue the government of Bazoum.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Follow me

by

Details of the Georgia investigation that have become public have fed speculation that Willis is building a case under the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which would allow her to charge numerous people in a potentially wide-ranging scheme.

Here are six investigative threads Willis and her team have explored:

The phone calls

T H e Georgia investigation was prompted by the January 2, 2021 phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Trump suggested the state’s top elections official could help “find” the votes needed to put him ahead of Democrat Joe Biden in the state.

That same day, in a committee meeting room at the Capitol, 16 prominent Georgia Republicans—a lawmaker, activists and party officials—met to sign a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. They sent that certificate to the National Archives and the US Senate.

Georgia was one of seven battleground states that Trump lost where Republican fake electors signed and submitted similar certificates.

Trump allies in the US House and Senate used those certificates to argue for delaying or blocking the certification of the election during a joint session of Congress.

Prosecutors in Fulton County

They alleged that election workers tallying absentee ballots at State Farm Arena in Atlanta had told outside observers to leave and then pulled out “suitcases” of unlawful ballots and began scanning them. The Trump allies played clips of surveillance video from the arena to support their allegations. State and federal officials investigated and said there was no evidence of election fraud at the site.

Some Trump allies also said thousands of people who were ineligible—including people convicted of felonies, people under the age of 18, people who had voted in another state—had cast votes in Georgia. The secretary of state’s office has debunked those claims.

Alleged attempts to pressure election worker

T WO of the election workers seen in the State Farm Arena surveillance video, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, said they faced relentless harassment online and in person as a result of the allegations made by Trump and his allies.

The county Republican Party chair at the time—who also served as a fake elector—greeted them when they arrived at the local elections office on January 7, 2021, and some county elections officials were also on hand during the daylong visit. The secretary of state’s office has said this amounted to “alleged unauthorized access” of election equipment and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into it at the secretary of state’s request.

Two other men who have been active in efforts to question the 2020 election results also visited Coffee County later that month and spent hours inside.

US Attorney resignation

US Attorney BJay Pak, the top federal prosecutor in Atlanta, abruptly resigned two days after Trump called Raffensperger and a day after a recording of that call was made public.

During that conversation, Trump called Pak a “never-Trumper,” implying that he didn’t support the president.

In December 2020, then-US Attorney General William Barr asked Pak to investigate allegations by Giuliani and other Trump allies of widespread election fraud. Pak, who had been appointed by Trump in 2017, reported back that he had found no evidence of such fraud.

China has made a number of pledges recently to revive the economy’s recovery and improve the business environment as concerns about the growth outlook continue to mount.

Trump could be indicted soon in Georgia. Here’s a look at that investigation

A14 Tuesday, August 1, 2023

‘FULL DIGITALIZATION OF GOVT PROCUREMENT TO BOOST TRANSPARENCY’

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it is pushing for the full digitalization of its Procurement Service (PS) to boost public transparency and “generate savings” for the national government.

T he DBM said it “fully supports” the digitalization efforts being undertaken by the PS-DBM for public procurement processes.

The DBM noted that the attached agency is implementing an “extensive reform agenda” that focuses on improving the national government’s procurement procedures.

In line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to digitally transform government services and to support his 8-point Socioeconomic Agenda, the PS-DBM is dedicated to instituting an efficient procurement system incorporating global best practices, including the complete digitization of all government procedures,” Pangandaman said.

T he DBM said PS-DBM Executive Director Dennis Santiago recently met with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) representatives to discuss full procurement digitalization and analytics.

T he discussions were vital in the PS-DBM’s development of a “comprehensive” acquisition process to “strengthen” its integrity as the state’s central purchaser, according to the DBM.

“ The procurement process, widely seen as the most daunting

bottleneck in budget utilization due to alleged rampant corruption, interpretational ambiguities, and a lackluster capability to carry out procurement tasks within government agencies, causes service delivery delays,” it added.

S antiago said the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) is now undergoing modernization that involves the integration of an ebidding system, electronic payment facility and other improvements to its processes.

“An efficient procurement system underpins effective public expenditure management and fast-tracks the delivery of optimal services to the public in a timely and cost-efficient manner,” Santiago said.

T he DBM said PS-DBM is currently implementing an organizational restructuring, involving human resource development and capacity building, as well as upscaling of its logistics and supply chain management “for transparency and accountability in the delivery of the procured items.”

P angandaman, meanwhile, reiterated the enforcement of sustainable procurement through the so-called Green Public Procurement initiative. She said the initiative is “synonymous” with “responsible procurement.”

The integration of green solutions into the public procurement process brings us a step closer to our ultimate aim of promoting sustainable management and utilization of natural resources by the year 2030,” Pangandaman said.

PHL-EU FTA nego resume in ‘24 after Sept ’23 scoping talks–DTI

By Andrea E. San Juan

THE resumption of formal negotiations on a free trade agreement between the European Union and the Philippines is expected to start in 2024 after the scoping discussions which will start in September 2023, according to Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual.

We’ll start with the scoping discussion that will start sometime in September and the target is to complete before the end of the year. So that the formal negotiation of the FTA could follow suit hopefully by the start of the new calendar year 2024,” Pascual told reporters on the sidelines of the official visit of Von der Leyen in Makati City.

Pascual illustrated how the Philippines can benefit from a free trade agreement with the EU.

This FTA will result in investments because,” he cited as an example, if a manufacturing enterprise operating in Europe “can produce its products or their products here in the Philippines at a lower loss or lower production cost on export to Europe, which is enjoying preferential tariffs then that will be a a big boost to their profitability.”

A trade agreement, he added, “would normally be followed by investment companies that will make full use of the preferential trade arrangements.”

Meanwhile, Pascual also noted that once the Philippines attains upper middle income status by 2025, “What we want to happen of course is that all the preferential treatment we’re getting under [Generalised Scheme of Preferences] GSP plus will be carried over to the FTA so that there will be greater permanence of the preferential treatment that we’re getting now.”

T he Philippines is among the

Sandigan affirms dismissal of civil case vs coconut firms

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

eight cases in 1995 with the case against Cocofed, CIC  and Cocomark going to Civil Case No. 0033-B.     Cojuangco subsequently sought the dismissal of the cases filed against him, citing violation of his constitutional right to speedy disposition of cases.

In 2021 or a year after his death, the Supreme Court ruled to grant his plea to dismiss the civil cases against him.

C iting the SC ruling, the Cocofed, Cocomark, and CIC sought the dismissal of the civil case against them before the Sandiganbayan.

sideration should be dismissed due to its failure to raise new arguments that would warrant the reversal of its resolution.      “ The motion for reconsideration must be denied. Primarily, the grounds relied upon by the plaintiff have already been carefully and exhaustively considered and passed upon in the assailed resolution,” the Sandiganbayan ruled.

In an eight-page resolution dated July 31, 2023, the anti-graft court denied the PCGG’s motion for reconsideration filed on May 31, 2023 assailing its May 16, 2023 resolution which granted the motion to dismiss the civil case filed against Coconut Producers Federation, Inc. (Cocofed), Coconut Investment Co. (CIC), and Cocofed Marketing Corp. (Cocomark).

T he Sandiganbayan granted

these companies’ motion to dismiss on the ground of inordinate delay that violated their constitutional right to speedy disposition of cases.

B ased on the records of the case,  Civil Case No. 0033 was instituted by the PCGG against several businessmen including the late businessman Eduardo M. Cojuangco Jr. and several companies allegedly formed using coco levy funds.      The case was subdivided into

I n its motion for reconsideration, the PCGG argued that the three companies were not similarly situated with Cojuangco, Jr. and that their constitutional rights to due process and speedy disposition of cases were not violated since they failed to timely assert the same.

T he PCGG also accused the three companies of filing dilatory motions which contributed to the delay in the proceedings of the case.

H owever, the Sandiganbayan held that PCGG’s motion for recon -

T he Sandiganbayan stressed that the SC has already ruled that the subject cases (Civil Case Nos. 0033) have been pending for 32 years from the filing of the original complaint and 24 years from the subdivision of the complaint, yet, the trial proper has yet to commence.

T he SC also held that “the right to speedy disposition of a case is deemed violated when, without cause or justifiable motive, a long period of time is allowed to elapse without the party having his case tried.”

To rule otherwise will make a mockery of the precedential value or doctrinal authority vested in the cases decided by the Supreme Court,” the Sandiganbayan  said.

beneficiaries of the EU GSP+ arrangement as it is a “special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance, which reduces tariffs to 0 percent for broadly the same tariff lines as Standard GSP.”

According to the EU, this arrangement is granted to vulnerable lowand lower-middle income countries that implement 27 international conventions related to human rights, labor rights, protection of the environment, and good governance.

O n top of the key industries that the Philippines is benefitting from— in the areas of agricultural products like coconut oil, tuna, bicycles, and some electrical devices including hair dryers and vacuum cleaners, among others -- under the GSP plus, Pascual said that under the PH-EU FTA, the Trade department is looking at negotiating for more sectors.

Definitely, we’ll negotiate for the sectors but this is a give and take unlike with GSP plus, it’s one way you know, we’re getting preferential trade concessions with an FTA we’ll get the tariff concessions but at the same time we have to give,” Pascual added.

O n Monday, the EU and the Philippines announced their intention to explore the relaunch of negotiations for an ambitious, modern, and balanced free trade agreement (FTA)—with sustainability at its core, according to the EU website.

For her part, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said, “The Philippines is a key partner for us in the Indo-Pacific region, and with the launch of this scoping process we are paving the way to taking our partnership to the next level. Together, we will realize the full potential of our relationship, creating new opportunities for our companies and consumers while also supporting the green transition and fostering a just economy.”

GCG urged to reward good performance of GOCCs

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

THE Government Commission for GOCCs (GCG) should be

able to handle additional GOCCs as a result of the Public-Private Partnership Act and Maharlika Fund Act, an economist-lawmaker said on Monday.

I n a speech delivered during the flag-raising ceremony at the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG), Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda recognized the critical role of the GCG in safeguarding the country’s fiscal stability.

During the pandemic, the GOCC sector made significant contributions, serving as a vital rainy-day fund and providing over P315.52 billion to combat Covid-19. Today, I emphasized the impor -

tance of incentivizing good management and performance, as well as ensuring clarity on the PublicPrivate Partnership Act’s scope and mandates,” he said.

You oversee a sector with assets equivalent to 55.7 percent of the entire economy, or more than P11 trillion, and revenues worth 10.35 percent of the economy, or more than P2 trillion. During the pandemic, the GOCC sector also proved to be the rainy-day fund of the government, when it remitted P91.7 billion in 2020, topping its previous historic high of P47 billion in 2019,” he said.

In 2022, he said the total remittance of GOCCs to the national Treasury would amount to P95 billion.

A t the same time, while spending from the usual tax sources is determined through Congress’s

power of the purse, Salceda noted that spending by GOCCs does not pass through congressional decision-making.

“ We know that you are essential to fighting corruption, abuse of discretion, and mismanagement in our GOCC sector. At the same time, however, I would like to reorient the conversation to the role of GCG in promoting the national development objectives of GOCCs. That is especially more relevant as we create our first Sovereign Wealth Fund,” he said.

‘Key principles’ SALCEDA , a long-time financial analyst from the private sector, asked GCG to heed five key principles.

First, Salceda said that while GCG’s role in preventing management mistakes is key, “you must

also advance your role in incentivizing good management and performance.”

I urge you to complete a competitive incentives system that rewards good financial performance. That is a mandate you have under Section 10 of RA [Republic Act] 10149, your charter,” he said.

“

Second, this is a mandate not yet fully exercised, but you are the McKinsey of our GOCC sector,” Salceda added.

T he lawmaker said RA 10149 gives GCG the mandate to provide technical advice and assistance to the government agencies to which the GOCCs are attached in setting performance objectives and targets for the GOCCs and in monitoring the GOCCs performance vis-à-vis established objectives and targets.

THESandiganbayan’s Second Division has affirmed its ruling issued on May 16, 2023 dismissing a civil forfeiture case filed by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) involving multibillion-peso coco levy funds collected from the country’s coconut farmers during the term.

LATE FOR WORK Jollibee, the fastfood chain mascot, was spotted “running late for work” amid the regular commuters in Parañaque City. Despite the rush, Jollibee took a moment to greet the commuters with a warm smile, adding some entertainment to the usual hustle and bustle of daily commuting. NONIE REYES

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Companies

B1

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Meralco bullish on 2023 net income growth–Pangilinan

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

“We expect profits to be record high for full year; it’s just a question of how much. Certainly, much way ahead than what we reported in 2022. definitely, ours will be north of P30 billion for full year of 2023,” said Meralco Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan during a press conference held Monday.

In 2022, Meralco’s consolidated core net income stood at P27.1 billion. during the company’s first half financial and operating results, Meralco reported a 36-percent increase in net income to P17.9 billion

from P13.1 billion in the same period a year ago.

Core profit, meanwhile, stood at P19.2 billion. The figures are 47-percent higher than P13.1 billion realized in the same period last year, driven mainly by the 186-percent increase in the contribution of the power generation business.

Revenues at end-June this year went up by 13 percent to P224.8 billion from P199.6 billion last year, mainly due to the effect of higher fuel prices on pass-through charges of the distribution utilities and energy fee

of the non-renewable power generation plants and the depreciation of the peso against the US dollar. The company also attributed the rise in revenues to the increase in spot prices and energy purchases from the Wholesale electricity Spot Market (W eSM) and the combined impact of the 3-percent growth in volumes distributed and slightly higher average distribution rate.

e n ergy sales volumes in the first half rose by 3 percent to 24,792 gigawatt hours (g W h) from 23,968 g W h. Monthly sales volume breached the 4,000- gW h level since a pril and reached a high of 4,643 g W h in June.

Higher temperature and humidity during the dry season drove the increase in demand for electricity from the residential segment while the continuing recovery and growth in the economy were drivers of commercial segment sales.

Sales mix also continued to shift towards prepandemic levels, with the commercial segment accounting for a bigger 37 percent share. The share

unit opens new sales office

of residential was the same at 35 percent, while industrial share slipped to 28 percent from 30 percent.

Commercial led all segments with 9,162 g W h sales volume. With the resumption of face-toface engagements such as concerts, conventions, and business gatherings, demand from leisure and entertainment, hotels, retail, and restaurant sectors continued to improve. The shift in academic calendar also amplified the demand of educational institutions, as schools consumed more electricity during the hottest months of the year.

In the first semester, Meralco spent P14.1 billion for capital expenditures. Of the figure, P9.6 billion went to networks projects consisting of new connections, asset renewals, and load growth projects.

at the end of the first semester, Meralco’s customer base stood at 7.716 million, up 3 percent from 7.519 million a year ago, with the continuous energization of new customers.

BPI secures $300-M loan facility

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

Ayala-led Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has secured a $300-million syndicated loan to partly refinance its bonds that are maturing in September.

BPI said it signed an agreement for the 3-year syndicated term loan facility with The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. ltd. and

Standard Chartered Bank as Mandated l ead a r ranger, Bookrunner and Underwriters (Mla BUs).

BPI said the proceeds from the facility will be used to partly refinance its existing $600-million bond due September, as well as for general corporate purposes.

“BPI is extremely pleased with the strong level of support that this transaction has received during syndication. We are highly appreciative of the seamless delivery that the two

Mla BUs have provided in assisting BPI achieve this outcome and further extend our thanks to the diverse banking group who have joined this very important transaction for our institution,” BPI Chief Finance Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer er ic Roberto M. luchangco said. The facility received an exceptional reception in syndication, and was even upsized from the original $200 million to $300 million to partially accommodate the heavy oversub-

scription of more than two times.

It is supported by a total of 21 lenders, including the two Mla BUs and 19 participating lenders. HSBC is the facility agent. earlier, BPI reported that its net income rose 23 percent to P25.1 billion in the first half. This led to a return on equity of 15.5 percent. BPI said the drivers of its strong financial performance were average asset base expansion, margin growth, and lower provisions.

Heineken drops as brewer cuts forecast on waning consumption

INdePeNdeN T tower company PhilTower Consortium Inc. said on Monday it has started the full operations of a portion of the towers that it acquired from globe Telecom Inc.

Saying that this is a “quick turnaround” from a February deal, PhilTower CeO devid gubiani said this reflects the company’s “organizational readiness and capabilities in completing all processes and requirements to run autonomous end-toend operations.”

“This is yet another big milestone for us of full operational handover of towers from globe. PhilTower believes in its organizational pillars such as people, process, technology readiness and a faster way of asset management to achieve takeover in a short span of time,” he said.

In September 2022, PhilTower and globe signed a seal and leaseback deal for the acquisition of 1,350 towers from globe. The 578 towers were turned over in February.

Since then, PhilTower established two regional operational centers and “ramped up resources to ensure a smooth transition.”

PhilTower is currently operating towers in 17 major islands of Visayas and Mindanao, covering most of the provinces. Lorenz S. Marasigan

He I N e K e N NV shares plunged after the d utch brewer cut its earnings forecast on weakening consumption following double-digit price increases.

Operating profit slumped 22 percent on an adjusted basis in the first half, the a msterdam-based brewer said Monday. Beer volume dropped more than expected as Heineken boosted pricing by almost 13 percent.

Brewers are struggling to pass high raw material costs onto consumers without driving them away to cheaper brands. Heineken is the first of the big global beermakers to report first-half results, and its results may portend difficulties for rivals a nheuser-Busch InBev NV and Carlsberg a /S.

“The start of the year was all about passing on the inflation on our input costs,” Chief executive Officer dolf van den Brink said in an interview. “We front-loaded our pricing. We ran into a pretty strong economic slowdown in the key market of Vietnam, which is disproportionately important to us.”

The stock fell as much as 6.4 percent. a nalysts were skeptical that the second-half rebound will be strong enough to meet the new lowered guidance. For the full year, Heineken now forecasts stable to mid-single digit operating profit growth.

“The credibility of Heineken’s guidance is now in question,” Citi analyst Simon Hales wrote. He said the results are extremely disappointing.

The dutch brewer forecast cost inflation to ease next year, which will reduce pressure to raise prices. Previously the guidance was for midto high-single digit earnings growth.

Vietnam and Nigeria accounted for more than half of the drop in firsthalf consumption, and demand in the a mericas was soft, Heineken said.

The dutch company is the largest premium brewer in Vietnam, where it has been active for three decades, selling brands such as Tiger.

“This is the worst set of results we’ve had so far,” wrote RBC analysts James edwardes Jones and emma l etheren, referring to the consumer companies they cover.

Russian woes

HeINeK eN increased the impairment for its Russian business to €201 million ($221 million), writing down its entire value. The company said it’s still working to sell the unit, and it doesn’t expect any financial gain from the ongoing business or any divestment.

“It is incredibly challenging to make an exit,” Van den Brink said. “We want to do it the right way, find a suitable buyer.”

Heineken predicted pricing will moderate and volumes will decline by a low singledigit percentage in the second half. The company is counting on a turnaround in profit during the period.

d e mand for premium beer, the source of 40 percent of Heineken’s revenue, is more resilient, the C e O said on Bloomberg TV.

“People are drinking less, but they are drinking better.” Bloomberg News

HOMegROW N a l legro Beverage Corp. (a BC), one of the biggest coffee machine distributors in the Philippines that is majority owned by UCC Holdings Japan, opened on Monday its new office and showroom in Mandaluyong City.

The company said the opening of the new office is in line with its “aggressive expansion” to become “a holistic coffee solutions provider” nationwide.

“This year marks the 24th year of a l legro in the coffee industry. a nd with all the changes, our new and beautiful showroom and service center, and of course our rebranding, the a l legro family is truly ready to be your partner in brewing new opportunities,” a BC Chief executive Officer yasmin a Vasquez said during the ceremonial opening.

On the sidelines of the event, she told reporters that the company will branch out in l egazpi, a lbay in Bicol in October, and is keen on setting up shop in Palawan.

“These are [courtesy of our] dealers. So they will be having their own brands, but carrying all a l legro products,” she said.

The company has offices in Metro Manila, Cebu, davao, and Pampanga, as well as dealerships in Iloilo, Bohol, Quezon Province, l aguna, Cavite, and Pangasinan.

“So little by little, we’re inching our way to the far-flung areas to ensure that we get to service properly all our patrons, all our supporters.”

a BC also said it will diversify its products. Its product line includes premium coffee brewed from Italy and freshly roasted by UCC, sauces, syrups, teas and oat milk.

apart from the brick-and-mortar format, Vasquez said e-commerce has been a “steady revenue generating segment” for them.

“When april hit, we’ve been do-

ing very well and, then, it’s increasing [to] 1 million sales in one month for online.” a side from consumer goods, a BC a lso offers industrial equipment, traditional and fully automatic espresso machines. It sells its products cafes, hotels, and even pop-up coffee shops all over the country.

Vasquez said Crem, a coffee machine made in Spain, is the most popular among startup cafes while Franke, a fully automatic espresso machine from Switzerland, is widely used by prime and deluxe hotels.

“We are now looking at other brands to support also those who wish to avail of freshly brewed coffee in their homes. So we will try to bring in more of home use equipment and other brand products.”

The company’s expansion plans are geared towards the constant coffee trend not only in the Philippines, but also in other parts of the world.

UCC Philippines President and CeO Hubert U. young noted that Filipinos started brewing coffee as part of their daily routine during the lockdowns.

“That was a trend really. a nd that’s the reason why everybody’s into coffee now,” he said. “a nd it’s still there [even after the end of the pandemic]. In fact, it opened up a new market, which is the home.”

Kosuke Fujishima, executive officer of UCC Holdings and COO of UCC a sia Pacific, agreed with him, saying that the coffee trend is also apparent in other markets overseas like Japan, europe and a sia, where they also operate.

“Our business also skyrocketed even slightly around the second or third year of Covid. a nd even now, it’s growing. It’s because of the consumption. everybody spends more time for coffee, and even some go even like coffee machines in their own house.” Roderick L. Abad

The Manila electric Co. (Meralco) expects to surpass last year’s net income due to the improved performance of its power generation business here and abroad, among others.

PhilTower: Cell towers start full operations

Lids sit on green Heineken beer bottles moving along a conveyor at the Heineken NV brewery in Zoeterwoude, Netherlands, May 30, 2018. PhotograPher: JasPer Juinen/bloomberg

4 sins of motorcycle driving

THE jeepney used to be the “King of the Road.” That old era has ended and the motorcycle’s reign has begun.

A lot of motorcycle drivers or riders regularly violate traffic rules and safety standards. Unlike a car, a motorcycle with an unstable rider has a higher risk on the road because he is exposed. During a collision, the laws of Physics will definitely work against these drivers. Yet, many remain unmindful of the fact that every day, there is always at least one who is severely injured or dead.

The Highway Patrol Group reported 4,000 motorcycles figured in a crash during the first quarter of 2023 as compared to 8,342 for the full year of 2022. It is easy to conclude that driving behavior has a lot to do with this.

I have personally encountered many near-collisions with motorcyles where the rider (who is at fault) also feels he has the right to curse angrily. These drivers do not know how to respect fellow drivers; all because they think they are the new “Kings of the Road.”

These accidents can be prevented if motorcycle drivers have the will to “repent” and turn away from the deadly sins of driving.

1. Herd mentality. At traffic light stops, I’ve noticed motorcycles amassed in front of other vehicles as if they belong to a herd. This I witnessed at a stop light at Burgos Street corner Roxas Boulevard. When the light turned green, they sped fast making me feel like a swarm of bees was around me. Being a defensive driver, I slowed down and let them all pass to prevent an accident.

The same could be observed in the world of investing. A lot of investors follow the crowd instead of relying on their own analysis. Most often than not, herding results to irrecoverable investment losses.

2. Greed. Overspeeding is a violation motorcycle drivers appear to love to commit as they may be is assuming he is the only one on the road. However, driving beyond the speed limit isn’t recommended on the city’s congested roads.

There’s no lack of news reporting a motorcycle rider who died after hitting a stationary vehicle or colliding with a moving vehicle on high speed.

Investing money also is the same. A lot of people are hyped to put their money in high-yield investment programs (HYIPs) to profit in a short span of time. They also add to their portfolio at a faster rate eyeing to make their money grow faster.

Edmund lao

pErsonal financE

Sadly, most of these HYIPs turn out to be scams. Many have encouraged me to put money in an investment that promises its growth to as much as 10 times in a month. Knowing full well the principle of money, I simply ignored these. By driving my money at a slower pace, I am sure it will arrive at its destination at my appointed time.

3. Impatience. A lot of motorcycle riders appear to lack good road ethics. Some appear to pop out on either side of my car after swerving to find a space they can squeeze into. Impatient to stay on their lanes, they “split the lane.” In effect, a 2-lane road becomes a 5-lane road. Lane splitting and swerving are violations and can cause road mishaps because riders mistakenly assume that the other drivers are aware of their presence; which is not true every time.

A lot of investors are the same: they lose patience and forget why they invested in the first place. When the market becomes bad, they redeem at a loss; when the market recovers, they get in (with the gain less than the loss), and the cycle repeats.

This will only cause an investor to lose more money as compared to just staying in the market. Stock market charts show that cycle repeats and those who patiently stay long term win.

4. No protection. Some videos have shown riders apprehended because they’re not wearing helmets; some wear the wrong ones. This is a very dangerous habit because as riders are directly exposed to risk, they need some form of protection. A helmet can mean the difference between life and death for a rider.

Similarly, investing without being protected by insurance can result to a massive loss of finances. The government will be the first to collect money from the bereaved via estate tax. If the bereaved family has no means to pay, then it will be goodbye to the estate.

Are you driving your money the way a motorcycle drives his vehicle?

Edmund Lao is a registered financial planner of RFP Philippines. To learn more about personal-financial planning, attend the 102nd RFP program this July 2023. To inquire, e-mail info@rfp.ph or text <name><e-mail> <RFP> at 0917-6248110.

Japan’s SMBC completes purchase of RCBC shares

By VG Cabuag @villygc

THE Yuchengco-led Rizal

Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC), the country’s fifth largest lender, announced last Monday they have completed the sale of an additional 15.001-percent stake to Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC).

The P27-billion capital infusion will reinforce RCBC’s growth trajectory particularly in its core businesses in corporate, SME and retail segments, the bank said.

SMBC, the commercial banking arm of the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, is one of the largest banks in the world with presence in approximately 40 countries.

“Through this partnership, RCBC will once again set the bar higher, adopting global best practices and customer-centric strategies, promoting disruptive banking solutions, and expediting our digital transformation,” RCBC President and CEO Eugene S. Acevedo said.

The transaction involves the sale to SMBC of 213.43 million common

Bill on taxpayers’ rights OK’d on Senate 3rd, final reading

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

The measure is one of the priority bills the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) wants passed in the sec-

ond regular session of the 19th Congress.

Among the taxpayers’ rights laid out by the bill include the following: to have a clear explanation of the taxes one must pay; to defend oneself in case of an assessment of deficiency or incorrect payments; to have a lawyer, accountant or customs broker; and, to enter into an amicable settlement when accused of failing to pay the right taxes.

The awaited remedial legislation also addressed the “right to privacy” for a convicted taxpayer.

The law would also accord them the right to keep making their tax records public.

The bill also mandates that any

violation by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Bureau of Customs and other tax collecting agencies carries an equitable penalty ranging from six month to six years jail term and fine ranging up to P1.5 million.

At the same time, authorities are also lining up obligations of taxpayers, including complete and accurate information provided to revenue authorities.

Moreover, it tackled obligations of taxpayers to be careful in complying with their tax obligations as well as their tax records.

As proposed, an office will be created for a National Taxpayer Advocate, which would provide free legal service to taxpayers.

Inflation expectations prompt eased rates for T-bills

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

INVESTORS asking rates for short-term government securities further eased on Monday on anticipated tepid inflation print, allowing the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) to raise the full P15 billion from the tender of Treasury bills (T-bills).

The latest auction marked the third consecutive T-bills tender wherein the Treasury made a full award as investors eye a further slowdown in the country’s inflation rate for June.

“Most Treasury-bill auction yields mostly continued to decline week-onweek, similar to the week-on-week decline on comparable short-term PHP BVAL yields, ahead of the latest Philippine inflation rate that is expected to ease further in the coming months due to higher base/denominator effects,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said.

The average rates for the T-bills on Monday auction settled at the

following levels: 5.224 percent for the 90-day tenor, 5.789 percent for the 182-day, and 6.210 percent for the 364-day debt paper.

The average yield for the 90-day T-bills was lower than its secondary market benchmark level of 5.7 percent and declined by 38.7 basis points from previous week’s 5.611 percent.

The debt paper fetched rates between 5.123 percent and 5.34 percent. The 182-day T-bills, meanwhile, had an average rate of 5.789 percent. It was lower than the previous week’s 5.823 percent and the prevailing benchmark of 5.935 percent. Asking rates for the government security ranged from 5.546 percent to 5.83 percent, all below the secondary market benchmark level.

However, the 364-day T-bills saw a slight uptick in yield as it averaged at 6.21 percent versus last week’s 6.184 percent. It was also slightly higher than the 6.119 percent peg by the secondary market.

Nonetheless, Monday’s auction was the fourth consecutive T-bills

auction that saw yields relatively easing across all tenors.

“The total tenders reached P45.1 billion, thrice the P15 billion offering,” the Treasury said.

Offers for the 90-day T-bills reached P20.867 billion while the 182-day and 364-day tenors fetched P13.309 billion and P10.927 billion, respectively in offers, according to the Treasury data.

Easing yield

RICAFORT said investors’ bids for both the T-bills and the Treasury bonds could sustain its downward trend this month because of better market conditions.

For one, Ricafort pointed out that both the inflation print in the Philippines and in the United States are on track to meet their respective target ranges in the succeeding months.

Furthermore, the “relatively” stronger peso exchange rate against the US dollar would support lowering of import costs and overall inflation that would “reduce” the “need”

for policy rate hikes which in turn “would support lower upcoming auction yields,” he explained.

Ricafort also cited the possible reinvestment in the domestic markets of some P141-billion 10-year T-bonds that are set to mature on August 15.

He noted that the national government’s domestic borrowing program of P225 billion for August is higher than July’s P180 billion target due to “larger maturities of government bonds” in August.

“Some of these government bond maturities would be reinvested in the markets, thereby could support any further downward correction in the local bond yields,” he said.

“Thus, the said government bond maturities would also support higher demand for the upcoming Treasury bill and Treasury bond auctions, thereby leading to further easing of the upcoming auction yields for the month,” he added.

Monday’s auction was the first tender of the government for its August borrowing program.

High-yielding consumer loans lift UBP’s income

HIGH-yielding consumer loans propped up the net income of Union Bank of the Philippines (PSE: UBP) by 6 percent in the first six months of the year.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, UBP said these consumer loans offset the impact of rising costs allowing it to book a net income of P6.4 billion in the first half of 2023.

“This kind of momentum gives me confidence that [we] will achieve its goal of becoming the largest and most profitable retail bank in the Philippines by 2025,” Bautista said.

UBP reported its net revenues for the first half of the year amounted to P34.4 billion, increasing by 60 percent versus the same period last year.

shares held as treasury shares of RCBC and the issuance to SMBC of 168.62 new common shares, both at the price of P71 apiece. SMBC now owns 20 percent of the Yuchengco-led lender.

RCBC said SMBC’s capital infusion is part of the bank’s capital raising plan to support long-term sustainable asset growth and investments in technology and cyber security and human resources.

Established in 1960, RCBC has a P1.17-trillion balance sheet and a loan portfolio of P588 billion as of end June.

As the first local bank to establish a Japan Desk back in 1974, RCBC’s dealings with Japanese companies are some of the most extensive among its peers.

“Closer collaboration will open more business matching opportunities for RCBC’s local customer base and SMBC’s global network,” the lender said.

“Through this, RCBC and SMBC shall jointly establish a bridge for Philippine businesses and consumers to connect to international markets and vice-versa,” it said.

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE continued recovery of the Philippine economy and broad-based growth across its core businesses helped earnings reach P35.2 billion for the first half the year, a statement issued last Monday by BDO Unibank Inc. (BDO) read.

Given these, BDO said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) that its return on common equity increased to 15.1 percent compared to 11.3 percent in the same period last year.

“With improving macro-economic trends exemplified by decelerating inflation, sustained GDP [gross domestic product] growth and stable foreign exchange and interest rates, the bank remains poised to capitalize on emerging growth opportunities given its solid balance sheet, strong business franchise and diversified earnings streams,” BDO said.

The bank reported that its net interest income rose to P89.5 billion as gross

customer loans expanded 8 percent yearon-year to P2.7 trillion while deposit liabilities broadened 12 percent to P3.3 trillion. BDO also said its non-interest income grew 11 percent to P38.2 billion due to the strong growth in various fee-based and Treasury/FX businesses. It noted that pre-provision operating profit settled at P52.4 billion, with revenues continuing to grow faster than operating expenses.

The lender said its non-performing loan ratio dipped quarter-on-quarter to 1.95 percent from 1.98 percent, while NPL coverage improved to 174 percent with prudent credit and provisioning policies.

Shareholders’ equity increased to P487.5 billion given profitable operations. Capital adequacy ratio and Common Equity Tier-1 ratio strengthened to 15 percent and 13.9 percent, respectively. According to BDO, these remain comfortably above regulatory minimum levels. Book value per share increased 13 percent to P91.42.

“Our costs will temporarily be elevated this year while the integration of the acquired Citi consumer business is ongoing. Having said this, we have a healthy earning asset base. We have a well-diversified consumer loan mix and all segments are growing in double digits,” UBP Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Manuel R. Lozano said.

“As soon as we complete the Citi integration, we expect a substantial reduction in operating expenses that will bring us back to aboveindustry ROE (Return on Equity) we have been known to deliver,” he added.

UBP President and CEO Edwin R. Bautista said their consumer business is being driven by its 12 million customers. The bank also benefited from the business from Citi, which contributed one-third of its income during the period.

Bautista added that UBP’s thrift bank subsidiary City Savings Bank Inc. continues to be “a market leader in providing salary loans.”

He also noted its digital bank subsidiary “is already profitable and growing fast.”

Net Interest income grew 41 percent to P24 billion mainly due to a 43 percent increase in the bank’s loan portfolio plus better net interest margin. Net interest margin increased by 60 bps to 5.2 percent.

The bank’s proportion of consumer loans to total loans improved to 55 percent this year versus 42 percent last year.

Fees and other income more than doubled to P10.5 billion, primarily due to card-related transactions, digital transactions, and the growing base of the Bank’s key subsidiaries.

Operating expenses were up by 82 percent to P21.8 billion on account of one-time integration cost of the acquired Citi consumer business and the establishment of Union Digital Bank.

“Excluding the planned costs attributed to these new business segments, the increase in operating expenses was in line with volume growth,” UnionBank said.

Total assets as of June 2023 amounted to P1.1 trillion, up by 27 percent from June 2022. Net loans and receivables climbed up by 43 percent to P522.2 billion, while total deposits increased by 25 percent to P693.3 billion.

U.

THE Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading a bill setting out and affirming taxpayers’ rights and obligations as government balances ramped-up revenue generation with the rights of citizens levied taxes by the state.

BDO notes business grew with economy in 1st half

Art BusinessMirror

The amalgamation of symbols

Summa serves as an aggregation of Mindanao’s whole gamut of emotions, experiences, and sceneries. It’s a creative summation, not a bland simplification, of a region that blooms with its own, proud culture.

Millan interprets its essence by tapping into his experiences as a son of Mindanao. Key to his approach as well was defining who a Mindanaoan is beyond Mindanao. In the process, he invites the audience to reflect on one’s self beyond what is perceived as already established.

August 13. ■■■

UP north in Baguio, a pair of exhibitions celebrating birds is set to take flight at BenCab Museum.

First, to be shown at Gallery Indigo, is Tumanayab: Flying through an invisible path, which features bird photographs captured by the Baguio Benguet Birders around the country. “Tumanayab” is an Ilokano term for “keeps flying,” alluding to the freedom and spirit of the winged subjects. The exhibition showcases wild birds: migratory, resident and endemic.

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS

DAY: Madison Bumgarner, 34; Jason Momoa, 44; Tempestt Bledsoe, 50; Adam Duritz, 59.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Take your time, be observant and look for the best way forward this year. Don’t count on others or take risks with your money, health or emotional well-being. Set the standard instead of letting someone else dictate your next move. Choose partners and friends based on compatibility and equality to avoid situations that weigh you down. Handle legal, financial and medical matters with care.

Your numbers are 9, 14, 24, 26, 31, 37, 48.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Focus on your objective and keep your emotions under control. Refuse to let what others decide to do confuse you. Stick to your plan, take care of your responsibilities, and use your imagination and passionate attitude to knock whatever you do out of the ballpark. ★★

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t secondguess yourself. Stop worrying about what others do; make a point of following through with your plans. Use your experience, knowledge and energy to help change situations slowing you down. Discipline and hard work will propagate unexpected opportunities. ★★★

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Turn your ideas into something tangible. Don’t rely on or trust others to address your concerns adequately. Keep an open mind, and don’t allow someone’s negativity to stop you from reaching for the stars. ★★★★★

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Learn from past mistakes, and forge into the future with optimism and faith in your ability to get things done to your specifications. A change will turn out better than anticipated if you are hands-on and oversee every detail yourself. ★★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Express yourself, and do what’s necessary to resolve unfinished business. To ensure everything is up to code, monitor investments and shared expenses. A partnership is only as good as the people involved. Do whatever it takes to get in sync with anyone with whom you share your money, space or time. ★★★

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take the helm and make things happen. Call on experts to fill in any missing pieces you cannot do yourself, and run a tight ship that will help you gain respect and the chance to expand your interests and gain momentum. ★★★

MULTIDISCIPLINARY Mindanaon artist Kublai Millan brought with him stories of his home region in a recent solo exhibition at Art Lounge Manila, a presentation now extended and moved to the gallery’s Alabang branch.

Opening today, August 1, at Art Lounge Manila in Molito Lifestyle Center in Alabang, Millan’s Summa presents to a bigger audience the artist’s captivating visualization of Mindanao’s vibrant culture. Millan narrates in figures and colors everything from children’s games to the indigenous people’s culture and norms.

In Summa, Millan sifted through his many mediums and deemed painting as the perfect choice to relay his message. He makes use of organic shapes that resemble geometric figures, paying homage to symbols associated with Mindanaaon culture. These shapes carry curated colors that, combined, tell a story without words.

From this visual narration, Millan is able to present Mindanao’s story, while nudging the audience to reflect on their own.

Millan’s Summa was exhibited last July 2 to 15 at Art Lounge Manila at The Podium, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong. It is now on display at Art Lounge Manila in Molito Lifestyle Center in Alabang until

The other show will take up SepiaGallery and is simply titled Philippine Birds

It is said that the decade of 1870 to 1880 was the “most productive in the history of Philippine ornithology,” where authors doubled their count of known Philippine endemic species. A presentation of digital print lithographs, the exhibition allows the audience to view these digital print reproductions of the original 1877 Philippine Bird lithographs of the Linnean Society of London, the world’s oldest society devoted to natural history.

Tumanayab and Philippine Birds open at BenCab Musuem in Baguio on Saturday, August 5. ■

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Relying on others will cost you. Do what you can, even if it means spending more time or diminishing your plans. A reunion or event will give you access to someone of value. ★★★★★

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Emotional situations will escalate if you are too vocal. Don’t share your feelings prematurely. Find out where others stand and process the consequences of your actions before you act. Choose your words wisely and counter negativity with opportunity. ★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): What you do will outweigh what you say. Don’t battle over something irrelevant. You cannot change or waste your time trying to convince others to see things your way. Put your best foot forward, do your own thing and don’t look back. ★★★★

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You are positioned better than you think. Take the necessary precautions, but move forward full force to get results leading to bigger and better opportunities. Emotional spending will be your downfall. You can’t buy love or happiness. ★★★

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Sit tight, be observant and tame your emotions when dealing with associates. How you present your intentions to others will determine who helps. A force play will not work, but offering incentives will be a game changer. A change of heart is apparent. ★★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Preparation will make a difference. Lay out a foolproof plan, and the offers that surface will change how you move forward. Consider partnering with someone well-connected, but be sure to first establish who is responsible for what. ★★★

BIRTHDAY BABY: You are sensitive, flexible and methodical. You are generous and underrated.

Show BusinessMirror

‘Barbie’ bonanza conti nues, ‘Oppen hei mer’ holds second spot

Press

By Jake Coyle | The Associated

AWEEK later, the “Barbenheimer” boom has not abated.

over evil once again take center stage as Gerardo Francisco restages his award-winning Ibong Adarna on August 19 and 20, 2023 at the Aliw Theater to conclude Ballet Manila’s 25th performance season, titled Of Hope and Homecoming.

“After a three-year hiatus, we’re so excited to let Ibong Adarna take flight once again and show Filipino audiences its captivating beauty, as well as bring to fore valuable Filipino traits such as love for family, forgiveness, kindness, and good over evil,” said Lisa Macuja elizalde, Ballet Manila’s founder, artistic director, and chief executive officer.

A classic 16th-century Filipino epic poem, Ibong Adarna centers around the mythical bird whose magical voice can heal illnesses. Upon hearing of its powers, three princes embark on a perilous journey, where they encounter different challenges to catch the elusive bird that can cure their ailing father. In the end, only the prince with the purest heart can catch the legendary Adarna bird.

Premiered in August 2017, Ballet Manila’s retelling of this Filipino classic, choreographed by Gerardo Francisco Jr., has already garnered many accolades over the years, including Best outstanding Production at the 2017 30th Aliw Awards. It has also won at the Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards, including outstanding Modern Dance Production, outstanding Choreography for Modern Dance, outstanding ensemble for Modern Dance, outstanding Music Composition, outstanding Male Lead and outstanding Female Lead.

With all the recognitions the show has earned, Francisco is all the more driven to live up to its standards to give audiences the best show.

“The pressure is there,” he said. “I need to stand by my standards, most especially to those who were able to watch the ballet during our world premiere. I need to exceed their expectations.”

The production was all set to go on a national tour in 2020 but was halted due to the pandemic. According to Macuja elizalde, the Ibong Adarna that will be staged this August will be the touring version where some dancers perform double or triple roles, and the production more streamlined.

Catch Ibong Adarna at Aliw Theater, Pasay City on August 19, 8:00 pm, and August 20, 5:00 pm.

For tickets, visit www.ticketworld.com.ph or call 8891 9999. To know more about Ballet Manila and its shows, visit www.balletmanila.com.ph.

Seven days after Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer conspired to set box office records, the two films held unusually strongly in theaters. Barbie took in a massive $93 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates on Sunday. Oppenheimer stayed in second with a robust $46.2 million. Sales for the two movies dipped 43 percent and 44 percent, respectably—well shy of the usual week-two drops.

“Barbenheimer” has proven to be not a oneweekend phenomenon but an ongoing box-office bonanza. The two movies combined have already surpassed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm comScore, call it “a touchstone moment for movies, moviegoers and movie theaters.”

“Having two movies from rival studios linked in this way and both boosting each other’s fortunes— both box-office wise and it terms of their profile—I don’t know if there’s a comp for this in the annals of box-office history,” said Dergarabedian. “There’s really no comparison for this.”

Following its year-best $162 million opening, the pink-infused pop sensation of Barbie saw remarkably sustained business through the week and into the weekend. The film outpaced Nolan’s The Dark Knight to have the best first 11 days in theaters of any Warner Bros. release ever.

Barbie has rapidly accumulated $351.4 million in US and Canadian theaters, a rate that will soon make it the biggest box-office hit of the summer. Every day it’s played, Barbie has made at least $20 million.

And the Barbie effect isn’t just in North America. The film made $122.2 million internationally over the weekend. Its global tally has reached $775 million. It’s the kind of business that astounds even veteran studio executives.

“That’s a crazy number,” said Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros. “There’s just a built-in audience that wants to be part of the zeitgeist of the moment. Wherever you go, people are wearing pink. Pink is taking over the world.”

Amid the frenzy, Barbie is already attracting a lot of repeat moviegoers. Goldstein estimates that 12 percent of sales are people going back with friends or family to see it again.

For a movie industry that has been trying to regain its pre-pandemic footing—and that now finds itself largely shuttered due to actors and screenwriters strikes—the sensations of Barbie and Oppenheimer have showed what’s possible when everything lines up just right. “Post-pandemic, there’s no ceiling and there’s no floor,” Goldstein said. “The movies that miss really miss big time, and the movies that work really work big time.”

Universal Pictures’ Oppenheimer, meanwhile, is performing more like a superhero movie than a threehour film about scientists talking. Nolan’s drama starring Cillian Murphy as atomic bomb physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer has accrued $174.1 million domestically thus far. With an additional $72.4 million in international cinemas, Oppenheimer has already surpassed $400 million globally. Showings in IMAX have typically been sold out. Oppenheimer has made $80 million worldwide on IMAX. The large-format exhibitor said on Sunday that it will extend the film’s run through Aug. 13.

The week’s top new release, Walt Disney Co.’s Haunted Mansion, an adaptation of the Disney theme park attraction, was easily overshadowed by the “Barbenheimer” blitz. The film, which cost about $150 million, debuted with $24 million domestically and $9 million in overseas sales . Haunted Mansion, directed by Justin Simien (Dear White People, Bad Hair) and starring an ensemble of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito and Rosario Dawson, struggled to overcome mediocre reviews.

Talk to Me, the A24 supernatural horror film, fared better. It debuted with $10 million. The film, directed by Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael

Dexter Doria considers acting her ‘regular energizer’

my character in the series,” she shared.

The senior thespian is thankful that she was chosen to be part of the main cast of the series.

“Every day that I am on the set, I start with a prayer of thanksgiving. I am both lucky and blessed that ours is always a happy set, and my fellow actors love my company and accord me a special kind of respect, being the most senior in the cast. And I appreciate that the production team also takes very good care of me,” she added.

on screen, but my character. There should always be truth and your level of sincerity should be high for an actor to be authentic and competent.”

It was not until 2017 when Doria got the privilege of landing her first lead role in the festival movie Paki, directed by the now New York based Giancarlo Abrahan, about an old married woman who decides to call it quits with her husband.

Philippou and starring Sophie Wilde, was a midnight premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January and received terrific reviews from critics (95 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). It was made for a modest $4.5 million.

While theaters being flush with moviegoers has been a huge boon to the film industry, it’s been tougher sledding for Tom Cruise, the so-called savior of the movies last summer with Top Gun: Maverick.

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I, which debuted the week before the arrival of “Barbenheimer,” grossed $10.7 million in its third weekend. The film starring Cruise and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, has grossed $139.2 million domestically and $309.3 million oveseas.

Instead, the sleeper hit Sound of Freedom has been the best performing non-“Barbenheimer” release in theaters. The Angel Studios’ release, which is counting crowdfunding pay-it-forward sales in its box office totals, made $12.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its haul thus far to nearly $150 million.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to comScore.

1. Barbie, $93 million

2. Opppenheimer, $46.2 million

3. Haunted Mansion, $24.2 million

4. Sound of Freedom, $12.4 million

5. Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One, $10.7 million

6. Talk to Me, $10 million

7. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, $4 million

8. Elemental, $3.4 million

9. Insidious: The Red Door, $3.2 million

10. Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, $1.6 million. n

This September, the series Abot Kamay na Pangarap will be celebrating its first anniversary, and Tyang Susan will continue to be the heart of the community of characters that the viewers follow and have learned to love and adore like their own. The great Dexter Doria will continue to showcase herself as a truthful and outstanding actor, with people loving her for who she is and what she generously gives out. n

A PATron buys a movie ticket underneath a marquee featuring the films Barbie and Oppenheimer at the Los Feliz Theatre, on July 28, 2023, in Los Angeles. AP

FOR many months now, veteran actress Dexter Doria has to pinch herself from time to time to make sure that she is not living in a fantasy world.

Wherever Doria goes nowadays, people recognize her, refer to her as Tyang Susan, and request for a photo opportunity with her, due to the soaring popularity of her well-loved character in the highrating afternoon TV series Abot Kamay na Pangarap.

The show’s success is considered phenomenal because it has consistently stayed on the top spot of the viewership ratings charts for many months now, beating the once unsurpassable 24 Oras (the flagship news program of GMA Network), and all the evening prime-time shows of all the local networks.

“For forty-seven years, I’ve never felt so well-loved by the general public until now. All the attention I get when I go out to the supermarket or when I dine out with my close circle of friends, all these feel new to me. I am just elated every time strangers would come up to me, hug me and call me Tyang Susan, the name of

Doria was discovered by the late filmmaker Emmanuel “Maning” Borlaza in 1976. “I brought my friend, then actress Nympha Bonifacio to the set of The College Girls, and when Maning saw me, he immediately instructed his staff to dress me up and sit on the make-up chair, because I would be replacing another actor who was late or absent,” the actress recalled. “I shot a sequence with Eddie Gutierrez, and, after that, I had to go back to the office because I was working with a company that dealt with automotive parts at that time. That one scene started my lifetime romance with acting.”

A team player who’s very pleasant to work with, Doria has become a favorite of many producers and actors. For decades, she has played many support character roles—good, bitchy, poor, wealthy, nasty, evil—and she enjoys every role she breathes life to.

“ As an actor, you are part not only of the narrative but of the entire creative process, because you are helping create your character and molding it to what the writers and the directors visualize your character to be,” she said. “For me, the gauge of a good actors is basic: when your audience do not see Dexter Doria

The movie won the top festival plum and made industry bigwigs take a longer look at what Doria is capable of as an actor. She was recognized by award-giving organizations for her felt performance, and it gave her more acting jobs in the following years. Four years later, Doria bagged her first URIAN trophy for the Jay Altarejos movie Memories of Forgetting, playing a mother on the brink of the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s.

“Recognition is always appreciated, but it is important that it has to be earned, and given freely, and by legitimate critics and organizations,” she said. “If you continue to get awards because of your influence, or worse, if you got the award because you, or someone spent for it, then shame on you. I’m sorry, but at the end of the day, when you look at yourself in the mirror even if you are holding your trophy, you will still be so empty because you know that you are pathetic and a fake.”

“I love being an actor. It has become the core of my being. It is my regular energizer,” Doria added. “I feel healthy and happy on the set. I like studying my lines and reading scripts. I like the banter with my coactors. It sharpens my memory, and every time I am acting, my soul is nourished.”

erAn actress Dexter Doria

Adarna

DOUBLEDRAGON CORP. OPENS 45TH MALL IN SURIGAO CITY

DOUBLEDRAGON Corporation opened CityMall-Surigao in Surigao City, Surigao del Norte in the Mindanao region last July 28, 2023, Friday, its 45th operational mall nationwide. This officially makes DoubleDragon the No.4 largest mall developer and landlord in terms of number of operational malls. In the community mall segment, the company is currently the No.1 largest community mall developer and landlord in terms of number of operating community malls in the Philippines.

The current CityMall’s GFA or gross floor area forms part of the 1.29 million square meters of fully built and completed GFA in DoubleDragon’s diversified portfolio exceeding its 1 million square meters total GFA target by 2020 set and announced during its IPO listing in the PSE last April 2014, at which point it had practically Zero leasable space.

CityMall-Surigao has a total GFA of 8,608 square meters that sits in a 1.05-hectare of prime commercial land. The then-vacant land right beside the Surigao City Integrated Land Transport Terminal was purchased for land banking way back 2015 and forms part of the string of over 100 prime land spread out across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao that DoubleDragon acquired mostly from 2014 to 2016, when prime land prices was still mostly less than one-fourth of the land prices today.

CityMall-Surigao’s locator/tenant mix includes a full-size MerryMart Grocery, Jollibee, Chowking, Mang Inasal, Greenwich, Highlands Coffee, MerryMart Pharmacy powered by Carlos Superdrug, ALLWin Department Store, Fun Nation, PrimeHub, Vazcon Salon, Potato Corner, JM Shawarma, Party Toppers by Surigao Toopers, Keisha’s Jewelry, Master Siomai, Tori’s Buco, Redd’s Mango, RRJ, Petrol, Mr. Lee, Bobson, FreeLife, RELX and Elixir Store, Car-San Auto, Anchiko Cakes & Pastry Shop, DTI Go Negosyo, Chef Mike Japanese Cuisine booth, JYG Food Enterprises, Yesha’s Kwek Streetfood Cart, DO Marketing, Lemon District, Samantha’s Steamboat and Mister Donut.

After the opening of CityMall-Surigao

today, three more CityMalls are slated to be completed in the fourth quarter this year 2023 namely CityMall-Bay Laguna, CityMall-Palo Leyte, and CityMall-Antique.

For next year 2024, a total of four more CityMalls are set to open namely CityMallGen Trias Cavite, CityMall-Guiwan Zamboanga, CityMall-Ormoc and CityMallOzamiz that would make DoubleDragon increase its operational mall portfolio to 52 by the end of 2024.

DoubleDragon’s current 45-mall network, which are now all operational to date, was constructed and opened from the first CityMall in 2015 to the 45th operating mall in a span of only eight years as of July 28, 2023. The 45 mall openings in eight years include the over two years of Covid-19 pandemic.

The CityMalls that were opened before the Covid-19 pandemic are now in batches, undergoing refresh makeover since early this year and to be completed by the end of this year in line with the goal of making the CityMalls in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao reach maturity level and attain the optimal above-industry rental yields by 2025.

AllHome is Customer Engagement Excellence Award Winner at MoEngage #Growth Summit 2023

ALLHOME , the Philippines’ leading home improvement retailer, emerged as the unrivaled winner at the esteemed Customer Engagement Excellence Awards Philippines 2023. The event, held on July 13, 2023, at Shangri-la The Fort in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), marked a significant achievement for AllHome, whose exceptional personalization of customer interactions and communication propelled engagement and retention to new heights, resulting in a staggering 3X improvement. By harnessing the power of customer data and segmentation, AllHome successfully sent targeted messages, tailored recommendations, and personalized offers, revolutionizing the customer experience in the process.

Personalization: The Key to Customer Engagement Success

CityMall’s occupancy level post-Covid19 pandemic has steadily increased and is expected to reach 10 percent by end of 2024, driven by the continued transition from traditional retail to modern retail in the countryside.

“Within the first three years of DoubleDragon’s IPO in the Philippine Stock Exchange last April 2014, we purposely and rapidly acquired majority of the Company’s landbank for CityMall when land prices in city centers of prime provincial cities were still low. Today, we have seen exponential value appreciation across the string of prime commercial properties which our DD team are thankful to have acquired a string of hundreds of prime assets across the country early on,” said DoubleDragon chairman Edgar “Injap” Sia II.

“We see building structures for the recurring revenue business like fruit-bearing trees, where the buildings are like the tree, and the recurring income that eventually follows are like the fruits that keep coming for many decades. And while they produce the fruits year on year, the property like the bark of the tree also becomes more and more valuable,” added Sia.

Sun Life Grepa partners with ExpressPay to reach underinsured Pinoy population

SUN Life Grepa Financial, Inc. (Sun Life Grepa), a major insurer in the country, has partnered with ExpressPay Inc., the leader in payment services franchising, with the objective of making insurance simpler and more accessible to the underinsured population in the Philippines.

Affordable Sun Life Grepa insurance plans will be made available across ExpressPay branches nationwide.

“We are honored that Express Pay entrusted the life insurance plans of their clients to Sun Life Grepa,” Sun Life Grepa Vice President and Head of Affinity Marketing Joen M. Songco said. “Both companies are positive that this partnership will reinforce our commitment to close the significant life insurance protection gap in the country.”

Sun Life Grepa President Richard S. Lim confirms the sentiment. “We believe that financial protection knows no bounds. This partnership helps break down barriers and empowers people with the protection they need. It truly supports our mission of providing lifetime financial security to Filipinos.”

“Financial inclusion has always been

one of our key priorities,” ExpressPay President Anson T. Uy said. “As we continue to innovate, ExpressPay recognizes the need to provide its clients value-added service that will enable them to be ready for uncertainties and create a more financially secure future for their families.”

The agreement was signed by Sun Life Grepa executives Richard S. Lim, President, and Joen Songco, Vice Pres -

Get that Yeba Indak Dance Workout @ Sunshine Place

SUNSHINE Place opened its Yeba Indak dance workout every Saturday from 10:00 am to 11:00 am on July 29 with Danny Vinculado as instructor.

Yeba Indak, an eight-session course, is an enjoyable and gentle dance workout, that draws inspiration from traditional Philippine folk dance steps. The exercise routine is mainly accompanied by original Filipino music, providing a unique experience to the students.

What sets Yeba Indak apart from typical workouts is its distinct focus on promoting the rich Filipino culture through music and dance. By incorporating music from renowned Filipino artists like VST & Co.,

Hotdog, and other popular OPM musicians, the program aims to rekindle interest in and celebrate the vibrant Filipino music history.

During the 60-minute session, participants can expect to perspire and get their hearts pumping as they engage in a variety of movements.

Vinculado has been working with Sunshine Place for more than five years on developing elderly-age appropriate dances only available at Sunshine Place. Among a few is Chair Dancing, seated dancing for elderly with hip, waist, leg medical concerns, and Tap Dancing as he shares his expertise on Broadway choreography.

To enroll and know more, kindly call

ident for Affinity Marketing, together with ExpressPay Inc. President Anson T. Uy and Business Development Head Helena Respicio.

Formed in 2011, ExpressPay is a member of Safesoft Solutions, Inc. a leading provider of information technology solutions in the Philippines while Sun Life Grepa is a joint venture between Sun Life Philippines and the Yuchengco Group of Companies.

IN a world where customers crave tailored experiences, AllHome realized the importance of personalization as a catalyst for enhanced customer engagement and retention. The Customer Engagement Excellence Awards Philippines 2023 recognized AllHome’s innovative approach to personalized interactions and communication, setting a new industry standard.

Leveraging Customer Data and Segmentation

ALLHOME’S triumph was made possible through the utilization of customer data and segmentation, which served as the foundation for their personalized engagement strategies. By leveraging comprehensive data analytics, AllHome gained valuable insights into customer preferences, behaviors, and purchase history, allowing them to create targeted and relevant experiences.

Sending Targeted Messages

WITH the wealth of customer data at their disposal, AllHome implemented tailored messaging campaigns that resonated with individual customers. By delivering messages based on specific customer interests, needs, and demographics, AllHome effectively captured attention, fostered engagement, and drove customer loyalty.

Tailored Recommendations for Enhanced Customer Experience

ALLHOME went beyond generic recommendations and embraced a data-driven approach to offer personalized

product suggestions. By analyzing past purchases and browsing history, AllHome’s recommendation engine accurately anticipated customer preferences, leading to more relevant and satisfying shopping experiences.

Personalized Offers for Increased Customer Satisfaction

RECOGNIZING the value of personalized offers, AllHome ensured that customers received exclusive deals and discounts tailored to their interests. By tailoring promotions based on customer preferences, purchase patterns, and special occasions, AllHome deepened customer loyalty and satisfaction, fostering long-term relationships.

The Impact: Three times Improved Engagement and Retention

ALLHOME’S commitment to personalization yielded remarkable results. By customizing interactions and communication, the company witnessed an astounding threefold improvement in customer engagement and retention rates. Customers felt valued and understood, forging a strong emotional connection with the brand and driving their loyalty.

The Future of Customer Engagement

ALLHOME’S victory at the Customer Engagement Excellence Awards Philippines 2023 serves as a powerful reminder of the vital role that personalization plays in building customer engagement. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, companies must recognize that customers expect tailored experiences and relevant communications. By harnessing customer data and segmentation, businesses can unlock unprecedented opportunities to create meaningful connections, drive customer loyalty, and gain a competitive edge. AllHome’s triumph at the Customer Engagement Excellence Awards Philippines 2023 is a testament to its unwavering dedication to personalized customer interactions and communication. Through the utilization of customer data and segmentation, AllHome has redefined the customer experience, delivering targeted messages, tailored recommendations, and personalized offers that have revolutionized engagement and retention rates. As the retail landscape evolves, AllHome’s victory serves as a beacon, inspiring other businesses to prioritize personalization, customer data, and segmentation in their pursuit of exceptional customer engagement and success.

Boosting Healthcare: PHL’s First Online Compounding Pharmacy Updates Website

THE Philippines’ first online compounding pharmacy, Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy (AIP), recently introduced new and improved features to its website by relaunching their own e-commerce platform to better serve its healthcare practitioners and patients. The platform, launched in 2022, is now even more reliable to make access to compounded medicine not only more convenient but also more secure.

Amid the rising need among doctors and patients for an alternative to physical consultations brought about by fear of getting exposed to Covid-19, digital health services have been gaining traction in the Philippines. A recent poll of 660 doctors in the Philippines revealed that 62 percent of those surveyed are currently using at least one telemedicine application with 57 percent using only one application while 40 percent are using two or three applications and three percent are currently using four applications or more. Using the latest technologies not only makes communication between patients and doctors faster but also decongests hospitals and keeps both health practitioners and patients safe.

AIP, which is celebrating another milestone on its 10th anniversary as the first online compounding pharmacy in the Philippines, hopes to make its updated platform more seamless for doctors and patients to communicate with. Doctors can now include their clinics in the AIP directory as well as their social media pages on the site. Doctors and other health practitioners also have access to the latest explainer and reference videos related to the personalized medicine industry, making the AIP site a one-stop shop compounding pharmacy website for registered healthcare providers. Doctors may also request for preferred formulations based on their patients’ needs.

Patients can likewise get more out of AIP’s updated website. They can create their own account to order, include their doctors’ prescriptions and recommendations, and have their medical records neatly consolidated in one place. Using their account, patients can now track the delivery status of the medicine through this improved website by making the order experience

seamless. For an even more personalized experience through the updated website, patients can now specify their medications.

AIP announced that they are now extending their exclusive discounts for PWDs and senior citizens to their website, making the online compounding pharmacy experience even more accessible. Recognizing the importance of convenience, AIP has implemented a seamless process for users to avail of discounts. By simply uploading a copy of their PWD or Senior Citizen ID booklet on the website, patients can now enjoy the same savings and privileges from the comfort of their own homes.

To protect users’ personal and banking information, the updated AIP website implements several security measures. AIP uses industry-standard encryption to ensure sensitive information sent online is protected. Verification and limited account access have also been put in place to protect the patients’ profiles and avoid unauthorized access and data breaches.

“We have always supported the needs of our healthcare professionals and patients with the right tools and technologies. At the core of Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy is the goal to consistently collaborate with medical professionals to help solve Filipinos’ health needs. This upgraded website is an extension of that mission—It will bring AIP and compounded medicines closer to more doctors and patients in a more accessible, secure manner that is in line with the current e-commerce considerations of our users. As the effects of the pandemic reveal more patients now turning to online doctor purchase of medicine and doctor consultation, we aim to be their reliable partner in health as the first online compounding pharmacy in the Philippines,” shared AIP Founder and CEO Richard Lista. Access health and wellness options customized for the patient’s specific needs and vetted by healthcare professionals and visit https://apotheca.com.ph/.Follow its social media accounts for the latest updates and facts at @ApothecaCorp on LinkedIn, @ApothecaPH on Instagram, and @ApothecaPH on Facebook.

US visa delays, divisive politics dampen America’s international travel recovery

By Lebawit Lily Girma

TOURISM has bounced back furiously in the world’s major tourism markets. Spain recovered 86 percent of its pre-pandemic tourist arrivals in 2022, and arrivals this year already show a 28 percent increase over 2019 levels. France follows closely with year-to-date international visitors numbering just 3 percent less than before the Covid-19 pandemic and their spending at record levels, according to Atout France, a government tourism agency.

The US, on the other hand, is falling behind. International tourist arrivals remain at 26 percent below pre-pandemic levels, according to a June 2023 monthly report from the US Travel Association, with spending slower, too. At the close of 2022, international visitor spending in the US was at $99 billion, just over 50 percent of where it stood in 2019. That’s a far cry from 2019, when the US received 79.4 million visitors, who spent $181 billion.

“The lag is very significant, and we are very concerned,” says Geoff Freeman, US Travel’s chief executive officer. “We estimate that this year alone we’re going to lose about 2.6 million international visitors and $7 billion less in spending.”

The US travel industry isn’t expected to recover to 2019 levels until 2025. Those two additional years

will translate into “billions of dollars of lost spending, of lost jobs,” says Freeman.

For the first time in history, the US is also running a multiyear travel deficit: Americans are spending more money abroad on their travels than international tourists are spending in the US.

Bureaucracy and delays

THE State Department’s US visa processing delays continue at the top of the obstacle list. As of early July, visa wait times remained above 400 days for first-time applicants from top markets that do not qualify for visa waivers, according to US Travel. In 2019, travelers requiring visas to enter the US made up 43 percent of all inbound international travel.

“Our wait times are completely unacceptable, and they are discouraging

travelers from coming here,” says Freeman. The government has been willing to acknowledge the problem, he adds, and improvements have been made with applicants from India and Brazil.

A State Department spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement that the agency was “quickly lowering visitor visa interview wait times worldwide. In the first nine months of fiscal year 2023 (through June 2023), globally we issued 19.4 percent more nonimmigrant visas than we did during the same period in fiscal year 2019.”

The median global interview appointment waiting time for visitor visas as of July 1 was approximately three months, down about a third from 120 days in October, said the spokesperson, who added that additional officers heading overseas should match the State Department’s global pre-pandemic staffing by the end of 2023.

Meanwhile, destination rivals including Canada, the UK and the EU are growing more aggressive in soliciting tourism and making themselves more accessible to such top US markets as Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Israel and Venezuela. Citizens from those countries can travel visafree to the EU, for instance, while the UK has waived visa requirements for Colombia and Peru, among others.

Beyond waiting times for visas, US travel industry woes include hotel rates that have remained high since travel recommenced. Those prices are deterring international travelers who are concerned with high travel costs, a strong dollar and inflation; hotel demand in the US dipped 2 percent in May 2023, data from US Travel shows.

Travelers are also dealing with delays getting through customs at airports and TSA wait times continue to increase. Bloomberg reached out to US Customs and Border Protection but did not receive a response in time for

publication.

“On and on, across the board, we demonstrate that we don’t prioritize travel the way that other markets do,” says US Travel’s Freeman. “It is something that we have taken for granted here in the US for too long.”

In addition to leisure tourists, bureaucracy is deterring business travelers. Trade show exhibitors confirm that attendance is down 20 percent, says Freeman, attributing the reduction directly to a paucity of foreign visitors. Travelers from Japan and from China, two of America’s top markets for incoming visits, have been slow to return to the US—with respective numbers currently at just 37 percent and 37 percent of 2019 levels.

A political reality

DOMESTIC tourism remains the bright spot—leisure trips for Americans in the first half of 2023 showed a 3 percent increase over 2019 levels and are projected to settle at those levels this year. Still, the US appears to face a larger reckoning that’s affecting decisions by both domestic business visitors and international tourists.

“There is a growing perception outside the USA that the country is no longer safe,” said Jack Ezon, founder of luxury boutique firm Embark Beyond, in his second-quarter Travel Trends Report. Higher crime rates, homelessness in cities and news of mass shootings are scaring potential visitors, the report adds.

The report further states that Ezon’s clients come “with a litany of restrictions removing places like Florida, Texas and Tennessee (among others) based on their draconian anti-LGBTQ or anti-abortion legislation. Others are asking not to be exposed to destinations that are too “liberal”. Both are something we’ve not ever seen before.”

Stacy Ritter, CEO at Visit Lauderdale, which promotes tourism in the south of Florida from Miami-Dade to Palm Beach counties, echoes concerns that politics are impacting decisions to book events in her destination.

From May to July this year, Visit Lauderdale received 10 cancellations for late 2023, 2024 and 2026 of group business events ranging in size from 500 to more than 10,000 attendees. The cancellations have already caused a loss of more than 15,000 room night bookings, the agency says.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a grouping in such a short period of time for political reasons. That’s in excess of a $20 million economic impact,” says Ritter.

The Rivals conference, from radio personality Tom Joyner, celebrates students and alumni from historically Black colleges and universities. Set to take place in Fort Lauderdale this year, it was canceled on July 7. It would have brought 10,000 attendees over the three-day Labor Day weekend holiday to Broward County, Ritter says. The Chicagobased American Specialty Toy Retail Association was planning an event in Fort Lauderdale in 2026 but reconsidered, citing the “unfriendly political environment in Florida”. The group is now considering Milwaukee.

Because event bookings require more lead time, they are difficult to reschedule, so a slowdown now can wield a far greater impact later.

“We now know that there are meeting and conference planners which aren’t even sending requests for proposals to any of us in Florida,” says Ritter, noting that cancellations began trickling in during April 2022, after passage in Florida of the first so-called Don’t Say Gay law.

Exact words from meeting planners for Humana, the Society for Ma -

ternal Fetal Medicine and American Crafts Spirits Association, she says, were: “Florida is out now due to politics” or “Florida is off the table right now due to policies.”

For South Florida tourism at least, she says, “it’s more a question of what are we not even able to bid for that we would normally have had an opportunity to bid for? I can’t even quantify that.” The setbacks come amid a more than $1.5 billion convention center expansion project that’s underway.

Visit Orlando has suffered a similar round of cancelled meetings, CEO Casandra Matej confirmed in a recent report.

Jeremy Redfern, press secretary at the office of Governor Ron DeSantis, brushed aside such concerns. In an e-mailed statement to Bloomberg he said that, “as Governor DeSantis announced in May, Florida is experiencing record tourism, with Q1 2023 having the largest volume of visitors during a single quarter in recorded history.”

Redfern pointed to a recent report that Florida is one of six fast-growing Southern states contributing more to the national gross domestic product than the Northeast, and cited a July 2023 CNBC ranking of the Sunshine State as the nation’s best component economy.

For US Travel’s Freeman, the sluggish recovery of US travel has more to do with inefficiency than with politics.

“I’ve heard the politics comments for a long time, going back to the George W. Bush administration,” he says. “But the US is still the most desired nation to visit, so you have to ask yourself: If they want to come, why aren’t they coming? And I think that’s a lot less about politics and it is a lot more about obstacles that are being put people’s way.” Bloomberg News

Middle Eastern wealth flows to China amid anxiety about relations with US

By Sam Dagher, Henry Meyer & Ben Bartenstein

OIL-RICH gulf monarchies are leveraging their wealth to deepen ties with China amid anxiety about the future of their longstanding security partnership with the US.

Seven months after President Xi Jinping participated in the first China-Gulf summit in Riyadh, economic exchanges between the world’s second largest economy and nations like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been accelerating—moving well beyond crude purchases where Beijing has been dominant for years.

One of the deals that could benefit from closer ties in the coming months is Chinese-owned seed giant Syngenta Group’s planned $9 billion Shanghai IPO. The state-backed company’s advisers have been having discussions with Middle Eastern sovereign funds including the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund about becoming cornerstone investors, people with knowledge of the matter have said.

The value of acquisitions and investments by Gulf companies in China has climbed more than 1,000 percent yearon-year to $5.3 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. This year is on the cusp of becoming the busiest ever by number of such deals, the data show.

Abu Dhabi’s $280 billion sovereign wealth fund, Mubadala Investment Co., is ramping up operations in China to hunt for investments, people familiar with the matter said. Dubai has seen a 24 percent surge in Chinese companies setting up in its commodi -

ties free zone after roadshows in the Asian country. Officials in Riyadh describe China as an indispensable partner for Vision 2030—Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s multi-trillion-dollar economic and social transformation plan. A string of Chinese firms have won contracts for the futuristic city NEOM.

The relationship is also extending outside the economic front. At the December summit, Xi offered to mediate in talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia, leading to a landmark agreement in March restoring ties between the archrivals signed in Beijing.

Some in Washington are already raising concerns that China’s growing influence in the Middle East could challenge American interests in the long run. While the US remains the dominant military partner of Gulf states, US Central Command chief General Michael E. Kurilla, warned in recent congressional testimony of concerted Chinese efforts to undermine this, pointing to a jump in Beijing’s trade and military sales to the region.

Dissatisfaction with the decadesold US security umbrella had been brewing for at least 15 years in the Middle East, exacerbated by what Gulf states viewed as unpredictable US policies toward the region, said Hasan Alhasan, a Bahrain-based research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, who meets regularly with senior Gulf officials.

“Now they’re realigning their foreign policies to serve their economic agendas,” said Alhasan. “They’re going to prioritize relations that are going to serve their national economic visions.”

Washington with Beijing as their principal partner. But they also say they want a wider set of global alliances.

“I don’t ascribe to this zero-sum game,” Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said in a June press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken when he visited Saudi Arabia. “I think we are all capable of having multiple partnerships and multiple engagements, and the US does the same in many instances.”

China supports that approach. At a July conference at Beijing’s Tsinghua University, China’s former envoy to the Middle East, Wu Sike, urged the region to “pursue true multilateralism.”

“China and other countries can learn from each other, support each other and move toward win-win cooperation,” he said.

Last month, thousands of entrepreneurs and government officials from China arrived in Riyadh for the largest ever Arab-Chinese business gathering. The Saudi government said MOUs worth more than $10 billion were signed. Among them was a $5.6 billion deal inked by the Saudis to develop cars with Chinese electric vehicle maker Human Horizons.

Meanwhile, in Abu Dhabi, the artificial intelligence firm G42, chaired by National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has identified China as a top market to deploy capital abroad, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. A G42 spokesperson declined to comment.

“We continue to look for promising opportunities across Asia, in markets that align with our longterm strategy,” a spokesman at Mubadala said.

Reinvigorating relations

HAVING alternative partners make the Gulf powers less dependent on the US. In recent months, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other producers in Opec have repeatedly defied pressure to open the taps as the US sought to prevent oil prices from fueling inflation.

Washington is making its own efforts to reinvigorate relations in the Gulf. In recent months, senior US officials have shuttled to the city of Jeddah to meet the crown prince to revive a bid to secure a peace pact with Israel, building upon the Abraham Accords.

Publicly, US officials say they welcome Chinese mediation in the Middle East.

“With regard to China, we’ve also been very clear we’re not asking anyone to choose between the United States and China,” Blinken said in June. “We are simply trying to demonstrate the benefits of our partnership and the affirmative agenda that we bring in what we’re trying to do.”

Trade, primarily in oil, remains the key to the relationship between China and the Gulf. Two-way commercial flows between Saudi Arabia and China ballooned to $117 billion last year from just $834 million three decades ago. UAE-China bilateral trade has grown almost a hundredfold to $107 billion in 2022 from $1.15 billion in 1992, according to data compiled by Bloomberg The UAE said in a statement that it expects “trade with China to continue to increase, as is the case with other key economic partners.”

Energy deal

ENERGY ties are deepening further.

In the latest major deal, Saudi Arabia

inked a $3.6 billion contract to buy 10 percent of China’s Rongsheng Petrochemical Co.

“There are so many things we want to do with them and so many things they want to do with us,” Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said at the forum about China.

Patrick Tsang, who runs a family office and co-founded the Hong Kong Ambassadors Club in March, said he’s busy facilitating meetings between Chinese tech titans and Gulf wealth funds.

“For Chinese executives, it’s a herd mentality,” Tsang said. “Once President Xi goes somewhere, everyone else follows. It’s very politically driven.”

Washington remains the chief security backer of the Gulf states, including through military bases, and the US is the biggest source of foreign direct investment for countries like Saudi Arabia. Yet the US has been reluctant to give Saudi Arabia and the UAE the security guarantees and advanced weaponry, including F-35 fighter jets, that they demanded to protect against attacks from Iranianbacked militant groups.

In his comments to Congress, USCENTCOM chief Kurilla said Chinese military sales in the region have risen by 80 percent during the past decade compared with a 30 percent decline in US sales. He warned of a “race between integration with our partners and Chinese penetration into the region.”

Suspended talks

IN 2021, the UAE suspended talks on a $23 billion deal to purchase F-35 jets and other weaponry after rejecting US conditions including a demand to remove Huawei Technologies Co. from

its telecommunications network. The UAE later agreed to buy Chinese L15 light attack and combat training jets.

In May, the UAE said it had stopped taking part in US-led maritime patrols in the Gulf, which had been plagued by Iran’s seizure of oil tankers in prior weeks.

The UAE was upset at the US delay in bolstering military aid after the January 2022 Houthi missile strike on Abu Dhabi, western diplomats and UAE officials say. The less engaged the US is, the more space there will be for China, said one UAE official, asking not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.

A senior Saudi official said his country sees the need to cool down tensions with other countries in the region and find other partners to work with because it doesn’t see the US as a reliable security partner. Government spokespeople in Saudi Arabia didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

For now, Gulf states have no real alternative to the US, according to Galia Lavi, an expert on China-Middle East ties at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. “China doesn’t give any security guarantees at all, so it’s better to have some from the US rather than none from China.”

Still, Chinese interests in the region “keep getting bigger,” she said.

In the Middle East, China now sees the tide turning in its direction, said Victor Gao, vice president of the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing think-tank. “China has this flexibility of positions and China always wants to see ‘What do you want?.’” With assistance from Matthew Martin, Samy Adghirni and Fareed Sahloul/Bloomberg

PFF officials hail Filipinas for uniting Filipinos in historic World Cup stint

THE top two officials of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) on Monday expressed their pride and thanks to the national women’s football team Filipinas for uniting the nation and Filipinos worldwide for their memorable and historic outing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand.

“Over the course of the last 18 months, the Filipinas united the country in support of their maiden FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance,” said PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta a day after the gallant Philippine side lost to Norway, 0-6, to bow out of Group A at the Eden Park in Auckland.

“ While they may have missed out on qualification to the knockout stages, they have achieved something greater,” Araneta stressed.

“And that was to see the entire Filipino community in the Philippines and wherever they are around the world show their overwhelming support to the team.”

We recognize the hard work and sacrifices this team have made to make our World Cup dream a reality,” the PFF chief and former national team standout added.

Thank you very much to the entire Filipinas team, led by team manager Jefferson Cheng and head coach Alen Stajcic, you have made the Filipino nation immensely proud of this team. Maraming salamat, Filipinas!” he exclaimed. PFF general secretary Atty. Ed Gastanes echoed the heartfelt and grateful sentiments.

We are amazed on how the Philippine Women’s National Team became a beacon of hope and source of joy for every Filipino fan that supported the team during this historic World Cup campaign,” Gastanes said.

“ We have also seen the outpouring of support from Filipinos all over the world as showed in the numerous watch parties in the Philippines and

all over the globe,” he added. While the team exits from the 2023 World Cup competition, their journey continues. Indeed, the heart and fighting spirit shown by the Filipinas will long be remembered in Philippine football history,” Gastanes underscored.

“

So much thanks to team manager Jefferson Cheng and head coach Alen Stajcic for a wonderful job in pushing the team to a new level, one that will be etched in sporting history of the country,” he added.

O ne of eight teams debuting in the biggest showcase for women’s football, the Filipinas, who were also supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, made the most of the opportunity in setting new milestones.

The highlight was their stunning 1-0 upset of the hometown Ferns on July 25 at the Sky Stadium in Wellington.

Not only was it the country’s first World Cup win but it was also worth three points, transforming them into serious contenders of advancing to the knockout round until the last day of the Group A matches on Sunday.

Striker Sarina Bolden came through with a smashing header in the 24th minute for the nation’s first goal while talented and fearless goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel shared the spotlight in keeping the hosts at bay to earn Player of the Match honors, another first.

T hey also drew hordes of fans from the Philippines, all over the globe and New Zealand, making all of their three outings feel like a home game.

It was a memorable day for the players and myself [for each game] and something we will never forget,” gushed Stajcic for the enthusiastic support from Filipino fans that went out of their way to cheer for them in Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland.

NU stars lead natl team to SEA tilt

MHICAELA BELEN and Alyssa Solomon lead a National University (NU)

Lady Bulldogs-laden national team that will see action in the Southeast Asia Volleyball League (V.League) women’s tournament set this weekend in Vietnam.

B elen, the UAAP Season 84

Rookie-MVP, and Best Opposite Spiker Solomon along with NU teammates Camille Lamina, Shaira Jardio, Minierva Maaya, Evangeline Alinsug, Erin Pangilinan and Myrtle Escanlar are seeing action in the women’s tournament of the SEA V.League that successfully conducted the second leg of the men’s contest in the City of Santa Rosa Sunday.

A lso on the women’s team are high school sensations and incoming rookies Arah Panique and Abegail Pono, as well as Ateneo’s Roma Doromal and AC Miner, and University of the Philippines’ Niña Ytang and Kamille Cal.

“ This is a young team and we are investing for the future of the federation’s national team program,” Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara said on Monday, a day after the men’s SEA V.League which Indonesia won.

PBBM OPENS PALARO; NARAG WINS 1ST GOLD

occasionally jogged while she waited for the President.

A lso present on the Presidential stage were Special Assistant Antonio Lagdameo, Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro and Rep. Marjorie Ann Teodoro and Philippine Sports Commission Commissioner Fritz Gaston.

“It’s my first time to win gold in the Palaro.”

M ejen Sumbongan, 18, made it a 1-2 finish for UST and NCR with his 3.80-meter effort, while Central Visayas’ Eumar Mamogay settled for the bronze medal with 3.30 meters.

The women’s division of the SEA V.League, a brainchild of Suzara and Thailand federation president Shanrit Wongprasert, kicks off starting Friday to Sunday in Vihn Phuc, Vietnam, and from August 11 to 13 in Chiangmai, Thailand.

The Philippines will face Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia in the regional tournament.

We’re confident in the capability of these young stars seen as the future of Philippine volleyball,” Suzara said. “We have no doubts that they can carry our flag against the best in the region.”

Suzara and PNVF secretarygeneral Don Caringal got NU Chairman Hans Sy’s commitment on the Lady Bulldogs’ inclusion in the national team during the Volleyball Nations League Men’s Week 3 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena last month.

L amina was the Best Setter in UAAP Season 84 while Ytang was hailed as the 2nd Best Middle Blocker in UAAP Season 85.

B razilian Jorge Souza de Brito is the head coach of the collegiate stars-backed with Fe Moran as team manager, Karl Dimaculangan and Norman Miguel as assistant coaches and Grace Gomez as therapist and trainer.

By Josef Ramos

APOLE vaulter

from

“ This administration believes in the transformative power of sports not only in improving strength and agility but also in building up character and discipline,” added Marcos before hundreds of student athletes representing the country’s 17 regions.

B ut before the afternoon opening ceremony that took more than three hours to complete started, 17-year-old Sean Harry Narag won the Palaro’s first gold medal in boys’ secondary pole vault at the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City.

I ncidentally, both Narag and Sumbongan are coached by no less than Obiena’s father, Emerson Obiena, himself a former national pole vaulter.

“EJ’s pole vault achievements are so motivating and inspiring to the young ones, they draw interest and everybody wants to be a pole vaulter,” Emerson Obiena said.

Giethyl Daze Lubguban, 12 and hailing from Panikian Island (Zamboanga del Sur) captured gold for Zamboanga Peninsula in girls elementary high jump with 1.40 meters, while Nichole Camacho of Moncada (Tarlac) gave Central Luzon the medal silver with 1.37 meters.

LOCAL fans didn’t know any of the players when Kurashiki arrived for its maiden Premier Volleyball League stint.

They probably all recognize most of the Japanese now.

Certainly, hard-hitting Asaka

Tamaru is tops on the list with playmaker Kyoka Ohshima next, or Akane Hiraoka, Yukino Yano, Miho Kawamura, Saki Tanabe, Saya Taniguchi or Sayaka Tanida or libero Kaoru Takahashi.

W hatever their rankings are, this band, which campaigns in the third division of the V.League back home,

showed its brand of play is skilled and competent enough to producing positive results.

C reamline’s top hitter Tots Carlos put it all in context.

They’re organized, very good, regardless of what division they’re from,” she said. “They’re diligent and perseverant and we knew we have to find ways to stop them.”

They failed, just like the four other squads in the six-team semifinals of the Invitational Conference.

A nd the Kurashiki Ablaze went on to complete a highly-surprising six-game sweep of the championship,

City but competing out of the National Capital Region (NCR) who dreams of becoming a future EJ Obiena won the first gold medal in the 63rd edition of the Palarong Pambansa that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. formally opened amid a rain-drenched and flood-threatened condition on Monday afternoon at the Marikina City Sports Center.

Tuguegarao

P resident Marcos was warmly welcomed by enthusiastic student athletes and local sports and government officials after intermittent strong rains momentarily stopped to give host Marikina City the opportunity to open the Palaro with an elaborate and colorful ceremony that marked the national games’ return after a three-year hiatus.

V ice President Sara Duterte was the first to welcome President Marcos at the complex gates. The Department of Education Secretary, clad in Palaro sportswear,

Ablaze reveal flaws of PVL teams in successful Invitational campaign

capping it with a classic 19-25, 25-23, 25-19, 20-25, 15-13 decision over Creamline in a one-game final that could’ve gone either way before a jampacked crowd at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City late Sunday.

Coach Hideo Suzuki profusely thanked league president Ricky Palou for inviting the team to compete in the mid-season conference of the league organized by Sports Vision, the club team’s first overseas campaign.

We’re very happy and appreciative of Mr. Ricky’s invitation,” Suzuki said through an interpreter. “If Mr. Ricky will invite us again next year, 100 percent sure, we’ll come back.”

Th at should be something to look forward to as the Ablaze endeared themselves to both the local players and fans for their system, class and character—and for sharing whatever they have in their resources.

“

It’s always nice to learn from different countries, their system,” said Creamline skipper Alyssa Valdez, a veteran internationalist. “We have so much to learn and adjust.

As Filipinos we all have our own strengths and weaknesses, so it’s just nice to have this opportunities. Later on, we’ll benefit from this, and

hopefully, the quality of volleyball in the country will level up some more.”

The Japanese, along with the Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh side from Vietnam, provided those kind of matches in the course of their campaign in the month-long competition.

But while the two visiting squads wrapped up their stints in contrasting fashions—with Kurashiki winning all its six games and Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh dropping all its five matches—they both left lasting marks for the other teams to soak up.

For one, the Japanese cool, calm and collected stance is one thing worth emulating. Dragged into a nerve-wracking five-setter in the finale, they never backed down and showed grace under pressure that saw them fight back from 12-13 down and snatch the decider, the match and the championship on a three-hit closing roll.

A saka spiked her remarkable showing with a 29-point output, matching her effort in their debut against Kinh Bac-Bac Ninh last July 22, while Kyoka held the team together with her feeds, finishing with 19 excellent sets with five points to boot and edging Asaka for the Finals MVP honors.

“ I hope someday I can also be like him [Obiena],” said Narag, who leapt to 3.90 meters in winning gold.

Narag, a 12th-grader focusing on Physical Education and Sports at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), attempted 4 meters but the wet conditions prevented him from clearing the bar.

The runway was so slippery and I almost lost my grip, but I managed to win,” said Narag, son of tricy -

Jane Felomino of Western Visayas, Shanelle Dulay of Central Luzon and Venice Penit of Zamboanga Peninsula had identical 1.31 meters to share the bronze medal. Competitions in all 34 sports in the Palaro program kick off starting Tuesday in Marikina and at the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City.

T he DepEd scheduled the Palaro for August, the first time that the multi-sport athletic competition among student athletes from public and private elementary and high schools was held in a rainy month.

KO PING CHUNG shows resiliency and patience against local bet Michael Feliciano in final.

Taiwan’s Ko tops inaugural Sharks 9-ball tournament

for providing a very comfortable and world-class arena for us.”

Feliciano settled for the runnerup purse of $15,000.

KO PING CHUNG of Taiwan

beat local bet Michael Feliciano, 17-13, to emerge as inaugural champion of the Sharks International 9-Ball Open at the Sharks Great White Arena along Tomas Morato in Quezon City.

K o flashed the form of a former world 10-ball champion as he toppled a 5-2 deficit and shattered a 12-12 tie, claiming five of the final six racks to snatch the title worth $30,000.

It was a long week of matches against professionals and amateurs from around the globe and I’m honored to have played with them,” Ko said. “I’m grateful to the Sharks Billiard League for setting the stage and giving us the chance to compete with great opponents and

K o was the last foreign player standing from the 128-man field which went through a tough elimination and knockout stages.

Ko reached the final with victories over Jaycee Garcia, Israel Rota, James Aranas, Naoyuki Oi and Gonzales while Feliciano advance after beating Kenneth Arpilleda, John Albert Refulle, Jhon Le Garde and Oliver Villafuerte.

The tournament was organized by the Sharks Billiard League headed by Hadley Mariano.

“ We’re happy for the success of the 9-Ball Open and with the momentum we have gained, we hope to host more tournaments that would showcase world-class talents in billiards,” Mariano said.

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