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By Rene Acosta

NDIRECTLY drawing lessons drawn from the still raging Russia-Ukraine war, the Army is beefing up both its air defense and offensive capabilities as it embarks on an ambitious plan to acquire various types of land-based missile systems under the multiphase modernization program of the military.

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Army beefs up war capability under a multiphase modernization program with missiles, air assets

BRIDGE components of the armored vehicle-launched bridge units shipped to the Batangas Port, Batangas City, on July 12, 2022. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PHILIPPINE ARMY

Closer to home and right within the country’s territory, the military’s primary ground forces want to ensure that they would have the means at least to defend the Kalayaan Island Group and the West Philippine Sea in a worst-case scenario against China, which had been tagged years ago as a security threat. “We will build our missile capability,” declared Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr. to the Business Mirror, adding that arming and building the proficiency of the Army in handling missiles and other modern weaponry which goes with a modern army is one of the priorities of his leadership. Local and international security experts and analysts have been pushing for the equipage of soldiers, noting that a credible defense posture is the only way the Armed Forces of the Philippines can at least deal with an aggressive China in the cluster of islands that the Philippines owns or possesses, but which Beijing disputes under its expansive claims. During his first State of the Nation Address nearly two weeks ago, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. made it clear he will not “abandon even one square inch of territory of the Republic of the Philippines,” with national interest as his “primordial guide.”

Land-based missile defense system

BRAWNER said the Army will acquire weapons and develop its capabilities to defend the country by land in a modern-day war by acquiring various types of missiles that can fend off and shoot land, air and sea targets. These include anti-ship, anti-aircraft and ground-to-ground missiles. He said the Army will acquire first the Indian-made Brahmos missile system, but this will not just be their first missile acquisition. The military will take possession of its first battery of Brahmos by way of the Philippine Marine Corps that had already activated more than a month ago its ShoreBased Air Defense System (SBADS) Battalion under its Coastal Defense Regiment in anticipation of the first delivery. The SBADS forms part of the Marines’ efforts to build a reliable coastal defense system that will protect strategic assets and infrastructure while providing it with the capability to defend its bases and as-

AN ATMOS howitzer in action. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PHILIPPINE ARMY

ARMY chief Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr.: “We should have good missile defense systems. The ideal is, it should be enough to cover and defend the entire country.”

sets from the air and mount coastal and island defense operations. The plan for the Army to have the capability to fight battles in the air, land and sea may be grand, but Brawner said he was pushing it under Horizon 3, the last phase of the military’s overall modernization program, which starts in 2023 and follows the Horizon 2, which will end this year. The Army’s Horizon 3 projects principally revolve around air defense. Brawner plans to create Missile and Air Defense Regiments while also further beefing up the capability of the Army Aviation Regiment by adding to its existing air assets. If Brawner has this flair for air operations, it is partly because he is a Special Forces by training, graduating on top of his class. He also topped his intelligence officer course and graduated second on top of the whole class of 1989 of the Philippine Military Academy where he was also its baron. The Army chief holds three Masters degrees from Thailand; the European School of Management in Oxford, United Kingdom; and the United States Army War College in the US. If the Army is taking lessons from the war in Ukraine, it is Kyiv’s stiff resistance by using portable weapons like man-portable air defense systems (manpads), drones and now the US-supplied high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS), which Brawner wants to duplicate for the Philippine Army. The HIMARS, which can hit targets more than 50 kilometers away, has been reported to be wreaking havoc on Russians by hitting them with precision, and in the process, slowing down their advance and cutting off their supply routes in Ukraine’s Donbas region.

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 55.7120

ELBIT’S ATMOS (Autonomous Truck-Mounted Howitzer System), a 155-mm/52-caliber self-propelled howitzer. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PHILIPPINE ARMY

The HIMARS has been a fixture in the military exercises between the US and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and just recently, it was seen in the home province of the President in Ilocos Norte during the exercise of the Philippine Marines Corps with its US counterparts. Brawner said he wanted the Army, which has taken stock of Israeli-supplied unmanned aerial systems in its C4ISTAR (commander and control, computer, communication, intelligence, target acquisition and reconnaissance) project to be equipped with manpads, missiles and other platforms.

Beefing up the Army’s two regiments

AS part of the Army’s capability buildup, Brawner moved to fully equip and arm the Artillery Regiment and the Aviation Regiment, both of which he steadily built and supported as the Army chief. He made the Aviation Regiment a permanent unit from being a provisional one when it was formed in 2019. While the Aviation Regiment maintains a current fleet of fixedwing aircraft for special aviation missions as it further developed its capabilities in armed reconnaissance, air assault and medical evacuation using rotary-wing aircraft, its air assets will be augmented in order to become more agile, lethal and versatile. Among the additional assets eyed for the unit are attack helicopters, armed reconnaissance helicopters and multipurpose me-

dium-lift helicopters, allowing it to conduct a wide array of aviation operations in support of ground forces and strengthening the military’s overall defense posture. Brawner also activated four months ago the Army’s 1st Tank Battalion of the Armor Division to provide infantry and mechanized infantry forces with advance firepower capability and enhance the soldiers’ standards of protection in conducting contingency missions and combined arms and joint operations. The battalion was initially equipped with newly acquired and even upcoming assets such as the 18 Sabrah ASCOD light tanks, Pandur 8x8 wheeled light tanks, a command vehicle, a recovery vehicle and a tank gunnery simulator. Israel’s Elbit System, the same company that refurbished the Army’s older tanks and armored personnel carriers and improved their weaponry systems, manufactures the Sabrah ASCOD tanks. In June this year, a new battalion was created for the Artillery Regiment, the 10th Field Artillery Battalion, and it was bequeathed with the newly delivered Soltam 155m/52-caliber self-propelled howitzers from Elbit, which also delivered M125A2 armored mortar carriers. Brawner wanted to further reinforce the Army’s firepower. As such, it will acquire additional mounted howitzers, light tactical vehicles, including tanks and other land-based platforms. “We need to have additional

light tanks,” the Army chief said. “In Marawi, we used howitzers for indirect fire instead of light tanks,” he recalled, referring to the military’s battle against Islamic State fighters, which occupied the city in 2017.

Tactical engagement

AS it sustains its capability buildup, the Army is also strengthening and fostering its partnership and tactical engagements with its army allies from the United States, Australia, Japan and those in Southeast Asia.

Just days ago, Brawner and the commander of the Philippine Marines signed an updated terms of reference with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force covering training and other engagements among the three forces, and this includes a possible military exercise. Japan regularly joins the annual Balikatan military exercise between the Philippines and the US, and has been active in supporting the Philippine military in the areas of maritime domain awareness and humanitarian assistance and disaster response, but this will be the first time that it engages Filipino soldiers in military exercise.

Still, the missile systems

WHILE Brawner has his attention fixed on firepower for the Army in its modernization project, the acquisition of potent and enemyfending missile systems remains his top priority. “We should have good missile defense systems,” he said. “The ideal is, it should be enough to cover and defend the entire country.” While the primary constraint is budget or budgetary allocations, the Army chief asserts that the country should increase its defense spending.

n JAPAN 0.4189 n UK 67.7458 n HK 7.0973 n CHINA 8.2555 n SINGAPORE 40.4854 n AUSTRALIA 38.8034 n EU 57.0881 n KOREA 0.0428 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.8328

Source: BSP (August 5, 2022)

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A2 Saturday, August 6, 2022

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Taiwan faces urgent fighter pilot shortage as Xi tests defenses

By Cindy Wang | Bloomberg News

F any war were to break out between the US and China, one trigger may be the increasingly frequent fighter-jet encounters near Taiwan.

Almost every day, Taiwanese fighter pilots hop in their American-made F-16s to intercept Chinese warplanes screaming past their territory. The encounters probe the island’s defenses and force the pilots on both sides to avoid mistakes that could lead to a crisis that spins out of control. “I didn’t know whether they would fire at me,” said retired Colonel Mountain Wang, recounting a tense five-minute confrontation he had with People’s Liberation Army (PLA) jets more than a decade ago. “You have to be highly alert, and not lead to any accident with unintended consequences.” The risk is even higher now, and not just because China is sending more jets with more experienced pilots ever closer to the main island of Taiwan. On Wednesday, China deployed 22 warplanes across the US-imposed median line over the Taiwan Strait, the most since Taiwan’s military began disclosing data in 2020. The sorties were part of a flurry of military exercises that China held around Taiwan in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s landmark trip to Taipei earlier this week. The PLA fired 11 missiles into waters near the island Thursday, the Taiwanese Defense Min-

istry said, as part of China’s most provocative exercises in decades. But a longer-term problem for Taiwan’s military is its dire shortage of pilots. While Taipei is protected by a relatively large and modern fleet of fighter jets, the democratically governed island could need as many as 50 years at the current rate to train enough pilots to fill the cockpits of the jets they expect to get by the middle of this decade. Taiwan might not have that kind of time. American military commanders estimate Chinese President Xi Jinping may have the capability to take action across the Taiwan Strait in as soon as five years, and the daily incursions are wearing down Taiwan’s pilots and the jets they fly. The shortage illustrates the limits of Taipei’s reliance on purchases of US military hardware to deter the threat of invasion by Beijing, which claims the island as its own territory. Taiwan will need to add at least 100 more pilots by 2026 to operate the 66 more advanced Lockheed Martin Corp. F16Vs that President Tsai Ing-wen agreed to buy two years ago. The Air Force only netted 21 new F-16 pilots from 2011 to 2019, according to data compiled by the Taiwan People’s Party.

AN AIM-9P4 short-range sidewinder air-to-air missile is fired from a Taiwanese Ching-Kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter during Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang exercises in Taiwan on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. TAIWAN MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE VIA AP

Who will fly the planes?

“TAIWAN has put a lot of emphasis on military preparation,” said Jang Chyi-lu, a TPP lawmaker. “A bigger problem, though, is who can fly the planes?” Ukraine’s own months-long struggle to turn back Russia’s invasion has highlighted the challenge facing Taiwan’s strategic

TAIWAN NEEDS 50 YEARS TO RECRUIT ENOUGH PILOTS AT CURRENT PACE

planners. Although Kyiv has received a huge influx of Westernmade military hardware, it has also benefited from having a large reserve of relatively well-trained military personnel. Taiwan’s effort to attract and train more pilots has been thwarted by a series of factors, from the island’s declining birth rate to several high-profile crashes. About 80 percent of university students in Taiwan have myopia, due to long classroom hours and high-levels of screen time on electronic devices. Taiwanese authorities say Ukraine’s success in denying air superiority to a much larger invading power has helped recruiting. In March, 70 percent of 1,076 people polled by the Taiwan International Strategic Study Society said they were willing to go to war to defend their self-governed island from Beijing’s attack, up from 40 percent in December. Chiang Ming-chun, 18, said he was determined to be an Air Force pilot despite concerns about the safety risks and increased tensions with China. “They asked me why not pick army or navy, why does it have to be Air Force? I just told my parents it is my ambition,” said Chiang, who will be a freshman at the Air Force Academy this year. “If I don’t do it now, I’ll regret why I didn’t chase my dream.”

‘Maverick’ factor

THAT renewed determination to sign up was evident last month at the Seventh Flight Training Wing on the Chihhang Air Base in east-

ern Taitung city. The base, located on the Pacific coast, will house the new F-16Vs, as well as 33 locally developed “Brave Eagle” advanced jet trainers by 2024. Matt Shen, an instructor at the facility, said the release of Top Gun: Maverick—in which Tom Cruise can be seen sporting a Taiwanese flag patch on his jacket—has also driven new applicant interest. “We think recruiting should be easier in the next two years because Top Gun is so popular,” Shen said, adding, “Many young men dream of flying.” More than half of the 70 to 80 trainees annually at the center are now being sent to the F-16 wing, Shen said, compared with onethird a few years ago due to an effort to deal with China’s increased military activity. PLA aircraft made some 960 forays into Taiwan’s air-defense identification zone last year, compared with about 380 in 2020, according to Taiwanese Defense Ministry data. Such encounters aren’t just shows of power: Forcing Taiwan to drive away warplanes delays its ability to train new fighter pilots, depleting the island’s capacity to respond in a real conflict. The Air Force acknowledged in a statement that the pressure from China was “severe,” but said its capacity to respond had “never slackened.” “The Air Force is actively increasing recruits, raising the distribution ratio of pilots to F-16 fleet and enhancing staff’s willingness to stay, and these measures are able to satisfy demands for future pilots,” the Air Force said.

Flying schools have begun accepting trainees with lower academic grades to ensure they get more candidates who meet both the physical fitness and vision requirements. The Air Force has also made it easier for them to sign up in recent years, relaxing rules requiring 20-20 vision and offering corrective eye surgery to some. Moreover, the busy schedule prevents experienced pilots from helping to train new ones. Taiwan requires 250 hours of flight training before a pilot can fly a fighter jet like the F-16. The Taiwanese military has also seen four air crashes this year, including a fatal one involving an F-16 in January. In May, an Air Force trainer jet also crashed, killing its pilot. Chang Yan-ting, a former vice chief commander of the Air Force, said that “insufficient training” was a contributing factor to such incidents. “The crashes we have seen in Air Force in the past few years were just the tip of the iceberg, and the situation is expected to get worse in future,” Chang said. Still, Shen, the pilot instructor, said his own son also plans to become an Air Force pilot. He’s not deterred that his son is signing up despite the growing risk of a dangerous close encounter with a Chinese warplane. “I encourage him to do so,” Shen said. “I’m not worried about death. Who can avoid death if a war breaks out? We are at the front line, and it’s our mission to guard the country.”

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

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BSP to take ‘all necessary policy action’ after noting rising inflationary pressure By Bianca Cuaresma

HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) acknowledged on Friday that price pressures are broadening amid the “firmer indication” of second-round effects, as inflation accelerated anew to 6.4 percent in July this year. In his statement following the government’s announcement of the inflation acceleration in July, BSP governor Felipe Medalla reiterated that amid the still-rising inflation, the Central Bank is “prepared to take all necessary policy action” to adequately tame inflationary pressures. “The BSP recognizes the broadening of price pressures amid the emergence of second-round effects, including the approved wage and fare hikes as well as elevated inflation expectations,” Medalla said. “The BSP is prepared to take all necessary policy action to bring inflation toward a target-consistent path over the medium term and deliver on its primary mandate of price stability. The upward adjustment in monetary policy rates in May and June and the off-cycle adjustment in July should help moderate inf lation expectations,” he added. The governor said latest data show that the risk to the inflation outlook is tilted on the upside for 2022 and 2023, but is broadly balanced for 2024. Upside risks over the near-term continue to emanate from the higher global non-oil prices driven by the war between Russia and Ukraine and from

the potential second-round impact of higher oil prices on the prices of goods and services. Domestic food prices also were seen as upside risks due to shortages in the supply of several key food items. Meanwhile, the governor said a slower-than-expected global recovery due to tighter global monetary policy conditions and the continued uncertainty from the Covid-19 pandemic continues to present a downside risk to the outlook. In a research analysis after the inflation data announcement, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) economists said inflation has yet to reach its peak for the year, especially if key commodity prices remain elevated. “We are still yet to see the peak in inflation near 7 percent in October should global price pressures from oil, energy and food remain substantial,” BPI said. “Sustained Peso weakness along w ith declining r ice output from world’s largest exporters may also pose a threat to efforts to contain inflation,” the bank added. Medalla earlier assured markets of a rate hike in their August 18 meeting, to the tune of either 25 or 50 basis points. The governor also reiterated BSP support for the carefully coordinated efforts of other government agencies in implementing non-monetary interventions to mitigate the impact of persistent supply-side factors on inflation.

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

ORMER President Duterte ended his term with the national government’s (NG) debt stock soaring to another record-high of P12.79 trillion as of end-June this year. Latest data released by the Bureau of the Treasury on Friday showed the national government’s outstanding debt climbing by P296.06 billion or 2.4 percent from P12.496 trillion recorded by the end of the previous month, due to the net issuances of domestic and external loans and the peso depreciation versus the US dollar. Likewise, the debt stock surged by 14.6 percent from P11.17 trillion as of

By Samuel P. Medenilla

ALACAÑANG said on Friday prevailing “external factors” have contributed to the faster rise in inflation rate, which reached 6.4 percent in July despite the series of rollbacks in oil prices in the same period. P r e s s S e c r e t a r y B e a t r i x “ Tr i x i e ” Cruz-Angeles said they anticipated the trend, which was mentioned by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last week.

By Chris Jerome Sanji

Where there is Christ, there is a promise of eternity

GUIDED by its vision to be one of the primary movers in providing a dignified and decent final resting place for Filipinos, Eternal Gardens has been distinct among its counterparts not only because of the quality of memorial services they offer, but also, and more importantly, because of the sanctity and “divinity” it exudes to its stakeholders. The reason for this is none other than the statue that towers over each of its memorial parks—the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ.

THE Transfiguration of Jesus Christ appears to be one of the most prominent events during the Messiah’s earthly stint, as written in Matthew 17:1-9 , Mark 9:2-8 , and Luke 9:28-36 . It occurred when Jesus and three of His disciples, Peter, James, and John, climbed up the mountain to pray. They initially thought that Jesus, as the “Messiah,” came to the world to overrule non-believers and conquer all kingdoms, establishing His own. Jesus, through His immaculate way, showed how He is the Answer to God’s promise. His disciples were fascinated with how Jesus transformed—His face shone like the brightest sun, and His clothes glistened. During His transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared beside Jesus as representations of the Law and the Prophets, respectively, professing J e s u s a s t h e l i v i n g “ To r a h ” , t h e complete Word of God. At that moment, the disciples witnessed the promised Kingdom of the Lord embodied in flesh exuded by Christ. Jesus transfigured was foretelling of what was about to happen in His impending demise—a symbol of salvation, forgiveness, and His resurrection that rules over any earthly vision of kingdom conquered or possible bloodshed among nations.

Jesus’ Transfiguration, Eternalized

AMBASSADOR Antonio L. Cabangon Chua thought of immortalizing the miraculous

end-June last year. Domestic debt, which cornered the bulk of the total, stood at P8.77 trillion, inching up by 1.2 percent from P8.67 trillion as of end-May this year. Driving the increase in domestic debt is the net issuance of government securities and the impact of the weakening of the peso versus the greenback.

Foreign debt

MEANWHILE, government’s foreign debt hit P4.02 trillion as of end-June, rising by 5.1 percent month-on-month from P3.83 trillion. The combined impact of local currency depreciation and the net availment of external financing had offset the effect of net depreciation against the US dollar on third-currency denominated obligations, the Treasury said. The peso depreciated against the greenback to P54.97 as of end-June from P52.412 as of end-May, according to the Treasury. By composition, commercial loans accounted for the bulk of external debt or 55.4 percent while multilateral and bilateral loans comprised 34.2 percent and 10.5 percent, respectively. Outstanding guaranteed debt of the national government as of endJune reached P413.93 billion, higher by P14.2 billion or 3.6 percent from

P399.72 billion by the end of May, owing to the net availment of domestic guarantees on top of the weakening of the peso. By the end of this year, the government expects the country’s outstanding debt to soar to P13.42 trillion. The national government’s debt-toGDP ratio as of the first quarter of the year rose to 63.5 percent, above the internationally recommended 60-percent threshold by multilateral lenders for emerging markets like the Philippines. It is also the highest since the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio hit 65.7 percent in 2005 under the Arroyo administration. Finance Secretary-designate Benjamin Diokno earlier vowed to keep the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio within the “sustainable threshold” and to continue the government’s heavy reliance on domestic borrowings while balancing the need to sustain the country’s economic recovery.

Palace says faster July inflation expected, cited in PBBM SONA

TO THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS CHRIST

scene in his memorial parks, picking the right person for the job: National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon V. Abueva. Also known as the Father of Modern Filipino Sculpture, and the youngest recipient of the National Artist Award in age 46, Abueva was tapped by the Founder because of his deep religious faith that aligned with the company’s. Aside from designing it, Abueva also crafted the first statue of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ found in the maiden branch of Eternal Gardens in Baesa. The statue itself measures 33 feet in height, symbolizing Jesus’ 33 years of ministry on earth. It rests atop a 12-foot pedestal, which stands for the 12 apostles that Jesus had. Later on, Abueva also made the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ statues for the Eternal Gardens branches in Cabanatuan City and Santa Rosa, Laguna. Aside from Dean Abueva, other notable Filipino sculptors were privileged to shape the image of Christ transfigured after Abueva’s original design: Amado Castrillo for Dagupan branch in 1983, Biñan in 1984, Balagtas, Batangas City in 1986, Lipa City in 1992, Naga City in 2000; and Conrado F. Balubayan for Cagayan de Oro (the first park in Mindanao) and Cabuyao City, Laguna in 2018. Today, the 11 parks of Eternal Gardens across the country feature the statue of Jesus’ Transfiguration as one of the remarkable landmarks that remind the faithful of the Lord’s promise of salvation and resurrection;

End-June PHL debt soars to a record-high ₧12.79T

AN ETERNAL DEVOTION

The Story of Christ’s Transfiguration

Saturday, August 6, 2022

that after a life of passion is a life of eternal destination in His paradise.

Tradition and Devotion

THE annual observance of the Feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ on August 6 was introduced into the Roman calendar by Pope Calixtus III in 1457 to commemorate the victory over the Turks in Belgrade. In 2002, Pope John Paul II added the Five Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, and one of which is the Transfiguration. The devotion of Eternal Gardens to the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ does not end with the building of statues in its branches. The company has also made it its lifelong advocacy to propagate the devotion of Filipinos to the miraculous event in the life of Jesus by celebrating the Feast of the Transfiguration every 6th of August. On this special day each year, Holy Masses are celebrated at the parks, or sponsored by the branch in their respective parishes. The mass celebrations also serve as thanksgiving for the anniversary of the company, which is on August 11. This annual tradition of Eternal Gardens subscribes to the mission of the Founder and his company to be an instrument of promoting the message of salvation and God’s promise of an eternal life that awaits us as we live faithfully within His mighty presence and guidance. It stands as a reminder that a land that resides within God’s grace is a blessed soil of transfiguration and eternal salvation.

“These were projected even before, given the inputs due to the international events that have led to the increase in the prices of petroleum. So all of these had been factored and in fact, were even mentioned in the State of the Nation [Address] of the President,” Angeles said in a press conference on Friday. The Palace official said they expect the high inflation rate to eventually stabilize in the coming months. “We’ll just wait until it evens out, and the details of which should be asked of the DOF (Department of Finance),”

Angeles said. On Friday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the inflation rate in July quickened to 6.4 percent compared to the 6.1 percent in June. It noted the top contributors to the acceleration of inflation for July were food and nonalcoholic beverages, fish and other seafood, meat as well as sugar. confectionery and desserts. Marcos said earlier the country’s reliance on imported staples such as rice and corn is pushing up the prices of the food items.

International events such as the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia as well as r ising pr ice for farm inputs, particularly fertilizers, have led to higher food prices in the international market. Marcos, who is also the Agriculture Secretary, said he plans to address this by boosting local food production. Pending the said measure, however, the government intends to allow importations to keep the prices of some key food items such as pork and even sugar affordable.

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Inflation reaches 6.4 percent in July, but Neda JFC laments PTSB bill veto assures enough ‘food on the table’ for Pinoys T By Cai U. Ordinario

HE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) assured that there’s sufficient “food on the table” for Filipinos, even if the latest inflation print saw food driving the increase in commodity prices. On Friday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported the country’s inflation rate for July 2022 rose to 6.4 percent, which is at the upper end of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ forecast range of 5.6 to 6.4 percent for the month. (Story here: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2022/08/05/phl-records-highestinflation-since-2018-at-6-4-psa/) “In our near-term socioeconomic agenda, we want to ensure that there’s sufficient and healthy food on the table of every Filipino. We are also helping reduce energy, transport, and logistics costs, especially for vulnerable sectors of our population,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said.

IPOPHL pushes GI awareness with INAO to boost competitiveness of food products

HE Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is cooperating with the French National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) to establish a framework on the promotion of geographical indication (GI) in enhancing the competitiveness of agricultural and food products. In a news statement issued on Thursday, IPOPHL said it signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) with the French National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) on July 27. Under the MOC, IPOPHL commits to raise awareness in GI and facilitate capacity building activities conducted locally by INAO. INAO, for its part, commits to share with IPOPHL its best practices and experiences from its policies and programs in promoting French GI. “INAO will also conduct training on the examination of applications, regulation and supervision of agricultural and food GIs and capacity building to help local agricultural and food industry groups develop, register and protect their GIs,” said IPOPHL. IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba emphasized that this cooperation will help the Philippines enhance the competitive advantage of its local products. “Given the value GI seals can bring, this partnership will deepen the understanding and eventual use of GI in the country, in turn, enhancing the competitive advantage of Philippine products, improving their export potential and contributing to the overall national goal of economic recovery and resilience,” said Barba. Andrea San Juan

“It is our urgent priority to ease price pressures and protect the public’s purchasing power through the implementation of programs that will help Filipinos cope with the effects of higher inflation rate,” he added. Balisacan also said to help poor Filipinos cope with high commodity prices, the Department of Budget Management has approved the P4.1-billion second tranche of the Targeted Cash Transfer Program. This, the Neda chief said, will help over four million Filipino families, who belong to the poorest of the country’s population, to cushion the effects of the rise in prices. The PSA said inflation experienced by the poorest 30 percent of the population increased to 5.9 percent in July 2022, nearly a full percentage point increase from the 5 percent recorded in June 2022. Inflation for the poorest was the highest since December 2018 when consumer prices increased 6.3 percent for the bottom 30 percent of households. Meanwhile, inflation in July 2022 was

driven by broad-based acceleration across commodity groups, especially on food and non-alcoholic beverages at 6.9 percent. This is due to faster inflation of meat, fish, rice, corn, and fruits. “To boost local food production, the government will continue to support the agriculture sector through lower input costs, development of new farming technologies, extension of financial assistance to farmers, and strengthening the agricultural value chain. These can be achieved through the Plant, Plant, Plant Program 2, the government’s P24-billion flagship program on food security, which provides subsidy and support to the agriculture sector,” Balisacan said. The inflation rate of Transport, one of the main inflation drivers, increased to 18.1 percent in July 2022. This was mainly due to the nationwide provisional increase in public utility jeepney (PUJ) fares. Thus, given that oil prices remain elevated, the government will fast track the distribution of the second tranche of

subsidies for PUJ drivers and operators. Along with this, the government will also accelerate the fuel cash subsidies for tricycle drivers together with the ongoing Libreng Sakay Programs of the Department of Transportation and the Office of the Vice President, as well as the approved MRT-3, LRT-2, and PNR Libreng Sakay for Students of the Office of the President. Furthermore, more than 158,000 eligible farmers and fisherfolk are set to receive P3,000 each as fuel discounts to help cushion the impact of higher fuel prices. As of July 20, 2022, accounts created for beneficiaries reached 109,073 nationwide. Out of the total accounts, 65,837 were loaded with fuel discounts amounting to P207.4 million. “We have started the preparations for the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and are mindful of the 8-point socioeconomic agenda that includes increasing agricultural and industry productivity and building resilience against external shocks,” Balisacan added.

TUPAD opens jobs to 6.5K displaced workers in quake-hit areas–DOLE By Samuel P. Medenilla

VER 6,500 displaced workers from Abra and nearby provinces devastated by a magnitude 7 earthquake last week were already provided emergency jobs by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). In a Viber message, Labor Undersecretary Benjo M. Benavidez told the BusinessMirror the bulk or 4,625 of the said beneficiaries of their Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) as of last Tuesday were from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). He said they were also able to register 1,350 beneficiaries in Ilocos Sur, 450 in Ilocos Norte, and 100 in La Union. “They started [their emergency employment] last July 29, which will last for 15 days. We expect more to come in the coming days,” Benavidez said. TUPAD beneficiaries are paid daily minimum wage for light public works like street sweeping, debris cleaning, and declogging works, which lasts for 10 to 90 days. DOLE earlier said it has allocated P50 million to provide assistance to workers, who were affected in quake-affected areas. Of which, P25 million was already released to provide aid to over 4,000 workers in CAR, including Abra, which was the hardest-hit province by the earthquake. DOLE-CAR Regional Director Nathaniel V. Lacambra said there are currently 425 TUPAD beneficiaries from 21 establishments in

Abra, which remained closed because of the earthquake. The labor official said there are 571 beneficiaries of DOLE’s Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) in Abra, who are currently being tapped for the repacking of relief goods and its distribution. “They are also the ones who are conducting the profiling of prospective beneficiaries of our TUPAD program,” Lacambra said in a televised interview last Thursday. As part of their long-term assistance, Lacambra said they would also provide quake-affected workers with a P5-million livelihood program and skills training opportunities.

Price freeze reminder to Abra traders

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), meanwhile, reminded owners of business establishments in Abra, which is currently under a state of calamity, to adhere to the price freeze. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck areas in Northern Luzon prompted the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to declare the province of Abra under a state of calamity. According to the Price Act or Republic Act (RA) No. 7581, as amended by RA 10623, prices of basic necessities (BN) are automatically frozen at their prevailing prices for 60 days once a state of calamity (SOC) is declared in an area. The DTI monitors BN products under its purview such as canned fish, locally manufactured instant noodles, bottled water,

bread, processed milk, coffee, candles, laundry soap, detergent, and salt. The DTI also noted in a statement issued on Friday that other implementing agencies under the Price Act are mandated to ensure price stability and availability of supply for the products under their jurisdiction. The Department of Agriculture (DA) is in charge of rice, corn, cooking oil, fresh, dried and other marine products, fresh eggs, fresh pork, beef and poultry meat, fresh milk, fresh vegetables, root crops, sugar, and fresh fruits, while the Department of Health takes care of drugs classified as essential. “In these trying times, we again appeal to the private sector for assistance in ensuring that our fellow citizens have access to these basic goods, particularly in the most severely affected areas. We assure consumers that our DTI monitors in these provinces will keep an eye on the prices and supply of basic necessities,” said DTI Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group Ruth B. Castelo. The public can view the list of basic goods at their prevailing prices on Abra Province’s Facebook page and the DTI web site (https://www.dti.gov.ph/ konsyumer/e-presyo/). “Additionaly, due to massive flooding caused by the overflowing of the Maridagao and Kabacan Rivers, the prices of BNs in the Municipality of Datu Montawal, Province of Maguindanao, shall remain at their prevailing prices for 60 days, beginning July 18,2022 and ending September 15,2022,” said DTI in a statement. With Andrea San Juan

HE seven members of the Joint For eign Chamber s, along with the Safe Travel Alliance and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) expressed disappointment over the veto by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. of the enrolled bill that would have created the Philippine Transportation Safety Board (PTSB). JFC emphasized in a news statement issued on Thursday, “The bill creating the PTSB failed to progress in Congress for over two decades. Only in the 18th Congress did this important reform reach the most advanced stage in both chambers and the President’s desk.” The chambers repeatedly expressed support for the creation of the PTSB in the 18th Congress, including through letters sent to relevant Cabinet secretaries. The groups also remain committed to pursuing the enactment of the bill in the 19th Congress. Currently, different agencies handle different sectors of transportation with regard to accident investigations. However, the chambers said, there are limitations on the ability of the investigating agencies to delve deeper and find forensic evidence on the real cause of the accidents or by witnesses of the accidents. “Because most of these agencies are also tasked to regulate and/or operate the sector, there is an inherent conflict of interest in the performance of their duties as an investigating body,” said the chambers. The JFC said the vetoed bill proposed the creation of a non-regulatory and independent agency attached to the Office of the President, to be the primary agency responsible for the conduct of impartial and science-based investigation on transportation-related accidents and incidents. “The main objectives of the PTSB are: (a) to improve transportation safety measures to help prevent transportation accidents

and mitigate of dangers to human lives and property; and (b) to upgrade transportation safety standards and create implementing rules to prevent accidents and incidents based on factual scientific findings of past accidents and/or incidents,” the joint foreign chambers said. The JFC said the PTSB, as an independent and impartial transport safety body following the example of various countries, would have addressed regulatory gaps in the transport safety bureaucracy. The foreign chambers also underscored that it would have facilitated the enhancement of transportation safety measures and standards and coordinated all the actions of relevant public and private entities toward the common goal of ensuring transport safety. Press Secretary Beatrix “Trixie” CruzAngeles earlier said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. declined to sign House Bill No. 9030 and Senate Bill No, 1077 creating the PTSB, since it would have the same functions as the agencies under the Department of Transportation (DOTr) as well as the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Angeles said that PTSB would only create functional duplication, confusion as to authority, ineffectiveness, and deficiency in the performance of the responsibilities. The JFC is a coalition of the American, Australian-New Zealand, Canadian, European, Japanese, Korean chambers, and PAMURI. The joint foreign chambers represent over 3,000 member companies engaged in around $100 billion worth of trade and some $30 billion worth of investments in the Philippines. The JFC supports and promotes open international trade, increased foreign investment, and improved conditions for business to benefit both the Philippines and the countries the JFC members represent. Andrea San Juan

Paulino clarifies: Graft raps only ‘resurrected’ By Henry Empeño

UBIC BAY FREEPORT—Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Rolen Paulino Sr. has clarified that the graft case against him and several Olongapo City officials before the Sandiganbayan has just been revived after being dismissed three years ago. Paulino issued the statement in reaction to a BusinessMirror story that the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division has ordered the issuance of a warrant of arrest against him and 15 Olongapo City officials after finding probable violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. In a news statement sent to the media on Friday, Paulino reiterated that the case involving the construction of Gordon College and the SM Central mall in Olongapo has been dismissed three years ago. “It merely resurrected (sic) when a third motion for reconsideration from the prosecution was granted,” the statement read. “It is unfortunate that an educational institution such as Gordon College and SM Central, a solid vehicle in molding today’s youth, and undeniably a commercial and economic boon to the community respectively, are being capitalized (sic) to advance the political agenda of certain personalities,” it quoted Paulino as saying. Paulino was then Olongapo mayor when graft charges were filed against him

and other city officials in connection with the construction of a mall and commercial center on government property. The Sandiganbayan’s Seventh Division earlier found no sufficient grounds for a probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest against the Paulino and his co-accused and dismissed the charges filed against them. But the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division ordered the arrest of Paulino and his coaccused last July 12 after it granted the prosecution’s motion for reconsideration and set aside the April 1, 2022 resolution from the Sandiganbayan’s Seventh Division. In his media statement, Paulino also said the resurrected case “is obviously politically motivated and has absolutely nothing to do with my current role as chairman and administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.” An audio recording obtained by BusinessMirror, however, clearly showed Paulino telling SBMA employees during a flag-raising ceremony otherwise. In the recording, the SBMA chief said: “I think this…has something to do with my confirmation as SBMA chairman. S’yempre, o, hindi pwedeng maging chairman ‘yan, may kaso ‘yan (Of course, they would say: he cannot be chairman because he has pending case).” “ Pero na -dismiss na ‘to, ibinalik lang muli (But the case has already been dismissed. It was just revived),” he added.

Court justice in Mindanao: BARMM officials seek to boost Bangsamoro judicial system By Manuel T. Cayon

AVAO CITY—The Bangsamoro government may call for a meeting between its Parliament and Congress to iron out coordination mechanism on the application of the justice system in the region for Filipino Muslims, which was granted authority to apply the Islamic Shari’ah court to settle disputes. This developed as the subsector of the Bangsamoro Justice System under the Development Administration Committee (DACom) regional government cited the low number of cases filed in Shari’ah courts, which could be an indication of a dwindling public appreciation of these courts to resolve grievances. This was brought up with the body was formulating the second Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP) for 2023-2028. It convened on August 1. Lawyer Omar Macapaar, Assistant Regional Prosecutor in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) emphasized that the issues and concerns in the Bangsamoro Justice System should not only focus on Shari’ah matters. “There should be a Philippine Congress and Bangsamoro Parliament forum to discuss deeper the Bangsamoro Justice System and build a strong coordination

mechanism for the justice system in the Bangsamoro region,” he said. Lawyer Gapor Quituar of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) backed the suggestion, citing the necessity to involve several institutions outside BARMM with the Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) body as facilitator. Quituar brought up the issue of statistics regarding the cases filed in the Shari’ah Courts and the problem on Shari’ah public awareness. “The problem with the slow appointment of judges is on the issue of statistics. There is a small number of cases filed in the Shari’ah Courts, and people do not appreciate resolving cases in the Shariah Courts,” he pointed out. Lawyer Yasmine A. Ibay-Laguialam of the Bangsamoro Attorney General’s Office (BAGO) also emphasized the importance of codifying the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms in resolving tribal disputes. Among the highlights of the meeting included the implementation of the unimplemented institutional provisions as stated in the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), which include appointment of Shari’ah judges, additional Shari’ah Courts in BARMM and expansion of Shariah courts outside BARMM.

ATTENTION: EMPLOYEES OF OKADA MANILA REWARD IN EXCHANGE FOR INFORMATION Tiger Resorts Asia Limited (TRAL), the 99.99% shareholder of Okada Manila, has received credible reports that the sham board of Okada Manila are again attempting to pay themselves improper and potentially illegal payments. So far, these untoward attempts have been thwarted by honest and hardworking Okada Manila employees who are unwilling to facilitate these improper payments. As a result, the sham board has demoted and even improperly terminated employees who were not willing to follow their orders, refused to betray their conscience, and protected themselves from criminal liabilities – despite knowing that it may result to unjust punishment such as a demotion or loss of their jobs. TRAL was also informed that an individual named Gilbert Gianzon, an ex-employee of Okada Manila, was dubiously appointed by the sham board as a senior manager in the Accounting and Finance departments responsible for ensuring the legitimate use of all funds of Okada Manila. In addition, he has been assigned to oversee the Cage, where he is now in charge for all the cash of Okada Manila. TRAL feels strongly about this injustice and believes that it is not fair for employees to suffer because of their loyalty to the company and to their co-Okada Manila team members. Therefore, TRAL hereby announces that it will offer a reward to employees of Okada Manila who can provide information that leads to the recovery of any funds that are stolen from Okada Manila or improperly paid to other third parties, under the management of the sham board. The amount of the reward will be equal to 5% of the amount of recovered funds. TRAL believes this would likely include the Php 2 billion payment authorized by the sham board to Transasia Construction Development Corporation. Should this amount be recovered, the informant stands to receive 5% of Php 2B or Php 100 Million Pesos. TRAL urges Okada Manila employees who observe suspicious payments or potential outright theft to please send an email with the full details to okadamanila.rewardhotline@hq.universal-777.com if they have any information on improper taking, or payment of Okada Manila funds. PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Education BusinessMirror

A6 Saturday, August 6, 2022

Tesda, Toyota train new auto technicians

By Roderick L. Abad

OYOTA Motor Phils. School of Technology (TMP Tech) recently produced 176 graduates from its two-year Toyota General Job Automotive Servicing Course.

Adhering to strict health and safety protocols, members of Batches 12 and 13 who completed the program for classes of 2021 and 2022 graced the school’s commencement rites held inside TMP’s industrial complex in Santa Rosa City, Laguna. The course follows the prescribed curriculum of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), where students undertook the agency’s National Certification 1 to 4, equivalent to pro-technician level of the globally known Toyota Education Automotive Mastery for the 21st Century training program, or TEAM21. To further enhance their competencies, learners also had an immersive on-the-job training at local Toyota dealerships.

Tesda Region 4A Regional Director Toni June Tamayo cited TMP Tech’s resilience amid the Covid-19 pandemic and its initiatives to pursue its mission to provide Filipino youth with quality automotive education. At the onset of the health crisis, the premiere automotive technicalvocational (tech-voc) institution has adapted with the new normal of training by applying blended learning modality for language programs and theoretical courses like Toyota-specific principles and global standards. Such effort earned TMP Tech recognition from the agency for its competent tech-voc education provision. “Last year Tesda recognized TMP Tech for being a ‘Center for Techni-

NEW graduates are equipped to join the work force as Toyota auto professionals.

cal Proficiency,’ and [was the sole recipient of the agency’s] ‘Two Stars Award’ among tech-voc institutions nationwide,” Tamayo said in his keynote at the graduation ceremony. The school’s strong industry connections enable it to adopt new methodologies and upgrade its level of training. TMP Tech recently tied up with TMP Foundation and Colombo Plan Staff College for the future conduct and hosting of technical professional training for representatives of more than 20 CPSC member-countries, including TMP Tech trainers. The partnership also supports

the further development of techvoc education training systems, or TVET, in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific Region. Toyota Motor Corp. Honorary Chairman Dr. Shoichiro Toyota and TMP Founding Chairman Dr. George S.K. Ty jointly established TMP Tech as a world-class training center that hones Filipino youth in becoming highly competent automotive professionals for the car manufacturer’s network. Since it started operations in 2013 the school has produced more than 1,500 graduates from different automotive courses.

Japan, Unicef distribute educ tablets

N July 28, the government of Japan and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef)-Philippines handed over their jointly funded 400 educational tablets to learners in Eastern Visayas, or Region 8. The educational tablets containing digital learning materials in select mother tongues of Eastern Visayas aim to help young learners develop their skills in early literacy. The initiative is included in the Unicef-supported Learning Recovery Programme for Region 8, in cooperation with the De-

partment of Education. The program also covers development and administration of a Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment tool in mother tongues, and capacity building of teachers on CRLA administration, interpretation, and early literacy strategies. In view of this assistance, Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa underscored the importance of providing tablets as effective in mitigating learning loss in children. He also assures that Japan will continue to provide a helping hand

A STUDENT tries out one of the devices JAPANESE EMBASSY

for the Philippines, and will further strengthen the strong ties between both countries. The support of Japan in this program forms part of its $2.5-million donation to Unicef’s cross-sectoral Covid-19 response for protecting the most vulnerable children in the Philippines. The Embassy of Japan’s First Secretary Chihiro Kanno and UnicefPhilippines Chief of Education Isy Faingold represented their respective organizations in the handover event in Tacloban City.

UST fetes new batch of TOTAL awardees

HE University of Santo Tomas’ Office of Alumni Relations, in partnership with the UST Alumni Association Inc., recognized 11 exemplary alumni through The Outstanding Thomasian Alumni (TOTAL) Awards. Having demonstrated the Thomasian brand of excellence within their respective fields, UST’s rector Very Rev. Fr. Richard G. Ang, OP said “they are indeed living treasures of the university, and living examples of...the University’s [motto]: Veritas in Caritate.” Among the TOTAL Awards 2022 honorees is Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula for the Service to the Church category. Prior to his appointment, Advincula was known for his pastoral programs as he reached out to communities, as well as established mission stations and schools in farflung areas in the country, especially in the dioceses of San Carlos and Capiz. Winning the Outstanding Alumni for Service to Humanity was Jeffrey O. Tarayao. After previously receiving the Thomasian Young Achiever of TOTAL Awards 2008 for the Faculty of Arts and Letters, Tarayao continues to excel in managing corporate social responsibility and corporate foundations. His role as Meralco’s chief corporate social responsibility officer and the president of One Meralco Foundation paved the way for the expansion of the company’s community-electrification program that served thousands of lowincome households and remote public

Editor: Mike Policarpio

Smart aids DepEd in boosting PHL-wide early-grade learning By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

MART Communications Inc., the mobile division of PLDT, has expressed full support to the efforts of the Department of Education (DepEd) in boosting early-grade education in the Philippines through their crisis-resilient and inclusive quality education programs that expand the agency’s teaching strategies. In her talk at the industry leaders’ conference on Private Sector Support for Early Grade Learning, Stephanie Orlino, AVP and head of stakeholder management at PLDT and Smart, highlighted the PLDT Group’s education programs that have helped learners and teachers adapt to the pandemic. She highlighted the School-ina-Bag (SIAB) package that brings learning to last-mile schools. As the flagship education program of PLDT and Smart, each bag contains a laptop for the teacher, tablets preloaded with #LearnSmart apps making use of the student’s mother tongue, other learning content accessible offline, and a Smart LTE Pocket Wi-Fi kit which teachers can use to download more educational materials. Since its launch in 2016 more than 500 SIAB packages have been deployed across the Philippines, according to Orlino. With the help of partners, the program has reached almost 95,000 learners, and trained more than 4,000 teachers. Complementing the SIAB is the Central Visayas Institute Foundation-Dynamic Learning Program

(C V IF-DLP)—a crisis-resilient teaching pedagogy developed by Ramon Magsaysay Award recipients Dr. Christopher Bernido and the late Dr. Ma. Victoria Carpio-Bernido. Endorsed by the DepEd, CVIFDLP encourages independent learning through the Learning Activity Sheets that improve learner outcomes even with minimal supervision from teachers and parents. Orlino said the highly adaptive and flexible CVIF-DLP has motivated more than 1,000 public schools to utilize the pandemic-tested strategy, with almost 14,000 teachers trained. “Once we acknowledge that our business impacts children and their future, then it makes sense to invest in early-childhood education. The gestation period may take some time, but it will be worth it,” said the Smart-PLDT executive. “As a partner of the community, the private sector can help build a brighter future by making sure that no learner is left behind.” The event was organized by ABC+: Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines, a project of the DepEd and United States Agency for International Development implemented by RTI International, together with The Asia Foundation, SIL LEAD, and Florida State University. She noted initiatives that support early-grade learning underpin PLDT and Smart’s commitment to help the Philippines achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 on Inclusive Quality Education.

‘Benilde’ is principal recipient of DOST accreditation, grants

THE college’s HiFi TBI Team DLS-CSB

T UST AAI President Dr. Evelyn Songco (from left); Engr. William Belo; Jeffrey Tarayao; Prof. Maria Minerva Calimag, MD, Ph.D; UST’s rector Very Rev. Fr. Richard Ang, OP, Ph.D; Dr. Crispin Maslog; Dr. Saturnino Javier; Nemesio Miranda Jr.; Atty. Nilo Divina; former DTI chief Ramon Lopez; and OAR Director Asst. Prof. Fredeswindo R. Medina

schools nationwide. For Arts and Humanities, the TOTAL awardee is communications and journalism scholar Dr. Crispin Maslog for the category of Media and Entertainment. The Philosophy and Letters alumnus has authored 39 books and became the director of Silliman University’s School of Journalism and Communication. He served as a professor at University of the PhilippinesLos Baños, and was able to produce generations of journalists throughout his teaching career. Painter and sculptor Nemesio Miranda Jr. was bestowed the TOTAL Award for Music, Arts, Literature and Design. Known as the “Father of Imaginative Figurism,” the Fine Arts alumnus is considered an influential art leader in his hometown of Angono, Rizal. He was recently nominated for the National Artists Award administered by the National Commission for the Arts and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. In the category of Accounting, Business, and Management, former trade secretary Ramon Lopez, who is an alumnus of UST High School, received this year’s TOTAL Awardee for Management; while Engr. William T. Belo, Wilcon Depot founder and chairman emeritus, was the TOTAL awardee for Business. Lopez’s solid professional economic, trade and industry development ca-

reer focused on uplifting the micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprise sector, as he advocated for the empowerment of youth, new entrepreneurs and the underprivileged. He worked on major reforms for stronger investment inflows, such as the Ease of Doing Business, Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises, to name a few. Meanwhile, Engr. Belo has built a brand trusted by many industry professionals, home enthusiasts and homeowners nationwide through Wilcon Depot. Wilcon Foundation, his socio-civic institution, has provided education assistance to underprivileged children and aid to victims of calamities. Another TOTAL awardee was UST Faculty of Civil Law Dean Atty. Nilo Divina for the category of Law and Justice. With decades of corporate and banking law experience, Atty. Divina continues to contribute to the legal community through publications of books on commercial law and articles for his newspaper column. His firm DivinaLaw has become one of the country’s biggest legal entities with a wide clientele base. Three Thomasian doctors also joined the list of this year’s TOTAL Awards. Makati Medical Center Medical Director Dr. Saturnino Javier was awarded for the category of Health Allied. As an interventional cardiologist,

Javier has devoted time to continuing medical education through lectures and conferences. His commitment made him an active participant in improving the state of local medical practice and education. In Science and Technology, nephrologist Dr. Edgar Lerma is the TOTAL awardee. The Chicago-based doctor is also a clinical professor at the University of Illinois. He has published 26 books and authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications on chronic kidney disease, hypertension, plus bone and mineral disorders. Dr. Maria Minerva Calimag was the 2022 TOTAL Awardee for Medicine. The Thomasian doctor, who has been with UST from high school to medical school and later on, for her doctoral degree in educational management, is a practicing anesthesiologist, professor and researcher. She has held many positions in different medical groups, conducted research and presented papers worldwide to fellow scholars and doctors. Recently, she was awarded as Metrobank Foundation’s Outstanding Filipino Teacher in Higher Education. Dr. Maria Minerva Calimag’s family was this year’s TOTAL awardee for the Thomasian Family Award. The award is conferred upon a family whose members are all UST alumni, and exemplify Thomasian core values in their respective fields of expertise.

HE Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOSTPCIEERD) has ranked the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Hub of Innovation for Inclusion (HiFi) first among 27 universities which will receive a Technology Business Incubator (TBI) grant. Through the recognition, Benilde’s HiFi is now classified as an accredited TBI, with the shared goal of promoting “technopreneurship” by nurturing financially viable business start-ups into sustainable operations. The initiative will be able to develop entrepreneurs, create jobs, and promote public-private partnerships in regional economic development. Founded in 2016 and housed at the Peter D. Garrucho Innovations Institute, Benilde HiFi opens its doors to provide office spaces, facilities and analytical laboratories. It will offer technical, administrative, business development, marketing assistance, intellectual-property management and legal-counseling services, all needed during the developmental stage of technology entrepreneurs. The team is composed of Benilde Partnership Advancement Director Robin Serrano, together with Benilde Center for Intellectual Property Management Director Atty. Janice Tejano, Benilde Partnership Advancement Officer Patricia GoManere, HiFi Incubation Coordinator Alex Abear, HiFi Entrepreneur in Residence Camille Albarracin,

as well as HiFi Incubation Manager and Officer in Charge-Director Paul Pajo. “With the DOST team working with us, we foresee more active participation by our students and faculty with HiFi,” Serrano noted. “It would rev up the interest of…industries and communities we work with and serve.” “We will be able to directly support our incubation initiatives with funds from the grant,” he added. “The recognition will enable us to bring in more supporters and believers in HiFi, as well as our schools and programs involved in its initiatives.” To be admitted to the TBI program, learning institutions should have active research-and-development and existing facilities that may be tapped by future start-ups. They likewise should have an existing partnership with business schools, industry associations or private organizations. The institutions must also offer entrepreneurship or technopreneurship programs. DOST-PCIEERD previously received a total of 89 applications from diverse higher education institutions nationwide, as they underwent meticulous screening by a panel of industry experts. Ateneo de Manila University and Philippine Women’s College of Davao placed second and third places, respectively. The Central Philippine University in Iloilo landed fourth, while the University of the Philippines-Baguio clinched fifth.

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Saturday, August 6, 2022 A7

Bask in the grandness of Vienna The Hofburg Palace is a well-known 13th-century complex.

Vienna has a handful of beautiful palaces you can visit, one of which is Belvedere Palace.

Karlskirche is a beautiful Baroque church that dates back to the 18th century.

One can’t help but admire the grandness and solemnity of St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

One of the most prominent landmarks of Vienna is the centuries-old St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

Schonbrunn Palace has more than 1,000 rooms and is a significant historic, cultural, and architectural complex in Austria.

Visitors can get a glimpse of Karlskirche.

The Vienna State Opera is a striking piece of architecture viewed from the outside.

Story & photos by Joshua Berida

t was a cold winter day when I arrived in Vienna. Fortunately, exploring Vienna is easy because of its pedestrian-friendly streets and extensive public transportation, so I went for it despite the weather. Exploring the City on Foot As I’ve traveled to different cities over the years, some of the best times I’ve had were spent walking for hours. I always make a mental list of the places I want to see, but nothing is set in stone. As the cliché goes “it’s not the destination,” but it’s about the journey or something to that effect. Vienna is a beautiful city with a mix of old and new that you’d rather experience on foot. Vienna isn’t a big city like Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Bangkok, or Metro Manila, but it seemed much bigger. Vienna is the capital of Austria, but it the past, it has been the center of an empire. The city has palaces, wide alleys, narrow streets, and grand churches. Karlskirche is a stunning Baroque

church that Charles VI had built and dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo. The church is unlike many of the churches I’ve seen before: the main difference was the two columns by the entrance. As I walked inside the church, I couldn’t help but admire the dome’s frescoes with its depiction of angels and saints. I made my way to Vienna’s main square, Stephansplatz. Tourists and locals flow in and out of this square while buying at the shops, taking selfies and photos, or looking for a restaurant to eat. Right at the center of this bustling area is the St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The latter is the most recognizable structure in the city with its height, towers, and significant role in the country’s history. The interior of the church

One of the paintings of Pablo Picasso can be found inside the Albertina museum.

Fans of Andy Warhol’s works can get to admire his work on display.

is just as attention-grabbing as its exterior. The high ceiling will draw your eyes to the top and the intricately designed pulpit and altar will keep your eyes glued to seek out every detail. My trip to Vienna would be incomplete without a stop at one of the many museums in the city. I didn’t have much time, so I settled down on a trip to the Albertina. This museum is one of the most famous art galleries in the world with exhibits from contemporary and old European masters. I’m no art connoisseur, but I do admire beauty and detail. I was fortunate enough to see exhibits by Picasso, Andy Warhol, Cezanne, and other painters.

Vienna has been home to some of the most prominent figures in the world such as Sigmund Freud, Mozart, and Beethoven just to name a few. If you’re fortunate enough to get tickets, you can listen to and be mesmerized by performances of Mozart, Beethoven, and other musicians’ compositions in the Vienna State Opera.

Living Like a Habsburg The Habsburgs played a prominent role in Austria’s long history. You’d see museums and palaces named after one of their members. A visit to the Schonbrunn Palace, a Unesco World Heritage Site, provided me with a glimpse of the monarchs’ opulence. The palace complex is hun-

A statue of Mozart is showcased in Vienna.

The Albertina is the place to be even at night.

dreds of years old and reflected the changing tastes of the royal families that lived within it. As I approached the palace, it was hard not to imagine the horse carriages that took royal families from all over the former Austro-Hungarian Empire in and out of its premises. The more than a thousand rooms and halls of Schonbrunn showcase the luxurious lifestyle of the Habsburgs. The Great Gallery glitters in gold, my eyes couldn’t help but admire the ceiling’s fetching mural. The Walnut Room extensively uses intricate walnut (what else?) paneling. Visitors can find a wooden candelabra covered in gold in this room. The rooms and halls of Schonbrunn are a visual feast; each

room and hall bombarded me with paintings, ornate furniture (sofas, chairs, beds, tables, and others), chandeliers, glasswork, elaborate rugs, and curtains, and all the luxury money can buy at the time. The Habsburgs commissioned various artists and artisans to create these intricate and grand pieces. The palace was a symbol of the monarch’s power and influence. The monarchy may have ended, but Austria has retained its influential and prominent role not just in the region, but also in the world. Vienna is a fascinating and beautiful city that is full of culture, art, and history. Too bad I only stayed for a few days, because the cold weather didn’t bother me anyway.

IT’S TIME TO GO TO CLUB BALAI ISABEL

Club Balai Isabel is a nature-themed resort along the shores of Taal Lake.

Club Balai Isabel’s well-decorated and furnished rooms warmly welcome city dwellers.

The resort has three different pools: the Terraza Infinity Pool, the Talisay Pool, and the Kumintang Pool.

ocated in Talisay, Batangas, Club Balai Isabel is a naturelover’s dream. It is situated along the shores of Taal Lake and with the best view of Taal Volcano, making the resort ideal for nature trippers. There is more in store, of course. With 12 hectares in its area, Club Balai Isabel offers lush greenery and vegetation for the tired city dweller. This is the perfect spot for people looking for a place to recharge. “Club Balai Isabel developed 30 percent of the property, with the rest left for Mother Nature,” says Club Balai Isabel owner Nelson Terrible. “When we started transforming this property, we made sure that we kept the already existing vegetation here. We did not touch the trees that were already present. That is why you can find trees, such as bamboo and varieties of hardwood, which are hundreds of years old.” “We even have many fruit-bearing trees, so we allow our guests to just casually pick the fruits as they please,” Terrible smiles. “There is so much fruit growing around here that it is best that guests enjoy them. It is good to see that we offer this unique experience.”

The resort boasts 253 rooms in various configurations, depending on the types and number of guests. They can be assured of fabulous views, absolute comfort, and amenities such as air-conditioning units, mini-refrigerator, and cable television, among others. Outside the rooms, Club Balai Isabel comes alive. Guests will have a field day indulging themselves in the various activities and attractions that the resort has to offer. The resort has three different pools: the Terraza Infinity Pool, the Talisay Pool, and the 500-sq-m Kumintang Pool. Terrible says the Aquapark continues to evolve, with its inflatables as the main attractions. The pools are salt-filtered, making them friendly to both the human body and nature. For guests in the mood for foodtripping, Club Balai Isabel is the right place for delicious (and Instagrammable) cuisine with Terraza Café and Restaurant and Kumintang Republik Restaurant. Terraza Café and Restaurant specialize in traditional Filipino cuisine while Kumintang Republik Restaurant is known for authentic Italian food.

Should guests opt for a more quiet quality time for body and soul, trust Club Balai Isabel to provide both. The resort’s spa is among the finest of its type, offering relaxing massages and treatments. For a more spiritual me-time, there is the Espousal of Mary & Joseph Chapel where couples have sealed their vows and renewed their commitments to each other. Right beside it is the historic ruins of a 17th-century church that is known to be the first stone church of Tanauan. Well, guests will also appreciate the fact that the resort is a true friend of the environment. Terrible has championed the Sagip Taal Lake, a program that aims to raise awareness of the importance of protecting Taal Lake through solid waste management education and environmentfriendly livelihood for the people who live around the lake. With the unique experiences that Club Balai Isabel has, Terrible notes brightly that since they reopened in April this year, guests have been enthusiastically coming non-stop for team-building exercises, conferences, reunions, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and other occasions.

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Saturday, August 6, 2022 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

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Contact tracing for Covid, K-pop style, is efficiently done on social media BC NET SEEKS TO PROVIDE INTERNET IN REMOTE AREAS NATIONWIDE

BAMBAM, member of K-pop boy band GOT7, at his fan signing event in Manila on July 28 at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay. PHOTO BY

BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor

CDM ENTERTAINMENT

H, the struggles of living with Covid-19 are enormous. As I write this, it’s been over three days since the 2022 K-Pop Masterz in Manila at the Mall of Asia Arena and already, reports of people testing positive for Covid-19 are trickling in. Luckily, none of those who tested positive were (so far) in or near my area but I still self-tested and the result was negative. I was seated in the front row of the VIP area and never once did I take off my mask. I normally don’t when I’m in a place with so many people. I’m not judging anyone for taking off their masks (they might have their reasons such as having difficulty breathing) but I did see so many people do it. I didn’t even use the restroom because it’s usually packed. I was with a colleague friend and not once did we take off our masks when we were together. Anyway, reports about positive cases started coming in on Twitter on Monday and it was so good to see how people were responsible about testing and reporting if they were negative or positive. Imagine if we had home testing kits at the start of this pandemic? Then people would have just done it themselves. We could have all tested ourselves when we had symptoms and told people we came in contact with. Then, maybe the spread of Covid wouldn’t have been as wide and as bad. The kits are at P300+ at Watsons. I’m not sure if you still need a doctor’s prescription to buy an antigen testing kit but if you can afford it, it would be good if you had some at home for testing if you have symptoms. Anyway, it’s not surprising that Covid spread very easily at the 2022 K-Pop Masterz in Manila despite all the precautions taken by the venue and promoter Pulp Live World Production Inc. Even the VIP standing area had room for physical distancing. It’s really inevitable if we’re living in the “new normal.” It’s also up to us to be responsible and test if we have symptoms. This is not an elitist thing to say because if you can spend for a general admission ticket to a concert, you can certainly spend for an antigen test kit. Anyway, the concert was a huge success with one group (Treasure) and two solo artists (Bambam and

Jackson Wang). The concertgoers got a big bonus with the surprise appearance of Sandara Park who was just supposed to go up the stage to support Bambam but ended up singing the 2NE1 song “I Don’t Care.” I’m a fan of Bambam and I love how he prepared for his set and even sang a Tagalog song (“Ngiti”). One of the things I like about Bambam is his personality and he brought it to the 2022 K-Pop Masterz in Manila as he talked about his love for bangus and sisig, and his desire to go to a night market in the Philippines. Bambam opened his set with his collaboration single “Wheels Up” (featuring Mayzin). He also performed “Ride or Die,” “Look So Fine,” “Who Are You” (featuring Seulgi of Red Velvet), and “Pandora.” He concluded his set with his debut title track “riBBon.” Bambam’s GOT7 groupmate Jackson Wang performed after him. What I enjoyed about Jackson’s performances was how aesthetically pleasing and dramatic they were. We were lucky to witness the first live performance of his newly released single “Cruel.” He also sang “Blow,” from his upcoming album Magic Man. Other songs that Jackson performed that night were “Blue,” “Drive It Like You Stole It” and “100 Ways.” Like Bambam, Jackson also has a great personality. The GOT7 members are funny in different ways and they’re both great with fan service. For instance, Jackson shared an amusing scene from his Coachella performance last April, where he was the first K-pop

solo artist to perform on the main stage. Because he was nervous, he forgot to spit out his chewing gum, which remained in his mouth throughout the set. If I’ve only mentioned Treasure once, that’s because I’ve been saving the group for last. I wasn’t surprised that I enjoyed their performance. The energy of a K-pop group is very different when you watch them perform live but Treasure’s energy, exuberance and playfulness are quite infectious. Only 10 members of Treasure—Hyunsuk, Jihoon, Yoshi, Junkyu, Jaehyuk, Asahi, Doyoung, Haruto, Jeongwoo, and Junghwan—came to Manila to perform, as Mashiho and Yedam are currently in hiatus from group activities until the end of the year. Treasure first took the stage with “Jikjin,” the title track from their latest mini-album The Second Step: Chapter One. This was followed by “I Love You.” The other songs they performed, much to the crowd’s delight, were “My Treasure,” “MMM” and “Boy.” Of course, Treasure’s set would not be complete without the group performing its viral song “Darari.” The day before, Bambam was at Ayala Malls Manila Bay for Bambam Fansign in Manila presented by CDM Entertainment. He also had a fansign event in Cebu before the one in Manila. “I want to go to the beach and I also really wanted to go to the night market in the Philippines,” said Bambam about the places he wants to visit in the Philippines. ■

USING satellite and Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT) technology, BC Net is positioned to address the low Internet penetration in the Philippines as it seeks to provide WiFi to far-flung areas. Data show that Internet access is not available to 45 percent of all Filipinos, 74 percent of public schools, and 60 percent of households nationwide. The Covid-19 pandemic and the recent typhoons have once again emphasized this problem with many vulnerable sectors having limited to no access to the Internet for essential use, whether for education, dayto-day transactions, or communication especially during calamities. In 2018, BC Net was awarded a P453 million three-year contract to install WiFi connectivity in over 3,000 sites in 20 provinces under the Free WiFi program of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to tap the huge unserved demand for wireless prepaid Internet services in these areas. Aurora, Batanes, Camarines Sur, Guimaras, Maguindanao, Romblon, Samar, Southern Leyte, Agusan del Sur, Bohol, Catanduanes, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Eastern Samar, Marinduque, Masbate, Northern Samar, Palawan, Sorsogon, Surigao del Norte, and Kalayaan are the provinces now being served by the Internet provider. During Typhoon Odette in December 2021, BC Net and DICT Luzon offered free ICT services to include Internet connectivity utilizing VSAT system, free charging, and free satellite phone calls for essential communications to residents of Puerto Princesa, Palawan. The same services were provided in Catanduanes during Typhoon Rolly. “We believe that every Filipino deserves to have an easy and accessible Internet connection. At BC Net, we are working very hard to ensure that we’re meeting the Internet demands of the unserved and underserved market in the country,” said BC Net chairman Dioceldo Sy. The company is looking to expand its coverage to ensure that remote sites in the country are granted their right to access stable Internet connection. Aside from offering WiFi in these areas, BC Net’s core strengths include Internet connectivity to public places and private companies, Voice Over Internet Protocol or VOIP, subscription revenues from Internet customers, pre-paid WiFi cards, Internet installation contracts, sale of apps and hardware, and hosting Internet-related service demands.

MPIC’s health-care platform partners with insurers BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES THE health-care platform of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., mWell recently formed a partnership with two of the country’s leading insurance companies, PhilCare and Generali, allowing app users to purchase their products on the app. Chaye Cabal-Revilla, Chief Finance, Risk and Sustainability Officer of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., said the partnership aims to provide a quick response to the health-care needs of every Filipino, “We are honored to work with two key players in

the insurance market. Aside from providing 24/7 online doctor consultation via the mWell app, this partnership will allow us to offer the assistance and life protection needed by mWell users and their families.” MPIC president, chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan stressed the importance of strategic partnerships in bringing health-care closer to Filipinos nationwide via MPIC group’s digital platform. “mWell is committed to provide online health-care solutions through a wide network of medical experts and services. Users may consult with

doctors online, select health and wellness programs, and conveniently access health-care products, empowering them to be in control of their health with just one app,” Pangilinan explained. Meanwhile, mWell recently launched an affordable health package—only P399 for two doctor check-ups and accident insurance with mWell Healthsavers Plan. Revilla said the new and improved health plan now comes with free accident insurance from Generali worth P20,000. The fully loaded plan also includes free e-prescription, medical certificate, or doctor referral. Booking fee is waived for mWell’s best

value deal. Revilla said the Healthsavers Plan could also be sent as a gift to friends and loved ones, allowing app users to share the gift of good health. With the partnerships, Revilla said mWell users can easily purchase Generali and PhilCare products on the e-shop. Meanwhile, the health-care partnership between mWell and PhilCare resulted in the online launch of PhilCare ER Vantage and Health Vantage. It plans to provide up to P80,000 worth of emergency, hospitalization and Covid-19 coverage for as low as P1,050.

‘Good gaming’ esports platform promotes responsible, inclusive gaming WHETHER you are casually playing Genshin Impact to pass the time or competing intensely with friends on Mobile Legends, leading telecom brand Globe ensures that its all-in-one gaming platform is easy enough to use for all types of gamers. At the same time, the company also continues to work with its partners to promote the upsides of this global phenomenon and the benefits eSports provides to the digital community. Rina Siongco, head of the Get Entertained Tribe at Globe, said online games are undeniably a significant part of young people’s lives today. Globe

Games and eSports therefore aims to support this movement by highlighting the good that gaming does for its stakeholders. Be it the analytical skills players learn from strategy games and improved communication and coordination with friends when playing, to learning how to multitask and manage time and finances more effectively through eSports, Siongco says there is more to gaming than meets the eye. “We approach games and eSports from a holistic standpoint, engaging the Globe gamer from

the time they play casually to when they move to something more competitive,” said Siongco. “We also combine all of these efforts through the ‘Game Well-Played’ campaign that is unique to Globe in that it highlights all the positives gaming brings,” she added. Globe’s Game Well-Played campaign bands together gamers of all levels from all over the country to “flex the good in gaming, ignite understanding, and draw support for the gaming industry across the Philippines.” This is part of its push for responsible gaming,

in line with its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which highlight the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development under SDG No. 9. “While most campaigns focus on the hypercompetitive side of eSports, Globe chooses to educate and advocate for the positives and benefits that gaming actually brings,” said Siongco. Aside from its own campaigns, Globe works closely with partners, such as AcadArena, whose #NotJustPlay campaign is aligned with Globe’s

approach. “It goes beyond just competitions and includes education, community support and other initiatives. We also align with other partners for adaptive campaigns like Pride Month, Womens’ Month, and other relevant causes,” she added. The Globe Gamer Grounds platform has been designed as a “gateway to good gaming.” Developed together with Telekom Malaysia and Swarmio Media, its innovative products and tools empower all types of players to pursue sustainable and enjoyable gaming.

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Sony sees profit rise despite waning interest in video games TOKYO—Sony’s profit edged up 3 percent in the last quarter, weathering production setbacks from Covid-19 lockdowns in Shanghai and a trend away from video gaming as pandemic restrictions eased elsewhere. Tokyo-based Sony Corp.’s April-June profit totaled ¥218 billion ($1.6 billion), up from ¥212 billion a year earlier, the Japanese electronics and entertainment company said on Friday. Quarterly sales rose 2 percent to ¥2.31 trillion ($17.4 billion), on the back of strong demand in Sony’s music operations, including for Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House” and Doja Cat’s “Planet Her.” Among the better performers in movies was Morbius, a film based on the Marvel Comics hero. But Sony is hoping Bullet Train, starring Brad Pitt and set for release in August, will do well at the box office. Sony, which makes the PlayStation video game consoles, Bravia TVs and Columbia Pictures films, said sales from its music streaming service rose during the quarter. Despite some concern about a global economic slowdown, the streaming business was expected to remain stable, said Chief Financial Officer Hiroki Totoki. Sales fell in the video games sector and technology services. One reason was that, as restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic eased, people were playing games less and instead going out, Totoki said. Also, a shortage of computer chips has slowed production of the Sony’s PlayStation 5 machine. AP

Samsung fined $9.8M for misleading Australian phone ads CANBERRA, Australia—An Australian judge on Thursday ordered Samsung to pay 14 million Australian dollars ($9.8 million) in penalties for misleading advertising over how water-resistant some models of smartphones are. Federal Court Justice Brendan Murphy gave Samsung Electronics Australia, a subsidiary of South Korea-based Samsung Electronics Co., 30 days to pay the fines. Samsung must also pay AU$200,000 ($140,000) toward the costs of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the consumer watchdog that initiated an investigation of the phones four years ago. Samsung admitted to making false and misleading claims in nine advertisements between 2016 and 2018 about the water resistance of seven models of Galaxy smartphones. They are the S7, S7 Edge, A5 (2017), A7 (2017), S8, S8 Plus and Note 8. Samsung and the commission also agreed to the penalties imposed. The misleading ads promoted the phones’ water resistance and suitability for use in swimming pools and seawater. But the charging ports could be damaged and stop working if the phones were recharged while the ports were still wet. Samsung said the charging port issue only effected the seven models identified in the case that were launched between 2016 and 2017. “The issue does not arise for Samsung’s current phones,” a Samsung statement said. Samsung sold 3.1 million of the vulnerable phones in Australia, but the court could not determine how many customers found faults in their charging ports. An unknown number of customers had their ports replaced by authorized Samsung repairers. Some repairers did the job for free while others charged between AU$180 ($126) and AU$245 ($171), the court heard. Murphy said customers were entitled to assume that a large company such as Samsung would not advertise that its Galaxy phones could safely be submerged in water if they could not. “A great many consumers are likely to have seen the offending advertisements and a significant number of those who did so are likely to have purchased one of the Galaxy phones,” Murphy said in his judgment. Commission Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said her investigation had received hundreds of complaints from phone owners. “They experienced issues with their Galaxy phones after it was exposed to water and, in may cases, they reported their Galaxy phones stopped working entirely,” Cass-Gottlieb said in a statement. AP

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Saturday, August 6, 2022

narzo goes solo: Too early, too soon? THE realme 9 series with the “Stereo Prism” design.

HERE are but a few technology brands that could compare to the growth and success story of realme. From being a relatively unknown newcomer when it first set up shop in the Philippines in 2018, it is currently the No. 1 smartphone brand in the country—an achievement it accomplished in less than three years. But did you know that realme used to be a sub-brand of OPPO and known as OPPO Real in 2010? Eventually, realme was established as an “independent brand” by Sky Li, former OPPO overseas business department head and vice president of OPPO. Now, it seems history is repeating itself: this time its narzo’s turn to leave its mother brand. The latest game-changer in the Philippine smartphone market, narzo arrives in full swing introducing two new disruptors for the entry-level and mid-range segment: the narzo 50 Pro 5G and the narzo 50 5G. The narzo 50 Pro 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G Processor that uses the latest TSMC 6nm Octa-Core node to assure power efficiency. It can be boosted to a clock speed of 2.5GHz, ensuring faster app response, enhanced gaming experience, and better connection. Additionally, the Arm Mali-G68 GPU overclocks the GPU frequency and improves performance by up to 9 percent versus its predecessor, making it one of the fastest in its price segment. This is further complemented by Dynamic RAM Expansion (DRE) of up to 5GB additional Dynamic RAM for even the most hardware-intensive games. For its display, the narzo 50 Pro 5G has a 6.4inch Super AMOLED screen with 90Hz refresh rate, 360Hz touch sampling rate, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. For its cameras, it has a 48MP main camera, an 8MP (120 degrees) super-wide angle camera, and a 4cm Macro lens. The narzo 50 Pro 5G comes in a 8GB+128GB variant that retails for P15,999. The narzo 50 5G, on the other hand, has a MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G processor that can clock up to 2.4GHz, and also comes with DRE of up to 5GB Dynamic RAM. It has a 6.6-inch FHD+ Ultra Smooth Display with a 90.7 percent screen-to-body ratio for that big-screen viewing experience. It packs a 48MP Nightscape Main Camera equipped with specialized night filters, Dual Stereo Speakers and a 5000mAh massive battery with 33W Dart Charge support for fast charging. The lone 6GB+128GB variant retails for P12,999. At the launch, Allen Yin, country manager for narzo Philippines, said they will be putting up 200 stores by the end of the year on top of its e-commerce efforts: “What started out as a vision is now becoming a reality as the entire narzo team intends to follow through on our brand’s promise of empowering Filipinos with technology.” Besides being the former gaming sub-brand of realme, narzo used to cater to the more budgetconscious market. With the brand split, does it mean that realme is going to focus more on the mid-range and flagship market? I think being the No. 1 brand has given realme the confidence to further expand its reach by going after the more premium users with their upcoming X and GT series offerings. Will narzo be just as successful as realme? That depends if they continue offering bang-for the-buck smartphones (good specs plus affordable prices) especially now that users are becoming more priceconscious. If realme’s track record is any indication, however, narzo might just be the brand to watch out for in the next couple of years.

LUCKY 9S

GOING back to realme, the brand recently completed its number 9 series with the release of the realme 9i and the standard realme 9 edition. Currently priced at P11,990, the realme 9i is for those adventure-seekers who want to capture their

best memories. Headline features include a large battery with Dart Charge support, 50MP AI Triple Camera, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 Processor and a a 90Hz Ultra Smooth Display. The realme 9i is available in two color options: Prism Blue and Prism Black with a 6GB+128GB storage configuration. This “Stereo Prism” design is inspired from light and its refractions that generate light prisms. The back of the phone creates different patterns depending on the angle of light reflecting on it, presenting a dynamic effect of three-dimensional light and shadow transformation. Bringing leap-forward performance to the budget segment, the realme 9i’s power-efficient Snapdragon 680 processor adopts the advanced 6nm production process and houses 4 Cortex-A73 Cores, 4 Cortex-A53 Cores and an Adreno 610 GPU. These features are optimized to allow for a longer-lasting battery life even with the use of a LCD Display with a high refresh rate. The 5000mAh Battery gives you up to 694.25 hours of standby battery life, and the 33W Dart Charge can fully charge the device from 0 percent to 100 percent charging in just 70 minutes. For those into photography, the realme 9i features a high-resolution AI Triple Camera which houses three lenses starting with a 50MP ultra-high pixel main camera, a 2MP secondary black-and-white lens for professional portrait mode, and a 2MP 4cm ultraclose Macro Lens. The realme 9i’s camera interface also comes with trendy photography functions such as Portrait Mode, Night Mode, a dedicated 50MP Mode and an Extra HD Mode so you can capture sharper images. That 50MP shooter can take splendid shots in good lighting with lots of details, and you can easily take social media-ready photos with the realme 9i. Switch to 50MP mode to get the best details even if your subject is a bit far away. Portrait Mode has good edge detection and you can even adjust the background blur before taking a photo. Quality does suffer in low light as images come out a bit muddy, so you might want to use Night Mode instead—just make sure you have steady hands, as it could take a few seconds to process the image. For videos, it’s capable of shooting up to 1080p at 30fps though there’s no stabilization. realme cameras have gotten quite good and the realme 9i can hold its own. My only complaint is the lack of a wide angle lens. Completing the latest number series lineup is the standard realme 9 4G. Those looking for a gold/yellow phone, this is the one for you. Featuring what realme calls a Ripple holographic design, this finish was created through an innovative plasma atom-coating and UV-nano imprinting processes, and results in a ripple effect that depicts sand dunes. It might not be the trademark realme yellow, but the Sunburst Gold is definitely a stunner. You can also get it in Stargaze White or Meteor Black if the gold is too blinding for you. The matte finish isn’t as prone to fingerprints and smudges, but I do wish they included a clear jelly case instead of a dark frosted one that mutes the color.

The phone is quite slim at 7.99mm despite having a 5000mAh battery, and its flat edge ergonomics provides a comfortable grip. The battery can last you for a couple of days on a single charge and that bundled 33W Dart Charger can juice it up even faster. For its display, the realme 9 has a 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection, a 90Hz refresh rate as well as a touchsampling rate of 360Hz. The high refresh and touchsampling rates makes everything feel snappy and smooth. It is equipped with a Snapdragon 680 4G processor, one of the most reliable and efficient processors available today and can handle even the more demanding games, but do note that it only supports 4G. realme has been consistent with its cameras and the realme 9 is one of the better ones in its price bracket, thanks to its main 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM6 image sensor. The new sensor uses what realme calls a NonaPixel Plus layout (3×3 binning) increasing the sensor’s light-gathering ability by 123 percent compared with the older ISOCELL HM2. For selfies, the 16MP front-facing camera has you covered. The 5000mAh battery is enough to last a day and the 33W fast-charge support can top it up in about an hour. It ships with Android 12 and the latest realme UI 3.0. The realme 9 has a tag of P14,999 for the 6GB + 128GB variant. ■

TWO new disruptors: the narzo 50 Pro 5G and the narzo 50 5G.

OurTime BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday, August 6, 2022 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

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Govt ‘gives back’ to elderly sector with Social Pension Act By Wilnard Bacelonia

the Office of the President, will distribute the pension, instead of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. With the passage of RA 11916, co-author Senator Grace Poe said the government is now affording elders the opportunity to receive better health and life care. “Aside from a higher pension, an important aspect of this law is its adaptive character, which allows for an adjustment of the social pension, if necessary, every two years subject to review and consultation and taking into account the prevailing consumer price index,” Poe explained in her manifestation on Tuesday. Poe thanked her colleagues for supporting RA 11916, especially Villanueva whom she said would have a “meaningful birthday celebration.” “Happy birthday indeed. The measure doubling the pension of indigent senior citizens is already a law. Praise God!” Villanueva, who turned 47 on Tuesday, said in a statement. Poe likewise extended the Senate’s gratitude to President Ferdi-

ANILA—The Senate will monitor the implementation of Republic Act (RA) No. 11916, or the Social Pension for Indigent Seniors Act, which lapsed into law on July 30. Calling it a “great legacy” of the 18th Congress, RA 11916 is also the best gift that the Marcos administration can give to some 4 million Filipinos aged 60 and above, according to the bill’s principal author, Senator Joel Villanueva. Sen. Sonny Angara said, “It’s time to give back” to the sector that has contributed in a lot of ways to society. He said the Senate will make sure that the law, which doubled the P500 monthly pension for indigent senior citizens, will be implemented. “We are thankful that the measure seeking to add social pension for our senior citizens was already passed into law, making their pension P1,000 per month,” Angara said in a statement. The National Commission of Senior Citizens, which will be under

SENIOR citizens line up to receive their pension at the DSWD office. PNA /GIL CALINGA

nand Marcos Jr. for recognizing and acting on the needs of senior citizens. Meanwhile, the Philippine Health

Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) was commended for its recently approved additional hemodialysis

sessions. PhilHealth recently announced on social media that its Board of Directors approved rais-

ing the maximum number of sessions from 90 to 144 until the end of the year. Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday appealed to PhilHealth to further increase the sessions to 156 yearly and make it permanent. “A big thanks to PhilHealth for heeding our call to continue the coverage of 144 dialysis session this year. This is a big help for our countrymen,” Hontiveros said in a statement. Dialysis diverts blood to a machine for cleansing to remove waste products and excess fluid when the kidneys are not working properly. Hontiveros vowed to re-file her bill, seeking to institutionalize the provision of 144 dialysis sessions for senior citizens. PhilHealth said it will issue the necessary guidelines for the added hemodialysis sessions through a circular. “For the meantime, it is directing all its regional offices and concerned health-care facilities to continue honoring all availments beyond the 90-session limit as duly prescribed by a PhilHealth accredited physician,” PhilHealth said in a statement. PNA

Go Negosyo donates Covid-19 vaccines to ‘overlooked’ senior citizens Rejected by courts, retirees take last shot to save pension savings

HE Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship, better known under its advocacy Go Negosyo, donated several doses of Covid-19 vaccines to senior citizens belonging to overlooked senior communities in Metro Manila. The groups were tracked down with the help of retired Department of Health officials, former Undersecretary Madeleine Valera and Director Criselda Abesamis, while healthcare services company CIF Central Corp coordinated with the local government units (LGUs) for proper recording of these senior vaccinees. The seniors were residing in homes caring for the elderly, while some were patients at geriatric clinics. They included senior citizens from a geriatric clinic in Taguig City and a nursing home in Quezon City. Vaccinations were also held for workers and volunteers of Caritas Manila who were unable to get their booster shots because they have been busy attending to the needy. The vaccinations using Moderna vaccines were held on July 23 and July 26, and for AstraZeneca on July 29. The vaccines were purchased by the private sector through the tripartite agreement, A Dose of Hope (ADOH). “The elderly are among the most vulnerable to Covid, and these vaccines can help prevent them from becoming severely ill or dying from the disease,” said Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion. The elderly are recommended to

SENIOR citizens in a nursing home receive their Covid jabs courtesy of Go Negosyo, which donated the vaccines.

get second booster shots to safeguard against variants and waning immunity. Healthcare services company CIF Central Corp. volunteered its services and has been a partner of Go Negosyo in implementing pooled testing and shared vaccination sites. In this latest effort, they provided a full complement of

When too much is not enough By Nick Tayag

MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH

T wasn’t too long ago when out of the blue, a certain businessman was hogging the business news because he was on a roll, buying companies here and there, as well as getting actively involved in several big marquee business investments with investors from a foreign country. He was able to secure loans rapidly from banks, both private and government. All because he was reputed to be very close to the powers that be. A few years later, news sources tell us that some of his business ventures seem to be floundering. Very recently, the news is that the debtors are now knocking on his door and he may default on some of his debts. Worse, his padrino is no longer in power and can’t bail him out. It looks like the man acquired more companies than he could handle.

It reminds me of an interesting article I filed away a year ago about the discovered fossil of a giant, marine reptile known as an ichthyosaur that dates more than 230 million years ago. The remains showed that he had devoured a creature almost its own size, then died a short time later. Researchers concluded that it swallowed a much bigger prey and died while ingesting it, literally biting off more than it could chew. Coincidentally as I am writing, in today’s online mass we hear St. Paul warning us about “greed that is idolatry.” Greed can be all consuming. As the Roman poet Horace warned us: “He who is greedy is always in want.” I hear the echoing voice of that government official who said: “moderate the greed.” It’s always good advice to have “mod-

health care workers, ancillaries and logistics. Concepcion said that in addition to the primary doses of the vaccine, booster shots are necessary to further strengthen immunity. The Department of Health expanded its recommendation for second booster shots for individuals 50 years and older, as well as for those ages 18 to 49 who have comorbidities, in addition to healthcare workers and immunocompromised persons. Aside from the Covid vaccines, Go Negosyo had previously donated RT PCR testing machines to beneficiary hospitals and laboratories all over the country to give LGUs the tools needed to conduct their own Covid-19 tests. Go Negosyo also facilitated the installation of the machines and the training of local laboratory personnel in their proper use and maintenance. Go Negosyo has been an active participant in the country’s pandemic response efforts since the outbreak caused massive lockdowns and economic losses beginning in March 2020. The non-profit led efforts to bring accessible testing innovations to the country under its Project ARK program, and pushed for vaccinations and facilitated the procurement of vaccines under ADOH. It also helped set up shared vaccination centers and facilitated public-private sector dialogue on issues concerning the Covid-19 pandemic.

eration, moderation, moderation, including moderation” to borrow that quotation from Oscar Wilde. But we never heed such cautionary caveats. Wanting more even when one has already too much to handle is in our nature. “Takaw tingin” is the term my old folks used to peg someone who puts more food on his plate than he can consume. “Nothing succeeds like excess. Nothing is too much for me,” boasted Jacqueline Susann, the best-selling writer who not only extolled excess and decadence in her novels but also lived by it. She enjoyed world fame. Her books earned her millions. She always had the best table in restaurants and the best room in luxury hotels. But the more she got, the more she wanted. In our native parlance: Walang kasawasawang luho (insatiable extravagance). Not content with the millions her books earned for her, she wanted to be taken seriously as a writer and would say, “I don’t want the Pulitzer Prize. I want the Nobel Prize. I’m not going to settle!” Of course, towards the end of her life, she was running on empty as her riches were completely drained to pay for treatments for her terminal disease.

By Fatima Hussein | The Associated Press

ASHINGTON—Dave Muffley thought he had it made when it came to a solid retirement. The Indiana man spent roughly 30 years as a salaried maintenance technician for Delphi Corp., a subsidiary of General Motors Corp., and expected to retire with a comfortable income by the time he hit 62. But when GM plunged into the biggest industrial bankruptcy proceeding in history in 2009, and the federal government negotiated its restructuring, Muffley’s expected retirement package was slashed, and his life’s trajectory would spiral. The Russiaville resident, now 68, lost 30 percent of his retirement savings, his promised health care coverage and his faith in government. Muffley is one of an estimated 20,000 Delphi workers hurt by the GM bankruptcy, and many have spent the past 13 years fighting to get back what they lost. After taking the issue all the way to the US Supreme Court, which declined to hear their case this year, the retirees were cut off from their last legal remedy. Now, they’re looking to Congress to do

Jacqueline Susann’s life shows us the folly of insatiable greed, not just greed for money or riches but also our overwhelming craving for power, influence and adulation, although all these are intertwined. Consider some politicians who never know when too much is enough. In the last elections, we have elected individuals who have marital partners, siblings, relatives already in government. One town even flaunts its roster of officials bearing the same family name, belonging to one clan, if not one family. They are all being paid by taxpayers’ money. Over the max, over the top seems to be the spirit that moves our highly driven world. Restraint and modesty have left the conversation as we say on social media. Kapal is a term that has lost its sting nowadays. Having too much can lead to reckless extravagance or lavish wastefulness. I don’t know about you but I was aghast to read about the wedding of a partylist lawmaker who arranged to have her wedding in an exclusive luxury island resort in the midst of the pandemic. What about that meagerly capitalized company that was able to bag P11.7 billion worth of con-

tracts from the government to supply the Department of Health with face masks and face shields, personal protective equipment and Covid-19 testing kits. The owners couldn’t wait to show off their windfall. Allegedly, less than a year after getting the money, they bought million-peso cars like Porsche, Lamborghini and Lexus. Not one but two. They had to flaunt it while the getting was good. Garapal is another word that has lost its ability to insult. Who was that powerful woman who reportedly had a famous department store in New York closed so she could shop in private and away from the crowd? During her political family’s reign, there was no limit to her buying sprees because she had access to a government-owned bank, which had a branch nearby, treating it like her personal wallet. O tempora, o mores! Where is that time when flaunting one’s riches was considered vulgar and tasteless? These days, no one is embarrassed by too much wealth even if the source is suspect. On the contrary, having too much not only commands attention but also evokes awe. The illegality or immorality of acquisition is no longer a factor. Everything is overlooked or

for them what the courts would not. Legislation to restore the pension savings of the workers has gained support from both the left and the right in Congress. It passed the House on Wednesday and supporters are hopeful the Senate will follow suit. It was named the Susan Muffley Act, after Dave’s wife, who became sick and died while they were grappling with the hit to his retirement fund. The retirees allege that they were discriminated against as salaried employees, compared with union-covered workers whose pensions were preserved through the bankruptcy. The salaried workers are the engineers, technicians and mid-level swath of employees who stood between the well-paid executives and the unioncovered workers at the company. After taking a buyout from Delphi at age 55 to avoid a potential layoff, Muffley says, he took one job after another to tide him over until he could retire at 62. It was in that time that his wife was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died within three years. “Thingsfellapart,andthingsfellapartina big way,” Muffley says. He estimated he’s lost at least $130,000 in savings due to the pension cuts over the years, and he’s not alone.

allowed because you have become special, even adulated because you are deemed above it all. But it’s all folly. Ages ago, wise men have been warning us: from one who has been allowed to take much for himself, much will be taken in return. Some 2,000 years ago, the Roman philosopher Seneca said: “It is not the man who has little, but he who desires more that is poor.” Do they care? All we can do is wait for such people to get off the “hedonic treadmill” when they realize that happiness or contentment is not found by adding anything but by a process of subtraction. Statistics show that more people die from overindulgence than from hunger and cold. Eventually, there will be a tipping point and a backlash. In the meantime, let’s first all agree to stop being awed by displays of excess and extravagance in school, at work, and in our private lives. Let’s make insatiable greed vulgar and yucky once again. Let’s revive the phrase “an embarrassment of riches” and give it an acerbic connotation. In a society where 99 percent can barely make ends meet, let us shame the licentiously rich that don’t know when to stop. Let’s have enough of too much. Nakakaumay na!

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Angel R. Calso

TheWorld

China halts climate, military ties over Pelosi Taiwan visit

EIJING—China says it is canceling or suspending dialogue with the US on issues from climate change to military relations and anti-drug efforts in retaliation for a visit this week to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The measures announced Friday are the latest in a promised series of steps intended to punish Washington for allowing the visit to the island it claims as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary. China is holding threatening military exercises in six zones off Taiwan’s coasts. Missiles were also fired over Taiwan, defense officials told state media. China opposes the self-governing island having its own engagements with foreign governments. The Foreign Ministry said dialogue between area commanders and defense department heads would be canceled, along with talks on military maritime safety. Cooperation on returning illegal immigrants, criminal investigations, transnational crime, illegal drugs and climate change would be suspended, the ministry said. China said Friday that more than 100 warplanes and 10 warships have taken part in live-fire military drills surrounding Taiwan over the past two days, while announcing sanctions on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over her visit to the self-governing island earlier this week. The official Xinhua News Agency said Friday that fighters, bombers, destroyers and frigates were all used in what it called “joint blockage operations” taking place in six zones off the coast of Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory. The military’s Eastern Theater Command also fired new versions of missiles it said hit unidentified targets in the Taiwan Strait “with precision.” The Rocket Force also fired projectiles over Taiwan into the Pacific, military officers told state media, in a major ratcheting up of China’s threats to attack and invade the island. The drills, which Xinhua described as being held on an “unprecedented scale,” are China’s response to a visit this week by Pelosi to Taiwan. The speaker is the highest ranking US politician to visit Taiwan in 25 years. China announced unspecified sanctions on Pelosi and her family. Such sanctions are generally mostly symbolic in nature. A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said that Pelosi had disregarded China’s serious concerns and resolute opposition to her visit. It called Pelosi’s visit provocative and said it undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. China opposes Taiwan having its own engagements with foreign governments. On the Chinese coast across from Taiwan, tourists gathered Friday to try to catch a glimpse of any military aircraft heading toward the exercise area. Fighter jets could be heard flying overhead and tourists taking photos chanted, “Let’s take Taiwan back,” looking out into the blue waters of the Taiwan Strait from Pingtan island, a popular scenic spot in Fujian province. Pelosi’s visit stirred emotions among the Chinese public and the government’s response “makes us feel our motherland is very powerful and gives us confidence that the return of Taiwan is the irresistible trend,” said Wang Lu, a tourist from the neighboring Zhejiang province. China is a “powerful country and it will not allow anyone to offend its own territory,” said Liu Bolin, a high school student who is visiting the island. His mother, Zheng Zhidan, was somewhat more circumspect. “We are compatriots and we hope to live in peace,” Zheng said. “We should live peacefully with each other.” China’s insistence that Taiwan is its territory and threat to use force to bring it under its control has featured highly in ruling Communist Party propaganda, the education system and the entirely state-controlled media for the more than seven decades since the sides divided amid civil war in 1949. Island residents overwhelmingly favor maintaining the status quo of de facto independence and reject China’s demands that Taiwan unify with the mainland under Communist control. On Friday morning, China sent military ships and war planes across the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry said, crossing what had for decades been an unofficial buffer zone between China and Taiwan. Five of the missiles fired by China since the military exercises began Thursday landed in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off Hateruma, an island far south of Japan’s main islands, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said. He said Japan protested the missile landings to China as “serious threats to Japan’s national security and the safety of the Japanese people.” Japan’s Defense Ministry later said they believe the other four missiles, fired from China’s southeastern coast of Fujian, flew over Taiwan. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday that China’s military exercises aimed at Taiwan represent a “grave problem” that threatens regional peace and security. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said China’s actions were in line with “international law and international practices,” though she provided no evidence. “As for the Exclusive Economic Zone, China and Japan have not carried out maritime delimitation in relevant waters, so there is no such thing as an EEZ of Japan,” Hua told reporters at a daily briefing. In Tokyo, where Pelosi is winding up her Asia trip, she said China cannot stop US officials from visiting Taiwan. Speaking after breakfast with Pelosi and her congressional delegation, Kishida said the missile launches need to be “stopped immediately.” China said it summoned European diplomats in the country to protest statements issued by the Group of Seven nations and the European Union criticizing threatening Chinese military exercises surrounding Taiwan. The Foreign Ministry on Friday said Vice Minister Deng Li made “solemn representations” over what he called “wanton interference in China’s internal affairs.” Deng said China would “prevent the country from splitting with the strongest determination, using all means and at any cost.” “Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is a blatant political manipulation and a blatant and serious violation of China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Deng said. “In response to the US-Taiwan collusion and provocation, China’s counterattack is only natural.” China’s Foreign Ministry said the meeting was held Thursday night but gave no information on which countries participated. Earlier Thursday, China canceled a foreign ministers’ meeting with Japan to protest the G-7 statement that there was no justification for the exercises. Both ministers were attending a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Cambodia. China has promoted the overseas support it has received for its response to Pelosi’s visit, mainly from fellow authoritarian states such as Russia and North Korea. China had earlier summoned US Ambassador Nicholas Burns to protest Pelosi’s visit. The speaker left Taiwan on Wednesday after meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen and holding other public events. She traveled on to South Korea and then Japan. Both countries host US military bases and could be drawn into a conflict involving Taiwan. The Chinese exercises involve troops from the navy, air force, rocket force, strategic support force and logistic support force, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. They are believed to be the largest held near Taiwan in geographical terms, with Beijing announcing six exercise zones surrounding the island. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday called the drills a “significant escalation” and said he has urged Beijing to back down. Blinken told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with Asean in Cambodia that Pelosi’s visit was peaceful and did not represent a change in American policy toward Taiwan, accusing China of using it as a “pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait.” He said the situation had led to a “vigorous communication” during East Asia Summit meetings in Phnom Penh in which both he and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi took part along with the Asean nations, Russia and others. US law requires the government to treat threats to Taiwan, including blockades, as matters of “grave concern.” The drills are due to run from Thursday to Sunday and include missile strikes on targets in the seas north and south of the island in an echo of the last major Chinese military drills aimed at intimidating Taiwan’s leaders and voters held in 1995 and 1996. AP

BusinessMirror

Saturday, August 6, 2022 A11

Cooling semiconductor sales stoke fears of global recession

ORLD chip sales growth has decelerated for six straight months—yet another sign the global economy is straining under the weight of rising interest rates and mounting geopolitical risks.

Semiconductor sales rose 13.3 percent in June from a year earlier, down from 18 percent in May, data from the global peak industry body showed. The current slowdown is the longest since the US-China trade war in 2018. The three-month moving average in chip sales has correlated with the global economy’s performance in recent decades. The latest weakness comes as concern about a worldwide recession has prompted chipmakers like Samsung Electronics Co. to consider winding back investment plans. Semiconductors are key

components in a world that’s increasingly reliant on digital products and ser vices, particularly during the pandemic when a lot of work and schooling was conducted remotely. Chip sales started to cool as central banks began scrambling to raise interest rates to combat spiraling inflation and Russia’s war on Ukraine and prolonged Covid lockdowns in China prompted a rapid reversal in the international outlook. A Bloomberg Economics global tracker shows the prospects for the world economy have deteriorated

rapidly this year, coinciding with chip sales beginning to slow. Signs of an international downturn are also observed in trade data from South Korea, the world’s biggest producer of memory chips. Growth in chip exports eased to 2.1 percent in July from 10.7 percent in June, the fourth straight monthly slowing. In June, semiconductor stockpiles rose by the most in more than six years. It’s a similar story in Taiwan, which is another key player in electronics supply chains. Latest data indicate manufacturing on the island contracted in June and July, while production and demand slumped, with new export orders registering the biggest fall. The weakening momentum in these two canaries in the global coal mine is partly due to a slowing economy in China, which continues to impose lockdowns under its Zero-Covid policy. China’s factor y activity unexpectedly contracted in July and property sales continue to shrink.

In the US, gross domestic product has fallen for two straight quarters, though the National Bureau of Economic Research refuses to call it a recession. In Europe, factory activity plunged in June, further darkening the outlook for both the continent and the wider world. Nonetheless, the International Monetary Fund still sees a global expansion this year, and slowing chip sales don’t automatically indicate a recession is imminent. But they offer a glimpse into the health of an international economy that relies heavily on the tiny components to manufacture everything from cars to smartphones to computers. T he peak world body—the Washington-based Semiconductor Industry Association—says it represents 99 percent of the US chip industry by revenue and almost two-thirds of non-US chip firms. The sales it releases are compiled by World Semiconductor Trade Statistics. Bloomberg News

Oil suffers deep weekly loss as concerns over demand intensify

IL headed for a punishing weekly loss on increasing evidence that a global economic slowdown is spurring demand destruction, with prices collapsing to the lowest level in six months as key time spreads contract. West Texas Intermediate traded above $89 a barrel in Asia, with the US benchmark down more than 9 percent this week. Official data showed US gasoline consumption has softened while crude stockpiles rose. The slump came even as Saudi Arabia has boosted prices, and OPEC+ warned of scant spare capacity. While oil markets remain in backwardation, a bullish pricing pattern, widely watched differentials have narrowed sharply,

signaling an easing of tightness. Brent’s prompt spread—the gap between its two nearest contracts—was $1.62 a barrel in backwardation, down from more than $6 a week ago. After surging in the first five months of the year crude’s rally has been thrown into reverse, with losses deepening this month after falls in June and July. The sell-off, which has wiped out gains triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, will ease the inflationary pressures coursing through the global economy that have spurred central banks including the Federal Reserve to hike rates. “The market is still struggling on the back of a deteriorating demand picture in the US, with

pressure on its refining capacity easing considerably,” said Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management. The shift to much tighter monetary policy has stoked concern among investors that growth will slow, imperiling the outlook for energy usage. The Bank of England warned that the UK is heading for more than a year of recession as it raised borrowing costs, while in the US, a procession of Federal Reserve speakers pledged to continue an aggressive fight to cool inflation. China has also shown signs of weakness, clouding the outlook for crude consumption in the top importer. Recent data showed factory activity shrank, while China Beige Book Inter-

Inflation is ‘past peak’ as parts costs trend down, Musk says

LON MUSK, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc. and the world ’s r ichest person, said he sees signs that the global economy has gone “past peak inf lation.” Speaking at the electric-vehicle maker’s annual shareholder meeting, Musk said the company’s commodity and component costs are trending downward over the next six months. He also reiterated prior comments that he expects a mild recession to hit that could last 18 months. “ The trend is down, which suggests we are past peak inf lation,” Musk said at Tesla’s Austin headquarters and factory. “I think inf lation is going to drop rapidly” at some point in the future, he said. Global central banks have embarked on a path of policy-tighten-

ing as inflation pressures consumers and corporate bottom lines. In the US, consumer prices increased by 9.1 percent in June from a year earlier, and Federal Reserve officials say the price gains have yet to slow. The next print on inflation comes August 10. “We sort of have some insight in to where prices are headed over time,” Musk said, citing the company’s need to buy raw materials often months in advance of when they will be used. “The interesting thing that we are seeing now is that most of our commodities, most of the things that go in to a Tesla— not all, but more than half—the prices are trending down in six months,” he added. While Tesla has a global purview on input costs and consumer health, Musk warned on stage

that making “macroeconomic prognostications is a recipe for disaster” and said his comments were a “guess” and “total speculation.” The CEO also warned that the trend could change. Reservation holders and future customers of the upcoming futuristic Cybertruck may fall victim to the impacts of inflation, Musk suggested. The “Blade Runner”-inspired pickup was unveiled in 2019 and “a lot has changed” since then, he said. At the time the company started taking reservations, the most basic model was being discussed as a $39,900 vehicle. “The specs and the pricing will be different,” Musk said. “I hate to give a little bit of bad news. But there is no way to have anticipated the inflation we have seen and various issues.” Bloomberg News

national warned the economy was deteriorating. This week’s slump was driven in part by Libya bringing production back online after a period of upheaval, potentially enabling the OPEC member’s exports to stabilize at more than 1 million barrels a day and easing market tightness. Bloomberg News

3 more ships with grain depart Ukrainian ports

STANBUL—Three more ships with grain have departed Ukrainian ports and are headed to Turkey for inspection, Turkey’s defense ministry said on Friday. The three ships are loaded with a total of 58,000 tons of corn. The departure of the ships comes after the first grain ship since the start of the war left Ukraine earlier this week. It crossed the Black Sea under a wartime deal and passed inspection Wednesday in Istanbul and then headed on to Lebanon. Ukraine is one of the world’s main breadbaskets and the stocks of grain trapped were exacerbating a sharp rise of food prices and raising fears of a global hunger crisis. The ships that departed Friday from Ukraine are from among over a dozen bulk carriers and cargo ships that had been loaded with grain and stuck at the ports there since the start of the invasion in late February. While tens of thousands of tons of grains are now making their way out with these latest shipments, it’s still a fraction of the 20 million tons of grains which Ukraine says are trapped in the country’s silos and ports, and which must be shipped out in order to make space for the new harvest. AP

US declares public health emergency over monkeypox as cases rose to 7.1K

A S H I N G T O N —T h e federa l gover nment declared a public health emergency Thursday to bolster the response to the monkeypox outbreak that has infected more than 7,100 Americans. The announcement will free up money and other resources to fight the virus, which may cause fever, body aches, chills, fatigue and pimple-like bumps on many parts of the body.

“We are prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus, and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously,” said Xavier Becerra, head of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The declaration by HHS comes as the Biden administration has faced criticism over monkeypox vaccine availability. Clinics in major cities such as New York and

San Francisco say they haven’t received enough of the two-shot vaccine to meet demand, and some have had to stop offering the second dose to ensure supply of first doses. The White House said it has made more than 1.1 million doses available and has helped to boost domestic diagnostic capacity to 80,000 tests per week. The monkeypox virus spreads

through prolonged skin-to-skin contact, including hugging, cuddling and kissing, as well as sharing bedding, towels and clothing. The people who have gotten sick so far have been primarily men who have sex with men. But health officials emphasize that the virus can infect anyone. No one in the United States has died. A few deaths have been reported in other countries. AP

BusinessMirror

A12 A6 Saturday, August 6, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

7 PRIME TECH, INC. 10/f Ewestpod, Eton Westend Square, Yakal St. Cor. Don Chino Roces Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati ALBERT WIJAYA Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer 1.

Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of calls, handle customer concerns YOHANES GUSTAV LOING Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of calls, handle customer concerns

HOANG TIEN BINH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication mandarin speaking.

DANG THI VAN HAI Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 4.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication mandarin speaking.

HAU THI LOAN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 5.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication mandarin speaking.

LE THI HONG THOM Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 6.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication mandarin speaking.

LI, JIANFANG Mandarin Customer Service Representative 7.

Brief Job Description: Interact with customer to provide information, support and problem resolution to inquiries and order status

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in foreign language

14.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

AVANTICE CORPORATION 19/f Pbcom Tower, Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in foreign language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

CHOKTANASUKARN, NUTCHARAPONG Compliance Executive 15.

8 STONE BUSINESS OUTSOURCING OPC 5-10/f Tower 1, Pitx Kennedy Road, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

CAO TRUNG DUC Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

16.

Brief Job Description: Develop and execute a compliance review program to cultivate a continuous business process.

KADAM, KEDAR BABASAHEB Marketing Executive Brief Job Description: Conduct and analyze market research

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

17.

PARK, JEONGBAE Marketing Executive Brief Job Description: Conduct and analyze market research

18.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

WEWIN CALVIAN Marketing Executive Brief Job Description: Conduct and analyze market research

LE THANH SON Operations Executive 19.

Brief Job Description: Serves as a liaison between the customer and various departments & ensures that basic CS functions are performed.

NGUYEN THI PHUONG Operations Executive 20.

Brief Job Description: Serves as a liaison between the customer and various departments & ensures that basic CS functions are performed.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ACOM CONSUMER FINANCE CORPORATION 10/f Unit A, 45 San Miguel Bldg., No. 45 San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig YOSHIDA, TAKUO General Manager Of Business Division 8.

Brief Job Description: Manage the department in charge of collecting overdue loans KAKUSHO, DAISUKE General Manager Of Corporate Planning And Control Department Brief Job Description: Manage the department in charge of finance and accounting

Basic Qualification: Speaking and writing in Japanese (native level)

10.

Brief Job Description: Provide customer service in foreign language, taking phone calls, answering to customer inquiries through emails, and solving customer issues.

Basic Qualification: Excellent writing, reading and talking in French language. Preferably with prior experience of at least 1 year in similar BPO outfit. Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

AMAZING HOUSE, INC. G/f Oceanaire Residences, Cbpi, Sunrise Drive, Barangay 76, Pasay City ZHAO, XINGYU Chinese Menu Development Specialist 11.

Brief Job Description: Develop recipes and portion specification as required in conjunction w/ the Chinese customer

12.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires PANG KHEE HONG Malaysian Customer Service Representative

13.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

Brief Job Description: Serves as a liaison between the customer and various departments & ensures that basic CS functions are performed.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

22.

Basic Qualification: Must be native Thai/ Cambodian /Singaporean fluent in English and native language; with a year of experience in the same field

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

SLIEDREGT, FLOOR Production Specialist 25.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for all aspects of production calculation and optimization.

ABDUL MAZEED Sand Fill Master 26.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the safe and correct execution of the sand fill plan. To lead a team of personnel (operators and pipe filters) on a wet sand fill.

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 Basic Qualification: Must be a native Indonesian/Malaysian/ Taiwanese/Singaporean fluent in English and native language.

FISHER, GARY ANTHONY Superintendent 27.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: Diploma/certificate, college degree on any course, banking/finance is a plus. Must be a native Indonesian/Malaysian/ Taiwanese/Singaporean fluent in English and native language.

Basic Qualification: Must be a native Indonesian/Malaysian/ Taiwanese/Singaporean fluent in English and native language. Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Brief Job Description: Managers, monitors, and supervises the execution, according to the contract in a safe, timely, qualitatively optimal and cost-efficient manner.

SHAHID MANZOOR Civil Specialist

28.

NGUYEN THI BICH NGOC Vietnamese Language-officer Marketing Brief Job Description: Initiate conversation to uncover customer needs

Brief Job Description: Functions as a technical specialist or supervisor role. Independently develops and applies advanced engineering techniques, concepts, and approaches to unique engineering problems. May supervise engineering staff on projects of medium to high complexity or serve as a technical specialist providing knowledge and expertise.

ROBLESS, DOUGLAS BERNHARD Project Field Manager

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 29.

23.

Brief Job Description: Operating the company heavy equipment in a safe and efficient manner.

GODRI, MAARTEN HENDRIK Production Specialist 24.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for all aspects of production calculation and optimization.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the successful execution of the construction and start-up of a power plant project. Provide leadership to the project staff and manpower assigned at the project site. Direct staff in the daily and weekly planning process, function as the representative of the company in all dealings with project owner and all contractors working on the project.

30.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields with at least 15 years of relevant technical and supervisory role, cost control, planning & scheduling experience in a power plant construction project; master’s degree or local equivalent in engineering or construction management is an advantage; experience serving in a leadership role for a medium to large sized epc project and must have the ability to manage, lead, guide, motivate and mentor team professionals; advanced communication, interpersonal, computer and planning skills; knowledge of cost and contract administration.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in relevant field; extensive experience of at at least 20 years, including at least 10 years international experience in a construction management role in a medium to large size power plant project; undergone training in osha, risk management and leadership, leadership skills and must be able to communicate well; proficient computer skills.

ORTIZ DE LA FUENTE, JESUS Vice President For Strategic Planning Brief Job Description: Manage and direct service offers.

Basic Qualification: Seasoned professional with minimum of 7 years’ experience in management. Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

CHROMELAB TECHNOLOGIES INC. 25/f Techzone Bldg., 213 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati

CHUNG CHUI NGEO Bi-lingual Speaking Customer Service Officer

Basic Qualification: Minimum of 10-year experience in dry and wet sandfill in an international dredging and Land reclamation company.

Brief Job Description: Resolves product or service bt clarifying the customers complaint

Basic Qualification: Fluent and proficient in writing and speaking at least two of the following languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, Bahasa, Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesian, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese/ 1 year experience of working in a similar role Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: Minimum 3 years extensive work experience with an international dredging company.

CEMEX HOLDINGS PHILIPPINES, INC. 34/f Petron Mega Plaza Bldg., 358 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Minimum 3 years relevant work experience in an international dredging company and land development industry.

Basic Qualification: Must have extensive work experience of at least 3 years in a sand fill position with an international Dredging and Land reclamation company or international construction projects.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

31.

WARAHENA LIYANAGE, SAGARA SAMAN KUMARA Heavy Equipment Operator Specialist

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: Develop and execute a compliance review program to cultivate a continuous business process.

Basic Qualification: Degree holder, must be fluently speak and write Bahasa Indonesian language.

Basic Qualification: Minimum 3 years relevant work experience in an international dredging company and land development industry.

BVI (PHILIPPINES) CORPORATION 6/f Lta Bldg., 118 Perea Street, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: Diploma/certificate, college degree on any course, banking/finance is a plus. Must be a native Indonesian/Malaysian/ Taiwanese/Singaporean fluent in English and native language.

Basic Qualification: Must be native Cambodian / Vietnamese / Chinese / Thai / Indonesian / Korean / Japanese / Taiwanese, fluent in English and respective native language; with at least 2 years experience in similar field

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

BOSKALIS PHILIPPINES INC. Unit 3701, 3801 The Orient Square, F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BIGCAT SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS, INC. 18/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Avenue Cor. Rufino Street, Salcedo Vill., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read and Write Chinese Language

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language

No.

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read and Write Chinese Language

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

Basic Qualification: Expert in writing, reading and speaking in Chinese

ANOC99 CORPORATION 5/f To 10/f Ayala Malls Manila Bay Building D., Macapagal Blvd. Cor. Aseana Street, Tambo, City Of Parañaque CHAN KWEE SHIONG Malaysian Customer Service Representative

21.

Basic Qualification: Speaking and writing in Japanese (native level)

ALLSECTECH MANILA, INC. 3rd Floor, Market Market Mall, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig ILANGA, MAZIME MONGO Bilingual French Analyst

VU NGOC BICH TRAM Operations Executive

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin both oral and written

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

KOO KOK CHEN Bi-lingual Speaking Data Analyst Executive 32.

Brief Job Description: Interprets SATA, analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

LEE TECK PING Bi-lingual Speaking Data Analyst Executive 33.

Brief Job Description: Interprets SATA, analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Fluent and proficient in writing and speaking at least two of the following languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, Bahasa, Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesian, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese/ 1 year experience of working in a similar role

No.

PARK, SAE BYEOK Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 43.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

LOW CHEE KEEN Bi-lingual Speaking Data Analyst Executive 34.

Brief Job Description: Interprets SATA, analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

TONY KHO Bi-lingual Speaking Data Analyst Executive 35.

Brief Job Description: Interprets SATA, analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

LEONG TECK KEONG Bi-lingual Speaking Data Analyst Officer 36.

Brief Job Description: Interprets data, analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

44.

NG CHEE KEONG Bi-lingual Speaking Data Analyst Officer 37.

Brief Job Description: Interprets data, analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

45.

CHEW QING XIAN Bi-lingual Speaking Junior Accountant

38.

Brief Job Description: Maintains general ledger accounts by reconciling accounts receivable detail and control accounts, adjust entries for amortization prepaid, analyzes and reconciles retainage and accounts payable ledgers, prepares fixed asset depreciation and accruals

46.

47.

Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas

LI, DEQIAN Marketing And Sales Agent 40.

Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas.

48.

41.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking.

SEINT SEINT HTET Chinese Speaking Admin Financial Officer 49.

42.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services.

TAN WEI SHEN Chinese Speaking Admin Financial Officer 50.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services.

Basic Qualification: Can contributes information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies; can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can contributes information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies; can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.

51.

ZHAO, YUN Chinese Speaking Admin Financial Officer 52.

Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

No.

57.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

ZAVODNY, JIRI Crm Lifecycle Analyst 58.

59.

60.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services.

CHEN, YUNYI Chinese Speaking Customer Financial Officer 53.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services.

EI EI MON Chinese Speaking Customer Financial Officer 54.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services.

NI LAR AUNG Chinese Speaking Customer Financial Officer 55.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services.

VO THI THU HIEN Chinese Speaking Customer Financial Officer 56.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Must have SQI knowledge managerial and project management experience Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Must have experience financial lending business lending a team technical background, project management experience, proactive ownership of resemble area Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Brief Job Description: Determine staffing requirements and interview, hire and train new employees or oversee those personnel process.

Basic Qualification: College graduate, at least 18 years old and can speak Chinese language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

JIU ZHOU TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. 31/f Tower 6789, 6789 Ayala Avenue, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

HSU, ZI-XIANG Chinese Customer Service Representative 61.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for. Fluent to Chinese Mandarin is an advantage Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

KE, CHEN-HAN Chinese Customer Service Representative 62.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent n Chinese Mandarin is an advantage. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

YEN, HSIAO-CHI Chinese Customer Service Representative 63.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service queries; suggesting information about other products and services.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for; fluent in chines/mandarin is an advantage. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: CRM System campaign management and Dialer team support and development, operational support call center and other system in CRM

SONG, WENLEI Chinese Language Operations Manager

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Basic Qualification: Proficient in Chinese language.

INNOVATIAL INC. 32a Rufino Pacific Tower, 6784 Ayala Ave. Cor V.a Rufino St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

Brief Job Description: Prepare and maintain customer journey reporting. On regular basis , analyst and suggest potential improvements of customer

KUTA, MIROSLAV Head Of Crm Systems Processes & Projects

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

Brief Job Description: Develop innovative marketing programs that drive demand, strong revenues and help to build the happy foot spa.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

HC CONSUMER FINANCE PHILIPPINES, INC. 15th Floor, Ore Central, 9th Ave. Cor 31st. Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION PAN, CHANGLIANG Chinese Marketing Manager

CHEN, SHIH-LONG Chinese Technical Support Representative

64.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent n Chinese Mandarin is an advantage.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for. Fluent to Chinese Mandarin is an advantage

SAE SONG, NUALCHAN Thai Customer Service Representative 65.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 K.B.C. DREAM TRAVEL AND IMMIGRATION CONSULTANCY CORPORATION (K.B.C. TRAVEL AND IMMIGRATION CONSULTANCY) U-ug02 Cityland 8 Condo., 98 Sen Gil Puyat Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati

GRAND PREMIUM CREST HOLDING INC. 16/f Tower 6789, 6789 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services.

A13

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

GRAND EVEREST HOLDING INC. 16/f Tower 6789, 6789 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

JANG, YONGMIN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking.

THOONG SENH KIN Chinese Speaking Admin Financial Officer

GLOBALLGA BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING, OPC Ground Level, Level 2-5 Floor, Silver City 4, Ortigas East, Ugong, City Of Pasig DANG THU TRANG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking.

ZHENG, SUNQUAN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503, Nueva St., Barangay 289, Binondo, City Of Manila

39.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking.

THONG MY DICH Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

CHEN CHOON MENG Marketing And Sales Agent

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking.

SUTOSO Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent and proficient in writing and speaking at least two of the following languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, Bahasa, Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesian, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese/ 1 year experience of working in a similar role

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking.

SONG, SEUNG SUB Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking.

SHANGGUAN, JINMING Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Saturday, August 6, 2022

CHAN, CHIH-NI Visa Consultant Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

66.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

LI, CHAO Visa Consultant

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

67.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

HAPPY FOOT SPA INC. G23 G/f Aseana Business Park Bradco Avenue Corp., Macapagal Boulevard, Baclaran, City Of Parañaque

Brief Job Description: Responsible that all the information from the Chinese, Vietnamese and Taiwanese client to local documentation officer are correct; responsible to follow up local liaison officer of all immigration issues and operations remaining up to date with any changes to legislation and overseeing all the aspects involved in processing a visa and immigration services

LI, CHENG-HUNG a.k.a. LI, HAO-WEI Visa Consultant

68.

Basic Qualification: Preferably 6 Months -1 Year as Visa Consultant; Fluent in Mandarin or Vietnam and English Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

A14 A6 Saturday, August 6, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION PANG, CONGCONG Visa Consultant

69.

70.

71.

72.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Preferably 6 Months -1 Year as Visa Consultant; Fluent in Mandarin or Vietnam and English Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

73.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to perform tasks with due care, skill and judgement.

QIU, YINGMIN Sales Consultant 81.

74.

Brief Job Description: Physically fit & has experience in coaching.

Basic Qualification: Preferably 6 Months -1 Year as Visa Consultant; Fluent in Mandarin or Vietnam and English Language

82.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Preferably 6 Months -1 Year as Visa Consultant; Fluent in Mandarin or Vietnam and English Language

84.

85.

75.

Brief Job Description: Customer service representative to manage customer queries and complaints.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 PARK, SANGMIN Customer Service Representative

76.

Brief Job Description: Customer service representative to manage customer queries and complaints.

Basic Qualification: Must be bachelor’s / college degree in any fields, at least 2 yrs. Of working experience in the related positions, ability to maintain high level of confidentiality

86.

HEO, SEONGSU Technical Support Specialist 77.

Brief Job Description: Skilled candidates with excellent interpersonal skills for the technical support position.

87.

FUJITA, KAZUYA Country Representative 78.

Brief Job Description: To act as the headquarters’ representative and oversee the investment and financial management of the Philippine business.

Basic Qualification: With proven track record demonstrating their understanding and business acumen in interpreting and handling a Japanese Accounting system §Experience in country-level supervision of a multicultural working environment is a must§With excellent knowledge base of the country/region and good people management skills. Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

88.

79.

Brief Job Description: To guide clients through all procedures required and responsible for furnishing clients with relevant information

LIN, WEIMING Marketing Specialist 80.

Brief Job Description: To guide clients through all procedures required and responsible for furnishing clients with relevant information

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, Excellent Communication skill verbal or written

89.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

XIONG, GONG Chinese Speaking Program Designer 90.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

YANG, CHAOYIN Chinese Speaking Program Designer 91.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

YANG, JINGJING Chinese Speaking Program Designer 92.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

ZHONG, LINWEI Chinese Speaking Program Designer 93.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, Excellent Communication skill verbal or written

No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION MA, WENLONG Chinese Customer Service

98.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read and Write Chinese Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

SHEN, YING Chinese Customer Service 99.

CAI, FAN Chinese Customer Service 94.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents. DUAN, BO Chinese Customer Service

95.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

100.

Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

101.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

96.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents

LIU, ZHENDUO Chinese Customer Service 97.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

XIAO, FENGMU Chinese Customer Service 102.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

XIE, PENGFEI Chinese Customer Service 103.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

104.

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

105.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

ZHU, JIAN Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

YAO, YINZHI Chinese Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

LEEPAOXIONG, TONGSI Customer Service Representative 106.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NGWAR MA WOO Myanmari Customer Service 107.

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

108.

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

WAN SONE FONE Myanmari Customer Service 109.

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language)

Basic Qualification: College Graduate, Preferably 1 Year Experience in the Similar Field, Speaks and Write Fluently (Native Language)

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

SAI PAN LYAN SENG Myanmari Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 LIANG, PENGCHENG Chinese Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

WANG, YANG Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written.

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

SU, ZHIWEN Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th/f, Pearl Marina Building Pacific Drive, Don Galo, City Of Parañaque

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, Excellent Communication skill verbal or written

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

XIAO, ZHONGSHEN Chinese Speaking Program Designer

MCP BUSINESS CONSULTANCY INC. Gmf Bldg., Unit B Armstrong Avenue Cor., Yosemite Subd.,, Moonwalk, City Of Parañaque WANG, SHAOXIONG Management Consultant

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

WANG, YANG Chinese Speaking Program Designer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 MARIMO PHILIPPINE HOLDINGS, INC. Unit 2907, 28/f World Plaza Penthouse, 5th Ave. Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

KAREN YONG CHENG YEE Chinese Speaking Program Designer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be bachelor’s / college degree in any fields, at least 2 yrs. Of working experience in the related positions, ability to maintain high level of confidentiality

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services.

HUANG, SHIXUAN Chinese Speaking Graphic Designer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Must be bachelor’s / college degree in any fields, at least 2 yrs. Of working experience in the related positions, ability to maintain high level of confidentiality

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services.

LI, WEIXI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

Basic Qualification: Experience with telecommunication design.

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in operating of cutting machines.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services.

DONG, SUNAN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

ANSELL KENNARDO Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 83.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

NEO INCORPORATED North Tower Centrum Bldg., Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City, Baclaran, City Of Parañaque

MAGKING SERVICES CORPORATION Unit 5d Rose Industries Bldg., #11, Pioneer Street, Kapitolyo, City Of Pasig

AHN, JEHONG Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: To guide clients through all procedures required and responsible for furnishing clients with relevant information

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower, C4 Rd. Edsa Ext., Barangay 76, Pasay City

LEARN AND TRAIN SPORTS ACADEMY INC. No. 2&3, V&o., Bldg., Don Bosco St., Bangkal, City Of Makati LI, YE Head Coach

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

SAI SHAI NAW PHA Burmese Customer Service Representative

LANCESOFT PHILIPPINES LIMITED INC. Unit 4c And D 4th Floor Commerce & Industry Plaza Building, Mckinley Town Center, Mckinley Hill, Pinagsama, City Of Taguig IRWAN SIDABUTAR Regional Project Manager

No.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

YAN CHAUK Myanmari Customer Service 110.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate, Preferably 1 Year Experience in the Similar Field, Speaks and Write Fluently (Native Language) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NGUYEN VAN MANH Vietnamese Customer Service 111.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate, preferably 1 year Chinese customer service experience in the similar field, must be fluent in mandarin and English written and orally. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate, preferably 1 year Chinese customer service experience in the similar field, must be fluent in mandarin and English written and orally. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate, preferably 1 year Chinese customer service experience in the similar field, must be fluent in mandarin and English written and orally. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate, preferably 1 year Chinese customer service experience in the similar field, speaks and write fluently. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate, preferably 1 year Chinese customer service experience in the similar field, must be fluent in mandarin and English written and orally. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate, preferably 1 year Chinese customer service experience in the similar field, must be fluent in mandarin and English written and orally. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate, preferably 1 year Chinese customer service experience in the similar field, must be fluent in mandarin and English written and orally. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION NGUYEN VAN QUY Vietnamese Customer Service

112.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

PHAM XUAN HUNG Vietnamese Customer Service 113.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

QUANG DUC HIEU Vietnamese Customer Service 114.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

HUANG, BAOFENG Project Coordinator 124.

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

Brief Job Description: Plan, organize, and direct the activities of a construction project, under the direction of a general manager

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

JIAO, BIN Project Coordinator 125.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Plan, organize, and direct the activities of a construction project, under the direction of a general manager

NOONA BUSINESS CONSULTING SERVICES INC. 10th & 31st Floor Ore Central Tower, 9th Ave. Cor. 31st St., Bgc, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig CHEN, EN-CHING Mandarin Human Resource Officer 115.

Brief Job Description: Delivery of relevant hr administrative or operational activities. WEI, TIEN-HSIANG a.k.a. MASON WEI Mandarin Human Resource Officer

116.

Brief Job Description: Delivery of relevant hr administrative or operational activities.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in mandarin

LIU, BO Project Coordinator 126.

Brief Job Description: Plan, organize, and direct the activities of a construction project, under the direction of a general manager

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

117.

Brief Job Description: Head hunting, Drawing up Short-Lists and making arrangements for the advertisement of vacancies.

Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills in Mandarin, At least 6 months work related experience Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

QIN, HONGTAO Project Coordinator 127.

PROCTER & GAMBLE PHILIPPINES, INC. 10f Seven/neo, 5th Ave., Crescent Park West, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

118.

119.

HASHIM, JAFFAR ALI Brand Director Category Delivery Baby Care And Feminine Care

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

ABBAS, AMNA ZEHRA Brand Director Category Delivery Personal Care And Cleansing

Basic Qualification: 4 years experience in a multinational FMCG industry.

Brief Job Description: Lead a team of brand managers and coaching of multi-functional team.

Brief Job Description: Plan, organize, and direct the activities of a construction project, under the direction of a general manager

QIU, YUXIANG Project Coordinator 128.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Brief Job Description: Plan, organize, and direct the activities of a construction project, under the direction of a general manager

120.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for overall performance of the Philippines business. As the business leader and face of SAP Philippines, the managing director will be responsible for achieving the business targets and engaging with key stakeholders across customers, partners, and press/media.

Basic Qualification: Minimum of 15 years’ experience in a large, multi-national software / technology / consulting organization - developing and executing business plans and programs; proven track record in sales and sales management; experience in managing a considerable amount of people, especially in a matrix organization.

SU, ZHIHUA Project Coordinator 129.

Brief Job Description: Plan, organize, and direct the activities of a construction project, under the direction of a general manager

SPI TECHNOLOGIES, INC. Pitc Bldg., Pascor Drive, Sto. Nino, City Of Parañaque

121.

Brief Job Description: Monitor and ensures that the company targets and client requirements are met spearheads new process improvement initiatives/projects in production.

Basic Qualification: Candidate must possess at least bachelor’s / college degree in any field. Preferably in Administration. Must have at least 5 year work experience in a managerial/ director level from similarity

WU, KUN Project Coordinator 130.

Brief Job Description: Plan, organize, and direct the activities of a construction project, under the direction of a general manager

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in business or related field of study; Competency in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, and Outlook; Knowledge of file management, transcription, and other administrative procedures. Or a related field; Good communication and interpersonal skills

YANG, QUANHUI Project Coordinator 131.

Brief Job Description: Plan, organize, and direct the activities of a construction project, under the direction of a general manager

123.

Brief Job Description: Plan, organize, and direct the activities of a construction project, under the direction of a general manager

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

HU, XINGWANG Project Coordinator

133.

ZHANG, DEXUAN Project Coordinator 132.

Brief Job Description: Plan, organize, and direct the activities of a construction project, under the direction of a general manager

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, writing & reading; candidate should have a minimum 2+years’ experience in the same field.

Brief Job Description: Support the end to end project director in defining the project team, project scope, goals and deliverables that support business goals in collaboration with senior management and stakeholders.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

TONY & JACKEY BEAUTY SALON CORP. 2/f Zen Bldg., 647 Nakpil St., 076, Barangay 697, Malate, City Of Manila Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading & writing hangul (native language)

IM, SEUNGMAN Hair Stylist 134.

Brief Job Description: Provide an excellent service to customer within the salon environment.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

VARASOL INC. Lower Ground Flr., Z Square Mall Del Monte Ave., Manresa, Quezon City BADSHAH, MUHAMMAD KAMAL Sales And Marketing Executive 135.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in marketing business

Brief Job Description: Sales and marketing executives research and develop marketing and sales strategies for a company. Their job is to drive sales by designing and implementing targeted marketing strategies.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

WANFANG TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT, INC. 6-9/f Tower 2 Double Dragon Plaza, Edsa Cor. Macapagal Ave., Barangay 76, Pasay City

NONG THI XANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 136.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services

VU NGOC LINH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 137.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Chinese Mandarin, English and their respective native language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Chinese Mandarin, English and their respective native language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

WIPRO PHILIPPINES, INC. 7th Floor Eton Centris Building, Edsa, Corner Quezon Avenue, Quezon City NAMA, VIJAY Project Manager

138.

Brief Job Description: “1. Contribute to process change and redesign; form a strong basic understanding of the specific product or process associated with a project under management. 2. Creation and maintenance of relevant project artefacts (project plans, project charters, risk and issues logs, etc.)”

Basic Qualification: “1. Graduate of Bachelor of Engineering 2. With 10 years relevant experiene” Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

XIAN ELECTRIC ENGINEERING COMPANY LIMITED PHILIPPINES BRANCH 2204 22/f The Podium West Tower, 12 Adv Avenue W Ortigas, Wack-wack Greenhills, City Of Mandaluyong

139.

140.

141.

142.

STC BUILDERS AND DEVELOPMENT CORP. 38 Atok St., 1, Santo Domingo, Quezon City

122.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

SCHULZ, DALE JOHN Consultant

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

HONG, XINGLONG Project Coordinator

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

TENMAN PROJECT MANAGEMENT INC. Unit 805-808 The One Executive Office Bldg., #5 West Ave., Nayong Kanluran, Quezon City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

SUBRAMANIAM, LATHA Associate Vice President-operations

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

SAP PHILIPPINES, INC. 27/f Nac Tower, 32nd St., Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

ABRAHAMS, RUDY President And Country Managing Director Philippines

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: 6 years of experience in multinational FMCG industry.

Brief Job Description: Lead marketing activities for paper category.

No.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

OUTWIT, INC. 2/f Marvin Plaza, 2153 Chino Roces Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati WEI, SIOU-SYUAN Mandarin Speaking Hr Supervisor

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in mandarin

A15

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Saturday, August 6, 2022

FU, YALEI Chinese Project Manager Brief Job Description: Planning and defining scope of the project

HU, KE Chinese Project Manager Brief Job Description: Planning and defining scope of the project

LIU, CHUANG Chinese Project Manager Brief Job Description: Planning and defining scope of the project

YU, YANG Chinese Project Manager Brief Job Description: Planning and defining scope of the project

Basic Qualification: Demonstrable Experience in Marketing Together With the Potential and Attitude Required to Learn Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Demonstrable Experience in Marketing Together With the Potential and Attitude Required to Learn Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Demonstrable Experience in Marketing Together With the Potential and Attitude Required to Learn Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Demonstrable Experience in Marketing Together With the Potential and Attitude Required to Learn Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

APO CEMENT CORPORATION SOLID CEMENT CORPORATION BEDROCK HOLDINGS, INC. EDGEWATER VENTURES CORPORATION TRIPPLE DIME HOLDINGS, INC. SANDSTONE STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC.

143.

FRANCO CARILLO, LUIS GUILLERMO President & Chief Executive Officer *Date Generated: Aug 5, 2022

Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE National Capital Region located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication. Please inform DOLE National Capital Region if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

PAL flies PHL para athletes to Indonesia

HILIPPINE Airlines mounted a special flight to Surakarta, Indonesia, last July 26 to transport Team Philippines to the 11th Asean Para Games. PAL flight PR8541 to Surakarta’s Adi Soemarmo Airport, flown with an Airbus A321CEO jetliner, carried the para athletes with their coaches, secretariat and officers of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Philippine Paralympic Committee. “Thank you so much,” said Walter Torres, Team Philippines’s chef de Mission to the games and PPC secretary general. “This is indeed a milestone not only for us but for PAL as well.” The special PAL service is a firstof-its-kind charter utilizing an entire aircraft for such a mission involving specialized care and handling. The task was achieved through the concerted action of various operational, commercial and customer service teams within PAL to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants with their varying needs and concerns.

OBIENA

Obiena has an eye on ‘6.0’ in Poland

By Josef Ramos

RNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA returns to action on Saturday in the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial—ninth leg of the Diamond League—at the Stadion Slaski in Chorzow, Poland, under two weeks after he bagged a historic bronze at the world championships in Oregon. Obiena told BusinessMirror on Friday that he’s prepared to achieve greater height in his pole vaulting journey. “I have been training since I returned here in Formia [Italy]. I am here in Poland to achieve a greater height in my pole vault journey,” said the 26-year-old Obiena who also reset his Asian men’s record with a 5.94-meter leap at the Eugene worlds. The two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist said Chorzow won’t not be an easy task. “It’s going to be a star-studded line-up. I will again try,” said Obiena of the Poland event where he aims to achieve the so-called Holy Grail of pole vaulting—clear 6.0 meters “I believe everything is still doable and possible or should I say bound to happen when it comes to the competition.” World record holder Armand Duplantis, Rio 2016 Olympics gold medalist Thiago Braz da Silva and American Christopher Nilsen are on the star-studded roster in Chorzow. Obiena thanked his trainer, legendary Ukranian Vitaly Petrov, for keeping him even though there’s no longer in the employ of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) following the non-renewal of his contract with the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association. “I am very, very appreciative of my long-time trainer, it’s a very selfless act. He is assisting me up to now,” Obiena said. “I cannot imagine myself without him on my side. I cannot do this without Vitaly. More than half of that bronze in the worlds is because of him.” Petrov was Brazil and China’s official trainer in Eugene, but attended to Obiena once in a while. “He’s very happy at first, but he reminded me there’s a lot of things to do and there’s a lot of things to change,” Obiena said. The Tokyo Olympian Obiena will proceed to Hungary for the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix in Szekesfehervar on Monday where he’ll again face the world’s elite. “All those champions will be present again in Hungary,” Obiena said.

Sports

POC hails Filipino bets in Surakarta

BusinessMirror

A16 | S

aturday, August 6, 2022 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

ARIEL JOSEPH ALEGARBES swims to the butterfly gold medal earlier this week.

SWIMMERS KEEP SCOOPING GOLDS

URAKARTA, Indonesia— The prolific Filipino swimmers sustained their winning drive Friday by adding three more gold medals with rookie Ariel Joseph Alegarbes sweeping his three events in another meet record fashion in the 11th Asean Para Games at the Jatadiri Sports Complex in Semarang. Alegarbes took off like a torpedo in ruling the men’s 50-meter freestyle S14 race in 25.74 seconds for his third straight gold medal, duplicating the feat of female teammate Angel Otom last Thursday in the stint supported by the Philippine Sports Commission. Fellow newcomer Marco Tinamisan sustained his sweet performance with his second straight gold medal while Gary Bejino finally scored a breakthrough after two

runner-up finishes in capturing his first in the swimming competition. Tinamisan bagged gold in the 100-meter freestyle S3 event in 1:54.15 while Tokyo Paralympic veteran Bejino ruled the men’s 100-meter freestyle S6 race in 1:13.80 to raise the para swimming team’s gold total haul to 12. The para athletes, who surpassed their golden haul of 20 in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur edition after their sweep of the men’s chess P1 individual and team events last Thursday afternoon, hiked their output to 24 golds, 23 silvers and 43 bronzes with swimming’s latest contribution. They have already exceeded the previous tally of 20 gold, 20 silver and 29 bronze medals the country won in the Malaysian capital five years ago, and, if the 11th edition of the games’

official web site is to be followed, would place the campaigners in fourth overall. The present web site tally shows Malaysia precariously holding to the fourth place with a tally of 24-13-5. Philippine Paralympic Committee president Mike Barredo, who is back in Manila, credited this sterling showing to the late President Fidel V. Ramos, who had urged Barredo to form the para sports group way back in 1996, which was then known as the Philippine Sports Association of Differently-abled Athletes. “It was FVR (Ramos’s popular initials) who initiated the formation of the para movement in the country so we pay our tribute to the late President in offering the showing of our athletes in the 11th ASEAN Para Games in Indonesia to him,” he said.

“This is totally unexpected but once again I thank my father Abner for introducing me to swimming so I could overcome my asthma as a young boy,” said Alegarbes, who also won gold and silver medal in the Asian Youth Para Games in Manama, Bahrain last December. Among those contributing silvers to the Philippine campaign were Marcelo Burgos and Angelo Manangdang, who were seeing action in their first international tournament, in the men’s compound doubles in archery and Andrew Kevin Arandia in the men’s singles event Class 9 of table tennis. Thailand buried the Philippines in a hail of triples on the way to a 87-36 romp in capturing the men’s wheelchair 5x5 basketball gold at the GOR Sritex Arena.

HE Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) hailed the Filipino athletes competing at the 11th Asean Para Games in Surakarta, Indonesia, for having performed beyond expectations and have now surpassed the medal harvest of a team that saw action in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur edition. POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Friday, “With still a day left in the games, they’ll be returning home proud for having set a new Philippine standard in the Asean Para Games.” Sander Severino bagged four gold medals in chess—the most by any of the 144 Filipino athletes sent to Surakarta—to lead a 24-gold Philippine haul. Swimmers Angel Otom and Ariel Alegarbes won three gold medals each while veteran Ernie Gawilan led a list of double gold medalists for Team Philippines which also bagged 23 silver and 43 bronze medals—also surpassing the 20 silvers and 29 bronzes hauled in 2017. “The para athletes performed so well despite the fact that for more than two years during the pandemic, they didn’t see action in any major international competition,” Tolentino said. “They kept their focus and determination while making themselves physically ready by training well in a bubble environment.” The Philippines ran fifth in the medals race as of noon on Friday with host Indonesia on its way to retaining the overall title with a 115-83-65 gold-silver-bronze tally, followed by Thailand (61-75-49), Vietnam (53-4433) and Malaysia (24-13-5). Team Philippines was poised to keep fifth spot on the board with Cambodia a far sixth with 10 golds, six silvers and nine bronze medals.

Pacquiao Jr. beats American in amateur fight in California

ON’T look now but boxing icon Manny Pacquiao’s son, Emmanuel Jimuel Jr., has shown seriousness to follow his legendary dad’s footsteps and, perhaps eventually, winning ways. The 21-year-old Jimuel is now 6-2 won-lost in his budding amateur career after he beat American Dylan Merriken via unanimous decision in a threeround junior welterweight bout at the

Quiet Conference and Event Centre in Montebello, California, on Friday. The young Pacquiao, who fought and won with his mom Jinkee and sisters Mary Divine Grace and Queen Elizabeth in attendance, gave his 18-year-old rival some power-packed punches in all three rounds sending him to his first loss in two bouts. “He’s improving overall. He’s a power puncher left and right,” Jimuel’s trainer

Marvin Somodio told BusinessMirror via Internet call. “He is becoming to be a more tactical fighter than before and his defense is also good.” Somodio revealed that Jimuel Pacquiao is focused at becoming a professional fighter just like his father. “It’s not advisable to put Jimuel in amateur training or fight the best amateurs because his true focus is becoming a complete professional

Red Warriors on a roll in preseason hoops

FTER three years going winless, University of the East now has scored backto-back victories in the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup following the Red Warriors’ 75-64 triumph over the shorthanded Mapua University Cardinals on Friday at Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan. Last Wednesday, the Red Warriors barged into the win column for the first time since October 2019 at the expense of the Arellano University Chiefs, 58-50. They sustained their momentum and morale with Calvin Payawal firing 16 points built on four triples

Spotlight on youngsters in Ironkids

and Onzo Lorenzana contributing 12 points against the Cardinals. They joined forces in a 17-6 run that turned a 31-27 lead midway the second quarter into a 48-33 advantage at half time. “It was a rough start for me, but my teammates kept picking me up,” said the one-and-done forward Payawal, who scattered five points while Lorenzana got six points in that run. “Because of them, I was able to get as many baskets as I could.” The Cardinals, even without several of the core that played in the previous National Collegiate

OUNGSTERS take center stage ahead of the iron-willed men of endurance racing as they clash for top honors in four age-group divisions in the Ironkids Philippines reeling off Saturday at The Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. A total cast of 222 sets out for the swim-bike-run competition over varying distances in each race category of the junior version of the Ironman, all eager and ready to get going after being sidelined for a long while due to pandemic. The centerpiece 13-14 class drew 54 entries, including 37 boys, in a race set over a race program of 400 meters swim, 12 kms bike and 3 kms run. The 6-8 group will be held over a 100-meter swim, 2-km bike and 1-km run distance; the 9-10 bracket will feature a 200-meter swim, 6-km bike and 1.5-km run; and the 11-12 category is set over a 400-meter swim, 6-km bike and 2-km run course. Action starts at 5 a.m. for the transition open and race briefing with

Athletic Association Finals, cut the deficit to three, 55-58, late in the third period before Abdul Sawat tallied six points in UE’s 11-4 response that gave the Red Warriors a 69-59 breather inside the last five minutes. Sawat wound up with an allaround 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals to help the Red Warriors hike their record to 2-3 in Group A. “A win is a win. You see the lineup of the other team, I believe we had an advantage in today’s game,” UE head coach Jack Santiago said. “But our main focus why we the 13-14 category firing off at 6 a.m. to be followed by the 11-12 side at 6:40 a.m., the 9-10 group at 7:20 a.m. and the 6-8 division at 8 a.m., according to the organizing The Ironman Group/Sunrise Events Inc. The 11-12 side includes 25 boys and 20 girls while 40 participants mix it up for the 9-10 trophy, including 23 girls. The 6-8 field features 14 boys and 15 girls. For details visit http://ironkidsphil.com/site/ or social-media accounts ironkidsphil on Facebook and Instagram. More than 2,000 entries from 46 nations are all primed for the Megaworld Ironman 70.3 Philippines presented by AIA Vitality unwrapping tomorrow, also at The Mactan Newtown, where the stakes are high and the test a lot tougher than past staging given a new, refreshed 1.9-km swim, 90-km bike and 21-k run racecourse. That includes the bike route featuring the country’s newest longest bridge (the Cebu-Cordova Link

THE Ironkids participants show their competition numbers as they pose with the Sinulog queen on the eve of the event at The Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

boxer someday,” said Somodio, adding that Jimuel’s next fight could be in September. Jimuel has been training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles for more than a year. MP Promotions President and International matchmaker Sean Gibbons and former world champion Mark Magsayo also watched the fight. Josef Ramos joined is to perfect our timing.” Mapua remained winless after three games as the Cardinals continued to miss the services of Toby Agustin, Warren Bonifacio and Bryan Lacap. First-year player Ivan Cudiamat led the Cardinals with 16 points and six rebounds. College of Saint Benilde got back on track after jumping University of Perpetual Help, 91-78, while Steve Nash Enriquez and LA Casinillo outdueled Jerom Lastimosa and Joem Sabandal as National University defeated Adamson University, 63-57, also on Friday. San Sebastian College-Recoletos barged into the win column courtesy of a come-from-behind 79-73 victory over winless San Beda University. Expressway, an 8.9 km toll bridge freeway in Metro Cebu linking the city and Cordova. Spicing up the weekend of fun and bonding in a shared experience is the IRONKIDS relay competition, which features the 6-10 category set over 100-m swim, 3-km bike and 1-m run, and the 11-14 age division to be disputed over 200-m swim, 6-km bike and 1.5-km run. The 6-10 side has six teams while 12 squads are clashing for top honors in the 11-14 division of the event long considered as the spawning ground of triathlon talents. The relay events will start at 7:20 a.m. with the awards rites set at 8:30 a.m. The Ironkids has served as a side event to the Ironman series for years with the event not only contributing to the growth of the sport but also ensuring the steady flow of talents. It has also encouraged the children to have an active lifestyle and develop values like discipline, sportsmanship and respect for others and at the same time preventing gadget addiction among them.

EMMANUEL “JIMUEL” PACQUIAO JR. is a proud winner with his mom Jinkee.

AYO

Ayo resigns from ‘Chooks’

LDIN AYO has resigned from his post as head trainer of Chooksto-Go Pilipinas 3x3 saying he made the decision “with a heavy heart.” The 44-year-old coach said that he has to take care of his mother who has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Ayo is an only child, hence his desire to be with his mother and devote his time and attention to her. “It was a tough decision to leave Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas but I need to be on my mom’s side in the battle that she is facing,” said Ayo about his 69-year-old mom. “I’m very grateful to Bounty Agro Ventures Inc. and Boss Ronald Mascariñas for giving me the opportunity to train and coach the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 national team and to represent the country through the sport we love most,” he said.” I’m forever grateful.” Ayo replaced Eric Altamirano as the head trainer of the team in November 2020. Under his watch, he led the team to victory in the 2022 Chooks-to-Go FIBA 3x3 Super Quest, the country’s first title in the pro circuit since 2014. “We are thankful for the service of Coach Aldin Ayo not just to our teams but also to our organization. He brought a lot of changes to the way our team was run,” Mascariñas said. “Coach Aldin will always be family to us and we will be here for him and his family in these trying times.” Chico Lanete will be the interim head coach of the team.