BusinessMirror August 07, 2021 by BusinessMirror

By Jun Lomibao

CARLO PAALAM’S fists are all geared up for the most important fight of his life. AP

OKYO—What Hidilyn Diaz accomplished in weightlifting at the start of the Tokyo Olympics, Carlo Paalam aims to match with similar emphatic flourish in boxing on the penultimate day Saturday of the Games that looked headed to surviving the Covid-19 pandemic with aplomb. Standing between the gold and Paalam, a 23-year-old warrior from Cagayan de Oro City who as a child had to scavenge to help his family make ends meet, is a boxer from Great Britain, Galal Yafai. Paalam and Yafai square off in

the first bout at 2 p.m. on the final day of boxing competitions at the Kokugikan Arena. A victory by Paalam would mean a second gold medal and the best-ever performance by the Philippines in the Olympics since it took part in the Games close to a century ago in Paris in 1924. “Maybe one, maybe two…,” so said Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino when asked ahead of the Tokyo Olympics on how many gold medals the 19-athlete Team Philippines is capable of bringing home. Paalam is all harnessed up to

make it two gold medals, his fists staying lethal after punishing four opponents—including Rio 2016 Olympics champion Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan—and ready to make Yafai an unwilling victim toward his quest for sporting glory. “I am asking all Filipinos to help me pray, for me to be able to do my utmost best,” Paalam said. “I have no control over the judges’ decision, and my opponent is as prepared as I am, and could be better than I am. But help me build more trust and confidence in myself as I fight the biggest fight of my boxing career.” Olympics stories in Sports A12

TOKYO OLYMPICS MEDAL COUNT RANK

TEAM/NOC

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

TOTAL

People’s Republic of China

United States of America

Japan

Great Britain

Australia

Russian Olympic Committee

Germany

Italy

Netherlands

France

Philippines

ROTARY CLUB OF MANILA JOURNALISM AWARDS

SOURCE: OLYMPICS.COM | AS OF AUGUST 6, 2021 6:51 PM

Paalam in harness to bag 2nd gold in Tokyo

EJAP JOURNALISM AWARDS

2006 National Newspaper of the Year 2011 National Newspaper of the Year 2013 Business Newspaper of the Year 2017 Business Newspaper of the Year 2019 Business Newspaper of the Year

BUSINESS NEWS SOURCE OF THE YEAR (2017, 2018, 2019)

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

2018 BANTOG MEDIA AWARDS

PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY

DATA CHAMPION

RISING ‘STAR’ IN THE SOUTH www.businessmirror.com.ph

A broader look at today’s business n

Saturday, August 7, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 297

P25.00 nationwide | 28 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK

BARMM asserts it has risen from the doldrums as one of the top economic performers in Muslim Mindanao

BARMM Areas Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Basilan Sulu Tawi-Tawi

COTABATO City, an independent component city in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao GOOGLE EARTH

By Manuel T. Cayon | Mindanao Bureau Chief

HAT used to be the perennial tailender has logged in surprising numbers to join the lead pack in economic growth in Mindanao.

Yes, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), a region where some of the country’s poorest provinces belong, “continues to advance its economic performance and remain resilient despite the crisis posed by the Covid-19 pandemic,” BARMM’s information office reported recently. The improvement in economic marks also happened, it noted, “despite the bureaucratic challenges hurdled by the interim

regional government amid the transition period.” Nothing is more rewarding than to see the economic growth unfolding for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the caretaker organization of the regional government. The MILF was just repositioning itself from revolution to reformation, to assume its responsibility in the peace agreement it struck with government to bring economic relief, at the very least, to people of the

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 50.0120

region, impoverished for decades by conflict, discrimination and lack of economic opportunity.

The numbers

THE MILF admits to the taxing and demanding tasks since the BARMM was formally constituted from the former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao two years ago, and found itself immediately confronted by administrative concerns and processes in order to address a public health emergency instead, as the Covid-19 pandemic hit Philippine shores. “While the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament initially suspended its sessions during the advent of the unprecedented Covid-19 last year, it was quick to adapt to alternative methods, utilizing technology to continue its legislative mandates. Several ministries, on the other hand, redirected their operation

and focused on the delivery of essential services,” the BARMM Public Information Office said. The innovation and creativity in governance has apparently borne fruit. Since then, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the BARMM placed second among the regions in Mindanao in terms of gross regional domestic product (GRDP) and gross regional domestic expenditure (GRDE) growth rate in 2019. Similarly, BARMM ranked seventh among the country’s 17 regions when it posted 5.9-percent growth rate in its GRDP. “This milestone was significantly driven by the region’s service sector, which contributed 40.4 percent, followed by agriculture, forestry and fishing (AFF) sector with 34.5 percent growth, and the industry sector with 25.1 percent,” it added. Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4557 n UK 69.6717 n HK 6.4313 n CHINA 7.7406 n SINGAPORE 37.0240 n AUSTRALIA 37.0289 n EU 59.1992 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.3362

Source: BSP (August 6, 2021)

NewsSaturday A2 Saturday, August 7, 2021

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It’s chaos on Wall Street as Delta variant upends return to work By Jenny Surane & Hannah Levitt

Bloomberg News

HE call from Morgan Stanley’s human-resources office went out late Monday: Two vaccinated employees had Covid-19, and workers on the 14th floor of the firm’s Times Square headquarters should stay away until the area could be cleaned. But some staff missed the message and showed up Tuesday morning anyway. Others asked if the company would start mandating masks. For now, the answer was no. After all, you have to be vaccinated to be in the building. The episode, described by a person familiar with the matter, shows the swirl of confusion across Wall Street as banks summon employees back to their towers amid the spread of Covid’s highly transmissible Delta variant. As the mutation shows its ability to jump between vaccinated people, executives are struggling on how to calibrate responses. Across an industry that was already split on returning to work, policies are diverging more than ever. As it stands now, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., the staunchest advocates of restaffing skyscrapers, have largely stuck to their earlier plans after requiring employees to come back most of the time. Morgan Stanley is far more cautious— alone among peers in mandating vaccines to enter offices, and re-

fraining from setting a deadline to return. A growing number of other rivals are delaying deadlines and enacting new safety measures. The fractures reflect two views. Some see little reason to rush back to offices after Wall Streeters proved they can earn outsize profits working from home. But there’s also anxiety in the upper ranks that traders and dealmakers—famous for crosstalk over rows of desks and an endless appetite for meetings—can’t do their jobs remotely forever. “This is an industry where the magic and the energy happens in the office, it happens on the trading floor, it happens in that interface with customers,” said Rose Gailey, a partner and global lead for organization acceleration and culture shaping at Heidrick & Struggles. “It’s one of those line-in-the-sand moments for CEOs. It’s certainly not an easy one.”

New precautions

THAT line has moved a lot in recent days as major firms—BlackRock Inc., Wells Fargo & Co., Citi-

group Inc. and Jefferies Financial Group Inc.—shifted policies after watching the data roll in on Delta’s spread. In the industry’s lower rungs, many people comforted by the ability of vaccines to head off life-threatening illness are still worried about young children or other vulnerable family members at home. On Thursday, news broke that BlackRock and Wells Fargo were pushing back plans for US staff to return to offices by about a month to October. Last week, Citigroup reinstated a mask mandate for US employees, asking them to cover their faces when they’re not at their desks or eating in the cafeteria. And Jefferies, the investment bank that lost its chief financial officer to complications from the virus early in the pandemic, told staff to get vaccinated before coming back. “We have been hearing from many of you about your concerns for safety and health,” Jefferies Chief Executive Officer Richard Handler and President Brian Friedman told employees in a memo on July 29. “And we have concluded that the best strategy for now is to only allow into Jefferies’ offices people who are fully vaccinated.” The delta variant almost certainly contributed to the 40 cases of Covid detected among staff, including two short hospitalizations, during the month, the pair wrote.

Solomon, Dimon

GOLDMAN Sachs CEO David Solomon and JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon have yet to budge. While both banks require staffers to share their vaccination status, neither

MORGAN Stanley headquarters in New York JEENAH MOON/BLOOMBERG

firm forces workers to get the shot. The companies still let vaccinated staff walk around their towers maskless, though JPMorgan has been considering changing that policy, according to people familiar with the matter. Solomon, 59, and Dimon, 65, both thrive on Wall Street’s culture of in-person meetings, according to people familiar with their management styles. Indeed, Dimon’s fondness for gatherings was on public display this week, as he and senior deputies conducted an annual listening tour, visiting offices across the country. “This branch has to be staffed,” Dimon said in an interview with South Dakota’s SiouxFalls.Business this week, referring to a new

local branch. “The Zoom land, Zoom world, does not work as well for apprenticeships, for teaching, for creative combustion, for management, for idea generation, for learning a lot. It just doesn’t.”

Vaccine opposition

BANK executives also have to weigh the fraught US political landscape as they craft polices. As Dimon’s tour underscores, they have operations in far-flung communities, including some strictly opposed to masks, lockdowns and pressure to get vaccinated. While vaccine hesitancy remains low in Manhattan, it’s common in counties across Montana, Wyoming, Arkansas and Mississippi—states where JPMorgan recently

established a branch presence. Goldman Sachs, for its part, has been looking to build out operations in Texas and Florida—where vaccination rates trail New York. Despite Morgan Stanley’s cautious approach, its handling of the situation this week added to consternation among staffers. CEO James Gorman recently exerted some pressure to come back, saying he would be “very disappointed” if people weren’t there by Labor Day in early September. “If you want to get paid New York rates, you work in New York, none of this ‘I’m in Colorado, working in New York and getting paid like I’m sitting in New York City,’” Gorman said at an investor conference in June. “Sorry, that doesn’t work.”

Rising ‘star’ in the South Continued from A1

Investment attraction

LARGELY laid back and its vast land resources untapped, the BARMM soon maximized its pristine condition to attract multibillion-peso investments in agriculture and energy, to the tune of P5.117 billion, in roughly more than two years of service. Some 3,374 persons found employment here. Among the big-ticket investments were the P306-million pineapple packing plant in Lanao del Sur by the Wao Development Corp. and the P515-million corn plantation in Maguindanao, both in September 2019. This year, the Al Muzafar Agriventure Inc., also known as Amavi Sweet Banana, registered with the RBOI and on April 15 applied for an investment in a banana plantation worth P950 million. And recently, the Ministry of Trade, Investments and Tourism approved the registration of Community Wireless and Power Corp. for an investment project worth P14 million in Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao. The services required to serve these big investments propelled much of the growth in the region. Community self-help organizations also increased. A total of 12,058 registered cooperatives across the region were recorded by the Cooperative and Social Enterprise Authority (CSEA) of the Office of Chief Minister (OCM) as of June 25 this year. Most of the listed types of registered cooperatives were advocacy, agrarian, agriculture, consumer, credit, dairy, education, federation, fishermen, marketing, multipurpose, producer, service, traders, transport, union, and workers.

Agri-fishery sector

THIS sector did not lag behind, even though the PSA stated that BARMM was predominantly agriculture. Regional officials said that despite the imposition of lockdowns and community quarantine restrictions, the “BARMM’s agri-fishery sector continued to sustain supply and provide food on the table.” For one, BARMM’s economic

performance dropped by a small 1.9 percent when the Covid-19 pandemic dampened economic activity. The PSA said the drop was the lowest decline among all 17 regions in the country. “Simply put, BARMM performed relatively well as it was able to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic.” The region’s agriculture sector was able to recoup faster so that by the first quarter last year, palay production had increased to 196,987 metric tons (MT). This was 15.61 percent higher than what it produced over the same period in 2019, at 170,387.50 MT. In the same quarter this year, the region produced a much higher 310,012 MT. The regional government attributed this to government distribution of agricultural inputs, training of local farmers, and expansion of rice areas through model farms. Aquaculture also contributed a little increase, albeit small, by 4 percent, in 2019, and another increase of 1.69 percent in the third quarter of last year. “This shows that for the past two years, the agriculture sector has performed well with the cooperation of the business sector and local government units,” BARMM said.

Islamic banking and Halal industry

THIS autonomous region for Filipino Muslims has set a conducive investment atmosphere for the practice of Islamic banking, a noncollateral banking practice among Islamic countries, after the region was able to include “Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions” in the BARMM under the Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) 2020. President Duterte approved the IPP in November last year. “Only in BARMM will Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions be able to avail of incentives,” the information office added. The same would apply to the Halal industry, an Islamic sanitary and hygienic practice in food preparation, including animal slaughter and meat preparation. The BARMM Ministry of Science and Technology has upgraded the Regional Standard and Ha-

lal Testing Laboratory, a first in the Bangsamoro region, to allay global concerns on quality standards and Halal compliance with various products.

Covid-19 management

SINCE finding itself in the thick of the Covid-19 response—distracted from the main mission of uplifting of the region’s economy—the BARMM’s management of the pandemic has been primarily focused on improving health services, social welfare and development, and strengthening partnerships with local government units. With improved operations of government hospitals nationwide, including those in the BARMM, the autonomous region steered the management at tolerable level, even producing some of the country’s first recoveries from among the senior citizens when treatment was still in the hit-and-miss, or experimental stage. Health Minister Dr. Saffrullah Dipatuan said last year that a 56-year-old and 61-year-old residents of Marawi City were successfully treated at the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in the city and recovered by March last year despite having existing medical conditions. They were some of the country’s first recorded recoveries. The regional government also sent medical supplies to health facilities inside the six recognized camps of the MILF to improve their response to the pandemic. These were the camps in Maguindanao: Camp Rajamuda in General Salipada K. Pendatun, Camp Abubakar in Barira, Camp Badr in Guindulungan and Camp Omar in Datu Hoffer. The others were Camp Bushra Somiorang in Lumbayanague in Lanao del Sur, and Camp Bilal in Munai, Lanao del Norte. Indeed, the tasks ahead are daunting, as the transition to a fully functioning, civilian-driven economic hub and development showcase continues. The peace is fragile, and full decommissioning of former combatants must proceed, albeit slowly. All this, in the shadow of the pandemic. Yet there is no other way to go but proceed down a risk-littered road to development.

News

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

Saturday, August 7, 2021

Export earnings, import payments grow double digits in June–PSA By Cai U. Ordinario

HE country’s export earnings and import payments continued to post double-digit growth in June 2021, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Based on the PSA data released on Friday, export earnings grew 17.6 percent while imports grew 34.2 percent in June 2021. The data also showed that exports grew an average of 20.9 percent while imports grew 29.8 percent in the first six months of the year.

Products By commodit y group, electronic

products continued to be the country’s top export in June 2021 with total earnings of $3.72 billion. It accounted for 57.1 percent of the country’s earnings for June. In the January-to-June period, PSA data showed exports grew 18.5 percent to $20.27 billion in 2021. Export earnings reached $17.1 billion in the same period in 2020. However, commodities that recorded the top 5 fastest growth in June were manufactured fertilizers with a growth of 574.1 percent; Christmas decors, 308.2 percent; and fine jewelry, 269.6 percent. Rounding up the exports with the fastest growth in June were

Telecommunication at 186.5 percent and Other Forest Products at 161.4 percent. In the January-to-June period, the commodity that posted the fastest growth was Christmas decorations with an average growth of 382.4 percent. This was followed by basketworks at 131.2 percent; Medical/Industrial Instrumentation, 130.9 percent; Natural Rubber, 127.3 percent; and Other Forest Products, 120.5 percent.

Imports Meanwhile, in terms of imports, the country’s top export was electronic products with an import value of $2.49 billion or a share of 26.7 percent to the

total imports in June 2021. It grew 18 percent from $2.11 billion in June 2020. In the January-to-June period, the import of electronic products grew 24.3 percent to $14.687 billion in 2021 from $11.818 billion in 2020. However, commodities that recorded the top 5 fastest import growth in June were Artificial Resins with a growth of 153.2 percent and Other Special Transactions at 144.3 percent. Other commodities that recorded high import growth during the month were Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and Related Materials at 131.8 percent; transport equipment at 129.5 percent; and Iron and Steel, 120.4 percent. For the January-to-June period, the

commodities that posted the highest import growth were led by Artificial Resins which posted an average growth of 85.5 percent. This was followed by home appliances with a growth of 84 percent in the first six months of the year followed by non-ferrous metals at 70.3 percent; rubber manufacture, 67.8 percent; and Feeding Stuff For Animals (Not Including Unmilled Cereals), 64.9 percent.

Markets In terms of exports, the country’s top market in June was the United States which accounted for $1.09 billion or 16.8 percent of the total exports during the month. Other top export markets were

the People’s Republic of China which accounted for $1.06 billion or 16.2 of total exports; Japan, $966.51 million or 14.9 percent of the total; Hong Kong, $907.40 million or 13.9; and Singapore, $320.83 million or 4.9 percent. For imports, the PSA data showed the country’s main import source was China which accounted for $2.25 billion or 24.1 percent of the country’s total import payments in June 2021. Other top import sources for June were Japan with imports reaching $872.79 million or 9.4 percent of the total; Republic of Korea, $681.89 million or 7.3 percent; US, $619.01 million or 6.6 percent; and Indonesia, $608.97 million or 6.5 percent.

Most industries see improvements, manufacturing output grows 4-fold

HE country’s manufacturing output grew four-fold in June, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Friday. Based on the results of the Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries (MISSI), the Volume of Production Index (VoPI) surged 453.1 percent in June. This was faster than the 263.2-percent increase registered in the previous month. In June 2020, VoPI contracted 80.6 percent. “The growth noted in the volume of production for manufacturing sector in June 2021 was due to the

improvements in 19 out of 22 industry divisions,” PSA said. “The fastest growth rate was registered in manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products at 2,932.2 percent,” it added. Apart from this, manufacture of fabricated metal products—except machinery and equipment—posted high growth in June, at 132.6 percent. This was followed by the manufacture of wood, bamboo, cane, rattan articles and related products which grew 85.7 percent and the manufacture of computers; manufacture of electrical equipment, 65.3

percent; and electronic with a growth of 58.6 percent. The Value of Production Index ( VaPI) grew in June 2021 w ith an annual rate of 439.6 percent, from the prev ious month ’s three-digit annual increase of 248.1 percent. The PSA said the year-on-year growth rate in June 2021 was the third positive growth since April 2019 and the highest annual growth in the 2018-based data series. VaPI, however, posted a contraction of 81.7 percent in June 2020. “The expansion in VaPI for manufacturing sector in June 2021 was

contributed by the increases in 19 of the 22 industry divisions that registered positive annual growth rates,” PSA said. The data showed that the top contributor was also the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products with 3,230-percent annual growth rate. Other products that recorded high VaPI growth were Manufact ure of fabr ic ated met a l produc t s, e xce pt m ac h i ner y a nd equ ipment at 14 0 percent a nd m a nu fac t u re of e lec t r ic a l equ ipment at 66. 8 percent.

Capacity utilization Meanwhile, PSA data showed the average capacity utilization rate for manufacturing increased to 67.7 percent in June 2021. This was higher than the 66.6 percent recorded in May 2021. The data showed that 18 of the 22 industry divisions had more than 50-percent average capacity utilization rate which was led by manufacture of furniture at 83 percent; manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products, 78.7 percent; and manufacture of tobacco products, 76.2 percent.

PSA said around a fourth or 26.5 percent of the total number of responding establishments operated at full capacity. Data showed 33.4 percent operated at 70 to 89 percent capacity and 40.1 percent operated below 70 percent capacity. The MISSI is now termed the Production Index and Net Sales Index. It is a report that monitors the production, net sales, inventories, and capacity utilization of selected manufacturing establishments to provide f lash indicators on the performance of the manufacturing sector.

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Saturday, August 7, 2021

PNP chief deploys more than 5,000 cops, personnel on 1st day of ECQ in NCR plus

By Rene Acosta

he Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed some 1,203 policemen for enforcement and public safety operations in 89 quarantine control points (QCP) across Metro Manila, and assist the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) in the implementation of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ ) from August 6, Friday until August 20 in the National Capital Region and four adjoining provinces, or NCR plus. In addition, 4,346 other PNP personnel will man mobile control points in various locations in Metro Manila for the implementation of uniform curfew hours. Earlier, PNP chief General Guillermo Eleazar sought the cooperation of NCR plus residents and transients of possible inconveniences encountered in QCPs deployed along regional, provincial and city borders to control unnecessary movement of unauthorized individuals. “These security personnel are under strict instructions to ensure that public

health protocols are observed and mass gatherings are disallowed,” he said. Citing a report by Lt. Gen. Israel Ephraim Dickson, PNP Deputy Chief for Operations and Commander of Joint Task Force Covid Shield, Eleazar said 7,337 policemen are deployed in 2,745 vaccination centers while 4,877 are manning 2,535 quarantine areas. In other areas outside the NCR plus bubble, the PNP deployed 9,180 police personnel in 1,103 QCPs. “Despite the uphill battle against Covid-19 and surmounting the challenges we are facing, the PNP remains resilient in assisting the government to quell the community transmission of the Delta variant,” Eleazar said. Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año earlier said the implementation of strict border controls in NCR plus areas is critical in stopping the spread of the Delta variant even as he warned that violators may be charged for non-cooperation under provisions of RA 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.

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Delta cases rise to 331; DOH detects variant in all NCR cities, municipality By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

ovid-19 Delta variant cases across the country jumped to 331 from 116 on Friday, the Department of Health reported, even as the agency confirmed the presence of the more transmissible variant in practically all local government jurisdictions in the National Capital Region (NCR) as early as Thursday. In an online media forum, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire initially said that 16 out of 17 local government units in NCR “are with Delta variant cases.” Later, however, the DOH clarified in a Viber message that, “Upon clarifying with the team, we detected Delta on all 17 cities and municipality in NCR.” Delta variant cases in the country, meanwhile, climbed to 331 after a total

of 116 additional cases were reported on Thursday. There were also 113 Alpha (B.1.1.7), 122 Beta (B.1.351), and 10 P.3 variant cases detected in the latest batch of whole genome sequencing. Of the additional 116 Delta variant cases, 95 are local cases, one is a returning overseas Filipino (ROF), and 20 cases are currently being verified if these are local or ROF cases. Of the 95 local cases, 83 cases had an indicated address in the National Capital Region, while three had indicated addresses in Calabarzon, four in Central Visayas, two in Davao Region, and one each in Zamboanga Peninsula, Cagayan Valley, and Ilocos Region. All cases have been tagged as recovered, even as our DOH’s regional and local health offices are validating all other information.

Among the total 216 Delta variant cases reported last July 29, the DOH verified one case that tested in two different laboratories. Both samples were sent to Philippine Genome Center and sequenced after an anonymized selection, and detected with the Delta variant. With this, the DOH is amending the previous total Delta variant cases from 216 to 215. Likewise, the DOH also said that while community transmission of the Delta variant is being studied, the national government, together with local government units, “should act aggressively and assume there is already a community transmission of the virus.” Due to the imposition of enhanced community quarantine in the NCR, the DOH is urging the public to continue practicing minimum public health standards at all times to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The DOH is also reminding everyone to ensure there is good ventilation whenever indoors by opening windows and doors. Moreover, the DOH reiterated to the public to avail of the government’s free vaccination program.

10,623 cases logged on Friday

The Philippines on Friday logged over 10,000 Covid -19 cases for the first time since April this year. As of 4 p.m. on Friday, August 6, DOH recorded 10,623 additional cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 1,638,345. There were also 3,127 recoveries and 247 deaths. Of the total number of infections, 4.5 percent (74,297) are active cases, 93.7 percent (1,535,375) have recovered, 1.75 percent (28,673) has died. The DOH said 94 duplicates were removed from the total case count. Of these, 87 are recoveries and one death. Moreover, nine cases previously tagged as recoveries have been validated

to be active cases and 150 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation. One laboratory was not operational on August 4, 2021, but 5 were not able to submit their data to the Covid-19 Document Repository System. Based on data in the last 14 days, these 6 labs contribute, on average, 1.7 percent of samples tested and 1.3 percent of positive individuals.

Area and hospital classifications

WhilE admitting that the country is facing a health crisis amid the contagion, DOH has issued four alert level classifications in areas with increasing number of Covid-19 cases and hospital care utilization rates (HCUR). “To flag areas, we are now classifying each province, highly urbanized city, and independent component city as to alert levels based on the area classification with regard to cases and Covid-19 ICU bed utilization rates,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online media forum on Friday. According to Vergeire areas under Alert Level 1 are those with low transmission and decreasing HCUR, no Delta variant case in an area, at minimal to low risk, have a negative two-week case growth rate (TWGR) and HCUR lower than 50 percent. Alert level 2 on the other hand, shows low transmission and decreasing HCUR, Delta case are present, have positive TWGR, or areas that are at minimal to low risk, have a negative TWGR, but have an HCUR higher than 50 percent. Meanwhile, Alert Level 3 means that although an area is at moderate to critical risk, Covid bed occupancy rate is lower than 70 percent, while Alert level 4 means that an area has been classified as moderate- to critical-risk and has an HCUR higher than 70 percent. The DOH official said that Levels 3 and 4 does not take into account the presence of the Delta variant in an area.

Private schools expect Senate to pass bill on tax relief soon

he country’s largest associations of private schools expressed hope that the Senate will soon pass Senate Bill 2272, granting preferential tax rates to educational institutions amid the pandemic, after most senators signed as co-authors of the proposed measure. In a joint statement, the groups led by the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (Cocopea) expressed their gratitude to Sen. Pia Cayetano, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, sponsor of Senate Bill 2272 and 14 other senators for their swift and decisive support of the bill, which aims to amend Section 27(b) of the National Internal Revenue Code to secure with finality the grant of a preferential tax rate of 10 percent for proprietary schools, including the temporarily lowered rate of 1 percent during the pandemic, under the CREATE Act. “We pray for our senators that they may continue to be filled with courage and the strength of purpose to urgently pass this landmark legislation for Philippine education within the 18th Congress,” the educational associations said in the joint statement. Other senators who responded to the groups’ call for the urgent passage of SB 2272 amid the threat to the survival of many affected private schools throughout the country are Senators Joel Villanueva, Ralph G. Recto, Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri, Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay,

Win Gatchalian, Grace L. Poe, Richard J. Gordon, Francis “Kiko” N. Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Cynthia A. Villar and Leila M. de Lima. The private school groups also thanked Sen. Franklin M. Drilon for strongly urging the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Department of Finance to suspend RR 5-2021 which increases the tax rate on private school and Sen. de Lima for filing Senate Resolution 766 urging the President to suspend the implementation of RR 5-2021. “We thank Senators Cayetano Angara, Drilon, Pangilinan, Villanueva, Hontiveros, Gordon, Marcos and Villar for verbally manifesting their support of SB 2272 during the June 30, 2021 hearing of the Ways and Means Committee,” said Cocopea Managing Director Atty. Joseph Noel M. Estrada. “We are also grateful that chairperson Senator Pia Cayetano vowed on August 2, 2021 to move for the swift passage of the bill once the approved version of the House of Representatives’ counterpart authored by Congressman Joey Salceda and 75 other congressmen is transmitted to the Senate,” Estrada said. The educational groups expressed hope that the bill would signed into law before the new school year starts this August and September, “so that our schools can fully focus on dealing with the learning crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic that our country is currently grappling with.”

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

TheWorld

Potential military Covid vaccine mandate stirs distrust, support

AN DIEGO—Since President Joe Biden asked the Pentagon last week to look at adding the Covid-19 vaccine to the military’s mandatory shots, former Army lawyer Greg T. Rinckey has fielded a deluge of calls. His firm, Tully Rinckey, has heard from hundreds of soldiers, Marines and sailors wanting to know their rights and whether they could take any legal action if ordered to get inoculated for the coronavirus. “A lot of US troops have reached out to us saying, ‘I don’t want a vaccine that’s untested, I’m not sure it’s safe, and I don’t trust the government’s vaccine. What are my rights?’” Rinckey said. Generally, their rights are limited since vaccines are widely seen as essential for the military to carry out its missions, given that service members often eat, sleep and work in close quarters. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said he is working expeditiously to make the Covid-19 vaccine mandatory for military personnel and is expected to ask Biden to waive a federal law that requires individuals be given a choice if the vaccine is not fully licensed. Biden has also directed that all federal workers be vaccinated or face frequent testing and travel restrictions. Lawyers say the waiver will put the military on firmer legal ground so it can avoid the court battles it faced when it mandated the anthrax vaccine for troops in the 1990s when it was not fully approved by the federal Food and Drug Ddministration (FDA). The distrust among some service members is not only a reflection of the broader public’s feelings about the Covid-19 vaccines, which were quickly authorized for emergency use, but stems in part from the anthrax program’s troubles. Scores of troops refused to take that vaccine. Some left the service. Others were disciplined. Some were court martialed and kicked out of the military with other-than-honorable discharges. In 2003, a federal judge agreed with service members who filed a lawsuit asserting the military could not administer a vaccine that had not been fully licensed without their consent, and stopped the program. The Pentagon started it back up in 2004 after the FDA issued an approval, but the judge stopped it again after ruling the FDA had not followed procedures. Eventually the FDA issued proper approvals for the vaccine, and the program was reinstated on a limited basis for troops in high-risk locations. Military experts say the legal

battles over the anthrax vaccine could be why the Biden administration has been treading cautiously. Until now, the government has relied on encouraging troops rather than mandating the shots. Yet coronavirus cases in the military, like elsewhere, have been rising with the more contagious delta variant. If the military makes the vaccine mandatory, most service members will have to get the shots unless they can argue to be among the few given an exemption for religious, health or other reasons. According to the Pentagon, more than 1 million service members are fully vaccinated, and more than 237,000 have gotten at least one shot. There are roughly 2 million active-duty, Guard and Reserve troops. Many see the Covid-19 vaccine as being necessary to avoid another major outbreak like the one last year that sidelined the USS Theodore Roosevelt and resulted in more than 1,000 crewmember cases and one death. An active-duty Army officer said he would welcome the vaccine among the military’s mandatory shots. The soldier, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said he worries unvaccinated service members may be abusing the honor system and going to work without a mask. He recently rode in a car with others for work but didn’t feel like he could ask if everyone was vaccinated because it’s become such a political topic. Commanders have struggled to separate vaccinated and unvaccinated recruits during early portions of basic training across the services to prevent infections. Accommodating unvaccinated troops would burden service members who are vaccinated since it would limit who is selected for deployment, according to active-duty troops and veterans. “The military travels to vulnerable populations all over the world to be able to best serve the US,” said former Air Force Staff Sgt. Tes Sabine, who works as a radiology technician in an emergency room in New York state. “We have to have healthy people in the military to carry out missions, and if the Covid-19 vaccine achieves that, that’s a very positive thing.” Dr. Shannon Stacy, who works at a hospital in a Los Angeles suburb, agreed. “As an emergency medicine physician and former flight surgeon for a Marine heavy helicopter squadron, I can attest that Covid-19 has the potential to take a fully trained unit from mission ready to nondeployable status in a matter of days,” she said. AP

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three days later on Nagasaki, killing another 70,000. Japan surrendered Augustwwwww 15, ending World War II and its nearly halfcentury of aggression in Asia. But countries stockpiled nuclear weapons in the Cold War and a standoff continues to this day. The global Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, or NPT, took effect in January after years of civil effort joined by the atomic bombing survivors, or hibakusha. But while more than 50 countries have ratified it, the treaty notably lacks the US and other nuclear powers as well as Japan, which has relied on the US nuclear umbrella for its defense since the war’s end. Matsui renewed his demand that his own government “immediately” sign and ratify the treaty and join the discussion, to live up to the long-cherished wish of atomic bombing survivors. He also demanded Japan provide produc-

Era of cheap natural gas ends as prices surge by 1,000 percent

he era of cheap natural gas is over, giving way to an age of far more costly energy that will create ripple effects across the global economy.

Natural gas, used to generate electricity and heat homes, was abundant and cheap during much of the last decade amid a boom in supply from the US to Australia. That came crashing to a halt this year as demand drastically outpaced new supply. European gas rates reached a record this week, while deliveries of the liquefied fuel to Asia are near an all-time high for this time of year. With few other options, the world is expected to depend more on cleaner-burning gas as a replacement to coal to help achieve nearterm green goals. But as producers curb investments into new supply amid calls from climate-conscious investors and governments, it is becoming apparent that expensive energy is here to stay. “No matter how you look at it, gas will be the transition fuel for decades to come as major economies are committed to reach carbon emission targets,” said Chris Weafer, chief executive officer of Moscow-based Macro-Advisory Ltd. “The price of gas is more likely to stay elevated over the medium-term and to rise over the longer-term.” By 2024, demand is forecast to jump 7 percent from pre-Covid-19 levels, according to the International Energ y Agency. Looking further out, the appetite for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is expected to grow by 3.4 percent a year through 2035, outpacing other fossil fuels, according to an analysis by McKinsey & Co. Surging natural gas prices means it will be costlier to power factories or produce petrochemicals, rattling every corner of the global economy and fueling inflation fears. For consumers, it will bring higher monthly energy and gas utility bills. It will cost more to power a washing machine, take a hot shower and cook dinner. It’s especially bad news for poorer nations like Pakistan and Bangladesh that reworked entire energy policies on the premise that the fuel’s price would be lower for longer.

European natural gas rates have surged more than 1,000 percent from a record low in May 2020 due to the pandemic, while Asian LNG rates have jumped about sixfold in the last year. Even prices in the US, where the shale revolution has significantly boosted production of the fuel, have rallied to the highest level for this time of year in a decade. While there are several one-off factors that have pushed gas prices higher, such as supply disruptions, the global economic rebound and a lull in new LNG export plants, there is a growing consensus that the world is facing a structural shift, driven by the energy transition. A decade ago, the International Energy Agency (IEA) declared that the world may be entering a “golden age” of natural gas demand growth due to historic expansion of lowcost supply. Indeed, between 2009 and 2020, global gas consumption surged by 30 percent as utilities and industries took advantage of booming output. Countries championed gas as a way to quickly reduce their carbon footprint. The shift to natural gas can be done relatively quickly with limited deployment of capital, while having a significant impact on lowering emissions, according to James Taverner, an analyst at IHS Markit. Natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel, and emits almost 50 percent less CO2 than coal. Meanwhile, non-fossilfuel alternatives such as wind and solar are at a relatively early stage in the energy transition. Demand isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Utilities in Europe are switching to the cleaner-burning gas due to sky-high carbon prices, South and Southeast Asian governments are planning dozens of new gas-fired plants to meet greater electricity needs, and China is poised to depend more on gas than ever as it seeks to peak coal consumption. Ordinarily, robust demand would encourage a rush of investment in fresh export facilities. But a big factor in higher gas prices is

Hiroshima marks 76th anniversary of US atomic bombing OKYO—Hiroshima on Friday marked the 76th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombing, as the mayor of the Japanese city urged global leaders to unite to eliminate nuclear weapons, just as they are united against the coronavirus. Mayor Kazumi Matsui urged world leaders to commit to nuclear disarmament as seriously as they tackle the pandemic that the international community recognizes as “threat to humanity.” “Nuclear weapons, developed to win wars, are a threat of total annihilation that we can certainly end, if all nations work together,” Matsui said. “No sustainable society is possible with these weapons continually poised for indiscriminate slaughter.” The United States dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, destroying the city and killing 140,000 people. It dropped a second bomb

Saturday, August 7, 2021

tive mediation between nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states. P r i me M i n i ster Yosh i h ide Suga, who attended the ceremony in Hiroshima, did not mention

the treaty and instead stressed the need for a more “realistic” approach to bridge the nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states and by strengthening the NPT. AP

a lack of fresh capital to increase supply. Growing anti-gas sentiment and heightened scrutiny of dirty methane emissions has stalled projects and forced energy majors to rethink plans. The IEA, which heralded natural gas as a bridge fuel to a low carbon future, drew widespread attention earlier this year when it said investments in new upstream fields need to stop if the world wants to hit net-zero emissions by 2050. Without new investment, LNG consumption in Asia—the engine for future gas demand growth— will outstrip supply by 160 millions tons in 2035, according to Gavin Thompson, Asia-Pacific vice chairman at Wood Mackenzie Ltd. For comparison, Asia imported about 250 million tons of LNG last year. Already, there are signs around the world that supplies will fall short: n Beyond a massive expansion in Qatar, few new LNG export

projects have been cleared since the start of 2020. n End-users have been less willing to take equity stakes in upstream projects or sign long-term supply deals due to uncertainty surrounding government-led efforts to reduce emissions. n US shale drillers aren’t immediately responding with additional production, as they’re under pressure from investors to curb spending and avoid creating another glut, while key pipeline projects struggle to move forward. Mark Gyet vay, t he deput y chief executive officer of Russ i a n L NG e x p or te r No v ate k PJSC , w a r n s t h at t he g reen movement could disrupt the delivery of adequate and affordable supply to consumers. “The lack of capital investments in future natural gas projects does not lead us to an energy transition, but instead leads us down an inevitable path toward an energy crisis,” said Gyetvay. Bloomberg News

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Filipino food exporters negotiate $1.8-M deals with Japanese buyers

DTI’s EMB to hold webinar on Halal logistics on Aug 12

By Roderick L. Abad | Contributor

OCAL food manufacturers raised $1.8 million or roughly around P90 million in exports sales under negotiation with Japanese buyers during their series of digital business-to-business (B2B) matchmaking events organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (Citem).

During their recent meetings with importers from Japan, the Philippine delegation for FOODEX showcased healthy, organic, and natural food products. Presented to the health-conscious Japanese market were products, including mango-infused vegetable drink mixes by Business Innovations Gateway Inc.; different coconut-based products by Eau de Coco Inc., Limketkai Manufacturing Corp., and Pasciolco Agri Ventures; snack favorites by Magic Melt Inc.; banana chips by Prime Fruits International and See’s International Mfg. Corp.; fresh cavendish bananas and golden pineapples by SL Agrifood Corp.; and tuna and sardine products by Century Pacific Food and Market Reach International Resources, respectively. The B2B matchmaking events held in two separate days were the follow throughs to the Philippines’s fully digital participation in the largest food and beverage trade show in

the Asian region. Each company was assisted by a liaison officer and an interpreter to ensure the smooth conduct of a total of 60 meetings. Japan imported 5.81 trillion Japanese yen-worth of food and beverage products in 2019, and 6.3 trillion Japanese yen in 2020, making the country an ideal partner for Filipino food companies that produce healthy food products. The pursuit of the Japanese market is part of a larger effort by the Department of Trade and Industry, of which Citem is the export promotions arm, to take advantage of business opportunities in the region. The virtual meetings were included in the latter’s ongoing initiatives to leverage borderless communication in facilitating trade between the Philippines and potential export markets. They were conducted in partnership with the Philippine Trade and

A DEMONSTRATION on how to make different coconut-based products excites the palate of Japanese buyers during their digital business-to-business matchmaking event with the Philippine delegation for FOODEX.

Investment Center (PTIC) in Tokyo. The database used for the B2B matchmaking events was built via

a five-year effort by PTIC, which involved intensive information and telemarketing campaigns.

HE demand for e-commerce in the Philippines has further shifted the shopping culture of cash centric and face-to-face toward a more digital, and is expected to continue as the threat of Covid-19 still looms. The shift also alleviates the challenge of proper digital and logistics infrastructure to fully enable digital economy in the country. Logistics play an integral part toward the shift of digital culture. It is part of the network that links the upstream and downstream of supply chain activities, which involves parties such as the suppliers, the agents, the manufacturer, third-party providers, distributors, retailers, and finally, the customers. With the increase of the e-commerce activity in the country, DTI Undersecretary for Trade Promotions Group Abdulgani Macatoman has seen that there is also a need to address the gap of halal logistics to maintain the integrity of the halal products from farm to fork. It is timely and relevant that we finally push for halal logistics to ensure compliance in the value chain, Macatoman said. Likewise, Section 4 of Republic Act 10817 established the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Program, which shall refer to the comprehensive set of objectives,

targets, strategies and activities for the growth of halal industries producing or providing products, processes and services and resulting in increased exports of halal products. It shall include industry development and promotion, including expansion into non-food halal products and services; consumer awareness and fair-trade practices; and provision of common service facilities. The trade department’s Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) is set to conduct the webinar on halal logistics in the Philippines on August 12, 2021 via Zoom. The proposed speakers for the said activity will be from the halal certification bodies, business support organizations and other relevant government offices. This activity is under the Program Support category among the three modes of intervention of the EMB in support of the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Program. If you are interested to join this webinar you may register through this link www.bit.ly/2VpFK18. To get registration assistance, Philippine Logistics companies and providers, companies with halal certified products, and interested exporters can email DTI-EMB through Ms. Abigael Yaokana at abigaelmeiyaokana@dti. gov.ph or Mr. Al-Mahdi Jul-Ahmad at almahdijulahmad@dti.gov.ph.

Israeli exporters on edge with CB pandemic support plan in doubt

SRAEL’S biggest exporters are bracing for the end of central bank (CB) support that’s helped them stay competitive during the pandemic, a move they say may weigh on a $100-billion industry crucial to the nation’s economic rebound. The Bank of Israel is close to exhausting a $30 billion dollar-buying program that’s reined in gains in the shekel and made exports cheaper to foreign buyers, while the nation battled Covid-19. With the economy on the mend, and Governor Amir Yaron signaling July 5 that the program was a temporary salve, companies from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. to Israel Aerospace

Industries Ltd. are on edge. “We’re living with uncertainty,” said Natanel Haiman, the head of economics at the Manufacturers’ Association of Israel, a Tel Aviv-based organization that groups more than 1,850 companies accounting for more than 90 percent of the country’s industrial base. “It’s a daily battle to keep the production lines moving,” partly because of the exchange rate. The debate over the program mirrors the dilemma facing policymakers the world over as central banks consider how quickly to remove stimulus measures enacted as the pandemic erupted. In Israel, shekel policy provides an additional

ingredient. The currency has appreciated more than any major counterpart in the past decade, eclipsing even the Swiss franc and the euro, and hobbling the exporters that account for more than a quarter of the $400-billion economy. Take Tel Aviv-based Healthy.io, a seven-year-old company that adapts smartphone cameras for kidneydisease detection at home. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Yonatan Adiri says more than 20 percent of the cash that his company raised over the past five years has effectively been lost because of the shekel’s appreciation. Now he’s considering moving operations to the US.

“You raise money in dollars and you spend most of it in shekels, especially in the early years,” he said. “It’s now as cost-effective for me to build a team in Boston or London as it is in Tel Aviv.” Israel’s gross domestic product is forecast to grow 4.8 percent this year, after shrinking 2.5 percent in 2020—its sharpest downturn on recorded—as the country benefits from one of the world’s fastest vaccine rollout programs. Unemployment has dropped, inflation is in the middle of the central bank’s target range and the country’s current-account surplus has risen to $5.85 billion. Bloomberg News

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Editor: Angel R. Calso • Saturday, August 7, 2021 A7

A4 individuals urged to bring along elderly By Mary Judaline Partlow

individuals to be vaccinated while bringing in more senior citizens because the elderly are the ones vulnerable to contracting the disease,” she said. More people from the A4 sector have signified their intention to be inoculated, but Estacion said due to the short vaccine supply, they could not yet fully cater to this priority group. She said workers who would bring along an elderly would be prioritized for inoculation. Those included in the A4 group are employees from the private sector and government agencies who have to work outside of their residences, informal sector workers, as well as self-employed individuals.

UMAGUETECITY—Individuals listed under the priority sector A4 (economic frontliners) in the government’s Covid-19 vaccination priority program are encouraged to bring along a senior citizen to also be administered with a vaccine. Assistant Provincial Health Officer Dr. Liland Estacion, Covid-19 incident commander of the province’s Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), in a virtual presser on Tuesday said this was discussed following a meeting with the Department of Health (DOH). “This incentive will allow A4

NEGROS Oriental is introducing a strategy where an A4 individual may receive the Covid-19 vaccine if he or she brings along a senior citizen for inoculation. The incentive is designed to reach the target number of senior citizens to be vaccinated in the province. PNA FILE PHOTO

The proposed strategy would also allow senior citizens to just walk in at the vaccination centers if A4 individuals accompany them, Estacion said, “so that we can achieve our target of 133,000 senior citizens vaccinated.” Walk-in among the elderly is not allowed under the provincial IATF’s rules. Currently, almost 25,000 senior citizens in the province have received the Covid jabs, Estacion said. The province of Negros Oriental received on Monday 40,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine, half of which will be for the second dose of previously inoculated residents while the other half is allocated for the first dose of scheduled priority groups. PNA

Senior citizens of Valenzuela receive early Christmas treats By Roderick L. Abad

during the distribution, the vouchers carry details, such as the redemption site, date, and time. The LGU said elderly beneficiaries are requested to designate one of their closest relatives to claim the rice packs from the venue only on the day and time assigned to them. Children are strictly prohibited from claiming the rice packs. The representative must present a valid ID, the “Pasko sa Hulyo” food voucher, the recipient’s ID issued by the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca), and an authorization letter signed by the senior citizen when redeeming the gift pack. Claimants are, likewise, required to observe minimum health protocols, such as wearing of face masks and face shields, and standing at least 1 meter away from each other while at the redemption area. Only elderly residing in Valenzuela and are registered with the Osca on May 7 of this year are qualified to receive the early Christmas treats from the city government. For a complete list of the schedules and redemption sites, residents can log on to https://www. facebook.com/ValenzuelaCityGov/ posts/10161235177158378.

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HE early Christmas gift-giving tradition for the elderly in Valenzuela City lives on despite the Covid-19 pandemic. The local government unit (LGU), led by Mayor Rexlon Gatchalian, officially launched its “Pasko sa Hulyo Para Kay Lolo at Lola” on July 17. The gift-giving program benefits a total of 58,014 elderly city residents. In its initial run, 6,353 seniors from Barangays Arkong Bato, Balangkas, Bisig, Mabolo, Tagalag, Poblacion, Polo, Pariancillo Villa, Palasan, Isla, Wawang Pulo, and Malanday received two 5-kilogram packs of rice as their early Christmas gift from the LGU. The rice distribution lasted until July 26. This initiative aims to ensure that the elderly from all 33 barangays of Valenzuela are healthy and properly nourished, especially during the time of the pandemic. Just like the food packs previously distributed by the city government, “Pasko sa Hulyo” operates under the food voucher distribution system. Door-to-door delivery of the coupons started as early as June. To ensure that physical distancing and venue capacity are observed

A SENIOR citizen (left) receives a sack of rice from a city government representative during the distribution activity for the “Pasko sa Hulyo Para Kay Lolo at Lola” project.

The art of long looking By Nick Tayag

MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH

PEAKING of surge, there is a tsunami that is about to overwhelm us. It’s the digital wave that is carrying us to another world and another kind of life, accelerated by the pandemic. Just look around. Our new world is restlessly moving at what someone describes as “twitch speed.” It is now normal for us to have instantaneous access to information, goods and services at the click of a mouse. We can communicate with anyone or anything at anytime, anywhere day or night. Information is shared so rapidly that an image can get viral in a matter of seconds. Send a message on social media, and immediately you get comments from people, some so ridiculous that it is obvious they never bothered to think first before clicking. Our children are the Instant Messenger generation that has virtual access to friends, games, music, movies, shopping and tens of thousands of online sites. So much to access, so little time. Waiting is now fast becoming a thing of the past. We are being transformed into a society that is increasingly expecting, wanting and demanding instant gratification. My techie friends tell me that 5G, the fifth generation of the Internet, will be even 100 times faster and will transform both our pro-

fessional and personal lives by enabling new use cases like connective vehicles, Augmented Reality and enhanced video and gaming. Our kids are being visually bombarded with simultaneous images, text and sounds, faster than they can absorb them. They are getting compelling experiences that can convey more information in a few seconds than can be communicated by reading an entire book. This is one of the reasons why it’s harder and harder to get children to read today. Reading is a delayed gratification medium while TV, video games and the Internet are immediate gratification media. No wonder my wife complains that she cannot share my writings with her socmed friends because they are too long. Nobody likes to read long text anymore, she keeps telling me. Even on Facebook, one never gets “likes” when the message has a lot of words. Look at Twitter she points out, the number of words you can say are limited. The irony is that as an advertising copywriter for many years, I used to write copy for commercials and print ads that had to be short. In fact, the shorter, the better. Our mantra then was: no polysyllabic words, please. “Brevity is the soul of wit” was the terse lesson I imparted to junior copywrit-

ers who came after me. The more conversational and colloquial, the better. And don’t forget, active tense not passive tense. Even novelists who write words copiously seem to be having this problem. In an interview I chanced upon, the novelist Martin Amis says: “The novel has had to speed itself up—in answer to an accelerated reality. Saul Bellow’s Humboldt’s Gift—long, static, and digressive— spent several months as a best seller in the 1970s. That audience has more or less disappeared.” Did Amis say “disappeared” as in vanished? At a time when I am just feeling my stride? Perhaps I have turned into an anomaly or an anachronism or at best a contrarian in an emerging world of accelerated reality. I find myself writing long sentences, complex sentences, compound sentences. I cannot help but pour out my thoughts and feelings in torrents. Is it my revenge against the time I was constrained to condense a message in 70 words or less? I am now reading books that are “long and static.” I don’t rush through a book. I savor the words and the sentences, discovering the nuances of their sound and sense. My preference for films are the ones that focus on character development, such as the films of Yasujiro Ozu or Ingmar Bergman or other masters of the long-lasting shot. In their films, characters enter frame and move to and fro and exit frame and then the camera stays for a few seconds more on the empty scene. This is quite the opposite of what my wife and kids prefer, which is fast-paced action thrillers

where every sequence is an actionfilled set piece of slam-bang action with spectacular special effects and soaring soundtracks. I specially love documentaries that let lingering visuals tell the story of a place with minimal voiced over narration. The images in these films are almost like still photographs or slides or paintings that one must look at for a long time and let them come to you, wash over you, go and penetrate through you. Have you met someone who gives you that long penetrating discomfiting gaze, as if he could see through you? That is the art of long looking. This art is achieved through the cultivation of the practice or discipline of attention. It requires time and mindful long looking. It means that you have to consciously notice what is happening on a painting or a screen so that you don’t miss a clue or an epiphany. While reading books, you don’t scan the pages. You note the words in every page; see them in context, and the meanings behind them. It’s slow reading, but much like a food or a wine connoisseur, I get to discern and relish the full flavor of the words and phrases on my mental palate. I don’t mind going back to the early pages for passages that could shed more light on the character or the incident in the later pages. Art critic Roger Housden is a practitioner of this art of contemplative viewing. He doesn’t just look at paintings, he savors them as reflects on what he perceives in them and takes his appreciation to another level. For instance, he can discern the light that seeps out of the darkness in so many of Rem-

brandt’s paintings. He admires the incomparable beauty that the artist reveals in the human body, whether the subject is a young child or an elderly man. He tries to imagine how Rembrandt, as a collector of curios and exotica, lavished attention, and maybe even adoration, on these objects that then inspired paintings. He respects the artist’s soulfulness, his reverence for the world of spirit and the remarkable qualities of ordinary people. And he praises Rembrandt’s extraordinary religious art, especially those Biblical paintings designed to “inspire a mood of interior reflection rather than to tell a story.” Housden explains: “It’s too easy to treat paintings like illustrations or pieces of prose that are merely meant to convey a message. But paintings aren’t prose pieces. They are poetry transposed into paint. They speak through metaphor. And we need time to let those metaphors slip through our preconceptions and reach us below the level of words and meanings.” For him, there is more than meets the eye: “These varied and poignant explorations of the artist’s many selves are portals through which we may enter and see afresh our own joy and sadness, success and defeat, faith and foolhardiness; suddenly find yourself blown into a world full of awe, dread, wonder, marvel, deep sorrow, and joy.” He wants us to value these works as timeless creations that embrace matter and “reach into territory that lies just beyond our conscious experience.” I may not go as deep as Mr. Housden in my casual practice of contemplative looking, but I agree

Makati City offers cash gift to vaccinated senior citizens

OME 24,352 fully vaccinated senior citizens of Makati City do not only have significant levels of protection against Covid-19, they also received a P1,000 gift certificate that the city government started distributing on July 5. Mayor Abigail Binay said this is their way to show gratitude and appreciation for the support of their senior citizens to the city government’s Bakuna Makati campaign. “This past month, there has been an uptick in the number of senior citizens that registered for Covid-19 vaccination under the A2 category. As of the end of July, we have registered around 50,000 senior citizens. Of these, 44,121 got their first dose of the vaccine, while 35,813 got their second dose,” Binay said. She said the incentive was one of a number of strategic measures taken by the city to overcome vaccine hesitancy, especially among the elderly who are at high risk of suffering severe symptoms due to Covid-19. She pointed out some positive outcomes recently gained. “Ideally, we should achieve 100percent vaccination rate among the elderly. However, it would still depend on their willingness to get vaccinated and on the availability of vaccines,” she added. The mayor also reiterated the city’s commitment to the prioritization guidelines set by the Department of Health (DOH). “We have strictly followed the DOH protocols in allocating vaccines provided by the national government, and we intend to do the same with city-procured vaccines,” she said. The initial batches of the 1 million vaccines purchased by the city are expected to arrive this month. “These past months, we have been going out of our way to boost the registration rate of Bakuna Makati among target groups. We want to make sure we will have enough people to vaccinate every time we get a partial delivery on the 1 million doses we purchased, and every time we receive supplies from the national government,” she added. that long looking or repeated looking can reveal many things such as little slice-of-life images where God is in the details. For instance, as I watched a documentary on birds just this morning, I cannot but experience feelings of awe and marvel in divine creation as the camera lingers on the kaleidoscope of plumages, shapes and sizes and the sonic diversity of singing and chirping. But alas, such details are being missed by a world that is moving at the speed of touch and click in which people have trained their eyes to surf only over the surface of reality. In our adrenaline rush to get to the next task or appointment, we no longer can afford to pause and put the world on hold. As for me, I’m letting so-called “accelerated reality” pass me by since after all my life is already at its last lap. Call me slow poke, lingerer or quirky. But just go ahead without me. Leave me be to devote my remaining time to the quiet art of long looking. Or you can join me in practicing the art of contemplative seeing and long looking. Just don’t do it on someone, or she might freak out. What have you seen or read today? Pay close attention to the image or the sentence. How does it touch your senses; what emotions does it evoke? Perceive the meanings that come to you as you watch or read. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. It is simply about feeling, sensing, noticing, and being present to the moment and keeping your mind open to epiphanies, no matter how small. When eye and mind are in the same place, life becomes more fully vivid moment by moment.

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A8 Saturday, August 7, 2021

65 Erasmus+ Filipino scholars to pursue higher learning in EU

N the coming weeks, 65 Filipino students will pursue their academic dreams in several countries of the European Union (EU) after obtaining scholarships under the Erasmus+ program. The bloc’s mobility and scholarship program, Erasmus+ allows students to pursue Masters and PhD studies in more than one EU member-state. It gives them the opportunity to benefit from the academic expertise and cultures

of various universities. EU Ambassador Luc Véron said the Philippines has consistently ranked among the Top 10 countries that have the highest number of Erasmus+ scholars in the world from 2004 to 2020, and

second most in the region from 2004 to 2021. The 65 students were sent off in a virtual ceremony on August 5, in collaboration with Campus Erasmus composed of Erasmus+ scholars in the country. “I congratulate the new Erasmus+ scholars as they depart for the EU campuses…this August,” Véron said. “Make the most out of your Erasmus journey, and take pride in your Filipino heritage. I encourage you to become agents of social change and transformation for [your country], and to become goodwill ambassadors for the partnership and friendship between the EU and the

Philippines.” According to the EU Embassy, Erasmus+ gives life-changing opportunities for Filipino students to experience living the European culture, learn European languages, and be integrated into European society for one to two years. Formerly called the Erasmus Mundus Program, it promotes the EU as a center of excellence in learning, and making student mobility a reality for EU and nonEU citizens alike. The Erasmus+ program is among the leading international academic mobility programs in the world, with students from the Philippines considerably benefiting from it.

UST ‘arki’ conducts documentation, modern architectural heritage conservation workshop

NI V ER SI T Y of Sa nto Tomas’ College of Architecture recently hosted the Modern Asean Architecture (mASEANa) Philippines International Students Workshop 2020+1. The event was part of the mASEANa Project (https://www. maseana.iis.u-tok yo.ac.jp/ ), a six-year initiative to document, study and work toward conservation of modern architecture in the region. Manila was the last leg of the conference and workshop series, with different cities of member-countries hosting such since 2015. Originally planned as an inperson seminar-workshop in February 2020, it was instead reorganized as an online event due to the ongoing pandemic. As a result, the mASEANa PH 2020+1 International Students Workshop was able to virtually gather student participants and professional mentors from 20

different academic institutions from Metro Manila, Ilocos Sur, Bulacan, Tarlac, Quezon, Bicol, Iloilo, Cebu, Davao, and Zamboanga. Key note speakers for the opening ceremony were Dr. Puay Peng Ho of the National University of Singapore and Dr. JeanClaude Girard of École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, or Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. The workshop was designed to have synchronous and asynchronous sessions that allowed participants to discuss, analyze, and talk about the identified modern buildings and their environments. Asynchronous lectures, by Ar. Michael Manalo and Ar. Santillan for Module 1, and Ar. Paulo Alcazaren and Ar. Adrian Yap for Module 2, were made available to the participants. Participants also met virtually during two separate synchronous sessions in March to

discuss their assigned buildings. The workshop’s output included individual presentations for each of the buildings, posters of the individual clusters, and interactive maps or StoryMaps. The preliminary output of the workshop can be viewed via their online exhibit at https:// exhibit ma seana .w i x site.com / maseanaph. The six-week workshop concluded with lectures that included keynote presentations by Dr. Edson G. Cabalfin of Tulane University in Louisiana, USA; and Dr. Eric Zerrudo of UST Graduate School Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics (USTGS-CCCPET). The ceremony also featured speakers from various provinces of the Philippines who spoke about examples of modern architecture in their locality. They included Ar. Ana Lorilla of Bicol University, Ar. Mariel

May Gamalinda of University of Naga, Ar. Eugenia Pinoliad of the University of Bohol, Ar. Enp. Godesil Lejarde of Bulacan State University, Ar. Ma. Theresa Austria of the University of San Agustin, and Ar. Noelito Del Rosario of Western Mindanao State University. Headed by mASEANa Workshop Overall Coordinator and UST faculty member Ar. Caryn Paredes-Santil lan, PhD, the event was organized by the UST College of Architecture with the USTGS-CCCPET, the UST Center for Continuing Professional Education & Development, and the United Architects of the Philippines-Manila Atelier chapter. It was also conducted in cooperation with the Institute of Industrial Science of the University of Tokyo, the Toyota Foundation, as well as the Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighborhoods of the Modern Movement.

PLDT, Smart fete N. Luzon LGUs with education best practices

OR promoting and sustaining quality learning amid the pandemic, several local government units (LGUs) in North Luzon were recognized and provided communications aid by PLDT Inc. and wireless subsidiary Smart Communications. The country’s largest fully integrated telecommunications company recently turned over airtime load to cities and municipalities that successfully implemented education programs for School Year 2020-2021. Awardees, which numbered about 27, were identified by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Synergeia Foundation for the fourth “Seal of Good Education Governance,” for a total of P2.6 million worth of Bizload from PLDT and Smart for this year’s run. The LGUs of San Manuel in Pangasinan, Tuba in Benguet, Candon and Vigan in Ilocos Sur, as well as Agoo, Bacnotan, San Fernando, and San Gabriel in La Union were among the first batch of recipients. The communication allowance from PLDT and Smart is expected to help LGUs and citizens stay connected, as officials continue

Editor: Mike Policarpio

EducationUSA law school fair attracts aspiring Filipino graduate students

ORE than 340 participants from the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries interested in pursuing a Master of Laws degree attended EducationUSA Philippines’ LLM university fair on July 17 and 24. The two-part LLM event kicked off with a webinar. Seasoned United States law school administrators from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law and the University of Michigan Law School discussed the difference between general and specialized LLM programs, strategies in building a robust law school application, and the benefits of having an LLM degree from a US law school. On July 24 EducationUSA Philippines hosted a virtual fair with at least 24 US law schools, which provided real-time admissions advice, industry insights, as well as in-person and online program options to fair participants. They also had the opportunity during the event to visit individual virtual booths of each law school, as well as that of Fulbright Philippines—the oldest continuously operating Fulbright Commission in the

world which administers the flagship US foreign exchange scholarship programs in the Philippines. Likewise, EducationUSA Philippines teamed up with the Legal Education Board and the Philippine Commission on Higher Education to invite the Philippine law community to this back-to-back event. EducationUSA provides free advising services to prospective international students in more than 170 countries. It offers students resources and tools to help navigate the five steps to US study: researching schools, identifying financial-aid opportunities, completing the application, obtaining a student visa, and preparing for departure. There are more than 4,700 accredited higher education institutions in the US, and an EducationUSA adviser can help students narrow the applicants’ options, define their priorities, and plan their college careers. It does not offer scholarships, but can assist students in identifying scholarship and financial-assistance opportunities. More information is on Facebook: Educationusa.Philippines and on Twitter: @EducationUSA_PH.

‘Battle of the Trolls’ webinar fires off Natl Forum on Comm., Democracy

HE country’s premiere organization of communication academics, professionals and media executives is set to launch a national forum underscoring the role of communication in democracy, which will start with a webinar on the looming battle of so-called “troll farms” for votes in the upcoming 2022 Elections. The “Battle of the Trolls” webinar will be the first under the National Forum on Communication and Democracy: Philippine Elections 2022 series. It will be held at 9 a.m. on August 11 via Zoom, and streamed live on Facebook and YouTube. Details can be found at the official PCS web site: www.philscomsoc.org and Facebook page www.facebook.com/philscomsoc. Inquiries may be directed to info@ philscomsoc.org, while interested participants can register online via https://tinyurl.com/PCSForum1. Headlining the Philippines Communication Society (PCS) webinar is Jonathan Ong, PhD, associate professor of global digital media at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, whose groundbreaking work

on disinformation and Philippine elections drew public attention to the dangers of organized and paid networks of trolls in democratic discourse. Also slated to speak in the webinar as reactors are Yvonne Chua, associate professor of journalism at the University of the Philippines; journalists Warren de Guzman of ABS-CBN and Ralf Rivas of Rappler; as well as Joeven Castro, associate professor at the Department of Communication of Far Eastern University and a member of the board of directors of the Philippine Association of Communication Educators. Broadcast journalist Veronica Baluyut-Jimenez will moderate the forum. PCS is jointly producing the National Forum with TVUP, UP’s Internet television-webcast network. Incorporated in 1987, PCS represents the communication discipline in the Philippine Social Science Council, and is the umbrella organization of all communication-related organizations in the country. It publishes PCS Review, a peer-reviewed research journal.

iACADEMY starts the new academic year with ‘GOAL’

PLDT’s Vic Tria (left) and San Gabriel, La Union Mayor Hermie M. Velasco

to provide quality service to the people. “We commend LGUs who champion and sustain quality education for citizens,” PLDT First Vice President and Enterprise Revenue Group Head Vic Tria said at the San Gabriel turnover. “Given the shift to...the new normal, the role of LGUs has become more vital in leading education reform in localities.” The PLDT Enterprise business unit is a major partner of organizations such as the Department of Education (DepEd), as well as small to medium-sized businesses that form the backbone of the Philippine economy. Service offerings include enterprise-grade Internet, data networking, voice communication, data centers, as well as solutions for mobility,

managed information and communications technology or ICT, and cyber security. Since 2017 PLDT and Smart have been supporting USAID and Synergeia in recognizing local governments that promote and sustain quality education for their citizens. Criteria used in selecting this year’s “Seal ” awardees include a high cohort survival rate, the ratio of current enrollment compared to the previous academic year, a decrease in the number of frustrated and nonreaders, a reinvented Local School Board, and functional School Governing Councils. Apart from the Synergeia collaboration, PLDT Enterprise has also worked hand-in-hand with Smart and other units across the

PLDT group to implement education initiatives. Tria revealed, “ These included special data packages and promos with access to education, work, and productivity applications, as well as fundraising activities to help deploy School-in-a-Bag portable digital classrooms that have benefited over 80,000 learners nationwide.” Smart has also whitelisted DepEd Commons (https:// commons.deped.gov.ph), the DepEd ’s online education delivery platform designed as an alternative mode for teaching-learning processes. Through this, DepEd Commons’ educational resources for use in various grade levels of curriculum can be accessed by Smart, TNT and Sun subscribers even without data load.

A K A T I - based s c h o o l iACADEMY ushered in the new academic year with its “GOAL” Information Session, a virtual discussion on Guided Online Autonomous Learning—the school’s gamechanging and optimized approach to online classes. iACADEMY hosted the GOAL Information Session on July 31 which provided students and parents with a better grasp on the way classes, activities and assessments have been adjusted to prioritize the essential concepts and competencies needed by the students and facilitate holistic learning experiences in the virtual learning setup. “GOAL...is anchored on the principle of outcome-based education… [It incorporates flexible and adaptive learning arrangements, with a] focus on the student’s welfare and context,” shared Cecilia Sy, vice president for academic affairs. At the onset of the pandemic, iACADEMY hosted “The New Normal” webinar series to brief parents and students regarding the school’s transition to GOAL. In recognition that the sudden migration of instructional activities to remote learning may be unsettling for many, the school focused its

efforts not only on ensuring sustainable learning activities are in place, but also on providing several information drives and open discussions within the community to address emerging concerns regarding educational continuity and secure support for both students and parents. iACADEMY designed the GOAL program not only to adapt to the current challenges of online learning during the pandemic, but also to elevate student experience through collaborative projects with various industry partners, social activities within student organizations, and other engaging programs. Aside from the curricular activities of the school, iACADEMY looks forward to stronger international linkages and partnerships to broaden learning horizons and grant more certifications for students this year. iACADEMY is currently accepting applications for senior high school and college. Founded in 2002, the educational institution has pioneered specialized programs that are technology-focused, innovative and industryrelevant. To see its full list of programs, visit https://iacademy.edu.ph/homev4/ iac_programs.

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Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Saturday, August 7, 2021 A9

Adrenaline-pumping Pampanga

Biking in Sacobia River.

MOUNT Clark Firing Range.

Horseback-riding with El Kabayo Stables.

Story & photos by Bernard L Supetran

cknowledged as the country’s culinary capital, the mere mention of Pampanga is enough to send your adrenaline pumping with the gastronomic journey that awaits you. But beyond its mouthwatering traditional delicacies, and gourmet international and fusion dishes, the province offers a physical adventure that will make a food feast really worth the trip.

Ride on horseback and relive the origins of Clark field as an American cavalry camp, known then as Fort Stotsenberg. El Kabayo Riding Stables can teach you the ropes of horsebackriding so you ride to the nature and adventure subzone, most notably the Sacobia River bed and Verdant Trail canyons reminiscent of the Wild, Wild West. If it is your lucky day, you can witness the Monthly Horse Parade as cowboys and cowgirls recreate a cavalry parade around Clark ’s greeneries, rain or shine. Complete your cowboyland experience and feast on certified angus beef brand steaks, prime rib roast and baby back ribs at the Texan saloon-modifed Amante Ribs and Steaks, situated right beside the stables. Another exciting ride is to pedal your way around the extensive bicycle lanes and trail of Clark which go around the landmarks such as Clark Parade Grounds, World War II markers, Clark Museum, and Air Force City, golf courses, and resort hotels. Hardcore bikers can go straight to the Freeport’s fringes in Bamban, Tar-

lac with intriguing attractions along the way, such as Bella Montana Farm which overlooks Clark ’s plains and Calbutan Farm which has a spring pool for a refreshing dip. You can also travel back in time on two wheels at Angeles City’s Santo Rosario heritage district, which noted for Pamintuan Mansion which was Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s wartime presidential headquarters, Holy Rosary Church, Bale Matua or Founders’ Residence, Museo Ning Angeles, and ancestral houses-turned-tourist shops, most notably the Historic Camalig Restaurant. Pedal further to San Fernando City and neighboring towns for a glimpse of local crafts, cuisine, culture, and Instagrammable spots. Must-sees are the century-old mansions and parol makers of San Fernando, woodcarvers and guitar makers of Guagua, the farm resorts of Magalang, the half-submerged Bacolor church, Lubao Bamboo Hub, Sta. Rita Eco-Park, and the Sasmuan Coastland Wetland which was recently inscribed in the prestigious global Ramsar Convention.

KANDI Tower

Experience a bang, quite literally, and fire several rounds at the Mt. Clark Shooting Range in Angeles City, one of the biggest outdoor ranges north of Metro Manila. It takes pride in its wide array of shotguns, and military-grade pistols

and rifles, and seven covered firing bays, each capable of accommodating three shooters at most. MCFR’s amiable instructors will warm you up with a disarming tete-a-tete, until you get a more relaxed feeling of holding a gun for the first time.

Having trained sports enthusiasts, government and private security personnel, you can be assured of top-rate lessons on the fundamentals of practical, tactical and competitive shooting. If you want a more laidback shooting adventure, you can try archery at their soon-to-reopen indoor range and aspire to being a modern-day Cupid. And when you’re about to call it a day, Pampanga is teeming with options to stay—from star-rated hotels, pension houses to homey and reasonably priced lodging which can be booked online. Families and friends can book at Kandi Towers and Villas in Angeles City via the Airbnb app, and has some of the highly ranked Superhosts. Situated just outside the Clark Freeport, the whitewashed modern condominium towers boast of amenities such as swimming pools, fitness gyms, cocktail bars and gourmet restaurants, billiards area, roof deck bars, entertainment areas, and lobby lounges adorned by freestanding sculptures. With hundreds of fully-furnished residential apartments, the spacious two-bedroom units can easily outdo typical hotels, while its villas are world-class one-off design with opulent features which are too many to enumerate. And the great thing is you can book the luxurious accommodation through Airbnb for the price of an economy hotel. Dotted with food outlets, convenience stores and laundry shops, Kandi Towers is like a vertical selfcontained executive village which has all of your immediate needs. It is also ideal for those who want a flashy and physically distanced staycation, but just a few heartbeats away from the adventure and recreational areas. With fun, food, and fast-paced action, Pampanga will never fail to pump your adrenaline.

AirAsia Philippines targets to have a fully vaccinated work force by Q4 2021

uests of AirAsia Philippines Flight Z2 775 Manila-Cebu and Z2 776 Cebu-Manila were greeted and assisted by fully vaccinated ground staff. The flight was also manned by a fully vaccinated crew from pilots to cabin crew and ramp agents. Capt. Nielfren Baldo Pilot-In-Command of Z2 775 said, “We hope this becomes an added value of protection to our guests as more and more members of the flight crew get inoculated. As a frontliner, I feel more confident flying our guests to our various destinations, and I have peace of mind whenever I come home to my family because now, I am protected against the severe effects of Covid-19. “I thank AirAsia for being very proactive in its internal campaign to take the shot. They see to it that we get vaccinated when it’s available, regardless of the brand.” Senior Cabin Crew Tonilee Pangan also shared her excitement in welcoming guests on this flight, saying “Safety has always been a shared responsibility.

While being fully vaccinated provides added protection, there is no room for complacency. We will never get tired of reminding all our guests and even ourselves to observe the established health and safety protocols to make each flight safe and fun.” To date, AirAsia Philippines has recorded a majority of 60 percent among its 1,500 Filipino Allstars who have been vaccinated against Covid-19. AirAsia Philippines Spokesman Steve Dailisan said, “In AirAsia we take to heart our core values. We’ve always put people first, and place the health and safety of our dear guests and Allstar employees as a top priority. We are optimistic that by August, those who directly interact with our guests such as Pilots, Cabin Crew, Ground Staff and Ramp Agents will be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Our target is to have all Filipino Allstars inoculated by Q4 of 2021 as we prepare for the strong rebound of air travel in the Philippines.” “The big step towards achieving a fully

vaccinated airline company is through the help and support of the national government and local government units which have prioritized those under A4 or essential workers.” Meanwhile, to encourage more people to take the shot, fully vaccinated passengers on the flight to and from Cebu who have presented their vaccination cards were given AlwaysREDy Care Kits and other AirAsia merchandise. Cebu, the gateway to Central Visayas is one of AirAsia Philippines’ (Z2) destinations which offers a more relaxed travel requirement. Cebu City requires a negative RT-PCR test for leisure travelers, while other surrounding component cities like Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay only require confirmed hotel booking upon entry. AirAsia has also partnered with testing laboratories for cheaper RT-PCR tests which yield results from 24 to 48 hours from as low as P2,500. Visit AirAsia’s flysafe landing page through airasia super app or airasia.com for more information.

Fully vaccinated crew onboard AirAsia Flight Z2 775 / Z2 776

A10 Saturday, August 7, 2021 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

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AP, Reuters to help Twitter elevate more credible info SAN FRANCISCO—Twitter has signed a deal with The Associated Press and Reuters to help elevate accurate information on its platform. Twitter said Monday that the program will expand its existing work to help explain why certain subjects are trending on the site, to show information and news from trusted resources, and to debunk misinformation. Twitter said the news agencies will help ensure that credible information is available in real time around key conversations as they come up. That will be especially

important where “facts are in dispute” or when the company’s own curation team doesn’t have the necessary expertise or access to enough reputable reporting on the subject, Twitter said. The news agencies will also be tasked with helping provide context on topics garnering widespread interest, including those that could potentially lead to misleading information, Twitter said. “Rather than waiting until something goes viral, Twitter will contextualize developing discourse at pace with or in anticipation of the public conversation,” Twitter said.

“This work is core to our mission,” Tom Januszewski, the AP’s vice president of global business development, said in a statement. “AP has a long history of working closely with Twitter, along with other platforms, to expand the reach of factual journalism.” Hazel Baker, head of user-generated content news gathering at Reuters, said “trust, accuracy and impartiality are at the heart of what Reuters does every day.” Financial terms of the partnerships were not disclosed. The AP and Reuters are also fact-checking partners with Facebook. AP

Showbiz personalities in ICT firm’s brand day concert

ARAH GERONIMO, boy group SB19 and the popular love team of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla are among the artists featured in Acer Day, the Taiwanese ICT giant biggest brand event of the year and for 2021. The celebration, which will be launched simultaneously across 10 territories in Asia-Pacific, includes rewards, discounts and promotions with the theme “Live Your World.” There will also be a concert later tonight featuring Geronimo, SB19, Bernardo and Padilla. The event, which will be streamed on Acer Philippines’ Facebook page (AcerPH) at 8 pm, is going to be hosted by Robi Domingo. The theme “Live Your World” encourages people to continue living their lives even when they’re stuck at home because of quarantines and lockdowns. “Live Your World” is also the title of the song for Acer Day 2021 performed by Geronimo, along with Prince from Indonesia, Aina Abdul from Malaysia, GBoySWAG from Taiwan, Earth Patravee from Thailand, and VP Bá Vương from Vietnam. The song was released Tuesday on Acer’s social-media accounts and in over 60 music digital platforms worldwide. “Sarah Geronimo is one of the biggest names in the music industry. There was no doubt we would choose her to perform this year for Acer Day. Her talent is really something to look forward to and we cannot wait for everyone to witness what she brought to the table for this year’s festivities,” said Acer Philippines managing director Manuel Wong. “Most of us are encouraged to stay home and reduce social activities. However, we want to tell everyone that staying at home does not mean you have to be alone. The Acer Day theme of ‘Live Your World’ this year drew inspiration from the belief

that all of us can make the best of any situation and continue to live our lives, no matter where we are and what constraints we are under. Technology has broken barriers and enabled people to stay connected even more. We believe music is the best medium to transcend borders and circumstances,” said Andrew Hou, president of Acer Pan Asia-Pacific operations. There will also be a promo on Twitter that involves hashtags and the fandoms of Geronimo, SB19 and Kathniel. Go to Acer Philippines’ social-media accounts for details. One Twitter user per fandom will win a brand-new laptop. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for something to do in ECQ aside from work, Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) has teamed up with Mystery Manila to create a specially themed virtual escape room that transports subscribers to a world of unnatural plagues, political conspiracies and all sorts of chaos found in the award-winning Korean series Kingdom on Netflix.

Mystery Manila is known for their experiential and immersive escape rooms but due to the pandemic, they have shifted to online escape room executions that still provide the same thrill and excitement that people know and enjoy. Smart Signature subscribers can exclusively experience the nerve-wracking Kingdom-inspired virtual escape room by visiting smartnetflix.mysterymanila.com. Upon entering the escape room, you will find yourself trapped inside the magistrate’s library surrounded by zombies. To find your way to safety, you will go through a series of challenges with clues in the form of books and scrolls, letting you experience chilling scenes from Kingdom. Race against time, challenge your friends, and make the experience even more memorable by posting and sharing it online using the official hashtags #SmartNetflix #EscapeFromDongnae. More information about this exciting experience can be found at bit.ly/3jrV71m.

PLDT-Smart Foundation partner boosts DedEd’s program BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES MAJOR PLDT rollout partner FiberHome boosted PLDT-Smart Foundation’s (PSF) objective to help the Department of Education’s Last Mile Schools Program when it donated 17 Smart School-in-a-Bag kits. “We in PLDT and Smart believe that learning should never stop. This is why we have been advocating inclusive education. Students and teachers alike are finding more creative and innovative ways to adapt to the new normal of teaching and learning. We are inspired by the efforts of the education sector in ensuring that there is no learner left behind,” PLDT SVP and group head for Home Consumer Business Menardo Jimenez Jr. said in a press statement. “We are touched beyond words to receive the School-in-a-Bag package and the free capacity training for teachers under [the] CVIF-Dynamic Learning Program made possible by the generosity of Smart, PLDT-Smart Foundation and FiberHome. We are grateful for your support in ensuring that schools have the opportunity to thrive amid the pandemic,” said Rebecca Pagcaliwagan, the principal of Conde Labac Integrated School, one of the recipients of the

School-in-a-Bag package. The School-in-a-Bag is designed to provide access to technology, connectivity, content and a disasterresilient pedagogy even for schools in remote areas. Each water-resistant backpack carries a laptop and pocket Wi-Fi for the teachers and 10 tables for the students, all pre-loaded with interactive, multimedia content accessible even if offline. Through various initiatives implemented with its parent company, and with the support of external organizations, PLDT’s wireless unit Smart Communications deployed 86 School-in-a-Bag packages in 2020 alone. Since its launch in 2016, around 300 bags have been deployed, benefiting over 83,000 students and more than 4,000 teachers in lastmile communities. “More than the devices, we are actually equipping the packages with learning content and a disasterand pandemic-resilient strategy of teaching called CVIF-Dynamic Learning Program. School-in-a-Bag has become instrumental in helping us advocate for adoption of other schools of this DepEd-endorsed pedagogy,” Smart Community Relations AVP and head Stephanie Orlino said.

PSF president Esther Santos thanked FiberHome for their generous support. “We value education as one of our core advocacy pillars in PLDT and Smart. We are thankful for partners like FiberHome which share our vision in ensuring that no learner is left behind amid the pandemic. These 17 School-ina-Bag donations will truly go a long way and will reach far-flung communities that are most in need,” Santos said. “Sharing the same values with PLDTSmart Foundation to be of help to the community, FiberHome also desires to elevate the standards of education, information and communication technology. Our vision is to help provide access to education for all of our learners in the Philippines, especially those from geographically isolated disadvantaged areas,” said FiberHome CEO Johnny Jiang. An information and communication network products and solutions provider, FiberHome is one of PLDT’s longtime partners in delivering excellent customer service. The School-in-a-Bag program of Smart reinforces the PLDT group-wide commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals (SDG), particularly quality education.

Messaging platform makes it easier, faster, more secure to connect with customers CONSUMERS are choosing to spend more and more time on their phones, and the proliferation of social media and messaging apps have given them greater access to brands and businesses. A recent Forrester/ Google survey says that 68 percent consumers are more likely to go with the business that offers convenient communications, and a global Wolfgang Digital E-Commerce KPI Report reveals that 53 percent of customers are more likely to buy from a company they can contact via a messaging app. Combine these results with statistics that 71 percent of customers expect brands to communicate with them in real time, and you will see a challenge that both small businesses and big brands are facing now. Viber, one of the world’s leading messaging apps, understands this and offers Viber Messaging Solutions that allow brands to reach their customers on each stage of the customer journey, and turn conversations into conversions as a result. Different businesses have different needs, so Viber offers two integration options—Business Messages or Chatbots—compatible with its three message types. Messages from brands to customers can be transactional (for example, order confirmation or notification about delivery of goods), promotional (messages with a special offer or promotion), as well as two-way conversations (customer support, receiving feedback, or placing orders). Viber Business Messages allow brands and businesses to plug in their existing customers’ optin database. These can include richer messaging elements like images, files, and call-to-action buttons with links for a more enhanced experience for customers, instead of just generic text-only messages. They are also cost-effective, costing much less than SMS, but you can also guarantee timely message delivery via SMS fallback for your peace of mind (e.g. for one-time passwords). Also, business messages are super secure for both brands and customers. Especially for businesses who do e-commerce or want to improve excellent customer support, Viber Chatbots are another great messaging tool that can offer real-time customer support any time of day (or night). Chatbots are in touch around the clock and answer customer questions instantly by automating routine processes, reducing user frustration and increasing their level of trust in the company—all while reducing personnel costs. This messaging tool can also be leveraged as an additional sales channel, providing businesses with the the ability to sell their products and services directly to Viber. Global brands like Coca-Cola and WWF and local businesses have used Viber Messaging Solutions to interact with new and current customers and boost awareness for campaigns. They’ve seen great and measurable success in growing brand interactions, from improving response rate among customers to inciting actions like app downloads and bookings. Primer Group of Companies here in the Philippines, for example, introduced their new Viber Channel to connect with offline customers and offer them more shopping options with direct links and exclusive offers, contributing to them achieving 401 percent of their sales targets. Viber remains an important channel for customer interaction because of its ease and accessibility, but also because of its security. Especially for business updates and formal communications, it’s important that customers receive these on a credible and secure platform. Considered as one of the most secure messaging apps in the world, Viber takes security and data protection very seriously and complies with all applicable laws and regulations. Now is the most crucial time for businesses. Give it the boost it needs by turning customers into loyal advocates through solutions that put them first. Start by giving them a secure, efficient, effective and direct line with you through their chats.

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Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Saturday, August 7, 2021 A11

Poco X3 Pro: Hand of the king

GCASH president and CEO Martha Sazon receives token as an Outstanding Partner of the BSP Stakeholders Appreciation Ceremony 2021.

N the HBO series Game of Thrones, the Hand of the King (or Queen), is the most powerful appointed position in the Six Kingdoms, second only to the King in authority and responsibility. The Hand is the King’s closest advisor, appointed and authorized to make decisions in the King’s name. If you’ve watched the series, you know how crucial that character is. During the reign of strong and able Kings, the Hand is the chief agent for coordinating and carrying out the King’s plans but during the rule of ineffectual kings, the Hand is often the real power behind the throne, and the man chiefly responsible for holding the realm together. Such is the role of the Poco X series: it may not be the King but regardless of how good (or not so good) their current flagship is, you can always rely on the X series’ strengths: performance, speed, and value for money. The Poco X3 Pro is essentially an updated version of the Poco X3 NFC. It looks the same with NFC version but with Poco doing some slight rebalancing of its specs, giving it an even more powerful processor and better screen protection, but with a slight compromise on the cameras. Does it live up to its tagline “Exactly what you need, and more”? And with the imminent launch of its successor the Poco X3 GT, does it still deserve your attention?

DESIGN AND BUILD

AS I mentioned, design is one of the areas where essentially nothing has changed from the original X3 NFC aside from a new set of color options. Which also means it wouldn’t change your perception of how the X3 NFC looked. Inside the box you’ll get the phone unit, a welcome card, a bunch of Poco stickers, a jelly case, paper documentation, SIM ejector tool, a 33w wall charger, and USB-C cable. You still have the frosted finish edges on the back, which thankfully doesn’t attract too much smudges this time, and you also get the strip pattern and the large Poco branding. It’s not as distracting as realme slapping their “Dare to Leap” quote, and I don’t mind the superfluous branding, but I’m just not a fan of the Poco font. Good thing it does disappear depending on the angle. Your get three color options—Metal Bronze, Phantom Black, and Frost Blue, which is bluer than blue but won’t make you sadder than sad. You know I’ve grown tired of black phones, but this Phantom Black color actually gives off a dark purple and bluish hue, while the Metal Bronze almost borders on pink at times. I don’t know why, but I really like the round camera module design of the Poco X3 Pro. It just makes it stand out from all the squarish/rectangular top corner-mounted cameras of other phones. The button layout is standard as well: you’ll find the SIM/microSD slot on the left, the volume rocker and power button which doubles as the fingerprint sensor on the right, an IR blaster and microphone on top and at the bottom is a loudspeaker, the primary microphone, USB-C, and the beloved 3.5mm audio jack. As for the display, the Poco X3 Pro gets better protection via Corning’s Gorilla Glass 6. It also retains the IP53 rating giving the phone pretty respectable dust- and water-resistance which is rare at this price

GCASH NAMED ‘OUTSTANDING PARTNER’ AT BSP STAKEHOLDERS APPRECIATION CEREMONY 2021

point. The only thing I didn’t like about the build of the X3 Pro is its weight. It’s a chunky phone that measures 165.3 x 76.8 x 9.4mm and even heavier weighing almost 215 grams. So, you better have big hands, or big pockets.

DISPLAY AND SOUND

POCO touts the display tailor-made for mobile gaming and it delivers with the X3 Pro’s huge 6.67-inch IPS display with a FHD+ resolution of 2400x1080. It also features flagship 120Hz refresh rate allowing you to enjoy seamlessly fluid movements in action-packed games while the high 240Hz touch sampling rate decreases the touch latency. Having a 120Hz screen at this price point is excellent; even better, the refresh rate can dynamically switch between five speeds, from 30Hz up to 120Hz, meaning that the screen can run a little slower to save the battery. The Poco X3 Pro’s display looks sharp, the colors are bold and vibrant, and the huge screen size instantly gives you the sense it’s made for games and for watching videos. It’s not the brightest in its class but it certainly won’t give you a less-than-satisfactory experience. It’s the phone I have been using to watch Netflix, HBO Go, Amazon and even VivaMax.

CAMERAS

LET just say it: the cameras are a downgrade from the Poco X3 NFC. The rear setup is similar, but differs in the details of the lens. You still get four lenses. However, instead of the 64MP main shooter of the X3 NFC, it only gets a 48MP main sensor and an 8MP ultra-wide instead of a 13MP. The two remaining are still a 2MP macro lens and depth sensor. To be fair, the main camera isn’t bad, but it’s also not something to cheer about. Daylight results are still great with good color and detail but in low light, expect washed-out colors, less detail and reduced sharpness. The wide-angle photos also suffer a bit

because of the downgrade. Photos are still usable, but you might need a bit more effort in editing. As for selfies, you get the same 20MP lens that can produce detailed shots. But with an f/2.2 aperture it struggles in less than optimal lighting conditions. Again, it’s not bad, but if there’s a chink in this knight’s armor, it would be the cameras.

PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY

NOW, the main selling point of the Poco X3 Pro is its powerful performance. The Poco X3 Pro packs a flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 processor that allows you to enjoy mobile games with high speed, even when playing graphically demanding games on high settings. Along with enhanced UFS 3.1, the device offers snappy read and write speeds, so you don’t have to wait long to load files, games and apps. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 is a souped-up version of the Snapdragon 855, the same chipset that powered most of the biggest flagship phones in 2019. And before you even think about its age, know that it is still faster than this year’s mid-range chips. So even if it lacks 5G connectivity, it would be very hard to find a phone with this power at its price range. Poco pairs the Snapdragon 860 with the choice between 6GB or 8GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB of storage, and you even get a microSD slot to expand that further. I suggest you go for the extra RAM though, instead of buying a microSD card for storage. As for battery, the X3 Pro has a 5160mAh battery. It lasted me two days with light use before it needed to be plugged in again. Poco has bundled a 33w charger that can charge the phone from zero to 100 percent in just a little over an hour. Final word: the Poco X3 Pro is a phone designed for gamers and power users that are on a budget. If you are not much of a photographer and don’t mind the lack of 5G connectivity, it’s still a great buy, especially now that its price is expected to drop further with the release of the Poco X3 GT. ■

EU investigates Facebook’s proposed purchase of Kustomer LONDON—European Union regulators are opening an in-depth investigation of Facebook’s plan to buy Kustomer over concerns that the deal would stifle competition for customer relationship management software. The EU Commission said on Monday it’s also investigating the acquisition because of worries that Facebook would get more data for personalized ads, handing it even

more of an advantage in the online advertising market. The social network announced the deal in November as it seeks to make more money from its WhatsApp and Messenger chat services, which have thrived during the pandemic, by adding ways for businesses to interact with customers. Kustomer provides software that help companies manage online conversations with customers over

various channels by putting them into a single dashboard. “Our investigation aims to ensure that the transaction will not harm businesses or consumers, and that any data that Facebook gets access to does not distort competition,” EU Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager, the bloc’s top competition watchdog, said in a press statement. Facebook pledged to fully cooperate with the European

Commission, and said the transaction is “pro-competitive” and will result in more innovation. “More people will benefit from customer service that is faster, richer and available whenever and however they need it,” Facebook said. The UK competition watchdog began looking into the deal last week over concerns it would result in a “substantial lessening” of competition. AP

THE undisputed No. 1 mobile wallet app in the Philippines, GCash (www.gcash.com) was named Outstanding Partner by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) at this year’s Stakeholders Appreciation Ceremony for its innovative financial solutions to grant financial access to all Filipinos, especially the unbanked and underbanked segments. “We are very honored to be named as one of the Outstanding Partners by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. At GCash, we have been working very hard to provide more relevant financial services and products to build a more inclusive financial ecosystem,” said Martha Sazon, GCash president and chief executive officer. “This recognition is an affirmation of our hard work to achieve finance for all.” For this year, the annual BSP Stakeholders Appreciation Ceremony was done virtually. With the theme “Pagpugay at Pagkilala sa Gitna ng Hamon ng Pandemya,” the awarding ceremony acknowledged the outstanding partners who have supported BSP’s various initiatives and advocacy programs especially during the pandemic. “It has been more than a year since the pandemic began, and with cautious optimism, we can say that the worst is over. Though our economy received big blows because of the pandemic, we started green shoots of recovery as early as the third quarter of last year. This is because of a whole nation approach that we, which includes our partners, employed,” said BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno. In support of BSP’s recovery efforts, including its vision of financial inclusion for Filipinos, GCash has launched a host of products and services at the height of the pandemic. On the app, users can enjoy GSave, an online savings bank; GInvest, an easy investment feature; GInsure for insurance for medical emergencies such as dengue, Covid-19, and accidents; GCredit, a personal credit line with up to P30,000 credit line and up to 3 percent prorated interest rate. GCash features GLife, the e-commerce feature on the GCash app that allows users to shop exclusive deals from 35 brands across retail, food, gaming, entertainment, and transport. To help mobilize the economy, GCash partnered with businesses and rolled out GCash QR on Demand. On the app, users can use the QR Code in place of their mobile number to send or receive money, whether for personal use or small businesses. These business partnerships include market vendors and customers, helping them have a safe and convenient payment method. GCash has also enabled 15,000 jeepney drivers to receive alternative income sources through the app and provides PUJ drivers and commuters with a safe and cashless transaction option amid the pandemic via P2P QR Codes on the GCash app. Recently, GCash partnered with the BSP in launching a webinar series, which kicked off with the webinar, titled, “One with the Nation: Forging PublicPrivate Partnerships Towards Digital Inclusion in the Philippines.” The online event featured distinguished speakers from the public and private sectors led by Diokno, Sazon, Makati Mayor Abby Binay, Rep. Jose Enrique Garcia, Social Welfare director Wayne Belizar, and Bureau of Treasury of the Philippines OIC Deputy Treasurer Ed Marino. With its numerous programs and initiatives to promote digital transformation among Filipinos during the pandemic, the e-wallet app has grown its user base to more than 40 million, doubling the figure from 20 million users in January 2020.

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| Saturday, August 7, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

PAALAM LOCKS IN ON GOLD NO. 2 By Jun Lomibao

OKYO—Carlo Paalam fights an opponent from Great Britain in the men’s flyweight final of boxing on Saturday afternoon hoping to nail a gold medal that would more than a thousand times underscore that the Philippines has overachieved in these Tokyo Olympics. Paalam, who turned 23 just five days before the Games opened with a uniquely glittery ceremony that looked unmindful of the Covid-19 threat, goes for all the marbles, as they always say, against Galal Yafai in the first final match on the last day of boxing competitions at the Kokugikan Arena. The match, set at 2 p.m. (1 p.m.

in Manila), has all the makings of what Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino has predicted weeks before the Olympics opened last July 23. “Maybe one, maybe two…maybe more,” was Tolentino’s answer to queries over how many gold medals the 19-athlete Team Philippines would reap from the Olympics that—with all the health and safety protocols and restrictions—look on its way to beating the virus. Hidilyn Diaz’s historic first gold medal in weightlifting and Nesthy Petecio’s silver and Eumir Felix Marcial’s in boxing are more than enough to underline these Tokyo edition as the best ever for the country since it started participating in the Olympics 97

years ago in Paris. Add the guaranteed silver for Paalam—the poor boy from Bukidnon who scavenged for anything to earn a living for his family—and the 2020+1 Games of the XXXII Olympiad have carved a niche for a nation that for almost a century has never felt how it’s like to win a gold medal. But won’t be settling for second best. “I am asking all Filipinos to help me pray, for me to be able to do my utmost best,” Paalam said on Thursday after putting away Japan’s Ryomei Tanaka in lopsided fashion in his weight class’s semifinals. “I have no control over the judges’ decision, and my opponent is as prepared as I am, and could be better than I am,” he said. “But

CARLO PAALAM targets the country’s second gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics. AP

help me build more trust and confidence in myself as I fight the biggest fight of my boxing career.” After defeating Ireland’s Brendan Irvine, 4-1, in his opening bout, Paalam became even more impressive in his next two fights, hammering out a unanimous decision win against Algeria’s Mohamed Flissi, and eliminating reigning Olympic champion Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan via the same emphatic 5-0 score to move into the semifinals against the Japanese. Paalam had to beat Tanaka convincingly just to avoid sympathetic judging that are usually accorded hometown bets. Paalam pulled off a clinical 5-0 unanimous decision over Tanaka to reach the gold medal match, the first time that a Filipino did so in boxing since Atlanta 1996 when Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco fought—and lost—in the gold medal bout against Bulgaria’s Daniel Petrov Bojilov. Don Abnett, the national boxing team’s Australian consultant, won’t directly admit it, but his body language during an interview with Filipino sportswriters after Paalam’s semifinal victory gave him away. “The boy’s doing good, the boy’s quick with his hands and he’s ready,” said Abnett, who has worked on the national boxers alongside coaches Ronald Chavez, Elmer Pamisa, Reynaldo Galido, Nolito “Boy” Velasco and Marcus Manalo. “Carlo looks prime for the British fighter,” said Galido, adding Paalam has experienced sparring with Yafai some two years ago in London during the Filipino boxer’s foiled bid in the World Series of Boxing.

Saso cards 67 in third round, climbs to 20th place

OKYO—Yuka Saso found her rhythm in the third round on Friday, submitting a four-under 67 to move up the leaderboard in the women’s golf competition of the Tokyo Olympics at the Kasumigaseki Country Club. Saso, 20, showed some of the form that won her a historic US Women’s Open title and nailed five birdies including her last two on the eighth and ninth holes after she teed off in the back nine. She had a lone bogey on the 10th. The birdie-birdie finish pushed Saso from joint 34th at the start of the day to a tie

OKYO—April Ross now has the complete set of Olympic beach volleyball medals: silver in London, bronze in Rio de Janeiro and a gold she won with Alix Klineman at the Tokyo Games on Friday with a victory over Australia. The Americans beat Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy of Australia 21-15, 21-16 under a blazing sun in a match that was mercifully quick for the biggest crowd yet at Shiokaze Park—about 60 people in the temporary stadium that seats 9,600. Playing in 92-degree Fahrenheit (33 Celsius) temperatures under the hot Tokyo sun, the Americans finished off the Aussies in 43 minutes. In the bronze medal match

for 20th place on a four-under 209 with one round left to play in her Olympic debut. The Jakarta 2018 Asian Games double gold winner, however, stood 11 shots off the fiery pace set by American Nelly Korda, who followed a 62 with a 69 and still remained three shots clear of the field on a 15-under 198 total. Indian youngster Aditi Ashok was in second spot at 12-under 201 after a 68 while tied for third at 10-under are Lydia Ko of New Zealand (66), Hannah Green of Australia (67), Mone Imami of Japan (68) and Dane Emily Pedersen (70). Bianca Pagdanganan, on the other hand, blew a hot start with two double bogeys and a bogey in a sloppy back nine and settled for a second straight 71—good for a share of 29th place with two others at 209. The 23-year-old Pagdanganan got as low as five-under after three birdies in her first 10 holes, but a combination of bad shots

and bad breaks got her coming in. Korda, meanwhile, had to work for pars instead of making birdies look routine, and the 23-year-old American did well enough to keep her distance in pursuit of an Olympic gold medal. Korda saved par with a fivefoot putt on the 17th hole and then got up-and-down from behind the 18th with a nifty pitch to 4 feet to finish with 12 straight pars at a two-under 69. She had a three-shot lead over Aditi Ashok of India, who is nearly last in the 60-player field in driving distance and near the top in sheer determination. She had a 68. Jun Lomibao/AP

OKYO—Weightlifting had a rare moment in the Olympic spotlight at the Tokyo Games. It may not get another. When Laurel Hubbard made history as the first transgender female weightlifter at the Olympics, the sport found itself at the forefront of social change. After her competition ended with three failed lifts, Hubbard praised the “extraordinarily supportive” International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) for its inclusivity. Other events saw dramatic finishes, world records, a resurgence for the United States and celebrations for nations which rarely see a podium, like the Philippines and Turkmenistan. Cheering teams and a heavy metal soundtrack made for a party atmosphere. Now the party is over and weightlifting is left alone with its old problems—doping, infighting and corruption. It doesn’t have a confirmed spot on the program for the next Olympics in Paris in 2024. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is waiting to see if the IWF can push through longpromised reforms. “We’re just doing our best to show the sport is clean, trying to show the IOC that weightlifting has a future once we get ourselves sorted,” Forrester Osei, one of two athlete representatives on the IWF board, told The Associated Press on Thursday. Osei said IOC President Thomas Bach told him he “doesn’t want to kick us out of the Games” when they met in Tokyo. “He just wants to see fair play within our sport and he wants to see the athletes being taken care of,” Osei said.

the challenges faced by track and field or elite cycling—can spectators believe what they’re seeing? The competition in Tokyo ended with a bang Wednesday when Lasha Talakhadze broke three world records and lifted a total of 488 kilograms, more than anyone else in the sport’s history. The problem is that the bearded Georgian with the explosive lifts APRIL ROSS has all colors of medals in Olympic beach volleyball. AP

THE US’s Thomas Scott (left) and Ukraine’s Stanislav Horuna compete in the men’s kumite -75 kgs elimination round for karate on Friday. AP

over their heads for shade. A towel covered the seat so they wouldn’t stick to the hot cushion; support staff put icepacks on their heads, or wrapped them in wet towels. And then there was hydration. So much hydration. Klineman, a first-time Olympian, and Ross, who has three medals in as many trips to the Summer Games, needed just 20 minutes to claim the first set. They fell behind 2-0 in the second before scoring 10 straight points to pull away. That silenced the chants of “Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!” from the Australians in their bright yel-

Diaz’s sport faces uncertain Olympic future after Tokyo

DOPING WEIGHTLIFTING’S biggest problem is the same as

US wins beach gold, Ross completes set earlier Friday, Joana Heidrich and Anouk Verge-Depre of Switzerland cruised to a straight-set victory over Latvia. The silver for Australia was its first beach volleyball medal since Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst took gold on Bondi Beach in 2000. But they were never really close against the Americans, who tied for the top spot in the Olympic qualification points race and lost just one set in seven matches in Tokyo. With side changes every seven points and technical timeouts every 14, the players retreated to benches, where an awning was rolled up

HIDILYN DIAZ salutes the Philippine flag during the medal ceremony of the women’s -55 kgs category as South Korea’s Kim Suhyeon drops the barbel in the women’s -76 kgs event. AP

low shirts and brought out the cheers of “U-S-A!” from those in the red, white and blue. Australia survived three championship points before Artacho del Solar served into the net to seal the US victory. After a long hug, Klineman went to the bench to douse herself in water, then the pair went over to the stands and posed with an American flag. AP

served a two-year ban from 2013 after testing positive for a banned steroid. The bronze medalist in the same event, Man Asaad of Syria, also has a ban in his past. Pan American Games champion Fernando Reis of Brazil was excluded after failing a doping test in June. Still, weightlifters say progress is being made since the sport’s darkest days—the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, when more than 30 medals were stripped from various lifters later judged to have doped. When Maude Charron won gold last week, she paid tribute to Christine Girard, a fellow Canadian who only got gold from the 2012 London Olympics when lifters from Kazakhstan and Russia who placed ahead of her were both disqualified for the same substance, the steroid stanozolol. Charron said it was a mark of progress that she got her Tokyo podium moment. “That’s [Girard’s] medal, that’s her moment because she didn’t have it in real time,” Charron said. “For sure anti-doping made a great deal in just cleaning the sport.... There is a progression in this clean way.” CORRUPTION AND CLASHES THE IWF’s problems grew during the 45-year reign of Tamas Ajan, who was IWF general secretary for 25 years and president for 20 until stepping down last year. An investigation by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren published soon after found covered-up doping cases, fines paid in wads of cash and more than $10 million unaccounted for. Ajan denies wrongdoing. Vice President Nicu Vlad and board member Hasan Akkus were suspended in June, accused of interfering in doping cases. “We have tested the IOC’s patience perhaps too much,” USA Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews told the AP. Andrews was a prominent backer of interim President Ursula Papandrea, an American who was ousted in October and accused other board members of bullying and obstructing reform. “Ultimately the IOC in particular has said: ‘You guys need new leadership. We don’t want to see the same people in charge,’” Andrews said. NEXT STEPS WEIGHTLIFTING officials will reconvene in Qatar on August 28 and 29 to pass a stalled new IWF constitution. After that comes elections that could bring some of the new faces that Andrews says the IOC wants to see. The constitution was deadlocked at the last meeting in June amid disputes between reformers and a faction led by the Ajan-era old guard. A compromise document is likely to include some of the reformers’ key demands, particularly in reinforcing athletes’ rights to seats on the board. Despite the sport’s problems, weightlifters are convinced they still have a recipe for success. Superhuman feats of strength— preferably with all-natural muscles—and a unique competition structure, with every lift a chance for triumph or disaster. “Everybody wants to see somebody lift up heavy weight. It’s the mind, the body, over an object,” Osei said. “And that’s what makes it fun, to see a gentle giant come onto the stage and pick up heavy equipment.” AP

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ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

24 INCH GAUGE CONSTRUCTION INC. L4 Blk. 4 Near Kay Buboy Bridge San Dionisio Parañaque City

CAI, MEILING Marketing Specialist 1.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for coordinating with other marketing and sales professionals to implement innovative campaigns for branding or product launches

Basic Qualification: Ability to work under pressure and motivation to succeed in a competitive environment; Should have a bachelor’s degree in journalism, marketing, communications or a related field; Good communication and interpersonal skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

CHEN, BO Marketing Specialist 2.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for coordinating with other marketing and sales professionals to implement innovative campaigns for branding or product launches

LEI, XIAOFANG Marketing Specialist 3.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for coordinating with other marketing and sales professionals to implement innovative campaigns for branding or product launches

LI, JINDING Marketing Specialist 4.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for coordinating with other marketing and sales professionals to implement innovative campaigns for branding or product launches

LIU, YAWEN Marketing Specialist 5.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for coordinating with other marketing and sales professionals to implement innovative campaigns for branding or product launches

WU, YUEHONG Marketing Specialist 6.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for coordinating with other marketing and sales professionals to implement innovative campaigns for branding or product launches

12.

13.

Brief Job Description: Assist head chef and training staff with regards to Chinese menu REN, QIANG Chinese Menu Development Specialist

Brief Job Description: Develop recipes and portion specification as required in conjunction w/ the Chinese customer WANG, YUEMING Chinese Menu Development Specialist

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

10.

Brief Job Description: Provides direct support to Amazon Sellers, as part of their registration and on boarding process onto the Amazon store. SINGKHA, NARUMON Seller Support Associate

11.

Brief Job Description: Clear and effective oral and written communication, with the ability to transition easily from communicating in both Thai and English fluently where required.

Brief Job Description: Resolve customers issues/concerns in a timely manner

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

Brief Job Description: Monitoring and maintaining computer systems and networks

STALLWOOD, COLIN DAVID Delivery Partner-Philippines 16.

Brief Job Description: Defines and determines the direction of business opportunities and needs.

Basic Qualification: Expert in menu planning

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

LIU, HUAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Handle returns or complaints.

LU, QIAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Handle returns or complaints.

LYDIA ENG WEI WEI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Handle returns or complaints.

WANG, TINGTING Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Handle returns or complaints.

YU, BEN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Handle returns or complaints.

ZHANG, YUANYUAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Handle returns or complaints.

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

Basic Qualification: Clear and effective oral and written communication in both Vietnamese and English fluently where required.

24.

Brief Job Description: The Chinese IT Support Specialist shall answer incoming phone calls from clients and troubleshoot customer technical problems with computer software and hardware.

FU, LIANGSONG Chinese Speaking Business Consultant 25.

Brief Job Description: Plan, Organize and manage business project for clients, develop detailed business plan

MA, WEIXUAN Chinese Speaking Business Consultant 26.

Brief Job Description: Plan, Organize and manage business project for clients, develop detailed business plan

SUN, WEIDONG Chinese Speaking Business Consultant 28.

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

Brief Job Description: Plan, Organize and manage business project for clients, develop detailed business plan

LIU, HAIJUN Chinese Speaking Cabling Infrastructure Technician 29.

Brief Job Description: Installs Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a and fiber optic cabling system

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

CHEN, MIN Chinese Speaking IT Specialist 30.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in speaking Chinese/ Mandarin both Oral and written. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in speaking Chinese/ Mandarin both Oral and written.

Brief Job Description: Resolving all issues co-workers have with their IT systems and Software

LIANG, HAIYUN Chinese Speaking IT Specialist 31.

Brief Job Description: Resolving all issues co-workers have with their IT systems and software

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in speaking Chinese/ Mandarin both Oral and written.

LIU, HAI Chinese Speaking IT Specialist 32.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in speaking Chinese/ Mandarin both Oral and written. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Resolving all issues co-workers have with their IT systems and software

QING, TENGFEI Chinese Speaking IT Specialist 33.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in speaking Chinese/ Mandarin both Oral and written. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in speaking Chinese/ Mandarin both Oral and written.

Brief Job Description: Resolving all issues co-workers have with their IT systems and software

SHI, JIAHUA Chinese Speaking IT Specialist 34.

Brief Job Description: Resolving all issues co-workers have with their IT systems and software

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

Basic Qualification: Minimum of 5 years experience, fluency in both Japanese and English, with strong planning and budgetary skills

SONG, FENG Chinese Speaking IT Specialist 35.

Brief Job Description: Resolving all issues co-workers have with their IT systems and software

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 LIANG, QIJIE Mandarin Speaking Project Supervisor 36.

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Chinese language (Writing and Speaking) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin English, aptitude in problem solving with full knowledge of diverse business matters such, telecommunication, and networks Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin English, aptitude in problem solving with full knowledge of diverse business matters such, telecommunication, and networks Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin English, aptitude in problem solving with full knowledge of diverse business matters such, telecommunication, and networks Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin English, aptitude in problem solving with full knowledge of diverse business matters such, telecommunication, and networks Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English with good communication skills and preferably 5 years of experience as Chinese Speaking Cabling Infrastructure Technician Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Proven experience in leading SAP migrations.

CHINA COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES PHILIPPINES CORPORATION 12/f One/neo Bldg 26th St. Cor 3rd Ave., Bgc Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

Basic Qualification: Native Thai speaker, customer service operations experience

AUFREE PAYMENT SOLUTIONS INC. U3-f2 Burgundy Westbay Tower 820 P. Ocampo St., 078 Bgy. 719 Malate Manila

Brief Job Description: To develop transactions among the subsidiary companies of Japanese, Filipino, and foreign corporations in the Philippines

TANG, MIN Chinese IT Support

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

27.

Basic Qualification: Can speak mandarin

CAPSLOCK INC. 7th & 8th Flr. Y Tower Bldg. Coral Way Drive Cor. Macapagal Ave. Brgy. 076 Pasay City

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

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

SHI, WEICONG Chinese Speaking Business Consultant

BOT LEASE AND FINANCE PHILIPPINES INC. U-14b 14f Multinational Bancorporation Centre 6805 Ayala Avenue Bel-air Makati City

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

Basic Qualification: Can speak Mandarin

BOOMING CONSULTANCY INCORPORATED 807-808 Aseana One Bradco Avenue Tambo Parañaque City

IWATA, SHO Japanese Marketing Manager

AMAZON OPERATION SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. B21 Three E-com Moa Complex Harbour Drive Cor. Bay Shore Brgy. 076 Pasay City NGUYEN NGOC MAI THY Seller Support Associate

Basic Qualification: Can speak mandarin

BACKOFFICE ASSOCIATES PHILIPPINES INC. Unit 3602 36/f Robinsons Equitable Tower Condo., Adb Avenue Corner Poveda St. Ortigas Center, San Antonio Pasig City

AMAZING HOUSE, INC. G/f Oceanaire Residences, Cbpi Sunrise Drive Brgy. 076 Pasay City FOONG SIONG Chinese Cuisine Specialist

TEE KIAN SIANG Mandarin Accounts Staff

Brief Job Description: Monitoring and maintaining computer systems and networks

No.

Basic Qualification: Can speak mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

YUAN, LILI Mandarin Technical Support 15.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

Brief Job Description: Maintain accurate and complete customer account information

DENG, TIANHUA Mandarin Technical Support 14.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION TAN KAR LI Mandarin Accounts Staff

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Brief Job Description: Act as project supervisor on capital construction and renovation projects

ZHU, DAN Mandarin Speaking Project Supervisor 37.

Brief Job Description: Act as project supervisor on capital construction and renovation projects

Basic Qualification: Fluent in mandarin and English, with good communication skills and preferably 2 yrs of experience as Chinese speaking IT specialist Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English with good communication skills and preferably 2 years of experience as Chinese Speaking IT Specialist Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English with good communication skills and preferably 2 years of experience as Chinese Speaking IT Specialist Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English with good communication skills and preferably 2 years of experience as Chinese Speaking IT Specialist Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English with good communication skills and preferably 2 years of experience as Chinese Speaking IT Specialist Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English with good communication skills and preferably 2 years of experience as Chinese Speaking IT Specialist Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, outstanding leadership skills, fluent in Mandarin and English preferably with 5 years of experience as project supervisor Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate outstanding leadership skills, fluent in mandarin and english preferably with 5 years of experience as a project supervisor Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

COLDSTREAM MARKETING SOLUTION INC. 603-4 Eastfield Ctr. Moa Comp. Macapagal Ave. Brgy. 076 Pasay City WU, TIANPING Customer Service Representative 38.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for a variety of customer service functions for the company’s Chinese Clientelle. XIONG, KANG Customer Service Representative

39.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for a variety of customer service functions for the company’s Chinese Clientele.

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Fukien language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Fukien language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

CROWN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INC. 5th-7th Floor Alhi Corporate Center Aseana Avenue Tambo Parañaque City WANG, HAIDONG Mandarin Customer Support Representative 40.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with related BPO experience.

TIAN, MAOYING Marketing And Sales Agent 55.

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

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

CENG, KUN Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative 41.

Brief Job Description: Delivering excellent customer service and managing the needs of customer through phone calls and emails DENG, ZENGLONG Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

42.

Brief Job Description: Delivering excellent customer service and managing the needs of customer through phone calls and emails LIU, YAHONG Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

43.

Brief Job Description: Delivering excellent customer service and managing the needs of customer through phone calls and emails SHI, CHAOMING Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

44.

Brief Job Description: Delivering excellent customer service and managing the needs of customer through phone calls and emails TIAN, BAOCHUAN Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

45.

Brief Job Description: Delivering excellent customer service and managing the needs of customer through phone calls and emails WANG, XIANMING Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

46.

Brief Job Description: Delivering excellent customer service and managing the needs of customer through phone calls and emails WU, FANGYI Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

47.

Brief Job Description: Delivering excellent customer service and managing the needs of customer through phone calls and emails WU, YAN Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

48.

Brief Job Description: Delivering excellent customer service and managing the needs of customer through phone calls and emails XU, MEIJING Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

49.

Brief Job Description: Delivering excellent customer service and managing the needs of customer through phone calls and emails

Basic Qualification: Ability to communicate in mandarin Chinese with customers

TSENG, FANG-DA Marketing And Sales Agent 56.

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to communicate in mandarin Chinese with customers

50.

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

51.

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

WANG, GONG Marketing And Sales Agent 57.

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

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

XIAO, QINGHUA Marketing And Sales Agent 58.

Basic Qualification: Ability to communicate in mandarin chinese with customers

53.

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to communicate in mandarin chinese with customers

XU, XIKE Marketing And Sales Agent 59.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to communicate in mandarin chinese with customers Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to communicate in mandarin chinese with customers Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to communicate in mandarin chinese with customers 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. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

LAI, JIAFU Marketing And Sales Agent 54.

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

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

No.

70.

71.

72.

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

73.

74.

75.

76.

60.

Brief Job Description: Manage all projects activities including design and management

77.

Basic Qualification: With experience and highly skilled in project design and management Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

61.

62.

63.

Brief Job Description: To provide Chinese customer service ZHI, TINGYI Mandarin Customer Service

78.

Brief Job Description: To provide Chinese customer service ZHOU, JIANKAI Mandarin Customer Service Brief Job Description: To provide Chinese customer service

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in managing calls Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in managing calls

79.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in managing calls Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

64.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for designing, installation, monitoring, maintaining and performance tuning production, test / development. and OA database environments while ensuring high levels of data availability. CAO, YUAN Finance Director Brief Job Description: Oversee, review and adhere to the budgets for each business department

LU, PING Product Manager 66.

Brief Job Description: Manage their profit and loss, and also determine the business development strategy

LIU, JINGJIE Talent Acquisition Specialist 67.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for executive staffing, expatriate assignee management, recruitment and retention of top and mid-level employees

Basic Qualification: 5 - 10 years work experience in supervisory position, job-relevant degree, multi-lingual

68.

69.

Brief Job Description: Customer service

HUANG, XINYAO Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Customer Service

MAW HWAR KHWAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

QIAN, YONGHUANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service XU, TIANGUI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service ZHANG, YUKUN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service ZHAO, XUNTAO Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

Brief Job Description: A customer service representative supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints, They’re the front line of support for clients and customers and the help ensure that customers are satisfied with products, services, and features.

PENG, YINFU Customer Service Representative 80.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: 5 - 10 years work experience in Finance and investments, job-relevant degree, multi-lingual Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

XIAO, CHANGCHENG Customer Service Representative 81.

Basic Qualification: 5 - 10 years work experience in Finance and investments, job-relevant degree, multi-lingual Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: 5 - 10 years work experience in executive search and expatriate management, job-relevant degree, multi-lingual

Basic Qualification: College graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin

82.

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin / Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/ Level and fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Must be a College graduate; Can prepare product or service reports by collecting and analysing customer information; Can contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed; Can manage large amounts of incoming calls Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be a College graduate; Can prepare product or service reports by collecting and analysing customer information; Can contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed; Can manage large amounts of incoming calls Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be a College graduate; Can prepare product or service reports by collecting and analyzing customer information; Can contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed; Can manage large amounts of incoming calls Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be a College graduate; Can prepare product or service reports by collecting and analyzing customer information; Can contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed; Can manage large amounts of incoming calls Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be a College graduate; Can prepare product or service reports by collecting and analyzing customer information; Can contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed; Can manage large amounts of incoming calls Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be a College graduate; Can prepare product or service reports by collecting and analyzing customer information; Can contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed; Can manage large amounts of incoming calls Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

GENX SPORTS & MEDIA PRODUCTION CORP. 26th And 27th Flr. Eastwood Cyber One Bldg. Eastwood City Cyberpark No. 188 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave. Bagumbayan 3 Quezon City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin

YAN, CHENGJUAN Customer Service Representative

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

FLYING DRAGON NETWORK PHILIPPINES INC. 4th-11th Floor Aseana 3 Building Aseana Avenue Corner Diosdado Macapagal Tambo Parañaque City

HUA, LANLAN Customer Service Representative

LI, TINGTING Customer Service Representative

NGUYEN VAN HAI Customer Service Representative

FLASH EXPRESS SOFTWARE (PH) CO., LTD. INC. 9th Flr. Arthaland Century Pacific Tower 5th Avenue 30th Street Cor. 4th Avenue Fort Bonifacio Taguig City GAN, ZHILI Admin And Database Support Specialist

Brief Job Description: Customer Service

DONG, MENGWEI Customer Service Representative

FIRST GREAT COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES INC. Lot 5 Sta. Agueda Cor. Queensway Pagcor Drive Sto. Niño Parañaque City WANG, YONG Mandarin Customer Service

LI, FEI Customer Service Representative

CAI, LIZHU Customer Service Representative

EMPIRE AUTOMATION PHILIPPINES INC. Unit B 11/f Syciplaw Center 105 Paseo De Roxas San Lorenzo Makati City

HARLEY, ADAM JAMES President And Project Director

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

GATEWAYSOLUTIONS CORP. Unit 2306 Antel Global Corporate Center Julia Vargas Ave. Ortigas Center, San Antonio Pasig City

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

JIANG, MENGYI Marketing And Sales Agent

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

Basic Qualification: Ability to communicate in mandarin chinese with customers

65.

52.

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

HU SENG LI Marketing And Sales Agent

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

GAO, YANWEN Marketing And Sales Agent

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

Basic Qualification: Ability to communicate in mandarin Chinese with customers

EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503 Nueva St Binondo Manila

FENG, KAIYUAN Marketing And Sales Agent

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

A23

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

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

DAXIFA CORPORATION Mpire Center 93 West Avenue Project 7 Bungad 1 Quezon City

Saturday, August 7, 2021

GUO, HENG Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking 83.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analysing customer needs

Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

A24 Saturday, August 7, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION JIA, KUO Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking

84.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analysing customer needs

LI, WANHUA Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking 85.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analysing customer needs

LIU, SIHAO Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking 86.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analysing customer needs

OUYANG, JIANMING Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking 87.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analysing customer needs

SHEN, ZHANGHUI Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking 88.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analysing customer needs

TANG, GANG Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking 89.

Brief Job Description: Collecting Customer Information And Analysing Customers’ Needs

YAN, XUEFENG Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking 90.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analysing customer needs

YONG CHENG YAT Customer Service Representative - Malaysian Speaking 91.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analysing customer needs

CHEN, JIA-JIE Customer Service Representative - Taiwanese Speaking 92.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analysing customer needs

PHU MINH HONG Customer Service Representative - Vietnamese Speaking 93.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analysing customer needs

LO, HSIN-YU Customer Service Representative - Taiwanese Speaking 94.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

Brief Job Description: Collecting Customer Information And Analysing Customers’ Needs

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills

Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills

95.

Brief Job Description: Monitor, review and report on all marketing activity result

LIANG, DINGYU Marketing Staff Mandarin Speaking 96.

Brief Job Description: Monitor, review and report on all marketing activity result

LIAO, FENGLI Marketing Staff Mandarin Speaking 97.

Brief Job Description: Monitor, review and report on all marketing activity result

LIN, XICAI Marketing Staff Mandarin Speaking 98.

Brief Job Description: Monitor, review and report on all marketing activity result

LIU, XIA Marketing Staff Mandarin Speaking 99.

Brief Job Description: Monitor, review and report on all marketing activity result

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION SU, QIHENG Marketing Staff Mandarin Speaking

100.

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

Brief Job Description: Monitor, review and report on all marketing activity result

YANG, NA Marketing Staff Mandarin Speaking 101.

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

Brief Job Description: Monitor, review and report on all marketing activity result

Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills

GOLDENSKY INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC. Midas Hotel 2702 Roxas Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay

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

102.

Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills

CHEN, JINTAO Call Center Agent Mandarin Speaking Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling inbound calls, e-mails, and or chat with the goal of ensuring resolution of customer issues effective and communicator FU, RONG Call Center Agent Mandarin Speaking

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

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling inbound calls, e-mails, and or chat with the goal of ensuring resolution of customer issues effective and communicator

Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills

LIN, SECHAO Call Center Agent Mandarin Speaking

103.

104.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proven Working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills.

Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills

105.

106.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills

107.

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

Basic Qualification: Analyse the productivity of the marketing plans and projects , recommend optimization to senior management

108.

CHANG, TING-WEI Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative 109.

110.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Analyse the productivity of the marketing plans and projects , recommend optimization to senior management Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Analyse the productivity of the marketing plans and projects , recommend optimization to senior management Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Analyse the productivity of the marketing plans and projects , recommend optimization to senior management Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

No.

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

DU, ZHONGLIN Chinese Marketing Manager 116.

117.

Brief Job Description: Identify and assess customers’ needs to achieve satisfaction

LIU, JINWEI Mandarin Customer Support Representative 111.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

112.

Brief Job Description: Oversee and reports with the headquarters the financial aspect of the corporation; Manage the operations of Non-steel’s existing clients and develop new business ventures.

113.

Brief Job Description: Researches any organization dysfunction and provide solutions for improvement

118.

114.

Brief Job Description: Develop and lead the data science and artificial intelligence strategy in order to support market KPI achievement, assess critical business and strategic levers and make recommendations through a datadriven process that ultimately position the company for long-term success MCQUAY, NATHAN ROBERT Finance Planning And Analysis Director

115.

Brief Job Description: Manage analysis and completion of quality and credible forecasts (A&SP, TDT, LE, OL) and management reporting (CFO brief, weekly brief, corporate inquiries/ reporting) requirements

Brief Job Description: Provide leadership and take responsibility for the performance of the Sales Department

MASAKI, TOMOYUKI Chief Technology Officer 119.

Brief Job Description: Responsible on Information Technology services of the company and IT strategy

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

120.

121.

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

122.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin speaking, know how to read and write Chinese Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

123.

124.

125.

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

126.

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with related BPO experience.

127.

128.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 129. Basic Qualification: Experience in handling finance matters, dealing with overseas and domestic clients and suppliers; Manage communication streams between Japanese and Filipino clients.

130.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 131.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak Mandarin Chinese and English Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

Basic Qualification: MA/BA Degree in statistics/ Marketing/Economics/ Mathematics/Business Admin/Engineering

132.

133.

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

Basic Qualification: University degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics or its equivalent Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

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

Basic Qualification: Have at least 5 years of extensive experience in Corporate Compliance Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Have at least 5 years of extensive experience relating to management of Sales Department, Corporate Planning, Finance and Commercial Division; can speak and write Japanese language

Basic Qualification: Have at least 5 years of extensive experience in IT businesses. Experience related to shipping, logistics, and software development; can speak and write Japanese language Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower C4 Rd. Edsa Ext. Brgy. 076 Pasay City

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin speaking, know how to read and write Chinese

Basic Qualification: With good oral and written communication skills with knowledge computer application

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

JT INTERNATIONAL (PHILIPPINES) INC. Penthouse, W Office Building 28th St. Cor. 11th Avenue Fort Bonifacio Taguig City ARENAS DEL VECCHIO, JUAN SEBASTIAN Data Science And Artificial Intelligence Group Manager

Brief Job Description: To spearhead the compliances of the company

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin speaking, know how to read and write Chinese

JSLINK INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION 803-804 Ri-rance Building Aseana Enclave Aseana City Tambo Parañaque City KAN, RUONING Consultant

SO, DAISUKE Chief Compliance Officer

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

JFE SHOJI PHILIPPINES, INC. 17/f 6788 Ayala Avenue Oledan Square San Lorenzo Makati City

WATANABE, SHINJIRO Treasurer And Director For Sales

Brief Job Description: Responsible for managing the company’s marketing initiatives. Use market research & analysis to direct marketing strategy & planning.

TAKENAKA, RYOTA Chief Sales Officer

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin speaking, know how to read and write Chinese

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

MARCOPAY INC. 8th Floor Three/neo Building 3rd Avenue Corner 30th Street, Bgc Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin speaking, know how to read and write Chinese

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

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 Makati City

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin speaking, know how to read and write Chinese

INVECH TREASURE PROCESSING CORPORATION Ground, 2nd, 3rd And 4th Floor Eight West Campus Mckinley West Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Analyse the productivity of the marketing plans and projects , recommend optimization to senior management

Brief Job Description: Identify and assess customers’ needs to achieve satisfaction CHEN, XIANGYANG Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Analyse the productivity of the marketing plans and projects , recommend optimization to senior management

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling inbound calls, e-mails, and or chat with the goal of ensuring resolution of customer issues effective and communicator

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

INQUICK SERVICES INC. Unit 606 6/f Itc Bldg. 337 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Bel-air Makati City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Analyse the productivity of the marketing plans and projects , recommend optimization to senior management

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling inbound calls, e-mails, and or chat with the goal of ensuring resolution of customer issues effective and communicator ZHAO, CHUNYING Call Center Agent Mandarin Speaking

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proven Working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling inbound calls, e-mails, and or chat with the goal of ensuring resolution of customer issues effective and communicator ZHANG, WENTAO Call Center Agent Mandarin Speaking

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling inbound calls, e-mails, and or chat with the goal of ensuring resolution of customer issues effective and communicator YU, WENLONG Call Center Agent Mandarin Speaking

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling inbound calls, e-mails, and or chat with the goal of ensuring resolution of customer issues effective and communicator LIN, LIANG Call Center Agent Mandarin Speaking

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

GLOBALLGA BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING Ground Level, Level 2-5 Floor Silver City 4, Ortigas East Ugong Pasig City

HE, ZHANGHUI Marketing Staff Mandarin Speaking

No.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

134.

ARIFIN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries CHEN, GANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries DOAN VIET TRUNG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries FANG, JINGXIU Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries HOANG DAI DONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LE VAN DUNG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LUO, ZHENG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN TIEN PHUC Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries SU, WEIXIN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TAN BENG TEAK Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRAN DINH CONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRAN QUANG DUC Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries XU, ZHONGLI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

CHEN, LINQIANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

CHI SAC MUI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language 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 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language 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 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language 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 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language 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 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language 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 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language 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 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

135.

136.

137.

138.

139.

140.

141.

142.

143.

144.

145.

146.

147.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION CHU THI THUY TRANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LI, ZENGLIANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

LI, BO Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

LIEW MEE KHOON Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

SU, TIANFU Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

XIAO, YAHUI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

ZHAN, SHUIRONG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

ZHANG, HAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

ZHANG, ZHI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

ZHAO, PENG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

ZHENG, XIATING Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

ZHOU, DEMI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

PHAN THI ANH THU Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

148.

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

DU, JIN Chinese Customer Service 149.

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

FENG, QISEN Chinese Customer Service 150.

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

LI, FUHAI Chinese Customer Service 151.

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

LUO, ZHONGSHU Chinese Customer Service 152.

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

153.

154.

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

TAN, LONG Chinese Customer Service 155.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

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

SU, XIAOXIA Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION SU, RUIYING Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

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

WANG, JUNHAI Chinese Customer Service

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

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

WANG, LIYUE Chinese Customer Service

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

156.

157.

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin / basic English

158.

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

ZHAI, LAIYAN Chinese Customer Service 159.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

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

WANG, WEI Chinese Customer Service

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

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

ZHANG, YURONG Chinese Customer Service

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

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

ZHANG, MENGMENG Chinese Customer Service

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

160.

161.

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic 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

162.

FANG, JIANWEI Mandarin Project Data Specialist 163.

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speaks and write fluently (native language & English)

No.

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

169.

170.

171.

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

172.

173.

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

174.

Brief Job Description: Work closely with management to prioritize business and information needs

BENEDICTA ARISSA ANGGRAINI Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation) 164.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation CHEN, JUAN Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

165.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation CHRISTY DWIJAYANTI HUSIN Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

166.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation DOMINIKUS ARIE PRASETYO Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

167.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation GIOVANI CHANDRA Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

168.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation SRI KANTI RAHAYU Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

175.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation TIO BUDI YANTO Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

176.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customer through mandarin to English translation ZHANG, HAIYING Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

177.

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 & English)

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation PENG, HAN Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

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

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation LUAN, SHUO Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

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

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation LI KENNY Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

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 & English)

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customer through mandarin to English translation LEONG KEAT KEE Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

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 & English)

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customer through mandarin to English translation JOSEPH KHOO KEAN WEI Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

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 & English)

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION HSIEH, CHIA-HSUAN Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

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

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customer through mandarin to English translation

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Through Extensive and Fluency in Mandarin Language and Character Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Through Extensive and Fluecny in Mandarin Language and Character Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Through extensive and fluency in Mandarin language and characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Through extensive and fluency in Mandarin language and characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Through extensive and fluency in Mandarin language and characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Through extensive and fluency in Mandarin language and characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Through extensive and fluency in Mandarin language and characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Through Extensive and Fluecny in Mandarin Language and Character Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Through Extensive and Fluecny in Mandarin Language and Character Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

SUPER CUT MING JIANG SALON INC. Unit 209-210 Monarch Parksuites Condo. Bradco Ave. Tambo Parañaque City Basic Qualification: Expert in hair styling, fluent in Mandarin both oral and written.

LONG, GANG Chinese Beauty Consultant

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

178.

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

TRI7 SOLUTIONS, INC. Unit 9-a 9/f Marvin Plaza Bldg. 2153 Don Chino Roces Ave. Pio Del Pilar Makati City

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

Basic Qualification: Excellent in speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin

179.

Basic Qualification: Through extensive and fluency in Mandarin language and characters

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

Brief Job Description: Respond to requests for assistance via phone and serves as primary contact for problem resolution and information gathering regarding Indonesian Clients complains and work assignments.

LONG, FEI Field Marketing Manager-mandarin 180.

Brief Job Description: Assist with developing the market for client or company.

181.

ZHANG, XIANHU Marketing Manager Brief Job Description: Analyzing market trends and preparing forecasts

GUO, RENXIANG Service Manager

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

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

WEICHAI PHILIPPINES REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE Unit 6-b Azure Business Center 1197 E. Delos Santos Ave. Area 2, Katipunan 1 Quezon City

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

Basic Qualification: Through extensive and fluency in Mandarin language and characters

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s/College Degree or with equivalent training and work experience; * Proficient in writing, reading and speaking in both English and Bahasa

VASTLINE BUSINESS SUPPORT INC. U-504p Five E-com Ctr. Bldg. Pacific Drive Brgy. 076 Pasay City

Basic Qualification: Through extensive and fluency in Mandarin language and characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Beauty parlour activities.

JULIA NINGSIH Bahasa Language Customer Service Representative

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

SEEKTOP SERVICE MANAGEMENT INC. 25/f Alphaland Corporate Tower 7232 Ayala Ave. Extn. Cor. Malugay St. Bel-air Makati City

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

A25

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NEWBAY INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY INC. 2/f Mezzanine Tower 1 The Enterprise Center 6766 Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas Makati City

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

HUANG, JIAXIN 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 Parañaque City

CAI, BAIJIN Chinese Customer Service

No.

Saturday, August 7, 2021

182.

Brief Job Description: Achieves customer service objectives & improves customer service quality results.

Basic Qualification: With 3 to 5 years working experience and know how to read, write speak English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With 3 to 5 years working experience, know how to speak, write and read English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 *Date Generated: Aug 6, 2021

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-NCR Regional Office located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication.

Basic Qualification: Through extensive and fluency in Mandarin language and characters

Please inform DOLE-NCR if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Through extensive and fluency in Mandarin language and characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

A26 Saturday, August 7, 2021

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Saturday, August 7, 2021

A27

News

A28 Saturday, August 7, 2021

Editor: Angel R. Calso

DOH maps areas under 4 alert levels as Covid cases rise By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

TRESSING that the country is facing a health crisis, the Department of Health (DOH) has classified four alert levels of areas with increasing number of Covid-19 cases and hospital care utilization rates (HCUR). “To flag areas, we are now classifying each province, highly urbanized city, and independent component city as to alert levels based on the areas’ classification with regard to cases and Covid-19 ICU bed utilization rates,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online media forum on Friday. According to Vergeire, areas under Alert level 1 are those with low transmission and decreasing HCUR, no Delta variant case in an area, at minimal to low risk, have a negative two-week case growth rate (TWGR) and HCUR lower than 50 percent. Alert level 2 areas, on the other hand, show low transmission and decreasing HCUR, Delta case is present, have positive TWGR, or areas that are at minimal to low risk, have a negative TWGR, but have an HCUR higher than 50 percent. Meanwhile, Alert Level 3 means that although an area is at moderate to critical risk, their Covid bed occupancy rate is lower than 70 percent while Alert Level 4 would mean that an area has been classified as moderate- to critical-risk and has an HCUR higher than 70 percent. The DOH official said levels 3 and 4 do not take into account the presence of the Delta variant in an area. Alert level 2: n CAR - Ifugao n Region 1 - La Union n Region 3 - Zambales, Aurora n Region 4B - Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro n Region 5 - Camarines Sur, Sorsogon n Region 6 -

Guimaras, Negros Occidental

n Region 7 -

Bohol, Siquijor

n Region 8 - Eastern Samar, Ormoc City, Samar (Western Samar) n Region 9 - Zamboanga Del Norte, Zamboanga City n Region 10 - Misamis Occidental n Region 11 - Davao Del Norte, Davao De Oro, Davao Del Sur, Davao Oriental n Region 12 - South Cotabato, Sarangani n Caraga: Agusan Del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Surigao Del Norte, Agusan Del Sur, Butuan City n BARMM: Cotabato City, Lanao del Sur, Sulu

Alert Level 3 n NCR - Caloocan, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasig, Valenzuela, Pasay n CAR - Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province n Region 1 - Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Dagupan City n Region 2 - Batanes, Santiago City, Isabela n Region 3 -

Bulacan, Nueva Ecija

n Region 4A - Rizal n Region 4B - Marinduque, Romblon, Puerto Princesa n Region 5 - Masbate, Naga City, Catanduanes n Region 6 - Aklan, Antique, Bacolod City, Capiz n Region 8 - Leyte, Northern Samar, Southern Leyte n Region 9 - Zamboanga del Sur n Region 10 - Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental n Region 11 - Davao Occidental n Region 12 - Cotabato (North Cotabato), Sultan Kudarat n Caraga - Surigao del Sur

Alert Level 4 : n NCR- Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Pateros, Quezon City, Taguig, Malabon, Makati, and San Juan n CAR - Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet n Region 1- Ilocos Norte n Region 2 - Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino n Region 3 - Angeles City, Bataan, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac n Region 4A - Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Lucena City n Region 6 - Iloilo, Iloilo City n Region 7 - Cebu, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City n Region 8 - Tacloban City n Region 10 - Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin n Region 11 - Davao City n Region 12 - General Santos City

“We placed alert levels because we’re in a crisis and we need an immediate decision and action from the government,” Vergeire said, partly in Filipino. All alert levels, Vergeire stressed, will give them “triggers” of what has to be done as well as allow them to flag the areas.