BusinessMirror August 10, 2022 by BusinessMirror

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 55.5940 n JAPAN 0.4119 n UK 67.1742 n HK 7.0821 n CHINA 8.2352 n SINGAPORE 40.3293 n AUSTRALIA 38.8157 n EU 56.6781 n KOREA 0.0428 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.7923 Source: BSP (9 August 2022) PBBM JOINS PRESIDENTIAL STATE FUNERAL FOR FVR A broader look at today’s business BusinessMirror See “BSP,” A2 COVID-HIT SECTORS IN FOCUS; GROWTH AT 7.4% See “GDP,” A2 See “FVR,” A2 www.businessmirror.com.ph P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 22 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEKn Wednesday, August 10, 2022 Vol. 17 No. 306

Oxford Economics said the ongoing recovery of the Philippine economy “will be bumpy” given the Ukraine war, China’s zero-Covid policy, and global

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

Trade gap nears $6B; seen widening further See “Neda,” A2

Total exports rose 7.1 percent and imports grew 26.7 percent in the first semester of 2022. The data showed the country’s ex ports that posted triple-digit growth rates in June were Other Coconut Products which grew 243.4 percent; Copper concentrates, 210.4 percent; Mangoes, 170.3 percent; Unmanu factured tobacco, 145.1 percent; Iron and steel, 133.2 percent; and gold, 102.3 percent. In the first semester, exports that posted the highest growth rates were chromium ore which surged 690.4 percent; Other Coco nut Products, 217.9 percent; tele communication, 180.4 percent; and Coconut oil, 119 percent.

This includes Overseas Filipino re mittances as well as tourism sector earnings.“Wecontinue to [receive] robust remittances [and we are] ramp ing up support for tourism which will be a major driver for foreign exchange earnings. [In terms of] investments, we are counting on the legislative reforms that the pre vious administration was able to pass and ramp up the groundwork for making those reforms already available for the business commu nity. That should again improve our competitiveness and our export potential,” Balisacan explained. Based on the PSA data, the coun try’s trade deficit widened 66 per cent in the January to June period while total trade grew 18.8 percent.

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FOCUSING on sectors severely scarred by the pandemic will make the country’s GDP growth more Nationalaccordingsustainable,totheEconomic and Development Authority (Neda) and economists.local On Tuesday, the Philippine Statistics Author ity (PSA) reported that the economy posted a growth of 7.4 percent in the second quarter. This is slower than the 8.2 percent posted in the first quarter of the year and the 12 percent recorded in the second quarter of last year. In the first semester of the year, the economy posted an average growth of 7.8 percent. Socioeco nomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said this means the economy only needs to post a growth of 7.2 percent in the second semester to attain the high end of the 6.5 to 7.5 percent GDP growth target this year. “We must apply the same or even better risk management protocols and protect the most vulnerable against high inflation and other shocks and scarring due to Covid-19,” Balisacan said. “There will be many more transformations in the social and economic sectors. The overall goal is to rein vigorate job creation and reduce poverty.”

WIDOW and former first lady Amelita Ramos and military chief Lieutenant General Bartolome Vicente Bacarro stand beside the flag-draped casket of her husband, the late former President Fidel V. Ramos, during his state funeral at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. Ramos was laid to rest in a state funeral Tuesday, hailed as an ex-general, who backed then helped oust a dictatorship and became a defender of democracy and can-do reformist in his country. Ramos died at age 94. AP/AARON FAVILA

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla & Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM FORMER President Fidel V. Ramos was laid to rest at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City on Tuesday in a presidential state funeral—the first of its kind in the last two decades. No less than President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. was among those who participated in the over hourlong ceremony, which was last held in 1997

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM T OP economic managers in the country say the slower growth of the Philippines is well-within their expectations, and will still be on its way to reaching the government’s target for the year. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla told reporters on Tuesday that the GDP growth rate—announced at 7.4 percent for the second quarter of the year—is within their forecast range. The governor, however, did not comment on how the new data will affect their upcoming monetary policy decisions. Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Ben jamin Diokno, meanwhile, said he is “reassuring the public” that “the economy is on a steady path to recovery and expansion” amid the slowdown of the economy from the revised 8.2 percent growth in the first quarter of the year. “Our growth figure of 7.4 percent of GDP sits comfortably at the higher end of our target band for the year. This is an impressive achievement, more so with the ongoing challenges of rising in flation worldwide and an uncertain global politi cal economy,” Diokno said. The Development Budget Coordination Com mittee’s (DBCC) has set a GDP growth target of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent for 2022. “All three major sectors—agriculture, industry,

T HE national government ex pects the country to continue posting trade deficits espe cially when big-ticket infrastructure projects are already in full swing, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda). In a briefing on Tuesday, Socioeco nomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said trade deficits are ex pected to grow since many construc tion materials are imported from various parts of the world. The Philippine Statistics Author ity (PSA) said the trade deficit that neared the $6-billion mark was the highest in the PSA’s records. The trade deficit surged 75.4 percent in June since the country’s import bill grew 26 percent and export re ceipts inched by a percent during the“Weperiod.arealso likely to see large im portations for construction because we are ramping up and continuing the rapid growth in construction spend ing. If we do, we would expect that trade deficits [will] continue and [will] increase,” Balisacan said. However, Balisacan noted that while this is the case, importing commodities that create value for the economy would also boost the country’s export sector. He added that investments in infrastructure would also enhance the competi tiveness of the Philippine economy. Balisacan also noted that while exports posted minimal growth of only 1 percent in June, he is not wor ried, given that the Philippines has other sources of foreign exchange.

BSP. . from A1 Neda. A1 GDP. from A1 and services—posted positive growth rates despite the increase in international commodity prices, indicating a rebound in overall economic activity,” the Finance Secretary added. Private economists, however, were not as optimistic. ING Bank economist Nicholas Mapa said the second quarter GDP data points to full-year growth settling at the lower-end of the government’s 6.5 to 7.5 percent growth“Thetarget.economy is facing the triple threat of accelerating inflation, rising borrowing costs and a relatively high debtto-GDP ratio. Faster inflation, which was last reported at 6.4 percent, should cap overall household spending while rising interest rates are likely to deter investment outlays.

FVR. . . Continued from A1

“For the national government [NG], it would be best to be safeguarding purchasing power, i.e., making sure the marginalized are supported accordingly [to as many as possible]. Sectors badly hit are the transport sector, fisherfolks and farmers,” Asuncion told B usiness M irror “Support for the MSMEs should also be distinct and deliberate to make sure jobs are retained in the biggest employers in the economy to continue to protect incomes and create more jobs,” he added. Asuncion also said the Central Bank need not follow in the footsteps of the Federal Reserve in terms of monetary policy. He said inflation is expected to cool in the coming weeks, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) should ensure that policy rates would not harm economic growth. “The local central bank must carefully navigate and find the appropriate interest rate level [neutral rate], as mentioned, that will not harm coming growth prospects. Don’t have to follow the US Fed moves, but must be steadfast and data-dependent as needed,” he added.

SUPPORTERS of the late President, clad in white, waved small flags with the image of Ramos, along the road where the convoy passed.

For imports, the goods that posted the highest increases in June were Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and Related Materials at 125.1 percent, followed by fish and fish preparation at 122.8 percent; corn, 110.6 percent; chemical compounds, 80 percent; and office and EDP machines, 75.7 percent. From January to June this year, goods that posted the highest growth were Office and EDP Machines at 240 percent followed by corn with 199.2 percent; Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and Related Materials, 117.2 percent; Fertilizers, Manufactured, 67.1 percent; and Pulp and Waste Paper, 50.1 percent. By major trading partner, exports to the United States of America (USA) comprised the highest export value of $1.05 billion or a share in total June exports of 15.8 percent. Completing the top 5 major export trading partners were Japan, with exports amounting to $1.03 billion or 15.5 percent of the total; the People’s Republic of China, $868.68 million, 13.1 percent; Hong Kong, $826.73 million, 12.4 percent; and Singapore, $482.89 million, 7.3 percent. The country’s top import source in June was the People’s Republic of China with imported goods valued at $2.55 billion or 20.4 percent of total June 2022 imports. Completing the top 5 major import trading partners were Indonesia with an import value of $1.32 billion or 10.6 percent of the total; Japan, $1.18 billion, 9.4 percent; Republic of Korea, $1.18 billion, 9.4 percent; and Singapore, $801.27 million, 6.4 percent. Cai U. Ordinario

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco Correspondent D EPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) officials on Tuesday said they are ready to face a congressional inquiry regarding the laptops procured by the Department of Budget and Management for public school teachers. “DepEd believes that this matter needs to be resolved immediately, and we submit to the process as we commit to transparency and accountability—even if the issue only involves an Audit Observation Memorandum, which requires the submission of documents to the Commission of Audit [COA],” DepEd said in a news statement issued late Monday night. DepEd issued the statement after Makabayan bloc lawmakers filed a House Resolution seeking an investigation of DepEd’s 2021 laptop purchase for teachers costing P58,000 each. The purchase, made through the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Service (PS-DBM), was flagged by a Commission on Audit report that questioned the hefty price of the laptops, and the use of alleged outdated features. It further drew attention because the PS-DBM had been at the crosshairs of congressional investigators for handling bulk transactions outsourced by other department during the pandemic, and which the COA had also flagged. “Especially amid the pandemic, economic crisis and ailing educational situation, the government should ensure that the access of teachers and students to quality programs and services,” read the resolution filed by Makabayan party-list Representatives France Castro of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Arlene Brosas of Gabriela, and Raoul Manuel of Kabataan. However, the DepEd urged Castro to be prudent in her pronouncements on this“DepEdmatter. believes that it is not right to declare that the contract was anomalous without a final report by COA, much less findings from the Ombudsman,” the DepEd said. The DepEd said that Castro should be reminded of the “fundamental reforms” that DepEd made under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte—including the Salary Standardization Law of 2019, which assured teachers of an annual salary increase; the Expanded Career Progression System for Public School Teachers, among others. “The DepEd also take exception to the statement that teachers are binabarat [being at the receiving end of a stingy management] DepEd has always been proactive in promoting teachers’ welfare over the years,” the DepEd stressed.

monetary tightening. “We expect growth over H2 will be bumpy given the Ukraine war, China’s ongoing Covid strategy, and global monetary tightening are set to weaken external demand. On top of this elevated inflation and higher debt servicing costs are set to constrain household budgets and weigh on private consumption. With the Q2 [second quarter] GDP outcome coming in lower than expected we will be downgrading our 2022 GDP growth forecast,” Oxford Economics said.

Meanwhile, elevated levels of debt could act as a handicap and mitigate the ability of the national government to provide stimulus in the near term,” Mapa said. “All together, the headwinds facing the Philippine economy could force 2022 GDP growth to settle at 6.5 percent, at the lower-end of the BSP’s aspirational target,” he added. In a separate commentar y, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) economists also said they expect growth to slow down in the second half of the year as inflation is likely to blunt momentum. The bank also revised its full-year growth forecast from 6.7 percent to 6.3 percent, indicating that they see growth missing the government’s target for the year. “Based on historical experience, inflation at this level usually leads to a slower household consumption growth. This may eventually spill over to other components of the economy like investment spending if inflation stays at elevated levels for a prolonged period. However, the price of oil has gone down recently and additional decline may support growth in the second half of 2022,” BPI said. “A sharp slowdown can be avoided, however, if the return of students to face to face classes and higher uptake in booster shots are seen in the coming months to boost the performance in the second half,” the bank added.

Ayuda boosts consumption BASED on PSA data, household final consumption expenditure (HFCE) grew 8.6 percent in the second quarter. The average HFCE growth in the first semester came up to 9.3 percent. The 8.6 percent was higher than the 7.3 percent in the same period in 2021 but lower than the 10 percent in the first quarter of this year. Asuncion said one culprit could be the rise in global oil prices which began in February this year. This may have slowed down consumption of households, causing HFCE to slow in the second quarter. However, Lanzona said, it may also be due to the absence of any ayuda in the second quarter. He said since the HFCE data has been adjusted for inflation, and placed at constant prices, the impact of expensive commodities would have no bearing on the data. A Philippine News Agency (PNA) report said the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) disbursed the first tranche of the government’s fuel subsidy program, or P1.72 billion. As of June 2022, some 264,578 drivers received P6,500 in subsidies from the government. The Department of Budget and Management recently approved the P4.1billion second tranche of the Targeted Cash Transfer Program. This will help over 4 million Filipino families from the ranks of the poorest, to cushion the impact of rising prices. “This only proves my point that the ayuda has a significant role in the GDP. Despite the elections in May, which increased spending, the decline in the ayuda in the second quarter resulted in a lower growth rate in HFCE compared to the previous quarter,” Lanzona said. Slowly but surely BALISACAN said the performance of sectors such as transport, accommodation, food service, and other services have shown slow but steady signs of recovery back to prepandemic levels. As for the agriculture sector, which contracted 0.6 percent in the second quarter (full story here: crops-fisheries-pull-down-h1-farm-output-value/)https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/08/08/ , Balisacan said the government stands ready to provide assistance to farmers. He said the government will provide support through lower input costs, access to new farming technologies, financial assistance to farmers, and strengthening of the agricultural value chain. Balisacan also noted that the ser vices sector, which has been hit hard by the Covid-19-induced restrictions, is also on its way to a full recovery. The Neda chief said the increase in foot traffic in retail and recreation centers, given improvements in mobility and easing of border restrictions, supported the faster growth in wholesale and retail trade. The transport sector, Balisacan said, also posted faster growth. Based on data from Google Mobility, he said visits to public transport stations, workplaces, and retail and recreational places are already above prepandemic levels since the second half of May 2022. Accommodation and food and beverage service activities sustained doubledigit expansion in the reference period while robust output growth is seen in the arts, entertainment, recreation, and other service activities. “Given this evidence, we are committed to pursuing the country’s full reopening, including the return of face-to-face schooling to address the learning losses and increase domestic activities. This push will begin with the health sector’s efforts to increase booster uptake,” he said. Recently, the Department of Health launched the “PinasLakas” campaign, to give Covid-19 vaccine boosters to 50 percent of the 78-million target population within the first 100 days of the Marcos administration. This will allow more areas to de-escalate to Alert level 1 and, eventually, the complete removal of restrictions that hinder economic activity.

for former President Diosdado P. Macapagal. The event started at around 10 am with the arrival of the military servicemen, who were tasked to bring the urn containing the ashes of Ramos from the Heritage Memorial Park chapel to its last resting place. Militar y public affairs office chief Col. Jorry Baclor said a battalion-sized contingent of honor guards tendered the departure honors for the late president at Heritage Park where he laid in state for days. This was followed by another battalionsized honors, a funeral march, and later, a 21-gun salute at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani for his inurnment. His urn was placed in a bronze coffin covered with a Philippine Flag before it was escorted by the loved ones of Ramos and a military convoy to the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Military honors

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DepEd ready to face inquiry on laptop procurement issue

Key sectors IN order to ensure that the economy continues to grow and in a sustainable manner, Ateneo Eagle Watch Senior Fellow Leonardo A. Lanzona Jr. told BusinessMirror that sectors affected by the pandemic should be prioritized. Lanzona said the government’s economic recovery program for these sectors should not only focus on raising productivity but in lowering poverty. “It is a simple matter of knowing the weaknesses in the economic structure exposed by the virus.” He noted that the Philippines actually experienced “the most severe decline in GDP” in the ASEAN because of Covid-19. This may account for the country’s current performance to outpace most of its Southeast Asian neighbors, except for Vietnam.Giventhis, Unionbank Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion said the government must be put to task to help the transport sector, fisherfolks and farmers as well as millions of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which continue to struggle because of the pandemic. The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) earlier told BusinessMirror that many businesses are struggling to cope with the high cost of raw materials caused by supply chain disruptions, preventing them from opening more job opportunities for Filipinos. (Story here: reflect-business-woes%ef%bf%bc/)businessmirror.com.ph/2022/08/08/pcci-explains-how-jobless-data-https://

BusinessMirrorWednesday, August 10, 2022 www.businessmirror.com.phA2

Upon the arrival of the contingent at the Heroes Memorial Gate, the bronze casket was placed in a ceremonial area, where it received full military honors. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Bartolome Vicente O. Bacarro and former first lady Amelita “Ming” M. Ramos, stood near the area to witness the event. The coffin was then placed in a twowheeled wooden wagon covered in white flowers, which was pulled by a white military jeep for the funeral procession that involved close relatives of Ramos and the officials and personnel of the AFP. At the presidential gravesite, the urn of Ramos was taken out of the casket and was given a benediction by an AFP chaplain. A 21-gun salute marked the finale of the burialRamoshonors.was buried beside the tomb of the late Elpidio Quirino, another former President of the country. Baclor said the Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Bacarro served as the military host during the honors. The newly-installed chief of staff was joined by major service commanders and other key senior officers of the military. The military joined the country during the 10-day of national mourning, with all of its camps flying the country’s tri-color at half-mast. “President Fidel V. Ramos left a legacy of leadership, excellence and sterling public service to the entire Filipino nation. He shall always be remembered with high respect and admiration from his former colleagues, subordinates, and peers,” the military said in aJusttribute.before the urn was sealed inside the tomb at around 11:30 am, Marcos and other family members of Ramos placed white flowers with the urn following tradition. Ramos’s favorite song, “Maalala Mo Kaya” was also played as part of the last rites. Military career A SIMPLE white marble slab, cross, and a wreath of white flower became the final marker on the grave of the president, who was known for his colorful career as a politician and military man. After the end of the burial ceremony, Amelita Ramos gave a brief speech, where she thanked all those who helped her in their family’s ordeal while Ramos was serving in the “Itmilitary.wasdifficult to adjust. He [Ramos] was at home for two years and another two years in the province. Then he volunteered for another two years in Vietnam. So we would like those who helped us,” the former first lady said in Filipino. But with the help of those who were close to them, she said they were able to overcome their challenges.Sheended her speech with Ramos’s favorite catchphrase during his career in public service: “We can do it.” Ramos served as the country’s 12th president from 1992 to 1998. Prior to that, he also served as the chief of the Philippine Constabulary and AFP. He died at the age of 94 on July 31, 2022.

Tulfo clarified the Committee on Energy was mandated by Senate Resolution 107 to “find an immedi ate solution to an impending energy crisis and adopt necessary legislative measures that will provide long-term energy security, sufficiency and sta bility to all Filipinos.” He vowed to pursue the probe and spare no one until a solution is found, saying, “Hindi ko tatantanan itong problemang ito hanggang hindi nabibigyan ng solusyon. Tamaan na ang dapat tamaan. Sagasaan na ang dapat sagasaan, para sa kapakanan at ikabubuti ng mga taong nire -represent ko at ng mga taong bumoto sa akin.”

The Peza OIC also lauded Presi dent Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Mar cos Jr.’s pronouncement to fully sup port economic zones, during his first state of the nation address (SONA). Panga said the agency is ready to take on the challenge of attracting investments “as we prepare for the upturn in the economy to be able to generate more jobs, exports, and other economic opportunities in the country.” He said that for the past 24 years, he has seen the agency “rise from a fledgling government instrumental ity into a formidable tool of govern ment in improving the standard of living of Specifically,Filipinos.” Panga said, Peza turned the original 16 economic zones into 417 operating ecozones at no cost to the government, and the original 331 companies into 4,632 locator companies to date. “With this, there is no doubt on our capability to manage and steer the agency forward,” said the Peza OIC. “As I have indicated time and again, my being at the helm is only for the time being. In no time, I shall relinquish the functions and author ity bestowed upon me by the Office of the President through MC 1 and MC 3 once an appointment is made to the Peza Director Generalship,” added Panga. Andrea E. San Juan

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM N ATIONAL Police chief Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. has implemented a reshuffle affecting senior officers in key positions in the police organization. The Philippine National Police, through its Public Information Office, however, has yet to officially identify the officials affected by the reorganization as well as those who were named to their new positions as of this writing on Tuesday late afternoon. The PNP said the revamp was initiated to strengthen and empower strategic offices and units with the designation of more seasoned and experienced officers to head them. Azurin the reshuffleimplementedlessthana week after he assumed the top post in the PNP on Wednesday last week.

Moreover, Guintu explained that the proposed law also seeks to exempt the NHA from any tax, assessment fee, charge, or customs or import duty, includ ing income tax, real property tax, capital gains tax, transfer tax, value added tax, donor’s tax and similar taxes; and building permit fee, fire inspection permit fee, En vironmental Clearance Certificate fees and other regulatory fees. He said the NHA shall also be exempt from the payment of documentary stamp tax and registration fees, including fees required for the issuance of transfer certificates of titles. “We also plan to offer the same exemptions to the proj ects of the NHA, to promote the policy of improving hous ing affordability,” the Pinuno lawmaker said. House Bill 2994 also further authorizes the NHA to issue bonds and other securities to finance the implementation of its housing programs, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Finance and after consultation with the Mon etary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng “ThePilipinas.NHA would be authorized to issue bonds or securities sub ject to the following conditions: 1) amount of bonds or securities to be issued and sold would only be as much as the annual project implementation would require; 2) no bonds or securities shall be also issued unless 80 percent of those already issued had been sold; and 3) the total amount of the bonds or securities issued shall in no case exceed 10 times its paid up capital and surplus,” Guintu said. The lawmaker added that the bonds and securities to be issued under his proposed law shall be exempt from all kinds of taxes and from attachment, execution, andTheseizure.NHA became an attached corporation of the DHSUD by vir tue of Republic Act No. 11201 or the DSHUD Act in 2019. “Nearing the end of its corpo rate life, the NHA and its objectives remain relevant and important in providing housing to low-income families,” Guintu said. “With our growing popula tion, there is a continued de mand for low-cost and social ized housing. To meet this and in order to achieve and fulfill its mandate, the NHA’s corpo rate life needs to be extended and its powers and functions expanded,” he added.

Senate to review electric co-ops’ role amid concern over rising power rates

The petitioners noted that their mining activities are destroying the irrigation system and the ecosys tem in Sta. Cruz, Zambales and its neighboring municipality of Can delaria, Zambales, extending up to Infanta, Pangasinan. The mining firms’ “unsystematic” mining practices, according to the petitioners, are causing water, air, and soil pollution, as well as heavy laterite siltation of river systems, coast, farmlands, fishponds and residential areas. Forest denudation caused by min ing also could result in soil erosion and could exacerbate flood problems, the petitioners said. The livelihood of residents is likewise adversely af fected, they added. With regard to petitioners’ allega tion of violation of the DENR closure orders, the CA said the matter can be brought before the DENR, which has primary jurisdiction for the full enforcement of environmental stan dards in mining.

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie A PARTY-LIST lawmaker is pushing for the passage of a bill extending the corporate life of the National Housing Au thority (NHA) by another 50 years. In House Bill 2994, Pinuno Par ty-list Rep. Ivan Howard Guintu said his proposal seeks to exempt NHA from certain taxes and reg ulatory fees, increase its powers and duties, and authorize it to is sue bonds and other securities to finance the implementation of its housingCreatedprograms.in1975 by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 757, the NHA was originally given a cor porate term of 50 years, ending in 2025. Guintu’s House Bill No. 2994 seeks to extend the NHA’s corpo rate term by another 50 years. HB 2994 also reconstitutes the NHA Board of Directors to have a minimum of 13 members, includ ing two panel experts in urban planning and development and the following: Secretary of the Department of Human Settle ments and Urban thorityEconomicDirectorBudgetSecretaryandofralment(DOLE); Secretaryment(DTI); Secretaryment(DOF); SecretaryofHighwayspartment(DHSUD); SecretaryDevelopmentoftheDeofPublicWorksand(DPWH);SecretarytheDepartmentofFinanceoftheDepartofTradeandIndustryoftheDepartofLaborandEmploymentoftheDepartofEnvironmentandNatuResources(DENR);SecretarytheDepartmentoftheInteriorLocalGovernment(DILG);oftheDepartmentofandManagement(DBM);GeneraloftheNationalandDevelopmentAu(Neda);ExecutiveSecre tary; and General Manager (GM) of the TheNHA.billsaid the Secretary of the DHSUD shall be the ex officio chairperson of the Board. “The proposed new compo sition of the NHA Board better reflects the holistic approach to affordable and sustainable hous ing, including environmental sustainability, community sus tainability, and financial sustain ability,” Guintu said. “We also tweaked the qualifi cations of the GM and Assistant GMs [AGMs] to give particular emphasis to urban planning, again, to further sustainable de velopment in our cities and urban areas,” he added.

He observed that aside from consumers in Albay and Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, residents of Camarines Norte, Laoag City and Olongapo City have also demanded explanations from authorities, par ticularly from electric cooperatives, on the rising rates of electricity de spite scarcity in supply. The senator also recalled the numerous complaints regarding unfair electricity charges and power outages, particularly from the consumers of Oriental Mind oro, Nueva Ecija, Northern Samar, Pampanga, Batangas, Quezon Province, South Cotabato, Ma guindanao, Laguna, Zamboanga, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, Isabela, Mas bate, Aurora, Bicol, Southern Leyte and Davao Oriental, abound in dif ferent social media forums. Peza to tackle ecozone applications soon continued from a14

Lotilla won’t join Malampaya review continued from a14 In a statement last month, Prime Infra, Shell and Udenna said they are currently working together to achieve a smooth transition of SPEX to Prime Infra. The Malampaya project is one of the country’s most important power assets, as it produces natural gas to power plants in Batangas City that account for around 20 percent of the Philippines’s total electricity requirements. It began operations in 2001, with the consortium’s li cense for the project set to expire in 2024.Operating since 2001, the Malam paya project is the only local producer of indigenous natural gas. It supplies fuel to around 40 percent of gas-fired plants in Luzon, powering around 3,457 megawatts (MW) of power plants that provide power supply to the Luzon grid. “Prime Infra’s acquisition of MEXP reflects our shared commit ment with the national government to help maintain energy security and independence as we transition to a renewable energy-fueled Philippine economy,” said Prime Infra Chair man Enrique K. Razon, Jr. Prime Infra, he added, intends to accelerate investments in the Malampaya gas field to improve the output of existing wells and, if pos sible, develop new wells in the area once the license extension is secured from the government. “We look forward to this op portunity to partner with Prime Infrastructure and PNOC EC, as we explore more ways to fulfill our common vision to make Malampaya continue to operate safely and reli ably to strongly support our country’s need for indigenous and sustainable energy for many years to come,” said Uy in the same statement. Lenie Lectura

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573 T HE Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the Court of Appeals (CA) to hear anew the peti tion filed by the residents of Sta. Cruz, Zambales for the issuance of a writ of kalikasan with temporary environmental protection order (TEPO) against all mining opera tions in the province. In a 22-page unanimous ruling penned by Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul Inting, the Court en banc set aside the resolutions dated May 22, 2017 and December 14, 2017 of the CA, which denied the peti tion and at the same time lifted the provisional writ of kalikasan issued by the Supreme Court in JuneThe2016. CAruled that the closure order issued by then Department of Environment and Natural Re sources (DENR) Secretary Gina Lo pez against the operations of five mining companies in the province had rendered the petition moot andHowever,academic. the SC noted that the closure orders dated February 8, 2017 have already been lifted and respon dent mining companies, namely, Benguet Corp Nickel Mines Inc., Era men Minerals Inc., LNL Archipelago Minerals Inc., Zambales Diversified Metals Corp, and Shangfil Mining and Trading Corp., have resumed their“Indeed,operations. with the lifting of the closure orders…and the resump tion of the mining operations of respondent companies as mani fested by the OSG [Office of the Solicitor General], petitioners’ allegations, i.e., that respondent companies conduct unsystematic mining activities and their mining operations violate pertinent envi ronmental and mining laws, which were considered by the DENR in the issuance of said closure orders become material and significantly relevant in the subject petition for writ of kalikasan,” the SC said. “Thus, the propriety of the ulti mate relief in a petition for writ of kalikasan, that is, to prevent further violations of the constitutionally protected rights to a balanced and healthful ecology remains a justi ciable controversy. This has not been squarely passed upon or resolved by the CA,” it added. The SC noted that the CA did not make any evaluation of facts on petitioners’ allegations as it merely cited the in-depth audit of respondent mining companies conducted by the audit team from the DENR and representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and National Economic and Devel opmentHowever,Authority.theSC said the au dit team’s findings on the various violations of pertinent mining and environmental laws by respondent mining companies merely ended in the closure of the mining operations as directed in the closure orders. In its 2017 assailed decision, the CA held that “with the closure of the mining operations, there can be no unlawful act or omission that may be committed by respondent min ing companies that would result in actual or threatened violation of petitioner’s constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology.” “More importantly, the principal relief sought in this petition has al ready been accomplished, thereby rendering the controversy moot and academic. There, thus, no more actual controversy between parties and no useful purpose can be served in passing upon the merits of this petition,” it added. In its petition, the Concerned Citizens of Sta. Cruz, Zam bales claimed that the respondent mining companies are violating their constitutional right to a bal anced and healthful ecology.

House bill extends NHA’s corporate life by 50 years, exemption from certain fees and taxes

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri, under interpellation at Monday’s session where he ex pressed concern over rising power rates in the provinces, gave assur ances that “the Senate will be fair” to electric cooperatives. The Senate leader gave the as surance under questioning at Mon day’s plenary deliberations follow ing his privileged speech as sena tors moved to review the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) enacted over 20 years ago. Sen. Risa Hontiveros raised the question of “fairness” as she interpel lated Zubiri and expressed relief that the Senate leader “recognized the role of electric cooperatives” under the Epira passed in 2001. Hontiveros conveyed her con cerns as the Senate moved to review the Epira as one option to lower the power rates in the country. She asked Zubiri to “accord fair treat ment to electric cooperatives,” add ing that, “At any point during the discussions on the review of Epira, my fear is that the electric coopera tives will be placed in the hot seat.” This developed as first-term Sena tor Raffy Tulfo vowed to mount an inquiry into recurring brownouts amid mounting complaints from af fected business establishments and jittery household consumers regu larly inconvenienced by intermittent power supply cut offs. The “off-and-on” disturbing power situation prompted the senators to assess the need for remedial legislation in order to avert a recurring problem, with Tulfo initiating the move to tackle the problem head on. In calling for the Senate investi gation, Tulfo will preside as chair man of the Senate Committee on Energy, stressing “the need to assess and dig deeper into the persistent and recurring power outages and rotational blackouts in the differ ent parts of the country.” At the same time, he affirmed that the committee inquiry would also look into what was deemed to be the anomalous “rising cost of electricity amid these power interruptions.”

Tulfo’s Senate Resolution 107 cited various reports claiming that by early to mid-2022, the Philippines “might be in for a serious energy crisis” with allegations of thinning power reserves, outdated energy sys tem and the impending depletion of the Malampaya gas fields. The lawmaker lamented that “the most perplexing concerns rela tive to the alleged forthcoming en ergy crisis are the cases of Oriental Mindoro and Albay, with reports of power and electric supply interrup tions pervasive almost every day in these provinces, thus, power outages unreasonably becoming a way of life to their residents.” He recalled that just last June 2022, at least 78 power interruption notices were announced by Albay Power and Energy Corp. on its social media account, “With at least 39 of those were scheduled power inter ruptions and there were 37 emer gency power interruptions.” At the same time, he observed that both Oriental and Occidental Mindoro “have been enduring six to 14 hours of power outages every day since June 27 causing shortage in power supply affecting over a mil lion of its residents.” “This problem has been going on again and again. Ito pa ang masaklap, pagdating ng oras ng bayaran ng kury ente, mataas ang singil sa consumers at mayroon pang pagbabanta, sa mga resi dente ito ng Mindoro, na kapag hindi ka nagbayad on time doon sa mataas na singil ng kuryente, ay puputulan ka ng linya,” he Moreover, Tulfosaid. deplored what he deemed to be “adding insult to the in jury,” saying: “Napag-alaman ko, base sa isang reklamo sa aking program na ‘Wanted sa Radyo,’ na mayroon pang gana at kapal ng mukha itong mga taga Oriental Mindoro Electric Coopera tive o ORMECO na magpadagdag ng kanilang sweldo at bonus.” In his Resolution 107, the sena tor reminded the inexplicable pow er supply interruptions and power rate hikes have “caused enormous discomfort, disturbance, and in convenience to the Filipino people, essentially robbing them of their Constitutional right to quality life.”

www.businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Wednesday, August 10, 2022 A3BusinessMirror The Nation

Azurin shuffles PNP hierarchy but releases no details yet

SC orders CA to resume hearing of writ after Zambales mining firms resume ops

The current NHA Board is composed of the secretaries of the DPWH, DOTr, DOF, DOLE, and DTI; the Executive Secretary; the Neda Director General; and NHA GM. The new qualifications for the GM and AGMs now specify expertise in housing and urban planning and development.

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

Australian biz delegation sets PHL visit from Aug. 14 to 20 Poe: Expedite release of docs needed by 1st time jobseekers

“The proportion of establishments that operated at full capacity [90 percent to 100 percent] was 25.7 percent of the total number of responding establish ments. Meanwhile, 34.8 percent oper ated at 70 to 89 percent capacity, while 39.5 percent operated below 70 percent capacity,” the PSA said. Meanwhile, the performance of the VoPI was driven by 13 industry divisions that posted the highest production in June 2022. The sector that posted the fastest growth was reported in manufacture of machinery and equipment except electrical at 45.3 per cent. On the contrary, nine industry divi sions recorded decreases with printing and reproduction of recorded media registering the steepest contraction of 25.1 percent. The data also showed the Value of Pro duction Index (VaPI) maintained its upward trend with a year-on-year increment of 9.8 percent in June 2022, from an annual growth rate of 8 percent in the previous month. In June 2021, the VaPI accelerated with an an nual rate of 440.5 percent. Based on the National Income Accounts (NIA), the manufacturing sector posted a growth of only 2.1 percent in the second quar ter, the lowest since the first quarter of 2021. With a growth of 8.3 percent in the first quarter this year, the average growth of the manufacturing sector was at 5.9 percent in the first semester of the year. This is slower than the 10.5 percent posted in the first semester last year and the 7.5 per cent recorded in the second semester of 2021.

The MISSI data also stated that out of the 630 firms that responded to the survey, some 349 or more than half of the firms operated below 80 percent capacity in June. The total firms being surveyed by the MISSI was placed at 949 but for June, only 630 responded. Mapa said, which translates to a 70 percent response rate.

“ They should not miss the opportu nity to begin a career and, in turn, help their families cope with the challenging times,” Poe said. Speaking at the 78th commencement exercises of the University of Batangas in Batangas City, Poe urged graduates to avail of the benefits of the law that pro vides support and lessens constraints to clinching employment for the first time. “ The costs of these documents alto gether hinder our graduates from pursuing their desired jobs at the outset,” Poe said. T he senator underscored that costs of education have already mired many families in debts. Facing a new round of expenses to comply with documentary job requirements has prohibited many from timely pursuing employment. Under the law, those availing of the said benefits shall be required to present a barangay certification, which should also be given free of charge and declare that the applicant is a first-time jobseeker.

A4 BusinessMirror www.businessmirror.com.ph Economy Wednesday, August 10, 2022 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug SEN. Grace Poe asked concerned gov ernment agencies to swiftly release documents needed by first-time job seekers without imposing any charges in adherence to law. Poe explained that Republic Act 11261 or the First-Time Jobseekers Assistance Act which she authored and sponsored mandates concerned government agen cies not to collect fees for clearances or documents that they need to land a job. We must give our all-out support to every Filipino striving to get a job for the first time,” Poe said. The senator emphasized that the docu ments which must be given gratis to firsttime jobseekers include the National Bu reau of Investigation, police and barangay clearances; birth certificate; tax identifica tion number; unified multi-purpose iden tification card; transcript of records from state universities and colleges; and other government-issued documents that may be required by employers from job applicants.

THE average capacity utilization rate of factories rose to a two-year high in June 2022 but this did not translate into a bigger manufacturing output during the period, according to the Philippine Sta tistics Authority (PSA). Data from the latest Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries (MISSI) showed that the average capacity utilization rate of factories was at 71.1 percent. PSA said this is the highest since February 2020. However, the Volume of Production Index (VoPI) was at 2.4 percent in June 2022 and nowhere near the VoPIs 96.8 percent growth posted in February 2020. “Average capacity utilization is the average of all firms in the sample. But sizes of firms vary [as well as] their Volume of Production,” Na tional Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa told the BusinessMirror on Tuesday. “[It’s] not necessarily a one-to-one link.” Mapa said of the 162 who reported 90 to 100 percent operation, 27 or 16.7 percent are small firms; 31 or 19.1 per cent are medium; and 104 or 64.2 per cent are large establishments.

By Andrea San Juan A 50-MEMBER Australian business delegation will visit the Philip pines from August 14 to 20 to ex plore trade, tourism, investment oppor tunities and other areas of collaboration with key government agencies, business organizations, and private sector rep resentatives, the Board of Investments (BOI) reported on Tuesday.

T he business delegation will be headed by Ma. Hellen B. De La Vega, the Philippine Ambassador to Australia. The agency add ed that it will be the very first Australian business mission to visit the Philippines under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. T he agency, in a news statement, noted that the business mission will include in vestment briefings, business-to-business (B2B) meetings and a visit to the economic zones in Clark, Bataan, and Subic. During its six-day visit in the Philip pines, the Australian business delegation representing various sectors such as re newable energy, manufacturing, mining, tourism, education, and IT and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) will par ticipate in a series of activities, which will be hosted by foreign business groups and key government agencies.

T he networking breakfast will be spearheaded by the Philippines-Aus tralia Business Council (PABC) and Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (ANZCHAM). M eanwhile, the business briefing and business-to-business (B2B) meet ings will be led by the Board of Invest ments (BOI), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza), and Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB). Other government agencies that will be participating are the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of En ergy (DOE). T he BOI said that this event aims to “highlight the Philippine value proposi tions and sector of complementations with Australia,” specifically in automotive and electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, agribusiness and renewable energy. The delegates will also have opportu nities for networking during a networking cocktail that will be hosted by the Austra lia Philippines Business Council [APBC] in Manila, and during the luncheon to be hosted in New Clark City by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and in Bataan by the Provincial Govern ment of Bataan, as well as in Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority,” said BOI. A ccording to Ambassador De La Vega, the growth of the economy, increased productivity and post-pandemic recovery are the current priorities of the Philip pine government. “ I am looking forward to the Busi ness Mission and it is my fervent hope that we will be able to generate stronger interest from the private sector to de velop and deepen commercial linkages between the Philippines and Australia,” de La Vega said. T he Business Mission is jointly orga nized by the Philippine Trade and Center in Sydney, the Philippine Board of Invest ments, DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau, PEZA, the Subic Clark and Alliance for Development (SCAD) and the Freeport and Economic zones in the Subic-ClarkBataan corridor.

Manufacturing output stalls in June–PSA data

22. LAU TIAM HUAT Bi-lingual Speaking Data Analyst Executive Brief Job InterpretsDescription:data,analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

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15. CLARK, OverallBriefAccountKEITHLeadJobDescription:managementof a single account or a line of business within a larger account in the brokerage business.

BusinessMirror A5www.businessmirror.com.ph Wednesday, August 10, 2022

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

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No. NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No. NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No. NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE 3M SERVICE CENTER APAC, INC. 17th, 18th, 19th Floors, Bonifacio Stopover Corporate Center, 31st Street Cor., 2nd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, City Of Taguig 1. KIM, BOO RAM Accounts Payable Analyst (korean) Brief Job Description: Handling of all 3rd party vendor payment related activities including creating and processing payment proposal, manual payments, void/cancel payments, and reset cleared items and working exceptions Basic PhpSalarythisReadingSpeaking,LanguageinsolvinganalyticalProficienttransactionalFinanceyears’ManagementFinance,BusinessinBachelor’sQualification:DegreeAccountancyorAdministration,Economicsorcourses,1-2experiencewithinorAccountingactivities,research,andproblem-skills,KnowledgeEnglishandKorean(Writing,Listeningandarerequiredforrole)Range:30,000-Php59,999 3O BPO INCORPORATED 2/f Lcs Bldg South Super Highway, San Andres Cor Diamante St., 087, Barangay 803, Santa Ana, City Of Manila 2. BJORNDAL, THORE GEORGE Customer Service Agent Norwegian Brief Job CustomerDescription:ServiceAgent interacts with the customer on behalf of the organization. Provide information about the products and services, responds to customer complaints as well. Basic Qualification: At least 1 year of experience as Customer Service Agent Norwegian, Fluent in English and PhpSalaryNorwegianRange:30,000-Php 59,999 ALTERA KARNA BUSINESS CORP. 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th Flrs. Eighty-one Newport Blvd., Newport City St., Barangay 183, Pasay City 3. KAM CHUNG GIN Customer Service Representative (Chinese ProvideBriefSpeaking)JobDescription:CustomerService to Clients Basic Qualification: *Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese *Preferablyfluently. 6 months to 1-year customer service experience. *Detailoriented and has the ability to multi-task. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 4. KYAW CustomerLAY Service Representative (Chinese *ProvideBriefSpeaking)JobDescription:CustomerService To Clients Basic Qualification: *Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese *Preferablyfluently. 6 months to 1-year customer service experience. *Detailoriented and has the ability to multi-task. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 5. NANDA CustomerSOEService Representative (Chinese *ProvideBriefSpeaking)JobDescription:CustomerService To Clients Basic Qualification: *Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese *Preferablyfluently. 6 months to 1-year customer service experience. *Detailoriented and has the ability to multi-task. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 6. YAWL CustomerLIN Service Representative (Chinese *ProvideBriefSpeaking)JobDescription:CustomerService To Clients Basic Qualification: *Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese *Preferablyfluently. 6 months to 1-year customer service experience. *Detailoriented and has the ability to multi-task. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 ASIANADVANTAGES, INC. 19/f Yuchengco Tower 1, Rcbc Plaza, 6819 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati 7. OHTA, JapaneseOSAMUWeb Design Manager Brief Job Description: Provides effective feedback to the management concerning process flow and in departmental concerns when necessary. Basic 499,999PhpSalaryexperience.1EnglishFluentQualification:inJapaneseandlanguageatleastyearworkrelatedRange:150,000-Php 8. AOKI, JapaneseERIKOWeb Designer Brief Job Description: Prepares and submit daily reports with the date complied at backend system.

29. BAI, ChineseJIANLITunnel Construction Manager Brief Job Description: Prepare project status reports and work to ensure work adheres to contract specifications. Lead and direct the work of others. Create and execute project work plans. Manage cost, schedule, and program documentation.

CHINA It Specialist Brief Job ResolvingDescription:allissuesco-workers have with their IT system and software Basic

COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES PHILIPPINES CORPORATION 21st Floor Menarco Tower, 32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig18. LI, ChineseHONGSHUNSpeaking It Specialist Brief Job ResolvingDescription:allissuesco-workers have with their IT system and software Basic PhpSalaryspeakingofandcommunicationandFluentQualification:inMandarinEnglishwithgoodskillspreferably5yearsexperienceasChineseITspecialistRange:30,000-Php59,999 19. LIU, ChineseFENGRUISpeaking

24. LEE HON Bi-lingualSANGSpeaking Data Analyst Officer Brief Job InterpretsDescription:data,analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

Brief Job Description: Organize and monitor all technical activities for various projects and ensure compliance to all objectives and prepare appropriate budgets and coordinate with various staff to ensure customer satisfaction. Prepare and maintain project budgets and ensure compliance to all project schedule and ensure optimal customer satisfaction. Communicate and collaborate with other managers, suppliers, and contractors.

Basic 499,999PhpSalaryexperience.1EnglishFluentQualification:inJapaneseandlanguageatleastyearworkrelatedRange:150,000-Php SASASE, PreparesBriefJapaneseARATAWebDesignerJobDescription:andsubmitdaily reports with the date complied at backend system.

Brief

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in either Swedish language and in PhpSalaryEnglishRange:90,000-Php 149,999

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Basic AbilityQualification:toworkina highpressure, PhpSalaryprogrammingrequiredworkingreportingcommunicationenvironment.deadline-drivenExceptionalandskills.Solidknowledgeinallsoftwareandlanguages.Range:30,000-Php59,999

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

23. JAMIN Bi-lingualHENDRASpeaking Data Analyst Officer

12. UCHIHARA, RYO Japanese Web Designer Brief Job Description: Prepares and submit daily reports with the date complied at backend system.

21. HOAC CHI VI Bi-lingual Speaking Data Analyst Executive Brief Job InterpretsDescription:data,analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

Basic 499,999PhpSalaryexperience.1EnglishFluentQualification:inJapaneseandlanguageatleastyearworkrelatedRange:150,000-Php BOOTH AND PARTNERS PHILIPPINES INCORPORATED 15/f Citibank Center Bldg., 8741 Paseo De Roxas, Bel-air, City Of Makati

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CHROMELAB TECHNOLOGIES INC. 25/f Techzone Bldg., 213 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati 20. CO HUYNH VINH PHU Bi-lingual Speaking Data Analyst Executive Brief Job InterpretsDescription:data,analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

system.

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Basic Qualification: Have fluent or Native Mandarin Traditional Chinese language skills in speaking, reading, and writing areas. Strong planning, problem-solving and organizational & time management skills and is able to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and deadlines. With good written and oral communication skills.

16.

27. ZANG, ChineseWUWANGChiefTechnical Manager

11. SATO, PreparesBriefJapaneseMASANORIWebDesignerJobDescription:andsubmitdaily reports with the date complied at backend system.

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28. WEI, ChineseJIAXIANGTechnical Manager Brief Job Description: Serve as the technical expert for detailed design and construction aspects of the project. Propose and oversee timelines for engineering proposals and submissions are met. Set up procedure and processes in monitoring and tracking of engineering related documentation throughout project lifestyle.

Basic 499,999PhpSalaryexperience.1EnglishFluentQualification:inJapaneseandlanguageatleastyearworkrelatedRange:150,000-Php

14. YAMANAKA, KAZUYA Japanese Web Designer Brief Job Description: Prepares and submit daily reports with the date complied at backend system.

PhpSalaryspeakingofandcommunicationandFluentQualification:inMandarinEnglishwithgoodskillspreferably5yearsexperienceasChineseITspecialistRange:30,000-Php59,999

ENERGY CHINA PHILIPPINES BRANCH OFFICE Unit 1718, High Street South Corporate Plaza Tower 1, Bonifacio Global, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig 25. LIU, ChineseJIANGAccounting Manager Brief Job ManagingDescription:dailycashbalances; Ensuring that cash flows are adequate to allow business units to operate effectively. Preparation of financial accounts and other reports based on accounting standards. Arranging financial audits and reviews as required. Basic Qualification: Have fluent or Native Mandarin Traditional Chinese language skills in speaking, reading, and writing areas. Strong planning, problem-solving and organizational & time management skills and is able to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and deadlines. With good written and oral communication skills. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

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ING BUSINESS SHARED SERVICES B.V. BRANCH OFFICE 27th Floor World Plaza Building, 5th Avenue, E-square Zone Cresent Park West, Bonifacio Global City, City Of Taguig 47. HARDY, ELIOTT EUGENE LOUIS Product Owner - Chapter Lead Brief Job Description: Create and communicate product vision and strategy. Solve impediments encountered in the development of the product

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57. LE NGOC VietnamesePHUONGCustomer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services.

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JP & L

Brief Job ResponsibleDescription:forproducing information, transcribing, formatting, inputting, editing, retrieving and transmitting test data and graphics from English to another language such as Hebrew, Malay and Mon-Khmer.

LEEKIE ENTERPRISES, INC. 8/f Techzone Bldg., 213 Sen Gil Puyat Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati

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61. BABILIAN, MultilingualSHAY-Product Development Specialist

62. BOIMER, MICHAL TAMAR Multilingual - Product Development Specialist

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Basic PhpSalaryKhmerHebrew,ProficiencyQualification:inEnglish,MalayandMon-language.Range:60,000-Php89,999

Basic PhpSalarymandarin).(korean,andCollegeQualification:graduate,speakswritefluentlyenglishandRange:30,000-Php59,999

Basic Qualification: B Tech, BTech, BSc(Eng) - Bachelor of Science in Eng, IT M.TECH,Management,MCM,MCA, MBA Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 IBM BUSINESS SERVICES, INC. 8th Floor, 1800 Bldg., Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City 46. COELHO, ESPEDITO Accounts Payable Analyst - Portuguese Speaker Brief Job Reviews/validatesDescription:invoice received, inputs invoices details into ERP, process wire/EFT payment, create/amend new or existing customer data in ERP, manage vendor/supplier queries, perform vendor reconciliations and reports based on agreed deadlines with the client; Performance directly contributes to the delivery of Key Performance Indicator (KPI) which measures how the activities are based on agreed targets; Provides support to continuous improvement initiative; Performs ad-hoc tasks as identified by the Team Lead; Provides training, education to junior team members, learn new process from the client or third party, and understand exception, create DTP & Amend DTP with updates; Performs ad-hoc tasks as identified by the Team Lead Basic

HAN Chinese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services. Basic

64. LEVITIN, MultilingualLIOR- Product Development Specialist

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

Basic PhpSalaryadvantageChineseappliedlanguagerespectiveinreadingProficientQualification:inspeaking,andwritingEnglishandtheirnativeforthepositionfor.FluenttoMandarinisanRange:30,000-Php59,999 BEAUTY PRODUCTS INC. Trade And Financial Tower, 7th Ave. Cor. 32nd St., Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

HCL TECHNOLOGIES PHILIPPINES, INC. Net Cube Center, 3rd Avenue Corner 30th Street, E-square Zone, Bonifacio Global City, City Of Taguig 45. GULATI, KARAN Group Manager

Basic PhpSalaryproblemcriticalbachelorGraduateQualification:4yearsdegreewiththinkingandsolvingskills.Range:60,000-Php89,999

51. YEON, KoreanBYEONGWOOCustomerService Representative Brief Job Description: Track main industry trends in Korean through blogs, micro blogs and forums.

JIK SUPER FRESH PRODUCE INC. 467 Palacio Del Sana Anda Corner Cabildo St., 069, Barangay 655, Intramuros, City Of Manila52. MANABE, YOHKI Japanese Client Interpreter Brief Job Description: To facilitate a communication between Japanese Speaker Basic FluencyQualification:andProficiency in Japanese Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 JIU ZHOU TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. 16/f Tower Ii, Rcbc Plaza, 6819 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

58.

Basic PhpSalaryKhmerHebrew,ProficiencyKhmer.Hebrew,anothergraphicstransmittingediting,formatting,information,ResponsibleQualification:forproducingtranscribing,inputting,retrievingandtestdataandfromEnglishtolanguagesuchasMalayandMon-inEnglish,MalayandMon-language.Range:60,000-Php89,999

Basic PhpSalaryadvantageChineseappliedlanguagerespectiveinreadingProficientQualification:inspeaking,andwritingEnglishandtheirnativeforthepositionfor.FluenttoMandarinisanRange:30,000-Php59,999

69. SAKUI, CustomerAYUMUService Representative Brief Job Description: Provide excellent business to consumers via phones, chats and email.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

M AJOREL PHILIPPINES CORP. 5th Floor E-commerce Plaza Bldg., 1 Garden Rd., Eastwood City, Bagumbayan, Quezon City

Wednesday, August 10,

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write chinese language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Representative

30. LUO, ChineseCHUNHUATunnel Construction Manager Brief Job Description: Prepare project status reports and work to ensure work adheres to contract specifications. Lead and direct the work of others. Create and execute project work plans. Manage cost, schedule, and program documentation.

Basic PhpSalaryKhmerHebrew,ProficiencyQualification:inEnglish,MalayandMon-language.Range:60,000-Php89,999

services.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No. NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

products and services.

72. SUN, ChineseQIUSHENGCustomer Service Representative Brief Job ManagingDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquires

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower, C4 Rd. Edsa Ext., Barangay 76, Pasay City 70. SHI, ChineseZHANYANGCustomer Service Representative Brief Job ManagingDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquiries.

34. WEI, RecruitBriefChineseQIANKUNSalesManagerJobDescription:hireandtrainsales team.

319,

67. HERMAN Indonesian-customerPAULUS Service Support Brief Job Description: Reports on the daily operations 0f all call center activities performing customer oriented-telephone and activities

59,999

Brief Job Description: Oversee daily operations of finance and accounting & directs internal audits. Basic PhpSalaryexperienceProvenQualification:professionalRange:30,000-Php59,999 Binondo, City Manila hire

FLYING FUTURE SERVICES INC. 3/f Salcedo One Center, 170 Salcedo St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati 36. ZHANG, MandarinQIANGAccounts Staff Brief Job CoordinateDescription:withaccount managers and sales executives to achieve sales and ensure clients satisfaction. Basic Qualification: Can speak mandarin. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 37. LI, MandarinHAIQUANTeam Leader Brief Job MonitoringDescription:andmaintaining computer systems and networks Basic Qualification: Can speak mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 38. LIU, MonitoringBriefMandarinHONGCHANGTeamLeaderJobDescription:andmaintaining computer systems and networks Basic Qualification: Can speak mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 39. XIONG, MandarinWEITeam Leader Brief Job MonitoringDescription:andmaintaining computer systems and networks Basic Qualification: Can speak mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 40. LI, MandarinXIAODONGTechnical Support Brief Job MonitoringDescription:andmaintaining computer systems and networks. Basic Qualification: Can speak mandarin. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 41. TANG, MandarinRENJUNTechnical Support Brief Job MonitoringDescription:andmaintaining computer systems and networks Basic Qualification: Can speak mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 42. TIAN, MandarinYE Technical Support Brief Job MonitoringDescription:andmaintaining computer systems and networks Basic Qualification: Can speak mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 43. ZHANG, MandarinWEITechnical Support Brief Job MonitoringDescription:andmaintaining computer systems and networks Basic Qualification: Can speak mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 GLOBALLGA BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING, OPC Ground Level, Level 2-5 Floor, Silver City 4, Ortigas East, Ugong, City Of Pasig 44. JIANG, CustomerYANQINGService Representative Mandarin BriefSpeakingJob Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking. Basic PhpSalarycustomerinformationcollectingtoproductsrecommendKnowsQualification:howtopotentialorservicesmanagementbycustomerandanalyzingneeds.Range:30,000-Php59,999

EVERGREEN SHIPPING AGENCY PHILIPPINES CORPORATION 6f Equitable Bank Tower, 8751 Paseo De Roxas, Bel-air, City Of Makati 32. HUNG, SHIH-CHI Junior Vice President For Finance Department

Brief Job Description: Acts a single point of contact for that regional governance. Owns and creates service delivery and service management performance review presentations for the region (BU).

55. DANG TUAN ANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services.

Basic PhpSalaryKhmerHebrew,ProficiencyQualification:inEnglish,MalayandMon-language.Range:60,000-Php89,999

22 The

Basic Bachelor’sQualification:degreein any related field. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 1747 Barangay Santa Cruz, City Manila

71. SU, ChineseZHENKUNCustomer Service Representative Brief Job ManagingDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquiries.

Basic PhpSalarymandarin).(korean,andCollegeQualification:graduate,speakswritefluentlyenglishandRange:60,000-Php89,999

65. MALKA, MultilingualNAOR-Product Development Specialist

56. LE DUC VietnameseHUNGCustomer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services.

50. KIM, KoreanSUNCHAECustomer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Track main industry trends in Korean through blogs, micro blogs and forums.

68. Indonesian-customerHERRY Service Support Brief Job Description: Reports on the daily operations 0f all call center activities performing customer oriented-telephone and activities

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No. NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No. NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

Basic PhpSalaryKhmerHebrew,ProficiencyQualification:inEnglish,MalayandMon-language.Range:60,000-Php89,999

66. SMUS, RON MultilingualAVRAHAM-Product Development Specialist

Service Representative Brief

33. FAN, ChinesePENGFEISales Manager Brief Job Description: Recruit

48. TEK FONG IndonesianKASMINCustomer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Provide product/services, information, answer questions and resolve emerging problems.

Basic Bachelor’sQualification:degreein any field. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic PhpSalarymandarin).(korean,andCollegeQualification:graduate,speakswritefluentlyenglishandRange:60,000-Php89,999

54. NOISRI, KIMHAN Thai Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services. Basic

Basic PhpSalaryadvantageChineseappliedlanguagerespectiveinreadingProficientQualification:inspeaking,andwritingEnglishandtheirnativeforthepositionfor.FluenttoMandarinisanRange:30,000-Php59,999 DINH VietnameseNAMCustomer Job Description: Attracts potential customers answering product and suggesting information about other

59. VU

60. AZULAY, MultilingualALMOG-Product Development Specialist

63. BUMSHTEYN, DANIEL Multilingual - Product Development Specialist

Basic PhpSalaryFluentdegreePossessesQualification:bachelor’sinanyfield.inbashRange:30,000-Php59,999

Basic JapaneseQualification:nativeaor local PhpSalaryresident.Range:90,000-Php 149,999

BusinessMirrorA6 www.businessmirror.com.ph2022

and train sales team.

Remigio St., 032,

FINSTAD INC. 2/f Smpc Bldg.,

Basic PhpSalaryKhmerHebrew,ProficiencyQualification:inEnglish,MalayandMon-language.Range:30,000-Php59,999

111. NANG KHAM NON PHAUNG Customer Relation Representative (mandarin HandleBriefTranslation)JobDescription:servicesupport calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation Basic Through,Qualification:Extensive & Fluency in Mandarin Language and Characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION LIMITED, INC. 4th Flr. W Mall Bldg., Diosdado Macapagal Ave. St., Zone 10, Barangay 76, Pasay City 89. LE HOAI BAO MINH Vietnamese Speaking Customer Service

Brief

112. NGUYEN TRUNG HAU Customer Relation Representative (mandarin HandleBriefTranslation)JobDescription:servicesupport calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation Basic Through,Qualification:Extensive & Fluency in Mandarin Language and Characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: A native speaker of the PhpSalarywritten).languageChinese/Mandarin(spokenandRange:60,000-Php89,999 96. VELDA IndonesianWILLIAM-Language Customer Support Staff Brief Job Description: Serves as primary contact for problem resolution and information gathering regarding customer complaints and work assignment.

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

queries

THEIDI CONSTRUCTION CORP. Unit 503 East Tower, Psec Exchange Road, San Antonio, City Of Pasig 108. TANG, Preparation,BriefProjectXUELOUManagerJobDescription:supervision and checking the project of the company. Basic Qualification: Able to independentlywork as a part of the team. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

107. WU, MandarinPEI-JUNSystem And Support Specialist Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and / or customers through mandarin to English translation.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

78. PHAM VAN VietnameseTHANHCustomer Service Representative Brief Job ManagingDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquiries.

TAISEI CORPORATION - PHILIPPINE BRANCH OFFICE U-902 9f Bdo Equitable Tower, 8751 Paseo De Roxas, Bel-air, City Of Makati 102. DEZAWA, KEN Head, Building Tendering Group (technical) Brief Job Description: Liaison with design consultants and subcontractors.

Sky Garage Bldg., Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City, Tambo, City Of Parañaque 79. CHENG, ZIQIAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job CustomerDescription:Supportand Data Base Services. Basic PhpSalaryskills.writtenwithcomputerKnowledgeableQualification:inapplicationgoodoralandcommunicationRange:30,000-Php59,999 80. HUANG, XIUFANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job CustomerDescription:Supportand Data Base Services. Basic PhpSalaryskills.writtenwithcomputerKnowledgeableQualification:inapplicationgoodoralandcommunicationRange:30,000-Php59,999 81. PENG, ChineseYONGCustomer Service Brief Job CustomerDescription:supportand data base services. Basic PhpSalaryskills.writtenwithcomputerKnowledgeableQualification:inapplicationgoodoralandcommunicationRange:30,000-Php59,999 82. XU, ChineseXUESONGCustomer Service Brief Job CustomerDescription:supportand data base services. Basic PhpSalaryskills.writtenwithcomputerKnowledgeableQualification:inapplicationgoodoralandcommunicationRange:30,000-Php59,999 83. ZHANG, FAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job CustomerDescription:Supportand Data Base Services. Basic PhpSalaryskills.writtenwithcomputerKnowledgeableQualification:inapplicationgoodoralandcommunicationRange:30,000-Php59,999 84. WAAN JIA WEI Malaysian Customer Service Brief Job CustomerDescription:Supportand Data Base Services. Basic PhpSalaryskills.writtenwithcomputerKnowledgeableQualification:inapplicationgoodoralandcommunicationRange:30,000-Php59,999 85. HTIKE MyanmariYWINCustomer Service Brief Job CustomerDescription:Supportand Data Base Services. Basic PhpSalaryskills.writtenwithcomputerKnowledgeableQualification:inapplicationgoodoralandcommunicationRange:30,000-Php59,999 86. LAY KIM VietnamesePHONGCustomer Service Brief Job CustomerDescription:Supportand Data Base Services. Basic PhpSalaryskills.writtenwithcomputerKnowledgeableQualification:inapplicationgoodoralandcommunicationRange:30,000-Php59,999 87. VY THI VietnameseHOI Customer Service Brief Job CustomerDescription:Supportand Data Base Services. Basic PhpSalaryskills.writtenwithcomputerKnowledgeableQualification:inapplicationgoodoralandcommunicationRange:30,000-Php59,999 NOM NOM NOM REALTY DEVELOPER CORP. 463 Remedios St., 076, Barangay 699, Malate, City Of Manila 88. KIM, BilingualSEUNGWOOCustomer Service Officer Brief Job Description: Manage daily operation of the company Basic PhpSalaryKoreanReadingProficientQualification:inSpeaking,andWritinginandEnglishRange:30,000-Php59,999 NOVATECH (PASAY)

115. TRUONG GIA LINH Customer Relation Representative (mandarin HandleBriefTranslation)JobDescription:servicesupport calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation Basic Through,Qualification:Extensive & Fluency in Mandarin Language and Characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 YUMMYVERSE CORP. 33 K-h Cor., K-8, West Kamias, Quezon City 116. FREIXA OLIVEDA, GREGORI Technical Consultant Brief Job PerformingDescription:analyseson hardware, software and network capabilities and documenting processes and monitoring system performing metrics Basic

104. NGUYEN NGOC HOANG Mandarin Speaking Customer Relation

Basic Qualification: A native speaker of the Indonesian language (spoken and written). Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 SA RIVENDELL GLOBAL SUPPORT, INC. 9-11 Flr., The Biopolis Bldg., Macapagal Blvd., Barangay 76, Pasay City 97. XIAO, CustomerKUNLIService Representative Brief Job CustomerDescription:supportand data base services.

75. ZHAO, ChineseHONGBINCustomer Service Representative

HandleBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:servicesupport calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and / or customers through mandarin to English translation.

VICCI BUSINESS CONSULTANCY CORP. 10/f Liberty Plaza, 102 H.v. Dela Costa St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

113. PINTAKAM, PATIKOM Customer Relation Representative (mandarin HandleBriefTranslation)JobDescription:servicesupport calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation Basic Through,Qualification:Extensive & Fluency in Mandarin Language and Characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job ManagingDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquires

73. WANG, ChineseBOYUNCustomer Service Representative Brief Job ManagingDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquires

74. XU, ChineseXIN Customer Service Representative Brief Job ManagingDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquires

Basic Through,Qualification:Extensive & Fluency in Mandarin Language and Characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

*DatePhpSalarylogsmaintainandasExtensiveQualification:experiencetechnicalconsultantabilitytodevelopainternalerrorRange:30,000-Php59,999Generated:Aug9,2022

BusinessMirror A7www.businessmirror.com.ph Wednesday, August 10, 2022

DealBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:withallcustomer / complaints should be fluent in Vietnamese & English speaking Basic PhpSalaryrepresentativewith-PreferablyQualification:with6months1yearexperiencecustomerserviceRange:30,000-Php59,999

106. CHEN, MandarinYI-HSUANSystem And Support Specialist 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 ManagingDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquires

105. SO THI MandarinBINHSpeaking Customer Relation

Basic PhpSalaryskills.writtenwithcomputerKnowledgeableQualification:inapplicationgoodoralandcommunicationRange:30,000-Php59,999

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

CHEAH AUN CHI Senior Associate, Business Development - Cross BriefBorderJob Description: Create implement & execute business development Basic Qualification: M.A in PhpSalarymanagement/ADbusinessRange:60,000-Php 89,999 101. NG SHUE LENG Senior Associate, Business Development - Cross BriefBorderJob Description: Create implement & execute business development Basic Qualification: M.A in PhpSalarymanagement/ADbusinessRange:90,000-Php 149,999

OCTAGON PRIME OUTSOURCING SERVICES INC. Ub 111 Paseo De Roxas Bldg., Paseo De Roxas, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati 90. LI, CustomerPEI-CHUNService Representative Brief Job Description: Provide specialized services to assist end-users in technology needs

HandleBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:servicesupport calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and / or customers through mandarin to English translation.

93. INDAJUITA NINGSIH Data Analyst Officer Brief Job MultilingualDescription:customer support, specifically for other Asian language Basic Qualification: Must be 21 years old and above; Graduate of any Vocational or Bachelor’s Degree Course; At least 1 year experience as Data Analyst or Customer Service; With good oral and PhpSalarywrittenRange:30,000-Php 59,999 94. KANJANATHANASETH, CHINAKRIT Data Analyst Officer Brief Job MultilingualDescription:customer support, specifically for other Asian language Basic Qualification: Must be 21 years old and above; Graduate of any Vocational or Bachelor’s Degree Course; At least 1 year experience as Data Analyst or Customer Service; With good oral and PhpSalarywrittenRange:30,000-Php 59,999

109. JOSEPH CHONG CHEE YUNG Customer Relation Representative (mandarin HandleBriefTranslation)JobDescription:servicesupport calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

114. SAE-LIM, CustomerSUTHIDARelation Representative (mandarin HandleBriefTranslation)JobDescription:servicesupport calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation Basic Through,Qualification:Extensive & Fluency in Mandarin Language and Characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic FluentQualification:inMandarin, both oral and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

SCHENKER MANILA ADMINISTRATIVE COMPETENCE CENTER, INC. 21st Floor, Cyber Sigma Building, Old Lawton Ave,, Mckinley West ,, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig 98. FEUZ, ContractPETERManagement Support Jr. Associate Brief Job Description: Provide assistance in the upload of fully executed contracts for Cluster Germany and Switzerland. Strive for compliance with the required contract management KP, Ensure business process/ methodology is applied accordingly and accurately Basic PhpSalaryprojectsableStrongmanagementCommercialProficientwithchallengingAbilityQualification:toworkinaenvironmentatightdeadline,inMSExcel,contractexperience,analyticalskills,tohandlemultipleatthesametimeRange:90,000-Php149,999 SHINHAN BANK - MANILA BRANCH 21st Floor, Unit 1& 2, A.t. Yuchengco Centre, 26th And 25th St., Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig99. KIM, JEONGHWAN Vice President Brief Job Description: Approver of specific transactions in Aither; signatory of the outward report (BSP, PDIC, BIR, SEC, LGU, and so on); complies with all regulatory rules and regulations Basic 499,999PhpSalaryNativeQualification:KoreanRange:150,000-Php SHOPEE PHILIPPINES INC 37/f Seven/neo, 5th Avenue E-square Crescent Park West Bgc, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig100.

76. ZHU, ChineseSHAOTINGCustomer Service Representative

Basic AbilityQualification:tomultitask and manage time effectively Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 91. SUN, MandarinYANGTechnical Support Brief Job Description: Provide specialized services to assist end-users in technology needs

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

PACIFIC SEA BPO SERVICES, INC. 16/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St., Bel-air, City Of Makati 92. CHIN CHEE WEI Data Analyst Officer Brief Job MultilingualDescription:customer support, specifically for other Asian language Basic Qualification: Must be 21 years old and above; Graduate of any Vocational or Bachelor’s Degree Course; At least 1 year experience as Data Analyst or Customer Service; With good oral and PhpSalarywrittenRange:30,000-Php 59,999

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No. NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

HandleBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:servicesupport calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and / or customers through mandarin to English translation.

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

110. KHOR CHEE GUAN Customer Relation Representative (mandarin HandleBriefTranslation)JobDescription:servicesupport calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation Basic Through,Qualification:Extensive & Fluency in Mandarin Language and Characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

RUNNINGMAN CORPORATION 8/f Techzone Bldg., 213 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati 95. ANDREA HONG Asian Regional Finance Officer Brief Job Description: Assists the senior manager in production planning.

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

77. HOANG XUAN HAI Vietnamese Customer Service Representative Job ManagingDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquires

Basic Qualification: 20+ year experienceprojectworking in the construction industry. Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 TECHMAVE SERVICES INC. 11/f Liberty Plaza Bldg., 102 H.v. Dela Costa St., Bel-air, City Of Makati 103. LIM ZI MandarinYANGSpeaking Customer Relation

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

18 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite LET THI GIANG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

5 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite PHYO MYAT HLAING Burmese Customer Service Representative

13 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite WANG, HUI Chinese Customer Service Representative

4 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite AUNG MIN THAN Burmese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

August 10, 2022

11 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite QU, BINGJIE Chinese Customer Service Representative

15 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite XIANG, LANHUA Chinese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

7 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite SAI LYAN SAUNG Burmese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

8 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite SHAUK YIN Burmese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

NOTICE OF FILING OF APPLICATION/S FOR ALIEN EMPLOYMENT PERMIT/S (AEP/S) Notice is hereby given that the following companies/employers have filed with this Regional Office application/s for Alien Employment Permit/s: NO. ESTABLISHMENT NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL, POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE 1 TECHNOLOGYBRICKHARTZ INC. Lot 4044, Molino Blvd., Niog III, City of Bacoor, Cavite HERDINA SURYANTO Indonesian Customer Service Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently Indonesian language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Wednesday, August 10, 2022 BusinessMirrorA8 www.businessmirror.com.ph

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

9 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite SI THU Burmese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

12 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite WAI LIN OO Chinese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

6 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite PONT PONT AYE Burmese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

2 CANON (PHILIPPINES),MACHINESBUSINESSINC. Lot 4, Phase 1B, FPIP, Ulango, City of Tanauan, Batangas KOBAYASHI, EIJI Manufacturing Division 1 General Manager Brief Job Description: Ensure that manufacturing processes run reliably and efficiently Basic Qualification: Fluently speaks Japanese language for suppliersheadquarter,communicationeffectivetocompanycustomersand Salary Range: Php150,000 - Php499,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

14 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite WU, RONG Chinese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

16 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite BUI THI LINH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

3 H.R.D. SINGAPORE PTE LTD Block 3, CEZ II, Bacao II, City of General Trias, Cavite TOMINAGA, JUN Technical Adviser - R&D Unit Panel Brief Job Description: In charge of research and development regarding unit panel products Basic Qualification: Knowledge in house plans and construction Salary Range: Php90,000 - Php149,999

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT Regional Office No. IV-A 4th Flr. Andenson Bldg. II, Brgy. Parian, Calamba City Telefax No.: (049) 545-7362

17 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite BUI THI TAM Vietnamese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

10 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite HI, CHANRIN Chinese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

20 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite NGUYEN PHI ANH Vietnamese Customer Service

and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

21 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite NGUYEN THI THU THAO Vietnamese Customer Service

ManageBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:incomingcalls

and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

22 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite NGUYEN THI THUY Vietnamese Customer Service

23 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite NGUYEN VAN DAT Vietnamese Customer Service

and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999 30 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite TRAN VAN CHUNG Vietnamese Customer Service ManageBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999 31 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite TRAN VAN XUAN Vietnamese Customer Service ManageBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999 32 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite TRAN XUAN TU Vietnamese Customer Service ManageBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999 33 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite VU MINH KHIEU Vietnamese Customer Service ManageBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999 34 ROHM PHILIPPINES,ELECTRONICSINC. Blk

19 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite NGUYEN BAO TRUNG Vietnamese Customer Service

26 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite PHAM THU HUE Vietnamese Customer Service

Wednesday, August 10, 2022BusinessMirror A9www.businessmirror.com.ph

37 TE PHILIPPINESMANUFACTURINGCONNECTIVITYINC. Lot 38-A, Phase 1B, FPIP-SEZ, Ulango, City of Tanauan, Batangas SUBASH, KAMALAKANNAN Senior Quality Supervisor Brief Job Description: Ensure the QMS processes are established, implemented, maintained Basic Qualification: At least 5 years related work experience in a manufacturing set-up Salary Range: Php90,000 - Php149,999 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 Regional Office IV-A located at 3rd and 4th Floors, Andenson Building II, Parian, Calamba City, Laguna, within 30 days after this publication. Please inform DOLE Regional Office IV-A if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

25 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite NGUYEN VIET SON Vietnamese Customer Service

MONJI, NORIKO Supervisor - Customer Relations Brief Job CoordinateDescription:allJapanese member concerns Basic Qualification: Fluent in Nihongo Salary Range: Php60,000 - Php89,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

28 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite TRAN THI HIEN Vietnamese Customer Service

write

36 SMART TECHNOLOGY,WIN INC. Southwoods Office Tower 2, San Francisco, Biñan, City of Biñan, Laguna VU VAN ANH Mandarin Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: File incoming help request from end user from the People’s Republic of China via both telephone and work orders in a courteous manner consistent with Chinese standards Basic Qualification: Must be able to fluently speak, write and read Mandarin and other local dialects spoken in other parts of China like Cantonese and Fukien Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

ManageBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

24 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite NGUYEN VIET LAM Vietnamese Customer Service

ManageBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:incomingcalls 3&5, Carmona,SEZ,TechnologyPeople’sComplex-Maduya,Cavite

language Salary

ManageBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

35 SMART TECHNOLOGY,WIN INC. Southwoods Office Tower 2, San Francisco, Biñan, City of Biñan, Laguna KANG, JIOH Mandarin Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: File incoming help request from end user from the People’s Republic of China via both telephone and work orders in a courteous manner consistent with Chinese standards Basic Qualification: At least 2nd years in collage and 6 months to 1 year working experience Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

ManageBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:incomingcalls

ManageBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquiries

ManageBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

To avail of free job referral, placement, and employment guidance services, visit the nearest Public Employment Service Offices (PESO) or log on at http://www.philjobnet.gov.ph

Vietnamese Customer Service ManageBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification:

write Chinese language Salary Range:

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

ManageBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:incomingcalls Able to speak, read and Php30,000 - Php59,999 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite HA HUNG Able to speak, read and Chinese Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

29 MOA CORP.CLOUDZONE Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite TRAN THI HOAI THOM Vietnamese Customer Service

ManageBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquiries

ManageBriefRepresentativeJobDescription:incomingcalls and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

and customer service inquiries Basic Qualification:

TRAN

T he proliferation of mosquitoes is largely attributed to environmental con ditions that encourage the reproduction of disease vectors. These conditions in clude dirty surroundings, stagnant manmade canals and interference with natural water flows, and a decline in the quality of wetlands such as streams, creeks, rivers, swamps, and marshes due to solid wastes, invasive plants, and structures. The existence of natural predators in these wetland ecosystems, given that they are kept in their natural state or properly maintained, should also help control popula tion of mosquitoes and invasive alien species should never be an option,” she said. I n a joint advisory on the use of frogs and fish to combat the dengue-causing mosquitoes, known as Aedes aegypti, the DENR, DOH, and Department of the Inte rior and Local Government, stressed that improving the quality of the environment is among the solutions to this water-related vector-borne disease. T he DENR advised the public to keep the surroundings clean, maintain unobstructed water flows of waterways, and keep freshwa ter ecosystems healthy to remove possible breeding grounds of mosquitoes.

Lapid said Tieza also updated Es calante that the government firm already remitted NCCA’s share of the travel taxes, as per Republic Act 9593 (Tourism Act of 2009). Under the law, 50 percent of travel taxes collected by Tieza is remitted to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), of which 40 percent goes to the Commission on Higher Ed ucation, and 10 percent to the NCCA. Escalante said the NCCA uses its share of the travel taxes to restore various cultural and heritage proper ties. According to Tieza, it has already remitted some P12.6 million to the BTr representing NCCA’s share for the first quarter of 2022. A Commission on Audit report showed, Tieza collected some P360 million in travel taxes last year, 70 percent down from the collections in 2020, as pandemic travel restrictions continued to affect outbound travel. Net of refunds and adjustments and Tieza’s travel taxes amounted to P332.4 million, with NCCA’s share reaching just P33.24 million. After a 7.2-magnitude earth quake in October 2013 and Super typhoon Yolanda in November 2013 damaged some 25 heritage churches and other cultural properties in Bo hol, Cebu, and Eastern Samar, Tieza received a P650-million subsidy from the Department of Budget and Management for fiscal year 2014, to handle heritage reconstruction and restoration program” in part nership with the National Museum, NCCA, and NHCP.

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie A HEAD of the opening of school year 2022-2023, a se nior lawmaker on Tuesday asked Vice President and Educa tion Secretary Sara Duterte to look into the Department of Education’s (DepEd) low accomplishment rate despite a P9.5-billion budget. We are hopeful that Vice President and concurrent DepEd Secretary Inday Sara [Duterte-Carpio] could look into her agency’s low accomplishment rate last year for its Basic Education Fa cilities Fund [BEFF]—as flagged by the COA [Commission on Audit]—in the hope that the department could, on her watch, put on the front burn er the overdue makeover of almost 9,000 classrooms whose repair was already tucked in the BEFF’s P9.467billion outlay in 2021,” Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said. V illafuerte, the National Unity Party (NUP) vice president for politi cal affairs, was referring to the 2021 audit report on the DepEd by the COA, which bared that only 2,689 or 23.45 percent of the 11,468 classrooms funded for repair in the General Ap propriations Act (GAA) were actually mended last year. “It was apparently a matter of low absorptive capacity and not a funding is sue,” said Villafuerte, “given that nearly 80 percent of the repair budget had been obligated to the DepEd last year.” Citing the COA report, he said that as of December 31 last year, a total of P7.483 billion or 79.04 percent of the BEFF budget had already been obligat ed, leaving only P1.984 billion or 20.96 percent of the total allocation unused. Villafuerte, in citing the same COA report, said that in CamSur, a total of 1,405 classrooms in 296 schools in 35 municipalities were supposed to have received a combined BEFF allocation of P451.66 million last year for repair, but none of these projects was funded. For instance, he said, the capital town of Pili was supposed to have re ceived P32.59 million from the BEFF for the repair of classrooms in 16 schools, but none was actually repaired because of no fund release from the DepEd. He said that Buhi and Bula towns had the biggest number of unfunded repair projects, as they were supposed to have received, respectively, P32.43 million for the repair of classrooms in 30 schools and P25.3 million for fix ing classrooms in 21 schools. A s for the QRF, Villafuerte said 121 schools in Iriga City and 22 municipali ties were supposed to have received P560.35 million from this separate Fund for the repair, rehabilitation or replacement of classrooms, but none of these projects was funded last year. He said those with the biggest num ber of unfunded QRF projects were Buhi, which was supposed to have got ten P105.34 million for mending class rooms in 19 schools; Iriga City, P104.5 million for 21 schools; Nabua, P95.22 million for nine schools; and Pasacao, P15.71 million for nine schools. The capital of Pili did not get its P3.96 mil lion QRF allocation for the repair of classrooms in one school. C OA’s audit report also re vealed that none of the targeted 553,338 pieces of furniture—indi vidual tables and chairs for elemen tary and high school students as well as tables and chairs for their teach ers—to be distributed to various public schools was procured in 2021. T he state auditor said in its 2021 report that: “The above low accom plishment rate showed that the BEFF program’s target of providing school furniture, repairs and rehabilitation of classrooms and electrification were not fully achieved.” In its recommendation, the COA told the DepEd to “observe strict moni toring and supervision of the overall program implementation to ensure its timely completion and delivery to the intended recipient schools.” T he COA recalled that P9.467 bil lion was set aside by the Congress to the DepEd’s BEFF program, compris ing an P8.219-billion allocation in 2021 and P1.248 billion more in continuing appropriation from the 2020 budget.

A4 BusinessMirror www.businessmirror.com.phA10 News Wednesday, August 10, 2022

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

Public told: Stop release of invasive species in dengue fight biz delegation VP

Instead, the DENR-BMB said the best way to combat and prevent the outbreak of dengue is by maintaining the surroundings clean and free from dengue-carrying mosquitoes. T he DENR-BMB warning came amid the increase in dengue cases in the Philippines that breached the 90,000 mark from Janu ary to July this year alone. The Department of Health (DOH) said there were 92,343 cas es of dengue from January 1 to July 2, which is 118 per cent higher, com pared to the 42,294 cases reported dur ing the same period lastButyear.the DENRBMB believes re leasing biological control agents like frogs or fish in swamps or stag nant water where mosquitoes breed is not an effective way in fighting dengue. In a news release, DENR-BMB Director Natividad Bernardino said the practice could even disrupt the ecological balance of the surrounding environment. Bernardino explained that placing frogs and fish is not an effective solution to elimi nating dengue-causing mosquitoes as they have a “diverse diet from plant materials to smallWhileinvertebrates.”adultfrogs eat a variety of things, mosquitoes do not appear to be a major part of the diet of any adult frog or toad,” she explained. C iting a 2016 study by biologist Jodi Row ley on the effectiveness of frogs to combat the Zika virus, Bernardino said, “Mosqui toes make up only less than 1 percent of the frog’s diet.”

T HE Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Author ity (Tieza) is ready to assist cultural and historical agencies in restoring the heritage buildings and other landmarks in North ern Luzon recently damaged by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake.

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Man agement Bureau (DENR-BMB) has warned the public against releasing poten tially invasive biological control agents like frogs and fish in swamps and stagnant water to combat dengue.

According to Bernardino, the cane toad, known as Rhinella marina, which is being released by some local government units supposedly to combat dengue, is one of the worst invasive alien species in the world. When introduced to a new environment, non-native species of frogs and fishes may become invasive and alter the biodiversity of the area,” she warned. T he Convention on Biological Diversity defines invasive alien species as “organisms that are non-native to an ecosystem, and which may cause economic or environmental harm or adversely affect human health.” She added that invasive species can nega tively affect human health by directly in fecting humans with new diseases, serving as vectors for certain diseases, or causing wounds through bites, stings, allergens, or other toxins.

Mindanao

sets trade, investment trip to Singapore Tieza awaits NCCA quake assessment to pin heritage sites’ reconstruction aid Solon prods

Sara to ‘look deeper’ into DepEd’s accomplishment rate

T ieza Chief Operating Officer Mark Lapid told the BusinessMir ror the agency met on August 2 with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), where “the dis cussion centered on the collaboration of both agencies on the rehabilitation of cultural, religious and heritage landmarks that may have been dam aged by the recent earthquake.” He explained, however, that NCCA Chair Dr. Rene R. Escalante informed them that they have to wait for about six months after the earthquake be fore fully assessing the damage to the structures as aftershocks are still ex pected within this period. “As an update, Dr. Escalante in formed us that teams from NCCA were already dispersed to key landmarks to preliminary inspect the damage these sustained. Initial actions may consist of securing artifacts within the dam aged structures and requesting the public to refrain from holding activi ties in these structures,” said Lapid. A preliminary assessment will be provided to Tieza by September, he said. “Tieza is prepared to assist NCCA when necessary,” he stressed. The gov ernment firm is the infrastructure arm of the Department of Tourism. Share from travel taxes TO prevent further damage to the structures, the Tieza chief quoted Escalante as saying, “Some inter ventions may be necessary to im plement by next year.” Escalante is also chair of the National Histori cal Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and had told media earlier that they might need as much as P1 billion to repair the earthquakeaffected heritage buildings and historical-cultural structures. (See, “National Historical Commission seeks post-quake funds for heri tage sites,” in the BusinessMir ror , July 29, 2022.)

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief DAVAO CITY—A business del egation from Mindanao will visit Singapore this week for a trade and investment mission, the first physical investment and busi ness mission from Mindanao to any foreign nation. T he group would be represent ing 23 companies from Mindanao, and they would visit sites in Singa pore, such markets, seaports, and processing facilities to identify vi able investment opportunities and benchmark on various business practices.Abusiness forum led by the Min danao Development Authority (Min DA) was also scheduled on August 10 where the Mindanao delegation and their Singaporean counterpart may explore areas for partnerships through business-to-business net working sessions. The goal of this business mis sion is to jumpstart possible in vestments for the Mindanao busi ness community and allow them to learn from industry standards in Singapore for a more competi tive stance in the global market,” Philippine Embassy in Singapore Chargé d’affaires Dr. Emmanuel R. Fernandez said. T he MinDA picked Singapore as the first nation to visit because of its reputation as a major hub for global markets. MinDA Chair person, Secretary Maria Belen S. Acosta, said the series of promo tional activities would intend to raise awareness and interest in Mindanao’s potential as a prime investment destination. We want to present Mindanao’s competitive position where invest ments in the area yield high returns thanks to its vast fertile lands, ideal climate for agricultural produc tion, and skilled labor force,” she said.Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro, MinDA deputy ex ecutive director, said the busi ness forum aims to send a mes sage that Mindanao is “back in business” with its robust eco nomic performance despite the setbacks brought about by the global pandemic. “ Our agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors being able to display positive growth even during the peak periods of the Covid-19 crisis makes a strong case for Mindanao’s capacity as an investment area es pecially for agri-based industries,” he Asaid.gricultural development and food security are among the priority sectors of the Marcos administration, with focus on increasing productivity and ensuring self-sufficiency. T he four-day trade and business event is co-organized by MinDA to gether with the Philippine Embas sy in Singapore, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Philip pine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“Every day, special units from Russia detect two or three caches with weapons for terrorist activities,” Saldo said on his messaging app channel. “The seizure of weapons help reduce the threat of sabotage.”

Estonia.YurasKarmanaureportedfromTallinn,

Ukrainian resistance grows in Russian-occupied areas

BusinessMirror Wednesday, August 10, 2022 The World www.businessmirror.com.ph

TAIWAN military conducts artillery drills in Fangshan township, Pingtung, southern Taiwan, on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. Taiwan’s official Central News Agency reported that Taiwan’s army will conduct live-fire artillery drills in southern Pingtung county on Tuesday and Thursday, in response to the Chinese exercises. AP/JOHNSON LAI Rains in S. Korea turn Seoul’s roads to rivers, leave 8 dead

Taiwan and the mainland are separate jurisdictions with “nei ther subordinate to the other,” Wu said. Since Thursday, China has sent military ships and planes across the midline in the Taiwan Strait and launched missiles into waters surrounding the island. Ignoring calls to calm tensions, Beijing has extended the exercises that amount to a blockade without announcing when they will end.

PINGTUNG, Taiwan—Taiwan’s foreign minister said Tuesday that China aims to control the East and South China Seas via the Taiwan Strait, describing a greater ambition to upend the Asia-Pacific status quo and prevent nations from aiding the selfgoverning island.

•

Editor: Angel R. Calso A11

Taiwan holds military exercises; says China seeks control of seas

By Kim Tong-Hyung The Associated Press S EOUL, South Korea—Heavy rains drenched South Korea’s capital region, turning the streets of Seoul’s affluent Gangnam district into a river, leaving submerged vehicles and overwhelming public transport systems. At least eight people were killed and six others were Commutersmissing.slowly returned to work Tuesday morning after emergency crews worked overnight to clean up much of the mess. But there were concerns about further damage as torrential rain was forecast for the second day in a row. While most of the Seoul metropolitan area’s subway services were back to normal operations, dozens of roads and riverside parking lots remained closed due to safety concerns.President Yoon Suk Yeol called for public employers and private companies to adjust their commuting hours and urged aggressive action in restoring damaged facilities and evacuating people in danger areas to prevent further deaths. Moon Hong-sik, spokesperson of Seoul’s Defense Ministry, said the military was prepared to deploy troops to help with recovery efforts if requested by cities or regional governments. The rain began Monday morning and intensified through the evening hours. Nearly 800 buildings in Seoul and nearby cities were damaged while at least 790 people were forced to evacuate from their homes, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said. People were seen wading through thigh-high waters Monday night in streets near the Gangnam subway station, one of Seoul’s most bustling business and leisure districts, where passenger cars, taxis and buses were stuck in mud-brown waters. Commuters evacuated as water cascaded down the stairs of the Isu subway station like a waterfall. In the nearby city of Seongnam, a rain-weakened hillside collapsed into a university soccer field. Rescue workers failed to reach three people who called for help before drowning in a basement home in the Gwanak district of southern Seoul Monday night. Another woman drowned at her home in the nearby Dongjak district, where a public worker died while clearing up fallen trees, likely from electrocution. Choi Seon-yeong, an official from the Dongjak district ward office, said it wasn’t immediately clear whether the water was electrified because of a damaged power source or equipment the man was using. Three people were found dead in the debris of landslides and a collapsed bus station in the nearby cities of Gwangju andFourHwaseong.people went missing in southern Seoul’s Seocho district, which is also home to the private residence of Yoon, who, according to his office, spent hours on the phone receiving briefings and issuing instructions overnight as the rain flooded some of the streets near his high-rise apartment complex. “The heavy rainfall is expected to continue for days...we need to maintain our sense of alertness and respond with all-out effort,” Yoon said during a visit to the government’s emergency headquarters in Seoul on Tuesday. He directed officials’ attention to areas vulnerable to landslides or flooding and to reducing the dangers of roads and facilities already damaged. The country’s weather agency maintained a heavy rain warning for the Seoul metropolitan area and nearby regions on Tuesday and said the precipitation may reach 5 to 10 centimeters an hour (2 to 4 inches) in some areas. It said around 10 to 35 centimeters (4 to 14 inches) of more rain was expected across the capital region throughMoreThursday.than43 centimeters (17 inches) of rain were measured in Seoul’s hardesthit Dongjak district from Monday to noon Tuesday. The per-hour precipitation in that area exceeded 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) at one point Monday night, which was the highest hourly downpour measured in Seoul sinceRainstorms1942. also pounded North Korea, where authorities issued heavy rain warnings for the southern and western parts of the country. The North’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper described the rain as potentially “disastrous” and called for measures to protect farmland and prevent flooding on the Taedong River, which flows through the capital, Pyongyang.

Talks to revive Iran nuclear deal end, produce ‘final text’

Bloomberg News

By Yuras Karmanau & Hanna Arhirova The Associated Press K YIV, Ukraine—In a growing challenge to Russia’s grip on occupied areas of southeastern Ukraine, guerrilla forces loyal to Kyiv are killing pro-Moscow officials, blowing up bridges and trains, and helping the Ukrainian military by identifying key targets. The spreading resistance has eroded Kremlin control of those areas and threatened its plans to hold referendums in various cities as a move toward annexation by Russia. “Our goal is to make life unbearable for the Russian occupiers and use any means to derail their plans,” said Andriy, a 32-year-old coordinator of the guerrilla movement in the southern Kherson region. A member of the Zhovta Strichka—or “Yellow Ribbon”—resistance group, Andriy spoke to The Associated Press on condition of not being fully identified to avoid being tracked down by the Russians. The group takes its name from one of the two national colors of Ukraine, and its members use ribbons of that hue to mark potential targets for guerrilla attacks. Ukrainian troops recently used a USsupplied multiple rocket launcher known as HIMARS to hit a strategic bridge on the Dnieper River in Kherson, severing the Russians’ main supply link. The city of 500,000 people, seized by Russian troops early in the war, has been flooded with leaflets from the resistance, threatening Moscow-backed officials. Just before the bridge attack, leaflets appeared, saying, “If HIMARS can’t do it, a partisan will help.” “We are giving the Ukrainian military precise coordinates for various targets, and the guerrillas’ assistance makes the new long-range weapons, particularly HIMARS, even more powerful,” Andriy told the AP. “We are invisible behind the Russian lines, and this is our strength.” As Ukrainian forces step up attacks in the region and reclaim some areas west of the Dnieper River, the guerrilla activity also has increased. They coordinate with the Ukrainian military’s Special Operations Forces, which helps them develop strategies and tactics. Those forces also select targets and set up a website with tips on how to organize resistance, prepare ambushes and elude arrest. A network of weapons caches and secret hideouts was established in occupied areas. Bombs have been placed near administrative buildings, at officials’ homes and even on their routes to work. An explosive placed on a tree went off as a vehicle carrying Kherson prison chief Yevgeny Sobolev passed by, although he survived the attack. A police vehicle was hit by a shrapnel bomb, seriously wounding two officers, one of whom later died. The deputy head of the local administration in Nova Kakhovka died of wounds after being gunned down over the weekend. Guerrillas have repeatedly tried to kill Vladimir Saldo, the head of the Kherson region’s Russia-backed temporary administration, offering a bounty of 1 million hryvnias (about $25,000). His assistant, Pavel Slobodchikov, was shot and killed in his vehicle, and another official, Dmytry Savluchenko, was killed by a car bomb. The attacks have prompted Moscow to send anti-guerrilla units to Kherson, Saldo said.

Early in the occupation, thousands of residents staged peaceful protests. But the Russian military quickly disbanded them and arrested activists, radicalizing the Ukrainiancaptivity,whoofhavescreensUkrainianupgripRussianrublestoldtoUkrainians,areRussianinformation,andtelephonemepinchedtime.arrestedsaidOleksandrWeddingresistance.photographer-turned-activistKharchikov,41,ofSkadovsk,hewasbeatenandtorturedafterbeinginaRussiansecuritysweep.“TheRussianstorturedmeforalongTheybeatmewithabaseballbat,theymyfingerswithpliersandtorturedwithelectricshocks,”Kharchikovsaidinainterview.“Isufferedaconcussionabrokenrib,butIdidn’tgivethemanyandthatsavedme.”Kharchikovspent155daysunderoccupationuntilheescaped.“Therepressionsareintensifying.TheycreatingunbearableconditionsforthemakingitincreasinglydifficultsurviveunderRussianoccupation,”hetheAP.TheRussianswereoffering10,000($165)toanyoneapplyingforcitizenshiptostrengthentheirontheregion,hesaid.Moscowhasintroducedtheruble,setRussiancellularnetworksandcutofftelevisioninthearea.GiantshowingRussianTVbroadcastsbeenplacedonthemainsquarescities.MelitopolMayorIvanFedorov,alsospentalongtimeinRussiantoldtheAPthatabout500activistsweredetained,with

APART from the US, problems loading the Google website and performing searches were also observed in Taiwan and Japan. BLOOMBERG D UBAI, United Arab Emirates—Talks to revive Tehran’s tattered nuclear accord with world powers in Vienna ended Monday as the parties closed a final text and key negotiators prepared to consult with their capitals, diplomats said. After 16 months of torturous on-andoff indirect negotiations to restore the deal, the European Union’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell suggested there was no more room for negotiation on the draft now on the table. A final decision on whether the most significant nonproliferation pact in the last quarter century can be restored rests with the Iranian and American governments, he signaled. The 2015 nuclear deal granted Iran sanctions relief in exchange for tight curbs on its atomic program. “What can be negotiated has been negotiated, and it’s now in a final text,” Borrell wrote on Twitter. “However, behind every technical issue and every paragraph lies a political decision that needs to be taken in the capitals.” Key challenges to closing the deal remain. European officials over the weekend urged Iran to drop its “unrealistic demands” outside the scope of the original agreement, including over an International Atomic Energy Agency probe into undeclared nuclear material found in the country.

By Vlad Savov & Julia Love A LPHABET Inc.’s Google search and website tem porarily stopped working for some users, setting off confu sion and a torrent of memes about what to do without the world’s most popular online engine. User reports of issues with the service began inundating Down detector, an outage-tracking service focused on the US, from around 9 p.m. New York time on Monday and numbered more than 40,000 an hour later. Problems loading the Google web site and performing searches were also observed in Taiwan and Japan, though the services appeared to be intermittently available. Google’s signature product is known for its ubiquity and reli ability and service disruptions of this kind are rare. The most common causes of such failures are back-end web infrastructure, such as those experienced by Fastly and Amazon Web Services lastTheyear.service appeared to be mostly restored at just before 10 p.m. New York time.

A VEHICLE is submerged in a flooded road in Seoul on Monday, August 8, 2022. Heavy rains drenched South Korea’s capital region, turning the streets of Seoul’s affluent Gangnam district into a river, leaving submerged vehicles and overwhelming public transport systems. HWANG KWANG-MO/YONHAP VIA AP

many tortured. Some vanished for months after their arrest. “The resistance movement is pursuing three goals—to destroy Russian weapons and means of supplying them, discrediting and intimidating the occupiers and their collaborators, and informing Ukrainian special services about enemy positions,” he added.Russia responded by bolstering patrols and conducting regular sweeps for those suspected of guerrilla links. During such raids, they check phones and arrest those with Ukrainian symbols or photos of relatives in military uniforms. “In a mopping-up operation, the Russians seal the entire neighborhood, halt traffic to and from it, and methodically go from one apartment to another. If they find any Ukrainian symbols or any link to the Ukrainian military, they put all family members in a filtration camp,” Fedorov said. “In the best case, people are told: ‘Get out of here if you are against Russia,’ but it also happens that some people disappear,” he said. Of Melitopol’s prewar population of 150,000, more than 60,000 people havePro-Moscowleft. officials are preparing for a possible referendum on Melitopol and other occupied areas joining Russia, conducting security raids and handing out Russian passports, Fedorov said. “We will thwart the Russian referendum. We won’t allow voting under Russian gun barrels,” he said, adding that no more than 10 percent of the population sympathizes with Moscow, and half has fled.

There was an electrical inci dent at a Google facility in Iowa on Monday, sending three people to a nearby hospital, according to local media reports. It’s not clear whether the episode is related to the service outage. A representative for Alpha bet didn’t immediately pro vide comment for this story. A spokesperson provided the following statement to SFGate: “We are aware of an electrical incident that took place today at Google’s data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa, injuring three people onsite who are now being treated. The health and safety of all work ers is our absolute top priority, and we are working closely with partners and local authorities to thoroughly investigate the situ ation and provide assistance as needed.”

Google search outage affects tens of thousands of users

Foreign Minister Joseph Wu spoke at a news conference in Taipei as Taiwan began live-fire military drills to test combat readi ness in response to ongoing Chi nese exercises that have included launching missiles into waters off the island of 23 million people. China says its drills were prompted by the visit to the island last week by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but Wu said China was using her visit as a pretext. China also banned some Taiwanese food imports after the visit and cut off dialogue with the US on several issues including climate change. He said China aims to upend the status quo and annex Taiwan, the self-governing island republic it claims as its own territory. The drills are a rehearsal for an invasion of the island in which it seeks to prevent other countries coming to the island’s assistance, WuThesaid. exercises also show China’s “geostrategic ambition beyond Taiwan,” Wu said. “China has no right to interfere in or alter” the Taiwanese people’s democratic process or interaction with other nations, he said.

Iran’s chief negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, will shortly fly back to Tehran for political consultations, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said. At the top of Iran’s theocracy is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who would have the final say on any deal. The US, which abandoned the original nuclear deal four years ago under former President Donald Trump, described the tabled draft as “the best and only basis on which to reach a deal.” “For our part, our position is clear: we stand ready to quickly conclude a deal on the basis of the EU’s proposals,” the State Department said, indicating the deal’s restoration was up to Iran. “They (Iran) repeatedly say they are prepared for a return to mutual implementation,” the spokesperson added. “Let’s see if their actions match their words.” Iran, for its part, sounded guarded, raising skepticism about the chances for a breakthrough after a monthslong stalemate. “Naturally the cases require comprehensive study,” IRNA quoted an anonymous senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official as saying. “We will transfer our views and supplementary points.”The Associated Press writers Nasser KarimiinTehran,IranandEllenKnickmeyerinWashingtoncontributed.

Detainees alleged they were tortured by police who demanded bribes to secure their freedom. Police denied the allegations, insisting they are still processing detainees’ arrest notifications and refused CHR requests to free the detainees.Ironically, the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed the case filed against the policemen saying that there was not enough proof of bad faith. “Since the burden of proof lies with the CHR, it was incumbent upon said office to prove that there was another available confinement area that is better than the one where said detainees were locked up, but that respondents intentionally and maliciously refused to accord them such.”

MEMBER

Music and Oplan Tokhang

Solving DfertilizerPHL’scrisiseSPiteeffortsofpastgovernments to encourage farmers to consider planting other crops, most of them continue to favor rice production. Millions of Filipino planters rely on the staple for their source of income. Many of these planters are usually smallholders, who do not have the capability to purchase expensive inputs. The recent agricultural production data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) point to the challenges confronting rice planters. Chief among these concerns is the high cost of fertilizer, which has tripled after Russia attacked Ukraine in February. The report released by the PSA on Monday indicated that rice production in the first half contracted by 0.63 percent to 8.743 million metric tons, from last year’s 8.799 MMT (See, “Crops, fisheries pull down H1 farm output value,” in the BusinessMirror , August 8, 2022). Sans assistance from the national government in the form of fertilizer subsidy distributed during the wet planting season last year, the figure may have been lower based on PSA data. In the first quarter of 2022, the sector produced 4.541 MMT of unmilled rice, nearly 2 percent lower than the 4.626 MMT recorded a year ago. In the second quarter, output improved by 0.7 percent to 4.202 MMT, from last year’s 4.172 MMT. Fertilizer prices have been going up even before the conflict in Eastern Europe, and this was largely because of the supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic. The spike in natural gas prices, sanctions and restrictions imposed by exporting countries and transport problems caused imported chemical fertilizers to become more expensive last year. The Russia-Ukraine war worsened the fertilizer supply issues and caused food prices to further accelerate. Countries that depend on imported fertilizers have no choice but to bite the bullet and pay through the nose to support local food production. Unfortunately, there is no relief in sight for soaring fertilizer prices. Big companies producing chemical fertilizers like Yara earlier warned that the continuous spike in natural gas prices would force them to cut output this year. Lower output by exporting countries would mean more expensive fertilizer for importers like the Philippines. The chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means has suggested measures that could ease the pressure on local fertilizer prices. One of Albay Rep. Joey Salceda’s recommendations is to cut to zero the tariff on fertilizers and farm equipment (See, “House leader pitches tariff cuts on fertilizers, farm gear,” in the BusinessMirror , August 4, 2022). While zero tariffs could dent revenue collection for the year, the loss could be offset by the benefits that would be enjoyed by local farmers and even consumers. For one, an increase in the output of staples like rice and corn would reduce the need for importing these commodities and insulate the country from the price pressures arising from transport logjams. Stable prices of inputs would also allow planters to earn and save enough capital, which they can use for the next cropping season.

Five years ago, a “secret cell” in a police station linked to President Duterte’s anti-drug campaign became viral on social media.

KuwentongDennisPeyupsGorecho

Albuquerque killings send fear through Islamic communities

This is one of the intriguing scenes in this year’s Cinemalaya film “Blue Room” where young musicians had the traumatic experience of being victims of “tokhang-for-ransom.” It revolves around the story of a progressive indie rock band Rebel Rebel composed of privileged teenagers. The film, in a way, showed the link between music and drugs. There are musicians who use drugs to augment their creativity. Some fans, on the other hand, use drugs to intensify the pleasure they get from music. But after their celebratory night at the local bar after getting their biggest break at a prestigious local music festival, they were arrested for drug possession. Instead of the standard procedures, they were hauled to the Blue Room, a VIP detention area where they can bribe their way out through rogueAftercops.atwo-year wait as a result of the series of Covid-19 lockdowns, Cinemalaya again is a face-to-face event with a full-length feature category for 11 films, including Blue Room. The cast include Elijah Canlas, Juan Karlos Labajo, Harvey Bautista, Nourijune Hooshmand, and Keoni Jin. Canlas is not a neophyte in Cinemalaya as he previously appeared in Sundalong Kanin (2014) and Edward He(2019).roseto prominence for his award-winning performance in Kalel, 15 where he received Best Actor awards at the 43rd Gawad Urian Awards, 68th FAMAS Awards, 17th Asian Film Festival in Italy, and 16th Harlem International Film Festival in New Director Ma-anYork.

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These groups exposed a pattern of unlawful police conduct in these killings, designed to paint a veneer of legality over summary executions. Many of the killings the police attribute to “vigilantes” are allegedly death-squad-style extrajudicial executions by police and police agents. In April 2017, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), accompanied by press people, discovered a secret detention facility hidden behind a bookshelf in a Manila police station, which was linked to Tokhang. The facility housed a dozen men and women in atrocious, grossly overcrowded conditions. The detainees told CHR and journalists that police—who claimed the detainees were drug suspects—had abducted them and held them in the facility for a week without notifying families or Detaineeslawyers.said that inadequate lighting, ventilation, and toilet facilities forced them “to urinate and do bowel movements in plastic bags.”

A case is filed before the International Criminal Court asking for an investigation into crimes committed in the Philippines related to the “drug war” killings from November 2011 to June 2016, when large numbers of extrajudicial killings occurred in Davao City while Duterte was mayor, and up to March 19, 2019, the date that the Philippines’s withdrawal from the ICC’s Rome Statute took effect. The video of the secret detention cell also appeared in the award winning full-length movie “Aswang” by Filipino filmmaker Alyx Ayn Arumpac.Thisdocumentary on Tokhang utilized the aswang not just as a folkloric monster but also as a creation for fear mongering that simulates its character—disguised and clandestine in food hunting prioritizing the poor at the bottom of the food chain. Blue Room and Aswang touched upon “financial justice” wherein a person’s social standing determines whether they end up dead on a sidewalk or they buy their freedom through Thesebribery.filmsalso show how the poor become easy targets because they do not have the means to pay for the cost of justice—a cruel reality that many victims continue to face. Peyups is the moniker of University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 0917-5025808 or 0908-8665786. See “Albuquerque,” A13 broader look at today’s business

Authorities released photos hoping people could help identify the car and offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Investigators did not say where the images were taken or what led them to suspect the car was involved in the slayings. Police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said in an email Monday that the agency has received tips regarding the car but did not elaborate.“Wehave a very, very strong link,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said Sunday. “We have a vehicle of interest…. We have got to find this vehicle.”Gallegos said he could not comment on what kind of gun was used in the shootings, or whether police know how many suspects were involved in the violence. President Joe Biden said he was “angered and saddened” by the killings and that his administration “stands strongly with the Muslim community.”“Thesehateful attacks have no place in America,” Biden said Sunday in a tweet. The conversation about safety has also dominated WhatsApp groups and email groups that Almontaser is on.“What we’ve seen happen in New Mexico is very chilling for us as a Muslim minority community in the United States that has endured so much backlash and discrimination” since the 9/11 attacks, she said. “It’s frightening.”

Asuncion-Dagñalan said in an interview that her motivation in making films like Blue Room is to tell the truth: “If we are ‘true’ to ourselves, we can grow and mature, learning from our mistakes. We can create a social bond with society if we are true to them.” Many of the scenes are tionalbeenDuterteflagshipinspired by Oplan Tokhang,perhapstheanti-drugsprogramoftheadministration,whichhascriticizedbylocalandinterna-human-rightsgroups.

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By Stefanie Dazio & Mariam Fam | The Associated Press AutHoritieS on Monday identified the fourth victim in a series of killings of Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the deaths sent ripples of fear through islamic communities nationwide. Three of the slayings happened in the last two weeks. Now law enforcement officials are seeking help finding a vehicle believed to be connected to the killings in New Mexico’s largest city. The common elements were the victims’ race and religion, officialsNaeemsaid.Hussain was killed Friday night, and ambush shootings killed three other Muslim men over the past nine months. Police are trying to determine if the homicides are linked. The killings have spread fear beyond New Mexico, where Muslims comprise less than 1 percent of adults in the statewide population of 2.1 million, according to the Pew Research Center. “The fact the suspect remains at large is terrifying,” Debbie Almontaser, a Muslim community leader in New York, wrote on Twitter. “Who is next?!”Inaphone interview, Almontaser said that a female friend who lives in Michigan and wears the hijab head covering shared with her over the weekend just how rattled she was. “She’s like, ‘This is so terrifying. I’m so scared. I travel alone,’” AlmontaserHussain,said. 25, was from Pakistan. His death came just days after those of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41, who were also from Pakistan and members of the sameThemosque.earliest case involves the November killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, from Afghanistan. Aneela Abad, general secretary at the Islamic Center of New Mexico, described a community reeling from the killings, its grief compounded by confusion and fear of what may follow.“We are just completely shocked and still trying to comprehend and understand what happened, how and why,” she said. Three of those killed attended the center, and the fourth was well known in the community, Abad said. Some people have avoided going out unless “absolutely necessary,” and some Muslim university students have been wondering whether it is safe for them to stay in the city. The center has also beefed up its security, she Policesaid.said the same vehicle is suspected of being used in all four homicides—a dark gray or silver four-door Volkswagen that appears to be a Jetta or Passat with dark tinted windows.

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www.businessmirror.com.phWednesday, August 10, 2022 • Editor: Angel R. Calso Opinion BusinessMirrorA12

editorial

ICOULDN’T let pass the Letter to Editor by Ms. Anke Reiffenstuel, Ambassador of Germany to the Philippines, dated August 1, 2022. It is full of fake news, half-truths, dis tortions and omits important facts. It’s frustrating when a respected diplomat stoops to propaganda and aggressive rhetoric without giving a more holistic view of what is really happeningAccordingglobally.toMs. Reiffenstuel, Germany, over many years—in the framework of the Normandy Format —has intensively worked towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. But during the nationalist coup d’état in Kiev in 2014 then Ukrainian president Vik tor Yanukovych was overthrown de spite the guarantees from Germany, France, and Poland. I also recall that the basis for work in the Normandy format were the Minsk agreements. Germany and France, as guarantors, were respon sible for compelling Kiev to launch a direct dialogue with representatives of Donbass to agree on issues of its special status, amnesty, restoration of economic ties, and holding elec tions. But nothing was done. West ern leaders were silent when Kiev —both under Petr Poroshenko and under Volodymyr Zelenskyy—took steps that directly contradicted the Minsk agreements. Moreover, the Germans and the French declared that a direct dialogue between Kiev and the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People’s Re public (LPR) was impossible, putting all the blame on Russia, although it was never part of the Minsk docu ments. At the same time, Kiev, en couraged by the West, continued to conduct “legislative activities” that violated the provisions of the Minsk agreements. In the last 8 years, laws were being adopted banning the Rus sian language; Russian people were no longer considered indigenous in Ukraine, and Nazi sentiments were encouraged with the tacit approval of the West. It all made it legally im possible for Ukraine to implement the Minsk agreements.

The planned amendments to the regulations will “bring the central bank to be part of it,” Finance Minis ter Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said in an interview. The Securities & Ex change Commission, which current ly has the sole mandate to supervise the industry under the rules passed in 2018, has been asked to take the lead on the overhaul, he said. The move to tighten the rules comes after Thai authorities were criticized for not acting promptly to protect investors at Zipmex (Thai land) Ltd., a licensed cryptocurrency exchange that briefly suspended coin withdrawals. While the platform has since lifted most of the freeze on transactions, it has filed for a mora torium in Singapore for protection from creditors against any lawsuits and to buy time for raising funds. “Right now, the central bank has no room to enter into the regula tory framework except for notifying that cryptos are not a legal means of payment for goods and services,” Arkhom said Monday. “So the frame work is not clear enough to regulate theAlmostindustry.”$2trillion has been wiped off the global crypto market since a peak in November last year in an im plosion exacerbated by rising interest rates. Leveraged funds and lending platforms blew up along the way, ex posing regulatory gaps that officials worldwide are now rushing to plug. In Thailand, the number of ac tive trading accounts shrank to about 230,000 from a peak of al most 700,000 in December, official dataThailand’sshow. largest crypto ex change, Bitkub Online Co., and its chief executive were fined by the SEC in June for creating “artificial trading volume” on the platform. The company and five officials were also fined for breaching guidelines in listing the company’s own digi tal Whilecoins. the Bank of Thailand Gov ernor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput has said the authority wants to draw “red lines” on cryptos, it is set to test a central bank digital currency by the end of the year in a pilot project. But it has no plans yet to issue a retail CBDC, it said last week. Arkhom said tighter crypto regu lations will not be aimed at throt tling innovation and technology but to ensure investors have greater protection.“Forthestock exchange, you have the paper to prove you are the own ers. In the digital world, you have nothing except for the consent that you put at the bottom, which people never read,” Arkhom said. “We are trying to protect investors as well as keeping the players in the industry in the fair terms.”

Albuquerque. . . continued from A12

Few anti-Muslim hate crimes have been recorded in Albuquerque over the last five years, according to FBI data cited by Brian Levin, di rector of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism and a professor of criminal justice at California State University at San Bernardino. From 2017 through 2020, there was one anti-Muslim hate crime a year. The highest recent number was in 2016, when Albuquerque po lice recorded six out of a total of 25 hateThatcrimes.largely tracks with national trends, which hit the lowest numbers in a decade in 2020, only to increase by 45 percent in 2021 in a dozen cit ies and states, Levin said. Albuquerque authorities say they cannot determine if the slayings were hate crimes until they have identified a suspect and a motive. Louis Schlesinger, a forensic psy chology professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said bias killings are often perpetrated by a small group of people, typically young white men. A lone perpetra tor is “Theserare.are basically total losers by every dimension, whether it’s social, economic, psychological, what have you,” he said. “They’re filled with ha tred for one reason or another and target a particular group that they see, in their mind, to blame for all their problems in life.” It was not clear whether the vic tims knew their attacker or attackers. The most recent victim was found dead after police received a call of a shooting. Authorities de clined to say whether the killing was carried out in a way similar to the other Muhammaddeaths.Afzaal Hussain had worked as a field organizer for a local congresswoman’s campaign.

Wednesday, August 10, 2022 Opinion A13BusinessMirrorwww.news.businessmirror@gmail.com

As land-use director for the city of Española—more than 85 miles (137 kilometers) north of Albuquer que—Hussain worked to improve conditions and inclusivity for dis advantaged minorities, according to the mayor’s office. The city staff “has lost a member of our family, and we all have lost a brilliant public servant,” Española Mayor John Ramon Vigil said in a news release. Dazio reported from Los Angeles and Fam from Winter Park, Florida. Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst in Washington and AP news researchers Rhonda Shafner and Jennifer Farrar in New York con tributed to this report

The violence had threatened to spiral into another all-out war but was contained because Hamas stayed on the sidelines, possibly because it fears Israeli reprisals and an unraveling of economic understandings with Israel, including the issuing of Israeli work permits that provide a vital source of income for thou sands of Gaza residents.

Democratic Rep. Melanie Stans bury issued a statement praising him as “one of the kindest and hardest working people” she has ever known. She said the urban planner was “com mitted to making our public spaces work for every person and cleaning up legacy pollution.”

By Fares Akram & Tia Goldenberg | The Associated Press

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip—With a cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants holding after nearly three days of violence, Gaza’s sole power plant resumed operations Mon day and Israel began reopening crossings into the territory. By Anuchit Nguyen, Suttinee Yuvejwattana & Thomas Kutty Abraham Bloomberg Opinion ThAIlAnd plans to overhaul its digital rules to confer more powers on the central bank and tighten the oversight of plat forms offering cryptocurrencies and other tokens after a re cent market rout left retail investors reeling from losses.

Israel also lifted security restric tions on southern Israeli communi ties after the Egyptian-mediated truce took effect late Sunday. War-weary people in Gaza and Israel were left to pick up the pieces after another round of violence — the worst since an 11-day war between Israel and the territory’s militant Hamas rulers last year. Since Friday, Israeli aircraft had pummeled targets in Gaza, while the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group fired hundreds of rockets at Israel. Over three days of fighting, 46 Palestinians were killed, including 16 children and four women, and 311 were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Twelve of those killed were Islamic Jihad militants, one was from a smaller armed group, and two were Hamas-affiliated po licemen who were not taking part in the fighting, according to the armed factions.Israel estimated a total of 47 Pal estinians were killed, including 14 killed by misfired Islamic Jihad rock ets. It said that 20 fighters and seven civilians died in Israeli airstrikes and that it is still investigating six deaths. No Israelis were killed or seriously wounded in the fighting. The violence had threatened to spiral into another all-out war but was contained because Hamas stayed on the sidelines, possibly because it fears Israeli reprisals and an unrav eling of economic understandings with Israel, including the issuing of Israeli work permits that provide a vital source of income for thousands of Gaza Israelresidents.andHamas have fought four wars since the group overran the territory in 2007. The clashes have exacted a staggering toll on the impoverished territory’s 2.3 million Palestinian residents. The latest violence may have bol stered the political fortunes of Is rael’s caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid, who lacked experience leading military operations. He unleashed the offensive less than three months before a general election in which he is campaigning to keep the job. “All our goals were achieved,” La pid said Monday. “The entire senior military command of Islamic Jihad in Gaza was successfully targeted within three days.” Israel began to reopen crossings into Gaza for humanitarian needs and said it would fully open them if calm continued. Fuel trucks were seen entering the main cargo cross ing and heading for the power plant, which shut down Saturday after Is rael closed the crossings. That added to the misery at the height of the summer heat in the territory, which is under an IsraeliEgyptian blockade and suffers from a chronic power crisis that leaves residents with only a few hours of electricity a day. Life for hundreds of thousands of Israelis was disrupted during the violence, even as the country’s so phisticated Iron Dome missile de fense system intercepted many of the rockets. Israel launched its operation with a strike Friday on an Islamic Jihad commander, saying there were “con crete threats” of an anti-tank missile attack against Israelis in response to the arrest last week of a senior Islamic Jihad member in the occupied West Bank. That arrest came after months of Israeli raids in the West Bank fol lowing a spate of Palestinian attacks. Israel killed another Islamic Jihad leader in a strike on Saturday. Both sides boasted of their suc cesses. Speaking to reporters in Teh ran on Sunday, Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah said the militant group remained strong, despite los ing two commanders. “This is a vic tory for Islamic Jihad,” he said. Despite that claim, the group un doubtedly sustained a blow. Beyond losing the two leaders, it reduced its arsenal by firing hundreds of rockets.Israel said some of the deaths in Gaza were caused by errant militant rocket fire, including in the Jebaliya refugee camp, where seven Palestin ians were killed Saturday. The army said the deaths of five Palestinians in Jebaliya were still under investi gation, apparently referring to five children killed in an explosion in a cemetery on Sunday. The cease-fire deal contained a promise that Egypt would work for the release of two senior Islamic Jihad detainees held by Israel. The weekend fighting is also bound to complicate Islamic Jihad’s relations withInHamas.theoccupied West Bank on Monday, Israeli troops demolished the homes of two Palestinians sus pected of carrying out a deadly attack against Israelis in the city of Elad in May. The soldiers faced a violent protest during the operation, the military said. Tor Wennesland, the top UN Mid east envoy, told an emergency meet ing of the UN Security Council that “the cease-fire is fragile” and any resumption of hostilities will have “devastating consequences” for Pal estinians and Israelis and make any political progress elusive. He condemned the Palestinian rocket fire while recognizing Israel’s security concerns. He said any use of force “must be proportionate,” with “all feasible steps” taken to avoid ci vilianThecasualties.Israeliarmy said militants in Gaza fired about 1,100 rockets toward Israel, with about 200 land ing inside the Palestinian enclave. Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Asso ciated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

Clearing the air on German envoy’s allegations

Previous attempts of active deRussification in the wake of Euro maidan in 2014 pushed the Russianspeaking regions of Crimea and Donbass to secede from the state. Crimea in 2014, as a result of people expressing their free will in a refer endum, spoke in favor of reunifica tion with Russia (96 percent Crimean residents). Since then, about 2 mil lion Ukrainians have fled to Russia, most of them from South-East of Ukraine. At the same time, Russia has been trying since 2014 to re solve the conflict while maintaining Ukraine’s territorial integrity—of course, while ensuring the rights of the Donbass region’s population as part of the Ukrainian state. But the Kiev regime has taken a course of de facto genocide of the inhabitants of the southeast, with obvious encour agement from Washington and Eu ropean countries, thus violating the principles of democracy, sovereignty, and the right of peoples to self-deter mination, which the German Ambas sador cares about so much. Russia is not waging a war against Ukraine and is not invading it. What Russia is doing now is trying to elimi nate the threat from the Ukrainian territory, which has been created by Nato countries led by the United States. For 8 years, Nato has been es tablishing military infrastructure in Ukraine, opening biological labora tories and developing a dirty nuclear bomb. Russia’s concerns were not considered. Attempts to negotiate security guarantees with the United States starting in December came to nothing. The US rejected Russian proposals. There was no choice but to recognize the Donetsk and Lu hansk People’s Republics and start special military operations there to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine in full accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. Ms. Reiffenstuel calls on Russia to sort out conflicting positions at the negotiating table. But the problem is that the West does not allow Ukraine to negotiate. Ukraine put forward proposals last April on how to cease hostilities. The Russian side took these proposals as a basis and was ready to work on them. But the West forbade Ukrainians from continuing this process. Instead, Ukraine was pumped with heavy weapons, includ ing multiple launch rocket systems, and encouraged to fight “to the last Ukrainian.” It’s noteworthy that on July 22, 2022, representatives of Turkey, Rus sia, Ukraine and the UN signed an agreement in Istanbul on establish ing a grain corridor for the export of agricultural products from Ukraine via the Black Sea. It shows that Russia and Ukraine are still able to overcome difficulties for the sake of an initia tive that will help mankind. When we hear that Russia tries to eradicate the international rulesbased order, as Ms. Reiffenstuel men tioned, we always want to ask what rules are being implied. The West, in stead of the term “international law” (which the UN stands for), demands from everyone to respect the “world order based on rules” and to observe them. But these “rules” are not pre sented to anyone. For each specific case, they are created anew. They are written in a narrow circle of Western countries, then are presented as the ultimate truth. Such an approach re sulted in the Ukrainian crisis. There is no doubt that one of the “rules” that the West wants to implement is the containment of any competitor. Now it is Russia, but China is declared next (or all this will happen in parallel). The goal of this “rules-based world order” is the complete revival of the unipolar world. In a statement that claimed Rus sia’s actions prove that food and en ergy are used as geopolitical weapons, we see an attempt by major Western economies to cover up their own systemic mistakes and miscalcula tions in the macroeconomic, energy and food policies. In 2020-2021 they rapidly “pumped” cheap money into national financial systems to deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, thus unbalancing global markets, including food markets. As Western states tried to effect a forced energy transition, investments and lending in the traditional extrac tion and processing energy sectors dropped significantly, resulting in unprecedented fuel, and, more gen erally, energy price hikes, and—as a consequence—record-high fertilizer costs (urea and ammonium nitrate prices have increased by three to four times; other fertilizer types by two to three times). The unilateral economic pressure measures of the “collective West” against Russia have exacerbated negative trends in the global food market, energy sector and indus try. Interestingly, Germany, which supports sanctions against Russia, makes concessions for itself and continues to buy Russian gas. Re strictions and difficulties affected all economic operators, including agricultural companies. Port ter minals abroad, through which the transhipment of domestic food and industrial products was carried out, have been blocked. International fi nancial and logistics companies and banks have stopped crediting, insur ing and servicing deals for the sale of food and fertilizers from Russia. In the environment of uncertainty, agricultural producers have doubts about the advisability of invest ing funds in expanded operations. The impossibility of free purchase of mineral fertilizers from Russia against the background of existing restrictions makes the prospects of a new crop less favorable and threat ens food security in a whole range of developingAllegationscountries.ofcrimes commit ted by Russian troops are all made up by the ruling regime in Kiev. At the same time, horrendous crimes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are not given focus. I am talking about the shelling of civilians in Donbass, about the slaughter of children, el derly, and women for the last 8 years. It is all part of a bitter reality docu mented by the LPR and DPR authori ties. Even Amnesty International ad mitted in its report dated August 4, 2022 that Ukraine violates the laws of war and endangers the lives of ci vilians by deploying military equip ment and weapons in schools and hospitals. Yet, the West prefers not to talk about it. Nor do they notice the persecution of Orthodox priests and believers, unwilling to convert and join the schismatic Orthodox Church of Moreover,Ukraine.theKiev regime tries to exact vengeance even on its own people who finally realize the futility of fulfilling the criminal orders and surrendered to the Russian Armed Forces to have a chance for redemp tion and peaceful life. One of the latest examples is an attack carried out on July 31 by Ukrainian troops with US-made HIMARS missiles on a detention center near Elenovka in Donbass, killing more than 50 Ukrai nian POWs. The detention center was targeted after militants imprisoned there, mostly from the nationalist Azov battalion, started giving testi monies that would implicate the Kiev regime. A large number of Ukrainian soldiers are now voluntarily laying down their arms, knowing the hu mane treatment of prisoners of war on the Russian side. In order to con duct an objective investigation of the attack, the Russian Federation has officially invited experts from the UN and the International Commit tee of the Red Cross. Nina Prakapovich Press-Attaché Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Philippines

Thai central bank to get more powers in crypto law overhaul

As powertruceIsrael-Palestinianholds,Gazaplantrestarts

MAIL

ENERGY Secretary Raphael Lo tilla said Tuesday he would defer to the Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corp. (PNOCEC) the unresolved issues involving the sale of Malampaya stake between Shell Philippines Exploration B. V. (SPEX) and a subsidiary of Davao businessman Dennis Uy’s Udenna Corporation (UC).

Meanwhile, Romago Incorpo rated President and Board Member of POCB Francisco Gonzales shared the same goal with Tolentino, say ing he looks forward to seeing more construction industry players out side the country’s borders. Now that the economy is slowly opening to foreigners and investors not only in the construction and related engineering services sec tor but also in other sectors, there is a need to see this as a practice of healthy competition to improve and align processes and technological procedures with global trends and standards,” said Gonzales. This opportunity should take advantage of nurturing business ties with neighboring countries as the industry players aspire to be vi able partners in building nations,” added Gonzales. PHILCONSTRUCT is the leading construction tradeshow series in the Philippines, with a network of over 60,000 participants showcas ing the best products and services in the construction and related engineering services sector. PHILCONSTRUCT 2022 was set up on a Hybrid platform with an interactive stage both on-ground and online connecting buyers and sellers anytime and anywhere and creating new business opportuni ties on a more flexible platform. Andrea E. San Juan Pinoy architects may work abroad the previous quarter. Just last month, the new Finance Secre tary Benjamin Diokno said they expect the national government’s debt-to-GDP ratio to go down to 52.5 percent by the end of the Marcos Jr. administration in 2028. In other words, by the end of the Marcos years, we expect the national debt-to-GDP ratio to be below 60 percent which is the old thresh old,” Diokno earlier said after DBCC’s first meet ing under the Marcos administration. For this year, however, the national gov ernment still expects the debt ratio to exceed the 60-percent threshold, with a target of 61.8 percent by the end of the year. T he record-low prepandemic level of 39.6 percent was posted in 2019. D iokno earlier brushed off the relatively high debt-to-GDP ratio of the country, saying the current level is “not a cause for concern,” especially when compared to other emerging economies. “That’s really nothing to worry about. The way out of this is by growing at a faster rate. We have to simply outgrow our debt,” Diokno said. T he Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Tuesday that the country’s GDP growth slowed down at 7.4 percent in the second quarter of the year, from the revised 8.2 percent in the previous quarter. T his is the slowest growth of the country in three quarters.

THE country’s debt-togross domestic product (GDP) slightly eased in the second quarter of the year, but remained above healthy60-percentinternationally-recommendedthethresholdforaeconomy.

L atest data released by the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) showed that the Philippines’s debt-to-GDP ratio hit 62.1 percent in the second quarter of the year. W hile this is down from the first quarter’s 17-year high of 63.5 percent debt-to-GDP ratio, it is the second consecutive month this year that the country has exceeded the 60-percent recommended threshold for an economy.

Continued on A3

T he members of the Malampaya con sortium are led by its operator SPEX (45 percent), UC38LLC (45 percent), and PNOC-EC (10 percent). U C38LLC, another subsidiary of UC, acquired the shares of Chevron Malampaya LLC in October 2019, which was approved by the DOE. L ater on, another UC subsidiary— Malampaya Energy XP Holding Pte. Ltd. (MEXP)—acquired the shares of SPEX. However, PNOC-EC did not give its consent to the deal. Had the SPEXMEXP deal pushed through, the group of Uy would have taken control of the precious gas field, which is already fast depleting. Lastmonth, a subsidiary of Razonled Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. (Prime Infra) moved to acquire MEXP from UC. P rime Exploration Pte. Ltd., a sub sidiary of Prime Infra, signed a share purchase agreement acquiring MEXP. T he move effectively makes it the new operator of the Malampaya deepwater gas-to-power project.

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

I n 2021, the economy also ended the year with an above-threshold debt ratio of 60.4 percent. Broken down, domestic debt as a ratio of GDP also went down from 44.4 percent in the previous quarter to 42.6 percent for April to June this year. E xternal debt as a ratio of GDP, mean while, slightly increased at 19.5 percent for the second quarter from the 19.1 percent in

PEZA to tackle ecozone applications soon

LOTILLA WON’T JOIN MALAMPAYA REVIEW

T he change in control of SPEX from Shell to Prime Infra is subject to the consent of PNOC-EC and the DOE. If and when the consents are given and the transition process for a safe and seamless handover of opera tions is completed, Prime Infra will assume full ownership and control of SPEX.

T HE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) board will meet soon to dis cuss pending ecozone developer and locator applications. “As applications with PEZA con tinue to pile up on top of the pending ecozone developer and locator ap plications, we are now preparing for the next PEZA Board meeting,” said PEZA Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Tereso O. Panga in a statement on Tuesday. Notwithstanding the “issue” on the designation of an OIC, Panga insisted the operation of PEZA re mains unhampered. L ast week, a power struggle en sued between former PEZA Direc tor General Charito B. Plaza and Panga following the confusion that stemmed from Memorandum Cir culars (MCs) No. 1 and 3—the two memorandum circulars issued by the Office of the President. A s chairman of the PEZA Board which is an attached agency to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual ironed out the issue by re leasing a Department Order (DO) lastTThursday. heDO,pursuant to MCs No. 1 and 3, affirmed the designation of Panga as PEZA’s OIC as extended until December 31,2022 or until his replacement has been appointed or designated. Plazadisputed this, saying the DTI chief’s order—which she said came late—cannot be higher than the mandate from the President, who she said, had effectively made her holdover chief until yearend. A s the current head of PEZA, Pan ga stressed that his duty is to ensure continuity in the operations within the agency especially now that there are plans waiting in the pipeline. As OIC of an income-generat ing, self-sustaining agency that is crucial in attracting investments, my duty is to ensure continuity in the PEZA operations for the benefit of the locators and their employees by making sound policy decisions and by implementing plans and programs already in the pipeline,” said Panga on Tuesday. P anga stressed that together with Trade Secretary and PEZA Board Chairman Pascual, “we are focused on enhancing our economic competitiveness to make the Phil ippines a viable investment desti nation in the region.”

T hese construction firms were joined by foreign construction com panies located in Cebu: Acciona Con struction Philippines, Inc., Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co., Ltd., and Hyundai Construc tion Equipment Philippines.

Debt-GDP ratio eases, but still above 60% threshold

L otilla, as the Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary, is also the chairman of PNOC-EC. In order to be fair and just, Lotilla said it would be best if the DOE would not meddle in it. As the DOE secretary, I would be heading the agency that would also be reviewing this from the stand point of the DOE. So, while I am the chairman of PNOC-EC, it would not be good for me to be participating in the deliberations of PNOC-EC on this and then reviewing myself later on. So, I would have to get PNOC-EC to address these issues,” said Lotilla at a virtual news briefing. H e said PNOC-EC President and Chief Executive Officer Franz Josef George Alvarez, along with the board, would lead the review. “ President Alvarez is heading this particular effort right now and they would have to address these issues with the PNOC-EC board soon because there are certain timelines that have to be met,” Lotilla said, noting that the members of the board are competent and professional.

C ONSTRUCTION firms are looking into sending Fili pino architects overseas, particularly in Asean countries, to help the industry become more globally competitive, according to the Department of Trade and In dustry (DTI). D TI, through the Export Mar keting Bureau (EMB) and the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines’s (CIAP) Phil ippine Overseas Construction Board (POCB), conducted an In formation Session on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partner ship (RCEP) and ASEAN Architect Registry (AAR), and a Networking Session as part of its support and participation in PHILCONSTRUCT held in Cebu in July. A part from creating awareness on the country’s free trade agree ments (FTAs) and the ASEAN Char tered Professional Engineer (ACPE)/ AAR, the activity is also aimed at promoting opportunities in the construction industry overseas. Competitiveness is important for architects to thrive not only in the Philippines but on a global scale,” said DTI in a statement on Tuesday. TheTrade department noted that as the world is becoming bor derless, it is possible to deliver services even when one is based in another country. T he business meetings were held between construction companies, namely: First Balfour, Inc., Aid ea, Inc., Krah Pipes Manila, Inc., Palafox Associates / Palafox Archi tecture Group, Inc., and Treasure Island Industrial Corporation.

A14 Wednesday, August 10, 2022

A rchitect Abelardo M. Tolen tino, President and CEO of Aidea Inc. unveiled his goal of developing a new breed of globally competi tive Filipino Architects to add to the list of today’s “international household names.” A dded Tolentino: “As Filipino global architects with the frame work and expertise, we can provide the gateway for contractors to prac tice globally as well. “One of the ways Filipino archi tects can be practitioners outside is by becoming an Asean architect.”

Continued on A3

Globe Telecom Inc. said on Tuesday it has asked the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to compel

BusinessMirrorEditor: Jennifer A. Ng Companies B1Wednesday, August 10, 2022

ACEN income dips in Jan-June

During the first quarter, ACEN booked a 68-percent decline in net income to P405 million because of higher purchased power from the spot market, extended plant outages, and natural disasters.

Continued on B2 By VG Cabuag @villygc E NG i N EE r i N G conglomerate DMCi Holdings inc. said it recorded the highest first half net income this year due to elevated commodity prices and the strong performance of its subsidiaries. DMCi said its net income in January to June reached P20.29 billion, more than double the previous year’s P9.48Frombillion.April to June, DMCi ’s profits rose 73 percent to P9.03 billion from last year’s P5.2 billion, largely driven by higher coal, electricity and nickel prices, coupled with higher revenue recognition from its real estate business.Core net income during the same period grew faster at 113 percent to P9 billion from P4.2 billion, after excluding nonrecurring gains of P37 million this year and P1 billion last year relative to the re-measurement of deferred tax liabilities as a result of the Corporate recovery and Tax incentives for Enterprises (Cr E ATE) law. The company said it has already surpassed its 2021 full-year net income of P18.4 billion. “We had a very strong first half because of elevated market prices. if t he current trend holds till October, we hope to declare another round of special dividends for our shareholders before year-end,” said DMCi Chairman and President isidro A. Consunji. revenues for the first half came in at P81.46 billion, a growth of more than half from last year’s P53.65 billion. For the second quarter alone, its revenues grew at a slower pace at 26 percent to P37.7 billion from the previous P29.76 billion. For the second quarter, contributions from Semirara Mining and Power Corp. more than doubled to P6.1 billion from the previous year’s P2.3 billion on the back of all-time high average coal selling prices and higher spot sales volume amid elevated market prices. DMCi Homes contributed P1.3 billion, 63 percent better than the P804million recorded last year owing to higher revenue recognition from ongoing projects and upward adjustment in selling Constructionprices. firm D.M. Consunji inc.’s contribution grew more than fivefold to P516 million from P91 million due to the completion of some projects and conservative revenue take-up the previous year. DMCi Mining gave P510 million, 27 percent better year-on-year from P403 million primarily due to higher average selling prices for nickel ore. Associate Maynilad Water Services inc. saw a 9-percent drop in contributions to P393 million from P431 million, due to flat billed volume and higherContributionscosts. from DMCi Power jumped by 35 percent to P205 million from the previous P152 million because of higher electricity sales volume and prices.

Globe: Dito must pay fines for breaching telco rules

Globe issued the statement a day after Dito sued Globe and Smart Communications inc. for allegedly violating the Philippine Competition Act (PCA). “The penalties were brought about by fraudulent calls placed through Dito’s network to Globe, bypassing proper voice traffic channels,” the statement read. Citing its petition, Globe said an average of 1,000 fraudulent calls— identified as international in origin but masked as local calls—are allowed to pass through Dito’s network to Globe users every day, in violation of interconnect rules. in comparison, Globe said, “zero or no bypass traffic has been allowed to pass from Globe to Dito due to its advanced monitoring systems and sophisticated network protection from illegalGlobecalls.”claimed Dito “adamantly refused” to compensate Globe for the alleged one-year violation on the agreement on bypass traffic. The Ayala-led telco noted that to date, reports of fraudulent calls continue to illegally pass through Dito’s network.Aside from compelling Dito to pay up, Globe also sought the NTC’s assistance to authorize its temporary disconnection of interconnection trunk lines with Dito until the latter has “taken positive and concrete steps to stop all illegal bypass operations emanating from its network” and paid all its outstanding liabilities to Globe for fraudulent“Clearly,calls.Dito has not only failed to compensate Globe, it also has not taken any serious actions to curtail bypass activities emanating from its network and terminating in Globe’s. indeed, these bypass activities have not waned but have in fact continuously increased over the said period. Dito’s twin failures to check these bypass activities and pay Globe what it is justly due have worked on a continuing serious prejudice against Globe,” Globe said, citing its NTC pleading. “Moreover, these unabated illegal activities have placed the interconnection trunks at serious risk of abuse and the resultant undue congestion of the network, to the detriment of the subscribers,” it added. Dito on Monday sued Globe and Smart for purportedly abusing their dominant positions by allegedly imposing commercial concessions for interconnection, resulting in low connection for calls between Dito and Globe subscribers, as well as between Dito and Smart subscribers. Globe noted that it “has remained true to its interconnectivity deals with Dito, including domestic voice and SMS in November 2020, landline in March 2021, and the Cellular Mobile Telephone Systems international Gateway Facility (CMTS - iGF) in SeptemberWhen2021.”sought for comment, Dito Chief Administrative Officer Adel Tamano said in filing for claims, Globe admitted that it is seeking commercial concessions for interconnection. “Firstly, Globe’s position that interconnection will be done only if Dito pays for these alleged penalties is an admission that they are making interconnection, which is mandated by law, subject to the acceptance of this alleged obligation. This falls squarely into Sec 15 (C) of the Philippine Competition Act,” he said. Tamano noted that the media statement of Globe on the alleged interconnection penalties—also known as international simple resale (iSr) calls—is a “disclosure of confidential business information that is a violation of the PCC’s rules of procedure.” He also claimed that the iSr calls are not made by Dito. r ather, these are fraudulent calls made by third parties—and Dito is equally a victim of such calls. Additionally, there are also iSr calls from Globe to Dito. it is not true that Dito has not taken steps to stop iSr calls to Globe. We have the data and the facts to show the steps undertaken by Dito to minimize these iSr calls,” Tamano said. He also chided Globe for asking the NTC to compel Dito to pay up, noting that it is not the right body to do so. “Fourthly, giving due respect to the NTC, it is not a collection agency and if Globe has any monetary claims against Dito, Globe should go to the proper tribunal to enforce their claims.”

A CEN Corp.’s net income in the first half declined by 19 percent year-on-year to P2.2 billion, but the company said it is optimistic about its prospects for the year after its income rebounded in the second quarter.

all-time high

Telecommunity Corp. to pay for interconnect penalties amounting to P622 million.

The listed energy platform of the Ayala Group returned to profitability in the second quarter, when its income rose by 25 percent year-on-year to P1.8“Thebillion.Philippine business has returned to profitability as we start to recover from short-term headwinds experienced in the first quarter of the year,” said ACEN Chief Finance Officer and Treasurer Cora Dizon. “With fresh contributions from our newly operational solar and wind farms, ACEN continues to reap the returns of its aggressive expansion both within the country and abroad.”

DMCI profit in H1 hits

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan Dito

Tookitaki said it partnership with PayMongo and an undisclosed money platform provider aims to “rapidly help the country’s growing fintech industry mitigate risk and design a robust AML program in compliance with the standards set out by the local Thisregulator.”willoffer safer and more secure transactions for the former’s over 10,000 partner merchants and the latter’s more than 47 million users.Chatterjee said they look forward to partnering with more fintechs and local banks in the region. Payments firm TTMFS Singapore Pte. Ltd.took a majority stake in Tookitaki earlier this year to accelerate its global business expansion, focusing mainly in Asia Pacific, including the Philippines.

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) issued a public advisory on Tuesday warning the public not to click on untrusted links via unsolicited emails or text messages as these can perpetrate fraud. often have errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization and grammar. Banks, e-money issuers and legitimate companies exert extra effort to maintain professional websites without such errors,” the BSP said. To help prevent this, the BSP is advising the public to: carefully scrutinize messages; refrain from clicking links even if these appear to be coming from banks, e-money issuers, or known companies or brands; and, protect personal information.“TheBSP reiterates that legitimate financial institutions will not ask for personal details and/or account credentials [e.g., username, password, OTP or one-time pin/ password] from their customers via text messages or by sending links to websites,” the BSP said. Consumers who experienced SMiShing attempts are advised to report these to their banks or e-money providers immediately.

By Andrea San Juan THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has partnered with the private sector to further boost growth opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by expanding their knowledge and upscaling their digital capabilities to improve their business operations. In a statement last Tuesday, the DTI said it entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mastercard to spearhead initiatives that will enable MSMEs to embark on a digital transformation of their business.This includes providing MSMEs with access to technology solutions to digitize their operations and enable digital commerce—both accepting and makingBeyondpayments.enabling MSMEs to future-proof their business, the trade department said these initiatives also complement the government’s objective of building a “cash-lite society.” This partnership stemmed from recognizing the need for a heightened focus on financial literacy and digital transformation of MSMEs, which was prevalent during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Mastercard is committed to building an inclusive digital economy in the Philippines where all stakeholders can realize their ambitions. Through the partnership with DTI, Mastercard is helping small businesses open their digital doors with access to resources and technology solutions,” Mastercard Country Manager for the Philippines Simon Calasanz was quoted in the statement as saying.

Financing needs THE DTI noted that across all industries, majority of MSMEs require financing assistance the most.“Other assistance needed include marketing assistance, complying with government regulations and enabling policies on regulations providing improvements on administration and provision of taxes, discounts and incentives as well as assistance on rentals and utilities, among others,” the DTI statementDTI-Regionalread. Operations Group Undersecretary Blesila A. Lantayona said that once equipped with necessary assistance, MSMEs will be able to recover.“We are confident that by giving MSMEs the needed entrepreneurial and financial skills to operate their own businesses, they will contribute to economic activities that are crucial to revive our economy from the negative effects of Covid-19 pandemic,” Lantayona was quoted in the statement as saying.“Andas our MSMEs grow and flourish, they will create more jobs and employment that will benefit our people and boost our country’s economic growth in the post-pandemic future,” she added.According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), MSMEs account for 99 percent of business establishments and employ 60 percent of the country’s workforce.

Banking&Finance BSP warns public vs SMiShing scam

Fintechs tapped ASIDE from Mastercard, the Trade department has also partnered with financial technology (Fintech) companies to promote alternative options for financing MSMEs such as Investree Philippines Inc., the crowdfunding business of the Gotianuns, and First Circle Inc. DTI said Investree is the country’s first recipient of a permanent crowdfunding license from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) offering supply chain financing solutions to growing SMEs since 2020. To date, Investree has supported more than a hundred SMEs, according to the DTI’s statement. Its significant existence in the nation’s economic recovery will be further heightened with its expansion nationwide, it added. “Investree Philippines is focused on building the future, a future where financial tools are more available to SMEs in order to sustain and expand their businesses,” Investree Philippines Country Manager Alexander Capulong was quoted in the statement as saying. “Through our partnership with DTI, we seek to keep pursuing this vision of the future. We are even more excited since this collaboration will enable more new opportunities and milestones for Filipino SMEs, which ultimately helps boost the country’s economy in the long run.” First Circle will also provide MSMEs access to financial services as well as offer financial literacy. The fintech firm has also agreed to supply the DTI’s “Negosyo Centers” with financialrelated information and materials, create financial-related digital content that the government agency can use and share their expertise in DTI-initiated events and activities.

Mastercard, fintechs tapped by DTI to support digitalization of MSMEs

BusinessMirror Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Wednesday, August 10, 2022 B3www.news.businessmirror@gmail.com

Prime target LAST month, Genie Gan, gead of Public Affairs and Government Relations for Asia Pacific & Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Kaspersky Lab ZAO told reporters in a news briefing that just like its Southeast Asian counterparts, the past five years saw the Philippines being a prime target by various cyber threats ranging from web attacks, remote desktop protocol (RDP) attacks and mobile malware.Although mobile malware attacks may have dropped sharply in the Philippines from 2019 to 2021 by 69 percent, Gan warned there are indications that Trojans are injected into third-party ad modules and new Trojans are being discovered. This is proof that cybercriminals have become creative and sophisticated in their approach, the executive said. As far as the local government is concerned, legal policies and regulatory frameworks on cybersecurity have already been laid out and are currently in place, Gan said. She said Kaspersky urges the state to collaborate with its neighbors and private companies to further build its Whereascyber-resiliency.thecybersecurity landscape in the Philippines is distinct from the rest of SEA, Gan it is still interconnected with its regional neighbors in so many ways. “This is why we encourage the government regulators to begin boosting its cyber capacity-building and cooperation efforts. These two are basically the building blocks of cybersecurity,” she added.

By Roderick Abad @rodrik_28 Contributor T OOKITAKI Holding Pte Ltd, a private limited company registered in Singapore launched its business in the Philippines last Tuesday. The firm, which sells software monitoring money laundering, has partnered with payment gateway firm PayMongo Philippines Inc. The firm anchored its launch on a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) report issued last year that the country’s financial system is at “medium risk” of being used for money laundering.Even if preventive measures are in place to curb risk of dirty money, the country remains on the gray list of global watchdog on money laundering and terror financing Financial Action Task Force as of June. Tookitaki provides end-to-end financial crime solutions to some of the world’s leading financial institutions (FIs). Some of the largest banks and fintech firms in memberstates of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) depend on it to transform their anti-money laundering (AML) compliance requirements, the company said. “We are deeply committed to empower the banking and financial services sector in the Philippines to fight money laundering in the most effective and efficient manner,” Tookitaki CEO Abhishek Chatterjee said. Citing the growth of digital banking and e-commerce transactions worldwide, Chatterjee said that the volume of cashless payment internationally is seen to rise by over 80 percent from 2020 to 2025 and cross-border payments are projected to aggregate more than $156 “Unfortunately,trillion.this vast flow of money crisscrossing the globe provides cover for money laundering and the Philippines is no exception,” Chatterjee added. “As more Filipino consumers become part of the banking ecosystem and financial crime becomes more sophisticated, the financial institutions in the region need to look beyond traditional and “siloed” AML systems to keep pace with growing business and complianceTherequirements.”firmsaidits product helps strengthen risk coverage and reduce threats by regional financial institutions.According to the firm, its AML Suite became an “instant hit” with the digital banks and fintechs among member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations due to its “hub and spoke” model for transactionThemonitoring.hubisacollection of intelligence on money laundering patterns. The spoke is a simulation setup and enables local companies to download and test relevant patterns from the hub, detect illicit money trails and stayBuiltprotected.onBig Data, AMLS uses machine learning for its transaction monitoring, screening and customer risk scoring solutions, the company said. The alerts from all solutions are in an interactive, case manager option that offers firms with alert disposition and regulatory report filing.

SG firm selling software monitoring money laundering opens PHL biz

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie T O gain the trust of the private sector in the government, the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means has recently filed a bill creating the National Tax Transparency Portal (NTTP).InHouse Bill (HB) 3261 filed last Monday, Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda said he pushed for the creation of an online portal following the “What-You-See-Is-What You-Get” policy of fiscal transparency first initiated by Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno during his time as chief of the Department of Budget and“WhileManagement.theprivate sector is compelled to put their trust in the government, the reputation of the primary revenue collecting agencies of the Department of Finance—the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs—obstructs this conviction. It is often said that there is no need to raise taxes if these bureaus could just fix the way they are collecting revenues,” Salceda said. “With the [NTTP], the efforts of the revenue-collecting agencies will be recognized, and trust will be incrementally gained. Transparency and accountability, the twin shields against corruption, will be enhanced. Most importantly, the information from the online portal will empower economic managers and investors alike to contribute to the nation’s recovery,” the lawmaker added. Salceda said the measure aims to publicize the efforts in reforming tax administration of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs and gain the trust of the private sector in the government. His proposed measure also follows well-cited best practices such as the Economic Transparency Portal of the Ministerio de Hacienda y Crédito Público (Ministry of Finance and Public Credit of Colombia). Under this portal, the BIR and the BoC will post transactions realtime, under “certain aggregation parameters” to provide access to the taxpayers and the public as well as ensure data privacy. The portal will allow varied stakeholders to audit the collection of the government, compute the trade and tax gaps and conduct research work that can guide the decisions of economic managers, legislators, investors, researchers, and the public. The bill also seeks to create a Tax Transparency Division under the supervision and control of the Revenue Operations Group of the Department of Finance, or an existing office shall be assigned the duties of the division, with the corresponding adjustments in personnel size and capacity for the effective implementation of this proposal. According to Salceda, the BIR has completed and fully implemented eight projects of its digitalization. The BoC, meanwhile, has implemented 33 information technology and systems resulting in the automation of 91.76 percent or 156 out of the 170 customs processes. “Unknown to many, the [BIR] and [the BOC] have continuously pursued reforms in tax administration. These bureaus particularly made headways in digitalization during the pandemic, resulting in positive revenue collections. The BIR and the BOC surpassed their annual collection targets for 2021 by 0.25 percent or P5 billion, and by 4.70 percent or P29 billion, respectively,” Salceda said. Mandated to fill the coffers of the government to sustain its operations, Salceda said the DOF is in a perpetual race against the budget deficit, which has become doubly difficult in the heels of a 60.4 percent debt-to-GDP ratio in 2021. “Diokno is confident and asks the private sector to trust the government; that it can manage the rising inflation, lower the debt and raise the budget needed to finance stability and growth,” Salceda said.

The Central Bank said the modus is called SMiShing, a form of phishing scam where a fraudster sends a text message to trick a user into clicking on a malicious link. This malicious link, when clicked, automatically downloads malware and/or redirects to websites that collect information that may be used forSuchfraud.websites may have been created by scammers to trick a user into disclosing login credentials, personal data, bank or credit card details, or passwords; or to introduce mobile malware.“While these websites may seem legitimate, fraudulent sites

Benefits of rightsizing Finex Free enterPrise George s. Chua

‘Online portal on tax mgmt to earn trust of taxpayers’

T would seem that rightsizing has become a popular topic recently and it is about time that we all give it serious survivevironment,highlyperspective,Fromthought.abusinessintoday’scompetitiveen-youcannotifyouarenotefficient; and rightsizing is certainly a critical ingredient in maximizing efficiency. If you have more people than you need, you end up paying more for salaries and wages, space and administrative overhead. A business unit, department or organization that has more people than it truly needs creates more problems beyond the cost of having more people. It is part of human behavior that to justify their pay they must appear to do something and since the responsibility is now shared over many more people, it has become more difficult to identify who is to blame if anything goes wrong and it becomes a finger pointing game and makes it easier to pass the buck. Not only does the business suffer from a bloated and bureaucratic organization, their customers also suffer from these inefficiencies. These clients get passed around, getting anything done takes longer and chances are the quality of the product or service will also deteriorate due to the difficulty in determining who is responsible for what. The result is an unhappy customer that the business will end up losing, which means that these employees will now have fewer customers to serve leading to a death spiral of the business. How does rightsizing work in government? Much like in business, efficiency if theWhilekey. businesses may focus their rightsizing to maximize shareholder wealth, governments should focus their rightsizing to maximize the satisfaction of their Whatcitizenry.makesthe citizens happy? It does not take a genius to figure this out. People want to minimize their cost in dealing with government, they would like to pay the lowest taxes and fees as possible, they would like to spend the least time in getting permits, licenses and other requirements imposed upon them, they would like to have the simplest and easiest forms to fill up and submit and if possible not deal with government at all! Rightsizing in any private or government organization is only possible if it is clear what the objective is. If it is to establish the baseline identity of a person like in the PhilSys ID Registation, then a face to face process may be required to take a photo, get the biometrics and so on. However, once this is properly established everything else can be done online. Doing transactions and getting permits and licenses online should be the goal. It will reduce the burden of cost and time on the people and prevent opportunities for corruption in government. The other huge benefit of online transactions is that you now have an electronic record of documents automatically, which is more environmentally friendly over paper transactions and makes for easier and safer storage and retrieval. Our government is on the right track in lengthening the validity of documents and licenses such as passports and driver’s licenses. The savings in time and effort of both the agency concerned and the applicant can be better spent on other more productive things that will improve the economy. It will cause less traffic, less pollution, less waste and allow for fewer employees since the daily load is greatly reduced. It is about time we focus on rightsizing to catch up with the leading economies of the world. George S. Chua was 2016 FINEX President, currently a Professorial Lecturer at UP Diliman and an active Entrepreneur. The views and comments of the author are his own and not of the newspaper or the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines. Comments may be sent to gschua@up.edu.ph.

Uncoupled was a chance to venture into an aspect of life that Harris has been lucky enough to avoid. “I didn’t start dating till much later than most, and when I did start dating, they all went fairly well. I don’t have a lot of relationship wounds,” he said. “I’ve been with David for 18 years, and once we started dating, we really just never stopped.” Wading into fictional heartache turned out to be oddly“Inrewarding.averyweird, altered version of my reality, this was an exciting role to play because it touched on, it brought up emotions that I hadn’t felt—that I hope to not feel—but that I was required to feel,” Harris said. On the flip side, scenes that called for him to flash a goodly amount of skin left him unfazed. “Thankfully, it was my own skin, so I was familiar with it,” Harris said, with perfect deadpan Continued on B5

ASHMBROOKSANSKAS as Stanley James (left) and Neil Patrick Harris as Michael Lawson in a scene from Uncoupled NETFLIX

B4 Show Wednesday, August 10, 2022 • Editor:

H: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. HH: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. HHH: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. HHHH: Aim high; start new projects. HHHHH: Nothing can stop you; go for gold. 1 Sign seen in the stands 6 “A long time ___ in a galaxy...” 9 Summits 14 Lexus competitor 15 Party snack not eaten by itself 16 Cut drastically 17 Scoop’s sweet support (In this clue’s answer, anagram letters 2-7) 19 Where a toddler goes? 20 Beach hut 22 Excited cry 23 Without exception 27 Apartment dweller 29 Stir up, as curiosity 30 Fold in the laundry room? 32 Start up, as a computer 33 Acquires 34 DOJ agency 37 Rescue squad member: Abbr. 38 Ferocious feline, or a theme hint 40 So___ (LA’s region) 41 ___ fly (MLB play) 42 In the know 43 “That’s terrible!” 44 Make hard to read, in a way 46 Flight in which you might receive a blanket 48 Old West watering hole 50 Equipment for paparazzi 51 Capital of Norway So far 55 Phase 57 Child’s cut-out toy (Anagram letters 2-8) Deodorant brand whose name suggests dryness British brew Bottled spirit Medicinal quantities ___ Miserables Ham it up Owns Hosp. area Cocoa cup “...___ lack thereof” San ___ (university near San Diego) Photoshop maker Actress Rodriguez Doing business Deadly serpent They’re seen in circuses and horror films Calculating person? (Anagram letters 4-10) Lauder of cosmetics 13 Less assertive 18 Bamboo stem 21 Large concert venue 23 Disney’s ___ in Toyland 24 Smell of freshly baked cookies, e.g. Underground spots for storing veggies (Anagram letters 2-7) 26 Fanatic 28 Indiana-to-Ohio direction 30 Core group 31 Texas university 33 Pleased 35 Singer Tucker 36 Frozen formations 38 Texas home of the Dr Pepper Museum 39 “You can’t make me!” 43 Poem of praise 45 Painful head rub 46 $1,500 per month, e.g. 47 Come out 48 “Such a shame” 49 Houston ballplayer 50 Superhero fashion accessories 53 October birthstone 54 NASCAR legend Earnhardt 56 Publishing VIPs 58 Blue state sen., often 59 Vietnam War protester Yoko 60 On, like a lamp 61 Jeans brand ‘it’s a zoo’ BY ROBERT E L MORRIS

HHH LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Be aware of manipulative people. Someone will make you look bad if given a chance. Use your charm and attributes to get your way. Monitor any change to your earnings until you gain the financial comfort you desire.

HOW true are the unconfirmed talks that the handsome actor and this beautiful actress, who have a project together, had a fling? The dalliance allegedly happened while they were filming and while it is over now, what happened has been reported by people on the set to their family and friends. The actress has a longtime boyfriend while the actor’s relationship status is unknown. It can’t be denied that they’re both very attractive so if the rumor is true, it isn’t surprising that they gravitated toward each other. The rumors have fueled interest for their project and observers say this is what the producers want.

HHHH CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Go over every detail explicitly, and you will avoid unwanted surprises on your quest for success. Choose simplicity and moderation over trying to make an impression. Be yourself, and you’ll discover where you stand and what’s possible to achieve. HHH AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): By not taking on something you are unfamiliar with, you’ll ward off complaints. Concentrate on personal improvements and looking and feeling your best. Ignore what others do or suggest if it doesn’t fit your routine. Satisfy your needs first. HHH PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Consider how to amplify your skills, and you’ll discover how to bring in extra cash. Keep up with the times and technology, and be aware of financial trends and investments that raise your profile and your ability to expand your pursuits. HHH BIRTHDAY BABY: You are aggressive, stubborn and intentional. You are insightful and persistent.

The Universal Crossword/Edited by Amanda Rafkin Solution to today’s puzzle: Neil Patrick Harris is suddenly single in comedy ‘Uncoupled’

ACROSS

OUTDOING EACH OTHER SPEAKING of that event, which two superstars pulled so many strings just to outdo each other? It was about which foreign designer and jeweler was better and bigger. Time, it seems, has not healed the wounds of the rift between the two stars. The rift was caused by something very trivial, if you look at the situation now. But the two superstars are still holding the grudge, each one thinking the other one was at fault. The other one is still offended that the other one would think she wanted to steal her man. Meanwhile, the other superstar feels righteous about the other one wanting something that was hers. Gerard S. Ramos

JUST GOOD FRIENDS

THIS handsome artist is being linked to a foreign celebrity and fans of his former girlfriend say he and his new flame hooked up even before he was officially single. What these fans don’t understand is that in the foreign artist’s country, the age gap between her and the Pinoy artist is too big to be ignored. Thus, it is highly likely that they’re just good friends who are affectionate with each other and nothing more. To the foreign artist, her career is more important than romance and she wouldn’t risk it for this guy.

By Lynn Elber The Associated Press L OS ANGELES—Neil Patrick Harris has played an impressive number of what he calls “extreme characters,” which made his role in the comedy Uncoupled especially appealing. “I was attracted to the notion of a bit of normalcy” and nuance, he said of his refreshing dip into the Netflix series. He plays a suddenly single New Yorker, dumped by his partner of 17 years, stumbling into an unfamiliar dating world. The eight-episode Uncoupled, which debuted on Friday, represents a still relatively rare Hollywood commodity: a rom-com with a gay character as the lovable hero of the story. That increased its value for Harris, as did the show’s veteran, TV homerun-hitting writerproducers: Darren Star (Sex and the City, Emily in Paris and Jeffrey Richman (Modern Family, Frasier). “As a gay man myself, I thought that having content that was representational was great on a streaming platform like Netflix,” Harris said. Star and Richman’s knack for making fare with broad appeal is proven, and Harris marvels at the show’s skillful juggling of the sad and the “ridiculously funny.” “I thought that that was all something that hasn’t necessarily been done before. And I was honored to be asked to be a part of it, to be honest,” said the Emmywinning actor whose eclectic string of screen credits since he started as a teen actor include Doogie Howser, M.D.; How I Met Your Mother; Gone Girl and The Matrix Resurrections. On Broadway, he earned a Tony Award for Hedwig and the Angry Inch In Uncoupled, Harris’s Michael is a Manhattan real-estate agent who works with a candid and loyal colleague (Tisha Campbell), has a supportive circle of friends and is coming to grips with life as an unmoored, 40-something man. The role’s emotional demands made it a “very risky, scary move” for Harris to sign on, Star said. “I would say, gay or straight, I’ve never seen such vulnerability from a male character. It’s a guy going through the pain of a breakup, and you don’t really get to see it that often.”

www.businessmirror.com.phBusinessMirror HoroscopeToday’s

NOTHING MORE THAN A FLING

By Eugenia Last CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Roxanne McKee, 42; Josh Gates, 45; Antonio Banderas, 62; Rosanna Arquette, 63. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Dive in and get things done your way. Don’t waste time waiting for someone to come to your rescue or solve your problems. Trust in your ability to get things done, and take advantage of opportunities that develop. Make this a pivotal point in your life and follow your heart. Please yourself instead of vying for other people’s approval. Your numbers are 9, 17, 24, 28, 36, 45, 47. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Reach out to people you feel comfortable working alongside, and you’ll form a group that will help you make a difference. Your determination will pay off and offer insights into exciting alternatives to how you work and HHHH TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t whine about what you don’t have. Change the dynamics of a situation to ensure you don’t miscalculate reaching your destination. If you want something, it’s up to you to physically make it happen. Choose to live a healthy lifestyle. HH GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Take a unique path, but be honest with yourself regarding the outcome. What you learn will help you differentiate between what you want and what you need. Putting less pressure on yourself will help you visualize what’s possible.

DOWN 1

HIS CONDITION DURING a recent big event of a broadcast company, the absence of the big boss was noticeable. Of course, there are many speculations especially since the big boss is no longer young and could be prone to illnesses. But the reason for the big boss’ absence is something that not even millionaires and billionaires can escape and that’s stomach problems. The day before the event, the big boss was struck with diarrhea and, of course, this is not a condition you can announce to the world as it’s embarrassing. People were speculating so much when, in fact, the big boss was just having a bad day in that way.

A birthday party scene in the first episode calls for Michael to publicly toast his partner Colin (Tuc Watkins) to a crowd unaware the pair have just split. It’s a tour de force moment for Harris. “His authenticity and emotion, it was so remarkable. When an actor elevates your writing like that, it’s why you are a writer,” Richman said.

Harris and the show’s creators are on the same page regarding what the show is not intended to be: a political statement. “It’s almost the opposite,” said Star. “It was like, this is where we are. It’s where the world, the audience has moved, they want to see a show like this. You don’t have to be gay to see yourself reflected in these characters because it’s so much about the humanity of thisHarrisexperience.”seesvalue in a work that is “just a slice of representation without agenda.... If one tries too hard to accomplish a specific agenda with art, it’ll be met with both extremes. The people that love it will embrace it, and the people who don’t love it will be affronted by it.” Uncoupled is truthful but also “very binge-y and it doesn’t take itself too seriously,” he said. For the actor, who’s married and a family man—he and actor-chef David Burtka have two children—

HHH VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Address your to-do list and put an end to unfinished business. A change of attitude coupled with an aggressive, hands-on approach will help you build momentum and clear a passage for bigger and better opportunities. HHHHH LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Be secretive about how you feel or who you dislike. Avoid getting involved in situations that ask too much of you or cause you to overreact or overindulge. Find a nice way to say no to something that isn’t inviting. HH SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Reach out to anyone who can shed light on a situation. Observing how others react will give insight into how to go about your business without taking on responsibilities that don’t belong to you. HHHH SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Truth matters; offer only what you know you can handle, and spend more time with people who are likely to stand up for you in a time of need. Educational pursuits will help you modify your plans to fit trends.

HHH CANCER (June 21-July 22): Keep life simple and promises doable. The help you offer others will not be in vain. Reach out and use life experience to encourage others to strive to reform or be their best. Those you help will reciprocate with love and gratitude.

PHOTO BY ANDISHEH A ON UNSPLASH

IN an age where misinformation abounds, critical thinking skills are necessary to solidify your own stand on issues by differentiating between fact and opinion. Especially now when public figures are accorded attention by how loud a noise they can create, or how much money they are paid to become the mouthpiece of disinformation. In the workplace, it is all the more imperative to have the discernment to distinguish between issues from problems, and the underlying concerns that might affect the way people decide, or react to situations. If you are managing people, critical thinking skills involve not just knowing the factual arguments of conflicting individuals, but also how their backgrounds and experiences affect the way they relate to each other, and the diverse social dynamics within the team. By understanding how these factors affect one another, you can come to a better decision on how to handle your team and other people in the organization. Critical thinking will enable you to interact better with others by understanding your own biases and opinions, and the interplay of your own subjective deliberations with other people’s realities. You become better at evaluating arguments based on their own merits, and it helps you identify potential impacts of differing action plans. At work, critical thinking helps you understand the issues so you can provide recommendations that increase the quality of your output, while at the same time improving the way your team works together. To develop your critical thinking skills, you need to start with yourself. Self-awareness helps you identify your own preconceived notions and biases, so you can be aware of how you filter information and how it affects your decision. Being self-aware also means knowing what you really want because that will ultimately affect the way you interact with others. As a people manager, knowing the end goal for your team will ensure that you decide on their best interest. Being self-aware also includes understanding how you process information. This means taking stock of how you react to received information, how you felt at the time, and your actions afterward. This shows the way you feel and think about them, which could also prevent them from providing information that is necessary for you to decide fairly. To identify underlying issues in your team, observe them before you react. Too often, we react right away to what people are saying without recognizing that they are driven by their own emotions and biases. Step back and observe how people deal with each other so you can think through the best course of action, and how to position yourself to be heard. Your team needs to know that you listened to what they had to say, to act judiciously, and to decide in the best interest of the team. But before saying or doing anything, clarify by asking questions. Know as much as you can about the issue so you can have sufficient information to make sound decisions. Use follow-up questions to have a clear grasp of how certain actions will affect each of them, and, if needed, ask for what each of the involved individuals is willing to concede to settle. This will give you more options to decide on up questions focus on finding a resolution. Think ahead on repercussions, possible implications, as well as alternative ways of resolving the issue. Experience will help you filter those that have worked before and which action plans to avoid. If you think you do not have enough experience, read from reputable resources what other people think, so you are informed properly of what can be done. Researching helps in widening your perspective and exposes you to alternative ways of doing things. If possible, sound off with your team on approaches to an issue and solicit feedback. They may have valuable inputs that you may have overlooked. When you have considered all possible alternatives, you need to be decisive. This does not mean being hard-headed but being willing to adapt and change after identifying indicators that the present action needs to be recalibrated. Exposing yourself to different perspectives can help you become more agile and responsive to a variety of issues, and help to where the team is headed. But you also need to know that in doing so, you will make mistakes along the way. Nobody is perfect, and your team does not expect you to know everything all at once. They do, however, expect you to know where to go. Your team needs to know that you are in control by providing direction. Your lack of knowledge is forgivable, but your lack of direction is not. Ineffective leaders are those that confuse the two. Critical thinking is an essential tool for a people manager to lead because it helps them identify not just the facts involved, but also the different personalities and relationships involved in the decision-making process. It is not just knowing what the other person believes in, but also what the other person is willing to understand and how they feel about the issue. An effective leader will see through their team’s words and actions, and find ways for them to see it in a way that they accept his decision with their whole heart and mind. n

n EXERCISING. Moderate exercise is best done in the morning or afternoon to boost your energy levels throughout the day and help you sleep better at night. Avoid high-intensity workouts less than three hours before bedtime as the physical activity has a stimulating effect. “Instead, you can do gentle stretching or light and simple yoga movements that can help develop your mindfulness and promote better sleep,” Espiritu-Picar proposes.

IT keeps your weight down, elevates your mood, improves concentration, and strengthens your immune system to ward off various ailments. Best of all, it is free. Who knew that sleep—specifically six to eight hours of shut-eye for the average adult—could achieve all these and more? Yet why do some people feel as if they have not slept a wink as soon as they wake up in the morning? Blame it on poor quality sleep, says Rosalina Espiritu-Picar, MD from the Neurophysiology and Sleep Disorders Laboratory of top hospital in the Philippines Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed, www. makatimed.net.ph) “If you are able to sleep within 30 minutes or less after getting into bed [sleep latency], sleep straight through the night and wake up no more than once [sleep waking], sleep in the recommended number of hours, sleep at the right time of the night, spend at least 85 percent actually sleeping [sleep efficiency], and wake up refreshed and energized in the morning, you experienced good quality sleep,” the sleep specialist points out. “Poor quality sleep is the exact opposite,” she continues. “It takes you longer than half an hour to fall asleep. You wake up more than once a night and lie awake for 20 minutes or more. You feel tired the next day, have difficulty focusing, and are moody and stressed.” Sleep is one of the most natural things to do, so when it does not come easily, it is likely due to a number of factors. “Perhaps you are consuming caffeine or alcohol close to bedtime, or maybe you are stressed or anxious,” states Espiritu-Picar. “The heavy snoring of sleep apnea disrupts sleep, as do the pain and discomfort of chronic diseases like acid reflux, cancer, and body aches. You may also have an undiagnosed sleep disorder like insomnia or involuntary movement of the limbs.” To enjoy a good night’s rest, the doctor suggests changing your habits and creating an atmosphere conducive to getting your zzz’s. These include: n PRACTICING SLEEP HYGIENE. The doctor explains that sleep hygiene simply means good sleep habits. “Following a bedtime routine is one of the best ways to set yourself up for sleep success,” she continues. Some of these include making sure your bedroom is dark and cool, and that your beddings are clean, soft, comfortable, and you are wearing something light and non-constricting. You can also adopt habits like light reading and listening to calming music, instead of staring and scrolling on your phone. It is also best to avoid working from your bed. “This way, your brain will never associate your bed with work. If you can, try bringing your work outside your bedroom and keep screens away at least two hours before tucking in,” the expert says. n RESCHEDULING NAPS. While naps help perk you up in the middle of the day, scheduling them in the late afternoon or early evening could keep you up at night when you should be sleeping. “Try napping in the early afternoon. It is recommended to nap anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. This way, you will not mess up your sleep patterns and body clock,” the doctor exerts. n SETTING A SLEEP SCHEDULE. By doing so, you slowly train your brain to expect to sleep at that specific hour. Espiritu-Picar even recommends setting a fixed wake-up time. A fixed wake up time sets a regular sleeping time. “This will help you and your body develop that discipline of making sleep a priority no matter what. Following your sleep schedule consistently even on weekends will keep you from tweaking it to accommodate work or other activities that can disrupt your sleep goals,” she says. n CHANGING YOUR DIET. Drink caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea, and soda only in the morning or latest by early afternoon, as caffeine can increase alertness and delay sleepiness, the specialist asserts. She adds that you should also avoid dining late especially if it is a heavy or spicy meal. “Food can keep your brain alert and awake, while spicy and acidic food tend to cause heartburn that will keep you up at night.”

Neil Patrick Harris is suddenly single in comedy ‘Uncoupled’

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

n CONSULTING WITH YOUR DOCTOR. Medication use, nasal and oral decongestants, and corticosteroids have been known to cause insomnia, the expert points out. “If you are taking these medicines and are having trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor. He or she could recommend you take them at a time that will not affect your sleep, or replace your medication altogether. Your doctor can also prescribe medication that can improve the quality of your sleep.” Sleep should be one of the easiest ways to stay healthy and strong, underlines the doctor. “Do what you can to get the optimum amount of sleep. Your body and mind will thank you for it.”

PHOTO BY MEMENTO MEDIA ON UNSPLASH

Continued from B4 delivery. Then he gets serious, describing a healthy and enviable self-image. “I don’t have much modesty at all. I’m 49 years old. I’ve been doing this since I was 13 or 14. I don’t need a changing room curtain,” he said. “In Hedwig, you saw almost everything. I work out a fair amount and I feel more confident in my own skin than I have before.” Does he feel the need to explain to his twins, born in 2010, that dad is in the nearly altogether on TV? “I thought about it a lot when we were filming it, ‘Um, are the kids going to watch this?’” Harris said. He’s sure they won’t, and offers a wellreasoned explanation: As is common, his son and daughter routinely cringe at what their parents do. He recalled walking with them to school and asking about the day ahead. “Please, just stop talking,” one admonished him, Harris recalled. “So I think if they were to watch Uncoupled and see my naked butt on screen, they would be mortified. They don’t want to see my naked butt getting out of the shower in the bathroom. I think they’ll just not ever want to watch it.” n

Thinking for yourself While you were sleeping: 6 simple ways to achieve good quality zzz’s

• Wednesday, August 10, 2022 B5 Image BusinessMirrorwww.businessmirror.com.ph

T HE Manila Electric Company (Meralco) and Mirax Corporation recently held a strategic planning session to discuss how the real estate firm’s medium and longterm plans can be supported through One Meralco energy services and solutions. Earlier this year, Meralco Biz Partners Group, the segment dedicated to empowering businesses with energy demand of 5 to 499 kW, made possible the timely energization of Mirax Tower 1 in Makati City. Also in the pipeline

Sustainability mandate keeps Tagaytay Highlands safe for generations

Meralco strenghtens partnership with mirax corporation for energization by 2023 are Mirax Towers 2 and 3. Other opportunities for collaboration include innovative technologies that will support their sustainability goals, as well as digital“Throughsolutions.the Strategic Planning Session, we assure our customers of our constant presence and support from the planning stage until the fulfilment of their energy requirements, so they can focus on their core responsibility of growing and expanding their business,” according to Joy Mendoza, Assistant Vice President and Head of Meralco Biz Partners Group. Present during the strategic planning session were (seated from L-R) Mirax Director Elizabeth Palsis and Meralco Biz Partners Group AVP and Head Joy Mendoza, as well as (standing from L-R) Mirax Project Consultants Delmar Ferrer, Arnold Laxamana, and Arnold Acala; and Meralco Biz Partner Manager Lucyndo Quemada, Meralco Zone Officer Aldrin de Guia, and Meralco Area Manager Reynald Santiago.

Wednesday, August 10, 2022B6

PROVINCIAL consumers can fill their shopping bags with as many fresh fruits and vegetables for only P399 while also helping our Filipino farmers

TAGAYTAY Highlands has been holding its “One Tree at a Time” activity for a decade now, with the aim of planting one million trees by 2044. Today, there are over 490,000 trees planted within the Tagaytay Highlands Complex.

H OTEL Sogo management and employees gathered together in a heart-warming occasion to celebrate its 29th Founding Anniversary in the evening of June 16 in Eurotel, North Edsa. For the first time, after two years, this year’s “Masipag” Employee and Loyalty awardees went up to the stage to receive their recognition. A total of 176 loyalty awardees were honored and accorded with cash incentives during the event. Rico E. Masinas of Hotel Sogo, Pasay Rotonda was hailed the 25-year ServiceRecipientsAwardee.of the “Masipag” Employee of the Year Award were: Ruffa Empamanao (Front Office, Cash & Property Management and Food & Beverage Category) and Adela Masinas (Front Office, Cash & Property Management, Food & Beverage and Corporate Category) for the year 2020; Arlene Tadera (Housekeeping, Repairs & Maintenance) and Aileen De Guzman (Front Office, Cash & Property Management, Food & Beverage and Corporate Category) for the year 2021. In his speech, CEO Reynaldo M. Malacao congratulated everyone for surviving the COVID-19 as individuals and as a company. “Aside from congratulating ourselves, let us be proud na sa kabila ng mga setbacks na dinulot ng nasabing pandemya, while many companies closed operations, tayo, kasama kayong lahat, ay matagumpay pa ding nakapagpadagadag ng bagong limang branches during the pandemic at na-reopen pa natin ang Hotel Sogo Malate”, he went on to say with a sense of pride and gratefulness. Truly, Hotel Sogo remains resilient and steadfast amidst the pandemic’s challenges by not only providing excellent service to clients but also expanding its branch network to a total of 46 as of this year and extending augmented charity efforts to various communities nationwide through its Corporate Social Responsibility program, “SogoHotelCares.”Sogo’s distinction in the industry lies in its service, with the value of “pagmamalasakit”, not only to its guests but to all clients it serves. The company strongly believes that it is this unique kind of service that will lead the company to achieve the massive but realistic goal of 100 branches.

Hotel Sogo celebrates 29 years of resilience and commitment to excellence

AS the country faces the postpandemic challenges of rising prices and inflation effects, community supermarket chain WalterMart continue to innovate its retail offering through the UNLI FRESH initiative. WalterMart will elevate the shopping experience through a dedicated grocery pavilion while being compliant with its 5S safe shopping program: Screening, Shield, Sanitation, Social distancing, and Service Heart. The said spot will also be festive in terms of fresh options – a wide assortment that the consumers can fill their bags with for only ThroughP399.its collaboration with core trade partner Mayani, the country’s fastest-growing farm-to-table platform with a network of over 139,000 smallholder farmers and fisherfolks, UNFLI FRESH will provide a value-oriented shopping experience to these provincial communities which started at Waltermart WalterMart offers more value to shoppers, pushes team-up with Mayani farmers to the provinces

W ORLD-CLASS residential and leisure estate Tagaytay Highlands continues to visualize a secure future for generations to come. Sprawled across 1,290 hectares of rolling terrain, it is the only mountain resort of its kind and scale that boasts a profusion of flora and fauna, year-round nippy weather, and stunning vistas of Taal Lake, Mt. Makiling, Canlubang Valley, and Laguna de Bay. Complementing nature’s bounty, Tagaytay Highlands is considered one of the most environment-friendly and sustainable leisure estates in the Philippines. Its environmental conservation programs have, in fact, earned for it the “Friend of Biodiversity” recognition from the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity.Tagaytay Highlands reinforces this image by adhering to a strict sustainability mandate, ensuring the responsible use of its resources. Under this directive, all structures in the development are designed for resilience to reduce the impact of environmental risks. Likewise, nearly half of developable areas is allocated for wellness and accessibility features, such as walking paths as well as access ramps for differently abled persons. All residential developments have introduced big lawns and pocket parks of their own, which provide ample space to have their own corner for individual and family outdoor activities. To promote and protect biodiversity, the ground cover in the resort, including the greens and fairways of Tagaytay Highlands’ championship golf courses, consists of native and low-maintenance plants and trees. Sustainability measures, including the planting of such native trees and shrubs, are kept in mind even in landscape design. To further support environmental protection, a yearly key active program is implemented for the planting of tree

L ABOR conditions of platform workers in the country will be presented in the Fairwork Philippines Ratings 2022, a report that assesses nine of the country’s largest digital labor platforms. These include Angkas, Borzo (formerly Mr. Speedy), Foodpanda, GrabCar, GrabExpress, Joyride, Lalamove, TokTok, and Transportify. The platforms will be gauged against five principles of fairness such as fair pay, fair conditions, fair contracts, fair management, and fair representation. The report presents the first set of Fairwork ratings for the country and establishes a baseline for the platform economy that will be updated on a yearly basis. The launch was held last August 9 via zoom. Prof. Cheryll Soriano, Principal Investigator of Fairwork Philippines and Professor at De La Salle University’s Department of Communication says: “The sustained impact of the COVID-19 pandemic presents additional challenges to the local platform economy. Most platform workers are more vulnerable to COVID-19 due to the nature of their work, beyond the daily struggles of working on the road. Furthermore, the lack of sick pay for many workers means they face severe financial insecurity if they need to self-isolate, fall ill, or face accidents that prevent them from working for extended periods”. Prof. Virgel Binghay, co-Investigator of Fairwork PH and Professor at the University of the Philippines’ School for Labor and Industrial Relations says: “Amid promises of opportunity and flexibility, the growth of the platform economy in the Philippines has also triggered debates around workers’ legal classification and their protection. The

species indigenous to Tagaytay Highlands. Along with reforestation and propagation initiatives, the vast estate operates electricityrun golf carts to help maintain its fresh mountainTagaytayair. Highlands makes sure that every drop counts through its conservation efforts. It routinely monitors water levels against projected demand and employs best practices in optimizing water use at the golf course, common areas, and establishments. On some of its new residential projects, retention/detention ponds and rain gardens are developed as landscape features. Also integrated in its environmental sustainability initiatives is the use of LED bulbs as well as PWD friendly amenities. To keep its wells and attendant pipes clean and fully functional, as well as to ensure steady electricity supply and internet connectivity, Tagaytay Highlands conducts periodic preventive maintenance. Waste management systems divert residual waste from the landfill through composting and recycling programs. To encourage homeowners to live sustainably healthy lifestyles, residents are granted access to fresh produce and greens at Pick and Pay, Tagaytay Highlands’ organicAlso,farm.Tagaytay Highlands has been holding its “One Tree at a Time” activity for a decade now, with the aim of planting one million trees by 2044. Today, there are over 490,000 trees planted within the Tagaytay HighlandsAttestingComplex.toTagaytay Highlands’ commitment to sustainability, safety, and security is its recently awarded “Safety Seal” given by the City Government of Tagaytay.TheDepartment of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) also hailed Tagaytay Highlands’ developer Highlands Prime, Inc., a subsidiary of SM Prime Holdings, as one of CALABARZON’s 2021 Outstanding Developers for Open MarketTagaytayProjects.Highlands continues to revisit its sustainability initiatives and regularly sense-checks them against the changing development landscape and evolving needs of its members and nearby communities. The development remains steadfast in its goal to make the estate truly livable to ensure discerning families’ health and well-being in the forthcoming years. Bacoor on August 5 to 7. Every Friday to Sunday, UNLI FRESH will land in various provincial WalterMart Malls in a caravan style: August 12 to 14 for Tanauan in Batangas, August 19 to 21 for San Fernando in Pampanga, and August 26 to 28 for Sta Maria in Bulacan. “We see this as a pro-active shared step towards making fresh produce and agricultural products more accessible, value-driven, and perhaps most importantly in light of the growing provincial demand, more inclusive to the evolving consumer base beyond the metropolis,” said Lance Villanueva, the Co-Founder and Chief of Fulfillment of Mayani. “With the recent earthquake up in the north and the disruption in the agricultural sector, this undertaking could not have come at a more relevant time,” Villanueva adds. “I believe there is no better time to let our provincial shoppes enjoy our UNLIFRESH than now. At WalterMart, it is our mission to elevate our customers’ shopping experience. Because of this we want to give all of our shoppers the chance to enjoy the UNLIFRESH activity that we have initially offered in select Manila stores. Not only does it give value, we believe it also adds fun to the whole shopping mission,” said Len Salita, Vice President for Merchandising and Head of the Fresh Department of WalterMart. Salita adds that Mayani has been a long-time partner of WalterMart and the common values that they share simply defines the success of this endeavor. “We trust that given Mayani’s strong network, we will be able to deliver the real value of having directly sourced fresh fruits and vegetables within our customers’ reach, and the same time extend the much needed market linkage to our partner farmers.”

Report on the labor conditions of workers from delivery apps released lack of guaranteed minimum wage and social security coverage for platform workers results in underpaid and unpaid labor. Falling outside the scope of collective sectoral agreements, platform work is also linked to lack of job protection and lack of collective voice”. Other members of the research team are Dr. Pam Custodio (UPLB), Margreta Medina (DLSU), Chana Garcia (DLSU), and Dr. Funda Ustek- Spilda (Fairwork / Oxford Internet Institute). At the launch, the project team will give a brief presentation of the key findings, to be followed by a discussion with guest panelists from key stakeholder groups: Don Pangan of Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong (Kagulong), Atty. Luke Espiritu (labor leader and organizer), Exec Director Ammah Charisma Satumba of the Department of Labor and Employment –Institute for Labor Studies (DOLE-ILS), and Dr Connie Bayudan-Dacuycuy of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies. There will also be an Q&A session for attendees. The Fairwork Pledge will be introduced in the closing session to engage all audiences and stakeholder groups in support for fair and decent standards of work in the gig economy. To attend the launch, register at: x2JXxPWRDe2Sc96aWwFeAhttps://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-

A L E x I S O R TIGA , v ice president for SM Prime Commercial Properties Group SM Offices, SM Prime’s commercial realestate arm, said the group has collabo rated with Miami-based Arquitectonica, architect-on-record W.V. Coscolluela and Associates, and LEED consultant C.A. Tatlonghari, to accomplish the colossal structure’s innovative design and curvi linear and sculptural form. Ortiga said the Mega Tower has a core workspace of 92,055 sq m and minimum of 2,000 sq m of typical leasable space per floor to serve the various business requirements in the Ortigas commercial business district. Ortiga said SM Prime believes in the importance of integrating green technol ogy. In fact, he said SM Prime even before “sustainable urban development” became a byword in recent years, the company has been pushing the envelope by reducing the environmental impact of its operations and leasable spaces. The Mega Tower is the byproduct of their green initiative leading to the LEED Gold certification.

T HE P hilippine office segment, the residential sector and tourism are well positioned to enjoy strong growth arising from the opportunities brought about by “a multitude of global headwinds” including global inflation and rising interest rates, according to David Leechiu, CEO of leading realestate services firm Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC). The continued expansion of the ITBPM sector will likely drive office de mand close to the 2016 level of 647k sq m, prior to the entry of the POGO sector which drove demand to record peaks from 2017 to 2019, according to LPCThestudies.IT-BPM sector is now accountable for 1.4 million jobs, making it the coun try’s largest employer. In the “crisis year” of 2021, as many as 120,000 outsourcing jobs were created as a response to finan cial uncertainties in the West indicat ing that the trend of increasing IT-BPM employment will continue as economic challenges prevail worldwide. This position is further supported by current live requirements for transac tions in various stages of negotiation which has so far been the highest since the start of the pandemic at 451k sq m as of Q2 2022. IT-BPMs account for 212k sq m of the total. These numbers are bound to gain fresh impetus given the new Marcos administra tion’s perceived determination to return to business as usual and its reluctance to imposing new lockdowns, said Leechiu. As of Q2 2022, actual office absorption was already at 255k sq m, the highest since the start of the pandemic. For the residential condominium sec tor, the current administration’s assur ance of unhampered mobility and con tinuous operations will prompt higher activity levels. The take-up in Q2 2022 was at 9,030 units or already 70 percent of pre-Covid levels, thanks to stretched down payments for amortization and other concessions offered by develop ers, said an LPC study. Moreover, higher construction costs and market uncertainties will prompt developers to offer even better payment terms to buyers in an effort to reduce inventory further and to pave the way for new launches. “Investors and buyers would be wise to grab this opportunity to lock down the price today and to pay interest-free downpayment over a pe riod of up to 4 to 5 years. They will be highly rewarded in the recovery a few years from now,” he said. In his State of the Nation Address, Presi dent Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) disclosed that he aimed to spend 5 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product on improving roads and transpor tation systems in key cities, a continuation of the previous administration’s Build, Build, Build initiative. These infrastructure projects have in creased accessibility from Metro Manila to Southern Mega Manila and other areas. Land values have been increasing in the surrounding communities with residential lots in Cavite and Laguna rising by 7 per cent-15 percent annually. Continuation of these infrastructure projects, assured by PBBM’s unrivalled political capital, will further prompt residential developers to launch more products. These infrastructure projects—which also include airports and seaports that will improve access to tourist desti nations—will likewise spur tourism, likely to be the largest industry in the Philippines in 10 years. The opening of seven new airport projects alone at the end of 2021 resulted to an increase of 16.7 million in annual passenger capac ity, disclosed LPC studies. There is also a potential 7 times increase in annual passenger capacity of projects in the pipeline to 386 million passengers per year from the current 55 million pas sengers per year. Leechiu further stated that the Phil ippines is likely to benefit from the cur rent trend of foreign travelers seeking cheaper tourism in the face of rising in flation worldwide. Travelers from North and East Asia, especially the middleclass populations of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong will be nearer to the Philippines via Clark International Airport. Whereas the Mactan Interna tional Airport will bring the country closer to Southern Asian countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia.Travelthrough Clark then to the preferred Philippines destinations, namely, Cebu, Bo racay, Bohol, Palawan, Siargao, Davao, La Union, and Ilocos Norte, will change the tourist experience positively. Leechiu explained: “Real estate has always been considered one of the safest assets for capital preservation in times of economic uncertainty.” Amidst the string of crises experienced over the past de cades, he cited investments in residential lots in the high-end gated subdivisions in Metro Manila proving to be excellent stores of value.

The future of offices O R TIGA S M Prime walks the extra mile in promoting sustainability giving a strong focus on wellness and community by of fering business locators and their em ployees advanced office solutions through high-quality, comfortable, and ideal work environments.Withstate-of-the-art features, Ortiga said the Mega Tower has established a rep utation of being a premium office build ing—serving as a model of how future commercial developments should address social and environmental challenges.

The 50-story Mega Tower will enhance the business skyline in Metro Manila not only with its elegant design but only also with its green features. skyscrapercity

Changing the business skyline in the metropolis

GreeninG of the property sector in full swinG

BusinessMirror Wednesday, August 10, 2022Editor: Tet Andolong B7

What’s in store for the property industry amidst multiple headwinds

Low carbon footprint A S p art of its greening programs on their buildings, Ortiga said SM offices employs low-carbon strategies for its office and commercial developments. He added Mega Tower is designed to be energy efficient utilizing 14 percent less energy, built with a double-glazed facade that keeps heat out while its office spac es use energy-efficient air-conditioning equipment, lighting fixtures, lifts, and es calators. By using water efficient fixtures and non-potable water for its landscape irrigation system, the Mega Tower has been able to reduce water consumption by 30 percent, through the use of water efficient fixtures. Mega Tower will contribute a lot to the reduction of carbon footprint as its stra tegic location and proximity to SM Mega Mall, various institutional offices, public parks, and residential subdivisions and condominiums within the Ortigas CBD encourage its tenant-partners, business locators, and their employees to walk and/or bike to work. Ortiga said Mega Tower also allocates parking spaces for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles, as well as access to alternative modes of transportation, including train, public buses and jeeps, and shuttle vans.

“Together with our partners, the suc cessful completion of Mega Tower is tes tament to SM Prime’s ability to deliver quality green workspaces to the market. We are proud to contribute to the already impressive Ortigas CBD skyline and to bring to market an environmentally friendly and premium development that promotes the well-being of our tenants,” Ortiga explained.

“Environment, sustainability and governance [ESG] is becoming integral to corporate real estate decision mak ing. From ‘nice-to-have,’ sustainability and wellness are increasingly becoming ‘must-haves’ for companies,” Rick San tos, Chairman and CEO of SKF said in a recent press Accordingbriefing.toSantos, landlords are quite aware these days that tenants will choose the best working environment for their employees and businesses at afford able rates. Santos said SKF expects 72.3 percent of upcoming office space between Q3 2022 and 2025 will be in LEED-certi fied buildings. As a result, there will be an increase in the proportion of green buildings in Metro Manila to 32 percent by the end of 2025.

SM Prime’s green magnum opus SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SM Prime), a staunch advocate of sustainable archi tecture, green engineering and resilient future-ready offices, recently introduced this year the 50-story Mega Tower located in the SM Megamall Complex.

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

The property industry is currently embarking on a greening program by establishing green buildings. Property management and consulting firm Santos Knight Frank (SKF) expects that the proportion of leadership in engineering and environmental design (LeeD)-certified buildings in Metro Manila will increase from 22.3 percent in Q2 2022 to 32 percent by the end of 2025.

T HE semifinalsthe(SBP)BasketbolSamahangngPilipinaswillrevealafterPhilippineCup

E RNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA’S streak of podium finishes ended abruptly on Tuesday in Hungary where the pole vaulting conditions weren’t any ideal at all that even world record holder Armand Duplantis couldn’t break 6.0 meters. biena, who in July bagged bronze with a new Asian record 5.94 meters at the world champion ships in Eugene, Oregon, could only muster 5.45 meters to finish just outside the Duplantis,podium.theSwede wonder who owns the world mark of 6.20 meters, expectedly won the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix gold but with a measly jump of 5.80 meters at the Bregyo Athletic Center in Szekesfehervar. T he rest of the field were at their worse hair day. Frenchmen Renaud Lavillenie and Thibaut Col let bagged silver and bronze with similar jumps of 5.60 meters. T he wind and weather were the culprits behind the poor numbers, according to Obiena’s benefactor Jim LotsLafferty.ofwind…and the weather, too,” Lafferty told BusinessMir ror . “[Christopher] Nilsen was al most blown off the pit in midair and almost suffered a serious injury.” L afferty was referring to Ameri cans Christopher Nilsen, who finished with the silver medal behind Duplan tis and ahead of Obiena in Oregon. Nilsen and fellow American Olen Tray Oates also cleared 5.45 meters but wound up fourth and fifth, respectively. Rio Olympics gold medalist Thiago Braz da Silva didn’t meet the opening height while Marcell Nagy of Hungary did not start. A fter the worlds, Obiena cap tured another bronze medal at the Silesia ninth leg of the Diamond League last Sunday. T hat 5.45 meters was Obiena’s worse for the season behind the 5.73 meters he cleared at the Wanda Diamond League in Stockholm last June 30. Josef Ramos

THAT’S IT My heart goes to the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs. Seemingly, their sacking from the AVC Cup was abruptly done. Was a dialogue between NU officials and volleyball top guns not explored at all before a decision was made? If yes, bad, bad...Happy birthday (August 10) to my younger sister, Cely. Cheers!

We don’t want to distract the teams and players who are playing in the semifinals,” Barrios told Tuesday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum. But he did announce in the forum the names of the non-PBA players in the Gilas pool that will see action in the August 25 to 29 qualifiers.

SMB, TNT aim to push PHL Cup semis opponents in deep hole

J AYSON CASTRO has always been the ultimate closer in his decorated career—be it for TNT Tropang Giga in the Philippine Basketball Association or for Gilas Pilipinas in international play. A nd the veteran guard, at 36 years of age, just reminded everyone about that in the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup semifinals between the top seeded Tropang Giga and the Magnolia Hotshots. W ith TNT on the brink of a Game 3 loss and a critical 1-2 series deficit, Castro took matters into his own hands and sank a booming gamewinning triple in the waning seconds to pull off a 93-92 thriller before a huge Sunday crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. C astro’s heroic came off a blitz as the Tropang Giga no longer has a timeout and he had to dribble his way from a full-court inbound after Mark Barroca’s own clutch basket gave the Hotshots a two-point lead. The daring act by “The Blur” was reason enough for him to be named the Cignal Play-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week midway through the Final Four. I n the first three games of the semifinals, Castro averaged 15.0 points behind a 47-percent threepoint clip (7/15), laced by 5.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds for an all-around campaign.That’son top of his unparalleled leadership role for the reigning Philippine Cup champions, who seized a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. For me, either shoot or miss, it’s still a good shot for me,” Castro said. “As a veteran, I needed to make the shot. At the same time, we needed to win Game 3.”

Rivas inwinningextendsstreakLapu-Lapu

who from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) ranks will be named to the national pool for the fourth window of the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) World Cup Qualifiers S BP spokesperson Renauld “Sonny” Barrios said the decision was made following a discussion with national team coach Chot Reyes and his staff, who stressed “it would be better to make the announcement once the ongoing semifinals series are over.”

SAMAHANG Basketbol ng Pilipinas spokesperson Renauld “Sonny” Barrios says Philippine Basketball Association players will dominate national pool.

T he all-Filipino Cup semifinals series have Magnolia facing defending champion TNT and top seed San Miguel playing opposite Meralco.

Bad hair day for EJ and co. in Hungary Castro’s go-ahead triple with 2.7 seconds left gave the Tropang Giga a 93-92It’swin.going to be much harder. I expect it to be even tougher than last Sunday,” Reyes said. “We’ll see how we will be able to take advantage of the recovery period.” Coach Chito Victolero said that what happened in Game 3 was just the “breaks of the game,” stressing they’re making only a few adjustments in Game 4.

By Josef Ramos S AN MIGUEL BEER shoots for a commanding 3-1 lead against Meralco, and so does TNT Tropang Giga against Magnolia as the semifinals series heat up some more on Wednesday in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. R iding a 96-91 triumph in Game 3 last Sunday, the Beermen are aiming to push the Bolts to the wall in their 3 p.m. encounter, while the Tropang Giga, fired up by Jaycon Castro’s Game 3-clinching three-pointer at crunch time, want the same commanding lead when they face the Hotshots at 6 p.m. Coach Leo Austria looks to be enjoying San Miguel Beer’s height advantage in the series with June Mar Fajardo, Moala Tautuaa and Vic Manuel combining for 40 points in Game 3. Swingman Jericho Cruz, Austria’s ward since his Adamson University days—believes otherwise though. There’s no room for complacency when you are facing a team like Meralco,” Cruz told BusinessMirror on Tuesday. “We won Game 1, but we lost Game 2—although we came back in Game 3,” he said. “It only shows that Meralco is really capable of beating us, so we cannot take them for granted.” Cruz scattered 15 points in Game 3 while CJ Perez top scored for the Beermen with 26 points and tallied 21 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks. But Meralco veteran coach Norman Black remains defiant, saying they’ll be back in Game 4. “ We didn’t have any injuries so we will be back,” Black said. “It’s not over yet. It’s just three games, it’s a bestof-seven series.” T NT Coach Chot Reyes, meanwhile, believes Magnolia will be back with vengeance from their disastrous defeat last Sunday where Castro Gameforweeklyreceivesawardconverting3clincher

MATEO RIVAS continued to flash top form to dominate the 16-under division with Ormoc City’s Kimi Brodeth in the Pala wan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) Rep. Cindi Chan na tional age-group title at the Lapu-Lapu Tennis Club in Cebu last Monday. The top seeded Rivas yielded just seven games in five matches, capping his romp with a 6-1, 6-0 triumph over No. 5 Ivan Manila as the Quezon City ace annexed his third straight victory after topping the Sta. Rosa (Laguna) and Apalit (Pampanga) legs of the country’s longest talent-search presented by Dunlop last month. Brodeth also lived up to her top billing and ripped No. 2 Shara Paliwag from Valencia (Negros Oriental), 6-0, 6-2, and though she fell short of her bid in the 18-under, the rising Ormoc City star clinched the MVP honors with Rivas, who also reached the semifinals of the centerpiece division of the week long Group 2 tournament which kicked off a four-leg Cebu swing of the nation wide circuit put up by Palawan Pawn shop president and CEO Bobby Castro. Tiffany Nocos, also from Quezon City, stopped Brodeth, 6-1, 6-3, and Ormoc’s John David Velez repulsed Marc Jarata, 6-3, 6-2, as they shared the 18-under honors, while Paliwag, a former MVP at La Carlota, and Kenzo Brodeth split the 14-under crowns via 6-3, 6-0 and 6-1, 7-6(11) victories over Kate Imalay and Juvels Velos, both from Danao, Cebu, respectively. Zita Clarke from Camiguin Island and Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija’s Lexious Cruz, meanwhile, provided the sparks by snaring the 12-under titles with the former holding off top seed Ma. Caroliean Fiel tormentor Mary Brigoli, 7-6(3), 6-3, in the semis then clipping Mae Diamante, 6-2, 6-4. The fifth-ranked Cruz, on the other hand, capped his impressive title run by trouncing No. 2 Rafa Callao, 4-1, 4-0, in the quarters, rapping third seed Matthew Morris, 6-1, 6-1, then whipping top ranked David Sepulveda, 6-0, 6-0. Action shifts to Mandaue City start ing Wednesday with Rivas and Brodeth seeking to sustain their run with the City of Naga leg hosting the next leg from August 17 to 24.

Sports BusinessMirror B8 Wednesday august 10, 2022 Editor:mirror_sports@yahoo.com.phJunLomibao

Good and lucky

T he Utah Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson will play as a naturalized player in the pool that includes Dwight Ramos, Ray Parks Jr., Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, who are all playing in the Japanese B.League, and collegiate stars Carl Tamayo, Francis Lopez and Kevin Quiambao. The rest of the pool will come from the PBA, with several of them from the 10 teams which are not in the playoffs. PBA players dominate the pool and for the meantime, the focus is on the existing pool,” said Barrios, also the SBP executive director, in the weekly forum presented by San Miguel Corp., Milo, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Amelie Hotel Manila, Unilever and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. G ilas will play Fiba Asia Cup runner-up Lebanon in Beirut on August 25 and will host Saudi Arabia on August 29 at the Mall of Asia Arena. B arrios said the SBP has yet to confirm the inclusion of young big man Kai Sotto, who will play another season with the Adelaide 36ers in Australia’s National Basketball League. He likes to play, but we’re still talking to him,” Barrios said. “Hopefully the talks will turn out positive.”Onthe country’s co-hosting of next year’s Fiba World Cup with Japan and Indonesia, Barrios said there’s a one-year countdown on August 25 for the biggest gathering of the world’s best basketball teams. A t raditional Tissot Countdown Clock will be launched on August 27 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall to be attended by Fiba president Hamane Niang and World Cup executive director David Crocker. The highlight of the five-day event will be the Philippines-Saudi Arabia qualifier with Clarkson playing on local soil for the first time. C larkson suited up for Gilas in the 2018 Asian Games that were held in Jakarta.

T HE Philippines dealt regional rival Vietnam a vengeful 3-1 victory in the 10th and penultimate round Monday night to move on the verge of carving its best finish in the World Chess Olympiad in Chennai,WomanIndia.Grandmaster (WGM) Janelle Mae Frayna and Woman International Masters (WIMs) Marie Antoinette San Diego and Kylen Joy Mordido booked masterful wins on Boards 1, 3 and 4, respectively, to seal the upset win. O nly WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda suffered the loss—a stinging result to WGM Nguyen Thi Ma Hung—on the second board. But it was hardly felt as the Filipinas, who are backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, found themselves sharing 22nd place with 10 other countries with 13 match points. T he Filipinas clashed with 14th-seed Cuba in the final round on Tuesday and a triumph would seal their best finish in the bien nial meet since a national women’s team finished 22nd in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1988. They also surpassed a 67th-place effort in the last over-the-board edition of the biennial tournament in Batumi, Georgia, four years ago regardless of the results of their match against the Cubans.

JAYSON CASTRO is hugged by teammates after he makes the Game 3 clincherdowntown.from

MATEO RIVAS (third from left) and Kimi Brodeth (second from left) hold their trophies as they pose with Jasmine Chan (left), who represented Lapu-Lapu City Rep. Cindi Chan, and Lapu-Lapu Tennis Club president Fiscal Ruso Zaragoza.

Th rough its team captain, Jayson Castro, the Tropang Giga snatched a 93-92 win from the cliff for a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven semifinal series against the Hotshots in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup before a sizable crowd that included Senator Bong Go at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. C astro, hailed at one time as Asia’s best point guard, got an inbound pass with 10 ticks left, dribbled toward the left quarter court, and then rifled a nets-ripping triple to erase a 92-90 deficit as time was expiring. That was a killer-dagger as only 2.8 seconds remained for Magnolia to mount a miracle, completely fizzling out after Paul Lee’s desperation heave from the back court hit nothing but air. C astro was uncharacteristically unemotional after his game-winner. Nofistpumping.Noprimalscream.Hewasstoic-faced even as his teammates swarmed all over him, tousling his hair in glee.

THERE is no defense against luck. When luck strikes, goodbye.That’s what TNT did to Magnolia on Sunday.

C astro was just doing his job? Sinking that triple under duress was but business as usual? Another day in the office? Th at he wasn’t lucky? I n a sense, yes. Luck just doesn’t happen by chance. It isThmade.egood produce luck. And luck only usually comes from the good. Th at is why we have the saying, “When you are lucky, you are good.” Or, “When you are good, you are lucky.” Th at Sunday night, Castro was both good and lucky. Or vice versa. Comes both ways. C an Castro’s heroism carry TNT to victory anew in Wednesday’s Game Four, also at the Cubao Big Dome at 6 p.m.?Hard to tell. One may be good at all times, but it is not all the time that luck can happen. Meanwhile, San Miguel Beer and Meralco also resume their semifinal duel in the 3 p.m. opener. J une Mar Fajardo, San Miguel’s 6-foot-10 fulcrum, is always good so that luck comes naturally to him most of the Atime.side from his ceiling, Fajardo’s bulk also makes him an immovable force underneath where he usually manufactures double-double digits with the ease of a spider webbing its house. But for the Bolts to forge a 2-2 deadlock against the Beermen, they need more than a double-teaming defense to neutralize, if not minimize, Fajardo’s obvious dominance both in scoring and rebounding. E asier said than done, you say? No debate there.

PHL WOMEN BEAT VIETNAM

SBP PUTS MORE TEETH TO NATIONAL SQUAD

LEYLAH IN HARNESS Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, who traces her roots to the Philippines, returns a ball to Storm Sanders of Australia at the National Bank Open tennis tournament in Toronto on Monday. Fernandez—she won, 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-3—is back in action for the first time since suffering a stress fracture in her foot. She’s ranked 13th in the tournament. AP