BusinessMirror August 11, 2021

May FDI down 25.4% on Covid ‘concern’

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

T

HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Tuesday that longterm investments made by foreign investors to the Philippines posted a double-digit decline in May this year.

Foreign direct investments (FDI) in May hit $429 million, declining by 25.4 percent from the $575 million in the same month last year.

Despite the decline in May, the cumulative FDI level remained higher by 37.8 percent at $3.5 billion net inflows in

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the first five months of the year from $2.5 billion net inflows in the same period last year.

The BSP said this is due largely to overall improvements across all the subsectors of FDI during the year.

FDI are investments that are made by foreign players to the Philippines in the hopes of long-term return. Since these are in the country for a longerterm compared to their shortterm counterpart, the foreign portfolio investments (FPI), FDI usually create jobs for Filipinos and have a multiplier effect on the economy.

“The FDI decline in May

2021 reflected renewed investor concerns on the rising cases of the new variants of Covid-19 globally,” the BSP said in a statement.

By component of FDI, nonresidents’ net investments in debt instruments during the month contracted by 23.4 percent to $269 million from $351 million in May 2020.

Foreign net investments in equity capital also declined by 53.4 percent to $60 million in May this year from $130 million in the comparable month last year.

The BSP said this was on account of the increase in equity capital withdrawals by 70.2 percent to

$21 million from $13 million in the same month last year.

This was coupled with the decrease in equity capital placements by 42.6 percent to $82 million from $142 million in May 2020.

Bulk of the equity capital placements during the month came from Japan, the United States, and Malaysia. These were channeled mostly to the manufacturing; real estate; and financial and insurance industries.

Meanwhile, reinvestment of earnings rose by 6 percent to $99 million from $94 million in May 2020.

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Wednesday, August 11, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 301

PHL OUT OF RECESSION, BUT FRAGILE–EXPERTS n

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WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO SUSTAIN GROWTH? LAWMAKERS WEIGH IN

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

& Butch Fernandez

A Members of the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic check passengers’ APOR (authorized persons outside of residence) credentials before allowing them to board buses at the Edsa Carousel Busway in Bagong Barrio Station in Caloocan City. Prompted by a rise in new Covid-19 cases in the National Capital Region, President Duterte decided to place the metropolis under lockdown for two weeks until August 20. NONOY LACZA

By Cai U. Ordinario

T

@caiordinario

HE Philippine economy may have technically exited recession but the uncertainty caused by the Delta variant is threatening its recent economic gains, according to local economists. On Tuesday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) disclosed that GDP grew 11.8 percent in the second quarter and 3.7 percent in the first semester of the year.

However, local economists interviewed by the BusinessMirror were not quick to jump on the “recession’s over” train as uncertainties remain.

“We were able to break the streak of consecutive quarters of contraction. Recession is two consecutive quarters of negative growth rates,” Ateneo Center for Research and Development (ACERD) Associate Director Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes told the BusinessMirror.

“It’s a different matter when you talk about levels of growth rates.

We have a long way to go before we can go back to prepandemic levels,” he said.

De La Salle University economist Maria Ella Oplas said the second

quarter GDP growth only meant that the economy improved from last year’s condition. This is more often known as base effect.

Oplas said recessions often last for around three years. A technical recession is marked by at least two quarters of GDP contraction but, she said, “it can fluctuate.”

This means, Oplas said, it is possible for the economy to contract for two quarters then increase in the next quarter only to go back to a contraction in the following period.

“Well, you can say it’s part of the business cycle theory where the economy experiences bouts of recession and economic growth.

@butchfBM

LTHOUGH the country technically exited from the pandemic-induced recession with the 11.8-percent GDP growth posted in the second quarter, lawmakers said it would take a lot of effort for all sectors to sustain that growth, given the impact of the latest, still ongoing strict lockdowns in the major economic hubs.

Still, leaders of the House of Representatives on Tuesday said the Philippines is still in the game for 7-percent GDP growth this year.

However, House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda said government should continue implement faster rollout of Covid-19 vaccine doses and mitigating measures against the Delta variant to sustain recovery on the second half of 2021.

“We’re not yet out of the hole, so we have no space or reason for complacency,” said the lawmaker. “ We’re still in the game for 7-percent GDP growth in 2021 but it’s no indication

that people are having it easier economically,” added Salceda in response to GDP figures released on Tuesday.

National Statistician Dennis Mapa announced an 11.8-percent grow th from Apr il to June, reversing the 3.9-percent plunge logged in the first three months of 2021. The latest figure meets the expected doubledigit growth by the economic team and analysts. It is also the highest since the fourth quarter of 1988 when the economy grew 12 percent.

In the first semester of the year, the PSA reported that the country’s GDP averaged 3.7 percent, using constant 2018 prices.

In a joint statement read by Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua, the President’s economic team attributed the recovery on the government’s policy to allow greater mobility to production sectors such as construction during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period last March and April 2021.

Metro Manila and huge parts of Calabarzon, however, have been placed anew under ECQ from August 6-20.

See “Growth,” A2

See “Recession,” A2

PESO exchange rates n US 50.3660 n japan 0.4566 n UK 69.7771 n HK 6.4710 n CHINA 7.7651 n singapore 37.1212 n australia 36.9233 n EU 59.1347 n SAUDI arabia 13.4302 Source: BSP (10 August 2021)

A2

BusinessMirror

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

With 72% of total loan portfolio, Japan still PHL top ODA source

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

J

APAN has been the Philippines’s largest bilateral source of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the past two decades, accounting for the bulk of the country’s total bilateral loans during the period, the Finance department reported on Tuesday.

The Philippines has so far contracted $14.139 billion in loans from Japan, equivalent to 72 percent of its total bilateral loan portfolio amounting to $19.656 billion from 2001 to 2020, according to a report from the Department of Finance’s International Finance Group (IFG).

Financial support from the European Union (EU) and China amounted to $3.049 billion and $1.185 billion, respectively,

Growth. . .

Continued from A1

In Salceda’s view, the second-quarter growth record “is positive because it beats consensus estimates by a fully 1.4 percentage points. That’s not nothing. But we will see some roadblocks ahead, so we have to keep plowing forward with vaccination and other health measures. There is no longer any tradeoff between health and the economy here. If you can boost health, you will see the economy recovery.”

Salceda predicted that, “If we are able to stop Delta in its tracks and avoid

making up 16 percent and 6 percent of the total ODA loan portfolio from 2001 to the present.

Loans from South Korea amounting to $1.101 billion accounted for 5.6 percent while the rest came from the United States ($160 million) and the Middle East ($20 million).

Finance Undersecretary Mark Dennis Joven, who heads the IFG, reported that Japan is the top ODA partner of the Philippines under President Duterte, accounting for $6.122 billion or 77 percent of the total $7.947-billion ODA commitments under the administration.

Joven said the ODA loans were contracted under the Duterte administration mostly to help bankroll the government’s massive infrastructure investments under the President’s signature “Build, Build,

the kind of surges Indonesia and other Asean neighbors are experiencing, we will perform very strongly in H2 [second half of the year],” he added.

Besides quick vaccination, Salceda said a strong second half will also require funding for genome sequencing, effective testing, treatment, and isolation, and some rhyme and reason to the contact tracing efforts.

“So, we can’t be complacent. Being out of the recession simply means we stopped our streak of negative growth.

Our economy is still smaller now than it was pre-pandemic,” he said.

The solon also emphasized that the lockdown over the National Capital

Build” (BBB) program, along with scaling up state funds for the huge financial requirements of the Covid-19 response and subsidies for families and sectors hit hard by the pandemic.

“The extensive bilateral borrowing during the [Duterte] administration has been instrumental in allowing the [government] to spend around 5 percent of gross domestic product [GDP] for infrastructure to spur economic growth, and in safeguarding development gains during the pandemic,” Joven said in his report.

In its nine-year term from January 2001 to June 2010, the Arroyo administration contracted a total of $6.067 billion worth of bilateral ODA loans, of which $3.2 billion or 52.7 percent came from Japan, Joven said.

Region (NCR) and other nearby provinces will bear down on economic performance and “other hard lockdowns could hurl us back to the negative territory in the second half.”

“So we have to get the health aspects right so that we don’t always resort to the nuclear option of an ECQ,” Salceda said.

Senators weigh in

Meanwhile, in the Senate, a similarly cautious view prevailed, with senators citing the very real risks to growth, given the severe health challenge from the Delta-fueled case spike and the mobility restrictions’ strangling effect on business.

Meanwhile, bilateral ODA loans of the administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III reached $5.641 billion, of which Japan provided 85 percent of the total or $4.817 billion.

On a year-by-year comparison during the 20-year period covering the three administrations, Joven said the Philippines contracted the least amount of bilateral ODA loans in 2003 totaling $95.726 million, while the greatest amount of bilateral ODA loans was in 2020 totaling $2.774 billion.

As of June 2020, data from National Economic and Development Authority showed that the country has a total $26.21-billion ODA grants and loans.

The bulk of such ODA, $24.6 billion, comprised loans from various bilateral and multilateral organizations.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, responding to a query by the BusinessMirror on what it takes to sustain the second-quarter growth given the fresh lockdowns, reminded everyone that “government’s first job is to spend the budget as authorized by Congress.”

Recto added, “the government may consider additional stimulus directed to health, social protection, and loans for small business, at reduced rates.”

For her part, Senator Imee Marcos, who chairs the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, noted that “the official narrative is that Q2’s 11.8 percent is the highest growth we’ve posted since Q4 of 1988.”

But, she added, “let’s get real: that apparent increase still condemns us to negative territory, relative to the 17-percent contraction of last year.”

She stressed that it is “still a long way to go just to get back where we were before Covid.”

Meanwhile, she added, “we still have not learned the twin lessons of this ‘close-open, on and off ’ pattern of dreaded lockdowns in the last 18 months.”

These options, she said, “only work if there is: 1) adequate social protection such as ayuda, and 2) a relentless medical response of aggressive vaccination, testing and treatment.”

Also, she added, “in the end, we need to generate jobs to fill the gap of lost economic activities or discover new ways such as e-biz [electronic or digital business] to adjust these activities during a lockdown.”

Marcos advised that “only by accepting that things will not go back to the old normal, and that we have to gear the economy towards a sustainable, digital and healthy new normal can we minimize the catastrophic disruptions engendered by these never-ending lockdowns.”

For her part, Senator Grace Poe pointed out that “economic growth may be at its highest since 1988 but let us not lose sight of the fact that still, it isn’t back to prepandemic levels.”

“We may have grown by 11.8 percent from the 17-percent contraction of last year but that’s nothing to brag about because much of it is base effect,” Poe said, adding: “What our people need urgently now is for the government to spend their tax money on the health sector by paying the hospitals and our health-care workers, while protecting and creating jobs.”

At the same time, Poe suggested: “Let us keep our people safe and ensure that there will be food on their table. Then and only then can these growth numbers mean anything.”

Sen. Joel Villanueva, responding to BusinessMirror’s query, replied: “We need to improve the management of the pandemic and control the spread of Covid-19.”

Villanueva stressed “that is the only we see how we can sustain the economic recovery,” adding his plea: “vaccines please.”

ECQ’s cost

Salceda estimated that the implementation of ECQ in the NCR will cost around P112.69 billion per week, while the imposition of a Calabarzonwide ECQ will cost an additional P89.9 billion per week in foregone GDP. He said the ECQ in Metro Manila will cost 439,000 jobs, while the Calabarzon ECQ will lose another 219,000 jobs, for a total net job loss of 658,000.

“This estimate approximates the Neda estimate of 440,000 jobs lost during the ECQ in NCR,” he said.

See “Growth,” A9

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Recession. . .

Continued from A1

This is the reason for sound fiscal and monetary policy to

smoothen such fluctuations and to sustain economic growth,” former Dean of the Ateneo de Manila School of Social Sciences Fernando T. Aldaba told this newspaper.

Meanwhile, BPI Chief Economist Emilio S. Neri Jr. told BusinessMirror that the combined GDP of the last quarter was still 12 percent behind 2019 levels.

The PSA also estimated that the P8.9-trillion GDP in the first half of 2021 was 6 percent lower than the P9.4 trillion recorded in the first half of 2019.

UnionBank Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion told the BusinessMirror that it is also worth examining the seasonally adjusted growth of the Philippine economy.

Based on PSA data, the seasonally adjusted GDP growth contracted 1.3 percent. Asuncion said only if the figure is positive can economists say there was a “real robust comeback” in economic growth.

“It’s difficult to say we are no longer in a recession when [the number of ] people who do not have jobs are soaring and job opportunities are lacking,” Asuncion also said.

Recovery

National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa said in order for the government’s low-end target of 6 percent to be achieved this year, the economy needs to post a growth of 8.2 percent in the second half of the year.

If the high-end target of 7 percent is to be achieved, Mapa said the economy needs to grow 10.2 percent in the July-to-December period.

Prepandemic, 2023?

Aldaba said, however, that the economy is already on its way to recovery but this would not happen immediately. He estimates that going back to prepandemic levels could come later, around 2023.

Recovery from the recession, he said, could come faster if the country can improve its management of the pandemic through testing, contact tracing, and vaccination.

These efforts, Aldaba said, could be complemented by increased government spending for assistance to households and firms.

Neri said it is possible to recover in 2022 if the vaccination rate rises to 25 percent to 30 percent by year-end and 60 to 70 percent by mid-2022.

“We are not in a recession anymore but a lot of work still needs to be done. We are falling behind our Asean peers. Most of them will be back to 2019 output this year,” Neri said.

“We are one of the few who might see full recovery by 2022, even 2023. More important is what is necessary to return to our output path before the pandemic,” he added.

Asuncion said initially, UnionBank estimated that the recovery of the economy would be possible at the end of 2022. But given the uncertainties and the impending lockdown, recovery may be pushed back to the first quarter of 2023.

However, Action for Economic Reforms (AER) Coordination Filomeno Sta. Ana III said it was difficult to estimate when the economy will see a recovery given the uncertainties brought by the Delta variant.

He said the pandemic caused a lot of strain and unpredictability.

It was also important to consider other variables such as income, employment, and investments. These would be crucial in ushering in a recovery from the recession.

“Of course the double-digit quarterly growth is impressive; it is near the higher bound of what is possible for growth during the said time period. But looking ahead, we have to contain the Delta variant, if the spurt could be sustained,” Sta. Ana said.

GDP as P100

In a public social-media post, Peña-Reyes likened the second quarter GDP in 2019 to P100. In the second quarter of 2020, this declined 16.9 percent or a reduction of P16.9 to P83.10.

However, in the second quarter of 2021, GDP grew 11.8 percent to P92.91. There is a difference of P9.81 between second quarter GDP in 2019 and 2020.

Comparing the difference between GDP in 2020 and 2021 and the decline in GDP growth in 2020, Peña-Reyes said the economy only recovered 58.02 percent of the P16.9 billion that the economy lost in the 2020.

“So, where did ACERD’s 15.2 percent forecast come from? Simply put, we were assuming that in Q2-2021, we were able to recover about 75 percent of what we lost in Q2-2020,” Peña-Reyes said.

“If we lost P16.90, then 75 percent of P16.90 is P12.68. P12.68/ P83.10 = 15.26 percent, which was pretty much our forecast. It turns out that we were being exceedingly generous with our assumption,” he added.

Returning to prepandemic levels using this analogy, Peña-Reyes said, would mean growing the 7.63 percent to go back to the P100 level in the second quarter of 2019.

“I will just leave it to your imagination if such a feat is doable in a year,” Peña-Reyes said.

No fluke?

Economists believe, however, that the second quarter growth was not a fluke, given that base effects and the policies of the government did help boost economic growth in the period.

Former ACERD Director Ang thinks the second quarter growth was no fluke since the economic team was correct in saying that this was a result of looser mobility restrictions.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said the President’s economic team attributed the recovery to the government’s policy to ease mobility restrictions in production sectors, such as construction, during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period last March and April.

Public construction, Chua said, grew 49.7 percent while private construction expanded by 19.1 percent. Together, the construction sector grew 25.7 percent, the highest since the second quarter of 2010, when its expansion reached 26.6 percent.

Chua added that household spending grew 7.2 percent as millions regained their jobs and income sources in the first half.

He also said foreign trade substantially recovered with imports and exports rising by 37.8 percent and 27 percent, respectively.

This, Chua said, is a strong rebound that reflected increased domestic demand and the recovery of the country’s trading partners.

Neri added that the economy would have done better had it not been for the surge in Covid-19 cases in March and April. This, he said, dampened the economy’s “recovery momentum.”

Sta. Ana agreed and said that it was worth noting that Filipinos have also learned their lessons on how to “dance with the virus” as well as the cost of the “premature easing of restrictions.” He added the government also avoided an absolute lockdown.

“Luck nevertheless plays a role. What we can say is that growth for said quarter reached the higher bound,” Sta. Ana said.

The PSA said the main contributors to the growth were: Manufacturing which rose by 22.3 percent; Construction, 25.7 percent; and Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, 5.4 percent.

Among the major economic sectors, Industry and Services posted increases of 20.8 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, Agriculture, forestry, and fishing contracted by -0.1 percent in the second quarter.

The Nation BusinessMirror

A4 Wednesday, August 11, 2021 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Immigrants with expired ACR I-Card can still enter Philippines–BI official

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By Joel R. San Juan

@jrsanjuan1573

HE Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Tuesday announced that it would still allow the entry into the country of foreigners with permanent resident visas although their alien certificate of registration identity cards (ACR I-Card) have expired provided that they could present valid reentry permits (RPs).

BI acting port operations chief lawyer Carlos Capulong said he has issued a memorandum to implement

the directive of BI Commissioner Jaime Morente to allow the entry of alien immigrants with expired ACR

I-Cards after receiving numerous queries on the matter.

“We are still being besieged with queries as to whether these aliens who are permanent residents and immigrants with expired I-Cards can go back to the Philippines. They can do so as long as they can present their valid RPs,” Capulong said.

Morente issued the directive upon recommendation of the bureau’s alien registration division (ARD), which held that arriving immigrants with expired ACR I-Cards should not be turned back but be advised only to renew their cards at the bureau.

It clarified that ACR I-Cards cannot be used as basis to admit an alien immigrant as it merely serves as proof that the latter is registered with the BI. For aliens who are holders of nonimmigrant visas, Capulong said, they

will be required to present valid ACR I-Cards to be allowed entry.

However, aliens whose reentry permits and special return certificates have expired, they may renew the same upon arriving at the airport before immigration clearance, Capulong said.

Earlier, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra instructed the BI to allow foreigners with expired reentry permits and SRCs to extend and pay their fees at the airport.

The justice secretary acknowledged most of these alien visa holders failed to extend their RPs and SRCs because they were stranded abroad due to various restrictions and quarantine protocols being implemented by some countries in response to the current worldwide health crisis brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

57,954 sign petition for senators to regulate, ban single-use plastic

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

A

TOTAL of 57,954 individuals have signed a petition calling on the country’s lawmakers to regulate and ban “problematic” single-use plastic packaging products in the Philippines.

Environmental groups have been condemning the packaging industry for the plastic wastes, including those that find their way into waterways and the ocean.

Single-use plastics are discarded after use, but because they are nonbiodegradable, they remain in water bodies and over the years, break apart and become micro-plastics that contaminate human food as they are mistaken for food by fish and other marine life, in the ocean.

The petition initiated by various environmental groups was submitted to the Senate.

“The petition mirrors that our citizens already clamor for the passage of comprehensive law banning single-use plastics. The Senate should already act to pass a comprehensive bill that will mandate clear timelines on the phaseout of production, distribution and sale of problematic plastic products, while providing incentives to eco-friendly alternatives and systems,” Coleen Salamat, plastic solutions campaigner of EcoWaste Coalition said in a news statement.

Break Free From Plastic, EcoWaste Coalition, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Greenpeace Philippines, Health Care Without Harm Asia, Mother Earth Foundation, Oceana Philippines International, Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability, Philippine Movement for Climate Justice, Project Mariknows, War on Waste Negros Oriental, Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines, Sea, and Terrestrial Environment Protectors, Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) Cebu, SANLAKAS Cebu, Kabataan Party-list, Panalipdan Youth Davao, Philippine Earth Justice Center, and 350.org Pilipinas are hoping that the petition will convince the 18th Congress to act on the petition and enact a measure that effectively regulates, if not totally ban, single-use plastic packaging materials and products that continue to cause environmental degradation.

“We need a law that is serious about tackling plastic pollution here in the country and needs to address it from the very first stage where problems manifest and that’s at extraction and production. Plastic creates problems for our climate, our environment and health throughout its different stages.

A genuine solution to the plastic crisis should start upstream,” Marian Ledesma, zero waste campaigner of Greenpeace said for her part.

Specifically, the groups are calling

for the Senate for an immediate timeline for the phasing out of single-use plastic products.

The new law, the group said, should be consistent with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (Republic Act 9003) and the Clean Air Act (Republic Act 8749), focus on sustainable systems and reusability of products, and mandate producers to cut back on use of single-use plastic.

PHL as pilot site

IN a related development Samal Island in the Philippines, along with the Mandalika, Lombok Island in Indonesia has been identified as the pilot sites of proposed solutions to the worsening plastic problem under the Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge Phase II of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Over 140 innovators joined the UNDP’s innovation challenge to combat plastic pollution in the Asia-Pacific region. From the group of innovators, 18 finalists were selected from seven countries—Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand, the UNDP announced in a news statement.

Launched early this year with the support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) to help address the worsening plastic problem, the Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge Phase II or EPPIC seeks to find innovative ways to fight ocean plastic, that are under development but lack the support or visibility to grow.

In the Philippines, up to 60 billion plastic sachets are used each year, with Samal Island generating approximately 15,000 tons of wastes annually. In Indonesia, the annual waste generation is estimated to be up to 6.8 million tons, with Mandalika, Lombok Island total household waste generation reaching 215.7 tons per year (during pandemic) and the tourism sector contributing more than 13,731 tons/ year before the pandemic. Both sites had high-foot traffic of tourists prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Among the most common types of waste generated in both islands are pet bottles and other plastic food packaging.

“The portfolio of solutions that have been collected through this competition can be a reference and trigger for the Indonesian innovators because they can see what has been applied in other Asean countries then try to implement them in Indonesia, and vice versa. Indonesia also already has innovations that can be applied to neighboring countries, considering that the plastic problems we face are similar,” Nani Hendiarti, deputy for Environment and Forestry Coordination on Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investment of the Republic of Indonesia said.

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Biz chamber: More Filipino HCWs needed in Germany

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @TyronePiad

T

H E G e r m a n - Ph i l ip pi ne Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) is pushing for the lifting of the deployment cap for Filipino health-care workers (HCW) in Germany amid the high demand.

In a news statement issued on Tuesday, the foreign business group said that the 6,500-deployment cap for Filipino HCWs has been reached already.

GPCCI e x pl a ined t h at t he European country needs about 50,000 HCWs, noting that the Phi lippines has 2,000 HC Ws waiting for deployment.

“After reaching the extended cap again, and the introduction of a new batch of 5,000 licensed nurses in July, we appeal that the Philippine government should review the current deployment ban.

Many of the HCWs in our business community have signed a working contract and the employers are waiting,” GPCCI President Stefan Schmitz said.

The Department of Labor and Employment is seeking to increase the deployment cap for HCWs by another 1,500 slots or a total of 8,000 this year. Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said that the 6,500 slots were already maximized this month.

T he Ger man chamber said that the deployment cap prevents Filipino HCWs from getting their assignments abroad despite exerting “effort, time and costs” to meet the standards of the foreign employers.

“The appropriate skills and qualifications of Filipino health-care

workers remain to be the important interest of Germany,” GPCCI Deputy Executive Director Charlotte Bandelow said. “The Chamber has been an important avenue on these discussions in the past several months and we look forward to continuing the dialogue with the relevant stakeholders.”

Lifting the deployment cap is seen to bode well for the Philippine economy. GPCCI said it would boost remittances and employment of Filipino HCWs. The business group noted that Germany contributed 500 million EUR in remittances to the Philippines last year, out of 28.2 billion EUR from 12 million overseas Filipino workers.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas recently reported that personal remittances from overseas Filipinos rose by 6.6 percent to $13.68 billion in the first five months from $12.835 billion year-on-year.

In a recent inter view with the BusinessMirror, Schmitz stressed that imposing the strictest form of community quarantine will have an unfavorable impact on the economy, including the foreign direct investments.

The government placed Metro Manila under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ ) from August 6 to 20 amid the threat of Covid-19 Delta variant.

“While we understand that there is a significant rise in the Delta variant transmission, we believe that strict measures to contain any variant of Covid-19 are already in place,” he said, noting that another ECQ will hurt employment.

Schmitz called for a speedy vaccination rollout in the country to ease restrictions.

House to confer ‘Medal of Distinction’ on boxers Petecio, Marcial, Paalam Winning a medal at the Olympics was no easy feat as our boxers had to compete against the best athletes in the world.

Nesthy, Carlo and Eumir are considered as our national heroes in sports.

BM

House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

T

HE House of Representatives announced on Tuesday that it would also bestow the Congressional Medal of Distinction on boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial for winning two silver medals and a bronze for the Philippines in the recently concluded Tokyo Summer Olympics.

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano have already filed House Resolution (HR) 2093 congratulating, commending and conferring the Congressional Medal of Distinction to Petecio for winning the country’s first Olympic silver medal in women’s boxing.

Lawmakers are also filing similar resolutions for Paalam and Marcial, who have won silver and bronze in the men’s boxing flyweight and middleweight categories, respectively.

The Congressional Medal of Distinction is given to Filipino achievers in sports, business, medicine, science, and other fields. It was the same award

given by Congress to weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz five years ago when she won a silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Following Diaz’s historic gold medal win in the Tokyo Games, the House created the Congressional Medal of Excellence to be given exclusively to Olympic gold medalists.

A separate resolution has been filed making Diaz the first recipient of the award. The House adopted both resolutions during the plenary session held last August 3.

Velasco said the Congressional Medal of Excellence was created to give honor and commendation to “exceptional modern-day national heroes in sports who win the gold medal in the Olympics.”

“Winning a medal at the Olympics was no easy feat as our boxers had to compete against the best athletes in the world. Nesthy, Carlo and Eumir are considered as our national heroes in sports,” the House leader said.

“The award will immortalize the achievements of Olympic gold medalists and give them a legacy to leave behind by providing future generations with inspirational lessons that they can take to heart,” Velasco added.

Economy BusinessMirror

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Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Wednesday, August 11, 2021 A5

DTI to abide by TC ruling on automobile safeguard duty–Lopez

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @TyronePiad

T

HE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it is mandated to follow the ruling of the Tariff Commission (TC) over the removal of safeguard duties on imported car units.

This, after the Philippine Metal Workers’ Alliance (PMA) asked the Trade department to reject the TC report on the matter.

“Unfortunately, based on rules and jurisprudence, the DTI secre-

tary cannot impose any definitive safeguard measure if TC makes a negative final determination,” Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez told the BusinessMirror.

He said that the “DTI is left with no option but to abide by the TC ruling.”

In a report last month, the commission recommended that no definitive general safeguard measure should be in place for the importation of motor vehicles.

The DTI previously imposed provisional safeguard duties in the

form of a cash bond amounting to P70,000 per unit for imported passenger cars and P110,000 per unit for imported light commercial vehicles in January. Based on DTI’s previous reports, both the imports of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles increased significantly compared to domestic production during the period of investigation.

According to Republic Act 8800 or the Safeguard Measures Act, the government may impose “general safeguard measure upon a positive final determination of the Commis-

sion that a product is being imported into the country in increased quantities...as to be a substantial cause of serious injury or threat thereof to the domestic industry.”

The investigation of TC, however, revealed that the locally manufactured passenger cars and light commercial vehicles can compete with imported units of the same kind because “they are substitutable with the latter in the market by providing consumers with an alternative for satisfying their needs and tastes for said product.”

According to the commission, there was no surge of imports of passenger car and light commercial vehicle units during the point of investigation from 2014 to 2020, both in absolute terms and relative to domestic production.

But PMA, in a recent statement, claimed that the TC’s report “ignored” the import surge of the car units.

“The TC stood by the erroneous conclusion in its preliminary report on the investigation on the surge in imports of automotive vehicles, and adopted the same findings in its

final report,” PMA National President Ruel Punzalan said.

“Furthermore, despite the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic affected global trade, the TC still decided to include data from 2020 to make its problematic conclusion. It is as if it wasn’t obvious that the trend on the importation of vehicles was merely disrupted, but not fundamentally changed,” the labor group added.

According to PMA, the total imported CBU (completely built unit) motor vehicles rose to 221,746 in 2019 from 103,907 in 2014.

Plugging supply gaps: Economic team prepares for closing of fishing season

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

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HE Philippines is preparing to import fish to plug supply gaps as the fishing season comes to a close, according to the President’s economic team.

On Tuesday, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said the government is preparing to issue certificates of necessity to import (CNI) to cover the supply gap with the closing of the fishing season.

By issuing CNIs, Chua said the government could be able to keep inflation at bay. In July, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed fish prices increased 9.3 percent, higher than the 8.7 per-

cent posted in June.

“The government will also proactively ensure that fish prices do not rise further as supply narrows in the upcoming close fishing season starting October. The Department of Agriculture is preparing to issue certificates of necessity to import [CNI] to cover the supply gap,” Chua, quoting the joint statement of the economic team, said on Tuesday.

However, government sources told the BusinessMirror that discussions are still ongoing within the DA regarding the issuance of CNIs. The DA has been allowing the importation of fish in recent years during closed fishing season to augment domestic supply and avert price spikes.

Apart from the CNI, Chua said, the government is providing emergency subsidies to enable Filipinos to cope with the heightened quarantine restrictions.

Chua said these, together with efforts to increase the minimum access volume and lower tariffs of pork imports, are helping keep commodity prices.

He added that the government also reduced the most-favored nation tariff rate of rice outside Asean. This has helped keep rice, the country’s food staple, affordable.

Chua noted that in July, rice prices contracted 1 percent. PSA data showed that meat prices increased 16 percent in July, slower than the 19.2-percent increase posted in June.

“To help the people cope with the heightened quarantine, the government is providing emergency subsidies in ECQ [enhanced community quarantine] areas.

Moreover, the government is working to ensure stable and affordable food prices,” Chua said.

Last week, in a presentation before the House of Representatives Committee on Health, National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Undersecretary for the Regional Development Group Mercedita A. Sombilla shared the impact of the community quarantines on the economy.

Based on Neda estimates as of August 2, every week in ECQ would cost the economy P144.260

billion, leading to a reduction of economic growth by 0.8 percentage points this year.

She added that the ECQ would lead to an increase in the number of poor Filipinos from 161,000 to 242,000 per week. This will also render some 607,000 Filipinos jobless per week.

Sombilla said between August 6 and 20, 35 percent of the economy will be placed under ECQ; 9 percent under modified ECQ (MECQ); general community quarantine (GCQ ) with heightened restrictions (HR), 21 percent; GCQ with restrictions (WR), zero; GCQ, 14 percent; and modified GCQ (MGCQ ), 21 percent.

Based on Neda estimates, Sombilla said, between August 6 and

20, some 7.25 million workers will be affected under the ECQ; 4.24 million in MECQ; 10.061 million in GCQ HR; zero in GCQ WR; 8.14 million in GCQ; and 12.269 million in MGCQ. Earlier, the Neda estimated that placing Metro Manila under ECQ would cost the economy some P105 billion. Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua told reporters that this would also increase the ranks of the poor by up to 177,000 people and renders 444,000 Filipinos jobless.

However, Chua said the impact would be mitigated by cash assistance that the government will be providing for those who will be adversely affected by the lockdown.

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The World BusinessMirror

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

Sydney’s Delta infections keep climbing 7 weeks into lockdown

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he Delta variant outbreak roiling Sydney has reached a fresh record, even as Australia’s most populous city is well into the seventh week of a lockdown ordering residents to stay-at-home.

New South Wales, Australia’s biggest state economy, recorded 356 new cases on Tuesday—the highest tally since this outbreak started in Sydney in mid-June and up from 283 the day before.

The clusters are largely concentrated in parts of the city’s southwestern areas. The state recorded three more deaths, bringing total fatalities of the current outbreak to 32.

“We know New South Wales is going through challenging times but we also know that vaccination is a key tool in reducing the spread and preventing hospitalization,” state Premier Gladys

Berejiklian told reporters on Tuesday. About a third of the new people infected on Tuesday were infectious while in the community, raising fears Sydney’s outbreak could worsen.

With the nation’s two largest cities in lockdown, the Delta variant of the coronavirus is placing increased pressure on Australia’s so-called “Covid Zero” strategy, which has relied on closed international borders and rigorous testing to eliminate community transmission of the virus. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is aiming to ramp up a tardy vaccine rollout in a bid to start reopening international borders next year.

The creeping spread of the variant into regional New South Wales has forced authorities to enforce snap lockdowns in areas hundreds of miles from Sydney, including Tamworth and Byron Bay. Meanwhile, Victoria state recorded 20 new infections with the majority in the community while infectious. Melbourne may need to extend its lockdown, which is due to end on Thursday.

Support for Morrison’s handling of the crisis has fallen from 85 percent in April last year—when his conservative government imposed strict border controls that helped keep virus fatalities to less than 1,000—to 48 percent, according to a Newspoll survey published in the Australian newspaper on Monday.

Key developments:

China’s outbreak expands China’s latest Covid outbreak continues to expand, with more than 100 symptomatic cases reported on Tuesday. With 50 new confirmed infections found in the eastern province of Jiangsu, the latest resurgence has spread to around 1,000 people across more than half of the mainland’s provinces.

China is battling the Delta variant with some of the most aggressive measures in the world, even though the majority of the population is vaccinated. Mass testing and targeted lockdowns in some cities are key parts of its playbook, and the capital Beijing has banned residents from “high-risk” cities from returning.

Meanwhile, Hebei province’s biggest cold-chain market has suspended the movement of imported frozen food in and out of cold storage due to the worsening Covid-19 outbreak, according to the Hebei News Network, which is backed by the provincial government.

Record deaths in Thailand Thailand recorded 235 fatalities from the coronavirus, the nation’s highest daily level, according to government data Tuesday. The country reported 19,843 new Covid-19 cases, while the number of total daily recoveries were 22,806. The worsening outbreak may scuttle plans to reopen borders to fully vaccinated tourists from midOctober and jumpstart the tourism-reliant economy.

US cases surge to February levels Fueled by the highly transmissible Delta variant, new coronavirus cases in the US rose to 761,216 in the week ended Sunday, the highest total since early February, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg.

The death toll climbed 49 percent to 3,486 for same period. It was the biggest weekly increase since December. Overall, more than 616,800 Americans have been killed by the virus.

On Sunday, Anthony Fauci, the US’s top infectious-disease doctor, said he’s “strongly in favor” of speeding booster shots to people with weakened immune systems, a further sign of how the Delta variant is shifting the strategies for curbing the pandemic.

Indonesia’s plan to live with Covid Indonesia will gradually ease restrictions in several cities, including the capital Jakarta, as it sets out a roadmap for life with the coronavirus for the next few years.

Those who are vaccinated can go to shopping centers and places of worship in Jakarta and other major cities, with the capacity set at maximum 25 percent, said Luhut Panjaitan, the government minister overseeing the pandemic response. Bali’s situation remains concerning, he added.

The restrictions for Java and Bali are in place until August 16, while curbs for other islands apply until August 23.

Singapore 70 percent vaccinated Singapore said 70 percent of its population has been fully vaccinated, and 79 percent have received at least one dose, giving the city-state one of the best vaccination rates in the world as it starts to ease social distancing restrictions and restart parts of the economy.

Singapore began allowing dining in to resume and is raising group sizes to five for those who’ve been fully vaccinated. Work from home rules are expected to ease next week.

The country is targeting vaccinating 80 percent of its population by early September in order to start relaxing some of its toughest restrictions, including allowing quarantine-free travel for vaccinated travelers where frequent testing could replace mandatory stay-home rules on arrival.

India finds benefits in dose mixing Inadvertently mixing a first dose of AstraZeneca Plc’s Covishield vaccine with a second dose of Covaxin—a vaccine made by an Indian drugmaker—led to a higher antibody response in 18 people in a north Indian state against the Alpha, Beta and Delta variants, according to a recent study by the Indian Council of Medical Research.

India, which has fully inoculated only 8.2 percent its population, recorded 35,499 Covid-19 cases Monday, taking the total tally to almost 32 million. Deaths rose by 447 in a day to 428,309, according to health ministry data.

Canada extends India curbs C anada is ex tend ing its restr ictions on d irect commercia l and pr ivate passenger f lights f rom Ind ia to September 21 because of Cov id-19. T he gover nment w i l l a lso ex tend testing requirements for passengers ar r iv ing f rom Ind ia v ia an ind irect f light.

US sending vaccines to Mexico The US is preparing to send Mexico vaccines from Moderna Inc. and AstraZeneca Plc in coming days to bolster its southern neighbor’s fight against Covid-19, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Vaccines are set to be discussed on a Monday afternoon phone call between Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and US Vice President Kamala Harris.

Lopez Obrador said at his morning press briefing two weeks ago that Mexico had a new offer for more vaccines from the US after he had requested 5 million vaccines in April. AstraZeneca shipments were delayed due to problems at manufacturer Emergent BioSolutions Inc. in Baltimore.

CDC raises advisory for Israel, France The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised the travel advisory for France and Israel to the highest level. The agency lowered the advisory for Canada to level 2, or moderate. Bloomberg News

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Wednesday, August 11, 2021

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UK vows maximum attendance at COP-26 summit amid Covid

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ONDON—The British official organizing November’s climate summit in Scotland pledged Monday that the event would be held in person and that the government would work to ensure maximum participation by leaders from around the world despite lingering travel restrictions due to Covid-19.

With more than 20,000 people from almost 200 countries set to attend COP-26, A lok Sharma

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. (left) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y. (right) walk out of a budget resolution meeting at the Capitol in Washington on August 9. AP/Andrew Harnik

Senate Dems unveil $3.5-trillion budget for social, climate efforts

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ASHINGTON—Senate Democrats unwrapped a budget resolution Monday envisioning a massive $3.5 trillion, 10-year cascade of federal resources, aiming historic sums at family support, health and education programs and an aggressive drive to heal the climate.

The measure is a pivotal first step in what will likely be a tumultuous, months-long Democratic legislative march toward a progressive reshaping of the federal government that also hews to President Joe Biden’s top domestic policy ambitions.

The blueprint reflects many Democrats’ tilt leftward in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidency and bears the imprint of Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a longtime progressive voice now at the hub of the Democratic Party’s power structure in Congress.

Many of its proposals would be financed by raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations while sparing people earning under $400,000 annually, an oft-repeated Biden pledge and liberal goal. Though party leaders say the measure will be fully paid for, the budget resolution does not require that, instead giving Congress’ tax-writing committees unspecified license to raise money that a summary calls “substantial.”

The Senate was expected to approve the budget plan this week over solid Republican opposition. Meanwhile, senators were nearing approval of a separate $1 trillion package financing road, water and other infrastructure projects, a bill with broad support.

The vote on that bipartisan plan was scheduled for Tuesday morning. After that, the Senate will immediately launch votes on the $3.5 trillion plan.

Crucially, congressional approval of the budget outline would let Democrats pass a detailed follow-up bill this fall enacting the blueprint’s proposed spending and tax changes without facing a GOP filibuster that would certainly kill it. It would take 60 votes to end those delaying tactics, an impossible hurdle on a sharply partisan issue in today’s 50-50 Senate.

It is unclear when the House, now on summer recess, will vote on the budget. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., praised it as “a clear declaration of the value that congressional Democrats place on America’s workers and families.”

The budget outlines expanding Medicare coverage to dental, vision and hearing benefits and lowering the program’s eligibility age below its current 65, though the age reduction would be costly and is considered a long shot to survive. The children’s tax credit, expanded during the pandemic to provide millions of families with $300 monthly checks, would be extended beyond its current 2022 expiration. Other tax breaks for some low-earning workers and for childcare would also be renewed.

Unveiled the same day the United Nations warned of a “code red for humanity” because of rapid climate heating, the fiscal plan would unsheathe a vast effort to move the US toward clean energy. That would include a new tax on imported fuels that spew carbon emissions, federal aid for clean energy developers and investments in low-polluting vehicles.

“The question is not complicated,” Sanders said Monday of the budget plan. He asked if lawmakers have the courage to make special interests pay a “fair share of taxes so that we can create millions of good paying jobs for working families, so we can protect our children, protect the elderly, and address the threat of climate change.”

In one illustration of hurdles ahead, around $198 billion of the blueprint’s climate proposals would have to move through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. That panel is chaired by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a centrist and staunch defender of his state’s energy interests who has pointedly warned that he supports an energy policy that’s “not elimination, it’s innovation.”

Following the budget outline, the $3.5 trillion spending and revenue bill is certain to cause agita for Democratic leaders as they struggle to find a sweet spot between the demands of their party’s competing progressive and moderate factions, with each having decisive leverage.

Besides the evenly split Senate, which only Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote lets them control, Democrats can lose no more than three votes in the narrowly divided House.

Moderates back the $1 trillion package financing road, water and other infrastructure projects that the Senate was on the cusp of approving. Progressives are strongly behind the huge social and environment plan, and each group is worried that disagreements will result in the other scuttling its favored measure.

“We’re going to tell middle-class families, ‘We’re going to make it easier for you to stay there,’” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. He added, “We’re going to tell poorer families, ‘We’re going to make it easier for you to climb into the middle class.’”

Democrats revealed their budget as the Senate was on the cusp of approving the smaller compromise infrastructure measure. That bill, another Biden priority, was garnering significant support from Republicans eager to bring some public works spending to their home states.

But the GOP was united against Democrats’ larger $3.5 trillion plan, calling it laden with overspending and tax increases that would wound the economy and burden families.

With an eye to 2022 elections for congressional control, Republicans were readying amendments that would force Democrats to vote on politically delicate issues including immigration, crime and inflation. They were also amplifying their often-used theme of accusing Democrats of socialism.

“They’ve set out trying to tax and spend our country into oblivion,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “They’ve handed the keys to domestic policymaking to Chairman Sanders and some socialist House members.”

Democrats’ budget blueprint seeks extensions of federal subsidies for people buying health insurance through former President Barack Obama’s 2010 health care law, and money would be provided for states that haven’t yet expanded Medicaid coverage. There would be a first-ever federally paid family leave program, and some pre-kindergarten and two years of community college would be tuition-free.

There would also be more money for home health care, housing, job training, child nutrition and Pell Grants to lower-income college students.

It would also open a path for millions of immigrants in the US illegally to move toward citizenship, and allow language-strengthening enforcement of labor laws. Such provisions will have to pass muster with the Senate parliamentarian, who can bar provisions that are not primarily related to the budget.

The budget plans additional savings by letting the government negotiate lower prices on the pharmaceuticals it buys for Medicare recipients. It also seeks to strengthen the IRS so it can collect more unpaid taxes, though analysts are wary of the savings lawmakers might claim because estimates of that proposal’s impact vary widely. AP

said the government was working with the United Nations and other partners to ensure everyone who needs vaccinations can get them and that there will be measures in place to guarantee the conference is safe for delegates and the people of Glasgow, the host city.

Behind the scenes, officials are working on plans that may relax vaccination rules and travel restrictions for thousands of attendees.

The comments came as the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report saying the planet is running out of time to control global war ming. World leaders must come together at COP-26 and set ambitious plans for reducing carbon emissions if they hope to achieve the goa l of keeping average globa l temperature r ises to less than 1.5 deg rees Centig rade (2.7 deg rees Fa hrenheit),

Shar ma told repor ters after the repor t was released.

“What we cannot do is delay this any further,” Sharma said. “We’ve delayed COP by one year already, and climate change, unfortunately, didn’t take time off during that period. Last year was the hottest year on record, and the last decade was the hottest on record as well. And you’ll have seen from the IPCC report that the warnings are getting starker and starker.” AP

News

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Gordon: We are in a war situation against Covid

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

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HE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is rushing the patient capacity expansion of its emergency field hospitals (EFH) at the National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI) and Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP), both in Quezon City, as both government treatment facilities are just about to bursting at the seams amid the surge in Covid-19 cases in the National Capital Region.

“We are in a war situation against

Covid-19. The health-care system in the NCR plus region is challenged due to the increasing cases of Covid-positive individuals,” said PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Richard J. Gordon.

“Through the emergency field hospitals of the Red Cross, [we could] help serve more patients needing immediate health care,” he added.

In April 2020, Gordon ordered the deployment of the 100-bed capacity EFH at LCP and a 20-bed capacity counterpart at NKTI in response to the overwhelming volume of people needing hospital admission due to

Covid infection.

The EFHs served as extension for LCP and NKTI to handle the increasing demand for beds in hospitals.

This helped LCP free bed spaces allowing the admission and treatment of more severe cases in need of immediate hospital care.

The field hospitals are equipped with beds, medical equipment such as oxygen tanks, ECG machine, PPV and Intubation set, Automated External Defibrillator, and other basic ward facilities that will serve mild to moderate cases.

The EFHs are also equipped with air-conditioning units to ensure proper ventilation.

Gordon also said that PRC is ready to deploy more medical tents and EFH if Covid-19 cases continue to increase in the following weeks.

Low lab output

ON Tuesday, the Department of Health (DOH) logged 8,560 additional Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 1,676,156.

There were also 7,964 recoveries

and 92 deaths.

Of the total number of infections, 4.7 percent (79,016) are active cases, 93.5 percent (1,567,920) have recovered, and 1.74 percent (29,220) has died.

The DOH said 118 duplicates were removed from the total case count.

Of these, 114 are recoveries.

Moreover, seven cases previously tagged as recoveries have been validated to be active cases and 29 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation.

All labs were operational on August 8, 2021, but 13 were not able to submit their data to the Covid-19 Document Repository System.

Based on data in the last 14 days, the 13 non-reporting labs contribute, on average, 2.8 percent of samples tested and 2.8 percent of positive individuals.

The DOH also said that the daily case counts are affected by the output from the laboratories nationwide.

“The relatively low case counts today is due to lower laboratory output last Sunday,” the DOH said.

Duterte OKs disbursement of ₧910-M ’21 WTDIB DBM may allot ₧700M in cash aid perk for public school teachers–DepEd statement for Bataan residents; ₧2.715B for

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HE Department of Education (DepEd) on TuesdayannouncedthatPresidentDuterte has approved the release of some P910million World Teachers’ Day Incentive Benefit (WTDIB) for public-school teachers for 2021.

Each teacher will be receiving P1,000.

The DepEd said benefit is in line with the government’s commitment to faithfully sup-

port teachers for their dedication in delivering quality education.

Introduced during the current administration of Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones, the grant of WTDIB recognizes the vital role of our educators in addressing the challenges of the pandemic, especially in ensuring the continuity of learning.

“WiththeongoingpreparationsforSchoolYear 2021-2022, we are grateful to our 900,000-strong teachers who have displayed their unwavering passion to serve and educate the Filipino youth,” DepEd said in a news statement.

The DepEd added that they would issue the corresponding guidelines on the grant of the said incentive soon. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Laguna and addl ₧278M for NCR

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

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HE government is eyeing to release around P700 million to bankroll the cash aid to Bataan residents affected by the hard lockdown, as well as an additional P278 million for Metro Manila.

Budget Undersecretary and spokesman Rolando Toledo told the BusinessMirror on Tuesday that they have already submitted these proposals to the Office of the President, along with their proposal to release P2.715 billion for the cash aid to Laguna residents.

Bataan, Laguna, and Metro Manila were recently placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). “ Yes, [we submitted the request for the additiona l P278 mil lion for the cash aid to Metro Manila], together w ith our request for the Bataan and Lag una,” Toledo told the BusinessMirror in a message.

Each qualified beneficiary from the areas under ECQ will get P1,000.

Each household could only avail of a maximum of four beneficiaries or a maximum of P4,000 financial assistance.

While the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has already released P10.894 billion last week to fund the cash aid to Metro Manila.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año told President Duterte on Monday night that an additional budget of P278 million is needed to ensure that all qualified recipients in Metro Manila will receive the cash aid.

Año said total allocation for cash aid for low-income individuals in Metro Manila should instead be P11.172 billion, citing that their computation was based on the list of recipients that received the cash aid

last April and May. Sought for comment, Toledo said they would be releasing the additional cash aid to Metro Manila once the President approves their proposal.

“Yes, once approved by the President, the DBM will be releasing the additional amount to ensure that all the affected individuals and families in the NCR [National Capital Region] are covered by the financial assistance,” Toledo told the BusinessMirror.

“The computation was based on the report submitted by the DILG, which contains the list of actual disbursements and beneficiaries last April 2021 when NCR was placed under ECQ,” he said.

Malacañang earlier said the concerned local government units in Metro Manila are expected to start the distribution of the financial assistance by today, Wednesday.

Toledo also said they expect 2.71 million individuals in Laguna and around 700,000 individuals in Bataan to benefit from the proposed cash aid.

Meanwhile, the budget official also said on Tuesday they are still studying the special budget request of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the release of P2 billion for displaced workers in Metro Manila during the hard lockdown.

“Kasalukuyang inaaral po ng DBM ang special budget request ng DOLE para sa cash assistance ng mga manggagawa affected by ECQ sa Metro Manila ngunit gusto lang po namin idiin po or i-emphasize na maaari naman po gamitin ng DOLE ang natitirang balanse mula sa kanilang budget para pondohan ang nasabing cash aid,” Toledo said during the Laging Handa briefing.

Should DOLE’s funds be insufficient, Toledo reiterated that said DBM would augment it, subject to the approval of the President.

Poll: PHL bosses boosting staff ‘experience’. . .

continued from a12

Indeed, over eight in 10 employers (87 percent) recognize that the new realities of the labor markets will require a hybrid model for many roles.

While many employers have begun the process of change, only 61 percent are flexible about where or when work gets done.

The company said that 70 percent are in the process of reimagining careers in response to changes in the way work is accomplished and more than half (61 percent) are segmenting total rewards to account for a different work force profile—“and there will be further challenges ahead.”

“As organizations look ahead to a post-pandemic era, their ability to move the needle on the employee experience will be critical,” Briones said.

He added that for these businesses to succeed, “they must start with a bold employee experience strategy that supports their business strategy and is based on a consistent model.”

“Then, they can turn to execution–adapting programs and policies reflective of flexible work,

paying employees fairly, enhancing benefit delivery and well-being programs, supporting workers in a more agile and flexible workspace, and aligning ‘total rewards’ programs to meet the needs of a diverse work force,” Briones added.

Other findings

OTHER findings from the 2021 “Employee Experience Survey” • Using digitalization to transform the employee experience fundamentally over the next three years was highlighted as a major focus for a large proportion of organizations (70 percent).

• When asked to identify the areas needed to improve employee experience, three quarters (76 percent) of employers in the Philippines say changing leadership competencies over the next three years is a priority.

• Developing change capability is also critical as only 42 percent of organizations finds senior leader effectiveness at managing change a major strength.

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Duterte told: Don’t use ‘ayuda’ distribution in partisan politics

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

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ABOR groups slammed President Duterte on Tuesday for allegedly engaging in partisan politics in the cash aid distribution in Metro Manila.

Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) called out Duterte for supposedly singling out a “political rival” in the financial assistance distribution of the national government.

“Duterte, you forgot that cash aid is a right of the people. It should not be used for politics,” KMU Secretary-General Jerome Adonis said

in a news statement.

Defend Jobs Philippines (DJP) also issued a similar demand for the cash aid distribution to be “spared” from politics.

Both KMU and DJP issued the statement after Duterte announced last Monday that he would be asking the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) take over the distribution of cash aid in the city in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Duterte said the concerned head of the city was purportedly disorganized in the distribution of pre-

vious government aid.

“You have seen it. It’s on TV and all that. This mayor has no idea [on organizing the distribution] so we remove [the] responsibility to distribute cash aid from the government,” Duterte said.

The President did not name the said local official, but in previous weeks Duterte has been critical of Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno for supposedly mounting a vaccination drive, which left beneficiaries exposed to the rain.

Moreno, who recently topped surveys for potential presidential candidates, said he would be running in the

2022 national and local elections.

Meanwhile, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDPLaban) endorsed Duterte’s former aide and now Senator Christopher “Bong” Go as its presidential bet in the polls next year.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the local official affected by the latest order of Duterte will be known by Wednesday when the simultaneous distribution of the cash assistance in NCR will commence.

ECQ aid ‘for all’ in Taguig City

THE Taguig City government, meanwhile, announced it will release Co-

vid-19 aid to all its barangays to serve as assistance during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Each barangay is bound to receive P250,000, which they can use to purchase additional food packs for their constituents. This is on top of the regular City Aid being released by the LGU to its barangays.

A news statement said the barangay assistance is apart from the almost 300,000 relief packs being distributed by the City to its citizens. The food packs contain rice, canned goods, coffee, energy drinks and instant noodles. As of August 8, around 210,000 families have al-

ready received their food packs.

“We have allotted for all Taguig families, regardless of economic standing to receive food packs from the local government,” Mayor Lino Cayetano said.

The city aid and food packs are apart from the cash assistance provided by the national government, for which the city has already made preparations for immediate disbursement.

Mayor Lino also noted that the city will focus on ramping up vaccination and enhancing the city’s testing, contact tracing and hospital capacity to control the transmission of the highly contagious Delta variant.

In Dubai, Filipina pulls no punches in jokes on Middle East life

FILIPINA comedian Imah Dumagay performs stand-up comedy at an open-mic night at the Hi Five Restaurant & Lounge in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on August 8, 2021. Tucked within her slightly risqué set, Dumagay’s rapid-fire punchlines offer an unfiltered glimpse into the life, sly triumphs and slights faced by her 2.2 million compatriots working in the Middle East. They send billions of US dollars in remittances back to their families still living in the Philippines, but live in countries that often treat them as a disposable, low-paid work force. AP

By Jon Gambrell The Associated Press

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UBAI, United Arab Emirates—Peering out into the darkened audience of a Dubai bar, comedian Imah Dumagay leaned into the microphone and addressed the mistaken perception that many people have across the Middle East when they see a Filipina at a nightclub.

“I am from the Philippines but I am not taking any orders tonight,” she said, drawing chuckles as her countrymen served beers and bar food at this rooftop bar in sight of Dubai’s sail-shaped Burj Al-Arab

luxury hotel. “Where is that guy asking for water earlier? Sir, we are not all waitresses.”

She waited a beat and added: “But if you’re looking for a maid, I’m available on Saturdays. I’m very good at cleaning; I clean from the ceiling down to your jewelry box.”

Tucked within her slightly risqué set, Dumagay’s rapid-fire punchlines offer an unfiltered glimpse into the life, sly triumphs and slights faced by her 2.2 million compatriots.

They care for children, wait tables and otherwise power economies across the wider Middle East. Those Filipinos provide billions of dollars in remittances back to their families

still living in the Philippines, but face abuse and isolation in countries that often treat them as a disposable, lowpaid work force.

“I want to kind of be a voice for them,” Dumagay told The Associated Press before her recent set.

“When you use your platform, you send a message to people. Comedy is a great method to send your message across.”

Dumagay, 38, of Mindanao, Philippines, worked in Dubai for years before deciding to leave her job to pursue comedy full time. That’s not an easy task in this skyscraperstudded tourist destination where most bars and nightclubs focus more on drinks and music than variety shows.

The city-state also focuses more on importing A-list American, British and Indian comedy acts given the city’s vast foreign work force.

Some topics remain taboo in this hereditarily ruled country of seven sheikhdoms, where speech is strictly governed.

But there is a burgeoning local scene here, as seen on Sunday at the Hi Five Restaurant & Lounge.

A United Nations of amateur comedians took the stage to varying degrees of success in sets touching on the scatological to the societal.

An Emirati with dyed blonde hair even had 10 minutes, referring to his tight ripped jeans and tattoos instead of the traditional robes and ghutra headdress as the rebellious “Emirati starter kit.”

Then there’s Dumagay, who took the stage in a giggling whirlwind and

drew laughter when she described being first married to a Syrian, then her current husband, an Egyptian, before shouting: “Hello Lebanese!”

“I like to tease, like sexual innuendos, but it’s not really direct.... I won’t say that’s crossing the line because it’s funny. I can make people laugh without offending anyone,” Dumagay said. “And I’m aware of what I can talk about. Like, we don’t talk about religion, we cannot do politics or the UAE government or any discrimination towards any group of people. So we’re very aware of that.”

Dumagay’s comedy springs from her experiences working across Dubai, from advertising to banking to being an executive secretary.

That earlier crack about not being a waitress? It’s a real experience she had before taking the stage at one of her 200-odd appearances.

Sunday’s open-mic appearance comes as Dubai slowly revives its live entertainment scene amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

When venues largely shut down over the virus, Dumagay turned to social media, offering performances such as a never-flustered Filipina answering emergency services calls, telling someone reporting a murder that they only “need four cleaners” for the mess.

‘Darker side’

BUT there’s a darker side to the Filipino experience in the Gulf Arab states. Many maids face physical, sexual and psychological abuse from their employers, who in some cases seize their passports and

Public warned vs social-media scammers offering jobs in Japan

T

HE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) on Tuesday warned aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) against a social-media account offering jobs in Japan.

In a Facebook post, the agency also reminded job applicants, particularly abroad, that many countries are not yet accepting foreign workers due to the pandemic.

“In this era of Covid-19, there are not so many jobs in Japan. Borders are closed and many companies have closed and laid off Filipino workers,” the POEA said. “It is not easy to get a job in Japan. Those recruiters will spend your money.”

The POEA said the advertisement of the supposed job vacancy in Japan has been there for a long time and is being used by unscrupulous individuals.

“POEA or its officials have

Growth. . . continued from a2 For his part, House Majority Leader Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday credited the “spirit of teamwork and cooperation” between the government, public and private sectors as the one responsible for the country’s economic growth in the second quarter of 2021.

“We are on the right track in recognizing mass vaccination as the key to economic rebound. Despite limited global supply, our vaccination is picking up steam and is getting the results that we wanted for our economy,” Romualdez said.

Palace’s hope

MALACAÑANG hopes the country can sustain its economic gains in the second quarter despite the current lockdowns.

In an online press briefing on Tuesday, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said: “We are happy we have this sig-

no affiliation or affiliation with the FB page below. This vacancy announcement (2017) on GMA News has been around for a long time and is still used by fraudsters and illegal recruiters,” it said.

“There are too many FB pages offering jobs supposedly abroad. Don’t cut into such job advertisements. First of all, many countries are still closed to OFWs. Thousands of them have

nificant recovery in our economy and we are hoping that despite the two-week lockdown [in Metro Manila] will be able to recover during the last quarter.”

Roque noted the government deliberately implemented ECQ, the strictest classification, for the NCR this month in an attempt to contain the spread of infections before October and the start of the long Christmas season.

“The last quarter is traditionally the most lively time for the economy,” Roque said.

After the ECQ took effect last Friday, the number of daily new Covid-19 cases exceeded 8,000 cases per day.

Government officials earlier said they are eyeing to ease community quarantine restriction in NCR after its latest ECQ on August 20, 2021 by vaccinating majority of its adult population. With Samuel P. Medenilla

also returned home and are still returning to the Philippines due to unemployment,” the agency added.

The FB post of the supposed job vacancy is: https://www.facebook. com/groups/471975223339447/ permalin k/1053302318540065/ Meanwhile, the POEA urged the public to visit this page, https:// www.poea.gov.ph/cgi-bin/Job Vacancies/jobsMenu.asp, where they can find a job that suits them. PNA

force them to work nonstop. In Kuwait in 2018, authorities discovered the corpse of a Filipina maid killed and left in a refrigerator for over a year.

Stories like those have Dumagay wanting to incorporate more serious topics into her new sets.

“My fellow Filipinos sacrifice their time to be spent with their family back home,” she said. “They are here struggling to just provide for them.”

But Dumagay, like others working overseas, displays that one Filipino trait even she notes she can’t mock: relentless optimism and hope for the future despite the many challenges they face.

“Just keep going and just trust yourself and experiment and then do something outside your comfort zone.

Don’t be scared,” she said. “I mean, what’s the worst thing could happen?

You fail and then you try again.”

A12 Wednesday, August 11, 2021

News

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Poll: PHL bosses boosting staff ‘experience’

By Dennis D. Estopace

A

@DennisEstopace

RECENT poll by a British multinational revealed Philippine employers are focusing on enhancing the “employee experience” amid the lockdown measures that truncated how people perform their jobs.

The 2021 “Employee Experience Survey” by Willis

Towers Watson Public Ltd. Co. found that 95 percent of Philippine employers said enhancing the employee experience will be an important priority at their organization over the next three years compared with just 65 percent indicating it as important prior to the pandemic.

“Most respondents believe a positive employee experience is a key driver of engagement (89 percent), productivity (88 percent), overall business performance

(88 percent) and employee wellbeing (87 percent),” a statement by the risk management, insurance brokerage and advisory company said.

“Organizations took rapid actions during the pandemic including moving workers to a remote or hybrid work environment, making job cuts, restructuring or cutting pay or benefits,” the firm said.

A total of 91 organizations in the Philippines, representing 483,000 employees, participated in the 2021 survey that the company said was conducted in April.

‘Stress test’

THE company said that while these actions were less prevalent in Asia Pacific than reported globally, “they still took a significant toll on people with many reporting anxiety and work distraction, creating a ‘stress test’ on the employee experience for many organizations.” It said that more than half (52 percent) reported a negative impact on

the employee experience as a result of the pandemic.

“Whether it’s due to employer actions such as pay reductions and layoffs or because of virtual work and personal hardships for some, the pandemic exposed shortfalls in the employee experience at many organizations. Many employers are not equipped to deal with these challenges,” Willis Towers Watson Philippines Inc. Associate Director Lemuel Mar Briones was quoted in the statement as saying.

“Our study reveals that 40 percent of organizations have undefined or a basic approach to the employee experience that is not aligned to the business strategy.

Enhancing the employee experience has therefore become an imperative for organizations and it’s one that will take time,” Briones added.

Clear focus

AS the coronavirus continues to run its course in the country, the stress on employee experience will not go away anytime soon, Willis Towers Watson said.

Employers recognized that this prolonged return will require a clear focus on three areas: a change in work model, prioritizing wellbeing and aligning total rewards programs to diverse employee needs, according to the company.

Continued on A8

Nationwide ‘data gathering’

by PNP worries Lacson

S

EN. Pa n f i lo L ac son ad m it ted Tuesday he was alarmed on learning that Philippine National Police Chief Guillermo Eleazar virtually admitted that there are ongoing nationwide “data-gathering” activities in several barangays.

Lacson, citing information reaching him, affirmed that “such activities are still going on, despite the PNP’s initial denial.

Lacson was a PNP chief from 1999 to 2001 before his election to the Senate.

“The Chief PNP’s admission that such data-gathering activities are going on [and still going on, as per latest information received] is alarming. Being their former chief, I cannot allow the PNP to engage in partisan politics and be ‘bastardized,’ worse—using public funds,” Lacson said on his Twitter account.

The senator had earlier cited reports indicating the PNP was involved in “census” activities using the funds of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). The PNP denied authorizing such activities.

In a statement Tuesday, Lacson likewise maintained that Police Maj. Gen. Rodel Sermonia, the director for the PNP’s Police Community Relations unit, “has

some explaining to do on the matter.”

In an earlier radio interview, Lacson cited information reaching him indicating Sermonia was involved in the gathering of data, including email addresses and phone numbers.

The senator noted that Sermonia had already been “lambasted” by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. for campaigning in the 2019 midterm elections using Philippine embassies’ resources.

“The same misguided PNP officer that SFA Locsin ‘lambasted’ for raising funds and campaigning in the 2019 midterm elections while using the resources of several of our country’s embassies around the globe. He has since been promoted to his present rank,” Lacson tweeted.

Eleazar indicated in an interview on ANC that data-gathering activities were being done supposedly by certain groups, adding that if the PNP is indeed involved, “it has to be stopped.”

For his part, Eleazar also noted the Police Community Relations (PCR) unit which Sermonia heads is “encouraging” force multipliers for advocacy groups, adding that he had cautioned Sermonia about this activity—that forcing people to join is not allowed. Butch Fernandez

DAVAO EYES BUILDING OXYGEN PLANT FOR COVID ‘MEGA’ SURGE Continued from A20

“We are still in that stage of the discussion. We are looking for oxygen cylinder suppliers and we are also talking to ask for a cost estimate in building an oxygen plant. We do not know yet but we are looking into it. We already asked for an estimate of how much is needed for an oxygen plant,” Duterte-Carpio said.

The city recently turned over to the private hospitals the materials that the DOH had requested, including personal protective equipment and mechanical ventilators for four hospitals.

She said the anticipated Delta surge “is a bigger or higher surge than what the city has experienced in the past two surges as the Delta variant has higher transmissibility and can infect more individuals.”

While government has announced that the Delta variant is all over the country

already, the city has logged only its fourth Delta case so far. According to the August 5 report of the Whole Genome Sequencing of the University of the Philippines’s Philippine Genome Center, the latest case was that of a 37-year-old male who was swabbed on July 6 and was previously tagged as recovered on July 16, 2021.

The DOH has said that “no single strategy is enough to protect the people and our health-care system. Strict adherence to minimum public health standard coupled with vaccination against Covid-19 will further prevent the emergence of new variants.”

The city, meanwhile, said 402,158 Dabawenyos have taken their first dose of anti-Covid-19 vaccine as of August 8. The city has an estimated population of 1.7 million, and it has set a target of inoculating 1.1 million to achieve herd protection.

Imports, consumers’ woes swell PHL’s frozen pork inventory Continued from A20

Both Ambalada and Cham agreed that one way to immediately unload the imported pork in cold storages is if the government ramps up its marketing efforts through direct selling of these frozen products via partner supermarkets or weekend pop-up stores at prices cheaper than prevailing quotes.

The BusinessMirror earlier reported that the government has implemented various marketing efforts that will allow consumers access to cheaper imported frozen pork in its bid to reduce prevailing pork prices, which remain above P300 per kilogram. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2021/08/02/private-sector-sells-imported-pork-via-govt-program/)

News BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

9K OFWs remain in isolation facilities despite shortened quarantine period

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

A

TOTAL of 9,000 returning overseas Filipino workers (OFW) still currently remain in isolation despite the new policy of the government to shorten the quarantine period for fully vaccinated inbound travelers, according to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The figures remain similar to the average 9,000 quarantined arriving OFWs, when the government started implementing its 10-day quarantine protocol for inbound travelers earlier this year.

Prior to the said 10-day quarantine policy, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said the

number of quarantined OFWs only numbered to around 6,000.

Last June, Presiden Duterte approved the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) policy to reduce the quarantine period for people, who completed their Covid-19 shots to just seven days.

Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III welcomed the policy since it will allow vaccinated OFWs to spend more time with their families.

“Some returning OFWs only spend 30 days in the country and that it should not be spent mostly in quarantine,” Bello said.

Since the onset of the pandemic last year, the government already repatriated 641,717 OFWs.

Wednesday, August 11, 2021 A13

PHL to join investment, trade fair in China in September–DTI chief

T

HE Philippines will be joining the China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) 2021 from September 8 to 11 in Xiamen, China.

“For the second year in a row, the Philippines is once again given the distinct recognition as CIFIT’s Guest Country of Honour in 2021 to showcase the best of our country as a leading investment destination.

This recognition is not surprising given that the Philippines and China share a long and rich history steeped in both culture and trade,” Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said.

In a news statement issued on Tuesday, the Board of Investments (BOI) said the country will bring its “Make It Happen in the Philippines” campaign to the international fair as it aims to attract investments in manufacturing, hyperscalers, innovation and digital technologies, agribusiness, real-estate development, renewable energy and infrastructure.

“More than offering a one-stopshopping service for multilateral investment cooperation, CIFIT will help you to select from the widest range of investment projects and

business partners from around the world,” Lopez added.

In the country’s participation in CIFIT 2020, the Philippines featured 64 projects worth P53.4 billion.

One of the deals that the country bagged during the promotion was a $77-million real-estate project.

The Asia Plaza in the Manila Bay Area, a residential and commercial building, is one of the offshoots of the country’s participation in CIFIT last year.

Construction for the project started last June. It is expected to create at least 200 jobs. PNA

Hontiveros rues non-extension of voter registration, asks first-timers to be ready

S

EN. Risa Hontiveros lamented on Tuesday the Commission on Elections’ decision not to extend the voter registration beyond September 30, despite pleas from many sectors, as the two-week lockdowns in many populous areas was seen to take away many hours for what could have been the registration.

“It is sad that the plea to extend voter registration was not granted, even at least for those areas under enhanced community quarantine. Many hours for registration will be lost for potential first-time voters,” the senator

said in a statement.

“Nevertheless, I welcome Comelec’s proposal to provide longer registration hours, possibly even adding Sundays to their schedule, to somehow make up for lost time,” she added.

She reiterated her appeal to firsttime voters to, while still under ECQ, “pre-register online so that the process will be faster once lining up at Comelec offices is allowed again. As for the first-time voters in areas where voter registration is not suspended, please line up and register as soon as possible. Don’t pass up the chance to participate

in the 2022 elections.”

Besides Hontiveros, Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon, and Senators Joel Villanueva and Nancy Binay had asked Comelec to extend the registration period for first-time voters and those who were deactivated for failure to vote in the last two elections.

However, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the poll body’s schedule for preparations for the 2022 polls is already squeezed tight as it is, and the Comelec will next have to tackle the scheduled filing of certificates of candidacy by 2022 aspirants by early October. Butch Fernandez

QC ‘ayuda’ beneficiaries told: Be wary of ‘misinformation’

T

O avoid confusion stemming from fake news or misinformation, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has called on qualified beneficiaries of the national government’s cash assistance program to refer to the list posted by the local government and their respective barangays on social media pages and other conspicuous areas in their communities.

“Mangyari lamang at tumingin sa official social-media page ng city government at ng inyong barangay para sa listahan ng mga pangalan.

Dito din matatagpuan ang impormasyon tungkol sa oras at venue ng pagbibigay ng ayuda at pati na rin ang mga requirements na kailangan dalhin para ma-claim ito,” Belmonte said.

“Ang barangay din po ang magdedesisyon kung stubs ba ang gagamitin, color coding, per street, alphabetical name or per purok ang mode of distribution para masigurong maayos ang pagbibigay ng ayuda at mananatili ang minimum health standards,” she added.

Belmonte also said that the list of beneficiaries will be posted in other conspicuous places within the barangay and other areas where the people can easily see the list for reference, as per guidelines from the national government.

The barangay will assign a specific day and time to each beneficiary, and put in place other guidelines to avoid overcrowding in payout sites.

“Ang nabigyan sa unang ayuda noong Abril ay siya ring mabibigyan sa pan-

galawang ayuda,” added Belmonte.

An individual belonging to a low-income family stands to receive P1,000, while a household can receive a maximum of P4,000 as financial assistance for the duration of the two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), which will run until August 20.

The city government has already coordinated with the Philippine National Police (PNP) for additional security during the cash aid distribution to avoid any untoward incident that may stem from misinformation or sabotage.

“Nakipag-coordinate na kami sa PNP sa posibleng mangyari. Minsan may mga malisyosong gustong isabotahe ang maayos na proseso ng pamimigay ng ayuda. The challenge is orderly distribution amid the threat of the Covid virus, just like how this was accomplished last April,” Belmonte said.

The mayor said the city government had started the necessary preparations for the distribution of the P2.48-billion financial assistance from the national government last weekend so qualified beneficiaries can receive the cash aid beginning Wednesday, as agreed upon by Metro Manila mayors.

Belmonte said most of the budget for financial assistance for 840,000 to 850,000 qualified families was downloaded by the national government on Friday.

“Preparations have already begun days ago. Hindi madali ito kasi kailangang ayusin at i-update ang

listahan ng mga tao, tanggalin ang duplicate names, at i-print ang payroll,” Belmonte said.

“Pagkatapos kailangan pa tayong bumuo ng grievance committee at monitoring team,” stressed Belmonte, adding the local government already met with barangay officials regarding the preparation of the payout sites.

Indigent Individuals or families whose names are not on the beneficiary masterlist can still avail of the government’s cash assistance by appealing to the grievance committee. Unclaimed ayuda may be redistributed to them after the regular payout process.

In its Updated ECQ Guidelines memorandum issued by Belmonte on August 9, the beneficiary list must be staggered through hourly schedules to prevent overcrowding at the distribution venue. Beneficiaries shall not be allowed to loiter around the cash distribution area before or after their designated schedule.

Beneficiaries claiming financial assistance should bring an original and a photocopy of their DSWD SAP Form or QC SAP Form, and one government-issued ID (original and photocopy).

To ensure faster processing of claims, each payout site will be manned by a validator from the barangay for the checking of documents, a verifier from the Social Services and Development Department (SSDD) for cross-checking of names in the masterlist, and a paymaster for the release of assistance.

Mandaluyong surpasses 70% vaccination target

T

HE Mandaluyong city government on Tuesday announced it has achieved population protection against the dreaded Covid-19.

Mayor Carmelita Abalos said the city has vaccinated 325,188, equivalent to 100.01 percent of its target eligible population.

The city had an initial goal of 70 percent vaccination from among its 464,467 residents.

“We’re happy to announce that

we’ve reached our target this early.

Our next goal is to complete the remaining second dose for those who have yet to receive it,” Abalos said in a news statement.

Abalos’ report also showed that about 205.07 percent or 31,257 of the city’s elderly have been vaccinated, with 25,597 already with full doses as of July 28.

Based on the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs data, there are 29,749 registered elderly in

Mandaluyong.

Abalos credited the city’s successful vaccination drive to the strong partnership of the local government with the private sector as well as the cooperation of every Mandaleño.

“This is the accomplishment not only of the city government but of every Mandaleño who were inoculated, thinking not only of their own safety but of their families and communities as well,” she said. PNA

THE Philippine Pavilion at the China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) 2020. The Philippines will again join the international fair as a Guest Country of Honor at the CIFIT 2021 in Xiamen, China from September 8 to 11, 2021. PHOTO COURTESY OF BOI

BusinessMirror

A14 Wednesday, August 11, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

24/7 BUSINESS PROCESSING INC. 5th-6th-7th Flr. 81 Newport Bl Newport City Brgy. 183 Pasay City

1.

2.

GRANT HILL CHUNG KOK HOU Customer Service Representative (Chinese Accounts) Brief Job Description: Assist clients will all their concerns

LU, XIAOJIAN Customer Service Representative (Chinese Accounts) Brief Job Description: Assist clients will all their concerns

GAN, HONGHAO Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative 3.

Brief Job Description: Responding promptly to the inquiries to ensure customer satisfaction ZHU, JIANFENG Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

4.

Brief Job Description: Responding promptly to the inquiries to ensure customer satisfaction

CHEN, SHANHE Mandarin Customer Relations Officer Basic Qualification: *Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently. *Preferably 6 months to 1 year customer service experience.

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

5.

Brief Job Description: Monitors budget transfer activity through the year to ensure that proper documentation is supplied and that transactions are properly authorized TZENG, WEN-SHIN Mandarin Speaking Operations Specialist

6.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the management of workflow throughout all departments within a business the purpose of this position is to customize daily activities and performance of the business across the board CHIN SOON KET Mandarin Speaking Public Relations Assistant

7.

Brief Job Description: Manage calendars (editorial, events, etc) suggest innovate ideas in brainstorming sessions. Provide assistance organization and execution of different events LAI HUE TENG Mandarin Speaking Public Relations Assistant

8.

Brief Job Description: Manage calendars (editorial, events, etc.) suggest innovate ideas in brainstorming sessions. Provide assistance organization and execution of different events

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

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

9.

Brief Job Description: Provide service to Amazon sellers and merchant including escalation of sellers’ issues.

14.

15.

16.

18.

19.

20.

21.

10.

11.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries XU, WENLI Chinese Customer Specialist Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

HE, XIAO Key Accounts Specialist Consultant 22.

GRIMM GEB. HERING, KERSTIN ELFRIEDE Director Of The Regional Office Southeast Asia 12.

Brief Job Description: Representation of AWO International; Strategic Regional Development; Project development and writing project proposals and donor reports in German language; Overall responsibility and sustainable planning, implementation, content management and M&E of cooperation projects

23.

24.

Brief Job Description: Oversee the relationships of the company with Chinese clients; responsible for obtaining and maintaining long term key customers by comprehending their requirements.

CAI, KAILUN Project Coordinator 25.

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

Brief Job Description: The primary function of a project coordinator is to make sure projects run smoothly. Coordinating project schedules, resources, equipment and information.

GUO, BOWEN Project Coordinator 26.

BIG EMPEROR TECHNOLOGY CORP. 5f-13f, Jiaxing Tower Building Aseana Avenue, Aseana Business Park Tambo Parañaque City

Brief Job Description: Oversee the relationships of the company with Chinese clients; responsible for obtaining and maintaining long term key customers by comprehending their requirements.

ZHANG, LEI Key Accounts Specialist Consultant

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

Basic Qualification: Regional knowledge and very good language skills in German and English; Several years(min.10) of domestic and international professional experience in international work; Good command of current project management methods and tools

Brief Job Description: Oversee the relationships of the company with Chinese clients; responsible for obtaining and maintaining long term key customers by comprehending their requirements.

SHEN, YIHUA Key Accounts Specialist Consultant

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

AWO INTERNATIONAL SOUTH EAST ASIA 5/f Narra Bldg. 2276 Chino Roces Extn. Magallanes Makati City

Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Has excellent problemsolving and communication skills in MANDARIN, with related BPO experience

No.

27.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Has excellent problemsolving and communication skills in MANDARIN, with related BPO experience Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

28.

29.

Basic Qualification: Has excellent problemsolving and communication skills in MANDARIN, with related BPO experience

30.

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

Brief Job Description: The primary function of a project coordinator is to make sure projects run smoothly. Coordinating project schedules, resources, equipment and information.

Basic Qualification: Can develop strong positive relationships with executive and management contacts; able to speak and communicate using mandarin.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can develop strong positive relationships with executive and management contacts; able to speak and communicate using mandarin.

31.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be willing to attend meeting, sales events and trainings to keep abreast of the latest developments; Must be willing to work on field.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be willing to attend meeting, sales events and trainings to keep abreast of the latest developments; Must be willing to work on field.

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

Brief Job Description: Rich experience in all kinds of constructions works, especially in large scale and constructions works ZHENG, XIAOLONG Project Director

32.

Brief Job Description: Rich experience in all kinds of constructions works, especially in large scale and constructions works TIAN, YANBIN Senior Technical Consultant

33.

Brief Job Description: Rich experience in horizontal and vertical construction project, especially in high rise building construction YI, XIAO Senior Technical Consultant

34.

Basic Qualification: Must be willing to attend meeting, sales events and trainings to keep abreast of the latest developments; Must be willing to work on field.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be willing to attend meeting, sales events and trainings to keep abreast of the latest developments; Must be willing to work on field.

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

Basic Qualification: Can speak, write, type in Mandarin Language.

Technical skills in software as stated above.

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

Brief Job Description: Rich experience in horizontal and vertical construction project, especially in high rise building construction

Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin language and college graduate Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin language and college graduate Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin language and college graduate Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin language and college graduate Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

CHINA HARBOUR ENGINEERING COMPANY 5/f Rm 501 Ramon Magsaysay Center 1680 Roxas Blvd. 076, Bgy. 699 Malate Manila CHEN, YUNQIANG Administrator Of PRDP 35.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for assisting the Project Department manager in daily administrative work, coordinating the relationship between different departments and improving the overall work efficiency.

ZHANG, AO Finance Supervisor Of PRDP

36.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can develop strong positive relationships with executive and management contacts; able to speak and communicate using mandarin.

Brief Job Description: Shall be responsible in interpretation of the marketing materials and communicating in dual language English and Mandarin Chinese (spoken and written) with customers. Study company profile and operations to understand its marketing needs; Conduct marketing research to identify industry trends and commercial opportunities; Develop and implement marketing strategy according to objectives and budget, Prepare detailed proposals and marketing plans; Advise on branding positioning communications and other marketing issues; Give direction to marketing efforts with the ost effective methods.

WU, FEI Project Director

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently in MANDARIN language.

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

CHINA CONSTRUCTION FRONT GENERAL DEVT. CORPORATION Unit 3001, Atlanta Center 31 Annapolis St. Brgy. Greenhills San Juan City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently in MANDARIN language.

Basic Qualification: Must be willing to attend meeting, sales events and trainings to keep abreast of the latest developments; Must be willing to work on field.

YU, XUEYI Mandarin Marketing Specialist

Basic Qualification: Has excellent problemsolving and communication skills in MANDARIN, with related BPO experience Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: The primary function of a project coordinator is to make sure projects run smoothly. Coordinating project schedules, resources, equipment and information.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

CF VIP SERVICE GROUP INC. Unit 25d 2/f Zeta Ii Bldg. 191 Salcedo St. San Lorenzo Makati City

Basic Qualification: Has excellent problemsolving and communication skills in MANDARIN, with related BPO experience.

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

Brief Job Description: The primary function of a project coordinator is to make sure projects run smoothly. Coordinating project schedules, resources, equipment and information.

SONG, KAIXUAN Project Coordinator

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

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

Brief Job Description: The primary function of a project coordinator is to make sure projects run smoothly. Coordinating project schedules, resources, equipment and information.

LIN, PANPAN Project Coordinator

Basic Qualification: Has excellent problemsolving and communication skills in MANDARIN, with related BPO experience.

Basic Qualification: Has excellent problemsolving and communication skills in MANDARIN, with related BPO experience

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

HAN, RUI Project Coordinator

C’EST LA VIE EVENT MANAGEMENT INC. 230 Narra Street Marikina Heights Marikina City

ANOC99 CORPORATION 5/f To 10/f Ayala Malls Manila Bay Building D. Macapagal Blvd. Cor. Aseana Street Tambo Parañaque City SUN, GUANGYU Chinese Customer Specialist

Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients.

ZHANG, YONG Mandarin Customer Service

Basic Qualification: Fluency in both English Thai

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

Brief Job Description: Handles the concerns of the people who buy their company’s products or services.

CHEN, CHAOHUI Mandarin Customer Service

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

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

Brief Job Description: Handles the concerns of the people who buy their company’s products or services.

YANG, LIANHUA Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

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

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

Brief Job Description: Handles the concerns of the people who buy their company’s products or services.

XIE, JINGYI Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

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

Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills and mandarin, Atleast 6 months of related experience in this field

Brief Job Description: Handles the concerns of the people who buy their company’s products or services.

WANG, HAIPENG Mandarin Customer Relations Officer 17.

Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills and mandarin, Atleast 6 months of related experience in this field

Brief Job Description: Handles the concerns of the people who buy their company’s products or services.

SU, MUHUA Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

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

Basic Qualification: Good social and presentation skills: Excellent in oral and written communication skills

Brief Job Description: Handles the concerns of the people who buy their company’s products or services.

LU, CHENGCHENG Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

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

Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills and mandarin, Atleast 6 months of related experience in this field

Brief Job Description: Handles the concerns of the people who buy their company’s products or services.

LAN, ZHENPENG Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

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

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

13.

Basic Qualification: *Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently. *Preferably 6 months to 1 year customer service experience.

ACSTREAM MANAGEMENT INC. 2204b/2206, 22/f Pbcom Tower Ayala Avenue Bel-air Makati City MERI Mandarin Speaking Budget Control Specialist

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the company Project Department Salary, social insurance cost accounting, tax declaration and payment.

LI, WEIKANG Human Resource Manager Of PRDP

37.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the overall work plan, work procedure, organization, implementation, coordination and inspection of Project Department Human Resource Department.

Basic Qualification: College graduate; Speaks Mandarin Fluently.

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate; Speaks Mandarin fluently.

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

Basic Qualification: College graduate; Speaks Mandarin fluently.

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

COCA-COLA FAR EAST LIMITED 24th Floor Net Lima Building 5th Ave. Cor. 26th St. Bonifacio Global City Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

JIANG, XIAN Customer Care Specialist (China) 38.

Brief Job Description: Ensure proper understanding of employee’s needs or concerns. Managing end-to-end employee cases.

Communicate with professionalism while building a trusted relationship to become the first and main point of contact for employees

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree holder.

Fluent in Mandarin. Strong communication skills, oral and written, with natural ease in building sustainable relationships across various corporate functions.

Experience in a customer service environment as well as practical experience in HR Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

COTTONST CORPORATION Unit No. 2115, F.b. Harrison St., Zone 4 Barangay 010 District 1 Pasay City

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

HASAN, EMRAN Inventory Specialist 39.

Brief Job Description: We evaluate the selection and shipping process and work to improve efficiency as inventory specialist

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Able to stand and bend for longer period in shop and giving attention of details to identify the defective product.

40.

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

CHEN, CHEN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 41.

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

CHIN WOON FEI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 42.

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

FU, HAO Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 43.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customers information about product and services

HSU, TSU-HENG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 44.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customers information about product and services

LEI, YUAN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 45.

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

LIU, JIA Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 46.

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

LIU, JINGNAN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 47.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customers information about product and services

LUO, PINGPING Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 48.

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

MAH KOK HOW Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 49.

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

QI, QINGFENG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 50.

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

SHI, XIAYIN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 51.

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

TRUONG DE PHONG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 52.

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

WANG, YUNQIU Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 53.

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

WEI, YACONG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 54.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customers information about product and services

XIE, FENG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 55.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customers information about product and services

56.

57.

58.

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60.

61.

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

HY QUANG TUAN Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 71.

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

HUYNH QUOC DUNG Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

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

HUANG, ZHIHENG Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

GAO, TIANWEN Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

DUONG QUOC BIEU Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

CHUONG CHANH PHU Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

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

CHEN, RUNQIU Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

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

CHEN, LONG Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customers information about product and services

ZHU, ZHIHONG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customers information about product and services

ZHANG, KAILE Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customers information about product and services

ZHANG, YAZHAO Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

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

YANG, SHUNFEI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

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

YANG, JIMING Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

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

YANG, SHENGMIN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

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

YANG, MINGYUN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION XU, YONG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

CRONYX INC. No. 4th-10th Flr. Yinhope Bldg. Dela Rama Cor. Zoili Hilario St. Seascape Village, Ccp Complex Subd. Zone 10, Barangay 076, District 1 Pasay City CHEN, HAIDAN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

No.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

KONG, DEKANG Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 72.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

LI, MING Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 73.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

A15

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience / Good in oral communication and written

No.

LIU, XUANHAO Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 74.

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

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80.

81.

82.

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84.

85.

86.

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88.

89.

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

ZHAO, XIONG Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 90.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

ZHANG, YINGZHAO Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication

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

ZHANG, MIN Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication

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

ZHANG, ZIHE Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

ZHANG, CHONG Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication

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

YU, LEI Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

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

YANG, WEIHUA Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

YANG, WEIXING Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

XUE, DA Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication

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

XU, HANSHENG Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

XU, LINBO Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

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

WANG, SHUAI Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

SUN, PENGBO Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

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

PAN, YUNRUI Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

NGUYEN THI THUAN Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

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

LIU, JIE Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

ZHENG, YOUQUAN Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 91.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience / good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience / good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience / good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience / good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience / good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience / good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience / good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience / good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

A16 Wednesday, August 11, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION ZHUANG, QIANQIAN Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

92.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Products and Services

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/ Good in Oral and Written Communication

93.

Brief Job Description: Perform system functional testing regularly to ensure proper system functions

94.

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

95.

Brief Job Description: Provide strong leadership to ensure agreed strategies and goals are communicated and effectively implemented.

96.

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

106.

Basic Qualification: 5-8 years of related experience; College graduate; MBA an advantage.

107.

97.

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 FLASH EXPRESS SOFTWARE (PH) CO., LTD. INC. 9th Flr. Arthaland Century Pacific Tower 5th Avenue 30th Street Cor. 4th Avenue Fort Bonifacio Taguig City LYU, HENGFENG People Shared Service Center Supervisor 98.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for providing a coordinated corporate support function to headquarters and decentralized offices and their staff, for administrative transactional processes including staff and non-staff human resources servicing, travel operations, invoice processing, vendor management, and fixed assets

Basic Qualification: 5-10 years work experience in people management, job-relevant degree, multilingual Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

PENG, YU-TA a.k.a. PAUL PENG Marketing Consultant (Mandarin Speaking Clients) 99.

Brief Job Description: *Studying company profile and operations to understand its marketing needs. * Implementing a marketing strategy according to objectives and budget.

BONG, MEREE Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate

100.

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

LU, XUXIN Customer Service Representative 101.

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

TENG, HAIJIAN Customer Service Representative 102.

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

YANG, DAWEI Customer Service Representative 103.

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

YANG, LI Customer Service Representative 104.

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

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

CHEW GUEK CHOO Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 109.

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

RAHMAN, ARIFUR Inventory Specialist 110.

Brief Job Description: Keep up-to-date with industry trends and update inventory as needed.

ZHANG, WEI Mandarin Customer Support Representative 111.

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, preferably with Customer Service or sales experience, fluent in Mandarin and basic English

113.

114.

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

Brief Job Description: The IT support specialist (ITSS) is an integral member of the company infrastructure, Application support and of the IT responsible for providing quality IT support of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clients SONG VINH PHUONG IT Support Specialist

115.

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

WATANABE, OSAMU Senior Project Manager 120.

KANG, IAN President & CEO 121.

Brief Job Description: A President is responsible for presiding over the entire workforce and will manage budget and will make sure resources are allocated properly. An additional responsibilities will include working with team member to ensure our services meet.

BUI THI NGAN Information Security Analyst (Vietnamese Speaking) 122.

Brief Job Description: installing and use of software such as firewalls and data encryption

CHU NGOC ANH Information Security Analyst (Vietnamese Speaking) 123.

Brief Job Description: installing and use of software such as firewalls and data encryption

DINH THI KIM CHI Information Security Analyst (Vietnamese Speaking) 124.

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

Brief Job Description: Responsible for providing quality IT support of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele.

Basic Qualification: Can speak and read Cantonese , Mandarin and Fukien Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: installing and use of software such as firewalls and data encryption

PHAM THI HUYEN ANH Information Security Analyst (Vietnamese Speaking) 125.

Basic Qualification: Can speak and read Cantonese , Mandarin and Fukien Language

Brief Job Description: installing and use of software such as firewalls and data encryption

AMIRAV, TOMER Multilingual - Product Development Specialist 116.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for producing information, transcribing, formatting, inputting, editing, retrieving, and transmitting text data and graphics from English to other language such as Hebrew, Malay, and MonKhmer MOCHA, ITAY Multilingual - Product Development Specialist

117.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for producing information, transcribing, formatting, inputting, editing, retrieving, and transmitting text data and graphics from English to other language such as Hebrew, Malay, and MonKhmer PERETZ, AMIR Multilingual - Product Development Specialist

118.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for producing information, transcribing, formatting, inputting, editing, retrieving, and transmitting text data and graphics from English to other language such as Hebrew, Malay, and MonKhmer

KIM, JUNKI Managing Director 126.

Brief Job Description: Manage and provide leadership to ensure operational excellence with good use of metrics and solid supervision

PEREDA CANAS, VIKTOR IVAN ALEXANDER Caribbean Spanish Speaker Collection Agent 127.

Brief Job Description: Review statement of account and ensure appropriate attention to detail and that they fall in the line with Maersk and client requirements.

MURILLO RIVAS, BESSY NATHALI Process Expert

128.

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

Basic Qualification: Proficiency in English, Hebrew, Malay, and MonKhmer language

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

Basic Qualification: can speak Vietnamese language and knowledgeable in information technology system Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: can speak Vietnamese language and knowledgeable in information technology system Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: can speak Vietnamese language and knowledgeable in information technology system Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: can speak Vietnamese language and knowledgeable in information technology system Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Fluent and proficient multiple languages, proven and extensive 15+ years of work experience as Managing Director, Chief Administrator Officer or a similar role.

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

MAERSK GLOBAL SERVICE CENTRES (PHILIPPINES) LTD. Levels 5-8 North Wing, Estancia Offices Capitol Commons Meralco Ave. Oranbo Pasig City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can speak and read Cantonese, Mandarin, and Fukien language

Basic Qualification: Must be Bachelor’s/ College degree in any fields. At least 1-2 years of working experience in the related positions, ability to maintain high level of confidentiality

LOTTE GLOBAL LOGISTICS PHILIPPINES INC. Unit 1906 The Trade And Financial Tower 7th Ave. Cor. 32nd St. Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

Basic Qualification: Can speak and read Cantonese , Mandarin and Fukien Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

LOGICDOSE INC. 19f Marco Polo Ortigas, Sapphire Road Ortigas Center San Antonio Pasig City

Basic Qualification: report discrepancies of the inventory to the store manager

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

Brief Job Description: Direct& manage the work plan, day to day operations of all project sites.

Basic Qualification: Pro-active experience in building & industrial plants construction works,

KIMCHI MANILA FOOD OPC Unit 7 #68 Don A. Roces Ave. Obrero 4 Quezon City

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

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

Basic Qualification: Experience in Investment Banking/ Asset management/wealth management banking activities/financial crime compliance; Experience in leading and supervising a team, managing resources in compliance monitoring and testing within a banking industry.

KAJIMA PHILIPPINES INCORPORATED 12/f Makati Sky Plaza 6788 Ayala Avenue San Lorenzo Makati City

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

JP & L BEAUTY PRODUCTS INC. 22 The Trade And Financial Tower 7th Ave. Cor. 32nd St. Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, preferably with Customer Service or sales experience, fluent in Mandarin and basic English

Brief Job Description: The IT support specialist (ITSS) is an integral member of the company infrastructure, Application support and of the IT responsible for providing quality IT support of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clients NONG THI CHI IT Support Specialist

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, preferably with Customer Service or sales experience, fluent in Mandarin and basic English

Brief Job Description: The IT support specialist (ITSS) is an integral member of the company infrastructure, Application support and of the IT responsible for providing quality IT support of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clients NGUYEN THI THUY TIEN IT Support Specialist

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, preferably with Customer Service or sales experience, fluent in Mandarin and basic English

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Korean speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Leading the CCOR M&T (Compliance, conduct and operational risk monitoring and testing) team in Manila that is aligned to the APAC region, for timely and effective management and execution of the CCOR M&T Program.

ITECHNO SPECIALIST INC. 9/f 100 West Building Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Pio Del Pilar Makati City

Basic Qualification: *Preferably 6 months experience with the above position. *Can multi-task and keen to details. *Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently.

Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, preferably with Customer Service or sales experience, fluent in Mandarin and basic English

119.

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

112.

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

Basic Qualification: Speaks and writes fluent in English and Vietnamese language, excellent oral and written communication in Vietnamese, has a notable network of potential clients locally and internationally, notable business development and marketing skills.

INNOVATIVE OVERRUNS PH INC. Unit No. S B29,31 Baclaran Terminal Plaza Bldg. Taft Ave. Ext. St. Barangay 078 Pasay City

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

LI, JIANBIN Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Handle Korean stores sales inquiries and resolve complains.

ZHONG, ZHIMIN Chinese IT Support Specialist

FLY ASIAN INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION Eighty One Newport Blvd. Newport City Va, Brgy. 183 Pasay City

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

CRUZ, JESUS Compliance Manager

INFOVINE INC. 9/f Y Tower, Moa Complex Coral Way Drive Cor. Macapagal Brgy. 076 Pasay City

108.

Basic Qualification: Can contributes information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies; can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.

Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, preferably with Customer Service or sales experience, fluent in Mandarin and basic English

HANKOOK SIKPUM PHILIPPINES INC. Bldg. 17-1e Former Ccmc Compound Veterans Center Western Bicutan Taguig City

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

Basic Qualification: Can contributes information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies; can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.

No.

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

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

ZHU, QUANRONG Marketing And Sales Agent

Brief Job Description: Identifying business development opportunities within Vietnamese speaking business communities

LEE, YOUNGHEE Korean-speaking Sales Specialist

EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503 Nueva St Binondo Manila

JIANG, ZHI Marketing And Sales Agent

SAM THE HUNG Vietnamese Speaking - Business Development

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

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

GREEN TREE BUSINESS CONSULTANT INC. Unit 1402 14/f Cityland Herrera Tower 98 V.a. Rufino Cor. Valero Sts. Bel-air Makati City

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

DHL EXPRESS (PHILIPPINES) CORP. 2306 Don Chino Roces Ext. Magallanes Makati City NURHAYATI NADARAJAN BINTI ABDULLAH President & OIC Country Manager

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

Basic Qualification: Can speak and write fluent Chinese Mandarin language

DEXIN 999, INC. Red Hotel No. 345 Edsa Cor. Don Carlos Revilla St. Barangay 147 Pasay City XIA, JIANXIANG Mandarin Customer Support Representative

105.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ZHANG, WEI Customer Service Representative

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

CROWNTECH CORPORATION Unit 1203-1204 Techzone Bldg. Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. San Antonio Makati City KU, YUN-HO Product Management Officer

No.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Brief Job Description: Assists customers with their issues keeping close communication with co-workers locally or overseas to ensure prompt handling of exceptions or concerns.

Basic Qualification: Monitor disputes and review on account payments.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Monitor payment application and supply relevant updates to the OTC Team.

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

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

WI, JEONG-KWON IT Specialist (Korean) 129.

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

Brief Job Description: Installing new software and hardware components and regularly evaluating IT systems

Basic Qualification: Must have a bachelor’s / college degree in any fields, at least 1-2 yrs. Of working experience in the related positions, ability to maintain high level of confidentiality Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Proficiency in English, Hebrew, Malay, and MonKhmer language Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

PARK, GUNTAE Technical Support 130.

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

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

Basic Qualification: Proficiency in English, Hebrew, Malay, and MonKhmer language Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.- PHILIPPINE GLOBAL SERVICE CENTER 23/f Net Plaza 31st St. E-square Zone Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

Basic Qualification: Must have bachelor’s / college degree in any fields, at least 1-2 yrs. of working experience in the related positions, ability to maintain high level of confidentiality

SHIN, HYERI Technical Support 131.

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

Basic Qualification: Must have bachelor’s / college degree in any fields; at least 1-2 yrs. of working experience in the related positions; ability to maintain high level of confidentiality Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

MEGA-WEB TECHNOLOGIES INC. 6,7,8,9,10,11/f Met Live Bldg. Edsa Cor. Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City

132.

LIN, HONGYUN Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

133.

LIU, GUOCHENG Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

134.

WANG, DAYOU Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

135.

WANG, XIAOHONG Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

136.

ZHANG, PENGLIN Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

137.

ZHU, CHUANLI Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

138.

ZU, BINGHUI Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

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

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

139.

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

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

140.

Brief Job Description: To organize its community of users; provide quality service support in variety areas

151.

152.

153.

154.

141.

Brief Job Description: Promptly responding to customer’s queries via email, live chat, video or phone. Liaising with colleagues or managers to find the best solution to customer issues.

KUMKHEAW, KIDAGAN Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Specialist

142.

Brief Job Description: Promptly responding to customer’s queries via email, live chat, video or phone. Liaising with colleagues or managers to find the best solution to customer issues.

SAENSIHA, NUTCHARI Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Specialist 143.

Brief Job Description: Promptly responding to customer queries via email , live chat , video and phone Liaising with colleagues or managers to find the beat solutions to customers issues

YAEMSANGUANSAK, PINYADA Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Specialist 144.

Brief Job Description: Promptly responding to customer’s queries via email, live chat, video or phone. Liaising with colleagues or managers to find the best solution to customer issues.

NGUYEN THU TRANG Mandarin Speaking Marketing Specialist 145.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to come up with marketing strategies.

Provide daily and weekly reports as required

CHIEW PEI SAN Mandarin Speaking Operations Specialist 146.

Brief Job Description: Provides business operation support on the financial, administrative and contractual aspects of a business unit HA THI LUYEN Mandarin Speaking Operations Specialist

147.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the management of workflow throughout all departments within a business

HSU, CHIA-HUI Mandarin Speaking Operations Specialist 148.

Brief Job Description: Provide business operations support on the financial administrative and contractual aspects of a business unit

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the management of workflow throughout all departments within a business

WANG, SSU-PIN Mandarin Speaking Operations Specialist 155.

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

Brief Job Description: Provide business operations support on the financial administrative and contractual aspects of a business unit

ZAW MYINT Mandarin Speaking Operations Specialist 156.

Brief Job Description: Provide business operations support on the financial administrative and contractual aspects of a business unit

LAY CANH LUONG Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation) Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills in Mandarin

157.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills in Mandarin

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

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, Emails and chats related to inquiry from client and/or customer through mandarin to English translations WU, SONG Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

158.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills in mandarin at least 6 months work related experience, Knowledge in computed applications

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

159.

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

MOTA MONTILLA, LEONARDO JESUS Customer Operations Specialist-order To Case 160.

Brief Job Description: Provides high quality frontline support to existing shell customers from order through payment; Order to cash drives proactive communications, value-adding interactions and effective issue resolution providing best-in-market customer experience.

Basic Qualification: Good social and presentation skills; Excellent oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

164.

Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills in mandarin at least 6 months work related experience, Knowledge in computed applications

165.

166.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills in mandarin at least 6 months work related experience, Knowledge in computed applications

167.

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

168.

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

Basic Qualification: Tertiary education; native spanish speaker; previous experience in customer service or operations; experience in MS Office, GSAP/r3 experience preferre; possess a strong customer service ethic and ability to understand, meet, and champion the customer’s need while staying within the policies of Shell.

SARMIENTO CARRILLO, JULIETH STEPHANY Delivery Scheduler 161.

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

Brief Job Description: Ensures scheduled deliveries are in line with HSSE and operational procedures

Basic Qualification: Proficiency in Spanish language Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

STONE ASIA AND SPECIALTY PRODUCTS, INC. 350 J.p. Rizal Brgy. Namayan Mandaluyong City

ZHOU, ZHUSHAN Project Manager

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

Brief Job Description: Manage the flow of documentation within the organization distribute projects related copies to internal teams retrieve file as requested by employer and clients

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English language both in written and verbal, familiarity with project management proficient typing and editing skills

Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills in mandarin at least 6 months work related experience, Knowledge in computed applications

162.

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

VPC CORPORATE SOLUTIONS INCORPORATED 11/f 100 West, Sen Gil Puyat Ave. Cor. Washington St. Pio Del Pilar Makati City

Brief Job Description: Evaluates expansions or enhancements by studying work load capacity of computer system LIANG, PEI Bilingual Technical Support Specialist

169.

Brief Job Description: Evaluates expansions or enhancements by studying work load capacity pf computer system MO, FEIFEI Bilingual Technical Support Specialist

170.

Brief Job Description: Evaluates expansions or enhancements by studying work load capacity of computer system CHIVE GRANT CHONG Malay-speaking Customer Service Officer

171.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to resolve queries of the Malay-customers through email and chats DUONG NGOC THANH Vietnam-speaking Customer Service Officer

172.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to resolve queries of the Malay-customers through email and chats

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, reading and speaking in Bilingual languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, reading and speaking in Bilingual languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, reading and speaking in Bilingual languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, reading and speaking in Bilingual languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, reading and speaking in Bilingual languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, reading and speaking in Bilingual languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, reading and speaking in bilingual languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, reading and speaking in Bilingual languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, reading and speaking in Malay Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, reading and speaking in Bilingual languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

XIDIAN ENERGY CONSTRUCTION CORP. Unit 1207 The Trade And Financial Tower 32nd St. Cor. 7th Avenue Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

CHEN, QIAN Chief Project Coordinator 173.

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

Brief Job Description: Evaluates expansions or enhancements by studying work load capacity of computer system LI, YUN Bilingual Technical Support Specialist

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

Basic Qualification: Through extensive and Fluency in mandarin language and characters

Brief Job Description: Process and prepare financial business forms for the purpose of checking account balances, facilitating purchases LI, YANJIAO Bilingual Technical Support Specialist

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills in mandarin at least 6 months work related experience, Knowledge in computed applications

Brief Job Description: Handles administrative requests and queries from senior manager/officers YUE, ZONGQING Bilingual Finance Support Specialist

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Good social and presentation skills; Excellent oral and written communication skills

Brief Job Description: Handles administrative requests and queries from senior manager/officers ZHU, HAITAO Bilingual Admin Support Specialist

Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills in Mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Handles administrative requests and queries from senior manager/officers ZHOU, ZE Bilingual Admin Support Specialist

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

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

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

Basic Qualification: Good social and presentation skills; Excellent oral and written communication skills

163.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Good social and presentation skills; Excellent oral and written communication skills

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION WANG, QINGQIAO Bilingual Admin Support Specialist

Brief Job Description: Chief project coordinator is responsible to ensure the project is running smoothly on time of budget

SHI, HONG Chief Project Coordinator 174.

Brief Job Description: Chief project coordinator is responsible to ensure the project is running smoothly on time of budget

CHEN, YANG Project Manager 175.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the whole process from the contract signed to project completion acceptance

LI, SHIHAN Project Manager 176.

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

Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills in Mandarin

Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills in mandarin at least 6 months work related experience, Knowledge in computed applications

No.

SHELL SHARED SERVICES (ASIA) B.V. 16/f-25/f Solaris One Bldg. 130 Dela Rosa St. San Lorenzo Makati City

Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills in Mandarin

Basic Qualification: Good oral and written communication skills in mandarin at least 6 months work related experience, Knowledge in computed applications

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

OUTWIT, INC. 2/f Marvin Plaza 2153 Chino Roces Ave. Pio Del Pilar Makati City KLAYKHAMDEE, PHANTITA Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Specialist

Brief Job Description: Provide business operations support on the financial administrative and contractual aspects of a business unit

SUNG, CHUAN-CHIH Mandarin Speaking Operations Specialist

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

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

Brief Job Description: Provides business operation support on the financial, administrative and contractual aspects of a business unit

LUWISIA Mandarin Speaking Operations Specialist

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

Basic Qualification: Question and answer platform using English and Spanish language

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the management of workflow throughout all departments within a business LIN, HSIN-HAN Mandarin Speaking Operations Specialist

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

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

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the management of workflow throughout all departments within a business

LIAW EE KHANG Mandarin Speaking Operations Specialist

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

OAMPI INC. 8/f 6780 Ayala Ave. Ayala Ave. San Lorenzo Makati City DASSE BIZAMA, EDUARDO JAVIER Spanish Content Moderation Analyst

150.

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

Brief Job Description: Provide business operations support on the financial administrative and contractual aspects of a business unit

LAU PHUI DINH Mandarin Speaking Operations Specialist

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

NEO INCORPORATED North Tower Centrum Bldg. Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City Baclaran Parañaque City WANG, JUNDAN Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

149.

A17

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

HSU, TZU-HSUAN Mandarin Speaking Operations Specialist

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the whole process from the contract signed to project completion acceptance

Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin and college graduate Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin and college graduate Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin and college graduate Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin and college graduate Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ZENDESK, INCORPORATED 30th Floor Net Park 5th Ave. E-square Crescent Park Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

LEE, HONGKU Technical Support Customer Advocate 177.

Brief Job Description: Take ownership of customer issues through resolution; Emphatic, responsive, resourceful and see the support experience through our customer’s excellent organizational, written and oral communication skills; Must be able to convey the jargon in a wide-array of syntax from beginner level users to developers.

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in writing, reading and speaking Korean and English; Has basic knowledge of various mobile platforms like IOS, Android, Windows phone, blackberry; and Has at least three (3) years of technical support experience.

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 *Date Generated: Aug 10, 2021

In the ad material of Notice of Filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on July 22, 2021 and July 23, 2021, the company name of LI, JIAHUI and HUANG, DANGHUI under 24 INCH GAUGE CONTRICTION INC. respectively, should have been read as 24/7 BUSINESS PROCESSING INC. located at 5TH-6TH-7TH FLR., 81 NEWPORT BL NEWPORT CITY, BRGY. 183, PASAY CITY and not as published.

Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE-NCR Regional Office located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication.

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

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

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

A18 Wednesday, August 11, 2021 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Placing our bet on the tree of life

W

E can’t emphasize enough the versatility of the coconut tree. It gives us coconut juice, coco sugar, coconut oil, coco lumber, coconut coir, and even the coconut shells are used in craft and can be made into many forms of jewelry, cups, bowls, candle holders, light shades and various utensils.

In the time of the pandemic, it is living up to its moniker as the “tree of life” because products made from coconut can be used to fight Covid-19.

Virgin coconut oil, for instance, may be used as a supplement because it could prevent Covid infections from becoming severe, according to the Department of Science and Technology (See, “VCO can be a supplement vs suspected Covid-19 cases,” in the BusinessMirror, December 6, 2020).

The Philippine Coconut Authority also announced last year that the Food and Drug Administration has approved ALCOCO, a 70-percent ethyl alcohol solution from distilled coconut nectar, as hand sanitizer. The PCA said the anti-bacterial gel sourced from local coconuts has a 99.9 percent germ kill rate as certified by Intertek Testing Services Philippines Inc., an international testing laboratory with locations in over 100 countries worldwide. The product proved that the Philippines can become less dependent on ethyl alcohol from other countries.

Even before the pandemic, coconut-based products have been buoying farm exports. Coconut oil, the country’s top agri export, is in demand in rich countries where it is used for a variety of purposes. Other coco-based products contribute to the country’s annual export receipts, which prop up our dollar reserves. Products such as geotextiles have the potential to further expand earnings from coconut.

While there is no dearth of studies focusing on the versatility of the coconut and its numerous benefits, businessmen remain hesitant to invest in coco-based ventures. This prompted the PCA to organize a two-day investment forum to promote the value addition of coconut and increase awareness on possible investment prospects brought by new technologies for coconut processing that are ready for commercialization (See, “PCA urges businessmen to invest in PHL coconut sector,” in the BusinessMirror, August 9, 2021).

Apart from reaching out to businessmen via an investment forum and webinars that seek to inform the public about the viability of the coconut sector, the government should also consider launching other initiatives that will make the agri and food sector more attractive.

Policy-makers can look at what Thailand has done over the years to enable its agri-food sector to earn its current enviable status. In a report published in The Bangkok Post, the Federation of Thai Industries revealed that Thailand’s food exports reached 980 billion baht or $31.3 billion last year.

Despite the significant strides made by Thailand in terms of growing its food exports in the past, it is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that its strong agri-food sector would remain a major player in the global food trade.

In line with its “Thai 4.0” strategic economic development plan, Bangkok has designated the agri-food industry as a priority area. The plan calls for strengthening the food technology ecosystem of Thailand to increase the economic value of its farm and food industries.

The Thailand Board of Investments is also thinking of offering additional incentives on top of the exemptions on corporate income tax and import duty on raw materials, which are granted to both Thai and foreign investors. According to a separate report published in The Bangkok Post, the perks cover a comprehensive range of activities especially those related to investment in R&D and those adopting biotechnology, digital services and robotics.

Our policy-makers should take Thailand’s lead if they are really keen on boosting the competitiveness of the Philippine agri and food sector.

Since 2005

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business ✝ Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Founder Publisher Editor in Chief Associate Editor News Editor

T. Anthony C. Cabangon Lourdes M. Fernandez Jennifer A. Ng Vittorio V. Vitug

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Lorenzo M. Lomibao Jr., Gerard S. Ramos Lyn B. Resurreccion, Dennis D. Estopace Angel R. Calso

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Creative Director Chief Photographer Chairman of the Board President Advertising Sales Manager Group Circulation Manager

Aurora C. Ignacio

All About Social Security

Y

ou reached your 50th year and have started to think about the future in the next 10 years, not to mention how to enjoy the benefits you will get when you reach retirement age.

While others plan to spend more time with family, some pack their bags and travel around the world. It is such a great relief enjoying your free time and finances as you try out different experiences and adventures.

You deserve this kind of life after decades of hard work. However, there are some prospective retirees who worry about where to get the funds to maintain their lifestyle when they retire.

Saving up for retirement is always the smartest and practical thing to do. There are some people who started doing this in their early years. There are also those who have just started to invest for pension and retirement. They are still better off compared with those who never saved up for their senior years at all.

This is also where the retirement benefits offered by SSS come in. The program provides cash benefit to an SSS member who can no longer work due to old age. There are two types of retirement benefit: One is a monthly pension, which involves a lifetime cash benefit to a retiree who has paid at least 120 monthly contributions prior to the semester of retirement; and the other is lump sum benefit granted to a retiree who has less than the required 120 monthly contributions.

SSS has set new guidelines for filing of retirement benefit claims online via SSS web site. This was

implemented to allow more members to file their application safely and conveniently. Under the new guidelines, those who can file their retirement claim application (RCA) online are: n employee-members who are at least 60-64 years old and separated from employment, except for underground/surface mineworkers and racehorse jockeys; n land-based overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and Voluntary Members (VMs) who are atleast 60 years old upon the date of submission of RCA; and n members who are at least 65 years old upon the date of online filing of RCA. Members must be registered in the My.SSS Portal of the SSS web site and must have disbursement account enrolled through the Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM).

Retiring members may submit their RCA through their My.SSS account, subject to the following conditions: n with at least 120 monthly contributions prior to the semester of the month of submission of application for monthly pension; or has at least one monthly contribution for lumpsum benefit; n has an active social security number; n has no outstanding Stock

Dennis Gorecho

D. Edgard A. Cabangon Benjamin V. Ramos Aldwin Maralit Tolosa Rolando M. Manangan

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Investment Loan Program (SILP)/ Privatization Loan Program/ Educational Loan/Vocational Technology Loan balance. Outstanding loan balance shall be for salary/calamity or Salary Loan Early Renewal Program only; n has no dependent child/ren; n not an underground/surface mineworker or a racehorse jockey; and n not a self-employed member below 65 years old.

Applications of employee-members who are at least 60-64 years old with contributions within 12 months prior to the month of retirement must be certified by the latest employer through the employer’s My.SSS account.

However, the following members must submit the RCA and supporting documents in SSS branches: n with SILP/Privatization Loan Program/Educational Loan/Vocational Technology Loan balance; n with dependent child/ren; n an underground/surface mineworker or racehorse jockey;or n a self-employed member below 65 years old.

As Metro Manila and other cities are once again under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), certain restrictions have already been implemented to limit the number of transacting public in SSS branches.

For this reason, all over-the-counter transactions must be coursed through the no-contact drop-box system. For branches under Modified ECQ, all OTC transactions must have a corresponding appointment with the branch or submitted in drop boxes.

For select branches, a number coding system will be implemented for OTC transactions. Meanwhile, branches under general community quarantine and modified general community quarantine will accept all OTC transactions, except for

mandatory online transactions. A number coding system will also be implemented.

For the past five years, there has been a steady increase in the amount of retirement benefit payouts. In 2020, SSS disbursed a total of P115.44 billion, P114.27 billion in 2019, P104.82 billion in 2018, P98.86 billion in 2017, and P78.11 billion in 2020.

From January to June 2021, SSS released P68.37 billion worth of retirement benefits to over 1.8 million retiree-pensioners. This is 19.9-percent higher than the amount disbursed in the same period a year ago.

This increase in pension payout in the first half of the year is due to the easing of quarantine restrictions during the period that made it possible for retiree-members to go to the branches and file their retirement benefit applications. I am glad that despite these challenges posed by the pandemic, our new pensioners are able to enjoy their retirement benefits.

Filipino retirees deserve to have some time for themselves and do things that they have put on hold due to their responsibilities at work while raising their families. Retirement is the time to enjoy the fruits of their labor and pursue their happiness, like enjoying memorable experiences or even pushing for a more active and healthier lifestyle.

It is our fervent wish that SSS retirees will get to explore a new chapter of their lives in whatever way they desire.

Indeed, life starts anew when you retire.

Have a safe and healthy week ahead.

Aurora C. Ignacio is SSS president and chief exec-

utive officer. We welcome your questions and insights on the topics that we discuss. E-mail mediaaffairs@ sss.gov.ph for topics that you might want us to discuss.

Disregarding the fit-to-work certification by company doctors

Eduardo A. Davad Nonilon G. Reyes

BusinessMirror is published daily by the Philippine Business Daily Mirror

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What you need to know about the SSS Retirement Benefit Program

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fit-to-work certification by the company doctor can be set aside by the courts since the inherent merit of the case will still be weighed and duly considered.

In the case of OSM Maritime Services v. Nelson Go (GR 238128 February 17, 2021), the Supreme Court disregarded the fit­-to-work assessment issued by the company doctor noting that it does not mirror the true con-

dition of the claimant in terms of his ability to resume seafarer duties.

The seafarer was diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease, which is described as an incurable disorder of the inner ear that causes severe dizziness, ring-

ing sound in the ears, intermittent hearing loss, and feeling of ear pressure or pain.

The Supreme Court acknowledged that Meniere’s Disease is work-related as it cited the medical certification issued by the seafarer’s private physician, Dr. Radentor Viernes, which stated that the nature of his employment as Oiler/ Motorman onboard the vessel is the cause of his illness and/or aggravated the same.

His work as an Oiler/Motorman onboard the vessel exposed him to loud and deafening engine noises, engine heat and harmful chemicals inherent in engine oils.

Taking into account his length of service as an Oiler/Motorman,

the seafarer’s continued exposure to these health hazards onboard the vessel had contributed mainly to a very great possibility for him to contract the illnesses and/or having aggravated the same while onboard the vessel.

In most seafarer cases for disability or death benefits claims, employers deny their liability to pay benefits by pointing to the medical reports of the company-designated physician that the seafarer’s illness is not work-connected, that he is fit to work or that the compensation is limited to a lower amount based on a low disability grading.

Such assessment is arrived at after the seafarer submits himself to the See “Gorecho,” A19

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Progress made but hot weather could spur California wildfire

Technical, economic and environmental aspects of good planning Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza

MAKE SENSE

By Christopher Weber & Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press

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alifornia’s largest single wildfire in recorded history kept pushing through forestlands as fire crews tried to protect rural communities from flames that have destroyed hundreds of homes.

Thick smoke cleared for several hours along one edge of the Dixie Fire on Monday, allowing aircraft to join nearly 6,000 firefighters in the attack. Many were battling to protect more than a dozen small mountain and rural communities in the northern Sierra Nevada.

“Today was the first day in a few days that we had good, clean air in there so we were able to use our helicopters,” allowing some progress, Kyle Jacobson, the east zone incident commander, said at an evening briefing.

Crews managed to cut thousands of acres of new fire lines and the fire’s southern edges were in good shape but the fire’s future was an unknown, authorities said.

“We don’t know where this fire is going to end and where it’s going to land. It continues to challenge us,” said Chris Carlton, supervisor for Plumas National Forest.

But high pressure building over the Western United States meant the weather would heat up and dry out again in the next few days, possibly hitting triple-digit high temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday along with a return of strong afternoon winds, fire meteorologist Rich Thompson warned.

Those are the conditions that have caused the fire to spread rapidly since it began on July 13. Burning through bone-dry trees, brush and grass, the fire had burned more than 600 homes and other buildings, incinerating much of the small community of Greenville. Another 14,000 structures were threatened.

Damage reports are preliminary because assessment teams can’t get into many areas, officials said.

Even more troubling, monsoonal moisture coming up from the south

Gorecho. . .

continued from A18

company doctor for a post employment medical examination within three days from his repatriation.

While the company doctor must declare the nature of a seafarer’s disability, the Supreme Court stressed in several rulings that Courts are not bound by the medical findings of the company doctors.

Said declaration is not conclusive and final upon the court in the determination of compensation cases filed by Filipino seafarers, such as in the case of Mr. Go. According to the assessment of the company-designated physician Dr. Nicomedes Cruz, the seafarer is fit to return to sea duties, which is contrary to the findings of his private physician that he is no longer fit to work as a seaman in any capacity.

The overall situation of the seafarer proves that he is unfit for se a duty.

The Court noted that the seafarer failed his Pre-Employment Medical Examination because he was found to be unfit for sea duties due to Meniere’s Disease. This means that, ultimately, the seafarer cannot be given the proper clearance to resume his occupation even if he was found to be fit to work by Dr. Cruz.

The medical findings in the PEME regarding the seafarer’s unfitness to return to work was also verified and confirmed by the assessment of Dr. Vierneswhen the latter issued his medical certificate.

Due to the permanent and incurable nature of the Meniere’sDisease that would indefinitely deprive the seafarer gainful employment and the opportunity to earn therefrom,

could produce a chance of thunderstorms heading into the weekend that could bring dry lightning and gusts that produce a greater fire threat, Thompson said.

The fire had grown to an area of 753 square miles (1,950 square kilometers) and was just 22% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. It had scorched an area more than twice the size of New York City.

The Dixie Fire is about half the size of the August Complex, a series of lightning-caused 2020 fires across seven counties that were fought together and that state officials consider California’s largest wildfire overall.

Four firefighters were taken to the hospital Friday after being struck by a fallen branch. More than 30 people were initially reported missing, but by Monday the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office had accounted for all of them.

California’s raging wildfires are among some 100 large blazes burning across 15 states, mostly in the West, where historic drought conditions have left lands parched and ripe for ignition.

The Dixie Fire was the largest wildfire burning in the US. Nearly a quarter of all firefighters assigned to Western fires are fighting California blazes, said Rocky Oplinger, an incident commander.

Heat waves and historic drought tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight in the American West. Scientists have said climate change has made the region much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make the weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive. the Supreme Court resolved to grant the seafarer Mr.Go the full amount of disability benefits.

Fit-To-Work certifications are even given to seafarers who are still not cured or in essence can no longer be employed.

The findings cannot be taken as “gospel truth” due to the proliferation of obviously biased company doctors. (Wallem v. NLRC 318 SCRA 623) The Supreme Court noted in Magsaysay v. Buenaventura (GR 195878. January 10, 2018) that the judicial bodies should not adopt the declaration hook, line and sinker as it may be set aside if it is shown that the diagnosis of the company doctor is attended with clear bias, has no scientific basis or is not supported by the medical records of the seafarer.

The company doctor’s assessment does not evince irrefutable and conclusive weight in assessing the compensability of an illness as the seafarer has the right to seek a second opinion from his preferred physician (Cadornigara v. NLRC, 538 SCRA 363).

Said rulings were based on the prevailing doctrine that “disability is intimately related to the worker’s capacity to earn, and what is compensated is not his injury or illness but his inability to work resulting in the impairment of his earning capacity.

Thus, disability has been construed less on its medical significance but more on the loss of earning capacity.”

(Ilustricimo v. NYK-Fil Ship Management Inc., GR 237487, June 27, 2018) Atty. 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.

Wednesday, August 11, 2021 A19

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n my previous column, I explained what transpired in our discussions with a top official of the Metals Industry Research and Development Center on the impact of the importation of steel bars and induction furnace to public safety and the economy. The MIRDC official was our guest in our radio program “Dito sa Bayan ni Juan” with former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. However, I could not explain much of what we discussed about the importation of obsolete, inefficient and environmentally hazardous induction furnace from China because of space limitations. So, for this issue of my Make Sense column, I will take up our discussions with the MIRDC official on that regard.

Being a technically trained government authority on steel, I asked our guest for his opinion why China banned the use of induction furnace.

While Enrile, for his part, asked our guest if low efficiency and its hazard to the environment could be the reasons for banning the use of induction furnace in China. Our guest’s response of “maybe” could have piqued the unequivocal mind of Enrile. He told our guest that as a government authority on steel, he cannot accept “maybe” for an answer to his question. The official is a technically trained expert on steel, and he should know the exact science involved.

Like Enrile, I was also surprised at our guest’s answer of “maybe” to the question. As a government expert on steel, he should have done

due diligence in researching for the reason why China banned the use of induction furnace. But he explained, instead, the technical advantages of induction furnace saying that it is cheaper to operate.

He also explained that even if induction furnace does not have the capability to remove the chemical impurities of steel during induction, unlike other smelters, it is still capable of producing quality standard steel products like steel bars, so long as the scrap metals used for induction are free of such chemical impurities.

I am amazed, if not aghast, at how he technically justified the country’s importation of the banned induction furnace from China. With three of the imported China rejects already installed at San Simon, Pampanga, there are already reports of induction

The propensity of some government officials to technically justify their actions to make it legally compliant, regardless of their economic, health, and environmental impact, bewilders me. furnace-related illnesses in the area.

This mindset of government officials will not lead the country to progress. In fact, it could even result in retrogression, especially if our manufacturing industry gets stuck with the old technology, while its global counterparts are already modernizing. Perhaps, to avert a possible retrogression in the industry sector, an Executive Order or a Law can be issued or legislated, to rationalize the industry sector, if only to ensure that inefficient and environmentally hazardous manufacturing equipment are no longer used. This should help protect the economic and physical well-being of the nation and its people.

The propensity of some government officials to technically justify their actions to make it legally compliant, regardless of their economic, health, and environmental impact, bewilders me. And knowing that the primary considerations in planning a project, regardless of its magnitude, are technical, economic, health and environmental concerns, among others, going technical to justify compliance to prescribed rules by government officials, without giving much consideration to its economic and health impact to the nation may be legal, but for me, it’s morally flawed.

This reminds me of the letter sent

to me by the same MIRDC official regarding the earlier importation of 5,000 metric tons of steel bars, where only 3 samples were submitted for testing. In his letter, which I still have in my possession, he said that when he received the three sample steel bars, he tested one bar and saved the two for future testing, if needed. But he also said in his letter that, when he received the three sample steel bars, he had no idea of the real volume of steel bar importation where the samples were taken.

That’s why he could not categorically say if the three sample steel bars would be representative of the entire universe of the 5,000-metric-ton steel bar importation. I have nothing against the MIRDC official. But I find it awkward for him to say that he received the three sample steel bars and tested one, without knowing or researching the actual volume of steel bar importations where the samples were taken.

This consideration, for me, is very important because local steel bar manufacturers are required to test one bar for every 20-metric-ton of steel bars that roll off their plant. And that’s also the reason why I continue to ask why the 5,000-metric-ton of imported steel bars were released, when only three samples were taken from the entire lot and submitted for testing.

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza is the chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries and Fight Illicit Trade; a broad-based, multisectoral movement intended to protect consumers, safeguard government revenues and shield legitimate industries from the ill effects of smuggling.

Bandwagon effect: The most dangerous cognitive bias Dr. Carl E. Balita

Entrepreneurs’ Footprints

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umans are less intelligent than birds, that flock together with the same feathers, when they decide and take action based only on what is popular and through a mental process that does not involve thinking. Sadly, the most intelligent steward of God’s creation endowed with intellect and freewill may not be using such gifts in making decisions in this modern age of information and science. From choosing which post to like and share on social media to who to vote as leaders of government, there seems to be an automatic behavior that does not go through the benefit of a correct thinking process.

We experience how easily we like and share on social media upon seeing a headliner in a post—known as “bait”—without reading through the complete content and without understanding the context—only to discover later that they are fake.

Millions recently unfollowed Nas Daily, an influencer, because of his alleged scam involving our national treasure Apo Whang Od—only to regret in the end upon seeing the other side of the story. Many parents are now influencing their children to go into weightlifting with hope that in time they will bring in the Olympics gold and the fortune that follows. The Manny Pacquiao effect is obvious among many Filipinos who have become interested in boxing.

As we approach the election season, there are surveys, some not based on sound scientific processes, that seem to strategically shape some biases over time towards election day. That is the Bandwagon Effect, one of the most dangerous of all cognitive biases.

Cognitive Biases. Heuristics.

Fallacy.

Researchers Tversky and Kahneman first introduced the concept of cognitive bias in 1972. Cognitive biases are unconscious errors in thinking rooted in a processing error often arising from problems in memory, attention, attribution and other mental mistakes. These biases result from the brain’s effort to simplify the complexities of the world we live in. The concept

of cognitive bias became subject of research and the concept evolved across a wide range of areas of decision making in social behavior, thinking, behavioral economics, education, management, business, finance and health care. There are several forms of cognitive biases, namely confirmation bias, hindsight bias, optimism bias, anchoring bias, among others. While they can be surprisingly accurate, they can also lead to errors in thinking.

Cognitive biases stream from a number of sources, but it is heuristics, which are mental shortcuts, that often are referred to as major contributing role. In the 1950s, Nobel-prize winning economist and cognitive psychologist Herbert Simon originally introduced the concept of heuristics. He theorized that while people strive to make rational choices, human judgment is subject to cognitive limitations.

Heuristics can help solve problems and speed up our decisionmaking process, but they can introduce errors. Heuristics can also contribute to things such as stereotypes and prejudices. Mental shortcuts can simply label, categorize and classify people. Such may overlook more relevant information and create stereotyped categorizations that are not aligned with reality and sometime even with logical reason.

Cognitive bias called bandwagon effect

The bandwagon effect refers to our tendency to adopt a certain preference, behavior, style, feelings or at-

titude simply because everyone else is doing it. The more people adopt a particular trend, the more likely that other people will also hop on the bandwagon.

We are highly influenced by the social pressures and subjective norms that are exerted by groups.

When it seems like the majority of the members of the group is doing a certain thing, doing that thing becomes increasingly easy. Bandwagon is a type of group thinking that exert pressure to conform.

This is also influenced by our fear of being excluded. We don’t want to be the odd one out. Going along is a comfortable way of inclusion and social acceptance. People also desire to be right and to join the winning side.

The social group becomes a source of information of what is right and acceptable. What the majority is doing denotes the impression that it is the correct thing to do.

We would remember some launching strategies of products that capitalize and publicize, (or even suspiciously orchestrate) the queueing of a mass number to draw the attention of those who may, out of curiosity, jump into the bandwagon. Seeing that customers are patiently in queue drives some assurance that the product or service must be good, and therefore, worth trying.

Even the news showing a massive number of people lining up in vaccination center was reason enough for the reluctant Filipinos to get vaccinated too. The same is true with music, fashion, diets, drinks and many aspects of lifestyle.

But such bandwagon holds dangerous implications for matters that are of greater value like elections. For elections, it has been proven that people are most like to vote for the candidate that they think is winning. Surveys that lack credibility, validity and reliability, which only educated people really understand, can have destructive effect on what benefits our country. They simply influence people to jump on the bandwagon. Political strategists will always look for the critical mass and focus their attention on wooing them to achieve a momentum, and eventually benefit from a bandwagon.

The fragility of the bandwagon

The bandwagon effect can be very

powerful and leads to the ready formation of fads and trends. However, these behaviors also tend to be somewhat fragile and volatile.

People jump on the bandwagon quickly, but they also jump off it just as fast. This is perhaps why fad tends to be so fleeting and quick to change.

How to deal with biases

While the cognitive biases operate in the unconscious, there are steps that can be taken to train the mind into to adopt new patterns of thinking to mitigate the impact of the biases.

First strategy is the awareness of the bias. Understanding that there are biases like these is the beginning in re-framing the mind towards more critical thinking, objective decision-making and purposeful acting. There are actually training on how to reduce cognitive bias.

Another strategy includes an introspective approach to considering the factors that influence decisions like overconfidence or self-interests. You need to think about the influences on your decisions. Such insights may help you make better choices. To avoid the bandwagon in choosing from among the candidates, you may need to create a criteria on what matters most in the selection of whom to vote. Given the valid information you may need to search and gather, you need to go back to the criteria and grade each candidate objectively.

We may need to also learn to challenge our biases. Critical thinking is about suspending judgment to allow us time to gather more evidence towards a more objective decision. Simple reflection of the following matters: what information could you have missed, what relevant information that doesn’t support your view could have been ignored, or what matters could you have given too much weight?

James Goldsmith warns that if we see a bandwagon, it is too late.

That is because a bias has just taken place. It is up to us whether we will jump on them unquestioningly or jump on them to overturn them and subvert them. We don’t give up on our intellect to choose and our freedom to change.

A20 Wednesday, August 11, 2021

DAVAO EYES BUILDING OXYGEN PLANT FOR COVID ‘MEGA’ SURGE

By Manuel T. Cayon

@awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

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AVAO C I T Y—T he city government here plans to construct an oxygen plant to prepare for an expected “huge” demand for it once the Delta, or Indian, variant takes its dreaded mega-surge in the region.

City Hall’s Economic Enterprise unit was tasked to study the matter, and to estimate the total cost for building the plant and installing the necessary equipment to run it.

For the meantime, the city was monitoring the inventory of cylinder tanks available and the capacity of the oxygen suppliers to provide the items when needed during the surge, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio told the cityrun DCDR radio station.

She said oxygen supply in the city was among the things discussed in the latest regular meeting last week with private hospitals and the Department of Health (DOH).

She said last week’s meeting was sought also by the DOH

“to talk about the challenges of private hospitals, their compliance with the Covid-19 bed capacity requirement as mandated by law, and PhilHealth concerns.”

The mayor said, “Among things that we have discussed is the oxygen supply in case of a surge as it is needed in our hospitals. This is under FDA. The FDA is now making an inventory of the capacity of oxygen suppliers in Davao City.”

Both the DOH and the FDA were doing estimates of how many oxygen tanks would be needed in case of a surge.

“We currently have a list in the City Government of Davao of the number of tanks, as computed by DOH, that will be needed in our hospitals in case of a surge. DOH, I think, made an inventory and computed what’s lacking based on surge requirements,” she added.

She said the City Economic Enterprise Office would ask oxygen manufacturers if they could supply hospitals with the needed number of oxygen tanks.

PHL to get 148-M Covid-19 vax doses, ‘on track’–Neda

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By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

HE Philippines is set to receive 148 million more doses for the remainder of the year, bringing the country closer to achieving herd immunity, according to the President’s economic team.

On Tuesday, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said the government’s Covid-19 vaccination program remains on track.

Chua said a total of 38.6 million doses have arrived in the country

between February 28 to August 8, 2021. This has allowed the government to continue its vaccination drive.

“For the remainder of 2021, we are expecting the arrival of over 148 million doses of the vaccine.

With this, we are optimistic [about inoculating] 70 million Filipinos or the entire adult population by the end of 2021. This is a step closer to achieving herd immunity in the country,” Chua read in a joint statement from the economic team on Tuesday.

Chua said local government units and the private sector were able to efficiently administer vaccines on a wide scale in the past few months.

As of August 8, Chua said a total of 24.5 million doses have been administered. This consists of 13.1 million receiving their first dose and 11.4 million, their second dose.

On August 5, the country’s Socioeconomic Secretary said the country recorded an all-time high of 710,482 jabs in a day.

Meanwhile, in a recent briefing, the Department of Health (DOH) said the Philippines is now classified as “high risk ” due to the high number of infections recorded.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire also said that over 200 medical facilities nationwide are at critical risk while in the National Capital Region (NCR), 25 health-care facilities are also under critical risk.

Vergeire said the increase in cases was seen in the last week of July and exceeded the seven-day moving average.

Average daily reported cases: August 2 to 8: 8,829, July 26 to August 1: 7,029, July 19 to 25: 5,769, July 12 to 18: 4,989, and cases peaked on April 9 to 15: 10,845.

Continued on A12

Imports, consumers’ woes swell PHL’s frozen pork inventory

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

@jearcalas

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HE country’s frozen pork inventory has more than doubled to a record level of over 72,000 metric tons (MT), driven by the influx of imported pork coupled with market bottlenecks that hindered traders from selling their meat products.

Latest National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) data showed that as of August 2 the inventory reached 72,306.98 MT, which was 33,777.22 MT higher than the 38,529.76 MT recorded in the same period of last year.

NMIS data showed that 97 percent of the total frozen pork inventory were imported or about 70,400.31 MT, while the remaining volume of 1,906.67 MT were locally produced pork.

Historical NMIS data showed this is now the highest volume of frozen pork held by the country’s cold storages nationwide. The record-high level was also confirmed by industry stakeholders during a House Committee hearing on Tuesday.

Aside from the expected influx of imported pork this year due to domestic supply shortfall, industry players told the BusinessMirror that weak consumer demand due to lower purchasing power as well as shipment delays contributed to the record level inventory.

‘Uncharted territory’

“We are in uncharted territory. We do not know the extent of the damage to the consuming sector,” Meat Importers and Traders Association President Jesus C. Cham told the BusinessMirror in describing the current weak consumer demand for pork.

“More or less, importers and traders are going and working with their gut feeling. They are hoping that what worked before will work

today [in terms of supply and demand],” Cham added.

Cham noted that the recent implementation of enhanced community quarantine over key porkconsuming areas of the country did not help to improve consumer sentiment.

“The consumers who have money cannot go out to buy and the ones that do not have the money, cannot really afford pork,” he said.

Cham added that irregular shipping schedules have also contributed to the spike in frozen inventory since some shipments arrived way beyond their intended schedules.

He also noted that some importers and traders could have been holding on to their current supply and spreading them out to cater the needs of all their clients.

“We have to satisfy most of our sukis. Some want to buy in bulk or pakyawan but we cannot give them everything. We have to ensure that all of our clients are being catered or else they might leave us and find another supplier,” he explained.

Jet B. Ambalada, COO of Royal Cargo Inc., told the BusinessMirror that the current volume of imported pork in cold storages might be the country’s “new normal” as long as the domestic supply shortfall persists.

Ambalada explained that the 70,400 MT of imported pork in nationwide cold storages could already serve as a two-month buffer supply based on an annual pork shortfall of 500,000 MT. This, he pointed out, would allow the country to have sufficient stocks while the domestic production is still recovering and considering the fourmonth delays in the arrival of pork imports today.

“We need to keep a healthy level of inventory. This is the new normal inventory level for us,” Ambalada said.

Continued on A12

A sign announcing the hospital has reached full capacity for treating Covid-19 cases is posted outside the emergency area of St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City on Tuesday, August 10, the latest grim indicator of the continuing spike in infections even during the strictest lockdowns. NONOY LACZA

Over 19K tourism frontliners in NCR jabbed–DOT

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo

@akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror

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OVERNMENT has stepped up the vaccination of tourism frontliners in Metro Manila, with most coming from accommodation establishments functioning as quarantine, isolation, and multiple-use hotels.

In a news statement, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said 19,315 tourism frontliners have already been vaccinated as of August 9, which accounts for 72 percent of the targeted 26,745 individuals. The agency said the number of vaccinated tourism workers includes both who have been fully dosed, and those who received only one jab so far, but failed to give an actual breakdown.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said the tourism frontliners belong to the A1 and

A4 priority list for vaccination, and were based on a list submitted by 455 DOT-accredited accommodation establishments. “The vaccination of our tourism workers is a necessary step to keep them protected while doing their duty at the front lines. These figures are of high importance, especially with the threat of the Delta variant,” she added.

Some 15,000 are frontliners who belong to the A1 group (20,061 listed), and some 4,300 are from the A4 group (6,684 listed). Aside from nurses and doctors, the A1 group includes tourism workers in DOT-accredited hotels that serve as quarantine and isolation facilities. The A4 group includes workers in tourism transport services, other employees of hotels and resorts, and those working in restaurants.

As of August 9, Romulo Puyat said 1,245 workers in DOT-accredited restaurants have also

been vaccinated. According to the agency’s National Capital Region (NCR) office, 202 restaurants in Metro Manila submitted a list of 4,479 workers for vaccination.

“We are confident that we will be able to vaccinate 100 percent of tourism workers from DOT-accredited accommodation establishments from Metro Manila before the end of the ECQ [en h a nced com mu n it y qu a r antine] period,” said the DOT chief. NCR is currently under ECQ until August 20 due to the surge in Covid-19 cases, which health experts have attributed to the Delta variant.

As of August 9, there were 8,900 new Covid cases, bringing the total number to some 1.67 million nationwide, according to the Department of Health. In the NCR, the total number of cases in the region reached 573,136, with 23,454 new cases reported in the last 14 days.

The DOT also targets to vaccinate 73,477 tourism workers on Boracay Island in Aklan, Bohol, Palawan, Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte, and Pampanga. As of August 4, just 14,482 tourism workers in these leisure destinations received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while only 474 are fully dosed. (See, “DOT targets to inoculate over 73K tourism workers in five key leisure sites,” in the BusinessMirror, August 5, 2021.)

The DOT earlier urged the National Task Force against Covid-19 (NTF) to include frontliners from isolation and quarantine hotels to be included in government’s A1 priority group for vaccination.

Romulo Puyat urged other DOT-accredited accommodation establishments in Metro Manila who have yet to submit their list of tourism workers for vaccination to get in touch with the agency’s NCR office.

Companies BusinessMirror

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

B1

DMCI income in H1 surges as coal, nickel prices rally

By VG Cabuag

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@villygc

onglomerate DMCI Holdings Inc. on Tuesday said its net income jumped almost five times to P9.5 billion in the first semester, from the P2 billion it reported last year.

The surge in net income was due to the rebound of its subsidiaries, Semirara Mining and Power Corp., DMCI Homes and DMCI Mining, the company said.

Excluding a nonrecurring gain of P1.2 billion this year relative to the remeasurement of deferred tax liabilities as a result of the CREATE law and the P586-million net loss mainly from sales cancellations for a real estate project last year, consolidated core net income surged threefold to P8.3 billion from P2.6

‘Govt must bid out Malampaya contract’

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

T

he next operator of the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project must be determined via an auction, according to Senate Energy Committee Chairman Sherwin Gatchalian.

The contract to operate the gas field will expire in 2024. Once the contract comes to an end, Gatchalian said, “everything will revert to government.”

“The Filipino people will enjoy all the revenues and profit coming out of Malampaya. On the other side of that, government will be operating the gas field,” said Gatchalian during the general meeting of members of the Management Association of the Philippines held Tuesday afternoon.

Under Service Contract (SC) 38, 70 percent of the gross proceeds from the sale of natural gas would go to the contractor to recover the investment cost.

T he remaining 30 percent is shared by the government and the consortium on a 60-40 basis, respectively.

SC 38 was awarded to the Malampaya consortium, which is currently composed of UC38 LLC, a subsidiary of Udenna Corp. (UC), 45 percent; state-owned PNOC Exploration Corp., 10 percent; and Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. (SPEX), 45 percent.

However, a deal was sealed between SPEX and another UC firm controlled by Davao businessman Dennis Uy. Malampaya Energy XP Pte. Ltd. signed a deal with SPEX to sell its 45-percent operating interest in Service Contract 38, which includes the Malampaya gas field. The turnover to Malampaya Energy is expected to be concluded in December this year.

The consortium’s contract with the government will end in 2024.

Gatchalian said government must bid out the gas facility’s operations once the contract expires, regardless if there will be a new operator prior to the expiration of the contract.

billion in the previous year.

“Coal and nickel prices were rallying while our production was ramping up so our second quarter was even better than our first quarter. Revenue recognition in our real estate business also improved on higher productivity,” DMCI Holdings Chairman and President Isidro A. Consunji said.

For the second quarter alone, DMCI Holdings recognized consolidated net earnings of P5.2 billion, three times higher than the previous

4 PHL firms land on Forbes Asia’s 100 to Watch List

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @TyronePiad

year’s P1.4 billion. Excluding nonrecurring items, core net income grew by 166 percent to P4.2 billion, from P1.6 billion.

“We are within striking distance of returning to our pre-pandemic annual net income of P10.5 billion.

Barring any major unforeseen events and if commodity prices hold up, we may be able to finish the year even stronger,” Consunji said.

Semirara Mining contributed P3.7 billion, a near threefold increase from P1.3 billion owing to its all-time high coal production in the first quarter, all-time high shipments in the second quarter, and the strong rebound in coal and electricity spot prices.

Contributions from DMCI Homes soared to P2.3 billion from a mere

P38 million previously on higher construction accomplishments and recognition of down payment from new accounts.

DMCI Mining accounted for P818 million, a 345-percent improvement from P184 million on the back of higher production, average grade and shipment amid a booming nickel market. Affiliate Maynilad Water Services Inc. posted a 15-percent decline in contributions to P718 million from P847 million as quarantine measures led to a 3-percent drop in billed volume.

D.M. Consunji Inc., the construction arm, contributed P484 million, a fivefold increase compared to P92 million last year owing to higher construction accomplishments and minimal coronavirus-related expenses.

Contributions from DMCI Power grew 5 percent to P270 million from P256 million because of higher electricity sales to Masbate and Palawan.

Income from parent and others recovered to an income of P18 million from a net loss of P57 million on the absence of expenses related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

F

our Philippine companies— ChatGenie, CloudEats, Kalibrr and PayMongo—are cited in Forbes Asia’s inaugural 100 to Watch List, which trains the spotlight on small firms and startups in the Asia Pacific region.

Justin Doebele, editor of Forbes Asia, said the 100 companies in the list showed “remarkable progress and impact” despite the challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic to the business community.

“Their inclusion on the list comes in part from addressing significant problems with innovative solutions,” Doebele said.

E-commerce and retail firm ChatGenie, which was founded just last year, integrates the online shopping platforms and Grab’s GPay and delivery services into the Facebook Messenger, allowing customers to shop through direct message.

CloudEats is a food delivery platform offering food preparation without dine-in option. Launched in 2019, the cloud kitchen—which operates 60 restaurant brands—has raised $1.8 million in funding.

Kalibrr is an artificial intelligence-backed recruitment firm serving 5 million job seekers in the Philippines and India. It has

raised $7.5 million from Omidyar Network, Wavemaker and Kickstart Ventures.

PayMongo is a digital payment platform for merchants, serving around 7,000 mostly micro, small and medium enterprises. It has raised $14.7 million in funding.

The inaugural list includes companies from diverse industries, including e-commerce, retail, biotechnology, healthcare, hospitality, education and recruitment. India and Singapore have the most companies represented in the list with 22 and 19 firms, respectively.

Over 900 submissions were considered in finalizing the list. Forbes Asia sought nominations from accelerators, incubators, small and medium enterprise advocacy organizations, universities and venture capitalists, among others.

To qualify, the companies must be a year old, privately-owned, operating for profit, and based in Asia Pacific. Their latest annual revenue or total funding through August 1 must not be more than $20 million.

Among the metrics used by Forbes Asia in evaluating the nominations are “positive impact on the region or industry, a track record of strong revenue growth or ability to attract funding, promising business models or markets, and a persuasive story.”

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

PSALM seeks nod of ERC for power rate adjustments

T

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

he Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp.

(PSALM) filed an application with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to reduce power rates in Luzon and Mindanao for the monthly fuel and purchased power costs recorded last year.

In its 17- page appl icat ion for the true-up adjustments of fuel and purchased power costs (TAFPPC) and foreign exchangerelated costs (TAFxA), PSALM informed the ERC that it would

refund its customers by reducing power rates.

PSALM will reduce power rates

by P0.9432 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in Luzon and by P0.3624 per kWh in Mindanao.

In Visayas, however, PSALM asked for the regulator’s green light to recover P0.0539 per kWh in the form of a rate increase to reflect the adjustments in fuel and purchased power costs from January to December last year.

PSALM said the rate recovery across all grids would be implemented over a one-year period.

“It is most respectfully prayed to this Honorable Commission that…the fol low ing TA FPC + TAFxA per grid and corresponding true-up adjustment rates with one year refund period for the Luzon and Mindanao grids and one year recovery period for the Visayas grid, covering the test period January 2020 to December 2020 be approved,” it said.

PSALM, which manages the assets and liabilities of the National Power Corporation, explained

that such application for true-up adjustments is being sought to allow it to recover or refund the difference between the actual allowable costs incurred for a certain period and actual revenues generated.

Meanwhile, PSALM is selling its Paco-Manila Property for P527 million via a negotiated process.

The state firm released a bid invite for the third round of negotiated sale process. It is soliciting offers for the property which used to be the site of the decommissioned Manila Thermal Power Plant.

PSALM has set a minimum offer price (MOP) of P527,087,552.00.

Offers lower than the current MOP will be rejected, it said in the bid invite.

Bid submission deadline is on August 31.

mutual funds

August 10, 2021 NAV One Year Three Year Five Year

per share

Return*

Y-T-D Return

Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a

214.03

11.07%

ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a

1.4373

42.34%

-1.47%

0.18%

9.47%

15.05%

-10.98%

-7.84%

-5.48%

Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7373 11.24%

-7.44% n.a.

-8.28%

First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.7311 10.42%

-5.57% n.a.

-1.42%

First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a

14.68%

-4.79%

-3.31%

-3.93%

First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,4 0.7073

9.08%

-7.44%

-7.26% -6.91%

ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 2.9613

4.7471

-6.88%

-5.09%

-5.8%

MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a

97.25

25.71%

-4.36% n.a.

PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a

43.6005

13.09%

-5.49%

-4.13%

-6.93%

-4.6%

-5.02%

-4.42%

-5.86%

Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

460.33

10.66%

Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,5

1.0754

24.68% n.a. n.a.

Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a

1.1253

14.3%

-4.85%

-3.43%

-3.67%

Philequity Fund, Inc. -a

33.1298

14.74%

-4.71%

-2.91%

-4.72%

-2%

Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a

0.8527

11.33% n.a. n.a.

Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a

4.4757

14.09%

748.62

13.84%

Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

0.6887

16.41%

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.4608

13.72%

-6.47%

-4.43%

-4.5%

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8546 13.39%

-5.14%

-3.63%

-6.88%

United Fund, Inc. -a

-5.23%

-2.82%

-5.95%

-4.59%

-2.95% -6.57%

Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a

3.1216

12.57%

-4.87%

-6.6%

-3.34%

-6.58%

-4.8%

-3.47%

-6.61%

-8.14%

-6.29%

-4.2%

Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 100.4933

13.83%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities $1.1955

11.88%

4.77%

6.09%

-0.62%

Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.8338

ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b

22.31%

12.2%

11.98%

9.62%

Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a

1.6655

6.03%

-0.78%

-2.23%

-0.19%

ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a

2.1714

6.93%

-2.15%

-2.16%

-4.99%

First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.5507

7.37%

-1.17%

-1.18%

-2.9%

First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.1858

2.09% n.a. n.a. -6.45%

NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a

1.9193

5.55%

0.66%

-0.45%

-2.28%

PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a

3.6238

5%

-0.28%

-1.69%

-4.34%

Philam Fund, Inc. -a

16.226

5.56%

-0.19%

-1.64%

-4.2%

Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a

2.021

7.06%

-1.55%

-1.28%

-3.49%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.4763 8.03%

-2.49%

-2.46%

-2.71%

4.13% n.a. n.a.

-5.34%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.8803

6.81% n.a. n.a.

-7.26%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.8639

8.49% n.a. n.a.

-7.42%

Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a

8.76%

-2.83%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.968

0.8626

-3.32%

-2.93%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a

$0.03834

-3.43%

2.87%

1.24%

-1.99%

PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b

$1.102

4.68%

3.04%

3.33%

-4.19%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.8037 16.43%

9.33%

8.4%

6.44%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,3 $1.2268 7.08%

5.39%

4.52%

2.05%

0.58%

Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

373.24

1.51%

3.15%

2.44%

ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.9263

-1.09%

1.15%

0.23%

1.37%

Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a

3.236

1.18%

3.57%

4.25%

0.66%

Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a

2.2692

-1.85%

2.28%

1.21%

-1.17%

First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4466 -0.68%

3.35%

1.72%

-0.27%

ALFM

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

August 10, 2021

Net Foreign Bid Ask Open High Low Close Volume Value Trade (Peso) Stocks Buy (Sell) FINANCIALs

BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE COL FINANCIAL FERRONOUX HLDG IREMIT MEDCO HLDG PHIL STOCK EXCH VANTAGE

109.1 83.4 24.5 9.35 46.7 20.35 55.2 19.12 112.8 76.4 1.22 4.4 2.91 1.22 0.35 208.2 0.9

109.4 83.5 24.95 9.48 46.9 20.5 57 19.8 113 76.5 1.34 4.44 3 1.3 0.37 210 0.95

111.2 83.15 24.5 9.29 46.7 20.5 56.5 19.96 113 76.95 1.25 4.45 2.91 1.21 0.37 214.8 0.88

111.3 83.8 24.95 9.5 46.95 20.55 57.4 19.96 113.4 77 1.25 4.45 2.91 1.22 0.37 217.8 0.88

109 82.35 24.5 9.25 46.7 20.3 55.25 19 112.1 76.2 1.21 4.43 2.91 1.21 0.37 208.2 0.88

109.1 83.5 24.95 9.35 46.9 20.5 57 19.12 113 76.35 1.21 4.43 2.91 1.22 0.37 210 0.88

749,740 1,922,030 26,900 493,000 1,138,500 247,700 2,370 57,500 127,770 14,040 21,000 120,000 114,000 15,000 30,000 3,030 1,000

82,032,586 159,927,025 668,040 4,613,287 53,350,915 5,043,760 133,191 1,118,920 14,436,952 1,074,346.50 25,850 533,380 331,740 18,200 11,100 643,364 880

-18,910,595 -14,915,487 505,480 -480,641.00 18,589,235 -4,240,135 -8,313,533 -106,786 48,910 -2,122 -

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 9.06 9.07 9.3 9.3 8.91 9.07 72,186,100 655,487,124 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.25 1.24 1.24 25,000 31,240 ALSONS CONS ABOITIZ POWER 23.8 23.85 23.5 23.85 23.5 23.8 1,997,000 47,417,390 0.57 0.58 0.59 0.59 0.56 0.57 16,296,000 9,382,320 BASIC ENERGY FIRST GEN 27.8 27.85 28 28.05 27.8 27.85 363,800 10,151,155 73.95 74 74.45 74.45 73.95 74 24,870 1,840,717.50 FIRST PHIL HLDG MERALCO 276.4 276.6 270.4 277 270.4 276.4 270,670 74,791,718 18.1 18.16 18.28 18.28 17.2 18.1 397,600 7,165,758 MANILA WATER PETRON 3.15 3.16 3.16 3.16 3.13 3.15 781,000 2,453,660 12.52 12.94 12.94 12.94 12.94 12.94 1,000 12,940 PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL 17.74 17.8 17.82 17.82 17.54 17.8 163,300 2,904,184 12.64 12.7 12.88 12.88 12.5 12.7 163,800 2,071,908 SPC POWER VIVANT 14.66 15.4 14.7 14.7 14.66 14.66 2,700 39,634 6.05 6.08 6.07 6.1 5.99 6.08 390,700 2,369,594 AGRINURTURE AXELUM 2.68 2.7 2.68 2.68 2.63 2.68 179,000 478,230 25.4 25.45 24.7 25.45 24.5 25.45 224,800 5,638,810 CENTURY FOOD DEL MONTE 13.4 13.42 13.98 13.98 13.28 13.42 573,900 7,724,540 8.32 8.35 8.5 8.5 8.3 8.35 492,700 4,115,259 DNL INDUS EMPERADOR 12.88 13 13.14 13.32 12.86 12.88 33,210,900 431,796,708 81.85 82 81.2 82 81.2 82 115,340 9,436,852 SMC FOODANDBEV ALLIANCE SELECT 0.64 0.68 0.67 0.67 0.66 0.67 1,015,000 679,950 1.2 1.21 1.2 1.22 1.19 1.21 5,224,000 6,243,840 FRUITAS HLDG GINEBRA 94.05 95.35 93.6 96.95 93.6 95.35 33,820 3,220,785.50 192.5 193.5 195.1 195.5 192.3 192.5 261,260 50,668,079 JOLLIBEE LIBERTY FLOUR 28.2 29.75 28.05 28.05 28 28 3,100 86,820 5.98 6 6.18 6.18 5.91 6 273,500 1,634,204 MAXS GROUP MG HLDG 0.234 0.238 0.235 0.238 0.232 0.238 620,000 145,520 16.92 16.94 16.78 16.96 16.52 16.92 32,059,000 539,661,662 MONDE NISSIN SHAKEYS PIZZA 7.8 7.9 7.84 7.9 7.7 7.9 160,900 1,267,303 0.94 0.95 0.96 0.96 0.93 0.94 9,980,000 9,362,390 ROXAS AND CO RFM CORP 4.4 4.46 4.67 4.67 4.4 4.4 332,000 1,475,800 1.35 1.38 1.38 1.38 1.35 1.35 20,000 27,090 ROXAS HLDG SWIFT FOODS 0.13 0.131 0.13 0.132 0.13 0.13 8,650,000 1,127,210 134.1 135 133.3 135 133.3 135 387,220 52,176,827 UNIV ROBINA VITARICH 0.77 0.79 0.78 0.79 0.77 0.79 1,026,000 796,570 2.32 2.4 2.32 2.32 2.32 2.32 1,000 2,320 VICTORIAS CONCRETE A 47.1 48.95 48 48 48 48 300 14,400 1.25 1.27 1.27 1.27 1.25 1.27 1,284,000 1,611,410 CEMEX HLDG EAGLE CEMENT 14.78 14.88 14.8 14.98 14.76 14.88 65,600 971,666 8.1 8.15 8.1 8.1 8.01 8.1 227,100 1,829,775 EEI CORP HOLCIM 6.71 6.75 6.74 6.76 6.65 6.75 186,100 1,253,196 6.16 6.18 6.02 6.19 6.02 6.18 782,600 4,799,952 MEGAWIDE PHINMA 12.94 13.86 13 13 13 13 100,000 1,300,000 0.99 1.02 1.01 1.03 0.99 1 178,000 178,470 TKC METALS VULCAN INDL 1.41 1.42 1.45 1.5 1.4 1.41 6,255,000 8,971,520 1.65 1.67 1.67 1.67 1.62 1.65 136,000 225,260 CROWN ASIA EUROMED 1.81 1.84 1.87 1.87 1.81 1.85 12,000 21,970 5.3 5.4 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3 1,200 6,360 MABUHAY VINYL PRYCE CORP 5.4 5.46 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.4 189,600 1,023,840 21 21.45 21 21 21 21 2,000 42,000 CONCEPCION 2.88 2.89 2.88 2.93 2.78 2.89 8,618,000 24,520,370 GREENERGY INTEGRATED MICR 8.49 8.5 8.5 8.6 8.46 8.5 622,300 5,296,993 0.92 0.94 0.92 0.94 0.92 0.94 67,000 62,480 IONICS PANASONIC 5.88 5.89 5.88 5.89 5.88 5.89 2,100 12,349 1.25 1.26 1.24 1.26 1.24 1.26 114,000 141,900 SFA SEMICON CIRTEK HLDG 5.16 5.18 5.2 5.3 5.1 5.18 686,300 3,557,490

27,351,274 12,733,805 155,110.00 -700,250 1,159,813.50 15,984,202.00 1,344,762 -1,029,980 291,828 -970,320 -77,209 393,040 -1,712,075 -181,276 -1,197,084 9,935,496 -1,743,743 61,880 2,161,855 17,461,678 8,400 89,300 -18,523,926 343,885 -3,399,740 -110,400 -92,300 131,807 62,500 1,480 -1,140,158 -65,334 -92,947 -222,440 -14,550 -16,800 -45,840 309,079 11,256

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 1.03 1.04 1.01 1.05 0.97 1.04 6,251,000 6,364,350 6 6.91 6.7 6.91 5.8 6.91 143,900 877,990 ASIABEST GROUP AYALA CORP 736.5 749 750 750 735 749 137,950 103,093,140 40.2 40.5 40.2 40.9 40 40.2 305,600 12,311,140 ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL 9.91 9.95 9.99 10 9.9 9.95 1,882,400 18,731,100 4.27 4.28 4.34 4.34 4.08 4.28 2,952,000 12,435,170 AYALA LAND LOG ANSCOR 6.7 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9 5,700 39,330 0.97 0.99 1 1 0.97 0.97 891,000 871,170 ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A 0.57 0.59 0.59 0.59 0.58 0.58 82,000 47,880 0.58 0.59 0.59 0.59 0.59 0.59 10,000 5,900 ATN HLDG B COSCO CAPITAL 5 5.03 4.91 5.03 4.91 5.03 299,000 1,488,590 5.7 5.71 5.7 5.82 5.62 5.7 41,728,800 239,010,138 DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV 7.7 7.85 7.85 7.85 7.75 7.75 11,300 88,185 2.81 3.16 2.81 2.81 2.81 2.81 3,000 8,430 FJ PRINCE A FORUM PACIFIC 0.315 0.33 0.31 0.33 0.31 0.33 430,000 137,800 532 532.5 531 539.5 530 532.5 148,540 79,054,740 GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV 3.9 3.94 3.91 3.91 3.9 3.9 65,000 254,100 59.4 60 60.9 60.9 59 60 704,780 42,424,358.50 JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG 5.6 5.74 5.61 5.61 5.61 5.61 3,000 16,830 0.68 0.69 0.69 0.72 0.68 0.69 485,000 331,720 LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG 2.93 2.95 2.93 2.97 2.93 2.93 1,159,000 3,397,720 9.95 9.96 9.77 10.1 9.77 9.96 8,836,500 87,945,895 LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG 0.49 0.52 0.52 0.52 0.52 0.52 1,000 520 3.72 3.73 3.75 3.76 3.7 3.72 5,783,000 21,539,530 METRO PAC INV PACIFICA HLDG 3.21 3.39 3.27 3.59 3 3.2 101,000 317,020 2.51 2.55 2.63 2.63 2.48 2.51 1,021,000 2,590,240 PRIME MEDIA REPUBLIC GLASS 2.6 2.87 2.53 2.53 2.53 2.53 1,000 2,530 1.15 1.21 1.15 1.15 1.13 1.13 4,000 4,580 SOLID GROUP SM INVESTMENTS 977 989 989 989 971.5 989 49,900 49,233,855 112 113 109 113 108.5 113 171,400 18,980,720 SAN MIGUEL CORP SEAFRONT RES 2.13 2.37 2.13 2.13 2.13 2.13 3,000 6,390 137 140 132.6 140 132.6 140 10,320 1,412,832 TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS 0.265 0.28 0.265 0.265 0.265 0.265 20,000 5,300 0.196 0.202 0.202 0.202 0.195 0.195 90,000 18,040 ZEUS HLDG

-102,900 12,400 -41,750,840 3,349,920.00 9,822,388 -22,120 6,900 381,190 -76,987,763 8,635 -62,673,450 -234,600 12,451,516 -338,800 -18,705,228 -5,412,010 492,350 26,827,910 1,187,430 -654,032 -

PROPERTY AYALA LAND 33.1 33.2 33.8 33.8 32.9 33.2 6,395,500 212,599,180 36.4 36.5 36.3 36.6 36.2 36.5 1,000,100 36,391,530 AREIT RT BELLE CORP 1.37 1.44 1.42 1.44 1.36 1.43 96,000 136,290 0.88 0.9 0.89 0.9 0.88 0.9 32,000 28,390 A BROWN CITYLAND DEVT 0.79 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.78 0.79 138,000 109,490 0.126 0.127 0.129 0.129 0.125 0.126 610,000 77,080 CROWN EQUITIES CEBU HLDG 6.21 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 500 3,250 3.07 3.08 3.1 3.15 3 3.08 1,228,000 3,770,980 CEB LANDMASTERS CENTURY PROP 0.405 0.415 0.405 0.415 0.4 0.415 22,550,000 9,156,650 10.66 10.7 10.68 10.8 10.62 10.66 280,800 3,000,906 DOUBLEDRAGON DDMP RT 1.78 1.8 1.78 1.8 1.77 1.8 7,606,000 13,547,680 6.95 7 6.97 7.06 6.91 6.95 49,400 345,448 DM WENCESLAO EMPIRE EAST 0.295 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.29 0.295 1,090,000 320,600 0.365 0.37 0.38 0.38 0.36 0.365 22,520,000 8,245,850 EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND 1.13 1.14 1.13 1.14 1.12 1.13 1,914,000 2,160,410 0.86 0.9 0.85 0.85 0.85 0.85 22,000 18,700 GLOBAL ESTATE 8990 HLDG 7.25 7.28 7.25 7.35 7.2 7.28 68,500 498,951 1.25 1.28 1.25 1.28 1.24 1.28 334,000 421,600 PHIL INFRADEV CITY AND LAND 1.4 1.41 1.45 1.45 1.37 1.41 206,000 285,330 2.89 2.9 2.84 2.91 2.83 2.9 25,838,000 74,674,440 MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED 0.31 0.315 0.32 0.32 0.305 0.315 5,840,000 1,812,100 0.56 0.57 0.58 0.59 0.56 0.56 6,812,000 3,855,460 PHIL ESTATES PRIMEX CORP 2.11 2.15 2.19 2.19 2.1 2.15 73,000 155,790 16 16.02 16.02 16.24 15.98 16.02 4,501,300 72,254,220 ROBINSONS LAND PHIL REALTY 0.285 0.295 0.3 0.3 0.28 0.295 12,340,000 3,589,800 1.48 1.55 1.55 1.55 1.55 1.55 3,000 4,650 ROCKWELL SHANG PROP 2.64 2.67 2.64 2.67 2.64 2.67 21,000 55,920 3 3.01 3.07 3.09 3 3.01 258,000 786,710 STA LUCIA LAND SM PRIME HLDG 33.9 34 33.9 34 33.25 33.9 5,341,600 180,438,145 3.71 3.84 3.85 3.85 3.85 3.85 1,000 3,850 VISTAMALLS SUNTRUST HOME 1.6 1.65 1.58 1.68 1.56 1.65 60,000 95,880 3.56 3.57 3.57 3.57 3.49 3.57 705,000 2,490,070 VISTA LAND

SERVICES ABS CBN 11.12 11.22 11.24 11.24 11.12 11.12 363,500 4,066,674 14.12 14.18 14.3 14.48 14.02 14.12 2,223,700 31,514,250 GMA NETWORK GLOBE TELECOM 1,990 1,991 1,980 1,990 1,975 1,990 38,185 75,833,190 1,255 1,256 1,256 1,274 1,255 1,255 49,225 62,126,270 PLDT APOLLO GLOBAL 0.127 0.128 0.135 0.14 0.123 0.127 777,440,000 100,951,160 26.85 26.95 27.15 28 26.5 26.85 29,995,200 819,416,305 CONVERGE DFNN INC 3.62 3.76 3.7 3.84 3.7 3.76 166,000 628,920 8.24 8.25 7.41 8.25 7.41 8.24 24,728,400 195,635,779 DITO CME HLDG NOW CORP 2.12 2.14 2.2 2.22 2.14 2.14 1,475,000 3,176,760 0.395 0.4 0.4 0.41 0.39 0.395 10,690,000 4,236,500 TRANSPACIFIC BR PHILWEB 2.2 2.25 2.2 2.25 2.18 2.25 359,000 793,420 8.06 8.29 8.29 8.3 8.05 8.06 52,600 425,422 2GO GROUP ASIAN TERMINALS 14 14.1 14.1 14.1 14.1 14.1 16,100 227,010 2.81 2.82 2.64 2.83 2.64 2.81 1,245,000 3,441,050 CHELSEA CEBU AIR 45.5 45.6 45.3 48 45.3 45.5 83,300 3,797,035 180.2 184 186 186 178.5 184 1,104,250 199,510,619 INTL CONTAINER LBC EXPRESS 16.5 17 17.3 17.3 16.98 17 1,700 28,920 0.97 1 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 2,000 1,920 LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA 4.64 4.65 4.65 4.65 4.59 4.65 369,000 1,703,950 1.85 1.87 1.81 1.86 1.81 1.86 39,000 71,270 METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B 1.81 2.12 2.14 2.14 2.1 2.12 15,000 31,900 1.07 1.09 1.07 1.1 1.07 1.09 420,000 454,540 HARBOR STAR ACESITE HOTEL 1.67 1.73 1.79 1.8 1.64 1.73 172,000 291,600 0.108 0.109 0.104 0.109 0.104 0.108 98,270,000 10,493,280 BOULEVARD HLDG DISCOVERY WORLD 2.5 2.56 2.68 2.68 2.47 2.5 62,000 155,890 0.53 0.54 0.53 0.54 0.53 0.54 368,000 195,320 WATERFRONT CENTRO ESCOLAR 6.95 6.97 6.97 6.97 6.95 6.95 5,400 37,610 0.35 0.36 0.345 0.355 0.345 0.355 270,000 95,500 STI HLDG BERJAYA 5.5 5.6 5.74 5.74 5.45 5.6 90,200 497,671 5.9 5.95 6.1 6.1 5.9 5.9 4,934,500 29,690,387 BLOOMBERRY LEISURE AND RES 1.44 1.45 1.45 1.45 1.42 1.45 173,000 250,220 1.77 1.78 1.71 1.8 1.71 1.78 2,286,000 4,044,040 PH RESORTS GRP PREMIUM LEISURE 0.405 0.41 0.405 0.41 0.405 0.405 1,190,000 482,050 7.35 7.38 7.31 7.4 7.26 7.35 343,700 2,520,812 ALLHOME METRO RETAIL 1.24 1.31 1.32 1.32 1.24 1.24 1,026,000 1,281,210 39 39.7 40 40.5 39 39 1,475,400 58,080,635 PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL 50.9 51 51.25 51.3 50.5 51 520,610 26,559,087.50 89.5 89.8 90 90.05 90 90 26,200 2,358,015 PHIL SEVEN CORP SSI GROUP 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.18 1.1 1.14 8,402,000 9,366,620 22.55 22.8 22.4 22.8 22.35 22.8 283,600 6,384,085 WILCON DEPOT APC GROUP 0.345 0.355 0.335 0.355 0.335 0.355 2,960,000 1,037,700 430 448 448 448 448 448 1,300 582,400 GOLDEN MV IPM HLDG 6.58 7 6.5 6.58 6.5 6.58 8,400 55,192 1.31 1.32 1.23 1.31 1.19 1.31 19,280,000 24,315,600 PRMIERE HORIZON

106,361,790 1,161,920.00 -18,650 35,280 80,050 40,900 -1,123,064 -4,804,390 -665,350 20,340.00 222,094 -12,800 -11,010 -1,173,650 -95,800 23,940.00 21,010 6,893,804 -1,550 29,370 -12,250 -10,669,575 20,450 4,632,500 -40,095,685 -1,630,770 120,569,055 587,700 829,719 6,510 -98,450 35,200 18,538 50,760 183,550 -1,622,140 24,918,352 10,190 55,580 -10,650 -105,000 42,400 23,212,386 510,610 9,130,650 -3,383,843 -108,015 692,680.00 -639,715 215,260

MINING & OIL ATOK 6.15 6.27 6.33 6.36 6.15 6.27 79,000 489,704 -31,564 APEX MINING 1.54 1.55 1.57 1.57 1.55 1.55 2,747,000 4,261,430 334,800 7.01 7.04 7.1 7.1 6.92 7.01 753,100 5,274,156 -105,104 ATLAS MINING BENGUET A 5.15 5.38 5 5.4 5 5.38 15,200 81,964 Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

3.9845 0.45% 4.65% 1.81% -0.41% 0.285 0.295 0.3 0.3 0.29 0.295 590,000 173,050 COAL ASIA HLDG CENTURY PEAK 2.8 2.88 2.7 2.88 2.7 2.88 11,000 29,880 27,000 Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.0407 0.18% 4.95% 1.52% -0.12% 6.17 6.43 6.44 6.44 6.16 6.16 28,000 172,847 -158,931 DIZON MINES Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.2235 1.19% 5.23% 2.13% 0.55% FERRONICKEL 2.38 2.39 2.36 2.4 2.35 2.39 1,363,000 3,243,470 -158,050 0.285 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 10,000 3,000 GEOGRACE Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.7543 0.09% 4.55% 1.47% -0.04% LEPANTO A 0.136 0.137 0.136 0.137 0.136 0.137 1,870,000 255,170 0.138 0.142 0.137 0.145 0.137 0.141 1,100,000 155,070 LEPANTO B Primarily invested in foreign currency securities MANILA MINING A 0.01 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.01 0.011 25,900,000 275,900 0.01 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 1,100,000 12,100 MANILA MINING B ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $487.27 1.76% 3.16% 2.12% 0.7% MARCVENTURES 1.02 1.03 1 1.03 0.96 1.03 1,748,000 1,745,180 132,000 1.23 1.28 1.27 1.28 1.23 1.28 151,000 188,790 NIHAO ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є220.39 1.59% 1.03% 0.85% 0.55% NICKEL ASIA 5.91 5.92 5.74 5.98 5.61 5.92 10,944,200 63,579,280 9,628,461 0.93 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.91 0.96 300,000 277,170 ORNTL PENINSULA ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.2035 -3.52% 2.51% 1.38% -6.01% PX MINING 5.84 5.85 5.78 5.91 5.75 5.84 634,800 3,705,745 -482,180 18.06 18.08 17.36 18.2 17.34 18.08 3,932,100 70,427,186 7,107,150 SEMIRARA MINING First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0261 -1.88% 1.72% 0.7% -1.88% UNITED PARAGON 0.0084 0.0086 0.0084 0.0084 0.0083 0.0083 6,000,000 50,100 16.7 16.8 16.7 16.8 16.7 16.8 62,500 1,047,830 1,680 ACE ENEXOR PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $1.0522 -4.32% 0.54% -1.03% -3.71% ORNTL PETROL A 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 12,100,000 133,100 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 500,000 5,800 ORNTL PETROL B Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.5318 0.28% 5.22% 1.91% -0.15% PHILODRILL 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 16,600,000 185,200 6.24 6.25 6.34 6.34 6.2 6.24 253,700 1,578,546 -191,908 PXP ENERGY Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0630732 3.18% 3.57% 2.1% 1.21%

PREFFERED Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.1898 -2.24% 3.27% 0.69% -1.05% AC PREF B1 513.5 538 513.5 538 513.5 538 20 10,515 100.6 103.4 103.4 103.4 103.4 103.4 970 100,298 ALCO PREF B Money Market Funds AC PREF B2R 520 523 520 520 520 520 4,680 2,433,600 44.65 44.95 44.95 45 44.2 44.65 77,000 3,439,085 -3,125,330 CEB PREF Primarily invested in Peso securities DD PREF 100.6 101.4 100.6 101.4 100.6 101.4 680 68,944 103.4 103.5 103.5 103.5 103.5 103.5 5,570 576,495 FGEN PREF G ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 130.49 1.42% 2.99% 2.54% 0.52% GTCAP PREF A 996 1,015 1,015 1,015 1,015 1,015 5 5,075 100.5 101.2 100.4 100.6 100.2 100.5 14,020 1,407,815 MWIDE PREF First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0541 1.02% n.a. n.a.

0.57% MWIDE PREF 2B 100.1 102.5 102 102.5 102 102.5 2,000 204,750 104.5 105.9 104 106 104 106 2,030 213,220 PNX PREF 3B 2.8% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.3074 1.62% 2.55% 0.83% PNX PREF 4 1,015 1,018 1,014 1,017 1,014 1,017 1,700 1,725,500 Primarily invested in foreign currency securities 1,010 1,016 1,009 1,009 1,008 1,008 100 100,810 PCOR PREF 2B PCOR PREF 3B 1,150 1,160 1,160 1,160 1,150 1,150 510 586,600 Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0581 1.08% 1.62% n.a.

0.54% 1.57 1.98 1.53 1.53 1.53 1.53 2,000 3,060 SFI PREF SMC PREF 2C 76 76.05 76 76.2 75.9 76.05 67,420 5,124,347.50 117,645 Feeder Funds 76 76.25 76 76 76 76 60,800 4,620,800 SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F 78.35 78.8 79 79 78.5 78.8 87,200 6,870,976.50 -3,160 Primarily invested in Peso securities 77.25 78.85 78.05 78.05 78 78 11,000 858,050 SMC PREF 2I SMC PREF 2K 77 77.1 76.8 77 76.8 77 11,970 920,383 -5,383 Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d,7 1.3353 30.78% n.a. n.a. 18.21%

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ABS HLDG PDR 10.48 10.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 100,800 1,058,400 -1,058,400 12.3 12.5 12.38 12.5 12.28 12.3 204,200 2,531,830 -8,926 GMA HLDG PDR ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,2 $0.99 4.21% n.a. n.a.

1.02%

WARRANTS LR WARRANT 0.75 0.77 0.82 0.82 0.73 0.75 9,086,000 6,954,610 30,800 a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU).

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES 1 - Launch date is September 28, 2019. 2 - Launch date is November 15, 2019. 3 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last October 9, 2019.

ALTUS PROP 18.42 18.5 18.06 18.5 18.06 18.5 106,600 1,951,458 126,532 2.08 2.09 2.09 2.12 2.04 2.08 169,000 350,750 ITALPINAS 4 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last October 12, 2018 (formerly, One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.). 5 - Launch date is December 09, 2019.

KEPWEALTH 4.47 4.69 4.3 4.48 4.3 4.48 18,000 80,010 3.76 3.77 3.84 3.84 3.71 3.76 4,660,000 17,613,340 -1,194,200 MERRYMART 6 - Re-classified into a Bond Fund starting February 21, 2020 (Formerly a Money Market Fund). 7 - Launch date is July 6, 2020.

"While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

FIRST METRO ETF 100.5 100.6 100.8 101 100.6 100.6 7,540 760,214 55,442 newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa.com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a

4.5074

-3.96%

4.62%

1.15%

-2.74%

Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a,6

1.3188

0.96%

4.01%

2.7%

-0.18%

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Banking&Finance

7-yr T-bonds get flurry of bids; ₧35B awarded

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

T

HE Bureau of the Treasury fully awarded P35 billion in new 7-year Treasury Bonds (T-bonds) on Tuesday. The auction was almost twice oversubscribed as it attracted P63.7 billion in total bids.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon told reporters the bids for the new T-bonds were aligned with secondary-market levels.

De Leon added that the local debt market priced-in the reports the economy grew 11.8 percent year-onyear in the second quarter, the highest since the fourth quarter of 1988 when gross domestic product (GDP) grew 12 percent. This also marked the end of the country’s economic recession.

The Treasurer said this data “has been absorbed by market.”

The coupon rate for the tenor was set at 3.75 percent. The security is set to mature on August 12, 2028. The

Treasury also opened the tap facility for an additional P10 billion offering for the same tenor.

For August, the Treasury has set to borrow P200 billion from the local debt market, slightly lower than the P235 billion it programmed in July.

This year, the national government programmed to borrow a total of P3.1-trillion, of which around 75 percent is expected to be raised through domestic sources.

The outstanding debt of the national government has already piled up to P11.166 trillion as of end-June this year, swelling by 23.3 percent from P9.054 trillion a year ago.

Last week, Finance officials said the debt-to-GDP ratio this year is projected to rise to 59.1 percent from 54.6 percent in 2020. It is also expected to peak next year at 60.8 percent—slightly above the internationally accepted threshold—before gradually tapering off to 60.7 percent and 59.7 percent in 2023 and 2024.

BusinessMirror

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Wednesday, August 11, 2021

B3

Govt keen to give tax relief for medical oxygen-makers

T

By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

HE government is preparing to provide tax relief to manufacturers of medical oxygen as it expects a surge in demand alongside increasing number of Covid-19 cases.

During his public address last Monday, President Duterte announced he wants to provide tax relief for manufacturers of medical oxygen.

The measure is expected to encourage manufacturers to ramp up production.

Duterte noted the ample supply of medical oxygen will be crucial for government’s response on the rising Covid-19 infections. The president said he will talk to Congress to push for the tax relief as a legislative priority.

Presidential Spokesman Harry

L. Roque said government’s economic managers are working on the tax-relief package and the exact figure they would quote to Congress.

“I am sure with the level of cooperation being extended by Congress, the law will be swiftly be passed into law,” Roque said.

Since the start of the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila last Friday, over 8,000 new Covid-19 cases per day were registered by the Department of Health. The increasing number of cases has raised concerns if the health system can address health facilities and supply issues.

Last week, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez they are encouraging the

country’s four oxygen manufacturers to expand their current capacities.

The total capacity for medical and industrial oxygen is currently 603 tons per day, Lopez said. (See https:// businessmirror.com.ph/2021/08/04/ to-preempt-oxygen-shortage-scaredti-urges-manufacturers-to-boostsupply/) Lopez said that current industry capacity is about three times more than the demand in the country. He said producers have not yet increased prices amid the surplus on the production side.

“The current capacity surplus includes both the medical and industrial oxygen capacity, and the latter can also be allocated to produce medical oxygen if and when necessary,” he said.

Insurer responds to PGH’s San Miguel unit plunks ₧5.5B into Bank of Commerce emergency donation drive

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

T

O help in the recovery of its surgical operations after a fire broke damaging its hospital facilities and supplies, the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) received a total of P762,900 through the Philippine General Hospital Medical Foundation Inc. (PGHMFI) from life insurer Pru Life UK and Prudence Foundation, Prudential’s community investment arm in Asia and Africa.

A total of 51 Pru Life UK employees joined Prudence Foundation in raising funds after the fire that reached third alarm hit UP-PGH in May this year. The fire incident also caused several hospital operations to be suspended and damaged the supplies in the operating rooms.

UP-PGH currently serves as one of the primary Covid-19 referral hospitals in the Philippines. Being the biggest modern government tertiary hospital in the country and the only national referral center for tertiary care, UP-PGH has a healthcare force of 4,000 staff servicing approximately 600,000 patients, mostly indigent Filipinos, annually.

“We are pleased to play a part in helping sustain the operations of the UP-PGH and ensure the safety of its healthcare workers and patients after the fire incident amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. I am also grateful for the warm support of our fellow employees who heeded the call support the emergency donations for PGH, shared Pru Life UK

President and CEO Antonio Manuel G. De Rosas.

“We are beyond thankful to Pru Life UK for helping in the recovery of our hospital’s surgical operations after all these challenges. The funds received were used to procure medical equipment and supplies helping in the resumption of our surgical operations. The company has been a constant supporter in helping save thousands of patients and protecting hundreds of healthcare workers of UP-PGH during this pandemic, said PGHMFI Chairman and President Telesforo E. Gana Jr. Pru Life UK has donated P5 million to PGHMFI in 2020, as part of the Prudential COVID-19 relief fund, which provides financial support for Prudential’s communities and the volunteering efforts of its people in Asia, the US, and Africa.

This donation supported the UPPGH “Bayanihan Na” Covid-19 project to provide quality medical-grade equipment and supplies for PGH and its healthcare workers who risk their lives to help battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pru Life UK and Prudence Foundation, Prudential’s community investment arm in Asia and Africa responds to UP-PGH’s emergency donation drive with a cash fund aimed to help resume the hospital’s surgical operations after a fire broke on its facility that reached third alarm and caused its operations to be suspended and damaged the supplies in the operating rooms.

S

MC Equivest Corp., a whollyowned subsidiary of San Miguel Corp. (SMC), announced on Tuesday it has invested P5.5 billion capital into Bank of Commerce mainly to have the bank’s commercial banking license upgraded to a universal banking license.

SMC Equivest said investment was made through the purchase of the bank’s preferred shares.

In particular, the firm said the net proceeds of the investment will be used to increase Bank of Commerce funding base for accelerating corporate and consumer loan growth, support capital expenditures in upgrading its banking technology, and offer a wider menu of financial services.

“We’re confident that in this time of pandemic, the banking sector will be essential to our country’s economic recovery, and will provide invaluable help both to our industries and Filipinos,” SMC President and COO

G

data scheduled for later this week, and then ahead to signals from Fed officials at the Jackson Hole conference later this month. The timing of tightening by the US central bank is key, and hawkish talk from Chair Jerome Powell could spell the start of a definitively bearish market for bullion.

No hype

GOLD’S drop after payrolls beat expectations on Friday was triggered by a sharp rise in inflation-adjusted Treasury yields, which determine the opportunity cost of holding the noninterest bearing metal.

But when yields dropped deeper into negative territory in the past month, gold prices failed to benefit.

That shows just how negative sentiment has become for bullion after the metal’s relatively poor performance this year. Gold is an asset that thrives on momentum, and can be left vulnerable if the price fails to rally for a long time. Further rises in real rates driven by strong economic data could spark more precipitous drops.

Apart from boosting the bank’s capacity for lending and investing, the SMC president said the capital infusion will help enable the bank to improve operational processes through automation, strengthen cybersecurity, and offer product integration with financial technology players or fintechs and other banking partners.

As of March, prior to the infusion, Bank of Commerce was the 16th largest bank in the Philippines in terms of assets and 17th in terms of capital.

Strategists still hesitant to lean in as dollar gets firm

T

HE dollar has received a boost this month after a hawkish tilt from Federal Reserve officials and solid gains in the US labor market wrong-footed leveraged fund short positions, clearing the way for more gains.

Bloomberg’s dollar spot index has climbed around 1-percent so far in August to trade at a two-week high supported by a chorus of Fed officials, which have raised the prospect for central bank stimulus to be dialed back sooner than expected. It may receive immediate support in light of firm domestic data though “we do not see a case for sustained dollar appreciation,” Goldman Sachs Group Inc. strategists including Kamakshya Trivedi wrote in a client note.

“The global economy will benefit from vaccination tailwinds over coming quarters, the US economy should slow as the fiscal impulse turns negative, and falling inflation should al-

AN electronic board displays US dollar prices. Bloomberg News

low the Fed to remain on hold for a lengthy period,” added Trivedi.

Hedge funds have been caught off guard by the rally since mid-June and are clinging to short positions which they are slowly reducing. Leveraged funds’ net dollar shorts peaked in the week ending July 9 at over 78,000,

Flash crash shows why it’s tough to be bullish on gold

OLD’S swift drop to the lowest since March has highlighted a tough truth for the precious metal—there’s a growing list of reasons to be gloomy.

While Monday’s flash crash was exaggerated by a combination of technical factors and poor liquidity, the initial trigger remains true— strong US jobs data showed the world’s largest economy is well on its way to recovery. That sets the stage for the tapering of stimulus by the Federal Reserve, potentially removing one of the key drivers that helped send gold to a record last year.

A strengthening dollar, plus growing expectations that inflation will prove manageable, are adding to the headwinds. Exchange-traded funds have also cut their holdings significantly this year. Gold traded 1.9 percent lower at $1,730.13 an ounce by 4:33 p.m. in New York, after earlier tumbling as much as 4.1 percent. Bullion futures for December delivery fell 2.1 percent to settle at $1,726.50 on the Comex.

Investors will now turn their attention first to the US inflation

and SMC Equivest Chairman and President Ramon S. Ang said.

“Bank of Commerce can help fulfill the needs of both businesses and consumers for loans and other financial services at this critical time,” Ang added. He also said the investment affirms SMC’s and SMC Equivest’s optimism and strong outlook of growth in the banking sector and their commitment to support Bank of Commerce in expanding its business prospects and advancing towards becoming a universal bank.

Inflation fading

WHETHER rising prices associated with economies reopening will prove transitory or persistent has been a major theme for markets in 2021.

Gold’s relationship with inflation is complicated—it’s often touted as a hedge against runaway price gains, but has historically tended to benefit mostly when they coincide with periods of high unemployment.

So far, the market is pricing in transitory inflation, as demonstrated by the falloff in US breakeven rates further down the curve. That would imply healthy and controlled price increases which wouldn’t benefit gold. The consumer price index due Wednesday will prove the latest gauge for investors, and is expected to be more muted compared to previous months.

“It’s hard for it to be bullish for gold at the moment,” said Marcus Garvey, head of metals strategy at Macquarie Group Ltd. “If it does soften and show that some of the recent price gains are easing, then there’s less upward impetus for inflation. But that doesn’t really

reduce taper expectations because inflation is already sufficient to be ticking the box.”

Dollar’s return

A major driver of gold’s strong performance last year was a protracted weakening of the dollar. Fast forward to 2021 and there’s signs we may see that trend reverse, putting pressure on bullion. Strong US jobs data raised expectations for Fed rate hikes, giving the dollar its biggest gain in about a month on Friday.

Meanwhile money markets indicate the European Central Bank won’t tighten until at least mid-2024. That sets the stage for a stronger greenback, which would hurt gold.

Technicals

GOLD’S plunge earlier Monday has broken below the neckline of a weekly head and shoulders pattern that may embolden bears in the medium term.

Unless gold ends the week above the neckline, which currently lies at approximately $1,760, the outlook would remain weak based on the technical analysis. Bloomberg News

data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission show. They have been reduced every week since and now halved from the peak, according to the latest data.

The August jobs report bolstered the dollar but low risk appetite and reduced liquidity suggest markets

will need additional confirmation in September, wrote JPMorgan Chase & Co. strategists including Paul Meggyesi in a note.

They prefer keeping risk exposure light, with a bias to be long dollars against more dovish central banks like the European Central Bank as well as against some currencies more closely linked to sentiment to hedge against any risk deterioration due to the delta variant.

Morgan Stanley has been among those ahead of the trend and continue to recommend investors hold onto dollars. They see rising Treasury real yields, which strip out the expected impact of inflation, boosting the dollar. Though they noted that “risk/reward for a higher USD is not as compelling as it was when we turned bullish in early June,” with the dollar index facing potential technical headwinds around 93.

Bloomberg News

Morgan Stanley interns favor flexibility–survey

M

ost Morgan Stanley interns in Europe and the US want to work flexibly, even as the firm’s chief executive officer lauds the merits of the office.

A survey found that 72 percent of Morgan Stanley’s 120 interns in Europe favor flexible working when they enter the workforce full time, while 66 percent of their 341 counterparts in North America want to.

While CEO James Gorman said in July the bank “would be flexible where flexibility was called for,” he has joined other Wall Street executives in making it clear that he expects his workforce to return—at least, largely—to the office, assuming it is safe to do so.

“If you want to get paid New York rates, you work in New York, none of this ‘I’m in Colorado, working in New York and getting paid like I’m sitting in New York City’,” Gorman said at an investor conference in June. “Sorry, that doesn’t work.”

The findings underline the challenges firms face in navigating employee expectations with business needs.

For its part, Morgan Stanley has taken a more cautious approach than some of its peers. Staff must be vaccinated to enter offices and the bank is refraining from setting an official deadline to return to the workplace.

Tesla appeal

THE survey also found that future bankers are keen on electric vehicles, with 33 percent of interns naming Tesla Inc. as the most desirable car.

They also see a bright future for driverless vehicles, with 33 percent seeing autonomous cars as a viable public transport option within five years.

Among investing trends, 53 percent of the interns use robo-investing platforms such as Nutmeg and Wealthify, while 33 percent use platforms that offer more guidance such as Hargreaves Lansdown Plc. or AJ Bell Plc. Bloomberg News

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Show BusinessMirror

Wednesday, August 11, 2021 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Epstein accuser sues Prince Andrew, citing sex assault at 17 NO COMMENT

THE actress has disabled comments on her socialmedia accounts reportedly because the wife of her boyfriend found out about their illicit relationship and is on the warpath. The actress had a longtime non-showbiz boyfriend but they broke up and so the next guy in her life turned out to be married.

This isn’t the first time the actress’s name has been dragged in unsavory talks about her personal life.

Some of the stories have hounded her even when she was underage. All the rumors about the actress then also involved married men. We wonder how long the actress can disable/limit comments on her socialmedia accounts before her BF’s wife raises a stink about their relationship?

USER-FRIENDLY

THERE are rumors that the family of the young actress’s boyfriend and partner don’t approve of her for their son because she is not rich and doesn’t come from a “socially acceptable” family. The truth is that the guy’s family are mildly disapproving of the young actress but that doesn’t stop them from using her to promote their businesses. One such instance is when the young actress and her superstar friend agreed to an exchange deal regarding promoting their respective interests. While it is true that the young actress has financial security because of her boyfriend’s family, this hasn’t stopped the guy’s relatives from using the actress when it suits them.

SURPRISE APPEARANCE

DURING a recent online event involving a popular actress, one of the network bosses remarked on the absence of her rumoured boyfriend, an actor allegedly separated from his actress-wife. It was strange that bosses arranged for the actor to make an appearance in the event when he wasn’t prepared.

This development further strengthened the belief of people that the actor and his wife are now separated even after they’ve denied it. The alleged third party, meanwhile, is just living her life peacefully. She is more popular than the two and has more to lose if word gets out that she caused the break-up.

N

By Larry Neumeister The Associated Press

EW YORK—One of Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime accusers sued Prince Andrew on Monday, taking accusations that she has repeatedly publicly lodged against him, including that he sexually assaulted her when she was 17, to a formal venue. ​Lawyers for Virginia Giuffre filed the lawsuit in Manhattan federal court, where Epstein was charged criminally with sex trafficking a month before he killed himself at age 66 in August 2019 in an adjacent federal jail where he was ordered to await trial. ​Giuffre has repeatedly made her allegations against Epstein, his onetime girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, and Andrew, but the lawsuit was the first time she has directly confronted Andrew in such a formal setting. It steps up public relations pressure on the prince, even if he remains beyond the reach of the courts. ​In a statement, Giuffre said she was “holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me.”

“The powerful and rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but to reclaim one’s life by speaking out and demanding justice,” Giuffre said.

“I did not come to this decision lightly,” she added.

“As a mother and a wife, my family comes first—and I know that this action will subject me to further attacks by Prince Andrew and his surrogates—but I knew if I did not pursue this action, I would be letting them and victims everywhere down.” ​In late 2019, Prince Andrew told BBC Newsnight that he never had sex with Giuffre, saying, “It didn’t happen.” ​He said he has “no recollection” of ever meeting her and told an interviewer there are “a number of things that are wrong” about Giuffre’s account, which alleges the encounter occurred in 2001. “I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened,” Andrew said. ​The interview was widely panned by critics who said Andrew seemed insensitive to Epstein’s victims.

Afterward, the prince quit royal duties. ​Giuffre has long said Maxwell recruited her at age 17 to be sexually abused by Epstein and Maxwell from 1999 to 2002. ​According to the lawsuit, which sought unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, the prince abused Giuffre on multiple occasions when she was under the age of 18.

During each of the alleged acts, Giuffre was given “express or implied threats” by Epstein, Maxwell, and/ or Andrew to engage in sexual acts with the prince, the lawsuit said. ​It said that she “feared death or physical injury to herself or another and other repercussions for disobeying” the trio because of their “powerful connections, wealth, and authority.” ​It said that on one occasion, the prince sexually abused her in Maxwell’s London home when Epstein, Maxwell and Prince Andrew forced her to have sexual intercourse with the prince against her will. ​On another occasion, the prince sexually abused Giuffre in Epstein’s New York mansion when Maxwell forced Giuffre and another victim to sit on Andrew’s lap as he touched her, the lawsuit said. ​The lawsuit also alleged that Andrew sexually abused Giuffre on Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands. ​Andrew knew her age at the time based on communications with Epstein and Maxwell, the lawsuit added. It said he went ahead anyway “for the purpose of gratifying his sexual desires.” ​The lawsuit was brought under the Child Victims Act, a 2019 New York state law that allows victims to temporarily make legal claims of abuse that occurred when they were children regardless of when or how long ago the alleged abuse occurred. ​Maxwell, 59, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges in Manhattan federal court, where she faces trial in November. She is held without bail.

Her lawyers did not respond to requests for comment. ​As part of a continuing probe into Epstein and his encounters with women and teenage girls, Manhattan federal prosecutors last year formally requested to speak with Andrew. ​The request, similar to issuing a subpoena, was made under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, an agreement between the two countries to share evidence and information in criminal cases. US prosecutors reportedly made a formal request through the British government to interview Andrew. ​Brad Edwards, a lawyer who represents dozens of Epstein victims, has said that the prince has failed to answer questions for civil lawsuits before.

“I’ve always been given the impression that, whether he has immunity or not, he certainly behaves like he does,” Edwards said. n The Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo in Washington contributed to this report.

Britney Spears’ father says ‘no grounds’ for his removal

OUT AND ABOUT

ANOTHER actress who has limited comments on her Instagram is this lovely senior star who is the live-in partner of a rich non-showbiz guy. Our guess is that this is because she doesn’t want people to makes comments like, “Oh, I saw you at [name of place] with so-and-so.” So-and-so happens to be the rich guy who has been linked to her for years, Recently, a video of the actress and the “so-and-so” circulated online. The actress and her partner have an open relationship, and so do the other guy and his wife. They just don’t want people in their business. Even the actress’s adult child accepts that her mom has certain needs that the other guy can fulfill.

LOS ANGELES—Britney Spears’ father said in a court filing Friday that there are “no grounds whatsoever” for removing him from the conservatorship that controls her money and affairs. James Spears “has dutifully and faithfully served as the conservator of his daughter’s estate without any blemishes on his record,” the filing said.

James Spears’ filing also says that court-appointed professional Jodi Montgomery, who oversees Britney Spears’ life decisions while her father handles her money, called him, distraught, last month and sought his help with his daughter’s mental health struggles. Montgomery and her lawyer said in response that James Spears “misrepresented and manipulated” the call to use it to his own advantage.

James Spears’ filing came in response to court papers filed a day earlier by Britney Spears’ new attorney Matthew Rosengart, which requested an emergency hearing as soon as possible to suspend him from the conservatorship.

James Spears said Rosengart “does not [and cannot] specify what the wrongdoing is” to prompt such a suspension. James Spears stepped aside from the part of the conservatorship that controls his daughter’s life decisions in 2019, with Montgomery taking over, though her official status remains temporary.

The allegations made by Britney Spears at hearings in

June and July that seem to have spurred Rosengart’s call for her father’s removal, including “serious allegations regarding forced medical treatment and therapy, improper medical care, and limitations on personal rights,” are “untested” and involve issues that have long been Montgomery’s responsibility, not his, said Jamie Spears’ filing.

James Spears says the call for his urgent removal is “ironic” considering the call he received from Montgomery on July 9. “Ms. Montgomery sounded very distraught and expressed how concerned she was about my daughters’ recent behavior and overall mental health,” James Spears said in a personal declaration included with his court filing.

“Ms. Montgomery explained that my daughter was not timely or properly taking her medications, was not listening to the recommendations of her medical team, and refused to even see some of her doctors. Ms. Montgomery said she was very worried about the direction my daughter was heading in and directly asked for my help to address these issues.”

James Spears said they discussed the possibility of hospitalizing Britney Spears on an emergency psychiatric hold. Montgomery acknowledged, in a statement through her attorney Lauriann Wright, having concerns about Britney Spears’ behavior and mental health, but said James Spears’ stepping down would only help. AP

Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

z

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Alyson Stoner, 28; Chris Hemsworth, 38; Sophie Okonedo, 53; Hulk Hogan, 68.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Push to get things done on time.

Your word is only as good as your actions. Consider making necessary changes that encourage more opportunities as the year progresses. A tactical approach to how you handle friends, relatives, money and peers will pay off if you maintain structure and consistency when building a solid base. A creative or physical outlet will ease stress. Your numbers are 8, 14, 22, 28, 31, 39, 42.

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Set the record straight with anyone who tries to put words in your mouth. Standing up for your rights, beliefs and reputation will impress someone who can see what you can bring to the table. An opportunity is apparent.

HHH

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You know what’s best for you, so don’t put yourself in an awkward position unnecessarily.

Concentrate on personal growth, physical fitness and the people and pastimes that bring you joy. Love and romance will soothe the soul. HHH

c

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You’ll be forced out of your comfort zone if you let someone put you on the spot or take advantage of you, your skills or your clout. Refuse to indulge others or take risks that can upset your emotional or physical well-being. HH

d

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Observe what’s going on, and offset anything you feel can make you look bad or upset your plans. It’s up to you to bring about change when necessary. Don’t limit what you can do because you are reluctant to act.

HHHH

e

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Look for a unique way to spend your spare time. How you relax or spend your cash will affect your peace of mind. Commit to a long-term plan that offers resolution emotionally, physically and mentally. A financial opportunity looks promising. HHH

f

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Pursue knowledge that will encourage positive change. Let your imagination wander, and you’ll come up with a unique plan that will lead to better relationships with friends, relatives or your lover. Share your intentions and feelings, and finish what you start.

HHH

g

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Make a difference.

Do something to help your community or someone you care about, and it will make you feel good and spark exciting ways to use your skills to raise your profile and awareness of issues that concern you. HHH

h

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Touch base with people who have something to offer. Make a proposal that can change the dynamics of a meaningful relationship. Lower your overhead, and it will ease stress and give you the freedom to enjoy life. Take responsibility for your happiness. HHHH

i

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You have a vivid imagination. Don’t jump to conclusions or show your gullibility. Take time to think, and you’ll recognize when someone is trying to take advantage of you. Create opportunities yourself, and you’ll gain respect. HH

j

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Being reasonable will be all it takes to get your way.

Consider positive changes at home that will add to your comfort and make your tasks and responsibilities easier to achieve. HH

k

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Pick up the slack and finish what you start. A unique connection with someone will lead to an unusual relationship that offers insight into different lifestyles. Take the initiative to turn your thoughts into action. Leave nothing to chance. HHHHH

l

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Become the instigator and pursue your goals. An opportunity will manifest if you are disciplined, organized and apply reason and intelligence to whatever challenge comes your way. Don’t back down or give up; stay focused, and you will make a difference.

HHH BIRTHDAY BABY: You are outspoken, impulsive and heroic.

You are compassionate and unique.

‘alternative education’ BY GARY LARSON The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 “___ making a list...”

4 Bedside fixture 8 The San Diego Chicken, e.g.

14 Number not found in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” 15 ___ fresca (Mexican drink) 16 Bird that may be black and yellow 17 Study of government revenue?

19 Sent an emoji, say 20 Classic sporty Ford, informally 21 Be worthy of 23 Ultimatum word after “or” 24 Study of “Bodak Yellow” rapper B? 30 Inverse of addition?

32 Feeler 33 Give a ticket to 35 Former student, briefly 36 Study of supermarket conveyances?

41 Slightly open 43 Core, or meat 44 Coped 48 Writer’s block?

53 Study of the Punxsutawney groundhog?

55 Relative of Hindi

6 Stomach woe 5 57 Gradually exhaust 58 Word after “physical” or “mental” 62 Areas of study, and a hint to 17-, 24-, 36- and 53-Across 65 “Let me get back to you” 66 Peach or beech 67 Youngster 68 Shower problem 69 Toy that isn’t fun in the summer 70 Full show letters DOWN 1 More popular 2 Allow 3 What the Equal Rights Amendment combats 4 Come down 5 Previously 6 It’s the word, sometimes 7 Single-___ system 8 Pain relief brand 9 Playground taunt 10 Half a dozen 11 Simple place to sleep 12 Spanish cheer 13 Kind of talk on the internet

8 Layered cookie 1 22 Org. that approves toothpaste 24 I Am ___ (Jenner’s former reality show) 25 Voice below soprano 26 She and her sister married Jacob 27 Nothing but 28 Antelope seen on safari 29 Thanksgiving root 31 TV adjunct, once 34 Food that might be juggled 36 “Pretty please?”

37 Disappearing sea in Asia 38 Well-off 39 Like a dirty fireplace 40 School meeting grp.

41 Sound booster 42 Rastafarian deity 45 Tony Stark’s beard 46 Shun 47 Quote from Homer 49 Like distilled water 50 Real estate developers’ plots 51 Person who may read a book many times 52 Reaches a total of

4 Pains in the neck 5 57 Spun some records 58 That tomcat 59 ___ Lilly and Company 60 Everyone 61 Trip essential?

63 www address 64 Insect like a drone Solution to today’s puzzle:

Image BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

MakatiMed wins gold at the IPRA Golden World Awards TOP health institution Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed) won a Gold award at the International Public Relations Association (Ipra) Golden World Awards for Excellence (GWA) in the crisis communications online category for its Covid-19 Information Program. The recognition grants MakatiMed’s entry as meeting international standards of excellence in public relations.

“This year we had a record number of entries and a cascade of imagination,” said Philippe Borremans, Ipra’s president and chair of the jury. The year 2021 saw a total of 93 GWA winners, with MakatiMed being one of only four from the Philippines.

Aside from Gold award, the hospital’s two other entries were named finalists in the publication and community engagement categories.

Many tackled health issues including responses to Covid-19, and the successful pivot to digital. Judges for the awards program were from all over the world including Austria, Bulgaria, Japan, the Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the US, and the UK. MakatiMed president and CEO Atty. Pilar Nenuca Almira and MakatiMed medical director Dr. Saturnino Javier both underlined that communication in times of crisis is essential in mitigating the impact of a pandemic, as fake news cause more confusion and thus greater tension. The hospital has been a constant source of reliable information on Covid-19 to help guide the public and assuage fear and confusion.

The Golden World Awards is held annually by Ipra, the leading global network for PR professionals which aims to advance trusted communications and the ethical practice of public relations. The GWA recognizes excellence in public relations practice worldwide in a variety of categories.

MakatiMed president and CEO Atty. Pilar Nenuca Almira (front, sitting), Geoffrey Pangan, communications and special projects officer (from left, standing); Shieyl Aranas, department managercommunications and special projects; Monica Liza Reyes-Dizon, department manager-creative services and advertising; Arlyn Songco, vice president of creative, communications and sales services; Maria Elizabeth Blanch, unit manager-HMO business segment; Mary Ann Lee, department manager-sale services; Carolyn Geronimo, communications and special projects assistant; Mary Joy Fernandez, communications and publicity officer.

Let’s declutter: Six tips for self-care MESS may cause distress. Living in a cluttered environment directly contributes to feelings of angst and anxiety.

The American Council for Exercise (ACE)-certified health coach Stacey Colino, an award-winning writer specializing in health and science with contributions to The Washington Post, Newsweek and Good Housekeeping, to name a few, and the Benilde Well-Being Center of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, both believe that decluttering—both the process and the results— promotes health.

“Tidying up can help you de-stress, gain a sense of control, and improve your state of mind in numerous ways,” Colino stated. “If it puts you at ease, it can be an important part of self-care.”

Here are some pointers on how to declutter for a better mental state: n Clutter reduces productivity. A disorganized environment may impact attention, concentration and focus. It may even drain cognitive resources. An overabundance of possessions is a result of overattachment. It may foster chronic procrastination. Living in a crowded space can reduce productivity. n Clutter affects both physical and emotional well-being. Excessive physical things negatively affect subjective happiness. Our home should be considered as our safe space. Piles could be magnets to bugs and bacteria. Wires on the floor may be accident hazards. n Clutter affects our health. A chaotic kitchen can contribute to an unruly mindset. Disorganized kitchens may facilitate a choice of higher calorie snacks over healthier options. This causes weight gain and poses other health risks. n Decluttering brings a sense of freedom and liberation. Getting rid of unnecessary belongings manages symbolic pollution. Put away miscellaneous physical things. Place them where they belong.

This makes it easier to locate items at home. It likewise gives a new sense of being in charge. Doing these helps us feel more confident, efficient and accomplished. n Decluttering gives us a fresh start. It removes visual interruptions. It cleanses our palate. It allows us to have a fresh start in a more organized space. n Clutter is a spectrum. Individuals differ on the clutter they can tolerate. Decluttering can also go overboard. It is important to find what works for us.

Be flexible enough to dial back when appropriate.

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Wednesday, August 11, 2021

B5

Increase your social intelligence I

WAS painfully shy as a kid. I would always go to my room whenever we had visitors, or decline invitations for going out with classmates. I can even remember a time when an entire group went to our house to fetch me to go out, but I told my mom I did not want to go, so she lied for me and said I was not in the house. It was only when I went to college, away from my family, that I started to come out of my shell and tried to be more friendly. It was both awkward and liberating.

When I graduated, it was teaching that forced me to start being more socially skillful. It helped that I started out teaching toddlers because they were brutally honest without being malicious. I guess talking to kids and knowing I was teaching them helped me understand where people were coming from, and establish boundaries of what behaviors and attitudes I was willing to accept or reject.

It was when I became a trainer where my understanding of people’s motivations broadened. It was also then when I began to be exposed to different personalities and developed the skills and techniques in handling them. The last time I did a personality test, I was no longer an extreme introvert. My work as an educator helped me develop my social skills and improved the way I relate with others. These skills fall under what is known as social intelligence.

The term social intelligence (SI) was first introduced by Edward Thorndike in 1920 and he defined it as “the ability to understand and manage men and women, boys and girls...to act wisely in human relations.” Howard Gardner, the proponent of the concept of multiple intelligences, has a similar concept in his concept of interpersonal intelligence which he defined as the ability to understand people’s motivations and how they work and work with others.

This might seem similar to emotional intelligence, but it is more of how you handle yourself and your emotions to influence how you behave. Social intelligence is more on how you deal with others and your understanding of how others interact with one another.

Social intelligence is being able to read between the lines and discerning the issues in complicated social situations. It also means being able to navigate such complexities and communicating effectively with the people involved while diffusing tensions among the people involved. A person with high social intelligence understands the issues behind people’s words and actions, and uses that knowledge to arrive at a mutually beneficial solution.

Social intelligence is especially important if you

are a people manager since your work is based largely on how you influence people. If you do not understand people’s motivations and intent, you will keep your team feeling aggravated, deficient and frustrated.

On the other hand, a high social intelligence means you value the relationships within your team, and you stimulate positive feelings in people you work and interact with. Having a high SI leads to higher influence on your team. But how do you increase it?

You can start with listening and observing your team. Look at how they talk to each other and the words that they use when they converse. Choice of language and even their body language tells a lot about the people they like to work with, and those they avoid. This is helpful especially when you group your team into different projects and who are the people you can groom for leadership positions. This will also help you adopt some words they use, so you can be more relatable to them.

Take time to talk to your team individually. Time spent with individual members of your team is the best way to get to know them. Invest in them by taking the time to get to know them. And when you do spend time with them, be genuinely interested by asking follow-up questions. Understanding your team’s motivations will help you develop individual development plans where they will be invested too.

When talking to your team and even others, suspend judgment. People come from different backgrounds and experiences; hence, their experience may not be the same as yours. Do not invalidate what people say and keep an open mind on what they are actually saying. Your team will likely be more open to you when they know they will not be judged.

Pause before you speak or act. One of the best ways of preventing a social faux pas is to stop and think through your options. People act out in anger and regret it later on. To avoid this, be as neutral as possible or just walk away. Weigh if the discussion is worth the aggravation. If not, agree to disagree and accept that some people just have a different way of thinking.

Your workplace culture plays an important role in shaping how you are perceived and, conversely, how you are perceived by others. You would know when you are being warned to tread lightly when you are told, “That is not the way we do things around here.” If you want to influence and change your work environment, you need to understand first what the prevalent culture is and then slowly introduce changes to your team.

Work on your emotional intelligence. A good understanding of yourself will greatly help in understanding others. Be aware of your smile and your posture as these are indicators of how confident you are with yourself. Emotional intelligence may be different from social intelligence but a good understanding of yourself leads to a better understanding of your social environment.

A people manager with high social intelligence will improve their ability to communicate clearly, connect with others for collaboration, innovate to adapt to an ever-changing business environment, and effectively engage their team for maximum performance. I may have been an introvert but that does not mean I cannot manage people effectively. It just takes practice, patience and a little effort to understand that successful work is done through other people. n

❶

PHOTO BY AUSTIN DISTEL ON UNSPLASH

❶ Glass, wood, and metal blend in beautifully in this this modern contemporary designed white Havana Computer Desk.

❷

Create a streamlined workspace with this sleek and polished Gavin Office Desk.

❸ Classic ❷

❸

Dream desks in WFH reality AFTER more than a year of working from home (WFH) and with the current situation still dictating as much, it’s time to indulge yourself by creating a working space that’s both decorative and functional.

And most likely, the desk will be the centerpiece of one’s home office in terms of design and activity.

The good news is that whether you’re working from home, having an online class, starting a new business or hobby, or simply browsing the net, Our Home (www.ourhome.ph) has stylish selections that combine comfort, functionality and designs that you’ll love. And it offers some tips when choosing your dream desk. n Choose a desk that is right for your needs and suits your space and style. Consider your workflow and activities to make sure that you can use your desk

comfortably and productively.

Also, consider your overall house design in choosing your desk. If your place is more traditional, the classic Hambu Writing Desk would be a perfect fit; while the white Havana Computer Desk will compliment contemporary spaces. n Size (and Shape) does matter. Making the mistake of buying a desk that’s either too big for your space or too small for the way you work will not be good for your productivity and comfort.

You’ll also discover that apart from size, your desk shape does matter in helping you getting organized.

Rectangular desks, like Our Home’s Gavin’s Office Desk, are the most popular choice, and these are available in a variety of width and depth sizes. Corner desks for awkward spaces, and wave desks that

provide you with the benefits of a rectangular desk while also giving you a larger desktop are also great alternatives. n Consider storage. Without any storage, your home desk can become cluttered and disorganized.

Opting for a chest with drawers is an ideal way to keep your workspace organized, and make sure that all your essentials are at your fingertips. Better still, opt for a desk and storage combination. n Sitting well. Sitting comfortably at your desk is necessary for making sure that you can be as productive as possible as you work. It will also ensure your back is continuously supported.

Our Home has ergonomic chairs for a healthy WFH, as well as desk lamps to make sure your area is properly lighted.

Hambu Writing Desk in elegant dark wood finish has both open and pull-out drawers for a more organized work space.

B6 Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Cleanfuel opens San Ildefonso station, to add another branch in the municipality

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EADING independent oil firm Cleanfuel announced the latest addition to its growing network with the inauguration of its San Ildefonso branch in the province of Central Luzon, Bulacan.

Strategically located at Barangay Sapang Putol, in the heart of San Ildefonso, Bulacan, the newest Cleanfuel Station aims to provide better access to quality fuel for less for more Bulakenyos.

The opening of the San Ildefonso station despite the declaration of the reimposition of stricter community quarantine due to the Delta Variant of the COVID 19 Virus is proof of the confidence of Cleanfuel in the Filipino resiliency, according to Cleanfuel President Atty.

Jesus “Bong” Suntay.

“Since the inception of Cleanfuel, we always taken pride in providing high quality and affordable fuel products that

will help more Filipino motorists add more kilometers on every fuel purchased.

Cleanfuel continues to remain committed to bringing more economic opportunities in every city”, Suntay said.

In addition, Cleanfuel San Ildefonso will help the residents of the 36 barangays in the area and aid in boosting the local agribusiness, logistics, cement, manufacturing, and metalcraft industries for the good of the country.

The new station offers first-class amenities including clean and spacious air-conditioned restrooms, air and water services, and other top quality products that local motorists can experience and enjoy. Also available is Cleanfuel’s rewards program and cashless payments that accommodate multiple payment solutions.

Meanwhile, Suntay also bared the plans of opening another station in the

municipality to basically cover the towns in between and nearby.

The company promises to add more retail stations in NCR, South, East, and Northern region. “There are more to expect in the coming months for Cleanfuel. We are set to open yun more stations in Rizal (Tanay), Los Baños, San Pablo, Batangas, Quezon (Sariaya), Mandaluyong, and another in Pangasinan (Urdaneta) hopefully as soon as the stricter lockdown protocols are lifted,” added Suntay.

At present, Cleanfuel offers Quality Fuel for Less nationwide, covering National Capital Region (NCR), Southern and Northern Luzon area. Their stations, as well as their onsite facilities, are maintained with the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene to make sure every customer enjoys their experience every time they drive through.

FIGHTING MALNUTITION. For more than 20 years, Knorr has been championing proper nutrition for every Filipino. After positively affecting the lives of over 2 million previously undernourished Filipino children, the leading food brand swears by its three main pillars for success—Parents, Partnerships, and Products. The Knorr Nutrition Education Program has been educating moms in community and classroom settings, addressing the two common barriers to proper nutrition— lack of knowledge and limited budget. Knorr also shared recipes for delicious and nutritious meals that Filipinos are familiar with and cost little to make. The Knorr program is poised to scale up even further through partnerships with Pilipinas Kontra Gutom, Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network, Department of Education (DepEd), as well as various LGUs. The program currently serves 500,000 individuals across Metro Manila and CALABARZON.

Building a stronger relationship with children via meaningful conversations at lunch time

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CCORDING to a recent online survey conducted by Mommy Mundo and Tang Philippines with 43 working parents, 41% of parents feel guilty for not taking time during the day to have a genuine conversation with their child while only 32% report making an effort on checking up on their kids. The poll was run through Mommy Mundo and in collaboration with Tang Philippines during a recent talk entitled: Conscious Parenting: How to Build a Stronger Relationship with your child Through Meaningful Conversations. The event brought together certified conscious-parenting expert Kit Malvar-Llamas, mom guest Tina De Guzman and host Cerah Co; working moms who are looking to find a balance between work and family time. During the talk, Tina De Guzman echoed the struggle of all moms: “This pandemic has been very

challenging. It feels like we’ve been oncall 24/7 during WFH. Our kids even have online classes and suddenly all moms have become homeschoolers! Unfortunately, the bonding takes a backseat because of how busy we all are.” Cerah Co shares: Lately I’ve been trying to find balance especially in being more intentional to spend time and bond with my kids” To address these parenting concerns, Tang has launched the #UsapangTANGhalian filter (available on FB and IG) which suggests fun and engaging questions for parents to ask their kids! This initiative encourages moms to make the most out of lunch time at home as a moment to not only nourish, but also build stronger relationships with their kids. For more details on how to start your #UsapangTANGhalian at home visit https:// w w w. fa ce b o o k . co m / Ta n g P h i l i p p i n e s / posts/1811203559051376.

Phoenix grants P3M to Olympic silver medalist Carlo Paalam

Verified Solane now comes with new safety seal

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VIDEO on a victim of LPG explosion recently went viral, spreading fear among Filipino homeowners about the use of LPG for cooking. However, with responsible practices, safety can be guaranteed, and so LPG brand Solane is introducing the new Bioseal, a biodegradable safety seal that is a first in the local LPG industry – making it easier for consumers to identify Verified Solane tanks from dangerous counterfeits that could lead to accidents.

“Our core mission is to deliver products and services that will ensure the safety of consumers. While we already have a number of initiatives in place to support our objectives, we’re continuously looking for ways to provide even better service to our customers,” stated Valeri Villano, Marketing Manager of Isla LPG, the corporation behind the local brand. “Bioseal will make it easier for Filipinos to verify their Solane tank’s authenticity, so they themselves can continue to protect their families.”

Although the government recently passed a bill imposing stricter supervision on LPG regulation, consumers should still know how to identify fake tanks to prevent getting scammed.

Solane is the first in the country to use LPG safety seals that are made of biodegradable plastic, the unique Bioseal can be a sure way for customers to assure that their Solane LPG is authentic and has not been tampered with.

The new seal also comes with an improved locking mechanism for both POL (de roskas) and AS (de salpak). The LPG brand also added

a QR code on the Bioseals which upon scanning, will redirect users to Solane’s customer service.

Verified Solane tanks have markings that show their registration, the specific standards used, the the requalification or expiration date which refers to the date the cylinders will be tested again, and the tare weight in kilograms which signifies the weight of an empty cylinder. The tare weight varies per tank – 11.5 to 14 kg for

POL and 13 to 15 kg for AS. By buying these unauthorized tanks, consumers are not only getting substandard, inauthentic Solane LPG, but are also exposing themselves and their homes to the potential of gas leaks and explosions.

Order Solane LPG by sending a message to 0918-887-5555 or 0917-8977555, or to the Solane Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/solane.ph)

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HOENIX Petroleum, through Siklab Atleta Pilipinas Foundation, is giving a P3 million financial incentive to Carlo Paalam after winning a silver medal in the flyweight boxing competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“Carlo put up a magnificent fight, and we are proud of his overall performance as a Filipino Olympic boxer,” said Phoenix Petroleum Senior Vice President Raymond Zorrilla. “His win inspires us to continue supporting Filipino athletes because they give honor to our country, and prove that we are truly world-class. This year’s Olympics has been a great opportunity to display Filipino supremacy in sports,” he also stated.

Carlo earned his silver finish against Galal Yafai of Great Britain. It comes after fellow Filipino athletes, Hidilyn Diaz, Nesthy Peticio, and Eumir Marcial, also earned podium finishes, and were likewise assured of their own incentives from Phoenix. His win brings the Philippines’ total medal to four—the county’s largest Olympic medal haul yet since the 1932 Olympics, and the

first-ever multiple Olympic silver medal wins of the Philippines.

Since 2018, Phoenix, through Siklab Atleta, has been active in supporting Filipino athletes in their quest to bring an Olympic gold medal to the country. A separate campaign called Buhayin ang Laban Para sa Ginto was also launched that same year to drum up more support for the athletes as they prepare for the Olympics, in the hopes of finally bringing home the Philippines’ first-ever top finish. The drought was recently ended by Diaz who won gold in the women’s 55-kg weightlifting category.

Developing the next generation of content creators

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LOGAPALOOZA, the premier influencer marketing company in the Philippines, launched the first ever InfluencerPreneur program in 2020 to help budding content creators and influencers grow their platform and build their online presence. This year, Blogapalooza partners with integrated communications agency MullenLowe TREYNA to stage an even bigger InfluencerPreneur program and produce the next generation of content creators.

InfluencerPreneur is an incubation program

by Blogapalooza which aims to produce a new breed of influencers: content creators with the mindset, skills, and tools of an entrepreneur.

Open to all aspiring and up-and-coming Gen Z and millennial influencers and content creators in the country, participants of the program will learn how to create, market, and improve personal branding, do business as a content creator, build and grow followers, and improve social media influence.

The 2021 InfluencerPreneur program will have key speakers from renowned influencers to help lead each syllabus of the participants, sharing industry tips and advice future content creators will need to know to

be successful in their field.

Here are the topics for the second batch of the InfluencerPreneur program:  The Changing Influencer Marketing Landscape Battle of the Platforms Marketing & Branding Strategy The Art of Storytelling in Content Marketing Passion vs Promotion Content Creation as Business Model Brand Campaigns & Partnerships The interactive program will see participants apply their learnings through different brand sponsored-activities, each helping content creators understand the ins and outs of content creation and promotion.

The 2021 InfluencerPreneur program is now accepting participants! Interested participants should be able to attend classes for seven (7) consecutive Saturdays. Those interested to join the second batch may sign up at: https://bit.ly/IPbatch2.

For more information about the 2021 InfluencerPreneur program, visit www. blogapalooza.ph or follow Blogapalooza and MullenLowe MARC on Instagram.

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

Wednesday, August 11, 2021 B7

PHirst Park Homes awards ‘Capitana Barbell’ house and lot package

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By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

OR epitomizing excellence and perseverance in sports and life, empowering women, and bringing honor to the Philippines in these times of uncertainty and volatility, PHirst Park Homes (PPHI), a joint venture between Century Properties Group and Mitsubishi Corp. announced on July 27 it will be awarding a house and lot package to Hidilyn Diaz for her exemplary achievements and historic performance as the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist.

The Zamboangueña’s victory in the Tokyo Games ended the 97-year gold medal drought of the Philippines in the modern Olympics founded by Baron Pierre de Coubertin. She defeated reigning world champion Liao Quiyun of China 55-kilogram category of the Tokyo Olympics. Interestingly,

the Philippines got its first silver medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics courtesy of boxer Anthony Villanueva.

“On behalf of PHirst Park Homes and the entire Century Properties Group, we send our heartfelt thanks and congratulations to Ms. Hidilyn Diaz for bring-

Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz will be a future owner of an Unna Home.

ing home the gold and bringing pride to the Philippines,” said Century Properties Group Executive Chairman Jose E.B. Antonio in a press statement.

“Hidilyn’s story is every Filipino’s story of struggle and perseverance amidst adversities. She even improvised her own weightlifting

equipment out of bamboo sticks and water bottles in order to train with her limited resources. We at PHirst Park Homes celebrate her inspiring story of triumph. She deserves a PHirst home for winning the Philippines’s first Olympic gold medal,” said PHirst Park Homes Inc. President Ricky M. Celis.

A ntonio sa id t he 30 -yearold Diaz will be awarded with an Unna single-attached house and lot valued at P4 million at a PHirst Park Homes community of her choice.

Celis, meanwhile, said Diaz will be given the option to choose a new house and lot in any of PHirst’s eight communities in key growth areas of Luzon: Tanza and the newly launched General Trias in Cavite; Lipa and Nasugbu, Batangas; San Pablo and Calamba, Laguna; Pandi, Bulacan; and in Magalang, Pampanga. Before the year ends, PHirst Park Homes will roll out two more projects in northern Luzon and another one in southern Luzon.

Just like the early settlers, Celis said Diaz and her family will be able to enjoy PHirst Park Homes’ complete, well-provisioned and expandable home with a perimeter fence and gate, conceptive amenities that promote a healthy and holistic lifestyle, connected living through Wi-fi zones and a shuttle service, and a convenient homeowner experience.

Inspired living awaits you at your newest home in Salcedo Village

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N ideal home is as much a place of refuge as it is a space where one feels complete. It’s a haven that should allow you to feel inspired and in control, empowering you to live your own story.

It is this principle by which your newest home at the heart of Makati is deeply anchored and faithfully operates. Opening soon in the country’s financial district is Somerset Central Salcedo Makati, which will welcome you in and let you feel and realize what it truly means to be home.

While the newest property from The Ascott Limited Philippines will initially cater to corporate and essential guests, as well as individuals returning from and departing to other countries in search of safe and accommodating isolation spaces, find yourself home soon at Somerset Central Salcedo Makati. Here are five reasons how this new residence brings to life the concept of a perfect home.

Prime location equals prime opportunities

Somerset Central Salcedo Makati takes pride in its centrality. Being right in the middle of Makati City’s central business district, the residence is proximate to the country’s biggest corporate offices and hottest lifestyle destinations.

The residence is located at Salcedo Village, which is teeming with exciting activities. There is a rich collection of coffee shops, gyms, groceries, banks and other key establishments.

At the famous Jaime C. Velasquez Park, you can break a sweat, take a breather, or immerse in the commu-

like to be a global resident with world-class caliber services and programs.

The Ascott Star Rewards, for one, is a free online membership loyalty program that allows you to earn points from staying at The Ascott Limited properties. The points can be used to offset room rates, secure complimentary airport transfers and more at any Ascott property worldwide. Ascott Star Rewards is a tier-based program, where elite benefits are in store as you move up the membership levels. nity of global citizens like you.

If it’s food you seek, you are in luck as the area’s exquisite culinary scene is home to some of the metro’s best restaurants. The newest addition is Somerset Central Salcedo Makati’s very own Nonya Café. Managed by the residence’s F&B operator, Horrigan Hospitality, this new outlet will further elevate Makati’s dining scene with the best and most authentic Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine, plus a wide range of classic Western and other Asian dishes.

Have everything you ever wanted in a living space

Who does not fancy a spacious abode where you can be yourself, or a place where you get the comforts of home and the convenience of the hotel? How about a safe and secure development equipped with complete facilities? You are sure to get all these and more at Somerset Central Salcedo Makati. The residence’s stylish 32-story building houses 285

rooms spread across five luxurious apartment types. All rooms are appointed with an ensuite bathroom, split air-conditioning and wireless Internet access, while the bigger categories have fully equipped kitchens and washer and dryer. Your privacy, safety and comfort are ensured with 24-hour security and guest services.

Checking in with your furry companions? They will feel right at home, too, as the property is 100 percent pet- friendly.

Meanwhile, protect your holistic health with Somerset Central Salcedo Makati’s array of recreational areas and amenities, including a swimming pool, fitness center, launderette, Residents’ Lounge and a Cubbies playroom for kids. The residence also offers a host of business support facilities, including the Azalea Function Room with a seating capacity of 100.

To top it all off, 24-hour security and guest services ensure you enjoy privacy, safety, and comfort. Have we

Achieve healthy sleep at home with Serta

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F there’s one thing this global pandemic has made us realize aside from keeping ourselves healthy and strong, that is we have to keep our environment pleasant and safe as always. With a healthy surrounding comes a healthy mind, body and soul that should always be our top priority whether we’re staying at home or chasing our dreams outside.

While the pandemic is challenging every nation in the world, people are starting to realize again the importance of having a sound and peaceful home. This scenario has triggered a lot of people’s creativity and natural instinct of making their home a haven for all family members—most especially the bedroom, which has been considered as the most important room in our homes and where we mostly spend our time.

Having a bedroom—a pleasant one, if we may add—improves our

concentration and productivity, much more to keeping us well rested, which provides benefits to our immune function and mental health.

That’s why Serta, an international brand known for its world-class quality of comfort is finally here in the Philippines to provide us a better option of convenience and sophistication in our homes.

Originally from Illinois, USA, Serta International has been in the mattress manufacturing industry for 90 years now producing the highest quality and most innovative mattress that delivers superior comfort and support. Throughout its history, Serta has been an industry leader, offering many product “firsts”—including the world’s first-ever “tuftless” mattress.

Carrying the slogan: “Always Comfortable,” Serta assures the most soothing experience one could find from buying their products at their

newest store to sleeping in one of their world-renowned mattresses. Serta is definitely your best bet for comfort.

In Serta Sleep Center, aside from mattresses, the brand also showcases other products such as pillows and protectors that will give you the complete benefit of relaxation at home.

Located at the Ronac Art Center in Greenhills, San Juan City, the Serta Sleep Center is now open to offer five of the brand’s luxurious collections including Celestial, iPedic, PerfectSleeper, Perfect Spine, and Sleep True.

Serta Philippines (www.serta.com. ph), believes that a good night sleep is essential for one’s health and wellbeing, and as the world-class brand lands here in the country, they will keep on extending its brand of comfort and sophisticated technology it is known around the globe to Filipinos who aspire to have a better quality of relaxation at home. Reni Salvador

mentioned that the residence is 100 percent pet-friendly as well?

A cordial staff that treats you like family

At the core of The Ascott Limited Philippines is stellar service from people who genuinely care about your well-being. You will sense this from the staff of Somerset Central Salcedo Makati, who will treat you like family and make sure that you are properly taken care of.

Strengthening this commitment is The Ascott Host Program. Designed to make adjusting to a new place smooth and easy, the program helps long-stay guests settle into their new home and keep them healthy through safe and engaging digital activities, from online games to virtual workouts and the like.

A memorable and rewarding time at home

At Somerset Central Salcedo Makati, you will get to enjoy what it feels

Your safety and wellness prioritized, 24/7

Aside from being rewarding, a stay at Somerset Central Salcedo Makati is sure to be safe and worry-free as well.

The Ascott Cares is the company’s carefully curated nine-point commitment to hygiene and cleanliness in this time of a global pandemic.

As Ascott welcomes guests back to its properties worldwide, the company provides enhanced hygiene and safety standards for its guests, staff and partners to promote a safe environment.

Integrated into the program is the Wellness and Security commitment, which includes the “24/7 OnCall Wellness & Security measure.”

In partnership with International SOS, round-the-clock health, wellness and security support is now a phone call away to give you greater comfort and reassurance.

To know more, visit https://www. discoverasr.com/en/somerset-servicedresidence/philippines/somerset-central-salcedo-makati.

Office deals in Metro Manila up 154 percent in Q2 2021

By Roderick L. Abad

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ROPERTY consultancy firm Colliers International Philippines reported that office transactions in the National Capital Region (NCR) reached 84,700 sq m in the second quarter (Q2) of 2021, up 154 percent from the 33,400 sq m recorded in Q2 2020 as tenants expanded and implemented flight-to-cost and flight-toquality measures.

Based on its recently released Q2 2021 Philippine property market studies, traditional firms , such as e-commerce, logistics, telco and lending companies, led the office space takeup from April to June of this year, accounting for 56,900 sq m or 67 percent of the total deals.

This was followed by outsourcing companies that absorbed 26,500 sq m. The remaining 1,300 sq m in new office towers during the period were occupied by government agencies and other businesses.

Meanwhile, from a peak of 1.34 million sq m or 11 percent of office stock in NCR occupied by the Philippine offshore gaming operators or Pogos, they only absorbed 790,000 sq m or 6 percent as of the end of Q2 2021.

Per the study, Ortigas led the office transactions during the period with 26,200 sq m or 31 percent of overall transactions during the period in review.

The diversified professional services and investment management firm attributed the higher office space absorption to good quality of the newly occupied buildings offering lower base rents. Average office rents dropped by 3.9 percent quarteron-quarter between April and June this year.

Some notable transactions from the traditional sector, it cited, include the Philippines’s Energy Regulatory Commission and China Harbour Engineering, while in the outsourcing side, Alorica and TaskUs expanded their office footprints in Quezon City.

According to the report of Colliers Philippines, there were 142,400 sq m of new office stocks recorded in Q2 of this year from the newly completed Glas Tower in Ortigas and Worldwide Plaza in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig, or 148 percent higher than the 57,400 sq m posted in the same period of 2020.

Looking forward, the company projects new supply to reach 847,600 sq m by end of 2021, down from its previous forecast of 878,200 sq m as developers avoid overbuilding to prevent further increase in vacancies and correction of rents as they await recovery.

Colliers Philippines expects traditional and outsourcing firms that implemented a mix of rightsizing, consolidation, expansion and relocation strategies to continue to lead office space absorption in the next six to 12 months as the government speeds up its vaccination program across Metro Manila.

It observed, however, that locators with lease expirations in the offing are taking a more cautious approach, such as shorter or flexible leases to tide them over the next one to two years of uncertainty, as outsourcing firms have also been taking up spaces in multiple sites near the residential communities of their employees.

Sports BusinessMirror

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Senator Go gives boxing medalists warm welcome

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EN. Christopher “Bong” Go personally welcomed the return of four Filipino boxers who participated at the Tokyo Olympic Games bringing with them two silver and one bronze medals.

Go, who also joined President Rodrigo Duterte in a video courtesy call, extended his sincerest congratulations to the Olympians and their teams for their inspiring performances and achievements which brought honor and distinction to the country.

“As Chair of the Senate Committee on Sports, I assure you of my unrelenting and wholehearted support and to the entire sports community,” Go said in a message.

Go presented to silver medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio, bronze medalist Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno new watches as tokens of his gratitude and appreciation.

The Philippines finished 50th in the medals race in Tokyo to emerge as the top performing Southeast Asian nation at the Olympics with four medals topped by weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz’s gold.

It was the country’s biggest medal haul since it joined the Olympics in 1924.

In recognition of the athletes’ historic performance, President Duterte announced additional cash incentives from the Office of the President during the virtual courtesy call.

He gave Paalam and Petecio P2 million each, Marcial P1 million and the 15 other Olympians, including Magno, P200,000 apiece.

The athletes, accompanied aboard Philippine Airlines Flight 427 by Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, were also greeted by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Philippine Sports Commission Commissioner Celia Kiram, POC First Vice President Alfredo Panlilio, Association of Boxing Alliance in the Philippines President Ricky Vargas and his Secretary General Edgar Picson and Philippine Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Allen Trio Paredes.

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| Wednesday, August 11, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

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PORTS leaders will use the same template that won the country its first Olympic gold medal—on top of two silver and one bronze medals—in Tokyo.

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino agreed that there should be an earnest effort to maintain—more so to polish further—the same model that saw Hidilyn Diaz winning the women’s -55 kgs of weightlifting title in Tokyo.

Cutting-edge scientific training backed by sound funding are key to repeating, or even surpassing, the Philippines’s best-ever Olympic performance in the 32nd edition of the Games.

“We have to be serious if we would like to sustain the momentum from the Tokyo Olympics,” Ramirez told Tuesday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum. “It’s not only funding that is needed. As a sports educator who have travelled the world, it is really extremely important that we provide cutting edge sports sciences that we aimed for in the Philippine Sports Institute.”

Tolentino agreed with Ramirez but stressed the private sector should be a major stakeholder if the country wants to perform better in the Paris 2024 Olympics and beyond.

“The government can’t do it alone, and the help of private sector and the assistance of one NOC

A STAR-STUDDED sports forum on Tuesday features gold winner Hidilyn Diaz, silver medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio and bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial, as well as Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez and Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

(National Olympic Committee) to another are imperative to achieve the goal,” Tolentino also told the forum presented by San Miguel Corp., Milo, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

Both sports leaders also agreed to keep their focus on the 19 athletes who competed in Tokyo, all of whom, Ramirez and Tolentino stressed, already have Olympic experiences and “should be good for medals in Paris.”

The forum could go down as the most star-studded in memory with Diaz, boxing silver medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam and bronze medalist Eumir Felix

Marcial sharing the spotlight together for the first time since the Olympics.

Diaz won the weightlifting gold on July 24, a day after the opening ceremony, while the boxers got theirs in the homestretch of the Olympics that ended on Sunday.

Asked if they will be looking forward to returning for the Paris Games three years from now, the medalists gave varied reactions.

Diaz, 30, said she and her team will be evaluating her viability to defend the gold in Paris.

“I and my team will be thinking about it. If I agree to compete in Paris, it will be three years of sacrifice and training,” Diaz said.

Diaz, Olympic medalists boost for NAS–Briones

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DUCATION Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones on Tuesday said that the Filipino athletes’ outstanding feat at the Tokyo Olympics will help boost the newly-established National Academy of Sports (NAS).

Briones encouraged young and talented student-athletes to follow the footsteps of weightlifting gold

MINDANAO Leg champion Jumbo-Plastic Basilan could only celebrate its victory briefly.

Hidilyn perfect model you know it, the Olympics fever is with us again. Time flies.

There’s no compelling reason to disband the Tokyo 2020 contingent.

Practically all 19 did well. One or

Diaz did not give herself a timetable on when to decide whether or not she’ll vie for a second gold medal.

“My body will help me decide, and my coaches will be crucial in making the decision,” she added.

Tokyo was Diaz’s fourth straight Olympics—she competed as a 17-year-old wild card in Beijing 2008, an unfortunate participant in London 2012 and a silver medalist in Rio 2016.

All three boxers, on the other hand, vowed to go for the gold in Paris.

“Walang hinto hangga’t walang ginto [until the gold is won, there’s no stopping],” Petecio said.

chairs the NAS Board.

“This is also the reason why the department wants more learners to be trained at the NAS.” The NAS was established through Republic Act No. 11470.

It aims to identify and promote academically competent and athletically talented natural-born Filipino youth from all sectors of

the society including indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups.

In collaboration with the Philippine Sports Commission, the academy is currently conducting its NAS Annual Search for Competent, Exceptional, Notable and Talented Student-Athletes Scholars (NASCENT SAS), which will determine the first batch of scholars of the institution. The application for NASCENT SAS for School Year 20212022 is extended until Saturday.

INDANAO Leg champion Jumbo-Plastic Basilan aims to stretch its unbeaten run when the Chooksto-Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup Southern Finals kicks off on Wednesday.

Standing before the Peace Riders’ way though is Visayas titlist KCS Computer SpecialistMandaue.

The game starts at 6 p.m. at the Pagadian City Gymnasium in Zamboanga del Sur. Basilan clinched the Mindanao championship at the expense of Petra Cement-Roxas, 89-70. Less than 48 hours after that, they are in for another war.

“Our celebration as Mindanao

champions is over,” Peace Riders head coach Jerson Cabiltes said.

“We practiced immediately to prepare for KCS.” Despite the dominant showing in its leg, Basilan will still be cautious when it collides with Mandaue.

“We know that KCS is a tough team. We celebrated the title but the fight is not over yet,” Peace Riders captain Jonathan Uyloan.

“We regrouped and we’re prepared for another war again.”

It’s “been there, done that,” though for KCS. Mandaue battled the oncemighty MJAS Zenith Talisay City, which swept the elimination round and gained an outright

berth to the title round—just like KCS—in the Visayas Finals.

Mandaue then stunned the Aquastars in three games, to walk away as the Visayas kings.

However, KCS took a major blow when its top guns Gryann Mendoza, Ping Exciminiano and Al Tamsi were called up by teams in Manila.

Stepping in were Miguel Gastador and, now, playing assistant coach Jax Bautista.

But nothing’s going to change Mandaue’s approach to the game, even with its best players unable to join them in the Southern Finals.

“We’re going to play the KCS way,” Head Coach Mike Reyes said.

two might have faltered but the experience will only make them better if they just persevere.

Hidilyn Diaz needed 13 years to become an Olympic champion, her weightlifting win coming on her fourth Olympics in Tokyo 2020.

Hidilyn was only 17 on her first Olympics in Beijing 2008.

She finished second-to-last.

Did she quit? No. She came back in London 2012.

She was DNF. Almost an asterisk. Nondescript. DNF being “Did Not Finish.”

Did she quit after a second successive failure? No. It only galvanized her resolve to go on fighting, like a wounded tiger unyielding till the last drop of its blood.

And in Hidilyn’s third try, she finally hit pay dirt. A shiny silver in Rio 2016 made her the first Filipino female medalist in almost a century

of Olympics participation.

For that lone Philippine medal in Brazil, Hidilyn received a P5million government-decreed incentive. Did she retire? No. And so, four years later last July 26, Hidilyn lifted the nation’s hopes to heights, finally ending a 97-year wait for the Philippines’ first ever gold medal after silver victories by boxers Anthony Villanueva(+) and Onyok Velasco in 1964 and 1996, respectively—not to mention Hidilyn’s own silver in Rio 2016.

The win also made Hidilyn the Philippines’s first double-medal Olympics winner after swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso, the “Ilocano Shark,” captured back-to-back bronze medals in Amsterdam 1928 and Los Angeles 1932.

It is now, therefore, imperative that there couldn’t be a more perfect model than Hidilyn Diaz to pattern our winning formula in our continuing quest

for more Olympics successes.

As Hidilyn herself said it, “It can be done. Nothing is impossible.”

Actually, she can now retire and savor the glory of her feat. But no.

Despite being already awash with cash and the recipient of seemingly unending perks now up to her neck, she said she’s not done. And she turned 30 already last February 20.

“I’ll continue competing for as long as God gives me the strength to do it,” she said.

What a warrior.

THAT’S IT Upon their arrival on Monday from Tokyo, boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial received additional cash bonuses from President Duterte.

Silver winners Petecio and Paalam received P2 million more each and bronze medalist Marcial P1 million. When it rains, it pours.

medalist Hidilyn Diaz and boxing silver medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam and bronze medalist Eumir Marcial, as well as the other 15 athletes in Tokyo by applying for admission at NAS. “The victories and triumphs of our Olympians proves that the Philippines has lot to offer in the field of sports,” said Briones, who as DepEd Secretary,

M

Diaz on marriage: Not yet, for now

AFTER TOKYO, PARIS BECKONS

VisMin Cup Finals unwrap

THAT’S definitely a good idea. Retain the 19 Tokyo 2020 Olympians for the next mission.

The Games in Paris 2024 are just three years away, anyways. Before

HIDILYN DIAZ gets a big hug from Julius Naranjo after winning the gold medal in Tokyo.

By Josef Ramos

D

O we hear wedding bells for Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz and her strength and conditioning coach/cum boyfriend Julius Naranjo?

Not quite yet.

Inasmuch as Diaz couldn’t immediately decide if she will return to defend her weightlifting gold medal in Paris three years from now, the athlete who changed the course of Philippine sports history is not about to tie the knot this soon with Naranjo.

Diaz admitted that she wants to get married but stressed it’s one decision she should deeply think about.

“I don’t know yet...but I’d like to get married,” Diaz, 30, told Tuesday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum. “It’s [getting married] no longer the question, but I have to take it seriously. It’s a long term plan because you’ll be with your partner forever.”

Diaz said she is a “very lucky woman” to have Naranjo as her partner.

“For me, I am lucky because he’s there for me, he supports me all the way,” she said. “He is a blessing from God.” Naranjo, a former weightlifter who represented Guam, met Diaz during the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, in 2017. In 2018, he became the gold medalist’s strength and conditioning coach.

“We’re friends first, then in 2017, we started our relationship,” Diaz said.

If Diaz isn’t getting married yet, Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial will—in December in Mindoro—with long-time girlfriend Princess Genniel Galarpe.

Marcial told the same forum that he’s excited about the forthcoming wedding and took the opportunity to invite in public Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez, who also graced the program.

Velasco to close PSC sports summit

VELASCO

P

HILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) Chief of Staff and National Sports Summit Project Director Marc Edward Velasco will talk about the PSC’s role in the 25th and final session of the online National Sports Summit 2021 on Wednesday.

“We’re now down to our final session and with that, we want to give our participants, our partners in developing sports programs in the country, a chance to see what the PSC does in the whole scheme of things in the sports community,” PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez said.

Ramirez and Velasco provided government’s representation in Tokyo where they witnessed weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz win the country’s first Olympic gold medal and boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam bag silvers and Eumir Felix Marcial clinch a bronze.

Ramirez said that it is important for stakeholders to fully understand the role and mandate of the PSC and its board.

Velasco is also the National Training Director of the Philippine Sports Institute, the PSC’s dynamic arm for sports science and highperformance training.

From 2004-008, Velasco headed the Strength and Conditioning Unit of the PSC’s Philippine Center for Sports Medicine now called the Medical Scientific Athletes Services Unit. He also served as a strength and conditioning coach and Consultant at the Hong Kong Sports Institute from 2008-2013 and Hong Kong Rugby Union in 2015 and 2016.

Velasco was also part of the team behind Hong Kong cyclist Lee Wai Sze, who clinched a bronze medal in women’s sprint at the London 2012 Olympics.