NTERNATIONAL concerns over the possible spread of the more infectious Omicron Covid-19 variant prompted the government to reimpose mandatory facility-based quarantine for all arriving passengers in the country. Acting Presidential spokesperson Karlo B. Nograles announced on Sunday that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) suspended the implementation of its Resolution No. 150A (s.2021), effectively imposing stricter protocols for all inbound To note, IATF Resolution 150A had allowed fully vaccinated non-visa travelers from Green List areas to enter the country without the need for facility-based quarantine as long as they secure negative Reverse TranscriptionPolymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR) test within 72 hours prior to their “Exceptdeparture. forcountries classified as ‘Red,’ the testing and quarantine protocols for all inbound international travelers in all ports of entry shall comply with the testing and quarantine protocols for ‘Yellow’ list countries,” Nograles said, citing the provision of IATF Resolution No.He151-A. noted Hong Kong, which has confirmed a case of the Omicron variant, will also fall under the Yellow list countries.
The PCA official noted that the completion of the initial list of coconut farmers registry would be just in time for the expected rollout of coconut levy-funded programs as President Duterte is expected to sign the industry development plan in early 2022. Rosales said the PCA will not stop updating its list of coconut farmers and enjoined them to register in order to reap the benefits of the decades-long idled coconut levy fund. “We will not stop at 3.1 million. We hope that more individuals will register in our coconut farmers registry,” he said. The updating of the coconut farmers registry is mandated by Republic Act (RA) 11524 or the Coconut Industry Trust Fund Act. See “3-M farmers,” A2
I n an Asian Development Blog, ADB Southeast Asia De partment Social Sector Spe cialist Amir Jilani said this is crucial for the region since six of the 10 countries in the world that are most affected by cli mate change are in Asia. O n average, over 40,000 people in the region are killed annually by storms, floods, and other natural disasters. Women and girls are also 14 times more likely to die in climate-related disasters than men. “ Social protection measures are a necessary tool to build re silience and protect the most vulnerable following climate, health, and socio-economic shocks,” Jilani said. They can also play an im portant climate mitigation role, including through skills train ing and public works that pro mote sustainable use of natural resources,” he added. Turning to “climate-smart” social protection systems will improve the resilience of coun tries. These social protection measures include hock and weather-indexed insurance
THE Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) are reviewing the competitive selection process (CSP) policy in order to address future concerns
CLARKSON WOWS TAGUIG Utah Jazz star player and Gilas Pilipinas frontliner Jordan Clarkson visited the famous Taguig Tenement basketball court in West Bicutan at the weekend. Together with Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, he donated 50 pairs of Nike shoes, 50 basketballs and 50 Jordan Clarkson Jersey shirts to basketball fans. Asked how he felt being in the Tenement which had been graced by many other NBA stars, Clarkson said he was proud to be back not just as a visitor but as someone who is also Filipino. “This is kind of where it started at. We came here the first time I visited here, now I’m just continuing my visits. Every NBA player comes here. They’re not from here—I am,” said Clarkson, whose grandmother hails from Pampanga. BERNARD TESTA
The bulk of the amount was sourced from Fixed Rate Treasury Bonds (P1.19 trillion), followed by short-term borrowings from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or BSP (P540 billion), Retail Treasury Bonds/Premyo Bonds (P463.3 billion), Retail Onshore Dollar Bonds (P80.84 billion). In the same period, there was also a net redemption of Treasury Bills amounting to P43.94 billion.
PEOPLE walk past the mural of Gat Andres Bonifacio at Manila City Hall Underpass. The country will celebrate the 158th birth anniversary of Filipino revolutionary hero Gat Andres Bonifacio on November eager spend Christmas country in another strict lockdown, tions to be put in place swiftly and See “Omicron,”
Rosales explained that about 500,000 coconut farmers and workers were added to the PCA’s 2018 list that had about 2.5 million coconut farmers and farm workers.
By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM
30. ROY DOMINGO who are
A s the policy-making body of the energy sector, Energy Secre tary Raphael Lotilla said his office is carefully reviewing the DOE’s mandate, and so as the ERC’s. “ We are looking at what is really fully covered by the mandate of the regulatory agency, ERC, and what is really the policy which is covered by the DOE’s mandate. So, we will be issuing clarifications on this particular point in order to guide the public and private sector,” said Lotilla.Thereview, he added, might in clude additional guidelines the ERC can issue regarding the conduct of CSP. “I am confident that the ERC will come out with the proposed so lutions in due time,” said the energy chief.The issue at hand is the tem porary rate relief petitions jointly filed by the Manila Electric Com pany (Meralco) and SMC Global Power Holdings, Corp.’s (SMCGP) units-South Premiere Power Corp. (SPPC) and San Miguel Energy Corp. (SMEC).
Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed that the government’s gross borrowings during the 10-month period fell by 5.99 percent from P2.92 trillion a year ago. With only two months left for this year, the latest figure is already equivalent to 89.6 percent of its P3.07-trillion borrowing program. Broken down, gross domestic borrowings from January to October settled at P2.23 trillion, down by 5.08 percent from P2.35 trillion in 2020.
Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Deputy Administrator Roel M. Rosales said about 3.11 million coconut farmers and farm workers have been registered with the government since it started updating its registry following the enactment of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund law.
FOR 10 MOS DIP TO P2.75T of quarantine
w P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 18 pages |
T he previous administration, through former Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, support ed the Senate recommendation to privatize the gaming industry.
A2 PESO EXCHANGE RATES n Monday, August 29, 2022 Vol. 17 No. 325 DOE, ERC REVIEW CSP RULE AMID RATE HIKE BID PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 56.0080 n JAPAN 0.4104 n UK 66.3079 n HK 7.1379 n CHINA 8.1799 n SINGAPORE 40.3254 n AUSTRALIA 39.0880 n EU 55.8792 n KOREA 0.0419 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.9116 Source: BSP (August 26, 2022) By Lenie Lectura @llectura
current and
to
on unforeseen challenges that affect electricity prices.
By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas M ORE than 3 million coconut farmers and workers are now registered with the government’s registry, which serves as the basis for the number of people to be covered by the utilization of the P75-billion coconut levy fund.
The PCA’s next step is to conduct an exclusion-inclusion procedure by making the updated farmers’ registry public, providing everyone the opportunity to check the veracity of the list, Rosales added.
“On the other hand, if people would see names on the list and they think they are not coconut farmers or their details are incorrect, they can report it to the PCA for immediate action,” he added.
See “DOE,” A2 ADB: COVER CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT IN SOCIAL PROTECTION
T he privatization of gaming op erations of Pagcor and the Philip pine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) was part of the efforts to generate additional revenues to repay the government’s debts in curred during the pandemic. Pagcor’s new leadership will have to make their own plans mov ing forward. They should resolve the seemingly conflicting roles as an operator and regulator,” Diokno toldHreporters.owever,as early as 2016, the Philippine Senate has raised the issue S OCIAL protection mea sures must be expanded across Asian countries to include the impact of climate change, according to an expert from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
See “Pagcor,” A2 See “ADB,” A2
Meanwhile, gross foreign borrowings in the same period also contracted by 9.7 percent to P518.7 billion from last year’s P574.4 billion.
Tuesday,
‘Pagcor privatization to offset potential revenue loss’
THE P2.75year-on-yearbyend-Octoberborrowingsgrossgovernment’snationalasofshrankalmost6percenttotrillion.
OVER 3-M FARMERS LISTED FOR P75-B COCO LEVY FUND
A2 Continued on A2 w P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 20 pages |n Monday, November 29, 2021 Vol. 17 No.52
The suspension of the rules for “Green List” countries will be in effect from November 28, 2021 to December 15, 2021.
By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario T HE Department of Finance (DOF) remains confident that the proceeds from the privatization of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corpo ration (Pagcor) assets would off set potential revenue losses from theFsale.inance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno told reporters that efforts to address the conflicting roles of Pagcor should be prioritized by the new leadership. L ast week, the President ap pointed businessman Alejandro Tengco Jr. as the new Pagcor Chair person and CEO, replacing Andrea Domingo who led the agency in the past six years. “ In the short and medium term, there will be no revenue loss because of privatization proceeds,” Diokno said. “The new leadership should consider the worthiness of their move appropriate to their role.”
Net debt redemption means there were more debts repaid compared to the amount borrowed during the period.
See “Borrowings,”
NATL GOVT BORROWINGS
This was raised through global bonds (P146.17 billion), program loans (P139.98 billion), euro-denominated bonds (P121.97 billion), a project loan (P86.41 billion), and yen-denominated samurai bonds (P24.19 billion).
“The list will be posted in public spaces where people can easily see them. This allows everyone to see who are listed in the registry and if farmer doesn’t see his name then he shall coordinate with the PCA immediately,” he explained at a recent dialogue with coconut farmers.
DOE... Continued from A1 Pagcor... Continued from A1 ADB...Continued from A1 BusinessMirror www.businessmirror.com.phMonday, August 29, 2022A2 News ‘Skilled
Social protection programs re cently demonstrated their critical importance during one of history’s most unprecedented crises. It is time to expand their use to address the impact of climate change on society’s most vulnerable,” Jilani said. Other efforts to strengthen social protection include the use of digital ID systems and social registries to deliver social protection as well as ef forts to undertake poverty, risk, and vulnerability assessments needed in targeting the assistance. Jilani also underscored the need to strengthen policy coherence, co ordination, and collaboration among social protection, climate change, disaster risk management, and hu manitarian response actors.
“Meralco supports only what is least cost to consumers. We think we can achieve least cost by preserving the PSAs with SMC even if the relief for adjustment is granted,” Meralco First Vice President and Head of Regulatory Management Office Jose Ronald Valles said in an Sinterview.houldSMCGP proceed to termi nate, effective October 4, its power supply deals with Meralco, the util ity firm would have to look for al ternative sources, possibly from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), which is more likely to be costlier.Ifour PSAs will be terminated and we are constrained to source the replacement capacity from other sup pliers, we can expect that the genera tion charge and the consequent rate burden to consumers will be much higher,” Valles pointed out. ‘Lessons learned’ WHEN the CSP was conducted in 2019, SPPC and SMEC won because they offered the least cost to con sumers.There are concerns that if the proposed interim rates are approved by ERC, these would not longer be the least cost compared to other bid offers back then.
“We will be clarifying those mat ters, which ones should properly be within the mandate of DOE be cause the CSP rules, if you recall, are also stated in broad terms, and what would properly fall under the mandate of the ERC,” he said.
By Andrea E. San Juan
They were supposed to imple ment a fixed-rate over a period of 10 years that supposedly would result in savings for Meralco customers of P0.28 per kilowatt hour (kWh) or P9.46 billion for 10 years. However, just three years into the 10-year power supply contracts that were approved by the ERC, the sup posed savings could actually turn out into power rate increases. Higher power rates by October SPPC has asked the ERC for a rate increase from January to May 2022, of P0.80 per kilowatt hour (kWh) from P4.3 to P5.1/kwh for its 670 MW of contracted baseload capacity from the Ilijan plant, and an average of P4.0/kwh, from P4.3 to P8.3/kwh, for SMEC’s 330 MW contracted baseload capacity from the Sual plant. T he net rate impact on Meral co, however, assuming that ERC grants this cost recovery claim, is just P0.28/kwh over a period of six months.Ifthe ERC fails to act on the joint petitions and SMC’s power units terminate their PSAs with Meralco, electricity prices are still expected to go up by as much as 30 percent starting October, SMC warned. With much regret, we have to admit to the public that the current situation is seriously jeopardizing our other critical operations, proj ects and financial obligations,” SMC President Ramon Ang had said. Meralco, for its part, said retain ing the PSAs with SPPC and SMEC is still the best option.
A sked how the DOE will address such concerns, Lotilla said, “Defi nitely, there are lessons to be learned from the current situation that we have. I would not want to preempt the ERC, and they are studying these issues intently.”
L otilla assured the public that the DOE and the ERC will resolve all issues and concerns raised by the power firms and consumers.
Reasons for rate hike ANG stressed that SPPC and SMEC are only seeking partial adjustment in price so the plants can continue supplying to Meralco and minimize the impact of termination on in dustries and consumers, particu larly those from the lower-income households who will get hit harder.
Further, environmentally-friend ly public works programs that pro vide payments to communities for ecosystem services would also help. These services include reforestation which could also be a good environmen tal conservation, climate mitigation, and poverty-reduction tool.
“ In the Philippines, an ADBsupported pilot of the graduation approach strengthened household resilience to the pandemic across a range of dimensions including fi nancial security, food security, and mental health,” according to Jilani.
Cai U. Ordinario
T he petition cited steep coal prices, spiraling fuel prices amid the Russia-Ukraine war, and natu ral gas supply restrictions from the Malampaya gas field as reasons for the temporary relief. A ng said the company had already decided to absorb more than P10 bil lion in losses last year, which it did not file a claim for, after coal prices averaged $176 per metric ton (MT) in the second half from just $99/ MT in the first half of 2021. Aver age coal price in 2019 and 2020 was only at $69/MT.
“ Unfortunately, those prices have increased by over 500 per cent since then. We are not asking to recover all our losses, neither are we asking for a permanent increase. What we are asking for is just a temporary and equitable relief, to allow the power facilities to survive this difficult period and continue supplying power to Meralco,” he said. Coal prices have recently reached unprecedented levels, as high as $440/MT, as triggered primarily by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. At the time, no one could have imagined it would even exceed $80/ MT. It was only expected to average at $65/MT over the next 10 years. That’s because it is widely known that coal production was at only $35 to $40/MT in Indonesia and other regional mines, and there is even a strong global transition away from coal, which we are also undertaking, AngHsaid.owever, the unprecedented global price increases were triggered by extraordinary circumstances, such as disruptions in the com modities markets brought about by the Indonesia coal export ban, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and continuing value chain issues from the Covid-19 pandemic. I n the case of the Ilijan natural gas plant, questionable and unilater al notices of gas restrictions, which caused the deration or the ceasing of delivery of available capacity, had severely affected the plant’s net gen eration capacity, forcing it to source for costly replacement fuel from the Wholesale Electric Spot Market (WESM).SMChas presented its side. It is now up to the ERC to approve or not the temporary price hike. “ We know any price increase is unpopular, and normally we never ask for one--which is what we did for all of last year, when we absorbed expanding costs that we do not pass on to consumers,” Ang said. farm workers key to boosting local agri sector’
PRIORITIZING the skills requirement of the agricultural sector will empower the country’s economy, according to a private sector representative.
Strengthening social protection, Jilani said, must include efforts to protect those hardest hit by shocks, including climate change. This means covering children, women, older persons, disabled people, and those in the informal sector. Jilani, however, conceded that this expansion in the coverage of social protection programs entailed some trade-offs and fiscal consider ations. But, he said, there was “suf ficient evidence” that this will lead to multiplier effects that can benefit theOeconomy.nesuchimpact would be to en able the poor to recover from shocks quickly as well as prevent them from turning to “adverse coping behaviors.”
P hilippine Chamber of Com merce and Industry (PCCI) Presi dent George T. Barcelon also said making agriculture relevant would attract younger people into sector. B arcelon noted the study con ducted by PCCI Human Resources Development Foundation Inc. (PC CIHRDF) which identified the skills gaps in the fruit and vegetable pro cessingWhatsector.wehave seen in agricul tural processing plants is the need to prioritize both the volume of ag ricultural output and worker skills. We know that skills are important in everything, and I think the study is crucial to identify the skills gaps that we could fill in.”
ERC Chairperson Monalisa Di malanta said her office will conduct a hearing on the joint applications on Tuesday. “This is what the job is all about—funding that fine balance between business and con sumer interests. I think they are not necessarily divergent, actually, but the challenge is to find that point of convergence which is ultimately is the space of sustainable growth for the power industry,” she said in an Tinterview. he2019 CSPs also include Meralo’s PSA with Phinma Energy Corp., now ACEN Corp. The Ayalaled power firm has yet to ask the reg ulators for a similar petition. “We will just have to wait and see,” ACEN President Eric Francia said. D imalanta said the MeralcoPhinma PSA is also part of the ongo ing review by the ERC. “It is included, that I can assure you. We hope to clarify all issues in the hearing so that we can proceed to rule soon,” sheCsaid.onsumer groups, meanwhile, urged the ERC to prioritize the con sumers. “Wechallenge Dimalanta to offer relief to electricity consum ers by finally prioritizing afford able and reliable renewable energy sources and putting a stop to the ridiculous attempts by energy and fuel companies to pass on charges despite posting billions of income. It’s high time for ERC to study en ergy price cap, review all coal and gas contracts, and look into mora torium of fuel cost pass-on,” said Power for People Coalition (P4P) convenor Gerry Arances.HeaddedthatiftheERC grants the petition, “we will be basically telling SMC that it is okay to cheat on biddings by offering low prices and then adjusting them after the fact. There should be no relief for cheaters,” said Arances.
T he labor market intelligence study for the fruit and vegetable processing sector conducted for A Future that Works, a workforce development program supported by the Australian Government and implemented by Philippine Busi ness for Education (PBEd). T he study is in line with the Philippine government’s priority to improve the agriculture sector through collaboration between the government and private stakehold ers. With this sector being one of the biggest job creators year-on-year, it is looking to engage the youth to drive Philippine agriculture into the future. It has been supported by the Aus tralian Embassy to the Philippines. The Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires, Richard Sisson, also stressed the importance of the research to un derstand current and future skills needs.Australia’s support to this study is part of our overall collaboration with government and business to ensure that Philippine industries and workforce are future-ready. This labor market intelligence study focuses on an important agricultural sector – the fruit and vegetable processing sector – and we are very happy to see strategies developed from the study recom mendations,” said Sisson. T he study contained inputs from various sectors including business, academe, and relevant government agencies all over the Philippines. A mong the key recommenda tions of the study that could ben efit students, employers and the government include incorporat ing digital solutions, warehous ing and logistics, and soft skills into the curriculum of the courses and training programs for stu dents pursuing a career in the fruit and vegetable processing sector.Forthe current workforce, em ployers should also enroll their employees to such trainings for career development and the overall development of the sector.
T he results also affirm the 2020 World Economic Forum report that noted the need to increase adop tion of digital technologies which will redefine the future of work as early as 2025. As the country recovers from the pandemic, our efforts should focus on strengthening the coun try’s agriculture sector to ensure that our people would have food on their tables. We propose creat ing a Human Resource Training Plan for the Fruits and Vegetables Processing Sector. We believe that a skilled and qualified workforce is an imperative for the growth and development of any sector or in dustry,” said PCCIHRDF President Alberto P. Fenix Jr. T he next step is to roll out the results of the study to different ar eas in the country within the year to gather other possible inputs from various stakeholders. C iting data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, PBed noted that 1.26 million jobs were created in the agriculture and forestry sec tor in May to June.
laundering of $81 million stolen by cyber criminals from the Bangladesh central bank’s account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In 2019, the previous administra tion said the streamlining of govern ment-owned and -controlled corpora tions (GOCCs) remains on the table as the government mulls over the privatization of Pagcor and PCSO. T hese efforts, the National Eco nomic and Development Author ity (Neda) earlier said, are part of efforts to implement structural measures and further promote fair competition in the market.
“We just hope the ERC will not merely try to prevent a temporary increase, but will take a whole-ofindustry approach. These power plants account for 25 percent of the net reliable capacity of the Lu zon grid. They are a major part of the country’s already fragile power supply. We ask that in this time of extraordinary circumstance and difficulty, please, let’s not cripple them,” he said.
Pespes cited paragraph 6 of the memorandum that states that “Vis its to PUPC by any person may be allowed only upon their submis sion of a written request at least ten working days prior to the intended date of visit subject to the approval of the Chief [of the] PNP for foreign requests or the Regional Director for localTherequests.”PNPsaid that based on its records, the PNP Custodial Center received the letter requesting to allow other visitors on de Lima’s birthday on the evening of August 22, just four days shy of the planned visit on August 27. “The Senator is aware that her request fell short of the required number of days stated in the memo but still the PNP Headquarters and Support Service made earnest efforts to process the request. However, hindi talaga naihabol ang approval,” Pespes said. [The approval didn’t came on time.] “We treat all PUPCs equally and no one is exempt from this policy,” he added.Among those who failed to see de Lima were former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio, Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros-Baraquel, for mer Ombudsman Conchita Car pio-Morales, former Sen. Franklin M. Drilon, Rep. Edcel C. Lagman and former Comelec Chairman Christian S. Monsod. Pespes said the PNP, through its Custodial Service Unit, com municated to de Lima informally on the evening of August 26 and through a letter on August 27, 2022 that said request was im mediately processed but did not reachAnyapproval.requestfor visitation is eval uated thoroughly and will usually take a process, which needs ample time before it finally gets approved if ever no complications are observed,” Pespes said. H e emphasized, however, that immediate family relatives and family members of the Senator were allowed to see her for her birthday celebration.
Among the 58 countries surveyed, the country ranked last in reading in Math and Science, he added. “This is a challenge that we face as responsible citizens of this coun try and as responsible alumni of this greatest institution of learn ing,” he stressed. Other citations IN his more than three decades of outstanding service to the na tion, Drilon has received numerous awards and citations.
DOH, Pagcor provide aid to Florita-hit areas
It prohibits the use of the funds as cash gifts or bonuses, for food allowance, medical assistance, uniforms, supplies, meetings, communication, water and light and fuel; for salaries or overtime pay; traveling expenses; regis tration or participation fees in trainings and seminars; in repair and maintenance works in ad ministrative offices; in acquiring furniture, equipment and appli ances; and in the acquisition or maintenance of vehicles. Neither may the LDEF be used for funding Projects, Activities and Pro grams that may duplicate or overlap with those being implemented by the national government. T he bill mandates a perfor mance-based evaluation of the use of the funds by an Oversight Evaluation Committee (OEC) to be headed by the Undersecretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). Its members will include officials and at least four members of ac credited civil society groups and non-government organizations in the areas where the projects are to be Mimplemented.oreover,the LDEF will be rre duced for LGUs that get an “unsat isfactory” performance rating. Two successive unsatisfactory ratings may result in the removal of the LDEF, although an LGU can reapply for it after one year. On the other hand, the government shall provide P1 billion for the capacity building of LGUs to make sure they can properly use the LDEF. Butch Fernandez Budget. . . from a10 from a10
By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3
₧1B. . . continued
I n late 2021, the DA finally signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Subic Bay Metropol itan Authority (SBMA) for the con struction of the first 2,000-square meter CEFA at Port of Subic. David said the DA is eyeing to construct CEFAs at the Ports of Subic, Manila (MICP and South Harbor), Batangas, Cebu and Davao (Sasa Wharf).
A mong the projects under this program is a one-stop-shop platform where MSMEs can access business opportunities, information, and the linkages needed to successfully launch and operate their businesses.
T he services include guidance on legal business registration and operational requirements, formalizing informal businesses, financial capital support options, micro-loans, more robust market access, and business mentorship that spans ideation to sustainability. Moreover, the program will also facilitate how big corporations can help MSMEs scale up their operations.
continued
CONFERRING the award to former Senator Franklin M. Drilon were University of the Philippines (UP) President Danilo L. Concepcion, UP-Visayas Chancellor Clement C. Camposano and UP Alumni Association-Iloilo Chapter President Evaristo John R. Cañonero.
Various agriculture industry groups, including hog industry play ers, urged the government, particu larly the Department of Agriculture (DA), to construct the country’s first border facilities to prevent the entry of transboundary animal diseases like ASF and curb smuggling of ag ricultural commodities.
TO augment the existing stock of medicines and emergency provisions such as first aid, hygiene and kalinga kits and jerry cans, the Ilocos Region office of the Department of Health (DOH) sent out medical supply to the province of Ilocos Norte. A round P150,000 worth of medi cines and supplies were given to fami lies affected by severe tropical storm “Florita” (international name Ma-On) last August 25, according to Regional Director Paula Paz M. Sydiongco.
By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM
“Ang regional office po ay laging nakahanda at nakaantabay upang mag bigay ng tulong sa panahon ng kalami dad gaya ng nagdaang lindol at bagyo,” Sydiongco said. [The regional office is always ready to help during a calam ity like earthquake and typhoon]. She added the DOH-Ilocos Region also provided medical assistance in the provinces of Ilocos Sur, Pangas inan and La Union. Sydiongco added these are aside from the preposi tioned drugs and supplies at the provincial DOH offices (PDOHOs). “ We are always in close coordina tion with the local government units, district hospitals 24/7 through our health emergency response unit to provide health assistance and medi cal services,” she said. According to the Ilocos Norte Pro vincial Risk Reduction and Manage ment Council (PDRRMC), the initial damage brought about by Florita is worth about P10 million. About 827 families were affected. Meanwhile, Sydiongco strongly
OFFICIALS of the Philippine National Police (PNP) cited on Sunday existing rules and regulations as the reason behind its denial of visits by friends, former colleagues and former government officials on former Senator Leila M. de Lima inside the PNP custodial facility at Camp Crame. D e Lima, who is currently de tained at the facility while courts are hearing charges against her, celebrated her 63rd birthday last Saturday, with a long list of indi viduals supposed to be joining her or paying her a visit. These indi viduals, however, have been denied entry into the facility. The PNP said that the former senator and all “Persons Under PNP Custody (PUPC)” are bound by the strict rules on visitation stipulated under its existing regulations.
IN this Friday, August 26, 2022, photo, volunteer ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) students from Isabela help in unloading the relief goods from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. The agency said it donated 3,000 food packs and non-food items to the province of Isabela to aid the residents affected by severe Tropical Storm Florita.
cautioned residents to stay on alert during typhoons and heavy rains. Pagcor aid
K apatid Angat Lahat is part of the priority agenda outlined in the five proposals presented to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last August 17 by Concepcion as he took the initial steps as lead of the Jobs group of the Private Sector Advisory Council. R aising employment is a key factor in how the administration plans to reduce poverty to singledigit levels by growing MSMEs, which account for as much as 63 percent of jobs generated nationwide. According to Concepcion, this figure is down from 70 percent in 2000, and the number of MSMEs in the Philippines per hundred persons is still low at 0.9 percent, compared to its neighbors Malaysia (with 3.6 percent) and Indonesia (with 24 percent). How do we eliminate poverty? The MSMEs basically contribute to 60 percent job generation,” he told reporters in a sideline interview during the summit. “So imagine big businesses is one percent and contributes much smaller than the MSMEs. So the way forward is to really scale them up. That’s the only way.” To do so, PPP is key, he pointed out. Concepcion said: “We should help our MSMEs become bigger. Any effort here will contribute to creating more jobs. This is the Circle of Success we create when everyone in the ecosystem grows and where no one is left behind.” O ther proposals include identifying labor-intensive businesses, promoting ease of doing business, upgrading skills needed for the next industrial revolution, and revisiting labor regulations that reflect the concerns of both employer and employee, as well as the changes in how people now work following the disruption of the pandemic.
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PNP:
THE University of the Philip pines Alumni Association (UPAA)-Iloilo Chapter has conferred the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award to former Senate President Franklin M. Drilon during the 2022 Alumni and Faculty Home coming Dinner and Awards night held in Iloilo Convention Center last August 21, 2022. D rilon said in his acceptance speech he is “deeply honored” by the recognition of the UPAA of his “humble contribution to UP Visayas and the Ilonggo community.” Iloilo will always be home to me. Your recognition is more sig nificant because we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of UP’s Pres ence in Iloilo,” he said. “We are fortunate to have had the opportunity to be educated in the best university with the high est-ranking educational institution in the country. I am a proud son of UP. I have seen our nation evolve. I know the greatest of its history and the promise it holds. Let us move for ward but with a will to remember,” hDrilonConferringemphasized.theaward to Drilon was UP President Danilo L. Concep cion, UP-Visayas Chancellor Clem ent C. Camposano and UP Alumni Association-Iloilo Chapter President Evaristo John R. Cañonero. The awarding ceremony coincides with the celebration of the univer sity’s 75th anniversary. Drilon finished his High School at then UP Iloilo College in 1961 before moving to UP Diliman to complete his undergraduate studies and later on his Bachelor in Law in 1969. Others not fortunate IN his acceptance speech, the for mer four-termer senator raised anew the looming education crisis in the “Whencountry.we,the UP Alumni, are fortunate, others are not so fortu nate. While UP gained recognition as one of the greatest universities, the rest of the country faces a looming learning crisis and a learning pov erty which may soon implode if left unaddressed,” Drilon said. “It is alarming that these kids to day, aged 10 to 12, who will take over the reins of society, and, today, they do not even know how to read, where will our country be?” Drilon warned. He cited the World Bank report that found out that 80 percent of Filipino students grade 4 to 9 are “unable to meet learning standards expected of their grades” while over 80 percent of 15-year-old Filipino students “did not reach the mini mum level of proficiency in reading.”
By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) an nounced it has made the issu ance of Alien Employment Permit (AEP) to foreign nationals (FN) much faster and more reliable by further “decentralizing” the processing of theLdocument.astweek, Labor and Employ ment Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma announced he issued a memorandum giving regional offices full autonomy in issuing AEPs. “This will keep all [AEP] trans actions in the regions. They [appli cants] will no longer have to go to the Office of the Secretary,” Laguesma said during the 43rd National Con ference of Employers. Under the said memorandum, which was issued last month, DOLE’s regional directors are now autho rized to sign and issue AEPs. Prior to the said memorandum, all processed AEPs are sent to the DOLE Central Office to be signed by the Labor Secretary before it can be issued by the regional offices.
MEANWHILE, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) announced it distributed relief goods to localities affected by Florita last August 25 to 26. Pagcor said it turned over a total of 6,000 food packs and non-food items worth P3.46 million to the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela, which were among the hardest hit provinces. Bonifacio U. Cuarteros, Cagayan Chief of Center Management Division and Focal Person on Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) Disaster Response Relief, said agricultural crops were heavily damaged by Florita. The province reportedly lost about P344 million worth of agricultural products. According to Cuarteros, majority of Cagayan province’s total 1.2 mil lion population rely on farming and fishing for their income. “Ang malaking tinamaan at naa pektuhan ay ang agricultural crops at mas naapektuhan talaga ay ang mga farmers ng mais,” he added. [The storm’s biggest impact was on agricultural crops and the most affected are corn farmers.]
www.businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Monday, August 29, 2022 A3BusinessMirror The Nation
Drilon was conferred the “Phil ippine Legion of Honor (Degree of Commander)” by President Corazon Aquino in 1991 “in recognition of the exemplary services he has rendered to the Republic of the Philippines as Secretary of Labor and Employment, Secretary of Justice and Executive Secretary” and “for his honesty, in tegrity and probity.” He was conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, by the University of the Philippines in 2014. In 2016, he was conferred the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun by Japan’s Emperor Aki hito and the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The rare imperial honor is one of the highest distinctions the Japanese government bestows upon an individual.
“We don’t deprive PUPCs of their constitutional right to be granted with the opportunity to be visited but it should be within the bounds of PNP Memorandum Circular 2018027,” Col. Mark D. Pespes, director of the PNP-Headquarters Support Service, said after the PNP denied some guests from seeing de Lima on August 27.
Alien workers to secure permits faster with new scheme–DOLE Prison-visit rules also apply to de Lima
Isabela PSWDO Officer Lucila Ambatali, meanwhile, said that more than 6,700 individuals in 43 baran gays were affected in Isabela. A mbatali added that most of the damages were in the northern por tion of the province, especially the coastal towns.
DOLE-National Capital Region (NCR) Regional Director Sarah S. Mirasol lauded the new policy since it further streamlined the process ing of AEPs. “It will be easier for us now with the issuance of the AEPs. Now that we have full autonomy, it will also help lessen our problem since it will now allow us to easily detect spurious AEPs,” Mirasol told the BusinessMirrorTheDOLE-NCRoffice continued to process thousands of AEPs albeit at a significantly reduced scale even after mobility restrictions hampered the operations of most businesses and affected the employment of many workers, including FNs. Last year, DOLE-NCR was only able to process and issue 57,459 AEPs, which is about half of the 110,508 issued in 2020 and 125,716 given in 2019 before the onset of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19). From January to July, it was able to issue 25,392 AEPs, Of which, 21,334 are from first-time appli cants, while 4,050 were renewals.
UP Alumni group confers award to ex-Sen. Drilon
In the House Committee on Ap propriations hearing on the 2023 Na tional Budget, Socioeconomic Plan ning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan emphasized that while the govern ment will provide social protection to hard up Filipinos, this is not the focus of poverty reduction efforts.
“If the growing arrival trend con tinues until the yearend, we may even outdo this year the pre-pandemic levels as far as visitor arrivals is con cerned,” he added. Data from the Zambales Provincial Tourism Office (ZPTO) revealed that the biggest number of arrivals this year was recorded in the summer months, with 207,645 locals and 9,210 foreign ers arriving in April, and 83,964 locals and 2,950 foreigners coming in May.
Several guidelines THUS, the Court issued several guidelines on the abandonment of Candano ruling and the application of the Title II, Book IV of the Labor Code on Employees Compensation and State Insurance Fund, which include the following: For actions filed prior to Au gust 6, 2007, which is the finality of Candano, Article 1711 of the Civil Code shall be considered to have been impliedly repealed by Title II, Book IV of the Labor Code. Thus, Article 1711 of the Civil Code cannot sustain any action for, or award of, indemnity. Candano was not yet a binding precedent at the time these actions were filed. In Candano’s absence, there is no le gal basis to give effect to a repealed provision of the Civil Code. For actions filed during the ap plicability of Candano, i.e., from its finality on August 6, 2007, until the finality of this Decision, Article 1711 of the Civil Code shall be given effect based on the Candano ruling. For actions filed after the final ity of this Decision, Article 1711 of the Civil Code shall not be given any effect since Article 1711 has been repealed by the Labor Code. Thus, Article 1711 of the Civil Code can no longer be used against employers to claim indemnity for work-related injury or death. Future income PRIOR to the controversy, Nedic’s counsel wrote a letter to Oceanma rine demanding damages by way of loss of future income for Ellao’s death, which was denied by the latter.
DAVAO CITY—The Davao City Economic Enterprise Office (CEEO) has eyed P13.5-mil lion more than what it collected in 2019, the year before the world stood still for the next two years in lock down and quarantine restrictions.
The administration aims to re duce poverty incidence to singledigit at 9 percent by 2028. The government aims to reduce poverty by 5-percentage points in the first half of the President’s term and 4-percentage points in the second half of his term.
Tourism draws ACCORDING to ZPTO Manager Ma ria Domitela D. Mora, most of the visitors come from Metro Manila with about 60 percent to 70 percent, followed by other provinces which account for 20 to 35 percent.”
HENRY
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By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573
The former law makes the em ployer directly liable for the payment of compensation for work-related in juries or death, which occurs through no fault of the employer, while the latter law has effectively shifted the liability for said injury or death to the State Insurance Fund,” it noted.
Zambales posts record
plank he was stepping on gave way. An other was a construction worker who was injured after being pinned down by a fallen backhoe in a quarry site in Cebu City last August 22. The FFW also wants the DOLE to probe the death of six construction work ers who died in a suspected work-related accident in Tagaytay city last month. Newly reelected FFW President Jose G. Matula said they want to meet with DOLE officials and formally request in vestigations to determine if there were any violation of the provision of Repub lic Act 11058 (Occupational Safety and Health Law) in the said incidents.
T he bulk of the income came from the eight markets of the city as is the case for this year, of which its monitoring shows that income from markets already reached 62 percent of the P112,625,000 target for the year. I n 2019, the office collected P120,217,287.92, which was also 62 percent of the entire collection that year.
MEANWHILE, the CEE Office was looking at the expansion of the Rox as Night Market, a special project intended to accommodate the city street venders who were already crowding the allocated sidewalks for them. The planned expansion was to reach the corner of Quezon Boulevard. The night market starts at the Claveria Street.
I n its September 22, 2014, rul ing, the Parañaque RTC dismissed Nedic’s complaint for failure to es tablish the causal connection be tween Oceanmarine’s negligence and Ellao’s death. T he CA reversed the lower court’s decision and awarded Nedic actual damages for loss of earning capacity. The appellate court cited the Canda no ruling that upheld the employer’s obligation to indemnity an employee who was injured or died in the course of employment.Feelingaggrieved, Oceanmarine elevated the case before the SC seek ing the reinstatement of the lower court’s ruling. Applying the said guidelines, the SC affirmed the December 19, 2017, CA decision with modification and ordered Oceanmarine to pay the heirs of Romeo P1,410,000 as in demnity for loss of earning capacity, attorney’s fees and costs of the suit.
T he Court acknowledge that due to the absence of an express repeal of the provisions of the Civil Code on employees’ compensation and claims, confusion arose as to the ef fect of acceptance of benefits under the Workmen’s Compensation Act (now, the Labor Code) on the right to sue for additional amounts under the Civil Code. However, based on its compari son of Article 1711 of the Civil Code and Title II, Book IV of the Labor Code, the Court determined that the latter law impliedly re pealed the former since the Labor Code, as amended by Presidential Decree 626, covers the whole sub ject matter of compensation for work-related injury or death of an employee, providing the system for which an injured or deceased worker is compensated.
By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario THE current administration prefers to focus on creating job opportunities for Filipi nos rather than providing just ayuda (aid) to lift millions from poverty, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).
THE Supreme Court (SC) has abandoned its previous ruling that allowed the awarding of indemnity for loss of future income covering work-related injury and death claims based on a provision in the Civil Code. In an en banc decision penned by Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, the SC declared that Article 1711 of the Civil Code had already been su perseded by “Title II, Book IV” of the “Labor Code on Employees Compen sation and State Insurance Fund.” The SC made the declaration in its ruling on the petition filed by Ocean marine Resources Corp. The latter sought the reversal of the Court of Appeals’ decision that awarded loss of earning capacity to respondent Jenny Rose G. Nedic. Nedic’s common-law partner and father of her minor son “identi fied as Romeo Ellao” was shot dead by two unidentified motorcycleriding assailants after he withdrew money from Oceanmarine’s bank accounts. The assailants immedi ately took the bag of money in the vehicle and However,escaped.theCourt noted that heirs of injured or deceased work ers still have the option of filing a compensation claim under the La bor Code or proceeding against the employer in an action for damages under the Civil Code as the abandon ment of its 2007 ruling in Candano Shipping Lines Inc. v. Sugata-on, also known as the Candano ruling, shall be applied prospectively.
By Manuel T. Cayon Mindanao@awimailboxBureauChief
I n 2019, the CEEO collected P184,137,735.34 from all its eco nomic ventures.
Improvements MACALIPES said the CEE Office al ready has made improvement in the Agdao and Bankerohan markets, the two biggest public markets here and it has prepared the vendors to oc cupy the newly constructed building in Agdao. He said the Agdao Farm ers’ Market Phase 2 project, which referred to the new building, was 92.3-percent complete.
T he Court also clarified that a claim for compensation for workrelated injury or death, regardless of the existence of negligence of the employer, is granted through the prevailing compensation act, which is now the Labor Code of the Philip pines, particularly Title II, Book IV of the Labor Code on Employees Com pensation and State Insurance Fund. A claim for damages, on the other hand, is filed under the Civil Code— not the repealed provision under Article 1711, but the Civil Code’s provisions on torts where the causal relationship between the act and negligence of the employer and the injury or death of the worker should be established.
“The whole thrust of the medium term program is to generate more jobs, better jobs and resilient jobs. To us, as evidence shows, that’s the most sustainable way of addressing poverty,” Balisacan said. Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said the government has allocated P206.5 billion across agencies that provide ayuda to Fili pinos next year. The lion’s share of the budget is lodged at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at P165.4 billion. This is followed by: the Depart ment of Health (DOH) at P22.39 billion; the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), P15.2 billion; the Department of Transportation (DOTr), P2.5 billion; and, the Depart ment of Agriculture (DA), P1 billion. The assistance that will be ex tended by the DOTr is for fuel sub sidy while the ayuda from DA will be allocated for financial and fuel subsidies for rice and corn farmers as well as Meanwhile,fisherfolks.Balisacan said efforts to boost job generation include inter ventions in food security, particu larly in increasing the productivity of the agriculture sector. The country’s Chief Economist said the government will focus on programs that would address the country’s critical development con straints in order to “unlock the po tential of the Philippine economy” and create jobs in the process. Addressing these critical develop ment constraints means investing in areas such as infrastructure, energy, water, and social protection, particu larly for health and education. “To us, that’s the way to go in building up the capacity of the economy to generate sustainable sources of incomes and opportuni ties,” Balisacan said. The House Committee on Appro priations will officially begin today, Friday, August 26, the review and scrutiny of the P5.268-trillion pro posed national budget for 2023 with a briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC). The DBCC reviews the macroeco nomic targets, revenue projections, borrowing level, aggregate budget level and expenditure priorities of theThegovernment.proposedP5.268-trillion na tional budget, the highest ever if ap proved by Congress, is P244 billion more than this year’s P5,023.6 tril lion spending program. It represents 22.1 of GDP. For 2023, the DBM said revenues are expected to grow by 10 percent year-on-year to P3.632.9 trillion, or 15.3 percent of GDP, while disburse ments will increase by 2.6 percent to P5.085.8 trillion. Deficit, on the other hand, is expected to decline to P1.453 trillion, or 6.1 percent of GDP, from this year’s program of P1.651 trillion or 7.6 percent of GDP. By sector, the social services will receive the biggest chunk of the P5.268-trillion national budget with P2.071 trillion; followed by economic services with P1.528 trillion; general public services with P807.2 billion; debt burden with P611 billion and defense P250.7 billion.
“ We conducted orientation on the renewal of lease contracts, the terms and conditions so that if ever the Ag dao Farmer’s Market will be turned over, the vendors will be ready to occupy their respective stalls,” Ma calipes said. The Agdao Farmer’s Market has a total of 494 vendors. Macalipes said the CEEO is just waiting for the turnover of the proj ect by the Department of Public Works and Highways.
“Based on our discussion, there are still equipment that needed to be provided to the Agdao public mar ket; that is why there is no turn over yet,” he said. The ground floor of the Agdao market has 80 stalls for the meat sec tion, 126 stalls for the fish section, 20 stalls for dressed chicken, nine stalls for ice storage and 19 stalls for commercial spaces. On the second floor, there are 134 stalls and 33 stalls for the dry goods section. The third floor is where miscellaneous businesses, such as clinics, boutiques, or open spaces are located and has a total of 38 stalls and the two function halls. He said improvements were also done for the Bankerohan and Toril markets, which were 93 percent com pleted. The improvement of other markets was in the pipeline.
SC clarifies ruling on claims for loss of future income guest arrivals in 1st half
BusinessMirror www.businessmirror.com.ph Economy Monday, August 29, 2022 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug
THIS Tuesday, February 2, 2020, photo shows people on the mountain trail to the Tukal-tukal Falls in Botolan, Zambales. After two years battling a pandemic, the local tourism industry is showing signs of recovery. EMPEÑO
By Henry Empeño Correspondent IBA, Zambales—The local tour ism industry in Zambales is mak ing a huge rebound with visitor arrivals in the first half of 2022 reaching a total of 520,291 in what could be part of the “revenge travel” phenomenon as travelers made up for lost vacations during the pandemic. Gov. Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr. said this year’s visitors tally sur passed first semester records in the last three years, as a total of 503,161 domestic visitors and 17,130 foreign tourists arrived in the province from January to June this year. Travel restrictions during the Co vid-19 pandemic had curtailed total visitor arrivals here to 72,552, with only 1,063 foreign visitors in 2020, the year government imposed a lock down in response to the pandemic. Ebdane earlier urged local tour ism establishments to step up and dish out “more memorable experi ences” to visitors. He added that tourists, mostly from Metro Manila, “cannot get enough of Zambales at tractions that range from mountain camps to seaside resorts.”
By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla
A LABOR group called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to in vestigate the series of work-related incidents, which resulted in casual ties in the last two months. T he Federation of Free Workers (FFW) issued an appeal last Sunday based on the result of the 25th National Convention in Baguio, where it tackled the main labor issues it wants to address. T he 200 FFW union delegates, who attended the event, discussed recent numerous work-related accidents. “One is too many. The government must act to prevent other work-related incidents like what happened in the last Cordovaworkertwomonths,”theFFWsaidinastatement.AmongthesaidincidentsinvolvedafallingfromapostintheCebu-bridgelastSaturdayafterthe
T his prompted Nedic to file before the Parañaque City Regional Trial Court (RTC) a claim under Article 1711 of the Civil Code, which ex pressly holds owners of enterprises and other employers liable to pay compensation for the death of their employees if the death arose out of and in the course of employment even if it was accidental or entirely due to a fortuitous cause.
‘Irreconcilably inconsistent’
THE SC said further study revealed that Article 1711 of the Civil Code and Title II, Book IV of the Labor Code are “irreconcilably inconsistent.”
“ Hence, the said Labor Code provisions were clearly intended as the controlling law for payment of compensation for all work-related injury or death, in effect substitut ing Article 1711 of the Civil Code,” the SC said.
Davao City eyes ₧13.5M more than 2019 income One labordeathworker’stoomany,groupsays
‘Controlling law’ THE Court held that while Nedic erred in relying on Article 1711 of the Civil Code, which is now con sidered impliedly repealed by Title II, Book IV of the Labor Code, her action under Article 1711 was con sidered meritorious and entitled to relief pursuant to Candano, which was the prevailing doctrine at the time she filed the complaint.
months of the year. The next top attractions are the towns of: San Narciso, with 70,194 arrivals; Subic, with 64,070; Iba, with 43,113; and, San Felipe, with 33,793. Mora said visitors were drawn mostly to these towns because of clean beaches, available adventure sports facilities, and comfortable but affordableTourism,accommodation.withthelocalresort in dustry at the forefront, has tradition ally provided significant local reve nue for Zambales, which has one of the longest coastlines in the country. The province hosts hundreds of res taurants and hotels that rely on their seaside location to attract business. ZPTO records show that before the Covid-19 pandemic, annual visi tor arrivals in Zambales consistently came close to a million, with a total of 704,277 in 2018 and 755,552 in 2019. However, this dipped to a low 72,552 in 2020 before bouncing back with a total of 112,369 arrivals in 2021, as travel and health restric tions somewhat eased.
O fficer in Charge Maximo P. Macalipes Jr. said the CEEO has set a target this year of P197,725,000 from all its economic projects, from its eight markets, cemeteries, three slaughterhouses, nine special proj ects and three other projects.
“ The rest are residents of Zam bales,” Mora said. She said that San Antonio town, which is popular as a surfing spot, is the biggest tourism draw among the 13 municipalities in the prov ince with a total of 171,801 visi tors—160,628 domestic visitors and 11,173 foreigners—in the first six
Employment, not only ‘ayuda,’ path out of poverty rut–Neda
“We have everything that tour ists would want—from waterfalls and rivers to beaches and islands,” Ebdane said over the weekend. “And they can enjoy all of these in relative safety and comfort even under the continuing pandemic.”
Night market
PCC noted the results of studies conducted by the DA-PCC research team which compared the slaughter yields and carcass characteristics of crossbred buffalo and crossbred cattle at the same age and diet. It was found out that based on carcass quality evaluation, buffalo meat is comparable to beef in terms of carcass yields, processing traits, and sensory characteristics, ac cording to the agency’s statement. Dr. Arnel del Barrio, former DAPCC executive director, reechoed such findings in his presentation titled “Potential of Buffalo Meat as Beef,” during the Livestock Philip pines Expo 2022 held last August 24 to 26 at the World Trade Center Manila in Pasay City. The DA-PCC promotes buffalo as a good source not only of milk but also of quality meat. If the male buf faloes are not fit for breeding, then they are qualified to be fattened and marketed for a good quality meat. The agency already has initiatives to develop a breeding program for buffalo meat production as well,” del Barrio said.
offered for industrial and practical use were selected as they are in line with this year’s theme, “Strengthen ing Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Industries and Communi ties towards a resilient and economi cally competitive Davao Region.”
By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM
T he FFF said several of its mem bers in Camiling, Tarlac received the subsidy claim as early as December 17, 2021 but are still awaiting Land Bank’s “identification cards.”
E XPERTS from the Philip pine Carabao Center (PCC), an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA), said buffalo meat can be equal to the more popular and widely ac cepted beef.
T he papers that offered solutions for the food and beverage sector were highlighted during the celebra tion of the 35th anniversary of the Southern Mindanao Agriculture, Aquatic and Resources Research and Development Consortium (SMAARRDEC) last August 17. A study conducted by Dr. Mel vin Pasaporte was discussed in the Technology and Industry Forum. It sought to convince businessmen to invest in UP Mindanao’s lactic acid technology, which Pasaporte said “promised a more cost-efficient pro cess of producing lactic acid locally.”
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DA: Planters will soon get cash aid from LandBank
A griculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) has been able to fix the glitches that marred the procurement of the cash cards for the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) rice farmers’ financial assis tance (RFFA) program. T he RFFA is the annual cash as sistance program of the government that provides P5,000 to every rice farmer-beneficiaries. The program is bankrolled by the annual tariff collections from rice imports. “ We had delays but we already agreed with LandBank on how to proceed. The production of the cards (has) started and it will be continuous,” de Mesa told report ers in a recent interview. “ The problem was more on the procurement of the cards. So, there were technical issues with theDLandBank.”eMesasaid LandBank had a P2.1-billion allocation from last year to implement the RFFA. He assured the public that LandBank will com plete the implementation of its RFFA within the year. D espite the delays in imple mentation, de Mesa noted that the DA remains open in tapping LandBank as a partner for its RFFA program. The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) is another state-run bank partner of the DA for the RFFA program. De Mesa said there are no issues in volving DBP’s implementation of the RFFA program. For the 2022 RFFA, the DA partnered only with DBP. FFF’s plea THE Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) revealed last week that hundreds of thousands of Filipino rice farmers are yet to receive their cash subsidy under the RFFA program due to the delays encountered by LandBank.
Ng • Monday, August 29, 2022 A5BusinessMirror
Target FOR its part, LandBank said the delays in releasing the cash sub sidy to farmer-beneficiaries under the RFFA program was caused by the “DA’s request” for the bank to procure intervention monitoring cards (IMCs). LandBank said the IMCs will be used for the distribu tion of the cash aid.
By Manuel T. Cayon Mindanao@awimailboxBureauChief
May we continue to strengthen our partnership in undertaking rel evant activities that will truly create life-changing impacts on the lives of our country’s farmers and fisher folk,” said Reynaldo Ebora, DOSTPCAARRD executive director. SMAARRDEC Chairman Lourdes Generalao, who is also president of the University of Southeastern Philippines, said, “I look forward to seeing what is in store for our SMAARRDEC and the individuals and communities that it empowers.” Through your help, we can fur ther expand the information and technologies needed to sustain local production and promote sustainable development here in Mindanao,” said Mayor Sebastian Duterte.
The non-release of the grants to 90,227 farmers in Regions 1, 2, 3 and 6 is primarily due to the DA’s request for LandBank to procure Intervention Monitoring Cards (IMCs) which will be used for the distribution of the cash aid,” the bank said in a statement.
A s for the economic viability of carabao’s meat, the head of DAPCC’s Business Development and Commercialization Unit Zadie shar Sanchez assured potential investors of carabao fattening and Kardeli retail business that, through collaboration and available technologies, there is a ready mar ket for their products and that the economic potential of this venture is “very promising.” K ardeli is the DA-PCC’s brand of premium carabao’s meat. It is avail able at the Milka Krem in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. S anchez was also invited as one of the resource persons in the expo wherein he tackled the economic viability of value-added carabao meatAccordingproducts.to our ongoing study, there is a ready market for carabao’s meat and opportunities for this com modity are many. To fully realize this potential, more carabao fattening farms need to be raised.”
Agriculture/Commodities
CORN crops that died due to extreme heat and drought during a heatwave in Austin, Texas, United States, on Monday, July 11, 2022. BLOOMBERG NEWS
DROUGHT is shrinking crops from the United States Farm Belt to China’s Yangtze River basin, ratcheting up fears of global hunger and weighing on the outlook for inflation. T he latest warning flare comes out of the American Midwest, where some corn is so parched stalks are missing ears of grain and soybean pods are fewer and smaller than usual. The dismal report from the Pro Farmer Crop Tour has helped lift a gauge of grain prices back to the highest level since June. The world is desperate to replenish grain reserves diminished by trade disruptions in the Baltic Sea and un favorable weather in some of the larg est growing regions. But an industry tour of US fields over the past week stunned market participants—who had been more optimistic—with re ports of extensive crop damage due to brutal heat and a lack of water. Meanwhile, drought is taking a toll in Europe, China and India, while the outlook for exports out of Ukraine, a major corn and vegetable oil shipper, is hard to predict amid Russia’sEveninvasion.beforethis week’s news from the crop tour, I have been con cerned that we would not see much stock rebuilding until 2023,” said Joe Glauber, a former chief economist at the US Department of Agriculture who now serves as a senior fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington. The “opening of Ukraine ports is a welcome sign, but volumes remain far below normal levels.” Traders always watch weather fore casts closely but this year the vigilance has intensified—every bushel mat ters. While corn, wheat and soybean prices have cooled off from record or near-record highs seen earlier this year, futures remain highly volatile. Bad weather surprises from now until fall harvests are finished could send prices soaring again. A n index of grains and soybeans is trading almost 40 percent above the 5-year average and the surge in crop prices has been a major contributor to global inflation. Already, food short ages helped lead to the downfall of Sri Lanka’s government earlier this year when the country ran out of hard currency needed to pay for imports. In the US, corn is the most domi nant crop and a lackluster harvest will have ripple effects across the global food supply chain, adding pressure on South America to pro duce bumper crops early next year. That’s especially the case if China, which is suffering its worst drought since the early 1960s, is forced to import more grains to feed its mas sive livestock herds and shore up domestic inventories. A fter the recent crop tour, offi cials now estimate that US produc tion will be 4 percent lower than the formal government forecast. The pinch follows drought-driven short falls of US winter wheat as well as soybeans in Brazil, the top grower. T he global farming outlook go ing into 2023 has market watchers worried. For the first time in more than 20 years, the world is facing a rare third consecutive year of the La Niña phenomenon, when the equa torial Pacific cools, causing a reac tion from the atmosphere above it. This could have dire consequences for drought across the US as well as dryness across the vital crop regions of Brazil and Argentina. A nd while it’s hard to link the weather in any given year to long-term climate patterns, analysts warn that global warming will be a growing drag on agricultural output in years to come. For now, Europe is in the throes of a drought that appears to be the worst in at least 500 years, according to a preliminary analysis by experts from the European Union’s Joint Re search Center. Several EU crops are being hit particularly hard, with the yield forecasts for corn 15 percent below the 5-year average, the latest data show.
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T he DA-PCC has also conducted studies and breeding technologies for the purpose and ensures that the market is ready to absorb fat tened animals that are about to be produced in the future. To further prove the agency’s claims on the good quality of ca rabao’s meat, a cooking demo was hosted by DA-PCC with Francis Sibal, executive chef of CZ Ranch Restaurant.
DAVAO CITY—The Univer sity of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao has presented the products of its researchers, including one that calls for the use of under utilized parts of local fruits to make beer that has antioxidants.
A nother researcher, Remie Au relio, offered an easy solution to ad dress the threat to fishing and the livelihood of residents in the Davao region caused by the deterioration of coral reef ecosystems. He said his paper is focused on wastewater from industrial and agricultural activities, which destroys coral reefs. He advised local government units (LGUs) to minimize the dis charge of wastewater or to propagate helophyte plants and reeds which can filter wastewater before they reach the sea. Meanwhile, Assistant Professor Kriza Faye Calumba described how underutilized parts of a fruit locally known as marang have the potential to produce a probiotic beverage. She said marang is abundant in Davao but it is underutilized. “Mixing a Lactobacillus strain pre viously isolated from nipa into the raw marang juice produced a non-dairy probiotic drink that has potential health benefits,” Calumba said. S he said pomelo is another undertilized fruit despite having other uses. Calumba detailed the process of brewing beer with added pomelo peel. “ The results describe the beer to have antioxidant properties and high total phenolic content, adding value to the beverage.”
T he UP Mindanao said Khent Ivan Duerme and his team’s scientific poster focused on the utilization of bignay leaves for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with antimicrobialSynthesizingproperties.AgNPsis costly or uses toxic chemicals, so bignay leaf extract (BLE) was considered for it is a cheap, environmentally-friendly, and underexplored alternative. Ag NPs synthesized from BLE exhibited antimicrobial activity comparable to a commercial antibiotic and can be used for food packaging applica tions,” it said.
Pasaporte said lactic acid has applications in the food, chemi cal, pharmaceutical, and polymer industries, “and the technology presents an opportunity for inves tors to invest in potentially the first commercial lactic acid production plant in the country.”
I n a statement, FFF urged Presi dent Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the concurrent agriculture secretary, to order LandBank to fast-track the release of the P1-billion worth of financial assistance to eligible farmer-beneficiaries.“For2021alone, LandBank’s backlog is distributed as follows: Region 1 (10,000 farmers); Region 2 (50,000); Region 3 (15,000); Region 4-B (8,000); Region 6 (80,000) and Region 8 (18,000),” the group said. “LandBank’s inaction is deplor able because it has possessed the requisite funds of about P1 billion for about a year already, and farm ers could have used the cash subsidy to help offset high fertilizer and fuel prices for rice production.”
R esearcher Angelyn Lacap said her team’s research using an inno vative fruit bag in wrapping the Carabao variety of mangoes at the proper maturity stage improves the quality of the fruit and could boost mango expors pegged at P756 mil lion in 2020. “For example, bagging mangoes at 74-75 days after flower induction (DAFI) produced better quality and lower degree of postharvest diseases. Combining this with harvesting at 113-114 DAFI results in fruit with higher ascorbic acid and antioxi dants,” said Lacap. “Finally, using Taiwan paper bags instead of newspaper bags signifi cantly increases the proportion of export-quality grade mangoes.”
UP Mindanao said the studies it
“In contrast, the RFFA program funds that were allocated to the De velopment Bank of the Philippines and coursed through local branches of M. Lhuillier or Universal Store front Services Corporation money transfer companies have generally been smoothly disbursed to benefi ciary farmers.”
Editor: Jennifer A.
Bloomberg News
SEN. Imee Marcos has called on the government to conduct a comprehensive inventory of local white onions to determine the extent of a shortage caused by last summer’s lean harvest. Trace the traders who bought white onions from local farmers and find out if they are hoarding the crop in cold storage,” Marcos said. “ Without a comprehensive in ventory, we cannot arrive at a wellcalibrated importation policy that answers consumer demand but also relieves our local growers from low farm-gate prices.” Marcos warned that smugglers of imported white onions are now taking advantage of the situation by selling to the restaurant industry at 10 times the usual price. “ Popular fast-food chains are complaining that what they used to buy at P40 pesos is now being sold to them at P400 by Divisoriabased traders.” T he Department of Agriculture has started listing the names of traders gathered from farmers in major onion-growing provinces like Nueva Ecija and Mindoro, but Marcos pressed for the inclu sion of farmers in the Visayas and Mindanao to get a better grasp of theWsituation.hileawaiting the results of the inventory, Marcos urged the gov ernment to already link more local farmers with the restaurant indus try, ahead of the next major harvest in April.We can shut out smugglers from the supply chain through contract-growing, wherein indus trial buyers assure local growers of income from their upcoming harvests and, in turn, are assured supply of a staple ingredient in their food products.” Marcos is concerned over the pos sibility that smaller harvests of white onions in November will fall short of higher demand when Christmas comes around. “ Wet weather conditions will ag gravate the situation if these cause white onions to sprout or rot in stor age,” she Nextsaid.year’s national budget should provide more cold storage facilities for our local farmers. For now, an inventory and contractgrowing must be done as soon as possible.”
UP researchers pitch beer with antioxidants, cheaper lactic acid is a good source of
‘Buffalo
A FARMER in Pangasinan displays threshed rice in this BusinessMirror file photo.
Govt urged to conduct inventory of white onions Dried-out farms from China to Iowa put pressure on food prices
SMAARRDEC comprises 26 na tional government agencies, LGUs, higher education institutions, and nongovernment organizations. It is supported by the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and De velopment (DOST-PCAARRD).
By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas R ICE farmers reeling from ris ing production costs will soon get financial assistance as the government has resolved the techni cal issues that delayed the implemen tation of its cash transfer program.
T he state-run bank said it is now validating the 90,277 IMC accounts for the four regions. It is targeting to start the distribution of the cash as sistance on September 7.
meat, milk’
By Derek Gatopoulos
The Associated Press K YIV, Ukraine—Kneeling in a patch of yellow wildflowers, a Chechen soldier carefully attaches an explosive device to the bottom of a small drone. Seconds later, it is released. It explodes next to two old storefront mannequins set up 200 meters (yards) away, one with a Russian-style military hat on its head. After this and other training outside the Ukrainian capital, the Chechen soldiers, in assorted camouflage footwear and protec tive gear, will be heading to the f ront lines in Ukraine, vowing to continue the fight against Russia that raged for years in their North CaucasusFightershomeland.fromChechnya, the war-scarred republic in southern Russia, are participating on both sides of the conflict in Ukraine. Pro-Kyiv volunteers are loyal to Dzhokhar Dudayev, the late Chech en leader who headed the repub lic’s drive for independence from R ussia. They form the “Dudayev Battalion” and are the sworn en emies of Chechen forces who back R ussian President Vladimir Putin and joined Russia in the monthslong siege of Ukraine’s key port of Mariupol and other flashpoints in eastern and southern Ukraine. One group of new Chechen ar rivals, many of whom live in West ern Europe, was being trained at a m akeshift firing range outside Kyiv before heading east. At a training session Saturday, the new recruits ‒ all Muslim men ‒ shouted “Allahu akbar!” (“God is great!”), holding their rifles in the air before being handed military ID cards that are issued to Ukrainianvolunteers.officials say the Chechen battalion currently num bers several hundred who fight a longside the country’s military but are not formally under the na tional command. I nstructors teach the new bat talion members combat basics, i ncluding how to use a weapon, assume a firing position and how to work in teams. Trainers include veterans of wars in Chechnya that ended in 2009, some joining up in Ukraine after the fighting against Russia-backed separatists started in Ukraine in 2014. Tor, a volunteer who asked only to be identified by his battlefield nickname, said he sees no differ ence between the two conflicts. People have to understand we don’t have a choice,” he said speak ing in English and with his face cov ered. “If they (Russian forces) win t his war, they will continue. They never stop. I don’t know. The Baltic countries will be next, or Georgia or Kazakhstan. Putin openly, ab solutely, says he wants to rebuild t he Soviet empire.”
Russia launched two wars to pre vent Chechnya, a mostly Muslim p rovince, from gaining indepen dence after the 1991 collapse of t he Soviet Union. The first conflict erupted in 1994. The second Chechen war began in 1999 and culminated in a siege by Russian troops of Grozny, the Chechen capital, which was dev astated by heavy Russian bom bardment. After years of battling a n insurgency, Russian officials declared the conflict in Chechnya over in Muslim2017.Madiev, a veteran fight er of the Chechen conflicts, iden tified himself as an adviser to the v olunteer battalion in Ukraine. He joined the soldiers Saturday in shooting practice, taking aim at a plastic bottle held up on a stick. Bul let casings flew from his automatic r ifle onto a field already littered with bullets, shotgun cartridges and cardboard target sheets. “We’re going to win this war. The whole world is already stand ing up for us,” he says, speaking i n Russian.“Wewere the only ones who fought for ourselves (in Chechnya). No one stood with us. But now the whole world is behind Ukraine. We must win, we must win,” he declared.
“The situation remains precari ous and dangerous,” Zelenskyy said F riday in his nightly address. “Any repetition of (Thursday’s) events, i.e., any disconnection of the sta tion from the grid or any actions b y Russia that could trigger the shut down of the reactors, will once again put the station one step away fromUkrainedisaster.”has claimed Russia is using the power plant as a shield by storing weapons there and launch ing attacks from around it. Moscow, f or its part, accuses Ukraine of fir ing on the nuclear complex. T he dispute over the plant led Russia late Friday to block agree ment on the final document of the f our-week-long review of the U.N. treaty that is considered the corner stone of nuclear disarmament. The d raft document of the Nuclear Non proliferation Treaty review confer ence criticized Russia’s takeover of t he Zaporizhzhia plant. The deputy head of Russia’s del egation said the conference became a political hostage” to countries that were trying “to settle scores with Russia by raising issues that are not directly related to the treaty.”Elsewhere in Ukraine, one per son was killed and another wound ed in Russian firing in the Mykolaiv r egion, local government officials said. Mykolaiv city is an impor
Rival Chechen fighters take war to Ukraine battlefields
In choosing San Diego Bishop Rob ert Walter McElroy, Francis passed over US churchmen leading tradi tionally more prestigious dioceses, including San Francisco Archbishop SalvatoreMcElroyCordileone.hasbeenamong a minor ity of American bishops who opposed to a campaign to deny Communion to Catholic politicians who support abor tion rights. Cordileone has said he’d no longer allow US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to receive Communion for her defense of abortion rights. While staunchly against abortion as a grave sin, Francis has also decried what he calls the weaponization of Communion.McElroylast year was also among a small group of US bishops signing a statement denouncing the bullying that is often directed at LGBTQ youth. Francis has tried to make gay Catholics feel welcome in the church, whose teaching holds that same-sex intercourse is a sin. Among the newest cardinals is Bishop Richard Kuuia Baawobr from Wa, Ghana, who has spoken out against LGBTQ rights. The African prelate felt ill when he arrived in Rome on Friday and was hospitalized for a heart problem, the pope told the other cardinals, asking them to pray “for this brother who should have beenAskedhere.”by
With electing future pontiffs a key role for cardinals, McElroy, 68, was asked what he thought of Francis’ saying that resignation for popes is a valid option.
“In principle, I think it is a good idea at a particular moment when they feel they can no longer carry the burdens of that office, but I think this pope is far from that moment,” the US prelate said. “I believe he sees himself as far from that moment. What he has is a mobility issue, but it has not affected his mind. I can tell you he is still on top of Archbishopthings.”
KYIV, Ukraine—Fears about the potential for a radiation leak at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant persisted Saturday as both sides traded blame for nearby shelling.
The Associated Press
A view of a crater from a Russian rocket attack in downtown Kharkiv, Ukraine on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. AP Photo/Andrii M A r ienko
Authorities were distributing iodine tablets to residents who live near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in case of radiation exposure, which can cause health problems.Muchof the concern centers on the cooling systems for the plant’s nuclear reactors. The systems re quire power to run, and the plant w as temporarily knocked offline Thursday because of what officials said was fire damage to a transmis sion line. A cooling system failure c ould cause a nuclear meltdown. Russian forces occupied the nuclear plant complex early in the 6-month-old war, but local Ukrai nian workers have kept it running. T he Ukrainian and Russian govern ments have repeatedly accused the o ther of shelling the complex and nearby areas, raising fears of a pos sible catastrophe. Periodic shelling has damaged the power station’s infrastruc ture, Ukraine’s nuclear power op erator, Energoatom, said Saturday. There are risks of hydrogen leak age and sputtering of radioactive s ubstances, and the fire hazard is high,” it said. The governor of Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, Valentyn Reznichenko, said Saturday that Russian Grad missiles and artillery shells hit the cities of Nikopol and Marhanets, each located 10 kilome ters (6 miles) across the Dnieper R iver from the plant. But Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Ukrainian forces had fired on the plant from Marhanets. Over the past day, 17 Ukrainian shells hit the plant, with four striking the roof of a building that stores nuclear fuel, he said. It was not immediately possible to verify either account.
The UN’s atomic energy agency has tried to work out an agree ment to send a team in to inspect a nd help secure the plant. Officials said preparations for the visit were underway, but it remained unclear when it might take place. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was essential for International Atomic Energy Agency representatives to get to the plant as soon as possible and to help keep it “under permanent Ukrainian control.”
By Samy Magdy The Associated Press C AIRO—Deadly clashes broke out Saturday in Libya’s capital between militias backed by its two rival administrations, portend ing a return to violence amid a long p olitical stalemate. At least 23 people were killed and 140 more wounded, the Health Min istry said. It added that 64 families w ere evacuated from areas around theThefighting.escalation threatens to shat ter the relative calm Libya has enjoyed f or most of the past two years. The oil-rich nation plunged into chaos fol lowing a NATO-backed uprising that t oppled and killed longtime autocrat Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Among the fatalities was Mustafa Baraka, a comedian known for his social media videos mocking mili tias and corruption. Baraka died a fter he was shot in his chest, said Malek Merset, an emergency services spokesman.Mersetsaid emergency services were still trying to evacuate wounded and civilians trapped in the fighting that erupted overnight and continued into Saturday evening. The Health Ministry said in a statement hospitals and medical centers in the capital were shelled, and ambulance teams were barred from evacuating civilians, in acts that “amount to war crimes.” The municipal council of Tripoli blamed the ruling political class for the deteriorating situation in the capital, and urged the international community to “protect civilians in Libya.”The violence caused widespread panic among Tripoli residents. Foot age circulated online showed houses, go vernment facilities, and vehicles apparently damaged from the fight ing. Other footage showed militia f orces deploying and heavy fire be ing exchanged across the night sky. T he U.N. mission in Libya said the fighting involved “indiscrimi nate medium and heavy shelling in c ivilian-populated neighborhoods” of Tripoli.Themission called for an imme diate cease-fire, and for all parties i n Libya to “refrain from using any form of hate speech and incitement to violence.”Theclashes pitted the Tripoli Revolutionaries’ Brigade militia, led by Haitham Tajouri, against another militia allied with Abdel-Ghani alKikli, an infamous warlord known as “Gheniwa,” according to local me dia. Later on Saturday, more militias j oined the fighting which spread in different areas in the capital.
By Frances D’emilio The Associated Press
V
The Associated Press about such contrasting views among church leaders, McElroy replied that “there are always cultural differences within the life of the church as there is within in the human family. And different cultures approach these questions in different ways.” McElroy added: “My own view is that we have an obligation in the church to make the LGBT persons feel equally welcome in the life of the church, as everyone else.”
Ulrich Steiner of Manaus, Brazil, became the first car dinal from the Amazon, the vast, en vironmentally vulnerable region in South America on the Argentine-born pontiff’s home continent. In remarks to The AP, Steiner expressed concern about increasing violence in the Ama zon. “But this violence was not born there, it came from outside,’’ Steiner, 71, said. “It is always violence related to money. Concessions, deforestation, also with the mines, also with the fishing.” At 48, the youngest member among the cardinals’ ranks is an Italian mis sionary in Mongolia, where Catholics number some 1,300. Francis “knows how important it is supporting these little communities,’’ said the new car dinal, Giorgio Marengo. Sabrina Sergi and Fanuel Morelli contributed to this report.
The World BusinessMirrorMonday, August 29, 2022A6 Editor: Angel R. Calso
Pope expands ranks of cardinals who will likely pick successor
LibyAn forces are deployed in Tripoli, Libya on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. Clashes broke out early Saturday between rival militias in Libya’s capital, a health official said. AP Photo/Yousef Mur A d
By Derek Gatopoulos & Andrew Kravchenko
Ukraine said Russian forces fired on areas just across the river from the plant and Russia claimed Ukrainian shells hit a building where nuclear fuel is stored.
Deadly clashes shake Libya’s capital, killing 23 people
ATICAN CITY—Pope Francis elevated 20 more churchmen to the rank of cardinal on Saturday, formally expanding those now eligible to vote for his successor in case he dies or resigns—the latter a step he has said he’d consider if the needOfarises.thechurchmen being named new cardinals in the consistory cer emony in St. Peter’s Basilica, 16 are younger than 80 and thus eligible to participate in a conclave—the ritualshrouded, locked-door assembly of cardinals who cast paper ballots to elect a new pontiff. The 85-year-old Francis has now named 83 of the 132 cardinals cur rently young enough to join a conclave. The others were appointed by the previous two popes, St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI, whose unexpected retirement in 2013 paved the way for Francis to be elected. With the eight batches of cardi nals Francis has named, prospects are boosted that whoever becomes the next pontiff will share his vision for the future of the church. Francis reminded the cardinals of their mission, which he said includes “an openness to all peoples, to the ho rizons of the world, to the peripheries as yetUnderliningunknown.”Francis’ attention to those on society’s margins, among the new cardinals is Archbishop An thony Poola of Hyderabad, India. The prelate, 60, is the first member of the Dalit community, considered the low est rung of India’s caste system, to become a cardinal. One by one, the newest cardinals, whose red cassocks and headgear sym bolize the blood they must be prepared to shed if necessary in their mission, knelt before Francis, who placed on their head the prestigious biretta, as the three-peaked hat is known. That intimate moment was a chance to exchange a few words with Francis, who smiled to put them at ease. At times, the seated Francis, himself hobbled by mobility problems, lent his own arms to help kneeling cardinals stand up.
Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah’s government, which is based in Tripoli, claimed the clashes broke out when one militia fired at another.Thefighting, however, is highly likely part of ongoing power strug gle between Dbeibah and his rival P rime Minister Fathy Bashagha who is operating from the coast city of BothSirte.Dbeibah and Bashagha are backed by militias, and the latter was mobilizing in recent weeks to try to enter Tripoli to dislodge his rival. An attempt in May by Bashagha to install his government in Tripoli triggered clashes that ended with his withdrawal from the capital. US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland urged for de-escalation “be fore things get worse” and for Libyan p arties to agree on an early date for elections.
tant Black Sea port and shipbuild ingTcenter.hegovernor of the eastern Donetsk region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said Saturday that two people were killed in Russian firing on the city of Bakhmut, a significant target for Russian and separatist forces seek ing to take control of the parts of t he region they do not already hold. The British government said Saturday that it was giving Ukraine underwater drones and training sailors to use them to clear mines from the ravaged country’s coast line. Mines laid in the Black Sea d uring the war have hampered seaborne exports of Ukrainian grain to world markets, although an agreement reached in July has allowed shipments to resume along a single corridor. More than 1 million metric tons of Ukrainian foodstuffs have been shipped since the start of August under the Black Sea grain deal, the United Nations said Saturday. The flow of grain under the deal has driven down prices, reduced the risk of food insecurity and allowed the World Food Program to restart wheat purchases from Ukraine for drought-hit countries such as Ethiopia and Yemen.
Ukraine and Russia trade more blame on nuclear plant threats
AN FRANCISCO — Face book’s corporate parent has reached a tentative settle ment in a lawsuit alleging the world’s largest social network service allowed millions of its us ers’ personal information to be fed to Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported Donald Trump’s victori ous presidential campaign in 2016. Terms of the settlement reached by Meta Platforms, the holding company for Facebook and Insta gram, weren’t disclosed in court documents filed late Friday. The filing in San Francisco federal court requested a 60-day stay of the ac tion while lawyers finalize the set tlement. That timeline suggested further details could be disclosed by late October. The accord was reached just a few weeks before a Sept. 20 deadline for Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his long-time chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, to submit to de positions during the final phases of pre-trial evidence gathering, ac cording to court documents. Zuckerberg, who founded Face book in 2004 as a Harvard Universi ty student, could have been deposed for up to six hours. Sandberg, who is stepping down as chief operat ing officer after a 14-year stint, could have been questioned for up to five hours. The case sprang from 2018 rev elations that Cambridge Analytica, a firm with ties to Trump political strategist Stephen Bannon, had paid a Facebook app developer for access to the personal information of about 87 million Facebook users. That data was then used to target US voters during the 2016 campaign that culminated in Trump’s election as the 45th president.
The World BusinessMirror Monday, August 29, 2022 A7www.businessmirror.com.ph S
AP
Facebook parent settles suit in Cambridge Analytica scandal
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Unconditional cash transfer or universal basic income?
Cruz Jr. Eduardo
www.news.businessmirror@gmail.comMonday, August 29, 2022 • Editor: Angel R. Calso Opinion BusinessMirrorA8
RISING SUN Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II the nation. While it is impossible to know for sure how it will fare in the Philippines—without actually trying it first as an experiment—it would be wise to consider actual evidence from places that have studied and tried it. One UBI experiment happened in Stockton, California back in 2019. As the country’s first UBI experiment, the program was set to run for two years. After the program period, it was considered a success, with the following results: full-time employment levels among the UBI group grew faster than in the control group, and there was significantly improved mental health and well-being observed among the participants. One of the participants in Stockton said that the money helped him to obtain a stable full-time job because he was able to take an unpaid internship. Another participant said he was able to earn his real estate license because he could afford to reduce his workingStudieshours. have shown that financial security translates to reduced stress and anxiety. Many participants in the Stockton study reported that they were able to pay off their debts or move to a more stable and healthier residence with the help of the UBI, which eventually allowed them to experience better living conditions, happiness, and peace of mind. For sure, there are many other important aspects to consider about UBI. But it is certainly worth looking into, especially since societies that have tried it have experienced financial boosts for their most vulnerable members, aside from great benefits as far as better quality of life and long-term financial stability are concerned.
Studies have shown that financial security translates to reduced stress and anxiety. Many participants in the Stockton study reported that they were able to pay off their debts or move to a more stable and healthier residence with the help of the UBI, which eventually allowed them to experience better living conditions, happiness, and peace of mind.
The 20th century brought with it the anticipation that life would be better by all measures than it ever was before. The last decades of the 19th century were the prequel for the “Best Is Yet To Come.” Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone in 1876. Harim Maxim invented the machine gun in 1885, but Karl Benz received a patent for the first practical automobile the next year. Five years later Jesse W. Reno invents the escalator. The foundation of everything modern and critical convenience we have came in a flurry of activity. 1901: the vacuum cleaner, 1902: air conditioning, 1903: the first powered flight followed by plastic, radio broadcasting, the first affordable and mass-produced motor car, and in 1910, neon lights. It was a time that almost anything seemed possible. Andrew Carnegie: “Be king in your dreams.” John D. Rockefeller: “If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.” Thomas Edison: “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Today we are a product of that thinking of 100 years ago. Despite the two costliest wars in human history and all the catastrophes and tragedies, we have never experienced in human history the available abundance that we have today. While inequality and unequal wealth distribution and poverty exist in numbers that are far too great, life has never been any better. And we have the power, knowledge, and experience to continue this century-long trend to a better life for all. Children were always born into families with parents and caregivers who were convinced that they could make the world better for the next and future generations. We expect our government leaders to share the same positive vision. Why would we choose someone to rule over us that did not believe in that vision and would work to make it a reality?
TALK Thomas M. Orbos
Even before the US started doing this, other countries such as China had been on an aggressive direction to a full ban on fossil fuel vehicles by 2030. Cities globally are now on massive redesigning programs with much emphasis on promoting a more sustainable carbon-free environment. City roads are being opened up to more cycling and pedestrian lanes. Pockets of green and breathable space, meanwhile, are eating up what once were streets or parking areas for automobiles. And public transport, even those that still use fossil fuel, lead to these walkable/“bikable” transfer stations that serve as last-mile connections for commuters. That is, “15-minute” communities are taking root in urban areas globally, where most of what you need or what you do—school, businesses, shops, markets, hospitals, government services, etc., you can find within 15 minutes from your abode, thus avoiding the need for long haul transport. Such is the move to deconstruct the old ways to give way to the new paradigm of saving our city environment for future generations. In the meantime, we in the Philippines remain steadfast in our Build, Build, Build infrastructure orientation. Admittedly, we do need this unprecedented focus on physical buildup, as a vast part of our country remains not connected to the rest. Hence the need for highways, bridges, railways, and ports, which form the bulk of the Build, Build, Build Program. All of these should lead to a more equitable distribution of economic opportunities in the countryside, leading to our country’s overall modernization and development. But modernization needs to factor in transformation as well. As it is, most of these projects—the highways in particular, will still rely on heavy fossil fuel use. See “Orbos,” A9
W ITh the recent events involving the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and alleged irregularities regarding the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), many people have been concerned about the effectiveness of existing or current conditional cash grants and other public programs that aim to eradicate extreme poverty in the country. What model suits the Filipinos, considering our culture and sensibilities? how can we maximize our limited budgets so we can help our less fortunate fellowmen climb out of poverty?
Meanwhile, a recent survey in our country showed that there are more Filipinos now taking bicycles for transport than gas-fed vehicles, with roughly one out of four households owning a bicycle than an automobile. Both of these are definitely welcome developments that would contribute to help mitigate the effects of climate change. However, while California’s direction is of its own volition, the shift to bicycles in the Philippines is more a function of necessity brought about by the lack of public transport. And the irony of this is while developed countries are in the process of “deconstructing” their infrastructure and transport systems to help the environment, we in the Philippines still cling to the belief that an infrastructure program that maintains gas-fed vehicles will allow us to follow the same path of development that the more developed countries hadThetaken.move to “deconstruct” cities of infrastructure as well as transport systems that are dependent on fossil fuel and then build a more environment friendly urban landscape is the growing trend worldwide.
M. Fernandez Jennifer
Jr., Gerard
BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business GroupAdvertisingChairmanChiefCreativeAssociateEditorPublisherinChiefEditorNewsEditorSeniorEditorsOnlineEditorDirectorPhotographeroftheBoardPresidentSalesManagerCirculationManager
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Dennis
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While some may argue that donations or dole-outs may lead to irresponsible behavior and dependency, it is also true that many poor families are unable to make the most of opportunities because they simply do not have the means to grab them. For example, too many Filipinos are unable to get good jobs not because they are lazy but because they were not fortunate enough to get a degree, which is usually a requirement asked by employers.Althoughunpopular, one possible path to success in this aspect is universal basic income (UBI). The criticism against UBI includes arguments about difficulties with financing and the tendency of people to work less, which translate to less tax revenue for Deconstruction for a better Build, Build, Build program
T. Anthony C. Cabangon Lourdes A. M. Lomibao S. B. Resurreccion, D. R. M. A. M.
Ng Vittorio V. Vitug Lorenzo
Davad Nonilon G. Reyes D. Edgard A. Cabangon Benjamin V. Ramos Aldwin Maralit Tolosa Rolando
CaLIForNIa, the great american state of freeways, made a historic turnaround last week with its decision to ban the sale of gas-fed cars by 2035. This is expected to trigger a domino effect on other US states, as well as other countries and will result in the hastened pace of the evolution of non-carbon transport and an environment friendly transport infrastructure.
Manangan BusinessMirror is published daily by the Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing, Inc., with offices on the 3rd floor of Dominga Building III 2113 Chino Roces Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Makati City, Philippines. Tel. Nos. (Editorial) 817-9467; 813-0725. Fax line: 813-7025. (Advertising Sales) 893-2019; 817-1351, 817-2807. (Circulation) 893-1662; 814-0134 to 36. E-mail: news.businessmirror@gmail.com www.news.businessmirror@gmail.com Printed by brown madonna Press, Inc.–Sun Valley Drive KM-15, South Superhighway, Parañaque, Metro Manila Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Founder Since 2005 ✝ MEMBER OF
Cities globally are now on massive redesigning programs with much emphasis on promoting a more sustainable carbon-free environment. City roads are being opened up to more cycling and pedestrian lanes. Pockets of green and breathable space, meanwhile, are eating up what once were streets or parking areas for automobiles.
Less is
more? No thanks editorial
But leaders of the “first-world advanced” nations and economies do not seem to be on the same page as we in East Asia for the most part are on. Would we really want a president to say that we are at “The end of abundance”?FrenchPresident Emmanuel Macron, August 24, 2022: “What we are currently living through is a major tipping point…we are living at the end of what seemed an era of abundance…the end of the abundance of products of technologies that seemed always available.” This came at the end of a three-week vacation at the Presidential hideaway at Fort de Brégançon for some beach time and jet skiing. In December 2018, Americans were asked their views on the distant future. Roughly three-quarters of Americans regardless of political affiliation say the gap between the rich and the poor will grow wider by 2050. Most Americans (82 percent) expect widespread job automation, and few see this as a good thing for the US. Entrepreneur magazine 2021: “In 1940, more than 80% of children earned higher wages than their parents at the same age. By 1984, there was only a 50% chance that children would out-earn their parents.” This is not a new occurrence and is justified by the elite. Hillary Clinton, 2019: “We are going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.” Former Governor of California Jerry Brown: “The conventional viewpoint says we need a jobs program, and we need to cut welfare. Just the opposite! We need more welfare and fewer jobs. In short, we are entering an era of limits.” Less is more, somehow. Why be positive about the future when the government has told you that this is as good as it will ever be?
Calso Ruben
Joel L. Tan-Torres is the Dean of the University of the Philippines Virata School of Business. Previously, he was the Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy, and partner of Reyes Tacandong & Co. and the SyCip Gorres and Velayo & Co. He is a Certified Public Accountant who garnered No. 1 in the CPA Board Examination of May 1979.
It is indeed unfortunate for one to be lumped up with a narrative about the Ukraine conflict that the German ambassador says does not speak of the truth when our only desire is to present the other view. Always, there are two sides to a coin and all one has to do is to look at the other side.
LITO GAGNI
It is clear that taking one’s oath as a professional accountant before a duly authorized government official is needed before a new CPA can legally discharge his or her functions and profession. Thus, I advised those who queried me that it is necessary that the new CPAs complete this requirement of taking the oath, whether face-to-face or virtually.
Having been enlightened with the significance of the work performed by mortuary professionals, we likewise recognize the contributions of cemetery workers, maintenance workers of hospitals and funeral parlors, and even our delivery drivers for our online orders. Their work may be the kind of job not avidly desired, but because they do what they are called to do, our lives have been made much easier if not safer.
German ambassador needs to see other side
A former infantry and intelligence officer in the Army, Siegfred Mison showcased his servant leadership philosophy in organizations such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Malcolm Law Offices, Infogix Inc., University of the East, Bureau of Immigration, and Philippine Airlines. He is a graduate of West Point in New York, Ateneo Law School, and University of Southern California. A corporate lawyer by profession, he is an inspirational teacher and a Spirit-filled writer with a mission.Forquestions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.
IT is wise, and not just prudent, for the West to look at the other side of the ongoing ukraine conflict, something that Madame Ambassador Anke Reiffenstuel seems to have missed in her desire to spew the narrative on what she said is “Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against ukraine.” There is an inconvenient truth that she, like the rest, refuses to see.
tin was forced to attack in order to prevent Ukraine from attacking the Donbass. Russia is trying not to cause damage to civilian Ukrainians, as it considers them Slavic brothers. Unlike American tanks in Vietnam, Russian tanks stopped in front of a peaceful crowd in the early days of the invasion. We would just crush them in such a situation. Ukraine cannot make a decision about peace. The decision about peace can only be made in Washington, but as long as we want to continue this war, we will fight until the last UkrainianSen.dies.”Black knows whereof he speaks having seen action in Vietnam as a young helicopter pilot and where he got wounded in an engagement. And there is another one that we would like to inform the Honorable Ambassador about so that she may see a complete picture, not just that of the West, and if we may hasten to add, a worrisome truth on weaponry that could have gone to terrorist and criminal gangs. We refer to a documentary that CBS put together with the American TV’s reporter Adam Yamaguchi bringing viewers to the conflict’s drama. In that docu, as we have previously written about, there is that fear that was raised that the majority of the weapons that the West supplied are not reaching its destination in Kyiv and are falling into the wrong hands. The said documentary has since then been edited, with the key element on the missing weapons taken out but we shudder at the thought of where they are now. For the fact is that the presence of an American general to oversee the transfer of weapons was what “cured” the “lost weaponry.” And that was late in the game. Before that, the weapons shipped to Poland were not reaching their destinations due to power brokers, politicians and overlords, and we assure Madam Anke that this is not a piece from Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov as she had written in a reply to our column. It is indeed unfortunate for one to be lumped up with a narrative about the Ukraine conflict that the German ambassador says does not speak of the truth when our only desire is to present the other view. Always, there are two sides to a coin and all one has to do is to look at the other side.
More than possessing technical skills, jobs that deal with cadavers require emotional stability, a commitment to handle the deceased with respect, and, of course, an exceptional ability to withstand pungent odors. Some may add a decent level of mental or emotional solidity, especially since those who deal with corpses are literally physically segregated, if not psychologically excluded from the rest of the “sane” and “safe” civilization. On top of it all, a lifeless body in a cold stainless-steel table is a mortician’s work “companion” in an eerily silent basement of a hospital.Notthat we refuse to know, but most people (myself included) have experienced the grief of losing a loved one, either at a hospital or in the streets. Soon after hearing the news of one’s death, the next place we usually find ourselves in is either at the funeral home or the cemetery. We miss out (and sometimes ignore) the fact that an intricate process involving a group of professionals necessarily ensues during the period from the last breath of the deceased up to his burial. For one, a morgue assistant cleans and prepares the body for post-mortem examination. And like any medical assistant in a surgery room, the assistant hands over tools, supplies and instruments to the medical examiner (or a coroner) during the autopsy. The coroner then collects tissue samples, even organs, and analyzes the data, and also prepares a death certificate, especially if the death was caused by non-natural causes. For uncertain or suspicious causes of death, the medical examiner even coordinates with law enforcement. In other countries, medical examiners are doctors with training in forensics and pathology. Pathologists, on the other hand, are doctors who perform autopsies to confirm the cause of death, especially if the initial assessment was questionable or questioned by surviving relatives. Embalmers come into the picture whenever requested for memorial services and interment or cremation. Embalmers must be adept at sanitation laws and procedures. A desairologist, or cosmetologist, may style the hair and apply makeup. Evidently, from that last breath until the memorial services, these procedures have been performed by embalmers, morticians, coroners, and the rest of those professionals in the “corpse management industry.”Inarrate these details not only with particularity but also with the highest regard for people engaged in the dignified management of the dead. With the onslaught of Covid-19, these professionals have been working doubly hard yet may feel that theirs is a thankless job. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, newspapers were drenched with photos of piles and piles of body bags carrying corpses with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 cases. During this time, those who are in the business of caring for the dead are just as equally burdened as those in the business of saving lives! Those who worked in the morgues were just as weighed down by stress, lack of sleep, overwork and overtime as those who worked in hospitals. To add to the challenge is the discomfort of wearing a specified personal protective
More than just a body bag
The author may be reached at tmo45@georgetown.edu
The option on whether to conduct events in a virtual or faceto-face mode is not only limited to the holding of school classes or graduation ceremonies. This also applies to situations such as oath taking of Certified Public Accountants who have passed the professional licensure examinations held last May 2022 by the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy (PRC BoA). There were 990 out of 4,442 who passed the CPA examinations . This 22.48 percent passing percentage continued the recent trend of the CPA examinations having one of the lowest, if not lowest, success rates for the takers of professional board tests.
Black, (a Marine veteran in Vietnam) that Russia was forced into going into Ukraine, as he cited that the “rule of thumb” in any engagement is to have a three to one advantage in the number of troops. Also he said that at that time Ukrainian troops were massing in Donbass, which is populated by a Russian-speaking population. Sen. Black said in a YouTube podcast that hopefully Madame Anke will listen to: “We don’t care how many Ukrainians will die. How many women, children, civilians, and the military will die. It’s like an important football match and we want to win. Russia did not plan the invasion in advance. This can be seen by the number of troops involved in the attack. Ukraine had 250,000, and Russia attacked with only 160,000. Pu-
Orbos . . . continued from A8 equipment (PPE), which included a respirator-type facial mask, in conjunction with a gown, gloves, and eye protection. I believe what sets the procedure apart during the pandemic era is that a body bag labeled with a “Covid-19—Handle with care” sticker bespeaks of the confluence of that extra and special work carried out by our mortuary professionals. They make sure that no unnecessary manipulation of the body can be made to expose risks of air expelling from the lungs, leakage of fluids from the body, and of course, hand hygiene. A dignified management of the dead can still be followed, regardless of the infectious nature from which the deceased suffered. In sum, a mortuary work is more than just a body bag! And these professionals deserve to be considered as our modern-day heroes! In the spiritual realm, the work carried out by Jesus Christ while he was on earth was scoffed at initially. He went about doing every good thing yet he was nailed on the Cross leading to a shameful death. His early followers were persecuted and scoffed at. Back then, to be a Jesus follower was not among those sought after vocations. After all, all but one of Jesus’ disciples died under excruciating painful circumstances. To this day, there are still some who view Jesus as the one whose body was covered with a shroud and had been entombed. To openly declare one’s faith can be seen as a “holier than thou” attitude, subject to ridicule at times. However, a more personal relationship with our Heavenly Father will lead a person to believe that His Son is more than just a cloaked body! Through his costly sacrifice, our God sees us clean and sinless because we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ. The Bible reminds us constantly that “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) And because Christ is more than just a “body bag,” so to speak, nothing about his work is mundane for his righteousness propels us to goodness. With the consciousness therefore that there is grace in the shrouded body, every believer is naturally drawn to walking the right path and leaving his old, evil ways. For it is biblically said that: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” ( Romans 6: 1-2).
Should there be a survey of the top 10 most desired occupations among kids of school-age, I suppose a mortician or embalmer will surely not be in the list. A pathologist may probably hit the scale somewhere, though quite far, and becoming a funeral director might elicit dropped jaws in naiveté. Many will agree that a career in post-mortem care (or bluntly, the management of the dead) may be unsettling at the very least. Though never deficient in significance, jobs in the mortuary business are definitely not the most sought after. After all, dealing with a corpse is not commonly desired.
Even the rail projects will still, at the very least, allow the proliferation of gas fed vehicles as last mile modes. Yes, we do have now substantial spending on bike lanes, greenways, walkways that saw much resurgence during the pandemic, but it unfortunately remains to be the side dish to our transport menu. Even our local electric vehicle infrastructure remains to be a pipe dream. Meanwhile, other countries are on the opposite direction, deconstructing their policies, programs and present physical transport infrastructures for a cleaner and more sustainable environment.Theorganic phenomenon of a surge on bike usage in our country must therefore not go to waste and should, in fact, be noticed and supported by our government. Yes, the Build, Build, Build Program needs to continue, but it should also contain that mindset of “deconstructing” the old “fossil-fuel” milieu and work towards a transformation of helping save our environment. It will be through this “deconstruction” that we will find ourselves truly having the same transport program and infrastructure path as that of the developed world.
The fees being charged and collected by PICPA were for the PICPA Registration, P1,000; Inductee Ticket, P2,800; and Guest/Parent Ticket, P2,800. The cost includes dinner in the Fiesta Pavillion of the Manila Hotel. This oath taking is the first faceto-face event since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, the conduct of the oath taking for the new CPAs were usually held at the Philippine International Convention Center, to accommodate the thousands of people gathering for this event. Due to the restrictions imposed by the government on public face-to-face gatherings, the PRC issued Resolution No. 1255 Series of 2020 providing for the online oath taking application system and authorizing the conduct of the virtual or online special oath taking during the public health emergency brought about by Covid-19. The first online oath taking for the new CPAs following these guidelines were conducted in January 2022 for the passers of the October 2021 CPA Board Examinations.Withtheslowdown of the pandemic, face-to-face public gatherings have since been allowed. Apparently for the oath taking of the May 2022 CPA licensure examination passers, the PRC BOA decided to have the face-to-face mass oath taking option. After the announcement of the conduct of the face-to-face oath taking in the Manila Hotel some weeks back, a number of friends and even new CPAs have asked me if they should or were compelled to attend the oath-taking. They may have asked this to me since I was formerly the Chairman of the PRC BOA and they wanted some guidance on this matter. I sensed that a number of CPAs were concerned about such issues as failure to take their oath as CPA and the rather exorbitant amounts being charged to participate in the oath taking. Section 19 of the Accountancy Law provides that “all successful candidates in the examination shall be required to take an oath of profession before any member of the Board or before any government official authorized by the Commission or any person authorized by law to administer oaths upon presentation of proof of his/her qualification, prior to entering upon the practice of the profession.”Itisclear that taking one’s oath as a professional accountant before a duly authorized government official is needed before a new CPA can legally discharge his or her functions and profession. Thus, I advised those who queried me that it is necessary that the new CPAs complete this requirement of taking the oath, whether face-to-face or virtually. However, I do understand the concern of some of the new CPAs that paying a hefty sum of around P12,200 (for the PICPA registration fee and cost of tickets for the inductee and 3 companions) is quite prohibitive. Even if the new CPA would want to celebrate this milestone by attending personally with his or her loved ones the oath taking event, the cost factor would hinder such decision. I suggest that the PRC BOA organize another oath taking event soon. This can either be a virtual oath taking ceremony or another face-to-face event but with a more economical fee. Our new CPAs are raring to culminate their success of passing the licensure examinations by taking their oath as professionals and proceed with their chosen career.
THE PATRIOT Siegfred Bueno Mison, Esq.
And like the rest of the West who before, insisted on the false claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, Madame Anke should attempt to have a looksee at the other side of the story and with it she need not say that there was “nothing [done] to promote and advocate for peace.” And Madame Anke need not look far. For starters, she should listen to Sen. Richard Black of Virginia on his take on Ukraine and emerge from it with a full-sided view of theItsituation.isunfortunate for the German ambassador to be so zealous in ascribing to us what she said is the Russian narrative when all that we desire is to present the other side of the story. For there is. And if she can spare a few minutes of her time, she will know, as per Sen
The “corpse” of Jesus Christ has far greater meaning and impact, similar to the works done by those in the “management of the dead.”
Monday, August 29, 2022 Opinion A9BusinessMirrorwww.news.businessmirror@gmail.com
DEBIT CREDIT Joel L. Tan-Torres
Having been enlightened with the significance of the work performed by mortuary professionals, we likewise recognize the contributions of cemetery workers, maintenance workers of hospitals and funeral parlors, and even our delivery drivers for our online orders. Their work may be the kind of job not avidly desired, but because they do what they are called to do, our lives have been made much easier if not safer. What they do is more than just a body bag, or a trash bag, or a germ-infested vehicle. Their jobs ought to remind us that we are comfortably safe today because of their sacrifice! The least we could do is to walk and work with these workers, take care of ourselves and our homes to make their jobs easier to manage—just as we should maintain a posture to walk and work with Christ so that we can demonstrate in our lives the grace which he selflessly gave us. That way we can honestly say that our heroes’ sacrifice was never laid to waste.
In a posting on its website,the Professional Regulatory Commmission (PRC) announced the conduct of the face-to-face mass oath taking on August 22, 2022. lic-accountants/5723).face-oathtaking-new-certified-pub-(https://prc.gov.ph/article/faceSome days thereafter, the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants announced in several postings on its Facebook page that “the PRC BOA in collaboration with PICPA” will hold the oath taking ceremonies for the new CPAs in the “iconic” Manila Hotel on August 22, 2022. www.facebook.com/picpa.nat).(https://
Virtual or face-to-face?
T his, Villanueva noted, is a stark contrast from 1990 when the country was only importing 15 percent of its salt Irequirements.amquitesalty about the state of our salt production industry. It’s not too late for the country to become a net exporter of salt,” he said.
By Roderick L. Abad Contributor P RESIDENT Ferdinand “Bong bong” Marcos Jr. has com mitted to help boost the country’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) as they cope with and hurdle the impacts of the ensuing health crisis. “As your president, I assure you that the revitalization of our MSMEs is among the administra tion’s top priorities,” he said during the MSME Summit 2022 held at the Manila Hotel on Friday. “I reiter ate the government’s full commit ment to work hand-in-hand with all stakeholders to make certain that MSMEs are protected and provided with ample opportunities not only to recover from these extraordinary times but to grow and thrive in this Covid age.”
2013,” David added.
T he senator said he supports the recent Department of Labor and Em ployment’s unveiling of a plan to craft a roadmap for the salt industry, as intro ducing new strategies and providing training can generate up to 100,000 new jobs according to the agency. “Reviving the country’s salt pro duction industry can help solve un employment, improve self-reliance for this basic commodity, and bring in money for the country through ex ports. It’s a triple win for the country,” Villanueva said. Butch Fernandez
T he Chief Executive lauded the pivotal role in national growth of the MSMEs, which comprise 99 per cent of the registered businesses in the country. “ Our MSMEs form part of the backbone of our economy, generat ing more than half of our employ ment. And this is why it is fully recognized that this sector’s criti cal role in our country’s economic regeneration, job creation, and poverty reduction is critical,” he said of the small-scale enterprises gravely affected by the pandemic and “were forced to rethink how they can survive this global health crisis and emerge strongly in its aftermath.” ThePresident, likewise, ex pressed support for the MSME Development Council, led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), as it formulates and imple ments strategic goals to improve five key business areas, which he enumerated as the business cli mate, access to finance, manage ment and labor, access to technol ogy and innovation, and access to market.
Brotherhood in business THE gathering of about 120 MSMEs that have graduated from the Kapatid Mentor ME Program and close to 700 mentors from big corporations who supported the 3M On Wheels Mentoring Pro gram also served as the launch pad for the Kapatid Angat Lahat program, a public-private partnership initiative aimed at promoting inclusive economic growth using Go Negosyo’s frame work of providing small enter prises access to money, markets and mentoring. “BBM,”
This multidimensional ap proach will allow us to bring a new life into our MSMEs and help them move forward to a more re silient and prosperous future,” Marcos said. To help them level up and suc ceed, especially during these diffi cult times, he pledged that his lead ership will channel the strength of different sectors to “ensure a more cohesive government approach in creating a more sustainable envi ronment” for small businesses and stakeholders.Marcoscommended Go Negosyo Founder Joey Concepcion for spear heading sectoral initiatives like the conduct of such conclave, wherein strategies on how to revitalize the MSMEs under the new normal can be “tackled. Iknow that it will be an av enue for the government and pri vate sector to find ways to work together, ensuring and enabling a sound environment for the re covery of our MSMEs. I’m pleased that the focus of the MSME Sum mit are post-pandemic recovery and the promotion of digitaliza tion, [which] are aligned with the priorities of the administration for we have the common view for our shared future—the future that we, as Filipinos, will share together,” the President said.
“ For the first time, the country will finally have border inspection facilities for poultry and agricul tural commodities,” Marcos, the concurrent agriculture chief, said in his 2023 budget message. T he construction of CEFA would allow various food safety regula tory agencies or FSRAs like BAI to fulfill their mandates under the Food Safety Act of 2013 that man dates FRAs to conduct mandatory inspections of inbound agricultural shipments.TheFSRAs that will use the CE FAs are BAI, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), which are all attached bureaus of theTDA.he CEFA, a fully integrated laboratory and inspection facility, would allow FRAs to conduct 100 percent inspection of imported agricultural commodities to curb smuggling.Thefacilities at the CEFA would also allow the FRAs to conduct pertinent tests such as pesticide residues and real-time check on the presence of animal and plant diseases to prevent the entry of transboundary animal diseases (TADs).Theconstruction of CEFA had been marred by delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and logisti cal challenges, including fallout of intergovernmental negotiations. T he CEFA was earlier named by the Department of Agriculture (DA) as the Agricultural Commodi ties Examination Area or ACEA. T he construction of CEFA was first greenlighted in December 2019 by then President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who then allocated P520 million of contingency fund for the construction of CEFA in 2020. However, logistical challenges prevented CEFA from seeing the light of day after three years since its inception. The idea of construct ing CEFA was floated in 2019 after the country confirmed the presence of African swine fever (ASF).
A10 Monday, August 29, 2022 See
By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas
S ENATORS are on track to frontload passage of a mul tibilion funding bill for government projects nationwide ensuring equal allocations under a so-called Local Development Equalization Fund (LDEF). A s proposed in Senate Bill 447 filed by Sen. Robin Padilla, local government units (LGUs) will be assured of enough fund ing for their priority develop ment projects under a budget reform that provides funding for a Local Development Equal ization Fund. At the outset, Padilla’s SB 447 provides that the LDEF be “used strictly” by LGUs for development projects, activities and programs (PAPs) listed in their Comprehensive Local Development Plans (CDPs). P adilla said in a statement that “the cornerstone of this pro posed measure is the creation of a Local Development Equitability Fund” intended to support the mandated expenditure assign ments imposed upon LGUs.
The senator added that under his bill, “the national government shall fund the LDEF” to make sure provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays can implement their three-year Comprehensive Develop ment Plan. The LDEF includes: P500 million to P1 billion per province per year, P100 million-P200 million per city per year, P50 million-100 million per municipality per year and P3mil lion -5 million pero barangay per year. Moreover, the amount of LDEF for each province, city or munici pality shall be based on the fol lowing criteria: 50 percent of the prescribed amount for each 1st class LGU, 60 percent of the pre scribed amount for each 2nd class LGU, 70 percent of the prescribed amount for each 3rd class LGU, 80 percent of the prescribed amount for each 4th class LGU, 90 percent of the prescribed amount for each 5th class LGU, and 100 percent of the prescribed amount for each 6th class LGU.
T HE neglect of the salt industry for the past 15 years and the resulting need to import at least 80 percent of its needs is “quite shameful” for the Philippines, an archipelago, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva asserted at the week end. He vowed to unravel the cause of this dire situation and push mea sures to redress it. S en. Villanueva expressed alarm over the recent statement from the Department of Agriculture that the Philippines cannot produce enough salt for its own needs because of government neglect over the past 15 years.Thisis quite shameful for an archi pelagic country with more than 36,000 kilometers of shoreline. Let’s not waste further the potential to provide jobs for Filipinos in every island in the country by reviving the salt production indus try,” the senator said. T he Philippine Chamber of Agri culture and Food Inc. had recently said that the country currently im ports 93 percent of its salt from Aus tralia and China.
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saltstillPHLVillanueva:canbenetexporter BUDGET REFORM BILL SEEKS EQUALIZATION FOR LGU FUNDS
T he construction time for one CEFA is estimated between six and eight[It’s]months.allsystems go. We have the location and funding, it is all systems go,” David, the CEFA Proj ect Director, told reporters in an interview recently. The first border inspection fa cility is envisioned as a one-stop examination building that would facilitate a thorough examination of imported agricultural products to ensure compliance with national standards and regulations as stip ulated in the Food Safety Act of
A t the same time, the firstterm lawmaker lamented that while government is pursuing devolution to ensure the efficient delivery of public services, “it cannot do so fully because politi cal and economic power remains centered in Imperial Manila.”
B ureau of Animal Industry (BAI) National Veterinary Quar antine Services Division-OIC Dr. Jose Eduardo G. David said it is “all systems go” for the construction of two P500 million worth of cold ex amination facilities in agriculture (CEFA) next year. D avid disclosed that the De partment of Agriculture (DA), which is overseeing the CEFA project, is looking to conduct early procurement in the fourth quarter of this year to kick-start the early construction of the CE FAs next year.
A ccordingly, he added, the pro posed law aims to provide an “eq uitable distribution of wealth” to LGUs to foster development with “the end goal of bridging the gap between the revenue expenditure mandates of the LGC and the Gen eral Appropriations Act.” Padilla also clarified in the same statement that his bill, aside from promoting the prin ciple of devolution, is “also in line with the agenda of budget reform pursued by former Sena tor Panfilo Lacson.”
BBM throws support to MSMEs in the face of Covid pandemic
T he country’s first two CEFAs will be built at the Port of Subic and at a port in either Visayas or Mindanao.Theconstruction of the CEFAs has been elevated to a regular-fund ed program under the administra tion of Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. from an unprogrammed project when it was first planned in late 2019.
T he senator filed Senate Resolu tion No. 100 to look into how the government can revive the salt pro duction industry to create jobs and spur economic development. V illanueva said the government must immediately address major hurdles to developing the country’s salt production industry, such as the lack of proper storage facilities, and of equipment such as water pumps and boats for hauling and storing salt.
AFTER three years, the Philippines may soon establish its first border inspection facilities next year as the government appropriated P1 billion for their construction under the proposed 2023 national budget. set aside for PHL’s 1st border inspection site for agri
See “P1B,” A3 See “Budget,” A3
stock picks Broker Regina Capital Development Corp. gave a hold recommendation on the stock of Jolibee Foods Corp. (JFC) as the bears fell in line at the P234 area which hindered the stock to advance. “It is best to hold JFC for a little more while as this stock could potentially further climb up,” it said, giving a weekly target on the stock at P237.40.
At a recent news briefing, Trend Micro Philippines country manager Ian Felipe told journalists that financial institutions, government and healthcare sectors have to act fast because they were identified in Trend Micro’s 2021 Annual Cybersecurity Report as some of the most vulnerable in the region. “Data breaches, ransomware incidents, and privacy concerns are affecting companies of all sizes across industries, and with an increasingly digitally connected world, the need to enhance cyber resilience has become a main challenge for enterprises in the country,” Felipe said. According to Trend Micro’s 2021 Annual Cybersecurity Report, the Philippines will be a prime target as cybercriminals see more opportunities. The report showed the Philippines was ranked fourth in Southeast Asia for most ransomware attacks for 2021 and 2021, up by two notches when it ranked 6th in 2020. In response to the growing cybersecurity challenges in the country, Trend Micro recently launched Trend Micro One, a new unified cybersecurity and attack surface management platform. “Trend Micro One enables organizations to prepare for, withstand, and rapidly recover from threats from all touchpoints, while delivering end-to-end solutions for businesses’ cloud platforms, email, network, and other IoT environments. The cloud-based solution delivers a continuous lifecycle of complete risk and threat assessment with attack discovery, cyber risk analy sis, and threat mitigation and response,” Felipe said. In March, the company said malicious actors pulled in higher profits with both tried-and-true and novel methods. They teamed up to maximize their skills and arsenals, and an evaluation on the impact of these attacks showed these incidents to be more costly and devastating for the victims.
Top losers, meanwhile, were Keppel Philippines Holdings Inc. B, Vivant Corp., Metro Alliance Holdings and Equities Corp. A, I-Remit Inc., Discovery World Corp., AllHome Corp. and Asiabest Group International Inc. this week Share prices may continue to decline this week as investors could cash in on the market’s strength given the lingering uncertainties. It will be a four-day trading week as Monday is a public holiday in observance of the National Heroes Day. Broker 2TradeAsia said it will be a busy week for global data as the market attempts to decipher the next moves of the United States Federal Reserve.
The main index is at an “identity test” towards hitting 7,000 points, it said investors must brace for bouts of selling pressure in between as many wanted to cash in on their “Accumulategains.onweakness. The value game is won before, not after, the market price converges with value.” Immediate support for the main index is seen at 6,600 points and resistance at 6,850 and 6,900 points.
As the country embarks on its journey to digital transformation, major cybersecurity providers reminded Filipinos not to let their guard down as cybercriminals have stepped up their game to pursue their nefarious activities.
By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has urged multi-level marketing (MLM) companies to secure a seal of legitimacy from the agency.
“In reality lahat ng legitimate, direct selling MLM companies. Ang importante diyan ang kanilang sales commissions are paid based on sale of products. Hindi pwedeng binebenta ‘yung position, hindi puwedeng humihingi ng investment o napakalaking pera.”
“Right now, BDO is nearing its near-term resistance and market players may anticipate a slight drop in the next couple of days. All in all, the stock could potentially further climb as we take a look at the chart, and holders of this stock could opt to simply take a grip on their positions and sell whenever a rally shows up,” the broker said. BDO shares closed Friday at P131.50 apiece. VG CabuagALAWMA k eR is urging car manufacturers to explain the “economic logic” behind the exemption of pick-up trucks from excise taxes on automobiles. “(Car makers) had four years of tax exemptions on pickup trucks. We project that we have lost at least P38 billion from the pickup truck excise tax exemption, and for what? 98 percent of pickup trucks are imported, according to the DTI [Department of Trade and Industry]. The average Juan dela Cruz does not have a pickup truck,” house Ways and Means Chair Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda said in a statement on Sunday. Salceda made this pronouncement after local car manufacturers released a statement saying that imposing the excise tax on pick-up trucks will reduce government revenues as it will “negatively impact its sales volume thereby reducing revenues to the government.”
In a letter to Salceda, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno also said that “subjecting pickup trucks to excise tax will result in additional revenue of P52.6 billion from 2022 to 2026.”“So,Ireally need the economic logic: why should the state, with taxes as its lifeblood, forego taxes on pickup trucks. What is the special societal function? Why should we privilege the 98 percent imported pickup trucks over sedans,” said Salceda. Citing vehicle statistics, he said pick-up trucks produce at least 15 percent more emissions than sedans, and sedans pay excise tax. Salceda also cited a DTI letter addressed to him, which indicates that as a result of the pickup truck exemption, annual personal car sales growth fell to 5 percent, from 20 percent, while sales of pickup trucks rose by 17 percent. “I am still open to arguments. But the arguments have to make sense. It can’t be, ‘oh don’t enact this policy because it will reduce our sales and our profits.’ It is not the job of government to assure businesses of profit.”Thelawmaker added that the exemption of pick-up trucks from excise taxes should especially have room for debate as it is considered “a line of goods that are imported.”Salcedasaid his job as Ways and Means chair is to “find revenues, create tax laws that boost gross-valueadded, and fund the common good.”
“Why should I exempt, say, pickup trucks, which are imported, when the Vios, the Almera, and the Mirage, some of which are locally made, pay their excise—and are typical family cars? It’s an honest-to-goodness policy question that I am willing to hear answers to from the car sales sector,” he said. here is my commitment: I will heed the President and his team because their proposals make sense. And my committee will work its hardest to fund the President’s programs with fair tax policies.”
BusinessMirrorEditor: Jennifer A. Ng Companies B1Monday, August 29, 2022
“Views on whether rates will continue its upward trek are now getting mixed. The silver lining is that the past lumpy outlook for the second half and 2023 remains a solid anchor fundamentally, based solely on improving commodity supply data in most of the West, China flooding its system with stimulus and the local 2023 budget looking to focus on food security and infra spending,” the broker said. As the curtain closes for the first-half reporting season, the broker said there are expectations of a follow-through momentum in the second half.
Andrea E. San Juan
“They also rode on developments related to the pandemic, around which they fashioned lures and themes for their campaigns. And the exploitation of old and new vulnerabilities continued to overwhelm security teams, in addition to the challenges of keeping organizations’ overall security postures intact in view of remote work arrangements.”
Last week Share prices last week fell for the first time in five weeks as the market succumbed to profit-taking and investors took advantage of their previous gains, ahead of the long weekend.Thebenchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index fell 111.36 points to close at 6,752.50 points. The main index fell the most for two straight days early last week but pared down its losses during the remaining trading days. Trading, however, was lackluster, with the daily average reaching only P4.47 billion. Foreign investors cornered 44 percent of the trades and were net sellers at P925.68Otherbillion.sub-indices fell with the exception of the Financials index that gained 15.78 points to close at 1,636.78 points. The broader All Shares index was down 58.12 to 3,577.45, the Industrial index fell 131.87 to 9,874.87, the Holding Firms index dropped 176.86 to 6,490.97, the Property index declined 58.20 to 3,021.17, the Services index shed 33.68 to 1,722.49 and the Mining and Oil index plunged 510.49 to 11,814.88.Fortheweek, losers led gainers 78 to 154 and 18 shares were unchanged.
“We will help promote companies that will be given a seal of legitimacy. We are encouraging legitimate companies to apply for one,” DTIConsumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo said during a televised interview on Saturday.According to Department Administrative Order No. 21-09, the DTI Seal of Legitimacy, “refers to the seal issued by the DTI to MLM and DS [direct selling] companies having passed the evaluation of the DTI Seal of Legitimacy evaluation Committee. It serves as notice to the public that the company having the Seal is a legitimate MLM and DS company.”
Jollibee shares closed last week at P237 apiece. Meanwhile, the broker gave the same recommendation on the stock of BDO Unibank Inc. as its upward trajectory has not ended yet despite volume thinning out.
Rizal Raoul Reyes
MLMs urged to get legitimacy seal ‘Explain tax exemption on pickup trucks’ AP Photo/ElisE AmEndolA ‘Global freight rates to fall’ STOCK-MARKET OUTLOOK wMpDi allowed to defer regulatory fee payment
Bloomberg
Be mindful of online threats, top cyber firms tell Pinoys
During a recent virtual meeting before the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and entrepreneurship, Senator Rafael T. Tulfo lambasted the DTI for its supposed inaction to his complaints regarding the proliferation of illegal MLMs in recentTheyears.senator also urged the DTI to coordinate with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP). Castelo said the DTI has been running after illegal MLMs. She also said the DTI has been working with the Securities and exchange Commission (SeC) to apprehend illegalDuringMLMs.the same televised interview, empower Marketing Inc. executive Vice President Jill el icaño-Tan discussed direct selling as well as the attributes of a legitimate MLM firm. elicaño-Tan said retail is the more traditional way of selling wherein people buy from physical stores like malls and vendors or through online. Direct sellers, she said, peddle their products via independent agents. She said MLMs are considered direct sellers, but not all direct selling companies use the MLM format. When asked why some direct selling companies do not use the MLM format, el icaño-Tan said it earned a negative connotation due to the criminal activities of illegal companies.Thecommission payments of legitimate MLM firms, she said, are based on the sale of products and not the sale of “positions.”
T he Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) has granted the request of William Gatchalian-led Waterfront Manila Premier Development Inc. (WMPDI) to postpone the settlement of regulatory fee and start the mobilization of its proposed P34.37-billion reclamation project in Manila Bay.
Atty. Joseph John Literal, general manager of PRA’s Reclamation and Regulation Office, said in a letter to WMPDI President k e nneth Gatchalian that its board gave the green light to the additional 60-day extension within which to comply with the second tranche payment of the initial regulatory fee and Social e n vironment Fund (S e F ) until October 18 for the reclamation and horizontal development of a 318-hectare property along Manila Bay. h e said the PRA board also approved WMPDI’s permit to commence mobilization and actual reclamation works upon payment of the required initial regulatory“Pursuantfee. to Section 8 or PRA Administrative Order No. 202102 or the policy and guidelines of SeF, the effectivity of the Notice to Proceed (NTP), or in this case the Notice to Mobilize (NTM) and Notice to Commence Actual Reclamation Works (NTCARW) shall only commence upon PRA receipt of the full payment of the SeF and upon PRA confirmation of such receipt,” Literal said.
Top gainers for the week were PH Resorts Group Holdings Inc., LBC Express Holdings Inc., Philippine Business Bank, Balai ni Fruitas Inc., Manila Broadcasting Co., Rockwell Land Corp. and Jackstones Inc.
Roderick L. Abad FR eNCh container line giant CMA CGM SA is seeing an across-the-board drop in shipping rates and a loosening of logistics bottlenecks in some regions as demand“Whatsoftens.we’vebeen seeing now for many weeks is a decrease of freight rates in almost all sectors,” Chief executive Officer Rodolphe Saade said Friday in Algiers. “We expect that decrease to continue. I don’t think we’ll see a strong drop but rather a softThelanding.”observations are in line with those of the World Trade Organization, which said this week merchandise trade flows slowed last quarter and will likely stay weak in the second half. This could see the winding down of a frothy period for container carriers after two years of high rates and capacity shortages stemming from pent-up demand from consumers during the pandemic.
News
THE Aboitiz-led Union Bank of the Philippines announced that it recently held an appreciation event for its partners as part of its celebration of its 40th anniversary.
Exploring CX economics DERIVING economic value from an investment in customer experience relies on having a true understanding of what the customer wants. Advanced tools and new technology can make it easier to harness customer data and insights that help decipher customer preferences, wants and needs. Through a better understanding of the customer experience, an organization can determine and prioritize the type of to deliver and target value to capture from the CX investment(s) made. For example, which customer experience has a greater impact on profit loss: An over-the-top customer experience or a negative one? It’s no surprise that failing to meet a customer’s expectations can have serious negative consequences. Falling short on expectations directly impacts customer retention and repurchase behaviors, which can result in lower profits and decreased market share. But exceeding customer expectations can also negatively impactOften,profits.thecosts of delighting customers exceed the potential value it generates. In their efforts to surprise and delight customers or without proper planning, organizations can generate higher-than-necessary operating costs, which can also result in profit loss.
The senator signaled that the committee is also keen to focus and would cover the taxpayers and their rights. Isa sa magiging focus ng Committee on Ways and Means sa Senado ay ang mismong taxpayer at ang karapatan nito. Madalas kasi nating iniisip ang pagtataas ng buwis o kaya ang pagpapalawak ng sakop ng pagbubuwis. Pero nakakalimutan natin ang karapatan ng mga konsyumer o mismong mga nagbabayad.” [One of the focus of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means is the taxpayer and their rights. We often think about raising taxes or expanding the scope of taxation. But we forget the rights of the consumers or the taxpayers themselves.]
A CCORDING to 80 percent of global CEOs in the “KPMG 2020 Global CEO survey,” Covid-19 fast-tracked digital transformation efforts, particularly in the digital operations of their organizations. In fact, 30 percent cited their progress as “years ahead of where they expected to be right now.”For customers, virtual experiences became the norm, and digital holdouts, who previously shopped for in-person experiences only, migrated into the digital crowd. As health and safety became top priorities, the pandemic not only created more virtual customer interactions but steepened digital adoption curves underpinned by these quickly shifting mindsets andAndbehaviors.manyof these changes are likely here to stay. As such, organizations realize they need to continue digitizing their operations while protecting and prioritizing revenue growth and improving customer experiences to meet evolving expectations.Atthesame time, ongoing market uncertainty keeps cost optimization top of mind for executives, as pressures mount to make every investment count. Organizations are fully aware of the need to create exceptional customer experiences to drive loyalty and compete in the new reality, but at what cost to the business?Asour research of customer experience leaders reveals, organizations that are customer obsessed continue to excel in the marketplace, not only because they use customer experience as a point of differentiation but because they are seeing economic returns on their investments. These companies have learned to master customer experience (CX) economics.CXeconomics involves striking the right balance between what customers expect and what makes financial sense for an organization to deliver. It’s the “sweet spot” that results in profitable growth. Achieving this profitable growth occurs when a business understands its customers’ expectations and tempers them against the returns its CX investments can support and yield. We will explore how the unfolding digital landscape and ongoing market uncertainty will likely continue to influence customer behaviors and impact businesses and highlight how mastering CX economics in the new reality can help organizations deliver quality customer experiences and drive profitable return on investments at a time when it’s needed most.
“Our success today has been a product of our co-creation efforts, looking ahead into the future and preparing for the evolution of banking,” UnionBank President and CEO Edwin R. Bautista was quoted in a statement as saying. “Together, we can be ‘future forward’ and leap to being a bank of enduring greatness.” UnionBank said it recognized “the value of nurturing relationships with partners like corporations and micro, small and medium enterprises [MSMEs] who continue to stay, believe and remain working together with the bank through the years.” The bank said it gave away three main award categories. It gave “Steadfast” awards to longtime clients of UnionBank “who became supporters and partners of the bank’s innovative quests.” Recipients of this award category were recognized as “having been vital to growing the bank’s core transaction banking business over time, paving the way for its digital transformation,” the lender said. The awardees include both a leading bookstore/office supplies chain and a pioneering laser-printing/paper copying technology company. The lender said that a “Pathfinder” award was given to corporate and MSME clients “who collaborated closely with the bank for it to be able to create and refine its business solution products, which then became instrumental for these clients’ financial growth.” Among the winners of this award are a leading pharmacy chain and an active community of Finally,mothers/entrepreneurs.the“Trailblazer,”isan award for digital forward thinkers. “They are clients who think out of the box, find new ways to engage customers, grow their enterprise and improve their business processes,” the lender said. Recipients of the award such as the country’s premier micropayments service and a multinational investment and/or financial services company, all built their ecosystems with UnionBank’s solutions and integrated their services with the Bank. They are committed to building a future driven by growth and innovation. “No matter the size or scope of their business, one common denominator among all awardees is the dedication to ingenuity and progress,” Bautista said. “These businesses are the ones with the vision to shape what the future could be. We couldn’t be prouder to work with them.”
“The BSP stands firm in its commitment to foster an enabling policy environment and pursue collaborative partnerships with national payment system stakeholders to advance payments digitization,” the governor said.
BusinessMirror Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Monday, August 29, 2022 B3www.news.businessmirror@gmail.com
By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM
BSP, PPMI to roll out more digital-payments initiatives
The governor also said this will be made available in such a way that it is still usable even if customers and billers use different service providers. Medalla said the implementation at the clearing switch operator level was already completed for this service in October last year for QR Ph P2B and is expected to service nonQR based payments by the end of the first quarter of next year. Next, a facility called “Request to Pay,” which aims to empower payees to initiate collections by sending a “request to pay.”
Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said he observed that “in many instances the collecting agency uses its ‘immense power and resources’ to go after the taxpayers to their undue prejudice.” He asserts this was “why it is important to legislate the Taxpayer Bill of Rights and Obligations to address the systematic problem.”
BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla said among the initiatives they are working on include advances on bills payment, payment automation and direct debit for both individuals and businesses.
Perspectives Wise investments, winning experiences
This excerpt was taken from a KPMG Thought Leadership publication “Wise investments, winning experiences.”KPMGIntl. Ltd. is a private English company limited by guarantee and does not provide services to clients. For more information on KPMG in the Philippines, you may send a message through ph-marketsph@kpmg.com or visit www.home. kpmg/ph.
By VG Cabuag @villygc T HE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has released a memorandum circular that lists securities such as equities, bonds and funds in which Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA) funds may be invested.The list, outlined in SEC Memorandum Circular 7 (Series of 2022), also provided the rules on qualified and eligible “PERA Investment Products,” pursuant to Republic Act 9505, (PERA Act of 2008) and its implementing rules andPERAregulations.refersto a voluntary retirement account established by and for the exclusive use and benefit of the contributor for the purpose of being invested solely in PERA investment products in the country. The memorandum states that PERA may be invested in newlyformed mutual funds, including any sub-fund of an umbrella fund and exchange-traded funds whose fund managers have a track record for the past five years prior to the application of being responsible for the operation and management of a registered mutual fund being offered to the general public. The name of the newly-formed mutual fund must have the words “Personal Equity and Retirement Account” or “PERA.” Real estate investment trust shares, corporate bonds with an investible rating issued by an accredited credit rating agency and equity securities that form part of the Philippine Stock Exchange Dividend Yield Index are also deemed eligible PERA investment products.
In filing Senate Bill (SB) 1199 to be known as “an Act Ordaining a Bill of Rights and Obligations of the Taxpayer,” Gatchalian envisions that soon as enacted into law, it will “primarily protect taxpayers against any threat to their rights” in carrying out their obligation to pay taxes.”
An investment in a security that is later declared to be ineligible as PERA investment product may continue to be authorized to be part of the PERA portfolio, provided that any subsequent investments by a contributor in said security shall not qualify to be included in the PERATheportfolio.rulesrequire issuers of securities qualified to be eligible PERA investment products to comply with the reportorial requirements set by the SEC. Failure to abide by the memorandum circular and other laws, rules and relevant regulations will result in administrative penalties and other civil and criminal liability provided for under applicable laws.
IN an effort to further advance digitization in the country, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said it is currently working with the Philippines Payments Management Inc. (PPMI) to roll out more digital payments initiatives in the country.
SEC IDs securities to park equity, retirement funds
Banking&Finance
“Payors only need to authorize the collection instruction from the payee by responding to the latter’s request,” Medalla said. This platform is expected to run by the second quarter of next Lastly,year.the “Direct Debit” facility, which will allow customers to better manage their higher ticket recurring items that can be scheduled in advance such as monthly rentals, loan amortizations and insurance premiums. This will be done by authorizing billers to pull funds from the account of the payors. Medalla did not mention a date for the launch of the “Direct Debit” facility.
UnionBank celebrates 40 yrs by feting clients
“The BSP recognizes that there are still opportunities to further accelerate the development of an inclusive digital payments landscape in the country,” Medalla said. For the “Bills Pay,” Medalla said
By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM CONGRESS was asked to frontload the timely passage of an enabling legislation envisioned to “prioritize taxpayers welfare for a “more effective, impartial taxMovingsystem.”to provide remedies to taxpayers’ constant concerns, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian sought early enactment of a law embodying the proposed Taxpayer Bill of Rights and Obligations “to address an existing systematic problem.”
In filing SB 1199, Gatchalian asserts that “this law is meant to temper the government’s exercise of its taxing power and afford taxpayers fair and reasonable treatment when dealing with revenue authorities.” Sa pamamagitan ng panukalang batas na ito ay mas mahihikayat pa natin ang maraming taxpayers na tugunan ang kanilang obligasyon at magbayad ng maagap at tamang buwis.” [Through this bill we can further encourage many taxpayers to meet their obligations and pay taxes promptly and correctly.]
This image courtesy of Union Bank of the Philippines shows a screen capture of its president and CEO Edwin R. Bautista. The toyearcelebratedinninth-largestcountry’slendertermsoftotalassetsits40thbygivingawardsitsclients.
they are looking to launch an interoperable bills pay facility to enable both individual and business customers to settle their bills conveniently and more economically. This is expected to be used for utilities, loan amortization and other recurring payments.
The guidelines further identified government securities, securities issued by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and corporate bonds issued by banks in compliance with central bank requirements. Equity securities included in the PSE index may be classified as eligible PERA investment products, provided that the PSE certify to the SEC that the equity securities met the requisites of being nonspeculative, readily marketable and with a track record of regular income payment to investors. The regulator said its website will contain the PSE-certified list of PERA eligible securities comprising the PSEi. The SEC may qualify other securities to be eligible as PERA investment products if the product is nonspeculative, readily marketable and has a track record of regular income payment to Meanwhile,investors.asecurity loses its eligibility as a PERA investment product if the SEC declares it to be ineligible. A registered equity security may also lose its eligibility if its registration statement gets suspended or revoked, or in the case of a PSEi member security, if it is removed from the PSEi. Corporate bonds, on the other hand, may also be deemed ineligible if they are declared to be in default by a competent authority or person in accordance with applicable laws, rules and contracts and if their credit rating is downgraded to a non-investible grade. The same provisions apply for corporate bonds issued by banks. A security that has been deemed eligible by the SEC may also lose its eligibility after it has been found to have lost one or all of the required characteristics of being non-speculative, readily marketable and provider of regular income payment.
At the same time, Gatchalian recalled the investigations made by the Revenue Integrity Protection Service of the Department of Finance (DOF) in April found employees from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue to have engaged in irregular activities. The lawmaker noted that of the 468 employees investigated from the period July 2016 to February 2022, 16 were dismissed, 10 were found guilty in criminal cases, 35 were suspended and 7 were ordered to pay fines. In July of the same year, the BOC reported that three of its personnel were dismissed, 27 were relieved and 7 were suspended. SB 1199 also proposes the creation of the Office of a National Taxpayer Advocate that would be tasked to take the cudgel in ensuring that not only these rights are safeguarded but would also serve as the champion of every taxpayer. The Senator reminded that the measure also promotes accessibility to the taxpayers’ rights and obligations, especially the micro, small and medium enterprises, noting that “it proposes the establishment of a micro and small taxpayer clinic program to be developed by the DOF to ensure fairness and the integrity of the tax system.”
Prioritize taxpayers’ protection bill, Congress urged
Enhancing the personalized experience PERSONALIZATION is the most valuable component of most experiences. It involves demonstrating that organizations understand their customers’ specific circumstances and will adapt the experience accordingly. Timely, personalized interactions help to reinforce customer satisfaction and drive loyalty. Relevant, real-time personalized interactions are the expected norm. Yet, research shows many firms are still unable to deliver a satisfying personalized experience. The benefits of getting personalization right are significant in improving customer relationships, revenue, cost of acquisition and marketing efficiency.Inthenew reality, this will become increasingly important. Customers will continue to demand more personalized experiences that address their evolving needs, and organizations will compete on how to best meet them. Making the journey worthwhile FOR many organizations, investments in improving the customer experience may not generate enough value or provide an acceptable return on investment (ROI). The following four action steps—measure, analyze, prioritize and refine—can help organizations manage the economics of the customer journey effectively.
By David Battisti, University of Washington
The Conversation
The mid-latitudes, including the US, will also face increasing risks. There, the number of dangerously hot days, marked by temperatures and humidity high enough to cause heat exhaustion, is projected to double by the 2050s and continue to rise.Inthe study, scientists looked at population growth, economic de velopment patterns, energy choices and climate models to project how heat index levels—the combination of heat and humidity—will change over time. We asked University of Washington atmospheric scientist David Battisti, a co-author of the study, published August 25, 2022, to explain the findings and what they mean for humans around the world. What does the new study tell us about heat waves in the future, and importantly the impact on people?
HOT FUTURE AERIAL view of a crowded beach in Mallorca, Spain. Denys Bilytskyi | Dreamstime.com
There are two sources of un certainty when it comes to future temperature. One is how much carbon dioxide humans are going to emit—that depends on things like population, energy choices and how much the economy grows. The other is how much warming those greenhouse gas emissions willIncause.both, scientists have a really good sense of the likelihood of vari ous scenarios. For this study, we combined those estimates to get a likelihood in the future of having dangerous and life-threatening temperatures.Welookedat what these “danger ously high” and “extremely danger ous” levels on the heat index would mean for daily life in both the tropics and in the “Dangerous”mid-latitudes.inthiscase refers to the likelihood of heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion won’t kill you if you’re able to stop and slow down— it’s characterized by fatigue, nausea, a slowed heartbeat, possibly faint ing. But you really can’t work under theseTheconditions.heatindex indicates when a person is likely to reach that thresh old. The National Weather Service defines “dangerous” as a heat index of 103 F (39.4°C), and “extremely dangerous” as 125°F (51.7°C). If a person gets to “extremely danger ous” temperatures, that can lead to heat stroke. At that level, you have a few hours to get medical attention to cool your body down, or you die. “Extremely dangerous” heat in dex conditions are almost unheard of today. They happen in a few locations near the Gulf of Oman, for example, for maybe a few days in a decade. But the odds of the number of “dangerous” days are increasing as the planet warms. We’ll likely have about the same weather variability as today, but it’s all happening on top of a higher average temperature. So, the likelihood of extremely hot con ditions increases. What does your study show for each region? In the mid-latitudes by 2050, we’ll see the number of danger ous heat days double in the most likely future scenario—even under modest greenhouse gas emissions that would meet the Paris climate agreement target of keeping warm ing under 2°C (3.6°F). In the Southeastern US, the most likely scenario is that people will ex perience a month or two of danger ous heat days every year. The same is likely in parts of China, where some regions have been sweating through a summer 2022 heat wave for over two straight months. We found that by the end of the cen tury, most places in the mid-latitudes will see a three- to tenfold increase in the number of dangerous days. In the tropics, such as parts of India, the heat index right now can exceed the dangerous level for a few weeks a year. It’s been like that for the past 20 to 30 years. By 2050, those conditions are likely to occur over several months each year, we found. And by the end of the century, many places will see those conditions most of theWhatyear.that means in practice is if you’re a rich country like the US, most people can afford or find air condi tioning. But if you’re in the tropics, where about half the world’s popula tion lives and poverty is higher, the heat is a more serious problem for a good part of the year. And a large per centage of people there work outside in agriculture.Aswegettoward the end of the cen tury, we’ll start exceeding “extremely dangerous” conditions in several plac es, primarily in the tropics. Northern India could see over a month per year in extremely danger ous conditions. Africa’s Sahel region, where poverty is widespread, could see a few weeks of extremely dangerous conditions per year. Can humans adapt to what sounds like a dystopian future? If you’re a rich country, you can build cooling facilities and gener ate electricity to run air condition ers—hopefully they won’t be pow ered with fossil fuels, which would further warm the planet. If you’re a developing country, a very large fraction of people work outdoors in agriculture to earn money to buy food. There, if you think about it, there aren’t a lot of options.Migrant workers in the US also face more difficult conditions. A farm might be able to provide cool ing facilities, but farmers’ mar gins are pretty small and migrant workers are often paid by volume, so when they aren’t picking, they aren’tEventually,paid. conditions will get to the point that more workers are overheating and dying. The heat will be a problem for crops, too. We expect most of the major grains to be less productive in the future because of heat stress. In the mid-latitudes right now, we’re close to optimal temperatures for growing grains. But as temperatures increase, grain yield goes down. In the tropics, that could be anywhere between a 10% to 15% reduction per degree Celsius increase. That’s a pretty big hit. What can be done to avoid these risks? Part of our work in this study was determining the odds that the world will actually meet the Paris agreement. We found that to be around 0.1%. Basically, it’s not go ing to happen. By the end of the century, we found the most likely scenario is that the planet will see 5.4°F (3°C) of warm ing globally compared to pre-indus trial times. Land warms faster than ocean, so that translates to about a 7°F (3.9°C) increase for places where we live, work and play—and you can get a sense of the future. The faster renewable energy comes online and fossil fuel use is shut down, the better the chances of avoiding that. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here:
AS global temperatures rise, people in the tropics, including places like India and Africa’s Sahel region, will likely face dangerously hot conditions almost daily by the end of the century—even as the world reduces its greenhouse gas emissions, a new study shows.
heat-in-the-future-189370.disturbing-news-about-dangerous-were-bad-a-new-study-has-some-thought-this-summers-heat-waves-https://theconversation.com/if-you-
If you thought this summer’s heat waves were bad, a new study has some disturbing news about dangerous heat in the future
Explainer B4 www.businessmirror.com.phBusinessMirrorMonday, August 29, 2022
POWER COUPLE Bela Gupta D’Souza and D’SouzaNishantwith some of their bean baby clothes sold on the edamama platform: Robert diaper.ZooandCloudSomeoneBedress,FunAlessaJeepneyAlejandroonesie,LanotPakwanPlaysleevelessEverybeanARainbowinElse’sPlayonesie,SnappiesLittleGearcloth
“So, edamama was born out of a pain point that we as parents experienced living in the Philippines, where both of our children were born. And we noticed that as young parents today, we are quite digitally savvy. We’re online, seeking out the best products and services for our children. But that experience can feel a little bit overwhelming for first-time parents especially, right? There’s a lot of options. It’s a very search-led process,” Bela explains. Having gone through the pain points themselves, they felt there was an opportunity to better serve moms and parents more broadly in the Philippines by offering them a much simpler, curated, personalized shopping experience online. And, opportunistically speaking, they also saw that e-commerce was a high potential industry in the Philippines with a very high number of Filipinos now online, very social media-active. So they felt that the timing was right to simplify and make better decisions in their parenting journey, then we would done our jobs well,” Bela elaborates.Howdo you choose which companies to invite to your“There’splatform?alot of thought that goes into brands that we onboard. The difference between edamama and the online marketplace today, is that in a marketplace, a seller can set up their own store online, right? And it’s pretty much self-managed, self-service. In edamama, that’s not how it works. [Our approach is that] if we wouldn’t use this product on our own children, we will not sell it on edamama,” says Bela. “We sought to achieve [that goal] by, firstly, very strong vetting for safety, for quality, for authenticity. No fakes, right? Everything is safe and reliable. And that’s our promise to our customers. So we will take give them not just plenty of product options, but really Our exclusive interview with this inspiring, entrepreneurial couple was at the “edamama Family Expo 2022” over the weekend at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia Complex. It was their vision to serve the customers where they are, which means that they have to also go offline and mount an in-person event. “We have our own brand, bean. We launched it with the desire to bring a wider selection of quality, affordable baby clothes to our customers. We collaborate with local Filipino artists and designers to come up with unique prints that you won’t find anywhere else in the market. They are limited collections,” Nishant adds. “Alessa Lanot is an example of a Filipino artist that we work with. She’s a watercolor painting artist. So her designs are now on our clothes. Prior to Alessa, we collaborated with the artist Robert Alejandro.”
I NDIA is still incredible. But when dynamic couple Bela Gupta D’Souza and Nishant D’Souza relocated to the Philippines in 2012, they made the country their “lovely” home. Before their big move, Nishant worked for an American power company while Bela was the cofounder and chief operating officer of Groupon in Thailand. Once settled here, she founded and was the CEO of AdSpark Philippines and then worked as a managing partner for Decapolis Partners. More than a decade later, the enterprising couple founded edamama (www.edamama.ph), the Philippines’ leading parenting-focused e-commerce platform. They launched in May 2020 right in the middle of the first ECQ and haven’t looked back since. They’ve grown their gross merchandise value (GMV) on the platform about 100 times since then, and delivered more than 1.5 million products to Filipino doorsteps all across the country.”
Most of the time, Aveda painstakingly extracts its ingredients from plants instead of going for synthetic ingredients without fear mongering. Aveda does this to reduce its reliance on nonrenewable petroleum products in favor of renewable plants. Using plants responsibly helps Aveda protect the earth and provide economic benefits to people around the world who grow, wild harvest, and produce its plant ingredients. “This is important to us and to many consumers,” said Cindy Angerhofer, Aveda’s Executive Fellow of Botanical Research. “Synthetic ingredients can undoubtedly provide good benefits to skin and hair. In many cases those components, but they are just cheaper and easier to be more depth and beauty than isolated compounds, and to use a whole extract of ginger or turmeric because nature has combined many different compounds that may give more or different activities,” she said. The use of ferments and ferment-derived ingredients is a very big trend in beauty right now but at Aveda, it is also an important means of producing valuable ingredients. “Fermenting yeast or bacteria can produce metabolites like sugars lipids, and amino acids or peptides and derivatives from these substances that are useful for skin or scalp. [An example is Lactobacillus that gives us a rich broth that is useful to support the skin barrier.] Fermentation can give us large quantities of ingredients using a controlled, natural process that we would otherwise have to make synthetically, or would have to harvest a huge amount of plants for. Growing microalgae in large vessels is a good example of that—we get high amounts of functional polysaccharides under sustainable, controlled conditions that soothe skin and scalp without disturbing the sea to harvest the algae over and over. Sometimes we are also able to ferment microbes that produce ingredients we would otherwise have to obtain from animals—hyaluronic acid and glucosamine are good examples of this,” said Angerhofer. Aveda offers an assortment of ultra-hydrating, deep repairing and revitalizing products for all hair types and textures in three key Aveda collections: Nutriplenish, Botanical Repair, and Invati Advanced. There are also products that address particular hair and scalp concerns.
“About 10 percent of our merchant base today is mompreneurs. It is so important for us to grow that to 20 percent. As a mom myself who is a mompreneur, too, I really want to support mompreneur brands,” says Bela. “Those are the ones we often seek out. We have experienced their products ourselves and we want to give them a platform.”
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MY Aveda shampoos and conditioners are not kept in my bathroom but with my skin-care products in the bedroom. I cannot imagine them being used by my family on a daily basis just because they are so expensive. But they are so good on the hair and scalp and I trust them so much that when my dog got sick, Aveda Nutriplenish Shampoo was the only one I used to bathe her. If you know me and how I take care of my dogs, you’d know that what I just revealed is a seal of approval for this brand known for its vegan formulations.Longbefore
• Monday, August 29, 2022 B5 Style BusinessMirrorwww.businessmirror.com.ph
“Clean Beauty” became a buzz phrase in the industry, Aveda was already a green brand. “Aveda holds a unique stake in the industry as a ‘no compromise brand,’ meaning you don’t have to sacrifice green for performance. We like to refer to Aveda as the brand of ANDs—today you can have products that are high performance AND vegan AND cruelty-free AND plant-powered AND created with a mission of care. You don’t have to choose,” Christine Hall, Aveda vice president of research and development, said in an e-mail interview. Early this year, Aveda got certified cruelty-free under Cruelty Free International’s Leaping Bunny Program. This certification is more difficult to obtain than a PETA-certification because it requires companies to actually prove their claims and the certification process takes years. Aveda is a pioneer in creating sustainabilityminded products and its teams are dedicated to following the principles of green chemistry in every step of ingredient sourcing, product formulation and manufacturing.
“Not only do we hold ourselves and our products to the highest standards—both in
“Our Invati Advanced and Pramasana collections contain powerful actives that support hair and scalp health. Additionally, Aveda has a longstanding partnership with the prestigious Center for Skin Sciences at the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom, which has a globally recognized team of scientists committed to building on the foundation of hair and skin biology. The findings of this team have helped drive Aveda’s research in developing powerful actives that can support hair and scalp health in Invati Advanced,” said Hall. Another thing that Aveda is known for is the comforting aromas of its products. “Some of our most popular aromas are Shampure, Rosemary Mint, and Cherry Almond. While they have very different scent profiles, they share an element of complexity, thanks to the artistry with which they were formulated. This complexity, combined with the slight ‘roughness’ that our natural and naturally-derived raw materials contribute to our formulas, is what I think makes our aromas ‘smell like Aveda’ and draws people in,” said Sofia Blanco, Aveda’s Aroma Scientist. In the Philippines, Aveda is available on Lazada, Zalora and Rustan’s. The Aveda Store can be found at Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
PHOTO COURTESY OF @AVEDA ON INSTAGRAM
Editor: Gerard S. Ramos
edamama: Mom’s the word
Sustainable beauty driven by ‘green chemistry’, innovations in natural biotechnology HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN RAINY days are here. And while they may a bummer for some, they also open fun fashion possibilities from Surplus that will keep men and women warm, protected, and stylish. It’s a great time to play with layers with preppie-inspired pullovers, cardigans, and checkered long-sleeved tops. Add a pop of color to outerwear—raincoats and jackets—to bring out your own shine. Go for multifunctional pieces—hoodies and reversible wind breakers that go a long way. Surplus also has hologram long umbrellas for walking in the rain. Whether it’s a drizzle or a storm, never forget your personal style. The collection is available in Surplus stores located in most SM Supermalls nationwide. More conveniently, Surplus can also be found at Lazada, SM Malls Online, and ShopSM.
Strengthening omnichannel strategy for a better customer experience APART from the opening of new physical stores, Toby’s Sports continues to grow its eCommerce business (www.tobys.com), which saw significant growth during the pandemic. In addition to its own eCommerce site, Toby’s Sports has also strengthened its multi-channel approach by opening its own malls in the Lazada and Shopee marketplaces as well as e-commerce storefronts for its affiliate brands runnr (www.runnr.com.ph) and urbanAthletics (www.urbanathletics.com.ph).
BB International Leisure and Resort Development Corporation (BBLRDC)
DR. TAN Caktiong was chosen as this year’s awardee for his dedication to quality, innovation, and excellence, which propelled the Jollibee Group from its humble beginnings to being one of the largest food companies in the world with 18 brands across 34 countries, putting the Philippines on the global map and being a source of national pride. “When we set our vision of being one of the Top Five restaurant companies in the world, we never intended to become big for the sake of becoming big. We set this imbued with a sense of purpose, including that it be something we, our people, and our country can all be proud of,” Dr. Tan Caktiong said in his acceptance speech. “To be recognized today based on the legacy and honor of the late Ambassador Ramon V. Del Rosario is both humbling and inspiring. Having built and contributed as much as he did from the ground up was certainly not easy, but he showed many what was possible, which also reminds me of something I have always believed in—that the only real limitations are those that we place on ourselves,” he added. Dr. Tan Caktiong also addressed students and budding entrepreneurs: “For all the aspiring entrepreneurs, I highly encourage you to chase your dreams. And when you achieve your dreams, to dream even bigger. As I earlier said, the only limitations are those we place on ourselves. Believe in yourselves.” “This award you have given me is an affirmation that we are all capable of doing great things for our country and our people. It will continue to inspire me and all of us in Jollibee Foods Corporation,” he added.Dr.Tan Caktiong joins the ranks of other RVR Awardees such as Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Manuel Pangilinan, Henry Sy, Sr., Oscar Lopez, Vicente Paterno, Washington SyCip, George Ty, Ambassador Jesus Tambunting, Senen Bacani, Diosdado Banatao, and Jaime Aristotle Alip. The Ramon V. Del Rosario Awards acknowledges the support of the following companies: Alibaba Cloud, Naomi Jewelry, Coca-Cola, Starport, ISO-Clean Alcohol, PHINMA Group, Union Galvasteel Corporation, Philcement Corporation, PHINMA Solar, PHINMA Education, PHINMA Properties, PHINMA Hospitality, and PHINMA Foundation.
RVR Award for Nation Building 2022 honors PHL‘s world-class entrepreneur, Dr. Tony Tan Caktiong
Toby’s Sports resumes growth with the opening of three new stores in three SM malls in three months
Nayong Pilipino Foundation spotlights linguistic diversity as the essence of Filipino culture
“Binibigyang-diin ko sa mga nag-uumpisang manunulat na maging partikular sa paggamit ng wika. Ang wika ay hindi lang pang-akademiko, ang wika ay paraan ng komunikasyon. Mahalaga
“This kind of shopping flexibility is the best way we can leverage our large network of stores. And with our renewed focus on customer experience, it will really make purchasing and returning products from our online stores even faster and more convenient” Claudio said.
President Dr. Irineo G. Alvaro Jr. handed over the equipment to CDC Chairman Atty. Edgardo D. Pamintuan during a simple turnover ceremony held at the Clark PolytechnicMeanwhile,Amphitheatre.Pamintuan shared how the partnership between CDC and BBIFI started and CDC’s role based on the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed in April this year. “As passionate proponents of promoting Kapampangan culture and tradition, we signed the MOA on April 8 this year, and today BBIFI will hand over approximately P1,260,000 worth of equipment,” he said. “The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Placement Division of the CDC will guarantee that the necessary tools and resources for researching
TOBY’S Sports, the largest multi-brand sports retailer in the Philippines, has jumpstarted its latest round of growth with the opening of three new store locations in the past three months. The new store opening holds even more significance to Toby’s Sports as it came on the heels of a global pandemic that forced many local and international retailers to close physical stores across the country.
J OLLIBEE Group Chairman and Founder Dr. Tony Tan Caktiong has been named the 2022 Ramon V. Del Rosario (RVR) Awardee for Nation Building during the awarding ceremony held recently at the Manila Polo Club, Makati. The RVR Award for Nation Building honors notable individuals worthy of emulation and who have demonstrated outstanding traits such as Entrepreneurial Spirit, National or Global Impact, Corporate Citizenship, and Social Responsibility.Launched in September 2009, the prestigious award was named after Ramon V. del Rosario Sr., who was the founding president of the Junior Chamber International Manila and was also acknowledged as the “Father of Philippine Modern Industry. “In honoring outstanding nation builders, we are helping build a business constituency for good. We do not see this as just another recognition ceremony but rather, a recommitment event as well as a continuing clarion call to make business a genuine force for good. I am confident that tonight’s honoree will join his fellow awardees in multiplying this force,” said PHINMA Chairman and CEO Ramon R. del Rosario, Jr.
BBIFI donates P1.2M research equipment, materials to CDC
Toby’s Sports, which in 2019 received Hall of Fame status as Most Outstanding Filipino Retailer from the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) after winning its second Outstanding Filipino Franchise Award from the Philippine Franchise Association, sees its franchise business as key to its mission to maintain its status as the #1 sports retailer in the country. “The goal is to bring our world-class lineup of sports brands and products closer to more consumers, and we see our franchise business playing a huge role in our growth, particularly when it comes to expanding our footprint in key provincial areas,” Claudio said.
THE Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) underscored the need to preserve local languages, emphasizing the importance of diversity to our sense of nation through a roundtable discussion titled “Umpukan sa Nayon: Wikang Nagbubuklod” held recently at the IVC Teatro in Fort Santiago, Intramuros, Manila. During her opening remarks, NPF Executive Director Gertie Duran-Batocabe reiterated that the history of every language reflects not only the history of the people but the most important stages of its cultural development as well as its importance in shaping national identity. Bilang isang kaugnay na ahensiya ng Department of Tourism na namumuno sa pagtataguyod ng kultura at pamana, nais ng Nayong Pilipino na magtangan ng Umpukan sa Nayon upang talakayin ang magkakaibang leksikon ng mga rehiyon sa Pilipinas. Sapagkat bahagi po ng kultura ang wika. Ang wika bilang kultura ay kolektibong kaban ng karanasan ng tao sa tiyak na lugar at panahon ng kaniyang kasaysayan,” she said. Among the resource speakers during the roundtable discussion were University of the Philippines (UP) Professors Jesus Federico “Tuting” Hernandez and John Carlo Santos, UP Researcher and Editor Christine Marie Lim Magpile, and Gemma Arella-Suguitan of the Southern Luzon Association of Museums. The discussion was moderated by Roy Rene Cagalingan, Senior Language Researcher of Komisyon ng Wikang Pilipino (KWF). During the discussions, Magpile encouraged Gen Z and young millennial writers to use the Filipino language that fits the audience and matches the purpose.
QUORUM International Inc. Founder Bobby Claudio, Head of Marketing and Customer Experience Andrea Tan, Chairman and CEO Jojo Claudio, and Head of Store Operations and Franchise Development William Llaguno are joined by SM Cabanatuan Mall Officials and special guest actor Rocco Nacino at the opening of Toby’s Sports SM Cabanatuan. ang wika dahil hindi natin napapahayag ang damdamin ng isang tauhan, kung mali ang paggamit ng wika,” she said. On the other hand, Arella-Suguitan saw the diversity of languages as an opportunity to learn more things from other cultures. Marami tayong lengguwahe at ito ay nagbibigay sa atin ng oportunidad para lagi tayong gutom sa kaalaman. Dahil marami tayong salita, hindi maiwasan na nagkakaroon ng sharing. Laging nadadagdagan ang ating vocabulary ng ating mga kababayan. Kung kaya’t maganda rin na iba-ba ang ating salita,” said Arella-Suguitan. Hernandez supports the call for the government to provide the Filipino translation of records. “Dapat matagal na nating ginawa ito, yung mga batas, lalo na sa mga major institution ng pamahalaan. Ang mga public document must be translated to Filipino, para mas nauunawan,” he said.Meanwhile, Santos stressed that the public should use the Filipino languages in their dayto-day lives. Sino ang nagwawagi pag pinagsasampal natin yung mga wika sa Pilipinas? Lagi kapag pinagtatalo ang iba’t ibang wika sa Pilipinas, banyagang wika (English) ang nanaig. At hindi tayo papayag ‘dun kasi ang pagkakaroon ng sariling wika ay nilalabanan natin ang kolonyal na mentalidad. Ang wika ay ‘di para lang magkaintindihan ang mga tao, ang wika ay hindi para lang ipahayag ng diwa, ang Filipino bilang wika ay nakabatay sa lahat ng mga wika sa Pilipinas,” he said. He also reminded the youth that English is not a measure of intelligence or success. “Hindi basehan ng pagiging matalino ang pagiging bihasa sa Ingles. Buhayin nating ang diskurso, dahil ang silbi ng wika ay paglilingkod. Nag-aaral tayo para maglingkod sa kapwa natin Pilipino kaya dapat ang inaaral natin ang wikang Filipino. Ang silbi ng wika ay ang paglilingkod,” he emphasized.TheNPF Umpukan sa Nayon Project is under the Heritage Space Program. It was designed as a series of multi-sectoral consultations for the development of programs for the future NPF Cultural Park and Creative Hub. Through the Umpukan sa Nayon Project, the Nayong Pilipino Foundation was able to foster multi-sectoral partnerships and expand its network.
Toby’s Sports plans to further grow and future-proof its retail business by moving towards an omni-channel strategy, introducing services and innovations that will allow its customers to have a seamless experience across all its sales channels. This includes offering a Click & Collect option in its eCommerce site that will allow customers to order from tobys. com and have the option to pick up their orders from their preferred store.
JOLLIBEE Group Chairman and Founder Dr. Tony Tan Caktiong (4th from right), together with his wife (5th from right) Grace Tan Caktiong, accepts the Ramon V. del Rosario Award for Nation Building. Joining them on stage are (from left to right): JCI Manila President Richard Lim, 2010 RVR Awardee Amb. Jesus P. Tambunting, PHINMA Chairman and CEO Ramon R. del Rosario, Jr., former Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban, Asian Institute of Management President, and Dean Dr. Jikyeong Kang, and Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.
Source of national pride
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The endeavor will serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement for both Filipinos and non-Filipinos to learn more about Kapampangan traditions that are still being practiced today. Also present during the activity are
Health and fitness trends, franchise business as growth drivers WITH the opening of Toby’s Sports SM Lipa and Toby’s Sports SM Grand Central, both of which are under its growing franchise business, Toby’s Sports brings its total of franchise stores to 20, making up over 30 percent of the retail chain’s total stores in the country.
BB INTERNATIONAL Leisure and Resort Development Corporation (BBLRDC) President Dr. Irineo G. Alvaro Jr. (third from right) handed over the research equipment to Clark Development Corp. Chairman Atty. Edgardo D. Pamintuan (fourth from left) during a simple turnover ceremony held at the Clark Polytechnic Amphitheatre.
THE S peakers at the recently held Umpukan sa Nayon: Wikang Nagbubuklod.
“We are excited to open new stores after putting our expansion plans on hold because of the pandemic,” Toby Claudio, President of Quorum International Inc. (QII), the parent company of Toby’s Sports, said. “Helping Filipinos become champions through sports and an active lifestyle has always been our advocacy and it’s never been as relevant and important than it is now. There is a strong resurgence of sports participation, and the reopening of sports facilities allows us to continue to bring the power of sports and fitness to millions of Filipinos nationwide.”
Kapampangan culture and history are kept on-site and are readily available to researchers and students,” he added. CDC then turned over the donated equipment to Ágúman Sínúpan Singsing, Inc. (ASSI) and committed to support its projects by providing a venue for their lecture series on Kapampangan culture andInheritage.addition, CDC also assured ASSI that it would look for an office space within the Freeport to facilitate the research and have a library which will house various literatures and books on Kapampangan history. According to Pamintuan, these efforts will continue for the revitalization of the Kapampangan cultural legacy by analyzing, documenting, teaching, and publishing books related to the said advocacy. He thanked BBIFI, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of BBILRDC, as well as the contributions of the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
BBIFI Corporate Secretary Renato D. Salavador, ASSI Managing Director Joy L. Cruz, ASSI President and Program Director Mike M. Pangilinan, CDC Vice President for Admin and Finance Engr. Mariza O. Mandocdoc, and CDC Assistant Vice President for External Affairs Rommel C. Narciso.
The three new Toby’s Sports stores are located in SM Lipa, SM Grand Central Caloocan and SM Cabanatuan. The opening of three stores in consecutive months signals the company’s determination to pick up where it left off and continue to strengthen its footprint, now totaling 58 stores across the country.
HE Bridges of Benevolent Initiative Foundation, Inc. (BBIFI) recently turned over P1.2 million worth of research equipment and materials to Clark Development Corporation (CDC) which will be used to promote and preserve Kapampangan culture and heritage at ClarkVariousFreeport.gadgets like video cameras, laptops, drones, tablets, projectors, and other learning apparatus will be used to document the Kapampangan people’s intangible cultural heritage and living practices, the creation of scholarly writings for the documentation of Kapampangan research materials, and the composition of children’s books.
n Use a wide range of platforms, both off and online, including social media, for clear communication about the types of vaccines and the process of deploying them. Use all languages spoken, and visual imagery from the platforms people trust.
n Remind the public to act responsibly and think about accuracy prior to posting or sharing information verbally or online social media.
ALON: UBOS NA ANG GAMOTMatapos ang Pasko, Eto na naman tayo. Naku, Diyos ko po! Panlimang alon na ‘to! Nasobrahan yata tayo sa kasiyahan N’ung ang mga kaso ng Covid nagbabaan. Ang panangga sa mukha kinalimutan At ang pagmamaskara’y nabawasan. Sa katunayan ay pati “ang maaasahan,” Na tinatatwag na “gamot ng bayan,” Sa parmasya’y ‘di matagpuan. Sa labas ng botika umaabot ng pilahan.”
W ITH the continued rise in Covid-19 cases, the on going rainy season and the opening of face-toface classes nationwide, we see an increased challenge not just for Covid cases but for Dengue as well. With this in mind, IPRA Philippines re cently invited Infectious Disease Special ist Dr. Joseph Adrian “Jondi” Buensalido to a webinar entitled “May Covid Na, May Dengue Pa!” to help educate us on the twin dangers of these diseases and how we can differentiate one from the other. With the Philippines having a Covid-19 vaccine coverage of about 72 percent and having experienced a period of low cases, complacency has set in. The challenge at hand is how to convince people to go for their boosters which, evidence has shown, the people need due to the waning efficacy of the vaccines and the emergence of new variants. At the heart of this problem is vaccineGlobally,hesitancy.vaccine hesitancy has been a recognized concern. The World Health Or ganization (WHO) defines vaccine hesitancy as a “delay in acceptance or refusal of vac cines despite the availability of vaccination services.” In 2019, the WHO identified it as a top threat to global health. It is a con tinuum ranging from complete acceptance to complete refusal. A Working Group on Vaccine Hesitancy in the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emer gencies further defines it as: A behavior, in fluenced by a number of factors including issues of confidence (do not trust vaccine or provider), complacency (do not perceive a need for a vaccine, do not value the vac cine), and convenience (access). Indeed, vaccine hesitancy is real and it is imperative therefore, that doctors them selves become good communicators and skillfully engage the community in their health-seeking behaviors. It is refreshing to come across a doctor like Dr. Jondi who can combine science and art. His lecture was composed of showing us facts and figures about the incidence of Covid-19 and Dengue, its symptoms and mortality rates and most importantly, how to prevent from getting these diseases. He recently came out with a book called “Mi krobyong Maliit, Pandemyang Pasakit,” a collection of narrative poetry and paint ings about the Covid-19 pandemic written in Filipino. Here Dr. Jondi takes us through the different stages of the pandemic and captures the emotions and thoughts of real people going through the highs and lows and the fifth wave which struck us. He captures it with this PANGLIMANGpoem:
Talking about boAt’s foray into the virtual world, Abraham Var ughese, CCO, Digitas India added, “We didn’t want to just dip our toes into something new because every one was doing it. FloAtverse was designed to be uncompromisingly relevant and give fans a compel ling reason to interact with their favorite artists and their content in an alternate world. Ultimately, it delivered more than fleeting curiosity.”
“KAMPANYA PARA SA DISTANSYA’T
MASKARAKayaang kampanya ko, Ituloy ang paglayo sa isa’t isa, Huwag nang tanggalin ang mask n’yo Para tuluyan nang matigil ang pand emya.”According to the paper published by So cial Science Humanitarian Action Platform, one of the ways to address vaccine hesitancy is to “be imaginative and compelling with communications, including story-telling [e.g. personal stories to which people can relate], emotion, appeals to empathy and altruism, as well as memes to convey key information in engaging ways. This requires context-specific assessment to identify communication preferences and language needs. Accessible material can help people make sense of things in the inherently un certain and tense time.”
n Build on local terminologies and un derstandings of vitality, strength and immu nity in communications about vaccination.
n Be honest about uncertainties, what is known and what isn’t, and do not assume publics can only deal with simple informa tion. Communication of complex issues can be achieved using dialogue, and locally ap propriate ways of designing and further disseminating messages can also emerge from these discussions.
With the virus continuing to mutate, we need to be able to adapt quickly and use all the available tools at our disposal includ ing building up vaccine confidence. A com bination of strategies and approaches can help policymakers, public health officials, vaccine developers, healthcare workers, re searchers, advocates, communicators, me dia and others to build and sustain public confidence in the future uptake of Covid-19 vaccines. Multi-pronged approaches, tai lored to socio-political contexts, specific social groups and even individuals, are likely to yield the best results. We live in an interconnected world and the sooner we realize that no one is safe until everyone is safe, the more we can easily live with the Covid-19 virus without fear. Copies of “Mikrobyong Maliit, Pandemy ang Pasakit, Ang Tinulang Salaysay ng Pan demyang Covid-19,” can be ordered through Facebook Messenger @mikrobyongmaliit book, Shopee and at Solidaridad Bookshop or e-mail buensalidobooks@gmail.com.
n Patient-centered motivational tech niques in patient-healthcare worker en counters (vis-à-vis more confrontational approaches) may help vaccine confidence through empathetic listening and avoiding rebuttal of ‘false opinions’.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the readers’ questions about public relations. Please send your comments and ques tions to askipraphil@gmail.com.
When the B5 Omicron variant hit us, which is currently the most dominant form, he writes: “HAWA, HAWA NA! MADULAS KASI! Orihinal na strain ng Wuhan, Isa’y nakakahawa ng tatlo Kapag walang proteksyonan Gaya ng bakuna, mask at paglayo. Pag Delta, isa’y nakakahawa ng lima. Ang Omicron BA.1 naman, halos sampu! Ang BA.2, kumpara sa BA.1, mas malala: Isa naipapasa sa labing tatlo! Ang BA.4 at BA.5, lalo na! Ang ‘sang maysakit, lalanding sa eigh teen!Parang tigdas na sa lakas makahawa! Mahusay talaga at madulas, itong Co vid-19!Dr.Jondi also took a look at the Dengue Vaccine fiasco and how this has negatively impacted vaccine uptake as well. He writes, “Dito sa Pilipinas, kung saan sobra-sobra Ang kaso ng dengue, tayo’y walang ba kuna.”While the available Covid-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe and fatal symptoms, none are 100 percent effective. That’s why continuous practice of safety precautions is advised such as wearing of masks, hand washing and social distanc ing. Dr. Jondi writes a poem to this effect:
PR Matters is a roundtable column by mem bers of the local chapter of the United Kingdombased International Public Relations Associa tion (Ipra), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Karen Alparce-Villanueva is a Board Member of the International Alliance of Patient Organizations (IAPO), the global alliance of patient organi zations based in the UK and Treasurer of the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations (PAPO), the national alliance of disease-spe cific patient groups in the country. She is also a Founding Member of the Asia-Pacific Immu nization Coalition (APIC) which is advocating vaccine acceptance in the region.
BusinessMirror Marketing Monday, August 29, 2022 B7www.businessmirror.com.ph PR Matters By Karen Alparce-Villanueva Communication challenges in driving vaccination: How one doctor does it to stand out Ev E n ts: BoAt A n d d i gitA s i n di A l Aun ch i n di A’s first K-Po P conc E r t in th E m E tAv E r s E with ‘floAtv E r s E’ MUMBAI, INDIA—Electronics brand boAt believes that pas sion lies in every street and ev ery reel. And talent that’s out of t his world, deserves a platform that’s out of this world as well. This was the inspiration behind FloAtverse, India’s first K-pop concert in the Conceptualizedmetaverse.andexecut ed by boAt and Digitas India, F loAtverse tapped into Gen Z’s passion for K-culture in India, which also boasts one of the world’s largest fanbases. Head lined by upcoming K-pop idol, P riyanka Mazumdar, the con cert included a performance of Rock with boAt”—a song cre ated exclusively for boAtheads. T he metaverse experience was opened by actor Rashmika Man danna and hosted by internet s ensation and K-pop fanatic Radhika Bangia. Users were also given an opportunity to partici pate in several experiences to w in exclusive discounts as well as a chance to fly to Seoul in SouthboAt’sKorea.FloAtverse K-Pop craze painted the town purple from Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube to prime OOH venues and tickets on Book My Show. Speaking on the initiative, Aman Gupta, cofounder and CMO, boAt, commented, “boAt has al ways pioneered live experiences for a younger generation and we have continued to do so by organizing India’s first K-pop concert in the metaverse. Contrary to popular belief, the metaverse can be ex perienced with just a smartphone and an internet connection, rather than a VR headset. Through FloAt verse, we created an experience that combines the cultural trend of K-pop with the latest marketing technology. I learned that K-pop has a massive following in India through this initiative.”
n Use open dialogue. It is important to field questions and address anxieties from people and to listen to their concern and priorities. These should be responded to into other vaccination related activities. Successful models have been carried out in the context of Ebola vaccine trials in Sierra Leone.
MASTER’S DEGREE Management Major in Public Administration diplomas from the Philippine Christian University during its 79th Commencement Exerci Center in Pasay City.
Diamante, Mirandilla scoop golds in COPA’s Reunion tilt
NONIE REYES
HE Philippines seesawed to a five-set win over Australia, 21-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-18, 15-12, on Sunday to find itself on the verge of booking a best-ever finish of fifth place in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Cup for Women. With the PhilSports Arena less than half full owing to the 1 p.m. match schedule, the nationals played through exhaustion from a four-set loss to regional rival the night before and foiled the Australians’ bid of a better finish in the classification phase.
T HE Philippines has no other recourse but to beat Saudi Arabia in another fourth window clash in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup Asia qualifiers on Monday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. Gilas Pilipinas has to win after its reputation suffered another dent—an 81-85 loss to Lebanon— in Beirut on Friday night. Playing in hostile territory where the Lebanese were rabid about their home team, Filipino fans take their turn to root for a limping national team that has yet to add to its two victories—both over lowly India—tainted with three losses, the other two to New Zealand, in the window. “I’m pumped up and excited,” free agent forward Roosevelt Adams, who was cut in the Lebanon game, said. He will replace big man Carl Tamayo in head coach Chot Reyes roster against the Saudis. “I’m just going to play my game and whenever I get the opportunity to get on the floor, I will be going 100 percent,” said Adams, who used to play for Terrafirma.National Basketball Association standout Jordan Clarkson, Dwight Ramos, Kai Sotto, Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Chris Newsome, Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Bobby Ray Parks Jr. and Calvin Oftana remain on the team that returned to Manila on Saturday. The 34th-ranked Filipinos play the No, 80 Saudis at 7 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena.
From among the more than 100 participants in five divisions, it was only Edison Tabalin, a bubbly teener out of Davao, managed to break par in the 36-hole collaboration between Forest Hills and NGAP. “Despite its challenging nature, though, our members and guests keep coming back to Palmer, each time trying to conquer and have a better score,” said Bunquin, who is leading the preparations for Forest Hills’ 25th year anniversary this November. Jacob Cajita topped the Developmental Division with 145 (73-72) and Kirby Lachica 155 (80-75) walked away with the Mid-Amateur 1 title. The other division winners were Roy Nudalo 154 (7678) in Mid-Amateur 2, Lee Jin Soo 153 (74-79) in Senior and King Sumulong 162 (82-80) in Super Senior.
THE Philippines is bound to book its best finish in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Cup for Women.
NICOLA QUEEN DIAMANTE and Andreana Isabel Mirandilla emerged as the top performers in the girls division of the Second Reunion Swim Challenge on Sunday at the Teofilo Yldefonso Pool inside the historic Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila. Diamante scooped four gold medals in the 11 years old category as the pride of RSS Dolphins topped the Class A 100-m butterfly in time one minute and 21.30 seconds, 100m backstroke (1:24.70), 100-m freestyle (1:11.00) and 200m back (3:04.90). Mirandilla, on the other hand, delivered for the Sta, Rosa Laguna Swim team with three gold medals in the girls 9 years old class. She ruled the 50m backstroke (Class B) in 53.50 seconds, 100m backstroke (Class C) in 2:07.60 and 100m freestyle (Class C) in the tournament organized by Congress of Philippine Aquatics, Inc. (COPA) headed by Batangas 1st District Rep. Eric “We’reBuhain.veryhappy and proud as once again, COPA delivered on our promise to give our homegrown swimmers a venue where they can show their talents and the opportunity for them to grow and develop not just their skills but character as well,” Buhain Tournamentsaid.Director Richard Luna and COPA Treasurer Chito Rivera awarded the medals and certificates to all the winners and participants in the two-day event sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission and Milo. Rivera said swimmers who failed to win medals has a chance in COPA’s next event—the 1st Novice Swim Championship set September 17 and 18. IVOH GANTALA is a promising
T HE National University (NU) Bulldogs are the 2022 Filoil champions after defeating the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws, 56-46. The Bulldogs took their second title in the tournament (and first after that 2014 championship back when they had Ray Parks, Troy Rosario and Jean Mbe). They are in my opinion, the first team in the tournament coming from left field to win the title. For sure, basketball analysts would have expected the University of the Philippines (UP) or even La Salle to win it all, but NU and FEU put on some pretty impressive performances. What makes NU’s feat even more impressive is they did it without the lofty expectations of others, perhaps, only themselves. And they swept their way all to the finals, again another incredible feat. While of course, a summer tournament trophy is different from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) hardware, it is nevertheless a stirring triumph. The title run saw many heroes from John Lloyd Clemente to Nash Enriquez to John Galinato and to new Senegalese center, Omar John, among others, I think this really says something about NU’s coach, Jeff Napa. Napa won three titles with the NU Bullpups and led the Letran Knights to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Final Four in his last year with the team. He knows how to build title teams and that in my opinion, is crucial because it is easier to get people to listen to you when you have won and continue to achieve and win. And last UAAP Season 84, he took NU to sixth spot with a 6-8 record despite losing Dave Ildefonso to Ateneo and mostly playing all-Filipino (because of the sub-par game of Issa Gaye). He played teams like Ateneo, La Salle, and UP very tough and his players remained competitive up to the final minutes of the game. I saw Napa play for NU and he was a noted gunner for the late Sonny Paguia. When I saw him next, he was an assistant to Manny Dandan with NU then with Eric Altamirano and Jamike Jarin. So you can bet this title means something to Napa. He is the player who returned home to lead his team to glory. It validates his being named head coach. He saw the losing and winning years of NU both as a player and as a coach. That’s a lot of years learning from some really good and champion coaches while going through some humbling lows and exhilarating highs. It would be easy to say that when he was winning in the high school level, NU had the resources to recruit. Granted, but that doesn’t mean you are going to win it all. I believe that he is cut in the mold of noted basketball coaches Sonny Jaworksi and a Yeng Guiao, men who exact and draw from squads with lesser talent and lead them to glory. Why do I mention that? If Napa can continue to lead his teams to victory, this could lead to the top seat of a Philippine Basketball Association club (he is already an assistant over at NorthPort Batang Pier since 2019). That would be interesting to watch.
“Like what we always say every game, we’re just really happy to be here representing our flag and country,” opposite spiker Tots Carlos said. “Thank you to all the fans who come here and cheered for us.” Carlos produced 26 points, including the matchclinching kill that closed out the intense two-hour and 31-minute contest that gave the national women’s team the victory in the event hosted by the Philippine National VolleyballLookingFederation.fatigued after losing to Thailand, 18-25, 25-23, 20-25, 9-25, in the quarterfinals in the last match on Saturday, the Philippines still showed steely resolve to prevail despite trailing 1-2 in sets. “We have nothing to lose,” coach Sherwin Meneses said. “They have gone through these kind of situations before so they have experience. I just told them to simply just enjoy the game and then limit their basic errors.”
BY EDDIE ALINEA Special to BusinessMirror T HE nation celebrates National Heroes Day on Monday and by tradition, it’s as fitting to commemorate the heroic athletes put up to defend the nation against foreign invaders and eventually help in achieving freedom. Unknown to many, even to the country’s top sports officials, there are 52 Filipino athletes, including nine Olympians, who distinguished themselves not only in the sporting arena but sacrificed their lives as soldiers. Of the 52, 19 carried the country’s colors in many international competitions in athletics, 10 in swimming, nine in baseball, five in basketball, three in boxing, two in football, two in tennis and one each in wrestling and shooting. A commemorative plaque, measuring 33 x 24 inches and cast in bronze and bearing the athlete heroes’ names was unveiled on July 17, 1951, on a wall at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum facade inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, by the now-defunct Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation president Jorge Vargas. On hand during the ceremony honoring those athletes were officials and representatives from more than 50 sports associations who attended the annual general assembly of the PAAF. Joining them were relatives of the honored athletes. Letran athletic moderator, Rev. Fr. Martin Diez, assisted Vargas in the ceremony. Sixty-one years since then, however, succeeding sports leaders have yet to at least recognize those athletes who rendered services to the country in defending the nation’s freedom against the foreign aggressors. Hundreds of thousands, or even millions perhaps, have gone to the coliseum watching basketball and volleyball games, international tennis matches and even entertainment shows since that memorable day. But no one even noticed that plaque, which, at first glance, looks like an ordinary marker identifying the architect and other individuals responsible for the construction of the building. A closer look though would reveal that the names of the Filipino Olympic medalists Teofilo Yldefonso and Miguel White, seven other Olympians and 43 more internationalists perished during World War II. Majority of the honorees were either members of Philippine Scouts, the United States Army Forces in the Far East or guerilla units. Three had just been honored as “Most Outstanding Filipino Athletes of Half-A-Century”— Yldefonso, Jacinto “Jumping Jack” Ciria Cruz in basketball and Virgilio Lobregat in football. Yldefonso, a member of the Philippine Scouts from Piddig, Ilocos Norte, who is to be remembered as the first Filipino to bring home a pair of Olympic bronze medals in the 200-meter breaststroke in the 1928 Amsterdam and 1932 Los Angeles Games, died in the infamous “Death March” from Mariveles, Bataan, to the Capas Concentration Camp in Tarlac. White, from Legaspi City, was also a bronze medalist in the 400-meter hurdles in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the same Games Ciria Cruz, along with another basketball Olympian that year, Amador Obordo, helped the Philippine team to a fifth-place finish, which up to now stands as the highest by any Asian nation in the quadrennial conclave also known as “The Greatest Sports Show on Earth.” Ciria Cruz was executed by the Japanese forces while performing guerilla operations in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya. Besides Yldefonso, White, Ciria Cruz and Obordo, the other Filipino Olympian victims of war were Lt. Nemesio de Guzman in track and field, Lt. Otoniel Gonzaga in shooting, Lt. Simplicio de Castro in boxing and Lt. Enrique Jurado and Abdurahman Ali both in swimming. De Guzman of the Philippine Army was a member of the national delegation to the IXth Olympiad in Amsterdam in 1928, while Gonzaga and De Castro saw action in the XIth Games. Ali swam in the XIth Olympiad in Los Angeles. Yldefonso and White were two of the 11 Olympic medalists who were recipients of the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Sports Communicators Organization of the Philippines during the 80th Anniversary of the Philippine participation in the Olympic Games. Besides White and De Guzman, other Filipino athletes in track and field who were casualties in the war were Miguel Sugeco, Sgt. Domingo Espanol, Lt. Jose Antonio, Mayor Emilio Bucoy, Wenceslao Bansale, Eliseo Razo, Civico Granado, Maximino Pasaporte, Albino Bangayan, Delfin Danguilan, Lt. Constantino Alambra, Moises Lucas, Felizardo Casia, Francisco Danao, Bartolome Barabad, Alejo Alvarez and Simon Santos. Swimmers Rosendo Aguinaldo, Policarpio Tolentino, Donato Cabading, Miguel Bartolaso, Ulka Mangona, Jakara Angkang, Bernardino Tugbo and Mauricio Guidote, perished too, as soldier athletes. Baseball players who represented the country in many international meets, including the Far Eastern Olympic Games, were Sgt. Aquilino Jacob, Cpl. Pabalo Chu, Sgt. Gervacio Estorba, Atilano Rivera, Cacimiro Francisco, Ramon Oncinian, Toribio Oncinian, Regino Bertulfo and CiprianoOtherPlaton.non-Olympic athletes who died wearing Armed Forces of the Philippines uniforms were Carlos Canillas, Albert Murrow and Robert Keesy in basketball, Francisco Zarcal and Martin Roxas in boxing, Jose Miranda in football and Juan Ladaw Jr. and Concepcion Santos-Cepeda—sister Simon Santos in athletics—of tennis.
DAVAO TEENER SHINES IN FOREST HILLS OPEN B8 Sports Monday, August 29, 2022 • Editor: Jun Lomibao www.businessmirror.com.phBusinessMirror Jeff Napa ascending PHL GALS IMPRESS IN ASIAN SPIKEFEST For flag and country: In sports and in war
FORESTswimmer.HillsGolf and Country Club’s Palmer course hosted its first major tournament via the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) Forest Hills Open over the weekend and it passed the test with flying colors. Ranged against some of the best junior, amateur and senior golfers, the par-72 Arnold Palmer-designed course proved it can be a championship layout with its own character and merits. “One cannot take the Palmer lightly,” General Manager Raymond Bunquin said. “The terrain is hilly, the fairways are rolling and the greens are uneven and demanding.”
BY JOSEF RAMOS T
New Zealand leads Group E with a 4-0 won-lost card, followed by Lebanon with 4-1, its lone loss inflicted by the Kiwis. Saudi Arabia is 1-4, having beaten Indonesia, which crashed out of the qualifiers but will still cohost the FIBA 2023 World Cup with main host Philippines and Japan. Saudi Arabia’s 6-foot-10 Mohammad Al-Marwani is not on the lineup but the team will be led by guard Khalid Abdel Gabar, who averaged 16.5 points in the recent FIBA Asia Cup in Jakarta. The last time that the Philippines defeated Saudi Arabia was in July 2021 when a Tab Baldwincoached Gilas booked a 77-61 victory at the King Abdullah Cup in Jordan. Josef Ramos
GILAS SEEKS REDEMPTION
The Philippines takes on Chinese-Taipei in the battle for fifth and sixth places on Monday. The Taiwanese pulled off a 25-23, 25-19, 25-17 victory over Iran earlier Sunday.Asixth place finish would overshadow the country’s ninth place performance in its debut in the 2018 edition of the continental championship in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. Jema Galanza again played big for the nationals with 18 points, while Ced Domingo had three blocks for a 18-point effort for the national women’s team. “It was a lot of teamwork,” setter Jia de Guzman said. “Everyone came together. Everyone did their roles. We really wanted it more this game.”
The Philippines didn’t receive well enough in the opening set and allowed Australia to nail six aces and claim the upper hand. The Filipinas leveled in the second set but again fell in the third set as the Volleyroos, with Caitlyn Tipping scattering for nine points, raced to a 14-3 advantage and weathered their foes late comeback. Then Galanza, Carlos and Domingo joined forces in the fourth set to extend the match. Tipping finished with 25 points, including six blocks and five service aces, while Stef Weiler and Rebecca Redgen chipped in 17 and 12 points, respectively, for Australia. The Volleyroos will play the Iranians in the battle for seventh and eighth places at 10 a.m. Huang Ching-Hsuan had 14 points, including two blocks, while Kan Ko-Hui and Chen Tzu-Ya each scored 10 points for the Taiwanese.
