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THE ‘FORBIDDEN’ PROJECT Report: Chinese hackers targeted SEA nations, including Philippines

By David Rising | The Associated Press

ANGKOK—Chinese hackers, likely state-sponsored, have been broadly targeting government and privatesector organizations across Southeast Asia (SEA), including those closely involved with Beijing on infrastructure development projects, according to a report released Wednesday by a US-based private cybersecurity company. Specific targets included the Thai prime minister’s office and the Thai army, the Indonesian and Philippine navies, Vietnam’s national assembly and the central office of its Communist Party, and Malaysia’s Ministry of Defense, according to the Insikt Group, the threat research division of Massachusetts-based Recorded Future. Insikt said it determined that the high-profile military and government organizations in SEA had been compromised over the last nine months by hackers using custom malware families such as Funny Dream and Chinoxy. Those custom tools are not publicly available and are used by multiple groups believed to be Chinese state-sponsored, the group said.

Culprit

THE targeting also aligns with the political and economic goals of the Chinese government, bolstering the suspicion it is state-sponsored, Insikt said. “We believe this activity is highly likely to be a state actor as the observed long-term targeted intrusions into high-value government and political targets is consistent with cyberespionage activity, coupled with identified technical links to known Chinese state-sponsored activity,” the com-

pany told The Associated Press. China’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations. In the past, Chinese authorities have consistently denied any form of state-sponsored hacking, instead saying China itself is a major target of cyberattacks.

PHL is also a target

OF the cyber intrusions it tracked, Insikt Group said Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam were the top three targeted countries. Also targeted were Myanmar, the Philippines, Laos, Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia. All countries were notified in October of the findings, though it is thought that at least some of the activity is ongoing, the company said. “Throughout 2021, Insikt Group tracked a persistent cyber espionage campaign targeting the prime minister’s offices, military entities, and government departments of rival South China Sea claimants Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines,” the company said. “Additional victims during the same period include organizations in Indonesia and Thailand.” Much of that campaign was attributed to a group being tracked under the temporary identifier of Threat Activity Group 16, or TAG-

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 50.2770

SOLDIERS check vehicles entering military headquarters Camp Aguinaldo in Manila, March 22, 2021. State-sponsored Chinese hackers have been broadly targeting government and private-sector organizations across Southeast Asia, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of Foreign Affairs, according to a report released Wednesday by a US-based private cybersecurity company. AP

16, Insikt Group said. “We also identified evidence suggesting that TAG-16 shares custom capabilities with the [China’s] People’s Liberation Army-linked activity group RedFoxtrot,” the group said.

What may have been lost

OVERALL, Insikt Group said it had identified more than 400 unique servers in SEA communicating with malware, but it was not clear what information had been compromised. “Many of the identified incidents spanned several months, so it is highly likely that the respective threat actors maintained longterm access to the victim networks and were able to obtain victim data over this time period in support of intelligence gathering efforts,” Insikt told AP. “At this time, we do not have insight into the specific data obtained by the threat actors.” Some of the information on Indonesia was disclosed in a previ-

takes all kinds of potential attacks seriously and has measures in place to protect our vital systems.” Insikt Group said it had also detected activity in Cambodia and Laos believed linked to Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative to build ports, railways and other facilities across Asia, Africa and the Pacific. Poorer countries have welcomed the initiative, but some have complained they are left owing too much to Chinese banks. Just last week, Laos inaugurated a $5.9-billion Chinese-built railway linking the country with southern China. “Historically, many Chinese cyber espionage operations have heavily overlapped with projects and countries strategically important to the BRI,” the Insikt Group noted, referring to the Belt and Road Initiative. Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said the country’s own agencies had not detected any hacking of servers noted by Insikt Group.

ous report from the Insikt Group in September, and Indonesian authorities said at the time they had found no evidence their computers had been compromised. Insikt Group said the earlier activity directed at Indonesia from malware servers operated by the “Mustang Panda” group gradually stopped in mid-August, following a second notification the company provided to the country’s authorities. Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said he did not have any information regarding Insikt Group’s new findings that the ministry had also been targeted. Similarly, Thailand’s army said it had no immediate information that its cybersecurity team had detected any intrusions into its servers. Col. Ramon Zagala, spokesman for the Philippine armed forces, said the military had not yet seen Insikt’s report but that “it

n JAPAN 0.4432 n UK 66.4813 n HK 6.4483 n CHINA 7.8831 n SINGAPORE 36.8492 n AUSTRALIA 35.9430 n EU 56.7828 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.4025

Source: BSP (December 10, 2021)

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Vaccine makers racing to update Covid-19 shots, just in case

By Lauran Neergaard | The Associated Press

ACCINE makers are racing to update their Covid-19 shots against the newest coronavirus threat even before it’s clear a change is needed, just in case.

Experts doubt today’s shots will become useless but say it’s critical to see how fast companies could produce a reformulated dose and prove it works—because whatever happens with Omicron, this newest mutant won’t be the last. Omicron “is pulling the fire alarm. Whether it turns out to be a false alarm, it would be really good to know if we can actually do this—get a new vaccine rolled out and be ready,” said immunologist E. John Wherry of the University of Pennsylvania. It’s too soon to know how vaccines will hold up against Omicron. The first hints this week were mixed: Preliminary lab tests suggest two Pfizer doses may not prevent an Omicron infection but they could protect against severe illness. And a booster shot may rev up immunity enough to do both. Better answers are expected in the coming weeks and regulators in the US and other countries are keeping a close watch. The World Health Organization (WHO) has appointed an independent scien-

tific panel to advise on whether the shots need reformulating because of Omicron or any other mutant. But authorities haven’t laid out what would trigger such a drastic step: If vaccine immunity against serious illness drops, or if a new mutant merely spreads faster? “This is not trivial,” BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin, Pfizer’s vaccine partner, said shortly before Omicron’s discovery. A company could apply to market a new formula “but what happens if another company makes another proposal with another variant? We don’t have an agreed strategy.” It’s a tough decision—and the virus moves faster than science. Just this fall the US government’s vaccine advisers wondered why boosters weren’t retooled to target the extra-contagious Delta variant—only to have the next scary mutant, Omicron, be neither a Delta descendent nor a very close cousin. If vaccines do need tweaking, there’s still another question: Should there be a separate Omi-

A WOMAN is vaccinated against COVID-19 at the Hillbrow Clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa, December 6, 2021. The World Health Organization has appointed an independent scientific panel to advise on whether shots need reformulating because of omicron or any other mutant. AP/ SHIRAAZ MOHAMED

THIS 2020 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows SARS-CoV-2 virus particles which cause Covid-19. AP

cron booster or a combination shot? And if it’s a combo, should it target the original strain along with omicron, or the currently dominant delta variant plus Omicron? Here’s what we know.

Companies aren’t starting from scratch

COVID-19 vaccines work by triggering production of antibodies that recognize and attack the spike protein that coats the coronavirus, and many are made with new technology flexible enough for easy updating. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are fastest to tweak, made with genetic instructions that tell the body to make harmless copies of the spike protein—and that messenger RNA can be swapped to match new mutations. Pfizer expects to have an Omicron-specific candidate ready for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider in March, with some initial batches ready to ship around the same time, chief scientific officer Dr. Mikael Dolsten told The Associated Press. Moderna is predicting 60 to 90 days to have an Omicron-specific candidate ready for testing. Other manufacturers that make Covid-19 vaccines using different technology, including Johnson & Johnson, also are pursuing possible updates. Pfizer and Moderna already have successfully brewed experi-

mental doses to match Delta and another variant named Beta, shots that haven’t been needed but offered valuable practice.

Not clear if tweaks are needed

SO far, the original vaccines have offered at least some cross-protection against prior variants. Even if immunity against Omicron isn’t as good, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, hopes the big antibody jump triggered by booster doses will compensate. Pfizer’s preliminary lab testing, released Wednesday, hint that might be the case but antibodies aren’t the only layer of defense. Vaccines also spur T cells that can prevent serious illness if someone does get infected, and Pfizer’s first tests showed, as expected, those don’t seem to be affected by Omicron. Also, memory cells that can create new and somewhat different antibodies form with each dose. “You’re really training your immune system not just to deal better with existing variants, but it actually prepares a broader repertoire to deal with new variants,” Dolsten said. How aggressive a mutant is also plays a role in whether to reformulate the vaccine. Omicron appears to spread easily but early reports from South African scientists hint that it might cause milder infections than previous variants.

How to tell if updates work

THE FDA has said companies won’t need massive studies of tweaked vaccines but small ones to measure if people given the updated shot have immune responses comparable to the original, highly effective shots. Wherry doesn’t expect data from volunteers testing experimental Omicron-targeted shots until at least February.

What about combination shots?

FLU vaccines protect against three or four different strains of influenza in one shot. If a vaccine tweak is needed for Omicron, authorities will have to decide whether to make a separate Omicron booster or add it to the original vaccine— or maybe even follow the flu model and try another combination. There’s some evidence that a Covid-19 combo shot could work. In a small Moderna study, a socalled bivalent booster containing the original vaccine and a betaspecific dose caused a bigger antibody jump than either an original Moderna booster or its experimental Beta-specific shot. And scientists already are working on next-generation vaccines that target parts of the virus less prone to mutate. Omicron brings “another important wake-up call,” Wherry said —not just to vaccinate the world but create more versatile options to get that job done.

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Pag-IBIG pushes back monthly contribution hike anew to ’23 By Bernadette D. Nicolas

he state-run Home Development Mut u a l Fu nd , or Pag-IBIG Fu nd, w i l l once again defer the hike in its members’ monthly contributions by another year to Januar y 2023. This was the second year that PagIBIG Fund decided to postpone the implementation of the hike in contributions in consideration of the plight of their members amid the lingering pandemic. The monthly contribution of the members was supposed to increase from P100 to P150 in January 2022 after its scheduled implementation in 2021 was postponed to another year. “For 2022, we will again not implement the increase in monthly savings or monthly contributions. This is out of respect to our partners, stakeholders, especially the employers in the private sector and also we also heard the sentiment of our members so no increase yet next year,” PagIBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Acmad Rizaldy P. Moti told reporters on Friday. Upon the instruction of the PagIBIG’s Board of Trustees, Moti said he consulted with the employers and the labor sector regarding the increase in contributions. According to Moti, all employers and also the majority of the labor groups that they consulted were all for the deferment of the hike

in contribution. In 2019, agency officials approved the increase of its members’ monthly contributions, which had remained unchanged since 1986. Moti earlier said it was projected that the amount of loans disbursed will eventually outpace the total collections from both loan payments and members’ contributions each year. Meanwhile, Pag-IBIG Fund also reported on Friday that they have so far released P74.62 billion in housing loans as of end-October this year despite the pandemic. With this, Moti expressed optimism that they will be setting a new record for housing loan takeout this year of at least P90 billion, eclipsing their record in 2019 of P86.7 billion. In 2020, housing loan takeout dropped by 26 percent year-on-year to P63.75 billion. Short-term loans released by PagIBIG Fund as of end-October this year have so far reached P36.5 billion, up by 24 percent from P29.35 billion in the same period a year ago. Pag-IBIG Fund also booked a net income of P27.42 billion as of endOctober this year. “We are quite optimistic that again we will have a net income of at least P30 billion by the end of the year,” he said. In 2020, Pag-IBIG Fund posted a net income of P31.7 billion. This was down by 8 percent from P34.37 billion in 2019.

Government raises HCW deployment cap to 7,000 By Samuel P. Medenilla

t least 500 additional healthcare workers (HCW) can now be deployed abroad before the end of the year. This after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) finally approved on Thursday in its Resolution 153 the recommendation of the Mission Critical Skills Technical Working Group (MCS-TWG) to increase the deployment cap for HCWs from 6,500 to 7,000. At a virtual news briefing on Friday, Acting Presidential spokesman Karlo B. Nograles said nurses, whose visas will expire on December 31, 2021 will be given priority in availing of the additional deployment slots. Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique R. Tutay, who is a member of the MCS-TWG, said they have yet to decide if they will recommend if the new annual deployment cap will be carried over to 2022. L a st Ja nu a r y, t he Ph i l ippi ne Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) implemented the deployment cap to ensure the country will have a sufficient pool of HCWs for the country’s Covid-19 pandemic response.

CEO of MyPostcard. “Everyone thinks that they are thoughtful and most countries around the world would argue that point too— but how can we be certain? This was why we knew it was important for the study to consider many different countries from all corners of the globe in order to give the study extra weight. We collected data from every country in the world before narrowing down the findings to the 50 top scoring nations,” he added. The Index measured the performance of countries in Philanthropy, Equality and Family. Philanthropy is measured according to six indicators— charity; international donations; social security benefits; public services funding; compassion; and volunteering. Equality has five indicators— health care, education, gender, minority equality, and social mobility while family has three indicators—elderly support from family, elderly care from the state, and child support. The Philippines posted its highest score in volunteering at 94.08 out of

By Cai U. Ordinario

HE country’s export earnings posted its slowest growth since February this year, according to the latest External Trade report released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Friday. The data showed exports only grew 2 percent in October. This was the slowest since the country posted a contraction of 1.4 percent in February. The country’s total export sales in October 2021 reached $6.41 billion from $6.287 billion in October last year. In October 2020, total export sales contracted 0.9 percent. Exports that posted the steepest declines in October were Special Transactions at 62 percent. These covered replacements and goods returned to the country where they were exported. Other commodities that saw contractions were automotive electronics at 41.1 percent; communication/radar, 40 percent; consumer electronics, 30.6 percent; and abaca, 30 percent. Exports that posted the highest growth were chromium ore, which grew 473.5 percent; Christmas Decors, 407.9 percent; and telecommunications, 290.9 percent.

The list also included Shrimps and Prawns, Fresh, Chilled or Frozen which grew 194.9 percent and Ceramic Tiles and Décor, 153.5 percent. “By commodity group, electronic products continued to be the country’s top export in October 2021 with total earnings of $3.65 billion. This amount accounted for 57 percent of the total exports during the period,” PSA said. “This was followed by other manufactured goods with an export value of $350.18 million [5.5 percent]; and other mineral products which amounted to $298.48 million [4.7 percent],” it added. PSA also said that between January and October, export earnings from January to October 2021 amounted to $62.1 billion, a 16.1-percent increase from the export value earned from January to October 2020. In terms of export markets, PSA said China purchased the largest share of the country’s shipments. Exports to Beijing amounted to $1.01 billion or a share of 15.8 percent to the total exports during the month. Completing the top 5 major export trading partners with their export values and percent shares to the total exports were the United States of America, $962.31 million or 15 percent of

100, placing the country 6th overall and the first among its Asean peers. The top country in this indicator is the United States with an overall score of 100. The country also posted its second highest score in elderly support from family with 92.93 out of 100. This score ranked the Philippines 7th overall while Saudi Arabia, which scored 100, was the top performing country in this indicator. However, the data showed the countr y posted the lowest score in public services spending with a score of 56.71 out of 100; international donations, 57.19 out of 100; and charity with 57.86 out of 100. “The findings provide some interesting insights into how different countries around the world treat one another,” Kray said. “For example, there is clearly a cultural and societal obligation to provide care for elderly family members in AsianPacific countries. This becomes evident with five of the top 10 countries hailing from eastern Asia.”

The study ranked every country in the world against a range of factors that determine their thoughtfulness before narrowing the results down to the top 100 countries with comparable data. The index displays the 50 top ranking most thoughtful societies. In terms of Philanthropy, MyPostcard determined how much people donate to charities in their country as well as internationally, the prominence and amount of social security benefits available to people, how much is spent on public services, how compassionate people consider themselves to be and the rate of volunteering. Determining how equal societies are, MyPostcard said they focused on public access to and quality of health care and education, the levels of gender and minority equality and how socially mobile people can be. In terms of the support for families, MyPostcard said this looked at the amount of people who look after elderly family members, how much state money goes on elderly care as well as child support. Cai U. Ordinario

BIR cites digitalization ramp-up as online payments rise to 4.6M

NLINE payment transactions with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) grew to 4.6 million as of end-October this year, even surpassing the number of transactions for the whole of 2020. Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez said more taxpayers have been using digital tools to pay their taxes with the BIR. “From the 1.9 million electronic payment transactions made with the Bureau in 2015, this number rose to 4.0 million in 2020, representing an increase of 110 percent. Electronic payment transactions in the first ten months of 2021 even grew to 4.6 million,” the finance chief said in his keynote speech on Friday during the launch of BIR’s digitalization campaign initiative Taxpayer FIRST (Fast, Innovative, Reliable, Secure, Technology-Driven). Dominguez also said almost 100 percent of the total number of income tax returns were also filed electroni-

PHL export earnings post 2% growth, its slowest since Feb

Index: Pinoys among ‘most thoughtful’ globally, but second ‘least thoughtful’ for regional peers

ilipinos are still considered among the “most thoughtful” in the world, but are the second “ least thoughtful ” in Asean, according to the Most Thoughtful Societies Index 2021. Based on Germany-based postcard app, MyPostcard, the Philippines ranked 40th out of the 50 most thoughtful societies globally with an overall score of 65.31 out of 100. The study can be found here: https:// w w w.m y p o s tca rd .co m /e n /t hemost-thoughtful-societies-index. Most of the country’s Asean peers did better in the index with Singapore ranking 17th out of 50 countries and economies; Malaysia, 29th; and Thailand, 30th. The Philippines did better than Indonesia which was ranked 43rd in the index. “People are naturally thoughtful, but our world is extremely diverse and we understand that caring for someone can look ver y different depending on the societal context from which someone is coming,” comments Oliver Kray, founder and

Saturday, December 11, 2021

cally this year, even higher than the last year’s 90 percent. “This is a major breakthrough given the fact that only 10 percent of the country’s taxpayers made use of digital tools to file their income taxes in 2015 before our administration took over,” Dominguez said. He attributed this feat to the early digital transformation undertaken by the BIR. “Our decision to digitalize government processes early on helped us respond to the difficulties presented by the global health emergency. The pandemic forced the government to scale up spending to protect lives and preserve the health of our people,” Dominguez said. Aside from the BIR, he also acknowledged the digitalization effor ts of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), which prompted ports to continue to facilitate trade even amid the pandemic. Dominguez reiterated that the

combined tax collections of BIR and BOC were already 9 percent higher than the same period of last year’s level, and they have been exactly as projected. “The reliability of revenue in the first 10 months of 2021, the combined tax collections of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs were already 9 percent higher than the same period of last year’s level, and they have been exactly as projected,” he said. Dominguez added: “The reliability of revenue flows enabled the government to fight the pandemic with confidence. Those revenues helped fund our social alleviation measures to protect the most vulnerable communities, supported our health response and economic stimulus measures, and provided financing for our economic investments for our people. All these were made possible by early transitioning to digital processes.”

Bernadette D. Nicolas

the total; Hong Kong, $865.62 million or 13.5 percent; Japan, $859.67 million or 13.4 percent; and Singapore, $390.59 million or 6.1 percent.

Imports The country’s imports, amounting to $10.43 billion, increased at an annual rate of 25.1 percent. In September 2021, the annual increase was recorded at 24.9 percent, while in October 2020, import value contracted 15.9 percent annually. “The cumulative import value from January to October 2021 amounted to $95.31 billion, representing an increment of 29.7 percent from the import value of $73.48 billion in the same period of 2020,” PSA said. Commodities that pulled up the growth of imports were led by chemical compounds with a 6,225.1-percent growth followed by other special transactions with 194.1 percent. Other items that posted high growth in October were Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and Related Materials, 163.7 percent; Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Products, 145.2 percent; artificial resins, 113.4 percent. Imports that posted the largest contractions were automotive electronics

at 39.7 percent; other imports, 30.7 percent; and Office and EDP Machines, 28 percent. Significant declines were also recorded in the import of Metalliferous Ores and Metal Scrap which contracted 27.5 percent and Power Generating and Specialized Machinery at 26.9 percent. “Most of the imported goods were electronic products with an import value of $2.85 billion or a share of 27.4 percent to the total imports in October 2021,” PSA said. “This was followed by mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, valued at $1.65 billion [15.8 percent]; and transport equipment which amounted to $567.68 million [5.4 percent],” it added. The country’s primary import source in October was China, with goods valued at $2.08 billion or 19.9 percent of the total imports in October 2021. Completing the top 5 major import trading partners with their corresponding import values and percent shares to the total imports were Japan with $1.02 billion or 9.8 percent of the total; Republic of Korea, $930.42 million or 8.9 percent; Indonesia, $728.71 million or 7 percent; and USA, $716.25 million or 6.9 percent.

SC Anti-Terror law ruling affirms check and balance system–Go By Butch Fernandez

dministration Senator Christopher Go on Friday said the Supreme Court ruling upholding the Congress-approved Anti-Terror Law affirmed the system of check and balance between key branches of government is at work. Citing the High Court’s verdict, Go said it sent a clear signal the “rule of law and due process are protected,” as the SC substantially upheld the constitutionality Anti-Terror Law embodied in Republic Act No. 11479 or the “Anti-Terrorism Act.” In hailing the SC verdict, the senator noted that apart from substantially affirming the legality of the Anti-Terror Law, the Court’s decision “shows that checks and balances are at work in our government system.” He added the SC ruling clearly clarified that “due process is still alive in our government and it is not the intention of Congress to strike down human rights, such as mounting protests or expressing opinion in whatever peaceful means.” R em i nd i ng t h at t he Supreme Cou r t st r uc k dow n t wo “ h igh ly contested por t ions of t he l aw a s

u nconst it ut ion a l ” but uphe ld a l l other prov isions, Go stressed Filipi nos e ver y where w i l l cont i nue to e njo y t he i r con st it ut ion a l ly prot e c t e d f re e d om s w h i le s t i l l prov iding the gover nment enough mec h a n isms to bat t le ter ror ism. At the same time, the administration lawmaker conveyed reassurances that on going efforts to address the threat of terrorism will continue within the bounds of law, assuring that “all law-abiding citizens need not fear as the government strives to ensure that everyone’s rights, regardless of who they are, are respected and upheld at all times.” According to Go, “the decision only shows that, despite what detractors and opposition figures are trying to paint that there is no rule of law in this country, no less than the Supreme Court affirmed that anyone is free to exercise his or her legitimate rights without fear of prosecution or persecution.” He, however, hastened to clarify “it is a different issue if you resort to violence to bring down the government,” recalling that as President Duterte advised, “there is no reason to fear if you have no bad intention to hurt people.”

Senators sound alarm on looming job losses in telcos, broadcast firms

ITING cease and desist orders looming over telecommunications and broadcast compa n ies aw a it i ng rene w a l of franchises, Senator Grace Poe aired concern over impending job losses likely to ensue from the regulators’ shutting down operations of telcos and broadcast firms with pending franchise to operate. Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, conveyed concern over “ job losses in the telecommunications and broadcast sectors from companies whose franchises have expired and are now being issued cease and desist orders [CDO] by the National Telecommunications Commission [NTC].” “ We do not like people losing jobs especially at a time like this,” says Poe, as she presided over a hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Ser v ices, adding: “ We can just imagine the enormous challenge of having to keep a company af loat when it cannot operate.” She noted that the NTC was compelled to issue the CDOs to companies w ith expired franchises since the Supreme Court ruled

that those w ithout franchises cannot operate. The SC decision, she added, stemmed from the ABS-CBN case, with the Office of the Solicitor General ordering the NTC to issue the Lopez company a CDO because of its expired franchise. Still, the senator stressed that in the past, the NTC issued provisional authorities to companies while Congress deliberated on their franchises. “This is really alarming. Because of that decision, a lot now are affected. Many lost and stand to lose their jobs,” said Poe. In a statement, Sen. Poe recalled that “according to the NTC, it supports Senate Bill No. 1530 authored by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon seeking to clarify that an inaction or indecision on a franchise application is not necessarily interpreted as a denial.” At the same time, Senator Poe and Senate Minority Leader Drilon asserted that in the case of pending franchise applications, the fault does not lie with applicants who have complied with the requirements, nor Congress with its long list of pressing agenda. Butch Fernandez

Saturday, December 11, 2021

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FDI hit $7.3B by end-Sept, surpassing target and up by 43.8% from ’20 level

OREIGN direct investments (FDI) to the country grew strongly at the end of the third quarter of the year, surpassing the

target set for the year by the national government. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Friday that FDI to the Philippines hit

$7.29 billion by the end of September this year, rising by 43.8 percent from the $5.07 billion in the same nine-month period in 2020.

The FDI net inflows for the first nine months of the year have already surpassed the $7- billion target set by the government earlier this year. FDI are investments made by foreign players to the Philippines in the hopes of long-term return. Since these are in the country for a longer-term compared to their short-term counterpart, the foreign portfolio investments (FPI), FDI usually creates jobs for Filipinos and have a multiplier effect on the economy. In line with this, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said they will be revising their FDI assumption for the country for 2021 and will be announcing it within the month. In September alone, FDI to the countr y reached $660 million, up 30.4 percent from the $506 -million net inf lows in September 2020. The BSP said FDI net inflows in September 2021 rose on the back of the 60.2-percent increase in non-residents’ net invest-

ments in debt instruments to $538 million from $336 million in the same month last year. Likewise, reinvestment of earnings grew by 25.2 percent to $89 million from $71 million. However, non-residents’ net investments in equity capital declined by 67.4 percent to $32 million during the month from $99 million in September 2020. The BSP attributed this to the decrease in equity capital placements, coupled with the expansion in equity capital withdrawals. Data from the Central Bank also showed that equity capital placements during the month came largely from Japan, the United States, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore. These were channeled mainly to the manufacturing; real estate; professional, scientific and technical; and construction industries. Bianca Cuaresma

Higher generation charge spurs hike in December power rates

HE M a n i l a E lec t r ic Compa ny (Meralco) announced Friday that the overall rate for a typical household went up by P0.3143 per kilowatt hour (kWh) to P9.7773 per kWh, from last month’s P9.4630 per kWh on the back of higher generation charges. This is equivalent to an increase of around P63 in the total bill of a residential customer consuming 200 kWh. The generation charge for December increased by P0.1997 per kWh to P5.5343 per kWh from P5.3346 per kWh. This month’s charge already includes first of the four monthly installments covering the deferred costs from the November bill. To cushion the impact of the previous month’s Malampaya facility maintenance shutdown, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) had directed Meralco to defer the collection of portions of their suppliers’ generation costs and to bill these on a staggered basis beginning this December until March 2022. According to Meralco Head of Regulatory Management Office Atty. Jose Ronald V. Valles, if not for the timely intervention of the ERC and the cooperation of power suppliers in deferring part of their charges, upward power adjustments would have been much higher especially last month. “We thank the ERC and our suppliers for easing the burden to consumers,” Valles said. Charges from Power Supply Agreements (PSAs), meanwhile, increased by P0.2142 per kWh, brought about by higher international coal prices and lower dispatch of some PSAs. On the other hand, charges from Independent Power Producers (IPPs) decreased by P0.1541 per kWh, with the resumption of gas supply from Malampaya and improved dispatch of Sta. Rita and San Lorenzo plants. However, even with such resumption, the First Gas plants still used alternative fuel due to continuing supply restriction. Charges from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) were down by P0.0649 per kWh as a result of improved Luzon power supply situation amid fewer

plant outages coupled with the reduction in demand. Last month, PSAs, Independent Power Producers, and WESM accounted for 45.7 percent, 38.2 percent, and 16.1 percent, respectively, of Meralco’s energy requirement. Transmission charges for residential customers increased by P0.0460 per kW h due to higher A ncillar y Ser v ice charges. Ta xes, system loss and other charges, also registered a net increase of P0.0686 per kW h. This month ’s residential rate includes a -P0.0053 rate for the Power Act Reduction (PAR) provision of Meralco’s current PSA with Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSA LM), as prov ided for by the Republic Act 9136 covering supply from the National Power Cor poration (NPC). The collection of the Universal ChargeEnv ironmenta l Charge amounting to P0.0025 per kWh also remains suspended, as directed by the ERC. Meralco reiterated that it does not earn from pass-through charges from generation and transmission, as payments go to the power suppliers and the system operator, respectively, while taxes, universal charges, and Feed-in Tariff Allowance (FIT-All) are remitted to the government. Distribution, supply and metering charges, which are the only costs that go to Meralco have remained unchanged for 77 months, after registering a reduction back in July 2015. Meralco’s continued implementation of the Distribution Rate True-Up refund, which began in March 2021, continued to temper the overall increase. The refund rate for residential customers is at P0.2761 per kWh and appears in customer bills as a line item called “Dist True-Up.” It may be recalled that the ERC provisionally approved Meralco’s proposal to refund around P13.9 billion over a period of 24 months or until the amount is fully refunded. This amount represented the difference between the Actual Weighted Average Tariff and the ERC-approved Interim Average Rate for distributionrelated charges for the period July 2015 to November 2020.

BBM-Sara Uniteam: Unity leads to economic security for Pinoys

ormer Senator and Presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate Vice Presidential aspirant Inday Sara Duterte said stable jobs and financial security of Filipinos would be among their top priorities if they are given the opportunity to serve as leaders of the country in 2022. Addressing his supporters during the Uniteam caravan in Cavite on Thursday morning, Marcos said he understands that the economic security of every family is a basic need, and his administration will prioritize this concern. “Ang hangarin natin lahat ay makabalik sa trabaho ang mga Pilipino. Magkaroon muli ng pera sa kanilang bulsa na pambayad sa kanilang pangangailangan na kahit papano hindi lamang makaramdam ng kaunting ginhawa muli sa kanilang buhay ngunit mayroon pa na pag-asa na magandang kinabukasan,” the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) standard-bearer said. Marcos emphasized that one of the keys to a brighter future is to make the people feel that there is hope and that they are secured while “we are focused on our efforts to rise as a nation after the debilitating effects of the pandemic.” “ Tingnan natin ang karanasan. Tingnan natin ang kasaysayan ng ating bansa. Sa

lahat ng krisis na hinarap ng Pilipinas, tayo po ay nakaraos lamang dahil ang mga Pilipino ay nagkaisa. Ang mga Pilipino ay nagtulungan. Ang Pilipino ay nagkabayanihan, lumabas na naman po ang ugali,” Marcos Jr. told the crowd. He said one of the issues they agreed upon with his running mate when they forged their tandem was to become a “symbol of unity.” “Dahil kung ang taga-Ilocos at tagaDavao na nanggagaling sa magkabilang sulok ng Pilipinas ay maaring magsama, siguro naman ang lahat ng Pilipino’y maaari nating isama at ipagsama uli…. magkaisa muli,” Marcos Jr. said. Duterte, on the other hand, said it is imperative that “we help each other especially during these precarious times.” She emphasized that this is one of the reasons why she did not think twice about teaming up with Marcos Jr., who had a vision for the country. “Before I agreed to join him I asked what is there to be done now that the country is faced with several challenges. Sagot niya sa akin, ‘Inday Sara, bago pa man magpandemya, mayroon nang mga naghihirap. Nung dumating ang pandemya, lahat tayo tinamaan sa ating mga buhay. Iba’t ibang klaseng epekto ang dala ng pandemya sa buhay ng mga Pilipino,’” she related.

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WHO warns fears of Omicron could spark new jab hoarding

ENEVA—The World Health Organization expressed concerns Thursday that rich countries spooked by the emergence of the Omicron variant could step up the hoarding of Covid-19 vaccines and strain global supplies again, complicating efforts to stamp out the pandemic. The UN health agency, after a meeting of its expert panel on vaccination, reiterated its advice to governments against the widespread use of boosters in their populations so that well-stocked countries instead can send doses to low-income countries that have largely lacked access to them. “What is going to shut down disease is for everybody who is especially at risk of disease to become vaccinated,” said Dr. Kate O’Brien, head of WHO’s department of immunization, vaccines and biologicals. “We seem to be taking our eye off that ball in countries.” Meanwhile, the European Union’s drug regulator said Thursday it is closely following the spread of the new variant and whether new vaccines will be required to fight it. Vaccine makers are racing to update their Covid-19 shots against the newest coronavirus threat even before it’s clear a change is needed. “At this stage, we do not have enough data on the impact of this variant on the effectiveness of the approved vaccines. But we are continuously scanning the horizon to gather evidence in this regard. In any case, we are preparing to take rapid action should the need arise,” Marco Cavaleri, head of biological health threats and vaccines strategy at the European Medicines Agency, said during an online media briefing. Cavaleri said that the agency expects that “in a matter of three to four months we will be in the position of approving a variant vaccine for Omicron.” The time scale is from the start of development until approval, the agency said after the briefing. Cavaleri also said that the EU agency expects to give the green light to a fifth vaccine for use in the 27-nation bloc before the end of the year, with a decision on a request for authorization of American biotechnology company Novavax’s coronavirus vaccine. Months of short supplies of Covid-19 vaccines have begun to ease over the last two months or so, and doses are finally getting to needier countries—such as through donations and the UN-backed COVAX program—and WHO wants that to continue. It has long decried “vaccine inequity” by which most doses have gone to people in rich countries, whose leaders locked down big stockpiles as a precautionary measure. “As we head into whatever the Omicron situation is going to be, there is risk that the global supply is again going to revert to high-income countries hoarding vaccine to protect—in a sense, in excess—their opportunity for vaccination, and a sort of ‘no-regrets’ kind of approach,” O’Brien said. “It’s not going to work,” she added. “It’s not going to work from an epidemiological perspective, and it’s not going to work from a transmission perspective unless we actually have vaccine going to all countries, because where transmission continues, that’s where the variants are going to come from.” Some wealthy governments want to leave no stone unturned to get their populations as close to full vaccination as possible. Many questions remain about the severity, transmissibility and resistance to vaccines of the new Omicron variant, which emerged last month in southern Africa and has shown early signs of spreading faster than the widespread and deadly delta variant driving the pandemic now. O’Brien urged a “rational, global perspective” about “what’s actually going to shut down this pandemic.” “We have the tools at hand, we have the choices we can make, and the next days and weeks are really going to determine what direction the world decides it’s going to go in, on Omicron,” she said. Nevertheless, WHO says individuals in rich countries should follow the policies of their governments, some of which are enticing people to get boosters, which are additional doses aimed to buck up immunity from earlier jabs that wanes over time. “An individual in a country, their dose is not going to get shipped to another country because they don’t take the dose,” O’Brien said. “It is country governments, not individuals, who are making decisions that could influence the equitable distribution of vaccines to other countries.” AP

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they’re six months past their last dose. And hours later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted the last barrier as Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the agency’s director, issued a statement strongly encouraging those teens to get their booster as soon as it’s time. Boosters are important considering that protection against infection wanes over time and “we’re facing a variant that has the potential to require more immunity to be protected,” Walensky told The Associated Press. About 200 million Americans are fully vaccinated, including about 4.7 million 16- and 17-yearolds, many of whom got their first

South Korea’s cases top 7,000 for 3rd straight day

EOUL, South Korea—New coronavirus infections in South Korea exceeded 7,000 for the third consecutive day on Friday in a record-breaking surge that has crushed hospitals and threatens the country’s goals to weather the pandemic without lockdowns.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said during a virus meeting that the country could be forced to take “extraordinary” measures if the virus doesn’t slow soon. Officials issued administrative orders requiring hospitals around the country to designate 2,000 more beds combined for Covid-19 treatment. Kim said the government will also speed up the administration of booster shots by shortening the interval between the second and third vaccine injections from the current four or five months to three months starting next week. Around 41.5 million people, or 81 percent of the population of over 51 million, have been fully vaccinated, but only 10 percent have received booster shots. The Delta-driven spread in recent weeks has been accompanied by a spike in hospitalizations and deaths, many among people in

their 60s or older whose immunities have waned after being inoculated early in the vaccine rollout that began in February. Officials tightened restrictions starting Monday, banning private social gatherings of seven or more people in the greater capital area and requiring adults to verify their vaccination status at restaurants and other indoor venues. But Kim said such measures haven’t yet showed an effect in slowing transmissions. “If it becomes clear that we aren’t succeeding in reversing this crisis situation within the next few days, the government will have no other choice but to employ extraordinary anti-virus measures, including strong social distancing,” said Kim, South Korea’s No. 2 behind President Moon Jae-in. Deputy Health Minister Lee Kiil said officials may further reduce

People wait for coronavirus testing at a public health center in Seoul, South Korea on December 9. New coronavirus infections in South Korea have been rising and breaking records daily. There were long lines at testing stations after they exceeded 7,000 for the first time on Wednesday since the start of the pandemic. More than 5,600 of the new 7,175 cases were reported in Seoul and the nearby metropolitan region. AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

the limit on social gatherings and restore business-hour restrictions at restaurants and bars that were lifted in November if things continue to look bad next week. “We will try our best to avoid a lockdown,” Lee said during a briefing. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said around 5,300 of the 7,022 new cases reported Friday were from capital Seoul and the nearby metropolitan area, where the virus has hit hardest. The country’s death toll is now at 4,130 after 53 virus pa-

tients died in the past 24 hours, while 852 others were in serious or critical conditions. South Korea has also tightened its borders to fend off the new Omicron variant since identifying its first cases last week that were linked to arrivals from Nigeria. The KDCA said health workers confirmed three more Omicron infections on Friday, bringing the tally to 63. Scientists say it’s not yet clear whether Omicron is more contagious or dangerous than previous strains of the virus. AP

South Africa approves Pfizer booster amid Covid-19 wave

OH A NNESBURG —South Africa’s regulator y authority has approved the PfizerBioNTech vaccine as a booster shot, opening the way for third doses to be administered to battle the current surge driven by the Omicron variant. South Africa’s new Covid-19 cases continue to rise. In the last 24 hours, South Africa recorded 22,391 new cases, up from about 200 per day in early November. More than 90 percent of the new cases are Omicron, according to genetic sequencing surveys. T he Sout h A f r ican Hea lt h Products Regulatory Authority approved the Pfizer vaccine as a booster shot for people 18 years and older, six months after they received their second dose. The regulatory body also approved a third dose for people aged 12 years and older who were “severely immunocompromised,” which may be taken 28 days after their second dose. The regulatory body encouraged

A boy gets vaccinated against Covid-19 at a site near Johannesburg on, December 8. Omicron cases have been confirmed in at least nine African countries, with South Africa remaining the epicenter, with officials reporting that initial cases appear to be mild. AP/Denis Farrell

vaccine manufacturers to provide data regarding the use of different vaccines on an individual, known as “mix-and-match.” The approval came Wednesday, shor t ly after Pf izer announced that a laboratory study

US expands Pfizer Covid-19 booster campaign, opens extra dose to age 16 NITED STATES health authorities again expanded the nation’s booster campaign Thursday, opening extra doses of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine to several million 16- and 17-year-olds. The US and many other nations already were urging adults to get booster shots to pump up immunity that can wane months after vaccination, calls that intensified with the discovery of the worrisome new Omicron variant. On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration gave emergency authorization for 16- and 17-year-olds to get a third dose of the vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech—once

Saturday, December 11, 2021

shots in the spring and would be eligible for a booster. “Vaccination and getting a booster when eligible, along with other preventive measures like masking and avoiding large crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, remain our most effective methods for fighting Covid-19,” Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting FDA commissioner, said in a statement. The Pfizer vaccine is the only option in the US for anyone younger than 18, either for initial vaccination or for use as a booster. It’s not yet clear if or when teens younger than 16 might need a third Pfizer dose. But Walensky said the CDC and FDA would closely watch data on 12- to 15-year-olds

because if they eventually need boosters, “we again will want to act swiftly.” Vaccinations for children as young as 5 just began last month, using special low-dose Pfizer shots. By this week, about 5 million 5- to 11-year-olds had gotten a first dose. The extra-contagious Delta variant is causing nearly all Covid-19 infections in the US, and in much of the world. It’s not yet clear how vaccines will hold up against the new and markedly different Omicron mutant. But there’s strong evidence that boosters offer a jump in protection against Delta-caused infections, currently the biggest threat. AP

showed its two-dose Covid-19 vaccine had reduced eff icac y against the Omicron variant but said that a booster shot was still effective against Omicron. On T hursday President Cy ril

R a maphosa met w it h t he Co v id -19 m i n i s t e r i a l a d v i s or y comm it tee to d isc uss t he r ising nu mber of infect ions a nd t he impact of t he spread of t he Om icron va r i a nt. Ramaphosa and his expert advisers were also expected to discuss the burning issue of whether the government should make vaccines mandatory. Some private companies and universities have already announced they will implement vaccine mandates. Despite having adequate supplies of more than 19 million vaccine doses, South Africa’s vaccination campaign has lagged. Just over 14 million South Africans have been fully vaccinated, representing 36 percent of the adult population and about 24 percent of the total population. The relatively slow rate of vaccinations makes the government’s goal of inoculating 67 percent of the population by February look unrealistic. AP

Saturday, December 11, 2021

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Biden calls on leaders to end ‘backward slide’ of democracy T

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Taiwan loses diplomatic ally Nicaragua to China

ASHINGTON—President Joe Biden expressed alarm at a “backward slide” of democracy around the globe on Thursday, calling on fellow world leaders to work with him to bolster democratic institutions as his administration grows increasingly concerned about China’s and Russia’s push for global influence. Biden’s comments to more than 100 leaders at the White House’s first virtual Summit for Democracy came as they pointed to a host of challenges confronting democracies, including corruption, inequality, and limitations on press freedom. The leaders also expressed increasing worry about the perils of disinformation and strengthening autocracies. “Will we allow the backward slide of rights and democracy to continue unchecked?” Biden asked. “Or will we together—together—have a vision... and courage to once more lead the march of human progress and human freedom forward?” He didn’t mention either China or Russia by name. But he has repeatedly made a case that the US and like-minded allies need to show the world that democracies are a far better vehicle for societies than autocracies. It is a central tenet of Biden’s foreign policy outlook—one that he vowed would be more outward looking than his predecessor Trump’s “America First” approach. Biden underscored that even long-established democracies, like the United States, haven’t been immune to the strains, and he called the moment an “inflection point in history.” L oca l elected of f icia ls are resigning at an alarming rate amid confrontations with angry

voices at school board meetings, elections offices and town halls. States are passing laws to limit access to the ballot, making it more difficult for Americans to vote. And the January 6 attack at the Capitol has left many in Donald Trump’s Republican Party clinging to his false claims of a stolen election, eroding trust in the accuracy of the vote. “Here in the United States we know as well as anyone that renewing our democracy and strengthening our democratic institutions requires constant effort,” Biden said. Beyond rhetoric, the president announced he was launching an initiative to spend up to $424 million for programming around the world that supports independent media, anti-corruption work and more. Thursday’s video gathering drew backlash from the United States’ chief adversaries and other nations that were not invited. The ambassadors to the US from China and Russia wrote a joint essay describing the Biden administration as exhibiting a “Cold-War mentality” that will “stoke up ideological confrontation and a rift in the world.” The administration also faced scrutiny over how it went about deciding which countries to invite. China and Russia were among those that did not receive invitations.

President Joe Biden speaks from the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington on December 9, for the opening of the Democracy Summit. The two-day virtual summit is billed as an opportunity for leaders and civil society experts from some 110 countries to collaborate on fighting corruption and promoting respect for human rights. AP/Susan Walsh

Other leaders at the summit delivered their own remarks on the state of democracy—many prerecorded—often ref lecting on the stress that rapidly evolving technology is having on their nations. They also bemoaned the increase of disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining institutions and elections. “The democratic conversation is changing,” said Denmark ’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. “New technologies and large tech companies are increasingly setting the stage for the democratic dialogue, sometimes with more emphasis on reach than on freedom of speech.” T he summit comes as Biden is pressing Russia’s V ladimir Putin to step back after a massive buildup of troops on the Ukraine border that has created grow ing concern in Washington and European capitals as well as Ukraine itself. Biden on Wednesday said that he warned Putin of “severe consequences” if Russia invaded. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who took part in Thursday’s summit and later spoke by phone with Biden, said on Twitter, “Democracy is not a given, it must be fought for.” Poland’s Andrzej Duda spoke out against Russia in his address, decrying Moscow and its support of Belarus. Poland and Western allies have accused Russian ally Belarus of using migrants as pawns to destabilize the European Union in retaliation for its sanctions on his authoritarian regime. Hundreds of migrants, mostly from the Middle East, have flocked to the Belarus-Poland border. Poland “took on a commitment to be a support for democracy in Eastern Europe,” Duda said. “It is a beautiful task, but it has its consequences. It has made us the target of the Kremlin propaganda.” Putin made no public comment on the summit Thursday as he took part in his own video call with members of the Kremlin council for human rights. Biden has said passage of his ambitious domestic agenda at home—the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill he signed into law, as well as the roughly $2 trillion “Build Back Better Act” of social and climate change initiatives moving through the Senate—will demonstrate how democracy can improve people’s lives. Some advocates a lso want Biden to focus more on shoring up democracy at home. One early test came Thursday as the House approved the Protecting Our Democracy Act, the third in a trio of

bills—alongside the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act—largely backed by Democrats. All three are expected to be stalled by Republicans in the Senate. “Here in the United States, we know that our democracy is not immune from threats,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in remarks to close out the first day of the summit. “January 6 looms large in our collective conscience, and the anti-voter laws that many states have passed are part of an intentional effort to exclude Americans from participating in our democracy.” T he International Institute for Democrac y and Electora l Assistance, said in its annual report that the number of countries ex periencing democratic backsliding “ has never been as high ” as the past decade, w ith the US added to the list along w ith India and Brazil. Chinese officials have offered a stream of public criticism about the summit. They have also expressed outrage over the administration inviting Taiwan to take part. China claims the self-governing island as part of its territory and objects to it having contacts on its own with foreign governments. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan declined to attend the conference. In a statement issued ahead of the meeting, the foreign ministry said, “We value our partnership with the US, which we wish to expand both bilaterally as well as in terms of regional and international cooperation.” Yet Pakistan’s relationship with the US has been fraught with suspicion on both sides. Islamabad has balked at Washington’s oftenstated criticism that Pakistan has not been a reliable partner in the war on terror, accusing it of harboring the Taliban even as that group fought a US-led coalition. Pakistan says it has lost 70,000 people to the war on terror since 2001 and is ready to be a partner in peace but not in war. Other uninvited countries have shown their displeasure. Hungary, the only European Union member not invited, tried unsuccessfully to block the EU Commission’s president from speaking on behalf of the bloc at the summit. Last year, Biden referred to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as a “thug.” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto dismissed the summit as a “domestic politicaltype of event” where countries whose leaders had a good relationship with Trump were not invited. AP

AIPEI, Taiwan—Taiwan lost Nicaragua as a diplomatic ally after the Central American country said it would officially recognize only China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory. “There is only one China,” the Nicaraguan government said in a statement Thursday announcing the change. “The People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents all China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory.” “As of today, Nicaragua breaks its diplomatic relations with Taiwan and ceases to have any official contact or relationship,” it added. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “sadness and regret” and said it would immediately recall its diplomatic staff. The move leaves Taiwan with 14 countries globally that officially recognize it. China has been poaching Taiwan’s diplomatic allies over the past few years, cutting down the number of countries that recognize the democratic, selfgoverned island as a sovereign nation. China is against Taiwan representing itself in global forums or in diplomacy. The Nicaraguan government signed an official communiqué to re-establish diplomatic ties with China in Tianjin on Friday, according to Chinese state broadcaster

CCTV. Under the agreement, Nicaragua promises not to have any official contact with Taiwan going forward. “This is the right choice that is in line with the global trend and has people’s support. China highly appreciates this decision,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. “We won yet another beautiful battle,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian wrote on his personal Weibo account, while sharing a video of Nicaragua’s Foreign Minister Denis Moncada Colindres reading the statement saying that Taiwan is an “inalienable” part of China. Zhao called the change part of “an irresistible trend.” Nicaragua established diplomatic relations with Taiwan in the 1990s, when President Violeta Chamorro assumed power after defeating Daniel Ortega’s Sandinista regime at the polls. Ortega, who has just been re-elected for a fourth consecutive presidential term since returning to power in 2007, had maintained close ties with Taipei until now. “Long-standing friendship & successful cooperation benefiting the people of both countries were disregarded by the Ortega government,” Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on Twitter. “Taiwan remains unbowed & will continue as a force for good in the world.” AP

Biden assures Ukraine leader of US support to deter Russia

ASHINGTON—President Joe Biden reached out to Ukraine’s leader Thursday as the United States moved to take a more direct role in diplomacy between that country and Russia, part of a broader effort to dissuade Russia from a destabilizing invasion of its western neighbor. But any negotiations to peacefully resolve Europe’s tangled East-West rivalries will present minefields for the US president. Biden made his offer of American diplomacy during a two-hour online session with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. Biden proposed joining the Europeans in negotiations not just to settle the conflict in eastern Ukraine but to address Putin’s larger strategic objections to NATO expanding its membership and building military capacity ever closer to Russia’s borders. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by phone for more than an hour Thursday. Biden assured Zelenskyy of support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also renewed a pledge that the US and its allies would hit Russia with economic sanctions and intensify defensive aid to Ukraine and NATO allies nearest to Russia if Russia did invade, the White House said. The two called on Putin to calm the crisis and urged diplomacy. Biden said the US was prepared to help with “confidence-building measures” to implement a 2015 peace deal. In a statement after the call with Biden, Ukraine said Zelenskyy was offering “clear proposals to unblock the peace process and is ready to discuss them in various formats.” Administration officials have suggested that the US will press Ukraine to formally cede a measure of autonomy within its eastern Donbas region, which is now under de facto control by Russiabacked separatists who rose up

against Kyiv in 2014. Decentralization of Ukraine and a “special status” for Donbas were laid out in an ambiguous, European-brokered peace deal in 2015, but it has never taken hold. More autonomy could formally give residents of that region more authority over some local issues. The administration officials made no mention of ceding any territory. Biden also will have to finesse Ukraine’s desire to join NATO. The US and NATO reject Putin’s demands that they guarantee Ukraine won’t be admitted to the Western military alliance. But senior State Department officials have told Ukraine that NATO membership is unlikely to be approved in the next decade, according to a person familiar with those private talks who spoke on condition of anonymity. For Biden, the challenge will be encouraging Kyiv to accept some of the facts on the ground in eastern Ukraine, without appearing to cave to Putin—a perception that could embolden the Russian leader and unleash a fresh line of condemnations by Republicans as Biden’s popularity is already in decline. Ukraine may be asked “can you make some step forward on these areas,” said Steven Pifer, a former US ambassador to Ukraine. That could include measures such as allowing the Russia-allied Donbas region to control its own health care, police and schools, he said. “But I don’t see Washington pushing the Ukrainians to take steps that would compromise their sovereignty or the ability of the national government when it came to making decisions,” Pifer said. Ukraine, a former Soviet republic with deep cultural and historic ties to Russia, has in recent years sought closer integration with the West and membership in NATO. The alliance has held out the promise of membership but it has declined to set a timeline. Even before the current crisis, Ukraine was a long way from joining. AP

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Age-friendly Malabon City empowers senior citizens

SIDE from ensuring quality education for students and nutrition of young Malabonians, the senior citizens are among Mayor Lenlen Oreta’s priorities. Often, the elderly feel helpless and lonely—with that, Mayor Oreta created various projects that can make them feel useful and have a feeling of importance. Some of Mayor Oreta’s projects, like Ms. Grandma Malabon, a unique pageant that pitted the most charming and witty grandmothers who represented the various barangays of the city, is an optimistic take on how age is only a number. Also, a workable pro- THE new Office of Senior Citizen Affairs Building in Malabon City. gram that benefits retirees or senior citizens breaks the stereo—not having the right to have rights. types of aging by hiring them as ac Addressing these unmet needs is tive and vigilant safe-keepers in the becoming one of the urgent public barangays. Function as crusaders of priorities. To better assist the senior road safety, discipline, and traffic rules citizen in filing complaints or charges are some of the employment opportuagainst any establishment, institunities given to the elderly. Having this tion, or agency refusing to comply feeling of empowerment made the rewith the privileges under the law, the tirees one with society again. Malabon City government recently The Malabon LGU also supports opened its newly built OSCA Building the mental health of Malabonian to provide better services and open Lolos and Lolas. With the platform opportunities for senior citizens. TikTok, they can have fun fam “We had the blessing of our new ily bonding at home with the latest building which will house our City trends on social media. Social Welfare and Development With the Covid-19 pandemic, Department and Office of the Sethe vaccination of the elderly is also nior Citizens Office. This will be a prioritized by the city government, huge help to hasten giving social which provides their essential needs services to every Malabonian,” said such as food and livelihood. Mayor Oreta. Mayor Oreta’s administration’s The city government of Malabon key development strategy is to transis committed to being more proacform Malabon into a progressive, tive and attentive to the needs of “age-friendly” city that not only cares its residents, owing to the leader’s for the aged but also honors their great enthusiasm for reform and contributions to the community. excellent governance. As one reaches retirement age— In Malabon City, “aging is not privileges like discounts on translost youth” but a new stage of adding portation, food, healthcare, pension, life to their years and adding years and much more are a right for every to their life. By understanding the senior. However, even at an old age, proper support and care of the elelderlies are still experiencing defeat derly, they can live life to the fullest.

DSWD urged to release social pension of elderly every quarter By Filane Mikee Cervantes

ANILA—The House of Representatives is urging the Department of Social Welfare and Development to release the monthly social pension of senior citizens on a quarterly basis instead of the current semestral schedule. During Tuesday’s plenary session, the chamber adopted House Resolution 2276, which stresses the need to provide senior citizens financial assistance as soon as possible amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez, one of the authors of the resolution, said an interval of six months within

which to distribute the social pension for indigent senior citizens may be more harmful than responsible. “The deprivation or delayed administration of critical medicines to the citizenry, especially the elderly, has the potential to worsen existing medical conditions,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez said as a result of lockdowns and quarantines in many parts of the country due to Covid-19, a large segment of the working population lost their jobs, depriving, especially those from the poor sector, gainful employment and financial security, affecting elderly family members who are dependent on them for financial support.

By Audrey McAvoyY & Gillian Flaccus The Associated Press

ONOLULU—When Japanese bombs began falling on Pearl Harbor, US Navy Seaman 1st Class David Russell first sought refuge below deck on the USS Oklahoma. But a split-second decision on that December morning 80 years ago changed his mind, and likely saved his life. “They started closing that hatch. And I decided to get out of there,” Russell, now 101, said in a recent interview. Within 12 minutes his battleship would capsize under a barrage of torpedoes. Altogether 429 sailors and Marines from the Oklahoma would perish — the greatest death toll from any ship that day other than the USS Arizona, which lost 1,177. Russell returned to Pearl Harbor on Tuesday for a ceremony in remembrance of the more than 2,300 American troops killed in the December 7,

By Nick Tayag

MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH

“The lack of income or financial assistance to the elderly will push them down into poverty, which, coupled with lack of access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food, will lead to hunger and malnutrition,” he said. Elderly beneficiaries are selected from the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction and the list of identified senior citizens is then validated at the local level. However, Local Government Units (LGU) also accept applications at the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) for the benefit. Potential beneficiaries are those aged 60 and older who are sick, frail

or with a disability, without pension from Government Service Insurance System, Social Security System, Armed Forces and Police Mutual Benefit Association Inc. and other insurance company, and no permanent source of income or regular support from his/her relatives. Copies of the resolution shall also be furnished immediately to the National Commission of Senior Citizens, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, League of Provinces of the Philippines, League of Vice Governors of the Philippines, League of Municipalities of the Philippines, League of Cities of the Philippines, and Liga ng mga Barangay. PNA

101-year-old returns to Pearl Harbor to remember those lost 1941, attack that launched the US into World War II. About 30 survivors and 100 other veterans from the war observed a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., the minute the attack began. Survivors, now in their late 90s or older, stayed home last year due to the coronavirus pandemic and watched a livestream of the event instead. Russell is traveling to Hawaii with the Best Defense Foundation, a nonprofit founded by former NFL Linebacker Donnie Edwards that helps World War II veterans revisit their old battlefields. He recalls heading topside when the attack started because he was trained to load anti-aircraft guns and figured he could help if any other loader got hurt. But Japanese torpedo planes dropped a series of underwater missiles that pummeled the Oklahoma before he could get there. Within 12 minutes, the hulking battleship capsized. “Those darn torpedoes, they just kept hitting us and kept hitting us. I thought they’d never stop,” Russell

A new turning point for a former ‘Little President’

N her two best-selling books, Passages and Pathfinders, author Gail Sheehy documents the roadmap of adult life through the stories of real people. Each time we go from one stage of our lives to the next, we face a transition or a turning point that she calls a “passage.” The central point of the books is that our personalities need not stop developing. There’s no last passage even in retirement. In fact, she presents retirement as a call to make a creative change—to grow to our full potential. According to the stories found in the books, the best of life happen to those who let go of old roles and find a renewal of purpose. Instead of declining, there are men and women in their post 50s who embrace a Second Adulthood and progress through entirely new passages into lives of deeper meaning, renewed playfulness, and creativity. Some call this a process of reinventing oneself. One example of an individual who is reinventing himself is Paquito N. Ochoa Jr., the Executive Secretary of the late President Benigno “Noynoy” S. Aquino for six years. During his term, his office was not only at the center of the action; it was the center of the action. Yet

Editor: Angel R. Calso • Saturday, December 11, 2021 A7

we never read much about him much because he preferred not to be in the limelight, but it was his office that got the President’s programs moving. As executive secretary, he faced challenges on a daily basis. Then as now, his way of responding to challenges is to take the proverbial bull by the horns. And the bull right now is Manuel L. Quezon University, or MLQU for short, where he sits as the university president. Like a good matador, Ochoa is sizing up the present bullish challenge, trying to find out how best he can have mastery over it. He is the type who does not flinch, one who thrives on the seemingly impossible. The bigger the task, the more he gets hepped up. One afternoon, our team of communications specialists had a lively and freewheeling exchange with him in his office along Edsa, near GMA 7. In that session, over cups of coffee, he talked about exploring the idea of reinventing MLQU. Just for context, Manuel L. Quezon University was founded in 1947, by eminent Filipinos such as the Senator Lorenzo Tanada, Justice Jose B.L. Reyes, Justice Arsenio Dizon and a few

other prominent achievers. They lit the torch of the MLQU brand of education that has since then distinguished itself above the rest: rooted in the classics with a strong nationalistic bent. This is succinctly embodied in the university motto: pro patria et jure (for country and rule of law). The vision of the said founders was clear: a school that would mold and shape a roster of patriotic young “nation builders” in diverse fields of endeavor. Since then, young men and women have trodden and walked through its halls and eventually went on to become illustrious and renowned lawyers, justices, public servants, agents of the law as well as architects and engineers who helped build and strengthen the pillars of our society anchored on the rule of law. Their honored achievements are now part of MLQU’s legacy. In October 2014, property developer New San Jose Builders Inc. (NSJB) acquired ownership of MLQU. A Filipino owned company established in 1986, headed by its chairman and owner, Jose Rizalino Acuzar. It is the company behind Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan and as well as several residential tower projects in Metro Manila, among others. When this was announced, there was a sentiment among critics as well as a few alumni that MLQU would be turned into just

another real property development project of NSJB. The entry of Ochoa as president quieted down the qualms. While he is not from the academe, he has accepted the daunting challenge of breathing new life into an old school that has fallen into hard times and transform it into a viable proposition again. He is determined to continue its legacy as a venerable molder of nation builders in keeping with the founders’ original vision. This commitment has led to investments in resources, facilities and equipment, a more conducive learning environment, the offering of new programs, recruitment and development of faculty, and partnership with government and nongovernment institutions. Today, he admits that the academic landscape is changing. The digital age and the pandemic have turned everything into a new ballgame. In fact, the pandemic has changed the game by “forcing” the shift to the digital realm much sooner than the world wanted. This is not only true in public governance or business and industry but also in education. Ochoa is being compelled to adjust and adapt to the exigencies of the times, adopting any digital solution within reach to get MLQU going during the long and interminable lockdowns. But he sees beyond the pandemic. He is fully aware that the world, and particularly education, cannot

said. “That ship was dancing around.” Russell clambered over and around toppled lockers while the battleship slowly rolled over. “You had to walk sort of sideways,” he said. Once he got to the main deck, he crawled over the ship’s side and eyed the USS Maryland moored next door. He didn’t want to swim because leaked oil was burning in the water below. Jumping, he caught a rope hanging from the Maryland and escaped to that battleship without injury. He then helped pass ammunition to the Maryland’s anti-aircraft guns. After the battle, Russell and two others went to Ford Island, next to where the battleships were moored, in search of a bathroom. A dispensary and enlisted quarters there had turned into a triage center and place of refuge for hundreds of wounded, and they found horribly burned sailors lining the walls. Many would die in the hours and days ahead. “Most of them wanted a cigarette, and I didn’t smoke at that time but I, uh, I got a pack of cigarettes and and will not go back to what it was before. This is why he is determined to pursue the digitalization of an old school like MLQU even farther. He is treading on uncharted ground and he is doing it by the seat of his pants because there are no tested and proven templates to show him how to navigate it. Not in the university setting anyway. So he is just winging it, guided by an informed, common sensical mind. He constantly and continuously monitors the radar, looking around, listening, and absorbing and sounding off people like me. What’s good about Ochoa is that he is not walled in by traditions that might stymie other school administrators. He does not pretend nor aspire to have any doctorate degrees in education or similar area of expertise. He can only rely on an innate guile, instinct, abilidad, his past experience as an administrator of a city and chief of staff of a president. He often likes to break the mold in the way he approaches problems or issues. His mantra seems to be: why not? He is willing to try any idea that might work and discard it if it doesn’t and then move on to another idea. While Ochoa is busy future fitting MLQU, he is also determined to put MLQU back on the radar as a top-notch law school. There was a time when the university had a 100 percent passing average in the bar exams. For the longest time, MLQU was the default place for bar exam reviewers, many of whom went on to be in the top 10. Even Ochoa said it was at MLQU where he spent time reviewing for his bar exam. He intends to make Law one

some matches, and I lit their cigarettes for them,” Russell said. “You feel for those guys, but I couldn’t do anything. Just light a cigarette for ‘em and let ‘em puff the cigarettes.” Russell still thinks about how lucky he was. He ponders why he decided to go topside on the Oklahoma, knowing most of the men who stayed behind likely were unable to get out after the hatch closed. In the first two days after the bombing, a civilian crew from the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard rescued 32 men trapped inside the Oklahoma by cutting holes in its hull. But many others perished. Most of those who died were buried in anonymous Honolulu graves marked as “unknowns” because their remains were too degraded to be identified by the time they were removed from the ship between 1942 and 1944. In 2015, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency exhumed 388 sets of these remains in hopes of identifying them with the help of DNA technology and dental records. They succeeded with 361. of the flagship courses of the university as a way of honoring the distinguished achievements of its past law graduates. Consequently, he has managed to recruit a first class legal professional and educator as the new dean for the School of Law, together with a coterie of quality law professors. A highly regarded former Supreme Court Justice who is an MLQU alumnus will soon come on board as a Dean emeritus or something. Recently Ochoa signed a memorandum of agreement with the prestigious The Asia Foundation for the establishment and management of the MLQU Law Clinic, to make competent legal assistance more accessible to indigents and the disadvantaged. This he said would expose law students to actual law practice and prepare them adequately for the real world. This transition or “passage” from “little president” of the land to the president of a venerable old university in the process of being re-envisioned is full of challenges that can daunt any individual. Having found a renewed sense of purpose and fully aware that education is the difference maker the country needs in its long arduous passage to progress, Ochoa is determined to ensure that the new MLQU proves ready and worthy to be the molder of the new generations of digital natives to come. One wishes him all the best because the country in its sorry state right now is ripe for massive rebuilding. It will need all the young idealistic graduates that the new MLQU can produce to rebuild it.

A8 Saturday, December 11, 2021

Education BusinessMirror

Editor: Mike Policarpio

New DepEd bureau aims to improve ALS

HE Education Department has established a new bureau that would oversee its Alternative Learning System (ALS) program.

In a statement, Department of Education (DepEd) chief Leonor Magtolis Briones said the newly established bureau would boost the program for out-of-school youth, serving as the focal office

for implementation. “This will strengthen our initiatives, programs and policies for the out-of-school children in special cases, youth and adults as we ensure their educational continu-

ity, for them to be able to develop basic and functional literacy, life skills, and pursue an equivalent pathway to complete basic education,” she said. The bureau is under the Curriculum and Instruction strand, establishing communication and coordination channels, as well as implementation mechanisms within the department’s central, regional and schools division offices for the ALS program. Briones said the bureau’s creation shows the department’s

SECRETARY Leonor Magtolis Briones DEPED/PNA

Critical ‘Covid’ times produce PHL’s best science teachers

EACHING in the middle of a pandemic is no easy feat, but three teachers from the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) continued to level up and inspire teaching excellence, as evidenced in the fifth Cleofe M. Bacungan Natatanging Guro Awards (CMB NGA) ceremony held online on November 19. This year the CMB NGA honorees are Kristine Joy Aguila of the PSHS Main Campus (Humanities and Social Sciences category); Ronna Magto of the PSHS Western Mindanao Campus (Mathematics and Computer Science); and Erika Eunice Salvador of the PSHS Western Visayas Campus (Natural Sciences). The CMB NGA aims to help maintain teaching excellence in the PSHS to shape globally competitive Filipino scientists equ ipped w it h 21st - cent u r y skills. The keynote message was delivered by Vice President Ma. Leonor G. Robredo, who thanked

the PSHS faculty and expressed her appreciation for all their extra effort in developing the country’s next professionals and leaders in science and technology despite the challenging pandemic situation. “This responsibility takes on even more gravity as we face the greatest challenge of our time,” said Robredo, as she stated in Filipino that “education is one of the most affected sectors and until now, everyone is still adjusting to online classes and modular learning.” Scince Secretary Fortunato T. Dela Peña also congratulated the awardees, as he highlighted the critical role of teachers in social growth. He emphasized that the awardees performed beyond the minimum requirements of their duties, and met the standards of the CMB NGA. According to him, this has made the PSHS the “home of exceptional teachers, who are our engineers of learning, our advo-

Telus presents learning, hygiene kits to students by Roderick L. Abad

ITH face-to-face classes being implemented in select schools nationwide, Telus International Philippines distributed around 20,000 learning and hygiene kits to 12,500 students in 17 public elementary schools in Metro Manila and Iloilo. This initiative was part of the “Telus Days of Giving” events, in support of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Brigada Eskwela Program. “Our community activities are events that our team members look forward to,” said Phoebe Carrera, Telus International Philippines corporate social responsibility manager. “They allow us to make…positive change in the communities where we live, work and serve and demonstrate the Telus International brand of care that runs through the fabric of our company’s culture.” Since 2014 the cause has touched the lives of about 49,875 studentbeneficiaries in 20 schools. More than 14,800 team member-volunteers have collectively donated 69,800 hours to the success of the program. This year over 500 team members based at the company’s sites in both Metro Manila and Iloilo volunteered 1,000-plus hours to pack the learning and hygiene kits for the learners. Each kit contains with school supplies such as notebooks, pad paper, pens, crayons, a ruler, a sharpener and glue. Compliant to DepEd’s recommended list of inclusions, hygiene kits come

with disposable face masks, a face shield, goggles, soap, alcohol, hand sanitizer, toothpaste, toothbrush and drinking water, with the addition of sanitary pads for female high-school students. Meanwhile, beneficiary learning institutions received reams of bond paper to help with the printing of handouts and test papers necessary for teachers’ learning modules that are being used for students who are remotely studying. Some of the school-beneficiaries were Maria Concepcion Cruz High School (Taguig City), Maligaya High School (Quezon City), Cielito Zamora Memorial School (Caloocan City), Bacood Elementary School (City of Manila), and Iloilo’s A. Bonifacio Integrated School, Bo. Obrero National High School, Hibao-an Elementar y School, Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School, and La Paz Elementary School. In a related initiative, Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School, Rosauro Almario Elementary School, Isabelo delos Reyes Elementary School, Tenement Elementar y School and Kamuning Elementary School were also beneficiaries of a portable media library from the company, in partnership with Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. “We are delighted that so many members of our team continue to raise their hands to volunteer,” Carrera emphasized. “This willingness and desire to make the world a better place will continue to fuel our capacity to help each year.”

cates of critical thinking, and our partners in creating a new breed of Filipinos who will create a positive impact on our country.” Bayer Philippines Inc., a global life science company and this year’ CMB NGA event partner, expressed appreciation for the PSHS teachers and the importance of supporting science education. “Bayer is here with the PSHS in support of science—to appreciate the teachers who are developing this country’s scientific talent,” said Angel-Michael Evangelista, managing director and country division head for pharmaceuticals at Bayer Philippines. He added: “We look forward to collaborating more with the PSHS in the future, because our country needs your scientific talent now more than ever. In the face of so many challenges like food security, climate change, and this pandemic, the world needs us to [use] science for a better life.” Inspiring excellence in teaching, the CMB NGA is the flagship

program of the CMB Natatanging Guro Endowment Fund instituted by PSHS Alumni Batch 1982 in 2007. It has since evolved into a tripartite endeavor of the PSHS System, the PSHS National Alumni Association and the PSHS Foundation Inc. The awards are open every three years to all PSHS faculty in its nationwide campuses. It aims to help maintain high teaching excellence in the PSHS, which is key to producing globally competitive Filipino scientists equipped with 21st-century skills guided by core values of truth, excellence, and service to the nation. Awards criteria for selection are teaching effectiveness, research and creative work, academic background and professional development, as well as administrative and extension work. Winning teachers are awarded P50,000 and given a trophy. This year’s event was held virtually and streamed live over the PSHS Facebook page and YouTube.

‘Smart Classroom’ to benefit entire spectrum of education stakeholders by Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

ESPONDING to challenging times, technology giant Lenovo is offering an intelligent hybrid-learning solution that the company claims makes learning more interactive, effective and enjoyable for students and educators. Combining artificial intelligence (AI), big data, cloud computing and other advanced technologies, the company said Lenovo Smart Classroom was developed to empower primary and secondary schools in better organizing instructional workflows. With this, Lenovo believes traditional classrooms will transform into vibrant hubs for knowledge sharing and collaboration, enabling teachers to focus on engaging students and equipping them with knowledge and skills for success. Equipped with comprehensive solutions including hardware, software and services, the Lenovo Smart Classroom simplifies content management, promotes student engagement, ensures visibility on student progress, and secures student devices anytime and anywhere, benefiting teachers, students, parents, as well as school and information technology (IT) administrators. Educators can now teach

more efficiently, as the Lenovo Smart Classroom has a more streamlined workflow in preparing learning materials and classroom management. Meanwhile, students can stay connected and continue learning even at home, as classes and assignments are delivered to their devices directly. Further, AI-powered modules let them learn independently at their own pace. School and IT administrators can optimize IT operations, ensure compliance, data security, and asset accountability to ensure a safe and secure learning environment for students. Lenovo Smart Classroom also features “Veative”—a platform that houses more than 500 virtual tour learning modules across subjects, accessible to students at home or in school. It also comes with classroom and content-management services, as well as reports and analytics for educators to easily track students’ performance. The Lenovo Smart Classroom also guarantees the necessary support and training for a seamless transition into the digital age of education. The solution offers online and onsite training and all-in-one support for Lenovo devices, interactive whiteboard, content digitization, and more. This enables Lenovo to tailor solutions to meet the schools’ needs.

strong commitment to provide education and help its target public in achieving dreams for their betterment, and their community’s future. Its establishment is in compliance with Republic Act 11510, or the Alternative Learning System Act. Earlier the DepEd reported that as of November 18, the ALS enrollment for School Year 20212022 is at 239,616. The number is 359,749, or 60 percent, lower than last year’s 599,365. Ma. Teresa Montemayor/PNA

Embassy official: Don’t let ‘Covid’ stop plans of studying in the US by Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

HE United States Embassy’s Cultural Affairs Officer Nina Lewis believes that more Filipino students are exploring avenues to study in a physical setting in her country which are not available locally at this time. These, she said, have resulted in the “exponentially higher” number of inquiries on EducationUSA than before. “The US has been largely open during the pandemic, so a lot of students have [been] looking for alternatives and in-person learning opportunities,” Lewis said, as she confirmed that EducationUSA can also assist students in identifying scholarship and financialassistance opportunities. She added that the service provides free advice to prospective international students not only from the Philippines, but also from other countries. It also offers resources and tools to help navigate the five steps to US study: researching schools, identifying financial-aid opportunities, completing applications, obtaining a student visa, and preparing for

departure. With an international education in the US, the embassy official said that many Filipino students benefit from new perspectives available in global classrooms. “US education is truly...international...Students learn... to adapt to unfamiliar circumstances [and] work with diverse peers from all over the world,” she further explained. “The experience in [our classrooms prepares students to enter the global job market, in particular], that’s part of the new normal.” Lewis disclosed that yearly, between 3,000 to 4,000 Filipino students head to the US to study. EducationUSA Philippines is an advising network of the US State Department that provides free, comprehensive and current information on higher education to students interested in matriculating in the US at any point of their academic career. Since officially joining the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy in the Philippines in 2015, EducationUSA has continuously ramped up its advising services and programs across the country.

Security Bank, educ advocate activate scholarship campaign

ECURITY BANK CORP. has partnered with education advocate CCT Visions of Hope Foundation in providing learning opportunities for the tribal children in Malungon, Sarangani through the Eduk-Aksyon Scholarship Campaign. The program’s beneficiaries are thoughtfully chosen to include marginalized children who live in remote, mountainous areas and do not have access to quality education and other development opportunities. Their families often prioritize basic needs over education to survive, and are compromised to make decisions that uplift their standards of living. To date more than 50 students have already benefited from the Eduk-Aksyon Scholarship Program. They continue to manifest eagerness in pursuing their studies and expand their knowledge, with the help of dedicated teachers who commit to do more for the young learners. Jerelyn Manggaga, a 15-year-old student beneficiary in Malungon, Sarangani, said in her local dialect that when she and her classmates finish their studies, tribal children like them will be able to help their families and ease their way out of poverty. She believes education is the only inheritance their parents hope to give to them. In 2017 the bank’s corporate social responsibility arm Security Bank Foundation Inc. donated a twostory, six-classroom school build-

ing to Visions of Hope Christian School. As part of its commitment to education despite the pandemic, SBFI recently turned over four, twostory school buildings in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat and Digos City, Davao Del Sur. “The school building that you have donated gives me and the children hope to strive and reach for our dreams,” said Diza Misiona Barcelosa, a teacher in CCT Visions of Hope Christian School. “Thank you very much for your generosity and for believing in our children’s potential. May the Lord God...bless your endeavors.” Geared toward securing a better future for indigent children, the Eduk-Aksyon Program aims to send more young people to school and provide them access to adequate learning resources. For as low as P10 per day or P300 per month, the bank’s customers can sponsor at least one child just by completing a sponsor-profile form and donating through their Mastercard credit card or cash/check deposits. Sponsors have an option to donate on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually, or one-time basis. In celebration of its 70th anniversary, Security Bank’s will donate P1 million to the Eduk-Aksyon campaign as a means to shoulder miscellaneous and other operating expenses of the foundation. Learn more about the scholarship program and be a child sponsor by visiting https://www.securitybank.com/edukaksyon/.

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Saturday, December 11, 2021 A9

Hit the road to a lakeside respite at Caliraya

Caliraya Lake is a man-made lake located at Lumban, Laguna.

THE tree house awaits visitors who are kids at heart.

THE swimming pool is cool and ready for guests.

Story & photos by Ardee P. de los Angeles

quick reboot of the mind was the goal. The humdrum day to day existence in this pandemic was mentally challenging and draining for us all. Needless to say, we need that freedom to leave town and remove the rust from the lockdowns.

We thought of a place that is outdoorsy, expansive and one that won’t remind you of Covid-19 infections. Caliraya lake is what came to mind. The drive from Manila is picturesque and well worth it once you start the ascent to the lake area. The early rains brought cold and damp air as you open the car window.

Decades-old artificial lake

Caliraya lake is a man-made

Guests can enjoy different water activities at the lake.

lake constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1938, the purpose of which is to create an embankment dam for the towns nearby. It is now used by the National Power Corporation and was commissioned in 1942 as the Caliraya Hydroelectric Power Plant. It is located at Lumban, Laguna 1,200 feet above sea-level. Surrounding the lake are three towns, namely, Cavinti, Lumban

MOLAVE Hut, also known as Big Kubo, can accommodate up to eight people.

Have some fun exploring the property on ATVs.

and Kalayaan. Now, it is home to several watering places where you can visit for the day or stay for a night or two; a holiday experience of the great outdoors for the whole family.

Caliraya lake hidden forest

With the abundance of resorts left and right, we decided to go back to basics and rough it out even for just an overnight stay. Caliraya Lake Hidden Forest started out as a private escape for husband and wife team Joseph Africa and Marie Borromeo. Weekends and special occasions were spent with their friends and family back in May of this year. It was then that a close friend suggested turning the place into a resort and opening it to the public. Their permit to operate was granted last September and operations went full blast. From two huts, they now have eight and they have plans of expanding in the near future.

Pathways were simplified with wood and bamboo, a constant reminder of the resort’s mission statement of enjoying the simple joys of life. What’s praiseworthy is that they were able to give jobs to locals who lost their jobs because of the pandemic. These people now have regular income and have also acquired additional skills.

Back to basics

The pebbled driveway entering the resort speaks of the “back to basics” theme of the place. It reminded us of a summer camp close to the lake. We knew that we would have to rough it up a bit and then enjoy the comforts of home at the end of the day. We were booked at their Molave hut (Big kubo) which can accommodate up to 8 guests. The wooden and bamboo structure has two rooms downstairs, and a spacious attic for eight guests. The unit also has its own bathroom, and a small kitchen with

For meals, guests can cook or order local dishes.

an electric stove and rice cooker. Guests can cook their own meals or order food from the resort. They offer delectable dishes like Lechon roll, Liempo bites, Kare kare, Pork shanghai, and Cordon bleu among others, along with several pasta favorites like Spaghetti and Carbonara. Drinks on the menu included coffee, hot tea, juices and lemonade. The resort is also pet friendly. Cassie, our 1-year-old golden retriever, was able to join us and didn’t really want to go home when it was time.

Great outdoors

Our first diversion for the day is the ATV (all-terrain vehicle) tour of the surrounding mountains, streams and waterfalls. The vehicles were new and much safer than the older models. For starters, we had a brief orientation with our guide as he discussed how to operate and control the vehicles. He also reminded us to be ready to be splashed with mud as you

drive through mud puddles and grassy knolls. The heart-pumping and funfilled experience made us less aware of the dirt and mud as spatters of it hit our bodies as we drove past. This was a rare moment that the pandemic didn’t even exist. The event was capped off with a hearty dinner served at our hut. It was then time to plan for the next day’s activities. The next morning was spent with water activities like jet skiing, swimming and being pulled to great speeds onboard towables. There’s even a speed boat that can take guests around and also see the other resorts nearby. The lake was cold but calm. Along with the scenic views, it was more than enough to energize and relax us at the same time. This pandemic will be here in this world for a while and we’ve certainly found a way to leave its stranglehold for a short time. Let’s do our research, travel, go al fresco and take in the great outdoors.

Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod welcomes the holiday season with its newly-opened art gallery and tree-lighting ceremony P

ark Inn by Radisson Bacolod, the new and vibrant upper midscale hotel in the City of Smiles, formalized its opening through a festive welcome of the holiday season. The day’s event began with a press conference with the local media, officially marking its presence in Bacolod City. “The opening of Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod creates another milestone in SMHCC’s history, as it offers Bacolodnons the first internationally branded hotel in the City of Smiles. As such, SMHCC solidifies its pursuit to further strengthen its brand portfolio and take hospitality to a notch higher,” said Ms. Peggy E. Angeles, executive vice president of SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. T he press conference wa s

capped with a sumptuous merienda spread featuring local Ilonggo delicacies. Media guests were, later on, ushered to Art Cove, Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod’s mini art gallery to inaugurate its firstever exhibition. The exhibit is a back-to-back feature of the works of Ms. Christina Bautista with the title “Images of Negros” and Ms. Joan Horidez’ s “Tale of Marapara.” “Cove is a ref lection of the combined love for the arts shared by the locals of this region and by the SM Group. Through Art Cove, we wish to help the province cultivate and nurture more talents by serving as an avenue to showcase Negrosnanon art to travelers and amplify the art tourism in the province,” said Sherwin

Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod Art Gallery (Art Cove) opening and inaugural exhibit led by Executive Vice President of SM Hotels & Conventions Corp. Ms. Peggy E. Angeles (from left), featured photographer Ms. Christina Bautista, featured artist Ms. Joan Honoridez, and Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod General Manager Mr. Sherwin Lucas.

Lucas, general manager of Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod, on his speech. After the inaugural exhibit program, guests were led to the Marapara Plaza (Pool Deck) located at the 2nd level of the hotel to unveil the marker of the biggest mural in Negros followed by the Christmas launch program. A string ensemble welcomed the guests with classical tunes as they settled in for the evening festivities. Mayor Bing Leonardia and city administrator Atty. Edward Cuansing graced the occasion. The Christmas launch featured musical performances from the De La Salle chorale Bacolod and invited singer/host and commercial model Vien King. To further keep the spirit of

Christmas alive and to strengthen the hotel’s corporate social responsibility program, Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod partnered with Kalipay Negrense Bacolod. Percentage of the hotel’s holiday hampers sales will be given to the foundation to support the basic needs of recovered treasures, a home for disadvantaged children. The tree-lighting ceremony was led by SM Hotels & Conventions Corp. EVP Ms. Peggy Angeles, Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod GM Mr. Sherwin Lucas and Atty. Edward Cuansing, Bacolod City Administrator. The hotel prepared unique, locally inspired cocktails with desserts that speak of the holidays to celebrate the festive season with more excitement.

A10 Saturday, December 11, 2021 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

BusinessMirror

ICT ﬁ rm releases line of air purifiers under new brand

ACERPURE cozy projects air up to 15 meters away, completely circulating the air five times per hour so it reaches every corner of your home.

NE of the announcements that Taiwanese ICT giant Acer made in October 2020 was that it was going to launch a line of air purifiers for the home under a brand called acerpure. This made a lot of sense because at that time, most people in the world were staying at home for work and learning. Even now, around 90 percent of students in the Philippines are still literally getting an education at home. Most of us are

home for 80 percent of the time so, yes, the quality of air that we breathe is very important considering that this persistent global health crisis is at its core a respiratory illness. Acer has just launched acerpure in the Philippines starting with three products: acerpure cozy, acerpure pro and acerpure cool. “The quality of air that we breathe affects the lives of people, especially these days when most of us are living our lives indoors. At Acer, we have expanded our product range by introducing new technologies and products that ensure the best air quality for everyone,” said Acer Philippines general manager Sue Ong-Lim. The acerpure air purifiers are all in white and they’re beautifully designed. They aren’t very large, too, so they fit right into any room in your house. acerpure cozy has the 3D Airflow Technology with a turbine blade fan and a spiral flow guard to create a powerful 3D airflow so the device has a greater and more concentrated range. The acerpure cozy projects

air up to 15 meters away, completely circulating the air five times per hour so it reaches every corner of your home to deliver maximum comfort. It also has an energy-efficient DC motor, so the minimum airflow power consumption is just 1.18W for high-quality air circulation at low energy costs. acerpure pro has the 4-in-1 HEPA filter for fourlayer protection, a smart sensor and a negative ion generator to eliminate pollutants, germs, bacteria and other substances in the air that can harm us. The Air Quality and Gas Sensor regulates the purifier speed automatically and the LCD displays real-time air quality data. acerpure pro eliminates up to 99 percent of airborne bacteria, 99.97 percent of ultrafine dust, PM1.0 and allergens.acerpure cool has a 4-in-1 HEPA filter, which includes pre-filter, activated carbon filter and HEPA 13 main filter. All these features help to remove fine particles and impurities in the air, including pet hair and dander, dust and 99.97 percent of 0.3μm suspended particles and bacteria. It also isolates harmful gases and removes odors. The Ag+ Silver Coated Filter in acerpure cool went through extensive third-party laboratory tests to certify its efficacy in eliminating bacteria and effectiveness against the activity of the H1N1 virus. This is to ensure that the acerpure cool minimizes users’ exposure to harmful bacteria and viruses. acerpure cool improves indoor air quality by releasing negative ions to help remove harmful gases in the air such as formaldehyde and by capturing solid particles such as dust. The devices produce low working noises, ensuring they don’t disturb your sleep. The displays can also be turned off to ensure your sleep isn’t disrupted. The air purifiers are all in white and are beautifully designed, so they fit right into any room. acerpure pro and acerpure cool are supported by an app, called acerpure Life, which detects the indoor air quality, and sends automatic notifications of indoor and outdoor air pollution alerts. acerpure Life can control, monitor and start the air-purifying functions even when you are not home. You can download the app from the App Store or Google Play. Acer is offering the three acerpure products at discounted prices at select Acer concept and online stores until December 31. The acerpure cozy is priced at P4,499, the acerpure pro at P11,999, and the acerpure cool at P14,999. More information is available at www.acer.com. ■

Instagram launches tool urging teens to take a break LONDON—Instagram on Tuesday launched a feature that urges teenagers to take breaks from the photosharing platform and announced other tools aimed at protecting young users from harmful content on the Facebook-owned service. The previously announced “Take A Break” feature encourages teens to stop scrolling if they have been on the social-media platform for a while, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a blog post. It rolled out to the US, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand and Australia on Tuesday and would reach the rest of the world early next year, he said. Young users will see notifications about the feature and be urged to set reminders to take more breaks going forward, the post said. It’s one of the efforts that Facebook, renamed Meta Platforms, has touted

on its platforms as it weathers backlash about not doing enough to rein in harmful content and faces new legislation looking to impose restrictions on tech giants. Former Facebook product manager turned whistleblower Frances Haugen has testified to US and European lawmakers working on those measures, citing internal company research suggesting that peer pressure generated by Instagram has led to mental health and body-image problems in young users, especially girls, and in some cases, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts. She spoke again last week to Congress, urging US lawmakers to move forward with proposals introduced after her first appearance in October. That includes restrictions on the long-standing legal protections for speech posted on social-media

platforms. Haugen also has offered guidance on new online rules that are much further along in the UK and European Union, which has pioneered efforts to rein in big technology companies. On Tuesday, Instagram also announced that its first tools for parents will roll out early next year, allowing them to see how much time their teens spend on Instagram and set time limits. The social-media platform also said it’s developing features that will stop people from tagging or mentioning teens that don’t follow them, nudge young users to other things if they have been focused on one topic for a while and be stricter about what posts, hashtags and accounts it recommends to try to cut down on potentially harmful or sensitive content. AP

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Beauty and wellness platform taps digital technology toward recovery BY RIZAL S. RAOUL REYES ONLINE beauty and wellness platform Parlon aims to give the industry a boost after being severely hit by the pandemic via online services, according to its leading official. Claire Ongcangco, Parlon CEO and founder, told members of the press in a recent webinar that they are harnessing the powers of digital technology not only to help the industry but also help its displaced workers earn a living again. According to 2020 statistics from the Philippine Statistics Authority, there are 38,803 establishments engaged in personal services for wellness in the Philippines, as compared to 2019 statistics which showed 41,270 establishments. The number of employees of establishments in the industry also drastically went down from 151,665 in 2019 to 143,239 in 2020. These statistics show the negative impact of the pandemic to personal care services. From appointments to payments, booking salon and wellness services has become contactless and convenient with Parlon, according to Ongcangco. Furthermore, she said it’s now possible to discover, book and buy beauty services in less than a minute. She pointed out that customers can also download the Parlon app, available for iOS and soon for Android. To manage all the bookings and transactions, salons and wellness centers are equipped with a Merchant Partner Hub, an easy-to-use software specially designed and developed by Parlon. “We are offering a wonderful beauty and wellness lifestyle and not just an app or a web site. It has always been our mission to revolutionize the beauty and wellness services industry,” Ongcangco said. “Now that lockdown restrictions are easing up, we’d like to take this as an opportunity to help salons regain the glory they lost in the past year, and also provide a beautiful, easy-to-use platform that will make self-care services accessible to all Filipinos,” Ongcangco added. It also launched the first Parlon Beauty Festival, an online beauty event featuring over 150 deals from popular salons and wellness centers nationwide. Opened November 20, the festyival is ongoing until January 8, 2022 to help the industry bounce back after almost two years of strict lockdown restrictions amid the Covid-19 pandemic. “The Parlon Beauty Festival is one of the many plans we had to put on hold because of the pandemic. So, we’re very excited to finally make this happen before we close out the year,” Ongcangco said. She said 30 salons and wellness centers including global brands Browhaus, Strip, and Blo, as well as celebrity favorites Emphasis Salon, Creations by Lourd Ramos, The Secret Lounge, The Color Bar, Bellezza Aesthetics and Marqed Salon are participating in the festival. Homegrown beauty salons and wellness centers in Pampanga, Pangasinan, Bacolod, and Cebu are also participating. Moreover, she said exclusive deals and discounts on several services are available at beautyfestival. parlon.ph. Those who are planning to get a year-end makeover or a well-deserved pamper time can get up to 60-percent off and save as much as P15,000. “This is just the beginning for Parlon. As cashless transactions accelerated during the pandemic, adding more payment method options is important for us. We highly value the security of your transactions and that your experience in booking and buying salon and wellness services is seamless and fun,” said Miko Cornejo, Parlon CTO and founder. Durig the lockdown, Parlon also launched Behind The Chair, a collection of stories about salon owners and their experiences during the pandemic. All stories are published at Glow-Getter (glowgetter.parlon.ph), Parlon’s official online magazine.

First-ever sustainability line with recycled PET bottles launched PROGRESSIVE urban brand 0917 Lifestyle of Globe joins the battle against single-use plastics by collaborating with Revolve, a Philippine-based social enterprise. The partnership came out with a product line that utilizes recycled polyethylene tetraphyte (RPET) bottles to help reduce harmful plastic waste in the environment. Revolve produces corporate merchandise from RPET bottles and has supported Globe in various sustainability initiatives and environmental advocacies in the past. RPET

takes old plastic materials, usually plastic bottles, and extracts the core PET ingredient, which can be turned into reusable textile. The milestone collaboration for 0917 Lifestyle’s sustainability initiative integrates the innovative use of RPET material in its product offerings, such as T-shirts and tote bags. The 0917 Lifestyle Sustainability Shirt, an especially recycled custom unisex shirt, is made from 60 percent cotton and 40 percent RPET, equating to roughly

four to six 1-liter plastic bottles. The tote bag is made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles, exactly three one-liter bottles worth. Says Beng Ochoa, head of 0917 Lifestyle: “We worked with Revolve to bring our vision to #StartANewLife by integrating RPET in the product’s fiber material and even its visual design. The Sustainability Shirt and Tote Bag promote environmental awareness and inspire customers to always choose products that promote a responsible and

sustainable lifestyle.” The new sustainability collection can be viewed at bit. ly/3rOJdEP. “Our collaboration with Globe and 0917 Lifestyle is a strong testament that our vision for a sustainable future is very much aligned. We look forward to more meaningful collaborations as both our organizations continuously advocate for sustainability and environmental conservation,” said Regie Pablo, founder of Revolve.

BusinessMirror

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Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Saturday, December 11, 2021 A11

Xiaomi 11T Pro: The hypebeast with hyperfast charging is less imposing and won’t make the phone wobble as much on your desk. Finally, the Xiaomi 11T Pro is IP53-rated for dust and splash resistance. It will survive light rain and pool splashes but submerging it in water is like mingling with the Christmas crowd without wearing a face mask—not a good idea.

DISPLAY AND SOUND

F all the Xiaomi releases, it’s always the “T” series that gets me excited. While the main numbered range of Xiaomi phones is where the company debuts its flashy new tech, the T series is where the real action is—because of how the brand incorporates those new tech features at a price that makes the competition “tremble.” The Xiaomi 11T Pro might have dropped the Mi branding, but it still carries all those flagship features in the areas where it counts. The 11T Pro has almost exactly the same camera array, and the same chipset as its pricier siblings, but it also packs an even bigger battery and is the fastest charging phone ever. HyperCharge offers the industry’s fastest charging speed, fully charging the phone’s 5000mAh battery in just over 15 minutes—that’s probably shorter than your usual coffee break. And while other brands are ditching bundling charger, Xiaomi made sure to include the 120W charger in the box. If you’ve used up most of your bonuses to buy presents and still want to get a flagship-level device— the Xiaomi 11T Pro might just be the perfect fit for your Christmas stocking.

BUILD AND DESIGN

RIGHT off the bat, I’d say the design is one area that could’ve gotten a bit more attention as the Xiaomi 11T Pro isn’t the most visually distinct smartphone in the world. It doesn’t look bad, but it’s also not going to make you take out your wallet. Or maybe it’s just because we got the Meteorite Gray color, and as you probably know by now, blacks and grays aren’t my favorite hue on smartphones. So I’d pick either the Moonlight White or Celestial Blue instead. This time though, Xiaomi has done something a bit unusual with this particular finish. Instead of making it all shiny, like in the Mi 10T, the paint layer below the glass is made to look like brushed aluminum. So you have a glass back that’s made to look like metal. Hmmm. The display is covered by Gorilla Glass Victus— Corning’s toughened glass which is nice, but just to be safe, better slap on that free jelly case and avoid those smudgers and fingerprints. On the back is a rectangular module that houses the cameras. A nice improvement over the Mi 10T Pro is that the camera bump doesn’t stick out like a mountain range anymore. The bump on the 11T Pro

IF you are used to big phones with flat screens, then the 11T Pro will fit snugly in the palm of your hands. You get a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen with a 2400 x 1080 Full HD+ resolution. It also has HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support, a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and a 480Hz touch sampling rate. The bezels are reasonably thin and balanced and there’s a small punch-hole center at the top housing the 16MP selfie camera. That said, the display of the 11T Pro is excellent. The screen is sharp making text very easy to read and the colors are vibrant. There are several color scheme options to choose from if you want it to be more saturated or standard. And while you are on the display settings, you might want to explore the AI image engine as well. This feature can further enhance photos and videos. Super resolution upscales the resolution of videos, while AI image enhancement can identify objects and dynamically adjust display effects. When it comes to audio, the 11T Pro has two dedicated loudspeakers that have been tuned by Harmon Kardon so you can expect great sound quality. The speakers can get loud enough and you also get some noticeable bass.

CINEMAGIC CAMERAS

ANOTHER promise of the Xiaomi 11T Pro is to help you create cinemagic with its triple camera setup— the results were great and experimenting with the different video modes was a lot of fun. The 108MP main sensor is the lead star with a supporting cast made up of an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 5MP telemacro. You get all the usual Xaomi camera modes like Portrait, Pro, HDR, AI, Night Mode, Slow Motion, Dual Video, Time-Lapse, Panorama, Long Exposure, and Beauty. The f/1.75 108MP main camera is comparable to the one on the Mi 11. In well-lit enviros, its easy to take great-looking shots with lots of detail and vivid colors. If you want even more details, you can switch to high-res mode that uses the sensor’s full 108MP, though you can’t zoom, or turn on other features. It also performs quite well in low-light conditions but with some acceptable noise in your photos. The 16MP selfie camera didn’t disappoint either and I liked how it can separate you and blur the background. The cinemagic happens in video mode. Since everyone is into making videos these days, Xiaomi made sure to beef up its videography game. The Xiaomi 11T Pro can shoot up to 8K at 30fps, or 4K at

60fps with image stabilization. You get a range of extra options like letterboxing, macro video, object tracking and audio zoom, and even more camera modes. There’s Vlog mode, which automatically edits several seconds-long video clips together; clones that can create multiple copies of your subject; and movie effects like magic zoom, slow shutter, time freeze, night timelapse and the Inception-inspired parallel world. Xiaomi 11T Pro puts a film set in the palm of your hand, and it’s up to you to execute your creativity.

PERFORMANCE/BATTERY

THE Xiaomi 11T Pro runs on the flagship Snapdragon 888 chipset that makes the phone super snappy and able to handle all sorts of apps and games. During the last month, it never hanged, rebooted or suddenly closed apps despite switching from multiple apps for work, opening the camera to take photos, answering calls and my occasional gaming binges. I did read about some heating complaints

regarding the Snapdragon 888, but I guess I haven’t pushed it too much or played long enough to make it heat up.

FINAL WORD

THE Xiaomi 11T Pro brings a lot of flagship features to a more reasonable price point. The Snapdragon 888 processor makes this a match for the most demanding users and gamers, and the display and speakers ensure an immersive viewing experience during your downtime. You also get a versatile set of cameras and the video modes will be a lot of fun for content creators. Meanwhile, the HyperCharge feature ensures that should you use up the battery, you can just take a quick break and have it ready again in no time. The Xiaomi 11T Pro 8GB+256GB version is available for P27,990 while the 12GB+256GB is priced at P29,990. Every purchase comes with a free eco bag and Mi Bunny. ■

What caused Amazon’s outage? Will there be more? BY MATT O’BRIEN & FRANK BAJAK The Associated Press ROBOTIC vacuum cleaners wouldn’t start. Doorbell cameras stopped watching for package thieves, though some of those deliveries were canceled anyway. Netflix and Disney movies got interrupted and The Associated Press had trouble publishing the news. A major outage in Amazon’s cloud computing network on Tuesday severely disrupted services at a wide range of US companies for hours, raising questions about the vulnerability of the Internet and its concentration in the hands of a few firms.

HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

AMAZON has still said nothing about what, exactly, went wrong. The company limited its communications Tuesday to terse technical explanations on an Amazon Web Services dashboard and a brief statement delivered via spokesman Richard Rocha that acknowledged the outage had affected Amazon’s own warehouse and delivery operations but said the company was “working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.” It didn’t immediately respond to further questions on Wednesday. The incident at Amazon Web Services mostly affected the eastern US, but still impacted everything from airline

reservations and auto dealerships to payment apps and video streaming services to Amazon’s own massive e-commerce operation.

WHAT IS AWS?

AMAZON Web Services is a cloud-service operation—it stores its customers’ data, runs their online activities and more—and a huge profit center for Amazon. It holds roughly 40 percent of the $64 billion global cloud infrastructure market, a larger share than its closest rivals Microsoft, Alibaba and Google, combined, according to research firm Gartner. It was formerly run by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, who succeeded founder Jeff Bezos in July.

TOO MANY EGGS IN ONE BASKET?

SOME cybersecurity experts have warned for years about the potentially ugly consequences of allowing a handful of big tech companies to dominate key Internet operations. “The latest AWS outage is a prime example of the danger of centralized network infrastructure,” said Sean O’Brien, a visiting lecturer in cybersecurity at Yale Law School. “Though most people browsing the Internet or using an app don’t know it, Amazon is baked into most of the apps and web sites they use each day.” O’Brien said it’s important to build a new network model that resembles the peer-to-peer

roots of the early Internet. Big outages have already knocked huge swaths of the world offline, as happened during an October Facebook incident. Even under the current model, companies do have some options to split their services between different cloud providers, although it can be complicated, or to at least make sure they can move their services to a different region run by the same provider. Tuesday’s outage mostly affected Amazon’s “US East 1” region. “Which means if you had critical systems only available in that region, you were in trouble,” said Servaas Verbiest, lead cloud evangelist at Sungard Availability Services. “If you heavily embraced the AWS ecosystem and are locked into using solely their services and functions, you must ensure you balance your workloads between regions.”

HASN’T THIS HAPPENED BEFORE?

YES. The last major AWS outage was in November 2020. There have been been numerous other disruptive and lengthy Internet outages involving other providers. In June, the behind-the-scenes content distributor Fastly suffered a failure that briefly took down dozens of major Internet sites, including CNN, The New York Times and Britain’s government home page. Another that month affected provider Akamai during peak business hours in Asia in June. In the October outage, Facebook—now known as Meta

Platforms—blamed a “faulty configuration change” for an hours-long worldwide outage that took down Instagram and WhatsApp in addition to its titular platform.

WHAT ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT?

IT was unclear how, or whether, Tuesday’s outage affected governments, but many of them also rely on Amazon and its rivals. Among the most influential organizations to rethink its approach of depending on a single cloud provider was the Pentagon, which in July canceled a disputed cloud-computing contract with Microsoft that could eventually have been worth $10 billion. It will instead pursue a deal with both Microsoft and Amazon and possibly other cloud service providers such as Google, Oracle and IBM. The National Security Agency earlier this year awarded Amazon a contract with a potential estimated value of $10 billion to be the sole manager of the NSA’s own migration to cloud computing. The contract is known by its agency code name “Wild and Stormy.” The General Accountability Office in October sustained a bid protest by Microsoft, finding that certain parts of the NSA’s decision were “unreasonable,” although the full decision is classified. ■ AP writer Nomaan Merchant contributed to this report.

Sports BusinessMirror

China calls UK, Canada Olympic boycott as ‘farce’

EIJING—China on Thursday dismissed the decision by Canada and the United Kingdom to join Washington’s diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games as a “farce.” China is also not concerned that the officials’ absence would spark a chain reaction, and numerous heads of state, government leaders and members of royal families have registered to attend, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily briefing. The three countries have said they won’t send government dignitaries to the games, which run Feb. 4-20, to protest human rights abuses in China, while New Zealand said it informed Beijing earlier that it wouldn’t be sending any officials due to pandemic travel restrictions but had also communicated its human rights concerns. Under the diplomatic boycott, the countries will still send their athletes to compete. Wang said Ch ina had not extended invitations to the US, Canada or the UK and that it “doesn’t matter if their officials come or not, they will see the success of the Beijing Winter Olympics.” “Sports has nothing to do with politics,” Wang said. “It is they who have written, directed and performed this farce.” China is confident there will be no chain reaction, and perceives overwhelming global support for the games, he said. AP

Donaire defends crown; Casimero stripped of title

ONITO DONAIRE JR. will defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight belt against Reymart Gaballo on Sunday at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson City, California. But as “The Flash” Donaire and Gaballo clash in an unavoidable all-Filipino duel, another Filipino, Johnriel Casimero, was stripped of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight title after being forced to withdraw from his scheduled title defense against Englishman Paul Butler also on Sunday at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. The reason? Casimero looked dehydrated and failed to get close to the 123-pound bantamweight limit before Saturday’s weigh-in. No one from his camp was immediately available to provide details. Butler will face replacement fighter Joseph Agbeko of Ghana. Jayson Mama, meanwhile, will be challenging International Boxing Federation flyweight champion Sunny Edwards of Great Britain in the Dubai card where WBO international super flyweight champion Donnie Nietes takes on Norbelto Jimenez of Dominican Republic. Donaire Jr., 39, told the fight’s news conference on Friday that he’s prepared physically and mentally against the General Santos City fighter who is 14 years younger. “I’m 100 percent ready,” Donaire (41-6 win-loss record with 27 knockouts) said. “We built up on mental fortitude so I can always push forward and be ready. We’re only as strong as our minds can be. My mental strength is through the moon.” Despite his vast experience against the undefeated Gaballo (24-0 record with 20 knockouts), the oldest reigning world bantamweight champion is not taking his compatriot lightly. “I know he’s very hungry and that he has a big dream, just like everyone in the Philippines,”said Donaire, a four-weight division champion. “I know that he’s going to be at his best, so I made sure that I’m prepared and at my best as well.” He will be defending his title for the first time since his May 29 fourthround stoppage of French Nordine Oubaali. Josef Ramos

A12

| Saturday, December 11, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

W’LIFTING, BOXING ON I.O.C. HOT SEAT PAALAM

By Josef Ramos

OXING and weightlifting, along with modern pentathlon, were set a target of about 18 months on Thursday to make changes in order to keep their status as Olympic sports for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The governing bodies of boxing and weightlifting were described as problem children by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, who has long voiced concerns with the leadership of those sports and issues with corruption and doping. Hidilyn Diaz’s triumph in women’s 55 kgs class of weightlifting in Tokyo last July gave the Philippines its firstever gold medal in the Olympics. Boxers Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio and Eumir Felix Marcial

DIAZ

clinched two silver and one bronze medals also in Tokyo to make the country’s campaign in the Japanese capital the best ever. Now, weightlifters and boxers after them face a bleak future of following in their footsteps after the IOC issued the ultimatum from Geneva on Friday. “It is a big loss if both sports will be removed because we have a great chance of winning medals in weightlifting and boxing,” Philippine Olympic Committee Rep. President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said. “We cannot do anything although it will be decided through a vote in February.” “I’m hoping that the IFs [international federations] will make their respective appeal and comply with the reforms asked by the IOC,” he said. “The IOC has been asking them for so long to reform or comply—and that’s to have good governance.”

TOLENTINO

Diaz was stunned to hear the report. “I’m shocked,” Diaz said. “I’m hoping that the IWF [International Weightlifting Federation] will address the changes to keep the Olympic dream of every weightlifter all over the world alive.” Paalam, who vowed to win that gold medal that got away in Tokyo in Paris 2024, felt the same way as Diaz. “The No. 1 dream of every Filipino athlete, especially us boxers, to compete in the Olympics,” Paalam said. “But that’s still six years, anything can still happen by that time. I’m hoping it will be resolved soon.” Modern pentathlon has effectively been told by the IOC to remove equestrian jumping from the event, provoking a backlash from angry athletes. The high-profile incident of a coach striking a horse at the Tokyo

Olympics has undermined modern pentathlon’s reputation despite more than 100 years in the Games since being created by IOC founder Pierre de Coubertin. All three sports have been left off the initial list of 28 on the 2028 program, which will be put to IOC members for approval in February. The list of approved sports includes skateboarding, surfing and sports climbing. All three made successful Olympic debuts in Tokyo and look to be locked in for the future as the IOC chases younger audiences. It also sets them to receive a share of future Olympic broadcasting income, which is currently worth at least $15 million to each sport. The three sports left isolated Thursday still have a “pathway for inclusion” at the 2023 annual meeting of the IOC membership, Bach said. They need to “demonstrate to the satisfaction” of the IOC executive board they have made changes variously to the governance and organizational culture of the sports. Modern pentathlon also needs to replace horse riding with a more inclusive discipline accessible to young people worldwide. With AP

Alas, McDaniels, Oftana power NLEX past NorthPort in OT

EVIN ALAS was cool as a cucumber in regulation and import KJ McDaniels was explosive in overtime as NLEX beat NorthPort, 120-115, on Friday to go 2-0 won-lost in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. Alas was a three-point option in regulation and took a Hail Mary basket for a possible equalizer from downtown. He missed but drew a foul from NorthPort reinforcement Cameron Forte in the process. He cooly sank all three charities to tie the count at 102-all with 1.2 seconds remaining. The Batang Pier couldn’t set a play

thus forcing the extra five minute. It was McDaniels’s turn to torch the net in overtime. The National Basketball Association veteran—he played for Philadelphia, Houston and Brooklyn from 2014 to 2017, scattered 11 of his game-high 40 points in overtime to help get the win for NLEX. Alas, on the other hand, finished with 21 points on 11-of-12 shooting from the foul line. “Kevin [Alas] had just great composure, sinking three free throws with 1.2 seconds left—that’s what you call handling the pressure,” NLEX coach Yeng Guiao said. “He’s a pressure player and he can do that, we expect him to do that and deliver the crucial points.” Rookie Calvin Oftana also rose to the occasion by scoring five of his 10 points in overtime to go with nine rebounds. Michael Miranda had 13 points also for the Road Warriors, who

defeated San Miguel Beer 114-102 on opening day Wednesday. Arwind Santos topscored with 20 points and Greg Slaughter added 22 points for the Batang Pier, who remained winless in two games. All eyes will be on Purefoods as it eyes a repeat in the 3x3 Lakas Ng Tatlo which resumes on Saturday with Leg 5 also at the Ynares Sports Arena. The TJ Titans battle the Batang Pier in Pool A at 8 a.m., almost a week since winning their first title in the standalone meet at the expense of the Meralco Bolts. Limitless Appmasters and Zamboanga Valientes collide in the second game at 8:25 a.m. The Bolts face the Barangay Ginebra Kings at 8:50 a.m. while Platinum and San Miguel Beer clash at 9:15 a.m. Josef Ramos

Dark horse target top finish at Midlands T

MARVI MONSALVE is one of the players to watch.

HE Philippine Embassy celebrated Filipino athletes’ campaign in the recent Fourth Asian Youth Paralympic Games (AYPG) 2021 in the Kingdom of Bahrain where Ariel Joseph Alegarbes clinched a swimming gold medal. Alegarbes ruled the 100 meters butterfly S14 category to highlight Team Philippines’ campaign in Manama that also yielded six silver and two bronze medals. He also clinched silver in the 100m breaststroke (S14) class. Twenty Filipino athletes took part in basketball, badminton, table tennis, bocce and swimming. Daniel Enderes settled for a silver medal in the men’s 1,500 meters T20 (U20) and Ronn Russel Mitra ion

HE Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT) heads to the last stop of its five-leg swing in its third restart in new normal at Tagaytay Midlands on December 14 with those seeking a breakthrough hoping to jump on the trend that has marked the circuit’s past three legs at various championship courses. The Tour produced first-time winners at Highlands (Sunshine Baraquiel) and Riviera’s Couples (Chanelle Avaricio) and Langer (Daniella Uy) courses with the likes of Gretchen Villacencio, Marvi Monsalve, Florence Bisera, Pamela Mariano and Apple Fudolin going all out to produce three-day of brilliance at Midlands in

men’s 400m T20 (U20) of athletics, while Linard Sultan men’s single Class 8 and mixed team with Singapore and Kuwait in table tennis. Angel Mae Otom (swimming, 100m butterfly S1-10 Multi Class) and Mary Eloise Sable (table tennis, women’s mixed team with Malaysia) earned bronze medals. The Games were held under a “bubble system” to ensure the health and safety of all the athletes. Asian Paralympic Committee President Majid Rashed announced during the closing ceremony that there was no Covid-19 infection. Philippine Embassy officials and some members of the Filipino Community supported and cheered the delegation during the competition.

an attempt to join the growing roster of new winners in the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.-organized circuit. With multi-titled Princess Superal, who swept the Sherwood and Eagle Ridge-Norman titles last July before the circuit took another break due to pandemic, opting to campaign elsewhere, Harmie Constantino looked headed to dominate right on her maiden pro season with back-toback victories at Eagle Ridge-Aoki last March and last month. But she was stopped on her tracks as new winners emerged in the next three tournaments with Baraquiel ruling the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI)

Tagaytay Highlands in tough conditions, Avaricio coming away with an emphatic seven-stroke victory in the ICTSI Riviera Ladies Challenge at Couples, and Uy fashioning out a five-shot triumph in the ICTSI Riviera Ladies Championship at Langer. In those three championships, Chihiro Ikeda figured in the title hunt but the Fil-Japanese came up short on each occasion, either winding up solo second or joint runner-up, thus also making her the player to watch in the upcoming ICTSI. Midlands Ladies Classic, which she ruled via playoff over Pauline del Rosario in 2019. Villacencio, whose best finish was second to Superal at Riviera Couples

PSC-PDRCI MOA on sports arbitration set

HILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez and Philippine Dispute Resolution Center Inc. (PDRCI) President Atty. Edmundo Tan signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on the establishment of sports arbitration and mediation on Friday at PhilSports Complex in Pasig City. “This is a historic partnership not only for both the PSC and the PDRCI, but also for our stakeholders—to promote arbitration as means to resolve sports-related disputes,” Ramirez said. Ramirez said that the newly forged partnership will help the PSC in carrying out its mandate on assisting national sports associations (NSAs) and different private and amateur sports clubs. “We welcome this very first partnership with the PSC. We are here to help in the urgent need to implement alternative dispute resolution [ADR] policy for our sports stakeholders,” Tan said. The MOA aims to encourage the institutionalization of sports ADR in sports promotion and development with the objective of ensuring a fast and cost-effective resolution. The PSC Board recently approved a policy applicable to all NSAs which requires and directs them to submit to the PSC—as part of their Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws—an arbitration provision pursuant to Section 181 of RA 11232 (Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines), the adoption of Republic Act 11232. The PSC and PDRCI also commit to partner in all activities highlighting the benefits of ADR by providing webinars, seminars, lectures and other information dissemination and training activities. The commission will also refer sports-related disputes between and among stakeholders of national amateur sports associations to the PDRCI for early resolution. Also present during the proceedings were PSC Commissioner Charles Maxey and Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr., PDRCI Executive Director Atty. Arleo Magtibay Jr. and Sports Arbitration Committee Chairman Atty. Charlie Ho. Last November 23, the PSC partnered with the PDRCI and provided four lecture topics on sports arbitration for the PSC’s “MAKE It Sports” online asynchronous learning program. NLEX import KJ McDaniels blocks his NorthPort counterpart Cameron Forte.

in 2019, placed fifth at Langer with Monsalve posting another seventhplace effort, Bisera winding up 11th, Mariano ending up 12th and Fudolin finishing at tied 14th. But no player has a distinct advantage at Midlands which offers a combination of tests from the weather to its hazards and its unpredictable surface, ensuring a wild chase for top honors. Constantino is also determined to close out the season on a winning note, so do Baraquiel, Avaricio and Uy, who are all eyeing to nail the morale-boosting second win. But the dark horses are raring to stir up play and crowd the favorites in the 54-hole championship still held under a bubble setup in line with the government’s strict health and safety protocols.

Para athletes reap medals in Manama

PHILIPPINE Chargè d’ Affaires to the Kingdom of Bahrain Maria Paz G. Cortes (second from left) poses with the delegation in the Fourth Asian Youth Paralympic Games 2021.

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

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

SEOW KAI SHENG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 1.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in Mandarin Speaking

XU, GENFU Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 2.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in Mandarin Speaking

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

Brief Job Description: Maintains staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting and training employees developing personal growth

LI, GUOFEI Chinese Assistant Manager 4.

Brief Job Description: Maintains staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting and training employees developing personal growth

LIU, WEI Chinese Assistant Manager 5.

Brief Job Description: Maintains staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting and training employees developing personal growth

LONG, YUMING Chinese Speaking Marketing Staff 6.

Brief Job Description: Assisting and Organizing campaigns and developing marketing strategies

YANG, LINFENG Chinese Speaking Marketing Staff 7.

Brief Job Description: Assisting and Organizing Campaigns and Developing Marketing Strategies

ZHANG, ZHIYONG Chinese Speaking Marketing Staff 8.

Brief Job Description: Assisting and Organizing Campaigns and Developing Marketing Strategies

ZHAO, PENGFEI Chinese Speaking Marketing Staff 9.

Brief Job Description: Assisting and Organizing Campaigns and Developing Marketing Strategies

LI, CHUNXIANG Chinese Speaking Technical Staff 10.

Brief Job Description: Review Internal Processing Mechanism and procedures, Test system efficiency on a regular basis

YANG, LIXIN Chinese Speaking Technical Staff 11.

Brief Job Description: Review Internal Processing Mechanism and procedures, Test system efficiency on a regular basis

15.

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

AICE BRANDS ICE CREAM PHILIPPINES INC. U-204, Armal Bldg., C. Raymundo Avenue, Maybunga, City Of Pasig

HU, ZELI Chinese Assistant Manager

14.

16.

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

17.

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer and experience in assistant manager Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer and experience in assistant manager

18.

Brief Job Description: Provide suggestions to clients.

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer and experience in assistant manager

19.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer and experience in assistant manager

13.

Brief Job Description: Provide suggestions to clients.

LIU, LIXIA E-commerce Consultant (Chinese Speaking) Brief Job Description: Provide suggestions to clients.

ONG SHIANG THIN E-commerce Consultant (Chinese Speaking) Brief Job Description: Provide suggestions to clients.

TEE CHIN SONG E-commerce Consultant (Chinese Speaking) Brief Job Description: Provide suggestions to clients.

XIE, CHUANLANG E-commerce Consultant (Chinese Speaking) Brief Job Description: Provide suggestions to clients.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer and experience in assistant manager Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer and experience in assistant manager

Brief Job Description: Provide suggestions to clients.

LE THI THANH XUAN Customer Service Officer- Vietnamese Speaking 20.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications/can multi-task and keen to details/able to speak Chinese and English fluently Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications/can multi-task and keen to details/able to speak Chinese and English fluently

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications/can multi-task and keen to details/able to speak Chinese and English fluently

Brief Job Description: Handling phone calls involving selling, pacify and good service rendered

HON, SAI KIT TITAN Chief Technical Officer 21.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for all decision making, planning, and adoption of technology in a company.

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications/can multi-task and keen to details/able to speak Chinese and English fluently Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications/can multi-task and keen to details/able to speak Chinese and English fluently Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Excellent communication and presentation skills

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

Basic Qualification: College grad w/ ceo/ president experience.

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

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

YU, KUN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

WU, MEIMEI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 26.

MACHANDA PONNAIAH BIDDAPPA Associate Vice President Of Ph Operations Brief Job Description: Establishes, implements and communicates the strategic direction of the organization’s operations division. Collaborates with executive leadership to develop and meet company goals while supplying expertise and guidance on operations projects and systems

DIGIVIRTUAL TECH CORPORATION 7/f Ba Lepanto Bldg., 8747 Paseo De Roxas, Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

KHWAR MAN JI Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 27.

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

LIM KEAT HOW Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 28.

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

PAN, XUNGUAN Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 29.

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

Basic Qualification: At least sixteen (16)+ years of industry -related experience including three 3 years in upper management required. Bachelor’s degree in business administration, logistics, engineering, or other industry-related field required; mba preferably

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

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

Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/ good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/ good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/ good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficiency in handling customer’s question about services or products/ Excellent Mandarin communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

EMERALD WIRELESS TECH INC. 28th/f Arthaland Century Pacific Tower E-square Information Technology Park, 25th St. Cor 5th Ave., Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

ZHOU, RUN Chinese Executive Assistant 30.

Brief Job Description: Coordinate with creative content teams, arrange meetings for the Marketing Director, coordinate with headquarters

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English language, Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Strong time management skills enthusiasm for consumer marketing Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ERICSSON TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC. 22/f Two/neo Bldg., 3rd Ave. Cor. 28th St. Crescent Parkwest, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

KVIST, HANS JOHAN Key Account Manager 31.

Brief Job Description: Sales, business development and management of Ericsson resources based on understanding of the customers’ business operation and objective

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree/ Master of business administration. Telecommunications industry experience min. 7-10years in relationship sales and within the telecommunications industry minimum of 5 years in a leadership position Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

ETERNALITY VENUS (PHILIPPINES) INC. 12th Floor Cocolight Building, 39th St. Cor. 11th Ave. Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig LI, YUJIAN International Engineering Specialist 32.

Brief Job Description: To share oversee/International Engineering practices or programs.

Basic Qualification: International experience in Civil Engineering works. Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

F.X. CENTURY, OPC 212 San Vicente Cor. Quintin Paredes St., 027, Barangay 291, Binondo, City Of Manila ZHOU, YAXU Marketing Consultant 33.

Brief Job Description: Developing strategies and goals and executing strategic tasks and monitor them CHEN, HAO Trade Manager

34.

CSSCORP ICT SERVICES, INC. 3rd Flr. Bonifacio Technology Center, 31st. Corner 2nd Avenue Crescent Park Bonifacio City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

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

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

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

DYNAMIC STUDIO TECHNOLOGY INC. 5th To 10th/f Platinum Tower Building, Aseana Ave. Cor. Fuentes Street, Baclaran, City Of Parañaque

Basic Qualification: At least two (2) years of working experience in the related field.

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer and experience in assistant manager

Brief Job Description: Proven leadership and decision making abilities in a business settings.

Brief Job Description: Investigate user problems and prepare reports for developers.

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

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications/can multi-task and keen to details/able to speak Chinese and English fluently

25.

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

BLUE SKY COMPUTER INT’L TRADING CORP. L8 B19 Anonas St., Doña Josefa Village, Almanza Uno, City Of Las Piñas KIM, SUNGTAK CEO/president

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION XIE, QIUHONG Mandarin Speaking Computer Support Specialist

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

22.

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications/can multi-task and keen to details/able to speak Chinese and English fluently

No.

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

BEE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PH INC. 12th Floor, U1206 The Trade And Financial Tower, 7th Avenue And 32nd Street, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer and experience in assistant manager

YEO ANN TAI E-commerce Consultant (Chinese Speaking)

A13

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

APRICUS TECHNOLOGY INC. 8/f Aguirre Building, 107 Aguirre St. Legaspi Village, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

24.

HUANG, MANLAN E-commerce Consultant (Chinese Speaking)

Brief Job Description: Provide suggestions to clients.

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

ALTERA KARNA BUSINESS CORP. Unit No. Unit A & O Flr., No.5/f Eighty One Bldg. Newport Bldg. St., Barangay 183, Pasay City

12.

LIU, HUI E-commerce Consultant (Chinese Speaking)

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer and experience in assistant manager

23.

CHEANG HOE KEE E-commerce Consultant (Chinese Speaking)

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Saturday, December 11, 2021

Brief Job Description: Developing and managing the marketing department’s budget FENG, YUFENG Trade Manager

35.

Brief Job Description: Developing and managing the marketing department’s budget

Basic Qualification: Fluent and articulate in Mandarin and Cantonese Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can analyze market trends and prepare forecasts Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can analyze market trends and prepare forecasts Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

FAST RETAILING PHILIPPINES, INC. Sm Corporate Offices Bldg., A. J. W. Diokno Blvd., Brgy. 076, Pasay City

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

IKUTA, MASUNORI Area Manager 36.

Brief Job Description: Capable of carrying out business along with their subordinate with a will.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Nihongo Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

A14

BusinessMirror

Saturday, December 11, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION USHIGUCHI, YURI Merchandising Planning Manager (department Head)

37.

Brief Job Description: Communication, Qualitative Analysis, Understanding between Philippine Office and Chinese Headquarters TAKINO, MEGUMI Senior Store Operations Support Manager

38.

Brief Job Description: View of management, day to day communication with group.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Fluent in Nihongo Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

39.

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

40.

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

DINH THI HONG NHUNG Customer Service Representative 41.

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

HA MY KHIET Customer Service Representative 42.

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

LI, CHENXI Customer Service Representative 43.

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

NGUYEN ANH TUAN Customer Service Representative 44.

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

NGUYEN NGOC TRAM Customer Service Representative 45.

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

51.

SHANG, XIAOHANG Technical Support Engineer 52. Basic Qualification: Preferably 6 months experience with the above position. Can multi-task and keen to details. Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate level, preferably with customer service or sales experience, fluent in mandarin and basic English

53.

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

46.

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

LE, ANNIE VANNA Advisor 54.

NGUYEN VAN NGHI Customer Service Representative 47.

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

PHAM THI NHAT LE Customer Service Representative 48.

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

YANG, CUICUI Customer Service Representative 49.

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

ZHOU, YANG Customer Service Representative 50.

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

Basic Qualification: College graduate; excellent verbal and written communication skills in both Mandarin and English; with the experience in telecommunication network troubleshooting

Brief Job Description: Encouraging a culture of creative solutioning “taking the reins” ownership and free thinking.

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably with experience in management, consulting, strategy and business planning.

GE, LIPENG Mandarin Speaking Marketing Specialist 55.

Brief Job Description: Brainstorm & develop ideas for creative marketing campaigns; undertake individual tasks of a marketing plan as assigned; communicate and interpret the needs of client department to the selected Chinese vendor.

LIU, MAIEN Mandarin Speaking Marketing Specialist 56.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree; experience in sales/ marketing or in a similar role must be fluent in both written and verbal mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

JIANGSU DIBANG CONSTRUCTION PHILIPPINES CORPORATION Unit 2106-a West Tower, Psec Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

HE, LI Mandarin Structural Erector Specialist 57.

Brief Job Description: Read and interpret construction design and schematic to determine what type of support is required. Prepare materials and calibrate machinery prior to performing erector works.

WEI, ZHENGFA Mandarin Structural Erector Specialist

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate level, preferably with customer service or sales experience, fluent in mandarin and basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Read and interpret construction design and schematic to determine what type of support is required. Prepare materials and calibrate machinery prior to performing erector works.

XU, XI Mandarin Structural Erector Specialist 59.

Brief Job Description: Read and interpret construction design and schematic to determine what type of support is required. Prepare materials and calibrate machinery prior to performing erector works.

62.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English language both in written and verbal. Must familiar in expert planning and administrative writing and reporting skills.

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English language both in written and verbal. Must familiar in expert planning and administrative writing and reporting skills. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

WANG, ZEDAO Technical Consultant 63.

YANG, KUN Mandarin Structural Erector Specialist 60.

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate level, preferably with customer service or sales experience, fluent in mandarin and basic English

Brief Job Description: Read and interpret construction design and schematic to determine what type of support is required. Prepare materials and calibrate machinery prior to performing erector works.

64.

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

65.

61.

Brief Job Description: Attracts Potential customers by answering product and service questions suggesting informationabout other products and services

Basic Qualification: Proficient speaking reading and writing Chinese mandarin English and their respective language

FUTURENET AND TECHNOLOGY CORP. Unit 2104 Robinsons Equitable Tower, Adb Avenue, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

DOAN THI HAI Mandarin Speaking Marketing Specialist Brief Job Description: Contribute in the implementation of marketing strategies

GROVUM, MURRAY ORIN President And General Manager 66.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak mandarin Chinese and English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

Brief Job Description: Responsible for all business activities, staff development, enhancing efficiency and revenue growth

Basic Qualification: Visionary leadership, strategy, development, negotiation, conflict management and team building skills. Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

MALI LENDING CORP. 8m, Saint Peter Street, Kaunlaran 4, Quezon City

XIA, ZUNCHENG Customer Service Representative 67.

Brief Job Description: Resolves product or service problems by clarifying the customer’s complaint

Basic Qualification: Can speak the Chinese language minimum of 2 years CSR experience Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

MARS PHILIPPINES, INC. 24/f Sm Aura Business Tower, 26th St. Cor. Mckinley Parkway, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

DEL CASTILLO, FERNANDO Factory Director 68.

Brief Job Description: Lead the business continuity management plans. Currently, with the coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic, there are procedures in place which need to be proactively maintained.

Basic Qualification: Hold tertiary qualifications in an engineering/science discipline with a proven track record as a people leader in a manufacturing environment with solid Safety@ Mars and Quality@ Mars experience Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

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

69.

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

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

MEGAWIDE CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION #20 N., Domingo St., Valencia, Quezon City

SLOTH, OLE HEIN Plant & Workshop Manager 70.

Brief Job Description: Set goals and objectives and create the strategy for the organization

Basic Qualification: At least 15 to 20 years of overall professional experience Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

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

71.

73.

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.- PHILIPPINE GLOBAL SERVICE CENTER 23/f Net Plaza, 31st St. E-square Zone, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

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

LPM EXPORT SOLUTIONS INC. Unit 10-1 Fort Legend Tower, 3rd Ave. Cor. 31st St., Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

72.

JHANG, SIAO-MIN Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Determining information system requirements and defining project objectives

Basic Qualification: Able to speak mandarin Chinese and English

KWONG YUAN TRADING CORP. 16/f Tower 6789 Ayala Ave., Cor. H.v Dela Costa St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

JIU ZHOU TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. U-3401 34/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate level, preferably with customer service or sales experience, fluent in mandarin and basic English

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English language both in written and verbal. Must familiar in expert planning and administrative writing and reporting skills.

Brief Job Description: Determining information system requirements and defining project objectives ZHANG, HAOLIANG Technical Consultant

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate level, preferably with customer service or sales experience, fluent in mandarin and basic English

Basic Qualification: Strong verbal and written communication skills in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, 2 years or more customer service/product support/technical support experience in a call center environment, Technical proficiency in Windows LAN/PC environments and systems, and in web-andbrowser based applications and technologies, Strong analytical and problem solving skills

JSLINK INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION 803-804 Ri-rance Building, Aseana Enclave Aseana City, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English language both in written and verbal. Must familiar in expert planning and administrative writing and reporting skills.

Brief Job Description: To service internal and external clients across all lines of business through phone and email servicing depository and all treasury products and services as well as supporting Solution Center agents with first level escalation.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree; experience in sales/ marketing or in a similar role Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

DANIEL HWANG SAN MOO Client Service Analyst

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

IMPRIMIS PHILIPPINES INC. Unit 3012 Tower 2 High Street South Corporate Plaza Cor., 9th Avenue And 26th Street, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Basic Qualification: College Graduate level, preferably with customer service or sales experience, fluent in mandarin and basic English

Basic Qualification: College Graduate level. Preferably with customer service or sales experience. Fluent in Mandarin and basic English

Basic Qualification: College graduate; excellent verbal and written communication skills in both Mandarin and English; with the experience in telecommunication network troubleshooting

GLOBE TELECOM, INC. 2/f, Globe Telecom Plaza, Pioneer Cor. Madison, Barangka Ilaya, City Of Mandaluyong

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate level, preferably with customer service or sales experience, fluent in mandarin and basic english

Brief Job Description: Research and identify solutions to software and hardware issues; ensure all issues are properly logged

No.

Basic Qualification: College graduate; excellent verbal and written communication skills in both Mandarin and English; with the experience in telecommunication network troubleshooting

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate level, preferably with customer service or sales experience, fluent in mandarin and basic English

Brief Job Description: Research and identify solutions to software and hardware issues; ensure all issues are properly logged

XIE, XIAO Technical Support Engineer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate level, preferably with customer service or sales experience, fluent in mandarin and basic English

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

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

Basic Qualification: College graduate level. Preferably with Customer Service or Service experience. Fluent in Mandarin and basic English

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

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

58. NGUYEN KIM PHUNG Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Research and identify solutions to software and hardware issues; ensure all issues are properly logged

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

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

BUI THI MY HOANG Customer Service Representative

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

LIU, KEXUN Technical Support Engineer

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Nihongo

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

HUANG, SHENG-FENG Marketing Consultant (mandarin Speaking Clients)

No.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

74.

BACH HONG DIEP Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

BO, HAO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

BUI QUOC TRUNG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

CHE LONG MAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

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

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

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94.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION CHEN, YANTING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

DAO THI PHUONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

DAO THI VAN ANH Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

DENI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

DING, QIONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

DOAN ANH NHAT Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

DOAN HAI DANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

DOAN THI THU THUY Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ERLIN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

FRISNDY Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HAO, YU Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HERMAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HO SENH NIN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HO THI TO UYEN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HOANG CANH QUY Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HOANG THI TAM Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HOANG TIEU THO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HOANG XUAN HUY Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HOANG XUAN THIN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HOANG XUAN TRUONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

No.

95.

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

96.

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

97.

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

98.

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

99.

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

100.

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

101.

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

102.

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

103.

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

104.

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

105.

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

106.

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

107.

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

108.

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

109.

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

110.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION HONG DAU HENH Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HTOO AUNG THU Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HUA THI HIT Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HY CAM TU Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

JACKY CHOW YEE FUNG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

JULIATI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LE DINH THUONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and Customer Service Inquiries

LE DUC THO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LE THAI HOANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and Customer Service Inquiries

LE THI NGUYET Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and Customer Service Inquiries

LE VAN CUONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and Customer Service Inquiries

LE VAN NGHIA Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and Customer Service Inquiries

LIAO, LIXIANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and Customer Service Inquiries

LIU, JIANGBO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

LU, CHENGLONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and Customer Service Inquiries

LUONG VAN BANG Chinese Customer Service

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

Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and Customer Service Inquiries

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

LUU THI BAY Chinese Customer Service

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

111.

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

112.

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

113.

114.

Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and Customer Service Inquiries

LY VAN BAC Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and Customer Service Inquiries

LY VAN DAI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

MA THU THUY Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Saturday, December 11, 2021

A15

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

No.

115.

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

116.

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

117.

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

118.

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

119.

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

120.

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

121.

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

122.

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

123.

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

124.

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

125.

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

126.

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

127.

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

128.

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

129.

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

130.

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

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

131.

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

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

132.

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

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

MARIANA Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NGUYEN CHIEN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NGUYEN DINH HOA Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NGUYEN DUC DUNG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NGUYEN DUONG HOANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NGUYEN HAI ANH Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NGUYEN THI LAM Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NGUYEN THI NGOC LIEM Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NIE, WEIBIN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

PHAM VIET QUAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

RUTH CHOW QIAN QIAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

SONG, YU Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

TANG THI THAM Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

VI THI HUONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

VY VAN CHUNG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and Customer Service Inquiries

WANG, JIANYING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

XIAO, ZHIGANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

ZHANG, LEI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read and Write Chinese Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

MONDELEZ PHILIPPINES, INC. #8378, Dr. A Santos Ave., Bf Homes, City Of Parañaque

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

PISHARODI, ASHISH NANDAN Country Director, Philippines And Chairman And President 133.

Brief Job Description: Lead the company’s activities within the geography in order to achieve the agreed objectives of Volume, Revenue, Market Share performance and other relevant KPI’s.

Basic Qualification: Broad management experience in leading national/international FMCG or CPG Company / Teams. In depth knowledge of all relevant national and international Sales aspects, tools and processes and business collaboration Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

A16

BusinessMirror

Saturday, December 11, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

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

CHEN, GUODONG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 134.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers. Give customer information about product and services

CHEN, XINBIN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 135.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers. Give customer information about product and services

CONG, HAILONG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 136.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers. Give customer information about product and services

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

MAN, ZHUANGZHUANG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 149.

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

150.

137.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help customers. Give customer information about product and services

151.

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

138.

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

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

139.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers. Give customer information about product and services

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

140.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help customers. Give customer information about product and services

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

ZHANG, XIAO Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

141.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help customers. Give customer information about product and services

HE, XUDONG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 142.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help customers. Give customer information about product and services

HUANG, YUANAN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 143.

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

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

144.

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

157.

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/ good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 159.

LI, HU Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 145.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers. Give customer information about product and services

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

Brief Job Description: Review and assess through formal audits of Nestle units the existence and effectiveness of internal records; Conducts audit of assigned chapter in a timely manner, highlighting areas which assist Nestle in improving the existence and effectiveness of internal controls; Perform risk based audit planning via review different sources of information

XIE, HONGBAO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

CAM THANH BINH Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

160.

146.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help customers. Give customer information about product and services

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

147.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers. Give customer information about product and services

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

LUO, PING Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 148.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help customers. Give customer information about product and services

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

Brief Job Description: To oversee construction projects and supervise the construction team

LUO, HANSONG Site Supervisor

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

164.

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

165.

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

Brief Job Description: To oversee construction projects and supervise the construction team

ZHANG, HAI Site Supervisor 162.

Brief Job Description: To oversee construction projects and supervise the construction team

ZHENG, DALIN Site Supervisor 163.

Brief Job Description: To oversee construction projects and supervise the construction team

Basic Qualification: Preferably years of prior experience in supervisory roles; fluent in mandarin/ basic English

Brief Job Description: To oversee construction projects and supervise the construction team

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

BILI, MARIA Senior Director – Human Resources, Manila Service Center, AMA GBS And Global External Reporting, Global Business Services

Basic Qualification: More than 15 years of managerial experience in HR for multinational FMCG company

Brief Job Description: Provide support and strategic GBS HR leadership across manila service center in Philippines, AMA region and global external reporting service line

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

SHANG GLOBAL CITY PROPERTIES, INC. 3rd Ave., Cor. 30th St., Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

166.

Basic Qualification: With experience as General Manager, well versed with hotel policies and procedures

OBEROI, AMIT KUMAR General Manager Brief Job Description: Has solid understanding about hotel operations

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

SOMI UNLIMITED SOLUTIONS, INC. 10/f Tower 2 Double Dragon Plaza Bldg., Edsa Corner Macapagal Ave. St., Zone 10. Barangay 076, District 1, Pasay City NGUYEN BA TRI Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 167.

Basic Qualification: fluent in Vietnamese

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

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

SPEED QUALITY TECH INC. 3/f Eco Plaza Bldg., 2305 Chino Roces Ave. Extn., Magallanes, City Of Makati

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

PROCTER & GAMBLE PHILIPPINES BUSINESS SERVICES, INC. 11th Flr. Seven Neo Bldg., 5th Ave. Crescent Parkwest, Bgc, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin both oral and written

LI, XIAOGANG Mandarin Customer Service Specialist Brief Job Description: Customer Service

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

TIGER RESORT, LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT, INC. Okada Manila, New Seaside Drive, Entertainment City, Barangay Tambo, City Of Parañaque

TAN CHUI LAN a.k.a. CHEN CUILAN AVP - Cage, Count And Credit 169.

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

Brief Job Description: To provide strategic leadership and direction for cage, count and credit division including regulatory compliance, employee engagement, guest service and overall operations

Basic Qualification: Must have experience in managerial roles in cage, credit, and collections in international casinos for at least 5 years Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

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

Basic Qualification: Stakeholder Management; Background in Business Administration/ Economics/Engineering/IT/ Mathematics/Law; 1-2 years of audit experience Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Preferably years of prior experience in supervisory roles; fluent in mandarin/ basic English

170.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Preferably years of prior experience in supervisory roles; fluent in mandarin/ basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Foster human relationship through communication and distribution of marketing activities

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

VERTEX DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 1439 Adriatico Cor. Sta. Monica St., 072, Bgy. 669, Ermita, City Of Manila

171.

Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

LIU, YONGJI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

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

WEAVENET INT’L., INC. Unit 1604 The Centerpoint Condo., Julia Vargas Corner Garnet Road, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

OH, JAE YUL Procurement And Marketing Manager 172.

Brief Job Description: Overseeing and supervising employees and all activities of the purchasing department.

Basic Qualification: Strong communication and negotiation skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

WNS GLOBAL SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. 9/f 1880 Bldg., Eastwood City Cyberpark, Bagumbayan, Quezon City

BHATTACHARJEE, SUBHABRATA General Manager-operations

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Preferably years of prior experience in supervisory roles; fluent in mandarin/ basic English

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

YANG, BING Mandarin Field Marketing Officer

173.

161.

LIN, YUDONG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION ZHOU, SHINAN Site Supervisor

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

PHILIPPINES COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK CONSTRUCTION INC. Unit E-2004a East Tower, Psec Exchange Road Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

LIN, YUYUN Site Supervisor

LI, JIXIANG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

No.

NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION 1331 Pearl Plaza Bldg., Quirino Ave., Tambo, City Of Parañaque

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

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

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

MASITA BINTI MOHAMAD JALIL Nestle Internal Audit Manager

158. JIANG, YU Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

NESTLE PHILIPPINES, INC. Rockwell Center 31, Plaza Drive, Poblacion, City Of Makati

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers. Give customer information about product and services

ZHAO, DI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 156.

HAN, DONGLI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers. Give customer information about product and services

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

168.

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

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers. Give customer information about product and services

ZHANG, LIN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

155. FENG, SIJIE Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

WANG, SHENGXIAN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

154. DONG, JUAN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

WANG, HAO Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

153. DENG, LIJIA Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

SONG, YANFEI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

152. DENG, JINHUAN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers. Give customer information about product and services

SONG, YA Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Brief Job Description: As apart of the senior management team you lead a team of of operational leaders. You are customer & client facing & strive to deliver excellent customer experience.

Basic Qualification: Healthcare / collections experience mandatory. Minimum requirement of at least 3 years with relevant experience as a Group Manager or as Sr. Group Manager Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

*Date Generated: Dec 10, 2021 Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE National Capital Region located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication. Please inform DOLE National Capital Region if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

Basic Qualification: Preferably years of prior experience in supervisory roles; fluent in mandarin/ basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR