BusinessMirror December 18, 2022

‘Latest version of MIF bill ensures transparency’

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

THE public will be able to access and secure documents of the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) and Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC), including investment plans and audit documents, based on the current version of the legislative measure.

House Speaker Martin G. Romualdez said the version of House Bill (HB) 6608 approved by the House of the Representatives on third and final reading included another transparency measure to allay the public’s concerns on the MIF’s accountability. See related stories on the MIF on page A10.

R omualdez said HB 6608 has a provision that allows the public to exercise its right to freedom of information regarding the finan -

cial matters of the MIF, which is touted to contribute to the country’s prosperity.

“ During the lengthy and exhaustive plenary deliberations on House Bill 6608, we have adopted various safeguards to ensure we can achieve the objectives of the Maharlika Investment Fund, and one of such is a provision to ensure transparency on relevant financial matters pertaining to the MIF,” he said in a statement.

R omualdez said it was ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro who proposed the additional transparency provision during the period of individual amendments in the plenary deliberation of HB 6608.

“

The third reading version now creates an MIF that is significantly more transparent and accountable than the committee report. I am proud of the work of the Technical Working Group, which included recommendations from

the minority,” said Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, who chairs the technical working group on HB 6608. Under Section 43 of the approved HB 6608, all documents of the MIF and the Maharlika Investment Corp.—the independent body created to manage the fund—will be open, available, and accessible to the public.

T he documents covered by Section 43 include, but are not limited, to the following:

n All investments thereof, whether planned or under negotiation by the MIC and on the portfolio of the MIF;

n The statements of assets and liabilities (SALNs) of the members and officials of the board of directors, risk management unit, and advisory board; *The SALNs of those who appointed and designated the said members and officials;

See “Latest,” A2

BOI: HYBRIDS EXCLUDED FROM ZERO-TARIFF PLAN

By Andrea E. San Juan

ONLY pure electric vehicles (EVs) will enjoy zero tariffs as the government is keen on attracting more investments in the EV industry, according to an official of the Board of Investments (BOI).

B OI Managing Head and Trade

Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo said hybrid vehicles were excluded from the planned zero-tariff policy for EV as it does not strictly require charging stations.

“ They were saying before that we want to develop infrastructure, the charging stations. The problem with hybrids, most of them will not need any charging station,” Rodolfo said in a mix of English and Filipino during a recent virtual press briefing.

So, the charging stations will not be developed if we prefer to include hybrid. While if it’s pure, [EVs], it will spur investments

through the charging stations,” he added.

T he BOI official, who is also the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) undersecretary for industry development and trade policy group, noted that DTI Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual is more interested in the manufacture and assembly of EVs.

R odolfo said Pascual is keen on developing and adding value to the country’s natural resources.

He said the Philippines must also leverage its strength in software development and electronics manufacturing.

See “BOI,” A2

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

INVESTORS might become reluctant to put their hardearned money into PLDT Inc. after its controversial P48billion “budget overrun” announcement on Friday, with foreign investors already weighing in on the issue over the weekend.

F irst Grade Finance Inc.

Managing Director Astro C. del Castillo believes that investors will be risk-averse toward one of the Philippines’s blue-chip telco stocks, especially since the issue

is far from conclusion.

“It will definitely bite them— it’s not a small amount,” he said in a phone interview. “PLDT is far from over in searching for more skeletons in their closet, until then investors will somehow be risk averse considering that it has yet to conclude. I’m sure there are still bumps along the road.”

O n Friday, PLDT disclosed that it had a “budget overrun” of P48 billion, which represents 12.7 percent of its total capital expenditures (capex) spend of P379 billion over the last four years.

See “Budget,” A2

‘PHL is capable of becoming a digital leader’

DESPITE the uncertainty created by the pandemic and the recent spike in commodity prices, the government and the private sector remain optimistic about the country’s prospects, particularly in the digital space.

A t the recent Philippine Fintech Festival hosted by Digital Pilipinas, participants said the Philippines is “well-positioned” in Web 3.0, blockchain, crypto, and non-fungible tokens (NFT), among others.

A ccording to Coins.ph CEO Wei Zhou, the Philippines is on the cusp of something “very big.”

“ We really need to learn blockchain, crypto, NFT, and other digital assets by using them in their day-to-day lives,” he said.

A tty. Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) undersecretary for ICT Industry Development, discussed crypto trends and gave her insights on the execution of Web 3, blockchain, and

efforts to digitalize the country.

“ Blockchain technology has proven that valuable opportunities have opened up for Filipinos that wouldn’t have been possible in the past,” she said. “Because of this, we look forward to partnering with like-minded organizations that push the country’s ICT agenda and supporting initiatives that can bring Web 3.0 closer to the Filipino people.”

L ing Zhang, managing partner at Old Fashion Research, said now

is the right and “perfect” time to build and invest in the crypto space.

W ith this in mind, Coins.ph plans to make the Philippines a leader in Web 3.0 not just in Southeast Asia, but globally.

“What we need to do collectively is to make the Philippines a champion of blockchain adoption, because it is really possible with the help of users, capital, and projects,” said Wei.

CHRISTMAS TRADITION A marching band performs after the first dawn Mass at the St. Joseph Parish Church in Las Piñas City, December 16, 2022. Filipinos attend nine consecutive dawn Masses before Christmas as part of traditional practice in this largely Roman Catholic nation as Covid restrictions eased in the country. AP/AARON FAVILA

DOH ramps up fight against cholera as global cases rise

health systems.

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

B ased on the data surveillance of the DOH Epidemiology Bureau (EB), there were 5,860 cholera cases reported from January 1 to November 26.

D espite this, the DOH said, no local government units (LGUs) have declared an outbreak as cases remained manageable, thanks to the close coordination of hospitals and the DOH in monitoring and treat -

ing patients.

We have many teams on-ground addressing our current cholera cases, while we further strengthen our surveillance and response systems nationwide,” said DOH officer-incharge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.

S he also said the DOH has been working to reduce the impact of natural disasters on the country’s

T he DOH noted that cholera cases in 2022 were 282 percent higher compared to the reported cases during the same period in 2021.

Most of these cholera cases were in Region 8 (3,620 or 62 percent higher), Region 11 (810), and Region 4 (336).

T he DOH recorded 640 cholera cases from October 30 to November 26. Regions recording the highest cases were Region 8 (472), Region 6 (50), and Region 3 (37).

A total of 67 people died due to cholera. The case fatality rate is 1.1 percent during the period, higher than last year’s 0.8 percent.

T he DOH said it has been providing assistance to critical areas to ensure patients have access to proper treatment and clean drinking water.

A s cholera is caused by the in -

gestion of contaminated food or water, the DOH said “a whole-ofgovernment, whole-of-society approach is warranted.”

T he DOH is in close coordination with concerned agencies through the Inter-Agency Committee on Environmental Health (IACEH).

T he health department also said it is continuously improving its strategies in implementing existing programs and activities on water and sanitation by coordinating and allocating the resources of all IACEH member agencies in improving their water, sanitation and hygiene services.

I n all settings, the DOH said the Centers for Health Developments and local government units are continuously implementing drinking water quality surveillance programs to ensure the safety of drinking water.

BOI...

W hile the BOI is reluctant to include hybrids in the zero-tariff plan, Rodolfo said the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board will include a “review clause” in the EO.

So after one year, we’ll review the coverage of the products in the executive order,” the Trade official added.

L ast month, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan announced that the Neda Board had endorsed a new EO on electric vehicle tariffs to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

“ The EO will temporarily reduce the most-favored nation [MFN] tariff rates to zero percent for five years and completely built-up or CBU units of certain EVs, except for hybrid-type EVs,” Balisacan said.

C urrently, Balisacan said the tariff for e-vehicles range from 5 percent to 30 percent.

T he zero-tariff policy will cover EVs, such as passenger cars, buses, mini buses, vans, trucks, motorcycles, tricycles, scooters and bicycles among others.

It will also reduce the tariff for certain component parts of EVs from 5 percent to 1 percent for 5 years.

H owever, the pending EO will

exclude hybrid vehicles, which makes use of an electric motor and a traditional combustion engine, for now.

“ We will review the performance of this reform after one year to see if there is a need to also include the hybrid,” Balisacan said.

Foreign business groups in the country had made a pitch for the inclusion of hybrid cars to in the government’s planned zero duty on the importation of EVs.

E uropean Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) President Lars Wittig said during the press conference for the 11th Arangkada Forum two weeks ago that they applaud the government for the said initiative as it is the first country in Asean to allow zero tariffs on electric vehicles.

However, Wittig said “we would also like to include hybrid, gas and not only from within Asia or Asean but also from Europe.”

K orean Chamber of Commerce Philippines Executive Director Hyun Chong Um also supported the zero-tariff importation privilege, saying it will “level up” the Philippines’s automotive industry.

“When we spend wisely on creating livelihood, for infrastructure, the public goods value is strong, which we will not earn 7-8 percent in the capital markets,” he added.

T he bill also overrides the provision in the BSP charter that pro -

vides the use of its dividends for its recapitalization, as HB 6608 requires 100 percent of BSP dividends to be contributed to the MIF for the latter’s first two years, instead. In the following years, only 50 percent of the BSP’s declared dividends will be contributed to the MIF.

‘Less independent, less autonomous BSP’ “THIS provision of directly contrib -

uting its dividends to Maharlika, to me, violates Section 128 of the BSP charter as amended by RA 11211 Section 45, which provides that the BSP ‘shall not acquire shares of any kind…or shall not participate in the ownership or management of any enterprise, either directly or indirectly.’ It further violates the prohibition against development banking or financing. There are good reasons for these prohibi -

tions, and they are all for ensuring the independence and effectiveness of the BSP as monetary regulator,” said the former BSP executive.

I don’t have to detail what could happen to the economy when serious shocks hit us again with a central bank, which to me could be less independent, less autonomous. It could have been stronger and more robust until this Maharlika came around,” he pointed out.

T he funds of the GFIs, he added, will be put to better use when loaned to their mandated clients such as farmers, fisherfolk, smaller-capitalized enterprises, and local government units.

DOH...

Families, the DOH said, can produce loud noises from other sources, such as loud speakers, horns, percussion, pans and pots among many others for a safer and more joyous holiday celebration.

T he DOH called upon the local government units and the private sector to join and support the campaign to help reduce the number of firework-related injuries and casualties.

“ Through this mobilization our partnership can help in promoting alternative and safer ways of celebrating the holiday season,” it said.

T he DOH assured that it will be proactively monitoring and conducting surveillance activities of the situation on the ground.

O n the first day of 2023, the DOH will be hosting a post-New Year Media Forum and will inspect hospitals in Baguio City and the surrounding areas.

Latest...

■ Audit documents from the internal auditor, external auditor, and the COA; and

■ Similar documents and information.

H B 6608 also mandates that the records on MIC’s investment activities will be secured and maintained pursuant to the rules of the National Archives of the Philippines. The disclosure rules under Republic Act (RA) 8799 or the Securities Regulation Code, RA 11232 or the Revised Corporation Code, and other relevant laws, rules and regulations will apply to the MIC.

T he House of Representatives approved on third and final reading HB 6608 last week with an overwhelming vote of 279 lawmakers, following President Marcos Jr.’s certification of the legislative measure as an “urgent” bill.

Budget...

PLDT heavily invested in its network over the past four years, building a fiber optic cable footprint of over 1 million kilometers, covering almost all of the provinces and municipalities with a mix of 3G, 4G, and 5G.

T he overruns, uncovered through “ongoing internal forensics,” were incurred when PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan was the concurrent president and CEO of the telco titan.

H e stepped down in mid-2021 and was replaced by Alfredo S. Panlilio, who was then chief revenue officer and president of subsidiary Smart Communications Inc.

D espite this, the telco highlighted that, as far as initial investigations are concerned, “fraudulent transactions, procurement anomalies, or loss of assets arising from the capex spend” are “not uncovered.”

The good thing is at least PLDT has realized some oversight actions that they need to address. But somehow there will be a negative reaction, you saw a knee-jerk reaction in New York on Friday,” del Castillo said.

Data from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) showed that PLDT’s depository receipts closed at $26.81 apiece on Friday in the United States, down by 2.44 percent from its previous close.

I nvestors, del Castillo, said may “opt to stay away or opt to sell,” their stake in PLDT given the situation. However, some may also take advantage of the expected decrease in stock prices, “but not until the fat lady sings or when the dust settles.”

It will hound them for the

next few months, until the socalled final audit has been concluded. It will definitely affect expansion plans possible moving forward. Considering they have to reinstitute a new procedure to protect their financial assets,” he said.

PLDT has started “requesting” its vendors for the “reduction of outstanding work.”

“ They will eventually adjust moving forward, especially for their capex and other projects,” del Castillo said.

A s part of initial oversight actions, PLDT is undertaking a “management reorganization process.”

A day before the announcement, PLDT appointed Joseph Ian G. Gendrano as Chief Technology Officer, Danny Y. Yu as the Group Controller, and Emmanuel Ramon C. Lorenzana as Chief Transformation and Customer Officer.

B efore Gendrano’s appointment, PLDT only had a “chief technology advisor” through Joachim Horn. Yu most likely replaced Gil Samson D. Garcia, who was sitting as “officerin-charge of financial reporting and controllership,” while Lorenzana’s position is new.

“ Heads will continue to roll considering that the amount definitely is not only an oversight or overlooked by an individual, but most probably by a group of individuals,” del Castillo said.

W hen sought for clarification, Panlilio simply replied that the company “will have a briefing this week to answer all the questions.”

“Core business remains to be strong,” he said.

He shared some of their company’s existing efforts to ramp up crypto education, including its partnerships with Miss Universe Philippines to launch a three-part Live Crypto 101 series on the basics of blockchain and NFTs and with the De La Salle University for orientation seminars and booth activations.

T he firm will do undertake similar events with other schools and universities in the metro.

I t has launched Coins Academy, a series of introductory educational articles, aimed at educating people on all things crypto, blockchain, and Web3, and contents are available in

both English and Filipino. Also, it worked with the Philippine Basketball Association to bring crypto and Web3 education to sports fans nationwide via Courtside Crypto, a one-minute video series that premiered on social media.

U pcoming services and activities that customers can enjoy include the Coins Trade Desk for an easy and seamless trading experience; improved Coins Pro UI/UX with more cryptocurrency tokens; and the company’s metaverse participation through the Virtual Influencer TikTok Studio to be launched in Manila.

Roderick L. Abad

The Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday said it is ramping up its anti-cholera efforts following reports of a global rise in cases.

BusinessMirror The Nation

Operatives of PRO-7 seize ₧13M worth of drugs in Cebu

By Glen Jacob Jose

AWEEK after a combined task force to lead the war on illegal drugs for the entire Cebu Province started operations, the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) captured almost 2 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu” worth P13 million, and arrested more than 100 drug suspects, Chief Brig. Gen. Roderick Alba said.

In a statement, Alba announced that from December 9 to 15, PRO-7 operatives seized 1,918.60 grams of shabu with a standard drug price value of P13,046,480.00, and simultaneously arrested 119 individuals.

T he creation of the One-Cebu Inter-Agency Interdiction Task Force, the official claimed, is a huge advantage to the Philippine National Police organization, the goals of which are aligned with those of Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s all-out war on drugs and strengthening border security through enhanced collaboration and cooperation among government agencies and stakeholders which all aim for a peaceful, orderly and progressive Central Visayas community.

T he One Cebu Inter-Agency Interdiction Task Force was activated on December 7 by the Cebu Provincial Government, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, along with national government and local officials that would strengthen

collaboration across agencies, while continuously curtailing the entry and proliferation of illegal drugs in Central Visayas.

I am grateful to the Cebu Provincial Government and to Governor…Garcia—[the province’s drug czar—]for the pouring of support to ‘Team PNP Region 7,’” Alba stated. “We will continue to intensify border-protection measures and better policing strategies against the proliferation of illegal drugs in the region.”

A lba, meanwhile, reported that the local celebrations of the first day of Misa de Gallo on Friday were “generally peaceful,” with no major incidents reported in the area.

“ The first of the nine-day dawn masses celebrated in all Catholic churches, and with the relentless efforts of the police force of Team PNP Region 7, was manageable and peaceful with the help of other government agencies, local security teams, and volunteer groups,” he added. “As we plan, we shape good decisions. I commend my men on the ground for their dedication and diligence in ensuring that all…preparations are organized and focused 100 percent.”

A lba said a total of 3,339 personnel will be deployed to boost patrols in different areas of convergence in the region.

Millions are expected to troop to their hometowns and take advantage of the long Christmas break for vacation. In Central Visayas, Cebu and Bohol are popular tourist hubs.

Cash, rice incentives in store for qualified govt personnel

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

QUALIFIED government workers will soon be receiving a one-time servicerecognition incentive (SRI) and rice allowance.

T his, after the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) disclosed last Saturday that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has issued two new administrative orders that will provide additional benefits to employees in the public sector ahead of the Christmas celebration.

T he SRI, it said, will be given at a “uniform rate” to executive de -

partment personnel, and will not exceed P20,000.

Marcos Jr. also issued a separate advisory authorizing the grant of a one-time rice assistance for government personnel.

Both benefits will cover civilian personnel in national government agencies (NGAs)—including those working in state universities and colleges; government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs); regular, contractual or casual employees; members of the military and the police; as well as fire and jail personnel under the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Other beneficiaries of the two

advisories are workers from the Bureau of Corrections, Philippine Coast Guard, as well as the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, who are all entitled to enjoy the SRI.

Additional provisions

IN the issuance for the SRI, Marcos Jr. urged both houses of Congress, the judiciary, Office of the Ombudsman and constitutional offices to extend a similar benefit, which should be at most P20,000.

He also made a similar appeal to local government units in case their financial capability allows for the same incentive.

A s for the rice allowance, the Chief Executive also allowed its release to individuals and groups whose services are engaged through job orders, contracts of service, or other similar work arrangements.

The budget of the rice aid for NGAs, military and uniformed personnel will be sourced from the Contingent Fund under Republic Act 11639 or the 2022 National Budget, while those for GOCCs will be obtained from their respective approved operating budgets for Fiscal Year 2022.

A s of press time Malacañang has yet to release copies of the administrative orders for the SRI and the rice allowance.

Davao tribes unite to protect Mt. Apo

DAVAO CITY—Tribal communities living in and around Mount Apo have formed a coalition to protect its remaining forests and environs.

L ast month the Bagobo Tagabawas in Toril District’s Barangay Sibulan, as well as the Klata, Obu Manuvu and Manuvu Tinonanon, founded the Mount Apo Indigenous Peoples’ Coalition for Biodiversity Environment and Cultural Integ-

rity to help government protect the natural resources of the country’s highest peak, as well as neighboring Mount Sinaka.

“

The coalition was formed to present exact policies to our government and institutions…the policy of the [tribes],” said Datu Joel Unad, head of the indigenous political structure of the Obu Manuvu.

Unad insisted that the coalition would prevent the selling of areas

within their ancestral domains, which he said were being done by migrants who settled in the area at the height of the logging industry operations decades back.

The prohibition on selling of ancestral domains, the datu said, must be the policy of the barangays within the ancestral domain.

The Philippine Eagle Foundation has welcomed the move from the tribes, as they pointed out the need

to protect the forests for the endangered birds. Director Jayson Ibañez maintained that the forests within the ancestral domain “are the remaining large tracts of forests in the region underlying the importance of these IPs’ [indigenous persons’] communities in preserving biodiversity, mitigating climate change, and protecting the six breeding pairs of Philippine Eagles found in the ancestral domain.” Manuel T. Cayon

BusinessMirror

With Peza green light, IT-BPM projects gear up for WFH rollout

By Andrea San Juan

THE Board of Investments (BOI) has greenlighted 627 information technology and business-process management (IT-BPM) projects geared toward “paper transfer” registration to engage in 100-percent work-from-home (WFH) arrangement.

As of December 15 the number of projects endorsed by [the Philippine Economic Zone Authority]

Peza is at 786…[Out of that number, we were able to award certificates of registration to 627.] Project cost is P98 billion,” Executive Director Evariste M. Cagatan of BOI said during a virtual media briefing last Friday.

For his part, BOI Managing Head Ceferino S. Rodolfo unveiled the number of new projects in the IT-BPM sector with BOI’s 100 percent WFH policy. Data presented has 53 already

having applied with the bureau. This, he said, is equivalent to P7.3 billion and employs 15,100 people.

However, of the said IT-BPM projects, only 20 have been registered with the BOI; nine have been okayed, and 24 projects are still pending for approval.

BOI, Rodolfo claimed, is currently maintaining its deadline of December 31, 2022 for the paper-transfer registration from Peza to the bureau. So far we’ve worked within the deadline. So we’ll assess based on the numbers provided…[Of course, we’ll

work closely with the IT-IBPAP [Business Process Association of the Philippines],” the BOI managing head said, then added that the number might have already been final, and that others may not be interested to transfer. “So we have to work really closely with the industry.”

R odolfo said the BOI is coordinating with Peza and the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) to carry out the process of the papertransfer registration.

From its perspective, Peza’s Deputy Director General for Operations Vivian S. Santos said last Monday that it has arrived with an internal deadline, which was on December 16, based on Peza Memorandum Circular (MC) 2022-070.

The BOI would not extend Peza’s endorsement. So, in order for [us] to endorse on or before December 31, we need to also come up with a deadline…the [one] we have provided in our MC is December 16. That’s the last day of filing,” Santos said.

T he Peza official however noted that the agency will ensure that applications with complete requirements will be endorsed to the BOI on

Bill giving 20% off on road toll fees for senior citizens pushed

QUEZON City Representa-

tive Marvin Rillo wants to expand the transportation and road-use privileges of the coun-

try’s elderly by granting them a discount on fees levied by toll operators.

“Senior citizens who own motor vehicles deserve special access to [the

Skyways] and expressways, including a 20-percent reduction in toll charges,” Rillo said in a news release.

In the solon’s proposed in House Bill 5277, elderly citizens would enjoy the concession for all toll fees payable via radio frequency identification (RFID) or similar devices.

To avail of the discount, the motor vehicle must be registered under the ownership of a senior citizen, who must then submit a copy of his or her ID card to the expressway or Skyway operator when applying for RFID installation.

“Our measure seeks to give more meaning to the mandate of the 1987 Constitution for the State to prioritize the rights and welfare of the elderly,” Rillo stated.

His bill requires the Department of Transportation’s Toll Regulatory Board and other agencies to enforce the specially reduced rates for seniors. The measure seeks to further upgrade the Expanded Senior Citizens Law that bestows Filipinos who are 60 years old and above a wide range of perks. PNA

or before December 31, as the papertransfer effectivity that will allow complete WFH will be on January 1, 2023.

A s of December 12 Peza said it has received 351 applications for the paper transfer of registered business enterprises (RBEs) to the BOI.

According to the Peza MC 2022070 dated October 24: “The earlier deadline of December 16 is to ensure that PEZA will have sufficient time to review the applications before we endorse it to BOI.”

The endorsement by Peza to BOI is considered as a certification of its ‘no objection,’…that the endorsed RBEs are compliant with the terms and conditions of registration, and are in good standing,” Peza told the BusinessMirror last month.

P ursuant to the Department of Trade and Industry MC 22-19, which was supported by the FIRB issued on October 18, the RBEs have until December 31 to exercise the option to register with BOI. (Related story in the BusinessMirror , December 15, 2022: Peza vows to meet deadline for submission of RBE applications.)

DTI ready to fire up e-commerce site for MSMEs before year-end

AN e-commerce platform, set for a definite launch before year-end, will help create a national market for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual said the e-commerce platform of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is creating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is “for the purpose of having a platform [for the initiation of MSMEs that are currently yet to enter] the digital economy.”

Said platform, Pascual noted, will be an avenue for small merchants to be exposed to the national market, and will eventually enable them to participate in the global arena.

T he DTI chief named the “GoLokal” program of the trade department as a “market access” platform for Philippine MSMEs’ “incubation, marketing and branding.”

A ccording to DTI, GoLokal can be found in malls, tourist destinations, and other “consumer-frequented” locations.

T he secretary said that with the program, he aims to onboard small enterprises into the said digital platform, which will enable them to enjoy wider access, since these local businesses are only occasionally visible in select stores nationwide.

Pascual told reporters last week that the said businesses only have access in the National Capital Region during trade fairs in malls. GoLokal, on the other hand, “will create the national market for them. And eventually, international markets.”

and DICT is for that purpose.”

T he trade chief said the entire process—which includes onboarding, training, and “linking” them up to the e-commerce platform—can be likened to that of a supermarket. The site will feature an “e-catalog” of Philippine products.

[My vision is to eventually have an e-catalog of Philippine products],” Pascual shared. “And we will require government offices to buy from local producers—mandatory for products that are available here [in the country.]”

A s for the e-catalog: “[It will be very transparent…because the prices are published...hopefully it will reduce corruption, because in] the procurement by government offices, the quantity will be known, the price is already published…[Overpricing will be difficult to achieve],” the trade chief added.

D espite his optimism toward granting MSMEs a wider access through this platform, Pascual underscored the need to track their data. He said this is one area that “still needs to be placed under the microscope,” as he is still looking into the number of merchants that they’re targeting to integrate.

T he DTI official instructed the agency to have “a good profile of our MSMEs” coming from a lack of data—particularly the number of businesses that have graduated from smaller-scale setups and transitioned into bigger ones.

ELEVATED inflation and peso depreciation, among others, dampened sentiments of both consumers and businesses in the last quarter of the year.

I n a briefing last Friday, Senior Director Redentor Paolo Alegre Jr. of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ Department of Economic Statistics said the confidence index (CI) for the current quarter’s consumer expectation survey (CES) slipped further to -14.6 percent from the earlier three month’s -12.9 percent.

By component indicator, results of the CES performed from October 1 to 13 showed that the index for economic condition slipped further to -22 percent, so did for family income to -7.4 percent, while the family financial situation improved to -14.3 percent.

I n terms of economic indicators, consumer-respondents consider improvements in the inflation and interest rates, but see further weakening of the peso against the US dollar and unemployment rate for indicators of the current quarter, and those of the next 12 months.

W hile there are already similar ones existing in the country, Pascual stressed the importance of having a “stepping stone” platform which will link these small businesses. In fact, the trade chief divulged that a “famous e-commerce site” is already welcome to this idea.

A s for the digital transformation, Pascual unveiled some of its key features, which include payment systems and logistics.

Pascual noted that for digital transformation, MSMEs need to imbibe digital processes to connect to linked payment systems: “The e-commerce platform that we are producing or launching between DTI

A sked if the e-commerce platform can be launched before 2022 ends, Pascual said: “Within this year, definitely. [It’s ready and done, and a matter of just being launched].”

I n October DICT’s Undersecretary for e-Government David Almirol said the Philippine government is eyeing to introduce by the end of the year a service that aggregates e-commerce platforms which could benefit small entrepreneurs.

T he DICT undersecretary also noted that “all they need to do is to register and post their products or their services and the whole ecosystem where logistics, marketing, payments, [as well as] access to credits and source materials, will be integrated in a single platform simplifying the process to join the digital economy.”

Andrea San Juan

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) released over the weekend wages in Cagayan related to the “Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD)” program.

DAVAO CITY—A Davao

Occidental marine- and aquatic-resources school signed another research partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), a month after the former also entered into an agreement with Turkey for an international academic-exchange program.

T he Southern Philippines AgriBusiness and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) in November for a collaboration on research studies covering environment and natural resources in the said province.

T he partnership involves “collaboration on research studies on the vast natural resources in the province which will be used as a tool to manage and ensure [their survival and sustainability,]” the Philippine Information Agency said, as it cited a SPAMAST post on social media.

Manuel T. Cayon

A legre said weaker consumer confidence in the country during the quarter is similar to those in Australia, South Korea and Taiwan.

R elatively, CI for the business expectations survey (BES) declined for the second consecutive quarter: from 26.1 percent in the previous three months, to 23.9 percent.

T he drop was traced to higher inflation, peso depreciation, decline in sales and demand, and rising cost of production inputs.

BES respondents see depreciation of the peso against the US dollar, but deem the peso-borrowing rate and inflation to further rise until the next 12 months.

R esults of the survey reveal that respondents expect inflation to breach the government’s 2-percent to 4-percent target band until next year.

Respondents forecast inflation to average at 6.2 percent this quarter, 6.1 percent for the next quarter, and 5.9 percent for the next 12 months. Joann Villanueva/PNA

T he labor department said on Sunday that its Regional Office II, together with the office of Congressman Joseph Lasam Lara, released “TUPAD” wages to 945 laborers in the six municipalities of the north Luzon province’s third district.

A ccording to the government agency, the payouts were distributed at Alimannao Hills in Peñablanca, Cagayan on Friday.

Earlier, DOLE noted that 5,493 displaced workers were to receive salaries from more than P22 million in funds. These were disbursed in Tuguegarao City and the municipalities of Amulung, Iguig, Peñablanca, Enrile, and Solana.

T he department noted that the TUPAD beneficiaries rendered 10 days of community work through public facilities’s clean-up and beautification in their respective barangays.

It shared that TUPAD is a community-based assistance package that provides emergency employment for displaced, underemployed and seasonal workers for a minimum period of 10 days, but not to exceed a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.

DOLE described the types of

projects that can be supported with such assistance, which include those for social community such as repair, maintenance, and/ or improvement of common public facilities and infrastructure such as schools and health centers. The latter comprises debris clearing, declogging of canals, debris segregation and materials recovery, stockpiling and clearing.

T he department said the community-based package of assistance supports economic community projects like repair, maintenance and/or rehabilitation of farm-tomarket roads and bridges, postharvest facilities, public markets and common service facilities such as production and display centers, as well as fish ports.

Further, it covers agroforestry community projects such as tree planting, seedling preparation and reforestation.

P rior to one’s actual engagement in employment, DOLE said the beneficiary will be provided with basic orientation on safety and health; personal protective equipment or PPE in the form of T-shirt and hat; enrolment in group microinsurance to be included in the total project cost or as counterpart of the local government unit; and TUPAD identification card.

DOLE added that the beneficiary should signify his or her intention to avail of skills training in preparation toward wage or self-employment after the project.

Biz, consumer sentiments weaken further in Q4 2022

Labor dept distributes salaries of Cagayan ‘TUPAD’ workers

DENR, Davao-based marine school ink research partnership

Agriculture/Commodities

‘Sovereign wealth fund must benefit PHL agri’

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

THE Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) is urging lawmakers to invest a portion of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) in projects that would improve agricultural productivity, such as the construction of postharvest facilities and warehouses.

PCAFI President Danilo V. Fausto said the MIF should be invested in agriculture since part of its initial capital would be drawn from the

funds of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank).

F austo noted that LandBank is considered as the country’s state-run agricultural bank focusing on the needs of Filipino farmers and fishermen.

“ We demand that a portion of the Maharlika Investment Fund be invested in the agriculture sector. We do not see in the Maharlika Investment Fund anything [related to] the agricultural sector,” he told reporters in a recent interview.

“ It should be mandatory in the law that a portion of that fund

should go to the agricultural value chain.”

Fausto said the proponents of the MIF can consider using the capital of the proposed sovereign wealth fund for agricultural projects or use the revenues generated from initial investments.

W hat’s important, the PCAFI chief said, is that the government would invest in the agriculture sector to help improve domestic food productivity.

If you put the investment in cold storage facilities, it will make money. Processing, milling, drying logistics,

those will also make money as long as they are properly run and I suggest that they should not be run by the government but by the private sector,” he said.

“Any activity, investment or investible fund of Maharlika Investment Fund should go to agriculture. The share should be about 25 percent to 30 percent [of the fund] because you got the money from LandBank, thereby reducing the bank’s fund that should have gone to agriculture.”

Under House Bill 6608, which seeks to create the MIF, the LandBank will contribute P50 billion

to the initial capitalization of the country’s proposed sovereign wealth fund.

T he bill, which was approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives last week, stipulated that the board of the Maharlika Investment Corp. shall determine the dividend policy of the MIF provided that at least 20 percent of the net profits will be remitted to the national government for social welfare projects.

L ast week, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has certified as urgent a bill creating the country’s

Seaman-turned-farmer reduces reliance on informal lenders

UNHAPPY and longing for his family while working away at sea, Allan A. Ayco decided to disembark from the boat and his former life as a seafarer, returning to his home in Dumingag to make a living cultivating his farmland.

But like the other small farmers in town in need of capital, Ayco was forced to deal with informal lenders who charged high interest rates from 10 percent to up to 20 percent per month. He felt helpless against the unfair interest rates brought about by the monopoly of the post-production market by informal lenders.

T hings started to look up for Ayco and other farmers in Dumingag when the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) conducted site visits in the province and offered low-interest loans for production requirements under then newly-launched LandBank Sikat Saka Program.

“Malaking tulong talaga ang pagpasok ng Landbank sa buhay ko. Tuwangtuwa kami sa Sikat Saka Program. Hindi lang sa mababa ang interes, madali lang din ang proseso ng pagapply,” said Ayco.

Ayco was one of the first farmers in the area to avail of a loan under the Sikat Saka Program. Through the assistance of LandBank, Ayco enjoyed low interest of 0.75 percent to 1.25 percent per month under the Program from 2013 to 2019.

Since joining the formal credit system, Ayco said his income increased with every cropping cycle, allowing him to provide a better life for his family. He was able to save

enough income to hire other farmers for planting services, as well as procure tractors and harvesting services that he rented out to other farmers in the area.

“Malaking tulong sa amin ang Sikat Saka Program. Kaya nga’t kusang loob akong nanghingkayat rin ng mga katulad kong magsasaka. Sinabi ko na maganda ito. Basta dapat aalagaan mo yung utang mo. Dapat maayos yung pagbayad mo para di siya mawala,” Ayco shared.

A side from accessible financial support, Ayco and the other farmers in the area were also provided with support services and capacity building trainings by Landbank and its partner agencies.

However, the onset of the pandemic in 2020 closed the borders around the Zamboanga Peninsula and significantly affected their livelihood, which prevented them from renewing their credit line with LandBank for the next cropping season. Ayco shared that it was a difficult season.

So he was grateful when the health restrictions were finally eased and the LandBank Zamboanga del Sur Lending Center reached out to him and other farmers and to introduce the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) Lending Program. As a long-time client of the Bank, Ayco was granted financing anew with low interest rates under the ACEF Lending Program to fund his rice production.

“Malaki talaga ang pasasalamat namin sa LandBank dahil sa naitulong

nila sa aming mga magsasaka. Sana magpatuloy pa rin ang pagtulong ninyo sa amin,” Ayco said.

T he ACEF is a direct lending program administered by LandBank in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA), which aims to in-

crease the productivity and income of farmers and fishers, their cooperatives and associations, as well as micro and small enterprises (MSEs).

T he ACEF Lending Program finances farming needs such as the acquisition and establishment of pro-

duction, post-harvest and processing machineries, equipment and facilities, farm inputs, and improvements.

A s of October 31, LandBank has released under the ACEF lending program a total of P8.5 billion to support over 32,200 borrowers nationwide.

Mistry predicts a jump in palm oil on Indonesian biofuel mandate

producer, on Friday to raise its biofuel blending ratio from January.

T he new mandate, known as the B35, will require the country’s biodiesel to contain 35 percent palm oil from next year, compared with the current 30 percent mix. The move has the potential to cut palm exports from the country, which accounts for about a third of global edible oil trade.

M ore details from Mistry’s presentation:

Second-biggest grower Malaysia will produce close to 19 million tons of palm oil next year as labor shortages ease. Indonesia will produce only about 1.5 million tons more than this year.

Indonesia may increase its biodiesel use to 40 percent. The Southeast Asian country’s B35 rule may keep palm stockpiles tight in the first half of 2023.

Malaysian palm oil stockpiles will continue to drop until May 2023, and slip below 2 million tons.

forced to curb their appetite after a top grocer restricted purchases following a potato shortage.

C oles Group Ltd., Australia’s second-largest supermarket chain, imposed a temporary purchase limit of two lots of frozen fries per transaction, citing supply issues, according to a statement posted on its web site Thursday.

Flooding and heavy rain across Australia’s east coast this year damaged an array of crops from lettuce to wheat and fruits, leading to shortages of a lot of household staples. Wet weather in Tasmania hampered sowing efforts for potatoes and many farmers have been unable to access fields with machinery, according to industry group AUSVEG.

MIF following the recommendation of Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2022/12/16/on-dioknos-bidpbbm-certifies-mif-urgent/).

Earlier, Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman disclosed that multilateral lending institutions and a United States-based think tank have thrown their support behind the establishment of the country’s own sovereign wealth fund. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2022/12/14/pangandamanimf-backed-creation-of-swf/)

FAO’s Statistical Yearbook for 2022 goes live

POLICYMAKERS, researchers, analysts and anyone interested in the past, present and future paths of food and agriculture now have an updated all-in-one tool to peruse the major factors at play in the agrifood systems of the world.

T he Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) published its annual Statistical Yearbook, comprising hundreds of pages of organized data covering themes from agricultural employment, agrifood trade, fertilizer and pesticide use around the world as well as environmental and climate factors. This is a lot of key policy-relevant information at a glance, easily and quickly accessible.

T he Statistical Yearbook World Food and Agriculture 2022 is available in a digital version, in a downloadable version, and as a pocketbook printed edition.

FAO assigns tremendous importance to data and statistics as a global public good at the core of our efforts to advance sustainable development,” said José Rosero Moncayo, Director of FAO’s Statistics Division. “FAO is committed to ensuring free access to current, reliable, timely and trusted data, necessary to chart a course towards more sustainable and equitable agrifood systems and a world free of hunger.”

T he 2022 edition is built around four thematic chapters: one on economic dimension; one on production, trade and price of commodities; one on food security and nutrition; and one on the sustainability and environmental aspects of agriculture. Along with assessments made at global and regional levels, it contains detailed data taken from the more than 20,000 indicators covering more than 245 countries and territories that the freely accessible FAOSTAT data platform contains.

Key facts

INDONESIA’S

to support the tropical oil in the coming months, according to

T he most-consumed cooking oil may trade between 3,500 ringgit ($791) and 5,000 ringgit a ton between now and the end of May, unless the war in Ukraine ends, said Mistry, who

has been trading palm for about four decades.

The war has cast a huge unexpected shadow on the world economy,” he said in slides prepared for an industry conference in Goa.

T he latest prediction by Mistry, who’s a director at Godrej International Ltd., compared with his November forecast of prices reaching as high as 4,500 ringgit a ton through the end of March 2023.

Mistry said that higher demand from the biofuel industry would continue to support palm prices. His comments followed an announcement by Indonesia, the world’s biggest palm oil

India’s total edible oil imports may total 14.4 million tons in 202223, compared with 14.2 million a year earlier. Palm oil purchases will likely climb to about 8.3 million tons from 7.93 million.

United States EPA’s announcement on biofuel mandates was a “damp squib.” The scale of the resulting selloff surprised most of the market and soy oil’s premium to palm narrowed.

Potato shortage

AUSTRALIANS looking forward to demolishing a serving (or three) of fries at home this summer may be

“It’s delayed planting windows, and you can only delay the window so long before you start to lose the opportunity,” said Shaun Lindhe, the national manager of communications for AUSVEG. The impact on processed potato products will likely persist into 2023, he added.

Australia’s weather-related chaos is exacerbating already strained food markets, which were sent into a tailspin following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February. The war has snarled global supply chains and driven up the price of vital farming inputs.

Disruptions are translating into higher grocery bills just as consumers face elevated day-to-day living costs.

Australia’s annual headline inflation figure accelerated to a 32-year high in the third quarter. Bloomberg News

DIETARY energy supply, a key indicator for food security, went up in all regions since 2000, and did so the most in Asia. The world average is now 2,960 calories per person per day, up 9 percent, with the level peaking at 3,540 calories per day per person in Europe and North America. Today, some 866 million people work in agriculture, more than a quarter of the global work force, and produced $3.6 trillion in valueadded. Compared to 2000, those figures represent a 78 percent increase in economic value, produced by 16 percent fewer people, with Africa posting double that pace of growth. Since 2000, the production of primary crops, such as sugarcane, maize, wheat and rice, grew by 52 percent from 2000 to 2020 to reach 9.3 billion tons. Vegetable oil production increased by 125 percent over that period, with palm oil output growing by 236 percent. Meat output, led by chicken, grew by 45 percent, while the growth rate for fruits and vegetables was 20 percent or below.

Sugarcane is the world’s largest crop by volume, with 1. 9 billion tons annually. Maize is next at 1.2 billion tons.

mandate to use more palm oil for producing biofuels and lower reserves in Malaysia will continue

veteran trader Dorab Mistry.

Mistry boosts palm oil forecasts as war in Ukraine continues

PALM oil futures, which recently hit a two-month low, closed 1 percent higher at 3,918 ringgit on Friday. The vegetable oil had slumped to 3,336 ringgit in late September, it lowest since early 2021.

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

ALLAN AYCO was one of the first availers of the Land Bank of the Philippines’ Sikat Saka Program from Dumingag in 2013, and among the combined 655 rice farmers in Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay who enjoy a low 2 percent per annum loan interest rate under the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Lending Program. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

EU’s landmark deal to bolster carbon market in green push

By Ewa Krukowska & John Ainger

The european Union reached an agreement to strengthen and expand its flagship carbon market, endorsing the centerpiece of the Green Deal strategy that aims to make its economy climate-neutral by mid-century.

Under a provisional deal announced by representatives of EU member states and the European Parliament, emissions trading will be extended to heating and road transport, and will also cover shipping. The 27-nation bloc will also accelerate the pace at which companies from power producers to steelmakers are obligated to reduce pollution.

The deep reforms are part of the region’s plan to cut emissions by at least 55% from 1990 levels by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050.

“It is the biggest climate law ever in Europe, and some say in the world,” said Peter Liese, lead negotiator for the European Parliament, told reporters at a briefing early Sunday after 29 hours of negotiations. “We get a lot for climate, a big amount of CO2 saved, at the lowest possible price.”

While some provisions of the

overhaul were watered down compared with the original proposal as the EU grapples with an unprecedented energy crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the bloc is determined to make the green overhaul the basis of its growth strategy, and set a precedent for other nations and regions in the fight against climate change.

“The deal is a success for the EU and will provide certainty to companies and investors even if some compromises had to be made as the economic environment is very challenging,” said Ingo Ramming, head of carbon markets for Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA in Madrid.

Expectations of stricter rules already helped send carbon prices to a record 99.22 euros ($105) per metric ton this year. Benchmark carbon futures traded in Amsterdam closed at

83.82 euros on Friday, more than 10 times the levels seen five years ago. The agreement still needs to be formally endorsed by member states and the parliament to be binding.

The deal also complements a landmark measure agreed earlier this week to slap a pollution price on imports of certain goods to Europe, and shield its own producers from cheaper competitors in countries with less strict environmental rules.

As part of the emissions market reform, policy makers set the rules for phasing in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) from 2026 and phasing out by 2034 pollution allowances that sectors covered by the levy get for free.

“I see the CBAM as a major achievement,” Ramming said. “It could be a catalyst for global carbon pricing. For the implementation, diplomatic skills remain crucial.”

The Emissions Trading System imposes annually declining caps on around 12,000 installations owned by manufacturers and utilities, and limits pollution from airlines. Companies that discharge less carbon can sell their unused permits, getting an incentive to go green faster.

The overhaul, the biggest since the market was created in 2005, will raise in 2024-2026 the rate at which the pollution cap shrinks each year to 4.3% from 2.2% now. The so-called Linear Reduction Factor will then accelerate to 4.4% from 2027, accord -

ing to Liese.

The bloc will also complement the higher LRF with a cut to the emissions cap, reducing the number of allowances by 90 million in 2024 and 27 million in 2026. The two together will translate into a 62% drop in the pollution limit by the end of this decade from the 2005 level.

Negotiators also agreed to approve the design of automatic permit-supply controls as originally proposed by the European Commission in July 2021, according to Liese. That also includes a provision to fix the threshold for the number of permits held in the Market Stability Reserve at 400 million as of 2023, with any allowances above to be invalidated.

Under the deal, an adjacent emissions-trading program for heating and transport fuels will start in 2027 with the possibility of an emergency break if gas and oil prices are high, in which case the start of the second carbon market would be delayed by one year.

To allay concerns about the costs of the reforms in a global market already grappling with energy inflation, the EU will create a new fund that national governments could use to compensate vulnerable citizens. The Climate Social Fund will kick in from 2026 and will total around 87 billion euros, with the bulk of money coming from revenues generated by the new carbon trading program.

iran arrests actress of Oscar-winning movie

Dead boy pulled from rubble of latest Russian hit on Ukraine

By Jamey Keaten The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine—Emergency crews pulled the body of a toddler from the rubble in a predawn search Saturday for survivors of a Russian missile strike that tore through an apartment building in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih.

The missile was one of what Ukrainian authorities said were 16 that eluded air defenses among the 76 missiles fired Friday in the latest Russian attack targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure, part of Moscow’s strategy to leave Ukrainian civilians and soldiers in the dark and cold this winter.

Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko of the Dnipropetrovsk region, where Kryvyi Rih is located, wrote on the Telegram social media app that “rescuers retrieved the body of a 1-1/2-year-old boy from under the rubble of a house destroyed by a Russian rocket.” In all, four people were killed in the strike, and 13 injured—four of them children—authorities said.

tricity a day after Friday’s attack, Regional Gov. Oleksiy Kuleba said, adding that rain and snow, making power lines icy, was complicating efforts to restore power.

The head of Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv province Oleh Syniehubov said Saturday that electricity had been restored to the entire region, including Kharkiv city, the country’s second-largest metropolis. The power had been knocked out on Friday in attacks involving 10 S-300 missiles.

In Kryvyi Rih, 596 miners were stuck underground because of missile strikes, but all were eventually rescued, Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said late Friday.

In Moscow on Saturday, Russia’s foreign ministry slammed a new package of European Union sanctions approved a day earlier. Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova branded the EU’s ninth batch of sanctions in response to the war “illegitimate unilateral restrictive measures” and lashed out at a ban on broadcasts by four major Russian TV channels as “authoritarian.”

By Anchalee Worrachate

THE U K is planning to announce support with energy costs for businesses through next winter and into spring of 2024, the Financial Times reported, citing an unidentified official.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt is drawing up a plan that would provide some support to all companies for the next 15 months, with extra backing for energy-intensive businesses such as steel manufacturing, the report said. An announcement is expected before Christmas, the FT said. It highlights the jitters in the government about the impact on businesses with the energy crisis showing little signs of easing.

The plan will mark a shift from a program announced last month in which the government agreed to subsidize an energy price cap for six months under the so-called Energy Bill Relief Scheme. Under the plan, many companies will be hit with high energy bills when the package ends in late March, at a time when economic growth is expected to weaken, the newspaper said.

An energy crisis has gripped the UK and Europe ever since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequently deep cuts in natural gas supply sent prices of the fuel and electricity soaring. Many industries have been forced to reduce output, hitting the economy, while inflation has jumped.

Bloomberg News

CAIRO—Iranian authorities arrested one of the country’s most renowned actresses Saturday on charges of spreading falsehoods about nationwide protests that grip the country, state media said.

The report by IRNA said Taraneh Alidoosti, star of the Oscar-winning movie “The Salesman,” was detained a week after she made a post on Instagram expressing solidarity with the first man recently executed for crimes allegedly committed during the protests.

The announcement is the latest in a series of celebrity arrests, that have included footballers, actors and influencers, in response to their open display of support for antigovernment demonstrations now in their third month

According to the report published on the state media’s official Telegram channel, Alidoosti was arrested because she did not provide ‘’any documents in line with her claims.”

It said that several other Iranian celebrities had also “been summoned by the judiciary body over publishing provocative content,” and that some had been arrested. It provided no further details.

In her post, the 38-year-old actress said: ‘’His name was Mohsen Shekari. Every international organization who is watching this bloodshed and not taking action, is a disgrace to humanity.”

Shekari was executed Dec. 9 after being charged by an Iranian court with blocking a street in Tehran and attacking a member of the country’s security forces with a machete.

By Stephen Mcgrath & Cristian Jardan The Associated Press

Chi S i n A U, Moldova— t he broadcast licenses of six television channels in Moldova have been suspended over accusations of misinformation, inaccurate coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine and “attempts to manipulate public opinion,” authorities said.

t h e decision to revoke the licenses of the channels First in Moldova, R t R Moldova, Accent tv ntv Moldova, tv6 an d o r hei tv was

In November, Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi, two other famous Iranian actresses, were arrested by authorities for expressing solidarity with protesters on social media. Voria Ghafouri, an Iranian soccer player, was also arrested last month for ‘’insulting the national soccer team and propagandizing against the government.” All three have been released.

Since September, Alidoosti has openly expressed solidarity with protesters in at least three posts on Instagram. Her account, which had some 8 million followers, has been suspended.

Last Week, Iran executed a second prisoner, Majidreza Rahnavard, in connection with the protests.

announced late Friday by Moldova’s Commission for Exceptional Situations, which was established after Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

t h e commission said the suspensions were made after a review by Moldova’s Audiovisual Council found a “lack of correct information in the coverage of national events, but also of the war in Ukraine.” i t also said the suspensions aim to “prevent the risk of disinformation … or attempts to manipulate public opinion.”

Four of the six suspended channels—

Rahnavard’s body was left hanging from a construction crane as a gruesome warning to others. Iranian authorities alleged Rahnavard stabbed two members of its paramilitary force.

Both Shekari and Rahnavard were executed less than a month after they were charged, underscoring the speed at which Iran now carries out death sentences imposed for alleged crimes related to the demonstrations. Activists say at least a dozen people have been sentenced to death in closed-door hearings. Iran is one of the world’s top executioners.

Iran has been rocked by protests since the Sept. 16 death of 22-yearold Mahsa Amini, who died after being detained by the morality police. The protests have since morphed into one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s theocracy installed by the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Alidoosti had previously criticized the Iranian government and its police force before this year’s protests.

In June 2020, she was given a suspended five-month prison sentence after she criticized the police on Twitter in 2018 for assaulting a woman who had removed her headscarf.

At least 495 people have been killed in the demonstrations amid a harsh security crackdown, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that has been monitoring the protests since they began. Over 18,200 people have been detained by authorities.

Other well-known movies Alidoosti has starred in include “The Beautiful City” and “About Elly.” AP

First in Moldova, R t R Moldova, ntv Mo ldova, and tv6 —regularly re-transmit programs from Russian tv channels that on Friday were banned by the European Council as part of a fresh wave of sanctions against Russia.

t h e banned Russian broadcasters, the EU’s Council said, are under the “direct or indirect control of the leadership of the Russian Federation and have been used by (the) latter for its continuous and concerted disinformation and war propaganda actions.”

t v6 c alled the suspension “totally unfounded” and “an unprecedented attack on

Reznichenko said the pounding from Russian forces continued overnight, damaging power lines and houses in the cities and towns of Nikopol, Marhanets and Chervonohryhorivka, which are across the Dnieper River from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

By Saturday morning, Ukraine’s military leadership said Russian forces had fired more than a score of further missiles since the barrage a day earlier. It did not say how many of those might have been stopped by the air defenses.

Friday’s onslaught, which pummeled many parts of central, eastern and southern Ukraine, constituted one of the biggest assaults on the capital, Kyiv, since Russia began the war by attacking Ukraine on Feb. 24. Kyiv came under fire from about 40 missiles on Friday, authorities said, nearly all intercepted by air defenses.

In Kherson, where Ukraine regained control last month in a significant setback for Russia, a 36-year-old man was killed and a 70-year-old woman was wounded in a Russian attack on Saturday, said regional governor Yaroslav Yanushevych.

Yet again, Ukrainian utility crews have had to scramble to patch up damaged power and water systems as Russia targets vital services for civilians as winter’s hardships set in.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported Saturday that two-thirds of homes in the country’s capital had been reconnected to electricity and all had regained access to water. The subway system also resumed service, after serving as a shelter the day before.

Half of the Kyiv province, which surrounds but doesn’t include the Ukrainian capital, still lacked elec -

freedom of expression, editorial freedom (and) freedom of journalists.”

t he commission’s argument “is not only totally unfounded but also downright false,” the channel said in a statement posted on Facebook.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the move “a cynical infringement of the rights of national minorities.”

“ h i ding behind an imaginary concern for protecting its citizens from ‘insufficiently correct’ interpretations of events taking

In allowing EU member states to “provide certain exemptions” for Russian food and fertilizer exporters, Zakharova contended that the EU was recognizing that its “restrictive measures have been undermining world food security.” Targets of the latest round of sanctions include divisions of the Russian army and all of Russia’s parliamentary parties. Also included in the package are a ban on the export of aviation engines to Russia and sanctions against the energy and mining sectors.

The Kremlin on Saturday confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin huddled a day earlier with armed forces commanders, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, chief of general staff, Valery Gerasimov. He also spoke with commanders from different branches.

Meanwhile, installation of a protective dome has begun over the spentfuel storage area at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, an official from the Moscow-installed authorities of Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia province said on Saturday. Vladimir Rogov said the dome would protect against fragments of shells and improvised explosive devices carried by drones. The Russian-held plant, Europe’s biggest nuclear power station, has been repeatedly shelled; its six reactors have been shut down for months.

The International Atomic Energy Agency recently announced plans to station nuclear safety and security experts at Ukraine’s nuclear power plants to prevent any nuclear accident. The U.N. nuclear watchdog has already deployed a permanent mission to the Zaporizhzhia plant.

place in Moldova and the world, (Moldova) deliberately deprives millions of Russianspeaking residents of the last sources in the country of news content in their preferred language,” she said and called for international organizations to investigate.

Some of the suspended channels are owned by people close to i an Shor, a fugitive Moldovan oligarch who leads the Russia-friendly Shor Party. t h e party in recent months has organized large protests in Moldova’s capital, Chisinau, against the pro-Western government.

Bloomberg News

Ukrainian State Emergency Service firefighters work to extinguish a fire at a building that was destroyed by a russian attack in kr yvyi rih, Ukraine on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. russian forces launched at least 60 missiles across Ukraine on Friday, officials said, reporting explosions in at least four cities, including kyiv. at least two people were killed by a strike on a residential building in central Ukraine, where a hunt was on for survivors. AP Photo/Evg E n iy M A lol E t k A

ThiS May 21, 2016 file photo shows actress Taraneh alidoosti during a photo call for the film “Forushande” (The Salesman) at the 69th international film festival, Cannes, southern France. iranian authorities arrested alidoosti, one of the country’s most famous actresses, on charges of spreading falsehoods about nationwide protests that grip the country, state media said Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022. AP Photo/Jo E l RyA n

Covid-linked deaths seen in Beijing after rules eased

By Dake Kang The Associated Press

When an employee with a clipboard shouted the name of the dead, a relative trundled up to the coffin to examine the body. One of the relatives told The Associated Press their loved one had been infected with Covid-19.

Deaths linked to the coronavirus are appearing in Beijing after weeks of China reporting no fatalities, even as the country is seeing a surge of cases.

That surge comes as the government last week dramatically eased some of the world’s strictest Covid-19 containment measures. On Wednesday, the government said it would stop reporting asymptomatic Covid-19 cases since they’ve become impossible to track with mass testing no longer required.

That halt in reporting made it unclear how fast the virus is spreading. Social media posts, business closures and other anecdotal evidence suggest huge numbers of infections.

It’s also unclear how many people are dying from the virus. An AP reporter who visited the Dongjiao Funeral home was told by relatives that at least two people cremated there had died after testing positive.

Health authorities had designated Dongjiao and one other funeral home to cremate those who die after testing positive, according to a relative of one of the dead. The woman said her elderly relative had fallen ill in early December, tested positive, and died Friday morning in an emergency ward.

She said there were lots of

people in the emergency ward who had tested positive for Covid-19, adding that there weren’t enough nurses to take care of them. The woman did not want to be identified for fear of retribution.

Over about an hour, an AP reporter saw about a dozen bodies wheeled from the Dongjiao funeral home.

About a half-dozen people inside described how another victim had struggled to breathe that morning before dying, and the death certificate listed “pneumonia” as the cause of death, even after a positive test for Covid-19, one of those people said. The people interviewed did not want to be identified for fear of retribution.

Three employees of shops in the complex that houses the funeral home said there had been a marked increase in the number of people going there in recent days.

One estimated about 150 bodies were being cremated daily, up from what is normally a few dozen a day.

One employee attributed it to the coronavirus, although another said there are usually more deaths with the arrival of winter.

The employees did not want to be identified for fear of retribution.

China has not reported a death from Covid-19 since Dec. 4.

China’s official death toll remains low, with just 5,235 deaths—compared with 1.1 million in the United States. However, public health experts caution that such statistics can’t be directly compared.

Chinese health authorities

count only those who died directly from Covid-19, excluding those whose underlying conditions were worsened by the virus. In many other countries, guidelines stipulate that any death where the coronavirus is a factor or contributor is counted as a Covid-19-related death.

Experts say this has been the longstanding practice in China, but questions have been raised at times about whether officials have sought to minimize the figures.

Also on Friday, China’s Cabinet ordered rural areas to prepare for the return of migrant workers this holiday season in hopes of preventing a big surge in Covid-19 cases in communities with limited medical resources.

Returnees must wear masks and avoid contact with elderly people, and village committees must monitor their movements, the guidelines said, but didn’t mention the possibility of isolation or quarantines.

There are fears of a surge in cases around China’s winter holidays, when tens of millions take to trains, buses and planes for what may be their only trip home all year.

The upcoming Lunar New Year falls on Jan. 22, but migrants generally begin heading home two

N. Korea fires 2 missiles in resumption of testing

By Hyung-Jin Kim The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea—North Korea fired a pair of ballistic missiles on Sunday toward its eastern waters, its first weapons test in a month and coming two days after it claimed to have performed a key test needed to build a more mobile, powerful intercontinental ballistic missile designed to strike the US mainland.

South Korea’s military detected the launch of two North Korean ballistic missiles from its northwest Tongchangri area. The missiles flew across the country toward its eastern waters, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

It said the missiles were fired about 50 minutes apart but gave no further details, like precisely what type of weapons North Korea fired and how far they flew.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said South Korea’s military has bolstered its surveillance posture and maintains a readiness in close coordination with the United States.

Japanese officials said the two missiles fell in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan and that no damage to ships or human injuries has been reported. Japanese Vice Defense Minister Toshiro Ino told reporters that both missiles flew a distance of 500 kilometers (310 miles) at a maximum altitude of 550 kilometers (340 miles). He criticized North Korea for threatening the safety of Japan, the region and the international community.

The Tongchangri area is home to North Korea’s Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, where the country in past years launched satellite-carrying long-range rockets in what the U.N. called a disguised test of ICBM technology.

North Korea said Friday it tested a “high-thrust solid-fuel motor” for a new strategic weapon in the Sohae facility the previous day, a development that experts say could allow it to possess a more mobile, harder-to-detect arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles that can reach the US mainland.

Sunday’s launch is the North’s first public weapons test since the country last month launched its developmental, longest-range liquid-fueled Hwasong-17 ICBM capable of reaching the entire US homeland. Earlier this year, North Korea test-launched a variety of other missiles at a record pace, despite pandemicrelated economic hardships and US-led pressures to curb its nuclear program.

North Korea has defended its weapons testing as self-defense measures to cope with the expanded US-South Korea military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal. But some experts say North Korea likely used its rivals’ military training as an excuse to enlarge its weapons arsenal and increase its leverage in future negotiations with the US to win sanctions relief and other concessions.

“In the face of mounting diplomatic pressure after an unprecedented year for North Korean missile tests, the Kim regime is determined to show no weakness ahead of its New Year’s political events,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

The weapon North Korea said it could build with the recently tested motor likely refers to a solid-fueled ICBM, which is among a list of high-tech weapons systems that leader Kim Jong Un vowed to procure during a major ruling party conference early last year. Other weapons systems Kim promised to manufacture include a multi-warhead missile,

underwater-launched nuclear missiles and spy satellites.

All of North Korea’s existing ICBMs use liquid propellant, which must be added to the weapons before they’re fired. This makes it relatively easier for outsiders to spot their launch preparations via satellites. But fuel in solid-propellant rockets is already loaded inside, so it shortens launch preparation times, increases their mobility and makes it harder for outsiders to learn what’s happening ahead of liftoff. North Korea already has a growing arsenal of short-range, solid-fueled ballistic missiles targeting key locations in South Korea, including US military bases there.

In reaction to North Korea’s testing activities, the South Korean and US militaries have expanded their regular drills and resumed trilateral trainings with Japan. But security jitters about North Korea’s nuclear weapons have increased in South Korea and Japan, as the North has threatened the preemptive use of nuclear weapons, taking reported steps to deploy nuclear-capable, short-range missiles along its border with South Korea and test-firing a missile over Japan.

The exact status of North Korea’s nuclear attack capability remains in secrecy.

Some experts speculate North Korea already has functioning nuclear-tipped missiles that can hit the entire US and its allies South Korea and Japan, given the number of years it has spent on its nuclear program. But others say the country is still years away from acquiring such weapons, noting it has yet to publicly prove it has a technology to build warheads small enough to be placed on missiles or protect warheads from the harsh conditions of atmospheric reentry. Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

weeks or more in advance. Some Chinese universities say they will allow students to finish the semester from home to help spread out the travel rush and reduce the potential for a bigger outbreak.

Medical resources in smaller cities and rural communities, which are home to about 500 million of China’s 1.4 billion people, lag far behind those of large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Rural medical infrastructure includes 17,000 county-level hospitals—many

of which lack even a single ICU bed— 35,000 township health centers and 599,000 village clinics.

China has been pushing to increase the number of fever clinics in rural areas to treat those with Covid-19 symptoms. Currently, about 19,400 such clinics or consulting rooms operate in communities and townships around the country, state media reported Friday.

By March 2023, about 90% of health centers at the township level will have fever clinics, Nie Chunlei, head of primary health at the National Health Commission, said Thursday.

“This will effectively enhance the capability of primary-level health care institutions to receive patients with fever,” said Nie, who also urged stockpiling of medicines and antigen test kits, many of which have become scarce even in big cities.

The lifting of some travel regulations has spurred both relief and anxiety over the level of Covid-19 preparedness.

Health experts have said China will face a peak of infections in the next month or two and is trying to persuade reluctant seniors and others at risk to get vaccinated.

The changes follow growing frustration with the “zero-Covid” policy blamed for hindering the economy and creating massive social stress. The easing began in November, and accelerated after Beijing and several other cities saw protests over the restrictions that

grew into calls for President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party to step down—a level of public dissent not seen in decades.

It’s unclear what prompted the government’s shift in policy. Experts cite economic pressure, public discontent, and the difficulties of containing the extremely infectious omicron variant as factors.

China wasn’t fully prepared for opening up from a public health standpoint, and the decision was driven mainly by economic and social factors, said Zeng Guang, a health expert formerly affilia ted with China’s Center for Disease Control, speaking at a conference organized by the state-run Global Times newspaper.

Under the relaxed rules, obligatory testing is no longer required and people with mild symptoms are permitted to recover at home rather than go to a quarantine center. Meanwhile, the semi-autonomous gambling enclave of Macao will scrap its mandatory hotel quarantine for arrivals from Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas starting Saturday, the government said.

However, travelers must spend five days in home isolation and undergo testing, and are barred from entering mainland China until the 10th day upon arrival. Both Macao and Hong Kong have scrapped most anti-Covid-19 measures. Associated Press reporter Kanis Leung contributed from Hong Kong.

BEIJING—Outside a funeral home in eastern Beijing, dozens of people were bundled up in parkas and hats against the freezing temperatures Friday evening as workers in full protective suits wheeled out coffins one by one.

Workers load body bags into a truck at a funeral complex in Beijing on Friday, December 16, 2022. Deaths linked to Covid are beginning to appear in China, even as those deaths are not reflected in the official tally. relatives of people who died in Beijing said their loved ones had tested positive for the coronavirus before their deaths, while employees at shops in one funeral complex said there has been a noticeable uptick in traffic in the past few days. AP PH OTO/ DA KE K A NG

editorial

A financially inefficient economy

The 1980s classic UK political sit-com series “Yes, Prime Minister” contained a joke, famously defining the nation by British newspaper readerships.

“The Right Honorable Jim Hacker MP: Don’t tell me about the press. I know exactly who reads the papers. The Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country. The Guardian is read by people who think they should run the country. The Times is read by the people who actually do run the country. The Financial Times is read by people who own the country. The Sun readers don’t care who runs the country as long as she’s got big breasts.”

The same could probably be said in one way or another about the Philippines.

Members and the institutions of the press and media are completely entitled to hold and even promote their own particular political and social agendas. In fact, it benefits the public to hear even passionate views that may feel controversial and uncomfortable. Ultimately though, the primary obligation is a good communication of those ideas. If the reader does not understand what is being said, the press/media organization has failed.

Therefore, in order to capture the widest possible audience, both for information broadcasting purposes and to support the business, the explanation including the language used must be understood by a wide range of people of different economic and social groups.

However, the 21st century has changed the traditional “I read the Financial Times because I am rich” stereotype. All press/media is available cheaply and easily to everyone. As a result, there has been a “dumbing down” of what we are given to read. Almost all the news sounds the same and it seems like only the headlines and the thrust changes the “bias” of the story. Even the analysis has become simplistic to capture as many readers as possible.

The most expensive (don’t ask) chocolate milk comes from St. George, Utah, USA made with special blended Belgian chocolate made by several of the 540 chocolate manufacturers, fresh dairy milk, real sugar, and natural vanilla. The exact recipe is a secret. Each component is worthy of an extensive detailed study and analysis like most of the news we need.

But today’s press/media is too often like the answer to a six-year-old: “Chocolate milk comes from brown cows.” Politicians understand this also.

KISS: “Keep It Simple and [often] Stupid.”

The current Philippine inflation rate is not imported. The inflating price of imported oil and oil products, fertilizer, and other products we depend on like dairy foods is “imported.” You could say that some of the food price increases come in part because of “imported” typhoons. A lower value peso might be because we haven’t “imported” much tourism in the past two years.

However, one of the not “Chocolate milk comes from brown cows” answers is because we have a financially inefficient economy.

It is short-term cheaper, but not long term financially efficient, to import thread and clothes from China than to import raw materials and produce the products locally. Our current farming methods can be best seen in “Farmers Working and Resting,” Fernando Amorsolo’s 1955 painting. Mechanized rice farming doubled production efficiency in China. Thailand started its mechanized rice farming program the same time Amorsolo finished his painting. What would the Philippines possibly be like without our world-famous jeepneys and tricycles? Two words: much better.

If you want to be physically fit, take the two-liter soft drink bottle off the dinner table. If you want the economy to grow richer, then public, private, and individual spending must be more efficient.

Make it a simple Christmas

RISING SUN

IT is about five days before Christmas and in the past few days, many of us have been caught in traffic while out shopping or meeting friends. Life, it seems, is almost back to normal after the pandemic restrictions. however, we must be careful not to fall into the cycle of thoughtless action and careless decisions, which contributed to where we are now as a planet. The lights may be twinkling again and everyone’s rushing about, but it doesn’t change the fact that we are in the midst of an environmental and economic crisis and that the next pandemic may be a few moments away. It’s easy to forget these realities when the music is loud and holiday cheer is all around.

Of course, I am not suggesting that we become like Scrooge but that there is wisdom in being mindful—of our actions, decisions, how we spend our resources, what we stuff our bodies with, and so on. For example, let’s spend a lot of time thinking about the gifts we

are going to give this Christmas. Is it something that the receiver will appreciate and use, or is it going to gather dust or land in the trash bin? Sometimes, giving nothing is better, when we can instead spend time making memories or sharing experiences. That’s already a special

Think about the appointments we say yes to. They say that time is our greatest resource, so let us spend it wisely. This does not include sitting in traffic to go across town at this time when gas prices are so high and the roads are gridlocked. Maybe it is wiser to stay put and go on a call with friends and defer the physical meet-up for better, less stressful days.

gift in itself. Think about the appointments we say yes to. They say that time is our greatest resource, so let us spend it wisely. This does not include sitting in traffic to go across town at this time when gas prices are so high and the roads are gridlocked. Maybe it is wiser to stay put and go on a call with friends and defer the physical meet-up for better, less stressful days. And speaking of gatherings, many of us should re-think extravagance at this time. A simple,

thoughtful, and healthful spread is always better than an overflowing banquet that is over the top in terms of calories and expense.  Health gurus say that the holidays do not mean we should forget our diets or health habits. In fact, there are ways to squeeze in a workout or movement into a busy day this December. Make it a healthy Christmas, not just for our bodies but also for our planet. One of the biggest lessons we learned during the pandemic is simplicity. Living a simple life has to do with making earth-friendly choices and decisions, and getting rid of attitudes like wastefulness, indifference, materialism, and so on. All aspects of our lives—from the way we spend our time, the things we do, the gifts we give, etc.—should reflect our values, and may these include attitudes and behavior that show love for self, others, earth, nation, and God.

I’m sending warm Christmas greetings to my BusinessMirror readers and friends!

Journalist suspensions widen rift between Twitter and media

By Mae Anderson & Matt O’brien | AP Technology Writers

eLon MUsK’s abrupt suspension of several journalists who cover Twitter widens a growing rift between the social media site and media organizations that have used the platform to build their audiences.

Individual reporters with The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Voice of America and other news agencies saw their accounts go dark Thursday.

Musk tweeted late Friday that the company would lift the suspensions following the results of a public poll on the site. The poll showed 58.7 percent of respondents favored a move to immediately unsuspend accounts over 41.3 percent who said the suspensions should be lifted in seven days.

The company has not explained why the accounts were taken down. But Musk took to Twitter on Thursday night to accuse journalists of sharing private information about his whereabouts, which he described as “basically assassination coordinates.” He provided no evidence for that claim.

Many advertisers abandoned Twitter over content moderation questions after Musk acquired it in October, and he now risks a rupture with media organizations, which are among the most active on the platform.

Most of the accounts were back early Saturday. One exception was Business Insider’s Linette Lopez, who was suspended after the other journalists, also with no explanation, she told The Associated Press.

Lopez published a series of articles between 2018 and 2021 highlight-

ing what she called dangerous Tesla manufacturing shortcomings.

Shortly before being suspended, she said she had posted court-related documents to Twitter that included a 2018 Musk e-mail address. That address is not current, Lopez said, because “he changes his e-mail every few weeks.”

On Tuesday, she posted a 2019 story about Tesla troubles, commenting, “Now, just like then, most of @elonmusk’s wounds are self inflicted.”

The same day, she cited reports that Musk was reneging on severance for laid-off Twitter employees, threatening workers who talk to the media and refusing to make rent payments. Lopez described his actions as “classic Elon-going-forbroke behavior.”

Steve Herman, a national correspondent for Voice of America, told The Associated Press that his suspended Twitter account still hadn’t been fully restored as of Saturday afternoon because of his refusal to delete three tweets that the company flagged for purportedly sharing Musk’s whereabouts. Although Herman’s Twitter timeline is now visible to most users, he said he can’t see it himself nor can he post anything new until he removes the tweets that the company contends violate its revised terms of service.

“I am in a new level of purgatory,” Herman said. “I do not believe any-

thing I have tweeted violated any reasonable standard of any social media platform.”

Alarm over the suspensions extended beyond media circles to the United Nations, which was reconsidering its involvement in Twitter.

The move sets “a dangerous precedent at a time when journalists all over the world are facing censorship, physical threats and even worse,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

The reporters’ suspensions followed Musk’s decision Wednesday to permanently ban an account that automatically tracked the flights of his private jet using publicly available data. That also led Twitter to change its rules for all users to prohibit the sharing of another person’s current location without their consent.

Several of the reporters suspended Thursday night had been writing about the new policy and Musk’s rationale for imposing it, which involved his allegations about a stalking incident he said affected his family Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

The official Twitter account for Mastodon, a decentralized alternative social network where many Twitter users are fleeing, was also banned. The reason was unclear, though it had tweeted about the jettracking account. Twitter also began preventing users from posting links to Mastodon accounts, in some cases flagging them as potential malware.

“This is of course a bald-faced lie,” cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs posted.

Explaining the reporter bans, Musk tweeted, “Same doxxing rules apply to ‘journalists’ as to everyone else.”

He later added: “Criticizing me all day long is totally fine, but doxxing my real-time location and endangering my family is not.”

“Doxxing” refers to disclosing someone’s identity, address, phone number or other personal details that violate their privacy and could bring harm.

The Washington Post’s executive editor, Sally Buzbee, said technology reporter Drew Harwell “was banished without warning, process or explanation” following the publication of accurate reporting about Musk.

CNN said in a statement that “the impulsive and unjustified suspension of a number of reporters, including CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, is concerning but not surprising.”

“Twitter’s increasing instability and volatility should be of incredible concern for everyone who uses Twitter,” the statement added.

Another suspended journalist, Matt Binder of the technology news outlet Mashable, said he was banned Thursday night immediately after sharing a screenshot that O’Sullivan had posted before his own suspension.

The screenshot showed a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department sent earlier Thursday to multiple media outlets, including the AP, about how it was in touch with Musk’s representatives about the alleged stalking incident.

Binder said he did not share any location data or any links to the jettracking account or other locationtracking accounts.

“I have been highly critical of Musk but never broke any of Twitter’s listed policies,” Binder said in an e-mail.

Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II

Trends in the Philippines’ CPA licensure examinations

His name is Grace

Joel L. Tan-Torres

DEBIT CREDIT

IhAd the occasion to look at the trends in the Philippines’ Certified Public Accountants (CPA) licensure examinations and its counterparts in other countries.

For the Philippines, interesting numbers and observations can be noted in the past year’s trends. I point to the trends in the number of examinees in the CPA licensure tests, the passing (and failing) rates, and, in passing, the performance of the accounting schools in the examinations.

I was the Chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy from 2014 to 2018. During this period, the BOA held 13 CPA examinations. These included nine examinations conducted in the Philippines and four administered abroad. I remember that the very first licensure examination that my board of four examiners conducted in 2014 needed to be deferred from the regular schedule of May to a later month of July. The reasons for the postponement of the tests were due to the limited time for the board to prepare for the first time the examinations and the excessive load of conducting seven examinations by four newly appointed BOA members-examiners.

During my term of less than five years, the total number of passers come up to just below 32,000, with the most number of CPAs of 5,468 entering the profession after the October 2015 examinations. For the 13 examinations conducted during my term as Chairman, there were about 94,000, with a record number of 14,816 taking the examinations in October 2017. These numbers translate to an average passing percentage of about 34%. Every so often, I encounter persons approaching me and confiding that they became CPAs during my term. During these situations, I take great pleasure in knowing that I made a difference for these successful individuals.

Prior to my term, the passing rates for CPAs were nearing the high 40 percent level, with a peak of 48.36 percent attained in October 2010. While the passing rates have moderated to the mid-30 percent levels during my term for the period 2014 to 2018, the CPA licensure examination situation is undergoing a new trend at present. There were six examinations conducted starting with the October 2018 tests up to the last one given last October 2022. Three of these examinations were administered during the Covid pandemic when face-to-face engagements were not allowed. Thus, for this threeyear pandemic period, there were only these three examinations held compared to what ordinarily would have been nine board examinations given in the Philippines and abroad. The trend in 2019, where two tests were given and three pandemic-

This declining trend of both new CPAs passing and examinees applying for the licensure examination is disturbing. This raises questions and issues such as whether the pandemic caused these declines; if there is a growing disinterest in students pursuing the accountancy profession; the state of accounting education and schools in the Philippines; the impact of the decreasing supply of new CPAs to employers in the local and global markets; the image of the Philippine CPA or accountancy brand in the global business and accounting communities; and even the state of the CPA licensure examination process and system.

era examinations, indicates passing rates reaching the lowest levels for the CPA examination in recent history. For these five examinations, only 6,847 out of 35,918 examinees passed. This represents a passing percentage of 19 percent. I understand that the American Institute of CPAs examination has passing rates historically averaging from 45 percent to 55 percent.

This declining trend of both new CPAs passing and examinees applying for the licensure examination is disturbing. This raises questions and issues such as whether the pandemic caused these declines; if there is a growing disinterest in students pursuing the accountancy profession; the state of accounting education and schools in the Philippines; the impact of the decreasing supply of new CPAs to employers in the local and global markets; the image of the Philippine CPA or accountancy brand in the global business and accounting communities; and even the state of the CPA licensure examination process and system.

These urgent issues must be addressed by the key stakeholders of the accountancy sector. Failure to respond to these may result in further declining or deteriorating trends in the profession.

Joel L. Tan-Torres was the former Dean of the University of the Philippines Virata School of Business. Previously, he was the Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy, and partner of Reyes Tacandong & Co. and the SyCip Gorres and Velayo & Co. He is a Certified Public Accountant who garnered No. 1 in the CPA Board Examination of May 1979. He is now back to his tax practice and can be contacted at joeltantorress@ yahoo.com

journalists to be reinstated.

The suspensions come as Musk makes major changes to content moderation on Twitter. He has tried, through the release of selected company documents dubbed “The Twitter Files,” to claim the platform suppressed right-wing voices under its previous leaders.

He has promised to let free speech reign and has reinstated high-profile accounts that previously broke Twitter’s rules against hateful conduct or harmful misinformation. He has also said he would suppress negativity and hate by depriving some accounts of “freedom of reach.”

Opinion columnist Bari Weiss, who tweeted out some of “The Twitter Files,” called for the suspended

“The old regime at Twitter governed by its own whims and biases and it sure looks like the new regime has the same problem,” she tweeted “I oppose it in both cases.”

If the suspensions lead to the exodus of media organizations that are highly active on Twitter, the platform would be changed at the fundamental level, said Lou Paskalis, longtime marketing and media executive and former Bank of America head of global media.

CBS briefly shut down its activity on Twitter in November due to “uncertainty” about new management, but media organizations have largely remained on the platform. Associated Press writers Kelvin Chan in London, Frank Jordans in Berlin, Frank Bajak in Boston and Hillel Italie and Edith Lederer in New York contributed to this report

Siegfred Bueno Mison, Esq.

THE PATRIOT

Ioften wonder why there seems to be a boom in the naming of girls with typically boys’ names. Women like Alex, George, Shannon, and Austin have been growing in numbers! even American celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have named their daughter James, as did Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis who called theirs Wyatt. Parents of baby girls from the recent decade seem to have gone a “generational shift”—they do not call their sons Sarah or Maria; they name their daughters Robin as demonstrated by statistics from government data in the United States.

One author explicates that in the year 2017, the name Noah was given to 170 girls while the name James was accorded to 77 girls. In contrast, the number of boys who were given girls’ names was as low as 6 and no higher than 17, “which is so small that it might reflect errors in birth records,” per the author. In the Philippines, more parents decide to take up the name Bong or Kim or even Cris for their baby girls than Marie for their baby boys (even Jose Marie). And more likely than not, it is rather unusual for these parents to christen their sons as Grace.

Name-designation is such a personal act. It uniquely identifies a person with his or her origin, culture or history, even with a place. Unlike any digital code, a person’s name commands immediate attention that it makes the human turn upon the sound of his or her name. Compared to the place where we were born or live, our given name or moniker becomes an indelible mark that identifies us. It directs power or authority, implies traits of either strength or weakness, and connotes a personality.

In Biblical times, names were given because of their meanings or attributes. For instance, Peter refers to rock, Jonathan for gift of the Lord, and, of course, Yeshua, which corresponds to the Greek spelling lesous,

from which, through the Latin lesus, comes the English spelling Jesus. While indeed a plethora from the human population is personally affiliated with a name, quite a considerable number are drawn to other people’s names as well. Inevitably, some form of inimitable connection is crafted because a person gives so much premium on the name of someone important to him/her and on what the other person stands for. For example, the last name Villar relates to the working phrase “sipag at tyaga” such that those under the family’s employ are understandably drawn to them because of these attributes ensconced in the name Villar. In the same vein, the surname Duterte invariably represents “war on drugs,” such that almost anybody who is minded, both locally and abroad, is either instantly awed or shudders in fear—nonetheless committing to memory what the name symbolizes. When it comes to first names, the name Adolf immediately connotes Holocaust, while that of Cory denotes democracy. In sports, any enthusiast can pass a test easily by associating Rafa, Tiger and Kobe with the fields of their expertise in tennis, golf, and basketball, respectively. In music, the name BTS commands at once an earsplitting thunder of squeals from fans worldwide because of its

Name-designation is such a personal act. It uniquely identifies a person with his or her origin, culture or history, even with a place. Unlike any digital code, a person’s name commands immediate attention that it makes the human turn upon the sound of his or her name. Compared to the place where we were born or live, our given name or moniker becomes an indelible mark that identifies us. It directs power or authority, implies traits of either strength or weakness, and connotes a personality.

association with the best boy group with the most, if not perfect, in sync dance performance. It would not be difficult to ascertain therefore that people react to certain names the way they do because of their special association with such a name or personality.

Refreshing our memories in Biblical history, we remember the disciples John and Peter. Inasmuch as their names, by themselves, signify weighty meanings: “graced by God” for the name John or Hebrew Yohanan, and “rock” or “stone” for Peter or the Greek Petros, it is how these followers of Jesus Christ regarded their Master that truly identified our Savior. Documentaries on names and their meanings abound in the annals of writing. Yet it is one’s perception of another person’s name and what the latter means to him that spells the difference. And I am referring to the fact that as between John and Peter, with no offense to the latter, it is the former who gave the most special regard to Jesus. The phrase “the disciple whom Jesus loved” or, in John 20:2 of the Bible, “the other disciple whom Jesus loved,” is used six times in the Gospel of John, and none in any other New Testament chronicles of Jesus. Not that Christ played favorites among his disciples, but John was so conscious of Jesus’ love for him that it was subsequently

natural for him to follow his Savior. Whereas Peter boasted of his love for Jesus (John 21:15-17 ), John boasted about Jesus’ love for him (John 21:7, among 5 other verses). Both recognized Jesus as Immanuel, the name for “God is with us.”

Deducing from said Scriptural accounts, it is not so much the privileged access that these disciples had because of their connections with their Master, rather, it is how they view Jesus and connect Him with their lives that matters the most. Just like how Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Anton Lagdameo’s privileged admission to Malacanang, while significant, takes a second substance to how he actually views PBBM and connects him with his life. In other words, what PBBM means to SAP Lagdameo is something very personal to him, regardless of whether he has a VIP pass to the Palace.

To celebrate this Christmas season yet again, may we be reminded of the most definitive meaning of the name Immanuel. As we drive through the chaotic streets of Edsa or as we listen to holiday songs over the radio, most certainly we “know” that “God is with us” as we grew into that orientation either culturally, socially, or spiritually. Most believers have this knowledge that God loves them knowing “that He gave His only begotten Son for us” (John 3:16). But, from a very personal point of view, do I believe and recognize in my heart that God “truly loves me”? Yes, “me”! Just as John believed that he was the disciple whom Jesus loved, and not the disciple who loved Jesus. For John, Jesus spells Grace, or God’s unmerited, undeserved, unearned favor! (Ephesians 2:8) for Jesus was given to us by grace, as a gift, and “not based on works, lest anyone should boast.” When we are conscious of this personalized love, following and loving Him in the process comes out most naturally and more eagerly.

Thus, notwithstanding gender equations or neutrality, our Savior’s name is GRACE!

2022 is deadliest year on record for Mexican journalists

By Christopher Sherman | The Associated Press

MeXICo CItY the deadliest year in at least three decades for Mexican journalists and media workers is nearing a close, with 15 slayings—a perilous situation underlined by a brazen near-miss attack this week on one of the country’s most prominent journalists.

Two gunmen astride a motorcycle shot up radio and television journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva’s armored vehicle 200 yards from his home Thursday night. The journalist described the attack and posted photos of his vehicle to social media.

Solidarity has grown among Mexico’s press corps amid the carnage, and its members are making increasing noise after each killing. They also have pushed back against a longtime government narrative that the victims weren’t real journalists or were corrupt.

Still, the killings—15 counted by The Associated Press—have continued to rise.

This year, many of the dead were small town reporters running their own outlets on a shoestring. Others were freelancers, including for national publications, in big cities like Tijuana.

Also on Thursday, assailants took aim at journalist Flavio Reyes de Dios, director of an online news site in Palenque, a town in the southern state of Chiapas. A vehicle without license plates followed him and then ran his motorcycle off the road, injuring the journalist, the press advocacy group Article 19 said.

That incident drew little notice. But it was national news that shots were fired at Gómez Leyva, who is one of Mexico’s best-known journalists. He is a regular critic of the government and a frequent target of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s tirades against press criticism.

Nevertheless, López Obrador on Friday condemned the attempt against Gómez Leyva. While acknowledging they had their differences, the president said, “It is completely reprehensible for anyone to be attacked.”

Jan-Albert Hootsen, the Mexico representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said that this year the only nation to see more journalists killed is Ukraine, which is fighting the Russian invasion.

“We started gathering data on homicides of journalists in 1992, and it’s been both the highest number of journalist killings in a single year, and we can also say that so far it looks to be the deadliest ‘sexenio’ [Mexico’s six-year presidential term], which means the deadliest period of a single Mexican president if the trend as things stand right now continues,” Hootsen said.

“Andrés Manuel López Obrador, both during the campaign and as president, has successfully politicized journalism in Mexico more than it has ever been in recent memory,” Hootsen said.

Katherine Corcoran, author of “In the Mouth of the Wolf: A Murder, a Cover-up and the True Cost of Silencing the Press,” said a big reason that journalist killings have remained stubbornly high in Mexico is that government officials are behind many of them.

“It’s some kind of government corruption that’s being threatened or some kind of government empire that’s being threatened when they go

Solidarity has grown among Mexico’s press corps amid the carnage, and its members are making increasing noise after each killing. They also have pushed back against a longtime government narrative that the victims weren’t real journalists or were corrupt. Still, the killings—15 counted by The Associated Press—have continued to rise.

after these journalists,” said Corcoran, a former Associated Press bureau chief in Mexico.

The other factor is that Mexico’s press has become more independent and aggressive, she said. “The reporters really are hitting a nerve and that’s what’s getting them killed.”

Corcoran’s book focused on the 2012 killing one such journalist, Regina Martínez from the national news magazine Proceso. She said Martínez’s murder in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz overturned the government narrative that had long painted journalists who were killed as victims of their own corruption. Martínez was well-known, respected, ethical and believed to be beyond reproach.

Since Martínez was slain in April 2012, at least 86 other journalists and media workers have been killed in Mexico, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists’ data.

While there is more solidarity among Mexico’s journalists, they still receive little support from the Mexican public. When a journalist is killed, dozens of colleagues gather to protest, but there is generally not an outpouring of anger from society in general.

Corcoran said that stems from a long period when much of Mexico’s press was part of the government ma-

chine and took significant amounts of money in exchange for positive coverage.

“That idea of paying the press is going to haunt the press in Mexico forever, because it did exist and intermittently came back,” she said.

López Obrador frequently hammers that point during his daily news conferences. His administration cut much of those government payments and he says that is the reason he receives critical coverage. Much like former US President Donald Trump did, López Obrador dismisses any critical press coverage as coming from corrupt reporters he calls his adversaries.

Last February, after five journalists had already been killed, the president said journalists “lie like they breathe.”

Still, Hootsen said there is not any evidence that federal officials in the current administration are behind violence targeting journalists. However, he said, “it is very disappointing to see that even though the government is not actively persecuting journalists, it has done very little to prevent the persecution of journalists by other actors, either state or non-state.”

In the absence of that protection, Mexican journalists have become much better prepared for situations of violence by creating formal and informal networks of support and rapid response, as well as strengthening ties to civil society organizations, he said.

But when there are attacks on journalists they seldom lead to arrests and even more rarely to convictions.

“In terms of impunity, we are still seeing just about the same numbers that we’ve always seen, which means that more than 95 percent of all the murders of journalists linger in impunity,” Hootsen said.

MAY POSE THREAT TO FINANCIAL STABILITY’

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

JUST drop the idea.

Thus said former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo about the just approved House Bill (HB) 6608, which creates the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF). In the Tapatan online forum hosted by 1Sambayan on Friday, he warned of a serious upending of the country’s financial system if investments of the MIF fail, considering the contributions made by government financial institutions (GFIs).

Under Section 11 of the bill, the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) are required to contribute P50 billion and P25 billion to the MIF, respectively. The bill also provides the MIF to invest in foreign currencies and metals and other tradeable commodities, “which could be speculative and therefore risky,” he said, adding, “Nothing prevents Maharlika from lending and providing guarantees to ventures or consortiums, even to commercial real estate and ‘other investments as may be approved by the Board.’”

A s such, Guinigundo stressed, “If they fail because of this scheme, that could send tremendous shockwaves to the Philippine banking system.”

He noted the bill’s authors are quite aware of this possible investment outcome, as HB6608

also mandates the BSP, the country’s independent monetary authority, to bail out the GFIs, “‘to promote the financial soundness of these financial institutions while contributing to the overall objective of the Maharlika.’” This is because Section 18 of the bill allows withdrawal of proceeds from the MIF “only after 5 years,” he said.

Higher yield from investing in infra, jobs

DUE to the uproar to an earlier version of the bill creating a sovereign wealth fund, HB6608 dropped the requirement for pension funds to initially contribute their investible funds to the MIF, but doesn’t rule out their future participation.

The bill also requires only 10 percent of the gross revenues of government’s gaming arm, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., as contribution to the MIF.

We should forget HB6608. In other words, just drop the idea,” said Guinigundo, when asked how poverty will be reduced in the country without an MIF.

“ What we need is to fix the public finance of our government. We should optimize the more than P5.3-trillion budget for 2023. It has a lot of excess funds that we can squeeze into a fund [for investment], if we want that. But what our citizenry really need are education, health, appropriate wages especially for those in government.

Lower tariffs on food items, coal to cool inflation–Balisacan

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

TO temper inflation, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has approved the extension of the validity of an executive order (EO) which reduced the tariffs on some food items and coal.

S ocioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said the EO will cover meat of swine, corn, rice and coal.

B alisacan said the measure aims to “provide relief to poor and vulnerable segments of the Filipino population whose welfare is reduced because of high inflation.”

Through this policy, we shall augment our domestic food supplies, diversify our sources of food staples, and temper inflationary pressures arising from supply constraints and rising international prices of production inputs due to external conflict,” Balisacan said.

T he lowered tariffs for pork, corn, and rice will be in effect until December 31, 2023, while that for coal will be in place “indefinitely,” but it will be reviewed every 6 months.

L ast May, former President Rodrigo R. Duterte issued EO 171 series of 2022, which extended the validity of EO 134 series of 2021.

EO 171 also lowered the tariff for corn, rice, and coal. The issuance is scheduled to lapse on December 31.

B alisacan said the government expects the global economy to recover next year due to the expected reopening of China’s economy, moderating global oil prices, easing of aggressive monetary policy

tightening, and sustained remittance inflow.

W ith the said factors together with the implementation of the approved Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023 to 2028, the Neda said the Philippines will hit its economic growth target of 6 percent to 7 percent next year.

A mong the highlights of the new PDP are the digitalization of government processes and public services; improving the local and global connectivity of our markets and the integration of leading and lagging regions; and servicification or building ICT (information and communication technology), creatives, tourism, and logistics ecosystems around manufacturing clusters.

T he new government policy road map also focuses on building a dynamic innovation ecosystem; harnessing the private sector’s resources, technologies, and potential for scale economies through public-private partnerships (PPPs); and ensuring the effective devolution of critical social services to local governments.

Our economy remains robust, supported by strong domestic demand and an upbeat labor market,” Balisacan said.

He said the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF), which is patterned after the sovereign wealth fund of other countries, will help the government achieve its economic targets.

We commit to working with our Legislature to put in place the necessary features of, and conditions for, a successful investment fund that will best serve the interest of the Filipino people,” Balisacan said.

Senate vows: No railroading of Maharlika fund proposal

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

DESPITE the fast-paced passage in the House of Representatives of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill, majority and minority senators have agreed to go over the controversial measure with a finetoothed comb when it reaches the Senate.

I’m not convinced we need to do this [set up an MIF] now,” Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel Jr. said on Sunday, adding that he and some senators will still push for dropping the measure altogether. However, even if it hurdles a Senate vote, Pimentel said they will make sure it goes through the strictest deliberations.

A sked what particular parts of the measure—formerly named the Maharlika Wealth Fund and billed as the country’s sovereign wealth fund—need attention, Pimentel said in a radio interview: “we need to focus on everything about the MIF when the House sends it to the Senate.”

P imentel added that “they must

look at its form, how it was substituted, and even its legislative history,” noting that from a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) concept, “it has evolved into an investment fund,” pointing out that this was obviously done because the proponents were faced with criticism that the original bill did not fit the traditional concept and grounds for creating a sovereign wealth fund.

First of all, the concept and reason for setting up—the SWF is a right concept [under certain circumstances]; its seed money is the surplus or windfall of a country.” However, it had been pointed out that the Philippines had neither, and the original version dipped into pensions funds.

“ Maybe when they realized [we don’t meet the basic concept of a SWF, i.e., we have no budget surplus or windfall], the proponents started changing the measure,” Pimentel recalled.

B esides not having any budget surplus, the Philippines also has no “windfall.”

He cited as an example Norway’s windfall when it discovered oil which swelled its cash flow.

Turning the SWF into an investment fund poses serious risks, said Pimentel, noting that not only will the country resort to borrowings to partly kick off the fund, worse, it will put such borrowed funds into the hands of “unelected” people who will “behave like government” in the sense that they can decide priorities for spending.

U nlike the elected Congress, members of the board are not chosen by the people, have no accountability and will work “behind closed doors” in contrast to the “transparent” budget process, according to Pimentel. Entrusting to the MIF board the discretion to determine priorities is akin to usurping congressional authority to craft the budget, he added.

A s it is, he said, “we’re borrowing for the national budget; and now, we have to borrow again for an investment fund.”

Given all these, Pimentel said,

“there is need to examine the original versions of the bill to track the changes.”

A sked if setting up the MIF with partly borrowed funds risks deepening the national debt, Pimentel said yes, and drew an illustration, likening the exercise to “adding a second drain” through which scarce resources are allowed to flow out.

Playing fast and loose with billions of borrowed money is very risky because the global market is not conducive to making huge investments. Pimentel said that even big, established global players are treading cautiously now, so they will definitely “welcome a new player” like the Philippines which seems eager to parlay investible funds that it borrowed.

Nonetheless, Pimentel is banking on a firm, prompt assurance given by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri that there will be “no railroading” of the MIF bill in the Senate. In fact, Pimentel noted that Zubiri has directed several committees to undertake their respective thorough examination of various aspects of the measure even during the Christmas holidays.

T he first line of their defense, he said, is to move to scuttle an MIF that some economists had described as a concept “damaged beyond repair.”

DOH: Hospitals on

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

THE Department of Health (DOH) said Sunday it has placed all local hospitals on “high alert” ahead of the New Year revelry.

“Itong darating na papalapit na New Year, lahat ng ating mga hospitals ay naka -‘high alert’ for all individuals with injuries and emergencies na posibleng mangyari,” DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario

Vergeire said.

V ergeire said DOH officials will inspect hospitals to check their readiness to attend to fireworkrelated injuries or any form of emergency.

O n December 29, the DOH will visit 4 hospitals starting with the Las Piñas Trauma Center, Jose Reyes Memo -

alert’ for celebrations

rial Medical Center, East Avenue Medical Center, and Amang Rodriguez Medical Center for the “Oplan Iwas Paputok” campaign.

O n December 31, Field Implementation and Coordination Team officials will be visiting communities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao to ensure that families are celebrating the com -

ing of 2023 safely.

T he DOH said it has always advocated for the safe practice of the holidays by avoiding fireworks and firecrackers.

Families and individuals are strongly encouraged to avoid purchasing and using fireworks this holiday season and instead observe fireworks displays from afar or ones that are professionally prepared and organized,” Vergeire said.

‘MIF

‘high

CHRISTMAS TREATS Villar Sipag Foundation led by Vista Land Chairman and Former Senate President Manny Villar and his wife Senator Cynthia Villar, together with their children Paolo Villar, President and CEO of Vista Land; Las Piñas City Representative Camille Villar and Senator Mark Villar and wife Atty. Emmeline Aglipay Villar, distributed Christmas treats to 150 children from Baseco, Tondo and Barangay Iruhin in Tagaytay City. The Christmas party and gift-giving for the kids were held at the Banquet Hall of Crosswinds in Tagaytay City. ROY DOMINGO

EDC adds more geothermal power projects in portfolio

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

struction early next year.”

Binary plants, he said, are cheaper and easier to put up than geothermal projects because they utilize existing assets. For instance, Barcena said its M3 binary plant makes use of existing brine from E d C ’s 103-MW Mindanao 1 and Mindanao 2 geothermal power facilities to generate additional energy without the need for additional drilling. Heat from the brine will be used to generate electricity by the new power plant before it is re-injected back to the reservoir.

sibility. But the area is quite big, so we’re excited,” he said.

The UST da’s study will help E d C confirm geothermal resource availability and conduct initial technology and financial assessments.

DNL, sister firm stick to personal-care biz

Dand L Industries Inc. said its sister firm is planning to grow their personal care business by tapping the upscale market, which has a growing preference for healthy and all-natural products.

nutritional products, pet food and supplies, insecticides, air-fresheners, household cleansers, disinfectants and automotive care products that are manufactured by dnL

E d C ’s total installed capacity has now reached 1,480MW. Of this capacity about 1,185MW accounts for its geothermal portfolio, including its first 3.6-MW Mindanao-3 (M3) binary project that was just completed last year.

E d C a s sistant Vice President and Head of Public Relations a ll an V. Barcena said the company is looking at 100MW of geothermal power projects that will be added to its portfolio starting next year. These are the following: 29-MW

Palayan Bayan binary plant; 20MW Tanawon geothermal project in Bicol; 28-MW Mahanagdong binary plant in Leyte; and, a 50-MW greenfield project in Mindanao.

“The Palayan Bayan is expected to be completed by second week of second quarter next year. The Tanawon will start construction in the last quarter of the year,” said Barcena. “We are still in the process of getting the permits for its construction. For Mahanagdong; I think it will start con-

USTDA grant

E d C recently received a grant from the US Trade and d e velopment a g ency (UST d a ) for the conduct of a feasibility study for its planned greenfield geothermal power project in Mindanao.

Barcena said executives are “excited” about E d C ’s new concession, which is in a m acan, d a vao Oriental.

“This is the one funded by the UST da ; but it’s just for the fea-

Meralco, Arta to automate licensing

The E d C said last week that it is piloting the use of electric vehicles (EV) fueled by steam energy from the charging station that it built at its Tongonan geothermal power plant in Kananga, Leyte. It is also looking at renting electric buses that will shuttle its employees to its project sites and put up EV charging stations in its host city, starting off with Ormoc City in Leyte.

E d C ’s 711-megawatt Leyte geothermal facility currently supplies more than 30 percent of the country’s installed geothermal capacity. It is also responsible for putting the Philippines on the map as the world’s 3rd largest geothermal producer and has been providing a reliable supply of clean power to the Luzon and Visayas regions for almost 40 years.

dnL President and CEO a lvin d L ao said the company develops and manufactures branded consumer products being sold by Consumer Care Products Inc., the privatelyowned marketing arm of Jadel Holdings, the ultimate parent of both firms. The products, he said, are mostly greener alternatives to petrochemicals-based personal and home care products.

Lao said their hand soap doesn’t contain petrochemicals-based ingredients that have toxic components.

“Since it uses coconut oil, there is no toxic ingredient inside and it is biodegradable,” he said. “So it’s better for our health and better for the environment.”

Lao explained “these are the types of products that we’re going into more in our group.”

“Our group is really known for B2B (business to business); where our products are bought and used by other companies. But we are now making more consumer products.”

a side from natural soap products, Consumer Care also markets

He said these products are being marketed under brands owned by Consumer Care and separate from dnL

“We don’t want to look like we are competing with our customers. So we want to be careful. But, our product (dr. Coco) is not 100-percent competition because it’s natural coconut oil-based and no one else in the Philippines makes a product like this on a big scale,” Lao said, adding that the “dr. Coco” brand is a premium product and costs more than regular germicidal soaps.

Lao said they see a big market for the dr. Coco-brand products since Filipinos are very hygienic and wash their hands often and takes baths or showers two to three times a day.

He added they are initially targeting the local market for these products before thinking of exporting these overseas? “The purpose of dnL is really to highlight that we are capable of coming out with a complete package. If you need a product for your brand, we can customize it for you from the formulation to the packaging,” Lao said. VG Cabuag

THE Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has partnered with the a n ti-Red Tape a u thority ( a R T a ) to help local government units (LGUs) automate their business permit and licensing systems.

In a ceremonial signing held recently, a R T a d i rector General and Secretary Ernesto V. Perez, Meralco Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel William S. Pamintuan and Meralco a s sistant Vice President and Head of Biz Partners Group Joy P. Mendoza signed the Memorandum of a g reement (MO a ) for the project that involves the deployment of desktop computer units to LGUs as part of the “Integrated Business Permits and Licensing System,”

or “iBPLS.”

“It is our honor and privilege to work with a R T a in the distribution of desktop computers to local government units under the iBPLS program. Through all these collaborative efforts, Meralco affirms its commitment to a R T a in helping ensure efficient and streamlined processes and quality service for businesses all over the country,” Pamintuan said.

Meralco’s donation of computer units will help the LGUs in setting up their “Electronic Business One-Stop Shops,” or “eBOSS,” to ensure red-tape free and more convenient business registration—from application to approval of permits.

Prior to the signing of the

MO a , Perez took note of the agency’s latest collaboration with Meralco, which has long been a partner of a R T a in its efforts to improve government efficiency.

“We, at the a R T a , together with our partners commit to continue the battle against red tape, provide more seamless government transactions to the people, and make the Philippines more globally competitive,” said Perez.

The government official expressed gratitude to the private distribution utility “for its support to our initiatives for the collective benefit of the people.”

“We hope that this latest partnership is just one of many more collaborations between Meralco and a R T a ” Lenie Lectura

ABOITIZ Power Corp. is weighing the pros and cons of the possible listing of its renewable energy arm in the local bourse.

Officials of the power firm said last week that an initial public offering (IPO) of a b oitiz Renewables Inc. ( a R I) is “always an option that is open to us.”

“We know that we have a good renewable portfolio and we have a pipeline and there’s varied ways to extract value. We are evaluating several options. Whatever will be the right one, at a specific point in time, is what we will do,” said a b oitiz Power Chief Financial Officer Liza Luv T. Montelibano.

a b oitiz Power is pursuing to grow its renewable portfolio to 4,600 megawatts (MW) by the end of the decade.

a b oitiz Power, which owns a R I, is already listed. In arriving at a decision on whether to pursue

or not an IPO, company president Emmanuel V. Rubio said “we also have to consider the implications to a P if we list a R I.”

“I think what investors will be valuing is your current assets, your ability to execute to meet your commitments and the value of your pipeline moving forward.

Value of the assets, box ticked.

History of execution, that can be ticked. But the pipeline is something we are developing. These are Cayanga, Laoag and the Tiwi binary—as the initial deliveries of the pipeline—and Libmanan, the mainstream project,” said Rubio.

JV agreement

E a R LIER, no rwegian renewable energy firm Scatec a S a announced it was partnering with a b oitiz Power to develop over two gigawatts (GW) of wind power projects , mostly offshore, in the Philippines. Most of the wind power prospects

are offshore projects.

a R I also entered into a joint venture agreement with Mainstream Renewable Power (Mainstream) to develop a 90-MW onshore wind project in Libmanan, Camarines Sur.

The joint venture, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is being delivered through an investment agreement for a R I’s proposed acquisition of a 60 percent stake in the Libmanan onshore wind project, which Mainstream has been developing since 2017.

a p art from renewables, the company is also considering to put up L n G (liquefied natural gas) plants possibly in Pagbilo and Cebu. “Yes, it’s an option in Cebu… by 2026, 2027. That’s when Cebu will need new capacities. a n d then 2029 and 2030 which is in Pagbilao,” Rubio said. “a t the moment, we are exploring it together with our partner JER a

LOPEZ-led Energy Development Corp. (EDC) is adding more geothermal power projects in its portfolio of 1,185 megawatts (MW) meant to support the Philippines’ clean energy transition and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Banking&Finance

Perspectives Major project leadership

IT takes more than just bold vision, good planning and diligent execution to see a project to fruition. When it comes to major project management, clearly defining the roles between management and leadership can mean the difference between success and failure.

The lifeblood of any major project, managers undertake specific tasks and oversee parameters like timelines and budgets to ensure processes are on track. This includes facilitating efficient operations to meet project objectives by providing a purpose and direction that employees can trust.

Leaders, on the other hand, are the thread that binds a project together—inspiring teams, ensuring alignment in goals and possessing the courage to implement and navigate change. They provide clarity of vision and ideas, empowering and guiding the team to realize their full potential.

One thing is certain—both management and leadership need to work in sync. Strong leadership at the top can spur collaboration, communication and accountability and help assert the right level of authority needed for managers to ensure the smooth execution of goals.

KPMG in the Philippines Advisory (Management Consulting)

Partner Imelda H. Corros also shared the same principles citing, “Leadership must be a balance of authority and empathy. It should not be purely goals, goals and goals nor be just pure heart and emotions.” She explained that for a team to work efficiently, “there should be a leader who looks forward to successes and also genuinely cares about how the team members are doing.”

Cultivating leaders at all levels

CREATING a culture of leadership across the organization means fostering ownership at every level— regardless of job scope. Putting in place mechanisms to help leaders share their skills and experiences can accelerate an organization’s vision and goals.

Creating a culture that leads

TRANSPARENCY, accountability and effective communication lie at the heart of strong leadership. Successful leaders can work with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment of vision even in the face of evolving needs and demands.

Managing organizational change

MANAGING a major project requires a clear and defined leadership approach at every stage. From adapting to various project pressures to ensuring a smooth transition from one stage to another, leaders need to put in place strategic action plans and processes to keep the team on track to achieving success.

Breaking down silos

STRONG communication is the bedrock of any successful project. A clear communication line between leaders and managers ensures that team members are aligned on project deliverables and understand exactly what’s expected of them. That includes internal communication between project teams and boards as well as with external contractors, investors and business partners.

premium increase inflationary, must be paused’

minimum levels.

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee said the IC must suspend the implementation of its Circular Leter (CL) 2022-34, which increases insurance premium rates on catastrophes, due to its inflationary impact.

Lee earlier filed a house resolution that seeks to initiate a probe into the “untimely” adjustment of the minimum catastrophe insurance rates nationwide, which he alleged did not have “prior consultation” with the private sector and concerned stakeholders.

The adjusted rates, Lee claimed, would take effect next year and would result in a “huge” increase in insurance premiums ranging from 40 percent to as high as 400 percent.

However, the regulator’s CL 202234 states otherwise in terms of the revised minimum catastrophe rates.

The document, issued by Insur-

ance Commissioner Dennis B. Funa, stipulated that the new minimum catastrophe rates already took effect last November 1.

Kaya po natin nireregulate itong insurance industry para maging patas o hindi makapang-abuso ang mga insurance companies. Pero bakit wala man lang nakonsultang end-users sa pagtaas ng insurance premium na ito? Sino po ba ang pinoprotektahan sa polisiyang ito?” Lee said. [That’s why we regulate this insurance industry so that the insurance companies can be fair or not abusive. But why were no end-users consulted on this insurance premium increase? Who is protected by this policy?]

Ceiling rates

LEE argues that the IC should regulate the ceiling rates for the catastrophe rates instead of adjusting the

Bakit minimum ang tinututukan dito? Hindi ba, it’s better or it’s good for the consumer if magkakompetisyon at pababaan ng rate. Bakit ngayon ang kinokontrol ng ating komisyon ay ang minimum? Walang maximum eh, walang ceiling,” he added. [Why concentrate on the minimum? Isn’t it better or good for the consumer if there is competition and the rate is lowered? Why is the IC now focused on the minimum levels while there is no maximum; no ceiling.]

The lawmaker said through a statement issued by his office over the weekend he wrote to Funa to formally inquire on the issue. Lee, however, said that as of writing, the latter has not responded yet.

“Domino effect po ito Siguradong tataas ang presyo ng mga pagkain, dahil sa production pa lang, sa storage, sa mga makina, pagdating sa distribution center, hanggang sa retail, lahat ay apektado ng pagtaas ng insurance premium na ito dahil halos lahat po ay kumukuha na ng insurance,” he said. [It’s a domino effect. The price of food will definitely increase, because just in production, in storage, in machines, when it comes to the distribution center, to retail, everything is affected by this increase in insurance premium because almost everyone is taking insurance.]

Passing on costs

LEE further said: “ Kanino po ito ipapasa ng mga kompanya kundi sa mga consumers. Panibagong pag-

taas na naman po ito sa presyo ng mga bilihin. Kawawa na naman ang taumbayan dito. Kaya tayo po ay nananawagan sa ating Commissioner ng Insurance Commission na itigil ang implementasyon ng kanilang circular dahil wrong timing na wrong timing po ito. Kapag nasuspinde ito, winner tayo lahat.”

[Companies will pass on this cost to consumers. This is another increase in the price of goods. Pity the people. That is why we are calling on our Commissioner of the Insurance Commission to stop the implementation of the circular because of the wrong timing. We would all win if the circular is suspended.]

Lee also claimed that the increase in insurance hike would also impact the agriculture sector, thereby affecting the government’s effort to achieve the country’s food security. He explained that the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. is covered by the CL and would have to hike their insurance premium.

Kung patuloy na madedehado ang ating agri workers sa mga serbisyo, nalalagay din sa alanganin ang isinusulong nating food security. Kung matutuloy ang dagdag-singil na ito sa catastrophe insurance, disaster po yan para sa mga Pilipino,” he added. [If our agricultural workers continue to be disadvantaged in services, the food security we are promoting would also be in jeopardy. If this surcharge on catastrophe insurance continues, it will be a disaster for Filipinos.]

There may be those who excel at technical delivery but fall short on leading teams and there may be individuals who have a natural ability to guide teams but lack specialized knowledge in key areas. Corros further shared that “Success requires that teams have complementary leadership where they are given means to utilize their respective crafts and discover their full potential.”

In this report, we examine the intrinsic relationship between both roles by defining the key characteristics they play in ensuring project management success. Key topics include:

Leading major projects

MANAGING large projects are almost similar to running a major organization. They have a clear set of goals, well-defined culture, cost considerations and operating frameworks aimed at bringing a specific vision to life. Ensuring project success means having leaders with specialized knowledge and experience to ensure success at every stage.

Leadership describes several elements in major project delivery. All combined, it’s about establishing the culture, people, objectives and controls that lead a project to its planned outcome. The worst time to find out a costly initiative has poor leadership is years down the road when it’s more costly to correct. That’s why leadership is one of the five pillars that organizations are compelled to get right in the beginning when time is on their side.

The excerpt was taken from the KPMG Thought Leadership publication: https://home. kpmg/.../2022/10/major-project-leadership. html

© 2022 R.G. Manabat & Co., a Philippine partnership and a member firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG Intl. Ltd., a private English company limited by guarantee. All rights reserved.

For more information, you may reach out to Advisory (Management Consulting) Partner Imelda H. Corros through ph-kpmgmla@kpmg. com, social media or visit www.home.kpmg/ph.

This article is for general information purposes only and should not be considered professional advice to a specific issue or entity. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the BusinessMirror KPMG International or KPMG in the Philippines.

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

HOUSE Ways and Means Chair Joey Sarte Salceda (Albay, 2nd district) promoted the accomplishment report of the tax panel, one of the House’s most powerful committees, saying that it upheld its “no backlog policy” of hearing all bills automatically referred to it and finishing the priorities cited in the State of the Nation Address by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Salceda also touted his committee’s performance of oversight functions, which resulted in the issuance of executive policies “more favorable to taxpayers and the economy at large.”

“First, our briefings on the Create Law’s implementation resulted in the issuance of the Strategic Investment Priorities Plan. Briefings on VAT zero-rating compelled the DOF [Department of Finance] first to suspend it and then issue a partial compromise on the matter,” the lawmaker said.

He noted that on the matter of smuggling of agricultural products, the Department of Agriculture (DA)

and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) issued their own policies that led to the “tightening the noose on smugglers.”

“We also held briefings on the treatment of online transactions with non-resident foreign corporations,” Salceda said. “That strengthened our view that we should have a digital services tax.”

Automatically referred bills SALCEDA also noted that the Lower House also held a hearing on Bureau of Internal Revenue’s verification of taxes on One-Time Transactions, also known as ONETT, on the sale/ transfer of properties by the Megaworld Corp.

“That led to the SOF suspending the practice of random audits.”

Salceda also touted the Committee’s early approval of priority tax measures of the executive such as the following: Plastic Bags Tax Act; Package 4 of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program; the Ease of Paying Taxes (EOPT) Act; and, the Non-resident Digital Services Providers VAT Act.

Additionally, the committee approved 14 automatically referred bills during the first half of the year

and 269 bills in the second half.

“Approving these automatic referrals quickly is also extremely important for the work of the whole House. If we don’t approve these bills in a timely fashion, the deliberations will grind to a halt and we won’t be able to discuss them on the floor. So, our no-backlog policy when it comes to automatic referrals assures the House that bills will keep moving because the Ways and Means Committee hears them as soon as we receive them.”

Agenda for 2023

SALCEDA also said he is optimistic that his Senate counterparts will be able to approve the EOPT Act into law by early 2023, while the DOF will come up with a “permanent solution” to problems concerning imposition of VAT on indirect exporters around the same time.

“I am confident that these pending items will find favorable resolution by early 2023. The Senate is moving with EOPT without much controversy, so expect that to be law next year.”

Also pending with the Committee are the following bills:

n House Bills (HB) 178, 1697,

3245 and 3789, on Amending Republic Act 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act; n HB 373, 2014, 2246 and 3888, on the Philippine Mining Fiscal Regime; n HB 5532 on Excise Tax on Electronic Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Delivery Devices; and n House Resolution 490, on the Imposition of VAT on Importation and Local Purchases of Goods and Services by Registered Business Enterprises in Special Economic Zones. Salceda added that his committee will begin hearing proposals to increase taxes on alcoholic products and “possibly a junk food tax” by 2023.

The lawmaker added that next year, they will begin pushing the BIR more aggressively on codifying all tax regulations in one Omnibus Manual of Internal Revenue Regulations. Salceda also wants a similar effort in the Bureau of Customs.

“Fewer, more streamlined rules means easier tax compliance, reduced corruption and stronger tax morale, which leads to more revenues,” he said.

Lower House’s tax panel chairman touts performance LandBank,

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) have joined hands for the online release of Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA) to expedite the crediting of funds to government agencies.

Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman and LandBank Banking Services Group First Vice President Reynaldo C. Capa signed the Memorandum of Agreement for the Online Release of NCA in the Action Document Releasing System (ADRS) last December 7 at the DBM Head Office in Manila to formalize the partnership.

They were joined by Deputy Treasurer Eduardo Anthony G. Mariño III, Anti-Red Tape Authority Officer-in-Charge Ernesto V. Perez and

representatives from other partner banks.

Under the agreement, the DBM and LandBank will be working together to institutionalize the release of NCAs in digital format. This will eliminate the unnecessary steps of printing, signing, routing and releasing of printed documents, thus making the funds available for the programs, activities and projects of agencies in the most immediate time.

“LandBank is committed to play our role in ensuring a more streamlined and efficient process in releasing NCAs,” LandBank President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo was quoted in a statement as saying.

“We will continue to find avenues for collaboration to promote the immediate delivery of efficient and

meaningful public service.”

The digital release of NCAs is in line with the implementation of Republic Act 8792 (Electronic Commerce Act of 2000) and RA 11032 (Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018).

LandBank has been doing its share in establishing a digital payment ecosystem, as part of promoting the Ease of Doing Business and efficient government service delivery.

From January to October 2022, LandBank’s major digital banking platforms have facilitated a total of 123.3 million transactions amounting to P4.8 trillion, for 14 percent and 156 percent year-onyear growths in volume and value, respectively.

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace

‘Insurance

Al Aw m A k er is urging the Insurance Commission (IC) to suspend its recent disaster premium hike policy, claiming that it would exacerbate the increase in food prices as insured Filipinos would have to shell out more money for their policies.

This Wednesday, December 7, 2022, photo shows Budget secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman (second from left) and LandBank of the Philippines First Vice President Reynaldo C. Capa (rightmost), together with representatives from other partner banks, during the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement for the online release of the Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA) at the DBM head Office in Manila. Photo courtesy

How Elon Musk is cHanging wHat you sEE on twittEr

By Matt O’brien, Barbara Ortutay & David Klepper The Associated Press

The social media platform's new owner, e lon Musk, has been trying to prove through giving selected journalists access to some of the company's internal communications dubbed “The Twitter Files” that officials from the previous leadership team allegedly suppressed right-wing voices.

This week, Musk disbanded a key advisory group, the Trust and Safety Council, made up of dozens of independent civil, human rights and other organizations. The company formed the council in 2016 to address hate speech, harassment, child exploitation, suicide, self-harm and other problems on the platform.

w h at do the developments mean for what shows up in your feed every day? For one, the moves show that Musk is prioritizing improving Twitter's perception on the US political right. He’s not promising unfettered free speech as much as a shift in what messages get amplified or hidden.

What are the Twitter files?

M U SK b ought Twitter for $44 billion in late October and since then has partnered with a group of handpicked journalists including former r o lling Stone writer Matt Taibbi and opinion columnist Bari we iss. e a rlier this month, they began publishing—in the form of a series of tweets—about actions that Twitter previously took against accounts thought to have violated its content rules. They've included screenshots of emails and messaging board comments reflecting internal conversations within Twitter about those decisions.

we iss wrote on December 8 that the “authors have broad and

expanding access to Twitter’s files. The only condition we agreed to was that the material would first be published on Twitter.”

we iss published the fifth and most recent installment Monday about the conversations leading up to Twitter's January 8, 2021 decision to permanently suspend then-President Donald Trump's account “due to the risk of further incitement of violence” following the deadly US Capitol insurrection two days earlier. The internal communications show at least one unnamed staffer doubting that one of the tweets was an incitement of violence; it also reveals executives' reaction to an advocacy campaign from some employees pushing for tougher action on Trump.

What’s missing?

M U SK ’ S Twitter Files reveal some of the internal decision-making process affecting mostly rightwing Twitter accounts that the company decided broke its rules against hateful conduct, as well as those that violated the platform's rules against spreading harmful misinformation about Covid-19.

But the reports are largely based on anecdotes about a handful of high-profile accounts and the tweets don't reveal numbers about the scale of suspensions and which views were more likely to be affected. The journalists appear to have unfettered access to the company's Slack messaging board—visible to all employees—but have relied on Twitter executives to deliver other documents.

The Twitter files mention shadowbanning. What’s that? iN 2 018, after then-C e O J ack

Dorsey said Twitter would focus on the “health” of conversations on the platform, the company outlined a new approach intended to reduce the impact of disruptive users, or trolls, by reading “behavioral signals” that tend to indicate when users are more interested in blowing up conversations than in contributing.

Twitter has long said it used a technique described internally as “visibility filtering” to reduce the reach of some accounts that might violate its rules but don’t rise to the level of being suspended. But it rejected allegations it was secretly “shadowbanning” conservative viewpoints.

Screenshots showing an employee's view of prominent user accounts disclosed through the Twitter Files show how that filtering works in practice. it ’s also led Musk to call for changes to make that more transparent.

“Twitter is working on a software update that will show your true account status, so you know clearly if you’ve been shadowbanned, the reason why and how to appeal,” he tweeted.

Who’s monitoring posts on twitter now?

M U SK laid off about half of Twitter’s staff after he bought the platform and later eliminated an unknown number of contract workers who had focused on content moderation. Some workers who were kept on soon quit, including Yoel r o th, Twitter’s former head of trust and safety.

The departure of so many employees raised questions about how the platform could enforce its policies against harmful misinformation, hate speech and threats of violence, both within the US and across the globe. Automated tools can help detect spam and some suspicious accounts, but others take more careful human review.

i t ’s likely the reductions will force Twitter to concentrate content moderation efforts on regions with stronger regulations governing social media platforms like e u rope, where tech companies could face big fines under the new Digital Services Act if they don’t make an effort to combat misinformation and

hate speech, according to Bhaskar Chakravorti, dean of global business at the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

“The staff has been decimated,” Chakravorti said. “The few content moderators left are going to be focused on e urope, because e urope is the squeakiest wheel.”

Has there been an impact?

Si N C e M usk bought Twitter a number of researchers and advocacy groups have pointed to an increase in posts containing racial epithets or attacks on Jewish people, gays, lesbians and transgender people.

i n m any cases, the posts were written by users who said they were trying to test Twitter’s new boundaries.

According to Musk, Twitter acted quickly to reduce the overall visibility of the posts, and that overall engagement with hate speech is down since he purchased the company, a finding disputed by researchers.

The most obvious sign of change at Twitter are the formerly banned users whose accounts

have been reinstated, a list that includes Trump, satire site The Babylon Bee, the comedian Kathy Griffin, Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson and, before he was kicked off again, Ye. Twitter has also reinstated accounts of neo-Nazis white supremacists including Andrew Anglin, the creator of the white supremacist website Daily Stormer—along with QAnon supporters whom Twitter’s old guard had been removing in masses to prevent hate and misinformation from spreading on the platform.

i n a ddition, some high-profile tweeters like r e publican r e p. Marjorie Taylor Greene who were previously banned for spreading misinformation about Covid-19 have resumed posting misleading claims about vaccine safety and sham cures.

Musk, who has spread false claims about Covid-19 himself, returned to the topic with a tweet this week that mocked transgender pronouns while calling for criminal charges against Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert and one of the leaders of the country’s Covid response.

Calling himself a “free-speech absolutist," Musk has said he wants to allow all content that's legally permissible on Twitter but also that he wants to downgrade negative and hateful posts. i n stead of removing toxic content, Musk's call for “freedom of speech, not freedom of reach” suggests Twitter may leave such content up without recommending it or amplifying it to other users.

But after cutting out most of Twitter's policy-making executives and outside advisers, Musk often appears to be the arbiter of what crosses the line. Last month, Musk himself announced that he was booting Ye after the rapper formerly known as Kanye we st posted an image of a swastika merged with a Star of David, a post that was not illegal but deeply offensive. The move led to questions about what rules govern what can and can't be posted on the platform.

Twitter suspends journalists who wrote about owner Elon Musk

By Matt O'brien AP Technology Writer

Twi T T er on Thursday suspended the accounts of journalists who cover the social media platform and its new owner e l on Musk, among them reporters working for The New York Times, wa shington Post, CNN, Voice of America and other publications.

The company hasn’t explained to the journalists why it took down the accounts and made their profiles and past tweets disappear. But Musk took to Twitter on Thursday night to accuse journalists of sharing private information about his whereabouts that he described as “basically assassination coordinates.” He provided no evidence for that claim.

The sudden suspension of news reporters followed Musk’s decision we dnesday to permanently ban an account that automatically tracked the flights of his private jet using publicly available data. That also led Twitter to change its rules for all users to prohibit the sharing of another person’s current location without their consent.

Several of the reporters sus -

pended Thursday night had been writing about the new policy and Musk's rationale for imposing it, which involved his allegations about a stalking incident he said affected his family on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

The official account for Mastodon, a decentralized social network billed as an alternative to Twitter, was also banned. The reason was unclear, though it had tweeted about the jet tracking account.

“Same doxxing rules apply to ‘journalists’ as to everyone else," Musk tweeted Thursday. He later added: “Criticizing me all day long is totally fine, but doxxing my real-time location and endangering my family is not.”

“Doxxing” refers to disclosing online someone’s identity, address, or other personal details.

The wa shington Post’s executive editor, Sally Buzbee, called for technology reporter Drew Harwell’s Twitter account to be reinstated immediately. The suspension “directly undermines e l on Musk’s claim that he intends to run Twitter as a platform dedicated to free speech,” Buzbee wrote. “Harwell was banished without

warning, process or explanation, following the publication of his accurate reporting about Musk.”

CNN said in a statement that “the impulsive and unjustified suspension of a number of reporters, including CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, is concerning but not surprising.”

“Twitter’s increasing instability and volatility should be of incredible concern for everyone who uses Twitter,” CNN's statement added. “ we h ave asked Twitter for an explanation, and we will reevaluate our relationship based on that response.”

Another suspended journalist, Matt Binder of the technology news outlet Mashable, said he was banned Thursday night immediately after sharing a screenshot that O’Sullivan had posted before his own suspension.

The screenshot showed a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department sent earlier Thursday to multiple media outlets, including The Associated Press, about how it was in touch with Musk's representatives about the alleged stalking incident, but that no crime report had yet been filed.

“ i did not share any location

data, as per Twitter’s new terms. Nor did i share any links to e l onJet or other location tracking accounts,” Binder said in an email. “ i h ave been highly critical of Musk but never broke any of Twitter’s listed policies.”

Binder said a message he received while trying to access his Twitter account showed that his suspension was permanent. But Musk later suggested the penalty would last a week in response to a question about his suspension of former e S PN and MSNBC host Keith Olbermann.

Late Thursday, Musk briefly joined a Twitter Spaces conference chat hosted by journalist Kate Notopoulos of Buzzfeed. He reiterated his claims that the journalists Twitter banned were “doxxing" him when they were reporting on the jet tracking accounts being banned.

“There is no special treatment for journalists,” Musk said, after being asked by the Post’s Drew Harwell if he had a connection between the stalking incident and posting of real-time information.

“You dox, you get suspended, end of story,” he added, before abruptly signing out. The Spaces

ended abruptly shortly after 9 p.m. Pacific time.

“Sorry it appears the Space cut out, screen went suddenly blank on my end and everyone got booted,” host Notopoulos tweeted at 9:14 p.m. Pacific.

Another suspended reporter, Steve Herman of Voice of America, said he assumes he was banned “because i was tweeting about other journalists being suspended for tweeting about accounts being booted that had linked to the e lon Jet feed.”

The suspensions come as Musk makes major changes to content moderation on Twitter. He has tried, through the release of selected company documents dubbed as “The Twitter Files,” to claim the platform suppressed right-wing voices under its previous leaders.

He has promised to let free speech reign and has reinstated high-profile accounts that previously broke Twitter's rules against hateful conduct or harmful misinformation, but also has said he would suppress negativity and hate by depriving some accounts of “freedom of reach.”

The nonprofit Committee to

Protect Journalists, which defends journalists around the world, said Thursday night it was concerned about the suspensions.

i f co nfirmed as retaliation for their work, this would be a serious violation of journalists’ right to report the news without fear of reprisal,” the group said.

eu ropean Union Commissioner Vera Jourova, who heads up the 27-nation bloc’s work on values and transparency, also weighed in.

“News about arbitrary suspension of journalists on Twitter is worrying,” she tweeted. e x isting e U m edia rules and new digital regulations taking effect next year require “respect of media freedom and fundamental rights."

Jourova said, “@elonmusk should be aware of that. There are red lines. And sanctions, soon.”

The German government added more criticism. The Foreign Ministry tweeted that it's “got a problem” with not being able to follow the suspended accounts and added that “press freedom must not be switched on and off at will.”

Spokesman Christofer Burger said the ministry opened an account on Mastodon “to ensure we remain reachable."

What you’re seeing in your feed on twitter is changing. But how?

Elon Musk talks during a virtual meeting at the B20 summit ahead of the G20 leaders summit in nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Monday, november 14, 2022. AP/A A ron FAv il A

There’s plenty to be grateful for this year in the world of glitz and elegance. We may not have clinched the top plums in pageantry so far (Misses earth, International at Big Four; Globe, Intercontinental, supranational, Grand International at second-tier), but we did exceedingly well in minor tilts (Misses supermodel Worldwide, CosmoWorld, Global, United Continents) and male competitions (Man hot star).

As the host of Drag Den, Manila Luzon is proving yet again that drag is political. And she reinforces the belief that even if you don’t win the RuPaul’s Drag Race crown (even after three attempts), you’ll be booked for gigs till kingdom come. Even Drag Race Philippines first alternate, Marina summers, got signed up by Tarsier records, and is part of “Tayo and Ligaya ng Isa’t Isa,” the ABs-CBN Christmas ID.

This same abundant blessing goes to “hostess with the mostest” such as Season 9 and 10’s Eureka and season 2 and 3’s shangela (co-hosts of hBO’s We’re Here), season 9’s Peppermint (Call Me Mother), season 11’s Brooke Lynn Hytes (Canada’s Drag Race), season 12’s Nicky Doll (Drag Race France) and Canada 1’s rita Baga (Drag Race Belgique).

In the next months, more beauty queens and drag queens will be part of this galaxy of glamazons. But first, they have to compete and hope that they don’t f*ck it up.

n MISS CONTINENTAL. As the most prestigious female impersonation/drag beauty pageant in the Us, this system has produced winners, such as LGBT legends Chilli Pepper, Mimi Marks, Monica Munro, Lady Catiria, Tajma hall and Candis Cayne. Drag Race contenders Season 1’s Victoria “Porkchop” Parker and season 5’s roxxxy Andrews (descended from Tandi and erica Andrews) were Miss Continental Plus winners.

As season 15 premieres in January, the mainstream will get to know the sensational Sasha Colby. She’s considered the Beyoncé of Los Angeles drag, the Girl to Beat in a field of 16 racers. Offering a fierce fight is the “Moon Goddess,” the Filipina-American Aura Mayari: “I mean, look at this face. I was dubbed as the Walking Facetune in Chicago, which means I don’t need any filter to look like this. I dare you guys to zoom in and see any flaws, bitch. Where?”

sasha won Miss Continental in 2012. she crowned Naysha Lopez (early out in season 8) in 2013, who crowned Brooke Lynn (runner-up in 11) in 2014. Will sasha follow their feat or that of another MC queen, 2019’s Vanessa Van Cartier, who won Drag Race Holland 2?

Meanwhile, another MC winner, Jazell Barbie royale, is rumored to be competing in the second season of Queen of the Universe. Our own Maxie Andreison, a marvelous performer at O Bar, is also rumored to be in contention. Both are stellar lip-sync assassins but more so as live singers, which is what QOTU is all about.

Incidentally, Black Girl Magic reigned in 2019. south Africa’s Zozibini Tunzi was Miss Universe.

Jazell made herstory as the first contestant of African descent to win the biggest competition for transwomen in the world. Which could not be said of... n MISS INTERNATIONAL. In its 60 editions, the Japan-based pageant has never crowned a queen from Africa. Miss Cabo Verde stephany Amado came close, placing second to Miss Germany Jasmin selberg this year. Our elegant hannah Arnold played it timid, demure, dalagang Pilipina. It was no match to the Teutonic diva, who in turn was beaten by our own Maureen Montagne at The Miss Globe in 2021.

still, there’s a Pinoy Magic Touch in Jasmin’s triumph. She wore a pink gown by Benj Leguiab IV as she was crowned. she was also trained by Nhes de la Cruz, a Filipino trainer who is said to be tirelessly

honing queens in Germany over the years. Jasmin is a beautiful, Barbie-esque blonde who was born in estonia. The reigning Miss World, Karolina Bielawska from Poland, is also a stunning blonde who resembles the movie Barbie, Margot robbie.

As Europeans seem to be staging a comeback at pageantry, will a blonde also win as the next.... n MISS UNIVERSE. The last time a blonde was crowned was in 2004, when Jennifer Hawkins of Australia won over another blonde, UsA’s shandi Finnessey. Before Jennifer was Angela Visser of the Netherlands, who won way back in 1989. The 2022 edition will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 14, 2023. Our own Celeste Cortesi, who represented Pasay, is now on her way to the US. She should look out for the blonde delegates from Colombia, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Latvia, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland and Bulgaria. But what our half-Italian bet should be more wary of is the half-Pinay American contender, R’Bonney

A wellness sanctuary that offers healing of body and soul: Part 1

BeFOre going to The Farm at san Benito, I had to complete a form which asked what my reason for going was. I ticked the box that said “stress management.” By my second day at the holistic health and wellness sanctuary, I was so relaxed that my blood pressure was at 110/70 from my usual 110/80 or 110/90.

But that’s getting ahead of the story. We traveled for a little over two hours from Fairview in Quezon City to The Farm at san Benito. When we got there, we had to take an Antigen test. I also went through an overall health assessment.

We had lunch at Alive! where we were pleasantly surprised at how tasty the food was considering that this was a vegan restaurant. But then, Alive! has received a number of international awards in recognition of its exemplary cuisine.

The food preparation and cooking methods at Alive! make sure that the food retains the optimum amount of enzymes and nutrients needed by the body. For instance, fresh fruits and vegetables are prepared raw or blanched so there’s still a lot of crunch there. The restaurant’s food preparations include dehydration and fermentation. These methods enhance proper digestion, absorption, and nutrient utilization.

For lunch, we were treated to a five-course meal that included Buffalo cauliflower wings, fresh spring rolls, and Pad Thai. For dessert, we had pecan

chocolate pie. Everything was delicious and filling.

After checking in at one of the Garden Villas, we explored our surroundings. Our villa was near the spa, the playground, and the 300-year-old mango tree where peacocks congregated in the evening. This tree is believed to be an energy vortex that brings positive energy and good health.

After resting for a bit, it was time for my first treatment, which was the Purification Treatment designed to improve the metabolism and repair cell damage. You lie face down on massage bed and then your whole body is massaged with a wonderful mixture of warm coconut oil and salt for 90 whole minutes. After the therapist is done with your body, she tackles your face and scalp. This may be TMI but before I came to The Farm, I had some scalp irritation but I swear it’s now gone, thanks to that invigorating

scalp massage. The scent of the coconut oil was very comforting and brought back memories of my childhood.

After the treatment, the therapist told me to take a shower using soap or shampoo, and let me tell you that advice was worth following. My skin was so silky even the following day.

I truly enjoyed the massage but really the benefits of taking three days off were precious. There really is something magical about The Farm—from the peacocks and peafowls to the small ponds around the property, all helped to heal body and soul.

I have always wondered why people referred to wellness retreats as healing. I thought it was boring to go on such retreats. Well, I was wrong. I wish I had gone sooner. The Farm at san Benito encompasses over 50 hectares of lush greenery. When you look out the window of your villa, all you see is green and, if you’re lucky, a peacock or peafowl jumping over the fence. Our villa had an outdoor shower and tub and as someone who grew up in the province, it was really like going back to my childhood.

For the first time in over two years, I got to go around maskless.

The Farm at san Benito uses a multi-modal approach against Covid-19. It has onsite Covid-19 testing for guests. employees at The Farm are also required to undergo swab testing every week. All facilities at The Farm are sanitized by Sanivir Smoke,

Gabriel. The momentum seems to be on the Texan’s side since her controversial win at Miss UsA A few weeks back, she shared a video of her trip to Italy that gave more than a glimpse of the “Celestial Beauty”:

“I hope you guys got the chance to know me a bit better. I always talk so much about the importance of showing your vulnerability, the importance of being real and authentic. And I’m not going to lie, sometimes I am scared, too. scared to be judged, scared to not be entirely understood. here I share my story, the place where I grew up for most of my life, and while you already know the reason why I came back to the Philippines, now you’ll also know why I grew up in Italy. here I share my family, my friends, my heart.

every day I still read so many comments questioning and doubting my Filipino heritage. It is unfortunate and sad but I hope that by watching this video you’ll get all the answers. Proud to be a Filipina, proud to represent the Philippines with all my heart, and proud of my Italian heritage too.”

“Don’t ever be afraid to show who you are, to share your story with all the struggles and challenges in between. You have no idea the power you can hold by being your true and authentic self, and how many people you can positively impact around you.” n

Community Fair Trade must-haves perfect for pampering. even comes in a handwoven, reusable paper basket crafted by Community Fair Trade partners in Nepal. it’s a gift you can feel really good about giving.

GIFTS OF WONDER

FrOM vegan beauty treats to blissful body care, stockingsized surprises to more indulgent premium gifts, The Body Shop has gifts to delight everyone on the holiday shopping list—and every budget. And the gifts don’t just spread wonder to those who receive them, but those who helped make them, too.

This Christmas, The Body Shop is wishing for a fairer future for all. That’s why every one of its gifts is enriched with ingredients and/or packaging from its Community Fair Trade partners. Community Fair Trade is The Body Shop’s bespoke program that helps its small-hold producers gain market access and invest in social and environmental projects that benefit their communities. So each time you buy a present, you’ll be supporting communities around the world.

it doesn’t stop at Community Fair Trade partners either. This year, with every purchase you make at The Body Shop, customers also supports the yellow Boat of Hope Foundation for its third year and this time the goal is to build starter classrooms for the children of Salat High School, Cotabato.

These holiday offerings are available at The Body Shop stores and on its online store www.thebodyshop.com.ph.

which is proven by international laboratories to effectively eliminate all types of viruses, including the coronavirus, on surfaces and in the air. The Farm is also the first in the country to use BetterAir solution that disperses environmental probiotics in all its enclosed spaces to create a clean, pathogenand allergen-free healthy indoor environment. The Farm was certified by the Healing Hotels of the World with a Healing Certificate and safety seal from the Philippine Department of Tourism and World Tourism Council.

It’s no wonder that celebrities like Daniel Padilla, Kathryn Bernardo, Sofia Andres, Sarah Lahbati, Sofia Andres, Nadine Lustre, Gabbi Garcia, Khalil ramos, and many others stayed at The Farm during the pandemic.

earlier in the year, The Farm unveiled an expansion in the property’s development.

Chemist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist

Pinky Tobiano  is the first homeowner at The Farm’s Mahogany Luxury residences. This is an elegant villa that can accommodate seven persons. The 281-sqm villa has a two-bedroom suite with a spacious living area and dining area.

The villa is built amid a natural forest grove hemmed by verdant foliage and overlooking the majestic ridges of Mount Malarayat.

Next week, we continue on our journey of healing in The Farm....

Jamaica’s Toni-Ann singh was Miss World. Cheslie Kryst was Miss UsA. Kaleigh Garris was Miss Teen USA. Nia Franklin was Miss America. As the American rep, Jazell won Miss International Queen in Thailand, also in 2019.

AurA MAyAri vs Sasha Colby; Celeste Cortesi vs r’Bonney Gabriel; Maxie Andreison vs Jazell Barbie royale PHOTOS: @CODYSTALLINGSPHOTO, @SASHACOLBY, @GP10, @GRANTFOTO, @MAXIEANDREISON, @THEDRAGPHOTOGRAPHER

The media person’s Christmas wish list

THEY a re the ones who write or broadcast the news, but are rarely on the news themselves.

As one of my journalism mentors once reminded me: “You are not the story.” For today though, I’d like to shine the spotlight on some of our media friends, and make them part of the “news,” for a change.

PR Matters

By Abigail Ho-Torres

I asked some of my former colleagues in journalism about their Christmas wishes. The twist: these wishes should be geared toward public relations practitioners like ourselves. Some of their wishes stemmed from new developments, like the effects of the pandemic and the rise of digital communication. However, what surprised me was that many of their wishes were things I would have also asked for when I was still in media more than 10 years ago. This just proves we still have a lot to learn.

what’s in a name?

P H ILIPPINE D aily Inquirer Business Editor Tina Arceo-Dumlao said one of her pet peeves is when PR people get the journalist’s name and publication wrong or mixed up: “Nothing worse than receiving an email not meant for you, but for a competing publication.”

The least a PR person can do is know a journalist’s correct name —do not address them as just “media,” especially when you are pitching a story, said Newsbytes Founder and Executive Editor Melvin Calimag.

The name-related wish of Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat, Assistant Business Editor of the Manila Bulletin, is a bit unique. She related: “Because of my nickname, some PRs, especially the younger generation, mistake me for a boy.” She wished for PR people to know how to address her—and that is as a “she”—before sending her any form of communication. Her real name is Bernadette, by the way. These all seem basic, but the mere fact that name-related wishes were mentioned by mul -

show gratitude to the fans who have supported their music journey since day one.

tiple journalists show that some PR practitioners seem to take the importance of a media person’s name for granted. Get this right every single time, please.

are we there yet?

A N OTHER popular response has to do with follow-ups on story pitches.

“Don’t call to check whether or not a story came out,” said Prinz Magtulis, a journalist at the Reuters News Agency in New York City.

Tina added: “Don’t ask when the article will be published every single day.”

This was something I did not like as well when I was still a reporter. Media people do not work for your agency or company. They are under no obligation to write a story about your event or pitch if they do not find it newsworthy. If the story sees the light of day, then thank the heavens and celebrate. If not, assess what could make the pitch better for next time.

Do not make journalists monitor your stories for you, too. There are media monitoring agencies out there. Tap them.

mind the time T I MINGS o f events, calls, and

story pitches are also important. “May they learn not to call during deadline time,” Tita Bernie said.

Malaya Business Insight Associate Editor Irma Isip-Agoncillo also wished PR people would not hold events “at 1, 2, 3 p.m., when newspapers are busy beating their deadlines.”

She added that she would really appreciate hybrid events “for flexibility, especially for some of us who double as reporters and editors.”

As much as you possibly can, find out the deadlines of the various media entities you are pitching to. Your stories have a better chance of being picked up if you call or hold events at the right time.

Be relevant W H EN p lanning events or coming up with story angles, make sure that you know what would click with reporters and editors. Media people and PR practitioners do need each other to do their jobs after all.

“PR folks can send as many stories anytime, as long as they are relevant to the local market,” Melvin said.

In terms of the packaging, Tita Bernie wished “PRs would

don’t complicate things

W H EN sending press releases, Manila Standard News Editor

Joyce Pañares wished PR people would not convert these to PDF format, which cannot be easily edited. Do not make your media partners manually encode the contents of your PDF file or use a PDF-to-Word converter. A Word file is preferred.

Those who send Word files should also know better than to still do fancy layouts of their stories. And please do not embed photos in document files, as this drastically reduces their resolution, she added.

For those sending perishable gifts, make sure that the packaging does not hide the fact that the thing inside is perishable. “And please inform the intended receiver. We don’t want food to spoil. If we are not in the office to consume it, we can at least give it to our staff,” she said.

When it comes to giving stories, Prinz wished for there to be “no favoritism with reporters.” This will make life simpler, easier, and more peaceful between PR and

media people.

-

For seasoned practitioners, this can serve as a refresher or a reminder. For the young blood, do take these wishes (advice) to heart. They may save you a lot of heartache someday.

And because it is almost Christmas, BusinessMirror Associate Editor Jennifer Ng has this one wish for PR practitioners: “I wish them good health so that they can accomplish more and be with their families longer.”

Have a joyful, peaceful, and meaningful Christmas season!

P R Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier organization for PR professionals around the world. Abigail L. Ho-Torres is AVP and Head of Customer Experience of Maynilad Water Services, Inc. She spent more than a decade as a business journalist before making the leap to the corporate world.

We are devoting a special column each month to answer our readers’ questions about public relations.  Please send your questions or comments to askipraphil@gmail.com.

this show.”

n Ben&Ben wraps up 2022 with h o mecoming co ncert happening this weekend

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—2022 has been a massive year for Filipino folk pop/pop rock band Ben&Ben. After headlining a successful North American tour and securing the #1 spot on Spotify Wrapped’s most streamed local group in the Philippines list for the third year in a row, the ninepiece act was recently announced as a performer at the Clockenflap: Hong Kong’s Music & Arts Festival, solid proof of their growing popularity overseas.

To celebrate a year of recordbreaking achievements and monumental milestones, the multi-awarded band is ready to make headlines once again with their Homecoming Concert, happening on December 18, 2022 (Sunday) at the SMDC Festival Grounds.

Marking their return to Manila with their biggest concert yet, Ben&Ben promises to

“To match that sense of gratitude, we wanted to mount our largest show yet, with our longest set, most ambitious performance ideas, and simply the best of what we’ve made through the years,” the charttopping Filipino group shared. “We are most excited about bringing this show, finally, to our Liwanag, because it had definitely been a long journey with a lot of hard work to get here.”

Concept-wise, Ben&Ben’s Homecoming Concert 2022 is centered around the feeling of home: as a place, idea, or person of comfort, or as a reassuring gesture of security and intimacy. As the Paninindigan Kita hitmakers put it, the outdoor music show is also about coming home to each other and being home to each other.

“We’ve always likened how each piece of music we make is a little gift that our listeners have allowed into their lives, and how they have likewise felt the comfort of home through our songs, so it’s in that give and take and sharing of the feeling of home that we ultimately want to highlight for

In terms of the set list, the acclaimed band takes pride in finding a perfect balance of impact, energy, emotion, and storytelling. “To do this, we imagined ourselves as audience members and tried to approximate what might feel best after a certain song or what might be the most sensible in terms of managing energy for both them and us throughout the lengthy set,” said Ben&Ben. “We feel the set we eventually came up with is the perfect rollercoaster— one that keeps you hooked and engaged the whole time without lingering too long on the highs or the lows.”

The Homecoming Concert will also feature guest performances from artists who shared their incomparable talent to make their sophomore album, Pebble House. Vol.1 an incredible piece of music history: from Filipina neo-soul artist KZ Tandingan to young alt-rock visionaries Zild and Juan Karlos.

Tickets to Ben&Ben Homecoming Concert 2022 can be purchased via ovationtickets. com and ticketnet.com.ph. This event is presented by Ovation Productions, Ben&Ben Music Productions, Sony Music Philippines, and Tap Go; brought to

you by SMART Telecommunications Inc., and Angkas, in cooperation with Pru Life UK.

Listen to Ben&Ben’s latest single “Dear” along with their greatest hits in the official Ben&Ben: The Complete Collection playlist on Spotify.

n m c d o nald’s ph ilippines wins B i g at the panata awards 2022

MANILA, PHILIPPINES— Brands that have truly championed the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA)’s value of responsible brand building emerged victorious at the PANAta Awards 2022 recognition night.

The event was streamed via the PANA Facebook page and official YouTube channel. Hosted by Cignal TV’s news anchor Julius Babao, with special performances from Kapuso star Ruru Madrid and next-gen P-pop star Ver5us, the event brought together the marketing and brand-building industry as it progresses to new beginnings.

McDonald’s Philippines’ campaign “Classroom,” conceptualized by creative agency Leo Burnett Manila, once again bagged the most coveted Grand PANAta Brand

of the Year award, dominating the category as the most game-changing and innovative brand-building effort that showed outstanding results, twice in a row. This campaign was also cited as the most effective for Corporate Sustainability and Social Responsibility (CSSR) while its “Ride Thru Light Show” campaign also won gold for Customer Experience. A bronze medal for Brand Effectiveness through Business Growth – Large Enterprise was given for its campaign “M Safe: AHEAD.”

Other gold medalists this year include Unilever’s “Knorr Their Future”, awarded for the most effective use of marketing communication channels (for single medium), and Avon Philippines’ “#ComeAsYouAre with First Gender-Free Underwear” for product innovation.

Silver medalists include Save the Children Philippines’ “QR for Hunger” for effectiveness in CSSR, Pepsico for “Pepsi Blackpink” for effectiveness through customer experience, and Unilever Philippines’ “Knorr’s Nutri-Delicious Purpose” for effective use of Integrated marketing communication channels.

Bronze awardees are Ayala

Land, Inc.’s “Alagang Ayala Land Social Enterprises digital marketing campaign” for effectiveness in CSSR, Sting Philippines/Pepsico’s “Sting—Energy Sarap na Humahataw” for effectiveness in creative content innovation, and from the same company “Pepsi Blockbuster” for effectiveness through product shoot innovation.

Way ahead of the awards night, PANA followers have also voted for the People’s Choice award which was won by Nutri-Asia’s “Silver Swan Dobleng Dishkarte.”

The Innovative Execution through Mobile award was won by Universal Robina Corporation’s ”Piattos Fun Way Gamification.”

Michael Sena, Raymond Hernandez, and Richard Villaseran of P.J. Lhuillier, Inc. were awarded the Brand Team of the Year. This is the first time that PANAta Awards has given recognition to the brand team who has been commended by their industry partners i.e. media, suppliers, and agency for their strategic partnership with clarity and consistency in vision and leadership.

PANAta Awards 2023 will be held in the second quarter of 2023.

not send so-hard-sell articles that sound like a pure advertis

ing campaign.”

Bernadette

Zamboanga lifters dominate in Vigan

VIGAN City, Ilocos Sur—Olympic and world champion Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo hovered in the hearts and minds of a bunch of weightlifters from Zamboanga City and a young rider from Caloocan City showed a strong semblance of following her elder siblings’ tracks in the Batang Pinoy National Championships on Sunday.

Adrian Bucol and Cydrelle Jay Andalahao sparked Zamboanga City’s gold medal rush in weightlifting at the Caoayan Gym while Maritanya Krog, youngest sister of national cyclists Luis “Nognog” and Mathilda, led winners in criterium in a circuit starting and finishing at the Ilocos Sur Provincial Capitol.

Bucol topped the snatch with 31 kgs, clean and jerk with 45 kgs for a 76-kg total to bag gold in the boys’ 12-under 32-kg category, with John Ember Colonia of Zamboanga del Sur clinching silver with 28 kgs in snatch, 38 kgs in clean and jerk and 66 kgs total.

Tristan Aranzado of Bohol settled for bronze with 21 kgs in snatch, 33 kgs in clean and jerk and 54 kgs total lift.

Andalahao, 10, claimed the gold in the boys’ 37-kg 12-under class with 32 kgs in snatch, 43 kgs in clean and jerk and 75 kgs total. Jacobo Amor of Quezon City bagged silver (26-35-61) and Lorven Karaan clinched bronze (24-23-47).

“I came here to win the gold, I’m stronger than anybody and I want to win always,” the 11-year-old Bucol—one of 19 Zamboanga City weightlifters under trainers-coaches Allen Diaz, Gregorio Colonia and Arvin Delos Santos—told BUSINESSMIRROR. “I really like to follow the footsteps of Hidilyn Diaz,” said Andalahao, who looks up to the Olympic and world champion from Barangay Mampang in Zamboanga City. “I want to be an Olympian, too.”

Sharing the spotlight was Krog, who captured the 13-under gold in girls’ criterium with Iloilo’s Maria Louise Alejado finishing second and Calapan’s Jhanah Abella third in the event raced over a 1.20-km circuit.

Emmanuel Arago of Batangas City, Jacqueline Joy de Guzman of Quezon City and Chris Andreu Ferrer of Cebu City also struck gold in criterium—Arago in boys 13-under, de Guzman in girls 14-15 and Ferrer in boys’ 14-15.

Dashiel John Carmona of General Santos City and DJ Perez finished second behind Arago; Davine Novo of Tuguegarao and Mica Angela Montaos joined de Guzman in the podium.

Brendz Agyn Celerian of Iloilo City clinched silver and Mark Dave Pipo bagged the bronze for host Ilocos Sur in

BRONZE SHINES LIKE GOLD FOR CROATIA

AL RAYYAN, Qatar—Luka Modric high-fived and embraced his Croatia teammates after what was likely the midfield great’s last appearance at the World Cup.

Some of the Morocco players sank to their knees in dismay, while others went in search of the referee to complain.

So much for this being a meaningless game.

Croatia ended up taking third place at the World Cup after a 2-1 win over Morocco at Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday.

“It is as if we have won the gold,” said Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić, whose team lost in the final four years ago.

To some, the third-place match is considered to be little more than an exhibition between two losing semifinalists. The day before the match, Morocco coach Walid Regragui described it as a “booby prize.”

However, as the final whistle blew on Morocco’s historic run at the World Cup, the disappointment was clear to see.

So, too, was the delight on Croatian faces.

Modric, at the age of 37 and a serial winner of soccer’s biggest prizes with Real Madrid, could not keep the smile from his face as he went up to collect his bronze medal.

“This medal is very important for us, for me, for my country, for Croatia as a national team,” Modric said. “We confirm with this medal that Croatia is playing an important role in world of football. We are leaving Qatar as winners.”

The World Cup final between defending champion France and Argentina is scheduled for Sunday at Lusail Stadium.

Mislav Orsic scored the decisive goal for Croatia shortly before halftime to ensure Modric finished on a winning note, if this does indeed turn out to be his last World Cup match.

“Now it is step by step by step and continue until least the Nations League and after we will see,” Modric said.

Defender Josko Gvardiol put Croatia ahead in the seventh minute with a diving header, but Achraf Dari evened the score in the ninth.

It is the second time Croatia has taken third place at the World Cup. The team also achieved that feat in its first appearance at the tournament as an independent nation in 1998.

“These are the moments we live for, we work for, we train for,” Dalić said. “That’s the most emotional moment of the World Cup for us, tonight’s match and the win.”

After becoming the first African team to reach the World

Cup semifinals, Morocco’s tournament ended in two losses. But the team’s achievements in Qatar will be remembered for the outpouring of pride among Arab nations.

“Of course we are disappointed, but when we wake up tomorrow we will realize how much we have achieved,” Regragui said. “We had 0.01 percent of winning this World Cup at the outset and we managed to get through to the last four. We played against some of the footballing powerhouses of the world.

“We are now one of the top four teams in the world and if you had told me that before the World Cup and that Morocco would be No. 4 in the world, would have accepted that straight away.”

Morocco’s run to the semifinals was the unlikeliest story of the tournament, topping a group that contained Croatia and second-ranked Belgium. The team then beat Spain and Portugal in the knockout stages.

“For me, football makes people dream and children in particular,” Regragui said. “In Morocco and Africa, we have kept those dreams alive. It means more than a victory at the World Cup.” AP

WHO WILL BE IT BE IN GAME 3?

IT’S all even between reigning champion University of the Philippines (UP) and Ateneo in the Finals series for the Season 85 University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball crown.

And the numbers show neither the Fighting Maroons nor the Blue Eagles have a clear edge to win the crown in Game 3 scheduled at 6 p.m. on Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

An Ateneo side composed of Thirdy Ravena, Nieto twins Matt and Mike and Isaac Go beat its neighbor from across Katipunan in the 2018 Finals. That was the Blue Eagles’ second title in their “three-peat” run.

in 26 years that was made possible by a JD Cagulangan triple. This season, they’re not only 1-1 in the Finals, but also in the eliminations—UP beat Ateneo in the first round, 76-71, last October 16 but Ateneo got back with a 75-67 victory in the second round last November 26. Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin said both sides are under tremendous pressure but at the same time stressed “it’s not about getting vengeance for the blue side nor retaining the crown for the Maroons.”

Bata siblings excel

Earlier this year, it was the Fighting Maroons’ turn to win the crown at the expense of the Blue Eagles, putting them 1-1 in the Finals in the league. That championship was UP’s first

Jilian, 14, ruled the girls 13-14 class’s 50m (34.93) and 100m backstroke (1:19.61) and 50m (34.44) and 100m butterfly (1:21.39) and was second in the 200m individual medley (3:03.75),  100m breaststroke (1:44.20) and 50m freestyle (31.61) to top her age bracket with an 68 points.

His younger brother JB Matthew excelled in the boys 11-12 division’s 100m (1:19.67) and 50m backstroke (36.07) and 50m butterfly (35.30) and clinched silver in the 200m IM (2:58.76), 200m fly (1:29.43), 100m breast (1:31.48) and 50m free (31.60) for a total 66 points at the culmination of FINIS’s 2022 program and activities.

Their mom, dentist Maricel Bata, was ecstatic of her kids who she said dream of swimming in the Olympics someday but felt bitter about what she learned from the ongoing Batang Pinoy National Finals in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur.

THE very first FIFA World Cup that I saw on television and followed keenly was the 1978 Mexico World Cup where Argentina with the great Mario Kempes emerged triumphant. At that time, not many games were shown on local television, so I along with those who love the “Beautiful

“I don’t think last season has anything to do with this season at all,” said Baldwin, a former head coach of New Zealand’s Tall Blacks and Gilas Pilipinas. “I’ve already said even though UP team looks almost exactly the same as the UP team from last year, it’s a different team—they do different things and I never liked the concept of defending champion.”

Game” were reliant on what was reported in the newspaper and on television for the highlights that were shown at 7 p.m. For the longest time, kept the Time magazine with Kempes on the cover.

A year earlier, Brazilian great Pele’s final match was televised—whether it was live or delayed I cannot remember—where he played one half for the New York Cosmos and the second half for his Brazilian club Santos.

Pele scored for the Cosmos in the first half. When he switched jerseys, his New York substitute, Ramon Mifflin, knocked in the winning goal, 2-1. But Pele’s spectacular goal off a free kick is what millions along with myself remember.

As I recall it, more than 75,000 fans packed Giants Stadium in New Jersey to watch the match live and there were millions more watching on television. The next year, the Mexico World Cup was shown on local television (although select matches). As an elementary school student, I could not stay up late or get up even earlier to watch matches so I caught the replays that were shown at more favorable time slots.

Since then, I followed football religiously, switching allegiances from the New York Cosmos to Liverpool Football Club and then watching as many leagues and matches as I

Baldwin said: “We don’t think that we are cursed by last season, and we don’t think UP deserves to be champions this season because they were champions last season. They got to earn it, they know that.”

“We have to earn it, we know that. Let it be Season 85, not 84, this stands on its own and I think it’s going to be a wild game on Monday. It should be fun,” he added.

UP coach Goldwin Monteverde, on the other hand, hopes his team rallies around their injured comrade Zavier Lucero, the hero in their Game 1 who’s been ruled out of Game 3 after tearing his ACL and meniscus in the fourth quarter Wednesday.

Walang bibitaw [never give up],” stressed Monteverde of the team’s mantra. “Whatever comes our way, we’ll face it fighting.”

could. And since then, I have watched football across Asia, Europe and North America.

In doing so, I have also made many friends from abroad. I have interviewed many famous footballers from David Beckham, Fabio Cannavaro, Steven Gerrard, Hugo Lloris, Michael Owen and Landon Donovan to name a few. And coaches like Arsene Wenger, Jurgen Klopp, Bruce Arena and David Moyes.

Older and with more purchasing power, I could stay up late, go to the pubs to watch with other fans and buy football kits here and abroad.

However, the dream for me is to watch a World Cup match or two live. And am seriously considering watching when the next edition rolls around in 2026 in North America.

I read about Abdullah Al Salmi trek 1,600 kilometers from his native Saudi Arabia to Qatar on foot across the desert.

It took him 55 days to do so but he received help through food and water from people along the way. And when he arrived in Qatar, many Qataris and football fans greeted and welcomed him.

What an inspiration. How many people would walk across the desert in that inhospitable heat?

My good friend Rely San Agustin was able to watch three

THE world governing body for swimming has withdrawn its recognition of the Philippine Swimming Inc. (PSI) in its entirety just 12 days after the international federation (IF) formerly known as FINA scrapped from its list the members of the PSI’s board of trustees and officers, including its president.

“The recognition of Philippine Swimming Inc. is now deemed withdrawn and the stabilization committee will act as a reform and electoral committee in its place,” the FINA said in a memo dated December 15 and addressed to PSI president Maria Lailani “Lani” Velasco.

Now known by a new brand name World Aquatics, the swimming IF decided on dropping PSI from its roster of national federations during its meeting on December 12 after having been informed by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) on the creation of a stabilization committee that would run the association’s day-to-day operations on top of amending its by-laws and conducting new elections.

As a result of the second memo, POC president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said the stabilization committee has an added responsibility of working toward a new corporate name or identity of the national sports association (NSA) for swimming and no longer the PSI.

“The stabilization committee will have—as a more onerous task—to recommend an entirely new NSA for swimming,” said Tolentino, who’s also the president of the national federation for cycling called PhilCycling. “The committee has six months to do that and make the communications with the FINA.”

The latest FINA directive followed the same path taken by the International Volleyball Federation or FIVB and the World Karate Federation or WKF on the NSAs for both sports.

The Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF) was scrapped in favor of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Inc. and the Philippine Karatedo Federation for Karate Pilipinas.

The FINA, in a letter dated December 3, withdrew its recognition of officers and board members of the PSI after deciding that the NSA failed to comply with the IF’s instruction on amending its by-laws and hold elections under its new charter. And just like in the December 3 memo, the POC and Philippine Sports Commission chairman Emmanuel “Noli” Eala were sent copies of the December 12 decision.

The POC assigned three members of the stabilization committee—POC legal head Atty. Wharton Chan and deputy secretary general Valeriano “Bones” Floro and Bases Conversion and Development Authority senior vice president Arrey Perez.

The latest IF memo was also signed by FINA executive director Brent Nowicki and also stressed that the decision is effective immediately.

Barquin pulls rug from under Anasta

UNRANKED Rodolfo Barquin provided the sparks in an otherwise cruising day for the top guns with a 2-6, 7-6 (5), 10-3 upset of third seed Vicente Anasta that netted him a trip to the quarterfinal round of the Naga Open National Tennis Championships at the City of Naga tennis courts in Cebu Friday.

Top seed Johnny Arcilla and No. 2 Jose Maria Pague stayed on collision course with a pair of straight-set victories, so did fourth-ranked Eric Jed Olivarez and No. 5 Charles Kinaadman.

But it was Barquin who produced the worthiest win, recovering from a lopsided setback in the opening set with a squeaker in the next before pulling through in the Group A tournament presented by Dunlop.

But Arcilla’s partner in the doubles’ title romp at the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) open in San Carlos City last month will need a lot of toughening up as Barquin, who held off Jelic Amazona, 6-4, 6-4, in the first round, faces Kinaadman for a spot in the semifinals of the event serving as part of the Dagitab Festival celebrations.

Kinaadman, winner of the Gov. Jubahib Cup Open in Davao del Norte last September, overpowered Ryle Singson, 6-1, 6-2, and Kristian Tesorio, 6-2, 6-0, as he braces for a semis face-off with Arcilla in the upper half of the 32-player draw in the tournament put up by Palawan Pawnshop president and CEO Bobby Castro.

matches this World Cup (England, Argentina and Portugal) and I was very happy for him to achieve a long-time dream.

This Qatar World Cup, I have watched almost every single match on World Cup TV via TapGo TV with its excellent features and coverage. Yes, I did stay up and have also paid the price by being a bit lethargic and sleepy the next day at work. But as it is said, this happens only every four years.

I think this World Cup has recovered from the embarrassing scenes when the host nation lost to Ecuador, 2-nil, in the competition opener when there were many empty seats after the first half. Of course, that is due to the highly competitive matches and upsets that have characterized this World Cup.

By the time this column sees print, either France or Argentina will have been crowned as champions. Even now, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has thrown it out there that Qatar could arguably be the best World Cup. Just when I thought that 2018 in Russia was awesome, well, Qatar—issues aside—has surpassed them.

There will be a lot of talk and debate over the next few weeks. But ultimately, all that can only be settled four years from now.

Oh, I can’t wait.

A long-time World Cup fan

CROATIA’S players celebrate with their medals after their third-place playoff with Morocco.

CALOOCAN City’s Maritanya Krog shows the form of a future national rider.

IBLINGS Jilian Celestine and JB Matthew Bata of Megakraken Swim Team from Iloilo City dominated their respective age groups to emerge as the Most Outstanding Swimmers (MOS) at the close of FINIS Long Course National Championships on Sunday at the New Clark City Aquatics Center in Capas, Tarlac.

JB MATTHEW BATA shines with pride.

World aquatics body withdraws recognition of PSI as country’s NSA for swimming

ExecutiveViews

By Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

HE had always wanted to travel so right out of college at the age of 19, Alex Aquino got his first job as a flight attendant.

After a while, Aquino realized that he could not make a career out of being a flight attendant because it was such a tiring job and he was always at the beck and call of the airline.

It is not for the weak at heart because you don’t have any control over your schedule. You cannot spend the holidays with your family. If your duty calls, you have to be at the airport and take your flight,” Aquino said.

He did learn a very valuable lesson during his stint as a flight attendant and that is the importance of punctuality.

I have not been late up to now. If I am going to be late, I will tell you two hours beforehand that I will be late. I also learned to feel good and to dress up properly, things that I have imbibed up to now,” he related.

Customer service

When he was looking for another job, his mother, who had been a financial comptroller at a hotel for 45 years, suggested that he try working in a hotel since he is into customer service. The rest, as they say, is history.

Aquino started his career as a hotelier in 2012, specifically as part of the pre-opening team, at F1 Hotel Manila. After that he became part of the pre-opening team of Solaire Resort and then was followed by Crimson Hotel.

After Crimson I moved to The Bellevue Hotels and Resorts where I handled the entire group – Bohol, Manila, B Hotel Quezon City, B Hotel Alabang. After I opened B Hotel Quezon City, I moved to New World Manila Bay Hotel and then Jpark Island Resorts & Waterpark in Mactan, Cebu where I did the groundbreaking for the Bohol Property and the extension of Cebu. So that is my 6th preopening,” he related.

His 7th pre-opening is with Swissotel Clark where he is currently the Assistant Director for Marketing. Because he was always tapped to preopening new hotels, Aquino gained the moniker “Prince of Hotel Openings.”

Beacon of vitality

For now, Aquino is enjoying his job at Swissotel which he describes as “the beacon of vitality.”

We really promote peace of mind and serve organic food. It is something that you won’t really expect in a five-star hotel. A five-star hotel is all about luxury and extravagance, Here, no. We are young, fresh, relaxed. We want people to be at ease. So that is one thing that makes Swissotel so unique among the other hotels in the Philippines,” he related Swissotel, Aquino added, has an eye for details and craftsmanship. The brand is also the number one brand in terms of hospitality.

According to Aquino, he did not expect that he would be working in Pampanga after his stint in Cebu. When the opportunity came for him to work with Swissotel, Aquino said he looked into brand, into the mother company and decided he would give it a go.

SWISSOTEL’S ALEX AQUINO

THE PRINCE OF HOTEL OPENINGS

“Other things that I considered is whether I would have a life there and will it be conducive. If there is a mall, a nearby beach. I am very holistic. I want to have a little bit of city life and rural life,” he said, adding that he is a risk taker and that he is not afraid to make mistakes.

He is used to living away from his family as he lived in Cebu for five years. He just made sure that there was a mall, beach and mountains nearby so that he would have the opportunity to disconnect when he needed an opportunity to get away from it all.

I always have a disconnecting time to connect with myself. You know if you have a dilemma at work and you feel burned out. That is how I maintain my sanity. I have to disconnect and be in a place where there is no one except me and I would there. When I come back, I am okay already,” Aquino related.

Work ethic

His work ethic dates back to his childhood days in Paranaque. He and his extended family lived in a compound near the coastal area of Paranaque. His grandfather was a fisherman and his grandmother was a fish vendor.

“Whatever my lolo gets, my lola will sell

in the market. We did not really have to sell the fish but we had to help prepare lola’s stall. I was in charge of cleaning while my mom would be in charge of sorting out the fish. Once that was all ready, my lola would sell the fish and then I would go to school complete with my allowance for the day. That is how I appreciated the value of money and hard work because that is really manual labor,” he said, adding that he knows how to debone bangus.

When he graduated from college, Aquino felt that “the world owned” him and that he could be in any place as long as there is an opportunity. He related an incident when his mother saw him packing his things and ready to move to Cebu to work for JPark.

My mom asked me where was going. I told her I was moving to Cebu in a week and that she would not see me at the house anymore. She was shocked and I went off to Cebu,” he said.

Virtus Award

The highlight of Aquino’s career so far was when he was named the 2021 awardee of the 7th Virtus Awards for Outstanding Hotel Sales and Marketing Manager given by the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association International Inc. At that time, he was Jpark Island Resort & Waterpark Mactan, Cebu’s Head of Marketing and Communication.

He tried out for the same award in 2020 and while he prepared well for it, he did not get the award. When he tried again the following year, he left it all up to chance.

I told my staff back then that if the award is for me, it is for me. If it is not for me, then it is not. Then I won. I won when I least expected it. It is God’s validation of what we do. For all the hard work that we do, appreciation is the best reciprocation of the things that you do. That award is for me and that is God’s validation of my work,” he said.

For now, Aquino is keeping himself busy by championing Swissotel’s sustainability efforts. These efforts include decreasing food wastage, using bio degradable containers and straws.

Swissotel will be the first hotel in North Luzon to use wooden keycards. We are slowly moving away from plastic key cards. We have solar panels on our roof top, our pool is heated and we recycle our water,” he said.

Boutique resort

As for his future plans, Aquino said he wanted to have his own small boutique resort, “a selfsustaining farm and beach resort so that whatever the farm produces can be brought to the resort.”

“I do not have a location yet but I am eyeing it to be near the mountains because I always say that wherever we come from, we will always return. So from nature we came, to nature we will go back,” he said.

Aquino added that if there is an opportunity to work abroad, he would seriously consider it.

I would like to take up the challenge to work abroad. I already work remotely, far from my family and there is a voice within me that says that should try working with a different culture, a culture that is not Filipino. I think Filipinos globally will always find a home. So those are my future plans,” he said.

Passion for customers

For those who plan to work in the hotel industry, Aquino said they should be passionate about customer service and that every effort should be made to please all customers. He added that there will always be challenges in life and that there is no problem that has no solution.

“The best way to attack a problem is to communicate with other people. You can ask for help. Seeking help will not make you less of a person. Sometimes, it will make you more human because you know your limitations, your capabilities and other people’s strengths and weaknesses,” he said, adding that you should not be afraid to commit mistakes because that is where you will learn.

For Aquino, it is important to have a dream because if you don’t have one, you will not have a direction in life. If you dream big, Aquino said you will do whatever you can in order to achieve that dream.

Lastly, be humble. You cannot go wrong by being humble and never burn bridges, whether good or bad. Sometimes, your bad bridge will turn out to be a good bridge later,” Aquino said.