BusinessMirror December 26, 2022

‘NON-ECONOMIC FACTORS’ IN LABOR DISPLACEMENT

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

RESIGNATION and other “non-economic” factors were the most cited causes for the permanent displacement of workers this year, according to the latest report of the Department of Labor and Employment.

In its initial 2022 Job Displacement Report (JDR) obtained by BusinessMirror , DOLE reported that 69.7 percent of the reasons 386,257 employees cited for leaving their work from January to November were “non-economic” in nature.

T he JDR is taken from the reports regularly submitted by employers to DOLE.

T he top three most cited “noneconomic” causes for the loss of employment are resignation with 78,800 affected workers, project completion (69,835), and absence without leave (31,649).

T he remaining 30.3 percent or 117,150 of the said permanent dis -

placement incidents were due to economic causes.

R etrenchment to prevent losses was cited as the main economic reason for permanent displacement after it affected 26,684 workers. It was followed by redundancy (20,330), and financial losses (9,448).

“ Based on year-on-year comparison, Resignation (37.8 percent  or +21,605) had the highest increase of displaced workers, followed by Project Completion (33.7 percent or +17,594) and Absence Without Leave (22.7 percent or +5,851),” DOLE said in its latest 6-page JDR.

“Non-economic,” A2

See

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

ATRIAL run on the implementation of a power reserves market, which is meant to boost the country’s ancillary services (AS), will be conducted next year, an official of the Department of Energy (DOE) said last week.

“By next year, the trial run of the reserve market will begin. It’s a chicken-and-egg situation. We don’t have enough ancillary service because we still don’t have the

reserve market and that’s because there is not enough ancillary service.  So now, we will start next year and the hope is that we will encourage more ancillary services to come in,” said DOE Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said.  A ccording to the agency, the reserve market allows for the trading of AS necessary to support the transmission of capacity and energy from resources to loads, while maintaining the reliable operation of the transmission system.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Sunday ordered the distribution of assistance to victims of heavy flooding in Visayas and Mindanao due to incessant rains caused by the amihan (Northeast monsoon) and “shear line” on Christmas Day.

T he shear line is the phenomenon when cold and warm air meet to create thick clouds.

C iting the Department of Social

Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) said Marcos gave the instruction on Sunday.

T he distribution of food packs immediately started in Eastern Visayas and Northern Mindanao for over 78,000 flood victims.

O f these, 32,458 people were affected by floods in the towns of Jipapad, Oras, Arteche, Mercedes, Taft, Giporlos in Eastern Visayas

during the weekend.  The other 45,687 individuals were from the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Camiguin and Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao.

DSWD has 45,000 food packs and P10 million standby funds to provide aid to the affected individuals in Eastern Visayas.

For Northern Mindanao, it said it will increase its current 12,000 family food packs to accommodate

the flood-affected individuals. It has P7.3 million worth of stand-by funds for the said relief operations.  Apart from family food packs and non-food relief items such as modular tents, medical kits and hygiene kits, the DSWD is also preparing cash assistance to the victims of the calamity under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program,” the OPS said. Samuel P. Medenilla

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DOF: Grants, TA for 2022 hit

$85M; revenue goals breached

THEDepartment of Finance (DOF) facilitated the implementation of grants and technical assistance amounting to an estimated US$85.5 million, according to its yearend report, which confirmed that top revenue collection agencies surpassed the fullyear targets set by economic manager.

T he administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. surpassed revenue targets and led the implementation of important grants and technical assistance in 2022, said DOF.

Emerging collections from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) have reached P3.2 trillion, surpassing the full-year 2022 Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) target by 2.2 percent.

Other DOF accomplishments for 2022, enumerated in a news release by the Office of the Press Secretary on Sunday, are the resolution on tax incentives for business activities

outside zone limits, commitment to Extractive Industries Transparency Initiatives and the revision of the implementing rules and regulations for the Build-Operate-Transfer Law.

T he economic team showcased its prospects during Philippine Economic Briefings and Meetings, with credit rating agencies such as Standard & Poor’s, Fitch and Moody’s, and hosted the hybrid format 55th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank in September.

T he DBCC gave a positive outlook on the Philippine economy, in line with Moody’s growth forecast for 2023, with an expected gross domestic product growth between

6 percent and 7 percent.

I t is aligned with Moody’s growth projection of 6.4 percent, the highest growth projection in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the DOF.

For next year, the DOF’s major activities include rightsizing its bureaucracy to maximize efficiency and use of public funds.

T he DOF also eyes to continue pushing key tax measures, like Excise Tax on Single-Use Plastics, Value Added Tax on Digital Service Providers, Ease of Paying Taxes and Mining Fiscal Regime.

It will target private sector fund mobilization through public-private partnerships and launch pioneering projects with Project Management Office-led assets such as Basay Mining Rights, Tala Estate Property and Food Terminal Inc. Property.

Tax administration reforms will be implemented to enhance

tax efforts, maximize the government’s revenue potential, simplify taxpayer compliance and automate the BIR and BOC processes.

For 2023, the national government is expected to secure around USD19.1 billion worth of official development assistance, USD9.2 billion worth of loans from multilateral development partners and USD9.8 billion in loans from bilateral lenders. PNA

32K passengers arrive in PHL for Christmas, says BI

CLOSE to 32,000 arrivals were processed on Christmas Eve, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Sunday.

I n a statement, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said immigration officers assigned at different international airports processed a total of 31,992 arrivals on December 24.

M ajority of the international passengers arrived via the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), with Terminal 1 welcoming 10,047 passengers.

A rrivals at Terminals 2 and 3 totaled  4,646 and 12,615 passengers, respectively.

Meanwhile, BI reported processing a total of 22,248 departures on Christmas Eve.

Tansingco assured the public that while lines are expected due to the worldwide increase in international travel, passengers are processed expeditiously.

“All counters are fully manned, our egates are being utilized, and we have a special team of officers ready to augment manpower as needed,” he said.

The implementation of the eTravel system also significantly decreases the paper requirements of arriving passengers,” he added.

Tansingco said they see the increase in travelers as a positive sign that tourism is on the rebound. PNA

Trial run...

T he Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) earlier said that preparations for the launch of reserve market are already taking place.

To help the DOE steer the implementation of the reserve market, IEMOP has kicked off the reserve market mock operations program, which aims to enable market participants to have a feel of the market environment by allowing them to perform their expected roles and responsibilities upon commercial operations of the reserve market.

Displacement trends

DURING the first nine months of the year, the rise and decline in permanent displacement has been erratic with the highest figure being reported in January with 56,286; and the lowest in April with 26,490.

Permanent displacements were decreasing again as of October, with 31,015 from 34,098 the month before. The declining trend continued last month with 30,211.

T his was consistent with the data from the Labor Force Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which showed the unemployment rate dropping to 4.5 percent-the lowest in 17 years—in November.

O f the 386,257 permanently displaced workers from January to November this year, 347,628 were due to the 8.805 firms which implemented retrenchment.

T he remaining 38,629 became jobless with the permanent closure of 1,585 establishments.

Recovering industries

THE industries which tallied the most number of permanently displaced workers this year are construction (111,264), other service activities (59,800), and manufacturing (53,057).

“ Year-on-year, the sectors with the highest increase in the number of displaced workers were manufacturing (52.8 percent or +18,338), followed by other services (7.1 percent or +6,764) and administrative and support service activities (13.2 percent or +6,093),” DOLE said.

M eanwhile, industries which were allowed to resume or increase their operations with the easing of government pandemic restrictions, registered the “steepest decline” in displacement figures.

T hese include transportation and storage (-62 percent or 16,651); arts, entertainment, and recreation (-4 percent or -4,650), and construction (-66.4 percent or -4,351).

2021 flooding incident in Queens, assistance to Filipino nationals “particularly those in distress and in need of consular services.”

The City of New York will celebrate Honorable Elmer G. Cato which he has ably represented as Philippine Consul General in New York,” Gonzalez-Rojas wrote in the citation.

Ne wly-elected New York Assembly Member Steven Raga, the first Filipino-American to be elected to the state legislature, also commended Cato for his performance, particularly his effective outreach efforts among members of the Filipino Community.

O fficials of Bergen County in New Jersey also praised Cato for his leadership and for [his] “unwavering dedication by empowering Filipino community.”

B ergen County Executive James J. Tedesco, III presented Cato with a commendation “in honor and recognition of your outstanding leadership, exemplary commitment and your unwavering dedication by

empowering Filipino community and your determination to fight for basic rights, to help build the lives of many and in appreciation of your incredible leadership that gained you respect within the Filipino community.”

For its part, the SP of Angeles City unanimously approved a Resolution recognizing the work of Cato in New York and nearby states.

M ainly authored by Councilor Jay Sangil, the City Council cited Cato’s efforts “where he has safeguarded the welfare of Filipinos in the area of coverage of PCGNY”

“Consul General Elmer G. Cato, a proud Angeleno and Capampangan, has always pursued the interest of the country as a Diplomat in his foreign posts,” the Resolution stated.

T he Filipino Community also feted Cato on Thursday during a sendoff event at the Charthouse Restaurant in New Jersey that was attended by close to 200 members of the Filipinos from New York and New Jersey.  Ashley Manabat

Spending scandal...

“ Nobody is shirking from their responsibility,” Pangilinan, who’s known as MVP, said at the meeting, according to a transcript obtained by local media Philippine Daily Inquirer. “I take command responsibility and Al” — referring to Panlilio — “also takes full responsibility.”

C arlos Temporal, an analyst at local broker AP Securities Inc., attended the briefing and concluded that “without any substantial changes in top management, sentiment may not recover significantly.”

A nabelle Chua, PLDT’s chief financial officer and chief risk management officer, has been put on paid leave so an “independent investigation” can be conducted on the transactions, the company said this week. On Dec. 15, PLDT separately said the board confirmed three new appointments: a group controller, chief technology officer and chief transformation officer.

S hares in PLDT, which lists “fast is better than perfect” as one of its six corporate values, have lost 17 percent since it revealed the spending.

T he company said Thursday there was no fraud, no anomalies and “no unrecorded transactions in relation to the overrun.” It also said it expects earnings before interest, taxes and de -

preciation to remain unaffected this year. But it warned it will reduce fresh capital expenditure in 2023, which it said will be “a year of consolidation.”

L ater, PLDT said it plans to borrow 35 billion to 45 billion pesos over two years to fund general expenses including capital spending and dividend payout.

T he PSE has asked the company to clarify its comments about not uncovering fraud or anomalies, according to bourse President Ramon Monzon.

For you to make that statement, that means the investigation has been completed,” Monzon said in an interview with Bloomberg News.

“If the investigation is over, that’s a material information that should have been disclosed. Why wasn’t it disclosed to us?”

P angilinan, meanwhile, has maintained a calm face in public. On the same day the share price fell by a record, he was reportedly cheering on his alma mater’s college basketball team, the Ateneo Blue Eagles, at a game in Manila.

The Blue Eagles won to clinch the championship, and the charismatic 76-year-old tycoon was photographed smiling in one of the publications of his media empire. ( With assistance from Andreo Calonzo and Manolo Serapio Jr.).

MARCOS

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Monday, December 26, 2022

The Nation

• Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

BusinessMirror

Govt contractuals, JOs to get one-time ₧5K gratuity–PBBM

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

QUALIFIED contract of service (COS) and job order (JO) workers will get a P5,000 gratuity pay from the government.

T his after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued Administrative Order (AO) No. 3, which aims to recognize the contribution of these workers in public service.

He explained the need for the issuance: these workers do not enjoy benefits accorded to regular public sector employees since they have no employer-employee relationship with the government.

Granting a year-end gratuity pay to COS and JO workers

PNP-CIDG

By Glen Jacob Jose

is a well-deserved recognition of their hard work in implementing programs, projects and activities and pivotal role in the delivery of government services amid the ongoing Covid-19 (novel coronavirus disease) pandemic and present socio-economic challenge," said the three-page AO 3.

Under the issuance, COSs and JOs who have rendered service for a total or an aggregate of at least 4 four months of actual satisfactory performance of service as of December 15, 2022 and whose contracts are still effective as of the same date will qualify for the one-time gratuity pay not exceeding P5,000.

T hose who have rendered less

than four months of actual satisfactory performance of service may be given the benefit on a prorata basis: an amount not exceeding P4,000 for three months but less than four months; an amount not exceeding P3,000 for those who have rendered two months but less than three months; and an amount not exceeding P2,000 for those who have rendered less than two months.

AO 3 will apply to COS and JO of national government agencies (NGAs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) and local water districts (LWD).

T hese government offices may use their respective maintenance and

other operating expenses (MOOE) allotment and savings in line with the rules of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

As may be necessary, the DBM shall issue supplemental guidelines for the effective implementation of this Order,” Marcos said.

He urged local government units (LGUs) to provide a similar gratuity pay to their COS and JO workers.

A s of June, 30, 2022, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) reported there are 493,943 JOs and 148,134 COSs in the government.

A round 76 percent or 487,149 of these workers are in LGUs followed by NGAs with 107,419.

T he rest are in SUCs (22,937), GOCCs (17,979), and LWD (6,593).

eyes more vital leads in missing sabungeros’ case

THE director of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), Brig. Gen. Ronald O. Lee, said their continuous efforts along with those of Department of Justice (DOJ) found probable cause to indict suspects in the case of the disappearance of some of the victims at the Manila Arena.

A 15-page joint resolution dated July 11, 2022, and just released by DOJ, said state prosecutors found probable cause to indict 1. Julie Patidongan y Aguilar @ “Dondon”, 2. Gleer Codilla @ “Gler Cudilla”, 3. Mark Carlo Zabala y Evangelista, 4. Virgilio Bayog

y Pilar, 5. Johnry Consolacion y Recapor and 6. Roberto Matillano Jr. y Guillema for six counts of Kidnapping and Serious Illegal Detention under Art. 267 of the Revised Penal Code as amended, and that the information against said respondents is filed in the Regional Trial Court of Manila.

A ll accused were tagged as security personnel of Manila Arena.

Lee said that he has been informed that a panel of DOJ prosecutors has already recommended the filing of criminal charges against the suspects before a Manila court.

I n the resolution, prosecutors considered the testimonies of all the witnesses, as well as the CCTV footage from the different baran-

gays that showed the continuity of the forcible abduction.

T he PNP-CIDG director credited the major two breakthroughs in their investigation into the missing ‘sabungeros’ case to their close coordination with the families and with the full support of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento.

“As I promised you earlier, by Christmas and New Year we have good news for you; we shall hold the line in this fight, let’s all help one another. The evidence you are giving us are very helpful,” Lee said to the families.

Probers have unearthed circumstances showing that the victims were kidnapped by respondents: 1) the cellphone conversation between victim

Inonog and his father during the time the victims were forcibly abducted; 2) the testimony of Witness Sinfuego, who positively identified respondents’ taking of the victims against their will; 3) the CCTV footage which shows a black and a gray van, followed by the silver Toyota Wigo that left the Manila Arena, thereafter, the Tamaraw FX and a silver Hyundai Accent; 4) the short lapse of time as shown in the CCTV footage; and 5) the victims are missing since the time they were forcibly abducted and boarded the gray van up to the present.

A father of Inonog named Butch Inonog spoke in behalf of the other families and thanked the Chief PNP Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., and the PNP CIDG leadership for the significant result of the case of their loved ones.

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DENR chief: Let’s invest in science, tech for biodiversity conservation

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Antonia Loyzaga has underscored the need to invest in science and technology to boost biodiversity protection and conservation amid the challenge posed by climate change.

Investing in science and technology, she said, will allow conservationists to gain new insights and tools in the protection and restoration of the country’s biodiversity.

At the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the largest conference in the world focused on biodiversity, Loyzaga spoke about, “Innovations for a Nature Positive and Net Zero Future.”

The conference was recently held in Montreal, Canada.

A s a panelist in Conservation International’s flagship event, Loyzaga bared that protection and restoration comprise over 80 percent of the biodiversity financing gap, thus making it extremely important to fill this void through the accumulation of investments for biodiversity conservation.

D esignated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as his representative, Loyzaga cited the importance of investing heavily in science and technology, particularly on improving the technical capacity of the different offices concerned with the restoration of damaged or destroyed ecosystems across the country.

“Climate change adds another layer of complexity to these tasks. We know that ecosystems and community interactions are dynamic, thus there is a continuous need to address

the socioecological roots and drivers for vulnerability and development,” Loyzaga said.

S he explained that improving the technical capacity of concerned government agencies will enable the successful review and assessment of national resources, including terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems.

T his process, according to the DENR chief, would engage the private sector to use “spatial finance” that would help them accelerate the integration of nature-based solutions into their core value cycle that defines how they could offer their services with ease.

I mprovement in technology would also facilitate constructive monitoring and analysis of data that would help in decision-making for regulations and legislation towards an adaptive management, she added.

We must raise the flag for regeneration beyond restoration targets for this high ambition for naturepositive investments. Not just nature and communities bouncing back, but we need to invest in bouncing forward to anticipate future needs and risks,” Loyzaga pointed out.

L oyzaga also reiterated the President’s message in his first State of the Nation Address, that the preservation of the environment is preservation of life. This would mean that economies depend on air, water, food and energy sustained by a healthy environment, and not the other way around, she explained.

To attain this, Loyzaga encouraged both private sector and government to work across silos by investing in the restoration of the country’s ecosystems and biodiversity.

Free Internet access in all public schools nationwide pressed

SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian pressed concerned government agencies to fast-track the installation of free WI-Fi connections in all public schools nationwide, as suggested by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte.

In filing Senate Bill No. 383, known as the Digital Transformation in Basic Education Act, Gatchalian noted that five years after the enactment of the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act (Republic Act No. 10929), the Free Public Wi-Fi Dashboard revealed only 860 or 1.8 percent of the country's 47,421 public schools have free public Wi-Fi as of September 2, 2022.

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, reminded everyone how the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the digital divide, which mostly affected learners in poorer households.

He noted that based on a 2021 survey by the World Bank on lowincome households, only 40 percent have access to the Internet, adding that the same survey, likewise, revealed that 95.5 percent of these households used paper-based learning modules and materials.

The senator recalled lessons learned from previous pandemics, saying: “If we revisit the lessons from the pandemic,

we will see that technology is a vital part of education, especially in the middle of a crisis. Part of our efforts to stabilize the education sector is ensuring that every school has free Internet in order to deliver quality education.”

Gatchalian reminded that the Digital Transformation in Basic Education Act also seeks to escalate the building of the national infrastructure for Information and Communications Technology (ICT), adding that the proposed measure will mandate the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to identify locations for the construction of telecommunications tower sites, while ”missionary areas

which remain unconnected, unserved, or underserved will be prioritized.”

Moreover, the Gatchalian bill also aims to boost the capacity of all schools to “enhance and strengthen their ICT capacity to implement distance learning.”

The senator added: “To boost the basic education sector towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will assist both Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on the use of science, technology, and innovation to improve traditional teaching and learning processes.” Butch

Fernandez

QC regulates firecracker use, allows fireworks display in public places

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

MAKE blood donation your Christmas gift and help save lives.

T his was the call of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), as it noted that the holiday season is known as a lean period for blood donation.

I ronically, PRC Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon said the holiday season is also when the need for blood is high due to road accidents.

“We are calling on our countrymen to donate blood at our blood centers and collecting units for it will serve as your gift and hope to our countrymen this Christmas—a gift that will help save lives,” Gordon said partly in Filipino, as he led the PRC Blood Services in preparing for a higher demand of blood in hospitals and communities during the holiday season.

A s blood donations decline during the festive seasons and the urgent demand for blood increases due to more road accidents, the PRC has intensified

its call for blood donations to provide adequate and safe blood to the most vulnerable.

A u nit of blood can save the lives of several people. According to the PRC Blood Services, each unit of blood donated can generate one unit each of red blood cells, plasma and platelets.

E ach component can be transfused to several patients depending on the components required to treat their particular condition.

T he PRC Blood Services also noted that giving blood has the following health benefits: reduces the risk of heart and liver diseases, lowers the risk of cancer, develops new blood cells, and lowers cholesterol level.

T he PRC has 31 blood centers and 71 blood collection units across the country. For blood donations, blood requests, and other inquiries, email the PRC National Blood Services at nbs. recruitment@redcross.org.ph or contact the PRC Blood Call Center, which may be reached nationwide by dialing 143.

QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte has regulated the manufacture, sale and use of firecrackers throughout the city, and allowed fireworks display only in public places as approved by the city government.

Private households are hereby prohibited from using firecrackers and staging their own fireworks display,” she said, adding that only approved firecrackers and pyrotechnics are allowed for use in public places.

Explaining her decision to issue Executive Order No. 54, S-2022, Mayor Joy Belmonte said the Department of Health (DOH) recorded a 47-percent increase in the number of firecrackers and fireworks-related emergencies and injuries due to the unregulated and indiscriminate use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices in 2021 compared to the total number of cases the previous year.

“ We want to minimize, if not totally eliminate, the number of firecrackerrelated injuries and casualties. We also want to protect homes, commercial buildings and other structures against incidental fires and to lessen the harmful effects of hazardous chemicals and pollutants,” she pointed out.

B elmonte’s order requires prior permission or authorization by the Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS) before a particular public place may be used for the fireworks display.

In an earlier interview, Belmonte said Quezon Memorial Circle and select malls such as Eastwood, SM and Robinsons will be having their own fireworks display in different venues for the public to enjoy.

The mayor also limited the sale of permissible firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices only within shopping malls with clearance from the DPOS and a special permit from the Business Permits and Licensing Department (BPLD), in accordance with Ordinance No. SP-2618, S-2017.

“The sale of the same in places such as public sidewalks, tiangges, stores and similar establishments shall be strictly prohibited,” she said, adding that “selling, sharing or giving firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices to minors is also not allowed.”

T he manufacture, use, sale and distribution of other types of fireworks and pyrotechnic devices that could endanger the life and limb of the public are prohibited.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Economy

BusinessMirror

DTI’s CITEM prods local firms: Join more F2F, virtual trade fairs

By Andrea E. San Juan

THE export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has urged local firms to participate more in physical and virtual trade fairs, which it said can provide them more business “opportunities and exposure” especially in overseas markets.

R owena Mendoza, officer-incharge-department manager at the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), has observed that companies are able to meet “target” clients and future partners, improve skills and gain know-how, expand business networks, and generate or increase sales in attending trade fairs, according to a report by the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport).

According to the umbrella organization of Philippine exporters, Mendoza emphasized the trade show formats

which firms can join, including physical, digital, and hybrid which involves a mix of physical and digital events.

F urther, she said firms may choose to participate in any of these trade show formats which can pave the way for more business opportunities and exposure.

In two to three years (that) we were experiencing the crisis, we were able to learn the new ways of having trade fairs and introduce these trade show formats,” she added during the Usapang Exports session.

Citing Mendoza, Philexport said

key components of the trade show include exhibitions, conference and talks, seminars and webinars, workshops, forum, business matching and product presentation.

Mendoza underscored the importance of physical participation when it comes to business matching especially for food products, as this will enable sellers to negotiate.

Next is business matching; physical (participation) is really good. Especially for food, it is difficult to negotiate with the buyer if they are not able to have a sensorial experience of what our products offer. Our buyers can easily understand the food (products) if they are able to taste, to touch or to smell so that’s how we did it,” Mendoza said, partly in Filipino. A side from business matching, Mendoza said it’s important for companies to introduce their products in a presentation to achieve a “certain amount of information.”

According to Philexport, CITEM has also organized business-tobusiness (B2B) activities online for the local firms to reach their target clients even amid the pandemic.

“In physical events, this is the food sampling but we did it also online. How can this be? What we did,

spirits imports seen rising 20% in

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

THE value of the country's distilled spirits imports this year will expand by a fifth on an annual basis to a four-year high of $143 million on the back of higher cost per liter of booze.

T he United States Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service in Manila (USDAFAS Manila) projected that higher cost of distilled spirits would lift the full-year import volume amid an anticipated decline in volume.

“ Traders forecast Philippine importation of distilled spirits in 2022 will reach $143 million (87 million liters at an average price of $1.64 per liter), up 20 percent year-on-year,” the USDA-FAS Manila said in its Global Agricultural Information Network (Gain) report published recently.

T he country imported $119 million worth of distilled spirits last year, based on the Gain report.

T he USDA-FAS Manila estimated that the full-year volume of imported distilled spirits by the Philippines would decline by 17.92 percent to 87 million liters from last year's 106 million liters.

T he international agency explained that demand for distilled spirits fell because of lower consumption at home with the return of back-to-office life nationwide. It added that the number of bars and pubs have also increased with the reopening of the economy, attracting “revenge” partygoers “eager to spend on booze.”

This year, most organizations have eased back to office life. Consumers have cut back on consuming alcoholic drinks at home, affecting the sales of low-ABV drinks,” the USDA-FAS Manila said.

“ These shifts have prodded traders to re-think their product mix and reorder more expensive distilled spirits, such as brandies and whiskeys,” it added.

T he Philippines imported a higher volume of distilled spirits in 2021, even higher than pre-pan-

demic level, as more Filipinos opted to drink cheaper booze at home, the USDA-FAS Manila said.

“ The Philippines imported a higher volume of distilled spirits in 2021 than it did in pre-pandemic 2019, despite closing its borders to foreign travelers, and the complete shutdown of bars and clubs nationwide,” it said.

“ The average price of imported distilled spirits dropped 25 percent as consumers shifted to consuming low-ABV drinks at home, such as soju and cocktail mixes,”it added.

T he value of the country's imported distilled spirits, however, fell by 22 percent to $119 million from $153 million in 2019, based on the Gain report.

The Philippines’s young, fast growing, and highly urbanized population, and relatively low consumption of imported distilled spirits (less than four percent of roughly 2.7 billion liters of alcohol consumed annually) present a strong opportunity for US exporters of distilled spirits,” it added.

we managed to bring to the buyers the product before the online (trade show) so that they already have the product with them ready during conversations. And here in food tasting or food sampling, we and the buyer comment together on the product so that is how we did it online,” Mendoza was quoted in the Philexport report.

L ast November, the Philippine Export Service Providers and Consolidators Association Inc. (PESPCA), urged the government to zero in on the development and promotion of Philippine export products to be able to compete with other countries in the global arena.

Tomas B. Medina, president of PESPCA, earlier said that most of the government agencies now lack promotional efforts on Philippine products. That’s why even if somebody came up with a “very nice idea,” nobody’s been highlighting it so it doesn’t get to where it should be.

Meanwhile, Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual recently revealed that an e-commerce platform which is set for a “definite” launch before year-end, 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.

DOLE allocates ₧18M for sugar workers’ training ctr

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will be allocating P18.5 million to build a new training center in Negros Oriental to provide training and livelihood to sugar workers.

T he Sugar Tripartite Council (STC) led by Labor and Employment Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma approved earlier this month the proposal of DOLE Regional Office No. 7 for the construction of the Sugar Workers Training and Livelihood Center (SWLC).

T he facility was first proposed in 2011 to be built in Dumaguete.

It was later decided to instead build the facility on a 1,000-square-meter lot in Barangay San Isidro donated by the local government unit of Tanjay City.

D OLE noted the District Tripartite Councils in Negros Oriental comprise the Central Azucarera de Bais (CAB)— the largest producer of raw sugar in Negros Oriental;

flock

DAVAO CITY—Thousands of city residents lined up the roads leading to the ancestral home of the Duterte family south of downtown.

T he city expected the number to reach as many as 40,000 well-wishers on Sunday in a gift-giving tradition that former President Rodrigo Duterte started when he was mayor for two decades.

Mostly coming from the indigent sector and lower middle class families, residents would be seen lining up the road leading to the ancestral home along Taal Road in Central Park Subdivision in Bangkal, eight kilometers south of downtown.

T he Office of the Vice President said Sara Duterte on Sunday graced her family’s traditional Christmas gift-giving.

T he Dutertes gave grocery packs along with breakfast and lunch packs and gift certificates.

T he information office quoted one Andriana Arcillas, 79, as saying she has been waiting near the venue since

1 p.m. Saturday to personally thank the Vice President for the medication and burial assistance that they have been receiving from the Dutertes since 2015.

“Sukad 2015 na mayor pa si former President Rodrigo Duterte hangtod namatay akong bana sa sakit sa kidney niadtong 2019, wala jud ko nag problema sa mga gasto kay tanang proyekto sa Davao sama sa Lingap, ang gasto sa pagpa -dialysis sa akong bana kay muabot ug P300,000— wala jud ko’y nagasto hangtod sa pagpalubong (Since 2015 when President Rodrigo Duterte was still mayor, and until my husband died of kidney disease in 2019, I never spent for the medication and dialysis that reached P300,000 because of the Lingap Para sa Mahihirap),” she added.

T he Lingap para sa Mahihirap is the medical and hospitalization assistance, including cremation assistance.

I n her message, the vice president emphasized the three virtues

Universal Robina Sugar Milling Corporation (URSUMCO); and URC-Tolong.

D OLE-Region 7 officerin-charge Lilia A. Estillore lauded the development, calling it a “blessing,” which will help the sugar workers, their dependents and planters to boost their incomes.

Finally, the Program of Works or POW and the detailed design of the approved Construction Plan at P18,500,000 is another blessing for Region’s Sugar Industry in Negros Oriental,” Estillore said in a statement.

S he said the facility will serve as a venue where DOLE, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), and other training institutions can provide orientations, seminars, and training.

“ The augmentation of income through livelihood assistance and training during off seasons is more relevant today than it was in 2011 when the training center was proposed,” Estillore said.

of Christmas for people to live a peaceful life: love, forgiveness, and sharing.

“Una, ang pasko ay para sa paghigugmaay or love. Dili kinahanglan na dagko atong mga regalo. Ang importante sa pasko, ay malipay ang kasing-kasing sa atong mga minahal sa kinabuhi (First, Christmas is about love. It’s not about giving expensive gifts),” Duterte said.

Ikaduha, pagpasaylo or forgiveness. Karong adlawa gianak ang atong Lord Jesus Christ. Ang mensahe Niya, mangayo ta ug pasaylo sa Ginoo. Mao pud na ang tema sa pasko (Second, ask for forgiveness. The Lord Jesus Christ was born this day and His message is we ask forgiveness. That’s also the theme of Christmas),” she added.

T he Vice President said sharing was the third virtue of Christmas.

T hese virtues, Duterte said, would lead people to live in peace “because people forgive and share, especially to those who are not able to receive anything in this season.” Manuel T. Cayon

BARMM solon refiles bills on airport development, tourism, dialysis

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—A Bangsamoro

lawmaker from the country’s farthest southern island province of Tawi-Tawi refiled or reintroduced six bills in its Parliament to “expand and improve the region's airport and terminal building infrastructure, promote clean water, make dialysis treatment available at no cost to indigent patients and memorialize the core members of the Moro National Liberation Front.”

Member of Parliament Amilbahar Mawallil said he also reintroduced the bills to declare the Balobok cave in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi a regional heri-

tage zone and to establish a Seaweed Industry Development Authority.

He said the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Bill No. 85, or the BARMM Airport Terminal Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2022, would seek to modernize and develop all airport terminal building facilities in the Bangsamoro region.

Once approved, the respective airport operators must submit a master plan for the long-term development of all airport passenger terminal infrastructure and facilities within BARMM to support the modernization of existing airport facilities.

“ This bill seeks to ensure an integrated manner of operating regional airport terminals and to avoid conflicting policies and programs on

airport maintenance, operation, and development,” Mawallil said.

A nother bill on establishing the Seaweed Industry Development Authority would seek to develop an integrated development framework for the region's seaweed industry.

T he Bangsamoro government “must be able to manage and improve seaweed culture and wild harvest techniques and output so that the relevant socioeconomic benefits are “not lost and that the quality of the fresh or processed seaweed is maintained.”

B TA Bill No. 87, or the Balobok Cave Preservation Act of 2022, would like to declare the Balobok Cave, located in Barangay LakitLakit, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, as a re -

gional heritage zone.

This is to preserve, protect, promote, and develop the cave, as it is found to be one of the earliest human settlements in Southeast Asia, dating back to 8,000 years ago,” he said.

A regional heritage zone refers to historical, anthropological, archeological, and artistic geographic areas that are culturally significant to the Bangsamoro region, he added.

T he BTA Bill No. 89, also known as the Safe Drinking Water Act of 2022, would urge the Bangsamoro government to develop an effective water quality management system aimed at protecting human health, preventing drinking water health hazards, and protecting, preserving, and reviving

the region’s fresh, brackish, and marine waters.

In reintroducing BTA Bill No. 88, the BARMM Dialysis Center Act of 2022, Mawallil said this would require all public hospitals in the region to establish dialysis units which have “enough machines, equipment, paraphernalia, and supplies, as well as sufficient medical and other personnel, such as nephrologists, dialysis nurses, dialysis technicians, and operating room nurses, for both peritoneal and hemodialysis.”

“ The Ministry of Health must ensure that indigent patients, as identified by the Ministry of Social Services and Development, receive free dialysis treatments in all regional government hospitals,” he said in the bill.

A mong his reintroduced bills was Parliament Bill No. 84, to grant a mandate on the Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of the Cultural Heritage (BCPCH) “to produce and publish the official names of the MNLF’s Top 90 and Top 300 core members.”

In filing it, Mawallil said it would memorialize the MNLF core members in a regional monument “to honor the ideals and bravery shown by the core members who fought for the Bangsamoro struggle.”

He said the top 90 were composed of different ethnolinguistic groups of the region “who questioned the sociopolitical landscape in Mindanao and aimed to fight social injustices towards the Bangsamoro people.”

Red tape, rudeness top complaints vs government agencies, says CSC report

THE Civil Service Commission (CSC) has released the list of top 10 agencies with the most number of public complaints it has received through its Contact Center ng Bayan (CCB) facility.

T he list includes the Department of Education, Land Transportation

Office, Department of Health (DOH), Social Security System (SSS), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Land Registration Authority, Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Philippine Statistics Authority.

CSC received 1,411 public complaints for government offices from January 1 to November 30 this year.

Of these, 92.06 percent or 1,299 of the cases were already resolved.

T he most common complaints against government agencies this year were still on slow process, discourtesy, poor

service/ facility, failure to act on request, and unattended hotline numbers.

CSC noted the HDMF and the DSWD were able to address 100 percent of the issues raised against them.

C SC Chairperson Karlo B. Nograles urged government agencies to promptly address the concerns raised

by their clients.

“CSCiscallingondifferentgovernment agencies to implement and intensify their feedback mechanism and address the complaints of our citizens. Every year, this will be our gift to them—fast and quality public service,” Nograles said in Filipino in a statement. Samuel P. Medenillla

PHL

2022 Dabawenyos

to Dutertes' ancestral home for traditional gift-giving on Christmas Day

Agriculture/Commodities

PHL in talks with China on solar irrigation deal

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

MANILA is negotiating a deal with Beijing for the construction of solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS) to boost the Philippines’s farm productivity.

A griculture Assistant Secretary Arnel V. de Mesa said the agriculture department is now “drafting” the “possible engagements” with China for the irrigation project.

De Mesa said the Department of Agriculture (DA) is targeting to submit a feasibility study (FS) on the official development assistancebacked (ODA) project to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) next year.

T he DA earlier formed a project preparation team (PPT) that would handle and expedite the completion of the FS of the proposed China SPIS project.

De Mesa, who chairs the PPT, revealed that part of the details being ironed out by the DA are the technical specifications of the project, including the capacity and number of SPIS to be built nationwide.

He said China’s proposal was for-

warded to the DA by Neda. He noted that the value of the China-backed SPIS project would be “more than the minimum” Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) threshold.

T he DA official said talks on the SPIS project started during a recent bilateral meeting between Manila and Beijing.

Under Philippine regulations, all ODA-funded projects must undergo the approval process of the NedaICC, provided that they meet the minimum threshold value set by the government.

T he PPT has been tasked to ensure that the project documents of the China-backed SPIS project are compliant with the requirements of the DA-Wide Project Clearinghouse System and Neda-ICC.

T he PPT will also prepare the timeline of activities from preparation until finalization and approval of the irrigation project.

I n recent years, the construction of SPIS has been regarded as one of the key projects that would improve local agricultural productivity as it would provide much needed water resources to farms.

In August 2018, the Duterte ad-

ministration had announced that it is aiming to irrigate 500,000 hectares

Farmers’ group in Quezon gets hauling vehicle from DAR

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said it has recently turned over a hauling vehicle to the Sumagosong Farmers’ Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SUMAFAR MPC) in Mulanay, Quezon.

T he delivery service vehicle worth P240,000 will be used to transport the group’s products to private buyers and consumers, as well as the food requirements of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in nearby Gumaga town.

S UMAFAR MPC previously signed a marketing agreement with the BJMP Gumaca District Jail in May to supply vegetables, rice, corn, fruits, root crops, poultry, and other farm products to

the inmates.

Luis G. Combinido, SUMAFAR MPC chairman, said through the service vehicle, they can even expand their operations and increase the income of the farmers as well as the organization.

E ngr. Cornelio P. Villapando, DAR Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II, said the provision of the service vehicle is part of the national government’s Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP) program implemented by the DAR.

He said the program reflects the commitment of DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III to the national goal of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to “improve the lives of the farmers through the provision of various support services.”

He expressed confidence that the

WINTER wheat climbed higher for a fourth straight day as a deep freeze across the United States grain belt escalates concern about shrinking crops.

T he extreme cold snap is putting recently planted wheat in danger of winterkill, which can occur when soil lacking enough snow protection can grow cold enough to kill off the plant. Grains in some key areas already are the focus of worry over ongoing drought.

“ The cold weather could produce some winterkill in US production areas to make a small crop even smaller,” said Jack Scoville, vice president of Chicago brokerage Price Futures Group.

Record-cold temperatures are striking as the Russia-Ukraine war continues to limit farm exports from two of the world’s top grain shippers. Corn and soybeans in South America also are in focus amid weather woes in the region, while delayed harvests in Brazil and Thailand fuel higher sugar prices. The supply issues raise the prospect of more food inflation in 2023.

T he Bloomberg Agriculture Spot Index was heading for third weekly gain as of Thursday, with most markets extending gains Friday. That would be the longest streak of weekly gains since May.

Hard red winter wheat futures rose for a fourth day in Chicago, the longest such streak since August. The most-active futures contract is poised to end the week up 3.6 percent, the biggest jump since late September.

Benchmark Chicago wheat rose as much as 2 percent to $7.7775 a bushel on Friday, the highest since Dec. 2. The futures are headed for a second straight week of gains.

Corn and soybeans in Chicago also gained as dry weather and rising temperatures are poised to return in Argentina on Sunday, further stressing crops. Raw sugar climbed higher

vehicle will help the SUMAFAR MPC members fulfill the vision of the DAR to bring the farmers and their products closer to the market and other trading centers.

“ Our government will continue to provide you with various support and projects to raise your standard of living. Just keep on doing what is expected of you to be productive so that more blessings can be provided by the local and national government to your organization.”

A ristotle L. Aguirre, Municipal Mayor of Mulanay graced the turnover ceremony and revealed that the local government of Mulanay is tapping several sectors and agencies for the implementation of various projects, specifically the construction of farm-tomarket roads.

of land through SPIS. T he DA said the national govern-

ment had planned to allocate at least P43.7 billion for the construction of

around 6,250 SPIS until the end of the term of former President Duterte. An SPIS, which could irrigate at an average of 80 hectares, costs about P7 million, according to the agency.

T he additional 500,000 hectares of irrigated farms would be able to produce at least 2 million metric tons (MMT) of rice, the DA said.

Despite a record high domestic output, the Philippines was only able to produce 81.5 percent of its total rice supply last year, lower than the 85 percent rate recorded in 2020, latest official statistics showed.

In its annual report on food availability, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed that the country’s rice self-sufficiency ratio (SSR), which measures the volume of commodity supply that is locally produced, declined last year due to higher import volume.

PSA data showed that milled rice production last year rose by 3.44 percent year-on-year to 13.054 million metric tons (MMT). This, however, pales in comparison to the 33.71 percent increase in imports.

The Philippines posted a record unmilled rice output of 19.96 MMT last year, based on data from the agency.

Report: Urban greenery helps avert multiple crises for dryland cities

RAPIDLY expanding cities in very dry parts of the world must be turned into “green urban oases” to ensure they become both healthier places to live in and more resilient to climate change, according to a report.

T he report launched recently by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) noted that some 35 percent of the world’s largest cities are built in the world’s drylands. This includes such megacities as Cairo, Mexico City and New Delhi. In all, they are home to more than 2 billion people, 90 percent of them in developing countries.

According to the report, Urban forestry and urban greening in drylands, these sprawling and crowded dryland cities face a high risk of social, environmental and economic crisis as they grow. They are

for a sixth straight trading day on tight global supplies amid slower-thanexpected global harvests. Bloomberg News

becoming hotter and more polluted and face mounting pressure on their scarce natural resources and weak infrastructure, making them among the most vulnerable places in the world to external shocks from the extreme weather events that climate change brings.

Preserving and planting trees in these cities has been shown to have a hugely beneficial effect on the lives and health of the people who live there,” said Zhimin Wu, Director of FAO’s Forestry Division. “It is possible to do this even with the very limited amounts of water available in these areas.”

Natural solutions

CURRENTLY, more than half of the global population lives in cities and

95 percent of urban growth between now and 2050 is expected to take place in the global South.

The study shows how the potential crises that dryland cities face as they grow can be turned into an opportunity to improve the sustainability, health and well-being of their communities, and reduce the impact of urbanization on biodiversity and the environment.

Urban forestry and greening strategies have yet to be fully incorporated into urban development in many dryland cities,” said FAO Forestry Officer Simone Borelli. “The report presents compelling evidence that if properly planned and managed, such initiatives can make a powerful contribution to strengthening the resilience of dryland cities and support-

A FARMER in Arayat, Pampanga, is plowing his rice field in preparation for the second cropping season in this BusinessMirror file photo.

18 die as monster storm brings rain, snow and cold across US

By Carolyn Thompson And Jake Bleiberg The Associated Press

BUFFALO, NY—A frigid winter storm killed at least 18 people as it swept across the country, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses and leaving millions of people on edge about the possibility of Christmas Eve blackouts.

The storm unleashed its full fury on Buffalo, New York, with hurricane-force winds causing whiteout conditions. Emergency response efforts were paralyzed, and the city’s international airport was shut down.

Across the US, officials have attributed deaths to exposure, car crashes, a falling tree limb and other effects of the storm. At least three people died in the Buffalo area, including two who suffered medical emergencies in their homes and couldn’t be saved because emergency crews were unable to reach them amid historic blizzard conditions.

Deep snow, single-digit temperatures and day-old power outages sent Buffalo residents scrambling Saturday to get out of their houses to anywhere that had heat. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the Buffalo Niagara International Airport would be closed through Monday morning and almost every fire truck in the city was stranded in the snow.

“No matter how many emergency vehicles we have, they cannot get through the conditions as we speak,” Hochul said.

Blinding blizzards, freezing rain and frigid cold also knocked out power in places from Maine to Seattle, while a major electricity grid operator warned the 65 million people it serves across the eastern US that rolling blackouts might be required.

Pennsylvania-based PJM Interconnection said power plants are having difficulty operating in the frigid weather and has asked residents in 13 states to conserve electricity through at least Christmas morning. The Tennessee Valley Authority, which provides electricity to 10 million people in the state and parts of six surrounding ones, directed local power companies to implement planned interruptions but ended the measure by Saturday afternoon. The start of the

NFL’s Tennessee Titans’ game in Nashville was delayed an hour by a planned power outage.

Across the six New England states, more than 273,000 customers remained without power on Saturday, with Maine the hardest hit and some utilities saying it could be days before electricity is restored.

In North Carolina, 169,000 customers were without power as of the afternoon, down from a peak of more than 485,000, but utility officials said rolling blackouts would continue for “the next few days.”

Those without power included James Reynolds of Greensboro, who said his housemate, a 70-year-old with diabetes and severe arthritis, spent the morning bundled beside a kerosene heater with indoor temperatures “hovering in the 50s.”

In the Buffalo suburb of Cheektowaga, two people died in their homes Friday when emergency crews could not reach them in time to treat their medical conditions, according to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. He said another person died in Buffalo and said the blizzard may be “the worst storm in our community’s history.”

It was taking ambulances over three hours to do one trip to a hospital, Poloncarz said.

Forecasters said 28 inches (71 centimeters) of snow accumulated as of Saturday in Buffalo. Last month, areas just south of the city saw a record 6 feet of snow (about 1.8 meters) from a single storm.

The latest storm knocked out the furnace in the Buffalo home of Brian LaPrade, who woke up Saturday morning to indoor temperatures dipping below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius).

“I had to go out and dig out the vents,” LaPrade said. “As it was, the snow was taller than my snow blower.”

Plows were on the roads, but

large snowdrifts, abandoned cars and downed power lines were slowing progress.

On the Ohio Turnpike, four died in a pileup involving some 50 vehicles. A Kansas City, Missouri, driver was killed Thursday after skidding into a creek, and three others died Wednesday in separate crashes on icy northern Kansas roads.

A utility worker in Ohio was also killed Friday while trying to restore power, according to the Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative. It said the 22-year-old died in “an electrical contact incident” near Pedro in Lawrence County.

A woman in Vermont died in a hospital Friday after a tree broke in the high winds and fell on her. Police in Colorado Springs said they found the body of a person who appeared to be homeless as subzero temperatures and snow descended on the region. Near Janesville, Wisconsin, a 57-yearold woman died Friday after falling through the ice on a river, the Rock County Sheriff’s Office announced.

Along Interstate 71 in Kentucky, Terry Henderson and her husband, Rick, were stuck for 34 hours in a massive traffic jam caused by several accidents. The truck drivers weathered the wait in a rig outfitted with a diesel heater, a toilet and a refrigerator but nonetheless regretted trying to drive from Alabama to their home near Akron, Ohio, for Christmas.

“We should have stayed,” Terry Henderson said after they got moving again Saturday.

The storm was nearly unprecedented in its scope, stretching from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico. About 60% of the US population faced some sort of

winter weather advisory or warning, and temperatures plummeted drastically below normal from east of the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians, the National Weather Service said.

As millions of Americans were traveling ahead of Christmas, more than 2,360 flights within, into or out of the US were canceled Saturday, according to the tracking site FlightAware.

In Mexico, migrants camped near the US border were facing unusually cold temperatures as they awaited a US Supreme Court decision on pandemic-era restrictions that prevent many from seeking asylum.

Forecasters said a bomb cyclone—when atmospheric pressure drops very quickly in a strong storm—had developed near the Great Lakes, stirring up blizzard conditions, including heavy winds and snow.

Western New York often sees dramatic lake-effect snow, which is caused by cool air picking up moisture from the warm water, then dumping it on the land. But even area residents found conditions on Christmas Eve to be dire.

Latricia Stroud and her two daughters, 1 and 12, were stranded without heat or power in their Buffalo house since Friday afternoon, with the snow too deep to leave.

“I have to go over a snowbank to get out,” Stroud told the AP. “There’s a warming center, I just need a ride to get there.” Bleiberg reported from Dallas. Associated Press journalist Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Corey Williams in Southfield, Michigan; John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia; Maysoon Khan in Albany, New York; Hannah Schoenbaum in Raleigh, North Carolina; Wilson Ring in Stowe, Vermont; and John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas contributed to this report.

Thousands of Kurds, anti-racism groups gather after Paris shooting

By Jeffrey Schaeffer & Angela Charlton The Associated Press

PA r I s Members of f r ance’s Kurdish community and anti-racism activists joined together in mourning and anger on s at urday in Paris after three people were killed at a Kurdish cultural center in an attack that prosecutors say was racially motivated.

t he shooting in a bustling neighborhood of central Paris also wounded three people, and stirred up concerns about hate crimes against minority groups at a time when far-right voices have gained prominence in f r ance and around e u rope in recent years.

t h e suspected attacker was wounded and detained, and transferred s at urday to psychiatric care, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. t h e 69-year-old Parisian had been charged with attacking a migrant camp last year and released from jail earlier this month. f o r f r iday’s shooting, he is facing potential charges of murder and attempted murder with a racist motive, the prosecutor’s office said.

t h ousands gathered s at urday at the Place de la r e publique in eastern Paris, waving a colorful spectrum of flags representing Kurdish rights groups, left-wing political movements and other causes.

t he gathering was largely peaceful, though some youths threw projectiles and set a few cars and garbage bins on fire, and police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. s o me protesters shouted slogans against the tu rkish government. Berivan f i rat of the Kurdish Democratic Council in f r ance told B f M t V t hat the violence began after some people drove by waving a tu rkish flag.

Most demonstrators were ethnic Kurds of varying generations who came together to mourn the three fellow Kurds who were killed, who included a prominent feminist activist and a Kurdish singer who came to f r ance as a refugee.

“We are devastated, really. We are destroyed because we lost a very important member of our community and we are angry. h o w is this possible?” said demonstrator ye kbun o g ur, a middle school biology teacher in Paris. “Is it normal for a man with a gun

to sneak into a cultural place to come and murder people?”

Demonstrator yu nus Cicek wiped his tears away as spoke of the victims, and his fears. “We are not protected here. e v en though have political refugee status, I don’t feel safe....Maybe next time it will be me.”

t h e shooting shook the Kurdish community and put f r ench police on extra alert for the Christmas weekend. t h e Paris police chief met s at urday with members of the Kurdish community to try to allay their fears.

f r ance’s Interior Ministry reported a 13% rise in race-related crimes or other violations in 2021 over 2019, after an 11% rise from 2018 to 2019. t h e ministry did not include 2020 in its statistics because of successive pandemic lockdowns that year.

It said a disproportionate number of such crimes target people of African descent, and also cited hundreds of attacks based on religion.

f r iday’s attack took place at the cultural center and a nearby Kurdish restaurant and Kurdish hair salon. s u rveillance video from the hair salon shared online suggests people

in the salon subdued the attacker before police reached the scene. t h e prosecutor’s office would not elaborate on the circumstances of his arrest.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the suspect was clearly targeting foreigners, and had acted alone and was not officially affiliated with any extreme-right or other radical movements. t h e suspect had past convictions for illegal arms possession and armed violence.

Kurdish activists said they had recently been warned by police of threats to Kurdish targets.

In 2013, three women Kurdish activists, including s a kine Cansiz, a founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, were found shot dead at a Kurdish center in Paris.

tu rkey’s army has long been battling against Kurdish militants affiliated with the banned PKK in southeast tu rkey as well as in northern Iraq. tu rkey’s military also recently launched a series of air and artillery strikes against s y rian Kurdish militant targets in northern s y ria. Boubkar Benzebat in Paris contributed.

Russian shells pummel Ukraine’s Kherson; 10 dead, 55 wounded

KYIV, Ukrain—Russian shells pummeled the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Saturday, killing at least 10 people and injuring 55 in the city that Moscow’s troops were forced to abandon last month.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, just back from his quick trip to Washington, posted photos of the wreckage on his social media accounts. He noted the destruction came as Ukrainians were beginning Christmas celebrations that for many Orthodox Christians will culminate in the traditional celebration on Jan. 7.

“This is not sensitive content— it’s the real life of Kherson,” Zelenskyy tweeted. The images showed cars on fire, bodies on the street and building windows blown out.

Yaroslav Yanushevych, the governor of the Kherson region, said in televised remarks that the number of people killed in the latest shelling of the city has risen from seven to 10.

He added that 55 people were wounded, 18 of them in grave condition. Yanushevych said scores of others, including a 6-year-old girl, were wounded by Russian shelling a day earlier.

Saturday marks 10 months since the start of the Russian invasion.

Ukraine has faced a blistering onslaught of Russian artillery fire, missiles, shelling and drone attacks since early October, much of it targeting the energy infrastructure in a bid to cut electricity and heating services as the freez -

ing winter advances. The shelling has been especially intense in Kherson since Russian forces withdrew and Ukraine’s army reclaimed the city in November.

Earlier Saturday, the Donetsk regional governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said two people were killed and five wounded in shelling there over the past day. The deaths were in Kurakhove, a town of about 20,000 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of Russian-controlled Donetsk city.

About 60 shells hit three communities during the night in the area of Nikopol, said the Dnipropetrovsk regional governor, Valentyn Reznichenko.

Stepne, a settlement on the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia, was also hit by shelling but there were no details on casualties, according to the governor, Oleksander Starukh,

Zelenskyy has returned to Kyiv following his trip to Washington, in which he secured another $1.8 billion military aid package.

On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the war would end at the negotiating table once the “special military operation” achieves Russia’s goals. He said no reported Ukrainian peace plan can succeed without taking into account “the realities of today that can’t be ignored”— a reference to Moscow’s demand that Ukraine recognize Russia’s sovereignty over the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014, as well as other territorial gains. AP

5 arrested in deadly shooting at Minnesota’s Mall of America

BL o o MI n G t on , M inn.— f ve people were arrested in the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old man at the Mall of America that sent the sprawling commercial center into lockdown on one of the final days of the holiday shopping season, police said s at urday.

At an evening news conference, Bloomington Police Chief Booker h o dges announced the arrests in connection with the f r iday night shooting in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington and said all would face murder charges, the Minneapolis s t ar tr ibune reported.

h o dges said the arrested suspects were two men, 18, and three 17-year-old male juveniles, according to the s t ar tr ibune, and they were taken into custody in the morning at a home in nearby s t . Louis Park by s W At team officers from three jurisdictions.

t h e chief added that one of the 18-yearolds is believed to be the shooter, though another suspect may also have fired a weapon. A sixth suspect was still being sought.

“In Bloomington, if you come here and murder people at our mall, you get one of these at at Christmas,” the newspaper quoted h odges as saying while holding up an orange prison suit.

Minnesota Gov. t m Walz tweeted s at urday that the mall shooting was “absolutely unacceptable. We are in touch with local officials to provide the support and resources they need.”

Police have not yet identified the slain 19-year-old, but the police chief and Bloom -

ington Mayor t i m Busse have spoken with the man’s relatives.

t h e gunfire f r iday at the n o rdstrom store in the nation’s largest shopping center sent frightened customers scurrying for safety. A bystander was said to have had their jacket grazed by a bullet.

t h ere appeared to be some type of altercation between two groups that escalated into a fistfight, and someone pulled out a gun and shot the victim multiple times, according to police. t he entire incident lasted about 30 seconds.

A nearby Bloomington police officer— one of 16 stationed at the mall that day— heard the gunshots around 7:50 p.m. t h e officer tried life-saving measures but was unable to save the victim.

t h e lockdown lasted for about an hour before the mall tweeted that shoppers were being sent outside. Videos posted on social media showed people hiding in stores, and an announcement in the mall warned people to seek shelter.

s i nce it opened in 1992, the Mall of America has been a tourist destination and community gathering spot. It bans guns on the premises, but shoppers have generally not been required to pass through metal detectors. t h e mall said in o c tober it was testing a “weapons detection system” at one of its entrances.

t h e mall was placed on lockdown in August after a reported shooting sent some shoppers running for cover, and two people were wounded last n ew ye ar’s e v e during an apparent altercation. AP

A winter storm rolls through western new York on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Amherst n Y. A battering winter storm has knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across the United States on Saturday. it left millions more to worry about the prospect of further outages and crippled police and fire departments. AP Photo/Jeffrey t B A r nes

A Ukr AiniAn soldier decorates a frontline position during fights with russian forces near Maryinka, Donetsk region, Ukraine on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022. AP Photo/L IBKos

Pope on Christmas: Jesus was poor, so don’t be power-hungry

By Frances D’emilio The Associated Press

ligament and a cane for shorter d istances.

Traditionally, Catholics mark Christmas Eve by attending Mass at midnight. But over the years, the starting time at the Vatican has crept earlier, reflecting the health or stamina of popes and then the pandemic.

In the splendor of St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis presided over the evening Mass attended by about 7,000 faithful, including tourists and pilgrims, who flocked to the church on a warm evening and took their place behind rows of white-robed pontiffs.

Francis drew lessons from the humility of Jesus’ first hours of life in a manger.

“While animals feed in their stalls, men and women in our world, in their hunger for wealth and power, consume even their neighbors, their brothers and sisters,” the pontiff lamented. “How many wars have we seen! And in how many places, even today, are human dignity and freedom treated with contempt!”

“As always, the principal vic -

tims of this human greed are the weak and the vulnerable,’’ said Francis, who didn’t cite any specific conflict or situation.

“This Christmas, too, as in the case of Jesus, a world ravenous for money, power and pleasure does not make room for the little ones, for the so many unborn, poor and forgotten children,’’ the pope said, reading his homily with a voice that sounded tired and almost hoarse. “I think above all of the children devoured by war, poverty and injustice.”

Still, the pontiff exhorted people to take heart.

“Do not allow yourself to be overcome by fear, resignation or discouragement.” Jesus’ lying in a manger shows where “the true riches in life are to be found: not

in money and power, but in relationships and persons.”

Remarking on the “so much consumerism that has packaged the mystery” of Christmas, Francis said there was a danger the day’s meaning could be forgotten.

But, he said, Christmas focuses attention on “the problem of our humanity — the indif -

ference produced by the greedy rush to possess and consume.”

“Jesus was born poor, lived poor and died poor,” Francis said. “He did not so much talk about poverty as live it, to the very end, for our sake.”

Francis urged people to “not let this Christmas pass without doing something good.”

When the Mass ended, the

pope, pushed in a wheelchair by an aide, moved down the basilica with a life-sized statue of Baby Jesus on his lap and flanked by several children carrying bouquets. The statue then was placed in a manger in a creche scene in the basilica.

Francis, 86, has been using a wheelchair to navigate long distances due to a painful knee

Two years ago, the start of Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica was moved up to 7:30 p.m. to allow faithful to get home before for a nighttime curfew imposed by the Italian government as a measure to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. Although virtually all pandemictriggered restrictions have long been lifted in Italy, the Vatican kept to the early start time.

During Saturday evening’s service, a choir sang hymns.

Clusters of potted red poinsettia plants near the altar contrasted with the cream-colored vestments of the pontiff.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of Romans, tourists and pilgrims were expected to crowd into St. Peter’s Square to hear Pope Francis deliver an address on world issues and give his blessing. The speech, known in Latin as “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and to the world), generally is an occasion to review crises including war, persecution and hunger, in many parts of the globe. Associated Press journalist Luigi Navarra contributed.

Packed ICUs, crowded crematoriums: Covid infections roil Chinese towns

By Dake Kang The Associated Press

BAZHOU, China — Yao Ruyan paced frantically outside the fever clinic of a county hospital in China’s industrial Hebei p rovince, 70 kilometers (43 miles) southwest of Beijing. Her motherin-law had Covid-19 and needed urgent medical care, but all hospitals ne arby were full.

“They say there’s no beds here,” she barked into her phone.

As China grapples with its first-ever national Covid-19 wave, emergency wards in small cities and towns southwest of Beijing are overwhelmed. Intensive care units are turning away ambulances, relatives of sick people are searching for o pen beds, and patients are slumped on benches in hospital corridors and lying on floors for lack of beds.

Yao’s elderly mother-in-law had fallen ill a week ago with the coronavirus. They went first to a local h ospital, where lung scans showed signs of pneumonia. But the hospital couldn’t handle serious Covid-19 c ases, Yao was told. She was told to go to larger hospitals in adjacent counties.

As Yao and her husband drove from hospital to hospital, they found all the wards were full. Zhuozhou Hospital, an hour’s drive from Yao’s hometown, was the latest disappointment.

Yao charged toward the check-in counter, past wheelchairs frantically moving elderly patients. Yet a gain, she was told the hospital was full, and that she would have to wait.

“I’m furious,” Yao said, tearing up, as she clutched the lung scans from the local hospital. “I don’t have much hope. We’ve been out for a long time and I’m terrified because she’s having difficulty breathing.”

Over two days, Associated Press journalists visited five hospitals and two crematoriums in towns and small cities in Baoding and Langfang prefectures, in central Hebei province. The area was the epicenter of one of China’s first outbreaks after the state loosened Covid-19 controls in November and December. For weeks, the region went quiet, as people fell ill and stayed home.

Many have now recovered. To -

day, markets are bustling, diners p ack restaurants and cars are honking in snarling traffic, even as the v irus is spreading in other parts of China. In recent days, headlines in state media said the area is “ starting to resume normal life.”

B ut life in central Hebei’s emergency wards and crematoriums is a nything but normal. Even as the young go back to work and lines at fever clinics shrink, many of Hebei’s elderly are falling into critical c ondition. As they overrun ICUs and funeral homes, it could be a harbinger of what’s to come for the rest of China.

The Chinese government has reported only seven Covid-19 deaths s ince restrictions were loosened dramatically on Dec. 7, bringing the country’s total toll to 5,241.

On Tuesday, a Chinese health official said that China only counts d eaths from pneumonia or respiratory failure in its official Covid-19 d eath toll, a narrow definition that excludes many deaths that would be attributed to Covid-19 in other places.

Experts have forecast between a million and 2 million deaths in China through the end of next year, and a top World Health Organization official warned that Beijing’s w ay of counting would “underestimate the true death toll.”

A t Baoding No. 2 Hospital in Zhuozhou on Wednesday, patients thronged the hallway of the emergency ward. The sick were breathing with the help of respirators. O ne woman wailed after doctors told her that a loved one had died.

The ICU was so crowded, ambulances were turned away. A medical w orker shouted at relatives wheeling in a patient from an arriving a mbulance.

“There’s no oxygen or electricity in this corridor!” the worker e xclaimed. “If you can’t even give him oxygen, how can you save him?”

“If you don’t want any delays, turn around and get out quickly!” she said.

The relatives left, hoisting the patient back into the ambulance. It took off, lights flashing.

In two days of driving in the region, AP journalists passed around 3 0 ambulances. On one highway toward Beijing, two ambulances followed each other, lights flashing,

a s a third passed by heading in the opposite direction. Dispatchers are overwhelmed, with Beijing city officials reporting a sixfold surge in e mergency calls earlier this month.

Some ambulances are heading to funeral homes. At the Zhuozhou crematorium, furnaces are burning overtime as workers struggle to cope with a spike in deaths in the past week, according to one employee. A funeral shop worker estimated it is burning 20 to 30 bodies a d ay, up from three to four before Covid-19 measures were loosened.

“There’s been so many people dying,” said Zhao Yongsheng, a worker a t a funeral goods shop near a local hospital. “They work day and night, but they can’t burn them all.”

At a crematorium in Gaobeidian, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) s outh of Zhuozhou, the body of one 82-year-old woman was brought from Beijing, a two-hour drive, because funeral homes in China’s capital were packed, according to the woman’s grandson, Liang.

“They said we’d have to wait for 10 days,” Liang said, giving only his surname because of the sensitivity of the situation.

Liang’s grandmother had been unvaccinated, Liang added, when she came down with coronavirus symptoms, and had spent her final days hooked to a respirator in a B eijing ICU.

Over two hours at the Gaobeidian crematorium on Thursday, AP j ournalists observed three ambulances and two vans unload bodies. A hundred or so people huddled in groups, some in traditional white Chinese mourning attire. They burned funeral paper and set off fireworks.

“There’s been a lot!” a worker said when asked about the number of Covid-19 deaths, before funeral director Ma Xiaowei stepped in and brought the journalists to meet a local government official.

As the official listened in, Ma confirmed there were more cremations, but said he didn’t know if C ovid-19 was involved. He blamed the extra deaths on the arrival of winter.

“Every year during this season, there’s more,” Ma said. “The pandemic hasn’t really shown up” in t he death toll, he said, as the official listened and nodded.

E ven as anecdotal evidence and modeling suggests large numbers of people are getting infected and dying, some Hebei officials deny the virus has had much impact.

“There’s no so-called explosion in cases, it’s all under control,” said Wang Ping, the administrative manager of Gaobeidian Hospital, speaking by the hospital’s main gate. “There’s been a slight decline in patients.”

Wang said only a sixth of the hospital’s 600 beds were occupied, but refused to allow AP journalists to enter. Two ambulances came to the hospital during the half hour AP journalists were present, and a patient’s relative told the AP they were turned away from Gaobeidian’s emergency ward because it was full.

Thirty kilometers (19 miles) south in the town of Baigou, emergency ward doctor Sun Yana was candid, even as local officials listened in.

There are more people with fevers, the number of patients has i ndeed increased,” Sun said. She hesitated, then added, “I can’t say whether I’ve become even busier or not. Our emergency department has always been busy.”

The Baigou New Area Aerospace Hospital was quiet and orderly, with empty beds and short lines as nurses sprayed disinfectant. Covid-19 patients are separated from others, s taff said, to prevent cross-infection. But they added that serious c ases are being directed to hospitals in bigger cities, because of limited medical equipment.

The lack of ICU capacity in Baigou, which has about 60,000 residents, reflects a nationwide problem. Experts say medical resources i n China’s villages and towns, home to about 500 million of China’s 1.4 billion people, lag far behind those of big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Some counties lack a single ICU bed.

As a result, patients in critical condition are forced to go to bigger cities for treatment. In Bazhou, a city 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Baigou, a hundred or more people packed the emergency ward of L angfang No. 4 People’s Hospital on Thursday night.

Guards worked to corral the crowds as people jostled for positions. With no space in the ward, p atients spilled into corridors and

hallways. Sick people sprawled on blankets on the floor as staff frantically wheeled gurneys and ventilators. In a hallway, half a dozen p atients wheezed on metal benches as oxygen tanks pumped air into their noses.

Outside a CT scan room, a woman sitting on a bench wheezed as snot dribbled out of her nostrils into crumpled tissues. A man sprawled out on a stretcher outside the emergency ward as medical workers stuck e lectrodes to his chest. By a check-in counter, a woman sitting on a stool gasped for air as a young man held her hand.

“Everyone in my family has got Covid,” one man asked at the counter, as four others clamored for attention behind him. “What medicine c an we get?”

In a corridor, a man paced as he shouted into his cellphone.

“The number of people has exploded!” he said. “There’s no way y ou can get care here, there’s far too many people.”

It wasn’t clear how many patients had Covid-19. Some had only mild symptoms, illustrating another issue, experts say: People in China rely more heavily on hospitals t han in other countries, meaning it’s easier for emergency medical resources to be overloaded.

Over two hours, AP journalists witnessed half a dozen or more

ambulances pull up to the hospital’s ICU and load critical patients t o sprint to other hospitals, even as cars pulled up with dozens of new patients.

A beige van pulled up to the ICU and honked frantically at a waiting ambulance. “Move!” the driver s houted.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” a panicked voice cried. Five people hoisted a man bundled in blankets out of the back of the van and rushed him into the hospital. Security guards shouted in the packed ward: “Make way, make way!”

The guard asked a patient to move, but backed off when a relative snarled at him. The bundled m an was laid on the floor instead, amid doctors running back and forth. “Grandpa!” a woman cried, crouching over the patient.

Medical workers rushed over a ventilator. “Can you open his mouth?” someone shouted.

As white plastic tubes were fitted onto his face, the man began to b reathe more easily.

Others were not so lucky. Relatives surrounding another bed began tearing up as an elderly woman’s vitals flatlined. A man tugged a c loth over the woman’s face, and they stood, silently, before her body was wheeled away.

Within minutes, another patient had taken her place.

VATICAN CITY—Recalling Jesus’ birth in a stable, Pope Francis rebuked those “ravenous” for wealth and power at the expense of the vulnerable, including children, in a Christmas Eve homily decrying war, poverty and greedy consumerism.

Po Pe Fran C is holds his pastoral staff as he presides over Christmas eve Mass, at st Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. AP Photo/Gre G o rio Bor G i A

editorial

Housing Metro Manila’s destitute street dwellers

InternatIonal human rights law recognizes every person’s right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate housing. However, homelessness is a growing global problem. even in the United States, the richest country on earth, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children spend each night unsheltered, whether on the street or in other locations like subway trains.

In the UK, eviction from a privately rented home is one of the leading causes of homelessness. According to annual forecasts by the housing charity Crisis, more than 66,000 more people will be homeless by 2024, with the bulk of the increase being among people forced to “sofa surf.” Sofa surfing means people staying with a series of different friends or relatives and sleeping, for example, on their couch, because they do not have their own place where they can stay.

The Asian Development Bank said cities in developing countries all over Asia face a severe housing unaffordability crisis. That’s because home prices have reached levels that prevent most urban dwellers from realizing their dream of becoming a homeowner. And as cities continue to grow, that does not look set to change.

The ADB said the consequences of the housing unaffordability crisis go beyond the individual household and impact the entire economy. As housing becomes very expensive, people become reluctant to move and spend longer hours commuting. The city as an efficient labor market is thus adversely affected.

As cities in Asia continue to grow, ADB said there’s an urgent need to tackle the housing unaffordability crisis. Housing unaffordability could undo many of the benefits that urbanization brings. As cities are the center of economic activity, unaffordable housing undermines the competitiveness of the entire economy.

In the Philippines, the intention of the Marcos administration to build a million houses a year would certainly be a significant legacy of our 17th President if the program succeeds. Building 6 million homes through the “Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program” until the administration steps down in 2028 is a lofty endeavor.

The President announced last week during the groundbreaking of the Palayan City Township Housing Project in Nueva Ecija that Metro Manila and its surrounding areas will be prioritized under the government’s six-year mass housing initiative. “We just started in Metro Manila and around Metro Manila because that is where the greatest need is in terms of housing,” Marcos said. (Read, “NCR, surrounding areas to get priority in 6-year mass housing— PBBM,” in the BusinessMirror, December 22, 2022).

Secretary Jose Rizalino “Jerry” Acuzar of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is targeting to construct over 6 million houses by 2028 to help address the country’s housing backlog. “That is 1 million homes a year. If we achieve that, that will be a thing in addressing the housing problem of our citizens,” Marcos said.

The President said they are coordinating with local government units to secure the land for the housing projects. He noted that many people become informal settlers, even if they have jobs or means of livelihood, because they lack access to affordable housing.

“This groundbreaking is proof of our ongoing efforts so that millions of Filipinos will have their own homes,” Marcos said, adding that the 11-hectare Palayan City Township Housing Project is expected to provide 5,100 housing units once completed.

Will the “Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program” be able to solve homelessness in Metro Manila? Does the government have accurate and comprehensive data on the number of people and families experiencing homelessness?

Good data helps create good policies. It would do well for the DHSUD to see to it that this ambitious housing program of the Marcos administration would include the real homeless—the families surviving on Metro Manila streets and other public places.

It has been said that housing is a powerful platform to combat poverty. Can the government give decent housing to the most destitute and helpless among the country’s urban poor?

Focusing on the good in 2022

RISING SUN

It was, for sure, a difficult year but there are many reasons to celebrate. For one thing, this year we are able to spend the holidays with our loved ones because many of the restrictions have been lifted. that, in itself, is a great blessing. and while there are clearly many challenges ahead for the nation and for the world, it’s still good to focus on the positives for now and appreciate the good things that happened in 2022.

More people all over the world got the vaccine and so it helped us fight the Covid-19 better. There was much resistance from the anti-vaxxers but more people ended up getting inoculated as the vaccination campaign grew stronger and everyone saw that the side effects were manageable.

This led to the gradual reopening of the travel industry and fewer restrictions on local and foreign trips. People started to visit family and friends they missed and to pick up

appointments that were left hanging before the pandemic shut down many areas of our lives. Official activities and events began to happen both offline and as hybrid affairs. People learned to adjust to the new normal, finding ways to live with the cards we are dealt.

More countries opened to foreign travelers and businesses started to recover slowly. Many of the establishments and brands we loved were not able to survive the pandemic,

While there are clearly many challenges ahead for the nation and for the world, it’s still good to focus on the positives for now and appreciate the good things that happened in 2022. Here’s hoping that 2023 will bring more good things to the Philippines and to the whole world. Happy holidays, friends!

but many struggled and continue to struggle to stay afloat. This is a testament to the resilience of both individuals and organizations, their resourcefulness and tenacity—definitely one of our proudest moments as citizens of the planet.

On local shores, the Philippines was able to conduct peaceful elections. Never mind that the results were not to the liking of many, the people were able to peacefully exercise their right to elect the leaders they want and that in itself is a win for democracy.

We’ve seen the resurgence of big public events like sporting activities and concerts. This was the final ban to get lifted, I believe—the gather-

ing of a large crowd in closed venues. Health protocols continue to be implemented but at least we are able to enjoy the music of local and foreign acts, and cheer for our favorite athletes and teams while we enjoy the in-person action. Many of our local sporting heroes like Hidilyn Diaz and Alex Eala were able to bring honor to the country in 2022.

Students have also gone back to their classrooms, in many places. Some are doing hybrid meetings but it looks like this sector, too, is slowly easing back to normal or to the prepandemic situation. Traffic is the unavoidable consequence of all these activities, but while many of our roads are clogged or congested, it’s also true that road infrastructure projects are definitely making travel a bit easier for many commuters. We now have Skyways and free bus rides on EDSA (Carousel), P2P buses, the PITX, and more comfortable air-conditioned public utility vehicles (modernized jeepneys) plying the routes.

Here’s hoping that 2023 will bring more good things to the Philippines and to the whole world. Happy holidays, friends!

Ivanka Trump testified father’s call with Pence saddened her

By Billy House | Bloomberg Opinion

Ivanka trUMp told investigators for the January 6 House committee that she was saddened by an oval of fice phone call she overheard in which her father tried unsuccessfully to convince vice president Mike pence to help overturn their election loss.

Former President Donald Trump’s daughter, who served as an adviser to him in the White House, said it was a “pretty heated phone conversation” about Pence’s role in the electoral vote certification in the Senate.

A transcript of her testimony to the committee investigating last year’s assault on the US Capitol was among more than 30 released Friday night. Also released was the testimony of former Attorney General William Barr, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and one of Donald Trump’s election attorneys, Sidney Powell.

Pence ultimately refused to reject electoral votes as then-President Donald Trump wanted him to do.

“There appeared to be a discussion over what the Vice President’s rights were in his position and obligations in his position presiding over the Senate,” Ivanka Trump told the committee.

“It was a different tone that I had heard him take with the Vice President before,” she said. “It saddened me to see them having a disagreement. They had been very consistently on the same page.”

The transcripts released Friday join dozens of others made public this week, along with the committee’s final report after a 17-month investi-

gation. The 814-page report, released late Thursday, blames Trump for inciting violence that day and seeking to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.

Former House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving told the committee that in his deposition that two days before January 6, he’d received call from then US Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund that he’d been offered about 125 unarmed National Guardsmen to help with the Capitol security.

They decided to have a conference call with the then Senate Sergeantat-Arms Mike Stenger to talk about it. The decision was to not accept the offer.

“It was a combination of operationally the chief didn’t feel that they would add much to his plan, and the intelligence really didn’t speak for anything that would justify the need for them,” Irving said.

In a sign of how shocking the breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6 was, Pence’s Chief of Staff Marc Short testified he had taken the opportunity to have a cheeseburger at the Senate carryout in the building basement when police started running by and telling people to evacuate. Short went upstairs and met up with Pence in his ceremonial office

shortly after he had been evacuated from the Senate floor.

“I never got my cheeseburger,” he testified.

Ivanka Trump recalls that sometime after lunch, Eric Herschmann, a senior White House adviser, walked into her office as asked her to turn on the TV.

“And that’s when I became aware that there was violence that was taking place at the Capitol. That was the first time,” she recalled.

She said, “Obviously, it was shocking and completely unacceptable.”

She and Herschmann went to the Oval Office, “to ensure that he was aware of what was happening and to make sure he issued a strong statement.”

She said she found her father in the dining room, at the head of a table. She did not recall if he had a TV on, but believed he was aware of the violence.

“I felt he was aware because we immediately discussed what the statement should say,” she said.

She said she had no indication of violence before hand and was shocked by it.

“And I don’t believe anyone I knew of believed there would be,” she said.

After Pence refused to go along with Donald Trump’s plan to reject electors while the mob was attacking the Capitol the relationship between the two turned sour.

Pence medal

Kellogg testified that Trump

and Pence no longer had their daily conversations. To heal the fracture and get them talking again, Kellogg suggested to other White House aides that they arrange for Pence to receive the Presidential Medal of Honor to heal the rift.

The investigators didn’t follow up and ask what became of that idea.

Pence didn’t receive a medal.

Sidney Powell, an attorney who worked with Trump’s legal team to discredit the election results, testified that she first became convinced there was fraud on election night. She said she learned from reporting on Fox News of vote totals shrinking and election sites closing in ways she felt indicated fraud.

Moreover, the results didn’t “jibe” with the enthusiasm she witnesses at Trump rallies, she told the panel. A reference in one transcript suggests even Trump wasn’t convinced by the conspiracies she came to embrace.

Hope Hicks, a White House communications director, described in her deposition Trump muting Powell while she was on the phone describing her theory about the Iranians, the Venezuelans and potentially the Chinese interfering with Dominion voting machines and telling Hicks and others in the Oval Office that the idea sounded “crazy.”

“He said, like ‘This does sound crazy, doesn’t it?” Hicks testified.

“And I think I said, ‘Yes, it does.’” With assistance from Jennifer Jacobs, Steven T. Dennis, Elizabeth Wasserman, Meghashyam Mali and Joe Schneider / Bloomberg.

Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II

FORMER National Security Advisor

Keith

The better team

Joel L. Tan-Torres

DEBIT CREDIT

oN December 19, 2022, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season 85 Men’s Basketball championship game between the University of the Philippines and the Ateneo de Manila University, the better team lost. I was at the Araneta Coliseum to witness the UP team lose to Ateneo with a score of 68 to 75.

Some may say that I am biased in saying that the UP is the better basketball team. I may have deep roots with my alma mater, UP, having completed my Accounting and Master in Business Administration programs at the said university, but I still firmly believe that UP is the better team. Others will tell that I am one-sided in stating this due to my UP connections where I had been the Dean of the UP College of Business Administration and a m now completing my Doctoral Program in Public Administration (PA) at the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance. You may think that I maintain this pro-UP stance because I have been rooting for the UP team since I was in college way back in the mid-1970s and have seen live their long and far-in-between championship victories in 1986 as well as the May 2022 games. Definitely, I am an avid fan and hence my claim that the UP Maroons are the better team.

Indeed the recently concluded championship games took the full route of the best of three games, with UP winning the first game and Ateneo clawing back to take the next two. It was a contest between two never-say-die squads with the support of their countless fans. For the last game alone, there were 21,814 standing room spectators at the venue. It was a tense but fun-filled game, with the

Araneta Coliseum plastered with a sea of blue on one side and a crowd of maroon on the other (with the maroon side having the greater number).

Even before the start of the championship game on Monday, my UP business partner and I were confident that the better team would win. Thus, a few hours before the game, we decided to boldly offer a promotion for our Korean grill restaurant business of granting a 20 percent discount to the UP followers who will dine in our restaurant after the “UP Fight UP Wins” game ( https://www.facebook. com/P.SiLoveyoumaginhawa). Alas, our beloved team lost…but we will still offer the discount for both the UP as well as Ateneo supporters who will dine in the restaurant. Any takers?

Well, Season 85 is done and finished. Congratulations to the Ateneo basketball team. You did well in winning this year’s tournament. But I’m sure that the better team will win the UAAP Season 86 championship.

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

The why of our Christmas story

Siegfred Bueno Mison, Esq.

THE PATRIOT

Most believers should know the story of Christmas like the palm of their hand. It basically started with the visit of an angel named Gabriel to a virgin named Mary. As to the infant’s name, Mary was to call the child Jesus. We all learned about the birth of Jesus in a manger, as depicted in a modern day Belen, as in a Nativity setting, and seen in almost every place this Christmas season. there were three kings who were guided by a star towards a manger in a little town called Bethlehem. shepherds stood as witnesses, whose presence was symbolically significant for the child born on that night that would turn out to be the Great shepherd of mankind. of course, the narrative would not be as interesting without a sinister plot, which, in our Christmas story, came from King Herod who issued an edict to kill all babies in his quest to eliminate threats to his kingdom.

Writers of the Gospel—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote about the birth of Jesus in their own writing styles to let their respective readers understand the story of the life of Jesus. From birth to death to His resurrection, the work of these writers (Matthew the tax collector, Mark the fisherman, Luke the doctor, and John the disciple) complemented by the letters of the apostle Paul, a converted Jewish Pharisee, became an integral part of the Holy Book that we now know as the New Testament of the Bible. Early Christians lost their lives in their quest to spread the life-saving message of the most translated book of all time. Interestingly, none of these gospel writers mentioned that Jesus was born on December 25. Yet, believers these days celebrate the birth of Jesus on such a day, likely by sheer approximation.

But more than just knowing the story and celebrating Jesus’ birth by way of gifts and parties in this day and age, believers should also understand the “why” behind the event—Why our Almighty God allowed His only son to be in human form, only to suffer and die on the

cross. As I am encouraged to read the Bible, I learned that Jesus—Emmanuel—died for our sins, hence the name Savior! Jesus died for every single person’s sins, not just for those living back then but for those living now, myself and yourselves included. What my pastor-friend told me is that Jesus was sent not just to heal, not to condemn, but to serve as a personal savior for those who believed in Him. Such fundamental belief is memorialized in John 3:16 —“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This is the why of the event—He was born, suffered, died, and raised from the dead to save us from our sinful nature.

A few years ago, I had my own share of suffering as relationships with loved ones did not turn out the way I envisioned them to be. As I endured, I searched for answers as to why. I didn’t get any. But as time went by and after reading His word, I finally realized “we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance” ( Romans 5:3). I persevered

Precisely, because Jesus was born and willingly laid down His life for us at the Cross, today we get to enjoy and cherish every good and perfect gift that He died for. He is the reason for the “WHY”— why we can find hope, joy, peace and love not just this Christmas but in every season of life!

and eventually got reconnected with loved ones—not of my own doing, but only by God’s amazing grace!

Though my suffering back then pales in comparison with what former Senator Leila de Lima is going through since her incarceration, I believe she can take “comfort” in her suffering which produces “perseverance, character, and hope.” (Romans 5:4). Senator de Lima’s career has been derailed significantly, to say the least. But such adversity has strengthened her character, which, in turn gave her a stronger resolve, remaining hopeful regardless. Now, no longer a public servant, de Lima continues to be the voice of the underprivileged against abuse by way of handwritten letters shared on social media, quite similar to how the apostle Paul wrote the epistles to the people of Corinth, Galatia, and Philippi, to name a few. None of us would know the why, or the reasons for her continued detention. Over time, such reasons will reveal themselves in God’s perfect timing. Those who celebrate Christmas ought to know the “what”—Jesus came to the world due to personal reasons—to save each one of us.

As to the “why,” each believer will have his own story as to why he or she came to know and accept Jesus Christ as a savior. He tried many times in my life to have this special relationship with Him. From a West Point roommate to a soldier in the Army, it took several other persons, several years, and several sufferings for me to reconnect with Him. Most people may have the “why” simply fed into their beings, perhaps having been born to a family of believ-

ers. Some could have fallen into nothingness, lost everything else worldly and found the light of Jesus. Still others exert efforts to discover God’s grace by walking in His Word, embracing each day by surrendering their thoughts, words and deeds to His will—and that forms the “why” in their lives.

As we celebrate, yet again, the birth of our Savior, may we reflect on “why” he was born in the first place. Jesus came in human form to show how we should live and love each other. My golfer buddy told me that Christmas is and should always be a joyful occasion. After all, the Christmas story continued with an announcement made by an angel to the shepherds: “Behold, I bring you good news of great joy.” Scientist and philosopher Teilhard de Chardin said, “Joy is the infallible sign of God’s presence. For some who are already in the presence of Jesus, Christmas can all be about love, joy, and peace. For others who have yet to meet and know Him, Christmas can be about hope as well.”

Precisely, because Jesus was born and willingly laid down His life for us at the Cross, today we get to enjoy and cherish every good and perfect gift that He died for. He is the reason for the “WHY”—why we can find hope, joy, peace and love not just this Christmas but in every season of life!

Borrowing a pastor’s line to mold a prayer for all of us this Christmas: As Jesus—Emmanuel—is always “with us,” may we draw from His abundant grace and supply, and experience bountiful blessings everywhere in our lives!

A former infantry and intelligence officer in the Army, Siegfred Mison showcased his servant leadership philosophy in organizations such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Malcolm Law Offices, Infogix Inc., University of the East, Bureau of Immigration, and Philippine Airlines. He is a graduate of West Point in New York, Ateneo Law School, and University of Southern California. A corporate lawyer by profession, he is an inspirational teacher and a Spirit-filled writer with a mission. For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.

Tunisia’s political experiment threatens economic collapse Taliban ban women from working for domestic, foreign NGOs

By Riazat Butt | The Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan—The Taliban government on Saturday ordered all foreign and domestic non-governmental groups in Afghanistan to suspend employing women, allegedly because some female employees didn’t wear the Islamic headscarf correctly. They also separately banned women from attending religious classes at the mosques in the capital of Kabul.

The bans are the latest restrictive moves by Afghanistan’s new rulers against women’s rights and freedoms, coming just days after the Taliban banned female students from attending universities across the country.

Afghan women have since demonstrated in major cities against the ban—a rare sign of domestic protest since the Taliban seized power last year. The decision has also caused international outrage.

The NGO order came in a letter from Economy Minister Qari Din Mohammed Hanif, which said that any organization found not complying with the order will have their operating license revoked in Afghanistan. The ministry’s spokesman, Abdul Rahman Habib, confirmed the letter’s content to The Associated Press.

The ministry said it had received “serious complaints” about female staff working for NGOs not wearing the “correct” headscarf, or hijab. It was not immediately clear if the order applies to all women or only Afghan women working at the NGOs.

More details were not immediately available amid concerns the latest Taliban move could be a steppingstone to a blanket ban on Afghan women leaving the home.

“It’s a heartbreaking announcement,” said Maliha Niazai, a master trainer at an NGO teaching young people about issues such as genderbased violence. “Are we not human beings? Why are they treating us with this cruelty?”

The 25-year-old, who works at YPeer Afghanistan and lives in Kabul, said her job was important because she was serving her country and is the only person supporting her family. “Will the officials support us after this announcement? If not, then why are they snatching meals from our mouths?” she asked.

Another NGO worker, a 24-yearold from Jalalabad working the Norwegian Refugee Council, said it was “the worst moment of my life.”

“The job gives me more than a... living, it is a representation of all the efforts I’ve made,” she said, declining to give her name fearing for her own safety.

The United Nations condemned the NGO order, and said it will seek to meet with the Taliban leadership to get some clarity.

“Taking away the free will of women to choose their own fate, disempowering and excluding them systematically from all aspects of public and political life takes the country backward, jeopardizing efforts for any meaningful peace or stability in the country,” a UN statement said.

In another edict, a spokesman for the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, Fazil Mohammad Hussaini, said late Saturday that “adult girls” are barred from attending Islamic classes in mosques in Kabul, although they could still go to standalone madrassas, or religious schools.

He gave no further details, and did not elaborate on the ages affect-

ed with the ban or how it would be enforced. It was also not explained why the measure only applies to Kabul mosques.

Earlier on Saturday, Taliban security forces used a water cannon to disperse women protesting the ban on university education for women in the western city of Herat, eyewitnesses said.

According to the witnesses, about two dozen women were heading to the Herat provincial governor’s house on Saturday to protest the ban—many chanting: “Education is our right”—when they were pushed back by security forces firing the water cannon.

Video shared with the AP shows the women screaming and hiding in a side street to escape the water cannon. They then resume their protest, with chants of “Disgraceful!”

One of the protest organizers, Maryam, said between 100 and 150 women took part in the protest, moving in small groups from different parts of the city toward a central meeting point. She did not give her last name for fear of reprisals.

“There was security on every street, every square, armored vehicles and armed men,” she said. “When we started our protest, in Tariqi Park, the Taliban took branches from the trees and beat us. But we continued our protest. They increased their security presence. Around 11 a.m. they brought out the water cannon.”

A spokesman for the provincial governor, Hamidullah Mutawakil, claimed there were only four-five protesters.

“They had no agenda, they just came here to make a film,” he said, without mentioning the violence against the women or the use of the water cannon.

By BARBARA SURK | The Associated Press

NICE, France—tunisia’s increasingly authoritarian president appears determined to upend the country’s political system. the strategy is not only threatening a democracy once seen as a model for the Arab world, experts say it is also sending the

The International Monetary Fund has frozen an agreement meant to help the government get loans to pay public sector salaries and fill budget gaps aggravated by the Coovid-19 pandemic and the fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Foreign investors are pulling out of Tunisia, and ratings agencies are on alert. Inflation and joblessness are on the rise, and many Tunisians, once proud of their country’s relative prosperity, now struggle to make ends meet. An election debacle a week ago has made matters worse: Just 11 percent of voters took part in a first-round vote for a new parliament meant to replace a legislature disbanded last year by President Kais Saied. Opposition figures, including from the popular Islamist movement Ennahdha, are demanding that he step down, and unions are threatening a general strike.

Saied himself designed the elections to replace and reshape the parliament, as part of broad reforms that bolster his powers and that he says will solve Tunisia’s multiple crises. But voter disillusionment with the ruling class amid dire economic troubles contributed to a near-boycott of the election.

Tunisia’s Western allies, like the United States and France, have expressed concern and urged the president to forge an inclusive political dialogue that would benefit the sluggish economy. Tunisia was the birthplace of Arab Spring democratic uprisings 12 years ago.

Saied rejected criticism over the

low voter turnout, saying what really matters is the second round of voting January 19. He says his reforms are needed to rid the country of the corrupt political class and Tunisia’s foreign enemies. He lashed out at his political foes in the Ennahdha party, which had the largest number of lawmakers in the previous parliament, and ordered the arrest this week of its vice-president and former Prime Minister Ali Larayedeh on terrorismrelated charges.

“Saied seems impervious to criticism and intent on bulldozing his way to a new political system no matter how few Tunisians are engaged in the process,” said Monica Marks, a Tunisia expert and professor of Middle East politics at the New York University in Abu Dhabi.

“No Tunisian asked Saied to reinvent the wheel of Tunisian politics, to write a new constitution and revamp the election law,” Marks said. “What Tunisians have been asking for is a more respectful government that meets their bread-and-butter needs and gives them economic dignity.”

Saied’s promises to stabilize the economy helped ensure his landslide victory in the 2019 presidential election.

But he has yet to present an economic recovery plan or strategy for his deeply indebted government to secure funds to pay for food and energy subsidies. The president has sidelined economists in state institutions, stalling the country’s budget and souring the environment for foreign investors.

Tunisians have been hit with soaring food prices and shortages of fuel and basic staples like sugar, vegetable oil and rice in recent months. Inflation has reached 9.1 percent, the highest in three decades, according to the National Institute of Statistics, and unemployment is at 18 percent, according to the World Bank.

“President Saied naively seems to think that if only he can complete his political roadmap, the economy will fix itself,” said Geoff Porter, a New York City-based North Africa risk assessment analyst, in a recent brief. Tunisia reached a preliminary agreement with the IMF on a $1.9 billion loan in October. It would enable the heavily indebted Tunisian government to access loans from other donors over a four-year period in return for sweeping economic reforms that include shrinking the public administration sector—one of the world’s largest—and a gradual lifting of subsidies.

The agreement was subject to the IMF executive board’s approval, scheduled for December 19. The state news agency TAP reported that “the government and the IMF have agreed to postpone” the final decision on the loan to give Tunisian officials “more time to present a new reform plan for the country’s sluggish economy.”

Tunisia desperately needs access to the special drawing rights in order to avoid defaulting on external debt and to stabilize the economy, Porter said. He added: “Without the IMF funds, Tunisia’s economic freefall will accelerate.”

Foreign investors operating in Tunisia are worried.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers Novartis, Bayer and GlaxoSmithKline are leaving the country because they are not getting paid by the insufficiently funded state pharmaceutical distributor. Bouazza ben Bouazza contributed from Tunis, Tunisia.

economy toward a tailspin.

OUTGOING CONGEN CATO GETS CITATION FROM NEW YORK MAYOR, OTHER EXECS

ANGELES CITY—Outgoing

Consul General Elmer G. Cato has earned commendations from New York City Mayor Eric Adams and other officials of New York and New Jersey who cited his role in looking after the Filipino-American Community during the Covid-19 pandemic and the surge in anti-Asian hate.

C ato, who is now preparing for his next overseas posting as Consul General of the Philippine Consulate General in Milan, Italy was also commended by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of Angeles City for his achievements during the one year and eight months he had served in New York.

“ I applaud your achievements and your work to fortify the ties between our nations and address important issues that impact people in the five boroughs and beyond…” Adams wrote in his citation-letter to Cato dated December 20, 2022.

A dams also cited Cato for his efforts “to combat the rise in anti-Asian bias fueled by the Covid-19 misinformation.”

It has been an honor to work with you and the team at the Philippine Consulate General to strengthen our diverse and vibrant communities,” Adams said.

New York State Assembly Representative Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas presented Cato with a citation, commending him for promoting the shared history and values between the United States and the Philippines and in the fight against the pandemic and racial discrimination.

I n her citation, GonzalezRojas also specifically cited the efforts of Cato in recognizing Filipino health-care frontline workers and other caregivers, disaster and emergency response in the

Spending scandal at PHL phone giant had roots in ambition

By Ian Sayson

THE day after the Philippines’ largest phone company plunged by a record 19 percent following an audit disclosure that shocked investors, Chairman Manuel Pangilinan tweeted that his arowana, a freshwater fish, had just died.

T he poor fish had “probably absorbed all the angst of PLDT, on our behalf,” he quipped.

He was referring to the scandal that has engulfed PLDT Inc., with the company losing more than $1 billion in market value and becoming the subject of a regulatory investigation and a probe into possible insider trading. The bourse says it hasn’t found evidence of insider trading but its investigation is continuing.

PLDT has described this month’s disclosure of more than $800 million in previously unreported spending over four years as a “budget overrun” that involves “no fraud, no anomalies.”

B ut the Philippine stock exchange and securities regulator said the company should clarify what happened, and the head of the bourse said it may take time for PLDT to regain the full confidence of investors. The big question hanging over PLDT: How did so much spending go unreported for so long at a company that’s almost a century-old and had won awards for corporate governance?

PLDT was motivated by a need to keep up in an increasingly competitive industry, according to a company disclosure that cited CEO Alfredo Panlilio at a briefing for investors and analysts this week. The company had a fierce rivalry with local peer Globe Telecom Inc. and was under pressure from a new entrant backed by China Telecommunications Corp.

“ Behind the irregular spending was the desire to regain leadership and prepare for threats from new

players,” said Japhet Tantiangco, an analyst at local brokerage Philstocks Financial Inc.

Pangilinan and Panlilio didn’t respond to multiple requests from Bloomberg News for interviews and comments since the company’s announcement triggered investor and regulatory concerns.

T he Makati-based firm said after the market closed on December 16, a Friday, that an internal audit had found as much as 48 billion pesos ($869 million) in previously undisclosed spending. The outlays ran from 2019 through 2022, a period in which PLDT forked out 379 billion pesos mostly to improve its network and upgrade to 5G.

T he following Monday, its stock plummeted almost 20 percent, the biggest decline in data compiled by Bloomberg going back to 1990.

The country’s Securities and Exchange Commission announced it had started an inquiry, saying the overspending and the stock selloff before the disclosure were “areas of concern.” It also ordered the nation’s bourse to submit a report on its own investigation into the trading patterns.

Trading in PLDT shares spiked in the 10 minutes prior to the close that Friday, before the company informed the exchange about the spending.

PLDT executives including Pangilinan and Panlilio told the Wednesday briefing that the previously unreported spending was for equipment to transform the network after years of underinvestment, according to a company disclosure the day after. Panlilio said they felt pressure to do so, partly because then Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was pushing telecommunications companies to shape up and due to increasing competition and the pandemic. The company said there was no fraudulent trading before the December 16 announcement.

See “Spending scandal,” A2

Privacy body: Scammers target SIM card registration

By Andrea E. San Juan

mission in consultation with the telco industry, has gone through public hearing.

It is set to lay down the SIM registration procedure and guidelines that all public telecommunications entities (PTEs) must follow in creating their respective registration platforms.

T he IRR is expected to take effect on December 27.

Upon welcoming the issuance of the IRR of the said law, telco operators in the Philippines said two weeks ago that they are now preparing for the law’s full implementation.

in compliance with the law.

We are ready to roll out our SIM Registration processes after months of preparations, which have included, among others, studying best global practices and technology solutions from other countries that have already implemented SIM registration. We will release more information about the SIM registration portal via our official channels in the next few weeks,” he added.

T he National Privacy Commission (NPC) is warning the public against the spread of e-mails and text messages containing “fake” instructions and links on how to register their SIM cards and virtual wallets.

I n a message sent to reporters through Viber on Sunday, the country’s privacy body addressed the public saying, “Do not provide personal information through these emails and text messages, nor click any links/URLs.”

“ The NPC advises subscribers to wait for the official guidelines for

SIM registration to be released by the National Telecommunications Commission [NTC], Department of Information and Communications Technology [DICT], and telecommunication companies,” the NPC said on Sunday.

A n example of the message being sent to subscribers says, “Hi, you need to register your sim card now or your number will be blocked. Click on this link to register.”

T he Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the SIM Registration Law, crafted by the National Telecommunications Com -

G lobe Telecom Inc. President Ernest L. Cu said Globe is proud to be part of the technical working group that crafted the IRR, which they hope will pave the way for an “orderly and timely” SIM registration for all SIM users. Cu said Globe will continue its close collaboration with the government to ensure full implementation of the SIM Registration Act.

Meanwhile, Smart SVP and Head of Consumer Business Group-Individual Francis E. Flores said Smart is ready to implement new processes

Meanwhile, Dito Telecommunity Corp. Chief Administrative Officer Adel Tamano reiterated Dito’s commitment to be compliant with the new law, which seeks to reduce text scams.

“ We support this important initiative of the government to protect the public from phishing and similar types of fraudulent activities. We will do our level best to make the registration process as simple and painless as possible for new Dito subscribers and our 14 million existing customers,” he said . (Full story here: https:// businessmirror .com.ph/2022/12/13/ with-irr-telcos-prepping-forsim-registrations-full-rollout/)

Padilla pushes bill vs religious discrimination in schools

SEN. Robin Padilla is prodding Congress to pass an enabling law penalizing discrimination in schools victimizing students of different religions.

I n filing Senate Bill 1609, to be known as the Protection of Students’ Religious Belief Act, Padilla envisions the remedial legislation will mandate all education institutions at all levels to respect the faith of each student.

Moreover, the new law will specifically prohibit schools from forcing students to enrol in religion classes and attend lessons and activities, wear dress contrary to their religion, except if a student is given written consent from the parents or legal guardian.

Teachers and employees of schools found in violation of the law may face six years’ prison time and a fine of up to P500,000.

I f the offender is a member of a corporation or organization, the violator faces penalty of up to 8-years’ imprisonment and fine of up to P2 million P adilla pointed out that the Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights mandate respect for people’s rights to choose their religion and always protect their religious freedom.

Butch Fernandez

THE law recently enacted to fight the rising tide of financial fraud enabled by electronic devices is the latest target of its target scammers, regulators have warned.

NOT ‘CHICKEN FEED’ A small backyard poultry owner feeds his 45-day-old chickens in Nueva Ecija in this recent photo. His small business is surviving, but he is groaning under the burden of high feeds cost, a vital ingredient for raising broiler chicken. NONIE REYES

See “Cato,” A2

CATO

NGCP seeks govt approval for transmission rate reset

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

The energy Regulatory Commission (eRC) will start evaluating next month the application of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for a transmission rate reset.

erC Chairperson Monalisa C. Dimalanta said ngCP’s application is a “positive development” towards resolving the long regulatory lag in the energy sector.

“We are encouraged by ngCP’s cooperation in filing its application for a rate reset. We view this as an alignment of interests among the regulator and energy stakeholders to pursue moving our energy sector towards a regime of higher level of compliance and accountability,” Dimalanta said.

T he grid operator filed last December 22 an application for the resetting of the transmission rates charged to all electricity end-users in the country. The rate reset is expected to result in lower transmission charges for the benefit of electricity consumers.

n g C P’s application comes after the e r C denied its Omnibus Motion to hold the rate reset in abeyance until the e r C holds another round of public consultation on the rules and after e r C

h as clarified certain provisions in the Amended r u les for Setting Transmission Wheeling r a tes (Amended r T W r ) e r C denied n g C P’s motion last n o vember 25 stating that several public consultations on the amendments to the r T W r were held since 2014, all with n g C P’s participation.

It may be recalled that the erC promulgated resolution no. 08, Series of 2022, or the Amended rT W r last September 28. The Amended rT W r covers the rate reset for the fourth and fifth regulatory periods, covering the years 2016 to 2022 and the years 2023 to 2027, repectively. The last transmission reset completed by the erC was in 2010, for the regulatory period covering the years 2011-2015.

The application filed by ngCP covers the fourth regulatory period. Simultaneous to the filing of the application, ngCP also filed a petition for rule making to change the coverage of the fourth regulatory period in the amended rT W r to 2016 to 2020.

Meanwhile, ngCP has also complied with erC ’s order to pay penalties amounting to P5.1 million for non-compliance with the circular issued by the Department of energy (DOe) requiring the procurement of reserves. The penalty was paid last november 21.

It can be recalled that the erC r uled that ngCP violated Sections 7.4 and 7.5 of DOe Department Circular no. DC2021-10-0031 titled “Prescribing the Policy for the Transparent and ef ficient Procurement of Ancillary Services by the System Operator” (AS-CSP Policy).

The AS-CSP Policy mandates that all ancillary services or reserves required by the grid to be procured pursuant to an open and competitive process under a firm contracting agreement. This aims to improve transparency, competitiveness, and wide dissemination of bid opportunities among qualified facilities. For energy security, it is crucial for ngCP to meet and maintain the required reserve levels.

PAL to resume China operations

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

Leg A C y carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will resume its operations in China next year, almost three years since it stopped services to the east Asian nation due to the pandemic.

Despite the rising Covid-19 cases in China, PAL will restart mounting flights between Manila and Xiamen on January 13, operating one flight per week as it “builds up frequencies over time.”

PAL Vice President for Sales Bud Britanico noted that its expansion will be “in line with the easing of restrictions and applicable government authorizations.”

“The reopening of our Manila-

Photo from www.PhiliPP neairlines.com

Xiamen service is a happy development as we welcome the new year, and a good start for the restoration of our flights to and from the Chinese mainland. Philippine

Airlines is continuously working towards flying back to more cities in China, with our goal of operating the largest network of flights between the Philippines

and multiple cities in mainland China,” he said.

PAL will use its high-capacity wide-body Airbus A330s to serve the Manila-Xiamen route.

“Moving forward, we are excited to serve more customers and strengthen the warm and friendly relations that unite the Chinese and Filipino people,” Britanico said.

PAL only served charter flights to and from China during the pandemic. All of its regular Chinese operations were suspended due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Before the start of the Covid-19 closures, PAL had previously served 5 cities in China, namely Beijing, Shanghai, guangzhou, Xiamen and Quanzhou (Jinjiang).

inks power

Energy Development Corp. ( e D C) will start supplying power to ne gros Oriental’s leading medical institution, Silliman University Medical Center Foundation, Inc. (SUMCFI), making it the first hospital in the island to be directly powered by geothermal energy.

“After carefully evaluating offers from various proponents, the board has decided to partner with First g e n that will be able to supply us with clean, renewable energy through geothermal power coming from our very own province here in ne gros Oriental at a very competitive price,” said en gr. em manuel D. Abellanosa, Corporate Secretary and a member of the SUMCFI Board of Directors, said during the ceremonial signing.

The 800-kilowatt geothermal power supply will commence on January 26, 2023 and will be sourced from eD C’s second largest geothermal facility located in Valencia, ne gros Oriental.

eD C is a subsidiary of Lopez-led First g e n Corp., which has been supplying renewable energy ( r e) to Silliman University since 2019.

eD C said this decision of SUMCFI was largely influenced by Dr. Angel Alcala, a national Scientist who happens to be one of the Board of Directors of the Hospital and from its sister institution, Silliman University. The University is known for its strong environmental advocacy and is one of the few in the country to be 100 percent powered by renewable energy.

“We thank SUMCFI for giving us the same trust that its sister company, Silliman University, has also been giving us since the start of our partnership. It is an honor for us to provide our own brand of reliable, cost-competitive r e to a medical institution that is also considered as kasaligan (trustworthy) by its own patients and stakeholders,” said gideon Adriel Butalid, head of e D C’s Market Planning and Contracts.

chase agreement and remote energy monitoring system with First g e n’s Pi energy subsidiary.

g e othermal energy is considered the “Holy gr ail” of r e technologies because—unlike other r e sources—it can provide uninterrupted, year-round baseload power, rain, or shine. Thus, it is referred to by the company as g e o 24/7.

eDC has over 1,480-MW total installed capacity and accounts for 20 percent of the country’s total installed r e capacity. Its 1,185.40MW geothermal portfolio accounts for 62 percent of the country’s total installed geothermal capacity, making the Philippines the third largest geothermal producer in the world.

Meanwhile, Lopez-led engineering and construction subsidiary First Balfour, Inc., and its vendors have agreed to explore measures meant to help reverse climate change.

As part of its pledge to fight climate change, First Balfour agreed to join a Philippine initiative, called “Ako Ang Bukas Movement” (AAB), which the pro-environment and nongovernment organization green Convergence convened in an effort to help the country achieve net-zero carbon emissions by year 2050.

The multi-sectoral AAB has developed a calculator that the Climate Change Commission earlier evaluated and enhanced for quantifying the amount of greenhouse gases (gHg s) an individual or an organization creates. Studies have identified gHg s, like carbon dioxide, as major contributors to climate change.

First Balfour will use the AAB calculator to estimate the company’s greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain. At the forum, AAB shared this calculator with First Balfour’s vendors to help them quantify their own carbon emissions.

Macy’s workers begin strike Amazon looks to sell excess cargo space

MAC y S Inc. workers at a flagship location in San Francisco’s Union Square began a two-day strike on Friday, walking out on some of the most crucial holiday shopping days of the year.

Macy’s said in a statement that “our top priority is to ensure the safety of our colleagues and customers,” adding that the store location will remain open. The company didn’t comment on how the store will be staffed or whether opening hours will shift.

Organizers say the strike involves 400 employees, and that 93 percent of workers voted for the work stoppage. The strike comes after workers overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract from Macy’s on Thursday.

The workers, who are represented by United Food & Commercial Workers Local 5, had been looking to get higher wages, broader access to health care benefits and better safety measures, according to Jim Araby, the union’s director of strategic campaigns. Bloomberg News

AMA z O n C OM I nc. is trying to sell excess space on its cargo planes, according to people familiar with the matter, its latest effort to adjust from a rapid pandemic-era expansion to a slowdown in online growth.

The e-commerce retailer, which has a fleet of about 100 planes in the United States and e u rope, in recent months has hired executives with experience marketing cargo space for airlines. Possibilities include filling empty jets returning from Hawaii and Alaska with pineapples and salmon, according to two of the people. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on the plans.

The long-term plan for Amazon Air hasn’t changed despite the current turmoil, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are confidential. The pressure to make money from unused space aboard its jets is increasing as the company looks to boost profits in a period of slower revenue growth, another person said.

Amazon unveiled the air cargo service in 2016, prompting speculation that it would ultimately create an overnight delivery network to rival United Parcel Service

Inc. and Fed e x Corp. Amazon Air operates out of smaller regional airports close to its warehouses around the country, helping the Seattle-based company quickly move inventory to accommodate one- and two-day delivery.

The company’s ultimate goal has befuddled industry experts, who have written conflicting reports about Amazon’s ambitions. Fast growth in its earlier years and a $1.5 billion investment in a hub at Cincinnati/ northern Kentucky International Airport fueled speculation that the company was ramping up to be an overnight parcel service. Other investors said Amazon remains far shy of larger carriers like Fed e x and UPS, which have more planes and more flight connections that don’t overlap with Amazon’s core online retail business.

Demand for air cargo has cooled this year, and is expected to tail off again in 2023. IATA, an airline trade group, projects the sector will generate sales of $149.4 billion, about $52 billion less than 2022 but still $48.6 billion more than in 2019.

Amazon’s flights in September grew at their slowest pace since the start of the pandemic, according to researchers with DePaul

University’s Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development, who have been monitoring Amazon Air flights since 2020.

Despite slowing demand, Amazon in October announced it would add 10 Airbus A330-300 freighters starting next year through a partnership with Hawaiian Airlines. Amazon plans to also trim its fleet by not renewing some leases for aircraft with Air Transport Services group, two of the people said.

e v en the largest package carriers are tightening belts as consumers resume pre-pandemic spending habits, which takes pressure off the shipping industry. Fed e x on Dec. 20 unveiled plans to cut $3.7 billion in expenses next year, with the cost cuts including using digital tools to rebalance flights between company-owned jets and lifts from third-party operators.

Amazon is offering space on its planes, and charter flights, said one of the people. The effort is the latest maneuver to address slowing online sales and a fragile economy that could be on the brink of recession, including subletting excess warehouse space and eliminating an estimated 10,000 jobs. Bloomberg News

SUMCFI likewise signed up for a 15-year solar rooftop power pur-

“Before we can act on the climate crisis, we must know the greenhouse gas footprint we generate,” said Agnes de Jesus, chief sustainability officer of First Philippine Holdings, the parent firm of First Balfour. Lenie Lectura

ABOITI z InfraCapital (AIC), the infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz group, and the Philippine economic zone Authority (Peza), signed an agreement with Kurabe Industrial Philippines.

The Japanese manufacturing company will invest P2 billion for its expansion within AIC’s LIMA estate.

The amount will be used for land, the acquisition of factory equipment, and the eventual construction of the facility which is slated to break ground in 2024.

Upon completion, Kurabe’s factory is expected to recruit a 2,000head workforce from Batangas and its adjacent areas. The facility will manufacture and assemble primarily Kurabe’s automotive products, such as car seat heaters and wiring, and steering wheel heaters and wiring.

“Considering the strategic location of LIMA estate, the incentives we get with our registration to Pez A , and Aboitiz InfraCapital’s readiness and expertise to cater to foreign locators, we have decided that the Philip-

pines is the best location to disperse our business,” Kanazawa Takenobu, Kurabe Co., Ltd.’s CeO and President said in a statement. The AIC-Kurabe deal, signed in Tokyo, Japan last november during the Philippine business delegation’s Japan roadshow, follows the registration agreement between Pez A and Kurabe, which classified the Japanese company as an ecozone export enterprise.

The deal with AIC includes Kurabe’s purchase of a 5.9-hectare property within the 800-hectare LIMA estate in Batangas, which offers industrial lots to foreign and domestic companies interested in expanding operations in the country.

“AIC shares the success of this deal with Pez A and our partners from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). On behalf of the Philippine delegation at the Japan Business roadshow, we welcome Kurabe Industrial to the Philippines, and to LIMA estate,” said AIC economic estates Head r afael Fernandez de Mesa. Rizal Raoul Reyes

Banking&Finance

‘Anti-dumping duty boosts resolve of cement makers to pursue investments’

By Andrea E. San Juan

LoC AL manufacturers said the imposition of anti-dumping duty against two types of cement from Vietnam shows that the government supports the development of the domestic cement manufacturing industry.

“With this boost received from [Department of Trade and Industry] DTI, the domestic industry is very much reassured of the partnering and unwavering support from the Philippine government in upholding fair competition in the market,” Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CeMAP) said in a statement on Friday.

on December 16, DTI released Department Administrative order (DAo) No. 22-17 reviewing the recommendation of the Tariff Commission (TC) to impose definitive anti-dumping duties for a period of five years on imports of ordinary Portland Cement Type 1 and Blended Cement Type 1P.

Local cement manufacturers said with this “boost” from DTI, the domestic industry is “very much reassured” of the “unwavering support” from the Philippine government in upholding fair competition in the market.

“It also increases industry’s resolve to continue pursuing investments, developing further this proudly-local industry in areas, such as sustainable manufacturing and greener cement products, generating local employment and other socioeconomic benefits for Filipinos, and ultimately contributing to economic recovery and overall nation building,” CeMAP added.

Based on DTI-DAo 22-17 signed by Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual, the anti-dumping duties for Type

1 cement for Vietnamese exporters range from $1.61 per metric ton (MT) to $10.29 per MT or 3.9 percent to 27.64 percent of export price.

CeMAP said there is sufficient domestic capacity to serve local demand for cement. It also noted that even without cement imports, the domestic industry is “highly competitive” as there are 14 integrated cement plants operating in the country, with a couple more being constructed.

According to its estimates presented during the Tariff Commission’s Public Hearing on Anti-Dumping, the group said domestic cement capacity stands at around 46 million metric tons vis-à-vis an apparent consumption reported by the TC of some 28.7 million metric tons for the year 2021.

Local manufacturers said they continue to expand the capacity of their plants and upgrade their existing facilities to serve market demand.

The Tariff body’s findings noted that the existence of threat of material injury to the domestic industry is “imminent in the near future” as indicated by the following: significant rate of increase of dumped imports into the Philippines capturing substantial market share; presence of price undercutting, price depression and price suppression during the period of investigation; the substantial available production capacities of Vietnam that can accommodate increasing exports to the Philippines; and the openness of the Philippine cement market.

With this, the TC has ordered that anti-dumping duties be imposed on imports of ordinary Portland cement Type 1 and Blended Cement Type 1P originating and exported from Vietnam, for 5 years.

GSIS offers housing loan condonation, installment sale

Property developer Arthaland lists ₧3-B bonds on PDEx

By VG Cabuag @villygc

Arth A lA nd Corp. has listed its P3-billion ASEA n Green Bonds on the Philippine dealing and Exchange (PdEx), which were issued in two tenors—5 years at a yield of 8 percent and 7 years at 8.7557 percent.

The offer comprises the second tranche of the company’s P6-billion Asean Green Bond Program, for which Arthaland established the first green bonds.

Proceeds from the offer will fund the necessary investment in new certified sustainable residential projects that will allow Arthaland the flexibility to develop and launch within the next 10 years or more.

“The Asean Green Bonds carry our commitment to use the proceeds only towards projects that meet minimum green building certifications and to be transparent in disclosing the environmental impact of these projects through energy savings and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions,” Christopher T. Po, Arthaland director, said.

“We believe that this offer gives

institutions and the public a chance to participate in this noble cause.”

The Asean Green Bonds aligns with Arthaland’s commitment to sustainability. It is the only developer in the country with a portfolio composed entirely of sustainable projects certified under multiple global and national standards for green buildings.

It is the first real estate developer in Asia and the first signatory from the Philippines to the Net Zero Carbon Building Commitment of the World Green Building Council. As a signatory to this program, Arthaland officially committed to decarbonizing a substantial portion of the its portfolio by 2030, placing itself and the Philippines in the forefront of the global initiative for

climate action.

Its flagship office project, the Arthaland Century Pacific Tower, was recognized as the world’s first Net Zero Carbon Project as certified under the EDGE Green Building Program of the IFC.

Arthaland’s two largest multicertified sustainable projects, Cebu Exchange and Savya Financial Center, became operational in 2022. It also launched two new residential projects within the second half of 2022.

Una Apartments, the first of six mid-rise residential towers in Sevina Park in Biñan, Laguna broke ground in September, while Eluria, Arthaland’s multi-certified luxury condominium project in Legazpi Village, Makati, broke ground in November.

Davao City opens more sites for processing permits

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAo City—The city government has opened more locations and outlets where businesses may process their permits and pay taxes.

From the city government collection offices and district offices in farflung barangays, and government gyms and shopping malls, residents have been given proximate options to process their business permits and

pay annual taxes. “Clients who seek to renew their mayor’s permit can do their transactions using either the face to face and online systems as the Business Bureau and City Treasurer set up processing locations in strategic areas within the city for the renewal of mayor’s permit that will run for the whole month of January,” the city information office said.

The processing locations are in the Sangguniang Panlungsod building for Poblacion District; Almendras

Gym for Talomo and Agdao districts; NCCC Mall Buhangin for Buhangin District; Calinan Gym for Calinan District; Baguio District Treasury of fice for Baguio District; Marilog District Treasury of fice for Marilog District; Tugbok District Treasury o f fice for Tugbok District; Toril District Treasury of fice for Toril District; Bunawan District Treasury of fice for Bunawan District; and the Paquibato District Treasury of fice for Paquibato District.

on line renewal of business per-

Perspectives A dealmaker’s view on decarbonization

MAN y large companies, institutional investors, big banks, and insurance firms are adopting ambitious initiatives to reduce their carbon footprints, often before they are required to do so by governments or regulators. When looking to buy, sell or invest in other businesses, these global leaders increasingly consider whether their investment targets have a plan to reduce their carbon footprint.

analyzing, and reporting on emissions data is both a challenge and an opportunity. organizations that can effectively quantify their carbon footprint and decarbonization efforts will have an advantage.

Addressing the misconceptions

STATE pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is offering a housing loan and restructuring program for housing loan borrowers and installment sale for buyers of its retail housing units.

The two new programs aim to assist the national government’s housing efforts and provide ginhawang bahay, ginhawang buhay to every Filipino.

“Kung may hinuhulugan kang bahay sa GSIS at nabibigatan ka sa amortization, pwede nating i-restructure ang payment mo na may kasamang condonation ng penalties and surcharges at huhulugan hanggang sampung taon para mas lumiit ang amortization. Kung gusto mong bayaran ng buo, tatanggalin natin lahat ng unpaid penalties and surcharges at bibigyan ka namin ng 50 percent discount sa interest. Pwede mo ring i-settle lang muna ang arrears mo, para ma-update ang account mo kahit pa mahigit sa anim na buwan nang walang hulog kung ikaw ay may remaining term pa,” GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso said.

Ang installment sale naman ay available sa GSIS members na gustong bumili ng bahay sa ilalim ng programang Lease with option to Buy o kaya sa public bidding. Ang installment ay maaaring bayaran hanggang 25 years.

ang term ay hanggang 20 years at kung bakanteng lote, 15 years to pay,” Veloso added.

Qualified to avail of the installment sale program are active GSIS members who have paid at least 3 years of paid premiums; are not on leave of absence without pay at the time of application; have updated premium and loan payments; have no pending administrative or criminal case; and have no active housing loan account with GSIS.

In addition, buyers under installment sale must not be under agencies tagged as suspended; have net take-home pay not lower than the amount required under the General Appropriations Act after all monthly obligations have been deducted; and not be older than 65 years old at the time of maturity of the obligation.

Last year, the pension fund opened the Lease with option to Buy program. Under the program, informal occupants of GSIS housing units are given priority to lease the property to provide them the chance to legalize their stay, and ultimately buy the property. Unoccupied GSIS properties for lease are also open to non-members under the program.

The list of GSIS properties for sale and lease under the Lease with option to Buy may be viewed in the GSIS web site, www.gsis.gov.ph.

If you have a clear decarbonization strategy and implementationready transition plan, you can differentiate yourself in the deals market.

The trends making waves

n Global commitment to 2050: In october 2021 at the UN Conference on Climate Change (CoP 26), approximately 5,200 businesses representing 40 percent of the world’s private capital mutually committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. This collective goal now acts as the true north for many organizations and acts as the benchmark for ESG success.

n The movement toward deglobalization: Recent geopolitical events have highlighted the acute risks of depending on foreign sources of natural resources. Many companies are seeing their decarbonization objectives inextricably linked to finding new investment opportunities closer to home.

n Shifting talent priorities: Employees have become more valuedriven than ever and are looking to join like-minded organizations with a plan to make an impact. Companies with clear decarbonization goals and strategies have an edge when it comes to attracting and retaining top-tier talent.

n The need for data: Capturing,

To reach net-zero targets, it’s not as simple as just divesting all “grey assets”—high emitters of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. There is significant value to be generated in taking grey assets and making them greener.

one of the ways companies are “greening” grey assets is through the energy transition. Investors are seeking opportunities to have a direct impact by actively engaging with companies and sectors that are carbon intensive, rather than simply shunning them.

Investors’ commitment to net zero is also being operationalized by investing in new technologies, renewable power, batteries, alternative fuels, and other clean sources of energy. They are scrutinizing the energy consumed by their portfolio investments and making long-term commitments to switch to electric vehicles in their fleets.

Another misconception is that decarbonization only applies to greenhouse gases (GHGs), whereas, in reality, it’s about reducing the general pressure we place on the planet. That also involves a focus on resource intensity, biodiversity, and water consumption.

Finally, we see a misconception that only large companies need to have robust decarbonization strategies. As ESG principles become an increasingly integral part of the dealmaking conversation, companies of all sizes should view a sound decarbonization strategy as the

cost of entry for doing business in the future.

Making decarbonization an imperative

DECARBoNIZATIoN has become a central focus of investment portfolio construction and engagement, and has moved: n past vague promises to an action-oriented mentality n from a focus on risk analysis alone to scrutiny of how decarbonization is being operationalized n from a consideration to a necessity, as GHG abatement capacity becomes part of the due diligence of any potential deal, large or small n toward truly envisioning how a potential transaction may help or hinder an investor’s net-zero goals n toward more transparency throughout global supply chains by requiring disclosures on a company’s carbon footprint.

As such, assessing decarbonization potential needs to be treated with the same rigor as every other component of a potential deal. It will increasingly be viewed as table stakes for attracting investor interest.

Recommendations for your decarbonization journey

EV ERy path to “net zero” will be unique and based on each organization’s specific goals and circumstances. However, there are a few key recommendations that you can consider as you map your way forward:

Value creation

CoMPANIES interested in buying, selling, or investing will be looking for synergies in their portfolios to help reach net-zero goals. Companies that can demonstrate green value creation and measurable en-

mits may be coursed through https:// appbts.davaocity.gov.ph.

Dabawenyos may also pay their taxes and regulatory fees online through the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines.

Those who already have their tax order of payment or statement of account generated online or through the district treasury office may directly pay at the City Treasurer’s off ice main office at the SP building, the information office said.

ergy transition goals to potential investors or partners will have an advantage in the deals space.

Set tangible near-term and longterm targets

R E ACHING net zero by 2050 will require continual progress. Include clear, timely, and actionable sciencebased targets along your decarbonization plan to benchmark efforts and keep your business on track.

Impact assessment

IN VEST in data and analytics to help quantify your decarbonization efforts.

Talent attraction and retention

CR EATE an actionable decarbonization strategy and leverage data to share your net-zero vision and progress with current and potential employees to bolster your talent attraction and retention efforts.

Embrace the movement

ESG is the framework investors are using for responsible investment, and climate change is the burning platform. Stay ahead of the curve or risk losing out to more proactive organizations.

The excerpt was taken from the KPMG Thought Leadership publication: https://home.kpmg/ca/ en/home/insights/2022/12/decarbonization-indeals.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 International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee. All rights reserved.

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 KPMG International or KPMG in the Philippines.

Kung condominium,

Explainer

How Trump ignored advisers, spread elecTion lies

By Nicholas Riccardi The Associated Press

The executive summary of the house January 6 committee’s report documents how then-President Donald Trump was repeatedly warned by those closest to him—Cabinet members, campaign officials and even family members— that claims he had lost his reelection due to fraud were false. But Trump spread those lies anyway.

“This was not him hearing this from Joe Biden’s spokesman on MSNBC,” David Becker, co-author of “The Big Truth,” a book about the damage of Trump’s election lies, said in an interview.

Trump's lies about his loss in the 2020 presidential election sparked the attack on the US Capitol on Jan. 6 and have helped fuel millions of dollars in donations to the Republican former president. Here are details showing he was told the truth about his loss and chose instead to lie about it.

Planning the lie ahead of time

T H e Jan. 6 committee has made clear that Trump long planned to claim victory, whether he actually won or not. His allies were boasting of how they could try to fool the public to make it seem that he had won reelection. The committee cites correspondence from Tom Fitton of the conserva -

tive group Judicial Watch to the White House in October 2020 in which Fitton urges Trump to say after polls close: “We had an election. I won.”

The committee also obtained a recording of Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who told associates the week before the election that “what Trump’s gonna do is just declare victory, right? He’s gonna declare victory. But that doesn’t mean he’s a winner. He’s just gonna say he’s a winner.”

Trump had spent months demonizing mail voting, which swelled in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The then-president also insisted the only way he would lose the election would be by massive voter fraud. When Trump did declare victory early in the morning the day after e l ection Day, he exploited a quirk in vote counting in which in-person votes,

which leaned GOP, were tallied first, putting him temporarily ahead. He demanded that local election officials stop counting outstanding ballots, which leaned Democratic.

“President Trump's decision to declare victory falsely on election night and, unlawfully, to call for the vote counting to stop, was not a spontaneous decision,” the committee wrote in the executive summary for its report. “It was premeditated.”

Lies about voting machines

By Nov. 7, when those outstanding Democratic votes had been tallied and most news organizations had called the race for Joe Biden, Trump's own campaign knew he had lost.

“The group that went over there outlined, you know, my belief and chances for success at this point,” his campaign manager, Bill Stepien, testified before the committee. “And then we pegged that at, you know, 5, maybe 10 percent based on recounts.”

Stepien added that Trump believed him: "He was pretty realistic with our viewpoint, in agreement with our viewpoint of kind of the forecast and the uphill climb we thought he had.”

Still, Trump continued to insist he had won. His legal team largely walked away from the case, and was replaced by former New yo rk Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and litigator Sidney Powell, who began to make wild fraud allegations, to the dismay of White House attorneys, who warned Trump they were false.

The president grabbed hold of a development in a rural, conservative county in Michigan, where

voting machines had initially undercounted his margin of victory. Human error turned out to be the cause. When the paper ballots were tallied and run back through the machine, they were counted correctly.

Trump knew this, the committee says, because Attorney General William Barr told him so on Dec. 1, 2020. Barr testified that he told the president that the paper ballot tally matched the final results. ye t the next day, Trump said in a speech: “In one Michigan county, as an example, that used Dominion systems, they found that nearly 6,000 votes had been wrongly switched from Trump to Biden, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Barr and others in the administration kept telling Trump that there was nothing suspicious in Michigan or with Dominion, a major vendor of voting machinery. Barr and Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen told Trump there were no apparent problems, and even Trump's national security adviser, Robert O'Brien, rebutted a wild conspiracy theory about Dominion being connected to hostile foreign governments. But, the committee said, between November 2020 and Jan. 6, 2021, Trump tweeted about Dominion nearly three dozen times.

Lies about dead voters, numbers

T RU MP f anned other conspiracy theories, too, despite being told they were false. He claimed that more than 5,000 dead people voted in Georgia, a state he lost by more than 11,000 votes. But Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, cor -

rected him during a Jan. 2 phone call, saying local election officials had researched the question, cross-referencing obituaries and other data.

“The actual number were two,” Raffensperger told the president.

“Two. Two people that were dead that voted. So that's wrong.”

Four days later, during his speech at the Jan. 6 rally before his supporters stormed the Capitol, Trump declared: “Over 10,300 ballots in Georgia were cast by individuals whose names and dates of birth match Georgia residents who died in 2020 and prior to the election.”

Raffensperger also corrected other Trump claims about Georgia, including that 18,325 voters were registered at vacant addresses and that 4,925 voters from out of state cast ballots there. But Trump repeated them in the runup to Jan. 6 and during his rally.

Trump put out more bad numbers after being told they were false.

“The President then continued, there are ‘more votes than voters,’” Richard Donoghue told the committee of a Dec. 27, 2020, conversation with Trump when Donoghue was the acting deputy attorney general. Donoghue said he told the president that he was comparing 2016 voter registration with 2020 voting numbers, which was inaccurate because more people were registered to vote during Trump's reelection year. He later specifically warned against using a Pennsylvania number.

But on the ellipse on Jan. 6, Trump declared: “In Pennsylvania, you had 205,000 more votes than you had voters.”

Dec. 15 conversation in which Trump asked about a video that purported to show Georgia election workers receiving a suitcase of ballots.

“We said, 'It wasn’t a suitcase. It was a bin. That's what they use when counting ballots,'” Rosen recalled. “It's benign.”

One week later, the report says, Trump declared: “There is even security camera footage from Georgia that shows officials telling poll watchers to leave the room before pulling suitcases of ballots out from under the tables and continuing to count for hours.”

Trump complained about purported misbehavior by election workers in the security camera footage to Raffensperger during the Jan. 2 call. Raffensperger warned the president off the recording.

“I think that's extremely unfortunate that Rudy Giuliani or his people, they sliced and diced that video and took it out of context,” the secretary of state told Trump.

Raffensperger offered to send Trump a link from a local television station that debunked the lies. “I don't need a link,” Trump replied.

The next day, he complained that Raffensperger was “unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the ‘ballots under the table’ scam, ballot destruction, out of state ‘voters,’ dead voters and more. He has no clue!”

False attacks on election workers T RU MP a lso baselessly claimed election workers were committing fraud, despite warnings from his own law enforcement officers that they were doing nothing wrong. Rosen recounted to the committee a

Su PP ort er S of President Donald trump participate in a rally in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021. the executive summary of the uS House Jan. 6 committee’s report documents how former President Donald trump was repeatedly warned by those closest to him that claims he had lost his re-election due to fraud were false. But trump went ahead and spread those lies, anyway.

AP Photo/John Minchillo, File

FOR many skin-care gurus today, effectiveness is no longer the strongest barometer in choosing what goes into their daily beauty regimen. Most of them are also choosing clean beauty.

While there’s no official definition of clean beauty, skin-care experts agree that these products are free from harmful toxins like parabens and phthalates— known to interfere with hormone functions—that can be absorbed by the skin. This is why many clean beauty brands opt for natural ingredients to avoid industrial chemicals that can be carcinogens or even pesticides.

Filipino “skinthusiasts” can experience a new approach to skin care, one that promises healthy beauty without compromises, with Artistry Skin Nutrition, the clean, traceable, certified vegan skincare line from the global leader in health and wellness Amway.

Artistry Skin Nutrition (@artistryph on Instagram) works like supplements for the skin, thanks to its cutting-edge skin science and the infusion of powerful phytonutrient botanical ingredients like acerola cherry, pomegranate, and spinach from Amway’s Nutrilite, the only vitamin brand in the world to grow, harvest and process plants from their own organic farms which are maintained using sustainable, chemical-free methods with the careful guidance of Amway’s own agricultural experts and scientists.

This makes Artistry Skin Nutrition the only brand in the world that can truly claim traceability from seed to skin so you’re sure that the products are pure, safe and effective. This also means that the beauty brand can identify the manufacturing location, extraction location, all the way to the specific crop of the raw material for every final product that touches your skin.

Every Artistry Skin Nutrition formula is infused with White Chia Seed grown in certified-organic Nutrilite farms, the line’s star ingredient which is a nutrient-dense, ancient grain superfood packed with omega-3, protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to effectively achieve healthy-looking skin.

The brand’s products are also formulated without parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, and over 1,300 other iffy ingredients that discerning clean beauty followers may be concerned about.

Skin-care routines don’t have to feel like selfish acts of indulgence. You can achieve your skin goals without causing harm to animals, communities and the environment. As a responsible beauty brand, Artistry Skin Nutrition formulas are free from animal-derived ingredients, and are registered with The Vegan Society, one of the oldest vegan organizations in the world based in the United Kingdom, and works to educate consumers about the value of going vegan.

Immortality

the way for Latina musical superstars such as Selena, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera and Camilla Cabello.

THE Farm at San Benito has established itself as the best destination for health and wellness within the Southern Tagalog region, and earned a good reputation in other parts of the globe.

The wellness resort is part of CG Corp. Global, a Nepalbased conglomerate with interests in real estate, financial services, hospitality, fast moving consumer goods, and other sectors.

The Farm at San Benito recently unveiled Acacia Wellness Residences as part of its luxury portfolios. The Acacia villas are more spacious.

“As a result of the pandemic, a lot of people now take holidays as a family. We built these four-bedroom villas for people who want to be part of The Farm community but are more private. The model we have is that the person will invest

WHILE this year saw the revival of live events in the worlds of style and entertainment, it also took away some of fashion’s brightest stars and the screen’s trailblazing talents. This heartbreaking loss of pop-culture icons is felt both in the local and international scenes.

Earlier in the year, this column already bade farewell to Black cinema pioneer Sidney Poitier and French heartthrob Gaspard Ulliel; avant-garde designer Manfred Thierry Mugler, and Japanese design greats Hanae Mori, Issey Miyake; and Pinoy creatives like actor/designer Fanny Serrano and Hollywood makeup artist James Cooper.

One of my all-time favorites, Dame Angela Lansbury died on October 11 just days before her 97th birthday. She was considered one of the last surviving actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood, but I knew and loved her as the feisty sleuth Jessica Fletcher on TV’s Murder, She Wrote. She had acclaimed turns in Gaslight (1944), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Death on the Nile (1978) and Beauty and the Beast (1991). Her final film appearance was in Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

Stars of music and film who passed on included country superstar Loretta Lynn (90), whose biopic Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) won Sissy Spacek an Oscar. Grease icon Olivia Newton-John died aged 73 following a battle with breast cancer. John Travolta, her leading man, left a loving tribute: “Your impact was incredible.

I love you so much.”

Irene Cara, who sang the soundtracks of my youth such as “Fame,” “What a Feeling” and “Out Here on My Own,” died on November 26 at the age of 63. She paved

LGBT icon Leslie Jordan, comedian and actor who appeared on Will and Grace, American Horror Story and Ally McBeal, died on October 24 at 67. He rose to Instagram fame during the pandemic with his heartwarming and hilarious videos. Drag queen Cherry Valentine, who appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 2, died on September 18 of unknown cause. As George Ward, he was a mental-health nurse; as Cherry, she was the first queen of Romani heritage to compete on the show.

Louise Fletcher, who won an Oscar for her role as the iconic villain Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), died on September 23, aged 88. William Hurt, who won an Oscar for his role as an effeminate homosexual in Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), died on March 13, aged 71. I was obsessed with him in Body Heat (1981) and Broadcast News (1987). Also bidding us farewell were Paul Sorvino, James Caan, Ray Liotta and Bob Saget.

Honorary Oscar awardee for 2010 Jean-Luc Godard, French-Swiss pioneer of the French New Wave film movement who directed the stylish Breathless (1960), died on September 13 aged 91. Oscar nominee for Das Boot (1981) and German director of The Perfect Storm (2000) and Troy (2004), Wolfgang Peterson died on August 12 aged 81. Canadian filmmaker of Czechoslovakian descent Ivan Reitman, who helmed the original Ghostbusters, died on February 12 aged 75. American film journalist-turned director Peter Bogdanovich, known for The Last Picture Show (1971) and Paper Moon (1973), died on January 6 aged 82.

We shared in the joy of our own Dolly de Leon for her Golden Globe nomination in the Palm D’orwinning Triangle of Sadness. But we also mourn the passing of her promising costar, Charlbi Dean, who died on August 29 at 32 of a viral infection in her lungs. The stunning South African model-actress could have had a long career as the acclaimed Italian actress Monica Vitti (who died on February 2 at 90) and French/Mexican-American actress Yvette Mimieux (who died on January 18 at 80).

This year, the pageant world was shocked when

Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst jumped to her death on January 30. At only 30, Cheslie was an attorney who also hosted Extra, for which she was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards. She reigned in a year that saw Black beauty queens also winning Misses Universe, World, Teen USA and America.

Besides Sidney Poitier, Black cinema also lost another icon this year. Nichelle Nichols, who rose to stardom for her role in Star Trek, died of heart failure on July 30 at age 89. As Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, she reportedly pushed NASA to expand their efforts to recruit women.

Local showbiz was inconsolable over the sudden passing of Cherie Gil, considered the most acclaimed of contravidas. She died on August 5 at age 59 of a rare form of endometrial cancer. She essayed many iconic characters on film, TV and stage. As a fashion muse, it was perfect casting when she once played onstage the fashion oracle Diana Vreeland in Full Gallop (2014).

Filipino fashion also lost some of its stellar talents. Besides Fanny Serrano, 2022 also took away young designer Yako Reyes, who taught fashion at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

Jun-Jun Cambe, an early avant-garde purveyor in the country, gave his curtain call on October 11 at age 68 after a long illness. The most adventurous in terms of design aesthetic, Cambe stuck to the courage of his sartorial convictions.

A devastating loss for the fashion industry was the passing of the great Auggie Cordero on October 24 at age 78. During his comeback gala in 2007, after a 13-year absence from the runway, he told me about mastering the formula of working on a collection:“Seventy-five percent is about the fabric and lining; 20 percent is the cutting and silhouette; and 5 percent is the ornamentation and embellishment.”

Cordero looked relieved and revitalized after the show. His favorite Margaritas (Tingting Cojuangco and Margie Moran)—his Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O—were present. A standing ovation from Manila’s well-heeled crowd does not happen that often.

Cordero held back his tears, more so when Cojuangco asked: “Are you happy?” Controlling himself, “Yes,” he replied. “Good, because it’s a great show.” n

The price of each villa at Acacia Wellness Residences is $2 million and by The Farm’s calculations, the investment can be recouped in six to eight years. It’s not a sale but a 99-year lease. “It’s so exclusive that we didn’t advertise. Instead, the villas were offered to people who have been coming here for years. They are people who understand what we do,” said Singh. There are already seven villas with four in the pipeline. There are 25 hectares of land that The Farm at San Benito wants to develop as part of the third phase of its development.

One of the best things about Acacia Wellness Residences is that it will eventually have its own holistic center, stores where they can buy their daily needs, and possibly a golf course.

Before the pandemic, many of The Farm’s guests came from other countries like India, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Japan, and the United States. But because of the lockdowns and travel restrictions, many locals either discovered or rediscovered The Farm at San Benito.

One of the most popular treatments at The Farm is Vital Dome, which uses Far Infrared Rays (FIRs) generated by carbon panels within the device to give users a sense of relaxation and renewed well-being.

The Vital Dome’s FIRs penetrate deep into the skin, accelerating regeneration on a cellular level as it safely raises the body’s core temperature. You stay inside the dome for

impurities.

I also had the Water Wellness Therapy, which included a steam bath, infrared sauna, cold bucket shower, pressure pools, flotation pod, onsen bath, and many other treatments. The whole process takes 120 minutes and while I may have been out of my comfort zone for some of that time, the result was me sleeping as soon as my head hit the pillow that night.

Not every person can go to The Farm at San Benito but if you have the means and the time, please try to visit at least. It’s only an hour and a half’s dive from Makati and the place is really beautiful. The rooms are world-class and the food is excellent. They have activities that are free such as a guided morning walk and yoga. They also have a living food prep class and Sound Healing.

Sound Healing is an ancient art that uses vibrations to relax the body, mind and soul. Sound therapy is a clinical and evidence-based therapy used for dealing with mental health issues, such as anxiety, pain and sleep disorders, which are usually caused by high levels of tension and stress.

At The Farm at San Benito, Sound Healing therapies are done either at The Farm’s Amphitheater, overlooking its iconic Big Lagoon; or at The Temple of Five Elements by its meditative labyrinth. Relaxation is achieved using Tibetan singing bowls, tuning forks, various traditional gongs, and other resonant instruments, including the human voice.

FROM Left: Cherie Gil, Auggie Cordero, Jun-Jun Cambe and Cheslie Kryst

THE playground at The Farm at San Benito is not just for kids. You can take a trip down memory lane here and have a few quiet minutes on the swing.

PHOTO BY JULIANA MAXINE VASQUEZ

A wellness sanctuary that offers healing of body and soul: Conclusion

WHY GOING ‘CLEAN’ CAN BE BETTER ALL AROUND

The Fight Against Smoking Continues with Nicorette

mWell fortifies digital health services with back-to-back partnerships

METRO Pacific Investments Corporation’s (MPIC) mWell further raises the bar for digital health apps as it expands app features and services through partnerships with top names in technology, wellness, and health-care.

As the Philippines’ first fully integrated health integrated app, mWell’s ecosystem offers a holistic approach to digital health-care—from doctor consultation, e-pharmacy, emergency services and home care—to fitness and nutrition programs created by experts. Supporting mWell in its drive for innovation anchored on good health and well-being are health-care experts HealthLink, Lifeline 16-911 and MedExpress.

With these powerhouse partnerships, mWell users can now avail of expert care for loved ones at home through HealthLink. This includes basic care support, cardiac care, elderly care, and post stroke care. Through the partnership with MedExpress, users mayhave their medicines delivered immediately after their online consultation.

Access to emergency service is also made easier through ties with Lifeline 16-911. Emergency quick response is now just a tap away on the mWell app.

MPIC President, Chairman and CEO, Manny V. Pangilinan says, “Metro Pacific Group’s mWell shall continue to set the standards in digital health-care by bringing together experts in technology, medicine, wellness, and healthcare in one sustainable living ecosystem.”

“Our mission is to bring healthcare closer to more Filipinos and make health and wellness available and accessible to anyone, anytime, anywhere. We aim to mWellize the Philippines with good health and wellness. With help from our valued partners, we can truly democratize healthcare,” says MPIC Chief Finance, Risk and Sustainability Officer Chaye CabalRevilla.

mWell is the Philippines first fully integrated health app backed by the leading names in insurance, PhilCare and

Generali. Technology partners include global leaders in wellness, Active8me and Aktivo. The robust platform is built on Microsoft Azure. To ensure protection against cyber threats, mWell is supported by sophisticated technologies and highly skilled cybersecurity professionals.

Angel Redoble, PLDT Group and Smart Communications FVP and Group CISO says “mWell's cybersecurity practice is based on Predictive, Preventive, Detective and Responsive cybersecurity operations framework of the PLDT Group, designed to identify and respond to threats efficiently and effectively. The mWell systems go through rigorous testings to ensure a sustainable approach in maintaining the highest level of security to protect our systems, network and customers data.”

mWell is a DOH-recognized Telelemedicine Service Provider.

Download the mWell PH app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and register. Follow mWell on Facebook and mwellph on Instagram for more updates.

ACCORDING to the Philippine Statistics Authority, 28 percent or 17.3 million Filipinos are smokers. Today, the Philippines still has one of the highest per capita levels of tobacco consumption among the ASEAN countries, and this poses a major public health problem in the country. Over the years, the Philippine government, in partnership with private organizations, has been working together to reduce tobacco use through awareness and education programs.

At Johnson & Johnson Philippines, we walk the talk when it comes to enforcing good, healthy habits, in order to quit smoking. Through a series of posters strategically displayed around the J&J Philippines campus, employees are reminded how Nicorette can help them break free from smoking. Nicorette is Nicotine Polacrilex, a type of nicotine replacement therapy that can help quitters reduce their cravings in as fast as 15 minutes. Quit smoking for a week with the help of Nicorette and be nine times more likely to quit for good.

“As part of our J&J credo, it is our responsibility to give our employees a healthier and safer environment in the office and at home. This is just one of our initiatives in making sure we help put a stop to smoking. Our work does not just start and end with promoting Nicorette to our consumers, but we would also like our employees to be reminded of the threats of smoking”, says Patricia Rodriguez, brand manager for selfcare, Johnson & Johnson Philippines.

to motivate Filipinos to permanently quit for good. The event was streamed through Facebook live and was attended by over 700 people nationwide. Some participants were “quitters” who shared their quitting journeys and smokers who pledged to a healthier lifestyle.

Since then, Nicorette has worked nonstop in advocating to end smoking in the Philippines. We continued to raise awareness of the difficulties in quitting smoking with the help of our ‘quit ambassadors’. This year, in commemoration of No Smoking Month, Nicorette invited the media to participate in a roundtable discussion on the hazards of smoking. The event was attended by John Matthew Uy, a Nicorette user and successful quitter, and pulmonologist Dr. Leni Fernandez ho enlightened guests about the threats of smoking. Apart from that, we also sought the help of “quitters” to share their quitting journey online. Our ambassadors talked about the challenges of quitting, the importance of having a strong support system in their journey and having an effective and trusted product like Nicorette that can help them through withdrawals and in stopping their cravings.

SM Supermalls supports DOT, DMW‘s ‘Bisita, Be My Guest’ program for Pinoys to invite foreigners to PHL

He also mentioned that two months ago, SM Supermalls executives visited Tourism Secretary Ma. Christina Frasco to discuss their mutual goals for the tourism industry nationwide.

The BBGM program is an incentivized promotional campaign that entitles Filipinos, especially the OFWs, who will invite foreigners to visit the country to a raffle ticket and a chance to win prizes. The program was relaunched in cooperation with the DMW, Tourism Promotions Board Philippines (TPB), and private sector partners including SM Supermalls.

“SM Supermalls is honored to be the launch venue of the DOT’s ‘Bisita Be My Guest’ program where our kababayans abroad are incentivized to visit the Philippines and bring along their foreign friends and relatives,” said SM Supermalls President Steven Tan in his speech.

“Being in 82 locations from Luzon to Mindanao, research has shown that SM is the first and the last stop of a visitor to the locale. First, to buy the needs for their visit. And second, to buy pasalubongs to take back to wherever home is,” he added.

According to Frasco, the BBMG program corresponds to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s call for our fellow Filipinos to be the best ambassadors for the Philippines all over the world.

“We envision the Bisita, Be My Guest Program as the Filipinos’ way of showing their love for the country as we invite visitors to our homes, show them the beauty of our landscapes and beaches, our culture and heritage, and let them experience world-class Filipino hospitality,” she added.

During the program launch, Tan also shared that Tourism Kiosks will be opened in all SM malls nationwide to promote various DOT programs, including the much-awaited BBMG program.

“At SM, our goal is to make malling in the Philippines more fun, as well as safer, more convenient, and accessible. We would like our malls to be a visitor’s second home and we laud the DOT and the BBMG program which is like a big welcome hug,” Tan closed.

The one-year campaign which will run from January 2023 to April 2024 is seen to boost the tourism industry to pre-pandemic levels. The complete promo mechanics as well as registration information for sponsors and invitees can be found on the official BBMG website: http://bbmg.philippines.travel.

To know more about SM Supermalls’ programs, visit www.smsupermalls. com or follow @SMSupermalls on social media.

Apart from activities within the Johnson & Johnson Philippines campus, we are also making strides in advancing our goal in reducing tobacco usage in the country. Last year, in celebration of World No Tobacco Day, Johnson & Johnson Philippines introduced Nicorette to encourage more Filipino smokers to #JoinTheQuitters. Nicorette held an online event anchored on the World Health Organization’s campaign “Commit to Quit”

There is no excuse in being unable to quit smoking now that Nicorette is available in leading supermarkets and drugstores nationwide. Nicorette is available in your nearest drugstores like Mercury Drug, Watsons, Southstar Drug, and more, and is also available on both Shopee and Lazada for your convenience.

For more information about Nicorette, visit www.nicorette.com.ph or follow our social media accounts at www.facebook.com/ NicorettePH/ and @nicoretteph on Instagram. Get special deals and promos to finally break that habit by purchasing Nicorette on official Johnson & Johnson Philippines accounts, both on Shopee and Lazada.

Villar Family gives Christmas treats to kids at Crosswinds

FOR the past 13 years, the Villar Family through the Villar- Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (SIPAG) has been giving Christmas joy and blessings to children from the communities of Brgy. Irusin in Tagaytay, Cavite and Baseco Tondo, Manila by bringing them to the Christmas Village in Britanny-Crosswinds, an idyllic residential property in the said city.

It was last December 18, 2022 when 150 young children were fetched from their places and taken to the Swiss-inspired and pinescented Crosswinds in Tagaytay.

The party and the merry-making at the famous at the Banguet Hall was the first face-to-face celebration after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Happiness and intense excitement can be gleaned on the innocent faces of the children as the bus carrying them traversed the road going to Crosswinds. The children and their companions were treated to good food and beverages while on board chartered buses.

When they reached Tagaytay, the children enjoyed the cold December breeze and breathtaking environment.

Crosswinds has been all decked up for

Christmas, where the Villar Foundation prepared more fun activities and games.

The children played with various toys at the Christmas Village , built for children and adults to enjoy. They also had their pictures taken at the Christmas Village and around the area. Aside from the gifts from the Villar Family, they also brought home with them the loving times spent with Sen. Cynthia Villar and husband former Senate President Manny Villar.

The Villar couple were also joined by their sons Sen. Mark Villar and Vista Landholdings CEO Paolo Villar and daughter Deputy Speaker. Camille Villar and grandkids Emma and Tristan. Sen. Mark's wife, Atty. Emmilene Villar also participated in the event.

Sen. Cynthia said it has been a tradition of their family to host a party for their children at the Christmas Village in Crosswinds because they want to make them happy.

“We want to make them happy and to make unforgettable their stay at Crosswinds, even for a few hours. We made sure that the event would be fun-filled so they could always look back at the fond memories they had here,” she noted.

SM Supermalls conveyed its message of support to the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) during the launch of “Bisita, Be My Guest” (BBMG) program at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall last December 15, 2022.

DEPARTMENT of Tourism’s Bisita Be My Guest (BBMG) program was recently launched at the SM Mall of Asia that offers incentives to overseas Filipino workers who are able to invite relatives, friends, and other tourists to visit the Philippines. The campaign, which will run from January 2023 to April 2024, will give Filipinos who invite foreign tourists with travel discounts and a chance to win a condominium and free vacation trips. In the photo are Department of Tourism Secretary Maria Esperanza Christina Garcia Frasco (center) with, from left to right, Civil Service Commission chairperson Karlo Nograles, advocate for women of Mindanao Marga Nograles, and Department of Tourism Region 7 Director Shahlimar Hofer Tamano (right). They were warmly welcomed by SM Supermalls president Steven Tan at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia.

Coping with holiday stress and grief

THE year is about to come to an end. For many, the last few weeks have been filled with parties and get-togethers with loved ones and friends. For others, these may have been some of the most stressful of times: chasing deadlines, tying up loose ends, delivering on commitments. For others still, this time of merriment may trigger memories and feelings of loss.

Matters

By Abigail Ho-Torres

Stress and grief: words one does not usually associate with the holiday season, but still very much present in many of us, especially during these times. I did some research and also asked experts about ways we can cope with stress and grief, at Christmas and all throughout the year.

stress-busting 101

ACCORDING to Canada’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, there are many ways to deal with stress during the holidays and any day of the year. It is just a matter of figuring out which ways work best for you.

1. work-life balance

Work is important, but you are more important. Take breaks. Get away.

2. find some “me time”

Think of something that you enjoy doing and just do it.

3. don’t be a perfectionist

I heard this from someone: “Perfection is the enemy of done.” Don’t set unrealistically high standards. Be less self-critical.

4. exercise

Let those endorphins out. Not only does exercise reduce stress and anxiety, it also reduces the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

5. relax

Do something that helps you relax: meditate, do yoga, write, drive. Even a warm shower or bath can work wonders.

6. get enough sleep

Adequate sleep helps fight the effects of stress. Go to bed and get up at a regular time. Avoid taking naps during the day. Reduce your

caffeine intake.

7. eat a healthy diet

Avoid food high in additives, sugar, caffeine, and salt. Increase your intake of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

8. be aware of stress and avoid your stressors

Make sure you know when your stress is building so you can try to alleviate it before it gets overwhelming. Better yet, be aware of your stress triggers and avoid them, if possible. If there are people who stress you out, try to stay away from them. Cut them off from your life, if you can.

9. learn to say “no”

Do not bite off more than you can chew. Refuse additional responsibilities if they will only cause you stress.

10. Manage your time

Plan ahead so you can avoid rushing to meet deadlines. Do not procrastinate. Give yourself time to meet appointments and deadlines.

11. focus on things that you can control

You cannot really control prob -

lems all the time, but you can control how you react to them and handle them.

12. be with friends and family

During times of intense stress, you need the support of those close to you. Confide in them. Let them know what’s bothering you. Spend time with them.

when grief strikes

IF you or someone you know is dealing with grief during the holidays, being with friends and family can also be helpful, according to Grief Recovery Method-certified grief coach Cathy Sanchez Babao.

If it is a friend who is grieving, be with them. “Make your presence felt by remembering them, and simply letting them know that you are thinking of them or their loved one. Send a note, make a call, or send a care package of things they might enjoy or of things that might remind them of their loved ones,” she says.

If it is you who is grieving, share your feelings with someone who shares that same grief, focusing on the joy that you once shared with that loved one who is no longer with you. She relates: “Grief and joy can go hand in hand. Talk about

the happy times. Don’t be afraid to share stories and anecdotes from the past. Mention your loved one’s name—that itself is a gift. Do a project together that reminds you of your loved one. For example, if he had a favorite dish, prepare it together. Ask yourself this question: when I think of my loved one at Christmas, what image comes to mind? Whatever that image is, find a way to bring it into your home this Christmas.”

You can also do some things by yourself to help you deal with your grief better. Babao recommends taking walks or exercising, even for just a few days each week. Listening to or watching something light or funny at the end of each day is also helpful.

“Loss, especially when it’s new, meaning anywhere from one day to two years, is present the whole year round. During the holiday season, it becomes magnified. You need to allow yourself time each day to sit with your sadness. Pay attention to it and listen to what it is telling you. Journaling through long-hand is a good way of moving your sadness out of your body,” she says.

Psychologist Maria Teresa Gustilo-Villasor agrees with Ba -

wirestock Freepik.com

bao that coping with grief during Christmas time is particularly hard. As Filipinos, the kind of culture that we have—close family ties, strong religious beliefs in the afterlife, and ritual and prayers— can help us deal with grief better.

on a personal note

CHRISTMAS used to be my favorite holiday...until three years ago, when I lost my dad 10 days before Christmas. It hurt even more because December 25 was his birthday. That year, I also gave birth to my daughter. I really wanted to “cancel” Christmas at home that year, but still forced myself to decorate so my daughter could have a good first Christmas experience. We stopped setting up the Christmas tree after that.

This year, I decided to set up the tree and even put gifts under it, as my daughter is already old enough to remember her Christmas experiences. While I continue to grieve for my dad almost every day, spontaneously bursting into tears on bad days, I felt the need to start celebrating my favorite holiday again—for my daughter, for my mom, and for the real reason for the season. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ, after all, and I know it will make my dad happy if we celebrated it like we used to when he was still with us.

I hope you all had a meaningful Christmas celebration with your loved ones. Remember to hold them close and show them you love them while they are here because tomorrow is never promised.

PR 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.

n Manulife Phili PPin es wins at Marketing e xcellence awards for insights-based integrated M arketing

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Life insurance company Manulife Philippines has won a Bronze Award at the local Marketing Excellence Awards 2022 for the integrated marketing campaign centered on its research study, “Know Your Ys and Zs: A Closer Look at the Financial and Mental WellBeing of Filipino Millennials and Gen Zs in the time of Covid-19.”

Marketing Excellence Awards Philippines is organized by Marketing Interactive Magazine which recognizes exceptional campaigns and talent. The Know Your Ys and Zs study won in the Excellence in Data-Driven Marketing & Consumer Insights category. “Through our campaigns, we

hope to empower more Filipinos to secure their financial future,” said Melissa Henson, chief marketing officer, Manulife Philippines. “This recognition inspires us to amplify our efforts to help address the evolving protection needs of Filipinos as we strive to make every day better for our customers.”

The pandemic heightened Filipinos’ concerns about health, well-being, and finances, especially among younger generations, based on the Know Your Ys and Zs study. The sentiments and behavior of Filipino Millennials and Gen Zs have helped Manulife innovate its offerings to help address consumer needs through tailored insurance and investment solutions.

Manulife’s financial literacy program Peso Smart was also named a Finalist in the Excellence in the Corporate Social Responsibility category at this year’s awards.

The 2021 Financial Inclusion Survey of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas found that only 2% of Filipinos can correctly answer basic financial literacy questions. Manulife has evolved

Peso Smart to reach beyond its initial beneficiaries, who were grade school students from public schools, by partnering with different organizations to bring financial skills and knowledge to university students and out-of-school youth, as well as teachers, principals, and children’s parents.

Most recently, Peso Smart was also brought to female heads of households from marginalized communities in Quezon City and Sagada, Mountain Province. Manulife’s Peso Smart is also one of the main drivers of Manulife’s Impact Agenda in the Philippines, which aims to promote inclusive economic opportunities, empower health and well-being, and accelerate a sustainable future.

n c a lling all k- Po P fans: k P o P con co M e s back to the Phili PPi nes this d ec e M b er 30 MANILA, PHILIPPINES— KPOPCON, the country’s biggest and longest-running K-Pop gathering, returns this December 30 at SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.

Hosted by the Philippine Kpop Convention Inc., together with its affiliate K-Pop fan clubs, the convention aims to bring together K-Pop fans for a day-long festival filled with fun activities while promoting Korean-Filipino relations.

With a colorful selection of merchandise and activity booths, con-goers can splurge on their favorite K-Pop merch, participate in games and raffles, and even engage with their beloved fan clubs of choice.

KPOPCON also brings its much-anticipated activities to the stage, such as the cosplay showcase, dance battles, a singing competition, a K-Pop idol look-alike contest, and the Philippine K-Pop Awards 2022. Apart from that, the convention is said to bring more performances and surprises throughout the day.

The admission fee is P500. Proceeds from the event will go to chosen charities.

n annahar revives 6 defunct lebanese newsPaPers within its own Pages DUBAI, UAE—Unlike any -

thing it has published before, Lebanese newspaper AnNahar brought back to life different Lebanese newspapers that had ceased to exist in the last two decades.

“Newspapers-Inside-TheNewspaper” saw AnNahar use each spread within its daily edition to bring back to life an extinct newspaper, inviting those publications’ journalists to write again and publish the news for that one day in celebration of press freedom.

Timed to launch on the death anniversary of AnNahar Editor-in-Chief Gebran Tueni, who was assassinated for his voice, the campaign drew attention to the crisis that has affected Lebanese publishers and media houses that are struggling to survive in a country drowning in repetitive economic failures due to a corrupt political system.

To date, the crisis led to the closure of dozens of publications and the resignation of thousands of journalists who left to seek other jobs, while others like Gebran Tueni have lost their life for the sake of their cause.

Gebran Tueni’s fiery writing against occupation and ruling authorities became a rallying cry in 2005 that inspired thousands of Lebanese to take to the streets and demand freedom in what was called “The Cedar revolution.” With this activation, AnNahar has broken the silence imposed on these past publications, dedicating its space for the journalists who worked in them and are continuing their struggle to convey the voice of truth and establish a sense of democracy in Lebanon.

Nayla Tueni, current editor-in-chief of the newspaper, said, “For AnNahar it is not enough to just say that we support freedom of the press. We have to prove it. And what better way to do that than to bring back to life some of the publications that were silenced, and to give them one more chance to speak freely.”

AnNahar’s message is as usual courageous and liberating: those who oppose freedom might have silenced Gebran, but they will never be able to silence the voice of the free press.

PR

By Eddie Alinea

HAD Lydia de Vega

been alive Monday, the former Asian Sprint Queen would have been celebrating her 58th birthday.

Or commemorating with mother Aleng Mary and her family the 22nd  death anniversary of her fathercoach Francisco “Tatang” de Vega, who, incidentally, passed away on December 26, 2010, the very day Diay, as Lydia was fondly called, saw the light on December 26, 1964.

A nd because Diay died four months ago on August 10 because of breast cancer, no birthday celebration has been set and instead Aleng Mary,  her other children and friends would gather at the  Meycauayan Memorial Park in Meycauayan City to visit the graves of Tatang and Diay, which lay side-by-side to each other.

The Tatang-Diay father-daughter partnership was definitely the most successful in Philippine athletics history. But it, too, was one of the most controversial, lasting for 17 years from the time the younger De Vega was discovered during the Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association in 1970s on the way to the Palarong Pambansa.

Diay first made an impact at the Manila 1981 Southeast Asian Games with gold medal performances in the 200 and 400 meters surpassing the Asian Games  record in the process and with no less than then President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. awarding her the gold medals.

A year later in the Asian Games in New Delhi, she topped the 100 meters then four years after that in 1986 in Seoul, she duplicated the feat becoming the first woman athlete to rule the century back-to-back and earning the sobriquet “Asia’s Sprint Queen” and “Asia’s Fastest Woman.”

She became a two-time Olympian—1984 in Los Angeles and 1988 in Seoul.

On December 30, 2010, during the wake of Tatang, Diay was asked to describe her father as a coach in the presence of basketball’s “Living Legend” Robert “Sonny” Jaworski, who was in the family house at

Barangay Calvario, to condole with his co-athlete and family.

Very strict…..super strict. Super-duper, I tell you” she said in between sobs.

“All throughout my athletics life, from the time I started trying my luck as a runner when I was 12 until the time I retired 17 years later in 1995, I really felt how strict a disciplinarian Tatang was,” she said. “There were times when I blamed myself for choosing track and field as my vehicle to be able to study and as a way of life.”

“Pero in the end, noong ma-reap ko na ang fruits of all my sacrifices.., our sacrifices, mine and Tatang’s…I should say that by winning medals after medals and breaking Philippine, Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games records, nawala lahat ang paghihirap ko S a bandang huli, I would tell myself tama pala si Tatang. ’Yung mga ginawa niya sa aking pagpapahirap to attain excellence, tama lahat.’ I was hailed, not only by our countrymen, but, likewise, by our neighbors in the region,”Diay said.

“I was even hailed, not only as Queen of Sprint, but also Darling of Asian Athletics. And when I retired, I told him and I told everybody with my head up high, whenever I was asked to speak in any gathering, kung wala si Tatang, walang Lydia de Vega na nakapaghatid ng karangalan sa bansa at sa pangalang Pilipino,” Diay stressed.

Indeed, in all her speaking engagements, Diay, mother of three to former husband Paolo, takes pride telling her audience how great a father Tatang was, not only to her but to all her five siblings. And how a great provider he was to Aleng Mary.

To all those who witnessed how he brought me up as an athlete ay nagsabing malupit siya. Napakalupit,” Diay said. “Even I,  at the height of my popularity and career, thought at times that he was cruel. Too cruel, in fact, considering that I am his daughter.”

“He controlled my life. Gusto niya sundin ko lahat ng sinasabi niya. Wala siyang mali sa ginagawa niya sa akin. Siyempre umiyak ako. There were times I felt I was dying. Each and every workout, I have to finish. Walang pahi-pahinga. Pag nagkamali, sasaktan,

JEAN CLAUDE SACLAG and Jovan Medallo led a four-gold medal binge by a Philippine team in the Asian Kickboxing Championships held recently at the Bangkok Youth Center in Thailand.

Medallo topped the senior men’s musical forms with 28.8 points, shoving Chinese-Taipei bets Hsuan Wu Chi (27.8) and Chiu Ta-Ting (25.7) to the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

I would like to thank the Samahang Kickboxing ng Pilipinas [SKP] for motivating me at doing my best,” said Medallo, a 22-year-old farmer from Cebu City who used a nunchaku for his performance. “It feels so good to win for your country.” Back-to-back Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Saclag, on the other

LEGEND OF DIAY CREDIT TO ‘TATANG’

sasabihan ng masasama.”

During training, di dapat makipagtawanan. Di dapat makipagkuwentuhan. Kailangan 100 percent naka-focus sa ensayo. Walang dapat isipin,” she said. “Kahit tapos na ang ensayo, bawal sa aking makipagusap sa lalaki. Kahit sa bahay di dapat tumanggap ng manliligaw. Bawal akong ligawan.”

I felt so bad day in and day out while training. First, training is not easy. Sumusuka ako nang walang maisuka, nahihilo, nahihirapang huminga. Pero pagkatapos ng workout, masarap na rin ang pakiramdam in the thought that I have accomplished something in the day. I realized na ginagawa niya sa akin ’yun so I can keep my running skills, which, no doubt, I did,” she said.

W hile her life was full of sacrifices, Diay said, Tatang’s was, too.

Magkasama kami maghapon Studies in the morning, training in the afternoon until early evening. FEU [Far Eastern University, Rizal Memorial oval, bahay. Yun ang naging buhay naming dalawa sa loob ng 17-year career ko.”

“It’s like pinapalo natin ang anak natin hindi sa galit tayo sa kanila, but to get the best in them, di ba?” Pinupukpok natin ang alimango hindi dahil galit tayo dito, but para makuha ang masarap laman nito. Ganun ang naging reaction naming lahat ng magkakapatid sa mga ginagawang kaistriktuhan ni Tatang,” Diay said.

As a result, we all grew up as good citizens in the community. Wala sa aming nagloko. Ako, siyempre sumikat because I excelled in my chosen career.

My brothers became good husbands and fathers and my sisters, good wives and mothers. All because Tatang made us toe the line. Sinunod naming lahat nang gusto niya,” Diay explained.

Behind his strictness or, as his critics perceived, cruelty, Diay defended Tatang as “very loving and protective.”

Yung pagmamahal niya sa amin, hindi makikita, pero maramdaman,” she said. Perhaps because Tatang was a former policeman, Diay said he was very protective.

W hen the then Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association top brass wanted her to shift to middle distance, Tatang vehemently refused to the extent that he was sent back to Manila from the Baguio City training camp, Diay recalled.

“ Tatang argued that I was then too young to run the 800 meters and, much more, the 1,500 meters and 3,000 meters. Hanggang 400 meters lang daw ako at the most. I was asked to choose between pursuing my running career and Tatang, I chose him,” she said. “I

followed him to Manila that led to my untimely and temporary retirement in the early 80s. Mahal pala niya ako, I told myself.”

Those brief moments did not stop the father-daughter tandem though from training. “Kahit walang karera at wala na ako sa national team, practice pa rin. Ganun pa rin. Bahay, school, track oval, uwi uli ng bahay.”

One time, during a dull moment, the Philippines was invited to an athletics meet in Beijing. I was not on the team that left, but because the newspapers played up the news, then First Lady, Mrs. Imelda Marcos summoned Tatang and myself to Malacañang. Tinanong kung ready akong mag-compete. Nakakahiya daw sa China na wala sa team ang Filipino Asian Sprint Queen,” she remembered the First Lady telling her.

“ Then she told both of us to fly to Beijing the next morning. From the airport, we went straight to the stadium, I ran the finals of the 100 meters without racing in the preliminaries and won. Chinese athletics officials told us I didn’t have to qualify into the finals as a diplomatic gesture” Diay recalled.

And the rest was history. I was readmitted in the national team where I stayed for 12 more years, us, father and daughter, earning glories for the country.”

“Si Tatang wala naman talagang  diploma na nagpapatunay na nagtapos siya ng kolehiyo. Ang dunong niya sa coaching ay matatawag na uido [ear for music] lamang. Pero ang disiplinang ipinairal niya sa akin sa training at hanggang sa kompetisyon ang naging dahilan kung bakit ako naging si Lydia de Vega,” she pointed out.

I have said this many times before and I am saying this again, kung wala si Tatang, wala si Lydia de Vega,” she emphasized. “Meaning kung wala si Tatang, walang karangalan marahil na matatamo ang Pilipinas sa larangan ng track and field.”

“Ipinagmamalaki ko siya habang buhay ko…Tatang is the best track and field coach this country has ever had.”

Testimony to this, of course, were Diay’s records—two Asian Games gold medals, Asian and an equal number of Asian Amateur Athletics Association victories, Asian and Asian Continental records and no less than 20 Southeast Asian Games and ASEAN championships gold medals.

A nd now, Diay and Tatang could continue that golden partnership somewhere up there.

PHL kickboxers capture 4 golds in Asian meet

hand, blasted the opposition, as well as the other gold medalists Renalyn Dacquel and Gina Iniong Araos.

Saclag beat Thai Chaleamlap Santidongsakun, 3-0, in the final of the men’s low kick -63.5 kgs class before a hostile crowd, Dacquel made a short work of another hometown bet, Nitinat Plabplerng, 3-0, in the final of the women’s low kick -48 kgs division and double SEA Games gold medalist Gina Iniong Araos beat Hsiao Hsin Chi of Chinese-Taipei, 3-0, to cop the women’s low kick -60 kg gold medal.

It’s a momentous week and I’m very, very proud

of our fighters for bringing home gold medals,” said SKP secretary-general Wharton Chan, who thanked SKP president Senator Francis “Tol” Tolentino for his all-out support.

Fourteen Filipino kickboxers competed and brought home one silver and six bronze medals from the championships that served as a qualifier to the world championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, next year. Josef Ramos

JOVAN MEDALLO poses with his gold medal and trophy.

not tabbed to figure in the top four after they lost about seven top players from the previous season including two-time league Most Valuable Player Ray Parks and Mythical Five member Jean Mbe. They defeated the University of the East in the play-off for the fourth seed, upset Ateneo which owned a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four, they took down Far Eastern University. All the others had better records. That is how much of an uphill climb it was.

You can actually make a case for Ateneo’s 2017 title run against the Ben Mbala-led De La Salle Green Archers. While I did figure they would unseat La Salle even before the season started, Ateneo was good enough to make the Final Four.

Basketball stories of underdogs and irony

THE Ateneo Blue Eagles’ winning the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 championship was an unexpected one. The kind since the National University (NU) Bulldogs’ most incredible climb to the top of Philippine college basketball’s summit in 2014 (Season 77).

NU, of course, has the ultimate underdog story. They were

Th is current Ateneo team, logically and coldly did not have the makings of a Final Four squad.

W hile I felt good about Ateneo winning the inaugural World University Basketball Series in Japan, I felt that they remained largely untested and had too many unknown variables.

They lost SJ Belangel, Gian Mamuyac, Tyler Tio, Raffy Verano and Jolo Mendoza who all had one final season left to play. And former league MVP Angelo Kouame was not 100 percent due to a knee injury.

L osing to University of the Philippines (UP) on opening day of Season 85 did not help either.

It was after the loss to NU in the second round where they started to play better. But you could see them

Senator ‘Tol’ leads launch ceremony for country’s inaugural ROTC Games

By Josef Ramos

THE Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Games—a milestone in the government’s ROTC program—was launched recently in a formal memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing ceremony at the Lapu-Lapu Grandstand inside Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Senator Francis “Tol” Tolentino, himself a brigadier general in the Army reserve corps, witnessed the launch of the inaugural ROTC Games which are tentatively scheduled for September next year.

I always believe that the ROTC program has been a potent tool for attaining the country’s overall integrity, honor and health” Tolentino said. “These ROTC Games signal the beginning of our quest for young Filipino athletes who will not only excel in sports but, more importantly, showcase to the world that the Filipino has a heart of a champion.”

With Tolentino during the ceremony were Department of National Defense Undersecretary and OIC Jose Faustino Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lt. Gen.

III and Philippine Sports Commission chairman Noli Eala.

Our goal is to promote camaraderie, teamwork and sportsmanship, which are important in building bodily strength and character,” Tolentino said. “This competition will not be a glorified intramurals, but we aim to develop a pool of disciplined elite athletes.”

Faustino was appointed chairman of the Philippine ROTC Games Executive Organizing Committee, with Philippine Olympic Committee legal head Atty. Wharton Chan representing the private sector.

The games are meant to foster national pride, self-discipline, teamwork and excellence while serving as a new spawning ground for outstanding athletes for international play,” Bacarro said.

Eala praised the establishment of the ROTC Games.

The utilization of sports as a platform to propagate the ROTC program is both remarkable and brilliant for developing a healthy and alert citizenry,” Eala said. “The Games do not only provide a viable format in training our young people towards their basic patriotic duty to the country but is also an avenue for a new, diverse and massed platform for our country’s grassroots development program.”

Brig. Gen. Doroteo Jose Jalandoni, a principal proponent of the ROTC Games, said that the program among ROTC cadets involve three phases— sports clinics where cadets will learn the sports basics, regional meets and the National Games.

Jalandoni said competitions will be in athletics, obstacle sports, swimming, boxing, arnis, weightlifting, kickboxing, esports, basketball, volleyball and target shooting. Gymnastics will be a demonstration sport.

The games will involve cadets from the Army, Air Force and Navy. The venue will be announced early next year.

getting better by the time they defeated La Salle, UP and Adamson University.

The loss in Game One of the Finals put UP in the driver’s seat. However, in the fourth crucial match down the stretch (beginning with UP in the second round and the two Adamson matches that bridged the eliminations and the Final Four), Ateneo came out and blitzed UP. Even when Zav Lucero went down with an injury, UP was down by a huge margin. And the 9-0 start to Game 3 propelled them to victory as they mostly dictated the pace of the match

It reminded me of that 21-0 start to the AteneoLetran Battle of the Champions of 1987 where the Blue Eagles coasted to victory.

The loss of UP had me also thinking of a cruel irony in their star point guard Joel Cagulangan’s big games so far.

W hen Cagulangan was playing for La Salle Greenhills (LSGH) during his high school days, the Greenies met up with the Mapua Red Robins in the finals of National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 93. Mapua was the favored team.

L SGH drew first blood in the finals but the Red Robins equalized in Game Two. In the final match of the series, Cagulangan hit two pressure-packed free throws with 33 seconds left that sealed the improbable win.

W hy do we say improbable? That was because they were expected to win it all the next season and not that year.

The following season, as defending champions, top seed LSGH faced a weaker Mapua team once more in the finals. The Greenies won Game One but lost Game Two. Playing without their injured star Clint Escamis, Mapua won Game Two and forced a Game Three.

I magine this… Mapua lost Warren Bonifacio, Mike Enriquez, Will Gozum, Brian Lacap, and Eric Jabel to graduation and Escamis to injury. And yet, the Red Robins prevailed 77-74. So take note of that, UP fans. Injuries are part of the game. And Mapua proved they could win without their star.

D uring NCAA Season 94, the only Mapua player to really get some playing time was Dan Arches. That year, Paolo Hernandez ascended as an important player for the Red Robins as the partnership with Arches proved tough for LSGH to crack.

I n some ways, it is the same for this UAAP Season 85.

Ateneo was seeded to win Season 84, but they fell apart late in the season with Cagulangan hitting the championship point in Game Three. In Season 85, UP was supposed to annex a back-to-back title, but Ateneo found their groove to win it all during a rebuilding year.

Sports is filled with these underdog and destiny/dynasty stories as well as feelings of déjà vu. This is just the latest and that is what makes sports intriguing and beguiling. Now, we wonder what the storyline is for next season.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Sr.  awards the gold medal to Lydia de Vega after her victory in the 400 meters in the 1981 Southeast Asian Games at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

SEN. Francis “Tol” Tolentino (center) is with Philippine Sports Commission chairman Noli Eala (right) with (from left) Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, Department of National Defense OIC Senior Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr. and Commission on Higher Education chairman Dr. J. Prospero De Vera III at the Camp Aguinaldo Grandstand. NONOY LACZA