BusinessMirror February 04, 2021 by BusinessMirror

Hopes rise as House, Senate ratify CREATE By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

& Butch Fernandez

BROADERLOOK » A6-A7 Of ‘wOke’ and ‘weapOnized’ wOrds: asians take up challenges in media internet literacy

@butchfBM

HE House of Representatives and the Senate on Wednesday separately ratified the bicameral conference committee version of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, and

leaders of both chambers aired hopes its passage could revive— with projected new investments and jobs—an economy ravaged by Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Sa lceda descr ibed passage of CREATE as one of the greatest economic reforms of the postEdsa years, second only to economic amendments to the Con-

stitution. At least P12 trillion in combined domestic and foreign investment and 1.8 million jobs are expected in the next 10 years with this, he said. CREATE will now be transmitted to President Duterte for signature. “This will also result in around 1.8 million jobs over the next 10 years. Combined with economic amendments to the Constitution to maximize impact, we can pro-

duce some 8.4 million jobs,” Salceda added. “Removing the uncertainty will be like opening the floodgates to investment. I expect at least P12 trillion in combined domestic and foreign investment over the next decade due to CREATE alone; $90 billion of that will be FDI [foreign direct investment],” Salceda said. Continued on A2

AFTER 14 YEARS, BANK

Thursday, February 4, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 116

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 20 pages |

LENDING CONTRACTS BANKS WARNED OF BAD LOANS’ STEADY SURGE

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

@Tyronepiad

ANKS and financial institutions are still seen dealing with financial distress as borrowers continue to struggle with paying their loans on time amid the ongoing crisis, Oxford Economics has warned. The UK-based think tank said in a report released on Wednesday that many firms are still taking a beating from the adverse impact of lockdown restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Insolvencies could still rise significantly in 2021-2022 and there are longer-term risks of increased ‘zombification’ and rising bad loans at banks,” Oxford Economics explained. A “zombie” company refers to a firm whose financial capability is not enough to pay off its debts. The think tank cited ser-

vice sectors like hospitality, administration and arts and entertainment among the sectors which are likely to have concerns with insolvency. Moreover, Oxford Economics noted that the debt moratorium imposed and government support extended to companies might be preventing them from filing for bankruptcy for now— which could put the banks at the disadvantage. “If bankruptcies are staved off with loan forbearance and government loan schemes, this risks displacing the problem to banks —especially those with high exposure to small firms—or to the public sector balance sheet,” the report noted. “This could damage productivity growth.” In the Philippines, nonperforming loans (NPL) saw substantial growth in the past year as lockdown protocols prompted the slowdown of economic activities and surge in joblessness. See “Banks,” A2

With the Chinese New Year a week away, the side street of Binondo, Manila site of the oldest Chinatown in the country, is starting to fill up with different Chinese decorations, all seen to bring luck to someone’s home. The Chinese will welcome on February 12, 2021, the year of the Metal Ox. NONIE REYES

By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

OCAL bank lending entered negative territory at 2020’s close, registering the system’s first decline in 14 years. Data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Wednesday showed that the outstanding loans of universal and commercial banks declined by 0.7 percent in December 2020, further decelerating from the 0.5-percent growth seen in November. December was the ninth consecutive month that bank lending

has slowed in the country despite aggressive efforts of the BSP to cut interest rates and boost liquidity conditions. In comparison, the Philippines’s bank lending growth rate was at 13.6 percent in March 2020, when the lockdowns forced by Covid-19 began. Theoretically, central banks use interest rate cuts to boost the

PESO exchange rates n US 48.0590

economy as the lower interest rates translate to the market as lower financing costs, thereby creating an encouraging environment for borrowing and investment. In 2020, the BSP aggressively cut its interest rates to spur activity in the local economy. In total, the Central Bank cut its rates by 200 basis points to push its overnight reverse repurchase rate at an alltime low of 2 percent. The last time that Philippine bank lending crashed into the negative territory was in September 2006, when it hit a contraction of 1.9 percent. “Overall, lending remained tepid as banks continued to be risk-averse amid the ongoing pandemic,” the BSP said in a statement.

Broken down, consumer loans grew in December, albeit at a slower rate of 4.4 percent from 7.1 percent in November. The slowdown in consumer lending was seen across the board: from credit-card loans and motor vehicle loans to salary-based consumption loans. Loans toward the production sectors, however, continued to decrease: wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles registered a 6.8-percent decrease in loans; manufacturing hit a 5.2-percent decline; and financial and insurance activities loans decreased by 4.6 percent. Outstanding loans to non-residents also declined by 20.3 percent during the month. See “Bank lending,” A2

n japan 0.4579 n UK 65.6918 n HK 6.2000 n CHINA 7.4434 n singapore 36.0695 n australia 36.5537 n EU 57.8871 n SAUDI arabia 12.8123

Source: BSP (February 3, 2021)

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Thursday, February 4, 2021

‘Highest’ GDP growth seen in 2021 on low base effects

By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

HE Philippine economy could register its highest GDP growth in history this year but will mostly be driven by low base effects and easing mobility restrictions, according to a former socioeconomic planning secretary.

In his keynote address at the Foundation for Economic Freedom forum on Wednesday, Monetary Board member Felipe Medalla said second quarter growth could be between 17.5 percent and 20.1 percent in the second quarter. Should this happen, second quarter growth in 2021 would be the highest since the economy posted a GDP growth of 8.1 percent in the first quarter of 2010, a year after the Global Financial Crisis. The government only started to collect quarterly economic data after 1981 but the highest annual growth was recorded at 38.4 percent in 1947. “The [projected] 17.5-percent growth in the second quarter of this year is not something to be very thrilled about. It is high because it is being compared to a very low base,” said Medalla, a former National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) director general. “Just from the gradual reduction in the stringency and severity of the lockdowns and other restrictions,

GDP in 2021 should be 5 percent to 8 percent higher than in 2020.” Medalla said GDP could continue to contract in the first quarter of 2021 at around 0.7 percent based on his main scenario but could eke out a low positive growth of 1.3 percent based on his optimistic scenario. Third quarter this year could post a growth of 8.6 percent to as much as 11.1 percent while the fourth quarter of the year could see a growth of 1 to 4 percent. Medalla’s main scenario takes into consideration that frontliners and the elderly will be vaccinated. Also, he said growth will be supported by cheap, quick and accurate testing that will make government policies less disruptive to economic activities. He expects the warm weather to allow good ventilation in homes which help prevent Covid-19. He also said open air shopping areas such as tiangges and al fresco dining will boost economic growth. Medalla said while traveling overseas will remain weak because of health risks and inconvenience,

Bank lending… The decline could have been larger, if not offset by growth in some major production sectors. Loans to real estate activities, for example, grew 5.3 percent during the month. Loans to the electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply sector also expanded by 3.8 percent. Loans to the information and communication sector also grew 5.3 percent while transportation and storage sector loans expanded 5 percent. The biggest loan growth during the month was towards the human health and social work activities sector, which welled by 49.2 percent in December. Overall cash supply in the economy was also pulled down by the tepid lending activity during the month. In a separate statement, the BSP

BOC…

said domestic liquidity—which is broadly measured as M3—grew 9.5 percent in December to hit P14.2 trillion. This is slower than the 10.5-percent growth in the previous month.

No quick recovery in sight

In a commentary after the release, ING Bank economist Nicholas Antonio Mapa said bank lending is not expected to bounce back anytime soon. “With non-performing loans on the rise and the job market in shambles, we can expect bank lending to remain in contraction for the next couple of months as both consumer and corporate demand may be subdued given the dour economic outlook,” Mapa said. As an effect on the economy,

Banks…

18 of which are undergoing motion for reinvestigation or reconsideration (amounting to P5 billion) and 8 of which remain unpaid and for referral to BOC Legal Service so a collection suit of P6.9 billion can be filed.

Continued from A1

Data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) shows that gross NPLs of the local banking system amounted to P404.69 billion as of endNovember of last year, which is 73.64 percent more than the P233.06 billion registered in the same period in 2019. Gross NPL ratio grew to 3.81 percent in the same period from 2.19 percent year-on-year. Past due loans, meanwhile, surged by over 63 percent to P507.69 billion as of end-November 2020 from P310.88 billion year-on-year.

Medalla said TFP could be higher if employment in these low productivity sectors is lower and employment in higher productivity sectors would increase. “How this will happen requires a ‘whole-of-society’ approach. We in FEF think removing prohibitions on foreign ownership in the constitution is a big part of the answer,” Medalla, a trustee of FEF, said. “Some of my friends think an under-valued peso is another part of the answer. But these are topics for future lecture series. But looking at labor and land markets, as this lecture series will do, is clearly also part of the answer,” he added. Earlier, Neda said the economy can no longer stay on lockdown, and prolonging the mobility restrictions would condemn even more Filipinos to poverty and hunger. Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said this is the economic team’s stance despite the presence of a new Covid-19 strain in the country. Based on Neda estimates, Chua said quarantine restrictions reduced household spending by P801 billion in 2020 or an average of around P2.2 billion per day. Chua said the decline in consumption translated into a total income loss of around P1.04 trillion in 2020 or an average of around P2.8 billion per day. On a per-capita basis, Chua said annual family income declined by some P23,000 per worker. However, he said this masked wide differences across sectors and jobs, as some workers were hit much harder, while others lost their jobs completely.

HAVE COVID TESTS DONE IN LICENSED LABS, WARNS D.O.H. AS FAKE DOCS SPREAD

EALTH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Wednesday appealed to the public anew to have themselves tested only in laboratories licensed by the Department of Health (DOH) as falsified negative Covid-19 swab test results are becoming an increasing concern of the agency. Not only is using falsified confirmatory Covid-19 test results a criminal act, the use of fake laboratory results may put the lives of other persons at risk because of the possibility that they are infected. Covid-19 cases in the country rose to 530,118 on Wednesday. “The DOH already issued an advisory to the public where to go if they want to be tested,” Vergeire said, responding to the question of BusinessMirror during the Laging Handa press briefing. The list of licensed laboratories may be found here: http:/bit.ly3oC6c0B. Vergeire also assured the public they can validate the authenticity of the test results in the DOH’s system, as “all these laboratories that we gave licenses are linked with our centralized system which is the Covid Kaya [platform].” With the proliferation of fake RT-PCR test results, Vergerie said certain laboratories and persons are already being investigated. “There is an ongoing investigation, but we cannot give the details yet, for it is still under investigation,” Vergeire said, partly in Filipino.

Earlier, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) issued a warning against fake results, bearing the name of the institute, reportedly used for travel, for hotel accommodations, and for other purposes. The initial investigation confirmed that the SARS-CoV-2 test results submitted to RITM for verification were not found in its Covid-19 Laboratory Information System and the signatories were not affiliated with the Institute. Several medical certifications bearing the RITM logo and signatories were also submitted for verification and were confirmed fake. The Institute only releases certified true copy of results and does not issue any other certification. “We are coordinating with the proper authorities to ensure that these illegal activities are put to a stop. Additional security features have also been implemented to prevent misuse of our Institute’s good name for personal profit and exploitation of public trust,” affirmed RITM Director Celia Carlos. Those who wish to verify their results may contact RITMSRU through mobile number 09199279185 and e-mail address: ritmsurveillance@gmail. com. The DOH also encouraged the public to report to them and proper authorities any fraudulent activities concerning Covid-19 testing and releasing of results. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Hopes rise as House, Senate ratify CREATE

Continued from A1

Continued from A12

Moving forward, PCAG is optimistic additional revenues would be collected from post-clearance for the rest of the year. At present, there are still 24 demand letters being collected with an estimated amount of P12 billion;

domestic travel will see a resurgence this year. Meanwhile, he said growth in 2022 will go back to normal, Medalla said, which could be anywhere between 6 and 7 percent onward. This “normal growth,” Medalla expects, is for him the natural growth of the Philippine economy. “When the growth of demand exceeds 7 [percent], the excess becomes imports because domestic supply cannot meet demand. The best examples of this are cement, rice and cars,” Medalla explained. “If people feel unsafe, the economy will remain slow. While 2021 economic growth will be driven by [the] relaxation of constraints that the government itself has imposed on growth, 2022 growth will be driven by how confident the public is that Covid-19 is under control,” he added. Maintaining the country’s natural growth rate of 6 to 7 percent will also be boosted by improving Total Factor Productivity (TFP). Medalla said TFP in the country has been growing around 1 to 2 percent. To illustrate this, Medalla said, that while male and female productivity comprise more than half of certain sectors, these sectors only accounted for about 20 percent of GDP. He said Agriculture, Construction and Transportation and Storage account for 57 percent of all male employment, but only made up 20.5 percent of GDP. Sectors such as Wholesale and Retail Trade, Accommodation and Food Services account for 51 percent of female employment but only represented 23 percent of GDP.

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Continued from A1

Mapa warned that stalling bank lending foreshadows a slow recovery in capital formation, a key sector in the Philippines recent growth numbers. “Missing the extra punch coming from capital formation, growth prospects continue to hint at a sluggish recovery path, despite headline-grabbing 2021 GDP growth rates,” Mapa said. With anemic bank lending and slow capital formation, Mapa said real recovery to pre-Covid levels may actually come later than expected. “The drive to return to prepandemic levels of GDP will likely be pushed back further to end 2022 or early 2023 with capital formation impaired by floundering consumer and business sentiment,” Mapa said. For this year, the BOC targets to collect a total of P616.7 billion, significantly higher by 21.84 percent than the downgraded 2020 target set for BOC at P506.15 billion. Last year, the bureau’s total revenue collection reached P539.7 billion, above its revised revenue collection target by 6.6 percent or P33.5 billion.

Total loan portfolio of the Philippine banking industry stood at P10.63 trillion as of November last year. To combat the rise of bad loans, the government, through the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, gave the borrowers a 60-day grace period to pay their principal loans and interest with due dates until the end of 2020. In addition, the pending Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer bill (FIST) is also seen providing some relief. The FIST bill allows financial institutions to get rid of their nonperforming assets (NPAs) by selling them to asset management firms or FIST companies. This way, they can attain better management of their debt levels during this pandemic. NPAs refer to NPL and real and other properties acquired in settlement of loans. As of November 2020, the banking sector has a capital adequacy ratio of 12.80 percent, according to BSP data.

Approval of CREATE is also seen to end investor uncertainty on the country’s fiscal regime, a matter that Salceda’s Senate counterpart, Sen. Pia Cayetano, said had given them the sense of urgency to shepherd the bill, for all its complicated provisions and the intense pressure from stakeholders. Salceda put it this way: “We are also ending hesitation to invest in the Philippines. Because it took us time to come up with a consensus version, however, we lost $18 billion in foregone FDI from 2018 to 2020. The bleeding stops now.” According to Salceda, “Fixing the incentives regime to make it more performance-based is also crucial. The current investment priorities plan covers some 70 percent of GDP. While I am willing to give incentives, they must be linked with economic outcomes. Better jobs for our people. Higher wages. More training. More research and development. Stronger business. More competitiveness.” For his part, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said the ratification of the proposed CREATE puts the Philippines in a better position to attract fresh money and make the economy more appealing as an investment destination. “This latest reform to our fiscal regime lowers the corporate income taxes and provides incentives to businesses, therefore providing much-needed relief to our investors—whether big or small— severely impacted by the ongoing global health crisis. One important feature of this reform measure is to exempt from VAT and other duties the importation of Covid-19 vaccines, personal protective equipment or PPE, and treatment and clinical trial drugs, among others,” he said. “The Philippines has the highest corporate income tax rates in Southeast Asia, and with CREATE, we can expect our country to be as competitive as our neighbors,” Velasco added. Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte coauthor of CREATE, said it will be the biggest economic stimulus for corporations in the country. Its imminent enactment into law, said Villafuerte, would “underpin economic

recovery as it would benefit primarily the country’s MSMEs [micro, small and medium scale enterprises] that account for more than 99 percent of domestic businesses and employ about 70 percent of local workers.” Sen. Joel Villanueva expressed hope, meanwhile, that CREATE would help bring back jobs, “real jobs,” millions of which were lost in the pandemic. Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian weighed in on this point. “Saving jobs is crucial at this time. While adult joblessness, based on the latest SWS survey, has somehow eased in November last year, we still need to find ways to help those who lost their jobs and small businesses recover from the economic difficulties caused by the pandemic through a hefty income tax cut,” he said. CREATE is part of Package 2 of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Package of the Duterte administration. The measure will lower corporate income tax from 30 percent, the highest in Asean, to 25 percent for large corporations, and 20 percent for small and medium corporations.

Relief While CREATE will result in some P931 billion in tax savings for businesses, Salceda said this is to front-load relief and cover the economic gap caused by Covid-19. The final bicameral version also shaved off P282 billion from the original revenue loss under the Senate version, he noted. “We are front-loading relief now because relief is needed now,”Salceda said. As shared by Senate Ways and Means committee head Sen. Pia Cayetano, the key features of the CREATE bill endorsed by the bicameral panel include: lowered corporate income tax from 30 percent to 20 percent for small and medium corporations (with net taxable income of P5 million and below, and with total assets of not more than P100 million excluding land); lowered corporate income tax from 30 percent to 25 percent for all other corporations; lowered percentage tax from 3 percent to 1 percent for small businesses whose

gross sales or receipts do not exceed the VAT-exempt threshold of P3 million (effective July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023); lowered minimum corporate income tax from 2 percent to 1 percent (effective July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023); The approved measure also includes these key fiscal incentives: up to 17 years of incentives (4-7 years of income tax holiday + 10 years of special corporate income tax or enhanced deductions) for exporters and for“critical”domestic market enterprises, which will be defined by Neda; up to 12 years of incentives (4-7 years of income tax holiday + 5 years of special corporate income tax [SCIT] or enhanced deductions) for other domestic market enterprises. Domestic market enterprises may only qualify for SCIT if they have a minimum investment capital of P500 million. To boost countryside development, CREATE provides: higher incentives for registered enterprises located outside of metropolitan areas to attract more investors and create more jobs in the countryside; additional 3 years of income tax holiday for registered enterprises that will fully relocate outside of the National Capital Region; and, additional 2 years of income tax holiday for registered enterprises in areas recovering from disasters or conflict. On Covid-19 and health incentives, the bill provided: VAT-free sale and importation of Covid-19 drugs, vaccines, medical devices, and components of personal protective equipment (PPEs) until December 2023; VAT exemption for medicines for cancer, mental illness, tuberculosis, and kidney diseases; and, reduced preferential tax rates from 10 percent to 1 percent for non-profit hospitals and educational institutions (effective July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023. Moreover, it provided other tax relief provisions, including: higher VAT exemption threshold from P1.5 million to P2.5 million for socialized and lowcost housing, and from P2.5 million to P4.2 million for house and lot and other residential dwellings; and, VAT exemption on sale, importation or publication of e-books.

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MGB exec vows to keep tabs of Cagayan River magnetite quarry ops set to start in Feb By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

INING regulators will strictly monitor the extraction of magnetite or black sand in the coastal waters and rivers of Cagayan province, an official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Wednesday. This as Apollo Global subsidiary JDVC Resources Corp. said it will start commercial operation of the country’s largest offshore mining in the province this month. A vessel capable of commercial extraction, testing, sampling and production of magnetite iron has arrived and more dredgers are expected to arrive within the next few months. Under its mining permit, JDVC is allowed to extract mineral resources within an area of 1,902 hectares some 14 kilometers offshore near the coastal territory of Gonzaga, Cagayan. The company specifically targets iron-oxide or magnetite sand, which is used to essentially produce steel— with China as a major buyer. Based on the company’s estimate, probable ore reserve in the area is around 631.7 million metric tons (MMT). The project may push through despite stiff opposition by causeoriented groups, citing potential harmful effect of offshore mining of such a massive scale to the coastal environment and ecosystem, and the marine wildlife in the area. Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Director Wilfredo Moncano, in a telephone interview, however, defended the project, saying it has gone through an environmental impact assessment system processes and the company has secured an environmental clearance certificate (ECC) from the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB). “JDVC has undergone environmental impact assessment and the company was issued an ECC, which means environmental issues have been considered by the EMB,” Moncano stated. While magnetite or black sand mining is supposed to be banned in the Philippines, the extraction of the said mineral offshore is allowed, he added. “Mining in shoreline is prohibited but offshore mining is allowed. If it is at least 1,500 meters from the

shoreline going out to the sea, it is allowed,” Moncano said, even as he assured the company’s operation will be monitored by the MGB and EMB. Any destruction or damage to the coastal or marine ecosystem, such as corals, by JDVC Resources Corp., will come with corresponding penalty and fine under the mining law. “What is important is that the JDVC will not cause damage to the coastal or marine ecosystem,” he said. Meanwhile, magnetite mining in rivers such as the Cagayan River is also allowed for as long as the primary purpose of the project is river rehabilitation or restoration, such as the plan to extract some 7 million metric tons of sand to remove three of the 19 sandbars along its stretch. He said the DENR-MGB is also tasked to monitor the dredging operations because while the activity is primarily flood mitigation, the minerals to be extracted include magnetite sand. “Black sand mining is also part of the purposes that’s why we will assess the mineral content of the river channel. If the magnetite sand contained surpasses the threshold of 6 percent, we will charge the company of 4-percent excise tax,” he said. “He also said every shipment will undergo mineral assessment. Even before shipment, there will be mineral assessment,” Moncano added. He said the regional directors of the DENR will undergo briefing to familiarize themselves on how to compute taxes based on a mineral assessment to be conducted on offshore mining or mining black sand incidental to river dredging as part of river restoration and flood mitigation projects. “There is a formula for computing taxes to be imposed on minerals extracted for black sand and it depends on the market value of the mineral and the content of the ores,” he said. In the massive Cagayan River dredging operation, the DENR said initially, around 7 million metric tons of sand is to be extracted in removing three of the 19 sandbars along the stretch of the country’s largest river. The contractors tapped to do the dredging will shoulder the cost of the dredging but eventually can dispose of the dredged materials outside Philippine territory or essentially, export them to other countries for its mineral content or value.

Solons weigh in on proposals to ensure Metro water supply

O prevent a repeat of another water shortage in Metro Manila, the chairman of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development urged water concessionaires to secure their supply this early in preparation for the dry season. House Committee on Metro Manila Development Chairman Manuel Luis Lopez tackled on Tuesday various measures aimed at preventing the repeat of another water crisis in the metropolis. Lopez said the combination of a pandemic and a possible water crisis could be “disastrous.” “Access to water is a right and we no longer want to experience another water crisis that would burden us even more now that we are in a pandemic. Do we have enough water supply for the hot dry season? Are there rotational water interruptions now and will these be done in the next months to ensure sufficient water supply? What can the government agencies, water concessionaires and the public do to prevent a permanent water crisis or a water crisis in the middle of a pandemic? Will the 2019 water crisis happen again or measures are already in place to address this?” he asked. “Now that we seem to have ample water supply, we fear that this may be just temporary and but an aftermath of the recent typhoons that elevated the water in Angat

Dam to its required or ideal level.... As the dry season is fast approaching, there is a chance that we might once again experience such shortage in the supply of water. This we must avoid at all costs, as fighting two simultaneous crises—the lack of water supply and the seemingly never-ending Covid-19 pandemic—will be very difficult for our countrymen and disastrous for our country,” he added. Makati Rep. Luis N. Campos, in a letter to the committee, seeks to explore the viability of Laguna de Bay as another source of potable water for Metro Manila while Deputy Speaker and Valenzuela Second District Rep. Eric M. Martinez filed House Resolution 1191. The Resolution directs the Metro Manila Development Committee to probe, in aid of legislation, the current water levels at Angat Dam, La Mesa Dam and other water sources for Metro Manila, including the saving measures by water concessionaires to prevent another water crisis. Lopez said Angat Dam, which has a storage capacity of 850 million cubic meters, supplies around 97 percent of Metro Manila’s water needs, while, at the same time, being the primary source of irrigation for the rice lands in Bulacan and Pampanga. La Mesa Dam, which has a storage capacity of only 50.5 million cubic meters, supplies the rest. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Thursday, February 4, 2021 A3

Senate sets inquiry into DOTr’s Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center project

By Butch Fernandez

@butchfBM

HE Senate Committee on Public Services is poised to mount an inquiry into the operations of the Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers (PMVICs) in the wake of imposition on motorists to “pay more than double” their usual vehicle registration fees.

C it i ng “ bad t i m i ng ,” Sen. Gr ace Po e, pa ne l c h a i r m a n , paved the way for the upcoming probe by promptly filing Senate Resolution 634 to “ look into the implementation of Department Order 2018-019 by the Department of Transportation [DOTr], Memorandum Circu lar 2018 2158 by the Land Transportation Office [LTO], and other related issuances.” “The intention behind the law is noble, but the fees following its implementation cannot come at a worse time in the middle of a pandemic where people are barely getting by and now have to add another item in their list of expenses,” Poe said.

In support of DOH, Red Cross launches anti-measles, polio drive for children By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco Correspondent

S part of its continuing support of the Department of Health’s second phase of Chikiting Ligtas, DOH’s vaccination program for 2021, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has launched its nationwide measles-rubella and polio supplemental immunization activity (SIA) on February 1. “The need to vaccinate children is crucial for us to halt the ongoing polio outbreak and prevent an impending measles outbreak. Let us protect our children as early as now,” PRC Chairman and CEO, Sen. Richard J. Gordon said. Under the second phase, children will be given additional vaccine doses aside from their routine immunization. PRC targets to vaccinate 100,000 children, 50,000 each for polio and measles-rubella. The Philippine government aims to vaccinate a total of 9,472,468 children with the measles-rubella vaccine and 6,919,015 children with the bivalent oral polio vaccine. To meet these figures, PRC will be pursuing its vaccination drive for the whole month of February. The humanitarian organization will mobilize 2,000 volunteers with 75 staff from 35 PRC chapters. The volunteers and staff will be grouped into 300 teams, which aim to reach 500,000 households in 500 communities. From October 2019 to December 2020, PRC was able to vaccinate 960,429 children against polio and 83,799 children against measlesrubella. Overall, 1,044,228 have been vaccinated through the efforts of PRC. For Gordon, the coordination of the two institutions is vital as it speeds up the supplemental immunization for the children, especially with the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic. Gordon also acknowledged PRC’s staff and volunteers who braved the risks in order to help protect communities against polio, measles, and rubella.

She recalled that the LTO earlier issued a 2018 memorandum circular authorizing PMVICs to collect an inspection fee of P1,800 from motor vehicles weighing 4,500 kilograms or less. If the vehicle fails the test, it will be required to undergo necessary repairs and taken back to the PMVIC, where the motorist is charged an additional P900 reinspection fee to obtain clearance, adding that motorcycles and tricycles are charged P600 for the inspection fee and P300 for the reinspection fee, if necessary. “Isipin mo naman, pati mga naghahanap-buhay na mag-deliver at namamasada pipigaan pa natin ng pera. E di wala na silang naiuwi sa pamilya nila,”

The intention behind the law is noble, but the fees following its implementation cannot come at a worse time in the middle of a pandemic where people are barely getting by and now have to add another item in their list of expenses.

Sen. Grace Poe the lawmaker lamented. Poe pointed out that the implementation of the Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) program to ensure the roadworthiness of vehicles and prevent road accidents has been put in the back burner for more than 12 years, noting that “before the program was rolled out, motorists only had to pay an average of P500 for the emission testing fee.” Moreover, the senator noted that the new inspection procedure is allegedly more thorough as it uses advanced technology to check the car from the inside out, but added that “this has also been accompanied with a number of complaints from motorists.” “It is hard to ignore the accounts from motorists who have experienced glitches in the PMVIC test

results that incurred additional costs on their part for reinspection. The unreliability of the test results is problematic and burdensome, to say the least,” the lawmaker added. At the same time, Poe raised another issue involv ing “the absence of interconnect iv it y between the IT system used by the PMVICs and the LTO, which means vehicle owners have to pay for another testing in another testing center.” Recalling that the DOTr is targeting to roll out a total of 138 PMVICs nationwide, the senator observed that “the lack of transparency in the selection of the PMVICs elicited apprehension among concerned groups that the program has become a breeding ground for corruption.”

BusinessMirror

A4 Thursday, February 4, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION

NO.

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ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

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NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

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

48.

WANG, BINGQING Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

97.

KIEU MANH THANG Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

140.

DING, TENGFEI Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

49.

WANG, GANG Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

98.

LAU THANG LOI Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

141.

GAO, XIONG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

50.

XIAO, YANG Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

99.

LE NGOC KIEU Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

142.

YAN, ZHENWEI Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

100.

LE THI TRINH Vietnamese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

51.

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

HOANG THI THANH CHAU Vietnamese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

101.

LE THI VIET TRINH Chinese

143.

52.

ZHU, FENG Chinese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

JIANG, WEIGUO Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

102.

LIM YING CONG Malaysian

144.

53.

ZHU, ZIZUO Chinese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

LAI, ZHUOBIN Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

103.

NGUYEN HUU THANH Vietnamese

145.

54.

LEE CHUNE SIANG Malaysian

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

LI, XIAODONG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

146.

104.

NGUYEN MINH SON Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

LI, ZHE Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

147.

105.

NGUYEN VAN DUY Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

QIN, ZHENG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

148.

106.

NGUYEN XUAN DIEU Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

WANG, RUI Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

149.

107.

PHAM CONG DUC Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

WU, MING Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

150.

108.

PHAM MINH CONG Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

WU, ZHIPENG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

109.

PHAM THI THUY DUNG Chinese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

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

110.

TRAN HUU TRUYEN Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

151.

111.

TRAN MY LINH Vietnamese

CHEN, YINXI Chinese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

152.

112.

TRAN THI HUYEN TRANG Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

CHEN, YUN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

153.

CHEN, DAN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

154.

CHUNG SIAW WEI Malaysian

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

155.

CUI, JIALI Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

156.

DING, WENHONG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

157.

DONG, YULIN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

158.

GUO, YI Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

159.

HUANG, HONGYUN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

160.

HUANG, YONGPING Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

161.

LI, WEI Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

162.

LIANG, QINGLIN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

163.

LIANG, BENXIN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

164.

LIU, YUHANG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

165.

LIU, XIAOPING Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

166.

LUO, SI Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

167.

MEI, JIAFEN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

168.

QIN, LI Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

169.

QIN, HAOYU Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

170.

QIN, ZHENGYAO Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

171.

QIU, ZHILONG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

172.

SHEN, WENXIANG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

173.

TANG, HUAHAO Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

174.

TENG, JIEXIU Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

175.

WANG, SAIXIA Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

176.

WANG, TONG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

177.

WEI, CHENGTANG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

178.

XIANG, BAOFU Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

FENG, XUELONG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CHINESE ACCOUNTS)

LEE BOON CHONG Malaysian

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CHINESE ACCOUNTS)

LI, XIAOJUN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CHINESE ACCOUNTS)

3. 4. 5.

WANG, YAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CHINESE ACCOUNTS)

CHEN, AIDONG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

DING, YUANYUAN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

FU, RONG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

GU, DANDAN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

GUO, FENG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

HUANG, DONGMING Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

8. 9. 10. 11.

LIN, QIANG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

LIU, WEIMING Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

13.

PEI, CANGKU Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

14.

WANG, XIAOYAO Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

12.

15.

XU, MUCHENG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

16.

YAN, JINGJING Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

17.

ZHANG, HEXIA Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

VI THI YEN Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

18.

8 STONE BUSINESS OUTSOURCING OPC 5th-10th/f Tower 3, Pitx #1 Kennedy Road Tambo Parañaque City 19.

CHEN, JIAZHAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

20.

LI, CHAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

21.

LI, SHUMIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

22.

LIU, CHUANCHANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

23.

LIU, JUNXI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

24.

ZHANG, XIANGYONG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

25.

ZHU, WENYU Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

26.

GAO, JIE Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

27.

SHEN, KUN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

28.

TRAN VAN NGOC Vietnamese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

29.

WANG, YANQING Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

30.

WANG, JUNBING Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

31.

WANG, XIAOHUI Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

32.

WEI, XIAOLEI Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

33.

YU, SICONG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

34.

ZHU, YONGXING Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

BIG EMPEROR TECHNOLOGY CORP. Eastfield Center Cbp1, Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City 35.

LIN, CHAOBIN Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING TRANSLATOR

36.

ZHOU, WEIFANG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING TRANSLATOR

37.

WU, CHANGZENG Chinese

MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT

38.

FENG, XUDONG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

39.

SONG, MENG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

40.

TANG, JINGSHUAI Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

41.

XIONG, ZIJUN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

42.

ZHANG, CHANGJIANG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

43.

LYU, XIANG Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

C’EST LA VIE EVENT MANAGEMENT INC. 230 Narra Street Marikina Heights Marikina City 44.

SU, SHIWEI Chinese

CHINESE - FIELD SALES CONSULTANT

CAPSLOCK INC. 7th & 8th Flr. Y Tower Bldg. Coral Way Drive Cor. Macapagal Brgy. 076 Pasay City

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PHILIPPINES, INC. 5th And 6th Floors, 8/10 Upper Mckinley Building Mckinley Hill Cyberpark Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 55.

QIN, SIHAO, Chinese

SR. PROCESS EXECUTIVE

CSSCORP ICT SERVICES, INC. 3rd Flr. Bonifacio Technology Center 31st. Corner 2nd Avenue Crescent Park Bonifacio City Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 56.

PAVAR ESWARA SAH, BALA VENKATESH SAH Indian

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

CXC PHILIPPINES LIMITED INC. 15/f Philamlife Tower 8767 Paseo De Roxas Bel-air Makati City 57.

BRUNI, SANDRO, Italian

SALES CONSULTANT

EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503 Nueva St Binondo Manila 58.

HUANG, QINGHUA Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

59.

SU, PEIDONG Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

60.

WANG, JIANGCHU Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

113.

UNG HAN THANH Vietnamese

ECHOTECH SERVICES INC. 18/f Philamlife Tower 8767 Paseo De Roxas Bel-air Makati City

114.

VONG CHU HENH Vietnamese

61.

FAN, BIN Chinese

MANDARIN FIELD MARKETING OFFICER

JDB MANAGEMENT AND CONSULTANCY CORP. 107 T & D House Magallanes St. 069, Bgy. 655 Intramuros Manila

62.

HUANG, YINGYI Chinese

MANDARIN FIELD MARKETING OFFICER

115.

63.

YIN, DONGFANG Chinese

MANDARIN FIELD MARKETING OFFICER

JIANG NAN SHI FU FOOD CORP. 223 Nicanor Garcia St. Bel-air Makati City

64.

ZHANG, HENGMING Chinese

MANDARIN FIELD MARKETING OFFICER

116.

FIRST GREAT COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES INC. Lot 5 Sta. Agueda Cor. Queensway Pagcor Drive Sto. Niño Parañaque City 65.

YU, XUN Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

GALAXIER INC. Unit 1 & 3 14/f Sshg Law Center Sycip Law Center 105 Paseo De Roxas San Lorenzo Makati City 66.

PENG, JIACHENG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING HARDWARE TECHNICIAN

67.

TONG, JUNKAI Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING HARDWARE TECHNICIAN

68.

ZHANG, MENG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING HARDWARE TECHNICIAN

69.

LI, CHANGCHUN Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING SYSTEMS ANALYST

70.

LYU, XINWEI Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING SYSTEMS ANALYST

INVECH TREASURE PROCESSING CORPORATION 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Floor Six West Campus Mckinley West Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 71.

FAN, LIDONG Chinese

I.T TECHNICAL MANDARIN

72.

ZHENG, WENHAO Chinese

I.T TECHNICAL MANDARIN

73.

HUANG, HUIJIE Chinese

QA (QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

74.

YANG, MINGHUI Chinese

QA (QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

ITECHNO SPECIALIST INC. U-608 Eastfield Ctr. Moa Comp. Macapagal Ave. Brgy. 076 Pasay City 75.

QIAN, YAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPPORT

76.

PENG, JINCHENG Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

77.

TAN, DONGDONG Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

78.

CAO, XIAOXUE Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

79.

CHEN, SHUANG Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

80.

DENG, ZONGTAO Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

81.

HE, LIHONG Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

82.

HUANG, JIE Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

83.

LI, MIN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

84.

QIU, YUNBO Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

85.

WANG, YAN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

86.

WANG, YINGQIN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

87.

WANG, XINXIN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

88.

YANG, SISI Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

89.

YI, YANGLAN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

90.

ZHOU, YAN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

91.

LAU GIA PHAN Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

92.

BUI THI THUONG Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

93.

CAO VU LAN Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

94.

HO HUYEN TRAN Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

45.

FENG, JINFENG Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

46.

GAO, CHONGSHAN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

95.

HOANG TIEN BINH Vietnamese

47.

LIN, DAIHONG Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

96.

HOMA HARTONO Indonesian

BYRD, RICHARD EDWIN American

CHEN, JIDONG Chinese

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT

CHINESE CHEF

JOEUN PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL, INC. Unit 2302 One San Miguel Avenue Condo San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center San Antonio Pasig City 117.

HAN, JONGSUG South Korean

PRESIDENT

LAN TIAN ZI XUN INC. Rm. 2510 25/f Zen Tower 1111 N.lopez St., 071 Bgy. 659 Ermita Manila 118.

GUAN, SHILIN Chinese

CHINESE IT SPECIALIST

119.

LI, SHANSHAN Chinese

CHINESE IT SPECIALIST

120.

LI, XUE Chinese

CHINESE IT SPECIALIST

121.

ZHU, FEILONG Chinese

CHINESE IT SPECIALIST

LOGICALSOURCE1 CALL CENTER INC. 8/f Sultan Cityland Central Brgy. Highway Hills Mandaluyong City 122.

SHI, WEINAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

MACH 86 TECHNOLOGIES CORP. 5th-13th Flr. Workspace Bldg. 1419 Industry St. Corner Finance St. Mbp Ayala Alabang Ayala-alabang Muntinlupa City 123.

BU, TAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

124.

CHEN, WEIHAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

125.

DIAO, DONGLEI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

126.

GUO, WEIWEI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

127.

HUANG, JUAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

128.

LI, GUANFANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

129.

LIU, BINGJIE Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

130.

MA, CHANGJIAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

131.

MO, FEI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

132.

YAN, CUISHAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

133.

YANG, SHUANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

134.

YIN, JIE Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

135.

YUAN, FAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

136.

ZHANG, CHENGLONG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

179.

ZHANG, JIAN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

137.

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

YANG, BO Chinese

180.

ZHANG, MAOLI Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

138.

ZHOU, XINGYU Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

181.

ZHANG, YIJING Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

139.

ZHOU, JING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

182.

ZHU, PAN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

MARKETROLE ASIA PACIFIC SERVICES, INC. 26/f, 27/f, 28/f The Enterprise Center Tower 1 6766 Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas San Lorenzo Makati City

MF CONSULTANCY MANAGEMENT SERVICES INC. Unit 1001 10/f Antel 2000 Corporate Centre 121 Valero St. Bel-air Makati City

Economy www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Thursday, February 4, 2021

Raw sugar output up 10.65% to 765,021 MT in Jan–SRA

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

@jearcalas

HE country’s raw sugar output as of mid-January rose by 10.65 percent to 765,021 metric tons, from 674,516 MT recorded in the same period of last year, latest Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) data showed.

The Philippine Sugar Millers Association (PSMA) attributed the increase to higher volume of sugarcane milled, which offset lower sugar content during the reference period. Latest SRA data showed that sugarcanes milled as of January 17 rose by a fifth to 9.4 million MT from 7.814 million metric tons (MMT) recorded in the same period of last year. The 20.28-percent increase in harvested sugarcanes buoyed the 5.06-percent reduction in the sugar milling recovery rate during the reference period due to the detrimental impact of rains on canes. Recovery rate as of mid-January was at 1.69 50-kilogram bag per MT of sugarcane (LKg/TC) from 1.78 LKg/TC recorded in the same period of last year, SRA data showed. “ T he i nc rea sed su g a rc a ne production can be attributed to increase in areas,” PSMA Executive Director Cocoy Barrera told

the BusinessMirror. Preliminary SRA data showed that sugarcane areas in crop year 2020-2021 is estimated at 400,705 hectares, slightly higher than the 399,788 hectares recorded in the previous crop year. Barrera said the country has ample supply to meet an increase in demand if the government pursues to open up further the economy. Barrera noted that demand from hotel, restaurant and institutional buyers remain low. He added that bulk of the current demand right now still comes from households. “We have sufficient stocks right now. And prices have been stable,” he said. SRA data showed that the average price of raw sugar at the wholesale level has remained at the P1,700 per LKg since the start of the current crop year last September. SR A data also showed that the average wholesale price of

PBEd online course to train youth for contact center jobs By Elijah Felice E. Rosales @alyasjah

N advocacy group for education has launched an online program intended to train unemployed youth aspiring to enter the contact center work force. The Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) on Tuesday launched First Future 2.0 that opens up a web site wherein anyone can take up courses on skills development in the contact center industr y. The PBEd initiated the second run of the education project to respond to the growing unemployment nationwide brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to PBEd Director for Workforce Development Justine Raagas, the target enrollees of First Future 2.0 are graduates of a senior high program but without college diploma. The pandemic, she said, has made it difficult for the youth to acquire a job given the financial constraints preventing employers from hiring new recruits. Also, millions of Filipinos have ended up losing their jobs as a result of the lockdowns enforced by the government that forced firms to shut down either temporarily or for good. Based on the Labor Force Survey, at least 3.8 million Filipinos are jobless in October, at a time the economy has sunk into recession. “Our youth have bore the brunt of unemployment challenges in the country even before, and all the more during this pandemic. We did address this issue and continue to do so,” Raagas said in explaining the objective behind launching First Future 2.0. R aagas added the program seeks to extend educational support to senior high graduates, who, according to PBEd, are discour-

aged to enter the labor force on the belief that employers look to academic credentials of applicants over their skills. Likewise, she explained First Future 2.0 responds to how neophytes in the work force can climb the corporate ladder, as well as how they can open up economic opportunities for themselves. It also tries to advance them from entry level positions so as to progress their careers and amplify their value, Raagas added. Hazel Aguisanda, associate director at Concentrix Philippines, pinned her hopes on the program to address the challenges faced by applicants trying out in contact center firms. She said as much as the youth of this generation have the skills to make it big in corporations, some of them lack the foundat iona l and leadership va lues needed to thrive with different kinds of people. She cited, for one, the need for new recruits to keep brand secrets, especially if they work for contact center firms that maintain tons of industry information. As for the Department of Education, the challenge now is how to implement practicum programs at a time the government is trying to contain the spread of Covid-19. Education Undersecretary Tonisito M.C. Umali said students of automotive repair, for instance, have to wait until the government allows the resumption of face-to-face classes to graduate. He disclosed they have yet to complete their practical examinations given the technical restrictions applied by the government on social gatherings. Interested takers for the First Future 2.0 courses may go to www. firstfuture.org to register for the program, wherein they can choose from two tracks in the contact center industry.

refined sugar has stabilized at P2,150 per LKg. This has translated to an average retail price of P45 per kg for raw sugar and P50 per kg for refined sugar, based on latest SRA data. SRA data also showed that raw sugar demand as of January 17 increased by 6.06 percent from 544,692 MT to 577,687 MT. The country’s raw sugar output in calendar year (CY) 2020-2021 is projected to hit a four-year high on the back of expanded areas. In its Sugar Order (SO) 1, which outlines the allocations for the country’s sugar output, SRA estimated that raw sugar output this CY could reach 2.19 MMT, or 2 percent higher than the 2.145 MMT produced in the previous CY. The SRA has allocated bulk or about 93 percent of the projected production for domestic consumption while the remaining 7 percent would be exported to the US market. “We forecast that we will have excess sugar this crop year 2020-2021, which will need to be exported,” SRA Administrator Hermenegildo R. Serafica said in a previous statement. “Export of domestic sugar will ease and help stabilize prices—at levels that are reasonably profitable to producers and fair to consumers,” Serafica added. The anticipated higher production and “huge” carryover stocks would result in a glut that may depress prices, especially since the sugar consumption of the food industry declined during the lockdown.

After ASF, avian flu, govt to widen livestock, poultry supply database By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

HE national government will expand its data gathering and monitoring on the country’s livestock and poultry supply, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). On Wednesday, National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa told the BusinessMirror that the undertaking would require an additional budget of around P60 million. Mapa said PSA and the Department of Agriculture (DA) are now in talks, with the latter keen on funding the data collection efforts. “We are planning to expand our livestock and poultry surveys to monthly data collection from the current quarterly schedule to provide policy-makers with higher frequency data,” Mapa said. The DA earlier said they are working with the private sector and the PSA to harmonize and improve data on hogs, particularly the number of pigs lost due to African swine fever (ASF) and related actions. Former National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) Executive Director Reildrin G. Morales disclosed that the private sector and government officials have agreed to improve data on pigs. Morales said certain private sector groups estimate that the country has already lost 36 percent of its 12.7 million pig herd, which is about 4.5 million hogs, due to ASF and ASF-related actions, such as culling and reduction of stocks. However, he noted that PSA data showed the country lost around 10 percent of the country’s total pig population. He said data harmonization will be able to efficiently advance the government’s response in controlling the spread of ASF, which has resulted in the culling of at least 400,000 pigs based on government data. With asper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

TheBroa

Business

A6 Thursday, February 4, 2021 • www.businessmirror.com.ph

Of ‘woke’ and ‘weaponized’ words: Asians ta

By Rizal Raoul Reyes

IGHTY years ago, British journalist Sefton Delmer began helping win the war against the Germans by wielding the pen; its ink flowing with the equivalent of today’s fake news. Eight decades later, the British media and other democracies are confronting the very same monster they helped create. But the circumstances during Delmer’s time, according to the Smithsonian Magazine article about him, were very, very different: the Internet would be born four decades later. Now, with the percentage of people worldwide with Internet access hitting 90 percent the World Economic Forum in 2015 forecast this to be real by 2025 the problem of “fake news,” disinformation and misinformation of Delmer’s era is no longer a problem for the Germans only. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (Unesco) has called this “infollution.” In its Laureate Seminar in 2016 in Paris, France, the Unesco defined “infollution” as the combination of information and pollution composed of c yber-bu l ly ing, v iolent v ideo game, obscene content, viral rumors, technology addiction and privacy invasion. The seminar was the start of an initiative to make information and communications technology (ICT) to help educate young people, especially children, become more digitally-aware and well-informed digital citizens. Two years later, the Unesco calls this “media Internet literacy,” or MIL. This first came into the academic community a decade ago by Penelope Peterson, Eva Baker and Barry McGrow that defined MIL as “the abilit y to access, understand and create communications in a variety of contexts.”

Lack of control

SHARMILA Parmanand of the University of Melbourne, said sociological reasons are behind the growth of “fake news” and “disinformation.” The Unesco defines disinformation as “information that is false and deliberately created to harm a person, social group, organization or country.” Spea k ing in a recent online seminar, Par manand pointed out t he c u r rent u ncer t a i nt y in t he env ironment is a big contr ibuting factor that leads to the spread of and belief in conspirac y theor ies. As a result, this feeds to the psyche of people who wants to be in control of their lives amid the uncertainties brought about by the pandemic and the states’ response to address the pandemic, . Parmanand, who holds a Master of Arts degree in gender and development, observed that a lot of people find it difficult to accept that they don’t have control over the things happening around them. “There’s a certain lack of comfort on not knowing who to blame; that kind of anxiety needs to be addressed.”

Anxiety level

PARMANAND also observed that undermining authority has be-

come prevalent in this era where people are yearning for populist solutions that provide quick-fixes and finger-snap solutions. Parmanand said this condition allows “experts” to have their work to connect with the ordinary people cut out but makes disinformation accessible in the first place. “The traditional drivers are led by people who don’t trust traditional authorities anymore,” she explained. “It becomes problematic when you don’t trust traditional media, which makes it more challenging to get the right information.” According to Parmanand, people “are now living in a time of high anxiety and the desire to desperately control [our lives].” “Of course, there are obviously certain actors that take advantage of the situation,” she pointed out. To note, the Unesco differentiates disinformation with misinformation. The Unesco said the latter is different in that information, albeit also false, is “not created with the intention of causing harm.” Mal-information, the Unesco added, is information “that is based on reality, used to inflict harm on a person, social group, organization or country.”

‘Dubious in nature’

DURING the same online seminar, Val Amiel Vestil cautioned digital natives what Mark Prensky called in 2001 as people who grew up in the era of ubiquitous technology on the consumption of online content. Vestil, co-founder and executive director of the Association of Young Environmental Journalists, said some people surfing the world wide web launched in 1984 go to websites developed to engage people but are fake and “dubious in nature.” In the same seminar, Heather C. Fabrikant, US Embassy in the Philippines Spokesman, said the US government is concerned about the spread of “infodemic,” which has been amplified with the spread of Covid-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined an infodemic as the “overabundance of information, both online and offline.” “It inc ludes del iberate attempts to disseminate wrong information to undermine the public health response and advance a lter native agendas of groups or individuals,” the WHO said. “Mis-information and disinformation can be harmful to people’s physica l and menta l health, increase stigmatization, threaten precious health gains and lead to poor observance of public health measures, thus reducing their effectiveness and endangering countries’ ability to stop the pandemic.” The WHO further emphasized that “disinformation is polarizing public debate on topics related to Covid-19, amplifying hate speech,

heightening the risk of conflict, violence and human rights violations and threatening long-term prospects for advancing democracy, human rights and social cohesion.” “The disinformation has reached a frightening level during the health crisis and its quite important that the youth sector to work together to find the solutions brought about by the threats of disinformation,” Fabrikant said.

A literate studentry

TWO Filipinos, meanwhile, are pushing for MIL: De La Salle University (DLSU) Public Programs Librarian Donna Lyn G. Labangon and DLSU Readers’ Services Librarian John Louie T. Zabala. In their research paper, Labangon and Zabala explained that MIL is anchored under the principle of freedom of expression and information empowering citizens to gain understanding on the function of media information providers, evaluate provided contents thought and make well-thought and informed decisions as the main consumers of media and information. With media information literacy getting more complicated, Labangon and Zabala said there is a need to ensure platforms that can still foster civil and peaceful discourse between people of different cultural backgrounds. In their research paper titled “Towards A Literate Studentry: Media and Information in the Philippines,” Labangon and Zabala said teachers are key to MIL. However, “majority of the instructors failed to undergo professional preparatory training for MIL (63.6 percent) though a number of instructors (36.4 percent) were able to get it.” “The lack of MIL-related programs was the main reason (57.1 percent) why majority failed to get any,” the authors said. “Other factors were unavailability of funds, lack of administrative support and the lax regulation not to attend such.” Participants in the training said they had sessions on MIL through seminars and training (60 percent), through a course in graduate (60 percent) and undergraduate program (20 percent) led by their schools (75 percent), the Department of Education (50 percent) and their accredited professional associations, or APOs, (25 percent).

Blurred quality

THE respondents in Labangon and Zabala’s paper came from the National Capital Region (NCR), Region 3 (Central Luzon), Region 7 ( Central Visayas and Region 12 (Soccsksargen) with percentages of 27.3 percent, 9.1 percent, 54.5 percent and 9.1 percent respectively. Region 7 had the biggest respondents with 54.5 percent. The respondents came from both public (54.5 percent) and private schools(45.5 percent). The MIL courses were handled by full time teachers (54.5 percent), librarians (27.3 percent) and teacher-librarians (18.2 percent). With a limited number of respondents, Labangon and Zabala said implementing an MIL on a national scale is not yet achievable. “Majority of the MIL instructor-respondents were not exposed to prior training due to unavailability of sessions and training for such,” the authors said. “This widens the blur on the quality of the instruction they impart to the students.” Nonetheless, they said school libraries were seen active in assisting MIL instructions.

However, “public libraries were less visible. There was no mention of the barangay reading centers as supplementary facilities to MIL instruction.” According to Labangon and Zabala, there could have been some remedial measures to increase the students’ exposure to library services after the formal school hours.

Expanding curriculum

RAMON Guillermo R. Tuazon, a professor at the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, told an audience in a recent forum that MIL should be taught not only in the senior level of the K-to-12 program but also in the grade school level and even in technical vocational programs. “I feel very bad about the curriculum,” Tuazon said in the forum organized by the Break the Fake Movement. “MIL should not be limited to senior high school. There should be age appropriate lessons integrated in the entire K12 curriculum.” For him, MIL “can be a separate subject; but, at the same time, it should be integrated in the different topics in other courses in all levels even in pre-schools.” Tuazon, also the Unesco lead media development specialist in Myanmar, added that “’cyber wellness’ must also be taught in preschool as much as you need MIL in secondary education.” He noted that the Unesco encourages mainstreaming MIL even in non-formal education classes and in appropriate vocationaltechnical courses. MIL should also be included in the teacher training programs, Tuazon added. However, the problem is teachers handling, he said adding it is currently difficult and challenging for the formal school system to teach MIL unless the school system has reformed itself. He pointed out the country needs a progressive educational system so it can teach MIL correctly and adequately.

Missing links

ACCOR DING to Tu a zon, t he missing links in MIL curriculum include the “ freedom of expression and right to information as a framework and “cyber wellness,” or the balanced online and off line life, privacy, online relationships. He added there should also be topics on the pyscho-social impact of technology (persuasive technology) and disinformation strategies and tools (e.g. using algorithms artificial intelligence, media literacy and conspiracy theories, among others. The other missing links in the curriculum, according to him, include: intercultural dialogue especially promoting tolerance diversity and pluralism (countering hate speech and extremism; addressing historical (negative) revisionism (distortion or denialism); and, dealing with persuasive communication (including information bias). “MIL provides the framework for enabling young minds to make the right choice,” Tuazon said. “[They must be able to] choose freedom over control, tolerance over hate, diversity over homogeneity, and most importantly, truth over lies.”

Digital citizens

A S dig ita l literac y is the lifeline of today’s dig ita l natives, Tuazon reiterated that responsible digital citizenship is a key element of the MIL ecosystem. Moreover, a responsible digital citizen possesses an engaged mind able to speak up and push back to reclaim a “ free, safe and

aderLook

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Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Thursday, February 4, 2021

ake up challenges in media Internet literacy OOPS!: Nearly 2-in-10 in SEA share news on social media before verifying if it’s true

tr uthf u l public space.” “A responsible digital citizen will ensure truth matters-or rather truth always wins,” he said. Tuazon lamented that governments, the business sector and even nongovernment organizations think teaching MlL is not enough to combat fake news. Moreover, many governments believe that fake news and hate speech can be fought with legislation, regulations and control. However, Tuazon said research studies have shown that laws will not impede the distribution of fa lse and misleading information. “On the contrary, prior research shows that these sorts of laws have chilling effects on the broad range of public communication,” he added.

Good discernment

FOR Vestil, users should have a good discernment in choosing the people they meet on the Internet. “It is a matter of choosing you r bat t les: k now i ng wh at ty pe of people you want to engage with and how to engage with them,” he said. “It would be best to allow the media and enlightened citizens to check out false accounts.” In the fight against disinformation, the youth should counter it with authentic content they will create, Vestil suggests. “Promoting intellectualism is a good way to start in building the content,” he said. “Developing a voracious reading habit and a critical mind are important foundations to become an enlightened citizenry.” Vestil recommends that young people “set aside time to read, research and check on the sources you use for creating content.” “Failure to do it might lead you to create misinformation and deliberate disinformation.” Vestil added that people can also use their media accounts to propagate true information. In this age of fake news and disinformation, Vestil stressed that it is important for Filipinos to develop a “woke” culture. Being “woke” was appropriated from black culture and used as an adjective to refer to social awareness. “Everybody should be a ‘woke’ now considering the things happening around us,” he emphasized.

graphics: Unesco

Being ‘woke’

V ESTIL, a Siliman University alumnus, added that being “woke” is beneficial to a society as people can have the opportunity to discuss issues that can help change a society. “At this point, it is important for Filipinos especially the youth, to discuss what ‘woke culture’ is and what is not ‘woke culture,’”

Vestil said. “In woke culture, there are no rude and unkind words. Being antagonistic and confrontational are not parts of being a woke.” However, Vestil said “the problem comes in when we become vicious; highlighted by malicious and verbal attacks.” “You can be woke and be kind at the same time; they are not mutually exclusive. It is not good to cancel people out because of their opinion,” he ex plained. “It is good to engage people in a good manner and woke culture could be defined as being aware and doing something on that awareness.” Meanwhile, Vestil reminded people they have three important roles to play in social media. These roles are: a critical consumer of information; a critical distributor of information; and, a critical producer of information. He reminded people that consumption of information is not only the responsibility of media but also of the individuals who are distributors of information. As people click the share button, it means people are already distributors of information, he explained. “Our digital footprint needs to reflect of being responsible and a critical producer, consumer and distributor of information,” Vestil said.

Banking on the youth

TUA ZON is urging the youth to reclaim their public space, which he said has been lately r u led by d isinfor mation and even hate speech. “When young people commit to a better world, it gives all of us young and old alike, hope for a better future,” he said. Calling them the game changers, Tuazon said young people can have a big impact to change the current environment mainly because of their idealism and enthusiasm. To change the world, we should work with young people, according to Tuazon. “However, troll armies are dominated by young people who are technology-savvy and motivated by generous financial gains,” he noted. On the part of Unesco, it has initiated youth civic projects that aim to send a message to the youth that they have to be accountable to their choices, according to Tuazon.

Build the DNA

DARZEENI Tandazani, co-founder of the Malaysia Information Literacy Education group, shared that Malaysian youth also lack the critical tools to analyze, evaluate and process the flood of online information. Darzini said parents will have an important role in teaching children to develop critical thinking.

“We need to build the DNA so kids can understand the differences in opinion and views,” she said. Jaime A. FlorCruz, a former CNN Beijing bureau chief and adjunct professor at the Peking University, said the challenge now is how to counter the technology being used to propagate fake news. He argued the speed of fake news moves much, much faster than real news. “The challenge right now is how to get there first. Once fake news is there, it is hard turn things around in our favor,” FlorCruz emphasized. Moreover, her urges the youth to have a “healthy news diet” by availing various sources that even includes right-wing sources of information. “More than that, you want to know about politics, economics and health; this is what I mean of a healthy news diet. It should be different sources, different fields.” he added. “In that way we can have an informed decision.”

Civilized manner

PARMANAND admits that fighting fake news and disinformation can be sometimes frustrating. To counter these, one must first resist the impulse to disengage, she said. Second, better be careful in calling fake news and “smart shaming” by doing it strategically, Parmanand said. If it is a bot or troll, block it at once, she added. “But if it is a living thing who happens to be rude, try to engage [him or her] in a civilized manner,” Parmanand said. “Try to engage in a respectful manner and present facts in a noncondescending way.” Fabrikant said one of the best ways to boost resilience is through education. “An educated population with a high media literacy is more challenging and costlier to target,” she noted. Fabrikant said the US Embassy in the Philippines is encouraged by government agencies, civil society, media outlets and academic institutions hav ing launched pro-active programs to promote med ia l iterac y among the youth. She also commended academicians for playing crucial roles in combating disinformation. Another critical element in the fight against disinformation is an independent news environment, according to her. “That is why the US urges its allies and partners to strengthen independent media.” Fabrikant said Washington supports the legitimate media in the fight against the pandemic and support providing information on Covid-19 with a critical eye.

EWS consumption from mainstream media and online sources have received a huge uptick globally, including countries in Southeast Asia (SEA), with the public forced to stay at home last year, Kaspersky Lab Inc. said. It is also notable that online citizens from the region consume most of their news through social media, the Moscow, Russiaheadquartered cybersecurity solutions provider added. “This is proven by a recent Kaspersky research which revealed that majority (76 percent) of users in SEA get their news updates from platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more,” a statement by Kaspersky Lab said. “The percentage is higher for ‘Gen Z’ at 83 percent, followed by ‘Millennials’ at 81 percent, ‘Baby Boomers’ at 70 percent and ‘Gen X’ at 62 percent. This, however, does not mean absolute trust in information published on these platforms.” As online misinformation remains a concern online, the same survey conducted last November 2020 unmasked that almost 2-in10 (18 percent) respondents admitted to sharing news before verifying if they are true. Such is highest among Gen Z (28 percent), followed by Gen X (21), and Boomers (19 percent). Millennials logged the lowest in this aspect at 16 percent. Citing Singaporean psychologist Beverly Leow, Kaspersky Lab said a reason for the low verification rates when it comes to sharing news online could be attributed to the selfpresentation theory, where the individual desires to present him/herself in a certain way. “Hence, when users are sharing information without giving it any thought, it is quite likely that they are motivated by the prospect of presenting themselves as updated and well-informed netizens,” Kaspersky Lab said citing Leow. “Social media presents us many different types of narratives,” Leow was quoted in the statement as saying. “Sometimes a particular incident or event may have several conflicting narratives or versions, and verifying the truth of the matter or the validity of the information presented may be more time consuming and require more effort than hitting the “share” or “repost button.” The study, done among 1,240 respondents with 831 from SEA, also found out that only 5-in-10 respondents across all generations said they read the full article before sharing it on their own account. According to Kaspersky Lab General Manager for Southeast Asia Yeo Siang Tiong, Southeast

Asia internet users are approximately at 400 million with an additional 40 million people who were first-time internet users in 2020. “The region is also known for being among the most active social media users,” Yeo said. He added that the survey showed 36 percent of users in SEA spend one hour to two hours more on these online platforms post-lockdown, 28 percent added two hours to four hours and some 17 percent with four hours to six hours more being spent on socializing online. “From a cybersecurity perspective, false information is a form of social engineering on a bigger scale being used by cybercriminals to effectively and easily victimize people and organizations. 2020 was plagued with phishing emails, scams, and fake domains piggy backing on Covid-19 and now, even vaccines,” Yeo added. “This is why both individuals and businesses, with the current workfrom-home format, should not take misinformation on social media lightly. With this pandemic being far from over, vigilance on information and links that we share is more than necessary.” Awareness about misinformation online is, however, showing signs of growth in the region, Kaspersky Lab said. The company noted that 6-in10 respondents across all generations said that they do check the sources of information or news being circulated on social media before clicking “Share.” Boomers also lead the pack in confronting friends or family members who share fake news, based on their judgments, at 41 percent. They are followed by Millennials (27 percent) and Gen X (23 percent). Gen Z appears to be more polite at 19 percent. Blocking is another way of users in SEA to protect themselves from misinformation. More than a quarter of the respondents admitted blocking contacts who share articles they deem as inaccurate. The percentage of silencing online friends is highest with Gen Z at 46 percent, followed by Boomers, Millennials, and Gen X with 33 percent, 32 percent, and 30 percent, respectively. The study was conducted by research agency YouGov in Australia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam last November 2020. A total of 1,240 respondents were surveyed across the stated countries. The respondents ranged from 18-years to 65-years of age, all of which are working professionals who are active on social media (spending at least one hour a day on social media).

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Groups doubt NSWMC’s resolve to control rising ‘plastic pandemic’ By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

NVIRONMENTAL groups belittled on Wednesday the announcement of the National Solid Waste Management Council (NSWMC) to include plastic softdrink straw and plastic coffee stirrer on the list of Non-Environmentally Acceptable Products and Packaging (NEAPP). Green groups, including those representing civil society and academic sectors, said the inclusion of only two single-use items—plastic straws and stirrers in the NEAPP— won’t be enough to address what they described as “mounting plastic pandemic” in the Philippines. “While this is a much welcome development, considering that this

mandate has been sitting for two decades, banning straws and stirrers alone is not enough. Our time is running out, we need to stop the plastic pollution at source. Our oceans are wallowing in plastics. We cannot and should not wait for another 20 years to ban single-use plastics nationwide,” Atty. Gloria Estenzo Ramos, Oceana vice president said in a news statement. In a position paper, Oceana Philippines International, the local government of Ormoc City, Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines, Ecowaste Coalition and 40 other civil society groups listed a proposed top 10 single-use products for inclusion in the NEAPP. “With the worsening of the climate crisis, we can’t respond to environmental concerns with the cur-

rent speed we are doing right now. The turtle-pace formation of the NEAPP list shows the lack of urgency and sincerity of the DENR [Department of Environment and Natural Resources] and other members of the commission to actually address the problem. We, the youth - with our future at stake, stand firm in our call to expand and release the NEAPP list now!”, Xian Guevarra of Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines said for his part. The NEAPP determines the products that may soon be banned for manufacturing because of the hazard they pose to human health and environment. The NEAPP listing of the two products was deliberated through a virtual en banc meeting on Tuesday, February 2, 2021, which was presided

by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units (LGUs) Concerns and NSWMC Alternate chairman Benny D. Antiporda. The NSWMC concluded with 11 votes for approval and three votes for disapproval of the two items. In a news statement, Antiporda expressed elation that after 20 years RA 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which took effect in 2021, the NEAPP listing has finally begun. “This is long overdue and we need to catch up with the demand of solid waste management in our country,” Antiporda said. Although long-delayed, he said, the development is a significant milestone for NSWMC.

“The prohibition on these two single-use plastic items may be small steps in the NEAPP listing, but it is a big leap when it comes to compliance with the provisions of RA 9003," added Antiporda. Incidentally, the approval of the NSWMC resolution comes at a perfect time as the world celebrates International Straw Free Day on February 3. “This global celebration aims to encourage the public to go straw-free and say ‘no straw please’ when ordering drinks,” Antiporda said. The passage of the resolution came not without strong resistance from some members of the commission, such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the manufacturing and recycling industries.

Garbin tells senators: Let’s do the Cha-cha LCP lauds Magalong’s dedication, accountability to public service By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

HE chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments appealed to the Senate on Wednesday to give the proposal for economic Charter change a chance. At a news forum, A ko Bicol Partylist Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr., the panel chairman, said Congress should allow also the proposal to reach the public through a plebiscite. “Our call [on the Senate] is to give it a chance. The Filipino people who truly own the Constitution, let’s do this through a plebiscite,” he said. “Without ratification the Charter change still remains a proposal,” Garbin added. Garbin admitted that the lower chamber has no “Plan B” if the Senate does not approve the proposed Charter change. But Garbin said the directive of Speaker Lord Allan Velasco is to pass the proposal in the plenary by meeting the three-fourths vote of all the members by next week. Garbin reiterated that should the constitutional amendments be ratified, this will not result in the

automatic lifting of economic restrictions, but will give the next Congress the freedom to enact legislation that will be more responsive to economic conditions and realities. “The next Congress will have its leeway and flexibility to enact legislation that conform to the present economic conditions,” Garbin said. According to Garbin, the House leadership expects the plenary deliberations to begin next week, with the plebiscite to be conducted together with the 2022 national elections. “We hope that by next week, this will be referred to the plenary so that the plenary debate can begin immediately. That is the most important thing to talk about,” he said. “This time around in the plenary, where we are exercising our constituent power to propose amendments to the Constitution, everyone will be given time for their questions to really scrutinize this proposal,” he added. Voting 64 affirmative, 3 negative with 3 abstentions, the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments on Tuesday adopted Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 filed by Velasco seeking to give Congress

the flexibility to amend the restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution to help the Philippine economy recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The resolution seeks to amend certain economic provisions of the 33-year-old Charter particularly Articles XII (National Economy and Patrimony), XIV (Education, Science, Technology, Arts, Culture and Sports) and XVI (General Provisions). It seeks to insert the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” to several sections of the Constitution, which restrict foreign ownership of public utilities, educational institutions, media and advertising. The addition of this phrase will allow Congress to enact laws to free up the economy to foreign investors, or maintain the status quo. However, the committee excluded from the resolution the proposed amendment to Section 7 of Article XII referring to the ban on foreign ownership of land. Garbin said the committee considered the positions and comments of the resource persons in dropping the provision on foreign ownership of land.

HE League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) has issued a commendation letter to Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who recently resigned over a controversial party gathering he and his wife have attended. Hosted by popular Filipino TV and radio host and eventologist Tim Yap, the party held at a popular hotel in Baguio City became controversial when a video footage of the event was leaked and shared in social-media that eventually went viral. Party-goers that include Magalong and his wife, along with actress KC Conception, were criticized by netizens for violating the minimum health protocols prescribed the Interagency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases. “The League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) expresses its strong support to Baguio City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong, LCP’s focal mayor for Anti-Criminality and Illegal Drugs. We laud his solid leadership as the Covid-19 Contact Tracing Czar in formulating a comprehensive and systematic contract tracing approach, while engaging and empowering various local governments with Baguio

City’s innovative ICT solutions,” the statement of support emailed to the BusinessMirror stated. Signed by LCP National President and Bacolod City Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia, the LCP said under Magalong’s clear direction as the city mayor, Baguio City managed to reduce Covid-19 transmissions consistently. “The city was allowed to gradually reopen its local economy while still following health protocols. As a true leader, Mayor Magalong has exerted earnest efforts to facilitate the quick recovery of Baguio City, which has been lauded nationwide as a best practice,” it says. Such feats, according to the LCP, demonstrates Magalong’s dedication to service and excellence. “LCP is aware of Mayor Magalong’s recent involvement in a social gathering wherein lapses in protocols were observed. His participation was intended to show his gratitude to several business groups that continuously helped the city recover and boost its local tourism. We want to draw attention to Mayor Magalong’s actions after the event, which is a clearer reflection of his humility and integrity,” the statement read. Jonathan L. Mayuga

Digital jobs in demand in Southeast Asia, PHL

continued from a12

Apart from these, the report noted that demand for workers with technology skills will remain. This includes specialized engineers, cyber security talents and data analysts. Further, LinkedIn’s data shows a 48-percent increase in companies posting on the platform in June 2020, compared to a year earlier. This has led to an increase in demand for digital marketers and those who are able to produce entertaining content across a range of channels. The data also showed that while travel and transport services suffered in 2020, e-commerce such as food delivery services surged. This trend is expected to continue in 2021 and require workers who do not have traditional education degrees.

“The roles created by this boom do not require traditional educational degrees, or advanced technological skills. The rise of e-commerce, for example, is fueling more demand in logistics for warehouse skilled talent,” LinkedIn said. “And it is these roles that may be filled by professionals of varying skills and experience. In fact, globally the majority of people who fill these roles often come from non-emerging jobs,” it added. With majority of Southeast Asia now online, LinkedIn said, workers in the region, including the Philippines, will benefit greatly from mastering technology, communication skills, social media platforms, and basic office software.

CDC CHIEF MEETS CLARK INVESTORS

Clark Development Corporation (CDC) President and CEO Manuel R. Gaerlan (sixth from left) recently received the Clark Investors and Locators Association (CILA) led by Jeannie D. Ng (seventh from left). In photo are (left to right) CDC Chief of Staff Dennis Legaspi, Atty. Gerald Medina, Pepito Zabat III, Evelyn Yumul, Frankie Villanueva, Froilanda Rodriguez, Joselito Mercado, Christopher Magdangal, Maximo Gulmayo,Jr., and Radito Tuazon. CILA Chairman Irineo “Bong” Alvaro Jr. (not in photo) also joined the meeting. PHOTO COURTESY OF CDC-CD

44 agri graduates to receive land under Duterte’s CARP Phase 2

HE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has identified 44 graduates of agriculturerelated courses from the provinces of Cagayan and Palawan as beneficiaries of the Duterte administration’s agrarian reform program. On February 5, DAR will hold an inaugural distribution of certificates of landownership award (CLOAs) to the fresh graduates of agriculture-related courses, an initiative to encourage the youth to engage in farming with the hope of keeping the country’s food security on course. In a news statement, DAR Secretary John R. Castriciones said this is the first time that the agency would give free lands to agricultural graduates to enable them to practice their profession on their very own farm and encourage the youth in general to embrace farming and reinforce the aging sector, in which the average age of some 11 million Filipino farmers is 57. Castriciones cited a recent study indicating that the country may face shortage of farmers if the agricultural work force would not be replenished amid a decline in the number of students in agricultural courses by at least 1.5 percent a year. “I believe that this incentive of awarding them lands will make the fresh graduates harness the farm lots they will receive since these will serve as their ‘farm laboratories’ on which they could apply the theories and best practices that they learned from their schooling and that would benefit millions of Filipinos in ensuring food security,” he said. The agrarian reform chief said the land for distribution are unused government-owned lands [GOLs], pursuant under Executive Order [EO] 75, Series of 2019. EO 75, Series of 2019, was signed by President Duterte on February 1, 2019, to facilitate the process of subjecting GOLs under the Duterte administration’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), or CARP Phase 2. “The DAR has identified about 230,000 hectares of unused GOLs in the country. Portions of lands in the Cagayan State Univerity (CSU) in Lallo, Cagayan and the Busuanga Pasture Reserve (BPR) in Busuanga, Palawan, will be awarded to the graduates,” Castriciones said. The recipients of farmlands in the Cagayan State University include Gilmar Jay Acebedo, lvin Agcaoili, Juanito Agluba Jr., Noel Compra, Julius John dela Cruz, Welfredo Gacusan Jr., Victorino Lagudoy, Murphy Maingag, Manuel Kriston,Adones Ohayas, Fernando Rabut, McReymart Rabut, Sherwin Ramos, Jarren Ador Raquepo, Hener Ribis, Leonardo Sumauang, Ryan Paul Uson, Angelito Vagay Jerome Usabal, Angelica Adatan, Marife Allag, Analyn Bugnalon, Rica Enorme, Vanessa Gacusan, Jemimah Guzman, Melissa Joy Israel, Karen Grace Justo, Pauline Ordillo, Roshel Torrena, and Vanessa Usabal. While the recipients of farmlots in Busuanga Pasture Reserve are Gensefil Manginsay, Rommel Cagmat, Abigail Lagrada, Sunshine Araza, Florelyn Gutib, Bethel Joy Libarra, Arman Bacnan, Marydel Llanillo, Shahanie Diacasin, Dexter Edonga, Grecia Nimorca, Ronalyn Olanas, Necille Onayan, and Necca Juanerio Cabajar. Jonathan L. Mayuga

Mayor orders crackdown on price manipulators of basic commodities By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco Correspondent

ASAY City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano has ordered local policemen and market officials to go after abusive traders and profiteers manipulating the prices of basic commodities.

Rubiano gave the order after her office received complaints from her constituents about the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities and food products. “I have thus instructed the Pasay City Public Market, the Pasay City Police, and barangay officials to strictly monitor the prices of selected pork,

chicken and other food products in all public and private markets, supermarkets, talipapa’s, and grocery stores in our city,” Rubiano said. The mayor said that she also specifically instructed her people to also go after unscrupulous traders who unreasonably jack up prices of basic food items that in-

clude vegetable and fish products. “We will focus on those who manipulate supply and prices of agricultural products at the expense of consumers, so that they will be charged and punished accordingly” the mayor stressed. Rubiano also plans to form a subtask force to run after opportunistic

traders and report violations to the Office of the Mayor so that proper actions can be taken against them in accordance with the law. The mayor’s order to run after profiteers was also in compliance with an earlier Executive Order 124 issued by President Duterte, which mandates a price ceiling on selected

pork and chicken products in the National Capital Region. Rubiano said she is in full support of the order, which will remain in full force for 60 days upon publication in the Official Gazette, noting that “it will give relief to our constituents who have been complaining of high prices during this health crisis.”

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Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Thursday, February 4, 2021

A child’s ‘critical’ first five years CLOCKWISE: Marcus at his daily morning infant sensory exercise session at home; my dad helping Marcus develop motor skills via swimming; Meagan having early exposure with the Chinese language through songs and flash cards; and Marcus starting violin lessons at 4.

PREGNANCY AND BABY MYTHS WE CAN NOW LET GO OF

ONE thing women should expect during pregnancy is that there will be tons of advice and tips; they’ll even hear many myths or pamahiin. Even these days, some women still follow these myths for the sake of wala namang masama kung maniniwala, or “better to be safe than sorry.” These pamahiins abound in Filipino culture, and while some people find no harm in trying, the reality is that expectant mothers go through a lot of physical, mental and emotional changes even after their baby is born, which could contribute to the experiences so many women have had and continue to experience. Sticking to proven facts and listening to the doctor’s advice can help keep a mother and her baby healthy and safe during pregnancy and after childbirth. We asked Obstetrician Gynecologist (OB-GYN) Dr. Sybil Bravo about some common pregnancy myths: pregnant women are not allowed to exercise; expectant moms can still do their regular beauty and skin-care routine; raw food is a big no-no for pregnant moms, and cravings have a direct effect on your baby; tummy shape can tell the gender of the baby; pregnant women can get vaccination; eat eggs to induce tigdas or measles; bathe the baby with coriander to help them heal faster from chicken pox; you cannot feed a child when they are experiencing diarrhea or vomiting; a bigkis can help with a gassy baby; and when a baby suddenly gets sick, nausog sila. The No. 1 advice for mothers and babies to keep them at the best of health is to always seek professional medical advice and visit their doctors regularly. Medical breakthroughs such as vaccination can be a huge help in maintaining protection against vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions in the history of the world next to clean water, so the best thing to do is for parents to get their children vaccinated early and continue to encourage them to do so over the course of their lifetime. To learn more about vaccination and what is beneficial for pregnant women and their children, visit your doctor today. This part of an advocacy campaign led by MSD in the Philippines.

EXPRESS DELIVERY SERVICES FOR FAMILY FAVORITES HERE’S some sweet news for those families of foodies. One of the Metro’s favorite restaurants, Banapple has started serving its home-cooked style dishes and desserts at Shangri-La Plaza (www.facebook.com/ shangrilaplazaofficial). Mall guests finally get to enjoy the restaurant’s beloved Banoffee Pies and Apple Caramel Crumble Pies as well as its notable dishes such as Hickory Smoked Barbecued Country Ribs and Chicken Parmigiano at the Shang. They also have the option to indulgence in all-time favorite Banapple eats and treats at home with the resto’s recently launched express delivery services for their safety and convenience. And to make family meals more special, it now also offers some of their beloved dishes in food trays. “We’re thrilled to be part of Shangri-La Plaza’s impressive roster of restaurants and bring the warmth of home-cooked style meals to those living within and near the Shang estate. With our dishes and desserts, we hope we can add some much-needed cheer to everyone’s tables this year,” says GJ Jimenez of Banapple. “Rest assured, we follow stringent health protocols at all our branches as the safety of our customers always comes first.” Established in 1997, this restaurant started out as a bakery but soon expanded their offerings to include soups and salads, pastas, sandwiches, dishes, and savory pies, as well as fluffy pancakes and other breakfast favorites.

AST January 22, I shared my views on simplifying life this 2021. One of the major aspects of our life is parenting. I believe that the start of simplifying parenting is knowing “important basics.” Did you know that the first five years of a child’s brain development will determine how successful the child will be for the rest of his life? There’s a phase called the “critical period”—a phase where the brain cell connections are more flexible and receptive to the influence of life experiences. If you miss out on this window of opportunity, it might be harder for your child to cope with the ever-changing world. Based on Why Early Childhood Matters, published in First Things First (bit.ly/3jefWwE), 90 percent of brain growth happens before kindergarten. Newborn babies have all of the brain cells they’ll have for the rest of their life, but the synapses, or connections, between these cells are what make the brain work. These connections enable us to do just about everything, including moving, thinking and communicating. Research confirms that the first five years of life are considered to be a rapid and dynamic period for brain development. Most brain processes during that period will have an impact on the developing brain. Much like electrical wires—or the fiber optics that connect us to the Internet—billions of brain cells called neurons send electrical signals to communicate with each other. These connections form circuits and become the basic foundation of brain architecture. Circuits and connections multiply at a really fast pace and are strengthened through repeated use. Experiences and environment dictate which circuits and connections get more used. A good example of this is when a child is more exposed to different languages at an early age, he tends to become a good linguist when he matures. This is because the circuit and connections on language was strengthened through repeated use, so the child’s ability to learn a certain language becomes easier. Connections that are used more grow stronger and more permanent. A child’s experiences shape the process that determines whether the child’s brain will provide a strong or weak foundation for all future learning behavior or health. For a child to develop into a healthy, capable, and successful adult, brain development in the early years of childhood is crucial. According to the Center on the Developing Child of Harvard University, the early years provide the “building blocks” for successful “architecture of the

brain,” and higher-level abilities that come later in life—such as problem-solving, emotional maturity, and communication—are developed and formed through brain connections made during the first five years. Studies also show that in the first five years, nutrition plays a crucial role in brain development. Two experts—Sarah E. Cusick, PhD, and Michael K. Georgieff, MD—published an article on PubMed Central, a biomedical and life sciences journal from the US National Library of Medicine, titled “The Role of Nutrition in Brain Development: The Golden Opportunity of the First 1,000 days.” The medical journal says that among the factors that influence early brain development, three stand out as having particularly intense effects: provision of optimal nutrition including brain food; presence of strong social support and/or secure attachment, and the reduction of toxic stress and inflammation. The brain is vulnerable during this period so proper nutrition helps regulate brain development. Deficiencies in nutrients such as iron, zinc and choline, which are commonly found in milk, can significantly alter the brain, as well as cognitive outcomes. According to hellodoctor.com, some Filipino foods that boost brain power include

Fun ways to welcome the Year of the Ox THE Ox, the second sign in the Chinese horoscope, is associated with water—a symbol of strength reliability and diligence. It is not surprising that children born in the Year of the Ox are from a young age aimed at success, and try to make their dreams come true. Ox children are distinguished by their endurance and diligence. It seems that there are no obstacles for them. Silent and purposeful, they amaze us with their responsible approach to the smallest task. The Ox girl is a faithful mother’s assistant—she loves cleanliness and order, loves cooking. Sweet in disposition she is trustworthy, and prefers to spend time for useful lessons instead of idle chatter. She is drawn to the world of art, and likes attending exhibitions and theatrical performances.

The Ox boy from early years demonstrates practicality, reliability, diligence. He likes to play sports and, at the same time, has excellent mental abilities. Practical and frugal, they are happy to play with old cars and designers. They possess logical and spatial thinking, and create new constructions from the simplest details. Celebrate the coming of the Year of the Ox with Toy Kingdom’s collection of adorable and lovely ox-inspired plush toys that will surely bring luck and lots of playtime fun into your homes. These toys and more are available in most Toy Kingdom stores located in most SM Supermalls nationwide. You can also shop at the comfort of your homes via www.toykingdom.ph for more amazing toy finds.

milk, eggs, fish, green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, citrus fruits high in vitamin C, and berries. For infants, the most accessible will be milk with phospholipids. As parents, it is indeed important to learn, understand and build a solid foundation with their children while nourishing their growth with phospholipids to help them reach their maximum potential, especially in the first five formative years. Development and behavioral pediatricians recommend being proactive in finding the right information, tools, counseling and planning. It’s important to take advantage of the window of opportunity to impact your child’s early life brain connections, which in turn have a lasting effect on a child’s ability to learn and succeed. What parents need to know is that their role is crucial in the development and growth of their children within the first five years. Researchers prove that children who receive loving support and positive interactions, as well as proper brain nutrition including phospholipids in milk in their early years, become healthier and more successful in school and life. Parents should not miss out on this window of opportunity. ■

A10 Thursday, February 4, 2021 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

‘Prepare for the next pandemic like a war’

icrosoft cofounder Bill Gates has long been sounding the alarm about pandemic dangers. In a 2015 TED talk that has been viewed more than 39 million times, for example, he cited the Ebola epidemic in West Africa that has killed more than 10,000 people. If anything good can come from this tragedy, Gates said, it is that Ebola can awaken the world to a sobering fact: We are simply not prepared to deal with a global epidemic. If we start now, we can be ready for the next epidemic. In his TED talk six years ago, Gates showed a giant coronavirus on the screen and said: “The greatest risk of global catastrophe looks like this. If anything kills over 10 million people in the next few decades, it’s most likely to be a highly infectious virus rather than a war. Not missiles, but microbes. We’re not ready for the next epidemic.” Some recent reactions to his 2015 TED talk: “This is like a trailer for a horror movie that we are now living.” “We had five years to prepare. But people never took it seriously.” “Everyone snoozed on this and everyone paid the price.” “He was so accurate some people even think he made the virus.” “This is a whole different level of ‘I told you so.’” In the 2021 annual letter from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates wrote: “We can’t afford to be caught flat-footed again. To prevent the hardship of this last year from happening again, pandemic preparedness must be taken as seriously as we take the threat of war. No one needs to be convinced that an infectious disease could kill millions of people or shut down the global economy.” The Gates Foundation has invested $1.75 billion in the fight against Covid-19 so far and pivoted much of its staff to pandemic-related projects. The funding helped support research on vaccines and promising treatments called monoclonal antibodies. Much of the money is earmarked to ensure developing countries don’t lose out as rich countries snap up supplies of vaccines and drugs. That prospect of “immunity inequality,” where the wealthiest people get vaccines that don’t reach the world’s poorest populations, is deeply concerning, Melinda Gates said in her section of the letter. “As things stand now, low- and middle-income countries will only be able to cover about one in five people…over the next year,” she wrote. Bill Gates said rich countries now need to double down on spending for research and development, including work on “mega-diagnostic” testing platforms, which Gates predicts could allow screening of more than 100 million people every week. While the cost may sound high, billions spent on infrastructure and technology would represent a huge savings compared to the estimated $28 trillion global toll of Covid-19 and its associated economic fallout, he said. Gates also bats for the creation of a global corps of 3,000 infectious disease first responders who would spring into action like firefighters when new outbreaks flare anywhere in the world and prevent them from throwing off sparks that lead to runaway spread. “Speed matters in a pandemic,” Gates wrote. “The faster you act, the faster you cut off exponential growth of the virus.” To avoid future destruction on the scale of that caused by Covid-19, “pandemic preparedness must be taken as seriously as we take the threat of war,” Gates said. “The threat of the next pandemic will always be hanging over our heads—unless the world takes steps to prevent it. “Stopping the next pandemic will require spending tens of billions of dollars per year—a big investment, but remember that the Covid-19 pandemic is estimated to cost the world $28 trillion,” he added. “The world needs to spend billions to save trillions [and prevent millions of deaths].” Regular simulations akin to war games—Gates calls them “germ games”— will be vital so health systems and governments will be able to gear up with little warning. “Viruses like Covid-19 remind us that, for all our differences, everyone in the world is connected biologically by a microscopic network of germs and particles,” the letter said. “And that, like it or not, we’re all in this together.”

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OK Boomer John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

ll the shrieking over the recent events on the New York Stock Exchange over the trading in GameStop Corp. may be the best indication of the 21st century. By that, I mean the generations that have come of age in the past 20 years or so. I am an expert. I have four sons, all Millennials or younger. “Official” age designations are as follows: Baby boomers were born between 1946 and 1964, currently 57 to 75 years old. Gen X were born between 1965 and 1980 and currently from 41-56 years old. Gen Y/ Millennials were born between 1981 and 1997. Gen Z were born between 1998 and 2015. Let’s put things in perspective. Neil A. Armstrong and Michael Collins landed on the moon on July 20, 1969 at 20:17 UTC. The first “Fake moon landing” pamphlet was published on July 20, 1969 at 22:17 UTC. The global gold standard for currency ended on Sunday, August 15,

1971, when the American financial markets were closed. US President Richard Nixon gave a televised speech to the world saying, “I have directed Treasury Secretary Connally to suspend temporarily the convertibility of the dollar into gold. Now crude oil will be the currency standard and if you don’t like it, Bite Me!” I added the last sentence because that was what Nixon was effectively saying. The original Apple Computer, Apple I, was released in 1976. It cost $3,000 in today’s money and was famous for drawing all kinds of incredible moving green-line shapes,

perfect for watching while stoned on marijuana. The first BBS, Computerized Bulletin Board System, was created in 1978. You could talk to as many people on-line as you had telephone landlines. This was the forerunner of sexting, computer dating, and PornTube. The World Wide Web was first available to the public in 1993. In January 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone. And all that is what gives us Boomers a huge advantage. We have historical perspective. We lived all of that. The Gen X people might have seen an “Apple I” computer being used by a Boomer. In the past two weeks we have been watching the stock market trading of a company called GameStop, which traces its root to Babbage’s, a software retailer, founded in 1984 by Gary M. Kusin, born in 1951. Go Boomer. The newly appointed Chief Executive Officer is George E. Sherman. Go Boomer2. Last week from the hallowed halls of the US Congress to Twitter Philippines we have heard the following: “No more stock market talk on Reddit. Shut it down.” “A fine or imprisonment for ‘stock advice’ unless you have a license.” “Social media

will kill the stock market.” When I was trading on Wall Street 45 years ago, we had this incredible invention called “The Telephone.” With it, stockbrokers were able to do amazing things like “short stocks.” Also to “Short squeeze” the shorters. Prices were able to be manipulated and “insider trading” was done. Brokers got together to hype basura issues. And do you honestly think that you invented “pump and dump”? Michael Meehan was born in England in 1892. He was a Wall Street messenger boy who sidelined selling tickets to Broadway shows. Because of the connections he made, he eventually bought a seat on the New York Stock Exchange in 1925. M.J. Meehan & Company employed 400 people in nine offices. In 1937 Meehan was the first person to be expelled from the NYSE, ending his career as a broker. He made $5.6 million (2021 equivalent) pumping and dumping the shares of Bellanca Aircraft in 1935. He used “The Telephone.” E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis provided by AAA Southeast Equities Inc.

Why the GameStop frenzy is mostly a made in USA drama for now By Bei Hu, William Shaw and Suzy Waite Bloomberg Opinion

N the surface, it looks like the GameStop Corp. uproar pitting Reddit day traders against giant hedge funds is going global. New accounts at Tiger Brokers in Singapore surged last week. In the UK, Trading 212 is the most downloaded app in the country, while in Korea, GameStop is among the top 10 most-held foreign shares. Yet even as the hype spreads, the equity trading revolution playing out in the US is unlikely to be matched anytime soon in Asia and Europe. Tighter restrictions on short selling, limited options trading and higher taxes and fees will keep it a US game for now. “There are some important elements in the European markets that differ from the US that make it difficult to see a repeat,” said John Garvey, global financial services leader at PwC, who cited limited free trading and restricted short selling. China would be the obvious place for it to spread further. Retail traders dominate equity markets in the world’s second-biggest economy, with stock forums like East Money Information Co. and Xueqiu stirring up buying in Reddit-like fashion. It remains largely a one-sided bet though after short selling was curbed followed a 2015 market crash. While restrictions have been eased, short interest accounts for a fraction of 1 percent of the outstanding float of shares on Chinese exchanges. This compares to about 3.5 percent for companies in the S&P 500 index, according to data from Markit. Short bets are also expensive

in China, since the massive pension funds that might otherwise lend shares for a short bet are prohibited from doing so. That means there are few if any billion-dollar hedge funds vulnerable to a short squeeze of the kind that helped fuel GameStop’s moonshot. There are also no single stock options in China, which juiced buying pressure in the US. Meanwhile, China exchange rules cap daily stock moves at 10 percent, an anathema for day-traders. Given the restrictions, hedge funds have tended to express bearish views on Chinese companies through Hong Kong or US-listed shares. Hong Kong allows more short selling, while options trading through the city’s markets are dominated by institutions. Trading is also more opaque, so it’s tough to know which fund is shorting which stock, with no public information on bearish bets by individual funds. That’s in contrast

with the US, where Melvin Capital drew the ire of the day-trading herd and suffered a 53 percent drop last month after disclosing its massive short on GameStop. “I just don’t think we have the retail armies in Hong Kong because historically it has been a very institutional market,” said Richard Johnston, Hong Kong-based Asia head of Albourne Partners, which advises on alternative investments. “In China, you have retail armies, but they are all on the long side.” Elsewhere in Asia, Korean traders have jumped on the GameStop mania, buying the US stock from Seoul to ride the gain this year before this week’s collapse. But opportunities to participate in local short squeezes are tougher to come by. The government banned short selling last year amid the pandemic, and a 30,000-strong investor group has gone as far as renting a bus decked out with anti-shorting slogans to lobby for a permanent ban. Singapore is one Asian market that offers so-called naked shorts, in which investors don’t borrow the underlying stock to place a bet. They haven’t proven popular, however, because the bets have to be covered the same day. The city state’s central bank Tuesday warned investors about possible “pump and dump” activities on social media platforms touting GameStop and other shares. Punters got a reminder this week just how volatile the trades can be.

The 50 stocks that Robinhood Markets originally put on its restricted list had added $276 billion in value from year-end to the height of the recent mania, before $167 billion was wiped out in days as the trades reversed, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. GameStop tumbled 60 percent on Tuesday, extending this week’s loss to 72 percent. In Europe, investors have also caught some of the day-trading buzz. Trading 212, which claims to be the UK’s first zero-commission stock broker, announced on Thursday it would stop signing up any new clients due to “unprecedented demand” and warned its existing clients about long delays if they tried to execute buy or sell orders in GameStop or AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. Freetrade, a commission-free investment app, added 40,000 clients in one day on January 27, compared with a daily average of 4,000 in the fourth quarter, a spokesperson said. Trading has spiked as a result. The average 28-day volume for GameStop is up 400 percent on CMC Markets Plc’s platform in London, while it’s up 1,600 percent for AMC, another favorite of the Reddit crowd. Telecom company Nokia Oyj was also caught up in the rush, with 1 billion US ADRs changing hands last Wednesday alone, compared with a 90-day average of 56 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. “Client interest in See “GameStop,” A11

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The University as a sanctuary of critical thinking

The Kerygmatic Jesus Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco Jr.

Alálaong Bagá

Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS

N his landmark essay in 1966, the great historian Renato Constantino traced Philippine mal-development to one major cause: “Mis-education of the Filipino.” He wrote:

he gospel narration of a typical day in the public ministry of Jesus portrays Him as gospel-driven messiah, focused on proclaiming to everyone the message of salvation (Mark 1:2939). He derived His kerygmatic orientation from His prayer-intimacy with His heavenly Father.

The true messiah

“Education is a vital weapon of a people striving for economic emancipation, political independence, and cultural renascence. We are such a people. Philippine education, therefore, must produce Filipinos who are aware of their country’s problems, who understand the basic solution to these problems, and who care enough to have courage enough to work and sacrifice for their country’s salvation.” In brief, the thesis of Constantino is that the growth and progress of the country lie in an emancipatory educational system. This is an educational system capable of graduating students possessing the knowledge and skills to decipher the problems and development challenges facing the country in various fields of human endeavor—social, scientific, economic, cultural, political and so on—and to find the answers to these problems and challenges. Honing these knowledge and skills requires the existence of educational institutions that are fully dedicated to the search for knowledge based on a critical understanding of ourselves, the world we live in and our place within it. We need educational institutions that promote critical thinking, reflected in the free yet rigorous inquiry, discourse, debate and dialogue on the problems haunting the nation. For this to happen, educational institutions, especially those of higher learning, must be able to foster an environment of critical and scientific inquiry free from outside interference and censure, as enunciated by Unesco and great universities worldwide. This is why University autonomy and academic freedom are essential in building this culture of

GameStop. . . continued from A10

equities continues to increase, which aligns with the increased volatility,” said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets, which sells derivatives to retail traders known as contracts for difference. Yet higher taxes, increased regulation and a more subdued day-trading culture will likely cap the frenzy in London and other European capitals. Those buying BlackBerry Ltd. and GameStop face US taxes on any gains, plus paperwork. For some, it’s simpler to bet on Premier League soccer.

Free trades

“In the US, it’s very easy for people to get market access cheaply,” said Ryan Paisey, who offers online market analysis for brokers and day traders in London. “In Europe, the barriers

critical thinking, which, in turn, is a key in advancing a nation’s progress in various fields of human endeavor. Academic freedom is the DNA that fuels debates and discourses on academic ideas, theories and models that eventually ripen into answers and solutions to society’s problems. In this context, the recent abrogation by the Department of National Defense of the 1989 UP-DND Accord (as well as the PUP-DND Accord), which defines the protocols governing police/military incursions on campuses, is a blow to academic freedom and the environment of critical inquiry. Sadly, it also reveals the narrow understanding of the people in the military on the root causes of the continuing Philippine social and economic malaise and how to address them. It appears that some officials of the country equate education to a narrow program of skills development, rote learning and even simple indoctrination. Such educational policy framework is regressive. It is a threat to the development of critical thinking and has no place in the 21st century. Hopefully, the Philippine military and police officials will find the wisdom to re-think their position. They can come out morally and politically stronger if they will respect and strengthen the UP-DND and PUP-DND accords. Better, they should initiate honest and critical dialogue with the academe and other sectors on the social and economic problems ailing the country and on what is the way forward for a Covidstricken nation. Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo is a Professor Emeritus of the University of the Philippines.

are still quite low but they’re more than they are in America.” While free trading platforms like eToro are starting to pop up outside the US—trying to mimic the success of Robinhood Markets Inc. in Silicon Valley—regulations and trading fees are still the norm. In response to market volatility, eToro on January 27 disabled entry and exit orders on some less liquid stocks when the market is closed and limited their trading only to transactions without leverage. In Germany, traders need to submit a lot of personal information and pay taxes on each transaction, Guillermo Hernandez Sampere, head of trading at MPPM EK in Eppstein, Germany, said by phone. “The average day trader doesn’t have the volumes to build up enough positions to justify high taxes on each transaction,” he said. Still, Paisey says it’s a matter of time before the world eventually catches up to the US.

“The day of the messiah” (Isaiah 35:5-6; 61:1-2) manifesting the glory of the Lord means the bringing of glad tidings to the lowly and comfort to all who mourn. The prophetic expectations and images of hope and healing, of freedom and vindication become realized in Jesus, teaching with authority, healing the sick and driving demons away. But Mark is obviously muting down the public enthusiasm regarding the wondrous powers of Jesus. They are signs of the reign of God, not of some political agenda. There is the contrived “secrecy” about his true identity with the command silencing the demons, not because they know the truth, but because they, as the people also, know only half the truth: the seductive falsehood about being the powerful messiah but not as the suffering servant of God.

A man of prayer

Jesus, however, is intentionally portrayed by the inspired writer as

AKARTA, Indonesia—A coup in Myanmar has left the military in control under a one-year state of emergency, while the country’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior politicians have been detained. Here’s a look at what could be behind the military’s actions. Why now? Monday was supposed to be the first day of a new session of Parliament following November elections that Suu Kyi’s party won in a landslide—and that the military-backed party did poorly in. The military has claimed widespread irregularities on voter lists could have led

to fraud in that vote, though the election commission said there was no evidence to support those claims. But the announcement on militaryowned Myawaddy TV of the takeover cited the government’s failure to act on the allegations as part of the reason for the move. The military maintains its actions are legally justified, and the announcement cited an article in the constitution that allows the military to take over in times of emergency, though Suu Kyi’s party’s spokesman and many outsiders have said it’s effectively a coup. Some experts expressed puzzlement that the military would move to upset the status quo—in which the generals continue to hold tremendous power

Jesus disassociated Himself from the centuries-old political hopes of His people. They were looking for a wonder-working messiah whose political might would restore the power and glory of Israel, a leader to give them victory over their enemies. For Mark, the greatest wonder performed by Jesus is paradoxically the mystery of His suffering and death on the cross. a man praying. After the healings and the recognition by demons, Jesus retreats to pray. This is a consistent action by Jesus when He is confronted by people’s misconception and distortion of His mission (Mark 6:46; 14:35. 39). From such a prayerful pause from His activities in intimacy with His heavenly Father, Jesus emerges focused as ever in the direction of His ways and the goal of His efforts. He is not intoxicated by the popular reaction to his power; he refused to bask in their admiration and to tarry with them and to forget that he is to serve all and has still many others to reach out to. If Jesus, as a man of prayer who lives in the presence of God, stands firm in His mission of salvation for all peoples, the mother-in-law of Simon grasped by the hand and helped up by Jesus from her sickness personifies a true disciple. After being healed, the woman at once began to serve

Jesus and His followers. Again, the actual verb used by Mark is egero (to raise up), the same verb to describe the resurrection of Jesus Himself (Mark 14:28). The woman’s simple cure, told in starkest simplicity, becomes a foreshadowing of Jesus’ mission for all humankind. He heals in His power over sin and death; as the Risen One He raises up to new life all who believe in Him. Alálaong bagá, as Jesus refused to be drawn into the messianic politics of his people wishing for worldly ascendancy over their enemies, His followers too as a community must be most careful about political partisanship. It is the right and duty of every Christian to be politically active and responsible, and the Church must be the Gospel-driven leaven for the transformation of society, never merely a seduced or cowed adjunct to a political party with its vested interests. The breaking-in of God’s reign is precisely against the perennial politics of greed and corruption, the obstruction of justice and the obfuscation of the truth, the blatant violation of human rights and the selfish opportunism of some perpetuating poverty for the many. The politics by sinful humans stand always in urgent need of Jesus’ teaching, healing and exorcism. Join me in meditating on the Word of God

every Sunday, from 5 to 6 a.m. on DWIZ 882, or by audio streaming on www.dwiz882.com.

How Nobel Peace Prize nominations come about By Jan M. Olsen | Associated Press

OPENHAGEN, Denmark—Belarusian opposition figures, Hong Kong-pro-democracy activists, the global Black Lives Matter movement, a jailed Russian opposition leader, and an American voting rights champion are among this year’s nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. There is no shortage of causes or candidates for the Norwegian Nobel Committee to consider for what arguably remains the world’s most prestigious prize. But getting a nomination isn’t the same being in the running for the award. Here’s a look at the Nobel nomination process: Who can nominate candidates for the nobel peace prize? Heads of state or politicians serving at a national level, university professors, directors of foreign policy institutes, past Nobel Prize recipients and members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee are among those deemed qualified to submit a nomination for the prize. A nomination for oneself will not be considered, according to the committee. The nominations aren’t announced by the committee, but those doing the nominating may choose to make it public, raising publicity both for the nominee and the proposer. “There is huge benefit in being nominated, but then comes the ‘quality criteria,’” Henrik Urdal of the Peace Research Institute in Oslo, a body that is independent of the Nobel committee, told The Associated Press. What is the nomination process? The deadline for nominations

was on Sunday at midnight Oslo time. Once all nominations have come in, the very secretive board will sift through the written nominations and validate them. They need to check people’s affiliations and whether the nomination meets the criteria. The committee also can add names themselves, Urdal said. That all takes time and it won’t likely be until the end of February or early March that the committee will say how many people or organizations have been nominated. How about the 2020 prize? The UN World Food Program won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. It was among 318 candidates nominated, both people and organizations, but those names are being kept secret for 50 years by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Who are among the 2021 nominees? Some of those who have proposed nominees for this year have publicly announced their choices. For that reason, we know that among the 2021 nominees are exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and two other Belarus democracy activists, Veronika Tsepkalo and Maria Kolesnikova; the Black Lives Matter movement; Alexei Navalny, Russian President

Why did the military stage a coup in Myanmar? By Victoria Milko | Associated Press

Thursday, February 4, 2021 A11

despite progress toward democracy in recent years. But some noted the looming retirement of Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who has been commander of the armed forces since 2011 and who was put in charge on Monday. “There’s internal military politics around that, which is very opaque,” said Kim Jolliffe, a researcher on Myanmar civilian and military relations. “This might be reflecting those dynamics and might be somewhat of a coup internally and his way of maintaining power within the military.” What’s happening inside Myanmar? Television signals were cut across the country, as was phone and Internet ac-

cess in Naypyitaw, the capital, while passenger flights were grounded. Phone service in other parts of the country was also reported down, though people were still able to use the Internet in many areas. Barbed wire roadblocks were set up across Yangon, the largest city, and military units began to appear outside government buildings such as City Hall. Residents flocked to ATMs and food stalls, while some shops and homes removed the symbols of Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy, that typically adorn the streets and walls of the city. What does it mean for Suu Kyi? Suu Kyi spent years under house arrest and received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to bring democracy to

Vladimir Putin’s fiercest critic; Stacey Abrams, the former Georgia gubernatorial candidate who has become a leading voting rights advocate; and former White House adviser Jared Kushner and his deputy, Avi Berkowitz, who negotiated a series of Mideast agreements known as the Abraham Accords. Groups nominated in 2021 include the World Health Organization for its role in addressing the coronavirus pandemic; NATO; Reporters Without Borders, known by its French acronym RSF; and Polish judges defending civil rights. Why were those people or groups nominated? In his nomination statement, Norwegian lawmaker Petter Eide said the Black Lives Matter movement’s “calls for systemic change have spread around the world, forcing other countries to grapple with racism within their own societies.” Another Norwegian lawmaker, Ola Elvestuen, tapped Navalny, an opposition leader who returned to Russia in January after spending five months in Germany recovering from a nerve-agent poisoning. He called him “the clearest voice for human rights and democracy in Russia now.” Abrams was nominated by Norwegian lawmaker Lars Haltbrekken who said “Abrams’ work follows in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s footsteps in the fight for equality before the law and for civil rights.” Noting the political divisions in the United States, Haltbrekken said “the Peace Prize should point out a direction for what kind of working methods one should use if one is dissatisfied with the society one lives in.”

Myanmar. But her reputation outside of the country soured after she went on the international stage to defend a crackdown on Rohingya Muslims—a campaign the US and others have labeled genocide. Former US diplomat Bill Richardson questioned Suu Kyi’s ability to lead given that defense. “Because of Suu Kyi’s failure to promote democratic values as Myanmar’s de facto leader, she should step aside and let other Myanmar democratic leaders take the reins with international backing and support,” Richardson said in a statement. What happens next? Governments and international organizations condemned the takeover, saying it sets back the limited democratic

Norwegian lawmaker Geir Sigbjoern Toskedal named the three Belarusian women “for their fight for fair elections and inspiration for peaceful opposition to the illegitimate regime in Belarus.” A professor emeritus of Harvard Law School, Attorney Alan Dershowitz, named Kushner and Berkowitz for negotiating deals between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. He said they fulfilled “the daunting criteria set out by Alfred Nobel in his will.” Who was nominated before but didn’t get it? Urdal said well-known figures are often nominated but don’t win: “It is not something new.” Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler was nominated in 1939 by Swedish lawmaker E.G.C. Brandt, who said later that was meant as satire. Most recently Kushner’s fatherin-law, former President Donald Trump, was nominated for the 2020 award but didn’t get it. Neither did Greta Thunberg, the Swedish environmental activist known worldwide for pressing for tougher action on curbing climate change. When will the 2021 winner be announced? The committees announce their decisions for all the Nobel prizes over a series of days in October. The peace prize and other Nobel awards are presented to the winners on Dec. 10, the anniversary of founder Alfred Nobel’s death. In 2020, the Nobel prizes came with a 10-milion krona ($1.1 million) cash award—which often is shared—along with diplomas and gold medals.

reforms Myanmar has made. “This is an extremely crushing blow to efforts to present Myanmar as a democracy,” said Linda Lakhdhir, a legal adviser at Human Rights Watch. “Its creditability on the world stage has taken a massive hit.” Watchdog groups fear a further crackdown on human rights defenders, journalists, and activists is coming. Even before the current military takeover critics of the military often faced legal action. The coup will also be a test for the international community, which had isolated Myanmar during the decades it was under strict military rule but then enthusiastically embraced it as it moved toward democracy in recent years.

A12 Thursday, February 4, 2021

DIGITAL JOBS IN DEMAND IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, PHL By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

IGITA L jobs are on the rise in Southeast Asia and in the Philippines, and employers want to hire workers who are equipped with digital skills, according to a study released by LinkedIn. In the Jobs on the Rise in 2021 report, LinkedIn said the list of top jobs that are in demand is led by digital content specialists such as editors, copywriters, podcasters, YouTubers and video editors. This is followed by jobs linked to finance and insurance; education; digital marketing; e-commerce; business development and sales; health care and medical support; customer service; and supply chains. “One common and overarching trend we have noticed among almost all the roles on our list is that most may be conducted remotely. Globally, remote job opportunities on LinkedIn have increased four times since June,” the report said. “Professionals with digital skill sets will find themselves at an advantage in seeking employment opportunities within these fields.” To succeed in digital content services, workers must have public speaking, proofreading; video editing; and creative writ-

ing skills. Having knowledge in using Adobe Premiere Pro is also a plus. For jobs in finance and insurance, LinkedIn data showed that these include financial advisors; accountants; financial planners; finance specialists; and insurance agents. Succeeding in this field will require skills in financial planning; insurance; risk management; financial analysis; and accounting. In the education sector, the roles that are in demand are English Second Language teachers; Chinese teachers; academic tutors; information Technology teachers; and mathematics tutors. Skills needed to succeed in these jobs are educational leadership; curriculum development; language teaching; English as a Second Language (ESL); and tutoring. “This list of jobs on the rise demonstrates that there are still opportunities for job seekers with a range of skills and experience. By adopting a lifelong learning mindset, and being open to picking up new skills through various courses—for example, courses on digital skills or soft skills—workers can prepare themselves to take up these emerging roles,” Frank Koo, Head of Asia, Talent and Learning Solutions, said. Continued on A8

BOC nets ₧191M more in taxes after importers’ audit

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) collected P191.38 million in additional duties and taxes in January following its post-clearance audit verification and investigation of importers.

The amount, which is already included in its P47.14-billion total collection last month, resulted from the BOC’s issuance of three demand letters and the importers’ filing of 21 applications for Prior Disclosure Program (PDP). Under Customs Administrative Order No. 01-2019, PDP refers to the program authorizing the Customs Commissioner to accept, as a potential mitigating factor, prior disclosure by importers of errors and omissions in goods declaration that result in deficiency in duties and taxes on past importations. This may also include disclosures on royalties and other proceeds of any subsequent, resale, disposal or use of the imported goods that accrues directly or indirectly to the seller. Out of the 21 PDPs filed in January 2021, 17 were from Mechanically Deboned Meat (MDM) importers who paid a total amount of P36.59

million, BOC said in a statement on Wednesday. In a separate interview with BusinessMirror, BOC Assistant Commissioner and Spokesman Vincent Philip Maronilla, who heads the bureau’s Post-Clearance Audit Group (PCAG), said the filing of PDPs by MDM importers stemmed from the 2019 incident when their shipments were assessed at a lower tariff of 5 percent instead of 40 percent. Chicken MDM is a key component for processed meat products, such as hot dogs and canned luncheon meat. The BOC back then said the retroactive application of tariff difference is legal, citing Executive Order (EO) 23 issued by the President in 2017, which stipulated that concessionary rates on certain agricultural products should go back to the 2012 levels once the quantitative restriction (QR) on rice is removed

following the effectivity of the Rice Trade Liberalization Law.

No violation

While Maronilla said MDM importers filed the PDPs and paid for the discrepancy in tariff differential, he clarified that these MDM importers did not commit any violation. “There was none. There was just an error in implementation because our system does not update right away [to reflect 40-percent tariff on MDM],” he said in a phone interview. However, he said there are still MDM importers in 2019 that have yet to file PDPs. Including the tariff differential that has yet to be paid by MDM importers in 2019, Maronilla said they are estimating to collect “a little under P100 million.” Meanwhile, Maronilla also said seven rice importers were suspended last month for non-compliance, mostly for failing to comply with the submission of documents as part of the BOC’s ongoing post-clearance audit of rice imports that came into the country from January to June 2020. According to Maronilla, the suspension meant that the rice importers would not be allowed to lodge their importations with BOC. In the same statement, the

bureau said PCAG also reported that six PDP applications were approved while five Final Audit Reports were completed in January, resulting in the issuance of two new demand letters amounting to P14.7 million. Moreover, it said 28 new audit notification letters (ANLs) were issued, of which 17 are importers in the coffee industry, 10 in the oil and petroleum industry, and one consignee issued with ANL due to compliance issues based on the profiling conducted. Although it is still too early to state the specific violations committed by the coffee importers, Maronilla told BusinessMirror that BOC together with the Department of Agriculture is looking into some “unqualified” exemption of these coffee imports to the imposition of safeguard duties. He also refused to disclose the specific amount involved as they have yet to look into the importers’ compliance, but said the amount is quite huge. Asked when they aim to finish the audit on 2018 to 2020 coffee imports, Maronilla said, “hopefully before the end of the year.” As for the new ANLs issued to the oil and petroleum industry, Maronilla said this included companies that they have yet to audit before. See “BOC,” A2

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, February 4, 2021

Turboden to supply power generation system to EDC

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

talian firm Turboden and Japanese company Mitsubishi Power Ltd. will supply Energy Development Corp. (EDC) with a 29-megawatt (MW) binary cycle power generation equipment that will be installed at a geothermal power plant in Palayan, Albay. Under the supply contract, Turboden, which is controlled by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI), will provide the complete power generation system, while Mitsubishi Power will provide support through its local resources. “The power generation system to be provided by Turboden will add new binary cycle geothermal power equipment, whose key component is the company’s proprietary 29MW ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) system, to the existing 120MW flash type geothermal power plant owned and operated by Bac-Man Geothermal Inc. (BGI), an EDC power subsidiary,” a statement read. The company noted that the new sys-

tem will utilize brine, which until now has merely been returned to a reinjection well. “By replacing power in the power grid now derived from fossil fuels, the new installation will enable reduction of CO2 emissions derived from steam power,” the statement read. The Japanese Ministry of the Environment is helping finance the project as part of its goal of reducing CO2 emissions globally. “The new 29MW binary cycle power generation configuration is expected to trim CO2 emissions by approximately 72,200 tons per year—equivalent to some 20,000 hectares of forest,” the statement read. Mitsubishi Power will dispatch personnel

AllHome opens fourth store in Mindanao By VG Cabuag @villygc

llHome Corp., the Villar Group’s listed retail arm, on Monday said it opened its first store for the year in General Santos City. The said branch, a large, free-standing store, is the company’s fourth in Mindanao following Cagayan de Oro, Butuan City and Koronadal City, bringing the company’s network of stores to 51 spread across 30 cities and municipalities in the country. AllHome’s newest branch has a size of about 7,600 square meters, and is at Purok 9 Barangay Katangawan, Circumferential Road, General Santos City, which serves as the commercial and entertainment hub of central Mindanao. “AllHome aims to bring world-class shopping experience to more locations across the Philippines. We want every Filipino to have the best choices in building and furnishing their homes,” company vice chairman Camille Villar said. “AllHome’s expansion is fueled by our

optimism on the recovery of the market this year. As we continue to navigate the new normal, we deem it important to reach outside Metro Manila to cater to new markets,” company chairman Manny B. Villar Jr. said. AllHome’s new stores feature a new look, such as higher ceilings and an expansive racking for the construction area to give shoppers a better view of the store’s offerings. The company said it continues to implement stringent pandemic protocols, conducting temperature checks for both employees and customers upon entry into store premises. Facilities, such as elevators and escalators, are sanitized every day after store hours, as well as store items. Late last year, the company added AllDigital to its small specialty store format, bringing the store count by format to 15 small specialty, 14 large free-standing and 22 large mall-based. The recent launchings of Cabanatuan, Sta. Maria in Bulacan and General Santos stores increased the store count for large free-standing format.

CVC buying Shiseido personal-care unit

hiseido Co. agreed to sell its shampoo and affordable skin-care business to CVC Capital Partners in a deal worth 160 billion yen ($1.5 billion), as the Japanese beauty giant shifts more of its focus to making and selling high-end skin products. The operations divested include Shiseido’s well-known drugstore brands, including Tsubaki hair-care products and Senka face wash, the company said in a statement Wednesday. The company had earlier confirmed it was in talks to sell the unit following a Bloomberg report last month. Shiseido, founded more than 140 years ago as a pharmacy in Tokyo’s Ginza district, has been revamping its portfolio as the coronavirus outbreak has changed up cosmetic and personal care routines, dealing a blow to beauty companies. The lifestyle and personal care business represented about 10 percent of Shiseido’s revenue in 2019, with annual sales of about 100 billion yen. Under the deal, Shiseido will transfer its personal-care business in Japan and other countries to a holding company that CVC will invest in, with the transfer price of the business and assets valued at 160 billion yen. The transfer date is set for July 2021, after which Shiseido will acquire a 35-percent stake in the holding company that will operate the business. CVC will oversee the new company, which may go public in the future. “The personal care business model is very different from our focus as a beauty company,” Chief Executive Officer Masahiko

Uotani said in a Wednesday press briefing. Though Shiseido’s business has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, the company did not make a hasty decision to sell off the segment, he said. Shiseido has been debating the future of its personal care business for many years as the company has not been able to prioritize the segment and give it the marketing and research and development resources needed to grow, Uotani said, adding that CVC and other potential partners had approached the company in the past, but he thought it was too premature then to sell the business. Shares of Shiseido have climbed more than 10 percent since discussions of a sale were first reported, and the stock rose 1.5 percent in Tokyo trading Wednesday before the formal announcement. Shiseido on Monday also boosted its fiscal year guidance, saying it expects to post an operating profit instead of its earlier projection for a loss. The company will report earnings on February 9. Shiseido plans to announce the impact of Wednesday’s deal on earnings in May. The beauty company has been seeking to exit non-core businesses by the end of 2021 as part of a revamp and a new midterm plan for 2023. Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Catherine Lim said that funds from the sale could be used to achieve its 2023 goals and grow the company’s digital beauty and ecommerce business. Bloomberg News

to the site to offer installation guidance and handle domestic transport, through MHI Power (Philippines) Plant Services Corp., its local subsidiary. The order calls for project completion and operation startup by the end of 2022. EDC is the world’s largest vertically integrated geothermal energy company, with technical expertise in wet steam field technology since 1976. It is also currently the country’s largest renewable energy (RE) maker, providing 42 percent of the Philippines’s total generated RE output and around 11 percent of overall electricity demand with its total installed capacity of 1,473.3 MW. Bulk of its portfolio is geothermal energy at 1,179 MW, accounting for 61 percent of the country’s total installed capacity for the energy source. EDC’s clean energy portfolio includes 150 MW of wind, 132.5 MW of hydroelectric and 11.97 MW of solar energy.

AirAsia allows guests to pay for flights, meals via e-wallets

irAsia on Tuesday said it is providing guests with more convenient and secure options to pay for flights, baggage, and meals by partnering with GCash and PayMaya. Guests can use their e-wallets for cashless transactions at AirAsia check-in counters nationwide when paying for additional baggage, meals, and other flight add-ons while checking in. Guests simply have to open the downloaded App of choice, scan the QR code displayed on the counter, enter the amount to pay and confirm the payment. This option is available in AirAsia Philippines’s on ground stations beginning February 1. Air Asia Philippines Spokesman Steve Dailisan said, “At AirAsia, we continue to innovate our digital solutions to provide our guests with the

Photo from www.airasia.com

most convenient and safest way to travel. We are excited to be rolling out these contactless payment options, which we have made available at all our counters nationwide. “ “We continue to uphold the highest standards in safety and continue to implement stringent protocols as we prioritize the health of our guests while waiting for vaccines.” AirAsia recently earned a perfect 7-star rating from Airlineratings. com for going above and beyond the protection of its passengers against Covid-19. Recto L. Mercene and Lorenz S. Marasigan

Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, February 4, 2021

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

February 3, 2021

Net Foreign Bid Ask Open High Low Close Volume Value Trade (Peso) Stocks Buy (Sell) FINANCIALs

ASIA UNITED BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE COL FINANCIAL FIRST ABACUS FERRONOUX HLDG IREMIT MEDCO HLDG MANULIFE NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH SUN LIFE

43.35 105.2 82.5 24.25 9.99 46.2 11.08 25.9 54.2 17.5 131.8 74.7 0.92 3.88 0.59 3.6 1.49 0.39 811 0.67 153 2,100

44 105.5 82.8 24.4 10 46.4 11.3 26 55.8 17.78 132.1 74.8 0.94 3.9 0.6 3.78 1.52 0.415 890 0.7 153.5 2,190

44 105.4 82.5 24.45 9.98 46.65 11.1 26.1 54.15 17.5 133 75.25 0.95 3.89 0.6 3.68 1.54 0.39 885 0.66 153.9 2,100

44 106.7 83.1 24.5 10.06 47.2 11.4 26.3 55.8 17.5 134.9 75.25 0.95 3.9 0.6 4 1.54 0.415 885 0.75 154 2,100

44 105 82.05 24.2 9.95 46.1 11.08 25.95 54.15 17.5 131 74.7 0.92 3.85 0.6 3.5 1.46 0.385 885 0.66 153 2,100

44 105.2 82.8 24.25 10 46.2 11.3 26 55.8 17.5 132.1 74.85 0.94 3.88 0.6 3.78 1.52 0.415 885 0.7 153 2,100

1,500 2,346,540 3,821,090 18,600 714,600 3,603,100 536,400 287,100 1,310 28,700 1,106,370 24,970 9,000 211,000 1,000 375,000 932,000 190,000 80 634,000 3,610 20

66,000 247,962,244 316,556,870 452,610 7,145,717 168,274,975 5,954,282 7,479,795 70,992 502,250 146,284,566 1,870,523 8,410 821,550 600 1,411,510 1,389,180 74,000 70,800 441,790 555,450 42,000

10,705,599 -7,847,437 -214,120 -2,359,475 -72,046,890 -1,254,025 42,276 49,432,983.00 -693,859.50 120,280 -41,800 46,830 -161,700 42,000

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 7.74 7.75 7.96 8.25 7.62 7.74 151,573,000 1,200,977,346 ALSONS CONS 1.28 1.29 1.28 1.29 1.27 1.29 911,000 1,168,890 ABOITIZ POWER 25.6 25.7 25.85 25.85 25.25 25.7 1,072,600 27,487,330 BASIC ENERGY 1.12 1.13 1.12 1.16 1.03 1.12 185,344,000 202,766,890 FIRST GEN 29.8 29.9 29.6 30.05 29.5 29.9 282,800 8,451,210 FIRST PHIL HLDG 75.5 76.35 78 78 75.5 75.5 168,950 12,755,847.50 281.4 284 284.8 284.8 279 284 404,160 114,457,448 MERALCO 15.22 15.28 15.12 15.28 15.08 15.28 696,100 10,566,702 MANILA WATER 3.56 3.57 3.56 3.57 3.53 3.56 820,000 2,912,930 PETRON 3.77 3.84 3.76 3.77 3.66 3.77 61,000 223,970 PETROENERGY 11.66 11.9 11.6 11.9 11.6 11.9 7,800 90,966 PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL 20.9 21 20.4 21 20.2 20.9 586,400 12,123,930 SPC POWER 9.88 9.9 9.87 9.91 9.86 9.9 261,400 2,582,734 VIVANT 13.86 14.1 14.1 14.1 14.1 14.1 2,800 39,480 AGRINURTURE 7.25 7.35 7.55 7.55 7.21 7.35 479,200 3,503,454 AXELUM 3.34 3.35 3.21 3.35 3.21 3.34 13,896,000 46,105,110 CNTRL AZUCARERA 13.82 14.28 14.28 14.3 14.26 14.3 4,500 64,196 17.48 17.5 17.74 17.74 17.2 17.5 1,002,000 17,544,608 CENTURY FOOD 8.8 8.9 9.06 9.06 8.6 8.8 161,100 1,412,412 DEL MONTE 7.11 7.12 7.15 7.17 7.05 7.12 1,198,300 8,531,463 DNL INDUS 9.96 10.02 10.06 10.06 9.95 10.02 1,594,700 15,948,715 EMPERADOR 67.95 68 68.5 68.5 67.15 68 69,870 4,732,119.50 SMC FOODANDBEV 0.63 0.64 0.62 0.63 0.61 0.63 801,000 494,830 ALLIANCE SELECT FRUITAS HLDG 1.43 1.45 1.48 1.5 1.43 1.45 32,379,000 47,047,270 GINEBRA 55.6 56 58.3 58.3 55.95 56 152,900 8,648,296.50 JOLLIBEE 179.9 180 180.3 183 179.9 180 775,810 140,502,783 LIBERTY FLOUR 33.75 35 33.65 35 33.6 35 3,400 117,495 MAXS GROUP 6.8 6.82 6.65 6.82 6.54 6.82 605,600 4,101,328 0.34 0.345 0.36 0.37 0.33 0.34 21,280,000 7,332,600 MG HLDG 7.25 7.3 7.35 7.39 7.2 7.25 56,000 405,433 SHAKEYS PIZZA 1.13 1.14 1.11 1.14 1.11 1.14 2,381,000 2,668,650 ROXAS AND CO 4.61 4.76 4.61 4.65 4.6 4.61 12,000 55,370 RFM CORP 0.137 0.139 0.137 0.138 0.136 0.138 1,400,000 192,500 SWIFT FOODS UNIV ROBINA 145.1 145.2 144.1 145.1 142 145.1 993,330 143,076,278 VITARICH 0.91 0.92 0.91 0.92 0.9 0.91 3,517,000 3,204,370 VICTORIAS 2.23 2.3 2.31 2.36 2.21 2.21 37,000 83,540 CONCRETE A 53 54.9 53 56 53 56 680 37,987.50 CONCRETE B 56 58.65 59.95 59.95 58.95 58.95 80 4,764 CEMEX HLDG 1.35 1.37 1.36 1.38 1.34 1.35 2,819,000 3,826,340 6.45 6.48 5.99 6.88 5.99 6.45 1,396,000 8,897,715 DAVINCI CAPITAL EAGLE CEMENT 13.4 13.5 13.8 13.9 13.5 13.5 296,800 4,016,340 7.35 7.49 7.3 7.5 7.3 7.35 44,300 326,078 EEI CORP 6.15 6.18 6.3 6.39 6.11 6.18 413,900 2,575,012 HOLCIM 7.27 7.28 7.37 7.48 7.23 7.27 800,300 5,878,129 MEGAWIDE 9.85 9.99 9.9 9.9 9.8 9.85 37,800 371,130 PHINMA TKC METALS 1.22 1.25 1.3 1.33 1.22 1.22 1,248,000 1,556,300 VULCAN INDL 2.05 2.1 2.12 2.27 1.98 2.05 21,217,000 44,829,250 CROWN ASIA 1.8 1.84 1.81 1.81 1.8 1.8 27,000 48,780 EUROMED 2.32 2.33 2.16 2.5 2.16 2.32 3,186,000 7,486,480 PRYCE CORP 6.1 6.15 5.33 6.19 5.3 6.1 1,613,500 9,313,271 20.7 21 20.45 21 20.4 21 134,500 2,779,050 CONCEPCION 2.92 2.96 2.83 2.99 2.8 2.96 30,740,000 89,253,720 GREENERGY 13.02 13.04 13.04 13.3 12 13.02 3,553,300 45,108,232 INTEGRATED MICR 1.22 1.25 1.24 1.3 1.2 1.25 971,000 1,206,780 IONICS 5.81 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.3 100 630 PANASONIC SFA SEMICON 1.5 1.52 1.52 1.57 1.46 1.52 1,888,000 2,843,040 CIRTEK HLDG 7.25 7.26 7.21 7.7 7.21 7.26 13,546,000 101,066,693

7,173,940 -15,345,115 336,500 779,065 -3,821,060 11,362,366 1,840,448 63,880 157,380 337,625 14,805 -109,334 -174,310 -1,101,816.00 -403,579 -186,651 7,726,856.00 441,133 -179,690 749,574 -56,191,663 874,054 -1,723,050 14,620 -830,940.00 -9,200 27,567,133 29,120 131,360.00 -3,591,242 11,696 -91,557 -1,214,543 -49,500 1,240 347,510 -33,730 -15,777 43,640 10,364,800 1,251,240 18,300 234,300 768,594

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 1.2 1.21 1.22 1.26 1.12 1.2 157,274,000 187,068,680 ASIABEST GROUP 8.24 8.79 8.78 9.5 8.15 8.79 86,900 750,111 AYALA CORP 789 790 789 797 770 790 153,580 120,901,625 ABOITIZ EQUITY 41.3 42.2 42.5 43.25 41.25 42.2 827,400 34,949,530 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 10 10.04 10.08 10.08 9.94 10 978,900 9,777,301 AYALA LAND LOG 3.09 3.1 3.13 3.13 2.99 3.1 5,272,000 16,170,460 6.69 6.93 6.7 6.7 6.7 6.7 18,100 121,270 ANSCOR ANGLO PHIL HLDG 0.81 0.82 0.85 0.9 0.78 0.81 13,249,000 10,841,070 0.83 0.84 0.83 0.87 0.82 0.84 2,045,000 1,722,310 ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B 0.84 0.88 0.84 0.89 0.84 0.88 36,000 30,690 5.26 5.27 5.2 5.28 5.12 5.27 2,255,300 11,705,370 COSCO CAPITAL 5.31 5.38 5.45 5.48 5.31 5.38 3,717,300 19,966,448 DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV 8.58 9 8.6 8.61 8.58 8.58 6,400 55,015 FJ PRINCE A 3.09 3.28 3.05 3.05 3.05 3.05 200,000 610,000 FORUM PACIFIC 0.226 0.243 0.226 0.226 0.226 0.226 170,000 38,420 GT CAPITAL 524 524.5 538 545 524.5 524.5 230,350 122,206,185 HOUSE OF INV 3.5 3.86 3.68 3.88 3.68 3.88 6,000 22,280 64 64.2 65.5 65.5 63.6 64.2 1,995,640 128,337,258 JG SUMMIT 1.35 1.36 1.42 1.48 1.31 1.35 27,958,000 38,664,130 LODESTAR 3.72 3.74 3.74 3.74 3.72 3.72 1,313,000 4,895,320 LOPEZ HLDG 13.5 13.52 13.4 13.5 13.4 13.5 2,016,800 27,168,770 LT GROUP 0.52 0.54 0.54 0.54 0.51 0.54 80,000 42,790 MABUHAY HLDG MJC INVESTMENTS 1.83 1.99 1.99 1.99 1.99 1.99 1,000 1,990 METRO PAC INV 4.24 4.25 4.19 4.29 4.18 4.25 47,736,000 202,175,180 PACIFICA HLDG 5 5.07 5.4 5.42 4.85 5.07 88,300 443,195 PRIME MEDIA 0.88 0.91 0.89 0.91 0.88 0.88 18,000 15,930 REPUBLIC GLASS 2.9 2.96 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 2,000 5,800 SOLID GROUP 1.13 1.19 1.15 1.2 1.13 1.13 129,000 147,040 311 325 311 325 311 325 410 127,650 SYNERGY GRID SM INVESTMENTS 1,008 1,010 1,012 1,026 1,007 1,010 149,395 151,146,945 126 128 127.9 128 125.5 128 88,270 11,192,624 SAN MIGUEL CORP 0.79 0.81 0.75 0.83 0.75 0.82 51,000 39,440 SOC RESOURCES TOP FRONTIER 140 142 140 140.1 140 140 10,050 1,407,101 WELLEX INDUS 0.221 0.23 0.221 0.221 0.221 0.221 20,000 4,420 ZEUS HLDG 0.221 0.229 0.219 0.229 0.211 0.229 1,820,000 402,400

-5,180,430 -8,900 -25,041,445 328,550 1,432,579 3,047,240 115,110 -3,520 1,464,340 -2,692,752 17,200 -15,820 -22,791,195 -23,810,587 -107,040 -978,910 -13,545,492 -20,631,900 56,000 -5,730.00 -30,793,740 1,413,677 -

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.69 0.7 0.69 0.7 0.67 0.7 1,702,000 1,164,830 AYALA LAND 38.55 38.65 39.3 39.3 38.2 38.55 6,454,800 250,114,700 ARANETA PROP 1.28 1.38 1.34 1.37 1.28 1.3 162,000 211,080 AREIT RT 32.4 32.5 32.95 33 32.4 32.5 1,697,700 55,272,215 BELLE CORP 1.64 1.65 1.65 1.67 1.62 1.65 261,000 428,450 A BROWN 0.93 0.94 0.92 0.94 0.9 0.93 1,944,000 1,795,620 0.78 0.79 0.79 0.79 0.79 0.79 2,000 1,580 CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES 0.15 0.153 0.151 0.154 0.148 0.153 2,560,000 383,170 CEBU HLDG 5.87 5.88 5.85 5.88 5.66 5.87 37,000 216,537 CEB LANDMASTERS 5.07 5.08 5.02 5.08 5 5.08 75,100 379,273 0.43 0.44 0.41 0.445 0.41 0.44 27,200,000 11,600,850 CENTURY PROP 0.34 0.35 0.34 0.35 0.34 0.35 630,000 215,900 CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON 14.66 14.72 14.32 14.86 14.32 14.72 2,041,900 29,864,084 DM WENCESLAO 6.97 7 6.96 7.09 6.96 7 127,300 892,990 EMPIRE EAST 0.295 0.3 0.285 0.305 0.285 0.3 2,200,000 659,150 EVER GOTESCO 0.086 0.089 0.089 0.089 0.089 0.089 150,000 13,350 FILINVEST LAND 1.18 1.19 1.15 1.19 1.15 1.18 49,400,000 57,906,240 0.88 0.89 0.89 0.89 0.88 0.88 640,000 567,060 GLOBAL ESTATE 7.55 7.59 7.5 7.6 7.5 7.5 94,600 710,000 8990 HLDG 1.31 1.32 1.36 1.42 1.29 1.31 2,255,000 3,022,540 PHIL INFRADEV 0.68 0.71 0.69 0.71 0.69 0.71 23,000 16,290 CITY AND LAND MEGAWORLD 3.9 3.92 3.9 3.93 3.9 3.92 13,085,000 51,131,610 0.495 0.5 0.51 0.53 0.49 0.495 125,066,000 62,877,370 MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES 0.41 0.425 0.41 0.41 0.41 0.41 170,000 69,700 PRIMEX CORP 1.27 1.32 1.3 1.32 1.25 1.32 217,000 283,240 ROBINSONS LAND 19.82 19.86 19.98 19.98 19.68 19.86 1,633,500 32,427,560 PHIL REALTY 0.29 0.295 0.29 0.295 0.285 0.295 350,000 101,900 ROCKWELL 1.5 1.51 1.49 1.55 1.49 1.51 306,000 463,210 2.52 2.63 2.66 2.66 2.5 2.5 57,000 143,380 SHANG PROP STA LUCIA LAND 2.07 2.12 2.1 2.15 2.06 2.07 967,000 2,005,860 36.8 37.2 37.5 37.5 36.4 37.2 3,742,900 138,151,335 SM PRIME HLDG 4.05 4.07 3.91 4.08 3.91 4.05 68,000 275,120 VISTAMALLS 1.87 1.88 1.81 1.91 1.81 1.87 2,308,000 4,336,730 SUNTRUST HOME 4.28 4.3 4.3 4.39 4.25 4.28 2,089,000 8,960,300 VISTA LAND

6,900 -107,383,275 -22,780 -7,735,425 9,100 63,521 -504,000 -14,320,456 -5,900 -2,236,690 -88,000 -16,500 -8,540 -10,910,300 -1,473,680 -9,811,502 -6,170 207,000 -29,138,375 174,150 -175,460 -1,331,300

SERVICES

ABS CBN GMA NETWORK MLA BRDCASTING GLOBE TELECOM PLDT APOLLO GLOBAL CONVERGE DFNN INC DITO CME HLDG IMPERIAL ISLAND INFO JACKSTONES NOW CORP TRANSPACIFIC BR PHILWEB 2GO GROUP ASIAN TERMINALS CHELSEA CEBU AIR INTL CONTAINER LBC EXPRESS MACROASIA METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B PAL HLDG HARBOR STAR DISCOVERY WORLD WATERFRONT CENTRO ESCOLAR FAR EASTERN U IPEOPLE STI HLDG BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY PACIFIC ONLINE LEISURE AND RES PH RESORTS GRP PREMIUM LEISURE PHIL RACING ALLHOME METRO RETAIL PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL PHIL SEVEN CORP SSI GROUP WILCON DEPOT APC GROUP EASYCALL GOLDEN BRIA IPM HLDG PAXYS PRMIERE HORIZON SBS PHIL CORP

12.66 6.03 11.32 2,002 1,388 0.212 16.48 5.09 13.48 1.79 0.158 1.98 3.48 0.37 2.63 8.4 14.7 4.61 46.8 122.8 15.56 5.54 3.25 3.1 6.55 1.38 3.81 0.52 6.51 550 8.06 0.39 4.11 7.94 2.03 1.74 2.67 0.46 6.5 8.49 1.43 38 57.9 98.8 1.36 17.94 0.45 6.84 437 5 2.31 2.32 4.59

12.9 6.05 11.5 2,010 1,390 0.213 16.5 5.1 13.5 1.87 0.16 2 3.5 0.375 2.65 8.44 15.4 4.62 46.9 123.4 16 5.57 3.27 3.2 6.57 1.39 3.85 0.53 7.05 590 8.86 0.395 4.99 8 2.11 1.75 2.7 0.465 6.6 8.5 1.45 38.3 58 100 1.38 17.98 0.455 7.09 447 5.49 2.48 2.36 5.02

12.76 6.03 11.12 2,044 1,406 0.2 16.42 5.08 14.2 1.89 0.168 2.01 3.57 0.355 2.61 8.35 14.7 4.82 47.25 120.9 16 5.73 2.6 2.5 6.7 1.35 4.1 0.52 7.07 550 8.87 0.4 4.11 8.12 2.15 1.79 2.69 0.45 6.5 8.6 1.46 38.2 60.95 98.5 1.41 18 0.47 6.82 448 5 2.09 2.37 5.02

12.94 6.06 11.5 2,044 1,423 0.214 16.6 5.1 14.44 1.94 0.175 2.02 3.79 0.395 2.7 8.45 14.7 4.89 47.55 124 16 5.73 3.45 3.36 6.7 1.48 4.1 0.53 7.07 550 8.87 0.4 4.11 8.15 2.15 1.79 2.78 0.465 6.6 8.7 1.46 38.7 60.95 102 1.41 18 0.47 7.15 448 5 2.48 2.45 5.02

12.5 6 11.12 2,002 1,385 0.19 16.3 4.96 13.5 1.78 0.151 1.99 3.47 0.355 2.6 8.26 14.7 4.6 46.8 120.1 15.52 5.31 2.6 2.5 6.57 1.32 3.8 0.51 7.07 550 8.87 0.39 4.1 7.91 2.01 1.72 2.64 0.445 6.5 8.5 1.43 37.75 57.8 98 1.32 17.9 0.445 6.82 437 5 2.09 2.26 5.02

12.9 6.03 11.5 2,002 1,388 0.212 16.5 5.1 13.5 1.87 0.16 1.99 3.5 0.375 2.64 8.44 14.7 4.62 46.8 123.4 15.56 5.54 3.25 3.1 6.57 1.38 3.85 0.53 7.07 550 8.87 0.395 4.1 8 2.1 1.74 2.7 0.465 6.6 8.5 1.45 38.3 58 100 1.38 17.98 0.45 6.82 447 5 2.48 2.32 5.02

121,900 1,009,400 1,400 73,340 235,520 2,811,640,000 8,436,300 679,000 85,590,100 20,000 89,320,000 35,000 10,556,000 63,360,000 361,000 29,900 174,400 5,366,000 352,800 844,990 3,300 2,251,600 26,086,000 283,000 24,700 4,764,000 682,000 6,299,000 1,300 2,050 100 3,080,000 7,000 1,521,400 61,000 128,000 15,994,000 8,220,000 12,000 2,008,900 876,000 1,312,400 2,750,110 14,450 3,116,000 952,000 1,640,000 6,900 200 1,000 9,000 75,653,000 2,100

1,548,782 6,089,294 15,776 147,479,980 329,140,690 567,264,400 138,770,862 3,397,770 1,195,131,564 37,390 14,222,310 69,950 38,325,320 23,899,700 955,130 249,169 2,563,680 25,396,080 16,651,325 104,204,565 52,068 12,452,268 81,025,250 873,720 164,191 6,785,250 2,731,170 3,229,990 9,191 1,127,500 887 1,213,450 28,750 12,155,126 125,190 224,940 42,954,140 3,781,000 78,200 17,420,930 1,262,030 50,244,210 160,987,399 1,431,685.50 4,249,470 17,114,796 741,800 47,091 88,272 5,000 21,310 177,605,390 10,542

-46,961,990 52,179,555 19,050,210 -50,645,302 -116,970 -5,121,220 84,600 118,640 -597,100 -37,140 -2,415,210 351,650 -8,377,535 34,147,314 -774,322 -23,900 166,030 7,180.00 12,750 5,500 -490,250 -4,132,135 2,150 44,100 2,930,250 26,500 371,472 40,320 -884,355 -18,417,778 -1,115,958 -829,730 -6,294,176 -3,970,060 -

MINING & OIL ATOK 6.7 6.8 7.45 7.45 6.5 6.7 1,260,600 8,572,321 3,199,651 APEX MINING 1.63 1.64 1.61 1.63 1.57 1.63 4,089,000 6,537,860 -25,960 ABRA MINING 0.0057 0.0058 0.0056 0.0058 0.0054 0.0058 22,990,000,000 128,996,300 27,300 ATLAS MINING 5.94 5.95 6 6 5.92 5.95 819,500 4,889,880 60,690 BENGUET A 3.07 3.15 3.1 3.12 3.07 3.12 115,000 354,840 2.98 3.08 3.09 3.09 2.99 3 71,000 213,330 BENGUET B COAL ASIA HLDG 0.295 0.305 0.3 0.305 0.295 0.305 1,650,000 494,950 CENTURY PEAK 2.75 2.84 2.84 2.85 2.84 2.85 25,000 71,050 56,800 9.06 9.38 9.4 9.4 9.07 9.38 36,300 339,752 DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL 2.39 2.4 2.55 2.55 2.38 2.39 8,104,000 19,702,760 187,340 0.37 0.38 0.375 0.395 0.37 0.37 1,740,000 649,800 GEOGRACE LEPANTO A 0.155 0.156 0.155 0.156 0.15 0.155 34,460,000 5,282,860 LEPANTO B 0.156 0.159 0.164 0.164 0.155 0.155 700,000 112,300 MANILA MINING A 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.01 109,300,000 1,098,500 MANILA MINING B 0.01 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.01 0.011 6,800,000 70,700 MARCVENTURES 1.34 1.35 1.37 1.39 1.33 1.35 1,494,000 2,032,690 -186,200 2.64 2.71 2.65 2.79 2.62 2.7 470,000 1,246,030 -1,058,180 NIHAO 5.19 5.2 5.19 5.32 5.11 5.2 3,833,800 19,978,725 2,831,071 NICKEL ASIA 0.4 0.41 0.4 0.41 0.4 0.41 50,000 20,200 OMICO CORP ORNTL PENINSULA 0.98 1.01 1.02 1.04 0.94 1.01 3,051,000 3,027,800 -8,000 4.4 4.41 4.5 4.5 4.41 4.41 379,000 1,686,730 -49,340 PX MINING 12.7 12.72 12.62 12.78 12.56 12.7 1,076,600 13,615,718 -187,976 SEMIRARA MINING UNITED PARAGON 0.0073 0.0074 0.0066 0.0077 0.0066 0.0073 603,000,000 4,308,900 342,800 ACE ENEXOR 19.3 19.32 15.58 19.3 15.58 19.3 3,135,500 55,814,578 -2,821,122 ORNTL PETROL A 0.013 0.014 0.012 0.016 0.012 0.014 4,599,200,000 65,466,600 ORNTL PETROL B 0.014 0.015 0.013 0.016 0.012 0.015 1,997,500,000 27,541,900 -1,000 PHILODRILL 0.015 0.016 0.013 0.018 0.012 0.015 5,848,200,000 91,124,700 558,900 9.3 9.5 9.68 9.79 9.3 9.3 880,900 8,395,291 691,938 PXP ENERGY PREFFERED AC PREF B1 520 527.5 528 528 528 528 10,000 5,280,000 ALCO PREF B 102 102.4 102 102 102 102 340 34,680 DD PREF 101.5 102.4 101.5 101.5 101.5 101.5 100 10,150 GTCAP PREF A 1,000 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 5 5,100 GTCAP PREF B 1,030 1,031 1,030 1,030 1,030 1,030 340 350,200 MWIDE PREF 101.1 101.9 101.5 101.9 101.4 101.9 29,730 3,015,202 101.4 101.5 101.4 101.4 101.4 101.4 30,370 3,079,518 MWIDE PREF 2B PNX PREF 3B 105 106.7 104.5 105 104.5 105 620 64,900 PNX PREF 4 1,006 1,009 1,005 1,010 1,005 1,009 2,210 2,228,290 PCOR PREF 2B 1,012 1,050 1,050 1,050 1,050 1,050 15 15,750 PCOR PREF 3A 1,093 1,094 1,093 1,093 1,093 1,093 900 983,700 PCOR PREF 3B 1,110 1,129 1,110 1,110 1,110 1,110 90 99,900 SFI PREF 1.58 1.88 1.49 1.5 1.49 1.5 5,000 7,460 SMC PREF 2C 79.1 79.4 79 79.4 79 79.4 1,980 156,715 SMC PREF 2E 76 77 76.5 76.5 75.8 75.8 67,000 5,086,250 SMC PREF 2F 77.55 78.9 77.55 79 77.55 79 36,730 2,866,106.50 SMC PREF 2G 76 76.7 76.7 76.7 76.7 76.7 3,220 246,974 76.5 77.5 77.1 77.2 76.5 76.5 161,260 12,350,496 SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I 77 78.7 78 78.7 78 78.7 2,600 203,227 SMC PREF 2J 76.05 76.2 76.4 76.4 76.2 76.2 8,450 644,150 99,320 76.1 76.2 76.25 76.25 76.1 76.1 144,840 11,042,979 SMC PREF 2K PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 12.5 12.52 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 374,300 4,678,750 -1,250 WARRANTS LR WARRANT 0.91 0.95 0.9 0.98 0.9 0.91 83,000 77,830 - SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ALTUS PROP 19.8 19.82 19.32 20.95 19.32 19.82 271,500 5,433,463 ITALPINAS 3.06 3.07 3.02 3.09 2.97 3.07 1,694,000 5,132,130 6,320 KEPWEALTH 6.05 6.11 6 6.2 6 6.11 68,600 420,682 MERRYMART 6.84 6.85 7.08 7.19 6.71 6.84 34,916,000 242,739,803 2,585,477 EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF 103.4 103.7 104.7 105.3 103.4 103.4 20,790 2,163,937 119,290

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Ovialand sets sights on ₧1-B Pag-IBIG Fund loan takeouts

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

vialand Inc., a developer of mostly horizontal housing units, on Wednesday said it is targeting some P1 billion in housing loan takeouts with Pag-IBIG Fund this year. “We will be completing 600 housing units this year across 4 developments in Laguna and Quezon Province. Some 70 percent of these house and lots are already sold and our home-buyers are waiting for the turnover of their units,” company president Pammy Vital said.

“Pag-IBIG Fund really went above and beyond the call of duty for the developers during the pandemic. They were able to quickly shift to maximizing the use of technology in verifying loan applications and conducting unit inspections. We supported them 100 percent

because we understood that these safeguards in loan processing cannot be sacrificed.” Pag-IBIG Fund is the Home Development Mutual Fund, the government agency that gives out housing loans to the public. “When 2020 began, we already had a commitment to our clients to deliver to them their homes. As first time home-buyers, their need for their own comfortable home became even more apparent during the pandemic. When real estate was allowed to restart, we had no time to waste. Thankfully, Pag-IBIG Fund was there to process the loans of our clients.” Vital said many Filipinos are still searching for their first home. She said about three quarters of homebuyers are millennials who are starting their young families

and the pandemic has made many realize the need to prioritize a home investment. Januario Jesus Gregorio Atencio III, a former housing executive, has bought a minority stake in the Laguna-based property developer. Atencio’s Januarius Holdings Inc. is taking in 13 percent in Ovialand and has the option to increase the size to 20 percent in 3 years. Atencio remained active on the association of mass housing developers, a group that he helped established. Ovialand is expecting some P4 billion in revenues between 2020 and 2023 from a current land bank of 32 hectares. Its projects are concentrated in southern Luzon with projects such as Sannera and Savana in San Pablo, Laguna as well as Cailya in Candelaria, Quezon.

ALE ties up with Exclusive Networks By Roderick L. Abad @rodrik_28 Contributor

RENCH software company Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise (ALE) announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with global cybersecurity and cloud solutions firm Exclusive Networks. ALE is targeting to widen its channel market reach to the Philippines and other parts of Asia and the Pacific, including Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. Under their partnership agreement, Exclusive Networks will offer the full spectrum of ALE communication/collaboration and networking solutions via its reseller network. This is in addition to Singapore, where the company has been reselling ALE solutions for nearly two decades. Asia Pacific is one of the most affected regions by the ensuing Covid-19 pandemic. Southeast Asia, in particular, is home to millions of young digital natives and a strong e-commerce sector. ALE noted that the region is well positioned to rebuild and recover from the crisis as countries here have been building up their Internet and mobile connectivity infrastructure. “Exclusive Networks will be an invaluable partner to us in Southeast Asia as we strive to help local enterprises in markets like the Philippines and Thailand make everything connect through our technologies,” said Damien Delard, country leader, Southeast Asia, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise.

Their collaborative effort, according to him, is timely as Southeast Asian nations host some of the most innovative multinationals building up their overall communication and connectivity at a fast pace. “ALE will be well positioned to support them through this partnership.” ALE Philippines Country Manager Kit Andal said digitalization must be pushed even further today as it is seen to play a pivotal role in “propelling activity, recovery, and growth in the next normal.” “It is our goal to help and accelerate more businesses of any scale in the Philippines to be digitally ready and strongly connected, and we believe this partnership is a great boost as we work towards achieving our goal for the year,” he said. The ALE-Exclusive Networks partnership is, likewise, expected to support customers in Asia Pacific that need end-to-end communication and networking solutions, such as cloud-managed Wi-Fi connectivity, and support across multiple markets. “We are delighted to be extending our strong and successful partnership with ALE, which goes back almost 20 years in Singapore, across the Asia Pacific region. Exclusive Networks brings an extensive presence including a strong reseller network to the partnership and will provide coverage and consistency for our key GSIs,” said Brad Gray, senior vice president for Exclusive Networks AsPac. The collaborative effort between ALE and Exclusive Networks will be expanded to more territories in Asia Pacific by 2022.

Philips picks Lazard for potential IPO of home appliance business

oyal Philips NV has picked Lazard Ltd. to advise on a potential initial public offering (IPO) of its home appliance business as the Dutch conglomerate considers options for divesting the unit, people familiar with the matter said. Philips is starting to explore a listing more seriously as markets remain strong and some bidders have faced difficulties conducting due diligence amid the pandemic, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. A deal could value the unit, which produces everything from coffee makers to air purifiers, at around 3 billion euros ($3.6 billion), one of the people said. Several Chinese suitors are finding it harder to visit the Netherlands due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions, accord-

ing to the people. While Philips continues to talk to bidders about a potential sale, some are wary of proceeding unless they can conduct factory visits and face-to-face meetings with Philips management, the people said. Binding bids are expected to be submitted in March, the people said. Philips shortlisted a clutch of Asian suitors in the bidding, inviting buyout firms CDH Investments and Hillhouse Capital as well as Chinese appliance maker TCL Technology Group Corp. to make second-round offers, Bloomberg News reported last month. A spokesperson for Philips said the appliance unit has received interest from European and Chinese suitors, adding that an IPO is also under consideration. A representative for Lazard didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Bloomberg News

mutual funds

February 3, 2021

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 218.56 -6.64% -9.63% -1.52% -3.81% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.2928 2.98% -7.89% 4.29% -1.54% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 3.0177 -8.42% -13.47% -2.74% -3.68% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7714 -5.92% -8.32% n.a. -4.04% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.7101 -9.25% n.a. n.a. -4.25% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 4.7589 -3.93% -7.79% -0.71% -3.69% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,4 0.709 -9.64% -10.8% -6.21% -6.69% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 96.14 -1.64% -7.15% n.a. -5.69% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 45.0175 -4.63% -7.81% 0.1% -3.91% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 470.36 -4.82% -7.72% -0.64% -3.81% Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,5 1.053 6.84% n.a. n.a. -4.04% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.136 -4.72% -7.1% 0.28% -2.76% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 33.5612 -4.31% -7.02% 0.89% -3.48% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8761 -6.81% n.a. n.a. -4.04% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 4.6043 -4.24% -7.32% 0.88% -3.9% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 770.51 -4.02% -7.19% 0.82% -3.88% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.6953 -9.38% -11.04% -3.18% -3.28% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.4973 -9.34% -9.16% -0.65% -3.49% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8817 -4.31% -7.5% 0.65% -3.92% United Fund, Inc. -a 3.2136 -5.26% -6.25% 1.36% -3.18% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 103.4016 -3.99% -6.98% 1.56% -3.86% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $1.2976 31.66% 3.02% 10.22% 7.87% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.6885 21.47% 8.07% n.a. 0.94% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.6379 8.07% -4.37% -0.45% -1.84% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.2352 8.14% -3.33% 1.52% -2.2% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.5647 1.58% -2.83% 0.19% -2.37% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.1937 -11.11% n.a. n.a. -2.47% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.9398 1.61% -1.14% 2.08% -1.23% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.7047 1.98% -2.24% 1.24% -2.2% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 16.5729 1.89% -2.26% 1.19% -2.15% -2.13% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 2.0496 0.21% -3.26% 0.9% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.4989 -4.45% -4.82% 0.08% -2.08% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 1.0032 3.03% n.a. n.a. -1.9% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.9194 -1.59% n.a. n.a. -3.14% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.9013 -2.84% n.a. n.a. -3.41% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.8681 -5.14% -5.55% -0.64% -2.21% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03889 n.a. 2.7% 1.88% -0.59% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b $1.203 18.96% 2.94% 7.45% 4.59% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.5333 14.99% 6.02% 8.74% 0.45% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,3 $1.2002 7.45% 3.18% n.a. -0.16% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 371.6 3.74% 3.24% 2.78% 0.14% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9039 -0.07% 0.3% 0.18% 0.19% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.2184 2.83% 4.37% 4.74% 0.12% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.2992 2.97% 2.84% 2.32% 0.14% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4499 3.95% 3.37% 2.14% -0.13% 3.04% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.6433 6.17% 4.7% 0.19% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a,6 1.3229 5.7% 4.47% 2.73% 0.13% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.9851 5.61% 4.48% 2.84% -0.4% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.039 7.4% 4.03% 2.54% -0.29% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.2044 4.25% 4.63% 3.48% -0.05% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.7503 3.4% 3.89% 2.83% -0.27% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $484.75 3.05% 2.92% 2.8% 0.18% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є219.32 -0.47% 0.92% 1.25% 0.06% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.2746 5.22% 4.19% 2.94% -0.45% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0264 1.54% 1.97% 1.59% -0.75% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $1.0897 -1.58% 0.93% 0.5% -0.27% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.5284 3.79% 4.37% 3.27% -0.28% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0624724 3.01% 3.14% 2.36% 0.25% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.2114 -0.86% 2.52% 2.07% -0.38% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 129.99 3.04% 3.33% 2.58% 0.14% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0489 1.89% n.a. n.a. 0.08% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.2983 2.41% 2.95% 2.61% 0.13% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0535 1.41% 1.78% n.a. 0.1% Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d,7 1.1406 n.a. n.a. n.a. 0.97% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,2 $0.98 -1.01% n.a. n.a. 0% a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU). 1 - Launch date is September 28, 2019. 2 - Launch date is November 15, 2019. 3 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last October 9, 2019. 4 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last October 12, 2018 (formerly, One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.). 5 - Launch date is December 09, 2019. 6 - Re-classified into a Bond Fund starting February 21, 2020 (Formerly a Money Market Fund). 7 - Launch date is July 6, 2020. "While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa.com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

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Thursday, February 4, 2021

COVAX COLLABORATION Ambassador-designate Luc Véron (right) discussed with Locsin NATIONAL DAY The Secretary of Foreign Affairs expressed the Philippines’s warm con-

REPUBLIC OF KOREA IN THE PHILIPPINES

the implementation of the Asean-European Union Strategic Partnership and the forthcoming Philippine coordination for Asean relations with the EU. They also touched on the importance of making vaccines a universally accessible good, which includes Team Europe’s €850-million contribution to Covid-19 vaccine initiative covering 1.3 billion doses for 92 low- and middle-income countries—including the Philippines—by end of 2021. FACEBOOK: EUROPEAN UNION IN THE PHILIPPINES

PANDEMIC RESPONSE Ambassador of China Huang Xilian (right) engaged with United Nations Development Program-Philippines’s Resident Representative Dr. Selva Ramachandran to tackle cooperation and implementation of the Regional Covid Project in the Philippines, funded by China’s South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund and the UNDP. The diplomat shared his country’s successful experiences in responding to the pandemic while strengthening the preparedness and responding capacity of Asia-Pacific nations, including the Philippines . FACEBOOK: CHINESE EMBASSY MANILA

ENVOY AND MINISTER Ambassador Norman Muhamad of Malaysia (third from left) recently met with Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s Chief Minister Murad Ahod B. Ebrahim (third from right), as both exchanged views on issues of common concerns. TWITTER: @MYEMBASSYMANILA

MUTUAL CONCERNS Ambassador Asad Alam Siam (left) conversed with Philippine Postal Corporation’s Acting Assistant Postmaster General for Operations Engr. Joel Zamudio on January 22 to discuss matters of mutual interests. FACEBOOK: BANGLADESH EMBASSY MANILA

NEW SOKOR ENVOY Ambassador Kim In-chul (right) paid a courtesy call on Secretary of

Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. on January 22. The former expressed his commitment to further develop bilateral relations between the Republic of Korea and the Philippines. FACEBOOK: EMBASSY OF THE

PHL envoy: US to support arbitral award under Biden

HE United States, under President Joseph R. Biden, is likely to maintain its position in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea (SCS/WPS) by continuing to uphold the 2016 arbitral ruling, Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel G. Romualdez said. In the previous Trump administration, Washington, D.C. endorsed the landmark decision that ruled against Beijing’s vast “Nine-Dash Line” claim in the disputed waters. As Romualdez relayed, State Secretarydesignate Antony Blinken affirmed that China will remain a priority in the US foreign policy. “[Their policy on China will be more or less the same…but the approach will be different.] There would be cooperation in many other areas but in terms of, for instance, the SCS/WPS...the US recognizes the arbitral award, so they will continue with that policy,” he said in an interview. “[That would be] the overall picture of what the Biden

administration will be doing in this part of the world.” Meanwhile, Romualdez has already received his first dose of the Moderna vaccine as part of Washington, D.C.’s “phase-based vaccination program.” In a statement, the Filipino envoy opined the creation and deployment of “safe and effective” vaccines take the world a step closer to defeating the pandemic and moving forward with economic recovery. To bring these vaccines to the Filipinos, he believes close collaboration within the global community, between governments and private entities, is needed. “[As such], we greatly appreciate

AMBASSADOR Jose Manuel G. Romualdez (right) with Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Sung Y. Kim at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. The two officials had developed an excellent working relationship and became close friends when the latter was ambassador of the US to the Philippines. EMBASSY OF THE PHILIPPINES IN THE UNITED STATES

the support of the US, the private sector, and the World Bank, for the Philippines’s vaccination program,” he said. Romualdez, one of the government officials working to procure up to 20 million doses of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine from American pharmaceutical company Moderna, received the vaccination a few days prior to the inauguration of Biden and US Vice

President Kamala D. Harris. During the hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Health in January, Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr., who is the chief implementer of the National Policy Against Covid-19—with guidance from Romualdez—said Moderna vaccines would soon be secured and divided equally between the government and the private sector. Joyce Ann L. Rocamora and Raymond Carl Dela Cruz/PNA

DFA effects org changes for greater efficiency

HE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) implemented changes to its organization to enhance its efficiency and effectiveness in managing relations and pursuing foreign-policy objectives in a complex, everchanging global environment. In a recent circular note, the DFA informed diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited to the Philippines that there are now two undersecretaries for policy: one for bilateral and Asean affairs, and the other, for multilateral affairs. The position for then-undersecretary for Policy has been

renamed “undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and Asean Affairs,” while the former undersecretary for International Economic Relations is now “undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and International Economic Relations.” The Office of United Nations and International Organizations reports to the latter. Given the significant number of bilateral relations being managed, a deputy undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and Asean Affairs has been designated in order to assist the undersecretary in policy coordination, review and oversight, while representing the under-

secretary in official functions as necessary. The Office of Civilian Security, which reports to the undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Affairs, has also been organized to cover matters pertaining to counterterrorism, transnational crimes, peace and related concerns, as well as domestic security. In keeping with diplomatic practice in most other countries and to provide them proper representational capacities, executive directors in DFA offices now carry the concurrent designation of deputy assistant secretaries.

Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. issued the relevant Department Orders in November 2020, which took effect in January. When asked for comment, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Administration J. Eduardo Malaya stated that, notwithstanding the significant beneficial impact of these organizational changes, they do not entail additional costs to the DFA, as the same officials are utilized. “Many are merely taking on additional responsibilities, with no additional compensation,” Malaya said.

gratulations to Australia on its National Day late in January through Ambassador Steven J. Robinson AO (right). AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY IN THE PHILIPPINES

IOM; Germany, UK govts equip BARMM vs Covid

HE International Organization for Migration (IOM), together with the governments of the United Kingdom (UK) and Germany through their embassies in Manila, recently handed over medical vehicles and equipment to the Ministry of Health (MOH) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to support the region’s response to the pandemic. Transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) continues to bring challenges in the region with 3,744 cases confirmed, of which 155 are active and 142 have died as of January 17, according to the BARMM Inter-Agency Task Force on Covid-19. The lack of health equipment and supplies have so far borne a significant strain on already underresourced local health facilities. BARMM’s geography—with three islands and two mainland provinces— has also posed logistical concerns in the transfer of Covid-19 specimens to the region’s only testing facility in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur’s Amai Pakpak Medical Center. The pandemic also comes during a critical time in the Bangsamoro region, as it continues to navigate a delicate normalization process. Years of underdevelopment and current transitional shifts leave BARMM less-prepared for a health emergency than other parts of the Philippines. “Much has been achieved in the course of the peace process, but a lot remains to be done…” said Ambassador of Germany Anke Reiffenstuel. “I commend the Bangsamoro Transition Authority for its successful work. Germany will remain committed in its support to the peace process.” Addressing these challenges, IOM Philippines continues its work with the BARMM government through its “Prepare, Prevent, Protect” (PPP) programme to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on most vulnerable and conflict-prone areas in Mindanao. Said programme ensures that BARMM’s regional agencies and local governments are better prepared to manage socioeconomic and security risks brought about by Covid-19 (Prepare), BARMM local health-care response for the prevention of transmission is safer and more efficient (Prevent), and the most vulnerable

segments of the displaced communities are better protected from increased social and physical risks induced by the contagion (Protect). Deputy Ambassador of the UK to the Philippines Alastair Totty said, “Stepping back and looking at the latest progress globally rolling out vaccines, it is clear that we are, at last, turning the corner. There is now real hope for one and all, especially with more equitable access to vaccines for low- and middle-income countries through the [Covid-19 vaccine] facility, for which the UK is the [single, largest] donor.” Totty added, “It is my hope that this humble contribution will make a real difference toward a healthy, safe, and Covid-19-free BARMM. The UK government has long been, and shall remain, a loyal partner for the Bangsamoro community.” Items handed over to the MOHBARMM included solar generator sets, land and sea ambulances, biosafety refrigerators, and cold-chain vehicles to support safe and effective Covid-19 prevention and response in the region. “IOM, with MOH-BARMM and Integrated Provincial Health Offices, have strived at [enhancing logistics and frontline health workers’ capacities] in cold-chain management,” IOM Philippines Chief of Mission Kristin Dadey stated. “Through the Migrant Health Unit in Mindanao, [we will continue to work with BARMM to contribute in the prevention] of the spread of Covid-19 and supporting vulnerable communities most affected by the pandemic.” The provisioned vehicles and equipment will be used in storing and transporting specimens and medicines, as well as transferring critical patients more efficiently across BARMM. They will also be utilized for various health needs in the long-term, such as vaccination campaigns for polio and measles, as well as those for Covid-19 once available. Minister and Executive Secretary Abdulraof A. Macacua expressed his thanks on behalf of the region’s officials: “These equipment will surely help, particularly the MOH, in the delivery of quality health services...We’re grateful IOM chose to help and aid BARMM.”

Thursday, February 4, 2021

The World BusinessMirror

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi detained again, without her old support

ANGKOK—A day after Myanmar’s military pulled off a well-choreographed coup, the country’s civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, finds herself right back where she was just over a decade ago—under house arrest.

But this time, her standoff with the military comes after she has sorely disappointed many oncestaunch supporters in the international community by cozying up to the country’s generals while in power. Leaders in the West are denouncing her detention, of course—but they no longer view the Nobel laureate as a paragon of democratic leadership. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won last November’s elections by a landslide, catching the generals by surprise. They immediately cried voter fraud—an allegation the country’s election commission has dismissed—and proved Monday who really controls the country, detaining Suu Kyi and other top leaders under the cover of darkness, just hours before a new session of Parliament was set to convene. With flights grounded and communications largely cut, Myanmar plunged back into isolation and

darkness, ending 10 years of new freedoms and quasi-civilian rule that the Obama administration held up as a beacon of nascent democracy. The military-owned Myawaddy TV said the country would be under a one-year state of emergency. Now, it’s not clear who can lead the country out of the wilderness, with Suu Kyi’s reputation abroad badly tarnished. “I believe that Aung San Suu Kyi has been an accomplice with the military,” said veteran US diplomat Bill Richardson. “I hope she realizes that her compact with the devil has boomeranged against her, and that she will now take the right stand on behalf of democracy” and become a true advocate for human rights. “But if she doesn’t step aside,” he said, “I think the NLD needs to find new leaders.” Suu Kyi, the daughter of independence hero and father of

the nation Gen. Aung San, spent almost 15 years under house arrest before her release in 2010. Her tough stand against the junta turned her into a symbol of peaceful resistance against oppressors—and won her the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. During her years of confinement, a parade of foreign diplomats, human rights advocates and Nobel laureates streamed into her lakeside villa, demanding the hardline military free the elegant woman known as “The Lady,” who often wears flowers in her hair. But since her release and return to politics, Suu Kyi has been heavily criticized for the political gamble she made: showing deference to the military while ignoring and, at times, even defending atrocities—most notably a 2017 crackdown on Rohingya Muslims that the United States and others have labeled genocide. When she disputed allegations at the UN International Court of Justice at The Hague just over a year ago that army personnel killed Rohingya civilians, torched houses and raped women, fellow Nobel Prize winner Jody Williams saw it as a betrayal. “Beyond rhetoric during election campaigns, what does she really believe in? What does democracy mean to her?” asked Williams, who was honored in 1997 for her work to ban landmines. Suu Kyi called such criticism

unfair, insisting that she had never considered herself a human rights icon, and that that title had been thrust upon her. She had always been, she argued, a politician. While she has remained immensely popular at home, that compromise has lost her supporters abroad—and raises the question of if and how she might lead the country out of the latest crisis. So far, she has called for civil disobedience to resist the coup— but it’s not clear how the Myanmar people will react. In 1988 and 2007, people took to the streets in force to protest dictatorship. It’s also not clear the generals will ever let her return to power. “There is little future for her I believe at this point in time, and, after all, I do think that is what the military want most,” said Larry Jagan, an independent analyst. “They do not trust her, they do not like her, and they do not want her to be part of the country’s future.” Still, others say her popularity at home means any democratic transition will have to go through her. “Suu Kyi will be 76 or 77 when the next election is held. She will be weakened but will remain No. 1 as long as she is alive,” said Robert Taylor, a prominent scholar of Myanmar’s political history. “The military will give her a chance if she gets a majority, but they are hoping she will not.” AP

UN Security Council takes no action on Myanmar coup

NITED NATIONS—The UN envoy for Myanmar urged an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Tuesday to ensure that “democracy is expeditiously restored” to the Southeast Asian nation, but the United Nations’ most powerful body took no immediate action. Christine Schraner Burgener, the Myanmar ambassador who is currently in Europe, strongly condemned the militar y ’s takeover of the government and said the council must “collectively send a clear signal in support of democracy in Myanmar” and ensure the country “doesn’t fall back into isolation.” Diplomats said restoring democracy was the key element of a draft statement prepared for the council to release to the media after the closeddoor meeting, along with a condemnation of the military’s action and call for the immediate release of all those detained. But the statement was not issued because it requires support from all 15 council members and the UN missions for China and Russia said they needed to send it to their capitals for review, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the meeting was closed. China has close ties to Myanmar. Schraner Burgener told the council that the Myanmar military’s declaration of a state of emergency and detention of top leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi and dozens of lawmakers and civilian officials just as the new parliamentary session was about to open

Monday “was surprising and shocking.” The military said the seizure of power was necessary because the government had not acted on the military’s unsubstantiated claims of fraud in November’s election in which Suu Kyi’s party won a majority of seats. Britain’s UN ambassador, Barbara Woodward, the current council president, told reporters after the meeting that ambassadors echoed widespread international concerns about the military’s action at the virtual session. “And we welcome the role of regional partners ... to resolve this crisis,” including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, she said. Brunei, which chairs the 10-nation regional Asean group, including Myanmar, issued a statement Monday noting the bloc’s principles include “the adherence to the principles of democracy, the rule of law and good governance, respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.” The statement encouraged “the pursuance of dialogue, reconciliation and the return to normalcy in accordance with the will and interests of the people of Myanmar.” But it made no mention of any action by Asean to take the lead in returning Myanmar to a democratic path. At the United Nations, Woodward said: “Discussions will continue among council colleagues on next steps. I certainly hope that we will be able to speak with one voice.”

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin, called Myanmar “a friendly neighbor”Tuesday and expressed hope that all parties “will properly handle their differences under the constitutional and legal framework and maintain political and social stability.” “Whatever actions taken by the international community shall contribute to Myanmar’s political and social stability, promote its peace and reconciliation, and avoid escalating the conflict and complicating the situation,” Wang said in Beijing. Myanmar has been a very difficult issue for the Security Council to take any action, but not impossible. In November 2017, the council adopted a presidential statement condemning widespread violence in northern Rakhine State and expressing grave concern at reported human rights violations by Myanmar’s security forces against minority Rohingya Muslims. It called on the government to ensure “no further excessive use of military force,” which led 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. Before Tuesday’s council meeting, the UN’s director for the group Human Rights Watch, Louis Charbonneau, said the council’s “abysmal failure to address Myanmar’s past appalling human rights abuses assured the military they could do as they please without serious consequences.” He called on the council to demand the immediate release of all detained political leaders and activists and the restoration of civilian democratic rule. He

said sanctions should be imposed “on those military leaders responsible.” Amnesty International’s deputy director of advocacy, Sherine Tadros, urged the council to freeze the assets of Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, now in charge of the government, and other military leaders responsible for crimes against ethnic minorities, including the Rohingya. “The Security Council must also impose a comprehensive global arms embargo on Myanmar, and crucially, refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court,” she said. US President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday called the Myanmar military’s action a coup, setting the stage for sanctions and other measures targeting what State Depar tment officials said was “the very small circle of military generals” responsible. While the US and other Western nations may impose sanctions on Myanmar, Security Council approval of targeted measures is highly unlikely. That would take a resolution, which China would likely veto. Getting approval for a press statement remains a possibility, but not a certainty. Sven Jürgenson, the UN ambassador for council member Estonia, supported the proposed statement, strongly condemning the coup and urging Myanmar’s military to respect the 2008 constitution, allow Parliament to do its work, and “recommit to the peace process.” AP

Rohingya refugees fear returning to Myanmar

HAKA, Bangladesh—Rohingya refugees f ro m M y a n m a r l i v i n g i n c a m p s i n Bangladesh condemned the military coup in their homeland and said it makes them more fearful to return. A counterinsurgency operation by Myanmar’s military in 2017 involving mass rape, murders and the torching of villages drove more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims into neighboring Bangladesh. Bangladesh has hosted them in crowded refugee camps and is eager to begin sending them back to Buddhist-majority Myanmar. Several attempts at repatriation under a joint agreement failed because the Rohingya refused to go, fearing more violence in a country that denies them basic rights including citizenship. Refugees said Tuesday they are more afraid now that the military is in complete control.

“The military killed us, raped our sisters and mothers, and torched our villages. How is it possible for us to stay safe under their control?” said Khin Maung, head of the Rohingya Youth Association in the camps in Cox’s Bazar district. “Any peaceful repatriation will hugely be impacted,” he told The Associated Press. “It will take a long time because the political situation in Myanmar is worse now.” Officials from Myanmar and Bangladesh met last month to discuss ways to start the repatriations, with Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry seeming more hopeful of success and officials saying they expected to begin sometime in June. But refugees said they totally oppose the military takeover. “We strongly condemn the coup. We love democracy and human rights, so we are worried about

losing them in our country,” Maung said. “We are part of Myanmar, so we feel the same as Myanmar’s common people. We urge the international community to raise its voice against the coup,” he said. Mohammad Jaffar, 70, said they had been waiting to go back. “The hope that we had to go back has now been interrupted by this change in regime in Myanmar,” Jaffar said. “Repatriation will not be safe at all under this regime.... Now if we go back into the hands of people who are responsible for our torture, we will probably have to bear twice as much pain as before.” Another refugee said repatriation would not be possible now. “Even if they try to repatriate us, we will not agree to go back under the current situation. If they take us back into that regime, they will torture us even more,” Nurul Amin said.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that it hopes the coup will not hamper the refugees’ return. “As an immediate and friendly neighbor, we would like to see peace and stability in Myanmar. We have been persistent in developing mutually beneficial relations with Myanmar and have been working with Myanmar for the voluntary, safe and sustained repatriation of the Rohingya sheltered in Bangladesh,” it said. The United Nations has described the Myanmar military crackdown on the Rohingya as a form of genocide. In total, more than 1 million refugees are being sheltered by Bangladesh. Monday’s coup was a dramatic backslide for Myanmar, which was emerging from decades of strict military rule and international isolation that began in 1962. AP

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

In this December 11, file photo, Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi waits to address judges of the International Court of Justice on the second day of three days of hearings in The Hague, Netherlands. After Myanmar’s military staged a coup on February 1, Aung San Suu Kyi finds herself back under house arrest. But this time, her standoff with the generals comes after she has sorely disappointed many oncestaunch supporters in the international community. AP/Peter DeJong

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UK starts house-to-house testing in hunt for new Covid-19 variant

ONDON—England has begun house-by-house Covid-19 testing in some communities as authorities try to snuff out a new variant of the coronavirus before it spreads widely and undermines a nationwide vaccination program. Authorities want to reach the 80,000 residents of eight areas where the variant, first identified in South Africa, is known to be spreading because a handful of cases have been detected among people who have had no contact with the country or anyone who traveled there. Officials are dispatching home testing kits and mobile testing units in an effort to reach every resident of those communities. It is “critical” for everyone in these areas to stay at home unless travel is absolutely essential, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said. “Our mission must be to stop its spread altogether and break those chains of transmission,” Hancock told the House of Commons on Tuesday. Public health officials are concerned about the variant first identified in South Africa because it contains a mutation of the virus’ characteristic spike protein that existing vaccines target. The mutation may mean the vaccines offer less protection against the variant. As the door-to-door testing drive got underway, Public Health England also said scientists had discovered the same spike protein mutation in 11 cases involving another variant that is now the most prevalent form of the virus in England. The mutation had not previously been detected in the so-called Kent variant, named for the English county where it was first identified. Britain’s government announced in December that the country had to introduce tougher restrictions to control the rapid spread of the Kent variant, which first was discovered a few months earlier in southeast England. Authorities were alarmed by how fast it spread, saying it was more contagious than existing coronavirus variants. No conclusive evidence has emerged to show the Kent variant causes more serious Covid-19 cases or deaths. Dozens of nations around the world imposed bans on travel from the UK as cases multiplied in England, but the variant nevertheless has turned up in numerous countries. While viruses mutate constantly, most of the changes cause little concern. But scientists are closely tracking mutations in the virus that causes Covid-19 to make sure they quickly identify variants of concern. Dr. Julian Tang, a clinical virologist at the University of Leicester, said recent discovery of the spike protein mutation in the Kent variant was a “worrying development, though not entirely unexpected.” “Closing borders/restricting travel may help a little with this, but there is now probably already a sufficient critical mass of virus-infected people within the endemic UK population to allow this natural selection/ evolution to proceed—as this report suggests—so we really need to stick to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions as much as possible,” Tang said in a written statement. In recent weeks, scientists also identified new, more contagious variants in South Africa and Brazil, both of which contained the spike protein mutation. AP

Thursday, February 4, 2021

Biden signs immigration orders, eyes Congress to lift barriers to citizenship W

A SHI NGTON — P resident Joe Biden on Tuesday signed a second spate of orders to undo his predecessor’s immigration policies, demonstrating the powers of the White House and its limitations without support from Congress. His orders on family separation, border security and legal immigration bring to nine the number of executive actions on immigration during his first two weeks in office. With proposed legislation to give legal status and a path to citizenship to all of the estimated 11 million people in the country who don’t have it, Biden has quickly taken aim at many of former President Donald Trump’s sweeping changes to deter immigration, both legal and illegal, and established a vision that is likely to far outlast his tenure if he’s able to muster enough support in a deeply divided Congress. Biden rescinded some Trump actions and laid a foundation for more far-reaching repeals depending on the outcome of policy reviews over the next few months. “I’m not making new law. I’m eliminating bad policy,” he said during a signing ceremony. Alejandro Mayorkas, who was sworn in as Homeland Security secretary after his nomination was confirmed Tuesday by the Senate, will lead a task force on family separation, focused largely on reuniting parents and children who remain apart. It is unclear exactly how many, but about 5,500 children have been identified in court documents as having been separated during Trump’s

presidency, including about 600 whose parents have yet to be found by a courtappointed committee. “We’re going to work to undo the moral and national shame of the previous administration,” Biden said. The review will address the possibility of legal status in the United States for separated families and providing mental health services. The American Civil Liberties Union, which sued to reunite families, has asked the administration for legal status in the United States for all of the thousands of families that have been separated, as well as financial compensation for those families and attorneys at government expense. A review of border security will include a policy that makes asylumseekers wait in Mexican border cities for hearings in US immigration court. It is a step toward fulfilling a campaign pledge to end the “Remain in Mexico” policy, known officially as Migrant Protection Protocols, which enrolled nearly 70,000 asylum-seekers since it began in January 2019. Biden asked for “a phased strategy for the safe and orderly entry into the United States” of those already enrolled who are waiting in Mexico for a judge to decide their cases. Biden ended a policy that held asylumseekers in Customs and Border Protection custody with virtually no access to attorneys while their claims were quickly decided. He ordered reviews of a nationwide expansion of fast-track deportation authority and of agreements with

Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras for the US to reject asylum applicants and instead send them to those Central American countries with an opportunity to seek protection there. His order on legal immigration seeks ways to reduce backlogs and barriers to citizenship and considers scrapping Trump’s “public charge rule,” which makes it more difficult for people who receive government benefits to obtain green cards. Biden didn’t address a freeze on many temporary work visas and green cards while the economy recovers from a pandemic, as some expected. “That’s a pretty big gap for them not to take action on those visa bans because the impact is so dramatic and significant,” said Greg Chen, director of government relations for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. While immediate changes were limited, the impact of executive orders that Trump issued his first week in office didn’t start to become apparent until a month later when Homeland Security issued detailed enforcement priorities. Those orders laid a foundation for many other of his administration’s hundreds of immigration moves that followed. Many changes will have to come from agencies like Homeland Security, not the White House, such as rescinding the public-charge rule, Chen said. The announcements come as Biden aides warn that Trump’s border policies that put asylum increasingly out of reach may take months to unwind—a position that has caused grumbling among some pro-immigration advocates. Roberta Jacobson, a top Biden aide on border issues, asked Spanish-language media on Friday to discourage audiences from coming to the US bor-

der. “It is not the moment,” she said in Spanish, adding that the journey was “very dangerous, and we are in the middle of creating a new system.” White House spokesman Jen Psaki reinforced that message from the White House podium on Tuesday, saying it “remains a dangerous trip” and, “This is not the time to come to the United States.” The orders demonstrate that, just as Trump remade immigration policies from the White House, Biden can undo them with the stroke of a pen—some more easily than others. More lasting changes would have to pass Congress, a daunting job that Trump and his predecessors Barack Obama and George W. Bush failed to achieve. In an echo of failed legislative pushes in 2007 and 2013, familiar lines of division have formed with overheated rhetoric. Stephen Miller, a top architect of Trump’s policies, said Sunday on Fox News Channel that Biden’s actions amount to the “end of all immigration enforcement in the United States of America.” Pro-immigration groups largely applauded Biden’s latest moves, though they were more muted than the almostgiddy reception to the president’s firstday actions. “The positive steps the administration is taking must be the beginning, not an end unto themselves,” Ali Noorani, president of the National Immigration Forum, said Tuesday. “Congress should build on these first steps to find permanent solutions to improve our immigration system.” Kelli Garcia, federal policy counsel of the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund, said the orders were encouraging but “will not immediately benefit immigrant communities in dire need of concrete action.” AP

B6 Thursday, February 4, 2021

MPIC 2021 calendar brings back color and fun to the lives of Filipinos

HALLENGING, eventful, relentless, uncertain – all words that can define the year that was 2020. The obstacles of a global pandemic, incessant natural disasters, and the resulting aftermath served as a powerful eye-opener to the Philippines and the world. 2020 became the year of strife and struggle, of surviving situations that nobody was truly prepared for, and of changes that affected millions, if not billions of lives. It became the year of missing: missing life events and loved ones, missing freedom and the luxury of moving without restrictions, and missing the small things that make our lives bright and colorful. With all the challenges the country and the world has faced, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) is determined to make 2021 all about bringing color back to the lives that were dulled and darkened by the year that passed. Even throughout the imposed quarantines, MPIC has made it a goal to continuously shine as a beacon of light amid the darkness by keeping the lights on, the clean water running, the roads open, and the hospitals world-class.

Bringing Color Back to 2021

AS a sentiment to the prospect of a better, brighter future ahead, MPIC recently released its Color Your World 2021 Calendar, the first coloring bookstyle corporate calendar depicting its core businesses in black-andwhite images coupled with inspiring quotations. “The MPIC calendar which comes with a set of Colleen colored pencils, was conceptualized to help us reflect and meditate on how the past year has affected the world and how we can bring color back to 2021,” said Melody del Rosario, Vice-President for Public Relations and Corporate

Communications. “The graphics illustrate how our core businesses are intertwined with our daily cycle of life. It likewise depicts motivational quotes from successful businessmen, philosophers, artist and novelist in order to let you see life from another, wider perspective,” added Del Rosario.

For the Planet and the People

THE calendar is MPIC’s immediate follow-up to its commitment to two sustainability alliances: the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and the Sustainable Accounting Board Alliance (SASB), geared towards perpetuating the global standards of monitoring the sustainability initiatives of corporations. Through Color Your World, MPIC addresses two pillars of sustainability: environmental and social, informally referred to as planet and people. It is intended to be an interactive past time

that not only yields a useful and beautiful product, but also creates benefits for the individuals’ who participate in the coloring experience. It puts value to their time, their creative vision, and their intention for the year 2021. Each month features an image dedicated to a core business and a corresponding sentiment that becomes the inspirational boost needed to make each day count. Both internally with its employees in the mother company and subsidiaries, and externally with its stakeholders, MPIC invites all to color in each page and share their colorful months with the company. It becomes an homage to the Filipino spirit of bayanihan – of bringing back color to the lives of Filipinos most affected by 2020. Color Your World enjoins all to move forward with gratitude and give 2021 a fresh coat of life. All that’s left is to color in the rest of the year.

2020 Diet Decisions Survey reveals more Filipino consumers eat healthier, open to plant-based, meatless food in the new normal Top motivators for eating healthier

REMIER global nutrition company, Herbalife Nutrition, recently released findings from the 2020 Diet Decisions Survey, which revealed that Filipino consumers are eating better. Among those polled, 53% said they have started eating more fruits and vegetables and 43% ate more plant-based food. Among the 11 Asia Pacific markets surveyed, the Philippines also ranked highest (62%) in their openness to plant-based foods/meatless options. The survey, which polled 8,000 consumers in eight Asia Pacific markets, including Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, also shed light into the motivations behind the consumers’ recent dietary and lifestyle changes, with the aim of inspiring more people to adopt better nutrition and lifestyle habits to improve their overall well-being now and into the future. “These results are a good sign that Filipinos are becoming more mindful about their personal health. Making healthier food choices and becoming more open to plant-based and meatless options and staying physically active — these are great ways to start combating obesity, which has been rising worldwide,” said Dr. Rocio Medina, Vice Chairwoman and Member, Nutrition Advisory Board, Herbalife Nutrition. Dr. Medina spoke about “Reversing Obesity Among Filipinos” during the Virtual Wellness Tour of Herbalife Nutrition Philippines. The monthly event is part of Herbalife Nutrition’s continuing efforts and commitment to raise public awareness on the importance of balanced nutrition and having a healthy active lifestyle. “Obesity is recognized by leading health

organizations, including the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization (WHO), as a chronic disease. It is associated with decreased life expectancy and co-morbidities and requires a long and comprehensive management approach to help people,” Dr. Medina pointed out. She added that the WHO has even declared obesity as the as the largest global health pandemic in adults and is becoming a more serious problem than malnutrition. Citing figures from the Department of Science and Technology - Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), Dr. Medina said that one of three adults in the Philippines is obese and this trend has been increasing over time. A high prevalence of young adult obesity occurs across the country, with most obese young adults to be found in Luzon.

Reversing obesity

ACCORDING to Dr. Medina, there are three factors that can help improve body composition: Increasing one’s intake of high biological value protein, like isolated soy protein, egg white, beef protein, fish, poultry, and whey Decreasing one’s consumption of simple carbohydrates such as white bread, white sugar, and white rice. Increasing one’s physical activity like doing strength training for 2 to 3 times a week and resistance aerobic training for 3 to 4 times a week.

She also advised cutting down on added sugars.

“Choosing a healthy eating pattern low in added sugars can have important health benefits,” Dr. Medina said.

ACCORDING to the 2020 Diet Decisions Survey, 58% of the Filipino respondents have made a major change to their diet during the pandemic and 89% agreed that they had a specific moment during the pandemic when they realized they needed to change their diet. Among their top motivators include: Their health (82%) Weight loss (51%) More cost-effective (27%) Beyond making changes to their diet, 56% also started to exercise more, with consumers in Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia leading the way.

Filipino consumers believe they will emerge healthier from the pandemic

According to the survey findings, 77% believe that they would emerge from the pandemic healthier than they were before and 88% claimed they already noticed a positive difference in their health since they changed their diet. Majority (83%) said they plan to keep the dietary changes that they made for a prolonged period of time. To help maintain their new diets in the new normal, Filipino consumers said having the following could help: Easy-to-follow meal plans (62%) Convenient alternatives that don’t take long to make (45%) A health and wellness coach (40%) When it comes to meal plans, Dr. Medina said that a reduced calorie meal plan should be individualized. It should be selected to reflect the person’s personal and cultural preferences. She likewise added that behavior coaching can also make a difference in improving one’s habits. “For many people, targeted behavior coaching, which transforms their eating, exercise, and other habits, known as intensive lifestyle intervention, can make a difference,” Dr. Medina said. Concluding, Dr. Medina underlined the importance of nutrition education. “Having education in an area helps people think, feel, and behave in a way that contributes to their success, and improves not only their personal satisfaction but also their community,” she said.

Toyota Philippines executives optimistic of automotive industry outlook in 2021

FTER a challenging year that saw the upward momentum of the car industry interrupted by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, automotive leader Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) said it is more than ready to do its part in helping move the country forward this 2021. “Even though the past year has been challenging, the market has shown incredible resilience and was able to achieve 242,000 in sales,” said TMP President Atsuhiro Okamoto. “That being said, I am pleased to announce that TMP was able to achieve 100,019 unit sales in 2020, with an expanded share of the market at 41.3%,” he added. TMP Chairman Alfred Ty shared this optimism, citing efforts from the government and industry partners. “While the automotive industry as a whole may have seen challenging sales at the onset of the pandemic, we also saw gradual growth from the lowest point in May. We0 expect this increase to continue as Filipinos ease back into their daily routines and resume pursuing the life goals that had to take a backseat in 2020,” said Ty. “Every week there are new developments regarding a COVID-19 vaccine and while this may not be the be-all and end-all solution to this pandemic, it is a welcome development and a sign that progress is happening earlier than expected,” said Ty. “Also on the brighter side of things, the “Build, Build, Build” project of the government and the private sector is coming into fruition. We commend the continuous construction of these new roads and highways which will enable economic recovery efforts and bring more joy to driving,” Ty added.

Crucial Government Support

TMP’s top executives also welcomed recent pronouncements by Board of Investments (BOI) officials regarding the possibility of extending the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) Program in consideration of the impact of the pandemic on car manufacturing and sales. “We thank the government for considering the extension of the CARS Program. This is very crucial for the existence of local

production not only for the existing players but also in attracting additional investment in the industry. In this business of the automotive industry, where the market is still at a growing stage and lower-priced vehicles dominate new cars sold, the key to survival is volume. Economies of Scale is much needed to make investments sustainable, whether a Completely Built-Up (CBU) or Completely Knocked Down (CKD) player, or both.” said Ty.

Balancing Act

SPEAKING about the healthy balance of TMP's CBU and CKD business, TMP President Okamoto also addressed the most recent issue to affect not just car companies but also the entire supply chain of the local car manufacturing sector. “TMP operates on the basis of a combination of locally-produced and imported vehicles. We will maximize efforts to promote sales of our Vios and Innova to cushion the impact of safeguard duties. We are counting on the support of Filipinos to BUY FILIPINO,” said Okamoto.

Mobility For All

IN the end, TMP believes that as the largest mobility company in the Philippines, it has the responsibility to help push the local automotive industry forward, and steer the country towards economic recovery. “The automotive industry provides mobility for all of us. And when we talk of the automotive industry, this does not only cover vehicle production and sales, but it includes parts, logistics, and public transportation,” said Ty. “Mobility brings us a new wind, a change in landscape and, most importantly, it brings us closer to tomorrow. This 2021, I hope we can continue to support each other as we brave the challenges and seize the opportunities the new year will bring,” Ty added.

Helping communities thrive amidst typhoon and pandemic

EAR 2020 truly has been a year of ceaseless challenges. Foodpanda, the on-demand food delivery service, embraced the opportunity to make a difference by delivering much-needed help to those in need. Its fleet of golden-hearted riders answered the call for help and led the charge in assisting people through various efforts all year round, from serving those affected by natural disasters to supporting medical frontliners in the COVID-19 pandemic. “Through thick and thin, the company takes care of its community of customers, riders, and vendors with its core business and Corporate Social Advocacy programs. We desire to help underserved populations and move toward economic empowerment and inclusion through equal access to every possible opportunity,” said Daniel Marogy, foodpanda Philippines’ managing director. When Taal Volcano erupted early in the year, for example, pink riders in the area were quick to respond and scrapped their schedules that day to bring immediate help to affected families. The company also mobilized relief efforts for the victims of the series of typhoons in recent months, providing relief packages to affected communities all over the country. Moreover, foodpanda rolled out several initiatives

to support medical workers nationwide who were manning the front lines against COVID-19. As early as April 2020, the company partnered with restaurants in Baguio, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro to deliver warm meals and refreshments to healthcare workers in hospitals and checkpoints. In the following months, foodpanda joined hands with The Philippine Army to provide food assistance to COVID-19 response teams and frontline workers such as street sweepers, garbage collectors, waste management teams, and local government unit personnel in Quezon City, Mandaluyong City, and Taguig City. The company also introduced the PandaTODA project to welcome tricycle drivers, whose livelihood was severely affected by the pandemic, into the foodpanda family as delivery riders. Tricycle drivers under the program were given the option to work on their own hours or be part of the foodpanda fulltime in cooperation with local government units like Manila, Pasig, and Quezon City. To help more people and build stronger communities, the company remains committed to improve its efforts to deliver the promise of embracing a local responsibility and a unique opportunity to be a force of good.

CCP brings healing and hope this Love Month

HE Cultural Center of the Philippines brings the world premiere of award-winning filmmaker Jerrold Tarog’s new film “Ang Kabaligtaran ng Gunaw (The Opposite of the End),” back-to-back with the launch of “Hilom: Sayaw Dalangin ng Pag-asa at Pagkakaisa,” slated on February 14, 8:30am and 4:30pm airing on CNN Philippines channels. Director Tarog transmuted the original poem with the same title written by playwright Eljay Castro Deldoc into a cinematic experience, featuring the original concept and choreography by Ronelson Yadao. Tarog also composed the music for the dance film. Adapted to screenplay by Tarog and Deldoc, the eightminute short feature film brings together the different art forms – from literature, dance, music, theatre and film – to create a unique collaboration which hopefully reminds all artists and the public on the importance of artistic expression and undaunted creativity that is much needed in the process of healing and overcoming the pandemic. For 51 years now, the Cultural Center of the Philippines is a place where creativity thrives, and a home to various productions, festivals and artists. In 2020, CCP closed its doors to the public and arts became one of the most affected industries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of artists and cultural workers were displaced. The question lingers: will the arts survive? And Tarog responds through the short feature film. Meanwhile, Hilom features folkloric dances associated with Filipino rituals and dance traditions to show how relevant dance is to the lives of the people

especially during times of difficulties and challenges. The dance production engages various folkloric dance groups and communities in working together to produce dance performances that would highlight the affinity of the Filipinos to connect to the spiritual world for prayer, supplications, thanksgiving and worship. Featured dance groups and artists are: Abigail Calma (as Inang Bayan) from Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group; Kaloob Phil Music and Dance Ministry (artistic director Dr. Ed Lapiz); Lyceum of the Philippines University of Batangas - Lahing Batangan Dance Troupe (artistic director Rodel M. Fronda); Leyte Dance Theatre of Jess De Paz Foundation Inc. (artistic director Lowe S. Taňa); University of Cebu Dance Company (artistic director Victor Lim Hao Cuenco); Melengas Dance Ensemble (artistic director Odysso D. Oyales; and Koronadal Hinugyaw Cultural Dance Troupe (artistic director Benhur Zerrudo Abulencia). “Hilom is a dance film that forwards the Filipino spirit to the forefront of our fight against the global health crisis. Our differences in culture, language, or ethnicity do not hinder us but rather enrich and unify our call and prayer for healing. We shall move as one nation, one community, one Filipino toward the hope for recovery,” shared director Biadoma. After the twinbill production premiered on CNN Philippines, the CCP plans to have a hybrid outdoor screening tagged as Cinema Under the Stars at the CCP grounds, following strict health protocols. There will also be an online premiere through the CCP social media accounts (official Facebook page and YouTube channel).

Editor: Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

Health&Fitness BusinessMirror

Lockdown prevented more Covid-19 deaths–WHO

lthough this pandemic is far from over, the World Health Organization (WHO) noted that the implementation of lockdown measures in the Philippines had greatly contributed not only to slowing down the transmission of Covid-19; it also prevented the increase in the number of deaths in the country. Asked for his reaction a year after the Philippines confirmed its first Covid case on January 31, 2020, Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO Representative to the Philippines, in a media forum recalled that “we didn’t have the capacity to confirm the infection [yet at that time].” Dr. Abeyasinghe said that the WHO even helped the Philippines send the samples abroad for testing. “Now, we note with satisfaction that you have more than 180 laboratories spread across the country,” Dr. Abeyasinghe said adding that the lockdown was very useful in preparing the country’s health-care system, contact tracing efforts, and in establishing Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities. “All of these showed that you have prepared and use the lockdowns wisely to deal with the pandemic. The reflection of that

is you have managed a large number of deaths, seen in several other countries, from happening [here],” he added. Although over 10,000 deaths were recorded in the country, the WHO official noted that if there was no lockdown “It [the number of deaths] could have been more than that].” The Covid-19 cases in the country surged to 527,272 on Monday after recording 1,658 additional cases, with 27 recoveries, and 58 deaths.

Room for improvement Dr . A b e y a s i n g he, ho we ve r, stressed “there is still much more room for improvement.” “We continue to emphasize the need for early detection, early isolation, and quarantining,” he said. He also underscored the need for the people to follow the minimum public health standards, noting that the vaccine is just “another tool” of protection from getting infected. “This pandemic can be controlled...if done with the kind of solidarity and conformity and with everybody’s participation, we can suppress transmission, we can bring back economic activity,” he concluded. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Are we ready for the Covid-19 vaccines? By Rory Visco Contributor

re the Covid-19 vaccines about to land in the country ready to deal with the SARS-CoV-2 virus? An initial delivery of vaccines is expected to land on local shores this month. Just recently, the government ratified and approved the Philippine National Deployment and Vaccination Plan as proposed through Resolution 95 of the IATF or InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. Will the public accept these vaccines? It seems confidence is low, with many unsure if they want to be vaccinated.

Safe and efficacious

Dr. Eric Domingo, Director-General of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in his presentation during the latest installation of the “Stop Covid Deaths” webinar series titled “Are We Ready for the Covid-19 Vaccine?” organized by the University of the Philippines, the UP Manila NIH National Telehealth Center and in cooperation with UP Manila College of Public Health and UP Philippine General Hospital, swears by the agency’s mandate to ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of health products. He said that all the Covid-19 vaccines that will be used in the country will undergo a strict and rigorous testing and evaluation process to determine that it is safe to use. The vaccine manufacturers were required to secure first an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) before their vaccines are allowed for use locally.

What is EUA?

This risk-based procedure assesses unlicensed vaccines and other products under development. It is only issued during public health emergencies of international concern to expedite the product’s availability to people affected by a public health emergency, and is based on available data on safety, quality and efficacy. Prior to the pandemic, there was no EUA in the country so President Duterte issued Executive Order (EO) 121 last December. It granted the FDA the authority to issue EUA for Covid-19 vaccines that are still under development. “In the future, we need a new law that will provide flexibility to the country in handling public health emergency issues,” Dr. Domingo said. Criteria for EUA issuance is that the disease the product is trying to combat may cause an outbreak or pandemic, that no product is available to combat it, that products must comply with Good Manufacturing Processes (GMP) to assure quality and reliability, and that the applicant promises to complete the development of the product and apply for pre-qualification once it is granted a Iicense. “The process in EUA issuance is a stringent

one. There is no shortcut to the process. When the EUA is approved, the public is assured they will get a quality-tested product,” Dr. Domingo avers. He emphasized, though, that the EUA is not a license to market the product commercially. This requires a Certificate of Product Registration (CPR). He stressed that no vaccine can be used locally without the EUA. When there is an EUA application, the FDA will convene a panel of experts in drug and vaccine development, immunology and epidemiology that will review, ask questions and clarifications, and then submit to the FDA Director General its report and recommendations. He noted the EUA is only valid for the duration of the public health emergency, and the FDA has the power to stop its use if it sees something is wrong. Pfizer BioNtech and Astra Zenca have both been granted EUAs. Gamaleya from Russia (Sputnik V) and Sinovac from China applied last month for Phase 3 clinical trials. Others that applied were Moderna, Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech also from India, Janssen, Clover, and Sinopharm. Once approved, vaccine makers should follow the EUA’s terms and conditions, where they can only provide the vaccines to emergency response stakeholders such as the Department of Health (DOH), the National Task Force against Covid-19 (NTF) and other authorized recipients like private and public hospitals, local governments, health facilities of national government agencies, and other members of the private sector, to be administered only by authorized vaccinators. Aside from vaccines of the EUA applicants, Dr. Domingo said that the country will receive additional Covid-19 vaccine doses under the COVAX Facility, the global vaccine procurement mechanism, the Philippines being a country under the low- to mid-income category. “We will receive the vaccines for free, around 14 million doses or enough to vaccinate about 20 million people or 20 percent of the population. Part of the criteria of being part of COVAX is the regulatory preparedness of a country for the new vaccines, and the country has an EUA avenue and a ready system of product monitoring and surveillance.” The government is still negotiating with other vaccine manufacturers because the vaccines COVAX will provide will cover the health workers and other high-risk sectors like the elderly, those living in congested areas and with high co-morbidities. “The goal is to vaccinate 50-70 percent of the population by the end of the year so that we achieve some form of herd immunity and slowly go back to the lives we used to enjoy.” Above all, he encouraged the public to read information about the vaccines, their pros and cons, benefits, to better prepare and make the proper decision once called to proceed to the vaccination centers.

Thursday, February 4, 2021 B7

Filipinos want national smoking ban in public places, survey says

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

ore can still be done to ensure the safety of Filipinos when it comes to the harmful effects of smoking and the results of a recent survey may lead policy-makers to the right direction.

“My body has considerably weakened. I can no longer do the things I used to do,” he said. Because of Artemio’s condition, his wife Evelyn became the family’s breadwinner. To be able to put food on the table and buy Artemio’s medicines, Evelyn did laundry for their neighbors. Artemio admitted that he was full of remorse saying, “I hope she can forgive me.”

Typical story According to a survey conducted by Pulse Asia in December 2020, there is overwhelming support for a national smoking ban in all public spaces (93 percent) and in all private spaces frequented by the public (91 percent). “ T he sur vey c learly shows that there is a strong clamor for a smoke-free Philippines. People are more aware now of the health and environmental impacts of smoking, and are more health conscious,” said Atty. Jacky Sarita, Executive Director of Health Justice Philippines. “We have nothing to lose by becoming smoke free. On the contrary, we have so much to gain— healthier citizenry and cleaner environment. We will even be able to contribute to poverty alleviation,” said Mardy Halcon, country lead of the Campaign for TobaccoFree Kids. Halcon added that people in the lower socio-economic demographic level will not be as “financially burdened because if they did not smoke, they wouldn’t have to choose between cigarette sticks and food.” Halcon cited the case of Arte-

mio Biernes who has been smoking since he was in high school. Like many others, his initiation into smoking was a result of peer pressure. Artemio, now on his 50s recalled that his friends would not take no for an answer when they offered him a cigarette. He tried it and liked it. Since then, he has not stopped smoking. As he made more money, he periodically increased his allocation for cigarettes. At some point, he was spending 25 percent of his income on cigarettes alone. Artemio has been smoking for decades when his wife noticed that he seemed unwell. A visit to the doctor confirmed their fears—he was diagnosed with emphysema, a lung disease characterized by difficulty in breathing and caused by many years of smoking. “Seeing my X-ray results, the doctor asked if I smoked. I said yes. He told me to stop if I did not want my illness to worsen,” Artemio said. Artemio heeded his doctor’s advice, but by then, the effects of his long years of smoking had taken its toll on his body.

Artemio’s story mirrors those of many other smokers—starting young because of peer pressure, getting hooked, getting sick, and becoming cash-strapped because of the costs of the cigarettes, hospital bills and maintenance medicines when they get sick. Numerous studies have consistently shown the link of smoking to various major diseases, among them lung cancer and heart disease. Smoking has also been found to increase one’s risk of getting infected with Covid-19. Worse, when a smoker does get infected, they are more likely to have a severe case of infection—their lungs, the very target of Covid- 19, having considerably weakened by cigarette smoking. To prevent Filipinos, especially the youth, from falling into the trap of smoking, anti-smoking regulations have been crafted and passed in the past years. In 2017, President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) 26 which banned smoking in public areas except in designated smoking areas that follow guidelines set by the EO.

The EO also enjoined all cities and municipalities nationwide to form a local smoke-free task force with the goal of imposing its provisions. In 2020, the President signed RA 11467 into law which raised the sin taxes for alcohol and cigarettes and issued EO 106 which regulates the sale, manufacture, marketing, distribution and importation of unregistered electronic nicotine devices and other novel tobacco products. The directive also bans establishments from selling e-cigarettes and other tobacco products to a person aged 21 years old and below.

New Bill on the Block In January 2021, Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa filed Senate Bill 1976 which aims to institutionalize the advocacy of the President to make the Philippines smoke free. While he was still a city mayor, the President made Davao City known worldwide for strictly enforcing smoke-free policies that benefited the health of its constituents. The new bill prohibits smoking in all public transportation vehicles and its terminals, workplaces, and other public places that may be identified by persons in authority. It also prohibits indoor designated smoking areas which, according to the guidelines outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), to which the Philippines is a signatory, are not sufficiently equipped to protect people from the harm of second-hand smoke.

Phase 2 of polio, measles vaccine drive in full swing

here is an ongoing polio outbreak which started in 2019, with cases detected by the Department of Health (DOH) from the Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance and poliovirus isolates that were seen in environmental samples. At the same time, there is the threat of a measles outbreak and the continuing spread of rubella virus in the country. Measles or tigdas is a very contagious disease. It is characterized by high-grade fever, rashes, cough, sore eyes, runny nose and can lead to complications such as pneumonia, blindness, severe diarrhea, swelling of the brain, and even death. Polio, on the other hand, is a potentially debilitating disease that causes fever, neck stiffness, muscle weakness, and can eventually lead to lifelong paralysis. To date, there is no specific treatment for both Measles and Polio, and the only reliable protection against both is through vaccination.

“We can only halt an impending measles outbreak and stop the spread of polio if we vaccinate every eligible child. This is challenging but is necessary for the protection of our children. WHO [World Health Organization] and other partners continue to support the DOH, our frontline workers and local governments in addressing these multiple health threats,” said WHO Philippines Representative Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe.

Phase 2 of the vaccination campaign

The DOH had a successful nationwide Measles Rubella and Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-OPV SIA) Phase I last year in the Mindanao, Cordillera, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa (Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) and Bicol Regions with a coverage of 93 percent for Measles Rubella (MR) Vaccine and 89 percent for Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV).

The Phase 2 of the vaccination campaign kicked off on February 1 and will run until February 28, 2021. It will cover the Visayas Regions, National Capital Region, Central Luzon and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas Rizal). It aims to vaccinate 5.1 million nine to 59 months old children for the Measles Rubella vaccine and 4.8 million children zero to 59 months old for Oral Polio vaccine. The DOH admitted that this campaign is a difficult battle not only not only for the agency but for all local government units (LGUs), and other partners considering the triple outbreak threats on top of the Covid-19 pandemic. “We at the UNICEF [United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund] remain committed in supporting DOH, as well as the national government and local government units, in ensuring that every child in the Philippines is vaccinated. Amid the challenges of Covid-19, it is even more critical to reach the most vulnerable children and give them the

opportunity to grow healthy and reach their full potential,” UNICEF Philippines Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov. Dendevnorov stressed that with the continuous technical and financial support of key partners like the United States Agency for International Development or USAID and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “we look forward to yielding high coverage for this second phase of the MR-OPV SIA.” For his part, Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III encouraged parents and guardians to have their children immunized. Duque said that the measles, rubella and oral polio vaccines are guaranteed to be safe, effective, and free. “Vaccination saves lives and prevents disabilities from such diseases. These vaccines can give our vulnerable children a good start at life so they can grow into healthy and productive adults. Above all, no child should be left behind,” he concluded. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

New lifestyle app launched to boost beauty, wellness market By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

revolution will be taking place in the beauty and wellness industry with the launch of the Zoi Lifestyle App that allows the booking of appointments with salons, spas, and skin-care clinics with just a click of a button. This mobile app came into being because of the personal experience of its originator, whose grooming needs were affected by the closure of most businesses, including salons, barber shops and spas, due to the national government-imposed community quarantines in the island of Luzon due to the Covid-19 pandemic last March 2020. “It was a very difficult time for everybody, not only for business owners, but also to each and everyone of us for that time period,” Zoi Lifestyle App Founder Patrick Victoria told reporters during their recent online press launch. “From my experience, it was the first

time that I experienced that my hair grew so long. But what I noticed is you can order food very fast. We just go a few taps, choose our favorite restaurant, then the rider will be there with our ordered food. So it’s very convenient. So why not put that same concept on the beauty and wellness industry?”

Digital age

Zoi aims to help the beauty and wellness industry move forward into the digital age, similar to what FoodPanda and Grab have done for the restaurant sector. For clients, it offers them the comforts of online booking and cashless transactions, while ensuring they get the services they want. Through the app, customers will be notified that their booking has been accepted or rejected. Once accepted, they can visit the salon or clinic on their chosen date and time to avail of the service. Through its online booking service, it aids businesses in this field by providing them

with a platform to reach clients while, at the same time, allowing them to handle the flow of patrons, in keeping with government rules to limit the number of people in an establishment at a given time. Payments using credit or debit cards are also done through the app, enabling contactless payment. “So it’s a ‘win-win’ situation for both. For customers, Zoi will be the one-stop convenient lifestyle app for all of their beauty and wellness needs. Business-wise, it would be good for businesses to have their exposure digitally. That could be a bigger reach for businesses,” he said. Industry-wide, this app was developed to help support the beauty and wellness sector in recovering from losses after nearly a year of battling the pandemic. Businesses such as salons, spas, skin clinics and barber shops were the first establishments mandated to close and the last ones to reopen with the easing of lockdowns.

Establishments still closed

Victoria even cited the Department of Trade

and Industry’s report showing that over 90,000 businesses remained closed from March to September 2020. He said: “During that time, I’ve seen a lot of businesses, especially SMEs [small and medium enterprises], they closed down totally.” As of today, Zoi has partnered with Cut by Encarnacion, Danna’s Beauty Salon and Spa, Skinnovate Skin Care, Salon De Laurel, Royal Aesthetics, Lush and Luxe Nail Lounge and Dr. Claudine Ramos Dermatology. The company plans to sign up more partners for the app. “For end of the year, if we expand to VizMin [Vizayas and Mindanao], why not? If we could do a thousand, why not? [Since our] other partners have hundreds of branches, so it’s not far of hitting a thousand branches within the year,” shared the founder. Currently, Zoi is downloadable through the Google Playstore. For iOS users, it is accessible for now via the web (www.zoi.com. ph). The Zoi app will be available on iOS within the first quarter of 2021.

Sports

Electronic line calling

BusinessMirror

set for all courts in Australian Open

| Thursday, February 4, 2021

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

YOU won’t see any line judge this year at the Australian Open. AP

SMB HARD TO BEAT S

By Josef Ramos

AN MIGUEL Beer has become even more formidable with its future starting to solidify with the acquisition of the prolific CJ Perez, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Head Coach Tim Cone warned. “With San Miguel Beer’s aging core— although that core is still incredibly strong— there’s an obvious need to acquire youth,” Cone told BusinessMirror on Wednesday. “Now with CJ Perez and [Terrence]

Romeo, they have two young guards who can help finish June Mar Fajardo’s prolific career,” Cone said. “Needless to say, they will pose great challenges now and down the road.” The Beermen acquired Perez, 27, in a controversial trade that saw the team sending Russel Escoto (28 years old), Matt GanuelasRosser (30) and Gelo Alolino (27) plus its firstround pick (No. 8) in the Rookie Draft in March, as well as its first-round pick next year. Romeo is only 28 years old, but most of San Miguel Beer’s core are not exactly young legs— six-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo is 31, Alex Cabagnot is 38, Marcio Lassiter 33, Moala Tautuaa 31, Chris Ross 35 and Arwind Santos is turning 40 in June. Cone, the most successful PBA coach with 23 titles, said San Miguel Beer has invested perfectly on its future by bringing in a national team caliber-type of player capable of making the Beermen invincible.

“They continue to be the team to beat,” he said. Perez was the league’s 2019 Rookie of the Year and chalked up a league-leading 24.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists averages in 11 games for Terrafirma during the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Clark bubble last year. The Beermen are expected to fight it all out to regain the Philippine Cup which they dominated for five straight seasons bowing out of the quarterfinals of last season’s all-Filipino conference won by Cone and the Gin Kings over the TNT KaTropa. Fajardo (right leg) and Romeo (shoulder) are expected to be in 100 percent form in the 46th season that starts tentatively in April.

PEREZ LEAVES BUBBLE

CJ PEREZ left the Inspire Sports Academy bubble in Calamba on Tuesday to renew his expired passport, but is expected to return within the

week together with 7-foot-3 Zachary “Kai” Sotto, who is already in the country. BusinessMirror learned Perez would undergo another swab test at the Asian Hospital in Alabang and will be quarantined for one day before returning to the bubble. Sotto is also undergoing mandatory quarantine before proceeding to the bubble where the national men’s basketball pool is traiming for the third window of the International Basketball Federation Asia Cup Qualifiers in Doha, Qatar, from February 18 to 22. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Head Coach Tim Cone (left) says the addition of CJ Perez makes the Beermen more formidable.

Fencer Tan named to IOC youth program

ILIPINO fencer Lance Tan was named one of only 25 young leaders to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Young Leaders program. Tan, who competed in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games held in Buenos Aires, and his fellow young leaders, were among 350 applicants from all over the world. The Filipino’s batch is only the fifth in the four-year IOC program. “I am so honored and humbled to have been selected as an IOC Young Leader,” Tan said on social media. “I am

looking forward to learning and growing over the next four years, and through Olympism and sport, serving others and having a positive impact in the Philippines.” The IOC announced early this week the composition of the Young Leaders program through its president Thomas Bach. “The IOC Young Leaders program is empowering young people from around the world to put this mission in their communities into action,” Bach said in the statement. “With a sharp focus on building sustainable sport-based social businesses, 25 young people will be given unique opportunities.”

Tan is now based in the US, having secured a full athletic scholarship at the Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. He also represented the country in the International Fencing Federation 2018 World Championships in Wuxi, China, and in 2019 in Budapest. “My social development goal is equal access to education. As a Filipino and a NCAA recruited scholarship athlete in the United States, I want to work towards making post-secondary educational opportunities more available to other Filipino athletes, whether in the Philippines or abroad,” Tan said. Annie Abad

Lance Tan gets a rare opportunity as an athlete.

National Sports Summit 2021 unwraps

HE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) officially kicks off the National Sports Summit 2021 on Thursday with a lecture-forum on how local government units (LGUs) could fully harness their potentials in organizing sports events and festivals. Giovanni Gulanes, head of the Davao del Norte Sports and Youth Development Office, will talk about “Sports in Local Governments (A Model System)” in the two-hour online summit kick off that starts at 1 p.m. “We are excited to showcase DavNor as a

model. Hopefully, it could inspire other leaders and coordinators from different LGUs to pursue their own sports development programs” PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez. Gulanes will reveal the secret to DavNor’s success in hosting multisport festivals like the Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy and will also share how the province successfully and effectively implemented its sports program. “The talk will be about the best practices of the Province of Davao del Norte in its sports

LAYERS wanting to stare down or glare at a line judge at the Australian Open after a close or contentious call will have difficulty doing so this year. There won’t be any. In a Grand Slam first, there will be no on-court line judges on any of the tournament courts in an effort to reduce the number of staff on-site during the Covid-19 pandemic. Only players, chair umpires and ball kids will be on the court. Tennis Australia announced Wednesday the introduction of live electronic line calls, saying movement-activated and pre-recorded voices will be used for the terms “Out,” “Foot Fault” and “Fault” in matches during the February 8 to 21 tournament. Live electronic line calling is delivered through remote tracking cameras around the court, automatically sending the audio line calls in real time. “The Australian Open will be the first Grand Slam tournament to introduce live electronic line calling on all courts, including the major stadiums,” Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said. The new system should mean fewer challenges of line calls by players, and less time spent reviewing replays on the big stadium screens. “The system will automatically show ‘close calls’ on the big screen on point-ending shots,” the tournament said in a separate e-mailed statement to The Associated Press. “This by default will be 150 millimeters [just under 6 inches] or less for a rally shot or 50 mm [2 inches] or less for a service. “If a player is requesting that they would like to see a point-ending shot that has not animated automatically, then play can be stopped if the chair umpire is of the opinion that the request is reasonable, and the chair umpire should announce the replay. Play should not continue until the shot is shown on the big screen.” Last year at the US Open, No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic was disqualified during his fourth-round match for accidentally hitting a spare ball at a line judge. During that tournament, electronic line calls were used on outside courts but line judges were still used in the main show courts. Djokovic later called for tennis to permanently make a move to electronic line calling, although he said it was unrelated to his New York ejection. “I have received a lot of criticism because I have said that we should take into consideration excluding the line umpires,” Djokovic said last year. “That is an opinion I have had for several years now, it did not have anything to do with me being disqualified at the US Open. “I am not a person who adores technology and cannot live without it, in some regards technocratic society has gone too far in my opinion, but if we in tennis can be more efficient and precise, why not?” This week at Melbourne Park, the same system is being used for six tune-up tournaments. Next week at the Australian Open, they’ll be an added touch. The pre-recorded voices will be be those of Australia’s front-line workers in the country’s pandemic response, firefighters, surf lifesavers and other emergency services personnel. “A ‘Behind the Line’’ tribute will introduce community heroes who will be featured as the official line-calling voice in each match,” Tennis Australia said. AP development program,” Gulanes said. Galanes’s talk will highlight three of DavNor’s sports policies—TRAIN (Talent Reinforcement and Intensification), COMPETE (Complementary Projects for Exposure in Tournaments and Events), and HOST (Holistic Organizing of Sports Tournaments). No less than President Duterte opened the summit in a virtual gathering last Thursday that included Senate Committee on Youth and Sports Chairman Christopher “Bong” Go, House Committee on Youth and Sports Committee head John Marvin “Yul Servo” Nieto and Department of Education Secretary Leonor Briones.

Fiba extends partnership with Pilipinas 3x3

HE International Basketball Federation (Fiba) kept its recognition of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 as its partner for the discipline in the Philippines following the league’s successful inaugurals last year in a bubble facility in Laguna. Fiba 3X3 chief Ignacio Soriano lauded the three-year-old league headed by Bounty Agro Ventures Inc. president Ronald Mascariñas for paving the way for the country to garner points to qualify for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament set from May 26 to 30 in Graz, Austria. “Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 has been a key partner of Fiba for the development of 3x3 in the Philippines over the past years,” Soriano said. “It’s a pro league that has generated so much activity and ranking points for the Philippines, that it has played a significant role in bringing the country to the brink of the Olympics at the Fiba 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.” The league earned its pro status also last year from the Games and Amusements Board. The league held three local conferences—all-Filipino President’s Cup, import-laden Patriot’s Cup and open tournament Magiting Cup—during its inaugural season last year. Each conference served as qualifiers for numerous Fiba 3X3 pro circuit events across the world. Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 also hosted the first Fiba 3X3 Super Quest and the country’s first-ever hosting of a Challenger tournament. Mascariñas vowed to continue helping Fiba 3X3 in grooming more

International Basketball Federation 3x3 head Ignacio Soriano (right) pays Bounty Agro Ventures Inc. president Ronald Mascariñas a visit in 2019.

Filipinos to the sport. “For 2021 and beyond, we will continue with what we are doing. Of course, there will be a lot of new faces in our league but the mission remains the same which is to prove that our athletes can compete with the world’s best,” Mascariñas said.