BusinessMirror February 18, 2022 by BusinessMirror

Peza upbeat, clears ₧3.48-B projects in Jan By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

@jearcalas

HE Philippine Economic Zone Aut hor it y (Peza), which seeks to grow its investment pledges by 6 percent this year, approved P3.48 billion worth of projects in January. In a statement on Thursday, the regulator of ecozones said that the recent approvals include nine new and expansion projects. These are expected to contribute annual export sales of $56.09 million and an expected 732 direct employment. “Despite the pandemic slowing us down for the last two years, Peza

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is grateful for the unceasing support of our locators and partner investors. Now that the Philippines is attaining herd immunity and reopening our economy, we in Peza continue to thrive in attracting more foreign direct investments [FDI] to the country,” Peza Director General Charito Plaza said. Last year, Peza greenlighted P69.301 billion worth of investments, which are estimated to generate $2.128-billion annual export sales and over 35,000 direct employment. Bulk or P25.509 billion of the approved investments in 2021 were for the manufacturing industry.

“Now that the Philippines is attaining herd immunity and reopening our economy, we in Peza continue to thrive in attracting more foreign direct investments [FDI] to the country.” –Peza Director General Charito Plaza

Investments coming from the information technology sector last year amounted to P7.322 billion; tourism, P2.058 billion; and export enterprises engaged in technical testing and analysis, installation of system for factory automation, technical support, and quality control, P545.019 million. Plaza said that Japan is the country’s top investor, accounting for 21.72 percent of the total projects. Total investments from Japanese investors grew threefold to P22.87 billion last year from P7.881 billion in 2020. See “Peza,” A2

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DBM releases ₧7.9B in HCW allowances for pandemic

By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Monetary Board decided to keep all monetary policy settings unchanged on Thursday, citing the need for continued prudence amid the evolving uncertainties around global and local growth.

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

HE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released P7.92 billion to the Department of Health (DOH) for the One Covid-19 Allowance (OCA) of more than half a million eligible public and private healthcare workers (HCWs) and non-HCWs involved in the country’s pandemic response. In a statement on Thursday, the DBM said the amount, sourced from the budget allocated to the Department of Health for its new OCA program this year, is expected to benefit 526,727 workers. Of the amount, P4.5 billion is allocated for the Covid-19 benefits of 100,313 DOH plantilla personnel in public hospitals, offices, and rehabilitation centers including those CNN Philippines, the University of Santo Tomas and Microsoft Philippines officials pose in front of UST’s main building after signing agreements on Thursday for the holding of the 2022 Presidential who are in military and state uniand Vice Presidential Debates on February 27 and 26, respectively, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion. (Front row, from left) the signatories for the memorandum of understanding—Benjamin versity hospitals. Meanwhile, the V. Ramos, President, CNN Philippines; Very Rev. Fr. Richard G. Ang, OP, Rector, University of Santo Tomas; and Joanna Velez Rodriguez, Public Sector Director, Microsoft Philippines, are joined by CNN remaining P3.42 billion is for other 426,414 health workers reporting Philippines executives and anchors and UST officers. NONOY LACZA in local government units and private health facilities, among others. “The DBM will continue to ensure the timely and prudent approval of the budget releases to ensure the welfare of the frontliners as we By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas candidates and seven vice tion of the debates. and digital platforms,” Ramos, bounce back from the impact of the @jearcalas presidential bets r unning Ramos and Ang also signed a Thomasian, said in his meshealth crisis,” it said. in the May 9 polls, will be a memorandum of undersage delivered before officials The DOH’s implementation of ILIPINO voters will be presented by Microsoft Philstanding (MOU) with Joanof CNN Philippines, UST and OCA starting this year followed able to scrutinize the ippines and in cooperation na Rodriguez, Public Sector Microsoft at the Benavides President Duterte’s pronouncement majority of the presiwith the BusinessMirror, Director of Microsoft PhilipGarden on Thursday. that HCWs should be given higher showsofof products, withhosts hostsand and consumersbecome become morediscerndiscerndential and vice presidential the country’s premier busipines, for the technical infra“With much excitement, we shows products, with consumers more Special Risk Allowance. Given the guestsproviding providingmore details and ingand andconnected, connected, weare areseeing seeing aspirants in the May elections ness paper. structure that would allow hope to repeat, if not, surpass guests details and ing we implementation ofmore a “more inclugiving testimonies, Zalora said. incredible innovations happening giving testimonies, Zalora said. incredible innovations happening as CNN Philippines and the Benjamin V. Ramos, Presivirtual attendees during the our successful vice presidensive and responsive” OCA, the DOH Itwould wouldalso alsohelp helpbrands brandsinininthe theretail retailsector sectorof that completely that completely University of Santo in Tomas dent CNN Philippines, on debate proper. tial debate in 2016 and the saidItbenefits previously enjoyed by novate on flexible sales promoreimagine the shopping experinovate on flexible sales promoreimagine the shopping experirenewed their partnership of Thursday signed a memoran“It is all go for this exercise senatorial debate in 2019 with a limited number of HCWs—Active tions,such such asgiving giving discounts, ence,” Gunjan Soni, chiefexecutive executive tions, discounts, ence,” Soni, holding national debates forGunjan dum ofchief agreement (MOA) with as we expect hundreds of thouUST, of course, our university Hazard DutyasPay for Public Health and offering easier and attracofficer of the Zalora Group, told an and offering easier and attracofficer of the Zalora Group, told an the third consecutive time. University of Santo Tomas sands if not millions of our host-partner,” he added. Workers; Meals, Accommodation tive payment options such asthe the online presentation of its Trender tive payment options such as online presentation of its Trender This year’s debates, which Rector Fr. Richard G. Ang, O.P., people to gain access to these buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) opReport 2021. buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) opReport 2021. See “CNN,” A2 will feature nine presidential for the hosting and organizadebates through our broadcast See “DBM,” A2 tion,which, which,ititsaid, said,emerged emergedasas Shedescribed describedthe the“shoppers “shoppersofof tion, She themost mostpopular popularoption optionamong among tomorrow”asas“digital “digitaland anddiverse diverse the tomorrow” Asian shoppers. across Southeast Asia.” Asian shoppers. across Southeast Asia.” japan 0.4443 n UK 69.7010 n HK 6.5760 n CHINA 8.0952 n singapore 38.1809 n australia 36.8921 n EU 58.3492 n SAUDI arabia 13.6705 Source: BSP (February 17, 2022) Indonesia, for for example, example, “It’s a a digital digital diaspora,” diaspora,” she she InIn Indonesia, “It’s Google saw saw a a “10x “10x increase increase inin said,citing citingGoogle Googletrend trendmonitormonitorGoogle said, searchesfor fore-wallet e-walletservices servicesand and ingthat thatshows shows40 40million millionnew newInInsearches ing 15xrise riseininBNPL BNPLservices servicesininthe the ternetusers userscame cameonline onlineinin2021, 2021, 15x ternet lastfive fiveyears. years.Other Otherappealing appealing “bringingthe theinternet internetpenetration penetration last “bringing payment options options like like monthly monthly SoutheastAsia Asiatoto75 75percent.” percent.” payment ininSoutheast installments,toto00percent percentinterinter“Infact, fact,eight eightout outofof10 10InterInterinstallments, “In estfees feeson oncredit creditcards, cards,provide provide netusers usersininthe theregion regionare aredigidigiest net access toto quality quality products products and and talconsumers. consumers.Recognizing Recognizingthis this talsavviness savvinessand andtaste tastefor forluxury luxury Internetand andelectronic electroniccommunicommuniaccess tal tal Internet serviceswhile whilealso alsoimproving improvingfi-fishiftininadoption, adoption,brands brandsquickly quickly andsustainability. sustainability. cationgadgets gadgetsbybytheir theirside. side.Google Google services and shift cation nancialinclusion. inclusion. expandedtheir theironline onlinepresence presencetoto “Thereport reportisispositioned positionedasasa a trendshows showsMalaysian Malaysianshoppers shoppers nancial “The expanded trend Zalora,for forinstance, instance,offers offers21 21 reachthese thesenew newdigital digitalconsumconsumreferencepoint pointthat thathelps helpsZalora’s Zalora’s spendclose closetoto99hours hoursonline onlineon on Zalora, reference reach spend paymentmethods methodsacross acrossthe therereers,and andZalora Zalorareported reporteda a19-per19-per900brand brandpartners partnersnavigate navigatethe the average,“and “andare arethe themost mostlikely likelytoto payment 900 ers, average, gion, including including cash-on-delivery cash-on-delivery centincrease increaseininnew newbrands brandsthat that region’sdiversity diversityand andevolving evolvingrerevalue-driven.” gion, region’s cent bebevalue-driven.” andBNPL BNPLoptions optionsacross acrossthe themarmarjoinedthe theplatform platforminin2021,” 2021,”she she taillandscape,” landscape,”Zalora’s Zalora’sCEO CEOGunGunSingaporean shoppers shoppers are are and tail joined Singaporean kets.ItItlaunched launchedits itsfirst firstco-brandco-brandadded. janSoni Sonisaid. said. mostlikely likelytotoinvest investininluxury luxurypurpurkets. jan added. most creditcard cardininpartnership partnershipwith with Withmore moreSoutheast SoutheastAsians Asians Aside from from digital digital partners partners chases, with with Google Google search search data data ededcredit Aside With chases, RCBCand andMastercard Mastercardininthe thePhilPhilbrowsingnow nowand andgetting gettingthemthemlike Google, Google, Mastercard, Mastercard, H&M, H&M, showinga a21-percent 21-percentyear-on-year year-on-year RCBC like browsing showing ippines,the thefirst-ever first-everfashion fashionand and selves more more online, online, the the average average Lush,Paula’s Paula’sChoice, Choice,HABIB, HABIB,AtAtincreaseininSingaporeans’ Singaporeans’searches searches ippines, Lush, selves increase

‘DIGITAL DIASPORA’

In a virtual press conference on Thursday, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said they decided to maintain the interest rate on the BSP’s overnight reverse repurchase facility at 2 percent. The interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities were likewise kept at 1.5 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively. According to Diokno, the Monetary Board observed that the domestic economic recovery may have gained traction, but uncertainty still lingers due to the potential emergence of new Covid-19 variants. “Elevated global commodity prices, heightened geopolitical tensions, and the uneven pace of vaccinations across countries could dampen the outlook for global economic recovery,” Diokno explained. “On balance, the Monetary Board deems it prudent to maintain the BSP’s accommodative policy stance given a manageable inflation environment and emerging uncertainty surrounding domestic and global growth prospects,” he added.

CNN PHL VOWS ‘ACCURATE, FAIR, BALANCED’ DEBATES

AVAOCITY—A CITY—Aleading leading AVAO onlinebrand brandretailer retailerin inAsia Asia online seeingaasharp sharpbehavioral behavioral isisseeing shiftamong among consumersand andbrand brand shift consumers See “Key,” A2 makersthat thatmay mayreinvent reinventand andinnovate innovate makers approaches, especially from the latter, approaches, especially the PESO exchange rates nfrom US 51.2960 nlatter, asdata dataanalytics—since analytics—sincethe theonset onsetof ofthe the as pandemic—indicatethe theemergence emergenceof of pandemic—indicate morediscerning discerningconsumers consumersadaptive adaptiveto to more electronic,or oronline, online,shopping shoppingexperience. experience. electronic,

For one, one, the the Southeast Southeast Asia Asia For Trender Report Report 2021 2021 byby Zalora Zalora Trender showsthat that40 40million millionAsians Asiansmade made shows theirdebut debutininInternet Internetuse useand and70 70 their millionhave havemade madetheir theirfirst firstonline online million purchasewithin withinthe the2020 2020and and2021 2021 purchase period, many many ofof them them attracted attracted period, anddrawn drawninto intoactual actualpurchase purchasebyby and productsales salespromotion promotionand anddisdisproduct countofferings. offerings. count

BANG OLAND | DREAMSTIME.COM BANG OLAND | DREAMSTIME.COM

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Onlineshopping shoppingplatform platformnotes notesbehavioral behavioralshift shift Online amongconsumers, consumers,brand brandmakers makersamid amidCovid Covid among

Rising inflation The BSP kept all monetary policy levers unByManuel Manuel Cayon changed despite the higher projection of inflaBy T.T.Cayon tion for this year and for 2023. In particular, the BSP now forecasts inflation to average 3.7 percent this year, from the 3.4-percent expectation in their previous Monetary Board meeting. While higher, it is still within the 2 to 4 percent target range of the government this year.

@BNicolasBM

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Friday, February 18, 2022

Peza...

Continued from A1

“Aside from Japan, majority of our investments are from South Korea, India, Hong Kong, and China. We also gained investments from western countries such as Germany, Austria, the United States of America, Denmark, France, and Canada,” Plaza added. Meanwhile, the ecozone regulator saw its export income rise by 14 percent to $63.06 billion and employment boost by nearly 14 percent to 1.78 million workers. This month, Peza revived its call for a 100-percent work-from-home (WFH) arrangement for the information technology-business process outsourcing (ITBPO) companies without reducing their fiscal incentives. The regulator asked the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) anew to approve a policy allowing IT-BPO firms to operate under a WFH scheme without the requirement of 10-percent onsite capacity until September 12. Earlier, the FIRB approved the extension until March 31, 2022 of WFH arrangements for up to 90 percent of the employees in the IT-BPO sector amid the pandemic. The investment promotion agency (IPA) is basing its request on a provision of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, particularly Rule 23 entitled Temporary Measures for Exceptional Circumstances. Such provision allows IPA to implement temporary measures, upon approval of the FIRB, that can help the recovery of registered business enterprises (RBE) from exceptional circumstances, including pandemic, epidemic, war, armed conflict, state of national health emergency, outbreak of diseases, international or regional financial crisis, major disaster such as volcanic eruption, earthquake and super typhoon, or analogous circumstances.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

DOH exec: Govt likely to miss 5-M inoculation goal in NVD Round 3

By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

ACK of interest for booster shots as well as challenges faced by some regions conducting the large-scale inoculation drive have contributed to the poor public reception for the third National Vaccination Days (NVD), according to the National Vaccination Operation Center (NVOC). These factors, NVOC chairman Myrna C. Cabotaje said, are now making it unlikely for them to reach their goal of administering 5 million Covid-19 jabs before the latest round of NVDs ends on Friday.

As of Thursday, she said they were only able to inoculate around 2.6 million individuals so far under the latest round of NVD. “So we may not be able to reach our 5 million target,” Cabotaje said in a televised interview.

Key...

oil products. Broken dow n, A benoja sa id monthly inflation should remain within target for the first three months of the year, then will begin to rise above the 2 to 4 percent target in the second quarter of the year before taming back down in the third and fourth quarter. For next year, inflation is ex-

Continued from A1

BSP Managing Director Zeno Abenoja said the higher inflation forecast is due to higher global commodity prices—particularly of

The health undersecretary attributed the trend to lack of interest among people to get their booster jab, which are prescribed by the government due to the waning efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines after several months. “There is a slow acceptance [for the Covid-19 vaccine doses] especially the boosters. They see its importance, but not the urgency of getting it,” Cabotaje said. She said the regions which currently have a low vaccination rate are the Bangsamoro Autonomous Reg ion in Muslim Mindanao, where there was a recent change in government leadership, as well as in typhoon-hit regions like Bicol, Central and Eastern Visayas, and Soccsksargen. The poor reception to the third NVD has prompted NVOC to consider focusing its vaccination drive at the grassroots level.

“Based on our assessment, [people] are no longer going to large vaccination sites. One of the adjustments our local health workers did was to bring the vaccination sites closer to the people. Some are now going house-to-house,” Cabotaje said. “We are also considering bringing it [vaccination centers] to the offices of large companies,” she added. The third NVD was originally scheduled to be held from February 10 and 11 only, but it was extended until Thursday to allow more people to avail themselves of Covid-19 vaccines. It is part of the government’s measure to fully vaccinate 70 million people next month. As of February 16, 2022, Cabotaje said 61.9 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, of which, only 9.3 million got their booster shots.

pected to average at 3.3 percent - up from the 3.2 percent forecast earlier. The governor also said the risks to the inflation outlook continue to lean “slightly towards the upside” for 2022 but remain broadly balanced for 2023. Upside risks are linked mainly to the continued shortage in domestic pork and fish supply and the possible impact of higher oil prices on transport fares. At the same time, Diokno said increased volatility in international oil prices warrants “close monitoring” and “appropriate interventions” when necessary, in order to arrest potential second-round effects. Meanwhile, downside risks still emanate from the lingering threat of Covid-19 infections owing to possible case resurgence from new variants, as delays in the easing of containment protocols could temper domestic growth prospects. Despite rising inflation and improving economic traction, Diokno said they are still “carefully developing” exit strategies from the ex-

traordinary monetary policy support given during the pandemic.

DBM...

the basis for the amount of Covid-19 benefits is “divisive” and discriminating,” adding that every health worker’s role should be greatly valued as they risk their lives serving the people. Under the OCA, each HCW and non-HCW shall receive Covid-19 benefits depending on their level of Covid-19 exposure as prescribed under DOH Administrative Order no. 2022-0001. Specifica l ly, hea lth workers who are identified to be at high risk shall receive P9,000 a month while those who are determined to be in medium and low risk are entitled to a monthly benefit of P6,000 and P3,000, respectively. The benefit shall be given in full amount provided that the health professional physically reports to work for at least 96 hours per month, otherwise the benefit shall be pro-rated. W h i le P 7. 92 bi l l ion of the total P50-billion allocation for OCA this year was lodged under the DOH’s budget, the remaining P42 billion was placed under Unprog rammed Appropr iations. Unlike Programmed Appropriat i o n s , Unp r o g r a m m e d Appropriations may only be tapped when any of the following exists: (1) excess revenue collections; (2) new revenue sources; and (3) approved loans for foreign-assisted projects. The DOH earlier said it is constantly working with the Department of Finance to ensure that the remaining amount under unprogrammed funds will be prioritized to ensure the implementation of OCA until the state of national emergency has been lifted.

Continued from A1

and Transportation A llowance; and the Special Risk Allowance, for HCWs directly catering or exposed to Covid-19 patients—shall be discontinued. However, the Filipino Nurses United (FNU) and the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) earlier opposed the implementation of the OCA program. The FNU earlier said that implementing a singular allowance for healthcare workers amid the pandemic is an “ill-conceived and a heartless move” because this will effectively reduce the present package of monetary benefits. For its part, the AHW argued that using a risk classification as

Premature tightening risky

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) economist Michael Ricafort said the timing of potential rate hikes remains crucial in the country’s economic recovery. “An important risk to consider is any premature tightening of monetary policy that could jeopardize the fragile economic recovery prospects,” Ricafort said. “It is important to note that the Philippine economy is still expected to remain below pre-Covid levels until around 2022 and back to pre-pandemic levels in the latter part of 2022, which is an election year. Furthermore, unemployment rate at 6.6 percent as of December 2021 already among the lowest since the pandemic started but nevertheless still among the highest in more than 7 years or since July 2014, thereby suggesting that economic recovery remains fragile and would require more support by way of more accommodative monetary policy,” he added.

CNN... Continued from A1

Ramos emphasized that the national debates will allow the electorate to assess whether the political candidates are “in touch” with Filipinos’ lives and outlooks. “The May elections will be a critical crossroads for the Filipino people—a test of our resolve to strengthen the rule of law, human rights fundamentals, accountability and transparency of government. Our debates will serve as a modest contribution towards this end,” he said. Ramos vowed that the CNN Philippines anchors, who will moderate the debates, will be “accurate, fair and balanced.” “We hope to get the grasp of the [candidates’] competence, authenticity and integrity. In these debates, CNN Philippines will be accurate, fair and balanced as we ask questions that are uppermost in the minds of Filipinos,” he said. “We will gauge [the candidates] if they are making sense as they lay out their agenda for our country’s future. Our anchors will challenge these candidates and ensure that they answer questions properly and clarify their inconsistencies, if any,” he added. The signing of the MOA and MOU were done in front of the statue of Archbishop Miguel de Benavides, O.P., the founder of UST and the third archbishop of Manila, at the UST’s landmark garden named after him. “By entering with an MOA with CNN Philippines, we commit to the vision of our founder to spread the light of truth and promote human dignity, freedom, and justice for all Filipinos,” Ang said. “We acknowledge the importance of this partnership and we express our full support to educate voters for the May 2022 elections,” Ang added. Ang pointed out that the MOA with CNN Philippines is a “testament” to the “strong and sustained collaboration” between the two institutions “toward a shared aspirations for the Filipino nation.” “UST would like to contribute to a significant degree towards combating misinformation and disinformation, raising public awareness and deeper understanding of compounding issues of national and international importance, affecting general population and providing access to information, so that our voters will have informed choices in the exercise of their democratic right to choose their leaders,” he said. The nine presidential candidates who will attend the debates on February 27 are: Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo, Sen. Ping Lacson, Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao, Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso, labor leader Leody de Guzman, former presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, former defense chief Norberto Gonzales, Jose Montemayor Jr., and Faisal Mangondato. Former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier sent word that schedule problems prevent him from joining the event. Former congressman Walden Bello, Manny SD Lopez, Rizalito David, Sen. Francis Pangilinan, Carlos Serapio, Senate President Tito Sotto, and Dr. Willie Ong have confirmed their participation in the vice presidential debates on February 26. House Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza, who is vice presidential running mate of Pacquiao, originally confirmed participation, but informed debate organizers on Wednesday that, heeding doctors’ advice, he will undergo urgent knee surgery which prevents him from joining the February 26 schedule for VP bets. Both debates will be held at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. This is now the third national debate to be jointly organized by CNN Philippines and UST that started last 2016 with the vice presidential debates, which was attended by six candidates. The two institutions also held a senatorial debate during the 2019 midterm elections wherein 11 candidates went head-to-head.

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Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Friday, February 18, 2022 A3

Senate sets probe into reported disappearance of 29 ‘sabongeros’ By Butch Fernandez

@butchfBM

HE chairman of the Senate Public Order Committee on Thursday bared plans to lead a separate inquiry into the reported disappearance of nearly 30 “sabongeros,” cockfight aficionados, in Southern Luzon, a case that has drawn attention to the dire impacts of both sabong and e-sabong, the electronic cockfight cum betting platform said to have plunged many into debt and spawned crime. Senator Ronald “ Bato” dela Rosa vowed to push for the Senate inquiry if the investigation into the case of the 30 sabongeros is not resolved soon. Later on Thursday, however, dela Rosa said he had decided to go ahead and call hearings by the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs because of the urgency of the matter. He has not set a date for the first hearing and will announce this next week. Dela Rosa explained that even if no resolution has been filed in the Senate directing his panel to investigate, the panel’s oversight function over some government agencies justifies his initiative. Various law enforcement agencies have stepped into the case after families of the missing went to authorities and barraged media with their appeals. One theory holds that the victims were made to “disappear” as part of the fallout from a rising tide of scams in both the physical cockfights and their e-gambling counterpart, e-sabong. Dela Rosa’s revelation of plans to seek a separate Senate probe followed a call by Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel to require all e-sabong entities to obtain congressional franchises, instead of just licenses to operate from state gaming agency Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor). Pimentel made the call amid concerns that unbridled, unregulated gambling, both in the physical and virtual cockfight operations, was behind the rash of not just indebtedness but also violence. The PNP cited earlier reports 29 sabongeros disappeared in separate suspected abductions after coming from a cockfight in Southern Luzon. Several victims’ families reported a similar modus, i.e., men in all black attire, including black masks, seized their relatives and dragged them into a van.

PNP-CIDG probe

EARLIER in late January, the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) reported it is investigating the case of 10 men who disappeared shortly after being seen in separate cockfighting areas in Laguna and Manila last January 13. Media reported that the number of the missing has since risen to 29. “The CIDG is now connecting the dots. These incidents do have a lot in common. We will find out if there is a syndicate behind these cases,” said PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos, in a news statement issued on Friday, January 28. Thefirstincidentinvolvedfourmalefriendswhowerereportedmiss-

11 Albay cops face raps for allegedly killing 3 men in drug buy-bust op By Joel R. San Juan

@jrsanjuan1573

HE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed three counts of murder charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against 11 policemen allegedly behind the extrajudicial killing of a rent a car driver and two others last year last year in Oas, Albay. In a 211-page complaint, the NBI countered the claim of the policemen that the victims Jose Maria Arvin Samson Bautista, a 28-year-old rent a car driver; Ramon Mutuc, 44 and Gregorio Garcia Jr., 42, were killed during an alleged anti-illegal drug buybust operation on July 20, 2021. The NBI identified the respondents as Oas Municipal Police Station chief Majors Jerald John Villafuerte and Ray Anthony Villanueva; Captain Raul Racho, Lieutenant Victor Borjal, Staff Sergeant Mark Anthony Reblora, Master Sergeant Nestor Salire Jr., Patrolman Geoffrey Avila y Vargas, Staff Master Sergeant Romeo Raro Jr.; Chief Master Sergeant Marvin Boral y Reoveros, Staff Sergeant Henry Ballon, and Staff Sergeant Mark Jay Sevilla. The police earlier claimed that prior to the shootout, one of the suspects was caught selling 10 grams of shabu worth P40,000 to an undercover agent. However, when the suspect realized that he was dealing with police operatives he immediately drew his firearm and fired at the police poseur buyer. The police said the group then engaged the police agents in a shootout, which resulted in their death. Police authorities said some P1.75 million worth of shabu was found later in their possession. However, based on the NBI’s investigation the victims did not engage the policemen in a shootout, as they were found negative for powder burns during paraffin tests. The NBI said the guns allegedly recovered in the victims’ possession were “planted” to make it appear that there was a shootout. Furthermore, the NBI said the victims were apparently shot at close range based on the trajectory of the bullets. Autopsy report also showed wounds on the wrists of the victims, indicating that their hands were tied or handcuffed before they were killed. The NBI conducted the investigation on the incident after Bautista’s family sought its assistance, insisting that the victim was not involved in the illegal drug trade. The victim’s family also said their kin he no criminal record, particularly in illegal drugs. Evelyn Bautista, mother of Jose, told the NBI that her son was the driver of Suzuki Ertiga with plate number NEK-1508 that was rented by Mutuc and Garcia who were bound for Quezon province last July 19, 2021.

ing after joining a cockfighting match in Sta. Cruz, Laguna. Closed-circuit television camera footage from the arena showed that the vehicle used by the victims was seen exiting the coliseum but it was not clear if the

victims were inside the vehicle. On the same day, another six men went missing after participating in a cockfighting tournament in Manila. Earlier, another 10 men from Bulacan who at-

tended a cockfighting match were added to the list of missing individuals. These men, according to their relatives, have been missing for more than eight months. With PNA

A4 Friday, February 18, 2022 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

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German firms await Palace okay of Public Service Act amendment By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @TyronePiad

HE enactment of the revised Public Service Act (PSA) is anticipated to spark more investments from German companies and other foreign investors, the GermanPhilippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) said. GPCCI Executive Director Christopher Zimmer said in a news statement issued on Thursday that the recent ratification of the bill amending PSA was a “positive” development, saying it will encourage more foreign investments into the country. The PSA amendments, which

were recently ratified by both houses of Congress, seek to liberalize the economy by permitting 100-percent foreign ownership on sectors not listed as public utilities. As a result, economic managers and lawmakers projected that foreign investments will increase by around P299 billion over the next five years. The measure identified public utilities as follows: (1) distribution and transmission of electricity; (2) petroleum and petroleum products pipeline transmission systems; (3) water pipeline distribution systems and wastewater pipeline systems, including sewerage pipeline sys-

DOTr, UK ink pact to boost education, training in railway, maritime sectors By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

HE Philippines and the United Kingdom have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the planned joint investment in education, training, and skills development in the railways and maritime sector. Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said on Thursday the partnership will be carried out by the Philippine Railway Institute (PRI), Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), UK’s National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR), and Solent University. Tugade described the MOU as a “vital component” for the bilateral agreements of the two nations, as it formalizes the cooperation and collaboration for the education and training of Filipino railway and maritime talent. “It is sweet indeed that today we gather here in order to plant the seeds for education. Why education? Because we want to have a continuity,” Tugade said. For his part, Richard Graham, a member of the UK Parliament for Gloucester and the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to the Philippines, said the partnershipwouldhelpprepareFilipino talents in the transition to the digital. “These twin events on both railway and maritime reflect that partnership between the UK and the Philippines across many sectors.

The skills, whether in maritime or rail, all these things are in transition into a new world of innovation and technology,” Graham said. The partnership between the PRI and the UK-NSAR aims to develop a highly skilled, competent, and worldclass rail work force. It is also geared towards efforts to further improve the country’s railway sector, which is trailing behind its Asian neighbors for almost three decades. Programs included in the MOU are railway safety, accreditation framework for the railway sector’s training providers in the Philippines, worldwide recognition, as well as the offering of rail courses and apprenticeships, among others. Being an archipelagic country and a primary source of 30 percent of skilled seafarers in the world, Tugade emphasized that the partnership will also help Filipino seafarers. “You want this to continue? You have to put technical people there. You want the advantage of seafarers to continue? You need to have education,” he said, adding that the partnership between Marina and Solent University will be a boost to the Philippine maritime sector, benefiting the Filipino seafarers. Under the Marina-Solent University MOU, Maritime Education and Training (MET) programs will be developed to support human resource requirements of the maritime education sector in the Philippines.

tems; (4) seaports; and (5) public utility vehicles. The bill is currently awaiting the signing of President Duterte. “We certainly welcome the positive developments as we look forward on the establishment of much-needed reforms to enable foreign investors to participate in critical and fundamental areas of local public services,” Zimmer said. “Aside from locally introducing international public service standards, we would also like to present sustainable business practices in the liberalized sectors,” he added. With the amendments in place, air carriers, domestic shipping, express-

ways, railways, subways and telecommunications will be open to 100-percent foreign ownership. “Companies not only from Germany, but also all over Europe, already see immense opportunities once this reform is signed into law,” GPCCI President Stefan Schmitz said. “Moreover, effectively utilizing the advantages from this major economic reform shall provide certainty among investors and shall also encourage job creation that would not only help stimulate the recovery of the Philippine economy, but also exceed the growth rates of the country from pre-pandemic times,” he added. In a survey last December 2021,

57 percent of the German firms that have local operations share an optimistic outlook for their businesses in the next 12 months on the back of positive medium-term economic projection and growing confidence in local investments. Some 32 percent considered the current situation of their companies as “good,” which is higher than 21 percent in the previous study. Nearly half said they were satisfied while the remaining 20 percent said it was “bad.” The top risks identified by the respondents in the next 12 months, meanwhile, include demand, economic policy framework and price of raw materials.

Lawmaker calls for minimum wage increase amid rising cost of fuel, basic goods, services

LAWMAKER on Thursday called for an urgent increase on workers’ wages as fuel pump prices soared for the seventh consecutive week, and with regional minimum wages stuck to their current levels for the last four years. Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said Filipino workers need an immediate wage hike amid nonstop price hikes and depressed incomes. “We find the inaction of Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Boards [RTWPB] and the Duterte regime extremely insulting to the cries of Filipino families amid spiraling prices and effects of prolonged pandemic restrictions,” she added. The Gabriela Party-list lawmaker said daily minimum wage in the National Capital Region (NCR) has remained stuck at P537 for over four years now. Also, she said number of jobless Filipinos has reached 3.27 million in December despite the easing of

restrictions on business operations and mobility. “Small and micro enterprises which cannot grant minimum wage increases should be assisted by the national government through continuing wage subsidy programs. As for big companies, they must be compelled to initiate the granting of salary hikes,” said Brosas. The lawmaker said presidential bets should support the legislation of a P750 national minimum wage, which will correct the “highly skewed” wage levels in the country and raise the overall income of Filipino workers across regions. Last month, Partido Manggagawa (PM) said the minimum wage earners could no longer make ends meet as the prices of basic goods and services continue to increase even during the pandemic. Meanwhile, the majority of the minimum wage rates remain unchanged from 2020 as the Covid-19 disrupted the operations

of many businesses. PM Secretary-General Judy Miranda said workers have already waited long enough and should now get “direct wage increases combined with price discounts, social security subsidies and public services provisioning.” “We should remember that many workers, many of them women, are paid even less than the minimum. In the NCR, there are 1 million minimum wage earners but more than 800,000 workers paid below the minimum,” Miranda said, citing October 2020 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. “It is worse nationwide: 2.4 million minimum wage earners but 8 million paid below the minimum,” she added. As of January 2022, the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) none of the 16 RTWPBs have yet to receive a new wage petition. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz and Samuel P. Medenilla

DA bans poultry imports from Moldova and Burkina Faso By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

HE Philippines has slapped temporary import bans on poultry products from Burkina Faso and Moldova to protect the domestic poultry population after the two countries confirmed outbreaks of bird flu. The Department of Agriculture (DA) issued two memorandum orders (MO) authorizing the temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds and their products including poultry meat, day old chicks, eggs and semen from the two countries. Under MO 11, DA banned poultry imports from Burkina Faso after the West African country confirmed an outbreak of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) affecting poultry birds in a village of Nambe, Centre. “Burkina Faso is not an accredited country to export any poultry related commodities to the Philippines, but there is a need to prevent the entry of any HPAI susceptible products originating from Burkina Faso that might enter the country through hand carried products from international or any other possible routes,” DA said. Under MO 12, DA imposed the same temporary ban on poultry products from Moldova after the country confirmed an outbreak of H5N1 HPAI among the poultry population in Heriseni, Moldova. Likewise, Moldova is not an accredited country to export any poultry products to the Philippines, but the DA imposed the import ban to prevent the entry of “any HPAI susceptible products” that may originate from Moldova that could enter the country through “hand carried products,” according to the DA. “There is a need for regulatory controls through Sanitary and Phytosanitary [SPS] measures to protect human and animal health. There is a need to prevent the entry of HPAI virus to protect the health of the local poultry population,”DAsaidinthememoranda.

DHSUD launches web-based land use, zoning info system for housing projects By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

HE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has rolled out a web-based mapping system that provides vital information on land use plan formulation and implementation in the country. Through the Land Use and Zoning Information System (LUZIS), the department aims to enhance its operational geo-IT system to enable data archiving, monitoring, and modeling. In his message during the launching ceremony at the Central Office boardroom on Tuesday, DHSUD Secretary Eduardo del Rosario said LUZIS will pave the way to a transparent and data-driven department. “As we focus on providing access to decent, affordable, resilient, and sustainable housing communities to all Filipinos, let us bear in mind the significance of data in effective planning, as part of our pledge to pursue excellence in governance,” del Rosario said. “Let us embody our vision to become a strong institution and catalyst for the provision of inclusive human settlements by using data through LUZIS. Let us join hands as we strive for an effective and efficient public service,” he added. Del Rosario also said during the DHSUD’S anniversary news conference on Tuesday that the synergy between the key shelter agencies and the private sector contributed to the housing industry’s accomplishments under the Duterte administration. He also stressed the importance of having a department

DEPARTMENT of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Eduardo del Rosario leads the launch of Land Use and Zoning Information System (LUZIS) at its Central Office in Quezon City during its third founding anniversary celebration on Tuesday, February 15, 2022. Del Rosario described the official rollout of LUZIS as “another monumental step towards a transparent, efficient, and data-driven DHSUD.” PHOTO COURTESY OF DHSUD

overseeing housing-related operations in government. “With the creation of DHSUD, we can now see that there is a regular department spearheading the National Shelter Program, under which we have three major components—regulation, finance, and production. So now, we have one department that will look after these three major shelter programs that need to be complementary. We cannot undertake housing regulations that would be contrary to the objectives of finance and production activities,” del Rosario said. “Likewise, our regulatory powers provide direct impact to the private sector. So the private and public sectors must have a strong partnership through the regulatory powers of the Department. Because at the end of the day, we need synergy, we need ef-

forts that would be complementary, supporting each other,” he added. Moreover, Del Rosario also called on the key shelter agencies to make complementary efforts in optimizing the housing sector’s programs and provide greater reach to those in need of assistance. “Everything must fall into place and must fit, so at the end of the day we will achieve our objective of building housing units and creating housing communities that would be acceptable, livable, yet affordable for the beneficiaries. The advantage of having a housing department is that now, everything is more integrated and we can have more or less a united front in addressing our concerns related to housing,” he added. National Housing Authority Assistant General Manager Victor Balba, for his part, pointed out

that the housing sector’s representation in the national government was expanded through the creation of DHSUD. “We now have a voice in the Cabinet, unlike before sa HUDCC [Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council]. We are given the opportunity to thresh out our concerns and these are given immediate action by the President,” Balba stressed. For his part, Pag-IBIG Fund Deputy Chief Executive Officer Alexander Hilario Aguilar said that resources are now maximized among key shelter agencies following the establishment of DHSUD. “Before DHSUD, there is a tendency for [key shelter agencies] to conduct programs on their own. What is happening now, since we now have a department coordinating all of these, our resources are maximized, the stakeholders are given their ‘go-to’ agencies, [and] at the same time, we prioritize programs according to the calculations of the department itself, walang nasasayang na programa, may kanya-kanyang responsibilidad,” Aguilar noted. Florencio Carandang Jr., Vice President for Corporate Planning and Communications Group of Social Housing Finance Corporation, said the DHSUD plays a pivotal role in implementing its main task— offering loans to informal settler families. “Bilang maliit [na ahensiya] at pinagsisilbihan ang mga informal settler families, we are now assured that our agenda is in the national agenda, in the national plan, kasi mayroon kaming Secretary, mayroon kaming department,” Carandang said.

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Bicol rice farmers receive support from DOST, DAR By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

ICE farmers from Bicol Region will now have better facilities through the support of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The DOST provided P1.5 million worth of Portable Solar Dryer -Grains Thermal Drying Rays (Portasol-GTDT) through its “Upgrading the Drying Process of Playa through Portasol Technology” project. The farmers belonging to 10 different agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) from Albay and four from Sorsogon received portable drying equipment worth P935,000 and P630,000, respectively. Twelve other farmers’ groups in the Sorsogon area also benefited from the project. Fourteen of the recipients are ARBOs, and the rest are farmers’ groups being supported by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) through programs and projects that are implementable to help each other’s clients and stakeholders, according to DAR-Bicol Regional Director Rodrigo Realubit. “Our role at DAR doesn’t stop in distributing lands to landless farmers, we also see to it that they get the support services they need to make their lands productive,” Realubit said in a news statement. Realubit added Albay and Sorsogon provinces are rice-producing areas where rice farming is a big

source of income for farmers in these parts of Bicol. However, due to lack of facilities for the complete and hygienic drying of rice, farmers suffer grain losses, resulting in decreased revenue. Each ARBO got two units of the Portasol-GTDT that would serve as a solar drying alternative for their palay and other crops. It comes with a set of 12 trays and can dry up to 150 kilos, or three caravans of palay, in a single full day of sun exposure. It also helps in lowering the grain’s moisture content to a safe level for storage. “Typically, Filipino farmers dry their harvested rice on open pavements and even along roads and highways, exposing the grain to wandering animals and the depredations of birds, rodents, and small ruminants. On the other hand, if the grains were not sufficiently dried, it becomes susceptible to mold and will rot in storage,” said Sorsogon agrarian reform chief Nida Santiago. “We are happy that farmers will now be able to solve their problem on wasted and rotting rice every harvest time with the PortasolGTDT,” Santiago said. DOST Bicol Director Rommel Serrano said, “Apart from the Portasol, the agency will also train the farmers on proper handling and operation, technical assistance, and regular monitoring and evaluation of the project, as part of its goal of improving the farmers’ productivity and product quality.”

Friday, February 18, 2022 A5

OSG asks QC court to dismiss PAO petition vs pediatric vaccination

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

HE Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) asked the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City Branch 96 on Thursday to junk the plea of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) to halt the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination program covering children aged five to 11 years old or the so-called the pediatric group. In a 21-page-comment/opposition to the petition filed by two parents through PAO, Solicitor General Jose Calida said the petitioners and the court should respect the choice of parents who want to have their children vaccinated. Calida added that the general public stands to suffer “great and irreparable injury” if an injunction will be issued against the implementation of Department of Health (DOH) Memorandum No. 2022-0041 (Interim Guidelines on the Management and Administration of Tozinameran Covid-19 mRNA vaccine (nucleoside-modified) [Comirnaty] Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine to Pediatric Population Ages 5-11 Years Old. “To prevent willing parents and children from participating in the DOH’s pediatric vaccine rollout would risk keeping these children vulnerable to severe

cases of Covid-19,” Calida said. “These children, who could otherwise be protected from serious health implications, would thus stand to suffer grave and irreparable injury. Their parents, who should be able to exercise their right to choose how to care for and protect their children, would also undoubtedly suffer from not being able to make that choice,” he added. While Calida agreed that parents’ rights to choose not to vaccinate their children should be respected, he countered that the rights of the parents who want to have their children vaccinated should also be respected. “The apprehension of two parents should not serve to deprive every other parent of their choice to protect their children through vaccination. It would work severe injustice and would ironically undermine the parental authority petitioners herein hold in such high regard,” the OSG said. The OSG reiterated that with or without the TRO, the petitioners have the freedom to keep their children unvaccinated since the vaccination rollout by the DOH is voluntary and requires the consent of the parents. “If this Honorable Court were to issue the TRO, parents who would otherwise consent to vaccination would have no choice to do so. They are forced to keep their children unprotect against their will and better

judgment,” Calida explained. The OSG also dismissed the concern of the petitioners about the safety and health of their children considering that Covid-19 vaccines are merely granted emergency use authorization (EUA) only and still in the experimental stage. Calida noted that the Philippine Medical Association (PMA), Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) and the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines (PIDSP) have all agreed that vaccination is the best way to protect children from Covid-19 and its complications. He added that based on the statements previously issued by the PMA, PPS and PIDSP, Covid-19 vaccines are safe and that suffering from serious adverse events is unlikely. In their petition filed through PAO Chief Persida Acosta, petitioners Dominic Almelor and Girlie Samonte asked the trial court to declare as unconstitutional Department of Health (DOH) Memorandum 2022-0041. Almelor is filing the petitioner as a father of a seven-year-old child, while Samonte is a mother of two minors belonging to the pediatric group. PAO said both parents are concerned about the safety and health of their children considering that the Covid-19 vaccines are merely granted EUA only and still in the

experimental stage. Both parents lamented the fact that under the Republic Act 11525 or the Covid-19 Vaccination Program Act, those responsible to implement the program would be immune from suit and liability. The petitioners are also complaining about the provision in DOH the interim guidelines that allows the State to act as “parens patriae” (father of the people) and give the necessary consent in case the parent or guardian refuses to give consent to the vaccination despite the desire and willingness of the minor child to have himself vaccinated, or there are no persons that may legally exercise parental authority over the child. The said provision, according to the petitioners, was issued with grave abuse of discretion as it takes away consent from the children’s parents or guardians without any legal basis. The petitioners said there is urgency for the court’s issuance of a TRO against the vaccination of the pediatric group considering the “clear and present” danger that the program poses on children. Specifically, the petitioners said the DOH memorandum violates Section 15, Article II of the 1987 Constitution on the right to health especially of children five to 11 years old.

BusinessMirror

Friday, February 18, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

21TH CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION #28 Lot 12 Blk 94, R. Papa Ave. Cor. P. Garcia St. Phase 6, Afpovai, Western Bicutan, City Of Taguig

FENG, LIBIN Project Consultant 1.

Brief Job Description: Project consultants contribute their operational, strategic, or technical expertise to projects, also monitor the progress of each project stage and facilitate necessary interventions

LEI, QUN Project Consultant 2.

Basic Qualification: A minimum of 5 years’ experience in project consultancy. Extensive industry knowledge. Advance proficiency in project management software Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: A minimum of 5 years’ experience in project consultancy. Extensive industry knowledge. Advance proficiency in project management software

Brief Job Description: Responsible for coordinating with other marketing and sales professionals to implement innovative campaigns for branding or product launches.

Basic Qualification: Ability to work under pressure and motivation to succeed in a competitive environment; Should have a bachelor’s degree in journalism, marketing, communications or a related field; Good communication and interpersonal skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ACCENTURE, INC. 7f, Robinsons Cybergate Tower 1, Pioneer St, City Of Mandaluyong

HADNAGY, ATTILA GYORGY App/cloud Support Analyst 4.

Brief Job Description: Respond and Resolve customer service/Tech Support Calls /Emails and Chat in a Timely. Efficient and knowledgeable manner

SON, JUNGYEON Transaction Processing Senior Analyst 5.

Brief Job Description: Perform data entry and research in various systems and tracking tools

Basic Qualification: Strong Analytical and Communication Skills, Written and Oral in both English and Norweigan Language

Basic Qualification: Requires analysis and solving of increasingly complex problems

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Brief Job Description: Spearheading strategies to steer the company’s future in a positive direction

10.

Brief Job Description: Knack for implementation of corrective action programs per requirements of Israeli Clients

WITSO, KRISTIAN PER JOSEPH Health, Safety And Security Manager 11.

Brief Job Description: The HSS manager is responsible for arranging, implementing, communicating, monitoring, reporting and maintaining all Health, Safety and Security aspects during the realization of the large complex on- and onshore project.

12.

13.

14.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ZHANG, HU Chinese Speaking IT Specialist 19.

Brief Job Description: Resolving All Issues Co-workers Have with their systems and Software

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

Basic Qualification: Degree holder; must fluently speak and write Vietnamese language to cater foreign market Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

SUN, ZHAOXUE Mandarin Speaking Project Supervisor 20.

Basic Qualification: Extensive experience in the international Dredging industry with focus on Health, Safety and Security.

Brief Job Description: Act as Communication Liason between Low-level Employees and Senior Management

ZHANG, ZHIHAO Mandarin Deputy Project Supervisor 21.

Brief Job Description: The mandarin deputy project supervisor will be a strategist and a leader able to steer the company to the most profitable direction while also implementing its vision, mission and long term goals.

Basic Qualification: Language proficient

Brief Job Description: To support multilingual service desk

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

CLAUDINO NUNES, JULIA CAROLINA Multilingual Service Desk Member

Basic Qualification: Language proficient

Brief Job Description: To support multilingual service desk

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

SANTOS CARAMEL, CAROLINE Multilingual Service Desk Member

Basic Qualification: Language proficient

Brief Job Description: To support multilingual service desk

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English with Good Communication skills and preferably 2 years of experience as Chinese speaking IT Specialist Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College Graduate Outstanding Leadership Skills Fluent In Mandarin and English Preferably wih 5yrs of Experience as Project Supervisor Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Proven experience as mandarin deputy project supervisor, familiarity, knowledge and awareness on machinery and heavy equipment use by company. Demonstrable experience in developing strategic business plan. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

ARAUJO EUGENIO, LEONARDO Multilingual Service Desk Member

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

CHINA HARBOUR ENGINEERING COMPANY 5/f Rm 501 Ramon Magsaysay Center, 1680 Roxas Blvd., 076, Barangay 699, Malate, City Of Manila

CGI (PHILIPPINES) INC. 2/f One World Square, Mckinley Hill, Pinagsama, City Of Taguig

CHEN, RUI Mandarin General Vice Manager 22.

Brief Job Description: the mandarin general vice manager will be a strategist and a leader able to steer the company to the most profitable direction while also implementing its vision, mission and long term goals.

Basic Qualification: Proven experience as mandarin general vice manager, familiarity, knowledge and awareness on machinery and heavy equipment use by company. Demonstrable experience in developing strategic business plan. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

MI, ZHIRONG Mandarin Structural Maintenance Analyst 23.

Brief Job Description: The mandarin structural maintenance analyst will be a strategist and a leader able to steer the company to the most profitable direction while also implementing its vision, mission and long term goals.

Basic Qualification: Proven experience as mandarin structural maintenance analyst, familiarity, knowledge and awareness on machinery and heavy equipment use by company. Demonstrable experience in developing strategic business plan. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

15.

TCHIENGUE DOSSEU, LAWRENCE Multilingual Service Desk Member Brief Job Description: To support multilingual service desk

Basic Qualification: To support multilingual service desk Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

CHINA COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES PHILIPPINES CORPORATION 21st Floor Menarco Tower, 32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

ZHU, WEN Chinese Speaking Cabling Infrastructure Technician 16.

Brief Job Description: Installs Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, and fiber optic cabling system

Basic Qualification: College graduate excellent verbal and written communication skills in both Mandarin and English with the experience in designing & installing high-function communication network connections

YAO, JIPEI Mandarin Structural Maintenance Analyst 24.

CRONYX INC. No. 4th-10th Flr. Yinhope Bldg., Dela Rama Cor. Zoili Hilario St., Seascape Village, Ccp Complex Subd. Zone 10, Barangay 76, Pasay City

KONG, DEJIAN Chinese Speaking Program Designer

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

JIANG, FANGJUN Chinese Speaking IT Specialist

Basic Qualification: Hebrew Language Speaking, long-term experience for 3 yrs, and knowledge of regulatory requirement for Israeli Accounts Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Resolving All Issues Co-workers Have with their systems and Software

XIE, JUN Chinese Speaking IT Specialist 18.

Brief Job Description: Resolving All Issues Co-workers Have with their systems and Software

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English with Good Communication skills and preferably 2 years of experience as Chinese speaking IT Specialist Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

Basic Qualification: Working together with key participants to compile the budget for Israeli Accounts

BETAINE (PH) B.V - PHILIPPINE BRANCH 11th-21st Flr., Zeta Tower Bridgetowne Ext. E Rodriguez Jr. Ave. Ortigas, 3, Ugong Norte, Quezon City

Basic Qualification: Graduate of a 4 to 5 year course preferably in engineering or any it related courses. Preferably with 2-3 years’ work experience in contact centers.

No.

BOSKALIS PHILIPPINES INC. Unit 3701, 3801 The Orient Square, F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

17.

MAIMON, SHAY Quality Expert

Brief Job Description: Initiate conversation to uncover customer’s needs; promote business & product

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

ASIA PRO OUTSOURCING OPC No. 5/f Double Dragon Plaza Tower 2 Bldg., Edsa Ext. Macapagal Ave. St. Zone 10 District 1, Barangay 76, Pasay City

AZRIEL, KOBI Chief Operation Officer

NGUYEN THANH SON Vietnamese Language- Officer Customer Service

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

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

BIGCAT SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS, INC. 18/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Avenue Cor. Rufino Street, Salcedo Vill., Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

ANOC99 CORPORATION 5/f To 10/f Ayala Malls Manila Bay Building D., Macapagal Blvd. Cor. Aseana Street, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

SU, HUJUN Chinese Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Manage, maintain and improve various it infrastructure and operated by HGS Philippines in all sites to support day-to-day operations.

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

24 INCH GAUGE CONSTRUCTION INC. L4 Blk. 4, Near Kay Buboy Bridge, San Dionisio, City Of Parañaque

GAO, DAYONG Marketing Specialist

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

MUNISWAMY, VASANTH KUMAR Senior Director For Information Technology

www.businessmirror.com.ph

25.

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

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

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

NGUYEN THI HIEN Chinese Speaking Customer Service Representative 26.

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

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

BusinessMirror

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ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

FIBERHOME PHILS., INC. U-19d 19/f Rufino Pacific Tower, 6784 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati 36. XIAOCHUAN, QUAN Project Manager 27.

Brief Job Description: The project manager will be a strategist and a leader able to steer the company to the most profitable direction while also implementing its vision, mission and long-term goals.

Basic Qualification: Proven experience as project manager, excellent communication, interpersonal and presentation skills. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

J-NA ALLOUT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS CORP. 3/f Lipams Bldg., #48 President Avenue, B. F. Homes, City Of Parañaque

LIN, HAO-HO Chinese Customer Service Representative 28.

Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

GLADKIY, IGOR Procurement Assistant 37.

29.

Brief Job Description: Provide daily support of various computer systems including answering questions, analyzing problems, and quickly forming solutions to return systems to proper operation.

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

SOMBOON, THATCHA Invoice-to-cash Analyst

30.

Brief Job Description: Ensure that adequate and effective internal controls are in place and that processes and policies are established and documented in compliance with WWP, ICH, DTP and other control requirements. Work on continuous improvement programs to standardize and improve the efficiency of credit management process across various entities. Leading customer credit risk assessment process, and review customer credit condition based on local business, sales forecast, credit agency report, financial statement analyzing, bank collateral and available public and non-public medical channel.

39.

CHOOI CHAN KIT Account Manager, Global Marketing 31.

Brief Job Description: Promote elite services and products for global customers of city of dreams manila and the li ying club

Basic Qualification: Experience in gaming host role & customer service, college graduate, multilingual or ability to converse in foreign language/s would be an added advantage

40.

41.

42.

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

43.

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

LIU, XIANRUI Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 33.

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

Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Support in managing operational turnarounds by problem solving and executing fast-paced projects.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for managing the merchant relationships including the onboarding process and ongoing key account management.

Brief Job Description: Create, implement and execute the business development/growth strategy for the product category.

WU, YU-TSEN a.k.a. WU, HSIN-LUN Senior Associate, Business Development (Marketplace - Relationship Management (Binondo Seller) Brief Job Description: Responsible for establishing and maintaining good working relationships with top marketplace accounts sellers/owner and representative.

LIU, YEN-WEN Senior Associate, Marketing (Livestream (seller Management)) Brief Job Description: Analyze data, generate and translate them into strategies for live stream.

CHIU, HSIN-JU Shopee Xpress - First Mile / Mid Mile Strategy

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

48.

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

Basic Qualification: At least 6 years work experience in strategic to project management, etc. Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in business, managerial/ industrial, economics, equivalent.

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

Basic Qualification: Experience with management consulting, business, sales or account management etc.

49.

Brief Job Description: Managed operational excellence projects through coordination with eternal and external stakeholder.

50.

DING, JIANHUI Mandarin Administrative Specialist 45.

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

Brief Job Description: Provide support to managers, other employees, and office visitors by handling a variety of task in order to ensure that all interactions between the organization and others are positive and productive.

Basic Qualification: At least two(2) years of working experience in the related field; fluent in Mandarin/Chinese language

Brief Job Description: Provides expedient and accurate service to Korean speaking clients and customers

51.

Brief Job Description: Respond to technical service inquiries from customers in a timely fashion

TO QUANG THIET Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 34.

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

ZHAO, YANG Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 35.

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

GOH LU CHIN Mandarin Administrative Specialist 46.

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

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

LI, XUEFEN Mandarin Administrative Specialist 47.

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

Basic Qualification: At least two(2) years of working experience in the related field; fluent in mandarin/chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

TREASURE CUISINE INCORPORATED 2/f Oceanaire Condo., L7 B Central Business Park, Barangay 76, Pasay City

CAI, PENGCHENG Chef 52.

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer and experience in Chef

Brief Job Description: Supervise and participate in cooking and baking and the preparation in food.

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

LI, BIAO Chef 53.

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer and experience in Chef

Brief Job Description: Supervise and participate in cooking and baking and the preparation in food.

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

LI, FENG Chef

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer and experience in Chef

Brief Job Description: Supervise and participate in cooking and baking and the preparation in food.

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

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer and experience in CHINESE CUISINE SPECIALIST

TANG, LIANG Chinese Cuisine Specialist 55.

Brief Job Description: Supervise and participate in cooking and baking and the preparation in food.

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

YI, SHIGANG Chinese Cuisine Specialist 56.

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer and experience in Chef

Brief Job Description: Supervise and participate in cooking and baking and the preparation in food.

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

WANFANG TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT, INC. 6-9/f Double Dragon Plaza, Edsa Cor. Macapagal Ave., Barangay 76, Pasay City

LIANG, ZHIWEI Chinese Customer Service Representative 57.

Brief Job Description: Maintains financial account; recommend potential products and services; attract potential to a customers

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

Basic Qualification: At least two(2) years of working experience in the related field; fluent in mandarin/chinese language

Basic Qualification: Skilled in Korean language

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

PONGPIRIYAJIT, THANAWIT Thai Technical Support Representative Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

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

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Chinese Mandarin, English and their respective native language

MAMALAI, PATCHARAPORN Thai Admin Support Specialist

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in business, managerial/ industrial, economics, equivalent.

SUPREME CHENGHAO MANAGEMENT OPC Level 26-a Rufino Pacific Tower, 6784 Ayala Ave., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

Brief Job Description: Working closely with the Managing Directors and with the Manager for Commercial/Office Property, the role will cover all aspects related to transactions or business development

Basic Qualification: Must have at least 5 years experience working with U.S. and other foreign investors. College degree in Economics, Finance, or real estate

TIAN XIA TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. Bldg. B Filinvest Cyberzone 6, Bay City, Barangay 76, Pasay City

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree graduate of marketing, business administration, economics finance management of any relevant study.

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

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

LEE, BOM YIP Korean Operations CSR II

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

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

TELUS INTERNATIONAL PHILIPPINES, INC. Units 23/f, 31st/f - 37th/f Discovery Centre, Adb Avenue, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

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

Basic Qualification: Ability to communicate fluently in mandarin Chinese (spoken and written).

Basic Qualification: At least two(2) years of working experience in the related field; fluent in mandarin/chinese language

CHAFFEE, DOUGLAS ROBERT Senior Manager For Industrial Services

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

Basic Qualification: 0-2 years work experience, fresh graduates are preferred.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

TAN, FRANKUM & ASSOCIATES, INC. U408-a La’o Centre Bldg., 1000 A Arnaiz Ave., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: Fluent in English, college graduate Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION LUO, XIAOHUI Mandarin Administrative Specialist

54.

44.

32.

Brief Job Description: Lead teams working with corss-functional stakeholders to manage, etc.

WADHWA, SUNAKSHI Senior Associate, Business Development (Category Management - Cm)

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

CAO, TAO Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

AGGARWAL, VISHAL Assistant Manager, Shopee Xpress (strategy Projects)

WANG, CHAO Senior Analyst, Business Development (Marketplace - Community Incubation)

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

MELCO RESORTS LEISURE (PHP) CORPORATION City Of Dreams Manila, Aseana Ave. Cor. Roxas Blvd., Tambo, City Of Parañaque

Brief Job Description: Assisting Procurement Department for concerns/ matters

CHENG, HSIN-YI Assistant Manager, SPX

JOHNSON & JOHNSON INTERNATIONAL (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD. Edison Road, Barrio Ibayo, Merville, City Of Parañaque

Basic Qualification: Degree in finance and accounting related field. 2+ years prior Professional experience in Finance or Accounting; knowledge of either Credit/Cash App/ Collections/ Disputes; SAP – FSCM Module. LEAN Six Sigma, Finance Shared Services, Global and International working experience Strong working knowledge of collection, accounting principles, concepts (both USGAAP and Local GAAP

Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/ good in oral communication and written

No.

SHOPEE PHILIPPINES INC 37/f Net Park, 5th Avenue E-square Crescent Park West Bgc, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

38.

ANGCHUAN, ONWARA Thai Technical Support Representative

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

PARANAQUE ONLINE PALENGKE INC. 305 Mtf Building, Dr. A Santos Ave., San Isidro, City Of Parañaque

JIU ZHOU TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. 25/f Robinsons Summit, Jg Summit Center, Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for. Fluent to Chinese Mandarin is an advantage

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

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

NGUYEN THI THANH NGOC Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

Friday, February 18, 2022

58.

Brief Job Description: Provide daily support to users of various computer systems including answering questions, analyzing problems, and quickly forming solutions to return systems to proper operation.

Basic Qualification: Atleast 19yrs old,Ability to speak write and communicate in Vietnamese/Chinese Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for. Fluent in Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

*Date Generated: Feb 17, 2022 Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE National Capital Region located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication. Please inform DOLE National Capital Region if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

Friday, February 18, 2022 | www.businessmirror.com.ph

Bureau of Cu

A BusinessMirro

Bureau of Customs surpasse

HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) surpassed its annual collection target for 2021 by five percent last year.

By the end of 2021, it was reported that the BOC managed to collect a total of P645.77 billion in revenues, higher than the pre-pandemic collection of P630.31 billion in 2019. “I commend the BOC for continuously reforming and fully digitalizing its processes to plug revenue leakages,” said Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. “The digital transition, postclearance audit of importers, the implementation of the fuel marking program and sustained anti-smuggling activities all contributed to the laudable collection efforts of the Bureau. We look forward to the BOC habitually breaking its collection records in the years to come,” he added.

Fight against Covid-19

The Bureau, Dominguez said, contributed to the country’s fight against the pandemic by “expeditiously releasing the vaccines, medical supplies and equipment urgently needed by our health workers and our people.” “As of end-December 2021, the BOC had processed a total of 210.44

million COVID-19 vaccine doses. Each of these shipments was cleared within the day and promptly delivered to their assigned warehouse facilities to prevent spoilage,” Dominguez said. As the country battled the pandemic, Dominguez acknowledged that the government had to borrow more funds to support the country’s health care system and procure vaccines for the Filipino people. “Although our debt as a percentage of GDP remains manageable, we aim to return to the low debt level we had achieved pre-pandemic as soon as possible. This can be done by increasing the pace of economic expansion and improving the government’s revenue collections,” he said.

Important role

The BOC will play an important role in this as it will help in the collection of revenues and in facilitating trade that will help the Philippine economy recover quickly and grow sustainably. “The Bureau is well on its way to

achieving these crucial tasks as it had automated thus far nearly 82 percent of its processes. In 2022, we look forward to its continuous shift towards full digitalization,” Dominguez said. “I thank the men and women of the BOC for your professionalism, patriotism, honesty and dedication to public service. I am sure that this agency will continue to set benchmarks deep into the future,” he added. BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero, on the other hand, attributed the bureau’s accomplishments last year to consistency, creativity and connectivity. “While the challenges we face may be tough and uphill, we recognized the significance of investing both time and resources to improve our services, regain our credibility and accomplish our mission,” he said.

Sticking to priorities

“By sticking to our priorities and focusing on our mandates, we achieved milestones in revenue collection, operational upgrades,

and customer service. Through the opening channels of communication and interaction, we sustained the tempo of our work and provided services for our various stakeholders to keep businesses moving,” he added. Guerrero added that in the midst of the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the bureau was able to ensure that essential goods and supplies in the fight against the virus were expeditiously processed and released. “The foundation laid by the BOC in the past years makes the prospect of transformation not only a possibility but a natural outcome of efforts which are all to our utmost priority of serving the public with professionalism, integrity and accountability,” he said. “In the face of various challenges and developments in the year just passed, we kept the pace and stayed on course. Each milestone, lesson and recognition will keep us going forward and onward,” he added.

Efficiency in revenue collection

Consistent with its mandate to collect lawful revenues for the country even amidst the pandemic, the BOC maintained its collection performance in 2021, surpassing its annual target for the year and even the targets of pre-pandemic collection in 2019. Based on the preliminary report from the Revenue Collection Monitoring Group (RCMG), BOC surpassed its annual collection target for 2021 by 4.7 percent or P29.016 billion, collecting a total of P645.765 billion against its target of P616.749 billion. This is higher than the prepandemic collection of P630.31 billion in 2019. The BOC’s positive revenue collection performance is attributed to the improved valuation, intensified enforcement operations against illegal importations, improved compliance by traders to customs laws, the gradual improvement of importation volume, and the government’s effort in ensuring unhampered movement

ustoms@120 years

ror Special Feature

www.businessmirror.com.ph |Friday, February 18, 2022

es collection target for 2021 a total of 16,102 shipments of PPEs and other medical supplies. Also 313 shipments of Covid-19 vaccines consisting of 210,448,870 doses were facilitated as of December 31, 2021. The BOC created One-Stop-Shops in its Collection Districts to ensure the expeditious facilitation of these critical shipments and activated several hotline numbers to respond to queries received 24/7 in real time. It also conducted inter-port briefings to ensure quality service and to cascade uniform procedures to facilitate the release of PPEs and vaccines.

of goods domestically and internationally.

Tax collection from Fuel Marking Program

A total of 34.59 billion liters of kerosene, diesel and gasoline were marked from September 2019 to December 2021 as part of the Fuel Marking Program. This is equivalent to P313.98 billion in taxes collected. For 2021 alone, BOC was able to mark 17.040 billion liters of fuel, equivalent to P165.96 billion in taxes collected. The Fuel Marking Program aims to raise revenues while curbing fuel smuggling and levelling the Philippine oil industry’s playing field.

Post-Clearance Audit of Importers

The BOC continued to plug revenue leakages and promote compliance among importers through the Post-Clearance Audit Group (PCAG). The PCAG conducted postclearance audit verification and investigation of SGL (Super Green Lane), pharmaceutical companies, and importers of foodstuff, alcohol, tobacco, Mechanically Deboned Meat (MDM), rice, oil and others. This effort has resulted in the collection of over P1.5 billion worth of deficient customs duties, taxes and other charges, including fines or penalties paid by importers in 2021 and a total of P5 billion since 2018.

Collection from public auctions

The BOC collected over P555 million in additional revenues from public auctions conducted in various ports from January to December 2021. Among the auctioned goods were forfeited general merchandise, electrical goods and supplies, fabrics, vehicles, motorcycles and parts, household goods and hardware supplies, among others.

Efficiency in trade facilitation

The Philippines’ overall performance in the latest United Nations Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation report continues to

improve as the country scored 86.02 percent in 2021 from 80.65 percent in 2019, ranking third among ten other Southeast Asian countries. The country’s improved performance can be attributed to various initiatives of the BOC such as the development and deployment of ICT (information and communications technology) systems, the full implementation of the National Single Window and the establishment of Customer Care Centers, among others.

WCO Mercator Program

The BOC has been aligning itself with the World Customs Organization (WCO) Mercator Programme aimed at assisting governments worldwide to implement Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) measures. This program embodies the international Customs community’s strong commitment to trade facilitation following a structured and harmonized approach, using WCO instruments and tools as a fast way forward. To date, 87.76 percent or 16 out of the 27 Mercator Recommendations have already been completed since its implementation in 2019.

Automation of Customs Processes

BOC’s continuous operations amidst the Covid-19 pandemic is mainly attributed to the bureau’s enhancement of information technology systems in 2019 and drive to fully digitalize frontline transactions in 2020. Since 2019, 30 ICT projects and systems have been developed and implemented and this has resulted in a more streamlined and efficient customs processes and procedures.

Release of PPEs, Covid-19 vaccines

As part of its contribution to address the Covid-19 pandemic, the BOC processed the expeditious release of goods essential in the fight against the virus and to help the country attain sufficient supplies of PPEs and Covid-19 vaccines. Since the onset of the pandemic, the BOC released

Filed cases, revoked accreditation

The RCMG, through the Bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers (BATAS), of the Legal Service, intensified its efforts against erring importers and customs brokers who violated customs laws, rules and regulations. The BOC’s anti-smuggling program, in coordination with the other government agencies, has resulted in the filing of 103 criminal cases for violations of Republic Act No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA). So far the BOC has filed a total of 294 cases since July 2016.

In 2021, BOC also ordered the revocation of the Customs accreditation of 690 importers and 220 customs brokers as they were found to have violated the provisions of RA 10863. In total, the BOC was able to file revocations against 1,854 importers and 533 customs brokers since 2016.

Action against errant BOC employees

Consistent with its campaign against corruption, 1,153 show-cause orders were issued against customs employees for non-compliance with existing customs and regulations in 2021.

Of these, 133 were investigated by the BOC-Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service. This resulted in the filing of 44 administrative cases before the BOCLegal Service and the transmittal of four cases to the Office of the Ombudsman and 14 to the National Bureau of Investigation. Consequently three Customs personnel were dismissed, 17 were suspended, six were reprimanded and 19 were relieved. Additionally, 721 were reshuffled or transferred to various offices and/or ports due to irregular and unlawful activities.

The World BusinessMirror

A10 Friday, February 18, 2022

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

official: Russia adds 7,000 Overflowing Hong Kong hospitals US troops near Ukraine border forced to put Covid beds outside K

ong Kong hospitals are treating patients outside as a record surge in coronavirus cases pushes facilities beyond capacity and throws the city’s Covid Zero strategy into disarray.

About a dozen elderly residents, bundled up under blankets, were forced to wait on hospital beds outside the Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po, one of the city’s poorest districts, on Wednesday. Another group of people, including small children, sat in blue isolation tents across the road as they waited to be assessed by medical staff. W hile four-digit daily case numbers pale in comparison to global peers, the city had previously hospitalized all infected people as a rule. That kept Hong Kong largely virus-free for the last two years, but this outbreak has led to thousands of mildly ill or asymptomatic people thronging emergency units. The influx has prompted policy changes including a plea from officials for those with Covid to stay home unless seriously sick. Health authorities have said they’re aware of people waiting outside hospitals and are looking for other facilities they can use. The city reported 4,285 new infections on Wednesday and there were 16 patients in a critical condition. There’s pressure to move fast, with a cold front set to sweep through Hong Kong over the weekend. Temperatures are forecast to fall to about 10 degrees Celsius, or lower in some parts, prompting concerns about the additional risk to the health of vulnerable residents forced to wait outside. Mea nwh i le, Hong K ong is planning a testing blitz of the entire city, deploying a tactic used to root out Covid-19 cases on the mainland as the financial hub struggles to get control over its most challenging outbreak of the pandemic. Chinese medical experts will likely be brought in to assist in the effort, according to people familiar with the administration’s thinking, and government vans currently used for vaccinations will be converted to mete out tests, one of the people said. Officials are still deciding whether to make the mass testing compulsory, the people said, with Sing Tao Daily reporting those who refuse may be subject to a HK$10,000 ($1,280) fine. The push will begin in early March and be conducted over weeks,

other local media said. A representative from the Hong Kong government didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. President Xi Jinping has called for the city of about 7.5 million people to take “all necessary measures” to contain Covid, as the widening outbreak—which came after months of being virus-free—undermines China’s zero-tolerance approach to keeping the pathogen out. While other parts of the world start to live alongside Covid, Beijing is continuing to pursue elimination, including testing as a key tool in an arsenal that also includes effectively closed borders and lengthy mandatory quarantines. Some e x per ts wor r y Hong Kong’s move will come too late. Outbreaks on the mainland have been successfully contained through frequent and mass testing, but China has never used the strategy in an outbreak of this size. It’s also unclear where Hong Kong, which is currently struggling to find more isolation and quarantine units, would house those who test positive, even as the city insists on its pursuit of the Covid Zero approach. “At current rate of spread, there could be tens of thousands of new cases each day in early March, and we know that not every infection is being confirmed so the number of infections picked up in mass testing could be very large at that point,” said Benjamin Cowling, a professor and chair of epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong. “Doing mass testing in April or May, when the fifth wave will have subsided and we would then have capacity to isolate the positives, might be able help the city return to zero daily cases if that were the objective.”

First time

It would be the first time since the pandemic began that Hong Kong has enforced citywide testing, with the more contagious Omicron variant providing the steepest challenge yet to maintaining the Covid Zero approach. Hong Kong’s infections tally continues to set records, with local media saying about 5,000 new cases will be reported Thursday.

A healthcare worker wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) attends to a patient displaying Covid-19 symptoms at a temporary triage area next to the emergency department at the Caritas Medical Center hospital in Hong Kong, China, on February 16. President Xi Jinping called for all necessary measures to get Hong Kong’s virus outbreak under control, an unusually direct intervention that leaves the city’s leaders even less room to deviate from China’s Covid Zero policy. Bloomberg photo

New infections reached 4,285 on Wednesday and there were 16 patients in a critical condition, all adults. Officials announced 10 deaths, including a three-yearold girl. The requirement to isolate all positive cases is already straining the city’s medical system. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has asked major property developers to make thousands of hotel rooms available to house positive cases, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Omicron has exposed Hong Kong’s lack of preparation for a major outbreak, with policy shifting on an almost daily basis to try and maintain a strategy that other places have left behind in favor of treating Covid as endemic. The chaos of the current outbrea k—w it h hos pit a l s over whelmed and elderly patients housed in makeshift tents outside—has undermined alreadydamaged public confidence in the Hong Kong government’s abilities following unprecedented unrest in 2019, says Joseph Cheng, a retired political science professor and veteran democracy activist. Many may be dissuaded to participate in the testing drive by the long queues already being seen at testing sites, he said. “There’s a lot of worry about the lack of competence, the lack of preparation of this government— there’s a lack of hospital beds, and people are having to wait up for days to be contacted if they’re positive,” said Cheng, who left the city for Australia when China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, adding that “the majority of the people are willing to cooperate.” “They are pragmatic, they are practical,” he continued. “If tests are made compulsory, they’ll be

willing to accept that. They just want to be able to go back to work. Hong Kong people will grumble a lot, but most people will still go and queue up.” Market watchers are optimistic that Hong Kong’s plan for mass Covid-19 testing could stem the resurgence of virus cases, with stocks tied to economic reopening advancing in a volatile session on Thursday. Leveling out daily infections could ultimately lay the groundwork for an eventual reopening— even if that seems far away, they say. Hong Kong is intensifying efforts as the latest outbreak rips through the city, with local media reporting about 5,000 new Covid cases on Thursday. While broader markets in the financial hub and in Asia were whipsawed by renewed geopolitical tensions over Ukraine, shares of Macau casino operators and cosmetics makers climbed in Hong Kong. “There is a silver lining—that the Hong Kong government is taking serious action to stabilize the outbreak—and asking for resources,” says strategist Wai Ho Leong. Further gains could help broaden the rise in the MSCI Hong Kong Index, which has rallied more than 8 percent since a December low, among the top-performing stock benchmarks in Asia. The advance was boosted by financials, which make up about half of the gauge’s weighting, amid a surge in global bond yields. “The government is probably preparing the city for reopening after mass testing, but given that the cases are still surging, it’s just the first step in that direction. It could take some time before the city can really open its border,” says strategist Margaret Yang. Bloomberg News

Fed says faster rate hikes likely if inflation stays high

A SH I NGTON — Federal Reser ve policymakers concluded last month that they would accelerate their tightening of credit if inflation failed to slow in the coming months. Most officials agreed that faster interest rate hikes would be needed “if inflation does not move down” as the Fed’s policymaking committee expects, according to the minutes of the central bank’s late January policy meeting, which were released Wednesday. The minutes underscore the urgency that the Fed under Chair Jerome Powell feels about reining in a sharp spike of inflation, which has persisted longer and broad-

ened to more industries than the policymakers had expected. As recently as December, Fed officials forecast that inflation, based on their preferred measure, would fall to an annual rate of 2.6 percent. It is currently 5.8 percent. Most analysts expect Fed officials to raise that forecast at their next meeting, in mid-March, to reflect the acceleration of consumer prices. Inflation has reached its highest pace in four decades, hammering household budgets and wiping out the benefit of rising wages. Fed officials are expected to raise their benchmark shortterm rate several times this year beginning in March. But econo-

mists have increasingly suggested that the Fed has waited too long to unleash its inflationfighting tools. “The Fed is behind the curve,” said James Orlando, senior economist at TD Economics. “It needs to catch up, which will hopefully cool some of the inflationary froth.” At a news conference after their Jan. 26 meeting, Powell said Fed officials would have “humility” and be “nimble” in their rate decisions. He also said then that the policymakers are “of a mind to raise the federal funds rate at the March meeting, assuming that conditions are appropriate for doing so.” A number of Fed officials have

acknowledged recently that inflation has proved worse than they expected. And the minutes of the January meeting noted that officials “remarked that recent inflation readings had continued to significantly exceed the (Fed’s) longer-run goal and elevated inflation was persisting longer than they had anticipated.” The minutes also underscored a point Powell made at his news conference last month: With the economy growing at a healthy clip and with unemployment at just 4 percent, the Fed can raise rates at a much faster pace this time than it did in 2015-2018, when it carried out no more than four hikes each year. AP

YIV, Ukraine—Ukrainians defied pressure from Moscow with a national show of flag-waving unity Wednesday, while the US warned that Russia had added as many as 7,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders despite Kremlin declarations that forces were being pulled back from the region. While a Russian invasion of Ukraine did not materialize as feared, the United States and its allies maintained that the threat is still strong, with Europe’s security and economic stability in the balance. Russia has massed more than 150,000 troops east, north and south of Ukraine, according to Western estimates. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled that he wants a peaceful path out of the crisis, and US President Joe Biden promised that the US would continue to give diplomacy “every chance,” but he struck a skeptical tone about Moscow’s intentions. Biden also insisted that Washington and its allies would not “sacrifice basic principles” respecting Ukraine sovereignty. Russian Defense Ministry video showed a trainload of armored vehicles moving across a bridge away from Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. It also announced that more tank units were being loaded on trains to move back to their permanent bases after training exercises. But at the same time, Russia continued war games near Ukraine’s borders and across its vast territory. A senior US administration official said the West detected that Russia had increased its force near Ukraine by 7,000 troops, with some arriving as recently as Wednesday, and that there had been a marked increase in false claims by Russians that the Kremlin might use as pretext for an invasion. The official said those claims included reports of unmarked graves of civilians allegedly killed by Ukrainian forces, statements that the US and Ukraine are developing biological or chemical weapons, and claims that the West is funneling in guerrillas to kill Ukrainians. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about sensitive operations and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The official did not provide underlying evidence for the assertions. The US and Europe are maintaining threats of harsh sanctions. Trust between East and West remains elusive. “We haven’t seen a pullback,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABC News. “He (Putin) can pull the trigger. He can pull it today. He can pull it tomorrow. He can pull it next week. The forces are there if he wants to renew aggression against Ukraine.” State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US had seen “more Russian forces, not fewer.” Asked why Russians would claim to be withdrawing when government intelligence, commercial satellite photos and social media videos showed no evidence of that, Price said: “This is the Russian playbook, to paint a picture publicly…while they do the opposite.” Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance also had not seen “any withdrawal of Russian forces,” as did multiple European governments. Before chairing a Nato defense ministers meeting in Brussels, he said: “If they really start to withdraw forces, that’s something we will welcome, but that remains to be seen.” In the meantime, the alliance is examining this week how and when to rapidly dispatch troops and equipment to countries closest to Russia and the Black Sea region should Moscow order an invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy similarly dismissed the Russian withdrawal claims. “What is this? Rotations, withdrawal, returning back again,” he said on a visit to the southeastern city of Mariupol. “It’s too early to rejoice.” The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly sought to project calm as well as strength during the crisis, declaring Wednesday a “Day of National Unity.” “We are united by a desire to happily live in peace,” Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation earlier in the day. “We can defend our home only if we stay united.” Across the country, Ukrainians of all ages waved flags in the streets and from apartment windows. Hundreds unfolded a 200-meter (650-foot) flag at Kyiv’s Olympic Stadium, while another was draped in the center of a shopping mall in the capital. In the government-controlled part of Ukraine’s eastern region of Luhansk, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian troops since 2014, residents stretched another huge flag across a street. “This event, this number of people united around Ukrainian flag will show that we stand for united Ukraine,” said resident Olena Tkachova. A 2015 deal brokered by France and Germany helped end the worst of the fighting in eastern Ukraine, but implementation has stalled. The deal, known as the Minsk agreement, would offer broad self-rule to the separatist territories and thus is resented by many in Ukraine. A Ukrainian government official said in a television interview that Zelenskyy would consider holding a referendum on the Minsk agreement “if there are no other options or instruments.” But Vice Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said she was unaware that such an idea was under serious discussion. Russia has repeatedly complained that the US and Nato have not responded satisfactorily in writing to its security concerns. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that Russia is in the final phase of preparing its formal response to the West. “After that, a schedule of further steps will be developed,” she said on state television. The Kremlin wants the West to keep Ukraine and other former Soviet nations out of Nato, halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back forces from Eastern Europe. The US and its allies have roundly rejected those demands, but they offered to engage in talks with Russia on ways to bolster security in Europe. For now, Russia is flexing its muscle. Russian fighter jets flew training missions Wednesday over neighboring Belarus and paratroopers held shooting drills at firing ranges there as part of massive war games that the West feared could be used as cover for an invasion of Ukraine. Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei reaffirmed that all Russian troops and weapons will leave the country when the maneuvers end Sunday. Maxar Technologies, a commercial satellite imagery company that has been monitoring the Russian buildup, reported Wednesday that new photos show heightened Russian military activity near Ukraine, including the construction of a pontoon bridge in Belarus less than 6 kilometers (4 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Russia has mocked Western warnings about an imminent invasion as “paranoia” and “madness.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed sarcastically at warnings of an invasion that could start Wednesday, saying that Russian officials had a good sleep. Asked by German daily Welt if Russia was going to attack Wednesday, Russia’s ambassador to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, quipped: “Wars in Europe rarely start on a Wednesday.” “There won’t be an escalation next week either, on in the week after, or in the coming month,” he said. But British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News that instead of a Russian withdrawal, “we’ve seen continued buildup of things like field hospitals and strategic weapons systems.” AP

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Friday, February 18, 2022 A11

Former Goldman banker testifies 1MDB scheme a ‘house of cards’

EW YORK—A former top banker at Goldman Sachs testified Wednesday that he and other corrupt executives at the firm built a “house of cards” that was doomed to fall to try to conceal an audacious scheme to ransack a Malaysian state investment fund. In his first day on the witness stand at a New York City trial, Tim Leissner told the jury he paid bribes, took kickbacks and lied to banks to keep the scheme going. Leissner identified Roger Ng, who’s on trial in the federal case, as a key conspirator. Leissner testified that he, Ng

and Low Taek Jho—the Malaysian financier and fugitive socialite known as Jho Low—used offshore accounts and shell companies to “disguise the flow of funds.” The money laundering efforts also involved drawing up fake contracts with banks, he said. “If we told any bank the truth, it wouldn’t work.… The house of cards would have fallen down,” he said. Leissner said Low had “decision-making authority” for the 1MDB state investment fund in a bond transaction considered “the biggest in Goldman Sachs history”—another aspect of the

business dealings he had to hide because of Low’s questionable reputation. Whenever asked about Low, Leissner said, “I lied outright and said no, he was not involved.” He also described a dinner in London around 2012 where Low informed him and Ng they would be receiving kickbacks. Leissner said he knew that would be illegal, but didn’t care because if the deal went through he would be “a hero” at Goldman Sachs. Ng, he added, was “particularly glad he was going to be paid some money” because he felt the firm had undercompensated him

over the years. The trial will be on a break until Tuesday, when Leissner is expected to resume his testimony. Leissner, 52, pleaded guilty in 2018 to paying millions of dollars in bribes to government officials in Malaysia and Abu Dhabi. He was ordered to forfeit $43.7 million as part of his guilty plea and agreed to testify against Ng. Ng’s defense attorneys have described the looting of $4.5 billion from the 1MDB state investment fund as “perhaps the single largest heist in the history of the world.” But they contend US prosecutors scapegoated Ng

for “corporate-wide” failures at Goldman that enabled the colossal fraud orchestrated by superiors like Leissner. Federal prosecutors allege Ng pocketed $35 million in secret kickbacks and conspired to launder pilfered funds through the US financial system. They say he also deleted personal e-mail accounts to cover his tracks. A former head of investment banking in Malaysia, Ng is the only Goldman banker to stand trial in the 1MDB scandal. The 49-yearold has pleaded not guilty to three counts, including conspiring to launder money and violating an

anti-bribery law. The embezzlement bankrolled lavish spending on jewels, art, a superyacht and luxury real estate. The spoils even helped finance Hollywood movies, including the 2013 Leonardo DiCaprio film “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Low, who maintains his innocence, became well known in the New York City and Los Angeles club scenes. In 2012, he threw a lavish 31st birthday bash attended by DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian and other celebrities—a fête described by The Wall Street Journal as the “wildest party (Las) Vegas ever saw.” AP

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A12 Friday, February 18, 2022

US funding for Canada protests may sway American politics too By Richard Lardner, Michelle R. Smith & Ali Swenson

The Associated Press

ASHINGTON—The Canadians who have disrupted travel and trade with the US and occupied downtown Ottawa for nearly three weeks have been cheered and funded by American right-wing activists and conservative politicians who also oppose vaccine mandates and the country’s liberal leader. Yet whatever impact the protests have on Canadian society, and the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, experts say the outside support is really aimed at energizing conservative politics in the US. Midterm elections are looming, and some Republicans think standing with the protesters up north will galvanize fund-raising and voter turnout at home, these experts say. “The kind of narratives that the truckers and the trucker convoy are focusing on are going to be really important issues for the (US) elections coming ahead,” said Samantha Bradshaw, a postdoctoral fellow at the Digital Civil Society Lab at Stanford University. “And so using this protest as an opportunity to galvanize their own supporters and other groups, I think it’s very much an opportunity for them.” By Wednesday afternoon, all previously blocked border crossings had been re-opened, and police began focusing on pressuring the truckers and other protesters in Ottawa to clear out of the capital city or face arrest, fines and confiscation of their vehicles. About 44 percent of the nearly $10 million in contributions to support the protesters originated from US donors, according to an Associated Press analysis of leaked donor files. US Republican elected officials, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, have praised the protesters calling them “heroes” and “patriots.” “What this country is facing is a largely foreign-funded, targeted and coordinated attack on critical infrastructure and our democratic institutions,” Bill Blair, Canada’s minister of public safety and emergency preparedness, said earlier this week.

Demonstrators in Ottawa have had been regularly supplied with fuel and food, and the area around Parliament Hill has at times resembled a spectacular carnival with bouncy castles, g yms, a playground and a concert stage with DJs. GiveSendGo, a website used to collect donations for the Canadian protests, has collected at least $9.58 million dollars, including $4.2 million, or 44 percent, that originated in the United States, according to a database of donor information posted online by DDoSecrets, a non-profit group. The Canadian government has been working to block protesters’ access to these funds, however, and it is not clear how much of the money has ultimately gotten through. Mi l l ions of dol l a rs ra ised through another crowdfunding site, GoFundMe, were blocked after Canadian officials raised objections with the company, which determined that the effort violated its terms of service around unlawful activity. The GiveSendGo database analyzed by AP showed a tally of more than 109,000 donations through Friday night to campaigns in support of the protests, with a little under 62,000 coming from the US. The GiveSendGo data listed severa l A mer ic a ns a s g iv i ng thousands or tens of thousands of dollars to the protest, with the largest single donation of $90,000 coming from a person who identified himself as Thomas M. Siebel. Siebel, the billionaire founder of software company Siebel Systems, did not respond to messages sent to an email associated with a foundation he runs and to his LinkedIn account. A representative f rom the

A man wearing an American flag walks by police guarding the Canadian parliament building from demonstrators protesting the country’s Covid-19 restrictions on February 16, in Ottawa, Ontario. The protests in Canada that have blocked border crossings with the US and gnarled trade have been promoted, cheered and funded by American anti-vaccine groups, right-wing activists and conservative elected officials. AP/Robert Bumsted

Siebel Scholars Foundation, who signed her name only as Jennifer, did not respond to questions about whether he had donated the money. But she said Siebel has a record of supporting several causes, including efforts to “protect individual liberty.” “These are personal initiatives and have nothing to do with the companies with which he is associated,” she wrote. Siebel has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican candidates and organizations over the last 20 years, according to Federal Election Commission records, including a $400,000 contribution in 2019 to a GOP fundraising committee called “Take Back the House 2020.” The GiveSendGo Freedom Convoy campaign was created on Jan. 27 by Tamara Lich. She previously belonged to the far-right Maverick Party, which calls for western Canada to become independent. T he Canad ian gover nment moved earlier this week to cut off funding for the protesters by broadening the scope of the country’s anti-money laundering and terrorist financing rules to cover crowdfunding platforms like GiveSendGo. “We are making these changes because we know that these platforms are being used to support illegal blockades and illegal activity, which is damaging the Canadian economy,” said Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. Pe r h a p s m o r e i m p o r t a nt than the financial support is the cheerleading the Canadian protesters have received from prominent American conservative politicians and pundits, who

see kindred spirits in their northern neighbors opposing vaccine mandates. On the same day Lich created the GiveSendGo campaign, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn shared a video of the convoy in a post on the messaging app Telegram. “These truckers are fighting back against the nonsense and tyranny, especially coming from the Canadian government,” wrote Flynn, the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency who served briefly as former President Donald Trump’s national security adviser. A few days later, Flynn urged people to donate to the Canad i a n protesters. Ea rl ier t h is week, he twice posted the message “#TrudeauTheCoward ” on Telegram, referring to the prime minister who leads Canad a’s Liberal Party. Fox News hosts regularly laud the protests, and Trump weighed in with a broadside at Trudeau, calling him a “far left lunatic” who has “destroyed Canada with insane Covid mandates.” Cruz called the truckers “heroes” and “patriots,” and Greene said she cannot wait to see a convoy protest in Washington. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he hopes truckers come to America and “clog up cities” in an interview last week with the Daily Signal, a news website of the conservative Heritage Foundation. Far-right and anti-vaccine activists, inspired by the Canadian actions, are now planning American versions of the protests against Covid-19 mandates and restrictions modeled on the Canadian demonstrations.

Singapore’s president stops execution of 2 death row inmates

UALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—Singapore’s president has ordered a delay in the execution of two men sentenced to death who are believed to be mentally disabled, a lawyer said Thursday. The order from President Halimah Yacob came after lawyers for the two men filed a new legal bid to stop their hanging after losing several previous appeals. The two, who were convicted of smuggling drugs into the country, originally were to be executed on Wednesday. Ravi Madasamy, a member

of the law firm handling the case, wrote on Facebook that the president stayed the execution of both men. No other details or reasons were given, but their pending execution has sparked an outcry among rights groups because of their reported disabilities. The men would be the first to be executed in Singapore since November 2019. Malaysian Pausi Jefridin and Singaporean Roslan Bakar were sentenced to death in 2010, two years after being arrested. Lawyers and rights activists say

Pausi has an IQ of 67—a level that is internationally recognized as an intellectual disability—while Roslan in in the borderline range of intellectual functioning. In 2017, a lower court judge found that the two had “displayed competence and comprehension” while carrying out the act for which they were convicted, according to the Transformative Justice Collective, an anti-death penalty group in Singapore. The case resembles that of Malaysian Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, whose scheduled hanging last

November sparked widespread anger because he is believed to be mentally disabled with an IQ of 69. His appeal to the top court was postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19, and is due to he heard in March. The death row cases have placed a spotlight on the use of capital punishment for drugrelated offenses in Singapore. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has joined in calls to commute the men’s death sentences, saying the death penalty should only be imposed for the “most serious crimes.” AP

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With fast-track passports, Russia strengthens influence in Ukraine By Dasha Litvinova & Yuras Karmanau

The Associated Press

OSCOW—Ivan Malyuta, a resident of Donetsk, a city in eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists, applied for Russian citizenship this month and said he, his wife and three children will soon be getting Russian passports. “I want to be a citizen of the Russian Federation. We are moving towards this, aren’t we?” he said at a Donetsk migration service office. Malyuta and his family will join more than 720,000 residents of rebelheld areas in eastern Ukraine who have received Russian citizenship and passports in a fast-track procedure widely seen as an attempt to underscore Russia’s influence in the region. Russia threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine in 2014, shortly after annexing Crimea in response to a popular uprising in Kyiv ousting a Kremlin-friendly president. Moscow has denied deploying troops or weapons to the rebel-held areas, with government officials repeatedly stressing that Russia is not a party to the conflict, which has killed over 14,000 people. Besides the quick path to citizenship, Russia has offered residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics membership in the Kremlin’s ruling party and other perks, such as its Covid-19 vaccines or trade preferences for local manufacturers. Ukraine has been appalled by the efforts amid rising tensions and fears of a new invasion. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged the European Union last week to impose sanctions on Russia for “its illegal mass issuing of Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens.” On Tuesday, Russian lawmakers appealed to President Vladimir Putin to recognize the independence of the two self-proclaimed republics, eliciting even more outrage in Kyiv, with both the Foreign Ministry and parliament releasing statements condemning the move. Putin hasn’t said how he will act on the request, but signaled he wasn’t inclined to support the idea, which would violate a 2015 agreement about their status. Political analysts agree the Kremlin is unlikely to back independence for Donetsk and Luhansk any time soon, but will continue to reap political benefits from its involvement in eastern Ukraine. “It’s a form of keeping the pressure on Kyiv, destabilizing it and hindering Ukraine’s movement towards European values, towards Nato,” said Moscow-based political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin. Putin signed a decree simplifying the procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship for residents of Donetsk and Luhansk in April 2019—the day after Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s presidential victory was officially proclaimed. Since then, more than 720,000 residents of the rebel-held areas—about 18 percent of the population—have received Russian passports. Olga Matvienko, an official of the migration service in Donetsk, told The Associated Press the number of people applying for Russian passports has increased in recent weeks as tensions around Ukraine soared. She said the procedure has been “extremely simplified,” and takes just one to three months. Donetsk residents who have applied say having Russian citizenship gives them a sense of protection from a powerful neighboring state. “Relatives (in Russia) tell us that Putin won’t abandon us and everything will be fine,” said 62-year-old retiree Nelya Dzyuba. Many also say it will allow them to travel to Russia and enjoy benefits Russian citizens are entitled to, such as free health care. For that, however, a passport holder must go through additional red tape, though Putin last month tasked the government with making access to benefits easier. Ukrainian officials have charged that handing Russian passports to residents of the rebel-held areas violates a 2015 peace deal for eastern Ukraine brokered by France and Germany, a claim Moscow denies. The deal, widely known as the Minsk agreements, put a stop to largescale hostilities, but failed to bring about a political settlement of the conflict. It envisioned Donetsk and Luhansk as part of Ukraine, but with broad autonomy from Kyiv, which has said that implementing the agreements would hurt Ukraine. The Kremlin, on the other hand, has insisted the Minsk deal is the only way to settle the conflict, and has repeatedly accused Ukraine of sabotaging its implementation. Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister, said last week that issuing Russian passports to residents of rebel-held areas on a mass scale violates the Minsk agreements. In an interview with the AP, Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, echoed his sentiment. “They have issued a crazy amount of Russian passports,” he said, adding that “they’re involving these people in their political structure.” Donetsk and Luhansk residents with Russian passports were allowed to vote in last year’s Russian parliamentary elections and in the 2020 plebiscite on constitutional reform that permits Putin to run for two additional terms. They were bussed into the neighboring Rostov region in Russia to cast their ballots. In December, the Kremlin’s ruling United Russia party also accepted top officials of the self-proclaimed governments in Donetsk and Luhansk into its ranks, along with some 200 ordinary residents of the rebel-held areas. Analyst Oreshkin also noted the political benefit to the Kremlin, saying it could potentially lead to “almost a million additional votes for Vladimir Putin” and his United Russia party. Amid warnings that Russia might invade Ukraine, some fear that Moscow might use the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens in Donbas as a pretext for military action to defend them. Russian officials have repeatedly accused Kyiv of plans to retake the rebel-held areas by force and have promised to respond if that happens. Commenting on the lawmakers’ appeal to Putin to recognize the selfproclaimed republics, State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said Tuesday that “our citizens and compatriots living in Donbas are in need of help and support.” Mykola Sunhurovskyi, a military expert at the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center think tank, said that Russia “could use defending the interests of Russian citizens in Donetsk and Luhansk as pretext...for starting the war.” Sunhurovskyi noted that Russia used a similar pretext in 2008 during its war with Georgia after handing out Russian passports to residents of the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. A nalyst Oreshkin said, however, that the K remlin is much more interested in keeping the status of the rebel-held areas in limbo and showing that it has a number of options on the table—be it recognizing their independence or deploy ing forces to protect Russian citizens there. “There is no political interest so far. Rather, there is political interest in scaremongering, both in Ukraine and its Nato neighbors, with such a rhetoric,” Oreshkin said.

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New Zealand won’t engage Myanmar in free trade bloc

ANGKOK—New Zealand said Thursday it will not deal with Myanmar under a major 15-nation trade agreement, the world’s largest that took effect this year, citing the deadly violence and democratic setbacks in the Southeast Asian country after the military seized power last year. Two Asian diplomats told The Associated Press that New Zealand notified other members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which includes China but not the United States, that it would not recognize Myanmar’s “instrument of ratification”—the key document binding a country to the free trade pact—because it opposes its military-led government. It’s not immediately clear if New Zealand’s action would lead to Myanmar’s exclusion from RCEP. Myanmar’s army wrested power from Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in Feb. 1 last year in a takeover that sparked widespread street protests and civil disobedience. About 1,500 civilians have been killed by security forces, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Suu Kyi, 76, remains in detention with other ousted officials and faces a raft of charges that human groups say are baseless. New Zealand was among Western nations that quickly opposed the ta keover, suspend ing a l l military and high-level political contacts with Myanmar and calling on army leaders to immediately release all political leaders and restore civilian rule. It also placed a travel ban on Myanmar’s generals. Asked by the AP for comment, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said “New Zealand has maintained a principled stance on Myanmar, and this includes our position that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership does not apply between New Zealand and Myanmar at this time.” “New Zealand remains gravely concerned at the situation in Myanmar and continues to call for the immediate cessation of violence and for the release of all those arbitrarily detained by the military regime,” the spokesman said. The punitive action underscores the growing fallout from the Myanmar crisis into the economic and diplomatic spheres. It remains unclear if other leading countries included in the RCEP,

such as Japan, Australia and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which have also expressed alarm over Myanmar, would follow suit. One of the two diplomats who spoke with the AP said ASEAN member states were individually assessing New Zealand’s action and may announce their position soon. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity due to a lack of authorization to discuss the issue publicly. Asean foreign ministers were meeting in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh on Thursday to discuss regional issues, including Myanmar. It’s unclear if New Zealand’s move against Myanmar would be raised, but the diplomat described the issue as “a big problem.” Myanmar, an Asean member, did not attend the meeting in Phnom Penh in a protest over the regional bloc’s demand that it send a non-political representative instead of its military-appointed top diplomat, Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin. Asean’s decision to restrict Myanmar’s participation reflected the group’s growing frustration over Myanmar’s non-compliance with a five-step agreement last year, which includes its military leaders’ promise to allow a special Asean envoy to meet Suu Kyi and other detained leaders to foster a dialogue aimed at easing the crisis. The diplomat said the RCEP would continue to be enforced despite New Zealand’s decision not to engage Myanmar in the Chineseinitiated free trade deal. RCEP originally would have included about 3.6 billion people and encompassed about a third of world trade and global GDP. Although India dropped out before the deal was signed in November last year, it still covers more than 2 billion people and close to a third of all global trade and business activity. The deal slashes tariffs on thousands of products, streamlining trade procedures and providing mutual advantages for member nations. It is expected to boost trade within the region by 2 percent, or $42 billion, both through increased trade and through diversion of trade as tariff rules change, experts say. Countries involved in the deal have expressed hope the initiative would help power their recoveries from the pandemic. AP

Japan to ease border controls amid criticism as exclusionist

OKYO—Japan is set to announce easing of its strict border controls by increasing the daily quota for foreign arrivals and shortening the quarantine requirement beginning in March, following criticisms that the country’s policy is unscientific and xenophobic. Senior officials of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s governing party recently said they are considering raising the daily entry cap to 5,000 from the current 3,500 beginning March 1 as one way of relaxing the border measures for foreign scholars, students and business people. The measure will not include tourists for now. Shortening the self-isolation period after entry to three days from the currently required seven is being considered, Japanese media reported. Officials are also considering eliminating the selfisolation requirement for non-resident foreigners carrying proof of negative Covid-19 test results and

booster shot. K ishida is expected to announce a plan and explain details at a news conference later Thursday. Kishida on Saturday said he was considering easing border measures based on a scientific assessment of the omicron variant, infection levels in and outside Japan and quarantine measures taken by other countries. Most of Japan is currently under virus-related restrictions. Infections only recently started to show signs of slowing, likely because of delayed booster shots. Nationwide, Japan reported 91,006 new cases on Wednesday, down slightly from a week earlier, after the caseloads exceeded 100,000 on February 5. But experts say the infections are continuing to burden Japan’s medical systems that tend to be overwhelmed easily because Covid-19 treatment is limited to public or major hospitals. AP

Friday, February 18, 2022 A13

G-20 finance leaders eye ways to support pandemic recovery

AKARTA—Countries must avoid tensions and cooperate to support a recovery from the pandemic as it lingers in many parts of the world, Indonesian President Joko Widodo told a gathering of top financial leaders of the world’s largest economies Thursday.

“The winter is coming,” Widodo said in welcoming finance ministers and heads of central banks of the Group of 20 industrial nations. “ The pandemic is far from over, and the global economy is struggling,” he said. “During this situation, no single country could recover alone. All countries are interconnected, no one is isolated.” The G-20 financial gathering comes as many economies are treading a precarious path between raising costs of borrowing to cool inflation and helping to support recoveries from the pandemic. Worries over potential conflict in Ukraine are an added unwelcome source of uncertainty, Widodo said, warning against antagonisms at this time. “It is not the time to create new tensions that could affect global recovery, let alone jeopardize the world peace as we’ve currently seen in Ukraine,” he said. “It is necessary that every party puts an end to rivalry and frictions.” Officials were attending the

meetings both in person and online, given troubles with travel and quarantines due to outbreaks, mostly of the omicron variant of coronavirus, that are plaguing many countries. Host Indonesia is among many countries in Southeast Asia that have endured severe waves of infections, though vaccinations have helped quell the worst of outbreaks. T he fourth most populous nation with 274 million people, it has reported nearly 5 million cases and 145,622 deaths. In the past month, 690,518 new cases have been reported. Indonesia is the world’s 10th largest economy and is located in the fastest growing region—at least before the pandemic swept the world, disrupting business and travel while killing nearly 6 million people. Surging prices for food and energy are among the challenges the financial leaders confront as they discuss how to best nurture a global economic recovery, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati told G -20

United Arab Emirates’ Finance Minister Mohamed Al Hussaini, front row from left, Australia’s Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, Indonesia’s Central Bank Governor Perry Warjiyo, Italy’s Central Bank Senior Deputy Governor Luigi Federico Signorini, Chairman of Financial Stability Board (FSB) Klaas Knot and other delegates pose for a photo during the G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia on February 17. Mast Irham/Pool Photo via AP

participants. “Inflation risk remains skewed to the upside, driven by supply chain disruption, labor market mismatches, wage pressure, and higher energy prices,” she said, adding that such problems have been “more persistent than previously expected.” The International Monetary Fund has forecast that world economic growth will slow to 4.4 percent in 2022 from 5.9 percent in 2021, following a 3.3 percent contraction in 2020. Mu lya ni emphasi zed t he need for coordination between countries in different stages of recovery. T he US Federal Reser ve is pulling back on massive support for markets and businesses, preparing to raise interest rates as soon as next month to cool inflation that jumped to 7.5 percent

in January—the highest rate in 40 years. Consumer prices rose to a record 5.1 percent in the 19 countries that use the euro last month and to a nearly 30-year high in the United Kingdom. Indonesia’s central bank has also moved to curb inflation. But some other economies have yet to bounce back from the havoc caused by the pandemic. “Countries’ domestic macroeconomic policy may also cause adverse impacts for other economies,” Mulyani said. “In this regard, global coordination, including a discussion on exit strategy will be critical.” Meanwhile, she noted that ensuring countries have equitable access to vaccines remains an urgent priority for limiting new virus variants and ending the pandemic. AP

France and EU to withdraw troops from Mali, but will remain in region

ARIS—President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that France will withdraw its troops from Mali nine years after it first intervened to drive Islamic extremists from power but intends to maintain a military presence in neighboring West African nations. Announcing the move during a Thursday news conference in Paris, Macron accused Mali’s ruling military junta of neglecting the fight against Islamic extremists and said it was logical for France to withdraw since its role is not to replace a sovereign state on the battlefield. “Victory against terror is not possible if it’s not supported by the state itself,” the French leader said. France has about 4,300 troops in the Sahel region, including 2,400 in Ma li. T he so-ca l led Barkhane force is also involved in Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania. Macron said the French pullout would be done “in an orderly man-

ner” in coordination with the Malian military. France will start by closing military bases in the north of Mali, and the withdrawal will take between four or six months, he said. “We cannot remain militarily involved” alongside Malian transitional authorities with whom “we don’t share the strategy and goals,” Macron said. European leaders simultaneously announced Thursday that troops from the European-led military task force known as Takuba also would withdraw from Mali. The Takuba task force is composed of several hundred special forces troops from about a dozen European countries, including France. Tensions have grown between Mali, its African neighbors and the European Union, especially after the West African country’s transitional government allowed Russian mercenaries to deploy in its territory. Macron said a coalition of allies will remain present in the Sahel

and the Guinea Gulf to counter actions from Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Macron organized a summit in Paris on Wednesday evening to address the issue with regional and European leaders of countries involved in the Sahel. Representatives from Mali and Burkina Faso coup leaders were not invited since both nations were suspended from the African Union following coups. Senegalese President Macky Sall, who also chairs the African Union, said security and the fight against terror was “vital” for both Europe and Africa. Speaking alongside Macron, Sall said he understood the decisions by France and the EU to end theirs operation in Mali but was pleased that an agreement on a new arrangement was reached to provide a continued presence in the Sahel. Sall said there was a consensus during among EU and African lead-

ers during their discussions that the fight against terror “should not be the sole business of African countries.” Macron said the “heart” of the French operation “won’t be in Mali anymore” but in neighboring Niger, especially in the region bordering Burkina Faso, Macron detailed. He did not give an estimate of how many forces would take part in the new operation. French forces have been active since 2013 in Mali, where they intervened to drive Islamic extremists from power. But the insurgents regrouped in the desert and began attacking the Malian army and its allies. Macron said support for civilians in Mali would continue, but he blamed the junta now ruling the country for its decision to hire a private Russian military contractor known as the Wagner Group, which the EU accuses of fomenting violence and committing human rights abuses in Africa. AP

Israel to scrap Covid passport system as Omicron cases wane

ERUSALEM—Israel’s prime minister says the country’s coronavirus vaccination “green pass” system will be suspended as new daily cases of Covid-19 continue to decline. Naftali Bennett said Thursday after meeting with health officials that Israel’s Omicron wave “has been broken” and that additional

reductions in coronavirus restrictions were forthcoming. The Green Pass, Israel’s digital vaccination passport, limited entry to indoor venues and large gatherings to people who had recovered from coronavirus or received at least three doses of the vaccine. Although new infections remain high, Israel’s health

ministry has reported a steady decline in serious cases of Covid-19 since the peak of the country’s Omicron wave earlier in February. Israel raced out of the gate last year to vaccinate most of its adult population after striking a deal with Pfizer to trade medical data in exchange for a steady supply of doses. Around

48 percent of Israel’s 9.4 million people have received three doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine since the country began rolling out immunizations in late 2020. Over 72 percent of the country has received at least one dose. At least 9,710 people in Israel have died from coronavirus since the start of the pandemic two years ago. AP

A14 Friday, February 18, 2022 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

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Sharing jab technology can help end pandemic

he Covid-19 pandemic is by far the biggest global challenge the world has faced in the 21st century. Thankfully, several Covid-19 vaccines have been produced. The World Health Organization, GAVI and CEPI are leading the COVAX initiative, which is currently the best effort the world has to ensure that vaccines reach people around the world. However, COVAX is only intended to cover the most vulnerable populations in lower-income countries. More cooperation and more efforts are needed to inoculate the world against Covid. From the Associated Press: “President Joe Biden’s effort to vaccinate the world against Covid-19 is falling short, raising the risk that more dangerous variants of the virus will yet emerge. Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged in a virtual meeting with other countries on Monday that the globe is not on pace to meet a goal of vaccinating 70 percent of the entire human population by later this year, a target set in 2021 both by Biden and the World Health Organization.” The AP report said low-income countries—particularly in Africa, where the Omicron variant was first detected—remain overwhelmingly unvaccinated. Wealthy nations awash in shots were slow to equitably share vaccines. Only about 54 percent of the global population is vaccinated so far, according to Our World In Data, a service by a UK nonprofit that advocates of international vaccination use to track progress. Biden is scheduled to hold another international vaccine summit in March. During his first vaccine summit held virtually in September, Biden called on other countries to step up their own donations as part of a renewed global push. No significant development happened in the intervening months. Tom Hart, president of the ONE Campaign, an anti-poverty group, said: “Dosepledging is no longer the appropriate end of the conversation. We need to be talking about vaccine production all around the world.” A group of US lawmakers early this month asked Biden to throw the administration’s weight behind a new, patent-free vaccine—Corbevax—based on technology developed by Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine but not yet authorized for use in the US. The lawmakers said the vaccine could fill yawning demand internationally and counter China, which has sold its vaccines while sometimes using them as leverage for foreign policy objectives. The world still needs billions of doses of vaccine to quell the pandemic. Officials of the Human Rights Watch and Doctors Without Borders said in a letter to the State Department that the US should transfer technology for Covid vaccines. They said: “While the US and other high-income governments are administering booster shots, many people at high-risk of severe illness and death in low- and middle-income countries are still waiting for their first dose. Severely unequal access to Covid-19 vaccines and global supply shortages continue to threaten health, lives, and livelihoods as new variants emerge. The US pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson developed or co-developed lifesaving vaccines, but they have not shared knowledge and technology widely with capable manufacturers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, hindering the global Covid-19 health response and allowing the virus—including new variants—to spread.” Transfer of the mRNA technology is of particular importance for global health now and for future pandemic preparedness, they said, adding that they have identified over 100 manufacturers from Africa, Asia, and Latin America with the potential to produce mRNA vaccines. “We hope the US government will also deliver on ensuring more widespread technology transfers as part of a rights-based approach to Covid-19 vaccine access.” Universal and equitable access to a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine is critical to ending the pandemic. As the United Nations earlier said, “no one is safe until everyone is safe.” It would do well for rich countries and vaccine makers to facilitate widespread technology transfers as part of the global response to end this global health crisis.

On mental health and well-being Sonny M. Angara

Better Days

an Beda University recently held the fourth Edgardo J. Angara Memorial Public Lecture on Public Policy as part of its Venerable Bede discussion series. Conducted online and livestreamed, the lecture’s theme was on nurturing holistic health and well-being at home and in the workplace—a very timely topic, in light of the disruptions caused by the ongoing humanitarian crisis. As I’ve written before, one of the major impacts of the pandemic is its toll on people’s mental health and well-being, especially on the youth. Data from the National Center for Mental Health shows that the number of calls to its crisis hotline for the first quarter of 2021 almost doubled when compared to 2020—from 1,540 in January to March 2020, to around 3,819 calls in the same period for 2021. This trend held true throughout last year.

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he title is a metaphorical expression implying that what people eat eventually affects their lives. If they eat healthy food, they will feel healthy; if they eat junk food, they will feel unhealthy. Stated simply, food can define one’s physical character.

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One of the major points of the public lecture’s main speaker, Dr. Cornelio G. Banaag Jr., however, was that as early as 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) had already sounded off on the alarming global increase of mental health problems among young people, estimating that 10 to 20 percent of children and adolescents suffer from various forms of mental disorders. Dr. Banaag, who is Professor Emeritus from UP-PGH for Child and

The same principle applies to people’s intellectual consumption and character. Some interesting trends are worth reviewing. One can examine functional literacy, which refers to people’s capacity to engage in activities where literacy is required for their community to function effectively, and for them to be able to continue to use reading, writing, and computing for both personal and communal development. According to the latest Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey published by the Philippine Statistics Authority, in 2019, Filipinos 10 to 64 years old typically watched television (96.0 percent), made calculations (80.3 percent), and listened to radio (75.2 percent). Surfing the Internet for e-mails and research work (63.6 percent), newspaper reading (63.3 percent), and report/correspondence writing (43.9 percent) were the activities they performed the least. By frequency of exposure, most survey participants watched television (66.3 percent) and surfed the Internet through social media (42.5 percent) every day.

Survey participants who were exposed to different forms of mass media registered high functional literacy rates. Among different forms of mass media, functional literacy rate ranged from 92.6 percent for those who watched television to 97.1 percent for those who used the Internet for e-mails and research work. According to Sortlist, in 2021, Filipinos aged 16 to 64 spent nearly half the year online (10 hours and 56 minutes per day, or 166 days per year), and nearly 40 percent of that time was spent on social media (4 hours and 15 minutes per day, or 65 days per year). Among nationalities surveyed, Filipinos, apparently, spent the most time online and on social media. Moreover, Statista found that, from 2019 to 2020, Filipinos spent most of their time playing sports games. The average user spent about 23 minutes per day on such applications, and about 21 minutes per day for casual gaming. Looking at specific applications, Statista found that YouTube was where people spent the most time at 11 days and 14 hours

Adolescent Psychiatry, explained that among the major causes of this mental health crisis was the proliferation of smartphones and the prevalence of social media. Young people had become so engaged with these technologies that they had actually stopped talking or communicating with each other. To demonstrate the point, Dr. Banaag shared a picture he took before the pandemic of a group of young people sitting together at a food court, but instead of engaging each other, they were engrossed in their cellphones. He then cited a 2015 school-based student health survey that showed that up to 17 percent of the 13- to 15-year-olds surveyed said they had attempted suicide at least once in their lives. These alarming data points were among the reasons we fervently pushed for the Mental Health Act (RA 11036), which was signed by President Duterte in 2017. While the law establishes a national mental health policy, significant resource, personnel, and service gaps persist. Dr. Banaag pointed out that only

7 percent of all public and private hospitals have a dedicated psychiatric ward or unit, and that there are only 2 mental health workers for every 100,000 Filipinos. In fact, one estimate pegs the number of psychiatrists nationwide at only around 500. But even if our health system was fully equipped to handle skyrocketing demand for mental health services, some of our people’s habits contribute to the problem. During the public lecture, Dr. Banaag and one of the discussants, Dr. Blesile Mantaring, Director of the Office of Students Affairs in UP-Manila, highlighted the importance of getting adequate sleep in maintaining one’s mental health and wellness. It appears, however, that Filipinos are generally sleep-deprived. In the 2016 AIA Healthy Living Index survey across 15 markets, the Philippines ranked ninth with one of the highest sleep deprivation rates in Asia. Nearly half (46 percent) of Filipino respondents said that they do not get enough sleep, while nearly a third said they sleep for less than six See “Angara,” A15

per year, which was about 1.74 times that spent on TikTok (6 days and 16 hours per year). In 2018, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) conducted a study assessing students’ science, reading, and mathematics literacy in 80 countries and education systems. Reading was the focal subject of the 2018 data collection. It also marked the first year that the Philippines joined the assessment. According to the PISA 2018 report, the Philippines ranked 79th in reading, with an average of 340 against the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development average of 487. Filipino students also ranked low in mathematics and science, with 353 points and 357 points, respectively, against a 489 OECD average for both categories. So, what do these trends suggest? In exploring the link between food and physical health, three factors can be considered: 1) availability of sources, 2) affordability, and 3) appropriateness of food to meet nutritional needs. Perhaps, the same considerations can be made to explore the link between intellectual consumption and education outcomes. Regarding availability, in light of current challenges in online education, Filipinos’ continued exposure to and widespread usage of traditional mass media as sources of information and entertainment should underscore the need to preserve and promote these industries, even as these industries themselves are quickly undergoing digitization. Having a national education strategy

that continues to harness traditional mass media to bridge the digital divide might prove to be beneficial. Regarding affordability, a study reveals that an average Filipino household spends about P1,281 per month on Internet connection, while a Vietnamese counterpart spends only half ($12.40 or roughly P636.48). So, to help make Internet connection more affordable, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies recommends the removal of regulatory barriers and the expansion of market opportunities to allow information and communications technology (ICT) players to invest, build, and innovate, regardless of their size, ownership, and technology—and not limit network-building to enfranchised telecommunications firms. Finally, regarding appropriateness, traditional mass media deal with not only content distribution but also content creation. If more Filipinos continue to lag behind international peers in reading, mathematics, and science literacy, there could be adverse spillover effects on both supply (content creation) and demand (content consumption). It can be argued that poor education leads to poor content, which, in turn, can lead to a poor audience, and, ultimately, a poor country. Thus, having strategic, long-term investments that synergize the education, ICT, and mass media sectors should figure more prominently in economic development plans. Dr. Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes is the Associate Director of the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development.

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What will be the face of the new Senate?

Birthing hegemonies: Media surpluses and false consciousness Tito Genova Valiente

annotations

Manny F. Dooc

TELLTALES

he senatoriables may be classified into three distinct groups based on the official list of candidates certified by the Commission on Elections. The first group will be the reelectionists, namely: Senators Richard Gordon, Risa Hontiveros, Leila de Lima, Win Gatchalian, Joel Villanueva and Migz Zubiri. They are all able and competent legislators who have made significant contributions in lawmaking. As chairmen of their respective committees in the Senate, they have distinguished themselves by sponsoring major bills benefitting their constituencies. Some of them had caught the public imagination, like Gordon, Hontiveros and Gatchalian, by denouncing and investigating alleged anomalies in the government like the Pharmally deal, the pastillas scam in the Bureau of Immigration and the Malampaya deal. The members of the second group, made up of comebacking senators, are no less formidable than the reelectionist solons. They are former Senators Loren Legarda, Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Antonio Trillanes, Gringo Honasan and half brothers Jinggoy Estrada and JV Ejercito. They are tried and tested legislators whose wealth of experience in public service span several years. Most of them had served in the Executive department and represented their districts in the House of Representatives. Legarda and Cayetano were even candidates for vice president in previous elections, while Honasan and Trillanes were popular coup leaders with huge following in the military. The last group due to the fact they have not been elected to the Senate in the past may be termed as “newcomers.” Many of them, however, are not political neophytes. It is led by former Vice President Jojo Binay who was once a front-running presidential bet in the last presidential election. A number of them were members of the Cabinet, like DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro, Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones and Presidential Legal Counsel and Spokesperson Sal Panelo. It seems that the only incumbent member of the HoR gunning for the Senate is Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta. If his fellow congressmen will rally behind him, Marcoleta can fortify his bid for the Upper House. Some former members of the House of Representatives like Teddy Baguilat, Gibo Teodoro, Neri Colmenares and Monsour del Rosario are seeking their promotion to the Senate. Other prominent newcomers are former PNP Chief, General Guillermo Eleazar, popular media personalities Raffy Tulfo and Carl Balita, actor Robin Padilla, former Mayor Herbert Bautista, former Senate Secretary Lutz Barbo, law dean Chel Diokno, health advocate and reformer Minguita Padilla, labor leader Sonny Matula, Atty. Alex Lacson and business leader Jess Arranza. Most of the winners, if not all, will come from the list of the frontrunners who scored high in the recent polls conducted by reputable pollsters. In the last survey conducted by Pulse Asia released last Sunday covering the period January 19 to 24, 2022 before the official campaign period began, the top 13 candidates were: Tulfo, Cayetano, Legarda, Escudero, Villar, Zubiri, Gatchalian, Binay, Jinggoy Estrada, Joel Villanueva, Hontiveros, Robin Padilla and JV Ejercito. In other surveys, the No. 1 position was claimed by Cayetano or Villar. This is not surprising since Cayetano once held the powerful position of Speaker of the House while Villar, aside from being backed up by tremendous resources and logistics, had a high profile role in the current administration as the public face of the massive “Build, Build, Build” program. Notably absent in the winning contenders among the reelectionists are Senators Gordon and de Lima. Maybe because he was consumed in his Senate work as the Chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which is handling the Pharmally investigation, Gordon had not paid early atten-

tion to his reelection campaign until it officially started last week. It was a relief to Gordon’s concerned followers that he showed up in Bicol to join the proclamation rally of VP Leni Robredo and to see his first TV political ads aired last Tuesday. There’s still enough time for him to catch up and establish himself as a top contender. In the case of Senator de Lima, we hope that she will be allowed to do more electioneering to give life to her lackluster campaign. Among the comebacking senators, Honasan and Trillanes who have common military and putschist backgrounds are outside the magic 12. Probably the young voters are not familiar with the romantic adventurism that the two cashiered colonels had engaged in, which catapulted them to the Senate during their heyday. Those with easy name recall by occupying top posts in the government will have a fighting chance to join the winning column. They are Honasan, Trillanes, Gibo Teodoro, Guillermo Eleazar, Harry Roque, Mayor Bistek, Piñol and Panelo. Chel Diokno’s illustrious name and personal accomplishments as a human-rights lawyer should give him an edge over the other candidates. The top 12 who will emerge winners in this year’s election will join the 12 remaining senators elected in the 2019 senatorial election. It is led by Senator Cynthia Villar, that election’s topnotcher, followed by Sens. Grace Poe, Bong Go, Sonny Angara, Pia Cayetano, Bong Revilla, Bato de la Rosa, Imee Marcos, Francis Tolentino, Lito Lapid, Koko Pimentel and Nancy Binay. It will be interesting to see who will be chosen as next Senate president. He or she will definitely come from the ruling party. Traditionally, the Senate is composed of 24 independent republics and any one of them stands a chance of becoming the third highest official of the land. Admittedly, others are not interested in leadership positions and are happy to remain as members and head a committee that suits their qualifications. However, I’m certain that Senators Villar, the mother, Angara, Imee Marcos, Pia, Bong Go or Francis Tolentino as keepers of the Duterte flame, Grace Poe and Koko Pimentel will have prominent roles in the reorganization of the Senate. If BBM emerges the winner in the presidential contest, we can expect Senator Imee to be ahead of the line. From the potential winners in this year’s fresh crop of senators, Legarda, Cayetano, Escudero, Zubiri, Binay and Gordon will serve as a fulcrum of power. Anyone of them can maneuver himself or herself to the top and capture the helm of the Senate. We may have the most number of female senators at the 19th Congress of the Philippines. They can form a potent voting block and install the first female Senate president ever. The Senate may become a family affair with mother and son Villars, Cayetano and Estrada siblings and father and daughter Binays. The two votes of a family can be decisive in breaking any deadlock or impasse. Come what may, I trust that the incoming Senate will remain steadfast in its role as the foremost legislative body of our country. Given the experience and qualifications of its new and existing members, I pray that they will keep the Senate as a revered democratic institution that champions our people’s civil and political rights. It’s only made up of 24 members but as the US President Andrew Jackson had once said: “One man with courage makes a majority.”

Friday, February 18, 2022 A15

E feel it every day. We dread the moments each day. The cause of this anxiety is not the real world, that which we are in physically. We are not always anymore in a sensual universe where tactility rules. An online space has taken over our lives, conflating consciousness whether by class or through individuals. Even as I write this, I am conscious and alert how I am viewing all the questions and doubts from my own perspective—an intellectual, by any traditional definition (one who works on constructs, theories and historicity), an academic (schooled beyond the average number of years needed for one to able to use educational attainment for a wage-earning job), and a writer (using a language that is not anymore apprehended by the majority of the population in this country). I am writing this column even as I wonder why there seems to be out there a division of readers and viewers: on one side, those who read books, cite statistics, and participate in discussions to clarify whether their stand is healthy enough to withstand doubts and with this population are those who have the capacity to listen to those who they accept—and respect—to be in the know; on the other side are those who do not believe in what this other group deems as the proper, testable and vetted source of truths and ideas. Somewhere in that presentation is a bias. Let us give this “bias” another term and call it “framework.” I am assuming that my tests for truths, which I share with the first group, have long been validated and therefore are ways of allowing me to navigate skewed views until I reach

a healthy proportion of correctness and precision in my perception of reality. In this class (I assume those who read this paper) individuals appreciate a near rigid approach to apprehending life, which to others is merely lived. But is l ife merely lived? Or is life needing to be sufficiently questioned? Where does media locate itself in this new arena of knowledge-building and consciousness? In a paper, From Media as the Producer of False Consciousness to Ecological Media, by Necla Odyakmaz Acara and Sebnem Caglara, these quotes appear to be relevant to my questions: “Media, which is used by the capitalist system for social control, is a tool that enables the establishment and sustainability of hegemony of productive forces. Hegemony is compulsory and it has to function rigidly, because social experiences of second-

ary classes always contradict with the picture drawn by dominant ideologies both for themselves and for social relationships. In other words, the dominant ideology constantly confronts with resilience, which it has to overcome in order to obtain people’s consent for the social order it is trying to cultivate.” When we see the other groups of people confronting our truths by professing their own versions of truth, which are based on sources we never imagine would one day be “hegemonic” as well, are we faced with this kind of “resilience?” The paper continues: “This resilience may be broken, yet it can never be completely destroyed. For this reason, victory of the hegemony and the consent it obtains are inevitably unstable; therefore, hegemony has to be continuously re-gained and re-negotiated. The task of media is to keep the dominant ideology alive and to smooth the extreme points of this resilience within the society.” This leaves us with the other media—that cluster of data birthed by what we now lump under social media. Two apps come into mind: Twitter and TikTok. Both are easy to deal and work with. One does not need a long attention span to use them and, for that matter, other existing applications online. With Twitter, you can tweet but there is a 280-character limit. One needs to develop skills on what earlier communications specialists call

“soundbytes.” Without the ability to be succinct and smartly succinct, there is a danger of short-circuiting information. One can post a note and leave it incomplete just to be able to use the application. Then there is TikTok. While Twitter is attributed to Americans, TikTok is owned by the Chinese company, ByteDance. TikTok is described as “the destination for short-form videos” that are “exciting, spontaneous and genuine.” There are other new forms of expressions but the fact is these two have become the dominant sources of ideas. Truths do not anymore rely on the conceptual element because the images one sees flashing with such grace, speed, and freshness—all indicators of seductive spontaneity—become the truths for another population. In the same paper by Acara and Caglara, Noah Chomsky is quoted as saying: “Media serves not for public interest, but for the interests of the state and the capital. Media’s screen for attack and deception is designed to imprison and hypnotize the possible largest section of the people. Only at this time, attention of this section can be sold to advertisers for its scrap value and slogans may become useless things which can be reversed by crazy images.” Then we are left with the great divide: we, on one side, who swear allegiance to universities whose concepts date back to European Middle Ages, who would die for theories during online debates, include here those who furtively check the Wikipedia to boost one’s presentation of the self in the Internet, and those, on the other end, who find joy in a dance mocking the gender of a candidate, subscribing to a short film crudely speculating on how interminable hours of work can be dumb in a place where labor value is forever repressed to create capital. E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

Covid a wildcard as Biden prepares for State of the Union address By Zeke Miller & Lisa Mascaro The Associated Press

ASHINGTON—President Joe Biden is hoping to use his upcoming State of the Union address to nudge the pandemic into the nation’s rear-view mirror. But it could turn into yet another disruptive display of national tensions and frustration over trying to move past Covid-19. Biden’s March 1 address to Congress will play out against what Vice President Kamala Harris has called a “malaise” over the persistence of Covid and growing public impatience to get back to normal after two years of pandemic restrictions. Even Democratic-run state and local governments are lifting restrictions as cases, hospitalizations and deaths decline. However, the State of the Union setting— Capitol Hill—remains one of the most significantly disrupted workplaces in the country, something of a ground zero for culture wars over the lingering restrictions and security concerns from the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Proxy voting in the House allows lawmakers to work from home and skip going into the office, and has been extended through March. Tours and office visits are limited. GOP lawmakers have racked up thousands of dollars in fines for violating mask-wearing mandates on the House floor. Seating for Biden’s first address to a joint session of Congress last April was capped at about 200—about 20 percent of usual capacity for a presidential presentation. White House officials say the protocols for Biden’s next one

Angara. . .

continued from A14

hours. We scored higher in the 2018 iteration of the survey, but the sleep gap among adults—the difference between how much sleep they want and how much they actually get—remained the same, at 1.4 hours. To be clear, this is a problem not only in the Philippines, as various studies have found that people across

will be determined by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi indicated last week that lawmakers are aiming for “fuller participation” than last year, including inviting every member of Congress. She said, “I think the people are ready to pivot in a way that shows to the American people we largely have been vaccinated here.” But attendance, she added, will be “up to the Capitol physician.” In an interview on the eve of the 1/6 anniversary last month, Pelosi said she hoped the Capitol, which remained closed in part for security concerns, would reopen soon. Republicans, meanwhile, have grown increasingly vocal about rolling back restrictions at the Capitol. In the Senate, more than half of GOP lawmakers this week signed a resolution calling on Congress to lift all virus rules and reopen to visitors. “From stores to venues and most workplaces and schools, the rest of the United States has reopened, and it’s time for the Senate to do the same,” said Sen. Bill Hagerty, author of the resolution. Though the Capitol and other federal properties set their own rules, the District of Columbia’s indoor mask requirement for most indoor gatherings and businesses is to be lifted on the same day as Biden’s address. The White House, for its part, says it will set rules for the complex based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. There are no indications that Pelosi is prepared to lift the House chamber’s mask guidance, which she maintained last year even when the CDC eased indoor mask-wearing requirements for

fully vaccinated individuals before the emergence of the Delta variant. The White House has taken extraordinary precautions to keep Biden from getting the virus, including requiring high quality masks in his vicinity and limiting his travel and participation in large events. In addition to members of Congress, the State of the Union audience traditionally includes Cabinet members, military leaders, Supreme Court justices, diplomats and other invited guests. It’s not yet clear if Pelosi has decided whether to send invitations to Washington’s diplomatic corps and other guests who normally fill the galleries for the address. A speech to a full House chamber would be by far the densest audience of Biden’s presidency to date. The debate over rules on wearing masks and getting vaccinated has become a major front in the nation’s culture wars, breaking down along regional and political lines. Scenes of mask-less celebrities enjoying the Super Bowl—when schoolchildren in some jurisdictions are required to wear masks even when outside at recess—have drawn criticism for unfairness. Some Biden allies are fretting that the Capitol scene could add fuel to the fire, or that anti-mask conservative Republicans would use the speech for some stunt or protest. More broadly, federal officials are racing to finalize new, more flexible national guidance on mask-wearing and other policies before Biden steps up to the rostrum in the House chamber at 9:01 p.m. “We want to give people a break from things like mask-wearing, when these metrics are better, and then have the

ability to reach for them again, should things worsen,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said Wednesday. She indicated the revised guidelines, to be coordinated with a broad administration plan for the “next phase” of the virus response, should come around the end of February. Administration officials expect that new strategy and message to figure prominently in Biden’s speech as pandemic fatigue becomes more pronounced. The White House sees his speech — in concert with the expected loosening of virus limits—as an opportunity to help stem an erosion of public confidence in his leadership. According to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll last month, just 45 percent of Americans said they approved of Biden’s handling of Covid-19, down from 57 percent in December and 66 percent in July. There is growing clamor in both parties. “This is an opportunity for the president to acknowledge the challenge that we faced over the last few years, but also acknowledge that we’re gonna have to learn how to live with Covid, and we know how to do that,” said Democratic Rep. Ami Bera, a California physician. In an interview, Bera said he hoped Congress would roll back some of its limits, including its mask mandate, and that Biden could speak to an audience that would symbolize the emergency phase of the pandemic was over. “It is a real bully pulpit and the president could take this opportunity to move the country to a more normal space,” he said.

the world are also sleep-deprived. Be that as it may, the pandemic seems to have only exacerbated the issue throughout the country. A February 2021 study conducted by a Grade 11 student, submitted to Victory Christian International School, and reported by major news outlets, found that a majority of Filipino teenagers 15 to 18 years old slept for only four to six hours a night during the pandemic. More than a third of those surveyed said

that they slept at 3 a.m. or past since the pandemic started in March 2020. Furthermore, at least 8 out of 10 responded that their sleeping habits haven’t been healthy. When asked why this was so, four main reasons were cited—the massive change in daily routine (from physically going to school everyday to just staying at home); stress and anxiety (from academic pressure or fear over the future); lack of general exercise; and, sadness from not being able to see

peers and relatives. All these have deep implications on the policies and programs that will need to be rolled out as we contemplate what a post-pandemic Philippines should look like. Sen. Sonny Angara has been in public service for 17 years. He has authored and sponsored more than 200 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate. E-mail: sensonnyangara@yahoo.com| Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara

A16 Friday, February 18, 2022

IP body reminds bets, parties on copyright fees for promos

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

@Tyronepiad

ITH the start of the campaign season, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (Ipophl) reminded the candidates of May 2022 elections and their political parties to adhere to IP laws and properly compensate the owners of copyrighted works used in their promotional paraphernalias. In a statement on Thursday, Ipophl Director General Rowel S. Barba said that “the election period is a great time for candidates to help artists recover from the pandemic-induced economic downturn” given that copyrighted works like photos, audiovisual content and songs are being used for campaign materials. “I hope candidates compensate our artists fairly for their contributions in creating more effective and creative cam-

paign messages,” Barba said. He pointed out that playing songs to the public during sorties or motorcades may also require a fee. Still, Barba said that candidates must secure the permission of the IP right holders first, noting that they have the right to refuse the request as mandated by IP Code of 1997. “Even as candidates are willing to pay a handsome fee, they first and foremost have to ask copyright holders’ permis-

BARBA: ”Candidates must be mindful of how they use copyrighted works, and encourage their supporters to do the same when creating materials for their online promotions or self-organized rallies, if they want to avoid backlash and a decrease in supporters.”

sion to use their works in their political ads, and respect their decision if their proposals are turned down if it’s because they refuse any association from a certain political party,” Barba explained. The Ipophl official even said candidates can now directly contact the copyright holders through social-media platforms to ask permission. The candidates can also reach to Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Inc. (Filscap), Philippines Recorded Music Rights Inc. (PRM) or the Independent Music Producers of

the Philippines (Impro) so they can seek permission to use a song. Barba said that “campaign jingles had been the biggest source of infringement complaints in past election periods, the agency remains to have its eyes wide open on possible cases and disputes that may arise involving new marketing trends in the 2022 elections.” The IP agency, with this, said they are monitoring the developments on socialmedia platforms as well. He also urged the artists to report if candidates and their political parties used their copyrighted works without permission. With the higher public awareness towards IP and copyright, Barba said candidates should always pay respect to others’ works. “Candidates must be mindful of how they use copyrighted works, and encourage their supporters to do the same when creating materials for their online promotions or self-organized rallies, if they want to avoid backlash and a decrease in supporters,” Barba said. “In t he past, electorates wou ld learn about copyright and IP due to infringement issues that candidates would be embroiled in. Hopefully, this election season will be different in that candidates respect and promote respect for IP rights instead of stealing them,” he concluded.

UPLOADING 90% OF LGU VAX DATA TO TAKE TILL MIDYEAR, SAYS DICT

HE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) estimates it may take until midyear for 90 percent of the vaccination data from local government units (LGU) to be uploaded to its VaxCertPH portal. In a televised interview on Thursday, Acting Information Secretary Emmanuel Rey R. Caintic said currently, the rate of uploaded data in VaxCertPH range between 70 and 80 percent as many LGUs continue with their vaccination drive. “Whenever additional vaccine supplies arrive, they would have to catch up [with] encoding the additional data,” Caintic said. Caintic said the uploading of vaccination data from LGUs became faster after they coordinated with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to address the backlogs. Based on their “optimistic” projection, he said it may take three to four more months, when LGUs start wrapping up their inoculation drive, before the rate of uploaded vaccination data to VaxCertPH could reach 90 percent. VaxCertPH is the government’s vaccination certificate portal for people, who already got their Covid-19 jabs. Recently, Caintic said they updated the portal to include additional security features as well as data on the booster shots received by an individual. He said the certification from VaxCertPH is now recognized by 39 countries. Samuel P. Medenilla

Duque nixes rushing: ‘What’s so hard with still wearing a mask?’ By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco Correspondent

ILL face masks no longer be required this 2022? Health Secretary Francisco Duque was asked this crucial question on Thursday, amid calls to further lift health restrictions as the economy reopens and vaccinations against Covid-19 are ramped up. His quick reply: take it easy. Don’t hurry on the masks, as risking fresh surges of infections will be costlier for everyone. “In about six to nine months, na wala nang [when there is no longer any] surge baka pwede na tayong magtanggal [maybe we can remove it], but depending on the data,” Duque III told reporters during a ceremonial vaccination event at SM San Lazaro in Manila. Duque said that it would also depend on whether the Inter-Agency Task Force will accept the recommendation

of experts to gradually remove the use of face masks. However, Duque also expressed apprehension on the plan noting that it is already campaign season, when many events featuring candidates are always potential super spreader events. “’Di po dapat magmadali, sayang naman. Nagmadadali ka, pag sumipa na naman ang kaso. Tumaas ang mechanical ventilator use rate mo. I alert level 4? 5? Ano, mag ECQ tayo? Ano, sarado na naman tayo? Ano ba naman ‘yung pag mamask? [We should not rush or our efforts will be put in vain. You are going to rush then cases will spike. Your mechanical ventilator use rate will increase. What happens then? Are we going back to alert level 4? 5? Are we going back to enhanced community quarantine? Are we going to close down? What is so hard with still wearing a mask?],” Duque stressed. Meanwhile, during the event Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje en-

couraged parents to get their children vaccinated against Covid-19. Cabotaje brought her nephew “Nikoy.” “I have...the son of my brother [with me], I have my [grandchild from a cousin] joining all of you here who believe and participate in this Covid-19 vaccination,” Cabotaje said. For his part, Nikoy said: “I would like to have my vaccine because I want everyone to be safe and protected. I am also not afraid of the vaccine because I know that I’ll be saving more than one life, so also your titos and titas [uncles and aunts] should have their vaccine if they’re still not yet vaccinated, so we can be the solution for Covid-19.” The event, dubbed Chikiting DOH Ligtas sa Covid-19, aims to boost confidence among parents and guardians that vaccines are safe and effective, with children of Department of Health’s official and employees getting vaccinated.

Clarify rules, Comelec told, after poster drive assailed

HE Commission on Elections came under more pressure to revisit its rules on campaign posters, a day after social-media posts on Comelec-led teams taking down election-related materials even within private property went viral and drew flak. On Thursday, Partido Reporma presidential candidate Panfilo “Ping” Lacson urged Comelec to clarify its rules on campaign posters, as he and running mate Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III asked the poll body to have more practical and realistic regulations in the run-up to the May 9 national elections. In their regular “Meet the Press” forum, the Lacson-Sotto tandem asked Comelec in particular to explain its guidelines on the size of campaign posters and their placement inside private property, and other permissible moves in these first elections held under a global pandemic of Covid-19. Although the poll body had asserted it would take down some oversized posters and billboards inside homes or on private properties posted with the permission of their owners, Lacson said such could present an issue against the rights of the citizens who merely want to express their support for a particular candidate. “Property ko ito, maski anong gawin ko rito, ‘wag lang ako makakasakit ng ibang tao. Bakit mo pagbabawalan? Kung ‘yung private property ko nilagyan ko

ng kanyon na nakaubang, nakakapanakot, ‘yun pwede managot ‘yung may-ari ng bahay o ‘yung private property. Pero [‘yung] harmless na sabihin na nating tarpaulins o maski ano, I think they should revisit that,” Lacson said. [This is my property, I can do what I please with it, as long as I don’t hurt anyone else. Why won’t you allow it? If I put menacing cannons on my property that scare others, maybe then the homeowner or private property owner could be liable. But something as harmless as tarpaulins, I think they should revisit that (regulation).] Sotto said Comelec’s recent statements that it would hold candidates liable for such infractions were big threats and could be used by their political opponents to undermine them or have them disqualified. “Halimbawa, hahanap ako ng bahay na bakante [at] lalagyan ko ng mga 50-feet by 50-feet na litrato ni (Senator) Manny Pacquiao, o ano? Disqualified si Manny? ‘Di ba, ‘yan ang sinasabi ko e. Parang ano ‘yan, parang ‘No Vax, No Ride’ ‘yan e. Hindi thought of e, not well thought of,” Sotto said, in sarcasm. [For instance, I’ll find a vacant house and put up a 50-by-50 foot portrait of (presidential candidate) Manny Pacquiao there. So what happens, is Manny disqualified? That’s what I’ve been saying, it’s like the ‘No Vax, No Ride’ policy. It’s not well thought of.]

Meanwhile, the pair also noted Comelec’s other campaign regulations, such as candidates not being allowed to shake hands, take pictures, and otherwise mingle with their supporters in campaign sorties. Sotto in particular said it was hard to understand if candidates were in danger of disqualification by performing these acts, which are not prohibited by law, while other contenders were brazenly flouting other regulations. Speaking partly in Filipino, Sotto said: “What penalty does the (Comelec) resolution provide against selfies, or the lack of them? Let’s say I was approached by a friend, or someone working here, and took a selfie with me. What’s the penalty? Who will be penalized, the selfie taker or me? I’m not sure what the resolution says.” Lacson also believes it’s impractical to get a permit from the poll body for each activity a candidate makes, especially if it does not cause any major inconvenience to the public, such as passing by or visiting public areas. The Lacson-Sotto duo stressed that ever since they declared their candidacies last September 2021, their campaign has strictly followed Comelec’s rules in ensuring a safe and fair campaign period. Earlier, veteran election lawyer Romulo Macalintal urged Comelec to review recent resolutions, as these clashed with existing laws and Supreme Court rulings.

Companies BusinessMirror

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Friday, February 18, 2022

Kia PHL aims to sell more vehicles this year–exec

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

@TyronePiad

ia Philippines has set its sights on selling 6,000 units as the company is more optimistic about the local automotive industry’s prospects for this year. “We are very confident that 2022 will be much better. And therefore, we think about 6,000 brand new units [will be] sold this year,” Kia Philippines President Manny Aligada said in an online briefing on Thursday. The 2022 forecast shows about a 60-percent growth from its sales last year. In 2021, the local unit of the South Korean brand saw its sales

surge by 76 percent—above the industry average of 18 percent—to 3,748 vehicles. Along with this, Kia also sees its market share rising to 1.7 percent this year from 1.3 percent. The local auto industry is expected to sell 345,000 units this year, Aligada said. The Kia official identified the models Stonic, Soluto and K2500

as the main sales drivers this year. “We will continue to have our three volume drivers last year,” he said. “Stonic was a very popular model in our lineup. It generated a fantastic performance.” Stonic, which was introduced in the local market in October 2020, was the top-selling model last year, comprising 37 percent of the total sales. Soluto and K2500 accounted for 21 percent and 17 percent, respectively. Aligada, meanwhile, said the company aims to expand its dealership network to 50 outlets next year. As for the pending trade deal between the Philippines and South Korea, Aligada said they are waiting for it to be finalized as the partnership bodes well for their business given that “a good number of our vehicles are sourced from Korea.” “It is a good sign for us to be more

active in the market because of the 5 percent that we will save on tax,” he said. “We look forward to [being] more competitive.” In October last year, the Department of Trade and Industry announced that Manila and Seoul concluded talks on the PhilippineKorea free trade agreement, which is expected to be inked in 2022. On Thursday, Kia also introduced the new Carnival, which is a sevenseater grand utility vehicle. It is available in two variants: SX and EX. The model costs at least P2.54 million. “The all-new Carnival delivers first-class treatment worthy of a VIP [very important person],” Aligada said. “Each key feature of the latest model supports his daily drive towards his avenues of inspiration. Kia is expected to introduce more brands within the year.

Loyalty platform enters PHL market A Southeast Asian loyalty platform has established its presence in the Philippines following the acquisition of a local online grocery delivery service company. In a news statement on Thursday, Nasdaq-listed Society Pass Inc. (SoPa) announced the completion of its purchase of Pushkart.ph, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of the loyalty platform company. The transaction provides Pushkart.ph access to SoPa’s capital which can help it boost its on-demand grocery shopping services to both consumers and retailers initially in Metro Manila and then expanding across the country. This, as it

supports grocery stores and restaurants to maximize online markets amid changing consumer behavior in pandemic. Pushkart.ph currently has 125,000 registered users, over 35,000 social media followers and at least 20,000 mobile app downloads. With the collaboration, the parties seek to more than double the customer base to 300,000 and boost the app downloads to over 150,000 this year. “As the Phillipine consumer faces tremendous challenges with traditional brick and mortar shopping due to a plethora of hurdles including excessive wait times in traffic/public transport, SoPa aims to provide vi-

able solutions by providing impetus to the growing e-commerce industry in the country,” said Dennis Nguyen, SoPa founder, chairman and chief executive officer. Nguyen added that the Philippines is also “a cornerstone of SoPa’s VIP [Vietnam, Indonesia, and Philippines] acquisition strategy, I expect to acquire a number of market leading companies in Philippines over the next few months.” Pushkart.ph CEO Michael Lim said their partnership with SoPa will provide returns due to cost optimization and additional revenue generation. Lim said the Southeast Asian firm will provide an end-to-end solution

to its customers that can help in expanding its market presence. “We are excited to join the larger SoPa ecosystem which will enable us to harness its integrated marketing and technology proposition while also strengthening our collective senior management resources,” he added. SoPa said the acquisition is in line with its “core vertical focus and facilitates proliferation of its growth in Philippines while increasing consumer opportunities and delivering enhanced value.” In addition, the transaction is expected to expand the digital adoption in Philippine online grocery shopping space. Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

Life Nurture taps bank loans for Makati hospital By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

tate-run and private banks are set to finance the completion of the former Ospital ng Makati Building 2 under a publicprivate partnership (PPP) scheme. Government lenders Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and Land Bank of the Philippines as well as Union Bank of the Philippines inked an omnibus loan and security agreement this week with Life Nurture Inc. (LNI) to complete the redevelopment of the former Ospital ng Makati Building 2. The hospital will be renamed Makati Life Medical Center. The agreement is for a P5-billion syndicated loan facility under the PPP scheme. Under the agreement, DBP will extend P2.5 billion in loans to LNI, followed by Landbank with P2 billion, and UnionBank with P500 million. Of the total amount, a P3.5-billion tranche is payable in 10 years inclusive of a two-year grace period for principal repayment, P1.2 billion payable in seven years as well as another P300 million in working capital line. “As we move forward, we will strive to build and operate a hospital that will remain true to the principle of sustainable delivery of innovative and inclusive healthcare solutions. Makati Life is going to be a holistic healthcare facility,” Dr. Dennis Sta. Ana, president of LNI, said. The proposed hospital, with a full capacity of 360 beds and 192 doctors’ clinics, would focus on three health-

@llectura

PASSENGERS GET VDAY GIFTS AT BATANGAS CITY GRAND TERMINAL

Holcim gets DPWH accreditation for Bulacan plant

ublicly-listed Holcim Philippines Inc. said it secured accreditation from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for its manufacturing facility in Bulacan. This came after the company’s facility in Norzagaray passed an audit on its compliance with the DPWH’s standards on laboratory competency, quality management system, customer reliability, and products. Valid until November 2023, the accreditation recognized that it can try the fitness of construction mate-

rials for government infrastructure initiatives. “Many thanks to the DPWH for accrediting the materials testing laboratory of our Bulacan plant, which is supplying a number of important infrastructure projects in Luzon,” said Horia Adrian, president and CEO of Holcim Philippines. “Technical support is important for such projects so this accreditation can further strengthen our customer’s confidence in the quality of our products coming from the Bulacan plant.”

Such facility is the second for the leading building solutions provider that is certified by the agency for testing construction materials for state projects. The first was the Technical Services and Product Development laboratory in its Parañaque site in 2017. Holcim Philippines’ cement plant in Davao City has also applied for such certification for its concrete and applications laboratory as a construction material testing facility for infrastructure projects of the government.

Aside from its plants’ material testing facilities, the firm also has mobile laboratories, specifically used in road projects at the countryside that can support customers on site. These labs are deployed to project areas to conduct material testing of concrete, aggregates, and soil to help contractors maximize materials and ensure quality construction. Also, they serve as a classroomon-wheels for project workers who need trainings on the best practices or even latest techniques in building. Roderick L. Abad

care pillars— prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Makati Life is set to start partial commercial operations with the opening of a 24/7 primary and urgent care facility within the first half of 2022 and start in-patient services with the first 100 beds towards the end of the year. The second phase, including the launch of the Cardiac Center and operationalization of 200 beds, is targeted by the first half of 2023, while full completion with the cancer and wellness centers is scheduled in early 2024. “Makati Life will be an inclusive hospital. It will expand Makati City’s platform for delivering social healthcare through the Yellow Card program. In partnership with the city government of Makati, we will provide the required level of treatment and care even to patients who can’t afford it, giving everyone a chance to attain a better quality of life,” Sta. Ana said.

‘Wind projects will allow PHL to create more jobs’ By Lenie Lectura

Batangas Ventures Properties and Management Corp. (BVPMC) celebrated Valentine’s Day by giving away 100 packs of health essentials and chocolates to medical frontliners, couples, families, and those wearing red clothes at the Batangas City Grand Terminal on Diversion Road, Alangilan, Batangas City last February 14. Entitled “Love and Protect,” the activity aimed to encourage the riding public to continue observing the minimum health protocols when traveling with their loved ones. Each pack of essentials contained face masks and bottles of alcohol, and had a note that said, “Protecting yourself and others from the virus makes you absolutely lovable. Have a safe trip and Happy Valentine’s Day!” Shown in the photo are the officers and staff of BVPMC, headed by Terminal Manager Cecilia Mendoza (center, in red). BVPMC operates Batangas City Grand Terminal, and is a member of the ALC Group of Companies headed by its chairman, D. Edgard A. Cabangon.

BusinessMirror file photo

he Philippines is among the five developing countries cited by a global energy group that has yet to fully unlock its wind energy resource. According to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), Brazil, India, Mexico, Philippines and South Africa each faces particular challenges due to Covid-19. GWEC said, “[the] Philippines could see more than $1.1 billion of gross value added to the economy, with more than 1,650 MW of wind installations completed under a more ambitious approach”. Moreover, the country’s wind energy resource could support a 70-percent increase in jobs and remove an equivalent of 65 million metric tons of carbon emissions. Based on GWEC’s report, if the countries pursue a green recovery strategy--where public policy shifts towards the clean energy transition to accelerate deployment of wind projects over the next five years— they would realise a range of socioeconomic benefits from long-term job creation to cleaner air and water conservation. GWEC’s report, Capturing Green Recovery Opportunities from Wind Power in Developing Economies, highlights the vast and largely untapped socioeconomic and environmental opportunities, which could be unlocked by wind energy from 2022-2026. The report also shows the importance of clear vision and policy commitment to mobilize private investment in wind energy, and provides tailored policy and regulatory recommendations for each country.

As finance ministers and central bank governors from the G-20 meet in Jakarta this week to discuss sustainable finance under Indonesia’s G-20 presidency, GWEC said its report should serve as a rallying call for emerging economies to collectively act on accelerating renewable energy to power growth. GWEC Chief Executive Officer Ben Backwell noted that with the increase in coal price volatility and ongoing supply chain disruption in the Philippines, it is time for coal import-dependent country to develop a self-sufficient power system, which relies on clean energy. “As elections approach in the Philippines, GWEC and the wind industry look forward to supporting the current and next administrations in creating meaningful climate policies and renewable energy targets, and kickstarting a post-pandemic green recovery.” Backwell said policy commitments, investment in expansion of grid and transmission infrastructure, as well as simplifying the permitting schemes for renewable energy projects are the common recommendations across each country studied in its report. He said addressing these barriers proactively, in coordination with the wind energy industry and other relevant stakeholders, can support the accelerated deployment of wind energy and a green recovery in emerging economies. “The time for action is now, and governments need to use forums such as the G20 to turn promises, targets and ambitions into decisive interventions that provide the foundations for local communities and the private sector to make the energy transition a reality,” he said.

Companies BusinessMirror

Friday, February 18, 2022

KonsultaMD, HealthNow post strong growth in 2021

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

lobe Telecom Inc. said on Thursday its telehealth service arms KonsultaMD and HealthNow recorded “strong growth” last year.

Ernest L. Cu, the president of Globe, said KonsultaMD posted a 140-percent revenue growth last year, as its user base reached more than 1 million, while HealthNow ended 2021 with over 800,000 customers. KonsultaMD, a subscriptionbased service, allows patients to

have medical consultations with a doctor online, while HealthNow processes delivery orders for medicines. “Our two digital health offers are also doing very well. KonsultaMD and HealthNow continue to fill the growing demand for access to healthcare during the pandemic,”

Cu said. “There is a lot of promise on the healthcare side of the business.” Globe is particularly bullish about KonsultaMD, which is now being “groomed…to follow the footsteps of its sister start-up GCash,” a Filipino unicorn. To further expand its reach, KonsultaMD partnered with over 60 brands and has been active on popular social media app TikTok with more than 23 million views. “Telehealth has become an important innovation that will stay and evolve even after the pandemic. We believe the public will continue to use KonsultaMD because of the ease and convenience of talking to a doctor anytime without leaving their homes. This has become an invaluable service during the

pandemic,” said KonsultaMD CEO Cholo Tagaysay. Globe has set a P89-billion capital expenditures (capex) program for 2022 to bankroll the construction of more cell sites, upgrade existing ones, deploy 4G and 5G radios, and add more fiber lines across the country. Last year, Globe aggressively expanded its fixed line and wireless networks, building 1,407 new cell sites, upgraded over 22,300 mobile sites, installed more than 2,000 5G radios, and installed 1.4 million fiber-to-the-home lines. These network enhancements allowed Globe to grow its full-year revenues by 4 percent to P151.5 billion, which drove core profits by 9 percent to P21.2 billion.

Cancer machines boost Medilines income By VG Cabuag @villygc

edilines Distributors Inc., a medical equipment distribution firm, said its income last year rose by 50 percent to P103 million on robust sales of cancer therapy equipment. Unaudited revenues for the year reached P1.6 billion, which the company said grew by 10 percent from the previous year. “Both figures (income and revenues) are record achievements for the company which has a yearly track record of sales and profit growth even prior to the pandemic,” it said. The company said its revenue growth is driven by its delivery of cancer therapy equipment. Last year, Medilines has delivered five cancer radiation therapy machines all over the country. It has installed Varian linear accelerators (LINACS) in Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center in Manila, Sacred Heart Medical Center in Angeles City and Region I Medical Center in Dagupan. In December, the company delivered LINACs in Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu

City and in Cotabato Regional and Medical Center in Cotabato City, which will be completed in the first quarter. “As the global healthcare system continues to take centerstage due to the pandemic, Medilines believes that the healthcare industry in the Philippines has plenty of room to grow,” company chairman Virgilio B. Villar said. “We believe that both the government and private sectors will continue to demand for quality healthcare equipment to meet Western standards. Both sectors will also need to expand their facilities to cater to a growing population, especially in key cities nationwide,” he said. Medilines said it had higher growth this year due to the strategic shift in product mix. The company said it sees sustained growth moving forward as it shifts to a balance of medical equipment and consumables mix. The offering of fast-moving, high margin consumables products would complement the company’s growing deployment of medical equipment, driving healthy topline sales while significantly growing profitability, it said. Medilines’ foray into the consumables business is one of the pillars of its growth strategies. During the pilot run of its dialysis consumables business from 2020 to 2021, sales grew by more than 200 percent to P200 million from P60 million. The company is now targeting sales of over P300 million from its consumable products this year. Medilines is one of the countr y’s leading suppliers of quality medical equipment used for cancer therapy, dialysis and diagnostic imaging for the last two decades. It has partnered with world-renowned brands in healthcare such as

Varian Medical Systems (US) and B. Braun Avitum (Germany) and has extended its partnership with these companies.

Philips (Netherlands), GE (US), and B. Braun (Germany). It distributes medical equipment from Siemens Healthineers (Germany),

mutual funds

February 17, 2022

NAV

One Year Three Year Five Year

per share Return*

Y-T-D Return

Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a

237.95

6.46%

-3.81%

-1.27%

2.09%

ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a

1.5606

16.58%

-0.16%

2.26%

-6.23%

6.86%

-7.54%

-4%

1.75%

ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 3.2945

Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7633 -2.15%

-6.81% n.a.

0.9%

First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.7567 7.08%

-4.73% n.a.

-1.84%

9.23%

-1.62%

0.63%

2.31%

First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a

First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a

0.7974

10.24%

-3.44%

-2.79%

MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a

92.95

-6.78%

-8.81% n.a.

-1.57%

PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a

48.7939

5.77%

-2.41%

0.23%

1.38%

Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

510.98

6.25%

-2.26%

-0.17%

2.06%

Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a

1.3868

19.78%

1.63%

2.5%

2.25%

Philequity Fund, Inc. -a

37.3084

8.87%

-1.4%

1.27%

1.95%

0.972

8.45%

-2.29% n.a.

3.25%

Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a

5.0438

6.86%

-1.65%

0.93%

1.67%

Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a

840.46

6.42%

-1.73%

0.85%

1.44%

Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

0.7636

1.46%

Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a

5.3023

7.55%

-5.68%

-2.16%

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.8306

7.39%

-3.92%

-0.48%

1.46%

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a

0.9574

5.94%

-2.07%

0.61%

United Fund, Inc. -a

6.44%

-1.97%

1.4%

1.71%

3.4961

1.8%

1.37%

Primarily invested in Peso securities (units) Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a

1.2023

Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a

1031.7 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

12.92% n.a. n.a.

3.41%

Exchange Traded Fund (shares) First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c

113.2241

6.81%

-1.49%

1.35%

1.57%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) $1.1199

-17.81%

4.13%

4.25%

-0.59%

Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.7159

ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b

-5.23%

11.86%

9.56%

-7.07%

Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a

1.6805

0.48%

-0.95%

-0.46%

-0.68%

ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a

2.3036

2.03%

-0.21%

0.19%

0.97%

5.3%

0.94%

1.76%

1.49%

First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.7312

First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.2123

8.48% n.a. n.a.

NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a

3.6%

2.01%

2.06%

0.76% 0.81%

2.0321

PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a

3.7956

1.32%

1.39%

0.97%

Philam Fund, Inc. -a

17.0029

1.42%

1.04%

0.91%

0.93%

Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a

2.1481

3.34%

-0.1%

0.79%

1.26%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.6728 3.61%

-1.38%

0.31%

0.7%

Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a

0.07%

0.88%

1.58%

0.9693

9.61%

1.58%

Primarily invested in Peso securities (units) Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a

0.9807

-3%

-0.48% n.a.

-0.92%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a

0.949

1.38%

-1.45% n.a.

0.48%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a

0.9399

2.22%

-1.75% n.a.

0.64%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03592

-7.28%

0.23%

0.38%

-12.07%

2.78%

2.79%

-0.5%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.5284 -5.42%

8.28%

6.96%

-5.7%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,2 $1.1431 -5.73%

3.86%

3.24%

-4.63%

PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b

$1.0618

-5.32%

Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

374.04

0.61%

2.7%

2.47%

ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.8868

-0.93%

0.46%

0.09%

-0.07% 0.11%

Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a

3.2456

0.86%

2.77%

3.77%

0.05%

Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a

2.2299

-2.82%

1.28%

1.24%

-0.96%

First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4203 -1.03%

2.82%

1.78%

-0.23% -0.95%

Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a

4.3538

-5.88%

3.59%

1.3%

Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a

1.3215

-0.01%

3.68%

2.86%

0.18%

Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

3.9525

-0.44%

3.39%

2.57%

-0.34%

Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.0238

-1.14%

2.01%

-0.43%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1833

-0.6%

3.99%

3.09%

-0.13%

-1.19%

3.15%

2.43%

-0.22%

Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a

1.7268

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a

$487.41

0.52%

2.63%

2.32%

ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a

Є217.82

-0.81%

0.54%

0.82%

-1%

ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.1487

-9.29%

0.08%

0.72%

-4.59%

First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0254 -3.42%

0.53%

0.4%

-2.31%

PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b

$0.9754

-10.42%

-2.32%

-1.63%

-4.63%

Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a

$2.3856

-5.41%

2.44%

1.74%

-4.79%

$0.061553

-1.66%

2.37%

1.65%

-1.19%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $2.994 -6.34%

0.8%

0.45%

-6.33%

Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a

-0.44%

Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) 131.37

1.01%

2.6%

First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a

ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a

1.0593

0.97%

2.54%

1.88% n.a.

0.14%

Sun Life Prosperity Peso Starter Fund, Inc. -a,1 1.3182

1.49%

2.48%

2.52%

0.15%

0.2%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0614

0.71%

1.37% n.a.

0.08%

Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (units) ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -a

46.1209 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a 1.3359

10.65% n.a. n.a.

-3.4%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (units) ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -a

$0.9308

-6.92% n.a. n.a.

a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago.

c - Listed in the PSE.

-4.04%

d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU).

1 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last July 8, 2021 (formerly, Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc.). 2 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last November 25, 2021.

"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."

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

February 17, 2022

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

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

13,300 237,221,436 212,132,901.50 8,768,900 885,205 130,177,558.50 1,504,865 10,370 569,515 227,760,902 9,214,308 475,410 55,850 15,000 55,500 5,223,218 14,000

-50,841,302 -69,037,712.50 142,035 8,414 64,675,275.50 -489,245.00 -124,195 53,621,098 673,005 20,100 2,752,004 -

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 9 9.01 8.94 9.08 8.9 9 26,509,900 238,628,606 36.65 36.7 35.75 36.7 35.55 36.7 2,071,200 75,051,760 ABOITIZ POWER BASIC ENERGY 0.54 0.55 0.52 0.55 0.51 0.54 8,215,000 4,396,680 26.6 26.8 27.4 27.4 26.5 26.6 835,900 22,388,455 FIRST GEN 70.75 71 70.8 71.5 70.7 71 110,860 7,882,138 FIRST PHIL HLDG MERALCO 357.2 362 361 362 356.4 362 105,180 37,835,334 22.65 22.7 22.25 22.85 22.25 22.7 592,800 13,428,875 MANILA WATER 3.39 3.4 3.42 3.45 3.4 3.4 532,000 1,814,210 PETRON PHX PETROLEUM 10.36 10.8 10.8 10.8 10.8 10.8 2,000 21,600 12.58 12.6 12.7 12.7 12.54 12.6 1,371,500 17,266,044 SYNERGY GRID PILIPINAS SHELL 19.4 19.7 19.7 19.7 19.2 19.4 241,700 4,694,596 SOLAR PH 2.09 2.1 2.1 2.12 2.05 2.1 51,385,000 107,327,040 15.9 16 16 16 16 16 100 1,600 VIVANT AGRINURTURE 5.13 5.16 5.1 5.2 5.1 5.16 721,800 3,716,457 AXELUM 2.85 2.88 2.88 2.88 2.82 2.88 100,000 287,110 13.02 13.7 13.26 13.7 13.26 13.7 8,100 107,684 CNTRL AZUCARERA CENTURY FOOD 24.15 24.55 23.95 24.8 23.95 24.15 2,012,600 48,952,735 16.08 16.1 15.9 16.2 15.9 16.08 139,300 2,236,996 DEL MONTE 8.27 8.3 8.32 8.4 8.27 8.27 3,237,700 26,882,890 DNL INDUS EMPERADOR 19.92 20 19.92 21.2 19.92 20 16,838,700 339,913,107 69 69.5 68.2 69 67.8 69 270,000 18,526,346.50 SMC FOODANDBEV 0.8 0.81 0.84 0.85 0.81 0.81 39,344,000 32,299,970 FIGARO COFFEE ALLIANCE SELECT 0.59 0.62 0.59 0.62 0.59 0.62 270,000 165,900 1.21 1.22 1.21 1.24 1.2 1.21 8,838,000 10,738,650 FRUITAS HLDG 110.2 112.3 108.1 112.7 108 112.3 8,800 969,420 GINEBRA JOLLIBEE 251.8 252 250 252 249.4 252 466,560 117,082,610 1.4 1.41 1.37 1.41 1.35 1.4 3,066,000 4,241,330 KEEPERS HLDG MACAY HLDG 5.58 6.49 6.49 6.49 6.49 6.49 500 3,245 6.57 6.61 6.57 6.64 6.57 6.57 27,800 183,982 MAXS GROUP 0.151 0.16 0.155 0.16 0.151 0.16 500,000 77,340 MG HLDG MONDE NISSIN 16.5 16.56 16.92 16.92 16.5 16.5 6,877,000 114,333,982 SHAKEYS PIZZA 8.68 8.7 8.7 8.72 8.64 8.7 173,600 1,512,401 0.64 0.65 0.64 0.64 0.64 0.64 163,000 104,320 ROXAS AND CO RFM CORP 4.5 4.55 4.55 4.55 4.55 4.55 2,000 9,100 0.103 0.104 0.105 0.105 0.105 0.105 190,000 19,950 SWIFT FOODS 127.5 127.8 127.5 128.4 126.2 127.5 1,276,950 162,354,509 UNIV ROBINA VITARICH 0.68 0.69 0.67 0.69 0.67 0.69 606,000 413,110 45.3 48.1 47.15 47.2 45.5 45.5 2,400 112,930 CONCRETE A 46.8 57.9 51.5 58.5 45.5 45.5 100,400 5,867,500 CONCRETE B CEMEX HLDG 1.04 1.05 1.03 1.05 1.02 1.04 2,006,000 2,068,610 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.3 14.2 14.2 2,100 29,980 EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP 6.16 6.19 6.23 6.23 6.13 6.2 18,700 114,930 HOLCIM 6.24 6.25 6 6.25 5.98 6.24 816,400 5,031,180 5.47 5.49 5.3 5.52 5.3 5.49 1,740,000 9,475,151 MEGAWIDE PHINMA 20.75 21 21 21 20.8 21 14,200 298,035 0.78 0.8 0.77 0.77 0.77 0.77 5,000 3,850 TKC METALS 0.96 0.97 0.94 0.97 0.93 0.96 1,312,000 1,240,490 VULCAN INDL CROWN ASIA 1.72 1.73 1.73 1.73 1.73 1.73 369,000 638,370 EUROMED 1.33 1.4 1.36 1.36 1.33 1.33 25,000 33,370 5.83 5.98 5.98 5.98 5.98 5.98 2,500 14,950 PRYCE CORP CONCEPCION 22 22.6 21.9 22 21.9 22 3,000 65,930 2.1 2.11 2.02 2.11 2 2.11 8,610,000 17,667,910 GREENERGY 8.79 8.8 8.8 8.84 8.7 8.8 1,228,200 10,789,236 INTEGRATED MICR IONICS 0.7 0.73 0.71 0.71 0.7 0.71 52,000 36,510 6 6.09 6.09 6.09 6.09 6.09 1,100 6,699 PANASONIC 1.12 1.17 1.14 1.18 1.09 1.12 143,000 158,510 SFA SEMICON CIRTEK HLDG 4.03 4.04 4.08 4.08 4 4.03 11,383,000 45,969,950

-3,706,905 13,201,685 50,180 -12,208,565 409,808.50 24,854,958 -1,911,115 -409,840 -1,989,382 278,332 -190,860 -609,864 -18,308,425 -4,854 -17,077,499 74,227,533 -17,470,394.50 1,616,790 -12,400 -12,100 -304,603 90,327,722 274,970 -657 5,139,146 -832,595.00 -20,045,394 8,160 -129,320 28,550 -5,580 -309,421 3,166,152 3,460 8,040 -1,557,190 396,970

ABACORE CAPITAL AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANSCOR ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PRIME MEDIA SOLID GROUP SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

8,010 -15,321,650 11,932,380 2,961,444 -2,880 230,537 -9,983,062 14,691,270 48,214,829.50 -3,126,525 -20,266,110 -119,693,320 815,213 -

HOLDING & FRIMS

44.2 134.9 99.95 26.3 9.47 60.2 20.4 56.2 21 117.5 104.3 2.12 4.05 2.45 1,005 221 2,600

0.88 857.5 62.7 12.92 8.15 0.94 0.69 0.69 5.23 8.54 7.16 575.5 3.76 61.5 0.62 2.96 9.46 0.37 3.87 1.15 1.01 927 109.4 119.1 0.28 0.17

44.85 135 100 26.45 9.5 60.25 20.5 57.6 21.1 117.7 105 2.15 4.08 2.5 1,020 222 2,800

0.9 860 62.8 12.98 8.35 0.96 0.7 0.7 5.24 8.55 7.24 579.5 3.87 62.05 0.63 2.99 9.47 0.395 3.88 1.16 1.03 929 109.5 123.5 0.3 0.174

44 136 100 26.75 9.5 59.55 20.4 57.8 21.05 116.7 105 2.17 3.95 2.5 1,020 209 2,800

0.89 860 62 13.14 8.3 0.92 0.72 0.72 5.22 8.6 7.2 577.5 3.87 60.95 0.63 3 9.43 0.365 3.82 1.13 1.03 937 109.5 123.5 0.28 0.175

44.5 136 100 26.75 9.5 60.65 20.65 57.8 21.05 117.9 106 2.17 4.08 2.5 1,020 224 2,800

0.92 869.5 62.9 13.14 8.39 0.96 0.74 0.74 5.24 8.7 7.2 580 3.9 62.05 0.63 3 9.58 0.365 3.91 1.15 1.03 947.5 110.2 123.5 0.3 0.175

44 134.1 99 26.25 9.45 59.55 20.2 57.6 21 115.4 104.2 2.08 3.95 2.5 1,005 209 2,800

0.88 852 61.75 12.9 8.3 0.92 0.7 0.69 5.22 8.49 7.2 574 3.87 60.4 0.63 2.99 9.43 0.365 3.81 1.13 1.03 925 109.1 119.1 0.28 0.168

44.5 135 100 26.45 9.5 60.2 20.5 57.6 21 117.5 105 2.12 4.08 2.5 1,005 222 2,800

0.88 860 62.8 12.92 8.3 0.95 0.7 0.7 5.23 8.54 7.2 579.5 3.89 62.05 0.63 2.99 9.47 0.365 3.88 1.15 1.03 927 109.5 119.1 0.3 0.174

300 1,756,950 2,123,540 328,500 93,400 2,162,690 74,000 180 27,100 1,940,050 87,650 225,000 14,000 6,000 55 24,430 5

4,461,000 97,870 929,110 963,900 16,200 1,882,000 6,519,000 1,775,000 2,392,500 6,408,600 2,700 90,460 50,000 2,065,810 11,000 37,000 3,659,200 50,000 38,398,000 52,000 10,000 346,510 65,290 290 2,340,000 400,000

3,986,190 84,065,135 58,177,734.50 12,519,944 135,100 1,787,630 4,587,830 1,253,220 12,512,097 55,050,125 19,440 52,296,700 194,480 127,506,976 6,930 110,930 34,718,532 18,250 149,166,760 59,390 10,300 321,983,500 7,168,752 35,667 697,800 68,250

PROPERTY

ARTHALAND CORP 0.62 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.62 0.63 14,000 8,790 38.55 38.7 38.9 38.9 38.4 38.7 5,203,600 201,342,250 AYALA LAND AYALA LAND LOG 5.02 5.03 4.76 5.05 4.76 5.02 6,176,000 30,662,570 0.98 1.02 1.02 1.02 1.02 1.02 2,000 2,040 ARANETA PROP 49.85 49.9 50 50.5 49.85 49.85 231,530 11,576,346.50 AREIT RT A BROWN 0.93 0.95 0.97 0.97 0.94 0.95 1,751,000 1,668,460 0.72 0.74 0.71 0.75 0.71 0.74 276,000 201,960 CITYLAND DEVT 0.098 0.101 0.103 0.103 0.098 0.102 310,000 30,900 CROWN EQUITIES CEB LANDMASTERS 2.92 2.93 2.92 2.94 2.91 2.93 232,000 677,220 0.42 0.43 0.425 0.43 0.425 0.43 350,000 149,850 CENTURY PROP DOUBLEDRAGON 9.9 9.91 10.04 10.24 9.9 9.91 2,215,600 22,264,637 DDMP RT 1.79 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.78 1.79 6,614,000 11,841,190 6.88 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.88 6.9 24,300 167,584 DM WENCESLAO EMPIRE EAST 0.25 0.26 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 650,000 162,500 0.315 0.32 0.31 0.32 0.31 0.32 1,670,000 524,000 EVER GOTESCO 7.5 7.51 7.51 7.51 7.46 7.5 5,920,000 44,405,182 FILINVEST RT FILINVEST LAND 1.11 1.12 1.09 1.12 1.09 1.12 11,255,000 12,515,780 0.93 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.93 0.93 600,000 561,190 GLOBAL ESTATE 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.84 13.4 13.5 323,200 4,392,280 8990 HLDG GOLDEN MV 576 600 595 600 565.5 600 490 288,810 1.04 1.07 1.08 1.08 1.04 1.04 665,000 704,060 PHIL INFRADEV 0.83 0.84 0.84 0.84 0.84 0.84 22,000 18,480 CITY AND LAND MEGAWORLD 3.32 3.35 3.36 3.41 3.31 3.32 18,370,000 61,907,950 0.265 0.27 0.27 0.27 0.265 0.27 1,810,000 484,650 MRC ALLIED 20.25 20.3 20.15 20.35 20.15 20.3 890,500 18,074,365 MREIT RT OMICO CORP 0.35 0.36 0.35 0.36 0.345 0.355 230,000 79,700 0.475 0.48 0.475 0.48 0.47 0.475 230,000 109,300 PHIL ESTATES PRIMEX CORP 2.17 2.18 2.14 2.18 2.14 2.17 1,577,000 3,402,610 RL COMM RT 7.6 7.64 7.76 7.87 7.4 7.64 5,582,100 42,417,425 19.14 19.2 18.76 19.2 18.76 19.2 5,231,700 99,684,282 ROBINSONS LAND PHIL REALTY 0.219 0.225 0.2 0.228 0.2 0.225 5,170,000 1,122,350 1.45 1.5 1.45 1.5 1.45 1.5 3,000 4,450 ROCKWELL 2.6 2.61 2.61 2.61 2.61 2.61 1,047,000 2,732,670 SHANG PROP STA LUCIA LAND 2.73 2.89 2.92 2.92 2.92 2.92 1,000 2,920 38 38.05 38.5 38.75 37.9 38 12,154,600 466,134,735 SM PRIME HLDG 3.7 3.8 3.71 3.8 3.7 3.8 8,000 29,730 VISTAMALLS SUNTRUST HOME 1.07 1.08 1.06 1.08 1.06 1.08 227,000 241,880 3.38 3.4 3.32 3.4 3.32 3.4 1,100,000 3,703,420 VISTA LAND SERVICES ABS CBN 13.02 13.1 13.42 13.42 13.02 13.02 41,400 541,686 14.42 14.44 14.54 14.54 14.4 14.44 333,400 4,818,290 GMA NETWORK MANILA BULLETIN 0.415 0.435 0.435 0.435 0.435 0.435 40,000 17,400 2,780 2,788 2,786 2,812 2,750 2,788 62,075 173,112,200 GLOBE TELECOM 1,808 1,830 1,810 1,830 1,782 1,830 67,370 122,330,060 PLDT APOLLO GLOBAL 0.065 0.066 0.064 0.066 0.063 0.065 77,840,000 5,037,930 28.45 28.5 28 29.15 28 28.5 13,578,900 387,918,575 CONVERGE 2.25 2.29 2.26 2.29 2.25 2.29 363,000 816,830 DFNN INC DITO CME HLDG 5.64 5.65 5.76 5.89 5.61 5.64 3,938,200 22,540,786 1.36 1.48 1.39 1.39 1.35 1.35 50,000 69,180 IMPERIAL JACKSTONES 1.6 1.69 1.64 1.7 1.6 1.61 21,000 33,940 1.26 1.28 1.28 1.3 1.27 1.28 427,000 548,340 NOW CORP 0.39 0.395 0.405 0.41 0.39 0.39 5,440,000 2,187,600 TRANSPACIFIC BR 2GO GROUP 7.46 7.5 7.45 7.5 7.45 7.5 4,900 36,710 14 14.2 14.2 14.2 14.2 14.2 1,000 14,200 ASIAN TERMINALS 1.68 1.7 1.73 1.77 1.68 1.68 877,000 1,489,120 CHELSEA CEBU AIR 47.8 47.9 46.5 47.9 46.5 47.9 1,411,600 66,957,660 215.4 215.6 220 220 215.4 215.6 795,490 172,342,298 INTL CONTAINER 21.75 23.3 21.75 21.75 21.75 21.75 500 10,875 LBC EXPRESS LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.9 0.92 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 45,000 40,500 5.7 5.73 5.71 5.85 5.7 5.73 1,646,600 9,513,023 MACROASIA 1.03 1.07 1.07 1.07 1.03 1.04 12,000 12,480 METROALLIANCE A HARBOR STAR 0.82 0.85 0.82 0.85 0.81 0.85 289,000 240,120 1.45 1.63 1.45 1.45 1.45 1.45 1,000 1,450 ACESITE HOTEL 0.48 0.49 0.49 0.49 0.48 0.48 100,000 48,500 WATERFRONT STI HLDG 0.34 0.35 0.345 0.35 0.345 0.345 300,000 103,600 1.35 1.36 1.35 1.36 1.33 1.36 92,000 124,240 BELLE CORP BLOOMBERRY 6.88 6.89 6.54 6.93 6.5 6.89 29,309,600 199,021,363 PACIFIC ONLINE 1.78 1.83 1.78 1.78 1.77 1.77 37,000 65,810 1.58 1.6 1.6 1.65 1.6 1.6 549,000 884,530 LEISURE AND RES PH RESORTS GRP 0.9 0.91 0.91 0.95 0.9 0.9 2,605,000 2,406,530 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.44 0.45 0.45 0.45 0.44 0.44 20,730,000 9,175,800 2.23 2.26 2.14 2.26 2.14 2.23 1,840,000 4,076,610 PHILWEB ALLDAY 0.55 0.56 0.55 0.56 0.54 0.55 15,031,000 8,281,210 5.66 5.74 5.7 5.7 5.66 5.66 20,900 118,686 BERJAYA 8.8 8.85 8.79 8.88 8.79 8.85 322,700 2,848,159 ALLHOME METRO RETAIL 1.42 1.43 1.42 1.42 1.42 1.42 322,000 457,240 36.4 36.5 36.25 36.7 36.25 36.4 585,400 21,348,435 PUREGOLD 60.3 60.5 60 61.2 60 60.5 1,039,850 63,214,238 ROBINSONS RTL PHIL SEVEN CORP 83.4 83.6 84 84 83.6 83.6 3,330 279,272 1.14 1.15 1.14 1.15 1.12 1.15 424,000 482,910 SSI GROUP WILCON DEPOT 26.3 26.85 27.05 27.05 26.3 26.3 2,452,200 65,329,100 APC GROUP 0.25 0.26 0.239 0.26 0.239 0.255 1,800,000 448,630 3.99 4.2 4 4 3.98 3.98 9,000 35,860 EASYCALL IPM HLDG 6.71 7 6.75 7 6.75 7 1,300 8,800 1.14 1.15 1.06 1.17 1.06 1.14 16,176,000 18,326,520 MEDILINES 0.69 0.7 0.73 0.74 0.68 0.7 33,415,000 23,925,580 PRMIERE HORIZON SBS PHIL CORP 4.1 4.15 4.15 4.15 4.1 4.15 3,000 12,400 MINING & OIL APEX MINING 1.62 1.64 1.66 1.66 1.63 1.64 1,506,000 2,473,260 ATLAS MINING 6.57 6.6 6.52 6.73 6.52 6.6 954,600 6,334,777 2.57 2.63 2.61 2.63 2.6 2.63 42,000 109,410 CENTURY PEAK 4.98 5.35 4.99 5.35 4.96 5.35 41,300 205,289 DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL 2.44 2.45 2.48 2.49 2.43 2.45 2,222,000 5,450,530 0.198 0.205 0.205 0.205 0.205 0.205 200,000 41,000 GEOGRACE 0.16 0.161 0.154 0.161 0.154 0.16 54,130,000 8,540,420 LEPANTO A LEPANTO B 0.16 0.161 0.155 0.161 0.153 0.161 5,920,000 932,780 0.0097 0.0098 0.0096 0.0097 0.0095 0.0097 20,000,000 192,900 MANILA MINING A MARCVENTURES 1.52 1.53 1.6 1.62 1.53 1.53 2,013,000 3,135,550 0.99 1.02 1.02 1.02 1.02 1.02 4,000 4,080 NIHAO 6.87 6.9 7.05 7.05 6.86 6.87 5,173,100 35,863,266 NICKEL ASIA ORNTL PENINSULA 0.88 0.89 0.86 0.89 0.85 0.89 1,766,000 1,539,070 PX MINING 5.57 5.58 5.51 5.65 5.5 5.58 1,885,900 10,511,890 26.8 26.85 26.15 27.25 26.1 26.85 4,538,500 121,518,570 SEMIRARA MINING UNITED PARAGON 0.007 0.0071 0.0071 0.0071 0.0071 0.0071 3,000,000 21,300 28.4 28.6 28.4 29.35 27.5 28.6 223,600 6,452,680 ACE ENEXOR 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 132,900,000 1,608,300 ORNTL PETROL A PHILODRILL 0.009 0.0091 0.0091 0.0091 0.009 0.0091 8,000,000 72,400 5.9 5.95 5.74 5.9 5.74 5.9 728,200 4,235,276 PXP ENERGY PREFFERED HOUSE PREF B 99.5 101.6 99.4 99.4 99.4 99.4 70 6,958 100 101 100.3 100.3 100 100 50,300 5,030,009 HOUSE PREF A AC PREF B2R 505 512 512 512 512 512 10 5,120 47.5 47.7 45.95 47.7 45.95 47.65 187,300 8,856,130 CEB PREF 101 102 102 102 102 102 50 5,100 CPG PREF A DD PREF 100.4 100.7 100.3 100.7 100.2 100.7 1,930 193,454 110 110.4 109 110 109 110 21,300 2,331,800 EEI PREF B 103.5 104.5 104 104 103 103 1,264,700 130,264,201 FGEN PREF G GTCAP PREF A 998 1,010 1,010 1,010 1,010 1,010 70 70,700 1,000 1,004 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 5 5,000 JFC PREF A MWIDE PREF 2B 100 102 102.1 102.1 102.1 102.1 40 4,084 100.2 101 101 101 101 101 6,200 626,200 PNX PREF 3B 989 990 997 997 988 990 3,440 3,405,610 PNX PREF 4 PCOR PREF 3A 1,060 1,069 1,069 1,069 1,069 1,069 15 16,035 1,080 1,130 1,075 1,075 1,075 1,075 10 10,750 PCOR PREF 3B 77.6 79 77.6 77.6 77.6 77.6 4,420 342,992 SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H 75.8 76 75.8 75.8 75.8 75.8 1,900 144,020 78.4 79.05 79.1 79.1 78.4 79.1 33,460 2,629,844 SMC PREF 2I 76.5 77.25 76.4 76.5 76.4 76.5 12,450 952,325 SMC PREF 2J SMC PREF 2K 76.05 76.95 76.95 77 76.05 76.05 126,600 9,721,645 51 51.95 51 51 51 51 3,000 153,000 TECH PREF B2C 54.1 54.95 54.95 54.95 54.95 54.95 150 8,242.50 TECH PREF B2D PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 12 12.3 12.3 12.3 12 12 22,600 276,990 14 14.5 14 14.5 14 14.5 140,300 2,014,448 GMA HLDG PDR WARRANTS TECH WARRANT 0.94 0.95 0.97 0.97 0.93 0.95 292,000 276,280

100,700,050 3,062,360 84,378.50 740 -21,640 -104,830 917,752 2,838,990 1,296 2,606,010 1,200,624 -41,160 -2,228,650 -5,852,465.00 -2,395,260 9,969,708 -21,858,160 -3,000 2,732,670 131,837,210 -1,421,540 -38,802,850 40,405,415 296,970 -27,907,135 -751,500 -2,965,095 -79,870 -318,070 25,794,015 -29,473,738 -49,834 3,450.00 86,946,181 191,460 -29,820 -8,778,400 -120,190 570 452,777 1,237,655.00 23,154,500 -175,208 -27,210 -31,759,875 -76,070 3,010 54,110 -29,842 31,310 -29,835 1,014,240 10,250 -42,390 1,562,964 4,290 703,527 -2,023,385 200,275 150,440 3,009 632,005 23,280 -69,210 1,806,140 -

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

ALTUS PROP HAUS TALK ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH MERRYMART XURPAS

17.48 1.09 1.1 2.9 2.1 0.43

17.54 1.1 1.11 3.12 2.12 0.435

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

FIRST METRO ETF

113

113.1

17.48 1.14 1.07 2.91 2.15 0.42

17.48 1.16 1.1 2.91 2.23 0.455

17.48 1.08 1.05 2.9 2.1 0.42

17.48 1.1 1.1 2.9 2.1 0.435

31,800 6,508,000 660,000 27,000 4,574,000 3,870,000

555,864 7,198,230 714,770 78,310 9,940,930 1,716,150

-3,496 -4,357,900 492,550 -

113.3 114 113.1 113.1 9,810 1,112,662 121,420

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Banking&Finance

Lending firm’s PC seized on suspected illegal ops By VG Cabuag

@villygc

UTHORITIES seized last February 12 a personal computer of Cashtrees Lending Corp. lodged at the firm’s office in Pasig on the power of a warrant alleging the equipment is used for unauthorized and abusive online lending activities. There were also arrests, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). According to a statement issued by the SEC last Thursday, the seizure of the equipment was based on a search warrant issued by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46. The SEC said personnel from the SEC Enforcement and Investor Protection Department and the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) implemented the warrant to search, seize and examine the computer of Cashtrees Lending. The SEC said the search warrant against Cashtrees Lending was for misuse of device penalized under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, in operating unregistered online lending applications in violation of Republic Act (RA) 9474 (Lending Company Regulation Act). The SEC said that on-site digital forensic examination on the seized device showed that employees of Cashtrees Lending operated online lending applications under the following brands: Happylend; Rush Loan; Easy Money; Good Pocket; Dummy Loan; Lucky Star; Swipe Cash; 365 Cash; Home Peso; Mega Loan; Treecash; and, Goldpeso. Cashtrees Lending is registered as a corporation and holds a certificate of authority to operate as a lending company. It operates registered online lending platforms Happylend, Creditcash and Cashmore. Majority of the online lending

applications operated by Cashtrees Lending, however, were unregistered. These include the following: Goodpocket; Easymoney; and, 365 Cash and Rushloan. These have been the subject of cease-and-desist orders issued by the SEC. Following the digital forensic examination, the PNP arrested 46 employees, including the manager of Cashtrees Lending for violating the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and RA 9474. On February 13, the SEC and the PNP filed with the Department of Justice an inquest complaint against the arrested employees of Cashtrees Lending. The regulator said it has been receiving numerous complaints against online lending applications for various violations of RA 9474 and for abusive debt collection practices. In response, the SEC created a task force to handle complaints involving online lending operators and to take the appropriate measures to stop lending companies and their operators from engaging in abusive practices and activities. The task force closely coordinates with other law enforcement agencies such as the PNP-ACG and the National Bureau of Investigation to crack down on illegal online lending applications, the market regulator added. To date, the SEC has canceled the licenses of 36 financing and/or lending companies due to various violations of applicable rules and regulations. The national government regulatory agency has also revoked the certificate of registration of a total of 2,081 lending companies for their failure to secure the certificate of authority, while 72 online lending applications have been ordered to stop its operations.

Strategies outside the plan

was first introduced to strategic planning ten years into the start of my professional career when I joined the management team of a big financial institution. Then I got more familiar with it when I became a member of the C-suite of an international association. So, 30 years later, I am now confident to facilitate a strategic planning session. All organizations, including associations, have aspirations and goals to optimize performance and growth and strategic planning is an indispensable tool to visualize and actualize them. Among the benefits of strategic planning are: having a shared mission and vision; a consensus definition of success; targeted resource allocation and efforts; a tool to communicate intended focus and impact; and, a historical perspective and learning of the organization. On the flipside, a strategic plan is only a reflection of a moment in time (usually in times of change). Its authors cycle off without new ownership, the voice of members is not often heard, process expertise is wanting and it is created for, rather than, with the relevant stakeholders. As a first learning offering to its members this year, the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (Pcaae) organized a webinar on “Strategic Planning: Best Practices and Next Practices.” The speaker was Lowell Aplebaum, CEO and strategy catalyst at the US- based Vista Cova. Vista Cova partners with organizations on strategic visioning and planning to create strong stakeholder connections and to reimagine value and engagement. What I have picked up from the webinar are the following strategies and tools to complement the strategic plan. 1. Listening as a Board competency. As one of the Board’s tasks is to provide strategic direction to the organization, a competency needed by the Board is to listen to key stakeholders, notably members. This could be done by conducting surveys, doing monthly calls and member site visits, and organizing partner, audience and focus advisory groups. As Lowell said on the importance of listening:

Association World Octavio Peralta “This is the reason why we have two ears and one mouth.” 2. Building a plan-ahead team. A plan-ahead team separate from the Board can be organized to assist management in collecting relevant information, developing scenarios, posturing broad direction and robust moves against scenarios, setting trigger points, and providing recommendations for action. 3. Developing a program impact matrix. This decision-making tool assists the association to manage and assess the potential impact of the benefits that its project, product or service have on its members. It includes, among others, a review of all programs and corresponding member experiences, fiscal and mission impact, and conversation around possible sun setting of outdated services. 4. Creating space for innovation. There is also need to hear voices of innovation coming from the Board, staff, members and volunteers and, at the same time, having tolerance for risk and failure, as well as for curiosity and learning. 5. Sustaining communication, relationships and community. This may include communicating with members through town hall meetings and hearing varied voices, connecting with association leaders and developing a Board relationship dashboard, as well as building platforms for community, content and relationships. All these actions and activities, which are outside the strategic plan, are part and parcel of a holistic approach to member engagement and association relevance. Octavio Peralta is currently the executive director of the Global Compact Network Philippines and the founder and volunteer CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives, the “association of associations.” E-mail: bobby@ pcaae.org

BusinessMirror

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Friday, February 18, 2022

BSP help sought to lower fees in e-wallet, online transactions

By Butch Fernandez

@butchfBM

ENATOR Grace Poe prodded the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to exert its influence to heed pleas to bring down charges on e-wallet and online financial transactions.

The presiding chairman of the 11-member Senate Committee on

Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies, Poe sought to enlist the

support of the BSP to help convince financial institutions to lower fees in using digital wallet to pay for goods and services. According to Poe, “millions of Filipinos” are already having difficulties making ends meet to feed their families as many remain jobless. The senator added it would be “a big help” to hard-up Filipino workers if their expenses are not subjected to additional fees when they use digital wallets in financial transactions. Poe pointed out that with the growing number of consumers using e-wallets and online-payment plat-

forms, banks and financial institutions are also earning bigger income, likely more during lockdowns. She noted that income statements of banks as reported by the Department of Supervisory Analytics, the BSP recorded P230-billion in total combined net income of banks across the country last December 2019. It added this went down since March 2020 at the outset of the pandemic but started climbing since September 2021. The BSP recorded the local banking industry posted a net profit of P223.66 billion as of end of December 2021.

Open-finance platform operator posts revenue growth By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

BX Philippines Corp., the financial technology (fintech) subsidiary of Unionbank of the Philippines, announced achieving a 5-fold growth in revenues in 2021. “The year 2021 was a real inflection point for us; it is when we achieved traction,” UBX President and CEO John Januszczak told the Business Mirror sans citing a specific figure on 2021 revenues. “Our goal is to continue to ride on this growth momentum in 2022 through constant innovation and the development of solutions that will further democratize access to financial services.” With the demand for digital financial solutions growing at rapid

paces due to the pandemic, Januszczak told the BusinessMirror the fintech firm served over 200,000 business to business customers, partnered with more than 2,000 independent banking agents and 250 financial institutions, and recorded an annual gross transaction value of P20 billion. The executive added that UBX achieved interoperability among different financial institutions by making data more accessible and portable. According to the firm’s website, it “offers a spectrum of financial services, providing technology that allows them to be embedded into digital platforms and business ecosystems.” “We’re connecting people to the financial systems of the country,” Januszczak told the BusinessMirror. “We’re doing it in a way that’s more

affordable and providing more opportunity and access to everybody; and we believe that improves lives.” Over the last three years, UBX invested in building and developing various financial services that create more value for both consumers and businesses. Among its solutions are i2i, SeekCap, Bux, and Sentro. A banking-as-a-service solution, i2i brings financial services to underserved communities through its network of financial services providers. SeekCap, meanwhile, is the Philippines’s first same-day approval, digital lending marketplace developed for micro, small, medium sized enterprises who need access to credit to run and scale their businesses. Bux, on the other hand, is an end-to-end payment gateway for businesses of all sizes. It allows businesses to accept payments

from their customers through over 50,000+ of over-the-counter locations, including 7-Eleven and LBC, debit and credit card payments as well as wallet payments via GrabPay and GCash. Januszczak said the firm will introduce new financial solutions this year, as it sees a huge opportunity in the industry with the rollout of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) policy framework for open finance. “We believe in a future where financial services are embedded into the everyday experiences and activities that matter to businesses and people,” the executive told the BusinessMirror. “We will continue to introduce more digital financial solutions this year to complement and support the open finance policy framework of the central bank.”

LandBank, Capiz co-op give agri credit to farmers, ARBs

UMARAO, Capiz—The Progressive Women Agrarian Reform Cooperative (PWARC) has grown from a small organization in this remote Capiz town, into a successful and thriving cooperative that provides financial access to support its farmer-members, according to the Land Bank of the Philippines Inc. (LandBank). “In 1998, the PWARC was initially formed by 20 female founding-members from Barangay Gibato in this secondclass municipality,” the LandBank explained. “It began as a modest savings group, offering financial services to the town’s residents with only P3,200.00 as starting capital.” Soon after, according to the staterun lender, the cooperative started to accept Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) and male farmers as members and was officially registered as a cooperative in 1999. “With PWARC’s membership steadily growing over the years, the co-op turned to the LandBank in 2015 and applied for a total P20-million loan line to finance the launch of their relending services to farmer-members in need of additional cash for agricultural production.” According to the LandBank, the coop utilized P16.65 million of the total loan as a rediscounting line to finance salary, emergency and business loans for members, which now include small and medium enterprises (SMEs). “Through LandBank, we are able to extend financial assistance to our mem-

bers at affordable interest rates,” PWARC Chairman Cecilia G. Ibabao was quoted in the statement issued by the LandBank. “This helps our members earn more since they don’t have to turn to private lenders who can charge an interest rate of up to 20 percent.” In addition to financing, PWARC also serves as a guaranteed market for some of its members’ produce. Farmers’ harvest of calamansi (citrus) is purchased by the co-op for its juice product line, under the brand name “Golden.” LandBank said the co-op credits the assistance of the state-run lender to be instrumental in helping it grow to more than 3,500 members today—of whom around 80 percent are farmers. “LandBank continues to finance the requirements of agricultural cooperatives to help increase the production and income of their members,” LandBank President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo was quoted in the statement as saying. “Amid the prevailing challenges of the pandemic, access to agricultural credit is key to sustain the operations of our partner-cooperatives and ensure food security in the country.” The LandBank said that of the P20million loan, the PWARC allotted P3.35 million to offer relending services for their ARB-members’ palay and corn production under the agrarian production credit program. The APCP is a joint program implemented by the LandBank, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agrarian Reform. Through

This undated photo courtesy of Land Bank of the Philippines Inc. shows the headquarters in the Municipality of Dumarao, Capiz, of the Progressive Women Agrarian Reform Cooperative, an organization that has received a P20-million loan in 2015.

the APCP, PWARC ARB-members can avail of production loans with an interest rate of as low as 2 percent per annum. As of December 31, 2021, LandBank loans to the agricul-

ture sector has reached P247.85 billion, recording a monthly increase of P12.78 billion from the P235.07 billion level last November 2021, according to the staterun lender.

Relationships

Friday, February 18, 2022 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

BusinessMirror

Midlife isn’t a crisis, but sleep, stress and happiness feel a little different after 35—or whenever middle age actually begins PHOTO BY DIMITAR KAZAKOV ON UNSPLASH

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Shane Lyons, 34; Molly Ringwald, 54; John Travolta, 68; Yoko Ono, 89. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Question your motives before you act. Take the safe path when dealing with health, finances and close relationships. Choose your words wisely, and let your conscience guide you. Express your thoughts and promote equality. Gravitate toward making a unique contribution and a difference to your environment, surroundings and lifestyle. Aspire to reach your goals, look your best and please yourself. Your numbers are 3, 14, 25, 33, 39, 41, 46.

EWER than one-fifth of Americans say they actually experienced a midlife crisis. And yet there are still some common misunderstandings people have about

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take hold of whatever situation you find yourself in, and use your strengths to push forward. You will gain support if you are direct and honest about your concerns and intentions. Focus on self-improvement, not trying to change others. HHHHH

midlife. I study midlife, and especially how people in this stage of life experience sleep and stress. In my research, I have also found that midlife brings both opportunities and challenges.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Double-check everything before agreeing to participate. Someone will try to take advantage of you if you aren’t careful. Use your intelligence, ask questions and don’t leave anything to chance. Avoid unpredictable people. HH

ARE WE THERE YET? EXACTLY when midlife begins is hard to pin down. Compared with other developmental periods—like childhood, adolescence and older adulthood— midlife lasts longer and includes more diverse social roles. There are fewer published studies on midlife than studies on childhood and older adulthood. So researchers still know little about the timing and unique experiences of this stage of life. Midlife may begin at different times for different people. In the 1990s, people generally agreed that midlife begins at age 35. This has shifted toward an older age. Now Americans might say midlife begins at age 44 and ends by 60. An increased life expectancy and medical advances may have contributed to this shift. Today’s adults are living longer and healthier lives than previous generations. Also, the demands of establishing a career while building a family have increased. That’s why some researchers have started referring to the period occurring roughly from age 30 to 45 as “established adulthood,” distinguishing it from midlife as it was previously understood. Chronological age is only one way to define the beginning of midlife. Psychologist Margie Lachman emphasizes looking at certain life transitions and social roles that commonly occur in midlife as a way of coming up with a definition.

SLEEP, STRESS, HAPPINESS AGE-RELATED physical changes are not the only threat to sleep, however. The struggle of midlife adults to juggle multiple often incompatible roles also causes stress. Stress has negative consequences on sleep,

Today’s Horoscope

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Stick to groups and organizations that share your goals. Aligning yourself with like-minded individuals will help you advance faster. Refuse to let anyone use manipulative tactics to push you in a direction that compromises your beliefs. Stand up for your rights. HHH

By Soomi Lee University of South Florida

SO MANY ROLES, SO LITTLE TIME MIDLIFE is a time when individuals occupy the greatest number of social roles. The average US adult in midlife typically has four key roles—paid worker or homemaker; spouse or partner; parent; and adult child. Having multiple roles may provide more opportunities to build resources such as income, self-esteem, relationships and success. But people must also divide their time and energy across these multiple roles. Risk factors for later-life diseases also show up in midlife. Slower metabolism, weight gain and hormonal changes are common. Also, women experience menopause, which involves hot flashes and emotional ups and downs. Men in midlife are more likely than younger men and women to develop sleep apnea. All these factors are closely related to sleep, so it’s no surprise to find poor sleep among midlife adults. Sleeping less than six hours a night, getting poorquality sleep and other sleep issues are prevalent.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Use the power of persuasion, and you will get your way. Show the people around you how you feel, and let them know your intentions. Update your image or appearance, and compliments will come your way. Romance is in the stars. HHHH

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You are a better leader than a follower. Don’t feel the need to back down or do something you don’t want to do because someone is bullying you. Make necessary changes that are within your budget. HHH

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Don’t be shy. Do what you want to do, and get the response you want. Social events will give you a perfect setting to approach someone who interests you. A unique partnership looks promising. Romance will enhance your personal life. HHH

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Be careful how you handle domestic matters. Getting along with the people around you will be challenging and require intellectual finesse, patience and discipline. Take good care of your health and well-being. Avoid gatherings that put you at risk. HHH

such as chronic insomnia. What’s worse: Stress can result from poor sleep. So sleeping poorly or being stressed out can create a vicious cycle and cascading health problems. Both sleep and stress affect emotions, so you might expect low levels of happiness in midlife. Research backs this up. Fewer people are happy during midlife than older and younger groups. Yet it is important to note that midlife also involves growth, including peaks in work productivity, better financial decisionmaking and greater wisdom. Although researchers have been able to identify overall patterns of degraded sleep, increased stress and lower happiness in midlife, experiences vary from person to person. For some people, there may be more growth than decline, or a balance of both. Indeed, some research shows that personal growth is related to well-being during midlife. For now, it is already clear that midlife is a pivotal time that determines the trajectory of aging. That’s why self-care during midlife is especially important, despite the busy schedules brought on by a greater number of roles. It’s hard to overemphasize the value of getting enough sleep and managing stress. Doing these things could help individuals turn a “midlife crisis” into “midlife potential.” THE CONVERSATION

AUTO CO. SENDS WATER TO STORM-STRICKEN AREAS IN VISMIN

BOOSTING efforts to aid hundreds of families adversely affected by Typhoon Odette, Chery Auto Philippines has sent over 30,000 bottles of drinking water to storm-stricken areas in Visayas and Mindanao as part of the brand’s commitment to serving the Filipinos. After the devastation experienced by several regions in southern Philippines due to Typhoon Odette, the company took part in providing immediate relief assistance to affected families, to help them cope while they are slowly rebuilding their lives. “Amid the crisis, we will not let our fellow Filipinos down. We are sending them essential goods, and we are one with them in overcoming this disaster,” said Chery Auto Philippines president Erroll Dueñas.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Pick up the pace and be optimistic about your future. The right attitude will help you convince others to take a chance on you and support your efforts. A change is overdue, and working alongside someone unique is encouraged. HHH

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Keep an open mind, but don’t trust anyone who is exaggerating or controlling. Have confidence in yourself and your ability to get things done. If you count on others, you will be disappointed. Be smart when it comes to spending, investments and savings. HH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A domestic change will be a good investment. There is money to be made and more options to consider. Explore the possibilities, and make whatever move is necessary to secure your financial position. Love and romance are on the rise. HHHHH

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Discuss sensitive issues with care. The information shared may be used against you. Listen and observe to avoid backing yourself into a corner. You’ll accomplish the most if you stick close to home. Take care of your emotional and mental health. HHH

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Pay it forward. Offer to help those who don’t share your attributes. For what you put out, you will receive high returns. A partnership will prove to be lucrative and engaging. Be open to suggestions and quick to offer a unique twist. HHH BIRTHDAY BABY: You are playful, secretive and insightful. You are changeable and progressive.

‘turn! turn! turn!’ BY ROSS TRUDEAU The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Covered the tab 5 One way to become a parent 10 Loops in, briefly 13 Prefix with “directional” 14 Got the standard score in golf 15 With it 16 Turns off 18 “___ got a bad feeling about this” 19 Letter before upsilon 20 Basis for the Apple Watch’s platform 21 Running shoe brand 22 Turns on 26 Less populated 27 Crystal balls, e.g. 28 ___ Stix (sour candy) 29 Turns up 33 Black History Month in the US 34 Org. for athletes who hit a puck 35 Friendly beginning? 37 Turns down 42 “Zounds!” 43 Close to 44 Sullied reputation

46 Turns out 50 Break in relations 51 Madre’s sister 52 Tire gauge letters 53 Ramy actor Mahershala 54 Turns in 59 Butterfly catcher 60 “Just watch me!” 61 Cuisine with pad see ew 62 OB-GYNs, e.g. 63 He goes “Ho ho ho!” 64 Pepper’s partner DOWN 1 Group quarantining together 2 Coy reply to “You must be joking” 3 Helpful connections 4 Relating to food plans 5 “That feels heavenly!” 6 Sink outlet 7 “But you seem to think otherwise...” 8 Where to buy mice...or squeaky mice 9 QB’s successes 10 Official whisky of Manchester United

11 12 14 17 21 22 23 24 25 26 30 31 32 36 38 39 40 41 42 45 46 47 48 49

___ duty (voting, etc.) Say something Windows fan, often Catches “Dancing Queen” band Worked as a secret agent Monetary deductions and credits Name that anagrams to “Arnie” Before, before Abbr. on a beachgoer’s bottle Sounds of understanding First-year West Pointer Cons are pros at running them 41-Down’s “___ to Aphrodite” “___ la vie!” Rodent in some Banksy art Sexy writing Famed poet of Lesbos Starts private work? One tablet, maybe Word before “opening” or “entrance” Fuel ship Towering figure Lacks

54 55 56 57 58

He/him/___ Org. with a 3.4 oz limit for liquids “So THAT’S the answer!” ___ Poly Pomona Baby fox

Solution to today’s puzzle:

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Whoopi Goldberg returns to ‘The View’ after suspension NEW YORK—Whoopi Goldberg returned to The View on Monday after a two-week suspension for remarks about the Holocaust, expressing surprise at some people who had reached out to her during her absence. Goldberg had been criticized for comments January 31 on the daytime talk show where she said the Holocaust was not about race, but rather about man’s inhumanity to others. She apologized, but ABC News president Kim Godwin told her to sit out two weeks. “I want to thank everybody who reached out while I was away,” Goldberg said at the opening of Monday’s show. “I’m telling you, people reached out from places that made me go, ‘Wait, wait, what? Really? OK. I listened to what everybody was saying and I was grateful.” She did not specify any of the people who reached out to her. Jewish leaders had criticized her initial statement, noting that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had referred to Jews as an inferior race. Goldberg apologized online the night she made the remark, and on the next day’s show. “Yes, I am back,” Goldberg said as she took the stage with her cohosts on Monday. “There is something kind of marvelous about being on a show like this because we are The View and this is what we do,” she said. “Sometimes we don’t do it as elegantly as we could. But it’s five minutes to get in information about topics and that’s what we try to do everyday.” She said the hosts will continue to have tough conversations. AP

MAVY LEGASPI and Kyline Alcantara

ABDUL RAMAN and Shayne Sava

GMA CELEBRATION CONTINUES TO SPREAD LOVE, HOPE THIS month, GMA sends virtual hugs to viewers from all parts of the world as the country’s leading broadcast company reinforces the power of being together in the name of love and hope. Although being together physically might still be a challenge as the threats of the pandemic remain, the network urges Filipinos to continue spreading love even at a safe distance and assures that better times are ahead for those who remain hopeful. To make February even more vibrant, a video plug was also released with a cheerful tune, titled “Love and Hope Together.” The song was performed by Thea Astley and Jeremiah Tiangco from The Clash Season 2, with lyrics by Emman Rivera and music by Ann Figueroa. Adding more thrills to the campaign are the newly-launched Sparkle love teams: Mavy Legaspi and Kyline Alcantara; Abdul Raman and Shayne Sava; Allen Ansay and Sofia Pablo; Bruce Roeland and Althea Ablan; and Jamir Zabarte and Zonia Meji.a Real- and reel-life couple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera, as well as Bea Alonzo along with other GMA artists also sent in their messages of hope in this season of love. More information on the network’s latest shows and infotainment can be found at www.gmanetwork. com.

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Friday, February 18, 2022

Quarantining Cinema I

T’S the second year of the pandemic. Not that we are celebrating affliction but filmmakers are doing a take two for the ECQ this 2022. Dubbed the Eksena Cinema Quarantine: Covid-19 Filmmakers’ Diaries 2, this project will feature 16 films chronicling how people have responded to restrictions like lockdowns and the varied if already confusing alert levels issued during the pandemic. These 16 films were made by filmmakers Joseph Andrew Abello, Roberto Acusar Jr., Reyan Christian Amacna, Ara Mina Amor, Mervine Anjelo Aquino, Brian Jonathan Bringuer, Demie Dangla, Jean Claire Dy, Christopher Gozum, Xavier Axl Roncesvalles, Jarell Serencio, Alyssa Mariel Suico, Kevin Van Sulitas, Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay and Richard Jeroui Salvadico, Hubert Tibi, and Jasper Villasis. The following are capsule reviews of these films: Not a Short Film, the work of Joseph Abello, ushers us into how the filmmaker responds to the pandemic. Can the body endure being alone? Can nature be there to support man in his natural state, which is the body in motion? Roberto Acusar’s Pangamut Gayd begins with a long shot of a mountain, and a habal- habal winding its way through a dirt road. Comic is the character but tragic is the reality about how we persist to teach despite the difficulty of making connections—online or even physically. A blind man is isolated because he has been infected with a virus. With plastic sheet protecting the world against him, the man talks with another person at the other side of the sheet. At the end of their quarantine, the two contemplate the world: the blind man listening to the sea and the other person narrating the beauty that can be seen in Reyan Amacna’s Pinitik. A sound brings us into the room of a young man who is playing with his pet, a rooster. Crafted as a kind of parody, Pisti Pandemic by Ara Mina Amor pokes fun at the toxicity of some people during times of emergency, which includes the tendency to hoard. Efforts are made to deal with how the virus has impacted on commerce, with actions indicating how selling and buying went on against the health protocols imposed. Comes the realization: the problem is not about the virus but about capitalism in this work by Mervine Aquino, called Palengke Day. Brian Bringuer’s Mel begins with nostalgia: a vinyl record of a past brings back together a family once more. Drugs not of the healing kind and a virus afflicting the land isolates only sadness but never promises any happy ending. This tribute to a mother and her son allows us to rethink what it is to be locked down with memories. Demie Dangla’s Things I’ll Tell You creates poetry about all kinds of quarantines through fleeting images of travel and escape. What saves this meditation on the pandemic that seems to spiral down to bleakness is the mind pointing to the power of the state used not to solve the riddle of the virus but to insist on its function of control. Structured like a lecture and epistolary, Jean Dy’s film, A Ritual of Affliction, combines live action with animation, expounding on concepts dear to structuralists and ritualists, adding doodles cut and pasted to ruminate on liminality. The lockdown shatters all notions of stability but brings also possibilities. In the documentary of Christopher Gozum, Agno: Memories of a Forgotten River, great floods connect

rivers and streams with histories of deaths and politics. Martial rule is remembered together with the destruction of nature as survival and disappearances. Virus appears to threaten religion in a place where the church, the Dolorosa and the annual procession are as constant as faith. Xavier Roncesvalles lifts simulacra from cinema as a fan becomes both the icon of fame and faith. Nothing can stop a devotee from wearing the vestment of the Sorrowful Virgin as she turns into Anima Sola, “The Lonely Soul,” in a procession that must go on in quest of truth and love, or in quarantine of faithless lies. Alyssa Suico’s See Us Come Together begins like a product placement then turns into a surreal critique of labor practice. The workers form a union and become empowered. Then the pandemic comes. Labor and the welfare of workers are more crucial than the afflictions brought about by the virus. In My Day by Kevin Sulitas, the wide screen is gone; in its place is a small frame. Instead of screen presence, we are feeling a screen absence. Detachment is the order of the day. And there is no way out from a regime that kills. The department of education issues a rule on modules and people are lost. But in Arlie Sumagaysay and Richard Jeroui Salvadico’s Mga Handum na Nasulat sa Baras, three young boys of school age take over the

role of parents and even dream for them. Hope is an ideology in this film. The river is always a metaphor for ecological health or destruction where purity and dirt commingle for eternity. In Hubert Tibi’s Ilog Bikol, the river is a place where used face masks are thrown and, floating, are gathered by a little girl who sees them as playthings and not virus settlements. Sampung Minuto is the time limitation given to filmmaker to make their point about how they would remember the world in isolation when societies demand a reckoning. For Jasper Villasis, moments are metaphors in his film. If loneliness and isolation can be Instagrammable, then Jarell Serencio’s Paris sa akong kasingkasing is the equivalent of beauty in sadness. Is being locked out a choice or a matter of geography and the pandemic? The NCCA-National Committee on Cinema still in partnership with the University of St. La Salle initiates ECQ2 which will feature two omnibus films out of the 16 selected films. According to Rolando Tolentino, present chair of the NCCA-NCC: “In its second year, Eksena Cinema Quarantine is not only a showcase of the best of regional filmmaking but more so, a testament to Filipino filmmakers’ commitment to film as art and Philippine society.” n

Piolo Pascual takes on virtual run challenge to help Odette victims MULTI-AWARDED ABS-CBN actor Piolo Pascual completed the 100-step challenge of SKY’s “Isang Daang Hakbang Sa Pagtutulungan: Kapamilya Virtual Run” and encouraged others to do the same until February 28. “Typhoon Odette wreaked havoc in several parts of our country. Until now, many Filipinos are still struggling and need help. Kapamilya, let us do our part and take that step,” Piolo said as he joined the virtual run, which is part of ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN Foundation’s fundraising efforts for the victims of Supertyphoon Odette. When the virtual run officially began, Piolo further showed his support for the cause by posting a video of himself finishing all 100 steps on his Facebook and Instagram accounts. Participants can take the 100-step challenge by depositing a donation of P100 or P400 to the fundraiser’s BDO (0039300-86136) or BPI (3051-115626) account. They may also send the donation via the Kapamilya Virtual Run’s GCash, PayMaya, or PayPal

QR Code. They can then proceed to www.runrio.com to sign up for the virtual run and submit their proof of donation. Participants can then complete their 100 steps

and share a photo or video of themselves on Facebook and Instagram doing the challenge with the hashtag #100HakbangSaPagtutulungan. If participants want to do more than just taking 100 steps, they can also donate P800 or P1,200 to join the 5K or 10K Top Up Run Categories. Regardless of which virtual run category they choose, all participants will receive an e-badge. Top Up Category runners will receive an additional e-bib and personalized e-certificate. “Isang Daang Hakbang Sa Pagtutulungan: Kapamilya Virtual Run” is organized by SKY in partnership with HBO and History Channel to support ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN Foundation’s “Tulong-Tulong sa Pag-ahon: Isang Daan sa Pagtutulungan,” the second phase of their fund drive for the benefit of Odette survivors. As of February 6, ABS-CBN Foundation has provided aid to 182,110 families with the help of the donations. More information on this virtual run for a good cause can be found at www.mysky.com.ph/100hakbang.

PIOLO PASCUAL

B6 Friday, February 18, 2022

NGCP energizes temporary Bohol-Leyte link

Great stories start at Okada Manila

T‘S the Love Month! And the spirit of Valentine's Day still linger like a sweet perfume even after the 14th. And why not? Celebrating love stories big and small, the old and new, fresh and steady is always a good idea, no matter what the date. Integrated resort Okada Manila is all about celebrating stories. It’s certainly large enough to hold both grand and simple celebrations for everybody within its 42 hectares of space. For this Valentine’s season, Okada Manila makes sure that it has nearly everything for everybody — whether you’re with a lover, your family, friends, or even just flying solo.

Romantic dates and special staycations

THE hotel rooms at Okada Manila are always a wonder to behold. Spacious, well-appointed, luxurious, and with a great view. Go ahead and whisk away your special someone, or even the whole family, and treat them to a staycation here. There’s no need to leave the resort since everything they need is within reach.

Okada Manila has a myriad of dining options and the best of them have cooked up something special for Valentine’s month. From traditional Asian cuisine and European offerings to romantic dates or family feasts, there are a lot to choose from! Even the Lobby Lounge has prepared sweet treats just for the occasion. Speaking of sweet treats, take some time off from the world and give yourself and your date time to relax and unwind at The Retreat Spa. If shopping is your love language, Okada Manila has over eight thousand square meters dedicated to shopping. Stop by The Gift Boutique for souvenirs, and Les Fleurs for a special floral bouquet, because every romantic date needs flowers. And if you’re up for it, bring your date for luck to one of the biggest casino floors in the country. Okada Manila has a number of gaming options at the casino. Have fun, play responsibly, and who knows? You might just get lucky and hit the jackpot. What a story that would make!

True service from the heart

OKADA Manila has been awarded the Forbes five-star for two consecutive years for good reason. Beyond its luxurious and world-class amenities, the integrated resort brings to the table its trademark Japanese hospitality omotenashi which simply means honest and heartfelt service and magokoro which is sincere devotion, a “true heart.” It’s the kind of service that anticipates the guest’s needs and is always ready to serve. Omotenashi and magokoro are the driving principles of Okada Manila’s operations that enabled them to ensure their guest’s safety during the pandemic. The integrated resort has been awarded by Forbes Travel Guide and digital health leader Sharecare the VERIFIED certification badge after assessing Okada Manila’s health and safety protocols. The 3T campaign (True Clean. True Safe. True Heart.) was designed and implemented for everybody’s safety so guests could enjoy Okada Manila with complete peace of mind.

Pacific Cross introduces Travelsafe Tripguard with COVID-19 Coverage

ACIFIC Cross, one of the leading medical and travel insurance providers in the Philippines, has unveiled its latest offering, Travelsafe Tripguard with COVID-19 Coverage, just in time for the summer months. A testament to the company’s commitment to providing reliable and relevant assistance as health and travel restrictions continue to evolve, Travelsafe Tripguard with COVID-19 Coverage offers enhanced benefits for safety and protection.

These benefits include COVID-19 In-Patient Care under the existing Medical Treatment Benefit, Hospital Income Benefit for COVID-19 related hospitalizations, and as well as Trip Termination Benefit if diagnosed with COVID-19 during an overseas or international trip. All these for Pacific Cross Clients’ added protection while still enjoying coverage for 24/7 worldwide emergency assistance, coverage for baggage loss, loss of travel documents, and flight delay, among others.

Schengen approved plans are also available for individuals, families, and groups. Pacific Cross also offers Travel Insurance Plans for foreign nationals traveling to the Philippines for business or tourism purposes, who are required by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to obtain, prior to arrival, a travel insurance for COVID-19 treatment costs, with a minimum coverage of USD 35,000.00 for the duration of their stay.

Tourism on the Upswing

PACIFIC Cross Philippines, launches Travelsafe Tripguard with COVID-19 coverage to keep clients protected as travel restrictions gradually ease.

PACIFIC Cross acknowledges that despite the added steps and requirements to ensure health and safety, gradual ease of restrictions is set to spark an influx of domestic and international travelers. The Department of Tourism (DOT) has reported in January that there has been an increase in domestic travelers in major tourist destinations. In Boracay alone, tourism arrivals ballooned by 1.15 percent with over 170,000 visiting the island in 2021. A separate report by analytics firm Tangere echoes this trend with a reported 7 out of 10 Filipinos desiring to push through with their travel plans for 2022. “As many have been keeping close to home during the course of the pandemic, we understand that going on a trip, whether for work or a vacation, is something Filipinos are looking forward to,” shares Mr. Vic Tanjuakio, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Cross. “We want to ensure that our clients enjoy worry-free travels by providing them with coverage they can count on.” Get yourself and your loved ones a Travelsafe with COVID-19 Coverage plan now. Available online at http:// bit.ly/GetTravelsafe.

T 4:03PM of 9 February 2022, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) successfully completed and energized the two special towers of the Ubay-C.P. Garcia 138kV Line toppled by Typhoon Odette. Through its Emergency Restoration Systems (ERS), a temporary by-pass line was constructed to restore the interconnection of Bohol to Leyte, six days ahead of schedule. Bohol sources about 60 percent of its energy requirements from suppliers within the Visayas Grid through its interconnection to Leyte. The permanent restoration of these towers are ongoing using a new tower design with a higher wind-rating to increase its ability to withstand stronger typhoons. These new and sturdier towers are targeted to be completed by April 2022.

Heart docs: Make heart health a family affair

HE human heart is an amazingly tough and resilient organ. You don’t catch heart disease overnight and you don’t feel the symptoms during early onset. That is why most people push tend to neglect and abuse their hearts. “People tend to forget that what matters most is the heart. Did you know that it takes 40 years to have a heart disease?” said Philippine Heart Association (PHA) President Dr. Gilbert Vilela during a recent webinar via Zoom and Facebook. “We are at W.A.R. (Worsening Atherosclerosis Risk),” PHA docs said. The top three killer diseases in the Philippines in 2020 and 2021 were ischemic heart disease and COVID-19, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PHA). Yet, we have always been scared of COVID which ranked third. Deaths due to ischemia were recorded at 110,332 cases or 18.3 percent of the total deaths in the Philippines The same PSA 2021 data also posted a 28 percent increase of deaths from ishemic heart disease; a 10.8 increase of mortality from stroke and deaths from diabetes was also up by 17.5 percent as compared to 2020. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fats and cholesterol called plaque on the artery walls.

Atherosclerosis leads to ischemia which means reduced blood supply that can trigger a heart attack.

Prevention is still the best option.

LET’S Make Heart Health a Family Affair. Incorporate the new 5-2-1-0-0 (5 servings of vegetables and fruits; 2gms of salt (1 teaspoon); 1 hour exercise; 0 smoking; 0 sugary drinks) into your “family code” In his 52100 presentation, Dr. Rodney Jimenez said that the new 52100 is more relevant and simpler. Making it part of regimen does wonders to your health. It will help occlude the cardiovascular disease menace on its tracks. He said, “Listen to your body. Never downplay angina, which can be a symptom of a heart attack and stroke – such as pain or discomfort in the center of the chest; pain in the arms, left shoulder, back, elbows and jaw; shortness of breath; nausea, vomiting, numbness of one side of the body; loss of balance and coordination, excruciating headache and fainting.” The PHA and the Department of Health were named as the lead agencies in spearheading the yearly celebration of Heart Month which was created by virtue of PD 1096 in 1973. Heart Month is 49 years old.

Make the month of love sweeter with GrabFood Signatures

HIS month of love, GrabFood Signatures offers certified kilig worthy dessert options for you to say ‘I love you’ in more ways than one! Simply open your Grab app, select the GrabFood option, and find a variety of sure dessert options through the ‘Only with GrabFood’ tile. For your constants that you know have your back, show them how much you care with a box filled with love through classic and reliable desserts like Conti’s signature Mango Bravo mini cake or Lola Nena's Classic Cheese Donuts that are sure to tickle their taste buds. For those who have shown us utmost patience and understanding, why not show them how much you appreciate them by treating them to something indulgent? This Valentine’s, surprise them with a slice (or even a whole cake!) of Banapple's Banoffee Pie or Apple Crumble Pie to shower them with

sweetness, plus satisfy their sweet tooth! We all have those people who make our heart skip a beat or flutter! Send them Big Al’s Decadent Chocolate Loaf or Chocolate Croissants from Wildflour Bakes, which are all guaranteed to satisfy their Sweetest Month cravings! Lucky are those who have people who keep life exciting and fun! And if you’re one of them, now is the perfect time to return the favor. Try out Cake2Go’s Devil’s Food Cheesecake or Paper Moon’s Blueberry Cheesecake Mille Crepe for a sweet and lively way to celebrate the special day! Get P80 off and 300 GrabRewards Points with a minimum purchase of P550, just use promocode SIGNATURES. Valid from Monday-Saturday only. Every Sunday of the month, get 20 percent off and earn 300 GrabRewards points with just a minimum spend of P500 with promo code SIGNATURES20

Complement your favorite Sub with the new Subway Meatball Bowl

HAT makes a great relationship is when you complement each other - to be the best of who you are with each other. A relationship that complements brings out the best in you. Just like Subway®’s New Meatball Bowl - it complements your favorite sub and brings out the best as a side. Available for a limited time offer until April 19, 2022, it'll definitely complement your

favorite sub that is a budget-friendly yet tasty side dish. For only PHP 99.00 (in-restaurant price), you can get four meatballs in a bowl with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese on top. Available for dine-in and take out, while for delivery via Grab or Foodpanda at a different price. Order the new Cheesy Meatball bowl #SubwayMBB for your meaty cravings today!

Sports BusinessMirror

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

B No individual medal

PHL DRIBBLERS FACE KOREANS IN FIBA OPENER

for Shiffrin in Beijing

XPECT a different national team to face a vengeanceseeking South Korea squad in the first window of International Basketball Federation (Fiba) World Cup Qualifiers set from February 24 to 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Philippines, ranked three rungs down No. 30 South Korea, square off in the February 24 opener at 6 p.m. with the Koreans hoping to get back at Gilas Pilipinas, then made up of an all-cadets team and coached by Tab Baldwin, beat them twice—81-78 and 82-7—in the Asia Cup qualifiers last June. The Philippines swept their six games in that qualifier. This time around though, Baldwin won’t be around in favor of Chot Reyes and Gilas Pilipinas turns hybrid with a mix of cadets and players from TNT Katropa. The Philippines and South Korea are in Group A of the qualifiers along with New Zealand and India. Gilas takes on No. 80 India on February 25 also at 6 p.m., No. 27 New Zealand on February 27 at 7 p.m. and again South Korea on February 28 at 6 p.m. In Reyes’s pool are Katropa Jayson Castro, Kelly Williams, Jay Alejandro, Ryan Reyes, Gab Banal, Matt GanuelasRosser, JP Erram, Troy Rosario, Carl Bryan Cruz, Brian Heruela, Glenn Khobuntin and Kib Montalbo and NorthPort’s Robert Bolick. Reyes also sent out invites to Dwight Ramos, Thirdy Ravena, Juan Gomez de Liaño, Ange Kouame, Will Navarro, Jaydee Tungcab, Tzaddy Rangel and LeBron Lopez. His final 12 will be announced on the eve of the game against South Korea. Josef Ramos

Batang Pier snap Bolts’ unbeaten run in Govs’ Cup

WO streaks came to a stunning end on Thursday with NorthPort winning its first game after six starts and Meralco absorbing first loss in five games in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Bolts started strong and led by as many as 19 points in the first quarter only to wilt against a spirited Batang Pier attack in the third quarter to yield and hand NortPort a 109-98 victory. “Most of our losses are heartbreaking,” NorthPort head coach Pido Jarencio said. “I’m happy that our import has started to blend well with his teammates so there’s a little bit of chemistry now.” NorthPort was 0-5 won-loss with Cameron Forte as import until Jarencio sent him home in favor of Jamel Artis. Artis shot 8-of-13 from the field to finish with 26 points with eight rebounds, four assists and three steals, an effort that complimented Robert Bolick, who returned to the team on a short contract extension and was efficient all over the court to finish with 22 points, seven rebounds, six steals and three steals. Meralco jumped to a 30-11 lead but saw its advantage slowly melt against an aggressive NorthPort play behind Artis, Bolick, Arwind Santos and Jamie Malonzo. They cut their deficit to only two points at the half and were fearsome in the third quarter where they outscored the Bolts, 34-14. The Batang Pier never looked back after that with Artis, Santos, Troy Rike and even Roy Sumang making rings around the Bolts defense to hold on to the win. Santos had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Malonzo added 14 points, Jerrick Balanza scored 12 points and Troy Rike had 10 points. Tony Bishop led Meralco with 34 points and 15 rebounds and Chris Banchero added 23 points. Josef Ramos

Editor: Jun Lomibao | Friday, February 18, 2021 B7

MIKAELA SHIFFRIN’S latest mistake of the Winter Games comes on Thursday in the second leg of the combined. AP

EIJING—Mikaela Shiffrin came to the Beijing Olympics as one of the biggest stars of Alpine skiing—or any sport. She will leave without any individual medals after managing to finish just two of the five women’s races. Shiffrin’s latest mistake of the Winter Games came Thursday in the second leg of the combined, which adds the times from one downhill run and one slalom run. The American stood fifth after the downhill, certainly in contention for a higher finish, but she encountered trouble after about 10 seconds, missed a gate and ended up landing on her hip. After falling, Shiffrin sat for a few moments in the snow alongside the course. When she eventually rose, she shook her head, then looked up at the hill, as though trying to figure out exactly where things went wrong. On this day—and on others over the past one-and-a-half weeks. It was quite similar to what happened in each of her first two events in China: the giant slalom on February 7, and the slalom on February 9. She didn’t finish those, either, which was particularly

MILLER: I’LL BE BACK! By Josef Ramos

yesterday [slalom],” he said. “I believe it didn’t play well on my part. In ski racing, you have to be 100 percent confident in all you do.” “There was a little bit of hesitation that led to a mistake,” he said. “Yesterday wasn’t my day. I’m not comfortable with my skis, but there will be more races coming up. I’ll be back then.” Miller thanked the Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine delegation here, as well as Filipinos who

ANQING, China—With Beijing done and over with, Asa Miller hopes to earn more experience by competing in as many races as possible for him to qualify for a third consecutive Winter Olympics four years from now in Milano and Cortina in Italy. The 21-year-old FilipinoAmerican’s Beijing campaign didn’t go well. He didn’t finish in men’s giant slalom and slalom of Alpine skiing—although this time he qualified in two events for an improvement in his 70th-place finish in his Games debut in Pyeongchang 2018. The Economics student at Westminster College in Salt Lake City is looking forward to improving his skiing career. “We’ll have to see how things go four years from now, but I’ll certainly be a much stronger and much more developed skier if I continue skiing,” Miller said. “So I’m hoping to make another appearance in the 2026 Olympics, but let’s see what will happen.” He also plans to compete in more races in the United States until April and hopes to continure representing the Philippines. “It’s hard to see what will happen, but I’m more excited to represent the Philippines, maybe in the World Ski Championships next year and some stuff like that,” Miller said. Miller admitted he lost his confidence in the last race due to the course conditions. “So the snow is very slippery and very hard, and I didn’t quite feel 100 percent confident on my skis

ASA MILLER poses with a Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics torch.

ASA MILLER (top middle), American coach Will Gregorak, Nikki Cheng, Kelly Miller, Joebert Yu, Valeriano “Bones” Floro II and Jim Apelar pose for souvenir with the Olympic rings at the Yanqing Olympic Village.

ANQING, China—WHEN Olympic weightlifting gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz prepared, trained and competed in Tokyo last year, she had her own Team HD (for Hidilyn Diaz). Team HD was composed of Chinese coach Kaiwen Gao, strength and conditioning coach and soon-tobe husband Julius Naranjo, sports nutritionist Jeaneth Aro and sports psychologist Dr. Karen Trinidad.

Vietnam 31st SEAG draws longtime sponsor

JINOMOTO Co. Inc. was named as an official sponsor of the 31st Southeast Asian Games set in Vietnam from May 12 to 25. Ajinomoto Co. has been a longtime supporter of the SEA Games. The company was also an official partner of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as a top tier

cheered for him in his campaign. “It was super, super fun and super very grateful and lucky to represent the Philippines despite my competition not ending well,” he said. “I’m still very, very happy representing our country and our flag.” Miller and his father Kelly are taking a breather here after a stressful two-week training. “I want to relax a little bit and see some events that are still happening and I am looking forward to carry the Philippine flag in the closing ceremony,” Miller said.

sponsor for the 30th SEA Games in the Philippines in 2019. Since 2003, Ajinomoto Co. has also been working on the Victory Project to support the conditioning of top-level athletes in Japan and conduct nutritional support activities by utilizing the power of amino acids. The project included the distribution of aminoVITAL products and promotion of the Winning Meals Kachimeshi program. Ajinomoto’s Kachimeshi or “Winning Meals” concept aims to support elite athletes in building winning physiques for optimum performance. The Victory Project rolled out in 2018 six Ajinomoto Group Companies in the ASEAN region, one of which is Ajinomoto Philippines

Corporation (APC) Group. The APC Group imparted Winning Meals Kachimeshi support to Philippines’s top karate athlete Junna Tsukii who won gold medal in women’s kumite (50 kg) in the 2019 SEA Games. As sponsor of the highest rank in this year’s SEA Games, Ajinomoto plans to amplify its initiatives to support Filipino athletes as well as other regional players throughout the games. “Ajinomoto aims to realize greater wellness for people around the world,” APC Public Relations, Marketing and Sales Director Hironori Aoki said. “This includes providing nutrition and nutrition education support to our national athletes to support them in realizing their full potential.”

No less than Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez agrees that molding a champion requires an entire team of coaches and doctors, saying it’s the recipe for success. Asa Miller, as the country’s sole representative to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, didn’t have the same Team HD here, but the two-time 21-year-old Olympian had a squad of supporters for his campaign. Valeriano “Bones” Floro II led Miller’s entourage as the country’s chef de mission to the Games. With Floro are Philippine Ski and Snowboard Federation (PSSFI) President Jim Apelar, Philippine Skating Union President Nikki Cheng and Athlete’s Welfare Officer Joebert Yu. Add Miller’s dad Kelly and his American coach Will Gregorak and you have a Team Miller. Each member of the team makes sure everything is in place for Miller—from training to competition, uniforms and equipment checks, testing for Covid-19, schedules, IDs to matters involving plane tickets. All were appointed to the task led by Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino. “The FIS [International Ski Federation] is very sensitive in dealing with Olympic matters that’s why I’m here for daily

stunning because they are her best events and because she is lauded by other skiers, past and present, for her technique and ability to complete the courses. She claimed gold in the slalom at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the giant slalom at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, where she also took home a silver in the combined. But none of that sort of top-level talent or big-moment gumption was on display at the National Alpine Skiing Center in the brown, craggy mountains of Yanqing zone about 90 kilometers northwest of central Beijing. In addition to ending up with “Did Not Finish” next to her name on three results sheets, she was ninth in the super-G last Friday, then 18th in the downhill on Tuesday. Shiffrin has said she plans to appear in a sixth race on Saturday, when the Alpine schedule concludes with a team event that was added to the Olympics four years ago. The owner of three overall World Cup titles finished ninth in the super-G last Friday and 18th in the downhill on Tuesday. Those were her Olympic debuts in those disciplines. The slalom course was set by Mike Day, Shiffrin’s main coach with the US ski team, but that did not help her one bit this time in an event that has been by far her best for years. She won a gold medal in that discipline at age 18 in 2014, and her 47 career World Cup slalom victories are more than any other racer has won in any discipline. AP

Team PHL gets task done well in Beijing Winter Games

documentation, monitoring or for any other daily matters for Asa,” said the US-based Apelar. “There’s the FIS passport which tells an athlete if he has submitted all documents like Covid-19 requirements.” Apelar said, who was also billeted beside the room of the Millers. “Everything went well for Asa’s campaign,” added Apelar, who also said that the PSSFI is campaigning for a regular membership with the POC. Yu, secretary general of the Philippine Esports Organization, was given a rare and privileged task to help Miller in his Olympic campaign. He attended to the team’s logistical needs. “I was there everyday for Asa. If he needed something, I’m the runner,” Yu said. “I inform the host assistants or volunteers about his needs.” Cheng was the team’s Covid-19 Liaison Officer whose responsibility was to make sure everyone got tested everyday and follow rules in the Olympic bubble called by the Chinese as “closed loop.” “RT-PCR testing is very consistent,” she said. For Floro, it was systematic work for the entire 21 days that the team was here. “It’s really a never ending learning experience when you see the highest level of conducting the Games,” said Floro, who was also the country’s chef de mission to the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne. “They’re [hosts] really professional and they are on time so you will learn more,” said Floro, one of 90 chiefs of mission in the Games. Floro and co. flew back home on Friday morning, while the Millers stayed behind to attend Sunday’s closing ceremony. Josef Ramos

Motoring BusinessMirror

Henry Ford Awards Best Motoring Section 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 2011 Hall of Fame

Friday, February 18, 2022

Editor: Tet Andolong • www.businessmirror.com.ph

Ford brings in the all-new F-150 diesel variant A

Story & photos by Randy S. Peregrino

FTER revealing the new generation Ranger, Ford Philippines continues to boost its pickup truck lineup in the country by introducing the all-new F-150 diesel variant. The globally-renowned pickup truck is currently the most potent and purpose-built full-size truck in its lineup, reinforcing its segment leadership in the country. Since its introduction, the F-150 defined the global standard in trucks with its unmatched robustness and productivity. According to Ford, the latest generation model takes these iconic qualities to the next level with its unmistakably tough design, powerful performance, classleading capabilities, and a suite of advanced intelligent and safe technologies. Moreover, it sets the standard in full-size trucks with its tough design and capabilities, powerful

performance, and advanced technologies for comfort and safety. “The all-new F-150 is a formidable addition to our truck lineup and will continue to strengthen our truck leadership in the country. Purpose-built from the ground up, the all-new F-150 is redesigned to be the toughest and most productive F-150 ever. Our deep understanding of truck customers reflects in the new features available on the all-new F-150 that help

With functional and smart features rear cargo bed

The all-new F-150 Lariat Diesel 4x4 variant take productivity to the next level,” said Michael Breen, managing director, Ford Philippines.

Tough look, premium experience

The all-new F-150 comes with unique features such as LED cargo box lighting with zone lighting and power-deployable running boards with kick switches. Moreover, LED reflector headlamps with dynamic bending, LED fog lamps with cornering lamps, configurable daytime running lights, and LED tail lamps are standard. It sports 20-inch multi-spoke dark alloy-painted aluminum wheels with

275/60R20 series BSW all-terrain tires. Inside is a completely redesigned cabin exuding style, comfort, utility, and technology, built around the functional needs of truck customers. Highlighted in the center dash is the massive 12-inch digital instrument cluster screen. Another is a nifty folding shifter (button-operated) to create more space in the center console. Other notable amenities are a Remote Keyless Entry System, Accessory delay for power features, Dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control, and Power-adjustable pedals with memory features. Of course, there is the twin-panel moonroof. Sporty seats are wrapped in premium leather with heating and ventilation functions for a more premium feel. The rear seats, meantime, also come with premium leather wrapping and heating. It is a 60/40 split with a one-touch flip-up function and a folding armrest with cupholders.

Turbodiesel power

Responding to the clamor among customers and enthusiasts for a diesel, Ford Philippines responded by bringing in the all-new F-150 Lariat Diesel 4x4 variant. The all-new F-150 now propels on a 3.0-liter 4-Valve DOHC Power Stroke® V6 Turbo Diesel with Auto Start-Stop Technology. This new mill generates a whopping 249 horsepower, and 596 N-m of maximum torque mated a 10-speed SelectShift® Automatic Transmission with Progressive Range Select and Selectable Drive Modes.

Completely redesigned interior.

Ford Philippines

Smart and safe features

The all-new F-150 is also equipped with a comprehensive selection of smart and safe features that optimize the driving experience for both drivers and passengers. The allnew SYNC 4 is standard for connectivity and productivity. Moreover, there are wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity functions. It also comes with a B&O® Sound System by Bang & Olufsen® with eight speakers, including a subwoofer, a 12-inch LCD center touchscreen, and six USB charging ports. As for safety, the Ford Co-Pilot360 TM 2.0, the company’s most up-to-date safety suite of technologies, comes standard. It is composed of Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with

Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Keeping System (LKS), Auto-High Beam headlamps, Reverse Sensing System, Reverse Brake Assist, and Post-Collision Braking. There is also Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go, Lane Centering, Speed Sign Recognition, and Evasive Steering Assist under Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist TM 2.0. For added convenience, a 360-Degree Camera is standard and now comes with Active Park Assist TM 2.0. The all-new F-150 Lariat Diesel 4x4 variant is now available in Ford dealerships nationwide at a starting retail price of P3.398 million. Available colors are Agate Black Metallic, Iconic Silver Metallic, Lead Foot, Oxford White, Rapid Red Metallic, Velocity Blue Metallic, and Carbonized Gray Metallic.

January sales dip a given for more details.

MG on zero DP

O reason to panic. The 11.2-percent decline in the January sales of 20,765 as compared to the 23,380 units sold in the same period last year was almost expected. The same is true in the month-on-month double-digit decrease of 25.4 percent from the 27,846 units sold in December 2021, which was the highest monthly sales since the pandemic struck in March 2020. It is almost a given that every first month of the year will record a downtrend in sales due to the “spending fatigue” triggered traditionally by the Christmas season. Said Rommel Gutierrez, the president of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI): “The industry anticipated a bleak growth last month where historically every first month of the year is sluggish due to a growth sales performance every holiday season.” Gutierrez, a lawyer holding a key position at Toyota Motor Philippines, also blamed the re-imposition of restrictions in January amid a surge of Covid-19, “resulting in a lukewarm reception” for

big-ticket items spending. Gutierrez said, “The pandemic is something that the industry will have to continue dealing with during these uncertain times, just like other industries, even with the rollout of the vaccines. Hopefully, the Covid-19 will be contained in the foreseeable future so we can all get back on track to recovery.” He’s got a point as the country continues to enjoy an almost steady stream of alert Level 2—admittedly seen as the barometer spinoff to a full economic rebound.

Lexus promos

LEXUS is offering discounts up to Feb. 28 from 30 percent to 50 percent down payment with zero interest for up to 36 months to its models RX 450h (P5,398,000), RX 350 F Sport (P5,158,000) and RX 350 (P4,498,000). Buyers of the IS F Sport (P3,808,000), UX 200 F Sport (P3,378,000) and UX 200 (P2,658,000) will get a free 2-year periodic maintenance. Call Jade B. Sison at +639155020363

FOR as low as P18k down payment, you can drive home the MG ZS MT Style Crossover SUV, says Chino Subido of MG Philippines, a Covenant subsidiary headed by the energetic lawyer Albert Arcilla. What a terrific offer. But there’s more. “Opt for a zero down payment plan and be the proud owner of a brand-new MG 5 Alpha Sedan, or MG RX5 Alpha SUV,” Subido says. If you buy in cash, your discount can run up to P238,888 on the MG 6 Trophy Fatback Sedan; P198,888 on the MG RX5 Alpha SUV, and P55k on the MG 5 Core Sedan which has an SRP of only P658,888. A 5-year or 100,000-km warranty, whichever comes first, and a 1-year free periodic maintenance service are also up for grabs. Call Chino/MG Philippines hotline +639285209022 for more details. PEE STOP Kudos to Isuzu Pasig for being both the 2021 Dealer of The Year and sales operations frontrunner of Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC). Elenita Go of Isuzu Makati is 2021 Sales Executive of The Year. Cabanatuan is tops in service operations and Bulacan excelled in parts operations. In his speech, Isuzu president Hajime Koso said: “We need to evolve into a company that creates economic values and addresses environmental concerns without harming our natural resources.” Cheers!