BusinessMirror February 23, 2024 by BusinessMirror

Neda: Wage hike to reverse economic gains By Cai U. Ordinario

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HOUSANDS of Filipinos could lose their jobs, and the economy could suffer significant losses due to the proposed P100 wage hike, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda). In an online forum on Thursday, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said the P100 wage hike could render 100,000 to 340,000 Filipinos jobless.

Given this, Balisacan said GDP growth could be reduced by 0.1 percentage points (ppts) to as much as 0.5 ppts, which he considered “significant.” “Our position at Neda is that it’s not the right time. You see, we are working very hard to sustain the momentum in reducing inflation to the target of 2 percent to 4 percent. And the last thing we want is to reverse those gains that we have achieved over the last several months now,” Balisacan said.

Balisacan said the country’s unemployment rate could increase by 0.2 ppts to 0.7 ppts. This could also lead to an increase in inflation by 0.2 ppts to as much as 0.8 ppts. The extent of the impact will greatly depend on how the wage hike will be implemented. The impact will be less severe if it covers only minimum wage workers. However, Balisacan said the impact will worsen if wage distortions are addressed. Earlier, Neda Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon said micro,

small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) would not be able to cope with the increase in wages, especially if it creates wage distortions. (See: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2024/02/20/neda-msme-cant-copewith-p100-wage-hike/). “We are not saying that we are against any increases in wages. In fact, we would want improvement in wages but we would rather have those wages negotiated at the regional level,” Balisacan said.

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business

See “Neda,” A2

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25 BPS RATE CUT IN H2, AFTER FED, SEEN LIKELY www.businessmirror.com.ph

By Reine Juvierre Alberto @reine_alberto

HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is expected to slash policy interest rates in the second semester of the year by not more than 25 basis points to avoid volatility, an official from Sun Life Investment Management and Trust Corporation (SLIMTC) said on Thursday.

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TEE TIME RETREAT

Caught in the blaze of an unforgiving sun, a golf course worker seeks solace in the shade of a mighty tree. With Pagasa’s cautionary forecast of a robust El Niño lingering till May 2024, it’s crucial to prioritize safety and well-being. Stay cool and consult healthcare professionals for any heat-related concerns. NONIE REYES

SLIMTC Chief Investment Officer Ritchie Teo said the country's central bank will await and follow the actions of the US Federal Reserve (Fed) when it starts to cut the policy interest rates in the early second half of the year. See “BPS,” A2

BOI WANTS ‘CARS-LIKE’ PERKS FOR AUTO SECTOR IN CREATE By Andrea E. San Juan

@andreasanjuan

HE Board of Investments (BOI) is pushing for the integration of “CARS-like” incentives into the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) law to make the auto sector more attractive to investors. The inclusion of similar perks under the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) program of the government in CREATE

will hasten the process of providing incentives to investors and expand the menu of perks for the auto sector, according to the agency. Elvin Raymond Garcia, Supervising Investment Specialist for Heavy Industry Division of Manufacturing Industry Services at the BOI, said the agency is targeting to streamline the process of providing incentives for investors in the automotive industry. See “BOI,” A2

Amid global disruptions, PHL still safe for investors: PBBM By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

R ESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said the country remains a safe investment destination amid prevailing disruption in the global supply chain. The chief executive made the assurance during the courtesy call of Honolulu City Council delegation and participants of the 31st Trade Mission of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii (FCCH) and Hawaii Philippines Business Economic Council (HPBEC) in Malacañang on Thursday.

“And in terms of cost, as well, I mean, all of these, the supply chain problems that we’ve been encountering around the world, those are the problems that we have tried to remedy and to alleviate. And I think that we have succeeded to an extent,” Marcos said. Last month, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) warned how trade disruptions in the Red Sea, Black Sea, and the Panama Canal can cause a surge in the energy and food prices. See “Amid,” A2

PESO exchange rates n US 56.0020 n japan 0.3726 n UK 70.7977 n HK 7.1606 n CHINA 7.7883 n singapore 41.6682 n australia 36.6813 n EU 60.5998 n KOREA 0.0420 n SAUDI arabia 14.9526 Source: BSP (February 22, 2024)

News BusinessMirror

A2 Friday, February 23, 2024

Neda… Continued from A1

The Neda Secretary explained that regions’ economic conditions vary, making it easier to address the nuances of labor markets in various parts of the country, which are better addressed through regional wage boards. The Regional Tripartite Wage Boards could consider nuances and differences in the labor market and economic conditions in these areas. Meanwhile, in its Asia Pacific Outlook, Moody’s Analytics said the Philippines GDP may breach 6 percent in two years. The latest forecast of Moody’s Analytics shows the Philippine economy is projected to grow by 5.8 percent in 2024 and 2025 but it will be able to hit 6.3 percent in 2026. Inflation is expected to average 3.4 percent this year and 3 percent in 2025 and 2026. This is already within the inflation targets of 2 to 4 percent. In terms of jobs, Moody's Analytics said the unemployment rate could average 4.8 percent in 2024 and 2025. This will be lower at 4.7 percent in 2026. For retail sales, the growth is expected to average 5.6 percent in 2024 but is expected to slow to 3.5 percent in 2025 and 2.9 percent in 2026. Moody’s Analytics said the home price index in the country could average 5.7 percent in 2024 and will slow to 2.6 percent next year. However, this will increase again to 4.4 percent in 2026.

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DOF chief pushes passage of 2 bills on capital markets

HE Department of Finance (DOF) is pushing for the passage into law of the Capital Market Efficiency Promotion Bill and the Capital Market Development Bill in its bid to boost the country’s capital market.

“I assure you of our strong commitment to implementing capital market reforms that enhance investor protection, corporate governance, shareholder centrality, and broader investor participation,” Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said in a reception hosted by the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on Wednesday. The Capital Market Efficiency Promotion Bill, which seeks to democratize access to capital investments, was approved on second reading by the House of Representatives. (See: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2023/12/13/capital-markets-efficiencybill-sent-to-house-plenary/).

The House bill also proposes a reduction of the current 25-percent dividend tax rate to 10 percent. The Capital Market Development Bill, meanwhile, seeks to address the stagnation of the current private pension system and in the process, develop a “dynamic and diversified” domestic capital market. The House Committee on House Ways and Means approved on September 5 the proposal which will reduce the tax on stock transactions from 0.6 percent to 0.1 percent of stock value and expand the definition of shares of stock to include options, derivatives and shortselling. (See: https://businessmirror.com.

ph/2023/09/05/capital-marketdevelopment-bill-to-aid-government-pooled-funds/).

Amending LBP and DBP

The DOF chief is also keen on amending the charters of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) for a possible public listing to broaden the capital market. Earlier, Recto said the country is “better off with two of them,” and signalled that the supposed merger of the two state-run banks will get low priority. Despite the two banks’ contribution to the Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC), Recto said he is confident the banks will meet their capital requirements. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/02/13/ landbank-dbp-will-meet-capital-requirements-rec to/ ).

Other DOF measures

Recto also said the DOF will ensure a “swift and efficient” approval process at the Securities and Ex-

change Commission (SEC) of public listings to further encourage the growth of enterprises. The DOF is also pushing for the passage of its refined proposal on Package 4 of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP) to yield positive revenue collection and to meet the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) in 2028. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/01/30/dofbacks-pifita-says-to-help-phlmeet-targets/). Recto also pushed the PSE to fully digitalize the processes across the board to modernize systems and introduce more innovations to expand market capitalization. “With the help of the PSE, I look forward to building the Philippine capital market into a platform where more small companies and wage earners become shareholders,” Recto said. The PSE is a self-regulatory organization and the only stock exchange in the country. Reine Juvierre Alberto

Amid… Continued from A1

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), however, reported the inflation rate slowed down in January to 2.8 percent from 8.7 percent year-on-year. It attributed the improvement to some factors including the "easing of supply constraints affecting key commodities." Marcos also noted his administration is engaged in cutting red tape and making government processes more transparent to make the country more attractive to investors.

“We will continue to work in that direction because again trade is important to us,” he said. T he President said he hopes businesses from Hawaii will consider investing in the country. “I think I see many grand opportunities and I thank you for coming, and to explore those opportunities and try to make them into a reality for the betterment of both Hawaii and your partners here in the Philippines,” Marcos said.

BPS…

Continued from A1

“[It’s] probably good to say they will only cut when [the] Fed cuts. They will wait for the Fed so probably that’s on the latter part. Not in April, maybe in June or early second half,” Teo said in a media conference during SLIMTC’s market outlook presentation. Teo added that the consecutive meetings of BSP to continue cutting the rates would be about the consideration of timing because of the possible risks, such as the United States elections in November this year. Earlier, Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto told reporters that no further rate hikes are expected, now that inflation has slowed to within the BSP’s expectations. In Ja nu a r y, inf l at ion slowed to 2.8 percent, which is within the BSP’s 2 to 4 percent target, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/02/06/ inflation-slows-to-2-8-in-januaryslowest-since-october-2020-psa/). However, the P100 national wage increase could propel a possible rate hike by the BSP and could lead to “damaging effects” on the

economy, according to local economists. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/02/19/ higher-wages-impact-rate-hikesme-damage/). The BSP, meanwhile, said inf lation cou ld increase anew and post an average higher than the target range in the second quarter due to the impact of El Niño weather conditions and positive base effects. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/02/07/ bsp-only-a-sustained-dip-in-prices-justifies-an-easing/). The second-quarter increase in interest rates due to El Niño, in Teo’s opinion, is low in terms of probability. “It’s very low that’s why we’re talking about rate cuts. They’ve been on hold since November, the Fed has been on hold since September, so we think they’re really on hold despite inflation coming down already,” Teo said. The reason behind this, Teo added, is because the BSP does not want to see another uptick such as that seen last year. “So I think inflation may pick up because there’s still El Niño but I don’t think that’s something that will make them hike [rates],” he added.

BOI… Continued from A1

“By putting in those CARS-like incentives, we can then offer that without going through the process of executive orders, requesting budget for the taxpayer certificate scheme then having to be approved by the FIRB [Fiscal Incentives Review Board],” Garcia told reporters during a press briefing in Pasay City on Thursday. “BOI,on its own, can directly provide this type of incentives to our investors, which the participants on the CARS program said are very generous in comparison to the income tax holiday scheme,” he added. Garcia noted, however, that this is just an “advocacy” of the BOI since House Bill 4206, which aims to strengthen the motor vehicle manufacturing industry in the country, is still with the House Committee on Ways and Means. Citing the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI), Garcia said the Philippines has to go beyond offering the income tax holiday under the CREATE law if it is keen on expanding the local auto industry. “Atty. Rommel Gutierrez of Campi said income tax holiday is not enough to level up…but CARS-like incentives may be the solution,” he added. Apart from having tough competitors in the Asean region, Garcia said the type of incentives being offered by the Philippines may be hindering the entry of new players into the local auto industry. “The type of perks being offered may be a hindrance, but again marami tayong competition sa Asean. Maybe other factors may affect the decision,” he said. “At the end of the day, it's a business decision, whether they will locate here or in a more supply-rich country like Thailand or Indonesia...where the supply chain is more complete,” he added. CARS is a government stimulus program that aims to revive the country’s declining manufacturing sector by specifically targeting the automotive industry, given its strong linkages to other industries and its so-called multiplier effect. Garcia said the CARS program under Executive Order 182 provides “fixed investments and production volumes” incentives. Under the CARS program, there are two participating car manufacturers (PCMs). These are Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) and Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMPC). Both car manufacturers are expected to deliver their commitments under the program by 2024. Mitsubishi enrolled the Mirage G4 while Toyota enrolled its Vios model in the CARS program. The program mandates a minimum production goal of 200,000 units for a maximum of six years, or the life span of the particular model enrolled. In 2022, however, Campi President Rommel Gutierrez said the CARS program has to be extended until 2027 so it can achieve the objectives of the program. (Full story here: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2022/12/22/cars-produced-207kvehicles/)

Friday, February 23, 2024

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

PNP-ACG rounds up 131 suspected cybercriminals in 2022, 2023 ops

H E P h i l i p p i n e N at i o n a l Po l i c e A n t i - Cy b e r c r i m e G r o u p ( P N PACG) announced Thursday that it had arrested 131 individuals allegedly connected with online fraud during operations conducted in 2022 and 2023. “Among these, 66 were captured in meticulously executed entrapment operations, while 65 were caught based on warrants of arrest,” it added. The PNP-ACG also reported that it had filed 284 cases for violation of Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code, commonly referred to as “swindling/estafa” in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act 10175, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Online scams represent a pervasive and

evolving threat in the digital age. Cybercriminals often target users through email, social media, or other online platforms, luring them with promises of easy money, prizes, or false information. “One of the concerning aspects of online scams is the ability of the cybercriminals to adapt and proliferate rapidly. They often utilize fictitious accounts and identities, making them hard to be identified,” the PNP-ACG noted. Despite these challenges, the law enforcement group is undeterred and is employing sophisticated techniques and collaborating with stakeholders to effectively trace, apprehend, and prosecute these individuals. Rex Anthony Naval

PAF deploys chopper to help fight 2 forest fires in Benguet

HE Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Wednesday night announced that one of its “Super Huey” helicopter was deployed to fight two forest fires, one at Mount Camisong in Itogon, Benguet, and another in Barangay Adonot, Bokod, Benguet. In a statement, PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said the aircraft was operated by the 505th Search and Rescue Group and was used in dousing the forest through heli-bucket operations. “Performing a series of heli-bucket operations, the aircraft collected water from the Sto. Tomas Water Reservoir and Banao River,” she said. Castillo added that Tactical Operations Group 1 under the Tactical Operations Wing Northern Luzon of the PAF, has been coordinating with the Civil Defense

Cordillera, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and other local government agencies, to discuss fire suppression strategies. “No casualties have been reported, while the BFP is still determining the cause of fire,” she added. Also, on the same day, two helicopters from Tactical Operations Group facilitated the airlift of 210 boxes of relief supplies to areas severely affected by recent floods and landslides in the Davao Region. “Utilizing one B-412 CUH and one UH1H, the PAF was able to transport relief supplies to Sitio New Dahican in Barangay Old Macopa, Manay, Davao Oriental,” Castillo said. She added that the PAF’s relief operations underscore its commitment to serving communities during times of disasters and calamities. Rex Anthony Naval

House sets investigation into impact of Sen. Imee’s 4Ps fund ‘realignment’ By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

OUSE Deputy Speaker David Suarez announced Thursday that the lower chamber is poised to investigate the controversial P13-billion budget “realignments” for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and assess the degree of impact on 4.3 million Filipinos, or 900,000 impacted families. Emphasizing the oversight responsibilities of the House, Suarez stressed the need to investigate these budget realignments to assess their impact on the program and the actual number of affected Filipinos and households.

“Now, given the recent disclosure we uncovered a few days ago, it is imperative for the House to investigate, firstly, the effects on the program. Secondly, we need to ascertain how many millions of Filipinos and households have been affected by this fund reallocation within the program,” Suarez said. Suarez also asked Senator and presidential sister Imee Marcos to clarify to the public her actions regarding the reallocation of around P13 billion from the 4Ps fund in the previous year to other social amelioration programs. Suarez emphasized that given Sen. Marcos’ admission of reducing the 4Ps budget for the “poorest of the poor” in the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA), she should address allegations that similar actions might have

occurred in previous years. “In light of Senator Marcos admitting to cutting funds for 4Ps, the question is, how many millions of Filipinos were affected by the reduced funding? The bigger question is, how many millions of Filipinos and households were affected by the transfer of funds, and it seems this may not have only happened in 2023,” Suarez pointed out. S en. Marcos, acknowledging her recommendation to reallocate approximately P8 billion from 4Ps to other DSWD programs, explained the rationale behind the decision during the 2023 national budget deliberations in 2022. Suarez contended that the 4Ps program, established by Republic Act (RA) No. 11310,

is not merely a discretionary project but a legal mandate with specific beneficiaries and objectives. But Suarez argued that the 4Ps program is not just some government aid project that lawmakers can tinker with as it is based on a law, Republic Act (RA) No. 11310, or the 4Ps Act. “Let’s not forget, 4Ps is a law. It’s not just a regular program, it’s not just a project that comes and goes. It’s a law. It has specific beneficiaries. It has specific objectives, and therefore the funding has to be secured to support the intent of the program,” Suarez explained. Earlier, Assistant Minority Leader and 4PS Party-list Rep. JC Abalos II appealed to Sen. Marcos not to cut the budget of the 4Ps program under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) again. He said that with the budget cut made by the Senate, there was considerable delay in giving the cash grant to the beneficiaries.

Ombudsman probes current, past LTO officials linked in ₧3.14-B LTMS mess By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

HE Land Transportation Office (LTO) is now working with the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate current and past officials in regard to the P3.14-billion Land Transportation Management System (LTMS). According to LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza II, the agency is now in close coordination with the Ombudsman to “enforce accountability” against LTO officials involved in the project. “We are coordinating with the Ombudsman because there are a lot of officials of the LTO involved in this contract that are no longer with LTO. We are coordinating with the Ombudsman precisely in order to enforce accountability—if any,” he said. The LTMS project is Component A within the larger framework of the P8.2-billion Road

IT Infrastructure Project of the Department of Transportation (DOTr). German technology firm Dermalog and local collaborators, including Holy Family Printing Corp., Microgenesis, and Verzontal Builders Inc., won the deal in May 2018. During a congressional hearing Tuesday, Social Amelioration and Genuine Intervention on Poverty (SAGIP) Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta called for the cancellation of the contract, citing the latest Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) of the Commission on Audit (COA). The findings from the AOM revealed a discrepancy in the delivery timeline for key milestones within the LTMS project, surpassing the permissible time extension as outlined in the Government Procurement Manual Volume 2. Despite granting several deadline extensions, the COA has disclosed that Milestones

1 and 3 under the LTMS experienced delays, stretching from an initial 165 days to a substantial 756 days, respectively. The COA also flagged the LTO for “undue payments” to the joint venture, noting that the agency paid the contractor despite not meeting milestones listed on the terms of reference (TOR). Furthermore, Marcoleta also cited issues in the system that impede the LTO from transacting with the public in real time without Dermalog’s assistance. With this, Marcoleta said the LTO can “legally rescind” the LTMS contract. Dermalog Project Director Till Dunkel said the LTMS “appears...like the problem child of the family,” but it is the “solution.” “We are at 97 percent usage of the LTMS at the moment and just to put this into perspective we have 30,000 driver licenses issued per day amounting to 28 million in

total. We have around 70,000 to 80,000 car registrations per day. We have around 100,000 to 110,000 cash transactions done in LTMS. We have 31 million users of LTMS that have access to their accounts,” Dunkel said. To recall, the LTO decided in 2023 to use its old information technology system supplied by Stradcom alongside the new LTMS supplied by Dermalog. This required a consolidation and incorporation of historical data for data migration. Stardom President Anthony Quiambao said the company has already made its database submission to the LTO 10 times since 2019. Mendoza said the LTO plans to pursue a “full government takeover” of the LTMS from Dermalog. By bringing the system under complete government control, he said, the LTO can expedite the resolution of technical issues previously raised by the COA.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • www.businessmirror.com.ph

Friday, February 23, 2024

Looking bright: FFCCCII outlines key initiatives for sustained growth

HE Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) expressed optimism about the country’s economic growth in the auspicious Year of the Wood Dragon, notwithstanding the challenges faced in the past two years, particularly the impact of inflation due to geopolitical uncertainties, trade restrictions, and calamities. Despite global economic slumps reported in various countries, FFCCCII president Dr. Cecilio Pedro recently emphasized the resilience of the Philippine economy, rooted in positive macroeconomic fundamentals. In his recent speech at the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) “Prospects of the Philippines” Forum held at the Manila Hotel, Pedro delivered a speech outlining 12 key initiatives for the sustained growth and inclusivity of the Philippine economy. These are continuous business reforms, empowering local manufacturing, revitalizing export industries, securing affordable and stable energy, accelerating digitalization, modernizing agriculture, in infrastructure development, boosting tourism as a pillar of the Philippine economy, investment in globally competitive education, social development initiatives, political and social stability, and global economic cooperation. Dr. Pedro, the founder of Lamoiyan Corp., maker of the popular Hapee toothpaste, Pedro also emphasized the diverse programs and projects implemented by FFCCCII, ranging from economic and social initiatives to cultural and educational endeavors. Notable projects include barrio school donations, free medical and dental missions, calamity relief operations, and support for Filipino Chinese volunteer fire brigades. Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

DOE: No projected power shortage during summer, but energy conservation a must By Lenie Lectura @llectura

HE Depar tment of Energy (DOE) once again assured that there is no projected shortage of power supply during summer months when electricity demand is at its peak. DOE officials, however, told power consumers it would be best to adhere to the practice of energy conservation. “Based on the power outlook presented to us, every week we have a power outlook, we don’t see any occurrence of yellow or red alerts,” said DOE Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said Thursday. Yellow alerts are issued when the level of power reserve in the grid is low, while red alerts are declared when actual power supply against demand is insufficient and power interruptions are imminent. Still, she urged Filipinos to apply energy conservation practices because the DOE’s projection is anchored on certain assumptions. “One of the things that we are counting on is for our countrymen to conserve electricity. Because we have forecasted their consumption, but if they go beyond the forecast, of course, we will have problem. That’s why we are saying, let us maintain our conservation of energy,” Guevara stressed. Even Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla assured that there is “adequate supply right

now,” but continuous monitoring, particularly on hydro power plants, should be done. “The dams, at the start of this period, they had good and adequate water supply. But we’ve had to limit also the use for power because the agriculture sector has had an increased need for irrigation. So, we’re monitoring closely the rate at which the usage for irrigation is also depleting the volumes for power use. And exploring ways by which we can have the water being released for irrigation being used for power. Because the use of water for hydropower is non-consumptive. In other words, you don’t consume the power that goes into the power turbines. So, the same power can be used for irrigation and there must be a way to better complement this,” Lotilla explained. Based on the agency’s power supply and demand outlook, Guevara said the supply margin for Luzon grid is currently pegged at about 300 to 700 megawatts (MW). “We look at the worst case…The only possible thing that might happen is that you might have to run the more expensive plants then power rates would certainly go higher but then it’s worse than no electricity at all,” she said. The DOE has since been advocating for energy conservation even if there is an ample power supply. “President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has emphasized the need to expand and deepen

the practice of energy and conservation to mitigate power demand. He appealed to Filipinos to conserve energy and create a culture of responsible usage of electricity as power supply projections may still change, even if we have adequate projection, due to extreme temperatures during the height of summer that will be exacerbated by El Niño,” Lotilla had said. “Let’s continue to work on energy efficiency and conservation. Because that would really help us in addressing the cost. We don’t have to run the diesel-fired and the oil-based power plants which usually increase the rates,” he added. The Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance (PE2) earlier lauded the DOE for issuing policies that are meant to reclassify and adjust the consumption thresholds of designated establishments. The group was referring to three DOE circulars reclassifying designated establishments in the commercial, industrial and transport sectors, adjusting their thresholds, and providing compliance guidelines. “The new DOE department circulars support the overarching objective of making the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act more inclusive by capturing medium-sized private energy end-users under the policy mandate and obligations of designated establishments in the commercial, industrial and transport sectors. The clean energy transition toward more efficient use of energy can be accelerated if the country captures a wider segment of energy end-use economy,” said PE2.

75 LGUs to receive DILG funding for water supply, sanitation upgrade

OME 75 local government units (LGU) across the country will be receiving P13.33 million each for the improvement and

upgrade of their water supply and sanitation facilities, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced on Wednesday. DILG Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos, in a statement, said the funds would come from the Support and Assistance Fund to Participatory Budgeting (SAFPB) Program, as prescribed by Republic Act 11975 or the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2024. SAFPB is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at strengthening the partnership and collaboration between LGUs and civil society

organizations (CSO). Abalos also reminded the LGUs to be accountable and make sure that the fund will only be used for its intended purpose of improving their water sources and sanitation facilities. The program covers projects ranging from the construction, expansion, and rehabilitation of Level III water supply systems or existing sanitary toilets and hygiene facilities for public places. Abalos added that despite the recent

Canada opens Indo-Pacific agriculture hub in Manila

GRICULTURAL powerhouse Canada has opened its first ever Indo-Pacific agricultural hub in the Philippines. The setting up of Canada’s first-ever Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office (IPAAO) signals another milestone in Ottawa’s economic pillar to actively engage and advance Canadian interests in the Indo-Pacific region. The Indo-Pacific region comprises 40 economies, a huge market of 4 billion people and $47.19 trillion economic activity. It is the world’s fastest growing region and Canada’s agriculture and agri-food exports to the region have reached over $22.8 billion. Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay flew to Manila Wednesday to lead the opening and symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony in a hotel in Makati City. MacAulay said Ottawa chose Manila to be the regional hub of IPAAO because the Philippines and Canada have a “great relationship.” Canadian Ambassador to Manila David Hartman also attributed to the “a unique and privileged relationship” with almost 1 million Filipinos who migrated to Canada. Hartman added that at the center of the Indo-Pacific region is the Asean with the Philippines serving as “connective tissue” that binds north and south Asia. IPAAO will bring Canadian experts on plants, animals and food to the Indo-Pacific region to help economies address food security requirements as well as create more opportunities for Canadian farmers, producers and the key trading partners. “This office is fundamentally about

capacity-building and facilitation, so it’s about brokering relationships right on a commercial scale, on a science, research and development scale across the entire spectrum of engagement,” Hartman explained. Diedrah Kelly, former Canadian ambassador to Asean and consul general in Mumbai, India, is the first head of the IPAAO hub in Manila. Philippine Ambassador to Canada Maria Andrelita Austria welcomed Canada’s decision to establish the regional agricultural hub in Manila because the Philippines has been at the forefront of international scientific research being host to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Asean Center for Biodiversity. She said the Embassy had lobbied hard for Canada to set up shop in the Philippines so the country can have the first crack on the agricultural expertise of Canada. MacAulay met Benguet-based potato farmers during the IPAAO launch and intimated that it was “an emotional touching moment” for him learning that the Canadian government was able to help them grow a bigger potato variety and increase their income. He said stories like those inspire them to do better to help improve the economic condition of Filipino farmers, considered one of the poorest sectors in the Philippines. “We feel we are obligated as a country to make sure we’ll do our part to bring people into the middle class across the globe,” MacAulay said. “We wanna make sure that whatever they produce, they can produce a much better crop, and alleviate poverty.” Malou Talosig-Bartolome

improvements in water and sanitation, more localities still need crucial assistance from the government, especially those without an identified water source and those that are geographically isolated. The DILG chief elaborated that the program is in compliance with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s call of increasing local access to reliable and clean sources of water. The program is also in line with the Philippines’ Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP), which was institutionalized by the President through Executive Order No. 31 dated June 20, 2023.

“We shall comply with this directive of the President. Lalo na ngayon na may [especially now that we are experiencing] El Niño, we must not just govern but also foster a culture of genuine engagement so that workable solutions could flow from there,” Abalos emphasized. In the same speech, he also called for the support of the LGUs towards the DILG’s other initiatives, such as averting rising HIV-AIDS cases among the youth, the resurging problem of tuberculosis, and the urgent need to solve growth stunting brought by malnutrition. Rex Anthony Naval

News BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph | Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

DOE, DENR ink MOA to jointly assist OSW tech developers

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

HE Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Thursday signed a memorandum of

agreement (MOA) to jointly assist interested developers of offshore wind (OSW) technology. DOE and DENR officials said the MOA pertains on the authority to grant access to offshore areas covered by OSW energy service contracts for the conduct of pre-development and exploration activities.

Friday, February 23, 2024 “With this MOA, we hope, that our continued partnership with the DOE will provide guidance to the developers, and assist them, and ensure that their predevelopment exploration activities, and the eventual operation are within our environmental laws, rules, and regulations, and within the best international

practice,” said DENR Secretary Maria Antonia YuloLoyzaga during the Business-to-Business Matching Event to Support Energy Transition Thursday morning. Loyzaga said her office is committed to support the DOE as DENR, she said, recognized the interest in exploringthevastopportunitieswithinthepowersector.

BusinessMirror

Friday, February 23, 2024

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

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

NONOSHITA, AKIHISA Packaged App Development Analyst 1.

Brief Job Description: Communicate with the client functional design incharge about the detail of requirement definition and function design.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science or other relevant fields. Must be able to communicate effectively, verbally and written, in both English and required language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ZHAO, TING Mandarin Speaking Technical Support Specialist 13.

JIMENO GUADALIX, ALBERTO Civil Design Coordinator Brief Job Description: Prepare civil work guide plans.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 ACCIONA CONSTRUCTION PHILIPPINES INC. 23/f Tower 2, The Enterprise Center Tower 2, Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

GARCIA PALOMARES, BORJA Cost Control Manager 3.

Brief Job Description: Develop and maintain of cost control procedures for the company’s projects.

Basic Qualification: At least 10 yrs. of experience in the construction industry, specifically in cost control management, and previous involvement in Acciona projects abroad would be an advantage. Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

KELMAN, CONNOR ROBERT Head Of Salary Loan Sales 14.

Brief Job Description: Provide services relating to products, promotion, website connection issues, and others via chat, email or QQ.

15.

DENG, LI Mandarin Speaking Data Analyst 5.

Brief Job Description: Perform data analysis and facilitate in delivery to all end users.

SUN, WEIGANG Mandarin Speaking Data Analyst 6.

Brief Job Description: Perform data analysis and facilitate in delivery to all end users. Perform audit on data and resolve business related issues for customer base.

HUNG, WEI-SHENG Mandarin Speaking IT Specialist 7.

Brief Job Description: Review diagnostics and assess the functionality and efficiency of systems.

LIEU XI KIM CHI Mandarin Speaking Operations Specialist 8.

Brief Job Description: Develop and maintain standard operating procedures for all business functions.

LIM SZE HUI Mandarin Speaking Risk Control Supervisor 9.

Brief Job Description: Ensure that risk management staffs receive suitable induction training and information about risk related data from internal or external.

GAO, HANG Mandarin Speaking Technical Support Specialist 10.

Brief Job Description: Places software into production by loading software into computer and entering necessary commands.

LU, JUNLIN Mandarin Speaking Technical Support Specialist 11.

Brief Job Description: Places software into production by loading software into computer and entering necessary commands.

ZHANG, LEILEI Mandarin Speaking Technical Support Specialist 12.

Brief Job Description: Places software into production by loading software into computer and entering necessary commands.

Basic Qualification: At least 6 months of workrelated experience. With good verbal and written communication skills in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least 6 months of workrelated experience. With good verbal and written communication skills in Mandarin language.

16.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least 6 months of workrelated experience. With good verbal and written communication skills in Mandarin language.

Brief Job Description: Develop and execute a comprehensive sales strategy to drive revenue growth and achieve sales objectives for salary loan.

LIU, TSUN-CHIH Mandarin Human Resource (HR) Specialist Brief Job Description: Recruiting staff who can speak in Mandarin language.

TRAN THI HOA Customer Service Representative (Chinese Speaking) Brief Job Description: Provide customer service to clients.

17.

YAN CHAUGE CHANT Customer Service Representative (Chinese Speaking) Brief Job Description: Provide customer service to clients.

18.

Brief Job Description: Assist head chef and train staff with regards to Chinese menu.

Basic Qualification: Can speak in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese language fluently. Detailoriented and has the ability to multi-task. Preferably 6 months to 1-year customer service experience.

AGATHA SERAFINE LIANA Multilingual Compliance Manager

27.

Brief Job Description: Develop and oversee control systems to prevent or deal with violations of legal guidelines and internal policies. Evaluate the efficiency of controls and improve them continuously.

QU, XINGTAI Mandarin Operations Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain accurate sales records. SUN, ZHONGLEI Mandarin Technical Support

28.

Brief Job Description: Monitoring and maintaining computer systems and networks.

HUANG, MINGQIANG Assistant Chef 29.

19.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting information and analyzing customer needs. TA THI AN Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Responsible for basic food preparation, storage and organization.

DUONG, MINH MEN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 30.

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

MAI VUONG VIET ANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 31.

20.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting information and analyzing customer needs. VINCENT CHANDRA Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

21.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting information and analyzing customer needs.

HUANG, CHAO-JUNG Crypto Business Development Manager Brief Job Description: Creating development plans and forecasting sales targets and growth projections.

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

NGUYEN, VAN TAI Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 32.

CHAE, SU IN Consultant 23.

Brief Job Description: To respond promptly to customers inquiries on products and services offering.

Basic Qualification: Can speak in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

THAN, QUOC CUONG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 33.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in a foreign language. Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate/ bachelor’s degree with excellent written and verbal communication in English and Korean Hangul languages. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

GRENALDI PETRUS SADIKIN Pilot

Basic Qualification: Licensed Pilot.

Brief Job Description: Operates commercial flights.

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

EPOST EDUCENTER INC. Unit B & C, 20/f Strata 2000 Bldg., Don Francisco Ortigas Jr. Rd., Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

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

TRAN, QUOC BAO Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 34.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can speak in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Experience with dining services assisting a Chef, Cook or Sous Chef. Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

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

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

GIGA INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT INC. 31/f Pbcom Tower 6795 Ayala Ave., Cor. V.a. Rufino St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

AGUS PURWANTO Indonesian Account Specialist 35.

CEBGO, INC. Cebu Pacific Bldg., Domestic Road St., Barangay 191, Pasay City

24.

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

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

CBS TOTAL CONSULTANCY CORP. 3f Ech Bldg., 100 Jupiter St., Cor. Makati Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

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

Basic Qualification: Can speak in Mandarin language.

GAO SHOU TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT, INC. 52/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: Expert in Chinese language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

FW HOLDINGS CORPORATION 599, P. Ocampo St., Barangay 729, Malate, City Of Manila

BAOLONG TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY GROUP LIMITED INC. 24th-27th/f Century Diamond Tower, Kalayaan Ave. Cor. Salamanca St., Poblacion, City Of Makati LIU, BING Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal. With working knowledge in the field of finance and virtual currency exchange.

FLYING FUTURE SERVICES INC. 21/f Yuchengco Tower 1 Rcbc Plaza, 6819 Ayala Ave, Bel-air, City Of Makati

22.

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

ETRANSS REMITTANCE INTERNATIONAL CORP. G/f Jx Tower Block 2 Lot 17 Fuentes Cor. San Pedro Street, Aseana, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

AMAZING HOUSE, INC. G/f Oceanaire Residences, Cbp 1 Bldg., Sunrise Drive St., Barangay 76, Pasay City LI, ZIDONG Chinese Cuisine Specialist

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

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

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

Basic Qualification: At least 6 months of workrelated experience. With good verbal and written communication skills in Mandarin language.

Brief Job Description: Provide helpful information, answer questions, respond to complaints and maintain a positive, empathetic and professional attitude towards clients and manager at all times.

Basic Qualification: College graduate. With strong project management, administrative and organization skills. With great communication and interpersonal skills.

26.

BETUR, INC. (COINS.PH) 15th Floor Asian Century Center, 27th Street Corner 3rd & 4th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

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

25.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, or a related field. Proven experience (5 plus years) in sales leadership roles, preferably in the financial services industry particularly in the domain of salary loans.

Basic Qualification: At least 6 months of workrelated experience. With good verbal and written communication skills in Mandarin language.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION KO, YOONSEO Operations Supervisor

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

Basic Qualification: At least 6 months of workrelated experience. With good verbal and written communication skills in Mandarin language.

No.

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least 6 months of workrelated experience. With good verbal and written communication skills in Mandarin language.

Basic Qualification: At least 6 months of workrelated experience. With good verbal and written communication skills in Mandarin language.

ALTERA KARNA BUSINESS CORP. 5th, 6th, 7th Flrs. Eighty-one Newport Blvd., Newport City St., Barangay 183, Pasay City

Basic Qualification: At least 6 months of workrelated experience. With good verbal and written communication skills in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

ALPHA CENTURY CONSULTANCY INC. 15/f Tower 2 Rcbc Plaza, 6819 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

ACSTREAM MANAGEMENT INC. 9/f Sterling Centre, 131 Dela Rosa Cor. Ormaza Sts., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati HA LY LY Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Places software into production by loading software into computer and entering necessary commands.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

ADVANCED FINANCE SOLUTIONS, INC. 20th Floor Cyber Sigma Lawton Avenue, Bonifacio South, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

ACCIONA AGUA, S.A. PHILIPPINES BRANCH 15f Tower 2, Insular Life Corporate Center, Insular Life Dr., Fcc, Alabang, City Of Muntinlupa Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree holder, with background in Engineering, at least 5 years of experience in civil design, exposure in water treatment plants preferred, and fluent in English & Spanish languages.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Brief Job Description: Track main industry trends in Indonesia through blogs, micro blogs and forums. Collaborate with top management to develop compelling contents to publish through corporate and media collaboration.

DANNIL SAMUEL Indonesian Account Specialist 36.

Basic Qualification: Must be college graduate in any related field. Good communication skills to interact with the client. Attention to detail and manage task effectively. Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: Must be college graduate in any related field. Good communication skills to interact with the client. Attention to detail and manage task effectively. Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION INDRA PRAWIRA ASMARA Indonesian Account Specialist

37.

LI LIANG Indonesian Account Specialist 38.

VINA Indonesian Account Specialist 39.

SYAHDAN ABIDIN Indonesian Quality Control 40.

AGNES CLAUDIA TOKYODO Indonesian Retention Specialist 41.

KRISTIAN PUTRA HERIANTO Indonesian Retention Specialist 42.

THIO CHRISTOPPER Indonesian Retention Specialist 43.

GUSTI PITULUNGANE DANIEL Indonesian Trainer 44.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Must be college graduate in any related field. Good communication skills to interact with the client. Attention to detail and manage task effectively.

No.

52.

53.

45.

Brief Job Description: In charge with IT solution products pre-sales activities. To manage the sales of service-related businesses of the team.

Basic Qualification: Must be college graduate in any related field. Good communication skills to interact with the client. Attention to detail and manage task effectively.

54.

Basic Qualification: Must be college graduate in any related field. Good communication skills to interact with the client. Attention to detail and manage task effectively.

55.

56.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: Must be college graduate in any related field. Good communication skills to interact with the client. Attention to detail and manage task effectively. Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: Must be college graduate in any related field. Good communication skills to interact with the client. Attention to detail and manage task effectively. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

57.

58.

59.

Basic Qualification: Must have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science & Technology/ Mechatronics or any other related courses. With Master’s Degree is an advantage. Highly proficient in Chinese and English languages.

INFINIVAN INC. 17th Floor Ore Central Tower, 31st Street, Cor. 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

46.

Brief Job Description: Provides liaison between Japanese expats, key executives, including administrative works.

60.

47.

Brief Job Description: Documents all aspects of software, for ongoing maintenance and revisions.

48.

Brief Job Description: Drive markets products for financial institutions, nonbank financial institutions and corporate clients.

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

61.

49.

50.

Brief Job Description: Maintain accurate sales record. NAN, CHUNFU Mandarin Operations Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain accurate sales record.

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

51.

Brief Job Description: Addressing queries, complaints and recommendations furnished by customers.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

Basic Qualification: Can speak in Mandarin language.

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

Brief Job Description: Addressing queries, complaints and recommendations furnished by customers.

NGUYEN QUANG VAN Customer Service Representative - Vietnamese Speaking Brief Job Description: Addressing queries, complaints and recommendations furnished by customers. NGUYEN THI MY DUYEN Customer Service Representative - Vietnamese Speaking Brief Job Description: Addressing queries, complaints and recommendations furnished by customers.

NGUYEN, HUU THIEN Customer Service Representative - Vietnamese Speaking Brief Job Description: Addressing queries, complaints and recommendations furnished by customers.

TRAN THI MY LINH Customer Service Representative - Vietnamese Speaking Brief Job Description: Provide product/services, information, answer questions and resolve emerging problem.

VU THU HANG Customer Service Representative - Vietnamese Speaking Brief Job Description: Addressing queries, complaints and recommendations furnished by customers.

Brief Job Description: To develop the Division’s brand portfolio, image, turnover and profitability on the market. Define and monitor the Division’s brand portfolio strategy and ensure the coherence of individual brands strategies in the country.

MCKINNIREY, GEOFF Viaduct/Bridge Construction Manager

62.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Graduate of 4 years bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication. Excellent in written and verbal communication skills (Vietnamese & English languages).

No.

Basic Qualification: Graduate of 4 years bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication. Excellent in written and verbal communication skills (Vietnamese & English languages). Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Graduate of 4 years bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication. Excellent in written and verbal communication skills (Vietnamese & English languages).

66.

Brief Job Description: The role is responsible for planning, monitoring and executing large and complex construction viaduct and bridge projects, organizing financial and non-financial resources, integrating project deliverables with engineering plans, complying with Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) norms, building and strengthening of relationships with internal and external stakeholders with the objective of delivering large Construction and Installation projects within timelines and cost budgets while adhering to safety and quality standards to the satisfaction of the client.

CURTIS, JOSHUA Head Of Team Trading 63.

Brief Job Description: Analysis of sports markets and events in Southeast Asia.

67.

64.

Brief Job Description: Correcting errors and organizing the information in a manner that will optimize swift and accurate capturing.

HOANG MINH KHUE Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 65.

Brief Job Description: Correcting errors and organizing the information in a manner that will optimize swift and accurate capturing.

VONG NHOC PAU Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 68.

Brief Job Description: Correcting errors and organizing the information in a manner that will optimize swift and accurate capturing.

XU, YAQI Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 69.

Brief Job Description: Correcting errors and organizing the information in a manner that will optimize swift and accurate capturing.

XU, YUNJIE Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 70.

Brief Job Description: Correcting errors and organizing the information in a manner that will optimize swift and accurate capturing.

KANG, HANGYEOL Core Developer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Graduate of 4 years bachelor’s degree.

71.

Brief Job Description: Provides expertise in system analysis and design as well as strategic recommendations on reporting, visualization and data science methodologies.

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

PARK, GEUNHEE Data Base Admin

Basic Qualification: Graduate of 4 years bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication. Excellent in written and verbal communication skills (Vietnamese & English languages).

72.

Basic Qualification: Total relevant experience of more than 35 years in viaducts, steel and reinforced concrete bridge works and at least 10 years of experience working on viaduct railway projects: MTR, LTA, MRT type projects. Extensive experience in post tensioning and heavy lifting systems. Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

73.

Basic Qualification: Ability to concentrate for lengthy periods. With good verbal and written communication skills.

Brief Job Description: Maintains customer records by updating account information. DINH VAN TUAN Mandarin Marketing Officer

74.

Brief Job Description: Work with the operations team to analyze customer questions, identify trends and recommend appropriate actions to the Marketing Manager. HOANG, VIET LONG Mandarin Marketing Officer

75.

76.

77.

Brief Job Description: Work with the operations team to analyze customer questions, identify trends and recommend appropriate actions to the Marketing Manager. NGUYEN, DANG KHOA Mandarin Marketing Officer Brief Job Description: Organize promotions and events for company clients. DONG, HEHUI Mandarin Operations Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain accurate sales record. NONG, FANGFANG Mandarin Operations Specialist

78.

79.

Brief Job Description: Monitor and maintaining computer systems and networks. WIDYA VIOLETTA HANDOYO Mandarin Operations Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain accurate sales record. XU, YUANYUAN Mandarin Operations Specialist

80.

Brief Job Description: Maintain accurate sales records, and reconcile delivery records with suppliers monthly. YANG, LU Mandarin Operations Specialist

81.

Brief Job Description: Maintain accurate sales records, and reconcile delivery records with suppliers monthly.

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

Basic Qualification: Ability to concentrate for lengthy periods. With good verbal and written communication skills. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to concentrate for lengthy periods. With good verbal and written communication skills. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to concentrate for lengthy periods. With good verbal and written communication skills. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to concentrate for lengthy periods. With good verbal and written communication skills. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate/bachelor’s degree holder with excellent written and verbal communication skills. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/bachelor’s degree holder with excellent written and verbal communication skills. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can speak in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can speak in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can speak in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

HENRIQUES, ALBINO SANANA Coordinator - People Services Global Hub (Portuguese)

82.

Brief Job Description: The Coordinator – People Services Global Hub provide first level advice and support on key foundation and transactional activities (employee lifecycle, policies and procedures, HR systems) to the HR team, Line Managers and Employees within Orica which enables key customers to enhance workplace relations and productivity in line with Business Strategy. Custodians of administration of all HR data.

Basic Qualification: 2 plus years relevant work experience. Proficient in Portuguese language. Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

PANMANILA CONSULTANCY CORP. Unit 2l Kensington Place Condominium, 1st Ave Cor. 29th St. Crescent Park West, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to concentrate for lengthy periods. With good verbal and written communication skills.

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

ORICA SINGAPORE PTE LTD Level 11, Tower 2, Rockwell Business Center, Ortigas Avenue, City Of Pasig

Basic Qualification: Relevant experience in Team Trading. Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Brief Job Description: Data Base Admin will keep the database up and running smoothly 24/7. To provide seamless flow of information throughout the company. Considering both backend data structure and frontend accessibility to end- users.

LOO TONG YEW Mandarin Customer Service

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

Basic Qualification: Minimum of 20 years of L’oreal experience. Multicultural experience with minimum 4 countries assignment/expatriation and with minimum 10 years of Brand General Management. Fluency in major languages – English and French. Minimum College Graduate in an International University and Master’s Degree is preferred.

Basic Qualification: Ability to concentrate for lengthy periods. With good verbal and written communication skills.

ONE BORDERLINE CREATIVES INC. 32/f Alphaland Corporate Tower, Ayala Avenue Cor, Malugay St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Graduate of 4 years bachelor’s degree with critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

NETLINGO SUPPORT SERVICES, INC. 15/f 6780 Ayala Ave. Bldg., 6780 Ayala Ave., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

NEO INCORPORATED North Tower Centrum Bldg., Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City, Baclaran, City Of Parañaque DUONG THI THAO Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

Brief Job Description: Correcting errors and organizing the information in a manner that will optimize swift and accurate capturing.

NGUYEN HUYEN ANH Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Graduate of 4 years bachelor’s degree.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION HONG SEC CONG Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

NCH CUSTOMER SUPPORT SERVICES, INC. Flr. No. 6/f, 7/f, Tower 3 West Bldg., Double Dragon Plaza, Edsa Ext. Cor. Macapagal Ave. St., Barangay 76, Pasay City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can speak in Mandarin language.

LUU THI LE NA Customer Service Representative - Vietnamese Speaking

Basic Qualification: Graduate of 4 years bachelor’s degree.

LEIGHTON CONTRACTORS (ASIA) LIMITED 12th Flr Menarco Tower, 32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce.

KNW TECHNOLOGY INC. 103 Equinox Plaza, Sierra Madre, Highway Hills, City Of Mandaluyong

DAM, CHI VI Customer Service Representative - Vietnamese Speaking

LE VAN HAI Customer Service Representative - Vietnamese Speaking

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months of work experience. With good verbal and written communication.

KF NETWORK LIMITED CORP. Ub 111 Paseo De Roxas Bldg., Paseo De Roxas, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati LU, YURAN Mandarin Operations Specialist

Brief Job Description: Addressing queries, complaints and recommendations furnished by customers.

ORTIZ DE LANDAZURI MONAGAS, EDUARDO Consumer Products Division - General Manager

JP MORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Ground 12th, 19th & 25th Floor Jp Morgan Chase & Co, Tower Manila, 9th Ave. Corner, 38th St. Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig JAIPURIAR, PRATIK Cem Sales Head, Executive Director

HUYNH LUU TIN Customer Service Representative - Vietnamese Speaking

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

L’OREAL PHILIPPINES, INC. 2nd, 2208-2209, 23/f Robinsons Equitable Tower Adb Ave., Ortigas Ctr,, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

Basic Qualification: Female, BSBA or Law graduate and must be fluent in Nihongo.

INFOVINE INC. 9/f Y Tower, Moa Complex, Coral Way Drive Cor. Macapagal, Barangay 76, Pasay City TAN YUE MING Chinese Speaking Program Designer

Brief Job Description: Addressing queries, complaints and recommendations furnished by customers.

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

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

MURATA, TOMOKO Executive Assistant

DO TIEN PHUOC Customer Service Representative - Vietnamese Speaking

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

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES PHILS. INC. 53/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Ave., Cor., V.a. Rufino St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

ZHANG, YONGFU Sales Manager For Philippines IT Product Solution Sales

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Friday, February 23, 2024

WU, KAI Mandarin Operations Specialist 83.

Brief Job Description: Coordinate with vendors, clients, consultants and partners to get project scheduled, staffed, executed, invoiced and paid.

Basic Qualification: College graduate. Fluent in Chinese-Mandarin language, with good verbal and written communication skills. Proficient in using various computer officerelated applications. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

A6 A8

BusinessMirror

Friday, February 23, 2024

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

PHOENIXFIELD, INC. 7/f Iacademy Plaza, 324 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave, Bel-air, City Of Makati

84.

85.

CITRA ANGELINA TAMO Indonesian Language - Marketing Officer Brief Job Description: Create specific promotions for affiliates.

JONATHAN ARIE Indonesian Language - Marketing Officer Brief Job Description: Create specific promotions for affiliates. CLIFTON FRANKLIN PANGALILA Indonesian Language - Support Officer

86.

Brief Job Description: Assist in the planning & administration of the organization’s daily operation. Providing information assistance & support to customers. Assist with the preparation of reports. Escalating complex issues to management. DEDI SETIAWAN SIMBOLON Indonesian Language - Support Officer

87.

Brief Job Description: Assist in the planning & administration of the organization’s daily operation. JOHANES Indonesian Language - Support Officer

88.

Brief Job Description: Assist in the planning & administration of the organization’s daily operation. JUWITA NATAKO Indonesian Language - Support Officer

89.

Brief Job Description: Assist in the planning & administration of the organization’s daily operation. KEI STANLEY Indonesian Language - Support Officer

90.

Brief Job Description: Assist in the planning & administration of the organization’s daily operation. Providing information, assistance and support to customers. LUSI HANDAYANI Indonesian Language - Support Officer

91.

Brief Job Description: Assist in the planning & administration of the organization’s daily operation. Providing information, assistance and support to customers. IVANA CHANDRA Indonesian Language - Support Supervisor

92.

Brief Job Description: Assist in the planning & administration of the organization’s daily operation. Providing information, assistance and support to customers. JESSICA LINDA HANA LANGELO Indonesian Language - Support Supervisor

93.

94.

Brief Job Description: Assist in the planning & administration of the organization’s daily operation. Providing information assistance & support to customers. Assist with the preparation of reports. Escalating complex issues to management. LEE, CHANG HYUN Korean Language - Marketing Officer Brief Job Description: Create specific promotions for affiliates. JEONG, HYUNMOK Korean Language - Support Officer

95.

96.

97.

98.

99.

Brief Job Description: Assist in the planning & administration of the organization’s daily operation. Providing information, assistance and support to customers. MU, ZHUANG Mandarin Language - Marketing Officer Brief Job Description: Create specific promotions for affiliates.

SU, QIAO Mandarin Language - Marketing Officer Brief Job Description: Create specific promotions for affiliates.

POMAN, JARIYA Thai Language - Marketing Officer Brief Job Description: Create specific promotions for affiliates.

NGUYEN THI HONG NHUNG Vietnamese Language - Marketing Officer Brief Job Description: Create specific promotions for affiliates. NGUYEN THI PHUONG BAC Vietnamese Language - Support Officer

100.

FANG, XIHUA Chinese Hydroelectric Plant Technician Basic Qualification: Must fluently speak and write Indonesian language to cater foreign markets.

101.

Brief Job Description: Manage site infrastructure including but not limited to business and manufacturing workstations. The role will support multiple business groups such as Manufacturing Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Technical services.

103.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must fluently speak and write Indonesian language to cater foreign markets.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree holder. Must fluently speak and write Bahasa Indonesian language. Can work under pressure.

104.

105.

Basic Qualification: Must fluently speak and write Indonesian language to cater foreign markets. 106.

107.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 108.

109.

Basic Qualification: Must fluently speak and write Indonesian language to cater foreign markets. 110.

111.

112.

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

113.

114.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree holder. Must fluently speak and write in Vietnamese language. Can work under pressure. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Understanding of manufacturing safety & quality requirements. Teamwork oriented with the ability to work independently.

115.

116.

102.

Brief Job Description: Identify or address malfunctions of hydroelectric plant operational equipment such as generators transformers, monitor hydroelectric power plant equipment operation and performance specifications.

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

Brief Job Description: Determine the type and number of required materials and labor and make arrangements to acquire both. Prepare materials and calibrate machinery before performing erection works. MAO, JIAXUE Chinese Technical Works Supervisor

117.

Brief Job Description: Provides work direction and participates in the constitution, installation, operation, maintenance, inspection, and repair of electronic, electrical, mechanical, scientific instrumentation, and other various systems. WANG, SHIYONG Chinese Technical Works Supervisor

118.

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction.

POWERCHINA PHILIPPINES CORPORATION Unit 2101 21/f Bdo Equitable Tower, 8751 Paseo De Roxas, Bel-air, City Of Makati CAI, CHANGXING Chinese Hydroelectric Plant Technician

Basic Qualification: Must fluently speak and write in Vietnamese language to cater foreign markets. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Must fluently speak and write in Thai language to cater foreign markets. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Determine type and number of required materials and labor and make arrangement to acquire both, prepare materials and calibrate machinery prior to performing erections works. MA, HAIFEI Chinese Structural Erector Specialist

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must fluently speak and write in Chinese language to cater foreign markets.

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

Basic Qualification: Must fluently speak and write in Chinese language to cater foreign markets.

Basic Qualification: Must fluently speak and write in Korean language to cater foreign markets.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree holder. Must fluently speak and write Bahasa Indonesian language. Can work under pressure. Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

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

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must fluently speak and write Indonesian language to cater foreign markets.

Brief Job Description: Identify or address malfunction of hydroelectric plant operational equipment, such as generators, and transformers. Monitor hydroelectric power plant equipment and performance, adjusting to performance specifications. WANG, JINGSHENG Chinese Hydroelectric Plant Technician

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

Basic Qualification: Must fluently speak and write Indonesian language to cater foreign markets.

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

PINNACLE MIND CORP. 65, Road 20, Bahay Toro, Quezon City LU, XINXIN Infrastructure Analyst

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

119.

Brief Job Description: Manage, design, develop, create and maintain smallscale through to large-scale construction projects in a safe timely and sustainable manner.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction.

No.

YANG, NANA Equipment Installation Specialist 120.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction.

121.

122.

123.

124.

125.

126.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction.

127.

EDWARDS, JASON LEE Wells HSSE Lead

128.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Develop, implement and monitor company and contractor HSE Systems, processes and procedures in delivering project HSE goals. Provide prompt and transparent reporting to the Well construction and HSE Manager respectively, on all matters related to Wells HSE.

Basic Qualification: College graduate. With at least 10 years of Oil and Gas Industry experience specific on HSSE with Offshore Drilling Supply, Supply Vessel, Aviation and Logistic Base Construction and Operations. Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

RRA ONE GLOBAL CONSULTANCY CORP. Blk 1 Lot 6 Progressive St., Lucky Homes Subd., Barangay 168, City Of Caloocan BRAR, JASVIR KAUR Management Consultant 129.

Brief Job Description: Analyze financial data including expenditure reports revenue data and employee reports. SUKHJEET SINGH Marketing Specialist

130.

Brief Job Description: Conduct market research to identify customer trends, competitor offerings and demographic data. SOHAL, RANJEET SINGH Resource Planning Manager

131.

Brief Job Description: Providing project managers with outgoing resource management and related support.

Basic Qualification: At least college graduate. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least college graduate. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least college graduate. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

SEEKTOP SERVICE MANAGEMENT INC. 25/f Alphaland Corporate Tower, 7232 Ayala Ave. Extn. Cor. Malugay St., Bel-air, City Of Makati NGUYEN THI HAI YEN Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation) 132.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customer through Mandarin to English language translation. PUA JUN CHAI Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

133.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction.

Brief Job Description: Analyzing blueprints to ensure that projects meet design, safety, and budget specifications. Recommending changes to project operations or procedures to increase efficiency.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

PRIME ENERGY RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT B.V. 19/f Asian Star Bldg., Asean Drive, Alabang, City Of Muntinlupa

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction.

Brief Job Description: Analyzing blueprints to ensure that projects meet design, safety, and budget specifications. Recommending changes to project operations or procedures to increase efficiency. QIAN, SHIKUN Site Supervisor

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction.

Brief Job Description: Plan all construction operations and schedule intermediate phases to ensure deadlines will be met acquire equipment and material and monitor stocks to timely handle inadequacies. DONG, SHI Site Supervisor

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction.

Brief Job Description: Plan all construction operations and schedule intermediate phases to ensure deadlines will be met. Acquire equipment and material and monitor stocks to timely handle inadequacies. LI, HENG Project Manager

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction.

Brief Job Description: Provide work direction and participates in the construction installation operation maintenance inspection and repair of electronic electrical mechanical telecommunications equipment scientific instrumentation v and other various systems. DAI, CHUNNI Project Manager

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction.

Brief Job Description: Provide financial reports and interpret financial information to management staff while recommending further courses of action. GOU, WEIQUAN Multilingual Technician

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction.

Brief Job Description: Supervising every phase of the project from start to completion. Calculating costs, material, labor, and time required for each project.

WANG, RUI Multilingual Finance Manager

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal with working knowledge in the field of construction.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through Mandarin to English language translation.

Basic Qualification: Through, and extensive fluency in Mandarin language and characters. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Through, and extensive fluency in Mandarin language and characters. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

SEWON INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION INC. Unit 3006 One Corporate Center, Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig LU, RUOSHA Consultant

134.

Brief Job Description: The Consultant of Sewon Interior Construction Inc. works directly with the clients and the construction team to progress the project in a timely manner. The primary role of the consultant is to manage the entire project process - from initial concept to the start of operations until finished project.

Basic Qualification: Must have vast experience in construction industry specially in Chinese interior design concept. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

SMARTKOIN, OPC 9/f Iacademy Plaza, 324 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati GABRIELLA FARAH HANAFI Indonesian Language - Support Supervisor 135.

Brief Job Description: Assist in the planning & administration of the organization’s daily operation. Providing information, assistance & support to customers. Assist with the preparation of reports. Escalating complex issues to management.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree holder. Must fluently speak and write Bahasa Indonesian language. Can work under pressure. Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

BusinessMirror

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ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

STONE ASIA AND SPECIALTY PRODUCTS, INC. 350, J.p. Rizal, Namayan, City Of Mandaluyong QIU, ZIGUI Multilingual Business Manager 136.

Brief Job Description: Will represent the company in project agreement during negotiation and execution of the project overseas. SHANG, YAWEI Multilingual Finance Manager

137.

Brief Job Description: Provide financial reports and interpret financial information to managerial staff while recommending further courses of action.

WANG, JIE Multilingual Finance Manager 138.

Brief Job Description: Provide financial reports and interpret financial information to managerial staff while recommending further courses of action.

CHEN, ZHENJIAN Multilingual Human Resource Manager 139.

Brief Job Description: Develop and implement HR strategies and initiatives aligned with the overall business strategy.

DUONG, THI HONG Multilingual Procurement Supervisor 140.

Brief Job Description: Develop, lead, and execute purchasing strategies. Track and report key functional metrics to reduce expenses and improve effectiveness.

NGUYEN VAN QUYNH Multilingual Procurement Supervisor 141.

Brief Job Description: Develop, lead, and execute purchasing strategies. Track and report key functional metrics to reduce expenses and improve effectiveness.

DONG, JINCHENG Multilingual Project Site Supervisor 142.

Brief Job Description: Analyzing blueprints to ensure that projects meet design, safety, and budget specifications. Recommending changes to the project operations or procedures to increase efficiency. LUO, JIAN Multilingual Quality Control Supervisor

143.

Brief Job Description: Monitoring quality standards and making adjustments to improve performance. ZHU, TANQUAN Multilingual Safety And Health Officer

144.

Brief Job Description: Support the development of OHS policies and programs.

FANG, PEIMIN Multilingual Safety And Health Officer 145.

Brief Job Description: Support the development of OHS policies and programs. Advise and instruct on various safety-related topics (noise level, use of machinery etc.).

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal.

CHEN, JIANFENG Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation) 152.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both written and verbal. With working knowledge in the field of production of luxury tiles.

153.

154.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both in written and verbal. 155.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both written and verbal. With working knowledge in the field of production of luxury tiles.

SU, XIAOFENG Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation) 156.

157.

158.

159.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both written and verbal. With working knowledge in the field of production and installation of luxury tiles.

146.

Brief Job Description: Translate product strategy into detailed requirements for prototyping.

Basic Qualification: At least 2 years managerial experience.

147.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails, and chats related to inquiries from clients and/or customers through Mandarin-to-English language translation. LIOU, AN-SHENG Mandarin System And Support Specialist

148.

Brief Job Description: Process Mandarin interactive software in terms of developing and upgrading its systematic functions.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails, and chats related to inquiries from clients and/or customers through Mandarin-to-English language translation.

ZHANG, PAN Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation) 160.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails, and chats related to inquiries from clients and/or customers through Mandarin-to-English language translation.

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

Basic Qualification: Through and extensive fluency in Mandarin language and characters.

JANTARANAKORN, JIRAPHORN Thai Customer Service Representative 161.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Through and extensive fluency in Mandarin language and characters.

KOTCHAPISIT, DUEAN Thai Customer Service Representative 162.

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

Brief Job Description: Maintains financial accounts by processing customer adjustments.

TOTAL CREST BUSINESS SUPPORT, INC. 26/f & 27/f Alphaland Corporate Tower, Ayala Ave. Extn. Cor. Malugay St., Bel-air, City Of Makati NGUYEN THI QUYNH TRAM Bilingual Customer Service Specialist 149.

Brief Job Description: Prepare product or service reports by collecting and analyzing customer information.

NGUYEN, TRUONG THUY Bilingual Customer Service Specialist 150.

Brief Job Description: Prepare product or service reports by collecting and analyzing customer information.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in bilingual languages.

NOONGERN, WANIDA Thai Customer Service Representative 163.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions.

151.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails, and chats related to inquiries from clients and/or customers through Mandarin-to-English language translation.

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

Basic Qualification: Through and extensive fluency in Mandarin language and characters.

Basic Qualification: Through and extensive fluency in Mandarin language and characters. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Through and extensive fluency in Mandarin language and characters.

Brief Job Description: Plan, coordinate and manage every aspect of a building project from start to finish.

LI, CHAOCHEN Chinese Language - Data Analyst 168.

Brief Job Description: Collect, organize, interpret, and analyze using statistical techniques. YANG, XIAO Chinese Language Data Analyst Brief Job Description: Collect, organize, interpret, and analyze using statistical techniques. BI, HONGWEI Chinese Language Marketing Staff

170.

Brief Job Description: Conduct marketing activities. Create promotion of products and services offered by the company and track their success. CHEN, HUAN Chinese Language Marketing Staff

171.

Brief Job Description: Conduct marketing activities. Create promotion of products and services offered by the company and track their success. DUAN, WEIGUANG Chinese Language Marketing Staff

172.

PUTTAKAM, NATTAPONG Thai Customer Service Representative 164.

Brief Job Description: Maintains financial accounts by processing customer adjustments.

SRIBOONMEE, KANNIKA Thai Customer Service Representative 165.

Brief Job Description: Maintains financial accounts by processing customer adjustments.

173.

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

Basic Qualification: Through and extensive fluency in Mandarin language and characters.

Brief Job Description: Conduct marketing activities. Create promotion of products and services offered by the company and track their success.

174.

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.

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

Brief Job Description: Conduct marketing activities. Create promotion of products and services offered by the company and track their success.

HUANG, SHUTIAN Chinese Language Marketing Staff 175.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for.

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

Brief Job Description: Conduct marketing activities. Create promotion of products and services offered by the company and track their success. FU, MAFA Chinese Language Marketing Staff

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

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

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in construction, business, engineering or a related field. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

WISHLAND SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY INC. 28/f Techzone Condo Corp., 213 Buendia Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati

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

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

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

Brief Job Description: Maintains financial accounts by processing customer adjustments.

XU, BINBIN Construction Manager

Basic Qualification: Through and extensive fluency in Mandarin language and characters. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

WAYSEER CONSTRUCTION INC. 333 Juan Luna St., Unit 801 State Centre Bldg., Barangay 287, Binondo, City Of Manila

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

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in bilingual languages.

Basic Qualification: Through and extensive fluency in Mandarin language and characters.

166.

Basic Qualification: Through and extensive fluency in Mandarin language and characters. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

NGUYEN HOANG THU TRANG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

167.

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

No.

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

VICCI BUSINESS CONSULTANCY CORP. 10/f Liberty Plaza, 102 H.v. Dela Costa St., Bel-air, City Of Makati ARR MYINT Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

Basic Qualification: Through and extensive fluency in Mandarin language and characters.

WANFANG TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT, INC. 6-9/f Tower 2 Double Dragon Plaza, Edsa Cor. Macapagal Ave., Barangay 76, Pasay City

TECHMAVE SERVICES INC. 11/f Liberty Plaza Bldg., 102 H.v. Dela Costa St., Bel-air, City Of Makati NGUYEN THI KHANH LINH Mandarin Speaking Customer Relation Representative

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails, and chats related to inquiries from clients and/or customers through Mandarin-to-English language translation.

YU, XILIANG Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

SUPERCHAIN INCORPORATED Unit 1109-1110 11/f Ayala Tower One & Exchange Plaza, Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati CHANG, YU-HSIU Chinese Speaking Product Manager

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

FU, HAILONG Chinese Language Marketing Staff

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both written and verbal.

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

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails, and chats related to inquiries from clients and/or customers through Mandarin-to-English language translation.

YU, JIE Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

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

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails, and chats related to inquiries from clients and/or customers through Mandarin-to-English language translation.

YANG, ZHIYONG Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both written and verbal.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails, and chats related to inquiries from clients and/or customers through Mandarin-to-English language translation.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

169.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both written and verbal. With working knowledge in the field of production of luxury tiles. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails, and chats related to inquiries from clients and/or customers through Mandarin-to-English language translation.

MA, JIEQUN Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both written and verbal. With working knowledge in the field of production of luxury tiles. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails, and chats related to inquiries from clients and/or customers through Mandarin-to-English language translation. LAI, MUXIN Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

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

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails, and chats related to inquiries from clients and/or customers through Mandarin-to-English language translation. DU, SONGQI Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation)

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English languages both written and verbal. With working knowledge in the field of production of luxury tiles.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Friday, February 23, 2024

Brief Job Description: Conduct marketing activities. Create promotion of products and services offered by the company and track their success.

LAN, KAIQI Chinese Language Marketing Staff

176.

Brief Job Description: Conduct marketing activities. Create promotion of products and services offered by the company and track their success.

LAN, PING Chinese Language Marketing Staff 177.

Brief Job Description: Conduct marketing activities. Create promotion of products and services offered by the company and track their success. LI, PENG Chinese Language Marketing Staff

178.

Brief Job Description: Conduct marketing activities. Create promotion of products and services offered by the company and track their success.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking in Mandarin language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

*Date Generated: Feb 22, 2024 In the ad material of Notice of Filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on February 7, 2024, the name SILVA FRANSISKA PURBA under the company NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION, should have been read as SILVIA FRANSISKA PURBA and not as published. 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.

A10

BusinessMirror

Friday, February 23, 2024 Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT Regional Office No. IV-A 4th Flr. Andenson Bldg. II, Brgy. Parian, Calamba City Telefax No.: (049) 545-7362

GLARION TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

February 23, 2024

NOTICE OF FILING OF APPLICATION/S FOR ALIEN EMPLOYMENT PERMIT/S (AEP/S)

Notice is hereby given that the following companies/employers have filed with this Regional Office application/s for Alien Employment Permit/s:

NO.

ESTABLISHMENT

BROTHER INDUSTRIES (PHILIPPINES), INC. Lot 1-B-2, Phase 1-B, First Philippine Industrial Park, Ulango, City of Tanauan, Batangas

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL, POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

HAGIUCHI, SHOTA

Basic Qualification:

Parts Production Adviser

Must be JLPT N2N1 passer, Strong background of ISO 19011:2018, International Manufacturing Audit, supply chain management, and logistics

Brief Job Description: Promote and control department KPI and able to grasp and evolve on technological advancement

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Salary Range:

BROTHER INDUSTRIES (PHILIPPINES), INC. Lot 1-B-2, Phase 1-B, First Philippine Industrial Park, Ulango, City of Tanauan, Batangas

IKUTA, TAKEHIRO

Basic Qualification:

Production Adviser

Must be JLPT N2N1 passer, Strong background of ISO 19011:2018, International Manufacturing Audit, supply chain management, and logistics

Brief Job Description: Promote and control department KPI and able to grasp and evolve on technological advancement

GLARION TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Php150,000 Php499,999 2

GLARION TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

GLARION TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Salary Range: Php150,000 Php499,999 3

BROTHER INDUSTRIES (PHILIPPINES), INC. Lot 1-B-2, Phase 1-B, First Philippine Industrial Park, Ulango, City of Tanauan, Batangas

TERASHIMA, MASAKI

Basic Qualification:

Production Adviser

Must be JLPT N2N1 passer, Strong background of ISO 19011:2018, International Manufacturing Audit, supply chain management, and logistics

Brief Job Description: Promote and control department KPI and able to grasp and evolve on technological advancement

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

13 Salary Range: Php150,000 Php499,999 4

BROTHER INDUSTRIES (PHILIPPINES), INC. Lot 1-B-2, Phase 1-B, First Philippine Industrial Park, Ulango, City of Tanauan, Batangas

SHINGAI, HIROYUKI

Basic Qualification:

Purchasing Production Control Deputy General Manager

Must be JLPT N2N1 passer, Strong background of ISO 19011:2018, International Manufacturing Audit, supply chain management, and logistics

Brief Job Description: Promote and control department KPI and able to grasp and evolve on technological advancement

GLARION TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

GLARION TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Salary Range:

FURUKAWA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS LIMA PHILIPPINES, INC. Lot 3, Blk. 2, Ph. 2A, JP Rizal Ave., Lima Technology Center, Bugtong Na Pulo, City of Lipa, Batangas

SHIKATA, TATSUYA

Basic Qualification:

Administration Division Manager

With at least 5 years experience as Human Resource and must have N2 Japanese language proficiency certificate

Brief Job Description: Lead and oversee the operations of Human Resource department

Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

GLARION TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION Covelandia Road, Binakayan, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Vietnamese language

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Salary Range:

DINH THI BICH

Basic Qualification:

Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Vietnamese language

Php30,000 Php59,999

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Salary Range:

LUONG THANH SANG

Basic Qualification:

Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Vietnamese language

Php30,000 Php59,999

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Salary Range:

MA SEO QUA

Basic Qualification:

Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Vietnamese language

Php30,000 Php59,999

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Salary Range:

NGUYEN VAN BA

Basic Qualification:

Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Vietnamese language

Php30,000 Php59,999

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Salary Range:

PHUNG THANH NAM

Basic Qualification:

Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Vietnamese language

Php30,000 Php59,999

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Salary Range:

VO DINH LOC

Basic Qualification:

Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Vietnamese language

Php30,000 Php59,999

Brief Job Description:

HAYASHI, TAKEHIRO

Basic Qualification:

103 North Science Avenue, Laguna Technopark, Biñan, City of Biñan, Laguna

Adviser in Finance and Accounting Department

Must have experienced in Finance and Accounting

Php30,000 Php59,999

Brief Job Description:

BONG PEI YING

Basic Qualification:

Malaysian Customer Service Representative

Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Malaysian language

LIGHT OF HOPE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY IN PHILIPPINES INC. Block 14, Lot 61, Phase 1, Kasiglahan Village, San Jose, Rodriguez, Rizal

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Salary Range:

TAN BOON PING

Basic Qualification:

Malaysian Customer Service Representative

Able to speak, read and write Chinese and Malaysian language

Brief Job Description: Salary Range: Php30,000 Php59,999

Salary Range:

LEE, STEVE I

Basic Qualification:

Director of Operations

Must have 5-10 years experience in British curriculum schools

Php30,000 Php59,999

Brief Job Description: Salary Range:

OPTODEV, INC.

CHALUPP BACA, RICARDO

Basic Qualification:

Lot 2, Block 2, Star Avenue Corner Interstar Street, Laguna International Industrial Park, Mamplasan, City of Biñan, Laguna

Casting Technical Expert

Must be fluent in English and must have 5 years of experience in manufacturing company

Php30,000 Php59,999 17

Manage the company’s financial status and provide advice and specialized knowledge to on-site staff in financial matters

Responsible for providing strategic leadership and operational management to ensure effective functioning of the educational institution

Brief Job Description:

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

I-PEX PHILIPPINES INC.

Php90,000 Php149,999 GLARION TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

Basic Qualification:

Salary Range:

CHU VAN HUY

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Php150,000 Php499,999 5

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Brief Job Description: Analyze yield and mold scrap trends and identify action plans to improve, use adequate problem-solving tools and document analysis and improvements take in order to sustain performance

Php30,000 Php59,999

Salary Range: Php90,000 Php149,999

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

TheWorld BusinessMirror

Friday, February 23, 2024 A11

UN top court shouldn’t urge Israel to immediately withdraw from Palestinian-claimed lands, US says By Mike Corder

The Associated Press

HE HAGUE, Netherlands—The United States said Wednesday the United Nations’ top court should not issue an advisor y opinion that says Israel should “immediately and unconditionally withdraw” from territories sought for a Palestinian state. Acting State Department legal adviser Richard Visek said the 15-judge panel at the International Court of Justice should not seek to resolve the decades-long IsraeliPalestinian conflict “through an advisory opinion addressed to questions focusing on the acts of only one party.” Visek spoke on the third day of hearings at the court into a request by the General Assembly for a non-binding advisory opinion on the legality of Israel’s policies in the occupied territories. He said the court “can address the questions before it within the established framework based on the land for peace principle and within the parameters of established principles of occupation law.” Visek added that the court’s opinion

“will have consequences for the parties to the conflict and for the ongoing efforts of all of those working to achieve a durable peace.” Earlier this week, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki called on the court to uphold the Palestinian right to selfdetermination and declare “that the Israeli occupation is illegal and must end immediately, totally and unconditionally.” The idea of land for peace has been the cornerstone of US-led diplomacy for decades and was the basis of the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, in which Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula in return for peace and recognition. The same principle has been applied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but the peace process has repeatedly stalled because of Palestinian attacks, Israel’s expansion of settlements in occupied territory, and the inability of the two sides to agree on thorny issues like final borders, the status of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees. The US arguments at the world court came a day after Washington vetoed an Arab-backed and widely supported UN

RICHARD C. VISEK, acting legal adviser of the US Department of state, second left, waits to address the United Nations’ highest court during historic hearings in The Hague, Netherlands on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, into the legality of Israel’s 57-year occupation of the West Bank and east Jerusalem, plunging the 15 international judges back into the heart of the decadeslong Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Six days of hearings at the International Court of Justice, during which an unprecedented number of countries will participate in proceedings, are scheduled as Israel continues its devastating assault on Gaza. AP/PETER DEJONG

resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire of the Israel-Hamas war in the embattled Gaza Strip, saying it would interfere with negotiations on a deal to free hostages held by militant Palestinian group Hamas. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 13-1, with the United Kingdom abstaining. It reflected the strong support from countries around the globe for ending

the war, which star ted when Hamas militants invaded southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking nearly 250 others hostage. Since then, more than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory military offensive, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which says the vast majority were women and children. “Hamas’s attacks, hostage-taking and

other atrocities, the ongoing hostilities and the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the violence in the West Bank reinforce the United States resolve to urgently achieve a final peace that includes the full realization of Palestinian self-determination,” Visek said. Visek’s comments were preceded Wednesday by condemnations of Israel’s policies by representatives of Colombia, Cuba and Egypt. Along with the Palestinians, a total of 51 nations and three international organizations are scheduled to speak at the hearings. The court will likely take months to issue its non-binding advisory opinion. The Palestinians argue that Israel’s open- ended militar y occupation has violated the prohibition on territorial conquest and the Palestinians’ right to selfdetermination, and has imposed a system of racial discrimination and apartheid. On Tuesday, South Africa argued that Israel’s policies amount to apartheid against the Palestinians and that Israel’s occupation of land sought for a Palestinian state is “inherently and fundamentally illegal.” Israel rejects such claims. In a written submission filed last

Desperate for soldiers, Ukraine weighs unpopular plan to expand army draft By Samya Kullab & Susie Blann

The Associated Press

YMAN, Ukraine—When the Russian army mounted a full-scale invasion t wo years ago, Ukrainian men zealously rushed to recruitment centers across the country to enlist, ready to die in defense of their nation. Today, with Russia in control of roughly one-quarter of Ukraine and the two armies virtually deadlocked along a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, that spirit to enlist has faded: Many Ukrainian men are evading the draft by hiding at home or trying to bribe their way out of the battle. Along the frigid and muddy front line, commanders say their army is too small and made up of too many exhausted and wounded soldiers. As the war enters its third year, the most urgent and politically sensitive challenge pressing on Ukraine is whether it can muster enough new soldiers to repel an enemy with far more fighters at its disposal. Russia’s population is more than three times as large as Ukraine’s, and President Vladimir Putin has shown a willingness to force men to the front if not enough volunteer. The lack of soldiers isn’t Ukraine’s only predicament—it is also desperate for Western military aid, which has been harder to come by as the war drags on. But mobilizing enough soldiers is a problem only Ukraine can solve. To replenish its ranks, the Ukrainian government is struggling to find a balance between coercion and persuasion. The parliament is considering legislation that would increase the potential pool of recruits by about 400,000, in part by lowering the enlistment age from 27 to 25. But the proposal is highly unpopular, forcing elected officials to grapple with questions that cut to the heart of nationhood: Can they convince enough citizens to sacrifice their lives? And, if not, are they willing to accept the alternative? A Ukrainian soldier fighting near the city of Avdiivka—where soldiers retreated last week to save lives—said his unit was recently outnumbered by about 5 to 1 when dozens of Russian soldiers stormed their position, killing everyone but himself and two others. “We were almost completely defeated,” said Dima, who refused to provide his last name for security reasons. Roughly 800 kilometers (500 miles) away, a 42-year-old man hides at home outside of Kyiv, distressed. “I feel a sort of a guilt for being a man...I cannot feel myself free,” said Andrii, who insisted on using his first name only to speak about dodging the draft. Tens of thousands of other eligible Ukrainian men are estimated to be evading the draft, at home or abroad.

Who will dig the trenches?

BECAUSE there aren’t enough new recruits,

soldiers on the front line aren’t getting enough rest in between rotations. Two years of grueling battles have left men fatigued and more susceptible to injury. When there are new recruits, they are too few, too poorly trained and often too old, according to interviews with two-dozen Ukrainian soldiers, including six commanders. Commanders say they don’t have enough soldiers to launch offensives, and barely enough to hold positions amid intensifying Russian assaults. Brigades of 3,000-5,000 soldiers are typically fighting with only 75% of their full strength, according to Vadym Ivchenko, a lawmaker who is part of the parliament’s national security, defense and intelligence committee. Some brigades have as few as 25%, he added. Dima, the soldier fighting near Avdiivka, was among a dozen men treated recently at a field hospital near the front. Doctors there said their work was like a merry-goround: Soldiers sent back to fight after being treated often reappear weeks later with fresh wounds. Igor Ivantsev, 31, has been wounded twice in the span of four months. His body aches when he carries his machine gun, but doctors deem him fit to serve. Ivantsev said that of the 17 men he enlisted with, most are dead; the rest are like him, wounded. Ivantsev’s commander, who would only provide his first name, Dmytro, said his exhausted and depleted company is working overtime to dig deeper trenches and build better locations from which to counter constant Russian artillery. “We have no people, nowhere to get them from,” Dmytro said. At the start of the war, soldiers were rotated every two weeks for one week of rest, he said. But now his soldiers fight for a month, then get four days of rest. “We are not made of steel,” said Ivantsev. The average Ukrainian servicemen is in their 40s, according to Western officials. Commanders say the older the soldiers, the more they experience chronic illness, such as ulcers, hernias and pinched nerves. Dima’s assault company recently received seven new recruits ages 55 to 58. “What positions are they going to storm?” he asked sarcastically. “If he walks 4 kilometers with a backpack full of gear and weapons, he will fall down in the middle of the road.” Nearby, Alyona Yalunka, a medic, cares for a 42-year-old injured soldier who goes by the battlefield name Kolmyk. She feeds him a piece of chocolate. “I will kiss these guys’ feet to the bitter end, as long as they just stand, take up arms and protect my daughters,” Yalunka said. Kolmyk looked up at her with glassy eyes as his painkillers started to kick in. “Now, I can rest,” he said.

A plan to draft more men

IN Kyiv, the parliament is grappling with legislation that would enable the military to draft more men so that those already in battle can get more rest or even be relieved of duty.

year, Israel argued that the questions put to the court are prejudiced, ignore “Israel’s right and duty to protect its citizens,” fail to address Israeli security concerns or acknowledge past agreements with the Palestinians to negotiate “the permanent status of the territory, security arrangements, settlements, and borders.” Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek all three areas for an independent state. Israel considers the West Bank to be a disputed territory and says its future should be decided in negotiations. Israel has also built settlements across the West Bank, many of which resemble fully developed suburbs and small towns. The settlements are home to more than 500,000 Jewish settlers, while around 3 million Palestinians live in the territory. The international community overwhelmingly considers the settlements to be illegal. Israel has also annexed east Jerusalem, home to the city’s most sensitive holy sites, and considers the entire city to be its capital. The annexation is not internationally recognized. An estimated 300,000 Ukrainian soldiers are currently fighting along the front line, while others serve elsewhere, lawmakers said. Putin has said twice as many Russian troops are in Ukraine. The Ukrainian military seeks to mobilize up to 500,000 more men, but realizing how unpopular such a move would be, lawmakers are treading carefully. Over a thousand amendments have been attached to draft legislation that even President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has yet to publicly endorse. Under the draft legislation, any individual who fails to respond to call up notices could potentially have their bank accounts frozen and their ability to travel outside the country restricted—provisions that Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman has called unconstitutional. Lawmakers critical of the legislation, including Ivchenko, say the military hasn’t adequately explained how a surge in conscription will meaningfully change the outcome of the war. The two countries have been at a near standstill for months following a failed counteroffensive by the Ukrainians over the summer. But the Russians have recently taken the initiative. “Will this law be enough for the armed forces to change the situation on the battlefield?” asked Ivchenko. While the legislation envisions a pool of at least 400,000 new recruits, a more realistic figure may be half that after accounting for draft dodgers and those with legitimate claims to defer enlistment, said Oksana Zabolotna, an analyst with the Center for United Actions, a government watchdog in Kyiv.

Draft dodgers

THE legislation’s toughest sell are men like a 35-year-old website creator who insisted on anonymity to discuss his decision to hide at home in a suburb of Kyiv rather than join the war effort. He refuses to fight, he said, because he doesn’t want to kill people; his plan is to raise enough money to escape Ukraine, which currently forbids men younger than 60 from traveling abroad. The legislation being considered in parliament would, in theory, leave less room for men like him to hide by requiring all draft-eligible citizens to check in with the government via an electronic-tracking system. This system could also help balance a disparity in which recruitment patrols disproportionately target poor, rural areas to force draft dodgers to enlist. “Everyone understands it isn’t equal,” said Ivchenko, the lawmaker. While some bribe their way out of the draft entirely, others cut deals to be placed at a safe distance from the fighting, Ivchenko said. After an investigation into corruption, Zelenskyy last year dismissed all the regional heads of recruitment. The website creator hiding outside of Kyiv said he senses the government closing in, as if authorities are out to get him, one way or another. “It’s a feeling that everyone wants to throw you in a meat grinder,” he said. Blann reported from Kyiv. Volodymyr Yurchuk and Dmytro Zhyhinas in Kyiv contributed to this report.

TheWorld

Friday, February 23, 2024 A13

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Ship ablaze in Gulf of Aden as Israel shoots down missile in suspected Yemen Houthi rebel attacks By Jon Gambrell

The Associated Press

UBAI, United Arab Emirates—A suspected missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels set a ship ablaze in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday as Israel intercepted what appeared to be another Houthi attack near the port city of Eilat, authorities said. The attacks come as the rebels escalate their assaults over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The attack Thursday in the Gulf of Aden saw two missiles fired, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. It said the unnamed ship was ablaze, without elaborating. Ship-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press identified the vessel ablaze as a Palauflagged cargo ship named Islander. It had been coming from Thailand bound for Egypt and previously sent out messages saying: “SYRIAN CREW ON BOARD” to potentially avoid being targeted by the Houthis. “The missile attack lead to a fire onboard and coalition military assets were responding to the incident,” the private security firm Ambrey said. T he sh ip’s L iber i a n-l isted owners could not be immediately reached for comment. Meanwhile, sirens sounded early Thursday morning over Eilat, followed by videos posted online of what appeared to be an interception in the sky overhead. The Israeli military later said

the interception was carried out by its Arrow missile defense system. Israel did not identify what the fire was, nor where it came from. However, the Arrow system intercepts long-range ballistic missiles with a warhead designed to destroy targets while they are in space. The system “successfully intercepted a launch which was identified in the area of the Red Sea and was en route to Israel,” the Israeli military said. “The target did not cross into Israeli territory and did not pose a threat to civilians.” The Houthis did not immediately claim either attack. They typically acknowledge assaults they conduct hours afterward. Eilat, on the Red Sea, is a key port city of Israel. On October 31, Houthis first claimed a missileand-drone barrage targeting the city. The rebels have claimed other attacks targeting Eilat, which have caused no damage in the city. Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over Israel’s war against Hamas. They have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for trade among Asia, the Mideast and Europe. Those vessels have included at least one with cargo for Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor. Despite a month of US-led airstrikes, Houthi rebels remain capable of launching significant attacks. This week, they seriously damaged a ship in a crucial strait and downed an American drone

New York AG says she’ll seize Donald Trump’s property if he can’t pay $454-M civil fraud debt By Michael R. Sisak

EW YORK—Donald Trump could be at risk of losing some of his prized properties if he can’t pay his staggering New York civil fraud penalty. With interest, he owes the state nearly $454 million—and the amount is going up $87,502 each day until he pays. New York Attorney General Letitia James told ABC News on Tuesday that she will seek to seize some of the former president’s assets if he’s unable to cover the bill from Judge Arthur Engoron’s February 16 ruling. Engoron concluded that Trump lied for years about his wealth as he built the real estate empire that vaulted him to stardom and the White House. Trump denies wrongdoing and has vowed to appeal. “If he does not have funds to pay off the judgment, then we will seek judgment enforcement mechanisms in court, and we will ask the judge to seize his assets,” James, a Democrat, said in an interview with ABC reporter Aaron Katersky. Trump’s ability to pay his mounting legal debts is increasingly murky after back-to-back courtroom losses. In January, a jury ordered him to pay $83.3 million for defaming writer E. Jean Carroll. Trump claimed last year that he has about $400 million in cash—reserves that would get eaten up by his court penalties. The rest of his net worth, which he says is several billion dollars, is tied up in golf courses, skyscrapers and other properties, along with investments and other holdings. But don’t expect James to try to grab the keys to Trump Tower or Mar-a-Lago immediately. Trump’s promised appeal is likely to halt collection of his penalty while the process plays out. Here’s a look at where things stand in the wake of Trump’s costly verdict.

owes him money,” Syracuse University Law Professor Gregory Germain said. Seizing assets is a common legal tactic when a defendant can’t access enough cash to pay a civil penalty. In a famous example, O.J. Simpson’s Heisman Trophy was seized and sold at auction in 1999 to cover part of a $33.5 million wrongful death judgment against him. Trump could avoid losing assets to seizure if he has enough cash—or is able to free up enough cash—to pay his penalty and mounting interest. How much he has isn’t clear because most information about Trump’s finances comes from Trump himself via his government disclosures and the annual financial statements that Engoron has deemed fraudulent. Trump reported having about $294 million in cash or cash equivalents on his most recent annual financial statement for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. After that, according to state lawyers, he added about $186.8 million from selling his Washington, D.C. hotel in May 2022 and the rights to manage a New York City golf course in June 2023. Part of Trump’s penalty requires that he give those proceeds to the state, plus interest. Engoron’s decision last week spared Trump’s real estate empire from what the Republican front-runner deemed the “corporate death penalty,” reversing a prior ruling and opting to leave his company in business, albeit with severe restrictions including oversight from a court-appointed monitor. James didn’t specify to ABC which of Trump’s assets the state might want to seize, though she noted that her office happens to be right across the street from a Trump-owned office building in Lower Manhattan that was the subject of some of the fraud allegations in her lawsuit. “We are prepared to make sure that the judgment is paid to New Yorkers,” James told ABC. “And yes, I look at 40 Wall Street each and every day.”

Could the State really seize Trump’s assets?

How will an appeal affect Trump’s penalty?

The Associated Press

YES. If Trump isn’t able to pay, the state “could levy and sell his assets, lien his real property, and garnish anyone who

WITH Trump promising to appeal, it’s unlikely he’ll have to pay the penalty—or face the prospect of having some of his

worth tens of millions of dollars. The Houthis insist their attacks will continue until Israel stops its combat operations in the Gaza Strip, which have enraged the wider Arab world and seen the Houthis gain international recognition. On Wednesday, ships in the Red Sea of f the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida in Yemen reported seeing an explosion, though all vessels in the area were said to be safe, the UKTMO said. The UK MTO earlier reported heav y drone activity in the area. The US military’s Central Command acknowledged shooting down a Houthi bomb-carrying drone during that time. US airstrikes separately targeted seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles and one mobile anti-ship ballistic missile prepared to target ships in the Red Sea, Central Command said. The US State Department criticized “the reckless and indiscriminate attacks on civilian cargo ships by the Houthis” that have delayed humanitarian aid including food and medicine bound for Ethiopia, Sudan and Yemen. That includes the Sea Champion, a ship carrying corn and other aid to both Aden and Hodeida. “Contrary to what the Houthis may attempt to claim, their attacks do nothing to help the Palestinians,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. “Their actions are not bringing a single morsel of assistance or food to the Palestinian people.”

assets seized—for a while. If he wins, he might not have to pay anything. Under state law, Trump will receive an automatic stay if he puts up money, assets or an appeal bond covering the amount he owes. A stay is a legal mechanism halting enforcement of a court decision while the appeals process plays out. “Even if we choose to appeal this— which we will—we have to post the bond, which is the full amount and some, and we will be prepared to do that,” Trump lawyer Alina Habba told Fox News on Monday. Trump’s lawyers can also ask the appeals court to grant a stay without obtaining a bond or with a bond for a lower amount. In his Georgia election interference criminal case, Trump paid $20,000—or 10 percent—for a $200,000 release bond. After losing at a first trial involving Carroll last year, Trump put $5.55 million in escrow to cover the cost of the judgment while he appeals. He has said he would appeal the $83.3 million January verdict but has yet to do so. “If he can’t post a bond or meet t h e a p p e l l ate d i v i s i o n’s b o n d i n g requirements, then I would expect him to file bankruptcy to take advantage of the automatic stay on collection,” Germain said. “But that’s a couple of chess moves away, so we will just have to see what happens.” Trump’s vow to appeal all but assures the legal fight over his business practices will persist into the thick of the presidential primary season as he tries to clinch the Republican nomination in his quest to retake the White House. The appeal is also likely to overlap with his criminal trial next month in his New York hush-money case, the first of his four criminal cases to go to trial. Trump can’t appeal yet because the clerk’s office at Engoron’s courthouse must first file paperwork to make the verdict official. Once that happens, Trump will have 30 days to appeal and get the penalty stayed, or pay up. Trump’s lawyers wrangled Wednesday with state lawyers and the judge over what that paperwork should say. Trump lawyer Cliff Robert told Engoron in a letter late Wednesday that he wants enforcement of the penalty delayed 30 days “to allow for an orderly post-Judgment process, particularly given the magnitude of Judgment.”

A14 Friday, February 23, 2024 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.news.businessmirror@gmail.com

editorial

Celebrating Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle’s Legion of Honor award

N the realm of prestigious honors and decorations, few can rival the grandeur and significance of the Legion of Honor (Légion d’Honneur) in France. Established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, the Legion of Honor is the highest order of merit bestowed upon both French citizens and foreigners who have demonstrated outstanding service and commitment to France and its ideals. It stands as a symbol of recognition for excellence in various fields and a testament to the dedication and selflessness of its recipients. The recognition bestowed upon Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle on February 15, 2024 by the French government has brought great honor to the Philippines. As Cardinal Tagle received the prestigious Legion of Honor from French President Emmanuel Macron, it not only acknowledged his remarkable journey as a man of the Church but also highlighted his dedication to the common good. This well-deserved honor serves as a testament to his tireless efforts in serving both the Church and the world. (Read the BusinessMirror story: “France awards Cardinal Tagle with highest honor,” February 21, 2024). By awarding Cardinal Tagle this distinction, France recognizes his commitment to the Gospel and his unwavering pursuit of the common good. It acknowledges his significant contributions as the head of the second section of the Dicastery for Evangelization in the Vatican, a position of great influence within the Roman Curia. In her remarks during the awards ceremony, French Ambassador to the Holy See Florence Mangin eloquently described Cardinal Tagle’s intellectual and spiritual journey. From his early years as a child choosing the vocation of priesthood to becoming a cardinal and a leader within the congregation for evangelization, his path has been marked by a deep concern for the marginalized and vulnerable. His dedication to aiding AIDS patients, victims of violence, disaster survivors, drug addicts, and migrant workers exemplifies his commitment to serving the poorest and most marginalized members of society. Cardinal Tagle’s focus on the peripheries and his embodiment of Pope Francis’ concept of the Church as a “field hospital” have brought him closer to the Holy Father. It is worth noting that during Pope Francis’ visit to Manila in 2015, Cardinal Tagle played a pivotal role in organizing a mass attended by 6 million Catholic faithful. Recognizing his exceptional qualities of soul and heart, the French Republic honors Cardinal Tagle by inducting him into the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor. The cardinal’s responsibilities extend beyond Asia and Africa, as he is also responsible for seven French dioceses in the Caribbean, Africa, and the Pacific. His close collaboration with civil society organizations, such as the Anak Foundation and Tulay ng Kabataan, further demonstrates his dedication to helping vulnerable children and fostering international partnerships. Cardinal Tagle humbly accepted the award on behalf of the entire Church, interpreting it as an affirmation of the Church’s mission of evangelization. He expressed his gratitude to the French government and emphasized the importance of joyfully sharing the Gospel with all peoples of the world. In his heartfelt statement, he acknowledged the “legions” who have served alongside him, including Pope Francis, the Dicastery for Evangelization, priests, religious men and women, apostolic life societies, missionary societies, French laypeople, Anak Foundation-TNK, former teachers, students, Imus diocese, Manila Archdiocese, and his family. Esteemed guests, including Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See Myla Grace Macahilig, Philippine Ambassador to Italy Nathaniel Imperial, Brother Gerald Timoner, Master General of the Order of the Dominicans, Brother Gregory Ramon Gaston, Rector of the Philippine Pontifical Institute, Sister Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops, Mrs. Geneviève Grégoire Mursia, President of the ANAK-TNK association, as well as Cardinal Tagle’s colleagues from the Dicastery for Evangelization and members of his family, witnessed this momentous occasion. Their presence further underscores the significance of Cardinal Tagle’s achievements and the respect he commands. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle’s acceptance of the Legion of Honor is a source of immense pride for the Philippines. It highlights his dedication to the Church’s mission of evangelization, his compassion for the marginalized, and his commitment to promoting the common good. The recognition from France serves as an inspiration for all Filipinos to continue striving for excellence in service to others and to embody the values of justice, truth, love, and peace that Cardinal Tagle exemplifies.

Bringing higher education to a higher level Sonny M. Angara

Better Days

N the current deliberations on the proposed amendments to the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, one of the overarching themes has been the need for the country to catch up with the rest of the world. For a time, the Philippines was far ahead of many of its Southeast Asian neighbors whose economies were still closed to the outside world. In the past decades, these economies have since embraced liberalization and opened up their doors on all fronts—recognizing that this is the way to go if they are to grow at a pace that will allow them to become globally competitive.

As chairman of the Senate’s subcommittee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, we started our deliberations on Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 (RBH No. 6) that proposes to amend three provisions of the Constitution that deal with opening up public utilities, education and advertising to foreign ownership. While it may not stand out, including education in the scope

of the amendments is key to our goal of becoming an industrialized nation, albeit with a caveat—that we will only be touching on higher education. We understand that there is some confusion about the scope of RBH No. 6 on liberalizing the education sector. Many people who read the resolution interpreted it to mean that even basic education would be opened up to foreign own-

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Allysa Kim B. Eugenio

EAGLE WATCH

efore, we referred to the term “social class” as a person’s position in society that could potentially impact his future. However, such social segregation was overturned after the SpanishAmerican war. Hence, the term is now used to determine a family’s income bracket instead of their bloodline.

Normally, we hear Filipinos label themselves as either rich or poor, and others labeling themselves as somewhere in between. According to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), there are three middle-income groups in the Philippines: 1) the lower middle income, with a monthly family income ranging between P24,060 and P48,120; 2) the middle class, with a monthly family income ranging between P48,120 and P84,210; and 3) the upper middle income, with a monthly family income ranging between P84,210 and P144,360. Ideally, individuals under these groups have the ability to choose their lifestyle, as they have stable incomes and are engaged in a wide range of occupations (e.g., professionals, entrepreneurs, skilled workers). Also, individuals in the middle-income groups aspire upward mobility, so they constantly find ways to provide better opportunities for their families and improve their

socioeconomic status. As middle-class Filipinos are mostly working class, their salaries serve as their main source of income. Hence, economic instability can be a threat, as they are first in line to experience the tension from the economy’s rise and fall. This means that they have to adjust the way they spend their income, depending on how cheap or expensive things will become. Furthermore, middle-income earners feel the burden when the cost of living or taxes increase. As estimated by Ateneo economist Ser Percival Peña-Reyes, prior to TRAIN, the middle classes contributed 53.16 percent of personal income tax collections. With TRAIN, the share of the middle classes went up to 63.62 percent. Although TRAIN was able to decrease the absolute amount of personal income taxes collected, more revenues were raised from consumption taxes and other sources. Who among the income classes are likely

What we want to see with the relaxing of restrictions in the higher education sector is to have more of the world’s best educational institutions and educators bringing in their knowledge and know-how for the benefit of our learners and eventually to the industries that will hire them. This will help improve our competitiveness as individuals and as a nation.

ership. This was never the intention of the authors of the resolution, myself included. The intention is to keep basic education in the hands of Filipinos. As the late Constitutional Commission member Chito Gascon explained in the records of the body when it was crafting the 1987 Constitution, the philosophy behind the 100 percent Filipino ownership requirement was about assuring that our educational institutions play a role in instilling values and consequently molding public opinion. This is reflected in

to do more consumption spending? Also, realistically speaking, is P24,000 enough for a household to spend on both their wants and needs? Perhaps, the struggle of making ends meet remains, as the wealth gap in the country is worse than we think. Let us imagine a typical household where husband and wife each earn P24,000 and have two kids. With a combined monthly income of P48,000, we assume that 70 percent of their income is spent on housing, utilities, food, and transportation. With this, they are left with P14,400 to spend on whatever type of lifestyle they desire. How about their children’s education? Middle-class families often go for private schools that offer highquality education, if their children are not lucky enough to get into a high-profile, state-funded institution. Of course, private schools cost money. So, the remaining P14,400 would most likely be spent on the education of their children. If this is not enough, they either go into debt or compromise the quality of education by sending their children to public schools. Ultimately, there is a lack of flexibility when it comes to expenses, and being able to afford luxuries often means a never-ending cycle of incurring debts. Note that the government has vowed to make the Philippines an upper middle-income country by 2025. According to the National Economic and Development Authority, we are on track to achieve this if the full-year GDP growth rate of

the Constitution which mandates all schools to teach patriotism and nationalism; appreciation of the role of national heroes in the historical development of the country; and the rights and duties of citizenship. We intend to maintain this goal insofar as basic education is concerned. What we want to see with the relaxing of restrictions in the higher education sector is to have more of the world’s best educational institutions and educators bringing in their knowledge and know-how for the benefit of our learners and eventually to the industries that will hire them. This will help improve our competitiveness as individuals and as a nation. We have repeatedly stated during our hearings on RBH No. 6 that charter change should not be seen as a cure all for all the troubles being faced by our country. We’re not saying that amending the Constitution is the number one requirement of foreign investors when they look at the Philippines as a potential destination. Even if we amend the charter but we don’t address issues such as corrupSee “Angara,” A15

6.5 to 7.5 percent is achieved this year. However, will it really be possible for them to make the middleclass richer and bring the rest of the lower-class households to the upper middle-income status? Apart from the task of keeping inflation low and stable, the government should find ways for us to keep up with our Asean counterparts in terms of attracting foreign direct investments that can create more and better jobs. This is important because the salaries of middle-income earners in the Philippines are generally lower than the rest of the world. Government agencies such as PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and SSS should also be improved, as the benefits that these agencies provide offer relief to the middle class, especially since it is the group that is actively funding their programs. By offering improved services, the spending capabilities of the middle class may be improved. Having a strong middle class is what will allow our economy to flourish. Domestic consumption, after all, is fueled by the amount that middleincome earners are spending. The middle class should represent what it means to be a regular citizen of a country. Frankly speaking, if you are in the Philippines, being in the middle class right now means that you can easily get pushed below the poverty line. Ms. Allysa Kim B. Eugenio is a graduate student at the Department of Economics of Ateneo de Manila University.

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Friday, February 23, 2024 A15

Celebrating activism through I live in February the films Gomburza and Duyan ng Magiting

Tito Genova Valiente

annotations Dennis Gorecho

Kuwentong peyups

he hashtag #ActivismIsNotTerrorism aptly describes the award-winning socio-political films “Gomburza” and “Duyan ng Magiting” that were recently screened at the University of the Philippines Film Center. Gomburza stands for the surnames of the three priests—Fr. Mariano Gomez, Fr. Jose Burgos and Fr. Jacinto Zamora—who were implicated in the 1872 Cavite mutiny and later executed via the gruesome garrote on February 17, 1872. The screening of the films coincided with the 152nd death anniversary of the three priests. Rizal dedicated his novel El Filibusterismo to the memory of Gomburza: “Let these pages serve as a tardy wreath of dried leaves over your unknown tombs, and let it be understood that everyone who without clear proofs attacks your memory stains his hands in your blood!” Gomburza won seven awards during the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), including best actor for Cedrick Juan as Fr. Burgos, best director for Pepe Diokno, 2nd best picture, Gatpuno Antonio Villegas cultural award, best cinematography, best production design and best sound design. The film focuses on the rise of the secularization movement led by Roman Catholic priest Pedro Pelaez (Piolo Pascual) in the Spanish Philippines as well as the struggles and execution of GomBurZa. In the opening scene, Peláez argued against parishes being taken from “seculars” (priests who were not members of a religious or friar order) and turned over to Spanish friars who discriminated against native priests and even “Filipinos” (Insular Spaniards who were born in the Philippines rather than Peninsular Spaniards born in Spain). Aside from Juan, Dante Rivero played Fr. Gomez while Enchong Dee acted as Fr. Zamora. It was considered the first spark of patriotism that forged the “Filipino” identity that eventually united inhabitants of these islands into one nation in the last quarter of the 19th century. The film depicts the martyrdom of Gomburza from the perspective of a young witness—Jose Rizal who was mentored by his brother Paciano, who in turn was mentored by Padre Jose Burgos, and who, in turn was also mentored by Padre Pedro Pelaez. The story of Gomburza was shared to Jose Rizal by his older brother Paciano, who was also one of the students of Padre Burgos. Rizal’s two novels, “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo,” inspired many of those who fought for freedom, including Katipunan founder Andres Bonifacio. The finale song from Gomburza “Sa Duyan ng Bayan” was performed by the group Kawayan 7 band, Gitara ni Juan, and King Flute Philippines during CCP Pasinaya 2024. Awarded for Best Ensemble Performance in Cinemalaya 2023, Duyan ng Magiting is an anthology of interwoven narratives on life and terrorism in the country following a college professor, university chancellor, social worker, police chief, law-

Angara . . .

continued from A14

tion and bureaucratic red tape, then the entire effort will be for naught. It’s not an all or nothing approach, meaning do we need charter change at the expense of all the other legislative and administrative reforms. The question will always be if amending

The film depicts the martyrdom of GomBurZa from the perspective of a young witness—Jose Rizal who was mentored by his brother Paciano, who in turn was mentored by Padre Jose Burgos, and who, in turn was also mentored by Padre Pedro Pelaez. yer, two mothers, and two students. Director Dustin Celestino described the film as “a symbol of our continued resistance” as it tackled corruption within the government system and the police. It was written at the height of red-tagging and extra-judicial killings (EJK) that provides a perspective on the sociopolitical climate in the Philippines. It revolves around the journey of a young activist student named Jose, who was detained as a suspect for the church bombing. For the third time in the history of the Cinemalaya, an acting award is given to an ensemble for the film’s powerful cast of well-respected and veteran actors: Dolly de Leon, Bituin Escalante, Agot Isidro, Miggy Jimenez, Jojit Lorenzo, Frances MakilIgnacio, Paolo O’Hara, Joel Saracho, and Dylan Ray Talon. The film was also awarded Special Jury Prize for “its trenchant portrait of the wages of political violence, for its highly discursive and dialectical take on the culture of impunity that seems to have entrenched itself in Philippine politics, and for arousing among audiences awareness on the need to come to grips with the country’s escalating political violence.” The movie touched on the issue of “red-tagging” as part of the government’s counterinsurgency efforts that targets individuals or organizations critical or not fully supportive of the actions of a sitting administration. This includes publicly accusing activists, journalists, politicians, and organizations as either communists or terrorists or both, regardless of their actual political beliefs or affiliations. The film centered on student activism, which unfortunately has been sweepingly associated with terrorism. The campus has taught us the vision of service to the people; molded us to fight for the causes we believe in; trained us for the skills we need to communicate ideas and rally others to effect changes in society. One needs to see the world from a different perspective, not to be complacent to submit to the status quo, and not to be afraid to be critical. Let us continue to live by the ideals that bound us together. Let us celebrate activism.

“The day and time itself: late afternoon in early February, was there a moment of the year better suited for despair?”—Alice McDermott

N December last year, a historical film called Gomburza became a sensation in the box-office of the annual year-end film festival. It was not No. 1 but in this country where historical films are not the favored genre, it flashed a bright light of hope.

Are we ready to confront our histories again even if they come in the form of the most popular medium, which is the cinema? It was on February 9, 1837 that Father Jose Burgos was born in Vigan. It was also in the month of February, the 17th, of the year 1872 that Burgos was executed together with two other priests – Fathers Mariano Gomez and Jacinto Zamora. The historians have spoken, attributing to the execution of the three Filipino priests the inspiration for another great man, Dr. Jose Rizal. On that day this year, an organization named The Solidarity for Truth and Justice, working with the urban poor communities, some religious groups and those interested in the histories of our country, walked with a symbolic company of priests. They came from within the walled city, praying as they moved from the Plaza Roma at the Manila Cathedral to the new marker of the Gomburza, which has now been placed in Rizal Park, close to Rizal’s monument. What were these priests fighting for? They wanted equal representation; they sought a place for the Filipino priest in the church that did not look Filipino. And for that they were executed by means of the garrote, a tool for strangulation the origin of

which is attributed to Spain. During the 152nd commemoration of the martyrdom of the Gomburza, a reenactment albeit crude, was performed at the marker. Witnessing that act, which we could only imagine in texts and historical documents, was devastating. What was the Spanish church doing at the very moment the necks of these three priests were being broken, the destruction impacting on the spinal column? What were they thinking? The chains of histories we can conjecture and the notion of causes and effect we can imagine. If we are to celebrate the milestones in the month of February, what tapestry would we create? Let the thread of causation begin. It was in the month of February, the 13th day, 1865, that Miguel Lopez de Legazpi landed in what is now the present-day Samar. Our knowledge about this event has remained basic, but thanks to new historians looking at the archipelago not in terms of center but in manners of relationships, we are becoming well aware of other developments. In Ian Alfonso’s A History of the Sarangani Islands 1521-1921, under the chapter on “Nascent Philippine Formation via Sarangani,” he writes: “On 2 February 1543,

another Spanish expedition under Villalobos reached Mindanao, particularly the ‘beautiful bay’ (“bahia hermosa”) of Baganga (now a town in Davao Oriental).” What sense does this chain of events bring to our shores? From another white man’s POV, it was on February 10, 1899 that Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The White Man’s Burden: The United States and the Philippine Islands” saw publication in the New York Sun. From an older poem called “Recessional,” the poet altered it to suit a new conquest, the Philippines. It celebrated imperialism. In February, let us read then the poem of Kipling: Take up the White Man’s burden, Send forth the best ye breed Go bind your sons to exile, to serve your captives’ need; To wait in heavy harness, On fluttered folk and wild Your new-caught, sullen peoples, Half-devil and half-child. Conjure all the editorial cartoons made to honor these lines. Recall our image of being half-devil and being half-child. Let us jump to the last stanza:

UK’s House of Commons descends into chaos over Israel-Hamas war vote By Emily Ashton

Peyups is the moniker of the University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the Seafarers’ Division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan Law Offices. For comments, e-mail info@ sapalovelez.com, or call 0917-5025808 or 09088665786.

The disarray was triggered after Speaker Lindsay Hoyle controversially allowed both Keir Starmer’s Labour Party and Sunak’s Tories to propose changes to the SNP’s call for a cease-fire in Gaza. The differences between the three parties are marginal—all want an end to the fighting but with different caveats applied—yet some MPs were furious at a procedural shift they saw as favoring Labour. Hoyle’s move meant Starmer avoided what threatened to be a destabilizing rebellion by members of his party, because it meant his MPs could back his carefully chosen wording rather than language put forward by the SNP. Starmer has been battling to keep his party united since Hamas’s attacks in October, as he tries to balance Labour’s traditionally strong support among British Muslims with a push to shed accusations of antisemitism under his predecessor and present his party as a governmentin-waiting. Labour has a 20-point lead in polls ahead of a UK election

expected later this year. But while his call for an “immediate humanitarian cease-fire” was ultimately passed by the Commons, the events late Wednesday in the chamber meant the Labour leader won’t be celebrating. Instead, Conservative and SNP MPs roared accusations that Hoyle acted to spare Starmer’s blushes. “I thought I was doing the right thing and the best thing, and I regret it, and I apologize for how it’s ended up,” Hoyle told the House of Commons, amid calls from some SNP MPs for him to resign. As is often the case in Westminster, the furor over an arcane rule or convention that wasn’t followed also masked a deeper political motive. A similar vote brought to Parliament in November by the SNP— which is trying to fend off a resurgent Labour in Scotland ahead of the UK election—triggered a Labour rebellion that undermined Starmer’s position. So ahead of Wednesday’s followup vote, there was intense pressure

on him to come up with a form of words that would keep his MPs onside. The solution was to call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, while also calling for hostages held by Hamas to be released and for the peace process to be revived. The flaw was that Starmer’s motion might not be put to a vote, under a convention that opposition parties cannot try to amend a proposal put forward by another opposition party if the government also tries to do so. It was the perfect scenario for the SNP and Conservatives trying to put Labour in a bind, because it meant Labour MPs who wanted to express their wishes for a cease-fire would have had to side with one of their positions. Until Hoyle stepped in. Instead of a straight vote on the SNP’s position, the Speaker said MPs would first come to a decision on Starmer’s. In simple terms, that meant that if the House of Commons voted for Labour’s position, that would supersede the SNP’s chance to test support for its own. It was a spat with huge political consequences that hinged on the order of the votes. Hoyle said he intervened to allow MPs to consider “the widest possible range of options.” He also referred to security threats facing MPs from constituents. But the SNP was furious. The par-

the Constitution will help bring us closer to the promise of greater prosperity, among other things. The question is not if charter change is the only solution but rather is it a possible solution alongside the whole slew of other reforms. As legislators, we often make the mistake of thinking sometimes that we can solve all of the world’s problems. But at the end of the day, we can only

come up with legislation. We cannot do administrative reforms, we are not an anti-corruption body, we can do oversight but there are limitations. Constitutional reform should be viewed through that lens. Industries will always need skilled personnel but the problem that we have always faced is that we produce a lot of competent and skilled graduates but sadly there is no ecosystem

for them to thrive or work in. I have no doubt that we produce good graduates but my worry is always where they will end up. If we don’t have that ecosystem in place then we will continue to suffer from the brain drain and we will just be educating for migration. The efforts to reform the education system should go handin-hand with the development of industrialization policies. President

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to sign our pet piece of legislation, the Tatak Pinoy bill, into law shortly. Tatak Pinoy is precisely an attempt at coming up with an industrial policy. With Tatak Pinoy, we will hopefully address the lack of ecosystem in the various industries. We want to see the day when the professionals we produce such as scientists and medical practitioners will no longer have

vote on the Israel-Hamas war triggered chaos in the UK’s House of Commons with the Scottish National Party walking out in protest and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives also refusing to cast their ballots.

Take up the White Man’s burden, Have done with childish days The lightly proffered laurel, the easy, ungrudged praise. Comes now, to search your manhood, through all the thankless years Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom, The judgment of your peers. It is February, the shortest month of the year. What to do with this brevity? In the halls of Congress, the talk is about the People’s Initiative to change the constitution. By some political machinations and through discourses, facts are being revealed. When we attribute to a person the clamor for change, we see only the critical eye. We do not know anymore who is seeking the shift and who wants to defend the State. It is February and it was in this month, on the 8th day of 1935 that the Philippine Constitution was adopted. From then, that document was the target of change, revisions and subversions. It has seduced us all and it has been the foundation for many political leaders’ move to lead and bring this nation to a level only they understand. E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

ty’s leader in Westminster, Stephen Flynn, accused Hoyle of handing its allotted day in Parliament to Labour. “I will take significant convincing that your position is not now intolerable,” he said. By refusing to take part, Sunak’s Conservatives also avoided the scenario where they would have to vote against a cease-fire—whether Labour’s version or the SNP’s—to avoid supporting an opposition party, despite the fact that many Tory MPs expressed their desire to see an end to the fighting. Labour’s shadow Commons leader, Lucy Powell, accused the government of pulling its own motion because the Conservatives didn’t have the numbers present to pass it. “Last time I looked, the government benches had a majority in this House,” she said. “So perhaps we have to ask the question whether or not they do still command a majority in this House this evening, or whether they are trying to hide behind some other reason?” Starmer’s decision to explicitly call for an immediate cease-fire for the first time this week— in contrast to his previous call for a “sustainable” cease-fire—is a slightly different emphasis compared to the government’s position, which was to call for an “immediate humanitarian pause.”

to go overseas because they now have a place to work here at home.

Bloomberg

Senator Sonny Angara has been in public service for 19 years—9 years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and 10 as Senator. He has authored, co-authored, and sponsored more than 330 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate. E-mail: sensonnyangara@yahoo.com| Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara

A16 Friday, February 23, 2024

Cha-cha poor govt excuse to skirt real reforms–FDC

By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

HARTER change is considered to be an excuse used by the government to avoid instituting real reforms that will ensure economic growth is inclusive and sustainable, according to civil society groups. In a briefing on Thursday, Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) President Rene E. Ofreneo said that while the Constitution is supposed to be a reflection of the collective ideals of the country, many voices are being silenced in terms of the country’s development. Ofreneo said these voices being silenced are highlighting concerns such as mass poverty, income inequality, maldevelopment, disability, and social, economic, and environmental concerns. “We have to clarify, really sort out, what is the national agenda of change, of development that this country needs. Admitted-

ly, the problem is yung boses ng marami hindi naririnig [the voices of the many are not being heard],” Ofreneo told BusinessMirror on Thursday. In the same briefing, United Broiler Raisers’ Association (Ubra) President Elias Jose Inciong told BusinessMirror that declaring the Constitution as the main reason for why the country could not attract investments is “a dangerous formulation.” Inciong asked aloud: who would want to locate in a country where 10 percent of the population want to leave for abroad to get jobs and where firms are having problems

surviving due to high costs, particularly energy? Furthermore, Inciong said successful countries such as China and Vietnam have restrictions in terms of foreign ownership. But this has not prevented foreign companies from investing in these countries. Both these countries have higher Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) compared to the Philippines. “Historically, the Constitution has become an excuse. And the way the entire issue has been framed, are the advocates of ChaCha [Charter Change] saying that if they do not prevail, we will never develop because no foreign investor will invest here? That is a dangerous formulation,” Inciong said. Ofreneo said despite decades of liberalization as well as incentives and campaigns, the country has not been able to attract as much foreign investment or improve on the country’s development constraints. He noted the Philippines continues to suffer from poor infrastructure; high power costs; slow broadband connections; regulatory inconsistencies; and corruption. He said all these have been cited by American investors.

Charter change, Ofreneo said, also presents worrisome consequences such as placing the interests of foreigners above that of Filipinos. He also chided the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) saying it continued to be biased in favor of an open economy which has “failed the country miserably.” “We reject the Cha-Cha initiative of the executive and legislative branches of the government for it does not address the critical problems facing the country today,” Ofreneo said. Earlier, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the “storm” surrounding the debate on how to amend the 1987 Constitution has finally been settled by both houses of Congress through his intervention. In an interview with reporters after the 16th Ani ng Dangal 2024 in Manila last Tuesday, Marcos revealed how his proposed solution resolved the impasse between the House of Representatives and the Senate on the Cha-cha. The Senate filed Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 7, which proposed the amendments of the three economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution through a constitutional convention earlier this month. The House also filed a similar resolution last Monday.

PHL HOG RAISERS SET SIGHTS ON GUINNESS WORLD RECORD By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

OG farmers are gearing up for the Hog Festival 2024, where they will attempt to secure a coveted spot in the Guinness Book of World Records by serving the most extensive variety of pork dishes from March 1 to March 5. Jayson H. Cainglet, consultant of National Federation of Hog Raisers Inc. (NatFed), said this initiative aims to celebrate the local pork industry’s resilience and promote the consumption of fresh, clean, and safe pork. He said the festival aims not only to break records but also to highlight the rich and unique culinary tradition of serving pork dishes in the Philippines. “Why the pork festival and the Guinness attempt? This is a trailblazing initiative of local hog raisers, spearheaded by the National Federation of Hog Raisers Inc.,” he said in a statement. The world record attempt will serve as a kick-off event of the organization’s five-day Hog Festival in Cubao, Quezon City and Marikina from March 1 to 5. The first three days of the festival will take place in Novotel Hotel and Gateway Mall both in Araneta City, Cubao while the culminating event with a Backyard Congress will be held in Marikina Convention Center on day five. Moreover, Cainglet emphasized the significance of this

collaborative effort between hog raisers, the hospitality sector, and the tourism industry. Despite facing challenges such as the African swine fever (ASF), pork smuggling, and increased importation, Cainglet added that the local hog industry remains “dynamic and positive.” Cainglet also expressed gratitude to the Quezon City government for taking the lead and is hopeful that similar festivals will be replicated across the country. “We want this replicated all over the country, and we take the Quezon City government for taking the lead. Despite our struggles with the ASF, pork smuggling and unlimited importation, the local hog industry remains vibrant, positive and will continue to produce clean, safe and wholesome food that will cater to our pork loving Filipino consumers,” he said. For her part, Tetta Tirona, officer-in-charge of the QC Tourism Department said, “We support this initiative of the hog farmers not only because it will transpire in our city, but it is our duty to promote the local hog industry as this will benefit our local farmers.” “Linking hog producers with institutional markets like restaurants, supermarkets and hotels to lessen their dependence on imported pork will redound to the growth of our local economy as well. Quezon City is likewise a culinary tourism destination, serving delectable and unique local pork dishes,” she added.

Companies BusinessMirror

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Friday, February 23, 2024

Globe to cut capex budget, PLDT, ABS-CBN scrap SkyCable ‘optimize’ network in 2025 purchase deal

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

lobe Telecom Inc. will significantly reduce its capital expenditures (capex) in 2025, building on the cost-cutting measures it plans to implement in 2024. Already, Globe has trimmed its capex in 2024 to $1 billion from $1.3 billion in 2023. These costcutting measures are expected to continue into 2025, with the company targeting a capex below $1 billion. The capex for 2024 will be financed through a combination of internally generated cash flows, debt financing, and proceeds from tower sales, expected to conclude in the first half of 2024.

“For 2024, our focus is on optimizing the use of our network to be able to deliver topline growth of low to mid-single digit as well as maintain our EBITDA margin at 50 percent for the year. Supported by the delivery of our 2024 guidance, the objective is for us to return to positive free cash flow by 2025,” Globe CFO Rizza ManiegoEala said. The company’s capex-to-revenue ratio has already witnessed

a substantial decrease, dropping from 64 percent in 2022 to 44 percent in 2023. Eala said this demonstrates Globe’s active efforts to maximize network investments and focus on capital efficiency. The cash capex spending in 2024 is projected to account for approximately 30 percent to 35 percent of total gross service revenues for the year, with further reductions anticipated in the subsequent year. She noted that the “opportunistic investments” made over the past three years, resulted in Globe having an already expanded network. In 2023, Globe saw its profits dwindling by 29 percent to P24.58 billion from P34.61 billion, due to higher depreciation expenses coupled with non-operating charges that fully offset the three-percent increase in revenues. Globe’s top line stood at P162.33

billion, a new record high, from P157.98 billion as its mobile and corporate data businesses as well as non-telco services posted “robust growth.” Of the five business segments, fixed line voice posted a 20-percent decline in revenues and home broadband recorded a seven-percent drop. The three others mobile, corporate data, and non-telco services, grew by 5 percent, 7 percent, and 18 percent, respectively. Globe’s operating expenses and subsidy grew parallel to its revenues at 3 percent to P80.91 billion from P78.88 billion. The company said it expects its revenues to continue growing by “low to mid-single digit” this year, almost similar to its performance in 2023. Ernest Cu, the company’s president, said on Wednesday Globe has a “more positive” outlook for 2024, “as inflation continues to abate.”

CPG raises ₧2B via follow-on offering P

roperty developer Century Properties Group Inc. (CPG) has completed its P2-billion perpetual, cumulative, series B preferred shares follow-on offering at the Philippine Stock Exchange. “We are very pleased with the investors’ reception of our issuance which allowed us to price at the tighter end of the marketing spread and set the dividend rate at 7.5432 percent,” Ponciano S. Carreon Jr., the company’s CFO, said. “The timing for the preferred shares issuance was also good as the benchmark interest rates have started to move lower with the easing of inflationary pressures.” China Bank Capital Corp. acted as the sole issue manager, lead underwriter and bookrunner for the transaction. “On behalf of CPG, we are grateful to our institutional and retail investors, transaction partners, dedicated working group, and stakeholders for their unwavering trust. The success of this undertaking is a testament to our combined efforts and their enduring support and confidence in CPG’s growth,” company president and CEO Marco R. Antonio said. “The proceeds of this fundraising will help the company to fortify its commitment to prudent financial management and facilitate sustained expansion efforts.” Last month, CPG announced two projects for the first half of 2024 under its Premium In City Line: The Hotel Residences at Acqua in Mandaluyong City, offering movein ready suites. It also announced a mid-rise residential development at Azure North in San Fernando, Pampanga, with the first tower offering 375 units. The development will offer multi-feature water-park amenities, giving a unique and appealing dimension to resort living. CPG has diversified into the First-Home market to serve the unmet housing demand and further strengthen its position in key destinations within the country. Phirst, now fully owned by CPG, is expanding geographically to achieve a nationwide presence with sustainable product delivery. It successfully launched Phirst Park Homes Bacolod, fueling its expansion in the Visayas region. With plans to open at least six new subdivisions this year, Phirst aims to close 2024 with 26 active First-Home developments. VG Cabuag

LDT Inc. and ABS-CBN Corp. said on Thursday that their multibillion-peso transaction pertaining to the sale of Sky Cable to PLDT will not proceed as planned. Almost a year after it was announced, the two groups said they have “mutually decided not to proceed with the sale of Sky Cable to PLDT under the Sale and Purchase Agreement signed by and among the parties in March 2023.” When asked for further information, officials from both parties referred reporters to the disclosures to the stock exchange and the media advisories they sent. To recall, PLDT attempted to buy SkyCable in 2022 when its subsidiary Cignal Cable Corp. proposed a P2.86-billion investment in the Lopez-led cable TV operator. In 2023, the Pangilinan-led telco entered into a share and purchase agreement with Sky Vision Corp., ABS-CBN, and Lopez Inc. to acquire their shares in SkyCable for P6.75 billion.

The deals did not push through due to competition issues. The most recent deal, however, even received the approval of the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), but both parties highlighted that the transaction is “still subject to closing conditions.” It is unclear which closing condition was unmet. “Following this development, Sky Cable is pleased to announce that its cable T V service will continue, assuring its subscribers that they can maintain their subscriptions. Meanwhile, Sky’s internet broadband service, SKYFiber, remains unaffected,” ABSCBN said. Initially, Sky was supposed to fold down its operations following the sale of its business to PLDT. “We thank all our Sky subscribers for their continued patronage and support. We remain committed to providing the same level of customer experience and service for both our cable and internet services,” ABS-CBN said. Lorenz S. Marasigan

Companies BusinessMirror

Friday, February 23, 2024

Aboitiz unit spends $11M on additional SPI shares

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

boitiz Power Corp. is buying an additional 15.6-percent stake in STEAG State Power Inc. (SPI) for $11 million.

The power firm said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Thursday that it signed a share purchase agreement last February 21 to acquire an additional 15.6-percent equity interest in SPI. Upon completion of the transaction, Aboitiz Power will be the legal and beneficial owner of an 85-percent equity interest in the SPI. SPI operates and maintain the 210-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant, including the transmission line and related facilities, at the PHIVIDEC lndustrial Estate in Misamis Oriental, Mindanao. The acquisition will result in the expansion of attributable net income without adding new coal capacity to the grid, AboitizPower said. “AboitizPower is continuously managing and optimizing its generation portfolio, both in thermal and renewable energies. This is a good opportunity to help sustainably manage an existing generation facility, which is a vital component of the Mindanao grid, and provides affordable and reliable power to many Filipinos. Since this is an existing generation facility, there are no emissions added to the total greenhouse gas emissions of the Philippines,” the company said. Further, the coal plant will be instrumental in transporting energy to the grid. “With the energization of the Mindanao-Visayas

Interconnection, this plant will be able to export much-needed capacity to the national grid, which has experienced tightness of supply reserves in recent years.” AboitizPower is the holding company for the Aboitiz Group’s investments in power generation, distribution, and retail electricity services. Last November, Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV) said its income in January to September 2023 declined by 16 percent to P18 billion from the P21.4 billion recorded in 2022. The company said it recognized non-recurring gains of P738 million for the period, lower than the P5.3 billion in non-recurring gains last year. Without these one-off gains, the company’s core net income for the first nine months of 2023 was P17.3 billion, an 8 percent increase year-on-year. Aboitiz Power Corp.’s income contribution to AEV during the period reached P13.9 billion, 37 percent higher than the previous year’s P10.1 billion.

Exec: DigiPlus to join FTSE index By VG Cabuag @villygc

isted gaming firm DigiPlus Interactive Corp. on Thursday said it secured a position in the FTSE Global Equity Index Series (Micro Cap) during its latest semi-annual review. It will be included in the index by mid-March, the company said. DigiPlus President Andy Tsui said he was “elated” over the company’s inclusion in the FTSE index, saying it as “a testament to our commitment to shareholder value and team dedication, reinforcing our robust business model”. Tsui said the company’s inclusion in the FTSE index on March 15 is a “landmark achievement” because of the index’s substantial influence among global institutional investors, making it a revered benchmark for investment decisions worldwide. “We hope that our addition to the FTSE Global Equity Index Series (Micro Cap) will not only enhance our visibility but also broaden our investor base,” Tsui said. “This recognition validates our growth trajectory and reinforces investor confidence in our long-term prospects.” The FTSE Global Equity Index Series is known for its comprehensive coverage of the global equity market, providing investors with valuable insights and benchmarks to assess investment opportunities. The inclusion of DigiPlus in the Micro Cap segment further underscores the company’s emergence as a key player in the digital technology sector. DigiPlus has a game called BingoPlus, which transformed traditional Filipino bingo into a governmentlicensed digital platform. It significantly boosted DigiPlus’s financial performance and created a community hub. The company was recently recognized as Innovator of the Year-Media & Entertainment at the Asian Management Excellence Awards. DigiPlus earlier reported a net income of P2.08 billion in January to September 2023, a tenfold increase from the previous year’s P172.36 million. The launch of innovative game offerings, including the color game, a livestreaming specialty game reminiscent of traditional carnival games, has further solidified the company’s position in the digital entertainment sphere.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

February 22, 2024

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

ASIA UNITED BDO UNIBANK BANK COMMERCE BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK CITYSTATE BANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE COL FINANCIAL FERRONOUX HLDG NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH VANTAGE

140,440 441,177,933 336,082 324,362,147 4,127,970 850 141,393 114,958,609 2,418,074 10,450 3,259,230 21,687,713 5,308,530 154,010 92,340 147,490 3,800 3,777 6,930

-66,595.00 106,507,182 4,880 153,830,379 692,985 -33,136,023.50 -1,150,470 -280,250 3,550,678.00 -3,465,920 6,930

INDUSTRIAL ACEN CORP 4.3 4.31 4.31 4.36 4.24 4.3 14,581,000 62,687,450 ALSONS CONS 0.5 0.53 0.53 0.53 0.51 0.53 130,000 66,760 ALTERNERGY HLDG 0.78 0.79 0.79 0.8 0.77 0.79 472,000 370,460 ABOITIZ POWER 37.25 37.3 37.1 37.4 37.1 37.3 942,100 35,122,395 RASLAG 1.16 1.2 1.18 1.2 1.16 1.2 74,000 86,560 BASIC ENERGY 0.2 0.201 0.198 0.203 0.198 0.2 1,500,000 300,350 FIRST GEN 19.8 19.82 19.42 19.84 19.42 19.8 792,100 15,660,030 FIRST PHIL HLDG 64.9 65.8 65 65.9 64.85 65.8 21,090 1,371,500 MERALCO 369 369.4 367.2 369 367.2 369 96,210 35,481,356 MANILA WATER 18.92 18.94 18.28 18.98 18.26 18.94 1,363,400 25,659,428 PETRON 3.22 3.25 3.25 3.25 3.2 3.25 448,000 1,446,260 PHX PETROLEUM 4.4 4.42 4.1 4.42 4.1 4.42 4,000 17,040 REPOWER ENERGY 6.46 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.4 6.46 32,700 211,304 SEMIRARA MINING 31.85 31.9 31.65 32.1 31.65 31.85 643,900 20,529,360 SYNERGY GRID 8.88 8.9 8.8 8.89 8.65 8.88 3,315,600 29,294,401 SHELL PILIPINAS 10.58 10.6 10.6 10.62 10.58 10.6 284,400 3,015,054 SPC POWER 8.04 8.35 7.72 8.37 7.72 8.3 212,500 1,725,575 SP NEW ENERGY 1.13 1.14 1.16 1.18 1.13 1.13 62,712,000 71,522,480 AGRINURTURE 0.51 0.52 0.52 0.53 0.51 0.52 2,241,000 1,163,850 AXELUM 2.38 2.4 2.36 2.4 2.36 2.4 83,000 198,770 CNTRL AZUCARERA 13.3 13.34 13.4 13.4 13.3 13.3 319,600 4,251,634 CENTURY FOOD 35.05 35.4 35.8 35.8 35 35.05 2,677,800 94,103,730 DEL MONTE 6.1 6.2 6.08 6.1 6.08 6.1 9,100 55,368 DNL INDUS 6.89 6.91 6.91 6.92 6.83 6.89 1,431,200 9,862,622 EMPERADOR 19.22 19.26 19.66 19.66 18.98 19.22 649,600 12,465,654 SMC FOODANDBEV 49.75 50 50.2 50.2 49.7 50 13,880 691,426.50 FIGARO COFFEE 0.69 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.68 0.69 8,167,000 5,640,990 FRUITAS HLDG 0.83 0.85 0.86 0.86 0.83 0.84 348,000 295,290 GINEBRA 158.5 159 161.1 161.1 159 159 20,990 3,361,248 JOLLIBEE 260 261 259 261 258.8 261 437,280 113,806,112 KEEPERS HLDG 1.41 1.42 1.41 1.42 1.41 1.42 251,000 353,960 LIBERTY FLOUR 13.02 14.78 14.88 14.88 14.88 14.88 200 2,976 MAXS GROUP 3.34 3.4 3.37 3.38 3.33 3.35 77,000 258,410 MG HLDG 0.09 0.095 0.09 0.095 0.087 0.09 130,000 11,620 MONDE NISSIN 10.14 10.2 10.16 10.36 10.14 10.14 1,871,600 19,061,132 SHAKEYS PIZZA 10.44 10.5 10.5 10.6 10.44 10.44 5,900 61,924 ROXAS AND CO 0.67 0.68 0.65 0.69 0.65 0.67 5,446,000 3,666,340 RFM CORP 2.96 2.97 2.96 2.97 2.96 2.97 93,000 275,390 SWIFT FOODS 0.059 0.066 0.065 0.065 0.059 0.059 1,520,000 98,680 UNIV ROBINA 113.6 114 112.6 114 111.5 114 596,760 67,543,975 VITARICH 0.5 0.53 0.51 0.53 0.5 0.53 178,000 89,650 VICTORIAS 2.7 2.92 2.92 2.92 2.92 2.92 1,000 2,920 CEMEX HLDG 2.02 2.03 2.05 2.19 2.03 2.03 27,717,000 57,519,770 EC VULCAN CORP 0.62 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.63 612,000 385,560 EEI CORP 5.42 5.5 5.43 5.5 5.42 5.5 161,000 873,729 MEGAWIDE 3.22 3.23 3.22 3.24 3.21 3.22 249,000 803,040 PHINMA 19.6 20.4 20 20 20 20 17,100 342,000 TKC METALS 0.4 0.49 0.38 0.38 0.36 0.36 100,000 37,000 CROWN ASIA 1.65 1.69 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 2,000 3,400 MABUHAY VINYL 5.5 5.55 5.55 5.55 5.51 5.55 5,100 28,155 PRYCE CORP 5.19 5.2 5.2 5.21 5.19 5.2 129,800 675,075 CONCEPCION 12.5 12.96 12.86 12.96 12.86 12.96 2,900 37,484 GREENERGY 0.22 0.221 0.217 0.222 0.212 0.221 14,350,000 3,155,550 INTEGRATED MICR 2.51 2.54 2.51 2.55 2.51 2.51 75,000 188,990 IONICS 1.14 1.15 1.14 1.15 1.14 1.15 2,949,000 3,390,190 PANASONIC 5.12 5.42 5.42 5.42 5.42 5.42 2,000 10,840 SFA SEMICON 2.49 2.5 2.49 2.51 2.49 2.51 1,311,000 3,278,310 CIRTEK HLDG 1.84 1.87 1.9 1.9 1.84 1.84 585,000 1,084,920

11,147,710.00 3,570 -13,590,785 11,800 2,350,230 325,000 9,060,236 4,843,900 -536,420 -6,562,735 -5,218,134 -2,340,480 8,340 7,369,400 -392,140 -38,060 -66,414 -8,805,365.00 -2,796,792 -3,063,674 -24,926.50 -13,100.00 6,800 -5,083,928 -43,480 266,606 -48,340 46,510 -1,108,081 -15,491,450 2,172 74,280 -37,484 180,340 -22,640 -447,860

ABACORE CAPITAL AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANSCOR ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV GT CAPITAL JG SUMMIT LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP PACIFICA HLDG SOLID GROUP SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP TOP FRONTIER

577,860 32,119,420 2,628,195 -1,551,840 8,330 165,269.00 -3,897,122 11,960 -39,126,235 9,435,830.00 -1,229,898 55,917,670 -1,064,788 -

HOLDING & FRIMS

35.15 155 6.02 118 34.6 8.01 8.9 58.65 19.2 54 23.75 70.4 44.8 1 2.3 2.53 0.38 183.2 0.77

1.17 714.5 46.3 10.78 11.9 0.395 0.38 5.15 10.66 5.7 689.5 39.55 0.37 4.3 9.35 1.03 0.97 911 106.3 93.1

35.4 157 6.25 120 34.65 8.5 8.91 58.7 19.22 55 24.05 70.45 45.15 1.03 2.43 2.88 0.44 187.4 0.81

1.18 715 46.35 10.8 11.96 0.4 0.415 5.16 10.7 5.72 690 39.6 0.405 4.35 9.37 1.46 0.98 916 106.8 95

35.05 154.8 6.23 117.5 34.5 8.5 8.9 58.65 19.3 55 24 70.95 45 1.04 2.43 2.69 0.38 189.9 0.77

1.17 708.5 45.8 10.96 11.96 0.395 0.375 5.16 10.8 5.98 688 39.05 0.41 4.28 9.65 1.03 0.98 903 107 95

35.4 157 6.25 120 34.8 8.5 8.92 58.9 19.3 55 24.05 70.95 45.35 1.04 2.43 2.7 0.38 189.9 0.77

1.2 714.5 46.3 10.96 11.96 0.4 0.375 5.16 10.82 5.98 697.5 39.6 0.415 4.28 9.65 1.03 0.98 916 107 95

35.05 153.7 6.1 116 34.4 8.5 8.85 58.25 19.1 55 23.75 70.4 44.8 1 2.43 2.66 0.38 187.8 0.77

1.16 703.5 45.3 10.78 11.9 0.395 0.375 5.1 10.62 5.7 686 39.05 0.375 4.28 9.35 1.03 0.97 903 106.3 93.05

35.15 157 6.25 120 34.65 8.5 8.9 58.7 19.22 55 23.75 70.45 44.8 1.03 2.43 2.66 0.38 187.8 0.77

1.18 714.5 46.3 10.8 11.96 0.4 0.375 5.15 10.66 5.72 690 39.55 0.405 4.28 9.35 1.03 0.98 916 106.3 93.1

4,000 2,835,410 54,200 2,734,160 119,400 100 15,900 1,959,460 126,000 190 136,600 307,790 117,900 153,000 38,000 55,000 10,000 20 9,000

24,949,000 358,560 1,550,500 952,600 12,300 600,000 60,000 304,000 2,037,300 17,600 113,330 1,227,400 240,000 1,000 6,219,800 10,000 27,000 174,730 265,230 510

29,644,470 254,604,430 71,447,415 10,309,016 146,852 238,500 22,500 1,563,939 21,767,706 101,052 78,284,070 48,474,510 97,700 4,280 58,703,878 10,300 26,440 159,359,295 28,255,766 47,670.50

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.425 0.475 0.46 0.46 0.425 0.44 80,000 35,250 AYALA LAND 35.55 35.6 34.9 35.6 34.8 35.55 15,701,500 556,555,310 AYALA LAND LOG 2.04 2.06 2.08 2.08 2.02 2.06 424,000 865,200 ALTUS PROP 9.18 9.41 9.25 9.25 9.18 9.18 2,600 24,043 ARANETA PROP 1.01 1.02 1.01 1.03 1 1.03 154,000 157,690 AREIT RT 34.7 34.8 34.2 34.8 34.2 34.7 1,162,900 40,137,555 A BROWN 0.64 0.66 0.66 0.66 0.64 0.64 43,000 27,740 CITYLAND DEVT 0.72 0.73 0.71 0.73 0.71 0.73 31,000 22,320 CROWN EQUITIES 0.059 0.06 0.059 0.059 0.059 0.059 100,000 5,900 CEB LANDMASTERS 2.76 2.78 2.74 2.78 2.74 2.78 821,000 2,270,590 CENTURY PROP 0.275 0.28 0.27 0.28 0.27 0.28 200,000 54,600 CITICORE RT 2.69 2.7 2.69 2.7 2.68 2.7 3,355,000 9,031,190 DOUBLEDRAGON 8.51 8.54 8.58 8.58 8.32 8.52 127,100 1,077,548 DDMP RT 1.2 1.22 1.2 1.23 1.2 1.2 2,133,000 2,586,170 DM WENCESLAO 5.52 5.95 5.75 5.95 5.52 5.52 84,100 472,040 EMPIRE EAST 0.133 0.134 0.131 0.134 0.131 0.133 6,860,000 906,110 EVER GOTESCO 0.275 0.285 0.28 0.285 0.28 0.285 220,000 62,300 FILINVEST RT 3.28 3.29 3.26 3.29 3.26 3.28 506,000 1,657,190 FILINVEST LAND 0.71 0.72 0.7 0.71 0.69 0.71 2,946,000 2,078,990 GLOBAL ESTATE 0.79 0.82 0.77 0.82 0.77 0.82 6,000 4,670 8990 HLDG 9.5 9.64 9.5 9.7 9.25 9.64 97,000 921,148 GOLDEN MV 902 975 892 975 892 975 33,740 31,519,150 PHIL INFRADEV 0.56 0.58 0.64 0.64 0.58 0.58 470,000 282,190 CITY AND LAND 0.82 0.83 0.81 0.83 0.81 0.82 46,000 37,780 MEGAWORLD 1.95 1.96 1.94 1.97 1.94 1.95 8,451,000 16,512,040 MRC ALLIED 1.21 1.24 1.22 1.24 1.21 1.21 247,000 302,080 MREIT RT 13.4 13.46 13.36 13.68 13.34 13.46 469,600 6,323,132 PHIL ESTATES 0.36 0.39 0.36 0.36 0.355 0.355 100,000 35,600 PREMIERE RT 1.56 1.57 1.59 1.59 1.55 1.56 37,000 58,260 PRIMEX CORP 2.21 2.22 2.22 2.22 2.21 2.22 31,000 68,670 RL COMM RT 5.5 5.52 5.5 5.53 5.45 5.5 1,032,500 5,672,955 ROBINSONS LAND 16.3 16.46 16.48 16.58 16.3 16.3 2,512,200 41,409,412 PHIL REALTY 0.15 0.167 0.15 0.168 0.15 0.167 430,000 67,580 ROCKWELL 1.49 1.52 1.46 1.53 1.42 1.49 1,156,000 1,730,270 SHANG PROP 3.65 3.67 3.62 3.67 3.62 3.65 281,000 1,026,310 STA LUCIA LAND 3.12 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 7,000 24,500 SM PRIME HLDG 33.65 33.8 33 33.8 32.8 33.8 9,020,600 302,139,440 SUNTRUST RESORT 0.8 0.85 0.8 0.85 0.76 0.85 39,000 30,130 VISTA LAND 1.65 1.66 1.68 1.69 1.65 1.65 186,000 307,770 VISTAREIT RT 1.73 1.74 1.72 1.74 1.72 1.74 437,000 753,490 SERVICES ABS CBN 4.21 4.31 4.3 4.31 4.2 4.3 43,000 184,730 GMA NETWORK 8.89 8.9 8.87 8.9 8.86 8.9 146,500 1,300,903 MANILA BULLETIN 0.191 0.214 0.217 0.217 0.217 0.217 30,000 6,510 GLOBE TELECOM 1,755 1,756 1,740 1,757 1,738 1,755 16,915 29,619,825 PLDT 1,286 1,288 1,288 1,292 1,282 1,288 32,210 41,489,580 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.01 0.011 0.012 0.012 0.011 0.011 1,229,900,000 13,572,800 CONVERGE 9.67 9.68 9.7 9.78 9.67 9.68 4,703,900 45,574,910 DITO CME HLDG 2.36 2.38 2.39 2.39 2.36 2.36 1,652,000 3,920,390 NOW CORP 1.11 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.1 1.11 539,000 603,990 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.123 0.13 0.132 0.132 0.121 0.13 3,470,000 421,990 ASIAN TERMINALS 16.5 16.8 16.5 16.94 16.5 16.8 5,800 96,820 CHELSEA 1.48 1.5 1.46 1.5 1.46 1.49 81,000 120,380 CEBU AIR 33.5 33.65 33.8 33.8 33.1 33.5 62,500 2,079,225 INTL CONTAINER 280 281 287.4 288.8 279 280 1,405,160 396,536,372 LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.57 0.63 0.62 0.62 0.62 0.62 2,000 1,240 MACROASIA 3.92 3.95 3.92 4 3.92 3.95 101,000 400,320 METROALLIANCE A 0.5 0.52 0.52 0.52 0.52 0.52 269,000 139,880 PAL HLDG 5.3 5.58 5.62 5.62 5.59 5.59 500 2,803 HARBOR STAR 0.75 0.76 0.75 0.76 0.75 0.76 35,000 26,390 ACESITE HOTEL 1.82 1.89 1.83 1.83 1.82 1.82 100,000 182,330 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.059 0.06 0.06 0.061 0.059 0.059 6,150,000 368,250 CENTRO ESCOLAR 8.2 8.7 8.2 8.7 8.2 8.7 1,500 12,900 FAR EASTERN U 568.5 594 594.5 594.5 594 594 80 47,530 IPEOPLE 7.46 7.47 7.46 7.46 7.02 7.46 900 6,646 STI HLDG 0.7 0.71 0.71 0.72 0.69 0.7 5,797,000 4,076,880 BELLE CORP 1.2 1.21 1.2 1.21 1.2 1.21 101,000 121,260 BLOOMBERRY 11.3 11.36 11.36 11.4 11.3 11.3 5,828,800 66,023,268 PACIFIC ONLINE 3.78 3.8 3.86 3.87 3.77 3.8 355,000 1,352,710 PH RESORTS GRP 0.81 0.82 0.83 0.83 0.81 0.81 142,000 115,220 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.69 0.7 0.7 0.71 0.69 0.7 12,092,000 8,408,040 DIGIPLUS 7.75 7.77 7.69 7.9 7.68 7.75 1,263,100 9,805,704 PHILWEB 1.69 1.7 1.69 1.7 1.68 1.69 214,000 360,480 ALLDAY 0.158 0.16 0.161 0.161 0.158 0.158 2,460,000 392,620 ALLHOME 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.14 1.11 1.13 301,000 338,500 METRO RETAIL 1.3 1.32 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 29,000 37,700 PUREGOLD 28 28.1 28 28.2 27.85 28 1,895,400 53,076,545 ROBINSONS RTL 36.95 37 37 37.05 36.6 36.95 250,900 9,271,555 PHIL SEVEN CORP 77 80.8 82 82 77 77 460 37,220 SSI GROUP 3.18 3.22 3.28 3.28 3.22 3.23 281,000 911,960 UPSON INTL CORP 1.13 1.19 1.27 1.27 1.11 1.14 355,000 405,520 WILCON DEPOT 22.85 22.9 23 23 22.8 22.85 840,700 19,235,620 APC GROUP 0.22 0.232 0.232 0.232 0.22 0.22 1,020,000 224,670 EASYCALL 2.11 2.15 2.1 2.15 2.1 2.15 11,000 23,600 MEDILINES 0.315 0.32 0.31 0.32 0.31 0.32 130,000 41,400 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.163 0.165 0.166 0.166 0.163 0.163 1,170,000 193,280 SBS PHIL CORP 4.36 4.6 4.5 4.6 4.5 4.6 6,000 27,300 MINING & OIL APEX MINING 2.57 2.58 2.56 2.59 2.52 2.58 3,417,000 8,745,220 ATLAS MINING 3.3 3.44 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 40,000 132,000 BENGUET B 4.45 4.48 4.45 4.48 4.45 4.48 17,000 76,130 CENTURY PEAK 2.95 3.1 3.01 3.1 3 3.1 48,000 144,930 DIZON MINES 2.5 2.99 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 4,000 10,000 FERRONICKEL 1.86 1.87 1.92 1.93 1.82 1.87 1,080,000 2,031,150 GEOGRACE 0.044 0.046 0.043 0.046 0.043 0.046 7,300,000 332,100 LEPANTO A 0.072 0.074 0.074 0.074 0.074 0.074 10,000 740 MANILA MINING A 0.0038 0.0039 0.0037 0.0039 0.0037 0.0039 12,000,000 44,600 MANILA MINING B 0.0041 0.0042 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 0.0041 4,000,000 16,400 MARCVENTURES 0.78 0.79 0.83 0.83 0.78 0.78 2,634,000 2,079,910 NIHAO 0.5 0.58 0.56 0.56 0.55 0.55 240,000 134,000 NICKEL ASIA 4.59 4.6 4.64 4.64 4.58 4.6 3,497,000 16,098,920 ORNTL PENINSULA 0.63 0.65 0.66 0.66 0.63 0.63 63,000 40,700 PX MINING 3.04 3.06 3.03 3.07 3.01 3.04 218,000 663,940 ENEX ENERGY 4.73 5.1 5.1 5.1 5.05 5.05 1,100 5,560 ORNTL PETROL A 0.0079 0.008 0.0079 0.0079 0.0079 0.0079 11,000,000 86,900 PXP ENERGY 3.7 3.74 3.65 3.75 3.65 3.7 128,000 472,990 PREFFERED ACEN PREF A 1,045 1,060 1,060 1,060 1,060 1,060 300 318,000 ACEN PREF B 1,090 1,091 1,090 1,090 1,090 1,090 6,365 6,937,850 AC PREF AR 2,490 2,500 2,484 2,498 2,484 2,498 150 372,850 AC PREF B2R 487.4 495 490 490 487 487.2 10,270 5,007,728 CEB PREF 33.5 34.95 33.55 33.55 33.55 33.55 100 3,355 DD PREF 95.5 96 96 96 96 96 4,520 433,920 EEI PREF B 97 98.6 98.6 98.6 97 98.6 110 10,702 JFC PREF A 960.5 994.5 960.5 960.5 960.5 960.5 720 691,560 JFC PREF B 926 950 925 926 925 926 2,020 1,868,520 MWIDE PREF 4 93 93.5 93 93.5 93 93.5 230 21,445 MWIDE PREF 5 101 101.4 101.4 101.4 101 101 1,920 194,056 PNX PREF 4 210.6 223 211 223 211 223 60 12,780 PCOR PREF 3A 995 998 999 999 999 999 70 69,930 PCOR PREF 3B 990 1,000 1,000 1,000 999 1,000 670 669,600 PCOR PREF 4C 991 1,000 991 1,000 991 1,000 390 388,200 SMC PREF 2F 72.65 73.2 72.8 73.2 72.7 73.2 2,250 163,720 SMC PREF 2I 71.5 72.55 72.55 72.55 72.55 72.55 50 3,627.50 SMC PREF 2J 70.1 71.9 70.1 71.9 70.1 71.9 33,170 2,325,523 SMC PREF 2L 76.3 78 78 78 78 78 6,010 468,780 SMC PREF 2N 77.1 78.5 77.1 78.5 77.1 78.5 33,400 2,575,280 SMC PREF 2O 79 79.5 79.5 79.5 79.5 79.5 5,000 397,500 TECH PREF B2D 48.8 49.8 49.8 49.8 49.8 49.8 300 14,940

4,400 229,812,290 2,040 -2,315,345 6,600 0 -7,372,610 18,576 3,690 -252,816 29,370.00 628,810 -4,750 -380,000 60,000 4,150 677,590 -3,135,068 11,100 -284,458 105,236 40,250 24,500 7,221,975 -41,050 7,578,395 28,010 121,000 -12,560,416.00 125,890 -153,980.00 181,500 38,220 -26,928,204 -3,480.00 -702 215,940 -112,800 3,711,438 152,430 -42,114 -10,010 3,939,945 -1,856,630 29,520 80,870 -341,420.00 -935,715 3,100 -

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 3.92 4.05 3.91 4.04 3.91 4.04 5,000 19,830 GMA HLDG PDR 8.55 9 WARRANTS

TECH WARRANT

0.212

0.214

0.18

0.214

0.174

0.214

1,080,000

499,560 144,930.00 -449,660 -22,000 -3,726,580 -9,100 -87,020 -

2 0 2 , 2 1 0

SMALL, MEDIUM & EMERGING

0.415 0.415 0.415 0.415 80,000 33,200 0.72 0.72 0.72 0.72 222,000 159,840 1.08 1.08 1.03 1.03 2,870,000 3,010,920 -242,560 0.67 0.69 0.66 0.68 62,000 41,410 0.057 0.057 0.05 0.05 7,020,000 360,690 118,320 1.06 1.06 1.04 1.05 158,000 165,570 52,520 0.3 0.305 0.27 0.28 4,610,000 1,366,450 -600,000

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

107.8 108.7 107.8 108.7 14,870 1,604,805 -188,976

BALAI FRUITAS CTS GLOBAL HAUS TALK ITALPINAS LFM PROP MERRYMART XURPAS

FIRST METRO ETF

0.415 0.72 1.02 0.66 0.052 1.03 0.27 108

0.425 0.73 1.03 0.68 0.062 1.05 0.28 108.7

www.news.businessmirror@gmail.com

Pagcor’s tax-share to NG to be split By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

HE House of Representatives has approved on second reading House Bill (HB) 9874 that aims to address and “rectify” the allocation of proceeds from the franchise tax on gaming operations licensed or operated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor). The approval of the bill last Wednesday seeks to reshape the fiscal dynamics between the national government and local government units (LGUs) hosting gaming activities licensed by the Pagcor, according to lawmakers who expect HB 9874 to be approved on final reading next week. The bill aims to determine the share of local government units (LGUs) from the earnings generated by Pagcor-operated and licensed gaming operations within the jurisdiction of the respective LGU. The bill’s author, Paranaque Rep. Edwin L. Olivarez, said he advanced the bill based on a need for a “fair and equitable” distribution of the franchise tax “to enhance the fiscal autonomy” of the host LGUs. Specifically, the proposed legislation seeks a different scheme on how to distribute the 5-percent franchise tax remitted by the Pagcor to the national government. Under the new framework, 3 percent will be allocated to the national government while the remaining 2 percent will directly benefit the host city or the LGU hosting Pagcor gaming activities. Olivarez said this adjustment is expected to “empower local communities and incentivize responsible Pagcor-operated and licensed gaming operations.” The latter includes land-based casinos, online casinos, bingo, electronic games (egames) and electronic bingo (ebingo), according to HB 9874. The bill proposes that the remittance of the allocated 2-percent share to the LGU be paid directly, streamlining the process and facilitating a more efficient flow of funds to the local level. The bill seeks to modify the Pagcor Charter (Presidential Decree 1869, as amended by PD 1993).

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

UND traders from Sun Life Investment Management and Trust Corp. (SLIMTC) see a “stronger” Philippine economy as inflation has decelerated.

According to SLIMTC Chief Investment Officer Ritchie Ryan G. Teo, since inflation has peaked and prices are returning to normal, the Philippine economy is in better shape.

“Last year, markets battled high inflation, and that caused central banks to hike rates by 100 basis points (bps) both from the Fed [US Federal Reserve] and the BSP [Bang-

ko Sentral ng Pilipinas],” Teo said in a news briefing last Thursday. “Fortunately, we saw rates peaked and they’ve been decelerating already so they’ve paused during the last quarter.” The executive said SLIMTC anticipates a 6-percent growth in gross domestic product (GDP) this year as government data revealed GDP in the fourth quarter of 2023 hit 5.8 percent. Our expectation is driven by consumption and potential investment uptick due to rate cuts by monetary authorities, Teo said. He added the expected further cuts will drive inflation to ease, thereby, improve

corporate earnings, make valuations more attractive and making the peso stable. SLIMTC expects inflation to trend lower in 2024 at 3.8 percent as the firm expects the El Niño ending in April, thereby, improving rice harvests. Weak global demand also continues to soften oil prices, according to the SLIMTC. Based on the latest inflation outlook of the BSP, the baseline forecast for inflation is at 3.6 percent in 2024 and 3.2 percent in 2025. Teo’s team also expects the BSP to cut interest rates by the second semester of the year at 100bps. The Fed, meanwhile, is anticipated to first

stay pause on rates then by mid-year, according to SLIMTC, which expects three to four rate cuts, a total of 75 bps to 100 bps. With a positive market outlook, Teo is encouraging both institutional and retail clients to remain in the money market by investing in the local equities market. “All of the public would take this advantage of this market scenario, of being invested,” Teo said adding SLIMTC expects the Philippine Stock Exchange index to reach 7,200 by the end of the year. Teo said the market needs to stay above 6,700 to maintain momentum.

GoTyme Bank warns vs social engineering Loans boost Metrobank By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

OCIAL engineering has become a potent weapon by cybercriminals through manipulating, influencing or deceiving an individual to take control over the user’s computer system or deceiving him or her to reveal sensitive information by pretending to be a familiar person or service. Gotyme Bank Corp. Fraud Strategy Head Jason Brasileño told the BusinessMirror that social engineering capitalizes on the behavior of people who are active in online social media platforms such as Facebook. “Social engineering contests have been carried out on social media, like Facebook marketplace. For example, we know Filipinas could not stand a good bargain,” Brasileno said in a recent interview. He said he always warns friends to be cautious when buying items online. Those brands have not developed a track

record unlike the traditional brands. Brasileno recalled a friend was enticed by a very attractive deal for a vehicle tire because of the numerous positive comments posted by its so-called “clients.” He said the seller requested his friend to make a downpayment before the merchandise could be delivered. Unfortunately, Brasileno said the seller did not respond to calls and he is friend lost P10,000. He said implementing a “zero trust” policy in the Philippines is difficult as Filipinos fail to verify or fact-check the details and the background of product or service. In relation to cybersecurity, Brasileno said addressing the weakest link referring to the users is a major task of the bank. “This is not just cybersecurity but also fraud management working together. On the internal side, which is our people, we ensure all our employees are knowledgeable about our [anti-] fraud programs. [These include] addressing their con-

cerns and providing them with information during ‘Town Hall meetings.’” According to the GoTyme executive, the lender has a quick 30-minute daily update on the current status of the company’s operations as part of the daily update. “We also inform the employees on the current trends and updates on the company’s action in terms of fraud management,” Brasileno said. For customers, he said the GoTyme app sends materials on how to avoid becoming victims of fraud. Further, it tackles various topics such as phishing, identity theft and the perils of online selling. Brasileno said the lender helps users when to identify if an item being sold online is too good to be true and reminds not to share the depositors’ one time password (OTPs). He also said cybersecurity firms would engage the bank into penetrationtesting requirements and the bank itself also adopts vulnerability assessments.

High yields in placements, securities fillip to Dominion Holdings’s income

IGHER yields in its placements and debt securities allowed Dominion Holdings Inc. (formerly BDO Leasing & Finance Inc.) to quadruple its net income last year. In a statement on Thursday, Dominion Holdings said its net income grew 300 percent to P277.3 million in 2023 compared to the P69.3 million earnings in 2022. The data also showed its gross income more than doubled to P343.7 million in 2023. This was 171 percent higher than the P126.8 million in 2022.

“(This is) due to the rebalancing of its investment portfolio towards higher-yielding placements and debt securities,” Dominion Holdings said in a statement. The data also showed that due to this, the company’s total resources amounted to P6.38 billion. This was predominantly comprised of investment securities. The company also said stockholders’ Equity increased to P6.37 billion in 2023. Dominion Holdings aims to hold/ own real estate properties, securities/

@villygc

OP executives of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) announced plans to raise some $300 million by September this year to refinance maturing bonds of the same amount. “We’re looking at various options, but we will refinance that bond. I think it’s just a matter of at the time that we’re ready to refinance it, what is the method that we’re going to use,” Chief Financial Officer Eric M. Luchangco said. Luchangco added that while the bond is maturing in September, it does not have to be refinanced exactly on the day or that the money need not have to be raised on the same day that the bank is repaying bondholders. “We have some flexibility in terms of refinancing; we can refinance ahead. But the downside of refinancing ahead is that you’re carrying two costs at the same time,” the executive said. “[However], we also have to look at what the market is like. If it looks like it’s a very good opportunity to refinance now—if rates are low, maybe it’s worth it to have that negative carry.” Luchangco believes this is a good time to tap the debt market. “At this point, time is on our side, because the maturity isn’t until Sep-

Fund traders see inflation decelerating

BPI to go to debt market to raise $300M By VG Cabuag

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Friday, February 23, 2024

This undated photo courtesy of the Bank of the Philippines Islands (BPI) shows the interior of one of the lender’s branch. Last February 22, 2024, BPI Chief Financial Officer Eric M. Luchangco said the bank is looking at both domestic and offshore debt markets to raise some $300 million by September this year.

tember. And, so, between now and September, we’re just continuing to watch the situation, see what our opportunities are. You can return to the bond market or get a loan, we could do another syndicated loan. We just did one last year.” Luchangco said the bank is looking at both domestic and offshore debt markets for the fund-raising

activity. The BPI, the country’s fourth-largest lender in terms of assets, reported a record high net income for 2023, driven by record revenues and lower provisions which offset the increase in operating expenses. The bank said its net income rose 30 percent to an all-time high of P51.7 billion last year from P39.6 billion in 2022.

shares of stocks, and other assets of other companies, and engage in investment and business activities involving these assets. As an investment holding company, Dominion Holdings will have more flexibility in pursuing business opportunities to enhance shareholder value for its stockholders. On July 21, 2022, the company obtained SEC approval dated July 18, 2022, for the change in corporate name of BDO Leasing and Finance Inc. to “Dominion Holdings Inc.” Cai U. Ordinario

2023 earnings by 28.9% By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

IGHER consumer and commercial loans allowed the Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) to post record earnings in 2023. A statement by the country’s thirdlargest bank in terms of assets said that the lender’s earnings grew 28.9 percent to P42.2 billion in 2023 on the back of asset growth, higher margins and better asset quality. The bank’s net interest income grew by 22.7 percent, fueled by higher loan demand and better net interest margin of 3.9 percent. “This indicates that we are firmly on track with our long-term growth strategies supported by our highly capable and resilient team of Metrobankers and strong balance sheet,” Metrobank President Fabian S. Dee was quoted as saying in the statement released last Thursday. “We look forward to further expanding our partnerships with all our stakeholders.” Data by the lender showed its gross loans rose by 7.6 percent year-on-year, with consumer portfolio increasing by 15.9 percent on strong discretionary spending, outpacing the 5.5 percent rise in commercial loans. The total deposits grew by 7.3 percent from the previous year to P2.4 trillion with low-cost current and savings accounts (CASA) amounting to more than 60 percent or P1.4 trillion. The bank’s performance in 2023 translated to a return on equity (ROE) of 12.5 percent, faster than the 10.3 percent in 2022. Total consolidated assets expanded by 9.2 percent to P3.1 trillion in 2023, maintaining its status as the country’s

Growing in L.O.V.E

RAWING to a close my three February posts on love, I thought of using it as an acronym to signify four key aspects of enhancing the quality of relationships in associations and paving the way for them to sustained growth, adaptability, and resilience. “Growing in love” emphasizes the idea that love is a continuous journey of emotional and relational development, marked by increased understanding, connection, and affection among members, as in the context of associations. LOVE in associations could stand for Leadership, Openness, Vision, and Empathy. These four attributes not only contribute to fostering healthy relationships within the association, but also play a crucial role in effective management. Let’s delve into each component to understand how LOVE can be a guiding force in building successful associations. L – Leadership. In any association, effective leadership is the cornerstone of success. It means taking responsibility, inspiring others, and guiding the association towards achieving its mission. A true association leader also understands the importance of collaboration, encourages teamwork, and leads by example. By embodying the principles of love in leadership, associations

Association World Octavio Peralta can create an environment where members feel valued and motivated to contribute their best. O – Openness. The key to transparent communication and trust within associations is openness. Association leaders who embrace openness foster an atmosphere where ideas can flow freely, and concerns can be addressed openly. Being open to feedback, new perspectives, and diverse opinions enables associations to adapt to change and overcome challenges. Love in the form of openness creates a foundation of trust that is vital for the growth and resilience of any association. V – Vision. A shared vision acts as a unifying force within associations. Association leaders who exemplify this have a clear sense of purpose and inspire others with a compelling vision for the future. This vision serves as a guiding light, aligning the efforts of association members towards common goals. By infusing love into the vision-setting process, associations can create a sense of purpose that transcends individual interests, thus fostering a collective

second largest private universal bank. The bank’s strong profitability and substantial capital base prompted the Board of Directors to approve a total cash dividend of P5 per share for the year. The regular dividend was raised from P1.6 to P3 per share to be paid out on a semi-annual basis at P1.50 per share. In addition, a special cash dividend of P2 per share was also declared. The first payout of P3.50 will be given to shareholders on record as of March 8, 2024. Fee income increased by 9 percent to P16.4 billion, largely driven by the expanding consumer business. Trading and forex gains were steady at P4 billion. Cost to income ratio eased to 52.1 percent from 54.3 percent in 2022. The robust revenue growth offset the 14 percent increase in operating expenses, which was driven by transaction-related taxes, technology costs and higher manpower in line with capacity expansion. Asset quality continued to improve. Non-performing loans (NPLs) ratio eased to 1.7 percent from 1.9 percent in 2022, well below the banking system’s 3.3 percent NPL ratio. Moreover, the bank’s NPL cover remained substantial at 180.3 percent, reflecting its ability to weather any risks to the loan portfolio. The bank’s total equity stood at P356.7 billion, while capital ratios remain to be one of the highest in the industry, with capital adequacy ratio at 18.3 percent and Common Equity Tier-1 ratio at 17.4 percent, all well-above the minimum regulatory requirements.

commitment to the association’s success. E – Empathy. At the heart of love in associations is empathy. Association leaders who prioritize empathy understand the needs, concerns, and aspirations of their team, members and other stakeholders. By actively listening and putting themselves in others’ shoes, association leaders can build strong interpersonal connections. In an association where empathy is prevalent, members feel supported, valued, and motivated to contribute their best. Empathy in leadership is a powerful catalyst for building a positive and inclusive organizational culture. LOVE can provide a framework for nurturing successful associations where leaders epitomize these qualities, creating an environment where everyone feels inspired, valued, and motivated to work towards common goals. In navigating the complexities of association dynamics, let LOVE be the beacon that guides the path and brings out the best in association leaders and members alike. How is your association growing in LOVE? Octavio Peralta is founder and volunteer CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives, the “association of associations.” The views he expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the BusinessMirror. E-mail: bobby@ pcaae.org.

Relationships

Friday, February 23, 2024 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

BusinessMirror

Threatening the environmental gains of Boracay

www.businessmirror.com.ph

TODAY’S HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Dakota Fanning, 30; Josh Gad, 43; Kristin Davis, 59; Patricia Richardson, 73. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Get moving. Don’t wait until someone backs you into a corner. Take steps that help you initiate the changes you want instead of being forced into something that falls short of your expectations. Take progressive action and be the one who decides what’s next for you. Use your imagination and discipline to put your energy into fulfilling your ambitions. Choose to flourish instead of surrendering to temptation or indulgent behavior. Your numbers are 4, 9, 16, 27, 30, 34, 41.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): A change may not be what you want, but it will motivate you to be receptive to new beginnings. It’s time to discover how much you have to offer. Put your talents and skills to work and do something worthwhile. Romance is in the stars. ★★★★★

PHOTO BY HECTOR JOHN PERIQUIN ON UNSPLASH

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Get involved in something that matters to you, and make a difference. Sharing your ideas will motivate others to pitch in and help. Take a leadership position, but don’t let anyone take advantage of you. Delegate work to ensure you oversee, not overdo. ★★

USTAINABILITY is the buzzword of today’s post-modern world, as governments and companies try to adopt measures to push development without sacrificing natural resources which will still be used by generations to come. In fact, it was “sustainability” that supposedly guided the Philippine government in deciding to close Boracay Island for six months in 2018, albeit implemented haphazardly, and thus depriving residents, businesses and small entrepreneurs their livelihoods, leading to widespread poverty and even suicides. With the Duterte administration supposedly saving Boracay from the locals, and allegedly completing its rehabilitation, the island reopened with much praise from local and international media. The island’s supposed rehabilitation was heralded as a model of sustainability from which other tourism destinations on the brink of enviroment collapse can learn. (In actuality, the rehabilitation was never completed before the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force turned over the island’s management back to the locals. To this day, the Department of Public Works and Highways has yet to complete a portion of Boracay’s drainage system turned over to them by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority. Also, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which had sought to reclaim and preserve the island’s wetlands, has never said where they relocated the alleged illegal settlers in those areas, and if they even compensated residents and businesses who were allowed by the local government in the first place to build on those wetlands.) Fortunately, since the easing of the Covid travel restrictions, Boracay has bounced back with its tourist arrivals exceeding its 2019 pre-pandemic levels, although many resorts are suppposedly still not as profitable as before owing to the slow arrival of foreign tourists. Stakeholders on the island, however, point out another challenge to Boracay’s sustainability and the viability of the municipality of Malay to which it belongs. A resolution adopted by the Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI), a copy of which was posted on the group’s Facebook page, points to the impact on the island’s primary water resource by the construction of the 14-megawatt Nabas-2 Expansion Project of PetroWind Energy Inc. (PWEI). PetroWind, a unit of the Yuchengco Group of Companies, will be establishing additional wind turbines in “close proximity” to Nabaoy River, as per BFI Resolution 001 dated January 13, 2024. “Nabaoy River stands as the vital lifeblood, serving as the primary water source for Boracay and the entire Municipality of Malay, playing a vital role in sustaining the local ecosystem and meeting the water

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t take anything or anyone for granted. If you want something done, do it yourself. Watch out for scammers, hidden costs and risky situations. Focus on getting fit, staying healthy and learning something to help you get ahead. ★★★★

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A reunion will be eye-opening. Listening and offering sound advice will give you leverage when you need something in return. Avoid overspending or letting anyone take advantage of your kindness and generosity. ★★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Preparation will prohibit you from taking on too much. Protect your health by watching how much you eat, drink or spend. Personal gain and growth are apparent if you are open about how you feel and what you want. Romance is on the rise. ★★★

needs of our community,” the resolution added. Through said resolution, BFI “formally requests PetroWind Corp. to consider the cessation of constructing the proposed turbines...(so as) not to jeopardize Nabaoy River and its ecosystem.” Dindo Salazar, chairman of BFI, tells us the group is “not against any development [per se], as long as it does not affect the enviroment and our water source.” But he adds that Boracay itself doesn’t benefit from the wind farm perched on the hills of Nabas and Malay overlooking the island. “We still get our power from Akelco [Aklan Electric Cooperative]. PetroWind sells their harvested power to the national grid,” he points out. In turn, the electricity is supplied back to other parts Aklan. First phase of the Nabas Wind project was launched June 2015, generating 36 Mw of power. Phase 2 of the project started in March 2023 and satellite maps shared by Nabaoy Enviromental Defenders showed that by July 30, 2023, siltation had already occurred at Daeamoan River. “When it rained hard on August 3, 2023 and August 28, 2023, the shoreline of several barangays in Malay especially Argao turned muddy,” said the group in Filipino in their Facebook post on February 3. Separately, Nenette Aguirre-Graf, a longtime environmentalist in Boracay, adds in a mix of Filipino and English, “They already destroyed Napaan River. They haven’t even repaired the damage there, which reached the beach and sea grass in Argao at the mouth of the river.” A former councilor of Malay, Graf points out PetroWind was asked to “allocate P5 million a year to rehabilitate Napaan River, but they have not done anything.” Giant freshwater prawn, or “ulang,” used to thrive in Napaan River, she says. “They no longer do because they cannot live in dirty water.” She warns the same thing may happen to Nabaoy, a rich resource for marine life and a source of

livelihood for the residents in the area. She explained that earth-moving activities to build the new turbines will result in mud flows to the river. “Even if they implement protective measures, there is no guarantee that the river won’t be affected in the future. There are residents there, and you know the people, when they don’t have anything to eat, just go to that river with a net to catch ulang and other sea life for food,” Graf asserts. There have been several public hearings hosted by the LGU to thresh out the issues between the stakeholders, including residents of Nabaoy, and PetroWind—to no avail. And our sources believe the LGU is now leaning toward endorsing the wind farm project, despite not having fufilled the social acceptability requirement for an investment project. “The barangay itself is opposed to the project, and yet the LGU wants to endorse it,” asks another stakeholder, incredulous. Mayor Frolibar Bautista has failed to respond to our messages requesting for comment. Of course, everyone understands the need for progress and development, especially when it comes to responding to widespread demand not just for power, but cheap electricity for all. We also note that the wind farm itself has been heralded as a model for renewable energy, which many environmentalists believe is a way for us to ease our dependence on fossil fuels. But if this PetroWind RE project threatens the water supply of the country’s key tourism destination and receipts earner and, therefore, the island and Malay’s own sustainability, then what a waste for government to have even closed and rehabilitated Boracay. How much more should Malay and Boracay’s residents and businesses sacrifice when their very existence is threatened by this supposed environmentally safe energy project? ■

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Open your mind to new experiences and discover what life offers. The options will help you find cheaper, more efficient alternatives to your current lifestyle. A forthright attitude will help you gather more information than you reveal. ★★★

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A motivational experience will help you decide what to do next. Becoming more self-aware will promote decisions and help you recognize who your people are and the benefits and pitfalls of associating with the right or wrong individuals. ★★★★

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Less conversation and more action is favored. Let your work speak for you and the changes you enforce set the standard for what’s coming next. Use your imagination and apply what you discover at home, work and when dealing with others. ★★★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take care of money matters and distance yourself from joint ventures and shared expenses. Refuse to let anyone lead you in a direction that’s costly or not geared to get you where you want to go. ★★★★★

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Waiting for someone to make the first move won’t solve problems. Don’t put up with something that no longer works for you. Consider what matters and brings you joy, and incorporate those factors into your life. ★★

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t avoid controversy. Stand up for your rights by offering alternatives. You may not convince everyone to see things your way, but once you know who is with you and who isn’t, it will be easier to move forward without trepidation. ★★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Initiate what you want, regardless of what others do or say. You will be liable for emotional and financial decisions, making it essential to do your due diligence before moving. Choose a minimalist attitude when dealing with temptation and those asking for too much. ★★★ BIRTHDAY BABY: You are elaborate, compassionate and fanciful. You are spontaneous and persuasive.

‘pre-party’ BY LARRY SNYDER

The Universal Crossword • Edited by David Steinberg/Anna Gundlach/Jared Goudsmit/Andrian Johnson ACROSS 1 Cap’s brim 6 Ones whose pants are on fire? 11 Hosp. intake areas 14 It comes before Chap. 1 15 Balance sheet entry 16 Parks and ___ (2009-2015 sitcom) 17 Format, as many an essay 19 De Armas of Knives Out 20 Lodging that might have a name like The Red Stag 21 ___ Vegas Raiders 22 Contented 24 Popular jeans 26 Journalistic org. since 1846 27 Next to 30 Worked at, as a trade 32 Washington or Ford 33 Occasion for a tuxedo or gown 37 “Better late ___ never” 38 Humans are the only animals that have them 39 Word after “swap” or “swim” 40 It’s heated geothermally 42 Full of suds

43 Gave out cards 44 Multiple 45 Kindly, perhaps...but not neighborly 48 Winter precipitation 50 Method of teaching reading 52 Finale 53 Hoover or Roosevelt 56 City pest 57 Invitation information...or words that can follow each half of 17-, 33- or 40Across 60 1952 campaign nickname 61 Gives the green light 62 Renter’s counterpart 63 Young fella 64 Principle 65 Wild-___ chase DOWN 1 Middle of Caesar’s boast 2 Aware of 3 Phaser setting 4 Sphere 5 Feature of a burro but not a donkey? 6 Mango ___ (Indian drink) 7 Verizon or Xfinity, for short

8 “Right now!” 9 Takes back 10 Make more inclined 11 Clear, as a chalkboard 12 Library website button 13 Tons (of) 18 Icicle’s spot 23 “Yeah...that’s it for me” 24 Room full of angry constituents, e.g. 25 Goes all out during a race 27 Relaxing soak 28 Say the same thing as 29 Baseball card datum 31 Pine (for) 33 “Sussudio” singer Collins 34 One of 12 on some mountain bikes 35 Air filter letters 36 “gtg, see ya” 38 Maryland seafood item 41 Yellow-green gem 42 Iditarod team member 44 New York’s ___ Station 45 Rainy month 46 Capital of Bangladesh 47 Cast a ballot

49 “At the very ___...” 51 Ollie’s partner in comedy 53 Source of a museum skeleton, for short 54 Iowa State’s city 55 ___ mortals 58 Word after “stink” or “side” 59 Only even prime number

Solution to today’s puzzle:

Show BusinessMirror

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Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • Friday, February 23, 2024

The terror named loneliness in ‘All of Us Strangers’ L Beyoncé becomes first Black woman to claim top spot on Billboard’s country music chart

LOS ANGELES—Beyoncé made history once again: The superstar singer has become the first Black woman to top Billboard’s country music chart. The Grammy winner achieved the feat after her new single “Texas Hold ‘Em” reached No. 1 on the country airplay chart this week. She dropped the song on February 11—during the Super Bowl—along with her other single “16 Carriages,” which debuted at No. 9 on the same chart. Both songs are expected to be featured on Beyoncé’s upcoming, country-themed album, which is referred to as act ii, on March 29. It’s a follow-up offering to her 2022 album Renaissance, which is frequently referred to as Act I: Renaissance. Beyoncé announced the full-length new album after a Verizon commercial she starred in aired during the Super Bowl this month. Beyoncé is also the first woman to claim the top spot on the Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/HipHop Songs charts since both began in 1958, according to Billboard. The only other acts who have topped both include Justin Bieber, Billy Ray Cyrus and Ray Charles. AP

AM STATION STRENGTHENS PRIMETIME LINEUP

GMA Network’s flagship AM radio station Super Radyo DZBB 594 kHz delivers more breaking and up-to-the-minute news reports and critical commentaries with its new line-up of radio news programs on DZBB Primetime, airing on weekdays from 5 am to 10 am. At 5 am, listeners can tune in to the early morning news program, Buena Manong Balita.’ Host Orly Trinidad delivers news that matters to the everyday life of Filipinos, plus on-the-ground reporting by a team of Super Radyo DZBB reporters. Buena Manong Balita is also simulcast on Dobol B TV from 5:30 am to 6 am. Coming at 6 am is Melo del Prado Sa Super Radyo. Radio anchor Melo del Prado delivers the top stories of the day along with razor-sharp commentaries. Listeners don’t have to worry about missing the headlines, thanks to the multiawarded Super Balita Sa Umaga, Nationwide at 7 am. The nationwide newscast is delivered by the tandem of Melo del Prado and Joel Reyes Zobel. At 8 am is Saksi sa Dobol B. Listeners tuning in at the later hour can catch up on the news, and be informed further with forthright discussions, interviews and commentaries from anchors Joel Reyes Zobel and Rowena Salvacion. Completing the new DZBB Primetime is One on One: Walang Personalan at 9 am. Anchored by seasoned hosts Arnold Clavio and Connie Sison, the program is well-known for its casual and candid yet uncompromising manner of news presentation. “The new DZBB primetime lineup strengthens our commitment to keep our listeners informed. With news always fast-developing, we have the responsibility to keep information up to date,” says GMA first vice president for radio operations Glenn F. Allona. Viewers can also catch this new line-up from 5:30 am until 9 am in Dobol B TV on GTV. Listeners Online can tune in to the live audio streaming of Super Radyo DZBB programs on www. gmanetwork.com/ radio/streaming/dzbb. ARNOLD CLAVIO

ONELINESS has never been this magical in this story of Adam. To keep us sane, let us describe him first: a writer for films and TV, he lives alone in this tall building apparently barely occupied. One day, outside Adam looks up and sees a person gazing down at him. They soon meet at the elevator. The other guy’s name is Harry, who offers to have a drink with Adam and do whatever he wants to do that night. Adam declines. The next scene has Adam on a train. He is on his way to his parents’ home. Both died in a car accident when he was 12 years of age. As the cinematic signposts are telling us, Adam sees first a man across a wooded area making a sign to follow him. Closer to each other, they talk. He is Adam’s father and he brings Adam to their home. There, Adam meets his mother who recognizes him. When this encounter takes place, rationality is never put into question. Nor logic. Nothing is belabored. What we have in front of us is the most impossible of wishes coming true—that of seeing our loved ones already gone but now standing warm and alive with us. They are not phantasms and they are not fantasies; they are the gifts of of sadness pushing a man like Adam to see beyond life, to touch past death or anything that resembles vanishing. Who would not want this pure happiness? Not Adam (certainly not us who also have experiences losing our loved ones), not this man who is alone and seeks no companion. Earlier, he was looking at old photos because, as we would find out later, he wants to write about his father and mother. Or, at most, remember them. That wishful thinking, that wistfulness is now rendered truthful. There is no time to doubt. There is time to catch up. Perhaps, we could imagine and ponder on this: If the parents of Adam passed on when he was a little boy, would they recognize him at present when they are almost of the same age? Look at the eyes, which parent said this? We always recognize each other through our eyes. Not the years gone by will ever erase those points of recognition. That night, there was nothing else to do but ask questions. And assure each other. And we can only envy Adam because now he can tell them he is fine, and they can rest forever (oh no, not yet) with the thought that their son did well after all. But Adam has to leave, but with the promise to come back. At the block tower, which he calls home, Adam sees Harry again. There is a bit of hesitation, timidity at first. It seems the words of encouragement from Adam (“I also love whisky”) come too late. But destiny is bound to put them together. Harry soon joins Adam. They naturally have a night of sex. It looks like these two lonely souls are in love. This time, we, as in Adam coming home, are personally happy about how time and space have been good to them. More visits to the parents happen: Adam with his mother and next, Adam with his father. With the first, Adam comes out. To the persistent question of his mom about girlfriends, Adam tells her he is not into girls, not into women. The mother is distraught. But the mores have shifted, Adam assures her. The visit with the father recalls a more brutal childhood, with bullying and crying alone in the room in the dark. But, hey, who gets a second chance with one’s father? And yet we cannot avoid the devastation, when the father asks if he could give Adam a hug. What is next in this existential dance till the end of love? Maybe Harry could meet Adam’s parents? Till when is this gift of the universe happening? Who has the right to alter the law of death so as to allow life to rule once more? What about life with Harry? Who is he in this parable of sorrow and existence? Where happiness is the prime factor in love, here is a film where loneliness (also isolation) becomes the path not to separation but a reunion of beings. It is as if the heart has been badly broken, there is no other remedy but for the lifeforce to put it together again, weave a tale of endless redemption, and summon the wellspring of

happily-ever-after narratives. I can go on with my ruminations about love, life, how gay or straight or whatever men cope with being alone, and of how society invents alienation as a mechanism, but this is not what this cinema of sweet angst called All of Us Strangers is all about. All of Us Strangers is about characters and the actors who fleshed them out. Claire Foy, distinctly lovely, is the mother to whom a scared boy could run to for comfort. In bed, as she faces Adam, an intimacy greater than all the cruelties in the world, reaches out to the boy/man and we are all blessed for this. As the father, Jamie Bell gives Adam, his son, the belated hug, making up for all the I-love-yous fathers in this world are always at pains to express. These two actors—Foy and Bell—have distilled their performances to a level of warmth, compassion and excellence. They make the unreal beyond reproach. As the other human, Paul Mescal’s Harry offers Adam a ghost of a chance, proof of a role that requires sincerity and pain, no more and no less. That the most intense and truthful of kinship awaits all of us when we open doors and not see the shuttered windows. (Are the owners of this building scared that we would jump out and scare the prospective buyers, Harry once asked.) But when all the passions—unrequited and unbridled—are consumed in this world, there is Andrew Scott as Adam, his grief bottled all

throughout (his weeping is unshared, the face covered by his hands the way small boys cry, and his scream is distorted), teaching us the lessons about recriminations—they are never about the past but more about the future that requires all things (joy, apathy, bleakness) being kept in equilibrium. Not, for heaven’s sake, closure but keen understanding; not even regrets but simple embraces. Scott is us, broken but brave, a traveler in eternity where the deus ex machina is not in the form of human contraptions but disguised as an ethereal, epic journey where one of us and another can cease to be a stranger, at least for a moment in some kind of a forever. Andrew Haigh, who wrote the film based on the novel Strangers by Yamada Taichi, is the navigator of this tale that opted to be spaced out, who dared to render the gothic in glorious terms, if only to plumb the depth of the human condition, where time is a tyrant who can gift you with tenderness or with tricks. All of Us Strangers was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2023 by the National Board of Review and has been given six BAFTA Award nominations. The film also won the top honors for Andrew Scott and Andrew Haigh at the London Critics’ Circle Awards. All of Us Strangers is produced by Film4, TSG Entertainment, and Blueprint Pictures. It is distributed by Searchlight Pictures. ■

Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner’s divorce is finalized, officially ending their marriage SANTA BARBARA, California—A judge has declared that Kevin Costner and his wife of nearly two decades, Christine Baumgartner, are now legally divorced, according to court records filed on Tuesday. The couple’s marriage ended, and both became single, on Friday, nine months after she filed for divorce, a judgment entered in Santa Barbara County court showed. In the first months after their split, Costner and Baumgartner fought in court over child custody and support payments and appeared to be headed for a contentious trial. But they reached a settlement agreement in September that allowed them to avoid it.

The two will have joint custody of their sons, ages 16 and 15, and daughter, age 13. A judge in September ordered Costner to pay about $63,000 per month in child support, after she had sought about $175,000 per month. Costner, 69, and Baumgartner, 48, a model and handbag designer, began dating in 1998 and married at his Colorado ranch in 2004. It was the second marriage for Costner, the Oscar and Emmy winning star of TV’s Yellowstone and films, including Dances With Wolves, The Bodyguard and Bull Durham. He also has four adult children from previous relationships. AP

Friday, February 23, 2024

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MAYA BUSINESS CLINCHES 3-PEAT AS PHL’S #1 OMNI-CHANNEL PAYMENTS PROCESSOR

AYA Business, recognized as the #1 Omni-Channel Payments Processor for three straight years, has cemented its position as the Payments Backbone of the Philippines, delivering seamless solutions to businesses nationwide. Visa, a world leader in digital payments, presented Maya Business with an award for having processed the highest e-commerce payment volume and the largest share of contactless transactions in the Philippines for each year from 2021 to 2023. It now powers nearly a million formal businesses, reinforcing its status as the Philippines’ Top Merchant Acquirer and a driver of economic growth and digital innovations. Maya Business boasts a remarkable 170 percent year-on-year growth in its active merchant base in December 2023, powering digital payments for the country’s largest retailers such as shopping malls, quick-service restaurants (QSRs), the fuel sector, transportation apps, e-commerce platforms, government agencies, and micro-merchants. As such, Maya Business tops the market in card and QR Ph transactions, making it the #1 OmniChannel Payments Processor. It enables businesses big or small to accept credit, debit, e-wallet, QR,

and other emerging methods in-store, online, and on mobile apps - reducing reliance on cash and promoting safety, convenience, and increased operational efficiencies. It has also led the charge in enabling enterprises to accept QR Ph payments, processing about half of the total QR Ph transaction value for Personto-Merchant (P2M) payments for 2022 and 2023, based on BancNet data. “Driving the Philippines towards a cash-lite future is truly energizing. Every transaction via Maya Business not only marks a significant leap towards a more digitized economy but also boosts efficiencies for businesses big and small. This transformation enhances safety and convenience for all,” expressed Shailesh Baidwan, President of Maya Group and Co-Founder of Maya Bank. Maya Business is part of the Maya Group’s broader fintech ecosystem, catering to MSMEs and large businesses. Meanwhile, the Maya app, recognized as the top-rated local finance app, serves all types of consumers. Maya Business has revolutionized digital payments for Philippine enterprises, transitioning them from dealing with multiple providers to a unified platform where convenience meets security.

THE NutriAsia Corporate Procurement team was celebrated at the 2023 Gawad Sinop Awards for their dedication to sustainability and community empowerment.

NutriAsia earns coveted Corporate Award for Excellence in Supply Management Practices

UTRIASIA, Inc., one of the leading manufacturers of food products found in every Filipino household, took home the Corporate Award for Excellence in Supply Management Practices at the 2023 Gawad Sinop Awards. This coveted award, presented by the Philippine Institute of Supply Management and the Foundation of the Society of Fellows in Supply Management, celebrates organizations that have demonstrated exceptional dedication and innovation in the field of supply chain management.

NutriAsia’s Corporate Procurement Group was recognized for its efforts in strategic transformation, greenhouse innovation, supplier diversity, and eco-friendly supply chain. One noteworthy innovation is NutriAsia’s strategic partnerships with SMEs since 2020, which expanded its reach to farmers in Bukidnon. By harnessing the power of greenhouses for the cultivation of bell peppers in collaboration with V&C Agriframs and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), improved farming

Through tools like Maya Checkout, Maya Terminal, and Maya QR, merchants can process various payments, including debit, credit, e-wallet, and QR. They can reach global customers through Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex, WeChat Pay, and Alipay, as well as local clients via BancNet, QR Ph, GCash, GrabPay, ShopeePay, Beep, and Maya. Maya Business is also at the forefront of adopting the unified QR Ph standard for the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, being the first to adopt QR Ph for business and personal transactions. Maya Business merchants are also seamlessly connected to the growing base of highly engaged Maya app users for various purchases, from shopping and dining to subscriptions. Originally launched as an electronic payment platform in 2015, Maya has since evolved, integrating digital banking in 2022. This transformation allows Maya to leverage its deep relations and rich customer data to offer high-yield savings and instant business loans. Maya is also solving the significant credit gap for MSMEs, which traditionally access only 4% of total bank loans, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). In 2023, Maya Business introduced the innovative 1-2-3 Grow Bundle for SMEs, featuring QR Ph payments at reduced rates, enticing savings with a 2.5 percent annual interest rate, and prospects for significant credit lines after three months of engagement with Maya’s services. Micro-enterprises, starting with Maya Center agents, now have access to instant credit through services like Maya Advance, thanks to Maya’s insightful use of payment history and app engagement for credit assessment. Maya is the #1 Fintech Ecosystem in the Philippines, with Maya, the #1 Digital Bank, and Maya Business, the #1 Omni-Channel Payment Processor. To learn more about Maya, check out maya.ph and mayabank.ph. Follow Maya at @mayaiseverything on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok and @mayaofficialph on X (formerly Twitter) techniques were implemented, which not only enhanced the quality and yield of bell peppers but also contributed to the economic growth of local farmers. Fresh ingredients were also transformed into pickled mixes, significantly extending shelf life and reducing wastage during transportation. Waste was not only minimized but supply chain operations were also streamlined. Over the past five years, NutriAsia’s sourcing strategy has also undergone a transformative shift toward Direct-to-Farmer Sourcing. Through direct connections, farmers are provided with a secure market, and a transparent system was established where farmers receive valuable feedback and market information, thus optimizing their production and minimizing wastage. NutriAsia has also actively sought to minimize its environmental impact through an eco-friendly supply chain. By partnering with the largest bottlers in the country, catsup bottles are cleaned and refilled, therefore conserving valuable resources and creating a circular economy, creating new employment opportunities along the way. It also developed practical packaging solutions with the use of second-hand corrugated partitions sourced from carton collectors. “NutriAsia’s Corporate Procurement Group has always recognized that we, as a company, play a vital role in enhancing the lives of Filipinos. The group’s initiatives on sustainability and community empowerment exemplify their utmost commitment to always keep this responsibility in mind with all the responsible business practices being created today and in the future,” said Genevieve Santiago, Procurement Head of NutriAsia, Inc. Learn more about NutriAsia by visiting nutriasia.com

PFIP Board Trustee Ian Fegalan (left) and Treasurer Michael Santos (right) give a certificate of recognition to AboitizPower, represented by SAVP for Talent Attraction Corinne Patron (center).

AboitizPower gives support to LGBTQ+ academic achievers

BOITIZ Power Corporation (AboitizPower) was recognized by the Philippine Financial & Inter-Industry Pride (PFIP) for helping to provide college educational assistance, training, and internship or on-the-job training opportunities to LGBTQ+ students. Through PFIP’s Rainbow Youth Academy, the energy firm and other PFIP member companies provided funding for the school fees, books, and digital tools of LGBTQ+ youth who exhibit academic excellence. The program aims to empower them through education and training opportunities that help strengthen their employability and potential success in the workplace. Currently, its second batch has 19 inspired and active LGBTQ+ college leaders from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. They are also set to receive soft skills training in SOGIE 101, financial literacy, resumé building and interview preparedness, workplace readiness, business writing, and developing a growth mindset. In addition, with the Philippine Anti-Discrimination Alliance of Youth Leaders or PANTAY, AboitizPower is also among those who opened opportunities for internship for graduating or incoming 4th year LGBTQ+ college students, covering activities such as training, job shadowing, and project management.

RESIDENTS of Quezon City together with Mayor Joy Belmonte and representatives of Meralco and Bayad during the QC Pangkabuhayan program.

Bayad champions financial inclusion with Quezon City local government

AYAD, the pioneer brand in the outsourced payment collection system in the Philippines, together with its parent institution Meralco, announced its tie-up with the local government of Quezon City as it held its flagship livelihood training program “QC Pangkabuhayan”. Now on its third year, the event was held last January 23 to 25, 2024 at Serbisyong Bayan, Batasan Hills, Quezon City and at Quezon City Hall. Over 2,400 residents participated in the event and were trained in the effective ways of starting a business. Alongside this, Bayad introduced Bayad Asenso, an easy-to-use bills payment and loading business mobile application that enables micro-entrepreneurs to become Bayad Agents in their communities and earn additional income. Owners of sari-sari stores, eateries, bakeries,

Domex empowers schools, parents, kids nationwide with proper toilet sanitation

OMEX continues another year of increasing awareness of the importance of toilet sanitation. A total of 166 schools from all over the country have become beneficiaries of Eskwelang Unstoppable, a nationwide and community initiative program by household care brand Domex. The program was launched during the return of this year’s Brigada Eskwela, with Domex and Unilever Philippines providing disinfectants and cleaning tools to different schools. The brand also gave products to more than 1,500 volunteers, who used it to sanitize their respective toilets at home,

so that children have access to clean toilets whether in school or their houses. “This partnership with various public schools, GIZ, and our local communities enables us to spread awareness about proper toilet maintenance and sanitation,” shared Regina Ocampo, Domex Brand Manager. “With Domex, we can win the war against bacteria, germs and overall poor sanitation, as well as encourage the public, especially students and their parents, to also practice toilet sanitation habits in their own homes.” Domex reveals that there has been a huge improvement in providing access to basic sanitation.

“A recent study done by Economist Impact shows that there’s been an increase in access to toilets from 40 to 74 percent in the past six years, which is truly great news. However, the same also showed that we’re unable to maintain these clean toilets. We lost 146,000 toilets in the same period because of improper handling and lack of maintenance,” shares Regina. The study shows that the neglect on these toilets is worth US$250 million. This year, Domex’s Eskwelang Unstoppable program took its program a step further, with Unilever volunteers reaching out to students directly and educating them about simple habits they can do

“Collaborating with AboitizPower in supporting the Rainbow Youth Academy is a testament to the power of partnerships in driving positive change. Together, we are creating a nurturing environment that empowers young minds, fosters inclusivity, and shapes a future where diversity is celebrated,” the PFIP said. “This partnership exemplifies our shared advocacy to make a lasting impact on the lives of the youth and the communities we serve.” In June 2023, AboitizPower’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (or DEIB) policy took effect, strengthening its promotion of gender equality and reducing inequalities in the workplace. “The company shall develop and implement policies, practices, programs, and trainings that strengthen awareness of DEIB in the workplace, promote fairness, equal opportunities, and inclusive behavior, and cultivate an inclusive culture where all are treated equitably and given the space and support for free expression—all under a holistic approach to achieving sustainable development for all,” it stated. The PFIP is a voluntary and non-profit community composed of representatives from LGBTQ+ employee resource groups and human resource or diversity teams from over 80 private firms across multiple industries in the Philippines, including some of its largest multinationals.

to maintain the cleanliness of toilets in school and at home, sharing 5 Eskwelang Unstoppable rules that can be easily remembered: D O M E X

Don’t hold your pee Only throw trash in the trash can Must flush the toilet Every time, wash your hands Extra water please

Domex also educated parents to keep their families safe from germs by ensuring clean toilets at home. Last November 2023, Domex held an event at Robinson’s

laundry shops, water refilling stations, and other small establishments may register as Bayad Agents and become top-of-heart in their neighborhood with the convenience and accessibility they will be able to provide. Interested Bayad Agent applicants may simply download the Bayad App, register, and upgrade, to have access to the “Business” section and from there follow the simple registration process. The Bayad App is available in the Google Play Store, App Store, and the Huawei App Gallery. For private or government institutions that are interested to onboard a group of Bayad Agents, you may send an email to qmgonzales@bayad.com or call us at 09989652330. Bayad provides end-to-end support services for efficient payment and collection processing. Galleria in celebration of World Toilet Day. The program included a short discussion with Mom-fluencers sharing tips and tricks on how to keep their homes clean and sanitized, alongside various fun activity booths depicting that for toilet-cleaning and germ-killing, Domex is the partner to choose. “The country has certainly gone a long way in providing access to clean toilets,” says Ocampo “Nonetheless, we know that there’s still work to be done. This is why Domex commits to always be at the forefront in the war against poor sanitation—to ensure every Filipino can use decent and hygienic toilets.” For more information about Domex and how you can also fight the war against poor sanitation, visit https://www.facebook.com/DomexPhilippines.

Sports BusinessMirror

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | Editor: Jun Lomibao

LAYING on its veritable home turf, Del Monte on Thursday took command of Seniors action in the 75th Philippine Airlines Interclub golf tournament by pooling 151 points built behind Yoyong Velez’ two-over-par 74 worth 52 points at well-manicured Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club course in Cagayan de Oro City. With the first day of skirmishes being just one hour away from their usual stomping ground, the Manolo Fortich-based bets served notice of their capability to take the limelight away from the expected CanlubangLuisita rivalry as Jun Maghamil tallied 51 and Raul Minoza counted with 49. “We played really well here, despite Pueblo not being our real home course,” Velez said as Del Monte, which threw away the 45 of Arsenio Mondilla, took a six-point lead over the fancied Sugar Barons with the defending champion Luisitans sitting another shot back. “We’re not really surprised that we played this way here,” Velez added. “What we want to do is sustain that kind of play going back to Del Monte for the next two days and take a sizeable lead going into the final round here [on Sunday].” Action then goes to Del Monte in Bukidnon for the next two days and

non-playing Cangolf skipper Tony Olives and Luisita counterpart Jeric Hechanova said that they will stick to their pre-tournament plans and not mess up with their fielding. “They had a good day,” Olives said of Del Monte. “We just didn’t have a perfect day.” Canlubang, which was placed by the 49s of Pem Rosal and ex-pro Jessie Hernandez, will have the seasoned Abe Rosal anchoring its Day 2 team at the rolling layout inside the vast pineapple plantation south of here. The Sugar Barons counted either 47s of Rolly Viray or JP Reyes. “Yes, we will stick to our original plans,” Hechanova, after getting 51 points from Ferdie Barbosa and 47 from Rodel Mangulabnan, said. “This is good for golf here in Mindanao, good for the Interclub, that it’s not always a two-team race between Canlubang and Luisita. “In basketball, we will play the second quarter [on Friday] and we won’t be tinkering with the lineup we originally plan to come out,” added Hechanova, who counted the 46 of Rafael Raymundo. “We will make the necessary adjustments [in fielding] after the second day.” Manila Southwoods was 15 points back after a 135, even though the Carmona-based squad kept its two biggest guns—Jun Jun Plana and Jorge Gallent—in the freezer, with

Del Monte leads by 6 pts in PAL Seniors Interclub either one—or both—sure to come out for the second round and bring the club back in the thick of things. Joseph Tambunting paced Southwoods with 46 points, Manfred Guangco accounted for 45 and Theody Pascual counted with 45. Michael Cheon’s 37 was thrown away. The 75th staging of the PAL Interclub is supported by diamond sponsors Mastercard and Asian Journal while Platinum sponsors include Airbus, Primax Broadcasting Network and Araw Hospitality while gold sponsors are Tanduay and Asia Brewery. Joining the event as silver sponsors are ABS-CBN Global, Radio Mindanao Network and Philippine National Bank. VISA is a minor sponsor while Must Glow is joining as a donor.

their Tour cards after falling short in the 2023 PGT season. Among the experienced pros participating in the qualifiers are Rufino Bayron, Anthony Fernando, Enrico Gallardo, Johvanie Abaño, John Kier Abdon, Magno Arancon, Jr. Kristoffer Arevalo, Leandro Bagtas, Ramil Bisera, Paul Echavez, Jelbert Gamolo, Josh Jorge, Mario Labajo, Joseph Labajo, Leonard Lofranco, Jonas Magcalayo, Ivan Monsalve, Carlos Packing and Elmer Saban. The field also includes returning players like Mhark Fernando, Edward Reyes and Paul Minoza. The country’s premier tour put up by the International Container Terminal Services Inc. is poised for another exciting season following a successful offering last year after the pandemic. After the Apo inaugurals, the circuit moves to the Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club, also in Davao, for the March 19 to 22 event.

Turcios back fighting after 1-yr hiatus

RICKY TURCIOS puts his mettle to test after a year off the fight scene.

T’S been a little over a year since FilipinoSalvadorian-American Ricky Turcios fought inside the Octagon. After dispatching fellow Filipino Kevin Natividad in November of 2022, the 30-year-old Turcios skipped the entire 2023 to train. “I worked on a more allaround game,” said Turcios in an exclusive interview. “As you go higher in the UFC, you take on better fighters and who are more skilled. If I want to go to the next level, I need to improve my fighting game.”

‘Pretty Boy’ has entire country in his fists

By Josef Ramos

OKYO—In Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas’s fists is a mission he wants to accomplish with extreme urgency—bring a world boxing trophy back on Philippine soil. “It’s beyond normal—having no Filipino world boxing champion, I’m not used to it, it don’t like it,” Ancajas told the pre-fight conference for his upcoming title duel with Japan’s Takuma Inoue at the Tokyo Dome Hotel Thursdayu. “So I have to work hard and fight wisely,” he added. Ancajas will go after Inoue’s World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight belt in a co-main event with World Boxing Council bantamweight champion Alexandro Santiago of the US and challenger Junto Nakatani of Japan Saturday at the Ryougoku Kokugikan Arena.

Tiger’s son has eyes on PGA Tour

OBE SOUND, Florida—The 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods is taking the first step toward trying to play on the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour—Charlie Woods is entered in a pre-qualifier for the Cognizant Classic. The pre-qualifier for Woods is Thursday at Lost Lake Golf Club where the top 25 and ties advance to the Monday qualifier, where

four players earn a spot in the field. The PGA Tour said on its website Woods will play alongside Olin Browne Jr. and Ruaidhri McGee. Browne, whose father is a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, played in the US Open last year at Los Angeles Country Club. Charlie Woods is no stranger to the stage. Tiger Woods has played with his son four times in the PNC Championship,

Mixed martial arts fans will get to see if this new and improved Turcios (13-3-0) has what it takes in this Sunday’s UFC Fight Night Moreno vs Royval 2. He will be up against Raul Rosas Jr. (8-1-0) who is a mirror image of Turcios—all-out action, highly unpredictable with unorthodox moves and a no quit attitude. He got dropped to the canvas by a knee to the face by Natividad. “I looked at the fight clock and I saw that I had three minutes left in

the round to change the outcome,” Turcios said. “That’s me—no quit.” The Texas native did and eked out a split decision. “I knew I would be meeting Rosas down the line,” admitted Turcios of his UFC Fight Night foe. “So I have to be a better version of myself.” Both have the same height and weight and fight style—except that Rosas is 11 years younger. Turcios also adapted his game on the fly in his year off. “Listen, I have been fighting and

Inter-Ateneo friendlies IT’S a friendly tournament of football. But that’s just in name. The Fourth Inter-Ateneo Football Friendlies (IAF) will kick off Saturday at the Ateneo de Manila High School football field. Expect every Ateneo school to go play its hearts out and secure bragging rights—even if only for a year—the unofficial title of the “best Ateneo football school.” Five of the seven Ateneo schools—Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Manila, Naga and Zamboanga—are participating in this tournament that features competitions in the 40-andup and the 48-and-up divisions. Two other Ateneo campuses in Cebu and Iloilo are not participating. “Last count, there were 360 athletes on 15 teams,” bared 2024 IAF organizer Martin Lacdao who while playing got

JERWIN “PRETTY BOY” ANCAJAS and Takuma Inoue are having fun during Thursday’s prefight conference. COURTESY OF WENDELL ALINEA

YOYONG VELEZ leads Del Monte’s charge with 52 points while Raul Minoza counts with his 49. ROY DOMINGO

10-leg, 72-hole PGT Q-School goes down south in Davao City in March HE Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) Qualifying School is venturing south for the first time with 10 legs and a coveted berth in the season-ending Match Play Championship. The 72-hole eliminations will be played March 5 to 8 at the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates in Davao City, which hosted the ninth leg of both the PGT and Ladies PGT last year. Leading the charge in this year’s batch of hopefuls are manytime national team spearhead and multi-titled Aidric Chan, Lanz Uy, Luigi Wong and Ryan Monsalve. They are all eager to demonstrate their readiness to step up and compete for substantial prize money in the upcoming Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.-organized circuit, set to kick off on March 12 at the Apo Golf and Country Club also in Davao. Chan, who had previously partnered with pro Rey Pagunsan to win the Delimondo National Pro-Am Splendido Taal Golf Club in 2019, and his fellow amateurs—including Enzo Fregil, Marc Lu, Vince Lusterio Jr., Tom Marcelo, Francis Mendez, Edmar Salvador Jr., Niño Soberano, Airon Sorino, Sean Ty and Michael Uy—will be vying for the Top 30 slots against seasoned pros aiming to re-claim

Friday, February 23, 2024 B7

the Manila side, was adjudged best defender in 2020 and 2023. “We have seven squads competing in the 48-and-up as well as eight in the 40-and-up.” Some schools, due to their wealth of talent, have fielded two teams. Because of the sheer number of Ateneo schools across the country, not many get to suit up for the Manila side in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

Ancajas, 32, said he would do his best to end the country’s almost twomonth drought without a world champion—in 2019, he was the International Boxing Federation super flyweight champion, Nonito Donaire Jr. was WBA super bantamweight king, Pedro Taduran the International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimum weight titlist and, of course, icon Manny Pacquiao lorded over the WBA as the top welterweight. “It is the biggest motivation for me to become the first [Filipino] champion of 2024 and, of course, for our country,” he added. Marlon Tapales was the last man standing as a world champion but lost his IBF and WBA super bantamweight belts to Takuma’s elder brother, undefeated Naoya Inoue, last December 26 via a 10th-round knockout loss also in Tokyo. “It saddens me that there’s no Filipino champion, so let’s see Saturday night a 36-hole tournament in which a major champion or a Players Championship winner teams up with a family member. Tiger Woods, who withdrew from the Genesis Invitational last week with the flu, never won the tournament— formerly known as the Honda Classic— in four tries. He has not said when he will play next. AP

atop of the ring,” Ancajas stressed. Ancajas is also drawing inspiration from a forthcoming fifth child to wife Ruth, who’s two months pregnant. “I hope it’s a girl, but a boy’s okay,” said the pride of Panabo City who’s also an inspiration to his kids Jhinjie Kyri (10), JJ Kyle (8), Jacey Kiera (5) and Jazz Klay (1). Ancajas sports a 34-3-2 win-lossdraw record with 23 knockouts to Inoue’s 18-1 record with four knockouts. Trash talk was not in Inoue’s vocabulary during the pre-fight conference also graced by Sean Gibbons, president of Pacquiao’s MP Promotions, as well as Hideyuki Ohashi of Ohashi Promotions and Teiken Promotions president Akihiko Honda. “He [Ancajas] is the best fighter I will ever face,” Takuma said through an interpreter. “I idolized him, watched his every fight. I’m not sure… let’s see until I face him.” The official weigh-in for the 118-pound fight is set Friday also at the Tokyo Dome. “I’m just two pounds over so I expect to get the weight by tomorrow,” Ancajas said.

TIGER WOODS watches his son Charlie putt ball during the final round of the PNC Championship last December in Orlando, Florida. AP

wrestling since high school. Sometimes, in the middle of a fight, I will go, ‘I’ve seen this move before,’” he said. “Here I am in a UFC fight and I have flashbacks. But I have to improve my thinking and adaptability.” The Rosas- Turcios bantamweight bout—the third of the main card fights lined up—could be a candidate for “Fight of the Night.” Rick Olivares

Some move to other schools for high school or even college for the opportunity to play in either the UAAP or the National Collegiate Athletic Association. In recent years, the Davao campus has sent many players to De La Salle. Two of them are playing in the 2024 IAF—Jigger Avancena and Ron Poblete. Others transferred to University of the Philippines, Far Eastern University or even San Beda. Previous champions in the 40-and-up are Zamboanga (2020 and 2023) and Cagayan de Oro (2022). In the 48-and-up group, Zamboanga took the 2020 edition for a double while Davao topped 2022 with Manila winning in 2023. The IAF attracts over 300 players with many having played varsity level during their college days while some served with the national team or even in the defunct United Football League. Hence, come kick-off, the competitive nature of the tournament. “When you have ex-varsity and ex-national team

players, you can bet they will still want to show that they have their stuff,” Lacdao said. “It is no different from any alumni-based league. Athletes will always have this competitive nature in them.” “But at the end of the day, it’s very much about fellowship and being fellow Ateneans,” he added. Lacdao stressed that not everyone on all the sides played competitive football during their school days. He himself wrote for the Ateneo college newspaper, The Guidon. While Attorney Hubert Guevarra, who works with the current administration, was in school government. “It’s also for the ordinary joes and nerds like me and Hubert who became lawyers but rediscovered our love for the Beautiful Game later in our lives,” Lacdao said. The one-day tournament is expected to draw close to 700 people to the Ateneo High School football field. “We expect to grow the tournament when we hope to add a women’s division and younger age groups in the future,” noted Lacdao of the plans for the IAF’s growth.

Motoring BusinessMirror

Friday, February 23, 2024

Editor: Tet Andolong

More than just a myth, redux I

Story & photos by Randy S. Peregrino

T was in early 2020 when the motoring media had its maiden drive experience of the newlyintroduced Kia Seltos. After releasing the refined and redesigned 2024 edition, Kia Philippine hosted an experiential drive event anew four years later. Apart from fresh design elements and the latest technology, perhaps one of the crucial changes is the new powerplant options. The recently concluded drive event coincided with Kia Philippines’ 5th-anniversary celebration of being the country’s official distributor.

Refined and redesigned

All the New Seltos needed was sharp-approach enhancements inside and out. Outside the showroom, the more prominent grille emphasizing width and exuding a more muscular appearance with new LED headlamps stood out more. More so, the Star Map signature lighting creates a distinct image. Even the front bumper’s new rigid shapes, vertical-shaped fog lights, and integrated daytime running lights provided the needed sportiness yet cleaner look. The tailgate’s lighting design and backup lamps also complement the enhanced look. Receiving a unique geometric design are the new 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside is all about a futuristic vibe highlighting bright screens and clean, geometric shapes. The standard dual panoramic displays are the centerpiece of the futuristic and modern cabin. Available as a segment-first, these dual panoramic screens combine the 10.25-inch instrument cluster and 10.25-inch center display (SX variant). That, along with the new gear shifter, center console, and several other enhancements, gave the cabin an all-new look. Other features are auto A/C, wireless charging, mood lamps, and generous cup holders.

All-motor fun

First up for the task was the 1.5 EX AT variant motivated with a new 1.5-liter MPI engine generating 113 hp and 144 N-m of torque mated with an Intelligent Variable Transmission. While the power output is considerably lower than the previous version’s bigger 2.0-liter powerplant, the new engine still does the job, albeit tamer and smoother. Thanks to the smaller engine, the apparent reduction in overall weight somehow contributed to the fuel efficiencyinclined vehicle’s power-to-weight ratio. But like any other smaller and naturally-aspirated engine, revising at higher rpm is needed to squeeze more torque. Standard in the EX-variant is the

4.25-inch inch instrument panel, eight-inch touchscreen audio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Rear-Camera Display, Driver and Front Passenger Airbags, six audio speakers, and single zone Auto A/C. Moreover, there are Smart Entry + Push Start, Power Fold Side Mirrors, LED headlamps, and DRLs.

Turbocharged rush

On the other hand, the top-spec 1.4T SX AT is an entirely different brute. With a potent 1.4-liter turbocharged engine generating 138 hp and 242 N-m of torque, the swift acceleration was evident and expected. Even better, the new engine is coupled with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Never mind the lower horsepower figure versus the previous 2.0-liter all-motor engine because the new boosted engine’s significantly higher torque is all that is needed for swift speed increments. Step on it, and it will deliver. Exclusive to the top-tier SX is a suite of advanced driver-assist functions such as Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Forward Collision Avoidance, Assist (FCA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), and Lane Following Assist (LFA). Other SX-exclusive features are a mood lamp, leather Seats, power driver seats, a 10.25-inch Infotainment touchscreen, front with side airbags, a panoramic sunroof, mobile phone wireless charging, a 10.25-inch TFT LCD Instrument Panel; LED Headlamps, LED Foglamps, and LED DRLs.

Still fun to drive

Meanwhile, driving the New Seltos, whether EX or SX, brought back similar experiences and impressive dynamics from the previous version. The vehicle’s agility, nimbleness, and stable form remain on freeways at high-speed limits. The steering response was never better. Even both types of drivetrains demonstrated seamless cogs. However, it would have been a plus to have a manual mode option to maximize engine RPMs and for engine braking. The SX’s suite of driver assist functions, particularly the LKA, were on top of everything during expressway stretches. Comfort-wise, the long drive did not pose any problems even for the four adult occupants seated with enough leg rooms. The new seat contours provided enough support and coziness. Also, the cool aircon and crisp audio sound factored into the pleasure of driving and riding.

Myanmar goes electric, bans gas-powered autos

YANMAR has adopted a radical move aimed at encouraging its citizens to go electric in their vehicle choices. We could learn a thing or two from this? Here’s Nikkei’s report: “BANGKOK / YANGON—The number of electric vehicles in Myanmar has increased more than six-fold in a year as the military regime exempts EVs from tariffs and imposes an import ban against gasoline-powered autos. “New EV showrooms have sprung up in the economic capital of Yangon. Some sell Chinese brands such as

leader BYD, though others are empty except for signs that simply say ‘EV.’ “Ushering in this change is a provision that went into effect on Feb. 1 that added a requirement to have a showroom when importing EVs. “About 85 companies now hold licenses for EV-related businesses, according to the regime's steering committee on national EV development. Showrooms without brand names represent operators preparing to enter the EV industry. “The authority aims to expand the EV market through competition as it seeks to limit costly gasoline im-

The New Kia Seltos 1.4T SX AT top-spec variant in Pluton Blue color

Futuristic vibe highlighting the new broad screen combining the instrument panel and infotainment

The new 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine fitted in the top-spec 1.4T SX AT variant

ports. The regime banned imports of gas-powered cars in 2022 as part of efforts to shore up dwindling foreign currency reserves. “Import tariffs for EVs were scrapped in January last year, which is due to continue until this March. More than 2,200 EVs had been registered as of January 31, according to the Ministry of Transport and Communications. “The number of registered EVs jumped 6.5 times from a year earlier. Roughly 1,900 EVs were registered in the year through January alone. “One man, who works in a town 200 kilometers away from Yangon, drives an EV made by Neta, an affiliate of the Chinese maker Hozon New Energy Automobile. ‘I save on gasoline, and it rides comfortably,’ said the man. “Gas prices in Myanmar have rocketed to historic highs due to fuel imports and distribution being

MHI). It boasts of a prime location in the city’s commercial and industrial hub, offering easy access from the city proper and adjacent towns. Located at Brgy. Taft North, Mandurriao, Iloilo City, the new Grand Canyon Iloilo is MMPC’s 66th dealership nationwide, which features spacious showroom floor of 2,122 square meters, a total display of 13 Mitsubishi vehicles, 20 service bays and a comfortable customer lounge. The inauguration was attended by local government officials led by Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, and MMPC President & CEO Takeshi Hara. Said Hara: “Together, we embark on a journey that goes beyond providing vehicles; it's about creating experiences, building lasting relationships, and contributing to the progress of the communities we serve.” Mitsubishi front act Nelda Castro quotes Grand Canyon’s President Jan Andrew Po, thus: “As we navi-

disrupted by the shortage of foreign currencies. The cost to drive a Neta for 100 kilometers is 80 percent less than the cost to drive a minivan with a 1.5-liter engine over the same distance. “Local dealer Grand Sirius distributes the Neta. On the low end, the Neta V sells for 77 million kyat [$36,700], while the Neta U Pro is 50 percent more expensive. Roughly 200 Netas from both series have been sold since the brand fully entered the market last year.” Maybe, our officials should look closely into this as we continue to explore on the world’s seemingly unstoppable thrust on electrified mobility? About time they did.

Iloilo branch

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation recently inaugurated its second dealership in Iloilo City, under the management of Grand Canyon Multi-Holdings, Inc. (GC-

gate through dynamic times in the automotive industry, I am grateful for MMPC’s unwavering support and trust in Grand Canyon Multi Holdings, Inc. Our commitment to providing exceptional service, topquality vehicles, and innovative solutions remains steadfast. We are dedicated to exceeding your expectations and ensuring your satisfaction at every turn.” Nelda reports that the dealership is now accepting inquiries at 9985822-855 (Sales) or 999-2222-111 (Service).

PEE STOP I am glad to learn that last weekend’s Lexus “Valentine TEAvolution” was a super success at Mitsukoshi in BGC Taguig City. The innovative party drew an audience that was delighted to the max. Cheers to Lexus President Raymond T. Rodriguez, General Manager Carlo Ablaza and Vice President Jade S. Mendoza!