BusinessMirror February 27, 2023

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

DESCRIBING it as “cruel and inhumane,” an economistlawmaker on Sunday strongly opposed the June 30 jeepney phaseout without enough subsidies and assistance from the government.

House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda urged the Marcos administration to expedite the cooperativization and provide subsidies for the public utility jeepney (PUJ) modernization program of the government, as some 50,000 traditional PUJs have not yet been consolidated and may lose their franchises due to Memorandum Circular No. 2023-13 issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regu -

latory Board (LTFRB). Those who will cooperativize can have their provisional licenses renewed until the end of 2023.

Totally, I oppose it without government providing concrete assistance to help PUJs cooperativize or to provide ample seed funding for their cooperatives,” Salceda said in a statement.

A ccording to Salceda, even the end-2023 extension is not enough.

S alceda said he will file a resolution directing the House Committee on Transportation to call for the suspension of the memorandum circular.

I think the policy is especially cruel and inhumane when there are no longer any PUJ subsidies in the budget. Cruel and inhumane when you consider that jeepney drivers

were among the hardest-hit sectors over the past three years,” he said.

Work with LGUs SALCEDA also called on the Department of Transportation and the LTFRB to work with local governments to create a scheme where local government units establish and operate modernized jeepneys.

PUJs are a public utility, both by nature and by law, in the Public Service Act amendments. So, they are imbued with a greater sense of purpose than purely commercial enterprises. Public transport, arguably, should be run by the state. Ideally, at least,” he added.

In the absence of that, we should work with local governments, provincial governments in particular, and among NCR mayors, so that

LGU-led cooperatives or corporations can run the routes instead, with the displaced PUV drivers are regular employees. That will help rationalize routes better, create more dependable livelihoods for transport workers, and lead to better traffic conditions,” Salceda said.

PUJs, Salceda estimated, convey between 800,000 to 1.2 million passengers in NCR alone, “while being the main mode of transportation between towns in the provinces.” In the provinces, we also do not have the same degree of problems with PUJs as NCR does. Besides, congestion and pollution are not singularly the fault of old jeepneys. So, this policy totally hurts us in the provinces more than it hurts you in the cities,” he said.

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 20 pages |

BSP TO BANKS: NIX FEES ON SMALL TRANSACTIONS

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

REMOVING transaction fees may fast-track efforts to promote inclusive digital finance to benefit poor Filipinos, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

I n his speech at the annual reception for the banking community last Friday, BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla said a transaction fee worth P15 may still be high, especially for the poor.

T he BSP Governor said the banking community as well as the government may be able to “find a cost-sharing system” that will exclude small payments from fees.

“And one way to make it more inclusive, and I’m sure we can work together to achieve it, is if small transactions... will be free of charge so that the poor can also use digital payments.

Because if the transaction is small and the fee is P15—it’s quite large relative to the transaction,” Medalla said.

Medalla said this is worth pursuing, provided that transactions are below a certain number or around three transactions per day.

“ There is a way of sharing costs.

I promise you, the central bank, will be in a greater hurry to cut reserve requirements so you can afford to give those [concessions],”

Medalla said by way of stressing his pitch.

See “BSP,” A2

IMMIGRATION CHIEF WARNS PUBLIC VS CRYPTO SCAM RINGS

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Bureau of Immigration has warned the public not to fall victim to cryptocurrency scam syndicates that  are using social media platforms such as Tiktok to lure Filipinos to work overseas.

B I Commissioner Norman Tansingco issued the warning after conducting an investigation on

DOLE now focusing on issue of jobs mismatch

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is now focusing on jobs mismatch issues as the agency prepares for the entry of more foreign investors in the country.

I n a statement issued through the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said the DOLE is preparing for the entry of more foreign investors in the country by ensuring that the Philippines has a pool of well-educated and highlyskilled workforce.

T he DOLE is paying attention in resolving jobs mismatch issues through the upskilling of Filipino workers, said Laguesma.  Laguesma said upskilling of workers must be industry-led as well as demand- and market-driven so that workers can find employment that suit their skills.

the eight repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Cambodia. The victims, whose ages range from early 20s to late 30s, comprised six  males and two  females.

T hey  arrived early morning of February 26 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2, on board a Philippine Airlines (PAL)  flight from Phnom Penh.

T he victims were all promised salaries of as much as 1000 USD per

month, and were forced to work for 16-18 hours a day without day off.

“The trafficking landscape is very different now. Professionals are being lured into seemingly good-paying opportunities, only to end up being trafficked in this crypto scam,” Tansingco lamented.

T he eight OFWs told investigators they were recruited by the syndicates  after coming across advertisements on messaging and social media platforms Telegram,

Facebook, and Tiktok.

T hree of the victims were brought out of the country via Zamboanga, and did not pass through formal ports, according to the BI. On the other hand,  three of the victims departed via Clark, while two departed via NAIA.

T he  three who departed via Zamboanga recounted  that they traveled for seven  days to reach their destination.

See “Immigration,” A2

L aguesma added that jobs mismatch issues can also be addressed by conducting jobs fairs, with the DOLE focusing on knowing the requirements of every industry to effectively address them.

Earlier, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said he sees the Philippines getting swamped with a tsunami of investments from Japan amid overwhelming interest in the country’s economic potential spurred by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos’s recent official visit to Tokyo.

See “DOLE,” A2

NO SWAN SONG FOR PANAGBENGA The SM City Baguio, a Panagbenga Festival Float Parade Hall of Famer, supported and joined this year’s Panagbenga Festival with a float reminiscent of the swan boats of Burnham Park. #COLORSOFPANAGBENGA2023 #MAKEEVERYDAYBLOOMWITHSMCITYBAGUIO

Daily deaths of Pinoys in ‘21 highest in 10 yrs, says PSA

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

Region (NCR) with 105,178 at 12 percent. “ The combined share of these three regions was 40.5 percent of the total registered deaths in 2021,” PSA said.

Meanwhile, the three regions with the least number of registered deaths were the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with 6,662 or 0.8 percent of the total.

Syria taps PHL Red Cross for earthquake donations

T he month of December had the lowest number of deaths registered per day at 1,813 or equivalent to 76 deaths per hour.

D aily index refers to the increase/decrease from the overall daily average of event occurrences. The months of July to October surpassed the national daily index of 100 in 2021.

THE Syrian Arab Republic has tapped the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) as official collection site for donations as another earthquake hit Northern Syria anew.

T he data showed a total of

879,429 Filipinos died in 2021, a growth of 43.2 percent from the 613,936 who died in 2020.

T his translated to 2,409 deaths per day or 100 deaths per hour. The PSA said two Filipinos died per minute in 2021.

This is equivalent to a crude death rate  of 8, or eight deaths per 1,000 population in 2021,” PSA said.

The number of registered deaths from 2012 to 2021 has

E fforts to further digitalization, Medalla said, are under way. InstaPay and PESONet are “great successes” and more people are now using QRs to make payments.

L ast week, the BSP launched the use of Paleng-QR Ph Plus in LapuLapu City to allow market vendors

trended upward except in the years 2017 and 2020. The increase during the 10-year period was 70.8 percent, from 514,745 in 2012 to 879,429 in 2021,” explained T he data showed the highest number of registered deaths by usual residence occurred in Calabarzon with 138,298 which represented 15.7 percent of total deaths in 2021.

T his was followed by Central Luzon with 113,127 or 12.9 percent of the total and National Capital

there to accept digital payments from their customers.

T he Paleng-QR Ph Plus is a nationwide initiative that promotes digital payments in public markets, transportation hubs, and other business establishments.

“ We have done great work there (digitalization). The share of digital transactions in total payments has been growing steadily,” Medalla said. “But we should not sit on our

C ordillera Administrative Region (CAR) with 13,241 or 1.5 percent of all deaths while Mimaropa Region with 22,934 posted a 2.6-percent share.

PSA said these regions accounted for only 4.9 percent of the overall registered deaths in the Philippines in 2021.

I n 2021, PSA data showed the average number of deaths registered per day was the highest in September at 3,992 or about 166 deaths per hour.

laurels. We should achieve more, and we must make digitalization more inclusive.”

Focus on cybersecurity

MEDALLA also assured the public that the BSP is boosting its cybersecurity to address emerging risks and maintain public trust in the digital financial ecosystem.

He said this is why it is important to address complaints very quickly

Data on deaths were obtained from the Certificates of Death (Municipal Form No. 103) that were registered at the Office of the City/Municipal Civil Registrars all throughout the country and forwarded to the PSA.

T his release shows an overview of the registered deaths which occurred from January to December 2021, including the 10 leading causes of death.

Deaths of Filipinos that occurred abroad which were reported to the Philippine Foreign Service Posts are presented in a separate report.

in case there are unpleasant events that get reported. Part of the BSP’s efforts is the cybersecurity awareness campaign dubbed Check, Protect, and Report (CPR).

T he BSP recently partnered with the BAP and the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines (BMAP) to fight cybercrime through the CPR information drive to foster cyber hygiene among Filipinos.

T he “Check” is about being careful when sharing information as legitimate banks and financial institutions (FIs) will only ask for personal data when they are contacted by their clients. (Full story: https:// businessmirror .com.ph/2023/01/03/bsptaps-bankers-to-promote-cybersecurity/)

The World Economic Forum (WEF) said over 93 percent of cybersecurity experts and 86 percent of business leaders believe “a farreaching, catastrophic cyber event is likely in the next two years” and there is a critical skills gap that is threatening societies and key infrastructure.

T he report highlighted the need to address the shortage of talent and skilled experts. Some 34 percent of cybersecurity experts said they lacked some skills in their team, with 14 percent saying they lacked critical skills.

W EF said the problem is more pronounced in key sectors such as energy utilities, where nearly 25 percent of cybersecurity experts said they lacked the necessary critical skills to protect their organizations’ operations.

Jeepney...

Continued from A1

Salceda instead said the House tax panel will try to revive the proposed updating of the Road Users’ Tax, which have not been changed since 2004, “to more evenly distribute the burdens of congestion and pollution to everyone who uses vehicles, instead of charging a P21,000 per month tax on PUJs for 7 years.”

S alceda authored House Bill No. 376, which also includes earmarking 45 percent of incremental revenues from the higher rates towards the PUJ modernization program.

“ We should take the PUJ modernization push as an opportunity to reshape the public transport sector. But let’s not pauperize an already struggling sector to get that done. And frankly, keeping the PUJ sector largely private will eventually create the same problems that we are trying to address right now —bad road behavior, irrational routes, and depressed incomes for PUJ workers,” he said.

Fifteen days after a devastating earthquake hit Turkiye and Syria, claiming the lives of more than 46,000, another big earthquake hit both countries, with Northern Syria bearing the brunt of a magnitude 6.5 earthquake on February 20, 2023.

It may be recalled that on February 15, the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey also asked the PRC to assist in the donation efforts.

I n the midst of this terrible catastrophe, the PRC through the leadership of its Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon, with the PRC’s volunteers and staff, has been designated to receive all contributions for and on behalf of the suffering people of Syria.

As the devastation continues with yet another big earth -

quake, we send our thoughts and support to those affected. PRC is in communication with the Honorable Consulate General of the Syrian Arab Republic and we will be opening our doors to be collection sites for donations to help our Syrian brothers and sisters who are in dire need of help,” said Gordon.

T he Syrian Embassy has asked local charitable foundations, NGOs, companies, and organizations to direct donations to PRC’s National Headquarters at the Philippine Red Cross Logistics and Multipurpose Center along Apo Street in Mandaluyong City.

Syrian authorities are appealing for in-kind donations of all kinds of medicines, winter blankets, winter clothing and tents.

PRC also sent US $100,000 each to Turkey and Syria through their respective National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Remulla son wins special polls in Cavite 7th district

DESPITE a low voter turnout that dismayed the Commission on Elections chief, the Comelec on Sunday proclaimed the son of Justice Secretary Jesus “Boying” Remulla as the winner in the special elections held to fill the post of 7th District Representative that he vacated when he assumed the DOJ top post.

C rispin Diego “Ping” Remulla won by landslide Saturday’s special elections, handily beating his closest rival, former Trece Martires City Mayor Melencio de Sagun Jr., with his 98,474 votes versus Sagun’s 46,530.

T he older Remulla was appointed in 2022 by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the Department of Justice.

A sked about his priority agenda in Congress, the new congressman replied, according to CNN

Philippines’s report “Price adjustment  sa [for] minimum wage  sa aming [in our] province because the expenses here are very close to the ones in Metro Manila, but minimum wage here is actually lower.”

C NN Philippines, meanwhile, quoted Comelec Chairman George Garcia as ruing the low turnout: “To a certain extent, nakakapanghinayang ‘yung nagagastos na pondo ng taongbayan tapos ang boboto lang ay kakaunti  [it is regrettable that our people’s funds are being spent but only few will vote],” he said.

O nly 149,581 or only 42.11 percent of the 355,184 registered voters in the 7th legislative district took part in the special elections, per Comelec.

T he municipalities of Amadeo, Indang and Tanza and Trece Martires City comprise the 7th District.

Immigration...

A fter going from Cebu to Zamboanga, they travelled to Jolo, Brunei, Jakarta, and Thailand before reaching Cambodia.

T he two who left via NAIA on the other hand, presented themselves as tourists.

O ne presented herself as an officer in a local company, while one of them traveled from Bangkok to Cambodia with his girlfriend.

T hey claimed to be on vacation, but both ended up as workers in the scamming syndicate.

T he girlfriend was reportedly able to return early due to the demise of a family member, but her boyfriend was threatened that he would  be made to pay for breach of contract.

T he victims  were rescued from their company through the help of

Continued from A1

the Philippine Embassy and Senator Risa Hontiveros.    E arlier, the BI managed to prevent six suspected victims of a crypto trafficking syndicate from leaving the country.

T hree  of the victims were intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 last January 20, after attempting to fly out via an Air Asia flight to Bangkok.

L ast January 31, officers at the Clark International Airport intercepted three male victims who attempted to fly to Thailand via a Scoot airlines flight.

T hey admitted that they were recruited to work as encoders and e-games staff and were offered a salary of US$1000 by an agent they only met through a social messaging application.

Continued from A1

M ore foreign direct investments into the country would mean infusion of new capital, establishment of new businesses, as well as additional employment and business opportunities for Filipinos, according to Romualdez.

T he Speaker has also described as “highly successful” and “very productive” the state visits of the President to Indonesia and Singapore, which, he said, produced more than $15 billion worth of foreign investment pledges for the Philippines.

OVER 2,000 Filipinos died everyday in 2021, the highest in the past 10 years, according to latest data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

‘Green lanes to hasten PHL economic recovery’

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

Trade and Industry Secretary

Alfredo Pascual said the issuance of Executive Order (EO) 18, which mandates the creation of green lanes for strategic investments, will help boost economic growth.

Under the EO, the green lanes will expedite or fasttrack the processes involved in the issuance of licenses, permits, and other certifications.

“It was during the meeting that we communicated to the President that several investors are interested in expanding operations in the Philippines,” Pascual said.

“Most of them have emphasized the importance of advancing ease of doing business after we have identified barriers across multiple regulatory agencies that hamper the smooth entry of FDIs in the country,” he explained.

Under the EO, strategic investments are classified into highly desirable projects; Foreign Direct

Investments (FDIs); and projects or activities under the Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP).

T he DTI said strategic investments are those which are aligned with the Philippine Development Plan and are expected to contribute significantly to the Philippine economy.

T his means, these will bring in significant capital or investments, contributing to the country’s balance of payments, and improving the country’s infrastructure capabilities.

Within six months from its issuance, the EO also mandated the DTI-Board of Investments (BOI) to establish a One-Stop-Action-Center for Strategic Investments (OSAC-SI), which will serve as a single point of entry for all projects that qualify as Strategic Investments.

Further, the DTI-BOI is tasked to produce and regularly update

a manual or guidebook for investors, which shall contain the list of government requirements for the establishment of strategic investments per sector. The DTI-BOI will also be assisted by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to operationalize the OSAC-SI.

Solon to DA, DTI: Engage canned fish sector during closed-fishing season

TO enable sardines to reproduce, House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte

Salceda on Friday called on the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture to engage the canned fish sector over supply concerns, especially with sardines, during the close of the fishing season in the Zamboanga Peninsula, which happens every year from December 1 to February 28.

Salceda said this will ensure that there is no shortage of canned sardines during the subsequent season. It looks like supply levels remain manageable, as the industry was able to meet the 75,000 metric tons it is required to store during the closed season. But I also expect demand for canned sardines to pick-up this year,” Salceda said.

“And there remain underlying issues, like the Suggested Retail Price being below the cost at which some of the canners produce. With marketing costs,

the price is P20, which is above the P18 SRP,” he added.

T he lawmaker said he is asking the DTI and the DA to engage in dialogue with the industry and with small players and stakeholders as soon as possible, so the country can prevent this potential problem from materializing.

“Right now, the most immediate probable result is a lack of supply of some brands in supermarkets, especially as manufacturers try to skip shelf-space fees in supermarkets,” Salceda said. We also need to strengthen collaboration with alternative fish sources, such as Papua New Guinea, which is one of our biggest sources of sardines,” Salceda added.

54 hatcheries

SALCEDA also said the country needs to ramp up the completion of the 54 legislated hatcheries, only 3 of which have been completed.

In the long run, of course, we really need to work on fish supply, because climate issues won’t get easier any time soon," he said.

“I no longer think bashing the BFAR is productive at this point. There is a new leadership, so I want to work with them,” Salceda said.

According to Salceda, the government needs to ramp up aquaculture.

“ We source only 52 percent of our fish supply from aquaculture, and rely on capture for the rest. We can amp that up. I am already working with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources so they can finish up more hatcheries this year,” Salceda added.

That will help us ease pressure on fish consumption in general, but we need to invest in research on sardine culture. It was only in 2018 when the first cultured sardines were successfully raised.”

For sardines, the lawmaker said mariculture is the key.

“Portugal—arguably the country best known for sardines— is already doing it, backed by solid research. So, BFAR needs a very strong research and development component as well,” Salceda added.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

“As part of the government’s digitization efforts, the EO warrants concerned NGA [national government agencies] or LGU [local government units] to enable electronic submission of application for, and issuance of license, clearance, permit, certification,

including payments,” DTI said.

D TI said the EO sets a timeline for the processing of documents.

NGAs and LGUs are ordered to act on applications not longer than three working days for simple transactions, seven working days for complex transactions, and 20

working days for highly-technical transactions from the date of the receipt of application.

However, DTI said the prescribed maximum processing period may be extended only once for the same number of days if it is indicated in the Citizen’s Charter.

In case of failure of the NGA or LGU to act, whether to approve or disapprove an application, it shall be deemed to be consistent with Section 10 of Republic Act 9485 or the AntiRed Tape Act of 2007.

Further, DTI-BOI may endorse to the Anti-Red Tape Authority applications for permits and licenses which are not yet resolved after the lapse of the original or extension period.

F or the purpose of efficient monitoring, the EO also mandates concerned NGA, LGU, and/or quasijudicial bodies to submit monthly updates to the DTI-BOI reflecting the status of applications received and acted upon.

L ikewise, a Technical Working Group is created to serve as an oversight body that will ensure the efficient and successful implementation of the EO.

T his initiative requires a wholeof-government collaboration as DTI OSAC-SI, NGAs, LGUs, GOCCs, and other government instrumentalities are ordered to coordinate with one another for assistance and support.

Lawmaker makes pitch for creation of special ecozone in West Aklan

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

AHOUSE Committee on Economic Affairs vice chairper -

son has filed the proposed West Aklan Special Economic Zone Act (WASEZA) to bring in more investment and employment opportunities in the region and contribute to the nation’s economic recovery and development.

In order for the economy to recover from inflation and the pandemic, Aklan 2nd District Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr. said the government must explore new special economic zones and empower regional economies to provide more jobs, and entice foreign investment.

H aresco has filed House Bill 7032 to establish the WASEZA to promote countryside development through the spread and diversification of economic investments currently centered and contained on a number of economic hotspots towards the less-developed yet potentiallycapable areas of West Aklan.

T he bill is pending before the House Committee on Economic Affairs.

T he legislator said establishing a special ecozone in a premier and strategic location like West Aklan shall complement further and generate more dollar/export earnings for the country.

T he World Bank defines Special Economic Zones as “geographically limited areas, usually physically secured (fenced-in); single management or administration; eligibility for benefits based upon physical location within the zone; separate customs area (duty-free benefits) and streamlined procedures.”

S EZs or Ecozones in the Philippines are generally enabled by the Special Economic Zones Act of 1995 (Republic Act 7916) which provides the legal framework and mechanisms for the integration, coordination, planning and monitoring of special economic zones, industrial estates/parks, export processing zones and other economic zones.

N otable Ecozones in the coun -

try include: Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport; Freeport Area of Bataan; Clark Freeport Zone and Clark Special Economic Zone; Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport; Cavite Economic Zone; Subic Bay Freeport Zone; and Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone.

“ We hope to have WASEZA bring better opportunities and more competitive wages to Akeanons and their families, similar to how other ecozones in the country have boosted regional economies. The economic incentives we provide to businesses and local government units will definitely uphold the welfare of our people and improve the quality of life in Aklan,” the veteran legislator said.

Moreover, due to the presence of two international airports in the province, particularly in Kalibo and Caticlan, the Philippine Ports Authority has identified the Municipality of Nabas as a premier international cruise ship terminal, targeting 4-5 international cruise ships weekly.

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

EXPRESSWAY operator Nlex

Corp. said on Sunday it is spending P282.5 million to improve its electronic toll collection and traffic management systems, as it seeks to “transform customer experience” along its thoroughfares.

Luigi L. Bautista, the company’s president and general manager, said the initiatives include the upgrading of various servers and the installation of new radio frequency identification (RFID) antennas and speed cameras.

T he goal, he said, is to “enhance the processing of toll plaza transactions and implementation of traffic regulations.”

“ These enhancements are part of the company’s thrust in providing safer and more convenient journeys

along with the drive for continuous innovation and customer service excellence,” he said.

Bautista said around 80 toll lanes at the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex) will be equipped with new antennas, which will help facilitate more efficient RFID transactions, while four speed cameras will be installed in both Tarlac and Subic-bound portions of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (Sctex) to further track speeding vehicles.

Trucks and buses have a speed limit of 80 kilometers per hour (kph) when using the expressway, while cars are allowed up to 100 kph. Traffic officers use real-time data from the cameras to flag down those going beyond the maximum speed limit. Various servers at Nlex-Sctex will also be upgraded for improved performance and reliability, Bautista added.

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the green lanes that will be created by the government will hasten the recovery and expansion of the Philippine economy.

CONTAINERS are stacked at the Manila North Harbor in Manila in this

The Nation

BCDA, AFP and DND start construction for 9-storey Navy residential building

NZ govt keeps Level 2 travel advice for PHL after Kiwi slay

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

play a very large part of that.”

He added, “The number of visitor arrivals is recovering. It is my hope that, by working together, we restore Ilocos’ vibrancy in tourism to pre-pandemic levels and beyond.”

The festival is a dance-off among 23 towns and cities of Ilocos Norte, and was won by Currimao.

Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed visitor arrivals reached 680,034 from January 1 to February 14, 2023, of which 55,268 were overseas Filipinos, and 624,766 were foreign tourists.

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario & Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has begun the construction of a nine-storey residential building for the Philippine Navy.

A symbolic capsule-laying and groundbreaking for the project was held last week and it was led by BCDA Chairman Delfin Lorenzana, BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer (PCEO)

Aileen Zosa and Department of National Defense Officerin-Charge Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.

It was also attended by top military officials, including Navy Chief Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr., and Philippine Marine Corps Commandant Major Gen. Charlton Sean Gaerlan.

T he building, located in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, is one of 23 structures to be built under the agreement between the BCDA, Department of National Defense and Armed Forces of the Philippines.

T he agreement called for the replication and relocation of Navy’s facilities from the 33-hectare Bonifacio South Pointe and Navy Village.

We assure the AFP and Department of National Defense that from procurement to implementation, and up to the completion of these facilities, we will be with you,” BCDA chief Aileen Zosa also assured the Navy.

S ituated on a 25-hectare area inside the Bonifacio Naval Station, the structure shall serve as a permanent housing facility for the Senior Officers of the Philippine Navy affected by the construction of the new Senate Building and the ongoing area development in Bonifacio South Pointe.

T his construction project will involve site development and will have 90 residential units, each with a floor area

of 124 square meters complete with all the amenities and features of a condominium unit. It is expected to be completed by 2025.

This praiseworthy project will not only impact the morale and welfare of our sailors and marines but will significantly contribute also to the operational preparedness of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” DND OIC Secretary Galvez Jr. said.

The quarters will provide warm and cozy homes for their respective families who share the weight of their sacrifices,” Galvez added.

T he project is one of the 23 structures that will be built for the Navy in fulfillment of an agreement signed in August 2021 by the BCDA, DND and AFP for the replication and relocation of Navy’s facilities from the 33-hectare Bonifacio South Pointe and Navy Village.

“ I would like to thank the BCDA for their efforts in ensuring that the implementation remains aligned with the interests of the Navy and supportive of our existing modernization efforts,” Adaci said.

Z osa assured the Navy that processes to be implemented for the project will be “transparent, efficient and according to specifications.”

Funded under the General Appropriations Act, the construction of this facility will be the first functional replication project to be undertaken by the BCDA for the Navy.

W ith the AFP as its biggest stakeholder, the BCDA is mandated, pursuant to Republic Act 7227, to raise funds for the AFP Modernization Program and to convert former US military bases into areas for economic growth.

T he state corporation is likewise responsible in ensuring functional replication and relocation of military facilities that will be affected by its development projects.

Reviewed on June 22, 2022 with a notation that the advisory is “still current at 26 February 2023,” the travel advisory published on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (MFAT) website warns New Zealand citizens to “exercise increased caution elsewhere in the Philippines, including Manila, due to the threat of terrorism, risk of kidnapping, and violent crime (level 2 of 4).”

It informs its citizens of “high rates of violent crime” in the country such as armed robbery, assault, and murder, with “criminal gangs active in the Manila area, and have drugged and robbed unsuspecting tourists. Crime is more prevalent at night, particularly in urban areas.”

It also admonishes its citizens not to resist if they fall victim to robbery, mugging, or carjacking “as this could

lead to an escalation in violence.”

It advises New Zealanders to take taxis called by hotel staff or from taxis queued at the mall, “rather than hailing one in the street,” or using hotel transportation service or GrabTaxis.

Visitor arrivals reach 680,034

THIS developed as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reiterated his support to the tourism sector, which can help the economy to recover, as he celebrated the Tan-ok ni Ilocano Festival in Laoag City over the weekend. Speaking at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium on Friday, Marcos Jr. said, “I assure you that the government’s commitment to strengthen the domestic tourism industry remains a top priority and Ilocos Norte will

Marawi bulk water project will be fast-tracked–Dela Rosa

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

SEN. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Marawi City Rehabilitation and Victims Compensation, said at the weekend he expected much faster implementation of the bulk water project component of the Marawi City rehabilitation program.

T his developed as the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) and the Philippine Army (PA), two of the implementing agencies of the water project, have broken their impasse, paving the way for the fasttracking of the project.

I just talked with our very supportive General Romeo Brawner, who is here with us…he will be allowing now the final moving on of the project within the Philippine Army camp because that is where our bulk system, our bulk water project is,” Atty. Vicente Homer B. Revil, LWUA’s newly-appointed administrator, reported to the Dela Rosa-led committee at last Wednesday’s hearing.

B rawner, commanding general of the PA, said the water tank will be placed at the highest peak of the army camp in Barangay Kapantaran or the old city hall, which will house a battalion, while the LWUA water treatment facility will be constructed at the lower area of the camp.

It will be recalled that during their similar meeting in September 2022, the panel noted that the bulk water project could not proceed because of some mis-

understandings between LWUA and the PA, including the Army’s demand for free water supply to the camp and the lack of an administrator of LWUA.

With the conflict already settled, as well as with the appointment of Revil, there is a need now to have a tripartite agreement between LWUA, PA, and the local water district of Marawi City with a possible lease agreement that gives the army a 25 percent discount.

“ Okay na tayo diyan. Mabilis na iyan. Hindi na tayo makarinig ng problema diyan na sabihin na bumagal dahil ganito, ganoon, ganoon [We’re okay with that. We won’t be hearing any further problem that will delay it],” Dela Rosa said.

I n turn, Brawner informed the committee: “We will now move on with the survey and with the construction. And also, [we will proceed with the] agreement between the Philippine Army, LWUA and the Water District of Marawi City, Your Honors.”

T he General also informed the visiting Senate panel that they are "now awaiting the authority of the Office of the Solicitor General" (OSG) for the expropriation cases since not all the lands to be made part of the camp are expropriated.

Brawner added: “I understand we already have a letter from the OSG giving us that authority, so kahit na hindi pa po nabayaran iyong ibang mga may-ari ng lupa [even if the other land owners have not yet been paid], we can go on already with the construction, Mr. Chairman, Your Honors.”

Beware of toxin in some plastic cutlery, kitchen utensils–watchdog

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

ALOCAL toxics watchdog

on Sunday raised concern over the detection of bromine in some black plastic cutlery and kitchen utensils being sold in Metro Manila.

According to the group EcoWaste Coalition, the items may contain bromine, a component of toxic brominated flame retardant (BFR) chemicals linked to a number of adverse health effects such as interference with the

body’s normal hormone functions, a test buy conducted by the group revealed.

I n test buys conducted from February 19 to 21, the EcoWaste Coalition collected 45 assorted cutlery and kitchen utensils sold in retail stores in Caloocan, Manila and Quezon Cities. Items made of black plastic were chosen as other studies have found BFRs in such products.

A mong the items purchased and checked for bromine content using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer

were black plastic ladles, skimmers, spaghetti servers, spatulas, turners, spoons and others.

B ased on the XRF screening results, samples of big and small reusable black plastic spoons had 27,170 and 2,225 parts per million (ppm) of bromine, respectively, while a small soup ladle had 1,758 ppm. A disposable black plastic spoon contained 139 ppm of bromine.

A lso, 10 black plastic kitchen utensils were found to contain 119 to 864 ppm of bromine, in -

South Korea regained its prepandemic rank as the top source market for tourists, accounting for some 28 percent of total arrivals, or 185,087. It was followed by the United States at 129,591 (19 percent of total); Canada at 35,693 (5.25 percent); Australia at 33,915 (4.99 percent); Japan at 24,763 (3.64 percent); Taiwan at 23,254 (3.42 percent); United Kingdom at 18,697 (2.75 percent); China at 15,879 (2.34 percent); Singapore at 14,817 (2.18 percent); and Hong Kong at 11,883 (1.75 percent).

New Zealand was ranked no. 22 with arrivals at 3,409, accounting for 0.50 percent of total tourists during the period.

‘Don’t travel to Sulu’

MEANWHILE , the New Zealand government has also kept its Level 4 warning, telling its citizens, “Do not travel to central and west -

ern Mindanao (including the Sulu archipelago) due to the very high threat of terrorist activity, kidnapping and violent clashes between the military/police and terrorist or rebel groups.” Some lawmakers recently took issue with a Hollywood movie for allegedly portraying residents of Jolo, Sulu as Islamic separatist rebels.

In addition, the MFAT advises citizens to “Avoid non-essential travel to the remaining provinces of Mindanao due to the threat of terrorism, kidnapping and violent clashes between the military/police and terrorist or rebel groups (level 3 of 4).”

Tourist Nicholas Peter Stacey, 34, was walking along Filmore St. in Makati City with his girlfriend Pamela Villanoza, in the early hours of February 19, when one man alighted a motorcycle to rob the latter. Stacey tried to intervene but was shot in the ensuring scuffle. The assailant and his companion were able to speed away with items owned by Villanoza.

T he DOT condemned Stacey’s killing and said it was working with authorities to immediately resolve the matter and ensure the safety of tourists in the country.

(See, “DOT working with PNP, other government agencies to ensure safety of tourists,” in the BusinessMirror , February 23, 2023.) The alleged gunman has since surrendered to authorities.

Speaker calls for emergency meeting with PNP, DILG on high-profile crimes

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G.

Romualdez called the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the spate of high-profile crimes in the country.

R omualdez, in a statement, expressed concern that almost every week there is news about highprofile killings. We want to know from the PNP and the DILG what steps are being taken to stop these kinds of heinous crimes,” he said.

“Politics appears to be the motive behind the recent ambuscades because many of the victims are politicians,” he said.

R omualdez wanted to know how Congress can help in solving these crimes.

“ We will ask the police and the DILG, what’s the problem? Is it intelligence?” said Romualdez.

Recently, a mayor of Maguindanao was severely wounded in an ambush in Pasay City.

L ast February, a business couple and their companions in the car were fired upon in Pasay City.

A lso this February, the vice mayor of Aparri, Cagayan was shot and killed in an ambush.

L anao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong was also attacked, but survived the ambush in Maguindanao earlier this February, even as four of his police escorts were killed. He has hinted that his tough war on illegal drugs may be behind the attack.

NEA asks DOJ to probe former Beneco execs for ‘possible’ crimes

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

THE National Electrification Administration (NEA) has asked the Justice department to probe “the possible criminal acts and/or other irregularities” allegedly committed by former members of the board of directors and management officials of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco).

I n a letter to Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla last February 21, NEA

cluding a slotted turner (with 864 ppm), ladle (482 ppm), and a soup ladle (236 ppm).

In most cases, bromine was detected along with antimony (a component of antimony trioxide which is a common flame retardant synergist) as well as lead (a heavy metal additive or a contaminant). The detection of bromine in some cutlery and kitchen utensils being sold locally is a red flag,” Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition said in a statement.

Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda apprised the DOJ about the result of the motu proprio investigations it conducted.

L ast January, the NEA ordered the removal of Beneco’s Board of Directors based on findings of long-standing irregularities in the management of Beneco. It also suspended Beneco Assistant General Manager Engr. Melchor Licoben for 45 days, with NEA finding him administratively liable for simple negligence as a first offense.

“Although the above findings of

NEA in the administrative cases were limited to the administrative liabilities of the respondents, the matters unearthed therein strongly suggest that there was criminal fraud (i.e., estafa and/or other deceits, among others) committed by said respondents that resulted to the damage of Beneco, especially its member-consumer-owners,” stated the letter.

NEA had found that the directors “unduly received benefits and allowances, availed of and mismanaged substantial loans to the detriment of Beneco, as well as amended the terms of payment for several of its service providers without the required approval of NEA, among others.”

NEA said the removed directors of Beneco are disqualified for reinstatement or reemployment in any electric cooperative, as well as to run as candidate for a board of director position in any cooperative, with their other monetary benefits forfeited.

Beneco’s rating as an electric cooperative has regressed to category C from AAA in the 2019 overall performance assessment.

THE New Zealand government’s warnings to its citizens living or traveling in the Philippines remain in effect as of Sunday, after one of its citizens was fatally shot on February 19, trying to protect his girlfriend from a robbery in Makati City.

THE Department of National Defense (DND), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), jointly conduct the ground breaking of a 9-storey permanent residential building for the senior officers of the Philippine Navy. BCDA PHOTO

Agriculture/Commodities

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng • Monday, February 27, 2023

Govt allots ₧500M for coconut SPF program

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

CALABARZON and Northern Mindanao are set to receive a large chunk of the P500million fund allotted by the national government for the construction of shared processing facilities (SPFs) for the coconut industry.

T he Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) said it has identified the allocation per region under the P500-million SPF program that will be bankrolled by the Coconut Industry Trust Fund (CITF).

T he SPF seeks to elevate the productivity of coconut farmers, particularly those belonging in cooperatives, by allowing them to churn out value-added products, such as coconut oil.

Under Republic Act 11524 or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act, the PhilMech will spearhead the implementation of the SPF program, akin to the mechanization component of the rice competitiveness enhancement fund.

The agency is eyeing the production by coconut farmer cooperatives of the following value-added products: crude coconut oil; processed coconut oil; virgin coconut oil; des-

iccated coconut; coconut coir; and coconut sap,” PhilMech Executive Director Dionisio Alvindia said in a statement on Sunday.

A lvindia noted that PhilMech has already set the guidelines for coconut farmer cooperatives to qualify under the SPF program. He said the SPF program will be free for the identified beneficiaries, with their sole counterpart cost being the land where the facilities will be established.

To qualify, target beneficiaries or project proponents should be duly registered coconut farmers’ cooperatives with the Cooperative Development Authority with more than 100 members, and has a total of 5,000 coconuts daily production,” Director Alvindia said.

T he P500-million initial SPF program fund will be allocated per region as follows: P58.61 million for Calabarzon, P53.84 million for Northern Mindanao, P52.66 million Zamboanga Peninsula, P51.74 million for Davao Region and P50.15 million for Eastern Visayas.

Meanwhile, Bicol Region will receive P43.65 million, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (P40.84 million), Soccsksargen (P32.51 million), Caraga (P29.74 million), Western Visayas (P27.13 million), Mima -

ropa (P25.49 million) and P25.01 million for Central Visayas.

I locos region, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon will receive a combined allocation of P8.63 million.

At present, most coconut farmers’ cooperatives are still not capable of producing value-added products, and are mostly engaged in producing copra that are sold

Davao del Sur farming town sets sights on tourism industry

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox

Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—Local officials in Matanao, Davao Del Sur are keen on taking advantage of the town’s untapped natural attraction to start a tourism venture that will complement its farming sector.

M atanao Mayor Vincent Fernandez said the town could not rely solely on agriculture due to periodic droughts and pest infestation, according to a report published by the government-run Philippine Infor-

mation Agency. “ We intend to come up with real solutions to poverty here through tourism,” Fernandez said.

He said the local government has conducted trainings to enhance the capability of skilled workers “to improve their capabilities and not to focus on agricultural pursuits.”

T he local chief executive said he is banking on the construction of inns, hotels and restaurants to create more jobs and improve the quality of life of Matanao’s residents. We opened three waterfalls where people may come to bathe, swim in clean and clear water in

the barangay before going uphill,” Fernandez said.

He assured visitors that waterfall sites are accessible since most of the barangay roads in town are paved.

Fernandez said the Municipal Tourism Office has also evaluated 69 caves.

“ We opened one cave so far and two caves may be added for spelunking activities. The caves are open to the tourists where they can enjoy the scenery and lagoons therein. They will also see stalactites and stalagmites.”

He said he has invited local and national investors who might want to build vacation houses near the

caves and waterfalls.

Fernandez said all the roads in town are already well paved with proper street markings. Soon to be realized will be the solar-powered streetlights and closedcircuit television cameras to watch over tourists and constituents.”

He said the town of Matanao is peaceful “where anyone can spend time anywhere without being harmed.”

Fernandez also said the road from Koronadal City, North Cotabato to Matanao, Davao del Sur, is being constructed to cut travel time by one and a half hours.

FAO, SEED launch program for agrifood system startups

THE Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the SEED partnership recently launched the SDG Agrifood Accelerator Programme, an instrument designed to help agrifood system start-ups develop their businesses while contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

FAO noted that alternative approaches and innovative solutions are needed to transform global agrifood systems in the face of challenges, such as rapid population growth, economic downturns, extreme climates and changing consumption patterns.

During a virtual event held at FAO’s headquarters in Rome last February 16, 12 innovators from around the world used a workshop to showcase how they are contributing to the SDGs while supporting such a transformation in their local context.

T he small- and medium-sized

INSIDE a 4,000-square-foot laboratory at the heart of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a group of scientists are demonstrating how to make wearable shrimp shells.

It all starts with mixing chitosan—a white-powder biochemical component extracted from the shells—with water and organic acid. As the chitosan is dissolving, the scientists add in what they call the “secret sauce,” a combination of biomaterials and pigments that varies depending on the texture and color being targeted. The liquid is then poured into a mold and placed in a heater to evaporate excess water, not unlike bak-

enterprises were selected among the hundreds that comprise the portfolio of the adelphi-hosted SEED partnership. They are to be supported by the program in three areas: financial readiness, innovation potential, and market reach. The kind of help they will receive includes assistance in the development of business, marketing or investment plans, as well as advice on how to approach potential financiers or on how to go digital.

“ Together with SEED we want to explore how the innovators involved can make a difference in the transformation of agrifood systems locally as we work towards achieving the SDGs globally,” said Stefanos Fotiou, Director of FAO’s Office of Sustainable Development Goals.

Leveraging the network of innovators from SEED and nurturing local agrifood solutions through a tailored innovation support package opens new ways for FAO to have an

ing a cake in an oven. Several hours later, all that remains is the final product: a laptop-sized piece of leather-like fabric.

“It’s amazing to see how the material picks up all the details,” says Uyen Tran, pointing at a silver piece of material, this one covered in a snakeskin pattern. At a glance, the shrimp leather doesn’t look much different than its traditional cousins made from animal hide; it feels fairly authentic, too. And while the fabric doesn’t have any of the rich smell of cow leather, neither does it smell anything like seafood. Tran, 30, is co-founder of TômTex, a two-year-old startup that makes tex-

on-the-ground impact.”

SEED Executive Director Arab Hoballah said: “The caliber of the 12 selected SDG Agrifood Innovators is inspiring, leading by example for replication and acceleration of change. We are excited to further their SDG contributions with FAO through our joint Programme. We strongly encourage policymakers and financers to take a closer look at these innovative SMEs as they have the potential to become key partners in transforming global food systems in the transition to circularity and sustainability.”

‘Creative solutions’

THE SDG Agrifood Accelerator Programme acknowledges that all 17 SDGs are interconnected and addresses challenges across a broad range of goals, from no poverty and zero hunger to good health, gender equality and climate action.

Operating across eight countries in Africa and Asia, the 12 SMEs who joined the Programme have been pioneering solutions designed to transform agrifood systems while improving the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in their communities.

One example is the Amaati Group, which empowers rural Ghanaian women by farming indigenous Fonio grains. Fonio has low water requirements and can withstand adverse weather conditions. This social enterprise works with over 2,000 farmers and dries, de-husks, packages, stores, and markets Fonio cereal products for household consumption.

A nother can be found in Botswana, where Kalahari Honey trains and supplies farmers with beehives that act as ‘active’ fences to prevent elephants from destroying their farms. The farmers sell the bee products back to Kalahari, which then markets them globally.

to oil millers for the production of coconut oil,” PhilMech said.

A lvindia said the SPF program will enable coconut farmers’ cooperatives to produce coconut oil while sourc-

ing their raw materials from smaller farmer cooperatives.

A lso, he said the smaller coconut cooperatives that will have SPFs to efficiently produce more copra can directly supply to existing large coconut oil mills.

The SPFs will also allow coconut farmer cooperatives to produce various products from coco coir from discarded husks. These include geotextiles, mats, ropes, planting medium, among others,” he said.

C iting data from the United States Department of Agriculture, PhilMech said the Philippines is still the world’s top coconut oil producer with an estimated output of 1.668 million metric tons (MMT) followed by Indonesia with 1.025 MMT T he country is also the leading exporter of dessicated coconut but it lags behind in terms of coco coir production and exports, according to the attached agency of the Department of Agriculture.

A lvindia said PhilMech “will also provide training for the farmer’s coconut cooperatives, and will coach and monitor their progress.”

The objective is for the cooperatives to become viable business enterprises. We will provide three years of coaching and mentoring. We want these cooperatives to be successful.”

THE Marcos Jr. administration should allow the state to import rice through government-to-government (G2G) deals to be able to achieve its promise of cutting the price of the staple to P20 per kilogram.

Lawyer Lorenzo Gadon also said only the government should import rice as this would make the staple cheaper. He made the pitch in a speech at the BBM National Leader’s Convention in Pampanga on Saturday.

Gadon, an ally of the current administration, said this is one of the things he learned during his recent trip to Cambodia, which he said serves as a paddy production area for Vietnamese rice farms.

Bringing down the price of rice in the Philippines to P20 per kg is one of the campaign promises made by President Marcos Jr., who is concurrently sitting as the country’s agriculture chief.

Gadon said a business group went to Cambodia two weeks ago with the plan of striking a deal on bringing in rice from Cambodia to the Philippines.

Thought that we will be able to achieve the promise of BBM that as much as possible the price of rice is P20 per kg. We computed it and it is achievable but at the start we really have to import rice,” Gadon, who failed to secure a Senatorial seat in the past three national elections, said during the gathering of Marcos Jr. supporters.

Before I was against importation but this time I saw the wisdom [of it]. The government can save a lot through importation. The government, not the private traders, should import and sell rice.”

Gadon claimed that any savings that the government will enjoy from

directly importing and selling rice in the domestic market should be used in modernizing the country’s rice farming methods, which he said remains “jurassic” to this day.

In five years, based on our computation, the government-to-government importation of rice will put up a good post harvest system in the Philippines. During that five years, we will be able to provide intensive assistance to the farmers.”

Today, only the Philippine International Trading Corp. can import rice on behalf of the national government after the rice trade liberalization law deregulated the rice industry, and removed the authority of the National Food Authority to purchase the staple from abroad.

“Our rice farming method is still very jurassic. The farmers will harvest palay and dry them under the sun in the roadsides. That is too slow. The milling facilities of our rice millers are 30 years or 40 years old resulting in very limited milling capacity,” Gadon said.

Gadon noted that this was in stark contrast to the rice farming value chain in Cambodia, which he visited recently and where he saw firsthand the rice industry of the Philippines’s Southeast Asian neighbor.

“

The rice that we are importing from Vietnam is coming from Cambodia. They pass through Vietnam because Vietnam’s port has a shorter distance to the Philippines,” he said.

“In Cambodia, I saw the rice mills are very modern and the process is very fast. Once the palay finishes drying it is sent straight to milling. Everything is automated, even the packing of rice.” Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

tiles out of shrimp shells, mushroom waste and other biomaterials. TômTex, which means “shrimp textile” in Vietnamese, plans to increase its production capacity of biodegradable leather to 100,000 square feet this year. On its own, that’d be enough to make roughly 2,000 leather jackets, but for now TômTex is mostly producing fabric samples and working on custom designs for fashion clients. When British womenswear brand Di Petsa showed at London Fashion Week in February, TômTex’s shrimp-shell biomaterial was featured in a long dress that mimicked both traditional leather and fish scales.

Modern clothing has a significant environmental footprint: Polyester and nylon, two ubiquitous forms of plastic derived from oil, are the backbone of today’s textiles; they’re also prime sources of microplastic pollution. Globally, apparel makers emit more greenhouse gases than aviation and shipping combined, and the United Nations Environment Programme estimates that by 2050, the fashion industry could use up a quarter of the world’s carbon budget.

I n response to criticism from consumers and policymakers, a growing number of startups are de -

veloping materials that mimic the look, feel and durability of traditional textiles, without the negative impact of synthetics. MycoWorks and Bolt Threads, two startups based in Emeryville, California, are making leather-like fabric with mushroom roots. Los Angelesbased Mi Terro turns spoiled milk into t-shirts, while London-based Vollebak sells t-shirts woven from hemp and colored with algae. Even big retailers are interested: Swedish apparel maker H&M Group is bankrolling startups that develop textiles made from unconventional

sources such as wood residue. TômTex’s model aims to tackle two problems at once: finding biodegradable materials for garment manufacturers and upcycling mountains of marine waste. In 2021, global shrimp production surpassed 4.5 million tons, up about 50 percent from 2015. For any given catch, roughly half of the volume consists of shrimp shells, which are discarded as processing byproducts. While chitosan derived from discarded shrimp shells has long been deployed in wastewater treatment and food supplements, its use in textile production has been virtually nonexistent. Bloomberg News

WORKERS pack bottles of cold-pressed coconut oil in Quezon province in 2021. PHOTOGRAPHER: VEEJAY VILLAFRANCA/BLOOMBERG

‘G2G scheme will allow Marcos to cut rice prices to ₧20/kg’

The latest leather alternative is made from shrimp shells

G-20 meeting in India ends sans consensus on Ukraine war

By Aijaz Rahi & Ashok Sharma

The Associated Press

BENGALURU, India—A meeting of finance chiefs of the Group of 20 leading economies ended on Saturday without a consensus, with Russia and China objecting to the description of the war in Ukraine in a final document.

The meeting hosted by India issued the G-20 Chair’s summary and an outcome document stating that there was no agreement on the wording of the war in Ukraine. The first day of the meeting took place on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Group of Seven major industrial nations announced new sanctions against Russia on Friday, just as the talks of the G-20 group wrapped up in confusion in the Indian technology hub of Bengaluru.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen condemned the “illegal and unjustified war against Ukraine” at a session attended by Russian officials and reiterated calls for G-20 nations to do more to support Ukraine and hinder Moscow’s war effort.

At the last major G-20 meeting, in Bali, Indonesia, in November, leaders had strongly condemned the war, warning that the conflict was intensifying fragilities in the world’s economy. The group includes Russia and also countries like China and India that have significant trade with Moscow.

India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters that the communiqué prepared for the Bengaluru meeting carried two paragraphs from the Bali declaration, but Russia and China demanded they be deleted and said they could not be part of the final document this time.

Their contention was they had approved the Bali declaration under the then prevailing circumstances, she said. “Now they didn’t want it,” Sitharaman said. She didn’t give any other details.

The Bali declaration said that “most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed that it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy—constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability risks.”

The declaration also said: “There were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions. G-20 is not the forum to resolve security issues, we acknowledge that security issues can have significant consequences for the global economy.”

The second paragraph of the declaration, which is now unacceptable to Russia and China, said, “It is essential to uphold international law and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability. ... The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible. The peaceful resolution of conflicts, efforts to address crises, as well as diplomacy and dialogue, are vital. Today’s era must not be of war.”

Sitharaman said the meeting could not issue a communiqué because of the objections raised by Russia and China and decided to opt for a summary and an outcome document. Sharma reported from New Delhi

Macau eases mask policy; cites stable Covid-19 situation

By Alfred Liu

MACAU s

it’s easing its masking policy, citing a “stable” Covid-19 situation in the territory.

aid

Starting Monday, people won’t be required to wear masks while outdoors, according to a government statement. Masks are still required for visitors entering medical institutions and elderly homes or while riding public transport, excluding taxis, the government said Sunday.

Easing Covid concerns have led governments across many territories, including Taiwan and Singapore, to ease mask mandates as part of efforts to reopen their economies and attract tourists. During the pandemic, Macau’s economy had been hammered by outbreaks and lockdowns in China—its biggest source of visitors.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong may allow residents to stop wearing masks by the end of next month, lifting a mandate that’s been in place for almost three years, South China Morning Post reported Friday. The mandate, which began in July 2020 as Hong Kong battled Covid outbreak, could be lifted “towards the end of this season,” Financial Secretary Paul Chan said in an interview with Radio Television Hong Kong. He was referring to the end of March, SCMP said, citing an unidentified person. Bloomberg News

In this handout photo released by Indian Finance Ministry, Australia’s Treasurer Jim Chalmers, left, meets with Indian Finance Minister n rmala Sitharaman on the sidelines of G-20 financial conclave on the outskirts of Bengaluru, India on Saturday, February 25, 2023. Ind an F I nance M n I s try v I a a P

Ukraine: Zelenskyy seeks more sanctions as fighting grinds on

By John Leicester The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine—Fighting is

grinding on in Ukraine after the country marked the anniversary of Russia’s invasion, with Ukrainian authorities on Saturday reporting dozens of new Russian strikes and attacks on cities in the east and south.

After a somber and defiant day of commemorations on Friday and a marathon news conference, Ukraine’s seemingly indefatigable president followed up with new video posts a day later in which he declared that “Russia must lose in Ukraine” and argued that its forces can be defeated this year.

In a separate tweet, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also pushed for more sanctions pressure on Russia after the U.K., US and the European Union all announced new measures aimed at further choking off funding and support for Moscow.

“The pressure on Russian aggressor must increase,” Zelenskyy tweeted in English.

He said Ukraine wants to see “decisive steps” against Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom and the Russian nuclear industry as well as “more pressure on military and banking.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said this week that Rosatom and his Defense Ministry need to work on ensuring that Russia is ready to resume nuclear weapons tests if need be. He alleged that the US is working on nuclear weapons and that some in the US are pondering plans to carry out nuclear tests banned under the global test ban that took effect after the end of the Cold War.

“If the US conducts tests, we

will also do it,” Putin said.

Russia has already become the most sanctioned nation in the world over the past year, targeted with sanctions by more than 30 countries representing more than half of the world’s economy. But the squeeze on its economy, trade and firms has yet to deliver a knockout blow.

Russia’s ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, called the latest US sanctions “thoughtless.”

“We have learned to live under economic and political pressure,” Antonov said. “The experience of previous sanctions has shown that they harm the world market to a greater extent, worsen the situation of ordinary citizens in states that initiate or support reckless sanctions.”

The Feb. 24 anniversary of last year’s invasion brought no respite in Russian attacks.

Still, in one of his video posts on Saturday, Zelenskyy asked: “Is it possible for us to win?”

“Yes,” he said. “We are capable of this in unity, resolutely and unyieldingly, to put an end to Russian aggression this year.”

Ukraine’s military on Saturday reported 27 Russian airstrikes and 75 attacks from multiple rocket launchers in the most recent 24-hour spell. It said Russian offensive efforts continue to be concentrated in Ukraine’s industrial east and

northeast. Five wounded civilians were reported in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk province, where territory is roughly split between Russian and Ukrainian control.

Battles raged “around” and “nearby” Bakhmut, a city in the Donetsk region that has become the focus of the fighting in recent months, according to Ukraine’s Land Forces. The military said the Russian forces continued attempts to break through Ukrainian defenses, encircle and seize the city.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, owner of Russia’s private military company Wagner, claimed on Saturday that his fighters have “completely taken over” the village of Yahidne on the north outskirts of Bakhmut. There has been no confirmation of the claim from either the Russian military or the Ukrainian army.

In the southern Kherson region, Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin also reported 83 Russian shelling attacks, with the regional capital, also called Kherson, hit nine times, and residential buildings, a preschool and a medical institution struck. The head of Ukraine’s presidential office reported three civilian wounded

EU slaps new sanctions on top Russia officials, banks, trade

in the region.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday that he aims to discuss peace efforts related to the Ukraine war with China when he travels there in April. China has called for a cease-fire and peace talks. Zelenskyy on Friday gave qualified support for Beijing’s apparent interest in playing a role.

Macron said in Paris, “China must now help us to put pressure on Russia.”

“Obviously so that Russia never uses neither chemical nor nuclear weapons,” he said. “But also so that (Russia) stops this aggression as a condition for a negotiation.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Saturday that he welcomed parts of the peace plan for Ukraine proposed by China, but disagreed with other aspects.

“There are things that are remarkably right, such as the renewed condemnation of the use of nuclear weapons,” Scholz told reporters during an official visit to India. “What’s missing in my view is a discernible line that says: ‘Russian troops must also withdraw.’” Elise Morton in London, Sylvie Corbet in Paris, and Frank Jordans in Berlin,

to this report

BRUSSELS—The European Union agreed Saturday to impose new sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine targeting more officials and organizations accused of supporting the war, spreading propaganda or supplying drones, as well as restricting trade on products that could be used by the armed forces.

The EU’s Swedish presidency said the sanctions “are directed at military and political decision-makers, companies supporting or working within the Russian military industry, and commanders in the Wagner Group. Transactions with some of Russia’s largest banks are also prohibited.”

Asset freezes were slapped on three more Russian banks and seven Iranian “entities” companies, agencies, political parties or other organizations—that manufacture military drones, which the EU suspects have been used by Russia during the war.

The new measures, proposed by the EU’s executive branch three weeks ago, were only adopted after much internal wrangling over their exact make-up, and made public one day after the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—the intended target date.

The delay, which was minor but symbolically important, is yet more evidence of how difficult it has become for the 27-nation bloc to identify new targets for restrictive measures that are acceptable to all member nations.

The sanctions are meant to undermine Russia’s economy and drain funds for its war effort, but they are

also increasingly inflicting pain on European economies already hit by high inflation and energy prices and still suffering from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Before this latest round of measures, the EU had already targeted almost 1,400 Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, government ministers, lawmakers and oligarchs believed loyal to the Kremlin, but also officers believed responsible for war crimes or targeting civilian infrastructure.

The bloc had also frozen the assets of more than 170 organizations, ranging from political parties and paramilitary groups to banks, private companies and media outlets accused of spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Russia’s energy sector was hit, too—notably oil and coal—and the bloc, through its own measures and political decisions combined with retaliation from Moscow, was rapidly weaned off its dependence on Russian natural gas.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the new package in his nightly address on Saturday.

“Sanctions will continue to be introduced so that nothing remains of the potential of Russian aggression,” he said.

“There are new sanctions steps in the 10th package, powerful ones, against the defense industry and the financial sector of the terrorist state and against the propagandists who drowned Russian society in lies and are trying to spread their lies onto the whole world,” Zelenskyy said. AP

N. Korea food shortage worsens amid Covid, but no famine yet

By Hyung-Jin Kim

The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea—There’s

little doubt that North Korea’s chronic food shortages worsened due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and speculation about the country’s food insecurity has flared as its top leaders prepare to discuss the “very important and urgent task” of formulating a correct agricultural policy.

Unconfirmed reports say an unspecified number of North Koreans have been dying of hunger.

But experts say there is no sign of mass deaths or famine. They say the upcoming ruling Workers’ Party meeting is likely intended to shore up support for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as he pushes ahead with his nuclear weapons program in defiance of intense US-led pressure and sanctions.

“Kim Jong Un can’t advance his nuclear program stably if he fails to resolve the food problem fundamentally because public support would be shaken,” said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. “The meeting is being convened to solidify internal unity while pulling together ideas to address the food shortage.”

An enlarged plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party is slated for late February.

Its specific agenda is unknown, but the party’s powerful Politburo earlier said that a “a turning point is needed to dynamically promote radical change in agricultural development.”

The meeting will be the party’s first plenary session convened just to discuss agricultural issues, though they often are a key topic at broader conferences in North Korea. Raising grain output was one of 12 economic priorities the party adopted during a plenary meeting in December.

It is difficult to know the exact situation in the North, which kept its borders virtually closed during the pandemic. Food shortages and economic hardships have persisted since a famine killed an estimated hundreds of thousands of people in the mid-1990s.

In his first public speech after taking over from his father as leader in late 2011, Kim vowed that North Koreans would “never have to tighten their belts again.”

During the first several years of his rule, the economy achieved modest growth as Kim tolerated some market-oriented activities and increased exports of coal and other minerals to China, the North’s main ally and biggest trading partner. More recently, however, tougher international sanctions over Kim’s nuclear program, draconian pandemic-related restrictions and outright mismanagement have taken a

breviation for korean Central news agency.

severe economic toll.

South Korean estimates put North Korea’s grain production last year at about 4.5 million tons, a 3.8% decrease from a year earlier. Annual grain output has plateaued at about 4.4 million tons to 4.8 million tons in the past decade.

North Korea needs about 5.5 million tons of grain to feed its 25 million people, so it’s usually short about 1 million tons each year. About half of the gap is typically offset by unofficial grain purchases from China. The rest is an unresolved

shortfall, said Kwon Tae-jin, a senior economist at the private GS&J Institute in South Korea.

Kwon says curbs on cross-border trade due to the pandemic have likely hindered unofficial rice purchases from China. Efforts by North Korean authorities to tighten controls and restrict market activities have also worsened the situation, he said.

“I believe this year North Korea is facing its worst food situation since Kim Jong Un took power,” Kwon said.

at the South Korean Unification Ministry, said that an unknown number of North Koreans have died of hunger, but said the problem is not as serious as the mid-1990s famine, which stemmed from natural disasters, the loss of Soviet assistance and mismanagement.

The current food problem is more an issue of distribution than of an absolute shortage of grain since much of the grain harvested last year has not yet been eaten, ministry officials said. Food insecurity has worsened as authorities tightened controls over private grain sales in markets, instead trying to confine the grain trade to state-run facilities.

Severe steps taken by the Kim government to contain the pandemic provided effective tools for imposing a tighter grip on the kinds of market activity that earlier helped foster stronger economic growth but might eventually erode the government’s authoritarian rule, analysts say.

Kwon said current food shortages are unlikely to cause mass deaths because food is still available in markets, though at high prices. During the famine in the mid-1990s, grain was hard to come by, he said.

North Korea monitoring groups have reported increases in the prices of rice and corn—the two most important staples— though the price of corn has stabilized recently in some regions.

“If North Korea indeed sees people dying of hunger and faces a chaos, it won’t publicly say things like ‘a very important and urgent task’ for an agricul -

tural policy,” said Ahn Kyung-su, head of DPRKHEALTH.ORG, a website focusing on health issues in North Korea.

The North’s plenary meeting is “typical propaganda” meant to show Kim is working to improve living conditions and comes at a time when the leadership needs new fodder to burnish his image, on top of the nuclear program and assertions of a victory over the pandemic, Ahn said.

During the plenary meeting, Kwon said that leaders will likely pressure local farm officials to raise grain output without presenting any effective solutions for the food crisis. Targets will be set and officials may be punished for failing to meet them if food shortages worsen, Ahn said.

Yi Jisun, an analyst at the state-run Institute for National Security Strategy in Seoul, said in a report in January that North Korea recently imported large amounts of rice and flour from China, though it is unlikely to accept food assistance from the United States, South Korea and Japan.

While declaring that food problems must be improved at any cost, the staterun media in the North have continued to tout its longstanding policy of “self-reliance,” a strategy that shuns Western help.

“The assistance by imperialists is a trap for plundering and subjugation meant to wrest 100 things after giving one,” the North’s main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary Wednesday. “Building up the economy by receiving this ‘poisoned candy’ would be a mistake.”

Ukrainian military fires from a multiple rocket launcher at russian positions in the kharkiv area, Ukraine on Saturday, February 25, 2023. The Biden administration declared its Ukraine solidarity with fresh action as well as strong words on Friday, piling sweeping new sanctions on Moscow and approving a new $2 billion weapons package to re-arm kyiv a year after russia’s invasion. AP Photo/VA dim GhirdA

contributed

n this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, left, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, EU and Ukraine official pose for a photo during the EU-Ukraine summit in kyiv, Ukraine on February 2, 2023. War has been a catastrophe for Ukraine and a crisis for the globe. One year on, thousands of civilians are dead, and countless buildings have been destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of troops have been killed or wounded on each side. Ukr A in A n Presidenti A l Press o f fice V A A P

a

n this undated photo provided on July 23, 2020 by the north korean government, north korean leader kim Jong Un, center, visits a new chicken farm being built in Hwangju County, north korea. independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the north korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: “kCna” which is the ab

German leader seeks Indian support for Russia’s isolation

By Ashok Sharma And Frank Jordans The Associated Press

DELHI—German

Following his talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Scholz stressed that developing countries were being negatively impacted by energy and food shortages resulting from the war and hopes that India will help secure critical supplies to Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Modi maintained his cautious approach and said India wanted the conflict to be ended through dialogue and diplomacy. “India is ready to make its contribution to any peace initiative,” he added.

He has refrained from any overt criticism of Russia as Moscow is a major supplier of arms, oil and India’s other economic needs.

Scholz said that Russia’s war against Ukraine “violated the fundamental principle to what we all agree of not changing borders through the use of violence.”

While the two leaders took no questions from the media after their meeting, Scholz later told German reporters that he and Modi had discussed the war in Ukraine “very extensively and very intensely,” but declined to elaborate, citing the confidential nature of the talks.

Scholz, who arrived in the Indian capital on Saturday, also discussed with

Modi ways to boost economic cooperation, including through a free trade agreement between the European Union and India. Scholz made clear he favors a free trade deal and said he “personally will make sure that [the talks] do not drag on.”

The trip is Scholz’s first official visit to India, though it is his fourth meeting with Modi since taking office in 2021, underlining Germany’s interest in reaching out to Delhi.

“There is huge potential for intensified cooperation in sectors such as renewables, hydrogen, mobility, pharma and digital economy” with India, Scholz said in an interview published by The Times of India newspaper on Saturday.

After a videoconference with fellow leaders from the Group of Seven industrial powers on Friday, Scholz said before leaving Berlin that “internationally, we are endeavoring to make clear that Russia stands alone in the world with its aggression against Ukraine.”

Philipp Ackermann, the German ambassador to India, said he understands why India is buying large quantities of oil from Russia.

“That’s something that the Indian government decides and as you get it at a very, very low price, you know I can -

not blame the Indian government for buying it,” New Delhi Television cited Ackermann as saying.

Germany has been pushing to diversify its economic relations as it and other European countries try to avoid being dependent on China, a German official said on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to talk to reporters.

Modi said the business delegation accompanying Scholz was firming up agreements with India in digital technology, the telecommunication sector and diversification of supply chains.

Scholz reiterated that Germany welcomes skilled workers from India, especially in information technology and software industries.

“We want to benefit from the Indian talent employed in Germany in the industrial sector,” he said.

Speaking to reporters later Satur -

thai poll campaign intensifies with parties promising perks

By Pathom Sangwongwanich

THAILAND S m ajor political parties are ramping up their policy promises to cement a foothold in regional bastions ahead of a general election in May.

Campaigning in north Thailand’s Chiang Rai province on Saturday, the main opposition Pheu Thai Party vowed to triple farmers’ income during the first four years in office if elected. That will be achieved by introducing new farming technology, the head of the party’s policy committee Prommin Lertsuriyadej said.

The party will also seek to generate more tax revenue to finance development through income earned from trade, tourism and farming, while it plans to introduce a three-year debt moratorium for farmers and improve the so-called 30-baht universal healthcare program.

Meanwhile, the United Thai Nation party, of which Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha is a member, rallied in northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province. The premier touted the government’s infrastructure investment program as the largest in three decades and an investment for future generations. He pledged to create a fund to shore up crop prices in the northeast if voted into power.

day, Scholz said Germany could help India achieve its ambitious goals when it comes to expanding renewable power generation.

India is set to receive $10.5 billion in aid by 2030 to boost the use of clean energy under agreements the two sides signed in May last year.

Scholz’s delegation included several German business leaders, including the head of ThyssenKrupp, which is trying to sell further submarines to India.

Asked whether such a deal with India, which has been a major buyer of arms from Russia, could be struck, Scholz said he had “the impression that the quality of German technology enjoys great recognition and appreciated here.”

The two-day visit will also take Scholz to India’s information technology hub Bengaluru on Sunday. Frank Jordans reported from Berlin

Los Angeles area blanketed by snow in rare heavy storm

By John Antczak & Ken Kusmer

Associated Press

The

LOS ANGELES—A powerful winter storm that swept down the West Coast with flooding and frigid temperatures shifted its focus to southern California on Saturday, swelling rivers to dangerous levels and dropping snow in even low-lying areas around Los Angeles.

The National Weather Service said it was one of the strongest storms to ever hit southwest California and even as the volume of wind and rain dropped, it continued to have significant impact including snowfall down to elevations as low as 1,000 feet (305 meters). Hills around suburban Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles, were blanketed in white, and snow also surprised inland suburbs to the east.

Rare blizzard warnings for the mountains and widespread flood watches were ending late in the day as the storm tapered off in the region. Forecasters said there would be a one-day respite before the next storm arrives on Monday.

After days of fierce winds, toppled trees and downed wires, more than 120,000 California utility customers remained without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us. And Interstate 5, the West Coast’s major north-south highway, remained closed due to heavy snow and ice in Tejon Pass through the mountains north of Los Angeles.

Multiday precipitation totals as of Saturday morning included a staggering 81 inches (205 centimeters) of snow at the Mountain High resort in the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles and up to 64 inches (160 centimeters) farther east at Snow Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains.

Rainfall totals as of late Saturday morning were equally stunning, including nearly 15 inches (38.1 centimeters) at Los Angeles County’s Cogswell Dam and nearly 10.5 inches (26.6 cm) in the Woodland Hills section of Los Angeles.

“Quite a remarkable storm the last few days with historic amounts of precip and

snow down to elevations that rarely see snow,” the LA-area weather office wrote.

The Los Angeles River and other waterways that normally flow at a trickle or are dry most of the year were raging with runoff Saturday. The Los Angeles Fire Department used a helicopter to rescue four homeless people who were stranded in the river’s major flood control basin. Two were taken to a hospital with hypothermia, said spokesperson Brian Humphrey.

In the Valencia area of north Los Angeles County, the roiling Santa Clara River carried away three motorhomes early Saturday after carving into an embankment where an RV park is located. No one was hurt, KCALTV reported, but one resident described the scene as devastating.

The storm, fueled by low pressure rotating off the coast, did not depart quietly. Lightning strikes shut down LA County beaches and scattered bursts of snow, showers and thunderstorms persisted.

Derek Maiden, 57, who lives in a tent in LA’s Echo Park neighborhood, collected cans in the rain to take to a recycling center. He said this winter has been wetter than usual. “It’s miserable when you’re outside in the elements,” he said.

Meanwhile, people farther east were struggling to deal with the fallout from storms earlier this week.

More than 350,000 customers were without power in Michigan as of early Saturday afternoon, according to reports from the two main utilities in the state, DTE and Consumers Energy. Both said they hope to have the lights back on for most of their customers by Sunday night.

Brian Wheeler, a spokesman for Consumers Energy, said half an inch (1.27 centimeters) of ice weighed down some power lines—equivalent to the weight of a baby grand piano.

“People are not just angry but struggling,” said Em Perry, environmental justice director for Michigan United, a group that advocates for economic and racial justice.

“People are huddling under blankets for warmth.”

She said the group will demand that utilities reimburse residents for the cost to purchase generators or replace spoiled groceries.

In Kalamazoo, Michigan, Allison Rinker was using a borrowed generator to keep her 150-year-old house warm Saturday after two nights in the cold and dark.

“We were all surviving, but spirits were low on the second day,” she said. “As soon as the heat came back and we were able to have one or two lights running, it was like a complete flip in attitude.”

After driving to a relative’s home to store

food, Rinker, 27, compared the destruction of trees to tornado damage.

“The ice that was falling off the trees as it was melting was hitting our windshield so hard, I was afraid it was going to crack,” she said. “There’s just tree limbs everywhere, half of the trees just falling down. The destruction is insane.”

Back in California, the Weather Prediction Center of the National Weather Service forecast heavy snow over the Cascade Mountains and the Sierra Nevada through the weekend.

The low-pressure system was also expected to bring widespread rain and snow in southern Nevada by Saturday afternoon and across northwest Arizona Saturday night and Sunday morning, the National Weather Service office in Las Vegas said.

An avalanche warning was issued for the Sierra Nevada backcountry around Lake Tahoe, which straddles the California-Nevada border. Nearly 2 feet (61 cm) of new snow had fallen by Friday and up to another 5 feet (1.5 meters) was expected when another storm moves in with the potential for gale-force winds and high-intensity flurries Sunday, the weather service said.

In Arizona, the heaviest snow was expected late Saturday through midday Sunday, with up to a foot of new snow possible in Flagstaff, forecasters said.

Weekend snow also was forecast for parts of the upper Midwest to the Northeast, with pockets of freezing rain over some areas of the central Appalachians. The storm was expected to reach the central high Plains by Sunday evening.

At least three people have died in the coast-to-coast storms. A Michigan firefighter died Wednesday after coming into contact with a downed power line, while in Rochester, Minnesota, a pedestrian died after being hit by a city-operated snowplow. Authorities in Portland, Oregon, said a person died of hypothermia. Ken Kusmer reported from Indianapolis. Also contributing to this report were Associated Press journalists Julie Walker in New York; Claire Rush in Oregon; and Scott Sonner in Nevada along with AP journalists throughout the country

Prayuth is the top choice for prime minister among the three southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, according to a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration released Sunday. Of some 1,100 eligible voters surveyed, almost 20% said the incumbent prime minister is their preferred choice, while 18% support Wan Muhamad Noor Matha of the Prachachat Party and 17% back Paetongtarn Shinawatra of Pheu Thai.

The Thai premier has said he will dissolve parliament in March, paving the way for the election. He hasn’t given a specific date, but the general election is tentatively scheduled for May 7. If the premier dissolves the house as late as March 22—just one day before its term ends—the election can be held by May 21 at the latest. Bloomberg News

u.s.

And AsiAn PArtners discuss suPPly chAins in ‘chiP 4’ tAlks

By Youkyung Lee & Debby Wu

THE U S and three Asian partners with major semiconductor industries held a meeting among their officials earlier this month to discuss the global chip supply chain.

Officials from the so-called Chip 4 grouping of the US, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan held a video conference on February 16 to discuss an early warning system to ensure a steady chip supply, a Taiwanese official familiar with the talks said Sunday.

The parties held off on discussions concerning export controls and no company was involved in the meeting, the official said. Taiwan proposed for the four parties to exchange information on different parts of the supply chain as early as possible. Taiwan and South Korea are to focus on manufacturing, Japan on materials, and the US on its role as a major market, the official added.

Taiwan’s official Central News Agency and South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency also reported the talks took place, citing officials they did not identify by name.

The meeting comes as the Biden administration is seeking help from its global partners to impose sweeping curbs on the sale of advanced chips equipment to China in a policy aimed at preventing the country’s advance in a range of cutting-edge technologies that could threaten America’s status as the world’s preeminent power.

China, which is the top trading partner with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, has said the US effort showed its “selfish hegemonic interest.” The US has secured an agreement with the Netherlands and Japan to restrict exports of some advanced chipmaking machinery to China.  Bloomberg News

NEW

Chancellor Olaf Scholz sought assurances Saturday from India that it would support, or at least not block, Western efforts to isolate Russia for waging a devastating war against Ukraine.

Ind I an Prime Minister narendra Modi, right, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, wave to media before their meeting in new de lhi, India on Saturday, February 25, 2023. Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in the Indian capital on Saturday and he is expected to discuss with the Indian prime minister Russia’s war in Ukraine and steps to boost bilateral cooperation in sectors such as renewables, hydrogen, mobility, pharma and digital economy, officials said. AP Photo/M A

n ish s wA r u P

The US has secured an agreement with the netherlands and Japan to restrict exports of some advanced chipmaking machinery to China. Bloo MB erg P h oto

a veh I C le makes its way across Wilson avenue in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., as snow begins to blanket the area at approximately the 1,500-foot level on Saturday, February 25, 2023. w ll l e ster/ t h e o r A n ge co unty r e gister vi A AP

editorial

Healthy banks

IF there is one institution that every segment of society from billionaires to paupers can comfortably criticize, it is The Banks.

“I do not think you can trust bankers to control themselves. They are like heroin addicts.”—Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and partner of Warren Buffett.

However, the banking system was the first financial institution after humans gave up their reliance on hunting and gathering of foods in favor of agricultural practices around 14,000 years ago. This shift to cultivation created more economic stability and the financing of both farming and trade become vital. Merchants, which traded goods between cities, provided loans—or effectively “cash advances”—to the farmers and traders who needed bridge financing until they could sell their goods. This was the precursor of “letters of credit.”

While there are many ways to help measure the financial soundness of an economy and a country, the strength to weather adversity and continued economic prosperity can be found by examining the banking system.

As a company, a bank—and therefore the banking system—is different from any other type of business. Banks even require a completely different set of accounting rules and practices to understand if they are “healthy.” Ultimately that evaluation comes down to the capitalization of the bank and then its loan portfolio.

Bank capital is the difference between a bank’s assets and its liabilities, and it represents the net worth of the bank. Because banks serve an important role in the economy, the banking industry and the definition of bank capital are heavily regulated. While each country can have its own requirements, the most recent international banking regulatory accord of Basel III (an internationally agreed set of measures) provides a framework for defining regulatory bank capital.

There had been some concern that Philippine banks were too small. However, local banks met Basel III standards before most other nations.

“It is an axiom nowadays that no bank fails for lack of capital; unprofitable lending is always the underlying cause.”—James Grant, Grant’s Interest Rate Observer. “Banks get in trouble for one reason: They make bad loans.”—Carl Webb, Ford Financial Fund.

Local banks’ “non-performing loans as percent of all bank loans” has always been below global averages, as have all the Asean members. Even mass defaults as happened in 1997 did not cause a banking system failure here as in the West because local banks have always been very conservative and tight with their collateralization requirements.

Bad loans that can severely impact the banks usually are real estate mortgages, as evidenced by bad lending practices in 2008. Oxford Economics recently published their “Banking Sector Risk” assessment, using a composite index of 35 key macroeconomic and financial indicators. Oxford says that seven of 45 major economies have an 18 to 20 percent probability of suffering a housing crisis in the next three to five years. The historic risk average is only 2 percent.

The top five most vulnerable economies are Iceland, Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark. Emerging market banking systems are much less vulnerable to housing crises than those of advanced economies. Their households are less indebted and there was less property market boom and bust.

The “top five” of those with the lowest risk are Indonesia, Mexico, Philippines, Malaysia, and Japan. Healthy loans means healthy banks, and that’s good for everyone.

AI, ChatGPT and your job

RISING SUN

IN a recent workshop, I heard a graphic designer participant lament about how free-to-use graphic design tools have affected her income negatively. Clients are now opting to use free apps instead of hiring artists like her. The launching of ChatGPT is also fueling the same fear among knowledge workers, content creators, artists, and similar workers.

Incidents like what we are experiencing now with the dawn of AI and chatbots are not new. Looking at history, we have seen how technological changes and developments have always disrupted labor markets. When steam power and electricity were discovered up to the time of computers and the Internet, the same pattern has been observed as far as job disappearance is concerned. Some form of pain usually accompanies progress. People have been asking ques-

tions like, Will AI take over my job? Or, what career would be safe from the negative impacts of these technological changes? Will there be job losses because of ChatGPT (and other similar developments)? How can I protect my livelihood? These are all very valid questions, and very timely too considering the economic upheavals many countries are currently experiencing.  AI is here and it is rapidly improving, which means it is inevitable. We might as well learn to deal

AI is here and it is rapidly improving, which means it is inevitable. We might as well learn to deal with it and to thrive alongside it. Tech experts have advised workers to stay informed so they can stay ahead. Preparation is, indeed, crucial. Once we understand the potential of new technologies and the possible changes they could bring into our lives, we can plan better and position ourselves such that we can keep up.

with it and to thrive alongside it. Tech experts have advised workers to stay informed so they can stay ahead. Preparation is, indeed, crucial. Once we understand the potential of new technologies and the possible changes they could bring into our lives, we can plan better and position ourselves such that we can keep up.

While AI can accomplish remarkable tasks, it is far from perfect. It can generate false information or wrong

analogies, plagiarize content, and come up with shallow ideas or text that lack substance, among other limitations. And so it is true what they say that the machines will still need the input of humans and that it may take some time before AI can perform highly specialized tasks that only humans, at the moment, are capable of. Aside from this, the new technologies will most likely generate new types of jobs. I suppose what we should also guard against in the coming months would be over-reliance on apps like ChatGPT since it may be risky and even harmful to many if we are careless about the content it generates. Institutions and education agencies or bureaus must set policies and guidelines on the use of large language models in consideration of fairness and human skills development. We can’t rely on bots and lose important skills like writing, reading, analysis, and critical thinking. Presently, many of our students and workforce already have limited capabilities. Let us bridge the gaps rather than let the robots do the work for us.

Six decades of debt-driven economic governance: What is the scorecard?

LABOREM EXERCENS

Part One

THe Filipino millennials (born 1982-1994) and post-millennials (born 1995 upward) may not be aware that the Philippine government has been relying on borrowing as the main instrument in managing the economy since the 1960s. The economy has become a debt-driven one for around six long decades. This is equivalent to three generations.

The first major borrowing of the Philippines happened in 1962, when President Diosdado Macapagal applied for a $300 million stabilization loan from the International Monetary Fund. The IMF readily agreed. However, it imposed the following policy conditionalities: devaluation of the peso and lifting of the foreign exchange and import “controls.”

These “controls” were used by Central Bank Governor Miguel Cuaderno in promoting “new and necessary industries” under the overall “importsubstituting industrial” (ISI) policy. These ISI-oriented controls helped fuel double-digit industrial growth for the country in the 1950s up to the early 1960s.

In 1972, President Ferdinand E. Marcos launched a “revolution from the center” by declaring martial law

In the early 1980s, the national debt became unpayable due to the collapse of commodity prices for Philippine exports (e.g., minerals, sugar and coconut), oil price shock, banking crisis, political crisis triggered by the Ninoy Aquino murder, rising loan service payables, and yes, failure of the EOI program to deliver growth and jobs.

industrial (EOI) policy.

adjustment loans” (SALs), or loans aimed at strengthening the EOI program and making the economy more open or outward-looking. The SALs formally enthroned in economic governance the following neo-liberal “structural adjustment programs” (SAPs): trade/investment liberalization, deregulation of various sectors of the economy, and privatization of government corporations, assets and services.

with the promise of robust economic growth for all under an envisioned “new society.” To fulfil this grand ambition, the martial-law government forged a development alliance with the World Bank, which declared the Philippines as an “area of concentration.” Together with the IMF, the World Bank formed a “Consultative Group” of bilateral and multilateral lending agencies whose primary purpose was to provide “development finance” for the various infrastructure, institutional and other projects of the government such as the Green Revolution in rice production. The Consultative Group became the ally of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) in pushing for a shift in industrial policy, from ISI to labor-intensive export-oriented

The 1962 IMF stabilization loan was followed by a series of IMF loans, with the accompanying “Letters” of Intent detailing the commitments of the Philippines to IMF-favored policies such as new peso devaluation and belt-tightening in fiscal expenditures. There was a surge too in government borrowings from the World Bank-led Consultative Group of Creditor Countries for the Philippines. As a result, the country’s external debt rose from around $2 billion in 1972 to $20 billion in 1980.

In the early 1980s, the national debt became unpayable due to the collapse of commodity prices for Philippine exports (e.g., minerals, sugar and coconut), oil price shock, banking crisis, political crisis triggered by the Ninoy Aquino murder, rising loan service payables, and yes, failure of the EOI program to deliver growth and jobs. The IMF-WB tandem came to the rescue by offering new loans packaged as “structural

In the succeeding periods, from President Corazon Aquino to the Rodrigo Duterte administration, the accumulation of new debts continued. And so is the overall EOI-SAP economic program. There has been no contestation within the Executive branch on the appropriateness or relevance of the EOI-SAP program in place. The battle cries of Neda’s economists have remained dominant in the economic policy corridors: tear down the “protectionist” tariff walls, liberalize the entry of FDI, go export-oriented, deregulate all sectors, privatize government-owned and -controlled corporations, sell government assets, privatize the delivery of public services (e.g., power, water, etc.) and privatize infra development. To

Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II

Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

My investigation continues

Joel L. Tan-Torres

DEBIT CREDIT

Conclusion

IN the tax campaign kick-off event of the Bureau of Internal Revenue Revenue Region 7B east National Capital Region held last week, BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui mentioned that the BIR was pursuing with vigor the “Official Receipt for sale” racket. This matter was discovered by the National Bureau of Investigation and BIR inspectors who raided in December 2022 the office of Brenterprise International Incorporated (Brenterprise) at a condominium building in eastwood City. Brenterprise allegedly was printing and selling fake ORs to conniving taxpayers. These scheming business enterprises were then able to decrease their tax liabilities as they used these fake documents to pad their income tax expenses and value-added tax (VAT) input credits. These have resulted in tax collection losses amounting to billions of pesos, as per BIR estimate.

In the raid, the NBI confiscated several computers and documents containing information on these nefarious activities of Brenterprise. However, my investigation disclosed that the NBI is not fully sharing the information with the BIR, perhaps due to jurisdictional turf issues. The heads of these two agencies should agree on closer coordination and full information sharing between the BIR and NBI. The investigation of this irregularity should seamlessly proceed so that criminal cases against the perpetrators can be filed.

In the investigation, the main challenge of the BIR and NBI is being able to secure the evidence required to criminally prosecute the masterminds and taxpayers who skirted the provisions of the Tax Code. We are all aware of various instances in the past where the courts have dismissed criminal tax cases for the failure of government prosecutors to present evidence beyond reasonable doubt.

Thus, it is a must that the BIR and NBI exert all efforts and resources to investigate this case. The BIR may proceed in creating a task force of dedicated and competent staff, consisting of lawyers, certified public accountants (CPA), and information technology (IT) personnel to ferret out the nuances of this syndicate. A multi-disciplined approach can be pursued, with CPAs conducting forensic accounting and auditing of available records, BIR lawyers developing an ironclad criminal case from the onset of the initial investigation, and IT experts providing support on using big data analytics tools in uprooting evidence. This task force could also conduct an audit of the various companies of the owner of Brenterprise to get a comprehensive perspective of the business of the “OR for sale” mastermind. Apparently, this mastermind is engaged in various businesses, including esports, restaurants, technology, and manufacturing. This BIR task force should be under the close watch of the BIR Commissioner so that it can deliver results the soonest time possible. Commissioner Lumagui may also consider using a portion of his intelligence fund for this purpose.

The NBI and BIR can consider availing themselves of the benefits of the “Witness Protection” program to induce witnesses to provide vital information about the case. The witnesses that can be tapped include the officers and staff of Brenterprises, the taxpayers who were purchasing the fake ORs, and even the external auditors of these taxpayers. While some of these people can go scot-free or get reduced penalties for their involvement, the BIR and NBI should proceed full speed in investigating and prosecuting the many others who were involved in this crime. An example should be shown that the crime of faking ORs does not pay.

The BIR can retrieve the records of similar cases that it handled in the past. In my previous articles, I mentioned two of these cases, namely Tyco Information Solutions Inc. and Gammon Metal Products Inc. These two have been decided by the courts

Let the honoring games begin!

are known for being helpful, always ready to lend a helping hand at any given time and place.

Siegfred Bueno Mison, Esq.

THE PATRIOT

The word Samaritan, though historically referring to a person from Samaria, has evolved to mean a helpful person. In 1915, one Fireman Second Class from the United States Navy received the Medal of honor for “Samaritan” actions while on board the USS San Diego. When an explosion in the boiler room caused some sailors to be killed and injured, one brave man, Telesforo Trinidad, repeatedly went back to rescue those who were trapped in a burning ship, oblivious of the danger to his own life. So far, Trinidad is the first and by far the only sailor of Asian descent to receive the award in peacetime. Born in Aklan and moved to Cavite due to marriage, US Navy serviceman Trinidad exhibited the innate Filipino trait of being helpful.

(both the Court of Tax Appeals and Supreme Court) and would have detailed records. These records can provide information as to the pattern of this syndicate and the requirements for successfully prosecuting these present cases in court.

While the investigation of this syndicate is the priority, the BIR should also focus on addressing the systemic causes of the “OR for sale” racket. It is important that the necessary measures be instituted to correct the system’s deficiencies and prevent this crime’s occurrence moving forward. The BIR should look into such areas as developing a better cross-monitoring of purchases and sales (as done presently under the Reconciliation of Listings for Enforcement program), a more efficient way of tracking the registration and printing of receipts and other commercial documents, and the most effective way of implementing the e-invoicing system as required by law.

The involvement of erring BIR personnel in this OR for sale scam is possible, and hence an investigation should be conducted. This can ferret out these irregularities that may have arisen during the sale of the fake ORs and the regular investigation of the tax liabilities of taxpayers using these fabricated documents.

I have been informed that aside from the Brenterprise, there are other syndicates engaged in these similar activities operating throughout the country. The BIR Commissioner may want to order all his Regional and District officers to investigate occurrences of this “OR for sale” racket in their respective jurisdictions. My investigation also points out that aside from the use of fabricated documents to claim padded business expenses and VAT input credits, there are other anomalies being perpetuated. I heard that refund of excess VAT may have occurred already with the use of these fake ORs with the connivance of various persons. In this situation, taxpayers can claim excessive VAT input credits from purchases of equipment and supplies using fake receipts that they purchased. They in turn report the excess in their VAT returns. Subsequently, they will apply for the refund of said excess VAT from the BIR, most of which have arisen from fabricated documents.

It seems that this Brenterprise case is just the tip of the iceberg on these irregularities that have resulted in draining the coffers of government of billions of pesos of foregone tax collections or refunded amounts. For all our sake, this racket should be stopped the soonest time possible.

In May 2022, the US Navy officially announced that a multi-mission-capable naval destroyer with the most modern communications equipment will be named after this Filipino Samaritan. Ninety-eight members of the US Congress (6 from the Senate Armed Services Committee plus 16 House Armed Services Committee) together with 33 partner organizations, including the Philippine Nurses Association, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign War, among others, generated much support to have an obscure Filipino name etched in an American warship. The vessel’s keel laying is scheduled in 2025, christening will be in 2026, and commissioning will be in 2028. As part of the commissioning committee for USS Telesforo Trinidad, some Filipinos have gone out of their way to help raise Filipino awareness about this navy ship. Among these helpful Filipinos is Dan

Gruta, another Filipino sailor in the US Navy who coincidentally hails from Cavite with a navy pedigree. Dan, who graduated from the US Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1986 and served the Navy for more than 20 years, recently taught me that christening is accompanied with the smashing of a bottle against the bow of the ship whereas commissioning is when navy officials declare to the sailors: “Man our ship and bring her to life!” Retired US Navy Captain Dan Gruta considers this naming achievement more than just about Medal of Honor awardee Telesforo Trinidad, but also about every Filipino who has helped others along the way, without due regard for himself. This distinction, in turn, highlights how Filipinos all over the world are born with the helpful DNA in their system. Be it a caregiver, a domestic helper, a skilled engineer, a tireless nurse, or any other overseas worker, we

Many would likely agree that what sets Filipinos apart from other nationals is our inherent trait of being helpful to others ahead of ourselves. We lend a hand either individually or collectively, hence the coining of the term “Bayanihan.”

To borrow the words of Ms. Lalaine Siruno (United Nations University), “Bayanihan, the much-cherished Filipino spirit of solidarity, civic unity and cooperation, is not confined to the bayan (town or country). It transcends borders, hanggang sa ibang bayan (all the way to other towns or countries).” And Telesforo Trinidad demonstrated this Bayanihan chromosome aboard USS San Diego, more than a century ago.

I think Filipinos readily help others ahead of themselves because we value honor and have such a high regard for the safety, welfare, comfort or reputation of others. In most Filipino households, visitors are offered the best food and the most comfortable room in the house. During the height of the pandemic, hospitals witnessed how Filipino health workers heroically spent more than their usual hours of work to attend to those in need, Covid-related or otherwise. This Bayanihan DNA has been so evident that it should now be synonymous with our citizenship as Filipinos. And an equation might be in order: A Filipino is to a modern day Samaritan.

The Holy Scriptures, in Romans 12:9-21, commands us to “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” And what is this Christian sport that we are called to outdo each other in? It is the sport of HONOR-

ING one another above ourselves. The sport-turned-hobby of HELPING others ahead of ourselves requires no recognition, but we readily extend a helping hand because we see the value of the next person. When Telesforo Trinidad repeatedly rescued the trapped sailors, he did so not on account of any reward or possible promotion but simply because it was his natural inclination to help. The same can be said of those who sacrificed during the pandemic, and of every other Filipino who helped another human being in need. The unintended challenge we received from this honorable act of Telesforo Trinidad was his bequest for everyone, whether Filipino or American, to OUTDO one another in showing honor. Contrary to most competitions, this game is won by lifting others up, not ourselves. In this honoring game, victors are genuinely happy to see others being recognized on the winner’s podium. In the process of honoring others out of love, game participants also honor God.

As the Philippines celebrates the distinction of having a US naval destroyer ship named after our own, let me raise the flag for all of us and announce: Let the honoring games begin!

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

Special Military Operation: Outlining the Russian position

By Marat Pavlov Russian Ambassador to the Philippines

The past year since the beginning of the Special Military Operation has destroyed many illusions that all sides of the conflict had. According to the results of the year of the SMO, it can be stated that in fact Russia found itself in a state of war—not only with Ukraine (primarily as a regime, not a people, hence the demand for political denazification), but also with the “collective West,” that is, in fact, with the Nato bloc. As it was emphasized in the Address to the Federal Assembly by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, (February 21, 2023) “they were the ones who started this war, while we used force and are using it to stop the war.”

I would like to recall how it all started. In 2014 an anti-constitutional armed coup d’état orchestrated by the West took place in Kiev. Radical nationalists who did not hide their Russophobia and aggressive anti-Russian plans were brought to power. The bloody putsch was followed by political chaos, legal nihilism and rampant ultranationalism and Nazism in the country. Starting from 2014, people of Donbass fought, defended the right to live on their own land, speak its native language, fought and did not give up in the conditions of the blockade and constant shelling, undisguised hatred from the Kiev regime. Russia was doing everything in its power to solve this problem by peaceful means. In the meantime the promises of Western leaders, their assurances that they were striving for peace in Donbass turned out to be outright lies. Today they openly admit that the Minsk Agreements and the Normandy Format were just a diplomatic show and a bluff (the same can be said about NATO’s promise not to expand to the East). They were simply marking time, engaged in political chicanery, turning a blind eye to the Kiev regime’s political assassinations and reprisals against undesirable people, their mistreatment of Orthodox Christian believers. They increasingly incited the Ukrainian neo-Nazis to stage terrorist attacks in Donbass. The officers of nationalist battalions trained at Western academies and schools. Weapons were also supplied.

Prior to the special military operation, Kiev held negotiations with the West about the delivery of air-de-

fense systems, warplanes and other heavy equipment to Ukraine. We also recall the Kiev regime’s vain attempts to obtain nuclear weapons; they discussed this issue publicly.

The United States and Nato quickly deployed their army bases and secret biological laboratories near Russian borders. They mastered the future theater of war during war games, and they prepared the Kiev regime, which they controlled, and Ukraine, which they had enslaved, for a largescale war.

In December 2021, we officially submitted draft agreements on security guarantees to the USA and NATO. In essence, all key, fundamental points were rejected. Judging by the information Russia received, there was no doubt that everything would be in place by February 2022 for launching yet another bloody punitive operation in Donbass. The launch of the SMO was the only adequate response to that situation.

Russia proceeds from the fact that it is defending its home, its sovereignty, its right to exist while the West seeks unlimited power and is arming the Kiev regime. It has already spent over $150 billion on helping and arming the Kiev regime. To give you an idea, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the G-7 countries earmarked about $60 billion in 2020–2021 to help the world’s poorest countries. What about all this talk of fighting poverty, sustainable development and protection of the environment?

So the illusions have been dispelled. To force Russia to reconsider its positions and decisions on the ac-

cession of new territories as a result of legal referendums failed. Russian society has been consolidating in the face of a distinct, both military and ultraliberal-value threat, actively imposed by the West, aimed at the “strategic defeat” of Russia and undermining the spiritual and moral foundations of its existence.

The hopes of the West for the effectiveness of the avalanche of sanctions against Russia and its almost complete cutting off from that part of the world economy, politics, diplomacy, which is controlled by the United States and its allies, have been dashed. The Russian economy persevered. Some predicted that it would shrink by 20 to 25 percent. However, in 2022, the GDP declined by 2.1 percent, according to the latest data.  The share of the Russian ruble in our international settlements has doubled as compared to December 2021, reaching one third of the total, and including the currencies of the friendly countries, it exceeds half of all transactions.

After a year of war in Ukraine, it is quite obvious that Russia cannot lose in it. This is an existential challenge for us: to be or not to be as a country, a state, a people. This is not about acquiring disputed territories or balancing security. Russia cannot lose, because crossing this red line brings us back to the subject of the nuclear Apocalypse.

In this regard I would also like to comment the suspension of the Russian membership in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) announced by President Vladimir Putin in his Address.

We see that the anti-Russian consolidation of the Western powers is gradually acquiring a nuclear dimension. Nato positions itself as a “nuclear alliance” and continues to develop so-called “joint nuclear missions.” They openly come out with a unified position regarding nuclear issues as it was clearly demonstrated by the US allies in Nato with regard to START. The combined capabilities (particularly of the US, UK and France) of nuclear weapon States to pose threats to Russia should be taken into account during consideration of the Treaty’s future and the

conservation of the strategic stability and on the international security.

With regard to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, the Russian Side would like to highlight that it is a part of the Treaty, and it was among its initiators, having ratified the document as early as in 2000. Moreover, Russia has been adhering to the self-imposed nuclear test moratorium starting 1991. Contrary to Russia, the US has not ratified the CTBT until now, and shows no intention to do so. It is the main country, whose approach has become an obstacle for the CTBT to enter into force.

I would like to emphasize that Russia is not withdrawing from the CTBT, neither it is resuming its nuclear weapons test activities. But if the US makes a decision in favor of conducting a nuclear arms test, it will not remain unanswered. It also should be taken into account that the longer the range of the Western systems that will be supplied to Ukraine, the further we will have to move the threat away from our borders.

We are also witnessing the growing tension in the Asia-Pacific region and Nato attempts to transfer blocktype mentality to Asian soil. But I believe that the Ukrainian crisis can teach us all a lot in terms of maintaining sovereignty. Russia, having consolidated its sovereignty over several decades, has been firm in its determination to build a multipolar world. The situation with the conflict in Ukraine only confirmed that there can be no alternative to such a world order. We see the presence of a wide range of friendly like-minded countries, including China, India, the countries of the Middle East, Latin America and Africa, Asean who share our desire for an equal, mutually respectful and mutually beneficial dialogue as opposed to the “rulesbased order” promoted by the West, invented and dictated exclusively by Washington and its henchmen.

I sincerely hope that outlining the Russian position in this article will help Philippine readers bewildered by western influential mass media to take a more objective look at the current global situation.

Joel L. Tan-Torres was the former Dean of the University of the Philippines Virata School of Business. Previously, he was the Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy, and partner of Reyes Tacandong & Co. and the SyCip Gorres and Velayo & Co. He is a Certified Public

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Amid sagging yield, banana sector eyes research center

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

T he Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) said establishment of the country’s proposed state-of-the-art Banana Research and Development Center has not progressed after years of back-and-forth discussions with the government.

PBGEA Executive Director Stephen A. Antig said the industry remains hopeful that President Marcos Jr.’s campaign promise of the muchneeded research facility would come true under his administration.

There is still no progress. We are keeping our fingers crossed that it will be passed by Congress. There are bills filed [at the House of the

Representatives]. Even in the Senate there is a bill filed by Sen. Imee Marcos,” Antig told the BusinessMirror in a recent interview.

A ntig said they hope other lawmakers would show support to the banana industry, which has been grappling with various challenges, just as Albay Rep. Joey Salceda did late last year.

Salceda, the vice chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, said the banana industry is facing a “life-or-death” situation and urged the administration to implement necessary interventions to keep one of the country’s prized agricultural exports surviving. (Re-

lated story: https:// businessmirror .com.ph/2022/10/24/ life-or-death-for-bananas-timeto-press-japan-for-zero-tariffsmarcos-urged/)

We hope other lawmakers will be able to do that, to see the importance of the banana industry,” Antig said.

T he PBGEA has been lobbying for the construction of a research facility that would oversee the production of high-yielding and even resistant varieties to Panama disease that has been the bane of the industry in recent years . (Related story: https://businessmirror com.ph/2022/10/23/race-forsurvival/)

P BGEA estimates that about 15,000 hectares to 36,000 hectares of the total 88,000 hectares planted with bananas nationwide are infested with Panama disease.

A ntig warned that the banana industry would be in a more dire state in five years time if they will not be able to identify a Panama disease-resistant variety in the absence of a research facility.

I n the 19th Congress, four bills filed at the House of Representatives seek to establish a research institute or a council to oversee

ROBIN APPEALS TO HOUSE: GIVE PRIORITY TO CHA-CHA

the development of the banana industry. Two of the bills seek to establish a Banana Industry or Export Development Council while one wants to create the National Research Development and Extension Center for bananas.

A t the Senate, only Sen. Imee Marcos filed a related bill that wants to establish a Banana Export Development Council.

Nonetheless, all bills seek to appropriate the necessary funds for the development of the banana industry.

Even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had filed a bill establishing the Philippine National Banana Research Center in Panabo City, Davao Del Norte, during his stint as a senator in the 16th Congress.

T he BusinessMirror earlier reported that the Philippines’s banana exports extended its sagging trend as total volume last year plunged to a six-year low of 2.273 million metric tons (MMT), with producers grappling with production woes from high input costs to the spread of Fusarium wilt. (Related story: https:// businessmirror .com.ph/2023/02/23/ phl-bananas-still-sagging-onhigh-costs-pests/)

SAYING it is badly needed to boost the economy, Sen. Robin Padilla is seeking to persuade anew House of Representatives leaders to frontload enabling legislation for amending the Constitution’s “restrictive” economic features via Congress, through the Senate and the House of Representatives convening as a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass).

I n a radio interview over the weekend, he confirmed readiness to reach out anew to their House counterparts to prioritize amending the Constitution’s economic provisions through a constituent assembly.

Padilla noted, however, that the preference of the House to amend the Constitution “through a constitutional convention may take years, while needing billions of pesos in funding.”

“Ako po ay nagpakumbaba na po at nagpunta sa Kongreso, nagmano na po ako sa magigiting at mahal na mambabatas sa Kamara. At ako ay nakiusap na rin sa kanila, nagpaliwanag sa kanila, at kung kailangan ulitin ko po yan ay gagawin ko po ‘yan [I have humbled myself and gone to the Lower House and paid them my due respects. I have discussed this with them. And

if need be, I will do it again],” he related on radio.

P adilla, chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, affirmed his preference to amend the Charter through a constitutional convention, but added: “Time is short to amend the Charter’s economic provisions, aside from the cost of a constitutional convention, which may cost some P11 billion.”

T he senator stressed the preferred constituent assembly is “the most practical way to amend the economic provisions of the Charter, so the proposed changes can be brought to the public via a plebiscite timed with the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan election in October.” P adilla stressed, “we need to move fast. If the economic amendments are approved in October, they can take effect immediately and Congress can pass new measures to open our economy to investments.”

If we were not having a difficult time economically, I would have preferred a Con-con. But now that we are living on borrowings, we must prioritize the economic provisions,” he added in Tagalog. Butch Fernandez

PBBM supporters told: Voting him not enough, help him face crises

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

LAWYER Larry Gadon has called on supporters of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to sustain what they began and keep supporting the administration’s initiatives in addressing the country’s problems.

A ddressing the BBM National Leader’s Convention last Saturday, Gadon said people who helped Marcos win by landslide, should also sustain such support.

To supporters of BBM, it is not enough that we elected him as President, we must help the Marcos administration to be successful; his success as our leader also means success of countrymen,” said Gadon.

A ccording to Gadon, the country is facing huge problems, citing a P14-trillion national debt; the highest power rates in Asia and one of the highest in the world; and lack of infrastructure for water catchment systems and for energy generation.

But this debt pile was only inherited by the Marcos administration, according to Gadon. He was apparently referring to the spike in the national debt as the preceding Duterte administration borrowed heavily to fund its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The problems facing the nation are so huge, this is the time that we are going to focus our effort in helping President Marcos in achieving the success of this administration because he can’t do it alone, we need to help him,” the lawyer added.

“ These are very difficult problems so we need strong cooperation from our countrymen while President Marcos is doing everything to solve our problems,” he said.

Gadon, meanwhile, slammed obstructionists who always opposed the President.

“ These obstructionists, despite the 31 million that the President has garnered [during last presidential election], are still trying to overthrow our government by spreading wrong information, programs and narratives. But those who object

are only a...minority,” he added.

Marcos received 31,629,783 votes during the May 2022 elections.

T he President vowed to repay the “trust and the confidence” of over 31 million Filipinos who voted for him.

Currently, the Marcos administration is implementing the Agenda for Prosperity to address the country’s problems. This agenda has as its core mission the country’s economic transformation towards inclusivity and sustainability.

T he House of Representatives has already adopted the Marcos administration’s Medium-Term Fiscal Framework and 8-Point Socio-Economic Agenda, which comprise the roadmap for the Agenda for Prosperity.

T he economic objectives outlined in the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) are as follows: growth of 6.5 to 7.5 percent in real gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022 and 6.5 to 8.0 percent real GDP growth annually between 2023 and 2028; a 9 percent or single-digit poverty rate by 2028; a 3-percent National Government (NG) deficit-to-GDP ratio by 2028; less than 60 percent NG debt-to-

GDP ratio by 2025; and the attainment of upper-middle-income status for the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda under the MTFF comprises the following focus areas: (1) food security, (2) improved transportation, (3) affordable and clean energy, (4) health care, (5) social services, (6) education, (7) bureaucratic efficiency, and (8) sound fiscal management.

T he overall goal of the Marcos administration’s  MTFF is to reinvigorate job creation and poverty reduction by steering the economy back to its high-growth path in the near term and sustain the  high—but inclusive and resilient —growth all through 2028.

T he medium-term growth targets and the assumptions regarding key macroeconomic variables underpin the mediumterm fiscal plan.

T he framework also seeks to recognize the importance of a fiscal consolidation and resource mobilization plan, to include measures such as rightsizing of government structures and personnel, and encouraging localized investment and growth programs.

BANANA growers and exporters are pinning their hopes on the Congress to fast-track the passage of a law creating a research center that would address some of the industry’s production woes such as curbing the spread of Panama disease.

LAWYER Larry Gadon addresses the BBM National Leaders’ Convention at Clark, Pampanga on Saturday. NONOY LACZA

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

B1

Monday, February 27, 2023

First Gen: Tokyo Gas wants green hydrogen to power PHL

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

“That’s the beauty that eventually, as that technology becomes viable, it can even be used to repower your natural gas plants. i n f act, today, many of the nat gasfired plants we’re putting in are capable of firing on blended with hydrogen, if it were available today,” said l o pez.

“Tokyo Gas is doing a lot of studies on hydrogen, e-methane they call it. i think they want to bring that technology here as well,” said First Gen Chairman and CEO Federico l opez. Tokyo Gas reportedly plans to build a large-scale synthetic methane (e-methane) supply chain and

expand to offshore wind power, hydrogen and other renewable energy (RE) businesses. it has reportedly started testing a new process that uses CO2 and green hydrogen to make methane, which can be mixed in to supplement natural gas.

This technology, in which hydrogen can run on combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants, is something that First Gen is most interested to explore.

“They are capable of that so it is something that CCGTs can eventually be run on hydrogen if it is commercially available. That’s part of our perspective, that’s why we think CCGT plans are probably the best

complement for this transition,” said l opez.

FGEn lnG Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Gen, and BW lnG (BW lnG), a leading developer, owner and operator of floating gas infrastructure, expects to complete the construction of the lnG project anytime soon.

dubbed BW Batangas it provide lnG storage and regasification services to First Gen’s existing and planned gas-fired power plants and other third-party terminal users.

“We are still targeting to finish the terminal by March and the FSRu [floating storage regasification unit] vessel to be coming in towards around June or July this year,” said l opez.

Maynilad allots P4B for NRW program

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

Maynilad Water Servic-

es inc. said it will repair 36,000 pipe leaks and replace 180 kilometers of old pipes in its concession areas to reduce water losses by 162 million liters per day (Mld) this year.

according to Maynilad, such volume recovery—equivalent to filling up 73 Olympic-size swimming pools daily—is enough to supply the water needs of some 162,000 people.

Old pipes in parts of Caloocan,

Quezon City, Valenzuela City, Malabon, Manila, Parañaque, l a s Piñas, Muntinlupa, and i mus and Kawit in Cavite province will be replaced.

“These network upgrades are necessary so we can continue to reduce water losses and increase water pressure in the distribution system, thus increasing available supply for distribution to our customers,” Maynilad

COO Randolph T. Estrellado said in a statement.

This year, Maynilad allotted

P4 billion for its n o n-Revenue Water ( n RW) management pro-

gram, which aims to curb physical and commercial water losses.

The program involves pipe and meter replacements, active leakage control using state-of-the-art leak detection technology, d i strict Metered a reas establishment and maintenance, and sustained network diagnostic activities.

Since its re-privatization in 2007, Maynilad has repaired 458,000 pipe leaks and replaced 3,083 kilometers of old pipelines, enabling it to renew 66 percent of the pipe network it inherited from the government.

Maynilad is the largest private wa-

ter concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. it is the concessionaire of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System for the West Zone of the Greater Manila a rea, which is composed of the cities of Manila (certain portions), Quezon City (certain portions), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, l as Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, navotas and Malabon all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and imus, and the towns of Kawit, noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province.

Alternergy bags 3 WESCs DICT chief highlights digitalization efforts, e-governance at Microsoft: Asenso Pilipinas

THE department of Energy has awarded three wind energy service contracts (WESCs) to a lternergy Holdings Corp., bringing to four its total number of offshore wind contracts. its wind arm, Pililla aV PC Corp. (PaCO), has been granted exclusive rights to explore, develop and utilize wind resource in the wind-swept Tablas Strait, separating Oriental Mindoro and a ntique. The Tablas Strait Offshore Wind Power Project covers about 120,000 hectares.

“The Tablas Strait Offshore Wind Power Projects awarded to PaCO were subjected to rigid technical, legal and financial review by the dOE since July 2022,’’ Knud Hedeager, CEO of PaCO and a director of a lternergy.

He noted that the identified key locations for the offshore wind projects are already getting crowded with the number of WESC’s already issued.

“Our Tablas Strait Offshore Wind Power Projects are located in one of the zones identified by a World Bank Study that is most suited to offshore wind development. We look forward to proceeding with the pre-development activities, particularly technical studies and resource assessment.”

PaCO was issued an offshore WESC over the Calavite Passage last year.

a lternergy is co-developing these offshore wind power projects with Shell Overseas i n vestment B.V. (Shell) as its strategic partner. Shell will bring in its global track record, supply chain access, and technical expertise in developing large-scale bottom-fixed and floating offshore wind projects. Lenie Lectura

Va R iOuS government leaders and industry experts gathered at the Microsoft public sector cloud summit, a senso Pilipinas, last February 16, 2023, to discuss and exchange knowledge on initiatives in empowering digitalization and boosting socio-economic growth in the country.

i n his keynote address, Secretary iv an u y shared the challenges

facing the public and the private sector in adopting new technologies, and government efforts to address these.

uy emphasized the importance of e-governance in accelerating connectivity and achieving data harmonization and interoperability that would ensure effective data and knowledge sharing among government agencies.

Last week

Share prices fell for the fifth straight week, with the main index sliding to the 6,600 pointlevel, as monetary tightening pushed investors to sell their holdings.

The Philippine Stock exchange index fell by 93.12 points to close the four-day trading week at 6,685.90. The government announced on Thursday evening that Friday was a public holiday for the commemoration of the edsa People Power revolution.

2Tradeasia said the past few trading sessions have been characterized by softer turnover intraday, averaging just below P5 billion as against P10 billion during the so-called “roaring period” between December 2022 and January 2023.

“Predicting fund flows is half complex data analysis and half guesswork, but relatively anemic flows could be a frequent theme in the coming weeks, as equity yields are being pressured by macro picture’s moving parts,” the broker said.

all other sub-indices ended in the red, led by the broader a l Shares index that was down 49.49 points to close at 3,572.20 points, the Financials index was lower by 21.54 to 1,797.26, the Industrial index retreated 158.18 to 9,634.78, the holding Firms index fell 33.38 to 6,452, the Property index declined 73.28 to 2,885.76, the Services index decreased 30.63 to 1,672.50 and the Mining and Oil index shed 185.89 to 11,041.42

this week

BargaIn hunting may happen this week as the main index has already lost more than 5 percent during the five straight weeks of decline.

Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco, senior research analyst at Philstocks Financials Inc., said the market may see episodes of bargain hunting but it is not expected to post a strong rally amid weighing monetary policy concerns and lack of a strong catalyst.

“The hawkish outlook of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Federal reserve are still expected to cloud sentiment. next week, investors may also look towards the upcoming S&P g obal Philippines Manufacturing PMI as well as full year corporate reports for clues.”

Broker 2Tradeasia said a rate cut assumption is out of the picture for the next several months given the leading indicators, with the local central bank having to contend with both demand-pull inflation and cost-push inflation.

“Fortunately, most corporates have anticipated a no-rate-cut assumption in 2023 and core earnings for the first half of the year are looking very solid in sectors we are watching such as banking, energy and gaming,” the broker said. about a third of the index will report earnings in the coming week. earnings calls should remind markets that while external factors partly shape fundamentals, ultimately, corporate leadership, strategy and product or service quality relative to competition is what drives value.”

Tantiangco said that the local market was unable to regain its position above its 50-day exponential moving average (eMa) last week, giving a bearish signal. The market’s support is seen at 6,600 while its immediate resistance is seen at the 50-day eMa followed by the 6,800 level, he said.

stock picks

MayBank Securities has picked robinsons retail holdings Inc. (rrhI), mostly for its supermarket business. It expects the company’s net income growth to grow by 19 percent this year, underpinned by the recovery of its discretionary formats to pre-pandemic levels.

“We are confident rrhI will have a stable earnings growth trajectory, supported by its ability to deliver its store expansion target, strong brand equity and quality balance sheet.” rrhI shares closed last Thursday at P56.20 apiece.

With the pandemic risks largely over, supermarket retailers are now back in expansion mode with rrhI targeting to open 30 new supermarkets this year, from last year’s 38 new stores.

SM retail’s alfamart is targeting 200-250 new stores for the year; while pure-play supermarket retailer Puregold Price Club Inc. maintains its expansion target of 25 new Puregold stores and four S&r warehouses, two of which were carried over from the previous year.

“For 2023 onwards, retailers’ aggressive store expansion strategies post-pandemic capitalizes on this projected upcycle and we expect expansions to still be skewed towards essentials-based formats given the country’s predominantly low- to middle-income customer base.”

Puregold shares closed last week at P31.50, while SM retail’s parent SM Investments Corp. was last traded at P900 apiece. VG Cabuag

PSE to host activity for IPO-ready firms

THE Philippine Stock Exchange inc. (PSE) will hold the inaugural PSE l earn iPO Strategies and Tactics (liST) Masterclass on Thursday.

The event is exclusive to companies under PSE’s listing Engagement and a ssistance Program that are considered eligible and are prepared to conduct an initial public offering (iPO).

The PSE liST will cover topics, such as iPO registration process and procedures, due diligence and compliance requirements, among others.

Resource speakers include PSE issuer regulation division head Marigel B. Garcia, Securities and Exchange Commission director Vicente Graciano P. Felizmenio Jr. and Fund Managers a ssociation of the Philippines board of senior adviser Frederico Rafael d Ocampo.

a s part of the department’s initiatives in establishing a digitalized Philippines, undersecretary for eGovernance david a l mirol introduced the eGov Super app. The app is poised to be the Philippines’ first one-stop platform for local and national government services that will streamline processes and transactions to bring ease of doing business to all Filipinos.

Cebu l a ndmasters inc.’s President and CEO Jose R. Soberano iii will share experiences on preparing for an iPO, transitioning the company from privately-owned to publicly-listed and the responsibilities post-iPO.

“PSE liST was designed for companies that may start the paper work on their listing applications anytime. We want the officers of these companies to be better equipped during the iPO application process by getting pertinent information directly from the regulators,” PSE President

and CEO Ramon S. Monzon said.

The PSE l i S T will be conducted in small groups throughout the year and will be a continuing initiative for companies that are under PSE l E a P PSE lE a P is the bourse’s marketing program focused on assisting interested and potential iPO listing applicants. The program provides handholding guidance to clients via one-on-one advisory sessions, access to online pre-listing assessment tools, and assistance in connecting potential clients to seasoned iPO advisors. The services offered under lE a P are free of charge.

Currently, over 40 companies are registered with PSE lE a P

For the year, the bourse said it will continue to host activities aimed at raising awareness about iPO listing such as the Corporate Connect and Road to iPO programs. The Corporate Connect activity is co-organized in partnership with select financial advisors and business organizations to drive awareness and create interest in tapping the equities market for capital raising.

Meanwhile, the Road to i P O is a roundtable discussion featuring prominent executives from publicly-listed companies and stakeholders in the listing process to give potential listing applicants a preview of what to expect when preparing to go public. VG Cabuag

First Gen Corp.’s partner in its liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, tokyo Gas Co. Ltd., is keen on introducing green hydrogen in the Philippines.

BIR chief cites private sector role in financial reporting, tax rules gab

BUREAU of Internal Revenue Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. met with external stakeholders from associations of accountants and other representatives of accounting firms recently to discuss the proposed revenue issuances pertaining to the reconciliation of tax laws/regulations and accounting standards.

The meeting, which centered on proposed Revenue Memorandum Circulars in relation to Philippine Financial Reporting Standards (PFRS), was a two-day activity to discuss the proposed revenue issuances relating specifically to Lease (Lessee), Interest Expense, Foreign Currency Transaction, and Retirement Benefit.

“We give importance to these activities as it is from these that we understand how best we can be of help to you, because ultimately this will only redound to the benefit of our country—payment of taxes will be made easier and faster with these kinds of activity,” said Lumagui, speaking partly in Filipino.

Associations of accountants present at the meeting were Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA); Government Association of Certified Public Accountants (GACPA); and Tax Management Association of the Philippines (TMAP). Representatives from accounting firms, namely, JL2T Consulting; CRC-ACE Review School; and Punongbayan & Araullo were also present.

The BIR chief encouraged all attendees to share their experience and expertise on the issues saying such will contribute to a holistic discussion. He explained that taxpayers, accountants, accounting firms, and associations representing these groups are BIR partners in nation-building.

“The main thrust of our administration now is excellent taxpayer service and I believe that we can only achieve this through this consistent dialogue and communication with all the stakeholders,” said the Commissioner.

Recently, the BIR established and created the PFRS Project Management Team to oversee and identify the gaps between tax laws/regulation/reporting and the PFRS, and correspondingly recommend measures by drafting revenue issuances to address the identified gaps for standard implementation.

BIR meets Finex

IN a separate development, Lumagui attended the 2nd General Membership Meeting of Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex), delving on the recalibration of the BIR from a collection goal-driven agency to a service-oriented one.

Addressing Finex members on Feb-

HOR eyes 1-strike policy vs laggard BIR, BOC collectors

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

for our collectors to perform at the highest level,” Romualdez said.

“Taxes are the lifeblood of government in the implementation of propoor programs designed to alleviate poverty and reduce inequality. It is of vital importance in the government’s effort to provide access to better education, healthcare, and social protection programs,” he added.

ruary 22, the BIR chief said:

“We should give attention to you because ultimately you are the ones BIR serves and that is why our focus is really on the taxpayers. We are thinking of ways to reach out to the taxpayers and educate them,” said the commissioner, appointed barely three months ago. BIR welcomes and values all comments, suggestions, and opinions from the public, he said, adding that he also believes a well-informed taxpayer boosts voluntary compliance in tax obligations.

The commissioner highlighted four areas of concern the BIR will focus on:

Excellent Taxpayer Service; Intensification of Enforcement Activities; Transparency and Integrity; and Digitalization and Automation of Processes. He said the BIR’s approach will now be centered on taxpayers by expanding the ISO certification of all its offices to cover other services and further streamline all processes.

Lumagui described Finex as the seedbed for international leadership and a platform of national advocacy for financial issues. He said Finex can be one of the BIR’s valued partner in its mandate of collecting taxes through just enforcement of tax laws for nationbuilding and uplifting the lives of the Filipinos.

The bureau according to Commissioner Lumagui expects a full collaboration with Finex by working handin-hand with the BIR on the four areas of concern that the BIR plans to recalibrate. “In effect you are helping the government attain sustainable economic growth and development,” he added. “The collection goal of the BIR should be treated as the goal of Finex and every Filipino, for it will ultimately redound to infrastructures that will uplift Filipino lives.”

The Commissioner ended his message with the BIR’s 2023 battle cry, “Tulong-Tulong sa Pagbangon, Kapit-Kamay sa Pag-ahon. Buwis na wasto, Alay para sa Pilipino.”

Labor groups pitch inflation busters: tax relief, wage hikes

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

ALABOR group has called on the government to provide tax relief to workers amid the protracted high cost of living.

In a statement, Partido Manggagawa (PM) Chairman Renato Magtubo urged the government to scrap the “regressive” taxation like value-added tax (VAT).

It pointed out that the lost revenue from VAT can be replaced by their proposed “wealth tax on oligarchs and billionaires.”

The labor group also reiterated its call for a P100 across-the-board wage hike, social security subsidies for informal workers, and discounts on basic commodities.

“These will protect and improve the wages and incomes of workers in the formal and informal economy,” Magtubo said. He noted that based on their computation, as much as P88 has been eroded from the “real” value of minimum wage rate for the nonagriculture sector in Metro Manila due to high inflation.

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said earlier that wage hikes at this point

may serve to further fuel inflation, thus becoming counterproductive for workers struggling to balance tight budgets.

Energy reforms

THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said a big contributor to inflation are the high electricity rates.

TUCP Vice President Luis Corral slammed Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)) and the Department of Energy (DOE) for their failure in addressing the high power rates.

“It’s about time they wake up and actively do their respective jobs. Enough with their excuses already,” Corral said.

TUCP is pushing for the reduction of the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) for utilities from 15 percent to just 7 to 8 percent, replacement of the Performance-Based Ratemaking (PBR) with the Return on Rate Base (RORB) tariff-fixing methodology, and reforms for system loss, to bring down power rates. Both PM and TUCP called on lawmakers to support their respective proposals to allow workers to cope with rising costs of basic goods and services.

In a statement, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said this would help ensure additional funds for targeted subsidies, hospitalization, education, job creation, and other social protection programs for the most vulnerable sectors of society.

“I will recommend to President Marcos a one-strike policy against collectors who will miss their target revenues,” Romualdez said.

“The one strike policy is a key step towards achieving our revenue goals. We need additional funds for subsidies, hospitalization, education, job creation,” he added.

He said the inability of concerned collectors to meet their revenue goals has been compromising the government’s budget for agriculture, health, education, infrastructure, and other priorities.

To remedy the situation, he suggested that collectors who fail to meet their revenue targets should be removed from their position and replaced by competent individuals to ensure efficiency in the administration of tax collection.

“Let us help the government meet its revenue targets. I hope our call will send a clear message

Perspectives

The Data Imperative

TODAY’S hyper-connected technology, communication, and media-obsessed culture generate tremendous quantities of data.

Why is this massive volume of data important? Data is the enterprises’ gateway to understanding customers and catering to them in a world where customization is the rule, not the exception. What’s more, insights from data can help these firms develop new go-to-market strategies, discover new revenue streams and capture market share from competitors. The technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector is at the forefront of data creation and therefore has access to a wealth of it. Yet, availability does not equal realized opportunities. Most TMT firms are not yet taking full advantage of the opportunities from data as only 29 percent have adopted a comprehensive data strategy at scale. At the same time, more than 70 percent of TMT companies believe it is likely that effective and widespread data usage will radically change the business model.

In the Philippines, survival was a top concern for many businesses during the pandemic and accelerating digital transformation activities became necessary to maintain operations to adapt to a vastly changed world. Adopting technology and digital platforms also meant that businesses now have access to large and rich data assets that their technology investments are producing.

KPMG in the Philippines Technology Consulting Head and Head of Technology, Media & Telecommunications Sector Jallain Marcel S. Manrique shared that “effective data use can create opportunities for organizations to streamline processes, develop new products and solutions, and enhance stakeholders’ experience. Data is a competitive advantage in a hyperconnected world.”

What this article shows is that TMT companies are underutilizing their data resources. At the same time, they correlate a potential for outsized financial returns by lever-

Also, Romualdez vowed that the House of Representatives will exercise its oversight function to monitor the performance of departments and agencies in carrying out policies and programs under their respective mandates.

The prudent exercise by Congress of of its oversight power “would further promote transparency and accountability under the Marcos administration,” Romualdez said.

“We will monitor and evaluate the performance of government agencies. The House of Representatives is committed to working with the government to ensure stable finances for the sustained and efficient implementation of various important projects,” Romualdez said.

Specifically, Romualdez said Congress will scrutinize how government agencies are utilizing the

resources entrusted to them for implementating programs. “It is important to improve the absorptive capacity of all government agencies in the implementation of vital programs,” he said.

In 2005, the Congress enacted Republic Act 9335 to improve the revenue collection performance of the BIR and BOC through the creation of a rewards and incentives fund and of a Revenue Performance Evaluation Board or the Lateral Attrition Act of 2005.

In the previous Congress, Sultan Kudarat Rep. Horacio Suansing has also filed a resolution to look into the implementation of the Lateral Attrition Act.

Suansing said the law was passed to optimize the revenue generation capability and the collection of the BIR and the BOC by providing for a system of rewards and sanctions through the creation of a Rewards and Incentives Fund and a Revenue Performance Evaluation Board.

The Lateral Attrition Act lays down a reasonable yardstick for removal of officials and employees only when the revenue collection falls short of the target by at least 7.5 percent, with due consideration of all relevant factors affecting the level of collection.

have time to think through the treasure trove of data they were creating for themselves. Underscoring this trend is that more than 80 percent of global TMT companies believe they are underutilizing their data volume for competitive advantage due to more pressing business issues related to the pandemic.

Not all companies are created equal: Maturity outlook for data usage

aging data across all value chain activities. To close this gap, TMT companies plan to significantly accelerate data access, management, and analytical activities and functions in the next two years. This puts these activities on a par with the focus of most other digital transformational programs.

Companies must prioritize data

DURING the monumental changes of the last two years, few industries have embraced and enabled digital transformation and service delivery more than those of the TMT sector. Many of the transitions to online remote work and education can be credited to TMT. For example, in April 2020, Microsoft Teams reported a new daily record of 2.7 billion meeting minutes in one day, a 200 percent increase from 900 million on March 16.

Microsoft and many other TMT companies have seen two years’ worth of digital transformation consolidated into a few months. Yet, data often was not factored as part of the digital transformation equation. When asked about data usage over the next 12 to 24 months, 46 percent of TMT enterprises agree strongly that the pandemic derailed progress in data usage by shifting the urgent focus to cloud deployment, the critical underpinning of digital transformation. Moreover, when asked about data usage over the next 12 to 24 months, 73 percent of respondents agreed that as organizations rushed to survive and thrive, most did not

More than 40 percent of companies reported being optimized or world-class across key capability categories such as data security, governance, compliance and master data management.

Importantly, approximately 25 percent of companies consider their organizations to have world-class data architecture and development for data security. Given the critical role that data plays in cybersecurity, companies should not be satisfied with being less than world-class.

Reconsider data investments to become (and remain)

competitive DESPITE the underutilization of data and the dearth of strategy around it, TMT executives feel that data investment is on the right track. More than half of companies think their current spending on data is significantly (12 percent) or moderately (43 percent) above longterm requirements. For 39 percent, spending is about right, and for 6 percent, it is too low.

Given that data efforts and initiatives are still behind digital transformation, the issue may not be that companies aren’t spending enough on data initiatives, but that they don’t have the right focus on investment priorities and governance on data imperatives.

The bottom line: TMT companies must start treating data strategy as a foundational enterprise capability

In taking the steps to effective data usage in TMT, we identify five high-impact initiatives.

n Treat data like an asset and its use as a competitive differentiator: TMT companies are still in the early stages of transformative data

use, but they are moving quickly to change this mindset. As the fog from the pandemic lifts, hybrid and workfrom-home workforces are balancing out, and organizations have the perspective to step back and look at their data strategy through a more holistic lens. Recognizing data strategy as a foundational enterprise capability for success is driving this shift.

n Target at least 10 percent of overall revenue from the monetization of data through new products and services.

n Rethink the steps to achieve a cloud-based data architecture leveraging hyper scalers globally: This is the path to supercharge data access and accessibility across the ecosystem.

n Use data in addition to process and others as the foundation of a connected enterprise within TMT: Expanding connectedness beyond the four walls of a TMT enterprise to encompass a larger ecosystem will only be accomplished through the effective use of customer, operational, compliance, and security data.

n Drive transformation through the use of data with a focus on customer centricity: Democratize the data—data sources both for today and the future focusing on both breadth and depth.

The excerpt was taken from the KPMG Thought Leadership publication: https://kpmg.com/xx/ en/home/insights/2021/10/rewrite-your-datastrategy-to-capitalize-on-digital-investments.ht ml#msdynttrid=wkDq2Jt9qebYo1AAkCeUwp4J0 LbwMeaaLVfXaC_3zlo

© 2023 R.G. Manabat & Co., a Philippine partnership and a member-firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member-firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee. All rights reserved.

For more information, you may reach out to Technology Consulting Head and Head of Technology, Media & Telecommunications Sector Jallain Marcel S. Manrique through ph-kpmgmla@kpmg. com, social media or visit www.home.kpmg/ph. This article is for general information purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice to a specific issue or entity. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent KPMG International or KPMG in the Philippines.

THE leadership of the House of Representatives is recommending to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the enforcement of a onestrike policy against collectors of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) who fail to meet their target revenues.

Lumagui

manrique

AppreciAting Jimmy cArter, outspoken but ‘never irrelevAnt’

By Walter Mears AP Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON—Ever the outsider, Jimmy Carter served a turbulent term in the White House. His presidency was beset by soaring interest and inflation rates, gasoline pump lines and the Iran hostage crisis that eventually led to his re-election defeat.

But he rose to even greater heights with his post-presidential career, devoting another four decades to working as an international envoy of peacemaking and democracy.

James Earl Carter Jr., a peanut farmer who became the 39th president of the United States, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Trounced by Ronald Reagan in the 1980 election, Carter was, at 56, a politician with only a past and “a potentially empty life” ahead. Then, in 1982, he organized the Carter Center in Atlanta.

It kept him traveling, negotiating, leading election observation teams and speaking out, often to the discomfort or even resentment of the government he’d once led. Carter’s Nobel citation honored “his decades of untiring effort” to resolve conflicts, promote democracy and foster economic development.

The man who conceded that some considered him “a failed president” made himself the most

active and internationally engaged of ex-presidents. “My role as a former president is probably superior to that of other presidents,” he said in a 2010 television interview.

When he ran for president as a one-term former Georgia governor, Carter was so improbable a candidate that he said his mother asked him, “President of what?”

To answer that and his allbut-invisible name recognition rating, he started campaigning early. Carter covered some 50,000 campaign miles, his garment bag draped over his shoulder.

He won the Democratic nomination and challenged President Gerald Ford, Nixon's appointed vice president.

Ford had pardoned Nixon for any Watergate crimes. In the aftermath of Watergate, Carter was the antiRichard Nixon figure. “I will never lie to you,” he told voters. But Carter was elected by only 2 percentage points.

The newly elected president and

wife Rosalynn shunned the limousine and walked from the Capitol to the White House after his inauguration and tried to drop some of the pomp surrounding the presidency. But his solo style and unintended snubs left him short of political allies when he'd need their help.

For all that, Carter's term left landmarks, such as the IsraelEgypt peace accord he engineered in personal negotiations at Camp David in 1978.

He won the beginnings of an energy conservation policy. He gained ratification of the treaties that yielded US control of the Panama Canal. He opened full diplomatic relations with China. The departments of energy and education were created. But his administration struggled and Carter shook up his Cabinet amid “a crisis of confidence.”

And then things got worse.

On November 4, 1979, Iranian demonstrators invaded the US Em-

bassy in Tehran, incited by their ayatollah to retaliate for the exiled former shah’s admission into the United States for medical treatment.

Fifty-two Americans were held hostage for more than a year. Carter tried to negotiate, and when that didn't work, he ordered the military rescue attempt that failed disastrously in the desert in April 1980.

Eight Americans were killed in the attempt. It was Carter's bleakest hour.

The hostage crisis shadowed and essentially crippled Carter’s re-election campaign. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him in the Democratic primaries.

After that, it was all uphill against Reagan. Carter carried only six states to Reagan’s 44.

Minutes after Reagan was inaugurated on January 20, 1981, the hostages were freed after 444 days in captivity. Carter’s first major act as an ex-president was as Reagan’s

special envoy to welcome the freed hostages in Wiesbaden, Germany, the next day.

Jimmy Carter, the only president inaugurated by nickname, was born in tiny Plains, Georgia, where he arranged to be buried. The father for whom he was named was in the peanut business, with a farm and warehouse. His father, brother, Billy, and two sisters all died of pancreatic cancer.

Carter graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1946, the year he married Rosalynn Smith, also of Plains. They had three sons and a daughter, Amy, the youngest child, who went with them to the White House.

Carter spent nearly seven years in the Navy’s nuclear submarine force, resigning to take over the family business after his father died in 1953. His first political stop was in the Georgia State Senate. A Democratic moderate with a New South image, Carter was elected governor of Georgia in 1970, succeeding segregationist Lester Maddox and gaining his first national note when he declared in his inauguration address “the time for racial discrimination is over.

After he lost his presidential re-election bid, a shaken Carter retreated to Plains, to “an altogether new, unwanted” chapter in his life. He began the Carter Center which, he said later, offered "superior opportunities to do good." He and Rosalynn also worked with Habitat for Humanity, building housing for the poor in the United States and abroad.

Carter was a tireless peacemak-

er who bypassed usual diplomatic channels and, as he said in 1994, went “where others are not treading”— places such as Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had been imprisoned after wandering across the border in 2010. He helped oversee democratic elections in Nicaragua and Haiti, and the first Palestinian elections. Altogether, he participated in 39 of the center’s 100 election observation trips.

Carter said his center “filled vacuums in the world. When the United States won’t deal with troubled areas, we go there.”

And not always quietly.

He went to Cuba in 2002, met with Fidel Castro, then delivered a televised speech calling for an end to the US trade embargo. He likened Israeli policy toward the Palestinians to apartheid. He denounced the Iraq war as "based upon lies." He said George W. Bush was the worst president in history in foreign affairs.

That prompted a Bush White House spokesman to describe Carter as “irrelevant.”

He could be meddlesome, a freelance diplomat who irked more than one administration.

But never irrelevant.

Walter Mears was an Associated Press special correspondent who won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the 1976 presidential campaign. Prior to his death in 2022, Mears wrote this retrospective article in appreciation of Carter, who entered hospice care on February 18.

Associ At ed Press special correspondent Walter R. Mears, right, talks with presidential candidate Jimmy carter in concord, N.H., before the New Hampshire primary election in 1976. As the former Us president starts hospice care in February 2023 at his home in Plains, Ga., many people are considering his impact. one man who knew him well was Mears, an AP special correspondent whose coverage of the 1976 presidential campaign won a Pulitzer Prize. Before Mears died in 2022, he wrote about carter’s life as an international envoy of peacemaking and democracy. AP/File

PR e sideN t Jimmy carter waves from the roof of his car along the parade route through Bardstown, Ky., July 31, 1979. AP/Bo B DAu gherty, File

R M eR President Jimmy carter, right, wife Rosalynn, center, and mother-in-law Allie smith walk through Plains, Ga., January 23, 1981, back home from their office. AP/WAy ne Perkins, File

Style

From day to night, from work to play

designed to make everyone’s life better. It is simple, high-quality, everyday clothing with a practical sense of beauty—ingenious in detail, thought through with life’s needs in mind, and always evolving.”

The charming Matteo, rumored to soon to be a GMA artist, said: “Outfits play a big role in helping us look and feel good, and make our days better. That’s why we like dressing up in our casual style! With Uniqlo Philippines, we get to move in comfort and style, and with functionality through their wide range of items. Appreciate the beauty of art and everyday LifeWear with the #Uniqlo2023SpringSummer collection.” n

PROVING yet again that the Philippines is one of its important markets, Uniqlo recently offered a comprehensive preview of its LifeWear Spring/Summer 2023 collection at WhiteSpace in Makati City.

The leading specialty retailer in Japan continues to entice Filipinos with its corporate commitment “to changing clothes, changing conventional wisdom and changing the world” starting with LifeWear, which is “apparel that comes from the Japanese values of simplicity, quality and longevity. [It is] clothing that is constantly being innovated, bringing more warmth, more lightness, better design, and better comfort to people’s lives.”

Artistic Director Christophe Lemaire and his Uniqlo R&D team in Paris launched the Uniqlo U 2023 Spring/Summer collection on February 17 with the theme “A Sense of Ease,” offering a modern yet timeless modular wardrobe focused on clothes that make life easier.

A personal favorite is the brand’s collaborative collection with the Parisian style icon Ines de la Fressange, which is heavily influenced by her frequent visits to India. To be launched on March 10, it deftly melds French elegance and vitality with India’s natural hues of sky blue, subtle pinks and energetic red. It has cotton linen blend jackets, sheer cotton shirts with playful Madras checks and floral prints and a wide range of shirts, dresses and pants in colorful variations.

The highlight of the preview, however, was daily style dictum of athlete/actor Matteo Guidicelli and his wife, multimedia superstar Sarah Geronimo. They were both clad in Uniqlo’s latest casual must-haves.

“Dressing comfortably is important to Sarah and I, especially with our busy lifestyles. It gives us confidence and helps us give our best at work. You know me, AIRism is one of my all-time LifeWear favorites from Uniqlo Philippines, and pairing this casual outfit with the Utility Jacket gave it a really stylish and functional upgrade,” Guidicelli gushed on his Instagram.

An indispensable part of LifeWear, AIRism has adapted to the whims of consumers. Items traditionally categorized for men have new deodorant functionality installed, while those usually catered to women has a silk blend for a highly fashionable tank top.

Matteo has been part of Uniqlo’s journey in the Philippines for a long time, as it values quality craftsmanship, innovative designs and life’s needs.

“The craftsmanship of Uniqlo is perfect. The

quality, craftsmanship and versatility of Uniqlo is very, very nice. We can wear it from day to night and from work to play. I actually have the original version of the jacket. But now that it has more pockets, Sarah puts a lot of things inside them. So when we go on travels, there’s no more need for more bags. You just need to put your things inside the jacket pockets,” Matteo tells host Nicole Anderson, who was also happily in an all-Uniqlo ensemble.

Matteo was wearing pieces from the Uniform Blue category, pieces that are highly practical and functional. How important is having workwear that marries function, style and comfort for your daily life, he was asked.

“I think it’s very important. A lot of people will agree with us that if we dress up, we want to feel comfortable. We don’t want to put something that feels stiff that we can’t move,” the former racecar driver shared. “We can do chores, we can do our errands—and even party at night in the same outfit.

was a white sleeveless outfit: “It might be a very, very beautiful dress but believe it or not, you can go hiking with that dress. It has UV Protection, You won’t get sunburn.”

Introduced in 2004, Uniqlo UV Protection continues to pursue both functionality and fashion of the UV protection wear, technically using two technologies (UV reflection and absorption), depending on the characteristics of the fabric, to create a material that blocks 90 percent of UV rays.

“Sarah and I love to go on road trips and travel abroad. We just came back from a trip to the US and all our outfits were Uniqlo. I’m very, very excited for this collection because the colors are so vibrant and I’m so excited to wear them throughout the year,” enthused Matteo.

As its core philosophy states, “LifeWear is clothing

INdULgE IN HIMALAYAN rENEwAL

ChArCoAl s famously known as a detoxifying superfood and skin-care ingredient because of its absorption qualities. This means that when you apply it to your skin, the charcoal attracts any excess oil, dirt and impurities on your skin, leaving your skin feeling cleansed and purified when you wash the charcoal away.

The Body Shop’s himalayan Charcoal line is made from bamboo which is the fastest-growing woody plant in the world, making it an environmentally-friendly resource. What it does to your skin?

n rE-TEXTUrIZINg With regular use, it works by gently exfoliating the top outer skin, leaving skin feeling smother and softer.

n CLArIFYINg helps to refine pores over time, leaving the complexion looking clarified, and improving skin’s luminosity.

n OrgANIC ACIdS. Derived from hibiscus flowers and famous for their skin-exfoliating powers, these acids lead to a smoother-looking skin surface and a brighter looking complexion. it is sourced from charcoal powder from the himalayan foothills of india, known to have purifying properties, brilliant for oily skin. it also has hibiscus flower extract that contains organic acids, known to have exfoliating properties. it also has salicylic acid known to penetrate into the pores of the skin to help remove dead skin that has built up on the surface, and alpine willow herb known to help soothe the skin and control sebum production.

The Body Shop’s himalayan Charcoal line is available at the brand’s physical stores and on www.thebodyshop. com.ph.

The difference between dandruff and dermatitis, what you can do about them

other hand, is characterized by a scalp that often looks red or has red spots. This manifests as large, oily and yellowish scales on the scalp.

The dermatologists I saw all said the flare-ups were usually caused by stressed and the dyes in the hair color I used. When you have atopic dermatitis, you don’t always have dandruff and itching. That happens when you have flare-ups. So what else, aside from stress, can trigger these flare-ups? The triggers can include heavy fragrances, cigarette smoke, heat styling, even sweat.

DURING the pandemic, many people suffered from excessive hair loss and/or dandruff. These subjects used to be taboo but today, people are more open about struggling with these conditions.

In the past, there was some shame in talking about hair loss and dandruff, with the latter having an ick factor (note: dandruff is not contagious). But things have changed. There is no shame in going through these conditions. They’re normal and so many people have them. In fact, I cannot count the times that I was asked by strangers on the internet what to do when they have excessive hair loss and/or scalp problems. I always say the first step is to see a board-certified dermatologist. For this column, I will talk about the one condition that has hounded me for over a year, and that is dandruff. It took a while before a dermatologist assessed my scalp condition as atopic dermatitis, a chronic form of dermatitis that can appear on the scalp but also affects other parts of the body such as the ears, eyebrows, and the forehead. The condition is itchy, uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing. So how do you know the difference between dandruff and atopic dermatitis?

Dandruff appears as white flakes of dead skin in your hair or on your shoulder. It is caused by cold and dry weather, and some hair products  such as shampoo and conditioner. Atopic dermatitis, on the

If you have severe flare-ups, a doctor may prescribe a steroid, such as hyydrocortisone 1 percent cream, a more potent cream or ointment, bandages and wet wraps phototherapy (ultraviolet light treatment to reduce inflammation), oral corticosteroids and, sometimes, antibiotics to prevent skin from becoming infected when you scratch, and antihistamines to reduce severe itching.

As for shampoos, look for those with salicylic acid, coal tar, selenium sulfide, and zinc pyrithione. One of the best I have used is Neutrogena T/Sal Shampoo, which has salicylic acid. This isn’t available locally except on e-commerce platforms.

So if your dandruff is severe, you may want to have it checked because this may be an entirely different condition with dandruff only as a symptom.

Now that I fully understand my scalp’s condition, I decided to go to Svenson which is known as a hair loss authority. They have in-house trichologists, specialists who focus on trichology—the study of diseases or problems related to the hair and scalp, as well as treatments for these conditions. In the past, I had an impression that Svenson was a place to get wigs and products for hair loss. But it’s a complete hair and scalp center, and they have treatments and machines that will make things better for you.

More than anyone, I understand how a hair or scalp condition can be so debilitating physically and

mentally to the point that you no longer want to leave the house. The trichologist who examined me confirmed what dermatologists had told me: Atopic dermatitis is an immune-driven disease which cannot be completely cured but can be managed.

So she prescribed the scalp corrective therapy, which has antiseptic and astringent properties and is a good pre-treatment for all hair and scalp conditions.

The scalp corrective solution unclogs the scalp of deep-seated dirt, oil and debris, penetrating deeper than any shampoo. The Mariatti Scalp Massager brings out dirt and oil buildup on the scalp, followed

by an iontophoresis device. Then, corrective solutions are applied on the scalp using an airbrush tool.

I was sent home with a shampoo (Svenson Bio Corrective Shampoo) and two Bio Stim Tonics (one for day and another for night).

After only one treatment, my scalp feels so much better. Again, it is not a cure because there is none, but the treatment made my scalp feel nourished and, for the first time in months, not dry.

The treatments and products at Svenson are not inexpensive but a scalp analysis by the a trichologist is free. If you’re very bothered by scalp problems, I suggest you go in for an analysis at least.

The Body Shop’s pick of products for clarified and refined looking skin: himalayan Charcoal Purifying Clay Wash, himalayan Charcoal Skin

Have a Healthy Summer with MyPharma Essentials

SMHCC partners with Airspeed to provide end-to-end logistics solutions to guests

SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC) launches ParcelExcellence™ in partnership with Airspeed, a subsidiary of SM Investments Corp. that provides endto-end logistics solutions and express courier services.

Available in all SMHCC hotel properties as well as SMX Convention Centers, ParcelExcellence™ aims to be a total service and logistics solutions as part of its roster of services. Business or professional travelers alike, including executives who may have packages that need to be sent ahead or additional items that may be required at the last minute for an event or function, will certainly benefit from this service while staying at partner hotels. In the convention centers, clients and patrons can take advantage of hassle-free cargo services from booth systems to equipment, as well as seamless logistics island to island.

A contract signing ceremony was recently held to seal the partnership between SMHCC and Airspeed. In attendance were: SMHCC President Elizabeth T. Sy, SMHCC Executive Vice President Peggy E. Angeles, and Airspeed Chairwoman Rosemarie Rafael.

“Airspeed is truly grateful for the

GO Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said that with looming competition as a result of the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), it now becomes more urgent for big agricultural companies to integrate into their value chain the MSMEs (micro, small and medium sized enterprises) in their sector. “This is what we are trying to push with Kapatid Angat Lahat sa Agri Program (KALAP),” he said. “KALAP aims to integrate small agripreneurs into the value chain of big companies in order for them to benefit from shared technologies and access to markets and mentoring.”

Concepcion shared that in a recently concluded meeting with some of the country’s biggest agricultural companies, it became clear that MSMEs will need the assistance of “big brother” companies in order to raise productivity and become competitive.

On the other hand, he said that the RCEP can be a good thing as it might spur meaningful changes in the country’s agriculture industry. “I have always adhered to competitiveness in price and quality in how I run RFM. When

trust that was given to us by SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. As part of the SM Group, we embody the same mission of Making It Happen for our stakeholders.

The Airspeed Team vows to support SMHCC in this project to continuously offer customer-centric logistics solutions for their guests,” Rafael said.

“SMHCC never ceases to find ways to add value to our guests. ParcelExcellence™ is a concrete manifestation of the company’s thrust towards continued innovation and anticipation of our guests’ needs. Our

confidence in Airspeed assures us that this new service will not only work but may also be a benchmark for other properties in the future,” added Angeles. ParcelExcellence™ services include: delivery of excess baggage/ items/ mails/ parcels (local and international), pasalubong purchase for business travelers who do not have time to shop, and emergency travel and tours bookings. ParcelExcellence™ may be availed in all SM hotel properties and SMX Convention Centers nationwide.

SUMMER has begun and it is time to make sure that you are in top form for your outings with family and friends. No one wants to miss out on having fun under the sun because of sickness, so your best defense is to make sure that you are at the peak of health during vacation time.

One way to have a healthy glow all summer long is to protect your health with the regular check-ups and by having your healthcare essentials on hand. MyPharma makes it easier to have a healthy summer with your supplements and generic and branded medicine needs ready for delivery to your doorstep.

There’s no need to go out and line up for your health-care products as it is so convenient to order securely from the MyPharma online pharmacy that offers free delivery for orders P1,500 and above. It is backed by the reliability of the DyGen Pharma Distribution Corp., which ensures that all products are safe, authentic, and properly handled and stored.

Among the items in its online shop categories are vitamins, health supplements, over-the-counter medications and treatments, and even a special section for Mom and Baby.

There’s also a skincare line that will help you achieve that summer glow-up just in time for those beach days. Of course, when you head out on a trip, it is also wise to have a first aid kit on-hand with OTC medicines and handy emergency supplies in your carry-on luggage. All these items are available at the MyPharma store. Enjoy seamless and straightforward service, with items packed securely and delivered on time from the MyPharma website at www.mypharma.ph and to find out more about its latest products and promos, visit the official MyPharmaPH Facebook and Instagram sites.

we compete in the marketplace in price branding and innovation, this benefits the consumers and this is what marketplaces are supposed to be,” he said. Concepcion is the President and CEO of RFM Corp., one of the country’s largest food manufacturers.

“With RCEP, what we want to see is that, hopefully, consumers can buy food at the lowest possible prices, but at the same time we have to protect micro farmers,” he said “We support RCEP, but the overall objective is for Philippine products to become competitive in price and in quality.”

The RCEP is expected to have a significant impact on ASEAN member states, as it will further integrate their economies with those of the other RCEP members. With the RCEP, ASEAN countries will gain greater access to the markets of China, Japan, and South Korea, which are some of the world's largest economies. This will provide new opportunities for ASEAN businesses to expand their reach and increase their competitiveness.

But while it is seen as a significant leap forward in the economic integration of the member-countries, Filipino farmers have

expressed fears that they may not be able to compete with their peers in the RCEP.

“In my past meetings with the big brother companies in agriculture, it was revealed that much needs to be done to raise the productivity and quality of our agricultural products,” Concepcion said. Some of the areas that need improvement in productivity cover key agricultural crops like Concepcion added, however, that it has also been shown, especially in the experience of Lionheart Farms in Palawan and Universal Leaf in Ilocos, that small farmers can be successfully integrated into the value chain of big corporations and benefit from their technology and their processes to help make them more productive. “Things like weather forecasting and soil analysis; some of the big brother agri companies have been using these for years and it would benefit small farmers if they can access these same technologies,” he said.

Local government support is also seen as an important factor in KALAP’s success. Concepcion said he hopes to launch the program along with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Pioneer of hearing care Manila Hearing Aid now offers Phonak‘s Lumity Hearing Aid Technology

available to both Audeo Lumity and Audeo Life Lumity hearing aids. Audeo Life Lumity is the world's first waterproof hearing aids whilst Audeo Lumity is the second generation of the world’s first rechargeable hearing aids. The entire Lumity hearing aid series are all streamlined with the myPhonak application for health tracking, catering to full convenience. It is also universally compatible with Bluetooth devices for hands-free calls with loved ones.

THE Philippines’ pioneer of hearing care, Manila Hearing Aid, and their long-term partnership with the globally-renowned hearing aid technology provider, Phonak, launched their newest platform to upgrade their Audeo hearing aid series which exemplify innovation in the field of hearing care.

Manila Hearing Aid spearheaded the launch with its General Manager, Dr. Liza Abaño-Robles, the first resident Filipino audiologist and an internationally boardcertified audiologist by the American Board of Audiology as one of its representatives.

Phonak has always been an integral part of Manila Hearing Aid and shares their belief of providing quality hearing care for the Philippines, working together in launching an event for Phonak's latest platform held in EDSA Shangri-La Hotel last February 22,2023 and was attended by top media representatives.

Phonak is a Switzerland-based, hearing aid manufacturer, priding itself on being the leading provider of hearing aid technology since 1947.

The latest in Phonak’s catalogue is the new Audeo Lumity, providing ease to the complexity of various listening situations, combined with SmartSpeechTM Technology which highlights improved speech understanding allowing hearing aid users to be fully adaptable to the range of conversations in one’s daily life; hence why it makes conversations shine.

The Phonak Lumity platform is

Phonak’s Smartspeech TechnologyTM is integrated into all Lumity hearing aids which aims to reduce the patient’s effort in listening and improve clarity of sound within challenging environments.

It comprises two new major features for speech understanding; Stereozoom 2.0 and SpeechSensor. StereoZoom 2.0 is trained to ease listening focus by amplifying the strength of focus to a source of sound as the noise level increases. SpeechSensor allows for automated detection of where the speech signal is coming from, increasing understanding by 15 percent and reducing listening effort by 11 percent.

AutoSense OSTM 5.0 controls SmartSpeechTM, balancing comfort with speech understanding as it accurately identifies a sound environment through artificial intelligence, optimizing the other features of Lumity.

Achieving a better understanding in listening has never been easier with the new Audeo Lumity series, and these innovations allow for meaningful conversations in day-to-day life for those hard of hearing.

The latest in hearing care technology is available now and distributed in all clinics of Manila Hearing Aid. To get further details about the Audeo Lumity hearing aids, head to their website.

Follow their Facebook & Instagram pages to be updated with more of their hearing care products.

Concepcion urges big agri companies to help integrate micro farmers into their value chain to compete in RCEP

BIG-BROTHER COMPANIES IN AGRICULTURE MEET TO DISCUSS KAPATID ANGAT LAHAT SA AGRI PROGRAM (KALAP). Seated, from left: Yovel East Agriventures

CEO James Amparo, Go Negosyo KALAP Senior Adviser William Dar, Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Rice Development Leo Sebastian, Go Negosyo Founder and Private Sector Advisory Council Lead for Jobs Joey Concepcion, SL

CHAMBER OF THRIFT BANKS CALLS ON BANGKO SENTRAL CHIEF. The 2023 Board of Trustees of the Chamber of Thrift Banks (CTB) made a courtesy call on Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla (center). The visit is in line with the 2023 CTB national convention slated on September 22, 2023 at the Dusit Thani Hotel with the theme:

“Thrift Banks 2023: Taking the Lead to Economic Recovery through Digitalization" where the Governor is invited as a guest speaker. In photo with Governor Medalla are (from left) CTB trustee and convention co-chair Argeo Melisimo (First Consolidated Bank), trustee and 2nd vice president Francisco Dizon (Sun Savings Bank), trustee and secretary Jose Vicente Alde (Philippine Savings Bank), BSP deputy governor Chuchi Fonacier, CTB president Cecilio San Pedro (Sterling Bank of Asia), executive director Suzanne Felix, trustee and auditor Mary Jane Perreras (CARD SME Bank) and trustee and convention co-chair Luis Chua (Bank of Makati).

The coronavirus chronicles: is shoppabiliTy The buzzword for 2023?

PR Matters

By Millie F. Dizon

n Rico Blanco Releases ‘PaliBot liBot’ music video with a touch of humanity MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Acclaimed singer-songwriter/producer Rico Blanco explores sci-fi themes in the music video of “Palibot libot,” his current single under Sony Music Entertainment.

Helmed by Cris Escolano and Rico Blanco himself, the visuals present a story of humanity in a world completely engulfed by hopelessness.

The MV stars Rico Blanco, model Tuti Pon, and “The Entity,” a robotic figure created by Richard Somes.

OMNICHANNEL. Unprecedented Times. Metaverse. These were some of the buzzwords of new years past that seemed to give us a glimpse of the future. Innovative and inspiring, these were concepts we were eager to embrace and follow.

In an article Learn the Buzzword of 2023 Now Before It's Too Late in Inc.com, Corey Weiner believes that Shoppability will be the buzzword of the year.

w h at is shoppability?

S HOPPABLE a ds, says Weiner, have been around for the better part of the decade but exploded in popularity over the last two years during the pandemic. The goal of every shoppable ad is simple: Make the distance between the ad and purchase as short as possible. The easiest way to do this is

According to Tuti, she had fun playing the female lead and embracing the intricacies needed to pull off her character convincingly.

“It was definitely a new experience for me and I’d do it again if I got a chance.”

Production Designer Justine Arcega-Bumanlag expressed enthusiasm for working with the team and conveying the fantastically imaginative vision of the material. She shared, “For this, Rico Blanco was aiming for a classic-looking music video that stands the test of time. He wanted to veer away from CGIs, so we started building a set that looks like wreckage from an unknown planet, and using it all throughout the time.

The song, which reflects on the uncertainty that thrives between friendship and relationship, was inspired by one of the characters in

add-to-cart functionality built directly into the ad. If a consumer puts a product in their “basket,” naturally there’s a much higher chance they will purchase the item.

Shoppable ads are an extremely valuable tool to gain lifetime customers.

So why will shoppability be the buzzword of 2023? Weiner believes that soon, every single ad you see will be shoppable in a seamless manner, whether it's on mobile, desktop, or connected TV.

s h oppable social media

I N 20 21, Instagram launched its Reels and Shop tabs to a) compete with TikTok and b) make it easier for users to discover new products directly on the app. Instagram “shoppified” its Reels by allowing product tagging so people can buy products directly in the videos.

TikTok and Facebook offer the same check-out experience:

a series that he filmed in La Union last year. With its storytelling “anchored precariously on someone’s steadfast devotion,” albeit a one-sided one, the song minces no words about the reality of love. It’s not always synchronized. It comes with complications, but that’s the beauty of it.

“Palibot libot” will be part of Rico Blanco’s fourth studio album to be released under Sony Music Entertainment.

n PhiliPPines wins destination catego Ry in Routes a sia 2023 CHIANG MAI, THAILAND—The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) was named winner in the Destination category of the prestigious Routes Asia 2023 held recently in Thailand.

The Philippines bested three

when a user sees a product they like in their feed, stories, or a sponsored ad, they can complete their purchase using the in-app browser without ever leaving the app. It's a win-win for both brands and social media giants.

Weiner says that in 2023, expect social media sites to take a few more pages out of Amazon's book re: shoppable ads. For example, Instagram is planning to add a feature in their shoppable ads that let consumers view recent product reviews while considering a purchase.

s h oppable c o nnected tv

C ON NECTED T V is an umbrella term that encompasses any device that connects to your TV in order to support streaming channels (think Roku, Amazon Firestick, Apple TV, and even Xbox). Ad formats like scannable QR codes and pause screens—ads that pop up on the TV screen when a person pauses

other countries, namely, the Japan National Tourism Organization, Ministry of Tourism Indonesia, and the Singapore Tourism Board for its persistence, “in its efforts to partner with airports and airlines to reinstate discontinued routes and secure new air services. It has done this through marketing efforts locally and globally, regional travel exchanges and business-to-business meetings, joint campaigns, international roadshows, and familiarisation tours for agents and media,” Routes Asia announced.

“We are immensely delighted and proud of this award for the Philippines recognizing our government’s efforts at transforming our tourism industry through connectivity and convergence,” said DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.

“Under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.,

their show—took advantage of dual-screening users. After all, it's pretty seamless to beam an ad to a person’s phone so they can peruse a product while their TV show resumes playing. But it's not quite shoppable.

In June, Roku announced a US partnership with Walmart to create shoppable ads that users can purchase directly on their Smart TV. All the user has to do is press “ok” on their remote and boom—they’re at a checkout window with their payment details already populated. It’s a little dystopian, but as digital advertising continues to hone in on serving the most relevant ads to consumers, odds are that the consumer will be interested in the product.

w h at to expect in 2023

W E INER says that shoppable ads are primed to become even more of a staple in marketers’ arsenals for 2023. Whether you're a

the Department of Tourism has identified the enhancement of connectivity as an essential pillar to strengthen Philippine tourism as a whole. Thus, the effort has been towards collaborating with our key partners from the public and private sectors to ensure the resumption and addition of flights, the enhancement of gateways, and the improvement of the overall tourist experience,” added Frasco.

Meanwhile, the multi-awarded Mactan-Cebu International Airport Corporation (GMCAC) bagged another victory for the Philippines emerging as Asia’s Best Airport in the under 5 Million Passenger Category. According to Routes Asia, the GMCAC “has always taken a two-pronged approach to route development: airline marketing to create supply and destination marketing to ensure the sustain -

Fortune 500 brand or an avid social media user, you’ll be seeing a lot more buzz around this ad format. And in the connected TV space, look out for more exclusive partnerships a la Roku and Walmart as more retailers jump on the shoppable TV ads bandwagon.

PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie Dizon, the senior vice president for Marketing and Communications of SM, is the former local chairman.

We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.

ability of its airline partners’ presence and address the demand for air services.”

Routes Asia is “the only route development event dedicated to Asia Pacific, the event will provide a platform for the region’s airlines, airports, tourism authorities and aviation stakeholders to meet, share best practice and come together to develop network strategies and ensure future air service development across Asia Pacific with over 600 new air services across Asia Pacific are connected to meetings at Routes events” per the Routes Asia web site. International air seats to the Philippines are projected by the Official Airline Guide’s (OAG) Database to reach 16.1 million by the end of the year comparative to the 20.5 million registered in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic.

PIKISUPERSTAR FREEPIK.COM

Twin-kill for FEU in UAAP volleyball

FAR Eastern University (FEU) snapped out of an 11game losing streak dating back to last season via a 25-16, 23-25, 25-17, 26-24 win over University of the Philippines (UP) in Day 2 of University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 85 women’s volleyball action at the Mall of Asia Arena Sunday. “We were able to let go, this win will separate us from the ghost of last season,” FEU head coach Tina Salak said. “This one is a big win for us.”

The Tamaraws set the tone for FEU’s amazing Sunday by beating the UP Fighting Maroons, 25-22, 25-23, 25-15, in men’s action earlier in the day.

Zhydryx Saavedera had 15 points on 14 attacks in his seniors debut, while Martin Bugaoan added 11 points with three blocks for the Tamaraws.

The Lady Tamaraws had to dig deep to dispose of the Lady Maroons.

They lost the second set and had their backs against the wall in the fourth set when the Fighting Maroons raced to a 12-6 lead.

But FEU clawed back for a 22-19 and the rest of the match went tight.

Euri Eslapor and Alyssa Bertolano put UP at set point, 24-23, with Bertalono delivering a lethal crosscourt kill.

But FEU stood its ground with Alyzza Devosora sending a down-the-line kill for deuce and attacked from the backrow attack for match point.

The Lady Tamaraws didn’t have to sweat further as UP’s Stephanie Bustrillo sent her attack long to give FEU its first since May 10, 2022.

“It’s a good start for the team, the program and the community,” said Salak, a Lady Tamaraw legend.

Jovelyn Fernandez topscored for the Tamaraws with 18 points while Chenie Tagaod chipped in 13 points. Devosora finished with 12 points on six attacks with three blocks, three aces, 12 digs, and four excellent receptions.

Hornets put up courageous stand vs unbeaten CPS

CALIFORNIA Precision Sports (CPS) made short work of a United Volleyball League (UVL) Muñoz Hornets side that played short-handed for the second straight day, 25-7, 25-7, to go 3-0 won-lost in girls’ Pool C of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Under-18 Championships Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

But CPS head coach Dr. Obet Estrella Vital praised the Hornets for putting up a gallant stand with a depleted lineup.

“They’re not a bad team and we praise them for their bravery and valiant effort for stepping up despite being shorthanded,” Vital said. “You cannot underestimate this team—just what they showed against Marikina.”

“Facing a team like them is very dangerous,” he added.

Santo Niño de Praga Academy of Trece Martires City beat Ateneo de Manila (0-3) of Quezon City, 25-13, 25-15, in Pool D to stay in stride the CPS with three straight victories, while Angeles City (2-1) defeated the Parañaque Thunderbolts Volleyball Club (1-2), 25-23, 25-21, in Pool B.

The Hornets were depleted in half for their two matches during the weekend after a rented van ferrying their players from the Science City of Muñoz in Nueva Ecija to Manila figured in a minor crash with a tricycle in Baliuag in Bulacan.

Sports

COACH CHOT: BEAT JORDAN

THE Philippines clashes with Jordan in a FIBA World Cup

Asian Qualifiers match on Monday night the result of which is meaningless with only pride at stake.

Gilas Pilipinas and Jordan already booked berths to the FIBA World Cup the country is hosting in August—the Filipinos gaining entry to the 32-team worlds as co-host and the Jordanians by virtue of their rout of India, 98-63, last Friday.

But Gilas head coach Chot Reyes won’t be taking the game—one of many on the last day of similar qualifiers in Asia, Americas, Europe and Africa simultaneously happening on Monday—lightly.

“Jordan will really come out very hard with a lot of urgency and energy,” Reyes told BUSINESSMIRROR on Sunday.

“We cannot let our guards down after they beat India. We just have to continue improving.”

Gilas was impressive on Friday night in its penultimate game in the sixth window of the qualifiers by coasting to a 107-96 victory over a Lebanon side that didn’t field its top

four players who had commitments in the European league. The loss also didn’t matter to the Lebanese who are assured of a World Cup slot with a 7-2 record in Group E of the continental qualifiers.

The Philippines-Jordan game is set 6 p.m. also at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan. The Filipinos are 6-3 won-lost and the Jordanians 5-4 Reyes marked playmaker Freddie Ibrahim and AmericanJordanian guard Dar Tucker as potential scorers for their opponents. Ibrahim had 21 points and 13 assists and Tucker 14 points, five rebounds and five assists against India.

There were still nine spots left unclaimed for the World Cup, with all but one of them expected to be decided on Sunday.

Also already having qualified for the World Cup are cohosts Philippines, Japan, Jordan, Australia, Canada, China, Iran, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, New Zealand, Slovenia, South Sudan, Spain and the US Iran has clinched Asia’s final qualifying spot despite losing

Dark fanaticism

its final playoff game, 86-74, to China on Sunday. Going into the final round of playoff matches, Iran and Kazakhstan were the last teams left with hopes of qualifying for the World Cup from Group F, which contained alreadyqualified Australia, China and Japan.

YULO MAKES UP IN BARS

CARLOS “CALOY” YULO advanced to the final of the men’s parallel bars on Sunday morning to make up for his disappointment in two other events in the first leg of the International Gymnastics Federation Apparatus World Cup in Cottbus, Germany.

The final is set early morning Monday (Manila time).

Yulo tallied 14.933 to lead seven other qualifiers to the final—including second placer Illia Kovturn of Ukraine with 14.900 and third placer Ferhat Arican of Turkey with 14.700—at the Lausitz Arena in Cottbus.

Yulo clinched a bronze medal in the bars at the 2022 world championships in Liverpool last November and is

hoping to advance to this year’s worlds in Antwerp, Belgium, in September.

“Caloy is tired of his previous results, but he’s already starting to get focused after he saw the performance of Juancho Miguel [Besana] and he told me that it’s going to be different in Doha,” Carrion-Norton told BUSINESSMIRROR on Sunday. “He will be more focused now.”

Besana is the other Philippine entry in Cottbus who made it to the final of vault after placing fourth with 14.433 points behind Armenia’s Artur Davtyan (14.949), Hong Kong’s Shek Wai Hung (14.600) and Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat (14,516).

Yulo vowed to go all out in the final and also stressed

that he would be more focused in the second leg in Doha.

“It’s going to be a different me in Doha,” said the 23-yearold Yulo, who was world champion in floor exercise in 2018 and vault in 2021.

Yulo failed to advance to the floor exercise (18th) and rings (13th) finals in Cottbus.

The World Cup consists of three legs that serve as qualifiers to the world championships in Belgium, where slots to the Paris 2024 Olympics are at stake.

Doha will host the second leg from March 1 to 4, Baku (Azerbaijan) for the second leg from March 9 to 12 and Cairo (Egypt) for the third leg from April 27 to 30. Josef Ramos

KARTER GO LEADS SIDDAYAO AWARDEES Focus on champs in Davao IM 70.3

AYOUNG karter who’s already a champion and a charming jiu-jitsu world title holder lead the youth brigade to be feted in the San Miguel Corp.-Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Annual Awards Night exactly a week from now at the grand ballroom of the Diamond Hotel.

Karter William John Riley Go and jiu-jitsu athlete Aleia Aielle Aguilar are two of the nine recipients of the Tony Siddayao awards in the March 6 gala night organized by the oldest media organization in the country headed by its president Rey Lachica, sports editor of Tempo.

Joining Go and Aguilar in the list of awardees given to outstanding or promising athletes no older than 18 years old are archer Miguel Carlos, gymnasts Karl and Elaiza Yulo, karatekas Heleina Dominique So and Robert Dayanan Jr., swimmer Micaela Jasmie Mojdeh and the Philippine junior chess team.

Revived after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the award was named in honor of the late Antonio “Tony’ Siddayao,” a former senior desk and motoring editor of the defunct Daily Express and later on sports editor of the Manila Standard, who is widely acknowledged as the Dean of Philippine sports writing.

Grandmaster Wesley So, cage stars Kiefer Ravena and Jeron Teng, golfer Doti Ardina, Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial and US Open junior girls champion Alex Eala were some of the prominent athletes who received the award in the traditional celebration presented by the Philippine Sports Commission and Cignal TV and with Philippine Olympic Committee, Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, Milo, Smart, MVP Sports Foundation, Rain or Shine, 1Pacman Rep. Mikee Romero, Philippine Basketball Association, OKBet, International Container Terminal Services Inc. and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. as major backers.

The 14-year-old Go won a world title in the Super ROK in Lonato, Italy, to highlight his 2022 campaign in the race track that also included a silver medal finish in the FIA Karting Academy in Genk, Belgium.

current officers. About a month ago, a bullet was sent with a similar warning.

Other Italian clubs that were also sent similar warnings include Reggina in 1999 and Palermo in 2006.

I can understand being upset over a team’s fortunes especially with Sampdoria facing relegation, but going as far as threatening the lives of people is beyond me.

This fanaticism is dangerous. And we’ve seen lots of this through the years—Monica Seles being stabbed by a Steffi Graf fan, Joe DiMaggio being warned against marrying again by a suspected Marilyn Monroe fan, Hank Aaron being threatened with murder if he gets close to breaking Babe Ruth’s record....sports history has seen so much.

Yes, the clubs are woven into the very fabric of their communities and I get that. I really do.

One can argue that the teams I root for aren’t community based; hence, I feel differently.

PORTUGAL’S Filipe Azevedo and fellow champion Tuan Chun Chang of Taiwan beef up the men’s pro cast in the Alveo Ironman 70. 3 Davao with both seeking to bring their winning act to the premier endurance race set March 26 at Azuela Cove. The event, which will mark the IM 70.3 Philippines’s return to Davao City after a three-year hiatus because of the pandemic, has drawn 1,019 athletes from 48 nations, underscoring the sport’s popularity both in the local triathlon scene and abroad.

Hong Kong accounted for the biggest number of foreign entries so far with 44 while England and Singapore are fielding in 28 and 26 athletes, respectively, followed by the US (23), Japan (22), India (14) and France (13).

Australia, whose world-class bets have dominated the local IM 70.3 and full IM races for years, is putting up an 18-athlete contingent, led by top women’s pro contender Dimity-Lee Duke, a multi-5150 race winner who placed third in the first IM 70.3 Davao in 2018 and wound up fourth the following year.

Registration is ongoing. For details, log on to  www.

ironman.com/im703-davao-philippines-athletes

Up for grabs are a $30,000 purse for the winners in the men’s and women’s pro divisions of the event powered by Petron and sponsored by Active, Fulgaz, Hyperice ROKA, Vinfast, Breitling, Gatorade, Qatar Airways, Santini and Wahoo. Portugal has only one entry but Azevedo isn’t after the quantity but the quality of performance he hopes to dish out in the 1.9-km swim/90-km bike/21-km run race, the lone pro event slated in this year’s series of triathlon races organized by The Ironman Group/ Sunrise Events Inc.

Now based in Dubai, Azevedo dominated the 2019 IM 70.3 Shanghai and topped his country’s Middle Distance Triathlon National Championships last year.

But the 30-year-old does expect a stiff challenge from a host of top-notch rivals, including Chang, who ruled the IM Taitung in record fashion (3:52.48) and topped the Taipei Triathlon National Championships, both last year.

To clinch the fourth and final qualifying spot, Iran only needed to match Kazakhstan’s result in its final game against Australia. Kazakhstan lost 98-53 at Melbourne also Sunday, meaning Iran’s fourth-quarter fade-out against China in Hong Kong didn’t end its World Cup campaign. With AP

Gamez, partner make worlds

TOP Filipino skater Isabella Gamez and her Russian partner Alexander Korovin qualified for the International Skating Union (ISU) 2023 World Figure Skating Championships set March 20 to 26 in Saitama, Japan.  Philippine Skating Union (PSU) Nikki Cheng confirmed their qualification to BM on Sunday saying Gamez will be the first from the Philippines and Southeast Asia to qualify for the pairs competition in the world championships.

“History is made once again by our figure skating duo of Isabella and Alexander,”

Cheng said. last.”

“The five-year spell has already broken at Olympian Michael Martinez was the last Filipino to skate (individual) in the world championships in the 2017 Helsinki edition. He finished 24 out of 36 in the men’s skate

the last Filipino to skate (individual) 24 out of 36 in the men’s skate event.

The pair advanced to the Saitama world championships with their 31.33 points in the short program of the Challenge Cup in Tilburg, The Netherlands, Sunday. They passed the ISU minimum technical requirement of 29 Josef Ramos

Netherlands, Sunday. technical requirement of 29 points.

PORTUGUESE Filipe Azevedo expect a stiff challenge.

ALMARIO, CEBU CC BETS MISS ‘ICING ON THE CAKE’ IN INTERCLUB

CARL ALMARIO and his Cebu Country Club teammates won’t be going home empty-handed after falling short in the overall race of the Philippine Airlines Senior Interclub “Back to Ignite” tournament on Saturday in Cebu.

“We’re happy winning the Founders [division],” said Almario, who tallied 95 of Cebu CC’s 564 points for the week, during the awarding ceremony. “But of course, it (overall title) would have been the icing on the cake. But you know, in golf, you cannot win them all.”

\The Cebuanos were in control of the

overall race for two days starting the second round, only to falter on the final day at Alta Vista by tallying just 141 points as Luisita completed a rally by pooling 151 that easily erased a two-point Cebu CC lead at the start of the day.  Cebu CC was just eight points shy of Luisita’s Championship division-winning total of 572 points.  It would have been the second time in recent history that the club would have pulled off the feat, doing it, also on home soil, in the Regular Men’s division which Almario was also a member of.  “I just wished we could have played

Excuse me. I did live in New York City where I saw the New York Yankees—a team I have rooting for since 1976—lose in the World Series and later saw the Boston Red Sox “reverse the curse.” I joined the crowd gathered outside East 49th and 5th Avenue cheering and chanting for Alex Rodriguez to join the club—while engaging Bosox fans in a jeering competition at the same time.  know what it is like to walk from the Stadium back to Manhattan (well, we only got halfway before we decided to take the subway because it was simply too far). I know what it is like to pick fights with fans from Seattle after losing in a series.  During my school days at the Ateneo, I got into a few arguments and fights with supporters from other schools after wins and losses.

When I think about that today, I shake my head in regret and dismay. Maybe because I am older now and am more even keeled. But also it is because of my being cognizant of

better,” Almario said. “That’s how the cookie crumbles, I guess. Luisita played well.

They shot decent scores and they deserved to win.”  Cebu CC won the Founders by 34 points over Orchard, their division decided as early as the third round after a 133 at Club Filipino in Danao.  Eric Deen shot a five-over-par 77 worth 49 points to lead Cebu CC in the final day, even as Kenneth

Kim fired 55 to lead Orchard’s closing 140 for second place, four points better than Riviera Golf, which fired 137.  Mimosa, meanwhile, hung on to rule the Aviators class after firing a final round

what I say and do.

One time, after watching an Ateneo game that was so frustrating (that ended in a loss), I remember cussing one of the opposing team’s players.

That evening, a friend of mine who was with me at that game was having dinner with his family when his young son blurted out the same profanity I said hours earlier. The boy’s mom asked where he picked it up and he said it was “Tito Rick.” I was so embarrassed. I apologized profusely and since then have not uttered profane language during any game. And I have held firm in the last 17 years.

So I know what it is like to go overboard with emotion. But to threaten lives is taking it to a whole new level.

This current season, the other team that I have rooted for—Liverpool Football Club (LFC) which I have followed since 1979—is mired in mediocrity. After seven years of great football and silverware, the club is down in the Top 10

97 led by the 36 of Dominico Hermoso over at Club Filipino. Mimosa finished with a 471 total, nipping SF Maharlika by three points even after shooting a 132 on the final day.  Zamboanga was another six points behind in finishing third after a 120.  Club Filipino was victorious in the Sportswriters bracket, winning it by 43 points over MSU Marawi Golf and Country Club with a 457 total.

CF totaled a final round 114 at Alta Vista after getting 48 points from Nilo Seno, 36 from Leonard Arevalo and 30 from Elias Espinosa.

on the Premier League table. They have been terrible to watch. How does one go from nearly winning four trophies the previous year to sucking so bad? Granted they have injuries and dealt Sadio Mane away, but the core remains. And they still have a terrific squad.

I have shied away from watching not only because of my dismay, but also because I refuse to look at the comments of the fans. While I am upset about LFC’s showing, I remain a fan.  I also cannot say, “it’s just a game” because these games can be more than that. If it isn’t “a way of life” or a “religion” towns and cities live, breathe, and die with their sports teams. All I can do is try to be more objective, chaste, and sober in my thoughts and opinions. I know what it is like to be in that dark side of being a fan. But I am certainly relieved that I have kept it within the grounds of being stupid as opposed to being criminal.  Hopefully, others too can learn.

THE Philippines’s June Mar Fajardo losses the ball against Lebanon’s Hayk Gyokchyan during their Asian Qualifiers game at the Philippine Arena Friday. AP

THE Lady Tamaraws’ libero Max Juangco celebrates after a successful play.