BusinessMirror January 04, 2023

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The President said he wants to open “a new chapter” in the country’s Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation with China.

Marcos made the pronouncement amid the country’s ongoing territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea.

RESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said he will push for the peaceful resolution of the country’s “issues” with Beijing and focus on securing a “harvest of agreements and investments” during his State Visit in China this week.During his visit to China from January 3 to 5, Marcos said he will be meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where he will discuss different matters including “political-security issues.”

He hopes the meeting will translate to “numerous prospects and abundant opportunities” for both countries.

“The issues between our two countries are problems that do not belong between two friends such as Philippines and China,” Marcos said in his pre-departure speech at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City.

“We will seek to resolve those issues to mutual benefit of our two countries,” he added.

More Chinese arrivals HE said he will also be pushing to open the country to more Chinese

travelers through tourism and cultural cooperation in the hopes it will foster better PhilippinesChina relations.

“As our doors open up in the new normal, I will invite our Chinese neighbors to once again return to the Philippines as tourists, as students, investors,” Marcos said.

“Aside from sharing the wonders of our archipelago with our Chinese friends, strengthened See “WPS,” A2

www.businessmirror.com.ph P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 26 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

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Treasury data showed that the national government’s (NG) total debt stock was P1.712 trillion higher than the P11.931 trillion outstanding debt recorded in November of 2021.

“For the month, NG’s total debt portfolio marginally increased by P3.15 billion or 0.02 percent from the end-October 2022 level primarily due to the effect of local currency appreciation against

HE Philippines’s outstanding debt as of end-November 2022 rose by 14.35 percent on an annual basis to a fresh record high of P13.644 trillion, latest Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) data showed.the US dollar on foreign currency loans,” the BTr said in a statement on Tuesday.

“However, NG debt has increased by P1.92 trillion or 16.33 percent since end-December 2021,” it added.

The Treasury said the NG’s domestic debt has amounted to P9.43 trillion, P72.73 billion higher than

See “Debt,” A2

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Responding to an article by bilyonaryo.com, Tugade asked former Transportation Undersecretary for Administrative Services Artemio Tuazon to be his spokesperson and clarify claims that he supposedly caused the diversion of P13 billion in funds for the CNS/ATM System to the upgrade

ORMER Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade did not commit malversation of funds for the Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) System of the Philippine Airports, his spokesman clarified on Tuesday evening.of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

In an interview, Tuazon clarified that the funding for the CNS/ ATM System was under the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) and that the Naia beautification project was under the Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa).  Caap and Miaa are attached agencies of the DOTr. Tuazon clarified that the DOTr merely had “oversight functions” over the two agencies, which have their own legal charters.  See “DOTr,” A2

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

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For Cebu Pacific Spokesman Carmina Romero it is imperative for the government

to invest in the maintenance of the Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ ATM) System to prevent the same mishap from happening.

REPEAT of the New Year’s Day fiasco— when  technical issues partially paralyzed the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), disrupting 285 flights and affecting 56,000 passengers just for Sunday—could be prevented by a proper maintenance of resources as well as “meticulous” experts in government leadership.“Any investment in technology requires regular upkeep and maintenance which includes software update, hardware improvement and redundant systems to ensure consistent use. Like in aircraft, we always buy new models so there will be less issues in the operation of older models,” she said.

See “NAIA,” A2

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AirAsia Philippines Spokesman Carlo Carongoy, meanwhile, recommended that experts be deployed, especially in the aviation industry.

“The aviation industry truly requires a lot of meticulous eyes, ears and hands in ensuring that fail-safe systems are in place. While we trust the initiatives of our government partners, this event also reminded us in the private sector to quickly put into practice our business continuity processes,” he said.

Cielo Villaluna, the spokesperson of Philippine Airlines (PAL), declined to provide a recommendation, pending the investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) of the root cause of the problem.

“This is a vital first step that will lead to the further enhancement of the country’s air traffic management system,” she said.

To recall, Naia was paralyzed for a quarter of a day on New Year’s Day after the CNS/ATM—or in layman’s terms, the radar system—of Naia failed due to a problem with its electrical network as well as its supposedly “uninterruptible power supply.”

This caused hundreds of flights to be canceled, delayed, and diverted. It also caused a spillover effect on operations until Tuesday, as airlines had to mount recovery flights to accommodate those who were affected by the tempo -

rary shutdown of the Philippines’ main airport.

For local airlines, the paralysis affected almost 70,000 passengers over the last three days: 37,831 passengers for Cebu Pacific, 24,000 for PAL, and 8,000 for AirAsia Philippines.

“While we still see minor flight delays in our flights due to air traf -

fic congestion, we expect our operations to normalize within the next 48 to 72 hours. Today, January 3, 2023, we mounted 12 recovery flights using our spare aircraft to service our guests affected by the domino effect brought about by the air traffic congestion,” Carongoy said.  Villaluna noted that PAL is

“now transitioning into our normal flight operations.”

“We mounted replacement flights and extra-sector flights to accommodate stranded passengers. We accommodated affected passengers on the next available flights. As we worked with, and coordinated with aviation authorities to, our Operations Group was able to mount extra sector flights, replacement flights and re-accomodate passengers on the next available flights,” she said.

‘Sue Caap’

MEANWHILE , commuter network The Passenger Forum encouraged passengers of affected flights to file for damages against the Caap.

“This is probably the worst New Year for Filipino air passengers. Instead of going back happy from festivities and family gatherings, they were greeted with flight delays and cancellations. Worse, as airlines are not to blame, they cannot get any compensation,” TPF Convener Primo Morillo said.

Morillo explained that the country’s Air Passenger Bill of Rights, a joint administrative order of the Department of Transportation and the Department of Trade and Industry issued in 2012, only provides compensation when airlines are at fault.

“With this airport glitch, we cannot blame anyone but the government institutions in charge of ensuring the smooth operations of air traffic in the country. As the Caap is a GOCC [governmentowned and controlled corporation], they have their own funds and thus, they must pay for the damages incurred by their shortcomings,” Morillo said.

He noted that the cancellations and delays meant more expenses for ordinary travelers.

“Overly delayed and cancelled flights result to cancelled events. It also means additional nights of hotel accommodation, food and other expenses. These are clearly things that demand damages,” Morillo said.

The DOTr was sought for more information and comments on issues raised, but it has yet to reply to the BusinessMirror’s queries as of press time.

Debt. . .

Continued from A1

the P9.355 trillion recorded in end-October 2022.

“For November, the net issuance of government securities added P75.76 billion while peso appreciation trimmed P3.03 billion from the debt stock,” it said.

“NG domestic debt comprises 69.1 percent of the total debt stock with a Year-to-Date increment of P1.26 trillion from its end-December 2021 level,” it added.

Meanwhile, the NG’s external debt reached P4.22 trillion, 1.62 percent lower than October 2022’s  P4.285 trillion due to the P106.98 billion impact of local currency appreciation and P13.38 billion net repayment, according to the Treasury.

“This was tempered by the net impact of third-currency fluctuations against the US dollar amounting to P50.78 billion. NG

DOTr. . . Continued from A1

“They are two different agencies and we cannot divert funds without Congressional approval—that action will be flagged by the Commission on Audit. As he is a lawyer, Tugade is not stupid to do that. It’s not true that there was a diversion of funds,” he said.

Tuazon further explained that the CNS/ATM System was “largely funded” by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), which he said is “very strict in disbursement and usage of funds.”

Jica provided a total of P10.8 billion under an official development assistance (ODA) package implemented in 2018, during Tugade’s term as transport chief. That is why it’s hard to believe their largely unfounded claims that have no basis to support them,” Tuazon said.

Tugade, however, will appear before lawmakers should he be invited to do so, and former senator Panfilo Lacson has asked the Public Services committee chair, Sen. Grace Poe, to include the funding’s history in the planned Senate inquiry. Story on A10, “Check ‘diversion’ of aviation gear fund–Ping.”

“He will be very transparent about anything. It will be a good venue for him to voice out the facts,”Tuazon said, adding that Tugade is considering filing criminal cases against those who drag his name into the issue.

‘Outdated? It’s new’ WHEN sought for comment on statements about the CNS/ATM System being “outdated,” Tuazon said the system is relatively new.

“ We inaugurated that in 2018 and it was functioning properly. Because of the system, we were able to add slots at the Naia. We added more inbound and outbound flights to the Philippines. How can we say it’s outdated when it’s working properly? We don’t buy a new car in 2019 after we just bought a new

WPS. . .

Continued from A1

people-to-people exchanges will allow us to bridge gaps in understanding between our two countries at every level,” he added.

The President earlier said he is against closing the borders with China despite its rising cases of Covid-19.

Harvest of agreements

MARCOS said he hopes the country’s improved relations with China will translate to a “harvest of agreements and investments.”

He said at least 10 new PhilippinesChina bilateral agreements will be signed this week.

“We will seek to foster meaningful relations and broaden

external debt comprised 30.90 percent of the total debt portfolio,” it said.

“From end-December 2021 level, NG external debt has increased by P658.07 billion or 18.49 percent,” it added.

The Treasury said the NG’s guaranteed obligations as of endNovember 2022 increased by P1.47 billion to P388 billion from P386.53 billion in end-October 2022. However, the guaranteed obligations during the reference period was 7.14 percent lower than the P417.85 billion recorded in November 2021, based on BTr data.

“For November, the higher level of guaranteed debt was due to the net availment of domestic guarantees amounting to P1.03 billion and the net effect of currency fluctuations that increased the value of external guarantees by P0.44 billion,” the Treasury said.

“From the end-December 2021 level, total NG guaranteed debt is still lower by P35.92 billion or 8.47 percent,” it added.

one in 2018,” he said.

C aap Director General Manuel Tamayo said during a press briefing on Sunday that he is concerned with the technology for the radar, saying that the project was conceptualized in the 90s, started in 2010, and was only completed in 2019.

Tamayo said given this, it is “already outdated.”

“ They are trying to put the blame on the past administration, but if you think about it, who is the director general of the Caap today? It’s Tamayo, who was the Transportation Undersecretary for Aviation during the term of Tugade,” Tuazon said.

‘Do your job’

IN light of Sunday’s temporary paralysis of the Naia, Tuazon said the current administration should just “do your jobs.”

“The CNS/ATM System is working.

Since it’s a part of a critical system for the operation of our airport, it should be maintained. And there has to be redundancy in the power supply. They also need to maintain that redundancy as it’s a critical part of the system. So don’t think it’s a matter of rehab or upgrade, but more of a maintenance issue. It’s more of negligence on the part of the people who are supposed to be maintaining it,”he said.

Naia w as paralyzed for six hours on Sunday, after the main power supply of the CNS/ATM System failed. Its supposedly “uninterruptible power supply” (UPS) also failed to kick in.

“ The UPS was supposed to kick in when the power is interrupted, but it failed. This goes to show that it’s not properly maintained,” Tuazon said.

This caused hundreds of flights to be canceled, delayed, and diverted. It also caused a spillover effect on operations until Tuesday, as airlines had to mount recovery flights to accommodate those affected by the temporary shutdown of the Philippines’ main airport.

Lorenz S. Marasigan

our cooperation in various areas such as agriculture, energy, infrastructure, science and technology, trade and investment, and people-to-people exchanges, amongst others,” Marcos said.

This will be on top of the agreements to be signed by the Philippine and Chinese private sector, while he is in China.

“In Beijing, we will seek to harness the potentials of our vibrant trade and investment relations as we accelerate the post-pandemic growth of our economy,” Marcos said.

China is the country’s largest trading partner, major source of official development assistance, and before the pandemic, the second largest source of tourist arrivals.  Marcos’ State Visit in China is his seventh overseas trip since he assumed the presidency.

It is also his first bilateral visit to a non-member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

AIR traffic controllers are seen at their work station on Tuesday, two days after a technical glitch hit the radar system, paralyzing the premier airport and disrupting nearly 300 flights. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAAP

DTI-CITEM banners 30 local brands in Germany trade fair

By Andrea E. San Juan

THE Philippines will be represented by 30 local brands at one of the world’s biggest trade fair platforms, according to the export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

I n a news statement issued on Tuesday, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) said FAME, the Philippines’s “longest-running” export promotions program for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and artisan communities in the home, fashion, and lifestyle (HFL) sectors is set to “bring the Philippine flag to the global map” in its participation at Ambiente 2023, a trade fair held in Frankfurt Messe, Germany.

According to CITEM, the sourcing event is slated from February 3 to 7, 2023 with 30 exhibitors in the HFL

industries to be showcased under the DesignPhilippines Brand.

T he export promotions arm of DTI said around 4,700 exhibitors have announced their participation, ensuring Ambiente to be the world’s biggest trade fair platform of its kind.

The 2023 edition of Ambiente aims to showcase a unique mix of ideas and products and provide a major platform for global trends,” CITEM said.

A s for the Philippines, CITEM said the country’s pavilion continues the narrative “Hands that work” from its previous participation in 2020. The theme, the export promotions group said, is inspired by the “fine workmanship and creative use of natural materials by the local communities that cultivate homegrown crafts.”

“ The participating MSMEs have sustainability and social development in mind, and are given labor

opportunities brought by the continuously strengthened export industry,” CITEM noted.

CITEM unveiled that out of the 30 participating exhibitors, 10 are from Tarlac, the country’s Partner Artisan Community. The export promotions group said Tarlac, known for its craftsmanship and “design prowess,” highlights their design expertise to capture the European market in the upcoming global trade fair.

“ We are excited for the competitive roster of exhibitors featured in the 2023 edition of Ambiente,” Edward L. Fereira, CITEM executive director, said.

Fereira added “a mix of returning and neophyte exporters are set to make a mark on the international stage where our local designs can be appreciated by attendees from different parts of the globe.”

Moreover, the CITEM official said the “strong presence” of the

country’s homegrown products empower the Filipino craft that allow the country to cater to more markets with a wider reach.

Our team at CITEM is committed to offering the world a global range of export-ready products,” Fereira said.

Just a week ago, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PhilExport) said CITEM urged local firms to participate more in physical and virtual trade fairs, noting that such can provide them more business “opportunities and exposure” especially in overseas markets.

R owena Mendoza, officer-incharge-department manager at CITEM, has observed that companies are able to meet “target” clients and future partners, improve skills and gain know-how, expand business networks, and generate or increase sales in attending trade fairs, according to a statement released by PhilExport.

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz  @joveemarie

AHOUSE deputy minority leader on Tuesday called on Malacañang to also defer premium hikes of the Social Security System (SSS) and the Home Development Mutual Fund, or PagIBIG Fund.

House Deputy Minority leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro made the statement as she welcomed the deferment of the premium hike of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) due to socioeconomic challenges as the Palace announced.

S tarting January 1, 2023, the new contribution rate for SSS will be at 14 percent, up one percentage point from 13 percent, while Pag-IBIG fund is set to increase its rates from P100 to P150 this year unless their boards or Malacañang moves to suspend the in -

creases, said Castro.

“ This is good but I think we can cite the same reason to also defer the premium hikes of the Social Security System [SSS] and the Home Development Mutual Fund, or Pag-IBIG Fund. Inflation is still rising, with the first week of 2023 ushering in a big time oil price hike and a staggering increase in water and power rates,” said the lawmaker.

Malacañang can also write or order the board of directors of the SSS and Pag-IBIG to defer their contribution hikes because Filipino workers need every peso that they earn to feed their families now,” added the deputy minority leader.

Malacañang has announced the suspension of the scheduled hike in premiums of the PhilHealth from 4 percent to 4.5 percent that would have seen the lowest-earning members pay P50 more on top of their P400 monthly contribution.

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—A Japanese government water hazard agency has worked out with the Department of Science and Technology to improve flood management and prediction here, with Japan asking the Philippine side to install the needed data on the equipment installed in the main river system that flows near downtown.

Dr. Mamoru Miyamoto of the International Center for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM) in Japan ICHARM led the team that met last month with Anthony Sales, regional director here of the DOST, and other key officers of the agency and other stakeholders from the academe, the national and city government agencies and other professional groups to discuss a technology-aided flood management system in the city.

T he DOST Region XI and the Hydrology for Environment Life and Policy Davao Network (HELP Davao Network) and the various stakeholders in

flood management were introduced to the ICHARM’s Online Synthesis System (OSS), which it developed for the Davao river monitoring.

T he OSS is equipped with data and information on climate change impact assessment, real-time flood monitoring and forecasting and inundation prediction models to strengthen science-policy interaction and increase resilience against water-related disasters.

Dr. Kensuke Naito, a researcher from ICHARM Japan, said his team is currently developing a prediction model of inundation that may occur in the areas surrounding the Davao river, but it still needs more data to refine the model.

At this point, the model still needs to be polished, so we really need local research data before publishing it,” he added.

T he DOST-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA) committed to share real-time data available with ICHARM Japan. The data includes water level, rainfall, temperature, and oth-

er meteorological data monitored by weather instrumentations installed along the Davao River Basin.

T he meeting last month with ICHARM Japan was followed with a separate meeting of HELP Davao Network and DOST XI, along with the other stakeholders “to reinforce efforts to achieve sustainable development, especially in view of the insufficient capacities to predict, monitor, and mitigate water-related disasters in the Davao River.”

T he DOST information office said the City Planning and Development Office expressed commitment to work closely with HELP Davao and ICHARM Japan, specifically in trainings and providing data needed to improve the system.

T he Department of Environment and Natural Resources XI also affirmed its commitment to the project, citing the importance of effective and coordinated climate action toward a resilient future.

A lso, Dr. Miyamoto said it has discussed potential collaborations with Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) in improving and mobi -

lizing the Davao OSS, citing the system’s mechanism “is important for mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk reduction, especially in a disaster-vulnerable country like the Philippines.”

D r. Rogel Mari Sese, chairman of AdDU Aerospace Engineering Department and project leader of AdDU Community Connectivity Empowered by Satellite Services for Mindanao (ACCESS), said the satellite-enabled Automatic Weather stations they have installed in remote and isolated communities in Mindanao may also provide atmospheric data to further enhance the Davao OSS.

D r. Sales, who is also the secretary of HELP Davao Network, said the Davao OSS would help in the proper disaster management, capacity development, and sustainable development planning, which are crucial to the continuous prosperity of Davao City.

We need to empower our constituents by providing them with the resources, knowledge and skills to manage disasters,” Dr. Sales added.

DAVAO CITY—Sixteen local government units (LGUs) across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) were feted to a recognition ceremony that awarded them with the seal of excellence in local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM).

T he awarding ceremony was held last month in Cotabato City that has one municipality from Maguindanao getting the “Beyond Compliant” award, or having provided more services and assistance than what was expected from a LGU.

T he towns of Parang, South Upi, Paglat, Ampatuan, Datu Abdullah Sangki, and Sultan sa Barongis in Maguindanao; Bubong, Piagapo, and Wao in Lanao del Sur; Lamitan City and Tuburan in Basilan; and Talipao in Sulu were awarded for being “Fully Compliant.”

T he highest government award “Beyond Compliant” was given to Municipality of Upi, Maguindanao del Norte.

T he Jolo Emergency Rescue Network (JERN) Inc. in Jolo, Sulu was also awarded the Regional Best Government Emergency Management and Response Teams (GEMs).

P laques of Appreciation were given to the Bangsamoro DRRM Council member agencies as well as DRRM Partners from both the public and the private sectors.

Hamid Bayao, regional director of the Bangsamoro Civil Defense pointed out that the purpose of the awarding was to emphasize that the Office of Civil Defense-BARMM (OCD-BARMM) “provides responsive, efficient and effective services related to research, planning, programming, project development and policy formulation of DRRM’s projects and activities.”

The Gawad KALASAG is the flagship program of NDRRMC, led by the OCD-BARMM, which aims to strengthen each family, community, the institutions and establishments so that we become strong and resilient from each disaster and harm,” Bayao said.

D irector General Engr. Khalif Dumagay, who represented Interior and Local Government Minister Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo, praised the awardees, saying, “you have proven that we, in the BARMM, can cope with the best LGUs in the country by working together despite complex and complicated transitions while we are currently undergoing both natural and manmade calamities.”

TOURISM is definitely back on track as the Department of Tourism-Mimaropa recently honored the region’s industry stakeholders at its annual Appreciation and Recognition Day.

T he first full physical awarding in the past three years, it is themed “The Winner Takes It All” to celebrate the resiliency of tourism players and their quest for excellence even during the Covid-19 pandemic.

T he event recognizes the public and private stakeholders for their support to the DOT’s programs, and forms part of the incentives to accredited enterprises, which have maintained the tourism quality standards.

M imaropa Region is composed of the island provinces of Mindoro Occidental and Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan, which are known for lush terrestrial and marine biodiversity, and a host of natural wonders.

Topping the roster of awardees were Banwa Private Island and Amanpulo, which won the second and third-runners up in the Private Island of the Year of The Destination Deluxe Awards 2021. This year, Banwa bagged the top spot in the same award, while Amanpulo clinched the Asia’s Leading Private Island Resort of the World Travel Awards.

Palawan added another feather in its cap with its new “Most Desirable Island” award from the United Kingdom-based Wanderlust Travel Magazine.

T he DOT also recognized the local government units (LGU) with the most num -

ber of accredited enterprises, topped by El Nido, Puerto Princesa City, Coron, Puerto Galera, and Calapan City, which ranked first to fifth, respectively.

On the international scene, Apo Reef Natural Park in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro was accorded the Platinum—Level Blue Park Awardee by the Marine Conservation International at the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

A leading dive site and the country’s biggest contiguous coral reef, Apo Reef bagged the prestigious accolade with the support of the provincial government headed by Governor Eduardo Gadiano.

Other global honorees were Agritektura Enterprises in Roxas, Oriental Mindoro, the First Filipino Awardee of the Top 10 Under 40 Hatchery Experts of the Canada-based Hatchery International, and Coron Natural Farms as Q Asia Magazine’s Best Integrated Organic Agricultural Farming Destination.

Moreover, Club Paradise in Coron placed second in the 2022 Green Destination Story Awards, which is recognized at the prestigious ITB Berlin.

Meanwhile, the Municipality of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro racked top honors from the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP), which include Grand Winner for Best Program on Culture and the Arts and 2nd Placer for Best TourismOriented LGU, and Ann Roxanne De Vera who was named as the group’s Most Outstanding Tourism Officer.

Poe to PBBM admin: Issue clear

policy on China arrivals

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

SEN. Grace Poe prodded the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday to promptly come up with a clear policy on China arrivals, stressing such guidance is “urgently needed,” amid fears of possible Covid-19 spread in the country.

“ While we are all still reeling from the effects of the airport shutdown,” the senator suggested, “The Executive should anticipate another pressing issue on the need for Covid testing requirements for all travelers arriving from China ahead of the expected lifting of Chinese travel restrictions on January 8.”

Poe pointed out that other countries like the US, UK, France, Canada, Japan, South Korea, India, Israel, Morocco, Italy and Spain “have all reimposed their mandatory Covid tests and other rules on arrivals from China.”

S tressing the need for the government to “decide definitively on the matter and inform all travelers beforehand,” the senator cautioned that the “lack of proactive policies on the matter is concerning amid the rapidly developing situation overseas.”

At the same time, Poe recalled, “Our experience in the past three years of the pandemic has shown that delayed and uninformed Covidrelated policies are sometimes more deadly than the pandemic itself.”

T he senator also reminded, “Now that we have reopened again, we need to build confidence that the Philippines is well-positioned and, hopefully, now better informed in the fight against Covid.”

Ex-prisons

PDP to cut child stunting by 20%, reduce undernourishment, obesity

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE government aims to decrease stunting to below 20 percent in the medium term as part of its efforts to address the triple burden of malnutrition, according to the Philippine Development Plan (PDP).

T he Marcos administration aims to bring down the prevalence of stunting among children less than five years of age to 25.2 percent this year; 23.8 percent in 2024; 22.3 percent, 2025; 20.8 percent, 2026; 19.4 percent in 2027; and 17.9 percent in 2028. The baseline in 2021 was pegged at 26.7 percent.

The government shall promote the convergence of services to counter the causes of the triple burden of malnutrition,” the PDP

stated. “The promotion of healthy eating environments and healthy lifestyles shall also be strengthened to manage and prevent malnutrition and obesity.”

T he triple burden of malnutrition, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), included undernutrition, overweight and obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies.

Wasting and stunting does not only compromise the health of Filipinos but also their ability to excel in school and potential to earn a decent living in the future. Obesity, meanwhile, makes children susceptible to diseases.

T he government aims to reduce the prevalence of malnutrition or wasting for children under five years from 5.5 percent in 2021 to 5.3 percent this year; 5.1 percent

DMW urged to ensure OFWs won’t lose jobs after Naia air traffic snafu

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz  @joveemarie

FOLLOWING the New Year Day’s flight cancellations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), the chairman of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs on Tuesday called on the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to take the necessary actions to protect the welfare and employment of affected overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who might be at risk of job termination by their employers for failure to show up to work.

K abayan Rep. Ron Salo said OFWs returning to their employers after the Christmas vacation and OFWs who are going to be deployed expressed fears that their employers may reject them.

hours, the Philippines was a “no-fly” zone. More than 300 flights were canceled, diverted, or delayed, affecting more than 60,000 passengers.

My sympathies go out to those who were affected by this fortuitous event. I know that this is very frustrating. This kind of inconvenience is not how we want to start the New Year,” Salo remarked.

Authorities from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and Naia have stated they expect to normalize all operations within 72-hours.

in 2024; 4.9 percent, 2025; 4.7 percent, 2026; 4.5 percent, 2027; and 4.3 percent in 2028.

O verall, the PDP stated that it aims to increase the proportion of households meeting 100 percent recommended energy intake from the 21.8 percent baseline in 2018-2019.

T he government aims to increase this to 25.2 percent this year; 23.8 percent in 2024; 22.3 percent, 2025; 20.8 percent, 2026; 19.4 percent, 2027; and 17.9 percent in 2028.

“ The proportion of households that met 100 percent of recommended energy intake worsened from 31.7 percent in 2015 to 21.8 percent in 2018. The quarantine restrictions due to Covid-19 also limited the mobility and livelihood of households, thus aggravating food insecurity,” the PDP stated.

Efforts to address these include

the delivery of services critical to the first 1,000 days of life will be ensured, especially during emergencies.

T he government also intends to generate quality and timely data for accurate assessment and decisionmaking and for prioritizing the early detection of stunting and wasting among young children.

Nutrition programs implemented nationwide shall also be sustained to reduce the stunting and wasting of children,” the PDP stated.

T he administration also intends to push for major health sector reforms and plans to improve financial protection and access to health-care services are being pursued, but significant obstacles to implementation remain.

S ince 2017, several laws and plans have been passed such as the Universal Health Care (UHC) law

(RA 11223), Mental Health Act (RA 11036), National Integrated Cancer Control Law (RA 11215), First 1,000 Days Law (RA 11148), and New Sin Tax Reform Law of 2020 (RA 11467).

T he government also intends to push for the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act (RA 11332), the Philippine Health Facilities Development Plan (PHFDP 2020–2040), and the National Human Resources for Health Master Plan (NHRHMP 2020–2040).

T he government said the country has made slow progress in terms of addressing childhood nutrition issues compared to its neighbors. These problems have potentially lifelong health, education, and, ultimately, economic effects on children.

PBBM prodded to report veggie smuggling, assert natl sovereignty during Beijing visit

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

CRITICS of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. urged the country’s highest official on Tuesday to protect the interest of small farmers and fishermen by putting to stop the rampant smuggling of agricultural products from China and assert the country’s national sovereignty.

ble extent of illicit trade. Smuggled onions from China have pushed up onion retail prices by as much as P700 per kilo in local markets. This is very alarming,” KMP Chairman Danilo Ramos said.

export destination of agricultural products and its second-largest import source of farm products, KMP’s Rafael Mariano said for his part.

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

AFORMER prisons caterer evaded prosecution for alleged  tax evasion after the government failed to institute the necessary criminal case within the five-year prescription period.

In a seven-page decision, the Court of Tax Appeals’ (CTA) Second Division dismissed the criminal case for tax evasion filed against Ziegfried Loo Tian on the ground of prescription.

T he CTA held that the former contractor of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) for food services could no longer be prosecuted as Section 281 of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) provides that all violations of any of its provisions “shall prescribe after five years.”

Jurisprudence has it that the waiver or loss of the right to prosecute the offender is automatic and by operation of law.  Evidently, in this case, prescription has automatically set in when the plaintiff failed to file the present information  within the five year prescriptive period provided under Section 281 of the NIRC of 1997, as amended,” the CTA declared.

Based on the records of the case, the Bureau of Internal Revenue referred the joint complaint affidavit of its revenue officers to the Department of Justice for preliminary investigation on July 5, 2012, the date when the violation of the law was discovered and the institution of judicial proceedings for its investigation and punishment.

T hus, the CTA said, the BIR only had five years from then, or until July 5, 2015, within which to file the information with the court.

However, the CTA said the information was filed before it only on October 25, 2022.

We are fully aware of and understand the fears of our OFWs. The government must do everything in its powers to ensure that our OFWs are not sanctioned, or worse, terminated because of this unfortunate event,” Salo said.

On the first day of 2023, aviation authorities scrambled to resume usual services after technical issues marred the air traffic control of Naia, the main gateway to the Philippines. For several

I am urgently calling on the DMW to give our OFWs the necessary protection from termination or sanction, and reassure them that their jobs are safe and that they don’t need to worry. Our OFWs should not be the ones to suffer because of this disruption,” Salo stated.

“ Private recruitment agencies should immediately coordinate with their foreign counterparts or foreign employers to provide updates on the flight status of affected OFWs. Manning agencies should likewise undertake the same measure with their foreign principals concerning affected seafarers,” Salo added.

M arcos is expected to sign at least 10 bilateral agreements with China during the state visit, including agreements on trade and investments, agriculture, renewable energy, infrastructure, development cooperation, people-to-people ties, and maritime security.

I n a news statement, the Kilusang Magsasaka ng Pilipinas (KMP) said they expect Marcos to discuss the situation on the illicit trade and rampant smuggling of agricultural products from China to the Philippines.

“Despite China being the Philippines’ top trade partner in 2021, with total trade valued at $38.35 billion, there is still an unimagina-

As the concurrent agriculture secretary, it is only just for Marcos Jr. to diplomatically call the attention of Chinese authorities regarding the unbridled, largescale smuggling of billions worth of vegetables from China. Chinese law enforcers should exert utmost efficiency to curb, repress and dispose of all smuggling activities and crimes at their Customs control areas and prescribed coastal or border areas especially Hong Kong,” Ramos added.

R amos also cautioned the President on any plan to continue the Philippines-China agricultural cooperation signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2016, saying it will affect our efforts and demand for food security and food self-sufficiency.

T he said agricultural trade agreement led to China becoming the Philippines’ third-largest

M ariano said the Marcos administration should instead strengthen local food production for the Filipino people.

For its part, fisherfolk group Pamalakaya said the Marcos administration “should not miss the chance to assert and uphold our rights in the West Philippine Sea.”

We urge the President to boldly demand Chinese President Xi Jinping to stop the intimidating presence of Chinese militia and large fishing vessels to Filipino fishers,” the group stressed.

A ccording to Pamalakaya, Marcos should not set aside such pressing matters just to acquire foreign investment and loans from China.

“ We believe that China’s monetary liabilities to the Philippines are indeed far greater than the foreign loans and investments it would extend to the country,” the group stressed.

‘Huge market’: Davao City seeks to boost thriving durian export to China

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—China’s importation of durian from this city has opened a broad market for what used to be a domestic consumption commodity.

D ario Divino, the designated focal person on industrial crops at the City Agriculturist Office, said it has accredited three importers from China, and “there is now a huge market for durian.”

“It is really a big challenge because the market for durian is not only local. We also have China now. There are three approved importers from China,” he said.

He did not say how big was the demand from the three importers but he said the market has been opened wide.

Besides, he added, “we also have Dabawenyos from abroad who buy durian here.”

They extract durian flesh with the seed and blast freeze it then vacuum it before transporting it to other countries. With this process, the durian can be kept for two years with proper management,” Divino said.

He said blast freezing keeps the sugar content of durian intact.

He said the “Puyat” variety is highly recommended and being encouraged for planting “because of its export potential.”

It is delicious and heavier in weight, and it is also a heavy excel-

lent fruiter, and its branches do not spread unlike the Arancillo variety,” he said, as he noted there would be more trees of the Puyat variety that could be planted per hectare compared to the other varieties.

L ast year, 4,408 farmers have planted durian as a crop to 3,388.65 hectares. They harvested 12,929.63 metric tons from 2,176.32 hectares also last year.

“ We have a lot of durian but

we still do our best to expand because some of our farmers reverted to planting banana. Some farmers also went back to plant coconut, although this is advantageous because durian can be intercropped with it, and even with bananas, with good management,” he said.

D ivino said many areas in Davao City are conducive for durian production because of their high land elevation. Durian thrives in areas with elevation of 800 meters above sea level and lower, he added.

He also disclosed that the City Agriculturist Office (CAGRO) has a program for durian farmers in Baguio District, which it linked up with the Department of Agriculture XI for free durian seedlings.

F armers who have open areas located 800 meters above sea level and lower have been encouraged to coordinate with their office and ask about the intercropping technology. The CAGRO would start this year to conduct training on durian planting and its proper management.

“ These free seminars would be conducted in every district. Those who are interested may come to our offices located in different districts of Davao City,” Divino said.

DURIAN harvests on sale at a market in Davao City. PNA PHOTO BY ROBINSON NIÑAL JR.

caterer escapes tax evasion case due to prescription

Moscow says Ukrainian rocket strike kills 63 Russian troops

By Felipe Dana The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine—Ukrainian forces fired rockets at a facility in the eastern Donetsk region where Russian soldiers were stationed, killing 63 of them, Russia’s defense ministry said Monday, in one of the deadliest attacks on the Kremlin’s forces since the war began more than 10 months ago.

Ukrainian forces fired six rockets from a HIMARS launch system and two of them were shot down, a defense ministry statement said. It did not say when the strike happened.

The strike, using a US-supplied precision weapon that has proven critical in enabling Ukrainian forces to hit key targets, delivered a new setback for Russia, which in recent months has reeled from a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

According to the governor of Russia’s Samara region, Dmitry Azarov, an unspecified number of residents of the region were among those killed and wounded by the strike on the town of Makiivka.

Russian military bloggers, whose information has largely been reliable during the war, said ammunition stored close to the facility had exploded in the attack and contributed to the high number of casualties.

Expressing anger at the losses, Daniil Bezsonov, an official with the Russian-appointed administration in Russian-occupied Donetsk, called for the punishment of military officers who ordered a large number of troops to be stationed at the facility.

The Ukrainian military appeared to acknowledge the attack Monday, with the General Staff confirming that Makiivka was hit on December 31, and saying 10 Russian military vehicles were destroyed or damaged. It added that Russian personnel losses were still being clarified.

In a claim that could not be independently verified, the Strategic Communications Directorate of Ukraine’s Armed Forces had maintained Sunday that

some 400 mobilized Russian soldiers were killed in a vocational school building in Makiivka and about 300 more were wounded. The Russian statement said the strike occurred “in the area of Makiivka” and didn’t mention the vocational school.

Meanwhile, Russia deployed multiple exploding drones in another nighttime attack on Ukraine, officials said Monday, as the Kremlin signaled no letup in its strategy of using bombardments to target the country’s energy infrastructure and wear down Ukrainian resistance to its invasion.

The barrage was the latest in a series of relentless year-end attacks, including one that killed three civilians on New Year’s Eve.

On Monday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that 40 drones “headed for Kyiv” overnight. All of them were destroyed, according to air defense forces.

Klitschko said 22 drones were destroyed over Kyiv, three in the outlying Kyiv region and 15 over neighboring provinces.

Energy infrastructure facilities were damaged as the result of the attack and an explosion occurred in one city district, the mayor said. It wasn’t immediately clear whether that was caused by drones or other munitions. A wounded 19-year-old man was hospitalized, Klitschko added, and emergency power outages were underway in the capital.

In the outlying Kyiv region a “critical infrastructure object” and residential buildings were hit, Gov. Oleksiy Kuleba said.

Russia has carried out airstrikes on Ukrainian power and water supplies almost weekly since October.

Ukrainian President Volody -

myr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of “energy terrorism” as the aerial bombardments have left many people without heat amid freezing temperatures. Ukrainian officials say Moscow is “weaponizing winter” in its effort to demoralize the Ukrainian resistance.

Ukraine is using sophisticated Western-supplied weapons to help shoot down Russia’s missiles and drones, as well as send artillery fire into Russian-held areas of the country.

Moscow’s full-scale invasion on February 24 has gone awry, putting pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin as his ground forces struggle to hold ground and advance. He said in his New Year’s address to the nation that 2022 was “a year of difficult, necessary decisions.”

Putin insists he had no choice but to send troops into Ukraine because it threatened Russia’s security—an assertion condemned by the West, which says Moscow bears full responsibility for the war.

Russia is currently observing public holidays through January 8.

Drones, missiles and artillery shells launched by Russian forces also struck areas across Ukraine.

Five people were wounded in the Monday morning shelling of a Ukraine-controlled area of the southern Kherson region, its Ukrainian Gov. Yaroslav Yanushevich said on Telegram.

The Russian forces attacked the city of Beryslav, the official said, firing at a local market, likely from a tank. Three of the wounded are in serious condition and are being evacuated to Kherson, Yanushev -

ich said.

Seven drones were shot down over the southern Mykolaiv region, according to Gov. Vitali Kim, and three more were shot down in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko said.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a missile was also destroyed, according to Reznichenko. He said that energy infrastructure in the region was being targeted.

Ukraine’s Air Force Command reported Monday that 39 Iranianmade exploding Shahed drones were shot down overnight, as well as two Russian-made Orlan drones and a X-59 missile.

“We are staying strong,” the Ukrainian defense ministry tweeted.

A blistering New Year’s Eve assault killed at least four civilians across the country, Ukrainian authorities reported, and wounded dozens. The fourth victim, a 46-year-old resident of Kyiv, died in a hospital on Monday morning, Klitschko said.

Multiple blasts rocked the capital and other areas of Ukraine on Saturday and through the night. The strikes came 36 hours after widespread missile attacks Russia launched Thursday to damage energy infrastructure facilities, and the unusually quick followup alarmed Ukrainian officials.

In Russia, a Ukrainian drone hit an energy facility in the Bryansk region that borders with Ukraine, Bryansk regional governor Alexander Bogomaz reported on Monday morning. A village was left without power as a result, he said.

EU to try again for coordination on China’s Covid-19 policies

By Raf Casert The Associated Press

BRUSSELS—European Union nations will try again on Wednesday to mold a coordinated approach on if and how authorities should check incoming airline passengers from China for any new Covid-19 variants after several member nations announced individual efforts over the past week.

Belgium said late Monday it would be checking wastewater from planes coming in from China to see if it yields new clues about any potentially dangerous variants. It said that it would urge visitors from China who do not feel well to take a Covid-19 test.

More should be done, but only in a coordinated approach among the 27 member states, said Belgian Health Minister Frank Vanden -

broucke. “It would be a good signal toward China if all EU nations would say together: ‘If you come to Europe you have to be tested first,” he told VRT network.

Sweden, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said officials from the member states will hold

an Integrated Political Crisis Response meeting on Wednesday to see if entry requirements throughout the bloc are necessary.

“It is important that we get the necessary measures in place quickly,” said Swedish Health Minister Jakob Forssmed.

EU nations France, Spain and Italy have already announced independent measures to implement tougher Covid-19 measures for passengers arriving from China.

France’s government is requiring negative tests, and is urging French citizens to avoid nonessential travel to China. France is also reintroducing mask requirements on flights from China to France.

Spain’s government said it would require all air passengers coming from China to have negative tests or proof of vaccination. Italy was the first EU member in requiring coronavirus tests for airline passengers coming from China, but several others have said such measures might not be the best option to protect local populations since new variants now coming from China have already been around in Europe, often for many months.

More people ride the subway in China’s biggest cities as Covid starts to peak

NEARLY a dozen major Chinese cities are reporting a recovery in subway use, a sign that an “exit wave” of Covid infections may have peaked in some urban areas.

More and more people are taking the subway in 11 of China’s biggest cities, with Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Nanjing among the latest metropolises to report a rebound in trips over the last week. This comes after places such as Beijing, Zhengzhou and Chongqing, which had already seen subway usage and traffic congestion increasing from a trough reached around mid-December.

Covid cases started soaring across the country from early December after the government suddenly dropped movement restrictions and testing requirements. The reopening initially caused a slump in activity as people stayed home sick or to try and avoid getting sick, but the subway data suggests the worst may be over for some urban areas.

The rise is evidence to support an official statement on Sunday that the Covid outbreak has peaked in the southern manufacturing hub of Guangzhou, where the numbers of patients at fever clinics have been declining since December 23. Last week, health authorities said infections have peaked in Beijing, Tianjin and Chongqing.

That reopening has led to a spike in deaths, although exactly how many people have died is unknown as there is no reliable data being released. It’s also unknown how activities are developing in much of the rest of the country, especially in the vast rural areas.

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, which tracks Chinese stocks listed in Hong Kong, reversed earlier losses to gain as much as 1.9 percent on Tuesday, on course for its best start to a year since 2018. The onshore

yuan also strengthened to a four-month high as traders bet on a further recovery in China’s economy.

The coming weeks leading up to the Lunar New Year, a seven-day public holiday starting from January 21, will be an important window to assess how widespread the rebound in mobility is, as hundreds of millions of Chinese are set to return to their hometowns. Trips before and after the holiday have plummeted since the outbreak of Covid in 2020, but the complete removal of domestic travel restrictions means that many more people may try and go to home for the break. Although mor e people are moving around, they’re not spending freely just yet. Moviegoers have slowly been returning to theaters, but the national box office during the three-day New Year public holiday that just finished was only 554 million yuan ($80.5 million), down 46 percent from the 1.02 billion yuan in the same period in 2022, according to data from online ticketing platform Maoyan Entertainment.

And travel was relatively muted over the holiday, with the number of trips made little changed from a year earlier, while tourism revenue was up just 4 percent compared to the same period in 2022, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said. Tourism revenue was just 35 percent of the levels reached in 2019, while there was only 43 percent the number of trips.

China State Railway Group Co., the national railway operator, aims to transport 2.69 billion passengers in 2023, according to a statement by the company on Tuesday. That’d be a 68 percent jump from the level in 2022, but only 3 percent higher than the 2021 level, according to the statement and official data.

With assistance from Jinshan Hong, Lin Zhu, James Mayger and Lianting Tu/Bloomberg.

South Korea says discussion with US on management of nukes underway

By Hyung-Jin Kim The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea—South Korea reconfirmed Tuesday that Seoul and Washington are discussing its involvement in US nuclear asset management in the face of intensifying North Korean nuclear threats, after President Joe Biden denied that the allies were discussing joint nuclear exercises.

The purported difference came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un entered the new year with a vow to mass-produce battlefield nuclear weapons targeting South Korea and introduce a more powerful intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the mainland US. Some experts say Kim would eventually aim to use his enlarged weapons arsenal to wrest outside concessions like sanctions relief.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in a newspaper interview published Monday that the two countries were pushing for a joint planning and training involving US nuclear assets and that the United States responded positively about the idea.

Asked by a reporter later at the White House about whether the two countries were discussing joint nuclear exercises, Biden replied, “No.”

Yoon’s top adviser for press affairs, Kim Eun-hye, issued a statement Tuesday saying that Seoul and Washington “are discussing an intel-sharing, a joint planning and subsequent joint execution plans over the management of US nuclear assets in response to North Korea’s nuclear [threats].”

Kim said Biden likely answered “no” because a reporter tersely asked him about a nuclear exercise without providing any background information.

In the Chosun Ilbo interview, Yoon said that while the US nuclear weapons belong to the US, planning, intel-sharing and exercises involving them must be jointly conducted with South Korea. He said he finds it difficult to assure his people of a security guarantee with the current levels of US security commitment.

South Korea has no nuclear weapons and is under the protection of a US “nuclear umbrella,” which guarantees a devastating American response in the event of an attack on its ally. But some experts question the effectiveness of such a security commitment, saying the decision to use US nuclear weapons lies with the US president.

Yoon’s office didn’t provide many details

about his government’s discussion with the United States. Some observers say South Korea is seeking to obtain a greater role on US decisionmaking process on the deployment of its nuclear assets in times of tensions with North Korea. Kim Taewoo, a former head of Seoul’s Korea Institute for National Unification, said the reported South Korea-US discussion likely “benchmarked a Nato-style nuclear-sharing arrangement” that allows Nato member states’ warplanes to carry US nuclear weapons. He said the discussion still appears to be falling short of the Nato arrangement because possible nuclear exercises between the two countries would likely be South Korean air force aircraft escorting US aircraft simulating nuclear strikes during joint drills.

“North Korea would take this sensitively. [South Korea and the US] are discussing this to get North Korea to take this sensitively... because that can be a deterrence against North Korea,” Kim Taewoo said.

He said South Korea and the United Sates are likely using unofficial channels to discuss the topic. That allows South Korea to claim it’s discussing the issue with the US at the same time it allows Washington to deny that, he said.

Last year, North Korea performed a record number of weapons tests by launching a variety of ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US mainland and its allies South Korea and Japan. In September, North Korea also adopted a new law authorizing the preemptive use of its bombs in a broad range of cases, including non-war scenarios.

After their annual meeting in November, the defense chiefs of the United States and South Korea issued a joint statement reaffirming the US commitment to providing extended deterrence to South Korea and deploying US strategic assets in a timely and coordinated manner as necessary and identify new steps to reinforce deterrence against North Korean threats. The statement also carried their agreement to bolster the alliance’s information-sharing, joint planning and execution.

During a recently ended ruling party meeting, Kim Jong Un ordered the“exponential” expansion of his country’s nuclear arsenal and the mass-production of tactical nuclear weapons missioned with attacking South Korea, as well as the development of a new ICBM tasked with having a “quick nuclear counterstrike” capability—a weapon he needs to strike the mainland, North Korea’s state media reported Sunday.

LOCAL residents carry their belongings as they leave their home ruined in the Saturday Russian rocket attack in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine on Sunday, January 1, 2023. AP/ANDRIY ANDRIYENKO

PASSENGERS arriving from China wait in front of a Covid-19 testing area set at the Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport, north of Paris on Sunday, January 1, 2023. France says it will require negative Covid-19 tests of all passengers arriving from China and is urging French citizens to avoid nonessential travel to China. AP/AURELIEN MORISSARD

Argentina president seeks impeachment of SC chief

By Patrick Gillespie

PRESIDENT Alberto Fernandez is seeking to impeach the leader of Argentina’s Supreme Court, a maneuver that escalates his recent feud with the court but that’s unlikely to succeed in congress.

Fernandez wrote in a New Year’s Day letter that he has obtained support from some governors to move forward with impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court chief Horacio Rosatti, who last month ordered the federal government to repay funds owed to the city of Buenos Aires, controlled by the opposition.

“In recent months we’ve seen an inadmissible advance by the national judicial power over other powers in Argentina,” Fernandez wrote. “It’s my responsibility to promote actions when the federal system is put into crisis.”

Rosatti is unlikely to be impeached because Argentine law requires two-thirds of the lower house to agree to bring forward accusations against him, and the same majority in the Senate to support the case. Fernandez’s coalition, already struggling to hold

together before presidential elections later this year, lacks that presence in the legislature.

Fernandez initially refused to obey the court order to transfer the money, and then said he would pay back the city in bonds maturing in 2031, which city leaders have rejected.

The case stems from a conflict in 2020 when Fernandez took federal funds away from the city and gave them to the province of Buenos Aires, controlled by his coalition. The money was meant to pay for police salary increases. The president justified the move on the grounds that the city is far wealthier per capita than the province. Bloomberg News

Turkey inflation sharply drops to 64% in boost to Erdogan

ANKARA, Turkey—Inflation in Turkey showed a sharp drop in December thanks mainly to a favorable base effect—a development that could help President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s standing before an election, but is unlikely to bring relief to households suffering from a cost of living crisis.

Consumer prices for the year rose by 64.27 percent in December, the Turkish Statistical Institute announced on Tuesday, down from 84.39 percent reported in November.

It’s the second month in a row that inflation has eased after hitting a 24-year high of 85.5 percent in October. The fall is attributed to a base effect, with a high index from a year ago statistically bringing the inflation rate down.

While the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have stoked inflation around the world, experts say higher prices in Turkey were fueled by Erdogan’s belief that high borrowing costs lead to higher prices. Traditional economic thinking says that raising rates helps bring inflation under control.

Last year, Turkey’s central bank slashed interest rates by 5 percentage points, down to 9 percent de -

spite high inflation. In contrast, central banks around the world raised rates to fight soaring inflation.

Erdogan, who faces an election in June, had promised a drop in the inflation rate in the new year and is likely to tout the fall in consumer prices during his electoral campaign.

In steps geared toward the election, the Turkish president has raised the minimum wage by 55 percent to ease economic hardships and also announced a measure that would allow more than 2 million people to retire early despite warnings of the move’s additional budgetary burden.

According to official data, consumer prices rose 1.2 percent in December on a monthly basis, compared to 2.9 percent in November.

The sharpest increases in annual prices were in the housing sector, at nearly 80 percent, followed by food and nonalcoholic drinks prices at 78 percent.

Meanwhile, some economists have questioned the state institutes’ figures. The Inflation Research Group—made up of independent academics and experts—said Tuesday that Turkey’s true inflation rate for December is 135.55 percent. AP

65,000 view Benedict XVI’s body lying in state at Vatican

By Giada Zampano & Frances D’emilio The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY—Pope

Emeritus Benedict XVI’s body, his head resting on a pair of crimson pillows, lay in state in St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday as tens of thousands queued to pay tribute to the pontiff who shocked the world by retiring a decade ago.

On the eve of the first of three days of viewing, Italian security officials had said at least 25,00030,000 people would come on Monday. But by the end of the first day’s viewing, some 65,000 persons had passed by the bier, the Vatican said.

As daylight broke, 10 whitegloved Papal Gentlemen—lay assistants to pontiffs and papal households—carried the body on a cloth-covered wooden stretcher after its arrival at the basilica to its resting place in front of the main altar under Bernini’s towering bronze canopy.

A Swiss Guard saluted as Benedict’s body was brought in through a side door after it was transferred in a van from the chapel of the monastery grounds where the increasingly frail, 95-year-old former pontiff died on Saturday morning.

His longtime secretary, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, and a handful of consecrated laywomen who served in Benedict’s household, followed the van by foot for a few hundred yards in a silent procession toward the basilica. Some of the women stretched out a hand to touch the body with respect.

Before the rank-and-file faithful were allowed into the basilica, prayers were recited and the basilica’s archpriest, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, sprinkled holy water over the body, and a small cloud of incense was released near the bier. Benedict’s hands were clasped, a rosary around his fingers.

Just after 9 a.m. (0800 GMT), the doors of the basilica were swung open so the public, some of whom had waited for hours in the pre-dawn damp, could pay their respects to the late pontiff, who retired from the papacy in 2013—the first pope to do so in 600 years.

Faithful and curious, the public strode briskly up the center aisle

to pass by the bier with its cloth draping after waiting in a line that by midmorning snaked around St. Peter’s Square.

Benedict’s body was dressed with a miter, the peaked headgear of a bishop, and a red cloak.

Filippo Tuccio, 35, said he came from Venice on an overnight train to view Benedict’s body.

“I wanted to pay homage to Benedict because he had a key role in my life and my education,” Tuccio said.

“When I was young I participated in World Youth Days,’’ he said, referring to the jamborees of young faithful held periodically and attended by pontiffs. Tuccio added that he had studied theology, and “his pontificate accompanied me during my university years.”

“He was very important for me: for what I am, my way of thinking, my values,” Tuccio continued.

Among those coming to the basilica viewing was Cardinal Walter Kasper, like Benedict, a German theologian. Kasper served as head of the Vatican’s Christian unity office during Benedict’s papacy.

Benedict left an “important mark” on theology and spirituality, but also on the history of the papacy with his courage to step aside, Kasper told The Associated Press.

“This resignation wasn’t a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength, a greatness because he saw that he was no longer up to the challenges of being pope,” Kasper said.

Kasper, who was among the cardinals who elected Benedict to the papacy in 2005, added that the resignation gave “a more human vision to the papacy: that the pope is a man and is dependent on his physical and mental strengths.”

Public viewing was set for 10 hours on Monday, and 12 hours each on Tuesday and Wednesday before Thursday morning’s fu -

neral, which will be led by Pope Francis, at St. Peter’s Square.

As Benedict desired, the funeral will marked by simplicity, the Vatican said when announcing the death on Saturday.

Workers on Monday were setting up an altar in the square for the funeral Mass. Also being arranged were rows of chairs for the faithful who want to attend the funeral. Authorities said they expected about 60,000 to come for the Mass.

On Monday, the Vatican confirmed widely reported burial plans. In keeping with his wishes, Benedict’s tomb will be in the crypt of the grotto under the basilica that was last used by St. John Paul II, before the saint’s body was moved upstairs into the main basilica ahead of his 2011 beatification, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said.

At two sides of the piazza’s colonnade, viewers went through the usual security measures required for tourists entering the basilica— passing through metal detectors and screening bags through an Xray machine.

Marina Ferrante, 62, was among them.

“I think his main legacy was teaching us how to be free,” she said. “He had a special intelligence in saying what was essential in his faith and that was contagious” for other faithful. “The thing I thought when he died was that I would like to be as free as he was.”

While venturing that the shy, bookworm German churchman and theologian and the current Argentine-born pontiff had different temperaments, Ferrante said: “I believe there’s a continuity between him and Pope Francis

and whoever understands the real relationship between them and Christ can see that.”

An American man who lives in Rome called the opportunity to view the body “an amazing experience.” Mountain Butorac, 47, who is originally from Atlanta, said he arrived 90 minutes before dawn.

“I loved Benedict, I loved him as a cardinal [Joseph Ratzinger], when he was elected pope and also after he retired,” Butorac said. “I think he was a sort of people’s grandfather living in the Vatican.”

With an organ and choir’s soft rendition of “Kyrie Eleison” (“Lord, have mercy” in ancient Greek) in the background, ushers moved well-wishers along at a steady clip down the basilica’s center aisle.. Someone left a red rose.

A few VIPs had a moment before the general public to pay their respects, including Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, the far-right leader who in the past has professed admiration for the conservative leanings of Benedict.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella also came to view the body. The Vatican has said only two nations’ official delegations—from Italy and from Benedict’s native Germany—were invited formally to the funeral, since the pope emeritus was no longer head of state.

Sister Regina Brand was among the mourners who came to the square before dawn.

“He’s a German pope and I am from Germany,” she said. “And I am here to express my gratitude and love, and I want to pray for him and to see him.”

Choppers collide over Australian tourist hot spot, 4 people dead

By Courtney Walsh The Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Austra -

lia—Two helicopters collided in an Australian tourist hot spot Monday afternoon, killing four people and critically injuring three others in a crash that drew emergency aid from beachgoers enjoying the water during the southern summer.

One helicopter was taking off and the other landing when they collided near the Sea World theme park in Main Beach, a northern beach on the Gold Coast, Gary Worrell, Queensland state police acting inspector, said at a news conference.

One helicopter landed safely

on a sandbank, but debris from the other was spread across an area police described as difficult to access.

The dead and three most seriously injured people were all in the crashed helicopter. The pilot was killed and three of its six passengers.

“Members of the public and police tried to remove the people and they commenced first aid and tried to get those people to safety from an airframe that was upside down,” Worrell said.

“[People on] Jet Skis, family boaters, ordinary members of the public rushed to assist these people.”

Passengers in the other helicopter, which lost its windscreen

in the crash, also received medical assistance.

Footage of the crash showed a helicopter shortly after takeoff being clipped by another helicopter flying over the water.

Sea World Helicopters, a separate company from the theme park, expressed its condolences and said it was cooperating with the authorities handling the crash investigation.

“We and the entire flying community are devastated by what has happened and our sincere condolences go to all those involved and especially the loved ones and family of the deceased,” the statement said.

The company operated both helicopters. It said in the statement

it would not comment further because of the investigation.

A witness named John told Melbourne radio station 3AW that patrons at Sea World heard the crash. He said staff at the theme park moved swiftly to close off areas closest to the crash.

“There was a massive, massive bang,” he said. “It was just huge. I’m not sure if it was the propellers or whatever hitting against each other. But there was this poor lady and her son near the helipad in tears.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the accident was an “unthinkable tragedy.”

“My deepest sympathies are with each of the families and everyone affected by this terrible accident,” she said.

Trisha Thomas and Nicole Winfield contributed to this report.

ARGENTINA President Alberto Fernandez BLOOMBERG

TWO crashed helicopters sit on the sand at a collision scene near Seaworld, on the Gold Coast of Australia on Monday, January 2, 2023. The 2 helicopters collided killing several passengers and critically injuring a few others in a crash that drew emergency aid from beachgoers enjoying the water during the southern summer. DAVE HUNT/AAP IMAGE VIA AP

IN this image released on Monday, January 2, 2023, by the Vatican Media news service, the body of late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is lied out in state inside St. Peter’s Basilica at The Vatican where thousands went to pay their homage. Pope Benedict, the German theologian who will be remembered as the first pope in 600 years to resign, has died, the Vatican announced Saturday, December 31, 2022. He was 95. VATICAN MEDIA VIA AP

editorial

What caused onion prices to skyrocket?

Filipinos are fond of saying that something expensive is priced like gold. “Parang ginto na ang presyo,” they would often say when something is exorbitantly priced. And this expression is often used nowadays to describe the cost of certain commodities like red onion, which has skyrocketed to as much as p700 per kilogram.

Based on the monitoring of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the price of red and yellow onions sold in Metro Manila wet markets ranged from P550 to P700 per kilo as of January 2. The price of red onions averaged P625 per kilo, while the average price of white onions reached P650 per kilo in Metro Manila. The most expensive red onions are in the Marikina Public Market, where they were being sold for as much as P700 per kilo.

The prices seen in Metro Manila wet markets in recent weeks were a far cry from those recorded in 2021. Based on the price monitoring conducted by the DA on January 4, 2021, the prevailing price of locally produced red onion reached P140 per kilo, while imports cost P100 per kilo. Imported white onions were cheaper at P80 per kilo.

Data from the DA also indicated that the average price of red onions on January 3, 2022 was at P216 per kilo, significantly lower than the prices recorded on January 2. The spike in prices would indicate that the commodity is in short supply. The continuous reopening of the Philippine economy and the holidays may have exacerbated the onion supply shortfall that the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) had signaled during a public hearing in August 2022.

Agriculture officials had warned lawmakers in August 2022 that the country would suffer a shortage in onion and garlic. In particular, BPI Assistant Director Ariel J. Bayot said yellow onion would be in short supply toward the remaining months of 2022 (See, “PHL to suffer white onion, garlic shortage,” in the BusinessMirror, August 31, 2022). The DA, however, assured consumers that the country would end 2022 with a sufficient supply of red onions.

During the hearing, the DA said the country’s onion supply for 2022 would be more than enough to meet total demand. It estimated that total supply, including imported volume would be at 343,427 metric tons, exceeding the demand pegged at 288,344 MT. When the public hearing was conducted, the price of locally produced onion averaged only P140 per kilo, based on the DA’s price monitoring dated August 31, 2021.

The self-sufficiency ratio of onion in 2021 was only at 68.2 percent, which means the country had to import nearly 32 percent of its onion requirement that year. Despite this, the price of locally produced red onion sold in Metro Manila wet markets averaged only P200 per kilo on December 31, 2021.

How it got to the point where the price of a kilogram of onion exceeded the minimum wage by the time the holidays rolled around is something that the national government and lawmakers should look into. At the very least, the investigation should identify the missteps that led to it so that mechanisms could be put in place to prevent the prices of onion and other agricultural commodities from spiraling out of control.

Merkel admits Minsk meant to buy Ukraine time

LITO GAGNI

The cat is now out of the bag. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s admission that the Minsk 1 and Minsk 2 peace protocols that sought to solve the problem of the Donbas region in Ukraine was not really meant for what it was supposedly intended to do: to have peace in that Russian-speaking populace. it was actually designed to rearm Ukraine.

That is what Merkel had admitted in an interview with German weekly Die Zeit in what is now evolving as a ruse from the West to build the military capability of Ukraine. We have to admire Merkel for her candid statement about Minsk that has now been pounced upon by those who saw the fakery that attended the supposed peace protocols for Donbas.

And what a letdown it was to know that the Minsk peace agreements that were forged in Belarus’ capital that took into accounts the voice of the two separatist leaders in Luhansk and Donetsk was not really aimed at resolving the then ongoing conflict in the Donbas region, which by the way was the birthplace of two Soviet leaders, Nikita Khruschev and Leonid Brezhnev.

According to Merkel, who reigned for 16 years in Germany, the Minsk

agreement served to buy time to rearm Ukraine. “The 2014 Minsk agreement was an attempt to give Ukraine time,” Merkel told the weekly  Die Zeit. “It also used this time to become stronger, as you can see today.” Now that the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, what can the West say about this clear admission of deceit?

Sad to say, what is happening because of the effects of the Ukraine crisis that has engulfed much of the world—from inflation spikes to higher energy prices to food insecurity—began from what can be viewed as a proxy war that the West wants to wage against Russia for reasons known only to them, much like in the then narrative that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction.

Well, Iraq was in shambles but the weapons were nowhere to be

According to Merkel, who reigned for 16 years in Germany, the Minsk agreement served to buy time to rearm Ukraine. “The 2014 Minsk agreement was an attempt to give Ukraine time,” Merkel told the weekly Die Zeit. “It also used this time to become stronger, as you can see today.” Now that the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, what can the West say about this clear admission of deceit?

seen, supposedly the reason for the invasion of that Middle Eastern country. And now comes this Merkel admission that has been pounced upon by the World Socialist Website, which had been postulated long ago as the real reason for the Ukraine crisis.

For Peter Schwarz, what was all the more remarkable is her admission that the Minsk agreement served to buy time for Ukraine’s rearmament.

“It was clear to all of us that this was a frozen conflict, that the problem had not been solved, but that is precisely what gave Ukraine valuable time,” Merkel told Die Zeit

Previously, the Minsk agreement, which Merkel signed together with the-French President François Hollande, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin in September 2014, had been portrayed as an effort to-

wards peace that the Russian president had allegedly later thwarted.

Now, Merkel confirmed that Nato wanted war from the start but needed time to prepare militarily—an assessment WSWS has long held. Schwarz held the view that “since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the US has pursued the goal of remaining the “sole world power.”

To this end, Washington has waged numerous criminal wars and expanded Nato into Eastern Europe. Now it also wants to integrate Ukraine, Georgia and other former Soviet republics into Nato and subjugate Russia in order to plunder its resources and isolate China.

What is troubling also, from that Schwarz viewpoint, is the fact that “the German government is using the Ukraine war to press its claim to become the leading European power and a major military power. Merkel’s third government, a grand coalition of the Christian Democrats (CDU/ CSU) and SPD, has placed this goal at the center of its program in 2013. In terms of foreign policy, it thus follows the template of the great power plans of the Kaiserreich (Imperial Empire) and the Nazi regime.”

With this perspective that allowed us to view Ukraine from the fakery that is Minsk, is it any wonder that the West continues to pump more weapons into Ukraine in a crisis that actually was meant to be nipped in the bud with Minsk?

China’s economy ends year in slump as Covid infections surge

Official data over the weekend showed the decline in manufacturing worsened last month, while activity in the services sector plunged the most since February 2020.

Separately, a private survey of businesses by China Beige Book International on Monday suggests the economy contracted in the fourth quarter from a year earlier.

China’s abrupt ditching of strict Covid controls in December fueled a surge in infections in major cities, prompting people to stay home as they fell ill or feared becoming infected.

While the outbreak has likely peaked in places like Beijing, and economic activity is starting to rebound there, the virus is spreading fast across the country. A likely travel rush during the Lunar New Year holiday in late January could see cases spread to rural areas, disrupting activity in the first quarter.

Citigroup Inc. economists said December could be the low point for PMI and a recovery could be on the

cards in coming months.

“A more broad-based recovery could start with peak infection,” Citigroup’s chief China economist Yu Xiangrong and his colleagues wrote in a note. “In addition, January and the Chinese New Year have traditionally been a low season for the Chinese economy.”

A private PMI survey on Tuesday confirmed the worsening decline in December. The Caixin manufacturing index—which covers mainly smaller, export-oriented businesses—dropped to 49 from 49.4 in November. Businesses were optimistic about the future though, with confidence in the 12-month outlook climbing to a 10-month high.

“China’s growth prospects have been improving with the reopening accelerating,” said Zhou Hao, chief economist at Guotai Junan International Holdings. “Overall, the darkest hour is gone.”

Economists expect a faster rebound once the infection wave peaks, with growth forecast to accelerate

“December’s deeper contraction in the Caixin manufacturing PMI underscores the short-term damage from China’s abrupt Covid Zero exit. The survey suggests surging virus cases are taking a heavier toll on the demand-side of the economy.

to 4.8 percent this year from an estimated 3 percent in 2022.

“December’s deeper contraction in the Caixin manufacturing PMI underscores the short-term damage from China’s abrupt Covid Zero exit. The survey suggests surging virus cases are taking a heavier toll on the demand-side of the economy. This aligns with the grim message from the official PMI over the weekend, but a sub-index showing plans for higher future production offers a silver lining. It indicates firms may already be looking forward to the eventual boost from reopening,” said Chang Shu, Bloomberg chief Asia economist.

Stock investors have turned more bullish for the new year amid bets that China’s reopening from Covid curbs, while chaotic to begin with, will eventually boost the economy and corporate profits.

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, which tracks Chinese firms listed in Hong Kong, has surged 36% in the last two months, beating a broader index of Asian equities by more than 20 percentage points. The index is expected to rebound in 2023 after capping a third straight year of declines—a record losing streak since its inception in 1994.

Still, the recovery is likely to be bumpy and economic activity remains well below pre-pandemic levels.

Travel was relatively muted over the just passed three-day New Year holiday. The number of trips made was little changed from a year earlier, while tourism revenue was up 4 percent compared to the same period in 2022, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said. Tourism revenue was just 35.1 percent of the levels reached in 2019, while the number of trips were 42.8 percent.

Policy support

T HE lifting of the Covid curbs in December came at a time when the economy was already quite weak. Covid restrictions had pushed consumer and business sentiment close to record lows, the property market

ChinA’s economy ended the year in a major slump as business and consumer spending plunged in December, with more disruption likely in the first few months of the year as Covid infections surge across the country.

Samsung veteran sounds alarm on Korea losing global chip war

By Sohee Kim | Bloomberg News

IN three decades at Samsung Electronics Co., Yang Hyang-ja helped shape the 84-year-old conglomerate’s present dominance in global memory chipmaking. Now, she’s taking on a far broader challenge: ensuring Korea remains relevant as the US and China fight over semiconductors.

Yang, who rose from a researcher’s assistant at the storied company before heading the key memory chip development division, is the lead architect of a nationwide effort to fund and galvanize its domestic chip industry. Her mission is surging in importance as the US, China and Japan pour billions into building up their own chip supply chains, clouding Korea’s future role in semiconductors, she told Bloomberg Television.

It’s a matter of national security, she said, echoing the views of those in Washington and Beijing who’re funneling talent, money and policy support into the development of the slivers of silicon powering future technologies from artificial intelligence and the metaverse to nextgeneration computing and—notably—military capability.

“We’re in a chip war,” Yang said in a December interview. “Technology supremacy is a way that our country can take the lead in any securityrelated agenda, such as diplomatic and defense issues, without being swayed by other nations.”

Yang, who leads a 13-member special committee President Yoon Suk Yeol’s ruling party formed this year to brainstorm a solution, has argued that only through strong and direct intervention can Seoul expand its position in the $550 billion global semiconductor industry. She’s one of a growing number of global policy makers who have embraced tech protectionism after pandemic-driven logistics snarls highlighted countries’ dependence on one another for key electronic components. She’s won an ally in Yoon, who has joined Yang’s calls for more policies to help the country’s homegrown chip sector, which includes SK Hynix Inc. as well as Samsung.

Her efforts may be starting to bear fruit. Last month, parliament passed Korea’s version of the US Chips Act. Spearheaded by Yang, the move expedites the approval process to build factories in the metropolitan area, while increasing the number of techspecialized schools. Separately, parliament passed an initial bill offering a tax credit of 8 percent to big firms investing in semiconductor manufacturing, far smaller than Yang’s proposal of 20 percent to 25 percent.

Those gestures are a far cry from the billions of dollars in subsidies that other countries are committing to chip production, said Yang, adding that short-term political interests are blinding fellow lawmakers at the National Assembly. Some of her peers have argued, in turn, that overly generous incentives threaten government finances and would only benefit big companies.

On Tuesday, the finance ministry announced a plan to increase the tax break on big companies’ capex to as much as 25 percent. It’s unusual for an administration to propose substantive changes so soon after law-

It’s a matter of national security, she said, echoing the views of those in Washington and Beijing who’re funneling talent, money and policy support into the development of the slivers of silicon powering future technologies from artificial intelligence and the metaverse to next-generation computing and—notably—military capability.

makers pass a bill.

Unless the government steps up its incentives, more Korean companies could move their major production facilities to the US, and take their best engineers with them, Yang said.

Samsung plans to build a $17 billion semiconductor plant in Texas, and has floated the possibility of spending almost $200 billion on a series of plants in Austin and Taylor.

Korea has a unique opportunity to counter this trend, Yang said. Taiwan—where Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is based—produces the majority of leading-edge chips controlling the newest iPhones, servers and supercomputers. That’s triggered calls worldwide to diversify production away from an island that China claims and has threatened to invade.

“Samsung is the only company in the world that can fill in for TSMC,” said Yang.

Yang, who first joined politics in 2016 at the encouragement of former President Moon Jae-in, is an independent lawmaker who left the Democratic Party in 2021 amid criticism about her response to a sexual assault case against one of her aides, who was also a relative. Yang later apologized. A police investigation yielded no charges against the lawmaker.

Chip policy takes up her time now. Escalating sanctions on advanced technology are putting increased pressure on the country to choose between the US, its security ally, and China, its biggest trade partner. Both have asked South Korea to expand chip production partnerships.

But Seoul has sidestepped explicit comments regarding its commitment to the Biden administration’s sanctions on exports of US-affiliated knowhow to China.

That delicate situation highlights the need for Korea to build its own domestic technological capabilities—or risk growing ever more beholden to foreign powers, Yang said.

This is the time to offer Korean companies more incentives to build production capacity at home, rather than abroad, Yang said. The country needs to do more to keep young talent, she said.

“How else would our country survive?” she said. “It’d become a new technological colony.” With assistance from Emily Yamamoto / Bloomberg.

Recalling Benedict’s grace but also the storms of his papacy

By Victor L. Simpson | The Associated Press

ROME—Flying back to Rome from Beirut in September 2012, I was escorted down the aisle to the first-class section of the papal plane and seated beside Pope Benedict XVI.

The pope, then 85, looked and sounded weary. He had just completed a delicate, two-day visit to Lebanon as civil war raged in neighboring Syria.

It was my 92nd such trip: The first was with Pope John Paul II, the master of papal globe-trotting, and then over the past eight years with Benedict.

Because I was planning to retire, Benedict’s trip to Beirut was to be my last, and Vatican officials thought I should share the moment with him.

What I didn’t know at the time was that it was to be his last trip, too. In a few months, he would become the first pope to resign in 600 years.

On that flight, Benedict was clearly tired, but he remained as congenial as always.

“Congratulations on your retirement,’’ he said in a soft voice, speaking in his German-accented Italian that often made Italians chuckle.

When I told him that I had covered the Vatican for more than 30 years, he looked surprised. He sounded wistful as he said my retirement “is much deserved.”

I have always wondered whether our encounter led him to think about any plans of his own that he had not yet revealed to the world. The retirement date that he announced later was February 28—the exact date that I had chosen to retire.

On the plane, Benedict appeared

pleased with our chat and seemed to be in no rush to end it—it was his aides who motioned to me that it was time to return to my seat.

“Gracious” is always a word I associate with Benedict, who was perpetually ready to shake hands and say something appropriate for the occasion.

In the Netflix drama “The Two Popes,” Benedict, as played by Anthony Hopkins, is depicted as uncompromising in his belief that the survival of the Roman Catholic Church can only be ensured by a return to its core principles.

Yet in his own way, Benedict was a revolutionary.

He was one to stand his ground and not back down, whatever outside pressures he came under. But he also seemed almost oblivious to the storms he would create.

When the inevitable questions arose about his past in Nazi Germany, he could point out he had covered that territory in several interviews done years before becoming pope: his mandatory membership in the Hitler Youth as a teenager; being drafted into the military near the end of the war; his desertion and surrender to the Americans.

He thus avoided controversies faced by others who were less honest about their histories. That certainly smoothed the way for his papal visits to the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz, to Israel and to synagogues in Rome

When Benedict made his first trip to Africa, a French reporter asked in a news conference aboard the flight to Cameroon in 2009 whether condoms could play a role in fighting HIV. “On the contrary, it (condom use) increases the problem,” he said.

and New York.

It was fascinating to hear him chat in German with Rabbi Arthur Schneirer, the Vienna-born rabbi, during a stop at New York’s Park East Synagogue. They sounded like two old friends.

In one of the major crises of his papacy, a speech aimed at promoting tolerance among religions ended up provoking anger—and even some violence—in the Islamic community.

In a 2006 speech at Regensburg University in Germany, where he once served as a professor of theology, Benedict quoted a 14th-century Byzantine emperor who called Islam “evil and inhumane, such as his (the Prophet Muhammad’s) command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”

The remarks drew swift condemnation in the Muslim world, but Benedict appeared surprised that what he saw as a scholarly discourse could create such rancor.

He said he “deeply regretted” that some took offense, but that he needed to insist that religion can never be a motivation for violence.

Years later, his former spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Benedict knew exactly what he meant with his remark.

When Benedict made his first trip

New Congress to convene, but will McCarthy be House speaker?

By Lisa Mascaro | AP Congressional Correspondent

WASHINGTON—The new Congress opens with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy grasping for his political survival, with the potential to become the first nominee for speaker in 100 years to fail to win initial support from his own colleagues in a high-stakes vote for the gavel.

Lawmakers convene Tuesday to a new era of divided government as Democrats relinquish control of the House after midterm election losses. While the Senate remains in Democratic hands, barely, House Republicans are eager to confront President Joe Biden’s agenda after two years of a Democratic Party monopoly on power in Washington.

But first, House Republicans must elect a speaker.

McCarthy is in line to replace Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but he heads into the vote with no guarantee of success. The California Republican faces entrenched detractors within his own ranks. Despite attempts to cajole, harangue and win them over—even with an endorsement from former President Donald Trump—McCarthy has fallen short.

The noontime showdown could very well devolve into a prolonged House floor fight, a spectacle that divides the Republican Party, weakens its leadership and consumes the first days of the new Congress.

tive enough or tough enough to battle Democrats. It’s reminiscent of the last time Republicans took back the House majority, after the 2010 midterms, when the tea-party class ushered in a new era of hardball politics, eventually sending Speaker John Boehner to an early retirement.

Typically it takes a majority of the House’s 435 members, 218 votes, to become the speaker. With just a slim 222-seat majority, McCarthy can afford only a handful of detractors. A speaker can win with fewer than 218 votes, as Pelosi and Boehner did, if some lawmakers are absent or simply vote present.

But McCarthy has failed to win over a core—and potentially growing—group of right-flank Republicans led by the conservative Freedom Caucus, despite weeks of closed-door meetings and promised changes to the House rules. Nearly a dozen Republicans have publicly raised concerns about McCarthy.

McCarthy is in line to replace Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but he heads into the vote with no guarantee of success. The California Republican faces entrenched detractors within his own ranks.

Despite attempts to cajole, harangue and win them over— even with an endorsement from former President Donald Trump—McCarthy has fallen short.

own campaign, “Only Kevin,” as a way to shut down the opposition and pledge their support only to him.

A viable challenger to McCarthy had yet to emerge. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., a former leader of the Freedom Caucus, was running against McCarthy as a conservative option, but was not expected to pull a majority. McCarthy defeated him in the November nominating contest, 188-31.

The second-ranking House Republican, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, would be an obvious next choice, a conservative widely liked by his colleagues and seen by some as a hero after surviving a brutal mass shooting during a congressional baseball game practice in 2017.

to Africa, a French reporter asked in a news conference aboard the flight to Cameroon in 2009 whether condoms could play a role in fighting HIV.

“On the contrary, it (condom use) increases the problem,” he said.

Journalists and others on the plane were baffled by the response, which contradicted the views of health workers and many of his own priests battling the disease on the continent.

He backtracked a bit a year later, saying that condom use could be a first step toward a more moral behavior to prevent the spread of HIV. It was the kind of clarification that was a sign of the lingering confusion and Vatican infighting that marked Benedict’s papacy.

In the years after his resignation, Benedict turned increasingly fragile and remained out of public view in a monastery inside the walls of Vatican City. He mainly devoted himself to prayer.

But his contributions to the church, which included opening the way for Pope Francis, were not forgotten by his Argentine successor. In 2021, when Benedict was 94, Francis issued a public thank you to the German on the 70th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.

“To you Benedict, dear father and brother, goes our affection, our gratitude and our closeness,” Francis said. Victor L. Simpson covered the Vatican for The Associated Press from his arrival as a correspondent in Rome in 1972 to his retirement as Italy bureau chief in 2013. During that period, he covered the final months of Pope Paul VI, the 33-day tenure of Pope John Paul I, and the papacies of St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI, including 92 of their trips abroad.

tration that are expected to be core to the Republicans’ agenda. The upheaval in the House on the first day of the new session could be in stark contrast to the other side of the Capitol, where Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell will officially become the chamber’s longest-serving party leader in history.

Despite being in the minority in the Senate, where Democrats hold a slim 51-49 majority, McConnell could prove to be a viable partner as Biden seeks bipartisan victories in the new era of divided government. The two men were expected to appear together later in the week in the GOP leader’s home state of Kentucky to celebrate federal infrastructure investment in a vital bridge that connects Kentucky and Ohio.

McCarthy’s candidacy for speaker should have been an almost sure thing. Affable and approachable, he led his party into the majority, having raised millions of campaign dollars and traveled the country to recruit many of the newer lawmakers to run for office.

Yet McCarthy has been here before, abruptly dropping out of the speaker’s race in 2015 when it was clear he did not have support from conservatives to replace Boehner.

is in a record slump and overseas appetite for Chinese goods has plummeted.

China Beige Book, a provider of independent data, said its surveys suggest the economy grew only 2 percent last year.

“With the ongoing Covid tidal wave, investment sliding to a 10-quarter low, and new orders continuing to get battered, a meaningful first-quarter recovery is increasingly unrealistic,” said Derek Scissors, chief economist at CBBI.

Policymakers have pledged more fiscal and monetary support to aid the economy’s recovery this year. The Ministry of Finance said last week fiscal spending will be expanded “appropriately” in 2023 with the use of policy tools like the budget deficit. The central bank also vowed to support domestic demand and maintain credit growth.

China will likely cut interest rates and the reserve requirement ratio for banks in the first half of the year, while raising the fiscal deficit ratio for 2023, according to a survey of economists published in state media on Tuesday. With assistance from James Mayger and Shikhar Balwani / Bloomberg.

“This is a lot more important than about one person,” said Doug Heye, a former Republican leadership senior aide. “It’s about whether Republicans will be able to govern.”

House Republicans will huddle behind closed doors early in the morning, ahead of the floor action, as newly elected lawmakers arrive for what’s traditionally a celebratory day. Families in tow, the members of the new Congress prepare to be sworn into the House and Senate for the start of the two-year legislative session.

A new generation of Trumpaligned Republicans are leading the opposition to McCarthy, inspired by the former president’s Make America Great Again slogan. They don’t think McCarthy is conserva-

“Kevin McCarthy doesn’t have to 218 votes to be speaker,” Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chairman of the Freedom Caucus and a leader in Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “Unless something dramatically changes, that’s where we’re going to be.”

Late Monday evening, McCarthy met with Perry in the speaker’s office at the Capitol, a Republican aide confirmed on condition of anonymity to discuss the private session.

Yet the prospect of holdouts causing havoc on Day One has launched a counter-offensive from Republicans who are frustrated that the detractors threaten the workings of the new Congress.

A sizable but less vocal group of McCarthy supporters started its

Once rivals, McCarthy and Scalise have become a team. Scalise’s office rejected as “false” a suggestion Monday by another Republican that Scalise was making calls about the speaker’s race.

McCarthy vowed to fight to the finish, going multiple rounds of painstaking floor votes—a sight unseen in Congress since the disputed speaker’s race of 1923.

“It would be nice if we can be ready to go on January 3,” said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who is set to become chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. “But you know, if it doesn’t happen on the first ballot, that’s when that just pushes things back.”

Without a speaker, the House cannot fully form—naming its committee chairmen, engaging in floor proceedings and launching the investigations of the Biden adminis-

One core ask from the holdouts this time is that McCarthy reinstate a rule that allows any single lawmaker to make a “motion to vacate the chair”—in short, to call a vote to remove the speaker from office.

Pelosi eliminated the rule after conservatives used it to threaten Boehner’s ouster, but McCarthy agreed to add it back in—but at a higher threshold, requiring at least five lawmakers to sign on to the motion.

“I will work with everyone in our party to build conservative consensus,” McCarthy wrote in a weekend letter to colleagues.

As McCarthy convened a New Year’s Day conference call with Republican lawmakers to unveil the new House rules package, Perry dashed off a fresh letter of concerns signed by eight others Republicans that the changes do not go far enough.

EO EXTENDING LOWER TARIFF ON MDM HANGS

LOCAL meat processors urged President Marcos Jr. to issue the new executive order (EO) that would extend the lower tariff rate on mechanically deboned meat (MDM) of poultry to prevent the possible “aggravation” of port congestion in the country.

T he United Broiler Raisers Association’s President Elias Jose Inciong argued, however, that the tariff rate on poultry MDM should now revert to 40 percent since the Executive branch has not issued a new EO extending the lower tariff rate.

“ We are eagerly awaiting issuance by the President of the EO retaining MDM tariff at 5 percent,” the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (Pampi) told the BusinessMirror on Tuesday.

“ We understand that the EO will be issued as part of anti-inflation measures along with that of pork, rice and corn,” Pampi added.

E O 123, which imposed a nearly twoyear 5-percent tariff rate on poultry MDM, lapsed last January 1.

Under the said EO, which was issued by former President Rodrigo Duterte, the tariff rate on poultry MDM should revert to 40 percent beginning January 1, 2023 unless the lower tariff rate has been extended.

Pampi earlier petitioned before the Tariff Commission (TC) for the retention and extension of the lower tariff rate on poultry MDM for three years or until 2025.

T he TC held a public hearing on Pampi’s petition last October 27, 2022.

T C documents showed that the government body submitted its report to the Department of Trade and Industry and the National Economic and Development Authority only last December 19, 2022.

T he group argued that the immediate issuance of a new EO would prevent an

“aggravation” of port congestion in the country since it would avert shipments from being held at ports due to lack of proper guidance on tariff rates.

“ We hope the EO is issued immediately as MDM shipments are coming in. MDM arrivals are programmed to ensure there is no disruption in production and supply of finished goods,” it said.

Also, the early issuance of the EO will prevent aggravation of port congestion as shipments will be released immediately instead of being held at port while waiting for EO,” it added.

Poultry MDM is a vital raw material used by local meat processors in manufacturing processed meat products such as hot dogs, luncheon meat, among others.

UBRA: Rate should revert to 40%

UBRA’S Inciong said the tariff rate on poultry MDM should go back to 40 percent in the absence of a new Executive order extending the lower tariff rate.

The government should give it a try. They have been following the arguments of the processors all these years. Give the government a break in terms of revenues,” Inciong told the BusinessMirror

Pampi earlier argued that keeping the lower tariff rate on poultry MDM would help temper the increase in food prices and keep the national economy afloat.

(Related story: https:// businessmirror .com.ph/2022/10/28/foodprices-stable-with-tariffs-on-mdm/)

“Pampi’s petition is intended primarily to support the administration’s determined efforts to keep the national economy stable and help control inflation, especially food inflation,” Ong said during a public hearing before the TC last October. J asper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

Additional routes on hold for PAL, CEB amid China ‘reopening’

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

PIONEERING flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) may hold off on expanding its routes to mainland China and wait until the Covid-19 cases there decrease.

I n a text exchange with the BusinessMirror , PAL President and COO Capt. Stanley Ng said in a mix of English and Filipino, “We are actually looking at a summer schedule for China. End of March. So we’re not sure if Chinese New Year [flights are] still possible.”

He disclosed that PAL has received a request for chartered flights from China to Kalibo, “but we’re still in talks. We’ll know [this] week if it can be scheduled in time for the Chinese New Year.” Boracay Island is a favorite destination of mainland Chinese travelers during the Lunar New Year, which will commence on January 22, 2023.

L ike other tourism stakeholders, Ng expressed concern on the spread of Covid in China and recognized that many other countries are requiring additional testing of Chinese travelers. He said PAL’s scheduled flights to Xiamen “will push through, but most likely, there will be additonal testing protocol as recommended by DOTr (Department of Transportation).”

‘Govt should decide testing protocols’

THE Xiamen flights start on January 13 with one flight a week, using an Airbus 330-300 aircraft. Prior to the pandemic, PAL served five cities in China—Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xiamen, and Quanzhou (Jinjiang).

A sked if Cebu Pacific planned to resume more flights to China as it reopens to international travel on January 8, airline President and Chief Commercial Officer Alexander Lao said in a text message, “China, the Philippines’s second largest source of tourists [pre-pandemic] is important, but any expansion will be dependent on approval from authorities on both sides. Hopefully, things will become clearer during the first quarter of 2023.” CEB continues to fly between Manila and Guangzhou every Tuesday.

A s for suggested additional entry requirements for inbound Chinese travelers, he said, “It’s best for Philippine government to decide on testing protocols and what’s best given varying factors. Ideally, any such activity is coordinated so that our guests will know that they need to consider when traveling. We

think this situation will remain fluid and CEB will cooperate with authorities as needed.”

Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista earlier said the Philippines should be “very cautious” in accepting Chinese travelers, “if they have a lot of Covid cases,” adding that government should require them to undergo RT-PCR tests upon arrival, like in Hong Kong. (See, “Nancy, tourism players, DOTr: Tighten border controls for Chinese tourists in PHL,” in the BusinessMirror , December 29, 2022.)

Test-before-travel for unvaxxed, partially vaxxed

A NUMBER of countries, including Japan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain, Australia, Canada, Israel, Qatar, among others, have already re-imposed travel requirements for mainland Chinese tourists—either tests before travel, or tests upon arrival.

Under current guidelines of the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travelers, regardless of nationality, are required to submit a negative antigen test result, 24 hours prior to departure. Bureau of Quarantine (BoQ) Deputy Director Dr. Roberto Salvador said in Filipino via Viber, “If the traveler is symptomatic and unvaccinated, he will be tested upon arrival. There is a laboratory set up in terminals for their antigen test once they are tagged as unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, or symptomatic.” Those found positive will “undergo mandatory isolation at a designated hotel facility.”

I n a memorandum on December 29, 2022, BoQ enjoined all its quarantine stations “to continously intensify the quarantine protocols,” by heightening surveillance of respiratory symptoms in travelers, reporting of “intercepted symptomatic passengers during arrival screening,” submission of reports of Covid-positive travelers, information dissemination among travelers regarding Covid-19 infection prevention and control and display of information materials on these.

B oQ also instructed its personnel to “Coordinate with airport and seaport terminal authorities for possible re-establishment of testing of inbound travelers from high-alert countries” like China, which the agency recognized have “escalated” Covid cases, “due to the prevalence of the viral mutation and subvariants.”

NG to raise public infraspend to 6% of GDP by ’28, per PDP

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

facilities and free up fiscal space for other social programs and development priorities,” it added.

T he national government also intends to ensure that the additional resources of Local Government Units (LGUs) through the Mandanas-Garcia ruling would be maximized and also used for infrastructure development at the local level.

I n turn, the national government intends to provide technical assistance and set service delivery standards for LGUs to help them undertake these projects.

B ased on the targets set in the country’s medium-term socioeconomic blueprint, the administration aims to spend 5.2 percent of GDP on infrastructure this year; 5.1 percent of GDP in 2024; 5 percent of GDP in 2025 and 2026; and 5.4 percent of GDP in 2027.

However, in the first five years of the plan, the targets for infrastructure spending are lower than the 5.9 percent of GDP average recorded in the first three quarters of last year.

“Over the next Plan implementation period, annual spending on infrastructure will be sustained at 5 percent to 6 percent

of GDP. In line with this, the government will continue to tap viable funding mechanisms to augment the public resources in financing critical infrastructure projects,” the PDP stated.

Per the PDP, tapping more public private partnerships (PPP) will help the national government obtain access to efficiency, greater resources, expertise, and innovations that would not be readily available and accessible for the public sector.

The government can reinvigorate PPPs in financing priority infrastructure projects. This will ensure the sustainability of operations of infrastructure

T he national government and LGUs will also explore cost-sharing arrangements in the implementation of devolved infrastructure projects. Under the PDP, the LGUs’ capacity to prepare and structure PPPs will also be improved.

The government will continue to strategically engage multilateral and bilateral development partners for external financing to capitalize on their comparative advantages and benefit from knowledge and technology transfers,” the PDP added.

I n the PDP, annual public infrastructure spending in 2017–2021 ranged from 4.2 percent to 5.8 percent of GDP. This is approximately twice as much as the average spending over the previous five decades.

Check ‘diversion’ of aviation gear fund–Ping

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

TRANSPORTATION officials in the Duterte administration may have failed—deliberately or notto spend P13 billion appropriated by Congress in 2018 for a vital backup in the air traffic control (ATC) system, then declared this as savings and realigned it for what are billed as “cosmetic” civil works in the airport.

Former senator Panfilo Lacson, reputedly the most diligent in scrutinizing the national budget in the 18th Congress, raised this possibility on Tuesday in reply to a BusinessMirror query on a report that during DOTr Secretary Arturo Tugade’s watch, the P13 billion for “redundancies” in the ATC system under the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) was diverted to non-essential civil works in the airport. That backup system is now being seen as the vital cog that could have prevented the massive New Year’s glitch that paralyzed the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, disrupting 285 flights and af -

fecting 56,000 to 65,000 passengers.

L acson had said in a tweet on Tuesday, reacting to reports of an alleged diversion of the P13-billion outlay: “Stupidity or greed? If reports are accurate that the budget appropriated by Congress for the setup of redundancies in the air traffic control system was diverted to some beautification projects at Naia, those responsible should spend their next holiday season in jail.”

L acson later issued a statement reiterating his replies to BusinessMirror’s request for a reaction to the “diversion” report. Tugade, through his spokesman, strongly denied any malversation or fund diversion had taken place. Story on A1, ‘No diversion of radar funds by ex-DOTr chief Tugade.’

Lacson meanwhile noted that: “Incidentally, DOTr is one of the departments with the worst underspending record, year in and year out.  The P13 billion must have been part of their unspent appropriations, declared as savings, then realigned.”

He expressed hope that the Public Services Committee, chaired by Sen. Grace Poe, “can look more deeply into the history

of that particular appropriation” when the Senate inquiry into the January 1 fiasco rolls around.

A Senate inquiry is widely seen to follow the Jan. 1 fiasco, as several senators have weighed in on the issue, with Sen. Jinggoy Estrada vowing to file the requisite resolution.

L acson is known for assiduously examining the past year’s budget and spending before clearing the next year’s budget.

T he former senator said: “First, an appropriation is a provision of law passed by Congress that must be followed by the implementing agency.

“ That being the premise, while I cannot speak for the present Congress, that’s what I used to do especially during the committee deliberations where we could directly question the heads of agencies concerned.

“Prior to the committee hearings and plenary debates, I diligently reviewed and discussed with my staff both the proposed and passed annual appropriations of major agencies, even as far back as three budget years, with emphasis on underutilization and misuse of public funds.”

THE national government intends to raise public infrastructure spending to 6 percent of GDP by 2028, according to the Philippine Development Plan (PDP).

REALITY CHECK Heavy traffic and long lines greet commuters on the first working day of the year, January 3, 2023. NONOY LACZA

17.

FABIO ALBERT IGO App/cloud Support Analyst

Brief Job Description:

the client functional design incharge about the detail of requirement definition and function design. Explain development status and issue with team leads of the client. Understand the clients original develop/runtime architecture and develop standards (including deliverable flow, template, description level) perform knowledge transfer about business requirement/functional design written in required language to team lead and members.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science or other relevant fields; must be able to communicate effectively, verbally and written in both english and required language; experienced in any of the following: o java (java ee, java se, spring, nodejs) o java script o sap o net o cobol o angular; knowledgeable in back-end programming language/ framework; willing to work on holidays, weekends, shifting schedules and extended working hours.

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

18.

Brief Job Description: Virtually provides professional secretarial and administrative support to various managing directors in North America; independently completes a variety of assigned tasks, (including transactions based to meet goals under general supervision and/or established guidelines, working in a team environment. Uses a shared mailbox to receive and process requests. Uses service now to log the requests, provides administrative support services to managing directors from North America, support delivery such as but not limited to; conference call scheduling, meeting scheduling, office reservations, travel agreement administration including reporting PMG, time and exposure, invoice processing (buy now) ; preparing internal team reports (e.g. MOTM) team training/brown bag sessions and customer relations. Research and gathering of information from identified sources, assisting with special projects across North America.

ON, DONG HOON Sw/app/cloud Tech Support Analyst

Basic Qualification: Graduate With a Bachelor’s Degree; Must Have French Language Skills (Oral and Written); Customer Service Skills/ Experience/ Exposure; Communication Skills – English – Average Skill Level Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

19.

Brief Job Description: The position will require candidates to take calls using any of the 6 languages to support our clients with their IT-related incidents and request. Some of the roles and responsibilities for the role include performing initial triage for IT issues raised by customers’ logs, tracking, and updating incidents, attempting first-time fix resolution for known issues, identifying target resolver group and route tickets, doing remote

Basic

- Php 59,999 28.

ANNA Indonesian Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 29.

EKA ROSITA Indonesian Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 30.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 31.

CHU THI SANG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 32.

DAU BA VUI Vietnamese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

DUONG

Basic

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 33.

30,000

59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NDI AHANDA, FRANKLIN Executive Support Analyst

51.

52.

YANG, ZEQUAN Chinese Speaking Cabling Infrastructure Technician

Brief Job Description: Ensuring all cables are neatly tied and bundled according to safety regulations.

CIVIC MERCHANDISING, INCORPORATED 710-716 Quirino Highway, 5, San Bartolome, Quezon City

CAO, JIE Marketing Specialist

Basic Qualification: Excellent oral and written communication both in english and mandarin chinese; strong public speaking skills.

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

53.

Brief Job Description: Conduct market research and analyze trends to identify new marketing opportunities. Collaborate with other internal teams to develop and monitor strategic marketing initiatives. Analyze and report on the performance and efficiency of campaigns. Work with external agencies and vendors to execute marketing programs.

CHEN, XIAOLIN Marketing Specialist

Basic Qualification: Proficient in MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and Access. Has experience in analytical software. Excellent communication skills. Ability to multitask and has timemanagement skills. Organized and detail oriented.

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

Basic

54.

Brief Job Description: Conduct market research and analyze trends to identify new marketing opportunities. Collaborate with other internal teams to develop and monitor strategic marketing initiatives. Analyze and report on the performance and efficiency of campaigns. Work with external agencies and vendors to execute marketing programs.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and Access. Has experience in analytical software. Excellent communication skills. Ability to multitask and has timemanagement skills. Organized and detail oriented.

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

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

GUO, YING Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

55.

56.

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

DINH QUANG TRUNG Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

FENG, WEIGANG Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

57.

58.

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

LI, JUN Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

LIU, CHENYU Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

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

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

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience, good in oral communication and written

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

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

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

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

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

59.

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

XU, HAN Chinese Speaking Cabling Infrastructure Technician

Brief Job Description: Ensuring all cables are neatly tied and bundled according to safety regulations.

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

Basic Qualification: Excellent oral and written communication both in english and mandarin chinese; strong public speaking skills.

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

Basic

Preferably

Qualifications or Training a Solid Understanding of Budgeting and Financial Planning is Essential as This Role Involves Agreeing Annual Budgets as Well as Producing Financial Reports

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

DYNAMIC STUDIO TECHNOLOGY INC. 5th To 8th/f & 10th/f Platinum Tower Building, Aseana Ave. Cor. Fuentes Street, Baclaran, City Of Parañaque

LI, SONG Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate

67.

68.

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

NICHOLAS LEE SHI YEE Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate

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

69.

ZHANG, XIAOMING Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate

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

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

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

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

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

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

Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

DOAN VAN THUY

Chinese Speaking Graphic Designer Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product

Unit of Solar PHL to convert land for industrial purposes

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

hectares into industrial use by the end of the year.

Prime Infra unit forms Malampaya advisory council

The company told the stock exchange on Tuesday that it is preparing over 3,000 hectares in nueva e c ija and Bulacan for industrial land conversion this year after securing off-take agreements for its projects last year.

s pne C has already fully secured the majority of its target

lands. Documentation is now ongoing to complete its acquisitions, in parallel with the submissions of the already fully secured lands for conversion to industrial use. s pne C aims to complete the submissions of these lands for conversion by the end of the first quarter and convert over 3,000

The largest project of s olar ph ilippines is under Terra s olar ph ilippines i nc., a joint venture that has a power supply agreement with the Manila e lectric Co. (Meralco) to supply 850 megawatts (MW) of mid-merit from a planned 3.5 GW (gigawatt) solar, 4.5 GWh battery project, which may require land in provinces including nu eva e c ija and Bulacan.

“Converting over 3,000 hectares for industrial use is the most significant value driver for spne C , and we will provide further updates as we work to create value on this for our shareholders. l a nd underpins an entire project, and our landbank in nueva e c ija and Bulacan in particular is unique, in terms of its scale and proximity to Manila,” s olar ph ilippines founder l e andro l e viste said.

At over 3,000 hectares, spneC ’s land bank in nueva e c ija and Bulacan upon completion would be one of the largest industrial developments of any kind in the ph ilippines and larger than all the solar projects operating in the country to date combined.

Motolite maker bullish on prospects

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

Philippine Batteries i n c. (pBi), maker of leading battery brand Motolite, said it is optimistic about its prospects for 2023 despite the threat posed by smuggled batteries.

Alexander M. Osias, Marketing head of Motolite, said “revenge travel” and the increasing use of motor vehicles due to the reopening of the economy have presented business opportunities for the car battery firm.

“people want to reconnect with their families; they do want to expand their businesses. Of course

there’s vacation time as well so i think people would be using their cars. There are also consumers who are considering upgrading their vehicles,” Osias said in a mix of english and Filipino.

he noted that for 2023, both automotive and motorcycles will drive the growth of batteries.

Osias also said the car battery firm has set its sights on expansion to offer more products to consumers.

“We will be coming out with more information regarding the other batteries. Our goal is to have a complete line of mobility and vehicle-related batteries for Motolite.”

Meanwhile, Osias said the

company will expand the coverage of its Res-Q app, Motolite’s 24/7 roadside assistance service in Metro Manila and a “rapidly growing” coverage area beyond the n a tional Capital Region.

“That’s our goal—to cover Visayas and Mindanao. We’ll start obviously with the bigger cities and then we’ll see how the logistics are. The situation is different in the provinces, that’s why we want to find the most optimal way to help our customers in the provinces.”

Smuggled batteries

Osi A s said the biggest threat to pBi s busniess is the “rampant” smuggling

of batteries. he said more smuggled batteries are being sold due to the relaxation of pandemic restrictions.

“We are concerned about the people who sell batteries that do not even meet the government’s standards,” he said.

“if you look online, you can a see a number of (batteries) being sold in shopping apps that do not carry the ps [philippine standard] mark.” he said most of the batteries smuggled are used for motorcycles.

l ast month, Motolite launched two battery products under its premium e XCel line of batteries: the excel enhanced Flooded Battery and the e XCel Absorbent Glass Mat.

PR iMe energy Resources Development B.V. (pr ime energy), a subsidiary of Razon-led pr ime infrastructure Capital inc. (prime inf ra), has created an advisory council to ensure gas supply from the Malampaya gas field.

The council will provide technical expertise and assist the management team headed by pr ime energy General Manager sebastian Quiniones in crafting the necessary structures for implementation, as well as serve as a sounding board for fundamental actions such as engaging with authorities.

“The new advisory council initiated by pr ime energy for the Malampaya project will serve the purpose of providing strategic advice and technical guidance to support me and the Board in this critical time when the company’s exploration and development programs are about to commence to prolong the gas supply, which is becoming increasingly scarce,” Quiniones said in a statement.

Co.-e x ploration Corp. (pnOC-eC) president and CeO

Also part of the advisory council that will guide pr ime energy are Antoine Bliek, former shell project Manager for Malampaya phase 2 and 3 and former project Director of shell Majnoon in iraq and Jose Jerome pascual iii former shell philippines ex ploration B.V. Finance Director, former pspC Chief Finance Officer.

The members of the council were convened to ensure the long-term success of the multi-year exploration and development programs of pr ime energy, which has recently completed its acquisition of the 45-percent operating stake in the Malampaya consortium.

The consortium is composed of pnOC eC uC38, and pr ime energy.

By 2025-2026, gas exports will reach near technical minimum before new gas can be sourced.

The Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG) is accepting applicants for i T officers, lawyers, internal auditors, corporate governance officers, administrative officers, planning officers, and information officers.

successful applicants will be part of a dynamic agency with plans and projects expected to commence in high gear. These new personnel will support the implementation and rollout of the GCG’s programs.

“The composition of our office presently reflects a 70 percent vacancy for employment. Those who are interested in working in the Governance Commission are welcome to join us,” said GCG Chairperson Alex l Quiroz.

“Working in a regulatory body is also a fulfilling experience as you can guide or steer GOCCs toward becoming tools of economic development. it is also an opportunity to contribute to national development goals as a public servant.”

The Governance Commission is the central advisory, oversight, and monitoring body for GOCCs. it ensures that the operations of GOCCs are transparent and responsive to the needs of the public.

ROBinsOns l and Corp. (R lC) and DMC i homes i nc. announced Tuesday the completion of the structural work for their joint venture (JV) project in l a s piñas City.

The first building of s o nora Garden Residences is 100 percent complete. Work has now shifted to masonry and finishing of units in preparation for the turnover of the building in June 2024.

“As of november, finishing work is already being done on the lap pool, leisure pool, kiddie pool, basketball court, game, play area among other amenities,” DMCi homes Vice president for project Development Dennis Yap said.

As of n o vember 2022, s o nora Garden Residences has sold 45 percent of the initially launched 867-unit inventory comprised of 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units. u n it prices range from p4 .18 to p 10.30 million.

R l C and DMC i homes, which recently celebrated the topping out of the 40-storey structure called Cadence building, expect to generate up to p5.55 billion from the sales of the said building.

“We expect to generate more interest from homebuyers as the property and the resort-style amenities are completed,” Yap said.

R lC Residences senior Vice president and Business un it General

Manager Chad sotelo also shared the same view. “We’re taking advantage of that moment where development in the south is going to pick up.” sotelo also noted the south metro remains a high-growth area and a favored living destination among homeseekers.

“if you look at the future of the southern part of Metro Manila, this is where development is—l as piñas, parañaque, Muntinlupa, and eventually Cavite, and l aguna,” he said.

if you look at these places, hospitals, hotels, and malls are popping up, and there’s a lot of redevelopment that’s been happening. so, in the next 5 to 10 years, this area is going to be very different.” Lenie Lectura

The members of the newly formed advisory council are Cesar Buenaventura, the first Filipino president of pi lipinas shell petroleum Corp. (pspC); Jose i bazeta, pr ime Metro power Director and industry leader who served as president and CeO of the power Assets and liabilities Management Corp. from 2007 to 2010 and acting secretary of the Department of energy from January 2010 to May 30, 2010; and Rufino Bomasang, former philippine national Oil

Backed by technical experts and specialist contractors from around the globe, p r ime e nergy is well equipped to plan and execute viable projects to extract more gas from reservoirs in the service Contract 38 area covering the Malampaya project, and tie these to the existing operating assets.

The company said the success of the multi-year exploration and development programs of p r ime e n ergy will be made possible through its parent firm, the newly-formed advisory council, the DO e , and the Malampaya consortium partners. Lenie Lectura

CeBu pacific (CeB) received its ninth Airbus 320neo (new engine Option) aircraft on January 1. The aircraft used sustainable aviation fuel (sA F) from the Airbus hamburg facility in Germany to the ninoy Aquino international Airport (nA i A) in Manila.

This aircraft delivery is first of the 10 expected brand new Airbus neO deliveries for the year: three A320neo, four A321neo, and four A330neo.

“This sA F-powered aircraft delivery supports our sustainability strategy in shifting to a more fuelefficient neO fleet by 2028. We will continue prioritizing our sustainability journey as we maintain our position as the greenest airline in Asia,” said Alex Reyes, Chief strategy Officer at Cebu pacific.

s A F is a drop-in fuel, which can be interchangeable replacement for fossil fuels. it does not require any adaptations to the aircraft or engines and does not have any negative impact on performance

or maintenance. The use of s A F results in an up to 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions across the s A F lifecycle.

CeB is the first low-cost carrier in southeast Asia to incorporate sA F into its operations when it delivered its third A330neo in May 2022.

its sustainability goal is in line with global aviation’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The airline has made various investments that enable it to become fuel-efficient in its operations to keep fares affordable for the passengers.

Apart from fleet modernization, the airline’s major pillars on its sustainable journey are resource optimization, which includes pushing for fuel efficiency best practices; and utilizing sA F by launching green routes by 2025.

To date, CeB’s fleet comprises of 21 A320ceo, 9 A320neo, 7 A321ceo, 10 A321neo, 4 A330ceo, 4 A330neo, 14 ATR 72-600, 6 ATR 72-500 and 2 ATR Freighters.

SP New Energy Corp. (SPNEC), a subsidiary of Solar Philippines, is working on the conversion of over 3,000 hectares into industrial use.

Businessmirror F le photo

Entrepreneur

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Davao schools ink business incubator deals with DOST

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—Four universities in the Davao Region entered into partnerships with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in the last two months to establish and professionalize their respective technology business incubators (TBIs).

The four universities were facilitated by the DOST’s Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) to boost these TBIs, the DOST said.

The Philippine Women’s College of Davao and the University of Immaculate Concepcion would be receiving funds from the DOSTPCIEERD to officially operate their respective TBIs, the DOST added

The Ateneo de Davao University and the Davao Del norte State College have also signed a memorandum of agreement for a two-year facilitation of their prospective TBIs through a series of capacity building activities.

DOST-PCIEERD allotted a total of P220 million in grant funding for the TBIs to utilize in their operations for two years.

The DOST said the provided support to qualified Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) was part of its “Handholding Starting Incubators from HEIs for Readiness towards Innovation and Technopreneurship Preparatory and Skills Acceleration for TBI Managers Optimizing Regional Start-up Ecosystem (HIHEIRIT PA MORE!) program of DOST.”

Through the program, HEIs are expected “to strengthen start-up ecosystem in the region by developing their business-related competencies, while also enhancing their skills in managing technology-related products and services, networking, and establishing a culture of technopreneurship for economic and industrial development.”

At present, DOST has assisted three established TBIs in the Davao Region namely, the UPGraDE program of UP Mindanao, the UMasenso Hub of the University of Mindanao, and AGILab by the University of Southeastern Philippines.

BusinessMirror

Byaheng Digiskarte aids agripreneurs adapt and thrive in future digital space

By Roderick L. Abad @rodrik_28 Contributor

Emilia Kio-an, a member of SG Farmers Association and owner of Alredo’s Farm in Benguet, was one of those gravely affected when businesses came to a halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the closure of commerce and trade, she and her fellow farmers struggled to find ways to sell their fresh farm produce, thus leaving them with much lower sales and wastage of food.

“Mahirap. Hindi kami makakalabas [para] magbenta ng mga gulay namin at may gulay na hindi na nabebenta at nabubulok na sa farm namin (It was hard. We cannot go out to sell our vegetables and we have products that got spoiled in our farm),” Emilia recalled.

The Covid-19 crisis and sudden lockdown had shut down small agri-businesses and the entire industry struggled a lot, forcing many agripreneurs to look for solutions to stay afloat, including immersing themselves in new business opportunities in the digital space.

Good thing, Aboitiz Foundation Inc., through its “Byaheng Digiskarte” project, came to the rescue of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives who suffered from the pandemic.

Leveraging on technology, the initiative capacitates and empowers farmers to manage their own agribusinesses online, and assist them to become more digitally literate and capable.

‘Teching up’

co-ops

SInCE its debut in April 2021 and partnership with different stakeholders, Byaheng Digiskarte has reached various areas nationwide, including Benguet where it teamed up with SG Farmers Association.

Being a beneficiary, the co-operative was provided with a food processing facility and its members also received training courses, starter kits and equipment. This enabled Emilia to expand her line of products beyond fresh farm produce and optimize her income.

Noon medyo hirap kasi mahirap ’yung facilities kung saan kami nagpoprocess. Ngayon may facilities na kami na tulong ng Aboitiz Foundation at Hedcor, at [tinulungan rin nila kami] lalo sa financial assistance (Before [food production] was quite difficult because of facilities we used. now we have facilities provided by Aboitiz Foundation and Hedcor, and they also provided us with (financial assistance),” she said.

After undergoing a series of training sessions, Emilia started developing and selling ampalaya tea and ampalaya pickles, in addition to farm products like ampalaya, french beans, lemon grass, turmeric, and pandan leaves.

Nung nag-training kami imbes na itapon, kinuha namin yung mga ‘patapon’ at ’yun ’yung pino-proseso namin kaya walang nasasayang. Imbes na masayang, nadagdagan ang produkto namin (When we were training, in-

Coco waste materials open livelihood opportunity for Antique craftsman

Jeeff De Asis, a coconut craft maker from Barangay Carit-an in the municipality of Patnongon, shared on how he began his journey of producing crafts out of coconut waste materials and how it helped him augment his income as chief of tanod in Barangay Carit-an, Patnongon.

De Asis was invited by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Antique provincial office to do a coconut craft demonstration at their Obra Antiqueño Trade Fair at the Robinsons Mall recently.

He showed the participants how to do a “hantic” or red ant lampshade made of coconut shells that won the Most Innovative Product award during the 2022 Panubli-on Heritage Fair on nov. 20 last year in Iloilo City.

“It was my first time to join in the DTI’s Panubli-on Heritage Fair and I did not expect that the lamp shape would get the award,” he said.

He said the lampshade was made of two coconut shells that he had collected and mounted on wood as its stand.

De Asis also said that he was inspired to form the lampshade into an ant shape in honor of his home province of Antique, where its name

was derived from.

“There is a great potential in coco craft because of its available raw materials,” De Asis said.

He said craft makers like him need the support of the national government, through the DTI and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), to have their start-up capital and training.

With the craft, he now provides work to his in-laws whom he also trained to make key chains, refrig-

erator magnets, and cellphone holders that they sell.

“There are now six to seven people whom I had trained in our barangay who are willing to engage themselves in coco craft, but they lack the necessary tools for it,” he said.

He hoped that they could avail of the Shared Service Facility (SSF) from DTI or Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) from the DSWD to sustain his business. PNA

stead of throwing [vegetables] away, we got what was to be discarded and processed it so nothing was wasted. Instead of having waste, we now have more products),” she said.

With this program, Emilia and fellow agripreneurs also went beyond local market stalls and served a wider range of customers by opening their own online shops through Session Groceries, an e-commerce platform that links farmers to sellers and delivers products to clients’ doorsteps.

Orders are made through the

platform and farmers are immediately prompted for new orders. They then harvest the crops and arrange delivery at the doorsteps of customers from Benguet, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Metro Manila.

“We are grateful to Aboitiz for partnering with Session Groceries and SG Farmers Association. It is an honor to be included and to receive equipment for the farmers,” said Session Groceries Chief Executive Officer Iloisa Romaraog-Diga. “It’s not easy to start and sustain but because

of the opportunities provided by groups like you, everything becomes easy. We will try to do well in what we do so we can also be a blessing to other people and the community we serve just like you.”

“Imbes na yun lang ang benta namin dati ngayon nadagdagan na. dahil nadagdagan kami ng ibebenta, nakatipid pa kami dahil imbes na itapon, pwede pa maging pera (Instead of just having farm produce we now have more products. Our income increased. We have more products to sell and we were able to save because instead of throwing away [products], we are able to convert it to cash),” Emilia explained.

Breakthroughs

BYAHE n G Digiskarte led to many firsts and milestones for agripreneurs. Besides learning how to process produce and venture online, they, likewise, opened their very first bank accounts via UnionBank that allows seamless online transactions with clients and helps them manage their finances.

“Noong una wala pa kami ’nung digital na mga cellphone, keypad naman ang [ginagamit] namin. Tapos ngayon kailangan digital ang mga gamit halimbawa sa app, sa online (At first we did not have smartphones, we only used a keypad phone. now we have to use digital [tools] like applications and going online),” Emilia said.

With brick-and-mortar and virtual stores, new food processing facilities and online bank accounts, agripreneurs grow their business and are now more equipped to adapt to changing times, ready for an emerging digital future.

A flagship project of the Enterprise Development Program of Aboitiz Foundation, Byaheng Digiskarte is designed to help in the recovery and growth of MSMEs and cooperatives that were affected during the pandemic. Its partners include AboitizPower subsidiary Hedcor Inc., UnionBank, Session Groceries, One Concord Food Solutions, and SG Farmers Association, Inc.

‘High-impact’ PHL entrepreneurs launch multiplier map to boost biz environment

EnDEAVOR, the leading global community of, by, and for high impact entrepreneurs, launched the Philippine Multiplier Map to show how they have reshaped the local business environment and uplifted the enterprising spirit of Filipinos.

“The Philippine entrepreneurial ecosystem is at an inflection point, with more companies launching than ever before, more venture capital firms setting up and more capital flowing into the Philippines,” Endeavor Philippines Managing Director Manny Ayala said.

Since its establishment in 2014, the community has supported thriving entrepreneurial environments in emerging and underserved markets around the world, as well as opened up economic and employment opportunities in locations where it operates.

Endeavor Entrepreneurs have, in fact, generated over P30 billion in revenues in 2022 alone, and have created about 30,000 jobs. In the Philippines, the community has selected 33 entrepreneurs from 27 companies who continue to make their mark, posting $513 million in revenue this year and creating over 29,000 employments over the course of eight years.

“With the growth of the ecosystem, we’ve also witnessed the emergence of high impact entrepreneurs,” he noted.

Endeavor believes that they transform economies given their biggest ideas and greatest potential to achieve meaningful scale.

What’s more, they also have the ability to “inspire, mentor, and invest in the

next generation of entrepreneurs, thereby unleashing a far-reaching multiplier effect,” according to Ayala.

Dedicated to guiding and motivating the next generation of business-minded people, they are reinvesting profits, expertise, and time to multiply the positive impact their individual enterprises have achieved.

Over the past years, for instance, Endeavor mentors in the Philippines have spent over 1,200 mentoring hours to entrepreneurs from all over the world. A few of them during the time of their journey have reached two pivotal milestones: the 1,000+ Minute and 2,000+ Minute Club.

Members of the former include Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman of Ayala Corp.; Injap Sia of Mang Inasal and Double Dragon; and Gabby Lopez, chairman emeritus of ABS-CBn The latter’s inductees include Stores Specialists Inc.

President Anton Huang; BBDO Guerrero Founder David Guerrero, and Laborem Inc. Chairman Jasen Ko.

“Endeavor is able to create a multiplier effect because we are committed to inspiring high-growth founders to dream bigger, supporting and investing in them to scale faster, and providing a platform to pay it forward—thereby compounding their individual impact,” Ayala said.

To sustain Endeavor’s long-term operations in a mission-aligned way, the community formed Endeavor Catalyst— a rules-based, co-investment fund set up to invest in the same high-impact entrepreneurs that it supports. At present, it is among the world’s top early-stage funders

of start-ups-turned $1 billion plus companies (“Unicorns”) outside of the United States and China.

Act of kindness

PAYInG it forward has ignited the entrepreneurial spirit of Endeavor Philippines.

“In the Philippines, Endeavor entrepreneurs and staff reflect the 3Ms—Magaling, Matino, and Mapagbigay,” Ayala said. “They’re the cream of the crop; they operate with a high level of integrity, and they are generous.”

Endeavor Entrepreneurs, whose ventures have emerged as Big Bubbles, or companies that have had a measurably large multiplier effect in the ecosystem, now serve as key mentors, investors, and advisers for early-stage companies locally and internationally. Among them are ni x nolledo, Coins.ph Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ron Hose, Lenddo Cofounder Richard Eldridge, and Kalibrr Cofounder and CEO Paul Rivera.

Meanwhile, next-in-line Endeavor Entrepreneurs who are already making their mark and primed as the next Big Bubbles in the Philippines’s start-up ecosystem include Roland Ros and Rexy Dorado, cofounders of Kumu; and Steve Sy, CEO of Great Deals E-Commerce Corp.

“For me, being an EE (Endeavor Entrepreneur) means playing a greater role in the betterment of society. I think it’s our responsibility to pay it forward. Endeavor has allowed us many wonderful things.

AGRIPRENEURS are among those impacted by the ensuing health crisis due to economic and food losses as well as challenges in logistics due to restrictions on movement of goods during the lockdown periods.

SAn JOSE DE BUEnAVISTA, Antique—An Antique craftsman has found a viable livelihood by making use of coconut waste materials.

EMILIA KIo -An picks ampalaya in her very owned Alredo’s

Banking&Finance

PhilHealth to tackle moratorium on premium hike

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla & Claudeth S. Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

THE proposed moratorium on the increase in premium contributions of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) members will be tackled by the stateowned insurer’s board on Wednesday.

In a joint statement, PhilHealth and the Department of Health (DOH) said they are “cognizant” of the decision of the Office of the President (OP) to suspend the implementation of the premium contribution

hike of PhilHealth from 4 percent to 4.5 percent this year.

“The DOH and PhilHealth recognize the suspension is intended to help our kababayans [compatriots] cope with the increasing prices of

commodities caused by inflation. Such moratoriums on increases in premium contributions have been done in years 2020 and 2021,” the statement read.

“This was in accordance with directives of the Office of the President, and in recognition of the effects of the pandemic during those years,” it added. The DOH and PhilHealth explained that the contributions collected by the latter are meant to finance the expansion of Filipinos’ benefits under the Universal Health Care Act.

“The matter shall be discussed in the PhilHealth Board Meeting scheduled on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. Further announcements shall be made by the PhilHealth to properly guide the members and employers on the matter,” they said.

Earlier this week, President Ferdi-

nand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the suspension of the increase of PhilHealth member’s premium contributions.

Last month, PhilHealth disclosed that it would launch this year a new benefit package that would address Filipinos’ growing mental health care needs. The new mental health package would have been bankrolled by the funds raised from the increased contributions of PhilHealth members. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/12/13/philhealth-to-offer-mental-healthcare-benefit-package/)

Scrap hike

MEANWHILE, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) called on Marcos Jr. to finally scrap the scheduled premium hike.

The FFW maintained government should pay for the additional benefits

BSP’s Ala is influential woman in Islamic finance

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Assistant Governor

Arifa A. Ala was honored as one of the most influential women in Islamic business and finance by the Cambridge Institute of Islamic Finance (CIIF).

Ala received the 2022 “WOMANi Professional Award” during a ceremony held in Jakarta, Indonesia last December 12, 2022, from Professor Humayon Dar (right), founder of the Islamic Retail Banking Awards (IRBA) and director general of the CIIF. Ala, who chairs the BSP-led Islamic Finance Coordination Forum, was cited as one of the most influential women in Islamic business and finance.

Now on its fourth year, the annual WOMANi Professional Award recognizes the contributions and achievements of strong and excep-

tionally talented women in Islamic business and finance globally.

“The citation also recognizes the BSP’s contributions, initiatives, and accomplishments in the promotion of Islamic banking in the Philippines through a whole-of-government approach,” Ala said.

The BSP leads system-wide efforts toward establishing a sustainable and vibrant Islamic finance ecosystem in the country.

The awards are given under Cambridge IFA’s1 WOMANi Programme, which has built a growing global network of women in Islamic business and finance.

The programme aims to empower women from diverse backgrounds across the globe by raising awareness, providing opportunities, and celebrating their achievements in the industry.

Solons eye tax perks for pro bono doctors

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

LAWMAKERS are pushing for the passage of a bill granting tax incentives to doctors volunteering their services for free to indigent patients as a way of recognizing their “selfless and committed” efforts in helping provide quality health care to Filipinos.

Davao City Rep. Paolo Z. Duterte and three other lawmakers have filed House Bill (HB) 5672, which provides that physicians continuously rendering pro bono services to poor patients be given tax credits to be deducted from their gross income.

In filing the bill along with Benguet Rep. Eric G. Yap and ACT-CIS Partylist Reps. Edvic G. Yap and Jeffrey V. Soriano, the Davao City lawmaker lauded doctors who, with or without the pandemic, “have braved the frontlines” to be able to extend their services for free to underprivileged and marginalized Filipinos.

The University of the Philippines’s latest estimates show that on the average, there are 3.7 doctors in the country for every 10,000 Filipinos. The number is way below the World Health Organization (WHO)prescribed ratio of 1 for every 1,000

(or 10 for every 10,000 people).

Duterte said that despite this dismal ratio, many doctors still choose to render pro bono services especially in far-flung communities where health care remains scarce.

“These volunteer physicians took the initiative to extend their helping hands to the poor and marginalized as a response to the unreachable gap in the access to quality health care,” Duterte and his co-authors of the bill said.

Under HB 5672, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) are tasked to evaluate the pro bono services rendered by physicians by considering the number of hours put in and the nature of the treatment involved in providing such free services.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), in consultation with the DOH and PMA, shall promulgate the rules and regulations for the effective enforcement of the bill’s provisions.

Given rising healthcare costs, which entails corresponding expenses for doctors providing pro bono services, Duterte said he believes more physicians would be encouraged to provide charity care if they are given tax breaks.

THE national government’s domestic borrowing program started the New Year with a partial awarding by the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) of Treasury bills (T-bills) amounting to P13.65 billion.

The BTr auction committee fully awarded the T-bills with 3-month and 6-month tenors, amounting to P5 billion each.

However, the committee only awarded P3.65 billion out of the planned P5 billion offering for 364day T-bills.

“Partial award on 364-day [T-bills] to align ave with secondary yield,” National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon said after the auction.

“Market expects inflation to have peaked in Dec but still sees BSP moderating pace of rate hikes to bring inflation within target level of 2 percent to 4 percent,” De Leon added.

De Leon said she is “hopeful” that they would continue to see near fullawarding of T-bills in the coming auctions as Tuesday’s results marked the highest amount raised by the government since early August last year, when the Treasury was still able to fully-award T-bills.

Treasury data showed that both the 91-day and 182-day T-bills were

debt papers

oversubscribed as offers for the former reached P14.65 billion while the latter fetched a total tender of P10.95 billion.

The average rate for the 91-day T-bill was at 4.155 percent, which was within reach of the secondary benchmark rate of 4.227 percent.

Meanwhile, the 182-day T-bills fetched an average rate of 4.903 percent, which was also in line with secondary benchmark rates of 4.9 percent.

The 364-day T-bills, meanwhile, received lackluster offers as the total amount tendered by investors only reached P4.655 billion. The average rate of the P3.65-billion worth of awarded 364-day T-bills was at 5.24 percent against the 5.21 percent secondary benchmark rate.

The national government seeks to raise a total of P200 billion from the sale of T-bills and Treasury bonds this month.

For the whole year, the national government plans to borrow P2.207 trillion with a 75:25 mix in favor of domestic sources. In terms of domestic borrowings, the national government aims to raise a total of P1.654 trillion, P54.1 billion of which coming from the sale of T-bills.

Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

Bonds to stage comeback as hedge for stock losses

AFTER the biggest loss for 60/40 portfolios since the global financial crisis, better days may lie ahead for the trillion-dollar complex of balanced investment strategies.

Amid optimism that inflation has peaked, more than 60 percent of 610 respondents to the latest MLIV Pulse survey are betting stocks and bonds will move in opposite directions this year—re-establishing a time-honored relationship that has powered pension and endowment funds over the past

two decades.

If they’re right, it would mark a big shift from the last year when equities and debt plunged in concert on runaway price growth. Big in-tandem market losses have sparked existential angst about the future of the investing style that drives 60 percent of assets into shares and 40 percent into bonds—while fueling a Wall Street hunt for alternative hedges.

Now survey participants are getting modestly bullish on bonds. The 10-year yield is seen dipping to 3.5 percent by the

end of 2023, down from last year’s high of 4.24 percent.

A nother big MLIV Pulse call: 2023 will see an uptick in moderate risktaking with the S&P 500 eking out a gain of about 4 percent. The projections are in line with the similarly restrained prediction among market strategists as an economic downturn threatens to undercut corporate earnings in the months ahead.

“The next operation for the Fed, once they are done, is going to be cuts,” said

of PhilHealth rather than the state health insurer’s members.

“We are for scrapping of increase and more government subsidy for public health by amending the law,” FFW President Jose G. Matula said in a text message.

Matula is referring to Republic Act 11223 (Universal Health Care Act of 2019,) which raised the Philhealth premiums to 3.5 percent to 5 percent from 2021 to 2025.

During the weekend, Malacañang announced the suspension of the scheduled PhilHealth premium increase next year from 4 percent to 4.5 percent and the income ceiling from P80,000 to P90,000.

Marcos ordered the implementation of the law’s provision be suspended “to bring financial relief to Filipinos” amid socioeconomic challenges after the Duterte administra-

tion ordered lockdown measures to address the Covid pandemic.

That order was lauded by the FFW. The labor group explained through a statement issued last Tuesday that with the suspension, an employer with a hundred workers earning P10,000 each will have reduced costs at P50 for each employee, or a total of P5,000 (P50 multiplied by a hundred) a month from operating expenses for Philhealth insurance.

“Though not that big as this is a light relief for employers and workers as we usher in 2023, it is still a welcome development,” the FFW added. Matula, however, noted the President must already implement a long-term solution to address the said matter.

He said the issue will be included in the agenda they will raise in a dialogue with Marcos.

Suspected digital shopping fraud in PHL increases 70%

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

INFORMATION and insights company TransUnion LLC (NYSE: TRU) released new findings around global e-commerce fraud that occurred during the start of the 2022 holiday shopping season.

The analysis found that 15 percent of all global e-commerce transactions reviewed between the Thursday before Black Friday, November 24 and Cyber Monday, November 28 were potentially fraudulent. For transactions originating from the Philippines, 4 percent of e-commerce transactions during that period were suspected fraudulent, TRU said in a statement.

The firm said these findings are based on intelligence from billions of transactions contained in the firm’s fraud analytics solution suite. TRU said the analysis determined that the average number of suspected digital fraud attempts on any given day during that holiday period globally was 38 percent lower than the same period in 2021 and 82 percent higher than during the rest of the year (January 1, 2022, to November 23, 2022). In the Philippines, it was 70 percent higher than the same period in 2021 and 2-percent higher than during the rest of 2022.

The study also revealed the share of suspected digital fraud attempts for each individual day in the holiday shopping period for transactions in the Philippines and globally.

According to Pia L. Arrelano, head of TransUnion’s Philippine operations, “fraudulent activity tends to be particularly prevalent in online retail during the holiday shopping season.”

“Despite the fact that consumers have begun returning in larger numbers to in-person shopping in the post-pandemic era, online retail continues to be the preferred means of holiday shopping for many,” Arellano was quoted in the statement as saying. “It’s important that online retailers ensure consumer security and privacy protections, which is important to consumers, but in a way which ensures a seamless shopping

experience that minimizes unnecessary friction.”

TRU also revealed in the analysis the top types of potentially fraudulent e-commerce transactions during the holiday shopping season globally. This year, promotion abuse (where a user abuses site promotions such as refer-a friend and free giveaways) and account takeover (where someone other than the owner uses it without permission) were the leading types of fraud attempts.

“Online retailers must equip themselves with the proper tools to detect fraud at the first warning sign and without inhibiting the consumer journey,” said Arellano. “It’s more important than ever that these online retailers implement holistic fraud solutions that are able to verify customer identity and authenticity at the very beginning of a transaction without resulting in false positives that may cost them legitimate transactions.”

More concerns

THE increase of suspected digital fraud during the traditional busiest days of the holiday shopping season occurred as consumers express concern about being victimized.

TRU’s 2022 Q3 Consumer Pulse Study conducted between August 19 and September 1 found that a significant 96 percent of Filipinos expressed concerns on becoming a victim of digital fraud this holiday season, the highest globally among countries and regions surveyed. In fact, more than half (55 percent) said they had been targeted by digital fraud in the last three months in the Q3 survey.

TransUnion monitors digital fraud attempts reported by businesses in varied industries such as gambling, gaming, financial services, health care, insurance, retail and travel and leisure, among others.

The conclusions are based on intelligence from billions of transactions and more than 40,000 websites and apps contained in TransUnion’s flagship identity proofing, risk-based authentication and fraud analytics solution suite.

Seasoned banker named new PNB board member

John Madziyire,

portfolio manager and head of US Treasuries at Vanguard Group Inc. “Before we actually get to it, bonds will front-run that. That means bonds do become a diversifier again.”

After being negatively correlated for much of the past twenty years, the relationship between stocks and bonds flipped decisively in 2022 as elevated inflation and subsequent interest-rate hikes hurt both asset classes, meaning bonds largely failed to hedge down days in equities.

PHILIPPINE National Bank (PNB) has nominated Felix Enrico R. Alfiler as the bank’s 15th board member effective December 29, 2022.

“Alfiler is a seasoned banker and his experience in finance and the economy will bring additional depth to our board,” PNB Chairman Federico C. Pascual was quoted in a statement as saying.

Alfiler is currently a Board Advisor of the bank. He was an Independent Director of the bank from January 1, 2012 to April 26,

2021. Alfiler completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in Statistics at the University of the Philippines.

He undertook various continuing education programs, including financial analysis and policy, at the IMF Institute of Washington, D.C. in 1981 and the restructured electricity industry of the United Kingdom in London in 1996. Presently, he is the chairman/director of PNBRCI Holding Co. Ltd., PNB International Investments Corp. and Summit General Insurance Corp.

Govt raises only ₧3.65B in 1st auction of

senior

This Monday, December 12, 2022, photo shows Bangko sentral ng Pilipinas Assistant Governor Arifa A. Ala (left) receiving the 2022 “WOMANi Professional Award” during a ceremony held in Jakarta, indonesia.

Keeping your (re)solutions

MADE TO MOVE LIKE YOU

A DANISH premium brand for shoes and leather goods, ECCO has been in the footwear business for over 50 years with factories for leather operated in six locations across the globe.

From design, development, production and retail, the brand takes responsibility all the way. Their work is based on quality, craftsmanship and innovation while striving for uniqueness.

IF you are like most people, chances are that you have not completed all the new year resolutions for 2022. Actually, some of us are still struggling with new year resolutions even from previous years. And if you keep seeing a pattern of repetitive resolutions, it might be because of unrealistic or vague goals that let you slack off and quit. Setting new year resolutions is a good way to improve yourself and achieve more from your current resources. But if you consistently do not fulfill them, you might get caught up in an endless cycle of adopting the same ineffective solutions for the same problem.

I guess the problem lies with not understanding what we need to change about ourselves and the reasons why we want to change. Fact is, most of our resolutions center on what other people want for us more than what we want for ourselves. If you want to keep your resolutions, you need to really want it for yourself. Once you have a clear understanding of what you need and want, you can now make realistic, measurable and life-changing new year resolutions. Believe it or not, a lot of people have a difficult time setting realistic goals. To use as an example in this entire article, let us use a common new year resolution of exercising more.

If you have been living a sedentary life for the past two years because of the pandemic, you cannot just decide to exercise every day this year. While there are a few who can do this, not everyone can. The reason why people fail in resolving to exercise is the need to see immediate results even if it means setting unrealistic schedules. Some people also think that the only way to have more exercise is by going to the gym and having a personal trainer.

A more realistic goal is to aim to be more active by having more physical activities. I intentionally mention physical activities because exercise is not limited to the gym or home workout sessions. You can still exercise by doing other activities like taking up a sports hobby, going hiking with a group, or regularly decluttering your home or office space. The key is to look for activities that you enjoy doing because if you enjoy them, it is more likely that you will keep your resolution.

Now that you have a realistic goal, you need to set an achievable target to measure your progress. People resolve to exercise more for several reasons. One may want to lose weight for aesthetic or medical reasons. Another may want to exercise to have more energy for their work, family and other activities. Others might even want to exercise as a way of destressing and increasing their happy hormones. The point is that the purpose for your resolution will determine how your progress will be tracked and measured. And since we have already changed the resolution from exercise to be more active through more physical activities, your reason for doing it will tell you how you need to measure your progress.

So, if you want to have more physical activities because you want to look better, you need to identify what looking good means for you. This can be different things for different people, so you need to know your own idea of what it means to look good— i.e., fitting into old clothes, having a certain waistline, or having more self-confidence. If you are doing it for medical reasons, regular laboratory checkups can help you identify your progress. If you are doing it to have more energy for activities you want to do with your family or at work, then you can have a simple list of activities you have done for the week. And if you do it to relax and to generally cope with stress, then you can count the times when you were able to deal with pressure successfully. Whatever your reason for pursuing your new year resolutions, you need to know why you are doing them so you can accurately measure if you have achieved them. This is the same for all your other resolutions.

A year is a long time and people often lose their resolve to push through with their resolutions because they think they are too complicated. Or sometimes, they mistakenly think they have enough time until they find themselves struggling to complete their resolutions in the latter part of the year. To help you navigate through the complications, and to set natural markers throughout the year, divide your target into milestones.

A milestone is a marker within the year to identify if your progress trajectory will hit your target. For example, if you resolve to have more physical

activities to lose 20 pounds this year, you can divide that with how many pounds you need to lose per quarter, per month, or even per week depending on how granular you want the milestones to be. You now have a clear path of what you need to achieve, and how frequently you need to check your progress.

There will be times when you will not achieve your target per milestone, and this is a fact. Not everyone can be so single-minded that all they do is constantly monitor if they are on track. If you fall back on your target, do not beat yourself up for it. Rather than spiral down into self-defeat, take it as a challenge to do more than needed to achieve your target. Change your method, not your goal. If something does not work, try other things so you can test which one will actually work and stick to it. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes every day and find better ways of achieving your goal.

Also, tell your friends and family members your resolution, so they can keep you accountable. You can then surround yourself with people who will support your goals and keep you motivated to pursue them when you feel you are about to give up.

New year resolutions are meant to be selfimprovements that will also change your life. And just because you have achieved your goal earlier in the year does not mean you should stop. It just means you are capable of more. So, to achieve your new year resolutions and do more, keep them realistic, measurable, and something that you want to change in your life. n

ECCO shoes are sold in 90 countries, one of which is the Philippines, with stores located all around the metro in SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall and The SM Store Mall of Asia, Makati, Megamall and North Edsa. They offer a wide range of styles for men and women’s shoes from formal, athleisure, casual, outdoor to golf, all designed to follow the shape of your feet.

The brand takes pride in the use of cutting-edge technological innovations and a wide range of modern materials in order to create the most comfortable footwear imaginable. FluidForm, one of the technologies exclusive to the brand, creates ergonomically advanced soles that cradles the feet for long lasting comfort and high flexibility.

On the other hand, the Gore-Tex membrane material, present in a number of ECCO’s shoes, is highly breathable with 360 degree ventilation and 100 percent waterproof.

ECCO’s Scandinavian roots inspires all their timeless and refined styles and each collection is crafted to last and made to move like the wearer.

By Marie Helweg-Larsen Dickinson College

THE holidays often involve jubilant gift exchanges, renewed connections with family and friends, and treasured traditions.

But the love and cheer can also be accompanied by a host of stressors—chaotic travel, conflicts over Covid-19 preventive measures, difficult dinner conversations with relatives, and worries about affording and finding holiday gifts.

This stress can worsen your mental and physical health. Research even finds that mortality is higher than normal during the holidays.

How can you best find a balance during the holidays so that you are fulfilled instead of frazzled?

Perhaps you can find balance by taking a few cultural cues from the Danes.

Denmark, despite its winters that can be cold and gloomy, is full of people who consistently rank among the happiest in the world.

As a native Dane and a psychologist, I’ll often point to Danish words that can cultivate well-being. These words can be used at any time of the year, but I think a couple are particularly useful for navigating the stress of the holidays.

GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND

UNDERSTANDING the Danish word “overskud” can help you find more balance during a period of joy and competing commitments.

“Overskud” is a noun that roughly means “excess.” In an economic context it means profit, but in

everyday speech it’s used to refer to having the energy, willingness or resources to tackle a task or a problem.

Having overskud is generally viewed as a good thing—you might go the extra mile at work, plan an elaborate holiday party, find extra thoughtful presents, or volunteer at your child’s school.

Danes sometimes combine the noun with other nouns so that you might say that you can make an “overskuds-breakfast”—a fancy breakfast of omelettes, bacon, coffee and french toast. Or you might be an overskuds-dad—the dad who decorates cookies with his kids and their friends.

Although it might seem a bit like bragging to say one has overskud, Danes react to people describing having overskud with authentic applause and support. After all, who wouldn’t want to have extra energy and bandwidth to tackle life?

Some Danish therapists maintain that having more overskud can lead you to experience more contentment, calm and presence.

YOUR ENERGY ISN’T BOUNDLESS

AND yet the holidays can sometimes demand overskud in a number of different areas: Food should be healthy but also fit everyone’s preferences and expectations. Presents should be thoughtful and affordable. Elaborate decorations must come up and go down. How do you balance it all?

Any psychologist will tell you that maintaining healthy boundaries is associated with better mental health.

Importantly, the word overskud is also used to clearly communicate when people cannot tackle an

event, task or obligation.

Instead of saying “I’m swamped,” a Dane might say they don’t have enough “overskud” to go to a party or meet for a glass of gløgg, a mulled Christmas wine. It’s basically a shorthand way to say, in a nonjudgmental way, that something sounds like fun, and you would love to do it, but you simply don’t have the energy.

Danes also use a verb that’s related to overskud, which is a noun. They will say that they cannot “overskue” something—organizing a family holiday event, planning a trip or deep-cleaning the house.

Often, activities that are meant to be fun and invigorating, like going to a holiday party on a weeknight or buying presents for a fundraiser, still require a fair amount of effort. If your store of energy is empty and you’d rather just stay home in your PJs, you might say “I just cannot overskue doing it.”

Essentially, the Danes use the words overskud and overskue to say, “No,” and there’s an unspoken understanding that it’s nothing personal. Saying “no” to some things will give you the time and energy to say “yes” to others, so you can tackle the holidays with vigor and cheer—and be that overskud party planner, cookie decorator or gift giver, should you wish to do so.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ‘PYT’

PEOPLE might want their vision for the holidays to go off without a hitch. But reality often smacks people in the face: rude strangers, long lines, decoration disasters, out-of-stock toys, piles of dirty dishes, screaming children and resentful relatives. You can practice letting go of holiday-related

frustrations by simply saying the Danish word “pyt,” which is pronounced like “pid.”

Pyt is similar to saying “oh, well” or “stuff happens” and is used to let go of minor frustrations, hassles or mistakes. Danes might say about their own behavior “pyt, I didn’t do a great job wrapping that present.” Or they might say “pyt” when they sense someone else’s disappointment: “pyt, those cookies do look a bit funny, but they’re still delicious.”

Pyt is about accepting that things won’t go exactly as planned, and embracing that fact.

Having very high personal standards is a predictor of poor coping skills and a poor ability to deal with daily stressors. Moreover, stress can be mitigated by accepting imperfection as a healthy and normal part of life.

Another way to get to pyt is to focus on what really counts. Is this long line at the mall really worth ruining your day? Or is it a minor annoyance that will soon be forgotten?

Perhaps you can take a moment while waiting to think about some of the things you’re thankful for or remind yourself that you’re OK. Research shows that self-reflection and self-compassion together are particularly effective in reducing stress. Moreover, self-compassion can lead to acceptance of both your own and other people’s flaws.

One of the benefits of holiday stress—compared to unexpected stress—is that you can anticipate it.

You’ve been here before. If you don’t try to do it all and don’t expect everything to go according to plan, you may just end up having your best holiday yet.

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How to deal with holiday stress, Danish-style

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THIS edition of the ECCO Zipflex for men features modern leather overlays and an increased, overall breathability factor as a result of the mesh panels and cool, cut-out design.

Globe’s efforts in responsible sustainability reporting recognized

GLOBE continues to cement its leadership in sustainability integration and reporting within the Philippine telecom industry, recently receiving recognition from two awardgiving bodies.

ESG Investing, a division of Global Markets Media Ltd., named Globe a finalist for Best Sustainability Reporting: Technology & Telecoms Award. The ESG Reporting Awards 2022 are the only awards devoted to assessing the bestlisted companies in sustainability and climate-related reporting.

Likewise, the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), the world’s largest professional PR body, named Globe a finalist for the Gold Standard Awards 2022 under the Reporting and Accountability category.

In developing its Annual Integrated Report, Globe saw integrated thinking as an integral part of redefining and disclosing the company’s business and sustainability strategies, enterprise risk management, and corporate governance.

Setting the Integrated Report apart is how its contents are grounded on addressing Globe’s material issues identified through review exercises and aligned with global frameworks and standards, the company’s risk management practices, and opportunities for value creation.

Globe’s Integrated Report uses the Integrated Reporting Framework, which highlights how value is created over the short, medium, and long term. The report is divided into six capitals, namely: Financial Capital, Manufactured Capital, Intellectual Capital, Human Capital, Social and Relationship Capital, and Natural Capital. Through this framework, stakeholders are informed how the different capitals are connected and interdependent.

Globe sees that the Integrated Reporting framework is more than a disclosure guidance; it is also a tool to strengthen the sustainability strategy of the company.

“As a responsible business, Globe sees transparency as one of the key aspects of sustainability. Our annual Integrated Report serves as one of the monitoring mechanisms that keep us in check with our progress and ensures that we are upholding the standards we have committed to,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer.

The annual integrated report is an instrumental disclosure report used by ESG ratings agencies to evaluate the performance

of the company against their metrics. It also serves as a Communication Progress Report to the UN Global Compact, as part of its duty as a signatory.

To simplify reporting, the leading digital solutions platform maximized the use of visualizations to lessen the number of pages and limit the digital version’s loading time when downloaded. It has opted to forego physical printing since 2015 to lessen carbon emissions.

This practice of Integrated Reporting has contributed to Globe maintaining its A rating in MSCI, B rating in CDP, and medium risk in Sustainalytics, and its membership in the FTSE4Good for seven straight years.

PLDT Group, Football for Humanity promote safe spaces for children to play and through sports

Hop on a flight and reignite the Magic Now with a Magical Journey at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

FOLLOWING the easing of pandemic curbs in Hong Kong, guests and fans from the Philippines can finally hop on a flight to reignite the magic at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. Get ready to rediscover familiar rides, relive moments of pure joy with beloved Disney friends, and reconnect with allnew surprises throughout the Happiest Place on Earth.

Special tickets and hotel offers are ready to make Pinoy guests’ experiences even more funfilled, in particular, the “Reignite the Magic” Combo: One-Day Park Ticket and “Disney Premier Access,” enabling priority access to some of the Park's most popular attractions.

Tourists can now visit Hong Kong quarantine-free and are allowed to explore attractions and restaurants as soon as they arrive, including Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL). For the latest travel information about Hong Kong, guests may visit here: https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/inboundtravel.html

Brand-new Disney magic awaits! BE enchanted by the reimagined Castle of Magical Dreams—home to a fully refreshed "Follow Your Dreams" daytime musical stage show and the all-new nighttime spectacular “Momentous.” Watch in awe as it sets the evening ablaze with breathtaking delights that wrap up a truly unforgettable day!

20 minutes of music and memorable moments, all wrapped up in one monumental journey.

AS part of its advocacy to create safe spaces for children both online and offline, PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) through the “Better Today” program, have partnered with Football for Humanity (FFH) to empower youth through sports.

Together with MVP Sports Foundation, Smart Sports, FFH, and JCI Manila, “Better Today for Kids Playground” is the culmination of PLDT and Smart’s month-long initiative on mental health in time for the recent World Mental Health Awareness month.

“We believe that sports can become an enabler for strong mental resilience and well-being, which is fundamental to our much broader digital wellness advocacy. This drives us to collaborate with likeminded individuals and organizations such as FFH, to generate collective impact and promote a culture of empathy among our communities,” said Stephanie V. Orlino, AVP and Head of Stakeholder Management at PLDT and Smart.

Over 50 children aged seven and above

joined a morning of games and football drills with FFH coaches and Azkals

Development

“It’s great, we need more of these events, more awareness, more supporters, more people that promote and organize [football]. I can speak from my own experience; football was my safe space. Whenever I got to play on the green carpet, I felt safe, I felt happy,” shared Shrock.

For FFH vice president and co-founder Belle Tiongco, sports play a vital role in shaping the future of children. “Happy children make happy adults. And happy adults make a country progressive and powerful,” she said.

“Play is a child’s right. Play can transform. Sports command discipline, it commands concentration, and the best thing about sports is that you live in the moment. And Better Today for Kids Playground is totally in sync with what we do: providing safe spaces, giving the children resources, supporting them when

they play. It’s a great experience that the children will not forget,” Tiongco added.

Sports for mental health IN line with the advocacy, PLDT and Smart were also invited to speak in a panel organized by the Football for Humanity and Virtual Soccer Schools to speak about the “Power Move Project” and how it could serve as an example for international youth organizations in the United Kingdom.

“We tapped Filipino athletes and even executives in our organization to support the #BetterToday advocacy. PLDT and Smart have always believed that sports can teach our youth important values that enable them to become good citizens of this country,” said Jude H. Turcuato, Head of Sports at PLDT and Smart.

These initiatives emphasize the commitment of PLDT and Smart to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG #3: Good Health and Well-Being. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/BetterTodayPH.

The

beacon

Hong Kong Disneyland: The Castle of Magical Dreams IN celebration of the resort’s 15th Anniversary, the reimagined centerpiece, named the Castle of Magical Dreams, was launched in 2020. Sparked by those that dare to dream and believe, it shines as a beacon of courage, hope and possibility.

Draw inspiration from 13 stories of Disney princesses and queens, the architectural design embraces each one of their unique characteristics through the interpretation of color, icons, symbols, patterns and cultural features.

Never in Disney history has an existing castle undergone a transformation as grand as this, and guests who have witnessed the change from a distance can now walk through the iconic structure. From meeting their favorite princesses and queens at “The Royal Reception Hall,” with its regally appointed interiors that feature intricately carved details, tapestries, and small bronze statues depicting the beloved heroines who inspired the castle’s design, to visiting “Enchanted Treasures,” the first-ever Castle of Magical Dreams Chow Tai Fook Jewelry store where artisans from the popular jeweler Chow Tai Fook have been appointed as Royal Jeweler for all of the kingdom’s magnificent keepsakes and treasures.

First-of-its-kind live outdoor musical party: “Follow Your Dreams”

THE 20-minute live outdoor musical is filled with high-energy music and live singing. A brand-new song debuted in the show, called “Follow Your Dreams,” which is not only infused with the trademark uplifting spirit of a Disney tune, but also reminds guests how fulfilling it is to pursue dreams and to never give up. Several well-known songs have also been rearranged and produced to give guests a never-before-heard experience, featuring a wide range of music from electronic dance music and K-Pop, to everything in between.

Through powerful and heart-warming storytelling, “Momentous” will delight your senses with spectacular multimedia elements, including large-scale projection mapping technology, choreographed fountains, illuminated water projection, lasers, theatrical lighting, pyrotechnics and fireworks effects. Unfolding over six chapters, "Momentous" will not only bring the iconic Castle of Magical Dreams to life but also take guests on a wondrous journey through life. This amazing new show reminds us just how precious time is and to cherish every moment with our loved ones.

Meet and greet with Disney Friends once more

OUR Disney pals could not be more excited to see all of our wonderful guests again! Everyone from Mickey Mouse, and the Marvel Super Heroes to Duffy and Friends—including their newest pal, the lovable fox LinaBell—have prepared brand-new surprises to celebrate special occasions while creating precious memories along the way.

There is more to capture at “Follow Your Dreams” where Mickey Mouse and an array of Disney characters, including Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pocahontas, Moana, and Elsa, as well as Miguel from Coco and Nick and Judy from Zootopia. So, savor the magic with Disney Pals through a series of iconic new photo moments.

Exciting product line-up in 2023 at Hong Kong Disneyland

THIS 2023 is bound to be a magical and memorable year with a rich line-up of immersive activities and seasonal events at the resort, from celebrating the 100th anniversary of Disney to the long-awaited opening of the first-ever Frozen-themed land in the world, World of Frozen, in the second half of 2023. What’s more, a brand-new Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statue will be unveiled the same year.

Seize the magic with special offers

TO welcome inbound guests, HKDL has prepared an array of attractive offers. Pinoy guests ready to immerse themselves in a magical place should start booking their trip now. Furthermore, a special two-night hotel room offer (Advance Purchase with up to 30% off) and the “two-Day Fun” Park ticket offer are also available on the official website: https://www.hongkongdisneyland.com/offersdiscounts/. Terms and conditions apply.

SM CLARK’S SKY LINE FIREWORKS FESTIVAL. A spectacular display of lights and music welcomes the New Year with love, hope and joy at SM City Clark’s Sky Line Fireworks Festival. This brings fun and magical moments to families and friends at the Philippines’ first elevated landscape bridge way.

shining

of

The Most Magical Show on Earth:“Momentous” NEWLY launched in June this year, the allnew night time spectacular, “Momentous”, has arrived—and it is Hong Kong's greatest evening experience! This much-anticipated show— filled with magic and light—illuminates the night sky with nearly

Team Captain Stephan Shrock at the Ateneo de Manila University football field.

CPGI launChes novotel suItes ManIla

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

The Antonio-family led Century Properties Group Inc., broadened its business portfolio when it recently launched Novotel Suites Manila, the group’s first hospitality venture.

The 152-room hotel conceptualized by the CPGI, located at the sixth a nd final tower of Acqua Private Residences, is in partnership with multinational hospitality company Accor. T he hotel opened its doors to leisure and business guests on December 15.

Right in the center

N OvOTEL S uites Manila has an enviable location being at the center of M etro Manila—at the boundary between the Makati and Mandaluyong a nd other nearby cities where everything is conveniently located. Further, its position opens a plethora of o ptions, whether guests are planning to shop, explore, or look for entertainment hot spots in Makati, Ortigas, a nd Bonifacio Global City.

It is accessible via the Chinese government-funded Estrella-Pantaleon bridge and Makati-Mandaluyong b ridge that link the two cities and is quite close to the Guadalupe-EDSA area, which connects to the airport via the Skyway.

Guests—whether they be families, business travelers, or backpackers—are guaranteed to find a home a way from home here. The company described each room as modern, spacious, and stylish as it offers a luxurious experience with its Live N’ Dream b eds. Further, guests have a choice between four room types—standard studio, one bedroom deluxe suite, one bedroom superior suite, and one bedroom premier suite.

The amenities of the hotel are designed to ensure that the requirements of each guest would be met.

G uests can access a fitness center with contemporary equipment on the 21st floor, and a spectacular swimming pool on the 6th floor where they can take in a view of the city, as it juts out of the tower.

Meanwhile, business travelers are guaranteed a comfortable and convenient experience with the hotel’s m eeting rooms for small-scale business meetings—the Coronado, Hulo, a nd a Private Dining Room, each of which features high-speed WIFi and other meeting and communication facilities.

Three Dining Concepts

N OvOTEL S uites Manila, located at Novotel Tower, Coronado Street, Brgy. Hulo, Mandaluyong City, put all the stops to ensure guests’ stay become memorable with its food and beverage concepts, a lounge, a café, and a pastry shop. For this, the hotel has tapped King Golden Dragon, the company behind House of Lasagna, as the hotel’s f ood and beverage partner.

The restaurant group diversifies its offerings as it enters the hotel food and beverage scene, promising a leveled-up service and menu as it partners with a veteran chef with an international hotel dining experience.

Located near the front desk on the 21st floor, a lounge offers quick bites, coffee, and sweet treats. Aside from

the award-winning lasagna, its menu features choices of cakes and pastries best enjoyed with a cup of coffee. Meanwhile, the Novotel Suites Manila at Acqua’s all-day dining restaurant overlooks the pool, making it the best spot for hearty brunches, laid-back lunches, and night-time feasts.

Scheduled to be launched in January 2023, the pastry shop will be located on the hotel’s ground floor, making it perfect for those looking for snacks and treats they can grab on the go o r pick up just in time for special celebrations.

As its food and beverage partner House of Lasagna, Novotel Suites Manila at Acqua promises a memorable and flavorful stay for its guests. Meanwhile, the residents and the

Anticipating the recovery

COL LIERS Philippines said developers are bullish for the hotel industry as it projects completion of 3,900 rooms in 2023, a record-high as d evelopers anticipate the projected recovery in global travel. From 2023 to 2025, Colliers expects the annual delivery of 2,120 rooms, higher than the 720 rooms completed yearly from 2020 to 2022.

“We expect more foreign-branded hotels opening in the next 12 to 36 months. From 2023 to 2025, about 44% of the new supply are

foreign brands and are likely to open in the Bay Area, Makati CBD and Ortigas CBD,” it said. Further, it sees Average Daily Rates (ADRs) rising by about 15% in 2022 after recording a cumulative drop of 20% in 2020 and 2021. ADRs are likely to continue to improve in 2023 following the projected rise in local and foreign tourists.

C olliers said the ADRs of selected high-end resorts have been stable. The steady growth is attributed to continued revenge travel across the country. “In our view, the increase in rates is likely to be sustained as the country attracts more international travelers, especially the long-haul and high-spending ones,” C olliers said.

Japanese manufacturing company Kurabe Industrial signs deal with Aboitiz InfraCapital, manufacturing plant in PHL to rise soon in LIMA Estate

TOKYO, Japan—Committed to attracting foreign investment to the Philippines in order to generate jobs for Filipinos and stimulate the economy, Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC), the infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz Group—together with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)—signed an agreement with Japanese manufacturing company Kurabe Industrial Philippines, Inc. The deal ushers in Kurabe’s official entry into the Philippine market to build a manufacturing facility within A IC’s LIMA Estate in Batangas.

The AIC-Kurabe deal, signed in Tokyo, Japan last November during the Philippine business delegation’s Japan Roadshow, follows the registration agreement between PEZA and Kurabe, w hich classified the Japanese company as an ecozone export enterprise.

Don Tim Development Corporation (DTDC) recently held an inauguration for its latest home model for Montebello, the Lotus Twins.

L ocated in Alfonso, Cavite, the Lotus Twins is an Asian-style duplex bungalow that features open and flexible spaces ready for post-pandemic life.

The Lotus Twins, which has an Asian contemporary design, has a flexible interior design, high ceilings, and wide windows for better v entilation—a necessity in the new normal.

It also has a climate-conscious design that maximizes natural sunlight and the cool breeze in Tagaytay, providing a brighter and breezy environment inside each house that may lead to lower electricity costs as residents do not have to use air conditioners and extra lights.

With proper ventilation and open interior space, residents can enjoy their leisure time for gatherings, social activities, and playtime with pets and the whole family.

As these open interior spaces benefit residents who work from home and need bigger sp aces, it also allows residents to become more flexible and interchange interior designs based on their spatial preference, may

i t be for aesthetics, their daily lives, or how they adjust to post-pandemic life.

The Lotus Twins has generous garden spaces and a comfortable set-up for plantitos and plantitas who love gardening and growing their own fresh produce.

E ach house uses modern finishes for its exteriors, evoking a rustic look of log cabins and summer cottages that surround Tagaytay City and its nearby towns.

More importantly, Lotus Twins addresses the post-pandemic realization that “living in the city is not necessary to productivity,” says Audric Leong, Chief Executive o f ficer of DTDC.

He adds, “In fact, it can be detrimental to it, in terms of time wasted in traffic, constant exposure to crowds, enclosed spaces, etc. We’ve learned that we can live and work anywhere, so it might as well be in a place where you can breathe easy, live healthily, and thrive.”

Aside from the Lotus Twins, the Montebello also has two other new designs: the D aphne I and the Daphne II, both also boasting climate-conscious designs and open spaces beneficial for residents who are looking for a more breathable living environment in the new normal.

The deal with AIC includes Kurabe’s purchase of a 5.9-hectare property within the 8 00-hectare LIMA Estate in Batangas, which offers industrial lots to foreign and domestic companies interested in expanding operations in the country.

Locators within LIMA Estate can maximize the full suite of services for construction, power, and water utilities provided by Aboitiz affiliates. With AIC’s leadership in master-planning s mart and sustainable industrial-anchored developments, businesses and multinational organizations, like Kurabe, are assured that they can operate with ease and that their needs and demands are addressed efficiently.

“Considering the strategic location of LIMA Estate, the incentives we get with our registration to PEZA, and Aboitiz InfraCapital’s r eadiness and expertise to cater to foreign locators, we have decided that the Philippines i s the best location to disperse our business,” shared Kanazawa Takenobu, Kurabe Co., Ltd.’s CEO and President.

“Aboitiz InfraCapital is undoubtedly our choice partner for this expansion, given its well-established reputation and its strong relationship with Japanese b usiness owners. Knowing that a dedicated Japanese team from AIC is accessible to meet

our needs provides us with a sense of security and comfort.”

Kurabe’s deal with AIC will result in a P2B investment from the Japanese manufacturer for its business expansion within AIC’s LIMA Estate. The 2B-Peso investment is earmarked for land, the acquisition of factory equipment, and the eventual construction of the facility which is slated to break ground in 2024. Upon completion, Kurabe’s factory is expected to recruit a 2,000-head work force from Batangas a nd its adjacent areas. The facility will manufacture and assemble primarily Kurabe’s automotive products, such as car seat heaters and w iring, and steering wheel heaters and wiring.

“AIC shares the success of this deal with PEZA and our partners from the Department of Trade and Industry [DTI]. On behalf of the Philippine delegation at the Japan Business Roadshow, we welcome Kurabe Industrial to the Philippines, and to LIMA Estate. This partnership demonstrates our shared commitment t o attracting foreign investment to the Philippines—which aims to generate employment, b oost commerce and local trade and reinforce the economy,” said AIC Economic Estates Head Rafael Fernandez de Mesa.

In recognition of AIC’s partnership with Japanese companies, Fernandez de Mesa highlighted how “As of today, LIMA Estate is home t o over 70 Japanese companies, who are providing thousands of jobs to our skilled Filipino w ork force. AIC and our Economic Estates will remain committed to ensuring our developments continue to be an attractive location for Japanese investors to base their operations in the Philippines.”

As Aboitiz Group’s infrastructure arm, AIC is a leader of smart and sustainable industrial development and operation in the Philippines. To accommodate demand from investors, AIC broke ground earlier this year on a 57-hectare expansion within LIMA Estate, which is part of a larger 150-hectare expansion. The market has responded very enthusiastically to t he expansion, and to serve additional future demand from companies looking to capitalize on the benefits of locating in the Philippines, beyond the 150 hectare expansion, AIC projects to bring to market an additional 450 hectares within the next 10 years. The Estate currently has approximately 65,000 employees, with the projected headcount expected to grow to 100,000 by the end of the decade.

guests of the Acqua community are also quite fortunate as the hotel opens these dining experiences to them.

Don Tim Development Corporation unveils post-pandemic friendly home model in Alfonso, Cavite

FROM left: Niña Elpa, Don Tim’s Head of Finance, Grace Malingin Head of Project Development and Innovation, Architect Niño Gajasan, Principal Consultant, LINKAGES Real Estate Planning & Design, Engr. Marilou Tibayan, Head of Alfonso Municipality Engineering Office, CEO Audric Leong, and Atty. Joey Melgarejo from the Legal Department

Lastimosa tends to Tropang Giga as Reyes focuses on World Cup bid

TEAM manager Jojo Lastimosa will tend to the herd as Chot Reyes spends more time in preparing the national men’s team for the FIBA 2023 World Cup the country is lead hosting from August 25 to September 10.

“ I only stepped back as TNT coach and I did not quit as its head coach,” Reyes told BusinessMirror

“I will be a consultant first for the TNT for the meantime this conference and I will be focusing more as national head coach of the Philippine team.”

I n place of the 59-yearold tactician is Lastimosa, officially TNT’s team manager who also dabbles as Reyes’s assistant and consultant during training and games.

R eyes said Lastimosa would be playing a more active coaching role as the Tropang Giga try to bounce back from a 4-8 won-lost record that booted them out of the Commissioner’s Cup playoffs for the first time.

T NT will parade 6-foot-6 Jalen Hudson as their import for the Governors’ Cup.

R eyes, meanwhile, said it’s a dream come true for every Filipino as the country hosts a huge international basketball tournament later this year at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Mall of Asia Arena and the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

“ This is the dream—the tournament that will help us qualify for the Olympics [Paris 2024], so I want to make sure that we are [strongly] prepared as possible—and that’s why I stepped back from coaching TNT to being a consultant,” Reyes said.

A s consultant, Reyes will still be monitoring the day-to-day operations of the Tropang Giga.

L astimosa will be assisted by Bong Ravena, Joshua Reyes, Sandy Arespacochaga, Ranidel De Ocampo and Roel Escueta at the bench.

The Philippine Basketball Association, on the other hand, approved the trade between Blackwater and Converge with the Elite acquiring RK Ilagan, Tyrus Hill and Mike Digregorio for FiberXers big man Barkley Ebona and their 2022 first round draft pick (TNT pick) in Season 48.  Josef Ramos

BACHMANN: I COULDN’T SAY NO TO PRESIDENT BBM

BusinessMirror

B8 Wednesday, January 4, 2023 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

Editor: Jun Lomibao

By Josef Ramos

RICHARD “DICKIE”

BACHMANN admitted on Wednesday that the offer from the highest official of the land for him to head the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) was something he couldn’t decline.

I just couldn’t decline President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.’s offer to serve Philippine sports,” Bachmann told BusinessMirror on Tuesday afternoon, just hours after he resigned as operations manager of the Local Organizing Committee for the Fiba World Cup the country is lead hosting in August.

“ I was in the United States in California with my family when I was informed about it,” Bachmann narrated. “I was asked if I’m interested in the job and it’s very difficult to turn down something when the country’s most powerful figure asked you to man the job.”

He cut short his US holiday and flew back home on New Year’s Eve. He is scheduled to be sworn in as the 12th chairman of the PSC in Malacañang before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, along with newly-appointed commissioners Edward Lim Hayco and Walter Francis Torres.

WHO’S GOT ADVANTAGE IN GAME 3?

HONG KONG Bay Area has the momentum while Barangay Ginebra San Miguel—according to coach Tim Cone—“has the ball on its court” in Game 3 of the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup Finals Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

We had a few days to really sink in to our adjustments. And just like coach Brian [Goorjian] said, Game 2 ball is on their court and have done their thing, now the ball is on our court so tough a task to prepare and be ready for Game 3,” said Cone Tuesday.

The Gin Kings indeed had the ball on its court in Game 1 where they bedazzled the Dragons in a 96-81 win but Game 2 was a way different battle.

A fter making adjustments on how a PBA Finals is played—specifically on how referees make their calls— Goorjian came prepared with a

polished homework to tie the series with a 99-82 rout.

Cone admitted they didn’t see that one coming.

Everybody was a little bit angry for not playing well and the coaching staff wasn’t happy for not preparing well [for Game 2],” Cone said. “They adjusted very well and we couldn’t handle their adjustments.”

B oth sides—Justin Brownlee for Ginebra and Andrew Nicholson for Bay Area—played dominant roles in Games 1 and 2, something their coaches are unsatisfied with.

Cone want his local guys— reigning MVP Scottie Thompson, Stanley Pringle, Christian Standhardinger, Japeth Aguilar, Jamie Malonzo and LA Tenorio—to step up behind Brownlee.

For Goorjian, he similarly wants his bench to contribute more and not let Nicholson do a yeoman’s job all of

48 minutes.

We rely very much on Nicholson, and Nicholson played every minute until the game’s over,” Goorjian told BusinessMirror the other day. “We’re not playing too deep into the bench.”

Nicholson’s numbers two games into the best-of-seven series of 28.5 points and 13.5 rebounds have been weaving wonders for the Dragons, and so are Brownlee’s—30 points and 12 rebounds—for the Gin Kings.

But Goorjian believes his team is fully motivated to win the series.

It’s definitely a motivation. I mean, losses mount and you pretty much wonder ‘are we going to beat this team?’” he said. “All of these are positives. A lot of talk about young and learning all of these. We’re here through that process to win this thing.”

Game 3 is set at 5:45 p.m. Josef Ramos

Zamboangueño athletes support Valientes

TOP Zamboangueño athletes are supporting the campaign of their hometown team Zamboanga Valientes in the Asean Basketball League (ABL) Invitational starting on Tuesday at the OCBC Arena in Singapore.

Tokyo Olympic boxing bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial, Magnolia’s Mark Barroca, Converge’s Mike Tolomia and pro boxer Jonas Sultan wished their home team good luck in their ABL sortie.

The Zamboanga Valientes are all primed up because of the encouraging messages they received from fellow top Zamboangueño athletes like Barroca, Tolomia, Marcial and Jonas,” team owner Junnie Navarro said.

This is very meaningful to all Zamboangueños because this

is the first time that they will be representing the country in the ABL,” Navarro said. “Before the Valientes flew to Singapore, Barroca visited the team’s last practice session last week.”

M arcial expressed his all-out support to the Zamboanga Valientes while training for his upcoming fight early this year in Las Vegas, Nevada, while Sultan will join the team in Singapore to cheer for them.

The Zamboanga Valientes faced Louvre Surabaya Indonesia in their first game at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Z amboanga City Mayor John Dalipe also showed his support to the team owned by Cory and Junnie Navarro and MLV Accounting’s Mike Venezuela.

The game was shown live in IBT

Thus, as both squads go to Wednesday’s (today) Game 3 of their best-of-seven series for the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup, what playbook they’d bring to the table is being anxiously awaited by this cage-crazed republic.

W hile players, especially the main cogs, will hug the spotlight in every title match, the coaches will embrace everything including their ubiquitous egos.

Do-it-all import Justin Brownlee and playmaker LA Tenorio shone brightest in anchoring a telling 96-81 Game 1 win for Ginebra on Christmas Day before a spill-out crowd at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.

The

B achmann, 54, is also obligated to resign his post as basketball commissioner of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, a task he’s supposed to handle for three seasons, and as 3x3 head of the Philippine Basketball Association.

He opted not to announce his plans at the PSC but promised to do so after he takes his oath and proceeds to the sports agency’s offices inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.

I will mention that [plans] after my oath-taking tomorrow [Wednesday] so that everything will be proper place,” he said.

Volleyball association head Ramon “Tats” Suzara, master planner and LOC board member for the FIBA World Cup hosting, said Bachmann is best suited for the job “because he’s not only a sportsman but also an executive.”

He will bring new innovations to Philippine sports because of his experience as sports executive and it will favor everyone,” Suzara said.

Former PSC chairman William Ramirez, meanwhile, encouraged support for Bachmann.

“ The success and failure of the leadership of the PSC will always be the success and failure of everyone,” Ramirez said.

W ith Bachmann, Hayco and Torres being sworn in Wednesday, the PSC board now has a quorum— bowling great Olivia “Bong” Coo was appointed in July—with a fourth commissioner still to be named by Malacañang.

Bachmann played college basketball for De La Salle and professionally for Alaska. He replaced Jose Emmanuel “Noli” Eala who was PSC chairman for only four months.

Cone’s counter-adjustment

ADJUSTMENT is the name of the game.  That’s always the battle cry in almost all championship clashes disputed then and now.

The Barangay Ginebra-Bay Area duel is no exception.

It was a win that validated Tim Cone’s strategic coaching that gave the Gin Kings an impressive 18-point victory the first time they battled the visitors from Hong Kong.

Cone’s breast-beating triumph stuck out like a sore thumb as the loss was only the second in 12 elimination games for the much-ballyhooed Dragons dipped deeply in classy players plucked from around the globe.

But Hong Kong coach Brian Goorjian knew what to do in

C oached by Ateneo De Zamboanga’s Bobedick de los Santos, the team also includes former San Beda star Peter Alfaro, Rhayann Amsali, Padrigao, Jens Knuttel and Tolomia.

Z amboanga has produced talented point guards like RR Garcia, Forthsky Padrigao, Barroca and Tolomia, and taked pride in Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz and pool masters Cheska Centeno and Roberto Gomez.

Tennis legend Navratilova to get treatment for throat, breast cancer

NEW YORK—Tennis great Martina Navratilova said Monday that she has been diagnosed with throat and breast cancer.

I n a statement released by her representative, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame said her prognosis is good and she will start treatment this month.

This double whammy is serious but still fixable, and I’m hoping for a favorable outcome,” the 66-year-old Navratilova said. “It’s going to stink for a while but I’ll fight with all have I got.”

S he said she noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck while attending the season-ending Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, in November, and a biopsy showed early stage throat cancer. While Navratilova was undergoing tests on her throat, she said, the unrelated, early stage breast cancer was discovered.

“ Needless to say my phone and twitter are both blowing up so I will say again—thank you all for your support and I am not done yet,” she tweeted Monday.

Navratilova was diagnosed with a noninvasive form of breast cancer in 2010 and had a lumpectomy.

Game 2:  Continue to defend but minus fouls that slew the Dragons in Game 1.

The simple adjustment produced a resounding 99-82 win for Bay Area on December 28 before 16,044 pro-Ginebra fans at the Smart Araneta Coliseum that watched in disbelief.

The Gin Kings had been simply outsmarted—or was Cone thoroughly out-tricked?

Tonight, we defended without fouling,” said Goorjian, pointedly adding, “we did not complain about the referees in Game One.”

“ Tonight, we made the adjustments according to the PBA rules of playing without fouling,” said Goorjian, who had coached Australia to an illustrious Olympic bronze finish.  “And to move forward, we gotta stay on that page.”

S hackled almost in that Game 1 defeat, fire-spewing Dragon Andrew Nicholson and dead shot Zhu Songwei rebounded with 30 and 25 points, respectively, combining to erect a 52-35 halftime bulge from which the Gin Kings weren’t able to recover from.

S he won 59 Grand Slam titles overall, including 31 in women’s doubles and 10 in mixed doubles.

The last was a mixed doubles championship with Bob Bryan at the 2006 US Open, a month shy of her 50th birthday.

Navratilova originally retired in 1994, after a record 167 singles titles and 331 weeks at No. 1 in the WTA rankings. She returned to the tour to play doubles in 2000 and occasionally competed in singles, too.

Navratilova was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2000. She has worked as a TV analyst in recent years.

The statement issued Monday said Navratilova would not be a regular part of Tennis Channel’s coverage of the Australian Open later this month “but hopes to be able to join in from time to time” via video conference.

W hile Brownlee managed to continue to shine with his 32 Game Two points, Tenorio was almost cemetery-silent like Scottie Thompson.

W hat kind of adjustment Cone will unfurl in the 5:45 p.m. Game 3 today at the MOA Arena must be something akin to one coming from the winningest coach (24 crowns) in PBA history.

G oorjian’s assessment of the ongoing war?

I’m loving every battle,” he said.

THAT’S IT Rafael Nadal, the Spanish owner of the most Grand Slam titles in history with 22, welcomes the return of Novak Djokovic to the Australian Open set to blast off later this month.  Djokovic was detained and deported ahead of the 2021 tournament for refusing to get vaccinated for COVID-19.  “Novak’s return is good for tennis and it makes me highly motivated,” said Nadal, who won at Melbourne Park last year by beating Russian Daniil Medvedev in an epic five-setter…Happy birthday today to Danny Dalena!

ANDREW NICHOLSON (left) and Justin Brownlee are doing a yeoman’s job for their respective teams.

OLYMPIC bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial and basketball star Mark Barroca are all out for the Valientes.

Divisoria and at the Golden Boys Gym.

team is composed of American imports Antonio Hester, Will Deng, Ryan Smith and heritage player Jeremy Arthur, former Gilas players JR Cawaling and Kemark Cariño, homegrown Rudy Lingganay, Jeff Bernardo and Denver Cadiz.

RICHARD “DICKIE” BACHMANN: It’s very difficult to turn down something when the country’s most powerful figure asks you to man the job.

NAVRATILOVA