BusinessMirror January 09, 2023

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

THE national government’s total gross borrowings from January to November last year contracted by almost a fifth on an annual basis to P2.104 trillion, the latest Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) data showed.

T he end-November 2022 total borrowings was P671.882 billion lower than the P2.775 trillion recorded in the same period of 2021.

T he 11-month gross borrowings last year was 95 percent of the P2.2-trillion total borrowing target set by the national government for 2022.

T he decline in gross borrowings was due to contractions in both domestic and foreign borrowings by

the national government last year. Treasury data showed the bulk of the amount borrowed by the national government as of end-November last year consisted of gross domestic borrowings that reached P1.61 trillion.

T he amount was 28.314 percent lower than the P2.246 trillion recorded during the 11-month period of 2021.

DISRUPTIONS KEEPING FERTILIZER EXPENSIVE

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

FERTILIZER prices have already eased from the peak levels recorded in 2022 but prices remain high due to disruptions and restrictions that make it more expensive, according to World Bank economists.

In a blog, World Bank Development Economics Prospects Group Senior Agriculture Economist John Baffes and Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies Brunei Darussalam Researcher Wee Chian Koh said the production crunch in Europe; trade disruptions caused by the Ukraine-Russia war; and export restrictions in China continue to affect fertilizer prices.

T hese developments are a cause for concern for countries

like the Philippines which are heavily reliant on imported farm inputs like fertilizer.

Fertilizer prices have eased from their early 2022 peaks but they remain at historically elevated levels. The price easing partly reflects weak demand as farmers cut back fertilizer field applications due to affordability and availability issues,” the economists said.

“ The industry is also affected by supply-side issues, including a production crunch in Europe, disruptions due to sanctions on Russia and Belarus, and trade restrictions in China,” they added.

Baffes and Koh said the rise in natural gas prices in Europe has caused a 70- percent reduction in the production of ammonia, a key ingredient in the production of nitrogen fertilizers.

Experts cite tool kit to bust inflation, stimulate economy

LOCAL economists are proposing a number of measures, including going after smugglers and hoarders as well as raising real wages, to rein in inflation and stimulate the economy this year.

I n an email to BusinessMirror , former Dean of the University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations (Solair) Rene Ofreneo said the recent spike in inflation can be contained if the government more proactively runs after smugglers and hoarders.

O freneo said disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine war are expected to continue, as well as the US-China trade tensions, albeit at a lesser degree. These are among the factors that will make trade an important area for the government to focus on this year.

Nobody can confidently say inflation has peaked. It is well if we were not so import-dependent on many things, especially basic goods. To stop inflation, the government should take seriously the campaign against smugglers, hoarders, etc.,” Ofreneo said, partly in Filipino.

I nflation is not the only concern, however. Former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Dante B. Canlas said real wages have been declining and workers are due for an increase to cope with high prices.

C anlas said the government can start with adjustments in the wages of teachers, doctors and allied medical workers in public schools and hospitals. These workers can help the government address education and health gaps.

OR THE NAZARENE Thousands of Catholic devotees participate in the weekend “Walk of Faith” procession in lieu of the traditional Traslación, an event drawing millions of people, which remains suspended for the third consecutive year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 80,000 devotees joined this year’s procession, which started at the Quirino Grandstand in Ermita, Manila, where a duplicate of the image of the Black Nazarene was placed for the pagpupugay (to pay tribute), an alternative to the pahalik (to kiss). The walk ended at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila. The January 9 procession reenacts the image’s “solemn transfer” in 1787 to the minor basilica from its original shrine in Intramuros, an event that draws millions of devotees trying to touch the image and lasting 22 hours at most. NONIE REYES/NONOY LACZA/ROY DOMINGO

Inflation-busting bid swells meat imports to 1.4B kilos

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

THE Philippines imported a record volume of 1.356 billion kilograms of meat products last year as the government resorted to foreign supplies to temper price increases of the commodity amid domestic production and supply concerns.

L atest Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) data showed that total meat imports in 2022 was 191 million kilograms higher than the 1.165 billion kilograms recorded in 2021.

B AI data indicated that the increase in overall meat imports was driven by the 28.06-percent growth in pork imports last year that reached 710.362 million kilograms.

N early 400 million kilograms of the total pork imports were

Experts...

Continued from A1

For private workers, Canlas said, wage adjustments can be negotiated by employees and employers facilitated by the National Wages and Productivity Commission and the regional wage boards. “The ad -

bellies and cuts, which enjoyed reduced tariffs implemented by the national government, based on BAI data.

I ndustry stakeholders and experts had earlier explained that the government’s decision to reduce tariffs on pork products would lead to higher import volume as domestic hog production is just starting its recovery phase from African swine fever (ASF).

ministration must arrest further declines in real wages—those are wages in current pesos adjusted for inflation,” Canlas stressed in an email to this newspaper.

“A little introspection leads us to believe that there have been laborproductivity gains that merit new wage orders. This is evident for one from the 2022 growth in real GDP,” Canlas said.

T he government, since the Duterte administration, has slashed pork tariffs to as low as 15 percent to encourage more foreign supplies and thus temper local retail prices of the commodity, that saw hitting as high as P500 per kilogram.

T he Marcos Jr. administration has extended the duration of the lower pork tariffs until the end of the year, with local meat importers lobbying for such a measure to be prolonged until 2025.   (Related Story: https:// businessmirror .com.ph/2023/01/05/ da-defends-lower-tariffs-asproducers-raise-uproar/)

T he country’s chicken meat imports last year slightly increased by 1.57 percent to 411.069 million kilograms from 404.711 million kilograms in 2021, BAI data showed.

B AI data showed that mechanically deboned meat (MDM) accounted for more than half of the total chicken meat imports last year.

Waning demand

DE La Salle University economist Maria Ella Oplas said inflation may have already peaked in December 2022 because of the holidays. But in the first few months of 2023, demand again is expected to wane.

I n order to stimulate demand, Oplas said the government must introduce programs that encourage spending, such as lowering interest rates to

The country’s imports of chicken MDM, a vital raw ingredient used by meat processors to manufacture processed goods like hotdogs, rose by 2.74 percent year-on-year to 243.219 million kilograms.

T he Philippines imported 102.686 million kilograms of chicken leg quarters last year and 51.717 million kilograms of chicken cuts.

B AI data showed that Brazil was the country’s top meat supplier as it accounted for 28 percent of the total meat import volume last year.

B razil exported 384.095 million kilograms of meat products to the Philippines, bulk of which were chicken meat. Brazil was the country’s top supplier of chicken meat products at 235.256 million kilograms followed by the United States at 122.931 million kilograms.

Brazil was also the Philippines’s top supplier of pork products at 79.109 million kilograms, slightly edging out the Netherlands at 79.001 million kilograms, BAI data showed.

allow banks to access more funds.

Canlas said further interest rates by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) could “usher in economic-growth slowdowns” by dampening consumption.

The administration must focus on addressing expected relative-price shocks. The DA (Department of Agriculture) and DOE (Department of Energy) must have credible programs that stabilize food and energy prices, respectively,” Canlas said.

Apart from these, Oplas cited the rollout of personal income tax (PIT) reduction in the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law and increase in the take-home pay of Filipinos, to encourage them to spend not just on basic needs but also on luxury items or even for domestic travel.

The key in lowered demand is to increase demand. Therefore, make people spend. I’d be more aggressive and say enough pump priming by the government. It’s time for people to spend,” Oplas said.

China factor

FORMER dean of the University of the Philippines School of Economics Ramon L. Clarete said China’s reopening will not be entirely good for the Philippines.

D espite its reopening, China continues to grapple with Covid-19 infections and its “autocratic and imperial tendencies” which do not sit well with prospective investors, Clarete said.

On a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being best news for the Philippines, China opening is a 2. China is not going to be the same powerhouse as in during the pre-pandemic for two reasons—the pandemic has impaired her own supply chains. She still has even a Covid problem to overcome. Secondly, she needs FDI’s. And there’s hesitancy on foreign investors due to this,” he said in a Viber message.

China has to shed more its autocratic and imperial tendencies or supply chains will permanently shift to other developing countries like those in Southeast Asia.  There is a relationship between how the country is governed and the investment flowing into China,” he added.

O n Thursday, the PSA reported the country’s headline inflation rate reached 8.1 percent in December and averaged 5.8 percent in 2022, the highest since 2008. (See story here: https:// businessmirror com.ph/2023/01/05/ph-inflationup-8-1-in-december/)

PSA data showed the purchasing power of the peso fell by P0.0505 centavos to P0.8674 by the end of 2022 compared to P0.9179 at the end of 2021. This erosion of the purchasing power was the largest since 2018, when it declined by P0.0525 centavos.

T his means every Filipino shelled out an additional P13.26 to buy goods worth P100 in 2022. Products worth P100 in 2018, the base year used to compute the Consumer Price Index (CPI), cost P113.26 last year.

T he National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said protecting the purchasing power of Filipinos still tops government’s priorities as domestic and global headwinds continue to be a challenge.

U. Ordinario

N.G. borrowings...

The lion’s share of gross domestic borrowings during the reference period came from Fixed Rate Treasury Bonds at P1.136 trillion, followed by Retail Treasury Bonds at P834.479 billion.

T here was also a net debt redemption on Treasury Bills amounting to P360.769 billion, as more debts were repaid than borrowed.

D ata from the Treasury also showed that gross foreign borrowings in the January-to-November period declined 6.66 percent to P493.613 billion from P528.809 billion recorded in the same period of 2021.

O f the total gross foreign borrowings, program loans and multitranche dollar-denominated global bonds amounted to P136.604 billion and P234.259 billion, respectively.

T he remaining amount was borrowed through a project loan (P94.198 billion) and through the issuance of yen-denominated Samurai bonds (P28.552 billion).

For November 2022 alone, the national government’s gross borrowings more than tripled to P97.865 billion from P26.695 billion recorded in the same month of 2021, based on

Bleak...

ACEN Corp. President Eric Francia said the company is currently building over 1000MW of solar and wind projects in the Philippines, of which around 700MW is expected to start operations within the next 12 months. Francia said these projects would help alleviate some of the supply pressure, and help towards achieving the country’s renewable targets.

For 2023, it will remain challenging especially given the declining output from Malampaya and the continued electricity demand growth on the back of economic recovery,” said Francia via email.

A boitiz Power Corp. President Emmanuel Rubio said via viber that the company’s power projects would considerably support the country’s need for reliable and stable power in many years to come.

It comes at an opportune time that the latest addition to our thermal portfolio, the 1,336 MW GNPower Dinginin, is ready to deliver much-needed baseload power to support the country’s growing power needs.

Furthermore, our renewable energy assets continue to grow with over 1,000 MW of disclosed renewable energy projects from various indigenous energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal,” Rubio pointed out.

I sidro Consunji, chairman and chief executive officer of integrated energy company Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC), also commented that power supply will be challenging this year while expensive gas prices is expected next year.

“ I think 2023 is the most challenging, more than 2024 because in 2023, the LNG (liquefied natural gas) is not ready. So there may not be enough (supply),” said Consunji.

For 2024, (LNG) is ready, so there will be no brownout, but it may be more expensive. I think 2024 is not so challenging because LNG is already there. The issue is price,” said Consunji, adding that LNG price is estimated to be 50 percent higher than coal. “So, we will have power, but it’s going to be more expensive than today. That’s the problem,” Consunji stressed.

T he LNG projects of Linseed Field Power Corp. and FGen LNG Corp. are up for commissioning in the first quarter. Commercial operations are expected in the second quarter.

To help ease the impact of high fuel prices, Lotilla said his office continues to encourage the use of renewable energy (RE). “It is a global market. Therefore, what happens in one part of the world affects the price we’re going to import,” he said.

Treasury data.

G ross domestic borrowings in November 2022 more than quadrupled year-on-year to P75.907 billion while gross foreign borrowings more than doubled on an annual basis to P21.958 billion, BTr data showed.

T he Treasury earlier reported that the country’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.

(Related story: https:// businessmirror .com.ph/2023/01/04/endnovember-debt-hits-record-highp13-64-trillion/)

Treasury data showed 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 the US dollar on foreign currency loans,” the BTr said in a statement last week.

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

I n its priority list, the DOE will conduct a second round of the Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP) and develop essential policy frameworks for emerging RE technologies such as offshore wind and hydrogen.

Moving forward, ACEN said the country should incorporate more energy storage in the system to support the scaling up of renewables. “It is therefore critical to get the reserve market operational soonest. It is also critical to get the renewable energy market operational, especially given the upward adjustment in renewable portfolio standards,” Francia stressed.

T he DOE has included in its priority list the implementation of the reserve market and the WESM (Wholesale Electricity Spot Market) in Mindanao, which is expected to happen this month.

A lso part of the DOE’s priority list is to formulate a nuclear power roadmap, in partnership with the private sector, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), experts and stakeholders to address the challenges of the nuclear energy program.

But more importantly, the DOE and the ERC have vowed to ensure that committed power projects, transmission line facilities, and LNG infrastructure are completed and delivered on time.

“ The ERC is pushing for greater transparency so that true rates are reflected in our electricity bills. The priorities we have set for this year are all meant to protect consumer interest,” said ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta.

T he ERC said it would complete within the first quarter the reset of NGCP’s rates. It will also process the generation rates review for pass through charges in the first quarter and complete them within the first half of 2023.

For the second half of the year, Dimalanta said the ERC and the DOE are expected to complete the revised guidelines for competitive bidding for power supply agreements (PSAs) contracting, and dispense the pending rulings on PSAs affected by the Supreme Court’s decision on Alyansa cases.

It will also pursue rate reset for distribution utilities and electric cooperatives, added Dimalanta.

T he rising power demand is an indication that the country has already bounced back to prepandemic levels. While increasing demand is good news since this shows that businesses are recovering, the power sector urgently needs to catch up to serve the growing demand. With high optimism and strong cooperation from the private sector, the DOE hopes it will be a brownoutfree summer this year.

AFP’s major service commands hail reappointment of Centino

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

THE military’s three major service commands welcomed the reappointment of Gen. Andres C. Centino as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in a full expression of support to the Commander in Chief’s decision.

Centino, member of the Philippine Military Academy class of 1988, assumed his position on Saturday during a turnover ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo wherein he replaced his former academy classmate, Lt. Gen. Bartolome O. Bacarro.

B acarro, who became the chief of staff in August last year or just a month before his retirement, replaced Centino. The latter was put on a floating status.

W hile he was removed of his command, Centino, whose retirement under the old military law is February this year when he turns 56, didn’t retire from the service and held on to his rank as a fourstar general.

A new military law has put the retirement age of military generals at 59.

Red Cross staff helps Nazarene devotees

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

THE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) provided medical assistance to Black Nazarene devotees during the “Walk of Faith” on Sunday.

A s of 12 noon, at least 144 devotees were provided with medical services by the PRC’s medical personnel, volunteers, and first aid stations during the Feast of Black Nazarene.

A bout 24 devotees with minor injuries like abrasion, chest pain, abdominal pain, and concussion received first aid treatment from PRC medical staff while one unconscious patient was transported by the PRC ambulance to Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical for further medical assessment.

“ Patuloy ang pag-alalay ng ating mga volunteers, first aiders, at medical team sa mga deboto ng Nazareno,” said PRC Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon. [Our first aiders and medical team continue to give assistance to devotees of the Black Nazarene.]

T he PRC deployed the following assets to serve the participants of the Black Nazarene Feast from January 7 to January 9: 15 ambulances, 1 fire truck, 17 foot patrollers, 280 volunteers, 2 medical doctors, and 5 medical teams.

Four first aid stations were positioned in Quirino Grandstand, K artilya ng Katipunan, and the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene ( MBBN). One Emergency Medical Unit (EMU), equipped with 20 beds, basic medical equipment, devices, and supplies, was set up at the Kartilya ng Katipunan.

“ Bukas ang ating EMU na magsisilbing ospital para sa mga debotong may minor o major injuries at mangangailangan ng medical assistance,” Gordon said. [Our EMU is open to serve our devotees with minor or major injuries.]

Committed to mandate

IN separate statements, the Army, Air Force and Navy lauded Centino’s reappointment as chief of staff, saying they welcome the designation of Centino as the 59th chief of staff of the AFP.

The Philippine Army is a professional organization. We will always respect and support the decision of the President and Commander-inChief [Marcos],” the Army said.

“ We are confident that Centino, who earlier led the AFP from November 2021 to August 2022, will support the Philippine Army in attaining its vision of becoming a worldclass land force that is a source of national pride by 2028. The organization is assured on its strides in its modernization thrusts,” it said.

T he Philippine Navy also expressed the same support to the new top military chief, who earlier

urged the soldiers to end reports of squabbling and work for the good of the organization.

Being a professional organization, the PN wholly supports the decision of the Commander-in-Chief,” the Navy’s statement read.

“ The Philippine Navy will continue to fulfill its mandate to support the mission of the AFP in protecting and securing our country and our people,” it added.

L ikewise, the Philippine Air Force also said it “remains [a] stable and dependable organization and supports the decision of the Commander-in-Chief.”

“ The PAF remains loyal to our flag and our Constitution, and as a force provider, we will stay committed to our mandate to support the mission of the AFP in securing and defending our country and people,” it said.

Ahead of probe on airport mess, solon eyes experts

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

AS the House of Representatives is set to conduct on Tuesday, January 10, an inquiry into the New Year’s Day air traffic system crash, the minority leader of the lower chamber said Congress should enlist the help of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) cybercrime experts to help them in the probe.

M inority Leader Marcelino C. Libanan made this suggestion in a statement issued last Sunday, citing the need “to leave no stone un-

turned” during investigations.

“If we want to be thorough in our investigation of unexpected critical system breakdowns, we have to call in a panel of specialists, including experts from the NBI’s cybercrime division, if only to rule out potential cyberattacks, sabotage, or other kinds of malicious activity,” Libanan was quoted in the statement as saying.

“ In the future, for example, if the national power grid system unexpectedly crashes and triggers a massive blackout, we should also bring in NBI experts, among other resource persons, to help in the investigation,” he added.

L ibanan urged the NBI “to build up its staff proficiency and operational readiness” to launch its own investigations into critical system breakdowns.

This way, Congress does not have to investigate every critical system crash.”

The lawmaker added that the NBI should “brace aggressively for the future,” considering that potential cyberattacks clearly pose a growing threat.

L ibanan’s remarks came ahead of the House Committee on Transportation’s January 10 inquiry into the sudden failure of NAIA’s air traffic system that caused at least

282 flights to be cancelled, diverted or delayed. More than 56,000 passengers who braved traffic jams just to get to the airport and waited for their flights weren’t able to fly.

T he incident set off further flight disorders in the succeeding days as airlines scrambled to launch recovery flights for affected passengers.

T he Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) had initially attributed the failure of NAIA’s Communications, Navigation and Surveillance Systems for Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) to a “busted” uninterruptible power supply (UPS) unit.

Cebu court sets pre-trial against 6 DPWH officials in graft mess

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Cebu City has set on January 19 the pre-trial of the graft case filed against six officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Cebu province.

T he graft charges stemmed from a criminal case filed by local businessman Pablito Obial, owner of P.B. Obial Construction, on June 2022. The case were against the following: Florida Pangilinan-Nuñez, acting chief of Cebu 5th District Engineering Office; Eduardo R. Virtucio, bids and awards committee (BAC) chairman of the DPWH engineering office; Stephen Eric G. Castrodes, BAC vice chairman; and, Lito O. Catubig, Rogelio Quibilan and Violeto C. Orbeta, as their capacity as BAC members.

T he respondents have posted bail for their temporary liberty following the issuance of arrest warrants against them by Cebu City Branch 19 Presiding Judge Grace Veloso-Fernandez.

Probable cause

THE complaint against the respondents alleged that they “deliberately and evidently” declared P.B. Obial Construction as postdisqualified from five government projects despite being declared as having the lowest calculated bid in a December 2019 bidding for the province’s flood control program.

On September 13, 2022, the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office officially filed an information against the DPWH officials after finding a probable cause to charge them with violation of Section 3 of Republic Act (RA) 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act).

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has topped the list of government agencies for its swift response and action under the government’s 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Center records.

Because of this, no less than the Office of the President congratulated the DAR, as it was able to respond to all 451 issues and concerns brought to its attention last year.

Bernadette B. Casinabe, director of the 8888 Citizens’ Complaint

Center, conveyed her congratulatory message in a letter addressed to DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III.

We are pleased to inform you that of the 451 citizens’ concerns referred to your office from January 1, 2022, to November 30, 2022, 451 tickets, or 100 percent were acted upon. We would like to commend your efforts in ensuring that all citizens’ concerns referred to your office are acted upon on time,” Casinabe said.

T he 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Center was established in June 2007 to serve as a mechanism where citizens may report their

complaints and grievances on acts of red tape, as defined under Republic Act (RA) 9485, otherwise known as the “Anti-Red Tape Act, as amended by RA . 11032.

It also takes action on cases of corruption against any national government agency, governmentowned or controlled corporations, government financial institutions, and other instrumentalities.

C asinabe said she is looking forward “to our continued partnership in the fight against red tape and corruption.”

In a statement, Estrella expressed

AWASTE and pollution watchdog has reiterated its call on the Marcos administration to ratify the Basel Convention Ban Amendment and immediately put in place a national waste-import ban policy to effectively prevent hazardous waste entering the country’s borders.

The EcoWaste Coalition issued the call as part of the commemoration of Zero Waste Month this January.

Through the group’s trustees and staff, EcoWaste Coalition sent a letter last Friday to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga to appeal for the expeditious ratification of the Basel Convention Ban Amendment.

The Basel Convention Ban Amendment, which entered into force on December 5, 2019, prohibits affluent

countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the European Union (EU) and Liechtenstein from exporting hazardous wastes to developing countries like the Philippines for any reason, including for reuse, recycling or recovery operations.

Complete, permanent ban

THE country’s ratification in 1993 of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal and current laws and regulations are not adequate to protect the national interest from the damaging effects of the global waste trade to public health and the environment, the group said, citing high profile cases of illegal waste imports, especially those from Canada and South Korea.

To protect our country from the illegal traffic of hazardous waste and other wastes, we request you, Mr. President, to ratify the Basel Convention Ban Amendment and to call and encourage the Senate to concur with the ratification of the same,” the group’s letter read.

Based on the cost-benefit study commissioned by the Department of Environment and Natural ResourcesEnvironmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), “the overall beneficial impact of the Ban Amendment in the Philippines outweighs the short-term costs.”

The group further urged the government to completely and permanently ban all waste imports to send a clear and unequivocal message to waste traders and traffickers that exporting hazardous waste and other wastes to

his deep appreciation for the compliment even as he assured all the officials and staff of the 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Center and the public, in general, that the DAR would continue exerting and exhausting all efforts in a timely manner to address issues and concerns affecting its clienteles.

“ We will continue to work harder to ensure that every issue and concern raised by the people relative to the DAR’s mandate will be addressed and acted upon timely and swiftly because we value people’s trust and confidence,” Estrella said.

T he Cebu Prosecutor’s Office information stated that the respondent DPWH officials connived “with deliberate intent and acting with manifest impartiality” in declaring P.B. Obial Construction as post-disqualified from the five government projects which the latter have participated in despite being declared as having the lowest calculated bid for all the five biddings.

T his showed that P.B. Obial Construction, represented by Pablito B. Obial, of the subject contracts, was deprived thus, in violation of Sec. 3 (e) of RA 3019,” adding that this was, “contrary to law.”

T he appeal of the respondents before the DOJ to reverse its findings was denied on July 22, 2022 that led to the filing of the information.

T he respondents insisted that the statement of a witness in the case was “hearsay and self-serving.”

our country is now disallowed.

The ratification of the Basel Convention Ban Amendment, the implementation of the Basel Convention Plastic Waste Amendments, and the national prohibition on waste importation, we believe, will offer our country the formidable legal protection against the illegal traffic of hazardous and other wastes,” the group pointed out.

Canada waste IN their letter, the group recalled the highly-controversial waste shipments from Canada, which arrived in Manila in 2013 and 2014 and were partially re-exported to Vancouver City in 2019, rousing citizens’ awareness and abhorrence against foreign waste dumping into the country.

A s Senator of the 16th Congress, Marcos even filed a resolution “to

investigate, in aid of legislation, the dumping of Canadian trash into the country, and institute measures to protect public health and the environment against toxic and hazardous materials, and ensure environmentally sound waste management.”

In the years that followed, the Philippines again fell victim to illicit waste shipments that were intercepted by customs authorities, including the massive 7,408 metric tons of contaminated plastic waste imports in 2018 from South Korea that were unloaded in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental and reexported in batches to Pyeongtaek City in 2019-2020.

T he group said there may have been other cases of foreign waste shipments not intercepted and returned to their sources.

Jonathan L. Mayuga

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. salutes with military chief Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente O. Bacarro before departing to Beijing last January 3, 2023, at the Villamor Air Base. Marcos on Saturday, January 7, cut short the term of Bacarro, whom he appointed five months ago and replaced him with a retiring general without explaining the surprise move. PHOTO BY AP/AARON FAVILA

Chief of Staff General Andres Centino speaks to reporters during opening ceremonies of the “Balikatan” (“shoulder to shoulder”) joint military exercises at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, on March 28, 2022. Centino was reappointed last January 7 by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. after cutting short the term of the military chief of staff he appointed five months ago without explaining the surprise move. PHOTO BY AP/AARON FAVILA

ILO warns: Ignoring overemployment to hurt worker productivity, lifestyles

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

The International Labour Organization (ILO) warned that workers will likely suffer from low productivity and life satisfaction if they are left in such a condition.

Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro) Secretary General Josua Mata expressed concern over the latest data of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which showed the number of employees who worked beyond the international general standard of 48 hours per week has reached 11.21 million last Nov.

This was 28.7- percent higher than the 8.71 million in the same period in 2021.

The reason most cited by workers

affected by overemployment is the desire to earn more; and it is part of the job requirement.

The other reasons are exceptional week; ambition or passion for job; lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic; and other reasons.

“I suspect this trend will continue,” Mata told the BusinessMirror.

“Unless the government starts working to improve the quality of jobs being generated and the wages paid to workers, it is inevitable that working people would have to work longer hours,” he added.

Work-life harm IN its paper titled “Working Time and Work-Life Balance Around the

World,”the ILO said that overemployment—which it defines as a situation in which a worker would prefer to reduce the actual hours of work with a corresponding decrease in income—is especially harmful to work-life balance.

It noted that overemployment with a corresponding decrease in income can lead to reduced productivity, poorer job performance, and higher turnover and absenteeism.

“Therefore, there is a need to find a policy solution to workingtime mismatches in order to support workers in achieving a better work-life balance and better overall well-being,”the ILO said in its 171page report.

Jon Messenger, lead author of the report, said such solutions should be done through a tripartite mechanism.

“This report shows that if we apply some of the lessons of the Covid-19 crisis and look very carefully at the way working hours are structured, as well as their overall length, we can create a win-win, improving both business performance and work-life balance,” Mes -

senger said.

Philippine context

THE ILO report, which is based on the International Survey Programme of 2015, cited the Philippines together with Sweden and Taiwan (China), Japan, Switzerland, Georgia and Germany among the countries with the highest overemployment.

Labor and Employment Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma said the definition used bythe ILO may not apply in the Philippine setting.

“There can be workers who want to reduce their work hours, but not at the cost of decreasing their income,” Laguesma said.

In fact, he said a considerable number of the country’s workers are underemployed—employed persons who expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have an additional job, or to have a new job with longer hours of work.

In the November 2022 round of the LFS, PSA said 7.16 million of the country’s workers were underemployed.

Indians, Chinese leading foreign nationals working in Davao City

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

DAVAO CITY—Indians and Chinese were among the most numerous foreign nationals working in the Davao Region, the regional Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE XI) has said.

They were among the top five nationalities who were issued with the Alien Employment Permit (AEP).

With them in the top five nationalities were Indonesians, Japanese and Pakistani.

The DOLE XI said the leading job positions they were holding were operations manager, marketing officers and electrical specialists.

The DOLE XI said it has issued 493 AEPs as of December 20 last year.

The AEP is issued to foreigners

“who intend to work with a Philippines-based employer for more than six months, pursuant to Article 40 of the Labor Code, as amended.”

From the total, 85.2 percent, or 420 foreign nationals, were working with employers with offices of work operation in Davao City.

Since 2018, there was a significant increase of approximately 44 percent in the number of foreign nationals granted with AEPs in the region, the DOLE XI said.

The agency said that the Employment Regulatory Services, especially on the issuance of AEPs, were being “strictly enforced” and required from foreigners “to protect the welfare of Filipino workers as well as to address the possible cases of foreign nationals illegally working in Davao Region, the DOLE XI strictly enforces protocols in the issuance of AEPs.

The application for an AEP is the

procedure used to assess whether a non-resident alien or foreign national’s application for employment conforms with the documentation requirements outlined in Department Order (DO) 221-2, Series of 2021: Revised Rules for the Issuance of Employment Permits to Foreign Nationals, as amended.

Stricter rules

DOLE XI Regional Director Randolf C. Pensoy said that while DOLE welcomes foreign nationals to have profitable careers in the country, “the regional office is implementing stricter rules and regulations for the issuance of AEP to continuously ensure that local jobs are protected and to afford Filipinos of gainful employment with respect to their competencies, abilities, and willingness to perform services.”

Through a regional advisory issued on November 25 last year,

Disburse ‘ayuda’ before poll ban takes effect, solon urges

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

ALAWMA k E R h as appealed to government agencies in charge of “ayuda” (aid) to disburse most of the funds before the election spending ban that will come with the Barangay and S k Elections in October this year.

Deputy Minority Leader Bernadette Herrera said releasing the funds in the 2023 national budget can cushion the impact of inflation not just for the poor and low income families, but also for the small businesses they work for and interact with

“The latest, newly-released inflation figures confirm what we feared a few months ago: that inflation for the whole year is much higher than the forecast for 2022 and that yearend inflation would be quite high. Annualized inflation shot up to 5.8 percent and December inflation rose to 8.1, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority,” she said in a statement during the weekend.

Herrera said this elevated inflation will erode the purchasing power of the entire 2023 budget.

“If inflation stays elevated above 7 percent monthly, that would mean the newly-enacted

2023 budget would lose about 7 percent of its purchasing power or by approximately P368 billion,” she added.

Citing the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the lawmaker said the central bank expects “upside risks continue to dominate the inflation outlook up to 2023 while remaining broadly balanced in 2024. The expected upside risks to inflation over the policy horizon stem mainly from elevated international food prices due to high fertilizer prices and supply chain constraints.

On the domestic front, the BSP trade restrictions, increased prices of fruits and vegetables due to weather disturbances, higher sugar prices, pending petitions for transport fare hikes, as well as potential wage adjustments in 2023 could push inflation upwards.

Cushion impact

MEANWHILE, the impact of a weaker-than-expected global economic recovery continues to be the primary downside risk to the outlook, the BSP added.

But Herrera said what the BSP intends to do is raise lending rates, which will mean higher credit card interest rates and business loan interest rates, and housing loan

interest rates—all of which will affect low income and middle income families who comprise the midsection population demographic of our country of P109 million Filipinos.

“The 2023 budget has billions for ayuda and other forms of assistance for poor and low income families. Releasing these funds will cushion the impact of inflation not just for the poor and low income families, but also for the small businesses they work for and interact with,” she added.

Earlier, House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda said he sees reason to be optimistic, although with some caution, that 2023 will see more acceptable inflation levels than 2022, as December 2022 inflation hit 8.1 percent, leading the annual average to hit 5.8 percent.

“Leading projections indicate a supply surplus starting Q1 [first quarter[ of 2023, as demand slows down and the US and other nonOPEC countries try to undercut the global cartel. [Also] the world seems to have already adapted partly to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with Europe being able to fill their reserves without Russian piped gas. So, oil and energy prices could stabilize,” he said.

DOLE XI Foreign National Labor Inspectors (FNLIs) conducted verification visits to 59 establishments that intended to employ foreign nationals.

“The said visit ascertained veracity of the information and documents submitted in relation to AEP application, in which those identified establishments were found compliant with the AEP requirements as stated in DO 221-2021. In cases of non-compliance, establishments are expected to comply with the lacking requirements and carry out necessary actions to proceed with the application of permits,” the DOLE said.

The application for AEP is filed at the DOLE Regional Office concerned or having jurisdiction over the intended place of work within ten working days from date of signing of the contract or prior to the commencement of employment.

DISRUPTIONS kEEPINg FERTILIzER ExPENSIvE

Continued from A1

However, the economists believe the “milder winter” and higher imports to boost Europe’s energy reserves have already led to the easing of fertilizer prices. This, the economists said, could also allow shuttered nitrogen fertilizer production facilities to resume operations.

Meanwhile, the supply disruptions from the Ukraine-Russia war came in the form of sanctions on Russia and Belarus by the European Union and the United s t ates.

As a result, potash exports from Belarus declined by over 50 percent while Lithuania halted the use of its railway network to transport Belarusian potash to the port of Klaipeda, which typically handles almost all of Belarus exports.

Based on the United s t ates Geological s u rvey, potash is used primarily as an agricultural fertilizer.

Meanwhile, in order to ensure domestic supply, China has imposed restrictions on fertilizer exports. This has affected the supply and cost of fertilizer worldwide.

China’s export of Diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer contracted by almost 50 percent in the January to October period of 2022. DAP from China accounts for 30 percent of the global trade in the commodity.

At the same time, Chinese urea exports declined by about 60 percent year on year in the January to October period last year.

Peza OIC receives backing from industry, employees

Andrea San Juan

ECONOMIC zone stakeholders including the Semiconductors and Electronics Industries in the Philippines, Foundation Inc. (Seipi) and the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (Ibpap) have endorsed to the Office of the President the current Officer-inCharge of Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) to be the next Peza Director General.

Ibpap President and CEO Jack Madrid said in his endorsement letter addressed to the Office of the President (OP) that Peza OIC Tereso O. Panga has been a “figure of stability and a source of assurance” for the IT and Business Process management (IT-BPM) registered business enterprises (RBEs), especially as the sector navigated workfrom-home (WFH) or hybrid work.

“We believe that Mr. Panga will enable Peza to deliver its mandate of stimulating countryside development thereby creating a robust economy through establishment of more IT Parks in new growth areas outside the metropolis as ready locations for IT-BPM companies,” Madrid said in the letter dated November 29, 2022.

Meanwhile Seipi President Danilo C. Lachica underscored the importance of appointing the “right people” to take charge of agencies involved in spurring foreign investments. Seipi is the largest organization of foreign and Filipino electronics firms in the Philippines and where most are registered with Peza.

“By appointing the right people to take the helm of the agencies involved in attracting foreign investments, together with policy coherence, and a consistent implementation of the ease of doing business, we can truly improve our FDI ranking in the Asean region,” Lachica said in his endorsement letter dated November 28, 2022.

Employees’ support

IN a separate statement issued on Saturday, the investment promotion agency divulged that ecozone locators into electronics or semiconductor are the “biggest investors and exporters” in Peza.

The agency said ecozone-manufactured exports account for 80 percent of the total country’s annual commodity exports.

Apart from Ibpap and Seipi, the Philippine Economic Zone

Authority Employees’ Association (Pezaea) also issued a statement of support for the Peza interim chief.

“It is under the dynamic leadership of OIC Panga that the Authority has come into its best shape. In just a short term, OIC Panga has already instituted reforms in Peza that were all highly favored by the locators, developers, stakeholders, and Peza employees,” the Peza employees’ association said in a statement last Saturday.

Moreover, the Pezaea said it conducted a survey in December 2022 on the employees’ satisfaction with the management and leadership of Panga.

“The survey had 505 respondents, which represents 85 percent of the total manpower complement of Peza. OIC Panga was given a 4.80 satisfaction rating, and employees likewise commended his leadership. The survey likewise expressed how hopeful the employees have become under his leadership,” the Pezaea noted.

INC, PDP Nominee

IN his message sent to reporters last Saturday, Panga gave a hint on who might be appointed as the Director General of Peza noting there were news the person was nominated by the Iglesia ni Cristo and the PDP-Laban political party.

Panga issued the remark four days after the Peza issued a statement clarifying issues on leadership and the complaint filed by four Peza employees with the Ombudsman against him.

The complaint was for usurpation of authority and violation of Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees).

Peza refuted the complaint with the Ombudsman, calling it “baseless, malicious and unfounded.”

Further, the investment promotion agency said in its statement last week that the issues raised by the employees have been properly addressed by the Peza management with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Panga is the current OIC of the agency, by virtue of Memorandum Circular (MC) 1 (s. 2022), extended by MC 12, issued on December 29, 2022, by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin. The latter provided that Panga continue as OIC until President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. appoints a permanent Peza chief.

MIAA CHIEF AIMS FOR QUIET, SEAMLESS AIRPORT AT NAIA

Continued from A12

Another project, said Chiong, is to ensure the connectivity of all the passenger terminals, with the availability of roving buses to aid in the transfer passengers. “The inter-terminal loop is already ongoing. We just need to enhance it by putting more units to achieve regular intervals,” he said.

No sabotage—NSA’s Carlos

As this developed, National s e curity Adviser (N s A) Clarita Carlos dismissed rumors of possible sabotage, which caused the “mechanical failure” of the government’s air traffic management system on January 1. s p eaking on Teleradyo, Carlos said, “I am more likely to rule that out because the employees [at the air traffic control center] go through security checks, and I am the one who gives the security clearance. And most of these people, they have been working there for 40 years.” The air traffic control center is manned 24/7 by personnel, she said. Carlos added she was consulting for CAAP during the term of Director-General William Hotchkiss III, thus she is well informed of its operations.

As N s A a dviser, she was also briefed

along with other high-ranking government and state intelligence officials on January 3 on the New Year’s Day outage. s h e suggested that such communications and electrical equipment be declared as vital to national security to facilitate any purchase to upgrade the equipment, and prevent a repeat of the incident.

Financed by a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, procurement for the P10.8-billion CN s / ATM started in 2008, under the Arroyo administration. Questions were raised by the Aquino administration in 2010, on the credibility of Thales Corp. of France, the joint venture partner of s u mitomo Corp. of Japan, the project supplier. This was followed by an observation issued by the Commission on Audit, which halted the project’s implementation until 2013.

The system was eventually inaugurated and operated in 2018 by the Duterte administration. Due to the limitations on government’s procurement regulations, the specifications of the CN s /ATM equipment could not be updated from the 2008 specifications. As such, the warranty on the systems’ parts and equipment expired in 2020.

POOR working conditions are expected to continue driving more workers to be “overemployed” this year despite the normalization in the labor market, according to a labor group.

Agriculture/Commodities

www.businessmirror.com.ph

‘Punish big-time smugglers of farm products’

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

AlAwmAker is pressing for an all-out crackdown against bigtime smugglers of agricultural products who are distorting market prices and hurting local farmers.

Over the weekend, Senator Win Gatchalian enjoined concerned agencies to track down smuggling syndicates to shield local farmers from “unwarranted competition.”

Gatchalian conveyed farmers’ complaints citing reports that while smuggled agri products are being confiscated left and right, the so-called “big fishes” behind the

smuggling of farm products remain untouched.

“Kaliwa’t kanan ang mga nakukumpiskang produktong smuggled pero wala pang nahuhuling malaking isda. Dapat masawata ang mismong mga ‘big fish’ upang mahinto o mabawasan na ang iligal na pag-aangkat ng mga produkto,” the senator said in a statement.

He recalled that Senators had convened as a Committee of the Whole and rendered a Senate inquiry report in June last year citing “certain individuals’ possible involvement in large-scale agricultural smuggling.”

Gatchalian said “prices of various

Onion imports to reduce farmgate prices, discourage planting–group

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

THE proposed importation of 22,000 metric tons (MT) of onions would discourage farmers from planting and even depress farmgate prices, a local industry group said on Sunday.

The Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magsisibuyas ng nueva Ecija (Kasamne) said local onion farmers would be “on the losing end” if the recommendation to import onions until the first week of February pushes through.

Kasamne Vice President Eric Alvarez said onion harvest, particularly in nueva Ecija has already started and it is expected to peak by next month.

Alvarez said the farmgate prices of onion are now on a downward trend, falling to around P300 per kilogram on Sunday from P350 per kg.

“Prices were higher in previous days because the rains prevented us from harvesting our crop. Supply did not reach the market. Right now, however, harvest is ongoing,” he told reporters in an interview.

“It is possible that the farmgate price of onion will be on a downtrend. And if we import and the shipments arrive in February, then it would have a direct impact on our main harvest.”

Harvesting of the main onion crop usually takes place during the first semester of the year.

Import plan

AGRICULTURE Assistant Secretary Rex Estoperez said there is a proposal to import 22,000 MT of onion to boost domestic supply and pull down retail prices that have skyrocketed to more than P700

per kilogram last month.

Estoperez said the proposal was made during the recent executive committee meeting of the agriculture department. He said half of the proposed import volume would go to Luzon while Visayas and Mindanao would each get 25 percent.

Also, he said white onions would account for at least 10 percent of the volume that will be imported for Luzon.

Estoperez said the proposed import program would only run until the first week of February to ensure that shipments would not arrive during the peak harvest season.

He also said the implementing guidelines of the import proposal are still being ironed out by the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), including a mechanism that would ensure that foreign supply would be sold below P250 per kilogram.

The BPI, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA), oversees the importation of onions.

The proposal, Estoperez said, would still require the approval of Senior Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who is concurrently the Agriculture Secretary, will have the final say on the matter.

The proposal to import onions was recommended by agriculture officials after the imposition of the suggested retail price of P250 per kg failed to pull down onion prices.

Estoperez said the DA may arrive at a final decision on the proposal to import onions within the week.

The DA’s latest price monitong report showed that prices of onions in Metro Manila wet markets remained elevated. The price of red

onions ranges from P280 per kg to P650 per kg while white onions are sold for P400 per kg to P600 per kg.

‘Huge price gaps’

THE Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) called out the government for delaying its decision to import white onions.

Sinag said it had asked the DA to import white onions as early as October last year to prevent traders from using the “shortage card” to “jack up” the retail prices of the commodity.

The group said any importation program at this point would only be detrimental to local onion growers.

Sinag also claimed that the proposed import program is “deliberate” on the part of traders and importers to coincide with the peak harvest season.

“Instead of contemplating on new onion imports, that will only result in depressed farmgate prices of onions, with the onset of the harvest season, the [Department of Agriculture] should concentrate on the huge gap between farmgate prices and retail prices of onions,” it said.

“Another round of onion imports will not guarantee reduced retail prices if the DA will remain useless in addressing the gap between the farmgate and retail prices.”

The DA had projected in August 2022 that the Philippines would suffer a shortage of key ingredients used for making Filipino dishes, such as white onion and garlic as total supplies, even with imports, are insufficient to meet overall demand for the commodities. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2022/08/31/phl-to-sufferwhite-onion-garlic-shortage/).

Whole Foods touts new leaner chicken

WHOLE Foods Markets are introducing poultry breeds to their merchandise lineup that meet new welfare standards amid growing concern about the treatment of animals.

The new products, certified by animal welfare group Global Animal Partnership’s Better Chicken Project, are now in stores nationwide. Whole Foods has about 500 stores in the United States.

The breeds have fewer health problems than conventional broilers, and also taste better than some of poultry grown at lightning-fast speed, GAP says. So far, there are 11 broiler breeds approved, including those from large companies such as Aviagen and Tyson Foods Inc.owned Cobb-Vantress.

Most of the chickens grown for food across America do not meet Better Chicken Project’s requirements. GAP says it expects demand for the new products to “steadily grow” and the availability of chicks from the designated breeds will be enough to satisfy consumers. For years, the group has been studying different chicken breeds while also evaluating behavior, meat quality

and the treatment of birds for this new Better Chicken Project label. In recent years, there has been more concern about conventional breeding methods for chicken, especially for those grown in a matter of weeks in cramped barns.

GAP has said previously that these conventional-bred birds have poor welfare outcomes, including underdeveloped organs and foot injuries. The food from these chickens can have problems as well, such as excess fat strips in breast meat and a tough, gristly texture.

Today’s average broiler chickens are ready for harvest quickly, reaching market weight in less than 7 weeks, compared with about 16 weeks a century ago, according to the national Chicken Council. The animals are much bigger than in the past, often sit for much of their lives and have excessively large breasts.

The newly certified birds are red-feathered breeds, with larger feet to allow them to perch at the farms. They’re often taller with smaller breasts than conventional chickens. The birds also are more active and energetic, according to Mike Charles, owner of LaBelle

Patrimoine, one of the first farms to grow these chickens.

GAP says production costs for approved breeds “will be higher initially and should come down as growers become more familiar with the breeds.” They’re priced at $3.99 a pound for entire birds, Whole Foods said. Organic chickens are $4.49 a pound, while other varieties are $3.49.

“We’re excited that our customers are prioritizing welfare,” said Karen Christensen, senior vice president of merchandising for perishables at Whole Foods. “We hope our customers will also notice a difference in the taste and flavor of chicken” in the new products, she said.

Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon.com Inc., joined the U.S. Working Group for Broiler Welfare in 2022. The group helps businesses that buy chicken in different industries meet animal welfare commitments. It is partnering with Perdue Farms Inc., one of the biggest chicken producers in the US, to help companies such as Whole Foods purchase more humanely raised chicken. Bloomberg News

farm products have gone up considerably due in part to rampant smuggling of agricultural products that have rendered local farm output practically uncompetitive, which, in turn, undermines the productivity of local farmers.”

The senator took note of findings that “aside from causing undue disadvantage to local farmers, smuggling also caused losses to the government in terms of unpaid duties and taxes. It is a major deterrent to economic growth, particularly in the countryside where our farmers are located.”

Citing data from the Department of Agriculture included in a

report provided to Senate probers, Gatchalian said about P667.5 million worth of agriculture and fishery products were smuggled into the country even as the Bureau of Customs conducted 542 seizure cases involving P1.99 billion worth of agricultural products between 2019 and 2022.

Farm commodities being smuggled into the country include sugar, corn, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots, fish, and cruciferous vegetables, as per data cited by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture.

Over the years, lower produc-

tivity rates have led to higher cost of farm products to the detriment of consumers, especially during a seasonal uptick in demand and taking into consideration the negative impact of typhoons and other calamities, Gatchalian said.

He said the full extent of the law should be implemented as far as Republic Act 10845, also known as An Act Declaring Large-Scale Agricultural Smuggling as Economic Sabotage, is concerned. Despite the law’s enactment in 2016, smuggled agricultural products continue to enter the country unabated, he said.

FFCCCII: Marcos as DA chief is more beneficial to farm sector

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio | Correspondent

DESPITE calls by some quarters for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to appoint a full-time agriculture secretary so he can focus on his position as the Chief Executive, a business leader insists that it is an advantage to have the President at the helm as it gives him a better position to analyze the challenges in agriculture.

“With the President at the helm, I hope we can come up with a good agriculture program,” Dr. Henry Lim Bon Liong, president of the Federation of the Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII) said at a Pandesal forum on Saturday assessing President Marcos’s recent state visit to China.

Lim said the government must also give importance to agriculture not only for food security but for exports, in order to boost the overall economy. “Our current agriculture budget is so small that we can’t develop a good program for agriculture,” Lim said.

According to the Department of Budget and Management, for fiscal year 2023, “the Marcos administration

has allotted a total of P184.1 billion for the Agriculture sector—a substantial increase of 39.2 percent from its 2022 allocation—to ensure food security and agricultural productivity.”

Lim said the amount is not enough as the country needs to pursue several agricultural activities such as seed production.

Time to appoint DA chief MEA n W HILE professor Anna Malindog-Uy, vice president for external affairs of the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, thinks it is high time for the President to appoint a full-time agriculture secretary to enable him to focus more on his job as Chief Executive.

“President Marcos Jr.’s plate is quite full right now as he tackles colossal issues such as inflation, pandemic, drugs, traffic, among others.

Despite its success, the recent state visit to Beijing needs a follow-through and an effort to stick with the agree-

ments to ensure the investment pledges worth $22.8 billion would materialize. “We need China more than China needs us,” Malindog-Uy said.

Sixto Benedicto, president of the Association for Philippines-China Understanding (APCU), is optimistic that through the Marcos visit, the diplomatic and bilateral relations between the Philippines and China under his administration will be fruitful, vibrant, and bright. “This visit is also significant, for it will define the posture and trajectory of the Philippines-China bilateral relations in the next five years under the Presidency of Marcos Jr.,” he said, “With this state visit, I believe that the relations between the two countries, both state-tostate and people-topeople, will be strengthened and deepened further, and more economic and trade cooperation between the two countries will be established and pursued that will benefit the peoples of the Philippines and China.”

China’s border reopening marks end of Covid Zero

China’s long-awaited border reopening—the final step in its dismantling of Covid Zero—is set to spark a homecoming rush for many diaspora, though a full rebound in travel is likely to take longer.

S tarting Sunday, China no longer requires quarantine for arrivals after authorities ditched the p olicy that, along with the exorbitant cost of airfares amid severe c apacity constraints, was a major deterrent for travelers. While anyone wanting to enter the country w ill still need a 48-hour negative Covid test result, the substantial easing in border controls just two weeks before the Lunar New Year holiday marks an end to Beijing’s efforts to keep out a virus that’s become accepted as endemic across the world.

The immediate impact is a surge of overseas Chinese coming back home, many of whom have not seen family for years.

i haven’t been home in almost two years, so the announcement felt like a fever dream,” said Connor Zhao, a 25-year-old consultant w ho lives in San Francisco. He’s currently on holiday in Bangkok and will fly to Qingdao on Jan. 19, with his trip including a layover in Hong Kong, which has more available flights into the mainland.

i m very excited to see my parents. Getting to spend Chinese New Year with them means a lot to me,” he said.

But the influx of travelers heading into the country is unlikely to be m atched by a surge in demand for overseas trips. The flow of Chinese tourists, previously a $280 billion spending force in global holiday hotspots from Paris to Tokyo, will take months if not years to recover to its pre-pandemic level.

A raft of countries have implemented testing requirements on t ravelers from China after infections surged, and airlines have b een reluctant to immediately make major changes to their flight schedules, meaning capacity remains t ight and prices high.

“The willingness to travel has started to strongly rebound among Chinese,” said Chen Xin, head of China leisure and transport research at UBS Securities. “But it s till takes time to be reflected in the outbound travel routes.”

The reopening of China’s borders marks the end of Covid Zero, a s trategy that left the world’s second-biggest economy isolated for t hree years and weighed heavily on the economy. While the measures managed to keep the virus at bay for much of the pandemic as it killed millions elsewhere, they became increasingly irrelevant as the emer -

gence of more infectious variants made stamping out the coronavirus all but impossible.

The government began rolling back quarantine, which was s tretched arbitrarily by local authorities in parts of China to almost a month at some points in the p andemic, in June last year, with the pace of change quickening after China abruptly abandoned domestic Covid control measures like m ass testing and lockdowns in the final months of 2022.

it i s the last country to abolish border restrictions, more than a year after early Covid Zero proponents such as Singapore, Australia a nd New Zealand resumed quarantine-free international travel.  mu ch of the initial inbound flow is expected to come from Hong

Kong, through which many of the diaspora will travel given limited direct flights from global destinations to mainland cities. There’s b een a rush to secure spots in the daily quota of about 60,000 people allowed to travel northward from the financial hub, including 50,000 via the land borders that separate the two places, though officials have promised that capacity will be raised over time.

As for the resumption of visitation by foreigners and business p eople to China, the requirement for a negative PC r test and practices like near-universal mask wearing may act as a deterrent in the near term. But for the first time since the virus emerged in Wuhan in late 2019, China has rejoined the rest of the world. Bloomberg News

Seattle public schools sue tech giants over social media harm

By Gene Johnson The Associated Press

By Ashok Sharma The Associated Press

nEW DEL h i i ndian police have arrested an unruly airline passenger following a complaint by a woman aboard an a i r i ndia flight from n e w York that he urinated on her in business class.

Shankar Mishra was picked up by police in the southern city of Bengaluru and brought to the i ndian capital on Saturday, n e w Delhi Police spokesperson Suman n a lva said on Sunday.

n a lva declined to say what Mishra told investigators after his arrest. The Times of i ndia newspaper cited Mishra as saying that he was drunk and could not believe what he had done.

a n e w Delhi court sent him to prison for 14 days as police investigate the complaint accusing Mishra of outraging the modesty of a woman during the n ew York- n ew Delhi flight. i f c onvicted, he faces up to three years in prison.

Sugata Bhattacharjee, another passenger on the flight, told reporters he saw Mishra consuming excessive liquor and that Mishra was talking incoherently, asking him the same question about his family several times.

a l so Saturday, a r i ndia issued written notices and grounded one pilot and four cabin crew as the incident triggered outrage on social media and among activists who said that banning Mishra from flying for 30 days was not enough.

a i r i ndia filed a police complaint this week, though the incident occurred on n ov ember 26. i t s aid the crew did not summon police upon landing in n e w Delhi as they believed that the two had sorted out the issue on their own.

i ndian media reports said a r i ndia acted after being pressed by the family of the woman passenger, a senior citizen, to punish Mishra.

Se A TTL e The public school district in Seattle has filed a novel lawsuit against the tech giants behind TikTok, i n stagram, Facebook, YouTube and S napchat, seeking to hold them accountable for the mental health crisis among youth.

Seattle Public Schools filed the lawsuit Friday in US District Court. The 91-page complaint says the social media companies have created a public nuisance by targeting their products to children.

i t b lames them for worsening mental health and behavioral disorders including anxiety, depression, disordered eating and cyberbullying; making it more difficult t o educate students; and forcing schools to take steps such as hiring additional mental health professionals, developing lesson plans a bout the effects of social media, and providing additional training to teachers.

“Defendants have successfully exploited the vulnerable brains of

youth, hooking tens of millions of students across the country into positive feedback loops of excessive use and abuse of Defendants’ s ocial media platforms,” the complaint said. “Worse, the content D efendants curate and direct to youth is too often harmful and exploitive....”

m e ta, Google, Snap and TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment Saturday.

While federal law—Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act—helps protect online companies from liability arising from w hat third-party users post on their platforms, the lawsuit argues that provision does not protect the tech giants’ behavior in this case.

“Plaintiff is not alleging Defendants are liable for what third-parties have said on Defendants’ platforms but, rather, for Defendants’ o wn conduct,” the lawsuit said. “Defendants affirmatively recommend and promote harmful content t o youth, such as pro-anorexia and eating disorder content.”

The lawsuit says that from 2009 to 2019, there was on average a 30%

increase in the number of Seattle Public Schools students who reported feeling “so sad or hopeless a lmost every day for two weeks or more in a row” that they stopped doing some typical activities.

The school district is asking the court to order the companies to stop creating the public nuisance, to award damages, and to pay for prevention education and treatment for excessive and problematic u se of social media.

While hundreds of families are pursuing lawsuits against the companies over harms they allege their children have suffered from social media, it’s not clear if any other school districts have filed a complaint like Seattle’s.

i n ternal studies revealed by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen in 2021 showed that the company knew that i n stagram negatively affected teenagers by harming their body image and making e ating disorders and thoughts of suicide worse. She alleged that the platform prioritized profits over safety and hid its own research from investors and the public.

By Alex Wickham

Prime m i nister r i shi Sunak is

facing calls from senior Conservatives, including members of his own government, to get a grip of the crisis in Britain’s National Health Service and make a more generous pay offer to end strikes by nurses and ambulance drivers.

The NHS is routinely buffeted by winter pressures, but the creaking system has buckled under intense strain over the past month. A resurgence of Covid-19 and winter f lu plus industrial action—including the first major nurses’ strike i n history—have forced hospitals across the country to declare critical incidents. Seriously ill patients a re facing long waits for emergency care. There has also been a steep rise in excess deaths, at home and in hospitals.

The tumult has prompted sharp criticism of the government’s handling of the crisis, with ministers, o fficials and members of Parliament from inside Sunak’s own Conservative Party among those who voiced concerns to Bloomberg, on condition of anonymity.

One serving minister said it was unconscionable that nurses and ambulance drivers were on strike while t here were queues outside accident and emergency departments, and suggested that failure to avert the walkouts should put Health Secretary Steve Barclay’s job under threat. With doctors also threatening to strike, the burden on the health care system looks set to grow.

Another Tory m P s aid the party could expect to be annihilated at the next election if voters felt it had presided over a health system that left n o ambulances available for heart attack patients.

i n a s ign that Sunak is feeling the pressure to act on the NHS, he hosted a “recovery forum” at Downing Street on Saturday with health-care officials, social care experts and clinicians that was first announced late Friday. Sunak and his health ministers “found today’s discussions highly valuable for sharing ideas and best practices that could be spread nationwide to improve care for patients throughout the country,” a government spokesperson said i n a statement after the meeting. Next steps will be “set out in due course,” the statement said.

Trade union leaders from various sectors have been invited to talks on monday in a bid to avert further strikes by NHS, rail and other workers. They want immediate pay improvement amid a cost-of-living crisis, but the government is more willing to talk about public sector pay settlements for 2023-2024.

S o far, ministers have insisted that compromising on pay this year would be inflationary; instead of cutting a deal they have announced new laws aimed at cracking down on future strikes. A Sunak ally insisted the government had to reject i nflation-busting demands from trade unions, and that conceding to one would just make others more hardline. On health, the government points to £500 million of funding earmarked for increasing hospital discharges and preventing so-called bed blocking—a major factor in the current emergency care crisis.

Some senior Tories think this approach has failed. They argue Sunak should have made an exception f or NHS workers, singling them out for a major pay rise straight away

as a thank-you for their work in the pandemic. A policy that rewarded the NHS but held the line against the left-wing rail union leader m i ck Lynch could have won the support of the public, eased the health crisis and avoided a significant increase in inflation, one Tory m P s aid. Former Cabinet minister r o bert Buckland told Times r a dio on Friday there should be a “bespoke agreement” on nurses’ pay.

i n stead of progress and agreement, ministers and officials are l earning the hard way what an acute crisis in health care means for families. One government official revealed that Barclay and his team, in post for a matter of months, have been meeting and exchanging letters with the families of people who recently died after receiving inadequate c are. The experience has been crushing, the person said.

A gainst that backdrop, the practical concern across Whitehall is that t he nurses’ dispute could spread more widely across health and social care this year. Several government officials say Sunak should appoint a s enior civil servant or non-political figure as a chief negotiator to work with pay review bodies and unions to reach a deal for health workers.  m i nisters are considering plans in the coming weeks to increase the number of carers, medical training places and make doctor degree apprenticeships more flexible, in an e ffort to demonstrate they have a long-term plan to improve the NHS.

Chancellor of the e x chequer Jeremy Hunt—a former health secretary— has advised Sunak that addressing workforce shortages should be t he top priority, though it will take years to fix.

Nevertheless, a former Cabinet minister said the government’s approach to the nurses was shambolic, a dding that voters were always going to blame the Tories instead of health care workers. Transport Secretary m a rk Harper’s arguments for resisting a pay rise for train drivers were p roving more effective than Barclay’s approach to the nurses, a government official said.

Several Tories accused Downing Street of failing to realize the scale of the NHS crisis over the Christmas period. At one point a group of officials suggested Sunak should hold an emergency press conference to address the public on the situation, showing he saw it as his top priority and announcing immediate steps to alleviate pressure on A& e departments. This was rejected partly over fears it echoed heavy-handed Covid-era intervention, but also because officials were u nable to produce convincing ideas about what could realistically be done to help in the short-term.

i n stead, Sunak rushed forward a speech announcing five pledges for 2023. Only one mentioned the NHS, and that focused on cutting waiting lists, a major issue but one separate to the immediate crisis in emergency care.

T here was also bewilderment among Tory m P s that—at a time when the NHS crisis dominated the news cycle for days—government briefings ahead of the speech focused on a new policy requiring school pupils to study math to the age of 18.

O ne m P complained that math education was not in the top 100 problems f acing the UK right now and it risked presenting Sunak as out of touch.

With assistance from Leonora Campbell / Bloomberg.

Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha remains unconscious from severe arrhythmia

By Pathom Sangwongwanich

THA i Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati r emains unconscious more than three weeks after she collapsed due to a heart condition, the p alace said.

Treating physicians have con -

cluded she had a severe arrhythmia due to inflammation of the h eart caused by mycoplasma infection, the Bureau of the r o yal Household said in a statement Sunday.

The 44-year-old princess lost consciousness in northeastern Thailand on Dec. 14 while train -

ing her dog for a competition, and w as airlifted to Bangkok to receive treatment. She is currently treated with medicines including antibiotics, and on medical equipment to a ssist with the functioning of her heart, lungs and kidneys, according to the palace.

Bajrakitiyabha, the oldest of

King m a ha Vajiralongkorn’s seven children from three different m arriages, has been seen by some analysts as a potential heir to the throne, which would make her the first female monarch of the Southeast Asian nation. The king, 70, has n ot appointed an heir since taking the throne in 2016.

The princess has a law degree from Cornell University and had served as a diplomat to Austria and in roles for UN Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. She has also served in the attorney general’s of fice and holds the rank of general in the king’s r o yal Security Command unit. Bloomberg News

In this photo released by Xinhua news Agency, People wearing face masks prepare to catch their trains at the north Railway Station in Shenzhen in south China’s Guangdong province on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023. China is now facing a surge in Covid-19 outbreak cases and hospitalizations in major cities and is bracing for a further spread into less developed areas with the start of the Lunar new Year travel rush, set to get underway in coming days. Liang Xu/Xinhua via a P

Indian held for urinating on woman on airline flight

UK Tories tell PM Sunak he must raise nurses’ pay to fix nHS crisis

Ukraine hails US military aid as cease-fire said to falter

By Hanna Arhirova & Andrew Meldrum The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine—Ukraine’s president praised the United States for including tankkilling armored vehicles in its latest multibillion-dollar package of military aid, saying they are “exactly what is needed” for Ukrainian troops locked in combat against Russian forces, even as both sides celebrated Orthodox Christmas on Saturday.

The White House announcement Friday of $3.75 billion in weapons and other aid for Ukraine and its European backers came as Moscow said its troops are observing a short Orthodox Christmas cease-fire.

Ukrainian officials denounced the unilateral 36-hour pause as a ploy and said it appeared to have been ignored by some of Moscow’s forces pressing ahead with the nearly 11-month invasion. Ukrainian officials reported Russian shelling attacks in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions on Saturday.

Russia’s Defense Ministry insisted Saturday that its forces along the 1,100-kilometer (684mile) front line were observing the Kremlin-ordered truce, but returned fire when attacked.

The latest package of US military assistance was the biggest to date for Ukraine. For the first time, it included 50 Bradley armored vehicles and 500 of the anti-tank missiles they can fire. Germany also announced it would supply around 40 Marder armored personnel carriers and France promised wheeled AMX-10 RC tank destroyers.

Together, this week’s pledges were powerful signals that Ukraine can count on continued long-term Western aid against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s drive to dismember the country.

In his nightly televised address on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the US aid package as “very powerful.”

“For the first time, we will get Bradley armored vehicles—this is exactly what is needed. New guns and rounds, including highprecision ones, new rockets, new drones. It is timely and strong,” he said.

He thanked US President Joe Biden, US lawmakers and “all the Americans who appreciate freedom, and who know that freedom is worth protecting.”

Celebrated by both Ukrainians and Russians, the Orthodox Christmas holiday also underscored the enmity that Russia’s invasion is precipitating between them.

In a revered cathedral in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, the Christmas service Saturday was delivered in the Ukrainian language— instead of Russian—for the first time in decades, highlighting how Ukraine is seeking to jettison Moscow’s remaining influences over religious, cultural and economic life in the country.

Ukraine’s government on Thursday took over administration of the Kyiv-Pechersk monastery’s Dormition Cathedral from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which had been loyal to the Russian Orthodox Church, and allowed the Ukrainian church to use it for the Christmas service.

The monastery complex is a

UNESCO World Heritage site. The cathedral was built about 1,000 years ago, and then reconstructed in the 1990s after being ruined in World War II.

“It’s an amazing moment,” said Alex Fesiak, among hundreds of worshippers who attended. “Previously this place—on Ukrainian territory, within Kyiv—has been linked to Moscow. Now we feel this is ours, this is Ukrainian. This is part of the Ukrainian nation.”

The Putin-ordered Christmas cease-fire that started Friday was first proposed by the Russian Orthodox Church’s Kremlin-aligned head, Patriarch Kirill. The Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar and celebrates Christmas on Jan. 7. Putin’s order said a ceasefire would allow worshippers in combat zones to attend Christmas services.

But Ukrainian officials didn’t commit to following it and dismissed the move as a Russian ploy to buy time for its struggling invasion forces to regroup. Ukrainian and Western officials portrayed the announcement as a Russian attempt to grab the moral high ground and possibly snatch battlefield initiative and momentum from Ukrainian forces amid their counteroffensive of recent months.

The pause was due to end Saturday night—at midnight Moscow time, which is 11 p.m. in Kyiv.

The Ministry of Defense in Britain, a leading supplier of military aid to Ukraine, said Saturday in its daily readout on the invasion

that “fighting has continued at a routine level into the Orthodox Christmas period.”

In the fiercely contested Luhansk region of easter n Ukraine, regional Gov. Serhiy Haidai reported continued Russian shelling and assaults. Posting Friday on Telegram, Haidai said that in the first three hours of the cease-fire, Russian forces shelled Ukrainian positions 14 times and stormed one settlement three times. The claim couldn’t be independently verified.

Ukrainian authorities on Saturday also reported attacks elsewhere in the previous 24 hours although it wasn’t clear whether the fighting was before or after the cease-fire’s start.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Russian forces carried out a missile strike and 20 salvos with rockets, and targeted settlements in the east, northeast and south.

The head of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region on Saturday reported two civilian deaths the previous day from Russian strikes in the fiercely contested city of Bakhmut and to its north, in Krasna Hora.

In the southern Kherson region, Gov. Yaroslav Yanushevych said Saturday that Russian forces shelled 39 times on Friday, hitting houses and apartment buildings, as well as a fire station. One person was killed and seven others were wounded. John Leicester in Le Pecq, France, and Elise Morton in London, contributed to this report.

Mayor: Teacher shot by 6-year-old student a ‘red flag for the country’

By Denise Lavoie The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Virginia—A Virginia teacher who was critically injured when she was was shot by a 6-year-old student in Newport News is showing signs of improvement as authorities struggle to understand how a child so young could be involved in a school shooting, the city’s mayor said Saturday.

Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones said the condition of the teacher, a woman in her 30s, is “trending in a positive direction” as she remains hospitalized. Police Chief Steve Drew met with the teacher and her family Saturday morning. “She has improved and is currently listed in stable condition,” police said in a news release.

The boy shot and wounded the teacher with a handgun in a firstgrade classroom on Friday at Richneck Elementary School, according to authorities. Drew said the shooting was not accidental and was part of an altercation. No students were injured.

Police on Saturday declined to describe what led to the altercation or any other details about what happened in the classroom, citing the ongoing investigation.

Jones also declined to reveal details of the shooting, or say how the

boy got access to the gun or who owns the weapon.

“This is a red flag for the country,” Jones said.

“I do think that after this event, there is going to be a nationwide discussion on how these sorts of things can be prevented.”

Virginia law does not allow 6-yearolds to be tried as adults. In addition, a 6-year-old is too young to be committed to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice if found guilty.

A juvenile judge would have authority, though, to revoke a parent’s custody and place a child under the purview of the Department of Social Services.

Jones would not say where the boy is being held.

“We are ensuring he has all the services that he currently needs right now,” Jones said.

Experts who study gun violence said the shooting represents an extremely rare occurrence of a young child bringing a gun into school and wounding a teacher.

“It’s very rare and it’s not something the legal system is really designed or positioned to deal with,” said researcher David Riedman, founder of a database that tracks US school shootings dating back to 1970. He said Saturday that he’s only

aware of three other shootings caused by 6-year-old students in the time period he’s studied. Those include the fatal shooting of a fellow student in 2000 in Michigan and shootings that injured other students in 2011 in Texas and 2021 in Mississippi.

Riedman said he only knows of one other instance of a student younger than that causing gunfire at a school, in which a 5-year-old student brought a gun to a Tennessee school in 2013 and accidentally discharged it. No one was injured in that case.

Daniel W. Webster, a professor at Johns Hopkins University who studies gun violence, agreed that a 6-yearold shooting a teacher at school is extremely unusual. But he said his research shows that instances of young children accessing loaded guns and shooting themselves or others unintentionally in homes or other settings are rising.

“A 6-year-old gaining access to a loaded gun and shooting him/herself or someone else, sadly, is not so rare,” he said in an e-mail.

In the Newport News case, Drew said Friday that the shooting didn’t appear to be an accident and that it was isolated to the single victim. He said the student and teacher had known each other in a classroom setting.

“We did not have a situation where

someone was going around the school shooting,” Drew told reporters.

Investigators were trying to figure out where he obtained the handgun.

Parents and students were reunited at a gymnasium, Newport News Public Schools said via Facebook.

The police chief declined to discuss what contact investigators have had with the boy’s parents.

“We have been in contact with our commonwealth’s attorney (local prosecutor) and some other entities to help us best get services to this young man,” Drew said.

Newport News is a city of about 185,000 people in southeastern Virginia known for its shipyard, which builds the nation’s aircraft carriers and other US Navy vessels.

Richneck has about 550 students who are in kindergarten through fifth grade, according to the Virginia Department of Education’s website. Jones said there will be no classes at the school Monday and Tuesday.

“Today our students got a lesson in gun violence,” said George Parker III, Newport News schools superintendent, “and what guns can do to disrupt, not only an educational environment, but also a family, a community.” Associated Press writers Ben Finley in Norfolk, Matthew Barakat in Falls Church and Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.

McCarthy elected House speaker in turbulent post-midnight vote

By Lisa Mascaro & Farnoush Amiri The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—Republican

Kevin McCarthy was elected House speaker on a historic post-midnight 15th ballot early Saturday, overcoming holdouts from his own ranks and floor tensions that boiled over after a chaotic week that tested the new GOP majority’s ability to govern.

“My father always told me, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” McCarthy told cheering fellow Republicans.

Eager to confront President Joe Biden and the Democrats, he promised subpoenas and investigations. “Now the hard work begins,” the California Republican declared. He credited former President Donald Trump for standing with him and for making late calls “helping get those final votes.”

Republicans roared in celebration when his victory was announced, chanting “USA! USA!”

Finally elected, McCarthy took the oath of office, and the House was finally able to swear in newly elected lawmakers who had been waiting all week for the chamber to formally open and the 2023-2024 session to begin.

After four days of grueling ballots, McCarthy flipped more than a dozen conservative holdouts to become supporters, including the chairman of the chamber’s Freedom Caucus.

He fell one vote short on the 14th ballot, and the chamber became raucous, unruly.

McCarthy strode to the back of the chamber to confront Republican Matt Gaetz, sitting with Lauren Boebert and other holdouts. Fingers were pointed, words exchanged and violence apparently just averted.

At one point, Republican Mike Rogers of Alabama, shouting, approached Gaetz before another Republican, Richard Hudson of North Carolina, physically pulled him back.

“Stay civil!” someone shouted.

Order restored, the Republicans fell in line to give McCarthy the post he had fought so hard to gain, House speaker, second in the line of succession to the presidency.

The few remaining Republican holdouts began voting present, dropping the tally he needed. It was the end of a bitter standoff that had shown the strengths and fragility of American democracy.

The tally was 216-212 with Democrats voting for leader Hakeem Jeffries, and six Republican holdouts to McCarthy simply voting present.

The night’s stunning turn of events came after McCarthy agreed to many of the detractors’ demands—including the reinstatement of a longstanding House rule that would allow any single member to call a vote to oust him from office.

Even as McCarthy secured the votes he needs, he will emerge as a weakened speaker, having given away some powers and constantly under the threat of being booted by his detractors.

But he could also be emboldened as a survivor of one of the more brutal fights for the gavel in US history. Not since the Civil War era has a speaker’s vote dragged through so many rounds of voting.

The showdown that has stymied the new Congress came against the backdrop of the second anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, which shook the country when a mob of Trump’s supporters tried to stop Congress from certifying the Republican’s 2020 election defeat to Biden.

At a Capitol event Friday, some lawmakers, all but one of them Democrats, observed a moment of silence and praised officers who helped protect Congress on that day. And at the White House, Biden handed out medals to officers and others who fought the attackers.

“America is a land of laws, not chaos,” he said.

At the afternoon speaker’s vote, a number of Republicans tiring of the spectacle temporarily walked out when one of McCarthy’s most ardent challengers, Gaetz, railed against the GOP leader.

Contours of a deal with conservative holdouts who had been blocking McCarthy’s rise had emerged the night

before, and took hold after four dismal days and 14 failed votes in an intraparty standoff unseen in modern times.

One significant former holdout— Republican Scott Perry, chairman of the conservative Freedom Caucus, who had been a leader of Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election—tweeted after his switched vote for McCarthy, “We’re at a turning point.”

Trump may have played a role in swaying some holdouts—calling into a meeting of Republican freshmen the night before, and calling other members ahead of voting. He had urged Republicans to wrap up their public dispute.

As Republican Mike Garcia of California nominated McCarthy on an earlier ballot Friday, he also thanked the US Capitol Police, who were given a standing ovation for protecting lawmakers and the legislative seat of democracy on Jan. 6, 2021.

But in nominating the Democratic leader Jeffries, Democrat Jim Clyburn of South Carolina recalled the horror of that day. “The eyes of the country are on us today,” he told his colleagues.

Electing a speaker is normally an easy, joyous task for a party that has just won majority control. But not this time: About 200 Republicans were stymied by 20 far-right colleagues who said McCarthy was not conservative enough. Only the 12th ballot on Friday afternoon did McCarthy start making gains, flipping their votes to support.

The House adjourned Friday until late in the night, giving time for lastminute negotiations and allowing two absent Republican colleagues to return to Washington.

The disorganized start to the new Congress pointed to difficulties ahead with Republicans now in control of the House, much the way that some past Republican speakers, including John Boehner, had trouble leading a rebellious right flank. The result: government shutdowns, standoffs and Boehner’s early retirement when conservatives threatened to oust him.

The agreement McCarthy presented to the holdouts from the Freedom Caucus and others centers around rules changes they have been seeking for months. Those changes would shrink the power of the speaker’s office and give rank-and-file lawmakers more influence in drafting and passing legislation.

At the core of the emerging deal was the reinstatement of a House rule that would allow a single lawmaker to make a motion to “vacate the chair,” essentially calling a vote to oust the speaker. McCarthy had resisted allowing a return to the longstanding rule that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi had done away with, because it had been held over the head of Boehner. But it appears McCarthy had no other choice. Other wins for the holdouts are more obscure and include provisions in the proposed deal to expand the number of seats available on the House Rules Committee; to mandate 72 hours for bills to be posted before votes; and to promise to try for a constitutional amendment that would impose federal limits on the number of terms a person could serve in the House and Senate. Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Kevin Freking and video journalists Nathan Ellgren and Mike Pesoli contributed to this report.

House speaker Kevin McCarthy of California gestures towards the newly installed nameplate at his office after he was sworn in as speaker of the 118th Congress in Washington, early saturday, Jan. 7, 2023. AP Photo/ M At t Rou R k e

A C u pol A lies on the ground in front of the or thodox Church which was destroyed by Russian forces in the recently retaken village of Bogorodychne, ukraine, saturday, Jan. 7, 2023. AP Photo/ e vgeniy M A loletk A

editorial

Geopolitics and geoeconomics

RemembeR the good old days? Things seemed much simpler then even if a little confusing. may 21, 2018: “Duterte is the greatest beneficiary of the US military aid. Out of his fears that the US will abandon him in his dream dictatorship, he has continued with lopsided military agreements and utilization of the country as a battleground for terrorist aggressions in Asia, League of Filipino Students National Spokesperson Kara Taggaoa said.”

November 26, 2018 (Taiwan News): Philippine Senator Leila de Lima was quoted as saying “Our Presidential Palace is now the headquarters of China’s fifth column in the Philippines. It is no longer a Filipino President that holds office there, but a Chinese puppet.”

Another aspect of the “good old days” was that nations were supposed to pick sides as with choosing either the United States or the USSR. However, India, Egypt, and Yugoslavia in 1961 decided that walking a “middle course” between the two superpowers made more sense, signing on to the Non-Aligned Movement principles agreed at the Bandung Conference. India became particularly good at walking the “middle course,” better known as “play both sides,” to get as much money as possible.

The Philippines joined the group in 1993, two years after the USSR was officially dissolved when there was not much left to be “non-aligned” about. Thirty-years later, though, the US wants to know friends from foe regarding China and Russia.

Ultimately, geopolitical relationships come down to where a nation’s private business are going to set up shop and which governments are going to encourage—or hinder—trade with other economies. Even long before the US made a deal for Saudi Arabia to use only US dollars to trade for oil in return for military aid, not having the US invade, and supporting the Opec cartel, geopolitics has been “geoeconomics.”

Corporations must try to stay ahead of the geopolitical curve to protect their businesses, and it is not always easy.

Willis Towers Watson (WTW) is a British-American insurance advisor company that publishes—with Oxford Analytica—a Political Risk Survey Report, last released in March 2022. Regarding “Regions of Political Risk Concern,” Europe, Russia, and CIS was barely on the radar with “Asia-Pacific” (95 percent) as a grave concern. On a scale of 1 to 7 with “7” being “Most Risky,” China received a “7” and Russia only a “2.” How quickly times change.

Covid and the Russia-Ukraine war have forced companies to reevaluate “risk.” China is losing corporate “friends” as evidenced by Apple moving some manufacturing to India and Vietnam. But the “West” is also, with WTW and Oxford Analytica finding that five fewer countries lean on the West today than they did so five years ago. Of the 61 countries assessed by WTW, 18 have attempted to be neutral.

January 4, 2023 (Foreign Policy Magazine): “But geopolitical neutrality today indicates that the countries feel they can achieve more by playing hard to get. But getting them may still be worth the effort. Friendshoring is accelerating, and Friendshoring requires friend-winning.” September 15, 2022 (German Institute for International and Security Affairs): “It appears that the newly elected president is likely seeking to balance the Philippines’ relations with China and the US to a greater extent than his predecessor. This could open up new opportunities for cooperation between the Philippines and Germany and the EU.”

Guide for making financial resolutions this 2023

RISING SUN

ReceNTLy, I was at a sports hub for some walking and I noticed there were more than the usual joggers, swimmers, runners, bikers, and walkers—generally, people trying to get in shape. And then I remembered it’s New year’s Resolution season and everyone’s trying to get back in shape after a holiday of eating and drinking.

Much like health resolutions, people are also keen on making financial goals around this time of year. And like our other resolutions, it’s easy to lose track of them as the months go by. Experts say it would help to break them into smaller goals that are easy and achievable.

It would also help to write them down and have smaller targets that are regular, say, monthly targets. For example, if you wish to open a new

business by year-end, have a step-bystep plan that details your monthly goals leading up to business opening day in December.

To start your personal financial planning for the year, it’s best to come up with three money issues that you often face. From this list, you can then identify what your primary goal should be—focus on this. It is better to have one clear goal, experts say, that you will prioritize for the whole year.

To start your personal financial planning for the year, it’s best to come up with three money issues that you often face. From this list, you can then identify what your primary goal should be—focus on this. It is better to have one clear goal, experts say, that you will prioritize for the whole year.

Of course, you can still work on other goals. You can also change goals in the middle of the year, if it is necessary. And, you can even start after January, if you feel more comfortable doing so. There are no hard and fast rules as far as personal resolutions setting is concerned. Give yourself ample time to plan before setting things in motion.

As far as investing is concerned, some financial experts say it is a good idea to study what well-known investors are doing. Take note of their processes and practices and try to learn the wisdom from these instead of just duplicating what others are doing.

PBBM’s diplomatic savvy in China visit

LITO GAGNI

PReSIDeNT bongbong marcos has scored a diplomatic coup in his recent state visit to china where he displayed an innovative take on dispute resolution that led to several commitments he was able to muster from a political colossus, Xi Jinping, that will engender economic benefits for the country. Soon, our fishermen will be back in their traditional fishing grounds in the West Philippine Sea.

That arose from the bilateral talks the President had with China’s leader where PBBM bared that he was able to wangle a commitment from China’s leader to “find a compromise and find a solution” for our fishermen to freely sail in and around the WPS. Not only that, PBBM was also able to pave the way for a potential Malampaya find as a joint exploration for both countries.

And in getting the commitment from Xi Jinping, PBBM also managed to eke out an agreement that will avoid what he termed as “possible mistakes and misunderstandings that could trigger a bigger problem that we already have.” In a nutshell, PBBM did not just look at resolving the disputes but also made sure that a “hotline” is in place between the Department of Foreign Affairs and its China counterpart.

The commitment that PBBM secured from Xi Jinping provides an

insight on how he was able to craft a firm but conciliatory stance on the issues that plague the China-Philippines relations. As he told newsmen covering the visit, “And I was very clear about the plight of our fishermen. The President promised that we would find a compromise and find a solution that would be beneficial so that our fishermen might be able to fish again” in the WPS.

It has to be noted that this is a rare commitment that PBBM got from China’s leader who has always projected firm and unshakeable power when dealing with issues involving the controversial and resource-rich WPS where the two countries have long been sparring diplomatically. In just three days, the “irritants” have been set aside and in their place a happy compromise was made.                   This template for resolving disputes that arose from that threeday China visit of PBBM provides

It has to be noted that this is a rare commitment that PBBM got from China’s leader who has always projected firm and unshakeable power when dealing with issues involving the controversial and resource-rich WPS where the two countries have long been sparring diplomatically. In just three days, the “irritants” have been set aside and in their place a happy compromise was made.

a launching pad for furthering the relations between the two countries.

President Marcos and Xi Jinping agreed to appropriately manage the South China Sea row through peaceful means as they emphasized that maritime issues “do not comprise the sum total of relations” between Manila and Beijing.

It is heartening to note that the two leaders “reached consensus on the peaceful resolution of disputes” on the basis of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, the United Nations Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

This augurs well for a stronger maritime cooperation between Manila and Beijing as both parties agreed to collaborate closely on the mitigation of marine debris and microplastics and towards the establishment of a partnership between coastal model cities of the

Some economic forecasters say that some economies of the world are in for what they call a slow recession. It’s always wise to prepare for things like this, so everyone must include in their priority list creating or increasing their emergency fund. In fact, it’s wise to do this before accomplishing any other financial goal. Having a stable backup is really important to be able to support all your other financial resolutions.

A six-month fund would be ideal, but if your income does not allow you to save enough money for this, then go for a side hustle to be able to reach it. And keep the money in an account that you seldom open or withdraw from—out of sight, out of mind.

As a final word, do keep in mind that as we ease out of most pandemic restrictions, many face-to-face events are starting to happen and may even peak this year. If you’re the type who likes to attend conferences and travel for professional development resources, then set aside some money so you won’t miss out on these opportunities.

two countries.

During the summit, Marcos and Xi made a commitment to further strengthen the China-Philippines relationship of Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation under new circumstances, “as close neighbors, kin and partners that help and understand each other towards win-win results.”             One notable result of that understanding between two close neighbors and partners and the political savvy that PBBM displayed can be gleaned from the forthcoming entry of more Chinese investors to the Philippines that would translate into more jobs for Filipinos, higher foreign exchange earnings and lower cost of agricultural output.

This was validated by no less than Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual who accompanied PBBM during his meetings with Chinese chief executive officers (CEOs) in Beijing during the President’s state visit to China on January 3-5. The trade chief said there is huge interest from investors in agriculture, renewable energy, mineral processing and e-vehicles.

“The immediate impact for Filipinos will be jobs because the importers would be buying products that are produced in the Philippines, and the [local] companies that are producing them will have to rev up or increase their production,” Pascual said in an interview. “That means additional employment in the Philippines, and new investments also result in creation of new jobs in the Philippines,” he added.

Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II

Mexican capo’s

arrest a gesture to US, not signal of change

By Christopher Sherman, Mark Stevenson & Fabiola Sánchez The Associated Press

MEXICO CITy Mexico’s capture of a son of former Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán this week was an isolated nod to a drug war strategy that Mexico’s current administration has abandoned rather than a sign that President andrés Manuel López Obrador’s thinking has changed, experts say.

Ovidio Guzmán’s arrest in the Sinaloa cartel stronghold of Culiacan on Thursday came at the cost of at least 30 lives—11 from the military and law enforcement and 19 suspected cartel gunmen. But analysts predict it won’t have any impact on the flow of drugs to the United States.

It was a display of muscle—helicopter gunships, hundreds of troops and armored vehicles—at the initiation of a possible extradition process rather than a significant step in a homegrown Mexican effort to dismantle one of the country’s most powerful criminal organizations. Perhaps coincidentally, it came just days before US President Joe Biden makes the first visit by a US leader in almost a decade.

López Obrador has made clear throughout the first four years of his six-year term that pursuing drug capos is not his priority. When military forces cornered the younger Guzmán in Culiacan in 2019, the president ordered him freed to avoid loss of life after gunmen started shooting up the city.

The only other big capture under his administration was the grabbing of a geriatric Rafael Caro Quintero last July — just days after López Obrador met with Biden in the White House. At that point, Caro Quintero carried more symbolic significance for ordering a DEA agent’s murder decades ago than real weight in today’s drug world.

“Mexico wants to do at least the bare minimum in terms of counter-drug efforts,” said Mike Vigil, the DEA’s former chief of international operations who spent 13 years of his career in Mexico. “I don’t think that this is a sign that there’s going to be closer cooperation, bilateral collaboration, if you will, between the United States and Mexico.”

While capturing a criminal is a win for justice and rule of law, Vigil said, the impact on what he sees as a “permanent campaign against drugs” is nil. “Really what we need to do here in the United States is we need to do a better job in terms of reducing demand.”

That was a key talking point when the US and Mexican governments announced late in 2021 a new Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health and Safe Communities, replacing the outdated Merida Initiative.

The pact was supposed to take a more holistic approach to the scourge of drugs and the deaths they cause on both sides of the border. But underlining the frequent disconnect between diplomatic speech and reality, just two months later the US government announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the capture of any of four of El Chapo’s sons, including Ovidio, signaling the US kingpin strategy was alive and well.

“The Bicentennial understanding was a change on paper with respect to attacking drug trafficking and violence with a more important focus on what were supposedly public health programs—[but] without any budget,” said Guadalupe CorreaCabrera, an associate professor at George Mason University. In reality, “Mexico is bending to the United States’ interests.”

For decades, the US has nabbed drug kingpins from Mexico, Colombia and points between, but drugs are as available and more deadly in the United States as ever, she said. “The kingpin strategy is a failed strategy.”

The US Department of Justice declined to comment on Ovidio Guzmán’s arrest.

López Obrador took office in December 2018 after campaigning with a motto of “hugs, not bullets.” He shifted resources to social programs to address what he sees as violence’s root causes, a medium- to long-term approach that did little for a country suffering more than 35,000 homicides per year.

“Something that has characterized, in my opinion, Mexico’s security policy in recent years is that it isn’t very clear. It has been a bit contradictory,” said Ángelica DuránMartínez, associate professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. That ambiguity makes it difficult to determine if there has really been a change, she said.

López Obrador’s government benefits from the detention of Guzmán in several ways. The arrest eases the armed forces’ humiliation after being forced by cartel gunmen to release him in 2019. It may sooth ill-feelings after his administration strictly limited US anti-drug cooperation two years ago. And it may help diminish perceptions that López Obrador— who has frequently visited Sinaloa and praised its people—has gone easier on the Sinaloa cartel than on other gangs.

For four years López Obrador has continued to shred his predecessors’ prosecution of the drug war at every opportunity. Experts say the respite allowed the cartels to get stronger, both in terms of organization and armament.

Guzmán during that time took a growing role after his father was sentenced to life in prison in the US. The younger Guzmán was indicted in Washington on drug trafficking charges along with another brother in 2018. He allegedly controlled a number of methamphetamine labs and was involved as the Sinaloa cartel expanded strongly into fentanyl production. Synthetic drugs have been impervious to government eradication efforts, are easier to produce and smuggle, and are much more profitable.

The Sinaloa cartel hardly missed a beat when Guzmán’s father was sent to the US, so the capture of one of the so-called “Chapitos,” as the brothers are known, is never going to shake the operation.

Mexican security analyst Alejandro Hope said the detention of Ovidio Guzman probably came as the result of pressure or information from the US government, and marks the tacit abandonment of López Obrador’s rhetoric about ditching the kingpin strategy.

For Hope, the detention is depressing, not only because it won’t fundamentally change the Sinaloa cartel’s booming export trade in meth and fentanyl, but because it reveals how little investigation Mexican authorities had done on Guzmán and the cartel since 2019.

“How great that they got Ovidio, applause, perfect,” Hope said. “What depresses me is that we’ve been at this [drug war] for 16 years, or 40 counting from the [murder of DEA agent Enrique] Camarena, and we still don’t have the ability to investigate.”

After Guzmán’s capture, Mexican officials said he was arrested on an existing US extradition request, as well as for illegal weapons possession and attempted murder at the time they found him. On Friday, Interior Secretary Adán López Hernández said there were other Mexican investigations underway that they couldn’t talk about.

“We keep betting on the muscle, the military capabilities and not on the ability to investigate,” Hope said.

Of Philip, Andrew and Martha

see plenty of Philips, Andrews

Marthas

Siegfred Bueno Mison, Esq.

THE PATRIOT

Many of us have friends, relatives, or acquaintances at the very least named Philip, andrew and Martha. not that there is an urgent need for any roll call, but these first names inescapably ring an accuracy of certain inevitable truths. If the name Maritess is to a gossipmonger and the name Bogart is to a gigolo (no offense meant to people actually identified with these given names), the names Philip, andrew and Martha represent a volley of circumstances that are too close to us to be ignored. again, no affront intended.

In a rock-strewn journey that could lead to the inevitable realities signified by the three afore-cited names, we begin with a recollection of the technical glitch that affected our air traffic system last week. The Philippine air space outage that affected around 65,000 domestic and international flight passengers on January 1 shocked many. My parents and I were just as anxious as others as we were actually inbound from the US the day after the glitch. As flights immediately before ours were cancelled, diverted or delayed, fears (and shame) that a cyber attack slithered into every Filipino. Lo and behold—the Philippines became a no-fly zone, on the very first day of 2023 to boot! While CAAP dismissed the rumors of cyber assault, it did little in mollifying the panic and curiosity, especially since National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos classified the breakdown of CAAP’s aviation traffic management system as a threat to national security. DOTr Secretary (and former colleague in PAL) Jaime J. Bautista proposed a funding requirement of over P13 billion to upgrade the IT infrastructure of the Air Traffic Management Center, on top of establishing a back-up system outside the Naia area. Such a massive requirement is just too vast to comprehend, especially in an already debt-ridden country such as ours.

Moving on to the next impediment of our journey, a shortage of teachers and classrooms in public schools has been a perennial problem. In August 2022, 28 million students trooped back to school to

a dearth in educators and lecture rooms. This prompted the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) to ask the government for the hiring of 147,000 new teachers to reduce class sizes in public schools. The 28 million reflect a ratio of 49 students per classroom with one teacher on a sixhour grind. This is four times more than the population of Singapore and half the population of Malaysia, as categorized in one national publication, with such a scarcity in educators and learning venues!

As we continue with this excursion, we need not look far and wide to realize that our day-to-day activities are sewn into the woof and warp of a fabric called stress. Countless numbers of people are up and about with work just to put food on the table or to beat deadlines, hurrying to catch a flight or ride, slaving it out to please a superior or a family member, pretty much all the distractions one could ever think of. I for one plead guilty on this matter, as in a glut of times, I would burn the midnight oil or spend Sunday mornings to finish an essential paperwork. I say this with specificity and some tone of exigency because these times could have been utilized for rest and connecting with our Almighty God by reading His Word. And yet, there are just too many things to do in every single day, every week. Our priorities could be misplaced!

These three actualities hover above us like clouds that refuse to be blown by the wind. The billions in funds to upgrade our aviation fa-

Too big to handle?

cilities speak of the vastness of the need, which we oftentimes discern when confronted with herculean problems, such as “feeding 5,000 people” in one sitting. The shortage in teachers, classrooms, and even the paucity in water, electricity, sugar, and other products denote the shortness of the supply each time we face a situation that warrants an adequate provision, yet what we have on hand is just “5 loaves and 2 fish.”

Meantime, stress blurs our priorities and gives us nothing but more stress and trouble. Always ensconced in the hustle and bustle of life, we forget to “sit at the feet of Jesus” and just be immersed in His wisdom.

In the biblical story of feeding the 5,000 with just 5 loaves and 2 fish (John 6:1-14), the disciple Philip answered Jesus’ query by stating that “it would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” (verse 7). It is like collating a half-year’s salary these days just for a person to have a measly crumb. Akin to Philip’s thinking, our mental orientation on the colossal amount of funds to improve the ATMC bespeaks of the vastness of the need.

Meanwhile, another disciple Andrew asked Jesus that “here is a boy with 5 small barley loaves and 2 small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (verse 8). This is reminiscent of many a student’s or parent’s woes of how the children can finish school with just a few centavos to push them for tuition or transportation expenses. This symbolizes the shortness of supply that again many of us confuse our minds with. Incidentally, Philip and Andrew were already in the midst of the Messiah, who is the one true source of supply for the need! And yet they failed to see it that way.

Finally, the scriptural account of the sisters Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42 tells of the behavior each exhibited when Jesus came to visit

them. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to him (v.38), while Martha was distracted with all the preparations and complained (v.39)—all this busyness just for one person! It was a rare occasion for Jesus to come by and converse with them and yet Martha paid more attention to other things neither immediate nor essential for the time being. Similar to scores of ordinary people like you and me, distracted with so many of our tasks, worries and challenges, we fail to accord time for hearing and knowing about the life-saving message of Jesus Christ. In particular, a Sunday church service or a Bible study constitutes only an hour or two compared to six days and 22 hours dedicated for the performance of other stuff, including sleep. Yet I fail at times to intentionally devote such a time to simply rest “at the feet of Jesus” and allow him to fill my heart with his sweet presence and wisdom.

We see plenty of Philips, Andrews and Marthas everywhere, but we could be THE Philip, Andrew and Martha ourselves. We are befuddled with the vastness of our needs, the shortage of our supply, and the distractions that mar our priorities. Distraught with the “humanly impossible,” we lose track of what is “divinely possible.” Our true source of supply is not our work, or business or a family member, but it is our Heavenly Father whose desire is always to bless us. Our peace and wisdom are not founded on how fat our bank accounts are or how many diplomas we have amassed. They are predicated on an intimate connection with Jesus where true rest and Godly wisdom abound. Whenever stress from all sources comes our way, may we be the Philip, Andrew and Martha who can say: “Chill. I have Jesus and He will always rescue me!”

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

For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.

Alfredo J. Non

DEBIT

CREDIT

RECEnTLy, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) announced an alleged anomaly involving undocumented purchase orders. This resulted in speculations about why or how it happened and who should be responsible. Some top executives were relieved, and questions were raised on the propriety of the audit work done by the external auditor, the Sycip Gorres Velayo & Co (SGV).

We, as outsiders, will never know what or why it happened. Whatever explanation comes from management or the external auditors will have to be taken with a grain of salt. I am not saying we should neither believe nor validate their official statements. As a friend once said, we should trust that the management and auditors know what they are doing and, unless it can be proven that there was negligence, we cannot presume guilt. In law I believe this is called presumption of regularity. Having said that, I can personally say that:

The 5G and other projects are normally significant, there is an expectation that there is an individual or a project management team that renders periodic or regular status reports to the board/executive committee not only on the progress but also how the actual status compares with expectations and the budget.

To me, this is a MUST. Otherwise, management is flawed. This is an expectation not only from PLDT management, but from every com-

pany management.

The auditors are not just bean counters. They normally have a work program tailor-fit for a client company. In designing the work program, the auditors evaluate internal controls and identified risks—including risks from the type of management a company has, their style including the governance structure. If company management is lacking in appreciation of the importance of project management and control of cost overruns, this is an audit risk that the auditors should be concerned about.

Not too long ago, another company, also audited by SGV was in the news. This company, the Manila Electric Corporation (Meralco) allegedly billed more than what was allowable under the rules as a result of an error in the calculation of the allowable base rate. The over-recoveries accumulated to almost P150 billion over a period of 10 years.

Questions were raised if the blame rests only with Meralco and

the regulator—the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). What about the external auditors? There were risk indicators that had to be addressed like:

There were provisions for claims and losses deducted from revenues of about P10 billion annually that accumulated to about P100 billion over a 10-year period.

The rate determination process for Meralco for three regulatory periods (2012 to 2022) is still in progress. As a result, billings made to customers during the same period were based only on provisional or interim rates. Under the rules, actual billings cannot exceed the allowable rate, and any excess must be refunded.

Since last year, ERC has issued orders for Meralco to implement interim refunds totaling P48.2 billion to be paid to consumers over a 12 or 24 months refund period. This refund aggregating to P1.809 per kWh will be deducted from the monthly electricity bills up to the first quarter of 2023.

The ERC is still languishing on their decision on the estimated remaining balance of recoveries of over P100 billion, which remained unresolved up to now.

Our lawmakers have consistently lambasted ERC for its failure to do its job in determining the proper rates during the Senate and Congressional hearings on Energy to the extent of cutting off its budget, replacing the commissioners, and even threatening to charge them with economic sabotage.

In addition to the normal responsibilities of external auditors under existing auditing rules, the Philippine standards on auditing

specifically require that external auditors performing an audit of regulated entities like Meralco include as part of its work, a review of the regulatory environment and processes involved in the audit of the regulated entity.

ERC is directly under the Office of the President. A simple order from the president for ERC to expedite the resolution of the refund issue will provide significant relief to the consumers to counter expected cost increases in 2023.

There were situations in the past where an entity has grown too fast and too big such that its collapse or failure is feared to trigger bigger economic problems, which make it difficult for regulators to punish or admonish the regulated entities. So, the next questions are: (1) has PLDT and Meralco grown too big that it is more advantageous for them to be split for better control and governance? Also, (2) should the Securities and Exchange Commission now enforce the rotation of external auditors to comply with international practices?

When an entity gets too big, it becomes difficult to regulate, handle or even allow it to fail as a penalty because of the potential adverse impact on the economy. Bottom line—these erring entities go unpunished. Never mind the governance or the welfare of the public.

Alfredo Non is a CPA by profession and a former Partner at SGV & Co. He served as Commissioner of the Energy Regulatory Commission till he completed his term in 2018. He also served as Director and Executive Officer of several private companies and was a former professor in Financial Management at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.

We

and

everywhere, but we could be THE Philip, Andrew and Martha ourselves. We are befuddled with the vastness of our needs, the shortage of our supply, and the distractions that mar our priorities.

Bleak, challenging energy sector outlook seen in ’23

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

T he Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) said rotating brownouts could happen in the second quarter of this year because of two reasons that were not included in earlier projections of the grid operator.

The power outlook for 2023 is bleak. We at ICSC do not foresee much improvement in the supply from both coal and fossil gas power plants,” ICSC senior policy advisor Pete Maniego Jr. said.

He cited the weekly demand, supply, and operating margin 2023 report of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) in which it cited sufficient operating reserves in the second quarter, specifically from April 24 to May 28, 2023. However, the ICSC said the assumptions of these projected margins are very optimistic and might not reflect the actual operation of the grid.

H e said yellow and red alerts, with possible rotating blackouts,

would be possible again in the second quarter of this year, “If these two considerations are not mitigated.”

He was referring to the forced outages of coal-fired power plants and the continued shutdown of the Ilijan gas plant.

B ased on the operating margin projections, the ICSC said around 8,300 megawatts (MW) should be available for coal-fired power plants. However, the total installed coal capacity in Luzon grid is less than that.

“ This means that new capacities should be available during this second quarter of 2023 to meet the 8,300 MW available capacity projected in the operational margin. Additionally, many existing coal fired power plants have experienced unplanned outages and exceeded their ERC [Energy Regulatory Commission]-mandated allowable outage limits in 2022.

“ If the same unplanned outages

occur in the second quarter of 2023, then this would significantly deplete the available capacity during this period,” the group warned.

Meanwhile, the shutdown of Ilijan power facility since June last year has led to a capacity deficit of 1277 MW in the Luzon grid, which has increased the frequency of red and yellow alerts. “If the full capacity of Ilijan power plants is not available by second quarter of 2023, then this would significantly reduce the available capacity,” it pointed out.

E nergy Secretary Raphael Lotilla could not stress enough the importance of additional power supply and reserves during the summer months when demand is at its peak. “We need every source of power to bridge that period,” Lotilla had said.

T he energy chief conveyed to the lawmakers early on the possibility of several yellow alerts and possible red alerts that await the Luzon grid this year. Based on initial assessment of the country’s power supply and demand for this year, NGCP could issue 17 yellow alerts and three red alerts throughout 2023.

A red alert status is issued by the grid operator when power supply is insufficient to meet consumer de -

mand and the transmission grid’s regulating requirement.

D OE Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said, “we are more worried in summer” because of higher demand.

T he NGCP has yet to release an updated power demand and supply for this year. It stressed though that even if maintenance work on power plants is prohibited during summer, this is not an assurance that there will be no power outage during the period. It is when there are unscheduled shutdowns and derations, and extensions of maintenance duration that grid operations may be disrupted enough to warrant the issuance of a grid alert status, it said.

Power firms vowed to continue and complete their committed power projects as soon as possible to help plug that deficit.

B ased on DOE’s latest data, the total committed power projects as of November 2022 in Luzon from 2022 and beyond will result in an additional capacity of 9,168.17MW capacity and 1,500MW of Energy Storage System (ESS).

O f this, 926.82MW of power generation capacity and 760 ESS are targeted for commercial operation this year.

See “Bleak,” A2

MIAA CHIEF AIMS FOR QUIET, SEAMLESS AIRPORT AT NAIA

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

FROM most stressful to a quiet airport.

T hat is one of the aims of Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Cesar Chiong for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia). He told a select group of journalists he wants to “get rid of the periodic announcements of flights,” which adds to the din at passenger terminals.

He said the government firm is now in the process of adding more electronic billboards to be placed strategically in all the terminals.

T he Naia has consistently placed on lists of the world’s most stressful airports. The stress at Naia certainly rose during New Year’s Day with the outage experienced by the government’s air traffic control system operated by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

P resident Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. inspected the Naia on Friday with Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista and Chiong to find out more about what happened during the system outage. Marcos Jr. apologized for the shutdown, which affected 65,000 passen -

gers on 282 international and domestic flights, and ordered the Department of Transportation to fast-track the upgrade of government’s Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance/ Air Traffic Management (CNS/ ATM) system.

All-domestic Naia-2 MEANWHILE , Chiong said he is aiming for a seamless travel experience for departing or arriving passengers. Prior to the Christmas holidays, MIAA already ordered the removal of the X-ray machines at the entrances of passenger terminals, as well as the transfer of some domestic flights to terminal 3.

H e said the next step is to make passenger terminal 2 serve only domestic flights, while international flights will be at terminals 1 and 3. “That was the original idea for Naia-2 anyway, to make it a domestic terminal, while our international flights are at Naia-1 and Naia-3,” said Chiong. He said pioneering flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has already agreed to transfer all its international flights to Naia-1. “Hopefully, by the end of March or April 2023, Naia-2 will be purely domestic flights.”

Continued on A4

INDUSTRY stakeholders paint a bleak and very challenging power sector this year.

DPWH ready to pay Uneco P11M for land acquisition

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

The Department of Public Works and highways (DPWh) is willing to deposit the payment for a 450-meter land in Cavite to finish the Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange of the P35.7-billion Cavite-Laguna expressway (Calax).

Public Works Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Service Director Alex G. Bote said the agency is “willing and able” to deposit the P11-million check to Uneco Land Corp., a private company that owns the land parcel so that the court could issue the writ of possession.

In compliance with Republic Act 10752 or the Road Right of Way Act, he said the P5 million was first deposited to the Court, and they are ready to settle the balance of P11 million.

Under the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) Circular

113-2019, the Regional Trial Court (RTC) should immediately issue a writ of possession within 7 working days upon the deposit to the court of the amount equivalent to the sum of 100 percent of the value of the land based on the current relevant zonal valuation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue issued not more than 3 years prior to the filing of the expropriation complaint.

Uneco is challenging the acquisition of the land and is “demanding P50 million to P60 million,” according to Bote. Initial estimates for the said land parcel, he

added, is only P16 million.

“What we are asking is that we are given the chance to deposit the check that we hold and issue and reinstate the power of writ of possession. Once reinstated, it will be served to the Sheriff,” Bote said.

he noted, however, that if the court decides in favor of Uneco, it will follow the legal directive.

“But per our latest estimate, it’s just P16 million. We’re okay to bring this matter to the Court. It should be placed under just compensation. The government will still pay for that if the Court decides that it’s really P60 million.”

Currently, the Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange is at 64.8 percent completion rate. One critical portion of the expressway lacks a parcel of land roughly 450 meters long which prevents the company from opening another section of the Calax.

This fifth of the eight segments of the 45-kilometer expressway spans 3.9-kilometer, with 2x2 lane expressway from Silang e a st Interchange to Aguinaldo h i ghway in Cavite. Upon completion, this will

serve more motorists, including the 298,000 residents of Silang, given the reduced traffic situation.

With the right of way (ROW) issues, MPCALA h o ldings Inc. (M h I ), the builder and operator of the Calax, had to delay the opening of the segment to the first quarter of 2023 instead of end-December 2022.

“We’re still hoping that we can complete. For example, we can settle the issue within the month, definitely February or March of 2023, Aguinaldo [Interchange] will be operational,” Bote noted.

To date, Calax’s operational segment spans 14.24-kilometer with interchanges at Greenfield-Mamplasan, Laguna Technopark, Laguna Boulevard, Santa Rosa-Tagaytay, and Silang e a st.

Other interchanges of Calax, namely, Open Canal, Governor’s Drive, and Kawit, are targeted to be completed by 2023. Upon completion of the entire publicprivate partnership project of the DPW h and M h I , it will connect to the Manila-Cavite e x pressway in Kawit, Cavite.

Eternal Gardens Cabuyao’s donation drive

The management of eternal Gardens Cabuyao spearheaded a Christmas donation drive for the benefit of chosen families in the City of Cabuyao on December 22, 2022. A total of 30 families received noche buena gift packs.

In his speech, assistant vice president for chapel operations Angelito Twaño extended his Christmas greetings to the beneficiaries of the activity. “Nawa ang munting handog na ito po ay makapagpasaya at makatulong po sa inyo,” he said.

Twaño also expressed his gratitude to all the clients and investors of eternal Gardens Cabuyao for their continued support to the company.

The management likewise extended its appreciation to the Cabuyao City Social Welfare and Development Coordinators, namely Virginia A. Andaya, Lorna N. Quebal, Melody P. China, Gracebel O. Agas, and estrelita C. Matampale, as well as to the Mabuhay Village homeown-

MCDONALD S Corp. is accelerating new store openings to capture increased demand, while cutting corporate jobs as it winds down other priorities.

The fast-food company warned that it would be eliminating certain initiatives to help it “move faster,” according to an emailed statement Friday. McDonald’s also said it would be making job cuts that would be final by April 3.

McDonald’s said it would “evaluate roles and staffing levels in parts of the organization and there will be difficult discussions and decisions ahead.” The updated strategy—dubbed Accelerating the Arches 2.0—will help McDonald’s cut global costs and free up more resources for growth, the chain said.

Companies across the United States are laying off employees, tightening down operations in the face of relentless inflation and slowing consumer demand. McDonald’s, the largest chain in the world by sales, is the first restaurant in the US to announce job cuts despite its

relatively strong sales performance in recent years.

“You’re expecting to hear this from tech companies, but why are they cutting headcount now? Are they concerned about the next 12 months?” Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Michael h a len said in a phone interview. “The job cuts could indicate that they’re maybe worried about the direction the consumer is going in.”

McDonald’s shares rose 2.8 percent to $269.47 in New York trading. It’s the biggest daily rise for the stock since October 28.

McDonald’s said store development may include testing new-store technology like the order-ahead car lane in a new small-format location in Texas. Since the pandemic, restaurants have increasingly sought ways to serve diners on the go. even before Covid-19 upended the restaurant industry, Chicago-based McDonald’s got about two-thirds of its business from the drive-thru.

In a sign of diner cutbacks, the Big Mac seller in late October said that

customers were buying less expensive items, trading down from meals to value items. higher menu prices have continued to help sales for McDonald’s and others in the industry.

Growing costs are a concern, however, with CeO Chris Kempczinski forecasting inflation in food, paper and wages in 2023.

At capacity

MCDONALD’S said that many of its restaurants worldwide are operating at capacity, which led to this strategy overhaul. The company declined to comment further on layoffs, storeopening goals or cost cuts.

The new initiative builds on the original Accelerating the Arches program that McDonald’s introduced in November 2020, which focused on modernized marketing; a renewed commitment to its core products of burgers, chicken and coffee; and a focus on the “three D’s” of digital ordering, delivery and drive-thru.

The 2.0 version adds a “fourth D,” restaurant development, and

an internal restructuring dubbed Accelerating the Organization. The company promoted four executives, effective February 1, to address aspects of the restructuring.

One new position, president of global business services, is meant to help the organization better leverage economies of scale, the company said. It will start off focused on finance and human resources, eventually expanding to marketing, development, supply chain and technology.

e l sewhere, McDonald’s added development responsibilities to the role of global franchising chief and expanded the chief marketing officer’s job to include new business ventures. The company also created a position called chief transformation officer, meant to keep Accelerating the Organization on track.

“It sounds like they want to reorganize the company into different structures to grow faster,” BTIG LLC analyst Peter Saleh said. “Maybe they feel like they don’t have the right people in place.” Bloomberg News

Aboitiz bags awards from foreign journal

By VG Cabuag @villygc

The Aboitiz Group said it has been recognized by Corporate Governance Asia for its achievements and excellence in management acumen, financial performance, corporate social responsibility, environmental practices, and investor relations.

The said recognition was given during the 12th Asian excellence Awards of the magazine.

“The Aboitiz Group is undergoing its Great Transformation strategy, speeding ahead of their contemporaries to become the Philippines’s first techglomerate. In doing so, it is also applying such strategies in sustainability and continues to focus on being an evergreen sustainable organization firm in its belief that at the very heart of sustainability is adaptability,” according to the magazine.

It gave the award to Aboitiz Group’s President and CeO Sabin Aboitiz as Asia’s Best CeO –Inves-

tor Relations, chief financial officer (Manuel Lozano as Asia’s Best CFO–Investor Relations, head of investor relations Judd Salas as Best Investor Relations Professional, alongside group-wide recognitions for Asia’s Best Corporate Social Responsibility and Best Investor Relations Company.

“It is with much pride and honor that I humbly accept this award on behalf of all our incredible Aboitiz team members, without whom we would never achieve the level of success and excellence that makes the Aboitiz Group what it is today— an organization that surpasses the expectations of a traditional conglomerate by meeting the demands of a modern techglomerate,” said Aboitiz.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—it all starts and ends with our people. They are our most valuable bottom line, and this award is for each and every one of them. They’ve earned it and they very much deserve it.”

enhances trainings, boosts Clark operations

CLARK Freeport—The Canadian Aviation electronics Ltd. (CA e), initially inaugurated as the Philippine Academy for Aviation Training (PAAT), enhanced its training services and operations with four high-tech simulators in this Freeport.

The global brand CA e trains over 100,000 multinational pilots annually with over 16 different training locations in the Asia Pacific, according to CA e Director of Operations for Asia Pacific John Billington.

“If you look at a pilot-training stand point, we’re really the largest in the world and in commercial aviation training too. The only reason we exist is to make sure that any pilot that flies one of these aircrafts is properly trained with the best equipment and the best instructors. We have very high standards,” he said during a press conference held recently.

Aside from its global name, Billington also shared what sets them apart from their other competitors in the aviation industry.

“What differentiates us from some of the other competitors is that we have “CA e Rise” that allows us to look at all the flight data that happens during the simulator session and gives real time insights to the instructors,” he said.

he also said this technology allows them to give insights to the management team of the airlines and see which areas they need to focus and improve on.

“We’re very excited with the infrastructure and the growth of the last ten years of CA e here in Clark. We’re exploring how we can grow, what devices and training opportunities we can partner with Cebu Air,”

PAAT to CA e helped in making it more known to the public.

“CA e is a global name in pilot training. It not only covers the pilot but also the engineering side as well so with this branding of CA e , t he reach is wider, we can do more sharing of knowledge and expertise. We don’t only want to be known as a local training center, but as a regional and global training center,” Lee remarked.

Meanwhile, CA e Philippines said it takes pride in its training center that has four CA e-built Level D simulators – three Airbus A320 full-flight simulators and one ATR 72-600 FFS.

“We’re not just a training services provider, we actually build the simulators that we are talking about. We first started as a simulation company then now we have our training services,” said CA e Chief executive Adviser Kevin Foo.

CA e Philippines is a joint venture that was setup with a goal to bring the best-in-class standards for pilot training in the region, deploying innovative virtual-to-live training solutions and establish itself as a leader for training and development of aviation professionals in the Philippines.

The company offers aviation training for airline pilots, helicopter pilots, and business jet operators. It also boasts the latest Aviation software where they offer flight operations solutions and other aviation services and world-class Aviation Simulation equipment.

ers Phase 5 Officers, headed by its president Tyron C. Bawi and director Jose Reddin G. Satinggasin, for

helping them reach these families. eternal Gardens is a member of the ALC Group of Companies, founded by

the late Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua and currently headed by its chairman, D. edgard A. Cabangon.

Billington added.

Captain Michael Lee, a member of the Board of Directors of Cebu Pacific Chief and Training Standards – Cebu Air, Inc. shared how changing the branding of

Banking&Finance

Robinsons Retail buys minority stake in BPI

By VG Cabuag @villygc

ROBINSONS Retail Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei group is set to purchase a minority stake in Bank of the Philippine Islands.

The company said its board has approved the acquisition of the 4.4-percent effective equity interest of Arran Investment Pte. Ltd., an affiliate of GIC Private Ltd., in BPI.

Through redeemable preferred shares Arran currently owns 21.9 percent of Liontide Holdings Inc., which in turn has a 20-percent equity interest in BPI.

Robinsons Retail will eventually own 6.8 percent in BPI, as the firm already has a 2.4-percent stake after the lender approved a merger with Robinsons Bank last year.

“We envision Robinsons Retail to become a leading retailer with excellent financial products for customers and suppliers alike—and the partnership with BPI simply accelerates this aspiration. We expect to generate more value by combining BPI’s premium banking ecosystem with the consumer-oriented ecosystem of Robinsons Retail, complemented further by our digital businesses,” Robinsons Retail President and CEO Robina Gokongwei-Pe said.

Robinsons Retail will be able to tap into the consumer customer base of BPI to cross-sell products and services. In turn, this would

provide Robinsons Retail suppliers the capability to tap into BPI’s financial products to fund working capital requirements for business expansion.

Robinsons Retail will also receive a steady stream of dividends from the country’s third-largest lender in terms of assets.

As part of the transaction, Arran will redeem a portion of its preferred shares in Liontide. The underlying BPI shares, representing 3.3-percent equity interest in BPI, will then be purchased directly by Robinsons Retail.

Simultaneously, Robinsons Retail will acquire preferred shares in Liontide, which are redeemable to BPI shares, representing 1.1 percent of BPI outstanding shares.

Credit Suisse served as the adviser to GIC in the deal.

Last September 30, the respective boards of directors of BPI, JG Summit Capital Services Corp., and Robinsons Retail approved the merger of BPI and Robinsons Bank Corp., with BPI as the surviving entity.

The merger will result in Robinsons Bank shareholders collectively holding 6 percent of the resulting outstanding capital stock of BPI— 3.6 percent for JG Capital and 2.4 percent for Robinsons Retail. The ownership represents respective equity interest of 60 percent and 40 percent in Robinsons Bank, respectively.

Total fees collected by NTC in 2022 hit ₧9.5B

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said over the weekend it collected P9.5 billion in telecommunication fees in 2022, a little over versus the previous year but significantly higher than its target.

According to NTC Officer-inCharge Commissioner Ella Blanca B. Lopez, the figure is P3.92-billion more, or about 70.21 percent, than the P5.58 billion target set by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC).

It is also almost 5 percent higher than its P9.09-billion collection in 2021.

“The NTC’s systematic collec-

tion effort is the agency’s modest way of contributing to the public service programs of [the government]; the priorities of which are on food security, free and universal primary education and public health,” Lopez said.

She added that the “feat” is a “culmination of its personnel’s concerted effort to strictly enforce stakeholders’ compliance in remitting spectrum users’ fees, supervision and regulation fees and penalties.”

NTC regulates cable and commercial television operators, broadcast radio stations, telecommunications companies and commercial and portable radio operators.

Its main source of revenue is from spectrum user fees.

Perspectives

DTI to bank on foreign capital to grow PHL exports capability

By Andrea San Juan

TRADE Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual said the Philippines will be banking on foreign direct investments (FDI) to develop production capability for its export market.

Looking at the Philippines’s neighboring countries, Pascual said the export products in these countries are produced by factories put up by foreign investors.

“Based on my experience, you have to build a domestic base to support your foray into the export market. That’s one thing. Hindi pwede yung jump agad at export. [You can’t jump right away and export.],” the Trade Secretary said.

“You have to develop the production capability, produce quality, improve productivity so you can be competitive in pricing. That’s one thing that I thought should be highlighted,” he added.

Hence, Pascual said that the country would need to develop exports through FDIs, “not internally.”

“Look at Vietnam and Thailand: they have big exports. The export products coming from our neighboring countries are produced by factories put up by foreign investors. Kaya ang bilis ’nung growth in their export.” [Hence the growth in their respective exports market was fast.]

Limited ability

THE Trade chief also underscored the role of investments in developing the “Philippine-based industry.”

“’Yung export natin naka-link doon sa integration: ’yung trade, ’yung export and the industry, limited ang capability natin to develop industry because you need capital, you need technology,” Pascual said. [Our export is linked to the integration of trade, export and the industry. Our ability to develop industry is limited because we need capital and technology.]

The country’s trade chief stressed that the word “investors” does not focus on money alone. He said beyond financial support, there’s technology, management and, more importantly, market.

As he was explaining the difference between relying on the country’s local industry and attracting FDI to target export markets, Pascual said the country will still “worry about many things” such as production, technology, productivity, product quality, finance and market.

Pascual’s approach

PASCUAL emphasized that the foreign investments that the country would attempt to attract will come in with a “built-in” market such as technology, adding that it’s a matter of just setting the factory in the country and employing people.

“So that’s the approach that I’m trying to push: we integrate trade, industry and investments.”

Once the factories are set up in the Philippines, Pascual said his challenge is to ensure that local labor will be trained well so they can be “as productive as the labor in competing countries.”

Further, the official underscored the importance of diversifying supply, noting that it’s risky to just rely on a single source country especially with the recent “geopolitical developments.”

The Trade chief said that Philippines is looking at capitalizing on investors that have production operations in China to have alternative production operations in the Philippines.

“We want them to consider the operation here so we will provide alternative supply source for their components and inputs to their assembly operation; majority are on assembly operations,” he said.

Pledges from China

DURING the state visit to Beijing last week of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the DTI said that about $7.32-billion investment pledges from Chinese firms were secured

in the sectors of nickel processing, power batteries, electric vehicles (EVs), electronics manufacturing and steel manufacturing.

Further, the statement issued by the DTI last Friday said the Philippines has been the supplier of 60 percent to 70 percent of China’s total imports of nickel ore and concentrates. It added that Chinese companies are also “increasingly interested” in the reported Philippine policy discussions on discouraging the export of unprocessed nickel ore.

“The processing of nickel and manufacturing of battery and evehicles are vital to the Philippines’ economic transformation,” Pascual was quoted in the statement as saying. “Both sectors can create lasting impact on our country’s industrialization, economic development, clean-energy future and climate resilience.”

The Trade chief also noted that the Philippines has over nine million hectares of land with mineral potential, 92 percent of which have yet to be “responsibly utilized.”

As he pitched the metals industry to Chinese firms, Pascual said the Philippines also have over 450 million metric tons of nickel reserves.

“Our country is home to nickel mines, nickel processing plants and copper mines. And we are keen to have investments in value-adding mineral activities,” he said during a roundtable meeting during the President’s state visit, as stated in the DTI statement.

Bond rally gives early win to Wall Street’s 2023 bet

BOND-market bulls are getting an early taste of what they expect to be a winning trade of 2023.

Last Friday, shorter-dated Treasuries led a broad market rally after the jobs report for December showed a slowdown in wage growth and a gauge of the service-sector economy unexpectedly shrank. The data stoked speculation that the Federal Reserve is nearing the end of its most aggressive rate-hiking cycle in decades and may start easing monetary policy by year end.

The rally lessened the inversion of key Treasury yield curves—the gaps between shorter-term and longer-

The future of public transport

THE traditional model of public transport service delivery is being challenged as never before. Public transport has traditionally been provided by heavily subsidized public-sector bodies operating discrete/siloed transportation modes. This approach made sense from an asset-management perspective, but it led to journey options for citizens when timetables, ticketing, and customer service were not always aligned to expedite travel across various transit systems. Additionally, agencies typically took a monopoly mindset to protect revenue and market share.

Today, new market entrants are changing the last-mile equation through enhanced services and convenient new offerings. Disruptive transport technologies are on the horizon. Frictionless service interactions in other sectors have raised customer expectations of public transport. Joined-up services, seamless payments, and enhanced customer experiences are the way forward for mature transport systems.

In the Philippines, transportation has always been a relevant and, at times, heated discussion among stakeholders. Especially so when the Department of Transportation issued

Department Order 2017-011 (PUV Modernization Program in 2017), which is legislation that calls for the eradication of obsolete jeepney models that are not only hazardous to the environment but also entail threats to the safety and security of the riding public.

KPMG in the Philippines Head of Deal Advisory and Transportation and Logistics Sector Head Michael Arcatomy H. Guarin shared that the efforts of the government to modernize the transport system are aimed at bringing convenient, safe, and climate-friendly options to the masses.

“For the past years, the government, alongside its concerned agencies, has been trying to put in place legislation and policies to aid public transportation groups in their transition towards modernization,” Guarin explained.

“This includes provisions for loans and subsidies to purchase new PUV units and providing other options of livelihood,” Guarin added.

Priorities are shifting as decisionmakers listen to the voice of their constituents and look beyond the operation of transport infrastructure, fleets, and workforce to fully consider the advantages of a connected, 21stcentury ecosystem. The signals of

change, covered in detail in Section 1, are powerful and unmistakable:

n Customer. Evolving customer and community expectations for connected personalized services will require organizations to be even more responsive.

n Political and Economy. Public transport can be a key enabler of sustainable economic growth and equitable access to opportunity.

n Environmental. The need to minimize environmental impacts and urban congestion is becoming central to future planning.

n Technology. New public transport modes, entrants, and enabling technologies such as autonomous vehicles, air taxis, and hyperloops are poised to change how services are delivered.

n Competitive. Mobility-as-aService and autonomous vehicles have the potential to be cost-competitive with public transport services and more convenient in servicing the last mile of customer journeys.

n Regulatory. The pace of innovation is accelerating and exceeding the rate at which regulatory systems can adapt. Regulation will need to be dynamic amidst ongoing innovation.

In addition to these signals, the profound impact of the global pan-

term rates that are watched closely as potential recession signals. Such moves, referred to in market parlance as a curve steepening, were widely expected to occur this year, providing at least a temporary victory to investors roiled by market volatility.

“The yield-curve steepening we’ve seen post payrolls reflects a sigh of relief that strong wage gains are probably behind us, which is good news for the Fed,” said Alex Li, head of US rates strategy at Credit Agricole. “They’re probably closer to the end of the tightening cycle, though they still have work to do.”

It’s far from certain that the Treasury market’s recent moves will be

sustained, given how volatile the market has been, and long yields are still significantly below short ones amid uncertainty about the outlook. Moreover, there remains a large disconnect between the financial markets and Fed officials, who are emphasizing that they are likely to keep raising rates—and hold them there—until inflation draws back toward the central bank’s 2 percent target. Treasury Yields Under Fed Funds Rate|Key benchmarks are holding below the central bank’s overnight rate

Priya Misra, head of global rates strategy at TD Securities, said the market is wrong to be pricing in a

return to Fed rate cuts. In her view, the Fed is likely to boost its key rate to around 5.5 percent and keep it there all year, which she said could drive the 10-year yield even deeper below the 2-year benchmark than it was before. The Fed’s rate is currently in a range of 4.25 percent to 4.5 percent.

“Recession fears will increase demand for the long end,” Misra said.

There’s another risk that could upend bullish bets across the yield curve. If data shows that inflation remains sticky and the economy resilient, Treasury yields may take another leg up as the now-expected easing is priced out of the market.

embed flexibility.

demic has reshaped workforces, lifestyles, and reliance on public transportation systems. It remains to be seen how demand for services may evolve as many citizens embrace hybrid work models or replace urban lifestyles with more-affordable suburban settings.

The future of public transport is here

PUBLIC transport agencies must become smarter and more agile. They should aim to focus on the essential core of public transport operations to evolve networks, service patterns, fare policy, investment strategy, and asset custodianship. In their role as market stewards, agencies should direct modern ecosystems in partnership with the private sector to meet cost pressures, public expectations, and environmental goals. Agencies should position themselves to meet these challenges by: n Considering if their operating model enables multi-modal planning.

n Redefining their role as commissioner of markets within new regulatory frameworks.

n Deploying policy and behavioral change initiatives to meet net-zero targets.

n Implementing new funding models and revenue sources to help

ensure financial sustainability.

n Understanding how planned investments can drive social and economic opportunity.

As change unfolds and the pace of change accelerates, we present seven thought-provoking predictions on the future of public transport:

1. Political influence over public transport is expected to grow as it is increasingly seen as a lever to drive social and economic opportunity.

2. Agencies will likely become the commissioner of markets rather than the deliverer of services.

3. Future transport algorithms will likely nudge customers through the network, balancing individual preferences with network and social requirements.

4. Decarbonization of transport operations will likely become a strategic business priority.

5. Public transport is expected to be free for some citizens and communities and funded in innovative new ways.

6. Agencies will likely require more in-house technology and digital transformation. Automation will likely result in a reskilled and redeployed workforce.

7. Outcome and risk-based regulation are expected to be required to

Customers will likely continue to demand safe, integrated, on-time performance. This is expected to remain non-negotiable. Transport authorities may face increased focus on the need to reduce environmental impacts and act on decarbonization goals. As modes and partners are added to networks, authorities should implement greater, more-robust operational management capabilities, underpinned by automation and enhanced decision-making tools.

The excerpt was taken from the KPMG Thought Leadership publication https://home.kpmg/xx/ en/home/insights/2022/11/the-future-of-publictransport.html.

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

For more information, you may reach out through ph-kpmgmla@kpmg.com social media or visit www.home.kpmg/ph.

This article is for general information purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice to a specific issue or entity. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the BusinessMirror KPMG International or KPMG in the Philippines.

Explainer

WORKING OUT WITH GOD

Why people see fitness as religious

By Cody Musselman, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis The Conversation The Associated Press

Each January, americans collectively atone for yet another celebratory season of indulgence. Some proclaim sobriety for “Dry January.” Others use the dawn of a new year to focus on other forms of self-improvement, like taking up meditation or a new skin care routine. But adopting a new fitness plan is the most popular vow.

Fitness experts insist that the best kind of exercise is the one you will do regularly—the one you can view as a joy, not a chore. And as more and more bespoke boutique fitness programs pop up, some devotees seem to take this advice even further. The notion that fitness is a religion—a place where people find community, ritual and ecstatic experience—has become a common refrain.

Can fitness really be a religion? Given the difficulty of defining religion, it’s an almost impossible question to answer. Is religion about belonging? Transcendence? Feeling the divine? Is it scripture, traditions or creeds? Religions can have all of these traits, or none of them.

Perhaps the better questions to ask are why fitness and religion make such a potent combination, or why people see fitness as religious—ideas I explore in my research on CrossFit and SoulCycle.

Working out with God

The R e is ample evidence of fitness trainers, influencers and companies unabashedly incorporating religious language, sentiments and practices into their exercise routines.

Take Peloton’s superstar cycling instructor Ally Love. A former theology student, Love offered sermonlike messages on topics such as accountability and selflessness, and occasionally played music from Christian artists during her weekly “Sundays with Love” rides, prompting some riders to argue that Peloton should label her content as Christian.

Then there are explicitly faithbased programs using fitness to enhance religious practice. The Catholic workout SoulCore integrates prayers of the rosary with core exercises, stretches and functional fitness movements to “draw others closer to Christ.” A “Neshama Body & Soul” class offered by a Conservative Jewish synagogue in Saratoga, California, meanwhile, combines prayers with jumping jacks, planks and lunges.

Religion, remixed Mo R e co mmon than traditionally religious fitness programs, though, are ones that borrow the trappings

of religion and more subtly tap into spiritual experience.

SoulCycle, another iconic indoor cycling program, makes regular use of religious aesthetics, ritual and language in its classes. Instructors may talk about the cosmic energy radiating from the class or guide riders through opening their spiritual centers, or chakras. In candlelit rooms, instructors praise strong efforts by presenting selected riders a candle to blow out during the “soulful moment” of class. This soulful moment comes at the end of the 45-minute class arc, designed to deliver a breakthrough moment of spiritual or personal revelation and catharsis by combining the natural high of physical intensity with spiritualized self-help messaging.

o t her fitness trends, like CrossFit and the meetup group November Project, are less intentional about incorporating religious messaging. h o wever, they’ve garnered reputations for being religious or cultish because of how intensely they foster community. Special jargon—like “Wo D,” which stands for workout of the day—as well as annual activities and special commemorations like “hero workouts,” which honor people killed in the line of duty, solidify the religious comparisons.

CrossFit, in particular, has also attracted overtly Christian exercisers, with some of its most famous athletes publicly professing their faith.

Centuries of connection

To understand the relationship between fitness and religion, it helps to look at their history.

First, fitness itself is a relatively new concept. While there are certainly ancient accounts of sport and military training, the idea that one ought to exercise for health, enjoyment and community is a modern invention,

a response to increasingly sedentary jobs and cultures.

But while voluntary exercise is new, intense physical regimens to connect with the divine are not. People have long experimented with ways to generate a sense of transcendence, to stir emotions, or to spur self-reflection through bodily discipline. The Siddhas, mystics in ancient India, developed unique physical practices in an attempt to achieve enlightenment, render the body divine and, ultimately, become immortal beings.

o r c onsider 12th-century Taoist ascetics who thought sleep deprivation could bring them closer to the truth. Catholic saints practiced selfmortification, such as wearing itchy sackcloth, to encourage humility and to create greater compassion for the suffering of others.

Religious fixations with the body highlight an abiding paradox: Many faiths view the body as a temple, but also a hazard to the soul. They teach that the body must be disciplined and tamed, yet honored as a conduit to the divine.

Training the body to move the soul along a path toward salvation did not disappear with modernization. Rather, movements like “muscular Christianity” arose at the turn of the 20th century, blending fitness and bodybuilding techniques with Christian piety. The YMCA, for example, opened gyms to train physical and moral strength in young Christian men. As religion scholar Marie Griffithwrites, such movements reinforced a message that “fit bodies ostensibly signify fitter souls.”

e v angelical sports ministries took

off later in the 1950s, followed by the US yoga boom in the late 20th century. Together, these developments underscored the enduring connection between flesh and spirit, and primed 21st-century exercisers to readily accept spirituality as part and parcel of their fitness routines.

Shopping for fulfillment

Th IS h istory is important, yet it is incomplete. Most journalists and cultural analysts who write about fitness as religion also cite the decline of traditional religious belonging as the reason people are finding spiritual fulfillment in other settings. People’s religious needs have not disappeared, they argue, rather they appear remixed and re-bundled for the modern secular consumer.

Fitness entrepreneurs use this ex -

planation, as well.

“That stuff that happened on Sunday morning at church or in your synagogue is still important to human beings,” John Foley, founder and C e o of Peloton, stated in a 2017 talk. People want “candles on the altar and somebody talking to you from a pulpit for 45 minutes – the parallels are uncanny. In the ’70s or ’80s, you’d have a cross or Star of David around your neck. Now you have a SoulCycle tank top. That’s your identity, that’s your community, that’s your religion.”

As Foley’s quote highlights, the market is not only responding to people’s desire for ritual, guidance, spirituality, reflection—and even a sense of salvation. Rather, companies are also feeding into those desires, and helping to generate them.

Religious objects and experiences have long been available for purchase, but boutique fitness trends show today’s market logic at work: the idea that if you have a personal, spiritual need, there must be a product out there for it. Various seemingly secular companies have attempted to sell spiritual fulfillment, but few have been as successful as for-profit fitness companies that can capitalize on the long history of pairing the status of the body with the status of the soul.

The next time you hear a friend assert that fitness is their new religion, know that it might not be just hyperbole. Rather, it reflects how religious meanings attached to the body have endured, transformed—and are now available for purchase at the nearest fitness studio.

The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. The Conversation is wholly responsible for the content.

Yuri Arcurs Dre A m stime.com

WILL someone from the land of Sophia Loren, Monica Vitti, Claudia Cardinale, Anna Magnani, Gina Lollobrigida, Silvana Mangano and Monica Bellucci—some of the most beautiful women ever—finally win the most coveted title in pageantry? Apparently, Italians—or Misses Italy—don’t do it better when it comes to winning Miss Universe. Two of its most unforgettable representatives—1960’s Daniela Bianchi (who later became the Bond Girl Tatiana Romanova in From Russia With Love) and 1987’s Roberta Capua—unfortunately finished as first runners-up. And when the Philippines hosted the pageant in 1994, it was Arianna David who gave the most impactful performance in the evening-gown competition.

For the delayed 2022 edition, two women of Italian descent are considered strong bets to win the crown.

Virginia Stablum, raised in Trento, is the current Miss Italy, and is of an exquisite mix of African/German and Italian. Our own Silvia Celeste Rabimbi Cortesi, raised in Parma (via Pasay), is also a breathtaking biracial belladonna. She is on track to winning our fifth title.

Incidentally, Olivia Culpo, who won Miss Universe 2012 as Miss USA, is of Italian (with Irish) ancestry. She is set to co-host the pageant with our Catriona Gray, the 2018 winner, as backstage correspondent. I think they should switch roles if the coronation night on January 14 in New Orleans is to be a high-energy event.

CROSSOVERS AND FIRST-TIMERS

THE best chances of winning Miss Universe still rest on the countries which prepare their delegates the most diligently. This will be on full display on preliminary night and the national costume show on January 11, which can be seen hereabouts on YouTube and the Lazada app. The finals can be viewed on ABSCBN on Sunday, January 15, at 9 am. But, this being Miss Universe, expect some exciting surprises ahead. Celeste has previously raised the flag for the Philippines at Miss Earth 2018, placing in the Top 8 along with the pretty Miss Portugal Telma Madeira. Other contenders with international pageant experience are Guatemala’s Ivana Batchelor (Grand 2020 Second Runner-up), Mauritius’s Alexandrine Belle-Etoile (Supranational 2022 Top 12), Angola’s Swelia Antonio (Supra 2021 Top 12), Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Ngoc Chau (Supra 2019 Top 10), Paraguay’s Lia Ashmore ( Grand 2017 Top 20), Panama’s Solaris Barba (World 2018 Top 12), and Trinidad & Tobago’s Tya Jane Ramey (World 2019 Top 40).

Angola was the last country to win for the first time, in 2011. It would be so exciting if another firsttimer would achieve such a feat. Up to this daunting task, what with the powerhouses sending strong reps, are Aruba’s Kiara Arends, the beautiful Miss Bahrain Evlin Khalifa, the captivating Miss Curacao Gabriëla dos Santos, the mannequin Miss Ukraine Viktoriia Apanasenko, the Fadil Berisha favorite Miss Honduras Rebeca Rodríguez, Miss Cambodia Manita Hang, and the bombshell Miss Iceland Hrafnhildur

THERE is no doubt that two of the most popular beauty products in the world are eye cream and concealer, and it’s not a coincidence that they’re both for the undereyes.

The skin surrounding the eye area is very fragile and shows a multitude of sins, including rubbing it vigorously, unprotected sun exposure, and not getting enough sleep. Genetics also play an important part in the state of your undereye area. If any of your parents have dark circles, then you’re likely to inherit them. Of course, it’s a given that you get more wrinkles and fine lines around your eye area as you age. Meanwhile, puffiness is caused by a buildup of fluid and blood under the eyes. This is where eye creams and concealers come in. I will lump correctors along with concealers for the purpose of this article.

I don’t use eye cream often but I do acknowledge that it is different from a face cream or moisturizer.

As mentioned, the skin in the eye area is thin and delicate. Many dermatologists say using an eye cream isn’t necessary and I kind of agree. Eye cream is simply, if you may, an oilier and heavier version of your face cream.

I read an article somewhere that not every person is a candidate for eye cream use. A person who has dark circles and fine lines under their eyes may be a typical candidate. If you’re not such a person, a rich

Haraldsdóttir.

Bhutan makes its debut with the fashion model Tashi Choden Chombal. Openly LGBT in a conservative country, the activist wrote when she came out in 2021: “My loves, Don’t wait until you reach your goal to be proud of yourself. Be proud of all the steps you are taking to self realization and self liberation. Be unapologetic. Be you. Be strong. Feel beautiful. I hope you know how amazingly beautiful you are. And that you know you deserve every ounce of happiness in this world.”

PINOY PAGEANT POWER

CELESTE’S Miss Universe campaign is greatly aided by an army of Filipino creatives: MUPh creative director Jonas Gaffud; and Val Taguba, who will design her evening gown; stylist Perry Tabora; and The Camp, her pageant trainers.

Miss Thailand Anna Sueangam-iam is being trained by RL’s Angels, the pageant coach behind Binibining Pilipinas InterContinental Gabrielle Basiano. Miss Spain Alicia Faubel worked as a model in the Philippines for several years and considers

herself an honorary Filipina. She will reportedly wear a Leo Almodal creation. Meanwhile, Jojo Bragais is the official footwear provider.

Bahrain’s national costume was created by Furne One of Amato Couture. Miss USA R’Bonney Gabriel’s national costume was also made by another Pinoy, Patrick Isorena. Mauritius was seen wearing a Boogie Musni Rivera dress, while Miss Seychelles Gabriella Gonthier is a Carl Andrade muse. But they all need to watch out for Italy in the style department. Virginia is the most fashionable candidate around, with “Made in Italy” a huge part in her campaign. In her OOTDs, she has worn MaxMara, Miu Miu, Numero Otto, and Stile de Virgilio. On prelims and finals nights, she is set to wear Roberto Cavalli by Fausto Puglisi.

POWERHOUSES ARE STILL POWERHOUSES

OUR Celeste, owing to the exceptional performances of the Pinay queens since 2010, is a natural frontrunner and favorite. Miss USA R’Bonney Gabriel, who is half-Pinay, has home-court backing. Miss Colombia María Fernanda Aristizábal is another Girl to Beat.

Venezuela’s Amanda Dudamel, an accomplished

fashion entrepreneur, is a phenomenal contender. As is Dominican Republic’s Andreína Martínez, a City College of New York summa cum laude graduate in psychology and Latin American studies. Puerto Rico, as always, sends a stunning threat in Ashley Cariño.

The most closely watched, however, is Miss Thailand Anna Sueangam-iam. Now that the pageant is owned by Thai trans billionaire Anne Jakrajutatip of JKN Global Group, Anna is seen as having an undue advantage.

But Anne has since quelled this speculation. She wrote on her Instagram: “This is the number ONE Beauty Olympic and it is tremendously renowned for its fundamental feminism’s achievement. In the future, when you connect the dots of why you have to be here on the stage [with] more than one billion people watching, you will come full circle that ‘you’re meant to be’ because of your belief, integrity and determination. No matter who will be the next Universe Queen, each and everyone of you is already the winner to me!” n

ANDRADA IN PARIS FASHION WEEK COUTURE 2023

ALBERT ANDRADA is set to make fashion history for the Philippines as he becomes the first Filipino designer to showcase his designs in a solo show at the prestigious Paris Fashion Week Couture 2023.

The high fashion event, happening on January 25 and 26 at the Westin Paris Vendome, will see the collaboration of Andrada and BaroQco, a jewelry-maker known for creating crowns for Miss Universe Netherlands, Germany and Singapore.

The partnership between two well-respected names in the fashion industry is a milestone for the Philippines, as it presents a perfect opportunity to showcase Filipino creativity and artistry on the venerable and highly-publicized Paris runway.

Andrada established a stellar career when he became a favorite designer of members of Arab royalty. He was appointed designer of the ruling family in Fujairah of the United Arab Emirates.

One of his prominent clients and his muse is Pia Wurtzbach, who wore an iconic blue Andrada creation when she was crowned Miss Universe 2015.

Paris Fashion Week, also known as Semaine de la mode de Paris, is held semi-annually in the French capital as a regular designer presentation featuring designs for spring/summer and autumn/ winter. Dates are determined by the French Fashion Federation.

Paris Fashion Week is part of the global “Big 4” fashion events in London, the United Kingdom; Milan, Italy; and New York, USA.

face cream may suffice.

Here are some of the most popular eye creams in the market.

Peter Thomas Roth’s Peptide 21 Wrinkle Resist Eye Cream has 21 peptides and neuropeptides and ingredients like Regu-Age, Reforcyl, and Gamma Proteins, which will help to address fine lines, puffiness, dark circles, and lack of elasticity over longtime use.

Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream is one of the most popular eye care products in Sephora. Because of its thin texture, this is good under makeup and will help your concealer from creasing.

Augustinus Bader The Eye Cream has a rich texture. It has peptides, along with vitamin C and B3

or niacinamide so it’s perfect for dark circles.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix Synchronised Multi-Recovery Complex is an eye serum that comes with the brand’s proprietary Youth-Generating Power and a 360° Mesh Matrix Technology that cushions and supports the eye against micro-movement damage. What I love about this eye serum is the cryo-steel wand, which has a cooling effect.

I may be old school but my favorite eye cream is the Origins Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream. I use the warm variant, which has a light tint is for those with medium-to-deep skin and warmer undertones. The ingredients of this eye cream are vitamin C, niacinamide, ginseng, caffeine and chicory root. I like it because it’s light and doesn’t make my eyes sting. On good days, I can use it and forego a concealer altogether. Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream also works well with makeup.

Now, on to correctors and concealers. What do they do exactly? If you have really dark circles, a corrector will neutralize deep pigmentation. A concealer, on the other hand, will cover these dark circles.

A peach corrector underneath the eye will neutralize any blue discoloration, while a green one will neutralize redness. The Stila Correct and Perfect Color Correcting Palette is not just for the undereyes.

There are different shades for every color-correcting concern. I’m not sure if this product is available in Rustan’s but if you want to find Stila products, that’s where you should go. If you want something simpler, the Smashbox Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector not only evens discoloration but also has a brightening effect.

As for concealer, my favorite remains the Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Self-Setting Concealer because it does not crease and looks very natural under the eyes. One of the most popular ones in the market is the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, the one with the wand applicator. It is well-liked because of its natural finish. For a more affordable alternative, I like the Issy & Co. Active Concealer which comes in so many shades that there’s one which I use as a peach corrector and another one as a cream contour.

And then there are the new hybrid products that combine the benefits of an eye cream with the cosmetic effects of a concealer. Kiehl’s Youth Dose Eye Treatment has retinyl palmitate (a retinol derivative), ascorbyl glucoside (a vitamin C derivative), and antioxidant-rich grape-seed extract to help improve the look of fine lines and dark circles over time.

Meanwhile, the Huda Beauty The Overachiever High Coverage Concealer has skin-care ingredients like green tea and rose extracts.

UNIVERSE), Honduras’s Rebeca Rodríguez (FADIL BERISHA), Ukraine’s Viktoriia Apanasenko (@KATEGELLER_PH).

Tagaytay Highlands to have new lifestyle concept to be known as Midlands West

THERE’S something auspicious about the new year at Tagaytay Highlands. With the world now teetering on the brink of a new beginning, the country’s most exclusive leisureresidential mountain resort is breaking the grounds for what is touted to be the top destination estate’s next premium enclave after the Highlands, Midlands, and Greenlands. Here, a truly holistic way of life centered on sustainability is set to take root as an unprecedented lifestyle concept—Midlands West.

For over 20 years, the Midlands has been a sought-after region of worldclass themed residences and services known for its recreational lifestyle, and inspired by architecture and culture from different countries with panoramic views of Taal Lake and Mt. Makiling. Each neighborhood is sculpted following the natural landscape, creating functional and aesthetic green spaces.

Tucked 1,000 to 1,500 feet above sea level between the Highlands and Greenlands, the Midlands’ internationally themed residential enclave also features wide spaces. It makes for a bird sanctuary offering bird watchers and enthusiasts a welcome respite from work and an avenue for their passion.

The Midlands is also home to the competitive 27-hole championship Tagaytay Midlands Golf Course that is at par with international golf courses while surrounded by sweeping nature vistas.

Today, complementing the Midlands’ characteristically fun lifestyle, Tagaytay Highlands is set to reveal its newest district, Midlands West. This 320-hectare mixed-use enclave will provide amenities, facilities, parks, and open spaces founded on the mountain resort’s inherent values of ecocentrism, sustainability, health and wellness, and luxury mountain living. These distinct design pillars are Midlands West’s answer to the changing demands of the times. Based on a recent

global sustainability report, Filipinos have become more eco-conscious while favoring responsibly progressive developments that warrant enhanced quality of life not only in the present but also for future generations.

In this eco-centric community, the environment and its residents will thrive together while protecting the surrounding environs and natural terrain. Its holistic design aims to incorporate the natural landscape in its future communities to ensure that its master plan will highlight nature as a distinctive feature.

For future residents, this means getting the most of nature from every angle to enjoy 360-degree view opportunities of Taal Lake, the Batangas scenery, Mt. Makiling and Banahaw. And with holistic wellness in mind, leveraging its generous green open spaces will allow one to enjoy the beauty of nature while encouraging outdoor activities to promote a healthy wellbeing.

Midlands West will integrate sustainable features as part of the lifestyle to promote green living. This it hopes to achieve by employing efficient solid waste management and water conservation practices as well as rain gardens and drought-tolerant plants across all future residential projects. Likewise, inspired by its values of simplicity, functionality, and comfort, the type of

architecture in Midlands West will be very organic. This means fostering a strong connection with nature by utilizing natural light and ventilation and pushing for innovative use of repurposed and ecofriendly materials.

At the heart of this new Midlands cluster envisioned to be human-centric as well, holistic health, wellness and nature will converge. Putting at the forefront of its mission the welfare of individuals, its prime location will allow residents and their families to be enveloped in nature’s splendor while enjoying a sundry of outdoor experiences ranging from passive and active activities to extreme adventures. All these coming together toward integrating the mind, body and soul into the built environment.

Coming home to Midlands West will embody the prestige of being part of an exclusive mountain resort community. This means living in an incomparable natural environment that assures the same quality and stature as existing residential projects in Tagaytay Highlands.

Filipinos welcoming the new year at Tagaytay Highlands will be happy to know that the development has been awarded the Safety Seal of the City Government of Tagaytay for providing safety and security to its residents, guests, and staff.

The Bellevue Manila Ensures the Best Dining Experience with naming of new Executive Chef

THE Bellevue Manila is pleased to announce the appointment of Chef Xerxes John D. Narciso as its new executive chef. In addition to overseeing daily food and beverage operations of the hotel’s restaurants and banquet, Narciso, who is known as Chef X, also brings new ideas to the table.

Chef X holds a hotel and restaurant management degree from De La Salle University - Dasmariñas. In 2001, he earned a culinary arts and technology management diploma from the Center for Culinary Arts Manila, the country’s premier culinary school.

He marked his professional beginnings in the culinary world in the pastry section of the Marco Beach Ocean Resort in Naples, Florida. He then brought his career to the Philippines in 2003 working for a wide range of big-city properties and upscale resorts.

Chef X then rose the ranks in his over 20 years of experience, with roles ranging from menu planning, junior chef training, recipe development, and overseeing banquet kitchens before sharing his expertise with The Bellevue Manila. The breadth of his work gives Chef X unique insight into the culinary field that will further elevate The Bellevue Manila’s food and beverage lineup.

“I am grateful for this new venture,” shares Chef X. “I’m looking forward to showcasing even better food and beverage concepts to our guests. It is a privilege to work alongside my Bellevue family.”

The Bellevue Manila is a world-class hotel nestled in the heart of Filinvest City

in Alabang. It has 456 modern rooms, fully equipped meeting and banquet venues, a gym, swimming pools, and wellness centers (Azurea Spa, Jing Monis Salon, and PrettyLooks). The hotel also offers gastronomic delights through its food concepts Phoenix Court, Café d’Asie, Pastry Corner, Vue Bar, and Cellar 22.

EY Global Delivery Services (EY GDS) Philippines gains recognition as one of the HR Asia Best Companies to Work for in Asia – Philippines Chapter in 2022. The award strongly recognizes the longstanding efforts of EY GDS to champion teamwork, employee engagement, and care and empathy for its people amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic. Proudly showcasing the award is Nitin Dhavale, Location Leader, EY Global Delivery Services Philippines.

THROUGH the past decades, Golden Haven has gained prominence as a highly trusted name in the Philippine deathcare industry, lauded for its chain of well-curated, beautifully themed memorial parks. Its tranquil settings are best known as sanctuaries for Filipino families to honor their deceased loved ones. With verdant greenery marking Golden Haven’s sprawling terrain, peace and serenity are evoked, inspiring the living to reminisce on happier times spent with those long gone.

Indeed, Golden Haven, now with more than 30 parks all over the country, has shown spectacular growth in the memorial property sector. And much of this may be credited to an idyllic work environment that drives its employees to thrive and succeed—and weave their very own “golden stories” to share with the rest of us.

One such aspirational tale is that of Eden Nario Pallera, fondly called “Tita Eden” by the members of the Golden Haven Community. A public school teacher before she joined Golden Haven, Tita Eden sought a career that would enable her to provide the best life for her three growing daughters.

Tita Eden jump-started her Golden Haven journey as one of its pioneering batch of sales counselors in 1987. Enticed by a life she had only dreamt of having, she enthusiastically learned her way around and, through sheer perseverance, became a unit manager in 1991. At this point, Tita Eden had quickly fallen in love with her work, the company, and her colleagues. With this new-found dedication and commitment, she convinced her husband, who was then toiling as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), to come home and become an agent for Golden Haven, ultimately reuniting their family.

Tita Eden’s dreams for a brighter future drove her to be on top of her game;

in just a year, she was promoted to agency manager. Then a well-deserved recognition came in 2005 when she was awarded the President’s cup by former senator and Golden Haven’s chairman, Manny Villar himself.

Today, Tita Eden remains a dynamic leader in the Golden Haven community as an agency sales director. Regarded as one of the company’s pillars, she continues to contribute significantly to the success of Golden Haven. Her colleagues look up to her as a “living legend” whose name is recognized in every branch.

Tita Eden credits former senator Manny Villar’s famed work ethic for her phenomenal success. “From the beginning, I readily adopted his mindset of ‘sipag at tiyaga,’” she declares. “And I have been around for 35 years—and counting—because the company stays true to its ‘Alagang Golden’ promise, made not only to its clients but also to its people.”

Tita Eden now gleefully relates her stories of travel to various countries such as Hong Kong, Australia, Thailand, and Japan, made possible through her work in Golden Haven. But among all her achievements in Golden Haven, she acknowledges that her most “amazing accomplishment” was putting all

her three daughters through school and showing them that a rewarding lifestyle is achievable as long as they are willing to work for it.

“My three girls now enjoy a secure and comfortable life with their beautiful homes, cars, and investments. Of course, they all acquired Golden Haven properties—investing in their own lots, columbarium vaults, and alcoves. Their future and that of their families are looking bright.”

Despite her achievements, Tita Eden remains focused on a singular goal: to encourage even more people to join Golden Haven’s roster of brilliant agents and share the wonders and joys of being part of the community. “I want to help others build a stable and fulfilling career in sales just like I did,” she declares, “and hopefully change their lives for the better—exactly the way Golden Haven changed mine.”

True enough, Tita Eden’s story of loyalty and perseverance is one that is often shared with Golden Haven’s newbies and with anyone in the community in need of inspiration.

“Aspiring investment consultants and ambassadors seeking a life of comfort and fulfillment will find this as members of the Golden Haven community where generous commissions and great earning opportunities await,” Tita Eden excitedly asserts. “Those who jump on board Golden Haven will learn about property sales and marketing and enjoy incentives such as all-expenses-paid travel to various destinations.”

Golden Haven invites interested individuals to create their own golden stories. To become part of this thriving community of earners and learners, register through the following links: https://www.goldenhaven.com.ph/hiringreal-estate-agent-broker/ and https:// www.goldenhaven.com.ph/golden-havenambassadors/.

BRIA Plaridel intensifies efforts against climate change through on site tree planting activities

SINCE its inception nearly a decade ago, BRIA Homes has cultivated a reputation as the fastest-growing real estate developer in the Philippines. Initially primed to help address the mass housing backlog in the country, BRIA brought affordable homes closer to average Filipinos through their strategically located housing communities nationwide. Offering eye-catching, wellbuilt, and comfortable dwellings to aspiring homeowners all over the Philippines, BRIA has become the home of choice for Filipinos.

However, a key part of becoming a successful property developer is being aware of important issues that promote the well-being of existing and potential residents at all times.

And the problem that requires immediate attention is the need to mitigate the effects of climate change. After all, Filipinos are perennially subject to extreme weather conditions such as brutally hot summers and devastating super typhoons.

For this reason, BRIA Homes is committed to doing what it can to help preserve the environment, in both big and small ways.

With tree-planting as an enduring tradition at BRIA Homes, the company recently organized a tree-planting event at their Plaridel location in Barangay Lagundi. Taking place on December 17, the activity had several BRIA

officers, employees, and agents as enthusiastic participants, proof that BRIA is indeed seriously invested in the protection of the environment.

One need not be an eco-warrior to know that tree planting is an important activity in the push for a healthier environment. This is because trees are a natural facilitator of refreshing the spaces around it. They absorb the carbon dioxide in the air, store carbon in the trees and soil, and release oxygen into the atmosphere via photosynthesis.

With BRIA Homes’ Plantahan program, tree planting has become a regular activity in many BRIA residential communities across the country. To complement such efforts, BRIA likewise ensures that its residential enclaves have vast open green spaces, for which it earned an industry award as “Open Space Development of the Year”.

Beyond the tree planting, BRIA has also incorporated environmental consciousness in the maintenance of their properties.

BRIA Homes uses solar-powered lights in its recreational facilities, perimeter roads, gardens, parks, walking paths, and entrances.

Only by keeping the planet safe and clean for generations to come will BRIA employees and homeowners alike be able to live their very best lives.

Golden Stories: ‘Tita Eden’ and her three-decade legacy of loyalty, perseverance in deathcare industry

EDEN Nario Pallera standing next to Golden Haven Chairman Manny Villar.

MIDLANDS West will boast of a prime location featuring a sustainable living concept that will ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing.

WITH BRIA Homes’ Plantahan program, tree planting has become a regular activity in many BRIA residential communities

Marketing

Thankful for 2022: Lessons from the past, blessings today and visions for the future

As 2022 wound to a close, it struck me that the last two years had been a time of heartbreaking loss and goodbyes. A number of my friends and colleagues in the industry had passed on, mostly from serious health issues that included Covid and other life-threatening afflictions.

This set me to start counting the years I have spent working and realized that 2023 will mark my 40th year since I established my own PR agency. The turning point in my long and productive career as a public relations practitioner came in 1983 when I left Ace Compton Advertising to strike out on my own. And with God’s Grace, and the sheer talent and passion of so many people I have been fortunate to work with, my young team and I are still around, earnestly doing what we do and love best, which is to create and run PR campaigns for our appreciative clients and creative partners.

PR Matters

By Joy Lumawig-Buensalido

It also made me look back to how I started in this PR journey and inevitably, I realized that despite the loss of a few good friends, I must count my blessings that include colleagues who have stayed active and healthy. s o me have happily retired or shifted their attention to other creative endeavors. There are a few indomitable ones who, like me, remain engaged in the communications industry and related fields. We are all seniors, not only in age but in creativity, wisdom, and experience. And we all still want to stay relevant and make a difference, whether in our personal lives, in our communities, or in the country we love.

I reached out to five close friends and former colleagues from Ace Compton Advertising (now Ace s a atchi) and asked each of them to relate how the past year impacted their lives and professions; what they are thankful for; and what they intend to do or hope to achieve in 2023.

Their responses are quite impressive and affirm my point that creative people who have been deeply involved in, and remained committed to, their work will continue to excel, stand out, and contribute their talents even as they sail through their so-called “retirement” years.

First in my list was Danny Gozo, my former boss in the PR department of Ace Compton, from whom I learned some of the most basic lessons in the PR profession. Danny was Director of PR at a time when we were handling premium accounts like Pepsi, Nestle’s and Procter & Gamble.

The second, Tessa Jazmines, is—to this day—one of my very best friends, a PR colleague who worked with me at Ace Compton under the same boss and with the coolest people and clients. We both now run our own PR agencies and, coincidentally, write columns for this same paper.

The third is Eleanor s a n Jose Modesto, an outstanding creative writer who showed me how to be noticed, talk to clients, and to make a difference. s h e eventually held an expat post as head of an agency in Indonesia and today she continues to teach and be a valuable resource of young minds.

The fourth in the list is a seasoned marketing and advertising executive, Vangge Giorgetti, who is into media training. Vangge never fails to bring out her unique creative skills and those of whom she trains.

Finally, the fifth expert was one of two people who interviewed me for a PR job in Ace Compton. Mon s i los was Group Account Director then but he eventually moved to key management positions and led communications campaigns that spanned the fields of advertising, marketing, digital, and even finance. Mon knows exactly what he can share from his wide and rich experiences in PR.

Meet these five veteran players in the industry and get to know what they are deeply grateful for at this point in their careers. For my part, I am simply thankful for the chance to work with them in the past and for their sincere friendship through the years.

(Before) (Today)

Tessa Jazmines, professor, sports columnist, PR pro, and Founder of Larc & Asset PR s o m any things to be grateful for in 2022. But this senior is most thankful for how technology has allowed me to pursue my passions all year: to teach and discover new and better ways to connect with my students; stay in touch with good friends like the author of this column as if we were just across each other enjoying goodies at a table; and do business, find work, render real service in the field of communication.

“Extra thrilled that the UP Fighting Maroons won a championship after 36 winless years and all fired up that live sports events finally opened up in 4Q of ’22. Times have changed indeed from our early days in the biz and even just before the pandemic hit. Looking forward to dance to the new beat of 2023 and spread good vibes every way possible all year.”

“In the coming years, I wish to share these with other people via skillshare or the like, in the hope that others may also experience the same enjoyment. Or possibly even create additional income stream from these activities.

“I was also asked what we have today that were nonexistent during our time, but which should make work easier. My reply is this: Google and handheld computers or smartphones with fantastic cameras. They’re both a boon (because they make work so much easier) and a bane (because they make us work more and with no limits to our schedules).”

(Before) (Today)

Ramon Silos—Before: SVP Avia Communications; SVP McCann Erickson; COO Ambient Digital; and COO Miravite

Today:

“I am extremely grateful for amazing consulting opportunities despite the pandemic. Working as an independent consultant provides a better work-life balance. s up portive and appreciative clients enhance the predisposition to be driven and motivated. Over five decades of sterling service in integrated marketing communications, in senior management positions, exposure in international markets, good people skills, and profound exposure in multifarious industries provide the tools for applying the appropriate strategies and solutions to successfully achieve corporate and/or brand goals.

“Thirty- to fifty years ago, there was a lot of pride in our profession and a profound loyalty to the organization one worked with. Making it, besting the competition, and gaining recognition in the prestigious advertising industry became the ultimate goal.

(Before) (Today)

“What am I thankful for in the past? I am grateful that I felt I had more time to develop creative campaigns. We usually had at least a full month to do some research, strategize, discuss the strategy with the client and then create the executions; and finally present the ideas to the clients. While I had many stressful times, too, I mostly felt I had more time to observe people and behavior.

“What am I grateful for today? I am grateful that I have retired from advertising and yet still stay in touch by teaching [I am a resource person/lecturer in Ateneo Center for Continuing Education]. I am grateful that I can share and teach s t rategy, Consumer Insight, Market Research, Negotiations, Presentation and Marketing Communications— and inspire my students to apply these learnings to today’s digital world. I feel invigorated by young people and how they think. I hope that my 40 years of experience can help them communicate better using digital media and tools which we didn’t have before.”

“Today, most millennials do not hesitate to go through the revolving door in search of their own destiny. I suppose it makes them more daring and adventurous. Having the capacity to work with all kinds of professionals in various tiers of the organization, especially millennials, help bridge generational differences in opinions and attitudes.

“As a professional communicator, there was also a need to acquaint one’s self with emerging technologies such as social media. Thankfully, my stint as COO of a digital marketing company in 2012 gave me the knowledge and exposure I needed.

“I believe that in 2023 and beyond, creating a good worklife balance will be more critical than ever. A mentally healthy and stress-free workforce will be more productive. Remote work or working from home has also changed the way we conduct business.

“ s o me people project that it will be here to stay. I believe it will not totally replace the office since it’ll depend on the job related to an industry like banking, finance, automobile, tourism, government and others.”

(Before) (Today)

“For the past year, I am thankful that this dreadful pandemic appears to be over and that travel and social restrictions have eased somewhat.

“What am I hoping for in 2023? Continued good health and wellness for my family and friends; a decent upward trajectory for our government on all fronts; and longer drives, accurate pitches, and smoother putts in the golf course!”

(Before) (Today)

“In the past two years since I turned ‘senior’, I have appreciated the obvious perks that come with being ‘carded’—no long lines, hefty discounts, occasional gifts, and more. But more importantly, I now relish the time and freedom doing what I enjoy—reading, crafting, walking, cooking, baking, or just plain doing nothing.

Free Ipra webinar

IPRA Philippines invites everyone to participate in their next  Communitalks webinar on the topic: “ s o nic Branding: the Power of  s o und in Communication” which will tackle the  power of music, audio and sound to build a brand, communicate an advocacy and elicit emotions to drive PR strategy.  Main s peaker will be Mike Constantino, Founder and CEO of Homonym, the premier sonic branding and music/audio marketing agency in the Philippines, January 26, 2023, from 3-5 pm Please register early at this link:  https://bit.

ly/IPRAphilippines

PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier association for senior communications professionals around the world. Joy Lumawig-Buensalido is the President and CEO of Buensalido PR and Communications. She was past Chairman of the Ipra Philippine chapter for two terms.

PR Matters is devoting a special column each month to answer our readers’ questions about public relations. Please send your questions or comments to  askipraphil@gmail.com.

Danny Gozo—“A retired corporate PR counsellor and a hopeless golf fanatic.”

(His words)

Eleanor San Jose Modesto—Before: Agency Head, Lintas Lowe in Jakarta; Today: Happily retired and part-time Lecturer/Resource Person at Ateneo Center for Continuing Education (CCE)

Evangelina (Vangge) Giorgetti—Former Marketing and Advertising Executive;.Currently Training Consultant for CSVCo Media Consultancy

Consulting Group (a financial services firm)

s e mi-retired/Consultant (management marketing, PR and advertising, political communications) and proud grandpa

Nostalgic photo of Ace Compton PR group in the 1980s (L to R)Joy Buensalido, Tessa Jazmines and Danny Gozo

RONALDO’S SURREAL START IN SAUDI

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—

The palm trees lining the desert roads leading out of Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport were wet with rain drops when Cristiano Ronaldo arrived this week in Saudi Arabia’s capital city.

The surprising weather greeted the soccer great’s shocking move to the Middle East, where the gray skies in Riyadh were more akin to the often overcast conditions of Manchester— his previous home.

It’s a surreal start for Ronaldo as he takes the next step of his storied career in a league few know much about.

The wet and chilly weather has been so severe that his new team, Al Nassr, was forced to postpone its Saudi league match against Al Ta’ee on Thursday because rain had impacted the electric system at Mrsool Park, the club’s home stadium.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward had said at his presentation on Tuesday that he was ready to play immediately.

However, the Portuguese player is supposed to serve a two-match suspension imposed by the English Football Association in November for slapping a mobile phone out of a fan’s hand following a game against Everton last April.

He may have left

Tigers beat Beacons, stay unscathed in six matches

DEFENDING champion Davao Occidental-Cocolife held off a furious fourth quarter fightback by Quezon City to carve out an 81-79 decision on Saturday night for its sixth straight win and the solo lead in the Manila Bankers LifePilipinas Super League Pro Division Second Conference Dumper Cup at the San Andres Gym in Manila.

Beacons forward Raffy Octobre could

SAMAHANG Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) president Monico Puentevella was elected vice president of the Asian Weightlifting Federation (AWF) during the continental body’s electoral congress in Doha, Qatar, last Thursday.

Qatar’s Mohamed Yousef Al Mana was also elected AWF president for the third time, while Mohamed Al Harbi of Saudi Arabia was picked secretary general.

The AWF also awarded Puentevella as Honorary President for his exemplary performance as national federation head.

This award goes to all our disciplined lifters, for Hidilyn [Diaz-Naranjo], their parents, our coaches,” said Puentevella, who made special mention of the Philip-

not complete what could have been a heroic effort in the endgame. He missed a three-point try before Jam Jamon also muffed a jumper at the buzzer.

Octobre boomed in a triple that shoved Quezon City to within 79-81 with 15 seconds to go.

Former Philippine Basketball Association player John Wilson had 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists for the Tigers, while Marco Balagtas

chipped in 11 points and eight rebounds.

Billy Robles had 10 points and five rebounds for Davao Occidental, which remained untouchable with a 6-0 record in the league presented by Winzir and co-presented by SCD Cosmetics and Dumper party-list, and supported by NET 25, Adcon, Wcube Solutions Inc., MDC, Unisol, Don Benitos and Finn Cotton.

The Tigers pulled off a similarly

the Premier League, but the sanction applies to club soccer around the world. However, as the match against Al Ta’ee approached, Al Nassr would not confirm if it intended to honor the ban.

W here Ronaldo goes, drama seems to follow—and the will-hewon’t-he saga extended to Friday, when Al Nassr finally left him out of the squad for the rescheduled match.

The excitement generated by his arrival in Saudi Arabia is undeniable— even if the idea of him leaving elite European soccer behind will take some getting used to. Thousands of fans braved the conditions and lined up for a first sight of their superstar signing on Tuesday.

“ It’s very, very exciting because Ronaldo is the best player in the world,” Al Nassr fan Nawaf Alshmry told The Associated Press.

E arlier that day, an optimistic supporter of reigning Saudi champion Al Hilal had spoken of his belief that his club would respond by signing another icon, someone like Brazil international Neymar.

The Ronaldo-effect, it seems, is already taking hold, and the realms of what is possible feel broadened by his very presence—never mind that he is past his peak and has so far this season been dropped by both Manchester United and Portugal because of his lack of form.

H is star appeal still resonates— on the day of his presentation traffic backed up along the streets surrounding the 25,000-capacity Mrsool Park. Al Nassr prepared for his entrance by projecting his image on the stadium’s exterior, with strobe lights, fireworks and smoke machines deployed to enhance the atmosphere.

H is face beamed out from

hard-earned 78-76 triumph over Nueva Ecija last December 17.

The Beacons absorbed their third loss in a row, counting a 59-83 defeat to the Pampanga G Lanterns last December 29 for a 1-4 slate.

Jamon paced Quezon City with 24 points and five rebounds, while Germy Mahinay and Aaron Jeruta got 14 and 11 points, respectively.

I n other games, Pampanga Royce mangled the Slashers, 82-61, for a 5-0 card, while Manila improved to 4-3 following an 89-79 victory over Cagayan de Oro-PSP.

Puentevella elected AWF vice president

pine Sports Commission (PSC), MVP Sports Foundation, Hans Sy and his fellow SWP board members.

This new award, aside from the IWF Hall of Fame comes after more than 20 years of perseverance and yet enjoying this Olympic sport that has given pride for our country,” he said. “To God be the glory.”

Puentevella is the SWP’s president since 2002. He also served as Philippine Olympic Committee chairman for four years and PSC commissioner for more than six years under Presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada. He was also responsible for the Na-

tional Youth Games or Batang Pinoy, the PSC’s grassroots development program for children 15 years old and below.

Puentevella was inducted into the IWF Hall of Fame for his lifetime achievements last year. The Philippines won its first Olympic gold medal through Diaz-Naranjo at the Tokyo Games last year.

achievements but also helping popularize the game.

Barely a month after Argentina won the Qatar World Cup and Lionel Messi feted as the Greatest of All Time, there was an about face proclaiming Pelé as the true GOAT after being the only player to have won three World Cups, won six Brazilian titles, two Intercontinental Cup trophies, two Copa Libertadores trophies, and one North American Soccer League championship. And there’s the matter of his goals.

The documentary of Pelé including the film dramatization were out right before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. It was akin to The Last Dance that served as a reminder to the millennial and Gen Z that there was such a person who was far better than LeBron James–Michael Jordan.

Pelé and GOAT Talk

I n the wake of Pelé’s death, the film and the documentary gained a new lease on life. All of a sudden, Pelé was not just a name casually dropped in conversations or sentences about “great football players.”

Old fans got reacquainted and saw once more the force that was Pelé. New fans, now know him to be real. Pelé is three-for-three in World Cup Finals play while Messi is 1-1.

electronic billboards around the city.

The 37-year-old Portugal forward, who is coming off a disappointing performance at the World Cup in Qatar, eventually turned up in a white Range Rover with blacked out windows and stepped out to flashing cameras.

It was a very stage-managed production for a club that is going to have to quickly get used to the global fame that comes with signing one of the greatest soccer players of all time and the world’s most followed individual on social media platform Instagram.

A l Nassr has had to enlist an outside public relations company to handle the sudden overload of media interest, but has yet to produce an English language version of its website. Instead, its social media accounts have become a go-to destination for Ronaldo’s fanbase, desperate to learn about his movements in Saudi Arabia.

A l Nassr, it appears, is learning as it goes along.

The signing was designed to make a statement and grow the profile of the

club and Saudi soccer in general. It is also the latest bold sporting venture from a country that is undergoing a rapid cultural transformation and has faced accusations of “sportswashing” to improve its reputation around the world in light of its human rights record.

It has already staged two heavyweight title fights involving Anthony Joshua. Its Public Investment Fund backed the takeover of Premier League club Newcastle and the launch of the contentious LIV Golf tour.

S audi Arabia also hosts Formula One racing, the Italian and Spanish Super Cups and high profile tennis tournaments. There is a drive to promote women’s soccer and speculation that the country is planning a bid to host the 2030 men’s World Cup.

But nothing so far compares to convincing Ronaldo to make the country his home after signing a twoand-a-half-year contract reportedly worth up to $200 million a year. AP

By Josef Ramos

belt he won in Osaka two days ago.   It’s like a dream up to now. I never expected myself to be a world champion, but it’s true, yes it’s true…I’m a world champion now,” the 28-year-old Jerusalem told BusinessMirror

Jerusalem booked a secondround technical knockout victory to grab the title from Japanese Masataka Taniguchi before a jampacked crowd at the Edion Arena in Osaka.

The fighter from Bukidnon is the first Filipino’s only world champion to date after Mark Magsayo lost his World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight title last July 10 to Rex Vargas of Mexico in San Antonio, Texas.

“ Taniguchi’s an elite fighter that’s why I worked hard for the fight,” said Jerusalem, who improved his winloss record to 20-2 with 12 knockouts.

Jerusalem, son of Miraluna, an employee at the Del Monte Pineapple Farm in Bukidnon, vowed to go after the WBC, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association. crowns.

“ My focus is to protect this belt and, of course, I want to unify the other world titles,” he said. “I will just wait for opportunities, but I have to enjoy and savor this first.”

Jerusalem fights under JC Mananquil’s Sanman Promotions and managed by Noboyuki Matsuura. He thanked his trainer and coach Michael Domingo for helping him sharpen his skills and achieve world-class status.

He had his first world title shot in January 2017 in Thailand but lost via unanimous decision to then reigning WBC king Chayaphon Moonsri.

I worked so hard believing an opportunity would come after I lost that fight. It was very sweet that it just came now,” he said.

Pelé, though, should be on football’s Mt. Rushmore along with Messi, Diego Maradona, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

I f I got to see Pelé play it was for the New York Cosmos in the twilight of his career. Diego Maradona, I only saw in the World Cup because this was pre-cable television and obviously pre-streaming.

A nd like the Pelé material available for watching today, there too is vast material on Diego Maradona including his late coaching in Mexico (the awesome Maradona in Mexico) that was aired a year or so before his passing.

I a lso got to see first-hand the Maradona mania in Napoli, Italia. I even visited a shrine to the great One himself. Talk about that impact.

I t hink not seeing the games of Pelé and Maradona is both good and bad.

I remember reading in the pages of Sports Illustrated how Julius Erving’s exploits spread by word of mouth. And of course, with every re-telling, the stories grow bigger, bolder, and sometimes, plain incredible. But there are statistics and game video to back that up (not as much during his early years with Virginia Squires and the New York Nets).

It was the same with Pelé and then Maradona.

By the time Messi and Ronaldo became stars, the world, television, and media had changed manifold. Throw in social media; a wholly different animal that is both good and bad.

The exploits of Messi and Ronaldo are there for the whole world to see. And in the wake of Ronaldo signing with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, the club’s followers increased by close to six million overnight. So who said that he left Manchester United in disgrace (or including that sad exit from the Qatar World Cup where he was benched)? His star remains bright whether he is in Europe or not.

A nd that is why he along with Pelé, Maradona, and Messi are on the sport’s Mt. Rushmore.

Game changers is what they are.

FOOTBALL great Edson Arantes do Nascimento, famously known as “Pelé” passed away right before the end of 2022 after a battle with illness. Football luminaries, media personalities, and fans lavished praises on the Brazilian for not only his

Obviously, Pelé’s heyday was during a time when most international players did not play in Europe or North America. Nor were there awards such as the Ballon d’Or. This is not to diminish Messi’s achievements just to be very clear. Besides, I do think Messi is the GOAT.

HANDS-ON IN PHL SPORTS Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (left) and newly-appointed Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann vow to go hands-on in sports especially in the Paris 2024 Olympics journey. The two leaders met for the first time over dinner at the China Blue at Conrad Manila on Saturday.

CRISTIANO RONALDO wears an earring with a cross as he attends the official unveiling as a new member of Al Nassr club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, recently. AP

SAMAHANG Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella (center) with Asian Weightlifting Federation head Mohamed Almana (left) and International Weightlifting Federation chief Mohamed Jaloud.

World champ Jerusalem back home, focuses on unifying ‘minimum’ titles

MELVIN JERUSALEM wants to savor his world title.

MELVIN JERUSALEM arrived in Cebu City on Sunday morning beaming with pride as he held in his hands the World Boxing Organization (WBO) minimum weight