BusinessMirror January 23, 2021 by BusinessMirror

BusinessMirror ‘CATCH THE WIND’ ROTARY CLUB OF MANILA JOURNALISM AWARDS

EJAP JOURNALISM AWARDS

2006 National Newspaper of the Year 2011 National Newspaper of the Year 2013 Business Newspaper of the Year 2017 Business Newspaper of the Year 2019 Business Newspaper of the Year

BUSINESS NEWS SOURCE OF THE YEAR (2017, 2018)

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

2018 BANTOG MEDIA AWARDS

PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY

DATA CHAMPION

www.businessmirror.com.ph

A broader look at today’s business n

Saturday, January 23, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 104

P25.00 nationwide | 12 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK

Navy taps Subic boat maker to meet essential requirement of modernization program

ONE of the 12 Mark lll multipurpose attack craft acquired by the Navy from Propmech undergoes a grueling actual sea trial in Subic. PHOTO COURTESY OF PROPMECH

By Rene Acosta

S the military implements the second of its three-phased multibillion-peso modernization program, a local shipbuilder has offered to help the Navy by supplying it with locally built modern small and big warships. Propmech, based in Subic, is keen on designing and delivering the requirement of state-of-the-art small and big vessels for the Navy, the biggest beneficiary so far of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’s ongoing effort to modernize. “We would be interested to work together, to provide larger assets for the Navy,” said Propmech director Glenn Tong during a recent virtual briefing with military reporters, wherein the firm also provided a forecast for this year for the maritime industry.

Promising demand forecast

THE Subic-based company, which builds ships both for commercial and military use, sees a rising demand for vessels and better opportunities for the maritime industry for this year, in contrast with last year, which, it said, was globally challenging. “There is a rising demand for

‘We would be interested to work together, to provide larger assets for the Navy. There is a rising demand for repairs and parts as companies resume operations. There are also better opportunities in the public sector where sea operations are crucial as these require good vessels.’ —PROPMECH DIRECTOR GLENN TONG

repairs and parts as companies resume operations,” Tong said. “There are also better opportunities in the public sector where sea operations are crucial as these require good vessels.” Propmech, which has been in operation for more than 30 years, is a key player in the marine industry, and has been actively working with the three branches of the military by supplying them not only with new ships, but even parts and equipment and servicing their vessels.

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 48.0470

The company has already delivered more than 1,000 vessels to other government agencies, including the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police. The ships were used as patrol, rescue, coastal security, aquatic resources management and transport of personnel.

MPAC in action

BUOYED by its performance and success in supplying the agile, modern and potent multipurpose attack craft (MPAC) to the Navy, Propmech expressed its interest in completing the requirement of the country’s sea force for 42 units of such small boats. The Navy already has thus far acquired 12 units of MPACs from Propmech, and this included the Mark III version. Six of the 12 vessels have been armed with the Spike-ER missiles that were made and supplied by Israeli defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Ltd. One of the MPACs, the Mark III model, figured late last year in the neutralization of seven members of the Abu Sayyaf Group, including the heir-apparent to the leadership of the Islamic State in the country, Mannul Sawadjaan. The small boat—which has a speed of up to 45 knots—was used by elite Army Scout Rangers and Special Forces to trail the fast twin-engine Jungkong boat bearing the seven terrorists as it sliced

the waters off Sulare Island in Sulu. The soldiers engaged the terrorists in a firefight during the mid-sea chase before the Mark III rammed the boat and cut it into half. That was the baptism of fire for one of the delivered boats, which has a ballistic armor and a nighttime operation capability. “The initial finding shows more or less 20 bullets that were received by the vessel,” said the Navy at that time, as it assessed the condition of the involved MPAC. No one among the personnel aboard the vessel was injured and no equipment was damaged.

tion, good maneuvering ability and could stop at two vessel lengths from full speed. Before he retired and was succeeded by Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo as Navy chief, then Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad said that they wanted MPACs to be an integral part of the Navy capability upgrade program because of their features—well suited to the country’s topography as a “land of water.” As such, he said they wanted to have a total of 42 MPACs, including the 12 that are already part of the Navy arsenal.

The specs

Missile capable

PROPMECH delivered to the Navy in 2009 the first batch of the MPACs, which was 17 meters in length, 4.76 meters breadth and a draft of less than one meter, as the sea force scouted for a small attack craft that could fulfill a wide variety of missions. The Navy wanted a small platform that could perform its requirement for reconnaissance and surveillance at low, medium and high speed in coastal waters; interception and interdiction; troop transport, insertion and extraction on beaches; amphibious beach landing; and search and rescue. It also wanted an MPAC that could work as a high-speed attack craft and has “good sea-keeping” characteristics with “V-shaped” hard chine hull that can be used both on shallow waters and open seas, and has a ballistic protec-

“BASED on our matrix, we should have 42 of this type of vessels. If these ships will operate simultaneously when we are under siege, I think this will do harm to any threat, whether internal or external,” Empedrad declared. “This is a missile-capable platform…and its capability is good. It is fast and it can harm a target that has a better capability,” Empedrad stressed, adding it could also be used for the Navy’s “swarming” strategy because of its agility and capability. Since the boat is also armed with a 50-caliber machine gun that is automated, it can hit a moving target at “high speed.” Propmech is banking on its status as one of the only two locally based defense contractors, which gives it a leverage against other defense firms competing for the

multibillion-peso modernization contracts of the military through projects and the delivery of assets and equipment. The other company, FilipinoAustralian shipbuilding firm Austal Philippines based in Balamban, Cebu, had clinched the contract to build six offshore patrol vessels for the Navy. There had been calls from some sectors for the government to support and develop both locally based firms and indigenously built defense assets and equipment, since it will spur the economy, while developing the local defense industry and generating jobs for Filipinos. More than 95 percent of the assets and equipment of the military are sourced abroad, or supplied by foreign firms. Except for Propmech and Austal Philippines, all of the defense firms involved or participating in the modernization program of the military are based abroad, with only two or three people in the country as representatives. Some also took in Filipino firms as their representatives. Outside the military industry, Tong said that they are bullish that this year, public and private companies and agencies will continue to give shipbuilders a priority as the need to transport goods, people and services by water remains. “The past year tested the marine market, but working closely with our partners made us find effective and flexible solutions,” Tong said.

n JAPAN 0.4643 n UK 65.9926 n HK 6.1984 n CHINA 7.4382 n SINGAPORE 36.3442 n AUSTRALIA 37.2989 n EU 58.4540 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.8091

Source: BSP (January 22, 2021)

NewsSaturday BusinessMirror

A2 Saturday, January 23, 2021

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Analysis: Biden faces a more confident China after US chaos

By Ken Moritsugu The Associated Press

EIJING—As a new US president takes office, he faces a determined Chinese leadership that could be further emboldened by America’s troubles at home. The disarray in America, from the rampant Covid-19 pandemic to the January 6 riot at the Capitol, gives China’s ruling Communist Party a boost as it pursues its long-running quest for national “rejuvenation”—a bid to return the country to what it sees as its rightful place as a major nation. For Joe Biden, sworn in Wednesday as the 46th president, that could make one of his major foreign policy challenges even more difficult as he tries to manage an increasingly contentious relationship between the world’s rising power and its established one.

High stakes

THE stakes are high for both countries and the rest of the world. A misstep could spark an accidental conflict in the Western Pacific, where China’s growing naval presence is bumping up against America’s. The trade war under President Donald Trump hurt workers and farmers in both countries, though some in Vietnam and elsewhere benefited as companies moved production outside China. On global issues such as climate, it is difficult to

make progress if the world’s two largest economies aren’t talking. The Chinese government expressed hope Thursday that Biden would return to dialogue and cooperation after the divisiveness under Trump. “It is normal for China and the United States to have some differences,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said. “Countries with different social systems, cultural backgrounds and ideologies should and can coexist…and work together to achieve peace and stability and development in the world.” But Kurt Tong, a former US diplomat in Asia, sees a stalemate in the coming few years in which China keeps doing what it has been doing and the US is not happy about it. “I think it’s going to be a tough patch, it’s just going to be more disagreements than agreements and not a lot of breakthroughs,” said Tong, now a partner with The Asia Group consultancy in Washington, D.C. A more confident China may push back harder on issues such as technology, territory and human

rights. Analysts draw parallels to the 2008 global financial crisis, from which China emerged relatively unscathed. The country’s foreign policy has grown increasingly assertive since then, from staking out territory in disputed waters in the South China Sea to its more recent use of Twitter to hit back at critics. China’s relative success in controlling the pandemic could fuel that trend. The US has also shifted, with wide support among both Republicans and Democrats for treating China as a competitor, and embracing the need for a tougher approach to China, if not always agreeing with how Trump carried it out. Biden needs to be wary of opening himself up to attacks that he is soft on China if he rolls back import tariffs and other steps taken by his predecessor. His pressing need to prioritize domestic challenges could give China breathing room to push forward its agenda, whether it be technological advancement or territorial issues from Taiwan to its border with India. Biden has pointed to potential areas of cooperation, from climate change to curbing North Korea’s nuclear weapons development, but even in those areas, the two countries don’t always agree.

Narrative of triumph

THE pandemic, first viewed as a potential threat to President Xi Jinping’s leadership as it spiraled out of control in the city of Wuhan in early 2020, has been transformed into a story of hardship followed by triumph. The Communist Party has

IN this December. 4, 2013, file photo, Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) shakes hands with then US Vice President Joe Biden as they pose for photos at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. AP

‘I

t is normal for China and the United States to have some differences. Countries with different social systems, cultural backgrounds and ideologies should and can coexist…and work together to achieve peace and stability and development in the world.’

—Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying

sought to use the pandemic to justify its continued control of the one-party, authoritarian state it has led for more than 70 years, while rounding up citizen-journalists and others to quash any criticism of its handling of the outbreak. That effort has been aided by the failure of many other nations to stop the spread of Covid-19. Biden takes over a country where deaths continue to mount and virus-related restrictions keep it in recession. China is battling small outbreaks, but life has largely returned to normal and economic growth is accelerating. “It would have been more difficult for them to push that narrative around the world if the United States had not done such a poor job,” said Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington, D.C. “That’s a theme that runs through many issues, that China’s just able to point to the United States and democracy in general as not delivering good governance.”

Co-equal treatment

IT’S impossible to gauge support for the Communist Party in a country where many would be unwilling to criticize it publicly, for fear of repercussions. But Niu Jun, an international relations professor at Peking University, said that objectively, public trust should rise given China’s faster recovery from the outbreak. “To ordinary people, the logic is very simple,” he said, predicting the pandemic would spark public thinking and discussion about which system of governance is more effective. “The party’s policies are good, our policies are not like the ones in foreign countries, ours are good,” said Liu Shixiu, strolling with her daughter in Wuhan, the city that bore the brunt of the pandemic in China. “We listen to the party.” It is unclear whether the Communist Party foresees exporting its way of governance as an alternative to the democratic model. For now, Chinese officials note that countries choose different systems and stress the need for others to respect those differences. “As China becomes more and more confident, maybe they’ll try to shape the internal operations or ways of thinking of other countries,” Tong said. “But to me, it feels more like they don’t want anyone to be able to say that China is bad and get away with it.” The leadership wants China to be seen and treated as an equal and has shown a willingness to use its growing economic and military might to try to get its way.

News

BusinessMirror

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

MMDA OFFERS TO TURN FACILITY INTO VACCINATION HUB AS SAN JUAN, MANDALUYONG RUN SIMULATION

s the target date for the country’s vaccine rollout draws near, Metropolitan Manila D evelopment Authority Chairman Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. is planning to convert the 800-square-meter quarantine facility of the agency into a Covid-19 vaccination center to help expedite the distribution and administration of the vaccines once available. Abalos said that the plan to open a national vaccination center that will help the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on its plan to rollout the vaccination program next month. “The MMDA quarantine facility is open for any national government agency that needs a place to efficiently roll out the anti-Covid-19 vaccination program. We are always willing to lend assistance to stop the transmission of the disease at the soonest time possible so we can go back to normal again,” Abalos said. Abalos also said that the agency will assist Metro Manila local government units on vaccine logistics and equipment for quick mobility across the National Capital Region.

San Juan

In San Juan, the local government has conducted another Covid-19 vaccine simulation on Friday. This was the third simulation conducted by the city which run the process from storage to vaccination and post-vaccination observation. The simulations were conducted to familiarize healthcare workers who were recently trained by the Department of Health (DOH) and complete a time and motion study to improve the vaccination process flow and increase efficiency. In its first two simulations, it took 20 minutes for an individual to get inoculated from registration. “We aim to lessen our processing time so we can vaccinate as many San Juaneños in a day. So we plan to help several more simulations so we can better identify which areas need to improve,” Mayor Francis Zamora said. H e w i l l a l s o s h o w t h e s to r a g e f a c i l i t y f o r t h e conventional vaccine that the city purchased which need only 2 to 8C storage temperature. The city government has prepared several conventional freezers, which have already been installed at the San Juan Gym, one of the primary vaccination centers of San Juan City. The gym is right beside the San Juan Medical Center. Aside from the initial order of 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca, the national government also announced during a Metro Manila Council meeting with National Task Force against Covid-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez that they will also be distributing Pfizer-made Covid-19 vaccines to different cities. “We will no longer buy cold storage for the Pfizer vaccines, instead, we are renting because this will be more cost-efficient for our city,” Zamora said. The Pfizermade vaccine requires a -70C storage temperature for it to remain viable.

As of January 20, 2021, there were 15,430 San Juaneños who have registered for the Covid-19 vaccination in San Juan City. San Juaneños may register online or manually, through their barangay halls and health centers.

Mandaluyong

The Mandaluyong City government also held a simulation of its own vaccination process last Tuesday, January 19, 2021 by setting up a vaccination center at the Pedro P. Cruz Elementary School in Barangay Barangka Drive to benchmark the local government’s own Covid-19 vaccination drive. The six-step process also serves as a guide to health workers in administering the vaccines to residents. Mayor Carmelita “Menchie” Abalos said that the City Health Office will make sure that health workers who will be assigned in all vaccination centers it will put up in the future are free from Covid-19 by subjecting them to regular RT-PCR tests before they go on duty. The local government’s vaccination process is estimated to run for about 12 minutes. However, an obser vation time of at least 30 minutes is required for each vaccinated individual before he/she is allowed to go home. Those who pre-registered for vaccination must go to the vaccination center on the schedule given to them. Each site will have a waiting area for the scheduled recipients before proceeding to the registration area where they will show their ID and QR Code and will be issued a vaccination card along with a consent form to be signed by the recipient of the vaccine. Then, they will undergo a five-minute briefing about the vaccine and its effects at the counselling area. A vaccination staff is also available to entertain any questions about the vaccine and the vaccination process. A medical staff at the screening area will then conduct a physical checkup on the vaccine recipient to ensure that he/she is in good shape. The vaccination card will be marked “Approved” by the attending physician and only then the person will be administered with the vaccine at the vaccination area. All vaccinated individuals will have to stay in an observation area to be monitored by medical personnel for 30 minutes to an hour. This stage of the vaccination process, as mandated by the DOH, ensures that the vaccinated person will get immediate medical attention should any “unusual reaction” manifests. The city government will also provide an ambulance on stand-by at all the vaccination centers to transport to the hospital any person who may experience “adverse reactions” to the vaccine. All vaccination centers will have a public information desk, first-aid station, storage and supply area, and food station. Abalos reminded everyone that the Covid-19 vaccination is free and voluntary to any Mandaluyong resident.

Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Saturday, January 23, 2021

Senators end vaccine hearings, agree to price confidentiality–for now

By Butch Fernandez

H E S e n ate Co m m i t te e o f t h e Wh o l e on Friday reached a consensus with Executive branch officials to respect the confidentiality—for now—of exact pricing details of Covid vaccines being considered in order not to jeopardize existing negotiations or abor t deliveries, given the tightness of supply around the world. After nearly seven hours of hearing, Senate President Vicente Sotto III thanked both his peers and the Executive officials who patiently answered their questions, and concluded that, “your vaccine plan is good...We hope the implementation will also be good.” At the start of the hearing, the Senate leadership made it clear that for now, they will not press for the exact price of Sinovac, the vaccine by a private Chinese firm that officials had denied favoring, and other vaccine brands, or other details covered by confidentiality agreements. In reply to Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Finance Undersecretary Mark Joven said the policy to comply with confidentiality agreements with pharmaceutical firms was based on jurisprudence, specifically the Chavez vs. PEA-Amari case. While the Constitution provides transparency in transactions impacting public interest, that ruling listed certain exceptions from disclosure, including privileged information, among them “trade secrets which cannot be disclosed,” Joven said. Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. had been pressed by senators to reveal the vaccine prices in order to squelch fears certain manufacturers were being favored, or there was overpricing.

Sotto had reported that in their private meeting Wednesday night in Malacañang, Galvez made a presentation showing the Sinovac deal’s beneficial effects for the country, but insisted that the terms remain confidential. Also at that meeting were Senators Ronald dela Rosa and Panfilo Lacson and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong. S o t t o a d d e d t h e y a l s o c o n ve ye d t o President Duterte that senators are not pushing for government to get a cer tain brand of vaccine, contrary to reports that some senators criticized Sinovac because they favored buying the supply from Pfizer. The Senate hearings, Sotto said, are meant to have officials lay down a clear road map on the acquisition of vaccines and how they will be rolled out, in a bid to shore up public confidence in vaccines in general, now hovering at just 50 percent from a high 90-plus several years ago. At the same time, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon clarified they never doubted Galvez, given the respect accorded to him by his fellow health workers. Drilon said he accepted Sotto’s assurance that Galvez’s explanation would suffice on the need to keep the Sinovac price confidential at this time as negotiations are still ongoing, but added this will be disclosed once the supply agreement is signed. By then, he added, the final price will be in a public document that will be released.

Coordination with LGUs

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III confirmed the DOH’s readiness for the rollout of the massive inoculation project, looking to reach

40 million, even as the syringes procurement is now “ongoing.” Several senators also asked the national government how it was coordinating the efforts of local government units, partly to ensure equitable access for the poorer local government units (LGUs); partly to avoid lopsided distribution of vaccines, with some LGUs having an oversupply and others woefully lacking; and partly to ensure that LGUs which on their own bought cold-storage equipment can handle the vaccines well to avoid wastage. Later in the hearing, Sen. Nancy Binay asked Galvez whether the LGUs reported as having set up or bought cold-chain facilities are being supervised to ensure that what they have is suitable to host the vaccines, so as to avoid wastage arising from errors in storage. Senator Imee Marcos reported that she also talked to governors and mayors, “but most of them are not aware, [they’re really confused].” Marcos said, “simple folks are also asking for details; some were not listed [on the LGU registry for potential vaccinees]. Where do they go?” saying she was told that “the list will come from municipalities and barangays.” Epimaco Densing, interior undersecretary, said in response that the DILG has issued a memorandum circular directing all LGUs to generate their master list, including names of priority beneficiaries, essential workers and frontliners—so their listing can be reconciled with those of DOH, and to avoid duplication and waste. In response to a concern raised by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian about uneven financial capacity of LGUs, Densing said the DILG is moving

to ensure that richer LGUs don’t monopolize supplies, so that smaller LGUs not capable of procuring the vaccine can still get supplies. Meanwhile, Galvez indicated he is lining up for the Congress consideration remedial legislation needed for speedy and orderly distribution of Covid vaccines. He added this is likely to include a provision declaring Covid vaccines as State asset to be “covered by strict government control.” In addition, he is looking to have Covid vaccines declared tax-free to facilitate passage through Customs in order to preserve the vaccine’s efficacy.

Who pays for allergies cost?

Sen. Joel Villanueva pressed, meanwhile, for full PhilHealth coverage for vaccinees hit by adverse side effects from vaccines. Villanueva, chairman of the Senate labor committee, insisted on the PhilHealth coverage for those who would experience adverse side effects from the vaccine, saying that preparing such a safety net would definitely “boost vaccination acceptance.” “If the vaccine is free, the cost of treatment for possible side effects should also be shouldered by the state insurer,” Villanueva said in Filipino, adding, “that way, people will no longer have a reason to shun vaccination.” Villanueva cited reports showing some people who became allergic to a vaccine manifested “respirator y distress,” and he wondered aloud if treatment of such would be “charged to the existing case rates that have a ceiling, and patients will end up with out-ofpocket expense.”

D.O.S.T. bares clinical trial sites for Janssen, Clover, Sinovac

HE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) revealed on Friday the clinical trial sites in the country of three vaccine developers: Janssen, Clover and Sinovac. A l t h o u g h t h e re i s s t i l l n o e x a c t d a t e o f w h e n t h e c l i n i c a l t r i a l s w i l l b e g i n , D r. R owe n a G u e va ra , D O S T u n d e r s e c re t a r y f o r R e s e a rc h a n d D e ve l o p m e nt, s a i d t h e a re a s w h e re t h e t r i a l s w i l l b e c o n d u c t e d h a ve b e e n i d e n t i f i e d. “But they [three manufacturers] intend to start the soonest [once] the process of preparing

sites is completed,” Guevara said. The identified trial sites are: n Janssen—San Pablo and Cabuyao, Laguna; Makati City, La Paz, Iloilo; Bacolod City; and Metro Manila n Clover—Quezon City, Makati City, Manila City, Taguig City, Las Piñas City, Muntinlupa City; Calamba, Laguna; and Dasmariñas, Cavite n Sinovac—Quezon City, Marikina City, Pasay City, and Alaminos, Laguna I n a m e d i a f o ru m o f t h e D e p a r t m e nt o f Health (DOH), Guevara said that clinical

trial par ticipants will be randomized under the placebo group or the test v a c c i n e g ro u p. “Both groups will be closely monitored by the study team composed of medical and health professionals,” she said. Guevara emphasized : n Joining clinical trials is voluntary. n Par ticipants would be informed on benefits and risks. n Clinical trial participants will be closely

monitored by medical and health professionals. n Measures and mechanisms are in place to ensure that a participant’s safety and privacy is upheld to the utmost. n Participation contributes to the evidence needed to make a potentially beneficial product be available for use. The Food and Drug Administration approved the clinical trial application of Janssen on December 28, 2020; for Clover, on January 8, 2021; and for Sinovac, January 15, 2021.

Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

BusinessMirror

A4 Saturday, January 23, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION

8 STONE BUSINESS OUTSOURCING OPC 5/f To 10/f, Tower 4 Pitx #01 Kennedy Road Tambo Parañaque City 1.

CHENG, CHAOJIE Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

FU, SHAOPING Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

GAO, QINGQING Chinese

NO. 46.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

POSITION

NO.

WU, WENCHENG Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

87.

CHINA RAILWAY DESIGN CORPORATION PHILIPPINE BRANCH 3/f Salcedo One Center 170 Salcedo St. San Lorenzo Makati City 47.

GUO, WEIDONG Chinese

GENERAL MANAGER

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

48.

SUN, FANGYING Chinese

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

GUO, WENJIE Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

49.

ZENG, RUI Chinese

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

HUANG, JUNJIE Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

HUANG, ZIJIAN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

JIA, WENJIE Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

LI, HAO Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

LI, MING Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

10.

LI, CHENGJIE Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

11.

LIANG, ZHONGHUA Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

12.

LUO, FANG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

13.

MA, JIAJU Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

14.

WONG CHUN KEAT Malaysian

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

15.

WU, JIANHONG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

16.

XIAO, TIANSHENG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

17.

XIE, DONGDONG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

18.

XIE, DONGLIN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

19.

XIONG, YONGQIANG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

20.

XU, HONGZONG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

21.

XU, ZHENJIE Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

22.

ZHAO, LITING Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

23.

ZHENG, XIONG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

ANOC99 CORPORATION 5/f Ayala Malls Manila Bay Building D. Macapagal Blvd. Cor. Aseana Street Tambo Parañaque City NGUYEN NGOC TRUC GIANG Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

25.

CHON TAE MEE Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

26.

DO THI DINH Vietnamese

27.

KHUN CHO Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

28.

NING, LINXIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

29.

REN, PENGCHENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

30.

SU, ZHENBIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

31.

WU, DEHUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

32.

YE, HAIKUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

33.

ZHANG, HONGYING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

24.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

ARCHEV INC. Unit 1 & 3 14/f Syciplaw Center 105 Paseo De Roxas San Lorenzo Makati City 34.

BIBIANA CHONG AI BEE Malaysian

CHINESE SPEAKING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

AXA GROUP OPERATIONS PHILIPPINES INC. 39/f Gt Tower International 6813 Ayala Ave., Cor. H.v. Dela Costa St. Bel-air Makati City 35.

SRDANOVIC, BOJAN Danish

SECURITY OFFICER

BAUER FOUNDATIONS PHILIPPINES, INC. Unit A To K 12/f Cyberone Bldg. 11 Eastwood Ave., Eastwood City Cyberpark Bagumbayan 3 Quezon City 36.

DAHL SCHMIDT, RONNY JURGEN Deutsch

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

LI, MEILAN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

39.

LIN, JIANXING Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

40.

PENG, WENBING Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

38.

41.

TANG, LIPING Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

42.

WANG, HUI Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

43.

WANG, SONGBAI Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

44.

WU, JING Chinese

45.

XIONG, HUAN Chinese

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY HUANG, NANA Chinese

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION

NO.

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

123.

ZHANG, YONGJUN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

124.

ZHAO, HAO Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

125.

ZHAO, YATING Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

INTERCOMP LINK SOLUTIONS INC. 14th Floor, Filinvest Three Bldg. Northgate Cyberzone Filinvest Alabang Muntinlupa City 88.

LIU, JIAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

89.

WANG, CHENGJIANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

ITECHNO SPECIALIST INC. 7/f Aseana I Bldg. Bradco Avenue Aseana Business Park Tambo Parañaque City

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

127.

BO, WENLONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

92.

ZHANG, SHIYUAN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

128.

CHEN, WENYI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

93.

HOANG NGOC CUONG Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

129.

CHEN, CHUNXIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

94.

LAM CHANH KHIENG Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

130.

CHEN, JIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

95.

LAM NHOC ON Vietnamese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

131.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

96.

LUU THANH PHUC Vietnamese

DONG, BINGBING Chinese

IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

132.

FU, WEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

133.

GAO, BIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

134.

GE, YANJUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

135.

GUO, XINXIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

136.

JI, HONGLIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

137.

LI, YUTING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

138.

LIU, PING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

139.

LUO, XI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

140.

LYU, WEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

141.

MA, YUZHONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

142.

REN, JIANCHENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

143.

REN, DONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

52.

LI, XINJIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

53.

LIN, ZHENDA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

54.

PAN, HAITONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

55.

REN, SHENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

56.

CAO, JIEMEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

57.

CHEN, PEIZHI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

JINSHENGLONG BUSINESS SUPPORT INC. 3rd-5th, 7th & 9th Flr., Filinves Bay City, Brgy. 076, Pasay City, Metro Manila

58.

CHEN, ZHEYU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

97.

59.

DONG, YAQIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

60.

FAN, MING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

61.

HUANG, HAIFEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

62.

LI, ZHICHEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

63.

LI, JIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

99.

64.

LI, ZHILEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

65.

LIANG, TING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

MEGA-WEB TECHNOLOGIES INC. 6,7,8,9,10,11/f Met Live Bldg. Edsa Cor. Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City

67. 68.

MENG, YAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

69.

SU, YUANLING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

70.

WANG, JUNHUA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

71.

WANG, FUKUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

72.

WEI, DAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

73.

XU, CHUNLAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

74.

YAN, BIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

75.

ZHOU, QIONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

76.

ZHOU, ZIYAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

ZHU, TIANWEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

77.

GLOBALLGA BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING Ground Level, Level 2-5 Floor Silver City 4, Ortigas East Ugong Pasig City 78.

WU, YAOYANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

HSBC ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING (PHILIPPINES) INC. Filinvest One Building Alabang Zapote Road, Northgate Cyberzone Filinvest City, Alabang Muntinlupa City 79.

BESANT, HITESH Indian

SENIOR LEARNING CONSULTANT

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES PHILS. INC. U-5302, 53/f Pbcom Tower 6795 Ayala Ave., Cor., V.a. Rufino St. Bel-air Makati City 80.

LI, XIAOBO Chinese

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR PHILIPPINE DEVICE BUSINESS PROJECT

MENG, QINGBIN Chinese

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) SYSTEM MANAGER FOR SMART, GLOBE AND DITO FULL TURN-KEY PROJECT

IGO DIGITAL HIGH TECHNOLOGY INC. Unit 1804 18/f Antel Corporate Centre 121 Valero St. Bel-air Makati City 82.

LI, XUE Chinese

TRANSLATOR / INTERPRETER

INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL BANK OF CHINA LIMITED MANILA BRANCH G/f The Curve Building 32nd St. Cor. 3rd Ave. Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 83.

WU, XIAOPING Chinese

DEPUTY HEAD OF IT DEPARTMENT

INTEGRITY GLOBAL GROUP, INC. 2/f-3/f Ayala Malls Circuit A.p. Reyes Ave. Carmona Makati City 84.

CHUNG, CHING-TING Taiwanese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

85.

TAN, ZHANPENG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

86.

ZHOU, JIANBIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

REGIONAL DIRECTOR

WANG, CHANGLEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

PEREZ TORRES, ALBERT Spanish

91.

HE, LIAN Chinese

LIU, CHUANG Chinese

126.

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower C4 Rd. Edsa Ext. Brgy. 076 Pasay City

51.

66.

MICHAEL PAGE INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT (PHILIPPINES) INC. 15/f Citibank Center Bldg. 8741 Paseo De Roxas Bel-air Makati City

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

POSITION

LIU, LIBIN Chinese

DU, XUE Chinese

LIANG, LIXIAN Chinese

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

90.

50.

81.

FENG, ZHIYANG Chinese

37.

FLYING DRAGON NETWORK PHILIPPINES INC. Malate Bayview Mansion 1781 M. Adriatico Street 076, Brgy. 699 Malate Manila

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

BIG EMPEROR TECHNOLOGY CORP. Eastfield Center Cbp1, Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City

www.businessmirror.com.ph

LIU, XIAOFANG Vietnamese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

JSLINK INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION 803-804 Ri-rance Building Aseana Enclave Aseana City Tambo Parañaque City 98.

LI, GUAN-WEI Taiwanese

HR SUPERVISOR-MANDARIN SPEAKING

LEMCON (PHILIPPINES) INC. #19 1st Ave. Mañalac Industrial Estate Bagumbayan Taguig City SINGH, PARTRAJ British

PROJECT DIRECTOR

LIANG, ZHENGQUAN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATION SERVICE PROVIDER

101.

BAN, ZHAO Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

102.

CHEN, YONGCHEN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

144.

SHANGGUAN, TONGLUO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

103.

CHEN, QIUXIA Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

145.

SHI, HAOBO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

104.

DING, HONGLI Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

146.

SUN, NANNAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

147.

SUN, YAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

DU, PENGFEI Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

148.

SUN, ZHE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

106.

GAO, CHUNMING Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

149.

TANG, MENGNA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

107.

HENG, LIN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

150.

TRAN VAN HUNG Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

151.

WEN, JINGHANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

108.

HUANG, JIAQI Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

152.

YANG, CHAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

109.

LI, BO Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

153.

ZENG, DEFENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

110.

LIM WEN SIN Malaysian

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

154.

ZHANG, TIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

155.

ZHANG, HANWEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

111.

LIN, YILAN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

156.

ZHAO, YUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

112.

LU, CHUNDI Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

157.

CHEN, HONGWEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

113.

LUO, HONGPING Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

158.

FENG, GUOQI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

159.

NIU, YANG Chinese

HUANG, NING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

114.

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

160.

LI, ZHIHAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

115.

PANG, SHANYU Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

161.

LIANG, ZHENGXIONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

116.

PENG, HU Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

162.

LIU, NIANWEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

163.

PENG, LANG Chinese

LIU, DAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

117.

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

164.

LIU, HAILONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

118.

TANG, XIAOWEI Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

165.

LIU, LONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

119.

WEI, JIALI Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

166.

LUO, ZHENYI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

167.

WEI, XIAOXI Chinese

SHI, HAOJIE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

120.

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

168.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

121.

XIE, FUYAN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

SU, MEIXIANG Chinese

169.

SUN, SHOUDE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

122.

YANG, ZIXIAO Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

170.

SUN, DI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

100.

105.

TheWorld

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

Saturday, January 23, 2021

Joe Biden signs burst of virus orders, vows ‘Help is on the way’

ASHINGTON—With a burst of executive orders, President Joe Biden served notice Thursday that America’s war on Covid-19 is under new command, promising an anxious nation progress to reduce infections and lift the siege it has endured for nearly a year. At the same time, he tried to manage expectations in his second day in office, saying despite the best intentions “we’re going to face setbacks.” He brushed off a reporter’s question on whether his goal of 100 million coronavirus shots in 100 days should be more ambitious, a point pressed by some public health experts. The 10 orders signed by Biden are aimed at jump starting his national Covid-19 strategy to increase vaccinations and testing, lay the groundwork for reopening schools and businesses, and immediately increase the use of masks—including a requirement that Americans mask up for travel. One directive calls for addressing health-care inequities in minority communities hard hit by the virus. “We didn’t get into this mess overnight, and it will take months to turn this around,” Biden said at the White House. US deaths have surged past 400,000, and he noted projections that they could reach 500,000 in a month. But then, looking directly into the TV camera, Biden declared: “To a nation waiting for action, let me be clear on this point: Help is on the way.” The new president has vowed to take far more aggressive measures to contain the virus than his predecessor, starting with stringent

adherence to public health guidance. A key difference is that under Biden, the federal government is assuming full responsibility for the Covid response. And instead of delegating major tasks to states, he is offering to help them with technical backup and federal money. He faces steep obstacles, with the virus actively spreading in most states, vaccine shortages, slow progress on distribution and political uncertainty over whether congressional Republicans will help him pass a $1.9-trillion economic relief and Covid response package. Adding to the challenges are virus mutations, particularly one that has emerged in South Africa, that may make vaccines somewhat less effective. Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters at the White House briefing that “we are paying very close attention to it.” Biden’s plan includes an expansion of research capabilities to map out the genetic structure of new variants. On Thursday a group influential with Republican office holders lent its support to the president’s strategy. The US Chamber of Commerce said, “We support the new administration’s focus on removing roadblocks to vaccinations and reopening schools, both of which are important steps to accelerating a broad-based economic recovery for all Americans.” Biden officials have said they’ve been hampered by a lack of cooperation from the Trump administration during the transition. They say they don’t have a complete understanding of their predecessors’ actions on vaccine distribution.

Kremlin misread Alexey Navalny’s resolve to fight, even from prison

uss i a n officials were convinced opposition leader Alexey Navalny wouldn’t come back. They’d warned he’d be jailed on arrival and steadily ratcheted up threats of new probes, amid allegations ranging from stealing suppor ters’ donations to working for US intelligence. Even fellow Kremlin critics told the 44-year-old activist it was too dangerous to return from Berlin, where he’d been recovering from a nerve-agent attack he and Western capitals blamed on President Vladimir Putin. But Navalny, convinced he could only remain a political force from inside the country, ignored their advice. His dramatic return has thrown the Kremlin on the defensive. The tension is unwelcome in a year that was supposed to be about sealing control in elections this fall as Russia recovered from the pandemic after Putin laid the groundwork to extend his rule as far as 2036. “Navalny’s plan is very simple—to become Putin’s No. 1 headache and with his courage to inspire political activism,” said Fyodor Krasheninnikov, a political consultant close to the Kremlin critic. “If he had decided not to come back, it would have been a victory for Putin.” Backers say that strategy can work even if Navalny is jailed for years, which they expect. The Russian leader’s main opponent is betting that he can bring enough supporters into the streets this year to show they won’t be intimidated. At the same time, he’s counting on a West newly energized by the inauguration of US President Joe Biden to raise the pressure on the Kremlin from outside. It’s a risky gamble.

Long sentence The Kremlin is now resolved to keep Navalny in prison for several years or more, breaking with its past practice of giving him jail sentences of not more than a few weeks at a time, according to two people close to the leadership, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss matters that aren’t public. He could get as much as 3.5 years at a hearing scheduled for February 2, with another case in the works that could add 10 more. These people said the harder line comes from the Kremlin’s view that Navalny is working

on behalf of Western governments—a charge he denies. At the same time, the continuing protests in Belarus despite Russian-backed strongman Alexander Lukashenko’s brutal efforts to suppress them have raised fears about public protests, they said. Authorities hope that Navalny’s highly personalized movement will lose direction once he’s in prison. So far, that hasn’t happened. A new video he and his team released on YouTube Tuesday, exposing a grandiose Black Sea palace they alleged belongs to Putin, had over 40 million views in the first two days, a record for his group. The Kremlin calls the film’s claims untrue. “They provoked a completely unnecessary crisis with serious domestic and international consequences,” said Gleb Pavlovsky, a political consultant who worked for the presidential administration in the early 2000s. “The Kremlin is now playing on Navalny’s turf.” The activist and his allies hope that his case will catalyze the public discontent that’s been simmering amid a 4-percent decline in real incomes and coronavirus lockdowns, driving Putin’s ratings to record lows at one point last year. They’re targeting parliamentary elections in September as a chance to send a signal of the breadth of popular unhappiness. A Levada Center poll last fall found 20 percent of Russians said they approved of Navalny’s work, despite uniformly negative coverage of him in state media. Half said they disapproved.

Putin support “There won’t be quick steps, but the erosion of the regime will definitely accelerate,” said Krasheninnikov. “This stress situation will force Putin and his circle to make mistakes.” Of course, Kremlin critics have for years predicted the looming collapse of Putin’s support only to be disappointed. Polls show backing for him remains strong. An early test for opponents comes Saturday, when Navalny’s allies plan rallies in dozens of cities. Authorities have already warned they wouldn’t grant permits and detained at least one organizer, moving at the same time to block web sites promoting the events. Bloomberg News

And they face a litany of complaints from states that say they are not getting enough vaccine, even as they are being asked to vaccinate more categories of people. Biden’s mask order for travel applies to airports and planes, ships, intercity buses, trains and public transportation. Travelers from abroad must furnish a negative Covid-19 test before departing for the US and must quarantine upon arrival. Biden has already mandated masks on federal property. Although airlines, Amtrak and other transport providers now require masks, Biden’s order makes it a federal mandate, leaving little wiggle room for passengers tempted to argue about their rights. The action was applauded by airline unions and supported by a major industry trade group. It marks a sharp break with the culture of President Donald Trump’s administration, under which masks were optional, and Trump made a point of going maskless and hosting big gatherings of like-minded supporters. Science has shown that masks, properly worn, cut down on coronavirus transmission. Biden said his administration’s coronavirus decisions would be based on science, not politics. Biden is seeking to expand testing and vaccine availability, with the goal of 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office. But some independent experts say his administration should strive for two or three times that number. Even with the slow pace of vaccinations, the US is already closing in on 1 million shots a day. “It’s a disappointingly low bar,” said Dr. Leana Wen, a public health expert and emergency physician. AP

China echoes call for ‘unity’ in bid to reset U.S. relations

hina said it hoped Joe Biden would “be successful in governing” and called for unity in a bid to reset relations with the US, the day after leveling last-minute sanctions on members of the outgoing Trump administration as the new US president was sworn in. “After a difficult and extraordinary period, we believe our two peoples deserve to embrace a better future,” Chinese Foreign Ministr y spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily briefing in Beijing on Thursday, congratulating Biden on his inauguration. “I noticed the word unity mentioned several times in his inaugural speech, this is urgently needed in our bilateral relations.” The Trump administration “laid so many mines that need to be removed, burned so many bridges that need to be rebuilt, and ruined so many roads need to be restored when it comes to China-US relations,” Hua said. Still, while she said the two countries should now listen to each other and display mutual respect, she cautioned that Beijing would “take firm measures to fight back” against actions that undermined its sovereignty and interests. During Biden’s inauguration Wednesday, Beijing announced sanctions against 28 Americans, including outgoing Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and other Donald Trump aides for their roles in pushing anti-China policies. A spokeswoman for Biden’s National Security Council called the move “unproductive” and said it appeared to be a bid to sow partisan divides in the US. The sanctions “on these US people are a response to their wrongdoing that undermines China’s sovereignty, security and development interests,” Hua said. “It is legitimate and necessary, and shows our firm determination to uphold own national interests.” The move hit back at an administration it had fought on fronts ranging from trade to the handling of Covid-19, while leaving a door open for warmer ties with the Biden camp. China had also earlier this week urged “mutual respect” with the new administration. The sanctions were “perhaps a little parting shot at the Trump administration, but really will have no impact,” Gary Locke, a former US Ambassador to China, told Bloomberg TV on Thursday. “It’s not going to affect President Biden’s commitment to having candid but more constructive dialogue with China, along with all the other world leaders.” Bloomberg News

A6 Saturday, January 23, 2021

ExportUnlimited BusinessMirror

Demand for fruit-based processed food products on the rise in Europe–study By Elaine Cotoner | DTI-Export Marketing Bureau

EALTHIER lifestyles and less sugar consumption in Europe create opportunities for Philippine fruit-based processed food. Dried and frozen fruits, as well as fruit purées, have the biggest potential in these markets. The results were from the study, entitled “Market Intelligence EFTA [European Free Trade Agreement] for the Philippines,” conducted in 2020 by the Swiss Import Promotion Program (SIPPO), in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) and the Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines. “DTI thanks the Swiss Embassy and SIPPO for partnering with us

in these market studies. We will use the results to become more strategic in the products we promote in Europe,” said DTI Undersecretary Abdulgani Macatoman. “I hope that Filipino entrepreneurs take this opportunity to enter or expand their market presence in the European market,” he added. The three-part study looked into the viability of Philippine textiles, natural ingredients, and processed

food to the European market, especially to EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. The Philippines and EFTA signed a free trade agreement that has been in full force since January 1, 2020.

United Kingdom offer opportunities for exporters from developing countries. Besides using the frozen fruit in their inland processing facilities, these countries also play an important role as trade hubs re-exporting to foreign markets.

Dried fruit

Fruit purées

MANGO is one of the top dried fruits, sold on its own or in mixtures with tropical and European fruits. On the salty side, banana chips are preferred, either on their own or mixed with nuts. Philippine entrepreneurs who want to enter or expand in this market should prepare a tailor-made marketing program to target potential buyers.

Frozen fruit

EUROPE is the largest market for frozen fruit and vegetables in the world, representing nearly 50 percent of the total world imports. Large importing and consuming markets such as Germany, France, Belgium, and the

EUROPE is a large and growing market for tropical fruit purées. The thriving market for beverages consumed at home or out-of-home, the segment of convenience food, the icecream, and baby-food industry, and the jams and marmalades industry are creating a growing demand for fruit purées. Organic certifications will also help boost buyer interest.

Nuts

PILI nuts have been found to have good nutritional value for wellbalanced diets. This makes them popular for end consumers looking for a healthy lifestyle. Targeting highend markets, this product has good potential since the lower market

segments are populated with other tropical nuts.

Maximize social media

FACEBOOK, Pinterest, and Twitter are the leading social-media platforms in European markets. The study recommended that Philippine companies work on their socialmedia presence in the mentioned platforms. Tailor-made market research, sharing “the story behind” the products, and highlighting a Unique Selling Proposition for processed foods will increase the sales of the Philippine products in European markets. For export assistance, e-mail the DTI-Export Marketing Bureau at exports@dti.gov.ph. DTI-EMB offers product consultation, market intelligence, business-matching sessions, among others. View the entire study link: https:// www.eda.admin.ch/dam/countries/ countries-content/philippines/en/SIPPO_MarketStudy_Philippines_ProcessedFood_final.pdf.

Taiwan bucks global Banana yield forecasting app

slump with surge in export orders

AIWAN’S exporters defied a global slowdown to post record orders in 2020, fueled by rising demand for chips and smartphones. Export orders climbed 10.1 percent last year to $533.7 billion, an all-time high, according to data from Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs. Orders surged 38.3 percent in December from a year earlier, the fastest pace since March 2010, to reach a new monthly record of $60.6 billion. Officials see the strong growth continuing into the new year, forecasting January orders to rise between 44.5 percent and 48.7 percent. The Lunar New Year holiday falling in February this year will not affect January’s numbers, Huang Yu-lin, director of the ministry’s statistics department, said at a briefing Wednesday. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., both key Apple Inc. suppliers, posted record revenues in the fourth quarter, more evidence of strong demand.

And there appears to be no sign of a letup in growth for Taiwanese semiconductors on the horizon. TSMC plans to pour as much as $28 billion into capital spending this year as they struggle to keep up with demand from clients. Orders for smartphones in December were higher than officials had projected, Huang said. “Taiwan exports have been doing particularly well even when in those months last year that the virus spread faster,” said Winston Chiao, an economist at Taishin Securities Investment Advisory Co. “We expect it will be the same pattern this year.” He said he plans to revise up his estimate for economic growth in 2021 to 3.5 percent to 4 percent. Concerns among some exporters that the strength of the Taiwan dollar might weigh on demand appear to have been unfounded. The currency rose in early January to its highest level against the US dollar since 1997. Bloomberg News

likely to be launched in 2021

FILE photo shows a lush banana plantation in Cagayan de Oro. NONIE REYES

N application (app) that can compute the estimated harvest date and yield of bananas is likely to be launched within the year, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) Executive Director Reynaldo Ebora said Tuesday. In an interview with the Philippine News Agency, Ebora said the development of the app is under the Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry in the Philippines (SARAI) program led by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) and funded by the PCAARRD.

“The cost of developing the mobile app itself is P50,000 since it just took one week for the programmer to develop the app. The estimated cost of banana research and development to come up with reliable data used in the development of the app is about P1 million,” he said. Target users of this app are the agricultural technicians, farm owners, and traders for them to seek buyers and have an estimate of supply by the bunch, Ebora added. To use the app, the user will need to input the location of the crop. He or she must also indicate the variety

(lakatan or saba). The next step is to choose the status of the crop based on the photos that will be shown on the app. The photos of selected and monitored sample plants in the app were taken during the SARAI phenological studies on lakatan and saba varieties. “Result will be the estimated harvest date. Estimated yield can also be computed based on the number of bunches,” said Ebora. He noted that the app is still for field validation and copyright application before releasing to the users. Meanwhile, Ebora said the SARAI program aims to develop and implement science-based cropping system technologies, long-term strategies geared to maximize crop yield. It also aims to minimize the adverse environmental and climate impacts on the following crops: rice, corn, coconut, banana, coffee, cacao, sugarcane, soybean, and tomato. “It is our response to the pressing challenges brought about by climate change, specifically to the agriculture sector. The program is anchored on precision agriculture by optimizing the use of crop simulation modeling, remote sensing and geographic information systems and field sensors to develop decision support models for crop forecasting, crop advisories,” Ebora said. PNA

UAE remains an attractive market for PHL produce, goods, PTIC says

HE United Arab Emirates (UAE) remains an attractive market for Philippine produce and goods as food exports to the Middle East country remained steady in 2020 amid the pandemic, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Dubai said. In a news statement, PTICDubai commercial attaché Charmaine Yalong said there is an increasing demand for Filipino food products in the UAE with the large presence of Filipinos in the country, while Filipino brands are also being put in the mainstream markets. Yalong added there is also a rising number of Filipino restaurants in malls and city centers in UAE as more Filipino franchisors and Middle East franchisees cater to the demand for Filipino food products. “[A]side from gratifying the cravings of our kababayans for native Philippine products, the cosmopolitan tastes of locals and expatriates in the UAE are now being catered to as well. A wide range of these products are now available side-by-side with other products from Asia, Europe and the United States in the shelves of supermarkets here in the UAE,” she said. From January to June 2020 alone, Yalong said Philippine food exports to the UAE sustained its growth. Processed food and beverage exports amounted to $10.86 million, exports of pineapple and its byproducts reached $14.02 million, fresh bananas amounted to $12.9 million, tuna exports valued at $3.3 million, and fresh and processed fish at $590,000. “The continued support to Philippine exporters, through trade referrals and organization of Philippine participations in trade exhibitions and outbound business missions, contributed to the increasing presence of Philippine products in the UAE,” she said. The demand for Filipino produce and goods can also be seen in the cargo flights of Cebu Pacific, as 29 percent of the total fruit exports it carried from January to September last year were delivered to Dubai, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said. PNA

OurTime BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

DAR’s land transfer program now includes agency retirees

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

ETIREES of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) who completed any agriculturerelated course are now entitled to a piece of land they can cultivate under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). DAR Secretary John R. Castriciones said in a statement that CARP now covers the agency’s retirees, for as long as they are graduates of any agriculture-related courses. The DAR chief made the announcement during the distribution of individual Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAS) covering 111.29 hectares of agricultural land to 88 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Barangay Baretbet, Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya on January 18. “This is our way of expressing our gratitude to our retirees for the ser-

vices they rendered and for sharing their expertise to the Department,” Castriciones said. The move is intended to preserve the agricultural lands for the country’s food security program as “it gives our soon-to-be retiring DAR officials and staff new avenues to practice their know-how for food production.” He said that the move is based on the presumption that “those who take agricultural courses will embrace farming with all their heart.” The DAR chief earlier made a

similar encouraging announcement when he declared that fresh graduates of any agricultural courses are eligible to become CARP beneficiaries and will receive at least 3 hectares of farm lot. The farm lot will serve as farm laboratories on which they could apply the theories and best practices they learned from their schooling, the DAR chief said. The 3 hectares of agricultural land to be awarded to CARP beneficiaries apply to all, whether they belong to landless family of farmers, agricultural courses graduates, or DAR retirees who are themselves graduates of agricultural courses. The DAR secretary is resorting to this move after receiving alleged mind-boggling reports that some farmer-beneficiaries are either selling or pawning farm lots awarded to them under the government’s land reform program. These reports prompted Castriciones to launch the “Kumustasaka at ARBisitahan” program on January 17, 2021 in Nueva Vizcaya to determine the true state of the country’s land reform program.

The new program seeks to find out who are the existing owners of land reform-covered farm lots, the crops they planted, and the kinds of support services that are needed to enhance farm productivity. DAR Undersecretary for Support Services Emily Padilla said the Kumustasaka at ARBisitahan program aims to pinpoint the actual farmerbeneficiaries and ensure that all assistance being provided by the DAR would not end up in the wrong hands. Padilla said she had observed in the past distribution of relief goods and farm inputs under the “PaSSOver ARBold Move for Deliverance of ARBs from Covid-19” that “some recipients are not actually farmerbeneficiaries.” Undersecretary for Planning, Policy, and Research Virginia Orogo said the activities would be of great help for the DAR to figure out how far the government’s land reform program has gone after 48 years of implementation. Orogo said that it’s about time that the DAR comes up with a complete profile of each agrarian reform beneficiary to assess the program’s rate of progress.

Online sign-ups complicate vaccine rollout for elderly

HOWARD JONES, an 83-year-old veteran, talks about his struggle to secure a Covid-19 vaccination in El Paso County on the deck outside his home on January 12, 2021, in southwest Colorado Springs, Colo. Not having Internet in his home, Jones ended up getting help from a friend to get an appointment for the vaccine in Colorado Springs. AP PHOTO/DAVID ZALUBOWSKI By Patty Nieberg & Suman Naishadham The Associated Press

ENVER—Howard Jones, who’s 83, was on the phone for three to four hours every day trying to sign up for a coronavirus vaccine. Jones, who lives alone in Colorado Springs, doesn’t have the Internet, and that’s made it much more difficult for him to make an appointment. It took him about a week. He said the confusion has added to his anxiety about catching what could be a life-threatening disease at his age. “It has been hell,” Jones said. “I’m 83 and to not have the use of a computer is just terrible.” As states across the US roll out the Covid-19 vaccine to people 65 and older, senior citizens are scrambling to figure out how to sign up to get their shots. Many states and counties ask people to make appointments online, but glitchy web sites, overwhelmed phone lines and a patchwork of fast-changing rules are bedeviling older people who are often less tech-savvy, may live far from vaccination sites and are more likely to not have Internet access at all, especially people of color and

those who are poor. Nearly 9.5 million seniors, or 16.5 percent of US adults 65 and older, lack Internet access, according to US Census Bureau data. Access is worse for seniors of color: more than 25 percent of Black people, about 21 percent of Hispanic people and over 28 percent of Native Americans 65 and older have no way to get online. That’s compared with 15.5 percent of white seniors. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Rebecca Parish has been dismayed by the bureaucratic process and continued calls for help from seniors. One of her patients, who’s 83, called her in tears, unable to navigate the online appointment system at Rite Aid. A 92-year-old woman called her before dawn this week after reading about her in a newspaper, telling her, “I’ll do anything to get this vaccine.” So Parish took things into her own hands. She reached out to Contra Costa County and acquired 500 doses to vaccinate people this weekend at a middle school in Lafayette, California. She’s working with nonprofits to identify seniors who don’t live in nursing homes and risk falling through the cracks. All her appointments have been claimed, but she’ll start taking them again once more doses are available.

Some health officials have been trying to find other solutions to ease the confusion and help senior citizens sign up, just as the Federal government urged states this week to make the nation’s 57.6 million seniors eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine. Some places have found simple ideas work. In Morgantown, West Virginia, county health officials used a large road construction sign to list the phone number for seniors to call for an appointment. Others are considering partnering with community groups or setting up mobile clinics for harder-to-reach populations. Some seniors may be waiting to hear from their doctor. But there are limits to using health-care systems, pharmacies or primary care providers to reach underserved people who don’t have the Internet, said Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers. She said the two coronavirus vaccines available in the US and their low-temperature requirements “don’t lend themselves to being sent out to rural areas.” In McComb, Mississippi, where 77.5 percent of residents are Black and almost half the population lives below the poverty line, 71-year-old Mary Christian made an appoint-

ment online with her son’s help. But the only available sites are at least an hour away from where she lives. “I’m 71 years old, and my kids are not going to be happy for me driving 100 to 200 miles away to get a vaccine,” said Christian, who has diabetes. Some medical systems, like UCHealth in Colorado, are trying to partner with community groups to get vaccines to underserved populations, like seniors. Dr. Jean Kutner, chief medical officer of UCHealth University at Colorado Hospital, said she’s volunteering at a clinic hosted by a church that brings in the vaccine and helps build trust between health-care workers and residents. For now, UCHealth schedules appointments online, but Kutner said a Covid-19 hot line is in the works because of the volume of calls from seniors. “Seniors are comfortable with the phone side of things, so that’s not really a technological barrier for them,” said Gretchen Garofoli, an associate professor at West Virginia University’s School of Pharmacy. But even a Colorado health provider setting up vaccine clinics for underserved communities, Salud Family Health Centers, said their phone lines can’t handle the volume of calls they’re receiving and encouraged people to go online. When calling for an appointment is an option, finding a number is often only possible online. That was the problem for Jones, the 83-year-old in Colorado. A retired service member, he considered reaching out to Veterans Affairs but couldn’t find a phone number. He asked for help from a friend, who gave him several numbers. One led to Angela Cortez, head of communications for AARP in Colorado. AARP has been flooded with calls from seniors like Jones who don’t have the Internet and need help navigating the web sites of health departments, care providers and vaccine sign-up forms, Cortez said. “It’s not like you can show up somewhere and get vaccinated,” Cortez said. “And if you don’t have access to a computer, you’re at a disadvantage.” Even Cortez had trouble as she tried to help Jones. She called numbers listed on the Colorado health department web site and several Safeway stores after Jones heard friends were vaccinated there.

Editor: Angel R. Calso • Saturday January 23, 2021 A7

Holy four-letter word! By Nick Tayag

MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH

HERE’S a Netflix series about cursing etymology called The History of Swear Words hosted by Nicolas Cage. It’s bizarre, enlightening and fun. Many of the swear words have become overused over time and the intention of the words have been lost. But when you take a step back, you realize these words have power. F**k, Sh**t, B#tch and Damn. Of the words explored in the series, damn seems to be the mildest in a modern context. But it used to be shocking. Nowadays it is expressed as “dammit,” a familiar and routinely spoken expletive embedded in most conversations like other four-letter ejaculations. I once read an article that said that the word’s origin is “God damn it.” And the author seems to say that we need to resurrect its original real meaning to vent our dismay frustration, anger and outrage at the things that are now happening around us. Come to think of it, why not? Man has always called on God to wreak havoc on His enemies. Biblical passages are replete with God’s wrath bringing down destruction on those who stray away from His ways. In the Gospels, Jesus went on a rampage when He saw the temple being de-sacralized by noisy peddlers and hawkers of goods, accusing them of turning the Temple into “a den of thieves” through their commercial activities. The Hindus have a God of destruction, whom they call Shiva. There’s a legend that says if anything wrong happens in the world and it angers Lord Shiva, he opens his third eye which may be an end of this world. Lord Shiva’s anger can damn people who are evil or unjust such as misusing someone else’s money, desiring to abduct someone else’s spouse, or making efforts to disturb a marriage and so on. Sometimes, in my utter frustration, I wish that the Divine being would show His wrath again at this point in human history. Yes indeed, in unison let us use it as our response in an antiphony of collective cry against crimes being done to humanity. As in Pollution. God, damn it! Racism. God, damn it! But I have learned to resign myself to the lesson that the Divine, indeed, damns the wicked but in His own way and time. Slowly. He first makes them mad those He wishes to destroy. Not immediately, as in instant karma.

I may get damned by the righteous and be accused of being blasphemous, but I think God understands what is really on my mind. Here is my litany of who and what should be damned by God. Feel free to say “God, damn it (or them)” in response. Religious hypocrites and selfrighteous. Corrupt people. Destroyers of the environment and climate change deniers. Bigots. Abusers of women, children and the weak. Public servants and politicians who put self above country and people. Spreaders of fake news. People who feel privileged and entitled and who circumvent and bend the law to suit their wants. Enablers of impunity and violence. I never used to allow myself the permission to feel angry because I believed it was wasted energy and I didn’t like the thought of that. But I’ve learned that every feeling —even anger—is valid. At best it is cathartic. As the host of the aforementioned series, Nicolas Cage, says: “There’s something innately human about swearing.” Especially when you feel overwhelmed or helpless or angry about what’s happening. In fact, research tells us that it is not good to bottle up your anger; repressing anger can actually hurt you. Anger can be turned into power, and that is when change happens. Studies seem to show that feeling angry increases optimism, creativity, effective performance—expressing anger can lead to more successful negotiations, in life or on the job. One of my favorite movies is Network made in 1976 about an ex-TV anchor who suffers a mental breakdown because he couldn’t take it anymore. There is a scene where the protagonist named Howard Beal rants live on camera: “I want you to get up right now. Sit up. Go to your windows. Open them and stick your head out and yell: I’m as mad as hell and I’m not gonna take this anymore!” Things have got to change. But first, you’ve gotta get mad! You’ve got to say: I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore! Maybe if we all get mad and yell, God will finally hear our collective cry of frustration and damn the evil doers of this world. Yes, God, please do something. Damn them.

Ex-PNA executive editor writes ’30’ By Severino Samonte

ANILA—Veteran journalism and communications Professor Iluminado M. Varela, better known as Jun Varela or JV to his former colleagues and students, died of a lingering illness on January 18, 2021 at the Commonwealth Hospital and Medical Center in Barangay Greater Lagro, Novaliches, Quezon City. Varela, a widower who would have been 82 years old this coming April 20, retired in 2004 as executive editor of the government-run Philippine News Agency or PNA. Before he assumed the PNA’s top post, he was the features editor of the agency for several years. Also a former professor of journalism and communications at the

Far Eastern University (FEU), he is survived by his two children— Portia and Friedrich—and seven grandchildren. A day before his retirement, Varela, a physical fitness enthusiast, suffered a serious hip injury while jogging near his Quezon City home after office hours. He never recovered from such ailment. His caregiver, Randy Dayro, said although Varela was not a victim of Covid-19, his immediate family members decided to have his remains cremated and buried on the same day at the Himlayang Pilipino Memorial Park in Barangay Pasong Tamo, Novaliches, Quezon City. This is in accordance with the current government health protocol on burial of the dead. PNA

Education BusinessMirror

A8 Saturday, January 23, 2021

MODULES DISTRIBUTION A teacher gives instructions to a parent at the Dr. Jose P. Rizal Elementary School in Brgy. Sto. Cristo, Dasmariñas City in Cavite on January 12. The country has shifted to blended-learning methods such as the use of streaming apps for online classes, printed learning modules, and broadcast education through radio and television to ensure continuity of learning amid the pandemic. PNA/GIL CALINGA

‘OFFLINE’ LEARNING On the other hand, another teacher, also from Dr. Jose P. Rizal El-

ementary School, hands over a second quarter self-learning module to a parent. Students who have no Internet access are given printed modules to ensure learning continuity, as classes go through blended learning for School Year 2020-2021. PNA/GIL CALINGA

Business group presents plans to address PHL’s learning woes

BUSINESS group has urged the government to implement reforms to address concerns in the country’s education system. In a virtual briefing on January 14, Philippine Business for Education’s (PBEd) Executive Director Love Basillote said problems on quality and access to education have worsened due to the ongoing pandemic. These recommendations, she said, include addressing malnutrition; increasing budget and resources for education; establishing an Autonomous Assessment Agency that will consistently diagnose

strengths, weaknesses and target interventions; passing a National Teacher Education Scholarship Bill to infuse the system with the best and the brightest teachers; as well as bridging the gaps and strengthening the implementation of mother tongue-based multilingual education. According to Basillote, education spending in the country remains low relative to the gross domestic product, as the pandemic

has widened learning gaps. Data from the Department of Education revealed that for School Year 2020-2021, there were 2.7 million students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 who dropped out. On the other hand, socioeconomic inequities likewise aggravate the situation, as there is low access to devices and connectivity to enable schooling amid the pandemic. Basillote added that 74 percent of public schools and 345,000 households nationwide have yet to connect to the Internet, and that limited access to preschool, as well as children from poor communities who attend classes hungry, also contributed to the learning crisis in the country. Low learning outcomes, she said, will persist due to concerns on the

language of instruction, and the “low quality of teachers.” Meanwhile, PBEd’s Chairman Ramon del Rosario mentioned the need to look at the problems hounding the country’s education system from different perspectives: “We need to see the bigger picture and implement reforms in crucial areas that determine the quality of education we provide to our students.” Del Rosario also noted: “With a learning crisis in our hands and the future of millions of Filipinos at stake, what we need now is a strong, multisectoral coalition that will push for education reforms and ensure...quality education becomes top priority in the national development agenda.” Kris Crismundo/PNA

CitySavings sends recovery aid to schools, typhoon survivors

BOITIZ Group’s financial arm City Savings Bank heeded the call of the Department of Education (DepEd) for assistance to calamity-stricken areas with the mobilization of its disaster response by extending relief and education-recovery support to typhoonaffected areas in Metro Manila as well as various regions in Luzon. More than 1,800 food packages, which consisted of rice, canned goods, water, vitamins, coffee packs, as well as hygiene kits containing bath soaps, toothpastes and toothbrushes, were distributed as immediate aid. The bank also donated printers, inks and reams of bond paper to assist the replace-

ment and reproduction of self-learning modules (SLMs) in 75 schools and divisions in Luzon. Several typhoons hit different parts of the country late in 2020 that caused massive destruction to school infrastructure and learning materials across Luzon. School buildings and furniture were damaged, while technology equipment and supplies, learning materials, as well as printed modules for remote distance learning were destroyed and washed away due to unabated flooding. “The corporate social responsibility projects of CitySavings Bank have always been felt by the [Schools Division Office] of Camarines

Sur: from the printing of SLMs, to the relief operations due to Supertyphoons Rolly and Ulysses. Thank you very much for being our active partner,” shared Schools Division Superintendent Loida N. Nidea, CESO V, of the said province. Overwhelmed by the assistance given to his family, Clemente Atesora, an evacuee from Laguna, expressed his gratitude to the bank for the relief goods they received. He said in Filipino: “This is a big help, especially now that we are displaced by the flood caused by the typhoon. To the management of Calamba Bayside Integrated School and teachers, our sincere thanks that you have become instru-

ments for us evacuees to be given relief assistance from CitySavings.” Guided by its group’s mission, the bank has committed support to DepEd under the government’s Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan or BE-LCP for School Year 2020-2021. “As we usher in the New Year, we are committed to support our education sector by providing resources the best way we can,” said CitySavings Reputation and Brand Management Head Paula Ruelan. “We advocate equal access to quality education despite the adversities brought by...natural calamities during this time of a global health crisis.” Roderick L. Abad

Editor: Mike Policarpio

GOOD NEWS Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal (second from left) and three teachers from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao flash the thumbs-up sign on January 14 during the release of the mentors’ back salaries. A total of 393 teachers each received P45,000 for their wages for the past three months. MBHTE-BARMM/PNA

PLM grad-doctors to fortify Sta. Ana Hospital frontlines

PAMANTASAN ng Lungsod ng Maynila’s President Emmanuel Leyco (first row, left), Dean Dr. Angeline Alabastro (last row, left) and faculty members meet online with some of PLM’s College of Medicine’s alumni who will man the frontlines of the Sta. Ana Hospital.

INE graduates of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM)-College of Medicine are beefing up the frontlines of Sta. Ana Hospital in the City of Manila to boost the health-care facility’s manpower versus the pandemic. Dr. Grace Padilla, Sta. Ana Hospital’s director, said four PLM doctors will be stationed at the emergency room, another four will serve under the family medicine unit, and one will join the pediatrics department. Among those who bravely responded to the call to devote their time and talents to public health are Drs. Faizal Guiamano, Gabrielle Mae Padolina, Baby Lyn Ann Tanalgo, Clemenzar Agullana, Andrea Francisco, Kasandra Cuevas and Marvin Hitosis. All of them passed the 2020 Board exams. Most of these doctors said they chose to take up medicine in the university because of the affordable yet quality education it is known for. Becoming a doctor in a public hospital is their way of returning the favor to their alma mater. “I chose Sta. Ana Hospital because this is [my way of giving] back to the people of Manila, and to pay it forward,” said Dr. Agullana. “I feel indebted to [them as a scholar, and that] I

have the obligation to serve them since [it was their taxes which paid for my tuition fees] for a time while I was in medicine.” For Dr. Guiamano, apart from pursuing good medical training, his duty at the Sta. Ana Hospital will be a way for him to help address and treat the steadily rising number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients in the city and the country. “We are very pleased that PLM graduates are taking the public-health track. What you can contribute to the Sta. Ana Hospital will go a very long way,” President Emmanuel Leyco of PLM said in a virtual meeting with the doctors. “May you uphold PLM’s values of karunungan, kaunlaran at kadakilaan as you serve the people and contribute to nation-building.” The PLM-College of Medicine is among top-performing schools in the country, which posted a 97.58-percent passing rate and has produced two board topnotchers in last year’s Physician Licensure Examination. More PLM applicants for Sta. Ana Hospital’s programs are being evaluated, Dr. Padilla added, saying the institution is “fortunate and grateful” to welcome new doctors. One of the City of Manila’s six public hospitals, Sta. Ana Hospital hosts the city’s own Covid-19 testing laboratory.

School-in-a-Bag sustains basic educ delivery in provinces Mapúa study on Covid-19 sees print in global journal

INCE its launch four years ago, Smart Communications Inc.’s School-in-a-Bag (SIAB)—a portable digital classroom designed to facilitate learning in basic education for remote areas without electricity using mobile technology—has become an essential solution for education to continue in the new normal. Through various programs, PLDT, with its wireless arm Smart and other business units, have donated 86 digital-classroom kits to the Department of Education (DepEd) this school year. One SIAB kit contains a laptop for the teacher, 20 tablets for students to access interactive applications even when offline, and a Smart LTE pocket WiFi which can be used to download additional content wherever power and connectivity are available. When the current school year opened in October 2020, PLDT turned over 15 kits in support of DepEd’s Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan or BE-LCP. “PLDT and Smart are one with DepEd in keeping teachers, students and the entire academic community connected,” PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said. “Accordingly, we have leveled up our efforts to provide tools, technology and information during the pandemic.” “We look forward to the continuity of this tradition of partnership, generosity and advice, as we work...with PLDT and Smart to look for

PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan (left), with Education Undersecretary for Legislative Affairs, External Partnerships and Project Management Service Tonisito M.C. Umali, Esq. during the turnover of School-in-a-Bag packages, as Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones join them virtually.

new ways of delivering education to teachers and students,” stated DepEd chief Leonor Magtolis Briones. In the same month, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or Unesco, cited the SIAB and other projects under the #LearnSmart advocacy “as programs for effective distance learning” in its Mobile Learning Week. Referring to the many schools isolated from community centers, Smart’s Community Partnerships AVP Stephanie V. Orlino asked: “How may we provide access to technology

and inclusive quality education for our lastmile schools?” “Our answer is the SIAB,” she said, as she explained the way similar programs such as the Central Visayan Institute Foundation–Dynamic Learning Program, or CVIF-DLP, help ensure learning continues in the new normal. Since 2016, a total of 300 School-in-a-Bag units have reached 80,000 students and 2,000 teachers all over the country. Part of SIAB donations were the fruit of joint efforts of broadband-services provider PLDT Home, corporate business unit PLDT Enterprise,

social-outreach arm PLDT-Smart Foundation, Smart’s flagship corporate social responsibility (CSR) division Smart Communities, Smart Prepaid’s virtual campus Smart University, and an employee fund-raising initiative called “Smart Saturdays.” In September 2020, students who joined Smart University activities earned points to be able to donate tablets. As a result, a hundred tablets are now being deployed to deserving schools in the provinces of Basilan, Bohol, La Union, Quezon, and Sarangani, as part of the SIAB kits. Another five kits are on their way to Bukidnon. “Beyond our brand’s lifestyle offerings, we aim to continuously provide innovative solutions in education,” averred Smart SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business Jane J. Basas. In July, Pangilinan also led the turnover of a SIAB donation to North Bay Boulevard North Elementary School in Navotas City. The donation formed part of the $50,000 grant from Huawei Technologies Phils. Inc. to the PLDTSmart Foundation. PLDT and Smart recognize quality education as a foundation in improving people’s lives and obtaining sustainable development. Both are committed to help the Philippines attain the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, with SDG #4: Quality Education as a key area, with strong emphasis on digital literacy. Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

RECENT Mapúa University study that tackles the perception of Filipinos on the effectiveness of the preventive measures against the pandemic has been published in a prestigious international medical journal. Said study was the first research done in the Philippines on perceptions on the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and subsequent preventive measures undertaken locally. It saw print in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases (IJID)—an open-access monthly journal that publishes clinical and laboratorybased researches in epidemiology, clinical diagnosis, as well as treatment and control of infectious diseases. “The current study is one of the first...in this field of research that addresses Covid-19 in the Philippines,” said Mapúa School of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management’s Dr. Yogi Tri Prasetyo, the lead author of the study. “It can be applied and extended to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of Covid-19 measures in other countries [in] dealing with the pandemic.” According to Dr. Prasetyo, the study shows that Filipinos who have better understanding of the virulent disease are more likely to recognize the effectiveness of health protocols in protecting them against it. Some of the preventive measures mentioned proper hand washing, wearing of face masks and face shields, as well

as observing physical distancing. The study also revealed that those who are knowledgeable about Covid-19 are more likely to understand its severity and their chances of contracting the disease. It was mainly focused, however, on the perceived effectiveness, rather than measuring the effectiveness of the prevention measures themselves. The research also showed that the Filipinos’ intentions to follow measures influences their actual and adapted behavior, such as performing proper disinfection and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Prasetyo said his group decided to conduct the study given the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the country, with the lack of significant studies about the disease. Other authors are Allysa Mae Castillo, Louie John Salonga, John Allen Sia and Joshua Adam Seneta.

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Saturday, January 23, 2021 A9

A Fortress of Family Fun W Story & photos by Bernard L. Supetran

ith the cool weather breezing in Metro Manila this Amihan season, we can perhaps hold off on our urge to hide off to the mountain resorts for a consummate family staycation. The Bonifacio Global City, popularly known as The Fort, boasts of open spaces, greeneries and master-planned community, which somehow lends a feel of an out-of-town feel within the megalopolis. The upscale district is a soughtafter hub for specialty dining, luxe hotels, lifestyle recreation, golf courses, and a panoramic view of the Laguna de Bay and the metropolitan skyline. Like the proverbial “city within a city,” BGC was designed to be a haven for promenaders, bikers, per lovers, and people who love the outdoors with its landscaped parks adorned with freestanding art installations. Towering at the heart of the business enclave is the ShangriLa at the Fort, Manila, it is among the few star-rated hotels, which was given the green light by the Department of Tourism to resume leisure operations under strict health protocols. Guests checking in would have to undergo an antigen test at a makeshift clinic, and whose result can be known a few minutes later. The country’s tallest hotel at 250 meters, it is a complete lifestyle destination in itself with its fusion of family fun, fitness, food, and everything in between. The tower complex features 576 contemporary and spacious guest rooms and suites with a commanding view of Manila’s urbanscape, as well as 97 serviced residences of up to 124 square meters, fitted with a kitchenette, living room and dining zone, which are ideal for long-staying visitors who want the feel of home. On top of the world-class amenities the hotel brand is known for, it also advocates wellness and active recreation, either within its

recreational facilities or the community that embraces it. The posh hotel carries the prestigious Kerry Sports, a worldwide comprehensive lifestyle and leisure club, which includes an NBAgrade basketball court used for practices by professional cagers and visiting international players. The good thing is, you don’t have to be a checked-in guest to get your hands into its high-tech fitness facilities. The 8,000-square-meter, twolevel gym boasts of two tennis courts, two squash courts, an outdoor lap pool with an entertainment and dining area, exercise studios, and a wellness spa with eight treatment rooms. It also houses an Adventure Zone, a multi-level children’s indoor playground, with engaging activities for themed party rooms. Come chow time, you can explore a variety of innovative cuisines from around the globe with seven dining concepts for a culinary feast with family and friends. These are High Street Café, High Street Lounge, Canton Road, Raging Bull Chophouse & Bar, Sri Lanka’s, Ministry of Crab, Samba, and Raging Bull Burgers, to cater to different taste buds. While some of them are yet to reopen, a must-try is Samba Restaurant, which offers lesserknown but succulent Peruvian and Latin American delights. It also acts as the default coffee shop and breakfast place at the podium level on the eighth floor with the

Have a pit stop at Raging Bulls Burger.

At the Shangri-la At The Fort, you may borrow Bambikes.

From BGC, bike riders can explore other spots such as the Philippine Army Headquarters.

Make way for Peruvian specialties at Samba Restaurant.

swimming pool and recreational facilities. Beyond these, there are al fresco food choices in the neighborhood, which is now the preferred setup to allow free movement of air and lessen the risks of viral transmission. Outside the hotel, BGC is a fortress of fitness with its splen-

BGC has dedicated bike lanes.

did road network and dedicated bike lanes even before the Covid-19 struck to encourage earthfriendly, non-motorized mobility. Visitors can borrow Shangri-La’s sturdy and lightweight singlespeed bamboo bike or Bambike, and pedal around boutique shops and Instagrammable public parks

and gardens. Seasoned pedalers who want longer distances can explore adjoining spots such as McKinley Hills, Fort Bonifacio Philippine Army Headquarters, the postcardperfect Libingan ng mga Bayani, and even as far as the old town centers of Taguig City, Makati City

and Pateros, and Laguna de Bay, to rediscover their eclectic charm overtaken by rapid urbanization. With the confluence of fine food, fitness, and bonding with family and friends, The Fort lives up to its name as a true fortress for fun times and countryside feel under the new normal regime.

Sports tourism movers and shakers feted

espite the slowdown of sports scenario for most parts of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, movers and shakers in the sports tourism sector were feted at the recent 4th Philippine Sports Tourism Awards (PSTA) held in Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga. Organized by Selrahco Management and Consultancy Services and supported by Clark Development Corp., the City of Mabalacat, Smart Communications, Universal Robina Corp., Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc., 16 organizations and personalities were awarded for their valuable contribution to the sports tourism sector in 2019. Topping the awards were Metro Pacific Investments Corp. Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan and Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Remollo who were named the year’s top sports tourism person-

In photo (from left), SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator Renato Lee III, BCDA Vice President Arrey Perez, Sonny Barrios representing Manny V. Pangilinan, Atty. Dianne Patawaran of Coca-Cola Beverages Phils., PSTA Chairman Charles Lim, CDC Vice Chairman Benjamin Defensor Jr., Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Remollo, PTV 4 sports anchor Meg Siozon, The Mansion Boutique Hotel General Manager Matt Attaway, TRAP Secretary-General Ramon Marchan, (below stage) Trisports Solutions VP for marketing Carlo Sampan and President Mikey Chua.

alities in the private and government sectors, respectively. Other winners were People’s Television Network (news cov-

erage), Philippine Airlines (air carrier), Run With Me X of Resorts World Manila (charity event), Coca-Cola Beverages

Philippines (event sponsorship), The Mansion Boutique Hotel and Villas (hotel), Triathlon Association of the Phil-

ippines (sports association), Tinman Ilocos Norte (domestic event), Ironman 70.3 (international event), Tour De Cebu (adventure event), and Sunrise Events Inc. (private organizer). Rounding up the winning circle in the government sector are Dumaguete City (event organizer), the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (destination marketing), Clark Development Corp. (top destination), and New Clark City (sports venue). PSTA Chairman and Founder Charles Lim expressed confidence that the sports tourism sector will be able to bounce back in 2021, despite the many challenges along the way. “This event shows we have gone an extra mile to practice safety protocols. PSTA could not allow the year pass without recognizing the efforts of athletes, event organizers, local governments, tourism officials and pri-

vate individuals who have made 2019 a bumper year for sports and tourism,” he said. Lim added that it was fitting that the awards be held in Clark, and has proposed to initiate bids for sports events to be hosted jointly by Clark, Subic Bay, and the New Clark City. He noted that the creation of a sports alliance augurs well to the three destinations with their complementation of worldclass facilities, promotions and management. Bubble sports events were also initiated during the quarantine period, most notably the Philippines Basketball Association season, which were held in Angeles City and housed in Clark. “These trailblazing initiatives which promote health and safety in an unprecedented time are good signs to where the sports tourism sector is headed this 2021,” Lim concludes.

A10 Saturday, January 23, 2021 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

BusinessMirror

TikTok tightens privacy features for younger users A MONTH after federal regulators ordered it to disclose how its practices affect children and teenagers, TikTok is tightening its privacy practices for the under-18 crowd. Starting on Wednesday, the default privacy setting for accounts with users aged 13 to 15 will be private. That means only someone the user approves as a follower can view their videos, which was not the case previously. But teens can still change this setting to public if they want. Older teenagers won’t see this default setting change. For users aged 16 or 17, the default setting to let people download the videos they created will now

be “off,” rather than “on.” TikTok is also blocking users’ ability to download videos created by those 15 or younger. This age group will also see direct messaging restricted and won’t be able to host live streams. TikTok is wildly popular with teenagers and younger kids. A feature called TikTok for Younger Users offers pre-selected, “age appropriate” videos. The feature was added after TikTok’s predecessor, Musica.ly, settled Federal Trade Commission allegations that it illegally collected personal information from children. It also agreed to pay $5.7 million.

A tool called “family pairing,” meanwhile, lets parents link their TikTok account to their teen’s to enable content and privacy settings. Last month, the FTC asked TikTok’s parent company, along with Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and five other social-media companies to provide detailed information on how they collect and use consumers’ personal data and how their practices affect children and teens. TikTok users are asked to put in their birthday when they sign up for the service, but, as with other social-media platforms, there is no real verification to ensure it is accurate. AP

BTS is the face of telco’s big campaign

THE new Acer flagship store at SM Megamall Cyberzone houses both Acer and Predator brands.

HE news that phenomenal Korean boy group BTS will head Smart Communication Inc.’s “Live Smarter, Live with Purpose” 2021 campaign signals K-pop’s having become completely mainstream. Friends who used to laugh at me for being a K-pop and K-drama enthusiast are now completely on the Hallyu train and I’m happy because when the pandemic is over, it means Manila is on the stop of every major tour outside of Korea. But back to Smart and BTS. In 2020, the telco surprised us with the news that actors Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin and Park Seo-jun had been signed as their ambassadors. In the last quarter of 2020, during the online press conference for Park Seo-jun, Smart President and CEO Alfredo Panlilio hinted that they would soon make the announcement that was bigger than anything than they’ve ever announced. In the Korean entertainment scene, BTS is bigger than big. The group—Composed of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook—is a Grammynominated group. At home, we are not new K-pop fans; we’ve been into the genre since 1999-2000 and we’ve seen so many groups live. Trust me, BTS is big and I’m not an Army (my daughter is though). The group’s fans are known as Army. My daughter loves to remember the days when her high school classmates liked to make fun of her Super Junior phone case. Well, those former classmates are now Army. Now back to BTS’ Smart ambassadorship. As Smart’s newest ambassadors, BTS will appear in a world-class ad campaign set for release in the first quarter of 2021. The partnership will showcase BTS’ support of Smart’s goal to inspire the Filipino youth to live their lives with passion and purpose. “Aside from their remarkable talent, BTS has emerged as the biggest band in the world because of their meaningful and uplifting music that brings hope

and encouragement to fans especially in the bleakest of times. It is therefore a big honor to welcome BTS to the Smart family so we may inspire more Filipinos to find purpose in everything they do and ultimately live smarter for a better world,” said Alfredo Panlilio. A global phenomenon, BTS has a legion of followers among the youth that cuts across geographies and genres. The group is known for sending a timely message of comfort and hope to fans everywhere through their music. I have seen it with my friends. I’ve seen how being fans of BTS has given them comfort through their darkest times, especially now that many are confined to their homes because of the pandemic. So, yes, I’m so looking forward to the Smart x BTS campaign. This is what many non-fans don’t understand about K-pop. For many of us, K-pop is a haven and a refuge. It’s not just watching attractive boys and girls and listening to their music.

ACER OPENS 1ST FLAGSHIP STORE IN PHL

ACER has just opened its first flagship store in the Philippines at SM Megamall Cyberzone. The store, which houses the Acer and Predator, brands, is also their largest store to date. The best products from Acer and Predator are on

display for a more interactive shopping experience. The store is divided into two sections. One section is for Acer, which sticks to its minimalistic aesthetic with light earthy tones plus a long table and shelves where the products are displayed. On the other hand, the Predator section is done in sleek black. In observance of existing health protocols in the country, Acer requires each customer to wear a face mask and face shield, undergo a temperature check upon entrance, and fill up a health declaration form. Appropriate social distancing is strictly followed as well. “We are very excited for gamers and tech enthusiasts to come and experience what the Acer flagship store has in store for them. It’s our first opening this 2021, and definitely not the last. We are optimistic that it will allow consumers to get to know our products better and eventually find the perfect device fit for their needs,” said Acer Philippines Managing Director Manuel Wong. Following the grand launch, Acer will throw in premium items to the first 10 customers who will purchase an Acer or Predator laptop. Watch out for huge discounts and freebies across both brands until January 24. More information is available at the brand’s social-media pages and www.acer.com. ■

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ENTREPRENEURS IMPLEMENT DIGITAL PIVOT TO THRIVE AND SURVIVE BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES MICHAEL GIOVAN SARTHOU III, more popularly known as Chef Tatung, is a successful restaurateur who has been known to promote simple, practical and doable recipes that will boost the confidence of anyone who wants to cook. Sarthou was catapulted into the international scene when he became one of the speakers in Asia Madrid Fusion 2017 in Spain where he spoke on salt-making and salt as a preservative, as well as promoting the rich culinary history of Mindanao. Moreover, he was chosen as speaker for the Philippines in the Netflix series Street Food for which he was handpicked where he discussed the evolution of street food in Cebu. Moreover, Sarthou’s success as a restaurateur got the attention of ABS-CBN’s Umagang Kay Ganda that led to a stint as the show’s as resident chef. Before the pandmeic, Sarthou had the foresight to utilize the digital space through his popular online cooking show Simpol, which between Facebook and YouTube has over 1 million subscribers and counting. “Truly, Simpol is not just your average cooking show. It is a cooking show with the sensibility of a global Filipino, thriving online and on every platform,” Sarthou said. “No matter where we are in the world, we can indigenize cooking and make food preparation at home convenient in this day and age when we could easily eat out or order takeaway. As all Filipinos know, food is very much a part of who we are,” he added. Meanwhile, California-based Filipino producer Janelle So-Perkins’ production of So Janelle was going great guns in its third year until the pandemic struck. Perkins, a former sports broadcast journalist in the Philippines before she settled in the US, told BusinessMirror in an e-mail interview the show had huge potential because it had the support of major advertisers and sponsors; as well as a number of deals just waiting to be finalized at the start of 2020. “I will admit that I was not prepared for the massive effects of this pandemic. My team and I had high hopes for 2020 per our projections,” So-Perkins said. But like many entrepreneurs, she had to roll with the punches to adjust with the current uncertainties. Launched by Perkins in 2017, the production is the only Filipino-American weekly talk show that airs on three TV channels: TFC and Lifestyle Channel, which have nationwide distribution through a paid premium cable channel; and KSCITV-LA18, which is a local channel in Southern California. When the pandemic struck, she pivoted and started doing interviews online to adhere to social distancing measures. So Janelle also focused more on pandemic news and information, inspiring stories from the frontlines, and helpful tools such as financial advice in this trying time. Moreover, the show made their segments available online so that it could reach more people. The show took a hit as their advertisers either scaled back or totally cut advertising placements. Nevertheless, So-Perkins carried on because of their commitment to serve the Filipino-Americans in the US by delivering accurate news and information, sharing culturally relevant stories, and providing helpful tools to survive and to thrive in the American society. “I made the decision not to stop production,” she said. Furthermore, Perkins and her team are also taking deliberate steps to take care of their mental health, taking pauses, checking in on each other more frequently.

Brain on Tech research shows good and bad technologies affect overall well-being A RECENT study by tech giant Dell Technologies revealed that high-functioning technology or failing technology can directly affect productivity and how humans feel. This is according to the firm’s first-ever neuro-scientific research, called “Brain on Tech,” which measured how technology can impact our ability to work and our overall well-being. “Technology helps us connect, learn, get work done and reimagine our daily lives. Yet as we rely more on technology, we become more sensitive to its performance highs and lows,” said Brooke Huling, vice president of software solutions and experiences for Dell Technologies. “At Dell, we use research to understand our customers’ needs and drive innovations as those need change. Businesses that understand the impact tech has on people are at an advantage. Not only can they offer a better experience—they can help employees become more efficient and effective.” In collaboration with EMOTIV, the global leader in portable brain-sensing technologies and consumer neuroscience, Dell

used brain-sensing headsets that measured the participants’ reactions when they completed cognitively-challenging tasks under time using both good and bad PC technology. Levels of stress, focus, excitement and frustration were assessed in real-time leveraging EMOTIV’s proprietary machine learning algorithms. Insights from the study showed that a great experience with a work PC is vital and ensures optimum productivity. Employees can achieve an astounding 37 percent more in a workday when using technology that is not only newer but supported with the correct software and services, which can save them 23 minutes per hour or 15 hours in a 40-hour work week. On the other hand, bad technology experience impedes employee performance by more than 30 percent on average, regardless of a user’s perceived computer literacy. Generational differences also come into play and younger Millennials and Gen Zers were most affected by a bad tech

experience, performing twice as poorly as older participants in the study. Research showed that well-functioning technology can positively impact feelings and relieve stress for employees, creating both emotional benefits as well a lasting impact on retention. “Keeping employees productive and happy is a top priority for companies today as they try to combat burnout, and businesses have the power to address this with great technology experiences,” said Huling. “It is important that employees have the right technology set-up—including software and peripherals—or have the opportunity to customize their set-up to best fit their needs. In the ‘Work From Anywhere’ world, people, productivity, health and wellbeing matter. The best investment any business can make to reduce stress and improve productivity is to provide reliable, seamless technology experiences to reduce friction and help employees achieve their work goals.”

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Saturday, January 23, 2021 A11

Speed of the future I

F you are in the market for a 5G phone, getting one on a postpaid plan is still the best way to enjoy 5G speeds, ensure compatibility with the local network and so that you’ll never unexpectedly run out of data. One device I’ve been using since I got it late November is the realme X50 Pro 5G. I normally switch phones after a few weeks to review the next one, but I still actually have my Smart postpaid SIM on the X50 Pro 5G, giving my iPhone 11 Pro Max an extended break. realme was one of the rare brands that thrived despite the pandemic, and was relentless in releasing a lineup of phones for every market segment. It also dropped an assortment of AIoT devices throughout the year ranging from earphones, luggage, security cameras to sonic toothbrushes. The twoyear old brand likewise scored several local and international awards for its quality products and business milestones as it soared to the top of the local smartphone market, becoming the No. 1 brand in the Philippines before 2020 ended. The X50 Pro 5G is realme’s first 5G-ready flagship device in the county, and its spec sheet is packed with a top-shelf SoC, lots of RAM and storage, and a high refresh-rate display—but does it have enough to take on the big boys? Here is our review of the realme X50 Pro 5G, its ups and downs. The realme X50 Pro was first released in the early part of 2020, which explains why it looks more like the realme 6 than the more recent realme 7. So while it might not have the latest design, it still looks good and the Moss Green and Rust Red color options make it stand out. Our review unit came in the latter option, and it changes shades depending on how the light catches the phone. It’s really rather nice and radiates that subtle elegance. But do slap on the jelly case as it can be a bit slippery to hold. The phone feels really solid, and build quality is impressive. It may be a bit on the heavy side but its heft makes it feel more premium. So despite the dated look, the design and build gets an up. The display of the X50 Pro 5G also gets an easy up for its size and screen quality. It has a 6.44-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080, but its the 90Hz refresh rate that make it a joy to look at as everything moves buttery smooth and responsive. You do have the option to downgrade to 60Hz to save battery and an Auto-Select option that selects the best refresh rate for an app. The colors look sharp and vibrant, and the blacks look deep. This is a phone that will make you binge-watch even more. For display features, you get screen color temperature, OSIE visual effects for a better viewing experience and improved color reproduction in supported

Valenzuela links contact-tracing app with Antipolo’s tracking system apps. There’s also edge lighting for notification light effects, which, by the way, looks awesome and you get to choose from Neon Purple, Ocean Blue, or Amber Orange. The visual experience is further complemented by its dual stereo speakers which feature Hi-Res audio with Dolby Atmos. The audio quality is impressive for a smartphone. It gets loud enough, has the right amount of bass and clarity, and has very little distortion even if volume is set at max, thus another up. The X50 Pro 5G was one of the first 5G smartphones powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G processor when the chip first made its global debut. It is paired with an Adreno 650 GPU, 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, and 256GB UFS 3.0 with Turbo Write making it a full-fledged flagship phone as opposed to a mid-ranger that’s slapped with a flagship chip. Performance as you’d expect is flawless. Apps launch fast, and navigating the UI is very fluid and responsive, another up. Even when playing graphically intensive games such as Wild Rift, PUBG, Mobile Legends, gaming was smooth and lag free. Turn on Game Space and that 90Hz refresh rate to further level-up your gaming experience. Now for the cameras. The realme X50 Pro 5G has a quad camera set-up, comprised of a 64MP main camera, 12MP 20x hybrid zoom telephoto lens, 8MP 119° ultra-wide-angle macro lens, and black-and-white portrait lens. For selfies, you get a dual-front camera of 32MP and 8MP super wide-angle camera. All those lens and robust camera features result in astounding photos—the best from the brand so far, so it also gets an up. You get clear photos with good colors. Exposure is accurate with good details and dynamic range. Selfies also look good with accurate skin tone and sharpness, and the wide lens lets you include more people in the frame. If you are a content creator, you can do a lot and experiment with the various camera modes available. Keeping the phone going is a 4,200mAh battery. It can last a day with moderate usage consisting of a few hours of watching videos and playing games. But for a smartphone this powerful, I feel a bigger battery would have been better just so you could keep the

90Hz display on. It does have a high speed 65 watt fast charging capability though, which can fully charge the phone in less than an hour. The realme X50 Pro 5G formally brings the brand to the 5G flagship arena and it’s a great smartphone overall with everything you need. It does, however, lack some of the extra features other flagships have like a proper IP rating or wireless charging but its affordable price tag makes it a good buy nonetheless. You can get the realme X50 Pro 5G only from Smart and is available for Signature Plan M 1499 for P1,899 per month with a one-time cash-out of P6,900 on a 24-month contract. The price includes the monthly service fee of P1,499 for the plan and the monthly amortization of P400, and comes with 10GB Data, Unli All-Net Calls, Unli All-Net Texts, and 100 minutes calls. ■

Globe touts this as year of reinvention SINCE the Samsung S Series was first launched in 2010, it has set the standard for devices that provide a groundbreaking experience for those who use their tech to creatively express themselves, enjoy entertainment on the go, and keep in touch with others. More than a decade later, smartphones have evolved beyond mere relevance into a truly indispensable part of our daily lives. The new Samsung Galaxy S21 series has been designed for the way we live today while also being equipped for the innovations of tomorrow. All three models under the series, namely, the S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra, are 5G-ready and packed with state-ofthe-art features which when combined with the 5G network of Globe are sure to open up a new world of possibilities for users. As a leader in 5G technology in the country, Globe continues to expand its 5G network all over Metro Manila and key cities in Visayas and Mindanao to help customers reinvent every day with the promise of lightning fast speeds and low latency. Level up your photography and video skills with the Galaxy S21 series’ improved pro-grade camera,

now with a bold new camera design, that will have you shooting like a pro. Both the Galaxy S21 and S21+ boast of a triple rear camera consisting of 12MP ultra wide, 12MP wide, 64MP telephoto lens, and 10 MP front camera. On the other hand, the S21 Ultra, which is considered to be Samsung’s best smartphone camera yet, has a powerful quad camera that features 108MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, two 10MP zoom lenses, and a 40MP front camera. With innovative features such as Unlimited Super Steady Video, Director’s View, Multi MIC Recording, Single Take, and a better Space Zoom, content creation is also made easy for everyone with the Galaxy S21 series. Moreover, the S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra run on Galaxy’s fastest chip ever, the new 5nm processor, that guarantees seamless performance like no other. So whether it’s for gaming, streaming, or multitasking between several apps, the Galaxy S21 series lets you stay on top of the things that you love anytime and anywhere. For a super smooth and optimized viewing

experience, it also utilizes the Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display that supports a refresh rate of 48-140Hz for the S21 and S21+, and 10-140Hz for the S21 Ultra. Be one of the first to try what the all-new Samsung Galaxy S21 series can offer, and how it best pairs with Globe 5G. As of the moment, only the S21+ and S21 Ultra are available locally. Postpaid customers can pre-order these models with ThePLAN via the Globe Online Shop, or visit www.globe.com.ph/GalaxyS21, and select Globe stores. Up to P20,000 worth of exclusive freebie bundles including the Galaxy Tab A 8.0, Galaxy Buds and Smart Tag await those who will preorder on or before January 24. Platinum customers, on the other hand, can avail through their Relationship Managers, through Thea, their Digital Assistant on Facebook Messenger (globe.co/thea-gp), or through glbe.co/PlatS21. New and recontracting customers will also get limited-edition freebies that will round out the Galaxy Ecosystem experience for them. Globe’s 5G network is now available in 17 cities in Metro Manila, and in key areas in Davao and Cebu. More information is available at www.globe.com.ph/5g.

BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor THE local government unit (LGU) of Valenzuela has tied up with Antipolo City for an aggressive and efficient contact tracing of their constituents. With this partnership, the former’s ValTrace app is now integrated with the latter’s Bantay Covid-19 app. Per the agreement, the former’s QR codes can now be used when entering establishments in Antipolo, and vice versa. Also, Rizal province’s capital and first-class component city can notify through its app Valenzuela City’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit if there is a Valenzuelano who had a recent contact with a Covid-19 patient in Antipolo, or the other way around. Their collaboration, likewise, guarantees that both LGUs will safeguard data privacy and security covered by Republic Act 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012. Following the signing of a pact with Pasig City last December, Valenzuela’s initiative shows a continuous expansion through linkages with others toward the same goal of effective contact tracing. Mayor Rexlon Gatchalian expected that their signing of the Interconnectivity Agreement with Antipolo will encourage more LGUs to integrate systems and unite best practices and programs for the greater good of gradually beating the health crisis. “We believe the ValTrace is a program that is efficient, effective and wide in its reach.... We also believe that in the coming days, more cities will join and be linked to our QR code for an easier contact tracing with other places in Metro Manila and nearby provinces,” he said. Antipolo City Mayor Andrea Ynares, for her part, was glad of their partnership to improve their tracking systems. “I hope our hand-in-hand effort will serve as a model for our constituents. Even if we observe physical distancing, it doesn’t mean that we cannot be close and united. I would like to thank Mayor Rex and his team for always helping and selflessly sharing the good practices of your LGU to a stronger partnership,” she stressed.

A12 Saturday, January 23, 2021

OKYO—International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and local organizers are pushing back against reports that the postponed Tokyo Olympics will be canceled. Now set to open July 23, the Tokyo Games were postponed 10 months ago at the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, and now the event appears threatened again. The Times of London, citing unidentified government sources, reported that the games will have to be canceled. It quoted an unidentified senior member of the ruling government coalition. “No one wants to be the first to say so but the consensus is that it’s too difficult,” the source said. “Personally, I don’t think it’s going to happen.” In a statement Friday, the local organizing committee did not address

directly The Times story, but said the Olympics were going forward and had the support of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. “All our delivery partners including the national government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, the IOC and the IPC [International Paralympic Committee] are fully focused on hosting the games this summer,” the statement said. “We hope that daily life can return to normal as soon as possible, and we will continue to make every effort to prepare for a safe and secure games.” Managu Sakai, the deputy chief Cabinet secretary and an ally of the prime minister, also shot down the story. “There is no such fact and we clearly deny [the report],”he said. The Times of London said Japan hoped to land the 2032 Olympics. The IOC has already

N February 20, Rio Olympics weightlifting silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz will be celebrating not only her 30th birthday but also one full year of stay in what she now considers her second home— Malacca in Malaysia. Diaz and her team arrived in Malacca 10 months ago to set up training camp for the

Zamboanguena’s bid to qualify for Tokyo 2020 for what could be her fourth straight Olympics since Beijing 2008 when she was an unassuming 18-year-old. But Covid-19 pandemic struck and the world stood still and Team Diaz found themselves stranded in Malaysia. No worries for Diaz, her strength and conditioning Coach Julius Naranjo and Chinese Coach Kaiwan Gao though as the Malaysian

BusinessMirror

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

TOKYO TEETERS awarded the 2024 Olympics to Paris and the 2028 version to Los Angeles. The idea of Tokyo waiting a decade seems unlikely, given the cost of maintaining venues, negotiating new leases, and so forth. Tokyo has already spent about $25 billion to organize these Olympics, most of which is public money. Several reports of a cancellation began to surface this month when the Japanese government put Tokyo and other prefectures under a state of emergency order to counter a surge of rising Covid-19 cases. “We have at this moment, no reason

DIAZ HAPPILY STRANDED IN MALACCA By Josef Ramos

Sports

government welcomed the team with open arms and gave them yearlong visas that expires, yes, on the Olympian’s birthday. “They [Malaysian government] gave us a one-year long visa and they treat us like a family here,” Diaz told BusinessMirror on Friday. “They treat us like their own and they let us train in their training center when I have no place to train.” Diaz will formally claim her ticket to

Bach

whatsoever to believe that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will not open on the 23rd of July in the Olympic stadium in Tokyo,” Bach told the Japanese news agency Kyodo on Thursday. He also said there is “no Plan B.” Senior IOC member Richard Pound said earlier in the week that the Olympics may be held largely without fans, making it a mostly television event. The Switzerland-based IOC gets 73 percent of its income from selling broadcast rights and has seen its main revenue source stalled by the Olympic postponement. A largely TV-only event

would suit the IOC better than a cancellation. Unlike other sports businesses that offer hundreds of games, the IOC has only two main events to sell—the Summer and Winter Olympics. Bach hinted that radical changes may be needed to pull off the Tokyo Olympics, which involve 11,000 athletes and tens of thousands of coaches, officials, judges, VIPS, media and broadcasters. About 4,400 athletes will attend the Paralympics, which are set to open August 24. “You may not like it but sacrifices will be needed, “ Bach said. “This is why I’m saying, safety first, and no taboo in the discussion to

ensure safety.” Japan has reported fewer than 5,000 deaths from the coronavirus and has handled the virus better than most countries. But the surge is not tapering off in Tokyo, a sprawling metropolitan area of 35 million. Public opinion in Japan has also turned against the games with 80 percent in several polls saying they should be postponed again or canceled. Bach said organizers were in a better position to hold the Olympics now than they were 10 months ago when the games were postponed. AP

Tokyo in the world championships Tashkent is hosting from April 15 to 25. All she needs is to step on the competition ramp, lift the barbell and officially claim a slot to the Olympics. The Tashkent worlds will be Diaz’s sixth International Weightlifting Federationsanctioned tournament, the minimum requirement for a weightlifter to qualify for Tokyo—for as long as you are in the world’s top 8 in your weight class. “They [Malaysian government] find ways to help me and my coaches,” she said. “There’s no competition here, we’re a family here.”

Diaz said that she has enjoyed Malacca since. “It was just supposed to be an isolation training here in Malaysia,” she said. “We never expected to stay here for too long.” Naranjo said they have learned to enjoy the Malaysian community. “We are treated like a true member of their family,” he said. “We are adjusting to

whatever happens and that’s best for Hidilyn and her core team.” If she’s not lifting steel, Diaz cooks Filipino dishes like adobo and tinolang manok. They learned to love Halal food but they manage to savor pork at least once a week. “Once a week, we eat pork in a Chinese restaurant,” said Diaz, who undergoes eight to nine training sessions a week and also attends online classes.

HIDILYN DIAZ: Look ma, I cooked them myself—dinuguan, tinolang manok and relyenong bangus.

Araneta: keep your focus

HEF de mission to the Tokyo Olympics Mariano “Nonong” Araneta advised the country’s Olympic qualifiers and hopefuls to remain focused amid reports that the Games will be canceled. “They [athletes] just have to continue training and focus on their goal because there is no pronouncement coming from the Japan organizers and the IOC [International Olympic Committee] that the games are formally canceled,” Araneta told BusinessMirror on Friday. The Times of London, citing unidentified

government sources, reported that the Games will have to be canceled [see banner story]. “There’s nothing to worry because there’s no official announcement,” Araneta said. The country has four qualifiers for Tokyo so far—boxers Eumir Felix Marcial and Irish Magno, gymnast Carlos Yulo and pole vaulter EJ Obiena. Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz will officially qualify when she participates in the Tashkent world championships in April. The Tokyo Olympics are set from July 23 to August 8. Josef Ramos

Tsukii opts to train under shihan dad

OKYO Olympics hopeful Junna Tsukii has decided to train under her father’s guidance after her rift with the national karate team’s Serbian coach remained unmended. The national karatekas eyeing qualification for the sport’s debut in the Tokyo Games are already training inside the Inspire Sports Academy bubble in Calamba under Serbian Coach Okay Arpa. But the Filipino-Japanese Tsukii, who won gold in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, opted to stay in Japan where he continues to be coached by his dad, shihan Shin Tsukii, an International Karatedo Gokujai Association sixth degree senior instructor. “After the SEA Games, I returned home here in Japan and continued to train under my father and several other coaches,” the 29-year-old who clinched a bronze medal at the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games, said. “I also have a training partner here.” Tsukii and Arpa haven’t been seeing eye to eye since the SEA Games in 2019 with the Serbian cutting his ties with the Filipino-Japanese in social media. SEA Games gold medalist Jamie Lim, Joane Orbon, Sharief Afif, Ivan Agustin and Alwyn Batican are already in the Inspire bubble which was put up by the Philippine Sports Commission for athletes who have a shot at the postponed Tokyo Olympics. Athletes in boxing and taekwondo are also in the bubble, training alongside the men’s national basketball pool in another area in the facility. The Gilas pool is preparing for the third window of the International Basketball

Association Asian Cup qualifiers the country is hosting next month. If travel restrictions are eased, the karatekas are scheduled to hold a training camp in either Portugal or Turkey next month. The karate qualifiers are set in June in Paris.

Tsukii