BusinessMirror January 24, 2023

Retail onion prices at ₧200 a kilo as imports arrive

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

HE retail price of onions plunged on Monday to a low of P200 per kilogram as imported supplies started to enter the country.

ureau of Plant Industry (BPI) Director Glenn Panganiban said the first batches of onion imports arrived late last Friday.

Panganiban told reporters that about 400 metric tons (MT) of yellow onions and 800 MT of red onions are now in

the local cold storages and are awaiting second border clearance by the BPI.

Panganiban said they expect the imported onions to be sold in the local markets within the week.

T he BPI earlier opened its 21,060-MT onion importation program, but only about 5,000 MT were issued sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) as importers showed weak appetite for the import program due to various factors.

T he latest price monitoring report

by the Department of Agriculture (DA) showed that prevailing retail prices of local red onions in Metro Manila markets have subsided to P200 to P350 per kilogram, from what used to be P700 per kilogram on the average.

However, DA reports also showed that local white onions are fetching P200 to P350 per kilogram while prices of imported white onions are ranging from P220 to P300 per kilogram.

T he price of onions has been declining since the national govern -

ment announced its onion importation program.

Panganiban reiterated that they do not expect the whole 5,000 MT approved imports to arrive in the country, which is a usual pattern in previous importation programs of the government.

A griculture Assistant Secretary Rex Estoperez said the imported stocks would not be concentrated on Metro Manila alone since they would be divided among consumers nationwide.

See “Retail onion,” A2

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE national government should remove non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and allow more imports to bring down commodity prices nationwide, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

I n the Philippine Economic Briefing in Frankfurt, Germany, BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla said inflation in the country is still traceable to supply shocks that have caused shortages in certain commodities.

N on-tariff barriers are measures that hinder the importation of goods. These prevent the entry of foreign goods into the Philippine market.

Obviously the solution, to me, is to import more and get rid of all the non-tariff barriers because the main reason [imports are low] is it’s so hard to get import permits. [But] I’m satisfied that the government is now doing everything it can to speed up the importation,” Medalla said.

T hese efforts, Medalla said, would help bring the country closer to the midpoint of the 2 to 4 percent BSP inflation target by 2024.

By the last quarter of the year, inflation nationwide could already be below 4 percent.

B ased on the country’s history, Medalla said the longest time the country has seen inflation of above 4 percent is 15 months. The country has also experienced, at its worst, four large shocks in a span of only four months.

Medalla said it took around 16 months before the base effects created from these shocks wore off.

But since most of these past shocks have not been accompanied by wage price inflation, secondary inflation effects did not emerge.

Still, Medalla said the recent supply shock that the economy experienced “is worse than before.” This means, the supply shock impact on inflation may last 16 months to as long as 18 months before it wears off.

WTTC HITS ‘KNEE-JERK’ TRAVEL RULES ON CHINESE TRAVELERS

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

AGLOBAL organization of private tourism and travel stakeholders threw shade at several governments for imposing restrictions on Chinese outbound travelers.

Julia Simpson, president and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) welcomed the reopening of mainland China to international travel, noting, “Chinese visitors around the world contributed US$253 billion to the global economy in 2019, creating jobs and boosting regional economies. The recovery of the Chinese travel and tourism sector is very welcome.”

However, she stressed, “Introducing knee-jerk travel restrictions shows g overnments have learned nothing about the behavior of this virus and continue to ignore the World Health Organization’s advice that border restrictions do not stop the virus mutating or moving around the globe. The reintroduction of ineffective Covid testing to Chinese travelers is

a step backwards for the global travel and tourism sector.”

A mong the governments that imposed additional testing rules on arriving Chinese travelers are those of the United States, Japan, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Israel, Morocco, Qatar, Australia, India, Malaysia, South Korea, and Taiwan. Philippine lawmakers and tourism stakeholders earlier called for stepped-up testing protocols for Chinese tourists, but Manila has said enough rules are already in place to ferret out the Covid-positive among international travelers, no matter the nationality.  (See, “DOT, DOH: Existing protocols are fine, amid China Covid fears,” in the BusinessMirror , December 30, 2022)

Stricter Covid test to enter China

THE Philippines requires unvaccinated travelers, regardless of nationality, to only submit a negative result from an antigen test taken 24 hours from departure. The vaccinated merely have to present their vaccination

See “WTTC,” A2

THE Cold Chain Association of the Philippines (CCAP) on Monday said  it requires at least P6 billion to double the industry’s storage capacity for onions and slash the disparity between the total supply annually and storage capacity.

CCAP President Anthony S. Dizon said the estimated capacity of

cold storages dedicated for onions nationwide is about 100,000 metric tons (MT), which is only 27 percent of the annual 360,000-MT supply.

D izon said cold storages for onions have a “unique” design and conditions to cater to the commodity, which entail high humidity and moderate air circulation.

See “Expanding,” A2

labor leaders attending a dialogue with International Labor Organization delegates to a high-level tripartite mission to the country in Makati City on Monday, January 23, 2023. The activity coincided with the Global Day of Action for Filipino

Bantag out of BuCor soon, Catapang replacing him

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla

on Monday disclosed that retired Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. will soon officially assume as directorgeneral of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

I n an interview with reporters at BuCor’s office in Muntinlupa City, Remulla told reporters that Catapang’s appointment papers may be released in  “a matter of hours” or until the Cabinet meeting today (Tuesday).

C atapang was appointed BuCor officer-in-charge after then BuCor director-general Gerald Catapang was placed under preventive suspension in October pending investigation as to his alleged involvement in the killing of veteran broadcaster Percy Lapid and alleged middleman in the latter’s killing identified as Jun Villamor, an inmate at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

R emulla said Catapang’s appointment was discussed with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Saturday, following the arrival of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. from Davos, Switzerland.

He [Bantag] will be replaced as BuCor director. It is within the power of the President,” Catapang said.

A sked why it took several months before the President officially appointed Catapang as BuCor chief, Remulla replied: “That’s how it should be. We are not in the business of just replacing people just like that. We have to study ev -

erything and wait for the developments to come in for us to really be sure of what we are doing. We need to assess everything.”

B antag was preventively suspended for 90 days in October  2022 while being investigated for Lapid and Villamor’s deaths.

L ast week, Remulla issued another 90-day preventive suspension against Bantag  pending the Justice department’s investigation on the March 30, 2021 interview conducted by the Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) with former Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan inside the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.

R emulla said the suspension was intended to prevent Bantag from “exerting undue influence or pressure on the witnesses” or “tampering of documentary evidence” pending his administrative investigation for the charges of grave misconduct and neglect in the performance of duty.         Palparan is serving a 40-year jail

the country’s onion supplies, the total cold storage capacity nationwide must be doubled to 200,000 MT.

sentence in connection with the  disappearance of two University of the Philippines students in 2006.

T he DOJ said the media interview was conducted without complying with Section 4, Chapter 3, Part IV of the BuCor Operating Manual on the process of approval of requests for persons deprived of liberty interview; Sections 3,4,5 (d) and 8, Chapter 3, part IV of the BuCor Operating Manual on the proper procedure/guidelines in regard to the conduct of PDL interviews; and Department Circular No. 015 dated January 27,2017, on the required approval prior to the conduct of PDL interviews.

W ith Bantag’s imminent ouster, Remulla said the DOJ is  eyeing to secure a precautionary hold departure order (PHDO) to prevent him from leaving the country.

“ Yes, we will do that because there are already pending cases being evaluated already by the prosecution and about to be filed in court,” Remulla said.

DTI: PHL in process of ratifying accord on fisheries subsidies

TRADE Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual said the Philippines “is in the process of ratifying the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies,” as he  affirmed the Philippines’s commitment “to contribute to the second wave of the fisheries negotiations.”

I n two World Trade Organization (WTO) meetings organized on the sidelines of the 2023 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Pascual stressed that advancing negotiations in agriculture is one of the top priorities of the Philippines.

Pascual, alongside 22 Ministers and senior officials representing a “broad spectrum” of the WTO membership, joined the Informal WTO Ministerial Gathering hosted by the Swiss Government.

A Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) statement on Monday said the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss priorities for the next stages of WTO work following the outcomes of the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) held in Geneva in June 2022.

T he meeting also offered a platform to provide “political direction

Inflation tack...

“There is an obvious disparity between demand and capacity,” Dizon told reporters in a press briefing on Monday.

D izon said his group accounts for

about 25,000 MT of the nationwide estimated 100,000 MT cold storage capacity for onions.

D izon emphasized that in order to properly cater to the storage needs of

To do this, he pointed out, the private sector alone cannot do it and the government must help through possible fiscal interventions.

D izon said a cold storage facility with a capacity of 2,500 MT of

onions cost about P150 million. To close the supply and cold storage capacity gap, a total of 40 cold storage facilities must be constructed with a total investment cost of P6 billion.

T he cost estimates do not include yet the cost of real estate, Dizon added.

Government interventions

DIZON proposed that the government consider various fiscal interventions such as loan packages to boost the country’s cold storage capacity.

A nother option the government can explore is that it will be the one building the cold storage facilities but shall be managed by private sector experts or pursue public-private partnerships, Dizon said.

T he national government, he added, may consider importing onions through its state-run entities to ensure timely arrival of supplies since the country suffers annually from shortage of the commodity. If not, the government may opt to improve local productivity to reduce the annual onion shortfall.

The government needs to develop and implement a holistic policy and strategic methodologies to balance supply and demand and mitigate undue market volatility,” he said.

“ This can be undertaken as a concerted effort among concerned government agencies, government financial institutions and private sector stakeholders working together towards the realization of the National Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization and Industrialization Plan,” he added.

B oosting the cold storage facilities for onions would improve competition in the industry, ensure the country’s supplies are managed and stored properly,and remove the possibility for price manipulation, Dizon said.

S ome of the cold storage operators in Nueva Ecija, he explained, have also become traders to ensure financial survivability of their facilities due to tight margins.

D izon said the monthly operating cost of a 2,500-MT cold storage facility is approximately P1.5 million to P2 million, while its gross profit is at P2.5 million given a P1 per kilogram of onion per month storage fee.

These [storage] rates may have changed as of late because of the increase in the costs of power,” he said.

“ The financial data shows that if the business model is anchored purely on storage revenues, the business viability cannot be defended; ergo, it is necessary and convenient to adopt a complementary business strategy to justify the capital investment. This is where the trading role comes into the picture,” he added.

Jasper

“This is the disadvantage of being a credible central bank. Eventually supply shocks, the effects of supply shocks disappear. Of course, it’s hard to rule out another supply shock,” Medalla said.

Investor concerns AMONG the concerns raised by investors in the President’s economy is the 60-40 percent rule on foreign ownership in sectors such as construction. Medalla said some of these laws are “unfortunately” embedded in the Constitution.

Nonetheless, National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Director General Arsenio M. Balisacan, who was also the first to chair the government’s anti-trust body, the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), said the government is making progress in changing these restrictions.

B alisacan said the PCC recently launched a case in the courts to chal -

and motivation” in preparation for the 13th Ministerial Conference, which will take place in Abu Dhabi in February 2024.

I n a press conference at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva last June 2022, Philippine Agriculture Undersecretary for Agri-Industrialization and for Fisheries Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero said the Philippines shall benefit from the WTO funding mechanism in improving its capacity and technical knowledge in managing its fisheries resources.

C aballero earlier said the Philippines has undertaken initiatives and research on science-based approaches to sustainable fisheries management and will benefit from funding grants that enhance its capacity and technical knowledge towards ensuring up-to-date resource management mechanisms.

T he WTO website said Switzerland became the first WTO member to formally submit its acceptance of the WTO’s new Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, “paving the way for the historic agreement for ocean sustainability to enter into force.”

lenge regulations that big foreign companies are less preferred over domestic firms. He said the PCC is firm in saying that foreign and domestic companies should operate on a level playing field.

In the Philippines, there are remnants of protectionism and this government is doing its best to get to the bottom of things. Unfortunately, some things are embedded in the Constitution,” Medalla said. P roof of these efforts is the change in tack of the government when it comes to renewable energy. The previous administration’s stance was that renewables were a natural resource and therefore should be owned 100 percent by Filipinos. However, Medalla said, the current Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said since renewables use natural resources, these should be open to the use of all people. Such a stance could open the doors for greater foreign participation in the sector.

certification certificates or an international certificate of vaccination or prophylaxis (yellow card). In contrast, Filipinos and other nationalities traveling to mainland China, vaccinated or otherwise, have to submit a negative result from an RT-PCR test taken 48 hours prior to departure.

A s this developed, the Department of Tourism (DOT) celebrates the arrival today of Xiamen Airlines flight MF819 from Xiamen, bringing an estimated 190 Chinese tourists.

C hina’s Ambassador to Manila Huang Xilian is expected to join Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and Manila International Airport Authority Cesar Chiong in welcoming the Chinese tourists.

X iamen Air closed its office in Manila during the pandemic, but the carrier restarted its flights to the capital in October, with two flights a week. It began its daily service on January 17, using a Boeing 738. Pioneering flag carrier Philippine Airlines has also started operating its own once-a-week flights between Manila and  Xiamen on January 13, but will code-share with Xiamen Air for the summer

season, from April and October.

110-M outbound trips

ACCORDING to the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute as cited by Bloomberg, Chinese outbound trips are likely to reach 110 million this year, just 67 percent less than their pre-pandemic 2019 level.

ForwardKeys, a research firm aggregating global ticketing data, earlier reported that outbound flight bookings by Chinese travelers jumped by 192 percent between December 26, 2022 and January 3, 2023, compared to the same period in the previous year. It added, 67 percent of these bookings were for travel during the Lunar New Year vacation period from January 21 to 27. The Lunar New Year began on Sunday, January 22.

Currently, the most popular return trips are to Macau, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Frankfurt,” said ForwardKeys . (See, “Chinese tourists celebrating Lunar New Year elsewhere except in the Philippines,” in the BusinessMirror , January 16, 2023.)

Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

“ We have ports designated in Visayas and Mindanao. Our [red onion] imports will be distributed and allocated to Visayas and Mindanao except for the yellow onions,” he told reporters in an interview on Monday.

E stoperez added that they will be finalizing the price cap on imported onions within the week.

The price of the imported onions should not go below the cost of production of local onions or else farmers will be losing,” he said.

DND‘s Galvez to military: Resolve ammo wastage report

DEFENSE Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. has directed the military to ensure it properly manages, conserves and utilizes its logistics after he was informed of a “high level” of ammunition wastage in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

T he report of a high amount of spillage comes as the military scrimps for funds just to be able to support its ongoing modernization program, which requires billions of funds to be sustained and supported.

T he report was disclosed by Galvez during the first flag raising ceremony of the Department of National Defense under him as its secretary, a post that he took merely a week ago from his predecessor, Jose Faustino Jr.

“ It has come to my attention that there is a high level of wastage in ammunition in the different branches of the AFP. We should avoid this from happening,” Galvez said.

T he defense chief said the military must take care and conserve its logistical resources, saying it should focus on preventing wastage “at all levels.”

Galvez said he had already ordered as to how the military could still put into good use the wasted ammunition, whose quantity and volume it is still being looked into.

O ne possibility that is being considered, he said, is to use the ammunition in target training without necessarily risking the health and safety of soldiers.

Following his disclosure, Galvez said he had directed the military to fully optimize the use of its resources and logistics.

M eanwhile, the defense secretary said the reported grumbling in the military have already been resolved, saying the root cause have been addressed.

He said the uneasiness among the soldiers was spawned by the issues of promotion, designation and the law fixing a three-year term for senior key officers.

G alvez said 39 promotions and designations have been signed by the Commander-inChief while Congress is already moving to amend the law on the three-year term.

T he efforts, Galvez said, brought back the high morale in the AFP.

Rene Acosta

Nation

11 senior police officials yet to submit courtesy resignations, PNP chief says

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

SENIOR police officers that will not tender their courtesy resignations will still be subjected to “screening” in the ongoing purge in the Philippine National Police (PNP).

P NP chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. assured during a news briefing on Monday wherein he disclosed that only 11 senior officers have not submitted their courtesy resignations, nearly a month after Interior and Local Government Sec-

retary Benhur Abalos Jr. asked all police colonels and generals in the PNP to hand in their resignations in a move to clear the organization from officers allegedly involved in illegal drugs.

T he eight police colonels and three generals, Azurin said, have until the end of this month to turn in their voluntary resignation letters.

The Directorate for Personnel and Records Management [DPRM] is awaiting the submission of 11 letters of courtesy resignation from eight police colonels and three police brigadier generals until January 31,

2023 target date,” Azurin said.

As of January 20, 2023, the DPRM Discipline, Law and Order Division has received the courtesy resignation of 942 senior PNP officers from among the 953 third level police officials,” he added.

T he PNP chief hopes that the 11 officials will comply with the call of Abalos until the end of this month. Azurin said that even without the officials’ submitting their letters of voluntary resignation, the five-man committee tasked to screen all the senior officers and their records would look into the papers and backgrounds

Land turnover issue delays completion of PNR Clark Phase 2 by eight months

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) said due to issues on land turnover, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 2 will be delayed by about eight months to mid 2025.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the Clark Depot of the PNR Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark) Segment of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) will be completed by June 2025, an eight-month extension of its original target completion date of October 2024.

He said POSCO Engineering & Construction cited the delayed turnover of the land as cause for the extension in completion of the project. The turnover of the land was sup -

posedly delayed as the government had to cut down fruit bearing trees planted in the 36-hectare site.

This is a very important part of the NSCR, considering the operations control center of the project will be located here. The operations control center is the heart of the operations,” Bautista said.  POSCO will construct 48 buildings and facilities at the depot site. The Clark Depot has 33 stabling tracks to serve as parking area for the trains and 12 other tracks to access the maintenance facilities.

T he transport chief vowed to finish the project “within the timeframe provided to President Bongbong Marcos.”

We promised the President that we would finish the project as agreed on the timeline that we set. I just want

to see to it that we work together and finish this project on time,” he said.

A s of end-December, more than 33 percent of the planned construction has been completed.

Funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the PNR Clark Phase 2 is the second leg of the North-South Commuter Rail (NSCR) Project, which aims to link cities and municipalities in Central Luzon with Metro Manila, and help spur economic activity in nearby provinces.

Once completed, the 53-kilometer rail line is expected to cut travel time between Malolos, Bulacan and Clark, Pampanga from 1.5 hours to just 30 minutes. It will also feature the country’s first-ever Airport Railway Express Service, which will connect Makati to the Clark International Airport in just 55 minutes.

Remulla exposes corruption racket in BuCor prisons victimizing inmates

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla exposed on Monday the illegal practice of prison and jail guards in various detention and prison facilities in the country of getting a 12 percent to 20 percent cut from the money being sent via online e-wallets such as GCash to persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) by their loved ones to augment their food allowance.

In an interview with reporters during the ceremony for the release of 340 PDLs held at the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) in Muntinlupa City, Remulla lamented that prison guards are taking advantage of PDLs right after being caught and convicted.

“ We should not tolerate these people…we should not tolerate these practices,” Remulla said.

Remulla said this kickback system is victimizing not only PDLs in the facilities under the BuCor but also detainees under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)

as well as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

“ The corruption inside [these facilities], particularly on PDLs, is really too much. We really have to address this,” Remulla stressed.

He said the information about the said illegal practice also came from PDLs who are complaining about the huge cut that prison guards are getting from the money being sent to them.

Under the prison rules, PDLs are not allowed to possess and use mobile phones while in detention or while serving their sentence inside penal facilities.

BuCor head Gregorio Catapang Jr., also confirmed the said illegal practice by prison guards to allow PDLs to use their e-wallets to receive money from their loved ones provided that they will get a 12 to 20 percent commission.

Catapang said they are planning to file charges and initiate summary

dismissal proceedings against six jail guards who were caught in possession of PDLs money that was kept in their lockers.

T he money, according to Catapang, is being loaned to PDLs by prison guards with huge interest.

That is illegal and we will be filing charges against the lenders,” Catapang said.

Meanwhile, a total of 340 PDLs were released yesterday from various penal farms as part of the government’s decongestion program.

T he BuCor said 128 of the 340 PDLs were released on parole, 165 had served their maximum sentence with good conduct time allowance.

T here were 35 PDLs who also served their sentence with GCTA were released under Department Order No. 953 that states that the release of PDLs sentenced to life imprisonment or high-risk inmates shall be implemented with the approval of the justice secretary.   Joel R. San Juan

Bill pushing for WPS protection gains support

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

ABILL for the environmental protection and preservation of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) has been gaining ground among key government agencies.

Palawan Third District Rep. Edward Hagedorn said he has met with officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of National Defense (DND) who voiced their interest for the passage of the bill.  House Bill No. 6373 aims to declare all low-tide elevations and hightide features, and an area of three

nautical miles around the Kalayaan Island Group and Scarborough Shoal as a Marine Protected Area.

This amid heightened tensions in the WPS wherein a Chinese coast guard blocked a Filipino fishing vessel.

“I thank the DENR, DILG, DND, and all the other experts who have engaged me in discussion and have shown genuine interest in protecting our environment. The discussions made during the meetings are positive and we have found that our views are aligned,” Hagedorn said.

The invaluable insights of these government officials will all help in shaping the bill into something that will strengthen the protection and preservation of the atolls, coral reefs, and other vital marine resources in

the Kalayaan Island Group and Scarborough Shoal. Indeed, this is a cause that we should unite for,” he added.

Rep. Eddie Villanueva has also expressed his full support for the bill, calling it an “important and timely initiative that could provide a common ground and shared interest for all contending states.”

Meanwhile, the bill is set to be deliberated upon in Congress on January 25.

Hagedorn also thanked House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for prioritizing the hearing of HB 6373.

T he bill cited Republic Act No. 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018 and the Arbitral Ruling in seeking to declare the said areas

as a Marine Protected Area.

In its explanatory note, it cited a 2012 study by Rudolf de Groot, et al, which stated that coral reefs are our “single most valuable ecosystem.”

“A hectare, or about 2.5 acres, of reef can produce a potential value of approximately $350,000 a year. The coral reefs in the Spratlys, which serve as the breeding ground of fish in the South China Sea, comprise 34 percent of the world’s total coral reefs, despite the South China Sea occupying only 2.5 percent of world’s total ocean and sea surface,” it read.

“As such, the South China Sea is one of the richest marine areas in the world, which is home to diverse marine ecosystems with over 3,000 species of fish and 600 species of coral reef,” it added.

of the 11 police officials.

A zurin said impending retirements are not an issue in the submission of resignation papers.

“Maybe, they are still trying to discern whether they should still submit since they are about to retire. But to us, we also still encourage that they should submit so that they could be cleared,” he said.

Missing ‘sabungeros’ case update

AZURIN also said the ongoing police investigation into the case of 34 missing “sabungeros” is showing

encouraging results as three accused in the kidnapping of e-sabong master agent Ricardo Lasco in San Pablo City, Laguna on August 30, 2021 have surrendered to the police.

T he three, who are now in police custody, were identified as Rigel Brosas, Daryl Paghangaan and Roy Navarrete. They are former policemen who have been dismissed from the service on December 29, 2022.

A zurin said the three were subjects of a warrant of arrest issued by a court in Laguna for the crime of robbery, kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

SC upholds conviction of teacher for child abuse

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed the ruling issued by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Antipolo City and the Court of Appeals, which found a female teacher guilty of child abuse for forcing her students to place in their mouths pieces of trash while inside their classroom.

However, the Court declared erroneous the decision of the CA to delete the award of damages granted by the Antipolo RTC Branch in favor of a student who filed the complaint against the petitioner teacher Melany B. Garin.

T hus, it modified the CA decision by ordering Garin to indemnify the student P20,000 as moral damages, P20,000 as exemplary damages, and P20,000 as temperate damages.

It also imposed a fine of P15,000 pursuant to Section 31(f) of RA 7610 (An Act Providing For Stronger Deterrence and Special Protection Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination, and For Other Purposes).

T he SC said all damages awarded would earn legal interest of 6 percent per year until fully paid.

T he High Tribunal pointed out that “any person who commits an act that debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of the child as a human being” can be held liable under Section 10, Article VI of RA 7610.

“ While it may be true that not every instance of laying of hands

on the child would constitute childabuse, petitioner’s intention can be inferred from the manner in which she committed the act complained,” the SC said in a four-page resolution denying Garin’s petition for review seeking the reconsideration of the CA’s ruling affirming the Antipolo RTC’s decision which found her guilty for violation of RA 7610.

“On this score, petitioner’s act of forcing the victim, AAA, and his classmates to place in their mouths pieces of trash, consisting of scraps of paper, pencil shaving, dirt, and candy wrappers from the classroom’s dustpan, undoubtedly debased, degraded and demeaned their intrinsic worth and dignity as children,” it added.

Garin’s “deplorable act,” according to the SC, affected AAA’s normal development in light of his mental capacity and emotional maturity.

In fact, the SC said, Garin’s acts led to AAA’s lead poisoning and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“As eloquently pronounced by the CA, no self-respecting human being would voluntarily place pieces of garbage in his or her mouth unless unduly coerced to do so. The gravity of petitioner’s action becomes all the more pronounced considering that the incident occurred in class and by reason of her moral ascendancy as AAA’s teacher,” the SC declared.

T he identity of the victim or any information, which could establish or compromise his or her identity are withheld pursuant to SC Amended Administrative Circular No. 83-2015.

THE chairman of the House Committee on Transportation urged commuters to file complaints against abusive transportation service providers.

House Committee on Transportation Chairperson and Antipolo Second District Rep. Romeo Acop said it is the policy of the government to encourage commuters to file complaints against abusive transportation service providers because that is their right.

Acop issued the statement after the case lodged by a commuters group against Angkas for alleged excessive fares during the holiday season.

Asked if he supports the case, Acop pointed out “that’s the policy of the government, anybody can file a case, especially those affected...citizens also have the right to complain,” he said.

If the case has already been filed, let the proper body investigate,” he added.

Acop also urged the Department of Transportation to act on complaints of users of motorcycle ridehailing companies. He also asked the agency to immediately address complaints of overcharging by transportation service providers and to check if they comply with the memo on motorcycle taxi pilot testing.

Earlier this month, the Coalition of Filipino Commuters (CFC) filed a complaint against motorcycle ridehailing service Angkas with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for failing to stop abusive drivers from overcharging customers during the holiday rush.

T he LTO is the lead government agency overseeing the motorcycle taxi pilot-testing program.

T he group reported that in December, Angkas riders took advantage of the heavy demand for rides by turning off their Angkas apps and charging passengers double or more the usual rates charged by the motorcycle taxi company.

T he CFC stressed that Angkas should be penalized “for multiple violations of the standardized fare matrix that the MC Taxi TWG currently implements.”

“Using the holidays, or rush hours or the traffic situation to charge more from the commuting public is unacceptable and we demand that this practice be stopped,” said the group.

“These violations not only cheat the commuting public of their hard earned money, but also puts the ride hailing industry and the motorcycle taxi pilot in jeopardy.” Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Rep. Acop tells commuters: Lodge complaint against ‘abusive’ transport service providers

GALVEZ

Globalization is dead, long live globalization

tition and innovation!

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz  @joveemarie

ASENIOR lawmaker on Monday asked the House Committee on Ways and Means to issue subpoenas against 10 brokers, importers and facilitators amid reports of widespread and large-scale smuggling of agricultural commodities in the country.

S ultan Kudarat Rep. Horacio Suansing Jr., author of House Resolution 311 investigating the smuggling of basic commodities and tobacco, with the end in view of proposing remedial measures, urged the committee to subpoena 10 individuals allegedly involved in large-scale agricultural smuggling in the Philippines.

“I, as principal author of House Resolution No. 311, would like to request the Committee on Ways and Means to issue subpoenas for [some] brokers/importers/facilitators allegedly involved in large-scale agricultural smuggling in the Philippines,” Suansing said.

Suansing also requested records from the Bureau of Customs and the Department of Agriculture on 14 consignees.

“It is our hope that this inquiry

will help hold accountable and will reveal to our nation’s taxpayers, dutiful citizens, and most of all, to our local farmers the officials of government responsible for facilitating the proliferation of agricultural product smuggling in the country,” he said.

For his part, House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda said his committee would send subpoenas to these brokers, importers, facilitators as well as consignees.

A ccording to Suansing, the effects of unauthorized agricultural commodity imports flooding local markets gravely impact on the livelihoods of local farmers and on the very stability of the country’s macroeconomic position, which should prompt Congress to perform its oversight functions and promote public interest by proposing legislation that will finally empower government agencies and government agents to prevent and eliminate all smuggling activities.

For her part, House Committee on Ways and Means Senior Vice Chairperson Mikaela Angela Suansing, also author of House Resolution 311, said the unabated smuggling of these commodities deprives the national government of billions of pesos in

much-needed revenues from uncollected taxes and customs duties.

In 2023 thus far—meaning, in January 2023 alone—the estimated value of reported smuggled commodities has already totaled to P693.85 million. Tobacco smuggling alone is estimated to cost the government P24.7 to 26 billion per year, with some estimates placing it as high as P60 billion—as an estimated 13 percent to 14 percent of tobacco products sold in the country come from illegal sources,” she said.

“Similarly, billions of pesos worth of smuggled rice enter the country— with the largest reported case being the unloading of P1 billion worth of smuggled rice which arrived in Iloilo in August 2022. Furthermore, P600 million worth of smuggled onions were intercepted in 2022 alone, while P521.5 million worth of smuggled sugar were seized from different ports since 2021,” she added.

W ith their lower prices due to the absence of taxes, Suansing said, smuggled commodities displace locally produced agricultural commodities, thus negatively impacting the livelihood of the 10.6 million Filipinos working in the agriculture industry.

“ The agriculture industry ac -

Subpoenas sought vs 10 individuals allegedly involved in large-scale agri product smuggling USAID, through Unilab Foundation, inks agreement with IGFI for AMDev program

counts for approximately 23 percent of the country’s work force. As the Representative of the First District of Nueva Ecija, the country’s rice granary, this is particularly concerning to me—as the entry of cheaper, smuggled rice and onions from other countries has pushed down the buying price of the palay produced by our farmers to as low as P10 per kilogram [during the wet season] for palay and P150 per kilogram for red onions [despite the P600 per kilogram selling price of onions in the market],” she said.

As sponsors of House Resolution No. 311, Rep. Horacio Suansing Jr. and I will endeavor to answer the following questions: Are there employees of the Bureau of Customs, the Department of Agriculture, and its attached agencies who connive with smugglers? How are import documents like Sanitary Phytosanitary Import Clearances [SPSICs] falsified and recycled? Can the automated selectivity system be manually overridden, allowing discretion on assignments of shipments to color-coded lanes? How can these smuggled commodities clear customs despite going through X-rays and physical inspections?” Suansing asked.

By Henry J. Schumacher

WHO would have thought that the meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos would one day become a symbol of the good old days? The era in which globalization took giant strides and world trade grew year after year even faster than the world economy as a whole. When the rise of emerging economies lifted millions out of absolute poverty every year and international competition kept inflation low.

T his “Davos mindset” shaped the world view of the global elite for years. This also included the fact that one could no longer imagine that states that were becoming more and more networked with one another could still wage wars against one another.

By Andrea E. San Juan

THE United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through Unilab Foundation, has inked an agreement with the ICCP Group Foundation Inc. (IGFI) as one of the core partners for USAID’s Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development (AMDev) Program.

According to a news statement released by the IGFI on Monday,   “the five-year AMDev Program seeks to create a highly skilled and adaptive work force that meets the evolving requirements of the high-tech manufacturing sector.”

T he program was among the initiatives announced during the recent state visit of United States Vice President Kamala D. Harris, said IGFI.

IGFI said the project aims to strengthen the work force through the development of an industry-led technical education system with “betterdefined, harmonized skills” as well as qualifications descriptors and competency and training standards.

Under the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed between IGFI and USAID, IGFI shall be part of the overall implementation of the project as a member of the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Council (AMSC), which will be established under the project.

IGFI said the council would spearhead the effort to define and harmonize standards and qualifications for the work force and identify strategic priorities. Moreover, the AMSC will have three core functions: human capital development; policy, research

and advocacy; and stakeholder engagement among government, industry, and education sectors.

Specifically, IGFI shall lead in the skills gap and training needs analysis through the conduct of surveys with locators within industrial zones towards the development of a competency framework for the advanced manufacturing work force.

IGFI said it would also be part of the delivery of training curriculum for the existing and incoming work force from partner companies and schools. The foundation said the AMDev program is ongoing and will run through September 2027.

IGFI is the social development arm of the ICCP Group, a diversified conglomerate engaged primarily in three main lines of business: finan-

cial services, property development and exhibition hall management.

T he conglomerate owns and operates Science Park of the Philippines, Inc. (SPPI), one of the “pioneers and largest private developers” of Economic Zones in the country with an aggregate area of about 860 hectares.

SPPI owns, develops, and operates ecozone estates in Cabuyao and Calamba, Laguna; Sto. Tomas and Malvar, Batangas; Hermosa, Bataan; and Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

T he ecozone operator said its locators include companies from diverse nationalities and business sectors.

Most of the firms are Filipino, Japanese, American, Australian, and European, including major multinational companies and several Fortune 500 companies.

Today we know that much of this Davos ideology was naïve and sometimes simply convenient for the already rich and powerful. But just as much remains true: more trade means more prosperity— and vice versa. There were leaders in Davos last week who clearly spoke out against the threat of de-globalization.

One European leader renewed his offer to the US to negotiate tariff reductions and warned: Protectionism prevents compe-

He demanded: Since the World Trade Organization (WTO) is not fully capable of acting, Europe should strengthen its trade cooperation with “like-minded partners” and proposed a Free Trade Area for Democracies!

A s a model for his idea, he sees the “climate club” that the seven largest industrialized countries (G7) proclaimed last year and in which they want to agree on common climate protection standards.

First assessment: Like the climate club, the free trade zone of the democracies is nothing more than a vague idea. But at least one that stands out pleasantly from the ever-new industrial policy subsidy programs that are currently being discussed in Berlin, Brussels, Paris and Washington.

I like this idea of creating the “Free Trade Zone of the Democracies.” As mentioned at the beginning of this article, many years ago, the era in which globalization took giant steps and world trade grew year after year even faster than the world economy, the rise of emerging economies lifted millions out of absolute poverty and international competition kept inflation low.

For the Philippines and some other Asean countries it may make sense to consider joining the free trade zone for democracies. Of course, that would require the Marcos administration to fully subscribe to democracy throughout the country, involving the national government and the local governments.

Not an easy job, but the benefits are there: supporting the government’s urgent agenda on the dual malaise of poverty and inequality and achieve the much-needed shared prosperity.

Feedback is welcome; contact me at hjschumacher59@gmail.com

PUMP prices will go up by over P2 per liter this week.

On Monday, oil firms announced they would implement an increase gasoline prices by P2.80 per liter, diesel by P2.25 per liter, and kero -

sene by P2.40 per liter. Seaoil, Shell, PTT, Phoenix, Caltex, Total, Petron said the adjusted pump prices takes effect at 6 a.m. of Tuesday, January 24. Cleanfuel, meanwhile, will adjust its prices at 4:01 p.m Lenie Lectura

Urgent Open Letter to His Excellency President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. Seeking Immediate Revocation of PPA AO No. 04-2021

HIS EXCELLENCY FERDINAND ROMUALDEZ MARCOS, JR. President of the Republic of the Philippines Malacanang, Manila Dear Mr. President:

We, the undersigned, commend your Administration’s critical interventions to sustain economic growth in the country amid high inflationary pressures from the continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict, global supply disruptions, and recessions. We support your wholeof-government approach in working towards the country’s continued recovery from the impact of the pandemic and the elevated uncertainty in the international economic environment. We trust in the merit of your economic plans for the country and fully support the digitalization of government processes as a way to improve efficiency in our operations. Further to your 8-point socioeconomic agenda, we stand ready to work with your Administration in “protecting the purchasing power of families by ensuring food security, reducing transport and logistics costs…”

Unfortunately, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) does not seem to be on board with your economic plans for the country. There is wide consensus among stakeholders that the PPA’s proposed additional container monitoring system, the Trusted Operator Program-Container Registry Monitoring System (TOP-CRMS) and Empty Container Storage Shared Service Facility (ECSSSF) under PPA Administrative Order No. AO-04-2021 (PPA-AO-04-2021), will end up derailing your Administration’s economic recovery efforts.

The implementation of the TOP-CRMS/ECSSSF has been consistently and vehemently opposed by various stakeholders since the first public consultation held on June 15, 2021.

Our objections are outlined below:

I. TOP-CRMS/ECSSSF will worsen inflation in the country

Our estimates indicate that the direct financial cost alone from the additional insurance fees, transaction fees, and trucking fees required by TOP-CRMS/ECSSSF will result in an almost 50% increase in the cost of importing goods.1 In real terms, this will lead to a staggering additional annual import cost estimate of at least PHP 35 Billion.

This shocking amount does not even include the other incidental costs arising from the implementation of TOP-CRMS/ECSSSF. The PPA’s plan to require the transfer of empty containers to a 10-hectare facility and other PPA-authorized staging facilities outside the ports will create additional bottlenecks for all containers going in and out of the Manila Ports, leading to severe congestion in the surrounding areas in Metro Manila, driving up the costs for overhead, labor, equipment, and external services. All these could significantly increase the program's actual cost to the economy.

The PPA fails to consider that the ultimate victim of these additional costs is the ordinary Filipino consumer, who is already bleeding from an inflation rate of 8.1%.2

It is unclear if the PPA has even considered reaching out to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to fully understand the impact of PPA AO-04-2021 and TOP-CRMS/ECSSSF, especially at a time when the country is reeling from the effects of the pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, fuel price volatility, and global supply chain disruptions.

II. THE TOP-CRMS/ ECSSSF was not designed to address smuggling

We laud and fully support your Administration’s fight against smuggling and we are one with you in finding effective solutions. We, however, urge your Administration to carefully assess whether programs being sold to the public as a “solution to smuggling” are indeed as claimed.

Notably, in a Trucking Summit organized by PPA on January 16, 2023, it was categorically admitted by PPA officials that (1) the TOP-CRMS was NOT designed to address smuggling and that its relationship to smuggling is MERELY INCIDENTAL; and (2) that its real focus is the return of empty containers and container deposits. This surprising turnaround belies earlier claims that the TOP CRMS is an effective anti-smuggling tool.

Moreover, the tracking of containers is just one part of curbing smuggling and is already being implemented by Customs pursuant to its mandate under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA). Recent digitalization programs launched by the Bureau have shown progress as evidenced by the 34.1% increase in its 2022 collections vs. 2021. Customs digitalization has also improved the BOC’s capability to detect the more sophisticated forms of customs fraud, such as misdeclaration, misclassification, and undervaluation. This is in line with international experience that solving smuggling in its various forms requires a holistic, whole-of-government approach anchored on (1) getting advanced information on import shipments before arrival in any Philippine port; (2) a modern risk management system; (3) eliminating human intervention in regulatory clearance processing; (4) the full digitalization of the Customs systems; (5) the full implementation of the National Single Window (NSW) to interconnect regulating agencies with the Bureau of Customs and serve as an institutional platform for inter-agency collaboration that will allow the exchange of trade data. The foregoing holistic approach considered in the digitalization and modernization strategy adopted by the Bureau of Customs in bringing itself to global standards got the support of World Bank to finance the Philippine Customs Modernization Program worth USD 88.28 Million.

Finally, the TOP-CRMS is a clear usurpation of Customs function. Combating smuggling and the monitoring of containers from the time of discharge from the vessel up to loading for export are among the primary responsibilities of the Bureau of Customs, while the PPA’s role under its charter is the development and administration of ports falling within its administrative jurisdiction.

III. The Container Deposit is among the issues currently being addressed by House Bill No. 04933 a.k.a the “International Maritime Trade Competitiveness Act”.

The issue of container deposit is among the issues currently being discussed in the halls of Congress under House Bill No. 04933. PPA should not preempt action being taken by the legislative branch of government and assume upon itself the role of the regulator of international shipping lines, which it is most definitely not. This matter should be left to the final determination of Congress, which aims to settle issues involving fees and charges imposed by international shipping lines. Under House Bill No. 04933. The Maritime Industry Authority is proposed to be the regulatory body over fees and charges imposed by international carriers.

IV. TOP CRMS/ECSSSF is not the solution to port congestion

The solution to port congestion lies in the development of port infrastructure and maximizing the assets that PPA already has and not what it will still acquire, accredit or purchase. The TOP-CRMS/ ECSSSF, from what it claims to achieve, is more of a restrictive plan

aimed at diverting the growing volume of containers to another location which would keep the problem out of sight of the port and present a false picture of the real situation.

Utilizing space at the off-dock container yards accredited by PPA for the use of all shipping lines to ease the demand for space inside the terminal is merely a palliative measure that is destined to fail in the short term. As the economy expands, the increased demand for more space will heighten as bigger vessels begin to come in and import volume continues to grow year on year. Import volume for 2022 grew by 8% over the 2021 volume, already exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 6%. With the Philippine GDP expected to grow by 6.5% in 2023 despite a looming global economic slowdown and with the steady increase in volume, these container yards will begin to swell with empty containers, thus exacerbating the problem and making the situation reach its tipping point.

V. PPA-AO-04-2021 does not comply with the basic requirements of the Constitution, laws, and international best practices

a. PPA-AO-04-2021 is inconsistent with the requirements of the Philippine Competition Act

TOP-CRMS/ECSSSF will require truckers and other service providers to register under one system, which would then nominate and assign them to individual transactions (i.e., empty reposition). This demolishes the autonomy of shipping lines and truckers to negotiate, manage and monitor their current and prospective vendors. This feature in the proposed system creates a monopoly where multiple service providers are at the mercy of the winning bidder for TOP-CRMS, a serious concern under the Philippine Competition Act.

Administrative Order No. 44 Series of 2021 and the NEDA-PCC Joint Memorandum Circular No. 01-2020 (JMC 01-2020) clearly require the PPA to ensure that “all policies, laws and regulations, issuances and other interventions shall promote market efficiency and enhancement of consumer welfare, and shall not distort competition by creating barriers to entry…” To this end, PPA is required to “review relevant policies, rules and regulations, issuances, and other interventions to determine whether they restrict, prevent, or lessen competition or render undue advantage to some firms within the sector or industry, and where appropriate, amend or eliminate these policies and interventions.” Despite its clear obligation under AO No. 44, PPA has done no such competition impact analysis and has therefore failed to comply with one of the country’s landmark competition policies.

b. The PPA did not conduct a Regulatory Impact Assessment before the issuance of AO-04-2021

Section 5 of the Ease of Doing Business Act (RA 11032) provides that “all proposed regulations of government agencies shall undergo regulatory impact assessment to establish if the proposed regulation does not add undue regulatory burden and cost to these agencies and the applicants or requesting parties.” The PPA has never conducted a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) to ARTA, in relation to PPA AO-04-2021. This was confirmed by the ARTA staff during a series of meetings with stakeholders.

The PPA’s failure to undertake an evaluation of the potentially disastrous cost implications of implementing TOP-CRMS/ECSSSF is a major red flag that should alarm your Administration.

c. The PPA has continued to ignore serious objections to TOP-CRMS/ECSSSF without any valid explanation

No less than the fundamental law of the land recognizes the importance of effective stakeholder engagement in governance Section 16 Article XIII, of the 1987 Constitution expressly states that “the right of the people and their organizations to effective and reasonable participation at all levels of social, political, and economic decision-making shall not be abridged. The State shall, by law, facilitate the establishment of adequate consultation mechanisms.”

Stakeholder consultation is also an internationally-recognized requirement in the design of regulations. Under the ASEAN Guidelines on Good Regulatory Practices (2009), each Regulatory Impact Statement must have an attached report describing the design, process, and results of all efforts toward stakeholder engagement and public consultations. In the express interest of transparency, the ASEAN prescribes that, in public consultations: (1) all stakeholders, including consumers and businesses, should have access to the draft proposals and the opportunity to submit comments; (2) comments from all stakeholders must be adequately considered and analyzed, and (3) the policy-maker must respond to significant points in the comments and explain the rationale for revisions before adopting the final regulation.

Contrary to the above Guidelines, the PPA held only one public consultation on June 15, 2021 prior to the issuance of PPA-AO-04-2021 on September 22, 2021, and this consultation only involved select stakeholders. To the dismay of stakeholders, succeeding consultations dealt with the proposed implementing operational guidelines already. Worse, even after supposedly “listening” to the comments, the PPA has continuously disregarded stakeholders’ continuing written objections to TOP-CRMS/ECSSSF without any valid explanation. Likewise, position papers expressing strong opposition to PPA AO 04-2021 have remained unanswered to date, much less in writing.

VI. The PPA’s failure to analyze the impact of TOPS-CRMS and coordinate with stakeholders could lead to a repeat of the 2014 port congestion fiasco

In 2014, the “lack of rigorous analysis of policy options and lack of proper coordination with stakeholders” resulted in disastrous port congestion with an economic cost of at least PHP43.8 Billion. The country simply cannot afford a repeat of the 2014 fiasco in these already troubled times.

As PPA AO 04-2021 threatens to cripple the transport and logistics industries and the national economy as a whole, we, the undersigned, stand in unity and call for:

(1) the revocation of PPA AO 04-2021 and for the PPA to desist from issuing operational guidelines implementing said Order; and (2) the immediate and much-needed intervention of the Office of the President, the National Economic and Development Authority, the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Anti-Red Tape Authority in the evaluation of similar programs that could potentially destroy the country’s economy.

Respectfully,

GEORGE T. BARCELON President PHILIPPINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, INC. (PCCI)

DR. HENRY LIM BON LIONG

President FEDERATION OF FILIPINO-CHINESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, INC. (FFCCCII)

SERGIO R. ORTIZ-LUIS JR.

President PHILIPPINE EXPORTERS CONFEDERATION, INC. (PHILEXPORT)

DENNIS LLOVIDO

President SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (SCMAP)

JET AMBALADA Director and Public Relations Officer

PHILIPPINE ASSOCIATION OF MEAT PROCESSORS, INC. (PAMPI)

FERNANDO JUAN PEREZ

President PHILIPPINE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS ASSOCIATION, INC. (PMTLAI)

JUN PAPA Director ALLIANCE OF CONCERNED TRUCK OWNERS AND ORGANIZATIONS (ACTOO)

ROGER C. LALU Chairman ALLIANCE OF CONTAINER YARD OPERATORS OF THE PHILIPPINES (ACYOP)

PATRICK RONAS President ASSOCIATION OF INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING LINES, INC. (AISL)

ALEXANDER ONG President ASSOCIATION OF OFF-DOCK CFS OPERATORS OF THE PHILIPPINES (ACOP)

JULITA Q. LOPEZ President CUSTOMS BROKERS FEDERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (CBFP)

JOSEFINO G BALTAZAR Chairman and Convenor PASIG PORT USERS UNITED

MARK MATTHEW F. PARCO President PHILIPPINE LINER SHIPPING ASSOCIATION (PLSA)

JOSELITO ILAGAN President PHILIPPINE SHIPS’ AGENTS ASSOCIATION (PSAA)

COL. RODOLFO DE OCAMPO (Ret.)

President PORT USERS CONFEDERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC. (PUCP)

REYNALDO T. SOLIMAN Chairman PRACTICING CUSTOMS BROKERS ASSOC. OF THE PHILIPPINES INC. (PCBAPI)

NELSON MENDOZA

President

UNITED PORTUSERS CONFEDERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC. (UPC)

Copy furnished:

Hon. Juan Miguel Zubiri

President, Senate of the Philippines

Hon. Martin Romualdez

Speaker, House of Representatives

Hon. Romeo Acop Chairman, House Committee on Transportation

Hon. Arsenio Balisacan

Secretary, Socioeconomic Planning

Hon. Benjamin Diokno Secretary, Department of Finance

Hon. Alfredo Pascual

Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry

Hon. Jaime Bautista

Secretary, Department of Transportation

Hon. Yogi Filemon Ruiz Commissioner, Bureau of Customs

19.

JOVI JORDAN SYAH

Indonesian Speaking Customer Service Officer

Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of calls, handle customer concerns.

LIDYA SINTHYA

Indonesian Speaking Customer Service Officer

Foreign Language Speaking

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

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in foreign language

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

Basic Qualification: Foreign Language Speaking

20.

21.

Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of calls, handle customers concerns

MAHADI PUTRA PRAYOGA NASUTION

Indonesian Speaking Customer Service Officer

Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of calls, handle customer concerns

MAHMUD HUSAIRI

Indonesian Speaking Customer Service Officer

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

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in foreign language

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

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in foreign language

22.

Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of calls, handle customer concerns.

Basic

Basic

Basic

Basic

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 23.

MEISY Indonesian Speaking Customer Service Officer

Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of calls, handle customer concerns

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in foreign language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 24.

MUHAMMAD IRWANSYAH SIRAIT Indonesian Speaking Customer Service Officer

Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of calls, handle customer concerns.

NICHOLAS Indonesian Speaking Customer Service Officer

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in foreign language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 25.

Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of

Basic

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

Basic

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 42.

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

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

Basic

141.

Basic

142.

Basic

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

Basic

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

Basic

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

143.

THONG A NHI Vietnamese Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills

THONG CONG CU Vietnamese Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills

TRAN CAM THANH Vietnamese Customer Service

Basic

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

Basic Qualification: Customer support and data base services

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

Basic Qualification: Customer support and data base services

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

Basic Qualification: Customer support and data base services

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

144.

Brief Job Description: Customer Support and Data Base Services.

145.

146.

TRUONG THI MY HOA Vietnamese Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Customer Support and Data Base Services.

TSU CUN DUONG Vietnamese Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services.

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills.

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

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills.

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

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills.

- Php 59,999

SEAGULL-WORLD INC. Unit 2807 28/f Cityland, Pasong Tamo Tower, 2210 Chino Roces Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati

156.

NG YEE CHING Mandarin Speaking Human Resource Officer

Brief Job Description: Recruiting staff who can speak Mandarin

SEQUOIA SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS INC. 37f Lkg Tower, 6801 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

WANG, JING Mandarin Speaking It/customer Support

Basic Qualification: Excellent in Mandarin Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

157.

158.

Brief Job Description: Serve as primary contact for problem resolution and information gathering including maintenance repair and development of mandarin based software

WANG, MENG Mandarin Speaking It/customer Support

Brief Job Description: Serve as primary contact for problem resolution and information gathering including maintenance repair and development of mandarin based software

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin

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

SHELL SHARED SERVICES (ASIA) B.V. 16/f-25/f Solaris One Bldg., 130 Dela Rosa St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

RAMIREZ HIDALGO, HECTOR HERNAN Customer Success Specialist (Spanish Speaker)

159.

Brief Job Description: Responsible on the implementation of shell’s digital transformation strategy within the manila delivery center.

SINOMA CBMIPH

Basic Qualification: Tertiary education preferably with a degree in business or engineering

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

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 147.

Brief Job Description: Customer Support and Data Base Services.

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 148.

VU THI PHUONG ANH Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills

OMNIWEALTH

Basic Qualification: Customer support and data base services Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic

China Covid deaths top 12,600, more than 1.1 billion infected

New Zealand’s new PM signals policy overhaul to win back voters

By Ainsley Thomson & Tracy Withers

INCOMING New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins will prioritize the economy as a recession looms and may jettison some of Jacinda Ardern’s policies as he seeks to win back the political middle ground ahead of an October election.

“As prime minister, I will lead a team that’s focused and working hard to fix the big issues that so many families and businesses are facing,” Hipkins told a news conference Sunday in Wellington after the ruling Labour Party endorsed him to succeed Ardern. “I know that some New Zealanders feel that we are doing too much too fast, and I have heard that message.”

Labour, which is trailing the main opposition National Party in opinion polls, moved swiftly to unite behind Hipkins and ensure a smooth leadership transition following Ardern’s shock resignation last week.

While Ardern’s departure robs Labour of its most charismatic campaigner, Hipkins as a new leader has the ability to row back some of the party’s unpopular policies and help it regain support.

With an economic downturn expected as interest rates soar, he faces an uphill battle to win Labour a third term.

Hipkins used his first major press conference to stress his credentials as a “down-to-earth kiwi” and connect with disaffected voters who are doing it tough.

“Our focus will be on the right now and the bread-and-butter issues that people care about,” he said. “I know that people are worried about paying their grocery bills and paying their mortgages. I want them to know that we are on their side.”

Hipkins said he would be “running a ruler” over the government’s whole work program, but declined to give specifics before his cabinet has met.

“Over the coming week, cabinet will be making decisions on reining in some programs and projects that aren’t essential right now,” he said. “We will be focused on middle and low-income New Zealanders.”

Controversial policies that could come under scrutiny are the merger of state broadcasters TVNZ and Radio New Zealand and reforms to water infrastructure, both of which have become lightning rods for voter discontent.

Ardern alienated some voters with policies that involved co-governance between Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, and the Crown. Hipkins may seek to diffuse those concerns, though he must do so without angering the Māori members of Labour’s caucus.

“I think there is an uncertainty among New Zealanders around what we mean when we’re talking about co-governance,” he said. “I don’t want to get hung up on what has become a catchphrase.”

China

ON foreign affairs, Hipkins said New Zealand’s relationship with China was “incredibly important economically” and a trip to the nation would be high on his priority list.

He named Carmel Sepuloni as deputy prime minister, the first Pasifika person to hold the role. She will replace Grant Robertson, who is expected to remain minister of finance.

Hipkins paid tribute to Ardern, “my very good friend,” saying the country was in a better place because of her.

“She’s been one of New Zealand’s great prime ministers,” he said. “Jacinda provided inspirational leadership through a quick succession of the biggest challenges our country has faced. She gave voice to those who are often overlooked in times of challenge and purposefully went about doing politics differently.” Bloomberg News

Australia speeds up purchase of sea mines with eye on China

By Ben Westcott

THE Australian government is looking to speed up the purchase of a new generation of sea mines to protect its ports amid growing concern over China’s military build-up and expanding influence in the Pacific.

The Department of Defense said in a statement Monday the “smart” sea mines would be able to discriminate between military targets and other shipping vessels and be “a significant deterrent to potential aggressors.”

The news was first reported by Australia’s Nine newspapers on Monday, which said the cost could be as much as A$1 billion ($700 million) although the final total was still considered confidential. The department did not release information on the cost of the mines.

Australia has sought to bolster

its military forces in recent years to help counter China’s rapid military expansion in the region. In the past year, there were at least two reported incidents of confrontations between Australian and Chinese forces, including one just off Australia’s north coast.

At the same time, Beijing has broadened its diplomatic footprint in the Pacific, signing a security agreement with the Solomon Islands that could see Chinese warships docked just 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from the Australian mainland.

Australia is currently in negotiations with the US and the UK to acquire a fleet of nuclear submarines by 2040 as part of the wide-reaching AUKUS security partnership. An announcement on the design of the new vessels is expected within months. Bloomberg

CHINA said its Covid-related death toll topped more than 12,600 in the week before the Lunar New Year holiday, while a top health official suggested more than 1.1 billion people had been infected since virus controls were abruptly dismantled late last year.

There were 12,658 Covid-linked deaths at hospitals between Jan. 13-19, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement dated Saturday. A week earlier, the country reported 59,938 such deaths for the period December 8-January 12.

The data comes after China came under fire for dramatically narrowing its definition of a Covid death and halting daily caseload reports. The World Health Organization has urged Beijing to release more detailed information on the country’s Covid situation as the virus spreads rapidly throughout China after the sudden lifting of extensive Covid Zero restrictions.

China now appears to be trying to appease those concerns

by reporting on deaths that fall outside the narrowed definition, which only counts fatalities from infected people with respiratory failure. Even so, the numbers China is now revealing still present just a partial picture given they count only deaths at hospitals, ignoring those that occur at home and in aged-care facilities. The true toll could be hundreds of thousands higher given the extent of the outbreak and mortality rates in other countries.

Separately, the China CDC’s chief epidemiologist, Wu Zunyou, said in a Weibo post at the weekend that 80 percent of the population have been infected in the current outbreak. China had a population of 1.41 billion at the end of 2022, suggesting more than 1.1 billion

people have contracted the virus so far.

Wu didn’t elaborate on how the figure was calculated, given the country’s vast testing apparatus—once key to maintaining Covid Zero—has been dismantled.

While travel during the Lunar New Year holiday period, currently under way, may lead to an uptick in cases in some regions, Wu said there is “very little chance” for large-scale infections or a second nationwide outbreak in the next two to three months.

Chinese officials have been eagerly pushing the view that the current Covid outbreak has peaked as they look to encourage a fast economic rebound after about three years of crippling restrictions and lockdowns. The economy grew just 3 percent last year, the secondslowest pace since the 1970s.

Vice Premier Liu He last week told the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, that growth will rebound to pre-pandemic levels after infections passed their peak. Outgoing Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who once was synonymous with the country’s hardline pandemic approach, last week said infections have fallen to a “relatively low” level.

Concern over rural spread

STILL , there are signs the ruling

Communist Party are concerned about the virus spreading into parts of the country less resourced than the major cities when it comes to hospitals and medical supplies.

President Xi Jinping singled out Covid’s rural spread in a nationwide video address before the New Year holiday, saying he’s especially concerned about efforts to battle the virus in the countryside. Experts are worried Covid could ravage vulnerable people in villages that have sparse health care infrastructure, with the reopening wave already leading to overwhelmed hospitals and crematoriums in the major cities.

There are only 1.62 doctors and nurses combined for every 1,000 people in rural China, compared to rates of 2.9 and 3.3 nationally. Access to intensive care with experienced doctors and equipment like ventilators to help gravely ill patients survive is often miles away.

Holiday expectations—which typically fall in winter and see millions of people travel home to their villages and towns—will supercharge the spread of infections. Predicative health analytics firm Airfinity Ltd. raised its estimate for Chinese Covid deaths to 36,000 a day, an increase of 11,000 every 24 hours from a previous forecast, after taking into account travel during holiday. Bloomberg News

Sheriff: Suspect in dance club shooting killed self in van

By Andrew Dalton & Jae C. Hong The Associated Press

MONTEREY PARK, California—The hunt for a gunman who killed 10 people at a ballroom dance club during Lunar New Year celebrations ended Sunday when authorities found him dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the van he used to flee after people thwarted his attempt at a second shooting.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna identified the man as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran and said no other suspects were at large. Speaking at an evening news conference, he added that the motive remained unclear for the attack, which wounded 10 more.

Luna did not have the exact ages of the victims but said they all appeared to be over 50. Seven of the wounded people remained in the hospital, he said.

The sheriff added that the suspect was carrying what he described as a semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine, and a second handgun was discovered in the van where Tran was found dead.

The shooting late Saturday in the predominantly Asian American community of Monterey Park cast a shadow over the New Years festivities and sent a wave of fear through Asian American communities in the Los Angeles area. Other cities sent extra officers to watch over the celebrations.

Also speaking at the news conference, Congresswoman Judy Chu said she still has questions about the attack but hopes residents now feel safe.

“The community was in fear thinking that they should not go to any events because there was an active shooter,” Chu said, adding, “You are no longer in danger.”

“What was the motive for this shooter?” she said. “Did he have a mental illness? Was he a domestic violence abuser? How did he gets these guns and was it through legal means or not?”

Earlier Sunday, law enforcement

officials swarmed and entered the van after surrounding it for hours before going in. A person’s body appeared to be slumped over the wheel and was later removed from the vehicle.

Luna previously released photos of an Asian man who was believed to be the suspect.

The van was found in Torrance, another community home to many Asian Americans, about 22 miles (34.5 kilometers) from that second location.

Luna said the shooting was at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park.

Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Wiese said Sunday evening that within three minutes of receiving the call, officers arrived on the scene. There, they found extensive carnage inside and people trying to flee through all the doors.

“When they came into the parking lot it, was chaos,” Wiese said.

About 20 to 30 minutes after the first attack, the gunman entered the Lai Lai Ballroom in nearby Alhambra. But people wrested the weapon away from him before he fled, according to Luna.

Hours earlier, Luna said authorities were looking for a white van after witnesses reported seeing the suspect flee from Alhambra in such a vehicle.

Members of a SWAT team en-

tered the van a short time later and looked through its contents before walking away.

The massacre was the nation’s fifth mass killing this month. It was also the deadliest attack since May 24, when 21 people were killed in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

Monterey Park is a city of about 60,000 people on the eastern edge of Los Angeles and is composed mostly of Asian immigrants from China or first-generation Asian Americans. The shooting happened in the heart of its downtown where red lanterns decorated the streets for the Lunar New Year festivities. A police car was parked near a large banner that proclaimed “Happy Year of the Rabbit!”

The celebration in Monterey Park is one of California’s largest. Two days of festivities, which have been attended by as many as 100,000 people in past years, were planned. But officials canceled Sunday’s events following the shooting.

Tony Lai, 35, of Monterey Park was stunned when he came out for his early morning walk to learn that the noises he heard in the night were gunshots.

“I thought maybe it was fireworks. I thought maybe it had something to do with Lunar New Year,” he said. “And we don’t even get a lot of fireworks here. It’s weird to see this. It’s really safe here. We’re right in the middle of the city, but

it’s really safe.”

Wynn Liaw, 57, who lives about two blocks from the Monterey Park studio, said she was shocked that such a crime would happen, especially during New Year’s celebrations.

“Chinese people, they consider Chinese New Year very, very special”—a time when “you don’t do anything that will bring bad luck the entire year,” she said.

She took a picture of the activity outside the studio to send to relatives and friends in China “to let them know how crazy the US is becoming with all these mass shootings, even in the New Year.”

An Associated Press/USA Today database on mass killings in the US shows that 2022 was one of the nation’s worst years with 42 such attacks—the second-highest number since the creation of the tracker in 2006. The database defines a mass killing as four people killed, not including the perpetrator.

The latest violence comes two months after five people were killed at a Colorado Springs nightclub.

President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland were briefed on the situation, aides said. Biden said he and first lady Jill Biden were thinking of those killed and wounded, and he directed federal authorities to support the investigation.

The Star Ballroom Dance Studio is a few blocks from city hall on Monterey Park’s main thoroughfare of Garvey Avenue, which is dotted with strip malls of small businesses whose signs are in both English and Chinese. Cantonese and Mandarin are both widely spoken, Chinese holidays are celebrated and Chinese films are screened regularly in the city.

The business offered dance lessons from tango to rumba to the fox trot, and rented its space for events. On Saturday, its website said, it was hosting an event called “Star Night” from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

The Associated Press writer Julie Watson in San Diego contributed to this report.

A FORENSIC photographer takes pictures of a van’s window and its contents in Torrance, California on Sunday, January 22, 2023. A mass shooting took place at a dance club following a Lunar New Year celebration, setting off a manhunt for the suspect. AP/DAMIAN DOVARGANES

editorial

Restoring public trust in government

CoRRuption is as old as human history. the First Dynasty (3100–2700 BC) of ancient Egypt noted corruption in its judiciary. in 171 BC, the first bribes were recorded in Rome. this was due to the state nearly being bankrupt after the punic Wars, and wealthy citizens realized they could gain influence if they loaned the government money.

The Oxford Dictionary defines corruption as “dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery.” Corruption originates from the Latin word corruptus. The word is the past participle of corrumpere, meaning, “mar, bribe, destroy.”

The phenomenon of graft and corruption in the Philippine bureaucracy could be traced to the country’s experience during the Spanish period. History Professor Maria Serena I. Diokno wrote in a paper—Corruption and the moral imperative, through the lens of Rizal—that Jose Rizal spoke lengthily of it, in rich detail.

Diokno cited what Rizal wrote in 1890: “All the Filipinos, as well as all those who have tried to engage in business in the Philippines, know how many documents, how many processes, how many stamped papers, how much patience is needed to secure a permit for an enterprise from the Government! One must count on the goodwill of this one, on the influence of that one, on a good bribe to another, in order that the application be not pigeonholed....”

Times hardly changed as far as corruption in government is concerned. The Philippines still suffers from widespread corruption. For example, the anomaly in the Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.’s transactions with the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) could also involve corruption. Securities and Exchange Commission documents showed Pharmally is undercapitalized, but it managed to win billions worth of contracts. Its deliveries were certified even without inspection. Its pricing was exorbitant.

The PS-DBM was created to procure materials and things that are commonly used by government agencies, which will make procurement undertakings efficient among agencies and offices of the government. Senate probers, however, said that PS-DBM and Department of Education officials are involved in a conspiracy to pad prices of laptops.

Senators from the majority and minority blocs are firming up a consensus to abolish the PS-DBM after the investigating Blue Ribbon Committee released its report on the overpriced laptops deal between PS-DBM and the Department of Education. Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros affirmed her fellow senators’ determination to go after the erring officials involved to send a clear message that “no one will be spared.” (Read, “After laptops and pandemic supplies scandals, PS-DBM faces new abolition call from senators,” in the BusinessMirror , January 20, 2023).

Hontiveros added: “Moving forward, beyond the filing of charges, it is also important to plug the holes through which these anomalies passed, not just with the laptops case, but also with Pharmally and other incidents.”

The Blue Ribbon inquiry in the 18th Senate, chaired by then-chairman Sen. Richard J. Gordon, had traced the controversial role of PS-DBM, to which the Department of Health outsourced its procurement tasks, and of former PS-DBM chief Lloyd Christopher Lao. Lao is among those recommended for prosecution by the current Blue Ribbon leadership under Sen. Francis Tolentino.

Corruption in government is costing the Philippines about P700 billion a year. As long as we have corrupt officials, malfeasance won’t stop. Curbing corruption at PS-DBM can be a daunting task given the Senate findings that PS-DBM has seemingly become a centralized agency for overpriced procurement.

Senator Imee Marcos last year said “the series of procurement controversies that surfaced during the pandemic must end,” adding that the PS-DBM has outlived its usefulness. It would do well for the Marcos administration to abolish the PS-DBM before it can contaminate other government agencies. This move is necessary to enhance public trust in government.

The return of mega crowds

THE EnTrEprEnEur

We started the year seeing over 500,000 devotees showing up at Quiapo Church in Manila to participate in the Feast of the Black Nazarene on January 9, its first major celebration since the start of the pandemic. Thousands of devotees attended mass at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in celebration of the feast of the miraculous image.

The police estimated over 400,000 devotees in Quiapo Church, while 122,000 gathered in Quirino Grandstand, where the miraculous image of Jesus Christ bearing the cross was stationed. The crowd could have been bigger but authorities canceled the Traslacion—the traditional procession of the image—for the third straight year because of Covid-19. Millions celebrated the Black Naza-

rene feast in Quiapo three years ago before the start of the pandemic.

Over in Cebu City, around 2 million devotees and revelers on January 15 celebrated the Sinulog for the feast of the Sto. Niño at the South Road Properties in Cebu City, the first festival after a two-year break. Local and foreign tourists visited Cebu City to witness the Sinulog Grand Parade.

Tourists flock to Cebu City by the millions every year to watch the Sinulog-Sto. Niño Festival that highlights the Grand Parade, a full-day procession that lures dancers from across the country dressed in colorful costumes.

On January 14, or the eve of the Sinulog Festival, over three million residents and tourists participated in the four-hour solemn foot proces-

The view in the mirror

sion for the feast of the Santo Niño De Cebu.

A record crowd, meanwhile, watched Game 7 of the PBA finals featuring local team Ginebra and Hong Kong-based Bay Area on January 15. The Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan drew a crowd of 54,589 for the championship game won by Ginebra.

The attendance broke the all-time record of 54,086 registered by the Philippine Basketball Association in the same Bocaue venue.

I am sure the same mega crowd would be repeated when the nation observes the four-day Holy Week on April 6 to 9. Such huge crowds will support local tourist communities and create jobs. The small entrepreneurs—from charter bus operators, owners of souvenir shops and the lowly carinderias and sari-sari-stores to bed-and-breakfast establishments will surely enjoy brisk sales from the surge of tourism activities.

I expect similar huge crowds attending festivities, concerts and other social events for the rest of year with the further easing of mobility restrictions. I can only agree with the expectations of both the private and government economists that the economy will expand 7 percent this year. The revenge spending and travel that we saw in the last quarter of 2022 is just the start of

the economic recovery.

The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wisely agreed to the opening of face-to-face classes that immediately led to an increase in economic activities. Coupled with the President’s infrastructure spending and commitment to undertake massive housing projects for the homeless, I don’t see any reason why the economy cannot surpass the strides it achieved in 2022.

The travel and the leisure sectors based on global trends are heating up. As I’ve mentioned in last week’s column, the reopening of tourism and educational establishments generated millions of jobs that effectively reduced the unemployment rate in the Philippines in the fourth quarter of 2022. Tourism also supported the growth of the labor market in the fourth quarter.

Oil prices, although declining, will continue to challenge the Philippine economy, along with the still elevated inflation rate. But I remain optimistic on the economy’s prospects this year. The huge throng who joined three mega events this month is just the precursor of a more vibrant consumer spending.

For comments, send e-mail to mbv_secretariat@vistaland.com.ph or visit www.mannyvillar.com.ph

John Mangun

OuTSIDE THE BOX

We watch videos of dogs, cats, and ducks go wild trying to figure out who is that “person” in the mirror.

Intriguingly, Asian Elephants, Great Apes, and Bottlenose Dolphins have all passed the “mirror test” ability of reflected self-recognition.

Humans are able to pass the mirror test when they are around 18 months old. But as any aficionado of horror/thriller movies know, a mirror can also let us see what is behind us.

Getting your face near the mirror to observe that pimple on your forehead is good. But if you are pressed too close, that pimple can look like terminal skin cancer. Maybe more dangerous if too close to the mirror, you can’t see the manic with the axe creeping up from the shadows. It is not good to have a too narrow perspective.

The recent administration of President Aquino was periodically characterized in the local and foreign press as being a loyal and strong ally of all things Western, particularly the United States.

During the term of President Duterte, the Philippine government was focused more on domestic issues and on our regional backyard. In both instances (and even before), the Philippines was not viewed as much of a player on the international stage.

The last few months have seen President Marcos travelling extensively, perhaps to the impairment of domestic policies, to raise global awareness of the nation. That can be beneficial in both short and long term. We will see how these sorties play out.

However, if your mirror view is too limited by issues such as onions

and eggs, you may miss seeing housing and health care. Further, the geopolitical and geoeconomic situations may be the most fragile in the past 30 years.

We prefer big bang events like the Covid lockdowns rather than slow processes, which we are now experiencing both with “World War Three” in Ukraine and the shattered global economic situation. But this is what is in the mirror.

The proxy war between the US and Russia will either go to a long war of attrition that both European and American citizens will wear out from in six, maybe 12 months, and will subsequently wind down. Or the WEF (White Elite Fanatics) warmongering military-industrial complex will go “full-stupid” and then, “God protect us all.”

Western interest rates will slowly continue to move higher until the Federal Reserve sees significant and systemic plummeting inflation and/ or a severely weakening economy with higher unemployment. Then interest rates will effectively collapse, but not until the economic damage has been done. Note all the job creation the US government just bragged about were part-time, by people taking on two jobs to pay the super high inflationary bills.

There will be sovereign debt defaults in economies like Pakistan,

Ghana, and Tunisia. But countries like the Philippines that have easily managed foreign debt will benefit from the falling rates. The local property sector will considerably benefit, especially in the middle to lower housing price range. The stock market will move much higher through 2023.

The crude oil market is counting on China coming back and demand for oil rising. Once peak interest rates are reached and economies start going down, oil demand will decrease, which is good for Philippine inflation.

Think of it like the cars on a roller coaster slowly going to the top of the hill and then come speeding down in a screaming mad dash. It is happening much faster than I expected with stock markets, gold, Bitcoin, even the Philippine peso booming higher since last October. But even as the Fed raises its effective rate (4.33 percent), the bond market is already projecting much lower rates with the US 10-year bond rate having peaked in October at 4.25 percent, now at 3.48 percent.

Remember, “Stay seated and keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle.”

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis provided by AAA Southeast Equities Inc.

Manny B. Villar

ABout 8,000 years ago humans developed the mirror. no longer did people have to look at their reflection in a pool of water.

HugE throngs of people gathered around three separate mega events this January. the huge crowds can only mean one thing—more and more Filipinos are gaining confidence to go out of their homes, and do not mind spending money for these events.

The AP Interview: Envoy says Taiwan learns from Ukraine’s war

By Ellen Knickmeyer | The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—Taiwan has learned important lessons from Ukraine’s war that would help it deter any attack by China or defend itself if invaded, the self-ruled island’s top envoy to the US said in an interview Friday with The Associated Press.

Among the lessons: Do more to prepare military reservists and also civilians for the kind of all-of-society fight that Ukrainians are waging against Russia.

“Everything we’re doing now is to prevent the pain and suffering of the tragedy of Ukraine from being repeated in our scenario in Taiwan,” said Bi-khim Hsiao, Taiwan’s representative in Washington.

“So ultimately, we seek to deter the use of military force. But in a worst-case scenario, we understand that we have to be better prepared,” Hsiao said.

Hsiao spoke at the quiet, more than 130-year-old hilltop mansion that Taiwan uses for official functions in Washington. She talked on a range of Taiwan-US military, diplomatic and trade relations issues shaped by intensifying rivalries with China.

No Taiwanese flag flew over the building, reflecting Taiwan’s in-between status as a US ally that nonetheless lacks full US diplomatic recognition. The US withdrew that in 1979, on the same day it recognized Beijing as the sole government of China.

The interview came after a year of higher tensions with China, including the Chinese launching ballistic missiles over Taiwan and temporarily suspending most dialogue with the US after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August.

Asked if new House Speaker Kevin McCarthy should make good on his earlier pledge to visit Taiwan as well, Hsaio said. “That will be his decision. But I think ultimately the people of Taiwan have welcomed visitors from around the world.”

Beijing’s leadership, she added, “has no right to decide or define how we engage with the world.”

Taiwan, which split from the mainland in 1949 during a civil war, is claimed by China. The decades-old threat of invasion by China of the self-governed island has sharpened since China cut off communications with the island’s government in 2016. That was after Taiwanese voters elected a government that Beijing suspected of wanting to take Taiwan from self-rule to full independence.

In Washington, Taiwan’s self-rule is one issue that has strong support from both parties.

US administrations for decades have maintained a policy of leaving unsaid whether the US military would come to Taiwan’s defense if China did invade. China’s military shows of force after Pelosi’s visit had some in Congress suggesting it was time for the US to abandon that policy, known as “strategic ambiguity,” and to instead make clear Americans would fight alongside Taiwan.

Asked about those calls Friday, Hsiao only praised the existing policy. “It has preserved the status quo for decades, or I should say it has preserved peace,” she said.

President Joe Biden has repeatedly volunteered in public comments that the US would come to Taiwan’s defense, only to have aides walk that back with assurances that strategic ambiguity still prevails.

Meanwhile, after watching the Ukrainians’ successful hard-scrabble defense against invading Russian forces, Taiwan realizes it needs to load up on Javelins, Stingers, HIMARS and other small, mobile weapons systems, Hsiao said. The Taiwanese and Americans have reached agreement on some of those, she said.

Some security think tanks accuse the US — and the defense industry — of focusing too much of the nation’s billions of dollars in arms deals with Taiwan on advanced, high-dollar

At home, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen announced last month the government was extending compulsory military service for men from four months to a year, and Taiwan is increasing spending on defense. Hsiao would not directly address a report by Nikkei Asia on Friday that US National Guard members had begun work training in Taiwan, saying only that Taiwan was exploring ways to work with the US Guard members to improve training.

aircraft and naval vessels. China’s mightier military could be expected to destroy those big targets at the outset of any attack on Taiwan, some security analysts say.

Taiwan is pushing to make sure that a shift to grittier, lower-tech weapon supplies for Taiwanese ground forces “happens as soon as possible,” Hsaio said. Even with the US and other allies pouring billions of dollars worth of such weapons into Ukraine for the active fight there, straining global arms stocks, “we are assured by our friends in the United States that Taiwan is a very important priority,” she said.

At home, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen announced last month the government was extending compulsory military service for men from four months to a year, and Taiwan is increasing spending on defense. Hsiao would not directly address a report by Nikkei Asia on Friday that US National Guard members had begun work training in Taiwan, saying only that Taiwan was exploring ways to work with the US Guard members to improve training.

Ukraine’s experience has had lessons for the US and other allies as well, she said, including the importance of a united allied stand behind threatened democracies.

“It’s critical to send a consistent message to the authoritarian leaders that force is never an option... force will be met by a strong international response, including consequences,” Hsiao said.

Hsiao also spoke on the United States’ push under the Biden administration to boost US production of computer chips. Supply chain disruptions during the coronavirus pandemic have underscored semiconductors’ crucial importance to the US economy and military—and the extent of US reliance on chip imports.

Greater US production will push the nation into more direct trade competition with Taiwan, which is a global leader, especially for advanced semiconductors. Concern that China could interfere with semiconductor shipping through the Taiwan Strait has helped drive the United States’ new production effort.

Hsiao pointed out that Taiwan’s computer chip industry took decades to develop and expressed confidence it “will continue to be an indispensable and irreplaceable contributor to global supply chains in the decades to come.”

She noted Taiwan’s investment of $40 billion in a new semiconductor plant in Arizona, a project big enough that Biden visited the site last month, and expressed frustration at what she called a continuing US financial penalty for Taiwanese companies doing business in the United States.

The United States’ diplomatic non-recognition of Taiwan as a country means that Taiwan—unlike China and other top US trading partners—lacks a tax treaty with the US and thus pays extra taxes.

Clarifying VAT on digital transactions

atty. rodel C. unciano

Tax Law for Business

DIGITAl transaction is evidently increasingly popular not only in areas involving trade and business but in the entertainment industry as well. This is noticeable as seen in the rise of content creators all over the world and in every corner of the Philippines, even in the most far-flung areas. Content creation has indeed become a source of living, and in fact, a good source of income too.

As these transactions give rise to income, tax is always attached to it.

Since there is a flow of wealth, income tax is therefore due on income generated from it. And also, since there is a sale or performance of a service for a fee, the same is subject to valueadded tax (VAT) as well under the current provisions of the Tax Code.

To further clarify the imposition of VAT on digital transactions, House Bill 4122 is being crafted in Congress, which seeks to set a more definitive guidelines on the imposition of VAT on electronic or digital services. HB 4122 seeks to amend Section 105 and other VAT provisions of the Tax Code to expressly include in the scope of VATable transactions those services that are rendered through digital or electronic platforms.

As clearly provided under the current provisions of the Tax Code, the sale or exchange of services are subject to VAT in the Philippines only if such services are performed in the Philippines. Accordingly, if the services are not performed in the Philippines, the service fees arising from such services are exempt from VAT.

However, following the provi-

sions of HB 4122, fees for services rendered or performed through digital or electronic platform as defined under the bill shall be subject to VAT in the Philippines even if the services are rendered by non-residents. Ergo, this is notwithstanding that such services are performed outside the Philippines. The only requirement is that the services must be consumed by a buyer in the Philippines.

Under the bill, the sale or exchange of services shall include supply of digital services by any person, whether resident or non-resident. Note that even a non-resident digital service provider is liable for assessing, collecting, and remitting the VAT on the transactions that go through its platform. It is likewise liable to register for VAT if its gross sales/receipts exceeded or there are reasonable grounds to believe that gross sales/receipts would exceed the VAT exemptions threshold of P3 million. It shall designate a representative office or agent, which shall be a resident corporation registered under Philippine laws, to assist in compliance with the provisions of the Tax Code.

As clearly provided under the current provisions of the Tax Code, the sale or exchange of services are subject to VAT in the Philippines only if such services are performed in the Philippines. Accordingly, if the services are not performed in the Philippines, the service fees arising from such services are exempt from VAT.

The bill defines digital service as any digital service that is delivered or subscribed over the Internet or other electronic network and which cannot be obtained without the use of information technology and where the delivery of the service may be automated. It shall include online licensing of software, updates, and add-ons, website filters and firewalls; mobile applications, video games, and online games; webcast and webinars; provision of digital content such as music, files, images, text and information.

It shall also include advertisement platform such as provision of online advertising on intangible media platform; search engine services; social networks; database and hosting; Internet-based telecommunication; online training such as provision of distance teaching, e-learning, online courses and webinars; online newspapers and journal subscription; and payment processing services.

Under the bill, a “digital service provider” is defined as a service provider of a digital service or good to a buyer, through operating an online platform for purposes of buying and selling of goods and services or by making transactions for the provision of digital services on behalf of any person. On the other hand, the

term “buyer” refers to any person who resides or consumes taxable digital services in the Philippines from a digital service provider either for personal consumption or for trade or business purposes.

So, if digital services are consumed by a buyer in the Philippines either for personal consumption or for trade or business purposes, the fees arising therefrom shall be subject to VAT in the Philippines notwithstanding that such digital services are performed, rendered or created by non-residents and notwithstanding that such services are done outside the Philippines. The only requirements for the imposition of VAT are that the services are rendered through digital or electronic means, and that the digital services are consumed in the Philippines. What is probably challenging on the side of tax administration is the tracking of what is actually consumed in the Philippines.

Surely, this bill is a good measure to improve tax collection especially in this part of the world where Filipinos are so in love with social media. Hopefully, the advances in technology would also be able to provide our tax administrators a methodology in tracking what is due to our country, a methodology that is fair, reasonable and administratively feasible.

The author is a partner of Du-Baladad and Associates Law Offices (BDB Law), a member-firm of WTS Global.

The article is for general information only and is not intended, nor should be construed as a substitute for tax, legal or financial advice on any specific matter. Applicability of this article to any actual or particular tax or legal issue should be supported therefore by a professional study or advice. If you have any comments or questions concerning the article, you may e-mail the author at rodel.unciano@ bdblaw.com.ph or call 8403-2001 local 140.

Brazil’s new president works to reverse Amazon deforestation

By Fabiano Maisonnave & Diane Jeantet | The Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO—Shaking a traditional rattle, Brazil’s incoming head of Indigenous affairs recently walked through every corner of the agency’s headquarters—even its coffee room—as she invoked help from ancestors during a ritual cleansing.

The ritual carried extra meaning for Joenia Wapichana, Brazil’s first Indigenous woman to command the agency charged with protecting the Amazon rainforest and its people. Once she is sworn in next month under newly inaugurated President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Wapichana promises to clean house at an agency that critics say has allowed the Amazon’s resources to be exploited at the expense of the environment.

As Wapichana performed the ritual, Indigenous people and government officials enthusiastically chanted “Yoohoo! Funai is ours!’’—a reference to the agency she will lead.

Environmentalists, Indigenous people and voters sympathetic to their causes were important to Lula’s narrow victory over former President Jair Bolsonaro. Now Lula is seeking to fulfill campaign pledges he made to them on a wide range of issues, from expanding Indigenous territories to halting a surge in illegal deforestation.

To carry out these goals, Lula is appointing well-known environmentalists and Indigenous people to key positions at Funai and other agencies that Bolsonaro had filled with allies of agribusiness and military officers.

In Lula’s previous two terms as president, he had a mixed record on environmental and Indigenous issues. And he is certain to face obstacles from pro-Bolsonaro state governors who still control swaths of the Amazon. But experts say Lula is taking the right first steps.

The federal officials Lula has already named to key posts “have the national and international prestige to reverse all the environmental destruction that we have suffered over these four years of the Bolsonaro government,” said George Porto Ferreira, an analyst at Ibama, Brazil’s environmental law-enforcement agency.

Bolsonaro’s supporters, meanwhile, fear that Lula’s promise of stronger environmental protections will hurt the economy by reducing the amount of land open for development, and punish people for activities that had previously been allowed. Some supporters with ties to agribusiness have been accused of providing financial and logistical assistance to rioters who earlier this month stormed Brazil’s presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court.

When Bolsonaro was president, he defanged Funai and other agencies responsible for environmental oversight. This enabled deforestation to soar to its highest level since 2006, as developers and miners who took land from Indigenous people faced few consequences.

Between 2019 and 2022, the number of fines handed out for illegal activities in the Amazon declined by 38 percent compared with the previous four years, according an analysis of Brazilian government data by the Climate Observatory, a network of environmental nonprofit groups.

One of the strongest signs yet of Lula’s intentions to reverse these trends was his decision to return Marina Silva to lead the country’s environmental ministry. Silva formerly held the job between 2003 and 2008, a period when deforestation declined by 53 percent. A former rubber-tapper from Acre state, Silva resigned after clashing with government and agribusiness leaders over environmental policies she deemed to be too lenient.

Silva strikes a strong contrast with Bolsonaro’s first environment minister, Ricardo Salles, who had never set foot in the Amazon when he took office in 2019 and resigned two years later following allegations that he had facilitated the export of illegally felled timber.

Environmentalists, Indigenous people and voters sympathetic to their causes were important to Lula’s narrow victory over former President Jair Bolsonaro. Now Lula is seeking to fulfill campaign pledges he made to them on a wide range of issues, from expanding Indigenous territories to halting a surge in illegal deforestation.

Other measures Lula has taken in support of the Amazon and its people include:

n Signing a decree that would rejuvenate the most significant international effort to preserve the rainforest — the Amazon Fund. The fund, which Bolsonaro had gutted, has received more than $1.2 billion, mostly from Norway, to help pay for sustainable development of the Amazon.

n Revoking a Bolsonaro decree that allowed mining in Indigenous and environmental protection areas.

n Creating a Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, which will oversee everything from land boundaries to education. This ministry will be led by Sônia Guajajara, the country’s first Indigenous woman in such a high government post.

“It won’t be easy to overcome 504 years in only four years. But we are willing to use this moment to promote a take-back of Brazil’s spiritual force,” Guajajara said during her induction ceremony, which was delayed by the damage pro-Bolsonaro rioters caused to the presidential palace.

The Amazon rainforest, which covers an area twice the size of India, acts as a buffer against climate change by absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide. But Bolsonaro viewed management of the Amazon as an internal affair, causing Brazil’s global reputation to take a hit. Lula is trying to undo that damage.

During the UN’s climate summit in Egypt in November, Lula pledged to end all deforestation by 2030 and announced his country’s intention to host the COP30 climate conference

in 2025. Brazil had been scheduled to host the event in 2019, but Bolsonaro canceled it in 2018 right after he was elected.

While Lula has ambitious environmental goals, the fight to protect the Amazon faces complex hurdles. For example, getting cooperation from local officials won’t be easy.

Six out of nine Amazonian states are run by Bolsonaro allies. Those include Rondonia, where settlers of European descent control local power and have dismantled environmental legislation through the state assembly; and Acre, where a lack of economic opportunities is driving rubber-tappers who had long fought to preserve the rainforest to take up cattle grazing instead.

The Amazon has also been plagued for decades by illegal gold mining, which employs tens of thousands of people in Brazil and other countries, such as Peru and Venezuela. The illegal mining causes mercury contamination of rivers that Indigenous peoples rely upon for fishing and drinking.

“Its main cause is the state’s absence,” says Gustavo Geiser, a forensics expert with the Federal Police who has worked in the Amazon for over 15 years.

One area where Lula has more control is in designating Indigenous territories, which are the best-preserved regions in the Amazon.

Lula is under pressure to create 13 new Indigenous territories — a process that had stalled under Bolsonaro, who kept his promise not to grant “one more inch” of land to Indigenous peoples.

A major step will be to expand the size of Uneiuxi, part of one of the most remote and culturally diverse regions of the world that is home to 23 peoples. The process of expanding the boundaries of Uneiuxi started four decades ago, and the only remaining step is a presidential signature, which will increase its size by 37 percent to 551,000 hectares (2,100 square miles).

“Lula already indicated that he would not have any problem doing that,” said Kleber Karipuna, a close aide of Guajajara.

380 LABOR RIGHTS CASES IN REPORT TO ILO-HLTM

A TOTAL of 380 alleged local labor rights violations cases were documented in the report submitted by labor groups to the International Labour Organization-High Level Tripartite Mission (ILO-HLTM).

D uring the first day of their inquiry, the members of the ILO-HLTM met with the 52-man contingent from labor groups,

A mong the highlights of the meeting was the submission of the 155-page Joint Report of Trade Unions to the ILO High Level Tripartite Mission detailing the supposed “alarming increase in Freedom of Association (FOA) violations” in the country since 2019.

T he report compiled reports of FOA violations, as documented by the Philippines affiliates of the Council of Global Unions including 16 killings of trade unionists.

L ocal labor groups have earlier said the number of fatalities could be as high as 56, but government officials have disputed this.

T he report also contains details on two cases of forced disappearances; 68 cases of arrests and detention; 90 cases of forced disaffiliation, state interference with the right to self-organization, through threats, harassment and intimidation; and 58 cases of red-tagging/terrorist tagging.

A lso included in the report are 127 cases of intimidation/ threats/harassment of union leaders and members; and 19 cases of “other non-union activities.”

T he report blamed the alleged “government inaction,” for the rampant FOA violations, which it said only worsened at the height of the

Covid-19 pandemic.

T he report called for the immediate stop to the killings and investigation of the FOA violations, particularly killings, harassment, red tagging and enforced disappearances and the speedy resolution of various cases.

I t also called for the review of the anti-insurgency campaign of the government to ensure that such campaign will not undermine FOA; addressing the precariousness of work to strengthen FOA in both private and public sectors; observation and recommendation from ILO supervisory bodies; establishment and strengthening of the mechanisms to investigate past violations of FOA.

L abor and Employment Secretary Bievenido E. Laguesma declined to comment on the report submitted by labor groups pending the inquiry of the ILOHLTM, which runs from Jan. 23 to 27.

“ I don’t want to preempt the process being undertaken by the ILO-HLTM. Maybe you have to wait for the opportune time for them to complete their mission before we make our comments,” Laguesma said in a SMS.

T he HLTM is a fact-finding body deployed by ILO’s Committee on the Application of Standards to look into the reported string of killings of trade unionists and supposed mass violations of FOA in the country. Its members include Thomas Janson from Sweden representing the government, Felix Anthony from Fiji representing workers; and Scott Barklam from Australia representing employers.

Samuel P. Medenilla

PHL viable as minerals processor partner–DTI

By Andrea E. San Juan

processing of minerals in the Philippines, expressed interest to expand mining and processing operations in the Philippines.

Peñaranda echoed Pascual’s call to invite companies to process the Philippines’s minerals so that there will be value added, instead of just exporting it as raw material.

Mineral processing is crucial given our resources of green metals such as nickel, copper and cobalt,” Pascual said in his keynote speech at the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex) Inaugural Meeting and Induction.

T he Trade chief said these minerals can be used for “downstream industries” such as electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing, hyperscale data centers, and renew -

able energy projects.

A s Pascual woos countries to consider the Philippines as a processor of these critical minerals, he said the country has Indonesia as a model.

I n a separate televised interview on Monday, Glenn G. Peñaranda, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary for Foreign Trade Service Corps, said Glencore, a Swiss multinational company that is involved in the

I n a news statement issued on Thursday, the Trade department said, “They [Glencore] see the Philippines as a potential partner to process nickel and copper resources responsibly and sustainability for use in electric vehicle batteries and energy storage units, among others.”

Glencore is one of the largest and “globally diversified” natural resource companies in the world.

A ccording to its web site, Glencore extracts and processes copper ore in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Australia and South America. The Swiss multinational firm added that it recycles copper

scrap. Moreover, it smelts and refines copper.

T he natural resource firm said it supplies a wide range of customers from the automotive, electronics and construction sectors.

A s for nickel, Glencore said, it is a “leading producer and marketer of nickel, as well as a recycler of nickel-containing materials such as batteries.”

“ We produce some of the world’s purest nickel. Our marketing business markets nickel and nickel concentrates, as well as by-products and ferronickel. Our nickel operations are in Canada, Australia, Norway, and New Caledonia,” Glencore said on its web site.

T he Philippines’s trade chief has always sought assistance from governments and private sectors of different countries such as Germany and South Korea, among others, to tap the Philippines’s “significant” green metal reserves of nickel and copper.

Senate focuses on gross gaming revenue gaps at POGO hearing

Private money will fund MIF, but safeguards vs laundering built in–PBBM

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced on Monday that private money may be used for the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF), but gave assurances that safeguards will be in place so it cannot be used for money laundering.

M arcos made the remarks amid concerns by some lawmakers that the MIF can be misused or could drain the government of much-needed funds.

Yes, private money will be involved in the fund, but it is not [like] a savings account,” Marcos said in an exclusive panel interview with television networks.

He said the use of the fund will be project-specific to ensure it will be properly used.

D uring the interview, he also explained that the MIF, which will be created via a new law, will only serve as “seed fund” for the country’s sovereign wealth fund.

T he President also stressed that he is lukewarm to the proposal made during the 2023 World Economic Forum last week

that funds from governmentowned and -controlled corporations (GOCC) be used to finance the MIF.

You cannot use funds from the GOCCs. That is the money of the government. So what will the government spend?” Marcos said.  “ I don’t think that is a viable proposition. At least not for us,” he added.

M arcos urged Congress to pass the legislation creating the MIF since he said it will help boost the country’s capability to invest in much needed projects in infrastructure and energy.

T he House of Representatives (HOR) already passed on third and final reading its House Bill (HB) No. 6608 or the Maharlika Investment Fund Act last month.

However, the Senate has yet to pass its own version of the bill.

M arcos said the Senate leadership already committed they will pass their MIF bill by Holy Week in April, but stressed that he would rather have them go over it very carefully.

My message to the Senate is for them to study [the bill] well so that it will be the best version .

.

. it is better for the bill to be done thoroughly, than hastily made,” Marcos said.

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

THE head of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, at Monday’s hearing on the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), vowed to dig deeper into the implementation of Philippine laws, including taxes collected from POGOs and the legal and regulatory compliance by the thirdparty auditor consortium tapped to determine the proper Gross Gaming Revenues of licensed POGOs.

T he Senate pProbers are also asking the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to double check the taxes paid by POGOs.

T he Senate probe was triggered by the enabling Resolution 225 filed by Senator Joel Villanueva directing the working committees to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the revenues generated by the government from POGOs “vis a vis social costs attendant to the operations of POGOs in the country.”

S enator Sherwin Gatchalian, who is leading the Ways and Means inquiry, focused much of Monday’s hearing on the background and performance of third-party auditor consortium Global ComRCI, which was tapped by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

(PAGCOR) to verify proper Gross Gaming Revenues of licensed POGOs.

T he task of a third-party auditor is to determine “with certainty” the gross gaming revenues earned by POGOs, Gatchalian pointed out, which he said is the basis for the 2-percent regulatory fee collected by PAGCOR and the 5-percent tax collected by BIR.

Gatchalian has asked the BIR to “monitor the tax payments of the third-party auditor as well as the POGOs and their accredited service providers to determine whether they should continue to be allowed to operate in the country.”

T he senator said Global ComRCI has a P6-billion consultancy contract with PAGCOR to conduct a third-party audit on POGO finances, signed in 2017.

Gatchalian recalled that in past hearings, his panel had noted that POGOs may have underdeclared their tax payments, as shown by discrepancies between gross gaming revenues they submitted to the BIR and PAGCOR.

I n a previous hearing, Gatchalian disclosed findings that “there is an estimated tax leakage of P9.1 billion due to the discrepancy of gross gaming revenue as reported by the BIR, PAGCOR, and POGOs

from January to August last year.”  M eanwhile, Gatchalian also asked PAGCOR officials why POGO operators involved in crimes appear to have been allowed to continue operating in the country. Atty. Jessa Mariz Fernandez, Assistant Vice President for Pagcor’s Offshore Gaming Licensing Department, said they had already imposed penalties and demerits on erring POGO operators, with one company even slapped with a $10,000 (P500,000) fine.

Ejercito: Consider impact

IN the same hearing, Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” G. Ejercito expressed concern on the possible abrupt termination of POGO operations, but suggested a transition period in phasing out the industry.

Ejercito said the country needs to consider the impact of phasing out POGO operations in the country on business and employment. “I am worried about the abrupt termination of this business (POGO). We should cushion the impact of sudden stoppage or ceasing of its operation, especially on business and employment,” Ejercito said.

We need to consider having a transition period, probably two to three years, before we totally phase

out the industry. I agree that the social cause will outweigh the financial benefits,” he added.

A ccording to Ejercito, around 40,000 POGO employees will be affected should the abrupt shutdown of POGO operations be executed. On the other hand, slowly phasing out the industry will give POGO workers a chance to find new jobs and alternatives or options, he said.

A t the same time, Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa urged PAGCOR  to revoke the licenses of POGOs involved in crimes. “Don’t be afraid of them. Tell them that they are here in our country and that they should respect us. It’s about time that you should assert your supremacy over them,” Dela Rosa stressed during the public hearing conducted by the Committee on Ways and Means.

H e informed the committee that Senator Grace Poe’s privilege speech last December 14 on the abduction of a Filipina in Pasay City by certain online gambling operators has been resolved and three Chinese nationals have been jailed. He urged the victim to file criminal charges against the suspects for kidnapping. Dela Rosa said the suspects were only slapped with charges of illegal possession of firearms.

THE Philippines can be a “vital partner” for the critical minerals such as nickel and copper, among others, not only as an exporter of raw ores but as a processor and producer of semi-finished and finished products, Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual said on Monday.

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian (left), chairperson of the Committee on Ways and Means, and Atty. Roderick Consolacion, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s (PAGCOR) chief legal counsel, are seen at a joint public hearing with the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) at the Senate on Monday, January 23, 2023. ROY DOMINGO

Nido Petroleum may spend $32M for Cadlao oil wells

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

Nido Petroleum Philippines Pty. Ltd., operator of Service Contract (SC) 6B in the Palawan basin, may spend up to $32 million to develop three to four wells.

in a filing with the environment department’s environmental Management Bureau, nido petroleum said the estimated capital expenditure (capex) for a development plan for the Cadlao field is at $8 million per well.

nido pe troleum earlier sought the green light to proceed with an onsite survey for drilling locations under SC 6B. Together with

ph ilodrill Corp., both are planning to conduct exploration activities within the SC 6B block in the first or second quarter to determine the oil field’s potential for commercial oil production.

each well in the shallow water portion of SC 6B is estimated to hold 2 to 20 million barrels of oil, nido petroleum said. phase 1 of the planned drilling

activities include the extended well test, with one well that will be conducted in the first or second quarter. The second phase will involve an additional one to three weeks. production restart is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2024.

“Oil production will commence as soon as declaration of commerciality is approved by the DOe ,” said nido petroleum.

in all, the planned activities will include site survey, geotechnical survey, exploration and appraisal drilling, and extended well test.

Cadlao is an old oil field that was last produced in the early 1990s with over 11 million barrels. The technical operatorship of this oil field was assigned to nido pe troleum from the ph ilodrill in February 2022 to fund the development costs, which include drilling, ex-

tended well tests, and subsequent development of the said oil field.

nido also holds other service contracts in the area, such as SC 54, SC 58 and SC 63. in addition to its exploration assets, nido petroleum has a 22.79 percent participating interest in the Galoc oil field.

The DOe also allowed nido petroleum to proceed with their site survey for SC54, which holds four discoveries including Tindalo and Yakal during the 2008 drilling campaign. This area contains the associated portfolio of shallow water discoveries and targets along the nido field oil trend.

nido petroleum said it has undertaken a number of exploration activities in the north west pa lawan basin, a proven hydrocarbon fairway since the 1970s and has hosted 11 commercial oil and gas fields, the largest of which is the Malampaya gas.

By VG Cabuag @villygc

Philippine Business Bank inc. (pBB) on Monday said it is set to raise some p1.75 billion in cash from both private placements and stock rights offering (SRO) to eligible shareholders.

in its disclosure, the bank said it has raised p1.25 billion in private placement, which it asked from its principal shareholders and was fully paid on January 10.

For the SRO, meanwhile, the bank

gave 1 rights share for every 4.6428 shares owned. it will offer up to 50 million common shares.

“The SRO and the private placement will be treated as separate transactions and will run independently of each other. entitlement ratio of 4.6428 is final,” the bank said.

“The proceeds from the offer will be used primarily to increase pBB’s capital to comply with minimum capital requirement for a universal bank license and for other general corporate purposes including but not limited to investments, loans,

maintenance capex [capital expenditures], operating expenses and other opportunities.”

The bank said proceeds will expand the bank’s capability to develop more businesses and harness opportunities in the financial services space.

“The increase will also enable pBB to meet the growing demands of the banking business and positions the bank to exploit opportunities as the economy rebounds.”

l a st year, the bank submitted an application for an increase in

its authorized capital stock with the Company Registration and Monitoring Department of the Securities and e x change Commission (Se C ) and the Bangko Sentral ng p i lipinas (BSp)

The BSp issued the Certificate of Authority dated november 28, which the bank submitted to SeC in support of its application for the amendment of articles of incorporation to increase its authorized capital stock.

The application for the increase in capital stock was approved by the SeC on January 19.

NewS w eek magazine has named four of Jollibee Foods Corp.’s brands as America’s favorite restaurant chains for 2023.

The magazine, in partnership with global data firm Statista has named Jollibee, Chowking, Smashburger and The Coffee Bean & Tea l eaf (CBT l) as among the best in their selected categories.

Jollibee was cited in the chicken category, Smashburger for burgers, CBT l for tea and coffee, and Chowking for the Chinese cuisine category.

which restaurant chains they would recommend among three ethnic cuisines and 13 dish categories. The three ethnic cuisines include Chinese, italian and Tex-Mex; while the 13 dish categories consist of barbeque, burgers, chicken, coffee/tea/ baked goods, ice cream/frozen yogurt, juice and smoothies, noodles and ramen, pizza, sandwiches, seafood, soup, steak and sushi.

NOk i A Oyj signed a new multiyear cross-license patent agreement with Samsung electronics that enables the handset maker to use nokia’s technology in its products.

The deal follows the expiry of a previous agreement at the end of 2022, and covers fundamental inventions in 5G and other technologies, the Finnish company said in a statement Monday. Samsung will make payments to nokia beginning Jan. 1, nokia said, without disclosing further details of the deal, saying the terms are confidential.

“ w e are delighted to have reached an amicable agreement,” Jenni l u kander, president of n o kia Technologies, said. “The agreement gives both companies the freedom to innovate, and reflects the strength of n o kia’s patent portfolio, decades-long investments in R&D and contributions to cellular standards and other technologies.”

At nokia, licensing has grown more important over the past decade since it stopped making phones and focused on networking gear and intellectual property. it continues to rely heavily on royalties from its inventions used in the global smartphone market, but has in recent years begun to branch out to other sources of intellectual property revenue, including charging automakers for the use of its innovations. Bloomberg News

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

PA nGilinA n-leD philex Mining Corp. on Monday said it aims to expand its gold mine operations as it signified an interest to acquire shares of the Macawiwili Gold Mining and Development Co. inc. (MGMDCi) in a disclosure to the local bourse, philex said it recently signed a term sheet with MGMDCi that outlined the parties’ “clear” intentions “to explore commercial financial and technical” avenues in preparation for possible shares acquisition by philex.

philex said it will conduct due diligence and scout drilling activi-

ties on the property of MGMDC i covered by its Mineral production Sharing Agreement (M p S A) in itogon, Benguet.

The mine site of MGMDC i , a 90-year-old company, covers about 800 hectares of contract area under its MpSA and is also adjacent to philex’s existing padcal mine.

“Our interest to pursue investments in the Macawiwili property is part of our business direction for this year to broaden interest in ‘green metals’ through mergers and acquisitions,” philex president and CeO eu lalio B. Austin, Jr. said.

“ we need to hit the ground with this at the soonest possible time considering that this property is

adjacent to our pa dcal mine and would go a long way in fulfilling company plans for expansion and extension of the life-of-mine of pa dcal,” Austin added.

philex Chairman Manuel v pa ngilinan said the planned acquisition of MGMDCi’s mine is a “good addition or extension to the padcal mine.”

i hope that this is the start of something good and that it would ride the wave of higher metal prices in gold and copper,” pa ngilinan said.

“Any addition, expansion, or extension to the padcal Mine would greatly benefit not just our employees and their families, but also our host and neighboring communities, and our nation as a whole.”

we are honored that our brands are included in this list of most favorite restaurant chains in the United States. we thank our customers for their continued support, resulting in this citation that inspires us even more in our mission of serving great-tasting food, bringing the joy of eating to everyone,” er nesto Tanmantiong, Jollibee president and CeO, said.

The 2023 ranking was determined based on the results of an independent survey among over 4,000 customers and employees of restaurant chains in the US. The respondents were asked to indicate

According to Statista, all ratings were transformed into a score value and aggregated towards a final score. The survey respondents rated their experience with the restaurant chains using these nine assessment criteria: taste, cleanliness, hygiene and Covid-19 measures, transparency about ingredients, location, dealing with environmental issues, accessibility, service quality, and treatment of employees.

To receive an award, a restaurant chain needed to receive a minimum number of recommendations and an overall score of at least 7 out of 10. in addition, a restaurant chain was required to have at least three locations across different cities within at least two US states. VG

Cabuag

RivA l multimedia platforms GMA network inc. and ABSCBn Corp. said on Monday they signed a “historic” partnership for the co-production of a new show.

Under the deal, they will co-produce “Unbreak My heart” a romanticdrama series that will be top-billed by the premiere artists of both companies Joshua Garcia, Gabbi Garcia, Richard Yap, and Jodi Sta. Maria.

“it ’s a first for philippine T v and i’m sure it’s the audience that will be the winners in this collaboration. we’re very excited to be working with ABS-CBn on T v for the first time,” GMA S v p for programming, Talent Management, worldwide, and Support Groups Annette Gozon-va ldes said.

The romantic-drama series, which will be filmed in Switzerland, will air on GMA this 2023.

“This is a milestone in the industry. we’re thankful for this opportunity and we’re very happy to work with GMA to serve our audiences. we unite as one team. we never imagined that this was going to happen,” said ABS-CBn COO of Broadcast Cory vidanes.

Unbreak My h e art will also stream in 15 territories outside of the philippines on viu, pCC w s leading pan-regional over-the-top video streaming service.

“Today, we are able to proudly showcase that on our platform with premium Filipino content not just for Filipino audiences but also for global audiences to appreciate and enjoy.

This is with a vision of bringing the best of the Filipino talent on-cam and off-cam to the world,” said viu ph ilippines Content pa rtnerships head Garlic Garcia. Lorenz S. Marasigan

Banking&Finance

‘Revisit sin tax law to hike funds for health’

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THEnational government should revisit the sin tax law to maximize the funds allocated to the health sector, according to a study released by the state think tank Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS).

In a discussion paper, PIDS research consultants Miharu Jay M. Kimwell, Frances Lois U. Ngo, Vicente Alberto R. Puyat and George Douglas D. Siton evaluated the performance of public health budget allocations arising from the earmarking policy of the Sin Tax Reform Act of 2012 (Republic Act 10351).

They said 85 percent of incremental tax revenues collected from excise tobacco and alcohol taxes are earmarked for the health sector. But, these funds “have not neces-

sarily been efficiently and equitably utilized.”

“The DOH [Department of Health] should exhibit its capability and accountability to utilize its annual budget effectively,” they noted.

The researchers also underscored that health programs need to be more strategic in requesting, allocating and utilizing funds to address gaps in service coverage.

“Given the increase in fiscal space and autonomy to use the budget, monitoring and evaluation of the

outcomes achieved by the allocations provided by sin tax revenues must be continuously reported,” they added.

The revenues fund the programs and activities of the DOH and premiums for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

In terms of equitable budget allocation, most of the funds from sin tax revenues are used to finance the membership of the disadvantaged sector in the national health insurance program.

Thus, PIDS said, poverty incidence must be consistently included among the criteria and administrative processes when allocating funds to projects and activities.

The authors also emphasized the need to revisit the performance indicators for different health programs and activities so that the targets can “effectively and clearly quantify” the services and outcomes toward the achievement of the universal health care and other health programs.

Buy now pay later… then regret sooner Govt to review current tariff rates for meat goods

THE “buy now pay later” financing model is not new. In fact, banks were the first to profit on this type of financing. They gave their credit card customers the option to pay their desired item in periodic payments or monthly installments.

In the past, to have access to this type of financing one should apply for a credit card membership. The application process is lengthy and scrutinous as banks would need to verify the person’s credit rating before they issue the cards to the applicant. Meanwhile, these days the applicant will only need to do a few taps on their smartphones and voila their loan application is already approved in just minutes or at most in 2 days.

Global players of buy now pay later platforms are Klarna, AfterPay, Affirm and Paypal while here in the Philippines are BillEase, Plentina and Atome that are now integrated to well-established e-commerce websites and applications. In addition, Lazada has LazPayLater and Shopee has SPayLater to ride on this growing trend.

Shopify.com says e-commerce sales will hit $5.7 trillion in 2022.

The user interface of these BNPL platforms is intentionally designed to be easy and fast. The goals are to improve customer experience, satisfy their desires in an instant and ensure repeat business. Some platforms require to link a credit or debit card on their system before they approve an application.

These types of loan brokers are unsecured debts similar to credit card debt. Unsecured debts require no collateral for their prospects to avail of their loan services. Unlike a mortgage or car loan, the lender can repossess the asset if the borrower misses a payment.

Their interest fees range from 0 percent to 16 percent per month depending on their prospect’s credit score. This is on top of the processing fees and late payment charges. Most of them are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission listed as a financing company.

Why is it a big deal?

With the changes and innovation in technology, many can now avail this financing option especially those people who have nonexistent or bad credit history.

These loan brokers are preying on the Millennials and the Zoomers “influencer lifestyle.”

Upon checkout, the customer will be influenced by his emotions rather than assessing on how useful

that item will be once it arrives on his doorstep.

Tracking emotions has become a valuable commodity for retailers, political leaders and con artists. Human emotions are being exploited to manipulate behavior and to influence the decision-making processes of an individual to their advantage as humans act based on how they feel. This study is known as “neuromarketing.”

Emotions on the positive side are used to communicate and to get what they want in their social life.

While continuous spending or increasing consumption will drive the economy to rise, the real income of an individual remains stagnant, in fact, it is decreasing due to the impact of inflation on their purchasing power. Therefore, leaving them with no choice but to borrow money from high- interests type of loans to live on and fulfill their desires.

But aren’t we repeating the same dilemmas that the online lending apps created not so long ago as these platforms are targeting the cashstrapped Millennials and Zoomers, feeding their lack of financial control for instant gratification?

Access to such cheap credit will impact a person’s credit history for the reason that most haven’t built the discipline yet to manage their finances wisely.

BNPL services argue that they shouldn’t be penalized for providing the tool for the public as they communicated upfront all their terms and conditions. And, their customers should be the ones to put the safeguards when it comes to dealing with their finances effectively.

The question is are those people aware of what is good for them or not? Based on our experience, people will opt to borrow money to make ends meet and appease their coveted expensive items instead of cutting back on their consumption and wants.

Therefore, who should we blame for this madness in overconsumption and overspending?

Rosemarie Gases is a Registered Financial Planner of RFP Philippines. To learn more about personal-financial planning, attend the 99th RFP program in January 2023. To inquire, e-mail info@ rfp.ph or text at 0917-6248110.

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

BPI AIA Life Assurance Corp. announced last Monday the appointment of Karen Custodia as the new CEO of the bancassurance firm, which took effect last January 9. At the helm, Custodia takes on the responsibility of overseeing BPI AIA’s growing Partnership Distribution Channel and managing its strategic relationship with BPI while providing leadership to support a wide range of initiatives.

“I am both proud and humbled to take on this new role at BPI AIA as

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

THE Tariff Commission (TC) will conduct a public hearing this week to review the tariff rates of meat products, including offal, on the instructions of Sen. Cynthia A. Villar.

In a notice published on its web site, the TC said it initiated the investigation following the directive from the office of Villar to the National Economic and Development Author-

ity (Neda) to review the current tariff structure on meat products.

The public hearing via videoconferencing (PHV) of the TC, an attached agency of the Neda, would be held on Thursday, January 25.

The tariff lines involved in the investigation of TC are: 02.01 to 02.02 (meat of bovine animals, fresh, chilled or frozen); 02.03 (meat of swine, fresh chilled, or frozen); 02.04 (meat of sheep or goats, fresh, chilled or frozen); 02.05 (meat of horses, asses, mules or hinnies, fresh, chilled

or frozen); and, 02.06 (edible offal of bovine animals, swine, sheep, goats, horses, asses, mules or hinnies, fresh chilled or frozen).

“Interested parties are encouraged to submit their position papers, using the position paper template provided on the Commission’s website on or before 08 February 2023 [end of business hours],” the TC’s notice read.

The TC explained that it is conducting the investigation in line with its function of studying the impact

of tariff policies and programs on national competitiveness and consumer welfare.

Villar recently led a Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food hearing regarding the country’s pork supply situation. During the hearing, certain quarters of the pork industry emphasized that the disparity in the tariff rates of various meat products is being used by unscrupulous importers to misdeclare their goods to avoid paying higher tariff rates.

Digi-lend apps roar in 2022

By VG Cabuag @villygc

ANEW report from consumer credit service Digido Finance Corp. showed 2022 saw some 2 million in active users in the Philippines spending a total of 75,305 hours, or equivalent to nine years, in using digital lending (digi-lend) applications.

In its analysis of 10 digi-lend platforms operating in the Philippines that have applications in application download hubs, including Digido, reveal that these companies have a combined total of 14.2 million downloads as of December, representing 3.4 percent of the total downloads from finance categories across all devices and all platforms.

NG raises P15B from auction of 3-tranche Treasuries

THE national government was successful anew in raising a total of P15 billion from the auction of three-tranche Treasury Bills (T-Bills) last Monday as investors’ asking rates continue to fall below secondary market benchmark levels.

The Bureau of the Treasury’s (BTr) auction committee fully awarded the P15-billion 91-day, 182-day and 364day T-bills.

This is the second consecutive week that the Treasury fully-awarded its T-bills auction as investors’ asking interest rates continue to fall.

The auction on Monday was 4.1 times oversubscribed across all tranches with total bids amounting to P62.013 billion.

The 91-day T-bills fetched an average interest rate of 4.211 percent, lower than the 4.312 percent secondary market benchmark level.

The 182-day T-bills and 364-day bills recorded an average interest rate of 4.912 percent and 5.428 percent respectively. The interest rates for the government securities were lower than their secondary market benchmark rate that hit 4.998 percent (182-day T-Bill) and 5.453 percent (364-day T-Bill).

Last week, the Treasury marked its first full-award of T-bills auction since the middle of August 2022.

The Treasury struggled to raise money from the local debt market in the previous quarter as inves-

tors sought for higher interest rates last year.

At the start of the year, National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon expressed optimism that the BTr’s auctions would continue to see near full-awarding of T-bills.

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

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

Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

Assurance names Karen Custodia as new chief exec

we continue to provide Filipinos with the financial protection they need and encourage them to live longer, healthier, and better lives. We understand our consumers’ changing needs and we will continue to invest in innovations to fulfill our strong commitment to making insurance accessible, affordable, and personalized for every Filipino,” Custodia was quoted in a statement as saying.

Prior to her appointment, she held the role of Head of Partnership Distribution Sales Channels at BPI AIA since 2014. Bringing in more than a decade of rich experience in sales, Custodia has a proven track record

of driving impactful change in the company. In her previous role, she led a team of over 1,500 employees from the In-Branch Corporate Sales, Direct Sales, Private Banking, and Telesales teams.

Under Custodia’s leadership, BPI AIA successfully implemented a new distribution model aligned with BPI’s customer and channel strategy. This feat has strengthened partner engagement and consequently increased the sales force productivity.

“Our partnership with BPI has grown stronger every year, we push on every day to protect our customers letting them love the lives they live.

We look forward to working alongside them towards our common goal of building a better Philippines, one family, one community at a time,” Custodia added.

She previously led the distribution channels to shift from physical to hybrid interaction at the height of the pandemic. The shift helped curb the pandemic’s impact and achieve faster recovery while staying true to the BPI AIA mission of making insurance easy to get and easy to have for every Filipino.

Custodia replaced Surendra Menon, who served six years as BPI AIA CEO and was recently appointed as

Director of Partnership Distribution of AIA Indonesia. Custodia will work closely with and will be directly reporting to AIA Philippines Life and General Insurance Co. CEO Kelvin Ang. Menon expressed the honor “to pass on the chief executive role to Karen.”

“Through the course of her career, she has demonstrated her expertise and knowledge, which have been key parts of many of the organization’s innovations and developments,” he added. “With her spearheading BPI AIA, I am certain that she will drive the company toward new heights of success.”

“Our recent analysis of select digital lending services is a clear indication that responsible credit services continue to be an effective means of breaching inequality in accessing financial tools. We encourage the wider segment to continue in promoting responsible lending,” Digido Country Manager Farit Shakirov said.

There were some 2.3 million active users of at least one of those 10 platforms, those who have consistently logged into the application at least once over the past six months to December 2022, is approximately 3.2 percent of the Philippine adult population aged 18 and over by 2022 estimates by the United Nations.

In other words, one in every 30 adult Filipinos gains access to the services of 10 digital lending platforms at least once a month.

Average monthly duration of use session of these apps ended at 12 minutes and 46 seconds while duration of one session per user was at one minute and 14 seconds.

Significant bursts of user login activity in 2022 occurred in March, July and November, mainly due to the positive dynamics of certain platforms working with small and medium-sized businesses, which account for approximately 36 percent of the country’s economy. Possible reasons behind these surges include ongoing promotions, favorable conditions or the launch of specialized loan products for entrepreneurs.

Digido observes that micro, small and medium-sized companies are still heavily underfunded and limited in their ability to continuously grow and develop, which only increases the potential for the penetration of digital lending platforms.

Digido is part of the larger Singapore-headquartered Robocash Group, which is servicing millions of clients across the globe across key markets in Europe and Asia.

PersoNal fiNaNce

rosemarie Gases

STABILITY REPORT This Monday, January 23, 2023, photo courtesy of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas shows (from left): BSP Monetary Board Member Antonio S. Abacan Jr.; MBM Peter B. Favila; Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Emilio B. Aquino; Insurance Commission Commissioner Dennis B. Funa; BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla; MBM Anita Linda R. Aquino; MBM V. Bruce J. Tolentino; Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. President Roberto B. Tan; and, Financial Stability Coordination Council Technical Secretariat Head and BSP Senior Assistant Governor Johnny Noe E. Ravalo. Not in the photo are Department of Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, who is a member of the FSCC and the Financial Stability Policy Committee, and MBM Eli M. Remolona Jr. The release of the 2022 Financial Stability Report was highlighted by the presence of the principals of both the FSCC and the FSPC. The FSPC is the body at the BSP that monitors, assesses and decides on policy interventions on systemic risk issues.

Modeka to mount 27-artist exhibit at Xavier Art Fest 2023

viewers with engaging emotions through various media.

Renato “Jojo” Barja’s somber surrealism, for one, delivers a curious brand of melancholy in Taong Bahay Here, we gaze at a subject wearing a striped shirt and a bird house for a head, lifeless in a resigned pose, yet holding flowers that seem to be the only element alive in the frame. Meanwhile, Alee Garibay’s oil painting, titled Mother’s Day, blossoms with an embrace of love in full color.

Art of Possibilities.”

Aside from the exhibitions of established galleries, this year’s festival will feature physical and digital artworks submitted through a month-long contest that was launched in December.

The “XAF 2023 Art-for-a-Cause Contest” welcomed entries from the students, faculty, staff, and alumni from the Xavier School San Juan and Nuvali communities.

TODAY’S HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Mischa Barton, 37; Tatyana Ali, 44; Ed Helms, 49; Neil Diamond, 82.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Be open about how you feel, and resolve issues hanging over your head that are holding you back. Progress takes initiative and courage to make tough decisions. It’s time to adjust what isn’t working for you while you pave the way to new beginnings and happiness. Take command of your life. Choose to simplify how you do things, and practice moderation. Your numbers are 4, 10, 22, 26, 30, 34, 42.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You’ll be eager to get things done. Push forward, fulfill your dreams and promote your goals. A challenge will have strings attached. Find out what’s expected of you before you proceed. Romance is on the rise. ★★★★

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Sort through emotional issues before you agree to something that may be compromising or uncomfortable. Find out where you stand, and assess where it’s best to put your time and effort. Don’t forget that charity begins at home. ★★★★

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gather information and put it to the test. What you discover and how you apply it to your life will inspire others to pitch in and help. Before you accept help, find out what you will owe. Maintaining equality is essential. ★★

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Stick to the facts, and don’t take on the impossible. Reach out to someone you like to work alongside, and you’ll get an opportunity to do something that makes a difference. Focus on bringing money in, not spending frivolously. ★★★★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): An opening will become available. Try something new. A challenge will excite and encourage you to fine-tune your skills to impress someone who can help you get ahead. Choose to be with someone you love, not someone you feel you owe. ★★★

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A trip, meeting or networking function will be informative. The information you receive will help you adjust to changes heading your way. Don’t fret; you’ll make substantial gains if you let your work be your calling card. ★★★

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Dress for success. Pay attention to detail and take better care of your health and well-being. Hone your skills, add to your knowledge and keep up to date with what’s trending. Socialize, network or tell someone you love how you feel. ★★★

INDEPENDENT contemporary art gallery and art consultancy Modeka Art will put up a sizeable group exhibition featuring 27 visual artists this weekend at Xavier Art Fest (XAF) 2023. This year’s edition of the annual event will run from January 27 to 29 at the Xavier San Juan Sports Center and Quadrangle.

Modeka’s showcase will offer a plethora of distinctive styles set to capture the imagination of

THIS January, more than ever, experience how good things come in pairs.

Funan’s third edition of its popular mall-wide art activation, titled Creative Intersections: In the Year of the Rabbit, continues its marriage of artists with brands to engage, inspire, provide access and treat both seasoned art lovers and mallgoers alike.

Read into text-based art in a poem and installation art piece made of embroidered fabric; glimpse into a surreal, curious and colorful world

Also part of Modeka’s XAF exhibition are Frances Abrigo, Miguel Aquilizan, Buboy Canafranca, Jesse Camacho, 13 Lucky Monkey, Jay-r Delleva, Bembol Dela Cruz, Michael Delmo, Ranelle Dial, Jessica Dorizac, Erin Asuncion-Dionisio, and Kiko Escora. Part of the fold as well are Rymnd Gev, David Ignacio, Thom Jopson, Golda King, Romeo Lee, Carl Modelo, Kiko Moran, Isha Naguiat, Jon Red, Wataru Sakuma, Arvin Santos, and TG Villanueva.

XAF 2023 slots as the sixth edition of the annual showcase, carrying the theme “Stronger Together: The

The submitted artworks will be exhibited and sold to raise funds for the Fr. Zuloaga Faculty Emergency Medical Fund, Para Kay ‘Cher Fund, Xavier Educational Trust, and other causes.

Another highlight of XAF 2023 is the participation of the Philippine Digital Asset Exchange (PDAX), which will preview a collection of NFTs set to be released on its mobile app next month. PDAX will also have a booth at the festival, where visitors can learn more about NFTs.

More information about Xavier Art Fest 2023 is available at www.facebook.com/xsartfest. ■

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Get approval before you make changes that will affect those you live with. If you are transparent and open regarding your intentions, you’ll be granted the go-ahead and offered suggestions that will contribute to your success. ★★★★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Nothing will be as it appears. Don’t act on assumptions; ask questions, explore possibilities and put your energy where it counts. Home improvements will open space to new projects that can inflate your income. If you love someone, share your feelings. ★★

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): An active mind will lead to answers that encourage you to follow your heart and head in a direction that favors changes at home that add to your financial stability. Invest more time in improving money management and curbing costly habits. ★★★★

of the Water Rabbit in a walk-in installation designed in collaboration with an eyewear retailer; be guided on how to turn recycled art materials into useful everyday objects by one of the few female Singaporean marble sculptors; and check out re-modelled rabbit figurines by famed Japanese outfit MIMILA.

On top of these diverse collaborations and more, on display are six vibrant Funan Passion Rabbit sculptures customized by six artists in response to the mall’s colors and

passion themes of Play, Chic, Taste, Fit, Tech and Craft.

The play on dualities, of artists and brands, retail and art, all mirror the life of rabbits who, just like us, are social creatures that do not thrive in solitude. In yet another inspired pairing, Creative Intersections is presented by Funan and curated by collaborator, curatorial consultancy and agency Chan + Hori Contemporary.

Adrian Lai, centre manager, Funan, said: “After a successful partnership

for Creative Intersections last year, we are pleased to collaborate with Chan + Hori Contemporary again to come up with unique ‘shoppable’ experiences that enliven the bustling art scene at Funan.

As a paradigm for live, work and play, we look forward to offering a creative environment in our spaces for local artists, retailers and our shoppers alike this Year of the Rabbit.”

Creative Intersections is a part of Singapore Art Week 2023, and is ongoing until February 5, 2023.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take your intentions and plans for a test drive by reviewing each step required to reach your objective. Your colorful way of pitching your vision will make it difficult for your audience to reject your ideas. A demonstration will seal the deal. ★★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t share sensitive information. Focus on what you can do for others and how to solve a problem that can influence your position or income. Keep the peace, but leave nothing to chance or up to someone else. Do what’s best for you. ★★★

BIRTHDAY BABY: You are responsible, eager and passionate. You are fun-loving and unpredictable.

journey inside world of ‘El Filibusterismo’

GmA Network’s award-winning masterpiece Maria Clara at Ibarra has come to the conclusion of Noli Me Tángere and now takes the audience inside the world of El Filibusterismo beginning the week of January 23. The series is bannered by Barbie Forteza as Klay, Julie Anne San Jose as maria Clara, and Dennis Trillo as Ibarra/Simoun.

Dennis revealed his preparations for his new character as Simoun:“Nag-research ako para malaman kung ano ang itsura niya at maging accurate ang depiction ko sa kanya. Proud na proud kami na mapasama sa programang ito na maraming tumangkilik, at ngayon dumarating ang mga parangal. Isa ito sa pinakaimportanteng shows ng dekadang ito.” Barbie, on the other hand, shared one of her favorite scenes: “Pinaka-gusto ko ’yung nagdasal ako sa simbahan. Medyo sensitive ’yung tinackle namin doon pero na-deliver nang maayos ang message sa viewers. KAhIT made-up character si Klay, naging part na talaga siya ng nobela. Isa ito sa characters na hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan.”

Julie Anne equally expressed how grateful she is for the success of their show: “Sobrang surreal pa rin na ako ang nagpu-portray ng maria Clara. Nagpapasalamat ako sa malaking opportunity na ito. Collective effort siya from the whole team. Bawat detalye ng project na ito ay pinaghirapan kaya worth it ang lahat ng dugo, pawis at luha.”

Playing equally important roles in the series are Tirso Cruz III as Padre Damaso, manilyn Reynes as Narsing, Rocco Nacino as Elias, David licauco as Fidel, Juancho Triviño as Padre Salvi, Juan Rodrigo as Kapitan Tiago, Ces Quesada as Tiya Isabel, lou Veloso as Jose Torres, Dennis Padilla as mang Adong, Gilleth Sandico as Donya Victorina, Chai Fonacier as lucia, Kiel Rodriguez as Renato, and  Kirst Viray as Pablito.  Completing the powerhouse cast are the additional characters from El Filibusterismo: Khalil Ramos as Basilio, Pauline mendoza as Juli, Julia Pascual as Paulita, Kim de leon as Isagani, and Arnold Reyes as Kabesang Tales.

As the show’s Book 2 begins, Klay finally returns to her family. However, she still has a lot of questions on what will happen to her friends in Noli Me Tángere Klay decides to finish reading the book and to her surprise, Fidel is not written on it. She also becomes worried about the epilogue implying that Padre Salvi attempted to rape maria Clara in the convent. To know more about the fate of her loved ones, Klay starts to read El Filibusterismo

The series is made possible under the supervision of GmA SVP for entertainment group lilybeth G. Rasonable, with Creative Director Aloy Adlawan and content development consultant Ricky lee, and Zig Dulay as the director.

Catch the unfolding of El Filibusterismo on Maria Clara at Ibarra, which airs weeknights at 8 pm on GmA and 9:40 pm on GTV. Viewers abroad can also catch the program via GmA Pinoy TV.

‘Avatar’ marks 6 straight weeks at No. 1, crosses $2B

NEW YORK—James Cameron’s

The Way of Water led ticket sales in movie theaters for the sixth straight weekend, making it the first film to have such a sustained reign atop the box office since 2009’s

The Walt Disney Co.’s The Way of Water added $19.7 million in US and Canadian theaters over the weekend, according to studio estimates on Sunday. Its global total has now surpassed $2 billion, putting it sixth all-time and just ahead of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Domestically, The Way of Water is up to $598 million. Continued robust international sales ($56.3 million for the weekend) has helped push the sequel to $2.024 billion worldwide.

A year ago, Spider-Man: No Way Home also topped the box office for six weekends, but did it over the course of seven weeks. You have to go back to Cameron’s original Avatar to find a movie that stayed No. 1 for such a long span. (Avatar ultimately topped out at seven weeks.) Before that, the only film in the past 25 years to manage the feat was another Cameron film; Titanic (1997) went undefeated for 15 weeks.

The Way of Water has now reached a target that Cameron himself set for the very expensive sequel. Ahead of its release, Cameron said becoming “the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history” was “your break even.” The box-office domination for Way of Water has been aided, in part, by a dearth of formidable challengers. The only new wide release from a major studio on the weekend was the thriller Missing, from Sony’s Screen Gems and Stage 6 Films. A low-budget sequel to 2018’s Searching, starring Storm Reid as a teenager seeking her missing mother, Missing plays out across computer screens. The film, budgeted at $7 million, debuted with $9.3 million.

January is typically a slow period in theaters, but a handful of strong-performing holdovers have helped prop up sales.

Though it didn’t open hugely in December, Universal Pictures’ Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has had long legs as one of the only family options in theaters over the last month. In its fifth week, it came in second place with $11.5 million domestically and $17.8 million

overseas. The Puss in Boots sequel has grossed $297.5 million globally.

The creepy doll horror hit M3gan, also from Universal, has likewise continued to pull in moviegoers. It notched $9.8 million in its third week, bringing its domestic haul to $73.3 million.

And while the popularity of horror titles in theaters is nothing new, Sony Pictures’ A Man Called Otto, starring Tom Hanks, has flourished in a marketplace that’s been trying for adult-oriented dramas. The film, a remake of the Swedish film A Man Called Ove, about a retired man whose suicide plans are continually foiled by his neighbors, made $9 million in its second week of wide release. It’s taken in

$35.3 million domestically through Sunday.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. 1. Avatar: The Way of Water, $19.7 million 2. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, $11.5 million 3. M3gan, $9.8 million 4. Missing, $9.3 million 5. A Man Called Otto, $9 million 6. Plane, $5.3 million 7. House Party, $1.8 million 8. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime The Movie, $1.5 million

9. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, $1.4 million 10. The Whale, $1.3 million. n

Japanese Film Festival 2023 returns to on-site screenings

AFTER two online editions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, The Japan Foundation, manila brings back the on-site screenings of its beloved film festival, the Japanese Film Festival (JFF), featuring 10 award-winning and must-see full-length films, ongoing until February 22 in various venues in the Philippines.

One of the largest and most popular film festivals in the

Manila fans went crazy over ITZY

PHENomENAl K-pop group ITZY made manila its first Asian stop for the much-awaited Checkmate world concert tour. It was the second visit to the Philippines for the all-girl pop group and fans made sure the group was welcomed beyond expectations when they stormed the two-night concert of the group at the mall of Asia Arena.

At the special event prior to the weekend shows, the Glorietta Activity Center was filled to the rafters as Yeji, lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna made sure their fans had a first glimpse of their presence. They gamely answered all the questions of the media invitees that drew wild cheers and deafening

country attracting over 25,000 audiences every year, the Japanese Film Festival kicked off its on-site screenings on January 22 and runs until February 3 at the Shangri-la Plaza in mandaluyong City.  It will have simultaneous screenings at Sm City Baguio, Sm Seaside Cebu, Sm City Davao from January 27 to 31; followed by Cinematheque manila, Cinematheque Negros,

Cinematheque Iloilo, Cinematheque Davao, Cinematheque Nabunturan from January 28 to 29; and UP Cine Adarna from February 17 to 22. Tickets are priced at P100 per screening. launched in 1997, the Japanese Film Festival (JFF), formerly known and appreciated in the Philippines as EIGASAI, is presented and run by The Japan Foundation, manila. Since then, it has grown

to become one of the largest film festivals featuring a wide variety of cinematic delights from drama, anime and mystery, to recently released films. JFF also brings guests from Japan for special talks and discussions.

more information about the Japan Foundation, manila is available at www.jfmo.org.ph and EIGASAI Facebook (www.facebook.com/eigasaiph).

The mIDZYs danced and sang their hearts out to every song in the repertoire, and even cheered Walang uuwi [No one is going home!] toward the end of the two hour spectacle. Thankfully, the crowd accomplished the interactive mission challenges for ITZY to do an encore, which included the song “Trust me [mIDZY],” which is dedicated to their amazing Filipino fans.

one by one, the ITZY members let out their heartfelt messages to those who watched the show.

Salamat po!” Chaeryeong uttered in Filipino, almost emotional. “mIDZY, you guys are amazing. You guys are wonderful. You guys are the best,” chimed in lia.

Mahal mahal kita kita,” enthused Yuna before breaking into giggles.

DZYs, as their fans are called. We learned from the management of Ayala malls that the ITZY

broke all records of Glorietta as far as number of mall visitors per day is concerned.

“We are very, very thankful that you are here welcoming us. I miss you so, so much,” expressed Yeji, the leader of the pack. Ryujin also shared how happy they are to be back in the Philippines after three years.

ITZY and the mIDZYs all held hands and chanted “ITZY mIDZY, nalja [let’s fly]!” as confetti filled the arena and the concert came to a close.

It took some time before we got out of the parking area in moA. We experienced how phenomenal this girl group is and how happy the members made their Filipino fans, mostly the young ones, with their mesmerizing presence, electrifying energy and their amazing performances.

event

Presented by ve Nation Philippines, ITZY’s jam-packed two-night concert featured numbers from the group’s fifth EP, Checkmate. The sing-anddance quintet also performed their hit songs “Not Shy,” “Wannabe,” Dalla Dalla” and their latest single, “Cheshire.” The members regaled the manila crowd with their solo numbers that further showcased their individual talents and distinct styles.

THE K-pop allgirl group ITZY entertaining their legion of Filipino fans.

SonY Pictures’ A Man Called Otto, starring Tom Hanks, has flourished in a marketplace that’s been trying for adultoriented dramas.

Face-to-face events are officially back for the EastWest Priority Lifestyle Series

AFTER years of virtual events since the pandemic, EastWest Priority Lifestyle Series finally returns face-to-face starting with a Lunar New Year celebration for Metro Manila Priority clients.

Festivities started on a high note with a traditional lion dance. Priority clients were also treated with a Feng Shui outlook – a crowd favorite and a Priority Lifestyle Series staple. Feng Shui master Patrick Lim Fernandez was invited to give a talk on feng shui and what to look forward to in the Year of the Water Rabbit.

According to Fernandez, the Year of the Water Rabbit is the peak of spring. This will bring about a reinvigoration and a reintegration back in society. He added that industries with fire and metal elements will benefit the most in the Year of the Rabbit.

“Fire industries are going to be good this year so that would be technology on the software side, energy, communications and media, entertainment and events and food,” Fernandez said.

“Other industries that are also looking good have to do with metal – banking and finance, mining, jewelry, beauty products, medical, dental and healthcare, and technology on the hardware side or equipment,” he added.

Fernandez also shared that the creativity energy will be strong in the Year of the Rabbit and people should take advantage of this to brainstorm and come up with new ideas. ‘

“But try to guard against losing focus. Don’t try to do everything at once. Try to think and choose what is important

and from there you will be able to get things done,” he said.

He was followed by the introduction of EastWest President Jacqueline S. Fernandez, to the Priority clients. Ms. Fernandez assured guests that the Bank is committed “to be your trusted partner in managing your wealth, providing you the best personal and bespoke banking experience that is fit for your financial needs.”

The celebration closed with Rafael S. Algarra, EastWest’s Senior Executive Vice President gladly sharing to the guests the Bank’s portfolio has only increased and grown further in 2022 because of the steady reopening of the country and the world.

“As part of the momentum we’re rolling with in 2023, you can also be assured that we will continue introducing more investment

opportunities to help you strengthen your portfolio according to your needs and preferences,” he said.

Clients who stayed on after the program proper got the chance to win raffle prizes like 2023 Feng Shui diaries, two overnight accommodations for two, one five-course dinner taking menu at Flame Restaurant for two, and other gift items.

The EastWest Priority Lifestyle Series is part of the Bank’s efforts to thank their loyal Priority banking customers. The Cebu and Davao legs of the Lunar New Year celebration will take place on January 24 and 25, 2023 respectively. The first leg was held at Discovery Primea while the Cebu leg is scheduled to be held at Radisson Blu in Cebu. The Davao leg will take place at Dusit Thani Davao.

Sunshine Place starts Ikebana Workshop Level 2 sessions; to run for four Saturdays until February

SUNSHINE Place opens its Level 2 Ikebana-Sogetsu inspired flower arrangement workshop on January 21, 2023.

The workshop will run for four Saturdays until February 11, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. -12:00 noon.

A face-to-face lecture-demonstration for those who have completed the Beginners Ikebana Level 1 Workshop will be conducted.

Level 2 is a follow up to the Introduction to Ikebana Beginners Workshop. It will include a demonstration/workshop handson lessons' covering review of basic and other additional variations both for moribana and Nageire and selected topics on advance Ikebana lessons.

Marc Tomas, former President of Ikebana International Manila Chapter 108 and member of Sogetsu Potential Manila Chapter will conduct the workshop. He has been teaching Ikebana classes at Sunshine Place since 2017.

Students are encouraged to bring their own gardening scissors, kenzan, vertical and horizontal base used in Level 1 Workshop. Workshop kits are available at the venue which include flowers for the four sessions.

For more details, kindly call M. (0917) 515-5656 or emailoperations@ sunshineplaceph.com

2GO introduces first multi-temperature reefer vans in PHL for safe, secure transport of goods

2GO Group, Inc., a pioneer in less than container load (LCL) reefers in the Philippines and a subsidiary of SM Investments Corporation, begins the New Year with the arrival of its new mixed temperature vans, the first in the country, in a move to boost the safe and secure transport of goods critical to spurring economic activity.

Managed by subsidiary 2GO Special Containers and Value-Added Services, Inc. (SCVASI), each van has multiple temperature settings, which allows it to store and transport both frozen and chilled food items at the same time, freeing up slots in vessels. Frozen foods, such as meat and fish, are typically preserved at a temperature of -20C, while chilled ones like fruits and vegetables are kept between -2 and -6C. Each mixed temperature reefer van has a length of 20 feet and will be used for its LCL reefer service.

these strategic investments as we expect consumer growth to drive the economy. With these new assets, we raise our standards in transporting the freshest food possible, especially as customer demand rises in the coming weeks,” said 2GO SCVASI President Gener C. Lim.

2GO Special Containers has one of the largest fleets of reefer containers in the country. Complemented by reefer trucks, 2GO SCVASI is able to offer reliable and cost-efficient endto-end cold chain service. It has comprehensive nationwide coverage, robust network, and consistency of delivery schedules to fit every customer’s demanding delivery requirements out of Manila to Visayas and Mindanao, and vice versa.

Suarez and listened to his meaningful talk on memorial lot investments.

Likewise in 2022, Golden Haven launched its “Sales and Collection on Wheels,” which allowed people from all over the country to purchase a Golden Haven property, and enabled existing clients to update their accounts with 100 percent waived penalty.

Golden Haven also initiated online efforts not only to boost their presence in various parts of the world, but to impart investment knowledge to Filipinos, wherever they may be. For one, the developer conducted a virtual international roadshow, joined by OFWs from different parts of the world, with the objective of teaching hardworking migrant Filipinos the value and importance of investments.

On top of this, 2GO Special Containers has acquired LCL reefer vans for frozen foods. Together with the mixed temperature vans, these will be deployed throughout the country. The addition of these assets increases 2GO Special Containers’ reefer van fleet by 25 percent.

“We continue to believe in the long-term growth potential of this sector and have made

“Being part of the 2GO Group, 2GO Special Containers is able to deliver on-time since the group owns its fleet of vessels. We guarantee the freshness of the food we transport for half the cost of transporting by air,” Lim said.

The company has been offering the LCL reefer service since 2007, in which there is no minimum delivery quantity. This way, small volumes of cold chain shipments ranging from individual customers and entrepreneurs to big businesses can be shipped, generating savings in terms of warehousing and storage for direct deliveries.

We first offered this 15 years ago since there was growing customer demand for food products, including those for processed food, nationwide. Later, with ecommerce, they expanded to Visayas and Mindanao, especially during the pandemic,” Lim added.

Among 2GO Special Containers’ longtime clients are favorite restaurants, fast food chains, coffee shops, food and dietary supplement stores, and more. 2GO Special Containers is a trusted LCL provider, as it enables trading partners to go about with their business operations.

GOLDEN Haven, the most prominent institution in the Philippine deathcare industry, celebrated its 38th year in October 2022 by touting its exemplary achievements through the decades, not the least of which was building beautifully themed memorial parks across the country.

In fact, in 2022 alone, the highly trusted memorial park developer launched over ten new memorial parks and facilities in the country’s popular destination towns: Antipolo, Bukidnon, Iligan, Liliw, Manaoag, Padre Garcia (Batangas), Puerto (Cagayan de Oro), Sariaya, Subic, and Tagum.

Each newly launched memorial park bears its own theme that lives up to Golden Haven’s trademark elegant and wellcurated designs. And each park sprawls on vast and exquisitely landscaped terrain that boasts of lush nature backdrops and an unmistakable air of tranquility.

In its memorial park in Norzagaray, Golden Haven launched the Aqua Columbarium, a facility that features a mural symbolizing the rich aquatic wildlife in the Amazon River and the Brazilian seas, complementing the park’s Brazilian Garden theme.

Indeed, Golden Haven stayed on track all throughout 2022, undaunted by the lingering challenges spawned by a health crisis and global conflicts. It held multiple

park launchings and successfully mounted numerous industry events that showcased its premium selection of memorial products—from lawn lots to garden niches to columbarium vaults to its posh family estates and mausoleums.

Thus, to say that Golden Haven Memorial Parks, Inc. had a stellar 2022 would be a well-earned acknowledgment of its accomplishments—its numerous awards and recognition; its innovative service offerings; its environmentally friendly upgrades in services and locales; its excellent customer care; and in its lineup of premium yet affordable product options and low capital requirement.

Honoring its commitment to sustainability, Golden Haven also accelerated its solar project, powering half of all of its parks with solar energy.

Aside from creating a chain of scenic memorial parks where families preserve and create memories, Golden Haven came up with notable innovations to improve its service.

One of its most memorable events for 2022, “Resurgence: Grand Investor’s Night,” attracted an overwhelming number of buyers and sellers, and encouraged financially savvy OFWs, retirees, millennials, and others to invest in inflation-resistant memorial properties.

On that one evening, Golden Haven sold more than 300 lots. Attendees likewise met influential real-estate expert Chris

Another online initiative in the past year was “Golden Hour,” a quarterly livestream program that engaged thousands of Golden Haven followers. Its latest episode featured a simultaneous Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in all Golden Haven branches nationwide.

As the memorial industry leader in digitalization, Golden Haven released the Golden Haven Mobile App in 2022. Available for download in the Apple Store and the Google Play Store, this app enabled Golden Haven clients and investors to monitor their accounts and payments, and access customer care anytime, anywhere. Aside from this, clients can now enjoy the added convenience of being able to pay using their e-wallet. What’s more, Golden Haven now accepts online reservations through their website.

As a testament to the supreme quality of Golden Haven’s memorial parks, the developer also bagged two prestigious awards in 2022.

In October, the 10th Annual PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards recognized Golden Haven Cebu as the “Best Memorial Park Landscape Architectural Design”. Meanwhile, prominent award-giving body The Outlook 2022 by Lamudi recognized Golden Haven as the “Highly Commendable Best Property Seeker Support” in September 2022.

Abdulmari Imao’s son signs partnership agreement with Artifract to transform masterpieces into NFTs

THE digital and fine art world will soon have access to the works of renowned Filipino artists Abdulmari Imao Sr. and Federico Aguilar Alcuaz following the signing of a partnership between their sons and Artifract.io, a pioneering Fine Arts NFT.

The signing ceremony held in quarter 4 of 2022 at Kondwi, Makati, was attended by Artifract.io heads with Web3 KOLs, leaders, and stakeholders.

The award-winning multimedia artist Toym de Leon Imao highlighted his excitement for the collaboration, which intends to transform Imao's masterpieces into NFTs.

“Dr. Imao’s body of works has always trailblazed in the history of Philippine visual arts with regards to promoting Mindanao art and culture,” Toym said.

“The Sarimanok motif is an acknowledged folk art of the Maranaos. It has been reimagined into the modern Imao Sarimanok and Sarifish compositions of Dr. Imao in both sculpture and painting,” he added.

Toym also acknowledges their family's commitment to promote their father's legacy through graphic arts, product design, theater, and, most recently, digital works through limited NFT.

“We firmly believe that bringing Dr. Imao’s works across the digital divide makes his works accessible and establishes a digital footprint regarding the continued awareness of his

contribution to

Art

“We look forward to the opportunities and possibilities that this collaboration of Imao x Artifract will bring,” Toym added.

Dr. Imao received the Presidential Medal of Merit in 2005, the Gawad CCP para sa Sining in 1990, the Gawad Patnubay ng Sining from the City of Manila in 1985, and the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines (TOYM) in 1968 before being inducted into the Order of National Artists in 2006.

This January, everyone will have access to the fractionalized archival pieces of Abdulmari Imao via https://artifract.io/. Visit the website and join the waitlist to get preferential access to the drop at https://artifract.io/.

EASTWEST Senior Vice President and Cluster Head Rafael S. Algarra Jr. gives the closing remarks during the EastWest Priority Lifestyle Series kick off at Discovery Primea in Makati.

EASTWEST President Jackie S. Fernandez gives her remarks during the EastWest Priority Lifestyle Series kick off activity at Discovery Primea in Makati.

FROM left, Unit256 Co-Founder Magellan Fetalino, Award-winning multimedia artist Toym de Leon Imao, Unit256 Co-Founders Edison Tsai and Steph

Philippine

through digital and tech-based platforms,” he said.

For Golden Haven, 2022 is a year of growth, triumph thanks to more than 10 new memorial parks, facilities

IN 2022 alone, Golden Haven launched over ten new memorial parks and facilities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, all with unique themes, and elegant and wellcurated designs.

Clean energy gains foothold in India, but coal still rules

By Sibi Arasu & Mary Katherine Wildeman The Associated Press

BENGALURU, India—For six years, Pravinbhai Parmar’s farm in Gujarat state in western India has been lined with rice, wheat and solar panels.

Huge waves bring Hawaii surf contest The

Eddie after hiatus

By Audrey Mcavoy The Associated Press

HONOLULU—One of the world’s most prestigious and storied surfing contests—dubbed the “Super Bowl of Surfing”—went forward Sunday in Hawaii for the first time in seven years with towering wave faces and a gigantic swell that was expected to grow throughout the day.

And this year female surfers competed alongside the men for the first time in the 39-year history of The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational.

The event—alternatively known simply as The Eddie—is a oneday contest held in Waimea Bay on Oahu’s North Shore only when the surf is consistently large enough during the winter big-wave surfing season from mid-December through mid-March. The wind, the tides and the direction of the swell also have to be just right.

“Large enough” means 20 feet (6 meters) by Hawaii measurements. That’s equivalent to about 40 feet (12 meters) when measured by methods used in the rest of the US. Before this year, conditions have only aligned for it to be held nine times since the initial competition in 1984.

Organizer Clyde Aikau said at a news conference Friday that he was expecting waves to reach 25 to 30 feet (7.6 to nine meters) by Hawaii measurements or 50 to 60 feet (15 to 18 meters) on the national scale—and the conditions were meeting expectations.

On Sunday, the sets were already big, with the swell expected to grow as the day went on, and an estimated 60,000 people packed the beaches and surrounding area to catch a glimpse of the spectacle. One huge wave swept onto the beach and hit a family, sweeping a baby under a house, but the child was not injured, Hawaii News Now reported.

“We’ve been looking at 30-foot to 40-foot wave faces for the most part, (and) the biggest waves of the day are going to be in excess of 45 feet. By local scale, they’ll call those waves 25 feet—and we’ve seen a couple sets like that already,” Kevin Wallis, director of forecasting at Surfline.com, said by phone Sunday morning.

“It’s amazing, it’s really cool to see and it’s such a rare and prestigious event, and there’s a lot of energy and a lot of buzz around, for sure,” he said.

Other places around the world have big wave surfing events: Mavericks in California, Nazare in Portugal and Peahi on Hawaii’s Maui Island. But author Stuart Coleman says The Eddie is distinguished by how it honors Eddie Aikau, a legendary Native Hawaiian waterman, for his selflessness, courage and sacrifice.

“What makes this contest the most unique is that it’s in memory of a particular individual who really has transcended his time and place when he lived,” said Coleman, who wrote “Eddie Would Go,” a biography of Aikau.

Edward Ryon Makuahanai Aikau rose to prominence as the first lifeguard hired by Honolulu to work on Oahu’s North Shore and was revered for saving over 500 people during his career. He is also famous for surfing towering waves that no one else would dare ride.

Aikau died in 1978 at the age of 31 during an expedition to sail a traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe from Honolulu to Tahiti. Just hours out of port, the giant double-hulled canoe known as the Hokulea took on water and overturned in stormy weather. Aikau volunteered to paddle several miles to nearby Lanai Island on his surfboard to get help for the rest of the crew but was never seen again.

The US Coast Guard rescued the remaining crew a few hours later after being alerted by a commercial plane that spotted the canoe.

Coleman said The Eddie is about the best of big-wave surfing and the best of Hawaiian culture.

“They always say at the opening ceremony, where they gather to launch the holding period, ‘This is not just a contest. We’re not surfing against each other. We’re surfing in the spirit of Eddie,’ Coleman said.

This year organizers have invited 40 competitors and 18 alternates from around the world, including Kelly Slater, who has won a record 11 world surfing titles. John John Florence, who hails from the North Shore and who has won two back-to-back world titles, has also been asked to join.

Keala Kennelly of Kauai, a women’s big wave surf champion, is among the female invitees.

Mindy Pennybacker, a surf columnist for the Honolulu StarAdvertiser and author of the upcoming book, “Surfing Sisterhood Hawaii: Wahine Reclaiming the Waves,” said there has long been an assumption that Waimea was too dangerous for women and they couldn’t surf there.

She said women had to fight to be included and have meanwhile shown that they could handle big waves in spots around the world.

“To see women—not only women surfing Waimea but women and men sharing the same event together, with mutual respect and equality—I’m just really thrilled at the thought,” Pennybacker said.

The 36-year-old is among a handful of farmers in his native Dhundi village who have been using solar power to irrigate crops.

“I was spending nearly 50,000 rupees [$615] every year to water my crops,” said Parmar. “With solar I spend nothing.”

Parmar also sells the excess electricity to his state’s grid, earning an average of 4,000 rupees ($50) a month.

“It’s a win-win in every way,” he said.

Thousands of farmers have been encouraged to take up solar power for irrigation in the agriculture-rich state as India aims to reach “net zero” by 2070. But livelihoods powered by clean energy are major outliers in the country that’s the third-largest emitter of planetwarming gases in the world, and last year announced its biggestever auction for coalmines.

Coal’s share in producing electricity for Gujarat fell from 85 percent to 56 percent in the last six years, according to analysis by London-based energy think tank Ember. The share of renewable energy for the state grew from 9 percent to 28 percent in the same period.

But Gujarat is just one of four of India’s 28 states that met their renewable energy targets for 2022. Most states have installed less than 50 percent of their targets and some states such as West Bengal have installed only 10 percent of their target.

Nationwide fossil fuels generate more than 70 percent of India’s electricity and have been doing so for decades. Coal is by far the largest share of dirty fuels. Renewable energy currently contributes about 10 percent of India’s electricity needs.

From 2001 to 2021, India installed 168 gigawatts of coal-fired generation, nearly double what it added in solar and wind power

combined, according to an analysis of Ember data. India’s federal power ministry estimates that its electricity demand will grow up to 6 percent every year for the next decade.

“The challenge of reducing the share of coal in the electricity generation mix is particularly acute because you are dealing with a sector that is growing rapidly,” said Thomas Spencer, energy analyst at the Paris-based International Energy Agency.

Spencer said India’s quickly developing economy and growing electricity consumption per capita is causing rising demand.

“Historically, countries that have achieved substantial and rapid transitions away from coalfired power tend to have had either slowly growing or stagnant or even slightly declining electricity demand,” he added.

A report by the Global Energy Monitor ranks India among the top seven countries globally for prospective renewable power. The planned build out of 76 gigawatts of solar and wind power by 2025 will avoid the use of almost 78 million tons of coal annually and could lead to savings of up to 1.6 trillion rupees ($19.5 billion) per year.

India missed its target to install 175 gigawatts of renewable energy to its overall power production by 2022. Experts say that to meet its 2030 renewable energy target of installing a total of 450 gigawatts, India needs to build out clean energy at a far greater rate than it is doing now.

The Indian government has repeatedly defended its use of coal and its energy transition strategy, stating that the fuel is necessary for the nation’s energy security. Coal India limited, a governmentowned company, is the largest state-owned coal producer in the world. It’s responsible for about 82 percent of the total coal produced

in India.

In November last year, the Indian government announced its biggest ever auction for coal mines, inviting bids for 141 mines spread across 12 states in the country. The government says the additional mines will contribute to its target of producing 1 billion tons of coal by April 2024.

Analysts say multiple obstacles include acquiring land for clean energy projects in part due to resistance from local communities. Longstanding contracts with coal plants also make it easier for staterun electricity companies to buy coal power instead of clean power.

As of December 2022, Indian state-owned electricity distribution companies owed power generators $3.32 billion in overdue payments. Their poor financial health has dampened their ability to invest in clean energy projects, analysts say.

Building energy storage, enacting more progressive policies— such as the $2.6 billion government scheme that encourages making components required to produce solar energy—and ensuring these policies are being implemented is essential to speed up a move toward renewables, analysts say.

“New laws such as the energy conservation bill as well as updated mandates issued by the federal government that make it necessary for electricity companies to purchase renewables provide hope,” said Madhura Joshi, an energy analyst at the climate think tank E3G. “At the end of the day what is needed is speeding up

the installation of renewables and associated infrastructure.”

She added: “It’s great that India has a 2070 net zero target, but changes need to happen now for us to achieve this. We must build out our renewables capacity at a great speed.”

Experts say that electricity distribution companies need to allow for more rooftop solar installations even if it results in shortterm economic losses for them. Investing in modernizing and building new wind energy projects will also speed up the transition, analysts said.

“Ultimately in India, renewable energy is a highly cost-effective technology. The perception that coal is cheap is changing,” said Spencer.

The price of renewable energy has plummeted. The cost of solar power has dropped roughly sixfold from 12 rupees (14 cents) per kilowatt-hour in 2011 to 2.5 rupees (0.03 cents) per kilowatthour in recent years.

Aditya Lolla, an energy policy analyst at Ember, is optimistic for India’s clean energy future, saying renewables are “at the cusp” of skyrocketing. He believes battery storage for renewables to provide uninterrupted electricity and clean fuels—such as green hydrogen—will grow at a rapid pace.

“Storage technology for clean energy as well as green hydrogen is expected to become affordable in the coming years,” Lolla said.

“India is betting big on that.”

Londoners escape worst of inflation crisis with big salary increases

By Lucy White & Tom Rees

LONDON residents ware weathering the cost-ofliving crunch better than people in the rest of the UK, one research group concluded.

Residents of the capital saw their real wages adjusted for inflation slip by £9 ($11.13) a week compared to a year ago during the fourth quarter of 2022, research from the Centre for Economics and Business Research indicates.

At the other end of the scale, Northern Ireland saw real wages slide by £26 per week. The average across the UK was £19, CEBR said.

The figures emphasized the widening wealth gap between London and the rest of the UK. Part of this was to do with wage growth accelerating faster in the capital than elsewhere, surpassing 8 percent.

Added to that, modeling from the CEBR based on regional disparities in spending patterns im -

plied that areas outside the capital—especially Northern Ireland and Scotland—were suffering the highest level of inflation.

The figures follow official data showing the UK’s poorest regions were also hit by the highest rates of ill health and people dropping out of the workforce.

This will pile pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government to reduce inequality across the country—part of a “leveling up” program that the previous Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed would be a “defining mission” of his premiership.

Improving public health imbalances would be important “not only to the individual, but also to the economy as a whole,” said Karl Thompson, an economist at CEBR.

Wales, Yorkshire, and the West Midlands also had the lowest shares of residents who said in the 2021 Census that they are healthy, said Thompson.

“Though there are several factors at play, lower real earnings imply lower living standards and therefore often fewer resources available to lead a healthy lifestyle,” Thompson said.

During his premiership in 2021, Johnson unveiled the £4.8 billion Leveling Up Fund backed by the taxpayer, which would invest in infrastructure across the UK.

Just last week, the government revealed a list of 111 projects that will receive a share of the £2.1 billion handed out in the fund’s second round. Those include a new rail link in Cornwall and an artificialintelligence campus in Blackpool.

But as Leveling Up minister Michael Gove prepares to speak at the Convention of the North in Manchester on Wednesday, he may be forced to defend the pace of the government’s actions.

A separate study from forecasting group the EY Item Club today warned that Chancellor Jeremy

Hunt’s plan to tighten the public purse strings will deepen the UK’s recession.

The Item Club is predicting output will shrink by 0.7 percent this year, a decline from the 0.3 percent contraction it previously penciled in last October.

It thinks stubbornly high inflation, rising interest rates and more restrictive fiscal policy will all weigh on the economy.

Corporation tax is set to rise from 19 percent to 25 percent in April, and the boost from the government’s temporary “super-deduction” on taxes incurred through business investment will fall away.

“The UK is really the only major global economy that is cutting back spending and raising taxes in the face of a slow economy,” said Peter Arnold, UK economist at accountancy firm Ernst & Young LLP. “That does explain why we see the prospects being a little bit weaker.” Bloomberg News

W ildeman reported from Hartford, Connecticut.

KAI LENNY, left, and Aaron Gold, center, are cheered on by Jake Maki, right, in Hawaii’s Waimea Bay on Oahu’s North Shore during the The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational surfing contest on Sunday, January 22, 2023. JAMM AQUINO/HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER VIA AP

A SOLAR power plant in Pavagada Tumkur district, in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, India, on September 15, 2022. Nationwide, fossil fuels, particularly coal, generate more than 70 percent of India’s electricity and has been doing so for years. Renewable energy contributes close to 10 percent of India’s electricity needs. AP/RAFIQ MAQBOOL

Bachmann vows to enhance training venues for athletes

PHILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) chairman

Richard Bachmann has committed to enhance training facilities for national athletes after making the rounds of PSCsupervised venues the latest of which was the Teachers’ Camp in Baguio City over the weekend.

I can say that there are a lot of improvements to be done. We have a lot of work to do, but I know we will be able to accomplish it slowly but surely,” Bachmann told the PSC workforce during the Monday’s flag-raising ceremony at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.

B achmann met with Tokyo Olympics silver medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio, Asian Games silver medalist Rogen Ladon and Tokyo Olympian Irish Magno in Baguio City and watched them train at the PSC’S Teachers’ Camp facility.

We’re very clad that Chairman Bachmann took time to visit us here in Baguio City,” Paalam said. “His presence is an added inspiration to train even more.”

Bachmann also met with Muay Thai and athletics athletes who are also based at the Teachers’ Camp—Muay’s Vietnam 31st Southeast Asian Games golf medalists Islay Erika Bomogao and bronze Rudzma Abubakar and 30th SEA Games athletics bronze medalist Joida Gagnao and training pool member Daniel Delatado.

He made the rounds of the national teams of windsurfers in Anilao (Batangas), gymnastics in Intramuros and squash, soft tennis, table tennis, water polo and para athletics at the RMSC in Manila and PhilSports Complex in Pasig City to kick off the new year.

HIDILYN SKIPS SEAG, OPTS FOR ASIAN TILT

By Josef Ramos

DIAZ-

HIDILYN

NARANJO won’t vie for a third consecutive Southeast Asian Games gold medal in favor of the Asian Weightlifting Championship—a Paris 2024 Olympics qualifier that runs in conflict with the Cambodia Games in May.

Th is was confirmed to BusinessMirror on Monday by the Tokyo Olympics gold medalist’s husband and coach Julius Naranjo.

Naranjo said that the Cambodia 32nd SEA Games set from May 5 to 17 runs smack into the Asian championships that are scheduled May 3 to 13 in Jinju, South Korea.

I don’t see it as advisable for us to compete in the SEA Games because it is not an Olympic qualifying event,” said Naranjo, adding that DiazNaranjo also wanted to give younger athletes the opportunity to excel in Cambodia.

At the end of the day, we’re focusing on qualifying for the Olympics and Hidilyn also wants to give chance to other aspiring athletes who can make a mark in SEA Games,” he said. “We have to look for what’s

SABALENKA IN CONTROL

MELBOURNE—Fifthseeded Aryna Sabalenka defeated Belinda Bencic, 7-5, 6-2, on Monday to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the first time.

B encic double-faulted to drop the first set, which put Sabalenka in control from that point.

No. 4-seeded Caroline Garcia faced Magda Linette later Monday for another place in the women’s quarterfinals. Garcia reached the semifinals of the US Open last season but has never reached the quarterfinals in Australia.

Top-seeded Iga Swiatek and No. 2 Ons Jabeur have both been eliminated, leaving No. 3 Jessica Pegula as the highest ranked women through to the final eight.

I’m super happy with the win today,” Sabalenka said. “She (Bencic)

is an unbelievable player. She played so good. I’m really happy with the level today.”

Sabalenka said she had worked hard on controlling her emotions during matches.

“ It takes me a little while to understand that negative emotions are not going to help me on court,” she said. “You just have to stay strong and believe no matter what.”

S ablenka also said her fitness has improved.

We did a lot of work in the preseason and I’m super happy that everything is working right now,” she said.

N ovak Djokovic faced Alex de Minaur Monday for a place in the men’s quarterfinals. Djokovic is aiming for this 10th title at the Australian Open and his 22nd Grand Slam title. AP

PSA Forum tackles Filipinas

WHAT is expected to be a historic year for Philippine football will be lengthily tackled in Tuesday’s session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum.

Philippine Football Federation (PFF) secretarygeneral Atty. Ed Gastanes will talk about the Filipinas’ momentous campaign in the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the preparations being made by the team of coach Alen Stajcic heading to the July-August event to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

They will also talk about the country’s campaign in the Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games in May and the Hangzhou 19th Asian Games in September.

The Forum is set at 10 a.m. at the ground floor of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex main administration building.

T he weekly session is presented by San Miguel Corp., Milo, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page fb.com/ PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and aired on a delayed basis over Radyo Pilipinas 2, which also shares it on its official Facebook page.

more relevant and we think the Jinju competition is more likely our destination.”

D iaz-Naranjo can compete in her fifth consecutive Olympics in Paris if she makes the grade in six international competitions that the sport’s international federation identified as qualifiers for the 2024 Games.

D iaz-Naranjo hurdled her first with flying colors by sweeping the snatch, clean and jerk and total lift for her first world championships gold medals in Bogota, Colombia, last December 7.

But that success in Bogota was at 55 kgs, the same category where she won gold in Tokyo.

The 55-kg class was scratched from the Paris program, forcing Diaz-Naranjo to move up to the 50-kg division.

THE Samahang Basketbol ng

Pilipinas (SBP) is welcoming

Toyota Motor Philippines as a key partner for the country’s hosting of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Basketball World Cup 2023 in August.

Toyota Motor Philippines joined the FIBA World Cup as a local major sponsor and simultaneously entered into a partnership with the SBP and Gilas Pilipinas.

“It is with great appreciation and warmth that we welcome Toyota Motor Philippines to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 family,” SBP Chairman Emeritus Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

F IBA Asia board member and SBP president Al Panlilio noted Toyota Motor Philippines’s support to the country’s hosting of the event from August 25 to September 10.

As we thank Toyota Motor Philippines for agreeing to be part of this once in a lifetime experience, we are inviting as well others who wish to also share in this global activity, this journey which in a sense is truly a

The couple had a pre-holiday vacation in the US after the world championships and flew back home last December 20.

Despite the holidays, Naranjo said they didn’t relax in training at their own training facility in Jala-Jala.

“ It’s still the same training routine after we celebrated Christmas and New Year,” Naranjo said. “We didn’t miss a beat.”

Naranjo said the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) time line for aspirants to the Paris Olympics started August last year and expires in April 2024.

D iaz-Naranjo’s qualifying schedule includes the 2023 IWF Grand Prix 1 and 2, the 2024 senior continental championships and the IWF World Cup in Thailand in April.

A ccording to the IWF website, a total of 120 athletes are competing

in 10 categories—five each men and women—in Paris, numbers which are much less than the 196 who saw action in Tokyo and the 260 weightlifters at London 2012 and Rio 2016.

France has four quota allocations (two for men and two for women) and there will also be 10 quota places reserved for continental representation and six quota places for Universality places which will be decided by the Tripartite Commission in 2024.

E ach national Olympic committee will only be able to qualify one athlete per weight class—and three per gender across all weight categories, which is down from four each at Tokyo 2020.

A m aximum of 12 athletes —two less in each category than Tokyo— will compete in each weight class.

Coach Topex at De La Salle: Dream fulfilled

TOPEX ROBINSON

coaching in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP)—and De La Salle University at that—ranks tops in his bucket list.

That’s why it was a no-brainer for the former San Sebastian College top guard deciding on no longer extending a coaching career in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

It’s a unique feeling when you are coaching in college, especially for a university like De La Salle University,” Robinson told BusinessMirror over the weekend. “I have nothing against coaching in the PBA, just like ‘Coach K’ who didn’t jump to the NBA [National Basketball Association].”

Coach K is Mike Krzyzewski, the legendary coach at Duke who has also mentored Team USA to several Olympic and world championships gold medal who declined at least five lucrative offers by NBA teams.

“It’s not about the money, but coaching in college is what I feel most and the opportunity to coach La Salle is something I cannot ignore because they are a big institution,” Robinson said.

R obinson said he’s fan of La Salle growing up.

When I was at San Sebastian and our school bus passed by La Salle on Taft Avenue heading to the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, I always had that dream of playing for that school.”

But now, although I can no longer play, coaching La Salle is the best thing to happen to me,” he added.

BusinessMirror learned that Robinson’s contract with De La Salle runs for three seasons.

R obinson also admitted that Phoenix Super LPG offered him a close to P400,000 a month contract for 17 months with an extension of one year if he hits the team’s goal. He declined but clarified his decision to coach the Green Archers had nothing to do with Phoenix’s direction.

It wasn’t the trades. In fact, I was involved in those trade transactions,” he said.

B efore the pros, Robinson coached his alma mater to the 2011 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Finals as well as Lyceum of the Philippines University.

H is task at De La Salle aims a championship, no less.

“I was hired because La Salle expects a championship. We will do our best to achieve it,” Robinson said. “I may be the most popular man for them [La Salle community] but I could also be the most hated man if I don’t meet their expectations. I’m ready for it.”

He replaced Derrick Pumaren whose three-season contract wasn’t renewed. Josef Ramos

SBP taps Toyota Motor PHL as local major sponsor for hosting of FIBA ’23 World Cup

merger of world caliber sports and big business,” Panlilio said.

“ By being part of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 journey, one of the biggest global sports event this year, we aim to further inspire and encourage more Filipinos to use the power of movement to reach their full potential,” Toyota Motor Philippines Atsuhiro Okamoto said.

This is the spirit of our ‘Start Your Impossible’ global sports campaign. With this partnership with FIBA through SBP, and unity basketball brings to Filipinos, we are always moving closer to our goal of producing happiness for all,” Okamoto added.

T he Philippines is the lead host of the World Cup with Japan and Indonesia co-hosting some of the group games.

Pros set for grand return in IM 70.3 Davao

HE

The organizing Ironman Group/Sunrise Events Inc. expects a

event—the lone pro-laced race

a busy season with a slew of top foreign endurance racers vying in the 1.9km swim/90-km bike/21-km run race set over a championship course.

M auricio Mendez of Mexico stunned multititled Tim Reed of Australia in the first IM 70.3 race in Davao City in 2018, while Germany’s Markus Rolli foiled another Aussie legend Craig Alexander the following year.

T he IM 70.3 Davao, expected to boost the city’s economy and the tourism sector, will also serve as a qualifying race to the World

Championship in Finland in August.

Davao was supposed to host a third IM 70.3 race last year after a two-year pandemic hiatus but the event was put on hold due to developments in Mindanao’s premier city.

The wait, however, only gave the organizers and the hosts more time to prepare and guarantee a bigger, talent-laden race, which offers $30,000 for the winners in both the men’s and women’s divisions.

“ We are thrilled and excited to be starting out the new triathlon season with a comeback race in one of the country’s top triathlon hubs,” said Princess Galura, general manager of the Ironman Group/Sunrise Events Inc.

Spicing up the IM 70.3 Davao is the Girls’ Run on March 24 and the IronKids on March 25.

For details and registration, log on to ironman. com/im703-davao-philippines.

THE husband-and-wife Olympic gold medal team of Hidilyn Diaz and Julius Naranjo are setting their priorities for another shot at a gold medal in Paris.

TOYOTA Toyota Motor Philippines  president Atsuhiro Okamoto (fourth from left) and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Executive Director Renauld “Sonny” Barrios (third from right) strike a pose with (from left) Toyota Motor Philippines director and board member Vince Socco, JMC Philippines

DAVAO City is rolling out the red carpet for the leading local and foreign triathletes in a weekend of top-caliber and fun-filled race at Azuela Cove.

PHILIPPINE Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann with the members of the national boxing team at the agency’s Teachers’ Camp facility.