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Friday, January 24, 2020 Vol. 15 No. 106

Boom-bust risks noted as ’19 GDP grows 5.9% D

By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

ESPITE a decade of posting above 6-percent growth, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and analysts believe the economy is still not safe from the threat of being caught in boom-bust cycles.

On Thursday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) disclosed that the economy posted a growth of 6.4 percent in the fourth quarter of last year and a full-year growth of 5.9 percent.

While the full-year 2019 growth

was the slowest since 2011 when the economy posted growth of only 3.7 percent, it still cemented the country’s 10-year average growth of 6.3 percent between 2010 and 2019. “[We escaped the boom-bust cycle] a bit but we’re still seeing some

boom-bust related to the political cycle. So that’s why we said we want a more robust government budgeting [and] disbursement [process] that would be a bit insulated from this political cycle,” Neda Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon

“The boom-and-bust cycle is inevitable. There will always be a bust in a boom, but will the bust erase all that the boom has created? Gains should be stronger, longer or higher than possible losses.”—Asuncion

told the BusinessMirror on the sidelines of the National Income Accounts briefing in Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

Boom-and-bust cycles occur when the economy experiences strong growth for one year and weak growth the next. In the case of the Philippines, boom growth occurs during election years while bust growth occurs in nonelection years.

Continued on A8

Duterte signs ‘sin’ tax law but vetoes curbs on BIR search power

By Samuel P. Medenilla

P

@sam_medenilla

R ESIDEN T Duter te has signed Republic Act (R A) 11467, or the law increasing taxes e-cigarettes and alcoholic beverages, and shared his expectation that the number of Filipinos with vices will be reduced.

Duterte late Wednesday signed the new legislation “increasing the excise taxes on alcohol, heated tobacco and vapor products and expanding the coverage of the valueadded tax [VAT]-exempt sales and importation of medicine.”

He said the revenue collected from the new law will be used for the “equitable access and affordable health services to every Filipino” through

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

A

@BNicolasBM

F T ER t he cou nt r y m issed its rev ised growth target last year, monetary and fiscal authorities are confident that it would grow faster this year.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said on Thursday that GDP growth of 7 percent “looks attainable” this year.

This is within the government’s growth target for next year at 6.5 to 7.5 percent.

“With all sectors working as a well-oiled machine, GDP growth of 7 percent looks attainable this year [2020],” he said in a message to the BusinessMirror.

However, he said downside risks to the country’s growth for this year include failure

to pass the remaining taxreform measures, such as the Corporate Income Tax and Incentive R ationa lization Act (Citira), serious delays in the “Build, Build, Build” program, as well as climate change or the country experiencing “more severe weather than usual.”

Meanwhile, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III also expressed optimism t h at t he c o u nt r y w o u l d achieve a higher economic growth this year but flagged some downside risks to the country’s GDP, including an “explosive eruption” of Taal Volcano.

In a statement, Dominguez said the economic expansion of the country would be driven by a vigorous state spending on infrastructure and social Continued on A2

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Vetoed provision

See “Sin tax,” A8

BSP, D.O.F. CHIEFS SEE BETTER GROWTH DATA AFTER MISSED ’19 GOAL

Sunset clause in deals eyed to preclude onerous terms

Republic Act 11223, or the UHC. The government is expected to generate P22 billion for the first year of implementation of RA 11467.

Of this, 60 percent will go to UHC implementation, and 20 percent for medical aid and health facilities.

“I am confident that the multitiered effect of this law as a costeffective health measure to reduce smoking and alcohol consumption among Filipinos support the UHC Act,” Duterte said in his veto message.

DUTERTE opted to strike down Section 5 of RA 11467 amending the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) by requiring the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to get a court order before it exercise its

P25.00 nationwide | 5 sections 46 pages |

CONTAGION WATCH Passengers of an Eva Air flight from Taipei wear masks to protect themselves as they arrive at Naia Terminal 1 on Thursday, as Bureau of Quarantine staff track temperatures of visitors.

Airports around the region tightened precautions against the 2019 coronavirus from China. Story in “World,” page B3. NONIE REYES

HE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) has recommended the inclusion of sunset provisions in government agreements to avoid onerous terms in future contracts.

In a briefing on Thursday, Neda Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Rosemarie G. Edillon said the government does not tolerate onerous contracts that could undermine the welfare of Filipinos.

Edillon said the lessons from the government’s contracts with the water concessionaires, as well as Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI) requires changes in how government deals with private entities.

US 50.9420 n JAPAN 0.4638 n UK 66.9582 n HK 6.5563 n CHINA 7.3737 n SINGAPORE 37.7796 n AUSTRALIA 34.8647 n EU 56.5201 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.5805

Cai U. Ordinario

Source: BSP (23 January 2020)

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Friday, January 24, 2020

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BSP, DOF chiefs see better growth data after missed ’19 goal Farm-gate price of coffee Continued from A1

service, as well as a stronger domestic consumption and a “revitalized” agriculture sector.

The “multiple boost” from the swift passage of the 2020 national budget, extended validity of the 2019 national budget and a higher revenue take from the implementation of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP), plus tax administration reforms by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs, will enable fiscal expansion for greater economic activity, he said.

However, he listed among the downside risks to this year’s growth the possibly lingering impact of last year’s trade spat between the United States and China; any possible reescalation of the US-Iran conflict that could

induce global oil price volatility; and, depending on its intensity, an explosive eruption of Taal Volcano that could impact Metro Manila and neighboring regions.

Diokno and Dominguez made the remarks after the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released the GDP growth figures of the country for the last quarter of 2019 at 6.4 percent and full-year GDP growth at 5.9 percent.

With this, the country missed its revised GDP growth target of 6 percent to 6.5 percent. Also, it is the country’s slowest GDP growth since 2011, something blamed mostly on the delay of the passage of the 2019 budget.

“Although it did not grow as fast as we had wanted it to in 2019, the domestic economy grew faster than most other economies in the

East Asia and the Pacific region last year, and it will remain among the world’s fastest-growing economies this year on the back of the Philippines’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals and the game-changing reforms implemented by President Duterte to sustain high—and inclusive—growth,” he said.

For his part, Diokno even called the full-year GDP growth of 5.9 percent—albeit an eight-year low— “still impressive” amid the slowing global economy.

“It’s progressively rising. The Philippines is still one of the fastestgrowing economies in Asia and in the world. Despite a slow start last year, construction and government spending grew 11.8 percent and 18.7 percent, respectively, in Q4,” he said.

Government spending, he said, is the biggest source of growth at

18.7 percent and public construction expanded by 33.8 percent.

“With the timely approval of the 2020 budget, imagine how these sectors would look like this year. Even agriculture has shown some bounce, growing much faster in the second half of the year.

The services sector, which account for half of the economy, grew by a robust 7.9 percent,” he said.

Dominguez added the “hoped for passage” by Congress this year of the remaining CTRP packages—notably the Citira—will sharpen the country’s global competitiveness; attract more investments, including in micro, small and medium enterprises; and further supercharge the domestic economy in the face of what could be a prolonged global economic slowdown.

seen rising by 20% Continued from A8

“It is feasible that other regions will be the source for liberica, like Basilan. What we will miss is the barako from Batangas and premium robusta from Cavite,” she said.

“Volume-wise [we can fill the gap] and, in terms of quality, it’s comparable.”

Juan said PCBI plans to embark on a rejuvenation program for affected coffee farms in the area to help planters recover their losses.

Under a rejuvenation program, coffee trees would be cut up to 1 foot high to allow the plant to regrow and produce cherries again.

Rejuvenation, a common practice in coffee farming, is a way of making the plant “young” again and extending its production life.

The rejuvenation would take about one-and-a-half years before the plant can produce again, which is faster than growing a new tree which would take three to five years, Juan explained.

“If we rejuvenate, farmers are expected to miss two seasons,” she said.

Furthermore, Juan said the remaining harvestable coffee would be cleaned and would be used as seedlings instead of being sold in the market.

“We would need sponsors to buy the necessary equipment to undertake rejuvenation. We’re going to present it to the DA but the private sector, through the PCBI, is now collecting funds for the program,” Juan said.

The Nation BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Friday, January 24, 2020 A3

Day 11: Probability of Taal’s major eruption wanes but Alert Level 4 stays–Phivolcs

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

T

@jonlmayuga

HE Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Thursday said the probability of a hazardous explosive eruption of restive Taal Volcano has slowly diminished.

Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary and Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum said current assessments conducted by volcano experts showed a 30 percent probability of eruption but maintained that Alert Level 4 remains in effect.

Such probability, he said, is still “very high,” and would expose anybody within or even near high-risk areas within the 14-kilometer radius from the main crater of the volcano in grave danger.

The prediction was first revealed to local government officials in Batangas by volcano experts to give them an idea of what might happen in the next few days, Solidum said.

The official said on January 12, right after the phreatic eruption, which prompted them to place Taal Volcano under Alert Level 4, the probability of hazardous explosive eruption was 10 out of 10.

Today, with the weakening of the volcanic activity, such probability has diminished considerably.

Explaining how Phivolcs came up with such prediction, Maria Antonia Bornas, chief of Phivolcs Volcano Monitoring and Prediction Division, said they weighed in several monitoring parameters.

“We looked at the monitoring parameters that we have and we give these parameters weight. We have experts that provide opinion on what the data is showing, we have historical data and we have deposits. These combined, we give our prediction,” she said.

According to Bornas, Phivolcs started recovering data to calculate the probabilities based on monitoring records on January 17.

Over the past few days, the volcano, one of the world’s smallest yet the country’s second-most active after Mayon Volcano in Albay, was quiet outside, spewing less sulfur dioxide, and causing weaker volcanic earthquakes.

Senate panel eyes ‘hybrid’ national elections in 2022

By Butch Fernandez

@butchfBM

T

HE Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms is mulling over options to endorse a “hybrid” 2022 national elections allowing voters to cast ballots through manual or automated system.

Sen. Imee Marcos, who chairs the committee, however, said the panel has yet to firm up a decision on the system they will endorse for plenary consideration and approval way ahead of the next national polls to pick the successor of outgoing President Duterte whose term expires on June 30, 2022.

“It is too early to speculate, there are many things yet to happen,” Marcos told reporters at the Kapihan sa Senado media forum.

She confirmed the recent panel hearing on electoral reforms tackled suggestions to adopt a “hybrid style” as the committee was informed that traditional voters still prefer manual voting “para may hinahawakan sila.”

Marcos reported that Sen. Gregorio Honasan “has ideas [so] we will study the hybrid system and consolidate election rules.”

“We hope to make 2022 elections more transparent,” she added.

Marcos noted that Senate President Vicente Sotto III had indicated preference to return to the manual system of casting votes but the committee chairman noted “that [such a system] takes time.”

Still, Marcos acknowledged the committee on electoral reforms also “need to [further] study the system to plug the gaps.”

DOLE: ‘No work, no pay’ rule applies for workers on Chinese New Year

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“No work, no pay” rule will be applied on Saturday, January 25, 2020, following President Duterte’s declaration of a special nonworking holiday for the celebration of the Chinese New Year.

In its issuance, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said only employees who will be on duty during the holiday will get paid “unless there is a favorable company policy, practice, or collective bargaining agreement [CBA] granting payment on a special nonworking day.”

“For work done during the special day, he/she shall be paid an additional 30 percent of his/her wage on the first eight hours of work,” Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said in Labor Advisory 2.

The labor chief said employees will get an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate during the special holiday if they will work overtime, and another 50 percent of their daily pay if the day coincides with their day off. “The pay rules for January 25, special nonworking day is pursuant to Proclamation No. 855 issued by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” Bello said.

He urged the employers to comply with the said pay rules to avoid complaints from their employees. Samuel P.Medenilla

However, this does not mean that hydrovolcanic and magmatic activity is not happening.

Solidum added that the situation and reading of the parameter changes everyday which is why Alert Level 4 remains in effect.

In its Volcano Bulletin issued at 8 a.m. on January 23, Day 11 since the eruption on January 12, Phivolcs said activity in the main crater in the past 24 hours has been characterized by weak to moderate emission of white steam-laden plumes 50 meters to 500 meters

high from the main crater that drifted southwest.

Meanwhile, sulfur-dioxide (SO2) emission was measured at an average of 141 tons per day, the third consecutive day that such reduced toxic gas emission was observed.

A4 Friday, January 24, 2020 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Economy BusinessMirror

EU urges Philippines to exploit export perk under GSP Plus

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By Elijah Felice E. Rosales

@alyasjah

HE European Union (EU) is urging the Philippines to maximize the use of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) Plus, as only 25 percent of the country’s exports to the economic bloc is benefiting from the trade privilege.

EU Delegation to the Philippines Charge d’ Affaires Thomas Wiersing said the government should find a way to boost the country’s utilization of its GSP Plus status with the EU. Citing official estimates, he said only a quarter of Philippine exports to Europe make use of the GSP Plus—this, in spite of the trade preference covering 6,274 local products.

According to Wiersing, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda)

have stressed the importance of the trade privilege to the improvement of Philippine shipment, stressing the necessity for the country to exploit it and enlarge its exports to the EU. “While GSP Plus utilization rate for 2019 is yet to come out, it is estimated that around 25 percent of total Filipino exports to the EU, approximately 2 billion euros, benefit from the EU GSP Plus Preference, particularly in agricultural and food products,” Wiersing said in a news briefing on Thursday.

“DTI and Neda have frequently underscored the economic benefits of the EU GSP Plus to the Filipino exports. It is therefore hoped that the GSP Plus utilization rate for Philippines further increases in 2020,” he added.

The EU Delegation official also said Philippine exporters should take advantage of the newly implemented registered exporter system of the economic bloc. Under the REX system, traders can now self certify themselves on the origin of their goods, streamlining the procedure on export registration.

“It is also hoped that [with] the implementation of the REX System of self certification by the EU beginning January 2020, Filipino exporters will have faster processing time for their documentary requirements specific to GSP Plus beneficiaries,” Wiersing said.

He bared the report on the compliance and utilization of GSP Plus beneficiaries will come out soon, under which the country’s adherence to international core conventions is assessed.

“The biannual GSP Plus report by

the EU Commission is expected to be published soon. This report will come out covering the 2018 and 2019 progress of the Philippines and other countries in the implementation of 27 international conventions relating to human rights, labor rights, environment and good governance,” Wiersing said.

Citing Eurostat data, Wiersing disclosed Philippine shipments to the EU between January and November 2019 rose 2 percent to €7.5 billion, while imports from the economic bloc expanded 8 percent to €7.5 billion. As such, merchandise trade between the two economies jumped 5 percent to €15.1 billion, from €14.4 billion during the same period in 2018.

“Overall, EU-Filipino trade is relatively smooth, but there are lingering nontariff and market access issues, especially in the agriculture and food sectors. There are special concern for the certification of meat and vegetable exporters, but also for the ban on export of pig meat from EU countries partially affected by the African swine fever,” the EU executive said.

DTI sends delegation to Biofach food, beverage fair in Germany

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INE domestic firms will take part in the 31st edition of the Biofach in Germany in a bid to secure new buyers for homegrown organic food selections.

The participating firms were listed in a news statement as the AG Pacific Nutraceuticals Corp., Brandexports Philippines, Cardinal Agri Products, CJ Uniworld Corp., Filipi-

nas Organic Coconut Product Corp., Lao Integrated Farms Inc., See’s International, Raw Brown Sugar Milling Co. Inc. and Tongsan Industrial Development Corp.

Under the theme “A Bounty of Flavors,” the Philippine pavilion will feature a wide range of coconut selections, including virgin coconut oil, medium chain triglycerides oil, coconut water, coconut sap, vinegar and vinaigrette, coco syrup, sugar and flour, desiccated coconut, coconut cream and coconut crisps. Also featured in the pavilion are banana chips, cacao chips and muscovado sugar.

Trade Undersecretary Abdulgani M. Macatoman said the country’s tropical condition makes it viable to grow sweeter coconut water and more sumptuous varieties of mango, pineapple and banana. As such, this makes Philippine fruits stand above the rest when pitted against those that will be showcased in the German trade fair.

“We are looking to showcase the wealth of food and ingredients from the agricultural provenance and natural resources in the Philippines that enhances the flavor of our products, as we promote healthy, organic and natural selections for the global palate,” Macatoman said.

“For instance, our lakes and seas near Laguna and Quezon enhance the taste of our coconut water— making it more refreshing—while the apt tropical conditions in Cebu, Bukidnon and Davao help in nurturing sweeter and more sumptuous varieties of mango, pineapple and banana. It’s these conditions and provenance that make the Philippines a cut above the rest,” he added.

The delegation expects to meet regular buyers and light buyers, the two major consumer clusters of organic, healthy and natural products.

Regular buyers are described as a small and committed group buying organic items for decades. This group includes environmentalists, nature lovers and socially conscious people.

On the other hand, light buyers are those who belong in the category of double-income-no-kids households, older consumers and new trends seekers. “Apart from our corporate buyers, we are also looking at these two clusters who buy organic products for various reasons, including healthy lifestyle, food safety concerns, animal welfare, sustainability, quality and perceived taste and innovative packaging,” Macatoman explained.

The Philippine participation in Biofach is one of the government’s new initiatives in its renewed thrust to strengthenthecountry’sexportpromotion for food products in the organic, healthy and natural segment through theworld’sleadingplatformfororganic food and products. Elijah Felice E. Rosales

www.businessmirror.com.ph

DA suspends poultry imports from Poland amid AI outbreak

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

T

HE government has temporarily suspended the importation of domestic and wild birds and poultry meat, day old chicks, eggs and semen from Poland after the European Country confirmed new outbreaks of avian influenza (AI).

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it made the decision after Poland’s Ministry of Agriculture and Development confirmed to the World Organisation for Animal Health the outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Uscimow, Lubartowski and Lubelskie region that has affected turkeys. The Polish agency reported to the OIE on January 2. “[The ban is being imposed] to prevent the entry of HPAI virus to protect the health of the public and the local poultry population,” read DA’s Memorandum Order 05,

Series of 2020 dated January 21.

With the ban in place, the Philippine government has suspended the processing, evaluation of the application, and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance of domestic and wild birds and poultry products from Poland.

The DA warned that it would confiscate all shipments of the banned commodities originating from the area.

The ban does not cover heattreated products.

“Frozen poultry meat with slaughter/process date of 21 days prior to the HPAI outbreaks are allowed to enter the country subject to veterinary quarantine rules and regulations,” the order read.

The order took effect immediately. Manila usually imposes a temporary ban on poultry products from areas where there are HPAI outbreaks as a preventive measure.

Tesda streams aid, livelihood training for Taal evacuees

By Roderick L. Abad

Contributor

@rodrik_28

& Manuel T. Cayon

@awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

T

O help the victims of Taal Volcano eruption rise again from the ashes, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) has continued to provide relief and assistance, either in kinds or services, to displaced residents housed in evacuation centers.

Tesda Batangas will hold a shortterm skills training for the evacuees to help expand their business and employment prospects so as to ensure their constant productivity amid the ongoing calamity.

“I’d like to assure our kababayan that Tesda is here to assist them as they try to rebuild their lives. Whether they want to learn new skills for a new job, or start a new livelihood, Tesda is ready to help them,” said Tesda Secretary Isidro Lapeña.

As of January 20, 2020, the agency, through its regional offices (ROs), provincial offices (POs) and Tesda technology institutions (TTIs), have been able to collect a total of 990 packs of relief goods for the evacuees in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite.

Other TTIs were also directed to conduct short-term training for the target beneficiaries all over the province.

Tesda Cavite, on the other hand, has put up a number of photovoltaic solar lights to power up some evacuation centers.

Meanwhile, the ROs, POs and TTIs were able to gather gallons of water, sacks of rice, canned goods, clothes, blankets, hygiene and dental kits, including diapers for immediate distribution to Batangas and Cavite.

Financial-wise, Tesda has also raised a total amount of P114,755 as donation for the said beneficiaries.

Last week, some TTIs employed t he tra ining-cum-production training scheme and were able to produce thousands of face masks and pastries.

These food and protection gears, since then, have been delivered to the affected areas in the region.

For Moro victims

MORO residents displaced by Taal’s volcanic activity and who requested some special items appropriate for them as practicing Muslims would soon be sent to them by the Bangsamoro autonomous government.

Interim Chief Minister Ahod ‘A l Haj Mu rad ’ Ebra him has formed a team dubbed as “Tabang for Taal from Bangsamoro”

“I’d like to assure our kababayan that Tesda is here to assist them as they try to rebuild their lives.

Whether they want to learn new skills for a new job, or start a new livelihood, Tesda is ready to help them.”—Lapeña.

to aid the Taal Volcano victims in Batangas and sent them off on January 21. The team is expected to arrive in Manila on Friday.

The team is composed of some members of the Bangsamoro Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence (Barmm-Readi) and some “Bantay Tulay” volunteers, who are former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Reg ion in Muslim Mind anao (BARMM) Bureau of Public Information said relief assistance includes 1,500 packs each containing 10 kilos of rice, canned goods, coffee, malong, hijab (a head covering for Muslim women), prayer mats, blue water jug, medicines, and a hygiene kit.

Ebrahim has directed the team to deliver a portion of the relief assistance to the Muslim constituents affected by the volcano activity.

He said the BARMM-READI listed some 130 Muslim families who were displaced and in need of assistance from fellow Muslims.

“This is in line with our moral governance advocacy. Our assistance is not limited to our area only,” Ebrahim said.

“Those Bangsamoro residents [literally Moro Nation] who are outside our territory are part of those who should avail of the social services of the Bangsamoro government,” he added.

He said 1,000 of the relief packs would be turned over to the incident command post of the Batangas provincial government.

Bangsamoro spokesman Naguib Sinarimbo, said the Bangsamoro assistance was intended for the Muslims in the areas affected by Taal “because some of their needs are not addressed because of the peculiarity of these needs of these communities.”

“Our staff from the Bangsamoro-READI are already in touch with their counterparts in Batangas,” Sinarimbo said.

Sinarimbo would join the team on Friday. “Hopefully, we will have a conversation with the incident command post or the operation center in Batangas.”

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

Association governance: big or small board?

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HE average size of association boards here in the Philippines is 15, which is in the middle of the size range—10 or less (small) and 35 (large)—of boards elsewhere.

American journalist Joe Rominiecki, in an article in 2013 in Associations Now magazine, wrote about the debate on the “right size” for an association board. He cited the following factors:

For small boards

Science.

It is not within human nature to make effective and efficient decisions in groups larger than six or seven people.

Sociological research supports this claim, and the typical structure of large boards is the purest evidence of their ineffectiveness. The majority of large association boards form a smaller executive committee that carries the load in making decisions.

This is the “real” board. Everyone else simply rubber-stamps its decisions, remaining disengaged from leadership duties and unaccountable for fulfilling their responsibility to plan for the future. Psychologists call this behavior “social loafing,” which is hardly what association members expect from their leaders. n Speed.

The current business environment for associations demands agility.

Boards that move slowly will not be able to navigate change in the 21st century. n Leadership development.

A small board ensures that leadern

Association World Octavio Peralta ship talent can be found and properly developed within your pool of volunteers. n Administrative capacity.

The work that association staff puts into preparing for board meetings is highly demanding. A small board requires less care (and “feeding”) and gives the executive more time for execution.

For big boards

No shortcuts.

Focusing on board size is an attempt to take the easy way out. Effective leadership depends on “who,” not “how many.”

There are three things that matter most to a proficient governance system: its authority (decisionmaking power); its process (how it goes about making decisions); and, its capacity (composition, time allotted for meeting and access to information).

These factors are equally important for boards both small and large, and they are the elements that must form the basis of any governance overhaul.

Participatory democracy is a core tenet of association governance, which requires that the many and diverse voices of an association’s memn

bership be heard and valued. Diversity in board composition is vital.

As a board gets smaller, it becomes increasingly difficult to represent the full diversity of perspectives, ideas, backgrounds and member types necessary to ensure sound decisionmaking. n Concentration of power.

Without enough people to drive robust discussions, a small group turns to micromanagement. With power concentrated in just a few, members of a small board will run the association the same way they run their businesses and view staff as direct reports rather than partners.

An oligarchy is no way to lead an association. A larger board, however, spreads power more widely and evenly, and reduces the potential influence of a rogue member with an agenda.

Every association has its own needs, so there is likely a “no onesize-fits-all” answer. But any discussion about governance structure should weigh the pros and cons of various board sizes.

The contributor, Octavio “Bobby” Peralta, is concurrently the secretary-general of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific, founder and CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives, and president of the Asia-Pacific Federation of Association Organizations. The purpose of PCAAE—the “association of associations”—is to advance the association management profession, and to make associations well-governed and sustainable. PCAAE enjoys the support of Adfiap, the Tourism Promotions Board and the Philippine International Convention Center. E-mail: obp@adfiap.org

Friday, January 24, 2020 A5

Customs set to use new China-made equipment

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

T

@BNicolasBM

HREE months after their arrival, new x-ray equipment donated by the People’s Republic of China were officially turned over to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) during formal rites on Tuesday.

In a statement on Wednesday, the BOC said the equipment would help the agency intensify efforts to strengthen border control and enhance trade facilitation. The BOC statement said the equipment consists of four units of Mobile Container/Vehicle Inspection System (MCVIS) and two units of Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan Inspection System.

These were donated through “the leading x-ray producer in China,” Nuctech Co. Ltd., represented by Zhou Chunming, the firm’s project manager.

The official turnover of the machines this week was done more than three months after

its arrival last October 8, 2019.

Of the four MCVIS, two will be deployed to the Manila International Container Port (MICP), one to the Port of Manila and the remaining one to the Port of Subic. The CT Scan Inspection Systems will be operated in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Customs offices.

According to the BOC’s X-ray Inspection Project (XIP), each MCVIS unit can scan 60 containers at most per hour, improving trade facilitation.

The BOC said the x-ray machine is attached to a Swedishmanufactured truck. The equipment is equipped with material

and color discrimination capability allowing image analysts to discriminate organic and inorganic materials thus enhancing the capability in detecting illegal drugs, the BOC said. Further, it can operate with the aid of city power or, in the absence of the latter, using its own generator, it added.

The CT Scan Inspection System can generate 360-degree image, image slice and detect explosives thus enhancing security in our major airport, in addition to its material discrimination feature, according to the BOC. “These scanning machines will enable rapid and effective screening of containerized shipments and cargos with less human intervention aligned with fulfilling BOC’s mandate to keep our borders secure and to enhance trade facilitation,” it added.

According to Nuctech’s web site, the x-ray inspection system can discriminate organic material from inorganic material, as well as radioactivity.

Its MT series, the company said, “can be driven independently during site transfer transportation and can be deployed for use within 15 minutes.”

A6

Friday, January 24, 2020 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

China’s health problem is our problem

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ITH nearly 1.5 billion people, it is understandable that managing health concerns is going to be a large problem. Add to that is the fact the five of the most densely populated cities are also in the country.

While much is made of the efforts and success of the Chinese government reducing poverty over the decades, the health-care system in China has wide disparities and large gaps in serving the public. These gaps are most prominent between urban and rural health care and medical providers.

Since 2006, China has been undertaking the most significant healthcare reforms since the Mao era. The health infrastructure in Beijing, Shanghai, and other major cities approach developed-world standards, and are vastly superior compared to those operated in the rural interior.

That is one problem. Further, 95 percent of the population has basic health-care insurance, the cost of out-of-pocket expenditures again vary greatly between rural and urban area.

At the beginning of the 21st century, about 80 percent of the healthand medical-care services were concentrated in cities, and medical care was not easily and quickly available to more than 100 million people in rural areas. That has been improved. But even the government has admitted over the years that the primary health services for acute ailments and much lower attention has been given to communicable diseases.

Between November 2002 and July 2003, an outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in southern China caused an eventual 8,098 cases, resulting in 774 deaths reported in 37 countries with about a 10-percent mortality rate.

At the time, the Chinese government was harshly criticized for not being truthful and transparent about the disease and its spread. This led many to believe that the global spread could have been less severe had China admitted to the problem.

Now less than two decades later the world is faced with another SARS-like coronavirus that has the potential to spread rapidly around the globe. The World Health Organization has put the Chinese government on notice: do not make the same mistakes again.

Like SARS, the Wuhan pneumonia cases were linked to a market selling myriad species of live animals, and they appear to be caused by a new member of the coronavirus family closely related to the SARS virus.

However, at least initially, China appeared to be less than forthcoming with information. Further, the virus has already stated to mutate and Chinese officials confirmed can be passed from person to person. That is not good news.

Prof. Neil Ferguson, an epidemiology expert at Imperial College London, said the new strain is currently “as deadly as the Spanish flu epidemic.”

China has put the entire city of Wuhan—population of 11 million— on lockdown and quarantine. Bus, subway, ferry and long-distance passenger transportation networks from the city are suspended as city’s airport and train stations are closed to outgoing passengers.

However, once again as during the SARS episode, it is up to our own health officials to protect the Philippines. Already though, the Department of Health reported that a child from China tested positive for coronavirus. The five-year-old from the central Chinese city of Wuhan arrived in Cebu City last January 12th. We must be on guard.

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REITs: Real estate and economic development Sonny M. Angara

BETTER DAYS

I

N our country, the main tools of financial stability have traditionally been savings, usually through a bank account, and having a job. However, there is another avenue which many Filipinos don’t seem to consider at all: investment.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’s 2017 State of Financial Inclusion report revealed that 20.4 percent of Filipinos kept P5,000.01 up to P40,000 in the bank, while 13.8 percent maintained P40,000.01 to P500,000. Rather than keep their extra funds in savings accounts with lower interest rates, it may be better for Filipinos to allocate their savings in other ways, such as by investing in various companies as a shareholder.

One possible investment that our countrymen could make would be in a REIT, or a Real Estate Investment Trust. A REIT is a company that invests in and earns from the construction, operation and maintenance of real estate. This includes offices, apartment buildings, hotels, warehouses, shopping centers, and even highways—all of which can generate relatively secure income streams.

REITs are required to distribute 90 percent of their annual income to shareholders. This makes them attractive for middle-income breadwinners and OFWs who can step in

with their savings and potentially bolster their own financial standing.

This is what my father, Sen. Edgardo J. Angara, and I had in mind when we worked on and shepherded the investment products’ enabling law— Republic Act 9856, or the Real Estate Investment Trust Act. We worked on this measure during the 14th Congress, between 2007 and 2009. I was serving my second term as representative of the Lone District of Aurora, while my father was chairman of the Senate Committee on Banks and Financial Institutions, and was the measure’s main sponsor in the Upper Chamber.

My father and I had vigorous debates during the Bicameral Conference Committee hearings, particularly on the minimum public float requirement. I was in favor of a higher float, while my father supported a lower figure, as suggested by industry stakeholders. A higher public float would have meant more of the REIT’s projects would be made available publicly for investment. In

my mind, this was among the more compelling reasons for supporting the measure—allowing greater public participation in an incomeproducing infrastructure venture.

The law was enacted in 2009. But for close to a decade, our financial system was unable to properly launch this investment product, owing to financial and taxations concerns among the agencies involved, as well as a lukewarm reception from industry.

Thankfully, earlier this week, a new set of implementing rules and regulations (IRR) was jointly approved and launched by the Department of Finance (DOF), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

Finally, we now have implementation guidelines that are closer to the spirit of the law, which we crafted.

The revisions include a lowered minimum public ownership, from 40 percent to 33 percent. The BIR has also amended Revenue Regulations so that the transfer of property to a REIT will be exempt from the 12-percent VAT in exchange for a percentage of share acquisition between the two parties.

It should also be noted that these real-estate assets are required to be within the country. A REIT is not allowed to have real-estate assets which are not local in nature. These changes ensure that the new investment vehicle will not be prone to abuse, and that benefits from it would go back to our country and economy.

How exactly do REITS benefit our

country as a whole? The basic idea is powerful on its own—a company that develops, manages, and maintains real-estate assets. That alone ensures infrastructure development.

Add to the mix the fact that REITs should now be accessible to investments from middle-class Filipinos with ample savings who are looking to secure their personal financial stability. Reinvestments, too, should also go back to more real-estate acquisition and development, ensuring a cycle of expansion that benefits both the country and the investors.

When RA 9856 was enacted in 2009, it was already seen as a game changer within the real-estate industry, and in the Philippine economy.

Now, with the recent amendments made to make sure it becomes accessible to more Filipinos, it has the potential to become a viable investment tool in a culture where land—its ownership, development and maintenance—are deeply ingrained in the community and family traditions.

By making REITs within reach of investors from the middle class and below, we are opening up another tool for financial growth and stability to our countrymen. And because of its industry-wide effects, we are also enabling this tool for the nation’s economic development, as well.

Sen. Sonny Angara has been in public service for 15 years—nine years as representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and six as senator. He has authored and sponsored more than 200 laws. He recently won another term in the Senate.

E-mail: sensonnyangara@yahoo.com| Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @sonnyangara.

Greater than preparedness and response Rev. Fr. Antonio Cecilio T. Pascual

SERVANT LEADER

B

ROTHERS and sisters, we experienced in these past few months some intense calamities. The successive earthquakes in Mindanao affected over half a million people, and destroyed many homes and buildings. Typhoons Tisoy and Ursula before the end of 2019 affected around 4 million people. The latest is the eruption of the Taal Volcano that affected the livelihood and possessions of about 30,000 families. If we count the cases of dengue and measles from last year, and the current water crisis in Metro Manila, we can say that our country is indeed in a state of calamity.

Amid this situation, it seems that the same way we addressed things, especially the government’s way, is no longer enough. It shouldn’t be “business as usual” where in every calamity, government agencies take action in providing help for those affected. The people are becoming more patriotic, private companies and good-hearted individuals, and even the Church, are going out of their way to help those in need. Local governments are releasing

calamity funds. But if these calamities occur simultaneously or succeedingly, like what happened this past year until now, the help that the government and private groups share would not be enough, and many victims won’t be able to get back on their feet.

A new kind of response and mindset is what our current situation needs.

Disaster preparedness, like retreating to evacuation centers, and saving up and prepositioning supplies of food,

water and other needs are no longer enough. Disaster responses also lack the capabilities to save those in danger, including those involved in relief operations. And rehabilitation, like the new housing and building projects to restore infrastructure destroyed by calamities, is no longer adequate.

Now that these calamities are occurring much more frequently because of climate change and the location of our country, would it not be better to help the people, especially those exposed to dangers and are struggling to rise above these hardships? This is called resilience or the ability to rise again after getting hit by calamities. Because reaching out to help and save everyone affected by calamities is quite difficult, it is much more effective to help particularly those in danger and incapable of standing on their own while they are still not yet struck by calamity.

The first priority would be the poor because they have nothing, including connections to social services and institutions that can offer help.

Therefore, in order to help them, the first thing to do is to connect them to services that can help in their development. In this way, we recognize and

reinforce their dignity because they will have the ability to help themselves instead of relying on others. They will no longer be seen as people who only receive help. Also, we should avoid what Jesus said in the book of Matthew 6:1-2 about those who help for adoration, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”

Brothers and sisters, as the Catholic social Teaching called Libertatis Conscientia reminds us, the people must be active and be responsible in participating social life. This is a must on how we treat our fellow brothers and sisters exposed to danger and calamity.

Make it a habit to listen to Radio Veritas 846 Ang Radyo ng Simbahan in the AM band, or through live streaming at www.veritas846.ph, and follow its Twitter and Instagram accounts @veritasph, and YouTube at veritas846.ph. For your comments, e-mail veritas846pr@gmail.com.

Opinion BusinessMirror

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Friday, January 24, 2020

A7

Sharing our bounty and caring Emilia’s universe of the End of the World for the less fortunate are deeply rooted in our moral fabric Tito Genova Valiente ANNOTATIONS

Manny F. Dooc

TELLTALES

W

HAT would you do if you have hoarded $130 billion in cash? That’s the war chest of Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett whose passion in life is acquiring successful companies worthy of buying to add up to his investment portfolio.

He has a gift to spot a great investment and has converted business acquisition both as a science and an art. Buffett, endearingly dubbed as the Oracle of Omaha for his sound business sense and ability to read financial opportunities, was outbid by LVMH owner Bernard Arnault in taking over Tiffany, the world renowned jewelry shop. The place was made more famous by the movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard based on Truman Capote’s novella which gave us the haunting ditty still popular up to now, “Moon River.” Despite his failure to include Tiffany among his priceless acquisitions, Buffett, who is now 89, and his vice chairman, Charlie Munger, who is himself 96 years old, are still pining for “an elephant-size acquisition.” Buffett was quoted as saying that “that prospect is what causes my heart and Charlie’s to beat faster.”

Buffett is considered even by his business rivals as too astute “to overpay for anything—no matter how badly he may want to do a deal.”

His partner opined that “the market seems kind of expensive” so the “right thing to do is buy nothing.”

Buffett has moist eyes on companies which have a healthy history of dividend payments, like Apple and Bank of America, but as one of his business lieutenants has pointed out, “the irony is not lost on us that Buffett often invests in companies that pay a dividend but he is not willing to offer one himself.” Throughout its history, Berkshire Hathaway has only paid its stockholders a dividend once—in 1967. It seems that to Buffett, non-payment of dividends is the first lesson in Investment 101.

No wonder, he is one of the top 5 richest individuals on Earth.

While Buffett may be ruthless in his business dealings, nobody can deny that he has a soft heart for the underprivileged. Buffett’s personal mission is to donate 99 percent of his wealth to philanthropy while he is still alive, or upon his death.

In 2006, he made history by pledging to donate $37 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other charities—the largest ever charitable pledge of donation given by an individual. Last year, he has donated $3.6 billion worth of stocks of Berkshire to Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other selected charities, such as Make-A-Wish Foundation, Animal Rescue Foundation, Smile Train, and many others. His latest stock donations have boosted his total gifts to $35 billion since he made his pledge in 2006.

The various donees chosen by Buffett typically sell his shares in

order to finance the various programs and undertakings designed to help particular causes. He has championed myriad causes, such as animals, disadvantaged youths, organ donations, arts and culture, human rights, and many more. He is the godfather of homeless people, abused women, the unemployed and human-rights victims whose programs he has generously funded. He has conceived of a unique way to raise funds for one of his charities, the Glide Foundation based in the city of San Francisco, which supports the homeless and poor in the Bay Area.

For the past 20 years, Buffett has been holding an Annual eBay Charity Auction to select the person who will have exclusive lunch with him.

Last year’s winner was Justin Sun, the founder and CEO of a blockchain platform TRON, who paid a whopping $4.5 million to win the seat on his lunch table. Sun happily exclaimed: “I’m looking forward to meeting a true pioneer in investing.

I’m excited to talk to Warren Buffett about the promise of blockchain, and to get valuable tips and insights from him about entrepreneurship…”

That is roughly a P225-million lunch —enough to serve decent meals to 50,000 Taal evacuees for a month.

Glide was profuse in thanking Buffett while Sun had promised that “all of the proceeds of the record-breaking bid will be used to help people overcome... homelessness, addiction, hunger and social isolation.” Buffett, Gates, and other present day generous business moguls live in the great tradition of Rockefeller, Carnegie and Mellon who have been known for their legendary benevolence.

We Filipinos by nature are generous people. Regardless of our economic status, we can be relied upon to help each other out during hard times. The overwhelming response of our population to the recent victims of earthquakes in Mindanao and the Taal eruption underscores our kindness and charity. Our country is prone to disasters and calamities but beyond the tragedy and anguish our people suffer is the boundless generosity by all sectors of our society, which provides hope and relief to the victims. Sharing our bounty and caring for the less fortunate are deeply rooted in our moral fabric. Private individuals who give to charity fill the gaps in social services which our government has been straining hard to heroically fulfill. Their exemplary lives give full meaning to the biblical phrase, ”What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul.”

(Mark 8:36) We are defined not by what we get but by what we give.

E

MILIA was my grandmother on the mother’s side. When she was still alive, she would share with us what she could read in nature—in the plants and animals around us. She would look at the sky and clouds, and would tell us if the next day would be one of rains or storm.

If a duck on a windy flies above the roofs of homes, she would warn us of a coming typhoon. If the clouds during sunset are of strong reddish hue, then bad weather may be coming upon us.

In front of our home during the 70s in Ateneo Avenue, there was a wide area covered with cogon grass.

In late October, when the white blooms of the grass would sprout, my lola Miling would say the winds are being called by the grasses. “Nagpapatawag sa hangin,” she would say in Tigaonon language.

My grandmother’s expertise was not limited to the natural; she was keen also about the cosmological.

When comets appeared when she was young, she told us how men and women in the town of San Fernando, in Ticao Island, would go to the beach carrying bolos and scissors. They would train those implements onto the direction of the sky and pray that the tail of the comet would break.

In her old age, this recollection amused her and made my grandfather, Elpidio, laugh loud. And yet, when a comet appeared in the late 60s, my grandmother predicted something horrible would happen to us. She thought it was another war. It was, however, a different kind of war,

a battle that raged within. In 1972, martial rule was declared.

Last year, as Christmas was coming near, it was announced that a solar eclipse would take place on the 26th. Upon hearing this, I realized that my grandmother, who had passed on many years ago then, was still around us.

Her thought and her manner of seeing the world was still with us. I began to think like her. I asked, what disaster would be happening to us or to those near us?

T he er uption of Taal in January would easily fall under the universe of my dear grandmother, Emilia. That solar eclipse was the harbinger of bad news. The day getting dark a day after the Savior was born surely was telling us about how the universe works.

In her world, the plants and the animals and the stars told stories. These stories were rarely of joyful portents but of ill omen.

In her old age, she began to be confused about the value of things. She

Bloomberg Opinion

W

HO said Davos doesn’t make a difference? As world leaders, business executives and cheerleaders for the planet descended on the Swiss resort for the annual World Economic Forum, one diplomatic victory was being chalked up on the sidelines: A presidential truce between Donald J. Trump and Emmanuel Macron over France’s plan to tax tech companies, which the US says discriminates against its national champions.

After threats of retaliatory trade tariffs on both sides, Macron took to Twitter to declare a “great” discussion with Trump that would lead to a “good agreement” on de-escalation. Trump retweeted that assessment, responding in the affirmative with “excellent!” But it’s hard to see much worth celebrating, yet.

What this truce amounts to isn’t exactly clear, for one thing, and it’s certainly not being trumpeted in the way that Trump’s “beautiful monster” of a phase one deal with China was last week. Avoiding an escalation of tariffs is obviously a good thing. But Trump has

must be the thief!

My grandfather, Elpidio, who was a Mason, would tease her and even dared my grandmother to bring the winnowing basket to the court if she wanted to solve the theft.

At two in the morning in her late 80s, my lola Miling would wake up and we would find her sweeping the ground in front of our home in Jacob Street. The gate would be wide open

and she would be there, cleaning the yard as if it were daytime.

I am missing her now as volcanologists and town officials fight each other as to the wisdom of lockdown amid the quieting of the volcano.

Alive, my lola Miling would have offered them wise words. It was not only her who was wise. She belonged to a generation who were in fear of nature and, thus, respected it. She followed rituals that may appear ridiculous now but really showed a reverence for the many elements around life.

T he trees were wonder ful and, thus, should be revered. The moon, the stars, and the sky— they had their own narratives.

Even the lowly animals had to be treated with utmost sincerity.

Deathly scared of house lizards, dear Emilia believed that these small animals had more decency in their cold bodies than us humans. She would tell us how, when the Church bells rang for the Angelus would the lizards go down and kiss the ground to show humility and faith to the Divine.

Everything had a reason, she would say in that sweet voice that sang of lost love and despair even when she was happiest. The world always was conversing with us. Listen.

Where she is, where volcanoes are tiny specks and comets are brittle, glimmering stones, she would be whispering to me through the layers of planets and hierarchies of angels: just listen and look around. And wait.

And understand.

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

ECB’s strategy review can’t magically solve its main problem

By Mohamed A. El-Erian Bloomberg Opinion

A

T the end of a two-day policy meeting on Thursday, Christine Lagarde, the new president of the European Central Bank, is expected to provide some details, however preliminary, on the bank’s strategy review, its first since 2003.

Expectations are running high, and not just because Lagarde has indicated that there is “no preconceived landing zone” for the review, which is expected to be wrapped up by the end of the year. The timing is also opportune because the review comes amid a growing consensus that ECB policy now lies somewhere between a lot less effective and outright counterproductive.

Some are looking for a change in the current inflation target of “below but close to 2 percent” that would allow for the immediate pursuit of a de facto higher target. This could include opting for a symmetrical objective (rather than a ceiling) or makeup provisions for earlier undershoots or both.

Others, and particularly those who focus on structural rather than cyclical impediments, are hoping for an expansion of the inflation target to include more real economy considerations. They hope to nudge the ECB’s focus on inflation from an end in itself to a means to a more inte-

grated economic objective.

And most are interested to see how far Lagarde will be able to persuade her colleagues on the Governing Council to supplement the bank’s primary inflation mandate. This involves a careful balance between avoiding mission creep, distraction and overloading policy tools while placing sufficient emphasis on her favored topics, such as climate change and inequality, cryptocurrencies and other technological disruptions.

As important as these issues are for both the ECB and the well-being of a euro-zone economy facing another year of muted growth and eroding medium-term potential, it’s also crucial to identify outcomes that will most likely prevail regardless of where the ECB ends up on the bigger issues. These serve as a timely reminder to markets and, more important, to politicians, about the bank’s limited room to maneuver, especially in the absence of a more comprehensive pro-growth policy response on the part of governments. There is no central bank panacea.

First, the strategy review is an opportunity for Lagarde, who has indicated that the process will be comprehensive and open-minded, to heal some of the divisions on the Governing Council that became unusually sharp and public during the last months of the tenure of her pre-

Trump’s French trade truce only puts off the battle

By Lionel Laurent

would lose a P20 bill and she would be asking us who got her hundred and thousands of pesos. She would lose her precious jewelry but would never look for them.

Too bad, her memories were already weak by then. In her younger years, it was never a problem for her when some of her things disappeared. She would consult a woman who would divine things by means of a nigo or a winnowing basket. On the nigo a healer would place in the middle a scissor and around it names of suspects, or those who my grandmother thought could have stolen the missing object that belonged to her.

The implement is whirled around and where the sharp point of the pair of scissors indicated, then that person

already leveled so many trade threats at France and the European Union—driven by hatred of the trade surpluses they run with the US—that it’s hard to feel excited at the prospect of one less gun barrel. If Trump actually ends up retracting his specific threat to hit $2.4 billion of French products with tariffs, that still doesn’t automatically guarantee protection for Airbus aircraft or German cars.

It’s also not clear what Macron has gifted Trump in order to get de-escalation onto the agenda. According to the Wall Street Journal, France may have simply offered to “pause” its tech tax until

a worldwide solution is agreed upon by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development—where support from the US is obviously crucial. That’s not as huge a climb down as it initially seems: Paris could feasibly suspend the collection of digital tax payments due in April without scrapping the principle or the structure of its tax, as my Bloomberg News colleagues write elsewhere. But it still looks like Trump’s threats have paid off on one level.

If the original sin is that today’s tech giants—Google parent Alphabet Inc., Facebook Inc., Amazon.com Inc.—aren’t

decessor, Mario Draghi. By guiding her colleagues toward a modernized framework, Lagarde has an opening to push them to look forward rather than just litigate what has and hasn’t worked in the past. This is helped by the fact that, before he left, Draghi essentially put ECB policy on a preset path for the next few months. Also, Lagarde’s central bank colleagues have mostly abided by her reported desire to avoid publicly discussing the review in the interim.

Second, if handled well, the strategy review can help the ECB regain better control of its external narrative. Negative interest rates and inequality concerns have fueled growing criticism about the ECB’s policy approach, and not just within the euro zone.

Reflecting concerns about the unintended consequences and collateral damage of protracted reliance on unconventional policies, some smaller open economies outside the euro zone, such as Denmark, have decided to risk an independent path.

Others, such as Switzerland, are finding it increasingly hard to avoid more negative spillovers from the big regional partner. Without a new narrative that can realign interests in Europe in a positive manner, the risk of fragmentation will grow and start compounding itself.

Third, while these two outcomes can help reduce the political pressure

on the ECB, they will not eliminate them for a simple reason: The strategy review is unlikely to solve the basic and more binding “lose-loselose” conundrum the ECB is facing.

It is highly unlikely the review will magically produce new tools that would allow the central bank to normalize policies without risking damage to financial markets and the real economy. It is also hard to imagine new stimulus measures that would allow even greater intervention by the ECB without triggering a whole host of costs and risks.

And the review, while potentially making the ECB’s current situation somewhat less challenging in the short term, is unlikely to provide a good resting equilibrium.

In a well-functioning euro zone, the strategy review would be conducted not by the ECB but by governments at both the national and regional levels. Its goal would be to design and adopt self-reinforcing measures that would promote genuine inclusive growth and allow the ECB to take more of a back seat.

With that, the ECB would be in a better position to carry out a modernized policy framework with a better chance of success. Without it, and I believe regardless of whatever the monetary policy engineers can come up with, the best that the ECB can hope for from its strategy review is just some short-term relief.

paying their fair share in tax, we seem to be veering a long way from absolution.

Things would be different if Europe could set aside its differences and agree on the fundamental good that a digital tax across its 28 members (soon to be 27) would bring. Brussels estimates global tech firms pay an average tax rate of 9.5 percent, compared with 23.2 percent for bricksand-mortar peers. But the EU is divided on the need to overhaul the data economy, with low-tax jurisdictions like Ireland and the Netherlands resisting a common levy on digital firms.

The Trump administration has

shown itself adept at exploiting these divisions. France’s move to go it alone with a digital tax was politically popular, but fiscally weak. It is only expected to bring in €500 million ($555 million) a year, a digital drop in the ocean of France’s approximately 80 billion-euro deficit.

Despite being fundamentally righteous, it allowed Trump to poke the soft underbelly of European unity by training his tariff weapon on Paris—and confronted the Macron administration with the prospect of pain for key exporters. The US trade deficit with France was $16.2 billion in 2018.

A8 Friday, January 24, 2020

Farm-gate price of coffee seen rising by 20%

T

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

@jearcalas

HE farm-gate prices of some coffee varieties could increase by a fifth, as ashfall from Taal Volcano damaged farms in Calabarzon and created a supply shortfall, the Philippine Coffee Board Inc. (PCBI) said.

PCBI President Pacita U. Juan said the value of coffee damaged by Taal Volcano’s eruption and the ash it spewed could breach P1.2 billion considering the economic value of the crop.

Citing data from farms, PCBI estimates that about 5,000 metric tons (MT) of green coffee beans (GCB) in Cavite and Batangas were affected by Taal Volcano’s activities, Juan added.

Based on PCBI’s figures, Cavite produces about 3,500 MT-GCB while Batangas produces around

PHL slips in corruption index ’19

By Cai U. Ordinario

C

@caiordinario

ORRUPTION in the Philippines worsened as it slipped 14 notches in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2019.

The Philippines ranked 113th in 2019 from 99th out of 180 countries. The country’s score declined to 34 out of 100, from 36 out of 100 in 2018.

The country shares the same score and CPI rank with El Salvador, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Eswatini and Zambia. The Philippines is also the laggard among the Asean-5 countries.

“Many countries see economic openness as a way forward, how-

ever, governments across the region, from China to Cambodia to Vietnam, continue to restrict participation in public affairs, silence dissenting voices and keep decision-making out of public scrutiny,” the report stated.

“Given these issues, it comes as no surprise that vibrant economic powers like China [41], Indonesia [40], Vietnam [37], the Philippines [34] and others continue to struggle to tackle corruption,” it added.

The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public-sector corruption, drawing on 13 expert assessments and surveys of business executives. It uses a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

The country’s Asean-5 neigh-

NORTHEAST MONSOON AFFECTING LUZON as of 4:00 pm - January 23, 2020

bors Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand ranked 51st, 85th, 96th, and 101st in the 2019 CPI, respectively.

Data showed that several of the most advanced economies cannot afford to be complacent if they are to sustain their anti-corruption momentum.

Four G7 countries scored lower than last year: Canada (-4), France (-3), the UK (-3) and the US (-2).

Germany and Japan have seen no improvement, while Italy gained one point.

Transparency International said countries that perform well in the CPI have stronger enforcement of campaign finance regulations and broader range of political consultation.

₧400

The possible new price of barako, which is now bought at about P280 to P300 per kilogram. Robusta, which sells right now at about P120 per kg to P150 per kg, could go up to P180.

1,500 MT-GCB, she said.

This, Juan said, could cause the prices of liberica or barako from

‘Sin’ tax. . .

Continued from A1

duties to “examine, search, and seize.” Said the President: “I hereby register the item veto of Section 5 of the measure, which was intended to further amend Section 152 of the NIRC, as it effectively curtails the power of the State to collect taxes and renders powerless the BIR to effectively implement enforcement mechanisms against illicit products.”

The new law, which retroactively takes effect on January 1, 2020, after being published, imposes a 22-percent ad valorem tax on top of the specific tax of P42 per proof liter for distilled spirits in 2020; while it is P47, P52, P59, P66 per proof liter from 2021 to 2024.

A 6-percent increase will then be implemented annually beyond 2024.

Specific tax for fermented products will be P35 per liter for 2020, with a P2 increase implemented annually until 2024, and a 6-percent indexation in the succeeding years.

Sparkling and still wines will have a specific tax of P50 per liter in the first year of implementation, with the rate rising by 6 percent annually in the following years.

For heated tobacco products, the reconciled specific tax for the first year is P25 per pack, to be increased

by P2.50 per pack in the succeeding years until 2024. The increase starting 2024 will be 5 percent.

Vapor products will have a P37 tax per milliliter of salt nicotine in the first year and a P5 increase until 2023, and an indexation of 5 percent in the succeeding years.

Specific tax for freebase vapes will be P45 per 10 milliliters in 2020, while a P5 increase will be implemented annually until 2023, and a 5-percent indexation will be imposed thereafter.

Exempted items

RA 11467 also exempted from VAT the sales and importation of some commonly used drugs, making them cheaper to buy for the public.

The first phase of the implementation of the provision will cover drugs for diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension on January 1, 2020.

On 2023, it will also cover drugs used for cancer, mental illness, tuberculosis and kidney disease. The new law mandates DOH to issue a list of approved drugs and medicines for this purpose 60 days after the implementation of RA 11467.

Dominguez: Decisive leadership

FINANCE Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez welcomed the signing into law of the bill raising taxes on alcohol and e-cigarettes, as well as the line-item veto on raid restriction.

Dominguez said the BIR will implement the new law with new rates on alcohol and e-cigarettes effective January 1, 2020, as the law stated.

“President Duterte’s decisive leadership is clearly seen once again in his signing the alcohol and e-cigarette bill into law,” he said. “His signature attests to his concern for the health of the Filipino people, while the lineitem veto shows his strong resolve for strict enforcement of the law.”

The DOF chief sent a memorandum to the Office of the President in December objecting to the inserted line in the bill, particularly requiring a court order before the conduct of a raid. With Bernadette D. Nicolas

Batangas, and robusta from Cavite to go up by at least 20 percent to as much as “anybody’s guess.”

“Barako right now is bought at about P280 to P300 per kilogram, it can go up to P400 per kg. For robusta, which sells right now at about P120 per kg to P150 per kg, it could go up to P180 per kilogram,” she told the BusinessMirror in a recent interview. Juan said microroasters and small coffee shops, particularly those vulnerable to Taal Volcano’s activities, would feel the impact of the cut in supply.

The latest report from the Department of Agriculture (DA) showed that Taal Volcano’s activities affected 4,309 hectares of coffee farms in Cavite and Batangas, which produce an estimated 8,240 MT of fresh coffee berries, or about 1,236 MT-GCB worth P360.5 million.

Juan said the government could consider repositioning coffee supplies from other coffee-producing areas in the country to mitigate the increase in the prices of liberica and robusta.

See “Coffee,” A2

Boom-bust risks noted as ’19 GDP grows 5.9% Continued from A1

Breaking cycle

SOCIOECONOMIC Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said to ensure consistent economic growth, the government needs to improve its absorptive capacity to implement projects and programs faster.

He added that the government should also “address issues such as the difficulty in the acquisition of right-of-way, delays in procurement, restrictive auditing rules, and skills shortages.”

Edillon said these are some of the efforts that could help insulate 12 percent to 15 percent of the Philippine economy needed to boost overall GDP growth.

“We didn’t use to grow by this much; in the previous decade that was really a very, very high growth for us.That is actually a good thing, a good sign that there’s a lot of let’s say private sector-led economic activity that is robust,” Edillon said.

“But with respect to the government sector, because you know it’s about 12 percent to 15 percent of the GDP still, so that is what we need to insulate from these [boom-bust] cycles,” she added.

Economists’ take

ECONOMISTS, however, believe that, given the country’s strong growth in the past 10 years, the Philippine economy has already escaped its boom-and-bust cycle prison.

P

remains susceptible to a boom-and-bust because of various structural weaknesses in the economy.

Chikiamco said these structural weaknesses include low agricultural productivity, the presence of monopolies and duopolies in key industries, low export to GDP ratio, concentration of exports in electronics, weak manufacturing sector, and high cost of doing business.

He said these weaknesses make the economy vulnerable to external shocks, such as a dramatic increase in oil prices, or internal shocks, such as an increase in food prices.

Risks from populism

AC T I O N for Economic Reforms (AER) Coordinator Filomeno Sta. Ana III added that part of the vulnerability of the economy is populism under the Duterte administration.

“Risks are real in light of Duterte’s populism —which fortunately has been checked by economic manager—and Duterte’s disregard for rule of law, bringing fear and uncertainty,” Sta. Ana said.

Former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo L. Neri said a “pro people President” helped guard against business abuses and ensure better consumer welfare. He said what is needed is an “action-oriented and meritocratic bureaucracy.”

GDP 2019

SA data showed that Trade and Repair of Motor Vehicles, Motorcycles, Personal and Household Goods; Manufacturing; and Construction were the main drivers of growth for the fourth quarter of 2019.

Among the major economic sectors, Services posted the fastest growth in the fourth quarter of 2019 with 7.9 percent. Industry grew by 5.4 percent. Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry and Fishing registered a growth of 1.5 percent.

Net Primary Income (NPI) from the Rest of the World and Gross National Income (GNI) had corresponding growths of 4.6 percent and 6.2 percent. On an annual basis, NPI grew by 3.5 percent, and GNI by 5.5 percent.

With the country’s projected population reaching 108.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, per-capita GDP grew by 4.8 percent.

Meanwhile, per-capita GNI and per-capita Household Final Consumption Expenditure (HFCE) posted a growth of 4.5 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively.

Calixto V. Chikiamco, a private-sector economist, said this became possible with the successive economic reforms of several administrations.

These reforms included the general lowering of tariff rates, privatization of state enterprises, fiscal reforms and fiscal sustainability, liberalization of the financial sector, rice import liberalization, and independence of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), among others.

This, ING Senior Economist Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa noted for his part, has resulted in 84 quarters of uninterrupted growth, a first for the Philippines.

“Our relatively strong macroeconomic fundamentals for the last 10 years have anchored the economy on stronger footing and boosted our economy’s capacity to deflect external threats and pressures,” University of Asia and the Pacific School of Economics Dean Cid Terosa said.

“Strong domestic consumption and resolute capital formation have pegged the economy to a firmer foundation. Also, economic policies have been relatively consistent and dedicated to economic growth, employment generation and price stability,” he added.

Nonetheless, efforts must be exerted to ensure the economy does not get caught in these cycles again. Chikiamco said the economy

UnionBank Chief Economist Ruben Carlo Asuncion agreed that reforming the bureaucracy is important, particularly in terms of improving absorptive capacity. He said absorptive capacity of agencies and local government units must be addressed.

In order to sustain growth, the government cannot rely solely on its ambitious infrastructure development program. More permanent and sustainable solutions to strengthen the economy must be sought, Asuncion said.

“The boom-and-bust cycle is inevitable.

There will always be a bust in a boom, but will the bust erase all that the boom has created?

Gains should be stronger, longer or higher than possible losses,” he said.

Don’t overleverage—Neri

EMILIO S. NERI, BPI Lead Economist, said it is also crucial for the economic team not to “lose focus and overleverage the economy again” which would make the country susceptible to “busts.”

Neri said one indicator of “self insurance” is the country’s foreign reserves, making sure that it can cover the Philippines’s import bill and external debt.

Mapa added that the country should now focus on its external position, ensuring that monetary policy is attuned to local developments.

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Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE NCR Regional Office located at 967 Maligaya St., Malate, Manila, within 30 days after its publication.

Please inform DOLE NCR if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

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Companies BusinessMirror

GrabFood backs Iloilo’s bid to become digital hub

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

S

UPER app Grab has expanded its food-delivery service to Iloilo in support of the priority tourism area’s bid to be transformed as a “fully digital city.”

With the introduction of GrabFood in Iloilo, which is now the 37th city of GrabFood in the Philippines, Grab users—both locals and tourists—now have better access to food, GrabFood Head Edward Joseph de la Vega said.

“As we expand GrabFood’s operations in the Philippines, we recognize that our job doesn’t end after delivering a meal to our consumers. We are inspired by our deeper goal of delivering positive impact into the lives of our partners and the people who take pride in the development of their city,” he said.

De la Vega noted that Grab has added GrabFood to its services in Iloilo as part of its initiative to help Iloilo grow as a tourism and digital hub, as GrabFood will provide economic opportunities for local businesses and generate jobs for motorcycle owners.

Aside from providing discounts for its maiden launch, Grab is also participating in the celebration of the Dinagyang Festival this month. It will be offering 50 of

Iloilo’s best restaurants in a centralized location, and will be deploying GrabWheels, electronic scooters, and will be hosting local talents during the festival.

“Grab is a proud partner of the local government of Iloilo. We will always look for ways to offer a fun and memorable Dinagyang Festival experience through our everyday services,” de la Vega said.

Citing market research by Kantar in the second quarter of 2019, the company said in a statement that GrabFood is the most often used food-delivery platform in the Philippines with 78 percent of users voting for GrabFood over other appbased food-delivery brands.

At present, the company said GrabFood has the widest selection of restaurant partners in the Philippines. It is the only accredited end-to-end food-delivery partner of major quick service restaurants like JFC Group, KFC, McDonald’s, BonChon and Max’s Group Inc.

Airlines, govt roll out preventive measures against coronavirus

By Recto Mercene @rectomercene

C

REW members of a Cebu Pacific flight from Hong Kong, including four passengers suspected to have been exposed to a person infected with the novel coronavirus, were subjected to screening by quarantine officers upon their arrival at the airport.

Cebu Pacific Corporate Communications Director Charo Logarta Lagamon said the company has been alerted by reports from the Hong Kong media about the four passengers who inadvertently were exposed to a person infected with the coronavirus.

Lagamon said “none of the passengers and crew was held for further observation.” She said the crew members and passengers were aboard Cebu Pacific Flight 5J 111, which arrived late Wednesday afternoon at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

“Nonetheless, as a precautionary measure, we advise passengers who were aboard Flight 5J 111 last January 22 to immediately seek medical attention should they exhibit flulike symptoms including runny nose, cough, sore throat or fever. We have also disinfected the aircraft following our standard practice for all inbound international flights,” she said.

Lagamon said Cebu Pacific is closely monitoring the spread of the virus that originated in Wuhan, China, and have adopted precautionary measures in all of their flights.

She said air travelers are urged to take precautionary measures.

Although Philippine Airlines (PAL) does not operate flights to or from

Wuhan, China, where the virus was reported to have originated, PAL spokesman Cielo Villaluna said “we are closely monitoring reports on the novel coronavirus.”

“We are closely coordinating with the Department of Health and the Bureau of Quarantine [BOQ] along with other concerned health authorities, in taking sensible precautionary measures for the safety and protection of our passengers. This includes non-obtrusive screening at specific airports,” Villaluna added.

She encouraged passengers to practice “simple and sensible” preventive measures as advised by the BOQ and the World Health Organization (WHO).

These measures include washing hands thoroughly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub; covering the mouth with tissue when coughing/ sneezing; avoiding close contact with anyone with colds or flu-like symptoms; thoroughly cooking eggs and meat; avoiding unprotected contact with wild or farm animals; drinking plenty of water; and wearing a face mask.

Villaluna advised departing travelers not to proceed with their trip if they are experiencing any of the following symptoms: respiratory problems, cough and colds, flu, high body temperature, shortness of breath, and difficulty in breathing.

The Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) installed special cubicles in each terminal for a secondary checkup of arriving passengers suspected with fever and other symptoms of coronavirus infections, Monreal said.

AirAsia cancels flights from 3 Asian sites to novel coronavirus ground zero, Wuhan

L

OW-COST carrier AirAsia announced on Thursday that, in light of the current health crisis sparked by the spread of the novel coronavirus and the Philippine government’s announced precautions, all AirAsia flights from Kota Kinabalu, Bangkok and Phuket to Wuhan, China are temporarily canceled

until January 28, 2020.

“AirAsia assures that the safety and well-being of our guests and Allstars is our top priority. AirAsia is complying with advice, and regulations from global and local health authorities, including the World Health Organization,” said the carrier in a statement. Recto L. Mercene

Friday, January 24, 2020

B1

PSALM taps Isla Lipana for NPC feasibility study

S

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

TATE-RUN Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) has issued a notice to proceed to the Philippine member-firm of the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) global network for the consultancy work on the redevelopment of the National Power Corp. (NPC) complex.

“PSALM has issued the notice to proceed and contract for the consultancy services to Isla Lipana & Co. [PWC] so they can commence the study,” said PSALM President Irene Joy Garcia.

Isla Lipana has 180 days “to complete everything,” including the conduct of a feasibility study, which is reportedly worth P5.98 million.

“That means by June, we would have the output already,” added Garcia.

PSALM earlier said its 5.195-hectare property in Diliman, Quezon City, will be converted into a commercial center with high-rise mixeduse development, offering both office spaces

and retail spaces.

After the issuance of the feasibility study, Garcia said earlier “we can already come up with the privatization action plan for the NPC complex.”

Earlier, PSALM tapped WTA Design Studio for the architectural conceptual design.

WTA Design Studio’s conceptual design, entitled “The East Grid,” was selected for its multidimensional, people-oriented concept of developing a new environment-friendly business center that integrates energy-efficient systems, and innovative and sustainable design ideas.

This design entry assimilates pedestrianfriendly spaces, interactive installations, bike trails, green promenades, alfresco spaces and play areas into a development that will ensure a net leasable space of about 400,000 square meters.

Garcia said this architectural conceptual design competition is a critical component of the company’s privatization program.

It said that an outright sale of the land is much easier but less advantageous for the government than purposefully developing it in accordance with its best use and eventually ensuring a substantial income stream and steady cash flow that the government can enjoy.

“The objective is to fully maximize the utilization of the Quezon City property, study carefully the possible highest and best use for it and ensure that the government can strategically take advantage of the property’s full potentials,” Garcia said.

On its web site, Isla Lipana said it has provided professional services in the Philippines for 97 years. Its clients include government agencies and leading corporations, both local and foreign, across different industries.

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Friday, January 24, 2020

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

January 23, 2020

Net Foreign Stocks Bid Ask Open High Low Close Volume Value Trade (Peso) Buy (Sell) FINANCIALS

ASIA UNITED BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE BDO LEASING COL FINANCIAL FERRONOUX HLDG MEDCO HLDG MANULIFE NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH SUN LIFE VANTAGE

52 155 81.95 25.05 12 64.75 12 30.75 58.6 22.15 188.7 59 0.88 2.93 18.02 4.1 0.44 850.5 0.83 172 1870 1.03

54 157 82 25.1 12.1 64.8 12.2 30.8 58.8 22.5 188.9 59.1 0.9 3.01 18.44 4.14 0.45 879.5 0.88 178.9 1934 1.08

54.6 153.5 82 25.05 12 64.9 12 31.1 59.2 22.25 185 58.4 0.88 2.9 18.26 4.18 0.43 850 0.83 179 1856 1.03

54.6 157 82.9 25.1 12.1 64.9 12 31.35 59.2 22.25 188.9 59.1 0.88 3.44 18.46 4.29 0.45 850 0.88 179 1880 1.03

53.5 152.5 81.9 25 11.96 64.1 12 30.8 58.6 22.1 185 58.4 0.88 2.84 18.26 4.1 0.415 850 0.83 170 1856 1.03

53.5 157 81.95 25.1 12.1 64.8 12 30.8 58.8 22.15 188.9 59.1 0.88 2.93 18.46 4.1 0.45 850 0.88 172 1870 1.03

1020 1314100 1339120 44600 388900 2859880 400 923500 12920 19400 416430 5420 1000 2803000 10000 74000 1410000 60 4000 4870 40 23000

54581 204593719 109886272.5 1116380 4666272 185078422 4800 28688640 759704.5 429900 77782650 318646 880 8721590 184444 307020 593200 51000 3370 837764 74620 23690

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY ABOITIZ POWER BASIC ENERGY FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG MERALCO MANILA WATER PETRON PETROENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL SPC POWER AGRINURTURE AXELUM BOGO MEDELLIN CNTRL AZUCARERA CENTURY FOOD DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EMPERADOR SMC FOODANDBEV ALLIANCE SELECT FRUITAS HLDG GINEBRA JOLLIBEE LIBERTY FLOUR MAXS GROUP PEPSI COLA SHAKEYS PIZZA ROXAS AND CO RFM CORP ROXAS HLDG SWIFT FOODS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH CONCRETE A CONCRETE B CEMEX HLDG EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP HOLCIM MEGAWIDE PHINMA TKC METALS VULCAN INDL CROWN ASIA MABUHAY VINYL CONCEPCION GREENERGY INTEGRATED MICR IONICS PANASONIC SFA SEMICON CIRTEK HLDG

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL ASIABEST GROUP AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL AYALA LAND LOG ANSCOR ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FJ PRINCE A FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG KEPPEL HLDG A LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA SOLID GROUP SYNERGY GRID SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP SOC RESOURCES SEAFRONT RES TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

53500 11093076 -62524625.5 180360 -19296 -118649855.5 -6912730 -416023 -77525 -34772819 123898 -

2.21 32.65 0.229 21.15 66.1 298 9.96 4 3.86 11.82 31.5 8.84 11.9 3.35 88.35 16.62 15 4.9 8.86 7.22 72.35 0.55 1.74 37 211 32.2 10.9 1.85 9.45 1.77 5.2 1.62 0.116 159.9 1.21 61.95 67 1.73 13.64 8.88 12.88 14.84 9.68 1.01 0.99 2.15 2.97 31.5 2 7.76 1.32 4.74 1.3 11.42

2.22 33.2 0.232 21.25 66.3 302 9.97 4.02 4.15 11.98 31.9 8.85 12.1 3.36 101 17.98 15.42 5 8.88 7.24 73 0.56 1.75 37.7 211.6 41.5 10.92 1.86 9.5 1.8 5.3 1.78 0.122 162 1.22 65 70.5 1.74 13.8 9.04 12.9 14.98 9.95 1.04 1 2.17 3.13 32.5 2.01 7.78 1.36 5.01 1.31 11.48

2.24 32.75 0.226 20.8 66 290 10 3.98 4.14 11.8 31.5 8.8 12.2 3.52 95 16.62 15 5 8.99 7.24 71.5 0.51 1.74 37.25 209 43 10.9 1.61 9.51 1.77 5.3 1.66 0.116 154.5 1.24 64.2 68 1.61 13.6 9.05 12.9 14.88 9.85 1.08 1 2.15 3.2 31.5 2 8 1.4 5.1 1.41 11.82

2.27 33.2 0.232 21.5 66.3 302 10.14 4.06 4.15 11.98 31.95 8.85 12.22 3.53 101.2 17.98 15 5 8.99 7.24 73 0.55 1.78 38 212 45 11.2 1.85 9.52 1.84 5.3 1.66 0.122 162.7 1.24 64.2 68 1.75 13.8 9.1 12.98 14.98 9.95 1.08 1.01 2.15 3.2 31.5 2.01 8.05 1.41 5.1 1.48 12.2

2.16 32.45 0.226 20.6 65.95 285.2 9.9 3.98 4.14 11.78 31.35 8.72 11.9 3.31 88.35 16.62 14.94 4.9 8.8 7.22 71.5 0.51 1.71 36.95 208 41.45 10.82 1.61 9.44 1.76 5.12 1.61 0.116 154.5 1.16 61.45 68 1.6 13.6 8.88 12.84 14.6 9.66 1.01 0.97 2.15 2.85 31.5 1.94 7.78 1.3 4.66 1.26 11

2.22 33.2 0.232 21.15 66.05 302 9.96 4 4.15 11.98 31.5 8.84 12.1 3.36 101.2 17.98 15 4.9 8.88 7.23 73 0.55 1.75 37.7 211.6 41.5 10.9 1.85 9.5 1.76 5.3 1.62 0.122 162 1.22 61.45 68 1.73 13.64 8.88 12.9 14.98 9.95 1.04 1 2.15 3.13 31.5 2 7.78 1.36 4.74 1.3 11.42

4867000 2464600 70000 882100 37750 309270 14152400 2328000 2000 43500 167600 92400 467200 13450000 120 600 471100 2200 320900 102400 159000 3849000 33177000 7300 278020 7800 55600 430000 109600 491000 117900 248000 110000 1948480 14436000 210 150 51750000 798100 100900 1870800 2193400 6200 236000 1317000 15000 225000 85500 6782000 298800 696000 7900 5564000 7887400

10881060 80638815 16060 18423815 2491956.5 91483156 141471391 9346490 8290 518868 5277120 813000 5653462 45986400 11395.5 10108 7066414 10900 2847780 740332 11564895 2066450 58171100 272955 58557858 326130 605884 758580 1041495 869690 612764 406610 12820 311784789 17208680 12964.5 10200 87574850 10886140 897970 24172130 32632320 60894 244200 1284800 32250 666710 2693250 13534390 2341815 936640 38218 7547430 91558584

-537760 -898730 10270795 -867780 20241816 -17037037 -509270.0002 -25018 -440320 3468560 232710 1561466 -1811657 -1603782 -156520 11085 -1930030 -114378 -112610 -892298 8800 396369 16500 190722028 263230 -25275700 -34100 -702542 -9468924 -16828236 -1100 -0 -3865080 -69101 -8960 -38658

0.86 11.2 726.5 52 11 2.66 6.23 0.74 0.97 1.01 6.47 6.32 13 3.83 0.206 785 75.4 5.89 5.2 0.485 3.71 10 0.58 3.46 4.31 1.19 1.18 176 1046 147 0.84 2.01 179 0.21 0.222

0.87 11.32 730 53 11.06 2.69 6.39 0.75 0.99 1.05 6.5 6.4 13.06 4 0.226 791.5 76 6.65 6.09 0.5 3.75 10.1 0.59 3.47 4.68 1.2 1.22 181 1050 148.5 0.85 2.1 203.8 0.216 0.226

0.87 10.8 720 52 11 2.54 6.39 0.81 0.97 0.97 6.45 6.34 13 3.76 0.206 775 73.55 6.65 5.2 0.5 3.69 10 0.58 3.35 4.34 1.26 1.17 181 1054 148.2 0.82 2.01 185 0.21 0.227

0.87 12.4 739 53 11.06 2.68 6.39 0.81 1 1.05 6.55 6.54 13 3.76 0.206 791.5 76 6.65 5.2 0.5 3.71 10.36 0.59 3.5 4.7 1.27 1.22 181 1059 148.5 0.95 2.1 203.8 0.21 0.228

0.86 10.8 720 51.05 10.9 2.54 6.39 0.73 0.97 0.97 6.45 6.32 12.98 3.76 0.206 773 73.1 6.65 5.2 0.485 3.69 9.94 0.58 3.35 4.34 1.2 1.17 181 1031 146 0.82 2 175 0.21 0.222

0.86 11.3 730 53 11 2.68 6.39 0.74 0.99 1.05 6.5 6.32 13 3.76 0.206 791.5 76 6.65 5.2 0.5 3.71 10 0.59 3.47 4.7 1.2 1.22 181 1050 148.5 0.85 2.1 203.8 0.21 0.222

5869000 132100 317340 642860 2750100 997000 1000 4323000 297000 52000 637100 3335000 8400 2000 200000 76300 1200270 200 400 61000 7000 11613600 6000 20142000 7000 178000 3000 130 217420 90790 2283000 38000 4810 580000 650000

5060330 1535652 230888855 33842129.5 30264002 2643890 6390 3263730 291320 52720 4141803 21366827 109198 7520 41200 59492140 90413428.5 1330 2080 29905 25930 117573848 3510 69542390 30750 214710 3560 23530 227720420 13392535 2041080 77090 878271 121800 146780

38700 -29760 -6751320 21274871.5 3533308 -372090 11750 -28972 -12240875 -2747085 24172124 -25930 21790586 26651700 47166685 -6231204 33550

PROPERTY

ARTHALAND CORP 0.82 0.83 0.81 0.83 0.8 0.83 922000 750210 AYALA LAND 40.75 40.8 39.4 41.25 39.4 40.8 23247700 943785445 9949175 ARANETA PROP 1.54 1.55 1.5 1.55 1.48 1.54 164000 246810 BELLE CORP 1.63 1.64 1.65 1.68 1.61 1.64 554000 907190 A BROWN 0.7 0.71 0.72 0.72 0.69 0.7 548000 383660 CITYLAND DEVT 0.84 0.87 0.86 0.87 0.86 0.87 22000 18940 CROWN EQUITIES 0.185 0.187 0.185 0.186 0.185 0.186 480000 89160 CEBU HLDG 6.4 6.69 6.69 6.69 6.69 6.69 1200 8028 CEB LANDMASTERS 4.67 4.74 4.7 4.71 4.67 4.71 40000 188120 CENTURY PROP 0.51 0.53 0.51 0.53 0.51 0.53 7782000 4002910 204000 CYBER BAY 0.405 0.41 0.41 0.41 0.41 0.41 500000 205000 DOUBLEDRAGON 17.84 17.86 18.02 18.22 17.8 17.84 470200 8438646 -1192754 DM WENCESLAO 9.48 9.49 9.4 9.48 9.38 9.48 191900 1804988 EMPIRE EAST 0.405 0.41 0.41 0.415 0.405 0.405 1540000 629050 -206850 EVER GOTESCO 0.101 0.11 0.109 0.109 0.109 0.109 1370000 149330 FILINVEST LAND 1.51 1.52 1.5 1.52 1.5 1.51 4780000 7212030 991540 GLOBAL ESTATE 1.08 1.11 1.08 1.12 1.08 1.12 150000 162040 8990 HLDG 14.7 14.74 14.7 14.74 14.7 14.7 507200 7465784 PHIL INFRADEV 1.21 1.22 1.18 1.21 1.17 1.21 1595000 1894860 29250 CITY AND LAND 0.73 0.75 0.73 0.75 0.73 0.75 25000 18270 MEGAWORLD 4.28 4.29 4.23 4.29 4.2 4.28 18405000 78472240 11826930 MRC ALLIED 0.244 0.245 0.24 0.247 0.238 0.244 6450000 1567260 102710 PHIL ESTATES 0.405 0.415 0.41 0.41 0.405 0.405 540000 218900 PRIMEX CORP 2.24 2.26 2.24 2.25 2.2 2.24 502000 1117250 -2450 ROBINSONS LAND 27.95 28.35 27.85 28.35 27.15 28.35 2348400 65868955 14172510 PHIL REALTY 0.375 0.38 0.375 0.41 0.37 0.38 8890000 3464350 ROCKWELL 2.08 2.12 2.1 2.12 2.08 2.08 8000 16820 STA LUCIA LAND 2.37 2.46 2.36 2.5 2.36 2.46 124000 302260 SM PRIME HLDG 40.65 40.7 40.1 41.3 40 40.7 17025100 691621855 -112341020 VISTAMALLS 5.8 5.87 5.89 5.89 5.69 5.87 55400 321201 SUNTRUST HOME 2.15 2.16 1.97 2.15 1.92 2.15 19641000 39936200 VISTA LAND 7.28 7.29 7.3 7.3 7.27 7.29 6640200 48404347 -6764648

SERVICES ABS CBN 17.44 17.48 17.18 19 17.18 17.44 155600 2747672 GMA NETWORK 5.3 5.31 5.37 5.37 5.31 5.31 197200 1048946 MANILA BULLETIN 0.41 0.435 0.45 0.45 0.41 0.41 600000 248350 GLOBE TELECOM 1998 2004 1980 2028 1972 2004 30270 60469705 5387720 PLDT 1051 1055 1037 1066 1032 1055 578765 608098160 -16100145 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.045 0.047 0.048 0.048 0.045 0.047 9000000 409200 DFNN INC 4.75 4.97 4.75 4.75 4.75 4.75 2000 9500 IMPERIAL 1.53 1.79 1.65 1.65 1.65 1.65 2000 3300 3300 ISLAND INFO 0.108 0.11 0.105 0.112 0.103 0.109 3580000 385840 ISM COMM 3.81 3.82 3.72 3.82 3.69 3.81 1329000 4972060 -22470 JACKSTONES 1.8 1.94 1.77 1.94 1.77 1.94 155000 285190 NOW CORP 2.44 2.45 2.42 2.45 2.39 2.44 698000 1694260 -36480 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.285 0.29 0.285 0.29 0.28 0.29 5410000 1543600 PHILWEB 2.53 2.56 2.57 2.58 2.53 2.53 414000 1054780 2GO GROUP 9.39 9.7 9.5 9.7 9.33 9.7 12700 118972 CHELSEA 5.31 5.34 5.25 5.36 5.2 5.31 281200 1487222 CEBU AIR 83 83.35 85.75 86 82.6 83 215140 17978121 -6370077.5 INTL CONTAINER 132.5 132.7 131.9 132.6 130.3 132.5 976310 129121018 28083307 LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.88 0.93 0.97 0.97 0.94 0.94 10000 9460 MACROASIA 12.66 12.68 12.3 12.9 12.1 12.68 5484600 69377646 -38456748 METROALLIANCE A 0.93 1 1 1 0.93 1 15000 14300 PAL HLDG 7.4 7.5 7.98 7.98 7.5 7.5 2000 15747 HARBOR STAR 1.49 1.5 1.5 1.53 1.46 1.49 2164000 3233170 -15900 ACESITE HOTEL 1.33 1.39 1.32 1.4 1.31 1.4 378000 504650 GRAND PLAZA 9.56 12.34 12 14.5 12 12.5 1600 20420 WATERFRONT 0.59 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.59 0.59 247000 148150 FAR EASTERN U 890 893.5 890 890 890 890 20 17800 IPEOPLE 8.12 9.42 8.1 8.1 8.1 8.1 500 4050 STI HLDG 0.6 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.6 0.61 2162000 1306270 484950 BERJAYA 3.02 3.04 2.91 3.09 2.91 3.03 396000 1193210 16720 BLOOMBERRY 10.32 10.4 10.44 10.44 10.14 10.32 2802800 28821614 -9361680 PACIFIC ONLINE 2.14 2.17 2.16 2.17 2.15 2.17 23000 49550 -10750 LEISURE AND RES 2.45 2.51 2.46 2.57 2.46 2.5 91000 228530 -67480 MANILA JOCKEY 3.07 3.15 3.07 3.07 3.07 3.07 4000 12280 PH RESORTS GRP 4.27 4.58 4.26 4.26 4.26 4.26 10000 42600 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.55 0.56 0.55 0.56 0.55 0.55 1724000 951690 -284820 ALLHOME 11.32 11.38 11.4 11.48 11.32 11.38 475400 5417428 573840 METRO RETAIL 2.04 2.05 2.03 2.05 2.02 2.05 475000 969800 -514159.9997 PUREGOLD 39.15 39.7 39.55 39.7 39.1 39.7 1183400 46615210 -2556330 ROBINSONS RTL 77.6 78 78.05 79 77.75 78 257120 20055981.5 -2087253 PHIL SEVEN CORP 135.5 138 135.5 135.5 135.5 135.5 6170 836035 46070 SSI GROUP 2.55 2.58 2.54 2.6 2.53 2.55 963000 2459830 -129880 WILCON DEPOT 18.7 18.76 18.64 18.76 18.62 18.76 1497400 28030714 18013078 APC GROUP 0.445 0.45 0.46 0.465 0.445 0.45 5500000 2487450 202500 EASYCALL 8.58 8.75 8.95 8.95 8.53 8.55 12700 109096 GOLDEN BRIA 432 448 433 449.4 430.6 437 52080 22913580 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.415 0.42 0.395 0.42 0.38 0.42 48080000 19673600 -76600 SBS PHIL CORP 8.99 9.03 9.18 9.2 8.93 8.99 152800 1372724

MINING & OIL ATOK 10.08 10.8 10.94 10.94 10.04 10.8 9500 97994 APEX MINING 1.1 1.11 1.08 1.11 1.06 1.11 1097000 1194830 21600 ABRA MINING 0.0014 0.0015 0.0014 0.0014 0.0014 0.0014 4000000 5600 ATLAS MINING 2.49 2.5 2.49 2.49 2.48 2.48 65000 161800 BENGUET A 1.05 1.15 1.15 1.15 1.15 1.15 1000 1150 COAL ASIA HLDG 0.27 0.275 0.27 0.27 0.27 0.27 120000 32400 CENTURY PEAK 3.21 3.22 3.22 3.25 3.07 3.22 3014000 9563100 2795250 DIZON MINES 7.18 7.22 7.21 7.24 7.15 7.18 900 6474 FERRONICKEL 1.53 1.54 1.51 1.53 1.5 1.53 1577000 2385400 31770 GEOGRACE 0.206 0.212 0.216 0.216 0.204 0.213 390000 80400 LEPANTO A 0.094 0.098 0.093 0.098 0.092 0.098 420000 39120 MARCVENTURES 0.8 0.83 0.82 0.82 0.8 0.81 1220000 981020 NIHAO 1.01 1.04 1.04 1.04 1.02 1.04 3000 3100 NICKEL ASIA 3.15 3.2 3.23 3.24 3.14 3.15 3425000 10854050 -2642290 OMICO CORP 0.45 0.46 0.44 0.46 0.44 0.45 150000 67600 PX MINING 2.87 2.96 2.9 2.95 2.86 2.87 647000 1878780 -835930 SEMIRARA MINING 21.3 21.5 21.3 21.5 21.05 21.5 164700 3515540 1659655 UNITED PARAGON 0.0057 0.0065 0.0062 0.0066 0.0062 0.0065 27000000 175000 ACE ENEXOR 8.15 8.24 8.01 8.3 8.01 8.24 130700 1065268 99388.0003 ORNTL PETROL A 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 600000 6600 ORNTL PETROL B 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 3100000 34100 PHILODRILL 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.011 16300000 178000 PXP ENERGY 8.9 9 9.05 9.2 8.88 9 1102800 9891840 -64198

PREFFERED

HOUSE PREF A 99 99.9 99.9 99.9 99.9 99.9 3000 299700 AC PREF B1 497 506 505 505 505 505 20 10100 DD PREF 100.5 100.9 100.9 100.9 100.9 100.9 65000 6558500 FGEN PREF G 105.1 105.2 105.2 105.9 105.2 105.2 5210 548120 52600 GTCAP PREF A 979 980 979 980 979 980 2050 2008990 GTCAP PREF B 970 988 990 999 990 999 2390 2386420 MWIDE PREF 99.7 100 100 100 99.5 100 15560 1555990 PNX PREF 3A 101.5 102 101.5 101.5 101.5 101.5 2000 203000 PNX PREF 3B 105.6 108 109 109 108 108 1180 127620 108000 PNX PREF 4 1030 1035 1030 1030 1030 1030 5200 5356000 PCOR PREF 3A 1026 1039 1049 1049 1026 1026 2030 2092240 PCOR PREF 3B 1050 1060 1050 1050 1050 1050 3005 3155250 SFI PREF 1.36 1.73 1.36 1.36 1.36 1.36 4000 5440 SMC PREF 2C 76.9 77 77 77 77 77 90 6930 SMC PREF 2F 76 76.5 75.9 76 75.9 76 94790 7202700 SMC PREF 2G 75.15 75.85 75.3 75.3 75.3 75.3 2800 210840 SMC PREF 2I 75.3 76 75.3 75.3 75.3 75.3 200000 15060000 -

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR GMA HLDG PDR

15.7 5.11

15.9 5.13

16 5.14

16.5 5.14

15.7 5.1

15.7 5.13

304700 440400

4855548 2258096

WARRANTS LR WARRANT

1.22

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ITALPINAS 3.81 KEPWEALTH 9.4 XURPAS 0.84

1.23

1.22

1.23

1.21

1.23

259000

317370

-

3.85 9.53 0.85

3.88 9.34 0.83

3.9 9.7 0.86

3.72 9.34 0.82

3.81 9.4 0.85

177000 83300 1807000

677620 786582 1508910

6640

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF

113.8

1088994 -2249872

114.2

112.4

114.2

112.4

114.2

16580

1876372

-43315

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Price for renewable-energy certificates out next month

T

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

HE National Renewable Energy Board (NREB) is expected to come up with its proposed pricing for renewable-energy certificates (RECs) anytime next month.

NREB Chairman Monalisa Dimalanta on Thursday said via SMS that it’s the board’s technical team is currently working on the proposal for REC pricing.

“We have NREB Technical Working Group handling this and coordinating with the ERC [Energy Regulatory Commission] on this. We are

aiming to finalize recommendation soon. Our next board meeting is early February,” said Dimalanta.

RECs are a market-based instrument that certifies the bearer owns 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity generated from any RE resource.

Once the power provider has fed the energy into the grid, the REC receive

can then be sold on the open market as an energy commodity.

“The pricing would be based on a formula, which we are currently working on now,” added the NREB official. NREB’s recommendation will be submitted to the Department of Energy (DOE) for approval. A separate filing with the ERC follows.

“The mechanism for REC pricing is still being discussed. NREB and DOE will be recommending, though ERC would still have to approve it,” said Energy Assistant Secretary Redentor Delola in an interview.

Ahead of the REC pricing, the DOE launched the Philippine Renewable Energy Market System (PREMS), an online trading platform for RECs.

Delola said PREMS is already operational. “However, the trading of RECs has yet to happen because there’s still no requirement for compliance and we still don’t have the cap for the RE pricing,” he explained.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said PREMS will be able to track, monitor, and assess the implementation and compliance to the renewable portfolio standards (RPS) rules for both on-grid and off-grid areas.

RPS requires distribution utilities to source a portion of their power supply from eligible RE producers.

Cusi said PREMS will also facilitate market competitiveness, efficiency and transparency in the trading of REC based on the REM, or Renewable Energy Market, and RPS rules.

FPIP sends clowns with relief goods to cheer up Taal evacuees MUTUAL FUNDS

B

ATANGAS CITY—Employees of Lopez-led First Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP) have been making rounds in their host communities to distribute relief goods and provide entertainment for Taal Volcano eruption evacuees in temporary shelters.

Water containers, food and toiletries are being distributed in coordination with the local government units of Tanauan and Santo Tomas, where FPIP operates a 550-hectare industrial park employing over 65,000 workers.

Most striking, though, is the presence of clowns and magicians happily greeted by evacuees, especially by the children.

“When you are caught in a volcanic eruption and are forced to leave your home with practically nothing, this can create a lot of anxiety in people, especially the kids. We sent in the clowns as a way to help relieve the tension. With the positive power of humor, we hope to help them deal with the range of emotions caused

by Taal’s sudden activity,” said FPIP Community Relations Officer Marco Amurao.

“More than just a source of entertainment, activities, such as magic shows, storytelling and games, might help boost their immune systems through uplifted spirits,” Amurao added.

Toys were also distributed to the children to help further allay their anxieties.

“As adults, we, sometimes, find it difficult to articulate our emotions.

This is more so for younger children.

We believe that play is a medium that comes naturally to them and a nondirect approach that will aid them to explore their spectrum of feelings,” said Amurao who noted that play therapy has long been an effective instrument for children who have experienced trauma, natural calamities or trouble coping with their immediate environment.

FPIP is a subsidiary of First Philippine Holdings Corp., the holding company of the Lopez group.

Unilever partners with PHL Red Cross, considers it most reliable

S

EN. Richard J. Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), met on Thursday with Unilever Philippines Vice President for Sustainable Business and Communications Ed Sunico, and Senior Manager for Sustainable Business Rondell Torres to discuss the PRC’s partnership with Unilever in disaster response.

Unilever donated 1,000 hygiene kits containing body wash, shampoo and conditioner, deo-lotion sachets and fabric conditioner for the affected individuals of the Taal Volcano eruption.

According to Sunico, Unilever is eyeing to have more partnerships with the PRC as it considers the Red Cross the most reliable among nongovernment organizations in the country.

“In times like this, of course, we want to partner with the most re-

liable at maganda ang track record.

We really need partners to get communities back on their feet and back to becoming more productive. Of course, Red Cross has been known as an organization that helps a lot of communities, and we’re happy that we’re now making this partnership even bigger. We’re looking for a long-term engagement with the Red Cross,” he said. Gordon continuously monitors the situation in Taal, and is constantly coordinating with the PRC chapters in Batangas, Laguna and Cavite to know what kind of assistance are still needed by more than 40,000 individuals in the evacuation centers.

The donations that the organization has been receiving to help the victims of the eruption are immediately brought to the evacuation centers to cater to the needs of the evacuees.

January 23, 2020

NAV ONE YEAR THREE YEAR FIVE YEAR Y-T-D

PER SHARE RETURN* RETURN STOCK FUNDS ALFM GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 241.86 -9.43% -1.39% -2% -3.98% ATRAM ALPHA OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC. -A 1.3218 -10.89% -1.35% -4.31% -4.36% ATRAM PHILIPPINE EQUITY OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC. -A 3.3952 -18.06% -5.53% -5.1% -7.69% CLIMBS SHARE CAPITAL EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND CORP. -A 0.848 -11.1% N.A. N.A. -5.47% FIRST METRO CONSUMER FUND ON MSCI PHILS. IMI, INC. -A 0.8107 -7.31% N.A. N.A. -4.54% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN EQUITY FUND,INC. -A 5.1018 -8.31% -0.11% -1.97% -4.25% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN PHILIPPINE INDEX FUND, INC. -A,6 0.8142 -8.46% -3.9% N.A. -4.62% MBG EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND, INC. -A 101.52 -17.38% N.A. N.A. -1.75% PAMI EQUITY INDEX FUND, INC. -A 48.9923 -7% 0.76% N.A. -4.46% PHILAM STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 510 -6.79% -0.21% -1.63% -4.28% PHILEQUITY ALPHA ONE FUND, INC. -A,D, 8 0.998 N.A. N.A. N.A. -3.12% PHILEQUITY DIVIDEND YIELD FUND, INC. -A 1.2339 -6.76% 0.57% -0.59% -4.12% PHILEQUITY FUND, INC. -A 36.2337 -6.96% 1.44% -0.61% -4.39% PHILEQUITY MSCI PHILIPPINE INDEX FUND, INC. -A,1 0.9737 -7.16% N.A. N.A. -4.36% PHILEQUITY PSE INDEX FUND INC. -A 4.9882 -6.19% 1.39% 0.27% -4.5% PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND CORP. -A 832.8 -6.24% 1.31% 0.16% -4.5% SOLDIVO STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 0.7895 -13.09% -2.42% -3.7% -7.27% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE EQUITY FUND, INC. -A 3.986 -7.37% 0.51% -0.74% -5.3% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND, INC. -A 0.9559 -6.52% 1.17% N.A. -4.49% UNITED FUND, INC. -A 3.4884 -5.73% 2.21% 0.71% -4.51% EXCHANGE TRADED FUND FIRST METRO PHIL. EQUITY EXCHANGE TRADED FUND, INC. -A,C 111.7143 -5.93% 2.02% 1.11% -4.48% ATRAM ASIAPLUS EQUITY FUND, INC. -B $1.0318 6.46% 5.69% 0.62% 0.33% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY WORLD VOYAGER FUND, INC. -A $1.4135 18.87% 10.16% N.A. 2.52% BALANCED FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ATRAM DYNAMIC ALLOCATION FUND, INC. -A 1.5253 -11.8% -3.94% -4.79% -2.4% ATRAM PHILIPPINE BALANCED FUND, INC. -A 2.1028 -8.5% -2.6% -2.35% -3.59% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN BALANCED FUND INC. -A 2.5598 -3.36% 0.8% -2.04% -2.72% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN F.O.C.C.U.S. DYNAMIC FUND, INC. -A,5 0.2231 N.A. N.A. N.A. -2.36% GREPALIFE BALANCED FUND CORPORATION -A N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. NCM MUTUAL FUND OF THE PHILS., INC. -A 1.9297 1.04% 1.8% 0.38% -1.7% PAMI HORIZON FUND, INC. -A 3.6774 1.45% 0.6% -0.73% -2.95% PHILAM FUND, INC. -A 16.4732 0.26% 0.54% -0.76% -2.87% SOLIDARITAS FUND, INC. -A 2.0822 -3.19% 0.47% 0.19% -2.05% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BALANCED FUND, INC. -A 3.7262 -2.28% 1.05% -0.43% -3.56% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2028, INC. -A,D,2 0.9827 N.A. N.A. N.A. -3.25% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2038, INC. -A,D,2 0.9566 N.A. N.A. N.A. -3.99% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2048, INC. -A,D,2 0.9528 N.A. N.A. N.A. -4.07% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DYNAMIC FUND, INC. -A 0.9331 -3.41% 0.2% -1.54% -4.28% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES COCOLIFE DOLLAR FUND BUILDER, INC. -A $0.03837 8.27% 2.76% 1.91% 0.37% PAMI ASIA BALANCED FUND, INC. -A $1.0414 9.05% 4.79% 0.99% 0.34% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ADVANTAGE FUND, INC. -A $3.9806 14.23% 7.88% 4.55% 1.78% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR WELLSPRING FUND, INC. -A,7 $1.1409 9.91% 4.67% N.A. 1.07% BOND FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM PESO BOND FUND, INC. -A 358.09 4% 2.76% 2.2% 0.08% ATRAM CORPORATE BOND FUND, INC. -A 1.9044 2.47% 0.54% -0.75% 0.13% COCOLIFE FIXED INCOME FUND, INC. -A 3.1218 4.7% 5.12% 5.15% 0.18% EKKLESIA MUTUAL FUND INC. -A 2.2177 3.57% 1.95% 1.64% -0.33% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN FIXED INCOME FUND,INC. -A 2.3467 5.57% 1.91% 1.33% -0.53% GREPALIFE FIXED INCOME FUND CORP. -A P N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. PHILAM BOND FUND, INC. -A 4.3351 11.8% 2.06% 1.29% -0.86% PHILEQUITY PESO BOND FUND, INC. -A 3.7608 5.58% 2.58% 0.72% -0.72% SOLDIVO BOND FUND, INC. -A 0.9574 5.34% 0.9% -0.16% -0.72% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BOND FUND, INC. -A 3.0436 8.22% 3.88% 1.99% -1.05% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY GS FUND, INC. -A 1.6781 7.23% 3.27% 1.45% -1.35% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES ALFM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $469.57 4.48% 2.72% 2.7% 0.29% ALFM EURO BOND FUND, INC. -A Є219.9 3.18% 1.72% 1.29% 0.08% ATRAM TOTAL RETURN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -B $1.2098 6.67% 3.01% 2.32% 0.22% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $0.0259 4.02% 1.46% 1.45% 0.39% GREPALIFE DOLLAR BOND FUND CORP. -A N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. PAMI GLOBAL BOND FUND, INC -A $1.1014 6.17% 1.42% -0.47% 0.57% PHILAM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $2.4163 10.16% 3.46% 2.55% 0.52% PHILEQUITY DOLLAR INCOME FUND INC. -A $0.0605019 5.93% 2.3% 1.86% 0.31% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ABUNDANCE FUND, INC. -A $3.2077 10.83% 2.92% 2.5% 1.02% MONEY MARKET FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A 126.06 3.89% 2.88% 2.2% 0.22% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A,3 1.0292 N.A. N.A. N.A. 0.28% PHILAM MANAGED INCOME FUND, INC. -A 1.2486 5.63% 2.87% 1.56% -0.64% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A 1.267 3.69% 2.92% 2.4% 0.19% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR STARTER FUND, INC. -A $1.0384 2.06% N.A. N.A. 0.12% FEEDER FUND PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES ALFM GLOBAL MULTI-ASSET INCOME FUND INC. -B,D,4 $1 N.A. N.A. N.A. 1.01% A - NAVPS AS OF THE PREVIOUS BANKING DAY. B - NAVPS AS OF TWO BANKING DAYS AGO. C - LISTED IN THE PSE. D - IN NET ASSET VALUE PER UNIT (NAVPU).

1 - LAUNCH DATE IS JANUARY 3, 2019. 2 - LAUNCH DATE IS JANUARY 28, 2019. 3 - LAUNCH DATE IS FEBRUARY 1, 2019. 4 - LAUNCH DATE IS NOVEMBER 15, 2019.

5 - LAUNCH DATE IS SEPTEMBER 28, 2019. 6 - RENAMING WAS APPROVED BY THE SEC LAST OCTOBER 12, 2018 (FORMERLY, ONE WEALTHY NATION FUND, INC.).

7 - ADJUSTED DUE TO STOCK DIVIDEND ISSUANCE LAST OCTOBER 9, 2019. 8 - LAUNCH DATE IS DECEMBER 09, 2019.

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The World

Friday, January 24, 2020 B3 BusinessMirror TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS: MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE WERE CONFIRMED INFECTED AND 17 HAVE DIED FROM THE ILLNESS www.businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Angel R. Calso

DEMOCRATS ROLL OUT CASE AS SENATORS FIDGET

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ASHINGTON—House prosec utors faced fidgeting senators as they rolled out their case against President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday, the trial’s previous session having lasted a fatigueinducing 13 hours.

Trump was busy himself, returning from an international business conference but finding time to send 120-plus tweets that included trial commentary and criticism.

Highlights of Wednesday’s session and what’s ahead as senators conduct just the third impeachment trial of a president:

‘Corrupt scheme’

REP. Adam Schiff, Democrat-California, the lead prosecutor, spoke for more than two hours, laying out the case House Democrats made in weeks of hearings last year.

Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Trump had pursued a “corrupt scheme” to abuse his presidential power and then obstruct Congress’s investigation.

He appealed to senators not to be “cynical” about the politics of impeachment, asking them to draw on the intent of the nation’s Founding Fathers.

The founders “feared that a president could subvert our democracy by abusing the awesome power of his office for his own personal or political gain,’’ Schiff said. ”And so, they devised a remedy as powerful as the evil it was meant to combat: Impeachment.’’

Fidgety senators

THE challenge before Schiff and other House managers was clear as they tried to win over not just fidgety senators sitting silently in the chamber, but a divided American public.

Senators were especially restless Wednesday, as lawmakers convened less than 12 hours after the marathon session that stretched to nearly 2 a.m.

Freshman Rep. Jason Crow, DemocratColorado, a House impeachment manager, had trouble holding the attention of senators, who

by Senate rules were sitting in silence without access to phones or other electronics.

Many senators left their seats and headed to nearby cloak rooms, or stood in the back or openly yawned as Crow talked about Trump’s hold on military aid to Ukraine. At one point, more than 10 senators’ seats were empty.

Crow, a military veteran who tried to emphasize the importance of the delayed aid to Ukraine, noticed the unusual level of activity, telling Chief Justice John Roberts at about 5 p.m. that he saw a lot of senators moving about.

He wondered aloud if the Senate wanted to take a recess. No such luck. Roberts urged him to continue, and McConnell announced the Senate would not break until 6:30 p.m. for dinner.

Trump tweetstorm

AS Democrats presented their case, Trump blasted the proceedings from afar, joking that he would face off with Democrats by coming to “sit right in the front row and stare at their corrupt faces.” Trump, who returned on Wednesday from a global leaders conference in Davos, Switzerland, set a presidential record for activity on his favorite social-media platform, sending at least 124 tweets in a single day, according to Factbase, a service that compiles and analyzes data on Trump’s presidency.

The previous record for tweets was set on the day last month that the House Judiciary Committee opened its marathon session to approve two articles of impeachment against the president.

Demonstrator removed

JUST before dinner, Capitol police swiftly grabbed and dragged out of the chamber a man in the visitors’ gallery who was yelling.

As he was being held in a hallway outside the chamber, the gray-haired man could be heard shouting, “Dismiss the charges!” He also yelled “you’re hurting me!” as police subdued him.

What’s ahead

DEMOCRATS will continue arguments through Friday under rules approved by the Senate.

Trump’s lawyers will then have up to three days to rebut the Democrats’ case.

Tr u m p ’s l e g a l t e a m p a s s e d o n a n opportunity on Wednesday to file a motion to dismiss the case, an acknowledgement that there were not enough Republican votes to support it.

Wh i l e p o l l i n g s u g g e s t s w i d e s p re a d agreement that Trump should allow top aides and former aides to appear as witnesses at the trial, that possibility seems remote.

In wrangling over rules for the trial that stretched into the early morning hours, Republicans shot down, one by one, Democratic efforts to get Trump aides to testify, including former National Security Adviser John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney.

While some Republicans have expressed openness to new witnesses, it is unclear if four GOP senators will join Democrats to allow new testimony. AP

China virus outbreak may wallop economy and financial markets

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ANGKOK—News that a new virus that has afflicted hundreds of people in central China can spread between humans has rattled financial markets and raised concern it might wallop the economy just as it might be regaining momentum.

Health authorities across Asia have been stepping up surveillance and other precautions to prevent a repeat of the disruptions and deaths during the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) crisis, which caused $40 billion to $50 billion in losses from reduced travel and spending.

The first cases of what has been identified as a novel coronavirus were linked to a seafood market in Wuhan, suggesting animal-tohuman transmission, but it now is also thought to be spread between people.

As of Wednesday, more than 500 people were confirmed infected and 17 had died from the illness, which can cause pneumonia and other severe respiratory symptoms.

A retreat in financial markets on Tuesday was followed by a rebound on Wednesday, as investors snapped up bargains.

Share benchmarks were mostly higher both in Asia, Europe and the United States.

While the new virus appears much less dangerous than SARS, “the most significant Asia risk could lie ahead as the regional peak travel season takes hold, which could multiply the disease diffusion,” said Stephen Innes, chief Asian strategist for AxiCorp.

“So, while the risk is returning to the market, the lights might not turn green until we move through the Lunar New Year travel season to better gauge the coronavirus dispersion,” he added.

The 2003 outbreak of SARS in China, along with cases of a deadly form of bird flu, resulted in widespread quarantine measures in many Chinese cities and in Hong Kong. More than 8,000 people fell

sick and just under 800 people died, a mortality rate of under 10 percent.

While the ordinary flu kills hundreds of thousands of people each year, such new diseases raise alarm due to the uncertainties over how deadly they might be and how they might spread.

That’s especially true during the annual mass travel of the Lunar New Year festival, which begins this week.

“The cost to the global economy can be quite staggering in negative GDP terms if this outbreak reaches epidemic proportions,” Innes said in a report.

In C h ina, hea lt h of f ic i a ls stepped up screening for fevers.

“We ask the public to avoid crowds and minimize the publ ic gat her i ngs to reduce t he possibility of cross infection,” Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission, said on Wednesday.

As with SARS, the impact of the disease is likely to fall heaviest on specific industries, such as hotels and airlines, railways, casinos, and other leisure businesses and retailers, analysts said.

In a statement on its web site on Wednesday, Shanghai Disney Resort said it was operating normally but understood if some guests wished to change their travel plans. The park said it would let guests reschedule their visits or refund their money.

China’s Civil Aviation Administration called on airlines to offer free refunds for tickets in or out of Wuhan.

“If the pneumonia couldn’t be contained in the short term, we expect China’s retail sales, tour ism, hotel and cater ing ,

PASSENGERS wearing masks walk by as a quarantine officer (center) monitors a thermography during a quarantine inspection at Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan, on January 22. KOTA ENDO/KYODO NEWS VIA AP

travel activities likely to be hit, especially in the first and second quarters,” said Ning Zhang of UBS. Government efforts to offset the shock would help, but growth will likely rebound less than earlier forecast, Zhang said.

The outbreak is a boon, meanwhile, for pharmaceutical companies, and makers of protective masks and other medical gear.

As of January 17, the World Health Organization had not recommended any international restrictions on travel but urged local authorities to work with the travel industry to help prevent the disease from spreading while warning travelers who fall ill to seek medical attention.

The illness is yet another blow for Hong Kong, whose economy is reeling from months of often violent anti-government protests.

The wider concern is China, where the economy grew at a 30year low 6.1-percent annual pace in 2019.

An interim trade pact between Beijing and Washington had raised hopes that some pressure from tensions between the two biggest economies might ease, and the latest data have showed signs of improved demand for exports.

The virus outbreak raises the risk such optimism might be premature.

“We expect increased downward pressure on China’s growth, particularly in the services sector,” said Ting Lu and other analysts at Nomura in Hong Kong, who based their projections on the spread of the SARS virus.

The growing number of global travelers has contributed to the spread of various diseases in recent yea rs, inc lud ing Midd le E a s t r e s p i r at o r y s y n d r o m e , t he Ebol a a nd Zi k a v i r u ses, t he pl ag ue, measles a nd ot her h igh ly cont ag ious i l l nesses.

The World Economic Forum est i m ates t h at pa ndem ic s — cross-border outbreaks like the f lu that killed 50 million people a centur y ago—have the potential to cause an $570 billion in annual economic losses.

The 2014 to 2016 Ebola virus epidemic caused losses amounting to over $2.2 billion, according to the World Bank. T hat includes a 40 -percent decrease in the number of working Liberians at the height of the crisis, lower exports and harvests, and costs for combating the disease.

Apart from the human tragedy, such crises gobble up resources

needed for other government spending, exacting a harsh toll on the poorest economies.

In Africa, the loss of healthcare workers to Ebola resulted in thousands more deaths of mothers and babies; hindered work on other diseases, such as preventing and treating malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis; reduced vaccination rates and fewer surgeries, the World Bank said in a report.

Many survivors, meanwhile, suffer from lingering effects of the illnesses and the powerful drugs used to save their lives, becoming more vulnerable to hunger and other risks.

At the same time, increasingly sophisticated tools for collecting data and analyzing are aiding efforts to prepare for and cope with severe disease outbreaks.

In 2016, the World Bank set up a $500-million rapid response insurance fund, working with the WHO and insurance companies, to combat pandemics in developing countries. The fund uses “cat bonds,” or catastrophe bonds, whose principal will be lost if the funds are needed to help deal with an outbreak. Private insurers have followed with products of their own meant to hedge against risks from such disasters. AP

TRUMP’S TRADE DEAL HASTENS CHINA’S RETREAT FROM U.S. FARMERS

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ONALD J. TRUMP’S trade truce with Beijing included a pledge to buy billions of dollars of US foodstuffs over the next two years, reopening one of the most important export markets for America’s farm belt.

“The farmers are really happy with the new China Trade Deal,” the president tweeted the day after a signing ceremony in the White House.

The euphoria is fading fast. The dispute with Washington exposed Beijing’s vulnerability when it comes to food imports—especially the soybeans needed to feed its massive herd of livestock—and the Communist Party leadership will now do all it can to wean itself off the United States.

“Anytime you have a disruption in your supply chain, and especially with something as sensitive as food, they have to diversify their supply chain,” said David MacLennan, chief executive of Cargill Inc., the world’s largest agricultural commodity trader.

“I think they don’t want to be in the same position again of being overly dependent on one supplier.”

Food security has been a policy priority since a surge in the cost of everything from pork to electronics in the late 1980s stoked dissent in the run-up to the Tiananmen Square protests. A generation later and the world’s largest population is many times richer with a growing taste for protein-heavy diets, but

doesn’t produce nearly enough domestically.

For US farmers, the trade deal means a potentially short-lived benefit as China seeks to make good on its two-year promise. But long term, as America’s biggest customer goes elsewhere— creating a huge opportunity for rival agriculture giants, like Brazil, Argentina and Russia—that could have political repercussions for Trump-supporting rural communities.

The fortunes of global agricultural companies will also be shaped by China’s response. From agricultural traders, like Cargill and Louis Dreyfus Co., to farming equipment manufactures, such as Deere & Co., dozens of companies have billions of dollars at stake in where China buys its food.

China has long been striving for self sufficiency, paying huge subsidies to farmers to grow corn and rice. More than 95 percent of its cereal needs can now be satisfied locally. But declining arable land, water shortages and an aging farm labor force mean that domestic production alone isn’t enough in the rapidly urbanizing country.

So the shortfall needs to be met overseas.

President Xi Jinping launched the Belt and Road initiative in 2013 to expand its trading routes, after also embarking on a multibillion-dollar spree in global agriculture firms and infrastructure over the last decade, most of which have been outside

of America. Before hostilities escalated in 2017, the US was China’s top agricultural supplier for 18 years running, relying on the nation for almost 20 percent of its farm goods imports amounting to $24 billion a year.

And that’s where China has been exposed by the trade war.

Imports from the US tumbled 45 percent in 2018 as the two countries hit each other with tariffs.

Beijing slapped retaliatory levies ranging from 5 percent to 60 percent on almost all American farm goods including soybeans, pork and corn.

The duties gave Beijing crucial leverage over Washington, prompting Trump to announce a $28-billion bailout for farmers faced with a devastating loss in business. But they also forced China to search for supplies elsewhere.

Now China’s going to double down on efforts to diversify, with rivals Brazil and Argentina the most obvious beneficiaries.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and China’s Xi promised to continue on increasing bilateral trade that surged to record levels during the trade war.

China also bolstered its alliance with Argentina, opening the door to the South American nation’s soybean meal shipments for the first time.

“Food security is always critical to China’s leadership, and this trade war just affirms the

importance of having strong domestic production and diversified import sources,” said Li Qiang, chief analyst with Shanghai JC Intelligence Co., an influential Chinese agricultural consultant.

But the seasonal nature of agricultural production means China can’t rely on South America alone. Brazil typically exports soybeans during March to September, before US shipments take over. Despite record imports from Brazil, China briefly experienced a soybean deficit due to lack of American supply.

China has also been looking for other sources, for example by investing in Russia and the Black Sea regions.

The reality is though, that it will be hard to wean itself entirely off the US. China’s annual soy demand is about 110 million tons, of which domestic output satisfies just 15 percent, according to China’s Ministry of Agriculture.

The US accounts for about a third of global soybean trade, while Brazil and Argentina alone don’t export enough to satisfy China.

The US is just too influential and China recognizes this. America will remain an important trading partner for soybeans, China’s minister of agriculture and rural affairs said last year. It may also prove politically expedient for Beijing to maintain some trade with Washington to keep its truce in place. Bloomberg News

B4 Friday, January 24, 2020

FPG Insurance names Gigi Pio de Roda as new President and CEO

Chooks-to-Go, Special Olympics sign pact on Kaya ‘Yan, Manok ng Bayan Campaign

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HOOKS-TO-GO of Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. (BAVI) today signed a memorandum of agreement with Special Olympics Asia Pacific (SOAP), formalizing a partnership to carry out a yearlong campaign to benefit people with intellectual disabilities (PIDs) at Discovery Suites Ortigas.

The Kaya ‘Yan, Manok ng Bayan campaign includes conducting sports fests and training sessions for PIDs all over the Philippines, as well as nationwide recruitment of PIDs to BAVI’s offices.

Signatories of the memorandum

were Chooks-to-Go President Ronald Mascariñas and Special Olympics Asia Pacific President and Managing Director Dipak Natali represented by Kaye Chastine Samson. Also present at the event were campaign ambassador and basketball player Kobe Paras; SEA Games gold medalists Nikko Huelgas, Jaime de Lange, and Roger Casogay; and Henry Munarriz, an international powerlifting athlete and the first BAVI employee who has an intellectual disability.

BAVI President Ronald Mascariñas: “Filipinos with intellectual disabilities have inherent dignity and abilities that

must be recognized. We are grateful to Special Olympics Asia Pacific for helping us to appreciate more deeply the unique contribution of PIDs to the world of business. We are also happy that, through our involvement in sports, we will be able to help PIDs to excel in them and gain life skills and self-confidence in the process.”

SOAP President and Managing Director Dipak Natali: “It is our hope that people with intellectual disabilities are included in society, and having equal training and employment opportunities, where they can showcase their talents in meaningful roles, is one the way we can achieve this. We sincerely thank Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. for providing such opportunities to Special Olympics athletes in the Philippines. We hope to see more companies do the same, to help promote equality and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities in the Philippines and across the Asia Pacific region.”

The Kaya ‘Yan, Manok ng Bayan campaign is set to have its first sports fest for PIDs in Metro Manila on January 25.

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PG Insurance Co., Inc., a major player in the non-life insurance industry and leader in motor insurance coverage, welcomes Gigi Pio de Roda as its new President and CEO effective January 6, 2020. In this role, Gigi takes the reins of the company’s flagship motor insurance, as well as the emerging portfolios for travel and residential insurances.

Gigi joins FPG Insurance from her recent role as Philam Life/AIA’s Chief Operations Officer (COO). Known in the industry for her transformation of business operations

through complex executions and efficiency, Gigi is responsible for Philam Life/AIA’s digital revolution since 2017, where customer service and experience are at the core of its design.

“We gladly welcome Gigi to the FPG Insurance family and are very excited for the changes that she will be bringing into the company. FPG Insurance is looking forward to how she will charter the course for our Philippine business direction,” said Stephen Blasina, FPG Insurance Regional Managing Director.

Gigi is bringing in over 30 years of proven financial services expertise, having previously also served HSBC Philippines in various executive positions such as Chief Operations Officer, Senior Vice President and Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management, and Chief Risk Officer. She has a degree in Management of Financial Institutions from the De La Salle University, is a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICDPh), and also serves as a professional executive coach.

La Salle to hold golf tournament on January 27

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EGISTRATION is in the final stages for the 28Th Br. Alphosus Bloemen Golf Cup set for January 27, 2020 at the Forest Hills Golf & Country Club.

Organized by the La Salle Green Hills Alumni Association (LSGHAA), The Br. Alphonsus Bloemen Golf Cup is the annual fund raising event of the LSGHAA for the benefit of the LSGH Adult Night High School Scholarship Fund. The educational program that gives La Salle quality schooling to less fortunate adults.

Handsome trophies, lots of raffle, door prizes, fun awards and giveaways await all participants in Class A, B, C, D, Seniors, Guests Divisions plus Batch Team Championship for Alumni of all La Salle Schools.

The entry fee of P3,500 is inclusive of green fee, lunch buffet, use of golf cart, giveaways, raffle & door prizes. Likewise, free beer is provided by San Miguel as well as Free Fundador Brandy and Gallo Wines from Emperador Distillers.

The 28th Br. Alphonsus Bloemen Golf Cup is powered by Globe Telecom, Mrt Devt. Corp., Solaire Resort & Casino, Microtel, Unilab, Phil Accident & Managers Inc., Paragon Brokerage, Spes Const., Pepero, Camp John Hay Devt. Corp. and Dunkin Donuts, Register now as slots are quickly closingout. For further details, please email and look for Marc Miranda or Sol Mendoza or email : alumni@lsgh.edu.ph

CCP offers piano teachers workshop, masterclass

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NTERNATIONALLY distinguished Filipino-Canadian concert pianist and pedagogue Dr. Ross Salvosa will give a Piano Teachers Workshop on January 30, 2020 from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. This will be followed by a Piano Masterclass on January 31, 2020. Both events will be held at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater). This is a program of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in partnership with the Embassy of Canada.

The Workshop has three modules: “Path of Least Resistance”, 9:00 am – 11:00 am; “Creating vs. Regurgitating”, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm; and “Road to Parnassus”, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. The masterclass the following day will carry the same schedule.

Ross Salvosa is one of the most sought-after teachers in the Pacific Northwest. He is a seasoned adjudicator and has served in the juries of national and international piano competitions including the Seattle International Piano Festival and

Competition and the National Music Competitions for Young Artists. He is renowned for developing prodigious talents from early formative ages to professional artists. He frequently gives masterclasses in Canada, USA, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica and the Philippines. He is the director of the Concord Institute of Performing Arts in Vancouver-BC and also an artist-faculty at the Chopin Academy of Music in Issaquah-Washington. He is a senior advisor to the board of the Vancouver Clef Music Society and has served as artistic director of the Music Without Borders Society.

He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of British Columbia and was recipient of the Mildred Johnson scholarship award under the guidance of Corey Hamm, Sara Buechner, Mark Anderson, Kenneth Broadway and Ralph Markham. He earned is Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees from the Conservatory of Music at Lynn University on a full

scholarship under the tutelage of Roberta Rust. He also studied with Philip Evans, Maria Rosa Oubiña, Frida Conn, Reynaldo Reyes, Emilio del Rosario, Mauricia Borromeo, Perla Suaco, Ruby Salvosa, Abelardo Galang and Artemio Panganiban.

For more information and reservations, please email the CCP Artist Training Division at ccp.artist. trainng@gmail.com or call 8832-11125 loc. 1605.

PEZA promotes environment-friendly industrialization and transformation to green, sustainable, and disaster-free ecozones

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HILIPPINE Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director General Charito B. Plaza has guaranteed economic zones comply in its requirement to locate away from disaster-prone areas as she affirms that ecozones in CALABARZON did not acquire damages to its structures and to its operations from the recent Taal volcano eruption since Sunday.

“We assure that PEZA will be more precautious in requiring ecozone development and masterplanning to avoid hazards and danger-prone areas. We must be strict in the enforcement of the geohazard laws and the environmental clearance certificate compliance by the ecozone developers, factories, utilities and facilities construction applicants,” stated Plaza.

The comments come amid the threats of another eruption of Taal volcano since its recent eruption in January 12, which may affect more regions in the Philippines including NCR and Region IV-A. Plaza cited the Lima Technology Center and the First Philippine Industrial Park, both located in Batangas, reported no damage, or major disruption to operations and

structures aside from the ashfall.

According to March 2019 data, PEZA has registered a total of 60 economic zones in Region IV, of which, 59 are privately developed and one, the Cavite Economic Zone, is government owned and developed.

While PEZA manages ecozones nationwide, CALABARZON region has the most number of ecozones and locators in the country.

Specifically, as of January to September 2019, Region IV-A has a total of 1,962 locator companies, which employ a total of 523, 898 workers. This means that CALABARZON has 43.81% of the total locators of PEZA nationwide and 33.36% of the total employment generated by PEZA. CALABARZON also comprise 50.97% of the total exports generated by PEZA registered-companies and industries.

Meanwhile, the private ecozones in Region IV comprise a total of 3,921.1175 hectares composed of different types of ecozones.

Manufacturing companies comprise 62.5%, IT Center comprise 19.64%, IT parks comprise 8.93%, Tourism comprise 3.57%, and Medical Tourism comprise 1.79%.

PEZA is focusing on preparation for the management of the consequences of natural or manmade calamities. In this view, PEZA is launching the program about the “Affiliation of PEZA Employees, Ecozones and Industries as Military Reservist Unit and the Disaster Resilience and Emergency Management (DREAM)”. Under such program, PEZAns and industry workers are prepared to be disaster and emergenc responders who help ensure safety during natural or manmade disasters and who help secure lives and the ecozones.

In addition, Plaza said that “locators now have to craft their business continuity plans that should outline how they plan to do business in the face of the volcano’s ongoing activity.” Moreover, PEZA will also require and coordinate with locators to have their “Emergency Response Plans”.

“PEZA will establish its own ‘Incident Command System and Center’ where ecozones, industries, workers and other stakeholders will get their information and direction in times of natural or man-made disasters and emergencies,” she said.

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HE Asia and Oceania boxing qualifier for Tokyo 2020 in Wuhan has been canceled by local organizers because of the outbreak of a new coronavirus in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

In a statement, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) boxing task force confirmed the decision from organizers and said it would “work with the Chinese Olympic Committee and all partners to explore alternatives.”

The event is set to be relocated either to another city or country.

“The IOC boxing task force noted today’s decision of the Local Organizing Committee to cancel the Asian/Oceanian Tokyo 2020 boxing qualifying event which was due to take place in Wuhan from 3 to 14 February 2020, amid growing concerns in relation to the coronavirus outbreak reported in the city,” the task force said.

The decision came after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) moved one of its qualifiers for the women’s tournament at Tokyo 2020 from Wuhan to Nanjing amid concerns over the spread of the virus, which has killed 17 people.

The AFC said Group B of the third round of the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament would now be held at the Jiangning Football Training Centre.

A four-nation Asian qualifying group for the women’s soccer tournament was switched from the city at the center of the health scare to Nanjing.

The decisions followed Chinese health authorities telling people in Wuhan to avoid crowds and public gatherings.

The AFC said the round-robin group—featuring host China, Australia, Taiwan and Thailand—will be played from February 3 to 9, retaining the same dates, in Nanjing.

More than 500 people have been infected and at least 17 killed since the outbreak emerged last month. The illness comes from a newly identified type of coronavirus.

Cases have also been reported in the United States, Japan, South Korea and Thailand. All involve people from Wuhan or who recently traveled there.

In the soccer qualifiers in China, two teams advance to a four-nation playoff round in March. That will decide which two teams from Asia join host Japan at the Tokyo Olympics. Insidethegames and AP

Sports

OLYMPIC BOXING QUALIFIERS IN CHINA CANCELED

BusinessMirror

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| Friday, January 24, 2020 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

OLYMPIC PROTESTERS DRAW SOLID ALLY Taking a knee, hand gestures with political meaning—such as raised fist salutes— and snubbing a fellow medalist on the podium are specific types of demonstrations long prohibited by Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter.

THE International Olympic Committee, headed

by Thomas Bach, says political neutrality is key to keeping the Olympics a place where athletes worldwide can compete together in peace. AP

WORKERS spray disinfectant at a train station in Wuhan in southern China’s Hubei province. AP

By Graham Dunbar The Associated Press

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ENEVA—Soccer players who defy Olympic rules by making protest gestures at the 2020 Tokyo Games will be supported by their global union.

Freedom of speech on issues like antidiscrimination and gender equality needs to be protected from “a hypocritical rule,” FIFPro General Secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann said Wednesday at a United Nations labor agency conference.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) revived the debate on athlete rights this month by publishing details of protests in venues and medal ceremonies that can lead to disciplinary action, including being sent home from Tokyo.

Taking a knee, hand gestures with political meaning—such as raised fist salutes—and snubbing a fellow medalist on the podium are specific types of demonstrations long prohibited

by Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter.

“We feel their freedom of expression overrides any other interest that may be in play here,” said Baer-Hoffmann, whose union represents 65,000 professional players.

He praised players who have fueled “these fundamental debates” in soccer by speaking out about racism and equal pay for women.

“They are trailblazers but, on the one hand, they are being welcomed by people to take this forward and make sport appear as a change agent in society,” Baer-Hoffmann said. “And, on the other, now we have a hypocritical rule that says if you do it in our venues, we think this is a sanctionable offense.”

“This is absolutely unacceptable,” the union official said on the sidelines of an International Labor Organization conference about athlete working conditions, also attended by Olympic officials.

The IOC says political neutrality is key to keeping the

Olympics a place where athletes worldwide can compete together in peace.

Political opinions can be expressed in Olympic venue interviews and on social-media accounts, according to the new guidelines drafted after consultation by the IOC athletes’ commission.

The Tokyo Games soccer tournaments are a 16-team event for men and 12 for women . They kick off on July 22, two days before the opening ceremony, and end on August 8.

The United States will be the women’s favorite if the team advances from a regional qualifying tournament. The team’s co-captain in qualifying is Megan Rapinoe, who has taken a strong stand speaking out on social issues.

“If the IOC decides to discipline players on this occasion, we will certainly stand by them to defend them,” Baer-Hoffmann said.

Not all of the more than 10,000 athletes in Tokyo, competing in 33 sports, have the same collective protection as soccer players.

“There is a danger you will have two classes of athletes at the Olympics,” said Brendan Schwab, executive director of the World Players Association, citing those who either have or lack resources to defend themselves.

Schwab said the Sport and Rights Alliance, a coalition of trade unions and human-rights groups, could offer help. Its members campaigned to release Bahraini soccer player Hakeem al-Araibi from detention in Thailand last year.

Those who took a stand at past Olympics— including American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, and Czech gymnast Vera Caslavska at the 1968 Mexico City Games—had “suffered terribly for their protest” before being championed decades later, Schwab said.

“We believe the Olympic movement is strong enough, and in fact it is stronger,” he said, “if it provides a safe space for political protest in the course of the Olympic Games.”

Despite threats of an Iranian boycott of its flagship club competition, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), meanwhile, has confirmed that Champions League matches involving Shahr Khodro and Esteghlal have been moved to neutral venues because of security concerns.

The AFC released a statement Wednesday saying it had moved two qualification ties involving Iranian clubs—Shahr Khodro FC vs Bahrain’s Riffa and Esteghlal vs Kuwait SC—to neutral venues “because of ongoing security concerns and the decision of several governments to issue travel warnings to the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The rescheduled matches will be played Saturday in the United Arab Emirates.

The AFC’s decision to move the matches comes days after the Iranian Football Federation threatened to boycott the 2020 Asian Champions League if they are barred from hosting international matches.

The IFF’s President Heidar Baharvand told state television that if the ban was not reversed, Iran would withdraw its four teams—Persepolis, Esteghlal, Sepahan and Shahr Khodr—from the tournament.

BALL kids dry off outside courts as play is delayed by rain on Thursday. AP

Red dust, rain hit weather-plagued Aussie Open

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ED dust and rain combined to give some of the blue courts at the Australian Open a more Roland Garros hue, adding yet another element to the freakish conditions that have plagued the first four days of the tournament.

Smoke from devastating bushfires on Australia’s east coast caused air quality in Melbourne last week to be ranked among the worst in the world, and impacted on qualifying.

So far this week, rain on three of the first four days of the tournament has caused more difficulties for players and organizers.

Play was delayed on outside courts Thursday by more showers and what a weather expert called “dirty rain” that left red dust covering some outside courts at Melbourne Park, forced the closer of some public pools and turned the water in the Yarra River which winds between the tennis complex and the city deep brown.

Melbourne Park staff used high-pressure hoses to clean court surfaces. Light rain became heavy, forcing the suspension of play on outside courts until the sun came out in the mid-afternoon.

On the plus side, there are three stadiums with retractable roofs, so the show courts will go on.

Fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev needed a medical timeout for a nose bleed before beating Spanish qualifier Pedro Martinez, 7-5, 6-1, 6-3, and advancing to the third round.

The US Open finalist called for a medical timeout while leading, 5-0, in the second set

and needed treatment to stop the bleeding.

His match on Margaret Court Arena followed sixth-seeded Belinda Bencic’s 7-5, 7-5 win over 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.

“I’m super happy to get the match out of the way. I didn’t know the courts were, like, wet and dirty and all that,” Bencic said. “But for sure, it was difficult today. It was sometimes sunny, and then suddenly was almost raining. Then windy. Yeah, you just kind of have to accept it and go with it and try your best.”

On Rod Laver Arena, the center court at Melbourne Park, second-seeded Karolina Pliskova advanced to the third round with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Laura Siegemund following twotime major winner Garbine Muguruza’s 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win over Ajla Tomljanovic.

“I’m happy to get through—this was an ugly match for me,” Pliskova said.

Last year at Melbourne Park, Pliskova lost to eventual champion Naomi Osaka in the semifinals after saving four match points to beat Serena Williams in the quarterfinals.

Muguruzu had to wait for the stadium roof to be closed in the third set of her win, and said the need to stay patient was crucial in the tough win. On Melbourne Arena, 19th-seeded Donna Vekic beat Alize Cornet, 6-4, 6-2.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Richard Carlyon told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. the brown rain was the result of the rain front moving through a dust storm northwest of

Melbourne, and not from bushfire smoke.

Tennys Sandgren, meanwhile, was looking in great shape for a big upset at the Australian Open after building a massive lead against No. 8 seed Matteo Berrettini on Wednesday.

And then, suddenly, he wasn’t.

“Two-sets-to-love up, I was feeling pretty good about myself,” the 100th-ranked Sandgren, who is from Tennessee, said about the second-round match, “but playing such a great player, that can get erased pretty quick— and I guess it did.”

Sure did. Same thing happened to another American: The 80th-ranked Tommy Paul, who was born in New Jersey and now is based in Florida, took the opening two sets against No. 18 seed Grigor Dimitrov before seeing that lead vanish, too.

In the end, though, the two Americans managed to finish the job and produce five-set upsets of opponents who were semifinalists at last year’s US Open.

Sandgren edged Berrettini, 7-6 (7), 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 7-5. Paul was two points from exiting while down, 5-4, 30-love, in the fifth set before defeating Dimitrov, a three-time major semifinalist, 6-4, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3).

“One of my crazier matches I’ve ever been a part of,” Paul said.

At one point in the fifth set, he looked at a videoboard and saw that Sandgren had gone from two sets up to winning in five.

“So I was like, ‘All right. I guess it can be done,’” Paul said. AP

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C2 Friday, January 24, 2020

PORTE RULES HILLY STAGE 3

HIGH-JUMP CHAMPION LASITSKENE

HOPING, WAITING WHILE TRAINING M

Mariya Lasitskene is a three-time world

MARIYA LASITSKENE is a three-time world champion in high jump and a scathing critic of Russian sports officials, but even that’s not helping her case.

OSCOW—The Olympics are six months away, but Russia’s top track and field athlete has no idea if she’ll be there.

champion in high jump and a scathing critic of Russian sports officials, but even that’s not helping her case.

A double whammy of dopingrelated cases means that Russia’s track and field athletes are banned from international competition, and the Russian flag is excluded from the Olympics. Legal battles are set to rage for months.

Lasitskene, herself, isn’t suspected of any wrongdoing and says she faces an agonizing wait.

“We’re all on pause right now,” she told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “I don’t know what to expect or to hope for. All I can do is hope, wait and train.”

The immediate obstacle for Lasitskene is Russia’s suspension from international track and field, in place since 2015. After being vetted for possible involvement in Russian

doping cover-ups, Lasitskene was handed a waiver to compete internationally as a neutral athlete, and won two of her three world titles without the Russian flag or anthem.

That system was abruptly frozen November 22 after five of the Russian track federation’s top officials were charged with helping another athlete present a fake alibi when he wasn’t available for drug testing.

Two months on, there’s still no word of when the neutral system will resume, if at all, and Lasitskene is close to canceling travel plans for early season events in Europe. If the case drags on, it could threaten her Olympic hopes too. Lasitskene already missed the 2016 Olympics when the whole Russian track squad was barred.

“What really haunts me is that the athletes are in the position of thinking: ‘Are we going at all?’” she said.

“That’s even though I’ve got the qualifying standard and I’ve got the titles to be a leader out in the field. But I’m in this unclear situation like in 2016, where I don’t know what to expect or to hope for.”

Track and field’s international governing body says it can’t speed up the process. World Athletics told AP on Wednesday it is “in a holding pattern” and can’t start its review of the neutral status system until the Russian track federation formally responds to the charges against its officials.

The federation has twice asked for extra time to respond and the second extension

expired January 16, said the Athletics Integrity Unit, which brought the charges.

Even if Russian athletes make it to the Tokyo Olympics, they won’t be competing for Team Russia.

A package of sanctions from the World Anti-Doping Agency last month include banning Russia’s name, flag and anthem from major events, like the Olympics. Lasitskene is already used to that in track and field.

“The whole world knows that we’re from Russia, and which country we represent,” she said.

“It’ll be a competition, just without Russian symbols.”

Desperate to compete, Lasitskene has focused her criticism on Russia’s track federation. Along with other leading athletes, she accuses officials of ignoring athletes and failing to implement meaningful anti-doping reforms.

She’s trying to find ways to demonstrate that she has distanced herself from the leadership. That could mean training abroad ahead of the Olympics, but Lasitskene is firm that she’ll never try to compete for any other country.

“It’s not going to be easy,” she said. “But you need to look for these possible solutions.” AP

Wada shuts down Moscow laboratory again M ONTREAL—The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) ordered Moscow’s drug-testing laboratory to be shut down again Wednesday.

That followed Wada’s finding last month that data stored at the lab was tampered with in an apparent bid to cover up past drug use by Russian athletes and implicate Wada witnesses.

That was “a serious violation of the code of ethics,” Wada quoted its laboratory expert group as saying.

The laboratory was stopped from carrying out most drug testing in 2015 when cover-ups were first suspected, but it was allowed to resume limited blood testing in May 2016.

Closing the lab, which is operated by Moscow State University, could make it harder and more expensive to conduct blood testing on Russian athletes ahead of this year’s Olympics in Tokyo.

The closure means “more challenges,” Margarita Pakhnotskaya, deputy chief executive of the Russian anti-doping agency, told The Associated Press. “People, money, logistics and so on.”

Transporting samples to foreign labs for analysis will also mean higher costs, she added. The Russian agency works with the lab but doesn’t run it.

Figures given by Wada last year show the Moscow lab handled a total of 3,539 samples from 2016 through 2018, including from foreign tennis players. That was a fraction of its previous workload.

The lab’s work was focused on the socalled biological passport, a program which analyzes blood for the effects of banned substances, not the substances themselves.

Wada said this analysis would be hard to fake.

NCAA to allow potential Olympians to receive more benefits

“It is practically impossible for laboratories to interfere with the blood variables of samples due to the nature of the analytical equipment and the [biological passport] principles in place,” Wada said Wednesday.

Wada said the suspension was agreed by its new president Witold Banka on Tuesday.

The lab can analyze any samples it received before then, but would have to send others to different labs.

Some doping substances can only be detected in blood samples, but blood decays

rapidly and must be brought to a lab quickly.

Without a lab in Moscow, it could be hard to carry out blood testing in some remote areas.

A statement on the lab’s web site said that following Banka’s ruling, it “does not accept blood samples to conduct doping control analyses.”

Russian authorities have denied the data stored at the lab was deliberately altered.

They’ve offered a range of explanations including supposed intrusions on the network from abroad and unstable software forcing Russian systems administrators to make some

supposedly cosmetic changes.

When it was agreed in 2018, handing over the data was meant to be a peace offering by Russia, exposing past wrongdoing in return for the reinstatement of its anti-doping agency.

Wada last month banned Russia’s name and flag from the Olympics, and other major events for four years as punishment for the data alterations. Russia is planning to appeal the sanctions at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in time for the Olympics in Tokyo in July and August. AP

AN employee of the Russia’s national drug-testing laboratory holds a vial in Moscow. AP

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NAHEIM, California—The NCAA will now permit elite athletes to be paid for training expenses by the US Olympic Committee (USOC) and other national governing bodies.

The Division I Council adopted the legislation Wednesday at the NCAA convention and it is effective immediately.

Previously, college athletes could compromise their eligibility to compete for their schools by accepting some benefits that are provided to potential Olympians.

Under the new legislation, athletes

designated elite by the USOC or other organizations, such as USA Swimming or USA Track and Field, can have travel expenses paid for parents, coaches or trainers. The new rules also will allow potential Olympians to spend more time working with their college coaches without breaking NCAA rules regarding practice limits.

“I think the Olympic definition of amateurism and the NCAA definition of amateurism are not quite aligned and that makes it very unfortunate for people who

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are at that level,” said Ginny Thrasher, who won a gold medal in women’s 10-meter air rifle at the 2016 Summer Games while still competing for West Virginia University. “I think if you have been identified by your national governing body as being eligible to receive those funds, I think it would be very helpful and I think it’s something the NCAA should allow.”

Thrasher said allowing elite athletes to tap into those benefits will help solidify the relationship between the NCAA and the Olympic movement.

THE last climb features a 20 percent gradient at the base and 11 percent overall, favoring the powerful Richie Porte.

DELAIDE, Australia— Australian Richie Porte seized the overall lead in the Tour Down Under cycle race Thursday when he outclimbed his rivals in the hilltop finish of the third stage at Paracombe.

Porte won the stage in 2017 and went on to win the tour. He made the same audacious break on the last climb Thursday to distance his rivals and take possession of the tour leader’s jersey.

The first two stages of the six-stage race—first event of the International Cycling Union World tour— were won by sprinters—Ireland’s Sam Bennett took the first stage and Australia’s Caleb Ewan the second.

Thursday’s hilly 131-kilometer third stage from Unley to Paracombe was designed for climbers such as Porte and it was inevitable the winner would push the sprinters out of the top places on general classification.

With another tough climb to come in the finishing stage at Willunga on Sunday, Porte seems well-placed to claim his second win in his home tour.

Porte won Thursday’s stage by a wide margin from Australian Rob Power and Britain’s Simon Yates, who courageously stayed in the race after suffering a gashed knee in a fall on Wednesday’s second stage.

He finished the stage with a six-second lead on general classification over two-time defending champion Daryl Impey of South Africa. Power is nine seconds behind Porte in third place and Yates is two seconds further back in fourth.

“The team were fantastic today firstly,” Porte said. “I have to take my cap off to those boys.

“They put all their faith in me, they did a fantastic job in controlling it. I felt good at the bottom of the climb and got a bit of a gap there. It’s a pity there was a bit of a headwind in the climb because I think we could have done some real damage.”

The stage was a tough one, featuring more than 2,600 meters (8,500 feet) of climbing. Riders passed from Unley in suburban Adelaide through Crafers, Cudlee Creek, fire-ravaged Lobethal, Gumeracha, Inglewood and Houghton.

There were four laps of an 11-km circuit through Paracombe before the race reversed and came back through the finish line in the opposite direction. The last climb featured a 20 percent gradient at the base and 11 percent overall, favoring the powerful Porte. AP

Ajan moves aside as weightlifting head for 90 days

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AMAS AJAN has stepped aside as president of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) for 90 days due to pending investigations into allegations of corruption.

Ursula Papandrea, the American who chairs the IWF Women’s Commission and president of USA Weightlifting, takes charge until April.

The Hungarian has been at the IWF since 1976, serving 24 years as general secretary and the past 20 as president. Ajan’s fifth term as president was due to run until May next year, and at the age of 81 he said he would not stand again.

But he is standing aside temporarily, pending investigations of claims made in a television documentary broadcast on January 5.

The decision was taken during a 13-hour meeting of the IWF Executive Board in Doha in Qatar.

The meeting was called in the aftermath of a recently aired German television documentary Secret Doping-Lord of the Lifters, which featured allegations of corruption, both financial and in anti-doping procedures.

The allegations were strongly denied by the IWF, and Ajan claimed the documentary had “ruined my life and 50 years of my work.”

In a statement released after the meeting, the IWF said it would now convene a group of independent experts “to assess the validity of the allegations” during the next 90 days.

Papandrea will head an Oversight and “It would make it easier for people on that path to continue and not have to deal with any sort of division of conflict of interest,” Thrasher said.

In other news, the Board of Governors is working on an expanding the NCAA’s sexual violence policy, though no details were provided to explain what that would mean.

The current policy is focused on education in sexual violence prevention of athletes, coaches and administrators.

There have been calls from some victims’ advocacy groups for the NCAA to

Integrity Commission, “whose responsibilities will include identifying, nominating, and recommending independent experts in fields including anti-doping and financial reporting,” said the statement.

Joining Papandrea on the commission will be fellow UWF executive board members from Oceania, Asia and Europe: Marcus Stephen from Nauru; Birendra Prasad Baishya from India; and Karoliina Lundahl from Finland.

The new Commission will report to the Executive Board and the IWF Congress, scheduled for Bucharest from March 11 to 13.

In the statement, Ajan claimed the German documentary’s “allegations against the IWF in general and against me, in particular, are unfounded.”

“They are not supported by the relevant documentation or by people involved in the relevant decisions,” he said. “Consequently, I have no doubt that external experts will vindicate my commitment of nearly 50 years to develop the sport of weightlifting.”

For the 90-day period and “consistent with the practice of good governance,” Ajan has “delegated a range of operational responsibilities” to Papandrea.

“Weightlifting has always been bigger than one man, and I am happy to have Ursula acting by my side in a presidential capacity,” he said.

Insidethegames

ban from competition individuals who have faced legal charges or discipline for committing acts of sexual violence. NCAA member-institutions have resisted stepping into that area in part because laws defining sexual violence vary from state to state.

Ohio State University President Michael Drake, chairman of the Board of Governors, said a special meeting would be scheduled for the upcoming weeks to craft a policy.

“This has been active area of discussion for us over these last several months and years,” Drake said. AP

orts

sMirror

Friday, January 24, 2020

JAPANESE, SPANIARD IN CONTROL IN LUBAO

PSC turns 30, celebrates with simple ceremony

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HE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) marks its 30th-year milestone with simple ceremonies at the newly-refurbished Rizal Memorial Coliseum (RMC) in Manila on Friday.

“We are very happy to celebrate our 30th anniversary. This journey will not be possible without the help of everyone who has been with us since day one,” said PSC Chairman William Ramirez giving special mention to his predecessors who guided the agency from its founding year in 1990.

Junking its initial plans to celebrate the milestone, the PSC board and employees decided to donate what they earmarked for the event to the Taal Volcano eruption relief effort.

“We at the PSC are very happy to be able to help even without having to celebrate our anniversary,” he said.

The PSC family will mark the special day with a Holy Mass and a simple ceremony to recognize 16 loyal employees who have been with the

agency for five to 20 years.

The granting of loyalty awards is pursuant to Civil Service Commission Resolution No. 02-0295.

The policy was formulated “to recognize the continuous and satisfactory service rendered in the government by officials and employees for a period of ten years.”

“It is one way we can pay back these officials and employees who have been with us for decades. I am very thankful for their unconditional love for work and sacrifices for the agency,” Ramirez said.

“We look back at the 30 years of the PSC and give a nod of appreciation to these leaders who charted the course of our agency at one point in time,” said Ramirez, who is serving a second tour of duty as chairman of the PSC. The PSC has been relentless in strengthening its presence in the grassroots, following instructions from President Rodrigo Duterte to bring sports to the countryside and to involve the youth.

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Top juniors clash in Suarez Cup

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OHN DAVID VELEZ, Hans Cabellon, Mia Gemida and Nicole Villar brace for a grueling battle of power and tactics as they seek top honors in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Fr. F. Suarez Cup national age group tennis tournament which gets going on Friday at the Villa Aurora Tennis Club in Cebu City.

Velez, who topped the Unified rankings in the 16-and-under division last year, now moves up to the premier 18-under side as top seed in the 32-player draw, confident but wary of his chances against a field that includes Cedrick Bravo, Venz Alforque and Vince Lominique.

Cabellon, on the other hand, topbills the 16-under category that features Mitch Largo, Gerald Gemida and Cesar Salimbangon, while Mia Gemida and Villar are tipped to slug it out for the podium finish in the 16- and 18-under sides in the girls’ division of the Group I tournament presented

by Dunlop.

The four-day event, which drew over 200 entries, also serves as a prelude to the Open, to be

headlined by Jeson Patrombon and Johnny Arcilla, and Legends competitions slated next week as part of the circuit’s continuing effort to boost the development of the sport and expand the base of its talent-search, especially in the countryside.

“Drawing another huge junior field continues to inspire us to hold more tournaments in the provinces and the presence of the country’s top players set in the Open only makes this event doubly interesting and worth watching,” Palawan Pawnshop president and CEO Bobby Castro said.

Gerald Gemida and Largo also lead the title chase in the 14-U side along with Gio Manito and Kevin Tabura with Therese Gauran, Riza Coderos, Amygray Olalo and Joanna Logrono expected to figure in the clash for the crown in the girls’ division of the tournament sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-MEG.

Pacio stakes crown against Brazilian

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OR Filipino phenom Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, the distinction of being the One strawweight world champion means he is no doubt one of the best in the world in his division.

A member of the famed Team Lakay out of Baguio City, Pacio will try to remain atop the division when he stakes his title against Brazilian submission ace, Alex “Little Rock” Silva in the main event of One: Fire and Fury on January 31 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

At 24, Pacio has risen to the top of the stacked strawweight division, thanks to notable victories over top tier competition such as former champions Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, Yoshitaka Naito and Yosuke Saruta, as well as contenders Rene Catalan and Pongsiri Mitsatit.

The previous year proved to be very formative year for the young Filipino star, as he lost, reclaimed and defended the championship all within 12 months.

Pacio opened 2019 with a controversial split decision defeat to Saruta in January to relinquish the 56.7-kilogram division’s top prize, but in the immediate rematch just three months later, he went on to regain the title in highlight-reel fashion, knocking out Saruta with a head kick in

the fourth round.

To close out the year, Pacio defended his title for the first time with a dominant all-around display leading to a second-round arm triangle submission victory over fellow Filipino Catalan.

“I am a corld champion now,” Pacio said, after finally getting a title defense under his belt. “All I can say is that all the sacrifices and hard work really paid off for us. I feel it now because I have defended the title.”

Joining Pacio on the card will be Team Lakay teammates Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, Danny “The King” Kingad, Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang, and Gina “Conviction” Iniong, setting up what could be another memorable night for the Philippines’ top mixed martial arts stable.

Folayang, a former two-time lightweight champion, battles The Netherlands’ Pieter Buist in the co-main event, while flyweight World Grand Prix Championship finalist Kingad returns to action against China’s Xie Wei in a featured bout.

Adiwang, meanwhile, will try to capitalize on his successful debut when he faces Thai veteran Pongsiri Mitsatit, and Iniong, fresh off a successful gold medal run at the 30th Southeast Asian Games, returns to action against India’s Asha Roka.

JAPAN’S Toru Nakajima (right) and Spain’s Marcos Pastor wrest the lead entering the final round. ROY DOMINGO

St. Benilde, Arellano U keep NCAA records unblemished

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RELLANO University imposed the wits of a reigning champion on a hapless Jose Rizal University (JRU), 25-19, 25-16, 25-17 victory—the Lady Chiefs’ third straight—in Season 92 National Collegiate Athletic Association women’s volleyball action on Thursday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan, Pasig.

Regine Arocha had a double-double of 12 points and 15 excellent digs, Carla Donato added 10 points and Sarah Verutiao made 19 excellent sets for the Lady Chiefs who took solo No. 2 spot with a 3-0 won-lost record.

“We just wanted to win badly against JRU,” Lady Chief’s Coach Roberto Javier said. “I got shocked that they lost their game. They had a great performance in their last match against San Sebastian in five sets. We saw that they had

REYES MOVES TO STA. LUCIA M

ASSISTANT Manager Von Mojado (from left) Team Manager Rose Santos, Amelita Reyes, Mika Reyes, Team Owner Michelle Robles-de Castro and Mark Salamat (Reyes’ Manager)

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IKA REYES—arguably one of the best middle blockers in the country—left Petron to join new-look Sta. Lucia for the 2020 season of the Philippine SuperLiga.

News of her transfer floated on different social media platforms as early as December of last year and the former De La Salle star confirmed the speculations on Wednesday by signing a multi-year contract with Sta. Lucia.

Reyes signed the contracts with Sta. Lucia team owner Michelle Robles-De Castro, team manager Rose Santos and assistant team manager Von Mojado.

“This 2020, I’m very excited that I have a new team. I’m with Sta. Lucia now,” Reyes said. “It’s a new environment, new challenges and most of all, I have new teammates.”

The big move boosts Sta. Lucia’s chances of finally breaking into at least the semifinals of the Grand Prix.

Reyes will join Sta. Lucia’s newly-acquired Head Coach Eddieson Orcullo, holdovers Pam Lastimosa, MJ Phillips, Rubie de Leon, Andrea Marzan, Gludine Troncoso, Alex Bollier and a set of yet-to-beannounced haul of strong recruits.

good blockings.”

JRU gave San Sebastian a scare in their previous match and that near upset was expected to give the Lady Bombers momentum.

But it didn’t with their ace, Dolly Verzosa, failing to get her rhythm. “ I told my players to lock in on Verzosa so before she could get in front and she would get tired from passing,” Javier said.

Verzosa was held to only eight points out of 37 attempts—she also made 11 excellent digs and nine excellent receptions, with Renesa Melgarscoring five points and four excellent for JRU which dropped to 1-2.

College of St. Benilde, meanwhile, swept Emilio Aguinaldo College, 25-20, 25-21, 25-17, to also stay unbeaten in four matches.

Klarisa Abriam topscored with 16 points,

APAN’S Toru Nakajima and Spain’s Marcos Pastor took charge in another day of changing fortunes, going low on a course that continued to produce big numbers and setting the stage for a thriller of a finish to the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Pradera Verde Classic in Lubao, Pampanga, on Thursday.

Nakajima buried delicate putts on a sleek surface he likened to the ones in Japan and came away with five birdies to turn in the first bogey-free round of 67 at Pradera Verde, jumping from 15th to a share of the lead at 212 with the late-charging Pastor, who birdied three of the last seven for a 69 and a crack at a breakthrough win in the $100,000 Philippine Golf Tour Asia (PGTA) event put up by ICTSI. But Tony Lascuña also stepped up and banged in a pitch-in eagle on the closing par-five 18th to spike a 69 and grab a share of third with erstwhile joint leader Joe Knox of England, who held on to the lead despite a three-birdie, three-bogey effort before settling for pars in the last two for a 72, paving the way for a new set of leaders to show the way in the penultimate leg of PGTA’s third (201920) season after back-to-back defending champion Jhonnel Ababa, Dutch Guido Van der Valk, Australian Jack Lane-Weston and Clyde Mondilla wrested control Tuesday.

“The greens are fast, sloping, very much like in Japan,” said Nakajima, who became the first foreign player to win in the PGT when he humbled Cassius Casas and Jay Bayron in sudden death in November 2013 at Wack Wack. He, however, struggled in the succeeding seasons then went back to Japan the last two years where he posted not-so favorable finishes.

He decided to resume his campaign here saying “because the golf courses are beautiful and I like it.”

But he struggled with his long game in his first PGT Asia event and limped with a 75 Tuesday before settling down with a 70 and then flashing superb putting touch to birdie

Nos. 1, 9, 12, 15 and 16.

“No three putts. Winds strong but didn’t bother me, I just go on and play,” added the 35-year-old from Tokyo. “I’ll just enjoy my game and go for it if there’s an opportunity tomorrow (today) because it’s my dream (to win again).”

Pastor put himself in strong contention from joint seventh with that strong finish and hoped to sustain his charge today in a bid to finally joint the elite circle of PGTA winners.

“I played pretty well,” said the 30-year-old ace from Cordova, who considers the county his second home. “I played nine tournaments last year and got eliminated just once.”

But Lascuna and Knox stood just a stroke behind at 213, the same output put in by pint-sized Rupert Zaragosa, the most consistent among the contenders with a third straight 71, and Keanu Jahns, who shared the halfway lead with Knox, recovered from a bogey-double bogey misfortunes from No. 2 and saved a 73 to stay within striking distance at 214 with Ira Alido, who blew a two-under card after 11 holes with two bogeys in the last seven for a 72.

“I was just lucky to hole out with that eagle. Now, I feel good about my chances,” said Lascuna.

Reymon Jaraula, who scored his maiden win on the PGT at Pueblo de Oro in a playoff over Lascuna last Sept., pulled within two with a four-under card after 14 holes but bogeyed the next and settled for a 69 for joint eighth at 215, just three strokes off the new joint leaders heading to the last 18 holes of the championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. with PLDT Enterprise, Meralco, BDO and PGT Asia official apparel Pin High as chief backers.

Other one-under scorers were Van der Valk, who bounced back from a second round 75 with a 71, and Ababa, who bogeyed the 17th for a second straight 73, while Lane-Weston continued to flounder with a 74 and slipped to joint 11th with Rico Depilo, who matched par 72, at 216.

Michelle Gamit chipped 11 points and Arianne Daguil had 11 excellent digs and five excellent receptions for the Lady Blazers who experimented with several combinations on the court.

Jewel Lai also rose to the occasion with 19 excellent.

“Right now we are all trying to be aggressive, and every player needs to be involved—no one gets benched in the team,” Lady Blazers physical therapist Charmaine Geronimo, who spoke in behalf of head coach Jerry Yee. Krizzia Reyes paced the Lady Generals (0-4) with 13 points, while Jan Cabrera added five points, Catherine Alamazan made nine excellent sets and Anne Formento finished with four excellent digs and six excellent sets.

Ryniel Berlanga

Williamson debuts with 22 pts but Pelicans yield to Spurs

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EW ORLEANS—Zion Williamson scored the final point of his first National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season game as a packed and standing crowd belted out chants of “M-V-P!” Then the NBA’s No. 1 overall draft pick went to the bench—as mandated by medical staff—and watched the game slip away from the Pelicans while unheeded chants of, “We want Zion!” echoed around the Smoothie King Center.

Williamson capped his long-awaited NBA debut by scoring 17 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and stirring the crowd into a frenzy— but the savvy and composed San Antonio Spurs weathered the surge for a 121-117 victory Wednesday night.

The celebrated rookie out of Duke, whose maiden regular season appearance was delayed three months by arthroscopic surgery on his right

knee, said watching the final five minutes from the bench out of caution was “very hard.”

“I’m 19, honestly. In that moment, I’m not thinking about longevity,” Williamson continued.

“I’m thinking about winning that game, so it was very tough.”

LaMarcus Aldridge had 32 points and 14 rebounds, DeMar DeRozan added 20 points for the Spurs.

“The crowd got into it. We didn’t let it rattle us,” DeRozan said, adding that Williamson “went on a hell of a run.”

“It was great that we held our composure, executed when we needed to, and came up with stops when we needed to,” DeRozan added.

With Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich sending double-teams at Williamson, the rookie struggled to find his shot during the first three quarters. When the fourth quarter began, he had

THE league’s No. 1 overall draft pick watches the game slip away from the Pelicans from the bench. AP

just five points, four rebounds, an assist and four turnovers in a little less than 12 minutes.

But when the 6-foot-6, 285-pound Williamson found himself open for a straight-on 3 with about nine minutes to go, he let it fly and it went down, infusing the stadium with energy.

He followed that up with a torrid three-minute stretch in which he laid in an alley-oop lob, put back a missed shot with a reverse layup and hit three more threes.

Williamson wasn’t known for shooting 3s when he starred at Duke. He was so often able to dominate inside. But Williamson noted that his long rehabilitation probably helped him refine his outside shot. AP

PEOPLE prepare to paint the field during a tour of the Hard Rock Stadium ahead of the Super Bowl LIV in Miami Gardens, Florida. AP

Sports BusinessMirror

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| Friday, January 24, 2020 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

FINALLY, SUPER BOWL MIGHT BE FUN AGAIN

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By Tim Dahlberg The Associated Press

INALLY, the Super Bowl might be fun again.

No more scowling Bill Belichick, angry as always under his hoodie. No more sly smiles and phony platitudes from Tom Brady.

No talk about Spygate; no worries about deflated footballs.

And no more speculation about just what New England owner Robert Kraft might be up to.

For the first time in four years, the Patriots will be sitting at home when the National Football League championship is decided. And, really, on the 100th anniversary of the NFL, that should be reason enough to celebrate.

They are already excited at sports books around the

country, where hundreds of millions of dollars will exchange hands Super Bowl Sunday. They should be excited at Fox network headquarters, too, for a Super Bowl matchup that is really Super this year.

Pick a winner if you can. But sports fans across America—with the exception of a little slice of the Northeast—are already winners before the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers even arrive in Miami.

“I know a lot of people are happy to not see the Patriots in the game,” said Jay Kornegay, who runs the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook. “Patriot fatigue won’t be a factor this year, that’s for sure.”

If fans are tired of the Patriots, it’s with good reason.

They’ve been one half of the Super Bowl for nine of the past 18 years. They’ve won six of them, making the Patriots a modern-day dynasty that rivals—or surpasses—some of the greatest runs in sports.

They’re the New York Yankees of another era except, of course, the Yankees didn’t cheat.

Like all dynasties, though, this one appears ready to be shut down. Brady is getting old and so is Belichick’s bullying act, and the sense of urgency when it comes to the big prize has long since vanished.

There’s even a chance Brady might end up in another uniform somewhere next year (Las Vegas perhaps?), lured in free agency by a team desperate for star power. Even at the age of 42 he still may have another Super Bowl in that magical right arm.

And that’s fine. We’ve certainly seen enough of the Pats.

Enough of Brady taking an ever-changing cast to the game, only to have to find a way to win it himself. Enough of Belichick dismissively answering even the most basic questions like he was being asked to give away his first-born child.

Enough of Kraft pretending the Patriots don’t cheat,

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practice a few weeks ago.

“I think for me, managing adrenaline takes a little bit of time,” Woods said. “I’m so amped up to play that I really have to dumb myself down, to calm myself down to play.... I just want to get out there and compete. So sometimes I need to take a step back and calm down before I’m ready.”

McIlroy also is coming off a long break. He chose to spend Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Northern Ireland, so he passed on a trip across two oceans to Hawaii for the Tournament of Champions.

He was in no rush to get started on what should be a long year, including his first Olympics in the summer. He also was in no rush to return to No. 1 in the world for the first time since 2015.

It was only last summer, after he missed the cut in the British Open, that returning to No. 1 seemed a long way off.

Since then, McIlroy won the Tour Championship and another World Golf Championship, among eight top-10 finishes in his last 10 tournaments. Top-ranked Brooks Koepka played three rounds over the last four months of the year because of a knee injury.

“I learned a lot of things at Portrush that I’ve put into my game, into my preparation, into my thought process going into other tournaments,” McIlroy said. “And yeah, I’ve had a pretty good run since then. But no, it wasn’t on the radar when I was flying back from Northern Ireland in July.”

And it’s not at the forefront of his mind now.

McIlroy would have to win this week, and he has never won his first tournament of the year since he turned pro in 2007.

“I don’t want to say it feels like it’s just a matter of time,

years, dropping below 100 million viewers for the first time in a decade. That’s still the biggest audience of the year for any network, but down 16 million viewers from the Patriots win over Seattle four years earlier.

Patriots fatigue was evident at Nevada sports books, too. A year after setting a record of $158.6 million in bets, gamblers waged just $146 million last year.

Expect the TV numbers to break the 100-million mark again. And a new sports betting record is pretty much a given, both in Nevada and the 13 other states that now allow legal sports betting.

Hopefully the Chiefs and 49ers will deliver. Brady and the Patriots usually did, even while they took some of the fun out of the game.

It’s on to Miami and a game with seemingly unlimited story lines to intrigue fans.

Thankfully, none of them involve the Patriots.

Fifa move threaten fortunes of super agents

Tiger, Rory give Torrey Pines feel of season opener AN DIEGO—A small crowd that gathered in the morning chill made its way to the first tee to watch Tiger Woods start his pro-am round Wednesday at Torrey Pines.

The first starting time is ideal because the front nine is open.

Rory McIlroy was in the second group. As the FedEx Cup champion and Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour player of the year, wouldn’t he have the option of going first?

McIlroy laughed and said, “I’m not Tiger Woods.”

No one is. Woods has built his unrivaled status through 82 victories on the PGA Tour, 15 major championships, some 10 years at No. 1 in the world and transcendent star power that still shines bright.

McIlroy will have to settle for being the second-biggest star during a week when he can return to No. 1 in the world.

They will be a group apart when the Farmers Insurance Open begins Thursday, creating a must-see atmosphere.

Never mind this is the fourth tournament of the new year.

Woods and McIlroy make it feel like a season opener, especially because of the first network TV coverage of the year during an open week of NFL ahead of the Super Bowl. Throw in the likes of Phil Mickelson and Xander Schauffele, Jon Rahm and defending champion Justin Rose, and it’s a big show on a big course.

Woods, who will set the PGA Tour record for career titles with his next win, has eight victories at Torrey Pines. His last win at the Farmers Insurance Open was in 2013. Injuries came along, and even when healthy, he has been slow out of the gates the last few years.

He last played December 15 at the Presidents Cup, and aside from spending his 44th birthday playing golf with his son, Woods didn’t do much until getting back to

even writing his defense on an airplane napkin while headed toward yet another Super Bowl.

They did cheat, of course, which taints this dynasty unlike any other. Spygate itself might have sunk any other team, but the Patriots just brushed it off and kept winning games.

And win they did, on the biggest stages and in the biggest moments. The Patriots were so good for so long they probably would have won a handful of Super Bowls even if they didn’t spy on opponents or take the air out of footballs.

They gave us arguably the greatest comeback in a Super Bowl against the Falcons, rallying from a 25-point deficit midway through the third quarter in 2017 to win in overtime. They also gave us one of the ugliest Super Bowl wins ever last year against the Los Angeles Rams.

Greatness, indeed. But greatness not celebrated much outside of New England.

Last year’s game was the lowest-rated Super Bowl in 11

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ONDON—The super agents of soccer have pressing priorities beyond trading players in the January transfer window: Protecting their ability to enjoy unrestricted cuts of deals.

Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola and Jonathan Barnett, who have earned tens of millions of dollars from player transfers, were among agents who gathered in London on Wednesday to formulate the fight against Fifa’s plans to curb their commissions.

Fifa wants to limit the excesses of an industry that

but if I just keep doing what I’m doing, if it isn’t this week, then hopefully it’s a couple weeks down the line and I’ll have my chances,” McIlroy said. “So I’m not putting myself under any pressure this week to get it done.”

McIlroy is taking the next two weeks off, though he faces a busy year. He has planned on seven starts ahead of the Masters, and five straight tournaments from the Irish Open through the Travelers Championship in the early summer, followed by the British Open, Olympics, the FedEx Cup and the Ryder Cup. AP

TIGER WOODS creates a mustsee atmosphere at the Farmers Insurance Open. AP

allowed Raiola to earn €27 million ($30 million) from Juventus from the €105-million deal that took Paul Pogba back to Manchester United 2016.

In a move that would keep cash from seeping out of the game, Fifa has agreed in principle to cap agent earnings at a maximum 10 percent of transfer fees when acting for the selling club. Agents could also be prevented from taking more than 3 percent of a player’s salary, or 6 percent when they are also acting for the buying club. Agents would be prohibited from representing both the buying and selling clubs in a transfer.

The plans threaten the fortunes of agents, whose commissions have quadrupled since 2015 to $653.9 million last year, according to Fifa.

The Association of Football Agents, who met in private on Wednesday, is calling for more openness and consultation from Fifa.

But the Gianni Infantino-led global governing body is ready to fight agents in court to defend the restrictions endorsed by Fifa’s stakeholders committee and ruling council last year.

“Those who are behaving properly shouldn’t be afraid of these potential regulations,”Fifa’s Chief Legal Officer Emilio Garcia told The Associated Press by telephone as the agents met. “Of course agents are needed. Agents should be paid but we need to impose some commons sense in the current transfer market.”

While agent pay is being capped, Fifa has no desire to restrict what players can earn.

“The cap on commissions is to avoid excessive and abusive practices that we have seen in the past,” Garcia said, without singling out any agents or their deals.

Agents like Barnett complain they weren’t around the table with Fifa formulating the new agent regulations.

Garcia contends that two meetings with Barnett were held in 2018, while maintaining that this group of agents aren’t the only ones Fifa is talking to. AP

Gracious God

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EAR God, You illumine the darkness by Your saving power. In hope we pray: God, prepare us for the coming of Jesus. Shepherd Your Church through the care, witness and teaching of Pope Francis. Nourish Your Church with the bread of heaven and the cup of salvation. Transform the hearts and minds of those who serve prison sentences. Give us daily blessings of grace and lively spirit. May God heal our grief, wipe away our tears, and bring us to rejoice in the Word-Made-Flesh, Jesus our Savior. Amen.

GIVE US THIS DAY SHARED BY LUISA LACSON, HFL Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

Life BusinessMirror

NETFLIX HOLDS ITS OWN IN THE STREAMING WARS—FOR NOW D4

Friday, January 24, 2020

D1

Kung Hei Fat Choi An auspicious beginning for the Year of the Metal Rat

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By GIanna manIeGO

T’S never too late to create new beginnings. And if you’re a feng shui enthusiast, or you’re just looking for something new to jump-start your life, the new year in the Lunar Calendar is one of the best times to do it.

January 25, 2020, ushers in the Year of the Metal Rat, and if you know your feng shui, it’s the start of a brand-new cycle.

The Rat is the first animal of the 12-year Chinese zodiac, and metal is the first of the five elements that feature in each Chinese zodiac cycle (metal, Earth, water, fire and wood). For many, this is just one of many years in the lives of the individual. But those who believe in cycles can figure out that next year is a significant milestone as far as these things go.

The beginning signifies lots of possibilities—

whether you’re embarking on something big, or keeping your goals as simple and doable as possible.

It implies, at the very least, a clean slate, or a do-over, in which we get to reinvent ourselves or create a new reality (for us and probably those around us). It allows us to take our lives in directions we may not have intended to go. The Year of the Metal Rat is rife with potential and it’s up to us to make the most out of it. Marites Allen, the country’s leading feng shui expert, explained it all in a recent daylong conference at the Novotel hotel in Cubao.

The Chinese New Year begins on January 25. This signifies the beginning of the Year of the Metal Rat.

RAT THE Rat, as the first of the animals called

upon by the Jade Emperor, is the first Chinese zodiac animal sign.

According to Allen, the Rat year is a period of renewed energy, enthusiasm and hope. It calls for clearer minds and fresh plans to survive the challenge brought about by the times.

The Rat is considered smart and resourceful, with sharp wit and the ability to use every opportunity to its own advantage. It also thinks out of the box when looking for ways to survive and is a born problemsolver. The Rat is characterized as determined and entrepreneurial, which is why those born in the year of the Rat are generally considered wealthy and prosperous.

The Rat’s special friend is the Ox and is especially allied with the Dragon and the Monkey. These allies are especially noted as the Rat will call on their strengths to

experience success in the coming year.

On the other hand, it is incompatible with those born in the year of the Horse. As a result, those born in the year of the Horse will experience the opposite of what the Rat is undergoing. It’s a good year for Rats, generally speaking, provided you remain patient and keep your temper in check. Try not to drive away blessings like money or job promotions. Enhance the North sector by displaying peace and harmony accessories, while displaying wealth enhancers in the center of your homes.

The year brings in more recognition, rewards and networking luck. Place images of Dragons in the Southeast or the Arowana in the center of your home and/or office to maximize wealth energy. Rats who are looking for love are guaranteed to enjoy an exciting

cOnTInUeD On D3

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Chinese New Ye z Love in the Year

Business

Friday, January 24, 2020

Today’s Horoscope

of the Metal Rat SOMETHING LIKE LIFE

MA. STELLA F. ARNALDO

@akosistellaBM

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HE arrival of the New Year is a cause for celebration. And while you’re probably scratching your heads why so many tragic events have been happening since January 1, for the Chinese, or fervent practitioners and followers of geomancy, or feng shui, their New Year actually begins on January 25. Hopefully, all the offerings and fireworks set off tomorrow will scare away the negative vibes and the bad energy of the past year.

The entry of the Year of the Metal Rat will be marked by reunions and thanksgiving among the Chinese. “It is a time for fresh starts, as people look forward to the days ahead as opportunities to make life better,” said renowned geomancer Marites Allen during our chat over the holidays.

January 25, 2020, until February 11, 2021, is not just another Chinese New Year, she noted. “The Rat is the first animal in the Chinese zodiac hierarchy, which follows a 12-year cycle; meaning, a Rat Year will not come around again until 2032,” she explained. Also, it is a new decade, “so it’s a very unusual timing for this particular turn of the year, which is also a leap year.”

So the Rat represents a “new day” for many of the Chinese zodiac animal signs. “It is very much a period of renewed energy, eagerness and hope for better circumstances. It calls for clearer minds and fresh strategies to survive, or even thrive, in these increasingly challenging times.”

Marites ascribes to the Rat the characteristics of strength, prosperity and luck. “It is associated with determination and entrepreneurial spirit. These qualities are linked to material success, abundance,

wellness and a luxurious life. The Rat is a survivor; it is hardworking, and will always find ways to adapt and survive in any challenging situation.”

It being a year for new beginnings, single persons are “in luck,” so to speak, for finding a new love or relationship. She advises us to “locate the southwest sector” in our homes or bedrooms, as this is “the matriarchal sector or the universal love section of all.” She said we should make sure this is clear or free of clutter. (Go Marie Kondo in your houses right now, folks!) To activate our love luck, we can install love symbols, such as Mandarin Ducks, the Dragon and Phoenix, a Mystic Knot, etc.

Meanwhile, we must also locate the northwest sector in our homes or bedroom, “this is the sector of the patriarch.” We must ensure that this is present in our home, and also clear and free of clutter.

Marites said the most compatible signs for love relationships this year are: n Rat with Ox (or else Monkey, Dragon) n Tiger with Boar (or else Horse, Dog) n Rabbit with Dog (or else Sheep, Boar) n Dragon with Rooster (or else Monkey, Rat) n Snake with Monkey (or else another Snake, Rooster) Those who are extra lucky in love in the Year of the Metal Rat, and can expect a marriage proposal or a firm significant love commitment from their significant other are those born in the Years of the Rabbit, Sheep and Boar. Those born in these years, said Marites, are blessed with Peach Blossom Luck in 2020.

“Traditionally, if they would like to expedite and enhance their love luck apart from the ones mentioned above, they can enhance the north part of their room with an image of the Rat. Thus, in the Year of the Rat, most likely, their chances of finding love and romance is very high.” For those born in the Years of the Sheep, Monkey, Tiger and Ox, she added, “it’s a good time for them to start a family or get married.

The southwest sector is a good area for the couple to enhance their relationship corner, and provide a positive energy for intimate conditions if it’s what is needed by the couple.”

Meanwhile, Marites explains that the troubles

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Mischa Barton, 34; Tatyana Ali, 41; Ed Helms, 46; Neil Diamond, 79

Taal Volcano has brought to the country still has to do with the fiery elements of the past years, and also because we had an Earth Dog in 2018 and Earth Boar in 2019. “So the ground is bound to shake and move,” she said. Earthquakes, landslides and eruptions were bound to happen, while the fire element also dominated, causing the plane crash in Iran and the Australia bushfires.

With this, being a year for new beginnings, Marites also advises a tech cleanse. “All this technology is affecting our mental health,” she stresses. “I am so alarmed with a lot of people committing suicide in 2018 and 2019, especially young people.”

She urges parents to keep connected with their children, and talk to them constantly, “make yourselves available to them.” Get off our phones and social media, and make firmer personal connections with others.

We are toasting to new beginnings, so we might as well get rid of our bad habits and start the new year with positive ones.

CHINESE ZODIAC SIGNS: n Rat—1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 n Ox—1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 n Tiger—1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 n Rabbit—1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 n Dragon—1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 n Snake—1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 n Horse—1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 n Sheep—1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 n Monkey—1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 n Rooster—1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 n Dog—1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 n Boar—1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019

Kung Hei Fat Choi cOnTInUeD FROm D3 have their own business will have an easier time making these enterprises grow. Enhance the Wealth corner with water fountains and wealth vases; keeping the Wealth and Success Medallion with you will ensure you become well equipped in dealing with opportunities that come up. Try to keep things in good focus so you don’t stray from your goals. Also, putting things like Prosperity Boars in the Northwest sector of your home or office ensures you take these opportunities well in hand. Increase your wealth luck with 9 Lucky Charms.

As far as Romance is concerned, if you’re after what matters to your heart, you have to try to make an effort into meeting new people and stepping outside your comfort zone. Placing Heart-shaped Crystals or Crystal Swans in Crystals the love or Southwest portion of your home will definitely

keep the love light burning.

When it comes to Health, bear in mind that “a healthy mind powers a healthy spirit” and you would do better not to overtire yourself. Make sure you maintain your energy and do not overexert yourself.

Keep the Ruyi to keep your energy strong.

Do not let negativity stop you. If you have the opportunity to have a better career, go for it.

BOAR THE year 2020 will see lots cash coming in—thanks to previous investments and property.

Place Wealth enhancers in the Northwest, the Southeast or Southwest parts of your home before the Chinese New Year (January 25) to ensure you enjoy financial blessings. Protect against negativity by bringing the Lucky 9 Accessory and place the Lucky Tiger in the Northeast and the Prosperity Boar in the

NorthWest. For each new money opportunity that enters, make sure you investigate the circumstances and the people who are involved in the activity. Do not make decisions immediately. Take advice from business mentors. As far as Romance is concerned, the best advice is to go out and date.

Or if you’re in a relationship, maybe it’s time to discuss marriage or starting a family. There is the possibility of getting hurt, so keep your love corner (Northwest) well activated with a Family of Prosperity Boars, and wear the Peace and Harmony Amulet to keep the love flowing.

Remain calm and prioritize your health.

Wear Protection Mantra Accessories and Shawls to protect your well-being, as well. As far as people who remain close to you is concerned, remember that some people try to stay close to you to try to do better than you. Study how to relate to them. Keep the Ultimate Mantra Medallion at all times to maintain your peace and your name. n More information on what awaits each animal sign in the Year of the Metal Rat, including amulets, medallions and more, is available at www.frigga.com.ph.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Slow down, and stick to what’s most important to you. If you scatter your energy, you will end up running in circles. Look at your personal and professional relationships, and consider who you have time for. Clear your slate of excess debris, and set your sights on what you want to accomplish. Your lucky numbers are 4, 15, 23, 28, 30, 33, 45.

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Personal gains look promising. Expand your interests and skills, but don’t buy in to someone else’s scheme. Spend time looking and being your best, and concentrating on advancing your ideas and plans.

Romantic spending should not be wasted on someone with ulterior motives. ★★★

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t let your personal life disrupt your business affairs.

Stick to what needs to be accomplished, and don’t stop until you’ve reached your goal. How you handle your responsibilities will make a difference in the way your colleagues and superiors view you. ★★★★★

c

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Use your knowledge and expertise to help bring about positive change. Refuse to let someone trying to use you for something throw you off guard. Choose your friends and your lover carefully. Emotional deception is evident. ★★

d

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Make some changes at home that will allow you to pursue a creative hobby or entertain more. Set a high standard, and live by your rules. Personal gains look promising if you lead instead of follow. ★★★★

e

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Be open to new beginnings, or start something unusual with someone you enjoy spending time with.

A change will do you good, and give you access to people and places that will stimulate you mentally. Love is in the stars. ★★★

f

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Don’t waste time on someone or something that isn’t good for you. Avoid excessive situations and people who skirt issues or mislead you. The best changes you can make are the ones you take control of physically and financially. ★★★

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Listen carefully and base your decisions on what you verify, not what someone tells you. Problems with an older relative will add to your responsibilities. Be kind, but don’t make unrealistic promises. ★★★

h

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Think before you respond. Someone is probably asking for too much or trying to push you in a direction that isn’t in your best interest. Let your instincts lead the way to avoid getting involved in someone’s trap. ★★★★

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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t make too much noise, or someone will complain. Moderation will be necessary if you want to avoid a stressful situation. Avoid indulgent individuals, as well as playing mind games. ★★

j

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Consider what you want, and what you can afford, before you sign up for something that could turn out to be a scam. Abide by the rules, and regulations, when dealing with institutions and government agencies. ★★★★★

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It’s important not to reveal secrets if you want to keep things moving along smoothly.

Sharing too much personal information will put you in an awkward position. Uncertainty and inconsistency will make it difficult to make a decision. Sit tight. ★★★

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Emotional matters will escalate if you sit around and stew about what’s happened. Focus on giving back, doing something nice for someone or taking better care of your needs. Someone with greater life experience will offer a wise alternative. ★★★ BIRTHDAY BABY: You are engaging, thoughtful and original.

You are intuitive and robust.

‘downturn’ BY BLAKE SLONECKER The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Kicked (out) 7 Lickety-split, in a memo 11 Pull along 14 In a creepy way 15 What is more, proverbially 16 Songwriter DiFranco 17 Fit for farming 18 Nun’s place 20 Most well-to-do 22 Big ___ (BoSox legend) 23 Roadies lift them 26 Nickname hidden in “lava lamp” 27 “Let’s do it!”

28 “Skip to My ___” 29 Zebra relative 31 Making, as money 34 Adds value to 37 Word after “lightning” or “hot” 38 Gain control on Wall Street, and a theme hint 43 Annual kind of shot 44 All of us 45 With 48-Down, one working jointly on a project (see letters 4 to 8 in the combined answer)

49 Cards brought to casinos?

50 Feathery garment 51 Surface measurement 52 Parks’ partner, briefly 54 First lady Truman 55 Paper unit 56 One may prepare a nursery 59 DJs don’t prerecord them 61 With 64-Down, suffuse (4 to 7) 65 “___ on a Grecian Urn” 66 Skin cream additive 67 Disquiet 68 Pale color, ironically 69 Boy meets ___ 70 Position at the plate DOWN 1 With 17-Across, not too terrible (1 to 4) 2 “___ the fields we go...”

3 Blessing-curse link 4 Poitier’s In the Heat of the Night role 5 French style magazine 6 Colors, like yarn 7 Big name in aluminum 8 With 31-Across, autodidact’s method (4 to 7)

9 10 11 12 13 19 21 23 24 25 29 30 32 33 35 36 39 40 41 42 45 46 47 48 53

Dating from Pressure gauge fig.

Mat often made with rice straw Frontmost target in bowling Job for an electrician Washer cycle Den fixture Baldwin whose niece is Hailey Bieber Stereo precursor Sound of feline felicity Speedy Amtrak train Part of a hedge Equipped, as with questions Lion sounds Make angry ___/her/hers Kick out Prized Japanese beef Nephew of Cain Steeped drinks Dealership section Tater Tots maker Give rise to?

Skilled speaker 1950s auto bust

54 56 57 58 60 62 63 64

Quotable Yogi Place for pastrami “Magnum” follower Crooked Sink in the middle “Of Mice and ___” Upper-left key Wolfed down

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

ear 2020 Special

sMirror

WULOU with Mantra Amulet

Friday, January 24, 2020 EIGHT Immortals Crossing the Great Waters

HEALTH and Longevity Medallion

ALLIES and Friends Keychain (Dragon, Monkey, Rat)

ANTI-LEGAL Problem Medallion

Kung Hei Fat Choi cOnTInUeD FROm D1 2020, as love interests (maybe The One, right?) may soon find the opportunity to call on you.

Also, travel and a salary increase figure prominently, so watch out for it.

However, be careful when you travel because you may be accident-prone in the coming year. You have to listen to your body. Rest when it tells you to rest, and wear the Health and Longevity amulet to stay healthy and illness-free.

As far as careers go, if you’ve been hankering for a change in career, environment or path, this year is the time to do it. But make sure you tie up loose ends properly so you make a clean break. It’s not easy to be faced with debt or complications later on.

Display the Tai Sui amulet for protection to ensure you’re not misunderstood or misjudged. Install the Ruyi scepter on your table or wear the Victory Banner charm for success.

OX OF all the signs, the Ox is probably the luckiest this 2020. If you’re an Ox, Allen says, it’s time to let go of past mistakes and convert misfortune into good vibes. Wear Lucky Mantra accessories for success.

An additional good omen is that it enjoys the presence of the Victory Star, which involves success in most everything you do.

Wealth-wise, it’s a good year for you, as incomeearning opportunities abound. The trick is to discover which opportunity will be brightest for you. Attract more good fortune by placing the Prosperity Rat in the North and alleviate cash with a Pair of Camels.

Also, install wealth activators like the Abacus or Infinity figurines in the center of your home or office to encourage more prosperity opportunities. Also place Wu Lou figurines in the Northeast of the home or office to enhance the wealth sectors.

Always keep Health at the front of your priorities and avoid hefty hospital bills. According to Allen, carrying the Longevity and Health Medallion or the Long Life Health Amulet may help you remain in good health.

As far as romance goes, you have a lot going for you! Going out on dates will make sure you remain at the top of your game. Wear such harmoniousseeking amulets like the Attractiveness and Popularity Medallion to encourage relationships that may eventually lead to relationships for you.

Activate your South with the Ox. If you are already in a relationship, make sure you practice more patience and understanding during disagreements to preserve your ties.

TIGER THOSE born in the year of the Tiger also bear a lot of good fortune in 2020.

This is largely because the Victory and Fulfillment Stars are residing in your corner. Keep your secret friend, the Bejeweled Boar or your own image, as well as the Victory Tower Amulet with you at all times to ensure success in your endeavors. With hard work and a lot of effort, you will earn a lot of accomplishments. Activate your Wealth sectors—the Northeast and Northwest sections of your house and office—with Wealth Ships and the Victory Horse to encourage good fortune and prosperity. Also, Allen advises, the Tiger-born may call on help from allies like the Horse and the Dog for additional assistance.

Keeping a Wealth and Prosperity Medallion will also ensure the appearance of better income and career opportunities. Love is on your side! Enhance the Romance sector (the Southwest) by using such enhancers like the Double Happiness Emblem, Peony Flowers or the Mystic Knot to encourage the entrance of love in your life.

Pay attention to your Health, both physically and

mentally. Beware the return of past illnesses and be conscious of new ones brought about by new stressful circumstances at home or work. Wearing an AntiIllness Amulet or the Long Life Medallion will strengthen your resistance against illness.

RABBIT RABBIT-BORN people, unfortunately, will not be very lucky in 2020, but with several enhancers and cures, you may have just enough to survive the year.

Despite the presence of the Misfortune Star, Allen says there will still be opportunities for travel and new relationships to come.

Wearing the Ultimate Mantra Medallion and the 5 Element Pagoda will help protect Rabbits from losses, and ensure that their creativity and high energy remain at top level.

Always keep the Prosperity Rabbit, as well as the Sheep and Boar Allies Amulet on your person to ensure luck. Avoid loss of Business Luck by placing a Rhino and Elephant Plaque at the center of your home. Prayers for Windfall Luck may finally be answered this year, thanks to the placement of the Bejeweled 3-Legged Toad, the Wealth Tree or Arowana figurines in your home. Always wear the Lucky 9 Charms to enhance overall good luck.

Stay cognizant of your Health and keep the Jade Wu Lou and Piyao accessories with you all the time. In addition, keep a Wu Lou figurine by your bed to help you recharge.

Strive to keep improving and maintain that high energy. Remain even-tempered and choose your battles. Keeping the Peace and Harmony Amulet helps a lot. As far as Romance is concerned, it’s an exciting year for Rabbits to date. While this does not ensure that the dating would lead to something serious, at least each dating experience is an opportunity to learn—about relationships or about love. Remember though not to compromise your standards. If you’re married, take care to keep boredom out of the relationship. Wear the Sheep or Hum-inspired Shawl with Special Mantras to keep the Love Energy alive and well, and put Crystal Mandarin Ducks in the Southwest corner of the bedroom to strengthen love and commitment between both of you.

DRAGON IT’S going to be a busy, busy year for Dragonborn people, with lots of cash blessings to deal with. Health remains a main worry though, so pay attention to it and be aware of energies that may cause you to fall sick.

Keeping the Endurance Mantra Amulet, as well as the Long Life Medallion and Wu Lou accessories on hand help in staying healthy.

Also be aware of robbery and keep the AntiRobbery Protection with you at all times.

Wealth is not really a problem this year, says Allen, but be aware of what you spend on to avoid unnecessary expenses. Keep an Emergency Fund on hand so you survive the lean days.

Also, make sure you can call on your allies to help when you need it. Wearing Allies and Friends accessories, and placing Rhino and Elephant protections in the Southeast of your home and office will help you tremendously in life.

SNAKE IT’S a matter of continuing the monetary good fortune from last year that makes the Wealth vibe effective this year but be careful about expenditures. Do not overspend when it’s not necessary. Protect your Wealth by investing into security insurance before the Chinese

New Year comes around to ensure you protect what you have. There will be numerous options for financial losses to crop up this year; some of them may be because of illness or misfortune. Allen says these instances can be curbed by keeping the Ultimate Mantra Medallion with you. Make sure Anti-Robbery figurines are placed prominently in the Southeast to minimize these losses.

Married Snakes will do well to protect their marriages this year. Using something like the Affirmation Scarf or the Anti-Infidelity Medallion helps preserve what you have. Also, install an Amethyst Geode at the foot of the bed, as well as live symbols in the Southwest corner of your bedroom to ensure they protect your union.

Single Snakes would do well evaluating their relationships at this point. If your love is not reciprocated, let the person go. It’s better to move on than wait for something that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. There’s probably something better for you.

Exercise is always good, but take care to keep it in balance with something less strenuous. Accidents are always something to consider so please remember to keep the 5-Element Pagoda or Mantra Ring near you at all times. Avoid hospitals or cemeteries. If you think you’re not getting the right opportunities in your place of work, maybe you’d have better luck someplace else. You deserve appreciation for what you do and working in a more open or peaceful environment may be a step in the right direction.

HORSE OF all the signs in the coming year, the Horse is probably one with the most challenges.

This year’s focus is oneself. When problems crop up, make sure you address them immediately. Illness seems to be a major concern, so dealing with Health issues is a priority. Ensure amulets like Health and Longevity amulets or Anti-Illness charms are in place before you start on anything else.

Wealth is not a problem this year so watch out for opportunities when they present themselves.

Also watch out for rewarding travel opportunities.

Keeping Victory Running Horses in the South corner of your home ensures these Wealth opportunities present themselves to you. Keeping monetary amulets like the Arowana or 3-Legged Toad in the center of you home also enhances your existing Wealth.

Your Peach Blossom Animal is the Rat and placing his image in the North of your bedroom leaves you open to Romance. This, along with Mandarin ducks in the Southwest corner, puts you right in the mood, not to mention the perfect setting, for dating.

Make sure you avoid being the object of other people’s bitterness, and make sure you maintain your peace.

SHEEP THIS year is the best time to focus on your networking skills!

Reconnect with old family members and friends.

Prioritize old relationships— and we mean friendship, as well as otherwise—over business commitments. Enhance your Southwest corner with the Dragon Tortoise or Lucky Bamboo Plant, and activate the Romance with the Lotus or Bejeweled Mystic Knot. Now is the time to be happy as far as Romance is concerned.

Come up with a budget and stick to it the whole year. Try to play down the Misfortune Star by creating a Prosperity Corner in the Northwest of your home and office—place Boars, a Wealth Vase, Arowana or 3-Legged Toads to enhance it.

Health-wise, be sure to be alert. Do not use doors that are in the Southwest, the Misfortune Star corner.

Place a pair of Fu Dogs at the front door to try to curb the effect of the Misfortune Star. And always wear a Mantra Protection Ring or Bangle to protect against it. Maintain a low profile even when you’re doing really better than expected and think very well before you do anything.

MONKEY AS the ally of the Rat, you are blessed with Good Luck and Prosperity. You also benefit from Heaven’s Luck star. Think positive and surround yourself with good vibes to ensure positive notes will enter your life unimpeded. Protect the Wealth that you have and make sure you have the Ultimate Mantra Medallion or Lucky 9 Accessories to help prevent losing whatever savings you have.

Despite the presence of the Misfortune Star in your vicinity, you can deflect its effects. Place Wealth Trees in the center of your home to encourage the entry of good luck. Placing a Dragon in the Southeast sector of the home will bring you great luck, as well.

You are blessed with numerous Travel opportunities. Display an Auspicious Bird Painting in a Bed of Coins and expand your networking abilities to ensure you get the full effects of the occasion.

Those on the lookout for love would benefit really well by activating their Romance section. Women who place love symbols like Mandarin Ducks in the Southwest would benefit really well this year.

Meanwhile, Mystic Knots will enhance harmony Meanwhile, and help smooth over misunderstandings with your loved ones. You love your work and you make sure you give it your all, but be wary that whatever you do, you don’t go beyond what you can healthily accomplish. Keep a Jade Wu Lou or other health amulets like the Health and Longevity Medallion in the Southwest of your home to make things manageable, realistic and healthy. Keep a Ruyi or 9 Mantra a Emblem on your desk to make sure you make the Emblem right decisions.

ROOSTER WITH prosperity and authority luck in your corner in 2020, things are looking swell for you!

Authority and Power Luck make you the One to go to in the coming period. But while opportunities to make money may be easy to come by, make sure you trust the people you leave your money with. Investigate and do a thorough background check on possible business partners.

Protect your finances. Display the 3-Chilins Amulet, the Tai Sui Amulet or Mantra Protection Accessories to keep your resources well in hand. Wear the Anti-Robbery Amulet to protect against loss.

In terms of Romance, explore areas where events and invitations bring opportunities to make new friends. You just might meet the one you’re looking for. Allen also advises those who are involved to look forward to more permanent relationships. Tie an Amethyst Geode at the foot of your bed to stamp out negativity that could influence your relationships.

Beware of existing health issues. Some of them may come back to bother you. In any case, place a Wu Lou beside your bed to protect against bad health issues and always wear the Jade Piyao to ensure you are A-OK. If you’re aiming for a salary increase, make sure you’re in the running by maintaining your creativity, energy and inspiration. Keep the right winds blowing by wearing the Victory and Success Amulet. Be brave and go for what you are longing for.

DOG THOSE born under the sign of the Dog will benefit the most when it comes to Wealth. Your professional life will experience growth, bringing in more incomegenerating opportunities. What’s more, those who

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Show BusinessMirror

Friday, January 24, 2020

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Top bands welcome Year of the Metal Rat at Lucky Chinatown MEGAWORLD Lifestyle Malls and Lucky Chinatown bring rousing entertainment for the grandest welcome the Year of the Metal Rat right at the heart of the world’s oldest and the country’s premier Chinatown in Binondo, Manila.

A two-week-long revelry ongoing until January 26 is highlighted by lucky rituals, astounding cultural presentations, electrifying live performances from the country’s top OPM performers, a grand fireworks display, plus fantastic shopping and dining deals.

“It has always been our tradition to join the Chinese-Filipino community in celebrating the Chinese New Year and we always make sure that we welcome each year in the grandest way possible. As we welcome a new decade and the Year of the Metal Rat, our goal is to spread happiness and inspire everyone to fly high to new beginnings,” said Megaworld Lifestyle Malls Head Graham Coates.

Lucky Chinatown’s Grand Chinese New Year Countdown to 2020 happens tonight, January 24, with some of the country’s most electrifying music artists. The countdown begins at 7 pm at the Lucky Chinatown Atrium with performances from Leanne & Naara and IV of Spades, to be followed at 9 pm by Itchyworms and Ely Buendia, who will spearhead the countdown.

At exactly 12 mn, a grand fireworks display will light up the sky and wow revelers, followed by the traditional Lion and Dragon Dance and lighting of the first incense.

On January 25, more colorful performances and cultural presentations from Chinese schools and Chinese-Filipino organizations, alongside a Chinese New Year Parade in partnership with Manila Chinatown Development Council, Department of Tourism, Culture and Arts of Manila, and City of Manila, are set to entertain friends and families at 3 pm, with a live performance at 6 pm by Callalily wrapping up the celebration.

More information about the live shows and the other Chinese New Year events is available at www.

LuckyChinatownCNY2020.com.

ELY BUENDIA

IV OF SPADES

Netflix holds its own in the streaming wars—for now

S

By Rachel Lerman The Associated Press

AN FRANCISCO—Netflix is holding its ground in the streaming wars, passing its first big test since Apple and Disney launched rival services.

The company added 8.8 million worldwide subscribers during its fourth quarter, surpassing expectations at a time when it faces heated competition.

Netflix had said it expected to add 7.6 million subscribers, and analysts thought the service would fare even better. The increase pales slightly next to the 8.9 million subscribers the service added in the fourth quarter of 2018.

The stock dropped about 2.5 percent immediately in after-hours trading, likely due to a cautious forecast for the first quarter. But shares rebounded and later traded up more than 2 percent.

The company—a pioneer in producing streaming media and binge-worthy shows—now boasts more than 167 million subscribers worldwide, bolstered by a list of well-received movies and shows released late last year. That includes the fantasy show The Witcher and Oscar nominees The Irishman and Marriage Story.

The boost helps reaffirm Netflix’s strong standing in the increasingly crowded world of video streaming.

The fourth quarter was an important milestone

for Netflix, as it was marked its first head-to-head competition with Apple’s $5-per-month streaming service and Disney’s instantly popular $7-a-month option.

Still, it’s unlikely to be a smooth road for Netflix.

NBC, HBO and start-up Quibi are all planning to launch new streaming services soon.

Two big questions loom: How much are consumers willing to pay for each video streaming option?

And how many will they pay for before reaching subscription fatigue?

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings acknowledged the increased competition in a call following earnings, but said he believes the services are mostly capturing new viewers who are transitioning from traditional TV watching.

“It takes away a little bit from us,” he said of the Disney Plus launch. “But again, most of the growth in the future is coming out of linear TV.” Netflix has one major advantage over competitors: it has been collecting data on the shows viewers crave for years.

“Netflix’s scale allows it to reach mass audiences, which makes it easier for them to create hits when compared to newcomers to the market,” EMarketer analyst Eric Haggstrom said.

Netflix’s most popular plan costs $13 a month, far more than competitors from Disney, Apple and Quibi.

But its price is comparable to HBO Now, and it boasts

one of the largest libraries of TV shows and movies, not to mention regularly updated original shows.

Hastings reiterated that Netflix isn’t interested in introducing ads. Noting that the digital advertising market is dominated by companies such as Google, Amazon and Facebook, he said, “there’s not easy money there.”

It’s also less controversial to avoid digital advertising and the scrutiny around companies making customers’ personal information that comes with it, he said.

In its quarterly letter to shareholders, Netflix included a chart of Google search trends that showed people searching more often for The Witcher than for competing shows, including The Mandalorian, The Morning Show and Jack Ryan, from Disney, Apple and Amazon, respectively.

In the US, Netflix added 420,000 subscribers, below its own estimates. Growth in its home country has been slowing in the last year, partly because most people in the US who want Netflix already subscribe.

The company reported profit of $587 million on revenue of $5.47 billion, exceeding expectations.

Netflix said it expects to add 7 million subscribers during the first three months of this year, well below the 9.6 million subscribers it added in the first quarter last year. n Technology writer Michael Liedtke contribued to this report.

GMA KAPUSO FOUNDATION’S TAAL RELIEF EFFORTS GET P1 MILLION FROM ANVIL BUSINESS CLUB GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) received a P1-million donation from Anvil Business Club Inc., an organization of young Filipino Chinese entrepreneurs, to support its ongoing relief operations for those affected by the Taal Volcano eruption.

Present in the courtesy visit and donation turnover were GMA Network Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon and GMAKF Executive Vice President and COO Rikki EscuderoCatibog, together with the officers of the Anvil Business Club headed by Chairman Wilson Lee Flores and President Hubert Henry Chua.

Escudero-Catibog expressed how the group’s generous donation will fund the organization’s medical mission for the Taal evacuees. “We are very grateful to Anvil as they turned over a P1-million donation specifically for the victims of the displacement caused by the eruption of Taal Volcano. It will be of great help because at the end of the month, GMA Kapuso Foundation will conduct medical missions since a lot

of children there are now having upper respiratory infections.

We’re going there with our volunteer doctors and will give out free medicines and vitamins just to make sure that everybody stays healthy.”

Chua, on the other hand, shared how much Anvil Business Club gives importance to giving back to society, especially in reaching out to the less fortunate. “We believe that GMA Kapuso Foundation is the best way for us to be able

to reach them, especially as the track record of the foundation is very good—really uplifting the lives of the less fortunate Filipinos.” GMAKF has been conducting relief operations since the volcano erupted on January 12. Its program, Operation Bayanihan, was able to help over 36,000 individuals in various areas in Batangas and Cavite.

GMAKF continues to accept donations in cash, check or in kind. To donate, visit www.gmanetwork.com.

‘Downton Abbey’ creator’s new TV show is painfully accurate PASADENA, California—The period costumes of a Julian Fellowes drama can be excruciatingly accurate, as an actress in his new series Belgravia discovered.

The Epix drama from Downton Abbey creator Fellowes and executive producer Gareth Neame is set in 19th-century London and features Tamsin Greig, who starred in the TV comedy Episodes, and Philip Glenister (Cranford).

Asked if the elaborate outfits were difficult or easy to work in, Greig gave a quick reply.

“Do you think that they look easy?’

she said. “I was under the care of an osteopath within a week of filming, and I realized that I should have prepared better by wearing a corset for a few hours each day in the weeks up to beginning shooting.”

It’s impossible to get the silhouette of the 1840s without the binding undergarment that women wore, she said. If the limited series’ actresses look like they’re comfortable, Greig added, “it’s really great acting.”

Alice Eve (Bombshell) and Ella Purnell (Sweetbitter) also star in the series and joined in a presentation to TV critics on Saturday. The six-part

drama will debut April 12.

Belgravia, set in the grand London neighborhood of that name, was adapted by Fellowes from his eponymous 2016 novel. Asked to compare the series to Downton Abbey, the hit TV drama that unfolded in the early 1900s, Fellowes said the projects reflect the periods in which they’re set.

For the Epix limited series, it’s the “rise of the great Victorian era of manufacturing and money and... the expansion of London,” he said.

“Whereas you could say that Downton was on the other side of the hill, it was part of the decline, particularly as we

follow it through the 1920s.”

Belgravia is a “can-do show,” he said. “It’s really about people achieving what they want, despite the difficulties the society places in their path.... But I hope it is essentially a kind of uplifting tale.”

Fellowes was pleased by the reception for last year’s big screen version of Downton Abbey, which arrived four years after the series ended on PBS, but was noncommittal about the possibility of a second film.

He’s got another TV series in the works, The Gilded Age for HBO, set in 1880s America. AP

WRITER-PRODUCER Julian Fellowes attends the premiere of Downton Abbey, at Alice Tully Hall in New York. AP

GMA Network Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon (eighth from left) and GMAKF EVP and COO Rikki Escudero-Catibog (ninth from right) received the P1-million check from officers of the Anvil Business Club.

Motoring BusinessMirror

Henry Ford Awards Best Motoring Section 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 2011 Hall of Fame

Editor: Tet Andolong

Friday, January 24, 2020 E1 THE Scania G 360 4x2 General Cargo Transport. SCANIA PHILIPPINES

SCANIA BRINGS IN THE

NEW TRUCK GENERATION S Story by Randy S. Peregrino

WEDISH truck manufacturer Scania recently brought in its award-winning New Truck Generation to the Philippine market.

Designed and engineered to give fleet owners greater total operating economy and profitability.

It is also environment-friendly with lower CO2 emissions. The new truck range is a product of a 10-year development and SEK 20 billion (P100 billion) worth of investments in the region, including more than 10 million kilometers of test driving.

With the new range, Scania is extending its offering and can now supply more performance stages, connectivity, and a comprehensive palette of productivity enhancing services. Moreover, it offers sustainable transportation solutions that are precisely customized for each type of customer in the highly competitive transportation industry thanks to its unique modular system.

“It is the new biggest investment in the Scania world in the past 20 years, thanks to our skilled engineers, alongside insights from customers, drivers and more than 200,000 connected vehicles,” said Regional Sales Director for Trucks in Africa and Asia Pacific Johan Gemback.

The New Truck Generation has

many awards under its belt since its launch in Europe. One is the most prestigious International Truck of the Year Award in 2017.

For three straight years now, it was also awarded as Sustainable Truck of the Year. Then from 2017-2019, as the Green Truck Award (R-series) for registering the lowest fuel consumption. Further, it is named as the most fuel efficient and environment-friendly commercial vehicle in its class.

“At Scania, we believe that sustainability and profitability goes hand in hand. Our approach to sustainable transport is based on these three pillars—Energy Efficiency, Alternative Fuels and Electrification, and Smart and Safe Transport. And the bottom line is all about maximizing our customers’ profitability.” Gemback added.

The New Truck Generation has been developed with a number of overall features in focus: fuel economy, driver environment, safety, optimum use of interior space and maximum reliability. Scania’s New Truck Generation reduces fuel con-

ENHANCED aerodynamic solutions reduced the truck’s fuel consumption by 5 percent. SCANIA PHILIPPINES

THE Scania G 410 8x4 Concrete Mixer. SCANIA PHILIPPINES

sumption by 5 percent, thanks to the advanced powertrain, driving performance, and advanced aerodynamic solutions. For example, air drag has been minimized in every exterior surface, including components like wipers, mirrors, and all the various lamps, have been designed with that in mind.

In addition, Scania recognizes every driver’s crucial role in the success of the customer’s business. That’s why the interior ergonomics of the cab design offer enhanced comfort and functionality. Drivers can now drive more safely with a better view of the road due to a lower instrument panel and optimized A-pillars.

Driver’s position was also made closer to the widescreen by 6.5 millimeters and 20 millimeters

from the side.

Now, as first in the Philippines, the New Truck Generation has optional features like rollover side curtain air bags, which can potentially reduce fatalities from rollover accidents by up to 25 percent. When used with seat belt, rollover side curtain air bags play a crucial safety feature in preventing serious injury to the driver. It also features a more robust monocoque structure with high tensile steel, engineered in collaboration with Scania’s sister company, Porsche Engineering.

Apart from the advanced emergency braking system, the New Truck Generation has integrated a number of new safety features.

One of which is the design of the steering column which is directly

beneath the steering wheel. This is to absorb the impact and reduce the force to the driver during collisions. There are also optional camera sensors and other warning systems available.

As for Scania’s unique modular system, the New Truck Generation continues to adopt where customers can customize their vehicle configurations according to choice of cabs, engines and chassis. This system maximizes spare parts availability and minimizes downtime for vehicles needing repairs and replacements. In turn, it allows customers to benefit from incremental revenues. More so, customers can leverage the connectivity of the trucks to use the Fleet Management System for real-time tracking.

These connected services provide real-time data and long-term trends for fleet owners and operators to aid in managing both vehicles and drivers. In addition, Scania conducts driver training and coaching to upgrade the skills of drivers when it comes to achieving increased fuel efficiency and road safety.

“Our customers have come to recognize us as their partners in helping make their business flourish. We work very closely with them to ensure they will always be able to carry out their work in the most sustainable and profitable way, regardless of industry and area of application,” said Scania local distributor BJ Mercantile Inc. Vice President Leilani Lim-Tan.

Moto

Business

Waze activates features for Ta

E2 Friday, January 24, 2020

MOTORING ’minder

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MID the eruption of Taal Volcano, Waze continues to bring communities together on and off the road. The community-driven navigation platform is working closely with the Department of Transportation (DOTr), CNN Philippines and DZMM (630 AM) Radyo Patrol on the relief efforts for the afflicted communities.

Villar inaugurates Kalibo Bridge

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HE usual surge of tourists flocking to Kalibo for the yearly Ati-atihan Festival had a “gift” from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) this time: faster and more reliable travel with the inauguration of the Kalibo Bridge in Aklan, the longest bridge in Western Visayas D P W H S e c re t a r y M a r k A . Vi l l a r said that the opening of the two-lane 770-linear meter bridge to vehicular traffic was meant to significantly reduce travel time from Kalibo City to Caticlan from 75 minutes to 60 minutes, and is expected to boost tourism and hasten delivery of goods and basic commodities to and from the Capital town of Kalibo.

“Around 6,000 motorists, residents and tourists are anticipated to feel the benefits of its completion. As par t of the 15.81-kilometer Kalibo Circumferential Road, the bridge will provide an alternate route from Aklan West Road and a direct link to Kalibo Airpor t,” Villar added.

Passing through the Municipality of Lezo and by-passing Municipality of Numancia, the bridge is said to ease traffic congestion in Kalibo Proper.

The P500-million bridge project i nvo l ve s co n s t ru c t i o n o f 2 2 s p a n s of bored pile foundation, slope protection works, and concreting of the 3-kilometer road.

Ropali Head of Sales & Marketing Neil Elpusan (left), and Lalamove Managing Director Dannah Majarocon

Lalamove, Ropali renew partnership

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AL AMOVE, the leading on-demand deliver y app, has strengthened its par tnership with Ropali, one of the leading motorcycle dealers in the countr y, by providing additional benefits to more than 55,000 par tner-drivers.

Since September 2018, the Lalamove-Ropali partnership has equipped partner-drivers with huge discounts plus free LTO registration when purchasing Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha models. Through this, Lalamove par tner-drivers had the oppor tunity to easily upgrade and acquire a motorcycle unit—their main companion in fulfilling day-to-day deliveries on the road.

Enhanced benefits of the renewed par tnership include free co-branded helmet and gloves, coupled with free personal accident insurance for every motorcycle purchase. Such is a testament to both Lalamove’s and Ropali’s commitment for driver’s health and safety.

Aside from this, Ropali is also committed to faster and easier financing where a decision can be made within hours, even with less requirements. To add, from an initial 34 branches, Lalamove par tner-drivers can now

avail themselves of the exclusive scheme at 47 Ropali branches in Greater Manila and Cebu, areas where Lalamove currently operates. “ We’re happy to have renewed our par tnership with Ropali, one of our first and strongest allies. A lot of our par tner-drivers have already reaped the benefit s of this par tnership, and we look for ward to aiding even more with the revamped scheme,” said L alamove Managing Direc tor Dannah Majarocon. “ We successfully bridged the gap by giving our par tner-drivers access to financing which they previously didn’t have, and we didn’t stop there—special thanks to Ropali for sharing our mission of enabling and empowering our par tner-drivers, and for being one with us in prioritizing their well-being and safet y, as well,” she continued.

“At Ropali, it is our utmost commitment to provide the best and fastest ser vice to our clients in as much as we value their precious time. We look at this renewal of par tnership with Lalamove as a renewal of our dedication to extend the quality of ser vice we of fer to their par tner-drivers,” shared Ropali Head of Sales and Marketing Neil Elpusan.

Since January 12, the phreatic explosion of Taal Volcano has been observed generating up to a 15-kilometer ash column. This has affected the regions of Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Metro Manila and parts of Southern Luzon. Motorists are advised to practice extra precaution while

driving in these regions, due to poor visibility and slippery roads.

Playing its part in bringing communities together, Waze’s Crisis Response team is assisting a total of 308 different segments of road closures, 102 emergency shelters and donation centers as of date. Local Waze users affected by the crisis received both push

Welcome 2020 with Nissan’s

‘Power Deals’ promo F

ROM January 17 to March 31, 2020, Nissan customers can enjoy special discounts through the new Nissan Finance program, powered by EastWest Bank, when they purchase select Nissan models, including the Nissan Navara, Nissan Terra, Nissan Almera, Nissan Urvan, Nissan Patrol Royale, Nissan X-Trail, Nissan Sylphy, and Nissan Juke NISMO edition. Through Nissan Finance, customers can invest in their dream car with an all-in low down payment for as little as P18,000. Moreover, Nissan is also exclusively offering zero-percent interest for up to 18 months, based on a 50-percent down payment on selected models.

Any customer who test drives the Nissan Terra or Nissan Navara within the promotion period at any authorized Nissan dealership or dealer-initiated events, will be entitled to an extra P5,000 discount.

This deduction can be used to further reduce the down payment or for the balance for financing.

Customers who choose to avail themselves of their vehicles outside the Nissan Finance program can also enjoy savings and discounts when they purchase through cash

payment, bank purchase orders or other financing options.

“With the ‘Power Deals’ promo, we are enabling Filipinos to attain their dream of owning a new Nissan vehicle, through exciting discounts and significant

savings. I encourage everyone to head to the nearest Nissan dealership and experience innovation that excites for themselves,” said Nissan Philippines President and Managing Director Atsushi Najima.

T h e N i s s a n Po w e r D e a l s promo can be availed in all authorized Nissan dealerships nationwide. For more information about the Power Deals promo, v i s it ht t p s: //w w w.ni s s a n .ph / latest-news/latestdeals.html.

PHL auto industry powerhouses join the growing MG family

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HE Covenant Car Co. Inc. (TCCCI) meets MG Philippines’s newest dealer principals.

Since MG came under the distributorship of TCCCI in Oc tober 2018, the brand’s nationwide dealership net work has experienced a rapid expansion. In just over a year, MG Philippines has opened a total of 18 dealerships throughout Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. And to open a new year and decade, MG Philippines is proud to announce the latest dealer principals to sign on with MG, demonstrating their trust and the confidence in this British heritage brand, it s modern, st ylish, and at tainable produc t s, the grow th and foreseeable potential of the MG brand, and the ver y capable team at TCCCI behind it all.

It is MG Philippines’s honor to continue par tnering with the biggest and most respec ted names in the local auto industr y.

This continues with MG Philippines newest dealer par tners: Ark Diversified Inc., The ANC Group, Advan Motor Inc., Autohub Group and Magnum Group Inc. Ark Diversified Inc., led by its President and CEO Ray Jarina, brings years of commercial vehicle sales success. This time around, the group continues that same success with the inauguration of MG Commonwealth in Quezon City.

The ANC Group is widely considered as one of the biggest and most influential local automotive groups. Under President and CEO Anthony N. Cheng, the group is slated to open

MG Makati to of fer car sales and af termarket ser vices in a main business center.

Advan Motor Inc. and its president, Ramon Sison, will pioneer MG’s expansion in the eastern side of the Metro as it opens MG Marikina.

The Autohub Group, along with President Willy Tee Ten (who is recognized as one of the 33 most influential personas in the automotive industr y in 2019), is geared to add MG Shaw to its growing list of auto dealers.

Magnum Group Inc., led by Managing Director Eduardo Bangayan, graces the Zamboanga Peninsula with the opening of MG Zamboanga­— ensuring the brand’s expanded market reach in the southern Philippines.

Magnum Motors Corp, under its President and CEO Roger L. Chiu, launches MG Cagayan

de Oro in this burgeoning, high-potential, economically progressive city.

Each dealer ship will also be equipped to amplif y the af ter sales of ferings of MG Philippines, including par t s, ser vice and cus tomer relations.

For now, come and #MeetMG at any of the 24 operational dealer ships nationwide. MG Philippines continues to grow it s net work of dealer ships to ensure access to these great, British-bred rides, as well as genuine par t s and af ter sales ser vices to keep them in top condition.

Follow MG Philippines on social media: O f ficialMGPhilippines (Facebook), @ m g _ p h i l i p p i n e s ( I n s t a g r a m a n d Tw i t ter) for more updates.

oring

sMirror

Crisis Response F aal operations

Friday, January 24, 2020

E3

Ford offers discounts for parts, labor for customers affected by Taal ashfall

notifications on the day of the eruption and during the relief operations. Users are being updated on the map should there be an increase in the number of new road closures due to Taal’s volcanic activity.

The 14-km radius from the Taal Volcano was declared by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) as a danger zone. To reflect the news, Waze’s Crisis Response team also set up the area as an evacuation zone in the map, with an evacuation zone notification warning showing up in the Waze app whenever a user navigates to a destination within the evacuation zone. This feature will be activated when Waze’s Crisis Response team has verification of an evacuation zone and donation dropoff centers from an official source.

Aside from notifications, the Waze app allows users to search for donation dropoff centers nearest to them. Wazers will just have to type in “Donate” in the destination search bar, and the nearest donation dropoff center will appear.

Wazers can also choose among the other dropoff centers on the list found in the search results.

To date, Waze users can choose f rom the fol low ing donation

centers: n 8001 Camia, Makati; n Padre Faura Street, Manila; n 55 CP Garcia Avenue, Quezon City; n Sa monte Pa rk Rotond a, Cavite City, Cavite; n City Work Spaces Second Floor, DCR Building, Aguinaldo Highway, Imus, Cavite; n 8 Juan Luna, San Pedro; n NCST building, Aguinaldo Highway, Dasmariñas, Cavite; n Unit 1, Contemprato Buildi n g , Su g a r R o a d , C a r mo n a , Cavite; n Pedro R. Sandoval Avenue, Los Baños; n Governor Pack Road, Baguio; and/or n Selected McDonald’s stores

Waze’s Crisis Response team has been extending their support for various efforts, such as the evacuation zones for the fires in California (Cave Fire, Kincade Wildfire, Getty Wildfire, Simi Valley Wildfire, Maria Wildfire) and the bushfires in Australia.

Waze encourages users to continuously report real-time accidents, hazards, blocked roads, weather conditions and more that will help fellow Wazers get to their destinations safely.

Peugeot offers free inspection and car wash

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ith the recent volcanic activity of Taal Volcano resulting in extreme ashfall covering most of Metro Manila and the southern part of Luzon, Peugeot Philippines is offering free inspection and car wash to all their clients.

The inspection will specifically cover the AC and engine systems together with some external vehicle operational functions, ie., wiper blades, tires, brakes, etc. And as an additional service to Peugeot

The inspection will also help lessen the chance of any road accidents by improving the quality of the tires, brakes, as well as other external and internal issues.

Peugeot Philippines prioritizes its customers’ safety. This free inspection program is the company’s way of ensuring that the car and the driver are given the care and attention that they deserve. Motion and emotion come hand in hand with the services of Peugeot Philippines.

The free inspection and car wash will start on Monday, January 20, 2020, and will be available at the Peugeot Pasig and Peugeot Alabang dealerships. owners, Peugeot Philippines will also provide free car wash after the inspection.

Protecting cars and upholding the stellar performance of Peugeot vehicles has always been a top priority for Peugeot.

Volcanic ash has a high tendency to damage cars from the exterior appearance, such as the paint and windshield, and the mechanical overall health including, but not limited, to the engine and AC system as the main concerns.

ORD Philippines is offering discounts on parts and labor to customers of Ford dealerships in Luzon who have been affected by the recent Taal Volcano ashfall.

Customers who w i l l br ing their affected Ford vehicles to a Ford dealership in Luzon starting January 22 to February 29, 2020, can avail themselves of a 20-percent discount on labor and parts, such as wiper blades, air filter and cabin/pollen filter.

Participating Ford dealerships include A labang, Balintawak,

Commonwealth, Edsa Greenhills, Global City, Libis, Makati, Manila, Manila Bay, Marikina, and Quezon Avenue in Metro Manila and Metro Baguio, Batangas, Baliuag, Cabanatuan, Cainta, Calamba, Cavite, Clark, Dagupan, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Laguna, Malolos, Marilao, Naga, Pampanga, Santa Rosa, Subic and Tarlac in Luzon.

Eligible customers can contact or visit their Ford dealership for more information. Visit www.ford. com.ph/owner/service/ for helpful vehicle maintenance tips from Ford Philippines.

Hyundai as one of the top automotive companies in 2019

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YUNDAI Asia Resources Inc. (Hari), the official distributor of the leading Korean automotive brand in the Philippines, ended the year strong with 2.9-percent growth in December 2019 or 3,163 units sold versus the same month last year.

December marked the third month in 2019 that Hari breached the 3,000-unit sales mark.

For the full year, Hyundai sales reached 33,763 units, enabling it to maintain its position in the market as one of the leading brands in the Philippine market. This is equivalent to a 6.1-percent drop from 2018 mainly due to the company’s nonparticipation in some market segments, such as that of the pickups.

“We rose to the challenges in 2019 and have sustained our position as one of the preferred brands in the market. We are very excited to start the new decade with the introduction of innovative models that will disrupt certain segments and offer customers more and better choices.

We shall also carry on with our aggressive PC and CV network expansion to serve high-growth corridors across the country,” Hari President and CEO Maria Fe Perez-Agudo said.

Month-on-month, the passenger cars segment rose by 8.5 percent, from 1,516 units in December 2019 to 1,645 units in January this year. This was prompted by the Hyundai’s “golden pair”—the Hyundai Reina (PC A-Segment) and the Hyundai Accent (PC B-Segment). The Reina, despite being launched only in early 2019, is now No. 2 in the A-segment in total sales, while the venerable Accent remains in the Top 3 in the B-segment.

Both models are known for fuel-efficiency, segment-topping performance and design. The company sold a total of 17,761 PC units in 2019.

L i g ht c om me rc i a l v e h i c l e sales increased by 2.9 percent in December 2019 to 1,399 units compared to the same month last year spearheaded by the durable and versatile Hyundai H-100 (Light Tr uck) and the globally awarded Hyundai Kona

Maria Fe Perez-Agudo

(Subcompact SUV). Both models are No. 1 in their respective segments. Overall, Hyundai LCV sales declined by 2.6 percent with 15,095 units sold.

Hyundai commercial vehicles continued to be the best performing segment for the year with a 63.4-percent full-year growth, or a total of 907 units sold led by the Hyundai County bus. Hari CV sales are expected to further surge in 2020 due to higher demand generated by government programs to improve the existing public transportation. Late last year, Hari rolled out its Class 2 and Class 3 Modern Jeepneys (built on the Hyundai HD50S platform) to serve the needs of transport cooperatives while the Hyundai H-100 Class 1 Modern Jeepney was launched earlier in the year. Both Class 1 and 2 Modern Jeepneys were granted their Certificates of Compliance by the Department of Transportation in October 2019. Finally, in 2019 alone, Hari inaugurated five dedicated CV dealerships. “ For 2020, you c a n t r u st that Hyundai will continue to exceed customer expectations with newer models, innovations in after-sales, and more convenient ownership, and relevant CSR engagement through Hari Foundation Inc.’s f lagship programs in health, education, and environmental sustainability.

Ultimately, we want to be an integral part of our customers’ lives as we give them better products, better services and better journeys,” Agudo added.

Isuzu Philippines donates vehicle to Philippine Red Cross

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n January 21, 2020, Isuzu Philippines Corp. donated one unit of Isuzu DMax 4x4 LS MT to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), Laguna Chapter, at the IPC Plant in Biñan, Laguna, for the Taal Volcano eruption relief ef for ts mobilization. Additional supplies were also provided, such as bottled water, toiletries, clothes and other essentials to alleviate the condition of evacuees and affec ted individual.

The donation is earmarked to suppor t PRC’s mission to provide life-saving ser vices that protec t the life of Filipinos in vulnerable situations.

IPC is delighted to be able to help bridge volunteers like PRC, and people af fec ted by the Taal Volcano eruption.

During the inter view, IPC Executive Vice President Shojiro Sakoda said, “Isuzu D-Max 4x4, being a utilitarian pickup, is surely essential in bringing relief goods and aiding vic tims of Taal Volcano eruption.”

“Isuzu D-Max is a combination of power and per formance, and is equipped with Blue Power technology that can withstand any roads, from the toughest terrain to the slickest street all in style and comfor t,” he added.

Loc al resident s are encour aged to supp or t humani t ar ian or ganiz at ions and to do initiatives in helping the vic tims of the recent eruption.

For more information on Isuzu’s commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit www.isuzuphil.com.

Shojiro Sakoda IPC, executive vice president, with Philippine Red Cross and Isuzu executives

Motoring BusinessMirror

E4 Friday, January 24, 2020

Call it act of Nature and not act of God

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SHFALL was the nation’s favorite word the past two weeks or so. Seemingly, it still is.

The reason is simple: Taal Volcano erupted on January 12, triggering a massive ashfall from Batangas, Taal’s home, to many parts of Metro Manila up to as far as Quezon province down South and Pangasinan up North. The last time an ashfall attack came was in 1991, during Mount Pinatubo’s explosion that sent ashes flying to as far as the Middle East and Europe.

Included as among the hardest hit sector by the Taal eruption is the automotive industry. Thousands of vehicles are affected in that their mobility and usage are almost reduced to a standstill due to engines

possibly conking out through an overdose of ashfall ingestion.

Vehicle air-cons might have been damaged, severely or otherwise, and windshields broken as well from ashfall exposure.

Almost immediately after the Taal’s sudden outburst, advisories on how to handle the ashfall assault erupted all over. But Visor seemed to have made the most rationale take. From Vernon B. Sarne, the indefatigable Visor chief, this:

“Here’s how to protect your car in the event of ashfall” “Many of us are old enough to

remember Mount Pinatubo’s eruption in 1991. If you were already running around then, you will remember how the air was suddenly filled with ash-like material that made it difficult to breathe. That volcano substance was not only hard on human lungs, it was also harsh on car paint.

“And now that Taal Volcano is acting up already at Alert Level 4 [hazardous eruption imminent], according to the latest update of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology [Phivolcs] as we write this—we’re experiencing the same thing all over again.

Thankfully, automakers have been tasking their dealerships to extend special assistance to affected customers. One of these is Toyota Motor Philippines [TMP], whose customer service department has issued an advisory about what to do with the vehicles in this situation.

Toyota’s to-do list: n Please wash your vehicles with pressurized water to remove ash from the vehicle’s body, but please do not wipe the vehicle while spraying water to avoid scratches on the vehicle’s body. n Please repeat if vehicle continues to be covered with ashfall. n If engine room is affected,

please bring your vehicle to your nearest Toyota dealer for proper engine cleaning. n Please also protect yourself from the ashfall while cleaning your vehicle by wearing protective gear like raincoat or mask.

“Please share these simple tips with friends and relatives who live in affected areas.”

Insurance woes

IN times of calamities, many insurance companies do not usually pay the right claims by their clients. Some completely ignore please from affected customers, citing disasters like those caused by typhoons and even earthquakes as “acts of God” and, therefore, are not covered by monetary assistance. However, Standard Insurance made a difference when, in the coattails of the deadly Typhoon Ondoy some years back, it declared a landmark company stand: “Calamities are not acts of God but, rather, acts of Nature.” Promptly, the outfit extended the necessary financial awards to its clients.

I’m proud of that momentous position of Standard, whose founder, the late, lamented Dr. Echauz, was a dear friend of my Uncle Amading, who recently passed on in

New York City, USA. Will Standard do the same to our ashfall victims?

Divine intervention

WE can calm down our parents’ tantrums with tender loving care but not Mother Nature. Once a volcano blows its top, there’s no saying what follows next; there’s virtually no force on Earth to stop its fury— except, of course, divine intervention.

And so, as Taal Volcano has remained at Alert Level 4, it can erupt a second time, anytime, with possibly more force and devastation?

God have mercy.

Some 14 or so towns and cities of Batangas and Cavite have remained virtual ghost towns, their inhabitants hauled off, almost forcibly, to evacuation centers outside of the 14-kilometer radius of danger zone.

Many roads have become nonpassable to any kind of vehicle as a result of the volcano eruption, accompanied by intermittent earthquakes, creating fissures and cracks on thoroughfares—not to mention houses getting damaged almost irreparably.

As of last data by the Department of Agriculture, over 55,000

farm animals, including cattle, carabaos, horses, pigs, chicken and goats, have died—the toll valued at over P3 billion.

Over 15,790 hectares of farmlands and kilometers of roads have been affected by the eruption and subsequent ashfall, according to government officials who said fisheries losses amounted to P1.6 billion.

Evacuees now number more than 500,000; if it’s any consolation, only five casualties have been recorded—two from suffering heart attacks and three volunteers succumbing to injuries following a road crash. If thousands of vehicles are still undergoing repairs, if not rehabilitation, I commiserate with their owners.

Prayers to all.

PEE STOP Happy January birth-

day celebrators to my fellow motoring journalists Ray Butch “Elvis” Gamboa and Vernon B. Sarne. May Elvis continue to regain his health and live a happy life again—even as I reiterate my sympathies to Vernon for having lost his father (the Mustang driving, dear Virgilio, who succumbed to liver malfunction) in Hackensack, New Jersey, USA.

SMART PARKING IS HERE

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S if our traffic woes are not enough, parking once you get to your destination is another problem. These are two major issues that motorists encounter everyday in the urban jungle, where one mistake can either cost you a burglarized car or a getting towed in a business district like Makati or Ortigas.

What happened in Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, etc...is also happening here. Gentrification has caused a lot of areas around the whole country to build new high rise beside existing old structures. While this has helped bring up real-estate prices, it has also limited the options or spaces where people can park as most open spaces have been sold or are being developed.

Before people used to park on the streets without any problems, now the streets are cleared out to accommodate rising traffic.

This is where Smart Parking comes in.

Smart Parking was first developed and used in Japan and eventually spread across to Korea, and its neighboring countries. One can convert an underutilized space of 33 square meters (approximately two parking slots) and increase it vertically to 12 or 16 vehicles. Ingress and egress is not a problem as there is an optional turntable that can go with the unit. At 12.5sq-m per slot, that is an extra 150 sq m to 200 sq m of “real estate” that you have added into your existing property that can attract tenants and customers to your building.

Smart Parking has sold over 566 units in over 32 countries. It can be installed in five days and is very safe, easy and economical to use. It carries a 10-year warranty on parts and lifetime free service on labor which means maintenance cost is very minimal. And the best part is should you wish to relocate it to another location, it can be easily transferred.

BLACK RHINO WHEELS TRACES BACK ITS ROOTS

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LACK Rhino Wheels, one of the leading brand of aftermarket wheels for off-road and 4x4 vehicles, has released new designs to keep up with the demand for styles true to the name of its brand. The Black Rhino is one of the toughest beasts and it’s no surprise that Black Rhino Wheels has been designed with the highest quality and durability in mind.

Hardened alloy wheels allow the users to tackle rough terrain and the aggressive designs of Black Rhino Wheels give vehicles a tougher look.

Black Rhino Wheels Philippines recently showcased its latest off-road wheels on a lineup of classic Toyota Land Cruisers to prove that the designs of their wheels are timeless and also meant of the outdoors. Their wheels has also been tested in various trails in the Philippines and around the world. “We encourage customers to experience the outdoor lifestyle that we promote with our wheels. Taking the road less traveled is an unforgettable adventure! We also want to inform buyers to beware of counterfeit wheels which don’t have any quality certifications for road use. Make sure to buy the real deal,” said Justin Uy, marketing head of Black Rhino Wheels Philippines.

For more info, drop by Concept One Wheels at 318 Santolan Road, San Juan, or visit www. blackrhinowheels.ph You can also follow them on social media @ blackrhinowheels.ph.