BusinessMirror January 25, 2023

PHL-as-Asean-gateway pitched to foreign biz

By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

LOCATING in the Philippines is a good investment for foreign businesses as the country can serve as a gateway to the population-rich Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

In his speech at the Philippine Economic Briefing in Frankfurt,

Germany, Neda Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan noted that the Philippines has a population of 110 million while the entire ASEAN has 680 million people.

Investing today, Balisacan said, would allow investors to grow with the Philippine economy, which is already in the midst of reaping the demographic dividend with a large young and English speaking population.

“So what’s in it for investors and businesses? The Philippines is a

fast-growing economy of over 110 million people. Apart from having a sizable domestic consumer market, it can serve as a competitive launching pad for the ASEAN economies, home to over 680 million people, roughly 9 percent of the world population,” Balisacan said.

Balisacan said the Philippines is open for business, particularly in sectors such as energy, water, logistics, transportation, agribusiness, manufacturing, tourism,

health, education, and digital connectivity.

“With all of our transformative reforms and initiatives set into motion, the Philippines is poised to regain its pre-eminence in Southeast Asia and beyond. We invite investors and the business community to join our country’s emerging narrative of economic growth and prosperity,” Balisacan said.

Talks on NAIA mgt fast-tracked

By Samuel P. Medenilla  @sam_medenilla

EFFORTS to improve the operations of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) are now under way through new maintenance and concession agreements for the facility, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

In a press conference in Malacañang on Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista disclosed that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. instructed them to fast-track the signing of a new agreement with the maintenance provider of NAIA, Sumitomo-Thales.

The measure is meant to prevent another “glitch” in the communications, navigation and surveillance/air traffic management (CNS/ATM) of NAIA similar to what happened earlier this month, which led to the cancellation of over 600 flights.

Currently, NAIA has no maintenance agreement since its system warranty with Sumitomo-Thales expired in 2020, according to Bautista.

Pending negotiations

AS early as September 2022, DOTr initiated negotiations with Sumitomo-Thales for the maintenance of NAIA, but it is being hampered by the firm’s pending claims with the government.

“We met with Sumitomo-Thales a few weeks ago and we suggested See “NAIA,” A2

Pagcor clarifies issues on POGOs raised in Senate

THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) thanked senators on Tuesday “for the opportunity to clarify matters related to the country’s offshore gaming license operations [POGO]” but sought to correct “the misinformation that arose from” the Ways and Means committee’s last hearing the day before.

First, Pagcor noted that among the crimes earlier associated with the POGO sector, there are no longer incidents of kidnapping.

“There have been no reported criminal activities or kidnapping-

related incidents of workers in the offshore licensing industry for over three months. This came as a result of the interagency cooperation meeting held last September 2022 involving Pagcor, the Philippine National Police (PNP), National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice (DOJ), and Department of the Interior and Local Government to combat illegal gaming operations, including offshore gaming,” said the Pagcor statement on Tuesday.

Likewise, it said, partnerships

TOURISM BOOSTED; PHL WELCOMES XIAMEN GRP

THEY’RE back. At least 189 Chinese passengers from Xiamen and 15 flight crew were welcomed upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 on Tuesday by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian and Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Cesar Chiong.

The arrival of Xiamen Airlines flight MF819 is being celebrated because it marks the

airline’s return in a bigger way after closing its offices in Manila during the Covid-19 pandemic, and restarting the flights in October, albeit on limited basis, with two flights a week.

It began its daily service on January 17, using a Boeing 738.

Pioneering flag carrier Philippine Airlines has also started operating its own once-a-week flights between Manila and Xiamen on January 13, but will code-share with Xiamen Air for the summer season, from April and October. See “Tourism,” A2

PASSENGERS from Xiamen, China, a key tourist market for the Philippines, are screened by immigration and quarantine officers as they arrive on Tuesday. Officials from the Department of Tourism, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and the Chinese Embassy in Manila led the welcome for 189 passengers on Xiamen Air flight MF819 which arrived at NAIA 1 from China on Tuesday. NONIE REYES

PHL fails to make Chinese travelers top 10 wish-list

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

MAINLAND Chinese are more than ready to travel to the international destinations, but is the Philippines ready to give them the fun they want?

According to the Chinese Traveler Sentiment Report by Dragon Trail Research in December 2022, more than half of respondents (52 percent of those surveyed) “would travel outside China within one year of reopening, and 84 percent would plan a trip within two years of reopening. However, 16 percent of respondents state that they would not travel outside mainland China.” The survey also noted women were more likely to make travel plans compared to men, as soon as restrictions are relaxed. “Pentup demand is real, and growing, and the travel industry should get ready,” the report added.

While Asian destinations will certainly be the first to benefit from the recovery of the Chinese outbound travel market, the Philippines failed to make the top 10 list. “Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Thailand, and South Korea are at the top of Chinese travelers’ wishlists, and should expect to welcome the first wave of Chinese visitors when borders reopen for leisure travel. At the same time, beach and sea destinations are preferred by 51.8 percent of survey respon -

dents, creating more opportunities for Southeast Asian destinations,” said the report. The rest of the destinations Chinese travelers prefer are France, Taiwan, the Maldives, Singapore, and Australia.

The Philippines hopes to attract more Chinese tourists as it considers issuing easier visa rules. In 2019, there were 1.74 million Chinese tourists in the Philippines, accounting for 21 percent of the total 8.26-million international travelers. In 2022, there were 39,627 tourists from China, of the total 2.65-million arrivals.

Social media as source for travel info

A MAJORITY of Chinese travelers source information on travel destinations from Chinese social media (69 percent), followed by travel web sites and online travel agencies (49 percent), and key opinion leaders and travel blogs (45 percent). As such, “Digital channels, media buy, and influencers will all be key to marketing in the recovery period,” the report recommended.

The survey also indicated the top factors how Chinese travelers decide on tourist products and destinations such as pricing (64 percent), health and safety (63 percent), and convenience (60 percent), showing no change since Dragon Trail’s March 2022 survey.

Mainland Chinese travelers cite local food (60.8 percent) and the local life (56.7 percent) as reasons for traveling abroad, while visiting landmarks such as

museums and iconic architecture still ranks high. “Bringing these experiences to Chinese travelers should be part of marketing and product development work.”

The survey was conducted between November 7 and 20, 2022 of 1,003 mainland Chinese travelers, from Millennials to senior citizens, 49 percent of whom are married with children, while 28 percent are single. The report offers tourism stakeholders insights to be able to adapt their marketing strategies to satisfy the former’s needs.

US is ‘unsafe’ destination

THE report also recommended the adoption of sustainable practices as a way to attract more Chinese tourists. “More than 88 percent of Chinese travelers consider their impact on local environments and communities when traveling. Their intentions for taking more sustainable trips offer insights into what initiatives will get the best response. Hotels need to go greener. Attractions should stress being animal-friendly. Tour operators should find ways to help visitors give back.”

Chinese travelers are also anxious about their safety in a number of destinations. “When assessing 15 outbound destinations around the world, we can see that Chinese travelers are now less likely to categorize these destinations as ‘unsafe.’” The United States tops the list of destinations Chinese travelers consider unsafe, at 67 percent; followed by

the United Kingdom (36 percent); Israel (35 percent); Canada and Japan (34 percent); and France (30 percent), among others. On the other hand, Hong Kong (47 percent) and Singapore (38 percent) are deemed the safest destinations.

Since the Covid pandemic, several incidents of assault against Asians have been recorded in the US, with perpetrators blaming mainly the Chinese for the spread of the virus.

Beijing has opened the doors to international travel, after it suddenly quit its stringent Covid lockdown measures in December. A number of governments, however, have decided to impose additional testing protocols on Chinese tourists. (See, “WTTC hits ‘kneejerk’ travel rules on Chinese travelers,” in the BusinessMirror, January 24, 2023.)

Asean. . .

Continued from A1

In order to sustain recent economic gains, Balisacan said the government is prepared to support its people by enacting policies and programs focused on education, health, and labor.

Balisacan said these programs include skills upgrading of the labor force and matching these with the requirements of industry as well as addressing the socioeconomic scarring inflicted by the pandemic on the vulnerable segments of the population.

The NEDA earlier estimated that the pandemic and the lockdowns imposed by the government are expected to cost the Philippine economy a total of P41.4 trillion in the next 40 years. (Full story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/09/25/neda-pandemicto-cost-phl-economy-p41-4-trillion-intotal-losses-over-next-40-years/)

To address these concerns, Balisacan said the government will boost health and food security as well as nutrition programs while strengthening social protection programs.

Apart from the labor force, Balisacan said the national government also intends to modernize agriculture and agribusiness to raise the sector’s overall productivity.

The government, the Neda Secretary said, will focus on revitalizing the industry sector with technology in order to make the country’s products and exports more competitive.

Meanwhile, the government will focus on transforming the services sector into a modern and productive sector. Tourism, information technology, and the business process outsourcing industries will become strong growth drivers for the economy.

BSP assurance

FOR his part, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe M. Medalla assured investors that the country’s banking and financial house is under the watchful eyes of the monetary authority.

Recent efforts, Medalla said, include digitalization. He admitted that the telecommunication companies contributed significantly to this.

“The telcos contributed a lot more to the increase in the [e-money] accounts [because] it’s a lot harder to be onboarded to banks. So we are meeting our [digitalization] targets [both in terms of] the number of people who will have accounts and the percentage of transactions that will be digital,” Medalla said.

The regulation of banks, Medalla added, was “very straightforward” and the BSP made sure that banks that “carry more risks” have sufficient capital.

He said Philippine banks have been healthy throughout the pandemic and that lending has recovered “very strongly.” Bank balance sheets, Medalla said, “do not show any form of weakness.”

The BSP Governor credited the good housekeeping to the lessons gleaned from the 1997 Asian Financial crisis. The banks, Medalla said, have been well governed and those that are not were closed by the central bank.

“We make sure that banks that carry more risks will have [to set aside] more capital. That policy has been very rewarding because as the crisis came, our banks remained healthy and up to the pandemic, the banks’ lending recovered very strongly,” Medalla said.

NAIA. . .

Continued from A1

that we negotiate for a permanent maintenance agreement pending the settlement of the issues,” Bautista said.

Also part of the negotiations, he said, is the system upgrades for the CNS/ATM.

“We need to upgrade the software. According to the supplier, they do two upgrades a year. And since 2020, we have not had any of the upgrades,” Bautista said.

Long-term solution

AS a long-term solution to address the operational issues of NAIA, Bautista said they now plan to put up a permanent backup CNS/ATM for the said facility.

“It is important that we have a permanent back-up system which can be located in another site which can operate simultaneously with the existing system,” Bautista said.

He said they will prepare a feasibility study for the backup system, which they will be submitting to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for consideration.

To ensure NAIA will be maintained, Bautista also reiterated their plans to “privatize” the operations of the facility through a concession agreement.

Under the concession agreement, he explained, the government will still maintain ownership of NAIA, but its operations will be outsourced to a third party.

Regulated fees

LAST Monday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced that the government is now in talks with a New York-based firm to boost the efficiency of the operations of NAIA.

The firm is currently operating several airports, including Gatwick Airport in London.

The proposal was opposed by labor groups, who expressed concern that the turnover of the NAIA operations will lead to mass displacement of airport workers and lead to a higher terminal fee for passengers.

Bautista gave assurances, however, that if the concession agreement pushes through, the third-party operator of NAIA will not be allowed to raise fees without authorization from the government.

“Government will have a say in the rates that the operators will impose.  So, it [concession agreement] does not mean there will be an immediate hike in [terminal fees],” Bautista said.

POGOs. . .

Continued from A1

with the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, the Bureau of Immigration and the Anti-Money Laundering Council “were strengthened to forestall any illegal activities and labor practices related to offshore gaming operations in the country.”

According to the state gaming regulator, it has been “closely monitoring the cases involving MOA Cloudzone Corp. and Brickhartz Technology Inc. While the former’s case was dismissed by the DOJ on November 5, 2022, the case involving Brickhartz Technology Inc. is still under investigation. We are coordinating with the PNP and other agencies regarding this matter.”

Pagcor stressed that “it does not take these reports lightly and it will ensure that all gaming licensees abide by the law,” and it was prepared to “take the necessary actions, including the cancellation of licenses and service provider accreditations, if found warranted.”

Its third-party auditor for offshore licensees (Global ComRCI), meanwhile, which had drawn attention at the Senate hearing, was awarded the contract in December 2017. “The service provider went through proper bidding process and met all the legal requirements under the Procurement law,” said Pagcor.

“With the assumption of the new leadership of Pagcor, the contract of Global ComRCI was put under review last September 2022. We assure the senators that the review will soon be finished and released at the proper time.

“We have been in contact with Global ComRCI and are currently assessing the contract’s terms and conditions and the company’s performance.”

The offshore gaming industry has only been in existence in the Philippines under Pagcor over the last five years, the agency pointed out. “Aside from the taxes to the national and local governments, it currently employs an estimated 25,000 Filipinos and contributes billions of pesos to the local economy through real estate activities, consumption and indirect employment. It is Pagcor’s aim to nurture this industry as it believes it has much more to contribute to the Philippine economy and nation building.”

Tourism. . .

Continued from A1

The Chinese visitors arrived at NAIA terminal 1 around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday on board Xiamen Air flight MH819 and presented an e-travel pass, passport with acquired visa and return ticket to quarantine and immigration officers on duty at the counters.

Immigration officers gave the visiting Chinese nationals 30 to 59 days of stay in the country depending on their acquired visa, according to Dana Sandoval, BI spokesperson.

Recently, the Department of Health (DOH) directed air and maritime travel authorities to conduct a thorough review of health declaration forms submitted by passengers from China. Symptomatic passengers intercepted upon arrival and reports on Covid-positive passengers in ports of entry should be reported to the DOH.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the department had enough health protocols and that additional restrictions for individuals arriving from China are not yet needed.

DOH said there is no need yet to shut the country’s border or impose tighter Covid restrictions on inbound Chinese travelers.

The direction of this administration is that, as much as possible, restrictions are minimal but without compromising health while supporting the opening up of the country, Vergeire added.

The United States, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain,and Canada are now among the growing list of countries requiring negative Covid-19 tests from travelers arriving from China. Nonie Reyes

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz  @joveemarie

THE House of Representatives has joined the Register Anywhere Project of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to increase the number of registered voters in forthcoming electoral exercises.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the House participation was signed Tuesday at the Batasan complex by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia.

Our involvement in this laudable project is our modest contribution to the efforts of the Comelec to register as many voters as possible,” Romualdez said.

We encourage our House members, personnel, and their dependents and relatives, as well as those of attached agencies, and our people in general to take advantage of this offsite or satellite listing project so they could exercise their right of suffrage in future elections,” he said.

House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said the registration for House members and employees

and personnel of agencies will be on January 25 and 26, while that for their dependents will be on January 27, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It will be conducted at the North Wing Lobby of the Batasan complex, he said.

He said those who will turn 15 years of age by October 30, 2023 may register.

Under the House-Comelec MOU, aside from the registration venue and similar requirements, the House would provide Covid-19 antigen test for 30 Comelec employees.

For its part, the poll body would make available the needed personnel, registration machines, laptops and other equipment.

T he Comelec would accept new registration, reactivation, transfer of registration, transfer from post to local in case of overseas voters, and updating of records of senior citizens and persons with disability.

T he Comelec is conducting offsite registration at the same time as its regular listing in all its field offices throughout the country.

Registration started last December 12 and will go on until the end of this month.

House bill promoting religious freedom hurdles third reading

THE House of Representatives has passed on third reading the proposed Magna Carta on Religious Freedom Act, which prohibits the government or any person to burden, curtail, impinge or encroach on a person’s right to exercise his/her religious belief, freedom and liberty of conscience except if the act results in violence or if it is necessary to protect the public.

T he House Bill 6492 with 256 affirmative vote, one negative and three abstentions will be forwarded to the Senate for its own deliberations.

HB 6492 was among several bills the House, under the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez passed on the first day of the resumption of its session after a month-long Christmas break.

Authors of the bill noted that such right is guaranteed under Section 5, Article III of the Constitution and other international human rights instruments to which the State is a party or that it adheres thereto, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Declaration on the Elimination on All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion and Belief.

T he proposed law seeks to operationalize Section 5, Article III of the 1987 Constitution, which provides that “No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No

religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.”

Section 6 of HB 6492 states that the right to freedom of religion can be denied, regulated, burdened, or curtailed only if it can be demonstrated that (1) the free exercise of religious freedom or conscience results to violence; and (2) it is necessary to protect public safety, public order, health, property, and good morals.

T he bill does not apply to the act of the government in enacting laws in the exercise of its police power.

T he bill explicitly protects 12 rights: Right to Choose a Religion or Religious Group; Right to Exercise or Express Religious Belief, Practices, Acts or Activities; Right to Act in Accordance with Conscience; Right to Propagate Religious Beliefs; Right to Disseminate Religious Publications; Right to Religious Worship and Ceremonies; Right to Organizational Independence; Right Against Discrimination in Employment; Right to Freedom Against Discrimination in Educational Institutions; Right of Companies or Businesses to be Founded on Religious Belief; Right of Parents or Legal Guardians to Rear Children; and Right to Tax Exemption.

Under Section 19, it will be unlawful for any person, natural or juridical to compel a person, by means of force, threat, intimidation or undue influence to choose or not to choose a particular religious group, or to subscribe to a particular religious belief; or threaten a person with harm or exert undue influence or pressure to prevent such person from changing one’s religion or belief. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Despite Covid-19, cardio, cerebrovascular diseases, cancer remain top killers in PHL

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

THE Covid-19 virus that crippled the global economy and shuttered many businesses in the process has also continued to cause the death of thousands of Filipinos as of September 2022, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

T he PSA’s latest data showed that Covid-19 deaths were still one of the top Filipino killers causing the death of 13,883 Filipinos or 3.3 percent of the total registered deaths from January to September 2022.

By classification, Covid-19 with virus identified and Covid-19 virus not identified were both included in the 20 leading causes of death,” PSA added.

T he data showed Covid-19 with virus identified was the 11th leading cause of death in the country with 9,749 cases or 2.3 percent of the total deaths.

PSA said registered deaths due to Covid-19 with virus not identified accounted for 4,134 or 1 percent of the total deaths, making it the 19th leading cause of death.

T he data also showed that the National Capital Region (NCR) registered the highest number of deaths due to Covid-19 with 3,444 or 24.8 percent of the total Covid-19 deaths from January to September 2022.

In NCR, Quezon City reported the highest number of deaths due to Covid-19, with 659 deaths or 19.1 percent of the total Covid-19 deaths in the region from January to September 2022.

T his was followed by the City of Manila and City of Pasig with 551 or 16 percent and 347 or 10.1 percent of Covid-19 deaths, respectively.

NCR was followed by Region 4A (Calabarzon), which ranked second with 2,257 deaths or 16.3 percent of the total while Central Luzon came in third with 1,888 deaths or 13.6 percent of the total.

However, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) reported the least number of registered Covid-19 deaths with only 38 cases.

Meanwhile, the top 3 causes of death in the country from January to September of 2022 were still ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and neoplasms.

The leading causes of death in the same period in 2021 were ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular dis-

eases and Covid-19 virus identified,” the PSA said.

From January to September 2022, ischaemic heart diseases were the leading cause of death with 77,173 cases or 18.5 percent of the total deaths in the country.

T he data also showed cerebrovascular diseases, came in second with 42,890 deaths or 10.3 percent of the total while neoplasms, commonly known as “cancer,” were the third leading cause which accounted for 42,497 recorded cases or a 10.2 percent share from January to September 2022.

Deaths due to diabetes mellitus recorded 26,774 cases or 6.4 percent share, making it the fourth leading cause of death, while deaths due to hypertensive diseases, which ranked fifth, recorded 23,971 cases or 5.7 percent share.

Speaker backs poll body’s ‘register anywhere’ drive UNICEF bares learners’ letter request to VP and DepEd chief Sara Duterte

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

THE United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday unveiled “Letters to VP Sara,” an initiative that places children’s voices at the core of efforts to address the learning crisis.

“Children should have a say in matters that affect them. We hope that adults will continue to consult children on how they can learn better,” said UNICEF Philippines Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov on the occasion of the International Day of Education.

Dendevnorov added: As we tackle learning challenges, let’s empower children to participate meaningfully in their schools and communities.

T he UNICEF official presented the letters to Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte the letter listing the wishes of learners all over the Philippines.

IDE

THE UN General Assembly proclaimed January 24 as International Day of Education (IDE), a day to celebrate the crucial role of education for peace and development.

T his year’s theme, “To invest in people, prioritize education,” builds on the global momentum spurred by the UN Transforming Education Summit (TES) participated in by the Philippines, where education stakeholders committed to act boldly and ambitiously in transforming the education system to deliver inclusive, equitable, and continuous quality education instrumental in breaking the cycle of poverty that keeps millions of children behind.

“ This year’s theme ‘To Invest in People, Prioritize Education’ affirms that the new administration is on the right track. At the UN Transforming Education Summit in September last year, President Marcos announced our commitment to recover the learning losses from the pandemic and rebuild our education to be more inclusive, relevant and resilient to future shocks and disruptions,” Duterte said in her speech during the event.

Let us work together to ensure that our education system empowers our young people to navigate lives, challenges with 21st century skills, resilience, leadership, and strength of character as they join us in reshaping and rebuilding a better and stronger Philippines,” Duterte added.

T he said activity is primarily envisioned to generate visibility from local to global level on prioritizing education to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) ahead of the SDG Summit building on the outcomes of the United Nation’s Transforming Education Summit.

T he department’s celebration of IDE was participated by United Nations Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres, Director of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Office, Jakarta Mr. Mohamed Djelid and Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Research, Evaluation, and Assessment Specialist Dr. Kamaleswaran Jayarajah, among others.

Crisis in foundational learning

TODAY, the UNICEF said, 244 million children and youth globally are

out of school.

In the Philippines, 2.6 million Filipinos aged 6 to 19 were not attending school in 2020.

T here is a crisis in foundational learning, as well as an alarming decline in the literacy and numeracy skills among young learners, it added.

U NICEF also shared that many schools in the Philippines lack facilities and human resources to help children with their lessons.

“ Vulnerable children such as those living in poverty, those living in isolated, disaster-prone, and conflict areas, children with disabilities and children belonging to indigenous communities fare far worse,” UNICEF said.

Letters

FOR this year’s commemoration, UNICEF asked learners all over the Philippines to write letters on what they need to be able to enjoy their full rights to education.

Learners’ needs were diverse, such as better peace and order situation in their localities for uninterrupted learning, facilities for LGBTQ+ students, learning program for children with disabilities, and school development projects in their communities. Some also shared their dreams and career aspirations.

Viah from Bagumbayan Central School in Legazpi City thanked Duterte for taking care of teachers, saying that “happy teachers will make them efficient, effective and dedicated teachers.”

My dream is to have more rooms and more teachers. We only have two teachers because other teachers are afraid to come here. I hope we will have peace and order so that we can

continue to go to school,” Aisha from Lebbuh Primary School in Lamitan, Basilan says.

Meanwhile, Choleen from Oranbo Elementary School in Pasig City said, “It will greatly help if we have bond papers, art materials, printers and good Internet connection so we can easily print our work sheets and test papers.”

“My wish is for us to have food. I hope I can also have uniforms,” Matuy Balenton, a child belonging to the Aeta tribe studying in Dinalupihan, Bataan said.

A lhadz from Naungan Primary School in Tawi-Tawi lives far from the town and gets to school by riding a boat.

“My only wish is for us to have a big boat that we can use even if it is windy and the waves are strong, so that we can get to school safely,” Alhadz said.

Basic Education Development Plan 2030

EDUCATION authorities are tackling education challenges through its Basic Education Development Plan 2030.

T his January, DepEd is presenting the Basic Education Report (BER) 2023 and the Education Agenda.  UNICEF has been a long-standing education partner, advocating for children’s right to education in the Philippines for over 75 years.

To help children recover learning after Covid-19 and other emergencies, UNICEF provides technical and material support, supports vulnerable children such as children with disabilities, helps local governments with learning recovery plans, and repairs schools damaged by typhoons.

Rep. Villafuerte tells Edcom II: Medium of teaching in schools needs rethinking

WITH the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom II) set to begin this year its study on follow-up reforms to the educational system, a senior lawmaker has asked the new bicameral panel to consider as one of its priorities a review of what medium of instruction to use from hereon in the country’s schools.

C amarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte, who is also president of the National Unity Party (NUP), made the proposal to the newly-formed Edcom after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. heralded in his latest overseas trip the country’s demographic “sweet spot” comprising a formidable work force of mostly young, tech-savvy and English-speaking Filipinos as one of its competitive edge as a post-

pandemic  investment destination.

“Edcom II’s intent to begin studying further education reforms following the reopening of the 19th Congress after its yearend break would be a splendid opportunity for us lawmakers to consider a serious  rethinking of what medium of instruction to use in our schools,” he said.

For Villafuerte, such a review has gained greater  urgency following President Marcos’s remarks in a one-on-one dialogue with World Economic Forum (WEF) President Borge Brende on the sidelines of WEF’s annual forum in Davao, Switzerland that the Philippines’s boasts of a “demographic dividend” advantage  of having Asia’s youngest work force that is well-trained, sophisticated,  on equal footing

with that of any other country in terms of technological know-how, and proficient in English.

“ We are hoping that Edcom II would look into further reforms that need to be put in place to allow Filipino workers to preserve our ‘A’ game in English, so to speak, given that this  language is known as the world’s lingua franca  because there are reportedly 350 million people across the globe who speak it as their first language and 500 million more who use it as their second language,” he added.

H e noted that proficiency in English has opened a lot of opportunities for those looking for jobs as well as for workers to keep their current employment or get promoted, as most corporations require from their employees and

would-be hires a fair amount of skill in this language.

Keeping our labor force highly attractive for local and international employers is one means for the Marcos administration’s desired economic transformation to succeed, as it would go a long way in, first, attracting more overseas investors to set up shop here; and, second, for  international  businesses to keep hiring our workers and thereby increasing  the dollar remittances of migrant Filipinos,” Villafuerte said.

E dcom II is reportedly set to begin its study following  the reopening of the 19th Congress after its year-end break,  further reforms to Philippine education about three decades after the original Edcom studied and pushed major initiatives that led to the enactment of

a host of laws benefiting our elementary, secondary, tertiary and vocational-technical (voc-tech) schools as well as our teachers and school administrators.

T he Senate and House of Representatives passed their respective measures setting up Edcom II last May 23, 2022, and the consolidated  bill lapsed into law—Republic Act or RA 11899—last July 23.

Edcom II is tasked to set “specific, targeted, measurable and timebound solutions” aimed at developing a “more holistic, harmonized and coordinated education ecosystem.” Via a review of the mandates of the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

T his bicameral panel’s tasks

include, according to RA 11899, coming up with reform proposals in response to the pandemic and the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIRe) that is marked by the digital revolution or information technology (IT) developments like “artificial intelligence [AI], automation, data analytics, blockchain data sharing, quantum computing and internet of things analytics.”

In his dialogue with Brende in Davos, the President said the country’s demographic dividend would help drive its rapid development.

Marcos and Brende agreed that possible stumbling blocks to this goal are the country’s infrastructure, research and development (R&D), bureaucratic red tape and the quality of education.  Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

PAFMI presses govt to build ‘strong’ industry-based corn devt program

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

AFTER backing the extension of lower corn tariffs, a group of feed millers is urging the government to boost domestic productivity as a longterm measure to ensure sufficient supply of raw materials.

In a news statement, the Philippine Association of Feed Millers Inc. (PAFMI) said the country needs a “strong” industry-based corn development program to support the growing demand for the grain.

T he groups’ statement came a few weeks after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order (EO) 10 that extended the duration of reduced tariffs on corn imports until the end of the year.

PAFMI was among the groups

that pushed for the extension of the lower corn tariffs amid a shortfall in domestic yellow corn supply.

“ PAFMI also fully supports the initiative bared by the Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban to increase the yield per hectare of yellow corn by 3 percent a year through a Corn Production Enhancement Project as an immediate step towards increasing harvest volumes in the coming years,” the group said.

T he Department of Agriculture earlier revealed its plan to bankroll a corn production enhancement program that seeks to improve local output of the critical feed material and slash the country’s dependence on imports. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/01/19/ da-to-fund-new-program-to-

boost-phl-corn-yield/ )

PAFMI, which is composed of 30 feed milling companies nationwide, explained that the country’s corn imports continued to increase in the past years as local production is only sufficient to meet 57 percent of the industry’s yellow corn requirement.

PAFMI noted that the deficit in local output left them with “little option but to resort to importations.”

This supply sufficiency gap between imported and local corn needs to be substantially trimmed to single digits to insulate the country from the adverse effects of any tight global supply of grains, which ultimately impinges on the nation’s food security and leaves the country vulnerable to global supply imbalances,” the group said.

C iting the Department of Agriculture, PAFMI said local corn

output this year would reach 7.56 million metric tons, of which 6.35 million metric tons would go to animal feed millers.

A comprehensive long-term corn development program that takes into consideration the country’s growing appetite for livestock and poultry produce should provide an impetus to modernize corn farming and put in place much-needed harvest and post-harvest infrastructure,” the group said.

T he country’s corn imports in market year 2022-2023 could reach 1 million metric tons on the back of the extension of lower tariffs on the commodity and anticipated easing of global prices. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2023/01/03/usda-hikes-phlcorn-import-outlook-to-1-mmtfor-market-year-2022-2023/)

House reso seeks review of NPC-SPUG operations

By Jove Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

AHOUSE deputy minority leader has filed a resolution seeking a review of the operations of the National Power Corporation Small Power Utility Group (NPCSPUG) in view of its announcement of a reduction in electricity service in covered areas starting February 1.

In filing House Resolution 708, Deputy Minority Leader and Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman said the announcement came only a few months after the crippling power crisis that affected not only Basilan but parts of Mindanao and Luzon as well.

This time, the NPC-SPUG said the reasons behind the reduction are the shortage in fuel supply and a delay in the subsidy payment of Universal Cost for Missionary Electrification [UCME],” he said.

The NPC seems to be struggling year in and year out to meet its financial obligations that result in its failure to provide steady and reliable electric power to the people, especially those connected to the isolated small island grid,” Hataman said.

T he resolution is asking the appropriate committee of the House of Representatives to conduct a review of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA), specifi-

cally on the operations of the NPCSPUG with the end view of preventing the recurring power outages in isolated small island grids.

With NPC-SPUG’s recent announcement of a reduction of electric power service to its areas due to a shortage of fuel supply and a delay in subsidy payment of UCME, there is a need to review the NPC-SPUG’s operations under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 to come up with a viable solution to its perennial predicament and avoid burdening the people with a problem not of their own doing,” said Hataman.

He said the problem persists not only in Basilan, but island-provinces

such as Sulu, Jolo and even Palawan, where tourism could be affected if power outages occur.

“Power outages in small islandprovinces such as Basilan continue to become more and more frequent, heavily affecting not only the day-today lives of ordinary citizens, but the operations of the local government in providing basic services to the people, as well as operations of small businesses and livelihood centers,” he added.

L ast year’s power crisis involved long hours of outages with a threat of a total power blackout in Basilan and other parts of Mindanao unless the NPC settles its obligations amounting to P1.2 billion to Petron.

AmCham exec to DTI: Where’s the updated SRP

By Andrea E. San Juan

THE American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc. (AmCham) strongly urged the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to regularly publish suggested retail price (SRP) bulletins, noting that its member companies are struggling to continue production given the rising prices of raw materials and services.

I n a letter addressed to Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual on January 20, 2023, AmCham Philippines expressed concern on the plight of its member companies to continue production.

A lot of our member companies are struggling to continue production given the rising prices of raw materials and services,” AmCham Executive Director Ebb Hinchliffe said.

In line with this, AmCham strongly urges the Department of Trade and Industry to regularly publish SRP bulletins in accordance with the Price Act to allow producers and manufacturers to adequately plan their operations and finances,” the AmCham official added.

Hinchliffe said the regular publication of SRP bulletins will “ultimately help” businesses to stay afloat and continue to provide jobs and quality products for Filipinos.

W ith this, the AmCham, along with its members, said they are committed to helping the DTI to gather information that will help assess the market prices of consumer goods and services.

It has always been our mission to help the government to come up with policies that would make the country a fair, sustainable and competitive investment destination,” Hinchliffe’s letter read.

During a televised interview last

week, DTI-Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo revealed that makers of canned sardines, processed milk, coffee, instant noodles, bread, candles and detergent soap are those who have requested for a price increase for their products under the basic necessities category.

For prime commodities, Castelo said there are pending requests for canned meat, bath soap and some condiments.

A ccording to the trade official, among the factors that could lead to the adjustment of prices are the prices of raw materials that manufacturers are using, majority of which are being imported. Another factor that could be causing the price changes, Castelo said, is the logistics cost since fuel is consumed for the distribution of goods.

Further, she said, packaging materials could also have a hand in the adjustment of prices of goods as majority of these are also being imported by manufacturers. Castelo said these factors contribute to the increase of the manufacturer’s cost of production that may prompt them to request for price increases.

Castelo said last week the trade department initially planned to release an updated SRP bulletin within the month of January. However, she said, the pending requests for price hikes have piled up.

We’re not yet done and we’re still studying carefully when to release it [SRP bulletin]. At ‘yung figures meron pa naman kaming natitirang validation dahil ang requests panay ang dating sa amin,” Castelo said last week.

So we are just trying to finish important figures para masigurado natin ‘yung computation. So wala pa tayong date kung kailan lalabas,” Castelo added.

NGO offers to help to national government on agricultural industry issues

ANONGOVERNMENT organization (NGO) in the Philippines based in Central Luzon, which is called the Agricultural Growth through Inclusivity and Leadership by the Private Sector for Acceleration of Modernization and Industrialization, or AGILA, has expressed its intention to come to the aid of the national government (NG) on the issues surrounding the agriculture industry of the Philippines.

In an official statement, AGILA

identified the current problems of the agricultural industry, including the drawback in logistics considering the country is composed of more than 7,000 islands, the continuous increase in our population, and the effects of climate change.

A ccording to former Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo, president of AGILA, agricultural importation in the country must all be governmentto-government, and all transactions must be published for transparency.

T he group also suggested that there is a need to create a monitoring board in order to efficiently keep an eye on the imports and avoid hoarding of goods. Pelayo also cited the necessity of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to have police power in order to put teeth in the law.

T he former mayor turned fulltime farmer also raised the importance for DA to compute the total production of commodities like rice, livestock, and other fresh produce,

and compare these data to the average consumption every year.

There is also a need to tap the state agricultural universities and colleges in our country to help address the anticipated agricultural setback in the future,” the organization’s president added.

Pelayo also shared that AGILA has taken the initiative to formalize a memorandum of agreement between one local government in Metro Manila and a group of local farmers in

Bataan, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija to plant according to the demands of the consumers.

T his way, farmers will have a direct market to avoid going through middlemen, hence maintaining a fairly reasonable price to the public consumers.

I n addition, Pelayo said that AGILA asserts its support to the DA under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. by complementing their own initiatives

to that of the programs and plans of the national government. Our group is willing to guide the LGUs [local government unit] and lead the farmers to gain more knowledge, including financial literacy and let them identify every community’s agricultural requirements, and we help by letting our local farmers plant what is only needed, thereby diminishing oversupply and irregular price of fresh produce,” Pelayo added.

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has recently distributed the certificates of land ownership award (CLOA) to 56 former tenants of Don Domingo Reyes in Buenavista, Quezon.

T he tenants have been asserting their claim as agrarian reform beneficiaries to the 174-hectare property of the Reyes family for 30 years.

Saturnino Alcantara, one of the beneficiaries and a barangay chairperson in the area, was among the recipients of the certificate of land ownership award (CLOA) that were distributed by the DAR.

A s a new landowner, Alcantara said they felt more secure. He said they were also able to enjoy the fruits of their labor with increased income and provide education to their children.

Way back in 1994, Don Domingo Reyes Sr., former landowner of the 174-hectare agricultural land located in Barangay Catulin, Buenavista, Quezon, ordered a halt on all farm activities including planting and harvesting crops, raising farm animals, and copra processing.

T he tenant farmers headed by Alcantara organized the Samahan ng mga Magsasaka sa Catulin (Samaca) and requested DAR to

cover the Reyes property under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Don Domingo initially rejected the coverage and erected fences covering his whole property. His personnel also uprooted the crops planted by the tenants forcing the farmers to flee from the landholding.

S amaca, with the assistance of the PEACE Foundation, a nongovernment organization (NGO), attended a paralegal training on agrarian reform laws under the Bondoc Development Program (BDP) to equip them with the necessary knowledge and formulate a plan to put an end to the incessant chaos.

To provide the support needed by the beneficiaries, an InterAgency Task Force was formed together with the Philippine National Police, Department of Justice, Department of National Defense, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and other NGOs.

Soon, the former landowners gave in until the tenant farmers were finally installed, provided with individual CLOAs, and are now peacefully cultivating the land.

T he new landowners are now able to build houses, buy appliances and some of their children have already graduated from tertiary education.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

MMDA sustains road clearing operations

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has issued tickets and towed over 600 illegally parked vehicles during recent clearing operations of Metro Manila’s Mabuhay Lanes, acting MMDA Chairman Romando Artes reported on Tuesday.

Umabot sa 657 ang nahuling sasakyan dahil sa paglabag sa illegal parking [There were 657 illegally parked vehicles that were apprehended],” he said. Artes added the intensified clearing operations were conducted from January 16 to 21.

A rtes said that 243 other vehicles were towed or impounded for various traffic infractions in the same period.

Penalty for unattended illegally parked vehicles is P1,000, while attended and illegally parked vehicles will be fined P2,000.

E arlier, Artes announced that the agency would start to clear the Mabuhay Lanes that serve as the alternative routes for motorists

traversing Edsa with the dispatch of three teams to remove all forms of road obstructions.

“ We shall have no let-up in clearing the Mabuhay Lanes of different kinds of obstructions. That is proof that the government is serious in making our key routes accessible,” Artes then said at the ceremonial send-off of the team held in Baclaran, Pasay City on January 16.

T he MMDA, in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Capital Region Police Office, and local government units covered by identified Mabuhay Lanes, vowed to sustain the clearing and keep the alternate routes in the metropolis free from obstructions.

A rtes said that regular operations and eventual turnover of the cleared areas to barangay officials is part of the memorandum of agreement between the agency and the DILG to maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of the roads.

T here are 17 Mabuhay lane routes coming from Edsa, North Luzon Expressway, Quezon City and Manila.

PAMANA turns over motorized boats to

BABAK, ISLAND GARDEN

CITY OF SAMAL—Thirty members of a Bangsamoro fishermen’s group and their families expect to significantly raise their incomes with the help of motorized fishing boats provided under the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program.

T he beneficiaries include the Barangay Kinawitnon Bangsamoro Group whose membership is composed of members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who have settled in this coastal fishing community.

D uring the turnover ceremony of the fishing boats on Friday, January 20, Executive Director Cesar de Mesa of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), which oversees the implementation of PAMANA, emphasized the importance of the project to the beneficiaries and their communities.

Ang ating pag turn-over ng mga motorized banca na may kasamang iba’t-ibang kagamitan ay sumisimbolo sa pagnanais ng pamahalaang nasyonal, sa pamumuno ng ating mahal na Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. na maiangat ang antas ng kabuhayan ng mga mangingisda at kanilang mga pamilya dito sa inyong barangay,” de Mesa said, who represented Presidential Peace Adviser and Defense Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr. at the event.

Bilang kalihim din ng departamento ng agrikultura, batid ni Pangulong Marcos ang pangagailangan ng ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda. Kailangan nila ng mga maayos na kagamitan, gayundin din ng mga pinakabagong kaalaman at pagsasanay, upang buong husay silang makapagtrabaho at kumita ng maayos,” he added.

T his is the reason, de Mesa said, why the PAMANA Program is focused on implementing interventions that aim to help beneficiaries, particularly farmers and fisherfolk, improve the quality of their produce and efficiently transport them to market centers.

A side from building physical infrastructure and providing livelihood project, the PAMANA program also seeks to strengthen the “social infrastructure” of communities with social cohesion, conflict transformation and good governance as the cornerstone of its interventions.

“Sa pamamagitan nito, maipapakita ng pamahalaan ang buong-puso nitong suporta sa ating mga mahal na kababayan, lalo ‘yung mga apektado ng armadong kaguluhan. Naniniwala kami na ang pinaka-epektibong paraan upang makamit ang tunay na kapayapaan ay sa pamamagitan ng pagpapaunlad sa ating mga komunidad,” de Mesa said.

Davao del Norte Gov. Edwin Jubahib said the provincial government, the city government of Samal and the national government are working hand in hand to uplift the lives of the island-city’s people.

N ow equipped with motorized fishing boats, Jubahib said he is confident that the beneficiaries will be able to substantially increase their incomes, and consequently, uplift the living conditions of their families.

Our commitment is to strengthen our development thrusts on greater livelihood and income opportunities as enshrined in our 13-Point Kuya Gov ng Masa Development Agenda,” Jabahib said.

We shall consistently give importance to programs and services that will help our constituents become self-independent and self-sustaining, and build a quality life in the province,” he added.

For his part, Samal City Mayor Al David Uy thanked the national government and President Marcos for the livelihood projects provided to the city under the PAMANA program, as he reminded the beneficiaries to take good care of the motorized fishing boats.

“ Let us thank our national leaders, especially President Marcos, for proceeding with this project. My only request to is take care of these boats and other equipment. If the government sees that you are taking care of these, they will give you more projects,” Uy said in the vernacular.

M eanwhile, Rowel Cervantes, one of the project beneficiaries, thanked the national, provincial and city government for the livelihood assistance given to them.

Cervantes said that the motorized boat equipped with fishing nets will be “life-changing” for him and his family, as it will help boost his current income.

“Naa gyud. Daku daku na man ang panginabuhi nako. Mutaas-taas na [There is. My income will increase],” he said when asked how much he expects to earn using the new fishing boat.

AFP chalks historic record of 39 promotions and designations amid reported rumblings

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) notched a historic record of sorts on Monday with an unprecedented number of promotions with the swearing-in, or donning of new, or additional stars of senior military officers.

T he large-scale promotions of senior military officers to the next higher rank or their designations to key positions in the military occurred in a single day, throwing military camps and headquarters into a frenzied mood.

T he promotions, designations and donning of ranks bonanza occurred hours after Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. announced that the Commander-in-Chief has signed 39 promotions and designations in the AFP, apparently to stem previous reports of rumblings in the uniformed service.

T he roster of newly promoted senior officers was led by Philippine Air Force Commanding General Stephen Parreño, who donned his third-star rank at Camp Aguinaldo, follow-

ing the signing of his promotion by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on January 13.

T he Air Force chief, with the pinned additional star on his shoulders, subsequently retreated to the Air Force headquarters at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City wherein he was accorded with the traditional full military honors.

“ He and his family were also warmly received with congratulatory wishes by PAF Unit commanders and HPAF [headquarters, Philippine Air Force] staff,” a statement from the Air Force said.

Hours later, a similar donning of ranks followed at the Air Force to newly promoted Major General Edgar Cardinoza, commander of the AFP Health Service Command;

Major General Aristotle Gonzales, commander of the Air Education Training and Doctrine Command (AETDC); and Major General George Blanco, commander of the Air Logistics Command.

O ther senior officers who were promoted to the rank of brigadier general were Ronie Petinglay, deputy commander, Air Defense Command; Reynold Rueca, deputy commander, Air Logistics Command (ALC); Gerold Gagan, wing commander, 420th Supply Wing; Edgar Torres, wing commander, 300th Air Intelligence Service Group (300th AISG); Rey Bes, deputy commander, Western Command (WESCOM); Antonio Francisco, acting commander, Air Base Development Command (AIBDC); Leo Fontanilla, wing commander, 5th Fighter Wing; Ramil Oloroso, wing commander, Tactical Operations Wing Central; Leodigario Macalintal, deputy, the Inspector General.

T he Air Force said the promotion of the senior officers is a testament to its “leaders’ competence, commitment, and their readiness to assume the highest responsibilities of leading the PAF towards its vision of becoming a credible and agile force.”

At Camp Aguinaldo, Major General Alex Rillera relinquished his post as the deputy chief of staff (DCS) for operations to his assistant, Brig.

Gov. Ebdane bares Zambales priority

General Glenn Jun Calambuhay.

R illera is slated to assume as the new commander of the 6th Infantry Division, whose chief Major General Roy Galido has assumed as the new commander of the AFP Western Mindanao Command.

Brigadier General Noel Beleran took over as the deputy chief of staff for education, training and doctrine, while Brigadier General Proceso Rebancos assumed as the new chief engineer of the military.

A lso, Colonel Erwin Victoriano Machica II also took over the leadership of the Office of The Judge Advocate General, AFP, while Colonel Ma. Dolores Lim NC assumed as the military’s chief nurse. Colonel Geoffrey Carandang was designated as the new Secretary of the Joint Staff, AFP.

At the Navy, its chief, Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr. presided over the ceremony promoting Commodore Jose Ma Ambrosio Ezpeleta, the chief of naval staff, to the rank of rear Admiral.

Navy Captain Alan Javier, commander of the Naval Forces West, was also promoted to the rank of commodore while Eric Macaambac and Nestor Narag, both from the Marines, were promoted to the rank of brigadier general, being the commanders of the First Marine Brigade and Combat Service Support Brigade, respectively.

development projects

dredged materials are used mainly for ongoing reclamation projects in the Manila Bay.

“ The key to achieving these goals is intensified revenue generation program, including efficient tax collection,” Ebdane said. “We expect more revenue to be generated through proper management of dredging, which have become a viable source of income for the province.”

At the same time, Ebdane rallied government officials and all sectors of the community to come together and march forward.

“ We must be bolder in our ambitions for the province,” he said.

“We must not only win in our fight against poverty; instead, we must end it! We must not only lay down the foundation of good governance; rather, exemplify and demonstrate it in our decisions and actions. We must not only fulfill our duties as public servants, but engage our people in building a community and inspire actions of change for sustainable development,” he added.

IBA, Zambales—Expect more development projects to be launched here this year, as the provincial government bared a comprehensive program to improve public service delivery, create more economic opportunities, and further push for development sustainability in Zambales.

Z ambales Govenor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. on Monday revealed this plan in his 2023 State of the Province Address (SOPA) before the Zambales provincial board and other local government officials.

Ebdane said his administration will continue to build facilities to address infrastructure gaps and improve the delivery of social services and public health, as well as meet requirements for business and ancillary services.

T he proposed facilities include a state-of-the-art annex facility for the President Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital and a new Capitol building, he said.

T he development program, he added, will be funded under the LGU-Omnibus Term Loan Facil -

ity Program of the Land Bank of the Philippines.

“ It is high time that we must implement identified priority development projects as embodied in our comprehensive development plan,” Ebdane said in his SOPA.

A side from implementing infrastructure projects to sustain development, Ebdane said the provincial government has also identified four other priority areas that it will focus on under his direction.

T hese include improving health and social services by establishing a state-of-the-art hospital with more doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals; strengthening education and youth development to bolster youth participation in community-building; capacitating human resources and upgrading technological resources to promote excellence among government workers; and providing livelihood and support to social enterprises to create opportunities for sustainable income-generating activities for various sectors.

Ebdane said he is confident of success in these endeavors follow-

ing an increase in local income from dredging activities in three river systems in the province. The

“ While local leaders are perceived to be catalysts of change, citizens on the other hand, should not be viewed as mere beneficiaries, but also agents and partners for development,” Ebdane stressed.

Bangsamoro fishermen

GOV. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. identifies more development projects for Zambales, as he reports on the state of the province before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on Monday. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

11.

12.

MAU MINH QUAY Customer Service Representative (Chinese Speaking)

Brief Job Description: Provide customer service to clients.

SU LENH SIN Customer Service Representative (Chinese Speaking)

Brief Job Description: Provide customer service to clients.

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

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

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

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

AMARANTHUS INC. 8/f Platinum Tower Building Aseana Avenue Corner, Fuentes Street, Baclaran, City Of Parañaque

LIU, XIANG Chinese Speaking Trade Marketing Specialist

Brief Job Description: Bares & Estrellas is entitled to change the employee’s duties according to the employee’s performance and its business needs, Abide by and perform to the best of his/her abilities all

and responsibilities to be assigned by EMPLOYER in due course,Comply with the orders and instructions given from time to time by EMPLOYER through its authorized representatives; Will not disclose any confidential information in respect of the affairs of the company to any unauthorized person; Supervising staff and controlling merchandise, Perform any other administrative or non-administrative duties as assigned by any EMPLOYER representative from tine to time either through direct written order by verbal assignment

Basic Qualification: Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in business administration or similar, Excellent verbal and written communication skills, Thorough understanding of the business process and management, Ability to coach others, Strong problem-solving abilities

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

BVI (PHILIPPINES) CORPORATION 40/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

WALKE, YOGESH SAMBHAJI Assistant Field Project Controls Manager

13.

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

LUO, LU Chinese Speaking Trade Marketing Specialist

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

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

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

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

Salary

23.

Brief Job Description: As Assistant Field Project Controls Manager, he shall function as a Manager and Specialist asigned to a role in Project Controls. This position has supervisory responsibility over a group of project controls personnel. He shall also function as a technical specialist who shall independently develop and apply advanced techniques, concepts and approaches to unique problem that relate to the Project.

Basic Qualification: Minimum 15 years of experience in total majority of which should be in Project Controls for a Mid to large EPC Power Projects.

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

CHINA HARBOUR ENGINEERING COMPANY 5/f Unit 2ecbo05005, Tower B, Two E-com Center, Bayshore Ave. St., Moa Complex, Barangay 76, Pasay City

Basic

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

Basic

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 10.

Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently.

Preferably 6 months to 1-year customer service experience. Detailoriented and has the ability to multi-task.

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ALVAREZ GONZALEZ, MATIAS ALEJANDRO Sales Manager

US confronts China with evidence of companies aiding Putin’s war

By Peter Martin & Jenny Leonard

THE Biden administration has confronted China’s government with evidence that suggests some Chinese state-owned companies may be providing assistance for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, as it tries to ascertain if Beijing is aware of those activities, according to people familiar with the matter.

The people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations, declined to detail the support except to say that it consists of non-lethal military and economic assistance that stops short of wholesale evasion of the sanctions regime the US and its allies imposed after Russian forces invaded Ukraine.

The trend is worrying enough that US officials have raised the matter with their Chinese counterparts and warned about the implications of supplying material support for the war, the people said, though they declined to provide details of those contacts.

President Xi Jinping has avoided criticizing Russia over the war but has also offered to play a role in peace talks and come out against the use of nuclear weapons in the conflict.

A spokeswoman for the National Security Council declined to comment, as did the Central Intelligence Agency. The Chinese Embassy in Washington didn’t respond to two e-mails seeking comment. While the information isn’t

clear-cut and remains the subject of debate, US officials said they agree the Russia-China relationship is extremely close now and China is doing more than it once did in support of Russia.

The people familiar with the administration’s thinking characterized the state-owned enterprises’ activities as knowingly assisting Russia in its war effort. They didn’t elaborate on what evidence the administration might have to support that view.

The administration is reviewing the evidence it has accumulated to determine its significance.

A finding that Chinese companies were supporting the invasion would have troubling implications on US policy toward both Russia and China.

The US strategy over Ukraine rests in part on isolating President Vladimir Putin’s government and seeking to choke off his economy and hinder the war effort. Increased support from China, the world’s second-biggest economy, could significantly undercut that strategy.

And if Biden and his advisers determined China’s government was involved in or tacitly accepted the actions of those state-owned enterprises, they would be forced to decide how much to push back. That could risk opening a whole new area of dispute at a time when the US has sought to balance its desire for stabilized ties with Beijing against moves to limit Chinese access to high-end mircochips and confront China over what it sees as a more aggressive posture toward Taiwan.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen met Vice Premier Liu He last week and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit Beijing in February, the first such visit since the Covid-19 outbreak shut down travel in early 2020.

Russia and China declared a “no limits” relationship before the war and US officials believe that China initially intended to sell lethal weapons to Russia for use in the battlefield. But the administration views China as having scaled back that plan and argues it isn’t doing as much as it could to help Putin’s invasion, the people said.

The administration believes China’s government wants to help Russia and isn’t neutral as it claims, according to the people. China has also deepened its trade relationship despite US demands that other nations distance themselves from the Russian economy.

China on principle rejects any sanctions apart from those agreed at the United Nations, and views American calls on other countries to restrict trade as a violation of sovereignty. China’s imports from Russia grew by nearly 50 percent from a year earlier in 2022, while exports rose 13 percent.

There are thousands of stateowned enterprises in China, some directly controlled by the central government with chief executives who rank equal to ministers and others that are subject to less direct supervision. All of them are subject to Communist Party influence, even if the details of their operations are not always monitored in detail.

The trend would only exacerbate what US officials have said in public is a problem. After meeting a senior Chinese official in July, Blinken said he had relayed his concern about China’s “alignment with Russia.”

“Now, what you hear from Beijing is that it claims to be neutral,” Blinken said at the time. “I would start with the proposition that it’s pretty hard to be neutral when it comes to this aggression. There is a clear aggressor. There is a clear victim.”

In late December, Xi and Putin held a phone call in which they agreed to cooperate on trade, energy, finance and agriculture, according to Chinese state television. Xi told Putin Beijing would continue to play a constructive role in seeking to resolve the Ukraine “crisis,” though the road to peace talks won’t be smooth, the broadcaster said.

Yet deepening support for Moscow would cut against recent indications that China is trying to improve ties with the US after months of heightened tension. After meeting in Bali last year, President Joe Biden and Xi said that “a nuclear war should never be fought” and that they oppose “the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine,” according to the White House statement.

Bloomberg News

7 dead as California mourns third mass killing in 8 days

By Jeff Chiu & Olga R. Rodriguez The Associated Press

HALF MOON BAY, California—Seven people were killed in two related shootings Monday at agricultural businesses in a Northern California community, marking the state’s third mass killing in eight days, including an attack at a dance hall that killed 11 during Lunar New Year celebrations.

Officers arrested a suspect in Monday’s shootings, 67-year-old Chunli Zhao, after they found him in his car in the parking lot of a sheriff’s substation, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said.

Four people were found dead and a fifth injured from gunshot wounds at a farm, and officers found three other people killed at another location several miles away, the Sheriff’s Office said. Officials believe Zhao is a worker at one of the facilities and that the

victims were workers as well, Corpus said. Corpus said officials hadn’t determined a motive for the shooting.

The new year has brought a shocking string of mass killings in the US—six in less than three weeks, accounting for 39 deaths. Three have occurred in California since January 16, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University. The database tracks every mass killing—defined as four dead not including the offender— committed in the US since 2006.

The killings occurred on the outskirts of Half Moon Bay, a city about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of San Francisco.

Half Moon Bay Vice Mayor Joaquin Jimenez said the victims included Chinese and Latino farmworkers. Some workers at one facility lived on the premises and children may have witnessed the shooting, she said. Corpus it wasn’t immediately clear how the two locations were connected.

The Sheriff’s Office first received reports of a shooting just before 2:30 p.m. and found four people dead from gunshot wounds and a fifth person injured at the first scene. Shortly thereafter, officers found three more people dead from gunshot wounds at a second location nearby, Capt. Eamonn Allen said in a news release.

About two hours after first responding, a sheriff’s deputy noticed the suspect, Zhao, in his car parked outside a sheriff’s substation in a strip mall and arrested him, recognizing the car by its license plate.

A video of the arrest showed three officers approaching a parked car with drawn weapons. Zhao got out of the car, and the officers pulled him to the ground, put him in handcuffs, and led him away. A weapon was found in his vehicle, officials said. The video was captured by Kati McHugh, a Half Moon Bay resident who witnessed the arrest.

The sheriff’s department believes Zhao acted alone.

“We’re still trying to understand exactly what happened and why, but it’s just incredibly, incredibly tragic,” said state Sen. Josh Becker, who represents the area and called it “a very close-knit” agricultural community.

Aerial television images showed police officers collecting evidence from a farm with dozens of greenhouses.

Half Moon Bay is a small coastal city with agricultural roots, home to about 12,000 people. The city and surrounding San Mateo County area is known for producing flowers as well as vegetables like brussels sprouts. The county allows cannabis farming in certain areas.

It’s a majority white community and about 5 percent of the population is Asian, according to Census data.

“We are sickened by today’s tragedy in Half Moon Bay,” Pine said. “We have not even had time to grieve for those lost in the terrible shooting in Monterey Park. Gun violence must stop.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted that he was “at the hospital meeting with victims of a mass shooting when I get pulled away to be briefed about another shooting. This time in Half Moon Bay. Tragedy upon tragedy.”

On January 16, a teenage mother and her baby were among six people killed in a shooting at a home in California’s Central

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

Work from home saves commuters 72 minutes a day, new study finds

By Michael Sasso

WORKING from home is saving commuters around the world 72 minutes a day, time they’re splitting between their jobs, leisure and caregiving, a new study shows.

Remote staff are saving the most time in China, where forgoing the trek to and from one’s workplace is freeing up 102 minutes a day, according to the study published this month by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Serbian workers saw the smallest savings of 51 minutes, while those in the US also saw a comparatively low 55 minutes spared.

The team of economists from Europe, Mexico and the US—including Stanford University’s Nicholas Bloom—calculated daily commute times from surveys of workers across 27 countries in the past two years.

When accounting for those who never worked remotely in that time period, the economists estimate that work-from-home saved about two hours of travel time per

worker, per week. That will be cut in half after the pandemic ends given employers’ plans to bring staff back in, the researchers say.

That amounts to 2.2 percent of a 46-hour workweek, with 40 paid hours plus six hours of commuting, the paper found. As such, the private value of the time savings is around 2.2 percent of after-tax earnings in the post-pandemic economy.

“Commuters strongly dislike unpredictable travel times, and automobile drivers strongly dislike congested road conditions,” the economists said. “Thus, long commutes, unpredictable commute times, and congested road conditions push the private value of time savings above the after-tax wage.” Likewise, the inverse is true.

Workers are hardly sloughing off. Businesses are the biggest beneficiaries of the travel time savings, with workers devoting 40 percent of their saved time toward primary and secondary jobs. About a third went toward leisure activities and 11 percent went to caregiving, the study found. Bloomberg News

Rights group files suit in Germany against Myanmar military rulers

By Grant Peck The Associated Press

BANGKOK—A human rights group and 16 people from Myanmar have filed a criminal complaint in Germany seeking punishment of Myanmar’s generals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity they alleged were committed in that country after their 2021 government takeover and during a 2017 crackdown on Muslim Rohingya.

Fortify Rights, a complainant in the case announced Tuesday in Bangkok, noted “the individuals responsible for crimes related to both have yet to be held accountable.”

The federal prosecutor’s office in Germany, where the legal complaint was filed last Friday, declined to comment on it. The office would have to decide whether to file an indictment before the matter can go to court, a potentially lengthy process.

The actions of Myanmar’s generals also are under investigation by the International Criminal Court and in a genocide case at the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court.

But activists seeking accountability also have filed cases in national courts in Argentina, Turkey and now Germany as well, under the concept of universal jurisdiction.

The legal principle allows prosecution for mass atrocities regardless of location or nationality when the offenses are so severe they represent crimes against the entire international community, said Matthew Smith, chief executive officer and co-founder at Fortify Rights.

“An investigation and subsequent prosecution of these crimes under German law would serve to punish those who have committed the gravest of crimes, prevent future crimes by perpetrators in Myanmar, and signal to other would-be perpetrators in Myanmar and elsewhere that accountability for atrocity crimes cannot be avoided,” Fortify Rights said in a statement.

The complaint was filed days before the anniversary of the military’s Feb. 1, 2021, seizure of power from an elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, who is now serving a 33-year prison sentence for alleged crimes widely thought to have been concocted to legitimize military rule. The German complaint also comes more than five years after the brutal 2017 counterinsurgency operation Myanmar’s security forces carried out against the country’s Muslim Rohingya minority.

About 740,000 Rohingya fled for safety into neighboring Bangladesh after their villages were burned and they became targets for mass rape and murder. The military is accused of carrying out similar atrocities against people throughout Myanmar who opposed the 2021 army takeover and sought a return to democracy, finally taking up arms when their peaceful protects were quashed with deadly force.

About half the 16 individuals who brought the German complaint are victims of the brutality against the Rohingya and the others suffered abuses carried out after the 2021

army takeover.

According to Fortify Rights, the latter include students, scholars, farmers, former village heads, and homemakers, and are from multiple ethnic groups.

One of the complainants is a 51-year-old Rohingya woman who lost family members and was injured by soldiers, according to Fortify Rights, which withheld her name.

The woman’s village was entered by soldiers and a mob of non-Rohingya civilians, who blocked residents from leaving while burning down houses, the group said. It said individuals under the military’s control raped her daughterin-law while she was in earshot and as soldiers beat her in an adjacent room.

“The Myanmar military killed seven members of her family in the attack on her village and, in a separate incident, cut her with a knife, leaving permanent scars,” said Fortify Rights. It said she “witnessed piles of dead bodies of Rohingya civilians in her village and military soldiers stabbing, beating, and killing numerous Rohingya men and children. Soldiers killed one child as he begged them for drinking water.”

The complaint filed with Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office “includes substantial evidence showing that senior military junta officials exercised superior responsibility over subordinates who committed crimes, knew about their subordinates’ crimes, and failed to take any action to prevent the crimes from happening and to punish the perpetrators,” said Fortify Rights.

The group said the evidence submitted in the complaint includes interviews with survivors, leaked documents and information from Myanmar military and police deserters, and previous reports compiled by UN investigators and other parties.

German courts applying the principle of universal jurisdiction have in the past few years obtained convictions in cases of torture carried out in Syrian prisons and crimes committed by members of the Islamic State group.

In November 2021, courts in Argentina agreed to investigate allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity against senior Myanmar officials under the universal jurisdiction principle. The London-based Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK had brought its compliant before the courts in 2019.

There was precedent from 2010, when a court in Argentina investigated allegations of human rights abuses during the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War as well as during Francisco Franco’s regime and the two years between the dictator’s death in 1975 and the first democratic elections.

In March last year, the Myanmar Accountability Project, a non-governmental organization, brought a complaint to a Turkish court against Myanmar’s military leaders for use of torture since their 2021 takeover, charging that the practice has become “widespread and systematic.” The London-based international group is pursuing various legal actions against the military government.

FIRST responders work one of several crime scenes where multiple people were shot and killed on Monday, January 23, 2023, off state Highway 92 in Half Moon Bay, California, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. NHAT V. MEYER/BAY AREA NEWS GROUP VIA AP

New gene therapy delivers treatment directly to brain

By Laura Ungar AP Science Writer

WHEN Rylae-Ann Poulin was a year old, she didn’t crawl or babble like other kids her age. A rare genetic disorder kept her from even lifting her head. Her parents took turns holding her upright at night just so she could breathe comfortably and sleep.

Rodriguez-Pena, who lives with her family near Toronto. Rian got gene therapy in 2019, shortly before her 5th birthday. Two months later, she held her head up for the first time. She soon started using her hands and reaching for hugs. Seven months after surgery, she sat up on her own.

“When the world was crumbling around us with Covid, we were at our house celebrating like it was the biggest party of our lives because Rian was just crushing so many milestones that were impossible for so long,” said her mom, Shillann Rodriguez-Pena. “It’s a completely different life now.”

Challenges to overcome SCIENTISTS say there are challenges to overcome before this approach becomes widespread for more common brain diseases.

For example, the timing of treatment is an issue. Generally, earlier in life is better because diseases can cause a cascade of problems over the years. Also, disorders with more complex causes— like Alzheimer’s—are tougher to treat with gene therapy.

Then, months later, doctors delivered gene therapy directly to her brain.

Now the 4-year-old is walking, running, swimming, reading and riding horses—“just doing so many amazing things that doctors once said were impossible,” said her mother, Judy Wei.

Rylae-Ann, who lives with her family in Bangkok, was among the first to benefit from a new way of delivering gene therapy—attacking diseases inside the brain—that experts believe holds great promise for treating a host of brain disorders.

Her treatment recently became the first brain-delivered gene therapy after its approval in Europe and the United Kingdom for AADC deficiency, a disorder that interferes with the way cells in the nervous system communicate. New Jersey drugmaker PTC Therapeutics plans to seek US approval this year.

Meanwhile, about 30 US studies testing gene therapy to the brain for various disorders are ongoing, according to the National Institutes of Health. One, led by Dr. Krystof Bankiewicz at Ohio State University, also targets AADC deficiency.

Others test treatments for disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s.

Challenges remain, especially with diseases caused by more than a single gene. But scientists say the evidence supporting this approach is mounting—opening a new frontier in the fight against disorders afflicting our most complex and mysterious organ.

“There’s a lot of exciting times ahead of us,” said Bankiewicz, a neurosurgeon. “We’re seeing some breakthroughs.”

Dramatic breakthrough

THE most dramatic of those breakthroughs involve RylaeAnn’s disease, which is caused by mutations in a gene needed for an enzyme that helps make neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, the body’s chemical messengers. The onetime treatment delivers a working version of the gene.

At around 3 months old, Rylae-Ann began having spells her parents thought

were seizures—her eyes would roll back and her muscles would tense. Fluid sometimes got into her lungs after feedings, sending her to the emergency room. Doctors thought she might have epilepsy or cerebral palsy.

Around that time, Wei’s brother sent her a Facebook post about a child in Taiwan with AADC deficiency. The extremely rare disorder afflicts about 135 children worldwide, many in that country. Wei, who was born in Taiwan, and her husband, Richard Poulin III, sought out a doctor there who correctly diagnosed Rylae-Ann. They learned she could qualify for a gene therapy clinical trial in Taiwan.

Though they were nervous about the prospect of brain surgery, they realized she likely wouldn’t live past 4 years old without it.

Rylae-Ann had the treatment at 18 months old on November 13, 2019—which her parents have dubbed her “reborn day.”

Doctors delivered it during minimally invasive surgery, with a thin tube through a hole in the skull. A harmless virus carried in a functioning version of the gene.

“It gets put into the brain cells and then the brain cells make the [neurotransmitter] dopamine,” said Stuart Peltz, CEO of PTC Therapeutics.

Company officials said all patients in their clinical trials showed motor and cognitive improvements. Some of them, Peltz said, could eventually stand and walk, and continue getting better over time.

Bankiewicz said all 40 or so patients in his team’s NIHfunded study also saw significant improvements. His surgical approach is more involved and delivers the treatment to a different part of the brain. It targets relevant circuits in the brain, Bankiewicz said, like planting seeds that cause ivy to sprout and spread.

“It’s really amazing work,” said Jill Morris, a program director with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, which helped pay for the research. “And he has seen a lot of consistency between patients.”

One is 8-year-old Rian

“When you’re correcting one gene, you know exactly where the target is,” said Morris.

Ryan Gilbert, a biomedical engineer at New York’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, said there can also be issues with the gene-carrying virus, which can potentially insert genetic information in an indiscriminate way. Gilbert and other researchers are working on other delivery methods, such as messenger RNA—the technology used in many Covid-19 vaccines—to deliver a genetic payload to the nucleus of cells.

Scientists are also exploring ways to deliver gene therapy to the brain without the dangers of brain surgery. But that requires getting around the blood-brain barrier, an inherent roadblock designed to keep viruses and other germs that may be circulating in the bloodstream out of the brain.

A more practical hurdle is cost. The price of gene therapies, borne mostly by insurers and governments, can run into the millions. The one-time PTC therapy, called Upstaza, costs more than $3 million in Europe, for example.

But drugmakers say they are committed to ensuring people get the treatments they need. And researchers are confident they can overcome the remaining scientific obstacles to this approach.

“So I would say gene therapy can be leveraged for many sorts of brain diseases and disorders,” Gilbert said. “In the future, you’re going to see more technology doing these kinds of things.”

The families of Rylae-Ann and Rian said they hope other families dealing with devastating genetic diseases will someday get to see the transformations they’ve seen. Both girls are continuing to improve.

Rian is playing, eating all sorts of foods, learning to walk and working on language. RylaeAnn is in preschool, has started a ballet class, and is reading at a kindergarten level.

When her dad picks her up, “she runs to me...just gives me a hug and says, ‘I love you, Daddy.” he said. “It’s like it’s a normal day, and that’s all we ever wanted as parents.”

RYLAE-ANN POULIN smiles as she learns to ride a horse in Bangkok, Thailand, on January 14, 2023. Rylae-Ann was among the first to benefit from a new way of delivering gene therapy—directly into the brain—that experts believe holds great promise for treating a host of brain disorders. AP/SAKCHAI LALIT

editorial

Will the profiteers ever be prosecuted?

Many of the country’s policymakers have attributed the recent spike in the prices of basic and prime commodities, such as onion, to hoarding and profiteering. Some of them even blamed the greedy cartels that held on to their stocks so they can rake in profits once the regime of high prices rolls around. Despite the apparent certainty that it was the hoarders and profiteers who were responsible for the skyrocketing prices, nobody has been apprehended, punished or even identified.

The state may sanction those found engaging in illegal acts of price manipulation, such as hoarding and profiteering. Under the Price Act or Republic Act 7581, hoarders and profiteers will suffer the penalty of imprisonment for five to 15 years and a fine of up to P2 million. RA 7581, which was enacted in May 1992, sought to ensure the availability of basic necessities and prime commodities at reasonable prices at all times and to protect consumers against hoarding, profiteering, and cartels.

RA 7581 defined hoarding as the undue accumulation by a person or combination of persons of any basic commodity beyond his or their normal inventory levels or the unreasonable limitation or refusal to dispose of, sell or distribute the stocks of any basic necessity of prime commodity to the general public. There is prima facie evidence of hoarding when a person has stocks of any basic necessity or prime commodity 50 percent higher than his usual inventory and unreasonably limits, refuses or fails to sell the same to the general public at the time of discovery of the excess. The determination of a person’s usual inventory will be reckoned from the third month immediately preceding before the discovery of the stocks in case the person has been engaged in the business for at least three months.

Profiteering is defined by RA 7581 as the sale or offering for sale of any basic necessity or prime commodity at a price grossly in excess of its true worth. There is prima facie evidence of profiteering whenever a basic necessity or prime commodity being sold: has no price tag; is misrepresented as to its weight or measurement; is adulterated or diluted; or whenever a person raises the price of any basic necessity or prime commodity he sells or offers for sale to the general public by more than 10 percent of its price in the immediately preceding month. However, the law indicated that in the case of agricultural crops and other seasonal products, the prima facie provisions will not apply.

Despite the existence of RA 7581 and its amended version, RA 10623, unscrupulous traders remain unfazed because nobody has been jailed or indicted for hoarding or profiteering. These traders are probably emboldened by the fact that it takes a lot of work to prove illegal acts of price manipulation. Until and unless government is able to fully implement this law and do the work it takes to put hoarders and profiteers in jail, Filipino consumers will continue to pay a steep price for basic and prime commodities, especially during the holidays.

Nursing crisis is here and getting worse

Dr. Carl E. Balita

Entrepreneurs’ Footprints

IT is alarming when a developed country is offering thousands of scholarships to Filipino nursing students so they can immediately migrate to work after passing the nurses Licensure Examination. Worse is when developed countries are actively recruiting nursing students to pursue and finish their nursing education in a host country, which ensures the supply of nursing human resource. Who would refuse scholarships? Who would not want to obtain a college diploma in a developed country?

Worst of all is the fact that all of these are happening at a time when even the highest paying government specialty hospitals are having high attrition rates ranging from 16 to 27 percent due to nurses’ migration. The private hospitals are trying their best compete but can hardly match the law-mandated salaries and benefits in government hospitals. Moreover, nurses’ salary in pesos can’t compare with the offers of developed countries, especially when converted to Philippine currency.

The Filipino nurses are the best for the Filipinos and the choice of the world, as envisioned in the Philippine Nursing Roadmap.

The nursing shortage BA seD on the WHO’s state of the World’s Nursing Report in 2020, the

world will be short of 5.6 million nurses by 2030. The pandemic increased the health care demand and added strain on the human resource supply. The recent DOH report said that the Philippines is short of 92,000 physicians and 44,000 nurses.

But for the past 20 years, the Professional Regulation Commission has registered 606,428 nurses and 55,783 physicians. Prior to the pandemic, an average of 30,000 nurses are registered a year for the past 20 years, and there seems to be no reason for the country to have scarcity of nurses, if only we give our Filipino nurses reasons to stay in nursing and in the country.

A ll these reveal that the problem is not really a shortage of nurses. On the contrary, we have a surplus of competent nurses. What we lack is

By Michael R. Sisak & Eric Tucker | The Associated Press

nEW yORK—a former high-ranking FBI counterintelligence official who investigated Russian oligarchs has been indicted on charges he secretly worked for one, in violation of US sanctions. The official was also charged, in a separate indictment, with taking cash from a former foreign security officer.

Charles McGonigal, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s counterintelligence division in New York from 2016 to 2018, is accused in an indictment unsealed Monday of working with a former soviet diplomat-turned-Russian interpreter on behalf of Oleg Deripaska, a Russian billionaire they purportedly referred to in code as “the big guy” and “the client.”

McGonigal, who had supervised and participated in investigations of Russian oligarchs, including Deripaska, worked to have Deripaska’s sanctions lifted in 2019 and took money from him in 2021 to investigate a rival oligarch, the Justice Department said.

The FBI investigated McGonigal, showing a willingness to go after one of its own. Nonetheless, the indictment is an unwelcome headline for

the FBI at a time when the bureau is entangled in separate, politically charged investigations — the handling of classified documents by President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump — as newly ascendant Republicans in Congress pledge to investigate high-profile FBI and Justice Department decisions.

McGonigal and the interpreter, sergey shestakov were arrested saturday — McGonigal after landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport and shestakov at his home in Morris, Connecticut — and held at a federal jail in Brooklyn. They both pleaded not guilty Monday and were released on bail.

McGonigal, 54, and shestakov, 69, are charged with violating and conspiring to violate the International emergency economic Powers Act, conspiring to commit money

All these reveal that the problem is not really a shortage of nurses. On the contrary, we have a surplus of competent nurses. What we lack is societal compassion and the initiative to pay attention to healthcare workers’ needs and provide immediate sustainable solutions.

societal compassion and the initiative to pay attention to healthcare workers’ needs and provide immediate sustainable solutions.

Migration is nurses’ right T HeR e were issues during the pandemic about the migration cap that government imposed. But nurses have the right to pursue professional achievement through career mobility and to better the circumstances in which they live and work. Migration of nurses offers potential beneficial outcomes, including multicultural practice and enhanced learning opportunities.

However, a range of ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors exist that lead nurses to seek employment outside of their country of origin. e x amples of push factors include low pay, pay discrimination, poorly funded health systems and unfavorable working conditions. Destination countries often have pull factors, such as better salaries and conditions of employment, and career development opportunities.

Ethics in international migration

THe WHO notes that the imbalances in funding between rich and poor countries means there is an increased risk of unscrupulous international recruitment that fails to adhere to ethical principles and leaves vulnerable health systems stripped of their most valuable asset, qualified nurses. It is crucial that all countries train and retain more of their own nurses and implement ethical recruitment practices when they employ nurses from overseas.

The WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel establishes and promotes voluntary principles and practices for the ethical international recruitment of health personnel and the strengthening of health systems, including effective health workforce planning, education and retention strategies. As highlighted in the Code, the goal for all countries should be to have a sustainable national nursing workforce that focuses on a stable core of domestically educated nurses, while acknowledging and enabling the contribution of IeNs and other health professionals.

The International Council of Nurses, in its position paper, condemns the targeted recruitment of nurses from countries or areas within countries that are experiencing a chronic shortage of nurses and/or a temporary health crisis in which nurses are needed. It acknowledges the adverse effects that international

laundering and money laundering. shestakov is also charged with making material misstatements to the FBI.

McGonigal “has had a long, distinguished career with the FBI,” his lawyer, seth DuCharme, told reporters when he left court with McGonigal following his arraignment.

“This is obviously a distressing day for Mr. McGonigal and his family, but we’ll review the evidence, we’ll closely scrutinize it and we have a lot of confidence in Mr. McGonigal,” said DuCharme, the former top federal prosecutor in Brooklyn.

Messages seeking comment were left for lawyers for shestakov and Deripaska.

McGonigal was separately charged in federal court in Washington, D.C. with concealing at least $225,000 in cash he allegedly received from a former Albanian intelligence official while working for the FBI.

The indictment does not charge or characterize the payment to McGonigal as a bribe, but federal prosecutors say that, while hiding the payment from the FBI, he took actions as an FBI supervisor that were aimed at the ex-intelligence official’s finan-

cial benefit.

They included proposing that a pharmaceutical company pay the man’s company $500,000 in exchange for scheduling a business meeting involving a representative from the Us delegation to the United Nations.

In a bureau-wide e-mail Monday, FBI Director Christopher Wray said McGonigal’s alleged conduct “is entirely inconsistent with what I see from the men and women of the FBI who demonstrate every day through their actions that they’re worthy of the public’s trust.”

The U s Treasury Department added Deripaska to its sanctions list in 2018 for purported ties to the Russian government and Russia’s energy sector amid Russia’s ongoing threats to Ukraine.

In september, federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Deripaska and three associates with conspiring to violate Us sanctions by plotting to ensure his child was born in the United states.

s hestakov, who worked as an interpreter for federal courts and prosecutors in New York City after See “US,” A13

Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Founder

China slams US on debt limit and accuses Washington of sabotage

By Taonga Clifford Mitimingi & Jacob Gu Bloomberg Opinion

ChInA invoked the US’s brinkmanship over its own debt limit as it hit back at Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s criticism of Beijing’s handling of debt issues in developing countries.

The criticism came from the Chinese embassy in Lusaka, Zambia on Monday, which blasted the US over its “catastrophic debt problem” and accused it of “sabotaging” other nations’ efforts to resolve debt problems.

Noting that the Treasury has begun taking extraordinary measures to meet its obligations after the US government reached its borrowing limit, the embassy said “the biggest contribution that the US can make to the debt issues outside the country is to act on responsible monetary policies, cope with its own debt problem, and stop sabotaging other sovereign countries’ active efforts to solve their debt issues.”

The sharp words contrast with a recent easing in tensions between China and the US, which kicked off in November after the countries’ two leaders met for the first time face to face in years. They also follow talks last week between Yellen and her counterpart, Liu He, which both sides said were constructive and positive.

The Treasury’s measures give it space for some months before it runs out of cash. Economists and bond-market analysts anticipate the ceiling will have to be raised sometime in the third quarter to avert a US payments default, which would be economically damaging for the world’s biggest economy and the global financial system.

Republicans who control the House intend to use the debt-ceiling deadline as leverage to extract deep spending cuts from the White House and congressional Democrats. President Joe Biden’s position is that US credit is too important to haggle over.

China holds about $870 billion in US debt, according to the latest data for November, down from more than $1.3 trillion in late 2013. China’s stockpile—the largest behind Japan’s—fell for the third straight month, reaching the lowest level since June 2010.

China has become the world’s biggest creditor to developing countries, some of which are facing a mounting debt crisis. The Group of 20 nations has set up a so-called Common Framework that brings the Paris Club

Balita . . . continued from A12

migration of nurses and other health professionals may have on healthcare quality in countries seriously depleted of their nursing workforce.

The

The sharp words contrast with a recent easing in tensions between China and the US, which kicked off in November after the countries’ two leaders met for the first time face to face in years. They also follow talks last week between Yellen and her counterpart, Liu He, which both sides said were constructive and positive.

of traditional rich debtor countries together with China to try to restructure the debts of low-income countries on a case-by-case basis.

Debt burden

CHINA has come under criticism for its perceived lack of engagement in a global effort to reduce debt burdens for developing nations, with Yellen saying on multiple occasions that Beijing has become the biggest obstacle to progress.

She repeated the call on Monday in Zambia, which Africa’s first pandemic-era sovereign defaulter in 2020, and since then has been struggling to revamp external debt that topped $17 billion, more than a third of which is held by Chinese creditors.

“Assuming Secretary Yellen’s statements about debt were correct, the best prospect of the debt issues outside the US would be the US Treasury Department solving the US’ own domestic debt problem, given how well she knows about facts, her professional capacities and her team’s implementation ability,” the Chinese embassy in Lusaka said.

For the US, its trickiest debt-ceiling showdown came in 2011, when S&P Global Ratings was alarmed enough to cut the sovereign US rating from AAA. The move roiled markets and ended up damaging consumer confidence, hurting the economic recovery from the credit crisis.

Back then, state-owned Chinese news agency Xinhua criticized US handling of the debt situation, calling the political brinkmanship in Washington “dangerously irresponsible.”  With assistance from Christopher Anstey / Bloomberg

Department of Health. Government may need to subsidize the private hospitals, specifically in their human resource development, to cushion the increasing cost of health care.

proposed solutions

T HE WHO recommends that countries need to invest in massive acceleration of nursing education, create at least 6 million new nursing jobs by 2030 and strengthen nurse leadership.

Investments in education, in all health science courses, are long-term solutions in forms of scholarships and subsidy for public and private institutions offering these health courses. Scholarships in graduate studies are needed to supply the scarce qualified instructors and educators in various areas of health sciences.

The government needs to create and fill up plantilla positions for various nursing positions cognizant of the nurse-patient ratio, which is scientifically based on the acuity of care. The Nurse Deployment Program should be shifted to a more sustainable investment in health human resource that provides for security of tenure and positive practice environment.

There may be a need to have a National Chief Nurse position in the

In the short-term, there are solutions to increase the supply of healthcare professionals, specific to nursing, which may also provide for models in other health care disciplines. It includes the strengthening of the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation in nursing. Scholarships and subsidies should be provided for the drop-outs in nursing schools due to financial reasons. The Nurses Licensure Examination Competency Enrichment Programs may be institutionalized by the Centers of Excellence and Centers of Development among nursing colleges and universities, as an extension service to nursing graduates. There is a need to create a Bridging Program for those RNs who have left the practice of nursing and shifted to BPO, airline services, business, etc. We may also engage the repatriated overseas Filipinos who were health care workers abroad.

As Filipino nurses celebrate the 100 foundation years of the Philippines Nurses Association, we need to address the crisis before it is too late.

For feedback, please send e-mail to drcarlbalita@ yahoo.com.

FPI Chairman’s Annual Report Message:

‘Where have some industries gone?’

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza

MAKE SENSE

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about undeniable adverse impacts to all sectors of the Philippine economy. And as we build back better and more, we see a rosy economic outlook for the Philippines in 2023. But there will be challenges that we have to confront, and dealing with these challenges will require the full might of the strongest political will our government leaders can muster to see the Philippine economy flourish. This is the essence of my Annual Report Message to the officers and members of the Federation of Philippine Industries, and to all our countrymen.

As the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) turns a new leaf on its advocacy for industry stakeholders, consumers and the whole nation, I am honored and privileged to report, as FPI Chairman, another milestone year for the Federation.

The year that just ended was a very challenging one for FPI. But even with our limited resources, we never wavered in our fight against smuggling. The worst economic scourge that creeps into the life of every Filipino, smuggling spares no one. Not only is the government losing P250 billion of badly needed revenues to smugglers every year, but the illegal importation of cheaper but unverified/uncertified products sans compliance to mandatory standards and without paying appropriate duties and taxes is creating unfair competition to locally produced goods.

The P250 billion in revenues lost by the government to smuggling each year in terms of foregone corporate taxes and value added tax represent only the 12 percent VAT and corporate taxes lost by the government to smugglers. Its total impact to the nation’s economy, however, could add up to over P2.03 trillion worth of illegally imported goods.

Displacing locally produced goods from the domestic market, smuggled products create unfair competition for local manufacturers, leaving them with no option but to downsize

their operation, undertake production slowdown, if not entirely closing down their business. Smuggling practically caused the collapse of the country’s once flourishing textile industry, tire industry, glass industry and steel industry, among others.

The country’s textile industry, for instance, used to have over 1.5 million spindles to spin yarn. Today it only has a little over a hundred thousand spindles to spin yarn. We also had six tire companies in the country several years back. But now, we only have one tire company operating at Clark Freeport Zone. The country’s only glass manufacturing company’s competitiveness in the domestic market is also greatly affected by the courts’ snail-paced handling of the petition to lift the injunction ordering DTI to stop implementing its mandatory standard on glass.

A legal issue largely affecting the country’s glass industry, the resolution of the petition to lift the injunction on the DTI order remain pending at the courts for over three years now. Meanwhile, with the injunction issue still unresolved, the government cannot fully regulate the entry of glass products into the domestic market, particularly their compliance to product standards, putting at risk the safety of consumers, even as this creates unfair competition for the country’s only glass manufacturing company. The country’s steel in-

dustry is also adversely affected by the government’s confusing, if not inconsistent, regulatory policies to protect consumers and the domestic market. Take for instance the 5,000 metric tons of steel bar importation intercepted at Subic Port that was released, even if only three steel bars were submitted for sampling and just one bar was tested for the whole batch’s compliance to set standards. Contrast this with the predicament of local steel bar manufacturers that are required to test one steel bar for every 20 tons of steel bars that roll off their production lines. I questioned the release of the imported steel bars and was sued for doing so. The case against me was, however, dismissed by the court. But I find bias in this government policy on imported steel bars, which is affecting the local steel industry.

Fortunately, because of our calls for the government to provide a level playing for local industry players, the sampling issue on steel bars has been addressed. But the government’s policy allowing the importation of obsolete induction furnace, a banned heating system in China, is also adversely affecting the local steel industry.

Other industries have also been adversely affected by the country’s unabated smuggling problem. So let us help stop the bleeding of the economy and the manufacturing industry caused by smugglers. Now is the time for FPI to fight smuggling as one strong community, because we have a government that is concerned about the plight of the local industry.

Our voice may have been faint amid the big political and economic ruckus that unfolded in the country last year. But we never gave up. And the small voice of FPI was finally heard by the nation’s top leadership and the big names in business.

My letter to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., asking for his Excellency’s intervention on the smuggling of Palm olein, a concern that is hurting the country’s coconut industry, got a favorable response from the Office of the President.

In another letter to the President, my suggestion for his Excellency’s intervention on the sugar allocations issue, a concern that is affecting our members from the confectionary industry, was also acknowledged by the Office of the President. But it’s not only the public sector that recognized our efforts. The private sector did as well. A global manufacturing company also saw the good potentials of Fight Illicit Trade (Fight IT). The global company is now actively helping the campaign against all forms of illicit trade. And it is my pleasure to announce that this year, Product Standards, a magazine designed to inform and educate consumers about the importance of buying only quality standard products, will be launched.

Let us therefore work together as one strong FPI community in the fight against all forms of illicit trade. And let us align the concerns of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to our cause. We do not have the luxury of time to wait for another opportunity to protect the local manufacturing industry. After all, this might be the only opportunity for us to save our manufacturing industry, before smugglers take over our factories.

In closing, I am reminded about the baby boomer song “Where have all the flowers gone?”, which appropriately reminds us about the sad reality currently confronting our manufacturing industry. With some changes to its lyrics, I find the tune most appropriate for our cause, so we sing:

“Where have some industries gone? Long time passing.

“Where have some industries gone? Long time ago.

“Where have some industries gone? Beaten by smugglers one by one. “Oh, when will we ever learn? When will we ever learn?”

T hank you.

‘Last dance’: Those slain in California shooting remembered

By Terry Tang & Jamie Stengle The Associated Press

MONTEREY PARK, California—

Mymy Nhan was a regular at the Star Ballroom for more than a decade, choosing the Los Angelesarea dance hall popular with older Asian Americans as the place to “start the year fresh” with Lunar New Year celebrations, her niece said Monday.

Her family now takes some solace knowing that Nhan, one of 11 people shot and killed in Monterey Park by a gunman Saturday night, died after an evening of doing what she loved.

“It is comforting to know that she enjoyed her last dance, even though it was her last dance,” said her niece, Fonda Quan.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office identified Nhan, referred to as My Nhan, as one of the victims on Monday. The office also identified three other victims: Valentino Marcos Alvero, a 68-year-old Filipino-American; Lilan Li, a 63-year-old woman; and Xiujuan Yu, a 57-year-old woman. The death toll rose

to 11 on Monday after one of the people who was wounded died. The victims were in their 50s, 60s and 70s.

Alvero was “a loving father, a dedicated son and brother, a grandfather who loved his three granddaughters fiercely, an uncle who loved his nieces and nephews like his own,” his family said in a statement Monday.

“He loved people and hearing about their lives and in return, he shared his own stories with so much enthusiasm that you couldn’t help but listen and laugh along with him,” the family said. The statement said Alvero loved ballroom dancing, was “the life of any party,” and was a devout Catholic. The family asked all priests and Catholics to pray for him. “We hope that he danced to his heart’s content until the very end and hope that he is now dancing in heaven,” the family said.

The massacre was the nation’s fifth mass killing this month, and it struck one of California’s largest celebrations of a holiday observed in many Asian cultures. Asian Americans around the US have been the target of high-profile violence

in recent years.

Officials have not given a motive for the shooting but said the suspect, Huu Can Tran, a 72-year-old Asian man, may have had a history of visiting the dance hall. About 20 minutes after the first attack, he entered the Lai Lai Ballroom in the nearby city of Alhambra. He was disarmed before anyone was shot, and then he fled the scene. He shot and killed himself Sunday.

Quan said that her aunt had left the Star Ballroom and was backing her car out when she was shot. Quan said a dance partner who was in the car with her was not injured. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said on Monday that one person was shot outside the ballroom in a vehicle, likely before Tran entered the building.

Nhan, 65, was a regular at both of the dance halls Tran targeted. The spots were popular places for older Asian Americans to socialize and dance. It was where Nhan chose to celebrate the New Year, which came three weeks after the passing of her mother.

Nhan, who had been her mother’s care-

taker, was ready to “start the year fresh” and to celebrate with friends, Quan said. She emigrated from Vietnam in the 1980s and ended up making the San Gabriel Valley her home, living in the community of Rosemead. Quan said she didn’t know exactly how her aunt got into ballroom dance, but she thinks it had something to do with the fun frocks she got to wear.

“What I do know is she is she’s always been really into fashion,” Quan said. “And I think those beautiful dresses come with ballroom dancing. I guess that probably has some connection.”

Quan said she never heard her aunt talk about the gunman. While the family feels somewhat settled knowing he is dead, they want answers about his motives, she said.

“I hope that whatever we find, whatever we learn, it’s a lesson that is learned by everyone to just understand, like, you know, what can we do better to prevent this from happening in the future?” Quan said. Stengle contributed from Dallas. Researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York also contributed to this report.

retiring as a diplomat in 1993, helped connect McGonigal to Deripaska, according to the indictment.

In 2018, while McGonigal was still working for the FBI, Shestakov introduced him to a former Soviet and Russian diplomat who functioned as an agent for Deripaska, the indictment said. That person is not named in court papers but the Justice Department says he was “rumored in public media reports to be a Russian intelligence officer.”

According to the indictment,

Shestakov asked McGonigal for help getting the agent’s daughter an internship in the New York Police Department’s counterterrorism and intelligence units. McGonigal agreed, prosecutors say, and told a police department contact that, “I have an interest in her father for a number of reasons.”

According to the indictment, a police sergeant subsequently reported to the NYPD and FBI that the woman claimed to have an “unusually close relationship” with an FBI agent whom, she said, had given her access to confidential FBI files. The sergeant felt it was “unusual for a college student to receive such special

treatment from the NYPD and FBI,” the indictment said.

After retiring from the FBI, according to the indictment, McGonigal went to work in 2019 as a consultant and investigator for an international law firm seeking to reverse Deripaska’s sanctions, a process known as “delisting.”

The law firm paid McGonigal $25,000 through a Shestakov-owned corporation, prosecutors say, though the work was ultimately interrupted by factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2021, according to the indictment, Deripaska’s agent enlisted McGonigal and Shestakov to dig up dirt

on a rival oligarch, whom Deripaska was fighting for control of a large Russian corporation, in exchange for $51,280 up front and $41,790 per month paid via a Russian bank to a New Jersey company owned by McGonigal’s friend. McGonigal kept his friend in the dark about the true nature of the payments, prosecutors say.

McGonigal is also accused of hiding from the FBI key details of a 2017 trip he took to Albania with the former Albanian intelligence official who is alleged to have given him at least $225,000. Eric Tucker reported from Washington. Jim Mustian and Larry Neumeister in New York contributed to this report.

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza is the chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries and Fight Illicit Trade; a broad-based, multisectoral movement intended to protect consumers, safeguard government revenues and shield legitimate industries from the ill effects of smuggling.

PBBM TELLS DA: PROBE SPIKE IN PRICES OF EGGS

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has ordered the Department of Agriculture (DA) to look into the recent “unreasonable” spike in the prices of chicken eggs.

D uring the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Marcos expressed concern on the “widening gap between farm gate and retail prices” of eggs, which made the food commodity more expensive.

DA said the retail price for eggs should be between P7 and P7.50 per piece, but reports said these are now being sold for as high as P9.60 per piece.

We determined that the increase in the price of eggs is not commensurate with the increase in production cost,” said Marcos, who is also the concurrent head of DA.  H e said DA officials will be meeting with egg producers and traders to determine the cause of the high retail price despite having enough supply of the food commodity in the market.

DA has also reconvened its Price and Volume Watch Committee and Advisory Groups for Livestock and Poultry to monitor

the prices of eggs nationwide.

“ We will have to have a look to see how to control that, because we cannot explain almost onehalf of the profit margin that we are seeing. We cannot attribute it to cost,” Marcos said.

I n its report to Malacañang, DA said the farmgate price of medium chicken eggs is pegged at P6.97 per piece E arlier this month, DA said it is already trying to remove “certain layers of traders” to reduce the retail price of eggs.

A nd to ensure there will be sufficient market supply of eggs, it said the Bureau of Animal Industry is now working to eliminate the challenges faced by egg producers in their operations.

‘Illegal use of imported palm olein robs govt of revenues’

By Lenie Lectura @llectura & Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalass

is being diverted for sale to either producers of biodiesel, an additive to diesel fuel, or to the retail market, such as  public markets, groceries, supermarkets, and sari-sari stores,  as cooking oil for eventual sale to the consuming public,” Arranza said.

H e noted that while Department of Energy (DOE) regulations specifically provide that only coconut oil can be blended with diesel to produce “biodiesel,” these importers are actually delivering palm olein instead to substitute for coconut oil.

farmers and industry.”

A ccording to Arranza, he has raised the issue before the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), which regulates the entry of palm olein for feed use, but did not get a satisfactory answer.

T he agency was not able to explain properly why the country’s imports of palm olein, as certified by BAI, rose last year despite hog farms still reeling from the consequences of African swine fever.

I n a letter to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., FPI Chairman Dr. Jesus L. Arranza said his group obtained verified information about unscrupulous palm olein traders, who allegedly are declaring their importations  “for compounding of animal feeds to avoid the payment of value-added tax (VAT),” among others.

O n Tuesday, Arranza claimed that the Office of the President has directed the Department of Agriculture (DA) to probe the illegal use of imported palm olein in the country.

I n a statement, Arranza said Malacañang’s directive appar -

ently stemmed from his group’s letter to the President. The Presidential Management Staff, Arranza added, wrote to Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban, instructing him to “evaluate” and “take appropriate actions” on the issues raised by FPI with the President.

“ This response from the Office of the President is like receiving 10 doses of booster shots and strengthens our resolve to continue with the fight,” said Arranza, who also chairs the Fight Illicit Trade group.

“

The reality is that a big portion of the imported palm olein

T he modus operandi, Arranza explained, involves the misdeclaration of the usage of imported palm olein as an animal feed material to evade paying valueadded tax and other taxes and duties. Instead, Arranza pointed out that the misdeclared palm olein are being used as substitute for coconut oil.

S ince coconut oil is always priced much higher than palm olein, Arranza said these importers are allegedly “receiving another windfall of cash from substituting coconut oil with paLm olein.  This is naturally hurting the coconut

H e wondered “why BAI has no listing of the feed producers (feed millers), which is very necessary for determining whether the total imported palm olein was really used in the manufacturing of feeds.”

L ikewise, he said, no verification was done on the volume of palm olein being used per kilo of feeds. “This will determine if the increasing palm olein imports that were given certifications by BAI were really used purely in the compounding of animal feeds,” he added.

A rranza also sent letters to the Senate and House of Representatives seeking an investigation into the issue.

More high-quality jobs, skilled workers: Goals of bid to institutionalize Covid strat

SENATE Majority Leader Joel Villanueva’s efforts to “ensure employability and competitiveness of the workforce” by institutionalizing an employment program initially crafted to recover jobs lost in the pandemic has drawn wide support from relevant agencies.

P residing over the Economic Affairs Subcommittee’s hybrid hearing, the panel frontloaded Senate Bill No. 129 to be known as the “Trabaho Para sa Lahat ng Pilipino Act” once enacted into law.

A s envisioned, the Villanueva bill aims to “institutionalize the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) of the country to address the social and economic issues brought about by the pandemic, as well as the challenges and opportunities brought about by new technologies.”

V illanueva voiced hope that the establishment of a framework for the national employment action plan could create an enabling environment that supports the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises, develop general interventions, as well as targeted measures that will ensure the employability and competitiveness of the country’s workforce.

A t the hearing, representatives

of key agencies—Departments of Finance, of Trade and Industry, of Migrant Workers, the National Economic and Development authority (NEDA) and the TESDA, among others—expressed full support for the initiative to institutionalize the NERS as part of the country’s longterm development plan.

T he DOF said that while it backs Villanueva’s measure, it is seeking policymakers and lawmakers to review the incentives given to MSMEs, and update these accordingly, especially the perks for upskilling workers.

For its part, the NEDA cited three strategies under the PDP that support the efforts to institutionalize NERS: increase employability, expand access to employment opportunities, and achieve shared labor market governance.

T he transformation from ad hoc (during the pandemic) to long-term program entails shifting from sheer “employment recovery to the continuous generation of quality jobs,” stressed Villanueva.

S en. Nancy Binay called on NEDA to craft a long-term Philippine Development Plan that would nurture the growing labor force in the country.

The PDP, presented by NEDA at the beginning of each administration,

is a medium-term plan for deep economic and social transformation to reinvigorate job creation and accelerate poverty reduction.

D uring the hybrid hearing on Senate Bill No. 129, Binay pointed out that improving the country’s labor force and making them more competitive would take more than years of planning. “Six years is too short. I think that’s where the problem comes from because the timeline that we’ve set for planning is too short,” Binay said in Filipino.

For his part, Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito urged concerned agencies to consider ongoing and future government infrastructure projects in crafting long-term plans for jobs recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ejercito noted the impact of infrastructure development on job creation and economic growth. He cited, for instance, the ongoing railway projects, which, he said, could spread out development throughout the country.  “Once we finish all of these, we will create growth development areas, growth nodes in every province,” Ejercito said.

M eanwhile, Ejercito called on agencies to look at and prioritize industries that emerged post-pandemic in crafting the NERS. Butch Fernandez

THE Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) has expressed grave concern over the alleged illegal use of imported palm olein.

MEMBERS of Mother Earth Foundation, Ecowaste Coalition, and Ocean Conservancy conduct a waste assessment and brand audit at Quezon Memorial Circle on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, to expose the culprits behind the plastic waste crisis and call on governments to channel resources into supporting Zero Waste during the International Zero Waste Month media briefing. NONOY LACZA

MARCOS

Globe blocks more than 2B scam, spam SMS in 2022

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

Globe Telecom Inc. said on Tuesday the number of scam and spam messages blocked in 2022 reached a record high of 2.72 billion, more than double versus the previous year’s 1.15 billion.

This, according to Globe Chief Information Security Officer Anton Bonifacio, reflects the “impact of its stepped up campaign against malicious SMS.”

“Our customers are our top priority so we do our best to ensure that they are protected from scammers

and fraudsters. We will continue to invest in cybersecurity systems and work tirelessly to provide them with a safe and enjoyable online experience as we also take part in the full implementation of the SIM Registration Act,” he said.

Bonifacio added that this ini-

tiative is a “crucial” component of Globe’s cybersecurity strategy.

Last year, the government took a more proactive role in cracking down scam and spam messages, which typically involves the theft of one’s identity or money.

Globe’s partnership with commercial banks and online retailers allowed it to block some 83.4 million bank-related spam messages in 2022.

“With our relentless proactive blocking efforts and implementation of the new law, we are taking great strides in our campaign to end text fraud,” he said.

So far, Globe has spent about $20 million to step up its spam and scam SMS detection and blocking system. Its round-the-clock Security Operations Center filters out

these unwanted messages, including app-to-person and person-top erson SMS of international and domestic sources.

Globe is also blocking personto-person SMS with clickable URLs from all networks in September last year amid growing concern over escalating scam and spam messages, particularly those containing mobile users’ full names.

Taking into account the volume of spam and scam messages—some of which were detected to have been operated by international entities— the government enacted Republic Act 11934 or the SIM Registration Act in 2022.

The law requires individuals to register their SIM and present a valid identification document to their respective service providers.

Philodrill hikes stake in Galoc block

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

The Philodrill Corp.’s interest in Service Contract (SC) 14C1 in the Galoc oil field has increased to 10 percent, the company told the stock exchange Tueaday.

This after Galoc Production Company 2 (GPC 2)/Kuwait Foreign Petroleum ex ploration (Kufpec), a member of the SC14C1 consortium, gave up its stake.

Philodrill said it received from NPG PTY LTD, operator of Service Contract 14C1 (Galoc block), a copy of the Department of energy (DOe) letter, approving the withdrawal of GPC 2 from the SC 14C1 consortium.

Consequently, Philodrill’s participating interest (PI) for SC 14C1 was adjusted.

“The increase in Philodrill’s PI from 7.21495 percent to 10.17782 percent is the result of the pro rata assignment by GPC 2 (Kufpec) of

its withdrawn interest in SC 14C1,” it added.

The Galoc conventional oil field recovered 87.04 percent of its total recoverable reserves, with peak production in 2014. The peak production was approximately 8,000 barrels per day of crude oil and condensate. Based on economic assumptions, production will continue until the field reaches its economic limit in 2031.

The field is expected to recover

3.49 million barrels of oil equivalent (Mmboe), comprised of 3.49 Mmbbl of crude oil and condensate.

Philodrill also has a 28-percent interest in SC 14-C2 (West Linapacan).

Last year, Philodrill relinquished its rights over SC 14 – Block A (Nido), B (Matinloc and Retention Area), B1 (North Matinloc), D (Retention Area), Tara and Libro. The said SCs covering the blocks were surrendered to the DOe following the conclusion of production operations.

ERC: Net metering scheme attracts 7,583 local users

NINe years after the net metering scheme was implemented, the energy Regulatory Commission ( eRC) said it recorded 7,583 qualified end-users that signed up for the program at the end of 2022.

“Since the implementation of the Net-Metering Program in 2013, there are only 7,583 qualified end-users under the Net-Metering Program with 6,120 customers in Luzon, 1,168 in Visayas and 295 in Mindanao.

While the program highly demonstrates potential savings in electricity cost and protection from bill shocks, actual data shows the need for more aggressive efforts to promote and implement the program in many parts of the country,” the eRC said Tuesday. The net metering program enables an ordinary electricity consumer to become a “prosumer” by installing a maximum of 100 kilowatts of solar facility. It is the first non-fiscal incentive mechanism fully implemented under the Renewable energy (R e) Act of 2008.

As a “prosumer,” the consumer can partly provide for its own electricity requirements by generating electricity from R e installations. Any excess electricity generated can then be sold to the distribution grid for which the consumer derives rebates in its power bill. Through the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels up to 100 kW, house owners and commercial establishments can enroll in the program with their respective distribution utility to realize savings while providing in part for their own consumption.

January 16.

COA has generated over P800,000 in electricity savings since it switched to renewable energy (R e) “The COA in partnership with the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) Renewables Corporation installed the rooftop panels in 2017 to show support to the renewable energy drive of the government and to utilize alternative source of electricity at least cost.

Five years after the installation of the solar panels, we are seeing the benefits in the savings generated. For January to September 2022 alone, we have generated total savings of more than P800,000 for both buildings. We hope that more agencies will see the benefits and be encouraged to follow in our footsteps,” COA Chairperson Gamaliel A. Cordoba said during the awarding ceremonies.

As one key government agency that has registered for the net-metering program, the COA’s initiatives are aligned with the government’s thrust of promoting R e “Why should we allow ourselves to be exposed to the vulnerabilities of higher fuel cost when we can generate power from our own resources?

This was the resounding argument nearly 15 years ago, when the then Renewable energy Bill was being deliberated in Congress. Those arguments still ring true, and more so now. Net-metering empowers consumers to become ‘prosumers,’ giving consumers the option to produce electricity for their own use and selling their excess to the grid, paving the way for the democratization of the grid,” said eRC Commissioner Catherine P. Maceda.

Axe L UM Resources Corp., a listed coconut products trader, said it has secured a Golden Arrow recognition from the Institute of Corporate Directors during the ACGS Golden Arrow Awards Night.

Recipients of the Golden Arrow are measured for exhibited conformance with the Philippine Code of Corporate Governance and internationally-recommended corporate governance practices espoused by the ASe A N Corporate Governance Scorecard, or ACGS.

The scorecard is composed of 184 questions across five key principles including rights of shareholders, equitable treatment of shareholders, role of stakeholders, disclosure and transparency and responsibilities of the board.

“We are deeply humbled to be recognized as one of the champions of good governance in the country. This is a strong testament of our commitment to adhere to the highest standards of corporate transparency and integrity in the conduct of business. As an organization, we are fortunate to be comprised of like-minded individuals who believe in the purpose of upholding best practices,” Romeo I. Chan, the company’s chairman and C e O, said.

The ASe A N Corporate Governance Scorecard is an initiative by the ASe A N Capital Markets Forum, a high-level grouping of capital market regulators from all Southeast Asia jurisdictions, to establish a structured assessment methodology aligned with international governance benchmarks based on disclosed information.

Th A ILAND S currency rally will help reverse a slump in its market for initial public offerings (IPOs) and provide firepower for overseas acquisitions by Thai companies, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co.

IPOs will benefit from prospects of the strong baht and a heightened profile for the country as a rebound in international travel accelerates, said Marco Sucharitkul, JPMorgan’s country head for Thailand. The currency has strengthened by about 12 percent versus the dollar the past six months, with a more than 5 percent jump this month alone, making it the best-performer in Asia during those periods.

An early litmus test for the IPO market will be a share sale by SCG Chemicals Pcl, which is planning IPO of as much as $3 billion—a record for Thailand. Parent firm Siam Cement Pcl delayed the sale in October, citing

risks to the global economy, energy market volatility, high inflation and China’s lockdown situation.

“With the baht getting stronger, that changes views on the market; we believe that foreign interest is coming back,” Marco said in an interview.

“At the same time, Asian corporates –including Thai companies – are looking to expand overseas and a strong Thai baht will be favorable for local firms with global ambitions.” Among positive signs is the benchmark SeT Index this month touching its highest level since April, with global funds sending a net $590 million so far into Thai stocks—adding to a record $5.96 billion of inflows 2022, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Also, the government said Monday that 11.2 million foreign tourists came in 2022, beating the target of 10 million, and the tourism authority expects about 25 million this year.

About $4.1 billion was raised

through Thailand IPOs in 2022, a drop of 0.5 percent from the previous year. Still, the contraction would have been worse, had there not been supportive demand from local investors.

“If you look at the IPOs in Thailand that managed to take off last year, 70 percent to 80 percent were taken up by local funds,” Marco said. “Foreign demand was low as the US dollar was strong compared with the currencies in the APAC region.”

Still, the baht’s recent rally is unnerving Thai exporters, manufacturers and some companies that complain the currency’s rapid gain is eroding their competitiveness and the nation’s economic recovery, according to local trade groups. The Thai National Shippers’ Council said in statement Tuesday that the central bank should delay raising interest rates and stabilize the currency to help exporters. Bloomberg News

With the government itself leading the way in this initiative, the eRC said it is confident that there will be a “significant” increase in the net metering program. It said it will continue to encourage more end-users to register by conducting more information campaign.

For instance, it cited the Commission on Audit (COA) as the national agency champion for the net metering program in a ceremonial awarding of the Certificate of Compliance as Qualified end-User (COC-Qe) last

Currently, government offices are not yet mandated to adopt net metering. With the positive experience of agency champions, such as the COA and other local government units, the direct benefits derived from this program as well as protection against rising electricity prices were highlighted by eRC Chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta and energy Secretary

Raphael Lotilla in a meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in November 2022. Lenie Lectura

Govt eyes to borrow ₧200B via debt mart

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

The national government seeks to borrow P200 billion next month from the domestic market through the auction of Treasury bills (T-bills) and Treasury bonds (T-bonds), the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said.

In a statement, the Treasury said it will hold four auctions of T-bills in February amounting to P15 billion each or a total of P60 billion.

Meanwhile, it would also hold a tender of T-bonds four times next month with each offering amounting to P35 billion or a cumulative value of P140 billion.

The Treasury has been off to a good start this year in terms of raising funds for the national government through local auctions of T-bills and T-bonds.

The Treasury has been able to achieve near full-award and fullaward of government securities as investors’ asking interest rates ease within or even below secondary market benchmark levels.

On Tuesday, the Treasury fullyawarded its reissued 10-year Tbonds amounting to P35 billion, raising the total amount raised by the agency through auction of T-bonds to P154 billion since the start of the year.

With its latest T-bonds auction, the Treasury exceeded its target of raising P140 billion through the sale of the said debt paper.

The Treasury’s auction committee said it fully-awarded the reissued Tbonds, which had a remaining life of 9 years and 7 months, as the 5.913 percent average interest rate asked by investors was below the secondary market benchmark level of 6.144 percent.

“The auction attracted P93.7 billion in total tenders, reaching 2.7 times the P35.0 billion offer,” it said.

For the month, the Treasury was able to raise P58.4 billion from the sale of T-bills, almost hitting its target of P60 billion.

Nonetheless, the Treasury was able to exceed its January total target of P200 billion from the combined auctions of T-bills and T-bonds as the total amount raised reached P212.4 billion due to higher awards of T-bonds.

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

Banking&Finance

‘Islamic banking includes non-Muslims’

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

This was done to “provide flexibility” in establishing Islamic finance in the country.

Inclusion agenda

The BSP, Ala added, created the Islamic Finance Coordination Forum where agencies such as the Securities and exchange Commission, Insurance Commission and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) coordinate to promote Islamic finance.

cial inclusion agenda of the government,” Ala said.

The BSP official said Islamic finance and banking in the Philippines is not new in the Philippines.

The Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines was established 50 years ago, in 1973. It is considered one of the oldest Islamic banks in Southeast Asia.

the profits and risks arising out of investing those funds,” she explained.

For further guidance on Islamic finance and banking, Ala said, the public can refer to Islamic Banking Law as well as BSP circulars e.g., Circular 1069, which pertains to the requirements of the BSP in establishing Islamic banks and Islamic banking units.

In a televised briefing, BSP Assistant Governor Arifa Ala said many Southeast Asian countries have advanced Islamic financial systems that benefit even non-Muslims.

Ala said the BSP would like to establish a banking system where Islamic banks operate alongside conventional banks. This will create a system with “diverse players” and more products that can serve Filipinos’ every need.

“I would also like to highlight that Islamic banking and finance is not exclusive to Muslims, it is available to all – for Muslims, of course,

they can take advantage of products that can serve their specific requirements but for non-Muslims, it can be alternative financial products or services,” Ala said.

Ala added that the Islamic Banking Law (Republic Act 11439) is also very flexible and can allow more players to establish a full-fledged Islamic bank or create these kinds of institutions within conventional banks.

She said as such, conventional banks under RA 11439, which was passed in 2019, can establish a unit or a department in their institutions.

Ala also said the BIR and the Department of Finance have issued circulars to “implement the tax neutrality provision” which mandates that Islamic banking products cannot be taxed more or lightly compared to similar products in conventional banks. She added that the Insurance Commission also issued guidelines for Islamic insurance.

“As we move forward with our information drive, we expect more Filipinos to better understand and appreciate Islamic banking and finance and we look forward to having an Islamic banking finance ecosystem that can also advance the finan-

The primary business model of Islamic banks, Ala explained, is about sharing profits and risks. This is culled from the fundamental Sharia principle that all Islamic banks and Islamic banking units should meet.

Further guidance

ALA explained that if somebody places funds in an Islamic bank, the individual becomes a partner of the Islamic bank; “unlike in the conventional bank when you place for example a fund in a deposit account—a debtor-creditor relationship is created.”

“In an Islamic banking Institution, a partnership is created and the clients and the Islamic bank share in

There is also BSP Circular 1070, which contains the requirements and expectations of the central bank on Shariah governance framework.

Ala said this circular is important because the basic difference of an Islamic bank from a conventional bank is the requirement to comply with Sharia principles.

The BSP, she said, also has Circular 1116, which contains requirements for Sharia-compliant liquidity risk management tools to be used by the Islamic banking players in the country.

The last is Circular 1139, which provides guidelines on the reportorial requirements of Islamic banks and Islamic banking units.

House bill seeking to hike excise tax on e-cigarettes gains support

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

he ALT h advocacy groups have expressed their strong support to house Bill (hB) 5532, raising excise taxes on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (hTPs).

Filed by Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, hB 5532 will increase taxes on nicotine salt to P60 per millimeter of nicotine in vaporized nicotine products from P52 and raise to P40 per pack on heated tobacco products from P32.50.

Salceda, the Chairman of the

On jobs

h ouse Committee on Ways and Means, already initiated the discussion of the bill in the Ways and Means Committee hearing on last November 21,2 022. The committee that Salceda heads also created a technical working group for the bill.

healthJustice, a non-government organization, threw support to the measure because of its pro-health agenda as vape products are taxed less than the cigarettes at the moment.

“The additional tax will reduce access to these products. We have seen a sharp increase in the use of ecigarettes, vapor and heated tobacco

products locally in the Philippines and the world,” Benedict G. Nisperos, legal consultant of healthJustice said. “The W hO [World health Organization] has recommended taxation as a means to prevent access to these products.”

The group Parents Against Vape (PAV) also expressed support to hB 5532 as it will set the age limit of access at 21 years old as Vape Law gives access to 18 years. The PAV is an alliance of parents, teachers, public health experts and community groups based in Davao City and Samal Island.

“e -cigarette products allows fla-

vors that entice children and the youth, makes them available online, allows the use of cigarettes in public places,” said Imelda esposado-Gocotano, PAV Convenor.

Meanwhile, healthJustice cited that the FDA and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released federal data from the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey on youth tobacco use in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The report, “Tobacco Product Use among Middle and high School StudentsUnited States, 2022,” showed that e-cigarretes tops the most commonly used types of devices with 9.4 per-

cent; cigars (1.9 percent); cigarettes (1.6 percent) smokeless (1.3 percent); hookahs (1.1percent); nicotine pouches (1.1percent); heated tobacco products (1.0 percent); and, pipe tobacco (0.6 percent).

“It is apparent that among the youth, e-cigarettes is now the top nicotine product choice. Of those surveyed by the US FDA, 85 percent said they use flavored e-cigarettes and the most commonly used device type is disposables,” Nisperos added. The US CDC has warned that most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which has known health effects and that nicotine is highly addictive.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported the unemployment rate in the country in November 2022 at 4.2 percent from 4.5 percent the previous month. It was 6.5 percent the year before. The indicated unemployment rate in November 2022 was the lowest since April 2005. The information is an encouraging one as the country seems to be progressing from the pandemic era. however, it is interesting to know the types of jobs those statistics represent.

In a recent report by Bloomberg on Best Jobs of 2023 in the United States, jobs in Technology, health Care and Business were noted to be in the top list, ranked by median salary, work-life balance and future outlook.

Free eNterprIse Conchita L. Manabat

Job/Industry

Software developer/technology

Nurse practitioner/health care

Medical and health services

Physician assistant/health care

Information security analyst/ technology

Physical therapist/health care

Financial manager/business

IT manager/technology

Web developer/technology

10. Dentist/health care Further, the report cited the importance of job security in the light of increasing recession fears. The following summarizes the reported top ten careers with the most job security this year.

Job/Industry 1. Respiratory therapist/health care

Web developer/technology

Cardiovascular technologist/ health care support

epidemiologist, medical scientist/science

Financial analyst/business

environmental science and protection technician/science

School psychologist/social services

Database administrator/technology

Registered nurse/health care

10. Medical and health services manager/business

(The Bloomberg US News first identified the largest number and percentage of projected openings from 2021 to 2031 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The jobs at the top of the list were then ranked using a weighted average of seven components: 10-year growth volume, 10-year growth percentage, median salary, employment rate, future job prospects, stress level and work-life balance.)

From the two lists, health Care and Technology are cited as lead industries both for top careers and presence of job security. Indeed, the three year pandemic years have yielded new and significant developments on a number of things including jobs. Without technology, it would have been very tough to manage the pandemic years. Technology drove all aspects of life. health Care

has globally become a priority. Our country needs similar information on best jobs, job security and related data. They are important in deriving the nation’s development outlook and the way forward. This is an initiative that the government and/or the private sector should look into. From data analyses, directional inputs for education, business and industries as well as support systems may be derived.

The importance of job creation in nation building is a given.

Unionbank’s fintech subsidiary saw exponential growth in all verticals in 2022

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan & Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

UBX Philippines Corp., the financial technology (fintech) arm of the Aboitiz family, said last Tuesday it closed 2022 with “exponential growth” across all its verticals.

John Januszczak, the company’s president, said over the last three years, UBX’s customer base ballooned by 184 times, bringing its transaction volumes to a growth rate of 411 times to P41 billion at end-2022.

As of end-December, it has 230,000 business-to-business customers that “serve millions of local customers daily.”

“These numbers reflect our commitment to our goal of financial inclusion. Our growth in 2022, amid a country recovering from the pandemic, is consistent with our perfor-

mance over the years. We are confident that we will continue treading on a growth path this year, as we ramp up our open finance initiatives and introduce new digital financial solutions,” Januszczak said.

Broken down, i2i, the bankingas-a-service platform of UBX, recorded a 132-percent growth in its transaction volume as of end-2022.

The platform has over 10,000 touchpoints all over the country, providing basic banking services in rural and far-flung areas.

Meanwhile, UBX’s online lending platform “SeekCap,” has processed over P14 billion of business loans in 2022 from more than 65,000 micro, small, medium-sized enterprises (MSMes).

The platform bridges lenders and MSMes online. It is the Philippines’s first same-day approval digital lending marketplace.

The end-to-end payment gateway of UnionBank’s wholly-owned sub -

sidiary, BUx, recorded over 100,000 signups from MSMes, which use the platform for digital payments.

Januszczak attributed UBX’s growth to its “extensive range of embedded financial services and solutions and a network of the biggest and most reputable financial institutions and service providers, insurers, lenders and payment channels in the country.”

New partner

AIM Global, a direct-selling company of food supplements and herbal products with five million distributors across the globe, has a local network of more than three million distributors. On its 15th year, the company opened its newest subsidiary Orbix Victus International (OVI) as part of its expansion.

Orbix Victus International (OVI) not only offers health and wellness products but also promotes the awareness on financial literacy to

its distributors and add more value by opening access to its people into digital financial services thru UBX.

“Partnering with UBX assures us that we get nothing short of the best digital solutions to expand our suite of products. With its status as the country’s leader in open finance, we are excited to learn the tricks of the trade and expand our knowledge in helping more Filipinos nationwide.” AIM Global and OVI’s CeO eduardo Cabantog said.

The mobile app will be launched within the first quarter of 2023.

Last year, UBX partnered with various players in different industries such as the metaverse, insurance, the women’s sector and even government institutions to promote financial inclusion.

As part of its commitment to promote genuine financial inclusion, UBX is open to partnering with other organizations to develop tailor-fit digital financial solutions to help

bridge the financial and social gaps.

“Our partnership with AIM Global and OVI signals that more and more organizations beyond finance are interested and willing to support the goal of promoting financial and social inclusion. We are committed to working together with more partners to push this agenda further so that more Filipinos will be able to participate in and leverage the financial systems,” Gorospe said.

Future

UBX also doubled down on government partnerships in 2022.

It launched the Digital Transformation ng Pilipinas (DigiPinas) Initiative, a multistakeholder advocacy group that aims to deliver digital transformation to local government units, through digital tools and solutions

UBX also spearheaded the creation of the Open Finance Foundation, which advocates the adoption,

education and consumer research and protection needed to realize the benefits of Open Finance.

The foundation brings together relevant stakeholders, including other financial institutions, government agencies, non-government organizations and more to create initiatives that will support the development of open finance in the country.

UBX was also tapped by the Philippine Postal Corp. to co-create Project Kasama Lahat, an initiative that aims to convert post offices into digital financial hubs to bring financial services closer to the masses.

“We believe in a future that is marked by financial and social inclusion. We at UBX are committed to our goal of including everyone in the financial systems. And we plan to accelerate our initiatives this year by strengthening our partnerships with the government, private sector and civic organizations,” Januszczak said.

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace

AN Islamic banking system will also benefit the country’s predominantly non-Muslim population, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

Conchita L. Manabat is the President of the Development Center for Finance. A past President of FINEX and past Chair of the International Association of Financial Executives Institutes, she serves as the Chair of the IAFEI Advisory Council. She is a member of the Consultative Advisory Groups of the International Auditing & Assurance Standards Board and the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants.

FINex

Prosecutors seek justice in Alec Baldwin case, regardless of fame

BY MORGAN LEE The Associated Press

SANTA FE, New Mexico—Alec Baldwin faces two types of manslaughter charges in a reckoning on gun safety and the film industry, with two potential standards for proof and possible sanctions of up to five years in prison.

Prosecutors have vowed to file those charges before February against the 64-year-old actor and weapons specialist Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western movie Rust in October 2021.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies says the case is about equal justice under the law and accountability in the death of Halyna Hutchins, regardless of the fame or fortune of those involved.

She says the Ukrainian-born cinematographer’s death while rehearsing a scene was tragic—and preventable. Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed maintain their innocence and have vowed to fight the charges, which were announced on Thursday. Here is a look at the case:

THE CHARGES

ONE charge of involuntary manslaughter will require proof of negligence. It’s punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine under New Mexico law.

The second manslaughter charge is for reckless disregard of safety “without due caution and circumspection.” It carries a higher threshold of wrongdoing and includes a “firearm enhancement” that could result in a mandatory five years in prison because the offense was committed with a gun.

Prosecutors say a jury may ultimately decide which definition of manslaughter to pursue. But first a judge will have 60 days to weigh whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed. Santa Fe District Defender Julie Ball says initial evidence of probable cause is typically weighed in favor of prosecutors, using a lower burden of proof than later at trial.

Involuntary manslaughter can involve a killing that happens while a defendant is doing something that is lawful but dangerous.

THE DEFENSE AND THE PROSECUTION

BALDWIN has said he had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun he discharged.

That defense is complicated by his role as both lead actor and co-producer on Rust. State workplace safety regulators have fined Rust Movie Productions based on a string of safety failures, including testimony that

production managers took limited or no action to address two misfires of blank ammunition on the set prior to the shooting.

Defense attorneys also maintain the innocence of Gutierrez-Reed, the daughter of veteran sharpshooter and film consultant Thell Reed. Gutierrez-Reed was hired at age 24, with limited prior experience on a handful of films, to supervise weapons, ammunition and training on Rust. Carmack-Altwies says a movie set armorer has the responsibility to ensure ammunition and guns are handled safety and has the authority to halt rehearsals or filming at any time when concerns arise.

The district attorney alleges that Gutierrez-Reed without noticing somehow loaded a bullet into the gun that killed Hutchins and should have noticed the difference between a live and a dummy round.

Dummy rounds typically rattle when shaken—the sound of a BB inside—and have a dimpled base or other possible markings. Blanks contain a charge but have no slug or bullet at the tip.

At the same time, New Mexico workplace safety regulators say Rust managers limited GutierrezReed’s ability to require safety and weapons training for people including Baldwin, and that a request for more training was rebuffed. Rust Movie Productions disputes the findings and sanctions.

ex has anger management issues and a tendency to lash out verbally at everyone. He does have a short temper. The ex-couple has since moved on but it seems the woman still bears the trauma.

DAD’S ESCORT

RESPONSIBILITIES

DEFENSE attorney Luke Nikas says Baldwin relied on professionals who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. The actor has sought to clear his name by suing people involved in handling and supplying the weapon. In that lawsuit, Baldwin says that while working on camera angles with Hutchins, he pointed the gun in her direction and pulled back and released the hammer of the weapon, and it discharged.

Prosecutors say they will rely on an FBI analysis that shows the gun would not have gone off without the trigger being pulled. They say it was incumbent on Baldwin to know the gun and its ammunition and to handle them safely.

LIVE ROUNDS

A YEARLONG investigation by Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza did not establish how live ammunition wound up on the film set, something that industry experts say should never happen.

Investigators initially found 500 rounds—a mix of blanks, dummies and what appeared to be live bullets.

Carmack Altwies says her team is unlikely to resolve how they got there—and that she isn’t that interested in doing so. For her, the important matter is that nobody detected the live rounds and one was allowed to be loaded into the gun. ■

everything to make things hard for that person. So many people who still work in the entertainment industry have many horror stories about this TV personality. But she is now a changed woman. The change isn’t so drastic but the way she treats people who work under her has definitely changed. She is more patient and does not lash out without reason or provocation.

TODAY’S HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Alicia Keys, 42; Mia Kirshner, 48; Ana Ortiz, 52; Jenifer Lewis, 66.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Take a different approach to life, love and happiness. You’ll discover something that captures your heart and encourages you to dedicate more time to personal growth and building a solid base that will protect you from negativity. Recognize how far you’ve come, and learn to love yourself and be proud of your accomplishments. Everything will fall into place. Your numbers are 5, 9, 14, 28, 33, 38, 44.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your help will be pivotal in getting something in return. Keep up the excellent work, and don’t hesitate to take what’s yours. An unexpected change may daunt you at first, but the result will be better than anticipated. ★★★

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Protect against injury and illness. When you need answers, go directly to the source. Summarize your options and sign up for classes or events that will broaden your outlook and help you make the most of your talents and time. ★★★★

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Turn on the charm, pump up the enthusiasm and make things happen. How you go about your business will interest someone who may also want to take advantage of you. Don’t be too quick to give away your secrets or connections. ★★

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Listen and gather facts, then consider outcomes and the best way to navigate your way through turmoil. Distance yourself from anyone looking for a fight or trying to get you to do something for their benefit. Choose love over discord. ★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Helping others will enrich your life. Physical activity, charity events and challenges will lead to acknowledgment. Being in the know will encourage others to consider you for something that will help you gain respect. Celebrate your good fortune with someone you love. ★★★★★

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Uncertainty is the enemy. When in doubt, fact-check and proceed down the path that you find welcoming. Feeling good about your decisions because you did your homework will alleviate stress and encourage you to finish what you started. ★★★

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Bounce your ideas back and forth before you share your thoughts with others. Take the liberty to put someone at ease by offering your services, and you’ll make a significant difference to someone in need and attract positive attention. ★★★

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’ll meet someone new or get the chance to do something you’ve never done. Participating in events that challenge and motivate you to expand your awareness or skills will also lead to a window of opportunity. ★★★★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Size up situations quickly and keep moving. Being gullible will leave you in a compromising position. Don’t get into a debate that you cannot win. Let your actions represent who you are, what you are willing to do and where you draw the line. ★★

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Distance yourself from manipulative, controlling people. Stick close to home and make changes that add to your comfort and help you lower your overhead. An unusual offer will tempt you. Verify the information before you commit. ★★★★

DID SHE GROOM HIM?

THIS beautiful celebrity recently caused a stir on social media when she mentioned trauma from a past relationship, which everyone thought was a good one until they broke up. What the celebrity does not mention is that her ex was a minor when they got together and while he wasn’t a child, he was still quite immature. Being a minor is not an excuse for violence but this could work to her disadvantage if and when she decides to pursue a case. It is known that the celebrity’s

WHO is the beauty queen whose then-boyfriend is said to have dumped her because she allegedly slept with the guy’s dad? The girl is said to be an escort and she allegedly slept with her ex’s dad unknowingly. The beauty queen has now moved up in the ranks and is no longer an escort. She mostly coordinates between rich and powerful clients and the escorts, many of whom are young and beautiful. Some are even beauty queens who joined pageants to up their market value as escorts.

SHE HAS MELLOWED

DURING her heyday, the TV personality was a brutal boss. She would ask her staff to do impossible things and would scream at writers trying to interview her. She always says how much she hates “stupid people.” During every taping or work day, she zeroes in one member of the staff and does

EXPOSED

THIS cosplayer was allegedly exposed in an international competition in the past for not making her own costumes but outsourcing them to a designer. She was not banned or anything but she lost in that competition. The cosplayer always posted about making her own costumes until one day, she was exposed via social media so she lost. While asking designers to make your clothes for you isn’t forbidden in cosplay competitions, your costume and the effort you put into it is included in the scoring. This is true even for the props used, and the cosplayer was also exposed for having someone else making her props for her. The sad thing is that she didn’t even credit the designer or the maker of the props.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t waste time. Look at a challenge to show off your skills and talents. Don’t mislead others regarding money or what you are willing to contribute. A personal pick-me-up will boost your ego and encourage you to be playful with someone you love. ★★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Search for answers. Play fairly, and don’t let anger cause a feud with a friend, relative or peer. Be direct about what you are willing to do for others before you begin. Don’t take part in gossip, or you’ll damage your reputation. ★★★

BIRTHDAY BABY: You are curious, adaptable and experimental. You are creative and mysterious.

10 healthier

mental well-being tips for the Lunar New Year

THE Lunar New Year is an ideal time to become better versions of ourselves. This may manifest through exercise, a healthy diet, thriftiness, or spending more time with family and friends.

Myrlinda Rose A. Ngo, RGC, RPsy, counselor of the Benilde Well-Being Center (BWC) of the De La SalleCollege of Saint Benilde, understands that it may be challenging to stay on track with these. “In order for us to be able to keep our resolve, it would be helpful to just think of one goal that would be doable and keep it simple,” she said.

Psychotherapist Noel McDermott, who is equipped with 25 years of experience in health, social care and education, stressed the significance of setting realistic aspirations. “Don’t rely on motivation alone. Ask for support from others,” he advised. “Build from small change to bigger change, just keep going until it becomes a habit. Once you have mastered it, add the next one to lead to your bigger end goals.”

“We need to come up with specific action steps that will help us achieve this,” Ngo added. “If we are able to do these for 21 days without skipping a beat, then our goal becomes a habit which leads to personal growth.”

Both experts likewise highlighted the importance of prioritizing the mental health for overall wellbeing. To guide the general public, Channel Eye Media Content Editor Sue Fitzgerald listed down several psychological resolutions suggested by McDermott.

Here are some reminders for a better you this 2023:

1. Stop panicking. There is often little you can do about big events around you. Focus on what you have influence over. These may be yourself and your loved-ones.

2. Live in the moment. Don’t dwell on the future. Be mindful about what you nurture.

3. Build better financial habits. Good money management helps ease anxiety. This puts you in a better position to deal with financial pressure. Make a budget, cut costs and clear debts. Make an emergency fund.

4. Live more healthily. Implement routines. Eat nutritious food. Sleep properly. Stay hydrated. Exercise regularly. Engage in yoga and stretch.

5. Build your network. Reconnect with old friends and family. Take the time to make new connections. This will help you feel more balanced.

6. Own your personal power. You control your responses to life events. You can be your own internal child, adult or parent. The child may be emotional, spontaneous and creative. The adult sees reality and learns from it. The parent can make difficult choices.

7. Don’t rely on motivation alone. Motivation is a feeling that comes and goes. It tends to be more useful for short-term gain.

8. Develop habit-forming behaviors. Repeated action is viewed by the brain as important. Keep a new behavior in place for three months. It will then be a habit.

9. Start small. For example, you aim to be fit this new year. Set yourself to be more active every day. Target up to 10,000 steps a day. Once you have mastered it, set a new one such as attending the local gym.

1o. Hold yourself accountable. Peer pressure is key. Join a group of people with the same objectives. The cheer and the positive feedback are a reward in itself.

Taming the overly competitive coworker

LEARNING how to cope with different personalities at work is necessary if you want to succeed in your career. But it becomes especially challenging when you encounter an overly competitive coworker who thinks that everything is a rivalry. These are coworkers who always compare their work with yours but are defensive about their own work. And when they are called out for their substandard performance, they blame everybody and everything else but themselves. These are the coworkers who keep information to themselves and boss everyone when the supervisor is not around.

When a competitive coworker tries to irritate and provoke you, how do you deal with them without adding fuel to their antagonistic behavior? How do you position yourself so that you do not become a target of their hostile behavior? And when you do become a target, how do you protect yourself so that you do not get caught in their destructive behavior?

More often than not, competitive people are insecure about their own work, and are projecting those insecurities on others. Try to identify what is causing them to be insecure so you can avoid provoking them to be combative to you and other people. But also, be prepared that what is causing them to be competitive might be something that you are what they can never be. Some people might not be aware of their own insecurities and take it on other people unwittingly. In this case, it is not your role to point it out because that will only further antagonize them. The best you can do is to avoid them as much as you can so as not to trigger their insecurities.

If there is a need to work with them—and this often will be the case if you are in the same team— find opportunities to compliment them on things that they are doing well. People who are competitive often lack validation for the work they do, and they need to be assured that they are doing well on the job. Be genuine and look for something to compliment them about so that they will feel valued and important.

Do not patronize them as this will further fan the flames of animosity. But try to look for something to compliment them with and make them feel better.

Develop positive and nurturing relationships with other coworkers. Remember that you have other team members you can rely on and collaborate with to get the work done. Focus on those coworkers who help you become better at your work and nurture those relationships by helping them out as well. With enough people collaborating and helping one

another, the competitive coworker might see the error of their ways and find it in themselves to lessen their competitive streak. It might also help if you invite them to join non-work group activities so that they can be in an environment where there is no competition and people can just relax and have fun.

Focus on your own work and proactively look for opportunities to improve your deliverables. Do not sink to the level of your competitive coworker. You cannot change the behavior of others, but you have full control over your own feelings and behavior. Focus on keeping a solid track record of your accomplishments, and be above board in dealing with others. If the competitive coworker starts gossiping about you, your colleagues will be more likely to believe you if you keep your integrity intact. Do not take the bait of a competitive coworker by giving in to their provocation. If there is no need to interact with them, then focus on improving your own work deliverables.

Document your work and ensure that your manager is in the loop with the projects you are handling. Overly competitive coworkers can sometimes claim all the credit for successful projects, or exaggerate their contribution. By documenting your contribution to the project and giving your manager visibility to your accomplishments, you protect yourself and the rest of the team from a coworker inclined to hog all the accomplishments. If possible, provide a tracker to your manager listing the specific tasks assigned to people so your manager knows who did what in the project. If the competitive coworker gets all the tasks, you might have to ask your manager to intervene to spread the workload.

If they become aggressive and visibly show their displeasure to you, ask them directly why they are upset about your work. If you can do anything about what they say, then take it with a grain of salt and improve your work. However, if they are saying things to spite you, block it off and just walk away. It is possible that you are perceived as being competitive because of your exemplary work and they cannot accept that other people are doing better than they are. The best thing to do here is just walk away and let your work speak for itself.

Ask your manager to intervene but say it in such a way as to ask for recommendations on how to work better with a competitive colleague. Discuss the challenges you face with your manager but phrase it in such a manner as to focus on your own difficulties in handling work assignments with the coworker. Tell them what you have been doing to overcome those difficulties so your manager knows you have been doing something about it, and also because your manager might have insights on what more you can do. They might even assign you to work with another colleague to avoid productivity loss, or assign them to another team member who works well with them. Your manager needs to understand these team dynamics so that they can adjust the workload as needed.

An overly competitive coworker can either put you on the defensive, or provoke you to react unnecessarily. But with the right disposition and approach, you can protect yourself from their provocation and find a way to work with them smoothly. And who knows, maybe you can help them to not become overly competitive. n

Faces

The touring exhibition features 75 personalities who embody the joy that French-Philippine relations bring, and symbolizes the rich and vibrant links between the two countries. They include members of government, the diplomatic corps, non-government organizations, the arts and culture community, business sector, and the academe.

AFM executive director Xavier Leroux shared:

“We started with the personalities associated with the Alliance, the France-Philippines Chamber of Commerce and the Embassy, and we incorporated suggestions. The result is stunning: we were truly impressed by the richness of the journeys that embody this bilateral relationship,” Leroux said.

The ceremonial toast was led by French Ambassador Michele Boccoz, who was joined by former Philippine Ambassador to France and Monaco and current president of AFM Cristina Ortega, AFM

Among the featured personalities attending the vernissage were Jewelmer cofounder and Rear Admiral in the Philippine Coast Guard Jacques Branellec; book author Lourdes Montinola, whose family founded the Far Eastern University; and former president of BPI, chairman of FEU, former president of AFM and Chevalier-Légion d’Honneur Aurelio Montinola III.

Over the years, The Podium and SM have been supportive in the promotion of French culture in the Philippines beginning with the 2003 French Spring Festival, one of the earliest cultural events at The Podium since it opened in 2002.

PHOTO BY THESTANDINGDESK ON UNSPLASH

of French-Philippine Connections portrait exhibition at The Podium.

executive director Xavier Leroux, together with SM’s Steven Tan and Millie Dizon.

A TOAST to celebrate the opening of the exhibition with French Ambassador Michele Boccoz, Alliance Française de Manille (AFM) executive director Xavier Leroux, former Philippine ambassador to France and Monaco and current AFM president Cristina Ortega, SM’s Millie Dizon and SM Supermalls president Steven Tan.

FROM left: Sundowners Beach Villas owners Christopher Bruant and Regis Bruant, with Coffral Asia Business Development head Bruno Vergnes.

SHOWN beside his photo in the exhibit, Aurelio “Gigi” Montinola III is a Knight of the French Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur and is a former president of Alliance Française de Manille.

FOOD entrepreneur and Gerald.ph founder Gerald Egasse (left) and Fr. Bernard Holzier who leads the Frenchfounded religious congregation Augustinians of the Assumption in the Philippines.

Toyota supports FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas

SMHCC announces appointment of new SMX Convention Center Vice President/General Manager

SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC) recently announced the appointment of Michael Jaey C. Albaña as Vice President/General Manager of SMX Convention Center (SMXCC).

Albaña has over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry from reputable hotel brands here and abroad. Prior to joining SMXCC, he was the Commercial Director of SMHCC’s luxury property Conrad Manila. He previously held sales and marketing roles in various properties including Century International Hotels, Holiday Inn Manila (now the Manila Pavilion), the Westin Philippine Plaza (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza), Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa, Traders Hotel Manila, Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort and Spa, and Edsa Shangri-La Manila.

Through the years, Albaña has reaped several industry awards in recognition of his valuable contribution to the tourism sector. In 2021, he was a recipient of the Tourism Personality Award given by SKAL International Makati and the Tourism Award of Distinction conferred by the Rotary Club of Manila. He continues to be actively involved with industry-related organizations and has held numerous positions, including: President of the Pasay City Alliance of Tourism Advocates, Director of SKAL International Makati, Assistant Secretary & Director-elect of the prestigious Rotary Club of Manila, an Ex-Officio as President of the U.P. Asian

Institute of Tourism Alumni Association, Ex-Officio as Exec. Vice President of the 1st Tourism Congress of the Philippines and Immediate Past Director of the Hotel Sales & Marketing Association.

As Vice President/General Manager, Albaña shares that the company’s direction is “to bring SMX to the next level and further create an impact in the Philippine tourism industry by being one of the region’s best performing convention centers, creating remarkable experiences through our mantra ‘We Go Beyond Culture’. Focus is on achieving client’s needs and objectives through seamless events management, world-class culinary experiences, efficient technology support, and creating a sustainable, healthy, and safe environment for everyone.”

THE Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is welcoming a key partner that will help move them forward in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 journey.

Toyota Motor Philippines is taking part in this year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup as a local major sponsor. In line with this, it has also entered into a partnership with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and Gilas Pilipinas as well.

“It is with great appreciation and warmth that we welcome Toyota Motor Philippines to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 family,” said SBP Chairman Emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan.

Toyota Motor Philippines’ participation goes a long way in ensuring the success of the country in hosting this momentous global sporting event. Its partnership with SBP goes deeper than just the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. They are working together with the national association to support local athletes and improve the level of basketball in the country.

One way Toyota Motor Philippines

is doing that is by supporting Gilas Pilipinas during their FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 campaign. They are fully behind the national team as they play on the biggest stage of basketball in 2023, in front of thousands of Filipino fans.

FIBA Asia Board and SBP president Al Panlilio expressed the value of attaining high-profile sponsors. “Even as we thank Toyota Motor Philippines for agreeing to be part of this once in a lifetime experience, we are inviting as well others who wish to also share in this global activity, this journey which in a sense is truly a merger of world caliber sports and big business,”

Atsuhiro Okamoto, President of Toyota Motor Philippines stated that “by being part of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 journey, one of the biggest global sports event this year, we aim to further inspire and encourage more Filipinos to use the power of movement to reach their full potential. This is the spirit of our START YOUR IMPOSSIBLE global sports campaign. With this partnership with FIBA through SBP, and unity basketball brings to Filipinos, we

are always moving closer to our goal of producing happiness for all.”

Toyota Motor Philippines is also integral to the SBP’s build-up heading into this FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. The Filipino automotive company is assisting in various basketball clinics and coaches’ camps, which aim to share knowledge at the grassroots level.

All of these activities by Toyota Motor Philippines highlight the significance of this major event that the SBP is undertaking, as well as the importance of championing the national team and other local athletes.

The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will be co-hosted by the Philippines along with Japan and Indonesia. The Philippines will be hosting the majority of the games that will be happening from August 25 to September 10, including the final phase and championship game.

The Philippines has taken part in six previous World Cup competitions. This year’s participation will be their seventh time playing in the international tournament, and the second time hosting the event.

Ride Revolution welcomes the new year with an intensified comeback, opening salvo package

STARTED as a boutique studio for avid indoor cycling goers, Ride Revolution offers its customers a pay-as-you-train model where a nocommitment, no-contract scheme is observed. Customers can just purchase a class package and book a bike online. Each class is set to a playlist and routine that varies per instructor, making each one a unique experience that will engage the mind and push the body out of its comfort zone. Since opening its Shangri-la doors in 2016, the studio has welcomed guests and considered the space a safe nook like a second home.

Just like any other business, Ride Revolution shifted its gears during the pandemic to become a digital-friendly space where guests can still attend classes virtually. Fast forward to 2023, and with much gusto, the innovative team of fitness professionals has finally decided to open its doors to guests excited to experience the full-ride revolution they’ve grown to love.

“Staying true to one of our commitments of ‘Walk in strong, walk out stronger’, at Ride Revolution, we are committed to providing a one-of-a-kind experience to our studio goers,” says Niqui Cui, Managing Partner of Ride Revolution.

“We take pride in our claims that make us special compared to other studios: We made sure that our studios are strategically located around Metro Manila bringing it closer to our riders; We are partners with top-notch instructors trained by experts in indoor cycling and; We have an increasing focus on digital space through our website and application as the first to offer indoor cycling zoom

classes and video on demand,” Cui added in a statement

Operating at full capacity, avid Ride Revolution riders can expect no less from the upgraded Shangri La studio. With its newly 29 upgraded state-of-the-art bike units, complemented by its improved sound system, the guests can experience an empowering workout matched with its full-throttle vibe.

“The Ride Revolution experience is truly one of a kind. With a class set to music that depends entirely on each instructor, you can fully immerse and zone in on yourself.” Cui describes.

“Throughout the program, you move to the beat of the music, all while executing a variety of choreographies and moves.

The energy of the participants, the music, the lights, and the room's overall vibe will motivate you to push harder. You will barely notice that 45 minutes have passed by.,” she continues.

The Ride Revolution team is here to

reintroduce the Ride Revolution lifestyle that focuses on work-life balance; highlighting only an experience that

focuses solely on long-term goals that break past weight or calories. That is why they have included an upgrade in the studio by adding a co-working space where riders can easily use or stay while waiting for their ride.

As if it weren’t enough, starting January 8, 2023, Ride Revolution is offering a special opening salvo bulk package sale which entitles the guest to an exclusive package for as low as P500 which can be shared with a friend or two. This is the lowest and best deal in the market, yet. The promo runs until January 31, 2023.

“We are thrilled to welcome our guests here in our newly upgraded and re-opened studio in Shangri La. We have been waiting for this for a very long time. Welcome to a community that helps each other; We’re here to celebrate you and what your body and mind can do.” Hanz Go, Ride Revolution Managing Partner shared in an interview.

“As a community, we aim to achieve progress without losing one’s individuality. Unlike other gyms, Ride Revolution gives importance not only to the physical aspect of the ride but to the whole well-being of each individual. We want to deliver a workout that breaks past the usual mindset; past calories and more on one that strengthens the mind, body, and soul. We’re here to give you an empowering workout; one that encourages you to walk in strong, and walk out stronger as a whole. So come for the ride and stay for the revolution.” Go said.

Herbalife Nutrition Philippines donates over 2,000 school kits to children in need

through working with our Casa Herbalife Nutrition Program partner Tuloy Foundation,” said Allan Domingo, General Manager, Herbalife Nutrition Philippines.

Tuloy Foundation also provides characterbuilding, sports and development programs for youth as well as alternative-learning and vocational training for school-aged children housed in the center, and those from surrounding low income communities.

HERBALIFE Nutrition Philippines recently marked its 28th year by helping Filipino children. Together with global non-profit Herbalife Nutrition Foundation (HNF), Herbalife Nutrition Philippines provided over 2,000 school kits to children in need through the Tuloy Foundation.

Tuloy Foundation seeks to help homeless and abandoned youth and children by providing them with a safe home and education.

“At Herbalife, we believe in harnessing our resources to give back to the community. We hope that we’ll be able to create a positive impact on needy children in the country

“We have grown exponentially fast and wide from 12 kids in 1993 to now housing over 200 resident kids and 150 non-resident kids, and we wouldn’t have made it this far if it weren’t for our loyal partners. I would like to thank Herbalife for their never-ending support in providing food on our table and infusing a healthy culture in our lives. May they continue to create an impact on the children’s lives, one child at a time.” said Fr. Rocky, Founder, Tuloy Foundation

The Casa Herbalife Nutrition Program is the flagship program of Herbalife Nutrition Foundation and aims to improve the lives of children in need by partnering with existing charities to provide healthy meals and nutrition education to children around the world. The Program currently supports 167 orphanages, hospitals, schools, and other organizations in 59 countries. In the Philippines, there are two Herbalife casas and over 750 children are benefiting from the said program.

OVER the years, we have seen how essential the contribution of Science Technology and Innovation (STI) is in the development of our country. The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 02 has displayed firmly its accomplishments in STI, achieved excellence in the S&T ecosystem and echoed the spirit of resilience in the entire Cagayan Valley.

The agency’s competency has shown in many aspects of government service.

Moreover, the leadership and management of DOST R02 have formed the backbone of various improvements and strategies. This includes leadership in providing a unity of purpose, while also establishing the direction of the organization through its programs, projects and activities (PPAs).

Now, with our new battle cry, One DOST4U, DOST R02 will continue to advocate the utilization and transfer of available technologies from the research and development institutions down to the

local government units, communities and industries.

DOST R02 will never stop recognizing resilient MSMEs for continuously embracing the importance of unleashing creativity through Innovations and having the ability to respond rapidly and effectively in any circumstances.

Furthermore, DOST R02 with its mandate, will continue to provide central direction, leadership and coordination of scientific and technological efforts in building smarter cities and communities in the country.

This proved that DOST R02 is the leading STI hub in Cagayan Valley and Beyond. As we move forward to the next level of our S&T Landscape, DOST R02 will find and encounter even more enormous ideas that can help characterize the massive use of emerging technologies. This may sound overwhelming, but in DOST R02, everything is possible.

HERBALIFE NUTRITION PHILIPPINES TURNS OVER SCHOOL KITS TO TULOY FOUNDATION. From left are Edsel Sobreviñas, Marketing Manager, Herbalife Nutrition Member /Leaders Jason and Mabel Gianan, Arlene Balangue, Fr. Rocky Evangelista, founder of Tuloy Foundation, Marie Segismundo, Corporate Communications Manager, and Allan Domingo, General Manager of Herbalife Nutrition Philippines.

OneDOST4U: DOST R02 to strengthen smart and sustainable initiatives in Cagayan Valley

Boosting growth through partnership

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

The Robles-family controlled Sta. Lucia Land Inc. (SLI) is headed for bigger growth as it recently formed a partnership with Enderun h o tels to enhance its brand and presence in the Philippine hotel and leisure industry and at the same time take advantage of the rebound of the tourism industry.

Moreover, the collaboration complements Enderun h o tel’s objective to engage the local independent hotel and restaurant owners and enable t hem to compete with major players in the hospitality industry.

“ we p ursued this agreement to ensure that we will be able to up the

ante in the hospitality industry. we believe that a partnership with a company like Enderun will add further v alue to our developments and will allow us to establish a strong name in the hotel sector. Our agreement is set for three years and during this time, we hope to be able to showcase what true Filipino hospitality is all about,” explained Sta. Lucia Land (SLI) President Exequiel Robles. U nder the partnership, Enderun will provide assistance in corporate sales, training of personnel, promotions and maintenance on select SLI h otels. Further, it will also provide a

“pre-opening service” which will begin three months before the completion of each identified hotel, covering the training and other aspects of operations.

Enderun will also manage the operations of SLI hotels in Palawan and Baguio, namely, the Crown Residences, Sotogrande Palawan, and Sotogrande Baguio.

“This is one partnership that we are truly excited about. This is our way of contributing to the recovery of the tourism industry, which we believe is already wellpoised for continued growth in the coming years. And with Enderun as our partner, we at Sta. Lucia Land will continue to establish and strengthen our presence in the hotel industry—ensuring that we deliver premium services that reflect true Filipino hospitality, as we set out to become one of the top choices of both local and for -

eign travelers,” Robles concluded. F or 2023, the Department of Tourism said it targets to have 4.8 million international visitors, up from the 2.65 million f oreign arrivals recorded last year. The 2022 figures translate to P208.96 billion in tourism revenue, which was a clear s ignal that the Philippine travel and tourism industry is well on its way to recovery.

Bistro group and Ayala Center M E A n wh ILE , Ayala Malls welcomed Bistro Group’s Olive Garden to its valued tenants when it r ecently opened its new branch in Glorietta 3, Ayala Center.

Located at the 3rd level of the said mall, Olive Garden is the largest American-Italian restaurant chain in the United States, w here it operates more than 900 restaurants and employs more

than 96,000 people.

we a re excited to open our 2nd branch in the Philippines in a span of three months, on the heels of the success of our maiden store at the Mall of Asia. we a re very pleased about the enthusiastic welcome that Filipinos accorded Olive Garden and we look f orward to expanding the brand in more locations soon,” Darden Regional Operations Director Greg Balogh said.

For his part, the Bistro Group’s President Jean Paul Manuud, said Olive Garden has created waves since it was introduced in the country. “ w h at we have with Darden Restaurants Inc., the company behind Olive Garden, is a collaboration that’s been very positive from the start. we a re happy to be working with them on building the brand and growing the business locally,” he said.

CMIP launches second experiential showroom in Pampanga Considerations in buying a condo

By Roderick L. Abad

ANGELES CITY, PAMPANGA—Concepcion Midea Inc. Philippines (CMIP) has launched the second branch of The Under One Roof (UOR) Experience Hub and Showroom at the Best Western Plus Metro Clark, given the positive outlook on the economy and the appliance industry in the country.

While there are inflationary pressures on the Philippines at present, some statistics that give a very strong optimism for CMIP to put up this one-stop-shop in Angeles City, Pampanga, include the low penetration rate of appliances in the domestic market.

CMIP Chairman and President Phillip F. Trapaga cited, for instance, that only 15 percent of households nationwide have airconditioning and about 30 percent to 40 percent have refrigerators.

“So opportunity-wise, it’s still huge,” he told local and national media during their press briefing, following their ceremonial kick off ceremonies last Friday.

Another reason for the company to put up the UOR in this part of Central Luzon is that “the fundamentals are going to come back” as the country starts to bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic, according to him.

These indicators include the recovery of the business process outsourcing industry with the return of onsite work amid the relaxed government-imposed health protocols, steady remittance inflow from the overseas Filipino workers, and the continuous growth of online businesses, among others, he noted.

“Again, the economic engine is still turning,” Trapaga said. “One of the things that we are very proud about in the Philippines is that whatever disasters that await us, we’ve always seen the resilience of Filipinos. So that is what drives our optimism in investing in the Philippine market and, of course, think it’s a no brainer that Pampanga is one of the centers of commerce in Luzon, and we’re seeing a lot of activities picking up.”

Agreeing with him was Savers Group Holdings Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jaime J. Uy, who mentioned such as their motivation to partner with the CMIP in putting up the UOR to give consumers more access to innovative and reliable appliance and electronic products from them, as well as top high-end home solutions

from leading brands like Midea and Toshiba.

“With the opening of the Clark International Airport, we are now having a world-class airport in this area which can accommodate 6 to 7 million passengers a year. And once the entire world is open, just like recently China opened its borders already and Koreans are already coming in, we are very confident that in this locality, especially Central Luzon, which is now the growth corridor of the Philippines given its strategic location; and we had these two former military bases that turned into special economic zones, inviting so many foreign investments; and as the new condominium buildings in Clark are very noticeable, of course, we are expecting a bigger market for our products,” he explained.

Apart from offering a wide array of products, the experiential home solutions hub offers design and technical consultancy, professional installation services using the right materials and tools. What’s more, it offers reliable aftersales service, along with complete and comprehensive builder solutions for both consumers and architects, consultants, and developers.

With CMIP’s tie up also with Tandem and Steffen Development Co. Inc., it is also a working hub for the latter’s interior designers to collaborate with architects and bring in their customer.

“Through the UOR, we are able to provide customers with a one-of-a-kind experience where they can find everything they need for their homes and even for businesses, while giving them the access to one-on-one interaction with designers and consultants who can walk them through the whole process of building their dream home,” noted CMIP General Manager Anna Marie M. Alejandro.

“With the opening of UOR in Pampanga, we hope to provide residents of Angeles City and other neighboring provinces the opportunity to enjoy our topnotch products and services, including the best home solutions from some of the world’s most trusted brands,” she added.

Established in November 2020 with its flagship outlet in Makati, which has thus far already created 130 to 150 plus number of projects, the UOR will continue to provide cutting-edge solutions and innovations, strengthened by its strategic collaborations with leading brand partners.

“We’re looking for [the opening of] additional one immediately for this year, either [in] Cebu or Davao,” Alejandro bared of their expansion plan.

WHETHER y ou are thinking of purchasing a new home or looking for an investment to grow your money, buying a residential condominium is a great option. For families and individual dwellers, condos offer security, amenities and convenient living. While for investors, condos offer investment with potential for high-value appreciation and provide selfsustaining investment through short-term and long-term unit rental.

However, choosing a condominium is not easy given the number of options out there and the factors that need to be considered before owning one. Here’s a handy checklist that sums up the key considerations to help you choose the right condominium development for you.

Location. Location. Location.

F IRST t hing to consider is its location. If you plan to purchase a condominium unit for end-use, its accessibility to important developments such as schools, hospitals, commercial establishments, and transportation hubs is the key to ensuring that your daily needs are easily provided.

Purchasing a condominium that’s wellsituated in a prime location, especially in CBDs or township developments, will not only provide you convenience but also has a high-value property appreciation. It also makes your condominium highly attractive for potential renters if you’re purchasing it for investment. For instance, MidPark Towers is a luxury residential development located inside Aseana City in Parañaque, which is considered as one of the fastestgrowing CBDs and the next-generation cities in the Metro. The development is connected to public infrastructures such as NAIA Expressway (NAIAx), LRT Line 1 Extension, and the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITx) making it a transit-oriented development. It is also within walking distance to large-scale mixed-use developments such as Ayala Malls Manila Bay, City of Dreams Manila, Solaire Resort and Casino, and the Mall of Asia Complex.

Safety and Security

S A FETY i s another key consideration in purchasing a condominium. Residential developments inside a master-planned community usually provide ample secu -

Aseana City, where MidPark is strategically located, has 24/7 on-ground security personnel and is equipped with an Integrated Operations Center (IOC) designed to help manage complex city environments, incidents, and emergencies with a city solution that delivers operational insights. It offers integrated data visualization, near realtime collaboration, and deep analytics to help the estate management enhance the ongoing efficiency of its district operations; plan for growth; and coordinate and manage response efforts.

Spacious Residential Units

A SPACIOUS an d livable space is an important factor to consider when purchasing a condo. With hybrid work set-up becoming the new normal, having ample space inside your condo would allow you to create your own work-from-home station where you can do your tasks separately, without sacrificing space for your family to enjoy and spend time with.

MidPark Towers offers spacious residential units ranging from Studio units at 40 sq m, to one-bedroom units at 52 sq m, which are perfect choices for investors and even for starting nesters or individual dwellers. Next are two bedrooms at 80 sq m, and three-bedroom units at 120 sq m, which are ideal for growing families.

Exceptional Amenities & Property Management Services

P URC HASING a c ondo unit is only the first step, but the end goal is to enjoy living in

One of the main advantages of owning a condo over a house is the availability of its amenities that you can conveniently use and enjoy. An outdoor swimming pool, fitness gym, function rooms, and functional open spaces are some of the amenities usually offered in condominium developments. Real-estate developers sometimes go the extra mile with their condominium projects offering more than the usual amenities, examples of these are business and private lounges, and kid’s playroom, all offered in MidPark Towers. These amenities are perfect if you need a change of scenery and a quiet place to do your work-from-home tasks or finish some readings while allowing your kids to play and do fun activities in a safe space.

Another underrated factor to consider in purchasing a condominium unit is its property management services. The condominium product you’re buying does not end after you purchased it, having an exceptional property management team in the project is an important consideration that should not be missed. Maintaining the upkeep of the condominium by dedicated and highly professional property management can guarantee the order and quality of your home.

High Value Appreciation

F OR t hose looking to purchase a condo as an investment, it’s important to select a property that has the potential to appreciate in value. The main factors that increase the value appreciation of condominiums are

A fter Glorietta 3, Balogh said the Bistro Group will open another Olive Garden branch this year.

A side from offering its classics such as Chicken Alfredo as well as dishes such as Chicken Parmigiana, Olive Garden’s well known s tyle provides a serene place for families, groups of friends or colleagues, to enjoy a great meal and a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere.

Just like all Olive Garden restaurants in the world, Manuud s aid the famous rustic stone passageway is also present in the Philippines welcoming guests to the restaurant where the vibe is comfortable, fresh, cozy and modern with warm elements and olive green accents. h e added the design of the interiors is Italian countryside-inspired manifested through earth tones and natural textures.

its location, developer, and product quality.

When it comes to location, being situated in a master-planned community has a potential for high-value appreciation. Make sure to check for existing and upcoming public infrastructure and transportation projects near the area as well, as this will help boost the value of your property in the future upon completion.

The reputation of the developer is another factor to consider. Knowing the track record would help you identify its capability to provide quality products to its clientele. Luckily, MidPark Towers is owned and developed by Aseana Residential Holding Corp., the same people behind Pixel Residences— a mid-rise condominium also located inside Aseana City that was recently awarded as the Best Completed Condo Development in the 2022 Philippine Property Awards.

In addition to these considerations in purchasing a condominium, the real estate industry in the Philippines is already seeing an uptrend performance, even amidst current market volatilities. Based on the studies of Colliers Philippines, a real estate and investment management company, our economy grew by 7.8% in the first three (3) quarters of 2022, ahead of government targets of 6.5% - 7.5%. While demand for pre-selling condominiums is gradually recovering; in their view, mid-income and luxury residential projects are likely to remain resilient. Employees returning to traditional office spaces fuels the demand for condos for lease in key business hubs.

On the other hand, Property prices also continue to rise. According to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ latest Residential Real Estate Price Index (RREPI), nationwide residential property prices rose by 2.6% compared to the same period a year ago; in the capital region, condominium prices have grown by 8.4%. Historically, property values appreciate over time—from 2017 to 2021, condominium prices in NCR have grown to an average of 31.96% year on year.

Sounds like a good time to purchase and invest in condominiums now? All signs point to yes. For your real estate considerations, Aseana Residential Holdings Corporation’s (ARHC) MidPark Towers is in its pre-selling stage and is set to provide your luxurious needs by 2025.

For inquiries, you may contact (+632) 8805-2501 or inquiries@midparktowers. com. You may also visit their web site at www.midparktowers.com and www.dmwai.com for more information.

In the words of football’s greatest of all time Pelé, “every collaboration helps you grow.”

Sotog R And E Palawan will allow you to own a piece of paradise in one of the most popular islands in the Philippines.

oLIVE garden glorietta 3 facade

C R own Residences in Palawan is a four-level condominium building that offers premier condotel suites and penthouse luxury suites.

M IdPAR k towers offers spacious and well-thought residential units with three-bedroom at 120 sq m, ideal for growing families.

DJOKO IN TOP FORM

MELBOURNE—It took about a week for Novak Djokovic to go from worrying about whether he simply could play a match at all on his injured left hamstring to thinking he can win the Australian Open.

A nd one pain-free, nearly perfect performance in the fourth round Monday made a world of difference.

Tonight, the way I played, the way I felt, gives me reason now to believe that I can go all the way,” Djokovic said after completely overwhelming 22nd-seeded Alex de Minaur, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, to reach the quarterfinals for the 13th time at Melbourne Park and 54th time at all Grand Slam tournaments.

I mean, I always believe I can go all the way, in terms of my tennis,” continued Djokovic, whose 21 major championships include nine in Australia. “But the way my leg felt before tonight wasn’t giving me too many hopes, so to say, for the entire tournament, to go all the way through. Tonight I feel that, so I feel positive about it.”

A year ago, he got kicked out of the country before the Australian Open because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. He still hasn’t gotten the shots, but the government’s coronavirus rules have been relaxed.

A fter looking out of joint occasionally in his first three matches in the tournament last week, sometimes stumbling to the ground, sometimes seeking treatment from a trainer, the 35-year-old from Serbia looked like his usual flexible, courtcovering, dominant self at Rod Laver Arena against de Minaur.

D jokovic won 42 of 64 points that lasted five shots or more. He accumulated a 26-9 edge in winners. He won all 12 of his service games, never facing a single break point. Generally considered the best returner in the

game now—and, perhaps, ever— Djokovic earned a dozen break chances and converted half.

H e broke to lead 4-2 in the first set and again to end it. He broke to go up 2-0 and 4-0 in the second. He broke for advantages of 1-0 and 3-0 in the third.

It just felt like constant pressure today. Every service game I had, wasn’t getting free points. It felt like an uphill battle from the start,” de Minaur said. “Never really was able to get my teeth into the match, make it tough for him, or bring the pressure moments and situations.”

D jokovic said he felt “fantastic” and “really great in terms of mobility and movement.”

I n addition to taking “a lot” of anti-inflammatory pills to help the hamstring, Djokovic said he has been using “different treatments and machines and stuff” to help improve his leg. He also cautioned that he does not “want to celebrate too early, ’cause I don’t know how the body’s going to respond tomorrow and for the next match.”

Yes, there are still contests to come and players to contend with.

H is upcoming opponent is No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev, who will head into their matchup Wednesday with an 0-6 record in Grand Slam quarterfinals. That day’s other men’s match will be between two unseeded Americans in their 20s who’ve never been this far at a major tournament: Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul.

The men’s quarterfinals scheduled for Tuesday: No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas against unseeded Jiri Lehecka, and No. 18 Karen Khachanov vs. No. 29 Sebastian Korda.

O f the seven remaining men other than Djokovic, none has won a Grand Slam title and only Tsitsipas ever has even reached a major final, and that was just once, losing to— yep, you guessed it—Djokovic at the French Open in 2021.

I’ve been in this situation so many times before,” Djokovic said, leaning back in his chair and placing both palms on his chest. “From that point of view I think it helps me have kind of a more, let’s say, clear approach to the remaining days of the tournament and what I need to do. Of course, I’ll keep an eye on all the other matches, see how the other guys are doing. We’ll see what happens.”

De Minaur, for one, knows what he thinks is going to happen.

What I experienced today was probably Novak very close to his best, I would say,” he said. “To me, if that’s the level, I think he’s definitely the guy that’s going to take the title.” AP

Strong Group needs OFW’s support in Dubai hoopfest–Coach Charles

THE Strong Group is banking on its sixth man—overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)—in Dubai

a much-needed boost as it takes on an expectedly tough field in the 32nd Dubai International Championship beginning Friday.

A ll their bags are packed and ready to go as the Jacob Lao-owned Philippine club flies to Dubai in two batches with the first leaving on Wednesday and the second Thursday.

S trong Group Head Coach Charles Tiu said they will need all the help from the Filipino crowd as they go up against top Middle East teams, including the Lebanese squads which, according to the young coach, pose a huge threat

Senator Cayetano hails beach volleyball, esports champions

SEN. Alan Peter Cayetano hailed Filipino athletes who dominated two recently concluded international events in esports and beach volleyball.

Through Senate Resolution 436, Cayetano congratulated and commended Cherry Ann “Sisi” Rondina and Philippine Army Sgt. Jovelyn Gonzaga for winning gold and Floremel Rodriguez and Genesa Eslapor for clinching silver in the women’s division of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures held in Subic Bay, Zambales from December 8 to 11 of last year.

In Senate Resolution No. 437, Cayetano also applauded the athletes from Echo and Blacklist International for finishing as champions and runners-up, respectively, in the Mobile Legends M4 World Championship held in Jakarta, Indonesia, from January 1 to 15.

C ayetano, who recently retained his position as Chairman Emeritus of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation, said the victory of Rondina, Gonzaga, Rodriguez and Eslapor is testament to the worldclass talent of Filipinos.

These outstanding athletes’ dedication will inspire home-grown athletes to continue to excel not only in the sport of volleyball, but also in other international sporting events, and will boost the morale of others who are bound to compete in international competitions in the future,” the senator wrote in his resolution filed on Monday.

W ith the tournament held locally, he said such events “also showcase to the world the Philippines’s capability to successfully host prestigious sporting events.”

Cayetano commended Echo for being the third Filipino team to claim the world championship in consecutive years, joining Blacklist International and Bren Esports in 2021.

Echo’s victory punctuates the Philippines’s continued dominance over the Mobile Legends Championship esports scene and other esports competitions, especially in Southeast Asia,” Cayetano said.

The senator also cheered on esports athletes and coaches from Echo and Blacklist International for being role models to the Filipino youth.

Neighbors Lastimosa, Jarin forced to face off as TNT meets Phoenix

NT Tropang Giga clashes with Phoenix Super LPG in a game featuring a subbing coach and a debuting mentor—Jojo Lastimosa for TNT and Jamike Jarin for Phoenix—on Wednesday of the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

aking the duel of coaches more noteworthy is that they happen to be neighbors.

He [Jarin] is my neighbor at Filinvest 1 [Quezon City],” said the 58-year-old Lastimosa, one of the more exciting players the league ever had. “We were beaten by Phoenix last conference so we’re hoping to bounce back.”

astimosa is officially TNT’s team manager but was tasked to temporarily replace Chot Reyes, who’s now focused with the national team’s preparations for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers next month.

arin, on the other hand, took over Topex Robinson, who decided to bring his coaching act to De La Salle in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

There’s a little bit of excitement and apprehension going to my first game. This is different because it’s for the whole conference, so I just don’t know if I am ready...but I hope I am,” said Lastimosa, a member of Alaska’s 1996 grand slam champion team.

The plan is also to recover from a terrible finish last time [Commissioner’s Cup],” Lastimosa said. “They are a good defensive team so we have to match their intensity.”

L astimosa actually isn’t new to his role at TNT. He subbed as head coach for NLEX in 2018 when Yeng Guiao was designated to handle the national team to the Jakarta Asian Games. He sewed a 3-2 won-lost record.

Jarin, on the other hand, expects

to the country’s bid for a secondstraight title in the tournament.

We definitely need the Filipino fans to come out and support us there. They’ve been our sixth man each time and we need every single one of them,” said Tiu, who guided Mighty Sports to the title three years ago.

All the Lebanese teams will be tough. Al-Riyadi, of course, which we played in the championship the last time and in the semifinals the year before that,” Tiu said. “Beirut Lebanon and Dynamo Lebanon are all tough. And then we have the teams from Tunisia, Morocco and Iraq.”

S trong Group is bracketed with

his PBA head coaching debut to be “unforgettable.”

“ We’re going to come in competitive because they [TNT] are the favorite team so we have to play sharp with our system,” Jarin said. “I’m excited to coach against a legend like him [Lastimosa], it’s going to be fun...we live a few blocks from each other.”

The TNT-Phoenix game is set at 5:45 p.m. after the 3 p.m. game between Blackwater and NLEX, which is expected to play without an import after Jonathon Simmons decided to return to China.

The Bossing will parade comebacking import Shawn Glover.

L astimosa said their reinforcement, Jalen Hudson, will be an import to watch.

“ He’s explosive and productive,” he said. “He’s a legitimate big time scorer in practices although he wants the locals to be involved as well.”

The Tropang Giga will also have the services of 6-foot-7 Justin Chua—who they aquired through a recent trade— as a replacement for legitimate center JP Erram, who’s recovering from a right knee operation.

Phoenix will have another returning import, Du’ Vaughn Maxwell, as well as new acquisition Jayjay Alejandro and Raul Soyud.

He’s [Maxwell] a leader and a winner so he’s going to be a very, very important ingredient to our team,” Jarin said. Josef Ramos

Dynamo-Lebanon in Group A, along with United Arab Emirates national team, Al-Wahda of Syria and AlNasr of Libya.

It also didn’t help that the Strong Group will be without Ange Kouame who’s down with dengue.

It’s been tough without Ange. It changes everything for us. We built this team knowing we would have had him, and his absence is really a game changer,” Tiu said.

T iu said the team tried to tap Justin Brownlee and Andray Blatche but both aren’t available. De La Salle forward Kevin Quiambao will be filling in at the shade.

who called a spade a spade.

W hen we were in Vancouver, Canada, for the 1992 World Team Golf Championship (he was delegation head, of course), we had this after-dinner, boys-only talk at the dinner table.

But before we could begin—to the pleasant surprise of everyone—Benny pulled out two bottles of cognac.  Make that Hennessy XO.

But because he didn’t drink, he unwrapped another surprise: Ice-cream.  Make that Haagen-Dazs.

Ang lagay kayo lang ang magi-enjoy sa gabing ito (I need to enjoy the night, too),” he said.

He almost finished a gallon of the world’s second bestselling ice-cream (behind Magnum, with Cornetto third) before we called it a night.

can only be found in the jungles of the Philippines”— leaving the delegates from nearly 50 countries thoroughly mesmerized.  To cut the long story short, we beat Taiwan, Japan and Australia in the bidding war—easily.

L ater, in the press conference a day before the tournament began, Benny stunned the media by asking Tiger Woods, then the star of the US Team:  “Please sign this cap as a present to my son when I go home to the Philippines?”

Tiger Woods, 19, looked Benny, 49, sternly in the eye before saying, “I do not sign autographs but for your son, Sir, I will break my vow.”

Benny one of a kind

HE did not drink.  He did not smoke.  He did not take coffee.

But Benny Gopez had consistently maintained an exquisite collection of drinks.  Oh, how he loved to share his spirits to his friends.  The most generous host ever.

He had cigars to be either chomped or burned. A nd a coffeemaker ready to percolate at anyone’s bidding.

H istoric—and a bit perilously funny—was our sojourn to the 1994 World Team Golf in Versailles, France.

I n the power-point presentation to sell the Philippines in our bid to host the 1996 Golf Worlds, a local hired to operate the gadget fumbled.  Benny tinkered furiously at the machine and—tadaa!—it worked.

The show highlighted the spectacular monkeyeating eagle soaring high in the sky (I wrote the script, ahem!).  The narrative had bragged the fact that “this eagle

B enny answered:  “I owe you a debt of gratitude for the rest of my life.  Thank you so much.”

I n the 1996 World Team Golf edition in Manila, an American media official from the US delegation tried to meddle with our Press Office affairs.   I asked Benny for advice.

Trust your instincts,” he said.  “I put you there because I believe in your judgment.”

I t hrew the guy out.

“Attaboy,” said Benny, the only sports official I know

I n the next 1998 World Team Golf in Santiago, Chile, the same American media dude was there, this time as Chief processor of delegate IDs.

“ So, it’s you again,” he said to me.  “And heck, as Team Captain of the Philippines, no less!”

I e xtended my hand.  He took it.

Peace!” he said.

Peace!”

W hen Benny learned about it, he said:  “To be at peace with others is to be at peace with God.”

Heart failure felled Benny on January 21, the day my mother(+) was born in 1920.

G odspeed, dear Benny. You will be missed.

THAT’S IT Benny Gopez was president at different times of the nation’s golf association and volleyball federation. As golf head, Benny brought the 1996 World Golf Team Championship to Manila. As volleyball chieftain, Benny brought the 2000 World Volleyball Championship to Manila.  No other sports official has done both feats on the world stage.

JARIN LASTIMOSA

KAZAKHSTAN’S Elena Rybakina beats Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, 6-2, 6-4, in their quarterfinal match Tuesday. AP

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HEAD Coach Charles Tiu knows how explosive his team could be if the Filipino crowd comes in droves.