BusinessMirror January 30, 2020 by BusinessMirror

NEDA BOARD OKS P548-B PROJECTS By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

HE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board approved P547.63 billion worth of projects, which will be funded through Official Development Assistance (ODA), in its first meeting for the year. In a statement, the Neda said the list of projects included the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 4, Edsa Greenways project, and six new projects to be undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department of Transportation (DOTr). The six projects are the Maritime Safety Enhancement Program; the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) Project; Cebu-Mactan Bridge (4th Bridge) and Coastal Road Construction Project;

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Davao City Coastal Bypass Road Project; Capas-Botolan Road Project; and the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Island Bridges Project. “These projects are the building blocks of our people’s dreams and aspirations. As such, we intend to roll out as many as we can to ease congestion and spread growth throughout the country,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretar y Ernesto M. Pernia said. The P57.07-billion MRT 4 Project involves the construction of a 15.56- kilometer elevated monorail transit system from N. Domingo, Quezon City to Taytay Diversion Road-Manila East Road rotunda in Taytay, Rizal. The P8.51-billion Edsa Greenways Project involves the enhancement of pedestrian facilities around key rail sta-

tions along Edsa, particularly Balintawak, Guadalupe, Cubao, and Taft for the first phase of the project. Neda said it will provide safe, secure, efficient and environment-friendly mobility in public spaces available 24/7. Pernia said the Edsa Greenways project will be constructed in line with the National Transport Policy that gives priority to pedestrians and bikers. The national transport policy, Neda said, aims to provide a safe and direct access to priority destinations such as housing, education, health, and business centers, as well as public transport modes. The Neda said the P6.25-billion Maritime Safety Enhancement Program will be undertaken by the DOTr together with the Philippine Coast Guard. See “Neda,” A8

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Thursday, January 30, 2020 Vol. 15 No. 112

Lopez: Govt should earn more from NDC properties By Elijah Felice E. Rosales @alyasjah

HE government is consolidating its properties under the National Development Co. (NDC) to lease or qualify them in new contracts that will benefit mostly state coffers, according to Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez.

Lopez on Wednesday told reporters the government is retrieving its properties under the NDC to enter them in new leasing arrangements that will increase government collection. The NDC Board, as such, is creating a liquidation committee tasked to review the value of the properties, including

and especially the 120-hectare land in Batangas co-owned by Chevron Philippines. “We will create a committee there and the intention is for the government to consolidate and buy the shares of the partner Chevron,” Lopez said. Upon buyout and after review,

“There’s no issue with the investors. We are honoring the contract. We even allowed company corporate life to end and renegotiation on the balance. We are not unilaterally revising or changing our contracts [with the private sector].”—Lopez

Lopez said the government will most likely keep the properties under its sole ownership. The options being considered right now is to either put them up for lease or qualify them in a new joint venture—that’s if the government and Chevron do not end up in agreement on new terms. “If we want to package it as a joint venture in the future with a real-estate project, it will benefit the government much. We won’t

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HE Philippine Coffee Board Inc. (PCBI) on Wednesday said it will start planting barako coffee in other areas in Visayas and Mindanao to preserve the heirloom variety amid the threat of Taal Volcano to traditional growing areas in Cavite and Batangas. PCBI Director Guillermo M. Luz said some of the areas initially identified by his group as suitable for growing barako coffee include Bataan, Bohol and Basilan. These areas, he said, are 250 to 800 meters above sea level and have distinct dry and wet seasons. Luz said there is a need to e x pa nd ba ra ko cof fee fa r ms outside Calabarzon as the recent ashfall from Taal Volcano damaged 40 percent of coffee planted in Cavite and Batangas and is threatening to wipe out the barako variety. PCBI estimated that coffee farmers in Cavite and Batangas have lost at least P600 million in

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revenues and this could even go up to P1.2 billion as 40 percent of their annual output of 5,000 metric tons in green coffee beans (MT-GCB) were damaged by Taal Volcano. “We are looking at areas in Visayas and Mindanao, areas outside Calabarzon. We are taking a long-term approach to protect the barako variety,” Luz said in a press briefing in Makati City. “Barako variety has been closely associated with the Philippines and we do want to protect that trademark,” he added. PCBI said Basilan is one of the identified alternative areas for barako coffee since the province has idle lands, especially coconut farms that have been devastated by cocolisap. Luz said PCBI plans to reserve roughly a third of the remaining 60 percent coffee output in affected areas as seeds for the expansion program. The remaining volume will be bought by PCBI’s company, Kape Isla, as a way of helping affected farmers. See “Coffee,” A2

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PESO SEEN WEAKENING DUE TO CORONAVIRUS

HE Philippines may have been spared from the 2019 novel coronavirus (n-CoV) for now, but the economy will feel the effect of the virus that is currently causing a health scare in Asia, and even in some Western countries. In a recent commentary, ING Bank Manila economist Nicholas Mapa said the virus may dent dollar inflows into the Philippines as tourist arrivals will likely take a hit. The constraint in dollar inflows, in turn, may weaken the peso against the dollar. “The recent fallout from the 2019 n-CoV virus may be difficult to ascertain but one area that might take a hit will be tourism,” Mapa said. Around 21 percent of tourist arrivals are from mainland China, second only to tourist arrivals from South Korea. Tourist arrivals mean an influx of foreign currency which will boost domestic consumption as restaurants, retail and hotels will see an increase in sales, according to the economist. With the threat of contagion of

the 2019-nCoV, travel to and from China has been curtailed. “With no end in sight just yet for the virus, we can expect a hit on the tourism sector in the near term as the Philippines may see a drop in its second-most important market,” Mapa said. Lower tourist arrivals as a result of the virus scare, according to the economist, will likely limit a steady and burgeoning source of foreign exchange. “We may have to expect a smaller inflow of these ‘travel exports’ in 2020 with yet another reason for depreciation for the peso,” said Mapa. As of this writing, there are no confirmed cases of the virus in the Philippines yet. On Wednesday, the local currency ended the day’s trade at 50.83 to a dollar, slightly weakening from the 50.75 to a dollar the previous day. However, the peso is stronger compared to last year’s level. In January 2019, the peso averaged 52.468 to a dollar, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed.

See “Lopez,” A2

Taal damage prompts coffee growers to test barako plants in VisMin By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

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A coffee farmer in Amadeo, Cavite, tries to salvage the remaining harvestable berries from his plants after Taal Volcano’s eruption. On January 29, the Philippine Coffee Board Inc. said Taal Volcano’s activities, particularly the ashfall, threaten the barako coffee variety in Cavite and Batangas into extinction. NONIE REYES

LGUs told to access soft loans for projects

BTr eyes another RTB issue in H1 By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

HE Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said they may offer another tranche of retail Treasury bonds (RTBs) within the

second half of the year. This, after a strong demand from investors was seen from BTr’s award of P134 billion of three-year RTBs during the ratesetting auction of the P30-billion initial offering on Tuesday.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon told reporters that the reception for first RTB issuance for the year is “going strong.” “Given the reception for the first RTB for the year, I think we See “BTr,” A2

HE Department of Finance (DOF) on Wednesday urged local gover nment units (LGUs) to access concessional financing of up to 100 percent of the proposed project cost to further spur infrastructure and other development projects in their areas. In a statement, DOF said there are currently three state-backed credit facilities that LGUs could tap for loans. Two are offered by Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines, and the third by the Municipal Development Fund Office (MDFO). “The DOF stands ready to assist our LGUs in efficiently and effectively implementing their priority development projects that are crucial to the fulfillment of President Rodrigo Duterte’s primary goal of providing a safe, decent, and comfortable life for every law-abiding Filipino,” Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said in a letter to Continued on A2

n US 50.8180 n japan 0.4656 n UK 66.2108 n HK 6.5358 n CHINA 7.3558 n singapore 37.4322 n australia 34.3631 n EU 56.0218 n SAUDI arabia 13.5460 Source: BSP (29 January 2020 )

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Thursday, January 30, 2020

Insurance body, stakeholders eye PHL catastrophe facility By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

HE Insurance Commission (IC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Philippine Insurers and Reinsurers Association (Pira) and National Reinsurance Corp. of the Philippines (NatRe) to come up with a Philippine Catastrophe Insurance Facility—a catastrophe risk insurance for the private sector that could be bigger than the planned P1-trillion insurance for government’s assets of Government Service Insurance System. The signing of the MOU came at a time that Taal Volcano, which was placed recently on Alert Level 3, continued to emit steam-laden plumes. This also came weeks after a series of strong earthquakes jolted the southern part of Mindanao. While Pira Executive Director Michael F. Rellosa said they would like the insurance facility to cover damage to private assets caused by typhoons, flooding, as

well as earthquakes, he said they have yet to talk about whether this will also cover damage from volcanic eruption. Having the insurance facility, he said, would bode well for the industry as they will be able to grow their premium base and the risk would be spread among insurance companies. “[Before, some] insurance companies [have] CAT cover [but what

Lopez. . .

BTr. . .

probably sell it because you don’t benefit from appreciation,” Lopez explained. “If ever, long-term lease or participate in a JV project that can extract more value.” According to the trade chief, the government has already consolidated its NDC property in Las Piñas and is on its way in doing the same for the one in Makati. As for the Batangas land, the government will use funds through the NDC and loans from a state bank to acquire the share of Chevron in the property. “Yes,” Lopez replied when sought if the objective is to bring back to government hands all of NDC’s properties, “especially the valuable ones that we think will benefit the government and the people of the Philippines.” “There’s no issue with the investors. We are honoring the contract. We even allowed company corporate life to end and renegotiation on the balance,” he added. “We are not unilaterally revising or changing our contracts [with the private sector].” Lopez claimed he is not aware if there are any other contracts the government is reviewing or renegotiating following the Chevron deal. “Review and changing of contracts are not automatic, more so claiming they are onerous and all that,” he said. “Again, these are exceptional cases that we identified, but, otherwise, we are not tinkering with the other contracts.” L a s t we e k , t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f Finance said the government will shut down Batangas Land Co. Inc.—an NDC subsidiary—by 2021 after it uncovered its allegedly onerous deal with Chevron. In turn, the government is eyeing to buy out the shares of Chevron in the 120-hectare property in Batangas in a move to consolidate ownership of the land. The joint venture was a result of the expiration of the Laurel-Langley Agreement in 1974, disallowing foreigners to wholly own land. The NDC is a government-owned and -controlled corporation attached to the Department of Trade and Industry. The government’s investment arm manages about P4.5 billion worth of portfolios. According to the government’s website, the NDC “develops, finances, and implements pioneering development oriented projects to achieve inclusive growth.”

are a lso look ing for another RTB probably before the premyo bonds [because] we will have to see the timing between the premyo bond and the RTB 24,” de Leon said in a press conference on Tuesday following the lau nc h of t he 23rd t ra nc he of RTBs and the conduct of sw itch tender for t he 19t h t ra nc he of RT B as pa r t of its l i abi l it y ma nagement e xerc ises. Last year, the premyo bonds were offered in the latter half of the year. Asked if BTr’s second issuance of RTBs for the year would probably happen on the second half of the year, de Leon said: “[Yes, of course]. And you also have to see the liquidity and we don’t want to be also crowding out...any private-sector issuance,” she said. She also expressed confidence that the strong demand on the 23rd tranche of RTBs—which is offered until February 6—would be sustained until the end. “Well, given the rates, and again the rationale that, why do you still have to think about where to put the reflows next year? We have already 4.375 that’s available for your seamless transaction fees so why not do the switch right away?” she said. Aside from the 23rd tranche of RTBs, the BTr is introducing a switch tender off where bond holders of RTB 3- 08 —issued in April 11, 2017, maturing on April 11, 2020—will be allowed

Continued from A1

Coffee. . .

Continued from A1

‘Bitter’ future

PCBI Director Rene R. Tongson said barako coffee farmers in Cavite and Batangas cannot look forward to a harvest next year due to the havoc wreaked by Taal Volcano on the plants’ flowers. This means that coffee farmers in affected areas stand to lose another P600 million to

they do is they reinsure] abroad so [we thought], why don’t we maximize the retention of the individual companies to put it all together and that way, [our premiums don’t leave the country],” he said in an interview with reporters on Tuesday on the sidelines of IC’s 71st anniversary. Nevertheless, Rellosa pointed out that there is still some level of protection especially if the limit has been reached, adding that there will be reinsurance protection from abroad. Rellosa said they are also targeting to implement the facility as soon as possible, especially a f ter t he Tec hnica l Work ing Group was able to iron out the details for the planned insurance mechanism. Meanwhile, Insurance Commissioner Dennis B. Funa said they aim to provide the framework for greater financial resilience to the vulnerable sectors of the society.

“We want our target crowd to appreciate the importance of property insurance as a risk transfer mechanism in the event of disaster,” Funa said in a speech. “And in a country such as ours that is best by a host of disasters, the desired output of the MOU is a most welcome development.” In a separate interview with reporters, Funa said this insurance facility is a “pool of nonlife insurance with reinsurance facility to be provided by NatRe.” Since a l l the households in the countr y cou ld be covered by the insurance faci lit y, he said there is no doubt that this wou ld be big ger t hat of t he public sector. “It’s going to be bigger than the public sector because imagine all the households that can be covered—[the entire Philippines],” he said. At the same time, Funa also told financial reporters they can also propose legislation making it mandatory for Filipinos to buy catastrophe risk insurance. “The problem here with the private sector, if it’s not compulsory, mandatory; the ordinary citizens will not buy insurance voluntarily, so that’s the missing link. There’s no compulsion to buy earthquake insurance.… That’s a matter for legislation which we can propose,” he said. “If it’s not by law, no penalties, [no Filipinos will buy],” he said.

to exchange their holdings for the latest RTB offering. RTB 3-08 holds a coupon rate of 4.25 percent, which is lower than the 23rd tranche of RTBs with 4.375-percent coupon rate. De Leon said this offer provides RTB 3-08 holders with a convenient reinvestment option for their current holdings at no cost. Earlier, she also expressed optimism that given the liquidity, the BTr could match its recordhigh P225.4 billion raised by the government from its sale of RTBs in 2017. Interested investors of RTBs should have a peso account with selling agent banks accredited by the BTR. It is through this peso bank account that investors will receive their quarterly interest payments and principal amount on maturity. The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) are the Joint Lead Issue Managers for the 23rd RTB offering. They are joined by BDO Capital and Investment Corp., BPI Capital Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., First Metro Investment Corp., PNB Capital and Investment Corp., RCBC Capital Corp., and SB Capital Investment Corp. as Joint Issue Managers. Selling agents for the threeyear RTBs include Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. BDO Capital and Investment Corp., BPI Capital Cor p., China Ban k ing Cor p., Citibank N.A, CTBC Bank (Philippines) Corp., DBP, East West B a n k i n g C or p., Fi r s t Me t ro

Investment Cor p., ING Bank, L a nd B a n k , M ay ba n k Ph i l ip pines Inc., Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., Philippine Bank of Communications, Philippine National Bank, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., Robinsons Bank Corp., Security Bank Corp., Standard Chartered Bank, and Union Bank of the Philippines. I nt e r e s t e d i n v e s t o r s m a y also participate by using the online ordering facility available through LandBank, DBP as well as First Metro Securities Brokerage Cor p. For the next premyo bonds offer, de Leon said they hope more banks would be able to sell bonds through the online ordering facility. China Bank President Ryan Martin L. Tapia said other banks have yet to offer RTBs online partly because of technical issues, but they are already working together with Treasury to resolve these. “ I t h i n k pa r t of it i s t he banks have different operating systems…so part of it is tr ying to see if it can connect to the system that LandBank, I think, or Bureau of Treasur y is using,” Tapia said. A side from technica l issues, DBP First Vice President Fra nc is Nicol as M. C hu a, who is a lso t he head of Cor porate Fina nce Group, sa id ot her key issues w it h sel l ing RT Bs onl ine a re r isk ma nagement a nd sec u r it y patc hes. “I think that’s what we need to address among the banks,” Chua said.

P1 billion in potential income. “The potential loss in tonnage [in Calabarzon] will have an effect on the overall production of the country,” said Tongson. PCBI said a lot of coffee plants, which are still in the flowering stage and are expected to bear fruit by next year, were affected by the ashfall. “Some coffee plants that may not be totally covered by the ashfall would grow new leaves but it will take two years before [these] could bear fruit, hence, harvest next

year is gone, it’s affected,” said PCBI Director Alejandro Mojica. Mojica said the timing of Taal Volcano’s eruption was “really bad” as coffee plants are in the flowering stage from December up to February. PCBI officials warned consumers that barako coffee could become more expensive due to the expected supply shortfall. Also, the reduction in Robusta coffee production will prod the Philippines to import more.

“We want our target crowd to appreciate the importance of property insurance as a risk transfer mechanism in the event of disaster.”—Funa

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Kuwait prosecutor asks court for ‘tough sentence’ vs OFW’s murderers By Recto L. Mercene @rectomercene

UWAIT’S Public Prosecution Office has asked the court for a tough sentence against the employers of Filipino maid Jeanelyn Villavende, “which may involve the death penalty,” the Kuwait Times has reported. The newspaper said that Public Prosecutor Dherar Al Asousi charged the suspects with the premed it ated mu rder of t he overseas Filipino worker (OFW), “and asked for a tough sentence against the couple, which may involve the death penalty.” The couple were remanded for 21 days at the central prison, according to Al Qabas. “And this is what I wanted, for which I opposed a total deployment ban as sending the wrong signal along with a morally idiotic offer of blood money. Jeanelyn’s blood is priceless,” Foreign Affairs Secretar y Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. said in his official Twitter account. It was earlier reported from Davao that the family of Villavende turned down the P50-million blood money offered by her Kuwaiti employer. Nelly Padernal, Villavende’s aunt, sa id Jeanely n’s fat her, Abelardo Villavende, rejected the money and reportedly said, “our family wants justice for the killing of Jeanelyn.” Pader na l said personnel from the Depar tment of Fore i g n A f f a i r s ( DFA ) c a me to Nor a l a , S out h Cot a b ato, on T hursday to attend the bur ia l of Jeanely n, and asked the v ictim’s father, Abelardo, to a sign a document which pur ported ly indicated a sett lement But Locsin, in a tweet, vowed to fire anyone from his department that is involved in any effort to persuade the family to accept blood money in exchange for the freedom of the detained Kuwait employers. The more recent and official DFA draft no longer mentions anything about authorizing the Kuwait law yer who will represent the Villavende family in court to discuss any offer of blood money. Abelardo said he would rather see his daughter’s employer ge t t he d e at h p e n a lt y : “ We cannot accept the manner she was k il led.” A netizen tweeted in Arabic, which was translated as: “So, the State of Kuwait will allow the

Philippines to violate its sovereignty, interfere in the Judiciary and impose rulings on a murder that occurs daily. Kuwaitis should be prevented from going to the Philippines from the principle of reciprocity and recalling their ambassadors.” L ocsi n t weeted bac k : “My child, I have yet to translate this but know that I was the only one opposed to a total deployment ban of domestic helpers to Kuwait because no ban is a sign of faith in Kuwaiti judicial process capacity to convict the two who admitted the crime. But I was overruled by those….” Locsin, who received a copy of the autopsy conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), said the maid was pressed with a hot clothes iron, an object was inser ted in her private parts and many bruises were found all over her body, with indications they were inf licted for several months. In opposing the total deployment of OFWs to Kuwait, Locsin had explained it was because “We expect our justice system to be respected; we must be prepared to respect others. Trust is the basis of our friendship.” L ocsi n’s st atement ea rl ier drew the ire of his Kuwaiti counterpart, who said on Twitter: “The remark contained an unacceptable transgression against jurisdictions of Kuwaiti security and judicial authorities. It runs counter to the simplest rules of international relations.” The Kuwaiti foreign affairs minister also denounced Locsin’s “ blood for blood ” call in exchange for the brutal murder of Jeanelyn. In a Twitter message, the country’s chief diplomat wrote: “I renounce and reject any offer of blood money for her [Jeanelyn] torture/murder. I want two lives for the life they took.” In ask ing for t wo lives in exchange for one, Locsin earlier tweeted that it would take more than one person to inf lict the kind of injuries suffered by the OFW. Su s a n O p l e , fou nd e r a nd cur rent president of the Blas Ople Policy Center (BOPC) which assists distressed OFWS in various parts of the world, said Locsin’s tweet may merit Kuw a it ’s condem n at ion , but never that of ours. “He reminds everyone that Jeanelyn was a person imbued with human rights,” said Ople.

LGUs told to access soft loans for projects Continued from A1

League of Provinces of the Philippines Chairman Dakila Carlo Cua. Doming uez, who is a lso L andBank board cha ir man, sa id LGUs m ay access loa ns through the bank ’s Omnibus Te r m L oa n Fac i l it y (O T L F ), which a l lows qua lif ied LGUs to f und infrastr ucture and socioeconomic projects that are listed in their approved Loca l Development Plan and Public Investment Program. “ T he OTLF eliminates the inconvenience and associated transaction cost in securing loan approval for every single project to be implemented,” he added. The DBP, on the other hand, could provide loans to LGUs up to 100 percent of the total project cost based on the Estimated Calculated Cost Ranges (ECCR)

or the winning bid price, but not to exceed the barangay’s net debt service ceiling and borrowing capacity as certified by the DOF’s Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF). The DOF said the MDFO offers concessional financing and technical assistance to LGUs, provided that their loans are within their borrowing capacity as certified by the BLGF. “Other f inancing w indows of the MDFO are available for f unding of loca l projects related to public economic enterprise or those that are revenuegenerating,” it said. “The MDFO also provides loans to finance social and environmental projects, solid waste management facilities, sewerage and sanitation facilities, and other local infrastructure,” it added. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

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Taal continues to simmer down, Alert Level 3 stays By Jonathan L. Mayuga

Police general survives ambush in Bukidnon, but attack leaves one cop dead, four injured By Rene Acosta

@jonlmayuga

AAL Volcano remains under Alert Level 3 as it continues to simmer down with several weak volcanic earthquakes and low frequency events having been monitored over the past 24 hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported on Wednesday. In its Volcano Bulletin issued at 8 a.m. on January 29, Phivolcs said activity in the main crater in the past 24 hours has been characterized by moderate to voluminous emission of white to dirty white steam-laden plumes 600 meters to 800 meters tall that drifted northeast. The volcano continues to emit sulfur dioxide (SO2) estimated at an average of 64 tons per day. Moreover, Phivolcs reported that for the past 24 hours, the Philippine Seismic Network (PSN) recorded a total of three volcanic earthquakes with one recorded event at Intensity 3. On the other hand, the Taal Volcano Network, which can record small earthquakes undetected by the PSN, counted a total of 123 weak volcanic earthquakes, including three low frequency events signifying magmatic activity beneath the volcano’s edifice. This means that Taal’s main crater could still erupt, endangering the lives of those within the volcano’s vicinity. Sudden steam-driven and even weak phreatomagmatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, ashfall, and lethal volcanic gas expulsions can still occur and threaten areas within Taal Volcano Island and nearby lakeshores, Phivolcs warned. Phivolcs maintain that communities beside active river channels particularly where ash from the main eruption phase has been thickly deposited should watch out for lahar in case of a heavy downpour. Civil aviation authorities were also advised that flying near the volcano remains very dangerous.

@reneacostaBM

HE second-highest police official in Eastern Mindanao managed to escape unscathed after armed men whom the police leadership in Manila suspected to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA) ambushed his convoy in Bukidnon on Wednesday. The attack, however, left a policeman dead and four other cops wounded. An initial report sent to Camp Crame by the Police Regional Office 10 (PRO 10) said Brig. Gen. Joselito Salido, deputy director of the Directorate for Integrated Po-

lice Operations-Eastern Mindanao (DIPO-EM), was not hurt after the attack in Talakag, Bukidnon. Lt. Col. Mardy Hortillosa, spokesman of the PRO 10, said Salido’s convoy was traveling along Kilometer 26 in between Barangays Tikalan and Dominorog when it was fired upon by “unidentified armed group” at around 6:40 a.m. Hortillosa said that as a result, a policeman whom he did not identify was killed while four other policemen were also wounded. He said Salido’s party fought with the attackers. Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said that the police was in the process of identifying the group behind

the ambush, although they raised the possibility that the communist rebels could have been behind it. Still, they were not also discounting the possibility that it could have been a handiwork of a criminal group. “For now, there is nothing to point about the identities of the suspects, yet, but we initially suspect that they could be members of the communist terrorist group NPA who have presence in the area,” Banac said. “We are not also ruling out the possibility that a criminal group carried it out,” he added. Banac said that Salido and his convoy were returning to the camp of the PRO 10 after an official visit

in Bukidnon as part of Salido’s police duties when they were attacked. In the province of Cagayan, a policeman was also wounded after a joint police and military team engaged rebels at Barangays Allucao and Dagupan in the town of Santa Teresita. Soldiers and members of the PNP’s Second Provincial Mobile Force Co. were on a joint patrol when they engaged at least 30 rebels in a gun battle. Patrolman Carlo Angelo Turo was wounded during the 30 minute firefight. In Aurora, two rebels identified as Alfred Espinosa and Alvin Espinosa yielded to the Army’s 91st Infantry

Battalion in the village of Umiray in Dingalan following a joint intelligence effort by the police and military in Central Luzon. Alfred, who goes by his rebel name as Jr., Abdul and Eugene, is a political instructor of the Sangay ng Yunit Panglocalidad-Bulacan and a squad leader of the Kilusang Larangang Gerilya Tarlac-Zambales. On the other hand, Alvin is a logistics officer of Timog Sierra Madre, NPA-Bulacan. Col. Andrew Costelo, commander of the 703rd Infantry Brigade, said the surrender of the two NPA leaders showcased the partnership of the police and the military in ridding Central Luzon of rebels.

Customs ready to release report on illegal rice importation probe By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

VIRUS SCARE

Classes remain suspended for the third day on Wednesday in some schools in Manila and Quezon City amid fears fueled by the spread of the 2019-nCoV that traces its origin in China. The Department of Health, through Secretary Francisco T. Duque III, maintains that there has been no confirmed cases of virus infection in the country. NONIE REYES

SMC proposal to extend Naia Expressway likely to get Neda okay, DPWH chief says By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

IVERSIFIED conglomerate San Miguel Cor p. (SMC) has proposed to further extend the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Expressway, an offer that is expected to be approved by the government’s planning body within the first half of the year, a Cabinet official said. Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar

said the SMC group wants to extend the airport expressway all the way to Sucat in Parañaque and the port area in Manila to cut travel time and promote better mobility in Metro Manila. “We want to extend it to Lawton to reach the port, and extend it to Imelda Avenue to reach Sucat,” he said in a recent interview. Operated by Vertex Tollways Development Inc., Naia Expressway is a four-lane thoroughfare that runs between Sales Av-

enue and Macapagal Boulevard, almost directly integrated into the Skyway System. It serves as an access point to Naia Terminals 1, 2, and 3, as well as the Entertainment City in Pasay. Villar said the extension is “not that long, but it’s just a few kilometers.” “The cost is still being finalized, and we are still vetting it in the Neda to be approved, hopefully, this quarter,” Villar said, referring to the National Economic and Development Authority.

Hefty fines await oil firms caught violating fuel-marking policy

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Thursday, January 30, 2020 A3

HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) is poised to start next month its nationwide crackdown against oil firms who refuse to comply with the government’s mandatory fuel-marking policy. At a news briefing in Malacañang on Wednesday, Customs Assistant Commissioner Vincent Maronilla announced they will start going after erring firms after February 9, 2020. “We have already warned them that if they don’t comply by February 9, 2020, then whatever stock that they have which is unmarked, we will confiscate. We will consider it is as fuel, which duties and taxes are not paid,” he said. Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Director Beverly Milo said the deadline will immediately be followed by their intensified enforcement activities. “BIR will be handling all the gasoline stations within the country, nationwide po ’yan. And as already stated, we will be doing it in collaboration with the service provider,” Milo said.

Sanctions

SHE said the testing will be done through a mobile unit laborator y, which will be equipped with a CCT V camera “to make the testing as transparent as possible.” Milo said tested fuel, which will be found to be unmarked, diluted or adulterated (containing below the 95 percent expected marking chemical), would be considered to have failed the testing procedure. She said they will order the closure of the facility with the unmarked fuel and they will be imposing the following fines to its operator: P2.5 million for the first offense; P5 million for the second offense; P10 million for the third offense. “We will also confiscate their [unmarked fuel] product,” Milo said.

Revenue impact

THE implementation of the new fuel anti-smuggling measure was deferred

to August last year due to “security and safety issues.” As of January 29, 2020, Maronilla said BOC and the BIR have already “marked” 2.5 billion liters of fuels from abroad with the specific chemical to show its importers have already paid the necessary excise taxes and import duties. Maronilla said they already conducted the process of fuel marking at the Batangas oil terminal, oil refineries in Subic, Bataan, Cebu, Leyte, Davao and Cagayan de Oro. He added that the delay in the implementation of the fuel-marking program contributed to their shortfall in collected revenue in 2019. Last year, Maronilla said, they were only able to collect P630.34 billion worth of revenue, which was lower than their P661 billion target. He said they expect to collect at least P10 billion worth of revenue with the full implementation of the fuel-marking scheme this year. Samuel P. Medenilla

EVERAL large rice traders are now under investigation by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for possible smuggling. In a ambush interview, Customs Assistant Commissioner Vincent Maronilla told the BusinessMirror they have nearly completed their post-clearance audit on the said rice traders. He said they are now waiting for the clearance of the BOC to determine when they would be able to release the findings of the said report. The Customs official said they are cautious in releasing any details on their probe since it involved large firms. Last year, the BusinessMirror came out with the special report on how several farmer-cooperatives may have taken advantage of the Republic Act (RA) 11203 or the rice liberalization law, which removed the quantitative restriction for rice

importation. Following the publication of the report, the BOC, Department of Finance (DOF), and the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) launched separate investigation on companies, which may have abused the unrestricted rice importation policy of the government. The implementation of RA 11203 led to flooding of imported rice in the local market and a sharp drop in the farm-gate prices of locally produced rice. Maronilla said BOC has collected P11 billion to P12 billion worth of tariffs from rice importation as of December 2019 following the passage of RA 11203. He said this is below the projected P14 billion tariffs, which should have been collected through the new law. Maronilla attributed this to the “slowdown” in the volume of rice importation after the Department of Agriculture (DA) took a more cautious stance in the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements for rice imports.

Gatchalian pushes research on waste-to-energy tech as NREB seeks to tap agri waste for power By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

HE National Renewable Energy Board (NREB) has proposed to include all agricultural waste as among those that can produce energy. In a position paper submitted to Senate Energy Committee Chairman Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian, NREB recommended to “expand the definition of wastes to include all agricultural wastes as qualified under the proposed Senate bills.” Gatchalian introduced Senate Bill 363, which seeks to establish a policy and framework for facilities using waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies. “These Senate bills on WTE are timely given the current problem on various wastes as stated in the bills. However, I wish to point out the specific opportunity in agricultural wastes that are not typically considered in WTE projects and not included in the definition of wastes in the draft bills. “These are the agricultural wastes that are not available at major processing facilities [e.g., rice mill, sugar mill, coconut oil mill] and, hence, are not disposed of in the most environmentally sustainable ways,” said Alberto Dalusong III an NREB member representing private developers. In the rice sector, he cited rice straw. He said this is normally piled up and burned after the palay has been threshed from the rice stalks. The similar wastes in the sugar sector are the sugar cane tops and leaves, or more appropriately called cane trash. In the coconut sector, while the coconut shells are typically gathered and sold to various industries after the meat has been extracted, the coconut husks are normally left with the farmers along with coconut fronds that

regularly fall off the trees, he said. The NREB official said these are new technologies that would enable the clean conversion of agricultural wastes directly into electricity, or as energy fuels. However, these technologies are smaller in scale, and have higher development and capital costs compared to the typical utilityscale power plants used in electric power generation. “In this regard, there is a need to promote their application hopefully through the Senate bills now filed,” he said. The NREB official also recommended to expand the analytical framework of the proposed bill to include and document other social benefits from WTE. NREB is the advisory body tasked by the law to recommend policies, rules and standards to govern the implementation of the renewable energy (RE) law, which granted fiscal and nonfiscal incentives to RE projects. During a Senate hearing last Monday, Gatchalian asked the Departments of Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, Science and Technology (DOST) to submit a comprehensive study on WTE. “For now, there’s no comprehensive study on waste-to-energy [technology]. Whether it’s thermal-based, or biological waste, there is no comprehensive study yet. This is a multidepartmental study because it doesn’t only address solid waste management but also has an energy and science component. Hence, DOST. So what we want is for these three departments to get together and come up with a preliminary study to look at the capacity, and the potential for energy and also the environmental concerns as raised by some sectors so that we will have some preliminary idea on how energy can solve our solid waste issues here in our country,” said Gatchalian.

TheBroa

Business

Thursday, January 30, 2020

The meat of the matter: New threats compound

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

HOSE making money from the meat business may find a fan in meat lovers like Santiago Toledo.

Vibrant market

BUT Toledo’s fondness for meat is not rare—pun intended—as he is only one among the country’s growing populace that prefers meat—may it be pork, chicken, or beef—over fish or vegetable. Another is Monique Fernando. Fernando, 24, who has been working as a marketing communications officer for six months now after finishing college, says samgyupsal has been part and parcel of her college years. She said she grew up liking Japanese and Korean food since her family frequents diners that serve such dishes. “And during my college years, Korean drama was popular so I learned to adapt to the types of food that they eat,” Fernando told the BusinessMirror. It was in her freshman year in 2015 when she said she “fell in love” with samgyupsal. Fernando said she eats at a restaurant serving samgyupsal at least once or twice a month. Besides the fact that she really preferred meat, it was the affordability of unlimited pork and beef servings with samgyupsal that encouraged her to frequent these restaurants. “It helped that it was affordable,” she said. “I saw it back then as a reward for conquering a stressful month, especially during my thesis days.” Fernando sets aside at least P500 to P1,000 a month from the P3,000 monthly allowance her parents give her so she can eat at these restaurants. Toledo and Fernando both exemplify what local meat industry stakeholders described as the key driver for the sector’s “vibrant” and “dynamic” growth in the previous decade: Millennials. They are young upwardly mobile Filipino professionals with rising purchasing power and a lifestyle carved by growing up alongside meat products. “The demand for meat consumption in the past 10 years was mainly driven by the youth, by the Millennials,” economist Pablito M. Villegas told the BusinessMirror. “And these youth were the kids that grew up with meat. You will see the rise of the fast-food services and expansion of meat-based restaurants in the past years,” Villegas added.

Encouraging ecosystem

AN improving economy in the past 10 years is one of the main drivers for the increase in meat demand and production, officials of the in-

dustry groups pointed out. Hence, the local hog industry has been organically growing by 1 percent to 2 percent per annum, Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines (ProPork) noted. Meanwhile, the United Broilers and Raisers Association (Ubra) said producers of broilers have increased output by about 4 percent to 5 percent annually. ProPork President Edwin G. Chen told the BusinessMirror that annual gross domestic product growth of 6 percent to 7 percent “means the money supply is increasing while our population is growing at 1.7 percent annually.” “It only means that we need to feed our people,” Chen said. Such demand also lured entrepreneurs into the industry, as Gregorio A. San Diego, chairman of the Philippine Egg Board (PEB), noted. San Diego, who also leads Ubra, said the rise in the number of new entrants and industry players contributed to the sustained expansion of the broiler and layer industries. He explained that since the time needed to raise broilers is shorter and investment is lower than that of hog raising, more investors—mostly small scale in operations—ventured into the poultry industry. Furthermore, San Diego noted that easier access to credit from financial institutions, particularly private banks, fueled investors’ appetite to produce chicken meat and eggs. Local hog and broiler production saw record-high output levels in the past decade: reaching 2.3 million metric tons (MT) and 2 million MT, respectively. Chicken egg production also rose to its highest level at the end of the decade at almost 600,000 MT.

Growing imports

THE previous decade also saw the surge in meat imports, both for choice cuts and by-products of livestock and poultry animal, with total volume doubling at the end of the decade. Total meat imports in the past decade grew by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of at least 9 percent. Industry players attributed this growth to higher domestic requirement driven primarily by meat processors, food service industry and even by local consumers. Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) data showed that total meat imports in 2018 reached a recordhigh 850,000 MT, which was more than double the recorded 390,000 MT in 2010. Industry stakeholders expect meat imports in 2019 to remain flat. The Meat Importers and Traders Association (Mita) noted that the bulk of the country’s annual meat imports are by-products. These meat by-products are usually used by processors to manufacture hotdogs, canned meat and chicken nuggets, among others. Meanwhile, imports of choice cuts expanded as these became cheaper and were a high-quality alternative to locally produced meat. Ironically, meat produced locally still carries a steep price. “We saw the rise in imports as local industry players, the producers in particular, are not keeping up with the times. They were not competitive and unable to supply affordable products and make these readily available for consumers,” Mita President Jesus C. Cham told the BusinessMirror. He cited “two criteria we always emphasize when it comes to meat products: it must be available and affordable.” Cham added,

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Toledo fusses over a steak that he says must have an internal temperature of about 130 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, with its outside seared and the center a bit reddish. “It’s what they call medium rare, darling,” he says. He sets aside a portion of a monthly pay so he can eat at steakhouses at least once a month or six times a year—which was his record last year. He tells the BusinessMirror the times he wasn’t dining in a steakhouse were the times he was in a “samgyup” place or a “pares” (pair, in English) house. “Samgyup” is short for samgyupsal, the grilled pork belly served in restaurants specializing in Korean cuisine. “Pares” is beef stew cooked slow almost all day in soy sauce and spices. It is usually paired, the English term for “pares,” with a cup of fried rice and a staple diet of the 26-year-old Toledo. “I grew up eating and loving meat,” the videographer said.

“They [local industry players] have not been able to do that. There is the demand and then there is demand: consumers would find the products they need.” And, he said, “Filipinos love pork; so our production would really increase.”

Easier access

LOWERING of barriers to trade among markets paved the way for local businesses to venture and flourish into adding value into meat products since raw materials are available. The so-called globalized trade also allowed for manufacturing of meat products to be more cost-efficient. This is the case of the country’s

meat processing industry, which has ballooned to an estimated value of at least P300 billion, according to the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (Pampi). Pampi Vice President Jerome D. Ong said the need of Filipinos for more convenient products and cheaper meat items fueled the industry’s development. The lowering of tariffs on certain raw materials, such as pork offal and mechanically deboned meat of chicken, helped the meat processors to manufacture “affordable and quality” products such as hot dogs and chicken nuggets. “Our population is young, mobile; an urbanized population that is always looking for convenience.

aderLook

sMirror

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace | Thursday, January 30, 2020

recurring problems for animal protein industry

avoiding swill feeding, which lessens the threat of animal diseases [outbreak].”

Endangerment

FRESH longanisa, chicken, beef and pork at a local wet market in Commonwealth, Quezon City

And processed meat offers that affordable convenient products,” Ong told the BusinessMirror. Ong, who also serves as President and CEO of CDO-Foodsphere Inc., estimated that their industry’s CAGR in the past decade ranged from 7 percent to 8 percent. “And the whole meat processing industry caters to a wide spectrum of purchasing power ranging from very mass based markets to premium and even very-premium segments,” he added. To date, Ong said about 65 percent to 70 percent of their fresh processed meat production are hot dogs and the remaining 30 percent comprises loaves, ham, bacon, tocino (cured pork), longganisa (fresh or smoked sausage), siomai (dumpling), among others. On the other hand, canned processed meat products manufactured by the industry are broken down into 60 percent of meat loaf and corned beef while the remaining volume is filled up by Vienna sausage and liver spread, among others.

Turbulent times

THE growth experienced by meatrelated industries wasn’t always a smooth ride. The past decade saw various problems hounding both the local producers and importers—ranging from supply disruptions, “unfavorable” government regulations, smuggling, lack of data system, disease outbreaks, among others. Unfortunately, most of these problems remain today as the meat industry welcomes a new decade in their growth and development. The lack of a proper data system is seen as one of the major challenges the meat industry is facing in the new decade as this could result in supply disruptions, resulting more often than not in falling prices, as proven by the industries’ experience. Industry groups have been lamenting that the lack of data on supply and demand has left producers blindsided and investors fooled about the real situation of their industries. For example, the increase in chicken meat imports has been deemed by investors as an opportunity to grow more broiler locally due to meet domestic consumption, Inciong explained. But little did they know, he pointed out, that bulk of those imports were MDM, a prime raw material for meat processors that is

THE spread of transboundary animal diseases, such as ASF and bird flu, has been identified by experts as a huge threat to world meat supply as it could greatly disrupt trade, such as what China is experiencing. China has been buying all the pork and even other animal protein in the world market to plug the shortfall in their production, particularly for hogs, that has been halved by ASF. And with such a situation, countries like the Philippines, whose imports have been steadily growing, face stiffer competition as importers and processors find it difficult to cope with higher world prices and maintain profitability. Such disease outbreaks, though, would also force local producers to increase their production to supply local demand and improve productivity by adopting new technologies, such as stronger biosecurity measures, in raising livestock and poultry. Disease outbreaks also tend to dampen consumption as risks to humans remained associated with these diseases. Industry stakeholders maintained these are knee-jerk reactions that are few and far between because the outbreaks are new to the local industry. They also believe consumer education is the key to allay market jitters.

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Sound the alarm

not produced locally. “They thought that the imports were all prime meats or choice cuts that are sold in wet markets but they weren’t. It was more of raw materials and by-products,” he added. In 2018, the layer industry suffered an oversupply in eggs due to increased imports of parent stocks, birds that produce pulleys that would eventually become laying hens, as a result of rapid expansion, particularly by commercial farms. But the expansion in output easily outpaced consumers’ demand, which some industry players noted wasn’t estimated properly by growers. Broiler raisers also endured low prices from the last quarter of 2018 until half of 2019 due to oversupply caused by increased production and imports. This time, raisers blamed the glut or lack of data on production, imports and demand of the market, leaving them with no idea that they have reached a breaking point. Both producers, including big players, and retailers were forced to sell at a bargain even in supermarkets.

Animosity in trade

THE decade saw the heightened war between local producers and importers as both compete for the domestic market share for meat products. Chen said the government has been “anti-growth” for the local industries as it resorts to importation as a measure to temper prices when farmgate prices spike. He pointed out this dampens producers’ sentiment to raise more hogs and even invest more in their operations. “The government has to do a balancing act,” Chen said. “We cannot always [rely] on imports as it exposes us to global movements of prices and we will suffer as a country eventually.” But for meat importers, traders and processors, the government has often maintained a protectionist stance. This, they said, is evi-

denced by implementing rules and regulations that are not aligned with international standards, such as a zero-tolerance on salmonella in cooked food. “If we have not been protectionist, then local industries would be forced to compete on an international level; and who knows what could have happened,” Cham said. “Exporting meat products could have been pursued more aggressively; perhaps, more successfully.”

Bigger, better

A JOINT report by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) projected that Filipinos’ increasing demand for meat products will outpace local production. The report, issued last year, said such demand will be driven by the improvement in the purchasing power of Filipinos. Thus, such demand will force the country to import more to meet domestic requirements by 2028. The report indicated that Philippine meat production would increase at an annualized rate of 1.85 percent from 2019 to 2028 “due to rapidly increasing domestic demand” for animal protein products. However, this rate is slower compared to the annual production growth rate of 2.75 percent posted by the local livestock and poultry sector from 2009 to 2018. By 2028, the country’s total meat output is projected to reach 4.276 million metric tons. This is 22.03 percent higher than the average production of 3.504 MMT in 2016 to 2018. Despite the expected increase in domestic output, this will not be enough to meet the country’s meat requirement, which may expand by 2.27 percent annually from 2019 to 2028. The country’s meat consumption will rise 28.67 percent to 5.197 MMT by 2028, from the estimated 4.039 MMT. The double-digit growth in meat demand translates into a 0.90-percent average growth

in the per-capita consumption from 2018 to 2027. The report projected that a Filipino would consume at least 34.6 kilograms of meat annually by 2028. The country’s per-capita meat consumption from 2015 to 2017 averaged 31.2 kg. The country’s meat imports are estimated to expand by 4.43 percent annually from 2019 to 2028 to plug the shortfall in local output. The Philippines is estimated to import 924,000 MT of meat by 2028, nearly double the average volume imported in 2016-2018 of 542,000 MT. The report said the greatest increases will originate from the Philippines, along with members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, such as Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam, “where consumption and import growth, supported by favorable economic growth, will outpace domestic production expansion.”

Level value chain

AS the value chain remains distorted by middlemen, Villegas said prices would still dictate production in the country’s livestock and poultry sectors. Industry stakeholders have been grappling with the evident disconnect in farmgate and retail prices of locally produced pork, chicken and egg in the domestic market. Despite times that farm-gate prices plunged beyond cost-toproduce levels, the retail prices of pork and poultry meat have remained at their levels, if not been elevated, due to unscrupulous traders’ profiteering.

Last year, broiler prices fell to as low as P55 per kilogram due to oversupply. This was a scenario described by industry players as worse than 2017, the year the Asian influenza ravaged the poultry sector. Still, retail prices remained above P120 per kg, which is higher than the industry’s suggested retail price of about P105 per kg. The same happened to pork prices. As the country struggles to resolve outbreaks of the African swine fever (ASF), farmgate prices for live hog declined by at least P15 at an average due to dampened demand for pork. Still, retail prices were unchanged. “The dictating pulse will always be the price. If the price is right, the farmers will respond. If the price is [not right], then farmers will not produce,” Villegas said. “Sadly, the price signals are distorted by middlemen, cartels and other factors.” He believes “dismantling” these “disruptions” would allow these sectors of agriculture to grow at a faster pace since producers would be more responsive to market price signals. And one way to weed out middlemen in the value chain is by clustering producers and empowering them to become “agripreneurs,” Villegas said. In this way they could easily be able to link with the “big boys” or big buyers in the industry, hence, selling their produce at a better price, he added. Villegas explained this as the “big brother” approach, where a big player helps small players either as contract growers or a part of an entire production system. “You will now have contract growing in poultry and hogs,” he said. “In hog-raising, we will be

THE advent of plant-based meat, whether cultured in laboratories or produced organically, is seen by industry players as a double-edged sword. Inciong said these types of products could be threats to local production in the future if they are proven to be cheaper and healthier alternatives to traditional meat options. “It is something to watch out for. It is a concern for us because if it is really going to be cheaper as projected, then they may get some of the market share,” he said. “But the main challenge for them is transparency—how it was produced and is it really helpful or better for the environment, animals and human health.” For Ong, plant-based meat is rather an opportunity, especially for meat processors, as they can venture into such type of operation and come up with new product offerings. “The trend for plant-based meat consumption has started as people clamor for healthier products. But the price points become a barrier for increased consumption, plus it may take some time getting used to the flavor and texture of these products,” he said. “But I see it as an opportunity as we can combine this new technology with our existing ones to spur innovation and come up with plant-based food products as well,” Ong added. Despite all the risks and challenges hounding the meat industry, stakeholders are facing the next decade with guarded optimism. For Inciong, he still sees the broiler industry expanding by 1 percent to 2 percent annually, even if their perennial problems continue to persist. Chen said the forecast increase in Filipinos’ pork consumption, which the OECD-FAO said is roughly a kilogram by 2028, gives hog raisers a “bright future.” The promise of the Philippine economy reaching a “sweet spot,” paired with growing consumer preference for convenience, fuels the meat processing industry’s bullishness about sustaining its expansion, Ong said. Indeed, this optimism that stakeholders are holding on to for the future of meat industries is anchored on consumers like Fernando and Toledo. For Toledo, it’s not a question of whether he prefers steaks or pares. “The question is, which would I eat first,” he said with a grin.

Opinion BusinessMirror

A6 Thursday, January 30, 2020 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

When perceptions clash with realities

RANSPARENCY International released on January 23, 2020, its 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index, which scores countries and territories by their perceived levels of public- sector corruption using a scale of zero to 100, with zero as “highly corrupt” and 100 as “very clean.” The CPI ranked the Philippines 113th out of 180 countries. The score indicates that the Philippines “continues to struggle to tackle corruption,” according to the report.

Before we complain, it’s important to know that Transparency International builds the CPI by aggregating the opinions of a small group of “experts” in each country. The report is not gospel truth. It’s just an aggregation of perceptions, or viewpoints or mere feelings of the so-called experts. So, let’s accept the CPI as it is—perceptions of corruption. What’s distasteful is when quasi-experts use the CPI to paint a bad image of the country and attribute this to the Chief Executive. In a forbes.com article, “Duterte Is Turning Philippines Into A More Corrupt And Less Democratic State,” Panos Mourdoukoutas said: “The Philippines is getting a more corrupt and less democratic state under President Duterte. That’s according to recent rankings published by international agencies. The Philippines is the 113th least corrupt nation out of 180 countries, according to the 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International. That’s 14 notches below the 2018 ranking, and 18 down from 2015 before Duterte becomes President!” He added: “Rising corruption means that President Duterte’s anti-corruption rhetoric that helped him grow in power was just that—rhetoric. Meanwhile, his death squads and attacks on media have undermined the country’s democratic institutions, without helping the Philippines in the corruption front.” This writer, masquerading as a Philippine expert, was obviously fed bad information. Three-years-and-a-half in office, Duterte received a personal record high satisfaction rating of +72 in the fourth quarter of 2019 based on Social Weather Survey. The President’s net satisfaction rating of +72 (82 percent satisfied, 10 percent dissatisfied), was classified as excellent by the Social Weather Stations. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda earlier slammed the Forbes article claiming that the Philippines is becoming a “more corrupt” state under the leadership of Duterte. He said: “The CPI does not take into account the sense of the Filipino people, who are, after all, the only people to whom the President is accountable. Foreign elite perception is hardly a credible measure of domestic institutions.” Salceda said the CPI does not measure improvements in private-sector corruption, which the President has aggressively combatted. “The single-ever tax settlement in the country’s history, the P30-billion haul from the Mighty Corp. tax fraud case, happened under President Duterte’s robust leadership. Onerous deals between government and private entities are now being exposed and renegotiated, to promote the public interest. All of this even as doing honest business has become easier, with the Philippines jumping to 95th place from 124th in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Report, an index with broader and more nuanced set of sources,” he said. Apart from improving the ease of doing business, Salceda said the current administration has either reorganized or abolished corruption-riddled agencies, like the National Food Authority and the Road Board, and has set up an Anti-Red Tape Authority to improve transactions and curb illicit deals in government offices. Salceda said: “The President’s actions are not what the article describes as mere ‘rhetoric.’ Aggressive executive action has resulted in real and unprecedented increases in government revenue from previously untouchable tax evaders. The article blatantly disregards one of the most significant achievements of the President: leading an allof-government campaign against poverty, which has since gone down to 16.6 percent in 2018 from 23.3 percent in 2015, before the President took office.” The “most misguided conclusion” in the article, according to Salceda, is when it claimed that the Duterte administration is making the country more corrupt and less democratic, thus keeping its people poor. “The article, in other words, appears to have been written by just another foreigner with very little real understanding of the Philippine situation, not to mention any significant grasp of even the most basic facts about the country. Let us be clear: The Philippines has not yet reached its growth potential. There is real poverty and real unemployment to be addressed. But these are problems the President inherited and, for many Filipinos, this is the first time that they are witnessing a government with the political will to meaningfully address these problems,” he said.

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Turning point: January 20th John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

E just marked another Lunar New Year. It is easy to calculate what the animal symbol will be in the year 2120 or back in 1920. That is because the moon’s movement around the Earth is a cycle.

Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument in England, was built— by best estimate—sometime between 5,000 and 4,000 years ago. It is a fact that the encompassing horseshoe arrangement of the five central trilithons, the heel stone, and the embanked avenue, are aligned to the sunset of the winter solstice and the opposing sunrise of the summer solstice. That culture figured out the cycle of the sun and marked it with this edifice. The Mandelbrot set puts a mathematical formula to fractals that show the geometric pattern of a grain of sand, which is identical to that of a mountain range.

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20, 2020. The phase will continue until 2024. It will be a firm transition to the private sector from the public sector, as the political winds changed direction from— for want of better terms—elite to populist. I will speak more about this as developments unfold. However, let’s drop to the bottom line. Global economic growth is flat and China just took an economic headshot with the 2019-nCoV outbreak. China’s economic problems are now intensified and will have ripple effects around the planet. In the months to come there will be a move to a safe haven, which at this time is the United States. For example, on an annual basis, US consumer confidence is at the highest since before the 9/11 attack. To track capital moves to a safe haven — whether the US or not—you only need to look at the currency exchange rate. However, if the US dollar appreciates too much, the economic house of cards will fall. Many countries have way too much debt denominated in dollars that they will not be able to service.

Insurance Commission: ‘Charting new frontiers’

✝ Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Publisher

The spiral pattern of a typhoon is the same as the spiral pattern of a galaxy. These patterns in turn also ref lect cycles. The Earth travels around the universe and reaches the same spot once every 250 million years. The precession of the Earth is one cycle of 25,800 years. While we live within countless natural cycles every moment of our lives, we refuse to believe that cycles are also part of our human condition. Prior to the 19th centur y, economists debunked the idea of a business cycle believing the idea of economic equilibrium in which economic forces such as

supply and demand are balanced in the absence of external influences like war or famine. Then political economist Jean Charles Léonard de Sismondi discovered economic cycles when there was both boom and bust without the traditional external factors that classical economists always blamed. Then John Maynard Keynes and like-minded economists believed that the business cycle was a myth that, at the least, could be controlled by government policy. Then in 1978 Paul Volcker wrote a book, titled The Rediscovery of the Business Cycle. The economic cycles apply to other aspects such as politics. On October 1, 2015, the political cycle turned and it turned against the politics of the previous decades. There are many examples, but this is best illustrated in three political events that “could never happen” according the political powers. These were Duterte in May 2016 followed by Brexit in June, and finally Trump in November. As I said before, the next one to turn would be the economic cycle, and that happened on January

(Speech delivered by Insurance Commissioner Dennis B. Funa at the Insurance Commission’s 71st anniversary celebrations on January 28, 2020, at the Philippine International Convention Center)

ONORABLE Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, former commissioners of the Insurance Commission, former Commissioner Emmanuel F. Dooc, former Commissioner Santiago Javier Ranada, former Commissioner Benjamin S. Santos, and former Deputy Commissioner Vida T. Chiong, distinguished friends from the industry, ladies and gentlemen.

Blessed morning to all! It is my honor and pleasure to welcome you to the Insurance Commission’s 71st founding anniversary! One good thing about the date of our anniversary is that it coincides with the first month of the Chinese New Year. I consider it providential because the new year ushers in an aura of blessed beginnings. Truly, we have real good reasons to be thankful. We have reasons to be grateful. We have good reasons to be hopeful. Looking back at the past year, it had been anything but easy for the Commission and our regulated entities. HMO was in transition; preneed remained on a path of recovery;

and as for our insurance companies and MBAs, well, they found themselves contending with a plethora of issues and challenges. The first challenge of 2019 was the high inflation rate, which was carried over from 2018, affecting all industries, not the least of which was the financial sector. Fortunately, the country’s economic managers were able to steer the inflation rate downward so that by August 2019, the rate was down to 1.7 percent. On average, the full-year inflation rate leveled at 2.5 percent, which was within the government’s target band of 2 percent to 4 percent. Around the globe, changes were in full swing. IFRS 17, which is touted to cause the most significant change

in insurance accounting in the last 20 years, is nearing implementation. Knowing how complex and farreaching the impact of IFRS 17 will be on companies’ financial disclosures and operations is a challenge that keeps us, and will keep us, on our toes. Technological revolution proved to be the major disruption and the trigger of changes to come. Borderless transactions meant we had to keep up with the digital innovations unfolding around us, and these included usage of artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and other fintech innovations. Undoubtedly, technology has been largely instrumental in ensuring that access to insurance will be faster and easier for our people. And we are proud to say that your Insurance Commission will be up to the task! All considered, we have to accept that embracing InsurTech is a necessity since we have a fast-evolving clientele that adapts to the changes of our electronic environment. In times past, insurance clientele are mostly middle-aged breadwinners who do not really understand the complexities of the policies that they are buying; but these days, our clients come from all walks of life— senior corporate executives, middle-agers, millennials, entrepreneurs, OFWs, street vendors, farmers, and laborers—all of them expecting to be served real time, and served fairly at that. Our present crop of policyholders

are well-informed, they know their rights, and it is to our best interest that we provide them with the quality of products and services that they deserve, on-time, all the time! Of course we also cannot forget 2019 for the disasters that took place during its environs—earthquakes, typhoons, fires and other calamities—these are additional burden to our people. This is also a stark reminder of why it is necessary to obtain insurance cover. Given these challenges on our plate, the only way is to move forward. To master the chartered path and to blaze new trails on uncharted realms. Let us forge ahead. Let us forge ahead in strengthening our insurance framework. Let us move forward in preparing to meet new global standards, in keeping up with digitization and in empowering our people through insurance. Later today, your Insurance Commission will be signing a memorandum of understanding with Philippine Insurers and Reinsurers Association (PIRA), the National Reinsurance Corporation of the Philippines (NatRe), to set in motion the Philippine Catastrophe Insurance Facility. With this, we aim to provide the framework for greater financial resilience to the vulnerable sectors of our society. We want our target crowd to appreciate the importance of property insurance as a risk transfer mechanism in the event of disaster. Continued on A7

Opinion BusinessMirror

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Power transmission lines: Highways to superprofits

The presentation of Jesus at the Temple Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco Jr.

Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS

HILIPPINE electricity, one of the costliest in the world, is delivered to Filipino homes and various users by Meralco, electric cooperatives, and a number of private and LGU-owned utility companies. In turn, these power distributors receive their share of electricity from the national grid system operated by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines. The NGCP’s grid system is the vital link between the consumers and a handful of rich and powerful companies engaged in the business of generating power through coal, gas and renewables. The NGCP occupies the strategic middle of the Philippine power industry. It also stands alone in the middle because it has been given the authority to operate the three power grids—Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The NGCP’s monopoly of the national grid system is now the subject of a Senate inquiry, following a privilege speech by Sen. Risa Hontiveros and Senate Resolutions filed by the lady senator and by Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian. One critical issue that the two senators is looking into is on the “national” character of the grid business. Why is China, through the State Grid Corp. of China (SGCC), managing the Philippine grid system? Why are the officers and key personnel managing our national grid system Chinese when the Constitution expressly states in Section 11, Article 12, that “The participation of foreign investors in the governing body of any public-utility enterprise shall be limited to their proportionate share in its capital, and all the executive and managing officers of such corporation or association must be citizens of the Philippines?” There are reports that some of the operating manuals in the Philippine grid system are already written in Chinese. It is abundantly clear that there are major security concerns in the control by NGCP over the Philippine grid system operations—economic and defense. On economic, it should be pointed out that the maintenance and modernization of the grid system are central in the economic development and planning of any country, especially in the promotion of growth in underdeveloped areas. In recent years, there is also increased recognition that the power lines are also cyber lines, in fact, they are now considered a good platform in bringing fast, cheap and reliable broadband service in all the areas reached by the grid system. Thus, whoever operates the grid system has the opportunity to earn twice—from the power transmission business and from the broadband service. The cyber dimension of the grid system explains why there are continuing accusations by defense analysts of the United States that Russia, China and Iran are engaged in some kind of cyber espionage and terrorism via the power system. The same accusations are being lodged against the US by Russian defense analysts. Lately, there are even claims by some war scenario strategists that all the foregoing countries are developing new bombs—the “super-electromagnetic pulse bombs” for “blackout warfare.” The EMP bombs can be detonated by “waves” unleashed on electric grids hundreds of miles away. At any rate, allowing a foreign entity to manage a grid system that is now evolving into a super ICT highway means sharing/surrendering to this foreign entity not only the business and commercial data of the country but also cyber data of government offices and private homes. The economic and defense security implications are horrifying. This, probably, explains why worldwide, countries do not allow private entities, foreign and domestic, to own or control the grid system. If there are foreign entities allowed to participate in the power sector, this is mainly on the generation side of the sector. The power transmission business in India, Malaysia and Singapore is firmly in the hands of government corporations or “government-linked” corporations. China, itself, has the state-owned

SGCC, the controlling investor in the NGCP. Will China allow its grid system operated by foreign players? But has NGCP’s operations been beneficial to the country since the privatization of the Philippine transmission operations (managed then by the government Transmission Corp. or TransCo) in 2007-2008? The vehement answer of trade unions and civil society organizations that have been critical of the power privatization program of the government is negative. Maria Teresa Diokno, executive director of the Center for Power Issues and Initiatives (CPII), and her coresearchers from the University of the Philippines and other CSOs have only one conclusion—the NGCP concession contract with the government is scandalously onerous and one-sided in favor of the NGCP. It is probably even more onerous than the water concession contracts that the Duterte administration has been ranting about. It is also very burdensome to ordinary Filipinos who have to shoulder the high cost of electricity, partly due to the excessive profit-taking and contract violations by the NGCP. Key items initially raised by Diokno and company: Privatization of transmission was supposed to maximize value and earnings for the government. The opposite happened. In 10 years (2009 to 2018), the NGCP owners gave themselves cash dividends of P188 billion. SGCC, a Chinese company, is treating the Philippines as its province, not as a coequal sovereign state. Through the NGCP, SGCC has violated a number of Philippine laws: Section 8, or Republic Act 9511 requiring NGCP to offer 20 percent of its shares to the public through a public offering. The NGCP even initiated a suit with the Singapore Arbitration Tribunal to prevent the government in enforcing this provision of the law. Employment of Chinese nationals as executive and managing officers in violation of the Philippine anti-dummy law and the Philippine Constitution (Section 11, Article 12). Engaging in broadband business without consent from the Philippine government. NGCP refuses to share the transmission development plan with Transco. There is no oversight supervision from the owner of the assets. The tenant has become more powerful than the owner. A study conducted by TransCo in 2017 estimates the gross annual revenues from the telecommunication “secondary business” shall range from $22 billion to $31 billion. The fiberoptic infrastructure will give it P1.1 trillion more every year. And yet, the NGCP claims it has exclusive use of the grid infrastructure. There are other financial issues raised in the study of Diokno, which disadvantage the country and the Filipino consumers. Hopefully, the Senate shall be on the side of the Filipino working people, the hapless consumers of expensive electricity brought about by a one-sided privatization program. More on this in the next issue. Meantime, the CPII, Sentro, Partido Manggagawa, Freedom from Debt Coalition, and a number of other trade unions and CSOs have formed a temporary coalition dubbed “Reclaim Our Grid Network,” with the slogan: “Stop the Greed! Reclaim our Grid!”

Thursday, January 30, 2020 A7

ALÁLAONG BAGÁ

HE presentation of Jesus is traditionally the 40th day after Christmas (Luke 2:22-40). It brings back to us some Christmas themes while touching already on some of Lent.

The Messiah at the temple

THE Temple is God’s dwelling on Earth; it symbolizes the divine presence among us. God’s advent and return to the Temple was a time of great anticipation and significance. As the First Reading (Malachi 3:1-4) pictures it, the Lord’s messenger of the covenant we desire is surely and suddenly coming to the temple, but who can stand that day when he comes? “He will purify the sons of Levi, refining them like gold and like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the Lord.” The messenger of the covenant comes with judgment and affliction:—fidelity to the covenant determines who will be rewarded or punished.

The metaphors for the purification described is searing— the fire that refines ores and the lye that whitens cloth. This is so before the sacrifice pleasing to the Lord may be offered. But the coming of the Lord to His people is truly a triumphant event, a joyous procession for which all the gates are opened for the King of glory (Psalm 24:7, 8, 9,10). However, we are not to forget at what cost was the victory of the mighty Lord. The Second Reading (Hebrews 2:14-18) reminds us that our Savior identified Himself with our humanity, so that through the death of His human body he might deliver all human beings from the terror of human death,

turning death into the necessary passageway into the new life with God. He became “like His brothers and sisters in every way, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people.”

The light to the nations

IN the gospel account of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, it took the eyes of faith of two old persons to recognize our Savior. Simeon and Anna had both been waiting for the promised coming of the Lord. Seized by the Spirit of God, Simeon like the prophets of ancient Israel recognized in the Child Jesus the consolation of Israel, the fulfillment of the messianic expectation, and the light for the rest of the world. And he predicted the opposition that Jesus would encounter, which would break any mother’s heart. The old woman Anna, a prophetess who had also been waiting for the messianic fulfillment seconded what Simeon said, proclaiming the identity of the Child to all who cherished messianic hopes. It was the piety of Mary and Joseph that brought the Child Jesus to the Temple. Five times the

evangelist refers the event to the observance by the parents of Jesus of the ritual prescriptions of the Law— the religious requirement of purification for Mary in giving birth and, therefore, with its contact with blood (Leviticus 12:1-8), and the ritual requirement of reclaiming the firstborn male child who belonged to God (Exodus 13:2, 12). The piety of Mary and Joseph, like those of Simeon and Anna, converged together in the celebration of the coming of the King of Glory to the Temple of God. Evidently, fidelity and genuine devotion lead to religious insight and revelation. Alálaong bagá, with the presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple the Lord our Savior has indeed come into the temple as expected of old. Ritually, Jesus was to be reclaimed or redeemed, but in fact it would be the world that was to be redeemed by him, the light that shines in the darkness of the world, universally enlightening all people, Jew and Gentile alike (clearly an Epiphany/Christmas theme as well as that of the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time). The Santo Niño, the King of Glory, victoriously opens the gates for the entire universe to enter into the loving presence of God.

China-made viruses Val A. Villanueva

BUSINESSWISE

N old joke narrates that if Adam and Eve were Chinese, we would not have inherited the sin of disobedience that Christians refer to as the original sin. The couple would have instead devoured the serpent, which tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in Paradise.

The joke sounds derogatory, but it has factual basis. The Mainland Chinese, and some Chinese descents around the world, have been known to digest exotic, wild animals in the belief that doing so would primarily cloth them with sexual prowess, and secondarily give them long, healthier lives. A viral YouTube video that I saw recently made me puke. It showed a group of young Chinese men in China having a drinking session while savoring live rat pups, which they drown in what appears to be a bowl of yellowish vinegar. One of the men proudly faced the camera as he chewed on the rat pup, much like he would munch on a burger. Then, there is the annual Lychee and Dog Meat Festival, (or Yulin Dog Meat Festival) which is openly celebrated during the summer solstice in Yulin, Guangxi. For 10 days, festivalgoers devour dog meat and lychee. The festival, where an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 dogs are violently slaughtered and eaten, has been denounced by both animal rights and animal welfare groups. While many Filipinos may deem this practice unacceptable, mainlanders consider it as natural as consuming pork, fish, chicken or beef. The danger here, however, is that some of the wild, exotic animals they eat are carriers of different viruses that constantly mutate to infect humans. Now, we face a potential global out-

break from the swift contagion of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) —the pneumonia-like virus that emerged from Wuhan, China last month. It is a mutation of the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus, which wrought health havoc globally between 2002 and 2004. The SARS ground zero was in China’s Guangdong province, which borders Hong Kong. A farmer believed to have consumed civet meat in the Shunde district of Foshan County was suspected to be the first human to have spread SARS. Years before SARS, there was the 1997 bird flu that originated in Hong Kong. Elsewhere, there was the Middle East respiratory syndrome, also known as camel flu, a viral respiratory infection caused by the MERScoronavirus. To prevent further spread of the 2019-nCoV, China has locked down the seafood and exotic meat market, and suspended all travel out of Wuhan, the outbreak’s epicenter, effectively placing it in quarantine, along with 12 other cities in central China’s Hubei province. Again, the virus is suspected to have come from the consumed exotic meat bought from the Wuhan market. The market offers, among others, corpses and live samplings of dozens of wild animals, from dogs, snakes, and bamboo rats to ostriches, baby crocodiles and hedgehogs. Much like what happened during the bird flu and SARS outbreaks, Chi-

na was reluctant to report the 2019nCoV cases, thereby, contributing largely to its spread. The virus has lingered partly in shadow because China opted to regulate the disease’s story line. As the media tried to make heads or tails of the ominous plague, media outlets have reported inconsistent information, occasionally within the same day. According to the latest available records, there are already more than 6,000 confirmed 2019-nCoV cases worldwide, 5,974 of which are in mainland China. The confirmed death toll has risen to 132, with no deaths outside of China. Australia has five confirmed cases. The US now has five confirmed cases in four states. New countries to confirm 2019-nCoV include Sri Lanka, Canada, Cambodia and Taiwan. Despite pervent efforts of China, the WHO, and other countires to contain the disease, some Philippine officials have been observed to have taken a lackadaisical stance to stop the spread of the 2019-nCoV here. On Tuesday morning, the World Dream cruise ship, carrying 778 passengers from Hong Kong, arrived at Pier 15 of South Harbor in the Port Area. According to Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Captain Armand Balilo, the tourists were given clearance to travel by the Philippine Quarantine Office. The move angered politicians, the public and netizens who complained that despite global efforts to stop the virus in its track, here we are exposing ourselves to the virulent disease. Fueling the anger was the fact that a second cruise ship MV Ligulao from Lianyungang, Jiangsu in China arrived on Monday. Lianyungang is around 900 kilometers from Wuhan—the ground zero for novel coronavirus—plus the presence of thousands of Chinese here employed mostly by the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators who have traveled back to the country after spending the Chinese New Year celebration in the mainland.

It is appalling, politicians say, that in spite of the Bureau of Immigration’s visa issuance suspension upon arrival, some Chinese were able to sneak in. The suspension of visa issuance is a “proactive measure to slow down travel, and possibly help prevent the entry of the 2019-nCoV.” into the country, according to the BI. Although there’s no confirmed fatalities related to the virus has been recorded in the country, thus far, the sharp rise in infections is very much worrisome. It means that there has been significant human to human spread of the virus. Health experts fear that the new strain may multiply easily than originally thought, or may have already been mutated. It is, after all, from the coronavirus family, which causes the common cold, and other deadlier diseases, such as the bird flu, SARS and MERS. These viruses infected thousands of people in the past two decades. Their common denominator:— they all come from animals. WHO Country Representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe explained that the mortality rate of the 2019-nCoV has stayed at 3 percent. The agency, he said, recorded 976 severe cases, thus, had classified the risk level for the spread of the virus as “very high” in China and “high” at the regional and global levels. There must be a global, concerted effort to permanently stop the consumption of wild exotic animals. China’s decision to “temporarily” halt it does not help any. The virus continuously mutates and it must be deprived of a host to restrain its spread. It is not something to be scoffed at. It is virulent and can kill millions of people worldwide in weeks if not contained. The country’s response to the outbreak has been wanting, to say the least. Government officials must learn that erring on the side of prudence in matters of national interest is always the right tact. For comments/suggestions e-mail me at mvala.v@gmail.com

Insurance Commission: ‘Charting new frontiers’ . . . continued from A6 And in a country, such as ours, that is beset by a host of disasters, the desired output of the MOU is a most welcome development. I would also like to underscore that as the insurance industry grows and develops, there is an impetus for our micro-insurance sector to grow, as well. And grow, it has. As of the third quarter of 2019, we already have 40 million individuals covered by microinsurance. And we firmly believe that there is room for more growth. Ambi-

tious, yes, but this vision is not at all whimsical. It is practical, doable, and one driven by hard realities. We never know what life holds for us. Who would have thought that the Taal Volcano would suddenly erupt with such ferocity? The eruption impacted on so many lives. Who would have known that too early in the year, the country will be grappling with new strains of coronavirus when we have been so comfortable with the thought that modern medicine can conquer almost every disease?

Friends, as we enter a new year and a new decade, we are indeed “Charting New Frontiers.” New frontiers can be scary; they bring uncertainties. But I can recommend a couple of antidotes. First, fight uncertainty with certainty. Insurance is one such certainty, it provides security against risks; it gives hope and delivers peace of mind. Second, when uncertain, hold hands. Unity breeds courage, allowing for a good fight against anything, and gives a better margin for success. To all of you, thank you for holding

the hands of the Insurance Commission as we cross new boundaries and trek into new territories. With your support and cooperation, we can boldly proclaim: “Let’s cross over to greater heights and new horizons!” Again, congratulations for a rewarding 2019, and welcome to a challenging but exciting 2020 and a hopeful 71st year for the Insurance Commission! Mabuhay ang Insurance Commission!

Thursday, January 30, 2020

BusinessMirror

NG debt up 6% to ₧7.73T as of end-2019–Treasury By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

HE national government’s outstanding debt rose by 6 percent or P438.79 billion to P7.731 trillion as of end-2019 compared to P7.2925 trillion recorded in the same period in 2018. This is also P21.64 billion, or 0.3 percent higher than the previous month’s level primarily due to net availments and exchange rate adjustments. Of the total debt stock, 66.3 percent are domestic debt while the remaining 33.7 percent, constitute external debt, according to a statement by the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr). Year-on-year, both domestic

debt and the external debt increased. Domestic debt amounted to P5.1276 trillion, recording a year-on-year increase of 7.3 percent or P350.74 billion. Comparing to the previous month, the national government’s domestic debt is also P12 billion, or 0.2 percent higher compared to end-November 2019 level. “For the month, domestic debt increased mainly due to the net

issuance of government securities amounting to P11.96 billion and the P0.02 billion effect of peso depreciation on onshore dollar bonds,” BTr said in a statement on Wednesday. As of end-December 2019, external debt also reached P2.60369 trillion, posting an uptick of 3.5 percent, or P88.05 billion from the same period in 2018. Compared to November 2019 data, external debt for December last year was also P9.67 billion or 0.4 percent higher. “For December, the increase in external debt was due to the net availment of foreign loans amounting to P2.51 billion and the combined effect of local and third-currency fluctuations which increased the value of foreign debt by P2.25 billion and P4.90 billion, respectively,” it added. Despite these, the debt-to-GDP ratio improved to 41.5 percent from 41.9 percent a year ago, beating the program of 41.7 percent

for the year. “The improved debt-to-GDP ratio is a result of prudent cash and debt management backed by steady economic growth,” read the statement. Total guaranteed debt has also increased by P1.16 billion, or 0.2 percent from the end-December 2018 level. In December 2019, guaranteed obligations also increased to P488.75 billion, registering an increase of 2.9 percent, or P13.75 billion compared to the same month in 2018. “For the month, the higher level of guarantees was due to local and third-currency fluctuations that increased the value of external guarantees by P0.20 billion and P1.02 billion, respectively, and the net issuance of domestic guarantees amounting to P13.85 billion. This was tempered by the net repayment of external guarantees amounting to P1.32 billion,” the statement added.

Bello flying to Kuwait

ABOR Secretary Silvestre Bello III will fly to Kuwait in early February to meet with Kuwaiti authorities, and the Technical Working Groups of both countries will discuss the harmonized standard employment contract that Manila has long been pressing the emirate to accept. Fielding questions from Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go at a Senate hearing on the status of OFWs in Kuwait, Bello explained that the contract they want Kuwait to accept contains provisions that President Duterte wants to be included, such as allowing household service workers to keep their passport and cellphone, specifying their working hours and sleeping hours, giving them one day off a week with pay, and not transferring them to another employer without their written consent and the written approval of the Philippine labor attaché. “If they agree to this harmonized standard employment contract, malaking pag-asa na mabibigyan ng sapat na proteksyon ang ating mga OFW,” Bello added. Go asked Bello if the contract might be finalized and adopted before the planned visit of the President to Kuwait in March. Bello answered, “Based on their latest actuations, my level of confidence is very high. In fact, yesterday I was informed that the employers have been formally charged with murder.”

Neda. . .

Continued from A1

This involves the construction of two buoy bases, acquisition of two buoy tenders, production and maintenance of Aids to Navigation (AtoN), repair of equipment and materials and consulting services. The P175.7-billion BCIB project aims to reduce travel time and ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila, as well as South Luzon and North Luzon gateway. This will be done through the construction of a 32.15-kilometer, four-lane bridge from Barangay Alas-asin in Mariveles, Bataan, crossing Manila Bay until Barangay Timalan, Naic, Cavite. The project, to be implemented over a period of six years, also involves the construction of two navigation bridges, interchanges, land viaducts, turnaround facilities. It will also include a special span bridge near Cavite coast, toll plaza and an administration building, as well as the improvement of local existing junctions. Meanwhile, the P76.41-billion Fourth Bridge and Coastal Road Construction Project aims to improve the capacity of the existing road network in Cebu, and facilitate faster movement of trade, people and convenience in Metro Cebu. It involves the construction of a 3.3-km

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TESTING KITS FOR NCOV SOON AVAILABLE IN PHL By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

& Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Correspondent

TARTING next week, confirmatory tests that will determine if a patient is positive for the deadly novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) will finally be done in the country, a health official announced on Wednesday. As this developed, Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III clarified that the 29-yearold man from Yunnan, China, who died on Wednesday due to pneumonia had not yet tested positive for infection of 2019-nCoV. “There is nothing in the preliminary test results that would show that this death is caused by novel coronavirus,” Duque said. Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said that “primers” or the test kits already arrived in the country and a laboratory is now being set up at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). “Once the laboratory is set up in 48 hours they will be able to start running the tests for the 2019 novel coronavirus here in the Philippines,” Domingo said in a media briefing. Prior to the arrival of the primers, test samples from patients under investigation (PUIs) were sent to the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference in Australia, to confirm if the patient is positive for 2019-nCoV, and the process of testing would take 24 hours. Meanwhile, Domingo said that they are just waiting for the remaining test results of the six patients that will arrive from Melbourne by Thursday.

Repatriation

Due to the increasing cases of novel coronavirus, Duque said on Wednesday the government is now considering the voluntary repatriation of Filipinos in Wuhan, as well as the temporary ban on Chinese mainlanders. During the Question Hour at the House of Representatives, Duque said the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has approved a resolution to facilitate the voluntary return of Filipinos currently in Wuhan City in China’s Hubei province. “[We are ready for] those who have manifested their desire to be repatriated to the Philippines and we said that we will be prepared,” he said. “There will be chartered flights. The CAAP [Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines] is preparing the chartered flights precisely to bring in the 50 or so Filipinos who have manifested their desire to be repatriated,” Duque said. He added that the Filipinos know the government’s condition: “should they come back to the Philippines, they will be all collectively subjected to quarantine measures.” For her part, Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda recommended to the DOH the temporary ban on Chinese mainlanders from entering the Philippines. “The health of the Filipino people— especially those who may not have the resources to buy masks, to stay away from each other—if that is at stake, then we have to do everything to protect each other,”Legarda said. Duque said the interagency task force will consider the temporary ban at its next bridge with an elevated viaduct of 3.385-km, with two lanes in each direction. It will also include the construction of a 4.9-km four-lane coastal road with a 4.751km elevated viaduct. Interchanges will be constructed at the linkage between the two projects in Mandaue City. The list also includes the P5.9-billion Capas-Botolan Road Project which will construct a 35.64-km road with eight bridges. The project’s cumulative total length is 1,612.82 linear meters between Capas and Botolan. The project will directly link the provinces of Tarlac and Zambales, and reduce travel time to about one hour and 22 minutes from an estimated four hours (using the Pangasinan route in the North), or two hours and 40 minutes (using the MacArthur Highway and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway). Neda said the P189.53-billion PGN Island Bridges Project involves the construction of a 32.47-km, four-lane, two sea-crossing bridges, including connecting roads and interchanges that will connect the islands of Panay, Guimaras and Negros. The project intends to provide a safer, faster, and more convenient transportation linkage between Panay, Guimaras and Negros through a connected land passageway. Once completed, the project will improve the highway trunk networks, thus allowing the flow of people, goods and services between the three islands.

meetings, but also preached caution: “we have to be very careful also of possible repercussions of doing this in light of the fact that confimed cases of n-CoV are not limited to China.” The health chief added, “If we do this, then the concerned country, China in this case, might question why we’re not doing the same for all other countries that have reported cases of n-CoV.”

Testing kit

Duque, meanwhile, said the health department has received from the Japanese counterpart of the RITM a primer that would provide the Philippines the capability to detect the nCoV. “The Japanese counterpart of our RITM has just brought with them a team, a primer—RNA primer—which is needed to help us identify whether the novel coronavirus suspected cases (are positive or not) once their throat swabs, their nasopharyngeal swabs are submitted to RITM for testing,” Duque said. “With the RNA primer, yes, in about 48 hours, we shall be able to set up our own capability to detect novel coronavirus, and no longer need to send [results] for confirmatory testing to Melbourne, Australia,” Duque said. Duque said the turnaround time will be cut by 50 percent, since the primer would eliminate the need to consult Australia. According to the DOH chief, the country is continously monitoring 23 suspected cases of n-CoV. Duque reiterated that the Philippines remains free from the deadly virus as of Wednesday. Duque assured the public that all of the DOH-retained hospitals and medical centers are ready to handle n-CoV. He said border surveillance, “which is the mandate of the Bureau of Quarantine... is in place and this has been heightened to include the reinstatement of the health declaration card or the yellow form, and also the issuance of the interim guidelines which will change from day-to-day as we are updated by the WHO [World Health Organization],” Duque said. Duque also listed down safety measures for the public, including frequent hand washing, avoiding contact with farm or wild animals and proper coughing etiquette. The DOH alao said they are closely coordinating with the WHO and the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention on developments and updates regarding travel advisories.

DOH advised the public to:

n Practice frequent and proper hand-washing; n Practice Proper cough etiquette; n Always bring a handkerchief/tissue; n CoVer mouth and nose using handkerchief/

tissue (sleeves or crook of the elbow may also be used to CoVer the mouth when coughing or sneezing); n Move away from people when coughing; n Do not spit; n Throw away used tissues properly; n Always wash your hands after sneezing or coughing; n Use alcohol/sanitizer; n Avoid unprotected contact with farm or wild animals; n Ensure that food is well-cooked; and n Maintain a healthy lifestyle to boost immunity. The P28.26-billion Davao City Coastal Bypass Road Project including Bucana Bridge involves the construction of an 18.21-km road with a four-lane facility and a speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour (kph), from Bago Aplaya to R. Castillo. The project will serve as a bypass road/ alternative route to the Davao-Cotabato Road and ABS-CBN Diversion Road to ease traffic congestion along busy intersections and Central Business District. Neda said the project will also disperse urbanization outside the Davao City Urban Center, which is already oversaturated because of the concentration of large-scale shopping malls and its proximity to international transportation facilities (e.g., Davao International Airport and Port of Davao). Meanwhile, the NEDA Board also approved the change in scope and cost of the Davao City Bypass Construction Project, and the e xtensions in loan validity and Implementation period and increase in cost of the Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project. With the changes, Neda said the new cost of the project is P46.8 billion, an 81.04-percent increase in cost from the initial estimate of P25.85 billion. For the Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project, the Neda Board approved a 24-month loan validity extension, an 18-month project implementation period ex tension and 9.04-percent increase in project cost.

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In the ad material of Notice of filing of application for Alien Employment Permits published on August 28, 2019, the position of Mr. Fan, Yuanchao under MALOG SOLUTIONS, INC. should have been read as Chinese Customer Service Representative and not as published. Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE NCR Regional Office located at 967 Maligaya St., Malate, Manila, within 30 days after its publication. Please inform DOLE NCR if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

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Thursday, January 30, 2020

Dito Telecom assures DICT it’s on track for rollout sked By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

HILE the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is “concerned” about the capability of Dito Telecommunity Corp. to fulfill its first-year commitments to the government, a company official assured the State that it is on track to meeting its network deployment plans. Information Secretary Gregorio B. Honasan II said his group has voiced concerns to Dito on

its ability to complete its rollout program before the July 2020 deadline.

“DICT was concerned about the capability of Dito to fulfill its commitments as July is six months away. However, based on our discussions, I am satisfied that given the updates by the three top executives, Dito is on its way to deliver on its promise of cheaper and more efficient service to the subscribing public,” he said. Honasan said officials of Dito updated the government on tower build-out, infrastructure development, network operations and project timetables. “As we have been assuring the public, we are on track to meet our year-one commitment to the government and to the Filipino people to provide world-class telecommunications services,”

Dito Chief Administrative Officer Adel Tamano said. Dito, the third major player in the local telco market, has yet to formally announce the availability of its mobile services in the Philippines. It won the auction for the third telco franchise in late 2018. Formerly known as Mislatel Consortium, Dito committed to initially cover 37 percent of the whole Philippines with a minimum Internet speed of 27 Mbps through a P150-billion capital and operational expenditures budget. Its five-year commitment entails a P257-billion investment that will result in an 84-percent nationwide coverage with a minimum Internet speed of 55 Mbps.

Q4 recovery hikes online hiring growth to double-digit levels By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

HE country’s economic recovery in the fourth quarter paved the way for a doubledigit growth in online hiring in the last quarter of 2019, according to Monster.com. In a statement, Monster.com said online hiring in the Philippines grew an average of 14.67 percent from October to December, outpacing the third quarter of last year. Based on the Monster Employment Index (MEI); online hiring grew 14 percent in December, and 15 percent in October and November 2019. “The upward trajectory of online hiring growth in the Philippines is a reflection of last quarter’s economic recovery, and is likely to accelerate even further given the current landscape,” Krish Seshadri, CEO of Monster.com-Apac and Middle East, said. “Consumer spending is expected to rise, driven by robust infrastructural developments, easing monetary conditions and a growing tourism sector, and this will help the economy maintain resilience,” he added.

More Pinoys are into investing to reach financial goals–study By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

ORE Filipinos are resorting to investing in order to prepare for their financial goals and there is a growing interest in investing among millennials and the middle class. A study by Sun Life Asset Management Co. Inc. (SLAMCI) Chief Marketing and Client Officer Mylene D. Lopa said 39 percent of Filipinos now invest their money to prepare for their financial concerns. While this is a lower percentage compared to those who just manage their finances through budgeting (at 62 percent), and those who spend their money only on planned purchases (54 percent), Lopa said this is still encouraging since the figure of those investing their money five or six years ago were much lower, at less than 10 percent. Continued on B2

Online recruitment was the highest in the Information Technology (IT) sector, posting a growth of 28 percent in December 2019, its highest growth last year. Monster.com said the IT sector also performed well in the short-term, as well by posting a 4-percent monthon-month growth. In the fourth quarter last year, the IT sector grew by 9 percent. The MEI said the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector posted double-digit growth numbers during the period. Data showed it recorded a growth of 27 percent year-on-year for the month of December 2019. The BPO/ITES sector has been posting long-term growth in the Philippines, which it maintained with a growth of 19 percent in December from 17 percent in November. In terms of specific occupation, online hiring for Human Resources and Admin professionals remained robust with a 36-percent year-onyear increase for October. This dipped slightly to 35 percent and 32 percent in November and December, respectively. Finance and Accounts professionals were the next most sought-after workers with a surge in demand of

26 percent in both October and November and 24 percent in December. Software, Hardware and Telecom professionals also experienced notable growth in the last quarter of 2019, with December witnessing the highest rise in demand for the occupation in 2019. “This is a good time for businesses and employers to start thinking ahead and take steps to future-proof their work force, so that they are prepared to compete with the expected future demand and maintain their relevance in the global landscape,” Seshadri said. The MEI is a gauge of online job posting activity compiled monthly by Monster.com. It records the industries and occupations that show the highest and lowest growth in local recruitment activity. It is based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large representative selection of career web sites and online job listings across the Philippines. The Index does not reflect the trend of any one advertiser or source, but is an aggregate measure of the change in job listings across the industry.

Pickup truck props up Nissan sales in 2019

ISSAN Philippines Inc. has kept its position as one of the country’s leading vehicle assemblers after posting a double-digit growth in sales, and overshooting the automotive industry’s target last year. Nissan on Tuesday reported it closed 2019 with sales of 42,694 units, 22 percent higher than the 2018 record of 34,952 units. As such, the Japanese automobile brand maintained its rank as the third leading industry player, trailing Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. It also broke two of its own sales records last year—in March when it sold 4,616 units, and in September when it sold 4,768 units. Pickup truck Nissan Navara contributed nearly 45 percent of the firm’s total sales at 19,034 units, followed by the M-SUV Nissan Terra and light commercial van Nissan Urvan with sales of 10,469 units and 7,157 units, respectively. As Nissan’s first entry in the segment, the Terra is the third best-selling M-SUV among brands by the end of 2019. Last year also saw Nissan Philippines receiving the Nissan Global

Award for Financial Year 2019 as a top sales performer for the brand globally. Nissan Philippines President and Managing Director Atsushi Najima said the vehicle assembler seeks to sustain its growth track over the next years by coming up with new products, reliable services and strong dealership. “Nissan’s continued growth annually is the result of the company’s focus on the fundamentals. We aim to sustain our growth in the years to come with innovative products, reliable services, a strong dealer network and a vibrant company culture of talented people,” said Najima. Nissan Philippines is a member of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. According to Campi, the automotive industry finished 2019 on a positive note by expanding sales by 3.5 percent to 369,941 units, from 357,410 units in 2018. However, the expansion last year was below the industry’s objective of growing sales by 10 percent to recover from its dismal performance in 2018 caused by the introduction of new taxes, higher inflation and unstable fuel prices. Elijah Felice E. Rosales

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Thursday, January 30, 2020

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

January 29, 2020

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

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

154 82.85 25.15 11.84 62.95 32.2 54.1 20.3 183.3 62.3 0.88 18.48 4.16 0.38 0.79 173 1851

154.4 83 25.2 11.86 64 33.2 55.6 22 183.5 63 0.91 18.5 4.32 0.42 0.83 176.9 1919

153.5 83 25.25 11.9 64.6 33.95 54 21.95 186.5 62.5 0.88 18.02 4.29 0.39 0.78 178 1855

156 83.3 25.3 11.92 64.8 34.05 57 22 186.6 63 0.88 18.48 4.5 0.395 0.84 178 1856

152.6 82.05 25.1 11.84 62.85 32.2 54 21 182.1 62.2 0.88 18.02 4.1 0.38 0.76 177 1850

154 83 25.2 11.84 64 32.2 54.6 22 183.5 62.3 0.88 18.48 4.32 0.38 0.84 177 1850

1767460 1661830 290000 300900 1701980 413800 1030 53400 1140890 54740 66000 1100 406000 620000 206000 50 550

272360304 137671092 7293700 3570324 108459590.5 13516645 56300.5 1138815 209370596 3428141.5 58080 20098 1755090 239800 157750 8877 1018085

INDUSTRIAL

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

HOLDING & FRIMS

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

-45224503 -4567384.5 12475 -2451006 -57600724 -6319805 -610925 -42344596 -49770 -

2.07 1.2 32.75 0.235 21.2 66.6 275 10.7 3.85 11.92 30.15 9.35 11.9 3.12 16.62 15.02 4.96 9.02 7.22 73 0.54 1.62 36.6 202 30.3 6.89 10.8 1.83 9.5 1.65 5.16 0.118 155.5 1.27 2.45 61.45 1.57 12.74 8.89 12.4 14.92 9.7 0.97 1.04 2.15 1.6 4.85 3.1 4.71 30.65 2.01 7.66 1.28 1.11 9.8

2.08 1.22 32.8 0.24 21.45 66.7 280 10.72 3.9 11.94 31 9.36 12 3.15 17.84 15.06 5 9.03 7.24 74.2 0.55 1.63 37.1 203.6 42 7.12 10.9 1.85 9.58 1.68 5.3 0.121 155.6 1.29 2.55 66.3 1.58 13 9.2 12.5 15 9.8 1.02 1.05 2.16 1.69 4.93 3.27 4.8 32.45 2.02 7.7 1.33 1.14 9.89

2.04 1.22 32.65 0.244 21.1 66.65 296 10.32 3.9 11.9 30.95 9.22 12.06 3.23 16.62 15.04 5 9 7.24 73.8 0.53 1.7 36.6 205.4 42 6.89 11 1.82 9.78 1.65 5.02 0.118 156.1 1.28 2.57 61.6 1.63 13 9.23 12.9 14.98 9.61 0.98 0.98 2.16 1.61 4.91 3.11 4.71 32.5 2.02 7.65 1.33 1.16 9.72

2.1 1.22 32.85 0.255 21.5 66.9 296 10.94 3.9 11.94 31 9.39 12.08 3.33 17.84 15.04 5 9.13 7.24 74.85 0.56 1.79 37.1 207 42 6.89 11.02 1.86 9.78 1.68 5.02 0.118 156.3 1.32 2.57 61.6 1.65 13 9.23 12.9 15.08 9.8 1.02 1.05 2.16 1.61 4.92 3.11 4.71 32.5 2.04 7.7 1.33 1.24 10.8

2.04 1.2 32.05 0.234 20.65 66.6 275 10.3 3.85 11.9 30.15 9.1 12 3.12 16.62 15 5 8.94 7.22 73 0.53 1.6 36.6 201 42 6.89 10.8 1.82 9.58 1.65 5.02 0.118 153.1 1.26 2.43 61.6 1.56 12.7 8.87 12.4 14.74 9.61 0.97 0.93 2.16 1.61 4.91 3.1 4.71 32.5 1.99 7.65 1.29 1.1 9.5

2.07 1.2 32.75 0.24 21.45 66.6 275 10.7 3.85 11.94 30.15 9.35 12.06 3.12 17.84 15.02 5 9.02 7.22 74.2 0.55 1.62 37.1 203.6 42 6.89 10.8 1.83 9.58 1.68 5.02 0.118 155.6 1.28 2.57 61.6 1.57 13 9 12.5 15 9.7 1.02 1.05 2.16 1.61 4.92 3.1 4.71 32.5 2.02 7.7 1.33 1.14 9.8

1874000 1428000 641000 14330000 897200 104800 289510 27158300 833000 17400 51300 376400 996700 3794000 1400 465700 44300 761600 3097200 268050 756000 57169000 1200 318090 5000 4600 59900 40000 57500 123000 200 330000 954850 11918000 11000 20 14818000 69500 51800 113900 967100 1900 118000 6989000 30000 10000 10000 21000 1000 100 4921000 16100 196000 2070000 4618600

3898470 1718090 20745320 3493990 19111320 6982208.5 81028230 291485462 3218690 207362 1571080 3502831 12020086 12144320 23430 6994544 221500 6871779 22371375 19819440.5 411620 96857980 44270 64742474 210000 31694 654214 73740 553442 203920 1004 38940 148073664 15486930 27690 1232 23632670 893864 464866 1424080 14464908 18512 115410 7100870 64800 16100 49150 65130 4710 3250 9897210 123250 257130 2357330 47009951

81560 -9736720 -9000 -11296575 -4586835 -52219104 11037088 45620 -7156 -278200 -758110 -4679220 -124970 551036 -3500 2057036 -9637663 -10358025 167390 3660 -22478184 -25120 -33040 -281924.9997 -45714380 -3534600 560 -5866410 -4298 225000 -9507710 -52000 4099850.0002 156200 -243964

0.86 10.38 717 50.25 10.84 2.59 6.18 0.69 0.91 0.92 6.42 5.97 13 0.207 742 5.13 73.4 5.91 0.485 3.71 10.36 0.57 3.21 5.28 1.19 186 1013 143.3 0.81 2.01 183.1 0.21 0.21

0.87 10.66 719 51.5 10.88 2.62 6.2 0.7 0.92 0.97 6.45 5.98 13.1 0.225 745 5.39 75 6.78 0.5 3.75 10.4 0.6 3.22 5.3 1.22 194.5 1016 143.8 0.84 2.2 186 0.216 0.212

0.87 10.64 728 51 10.88 2.6 6.38 0.72 0.94 0.92 6.54 6.07 13.1 0.205 753 5.11 73.65 6.78 0.51 3.78 10.46 0.6 3.25 5.89 1.22 196 1015 149.8 0.81 2 186 0.206 0.215

0.88 11.2 728.5 51.8 10.96 2.66 6.38 0.72 0.94 0.92 6.54 6.09 13.1 0.205 759.5 5.11 75 6.78 0.51 3.78 10.54 0.61 3.28 6.2 1.22 197 1017 149.8 0.84 2 186 0.21 0.229

0.86 10.34 710 50.25 10.8 2.6 6.18 0.7 0.91 0.92 6.4 5.9 13 0.205 742 5.11 72.5 6.78 0.485 3.72 10.2 0.59 3.2 5.2 1.22 186 1010 143.3 0.81 2 184 0.206 0.212

0.87 10.66 717 51.5 10.84 2.61 6.18 0.7 0.92 0.92 6.42 5.97 13 0.205 745 5.11 75 6.78 0.5 3.73 10.4 0.6 3.21 5.3 1.22 194.5 1013 143.3 0.84 2 186 0.21 0.212

2235000 7600 291090 428520 3719600 587000 16200 343000 276000 102000 359200 11289900 23400 50000 79310 200 1335220 100 123000 2279000 1889200 149000 22601000 360000 142000 500 191825 225540 30000 20000 500580 330000 460000

1945980 80450 208957955 21797089.5 40211894 1532640 100261 243500 253320 93840 2314160 67507673 305200 10250 59177865 1022 98807657.5 678 60380 8502850 19575094 90310 73248650 1969244 173240 96430 194301605 32453332 24330 40000 93107595 68100 97720

101480 8304 51691160 -14158903 7519024 -34600 227957 -5326289 -45774295 -39641402.5 -8338920 -2944828 -61000 11822640 76100 38400 -78371170 -13387245 -

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.81 0.82 0.81 0.84 0.8 0.82 844000 686230 8.81 9 8.75 8.75 8.75 8.75 1500 13125 4375 ANCHOR LAND AYALA LAND 41.75 42 41.6 42 41.2 42 6643300 277274815 93214660 1.74 1.78 1.8 1.8 1.66 1.74 329000 569030 29070 ARANETA PROP BELLE CORP 1.62 1.63 1.67 1.67 1.62 1.63 739000 1209150 -110260 0.69 0.7 0.71 0.71 0.69 0.7 542000 377050 -80039.9997 A BROWN CITYLAND DEVT 0.79 0.8 0.87 0.87 0.75 0.8 1675000 1344210 15200 CROWN EQUITIES 0.185 0.188 0.187 0.187 0.187 0.187 100000 18700 6.4 6.64 6.69 6.69 6.69 6.69 200 1338 CEBU HLDG CEB LANDMASTERS 4.62 4.67 4.67 4.68 4.64 4.67 137000 639170 0.51 0.52 0.52 0.53 0.51 0.52 2690000 1378610 329680 CENTURY PROP DOUBLEDRAGON 17.16 17.22 17.8 17.8 17.1 17.16 651600 11301170 -4738296 9.05 9.1 9.2 9.2 9.05 9.1 76800 700383 -18038.9999 DM WENCESLAO EMPIRE EAST 0.405 0.41 0.41 0.41 0.405 0.405 160000 64900 1.5 1.51 1.51 1.51 1.49 1.5 7799000 11698080 -6946110 FILINVEST LAND 1.07 1.09 1.07 1.09 1.06 1.09 40000 43070 GLOBAL ESTATE 8990 HLDG 14.72 14.74 14.72 14.74 14.72 14.72 114300 1682504 1.22 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.22 1.24 921000 1143180 PHIL INFRADEV MEGAWORLD 4.13 4.14 4.17 4.17 4.05 4.13 18981000 77726020 -13455450 0.225 0.228 0.226 0.233 0.225 0.228 6340000 1442170 158390 MRC ALLIED PRIMEX CORP 2.07 2.08 2.11 2.11 2.06 2.08 497000 1027970 26.95 27 27 27 26.8 26.95 1057100 28469950 -11321780 ROBINSONS LAND PHIL REALTY 0.33 0.335 0.34 0.34 0.335 0.335 470000 158400 ROCKWELL 2.05 2.09 2.07 2.09 2.07 2.09 69000 143250 -20699.9999 3.11 3.17 3.18 3.18 3.11 3.17 58000 182590 SHANG PROP STA LUCIA LAND 2.5 2.56 2.56 2.56 2.44 2.56 345000 862390 39.95 40 39.7 40.4 39.7 40 17716500 708516225 -17443010 SM PRIME HLDG VISTAMALLS 5.47 5.66 5.5 5.79 5.23 5.66 186500 1033369 1.85 1.87 1.86 1.93 1.75 1.85 7522000 13922490 SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND 7.2 7.23 7.29 7.29 7.18 7.23 8988500 64988756 -7114214 SERVICES ABS CBN 16.9 17 16.9 18.1 16.82 17 201700 3518948 5.3 5.35 5.4 5.4 5.29 5.37 63700 338347 GMA NETWORK MANILA BULLETIN 0.4 0.415 0.41 0.41 0.4 0.4 160000 64650 1965 1970 1962 1998 1960 1970 14600 28756250 2589460 GLOBE TELECOM PLDT 1011 1015 1014 1033 1008 1015 158500 160854115 -10981965 0.049 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.048 0.05 23600000 1158400 APOLLO GLOBAL DFNN INC 4.93 5.38 4.9 5.39 4.9 5.37 16000 84680 ISLAND INFO 0.103 0.104 0.106 0.106 0.103 0.104 800000 82800 3.8 3.83 3.62 3.88 3.53 3.8 3375000 12585960 -22180 ISM COMM NOW CORP 2.37 2.38 2.38 2.45 2.36 2.38 1123000 2690370 -139900 0.255 0.26 0.275 0.275 0.255 0.26 8110000 2150950 26000 TRANSPACIFIC BR PHILWEB 3.67 3.69 3.88 4.18 3.65 3.67 13275000 52234860 -420170 9.4 9.41 9.4 9.69 9.4 9.41 9300 87633 2GO GROUP CHELSEA 5.24 5.25 5.23 5.3 5.16 5.24 600800 3130169 -311800 79.7 79.75 83 83 79.45 79.7 992240 79185392 49878942 CEBU AIR 132 132.4 132.5 132.8 131 132 1214770 160161253 20216047 INTL CONTAINER LBC EXPRESS 12.84 13.66 13.66 13.66 13.66 13.66 100 1366 0.89 0.96 0.95 0.98 0.89 0.96 36000 33580 LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA 10.58 10.6 11.2 11.62 10.2 10.58 3426200 37521722 -13000642 1.02 1.07 1.09 1.14 1.01 1.07 136000 145480 METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B 1.01 1.12 1.01 1.12 1.01 1.01 22000 22380 7.3 7.55 7.35 7.59 7.25 7.3 7500 54949 PAL HLDG HARBOR STAR 1.33 1.35 1.38 1.41 1.31 1.33 2391000 3241050 12060 ACESITE HOTEL 1.32 1.33 1.35 1.35 1.32 1.32 165000 218650 0.59 0.6 0.61 0.61 0.59 0.61 536000 317160 WATERFRONT STI HLDG 0.61 0.62 0.64 0.64 0.61 0.61 6874000 4256360 129740 2.89 2.93 2.86 3 2.86 2.89 288000 834080 8610 BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY 9.99 10 9.9 10.1 9.86 9.99 20735300 206428861 18339794 2.13 2.15 2.1 2.15 2.1 2.12 73000 154160 PACIFIC ONLINE LEISURE AND RES 2.43 2.5 2.5 2.62 2.42 2.5 329000 813650 3.05 3.08 3.07 3.08 3.05 3.05 120000 368200 MANILA JOCKEY PH RESORTS GRP 4.26 4.69 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 9000 38700 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.56 0.57 0.56 0.57 0.56 0.56 3573000 2002500 -1325020 8 8.97 8.03 8.03 8 8 15200 121690 PHIL RACING ALLHOME 11.06 11.08 11.18 11.2 11.04 11.08 1465400 16259876 -288400 2.04 2.05 2.05 2.05 2.02 2.05 243000 495810 -18390 METRO RETAIL PUREGOLD 39.25 39.35 39 39.4 38.95 39.35 150400 5894485 -966575 76.85 77.6 79.2 79.2 76.85 77.6 100730 7817776.5 -3398692.5 ROBINSONS RTL PHIL SEVEN CORP 140 144.9 145 145 145 145 70 10150 SSI GROUP 2.39 2.4 2.44 2.5 2.4 2.4 1054000 2548540 -1076880 18.9 18.92 18.84 18.96 18.84 18.9 1337700 25299784 11621998 WILCON DEPOT APC GROUP 0.42 0.425 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.42 490000 205800 33600 8.4 8.48 8.8 8.8 8.4 8.41 14300 121136 EASYCALL GOLDEN BRIA 426 437 447.8 447.8 426 426 2180 934200 187440 0.365 0.37 0.375 0.385 0.37 0.37 5790000 2182800 152250 PRMIERE HORIZON SBS PHIL CORP 9.09 9.33 9.09 9.09 9.08 9.08 11900 108152 MINING & OIL ATOK 10.14 11.8 11.94 11.94 11.94 11.94 100 1194 1.05 1.06 1.08 1.08 1.06 1.06 1278000 1360420 APEX MINING ABRA MINING 0.0014 0.0015 0.0014 0.0015 0.0014 0.0015 8000000 11500 2.49 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 554000 1385000 ATLAS MINING BENGUET B 1.1 1.23 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 15000 16500 -0 0.27 0.275 0.27 0.27 0.27 0.27 90000 24300 COAL ASIA HLDG 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www.businessmirror.com.ph

AboitizPower to raise ₧9.55B from bond sale in 2nd quarter

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

BOITIZ Power Corp. said its Board of Directors approved up to P9.55 billion fixed-rate retail bonds out of the P30 billion bonds registered in 2017 under the shelf registration program of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

This is the fourth tranche, which is expected to be offered to the public in the second quarter of this year. The bonds will be listed with the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. (PDEx). The first tranche was issued on July 3, 2017, in the amount of P3 billion, the second tranche on October 25, 2018, in the amount of P10.2 billion and the third tranche on October 14, 2019, in the amount of P7.25 billion. “Proceeds of the fourth tranche bonds will be used to finance planned acquisitions, future investments, and/

or other corporate requirements,” the power firm said. Further, AboitizPower said the Board of Directors delegated to manage the final determination of the issue amount, interest rate, offer price, tenors, and other terms and conditions of the bonds, including the parties that will manage or otherwise be involved in the offer. As of 2019, the power firm’s attributable power capacity is 3,200 megawatts. Of this, 1,200 MW is renewable energy. It has set a target energy capacity of 4,000 MW by 2020.

Cemex completes ₧12.77-B SRO By VG Cabuag

@villygc

EXICO’S cement firm Cemex Holdings Philippines Inc. on Wednesday said it raised some P12.77 billion from the stock rights offer (SRO) that it completed last week. The company said it made available some P8.29 billion common shares at P1.54 per share for the said SRO. The said price was just a fraction of the company’s initial public offering (IPO) price of P10.75 in 2016. After the offer, the company will increase its total issued and outstanding shares to P13.48 billion shares, subject to approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The listing date for the new offer shares is on March 4, the company said. The company will use the total proceeds raised from the offer to fund the expansion of its Solid Cement Plant, including payment of the outstanding debt owed by Solid Cement Corp. and APO Cement Corp. The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd. Singapore branch is acting as the global coordinator, while BDO Capital and Investment Corp. served as the underwriter for the transaction. Solid Cement tapped a six-year

$75-million credit facility in 2018 that was then raised to $100 million. Cemex said the outstanding balance under the Solid expansion facility agreement was at $93.3 million, the balance of which can change once the proceeds of the offer are received and available to be used. It said the new production line of the Solid Cement Plant will commence operations by the second quarter of 2021 and expand the installed annual capacity of the Solid Cement facility by 1.5 million tons. Cemex has an aggregate installed annual capacity of 5.7 million tons of cement as of end-September. APO Cement plant in Cebu, meanwhile, currently has three grinding lines with an installed annual capacity of 3.8 million tons of cement and serves customers in Visayas and Mindanao, and also to the Luzon region. The Solid Cement Plant in Rizal currently has three grinding lines with an installed annual capacity of 1.9 million tons of cement, and is in the process of expanding the plant with a new integrated cement production line with an additional installed annual capacity of 1.5 million tons. The Solid Cement Plant serves Luzon region. Cemex has five marine distribution terminals and 16 land distribution centers around the country.

More Pinoys are into investing to reach financial goals–study Continued from B1

“So the fact that we’re now seeing a third of people mentioning investing as a way to prepare for the future is really encouraging for us. So, there is hope,” she said in a presentation during the kickoff of the “Make it Mutual,” a successful investor education campaign to encourage more Filipinos to make mutual funds their choice of investment as they strive to achieve their financial goals. Moreover, Lopa sees a bright spot with the growing interest of millennials and the middle class in investing. The Philippine Stock Exchange Investor Profile Report 2018 says that 21.5 percent of stock market investors were aged 19 to 29, and 43.1 percent of stock market investors were aged 30 to 44. “So 1 out of 5 investors in the Philippines right now in the stock market are young, which I believe... we have not seen a decade ago, so the change is happening. So this is a very crucial time for us to really sustain the momentum and keep on introducing initiatives that will sustain and encourage the younger generation to be active,” she said. Besides the younger generation,

even the middle-income earners are starting to invest more, Lopa said. The same report also showed 62.4 percent of stock market investors come from those earning less than P500,000. Lopa also attributed the growth in millennial and middle-market investing to digital technology which opened up their access to information. Thus, Sun Life is once again launching a series of four digital videos to highlight the ease of investing, where one can now open an account online through the Sun Life portal or mobile app for only P1,000. These would also highlight the importance of choosing the right fund so that it suits the investors’ personality and priorities, as well as the need to invest regularly for the long term in order to stay on track of one’s financial goals. “SLAMCI has been working hard to make investing more accessible and affordable to investors, and our latest initiatives will be featured in the latest Make it Mutual campaign,” SLAMCI President Valerie Pama said. “Moreover, we hope to promote a long-term mindset when it comes to their financial journey, so they can fully enjoy the benefits of their investments.”

mutual funds

January 29, 2020

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 242.2 -10.02% -1.75% -2.49% -3.85% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.3069 -12.46% -2.27% -4.72% -5.43% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 3.3956 -18.26% -5.91% -5.48% -7.68% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.8491 -11.2% n.a. n.a. -5.35% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.8113 -8.34% n.a. n.a. -4.47% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 5.1021 -8.47% -0.55% -2.62% -4.25% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,6 0.8135 -9.02% -4.42% n.a. -4.7% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 100.98 -18.04% n.a. n.a. -2.27% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 48.9488 -7.57% 0.3% n.a. -4.55% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 510.1 -7.06% -0.58% -2.26% -4.26% Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d, 8 0.9978 n.a. n.a. n.a. -3.14% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.2346 -7.31% 0.17% -1.22% -4.06% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 36.2595 -7.22% 1.02% -1.11% -4.32% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.9742 -7.63% n.a. n.a. -4.31% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 4.9873 -6.71% 0.92% -0.34% -4.52% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 832.65 -6.76% 0.86% -0.48% -4.52% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.7904 -13.36% -2.72% -4.19% -7.16% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.9949 -7.65% 0.17% -1.35% -5.09% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.9557 -7.03% 0.73% n.a. -4.51% United Fund, Inc. -a 3.4919 -6.28% 1.9% 0.26% -4.42% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 111.6956 -6.48% 1.56% 0.46% -4.5% ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $0.9901 0.68% 3.6% -0.41% -3.72% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.3901 16.47% 9.14% n.a. 0.83% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.5217 -12.26% -4.22% -5.04% -2.63% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.102 -8.89% -2.89% -2.6% -3.63% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.5631 -3.43% 0.54% -2.51% -2.6% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,5 0.2229 n.a. n.a. n.a. -2.45% Grepalife Balanced Fund Corporation -a N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.9315 0.82% 1.64% -0.07% -1.61% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.6896 1.52% 0.42% -1.13% -2.63% 16.5206 0.32% 0.38% -1.19% -2.59% Philam Fund, Inc. -a Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 2.0684 -4.28% -0.03% -0.28% -2.7% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.7382 -2.29% 0.88% -0.85% -3.25% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d,2 0.9882 n.a. n.a. n.a. -2.71% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d,2 0.9592 n.a. n.a. n.a. -3.73% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d,2 0.9547 n.a. n.a. n.a. -3.88% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.9375 -3.15% 0.06% -2.16% -3.83% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities $0.03867 8.9% 3.16% 1.95% 1.15% Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -a $1.035 7.4% 4.34% 0.68% -0.28% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $3.9396 12.61% 7.25% 4.17% 0.74% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,7 $1.1359 9.05% 4.42% n.a. 0.63% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 358.19 3.92% 2.7% 2.18% 0.11% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9052 1.89% 0.37% -0.81% 0.17% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.1235 4.75% 5.12% 5.14% 0.23% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.2258 3.87% 2.02% 1.73% 0.04% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.3547 5.88% 2.07% 1.29% -0.19% Grepalife Fixed Income Fund Corp. -a P N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.3586 12.21% 2.07% 1.27% -0.33% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.7703 5.82% 2.61% 0.63% -0.47% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 0.9635 5.95% 1.06% -0.2% -0.08% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.0632 8.86% 4.01% 1.95% -0.41% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.6867 7.79% 3.43% 1.31% -0.85% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $470.18 4.51% 2.79% 2.67% 0.42% 1.86% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є220.2 3.08% 1.29% 0.21% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.2104 6.33% 3.08% 2.3% 0.27% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0259 4.02% 1.59% 1.37% 0.39% Grepalife Dollar Bond Fund Corp. -a N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -a $1.1059 6.28% 1.64% -0.32% 0.98% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.4321 10.58% 3.84% 2.58% 1.18% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0606413 6.09% 2.36% 1.84% 0.54% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.2353 11.59% 3.54% 2.59% 1.89% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 3.9% 2.89% 2.2% 0.27% 126.12 First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a,3 1.0291 n.a. n.a. n.a. 0.27% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a 1.2504 5.73% 2.92% 1.59% -0.5% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.2676 3.67% 2.92% 2.41% 0.24% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0387 2.05% n.a. n.a. 0.14% Feeder Fund Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,4 $0.99 n.a. n.a. n.a. 0% a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU). 1 - Launch date is January 3, 2019. 2 - Launch date is January 28, 2019. 3 - Launch date is February 1, 2019. 4 - Launch date is November 15, 2019. 5 - Launch date is September 28, 2019. 6 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last October 12, 2018 (formerly, One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.). 7 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last October 9, 2019. 8 - Launch date is December 09, 2019. "While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa. com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

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

The World BusinessMirror

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Deaths rise to 132 in China outbreak as foreigners leave

EIJING—Countries began evacuating their citizens on Wednesday from the Chinese city hardest-hit by an outbreak of a new virus that has killed 132 people and infected more than 6,000 on the mainland and abroad. A Japanese flight carrying evacuees home included four people with coughs and fevers. The three men and one woman were taken to a Tokyo hospital on separate ambulances for treatment and further medical checks. It wasn’t immediately known whether they were infected with the new type of coronavirus that appeared in the central city of Wuhan in December. Its symptoms, including cough and fever and, in severe cases, pneumonia, are similar to many other illnesses. China’s latest f ig ures cover the previous 24 hours and add 26 to the number of deaths, 25 of which were in the central province of Hubei and its capital, Wuhan. The 5,974 cases on the mainland marked a rise of 1,459 from the previous day, although that rise is a smaller increase than the 1,771 new cases reported on Monday. Dozens of infections have been confirmed abroad, as well. The United Arab Emirates, home to

long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad, confirmed its first case on Wednesday in a person who had come from Wuhan, the state-run news agency reported. Chartered planes carrying evacuees home to Japan and the United States left Wuhan early Wednesday as other countries planned similar evacuations from areas China has shut down to try to contain the virus. The lockdown of 17 cities has trapped more than 50 million people in the most far-reaching disease control measures ever imposed. A plane carrying Americans who had been in Wuhan left for Anchorage, Alaska, where they will be rescreened for the virus. US hospitals are prepared to treat or quarantine people who may be infected. After departing Alaska, the plane is to fly to Ontario, California. At the Tokyo airport, Takeo Aoyama, an employee at Nippon Steel Corp.’s subsidiary in Wuhan, told reporters he was relieved to be able to return home. “We were feeling increasingly uneasy

as the situation developed so rapidly and we were still in the city,” Aoyama said, his voice muffled by a white surgical mask. Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed the condition of the four ill passengers after the flight of 206 Japanese evacuees arrived. All of the passengers had their temperatures checked before boarding and on the plane, and plans had been made for all of the evacuees to be treated and quarantined depending on their test results. Among those remaining in Wuhan was Sara Platto, an Italian animal behavior researcher and veterinarian, and her son, Matteo. “My son turned 12 on January 23, the first day of the lockdown in Wuhan. So he couldn’t invite his friends over. We had a remote birthday celebration, with people ‘visiting’ him over WeChat,” Platto said, referring to China’s Twitterlike messaging app. “We called it the epidemic birthday.” Platto said there were 25 Italians stuck in Wuhan, some students, some very young, who stay in touch online for material and emotional support. She has used her scientific background to offer advice and debunk sensational false news, reminding friends to wash their hands and faces often. As much as panic, people spending most of their times indoors have to deal with boredom. Matteo usually has a ver y busy

In snub to US, Britain decides to allow Huawei in 5G networks

ONDON—Britain decided on Tuesday to let Chinese tech giant Huawei have a limited role supplying new high-speed network equipment to wireless carriers, ignoring the US government’s warnings that it would sever intelligence sharing if the company was not banned. Britain’s decision is the first by a major US ally in Europe, and follows intense lobbying from the Trump administration as the US vies with China for technological dominance. It sets up a diplomatic clash with the Americans, who claim that British sovereignty is at risk because the company could give the Chinese government access to data, an allegation Huawei denies. “We would never take decisions that threaten our national security or the security of our Five Eyes partners,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, referring to a security arrangement in which Britain, the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, share intelligence. “We know more about Huawei and the risks that it poses than any other country in the world.’’ The decision was awkward for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who risks the fury of one of Britain’s closest allies at just the moment it needs the Trump’s administration to quickly strike a trade deal after Brexit. Britain officially leaves the European Union at the end of the week, and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to pay a two-day visit starting Wednesday to meet with Johnson and Raab to reaffirm the trans-Atlantic relationship. A senior Trump administration official said the US is disappointed by the decision, adding that the US government would work with the UK on a “way forward” that leads to the exclusion of “untrusted vendor components” from 5G networks. The official was not authorized to comment on the sensitive diplomacy between longstanding allies and spoke on condition of anonymity. In its decision, the British government said it was excluding “high-risk” companies from supplying the sensitive “core” parts of the new fifth-generation, or 5G, networks. The core is the brain that keeps track, among other things, of smartphones connecting to networks and helps manage data traffic. But Britain will allow high-risk suppliers to provide up to 35 percent of a carrier’s less risky radio network, based on factors, including the amount of data traffic and the number of base stations. The announcement did not mention any companies by name but said “highrisk vendors are those who pose greater

security and resilience risks to UK telecoms networks”—a clear reference to Huawei. Huawei said it was reassured by the “evidence-based decision,” portraying it as a victory. Executives said 35 percent of a market would be a good result for most companies. “We need to have strong competition to make sure the consumer can enjoy the best possible technologies,” Vice President Victor Zhang said on a conference call with reporters. By giving Huawei limited access, Johnson’s government is attempting to thread a path between the US and China, analysts said. “In truth the UK had little room to maneuver,” said Emily Taylor, CEO of Oxford Information Labs, a cyber intelligence company. The decision “seeks to carve an acceptable middle ground that will keep various contending forces happy,” she said, noting that British wireless carriers have already been using Huawei gear for 15 years. The 5G technology is expected to drive the next wave of innovation, transmitting massive amounts of data from more objects and locations. It would, for example, help make possible self-driving cars or remote surgery. Huawei is the top global supplier of mobile networks, and it’s considered a costeffective and high-quality alternative to its main rivals, Finland’s Nokia and Sweden’s Ericsson. The United States says that China’s communist leaders could, under a 2017 national intelligence law, compel Huawei to carry out cyber espionage. The US has threatened repeatedly to cut off intelligence sharing with allies that use Huawei. “Here’s the sad truth: our special relationship is less special now that the UK has embraced the surveillance state commies at Huawei,’’ said US Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican on the Senate Select

Committee on Intelligence. “During the Cold War, Margaret Thatcher never contracted with the KGB to save a few pennies.’’ With 5G, US officials also worry that because the “core” will run extensively on software, it could be nearly impossible to spot an accidental vulnerability or a malicious “backdoor” among millions of lines of computer code. Huawei denies the allegations, saying there’s never been any evidence it is responsible for a breach. For Britain, the 5G infrastructure program is considered critical as it leaves the EU and aims to position its economy to benefit from technological innovation. The government said on Tuesday it is taking some steps that will allow it “to mitigate the potential risk posed by the supply chain and to combat the range of threats, whether cyber criminals, or state sponsored attacks.’’ The plans include encouraging smaller suppliers, such as South Korea’s Samsung and Japan’s NEC to enter the British market. The government will draft legislation to make the security requirements mandatory. In the meantime, cyber-security officials will advise wireless carriers, some of whom have already installed Huawei 5G-capable gear that exceeds the 35 percent cap, on how to comply. Mobile phone companies said they were analyzing the decision. Vodafone, which uses Huawei for parts of its radio network but not in its core, said that using multiple suppliers “is the best way to safeguard the delivery of services to all mobile customers.” AP

agenda between his school, sports, and volunteer work, but now “it’s like suddenly everything has slowed down,” Platto said. As with other international schools, classes are moving online until the allclear is sounded. “We have most of what we need for now. I think it’s a serious situation, but we are not in zombie land,” she said. Several countries have confirmed cases of the virus, with most of them being Chinese visitors, people who visited Wuhan or family members in close contact to the sick. Japan’s six confirmed cases include a tour bus driver who drove visiting groups from Wuhan. Germany says four workers at an auto parts company possibly were infected when a colleague from Shanghai visited. Australia and New Zealand were the latest countries planning evacuations. Both countries also stepped up their travel advice to China, as did Britain. Experts have feared travel during the Lunar New Year holiday would enable the further spread of the virus, and China expanded the holiday to keep people home, closing schools and offices to try to contain it. Hong Kong’s leader said the territory will cut all rail links to the mainland and halve the number of flights. Mongolia and North Korea were closing their borders with China, and many places have curtailed flights or are screening travelers arriving from China.

Wuhan is building two hospitals in a matter of days to add 2,500 beds for treatment of patients with the virus. The new virus is from the coronavirus family, which includes those that can cause the common cold, as well as more serious illnesses such as SARS and MERS. The source of the virus and the full extent of its spread are still unknown. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) said most cases reported to date “have been milder, with around 20 percent of those infected experiencing severe illness.” On Tuesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss the latest information on the outbreak and reiterate their commitment to bringing it under control. “The National Health Commission presented China’s strong public health capacities and resources to respond and manage respirator y disease outbreaks,” WHO’s statement said. It said discussions focused on ways to cooperate to contain the virus in Wuhan and other cities and provinces and studies that could contribute to the development of medical countermeasures, such as vaccines and treatments. Other WHO experts will visit China as soon as possible, it said. “Stopping the spread of this virus both in China and globally is WHO’s highest priority,” Tedros said. AP

B4 Thursday, January 30, 2020

DepEd to open SY 2020-2021 early registration on February 1

Eternal Gardens branches hold relief operation for Taal eruption victims

WO branches of Eternal Gardens in the Province of Batangas conducted relief operations for the benefit of their kababayans who have been affected by the Taal Volcano eruption. Eternal Gardens Lipa City branch, headed by branch manager Jocelyn Ann A. Buendia, distributed relief goods to families displaced by the Taal Volcano eruption who are staying at three evacuation centers in Barangays Bugtong na Pulo, Lumbang, and San Isidro in Lipa City last Monday,

January 20, 2020. A total of 178 families received bags of relief goods containing basic necessities, such as toiletries, diapers for babies, canned goods, noodles, biscuits, and water, during the relief drive, which was dubbed &quot;Lingkod Lipeño, Tatak Eternal.&quot; Most of them are from the towns of Lemery, Balete, Alitagtag, Malvar, Mataas na Kahoy, and Agoncillo, which have been gravely affected by the Taal Volcano eruption.

The Lingkod Lipeño, Tatak Eternal Relief Operation was made possible in coordination with Mavis Atienza of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD), and Chona D. Bucud, head of volunteers, at the evacuation center in Barangay Bugtong na Pulo Elementary School; chairman Enrico Bilog and Loida Bernabe in Barangay Lumbang; and Kagawad Carmilo Balita and Myra Agana in Barangay San Isidro. On January 22, 2020, Wednesday, the combined branches of Eternal Gardens Balagtas and Concepcion took their turn to extend help to fellow Batangueños affected by the volcano. Headed by their branch manager, Arlin Delos Reyes, the branch staff as well as some of their sales associates went to Banaba East Elementary School where 55 families coming from the towns of Taal, Lemery, Agoncillo, and Sta. Teresita, are currently staying. In coordination with DSWD Coordinator Jesusa Perez, they distributed bags of relief goods to the families. The Batangas City Eternalites also distributed relief packages to the 103 families who were staying at the Balete Elementary School.

Global-Link to highlight Filipino Ingenuity, Creativity at Interior & Design Manila 2020

LOBAL-LINK Exhibitions Specialist, Inc., in partnership with the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID) and the Philippine Institute of Architects (PIA), will be holding the 5th edition of Interior & Design Manila (IDM) at the SMX Convention Center Manila, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City on March 12-14, 2020, from 9:30 AM until 7:30 PM. The entrance to the exhibit is free for visitors who will register through the event’s website, www.interioranddesignmanila. com. “Filipino designers have this unique eye that can turn an empty space into an elegant room. The world knows that our designers are creative, but there is still a strong need for something more, we must empower them,” stated Patrick Lawrence Tan, CEO of Global-Link. “That’s why we are very fortunate to work with PIID and PIA, two of the biggest and recognized design organizations in the country, in putting together the 5th edition of such a meaningful event, Interior & Design Manila, which is sure to open up countless doors of opportunities for the growth of our country’s design industry.” The PIID through its national president

old on or before August 31, 2020; Grade 1 must be kinder completer or PEPT Passer for Kinder Level and 6 years old and above by August 31, 2020. Kinder Completer who are assessed Grade 1-ready as per ECD checklist may also pre-register (DO 47, s. 2016). Grade 7 must be Grade 6 completer or PEPT Passer for Grade 6 or ALS A&E Elementary Passer. Grade 11 must be Grade 10 completer or PEPT Passer for Grade 10 or ALS A&E Secondary passer For Kindergarten and Grade 1, a Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) or National Statistics Authority (NSO) birth certificate must be submitted. In case of its absence, Local Civil Registrar (LCR) birth certificate, baptismal, or barangay certificate can be submitted. Meanwhile, DepEd has recently launched its Sulong EduKalidad campaign aimed at addressing the challenge in quality of basic education. This initiative is in response to the rapidly changing learning environment of present and future learners and will introduce aggressive reforms to globalize the quality of basic education in the Philippines.

Verzontal inks wastewater development deal with Canadian construction firm

ICOL infrastructure giant Verzontal Infrastructure Corporation (VIC) and Filtrum Construction of Canada sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen its partnership in water infrastructure to develop water source and wastewater construction business, which will serve the Philippines. Present during the MoU signing were VIC’s CEO Bede Gomez and Filtrum President François Noël. “As we continue our business venture to the water and wastewater industry, we recognize the opportunity to expand and improve our services by leveraging on international partners and sharing insights that could potentially change the wastewater system in the country,” Verzontal Infrastructure Corporation Chairman Dennis Macandog said. Filtrum of Canada, a water and wastewater specialist, is backed with 40 years of experience making them a trusted partner to lead on costeffective solutions for industrial and municipal

developments worldwide. VIC and Filtrum will work on several projects in the country including the development, engineering, procurement and construction and maintenance of water and wastewater infrastructure and related utilities. This project development will pave the way for more opportunities to develop communities and ensure Filipinos access to safe and sustainable water resources and sanitation facilities.

Biggest photo event in the country opens in Makati

IDr. Marcelo Alonzo will conduct a 2-day whole conference and workshop focusing on Empowering Interior Design: Design. Technology. Education. To get updates on the topics, speakers, and registration fees, please directly contact the PIID secretariat at secretariat@piid.org.ph or (632) 8519 3672. Meanwhile, the PIA led by its national president Ar. Carmelo Casas will also be holding the 2nd day of their 87th Annual

National Convention alongside IDM. worldclass designers and sought after leaders as their guest speakers, including Ar. Edson Cabalfin, the curator of the Philippine Pavilion for the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale in 2018 and a current associate professor in Cincinnati, Ohio. For exhibit inquiries, call (632) 8893 7973. Visit www.interioranddesignmanila.com or email info@interioranddesignmanila.com.

Detox, cleanse safely with Organique Acai Berry

ITH all the holiday partying over and so is your affair with fatty, cholesterol-rich, unhealthy food and buffet-all-you-can diet. Well, it’s time. Your belly-lumpy, lethargic body are now showing signs. Don’t be that candidate waiting to have a stroke, cardiac arrest or diabetes. Be intentional and get back into shape. Resolve to clean up your insides now and feel better, look better, too. Cleansing isn’t about depriving your body

O ensure that all new entrants for Kindergarten, Grades 1, 7, and 11 learners in public and private elementary and secondary schools nationwide, the Department of Education (DepEd) is set to open its early registration desks from February 1 to March 6, 2020. Through DepEd Order (DO) No. 3, s. 2018, otherwise known as the “Basic Education Enrolment Policy,” Briones stated that early registration seeks to locate, identify and register out-of-school children and youth in the community who may be characterized as: living with disability/ies, living in off-grid/far-flung community; a barangay without a school, or a geographically isolated area; displaced due to natural disaster; living in an armed conflict area or area with high level of criminality/drug abuse; having chronic illness or nutritional problem/s; victim of child abuse or economic exploitation; stateless/undocumented; in conflict with the law; living on the streets; and no longer in school but interested in going back to school. The early registration policy prescribed that registrants must satisfy the following eligibility rules: Kindergarten must be5 years

of food or nutrients but a chance to ‘retrain’ your palate to acquire a taste for whole foods in their natural state and are much healthier too. Cleansing also helps you introduce healthy, organic, and fresh foods to your diet, giving your digestive system a break while purifying your blood. Doing a cleanse or detox safely in a healthy way can help your cells and organs to function at their optimum potential. An effective cleansing can restore your body’s immune system and protect it against harsh

environmental toxins that can bring about disease-bearing bacteria, viruses, and parasites. By eating wholesome, cleansing foods, you allow your body to get back to an alkaline state that will provide the balance that’s helpful and beneficial for your entire life. Cleanse and detox your body safely with superfood Organique Acai Berry Premium Blend. It's got the highest antioxidants content, Halal, and certified organic by the USDA. Start your day with a glass of warm water with freshly squeezed lemon juice to get the process going. It’s the easiest thing you can do to start your cleansing regimen. You can detox for as little as three days or up to a week, if you feel up to it by doing an Organique Acai Berry juice fast. Eat more salad, with a hefty acai berry dressing and drink more acai berry smoothies like Organique Acai Berry Premium Blend tow help cleanse the entire digestive system effectively, particularly the colon and the large intestine where waste (fecal) materials usually get trapped and stored for many years. Make sure to drink lots of alkaline water, up to 12 glasses throughout the day. For those on the go and off to busy work days ahead, there’s Organique Freeze Dried Capsules that fits easily in your pocket. The two variants are available in major drugstores and supermarkets nationwide.

HE grandest and biggest photography event in the country dubbed Photoworld Asia (PWA) opens on January 30 in Makati. The PWA 2020, expected to be attended by photography lovers in Southeast Asia, is organized by the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation (FPPF), the association behind the unprecedented growth of photography in the country. Engr. James Singaldor of the Samahang Litratista ng Rizal (SLR) Camera Club is the PWA 2020 Chairman. Ms. Eduviges Y. Huang, chairperson of the FPPF, said the multi-awarded photographers as speakers will unselfishly share their expertise and experiences to participants from various parts of the country as well as foreign participants who believe they will

gain much attending the yearly photographic event. Simultaneous with the photographers’ convention is the trade show at the Glorietta Activity Center where top manufacturers and suppliers will showcase the latest equipment, products, and accessories in photography. The theme of PWA 2020 is “Travel and Lifestyle.” The photo convention also makes participants understand better their photographic equipment and accessories which seem forever changing, improving. The participants want to raise their knowledge in photography as well as improve their creative skills in the art. For inquiries, contact FPPF c/o Kim Salvador/Mae Murphy, Femii Bldg., A. Soriano St., Intramuros, Manila. Tel. 524-7576/524-0371 or visit www. photoworldmanila.com.

SYKES Cebu gives back with Adopt-a-School campaign

educational experience,” said Lynn Ornopia, Project Head for Cebu’s SYKES Cares initiatives. SYKES’ Adopt-a-School program hosts at least three school-based activities each year: Back-to-School Bash, Year-end Party, and Recognition Day. “Adopt-a-School is an initiative that we are very proud of as it is a campaign Paknaan Day Care Center kids are thankful and all-smiles upon receiving loot bags. that employees and the management alike take part in. S part of its annual outreach program, SYKES believes in the power that education SYKES Philippines served Cebu’s holds and believes that every child has the Paknaan Day Care Center through right to quality education,” said Ornopia. its Adopt-a-School campaign. This program SYKES recently gathered more than 400 was established to provide better quality students aged four to five at the Paknaan of education for the hopeful and brilliant Gym in Mandaue City to hold a children’s students of Cebu. party and surprise the kids with a day of “We take it upon ourselves to make fun-filled activities. SYKESers prepared education a part of our social responsibility. a program with creative presentations, Every year since 2013, SYKES performs exciting games and prizes, and snacks for initiatives that aim to improve the quality of the young students. Before the program education at Paknaan Day Care Center. The ended, SYKESers put even bigger smiles on center serves as a second home for young the kids’ faces as they gave away loot bags. kids who are just beginning their education, To learn more about SYKES’ external and thus plays a huge role in honing these programs, visit the website https://www. children’s characters. With this in mind, sykes.com/philippines/ and follow its official we give as much resources as needed by Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ the center to provide a great start to their SYKESPHofficial/.

‘CITIZEN OF THE WORLD’

Sports BusinessMirror

| Thursday, January 30, 2020 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

Kobe Bryant poses with a jersey after being named the newest ambassador for the city of Kobe, Japan, before the Lakers’ game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on December 14, 2011. AP

By Andrew Dampf The Associated Press

OME—At a Lakers preseason game in Beijing in 2013, the arena rang out with chants of “Kobe! Kobe!”—despite the injured superstar not even having suited up. From Los Angeles to Italy, Asia and beyond, Kobe Bryant was bigger than just a basketball

player. He was the sport’s global ambassador. It was a role that Bryant began studying for at an early age, during his seven-year childhood tour of Italy, while his father played pro basketball in the country. “Because of that, he was fluent, he could understand the mentality,” Italian Coach Ettore Messina, a former consultant with the Los Angeles Lakers, told The Associated Press. “And he played soccer so he learned to use his feet, not only his hands. Because of that he was

open minded.” Bryant, an 18-time National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star with the Lakers and a lifelong soccer fan, died Sunday with his 13-yearold daughter, Gianna, in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, California. He was 41. “The other thing that was crucial in his career was USA Basketball. Because of being who he was for Nike, he traveled every summer all over the world, whether it was Europe,

China, South America,” said Messina, who now coaches Olimpia Milano. “With those commercial tours he was always open to do that. He was a typical citizen of the world and he understood that before a lot of other people.” Bryant’s popularity among Chinese fans was rivaled only by eight-time NBA All-Star Yao Ming, LeBron James and Michael Jordan. His playing appearances, including winning the gold medal with the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, were far exceeded by his

promotional appearances in the country, both on behalf of his own brand and basketball generally. In Taiwan, where the NBA also is an enormous draw, President Tsai Ing-wen tweeted that “Kobe inspired a generation of young Taiwanese basketball players, & his legacy will live on through those who loved him.” Philippine Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo noted that Bryant had been a frequent visitor to the Philippines, adding “he was well-loved by his Filipino fans.” Back in Europe, Bryant could connect with sports fans because he had been a big soccer fan since he was a kid. “Kobe was a true legend and inspiration to so many,” soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo wrote on Twitter. Bryant kept an AC Milan jersey inside his locker room at the Staples Center to show his support for his favorite soccer team. Milan was planning an extensive tribute to the player at the San Siro on Tuesday. Milan tweeted an interview with Bryant when he visited the club’s training facility a few years ago. “Watching [Ruud] Gullit, [Frank] Rijkaard, [Marco] van Basten and [Paolo] Maldini was always a dream for me,” Bryant said in Italian, wearing a Milan jersey. “It’s always been my favorite squad. Back in Los Angeles I have an AC Milan shirt and scarf inside my locker and I see them every day.” The Italian basketball league was also honoring Bryant by observing a minute’s silence before every game across every division and level for an entire week. Messina, who coached teams to four EuroLeague championships, recalled how welcoming Bryant was to him when he joined the Lakers—as well as to Italian and European players in the NBA. Bryant’s attitude was likely a product of his direct knowledge at how far foreign players had come. For instance, when Bryant’s father Joe was playing in Italy in the 1980s “nobody was even dreaming for an Italian to go play in the NBA,” Messina said. Now, Marco Belinelli is an NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs and along with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Danilo Gallinari a mainstay in the league, while Andrea Bargnani was selected first overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors. Messina went on to become an assistant coach with the Spurs and on occasion filled in for Gregg Popovich as head coach, becoming the first non-North American to coach, and win, an NBA game. Bryant returned to Pennsylvania for high school but continued to speak Italian his entire life and often said it would be a “dream” to play in the country. The dream almost came true when Bryant nearly joined Virtus Bologna in 2011 during an NBA lockout, only for the deal to fall apart. “Kobe was very, very good. Very strong. Even when he was just a kid, his Mamba mentality was there,” said Davide Giudici, a close friend of Bryant’s from childhood in Reggio Emilia. “I remember him many times saying, ‘Guys, one day I’ll be a professional player. I don’t know if in Serie A in Italy or in Europe or the NBA, but I will play basketball, for sure, in my life.” As it turned out, Bryant did much more than just play basketball. He became a global spokesman for the sport.

Kobe leaves lasting impact on women’s BASKETBALL H

ARTFORD, Connecticut—Kobe Bryant always had an interest in women’s basketball, one that he shared with many in the sport even before his daughter Gianna started excelling at the game. Whether it was mentoring players like Diana Taurasi, Jewell Loyd and Sabrina Ionescu or working out with Gabby Williams and Katie Lou Samuelson, Bryant routinely gave of himself to help them improve their games. But he had only scratched the surface. UConn Coach Geno Auriemma believes that Bryant’s biggest contributions to women’s basketball were in front of him before the National Basketball Association (NBA) great and his daughter were killed in a helicopter crash Sunday. “I don’t think he got a chance to really establish [a legacy] in our game,” Auriemma said. “The next 30 years, he might have. The next generation of kids who knew his daughter and played with Gigi. He gets involved at a whole another level. He was just getting started.” Taurasi was one of the first WNBA players that Bryant worked with, even dubbing her the White Mamba—a take on his nickname the Black Mamba. “He came to LA when I was a freshman in high school and we grew up together in many ways,” Taurasi said, “He worked with me and others because he wanted to see us succeed since we had similar obsessions to the game of basketball.” Once he retired from the NBA, Bryant became more of a presence at college games with Gianna, who was enamored with UConn. Bryant spent time coaching Gianna’s youth team and Loyd was so impressed with what he had done with them. “A lot of the resources are for men’s basketball and there was not a lot of access for a lot of females. Kobe wanted to change that,” said Loyd. “They were so fundamentally sound and played so well together it was fun to watch.” Loyd remembered first meeting Bryant when she was in high school. She grew up in Chicago and went to one of his Lakers games. She started following him on Twitter and messaged him. He messaged back and answered her questions. “Once a week, I’d hit him up and ask him questions about the game. Ever since that we’ve been really close. It was my senior year of high school,” she said. “Officially meeting him when I went to the Wooden Awards in LA. They had a game the same day as the ceremony. We sat there and talked for the whole halftime.... We’ve been texting back and forth after that.” Bryant was at the women’s Final Four in Columbus, Ohio, in 2018 and saw the thrilling game where Arike Ogunbowale hit a shot to beat UConn and eventually lift Notre Dame to

the national championship. Sue Bird got to know Bryant at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. She is well aware there are people who didn’t believe Bryant should have been involved with the women’s game, a sentiment that dates back to charges in 2003 of him with attacking a 19-year-old employee at a Colorado resort. Bryant had said the two had consensual sex, and the charge was eventually dropped when the woman declined to testify in a trial. The woman later filed a civil suit against Bryant that was settled out of court. “We live in a rough time where a lot of hard lines are drawn about a lot of things that make it tough to navigate. The thing with Kobe, I think, is that he truly respected the women’s game,” Bird said. “Yes, his daughter started playing and he was able to teach her. That was really special, but he respected our game before that. “I understand his past, he’s gone out of his way to mentor people I know well. I know he’s had a positive impact on them. It’s the world we live in right now, it’s difficult. He’s made a lot of positive impact on a lot of people.” One of those people is Ionescu, the Oregon star guard. Bryant struck up a friendship with Ionescu, who worked out with him in the summer and fall. After an invitation from Bryant, last spring she sat on the bench during one of Gianna’s AAU tournaments after Ionescu had been in Los Angeles for the Wooden Award. The Ducks star honored Bryant on her sneakers before the Ducks win over rival Oregon State on Sunday. She dedicated the rest of the season to him in a postgame TV interview. When he wasn’t at college games, Bryant would make appearances at WNBA contests and took Gianna with him to the All-Star Game in Las Vegas last summer. He was always imparting wisdom to players and had great relationships with many of them. Over the last two years he was seen at games in Los Angeles, Oregon and Connecticut, always with Gianna. “You could just see the look in her eyes. She was so excited,” Auriemma said. “The absurdity of that. Your father is Kobe Bryant and the most excited you’ve been is being around college women’s basketball players. That’s what it meant to her.” Georgia women’s Coach Joni Taylor said Bryant’s support for women’s hoops went much further than Gianna’s aspirations: “He was a fan” of the women’s game, Taylor said. “He was at the Final Four.... He supported college basketball, the WNBA, all levels. “He was a champion for us.” AP

Once he retired from the National Basketball Association, Kobe Bryant became more of a presence at college games with Gianna, who was enamored with UConn. AP

Spo

Business

C2 Thursday, January 30, 2020

ROGER VS. NOVAK VOL. 50 M

ELBOURNE, Australia—Roger Federer was not going to go gently, of course, no matter how daunting the number of match points—his opponent accumulated seven!—no matter how achy his 38-year-old legs, no matter how slow his serves, no matter how off target his ground strokes. Federer still plays for the love of these stages and circumstances. Still yearns for more trophies, too. Down to his very last gasp, time and again, against someone a decade younger, 100th-ranked Tennys Sandgren of the United States, Federer somehow pulled off a memorable comeback to reach the Australian Open semifinals for the 15th time. Despite all sorts of signs he was not quite

himself for much of the match, Federer beat the biceps-baring, hard-hitting, courtcovering Sandgren, 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-3, on Tuesday in a rollicking quarterfinal that appeared to be over long before it truly was. “For the most time there, I thought that was it. Of course, there’s little sparkles where maybe not. Then you’re like, ‘No, it is over,’” said Federer, who only once before had won after facing as many as seven match points, equaling his personal best from all the way back in 2003. “Only maybe when I won that fourth set did I really think that, maybe, this whole thing could turn around.” He said, afterward, that it had been his groin muscle that was the problem and he

couldn’t be certain whether he would be fully recovered for his next match. That will come against defending champion Novak Djokovic, who overwhelmed No. 32 Milos Raonic, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (1), to improve to 10-0 against the 2016 Wimbledon runner-up. “He was just too good,” Raonic said. It’ll be the 50th meeting between No. 3 Federer, who has won 20 Grand Slam titles, and No. 2 Djokovic, who owns 16. Djokovic leads their head-to-head series 26-23, including their past five matches at majors. “Roger is Roger. You know that he’s always going to play on such a high level, regardless of the surface,” Djokovic said. “He loves to play

Roger Federer saves seven match points and sets up another showdown with Novak Djokovic. AP

these kind of matches, big rivalries, semis, finals of Grand Slams.” About the only thing that slowed Djokovic’s progression to a 37th career Grand Slam semifinal—Federer earned his 46th—was the medical time-out the Serb asked for at four-all in the third set so he could put in new contact lenses. “It was just something I had to do,” Djokovic said, “because those few games, I really couldn’t see much.” AP

MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS MOVE OUT OF CHINA G

ENEVA—Amid growing concern at the spread of a new virus outbreak in China, international sports have been postponed and Olympic qualifying tournaments are being taken, elsewhere. The decision on Tuesday by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to postpone Pro League games in China, follows qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics scheduled in February in soccer, basketball and boxing being moved outside of China. The Chinese women’s field hockey team was due to host Belgium for two games on February 8 and 9, in Changzhou. Those were postponed on Tuesday by the FIH citing

“current uncertainties around the outbreak of the coronavirus in China.” The Lausanne, Switzerland-based governing body said it was “following the recommendations of the World Health Organization,” ahead of future matches. China is scheduled to host Australia for two games on March 14 and 15. Olympic qualifying events scheduled in China, in February, to help decide entries for the Tokyo Games have also been affected in recent days. Women’s soccer and women’s basketball games were moved to Australia and Serbia. The soccer games had already previously

moved from Wuhan, at the center of the outbreak, to Nanjing. Boxing tournaments for the Asia and Oceania regions will be held in Jordan, in March. The first World Cup races testing the mountain venue for alpine skiing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics are also at risk. A men’s downhill is scheduled for February 15, at Yanqing, to start a two-race weekend. China is also due to host track and field’s indoor world championships from March 13 to 15, in Nanjing. Tokyo Olympic organizers put out a generic statement on Tuesday and offered no details. “Countermeasures against infectious

diseases constitute an important part of our plans to host a safe and secure games,” the statement said. It said Tokyo would “carefully monitor any incidence of infectious diseases and we will review any countermeasures that may be necessary with all relevant organizations.” More than 100 deaths in China have been recorded because of the disease, including the first in Beijing. More than 4,500 cases reported in China include almost 1,000 people in serious condition, national health authorities said. The new coronavirus seems to spread less easily among people than SARS or influenza. Most cases involve family members and health workers who had contact with patients.

IWF calls TV documentary ‘biased and sensationalized’ Cases have been reported in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, the United States, Australia, Canada and Germany. Hong Kong is to suspend rail services on Thursday linking it to mainland China. The coronavirus family includes the common cold but also more severe illnesses. It causes coldand flu-like symptoms, and in more severe cases, shortness of breath and pneumonia. The virus is thought to have spread to people from wild animals sold at a market in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people which is now in lockdown. Future sports events in China include a qualifying game for soccer’s 2022 World Cup on March 26, against Maldives, and the China Open golf tournament, part of the European Tour, from April 23 to 26, in Shenzen. AP

Middleton books career-best 51 points in Milwaukee’s win

ILWAUKEE—Khris Middleton dedicated the best game of his career to Kobe Bryant. Middleton scored a career-high 51 points, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 151-131 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. Middleton, hoping to be chosen an All-Star reserve for the second straight year on Thursday, helped the Bucks hold off a determined second-half Wizards rally. Middleton also had 10 rebounds and six assists, while hitting 16 of 26 shots, and seven of 10 3-pointers, topping his previous career best of 43 points. He said he was thinking a lot the past few days about Bryant, who was killed along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash Sunday. “Kobe was one of my favorite players growing up besides [Michael] Jordan,” Middleton said. “I took a lot from his game. Everybody says Mamba mentality. To go out there and put on that type of performance, I definitely can dedicate that game to him as a thank you for what he did for the game.” Milwaukee (41-6) scored a franchiserecord 88 points in the first half, finished with its highest total of the season and won its ninth straight game despite the absence of star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who sat out with a right shoulder injury. Bradley Beal led the Wizards (15-31) with 47 points, his second straight 40-point game and sixth of the season.

“We didn’t show any resistance early in the game,” Beal said. “Then in the second half we were a totally different team. We got aggressive. We were physical on defense. We were physical on offense, attacking.” Milwaukee led from wire to wire and by as many as 32 points but the Wizards rallied in the third quarter, putting up 41 points to cut their deficit to 117-104 entering the fourth. Washington got within seven points in the final period but could not get closer. Eric Bledsoe had 34 points, 10 assists and six rebounds for the Bucks. Donte DiVincenzo added 16 points and a pair of late 3-pointers to clinch the victory. Middleton responded with 13 points in the fourth quarter as he scored the most points by a Bucks player this season. He pounded home a dunk to reach 51 points, and give the Bucks a 13-point lead late in the final quarter. “He’s an All-Star,” DiVincenzo said. “He did it last year. He’s doing it again this year. When we’re struggling we just go to Khris. We have that confidence in him. He knows not to force it. He’s an amazing player. He knows he can pick his spots and get others involved.” The previous high by a Bucks player this season came when Antetokounmpo had 50 points on November 25, against Utah. The Bucks came out firing from deep, hitting eight of their first nine attempts from three-point range. Milwaukee converted 14 of 22 shots in the first quarter on the way to a 42-28 lead. AP

HE International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) complained of “bias and a sensationalist style” by makers of a television documentary in a 20page document that was presented to its executive board before Tamás Aján stepped aside as president of the governing body last week. The document was compiled by the IWF secretariat in the 16 days between the broadcast of the German program, which made allegations of corruption in the sport, and the extraordinary executive board meeting in Doha last Wednesday. Aján, the Hungarian who has been at the IWF since 1976 as general secretary and president, was the main subject of the documentary. He has now given up his role for 90 days pending investigations. The IWF document, seen by insidethegames, claims that more than 20 points made by investigative journalists in Secret Doping–Lord of the Lifters were false. It was read out page by page before the IWF executive board’s discussions began in earnest. Not all IWF executive board members were happy with its content. “They provided no original documents to support their version of events—it was simply read out by the secretariat,” said one IWF executive board member. “If the Germans told so many lies, why is Aján not taking them to court?” The 13-hour meeting featured heated arguments and, at one point, angry criticism of legal advice. A team of experts will carry out investigations into claims of financial impropriety and anti-doping corruption, and these will be selected by a new commission chaired by the IWF’s Acting President Ursula Papandrea, who was appointed at the meeting. The program, shown on January 5, by the German state broadcaster ARD, was made by the team that first revealed state-sponsored doping in Russian sport. Insidethegames

Kimia Alizadeh is trying to rebuild her life and career after she announces she left Iran, citing sexism on the part of officials there. AP

Iranian Olympic medalist seeks new life in Germany

ÜNEN, Germany—Iran’s only female Olympic medalist said Friday she wants to compete for Germany after defecting from her native country. Kimia Alizadeh is trying to rebuild her life and career after she announced this month she had left Iran, citing sexism on the part of officials there. “Even if I do not make it to the Olympics, it does not matter because I have made up my mind,” Alizadeh said at a meeting with journalists at a taekwondo club. “I am sure that I will be judged by many but I am just 21 years old, and can attend world tournaments and future Olympics. However, I will spare no effort to get the best result at this time, as well.” She added she doesn’t expect ever to compete in Iran again. Alizadeh was just 18 when she won bronze in taekwondo at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, catapulting her to instant fame at home.

Despite Iran’s long history of victories in men’s wrestling and weightlifting, no Iranian woman had ever won a medal before. However, Alizadeh was frustrated with life in Iran despite her Olympic success. In an Instagram post this month announcing she had left Iran, she accused Iranian officials of sexism and criticized wearing the mandatory hijab head scarf. Alizadeh hasn’t given up hope of being able to compete at this year’s Olympics in Tokyo. However, getting there would require highly unusual exemptions from the usual rules on nationality switches and qualification, regardless of whether she tries to represent Germany or the International Olympic Committee’s refugee team. Alizadeh spent time in the Netherlands before heading to Germany this week to meet with taekwondo officials there. The German Taekwondo Union has spoken up in favor of Alizadeh staying in the country in what it calls a first step toward her gaining nationality and

becoming eligible to compete for Germany. “If the German government assists me and I can go through this process as fast as possible, I might be able to make it to the Olympics, too,” she said. In recent years, many Iranian athletes have left their country, citing government pressure. In September, the former world judo champion Saeed Mollaei moved to Germany after walking off the Iranian team at the world championships in Japan. He said Iranian officials had tried to force him to withdraw so as not to compete against an Israeli opponent. Alireza Faghani, an Iranian international soccer referee, also left Iran for Australia last year. Alizadeh said she just wants “a peaceful life,” and she’s not looking back. “I have a great feeling to have made a decision for my life that would definitely change my future,” she said. “I think it is not even clear enough now and. in the years to come, I will understand what a good decision I made.” AP

orts

sMirror

Thursday, January 30, 2020

DIAZ ON COURSE TO TOKYO 2020 G

OVERNMENT vowed full support for Hidilyn Diaz following her three gold-medal haul at the Weightlifting World Cup in Rome, Italy, on Tuesday. The 28-year-old from Zamboango ruled the women’s 55kgs division after finishing with 94 kgs in snatch, 119 kgs in clean and jerk for a total of 212 kgs. The Rio 2016 Olympics silver medalist earned ranking points to be at No. 4 in the world in her weight category. Only the top 8 female lifters for each weight division will get tickets

to Tokyo 2020. The last qualifying event is set in April at the IWF Asian Championships in Kazakhstan. “We are very proud of her. We expected no less because we see her train, and we know she can,” Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez said. Diaz is the Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games champion. She has been training in Japan and Taiwan, with a full support crew consisting of coaches, nutritionist, psychologist and masseuse. Diaz trails three Chinese in the world rankings, led by Qiuyun Liao who has a personal best 227

Mark Dickel named national team coach

kgs in the division. Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas President Monico Puentevella is optimistic that Diaz would secure a spot for Tokyo 2020. He also believes more Filipino would follow the footsteps of the three-time Olympian. “If we are lucky and blessed, we can hopefully have three or more lifters to represent our country in Tokyo,” Puentevella said. John Fabuar Ceniza nabbed a bronze after lifting 26 9 kgs in the men’s 61 kgs also in Rome. He pulled 117 kgs in snatch, and 152 kgs in clean and jerk. Ramon Rafael Bonilla

HIDILYN DIAZ with Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez

Mighty dribblers go unblemished in Dubai event

ighty Sports-Creative Pacific threw its full weight in the third quarter and coasted to a 91-77 win over last year’s runner-up Beirut Sports Club to top its group eliminations in the 31st Dubai International Basketball Championship late Tuesday at the Shabab Al Ahli Club in the United Arab Emirates. Filipino-American Mikey Williams anchored the onslaught by scoring 11 of his team-high 22 points on a remarkable 6-of-8 three-point shooting for Mighty Sports-Creative Pacific which topped Group B with a perfect 4-0 record. Playing his finest game so far, the 6-foot-1 Williams also produced four assists and as many rebounds in a performance that underscored the team’s desire to improve on its bronze medal finish last year. The sweep also gave the team backed by Go for Gold, Discovery Primea and Gatorade an extra motivation going to the knockout quarterfinals on Thursday. The team, which takes a break Wednesday, battles the No. 4 squad of Group A. Coach Charles Tiu was hardly surprised with Williams’s solid all-around performance. “Mikey once again proved he’s a streak shooter.

He caught fire when we need it badly. Another good win for us,” Tiu said. While Williams was knocking in treys, barrelchested import Renaldo Balkman imposed his will inside that saw the team co-owned by Alexander Wongchuking of Mighty Sports and Bong Cuevas of Creative Pacific erase a 37-36 halftime deficit on the way to a 69-54 advantage going into the payoff period. “Everybody played well tonight, especially Mikey. He was simply hot,” Wongchuking said. Balkman tallied 20 points, four rebounds and two assists that more than made up for his two turnovers while Andray Blatched had a quiet 12-point and 13-rebound show. The Lebanese tried to rally but McKenzie Moore exploded with seven straight points to help Mighty Sports-Creative Pacific seal the deal, 85-70, with a little over two minutes left in the game. Moore, who also played a key role in Mighty Sports’ title sweep of the Jones Cup last year, chipped in 14 points off the bench.

Perpetual Help snaps Arellano U streak

NIVERSITY of Perpetual Help System Dalta labored, teetered and booked what could be the Season 95’s most amazing rally so far to get the sting out of Arellano University, 22-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-12, 16-14, in a battle of top teams in National Collegiate Athletic Association women’s volleyball action on Wednesday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan, Pasig. The score told the entire story with the Altas emerging from the smoke of battle tied on top of the standings with the defending champion Lady Chiefs on a 5-1 won-lost record. “When we lost the first two sets, I told them—I always tell them this—a lot of things could still

MikeY Williams scores for Mighty SportsCreative Pacific against Beirut Sports Club.

happen,” Perpetual Help Coach Michael Carino said. “I told them that for every set, every point won, we should celebrate.” “And when we won the third and fourth, we just repeated what we’ve done. And our blocking improved after the third set,” he said. “The team’s willingness to win brought them life.” Jhona Rosal topscored for the Lady Altas with 15 points and 16 excellent digs, while Jenny Gaviola added 12 points, seven blocks and eight excellent sets. Persa Dana chipped 10 points, two aces and 11 excellent receptions. Regine Arocha led the Lady Chiefs with 23 points and 10 excellent reception with Princess Bello

contributing 16 points, one block and 19 excellent digs. Letran cruised past Mapua University, 27-25, 25-14, 25-16, to notch its second win also on Wednesday. Chamberlaine Cunada finished with 16 points and 18 excellent digs, Julienne Castro added 12 points, one block and three aces, and Marie Simborio made 17 excellent sets and seven aces for the Lady Knights, who improved to 2-2 in sixth place. Jonina Fernandez and Hanna Alvarado each had seven points and Carla Gaudan booked 10 excellent for the Lady Cardinals, who fell in the seventh spot with a 1-3 card. Perpetual Help made it a twin-kill for the day as the Altas beat the Chiefs, 28-26, 23-25, 25-21, 25-19, to move a win away from securing a semifinals berth in the men’s tournament. Ryniel Berlanga

Patrombon, Anasta breeze past Suarez Open rivals

eson Patrombon and Vicente Anasta dispatched their first two rivals in emphatic fashion to cruise into the quarterfinal round of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) Fr. F. Suarez Open Tennis Championship at the Villa Aurora

Tennis Club in Cebu City on Tuesday. The top seeded Patrombon, seeking his first major title after a gold medal feat in the men’s doubles with Casey Alcantara in the 30th Southeast Asian Games last month, crushed Axel Bohon, 6-0, 6-0, in the first

round then smothered Alejandro Barrientos, 6-1, 6-2, to arrange a last 8 clash with Venz Alforque. The Cebuano bet emerged as the lone unranked player in the quarters following a 6-2 (ret.) win over No. 8 Mari Altiche but he will need more than a break

ATTERS concerning the men’s national team program tops the agenda of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Board of Governors during its annual planning session for the league’s 45th season in Milan, Italy. The members of the board, along with Commissioner Willie Marcial, arrived in the Italian capital of Lombardy late Tuesday following a 16-hour trip from Manila for the three-day meeting that will also tackle the approval and mechanics of the first ever 3x3 draft in the league. Also on the agenda are the format for the season and schedule of the games for the year that will be highlighted by the Fiba Asia Cup 2021 qualifying windows. PBA Board Chairman Ricky Vargas arrived on Wednesday with Meralco Board Representative Al Panlilio, also the president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), to complete the delegation that also includes key PBA officials led by legal counsel Atty. Melvin Mendoza. The board members who arrived with Marcial were Vice Chairman Bobby Rosales of Columbian Dyip, Treasurer Siliman Sy of Blackwater, Robert Non of San Miguel Beer, Rod Franco of Nlex, Richard Bachmann of Alaska, Atty. Mamerto Mondragon of Rain or Shine, Rene Pardo of Magnolia, Atty. Raymond Zorilla of Phoenix, Eric Arejola of NorthPort and Alfrancis Chua of Barangay

to topple Patrombon for a berth in the Final Four of the event presented by Dunlop. Anasta, who gained the No. 2 ranking from multi-titled Johnny Arcilla, eased out Kyle Velasquez, 6-2, 6-2, then repulsed rising star John David Velez, 6-3, 6-7(3), 10-2, to set up a quarters duel with No. 7 Norman Enriquez, who routed Joemah Bautista, 6-0, 6-1, and thwarted Alberto Villamor, 7-6(4), 6-3.

Tessa Jazmines tessa4347@gmail.com

PART OF THE GAME young ballers and basketball-loving, Kobe-adoring Pinoy fans in this archipelago. He was here two days, the first day to meet members of the media and engage the public in a show at the Araneta Coliseum entitled Mamba Mentality Night. The next day he trained young girls and boys at Kerry Sports Gym and at a neighborhood covered court in Osusan in Taguig. The media had an absolutely marvelous time with Kobe. Ten of them—Reuben Terrado, formerly from this paper but at that time already with Spin. ph; James Velasquez of ESPN, Christian Jacinto of the Bulletin, Jerome Lagunzad of Malaya, Mark Zambrano of GMA, Migs Rocha of SLAM, Joey Puno of kickspotting.ph, Cedelf Tupas of the Inquirer, Mark Escarlote of abs-cbn.com and Paolo del Rosario, then of CNN—were to have a special training session with the Mamba at the Kerry Gym. But while

YOUNG boys train with Kobe Bryant at the Kerry Sports Gym.

they were just putting on their gear in the locker room, Kobe surprised them with a jolly “hello,” lots of high fives and handshakes, topped by his trademark sunny LA smile. The sports boys were stunned, beyond belief, that their idol of idols had so casually entered their locker room, as if he were one of them, and engaged them in casual banter, just like a regular guy. But when the action shifted to the court, they

HE Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) named Mark Dickel as interim men’s national coach for the first window of the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers scheduled next month. Already embedded in the country as part of the coaching staff of the TNT KaTropa in the Philippine Basketball Association, Dickel will coach the team against Thailand on February 20 and Indonesia on February 23 in the Fiba tournament. The 43-year-old Dickel is a New Zealand-Australian former professional player. He is a consultant to TNT Head Coach Bong Ravena, helping the team to three playoffs appearances in the recent season. The SBP will name a full-time coach for the second window in November. “In his stint in the Philippines, Coach Mark Dickel has performed creditably well,” SBP Chairman Emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan said. “We want to hit the ground running for the upcoming 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers,” Pangilinan added. “We all know what he did to help TNT in such a short span and we’re confident he can also move things quickly as we prepare for the first window this February.” The SBP formed a 24-man pool composed of Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario, Ray Parks Jr., Japeth Aguilar, Christian Standhardinger, Poy Erram and young big men Isaac Go and Justine Baltazar. Also part of the pool are brothers Matt and Mike Nieto and Javi and Juan Gomez de Liaño, Dave Ildefonso, Rey Suerte, Allyn Bulanadi, Thirdy Ravena, Kobe Paras, Jaydee Tungcab and Dwight Ramos. Backing them up are old reliables Matthew Wright, Mac Belo, CJ Perez and Kiefer Ravena. Ramon Rafael Bonilla

PBA TACKLES GILAS PROGRAM IN MILAN

Kobe, one last time

IN June 2016, Nike Philippines brought Kobe Bryant to Manila for his Mamba Mentality Tour. It was just over two months after he played his last game at Staples Center in Los Angeles, on April 13, 2016. That unforgettable moment when he officially closed his National Basketball Association (NBA) career by saying “This has been...absolutely beautiful..I can’t believe it comes to an end. You guys have been absolutely, absolutely beautiful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you guys, I love you guys.” Then ended it with those oftcopied words “Mamba out.” Kobe had visited the Philippines a total of seven times for various brands and various reasons, the seventh and last time that June. Fresh into retirement, Nike brought their prized athlete to the Philippines so he could continue to inspire, challenge and pass on his Mamba Mentality to

got the full Mamba Mentality treatment. They were made to warm up, do drills, push themselves to the limit and try their hardest—just like The Mamba. “Napagod ba kayo? [Were you tired?], I asked Reuben Terrado. “Hindi pagod. Pagod na pagod, Ma’m. [Not tired. Very tired],” he answered. “We were expecting that Kobe would just show up on the court for the training session. But to my surprise, he showed up in the locker

Ginebra San Miguel. Foremost in the board’s agenda is again adjusting the season schedule to give way to the country’s campaign in the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers whose first window will be held on February 20 and 23. A permanent Gilas coach will also be tackled following the SBP’s appointment of Mark Dickel as interim mentor of the national team for the qualifiers. Dickel, who takes over from Barangay Ginebra Coach Tim Cone, is expected to start training the 24-man pool with just three weeks left before Gilas kicks off its bid in the Asia Cup on February 20 at home against Thailand and three days later against Indonesia in Jakarta.

The recent season was one of the longest in PBA history as it had to tweak its schedule several times to help Gilas prepare for the Fiba World Cup and the 30th Southeast Asian Games. Another high on the board’s agenda is the 3x3 meet as the league is looking to incorporate the tournament in the calendar this year, hopefully by the second week of April. PBA players represented the Gilas 3x3 men’s team that won the inaugural gold in the last SEA Games. The league’s 45th season press conference will be held on February 25 followed by the Media Day on February 27 leading to the season opener on March 1 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

NCRAA UP Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao (left) and America’s Got Talent semifinalist

Marcelito Pomoy (center) join Sta. Lucia Realty team manager Buddy Encarnado during a recent event. Pacquiao will be guest speaker in the 27th National Capital Region Athletic Association, which Encarnado heads, season inaugural ceremony on February 17 at the Mall of Asia Arena, while Pomoy will be guest performer.

room. Nakakagulat talaga. [We were really shocked.] Never imagined I’ll be that close to an NBA legend. Sobrang nakakapagod nung session. [The session was very tiring.] I think it was eight minutes of running, working on your laterals, basically working on your laterals, non-stop. You understand why he’s that great because he works so hard.” That afternoon, Kobe brought his LA smile to the Araneta Coliseum where young Nike athletes got to meet him up close and show their idol their game. Collegiate stars like Ricci Rivero, Thirdy Ravena, Jeron Teng, Tyler Tio, the Nieto Brothers Matt and Mike, Aljun Melecio, Jolo Mendoza, Andre Caracut, Aaron Black, Mac Belo, Roger Pogoy and Mike Tolomia, among others, shared the court with Kobe as they went up against a PBA squad in an exhibition game. Jared Dillinger, Cliff Hodge, Baser Amer and Chris Newsome were among the PBA stars who played at the event. It was at Araneta where the crowd poured on the love for Kobe. One of the highlights of the afternoon was the unveiling of a giant banner that showed Kobe, just about to enter the hard court from a darkened tunnel, his back to the viewer showing his No. 24, with the bright lights of the court beckoning him on. You could almost hear the crowd roaring in the picture.

Kobe spoke to the crowd, but I forget now what he said exactly. But he ended it with “Thank you so much. I’m deeply honored by that. I’m speechless about it. I love you. I will see you soon.” Now of course we know he won’t. But at that moment, the huge crowd turned on the lights on their cell phones and waved it in the air, engulfing Kobe on the hard court with what seemed like a thousand stars. He was indeed speechless. And I, a Celtics fan, felt goose bumps. This was pure love. And Kobe felt it. You could see it in his eyes, in how he gestured back to the crowd and tried to face all sides of the Coliseum to acknowledge the love. That is how I will always remember Kobe. In that surreal image that seemed to take place in outer space, among the moon and the stars. Lakers fan or not, we all feel pain now. He was not just for one team, or one league, or one country. He belonged to all of basketball, to the whole world, to all of us. His biggest legacy is in living inside every basketball loving person, athlete or not, through the Mamba Mentality he bequeathed to all of us. Many, many more generations will stay fearless and chase after perfection the way Kobe did. He has transcended the limits of this imperfect world and has slipped into the mists of immortality.

Sports

AC Milan pays tribute to Bryant at San Siro match

BusinessMirror

By Daniella Matar The Associated Press

| Thursday, January 30, 2020

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

A BANNER reading “Rest in peace Kobe and Gianna forever together” is displayed by AC Milan fans during the team’s Italian Cup quarterfinal match against Torino at the Milan San Siro Stadium on Tuesday. AP

WRITER’S SUPER BOWL STREAK ENDS By Tim Dahlberg

The Associated Press

IAMI—Jerry Izenberg can still write, as anyone who reads his columns in The StarLedger in New Jersey knows. Just the other day he wrote a good one about an aging sports writer who has been to every Super Bowl since the first one in 1967. That sports writer won’t be in Miami this week. But don’t fear, he’ll still be watching the game—from a casino sports book in Las Vegas. “I’m old, not dead,’’ Izenberg said. At the age of 89, Izenberg decided to end his streak of Super Bowls at 53—or LIII in National Football League (NFL) lingo. His absence at the game leaves 91-year-old Jerry Green of Detroit as the only daily newspaper writer who will have attended all 54 games, though writer/blogger Dave Klein has also been to every game. Thankfully, in today’s fractured media world, the decision was his alone. Izenberg could have gotten on a plane to Miami, but he’s slowing down physically and Super Bowl week can be difficult for even a 20-something blogger to navigate. The legs, he says, are always the first to go. “I’m not kidding myself, discretion became the better part of valor,’’ Izenberg said in a phone interview. “One fall and that will be it.’’ He was poolside with Joe Namath before Super Bowl III, the game that Namath famously predicted a win for the upstart New York Jets. He argued with former commissioner Pete Rozelle over having the 1970 Super Bowl—the last Super Bowl the Kansas City Chiefs were in—outdoors in a frigid New Orleans so that the city could one day have a team of its own. And he can tell stories about everything from fighting through the snow to get in the Silverdome in Detroit to listening to Raiders owner Al Davis talk about how the Raiders were going to stuff the famed Green Bay sweep in the second Super Bowl. One thing you won’t get from him is a review of the halftime music acts. “I will say proudly I’ve never seen a halftime show in my life,’’ Izenberg said. “I’m always working.’’ Always hustling, too, which is why he had more than enough material to write the definitive book about Rozelle in 2014—one of a number of books Izenberg has penned over a career that began at The Star-Ledger in 1951 when he was a student at Rutgers University. He’s a columnist emeritus now, living the good life in

Henderson, a suburb of Las Vegas, where he still goes to the big fights. Oh, the stories Izenberg can tell, about Super Bowls great and not so great. He’s covered them from the beginning, when at the age of 36 he sat in the press box of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and watched the Packers win the first Super Bowl before a crowd that half filled the massive stadium. Before that game, Izenberg and a few other writers went out to the Green Bay hotel in Santa Barbara to find Vince Lombardi pacing in the driveway, fuming about how unfair it was NFL owners were warning him that he couldn’t lose a game to the upstart Chiefs from the AFL. Inside the hotel, his players didn’t feel nearly as much pressure. “I asked [guard] Fuzzy Thurston, do you know who is on this team?’’ Izenberg recalled. “Not really, he said, we saw one film. We’re going to beat this team and beat them easy because we’ve got the best coach who ever lived.’’ In those days, writers would go to team hotels and interview players in their rooms. Catching Namath poolside wasn’t a big deal, and the NFL hadn’t even begun thinking about a media opening night that would turn into the circus it became. It’s different today, a big reason Izenberg is ending his streak. The logistics of covering Super Bowl week are daunting, with long bus rides and walks, and the reward is often the same quotes used by reporters who simply wait in a media room for the quote sheet—or now, audio links— to come out. “I’m going to miss it, that’s for sure,’’ he said. “But I tell you what I won’t miss is the line from one end of a very large press room to the other to get to the men’s room. I will not miss the cheap box lunches where you’re eating the box in the fourth quarter. I won’t miss being herded and shepherded around.’’ The biggest thing Izenberg will miss are his friends. Legends of the business, such as Miami’s Edwin Pope, Blackie Sherrod of Dallas, Jack Murphy from San Diego and the great Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times. They were all part of the same business, separated by thousands of miles most of the year but always happy to get together at big events, like the World Series,

Jerry Izenberg: I’m old, not dead.

Kentucky Derby and, of course, the Super Bowl. His friends are mostly all gone now, and his membership in a rare club is about to come to an end, like it has for all of them. Izenberg will watch this Super Bowl from the comfort of the sports book at the Sunset Station. He will, of course, write a column about the degenerate gamblers and what they thought of the game. Because while he may not be in Miami, a good writer never really quits.

SRI LANKAN SHOT

Sri Lanka batsman Dimuth Karunaratne plays a shot during his team’s test cricket match against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club in Harare on Tuesday. AP

ILAN—AC Milan and its fans paid tribute to Kobe Bryant with lights, and applause, before and during Tuesday’s Italian Cup game against Torino at the San Siro stadium. Bryant, who grew up in Italy between the ages of six and 13, was a devout Milan fan. The 18-time National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star with the Los Angeles Lakers died Sunday with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, California. As Milan and Torino warmed up before the game, the words “Legends Never Die” and “SempreKobe”—a play on the “SempreMilan,” or “AlwaysMilan,” hashtag often used by the club—were displayed on the advertising boards around the San Siro, while images of Bryant were shown on the giant screen. Shortly before the teams walked out for the kickoff, the stadium was darkened and the public announcer paid tribute to Bryant, while fans applauded and held up phone lights. The song “Who Wants to Live Forever” by Queen was then played. Both soccer teams also wore black armbands. In the 24th minute, fans around the stadium stood to applaud in tribute to Bryant, who wore No. 24. Fans also displayed a banner, which read “Rest in peace Kobe and Gianna forever together.” AC Milan beat Torino, 4-2, after extra time. Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who spent nearly two years in Los Angeles with Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy, did not stop to talk to reporters after the match but when asked by The Associated Press about Bryant, the Swedish forward shook his head sadly and said: “Ooof. Heavy.” Several supporters wore Lakers jerseys with Bryant’s name on the back. Some fans said they’d been in tears when they heard the news. “I was very emotional even when Kobe retired from the NBA, and his death really hit me,” said 23-year-old Luca Benazzoli, a student from Brescia. “I didn’t cry, but I definitely had tears in my eyes. “He meant so much to basketball. Especially as the thing that was so appreciated about him was the effort that he put in, the effort that he was never satisfied, that he always aimed higher and gave his best. That was the best thing he gave to sport and to basketball in particular.” Another student, Filippo Bellini, is from Reggio Emilia—the city where Bryant lived as a child for part of his seven years in Italy. “We are from Reggio Emilia. He began playing in our city and he is very linked to our city,” the 17-year-old said. “I never saw him unfortunately as we were always at the seaside when he was there. “One thing that really struck me is when he was talking about when he was younger in Reggio Emilia, going out with his friends, going out for an ice cream...things that we’ve always done there, too.” Earlier, Milan tweeted an interview with Bryant when he visited the club’s training facility a few years ago. “Watching [Ruud] Gullit, [Frank] Rijkaard, [Marco] Van Basten and [Paolo] Maldini was always a dream for me,” Bryant said in Italian, wearing a Milan jersey. “It’s always been my favorite squad. Back in Los Angeles I have an AC Milan shirt and scarf inside my locker and I see them every day.” Torino tweeted that it would “emotionally” stand by Milan’s side during the tribute “in memory of this sports legend.”

Cyprus, UEFA to work closely on campaign vs match-fixing

ICOSIA, Cyprus—Cypriot authorities and UEFA officials have agreed to forge closer links in order to strengthen the fight against possible match-fixing, the country’s justice minister said on Tuesday. Minister George Savvides said UEFA officials and Cypriot law enforcement agreed to establish “direct lines of communication” in order to speed up the exchange of information that could help in unraveling suspected match-fixing. A delegation from UEFA met with Savvides, senior police officers and officials from the country’s soccer federation following the minister’s invitation to the European soccer body to assist in an ongoing probe into match-fixing allegations. “I hope this meeting marks the start of improved cooperation so we can lead soccer where we want to, far from decay, illegal betting activity and corruption,” said Savvides. Police are investigating four second-division matches and a pair of cup games in Cyprus that UEFA said displayed suspicious betting activity. UEFA will also provide additional training to Cypriot police officers. Savvides repeated an appeal to anyone with information on fixed matches to step forward. “Whoever loves soccer, it’s not enough to say they have information,” Savvides said. “They have to provide it to police.” On Monday, the president of top-flight team Omonia Nicosia, Stavros Papastavrou, decried what he called “rot and corruption” in Cypriot soccer, claiming he’s been approached with offers to “buy off” a match, referees and players. Papastavrou refrained from identifying who approached him, but said “they have names and we know where they’re from.” He said their identities would be revealed to authorities after “convincing” assurances for the whistle-blower’s safety. Manchester United, meanwhile, on Tuesday condemned what the club called an “unwarranted attack” by vandals on the home of its executive vice chairman, Ed Woodward. AP

Life

God of immense power and splendor

EAR God, You heal the sinner and comfort the wounded. In confidence we pray: Strengthen us in holiness and justice, oh God. Purify our hearts and minds, help us to see You in one another, and teach us to respect Your presence in all the living. Bring an end to all wars, help us to cease the production of weapons of all kinds, and let all people find peace in Your holy name. Inspire religious and government officials to lead with upright hearts, humility and courage. May the Word of God be a lamp for our feet and a light for our path, through Jesus, our promise of salvation. Amen. GIVE US THIS DAY, SHARED BY LUISA LACSON, HFL Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

BusinessMirror

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

REELING: COVETING OSCAR AND OTHER ELUSIVE DREAMS D4

Thursday, January 30, 2020

For a long trip, the secret to happiness is packing less will come up. Then I look at the photographers’ names. They are a wealth of information about those best places to go and see, because they need this picture, right? That’s how they make money. So I contact them, and ask them for their guides. I usually piggyback off of them, and that’s an old hack for information.

FASHION designer Patrick Robinson

This is his bucket-list journey. If I’m going on a trip, I want it all about me. I want to go and find myself. One time, I hired a guide to take me into the Gobi Desert, and we were going to camp out for a few days. It’s life-changing. There is nothing there but desert, forever. You hear nothing. All by myself, I slept out. You wander into the desert and you finally end up at this camp with all these camels. They actually don’t want you to ride them; they’re actually really mean, so they try to scare the hell out of you. I had the nastiest camel. But it could literally walk up and down something vertical. Robinson learned to pack differently for long and short trips from his father—though the difference might surprise you. My father is sort of the extreme traveler. He was a doctor who invested his money well and retired at 45 so he could travel to every country in the world. I think he finished that, let’s say, five, six years ago. And then he did all the territories. He e-mailed me Sunday from Antarctica, and he was, like, “Oh yeah, it’s the second or third time I’ve been here. I just felt like coming back.” I learned about packing from him. On a short trip, say three to five days, I learned you might end up checking luggage, but on a longer trip, for two or three weeks, you never should. People actually do the opposite, which I think is really fascinating. On short trips you actually need to pack more, because usually a short trip has a reason and you actually bring more with you on the short trip. You don’t want to get slowed down by washing things, so you should bring everything you need. But on long trips, he takes very, very, very little because that’s when you have time to wash your clothes or do this and that. He just went to the opera in Salzburg (Austria), and he took a lot with him: the tuxedo, the right shoes. But on long trips, he just takes a backpack.

By Mark Ellwood Bloomberg News

ESIGNER Patrick Robinson has spent the past 30 years at the forefront of fashion, whether helming the Giorgio Armani Collezioni line or juicing Gap’s sales with a jolt of couture creativity. The lifelong traveler’s current project is Paskho, a start-up specializing in travel-friendly clothes for men and women. With each piece made from reclaimed and sustainable textiles, Robinson aims for them all to look as good at journey’s end as at the start, and to carry travelers from seat 1A to a C-suite-level meeting, without the need to change. Patrick isn’t sure how many miles he logs each year, but estimates at least 200,000. He tries to fly JetBlue domestically, as he’s a fan of its Mint class. “I’m just a fanatic about that. It’s outrageously amazing, because you literally have a door that you close and you’re in your own little bunker capsule pod. It’s almost like having a private jet.” He often tries to use his JetBlue frequent flier

miles for tickets on Emirates, which he loves for much the same reason. “Emirates first class is a whole room by itself.” Forget a marathon. The best thing to boost your middle-aged fitness? A backpacking trip. One of the things that I want to do is try to stay fit, but I work, all the time. It makes it hard, especially if I don’t have an outside goal or a vision for something I’m working toward, like running a marathon. So I go backpacking. Because just like you have to get in shape for the marathon, you have to do that for a backpacking trip. I usually hire a trainer to prepare me for it, to work on what I’ll need for a certain trip. As you get older, you see certain people’s trips become sort of soft, right? You’ve got to have these trips that are also hard, and that keeps you young and that keeps you out there. Use this trick to find the best guide, or fixer, no matter where you’re going. I go by myself, but I like to hire a guide. I start by doing research on where I want to go, and the pictures

Take a moment, and you could find that longhaul flight might just inspire you. I hate the airport but love a plane. I find I breathe better on airplanes and have creative thoughts. You know what we don’t do as people a lot? Just sit there and give yourself time to think. Planes are pretty quiet, and that’s a wonderful opportunity. I usually take something with me that sparks thought—a book, so I can then write in my journal. Planes are not a place to do e-mail, but somewhere to be creative. Keep these two items in your carry-on bag at all times. I put an extra shirt and a pair of socks in my smaller bag, and I leave them there. They never come out of that bag. I always say if I lose my big bag—if they take it away, if it falls out of the sky, if something happens—I can actually live with just the small bag. If you change your shirt on the plane, you can change the perspective of who you are. And socks mean you don’t have to worry if your feet get wet. People are like, ’Why don’t you put underwear?’ But you can survive without underwear. Even wearing (just) a pair of pants, you can keep going. n

DISCOVER diverse and unique Singapore experiences with the “Let’s Go Around Singapore Lah!” travel booklet which features $15 discount vouchers for attractions.

STB, TRAVELOKA BOOKLET DESIGNED FOR SAVVY TRAVELERS

PINOY travelers looking to kick off their year of adventures with a trip to Lion City can find inspiration from the “Let’s Go Around Singapore Lah!” travel booklet—an especially curated booklet created by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Traveloka, the region’s leading digital travel, lifestyle and financial services booking platform. The travel booklet was designed for tourists to discover more of Singapore’s hidden gems, popular attractions and unique experiences. Filled with vouchers to help savvy tourists make the most of their trip, the travel booklets are up for grabs at Singapore Visitor Centres (SVCs) at Orchard Gateway, Kampong Glam and Funan. From the hip, eclectic neighborhood in Kampong Glam to the biggest shopping malls along Orchard Road, Singapore has many exciting places for tourists to visit. Inspiring travelers to uncover some of these must-see attractions, the booklet directs tourists to locations across Singapore by using QR codes. Within the travel booklet are many vouchers amounting to S$15 each, along with fun facts, travel tips, and recommendations of Singapore’s best-kept secrets, including lesser-known attractions and activities like the National Orchid Garden and the Tiger Brewery tour which can be booked from the Traveloka Xperience. Since April 2019, STB and Traveloka have launched six campaigns across different countries to show the diverse and limitless possibilities in Singapore. The number of Singapore offerings on Traveloka’s platform has increased to over 200 product listings today. “The Singapore Tourism Board is pleased to support Traveloka in promoting local offerings to visitors through the various SVCs. Southeast Asia is a key market for STB, with Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam consistently within Singapore’s top 15 visitor source markets,” said John Gregory Conceicao, executive director of Southeast Asia, Singapore Tourism Board. “Through this collaboration—and the larger STB-Traveloka MOC—we hope to encourage Southeast Asian visitors to spend more time in Singapore, and to explore offerings and experiences that they may not initially have been aware of.” Terry Santoso, head of Marketing of Traveloka Xperience, also shared: “This partnership further underscores Traveloka’s commitment to promoting tourism across the region. Since launching in Indonesia in 2012, Traveloka has evolved to become a discovery platform where Traveloka Xperience not only provides consumers with a way to book travel to their favorite destinations, but it also serves as a onestop solution for consumers to enrich their journey through various engaging activities.” The Let’s go Around Singapore Lah! travel booklet will be available until November 15. More information can be found at www.stb.gov.sg or www.visitsingapore.com.

DOT, CAB collaborate to enhance Air Passenger’s Bill of Rights THE Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), in which the Department of Tourism (DOT) sits as vice chairman, held its regular board meeting on January 20 to thresh out issues and discuss the implementation of rules, which airlines must abide by during emergencies and similar situations. At the initiative of the DOT, the CAB put forth during the board meeting its proposal to enhance the APBR, or Air Passenger Bill of Rights (tinyurl.com/ue6gqyh). While it already contains strong provisions protecting the consumer, in cases of force majeure (like the recent Taal incident) including the right to compensation and amenities in case of flight delays or cancellation of flights, the APBR

will be further strengthened by introducing provisions that will empower passengers to get timely notice or information from the airline, whether the flight will be canceled, delayed or push through. As explained by the CAB, this enhancement will obligate airlines to invest on system upgrades or develop technology to relay announcements to passengers, complete with appropriate advisories on the steps to take for them to avail themselves of the entitlements under the APBR. “The safety and welfare of passengers and tourists have always been a top priority of the CAB and DOT. With the enhanced Air Passenger Bill of Rights, we can ensure they are provided with relevant,

critical and useful information during emergencies or as natural calamities unfold, thereby helping reduce the inconvenience or stress that passengers may experience during these unfortunate situations,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat. For its part, the CAB will also continue to issue advisories to airlines reiterating their obligations to their passengers. Passengers are reminded that in cases of force majeure/ natural disaster, as a rule, they are entitled to reimbursement of the full value of the fare. Even if the fare was deemed nonrefundable by the airline, as long as the basis for the flight delay or cancellation is force majeure, this rule shall apply.

Entertaining BusinessMirror

Thursday, January 30, 2020

For a nutritious version of artichoke dip, look to navy bean By America’s Test Kitchen The Associated Press

OST artichoke dips could justifiably be called mayonnaise and cheese dips, given what goes into them. To create a more nutritious rendition, we looked to bean dip to provide a creamy base that contributed protein and fiber instead of saturated fat. We thought that the vegetal artichokes (high in vitamins K and C, and various minerals) would partner well with the earthy-sweet but mild beans, adding some needed character. We chose navy beans for their velvety texture, rinsing them to remove excess sodium. Using canned beans and jarred artichoke hearts kept the recipe easy. To increase the creaminess of our dip and add a filling burst of protein, we incorporated Greek yogurt. Finally, a healthy dose of lemon juice, garlic,

parsley, and scallion added fresh flavor and brightness. Serve with vegetables, whole-grain crackers or whole-grain chips. NAVY BEAN AND ARTICHOKE DIP Servings: six to eight Start to finish: 50 minutes 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice 1 small garlic clove, minced 1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, 2 tablespoons liquid reserved, beans rinsed 1 cup jarred whole artichoke hearts packed in water, rinsed and patted dry, 2 tablespoons chopped 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves 1 scallion, white and light green parts cut into 1/2-inch pieces, dark green part sliced thin on bias Salt 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel Pinch cayenne pepper

Popeyes Philippines opens Ali Mall branch HOME of world-famous Cajun flavors, Popeyes invades Araneta City as it opens its eighth store in the Philippines at Ali Mall, Cubao. The launch was packed with diners and special guests who enjoyed Popeyes’ well-loved menu items, such as honey biscuits, burgers and fries, as well as Popeyes spaghetti which is exclusively offered in the Philippine branches. The hungry crowd also didn’t miss out on the signature Popeyes fried chicken oozing with Southern flavors that tastes better with a dash of honey for a sweet and savory combination. Shown on the photo are Popeyes Philippines COO Rami Chahwan

(from left), Kuya J Group Marketing Director Ton Gatmaitan, Andrea Brillantes, Araneta City Leasing Head Lorna Fabian and zone manager

Manny Fabian, Kuya J Group CFO Francis Reyes, and Popeyes Philippines Operations Manager Chuck Rivera Reduta.

Leveling up the joy FAVORITE fast-food brand Jollibee is leveling up the way its customers experience joy while on the road with the opening of its newest branch along the South Luzon Expressway. Located at the Petron gas station along the southbound side of Slex, it is Jollibee’s 1200th store in the Philippines and the latest Level Up Joy store that features a modern design and exciting innovations for an even better store experience. Its most interesting feature is the country’s first-ever dual lane drive-thru. This allows the store crew to serve more motorists faster, ideal for those on the road for a family

THE go-to destination for quick yummy flavors gets an ultra modern upgrade.

holiday trip or a quick getaway of friends. The dual lane drivethru spells convenience from end to end as it has its own ordering, payment and pickup counters for each lane. This is complemented by two key store innovations which aid in making the drive-thru experience easier and faster. The Food Conveyor System is an automated conveyor that brings your favorite meals from the kitchen to the pickup counters, while the Drive Thru Lane Sensor System provides real-time drive-thru performance data, such as waiting bay times and average service speed to help the store crew better manage orders and serve customers faster. To date, over 200 Jollibee stores nationwide are equipped with the Drive Thru Lane Sensor System. Inside the store are self-order kiosks that make ordering more convenient and fun. A few taps on the screen is all it takes to choose your favorite Jollibee meals, such as Chickenjoy, Jolly Spaghetti and Yum burgers. The self-order kiosks also come with multiple payment options—either through credit card, PayMaya, Happy Plus Card or cash— letting customers enjoy more flexibility. “This new Level Up Joy store promises to take customer convenience to the next level with the introduction of the first-ever dual lane drive-thru in the country. It’s ideal for families and friends who are in transit and want to grab great-tasting food they can enjoy or take home with them along the way. For dine-in customers, they can order and enjoy their Jollibee favorites with greater ease and convenience thanks to the self-order kiosks we have in store plus built-in wireless charging pads for their use,” said Francis Flores, Jollibee Global Brand CMO and JFC Philippines country business group and concurrent Jollibee Philippines marketing head.

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1/4 cup organic plain 2 percent Greek yogurt Cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil Combine lemon zest and juice and garlic in bowl and let sit for 15 minutes. Pulse garlic-lemon juice mixture, beans, their reserved liquid, whole artichoke hearts, parsley, white and light green scallion pieces, 3/4 teaspoon salt, fennel, and cayenne in food processor until finely ground, 5 to 10 pulses, scraping down bowl as needed. Continue to process until uniform paste forms, about one minute, scraping down bowl as needed. Add yogurt and continue to process until smooth, about 15 seconds. Transfer to serving bowl, cover, and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Dip can be refrigerated for up to one day; bring to room temperature before serving.) Season with salt to taste. Sprinkle with reserved chopped artichokes and dark green scallion parts, and drizzle with oil to taste before serving. n

Today’s Horoscope By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Wilmer Valderrama, 40; Christian Bale, 46; Phil Collins, 69; Charles S. Dutton, 69. HAPPY BIRTHDAY:Consider your limitations, as well as your attributes in order to maintain balance. Decline if someone imposes too much and offers too little. Concentrate on what’s important to you, not how to please everyone else. This year is not the time to take a risk emotionally, financially or physically. Plan your actions, choose your words wisely and do what’s best for you. Your lucky numbers are 2, 13, 20, 24, 28, 37, 44.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Emotions can help you, or they can cause you grief depending on how you handle situations. If you overreact, expect to pay the price. However, if you focus on opportunities and where to channel your energy, you will gain ground. HHH

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): If you want a change, make it happen. It’s up to you to execute your plans, not someone else. Invest in your skills, knowledge and ideas. Opportunity begins with you. Think big, and expand your search for success. HHH

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Offer help, information and connections. Get together with people you have worked with in the past; a new opportunity will arise. Look for the good in everyone, but don’t give someone a second chance to hurt you. HHHH

SPARKLING JUICES FOR LOVED ONES, d YOUNG AND OLD TREAT your family and friends to a perfectly paired Welch’s Sparkling Juice. Fizzy but guilt-free, Welch’s Sparkling Juices are the bubbly, alcohol-free beverages that both kids and adults will enjoy. Even expecting mommies can drink one, too. Heart-healthy and delicious, Welch’s Sparkling Juices (www.welchs.com) are pressed from the freshest Concord and Niagara grapes across America by farmer-families. This 150-year tradition of “real grape goodness” has made Welch’s one of the most loved beverages in the world, especially by Filipinos who enjoy organizing great moments with friends and families. Available in both red and white grape flavors, Welch’s Sparkling Juices are easy to mix with other beverages to concoct a variety of unique bubbly mocktails. Add a splash of your favorite juice and discover the goodness in each sip. Each bottle of Sparkling Juice is tastefully prepared and packaged. A product of the US, Welch’s products are widely available in retail stores across the Philippines.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Look for the positive in everyone and everything. Refuse to let emotional matters get in your way. Concentrate on what you want to transpire, and do your best. A creative idea can change your life if handled correctly. Romance is featured. HH

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A short trip will encourage you to pay closer attention to the people around you. A change someone makes will affect you more than you expect. Take care of your responsibilities. HHHHH

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A change will perk you up. What you learn will convince you to expand your knowledge, skills and friendships. Participate more, and you’ll discover that you have more options than you realize. HHH

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Emotional matters will surface if you have been putting up with situations that are less than adequate. Don’t let anger set in when an intelligent solution will do the trick. Do your best to get along with everyone. HHH

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Leisure time spent with someone you love or doing something that brings you great satisfaction or joy should take priority. Distance yourself from situations that are only going to upset you or stop you from fulfilling your dream. HHH

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take care of your responsibilities. Set your house in order, and take care of relationships that matter to you. How you treat others will reflect who you are. If someone treats you poorly, don’t let him or her get away with their actions. HHHHH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Be careful how you treat others. Don’t let an emotional situation escalate into something unmanageable. Let your intuition guide you, and keep your temper under control. A change you make to the way you live should be wellthought-out before executed. HH

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Think before you make a move or spend a penny. Give yourself time to assess the situation, and consider what’s doable. Use your intelligence to avoid a costly mistake or an argument with someone you love. HHHH

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You can offer your help, but don’t let anyone take advantage of you. Offer what’s doable and will benefit you as well. Someone you’ve worked with before will offer an alternative. Focus on peace and love. HHH BIRTHDAY BABY: You are creative, opinionated and spontaneous. You are fun-loving and carefree.

‘bye tickets’ BY EVAN KALISH The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 First Amendment-defending org. 5 Less preferable 10 Off-the-___ remark 14 San ___, Puerto Rico 15 On track to win 16 Home to Afghanistan 17 What Utah and Idaho do 18 Feature of most crosswords 19 Groucho or Harpo 20 Symptom of ghosting (letters 2 to 6, Spain) 23 Duet’s number 24 Solo such as “Casta diva” 27 Sweet citrus (6 to 9, Italy) 34 Marathon’s 26.2 35 Campfire treat 36 Served dinner to, say 37 Like attention-getting text 38 Mold growth 39 Ali ___: Hard Knock Wife 40 Swiss peak 41 Doozy 42 Strong suit 43 Keeper of order on Capitol Hill (8 to 11,

England) 6 Tugboat sound 4 47 Type 48 Band’s final concert series, and what this puzzle’s theme answers constitute? 56 Trendy berry 59 Get even? 60 Took the bus 61 Waiters appreciate them 62 River in two African countries’ names 63 Brand of preppy shirts 64 Subject with trig questions 65 Provide funding for 66 Hog homes DOWN 1 Slightly open 2 Havana’s land 3 Speak highly of 4 Like many a work in progress 5 Holmes’s sidekick 6 “Funny running into you here!” 7 Film spool 8 Answer that was also in yesterday’s puzzle, fittingly 9 Genesis garden

0 1 11 12 13 21 22 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 38 39 41 2 4 44 45 49 50

Canon that takes shots “Born in the ___” Many a Christmas tree Transmit by phone line Has to pay back Part of TLC Notify Actors’ representatives Bluish-purple Elite NFL player Congressional cable channel Poker player’s folding phrase It comes from the heart Mining target Perimeter Wall Street degs. Adriatic or Aegean Visit to corporate headquarters, perhaps Prerelease app status It begins in September “I don’t have any of those cards” Up to this point, informally ___ against the clock Musk of Tesla

1 5 52 53 54 55 56 57 58

Renewable power source Waffle brand Flow like slime Thick Japanese noodle Merlots and others Balance displayer, briefly Spy grp. Well-suited

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

Parentlife BusinessMirror

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Thursday, January 30, 2020

FROM left: Marcus and I at his awarding ceremony for winning gold at the U12 Sabre Team Event at Paref Southridge School; with my husband and daughter at the Teachers’ Oath Taking at the Cuneta Astrodome; at the Yin and Yang Shop of Harmony Chinese New Year Welcome Banquet at New World Hotel with my family and my childhood neighbor, Tessa Mauricio-Arriola; with the owners of Yin and Yang Shop of Harmony.

Blessings, beginnings, Happy ‘Yin and Yang’ New Year

HE Chinese New Year celebration has passed. Every year, we see more and more people performing rituals that are believed to bring more luck. Everyone would wish for luck in love, family, wealth, profession, and so on. I am a prime believer that we can have a stronger say in our luck. It made me think, “How do I want to face my luck this year?” Do I start with warnings? Do I start with wishes? This year, I choose to start with blessings, value pursuits, and maxmimize external context. START WITH BLESSINGS I BELIEVE we are born with luck. It is our choice to view our luck from our own lenses by recognizing the gifts granted to us. It can be our physical, mental and psychological attributes. It can be the family we were

born in. It can be situations we are in, like a good job, and the like. This allows us to set the primary mindset of gratitude. I have always internalized that luck multiplies with gratitude. I believe life sees our gratitude. It’s like us as parents—When we see our children grateful, we work even harder to provide them more. For me, my best blessings are my relationships. I am lucky in this lifetime to have recognized my “true family.” They are people who have always been true and have always had my back. I also value the roles I have been given as a result of these relationships. I love being a daughter, sister, wife, mother and friend. Recently, one of my favorite role has been to be my kids’ supporter in fencing. VALUE PURSUITS WHAT is your success? What truly matters for you? Does your vision of success match what matters to you the most? Consequently, when you do something that matters to you the most, are you able to achieve the overall success you are seeking? I know this is a lifelong question which one might never find a final answer for. And yet, I still believe it is worth the pursuit. Think of your quirkiest interest, or your deepest childhood dreams. Think of what makes you smile, no matter how impractical or nonsensical. I consider this digging process valuable more than the result. Why? Because the decision to

dig means you value yourself enough to finally listen... to yourself. This self-honesty forced me to be at the center of my own life. It led me to finding the self I want to fight for. As Marie Beynon Ray said, “Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand— and melting like a snowflake.” Today, I am lucky to have found my passion in child education. Last Sunday, January 26, I attended the oath-taking for teachers at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City. I was so happy my husband and my daughter were able to accompany me. Last Monday, I received an encouraging message from our former director, Sally Villavicencio: “Your columns ‘My Yellow Home,’ parts one and two, were very heartwarming. I’m grateful to you also. Your transfer to Poveda was not incidental but meant to be because you have a special mission—to be an educator. You already were a teacher even before you got a license to teach. You are blessed. Continue to share your blessings, and being a blessing.” MAXIMIZE EXTERNAL CONTEXT FENG shui played quite a role in our life when I was growing up. My Chinese name was chosen by my dad’s longtime friend who was a monk, as well as a feng shui master. Today, I see feng shui as a scientific and practical tool. I understand the context but overall, I find the resolve to continue being positive

and good. This is the Year of the Golden Rat. It was great to start the year with a lucky Chinese New Year welcome banquet at the New World Hotel on January 24. According to the Yin and Yang Shop of Harmony, “The year of the Yang Golden Rat provides everyone with the opportunity to harness new creative energy.” To help us with this endeavor, the Yin & Yang Shop of Harmony reintroduces Patrick Lim Fernandez, the newest figure who will take the lead in welcoming the new year and continuing the legacy of the late Princess Lim Fernandez. He is an advocate of the classical schools of feng shui and Chinese metaphysics, such as Hsuan K’ung, Eight Mansion and Bazi. Patrick combines his business, finance and realestate background with classical feng shui traditions to create fundamentally sound and analytically driven recommendations. His readings guide clients in achieving success in money and business luck. Patrick holds degrees in Management Engineering and Economics (with honors) from the Ateneo de Manila University, and an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles, with advanced analytics courses from MIT and Stanford. There are upcoming Tai Suey Blessings for protection on February 16; and a Quan Yin Ceremony for financial luck on February 19. For more inquiries, contact 8752-5882; 8811-6888, local 3066; 09179892294, or yinandyangshopofharmony@gmail.com. n

Is it OK for teens to drink coffee? By Jennifer L. Temple University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

SWEET FAVORITE GETS A NEW LOOK

LIFE can be full of incredibly feel-good first moments and best experiences. And for some Filipinos, Jack ‘n Jill Cloud 9 has been a constant companion in celebrating their small and big wins. The well-loved chocolate brand encourages people to cherish and enjoy short-lived special experiences and simple everyday wins, or “Cloud 9 Moments,” through its #EnjoooyThatCloud9Moment campaign. Jack ‘n Jill Cloud 9 also launched a packaging with a fresh new look. Its vibrant packs feature Cloud 9’s chococoated bar with a luscious stretch of delightful caramel filling, crunchy peanuts and chewy nougat. Jack ‘n Jill Cloud 9 comes in a variety of undeniably delectable flavors, such as the rich milk and white chocolatey goodness of Cloud 9 Classic and White; the double chocolate delight of Cloud 9 Choco Fudge; or the extra-loaded combination of chocolate, caramel and nougat with bigger and more nuts in Cloud 9 Overload.

WHEN my daughter was around 14 years old, she began to ask if she could have a cup of coffee in the morning like mom and dad. As a scientist who studies the effects of caffeine—the ingredient in coffee that helps wake you up—on kids, I had more information available to me to inform my answer than most parents would. Many kids and teens consume caffeine. The main source of this chemical is soda for children under 12. Even colas have lower levels of caffeine than tea or coffee. Kids and teens can also get caffeine from many foods and drinks, including chocolate, chocolate milk and iced tea. What’s more, some over-the-counter medications that kids might take, such as Excedrin, are significant sources of caffeine. But coffee is the main source of caffeine among Americans 12 years and up. Based on my years of research, I’m confident that one daily cup of coffee won’t harm kids over the age of 12—as long as they avoid all other sources of caffeine. That one cup of coffee combined with, say, a can of iced tea or soda, or a chocolate bar, could put kids over the daily limit of 100 milligrams of caffeine doctors

recommend. Adults should aim for no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine, which they could get from four cups of coffee. And since caffeine is in so many different foods and drinks, it’s easy for kids—or grown-ups—to get more than they should without realizing it. SIDE EFFECTS HAVING too much caffeine can have many negative effects on kids, like putting them in a bad mood, depriving them of sleep and contributing to misbehavior, such as risk-taking and aggression. Coffee can also make some kids feel jittery, nervous and anxious, or nauseated. It can change their heart rate and blood pressure. In some cases, over-caffeination may make kids feel like they’ve used illicit drugs. The threat to sleep might not sound like the most serious of all of these side effects to you. But it could be. The National Sleep Foundation, a nonprofit that funds and conducts research on sleep, recommends that teens get about nine hours of sleep per night. But studies show that on average kids get much less sleep than that. OLD MYTHS SOME adults may tell kids that drinking caffeine will

stunt their growth. There are two reasons why some people think that. First, caffeine can decrease the amount of calcium in your bones, which people used to think would make you not grow as tall. Second, caffeine consumed later in the day can reduce sleep. Growth hormone, which makes you grow, is released early in sleep, so the idea was that less sleep would lead to less growth. It turns out that neither of these concerns was valid. One study that followed 81 adolescents for six years found no connection between caffeine and bone density. Another study found no association between sleep duration and growth. Based on the best science that is available, I’ve been allowing my three children to have one cup of coffee first thing in the morning once they turn 12. It is important to think about what else they’re getting with their coffee, however. Some of the sweet iced and flavored coffee drinks, such as Starbucks Frappuccinos, that are popular with kids have over 50 grams of sugar. And consuming too much added sugar can also have negative health consequences. Any negative effects of the caffeine they get from that morning jolt wear off long before bedtime. But I don’t let them have any caffeine-containing products after 3 pm to protect their sleep.

SM Supermalls supports BFP community service advocacy IN support of the Bureau of Fire Protection’s corporate social responsibility initiative, SM Cares, the CSR arm of SM Supermalls, donated 3,000 SM Bears of Joy plush toys to children during the Fire Square Road Show, a fire awareness and protection education program for children; and during the BFP Children’s Party held recently in Quezon City. SM also sponsored entertainment, including free tickets from SM Cinemas, bowling, skating and SM Storyland, in some of the activities organized by the BFP.

The BFP assisted SM with their 40-hour mandatory training for fire brigade, and accredited 1,500 fire brigade members that are composed of maintenance personnel, security guards and technical personnel from SM Supermalls. According to SM, they have organized 84 fire brigades in different malls, including SMDC strip malls. In recognition of its support, SM Prime Holdings Inc. received a recognition from the BFP during the “46th Fire Service Recognition Day,” an event that celebrates the exemplary

efforts rendered by individuals and firms that further the causes of the BFP. This year, SMPH was one of only five companies awarded by BFP. Atty. Pearly Joan Turley of SM’s Corporate Compliance Group received the recognition. The BFP awarded three plaques of appreciation to SMPH, including SM Supermalls and SM Cinemas, for being reliable partners during the promotion campaign of fire safety awareness to the public.

SM Cares donated SM Bears of Joy plush toys to children during the activities organized by the BFP.

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Thursday, January 30, 2020

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Coveting Oscar and other elusive dreams

JOSE MARI CHAN and Regine Velasquez-Alcasid

PMPC confers lifetime achievement awards to Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, Jose Mari Chan By Leony R. Garcia THE Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) successfully held the 11th edition of the Star Awards for Music, honoring original Pilipino music (OPM) and Filipino artists who made a mark in the music industry for the year 2019. Held at Skydome of SM City North Edsa on January 23, the proceedings were under the direction of Arlene Tolibas, and produced by Supremo Records and Music Productions. It will be televised on PTV-4 on February 1 at 7 pm. Erik Santos, Mitoy Yonting and Jaya fired up the opening by singing a medley of the songs nominated in the Song of the Year category. The musical production with Elmo Magalona highlighting the compositions of his late father, Francis Magalona, kept the audience awake and alive, while Morissette Amon serenaded the crowd with her signature songs. It was Jed Madela, Arman Ferrer and Joanna Ampil who sang the famous ditties of Regine VelasquezAlcasid and Jose Mari Chan, who received the Pilita Corrales Lifetime Achievement Award and the Levi Celerio Lifetime Achievement Award, respectively. Indeed, it was a magical night as musical icons, veterans, as well as newbies, came together to celebrate the night and receive their citations. Christian Bautista, Edgar Allan Guzman, Kris Lawrence and Ariella Arida also took their turns to host the proceedings. Over a decade ago, PMPC officers Roldan Castro, Rommel Galapon and Rodel Fernando conceived of the awards night to promote OPM and inspire Filipino artists to showcase their talent. Rightfully, the three were, likewise, honored for their contribution in the success of the awards night through the years.

OR all the congratulatory comments about Parasite, has no one wondered about the reasons why the South Korean film has been hogging the cinematic limelight? Let’s take the obverse of it: What has happened to our films? What is missing in our entries? We can ignore the Oscar snub. Who cares really? We have won the Europeans to our side. Think Cannes, and think Venice and think Berlinale. And yet, we cannot deny it: the Oscar nod for Best Picture or Best Foreign Film is a monkey-eating eagle (think albatross) around our neck. Oscar means commercial success, and with commerce; art and fame follow. Who does not need them? What film industry is not keen about money, wealth and popularity? And therefore acceptance? And as we puzzle over the nearly predacious power of Parasite over other films, the Asian commentary on acquisition and greed makes it to the short list of the Oscars. As the predictions fly that it may win the trophy, its actors win the Best Ensemble Performance from the Screen Actors Guild, an unprecedented win. Several months ago, in May 2019, the film was honored with the Palme d’Or from Cannes. It was the first Korean film to have that prestige. In the 77th Golden Globe, it secured the Best Foreign Language Film, an award so significant that the voters come from critics and film journalists from all over the world. Now, this 92nd Academy Awards gives Parasite six nominations, which include Best Picture, Best Director and Best International Feature Film. The last nomination shows the change made to the category Best Foreign Language Film. The South Korean film, given the nominations, has the chance not only to win the best film in a foreign language, but also the Best Picture itself. Oscar history shows that no foreign language film has yet to win Best Picture. In fact, very few foreign films, technically, has been nominated for Best Picture. Parasite joins an elite list which includes, among many other films, Jean Renoir’s The Grand Illusion from France in 1937; Z by Costa Gavras, again from France, in 1969; Jan Troell’s The Emigrants in 1971 and Ingmar Bergman’s Cries and Whispers (1972), both from Sweden; and Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma (2018), the latest of these golden cinemas. It should be noted that, as Screen Daily writes, South Korea’s entry is its 31st entry to the Oscars; Raymund Ribay Gutierrez’s Verdict, our entry this year, is the Philippines’s 31st entry, noted for its no nominations and no win. Personally, I am frustrated at one thing—that we even have not made it to the short list.

Perhaps, all this boils down to an examination of conscience and choice. Perhaps, there is a need to look into the vetting and selection of our entry into the film concourse. Does anyone really know what body is mandated to make the choice? Is there an official instruction with regard to this most difficult task? Suffice it to say that there are no clear guidelines as to how we can choose the entry to the Oscars. In the preceding years, we read about a selection committee and we always had people from the mainstream film industry composing the body. The birth of regional cinemas, and the many forms that independent cinemas have assumed question the wisdom of limiting the selection to a guild of some sort. While membership to the guild is important, there are really the qualities and competitive trait of the film to be chosen that must be uppermost in the minds of these people to be constituted. Then, there is the contentious question: How do we present ourselves to the world? Books have been written about how the Japanese were also anxious about sending samurai films, or chanbara, as the Japanese cinéastes call them, to film concourses. After the notoriety developed by the country after the World War II, would they want to affirm that dark side by constantly, and cinematically, reminding the world about the organic violence in Japanese culture? They did send the samurai films, and the rest is film history. Critics and producers have strong roles in the Japanese movie industry. What about us? One thing is obvious: the processes that existed and have existed do not work. The selection of nominations each year underscores the weakness or flaw of the selection model we have upheld for a long time. Should not we change the approach? I have some proposals—mainly, we should start anew. Let us compose a new selection committee. This sounds easy on the proposal level. We need a body to coordinate and to manage the whole ritual. If we are to follow its mandate, it looks like it should be the Film Development Council of the Philippines that should run this selection process. If the FDCP has the clear authority to run the show, then it is incumbent upon its leadership to gather the best minds and the proper authorities in the industry to do this. The FDCP should make the appropriate application or notification to Ampas, or the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This will not be easy as other bodies may be interested. I am counting though on that rare, but possible, altruism on the part of other organizations and individuals. Who should compose the selection committee? The regular stakeholders in Philippine cinema should be consulted and enjoined to compose the committee. Who are they: representatives of existing guilds; representatives of other directors’ associations; film scholars not only from Manila, but from the regions; film educators; film critics; film journalists from both newspapers and tabloids; cultural workers; regional filmmakers and independent cinema artists; and bloggers. It should be a good strong body.

We can ignore the Oscar snub. Who cares really? We have won the Europeans to our side. Think Cannes, and think Venice and think Berlinale. And yet, we cannot deny it: the Oscar nod for Best Picture or Best Foreign Film is a monkey-eating eagle (think albatross) around our neck. The committee is ad-hoc: it is constituted each year. The committee, in terms of composition, should be temporary. This should prevent individuals from gaining so much power and authority that they become forces to reckon with. This should give the other film workers a chance to sit in the committee. The decision should be collegial. In other words, all committee members should embrace the choice. There should be no space for members to announce and declare that the film selected was not to their liking. This may sound trivial, but this should help us revive the act of respecting decisions. I am speaking from the top of my head. Reading my crude proposal, I sense a naivete and an idealism. But I also feel some hope over frustration. Over and above these concerns, I am, of course, aware of the limitations of the Oscars. It is not the be-all and end-all of things. The Oscar has also a checkered past. Look back again, not in anger, perhaps, but with wildness in our eyes. The academy in the 1940s gave the Oscar Best Picture to Rebecca over John Ford’s The Grapes of Wrath. In 1941, it was How Green Was My Valley over Citizen Kane. There are more examples of winners that would make you question your cinema 101. In the 1970s, Rocky won over Sidney Lumet’s Network and Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. I am tempted to say, “I rest my case.” No, let us not rest; let us toil some more for this film industry we always say we love. And as for the nitty-gritty of this proposal, let us remember that the devil is in the details. n

‘One of the Baes’ stars will miss their family IT was in late September last year when the first-ever prime-time series of the RitKen love team—Ken Chan and Rita Daniela—set sail through the millennial fairy-tale One of the Baes (OOTB). The OOTB cast has built a relationship that went beyond just being coactors throughout its four months on air. Behind the unfolding of Grant and Jowa’s love story, the crazy and quirky chemistry of Paps Fernando (Roderick Paulate) and Carmina Rivera (Maureen Larrazabal), and the Baes’ adventures in their pursuit of becoming seafarers, a new friendship—a family even—was formed. It is no wonder, then, that the OOTB cast members get sentimental when asked what lessons and memories they would take with them after the show: One of the most loved characters in the series is Paps, played by veteran actor Paulate. The returning GMA star says he will miss the cast. “Madami kasi rito, hindi ko pa nakakasama sa TV o sa pelikula. Si Jestoni [Alarcon] at si Tonton [Gutierrez], nakasama ko na. Si Amy kaibigan ko, pero dito ko lang siya nakasama. Mamimiss ko sila—si Amy na pakain nang pakain. Mami-miss ko si Junjun [Euwenn Aleta]—mahilig ako sa bata eh. Si Junjun, parang pamangkin ko, apo ko.” Moreover, the OOTB staff will have a special place in his heart. “Mami-miss ko ’yung staff, actually. Kasi sanay na tayo sa mga artista. Ang mga artista, kahit matapos na ang show namin, magkikita at magkikita kami sa mga okasyon. Kaya malaking bagay sa akin pag nagustuhan ko ang staff, and production group, kasi pag nakasanayan ninyo at nagustuhan mo ang working relationship ninyo hindi lang sa trabaho kundi sa personal na relasyon ninyo,

parang gusto mo sila ang maulit uli.” As Charles Altamirano, Edgar Allan Guzman’s character may have earned viewers’ ire. But offscreen, the GMA actor definitely shared a bond with his coactors and the production team. “’Yung buong cast ng One of the Baes kasi sobrang sarap kasama, sobrang gaan ka-trabaho, lalo na comedy ang ginagawa natin. Ganun ’yung mga tao na dapat na katrabaho natin. Lalo na ngayon, ang hirap humanap ng coactor na sasabayan ka sa batuhan ng linya katulad nina Buboy [Villar] at Kuya Archie [Alemania]. Sobrang mami-miss ko ’tong Baes.” The rest of the Baes—Archie Alemania (Efren “Bagets” Reynes in the series), Kenneth Medrano (Gary Balencia) and Villar (Okoy McCormick)—also regard the OOTB cast as their second family. “Parang extension na ng family ko itong OOTB— from the staff, mga artists, lahat, isang buong unit kami dito, isang buong pamilya,” shares Alemania. “Mami-miss ko rin dito ’yung araw-araw naming ginagawa, para sa amin laro ’yun. Kung ano ang nakikita ninyo sa screen na tawanan, napakasaya. Kung ano ang tawa namin sa screen, ’yun talaga ang totoo, hindi pekeng tawa,” he says. Larrazabal, who plays Carmina, opposite of Paulate in the series, is now having a separation anxiety. “Lahat mami-miss ko. ’Yung samahan, ’yung story. Of course, si Papsie. Magaan ’yung set ng OOTB, sa totoo lang. Sa dami ng mga shows, isa siya sa pinakamagaan na naramdaman ko, ang gaan ng mga tao, ang daling katrabaho, madaling kausap. Definitely ’yun ang mami-miss ko sa OOTB, ’yung samahan niya, ’yung saya.” Don’t miss the finale episode of One of the Baes on January 31 after The Gift on GMA.

RODERICK PAULATE

MAUREEN LARRAZABAL

Envoys&Expats EXPAT EXECUTIVE

www.businessmirror.com.ph | Thursday, January 30, 2020 E1

Drafting blueprints of sustainable living By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

@brownindio

HEN Arch. Romolo Nati first came to the Philippines in 2007, he immediately fell in love with its people and culture. From his native Rome, he decided to come back the following year to meet more interesting Filipinos. One of them was lawyer Jose “Jojo” Leviste III. Nati and Leviste happen to share the same passion for sustainability and the environment. In 2009, the duo established Italpinas Development Corp. (IDC), with the vision of being “committed to environmental sustainability through elegant architectural solutions and trademark Italian aesthetics.” To enhance the Italian perspective in their projects, Nati, as chairman and CEO of the company, is bringing over some of his compatriots to help develop IDC projects. Interestingly, IDC is currently taking the proverbial “road less traveled” by putting up projects outside Metro Manila. Together with Leviste as director and president, the architect ideates the ideal locations for their projects. They then decided to break ground in Mindanao as they see it as rich and promising in terms of agriculture, mining and presence of multinational companies. “We particularly chose Cagayan de Oro [CDO] because it was facing north and can be considered the hub of Northern Mindanao and Southern Visayas in a certain way,” Nati disclosed. “When my associate Jojo Leviste and I decided to build green buildings in CDO, we knew it was an ideal location,” the Italian shared with Envoys&Expats. “We decided to go outside Metro Manila, because CDO was accessible, and there was a potential market. We are breaking the stereotype that condominiums are only suitable for metropolitan cities.” Since 2010, IDC has started developing the Primavera Residences. Tower 1, called Citta Verde, was completed in December 2012. Said property has a total land area of 1,126 square meter, with 142 residential units, 10 commercial units, eight office spaces and nine parking units. Other projects in the IDC pipeline are Citta Bella, Citta Grande and Citta Alta. Moreover, the company saw expansion in Santo Tomas, Batangas. In 2017, it started Miramonti Residences in the locale, with a land area of 2,057 sq m. With the development almost complete, Nati believes IDC has a solid position in CDO, being “the first developer to build condominiums [there].” The project involves three phases. The first will be a mixed-use condominium, while the second can be used for a business-process outsourcing facility. The third is envisioned to be a branded hotel and luxury apartment. Furthermore, the IDC’s CEO believes the size of the Mindanao city is ideal to do vertical projects because of its smaller size compared to Davao City.

Green expansions

AFTER completing the Primavera undertaking, IDC is setting its sights on creating a land bank for future expansion. For its next move, Nati wants to lead IDC into

horizontal development, and is studying a new product in the economic housing market. He said the economic housing market is appreciative of a product that is unique as it will carry values of sustainability and design, where IDC puts premium in all their projects. “[Leviste] and I spend 40 percent of our time in business development as [we head into] expansion,” Nati explained. “We also [devote our energies] and resources in research and development, because we want to continue to innovate.” IDC has tapped the International Finance Corp. of the World Bank for their rating standard. It uses the rating norm of Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (known as EDGE among practitioners), because it is “friendly” to the builder and allows modifications online. IFC evaluates and assesses IDC’s projects after their completion. For the architect, a green certification should take into consideration a building’s specifications. For one, Filipino characteristics are different from Italians and other nationalities. In addition, energy and power consumption in the country are also given importance because of their expensive rates. “It is important in the rating system. In all, our buildings are designed according to the conditions of the area,” Nati said.

Sweet success

IDC has been cited by several prestigious international organizations, such as the International Property Awards, the Philippine Green Building Council and CTI-Private Financing Advisory Network. For its part, Primavera City was distinguished in the 2017 Asia Pacific Property Awards as the Best Mixed-Used Development in the Philippines. Meanwhile, Primavera Residences previously captured the Leadership in Sustainability Design and Performance of the Philippine Green Building Council in 2016. In the 2014 and 2015 editions of the Asia Pacific Property Awards, the aforementioned IDC property bagged the Best Mixed-Used Development in the Philippines. With the successes currently being reaped by his company, Nati believes his fellowmen can also experience the same level of achievements, as they will find it easy to adjust to the Filipino way of life and culture, given the many commonalities between the two people. “We are very similar in many aspects, such as religion, family values and beliefs,” he said. No wonder, the architect encourages his fellow Italians to join his advocacy in developing green projects in the Philippines. “Italians are known to be very attentive to detail, while Filipinos are excellent in technical aspects. Both complement each other,” he opined. With the way things are going for him and IDC, Nati is undoubtedly enjoying la dolce vita in this country.

Envoys& BusinessMirror

E2 Thursday, January 30, 2020

EMBASSIES, EVENTS, ETC.

HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY Ambassadors comprising the members of

the Philippine diplomatic corps, officials of the Philippine Women’s University and other dignitaries join the International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the PWU campus on January 27. The date also marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. PNA/AVITO C. DALAN

IN REMEMBRANCE Israel’s Ambassador to the Philippines Rafael Harpaz lights a candle during the International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Philippine Women’s University campus, also on January 27. The commemoration is in line with a United Nations General Assembly resolution adopted in 2005, which calls for an annual International Day of Commemoration, in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, where 6 million Jews and many others perished during World War II. PNA/AVITO C. DALAN

INDONESIA-SARANGANI LINKS Indonesian Consul General Dicky Fabrian recently paid a courtesy visit to Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon of Sarangani province to pursue continued bilateral relations, cooperation and partnership in the areas of investment, trade, education, scholarship, as well as the presence of Indonesian and Filipino nationals in both countries. The Davao City-based consulate and the Sarangani provincial government have collaborated in many instances, particularly the participation of Indonesians in the cultural events of the annual MunaTo Festival. Sarangani also hosts a community of second-generation Indonesians from the Sulawesi provinces in the municipality of Glan. In photo are Assistant Provincial Administrator Engr. Gerald Faciol (from left); Indonesia’s Consul General for Social, Cultural and Information Affairs Henny Mulyani; Solon; Fabrian and his wife Madam Fera Adriani Fabrian; as well as consulate staff members Marian Ela Ebillo and Chandra Nuresa.

New Milan consul general assumes office

ILAN—Bernadette Therese C. Fernandez assumed her position as the Philippines’s new consul general in Milan, Italy, on January 17, taking over Irene Susan B. Natividad, who completed her tour of duty in October 2019. Prior to her new assignment, Fernandez served as the deputy consul general in Toronto, Canada. She was minister and consul general at the Philippine Embassy in London from 2006 to 2012, and prior, was the second secretary and consul at the Philippine Embassy in Beijing from 1997 to 2003. In Manila, she was the executive director and acting assistant secretary of the Office of the United Nations and International Organiza-

tions between 2014 and 2016, director of the Office of European Affairs in 2013 and 2014, acting director and director at the Office of Personnel and Administrative Services covering 2003 to 2006, and assistant director and acting director at the Office of Asia-Pacific Affairs in 1997. She is married to fellow diplomat Atty. Francisco Noel Fernandez, currently the deputy chief of mission of the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa, Canada. DFA

CONSUL General to Milan Bernadette Therese C. Fernandez (center, seated) with personnel of the Philippine Consulate General in Milan and attached agencies MILAN PCG

Philippines seeks bilateral ties with Bhutan D T

Eva Air combats nCoV

HE Philippines has taken the initial step toward the establishment of diplomatic relations with Bhutan, as confirmed by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). “[There is keen interest] to establish diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Bhutan, and has indicated this interest for some time,” the DFA told Philippine News Agency. In December 2019, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Meynardo LB. Montealegre called on Bhutan Foreign Minister Dr. Tandi Dorji and presented a letter from Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr., conveying the country’s desire to establish diplomatic links with Bhutan. “The establishment of diplomatic relations is a process that entails sustained contacts and discussions between both sides. The recent mission of the [DFA] to Thimphu is an important and significant step in moving forward this priority undertaking,” the foreign affairs agency further stated. While the two nations had never es-

tablished consular ties, Manila maintains warm relations with Bhutan’s capital city of Thimphu, as the two engaged in significant practical and technical cooperation over the past few years. In the past, the DFA said the Philippines had already welcomed a number of Bhutanese officials on missions for training, or to exchange best practices. “Formal relations between the Philippines and Bhutan can only promote further amity, goodwill and cooperation between the two countries with great affinity and much to learn from each other, not only as Asian neighbors but also as nations that rank high in happiness indices,” the department noted. Bhutan, recognized as the “happiest place on Earth,” has been lauded by Manila in the past for its “gross national happiness index,” a measurement of the South Asian country’s progress by giving equal importance to noneconomic aspects of a people’s well-being. Bhutan became a member of the United Nations in 1971. To date, it maintains diplomatic relations with only 53 countries. Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA

FOREIGN Affairs Assistant Secretary for Asia and Pacific Affairs Meynardo LB. Montealegre (left) presented a letter to Foreign Minister Dr. Tandi Dorji, conveying the Philippines’s desire to establish diplomatic relations with Bhutan. DFA-OFFICE OF ASIA AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS

MONTEALEGRE (center), and Ambassador of the Philippines to India Ramon S. Bagatsing Jr. (left) call on Secretary Sonam Wangchuk of Bhutan’s Ministry of Labor and Human Resources DFA-ASPAC

PHILIPPINE delegation with Commissioner Dr. Ugyen Tshewang (second from left) and Commissioner Dhanapati Mishra (second from right) of Bhutan’s Royal Civil Service Commission DFA-ASPAC

ESPITE not having flights to China’s Wuhan City, Taiwan’s Eva Air is taking every precaution against the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and makes every effort to help contain the dreaded epidemic. According to Eva Air, all its flights to and from high-risk areas, such as mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau require crewmembers to wear sanitary masks and use gloves when collecting food trays from passengers after meals. Should they encounter passengers who appear ill, they take every precaution by wearing N95 respirator masks and medical-grade masks, which are available in all Eva flights, and frequently washing their hands. The airline has also increased its supply of sanitary masks on flights to and from the abovementioned locations. Every aircraft in Eva’s fleet is equipped with high-efficiency particulate air, or Hepa, filtration systems to ensure good air-cabin quality. In a statement, Eva said it is following the Taiwan Center for Disease Control guidelines and, in addition, providing health-care brochures to passengers departing from the said areas with information on avoiding catching or spreading the nCOV. Eva subsidiary Uni Air is also taking infection-preventive measures on its airsea services connecting Taiwan and mainland China via Kinmen and Matsu Islands, commonly referred to as the “Mini-threelinks.” “If we discover a passenger has a fever or abnormal [health] condition during a flight, we move that individual as far away from others as possible. We clean our aircraft thoroughly after flights. If we suspect an aircraft had carried infected passengers, we sterilize all cabins to minimize infection risks,” Eva Air stated.

&Expats

envoys.expats.bm@gmail.com |Thursday, January 30, 2020 E3

AS PHL EXPORTS ENTER E.U. MARKET TARIFF-FREE

ECCP: PHL economy in 2019 ‘extremely resilient’

UROPEAN Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) President Nabil Francis said the country’s economy has become “extremely resilient” in 2019 amid external factors and challenges in the domestic environment. Francis made the statement at a press conference on January 22, following the Philippine Statistics Authority’s report on last year’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth, which settled at 5.9 percent—below the government’s target, and the lowest level in eight years. “Looking at the external environment, I think [it] was quite challenging in 2019 because of the factors that [did not emanate locally, but had an impact to] our economy,” he said. The ECCP president cited the United States-China trade friction, the Brexit, and the softening of the Chinese economy as major factors that affected the global economy last year. With that backdrop, local factors influenced the economic performance of the country last year,

particularly the delay in passing the 2019 national budget that slowed down the rollout of public spending on infrastructure projects, he said. But the Philippine economy was able to withstand external, as well as internal challenges and grew at 5.9 percent nonetheless, which was still one of the fastest in the region, Francis said. Francis remained optimistic with the economic growth in 2020, with the timely enactment of the national budget, a “BBB+” credit rating for the Philippines, and a strong growth in consumption driven by remittances. He said the Philippine government should keep a close watch on its trade balance and attract more foreign direct investments. “We should promote the Philippines and make sure that [it] is

ECCP President Nabil Francis (left) and Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines Chargé d’affaires Thomas Wiersing PNA/KRIS CRISMUNDO

a magnet for foreign investors,” he added.

Brisk bilateral trade

MEANWHILE, some €2 billion, or about P113 billion, worth of Philippine products entered the European Union market tariff-free under the Generalized Scheme of Preference Plus (GSP+) in 2020.

Delegation of the EU to the Philippines Chargé d’affaires Thomas Wiersing said it is estimated that 25 percent of total Philippine exports to the EU in 2019 utilized the GSP+. Most of the products that entered the EU market at zero tariffs were agricultural exports, he stated. The EU GSP+ allows 6,274 goods from the country to enter the EU

Envoy: PHL-Russia defense coop on ‘right track’

HE effort to establish defense cooperation between Manila and Moscow is on the right path, the Russian Federation’s Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev said. The affirmation comes days after President Duterte renewed calls for closer ties with Russia and hailed it for respecting the Philippines’s sovereignty. “We are on the right track,” Khovaev told reporters in an interview. “We attach great importance to this cooperation. We are ready, and we are taking the necessary measures in order to help your country to increase your defense capability.” Meanwhile, the envoy clarified that this

has “nothing to do with the relationship of the Philippines with any other country.” Earlier, Duterte threatened to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States after it revoked the visa of Sen. Ronald de la Rosa, the former Philippine National Police chief who implemented the administration’s crackdown against illegal drugs. The VFA, signed in 1988, gives clear instructions on the treatment of visiting American troops in the Philippines. As a Russian diplomat, Khovaev maintained that he is not in a position to make comments on Manila’s domestic political developments and its links with other nations. Joyce Ann L.

AMBASSADOR Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev PNA

Rocamora/PNA

market minus tariffs. “It is, therefore, hoped that the GSP+ utilization rate of the Philippines further increases in 2020. [And] with the implementation of the REX, [or Registered Exporters] system of self-certification by the EU beginning January 2020, Filipino exporters will have faster processing time for their documentary

requirements specific to GSP+-beneficiary products,” Wiersing said. Wiersing shared that the EU Commission’s biennial GSP+ report will be published soon. It includes the progress of the Philippines in implementing the 27 international conventions relating to human rights, labor rights, environment and good governance from 2018 to 2019. The chargé d’affaires further said two-way trade between the Philippines and the EU in the first 11 months of 2019 increased by 5 percent to €15.1 billion, from €14.4 billion in the same period in 2018. Philippine exports to the EU from January to November 2019 went up by 2 percent to €7.5 billion, while imports from the bloc grew faster at 8 percent, or the same amount. “The figure shows that for the first time in many years, the EU has a marginal trade surplus with the Philippines of around €89 million, coming from a trade deficit of around €321 million,” Wiersing shared. He added that increasing imports from the EU is expected this year, following the delivery of 32 Airbus A321 Neo orders from Cebu Pacific. “Overall, EU-Filipino trade is relatively smooth,” Wiersing declared. Kris Crismundo/PNA

SoKor shortens visa-processing period

HE South Korean Embassy in Manila announced that its visaprocessing turnaround starting next month will be reduced to about two weeks. “The embassy has allotted additional visa staff[member]s for faster processing of Korean visa applications. Therefore, by the end of February, the current visa-processing period of 25 to 27 days will be reduced to 10 to 15 days,” its January 20 statement read. The embassy said the reduced processing period will also be retained during the peak season from March to April. Applying for a Korean visa prior to

purchasing airline tickets is a must, since the issuance is subject to the approval of the consul in charge. Since July 2018, the embassy has only accepted walk-in applicants for spouses and children of Koreans, holders of visa-issuance numbers, government employees with official business trips, and for those with urgent travel to South Korea for humanitarian reasons. Due to the increase in the number of applicants, the embassy in 2018 decided to process all temporary visitors’ visa applications through designated travel agencies. Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA

Japan provides funding for PHL sericulture through OISCA International

MBASSADOR Koji Haneda signed on January 20 the Project for Negros— spreading sericulture-based silkworms nationwide deployment support (Phase2)—a grant contract at the Embassy of Japan with the Resident Representative Yukihiro Ishibashi of the Organization for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement (OISCA) International, a Japanese nongovernment organization (NGO) that conducts activities in the Philippines. Economic Minister Masahiro Nakata witnessed the ceremony. The production of textiles is popular in the Philippines. However, Filipinos commonly rely on imports from other countries for some of its raw silk materials, including those used for traditional costumes, such as the barong Tagalog. The Philippine government aims to achieve the domestic production of all silk threads used in the country, making the nationwide deployment of support for sericulture with OISCA an essential project to achieve this goal. According to the embassy, the assistance of the NGO in the local silk-farming industry has come a long way, carrying out sericulture

AMBASSADOR Koji Haneda (left) and Organization for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement International Resident Representative Yukihiro Ishibashi

support business in the Negros Island for more than 20 years. In this project, seven provinces (Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Aklan, Iloilo, Antique, Misamis Oriental and Negros Occidental) will undergo leadership development

seminars for spreading sericulture operations, short-term training for sericulture farmers and mulberry field maintenance. All these aim to develop model sericulture workers, whose additional expertise in the future will certainly increase

the production of cocoon and highquality raw silk. A small grant-funding program of Japan’s official development assistance, an amount of $473,329 (approximately P24 million), was funded for this venture through the

“Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects.” Said entity started its operations in the Philippines in 2002. Since then, the Japanese government has made contracts for 51 projects in the Philippines under this scheme, amounting to ap-

proximately ¥1.2 billion in total. Japan believes that this project will not only strengthen the friendship between its people and those from the Philippines, but will also bolster the existing strategic partnership between the two countries.

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Intl support streams steadily for Taal victims

HE Philippines has yet to make calls for international humanitarian assistance to benefit Taal Volcano eruption-affected residents, but aid amounting to millions of pesos from other countries continue to pour in. “[There’s] no official call for international assistance by the government. However, countries may extend assistance to local government units, nongovernment organizations, and other entities if they wish,” Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez told reporters. “The Department of Foreign Affairs can help coordinate individual country assistance with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council-Office of Civil Defense. Some countries have gone directly to [the Philippine] Red Cross

and others, or even extended help to evacuation centers,” Meñez added. On January 23, Japan extended an in-kind emergency assistance of anti-dust respirators through the Japan International Cooperation Agency. “As a volcanic country like the Philippines, Japan has repeatedly experienced hardships caused by [eruptions and accompanying earthquakes] in its history. We are in solidarity with the people of the Philippines in facing this challenge,” the embassy in Manila declared.

AMBASSADOR Huang Xilian (left) hands over to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Enrique Manalo China’s financial assistance for affected individuals by the Taal Volcano eruption. CHINESE EMBASSY IN MANILA/PNA

“[Our government has] made the above decision on rendering emergency relief from a humanitarian point of view, and in light of the friendship between Japan and the Philippines,” it added. Earlier, South Korea’s Ambassador Han Dong-man turned over $200,000, or about P10 million, to the Philippine Red Cross, an amount

seen to help about 45,000 people displaced in the Calabarzon region. For its part, the United States will be providing $100,000 (about P5.1 million) in relief assistance to the communities affected by the recent eruption and continued unrest of Taal Volcano, its embassy in Manila said. The aid was announced by Ambas-

sador Sung Y. Kim, himself, during his visit in two evacuation centers in Nasugbu and Calatagan towns of Batangas. Washington, by way of United States Agency for International Development, has partnered with World Vision in providing relief supplies that included soap, sleeping mats and blankets, to nearly 7,600 people temporarily housed at the Nasugbu West Central School evacuation center. (See story below.) In Calatagan, Kim joined partners from the Philippines Disaster Resilience Foundation, a major private-sector organization and coordinator for disaster management, in distributing supplies to displaced Batangueños. The US Embassy said the newly announced funding complements its existing support to transport emergency supplies to evacuees. It also includes provisions of technical assistance to manage evacuation centers, as well as a set of loans of specialized equipment,

and analytic support to monitor the Taal Volcano. The People’s Republic of China likewise, donated RMB1 million, or more than P7.2 million, to support communities affected by the recent eruption. Ambassador Huang Xilian handed the check to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Enrique Manalo on January 22, at the Department of Foreign Affairs headquarters, in Manila. A statement from the Chinese Embassy read the ambassador “expressed his deep sympathies to... Filipino friends affected by the recent volcano eruption.” “Huang said the Chinese side looks forward to lending more strength to the disaster-relief efforts [of Filipino counterparts] to overcome the difficulties, and help the affected people restore their normal livelihood [the earliest].” it announced. The embassy also sent face masks, bags of rice and other relief goods to the victims. Joyce Ann

L. Rocamora/PNA, with a report from Xinhua

US envoy visits World Vision relief ops for Taal Volcano U NITED States Ambassador Sung Y. Kim, joined by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) officials and implementing partneragency World Vision Philippines, visited the emergency-relief response activities in one of the evacuation centers in Batangas on January 22. Kim also announced his country’s commitment of $100,000 to fund immediate relief drive through the nongovernment organization. “I’m inspired by the strength and resilience of these families who faced such devastation and loss following the volcanic eruption,” the envoy shared. “As friends, partners and allies to the Philippines, we will continue to support our Philippine government counterparts as

they work to address the needs of those communities most affected by the eruption.” USAID’s funding assistance aims to provide emergency relief to 1,900 households, or approximately 7,600 individuals, sheltered in the town of Nasugbu, who fled from danger zones surrounding Taal Volcano. Represented by National Director Rommel V. Fuerte, World Vision Philippines expressed its gratitude to the ambassador and USAID partners for their generous support and trust. “[We deeply appreciate] the support given by USAID to the children and families affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano,” Fuerte shared. “Indeed, no challenge is so immense when brothers and sisters work together to help uplift

WORLD Vision Philippines National Director Rommel V. Fuerte and Ambassador Sung Y. Kim agree to work together to help children and families affected by the Taal Volcano eruption.

THE ambassador gives out boxes of relief goods to children and families in an evacuation center.

the lives of so many people. Thank you also to US Ambassador Sung Kim for the solidarity with our government and the whole Filipino nation. God bless us all.” World Vision Philippines has, so far, reached 1,200 families a week after Taal Volcano caused massive ashfall and volcanic threat on January 12. It has been on the ground since Day One of the eruption, assessing and coordinating with local authorities in providing evacuees with identified emergency needs, such as hygiene

KIM volunteers for World Vision Philippines’s child-friendly spaces for kids affected by the Taal Volcano eruption.

kits containing bath and laundry soaps, toothbrushes and toothpastes; sanitary packs; nail cutters; undergarments and malong (tube skirt); nonfood items of mosquito nets, mats and blankets, dust masks; and drinking water. The organization has also set up childfriendly spaces, as well as conducted fun games and art activities to help children cope from the situation and Taal’s unrest. To also help families recover, World Vision Philippines also looks into facilitat-

ing cash-for-work programs, especially for those who permanently lost their homes and livelihood. To support affected children and their families, access World Vision’s donation page online: https://wvph.co/DonateForTaal or call (02) 8372-7777/0917-8664824. Like and follow World Vision Philippines on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or visit its official web site www.worldvision.org.ph for more updates and information.