BusinessMirror July 13, 2022 by BusinessMirror

BOC revenue collection target now at ₧733B By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

resident Marcos Jr.’s economic team further jacked up the revenue collection target of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for this year to P733 billion. Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said on Tuesday that the Cabinet-level Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) approved the bureau’s new full-year collection target, which is around P54 billion or 8 percent higher than their initial goal of P679.226 billion. Despite this, Guerrero is bullish that the BOC would be able to hit the higher revenue target on the back of the improved import

volume and the windfall from oil price hikes and weaker peso which meant higher costs for imports. He added that the BOC still has surplus of around P40 billion relative to their new collection target for this year. “Talagang kakayanin. We have shown you how our systems really contributed sa efficient collection namin and we are very confident that we will be able to hit our revenue target,” he told reporters in news briefing. In the first half, the BOC has so far collected P396.8 billion, equivalent to more than half of the adjusted target. To cushion the impact of rising oil prices, Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno earlier said

the Marcos administration will be using the windfall tax from fuel to fund and continue the fuel subsidy that was put in place by the previous government. For this year, the government’s economic team is expecting state revenues to hit P3.3 trillion while disbursements are projected to hit P4.95 trillion. As a result, budget deficit for this year is seen to settle at P1.65 trillion or 7.6 percent of GDP. Meanwhile, Guerrero also told reporters that the BOC is eyeing to auction off seized smuggled rice, among other commodities, together with the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) and the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank). In a bid to generate revenues,

former Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III in December last year ordered the disposal of seized smuggled luxury cars through public auction to be handled by the newly formed inter-agency auction committee composed of representatives from BOC, BTr and LandBank. The plan to include other commodities to be disposed via the inter-agency auction is yet to be approved by Diokno, Guerrero told the BusinessMirror. “For now luxury vehicles pa lang ang in-auction jointly with BTr-LandBank. Plano pa lang yung auction for all other commodities. Auction is streamed live online See “BOC,” A2

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‘COSTLY FUEL, FOOD TO BLOAT TRADE GAP’ www.businessmirror.com.ph

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

he country’s trade deficit is expected to widen further on the back of more expensive fuel and food items as well as the soaring dollar, according to local economists. On Tuesday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the country’s balance of trade in goods (BoT-G) amounted to negative $5.68 billion, indicating a trade deficit, which widened by 78.6 percent year-on-year. The trade deficit in May recorded an annual increase of 72.7 percent. A year ago, the gap widened by 142.1 percent. “I think these are due both to supply side constraints and the weakening of the peso. This situation depends crucially on the Ukraine war as well as the continued presence of the virus threat,” Ateneo Eagle Watch Senior Fellow Leonardo A. Lanzona Jr. told this newspaper. “It seems hard to predict how this will go. But both forces seem complementary. So, the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine can go a long way,” he added. Based on the PSA data, total imported goods in May 2022 reached $11.99 billion representing a growth of 31.4 percent while exports reached $6.31 billion which reflected a 6.2 percent increase. In terms of imports, fertilizers posted the highest growth at 132 percent followed by Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and Related Materials at 128.7 percent; and fish and fish preparations, 73.3 percent. See “Trade gap,” A2

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 Vol. 17 No. 278

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AN attendant at a gas station on Tomas Morato in Quezon City shows a new P1,000 bill on Tuesday, July 12, 2022. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has clarified that folded polymer banknotes can still be used for payment amid posts on social media that some business establishments are refusing to accept crimped notes. NONOY LACZA

Folded banknotes are legal tender—BSP By Bianca Cuaresma

BAI: CHICKEN SUPPLY WILL SOON CATCH UP WITH DEMAND By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

@joveemarie

he Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) on Tuesday said the country’s chicken output and supply would soon rise as local raisers have started to restock their farms. During the “Laging Handa” briefing, BAI OIC-Director Reildrin Morales said local farms are

now at full capacity and that output would soon be able to catch up with the demand for poultry. “Let’s look at the harvest [in] July and August, because companies say that their farms are [now] at full capacity and let’s look at the coming cycle, that harvest, what will be the impact of that. Hopefully, our supply will catch up with the high demand,” Morales said. “So, we are hoping that when

our supply increases, the retail price of chicken will decline. The harvest this July and August, let’s see what impact it will have on our market,” he added. Morales also reiterated that there is no shortage of chicken. “Ang sinasabi nga natin ay nandoon naman iyong supply at medyo manipis nga lamang siya. Hindi po natin mabanggit na iyong shortage talaga per se, ang bilihan. Ang sabi

nga po ng ibang mga fast-food—if you are referring to the fast-food chain—na mayroong supply, subalit hindi lamang ito akma doon sa specifications na kailangan nila,” he said. Last week, fast-food restaurants Jollibee and McDonald’s said their stores had been experiencing chicken supply issues.

@BcuaresmaBM

he Bangko Sentra l ng Pilipinas (BSP) said Tuesday that consumers need not replace their bifold wallet as folded banknotes, including the new polymer 1,000-peso bill, are legal tender and should be accepted in local transactions nationwide. The BSP also advised retailers and banks to fully accept folded polymer banknotes. In a public advisory, the BSP said folded banknotes, whether paper or polymer, can still be circulated and accepted for payment. “As such, retailers and banks should accept them for day-today payment transactions,” the BSP said. The statement was made after concerns were raised on social media regarding non-acceptance by some establishments of folded 1000-Piso polymer banknotes. “Recently, the BSP issued guidelines on the proper handling of polymer banknotes. This includes storing banknotes in wallets where they fit properly, keeping them clean, and using them as payment for goods and services,” the BSP

See “BAI,” A2 See “BSP,” A2

PESO exchange rates n US 55.9470 n japan 0.4071 n UK 66.5378 n HK 7.1273 n CHINA 8.3329 n singapore 39.8114 n australia 37.6635 n EU 56.1764 n KOREA 0.0427 n SAUDI arabia 14.9037 Source: BSP (12 July 2022)

BusinessMirror

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Exporters want to cut costs as logistics crisis worsens

By Andrea E. San Juan

Expo (PBC&E) held in Manila on Tuesday. Ferrer, who is also chairman of the PCCI’s 48th PBC&E, said expensive power and the spike in fuel prices have significantly increased manufacturing cost in the Philippines. “Everybody’s looking for inno-

vative ways on how to save. Fuel, logistics are very expensive,” he said. PCCI’s vice president said the government and the private sector must work together to reduce the cost of doing business in the country and make the Philippines more competitive. As for the impact of the weakening peso on exports, Ferrer said certain sectors like semiconductor industry would see some gains. He said, however, that the depreciation of the peso would make life difficult for manufacturers who are import-dependent. Despite these challenges, the PCCI official expects the manufacturing sector to expand this year. He also said the sector could grow higher if it can get the support it needs to overcome supply chain issues and high input costs. As they work on the factors

within their control, Ferrer said there are initiatives in place “internally” in the Philippines for the manufacturers. On the semiconductor side, he said, companies are ramping up production and increasing capacity. For his part, PCCI President George T. Barcelon said exporters are being weighed down by high freight costs and slow turnaround time. “For North America, [freight cost] has gone up by about 200, 300 percent and not only that, the turnaround time is very slow so there’s not enough shipping space and the freight cost is very high,” said Barcelon. He said food producers, particularly those who are into exporting perishable fruits, are the most affected by the slow turnaround time and prohibitive freight cost. Last week Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) President Rosemarie B. Ong said during the group’s general membership meeting that the lead time of companies has been prolonged. She said this can be attributed to the reopening of economies.

above guidelines apply to both paper and polymer banknote. The handling guidelines were issued to raise public awareness on the proper use of polymer and paper bank notes to safeguard their integrity and

prolong their lifespan,” the BSP said in a statement. “If an individual is doubtful on the value and/or authenticity of a banknote, he or she is encouraged to go to any bank for assistance. The bank will then refer

the banknote to the BSP for examination,” the statement further read. Earlier this month, the BSP announced that it has launched a webpage to increase public awareness of the new 1000-Piso polymer banknote. T he website showcases the poly mer banknote’s design, benefits, and security features; guidelines on proper handling; and timeline of release of more notes into circulation. It also contains images of the new polymer banknote from varying angles to provide the public an opportunity to explore its key features.

he Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said exporters are looking for ways to cut costs as they grapple with a global container shortage and high logistics cost.

“Most of the exporters are trying to find ways on how to cut costs here. So that is how most of the export manufacturing services are coping now,” said EMPS Group of Companies Chairman and CEO Ferdinand A. Ferrer on the sidelines of the 48th Philippine Business Conference and

BSP. . . Continued from A1

said, adding that the typical bifold wallet fits this criteria. “ The BSP stresses that the

BAI. . . Continued from A1

According to Morales, the increase in demand was caused by the opening of a number of businesses, including hotels and restaurants, now that pandemic restrictions are more relaxed. With the economy slowly opening up and creating job opportunities, he said more consumers have the purchasing power to buy meat for their families. Meanwhile, Morales assured the public that the agency has put in place interventions following regular consultations with the industry stakeholders. He said the BAI has lined up interventions that include increasing production and stabilizing supply and market price. Among the measures being undertaken is allowing inter-island movement of day-old chicks, hatching eggs and ready to lay pullets from mainland Luzon. For day-old chicks and hatching eggs, movement is allowed provided they tested negative for avian influenza (AI) 28 days from the date of sample collection. For ready to lay pullets, movement is allowed provided they tested negative for AI 14 days from the date of sample collection. Aside from this, BAI determines the actual supply scenario by working closely with partners from the private sector in regularly validating the broiler life cycle model. To address the high cost of agricultural inputs, Morales said DA executives will be conducting dialogues with other countries on possible alternative sources of cheaper feed ingredients. The DA has already lifted the temporary ban for poultry products from Spain, Denmark, Czech Republic. The BAI has also monitored a decrease in the volume of production due to high cost of feed inputs and diseases as well as the stunted growth of birds. Earlier, President and Agriculture Secretary Ferdinand Marcos Jr., announced that his administration’s priority is the increase of the production of the country’s major staples, including corn.

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BOC. . . Continued from A1

using the internet to attract more bidders and for transparency and fairness,” he said in a Viber message. Apart from this, Customs Deputy Commissioner Edward James A. Dy Buco said they still has to auction off around 20 seized luxury cars for this year, which they expect to generate an estimated P100 million. Before the creation of the inter-agency auction committee, smuggled vehicles were destroyed instead of being auctioned off as the BOC followed President Duterte’s directive. In 2018, Duterte said he wanted to do away with the public auction of smuggled luxury cars as he alleged that smugglers take advantage of the auction to buy the vehicles at a cheaper price. However, Customs officials assured the public that they are taking the necessary steps to ensure that smugglers do not take advantage of the seized smuggled items that were put on the auction block.

Trade gap. . . Continued from A1

Cereal and cereal preparations were also part of the top 5 commodity groups that posted the highest growth in May at 65.7 percent. “Yes [the trade deficit will widen] because they indicate [that] there’s the economic recovery and demand is strong; the continuing global inflation on fuels and food our major import; the export disruption due global supply chain problems after the pandemic,” former dean of the University of the Philippines School of Economics Ramon Clarete told the BusinessMirror. “Trade deficit will continue to tighten, pushing up the value of the dollar. The United States Fed [Federal Reserve] monetary supply tightening in the US will exacerbate peso depreciation as forex [foreign exchange] reserves will be going out of the country to the US,” he added. Former Tariff Commissioner George Manzano told the BusinessMirror in a phone interview that the increase in the imports of fertilizers and fuels, as recorded by the PSA data, takes into account the jump in the value of these products. The rise in the country’s import bill, he said, is due to the spike in the prices of these commodities.

Impact of Ukraine war

Manzano said prices of certain products, such as fertilizer and wheat, are due to the sanctions imposed on Russia as well as the fact that Ukraine was one of the world’s top sources of wheat. With the war, the prices of these commodities would still rise even if countries like the Philippines are able to source these products elsewhere. “When the world market is depressed, the price will go up whether it [commodity] comes from India or from the US because these are commodity prices, [this is the behavior of] world markets. Effectively, you have sanctions on Russia and you have a disturbance in Ukraine, [this] will affect supply,” Manzano said. At the commodity level, imports of urea which is used by rice farmers, reached $58.8 million in May from $19.03 million last year. This represented a growth of 209 percent. On average, urea imports reached $171.11 million in January to May, 101.3 percent higher than the $85.01 million recorded a year ago. Data from the PSA also indicated that import payments for wheat soared 156.1 percent to $245.2 million in May from $95.76 million last year. In January to May, wheat imports nearly doubled to $1.048 billion, from $527.17 million in the same period in 2021. “The fertilizer and fuel imports comprised a large portion of imports because the global inflation caused by the Russian-Ukraine war led to a rise in oil and gas prices. Since fertilizer production is energy intensive, food production that uses fertilizers is also costly,” University of the Philippines Professor Emeritus Epictetus Patalinghug told the BusinessMirror. “Given global oil and fertilizer supply and price trends, food is expected to be expensive. The depreciation of the peso is going to make food imports more expensive and will most probably widen the trade deficit the rest of this year,” he added. Under Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and Related Materials, imports of coal and petroleum crude surged by 142.7 percent and 59.1 percent, respectively. Imports of coal in May reached $476.76 million while petroleum crude amounted to $210.51 million. However, the import bill of these products was much higher in the January to May period. The country’s coal imports since January leaped by 161.6 percent to $1.828 billion while petroleum crude shipments jumped by 397.2 percent to $1.052 billion. The data also showed the “Others” under Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and Related Materials, also posted a growth of 138.5 percent and in the January to May period, 116.5 percent. PSA said “Others” includes diesel fuel and fuel oils, light oils and preparations, aviation turbine fuel, and other mineral fuels, lubricant and related materials. “My sense is that the deficit still has room to widen, but the cheaper peso will start to slow down the pace of growth,” Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Senior Research Fellow Roehlano Briones told this newspaper.

Trade performance

In May, the country’s total external trade in goods amounted to $18.3 billion and grew by 21.5 percent on an annual basis. In the previous month, the annual increase was slower at 20.3 percent, while in May 2021, it grew by 44.9 percent. “Of the total external trade in May 2022, 65.5 percent were imported goods, while the rest were exported goods,” PSA said. Export earnings in January to May reached $31.87 billion. This is 8.4 percent higher than the total export value recorded last year. The country’s import bill in the same period reached $56.8 billion, or 29 percent higher than last year’s $44.02 billion. Of the top 10 major exported commodity groups, 7 recorded annual increases in terms of value, led by coconut oil at 180.5 percent, followed by other mineral products at 32.9 percent, and chemicals, 23.6 percent. Most of the imported goods were electronic products with an import value of $2.78 billion or a share of 23.2 percent to total imports in May. This was followed by mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, valued at $2.26 billion or a share of 18.8 percent; and transport equipment which amounted to $908.95 million or 7.6 percent of the total. In terms of markets, the country’s top export destination was the United States, which accounted for $940.09 million or 14.9 percent of total exports during the month. The other top buyers of Philippine goods in May were Japan with $900.46 million or 14.3 percent of total exports; Hong Kong, $896.02 million or 14.2 percent; People’s Republic of China, $865.74 million or 13.7 percent; and Singapore, $382.98 million or 6.1 percent. China was the country’s top import source, accounting for $2.43 billion or 20.3 percent of the total import bill in May. The other top import sources of the Philippines were the Republic of Korea with $1.21 billion or 10.1 percent of total imports; Japan, $1.04 billion or 8.7 percent; Indonesia, $947.62 million or 7.9 percent; and Taiwan, $740.37 million or 6.2 percent.

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House bloc bill slashes tax rates for middle class households By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

HE House Makabayan bloc on Tuesday filed the proposed Tax Reform Act for the Masses and the Middle Class (TRAMM) to address “imbalances” in favor of poor and middle class households in the country. In the unnumbered House bill, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan Rep. Raoul Danniel Manuel said the bill aims to address imbalances brought about by regressive tax reform laws such as TRAIN and CREATE that offer “little” benefits to poor and middle-class families. The lawmakers said rising commodity prices and untamed inflation in the past few years all the more justify the need for a tax reform package that would reduce the income tax rates of overburdened Filipino working class families. They said reducing income tax rates for working families will not only improve their way of life, but also strengthen their purchasing power, which will boost overall domestic demand for consumer goods. “Rising prices and untamed inflation rates in the past few years all the more justify the need for a tax reform package that would reduce the income tax rates of the overburdened Filipino working class families. Reducing income tax rates for working families will not only improve their way of life, but also strengthen their purchasing power which will boost overall domestic demand for consumer goods,” Castro said. The bill includes setting a 20 percent maximum personal income tax rate for individual citizens. It also provides exemption of the first P400,000 of their income; bringing back additional exemptions for dependents, this time, senior citizens and persons with disabilities may be claimed as dependents. The bill allows individual citizens an additional exemption of P25,000 for each dependent not exceeding five. The measure also raised the cap for tax-free bonuses to P150,000. “Our country remains among the most unequal in the world with income shares of the poorest and richest segments of the population almost stagnant for decades and now, personal income tax rates for the poor and middle-class citizens in the Philippines are even higher than rates in other countries such as Singapore. Other countries also have additional personal allowances and/or tax exemptions for dependents, unlike here in the Philippines,” Castro said. “With increasing prices of basic goods and services, the passage of this bill is urgently needed. We urge our fellow lawmakers to give high priority to this bill and swiftly enact it into law,” Castro stressed.

PPA chief vows to ‘comply’ with DOTr order to cut travel and shipping costs

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

HE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) will “comply” with the order of Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime J. Bautista to “lower travel and shipping costs,” its chief said on Tuesday.

In a news statement, PPA Officer in Charge Manuel A. Boholano said his office has started reviewing the operations of the agency, including statutory and regulatory costs being

levied by the PPA as well as indirect costs related to the efficiency and productivity of the ports. “Our first order of business is to comply with the directive of the

HE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will intensify its efforts for the implementation of proper food labels. In a recent televised interview, DTI Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group Ruth B. Castelo said one of Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual’s marching orders was to ensure the proper expiry dates and language placed on products. “This is one of the first few marching orders that we received from Secretary Pascual ’yung expiration date ng mga produkto na kailangan talaga…,” said Castelo.

DOTr to lower travel and shipping costs,” Boholano said. He added that the group plans to make representations with other maritime government agencies, shipping line operators, and other port stakeholders to discuss the efficient utilization of facilities particularly in high-volume ports like the ports in Manila, Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, and Iloilo, among others, which are considered gateway ports. Likewise, the port agency plans to accelerate the digitalization of its processes to reduce processing time and lower overhead costs by providing quicker travel time for both passengers and port stakeholders.

Boholano said the agency is “bent to continue with its infrastructure modernization and improvement to further provide shippers, regular sea-going public, and tourists comfort and convenience while inside the ports.” He added that he plans to carry on existing policies such as the exemptions of students, senior citizens, differently-abled persons, uniformed personnel, and Medal of Valor Awardees and their first-degree kin in the payment of passenger terminal fees in all PPA-controlled ports. Since its first application prior to the pandemic, the free terminal fee is equivalent to a benefit of close to a P7-million monthly average.

To date, the PPA posted a 130-percent surge in passage traffic to 20.87 million during the first five months of 2022, versus the 9.07 million posted in the same period the year prior. Containerized cargo traffic also increased by 3.84 percent to 3.12 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) from only 3.00 million TEUs in the same period a year earlier. Shipcalls also went up 13.4 percent for the period compared to the 153,007 shipcalls posted in 2021, while total cargo volume was flat at 101.74 million metric tons. “This is a challenge that we gladly take, so let us start looking into this directive,” Boholano said.

4 lawmakers refile mandatory SIM card registration measure F

OUR lawmakers have refiled a bill requiring the registration of all subscriber identity module (SIM) cards. In House Bill (HB) No. 14, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos of Ilocos Norte, and Tingog Reps Yedda Marie K. Romualdez and Jude Acidre said currently only SIM cards for postpaid mobile or cellular phone subscriptions are required to be registered. The bill seeks to require ownership registration of SIM cards to eradicate mobile phone-aided criminal activities. The lawmakers said the affordability and accessibility of SIM cards “have resulted in the democratiza-

tion of mobile communications, possibly contributing to a more leveled playing field in terms of employment, education and access to public information.” They said a SIM card could be bought for as low as P30 from a sarisari or convenience store. The lawmakers also cited a 2020 World Bank report showing that there were 137 cellular phone subscriptions per 100 Filipinos, indicating many Filipinos had more than one subscription or mobile phone. On April 14, 2022, former President Duterte vetoed the consolidated House Bills No. 5793 and Senate Bill No. 2395, otherwise known as the SIM Card Registration Bill. The Palace said Duterte opted to

Davao DOST Halal lab gets intl accreditation, excellence award

AVAO CITY—The Halal Verification Laboratory here of the Department of Science and Technology has obtained its accreditation for International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHIA) Global Halal Standard, which grants the laboratory the international seal to certify halal products locally. The accreditation also came with a separate bestowal from a Malaysian Halal consultation body of an excellence award to cement its integrity and acceptability as a certifying body for Halal items. The DOST said in a news statement that its accreditation was valid until July 2024. The accreditation and recognition came after the DOST Region 11 laboratory received an overall rating of 95 percent in the Halal compliance audit conducted by Dr. Abdul Rafek Saleh, IHIA executive director. The DOST Region 11 laboratory primarily tests food and non-food products to ensure that they do not contain Muslim-prohibited contents. It offers services such as ethanol analysis, which tests the presence of ethanol

on food and beverages, gelatin analysis, which tests the presence of pork in gelatin products, and porcine DNA detection by RT-PCR, which determines the presence of pork DNA in non-gelatin food products. The Halal audit reviewed the implementation of laboratory testing and analysis and evaluated the services and processes in the laboratory and their compliance with the international Halal standards set by the IHIA. On July 8, the Malaysian Halal Consultation and Training (MHCT) agencyconferredanexcellenceaward to the DOST laboratory. Dr. Saleh is principal Halal consultant of the MHCT. Dr. Jane Tranquilan is its Halal lead auditor. Dr. Saleh and Dr. Tranquilan conducted a Halal Awareness Training based on the Malaysian Halal standard for the DOST regional laboratory personnel “to elevate the current level of awareness of Halal and ensure practitioners have a complete understanding of facets needed to support the growing Halal industry. The auditors commended the performance of the DOST Region 11 laboratory and congratulated the agency for the audit results. Manuel T. Cayon

DTI reminds food makers on proper labels By Andrea San Juan

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Wednesday, July 13, 2022 A3

The trade official noted that they are experiencing difficulty, especially among the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as they are not that concerned on the expiry dates. However, Castelo said, “But pinapaalala po natin that this is one of the requirements for compliance, they should be concerned.” The head of DTI Consumer Protection Group also emphasized that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a format for the expiry dates to be placed on consumable products like food and cosmetics. “May format po ’yan sa lahat ng produkto natin kung January 2023

ang expiration ninyo, ang format po niyan ay 01 for January 1st ’yung first day of the year, tapos ’yung month is spelled pero abbreviated ’yung three-letter word lang nung month tapos ’yung year na buo 2-02-3,” Castelo said. Further, Castelo said that apart from the expiry date, the trade chief also ordered to keep track of the language used on the food packaging. “May isa pa, ’yung label, di ba ’yung mga label ng pagkain ’yung mga foreign language, meron kasi tayong existing department administrative order [DAO] na pinapatupad at ngayon pa ay mag-i-intensify tayo nyan,” said the trade offical.

veto the bill as the proposal included social media, “which was not part of the original version of the bill.” It said the Palace hopes lawmakers could still be able to come out with a better version of the bill, which will be “consistent with the demands of the Constitution.” Moreover, the authors of the bill said having an unregulated SIM card market has also given way to several mobile phone scams. “The cases range from simple text messages asking users to send cellular loads, to more sophisticated voice phishing methods and marketing spams that are used to gain unauthorized access to sensitive personal information of unsuspecting mobile phone users,” the

explanatory note said. It noted that cellular phone service providers have blocked millions of text messages and SIM cards due to complaints from subscribers. “Furthermore, due to the lack of SIM card registration, it becomes nearly impossible to trace the persons behind the text scams and hold them accountable for fraud, breach of data privacy or other punishable offenses that they committed using an unknown mobile number,” it added. It said that the time “has come to regulate the sale and distribution of SIM cards in order to promote enduser accountability, prevent the proliferation of mobile phone scams and data breaches, and to assist law

enforcement agencies in resolving crimes involving the use of mobile phone units.” Under HB 14, every public telecommunications entity (PTE) or authorized seller shall require an end user to accomplish and sign in triplicate a numbered registration form issued by the PTE. The form shall include an attestation that the person appearing before the seller is the same person who accomplished the document and that he presented valid identification cards. The PTE or its authorized seller shall not sell a SIM card if the end user refuses to comply with the registration requirement, which will also apply to foreigners. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

A4 Wednesday, July 13, 2022 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

The Nation BusinessMirror

PBBM to AFP: Defend every part of PHL territory in WPS By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

EPARTMENT of National Defense (DND) Senior Undersecretary and Officer-inCharge Jose Faustino Jr. spelled out the Commander-in-Chief’s order for the military to defend every part of the country’s maritime territory in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). The Army, through its spokesman Col. Xerxes Trinidad, said Faustino emphasized the marching order of President Ferdinand “Bongbong”

R. Marcos Jr. during the first command conference of the DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The conference held on Monday on the eve of the country’s marking of the sixth-year anniversary of the UN Arbitral ruling that junked China’s expansive maritime claims against the Philippines, was also attended by Army chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. “DND OIC Usec. Faustino laid out to the AFP top brass the directive of the President and Commander-inChief Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos

Jr. to defend every square inch of the country’s territory,” Trinidad said. During the meeting, the DND chief also discussed his priorities such as defending the nation’s territorial integrity, protecting the Filipinos and ensuring state sovereignty. “He also vowed to ensure the continued implementation of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program, which is now about to enter its third horizon,” Trinidad said. In Hawaii, the commander of the US Third Fleet and concurrent com-

bined task force commander Vice Admiral Michael Boyle paid a visit on the Philippine Navy frigate BRP Antonio Luna, which is participating in the Rim of the Pacific naval exercise. Navy spokesman Cdr. Benjo Negranza said Boyle, who was accorded a fitting reception aboard ship led by its commanding officer and Philippine contingent head Captain Charles Merric Villanueva, who expressed his gratitude to the contingent for helping realize the goals and objectives of the world’s largest exercise.

Govts OK 2 new expert reports to address biodiversity crisis By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

OVERNMENTS attending the 9th session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental SciencePolicy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (#IPBES9) in Bonn, Germany, recently approved two new expert reports to address the global biodiversity crisis. The reports on “Sustainable Use of Wild Species” and “Values and Valuation of Nature” build directly on the results of the Global Assessment Report released in 2019 during the last meeting of IPBES in Paris, which expressed the alarm on the extinction of a million species of plants and animals within decades. The meeting held by #IBPES9, an intergovernmental body that assesses the state of biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides to society in response to requests from decision-makers, was attended by experts and representatives of almost 140 countries conferred to advance the necessary scientific evidence in addressing the biodiversity crisis. Reacting to the reports, Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim, Executive Director of the Asean Center for Biodiversity (ACB) said that the region’s biodiversity underpins the Asean’s economic prosperity. “The Asean region regards nature as part of the solution to the challenges we face today. The region’s healthy biodiversity provides for the vital resources such as water, clean air, flood mitigation and food supply that we all need to survive and thrive. In this regard, the Asean, as a community, is a vital part of ensuring that nature, including its multiple values, is incorporated in the paradigm shift towards sustainable growth,” Lim said in a news statement. The ACB has been facilitating actions in Asean towards building a good case

for investing in nature and biodiversityrelated actions, she added. “Cases and success stories in accounting for the diversity of nature’s values are abundant in the Asean. We look forward to supporting the Member States and working with development partners to foster impactful discussions that embed the diverse values of nature into policy decisions.” IPBES members from the Asean— Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam—were joined by the ACB Delegation during the ninth session. According to the report on “Sustainable Use of Wild Species” launched on July 8, 2022, globally, some 50,000 wild species meet the needs of billions of people. The report elaborates on the status and trends in the use of wild species in the areas of food and feed, materials, medicine, energy, recreation, ceremony, as well as learning and decoration. It also addresses the finding that the exploitation of organisms is one of the most significant direct drivers of biodiversity loss. A pool of experts, including decision-makers, scientists, practitioners, and indigenous and local knowledge holders analyzed interconnected factors that drive the use of wild species to offer recommendations on the necessary elements, enabling conditions, and standards that need to be in place to ensure sustainability. Dr. Saw Leng Guan, member of the IPBES Multidisciplinary Expert Panel (MEP) and Research Fellow and former director at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia said that: “It is important that the Asean region can use such findings to ensure that the use of our wild species in the region is sustainable,” adding that the context and nuances of the Asean region may be very important at the local level.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Marcos Jr. picks Yulo-Loyzaga to be next DENR secretary By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

RESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. is eyeing to appoint a research and climate change resilience advocate to become the next head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Press Secretary Beatrix “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles on Tuesday announced the President has officially nominated Ma. Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga, wife of former professional basketball player Joaquin “Chito” Loyzaga, for the said position. “Her nomination will still be subject to the fulfillment of the required documents,” Angeles said in a news statement. She said Loyzaga advocated for “more scientific research on climate and disaster resilience” during her stint as chairperson of the International Advisory Board of the Manila Observatory, a Jesuit scientific research institute. Loyzaga is currently affiliated

with the Manila Observatory as part of its board of trustees, according to the institute’s web site. She also served as the Senior Advisory Board of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’s (AFP) Command and General Staff College. Once of f icia l ly appointed, Loyzaga will be tasked to address the environment-related agenda of Marcos Jr., which includes ensuring local mining operations will be “clean.” The President wants to boost government revenue from locally mined ore before the said raw materials are exported. Loyzaga was the second Cabinet nominee announced by Marcos Jr. this week after Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla, who is being considered to become the secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE). Marcos Jr. has yet to complete the members of his Cabinet. Among the departments that still have no secretaries are the Department of Health and the Department of Science and Technology.

DepEd, NBI probe alleged abuse on learners at Los Baños school By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

HE Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday said the department is have coordinating with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate the alleged harassment and abuse at the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) in Los Baños, Laguna. The DepEd affirmed it is committed to protect the welfare of all learners following the reports of emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse allegations in PHSA. In a letter to the NBI dated July 11, 2022, Vice President and Secretary of Education Sara Z. Duterte requested the investigation agency to provide a comprehensive report on the issue as soon as possible. L i kew ise, DepEd h a s a l so tapped its Child Protection Unit (CPU) and Child Rights in Education Desk (CREDe) to conduct a similar investigation in relation with the agency’s Child Protection Policy. PHSA has also informed the DepEd that they are examining the current and prior information on the matter. “Concer ns a nd compl a ints concerning such abuses in PHSA are encouraged to be submitted to the school ’s Committee on Decorum and Investigation for

proper and further actions,” the DepEd said. Likewise, DepEd and the PHSA administration are currently reviewing the school’s existing policies and strengthening its internal mechanisms to ensure the safety of the students inside the premises of the institution. “The Department would like to reiterate that the agency does not tolerate abuses in any form. Under the strong leadership of Secretary Sara Duterte, DepEd will continuously promote a healthy and safe environment for our learners and teachers,” the DepEd assured. The NBI, for its part, said a special team will conduct an investigation into the alleged abuses at PHSA. NBI Officer in Charge Medardo de Lemos said the probe was in line with the request of Vice President and Education Secretary Duterte for the agency to come up with a comprehensive report on the allegations of emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse by PHSA teachers and staff against some of its students. “The request was sent yesterday [Tuesday] and we forwarded it to the bureau’s deputy investigation with instruction to form a special team and act with dispatch,” de Lemos said. The special team was given seven days to submit its report, according to de Lemos. With Joel R. San Juan

3 hurt after ammo depot fire at Army camp in CDO

HREE civilians were injured after a fire hit an Army ammunition depot in a military camp in Cagayan de Oro City that triggered loud explosions. The incident prompted Army Commanding General Romeo Brawer Jr. to immediately travel to Cagayan de Oro City to personally check the ongoing investigation into the incident. The blaze broke out at past midnight on Tuesday in one of the buildings inside the ammunition complex of the 10th Forward Service Support Unit (FSSU), Army Support Command (ASCOM) that is located inside the compound of the headquarters of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4th ID).

According to 4th ID spokesman Major Francisco Garello Jr., the building located inside Camp Evangelista in Barangay Patag, Cagayan de Oro City housed “155mm howitzer rounds and various small arms ammunitions,” triggering explosions. Garello said 11 fire trucks from the city responded but they could not get near the burning building due to the dangerous explosions. “There was no military personnel casualty, but three civilians incurred minor wounds due to shrapnel and are now being treated at Camp Evangelista Station Hospital,” he said. Garello said personnel near the fire site were evacuated for safety while

civilians living nearby were advised to evacuate to the 4ID gymnasium. While the fire was tapped out at around 3 a.m., explosive and ordnance experts could not move to clear the area as Garello said, the area needed a “cooling period.” “When the residual fire would have been completely contained, Army investigating team, including City fire authorities will come in to conduct thorough investigation to determine the cause of the incident,” he said. The Army, through its spokesman Col. Xerxes Trinidad, said the military has put up a cordon of 500-meter radius around the area. He said at least 49 families or about

233 individuals were temporarily sheltered at the camp’s gymnasium. “The Philippine Army will cooperate with the Bureau of Fire Protection in proving the root cause of the incident. The Army’s explosive ordnance disposal experts said a cooloff period will be observed before launching a formal investigation,” Trinidad said. “The Army will launch an internal investigation aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future,” he added. The Armed Forces of the Philippines, through its spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar, thanked the Bureau of Fire Protection for promptly responding to the fire.

PHL remains at Covid low-risk case classification–DOH

ESPITE the continuous rise in Covid-19 cases, the Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday asserted that the whole country remains at low-risk case classification. At a media forum, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire also said that the number of severe and critical

admissions at the national level remain at less than 1,000 since mid-March 2022 and “currently on a plateau.” Health-care utilization remains at low risk in most areas and severe and critical cases are at less than 1.5 percent among total hospital admissions nationally despite the increase in cases.

Asked by the BusinessMirror if the country will implement again strict border control following the emergence of a new subvariant Omicron BA.5.2.1 discovered in the city of Shanghai in China, Vergeire replied that the country’s borders “cannot remain closed forever.” “That’s one, because our lives would

be affected, our health because people are getting hungry. Second, we cannot just open then close again, and third we are cognizant of that path—that direction wherein if infections are expected because of the continuous mutation of the virus and because of the transmission of the virus also,” Vergeire said. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

News BusinessMirror

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Wednesday, July 13, 2022 A5

Cebu tourism stakeholders hopeful for recovery T

OURISM stakeholders in Cebu are still hard-pressed to recover from the pandemic travel restrictions and damage wrought by Typhoon “Odette.” They are hopeful, however, their recent meeting with the new tourism secretary will fast track the implementation of touristfriendly projects that can aid the industry’s rebound. Cebu Alliance of Tour Operators Specialists (Catos) President Alice

Queblatin told the BusinessMirror, “Actually domestic is the only tourism we can speak of because our major markets like Japan, Korea, and China are still not coming in. So we’re still experiencing some difficulty.” She explained domestic tourists just book hotels: “They don’t really book tours. Although somehow, when they’re in the hotels, when they notice there are new activities, then once or twice, they book tours…. In

truth, I cannot say that we’re already making a comeback.” Mia Singson Leon, vice president for hotels of the Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants Association of Cebu Inc. (HRRACI), shared that the average occupancy rate among Cebu hotels has improved and now running at “�� 40-50 percent,” from just �� 20 percent, when the quarantine system was removed on February 10. “But our room rates are very low, aver-

aging P2,000 [per night] compared to P3,000-P4,000 prior to the pandemic,” she added. She pointed out that there were a number of hotels still trying to rebuild from the damage wrought by Typhoon Odette. From February 24 to July 10, 2022, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) recorded 51,789 tourist arrivals, of which 39,016 were foreign tourists, according to data provided by the DOT. In 2021, MCIA

reported 1.33 million passengers, with domestic passengers accounting for the bulk at 1.16 million. Prepandemic, in 2019, MCIA welcomed a total of 12.7 million passengers.

Better seaports, clean toilets needed

MEANWHILE, the stakeholders said they were surprised by the invitation of Secretary-designate Christina Garcia-Frasco �� for a meet-

ing and her “attention to detail” regarding their concerns. Queblatin said, among the major concerns her sector raised was the need to “improve and enhance seaports,” to better inter-island travel in the region. “You can go on a road trip across the [Cebu] province. But when you cross over [to the other islands], there’s a ferry network, but the seaports need to be improved, orderly, organized, and safer.” Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo

BusinessMirror

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

7 PRIME TECH, INC. 10/f Ewestpod, Eton Westend Square, Yakal St. Cor. Don Chino Roces Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati ABDUL HAMID Indonesian - Speaking Customer Service Officer 1.

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

ARJUN FIRMANSYAH Indonesian - Speaking Customer Service Officer 2.

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

FIGO SHEVIEKO Indonesian - Speaking Customer Service Officer 3.

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

SANDY Indonesian - Speaking Customer Service Officer 4.

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 9.

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

Brief Job Description: Interact with customer to provide information, support and problem resolution to inquiries and order status

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin both oral and written

POPPEN, ANTONY DARRIN Operations Director - Fin Tech 10.

Brief Job Description: Perform data entry and research in various systems and tracking tools. Apply knowledge of processes and related systems to assist in identifying, assessing and resolving issues/ problems. Manages and execute order to cash helpdesk processes. Support to maintain and improve service performance metrics reports, as required. Provide status of work in process, assist in planning and coordinating execution of work, escalate issues in a timely and appropriate manner while pushing to identify resolutions provide quality, cost effective service while looking at ways to contribute to process improvement. May provide ad-hoc analyses and summaries of information as requested.

Brief Job Description: Manage solution delivery

TESZ, PIOTR Software Prod & Plat Eng Sr Analyst

Brief Job Description: Developing, maintaining, and improving nlp, training and or evaluating nlp or dialogue systems, identifying errors/regressions and proposing solutions. Contributing to various nld tasks assigned to the team. Creating, reviewing, annotating nlp linguistic data.

Brief Job Description: Develop and control the company’s annual operating budget, develop and implement an internal audit program, monitor external contracts and services provided by suppliers.

HO THI TRIEU Investigation Specialist I 11.

Basic Qualification: 10-20yrs experience in senior managerial role Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: Native speaker of german language and fluent in english. Minimum of bachelor’s degree in linguistics, computation linguistics or ralated disciplinel ability to quickly grasp technical concepts, learn inhouse tools. Keen interest in technology. Keen interest in nlp, linguistics and linguistic resources. Attention to detail and good organization and communication skill. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

CHEN, JINYUAN Field Sales Consultant 17.

Brief Job Description: The one responsible to “get the sale” using various customer sales methods.

Brief Job Description: Communicates effectively via email and/or telephone in both Thai and English language, with our customer base - buyers, merchants and internal customers.

LUO, CHAO Field Sales Consultant 18.

12.

Basic Qualification: Extensive senior level financial BPO/Shared Services experience. Knowledge of the banking/financial industry.

Brief Job Description: The one responsible to “get the sale” using various customer sales methods.

WU, JIAYI Field Sales Consultant 19.

13.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication mandarin speaking.

14.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires.

Basic Qualification: Can research accounts and generate or follow through sales leads; can valuate customers skills, needs and build productive long-lasting relationships; can meet personal and team sales targets

Basic Qualification: Excellent written and read Vietnamese& English skills, and an ability to compose a grammatically correct, concise, and accurate written response. Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate complex transactional issues correctly and clearly to both internal and external customers. Clear, crisp, and proactive documentation of operational procedures required to tackle known risk related. Self-disciplined, quick self-learning, diligent, proactive and detail oriented.

CGI (PHILIPPINES) INC. 2/f One World Square, Mckinley Hill, Pinagsama, City Of Taguig

TAPANAINEN, MIKAEL TAPANI Multilingual Service Desk Member 20.

Brief Job Description: Produce quality work and results. Ensure fast and accurate turnaround of work.

Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

CHROMELAB TECHNOLOGIES INC. 25/f Techzone Bldg., 213 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati

LEE KIAN HAO Bi-lingual Speaking Data Analyst Officer 21.

Brief Job Description: Interprets data, analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

Basic Qualification: Fluent and proficient in writing and speaking at least two of the following languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, Bahasa, Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesian, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese/ 1 year experience of working in a similar role Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PHILIPPINES, INC. 2nd, 3rd, And 4th Floors, Science Hub Tower 4 Bldg., Mckinley Hill Cyberpark, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

FAISAL MANSUR Senior Process Executive 22.

Brief Job Description: Service Support Solution includes diagnosis, resolution and reporting of customer issues and questions relating to YouTube paid content products. Service is Tier 1 end user support with escalations to Google.

Basic Qualification: BA or BS Degree (In lieu of degree, 4 years of relevant work experience), Minimum 2-year(s) customer service support experience (voice, email, or chat), working with direct consumers, preferably in a B2C environment, Native Bahasa Speaker Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write chinese language.

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Finnish, German, Polish and in English. Vocational Diploma, Short course certificate Undergraduate, or Bachelor’s/College Degree. Background and Knowledge in IT is preferred. Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

Basic Qualification: Fluency in Vietnamese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ANOC99 CORPORATION 5/f To 10/f Ayala Malls Manila Bay Building D., Macapagal Blvd. Cor. Aseana Street, Tambo, City Of Parañaque SHAUNG CHIN CHWIN Burmese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: The one responsible to “get the sale” using various customer sales methods.

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

AMUSETECH BUSINESS OUTSOURCING, OPC 2/f Rivergreen Residences, 2217 Pedro Gil St., Barangay 880, Santa Ana, City Of Manila

YANG, CHENG-HAN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

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

LA THU THANH Investigation Specialist I Brief Job Description: 1. Communicates effectively via email and/ or telephone with our customer base – buyers, merchants, and internal customers. 2. Takes appropriate action to identify and help minimize the risk posed by fraud patterns and trends 3. Consistently achieve/exceed weekly productivity and quality standards

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

MADDALA, ASHOK KUMAR Portfolio & Del Mgmt Associate Director

Basic Qualification: Passer of accenture language translation capability technical skills interview. Strong analytical and communication skills, written and oral in both english and japanese language. Outstanding interpersonal skills, the ability to influence and build relation with clients and others. Manage internal and external stakeholder expectations. Ability and or desire to excel in the it field.

AMAZON OPERATION SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. B21 Three E-com Moa Complex, Harbour Drive Cor. Bay Shore, Brgy. 076, Pasay City

ACCENTURE, INC. 7f, Robinsons Cybergate Tower 1, Pioneer St, City Of Mandaluyong

MAZMUR PETRUS CANDRA Order To Cash Operations Analyst

Brief Job Description: Spanish/japanese voice support is required for passport service desk to help and assist users who are spanish/japanese speakers. The work will provide first level of support for customer’s system incidents and requests through technical and service knowledge. Deliver client facing engagements / work at philippine delivery center. Will be in charge of translating communications, verbal and written, from spanish/japanese to english and english to spanish/japanese, so that the accenture philippines members can communicate with the stakeholders speaking the language. Will be in charge of translating work tickets, verbal and written, from spanish/japanese to english and english to spanish/japanese, so that the accenture philippines members can address the action items and resolve the complaints of the client/customers. Communicate fluently to accenture philippines and its customers, users, external vendors through face-to-face interaction, phone, office communicator and conference calls. As part of the it service desk support, provide first level helpdesk support.

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

Basic Qualification: Bpo experience an advantage but not required; graduate of 4 year course in business, finance or management preferred; computer literate and proficient in use of ms office.; good oral and communication able to communicate well in english and bahasa indonesia for verbal and written forms • analytical and fact-based decisionmaker at least 1-year experience of order to cash experience/skill is required or at least held a subject matter expert role; experience in any of skills below is preferred but not required § sales, billing, cash application, manage contracts, credit management, collections, reconciliations, respond to queries (voice and query capability) • experience in any accounting erp (oracle, sap, etc.) Ability to quickly identify issues and risks and provide recommendations • experience in team interactions and facilitation. Able to perform analysis of data and tasks of medium to high complexity.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

ACQUIRE ASIA PACIFIC (MANILA), INC. 6th Floor, 1800 Eastwood Avenue Bldg., Eastwood City Cyberpark, Bagumbayan, Quezon City

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

TYNAIBEKOVA, ALINA Mandarin Customer Service Representative

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

LOPEZ PEREDA, JORGE Sw/app/cloud Tech Support Analyst

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

www.businessmirror.com.ph

JENEDY RIZKY MAWU Senior Process Executive 23.

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

RUANG-UDOM, MANUSSANAN Chinese Customer Service Representative 15.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write chinese language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 KHARISMA MILAD Senior Process Executive

HENDY SETIAWAN Indonesian Customer Service Representative 16.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires.

C’EST LA VIE EVENT MANAGEMENT INC. 230, Narra Street, Marikina Heights, City Of Marikina

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write chinese language. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

24.

BusinessMirror

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ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

COLLABERA TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITED, INC. U-40 A-d, 40/f Rufino Pacific Tower, 6784 Ayala Ave., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

SHAH, CHARMIN Account Manager 25.

Brief Job Description: To develop long-term relationship with clients especially those Indian companies and ensure the timely and successful delivery of solutions according to the needs of clients.

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in English and can understand Indian languages. Must have at least college degree or above. Must have at least 6 months of experience in the same field as Account Mgr. in a recruitment industry with Indian client.

LI, KAI Marketing And Sales Agent 37.

HO KIM KHANH Customer Experience Associate 26.

Brief Job Description: Answers telephone, email, chat queries related to HR with the use of Vietnamese language

Basic Qualification: At Least 2nd Year College or Senior High School Graduate; Minimum 6 Months BPO Experience; Fluent in English and Vietnamese Language

27.

CHE SAN SAN Vietnamese Speaking Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Immediately escalating serious complaints or issues that you are not equipped to deal with

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

DOMINUS VISA CONSULTANCY INC. 37th Floor Lkg Tower,, 6801 Ayala Avenue,, Bel-air, City Of Makati

CHENG, HAIYAN Chinese Speaking Marketing Consultant 28.

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

DENG, YUTING Chinese Speaking Marketing Consultant 29.

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

FAN, QIQI Chinese Speaking Marketing Consultant 30.

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

GOU, LIXUAN Chinese Speaking Marketing Consultant 31.

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

38.

39.

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

40.

41.

32.

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

42.

33.

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

43.

34.

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

35.

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

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

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

36.

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

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

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints

FAJRIN ALFARISI Customer Service Representative

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

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

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints

KEVIN RENALDI Customer Service Representative

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

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints

NGUYEN DANG DUY Customer Service Representative

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

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

NGUYEN THI LE Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 49.

EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503, Nueva St., Barangay 289, Binondo, City Of Manila

Brief Job Description: Supervise employees and monitoring the department’s compliance with operational policies

EDY NORRIS LO Customer Service Representative

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

48.

YANG, JIANCONG Chinese Speaking Technical Consultant

Brief Job Description: Supervise employees and monitoring the department’s compliance with operational policies

DAO DUY TU Customer Service Representative

47.

ZOU, JINSONG Chinese Speaking Marketing Consultant

Basic Qualification: Can contributes information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies; can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.

No.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

REVI AYUNI Customer Service Representative 50.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can contributes information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies; can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.

TAN SZU ANN Customer Service Representative 51.

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

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

Basic Qualification: Job-relevant degree/ 5-10 yrs. Supervisory/ managerial experience in logistics or operations/ multilingual

52.

53.

TRUONG VAN CHIEN Customer Service Representative 54.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

YANTI Customer Service Representative 55.

Basic Qualification: Job-relevant degree/ 5-10 yrs. Supervisory/ managerial experience in logistics or operations/ multilingual

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, preferably with Customer Service or sales experience, fluent in Mandarin and basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, preferably with Customer Service or sales experience, fluent in Mandarin and basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate level, preferably with customer service or sales experience, fluent in mandarin and basic english. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate level, preferably with customer service or sales experience, fluent in mandarin and basic english. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Job-relevant degree/ 5-10 yrs. Supervisory/ managerial experience in logistics or operations/ multilingual

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

TRUONG THI TUOI Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints

TRINH VAN YEN Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: At least 15 years of experience in large complex construction projects

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints

YENNI Customer Service Representative 56.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints

Basic Qualification: College graduate level, preferably with customer service or sales experience, fluent in mandarin and basic english. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, preferably with Customer Service or sales experience, fluent in Mandarin and basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, preferably with Customer Service or sales experience, fluent in Mandarin and basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

FUJIAN ELECTRIC POWER ENGINEERING COMPANY 5, West Lawin, Phil-am, Quezon City

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

FLYING DRAGON NETWORK PHILIPPINES INC. Ri Rance Ii Bldg., Block 2 Lot 3 Aseana City, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

46.

LIN, SHASHA Chinese Speaking Marketing Consultant

Brief Job Description: Supervise employees and monitoring the department’s compliance with operational policies

YANG, CHEN Operations Supervisor

45.

LAN, BISHUN Chinese Speaking Marketing Consultant

Brief Job Description: Develop sales strategies to achieve sales target and implement strategic plans to increase sales volume and enhance customer satisfaction

PHAN THI LE MY Operations Supervisor

44.

JONG XUAN JIE Chinese Speaking Marketing Consultant

Brief Job Description: Major Project Division Operations Director

CAI, WENHUA Operations Supervisor

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written.

DI ROSA, ANTONY JOHN Consultant

LEI, WENCHAO Network Sales Supervisor

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

FLASH EXPRESS SOFTWARE (PH) CO., LTD. INC. 11/f Cybersigma, Lawton Ave., Mckinley West, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

FIRST BALFOUR INC. Km 19, West Service Rd., Marcelo Green Village, City Of Parañaque

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

DIGICHROM INC. Unit 2602 & 2603 26/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas

LU, BAOLIAN Marketing And Sales Agent

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 CONDUENT BUSINESS SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. 7f One E-com Building, Palm Coast Avenue, Mall Of Asia Complex, Pasay City

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Basic Qualification: College graduate level, preferably with customer service or sales experience, fluent in mandarin and basic english.

57.

LI, WEIYUN Chinese Project Manager Brief Job Description: Planning and Defining Scope of the project.

Basic Qualification: Equivalent combination of educational and experience. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

GLVICTORY TECHNOLOGY INC. Unit 1, 14/f 6789 Tower, Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, preferably with Customer Service or sales experience, fluent in Mandarin and basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, preferably with Customer Service or sales experience, fluent in Mandarin and basic English

58.

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

Basic Qualification: College graduate level, preferably with customer service or sales experience, fluent in mandarin and basic english.

FANG, YANG Vice President - Business Development 59.

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

Brief Job Description: Developing production and sales goals, consulting with management about the overall monetary health of the organization, getting new contracts and overseeing salespeople.

Basic Qualification: a bachelors or master’s degree in economics, business or a related subject and many years of experience in a sales job. Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

GOLDENSKY INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC. Midas Hotel, 2702 Roxas Blvd., Barangay 76, Pasay City LIN, MANRONG Call Center Agent Mandarin Speaking 60.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling inbound calls, emails and or chat with the goal of ensuring resolution of customer issues effective communicator

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Cantonese & Mandarin Speaking / Know how to Read & Write Chinese Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

GOODYEAR REGIONAL BUSINESS SERVICES, INC. 23f Twenty-five Seven Mckinley Building, 25th St., Cor 7th Ave., Bgc, City Of Taguig

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate level, preferably with customer service or sales experience, fluent in mandarin and basic english.

Brief Job Description: Assist customers through chat or e-mail

Basic Qualification: Mandarin speaking skilled using MS office with 1 year work experience

GOLDEN TOPPER EQUITY HOLDINGS (PHILIPPINES) INC. 12/f Cocolight Bldg., 39th St. Cor. 11th Ave., Bgc, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, preferably with Customer Service or sales experience, fluent in Mandarin and basic English

LI, ZHIFEN Mandarin Customer Service Staff

MATSUYAMA, AYAKO Sr. Buyer 61.

Brief Job Description: Provide operational purchasing activities related to indirect spend based on SLA

Basic Qualification: Fluent Japanese Speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

BusinessMirror

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

A6 A8

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

HUYNH HUE QUAN Customer Support Specialist 62.

Brief Job Description: To work with a variety of customers and use your expert relationship-building skills to provide world-class service.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Superior customer service skills, Nice to have experience working with online gaming/offshore gaming industry or less experience but a good attitude and motivation to learn, Excellent communication skills in Chinese, both spoken and written.

No.

LI, SHENGLAN Gaming Support Specialist 71.

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

KOH WEI LIANG Customer Support Specialist 63.

Brief Job Description: To work with a variety of customers and use your expert relationship-building skills to provide world-class service.

Basic Qualification: Superior customer service skills, Nice to have experience working with online gaming/offshore gaming industry or less experience but a good attitude and motivation to learn, Excellent communication skills in Chinese, both spoken and written.

LONG A PHU Customer Support Specialist 64.

Brief Job Description: To work with a variety of customers and use your expert relationship-building skills to provide world-class service.

PHAM THI NGOC Gaming Support Specialist 72.

SU CHAN KIT Customer Support Specialist 65.

Brief Job Description: To work with a variety of customers and use your expert relationship-building skills to provide world-class service.

SUN, XIAOER Customer Support Specialist 66.

Brief Job Description: To work with a variety of customers and use your expert relationship-building skills to provide world-class service.

73.

Brief Job Description: To work with a variety of customers and use your expert relationship-building skills to provide world-class service.

74.

ZHANG, GUANGJUN Customer Support Specialist 68.

Brief Job Description: To work with a variety of customers and use your expert relationship-building skills to provide world-class service

Basic Qualification: A passion for delivering excellent customer service, Excellent communication skills in Chinese, both spoken and written, Previous experience in a similar role in the offshore/ online gaming industry or less experience but a good attitude and motivation to learn.

Brief Job Description: Being the voice of our players within our fastgrowing online/offshore gaming platform, stay on track with the game updates, implementing procedures to support players, work creatively across multiple projects and platforms at the same time.

JINXI PHILIPPINES REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Unt No. U-705, Flr. No. 7/f Eastfield Center Bldg., Macapagal Ave. St., Barangay 76, Pasay City

LIN, ZONGHUI Business Development Analyst Brief Job Description: Develop, implement and communicate metrics reporting processes and documentation across plants and companies in collaboration with operations marketing and sales functions

Basic Qualification: Must be flexible in analytical and good communicators. In the next section, we look at the academic requirements, professional certification and soft skill requirements for BA roles. Fluency in English and Mandarin language is a must

81.

76.

Brief Job Description: Oversee the financial affairs of the company and ensure the organization adheres to all legal accounting practices; maintain and improve the company’s financial standing by guiding financial policies, assessing risks, determining funding opportunities, and advising on investment opportunities

Basic Qualification: Strong Knowledge of Consumer Industry, Ability to Think Critically and Creatively; Fluent in English and Mandarin Language Is a Must Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

82.

YEN, YU-TAI Chinese Customer Service Representative 77.

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

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services.

83.

HE, LEI Gaming Support Specialist 69.

JIANG, KAIHUI Gaming Support Specialist 70.

78.

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

KHEALTH CORPORATION Nkti Compound, East Avenue, Central, Quezon City

CHIANG, TZU-YING Chinese Technical Support Representative Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective Native Language for the position applied for; Fluent in Chinese Mandarin is an advantage Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

KIM, BUMSOO Administrative Manager 79.

Brief Job Description: Will help to ensure that project contracts and bids are complete and field on time.

84.

80.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries CAO, JIE Chinese Customer Service Representative

85.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires JIANG, QINZHEN Chinese Customer Service Representative

86.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires LIU, PENGHUI Chinese Customer Service Representative

87.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LU, LIGANG Chinese Customer Service Representative

88.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LUO, SHAOMIN Chinese Customer Service Representative

89.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires MUNKHCHULUUN, UNDARMAA Chinese Customer Service Representative

90.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires QU, CHANGXING Chinese Customer Service Representative

91.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires SU, GANGGANG Chinese Customer Service Representative

92.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries WANG, FENGLEI Chinese Customer Service Representative

93.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires WEI, LIWEN Chinese Customer Service Representative

94.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries XING, TIETA Chinese Customer Service Representative

95.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries YANG, JIADONG Chinese Customer Service Representative

96.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires YUAN, BING Chinese Customer Service Representative

97.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

YUAN, PENG Chinese Customer Service Representative 98.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries ZENG, PENG Chinese Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: Has an excellent managerial experience.

99.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower, C4 Rd. Edsa Ext., Barangay 76, Pasay City

HNIN WUT YEE Burmese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires AN, WUDI Chinese Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: A passion for delivering excellent customer service, Excellent communication skills in Chinese, both spoken and written, Previous experience in a similar role in the offshore/ online gaming industry or less experience but a good attitude and motivation to learn.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires THEIN KYAW Burmese Customer Service Representative

JIU ZHOU TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. U-3401 34/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St., Bel-air, City Of Makati Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective Native Language for the position applied for; Fluent in Chinese Mandarin is an advantage.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries THEIN AUNG Burmese Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 CHEN, DELAN Financial Consultant

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION MYIN KYIN Burmese Customer Service Representative

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

XIANG, XIAOQIN Gaming Support Specialist

75.

67.

No.

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

VU THUY DUONG Customer Support Specialist

WANG, FAJUN Gaming Support Specialist

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Superior customer service skills, Nice to have experience working with online gaming/offshore gaming industry or less experience but a good attitude and motivation to learn, Excellent communication skills in Chinese, both spoken and written.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries ZENG, XIANGJIE Chinese Customer Service Representative

100.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries ZHANG, SANCONG Chinese Customer Service Representative

101.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION ZOU, HONG Chinese Customer Service Representative

102.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries ERY Indonesian Customer Service Representative

103.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires FENDY APRIYANTO Indonesian Customer Service Representative

104.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

SHELLY Indonesian Customer Service Representative 121.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

105.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires WIRA MULYADY Indonesian Customer Service Representative

122.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

106.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires HOW YIT HONG Malaysian Customer Service Representative

107.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

124.

108.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries DIP KHY PHU Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

109.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries HOANG THI HONG MAI Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

110.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LAU NHAT PHI Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 111.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LE XUAN THUY Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

112.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries MAI TRONG HINH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

113.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN THI THIEN AN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

114.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRAN PHAT LAY Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

115.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRAN TU ANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

116.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language

126.

117.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

VU NHAN DUC Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 118.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

VU QUOC TRUNG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 119.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

VU THI NGOC ANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 120.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

MPOTECH DIGITAL SYSTEM INC. 2/f 331 Bldg., Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

THERESIA ALVIONITA Indonesian Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Provide product/services, information, answer questions and resolve emerging problems.

Brief Job Description: Supervises and evaluates the company’s overall performance

GU, WENJIE Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

127.

LI, GANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

128.

Basic Qualification: Graduate 4 years bachelor degree with critical thinking and problem-solving skills

SUN, WANLI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

129.

XIONG, CANHUI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

130.

YANG, DANDAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

ZHANG, RUIMING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

132.

ZHENG, SEN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

133.

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

DIANTO Indonesian Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

135.

Basic Qualification: Graduate 4 years bachelor degree with critical thinking and problem solving skills. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

136.

Basic Qualification: Graduate 4 years bachelor degree with critical thinking and problem solving skills. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

137.

Basic Qualification: Graduate 4 years bachelor degree with critical thinking and problem solving skills. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

138.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Bahasa Indonesia and English language (spoken and written)

139.

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

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

140.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

141.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in Computer Application With Good Oral and Written Communication Skills

142.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 143.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

No.

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language

131. VONG MY LINH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Provide product/services, information, answer questions and resolve emerging problems.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION 8/f Ecoplaza, 2305 Don Chino Roces Ave., Magallanes, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

JOSELINE Indonesian Language Customer Service Representative

PHITON LUGITO Business Manager (indonesian Account)

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

Brief Job Description: Provide product/services, information, answer questions and resolve emerging problems.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NETFORT CO. LTD. 10/f Rockwell Business Center,, South Tower Sheridan,, Highway Hills, City Of Mandaluyong

125. DINH THI HIEN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Provide product/services, information, answer questions and resolve emerging problems

DAVIT Indonesian Language Customer Service Representative

123. WIPIN Indonesian Customer Service Representative

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

144.

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in Computer Application With Good Oral and Written Communication Skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

145.

146.

147.

134.

Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

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

Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

KHIN YADANAR KYAW Myanmari Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

MYIN KYU Myanmari Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

NYI NYI SOE Myanmari Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

HO VAN TOAN Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

BUI VAN HIU Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

HA VAN MANH Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

HOANG MINH DUC Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

NGUYEN THI HA Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

NGUYEN THI HOA Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

NGUYEN THIET QUAN Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

NGUYEN Y NHI Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

TRAN QUANG BINH Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

XIANG, JIAO Mandarin Technical Support 148.

CHIENG SHYUE LIANG Malaysian Customer Service

CHAN MYAE KO KO Myanmari Customer Service

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in Computer Application With Good Oral and Written Communication Skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in Computer Application With Good Oral and Written Communication Skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in Computer Application With Good Oral and Written Communication Skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in Computer Application With Good Oral and Written Communication Skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in Computer Application With Good Oral and Written Communication Skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in Computer Application With Good Oral and Written Communication Skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in Computer Application With Good Oral and Written Communication Skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NEWBAY INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY INC. 2/f Mezzanine Tower 1, The Enterprise Center, 6766 Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas, Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Brief Job Description: Monitor and maintain computer systems and networks.

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

PGD SCS PH INC. Unit 3103 Antel Global Corporate Center, Don F. Ortigas Jr. Avenue, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

BusinessMirror

A10 A6 Wednesday, July 13, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

149.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

KIM, AHJIN Interpreter Brief Job Description: Convert concepts in the source language.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Speak, read, and write fluently in at least two languages. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

No.

150.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for providing strategic leadership for the company by working with board

151.

Brief Job Description: Trained assigned employees in their areas of work including customer service-related methods, procedures and techniques

152.

Brief Job Description: Answering inquiries, resolving problems, fulfilling requests and maintaining data base

ZHANG, ZHENGKUN Chinese Customer Service Representative 153.

Brief Job Description: Answering inquiries, resolving problems, fulfilling requests and maintaining data base

163.

154.

Brief Job Description: Will manage branch costs and overhead. Will oversee day-to-day operations of the company

155.

Brief Job Description: Serves as primary contact for problem resolution and information gathering regarding customer complaints and work assignment. KAVICHA, WANVISA Thai - Language Customer Support Staff

156.

Brief Job Description: Serves as primary contact for problem resolution and information gathering regarding customer complaints and work assignment.

157.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for inbound and outbound service calls

Basic Qualification: A native speaker of the Indonesian language (spoken and written)

158.

Brief Job Description: Keeping updated on hairstyle trends and styling methods and determine clients’ preferences.

LI, CHAO Hair Specialist (Chinese Speaking) 159.

Brief Job Description: Keeping updated on hairstyle trends and styling methods and determine clients’ preferences.

LI, HAO Hair Specialist (Chinese Speaking) 160.

Brief Job Description: Keeping updated on hairstyle trends and styling methods and determine clients’ preferences.

RUAN, LANG Hair Specialist (chinese Speaking) 161.

Brief Job Description: Keeping updated on hairstyle trends and styling methods and determine clients’ preferences.

ZHAO, XINGQIANG Hair Specialist (chinese Speaking) 162.

Brief Job Description: Keeping updated on hairstyle trends and styling methods and determine clients’ preferences.

WADA, RINTARO Business Development Specialist For Social And Industrial Infrastructure & Mineral Resources Department Brief Job Description: Oversee research and development for investment on infrastructure projects in Philippines.

165.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate, fluent in English, preferably 6mos-1year customer service experience Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, fluent in English, preferably 6mos-1year customer service experience Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Managerial experience Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

Basic Qualification: A native speaker of the Thai language (spoken and written).

166.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in business management or any equivalent for this position. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: A native speaker of the Thai language (spoken and written).

167.

177.

WONG FAH LOONG Mandarin Customer Service Specialist Brief Job Description: Customer Service

SIBIRSKII, EVGENII Marketing Executive Brief Job Description: Develop marketing strategies.

LARA PADILLA, FRANCISCO JAVIER Chief Executive Officer, Philippines 168.

178.

179.

Brief Job Description: Oversee the growth and effective management of the company organization in the country. Upholds & promotes the Tele performance core values, norms, culture, standard operating policies and procedures.

LO, HSIAO-YI Bilingual Field Marketing Officer 169.

Brief Job Description: Define a region-specific marketing plan that supports the regional sales strategy

SHIH, PEI-YU Bilingual Field Marketing Officer 170.

Brief Job Description: Define a region-specific marketing plan that supports the regional sales strategy

ZENG, SHIH-JIE Bilingual Field Marketing Officer 171.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

Brief Job Description: Define a region-specific marketing plan that supports the regional sales strategy

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

ARAKAWA, KENICHI Director/treasurer 172.

Brief Job Description: He is responsible for managing the offshore and providing technical testing training for the Filipino employees and supervising the business operations

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

VPC CORPORATE SOLUTIONS INCORPORATED 11/f 100 West, Sen Gil Puyat Ave. Cor., Washington St., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati

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

173.

LIU, YU-CHIEN Bilingual Marketing Specialist

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese language for assisting Chinese customer’s needs.

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

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese language for assisting Chinese customer’s needs. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Conduct market research to find answers about consumer requirements, habits and trends

Basic Qualification: Foreign Language Speaking

182.

183.

174.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to resolve queries of the Malaycustomers through email and chats

DAU TRONG CHUNG Vietnam - Speaking Customer Service Officer 175.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to resolve queries of the Malaycustomers through email and chats

DO THANH CHUONG Vietnam - Speaking Customer Service Officer 176.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to resolve queries of the Malaycustomers through email and chats

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

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

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

Brief Job Description: Responsible to resolve queries of the Malaycustomers through email and chats

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

Brief Job Description: Responsible to resolve queries of the Malaycustomers through email and chats

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

Brief Job Description: Responsible to resolve queries of the Malaycustomers through email and chats

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

Brief Job Description: Responsible to resolve queries of the Malaycustomers through email and chats

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

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking Vietnamese

Brief Job Description: Responsible to resolve queries of the Malaycustomers through email and chats

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

NGUYEN TRAN THAO NGUYEN Vietnam-speaking Customer Service Officer 184.

Basic Qualification: Foreign Language Speaking

Brief Job Description: Responsible to resolve queries of the Malaycustomers through email and chats

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

NGUYEN VAN HOANG Vietnam-speaking Customer Service Officer 185.

Basic Qualification: Foreign Language Speaking

Brief Job Description: Responsible to resolve queries of the Malaycustomers through email and chats

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

VU CONG MINH Vietnam-speaking Customer Service Officer 186.

Basic Qualification: Foreign Language Speaking

Brief Job Description: Responsible to resolve queries of the Malaycustomers through email and chats

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

WISHLAND SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY INC. 28/f Techzone Condo Corp., 213 Buendia Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati

187.

Basic Qualification: Excellent in Foreign Language Speaking

LI, GUOSHENG Chinese Language-customer Service Staff Brief Job Description: Deal with and help resolve customer complaints

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

YAKULT PHILIPPINES, INC. 1461, Cor. F. Agoncillo & Escoda Sts., Barangay 676, Paco, City Of Manila

KAWASAKI, YOICHI Asst. Comptroller 188.

Brief Job Description: Responsible maintaining the financial, accounting, and administrative services.

189.

Basic Qualification: Highly Skilled in the field of Mathematics, accounting, and financial process. Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent project management, communication, analytical, data-driven, and organizational skills.

KOBAYASHI, ISAMU Sales Adviser Brief Job Description: Ensures consistent, profitable growth in sales revenue through positive planning to improve short and long term sales and revenue.

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

YOFC INTERNATIONAL (PHILIPPINES) CORPORATION U-307-309, #99 Reliance It Center Bldg., E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Ugong, City Of Pasig DENG, HUABING Project Manager 190.

CHU DINH VINH Vietnam - Speaking Customer Service Officer

Brief Job Description: Responsible to resolve queries of the Malaycustomers through email and chats

TRAN ANH DUNG Vietnam - Speaking Customer Service Officer

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

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking Vietnamese

PHAM TIEN HAI Vietnam - Speaking Customer Service Officer

Basic Qualification: IT skilled and business operations expertise

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese language for assisting Chinese customer’s needs.

181.

Basic Qualification: With good oral and communication skills/ work proficient.

Basic Qualification: Has the ability to develop a strong digital culturebringing innovation, cutting edge technology, digital expertise, and best practices to clients. Has at least 20 years’ experience in the contact center industry.

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

PHAM HONG CUONG Vietnam - Speaking Customer Service Officer

VALTES ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY INC. U/2 Quadrant A Trafalgar Plaza Condo., 105 H.v. Dela Costa, Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

180.

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

Brief Job Description: Responsible to resolve queries of the Malaycustomers through email and chats

PHAM DANG THANG Vietnam - Speaking Customer Service Officer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin both oral and written

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking Vietnamese

NGUYEN VAN PHUONG Vietnam - Speaking Customer Service Officer

TOTAL CREST BUSINESS SUPPORT, INC. 26/f & 27/f Alphaland Corporate Tower, Ayala Ave. Extn. Cor. Malugay St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese language for assisting Chinese customer’s needs.

Brief Job Description: Customer Service

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin both oral and written

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

HUYNH NHAT HUY Vietnam - Speaking Customer Service Officer

TELEPHILIPPINES INCORPORATED Edsa Central It Center 2, United Street Corner Edsa, Greenfield District, City Of Mandaluyong

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

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in mandarin

LI, CHIA-CHEN a.k.a. LEE, CHIA-JEN Mandarin Customer Service Specialist

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION DOAN VAN HIEU Vietnam - Speaking Customer Service Officer

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

TAHSINATASNIM TRADING CORPORATION Omar Stall Section Commonwealth Market, Commonwealth Avenue, Commonwealth, Quezon City

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

SHA LONG BEAUTY SALON, OPC G/f 142 Amorsolo Bldg., 142 Amorsolo St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

CAO, LIANG Hair Specialist (Chinese Speaking)

No.

SPEED QUALITY TECH INC. 20/f Techzone Bldg., 213 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati

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

Brief Job Description: Participating in scheduling for a project

164.

RUNNINGMAN CORPORATION 8/f Techzone Bldg., 213 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati HONGBINMA, ATCHARAWAN Thai - Language Customer Support Staff

WEI, TAO Chinese Project Manager

Basic Qualification: Excellent skills in Project Management, AutoCAD, SketchUp and MS Office

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

ROADKOREA INC. House No. 62, Flr. No. G/f, Mezzanine Bldg., Don Benito Hernandez St., Barangay 76, Pasay City SEO, JAE BUM Branch Manager/resident Agent

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

SOJITZ PHILIPPINES CORPORATION 23rd Flr. Nac Tower, 32nd Street, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

RIGHT CHOICE FINANCE CORP. 5e-1 Electra House Bldg., 115-117 Esteban Street, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

PAN, CHUNLIN Chinese Customer Service Representative

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Basic Qualification: With at least 5 years of experience in trading/ logistic company , must know how to speak English and Japanese

PROTEGIC CORPORATION Unit 1409 14f, Entrata Urban, Alabang, City Of Muntinlupa SALLY INNOVA Senior Indonesian-language Customer Service Specialist

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

SHSY ELECTRIC POWER CORPORATION 3/f Salcedo One Center, 170 Salcedo St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

PLA MATELS (PHILIPPINES) CORPORATION Unit A Kingston Tower, Building B2 L1 Acacia Avenue, Mbp, Alabang, City Of Muntinlupa

NITTA, YASUKIYO President / Managing Director

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Brief Job Description: Project managers are responsible for planning and overseeing projects to ensure they are completed in a timely fashion and within budget.

Basic Qualification: Able to communicate comfortably with chinese employees. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

*Date Generated: Jul 12, 2022 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 National Capital Region located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication. Please inform DOLE National Capital Region if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

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

The World BusinessMirror

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 A11

Oil drops on demand concerns; IEA sees energy crisis enduring

Authorities remove a body from a 7-Eleven after a clerk was fatally shot on Monday, July 11, 2022, during a robbery in Brea, California. Mindy Schauer/The Orange County Register via AP

String of California 7-Eleven shootings leave 2 dead, 3 hurt By Stefanie Dazio

The Associated Press

OS ANGELES—Two people were killed and three wounded in robberies before dawn Monday at six 7-Eleven stores in Southern California and authorities said they were seeking the same lone gunman in at least three of the crimes. The string of violence occurred within a timespan of about five hours on July 11, or 7/11, the day when the national 7-Eleven brand celebrates its anniversary. This is its 95th year and on Monday stores gave out free Slurpee drinks. It wasn’t immediately clear to investigators what prompted the violence in the cities of Ontario, Upland, Riverside, Santa Ana, Brea and La Habra. “I think the only person to answer that would be the suspect,” said Officer Ryan Railsback, a spokesperson for the Riverside Police Department. But he said the date was no accident. “There’s no way it can be a coincidence of it being 7-Eleven, July 11,” Railsback said. 7-Eleven Inc. issued a statement saying it was gathering information and working with police. “Our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones,” the statement said. The first robbery happened at about midnight in Ontario, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of Los Angeles. The masked man brandished a handgun at the store’s employee and demanded money, according to Ontario Cpl. Emily Hernandez. He did not fire any shots and the clerk was not injured. It was not immediately clear to investigators what, if anything, was stolen. The second robbery happened about 45 minutes later in Upland, less than 5 miles (8 kilometers) away from the Ontario store. The suspect approached the store clerk with a few items, “some drinks and things,” and brandished a semi-automatic handgun, Upland Sgt. Jake Kirk said. The man stole the items and about $400 to $500 in cash and fled. No shots were fired. Surveillance photos, released by Upland and Brea police, show a masked man wearing a black sweatshirt with a hood over his head. The sweatshirt had white lettering with green leaves on

the front. While police in La Habra, Brea and Santa Ana have said they believe they are seeking the same suspect, officials in Ontario, Upland and Riverside have not yet made that determination though they said they were aware of the other crimes at 7-Eleven stores. “It could potentially be the same person but we’re not confirming that at this time,” Kirk said. About an hour after the Upland robbery and 25 miles (40 kilometers) away in Riverside, a gunman brandished a gun and robbed the 7-Eleven clerk, then turned the weapon on a customer, opened fire and fled, Railsback said. Police believe the clerk handed over cash from the register. The shooting victim was in grave condition. “It doesn’t appear to be any reason that the suspect shot the customer,” Railsback said. “It sounds like the clerk gave him whatever he asked for.” Railsback said criminals typically know that robberies at convenience stores rarely yield large amounts of money, especially during the overnight hours. “If you go hit a liquor store or a 7-Eleven or a fast food place, you’re not going to get a lot of cash out of it,” he said. “It’s kind of odd that they would do this.” Another shooting occurred around 3:20 a.m., about 24 miles (39 kilometers) away, in Santa Ana, authorities said. Officers responding there reported gunfire and found a man dead in the 7-Eleven parking lot with a gunshot wound to his upper torso, according to Santa Ana Sgt. Maria Lopez. “At this moment, we don’t believe he was an employee,” Lopez said of the victim. “We don’t really know yet what he was doing there in a parking lot, if he was a potential customer or just walking by.” Surveillance video shows the suspect dropping items—believed to be the victim’s belongings—as he fled, Lopez said. About 40 minutes later, a 7-Eleven employee in Brea was shot and killed, Brea Police Capt. Phil Rodriguez said. Less than an hour later, officers in neighboring La Habra were sent to a reported robbery at a 7-Eleven. They discovered two gunshot victims around 4:55 a.m., according to Sgt. Sumner Bohee. Authorities have not disclosed the victims’ conditions.

Hundreds of Sri Lankans occupy presidential palace By Bharatha Mallawarachi The Associated Press

OLOMBO, Sri Lanka—Hundreds of Sri Lankans jostled Monday to use the vast array of exercise machines in the private gym of the presidential palace, lifting weights and running on treadmills inside a facility that was, until

now, the exclusive domain of the country’s beleaguered president. For many who had traveled on overcrowded trains and buses from outside the capital, Colombo, this was the first time they had laid eyes on a residence so grand. The colonial-era structure was a staggering sight, with airy verandas, plush living rooms and spacious bedrooms, a garden swimming

il extended losses as a Covid-19 resurgence in China added to concerns about a global economic slowdown, with the International Energy Agency warning the worst of the energy crisis may be ahead.

West Texas Intermediate lost over 1 percent to trade below $103 a barrel. Bearish sentiment has filtered through commodities as rising virus cases in China and a looming US inflation print stoke concerns about the demand

outlook. A rising dollar has added to the pressure, making oil less attractive to investors. Crude has tumbled since early June on escalating fears the US may be heading for a recession as central banks aggressively raise

rates to combat inflation. Nations are experiencing the first global energy crisis and “we might not yet have seen the worst of it,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in Sydney. “Recessionary fears remain the dominant theme for the crude complex,” said Vandana Hari, founder of analysis firm Vanda Insights in Singapore. The market is facing the challenge of balancing changing demand expectations against the supply outlook, which is likely to be a volatile process, she added. President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia this week during a tour to the Middle East as he seeks to tame high energy prices that have roiled the global economy. The US believes

Opec has room to raise production should Biden’s upcoming visit to the region yields any agreements. The market has tightened this year, in part due to upended trade flows from Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is set to meet with counterparts from the Quad group of nations during a visit to Sydney, and will use talks to rally support for a cap on Russian oil prices. Close to 30 million people in China are under some form of movement restrictions as more cities and counties seek to quell resurgent Covid-19 outbreaks. The nation reported 347 new cases for Monday. Bloomberg News

White House says Iran set to deliver ‘hundreds’ of armed drones to Russia By Zeke Miller & Josh Boak The Associated Press

A S H I N G T O N —T h e White House on Monday said it believes Russia is turning to Iran to provide it with “hundreds” of unmanned aerial vehicles, including weapons-capable drones, for use in its ongoing war in Ukraine. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said it was unclear whether Iran had already provided any of the unmanned systems to Russia, but said the US has “information” that indicates Iran is preparing to train Russian forces to use them as soon as this month. “Our information indicates that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred UAVs, including weapons-capable UAVs on an expedited timeline,” he told reporters Monday. Sullivan said it was proof the Russia’s overwhelming bombardments in Ukraine, which have led it to consolidate gains in the country’s east in recent weeks, was

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing at the White House on Monday, July 11, 2022, in Washington. AP/Evan Vucci

“coming at a cost to the sustainment of its own weapons.” Sullivan’s revelation comes on the eve of President Joe Biden’s trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia, where Iran’s nuclear program and malign activities in the region will be a key subject of discussion. The US decision to publicly reveal that the two countries’ chief regional rival was helping to rearm

Russia comes as both Israel and Saudi Arabia have resisted joining global efforts to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine due to their domestic interests. Sullivan also noted that Iran has provided similar unmanned aerial vehicles to Yemen’s Houthi rebels to attack Saudi Arabia before a ceasefire was reached earlier this year.

Military analyst Samuel Bendett of the CNA think tank said Russia’s choice of Iran as a source for drones is logical because “for the last 20 years or more Iran has been refining its drone combat force. Their drones have been in more combat than the Russians.” They are pioneers of so-called loitering munitions, the “kamikaze” drones like the Switchblade that the US has provided Ukraine. Iran has “a proven track record of f lying drones for hundreds of miles and hitting their targets,” Bendett added, including penetrating American-supplied air defenses and striking Saudi oil refineries. He said the Iranian drones could be ver y effective at striking Ukrainian power stations, refineries and other critical infrastructure. Bendett noted that before the Ukraine war, Russia had licensed drone technology for its Forpost UAV from a proven supplier: Israel. The Jewish state has remained neutral in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, so that source is no longer available to Moscow.

China locks down Wugang City for 3 days on one Covid-19 case

city in one of China’s steel hubs is being shut down for three days after a single Covid-19 infection was found there. Wugang in Henan Province announced a citywide lockdown starting July 11, making it the latest Chinese city to enact strict mobility curbs amid the country’s ongoing Covid flareup. The city of about 300,000, home to Wuyang Iron & Steel Co., is requiring all residents to stay at home unless they are getting tested for Covid, according to a local government statement Monday. While it may be the first time a Chinese city has been locked down based on one case, the country has

a track record of reacting swiftly to just one or a handful of infections. The approach was reinforced after Shanghai’s initial sluggish response to its outbreak led to a crisis that required confining its 25 million residents to their homes for two months to contain the conflagration. The moves are part of China’s zero tolerance approach to Covid-19, which is being tested once again with the arrival of subvariants that have fueled rising caseloads worldwide. New Zealand, which was also once a Covid Zero adherent before joining the rest of the world in living with the virus, famously locked down the whole countr y

last August after finding just one community infection. Despite ever more extreme measures aimed at containing the virus—from testing an infant more than 70 times to locking down Shanghai Disneyland based on one infection—the evolving pathogen is proving harder than ever to wipe out. Case counts are rising in several regions, and a jump in infections near Shanghai caused some areas to lock down, despite numbers that are well below the city’s spring peak. Growing clusters in the eastern province of Anhui led to the highest level of transmission in more than a month. Infections have spilled over into

neighboring Jiangsu province, including the commercial hub of Wuxi city. The city shut entertainment venues, suspended dining-in and reduced operating hours for subway and bus ser v ices. Most of t he i nfections in Anhui were in Si and L i ngbi cou nt ies, wh ic h h ave been locked down as authorities carr y out mass testing. While close to 30 million people nationwide are under some form of movement restrictions now to quell transmission, authorities have so far steered clear of strict lockdowns in key economic regions. There were 347 local Covid cases reported nationwide for July 11. Bloomberg News

pool and neatly manicured lawns. On Saturday, thousands of angry Sri Lankans descended on the residence in fury against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who they blame for an unprecedented economic meltdown that has throttled the lives of the nation’s 22 million people. They turned over barriers and then swarmed the lawns to enter the palatial residence and occupy it. Two days later, people continued to stream in, flocking to it like a tourist attraction, marveling at the paintings inside and lounging on the beds piled high with pillows. Alawwa Ralage Piyasena, a 67-year-old farmer who arrived by bus from outside Colombo, was stunned by the president’s

gym. “I never thought I would get an opportunity to see these things,” he said, gesturing at the equipment while trying to hop onto a treadmill. “Look at the pool and this gym. We can see how they enjoyed a life of luxury here while people struggled outside. Our families are suffering without food.” The weekend saw the most dramatic escalation yet of the monthslong protests against the country’s worst economic crisis, with protesters not only forcing their way into the presidential palace but also storming the prime minister’s official residence and setting fire to his private home. The charged events led to both leaders

agreeing to step down—Rajapaksa, who has not been seen publicly or heard from since, said he would leave office Wednesday. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he would depart as soon as opposition parties agree on a unity government. But protest leaders have said they will not leave the official buildings until both actually resign. For months, demonstrators have camped outside Rajapaksa’s office, demanding he quit for severely mismanaging the economy. Many have accused him and his powerful, dynastic family, which has ruled Sri Lanka for nearly two decades, of corruption and policy blunders that tipped

the island nation into crisis. People’s patience has grown increasingly thin, with the crisis sparking shortages of fuel, medicine, food and cooking gas. Authorities have temporarily shuttered schools, while the country relies on aid from India and other nations as it tries to negotiate a bailout with the International Monetary Fund. Wickremesinghe said recently that negotiations with the IMF were complex because Sri Lanka was now a bankrupt state. Sri Lanka announced in April that it was suspending repayment of foreign loans due to a foreign currency shortage. Its total foreign debt amounts to $51 billion, of which it must repay $28 billion by the end of 2027.

A12 Wednesday, July 13, 2022 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Farmers’ role in fight against animal disease

he Philippines has witnessed first-hand how an animal disease could single-handedly disrupt the food supply chain and stoke inflation. For one, the price of pork surged to more than P400 per kilogram in January 2021 due to a fatal hog disease that decimated farms. That figure is almost equivalent to the minimum daily wage in the National Capital Region. The culprit was African swine fever, a disease that is fatal to hogs but does not affect humans. ASF, a transboundary animal disease, struck the country in 2019. First detected in a hog farm in Rizal, ASF had spread to farms in other parts of the country and nearly crippled the hog industry and caused pork prices to rise (See, “ASF killed hogs in Bulacan, Rizal–DA,” in the BusinessMirror, September 10, 2019). Avian influenza or bird flu is another animal disease that had threatened the country’s poultry supply. Because the disease could easily spread to other farms, the government culled thousands of birds and restricted the movement of poultry products. Growers had to wait for months before they can repopulate their farms (See, “Bird flu seen cutting farm growth in H2,” in the BusinessMirror, August 15, 2017). Even before the Philippines could eliminate bird flu and ASF, another animal disease is posing a threat to the local poultry sector. Dubbed inclusion body hepatitis (IBH), the disease is caused by the fowl adenovirus, according to experts (See, “Poultry raisers issue warning on spread of fowl adenovirus,” in the BusinessMirror, June 30, 2022). As animals that contract IBH tend to be “asymptomatic,” or do not usually exhibit symptoms, the disease can be regarded as a silent killer that could bring the poultry sector to its knees if it is not stopped in its tracks. Preventing IBH from spreading to other poultry farms in the country requires vaccines that would help the domestic chicken population ward off fowl adenovirus. While there are locally available vaccines against IBH, the Philippines requires those that could fight off a certain serotype, according to an expert from the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (See, “Vaccines to fight fowl adenovirus urgently needed,” in the BusinessMirror, July 6, 2022). This type of vaccine would have to be imported immediately to give the Philippines potent ammunition against the IBH scourge. Efforts to purchase the required vaccines must be done as soon as possible given the supply chain woes that continue to hound not only the Philippines but also countries where the vaccines would originate. Delaying the importation of the much-needed vaccines against IBH could imperil the domestic poultry population and exacerbate supply issues that are now affecting institutional buyers. Aside from bringing in the vaccines needed by the sector, it would do well for the government to also put in place a program that will indemnify raisers adequately as this would encourage them to report unusual mortalities. Crucial to winning the fight against any animal disease is the cooperation of farmers. They need assurance that despite the losses they would incur due to the culling of their flock, they would receive compensation that would help tide them over until they can successfully repopulate their farms again. Since 2005

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Dennis Gorecho

Flowers for Lolas

he remaining comfort woman “Lola” statue previously erected in Caticlan, Aklan has found a new home in Pandan, Antique.

It was on January 2020 when I last saw the lifesize statue of two women standing on the property owned by the family of women’s rights activist Nelia Sancho located along Caticlan Jetty Port Road near where Boracay-bound tourists board passenger boats. It was Sancho who enlisted a radio station to encourage Philippine women who had been abused by wartime Japanese troops to come forward—the catalyst for the comfort women movement. Sancho played an active part in an international solidarity conference that called for the resolution of Japan’s wartime past. The bronze statue was completed by artist Carlos Anorico of Angono, Rizal in July 2018, after almost two

months’ work, with about P700,000 ($13,381) of personal and donated funds spent. It is engraved with words that salute the “Filipino comfort women who were victims of sex slavery by the Japanese military during the Second World War.” Sancho also organized the Lola Kampaneras, which is a local support group composed of comfort women based in the Panay Island (Capiz, Aklan, Antique, Iloilo) and advocates. Kampaneras’ Lola Adela Barroquillo was only 14 years old in 1942 when she was abducted, kept and raped in a room that was small and dingy. She used to mark the days on the wall with charcoal before she regained freedom three months later when the garrison was raided.

“It was very shameful as a woman to be raped.” Lola Adela kept silent for years until she heard Lola Rosa Henson’s story in September 1992, how she was a victim, and they asked other victims to come forward. Lola Adela was later interviewed in “The Apology,” a 2018 documentary film about three former “comfort women” that survived the atrocity with the hopes that this horrific chapter of history will not be forgotten. They gave first-hand accounts of their experiences as young girls during the war, with the scars of violence they carry in their entire lives. Lola Kampanera members helped in putting up a memorabilia center near the statue to help visitors learn more about the plight of comfort women and the inhuman practice of the Japanese during the war. Sancho said that the statue was erected on their private property so that it would not be removed regardless of pressure from the Japanese government, just like what happened to two other statues. Since their Caticlan property has a new owner now, Sancho said that the Lola statue was relocated in Pandan, Antique owned by a relative. Another comfort woman, Pacita Santillan, was a native of Pandan who died a

few years ago. A two-meter high “Lola” statue commissioned by Tulay Foundation was installed in December 2017 along Baywalk, Roxas Boulevard in Manila. It was an unnamed woman wearing a traditional Filipino dress, blindfolded, with hands clutched to her chest. Four months after its installation, the statue was dismantled by the DPWH under cover of darkness on April 27, 2018, allegedly for a drainage improvement project, but seen as submission to protests from Japan. It was later declared missing in August 2019 when the artist, Jonas Roces, failed to deliver the statue for its reinstallation at the Baclaran Church. He said that unidentified men took the Lola statue from his art studio in Cainta, Rizal. Another comfort woman statue —of a young woman with fists resting on her lap—has been removed from the Catholic-run Mary Mother of Mercy shelter for the elderly and the homeless in San Pedro, Laguna, only two days after its unveiling in January 2019. Even if these are reminders of a painful past, the “Lola” statues honor See “Gorecho,” A13

Biden celebration of new gun law clouded by latest shooting

By Zeke Miller | The Associated Press

ASHINGTON—President Joe Biden welcomed a crowd to the White House lawn Monday to showcase a new law meant to reduce gun violence, celebrating “real progress” after years of inaction. But he also lamented the country remains “awash in weapons of war”—with the 16-day-old law already overshadowed by yet another horrific mass shooting.

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Aklan’s comfort woman statue has a new home

The bill, passed after recent gun rampages in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, incrementally toughens requirements for young people buying guns, denies firearms to more domestic abusers and helps local authorities temporarily take weapons from people judged to be dangerous. But the “celebration” Monday morning came a week after a gunman in Highland Park, Illinois, killed seven people at an Independence Day parade, a stark reminder of the limitations of the new law in addressing the American phenomenon of mass gun violence. And it comes as Democratic governors have taken up the mantle of offering outrage in the face of gun violence. Biden hosted hundreds of guests on the South Lawn, including a bipartisan group of lawmakers who crafted and supported the legislation, state and local officials—including Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering—and the families of victims of both mass shootings and everyday gun violence. “Because of your work, your ad-

vocacy, your courage, lives will be saved today and tomorrow because of this,” Biden said. “We will not save every life from the epidemic of gun violence,” he added, “But if this law had been in place years ago, even this last year, lives would have been saved.” Still, Biden said, “we’re living in a country awash in weapons of war.” He repeated his call on Congress to pass a federal ban on assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines—or at minimum to require more stringent background checks and training before purchases. He also said Congress should pass legislation to hold gun owners legally accountable if their weapons are improperly stored and are used to commit violence. He noted that he owns four shotguns and said he keeps them secured at his home. “We can’t just stand by,” Biden said. “ With rights come responsibilities. If you own a weapon, you have a responsibility to secure it and keep it under lock and key.” Biden on Saturday invited Americans to share with him via text—a

new White House communications strategy—their stories of how they’ve been affected by gun violence, tweeting that “I’m hosting a celebration of the passage of the Safer Communities Act.” He told some of their stories on Monday—of people traumatized by shootings and kids left orphaned. The new law is the most impactful firearms-violence measure Congress has approved since enacting a nowexpired assault weapons ban in 1993. Yet gun control advocates—and even White House officials—say it’s premature to declare victory. “There’s simply not much to celebrate here,” said Igor Volsky, director of the private group Guns Down America. “It’s historic, but it’s also the very bare minimum of what Congress should do,” Volsky said. “And as we were reminded by the shooting on July 4, and there’s so many other gun deaths that have occurred since then, the crisis of of gun violence is just far more urgent.” Volsky’s group, along with other advocacy groups, was holding a news conference on Monday outside the White House calling on Biden to create an office at the White House to address gun violence with a greater sense of urgency. Biden has left gun control policy to his Domestic Policy Council, rather than establishing a dedicated office like the one he opened to address climate change or the gender policy

council he started to promote reproductive health access. “We have a president who really hasn’t met the moment, who has chosen to act as a bystander on this issue,” Volsky said. “For some reason the administration absolutely refuses to have a senior official who can drive this issue across government.” During his remarks Monday, Biden was heckled by Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin was killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Biden briefly paused his speech and asked Oliver, who was shouting, to sit down, before adding “Let him talk, let him talk,” as he was escorted out of the event. The president signed the bipartisan gun bill into law on June 25, calling it “a historic achievement” at the time. On Monday, Biden said the law’s passage should be a call for further action. “Will we match thoughts and prayers with action?” Biden asked. “I say yes. And that’s what we’re doing here today.” On Friday, Biden responded to the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by taking note of how the shooting had shocked people in Japan. The country has a strikingly low incidence of gun violence compared to the US, which has experienced thousands of gun deaths already this year.

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Wednesday, July 13, 2022 A13

Abe’s party vows to finish his work after win in Japan vote

‘Food is not just a trade commodity’

OKYO—Days after former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s assassination, his party vowed to use its victory in a parliamentary election to achieve his unfinished goals, including strengthening the military and revising the country’s pacifist, postwar constitution.

While the comfortable majority secured Sunday by the governing Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito could allow Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to rule uninterrupted until a scheduled election in 2025, the loss of Abe also opened up a period of uncertainly for his party. The promised constitutional amendment, for one, faced an uphill battle. In a country where gun crime is vanishingly rare, Abe’s shooting shook the nation, and Japanese flocked to a Buddhist temple Monday to mourn their former leader, while police looked into a possible motive. Kishida, meanwhile, welcomed his party’s victory but also acknowledged that it was entering a new era without the towering politician, who even after resigning as prime minister in 2020 remained a force in the party and national politics. “Because we’ve lost a great leader, undeniably we could be affected in many ways,” Kishida said. “Our party must unite as we face difficult issues.” Experts said Abe, a kingmaker and head of the largest wing in the party, had no clear successor and his absence could trigger a power struggle among members of that faction. “The absence of Mr. Abe and his grip on power in the party could give Mr. Kishida more of a free hand to take his own initiative,” said Koichi Nakano, a professor of international politics at Tokyo-based Sophia University. Kishida has enjoyed relatively high approval ratings for his perceived effort to listen to the people. That suggested support could be growing for his more moderate stance—and lessening for Abe’s more conservative approach, Nakano said. But he added any significant change in direction would be hard for Kishida and would take time. Much of Japan’s current diplomatic and security policies, such as the stronger Japan-US alliance and pushing for a free and open Asia-Pacific region as a counter to China’s rise, were set by Abe and remained unchanged, he said. Kishida said the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising prices would be his priorities. But he also vowed to push for reinforcing Japan’s national security and amending the constitution, which only allows the country’s military to act in self-defense. Abe, along with some of the country’s ultraconservatives, considered the document written by the US in the wake of World War II a humiliation and have long sought to give a greater international role to the country’s military, called the Self Defense Force. But many in the public are more supportive of the document

He thundered: “The role of agriculture cries for urgent attention that its neglect and misdirection now demands. Food self-sufficiency is the key promise of every administration. None but one delivered. There were inherent defects in the old ways and in recent ways too. The trade policy of competitive advantage made the case that when it comes to food sufficiency a country should not produce, but import what other countries make more of and sell cheapest… “Food is not just a trade commodity. Without it, people weaken and die, societies come apart. It is more than a livelihood, it is an existential imperative, and a moral one. An agriculture damaged (and) diminished by unfair competition will have a harder time or will have no prospects at all of recovering. Food sufficiency must get the preferential treatment the richest free trade countries always gave their agricultural sectors. Their policy boils down to don’t do as we do, do what we tell you to.” The proponents of import liberalization in agriculture, past and present, must be squirming when the President uttered the above words. Since the 1980s, they have been espousing the neo-liberal mantra: food security is best attained when a country is able to source or procure ample and reasonably-priced food from the global market for its people. Under this thinking, sufficient food production at home need not be pursued as long as food can be bought from cheaper producers in other countries. So what happens to the home producers disadvantaged by global “free trade competition”? No

Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS

By Mari Yamaguchi | The Associated Press

Gorecho. . .

continued from A12

the memory, courage and resilience of these Filipino women. The Lola statues represent Filipino women’s dignity and stand as “a reminder that wars of aggression must always be opposed, and that sexual slavery and violence should never happen again to any woman, anywhere, at any time.” About 200,000 women from Korea, China, Burma, New Guinea, and the Philippines were held in captivity and many thousands more were raped as part of one of the largest operations of sexual violence in modern history. Sancho lamented that the Lolas are dying and “we didn’t want the issue to die with them.

and see addressing the pandemic and the soaring cost of food, fuel and childcare as more pressing. “We will inherit his will and tackle the issues he had to leave unachieved,” Kishida said. To propose a constitutional amendment, both houses of parliament need to support it by a twothirds majority. Sunday’s vote gave the LDP-led coalition and two opposition parties open to a charter revision that margin in the upper chamber of parliament. Experts suggested Abe’s assassination may have garnered his party some sympathy votes, and the governing coalition alone now has 146 of the house’s 248 seats. All four parties together control 179. That group of four parties also has the necessary seats in the more powerful lower house. Still, it’s far from clear sailing: Komeito, the centrist party that forms part of the governing coalition, says changing the article in the constitution that puts constraints on the military is unnecessary. In addition, any amendment would need to secure a majority of support in a national referendum to pass. Abe, who stepped down as prime minister two years ago, citing health reasons, said at the time he regretted leaving many of his goals unfinished, including revising the constitution. On Monday evening, a wake was held for Abe at a Buddhist temple in downtown Tokyo where Kishida and top former and current political leaders, as well as ordinary mourners, paid tribute. Some broke down in tears. A funeral is planned at the temple Tuesday by his family. The government is expected to hold a separate memorial service at a later date. Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Kishida to offer condolences and deliver a letter from President Joe Biden to Abe’s family. “We simply want them to know that we deeply feel the loss on the personal level as well,” Blinken told Kishida. “Mostly I’m here because the United States and Japan are more than allies—we are friends.” Also Monday, Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-Te paid his respects at Abe’s Tokyo residence. Lai in his Facebook called Abe “a good friend who loves and supports Taiwan.” Abe was known as a staunch Taiwan supporter. Japan’s longest-serving political leader, Abe was the grandson of another prime minister and became the country’s youngest leader in 2006, at age 52. That stint in office abruptly ended a year later, also because of his health. From the more than 200 survivors in the late 1990s, less than 50 Filipino comfort women are still alive. This highlights a sense of urgency for them to receive a formal unequivocal public apology and just compensation from Japan as well as accurate historical inclusion while their voices can still be heard. It has been almost eight decades since the war ended on August 15, 1945, and yet the Japanese government refuses to recognize its official accountability to the victims of sex slavery. Justice has not yet been given to these women. Their fight continues up to this day. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez. com, or call 0917-5025808 or 0908-8665786.

N his inaugural speech, President Bongbong Marcos surprised the country’s peasant leaders and CSO agridev advocates with his declaration of support for “food self-sufficiency” as a national goal and his stinging critique of “unfair competition” in global agri trade. need to worry. They can be nudged to shift to the production of other crops, especially export-oriented ones, that enjoy “comparative advantage” in the envisioned liberalized agricultural market. Based on the above thinking and with huge doses of World Bank assistance and advice (under a socalled “structural adjustment program”), the Philippines abandoned in the first half of the 1980s the “Masagana 99” program of the late Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. To the great consternation of then Secretary Bong Tangco, the WB-supported “agricultural deregulation” removed the subsidy program for rice farmers and whittled down the role of the National Food Authority (NFA) in the buying of rice and corn and in the profitable importation of wheat and other agricultural products. In the 1990s, the neo-liberalizers tariffied the agri sector and submitted to the World Trade Organization (WTO) a schedule of industrial and agricultural tariffs that are way below our neighboring countries such as Thailand. From then on, agriculture, especially food production, was neglected. It never received the promised “modernization” assistance from various administrations despite the billions allotted annually for agri modernization and transformation. And then in 2019, Congress passed the Rice Tariffication Law to complete the overall deregulation and liberalization of the agri sector. RTL further weakened a very weak NFA and transformed the national rice trading system as

a commercial preserve of the big private importers and distributorsretailers. Now what does the President mean when he made the remark that the policy of the big free-trade countries is “don’t do as we do, do what we tell you to?” This is really a summation of what has been happening in the global trade talks since the formation of the WTO in 1995. The series of WTO Ministerial talks (Seattle, 1999; Cancun, 2003; Hong Kong, 2005, etc.) collapsed because of the insistence of developed countries led by the United States and EU for developing countries to open their agricultural markets in a wholesale manner and phase out protection to their home producers. The developing countries, led by India and Indonesia and supported by farmer groups/CSOs, have been questioning the hypocrisy of the developed countries. Why is the United States providing billions of subsidies to their agricultural producers through the US Farm law (renewed every five years)? Why is the EU maintaining the Common Agricultural Policy, a system of massive subsidies for European farmers erected in the 1960s? Yes, don’t do as we do and do what we tell you to. So in the light of the President’s inaugural discussion on the country’s lack of food sufficiency under a onesided global agri trade arrangement, what do we expect the President and concurrent DA secretary do? Many peasant leaders and CSO agridev campaigners are pleasantly surprised with the President’s inaugural speech. Enthused by the President’s speech, they have submitted a long list of needed reform measures in the sector such as adequate budget for the sector, effective credit and insurance program, value chain development, full support services to farmers, increased NFA procurement capability, fertilizer subsidy, moratorium on land conversion, repeal/revision of the RTL and non-ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. However, to this writer, first things first. The President should

abandon the neo-liberal concept of food security, which has really become a national security issue as well given the uncertain and volatile world we are living in (e.g., unpredictable long-term outcomes of the US/Nato-Russia war in Ukraine). There should be a formal policy declaration on the pursuit and implementation of food selfsufficiency in basic staples such as rice and corn. In relation to this, the proposal for a Masagana 150 is laudable. But for M 150 to work, the government should not forget the reasons why Masagana 99 of President Marcos Sr. worked in the mid-1970s but collapsed in the early 1980s. There are at least four reasons for the collapse: 1) dependence on IRRI-provided HYV seeds, which turned out to be heavily dependent on farm inputs (when the prices of these inputs rose in 1979-1981, widespread farm indebtedness followed); 2) imposition by the IMF-World Bank of the policy of “agricultural deregulation,” which reduced government subsidy and NFA price support program for the rice farmers; 3) failure of the cooperative Samahang Nayon program to take off because of bad leadership and corruption; and 4) slowdown in agrarian reform implementation. So for M 150 to work, the Marcos administration should try to avoid the above weaknesses that killed M 99. Additionally, one must add the importance of having an integrated approach in agricultural development under a decisive leadership and in putting the farmers (not the big agribusiness and seed firms) at the center of development as partners in reform implementation. Now the final question: can the President secure the support of his economic team in the promotion of an alternative development paradigm on food security and economic development? Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo is a Professor Emeritus of the University of the Philippines. For comments, please write to reneofreneo@ gmail.com.

Jan. 6 panel probes Trump’s ‘siren call’ to extremists By LISA MASCARO

AP Congressional Correspondent

ASHINGTON—The January 6 committee is preparing to highlight the way violent far-right extremists answered Donald Trump’s “siren call” to come to Washington for a big rally, as some now facing rare sedition charges over the deadly US Capitol attack to overturn the presidential election. The panel investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol siege is set to convene Tuesday for a public hearing probing what it calls the final phase of Trump’s multi-pronged effort to halt Joe Biden’s victory. As dozens of lawsuits and false claims of voter fraud fizzled, Trump tweeted the rally invitation, a pivotal moment, the committee said. The far-right Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and others now facing criminal charges readily answered. “We will lay out the body of evidence that we have that talks about how the president’s tweet on the wee hours of December 19th of ‘Be there, be wild,’ was a siren call to these folks,” said one panel member, Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., over the weekend on “Meet the Press.” In fact, Trump tweeted, “Be there, will be wild!” This is the seventh hearing in a series that has presented numerous blockbuster revelations from the January 6 committee. Over the past month, the panel has created a stark narrative of a defeated Trump “detached from reality,” clinging to his false claims of voter fraud and working feverishly to reverse his election defeat. It all culminated with the deadly attack on the Capitol, the committee said. What the committee intends to probe Tuesday is whether the extremist groups, including the Proud

Boys, Oath Keepers and QAnon adherents who had rallied for Trump before, coordinated with White House allies for January 6. The Oath Keepers have denied there was any plan to storm the Capitol. The panel is also expected to highlight new testimony from Pat Cipollone, the former White House counsel, who “was aware of every major move” Trump was making, said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who will lead the session. It’s the only hearing set for this week, as new details emerge. An expected prime-time hearing Thursday has been shelved for now. This week’s session comes after former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson provided stunning accounts under oath of an angry Trump who knowingly sent armed supporters to the Capitol on January 6 and then refused to quickly call them off as violence erupted, siding with the rioters as they searched menacingly for Vice President Mike Pence. Trump has said Cassidy’s account is not true. But Cipollone at Friday’s private session did not contradict earlier testimony. Raskin said the panel planned to use “a lot” of Cipollone’s testimony. The panel is expected to highlight a meeting on December 18, 2020, at the White House in which former Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, one-time Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn and others floated ideas for overturning the election results, Raskin told CBS over the weekend. This was days after the Electoral College had met on December 14 to certify the results for Biden—a time time when other key Republicans were announcing that the election and its challenges were over.

On December 19, Trump would send the tweet beckoning supporters to Washington for the January 6 rally, the day Congress was set to certify the Electoral College count: “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!” The Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, extremist far-right groups whose leaders and others are now facing rare sedition charges for their roles in the attack, prepared to come to Washington, according to court filings. On December 29, the Proud Boys chairman posted a message on social media that said members planned to “turn out in record numbers on January 6th,” according to a federal indictment. The group planned to meet at the Washington Monument, its members instructed not to wear its traditional black and yellow colors, but be “incognito.” The Proud Boys have contended that membership grew after Trump, during his first debate with Biden, refused to outright condemn the group but instead told them to “stand back and stand by.” The night before January 6, Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio met with Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes at an underground parking garage, according to court filings along with images a documentary filmmaker trailing the group provided to the panel. The Oath Keepers had also been organizing for January 6 and established a “quick response force” at a nearby hotel in Virginia, according to court filings. After the Capitol siege, Rhodes called someone with an urgent message for Trump, another group member has said. Rhodes was denied a chance to speak to Trump, but urged the person on the phone

to tell the Republican president to call upon militia groups to fight to keep the president in power. An attorney for Rhodes recently told the committee that their client wants to testify publicly. Rhodes was already interviewed by the committee privately, and it’s unlikely the panel will agree. The panel also intends to discuss the way many of the Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6 appeared to be QAnon believers. Federal authorities have explicitly linked at least 38 rioters to the pro-Trump conspiracy theory, according to an Associated Press review of court records. One of the most recognizable figures from the January 6 attack was a shirtless Arizona man who called himself the “QAnon Shaman,” carried a spear and wore face paint and a Viking hat with fur and horns. A core belief among QAnon followers is that Trump was secretly fighting a cabal of deep state operatives, prominent Democrats and Hollywood elites who worship Satan and engage in sex trafficking of children. The panel has shown, over the course of fast-paced hearings and with eyewitness accounts from the former president’s inner circle, how Trump was told “over and over” again, as Vice Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said, that he had lost the election and his false claims of voter fraud were just not true. Nevertheless, Trump summoned his supporters to Washington and then sent them to the Capitol in what Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., has called an “attempted coup.” As-

sociated Press writers Farnoush Amiri and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington and Michael Kunzelman in College Park, Maryland, contributed to this report.

A14 Wednesday, July 13, 2022

In-person classes will allow GDP to grow by 8%–PCCI

By Andrea E. San Juan & Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

he Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said Tuesday that the resumption of face-to-face classes would allow GDP to grow by 8 percent in the second half.

“GDP is likely to grow by 6 to 6.5 percent within the second half of this year; and 8 percent growth may even be attainable if face-toface classes were to resume,” Ferdinand A. Ferrer, head of PCCI’s Digital Innovation and Science and Technology Committee, said in his speech during the media launch of the 48th Philippine Business Conference and Expo (PBC&E) in Manila. PCCI President George T. Barcelon said appointing a health chief, who would lay the groundwork for a safe return to schools, would ensure the smooth transition to faceto-face classes. “I’d like to think that the Secretary of Health, once he gets onboard, this is one of the immediate concerns that he has to put in place,” said Barcelon. Last week, in preparation for the

plan, Marcos Jr. said they would be discussing the vaccination policy for students. Currently, students could attend limited face-to-face classes even without getting a Covid-19 jab. He noted that they are encouraging younger people to avail of booster shots amid incidents of Covid-19 Omicron variant cases across the country. The President, last week, emphasized that they will reinstitute the vaccination drive so that “we can at least feel safer when the children go back to school”.

Cabinet meeting THE government’s budget for next year, pending infrastructure and transportation projects, and addressing the jobs mismatch were the highlights of the second Cabi-

net meeting held last Tuesday in Malacañang. President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. led the meeting virtually since he is still under isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 last week. Marcos is expected to complete his prescribed 7-day isolation period this week. Solicitor General Menardo I. Guevarra said the meeting was held from 9 a.m. to 2:25 p.m. at the premier guest house inside the Malacañang complex. He noted the agenda of the second Cabinet meeting was heavy and focused on the economic agenda of the administration. During the event, Press Secretary Beatrix Cruz-Angeles disclosed that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) presented the details for the proposed 2023 national budget. She said the administration will be using its budget for next year to promote “broad-based and inclusive economic recovery and growth.” Other government agencies, which made presentations in the meeting were the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for its “infrastructure convergence projects,” and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for its priority initiatives.

Jobs-skills mismatch

ALSO discussed in the meeting, Angeles said, were how to address the job-skill mismatch amid the so-called 4th industrial revolution which would result in the automation of more jobs. She said Marcos wanted the existing curriculum to be updated so graduates could cope with the new skills demands in the labor market. “That is why we have to look at the curriculum as well. Not only of TESDA [Technical Education and Skills Development Authority], but also even our diploma courses,” Marcos said during the meeting. Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual said the government is trying to bridge the gap between the curriculum and the demands of industries through the development of “micro-credentialing systems,” wherein students will undergo short courses for specific skills. “We’re developing or helping universities develop this system of micro-credentialing because technology is changing very fast. There is a need for workers to update themselves, to reskill or upskill,” Pascual said. He said they are collaborating with the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education for the said initiative.

‘Communication key to calming markets’ By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

he new governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said effective communication is key to calming markets in times of volatility and rising prices. In a recent speaking engagement, BSP Governor Felipe Medalla said the BSP is facing a “more difficult” time in terms of managing inflation and volatility due to local and external shocks thatareaffectingthecountry’smarkets. “It’s important that central banks reach their intended audience. Effective communication is key to credibly assure the markets that fundamentals are intact and that appropriate policy actions will be taken when needed in a pre-emptive fashion,” Medalla said. In terms of inflation, the new governor said “half the battle” in managing price movements is instilling confidence in the expectation of market players in the BSP’s ability to manage evolving conditions. “Influencing inflation expectations is, therefore, half the battle, especially during episodes of high inflation when central banks cannot afford to look unconcerned or inattentive. Of course, we should be transparent so that we can explain why when we are wrong,” Medalla said. Most recent data show that inflation in the country has hit 6.1

percent in June, the highest price acceleration for the country in three years. Medalla reiterated their view of inflation’s importance in crafting monetary policy, saying a favorable price environment is crucial for economic growth. “Safeguarding price stability is not just an essential condition for preserving macroeconomic stability; it can also contribute to higher economic growth,” Medalla said. For volatility, meanwhile, the governor said volatility is not entirely inevitable in the economy. “So I guess we have a lot of educating to do in making the markets accept volatility and live with it. We need to do more and more of that gradually over time,” Medalla said. “When I asked some people, ‘What is the optimal volatility?’ They always tell me, ‘More than what you had yesterday’,” he added. Concerns have been rising lately about the volatility of the peso, and the pace of its depreciation against the dollar. Data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines on Tuesday showed that the local currency ended the day’s trade at a fresh 18-year low. The peso closed trade on Tuesday at P56.37 to a dollar, falling from the previous day’s trade close of P55.979 to a dollar. This is the lowest value of the peso since late 2004.

SCS ARBITRAL RULING: U.S., JAPAN STAND WITH PHL By Malou Talosig-Bartolome @maloutalosig

HE United States, Japan, Austra l ia, Ger many, France, Canada and the European Union are standing with the Philippines in commemorating the 6th anniversary of the award on the South China Sea (SCS) Arbitration, which nullified China’s historic claims over the gas-rich islands. However, China continues to defy the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration. In separate statements, they reiterated Tuesday their call for China to abide by the The Hague tribunal decision and to respect the international law in order to maintain peace and stability in the IndoPacific region. US State Secretary Antony Blinken said the administration of President Biden “reaffirms” the policy made by the Trump administration that China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea is “completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them.” “We also reaffirm that an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke US mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty,” Blinken said in a statement. B l i n k e n a nd Jap a ne s e Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa said the tribunal decision is “final and legally binding” on the Philippines and China. Hayashi said China’s insistence not to accept the award is “against the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, in particular UNCLOS, and undermines the

rule of law as a fundamental value of the international community.” The Japanese Foreign Minister said they “highly appreciate” the Philippine government for “having consistently complied with the award” as well as its commitment to peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea. Japan also has a territorial dispute with China over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. “We call again on the PRC to abide by its obligations under international law and cease its provocative behavior.” Blinken said. The Canadian Embassy in Manila cited China’s continued use of naval, coast guard and maritime militia vessels “to intimidate the ships of other states and assert unilateral claims over disputed features.” “C a n a d a re a f f i r m s it s strong opposition to unilateral actions that escalate tensions and undermine regional stability and the rules-based international order,” the Canad ian Embassy t weeted. “These actions are incompatible with China’s obligations under international law, including UNCLOS.” Blinken, Hayashi and the Canadian government have committed to work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), other allies and partners to “protect and preserve the rules-based order.” Canada said they are monitoring and supporting the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea among claimant states which also include Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam. “We encourage transparency in these negotiations and reiterate that the agreement should not prejudice the rights

of third parties and must be consistent with international law, including the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration ruling,” the Embassy added. Austra lian A mbassador Steven Robinson, French Ambassador Michele Boccoz, and German Ambassador Anke Reiffenstuel also said they are standing “firmly” with the Philippines in asserting its maritime rights which were increasingly being challenged by China. Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo welcomed the support of a “growing list” of countries supporting the arbitration award. “The Award benefits the world across the board. We do not see it as directed at any other country, near or far. We see it as it should be seen: as favoring all which are similarly situated by clarifying definitively a legal situation beyond the reach of arms to change. It puts this aspect of international law beyond the limit of prescription,” Manalo said. Aside from nullifying the nine-dash line in maps as basis for historic claim, the tribunal also ruled that Chinese activities in the West Philippine Sea such as largescale reclamation, construction of artificial islands and l a rge - sc a le h a r vest i ng of endangered marine species violate Philippine sovereign and maritime rights, Manalo said. “ T hese findings are no longer within the reach of denial and rebuttal, and are conclusive as they are indisputable. The Award is final. We firmly reject attempts to undermine it; nay, even erase it from law, history and our collective memories,” Manalo added.

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Companies BusinessMirror

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

CTA orders MRT Corp. to pay ₧1.73B in income tax for ‘07

By Joel R. San Juan

@jrsanjuan1573

HE Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) has affirmed its decision ordering the private owner of Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 (MRT-3) to pay at least P1.73 billion in income taxes for the year 2007. In a 13-page ruling dated July 5, 2021 and penned by Presiding Justice Roman G. del Rosario, the CTA en banc held that both the petitioner Bureau of Internal Revenue and respondent MRT Corp. failed to raise new arguments in their respective motions for partial reconsideration of its decision promulgated last September 2, 2021. In its September 2, 2021 decision, the tax court cancelled and set aside the assessments issued by the BIR against MRT Corp. for taxable year 2007 covering deficiency value-added-tax (penalties only), final withholding tax and increments for late payment of income tax amounting to P1.61 billion. However, MRT Corp. was or-

dered to pay the BIR the amount of P1.73 billion representing the following: basic deficiency income tax; 25-percent surcharge; 20-percent deficiency interest; and, 20-percent delinquency interest imposed on the deficiency income tax, expanded withholding tax and fringe benefit tax. In addition MRT Corp. was ordered to pay a 12-percent delinquency interest computed from January 1, 2018 until full payment. Likewise, the CTA enjoined the BIR from enforcing the collection of the deficiency VAT, final withholding tax and increments for late payment of income tax for the year 2007. In its motion for partial reconsideration, MRT Corp. insisted that

the examination of and the assessments issued against it are null and void since not all the revenue officers (ROs) who examined it were authorized. In its comment to the motion of MRT Corp., the BIR said it raised no points of contention that would warrant the reversal of the CTA en banc’s decision. The BIR also filed its own motion for partial reconsideration reiterating its plea in its petition for review for the Court to uphold the P1.61 billion deficiency tax assessment against MRT Corp. for taxable year 2007 plus 25 percent surcharge, 20 percent deficiency and delinquency interest. In junking the partial motion for reconsideration of MRT Corp., the CTA held that its arguments questioning the authority of the revenue officers who conducted the audit and assessment were already raised by the respondent in its previous pleadings which it had already considered and addressed in the September 2, 2021, decision. On the other hand, the CTA said the grounds raised by the BIR in its partial motion for reconsideration are the same grounds raised in its previous pleadings

which had already been addressed and passed upon also in its September 2, 2021, decision. “To repeat, the Court en banc finds no sufficient basis to disturb or modify the findings, conclusions and the corresponding computations of respondent’s liabilities judiciously made by the Court in Division in its Decision dated January 8, 2019,” the CTA said. “There being no substantial arguments or cogent reasons put forth by the parties in their respective motions, the Court sees no basis to modify much more reverse the Assailed Decision,” it added. The tax liabilities of MRT Corp. stemmed from underreported income uncovered by the BIR during an audit of the books of the company. It was discovered by BI officers that some lease financing income rentals paid by the government for the construction and public use of the rail system was not accurately taxed. MRT Corp., it turned out, used different accounting methods that led to only P3.49 billion being reported in its income tax return, despite audited financial statements reflecting a much higher figure in the amount of P4.28 billion.

PLDT starts cable landing station P

LDT Inc. said on Tuesday it has officially inaugurated the cable landing station of the Jupiter Cable System in Daet, Camarines Norte. “This new cable system significantly advances not just PLDT’s digital infrastructure, but more importantly, the overall digital readiness of the country as well,” PLDT FVP and Head of Enterprise Business Group Jojo G. Gendrano said. Expected to boost PLDT’s capacity by five times, Jupiter traverses the Pacific Ocean from North America connecting directly to Maruyama and Shima in Japan and to Daet, Camarines Norte in the Philippines. “ T he Jupiter Cable System serves as an international highway for global data traffic to reach the Philippines. It is expected to exponentially boost the country’s international capacity to the USA and Japan, further encourage the global trade of digital services, and as a result propel the country’s digital economy,” Gendrano said. He added that it is now fastest cable system between the Philippines and the United States. Jupiter is the first international submarine cable system in the Philippines to use an Open Cable Model, which allows PLDT to power up and deliver hyperscale bandwidth more quickly to enter-

Firms told to report for elevator deaths By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) gave companies involved in the collapse of an elevator at the Burgundy Tower in Makati, which killed two persons, until next week to implement corrective measures. DOLE-National Capital Region (NCR) Regional Director Sarah S. Mirasol said she issued the order to the local operator of Colliers Property Management B.V., Concepcion-Otis Philippines Inc. and DLC Electro Mechanical Engineering Services Inc. (DLC-Emes) Among the documents the said firms would have to submit are: Construction Safety and Health program (CSHP) with methodology; certificate for designated safety office; and, certificate for designated first aider. Concepcion-Otis was also required to present its Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) license and registration of establishment. DLC-Emes is listed in the PCAB Licensed Contractors as of February 2020 (https://ciap. dti.gov.ph/sites/default/files/publications/PCAB%20List%20of%20 Licensed%20Contractors%20for%20 CFY%202019-2020%20as%20of%20 12%20February%202020_Web.pdf). According to Mirasol, the respondents were required to submit the said documents at the next conference Monday next week (July 18).

Violations

MIRASOL said the compliance of the three companies will determine if they will face administrative fines for possible violation of the provisions of Republic Act 10058 or the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Law. This was in relation to a workplace

accident involving DLC Emes employees replacing an old passenger elevator at Burgundy Tower in Makati last Friday. Authorities identified the two employees who died as Marfel Mico Linayao and Rey Miguel Gileda. Colliers is the service provider in-charge of the management of the Burgundy Tower. Concepcion-Otis is the general contractor in-charge in the dismantling and replacement of the said elevator. DLC EMes was its subcontractor. During the investigation conducted by the DOLE-NCR on the incident, Mirasol said they observed several OSH violations in said worksite. These included the lack of the following: a CHSP; safety officer; first aider; safety orientation or tool box meeting; and, annual medical report. She said they also found out Colliers violated general labor standards particularly non-presentation of employment records, and non-registration under Department Order 174. Mirasol said the work stoppage order (WSO), which she issued for the worksite in Burgundy Tower last July 8 will last until the violations could be addressed by the concerned firms.

Swift resolution

FEDER ATION of Free Workers (FFW) President Jose G. Matula called on the DOLE for the swift resolution of its investigation on the workplace accident. “Government must act to prevent other work-related incidents like what happened in the last few days,” Matula was quoted in a statement as saying. He reminded employers of their legal obligation to ensure the safety of their workers. “Under RA 11058, workers shall enjoy a place of employment free from hazardous conditions,” Matula said.

SEC stops Wellcons Ponzi-like operation

BUSINESSMIRROR FILE PHOTO

prises across the world. “The PLDT Group has robust domestic and international cable systems with an unrivaled capacity among local providers. Our expansive participation in international submarine cable systems, especially now with Jupiter, enables our initiatives to

support hyperscalers – the next growth engine of the country’s digital economy,” said Gene C. Sanchez, PLDT Enterprise VP & Head of Global Capacity Strategy. Aside from Jupiter, PLDT has 16 international cable systems under its belt. “ This milestone immensely

strengthens our strategy in helping us position the Philippines as the next hyperscaler hub of Asia-Pacific and enriching the country’s Hyperscale Ecosystem that is comprised of connected digital infrastructures such as data centers, subsea cables, domestic fiber network, 5G, cloud, and IOT,” Sanchez said. Lorenz S. Marasigan

Fort Pilar unit to start building plant in Sept ELGROVE Power Corp. (BPC), a subsidiary of Romero-led Fort Pilar Energy Inc., will start construction of the proposed 60-megawatts (MW) gas turbine power plant in September this year while target commercial operations is expected to happen in May 2023. In its environmental impact study, BPC said the proposed project timeline is just an estimate, pending the release of its environmental compliance certificate. It is now undergo-

ing detailed engineering works while construction is expected to happen from September to February next year. Project commissioning may happen in April 2023. The power plant will be located inside the existing non-operational Malaya Thermal Power Plant (MTPP), which was successfully sold to Fort Pillar by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (Psalm). The proposed project site is already an industrial zone.

It added that n existing substation of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) could be utilized as “tapping point”. The company earlier said it was allocating P3.8 billion for the proposed two units of 30MW modular gas turbine engines. The main fuel that will be is diesel and will be sourced locally. It is estimated that about 9.4 cubic meters per hour of diesel fuel is required to run the power plant and generate 60MW.

Fort Pilar wants to produce as much as 3,000MW in power generating capacity in five years. “We want to be a major player in the industry so we can capture a good market share of 2,000MW to 3,000MW in the next five years. But in terms of energy source, renewable energy will be our focus and baseload capacity is also a consideration,” Fort Pilar Energy CEO Joseph Omar A. Castillo earlier said. Lenie Lectura

HE Securities and Exchange Commission has revoked the corporate registration of Wellcons Unlimited Systems Inc. for its “double-your-money” program, which the agency found as akin to a Ponzi scheme. In an order dated July 5, the Enforcement and Investor Protection Department of the SEC found that Wellcons has been publicly offering and selling securities without the necessary secondary license from the regulator. In doing so, Wellcons committed an ultra vires act under Section 44 of Republic Act 11232, otherwise known as the Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines. According to the order, the company’s activities also constituted serious misrepresentation as to what it can do, to the great prejudice of or damage to the general public, a ground for the revocation of a corporation’s certificate of registration under Presidential Decree 902-A. Wellcons has been offering investment packages worth P2,500 to P13,890 under a program called “Binary System,” with guaranteed returns of up to P9,000 to P32,000 per day. Members who availed investment packages under the “Binary System” can further earn through Wellcon’s “Pangkabuhayan“ (livelihood) program, where they can supposedly double their money within six months based on investment packages worth P1,500 to P5,000. In addition, Wellcons promised

leadership bonuses and referral fees, among others. Wellcons’s investment scheme involves securities, particularly an investment contract, whereby a person invests his money in a common enterprise and is led to expect profits primarily from the efforts of others, according to the EIPD. As a form of security, investment contracts must be registered with the SEC before they can be sold or offered within the Philippines, pursuant to Section 8 of Republic Act 8799, or the Securities Regulation Code. Wellcons may be a registered corporation with the SEC but it has never secured a secondary license from the agency to operate as a broker/dealer of securities, nor is it a registered issuer of any securities. “Considering that nowhere is it stated in the primary purpose clause of Wellcons in its Articles of Incorporation that it is authorized to engage in the selling or offering for sale of securities to the public, coupled with the fact that it does not have the necessary Permit to Offer and Sell Securities, the activities of Wellcons of selling or offering for sale securities in the form investment contracts is considered an ultra vires act and therefore constitute serious misrepresentation,” the order said. The SEC said Wellcons’s doubleyour-money scheme through its Pangkabuhayan program resembles a Ponzi scheme, where the profits or payouts taken from incoming investors are paid to existing or earlier investors. VG Cabuag

Companies BusinessMirror

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

San Miguel unit’s payables to Psalm already ₧34.04B

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

HE Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (Psalm) claimed that South Premiere Power Corp. (SPPC), a power unit of San Miguel Corp. (SMC), has overdue payables amounting to P34.04 billion as of end-June this year. In a statement issued late Tuesday, Psalm said the amount is based on its computation of generation payments for the 1200MW Ilijan Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Plant (Ilijan Plant) that takes into consideration the prices in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).

SPPC has yet to comment as of press time. To date, there is an ongoing litigation between Psalm and SPPC in the Regional Trial Court of Mandaluyong City to determine, among others, the correct computation of the generation payments. It will be recalled that Psalm cal-

culated generation charges based on the WESM prices to maximize its earnings from the IPPA (Independent Power Producer Administration), while SPPC uses a fixed rate based on approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). Psalm claimed that SPPC’s computations of generation payments were based on its power supply agreement with the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), of which Psalm is not a party. “It is Psalm’s position that the payables of SPPC due to Psalm should be in accordance with the provisions of the IPPA-A A. However, while the aforementioned case is still unresolved, should there be any rate increase, then SPPC ’s remittances to Psa lm should be recomputed and adjusted accordingly, consistent with SPPC’s own legal position

that such remittances to Psalm should be based on the power rates in its power supply agreement with Meralco,” Psalm said. The possible rate increase Psalm was referring to is SPPC’s motion with the ERC for temporary price adjustment of its 2019 power supply agreement with Meralco, mainly due to staggering increases in fuel prices. SPPC had said that selling Ilijan’s reliable baseload capacity to the WESM would have exposed consumers to the erratic surges of prices in the market and put them in violation of their power supply contract. While SPPC has already remitted to Psalm about P285.37 billion as of June 30 this year, “it is Psalm’s view that these remittances of SPPC were insufficient because they were not based on the WESM prices.”

Dito claims dented duopolist market D ITO Telecommunity Corp. said on Tuesday it has started disrupting the telco industry and has broken the duopolistic market, citing a report from monitoring firm Ookla LLC. Dito Chief Administrative Officer Adel A. Tamano said the report showed that Dito “has already made a dent in the dominance” of the two mobile network operators, Smart Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. The report noted that Dito’s aggressive offers has pushed the industry to improve its 4G and 5G services. With its entry, Dito helped in driving the median download speeds of 4G from 11.5 Mbps to 15.53 Mbps in the first quarter of 2022, Tamano said, citing the Ookla report. Tamano said Dito’s “strong performance” is driven by its aggressive investments in network roll out as well as its collaboration with regulators and local government units. “This is just the beginning,” Tamano said. “With our commitment to delivering quality telco services nationwide, Filipino consumers can expect more from DITO as we

remain committed to continue our investment in network upgrades and expansion.” For 2022, DITO has earmarked P50 billion to reach more Filipinos. It aims to be commercially available in more than 840 areas nationwide by the end of the year. Currently, Dito is present in 600 cities and municipalities across the Philippines. Tamano said he is confident that the market “will witness full-blown competition among telco operators once DITO covers 70 percent of the population this July,” a schedule that is part of its mandate stipulated in the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity by the National Telecommunications Commission in 2019. “We are confident that Dito can go head-to-head with the other two major players as penetrating more areas means we capture more share in the market. In the process, Filipino consumers will benefit from this increased competition, with companies racing to provide the best connectivity and the best value for services,” Tamano said. Dito has since reached the 9-million subscriber mark and is “wellpositioned to hit 12 million” by the end of the year. Lorenz S. Marasigan

Lamudi earns ‘Great Place to Work’ title

AMUDI Philippines has been certified as a “Great Place to Work” that, according to a ranking official, is “a testament to the high level of trust and overall happiness employees experience within the firm.” The recognition, which primarily involves a research called the Trust Index, came after 85 percent

of 150 workers surveyed agreed that the company is a great place to work in. The corporate culture of Lamudi is deemed excellent in the area of justice, with a top score of 92 percent, indicating that majority of employees believe that people in the firm are treated fairly regardless of gender, among other factors evaluated. “We always strive to create a positive environment for Lamudians, where they feel respected, heard, seen, and celebrated. Everyone is important in the team and we truly live our core values, especially, we go far, together,” said Ashima Lamba, human resource (HR) director at Lamudi. Roderick L. Abad

mutual funds

July 12, 2022

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 204.93 -6.58% -8.85% -5.62% -12.08% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.339 -5.82% -7.08% -3.7% -19.54% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 2.8116 -7.21% -12.67% -8.26% -13.16% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7013 -8.83% -10.18% n.a. -7.3% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.6564 -13.39% -9.93% n.a. -14.85% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 4.6084 -4.81% -6.39% -3.8% -11.08% -3.51% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.6872 -8.68% -6.49% -12.27% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 75.65 -26.68% -14.88% n.a. -19.89% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 42.1683 -6.23% -7.77% -4.13% -12.38% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 439.51 -6.84% -7.67% -4.28% -12.22% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.2277 7.55% -3.31% -1.28% -9.48% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 32.1392 -4.6% -6.97% -3.24% -12.18% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8306 -5.03% -8.35% n.a. -11.77% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 4.3675 -5.26% -7.14% -3.48% -11.96% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 727.69 -5.72% -7.21% -3.55% -12.17% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.6453 -8.29% -12.23% -6.51% -14.26% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.2754 -6.32% -9.75% -4.98% -13.25% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8282 -6.04% -7.5% -3.81% -12.31% United Fund, Inc. -a 3.0454 -5.3% -7.4% -2.89% -11.4% Primarily invested in Peso securities (units) Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a 1.0075 -6.07% n.a. n.a. -13.35% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 885.84 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Exchange Traded Fund (shares) First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 98.1016 -5.33% -7% -3.17% -12% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $0.9362 -23.26% -1.94% -0.97% -16.89% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.4621 -18.69% 3.48% 4.78% -20.81% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.5247 -9.17% -4.92% -2.99% -9.89% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.0786 -6.49% -4.22% -2.57% -8.89% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.4991 -3.46% -2.67% -1.12% -7.13% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.1922 -1.03% n.a. n.a. -8.04% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.8768 -3.57% -1.52% -0.27% -6.94% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.417 -6.78% -3.51% -1.78% -9.25% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 15.3371 -6.66% -3.62% -1.8% -8.95% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 1.9651 -4.02% -3.47% -1.76% -7.37% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.2888 -5.91% -5.97% -2.76% -9.82% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.8572 -2.26% -5.57% -2.34% -10.17% Primarily invested in Peso securities (units) Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a 0.8978 -8.74% -4.63% n.a. -9.29% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a 0.8232 -8.52% -7.43% n.a. -12.84% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a 0.8112 -8.53% -7.79% n.a. -13.14% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03316 -13.76% -4% -1.45% -12.6% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b $0.9251 -16.7% -2.3% -0.89% -13.31% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $3.954 -16.55% 1.4% 3% -17.66% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,2 $1.0138 -15.47% -1.85% 0.15% -15.42% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 373.46 0.23% 2.09% 2.27% -0.22% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.8914 -1.67% -0.17% 0.08% 0.36% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.2273 -0.12% 1.86% 3.24% -0.51% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.1677 -0.4% 0.65% -3.72% -4.27% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.3963 -1.84% 1.14% 1.6% -1.22% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.1771 -6.63% -0.13% 0.51% -4.97% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a 1.3193 0.14% 2.72% 2.78% 0.02% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.8807 -2.57% 1.66% 2.18% -2.15% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.0081 -2.59% 2.41% 1.7% -1.95% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1242 -2.78% 1.72% 2.56% -1.98% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.6918 -3.28% 0.88% 1.89% -2.24% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $481.27 1.56% 1.8% -1.7% -1.04% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є210.54 -4.34% -1.17% -0.06% -4.3% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.079 -10.08% -3.07% -0.82% -10.37% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0242 -7.28% -1.98% -0.57% -6.92% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $0.8981 -15.74% -6.14% -3.45% -12.19% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.209 -12.23% -2.08% -0.02% -11.84% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0607037 -3.67% 0.75% 1.19% -2.55% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $2.7503 -13.84% -3.79% -1.54% -13.95% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 132.31 1.5% 2.27% 2.56% 0.85% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0641 1.03% 0.26% n.a. 0.61% Sun Life Prosperity Peso Starter Fund, Inc. -a,1 1.3265 1.59% 2.1% 2.47% 0.83% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0642 0.61% 1.13% n.a. 0.34% Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (units) ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -a 44.3819 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a 1.2479 -4.13% n.a. n.a. -9.76% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (units) ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -a $0.8156 -18.44% n.a. n.a. -15.92% 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 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last July 8, 2021 (formerly, Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc.). 2 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last November 25, 2021.

"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

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

July 12, 2022

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

BDO UNIBANK BANK COMMERCE BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PB BANK PBCOM PHIL NATL BANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE FERRONOUX HLDG FILIPINO FUND NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH SUN LIFE VANTAGE

221,376,801 334,799 120,707,511 1,267,840 540,710 66,819,790 70,000 1,610 6,735,062 1,970 6,083,571.50 6,103,644.50 23,340 12,300 856 18,450 534,352 225,910 1,560

43,198,351 24,790,591 -361,089 -7,894,495 -4,997,676 1,711,637.50 2,463,662.50 -243,857 142,020 0

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 8.19 8.21 8.25 8.25 8.19 8.21 1,265,800 10,395,938 0.93 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 1,000 940 ALSONS CONS 31.05 31.5 30.15 31.7 30.05 31.5 3,177,100 97,660,760 ABOITIZ POWER RASLAG 2.01 2.02 2.02 2.04 2 2.02 3,395,000 6,857,280 BASIC ENERGY 0.38 0.39 0.385 0.395 0.38 0.39 1,090,000 420,600 17.24 17.44 17.44 17.48 17.18 17.44 147,200 2,552,694 FIRST GEN 61 61.2 62.8 62.8 61 61.2 850 52,372 FIRST PHIL HLDG MERALCO 353.8 354 354 354 353 353.8 69,330 24,518,160 MANILA WATER 16.64 16.88 16.52 16.8 16.52 16.64 161,800 2,702,956 3.05 3.07 3.07 3.07 3.02 3.05 238,000 723,940 PETRON 4.71 4.85 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 26,000 124,800 PETROENERGY PHX PETROLEUM 9.6 9.68 9.22 9.99 9.22 9.6 51,100 488,929 12.08 12.1 12.06 12.16 12.06 12.1 484,700 5,860,694 SYNERGY GRID 17.82 18 17.8 18 17.8 18 60,300 1,081,332 PILIPINAS SHELL 9.08 9.1 9.12 9.13 9.08 9.1 77,600 706,269 SPC POWER SOLAR PH 1.65 1.67 1.7 1.7 1.64 1.67 49,300,000 82,188,910 VIVANT 14.22 18.48 16 16 14.12 14.14 2,400 34,110 5.5 5.51 5.49 5.55 5.4 5.51 1,849,300 10,146,809 AGRINURTURE 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.2 2.17 2.18 255,000 556,280 AXELUM CNTRL AZUCARERA 9.18 9.5 9.22 9.5 9.18 9.5 9,700 89,756 25.45 25.85 24.9 25.9 24.7 25.85 1,474,200 37,540,345 CENTURY FOOD 13.7 14 14.2 14.2 13.66 14 2,000 27,578 DEL MONTE 6.91 6.97 6.97 7.04 6.9 6.91 1,066,000 7,402,345 DNL INDUS EMPERADOR 17.8 17.82 18 18.4 17.7 17.8 3,038,300 54,346,862 SMC FOODANDBEV 45.05 45.2 46.5 46.5 45.1 45.1 255,100 11,594,990 0.65 0.66 0.65 0.67 0.64 0.66 37,001,000 24,271,070 FIGARO COFFEE 0.55 0.58 0.58 0.58 0.55 0.55 22,000 12,160 ALLIANCE SELECT FRUITAS HLDG 1.06 1.08 1.09 1.09 1.06 1.08 1,318,000 1,414,640 99 100.5 100.3 100.3 98 100.3 7,220 715,365.50 GINEBRA 212.4 213 214 214 211.8 212.4 172,230 36,624,094 JOLLIBEE 1.1 1.11 1.1 1.11 1.1 1.11 433,000 476,810 KEEPERS HLDG MAXS GROUP 4.5 4.51 4.51 4.66 4.51 4.51 129,000 582,030 MG HLDG 0.112 0.113 0.111 0.111 0.111 0.111 100,000 11,100 13.52 13.66 13.38 14 13.38 13.52 9,931,900 135,464,936 MONDE NISSIN 7 7.1 7.1 7.1 7 7 57,400 402,010 SHAKEYS PIZZA ROXAS AND CO 0.54 0.55 0.53 0.55 0.53 0.54 548,000 291,390 RFM CORP 3.9 3.95 3.95 3.95 3.9 3.9 14,000 54,950 1.24 1.27 1.27 1.27 1.27 1.27 1,000 1,270 ROXAS HLDG 0.089 0.094 0.088 0.088 0.088 0.088 10,000 880 SWIFT FOODS UNIV ROBINA 117.8 118 118 118.3 117.2 117.8 710,180 83,701,294 VITARICH 0.6 0.62 0.62 0.62 0.6 0.62 30,000 18,540 0.6 0.62 0.61 0.62 0.59 0.6 2,536,000 1,532,690 CEMEX HLDG 3.54 3.64 3.5 3.66 3.5 3.64 65,000 233,070 EEI CORP HOLCIM 5.08 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.2 8,100 42,120 4.4 4.5 4.52 4.55 4.37 4.5 437,000 1,935,410 MEGAWIDE 19 19.2 19.38 19.38 19.2 19.38 15,800 304,394 PHINMA 0.71 0.74 0.72 0.74 0.71 0.74 8,000 5,760 TKC METALS VULCAN INDL 0.78 0.8 0.78 0.78 0.78 0.78 254,000 198,120 1.7 1.81 1.81 1.81 1.7 1.7 57,000 97,230 CROWN ASIA 1 1.03 1.04 1.04 1.04 1.04 1,000 1,040 EUROMED 5.45 5.53 5.53 5.53 5.45 5.45 4,600 25,350 PRYCE CORP CONCEPCION 18.02 19 19.06 19.1 19 19 5,000 95,266 GREENERGY 1.53 1.55 1.55 1.57 1.52 1.56 4,197,000 6,528,410 6.1 6.24 6.15 6.24 6.08 6.1 20,500 124,898 INTEGRATED MICR 0.68 0.69 0.69 0.69 0.68 0.69 14,000 9,580 IONICS PANASONIC 5.75 5.83 5.61 5.86 5.61 5.84 6,100 35,619 1.15 1.17 1.16 1.19 1.14 1.14 250,000 292,800 SFA SEMICON 2.81 2.83 2.76 2.86 2.76 2.83 123,000 347,450 CIRTEK HLDG

607,759 6,567,720 -242,600.00 -137,232 30,600 5,622,768 -301,400 30,600 -3,581,556 -17,900.00 35,350 -2,729,186 -4,340 1,722,455 -897,129 3,767,018 -6,261,655 10,522,350 5,663,124 -432,960 11,100 -19,955,688 -273,210 -206,170 -47,150 32,386,163 -880,060 26,400 -17,120 -1,744,230 7,929 -290,520 -

HOLDING & FRIMS

ABACORE CAPITAL AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANSCOR ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT KEPPEL HLDG B LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP METRO PAC INV PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA SOLID GROUP SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

121.5 8.25 89 26.9 7.06 49.2 6.9 16.14 17.92 19.52 90.4 77 1.84 2.06 4.33 0.61 177 2,366 0.78

1.66 620 50 9.99 8.65 0.405 0.41 4.44 8.98 479.8 3.46 50.55 7.26 0.53 2.97 8.38 3.6 2.31 2.43 0.92 812.5 106.9 107.5 0.25 0.154

122 8.3 89.5 27 7.07 49.7 7.19 17.96 17.94 19.7 90.45 77.8 1.92 2.49 6.93 0.64 178 2,490 0.83

1.67 625 50.7 10 8.7 0.41 0.445 4.45 9.03 480 3.6 50.8 11.22 0.6 3.06 8.5 3.7 2.4 2.45 0.96 813 107 115 0.27 0.169

119.5 8.25 88.95 27 7.09 49.4 7 16.1 18 19.7 90.5 78.85 1.95 2.05 4.28 0.62 180 2,400 0.78

1.6 644 51.3 10 8.98 0.405 0.41 4.45 8.72 483 3.6 50 7.26 0.61 2.97 8.42 3.62 2.4 2.36 0.95 825 106 103.2 0.25 0.153

122 8.4 90.45 27 7.09 49.7 7 16.1 18 19.7 91.2 78.85 1.95 2.05 4.28 0.62 180 2,400 0.78

1.68 644 51.45 10 8.98 0.405 0.42 4.45 9.03 483 3.6 52.7 7.26 0.61 3.06 8.5 3.7 2.4 2.47 0.96 837 107 115.9 0.25 0.153

119.5 8.25 88.15 26.9 7.05 48.8 7 16.1 17.92 19.7 90.45 77 1.92 2.05 4.28 0.61 178 2,366 0.78

1.6 620 50 9.85 8.7 0.405 0.41 4.42 8.69 478.4 3.6 50 7.26 0.61 2.97 8.36 3.58 2.4 2.36 0.91 810.5 104.5 103.2 0.25 0.153

122 8.25 89 26.95 7.07 49.7 7 16.1 17.94 19.7 90.45 77.8 1.92 2.05 4.28 0.61 178 2,366 0.78

1.67 620 50 10 8.7 0.405 0.41 4.45 9.03 479.8 3.6 50.8 7.26 0.61 3.06 8.5 3.7 2.4 2.43 0.96 813 107 115 0.25 0.153

1,833,520 40,500 1,348,370 47,000 76,500 1,356,800 10,000 100 375,200 100 67,010 78,420 12,000 6,000 200 30,000 2,990 95 2,000

19,529,000 330,310 340,180 4,563,900 18,700 140,000 200,000 853,000 8,839,700 68,620 127,000 2,737,300 300 11,000 51,000 1,179,900 7,219,000 4,000 284,000 794,000 415,020 170,060 1,190 150,000 10,000

32,200,630 208,229,445 17,149,948.50 45,408,731 162,914 56,700 83,000 3,795,630 79,245,217 32,938,446 457,200 139,487,765 2,178 6,710 155,970 9,987,204 26,296,890 9,600 689,580 752,210 338,886,845 18,098,643 131,060 37,500 1,530

PROPERTY

ARTHALAND CORP 0.55 0.59 0.59 0.59 0.59 0.59 5,000 2,950 6.03 7.41 5.92 6.03 5.92 6.03 1,600 9,637 ANCHOR LAND 25.25 25.5 25.5 25.8 25.25 25.25 19,359,000 493,435,980 AYALA LAND AYALA LAND LOG 3.06 3.13 3.03 3.14 3.03 3.13 392,000 1,195,040 ALTUS PROP 13.12 13.96 14 14 13.12 13.12 2,900 40,492 1.54 1.56 1.52 1.56 1.42 1.56 1,096,000 1,639,230 ARANETA PROP 36.9 37.4 37 37.45 36.5 36.9 180,400 6,687,460 AREIT RT A BROWN 0.73 0.77 0.78 0.78 0.78 0.78 10,000 7,800 0.083 0.085 0.085 0.089 0.083 0.085 3,670,000 309,510 CROWN EQUITIES 2.47 2.5 2.48 2.5 2.47 2.5 83,000 206,740 CEB LANDMASTERS 0.37 0.38 0.38 0.38 0.37 0.37 620,000 232,800 CENTURY PROP CITICORE RT 2.39 2.4 2.43 2.43 2.39 2.4 5,780,000 13,932,600 DOUBLEDRAGON 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.12 8.12 59,100 480,780 1.5 1.52 1.53 1.54 1.49 1.49 651,000 987,800 DDMP RT 6.8 6.82 6.82 6.82 6.82 6.82 5,000 34,100 DM WENCESLAO EMPIRE EAST 0.211 0.22 0.219 0.22 0.204 0.22 5,070,000 1,114,830 0.26 0.265 0.25 0.275 0.249 0.265 17,710,000 4,628,800 EVER GOTESCO 6.79 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.79 6.8 584,500 3,974,354 FILINVEST RT 0.86 0.88 0.86 0.88 0.86 0.86 2,870,000 2,475,240 FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE 0.84 0.88 0.84 0.88 0.84 0.88 134,000 113,800 10.04 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.04 10.04 8,000 81,582 8990 HLDG 1.04 1.06 0.98 1.07 0.97 1.06 2,449,000 2,515,140 PHIL INFRADEV 0.7 0.72 0.7 0.72 0.7 0.72 132,000 92,980 CITY AND LAND MEGAWORLD 2.26 2.29 2.26 2.31 2.26 2.26 5,256,000 11,976,400 MRC ALLIED 0.182 0.183 0.18 0.184 0.18 0.182 830,000 150,870 15.98 16 15.98 16.02 15.88 16 971,100 15,539,578 MREIT RT 0.37 0.38 0.37 0.37 0.37 0.37 230,000 85,100 PHIL ESTATES PRIMEX CORP 2.09 2.1 2.09 2.12 2.09 2.11 2,306,000 4,841,370 RL COMM RT 6.5 6.53 6.55 6.55 6.5 6.53 3,827,800 25,065,911 17.14 17.32 17.6 17.6 17.14 17.14 1,922,200 33,208,258 ROBINSONS LAND 0.229 0.234 0.225 0.225 0.225 0.225 10,000 2,250 PHIL REALTY ROCKWELL 1.21 1.25 1.23 1.23 1.23 1.23 13,000 15,990 2.91 3.05 3.05 3.05 3.05 3.05 5,000 15,250 STA LUCIA LAND 37.2 37.5 37 37.9 37 37.5 2,695,300 100,741,690 SM PRIME HLDG 1 1.04 1 1.05 1 1.04 15,000 15,280 SUNTRUST RESORT VISTA LAND 2.03 2.04 2.1 2.15 2.03 2.03 933,000 1,933,180 VISTAREIT RT 1.74 1.75 1.76 1.76 1.74 1.75 432,000 756,690 SERVICES ABS CBN 9.26 9.49 9.5 9.6 9.21 9.35 38,700 361,066 11.1 11.12 11.18 11.18 11.08 11.12 356,800 3,970,600 GMA NETWORK 2,252 2,262 2,276 2,276 2,224 2,252 11,310 25,461,570 GLOBE TELECOM PLDT 1,700 1,709 1,709 1,719 1,697 1,709 67,500 115,342,275 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.035 0.036 0.037 0.038 0.034 0.035 417,600,000 14,983,700 21.5 21.55 21.5 22.05 21.15 21.55 7,612,600 165,598,020 CONVERGE 3.11 3.13 3.07 3.15 3.07 3.13 75,000 234,410 DFNN INC DITO CME HLDG 4.09 4.1 4.39 4.39 4.1 4.1 3,924,000 16,411,370 NOW CORP 1.15 1.16 1.2 1.21 1.15 1.16 469,000 547,620 0.28 0.285 0.285 0.29 0.28 0.285 1,140,000 323,550 TRANSPACIFIC BR 6.29 6.67 6.25 6.67 6.25 6.67 2,900 18,994 2GO GROUP ASIAN TERMINALS 13.8 13.88 13.8 13.8 13.8 13.8 800 11,040 1.24 1.25 1.27 1.27 1.25 1.25 498,000 626,940 CHELSEA 41.6 41.7 42.9 42.9 41.6 41.7 42,800 1,785,640 CEBU AIR 183.9 184 189 189 184 184 1,929,540 356,673,496 INTL CONTAINER LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.53 0.6 0.65 0.65 0.65 0.65 10,000 6,500 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.32 4.27 4.27 126,000 539,760 MACROASIA 5.55 5.83 5.57 5.85 5.55 5.55 12,300 69,588 PAL HLDG 1 1.01 0.98 1.01 0.97 1 597,000 593,400 HARBOR STAR ACESITE HOTEL 1.36 1.71 1.36 1.36 1.36 1.36 2,000 2,720 0.091 0.092 0.088 0.094 0.088 0.092 154,370,000 14,193,610 BOULEVARD HLDG 1.59 1.72 1.61 1.61 1.6 1.61 25,000 40,200 DISCOVERY WORLD 10.56 10.98 10.52 10.52 10.5 10.5 2,800 29,442 GRAND PLAZA WATERFRONT 0.43 0.47 0.45 0.45 0.43 0.43 630,000 282,700 6.6 6.9 6.52 6.52 6.52 6.52 200 1,304 CENTRO ESCOLAR 530.5 588 530.5 530.5 530.5 530.5 100 53,050 FAR EASTERN U 0.33 0.34 0.33 0.34 0.33 0.34 1,380,000 458,900 STI HLDG BELLE CORP 1.18 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.18 1.18 320,000 379,100 BLOOMBERRY 5.93 5.94 5.93 6.02 5.92 5.94 699,100 4,164,162 1.5 1.54 1.48 1.5 1.48 1.5 23,000 34,360 PACIFIC ONLINE 1.38 1.4 1.4 1.41 1.38 1.4 1,100,000 1,536,570 LEISURE AND RES PH RESORTS GRP 0.84 0.85 0.83 0.88 0.81 0.85 1,922,000 1,624,890 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.395 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.395 0.395 240,000 95,500 4.8 5.96 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 24,000 115,200 PHIL RACING 4.08 4.1 3.85 4.13 3.85 4.08 4,564,000 18,310,790 PHILWEB ALLDAY 0.3 0.305 0.31 0.31 0.305 0.305 7,020,000 2,146,250 ALLHOME 4.37 4.38 4.42 4.42 4.38 4.38 124,000 544,640 1.45 1.46 1.45 1.46 1.45 1.45 1,194,000 1,731,340 METRO RETAIL 31.5 31.7 31.8 32 31.25 31.7 526,000 16,667,400 PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL 53.35 53.4 53.5 53.5 53.1 53.35 735,130 39,205,993.50 PHIL SEVEN CORP 59.95 60 58.9 59.95 58.9 59.95 4,880 288,611 1.3 1.31 1.28 1.31 1.26 1.3 837,000 1,076,050 SSI GROUP 23.8 23.9 23.9 23.95 23.55 23.9 690,900 16,473,285 WILCON DEPOT APC GROUP 0.18 0.191 0.18 0.192 0.18 0.18 1,150,000 207,120 6.4 6.97 6.5 6.75 6.3 6.5 6,900 44,740 IPM HLDG 0.67 0.68 0.67 0.68 0.66 0.68 1,071,000 712,750 MEDILINES 1.7 1.83 1.81 1.83 1.81 1.83 7,000 12,790 PAXYS PRMIERE HORIZON 0.435 0.44 0.445 0.445 0.44 0.44 640,000 282,150 SBS PHIL CORP 3.8 3.94 3.76 3.94 3.66 3.94 16,000 60,090 MINING & OIL ATOK 6.97 6.98 6.97 6.97 6.97 6.97 3,900 27,183 1.44 1.45 1.44 1.45 1.43 1.44 2,681,000 3,849,660 APEX MINING ATLAS MINING 4.47 4.5 4.63 4.7 4.45 4.5 487,000 2,228,310 BENGUET A 5.5 5.55 5.55 5.55 5.49 5.51 14,700 81,082 5.53 5.56 5.5 5.56 5.5 5.56 7,300 40,582 BENGUET B 2.63 2.74 2.73 2.74 2.73 2.74 25,000 68,300 CENTURY PEAK FERRONICKEL 2.32 2.33 2.39 2.4 2.33 2.33 564,000 1,328,630 GEOGRACE 0.171 0.182 0.171 0.172 0.17 0.172 640,000 109,660 0.133 0.134 0.131 0.134 0.131 0.134 7,200,000 954,640 LEPANTO A 0.133 0.139 0.139 0.139 0.139 0.139 1,670,000 232,130 LEPANTO B MANILA MINING A 0.0095 0.0096 0.0094 0.0094 0.0094 0.0094 2,000,000 18,800 0.0095 0.0096 0.0096 0.0096 0.0096 0.0096 9,000,000 86,400 MANILA MINING B 1.38 1.4 1.33 1.43 1.32 1.4 1,341,000 1,875,320 MARCVENTURES 5.59 5.6 5.6 5.65 5.43 5.6 6,219,300 34,722,867 NICKEL ASIA ORNTL PENINSULA 0.69 0.72 0.69 0.69 0.69 0.69 23,000 15,870 3.17 3.19 3.2 3.2 3.15 3.19 252,000 802,510 PX MINING 37.85 38 36.8 38 36.8 38 9,982,000 374,954,750 SEMIRARA MINING 14.12 14.36 13.88 14.48 13.8 14.36 499,100 7,054,870 ACE ENEXOR ORNTL PETROL A 0.011 0.012 0.012 0.012 0.011 0.012 4,800,000 54,000 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.012 0.012 0.012 600,000 7,200 ORNTL PETROL B 0.0086 0.0088 0.0087 0.0087 0.0086 0.0086 12,000,000 103,500 PHILODRILL 5.8 5.84 5.93 5.99 5.69 5.8 448,700 2,595,220 PXP ENERGY PREFFERED HOUSE PREF A 98.05 100.6 98.05 98.05 98.05 98.05 100 9,805 500.5 501.5 501.5 501.5 501.5 501.5 5,000 2,507,500 AC PREF B1 500 501 500 500 500 500 100 50,000 AC PREF B2R CEB PREF 41.45 41.5 41.5 41.5 41.5 41.5 1,000 41,500 99.1 101.7 99.1 101.7 99.1 101.7 150 14,995 CPG PREF A 96.8 98.95 96.5 96.8 96 96.8 13,810 1,331,975 DD PREF 104 105 105 105 105 105 1,710 179,550 EEI PREF B FGEN PREF G 99.5 100.4 100.4 100.4 100.4 100.4 1,200 120,480 955 970 955 955 955 955 750 716,250 JFC PREF A 955 960 960 960 960 960 50 48,000 JFC PREF B 96 99.95 96 96 96 96 620 59,520 MWIDE PREF 2A PNX PREF 4 970 979 975 979 970 979 600 582,910 75.65 76 76 76.1 76 76 14,780 1,123,760 SMC PREF 2F 76 76.25 75.7 76.25 75.7 76.25 10,500 799,320 SMC PREF 2I 74 74.25 74.25 74.25 74.25 74.25 5,160 383,130 SMC PREF 2J SMC PREF 2K 74 74.45 74 74.25 72.55 72.55 55,000 3,998,715 54 56.4 54 54 54 54 400 21,600 TECH PREF B2D PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 9.13 9.38 9.12 9.12 9.12 9.12 100 912 10.92 11.38 11.4 11.4 10.92 10.92 1,700 18,900 GMA HLDG PDR WARRANTS TECH WARRANT 0.51 0.54 0.52 0.54 0.51 0.54 118,000 60,620

-8,468,320 -21,629,415 -1,079,979.50 -25,795,714 42,000 -560,700 -8,424,170 -1,720,054 -446,400 41,667,545 -137,700 5,510,116 -12,525,920 -132,952,935 8,600,834 -84,669,995 -222,650 991,815 -127,500 -17,360 -1,621,850 -22,699 -13,500 -1,446,150 869,080 -2,211,920 -1,845,000 -1,859,540 -1,411,302 -1,259,000 21,857,109 -6,958,184 0 -30,185,155 -420,540 73,480 222,890 -35,127,975 179,000 -3,891,840 -2,846,490 58,000.00 -572,720 -623,710 -47,689,109 25,620.00 -133,100 900 -119,000 140,600 -2,565,519 -314,360 481,790 158,600 -145,200 -4,887,370 29,313,215.50 239,638.50 102,980 -7,115,655 -129,370 44,500 -2,908,100 -1,386,580 68,300 -123,750 6,800 -135,480 6,376,460 24,513,365 57,100 -

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

BALAI FRUITAS CTS GLOBAL HAUS TALK ITALPINAS MERRYMART

0.68 0.95 0.93 0.73 1.25

0.69 0.96 0.96 0.74 1.26

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF

97.5

97.8

0.71 0.96 0.93 0.73 1.28

0.72 0.96 0.97 0.75 1.29

0.68 0.93 0.9 0.73 1.25

0.68 0.95 0.96 0.74 1.26

9,445,000 4,958,000 284,000 84,000 816,000

6,601,310 4,668,920 261,830 62,810 1,038,540

18,750 -229,560 900 -13,450 43,470

98.2 98.2 97 97.8 7,120 696,269 128,385

www.news.businessmirror@gmail.com

AC Energy’s green bond rated Aaa by PhilRatings By Lenie Lectura @llectura

HILIPPINE Rating Services Corp. (PhilRatings) has assigned an issue credit rating of PRS Aaa to the proposed P10-billion green bond issuance of AC Energy Corp. (ACEN). The offering has received PRS Aaa, the highest possible rating awarded by PhilRatings to any issuance of debt securities. The bonds further diversify ACEN’s funding sources, complementing the company’s US dollar-denominated green bond issuances, bank lines, and project financing. PhilRatings noted ACEN’s “extremely strong” financial capacity to undertake the planned green bond offering. Also, PhilRatings assigned ACEN a stable outlook, which indicates that the rating is likely to be maintained or to remain unchanged in the next 12 months. The assigned issue rating takes into account ACEN’s aggressive expansion of its power generation capacity throughout the region via partnerships with a focus on renewable energy; its conservative capital structure; the significant turnaround upon the acquisition by AC Energy and Infrastructure Corp. of a controlling stake in ACEN in 2019, with a strong pipeline of projects which will support improving profitability and cash flow generating ability moving forward; the strong support from its ultimate shareholder; and its well-experienced management. “Since our debt levels remain very manageable, we are taking this opportunity to issue Peso green bonds to fund our renewable energy expansion in the country. At the same time, we are able to contribute to the development of the Philippine debt capital market and provide local investors a chance to invest in sustainable financing instruments,” ACEN Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Ma. Corazon G. Dizon said. Proceeds from the bonds will be used for the 283-MW San Marcelino Solar farm in Zambales, the 42-MWdexpansion of the current 72-MWdc Arayat-Mexico Solar farm in Pampanga, as well as the construction of the 133-MW first phase of the Cagayan Solar farm in Lal-lo, Cagayan. The Arayat-Mexico Solar Farm is a joint venture with GreenCore Power Solutions 3 Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Citicore Solar Energy Corp., while the Cagayan Solar Farm is a project of Natures Renewable Energy Development Corp., a partnership among ACEN, ACE Endevor Inc., and Cleantech Renewable Energy 4 Corp. ACEN fully owns the San Marcelino Solar project. The construction of the said projects is in line with ACEN’s aggressive renewables expansion in the Philippines and across the region. ACEN currently has about 3,400 MW of attributable renewable energy capacity and is working to build 5,000 MW of renewables by 2025, towards its goal of becoming the largest listed renewables platform in Southeast Asia.

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

Bond investors stick to longer tenors

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

HE Bureau of the Treasury was forced to fully award P35 billion in reissued 7-year Treasury bonds (T-bonds) at a higher rate on Tuesday as investors continued to take the risk and bet on longer tenors amid soaring consumer prices.

With a remaining term of 6 years and 6 months, the reissued debt papers fetched an average rate of 6.76 percent, higher than the benchmark secondary market rates. T his was up by 27.8 basis points than the Bloomberg Valu-

ation (BVAL) Service Reference Rate for the 7-year tenor of 6.482 percent. Likewise, this was also higher by 17.6 basis points than the BVAL rate for the security itself at 6.584 percent.

However, the Treasury said the debt papers’ average yield was lower than the original coupon rate of 6.875 percent set on its first issue in January 2019. Nonetheless, the auction was more than twice oversubscribed, with total bids amounting to P92 billion. Asked whether the Bureau of the Treasury is willing to accept higher yields as the new normal, National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon said: “Not okay but, given current market environment, [we] need to provide reasonable return to investors for risks they are taking.” Recently, the Treasury has been giving in to investors’ demand for higher yields on the back of expectations that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the US Federal Reserve will be more aggressive

in hiking interest rates to tame inflation. The BSP has so far raised the interest rates by a total of 50 basis points this year —25 basis point hike each in its May 19 and June 23 policy meetings. These hikes have brought the policy rate to 2.5 percent. But the BSP seems not to be done yet as Governor Felipe M. Medalla earlier said the BSP is prepared to unleash a more aggressive rate hike of another 50 basis points in its next policy meeting in August, noting that the central bank is “strongly committed to maintaining price stability.” The government’s economic team under the Marcos administration is now expecting inflation to remain “elevated” in the coming months as fuel and food prices rose as a result of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war

and supply chain disruptions. Last Friday, the Cabinet-level Development Budget Coordination Committee adjusted upward its inflation forecast for this year to 4.5 to 5.5 percent, higher than the 3.7 to 4.7 percent projection adopted by former President Duterte’s economic team in May this year. For this month, the government is set to borrow P200 billion from the local debt market. Broken down, the Bureau of the Treasury will be auctioning off next month P140 billion in T-bonds and another P60 billion in Treasury bills to raise the amount. As of end-May, the national government’s outstanding debt dipped to P12.5 trillion from a record-high of P12.76 trillion as of end-April due to its repayment of a P300 billion shortterm, zero-interest loan from BSP.

Tech seen by China Bank Savings as breaking barriers to inclusion By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

IVEN the right focus and direction, technology could bring down the barriers to financial inclusion. China Bank Savings (CBS) Digital Business Banking Group head FVP Adonis C. Yap said they have rolled out several initiatives to promote financial inclusion especially to the unbanked and underserved. “CBS aims to break down barriers by pushing our financial inclusion mission, a key strand of our Build and Rise Initiative, which advocates for inspiring the spirit of entrepreneur-

ship among Filipinos and igniting consumer confidence, both of which are required for rapid economic recovery,” Yap explained in the online Asia EComm Forum 2022. To entice the critical mass to open an account at CSB, Yap said a depositor needs only P100 to open a basic account in CBS, which is for the ATM card. Moreover, there is no maintaining balance, and customers already have access to online banking and the lender’s mobile app, he added. “The harsh reality is that in a country with 70 percent smartphone penetration, the majority of Filipinos are without formal bank accounts,” Yap said.

“Financial inclusion remains the strategic goal, and digital banking, the so-called Mobile Revolution, plays a significant role in getting this done,” the executive added. Although many customers of CBS still prefer paper bills and passbooks, Yap said the pandemic made them realize the importance of having alternative channels. Accounts like the lender’s “Easi-Save BASIC” automated teller machine (ATM) card allowed the bank to introduce people to digital banking accounts. With so many people on the internet and possessing cellphones in the country prior to the pandemic, the bank sought to ensure that all

new CBS clients were instantly onboarded to the digital platforms. It is no longer a viable option, but rather a part of the product. Moreover, during the lockdowns, CBS worked hard to ensure that ATM cardholders were able to utilize their CBS Mobile Banking App and Online Banking access and thus were not excluded. Notwithstanding the fact that there are over 100,000 merchants and millions of consumers already equipped to pay digitally in the country, Yap said there are only few users of the digital platform. “However, digital payments represent only 12 percent of transactions, and are a tiny fraction in the Micro and SME

sector, which comprise the majority of merchants,” Yap said. He estimated that Filipinos make up to 75 million utility payments in a month, but only five out of 100 transactions are digital. The rest are still paid over-the-counter in cash. Aside from promoting internet banking, Yap said CBS strives to remain relevant. “We remain alert and adaptable to changes. CBS strives to stay open-minded and alert to new opportunities,” Yap emphasized as he rallied support for the campaign by the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines to enhance consumer awareness and vigilance against cybercrime and fraud.

Fresh US inflation peak to keep Fed on aggressive rate path

NFLATION continued to heat up in June, hitting a fresh pandemic peak that keeps the Federal Reserve geared for another big interest-rate hike later this month, economists project. The consumer price index probably increased 8.8 percent from a year earlier, marking the largest jump since 1981, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey. Compared to May, the widely followed gauge is seen climbing 1.1 percent, marking the third month in the last four that inflation has advanced at least 1 percent. The acceleration is likely to reflect higher gasoline and elevated food costs. Prices at the nation’s gas pumps reached a high of more than $5 a gallon in mid-June and will add at least 0.5 percentage point to the headline CPI monthly advance, according to Bloomberg Economics ahead of Wednesday’s report. High gas prices, which were increasing well before Russia invaded Ukraine, help explain both President Joe Biden’s dismal approval ratings and his upcoming trip to the Middle East, where he hopes to convince Arab leaders to produce more oil. But fuel prices have started to ease this month, suggesting the

In this June 20, 2019 photo, people walk along an aisle lined with shelves of consumer goods. Economists forecast that, with inflation hitting high again in June, the US Federal Reserve would stay aggressive in raising rates. CREDIT: Bloomberg News

CPI will simmer down beginning with the July data. Though still well-elevated, some cooling in inflation may already be in train as bloated retail inventories lead to discounts and used-car prices soften. The core measure, which excludes energy and food, prob-

ably rose 0.5 percent in June on a monthly basis, the smallest advance in three months. While Fed officials have already signaled a 75 basis-point interestrate hike at their next meeting, smaller inflation prints in the coming months could lead to less-

JVs in green data centers and renewable energy

AN FRANCISCO, USA—Contrary to anecdotal evidence that the rise of remote work and so-called “Zoom towns” have rendered this city and its surrounding region irrelevant, the San Francisco Bay Area is still the center of the tech world. According to a recent report from US think tank Brookings Institution, San Francisco actually expanded its share of tech jobs in America during the pandemic. Brookings policy director and senior fellow Mark Muro said: “Anybody who thinks that the big tech hubs are sad and closing down is wrong.” So the report of San Francisco’s demise is greatly exaggerated after all. Muro attributed the continued dominance of regional tech super-

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Finex free enterprise Joseph Araneta Gamboa powers like the Bay Area, Greater Seattle, and New York Metropolitan Area to the fact that they are still crucial to early-stage business development as well as research and development work for startups. “These major cities are often where the corporate R&D labs and areas for collaboration are. As tech companies mature, that’s when they start to recruit elsewhere,” he explained.

Silicon Valley, which is part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, is considered the tech capital of the world. It serves as a global center for innovation, high technology, and social media. Last week, Silicon Valley-based Nautilus Data Technologies announced its partnership with Filipino-owned gaming and tech firm DFNN Inc. to develop the first green data center in the Philippines. The joint venture’s project location will be at the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB). In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, DFNN stated: “Building the country’s first green data center is a critical component of a sustainable technology ecosystem that will ensure the speedy growth and evolution of the tech sector

which will hold the backbone of the digital economy.” Founded by Fil-Am tech industry leader Arnold Magcale, Nautilus is known for creating the world’s most innovative water-cooled data center design. Globe Telecom, PLDT, Converge, and other tech firms have been investing in data centers as they anticipate increased demand in the new normal. Data centers cooled by Nautilus offer unprecedented advantages such as environmental sustainability, energy savings, water conservation, and rapid global scalability. Another Filipino company, Basic Environmental Systems Technologies Inc. (BEST), has teamed up with Stellar3 LLC of Arizona for a project that aims to make the Philippines a leading hub for waste-to-energy (WTE)

aggressive policy action later this year. “If I’m right about June being the start of a string of lower core CPI prints, which is what the Fed wants to see, then I think comments from officials will quickly switch to a 50 basis-point hike for September and

technology in the Asia Pacific region. They plan to establish modular WTE facilities across the archipelago for the transformation of waste into renewable energy. Their initial facility will be set up at a landfill site in Morong, Bataan that will convert waste plastics into low-carbon liquid fuels in a safe, environment-friendly manner. BEST and Stellar3 want to position the Philippines as a global leader in waste management and a primary venue for expansion—especially with the existence of fundraising platforms such as the new Global Trade Xchange (GTX) that recognizes the latest technological breakthroughs and values the protection of intellectual property rights. Last year, iWave Advanced Research Group started the operations of GTX

there were more calls for slowing to 25 basis points late in the year,” Omair Sharif, founder of Inflation Insights LLC., said. Even though measures of goods inflation are seen decelerating, services components like housing may keep consumer price growth elevated for some months. “Inflation of course has migrated away from the goods sector and is now firmly entrenched in housing—thanks to a very tight housing market—as well as in non-shelter services,” Citigroup Inc. economists Andrew Hollenhorst, Veronica Clark and Isfar Munir said in a note. “We continue to expect a slowing in activity and some slowing in prices but it could take time both to cooldown the overheating housing market and that may only flow through to rents with a lag,” they said. If measures of inflation don’t decline as expected in the coming months, that could lead the Fed to take an “even more painful adjustment to the monetary policy stance,” Deutsche Bank AG economists said in a note. That would add to recession risks, because larger and faster interest-rate hikes take a greater toll on demand. Bloomberg News

at the FAB freeport zone in Mariveles, Bataan. Recently, the World Bank conducted a study on plastic circularity in the Philippines, the third largest contributor of plastic waste into the world’s oceans. This has brought the issue of plastic pollution to the forefront of consumer consciousness among Filipinos. Hopefully, the BEST-Stellar3 joint venture will help address the challenge of plastic waste management in our part of the world. Joseph Gamboa is the chairman of the Finex Media Affairs Committee and director of Noble Asia Industrial Corp. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of these institutions and the BusinessMirror. #FinexPhils www.finex. org.ph.

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

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‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ scores franchise best debut NATALIE PORTMAN (left) and Chris Hemsworth in a scene from Thor: Love and Thunder, pulled in a mighty $143 million in its opening weekend in North American theaters. AP

Today’s Horoscope By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Deborah Cox, 48; Ken Jeong, 53; Cheech Marin, 76; Harrison Ford, 80. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Watch your intake. Choose quality over quantity this year, and you’ll be happy with what unfolds. Declutter your life. Embrace transformation and encourage flexibility. Write your story and live life your way. Walk away from temptation, gluttony and toxic connections. Seize the moment and discover what makes you happy. Your numbers are 8, 12, 20, 24, 31, 38, 44.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Tread carefully. Not everyone will be on your side. Be aware of insincere gestures of friendliness. Don’t react without sufficient evidence; take a moment to discover the truth firsthand before taking a step forward. HH

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A passionate path will take you where you want to go. It’s OK to veer off in a direction that adds to your journey’s flavor. Explore and discover, but also know when to say no. Follow your heart’s desire. HHHHH

By Lindsey Bahr The Associated Press

OUR movies in, Thor is still bringing the hammer down at the box office. Thor: Love and Thunder earned $143 million in its opening weekend in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. It’s a franchise best for the God of Thunder and another success story of the summer 2022 box-office season. The second Thor movie directed by Taika Waititi opened on 4,375 screens this weekend, starting with Thursday previews. It easily topped the box office, bumping Minions: The Rise of Gru into second place. Including international showings, where Love and Thunder opened in 47 territories starting in the middle of last week, its global total is already at $302 million. “It’s another home run for Marvel,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for comScore. “It’s unheard of for a Marvel movie not to open at No. 1.” The Thor franchise has grown with each subsequent film, which is both a rarity in franchise filmmaking in general but also not uncommon for those of the Marvel variety. The first film opened to $65.7 million in 2011, followed by $85.7 million for The Dark World in 2013 and $122.7 million for 2017’s Ragnarok. Waititi, who also directed Ragnarok, is widely credited with rejuvenating the series, infusing it with humor, irreverence and leaning into largerthan-life metal aesthetics. Critics skewed mostly positive and the Rotten Tomatoes score is currently sitting at 68 percent fresh. Audiences, who gave the film a “B+” CinemaScore, were heavily male (60 percent) and 53 percent were between the ages of 18 and 34, according to exit polls. IMAX reported that $23 million of the global total came from their screens. Love and Thunder brings back Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson and Natalie Portman, whose Jane

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): First, take care of money, contracts and medical issues. Set priorities that help support your efforts. A sustainable lifestyle will highlight your best traits. Be open, honest and reliable. Focus on reaching your objective. HHH

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Don’t settle or take on too much. Evaluate your position and what others expect, and you’ll come up with a rational alternative. Set boundaries, limit your spending and keep your emotions out of the workplace. HHH

Foster becomes the Mighty Thor. Russell Crowe also costars as Zeus and Christian Bale plays the villain Gorr the God Butcher. It also boasts the biggest production budget of the Thor films, at a reported $250 million. And yet, it’s noteworthy that Thor: Love and Thunder isn’t even the biggest Marvel opening of the year. That title is held by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which debuted to $185 million in early May on the heels of the box-office phenomenon that was Spider-Man: No Way Home. The Minions carved out a second-place spot with $45.6 million in weekend two, bringing its domestic total to $210.1 million and its worldwide grosses to $399.9 million. The summer’s workhorse Top Gun: Maverick placed third in its seventh weekend in theaters with $15.5 million. With its domestic total currently at $597.4 million, the Tom Cruise film is poised to cross $600 million by Monday—one of only 12 films ever to do so. In limited release, the documentary Fire of Love launched this weekend in three locations and made an estimated $22,328, while Claire Denis’s Both Sides of the Blade earned $25,000 from four locations. The weekend should net out with around $236.1 million total, which Dergarabedian said is “truly impressive.” “Every week, the marketplace becomes more pre-

pandemic like,” he said. “This feels like a traditional summer movie season weekend. It’s a huge difference from a year ago.” The summer 2022 box office continues to look bright for both Hollywood and theater owners, up 217 percent from last summer. The year as a whole passed the $4 billion mark last week which is up 233 percent from last year but still trailing the last pre-pandemic box office year, 2019, by 30 percent. “Audiences are embracing the movie theater experience with a greater enthusiasm,” Dergarabedian said. “By now, every demographic is interested in going back to theaters. The challenge for theaters going forward is just having enough new movies.” Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. 1. Thor: Love and Thunder, $143 million 2. Minions: The Rise of Gru, $45.6 million 3. Top Gun: Maverick, $15.5 million 4. Elvis, $11 million 5. Jurassic World: Dominion, $8.4 million 6. The Black Phone, $7.7 million 7. Lightyear, $2.9 million 8. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, $340,000 9. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, $262,000 10. Mr. Malcolm’s List, $245,416. n

Modern-day heroes take center stage in mural by visual artist Anina Rubio ABS-CBN formally unveiled its “Darna” mural that speaks of empowerment, heroism, and hope inspired by and dedicated to today’s frontliners and everyday heroes. Jane de Leon, lead star of the much-awaited series Mars Ravelo’s Darna, led the unveiling ceremonies at the ABS-CBN Compound along Eugenio Lopez Drive in Quezon City. “We offer this to our real-life heroes who prove in their own little ways that there is a hero in all of us, that we can always find Darna in everyone,” she said. Darna stars Janella Salvador and Joshua Garcia also joined the special tribute. Multidisciplinary visual artist Anina Rubio, known for her artworks on nature’s beauty and sustainability, designed the huge mural featuring people from all walks of life wearing

the Darna insignia. Following its timely theme “Ikaw, ako, tayong lahat si Darna,” the mural paints a picture of a “hero” in every person who manages to bring hope and positivity amid today’s uncertainties and realities. It was commissioned by ABS-CBN in line with the modern-day retelling of Darna’s story, which will highlight the plight of the iconic and courageous Pinay superhero and her heroic battles to help those in need. Helmed by director Chito S. Roño together with Avel Sunpongco under ABS-CBN’s JRB Creative Production, Darna will soon air on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, Kapamilya Online Live on ABSCBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel and Facebook page, and iWantTFC.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Distance yourself from unreliable people. Consider what you want, then look at the best way to reach your target. Doing for yourself will promote discipline and help you get the best results. HHH

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’ll be open to suggestions and get the support and help you need to fulfill your needs. Be creative with investments, contracts and how you handle health concerns. A change will spark your imagination. HHHHH

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Make a point to study the broader view of whatever situation you face before narrowing things down to one common denominator. Say less and do more to avoid any potential issues. Be true to yourself. HH

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take charge before someone tries to take over. If change is required, start doing what’s necessary to get to where you want to go. Advocate on your behalf, and make it clear to anyone who interferes to back off. HHHH

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Set your sights on what you want, and don’t stop until you are satisfied with what transpires. Joint ventures and shared money will require solid partnerships with no emotional strings attached. Set rules and keep communication flowing. HHH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Be a good listener, and you’ll know exactly how to have an impact on others. A change at home will help bring you closer to your desired lifestyle. The balance between work and play is essential if you want to excel. HHH

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Observation will reveal what’s going on around you. Bide your time, watch for signs and symbols, and make plans geared toward better health and happiness. Express your feelings and intentions to someone you love and respect. HHH

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Offer help and you’ll receive the same in return. Associate with people who share your concerns and you will gain ground together. Take the initiative to come up with and present a unique way to make improvements. Trust your instincts. HHHHH BIRTHDAY BABY: You are outspoken, entertaining and unique. You are collaborative and engaging. H: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. HH: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. HHH: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. HHHH: Aim high; start new projects. HHHHH : Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

‘bowwow!’ BY DAN CAPRERA The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 “The Sweetest Taboo” singer 5 Tallboy beer can’s capacity 9 Hen home 13 Recuperate 14 Nebraska city on the Missouri 16 Congres-sional staffer 17 Messes up 18 ___ hand (advantage) 19 Huffed and puffed 20 One-dimensional 22 Donald Glover voiced him in 2019’s The Lion King 24 Expense 25 Return from Osaka, say? 27 Tells off 30 Do a trucker’s job 32 Nevertheless, in texts 33 Have debt 35 Runny cheese 37 Body Snatchers, e.g., briefly 39 Trivial Pursuit response 41 “Such is ___” 42 Director Sam 44 Ctrl+Z 45 Like lime juice

47 WPM part 48 Some feta sources 49 Spoiled 50 Sorrow 52 Thompson of Thor: Ragnarok 54 Let know 56 Chopping weapon: Var. 57 Kunal’s role in The Big Bang Theory 60 Surmise 62 Vend 64 Leave, as a lover 67 Meriting VIP treatment 69 Mildew’s smell, for one 70 Solo such as “Musetta’s Waltz” 71 Duck variety 72 Nun’s relative? 73 “I’ve ___ there...” 74 Fender ding 75 Bits of caviar DOWN 1 Drawer alternative 2 Cliffside home 3 Start of a fatalistic saying (In this answer, note letters 8-11) 4 Beyond that 5 Certain java (Letters 4-8)

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 15 21 23 26 28 29 31 34 35 36 38 40 43 46 51 53 55

Little devil Preschool refreshers Believer in a higher power Scheming group Vinegar accompaniment “___ to the Mets” (Strokes song with a poetic title) Bench that may hold Bibles Unqualified pro (Letters 8-10) Boxer Laila Godsend Type of ray or blocker Yoga pose demonstrated three times in this puzzle? Greta Thunberg, nationality-wise Swamp plant Cupid’s counterpart Be a poor confidant Costa ___ (Panamanian’s neighbor) Nurse a drink Takes to court Like a joke about jokes Cry of victory Lashes grow on it Get, as a concept Cronus or Atlas, e.g.

58 59 61 63 64 65 66 68

Word after “tag” or “run” Obnoxious people Train trip Rounded roof Vaccine, informally Hot temper Untruth Base of modern society?

Solution to today’s puzzle:

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Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Barriers to work-life balance PROJECT partners Maria Lourdes Locsin and SM’s Millie Dizon

E it reporting to the office or working from home, people continue to struggle with juggling their personal lives with their work deliverables. And while we look for the right balance between the two, we need to be mindful of several barriers to achieving the right compromise of work efficiency and personal motivations. One of the foremost problems facing work-life balance is the lack of management support on alternative working arrangements for fear that their employees will not be productive if they do not report to the office. What these executives do not understand is that the human resource is their most valuable asset, and they need to listen and treat their employees as people, not as workhorses. I worked in an organization where an application was used to monitor our work which included the time spent on meetings, software used, research, and just about anything I did on my computer. What the application could not measure was my effort at creating an environment where my team could feel engaged and motivated to do their work. Software that monitors work reduces people to mere workers and takes away the creativity and engagement needed to keep a satisfied and innovative workforce. Executives think they are making datadriven decisions because work is quantified to the minute, but they are actually taking away their employee’s ability to decide for themselves and how best to do their work. This could lead to minimum standard work and employees looking for other organizations which can offer them independence and ownership of their work. Another barrier to work-life balance is the impractical workload given to employees especially now that there are available productivity and communication tools. Managers seem to think that it is easier for employees when they work from home, so much so that some managers give more work thinking their team can take more work. This depends on the type of work assigned, the skills required to complete the task, and dependencies from other departments to complete the assigned tasks. These add to the pressures of completing deliverables, whether employees work at the office or at home. If things become so loaded, remind yourself of why you are allowing yourself to be put under such pressures. There are instances when the workload is temporary, so you need to look at the bigger picture and learn as much from it as you can. But if the pressures become sustained, you might need to rethink if your goal is worth the sacrifice. If not, you might have to look for another job that will support or enable you to achieve your goals. For those that own their businesses or hold management positions, the boundaries between work and personal life can become increasingly blurred. On paper, it is possible to prepare your kids for school before 8 am and then work from there until midmorning and then prepare lunch and even have time to exercise before your afternoon meetings. But in reality, work is not always that predictable unless you work in an office where deliverables are consistent and specific.

FORMER Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines Jose de Venecia Jr. with wife and former congresswoman Gina de Venecia

AROUND THE WORLD AT INTERNATIONAL MINI-BAZAAR AND ASEAN FEST

PHOTO BY BONNIE KITTLE ON UNSPLASH

In this case, you might have to set clear boundaries and discipline yourself and manage the people that might affect your work. Work-life integration might not be for you and it would be better for you to create clear delineations between work and your personal life. If it cannot be avoided, you might have to set clear expectations to people both from your work and your personal life, so they know how to deal with it when the need arises. Another significant barrier to work-life balance is an adverse work environment. When workplace bullying is common and discrimination is tolerated, employees will have a hard time becoming productive and efficient, much less engaged. If you are in this kind of environment, your time will be wasted on warding off attacks or defending yourself from skirmishes. If you cannot avoid this work environment, you need to stay low and try to focus on what you need to do and what you can do. Alert your manager on how the environment is affecting your work so they can do something about it and elevate it to Human Resources (HR) when warranted. To protect yourself, document your work and loop in your manager especially when you have dependencies with other team members or people outside your own department so your manager can help when needed. Focus on your own work while encouraging your manager and HR to effect changes in the work environment because, ultimately, the

work environment is your manager’s and the HR’s responsibility. Another challenge to having work-life balance are personal issues like family members who are unsupportive, in need of special care, or generally averse to your work. These can take a toll on your physical and mental health especially if you are the primary caregiver. In these instances, you can talk to unsupportive and difficult family members so you can try to understand why they feel the way they do toward you and, if possible, you can do something about it. For family members who have special needs, you can try arranging for other family members to take turns helping out, or, if you can afford one, hire help to take care of them during the times when you have to go to work. While discovering a setup that works for you and your family members, do not be afraid to experiment to see which setup will work best for everyone. Ron Jenson, a life coach, wrote a book, titled Make a Life Not Just a Living, where he explained that success is defined by how you consider all aspects of your life—be it your work, relationships and health. What would you have gained if you worked all the days of your life but lost your health and relationships? Work-life balance is understanding what is important to you and the values that inspire you, and knowing what you need to give up to achieve your ultimate goals. n

MALLGOERS had the rare opportunity to shop, taste, and celebrate international culture and cuisines at the recent International Mini-Bazaar and Asean Food Fest at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia. A joint project of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the International Bazaar Foundation Inc., and the Asean Ladies Foundation Inc. (ALF), in partnership with SM, the event featured products, food, and culture of the 26 participating countries, as well as 4 local textile merchants. Maria Lourdes Locsin, wife of former secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr. and chairman of the two foundations, together with ALF president and Malaysian Embassy’s chargé d’affaires Nurriha Ahmad, and IBF president consul Betty Ang, led the opening ceremony. They were joined by no less than former secretary Locsin, as well as ambassadors, spouses of heads of mission, IBF board members, and diplomats from various embassies. For the last 56 years, the IBF has been hosting the International Bazaar that raises funds to uplift the lives of the less privileged. During the program, H.E. Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian presented the check donation to Locsin, IBF president consul Betty Ang and its board members for their advocacies. The International Mini-Bazaar, IBF’s first bazaar since the pandemic, was a fund-raising event that aimed to foster and strengthen the friendship shared between the Philippines and the rest of the world, all while raising awareness through sumptuous food and signature products. Participating countries in the bazaar included Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, China, Denmark, France, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, New Zealand, Peru, Romania, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Ukraine and Vietnam. From the Philippines, HABI: The Philippine Textile Council, Cora DJ Manimbo Fashion House, CMMAG/ Nikkitita Manila, and fashion designers also joined the bazaar for a cause. Alongside this mini-bazaar was the Asean Food Fest organized by the ALF, which featured authentic dishes and exotic flavors from the 10 embassies of the Asean memberstates including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Guests enjoyed both traditional and modern cuisines prepared by the embassies and participating restaurants.

What’s behind the enduring popularity of crystals? By Joseph P. Laycock Texas State University AS New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends ribbon cuttings, marches in parades and bulldozes dirt bikes, he wears an energy stone bracelet that his supporters gave him. In a recent interview, Adams discussed his belief that New York City has a “special energy” because it sits atop a store of rare gems and stones—the so-called “Manhattan schist,” which is over 450 million years old and contains over 100 minerals. Adams isn’t the only one imbuing rocks with metaphysical significance. During the first year of the pandemic, the crystal industry boomed, with customers hoping the gems might relieve their anxiety. Some people might be confused about the allure of these stones. But crystal enthusiasts aren’t deviants. Current ideas about crystals come from a larger tradition called “metaphysical religion” that has always been part of the American spiritual landscape.

MORE THAN ROCKS

TECHNICALLY, a crystal is any matter with a repeating pattern of atoms or molecules. The crystals for sale in shops are known as euhedral crystals because they have well-defined surfaces, or “faces.” For centuries, people have attributed special properties to crystals. Scientist Carl Sagan, in his book The Demon-

Haunted World, traces their modern popularity to a series of books written in the 1980s by Katrina Raphaell, who founded The Crystal Academy of Advanced Healing Arts in 1986. Crystals aren’t just eye-catching stones. Quartz is used in electronics because it possesses piezoelectric properties that cause it to release an electric charge when compressed. But, as skeptics are quick to point out, there is no evidence crystals can bring health, prosperity or any of the other properties that crystal enthusiasts may attribute to them.

MINING THE METAPHYSICAL

YET crystals are part of a broader tradition called metaphysical religion, a term coined by historian Catherine Albanese. Metaphysical religion includes modern New Age movements, a nebulous milieu of alternative spiritual beliefs and practices, such as synchronicity or psychic abilities. Older traditions like Mesmerism, the idea that humans beings emit magnetic energy that can be used for healing, and Spiritualism, the belief that mediums can communicate with the dead, also fall under the metaphysical umbrella. Albanese ascribes four characteristics to metaphysical traditions: a preoccupation with the mind and its powers; “correspondences,” or the idea of hidden connections between things; a tendency to think in terms of energy and movement; and a yearning for salvation understood as “solace, comfort, therapy, and healing.”

‘CONTAGIOUS MAGIC’

METAPHYSICAL ideas about crystals exhibit each of these characteristics. While crystals are physical objects, not thoughts, many crystal enthusiasts recommend “cleansing” and “charging” crystals through visualization and other meditative techniques. So the mind plays a key role in crystal spirituality, as it does in other forms of metaphysical religion. Correspondence refers to the belief found in many occult traditions that ordinary things possess secret qualities or connections to other things. A classic example is astrology, which postulates a correspondence between one’s birthday and certain personality traits. Metaphysical claims about crystals also reflect a belief in correspondences. For example, Colleen McCann, a self-described shaman affiliated with the crystal purveyor Goop, described the positive qualities of different crystals: bloodstones promote good health, rose quartzes help with love, and pink mangano calcites are good for sleep. Modern crystal enthusiasts often use words like “energy” and “vibrations” that present their ideas in a scientific register. When enthusiasts talk about the energy of crystals—like Eric Adams did—they really mean that it exerts influence within a certain proximity. This is the principle behind crystal water bottles that can be used to “charge” water with “vibrational energy.” Stripped of scientific language, the logic of energy and

vibrations is another form of what anthropologist James Frazer called “contagious magic” found in many cultures, where simply placing one thing next to another is believed to cause an effect.

A SOURCE OF STIGMA

FINALLY, metaphysical religion tends to focus on solving problems in this life rather than the hereafter. This includes health and prosperity, but also emotional growth and wellbeing. Crystal spirituality is certainly centered around these worldly goals. This is a big distinction from traditions like Christianity that emphasize salvation in heaven. It is also a factor in why metaphysical ideas are stigmatized despite their popularity. Protestant Christianity, with its emphasis on “sola fides”—faith alone—has historically dismissed many forms of material religion, or objects with religious significance, as superstition. So in a culture shaped by its historically Protestant majority, some Americans may be predisposed to look at crystal spirituality as foolish, greedy or even blasphemous. But while claims about the hidden properties of crystals lack scientific validation, so do many of the claims of Christianity and other mainstream religions. From a historical perspective, Adams’ ideas about crystals don’t make him an outlier. As a scholar of religious studies, I see him as a normal part of the American religious landscape. THE CONVERSATION

B6 Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Rotary Club Loyola Heights holds handover ceremonies

HMP, J&T Express partner anew

INO Motors Philippines (HMP) and J&T Express (PH Global Jet Express Inc.) strengthen ties as they sign for continued strategic partnership on July 6. The signing ceremony held at the HMP headquarters in Calamba, Laguna covers a new deal for more than a hundred units of Hino trucks comprised of XZU730L, XZU710L and FL8J models. Hino Motors has been a trusted partner of J&T Express, serving over 320 units of their truck requirements to date. Hino’s Total Support philosophy fosters this partnership providing the unique advantage of holistic mobility service beginning from quality automotive products to reliable aftersales service including trainings and technical support. “We at Hino Motors Philippines are very proud of this collaboration. With J&T Express being a leader in the logistics industry, we understand that your business has no room for downtime and having the right vehicle

ATTENDING THE EVENT WERE KEY OFFICERS, FROM LEFT: Hino Motors Philippines Chairman Mr. Vicente Mills, Hino Motors Philippines President Mr. Mitsuharu Tabata, J&T CEO Mr. Dean Ding and Hino Motors Paranaque President Mr. Edward Tan. to accomplish your services is important. We would like to thank you for choosing the Hino brand for the third year in a row,” said Mr. Mitsuharu Tabata, HMP President. “In the past three years especially during the pandemic, Hino has guaranteed our aftersales service and new truck production capabilities to support

our company’s delivery business. In the end, I’d like to borrow our company’s brand slogan, Hino and J&T Express, “Be Together, Better Future,”” said Mr. Arron Wang, J&T Express Procurement Director. To know more about Hino's latest updates, you may check out https://www. hino.com.ph.

Home Credit’s Health Secure offers year-round protection against COVID-19 and vaccine side effects

S the threat of surge in COVID-19 cases remains, leading consumer finance company and digital financial service provider Home Credit Philippines (HCPH) launches Health Secure with COVID-19 coverage. This latest addition to Home Credit Protect’s wide array of products reiterates the company’s commitment to advocating proactive measures to keep its customers safe and protected. Health Secure offers protection not only for personal accidents resulting in dismemberment, disability and death but also for COVID-19-related complications, including vaccine side effects. For only PHP 1,212, you can get 12 months of comprehensive COVID-19 coverage, which can easily be availed through the My Home Credit app and paid through Home Credit Pay. This latest addition to HCPH’s protection initiatives offers PHP200,000 for coma cases, PHP20,000 for medical expenses and PHP500 per day for hospitalization for a maximum of 30 days. It also offers PHP30,000 that covers personal accidents.

Health Secure is also one of the very few insurance plans offering protection against the FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine side effects covering PHP100,000 for coma cases, PHP10,000 for medical expenses and up to PHP1,000 per day for hospitalization for a maximum of 14 days. Insurable age ranges from 1 year to 65 years old, given that the insured have not traveled to DOH-declared high-risk countries 14 days prior to the insurance effectivity date. “We hope more Filipinos appreciate the value of insurance. An insurance coverage that puts a premium on protecting Filipinos against the most imminent threat to our health, the COVID-19, is not only timely but also very proactive. Health Secure is our way of encouraging Filipinos to appreciate health insurance and protect themselves and their families by securing their health, future and financial stability,” shares HCPH Chief Marketing Officer Sheila Paul. Unexpected expenses are not limited to medical emergencies. Accidentally cracking your tablet screen or pouring water on laptop keyboard requires immediate repairs. With gadgets such as phones, laptops and tablets being everyday life partners, they, too, need protection to ensure they can continue fulfilling their intended use. HCPH is offering the Home Credit Protect (HCProtect) to give Home Credit-financed gadgets the protection they need at less cost. It enables hassle-free device repair and replacement in the event of accidental breakage, liquid damage or cracked screen. Claiming is also easier and more convenient with Home Credit’s 24/7 customer service. Simply the customer service at (02) 7753 5711 or message its official Facebook and Twitter accounts. You can also notify bolttech by registering on its online portal or calling its customer service hotline.

Subway Philippines launches ‘School In A Box’ program

HE Philippines education system is one of the most challenged in South East Asia. Lack of technology, poor internet signal and access to quality training and education are some of the identified challenges of some schools specially schools in far flung areas and isolated islands. To address this, the Department of Education (DepEd) has implemented the Last Mile Schools Program which aims to address the gaps in resources and facilities of schools that are located in geographically isolated and disadvantaged and conflict-affected areas (GIDCA). Subway® Philippines is doing its share in ensuring quality learning and education to students in Last Mile Schools in the Philippines. During its 26th year anniversary, Subway Philippines announces its “Subway® School In a Box Program.” “School in a Box, in partnership with e-DRIS, aims to empower teachers and students from last mile schools by providing them vast expanse of knowledge, learning and management tools without the use of the internet. With this program, Last Mile schools can now adopt a new learning management system that will serve as their bridge in connecting with everyone else across the community,” shares Subway® Philippines Marketing Manager Joshua Wahiman. e-DRIS is a game-changing educational app, addressing challenges of teachers, tutors, educators and pupils all over the world. e-DRIS (Philippines) Inc. through its Chief Executive Officer Atty. Rainier Butalid expressed gratitude to Subway® for choosing their company as the official partner of the program. Atty. Rainier Butalid shares, “We are very glad and very happy

that Subway has partnered with us to address the challenges of connectivity and digital learning to some of the Filipino students in last mile schools. This will really be a game changer for the Philippine education system and Subway® is making a trailblazing effort for our educational system. “Subway has been providing nutritious food for 26 years. It has provided nutrition for the body. This program will provide quality education for the mind of the young,” adds Atty Butalid. With the help of the partners' learning machines, Subway hopes that students will be equipped with a huge expanse of knowledge so that the next generation will be ready and competitive despite the challenge of the digital divide. Visit www.Subway.com for more information.

HE Rotary Club of Loyola Heights from RI District 3780 held its Handover Ceremonies last June 21, 2022 at the Celebrity Sports Club. In his remarks, the outgoing Club President of RC Loyola Heights, LCP Jhun Merino highlighted Rotary’s sustainable, scalable and impactful projects from Rotary’s seven areas of focus. He added that he was very delighted to turnover the reins of power to his successor Imaginative Super Pres. Barbara “Bamba” Camaya Tolentino. In her acceptance speech, ISP Bamba congratulated and thanked Merino for his excellent managerial skills and for giving so much of himself to many of Rotary’s causes. She promised that over the next 12 months, the Rotary Club of Loyola Heights will sustain the club's signature projects, expand their coverage and put emphasis on projects that will put Rotary service on display to the communities and to the world. She added that RC Loyola Heights will fully support the four initiatives of Rotary International President, President Jennifer Jones. These initiatives are Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), creating a welcoming club experience, empowering women, and expanding the club‘s reach. “I have observed and understood over the years about service projects and the lives that

Security Bank Foundation, Don Bosco, and bank clients award TechVoc scholarship in Pampanga

SECURITY Bank Foundation awarded technical vocational scholarships to 16 scholars in partnership with Don Bosco Academy Pampanga and the Bank’s industrial clients, Motech Automotive Educational Center, Inc. and Sambon P&E Philippines, Inc.

N its pursuit to provide better opportunities for underprivileged Filipino youth, the Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) formalized a partnership with Security Bank clients Motech Automotive Educational Center and Sambon P&E Philippines, Inc., through the efforts of the Security Bank ClarkAngeles and San Fernando branch, to provide technical vocational scholarships for 16 students of Don Bosco Academy Pampanga. The memorandum of agreement signing and official awarding of scholarship to beneficiary students happened last March 25, 2022. Under the partnership, Don Bosco Academy will shoulder the tuition fee cost for the 10-month in-center training of scholars to equip them with the necessary technical skills before immersing them in the real world. “Don Bosco offers a technical vocational education program that teaches young people actual skills that will help them find work in the future”, says Fr.

Renato De Guzman, Rector of Don Bosco Academy Pampanga. Security Bank Foundation will provide monthly transportation allowance to scholars while Security Bank clients Motech and Sambon will augment the support through additional allowances. Upon completion of the 15-month program, scholars are expected to gain Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) national certificates in Automotive Servicing and Electrical Installation and Maintenance. Motech and Sambon may also hire the scholars based on their on-the-job training performance. “With this program, we hope to provide the students with industry-specific skills through our Bank clients and bring them closer to having secured employment opportunities upon their graduation and certification,” says Melissa Aquino, Trustee and Corporate Secretary of SBFI. To know more, visit www.securitybank. com/sustainability.

Greenhouse at Village Square Alabang wins Brand Transformation of the Year at Retail Asia Awards

SUBWAY Philippines Marketing Manager Joshua Wahiman and Territory Manager Jean Gagarino receive the “School In A Box” system from Partner E-DRIS Inc. represented by Atty. Rainier Butalid and Syed Darwish Bederi III of Critical Links.

the Rotarians have transformed. It has always been my desire to carve my own destiny. Sometimes that includes taking risks and making yourself open to new challenges and experiences. And whenever people ask me where do I get my extreme optimism heading into my year of service as Club President, I always tell them that perhaps, because I have the best people by my side,” she said.

EALIZING the growing demand for plants and gardening supplies, and the need to cater to the burgeoning gardening community, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls launched and rebranded one of its community malls, The Village Square Alabang into a Greenhouse at Village Square Alabang. Now the first plant sanctuary mall in the Philippines, Greenhouse at Village Square Alabang brings together popular plant sellers and gardening suppliers all under one roof. It serves as a safe and convenient space for plantlovers and gardening enthusiasts for their planting needs and expertise. Megaworld Lifestyle Malls saw Greenhouse at Village Square Alabang as a pivotal project as the Philippines is blessed with an abundance

of plant species and varieties in a tropical country. It is said that a lot of Filipinos have a knack for gardening, a hidden talent many were able to realize as they sought solace in this newfound hobby. Hopping from one shop to another required a lot of legwork from the seller, while logistics and parcel handling became common issues for plant sellers. As most plant sellers are located in the suburbs and provinces, it was difficult for plant shoppers in the city to get hold of or buy plants, especially with the travel restrictions implemented by local authorities. Retail Asia Awards is a prestigious annual event that gathers the region's best retailers and recognises the most outstanding retail initiatives. Greenhouse at Village Square Alabang was also given a Silver Stevie at the Asia Pacific Stevie Awards 2022 for Innovation in Brand Renovation, being the first mall of its kind in the Philippines. For updates on the latest happenings, visit megaworld-lifestylemalls.com or call our hotline at 8-462-8888. Megaworld Lifestyle Malls | High-End Mall in the Philippines

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 B7

A MASSIVE HIGHWAY COMPLEX MAKES LIVING IN THE SOUTH HIGHLY ATTRACTIVE C

RISS-CROSSING the fringes of National Capital Region are a series of highways designed to connect the country’s central nexus with its outlying provincial hubs. By allowing easier access to the country’s business and lifestyle center from outlying locales, they extend the advantages and advances of the central business district into peripheral cities and provinces. This has begun to create microcosms of CBD well beyond its boundaries. The Metro is the country's political, economic, and educational center, but it is also the smallest re-gion in the Philippines. However, as it provides the best access to work, entertainments, services, and facilities, it is also the most densely populated region. To date, the National Capital Region is home to nearly 13 million Filipinos; thus, while employment and lifestyle opportunities are profuse, the disadvantages are also rather formidable: pollution, cramped living conditions, and poor sanita-tion among them. These living conditions have made living on the edges of the NCR, instead of with-in it, a rather enticing proposition.

Camella Lipa’s Clubhouse – the perfect place to gather, celebrate, and enjoy rest and recretation with friends and the family.

Camella’s latest offering in Batangas takes you to new heights with its pre-selling condominium project, Camella Manors Lipa.

GOING SOUTH HAS BECOME A BREEZE

A big part of NCR diaspora is moving south. It is also in this direction that most of the country’s prop-erty development in Luzon is happening. More than just homes, commercial establishments, indus-trial parks, and business hubs are cropping up, all with the realization that the South may soon be-come the favored place for Filipinos to take up residence. To meet these projections, infrastructure is keeping up. The South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) is a highway connecting Metro Manila to the provinces in CA-LABARZON traveling from its northern terminus at the Magallanes Interchange in Makati to its southern end at Santo Tomas, Batangas. Currently, at TR4, the SLEX is building an additional 66.74 kms. to reach from Sto. Tomas to Tayabas-Lucena City in Quezon. The project will reduce travel time from Batangas to Lucena from four hours to one, benefitting up to 17,000 travelers daily. The NLEX- SLEX Connector Road is an 8-kilometer, elevated expressway extending the SLEX northward from the end of segment 10 in C-3 Road, Caloocan City to Sta. Mesa, Manila. It also con-nects to Skyway Stage 3, paralleling the PNR rail track. The project will cut travel time from SLEX to NLEX from two hours to an easy 20 minutes, benefiting 35,000 motorists per day. The Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) is a 44-kilometer expressway that links CAVI-

Camella Lipa features amenities such as miniature parks and treelined pathways for leisurely strolls or brisk jogs.

TEX in Kawit, Cavite to SLEX at the Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna and is designed to reduce travel time between the two highways by about 45 minutes. The Apolinario-Mabini Super Highway (STAR Tollway) is a 41-kilometer expressway in Batangas. It opens up at the interchange with Pan-Philippine Highway and SLEX in Sto. Tomas running south-ward near the Diversion Road till it reaches Batangas City. Opened in 2001, it was connected to SLEX in 2010, shortening travel time between Manila and Batangas. The Cavite-Tagaytay-Batangas Expressway (CTBEX) is a 50-kilometer road that traverses Silang, Tagaytay, Amadeo, Mendez, Alfonso, and Magallanes in Cavite, as well as Nasugbu in Batangas. A number of bypass and diversion roads, ports, and access zones are in the pipeline in Batangas as well. The planned Batangas Ac-

Camella Lipa: A Community of dreams and Camella’s banner development South of Manila.

cess Zone involves the construction of two-lane access roads, port and docking areas, storage yards, and a suspended train, to provide easy access to the Batangas Regional Food Terminal and oil depots. The 150-hectare Batangas International Port, known as Batangas Pier, provides access to the CALABARZON Region by sea. These massive roadway projects will allow the country a future where commuting to Metro Manila for work from outside its borders, then commuting back out at the end of the day becomes an easy possibility, offering the Metro’s working population a place to raise their family outside the bustle of the central district.

CAMELLA IN THE SOUTH. BUILDING FINE HOMES IN THE BEST LOCATIONS

Early on, Camella realized that Filipino families will want homes close enough to Metro Manila

to en-joy its economic, leisure, and educational advantages without actually having to live in the country’s hub. While for some, that may be their only option; for others, it may actually be a preference. To date, Camella has 42 property developments in the southern peripheries of Metro Manila, offering dream communities that families can come home to each day. Perfectly situated, these developments are easily accessed by the expressways that have sped up travel time and opened up access to Manila as well as to the other southern cities and provinces. Batangas, one of the country’s favorite weekend getaways, offers 12 exquisite Camella communities and a vertical village. With two Camella properties each in Batangas City, Lipa City, and Sto.Tomas, Batangas is also home to Camella Taal, Camella San Juan, Camella Malvar, and Camella Manors Lipa.

Camella Manors Lipa brings a magical blend of the Batangueños strong, day-to-day practicality and the rich poetry of the storied Rome.

Standing on prime location and a short drive from the STAR Tollway Exit is Camella’s 35-hectare banner project, Camella Lipa. While the community is a sanctuary far enough from the city proper’s bustle, it is close enough to allow residents access to the benefits of a modern day urban hub. Con-venience is the true advantage of this residential location as Camella Lipa sits at the center of city’s commercial and lifestyle complexes. Camella’s latest offering in Batangas takes real estate investing to new heights with its pre-selling condominium project, Camella Manors Lipa, a 2.8-hectare pine community located at Brgy. Tibig, Lipa City. Only about 80 kilometers from Manila, it is easier for local and foreign tourists to visit the area; thus, an investment in a pre-selling vertical village in Lipa promises rewarding returns in the fu-ture.

BUILDING HOMES FOR THE FILIPINOS NATIONWIDE

Camella is known for creating themed communities and vertical villages across the Philippines. But beyond building well-designed homes blueprinted with expert space planning, the company builds communities where the best memories are made. The villages come with amenities that allow resi-dents to live the life they have always dreamed of and work so hard for. Developments come with clubhouses, swimming pools, basketball courts, playgrounds and landscaped open spaces. For 45 years, Camella has built over 500,000 homes in 47 provinces and 149 key cities and munici-palities, building homes wherever Filipinos wish to live. Learn more about Camella. Visit www. camella.com.ph, or follow @CamellaOfficial on Facebook and Instagram.

A booming affordable housing market By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

ffordable housing developer 8990 Hold ings, Inc. (8990) is confident the affordable market will experience a boom in 2022 as the digital natives realize the importance of investing on a long-term basis by buying a home. Anthony Vincent Sotto, 8990 President and CEO told reporters in a recent interview that there are several opportunities in the local market as the country needs to address the burgeoning housing backlog. According to government data, the country’s total housing needs by 2022 will reach 6,796,910 units. “Urban Deca Homes Ortigas is our largest project to-date. This development is just another milestone we have achieved in helping close the ever growing housing backlog which is estimated to reach about 12 million by 2030,” Sotto said. The 13.2-hectare Urban Deca Homes Ortigas is a luxuriant, green oasis with well manicured lawns and young trees. Strategically located along Ortigas Ave. Extension in Barangay Rosario, Pasig City, families will enjoy walking beside the lagoon, while boys, teenagers and adult men and perhaps even the ladies—can show their hardcourt skills at the two new basketball courts. Moreover, 8990 officials led by Sotto opened some of its amenities and has already turned over to unit owners the first three tow-

Westchester Realty Corp. is optimistic that the GA Tower will get a warm reception from the market

ers of Urban Deca Homes Ortigas’ planned 22 towers. Sotto said the extensive goal 8990 is to always be a provider of homes for the Filipino people. It also includes creating communities that allow the homeowners to achieve balance in their lives. “Our 13.2-hectare open space is but another way for us to help create an area where our homeowners can build community awareness. But it is more highly accentuated because it is our largest open space that is located in the middle of an urban area,” he continued. “Urban Deca Homes Ortigas is

our largest project to-date. This development is just another milestone we have achieved in helping close the ever growing housing backlog which is estimated to reach about 12 million by 2030,” Sotto said. To ensure their home buyers more buying options, Urban Deca Homes Ortigas has received accreditation from three of the country’s leading banks: BPI, BDO and Security Bank. Furthermore, Sotto said firsttime homebuyers and OFWs still have a chance to purchase a few ready for occupancy units at Urban Deca Homes Ortigas. Once they have paid 3 percent of the equity, they can start to move, and they can loan up to 90 percent of the unit cost through the bank-partners or Pag-ibig Fund. Urban Deca Homes Ortigas’ 2and 3-bedroom units will have a very affordable average price of P2.86 million.

Bullish on its vertical development project

W e stch e st e r R e a lt y C o r p. (WRC) is bullish on the prospects of its condominium project because it caters to the affordable market. “We are very excited about the GA Tower project as this would once again prove to be a success based on the most affordable pricing scheme that we have prepared particularly for qualified Pag-Ibig Fund member-borrowers. The location and amenities provide homebuyers the chance to own condominium units right at the center of everything,”

Urban Deca Homes Ortigas project’s huge clubhouse is now under construction. Also included in the plans are a playground for kids of all ages and a wellness area for the entire family.

Nico Valencia, President and Chief Operating Officer of WRC Valencia told reporters in a recent interview. He added the objective of the company is to provide “affordable luxury” complemented by convenience as the condominium project is strategically located on Edsa-Mandaluyong and complete with amenities for condominium dwellers. Valencia said the recent grand launching of GA Tower One more or less sold a total of 540 units. WRC took over re-development of GA Tower following the initial success of its acquisition from Pag-Ibig Fund several housing communities prev iously developed by Globe Asiatique, the company owned by Delfin Lee of the

famed housing fiasco more that 10 years ago. As far as GA Tower is concerned, Valencia said it is all systems go for WRC in the re-development of the project located along Edsa beside the Boni-MRT Station, as he disclosed that WRC has acquired more than 8,000 housing units formerly owned by Globe Asiatique over the last two years. These former Globe Asiatique controlled housing communities are located in Pampanga, Binangonan and San Mateo in Rizal province including Valenzuela City and lately GA Tower in Mandaluyong. “We bought the rights to these non-performing assets of Pag-IBIG fund by way of public auctions,”

Valencia explained. “Housing demand is very strong particularly for first-home buyers. We were able to sell more than 4,000 units in the communities housing built by Globe Asiatique throughout the span of the pandemic period [2020-2022],” Valencia said. “ Des pite t hose c h a l leng i ng times, our company even gained the momentum that led us to acquiring more of Pag-IBIG Funds non-performing assets [NPA’s],” he added. The entry of WRC eventually paved the way in settling the squabble between HDMF and Globe Asiatique and their company’s acquisition of the rights of HDMF (PagIBIG) Fund through public auctions, on an “as is, where is basis.”

Sports

Legends of golf celebrate at St. Andrews

BusinessMirror

LEE TREVINO chips the ball as (from left) Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus watch during a “Champions Round’ ahead of the British Open at the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, on Monday. AP

| Wednesday, July 13, 2022 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

Nietes carries giant task on fists vs Japanese Ioka

By Josef Ramos

ONNIE “AHAS” NIETES climbs the ring hoping to beat Kazuto Ioka and bring home the Japanese’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) super flyweight belt. That’s a tough task for the fourdivision titlist Nietes, who was at one time the longest-reigning Filipino world champion. The Philippines is now without a world champion after Mark Magsayo lost his World Boxing Council featherweight title via split decision to Mexican Rey Vargas last Saturday. And Nietes knows how important his fight is to the country. “My focus is only Kazuto Ioka— how to dethrone him and get my belt back,” Nietes told BusinessMirror via internet call after the formal weigh-in on Tuesday. “I’ll take this fight without pressure. I’ll just be happy if I can prove myself as a fighter despite my age.” Now 40, Nietes (43-1-6 win-lossdraw with 23 knockouts) fights the 33-year-old Ioka (28-2 record with 15 knockouts) at the the Ota-City Gymnasium in Tokyo. The fighter from Bacolod City—a disciplined and patient athlete who reigned from 2007 to 2014—said he has studied his opponent’s style pretty well. “I have to rely more on counterpunching and accurate strikes. There’s no need to rush for a knockout,” said Nietes, who’ll be coached by long time trainer Edmund Villamor. “If it comes, it comes. There is a game plan to follow.” Nietes comfortably weighed in at 114.5 pounds while Ioka, who he defeated via split decision in Macau in a 2018 New Year’s Eve fight for the same belt, tipped the scale at 114.86 pounds. Ioka won his last five bouts all in Japan. He never fought outside of his country. “I’m 100 percent ready for this fight,” Nietes said.

DONNIE “AHAS” NIETES could fill the void if he wins in Tokyo.

UNVACCINATED: WHAT’S NEXT FOR DJOKOVIC? By Howard Fendrich The Associated Press

IMBLEDON, England—Fresh off a seventh Wimbledon championship, which gave him his 21st Grand Slam title—one ahead of Roger Federer, one behind Rafael Nadal—Novak Djokovic is headed off to vacation. What’s unclear is exactly how long a break he will take. And when he will be able to resume his pursuit of the major trophies he figures, correctly, that fans, and history, value the most.

Reyes, Power Hitters overpower undermanned Crossovers in PVL

LDT Home Fibr got untracked with a superb blend of power, blocking and setting, easing past a hapless Chery Tiggo side, 25-18, 25-19, 25-14, in a rousing start to a Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference campaign at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan on Tuesday. With Chin Chin Basas, Julianne Samonte and Fiola Ceballos making crisp hits, Mika Reyes pulling off striking running play, Dell Palomata doing quick attacks, the Power Hitters imposed control of the net over the undermanned Crossovers for the lopsided one-hour and 24-minute victory in the second eliminations s playdate of the mid-season tournament. Chery Tiggo continued to sorely miss the services of injured Dindin Manabat and EJ Laure, Buding Duremdes, Alina Bicar and Justine Dorog because of health and safety protocols, but the Power Hitters, who

went into deep training during the break, came into the match exuding confidence and with a kind of resolve missing in their fifth-place effort in the Open Conference of the league organized by Sports Vision. PLDT’s Mika Reyes beats Chery Tiggo’s Maika Ortiz at the net.

No Kyrgios scare for Novak Djokovic NOVAK DJOKOVIC won Wimbledon on Sunday because of two reasons. One, Rafael Nadal wasn’t around.

The next Slam tournament is the US Open, and as of now, Djokovic can’t participate because he is not inoculated against Covid-19. “I would really,” he said, “love to go there.” As an unvaccinated foreigner, though, he can’t enter the United States. He tried to get around coronavirus-related rules at the Australian Open in January via a tournament-backed exemption, ended up in court and in detention, and eventually had his visa revoked and was deported from that country—which all could hamper efforts to return there in 2023. So it’s truly hard to know what’s next for Djokovic. It is certainly an unusual sort of limbo. This is all up to him, of course, and he has steadfastly insisted—and insisted again Sunday after beating Nick Kyrgios, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3), on Sunday at the All England Club—“I’m not planning to get vaccinated.” There is no doubt that he already has accomplished more than enough to burnish his resume, reputation and

standing in the pantheon of tennis. That’s why, for example, the 35-year-old Serb is not too fussed about no longer being No. 1 (he already broke Federer’s record for the most weeks atop the Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP) or about sliding to No. 7 in Monday’s rankings despite a fourth triumph in a row at the All England Club. These are unusual times, to say the least, and as of this week, Djokovic loses the 2,000 points he accrued for winning the 2021 title at Wimbledon, while simultaneously gaining zero points for winning the 2022 title, a result of the Women’s Tennis Association and ATP tours withholding all ranking points in response to the ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus over the war in Ukraine. So No. 1-ranked Daniil Medvedev, the Russian who beat Djokovic in last year’s US Open final to end his bid for the first calendar-year Grand Slam by a man since 1969, was not allowed to be at the All England Club. And now it seems Djokovic will not be allowed to

NOVAK DJOKOVIC reiterates his decision not to get vaccinated. AP be at Flushing Meadows, where play begins on August 29. Federer, who hasn’t played in a year and slid out of the rankings entirely Monday, won’t be at the US Open. Nadal’s status is uncertain after he pulled out of Wimbledon with a torn abdominal muscle. AP

Ginebra eyes crucial victory against bitter rival Meralco

ROWD-FAVORITE Barangay Ginebra San Miguel shoots for a bounce back win as the Gin Kings face bitter rival Meralco Bolts on Wednesday in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. At six wins and two losses for the No. 2 spot, the Gin Kings try to add separation from TNT Tropang Giga (8-3), Blackwater (5-2) and Magnolia (5-3) when they play the Bolts—who are hoping to get closer to a slot in the

eight-team quarterfinals—at 6 p.m. “It’s going to be tough knowing we’re playing our third game in a week while Meralco took a week’s rest, but we have to learn our lesson in our last game,” Ginebra assistant coach Richard del Rosario told BusinessMirror, referring to Ginebra’s 92-106 loss to defending champion TNT Tropang Giga last Sunday. San Miguel Beer is alone on top with an 8-1 record highlighted by a five-game winning streak. “We have to defend better and win

our three remaining games if we still want to get one of the two twice-to-beat incentives,” said del Rosario, whose team faces NorthPort and Phoenix Super LPG after Meralco. “If we lose one of those, it will be difficult to get a bonus.” Ginebra head coach Tim Cone is still in Las Vegas attending the National Basketball Association Summer League as part of Erik Spoelstra’s coaching staff for the Miami Heat. Meralco is at sixth spot with a 4-3 card.

POC INCENTIVE TRUST FUND GAINS FULL SUPPORT

HE Philippine Olympic Committee’s (POC) special incentive trust fund for medalist athletes has started to take shape quickly after the POC’s principal partners pledged their full support especially ahead of a body

Two, Nick Kyrgios wasn’t ready for big time play. Nadal quit due to an abdominal pain. A pity. Just when we thought the Spanish Armada would be OK with his ailing foot, the abdomen butted in. Indeed, our body is as complex as the Edsa traffic. Kyrgios got a free Finals ride following Nadal’s withdrawal in the semifinals. It also virtually assured Djokovic of a title retention as he was on a 27-match winning streak at Wimbledon going to Sunday’s final. While Kyrgios gave Djokovic quite a beating in putting away a 6-4, first-set win, that was hardly considered a scare. Oh, yes, Kyrgios magnificently made himself a force to reckon with in the opener, firing seven aces to begin with. But that was all there is to it. He was more of a pure fluke than a true threat after that. Coming to the fore in no time was Kyrgios’s penchant for eerie shift-modes of character in many of his past matches, mostly transforming himself from sane to insane—the Djokovic match another screaming testament to that. The first two times they met, in 2017, Kyrgios prevailed, with Djokovic not winning a set and not scoring one single break point.

2023 when two major regional games are staged. POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino thanked Ramon S. Ang and San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and Manuel V. Pangilinan and his MVP Sports Foundation, Smart and PLDT

for committing to the trust fund, a first of its kind in Philippine sports. A third major benefactor, Charlie Gonzales’s Ulticon Builders Inc., has also committed its support to the trust fund which will complement the law-mandated incentive program

History seemed ready to repeat itself when Kyrgios won the first set. And then it happened. Kyrgios’s mind strayed from straight to crooked and, as in many past battles, the 40th-ranked Australian would end up a sorry wreck. The succeeding three sets were a sob story of selfdestruction for Kyrgios, paving the way for Djokovic’s fourset victory at 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 that gave the Serbian No. 1 his fourth straight title on grass. After the first set, turbulence wholly struck Kyrgios’s brain as the mercurial power-server of Greek descent would either berate the umpire on trivialities or pick up a fight with a woman from courtside he has accused of taunting him. She is a “drunk out of her mind” after downing “700 drinks,” Kyrgios would tell the wind. The fan was never identified—otherwise, she would have been thrown out of Centre Court. She was but a figment of Kyrgios’s imagination? Kyrgios’s father and brother, both at ringside, were so angered at Krygios’s crazy antics of quarrelling with

T. ANDREWS, Scotland— They stood on the 18th tee at St. Andrews, a foursome that collectively has won 43 major championships spanning nearly six decades. Tiger Woods isn’t big on ceremonial golf. There are exceptions, and a British Open at the home of golf that celebrates the R&A’s champions would be one of them. He played with four-time major champion Rory McIlroy and six-time major champion Lee Trevino, who won his two claret jugs a few years before Woods was born. Along for the ride was Jack Nicklaus, the gold standard when it comes to majors with his 18 titles. Nicklaus didn’t bring his clubs to St. Andrews. He returned to become an honorary citizen. Nicklaus was there to greet most of the champions on the first tee of the four-hole exhibition around the loop on the Old Course (holes 1, 2 17 and 18), and he couldn’t help but join up with the last group at the end— Woods, Trevino, McIlroy and Georgia Hall, an R&A ambassador and winner of the Women’s British Amateur and Women’s British Open. Trevino was holding court because that’s what Trevino does. “Let me show you Jack putting,” he said, and then he went through the motions, staring intently at the imaginary line, crouching over the ball and giving it a whack. “Greatest putter ever,” Trevino said. “You left something out,” Nicklaus said, and then he raised his left arm, his signature move when he holed the most important putts. He did that on the 17th green when he won the 1986 Masters at age 46 and on the 18th in St. Andrews in 2005 when his final putt in the last of his 166 majors was a birdie. Trevino then moved on to the wedge, never a strength of Nicklaus because the Golden Bear rarely missed the green. Trevino purposely chunked the wedge into the turf, which made him nervous when he realized he took a fat divot out of the 18th tee. He forgot where they were. Woods turned around howling with laughter. “This was Jack on the ninth at Merion,” Trevino said, referring to their playoff for the US Open in 1971 that Trevino won. Nicklaus playfully protested, only for Trevino to say, “You laid the sod over the ball!” “These guys weren’t even born then,” Nicklaus said. “I know. That’s why I’m telling them,” Trevino said, and there were smiles all round. Only at St. Andrews. AP Coach Norman Black is also still in Maryland attending to his ailing 85-year-old mother Bessie. Either of Black’s assistants, Ronnie Magsanoc or Luigi Trillo, will call the coaching shot against Ginebra. Blackwater, meanwhile, tries to recover from a narrow defeat to San Miguel Beer last Sunday as it takes on Rain or Shine in the first game at 3 p.m. The Bossing are 5-2 win-loss record at fourth place while the Elasto Painters are in a must win situation at 2-6. The Bossing’s magical four-game winning ride ended with a 107-110 loss to the Beermen in overtime last Sunday. Josef Ramos to medalist athletes and coaches from the government through the Philippine Sports Commission. “The POC expresses its gratitude to Mr. RSA (Ang) and Mr. MVP (Pangilinan) for their relentless and enthusiastic support to the trust fund, which is envisioned to inspire our athletes to level up further in their pursuit of victories overseas,” Tolentino said.

an invisible that, at one point, the brother yelled to his brother: “Focus on your foe!” The stubborn mule that he has always been, Kyrgios didn’t take heed. And doing that against a Djokovic, you pay the price. “I wish you all the best. I really respect you a lot. I think you are a phenomenal tennis player,” said Djokovic of Kyrgios. Said Kyrgios: “I definitely need a well-earned vacation. I’m really happy with this result.” He forgot everything about the “drunk” lady fan. And Kyrgios on Djokovic: “He’s a bit of a God.” THAT’S IT Elena Rybakina is the Wimbledon ladies champion after beating Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Officials banned players from Russia and Belarussia from participation in protest over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24. But the Moscow-born Rybakina, 23, escaped disqualification after adopting Kazakhstan citizenship in 2018. Fate was kind to her...Asked to rank men’s tennis alltime Top 3, Du Hizon said: “Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.” Your take, fellas?